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Families, Kids, Parenting & Pets |
| As a family-oriented site, evalu8.org has much to offer as resources for families and children -- and on the subject of parenting. |
Please also see our books, wellness and leisure & travel sections for more.
There's also a big section in "books" on all kinds of pet care. And don't forget our sports section for family activities.
 
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A-Pop-alypse now *
ANDREW BELL kicks off Father's Day weekend by trading in his fast-paced job for the blissed-out, carefree life of a stay-at-home dad. He'll send updates throughout the summer while the kids are playing quietly.
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Adventure with Posnayko *
Adventures with Posnayko is an online educational magazine for kids age four to seven.
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B.C. mother angry at attorney general's comments *
A B.C. mother is criticizing B.C's Attorney-General over comments he made in a legal battle with the parents of autistic children.
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BabyZone.com *
BabyZone.com is North America's fastest growing Parenting website.
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Bath Time Adventures (Lassau review) ****
Four stars: New children's bath toys encourage cleanliness and creativity. evalu8.org's Parenting Editor Marissa Lassau rates them at four stars. Mother-recommended in actual use.
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Beat the Summer Heat *
From popping frozen grapes to dipping in the kiddie pool, here is a selection of refreshing ways to keep cooler this stinking hot summer in Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest. . .
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Bullies and the Bullied: Closer than they appear *
They are the kids the teachers tend to ignore because they don't make any noise. The ones you might see on the playground, hovering at the edge of the crowd, as if they wish they could join in but aren't sure how. They are easy pickings for the classroom bully.
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Central Bark Bakery (pet food & accessories) ****
Here's an excellent online source for pet accessories and natural pet foods. We were particularly impressed by the cat- and dog-treat jars they sell from their Florida location for $16 USD.
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Create a personalized travel dictionary for your next trip *
You'll never know how useful a few words of a foreign language can be until you travel. So for your next vacation take the time to create a small translation dictionary customized to all of your travel needs.
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December 15, 2002: Aveeno Baby Products *****
evalu8.org's Parenting Editor Marissa Lassau loved these Aveeno® baby care products, giving them a big five stars -- a perfect rating!
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Dinner Games & Activities (Garber review) ****
Now it's okay to play while you eat, which does make for a family mealtime in which everyone shares some of the spotlight. A new "family game" brings entertainment to the table.
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Do video games breed violence? *
Violent video games have a much more damaging effect on children than parents would like to believe, leading them to perform poorly in school, argue with teachers, condone aggression and get into physical fights with their peers, according to a series of new studies.
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Editorial: Bad Telephone Manners and what we can do about them *
The answer is clearly. . .speak up!
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Elimination of arts requirements harmful to BC students *
BC Art teachers are expressing concern and disappointment about the elimination of Fine Arts as a requirement in grades 10 through 12.
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Family adopts rare two-headed turtle *
The Pascarell family is no stranger to unusual animals. But to their six dogs, three cats, four horses, 11 fish and one hamster add the strangest pet yet: a tiny two-headed turtle.
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Fathers find ways to be there when it counts *
Some adjust work schedules, others send an e-mail in place of a hug and kiss...
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Gene Therapy . . . the Natural Way *
Is it the end of the nature-nurture debate? As ANNE McILROY reports, new research implies that the quality of parental care can alter children's genetic makeup.
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Girl's abduction exposes extent of Internet luring *
tale of the 12-year-old British girl who ran away with a former U.S. marine she met on the Internet has police and parents concerned that it may be an extreme result of the sexual advances children receive over the Internet.
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Good girls do *
School counsellors, researchers and teenagers themselves say that girls as young as 12 and 13 are performing oral sex -- not just the class 'bad girls,' but students from every walk of life. They don't consider it real sex, but an act almost as normal as acne and cafeteria gossip. In today's oversexed consumer culture, reports SARA WILSON, popularity commands a high price.
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Help Kids Get Visible on Halloween with free reflective safety stickers *
Your local BC optometrists are providing free "Get Visible" reflective stickers for parents to make sure kids are visible during Halloween activities.
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How to win at Happy Families *
There is a card game called Happy Families. The rules involve assembling the 11 families extant in 44 cards so that each has a mother, father, daughter and son. The player asking for a card must say "please" and the receiver "thank you," or there's a penalty.
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Interested in Pet Resources? *
Here's a website featuring recipes, resources and lots of links.
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Kids shouldn't try to win too soon *
The stories are legendary of parents who have planned their children's sporting careers from the time they are two years old. ..
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Learning Self-control: Play-fighting with Dad *
The family that plays together stays together, popular wisdom says...
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Losing their way -- when teens become trouble *
'I should have been firmer." What parent has not said this? Or more likely, what mom, since they're the ones more often who question their methods, doubt their successes and bear the family load for the seeming failure of their children to weather the stormy passage into adulthood.
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Madacy Kids to offer children's entertainment products under Crayola name *
Madacy Kids, a manufacturer of children's audio, video and DVD products, is about to launch a new series of children's entertainment products that will be marketed under the Crayola brand name.
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Mothers who leave *
This Mother's Day, Gill Wright Miller will receive flowers from her family -- which may seem strange, since she left them 12 years ago. But does being a good mother necessarily mean living under the same roof? ERIN ANDERSSEN reports.
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Movie noise: Turn that fish down *
It's not the death of Bambi's mother that scares kids these days -- it's the noise level of movie soundtracks, which can spike louder than a jackhammer or a live rock show, LUMA MUHTADIE writes
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Much-Needed Resources for Unique Families *
Canadian publishing house Groundwork Press is publishing books that it knows many families will be happy to have in hand. And how does it know this?
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New spousal support rules welcomed by family lawyers *
Guidelines hailed as revolutionary tool for calculating more predictable outcomes.
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Now THAT's discipline: Father sells off kids' presents to teach lesson *
A California father auctioned off the video game systems he had bought his sons for Christmas on eBay, saying the kids did not deserve their expensive presents.
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O'Pair fanny pack (Lassau review) ****
Four stars: A new "fashion accessory" helps keeps children close at hand. evalu8.org's Parenting Editor Marissa Lassau rates them at four stars. Mother-recommended in actual use.
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One more reason for a bedtime story *
Whether they realize it or not, most Canadian parents are already playing a crucial role in helping their children learn to read, judging from the results of a survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid for Fisher-Price. Ninety-five per cent of parents with children 12 and under read to them on a regular basis -- an activity many literacy experts say helps to boost literacy skills, particularly during a child's preschool years.
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Oral-B Stages ****
A new series of four toothbrushes takes your child from infancy to school-age. evalu8.org's Parenting Editor Marissa Lassau rates them at four stars.
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Pampered Pets *
Pets are important members of many families and like the other family
members, they sometimes deserve a special treat.
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PARENTING: Protecting or smothering? *
The start of the fall term marks an increasingly anxious debate: Is it risking disaster to let your child make their way to school alone -- or good parenting? ERIN ANDERSSEN reports
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Parents can spank, Supreme Court rules *
Parents and teachers may use force to correct a child's behaviour — but it must be minimal and not administered out of rage or frustration, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
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Parents fret over Passion's violence *
Now that The Passion of the Christ is finally opening in theatres across Canada, Christian parents are faced with a dilemma: Should the kids stay? Or should they go?
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Parents, starting from zero, could use a public boost *
The science is unambiguous. Infants and young children flourish when they are cared for by adults who have the time and energy to cuddle and tickle, to talk to them when they are infants and with them as they grow, and to read to them, even when it is the same story that is asked for over and over.
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Picky eaters may be raised, not born, study shows *
Before parents chalk up their children's refusal to eat broccoli and liver to simple childhood petulance, they may want to blame the kind of baby formula they used or what Mom ate while breast-feeding.
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Promoting Healthy Body Image *
Wondering what you can do to encourage your daughter to develop a
healthy relationship with food, an active lifestyle, and a positive body
image?
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REEL ADVENTURES: The Savvy Teens' Guide to Great Movies ***
ISBN:1550377353
Author:John Lekich
Publisher:Annick Press, $8.95 (USD); $11.95 (CAD); 173 pp
Since Reel Adventures is aimed, according to the jacket copy, at "teens (technically 17+) and young-minded adults," and because Vancouver-based film buff John Lekich has subtitled his book "The Savvy Teens' Guide to Great Movies," I figured I would ask the young-minded adult in our family to list 10 movies he figured the author of a book like this would surely have included.
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Resuscitating Rover *
How far would you go to save your furry friend? A blood transfusion? A liver transplant? Round-the-clock nursing care? TRALEE PEARCE discovers the new world of intensive pet care, where extreme measures and extreme expense have become routine. It's a dog's life
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SARS: Peeling away the mysteries of a virus *
Findings suggest SARS may have jumped from rare animal species such as civet cat
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Science to Parents: Chill Out *
ON THE OTHER HAND, Toss out the flashcards. While the research you hear about -- and the $500-million educational-toy industry -- might make it seem children need endless stimulation, experts say most parents instinctively provide enough already, reports ERIN ANDERSSEN.
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Shocking the unshockable: what to say if you're concerned about your tween and sex *
Last week's story about how some 12-year-old girls are servicing their male classmates made many parents anxious. But as ALANNA MITCHELL writes, this generation is uniquely positioned to advise its children.
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Social Studies -- Yip Yap *
Yip yap. A U.S. company, Chomp Inc., has developed a canine breath mint.
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Spare the rod -- or face jail? *
A five-year campaign to see corporal punishment banned in Canada has finally reached the Supreme Court, reports MARGARET PHILP. The results could affect how you discipline your children
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Ten British Columbia Activities For Adventuresome Children *
Premise: kids love kinetic activities and the great outdoors. Fact: British Columbia is a Shangri-La when it comes to outdoor endeavours.
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The Bargain Shopper: School Supplies *
Bargain shopping expert Lorraine Gannon shares her tips for back-to-school supplies...
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The bus could save your life *
For those who hate to drive (count me among them), here are a few facts that will fuel your paranoia of the roads.
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The Most Violent People on Earth *
Teenagers are the usual targets of efforts to prevent violence and delinquency. But as ERIN ANDERSSEN and ANNE McILROY report, science has discovered that human viciousness actually peaks in toddlers. Luckily, two-year-olds can't do much harm. But if you don't help the worst cases by then, you might never be able to help them at all.
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The mother of all dilemmas: Mommy brain *
I don't remember much about my life before 2001. That was the year I had a baby. You know the expression "mommy brain?" Well, I still have it -- and I stopped breast-feeding more than a year ago. I often forget what day it is, what lies I've told which people . . . you know.
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The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids -- Families: Please excuse the mess *
There's a reason teenagers sometimes seem crazy, writes MICHAEL VALPY. Underneath that baseball cap, there's a brain that's still under construction
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This will make your tail wag *
It was just a matter of time before the madcap reality trend extended to the animal kingdom -- and hardly a surprise Fox thought of it first.
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Toronto's Woofstock a barking great success *
For the hundreds of thousands of dogs who have never had a show of their own, WOOFSTOCK® presented the chance to attend a free admission, festive, entertainment and consumer show with more than 120 companies offering the latest in every conceivable doggie indulgence, spanning the gamut from artistic to zany -- everything that a cool canine needs to live well in this dog-eat-dog world.
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Vancouver Animal Shelter (formerly the Vancouver City Pound) *
This City of Vancouver facility has changed its name to better reflect its philosophy and approach -- it is Canada's first no-kill shelter.
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Warning to parents: avoid Kenny vs. Spenny *
This isn't normally the best place to cover children's television, partly because I don't like kids but mostly because it's entirely the parents' call on what their precious progeny absorb from the small screen. Leave me out of it.
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What is it with so many children today? *
What is it with so many children today? Sullen and surly, they ignore their elders and live to be with their peers. Two Vancouver specialists have a theory, but grownups won't like it, ALANNA MITCHELL reports. They believe the parental bond is being broken, with harrowing results.
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You named her what? *
Does naming a child Apple, as Gwyneth Paltrow did this month, make her feel special or scar her for life? WAHEEDA HARRIS, who knows what it's like to grow up with an unusual moniker, reports on a trend.
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Your Active Pet dot com *
Haven't we TOLD you that dogs are people, too? Here's all the stuff you need to ensure your dog (or dogette) is safe and happy on all your outdoor adventures.
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Secondary Sites:
'After 50 years, this is the least I can do for him' *
'He's lost so much weight now, I can pick him up under his arms and lift him into bed."
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* Big League Hockey Manager (Garber review) ****
Here's a locally created board game for all those hockey fans who have gone hoarse yelling at the refs, the linesmen, the players and most of all the managers for bad calls, bad trades and just generally for sometimes being %&$@&! idiots in not playing the game according to our rules! Four stars.
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*How to West Nile-proof your kids *
A point-form guide.
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10th Annual Great Manitoba Dog Party *
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11th Annual Vancouver Storytelling Festival *
From hilarious Irish folktales to personal tales of Southern belles, from ancient epic and myth to improvised yarns so new, they're spun on the spot -- the Vancouver Storytelling Festival covers an immense, entertaining territory of style, content and culture.
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20th Annual Country Christmas at Maplewood Farm *
 December 7-8, 2005, North Vancouver, BC
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7th Annual Kidsake Day *
Over 40 community groups participate in this informative and fun day for parents and kids of all ages. Richmond, BC, Sunday, July 17, 2005. Free admission.
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Amazon dot com *****
Amazon.com is our tried-and-true source for books, kitchen equipment, DVDs and more. We love their fast shipping and reasonable prices, too!
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And the cash cow jumped over the moon *
Warning: I'm going to reveal the ending of every kids' movie that is out now, came out recently or is due soon. It's easy, because it's always the same ending. Everyone gets rich. Filthy, stinking, fish-eyed rich.
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Baby walkers still sold despite perils *
Nearly one-third of Canadian parents still allow their infants to teeter around in baby walkers even though they cause injuries to more than 1,000 babies a year, half of them potentially debilitating head injuries, a new survey reveals.
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Canine Candy Cane Fun Run & Walk *
Sorry, over for 2003
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Childhood Memory: What's the first thing you recall? *
If you think you can remember being born, think again. You need to have a sense of self before memories become permanent. STEPHEN STRAUSS reports
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Entertainment Book ****
By now, pretty well everyone is familiar with this money-saving coupon book. Now you can even save money on the book that saves you money!
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Fine-print parenting *
Gone is the time when divorce lawyers could outline their clients' parenting responsibilities in a single paragraph. These days, writes ERIN ANDERSSEN , decisions like whether Junior wears a bike helmet are spelled out in detail
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Have dog, will travel -- Starwood Hotels, that is *
Hotels are offering custom pet beds, 'bone buffets' and even massages for guests' four-legged friends
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Homemade Costumes make Unforgettable Halloween Memories *
When Halloween fever starts, the children will jump up and down in anticipation of costumes. They can't wait. Those memories will never be forgotten. Just ask any adult about their childhood Halloweens.
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How Grandma got her groove back *
Retirement homes across the country are gearing up for a seniors boom, writes ALEXANDRA GILL, and the new facilities are out to shatter a few stereotypes about life after 65
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Just married -- and panicking *
The honeymoon's over, you've moved into your rundown starter home and now you're fighting over the last biscotti. But help is at hand, reports JESSICA JOHNSON, from a burgeoning industry aimed at easing newlyweds through the first year of marriage.
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Kids and contacts not always a perfect pair: B.C. optometrists *
Parents should closely monitor cleaning and wear of lenses...
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Kimberly-Clark to introduce Huggies Convertibles *
Kimberly-Clark Corp. is expanding its Huggies diapers line with new Huggies Convertibles diaper-pants, a product that can be put on like pants or used like a traditional diaper.
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Marriage helps men live longer *
Canadian men looking to lengthen their lives may want to add a marriage proposal to their routine of regular exercise and a daily glass of wine.
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Math predicts marriage outcome *
Whether a married couple stay together has less to do with good chemistry than it does with solid mathematics, a new study says.
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Natural and Organic Bedding for BABY *
Vancouver's DREAM DESIGNS and its BABY LINE is pleased to be part of Baby and Family Fair at the VTCC, September 17th and 18th, 2005
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Number of divorces declining: Statscan *
Although fewer Canadians are getting divorced, a new report by Statistics Canada shows, the first few years remain the riskiest.
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Pet Food 'N More Pet Pictures with Santa 2003 *
Sorry, over for 2003
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PETsMART.com *
Everything for your pet's health and happiness!
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Pregnant women urged to avoid ginseng *
Pregnant women are being advised to avoid ginseng after scientists in Hong Kong discovered that rat embryos developed abnormally when exposed to a root ingredient of the popular herbal remedy.
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Product review: Mutt-za ****
Isn't your family dog really just like a member of the family? And wouldn't he or she enjoy treats that make him feel as though he was really one of the "Chosen People" too?
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School officials trade grease for granola *
Spurred by child-obesity data, a handful of cafeterias are taking junk off the menu
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SOCIAL STUDIES -- Monday, October 20, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON
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Spay Day USA *
Bellingham, WA, February 24, 2004
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The Ice Dreams lolly -- What a treat. No mess *
As the melting, messy Popsicle season begins, parents and children in Canada may be excused more than a passing envy for what a British grocery-store chain has been calling "the world's first non-drip lolly."
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The parent trap *
The tale of the "tennis dad" accused of poisoning his teenage son's opponents in France is so extreme it might seem irrelevant to most people's lives.
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Vancouver International Children's Festival *
May 26–June 1, 2003, Vancouver, BC
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VanDusen Seeds of Curiousity *
Saturday, February 22, 2003, Vancouver, BC. Admission by donation.
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Vicks trick could aid polar-bear adoptions *
Ointment on cubs fools 'foster' moms
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West Coast Christmas Pet & Craft Fair *
Sorry, over for this year...
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Your Christmas Light Displays 2005 *
More and more families celebrate the holiday season by taking an evening to tour the wonderful displays of holiday spirit in our region. Evalu8.org would like to help plan their outings by compiling a list of addresses, photos and info on all the best light displays in BC, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest.
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YourPlan-It dot com (Marg Meikle) *
Here's a super idea from Vancouver's "Answer Lady," Marg Meikle.
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