Kimberly Eckert – Eckert Psychology & Education Centre

“Little Adult Syndrome” – We are certain that kids have more skills than they do.

Kimberly wants to help parents slow down and let kids be kids.

Brain Maturation

- By 12-13 years of age all the things needed to mature the brain are there.
- Growth rate of the corpus callosum changes with age all the way into our 30’s.
- The brain is finally done growing up by 25 – 30 years of age.
- It takes a long time to be a wise decision maker.

Amy Marshall – The Relationship Resource

Do kids have an impact on your romantic life?!

5 Sure Fire Strategies for a Strong Marriage

1. Realize that your relationship to everyone has changed - Now that you’re a mom, the rules have changed and you need to learn the new rules. The more we try to keep things the same, the harder it is to deal with the changes.

Andrea Vance – Publisher, WestCoast Families Magazine

• She went from high school to university where she took finance, but after getting a stable job and her accounting designation, decided she didn’t want to be an accountant
• 15 years ago she registered on a job site; was contacted by head hunter and offered a financial analyst position at Electronic Arts
• EA had great perks and benefits but everyone worked very long hours

Tara McCool – Television Host

• Received Fashion Merchandise degree from New York.
• In 1987 applied to A-Channel to be the entertainment reporter. They wanted her to be the 5:00 anchor.
• Never asked herself “can I do this?” Has found this approach works for her.
• Believe in yourself and where you are going.
• Having children changed things. While on maternity leave asked herself, “who am I now?’ Got lost between whether to stay home or go back to work.
• Had to ask, “what makes you whole?’

Natalie Odd and Jessica Jacobs shared their insight and advice at the Calgary momcafe September 25th event “Helping Future Generations”

Natalie Odd – Executive Director, Clean Calgary Association

- Calgarian since 6 years old.
- U of C Graduate, French and Spanish.
- Started out with small environmental consulting firm while taking her Masters.
- Worked on a project regarding Industrial Ecology whereby the waste of one company is used by another.
- This led to the executive position with Clean Calgary in charge of finances in 2003.

Alyson Thiessen and Patricia Hampton shared their insight and advice at the Calgary momcafe May 29th event “Moms, Money and Meaning”

Click here to see Pat Hampton of the Get 'Er Done Girls interviewed on CTV.

Click here to see a video clip of the event from Small Wonder:Cherished Moments on Video.

Get ‘Er Done Girls – Alyson Thiessen and Patrizia Hampton

Path Clearing: Cutting Through the Idea Clutter

Dawn McCooey of the Women's Enterprise Centre shared an insightful workshop on
how to cut through the idea clutter and explore ways on how to work ON the business instead of IN it.

The group worked through various exercises while working on a Case Study.

Exercise 1: Your Priorities and Vision
Understand your values, mission and dreams. These will be your foundation for choosing and developing strategies and implementing hem.

Exercise 2: Factors Outside Your Business That Influence Your Business

Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit, founder of yoyomama.ca and yoyobelly.ca and Sue Sinclair, founder and chief executive mom of Raspberry Kids demystified social media for Moms at the May 29th momcafé event “Moms are all a Twitter” in Vancouver.

momcafé event April 3, 2009 - What do you CRAVE?

Carolyne McIntyre Jackson and Jodi Willoughby – Two moms bringing homemade goodness to Calgary. CRAVE Cupcakes

See momcafé Calgary's April 3rd, 2009 Event on YouTube
Click here
created by Small Wonder: Cherished Moments on Video

Moms and Money
Financial experts to make sense of raising a family in today’s economy

Raising a family requires financial know-how and commitment, and in the current economic environment, families are being faced with new challenges to balance their lives and cheque books. Three financial experts provided money tips and advice on how to survive a recession and manage the evolving financial needs of raising a family on Friday, March 27.

Vicki Chatterley – Coast Capital Savings