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A Great Place to Play Soccer! Planete Soccer

“Goal”! Get into the game….a new game..indoor soccer.

Quick Soccer Facts
The first set of rules were developed by the London Football Association in 1863.
In 1908, soccer was made an Olympic event.
Soccer is the world’s MOST popular team sport.
Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the head of organized international soccer.
Spain Wins World Cup in South Africa 2010
David Beckham or Ronald…who’s the cutest player. Not a fact just a question the Scoop girls want to know

Hottest Ride-on toys this season

Andrea Howick speaks to Judy Mead of LearningToys.ca to get the scoop on the hottest ride on toys for toddlers this season.




For more information, award-winning parenting advice, craft ideas, recipes or looking to connect with other parents? Head over to http://WhereParentsTalk.com/

Breastfeeding for Beginners

breastfeeding for beginnersSo you want to breastfeed your baby. You’ve read the studies, you’ve heard the advice, the statistics are there for all to see: Breastfed babies are smarter, healthier and leaner, and so are their mothers! Breast is best.

So, despite the persistence of discouraging advice from well-meaning relatives (“My kids all had formula and they turned out fine”), you’ve decided to give it a shot. What do you need to do to make your breastfeeding relationship a success?

Before the Baby Arrives
Talk to you OB-GYN, Midwife or Family Doctor, as well as your birth partner. They need to know what your feeding intentions are before you deliver. Immediately post-delivery, you are not in the best position to advocate for yourself, and not all hospitals (unfortunately) automatically follow pro-breastfeeding procedures, so get your birth team on board well before the baby arrives.

You can also study up on feeding positions and latching techniques, in case your baby needs a little coaching when she arrives. Other things to find out about:

Techniques for latching on
Baby-led latch
Common breastfeeding problems  (just in case)
Breastfeeding resources
Community support for breastfeeding moms

After Delivery
Here are some things you can do as soon as the baby is born to initiate optimal breastfeeding:
Hold him on your chest, skin-to-skin. This calms the baby down (he already knows your scent and the sound of your heartbeat) and keeps him warm, and also gives him the chance to root for the breast and find it on his own.
Allow the baby to spend time at the breast as soon as possible after birth, even if he only nuzzles a bit then goes to sleep.
Use what you’ve learned about latching on to encourage your baby to feed as soon as possible.

The First Few Days
The best thing you can do to maximize your milk supply is to feed early and feed often. Your body decides how much milk is needed not by how much your baby drinks at each feeding, but by how often your baby feeds. So don’t hesitate! She cries? Offer the breast. She turns her head toward you? Offer the breast. She opens her mouth? Offer the breast. She’s awake? You got it.

Some doctors and midwives will give you guidelines about how often to feed – up to every 2 hours for a small baby. But if your baby looks hungry, and it’s only been an hour and a half…well, she can’t tell time. Listen to your baby, not the clock.

Am I Doing It Right?
You can tell your baby is getting enough milk if she’s filling diapers and gaining weight. It makes sense – you can tell there’s plenty going in if there’s plenty coming out, and plenty staying on!

Your feeding should also be pain-free. Now, there may be some fairly strong discomfort in the first few days. Don’t panic – it usually works itself out quickly. Soldier on, and keep offering the breast as often as possible. If the pain persists, you develop cracks, or you’ve moved from “strong discomfort” to “intense pain”, something’s not right. Work on latch and positioning, and get some help.

Where To Get Help
Here are some excellent online breastfeeding resources:
http://www.breastfeedinginpeel.ca : A website maintained by the Region of Peel, near Toronto.  It includes information, troubleshooting and helpful videos.
http://www.drjacknewman.com : The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute.
http://www.lllc.ca/ : La Leche League: A group of expert volunteers passionate about promoting breastfeeding.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html : A breastfeeding blog full of great tips and techniques and answers to a lot of common breastfeeding questions.
Community breastfeeding support varies widely by region and province, so be sure to ask your doctor, midwife, CLSC nurse or other health care support person what services you can access in your area. Breastfeeding does carry some challenges, and if you marshall your forces before you need them, you give yourself the best possible chance at succeeding.

Don’t wait! Breastfeeding done right is easy and comfortable, and the satisfaction you’ll get from persisting is well worth the extra effort early on.
——————————
- by Catherine Coghlan

Summer Entertaining Made Easy

Get your summer entertaining off to a fast and fresh start with these quick and easy nibbles that you can throw together in a snap.  I’ve kept the cooking to a minimum so you don’t heat up the kitchen and melt the ice cubes in your drink!  Play with the flavours a little to suit your tastes, adapt to your pantry ingredients and make them your own signature summer style!

BRIE BUNDLES
Makes 12
Preparation Time:    10 minutes
Cooking Time:        0 minutes
Notes:  Sweet, savoury and delicious – these little bites burst with freshness for a quick summer appetizer.

Ingredients:

•    12 small pieces of seedless watermelon, cut into squares, about 1 inch in diameter
•    12 thin slices brie, about the same dimensions as the watermelon slices
•    12 slices prosciutto
•    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Place a piece of brie on top of each watermelon rectangle and wrap each with a sliced of ham. Secure with a toothpick.  Sprinkle with chopped mint and serve.

SCALLOP MARTINIS
Serves 4
Preparation Time:    10 minutes + 1 hour marinade time
Cooking Time:        4 minutes

Ingredients:
•    125ml (1/2 cup) vodka
•    50ml (1/4 cup) lime juice
•    2 tsp chopped red chilli pepper
•    1 tbsp olive oil
•    12 large scallops
•    Salt and freshly ground pepper
•    ½ finely chopped red pepper
•    ½ finely chopped yellow pepper
•    2 green onions, finely chopped
•    4 sprigs coriander

1. Combine vodka, lime juice and chilli pepper in bowl.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Sear about 2 minutes per side or until scallops are browned on the outside but still translucent in the centre.
3. Place scallops on board and cut into half or quarters if large and add to vodka mixture. Let marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4.  When ready to serve, stir in the chopped peppers and green onions.  Divide scallop mixture between 4 martini glasses adding some marinade. Garnish with coriander. Serve at once.

CHAMPAGNE PEACHES
Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time:    10 minutes plus 1 hour marinating time
Cooking Time:        3-5 minutes
Notes:            Feel free to substitute nectarines or plums in this recipe.

Ingredients:
•    250 ml (1 cup) water
•    ½ cup sugar
•    4 local peaches, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
•    500ml (2 cups) sparkling wine or champagne
•    Whipped cream to serve

1.    Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.
2.    Add peaches and sparkling wine.  Allow to sit for 1 hour or in the refrigerator overnight.
3.    When ready to serve, spoon the peaches into individual serving dishes (martini glasses are fun) and top with some of the sparkling wine marinade and a dollop of whipped cream.

Reality Road Trip: Scoop’s Top Picks

I love a good road trip.  I fantasize about a silver convertible, Grace Kelly looking scarf tied delicately around my perfectly coiffed hair,  some dashing James Bond …or these days a Portuguese Soccer player type sitting beside me as I laugh effortlessly at our carefree drive down the winding Mediterranean coast looking for that perfect cafe.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeetch……. those are the tires of my mind coming to a halt.
Reality Road Trip.  Dirty Minivan, hair I haven’t washed in 3 days, my husband & I screaming at the kids to stop fighting while the whole car reeks of some drive-thru burger place on our way to some relatives 80th Birthday party in a 40 degree heatwave.
This is the year I’m treating myself…and my family. So treat yourself…here are Scoop’s Top Activity Picks for a successful Family Road Trip

Scoop’s Top Road Trip Pick Activities

Ben & Jerry’s – Vermont

Calypso Water Park – Ontario

Granby Zoo – Quebec

Santa’s Workshop Amusement Park – NY

Park Safari – Quebec

TCBY – Cote St-Luc

Our Top Pick  Mont Blanc & Jungle Magique – Escape to the Mont Tremblant Region

mont blanc small box 165x165

A full season family hotel and resort located at the gateway to the Mont-Tremblant region, in the heart of Quebec’s beautiful Laurentian Mountains. Family, friendly, affordable all year ’round, Fun in the summer with new lakeside, beachside, poolside resort accommodations.

Your Scoop Savings: 10% off any booking at Mont Blanc, minimum 2 nights
Plus… Don’t miss Jungle Magique

The Jungle is the ultimate indoor play park for kids of all ages. Fully enclosed, climate controlled play park with 4 stories of: tubes, slides,ropes,zip lines, tunnels, cushions,ball pits and more