GRAND Magazine Vol V Ed IV
GRAND honours and supports grandparents by providing information on resources and businesses for families and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions • The Perfect Pizza Party • Multi-generational Travel • Downsizing: Finding Your Perfect Fit
GRAND honours and supports grandparents by providing information on resources and businesses for families and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions
• The Perfect Pizza Party
• Multi-generational Travel
• Downsizing: Finding Your Perfect Fit
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<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>IV</strong><br />
<strong>GRAND</strong><br />
grandmag.ca<br />
Downsizing<br />
Finding Your<br />
Perfect Fit<br />
The Perfect Pizza Party<br />
Multi-generational Travel<br />
<strong>Vol</strong> 5, <strong>Ed</strong> 4 1
Eat<br />
The Perfect<br />
Pizza Party<br />
Looking for a way to keep your grandkids busy on a rainy day?<br />
Why not throw a pizza party?! Pretty much everyone loves pizza,<br />
and it’s a perfect meal for getting kids involved in cooking.<br />
• Even the littlest helpers can decorate their own pizzas.<br />
• Young kids can grate cheese, slice mushrooms with a butter<br />
knife, knead dough and build their own pizzas.<br />
• Encourage older kids to explore the science of yeast by making<br />
their own pizza dough.<br />
• Depending on how much time you have, making pizza can take all<br />
afternoon, or be a quick 30-minute meal. So put on some music, prep<br />
your ingredients and dance your way to a delicious pizza dinner.<br />
Alternative Pizza Crusts<br />
Pizza doesn’t have to be made on a traditional pizza dough. There<br />
are all sorts of alternatives depending on how much time you have to<br />
prepare.<br />
Uncooked Pizza Crusts. If you have 20 minutes to bake a pizza<br />
but aren’t interested in making your own dough, use store-bought<br />
pizza dough instead! Like traditional pizzas, the ingredients don’t<br />
need to be cooked or heated in advance as they will have plenty of<br />
time to cook in the oven.<br />
Top with all your favourite toppings, then follow the baking instructions<br />
on the package.<br />
• Balls of traditional yeasted pizza dough are usually found in the<br />
freezer section of the grocery store. Defrost them in the fridge for 24<br />
hours then get ready for your pizza party.<br />
• Pillsbury offers a quick, refrigerated dough that isn’t quite the<br />
same as a classic pizza crust, but it’s a LOT tastier than premade<br />
frozen pizza.<br />
• Puff pastry results in a crispy golden pizza crust. Just cover it<br />
with the toppings and bake according to the instructions on the<br />
package.<br />
Bread Pizza Crusts. Looking for a super quick meal? Using bread<br />
as a pizza crust means that the pizza will be ready in under 30 minutes.<br />
Here are three options for bread pizza crusts:<br />
• Greek-style pita bread and naan bread are both perfect for a<br />
quick pizza.<br />
• Little kids enjoy making tiny, individual pizzas out of English muffins.<br />
Slice the English muffin in half, then decorate the cut side.<br />
• A baguette sliced in half also makes an amazing pizza crust. I<br />
recommend using pasta sauce instead of pizza sauce on a baguette,<br />
for a really saucy, Sloppy Joe-inspired pizza.<br />
Here’s how to cook your bread-based pizzas:<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.<br />
2. Lay the bread out on a baking sheet and top with your favourite<br />
pizza toppings. Since the pizzas are only going to cook for a few minutes,<br />
avoid toppings that you wouldn’t enjoy eating raw. Alternatively,<br />
sauté any ingredients that you would prefer fully cooked (for example<br />
onions and mushrooms).<br />
3. Bake the pizzas until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 5<br />
to 10 minutes.<br />
Traditional Pizza Dough<br />
Making pizza dough from scratch is the perfect rainy-day activity.<br />
It’s fun to watch the yeast bloom and see how it makes the dough<br />
rise.<br />
Give your grandkids a small piece of dough so they can play with<br />
it and make their own dough creation. Bake their butterflies, turtles<br />
and hearts beside the pizzas, just keep an eye on them, as they’ll<br />
probably be ready about 5 minutes before the pizzas.<br />
1 1 ⁄2 cups water<br />
1 envelope instant dry yeast (2 1 ⁄4 tsp)<br />
1 tsp sugar<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil (+ more for coating the dough)<br />
3 1 ⁄2 to 4 cups of all-purpose flour<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
2 Tbsp cornmeal<br />
1. Mix the water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl.<br />
2. Allow the yeast to dissolve and bloom. Then mix in the oil, followed<br />
by the flour and salt. The dough will be very sticky. I recommend<br />
coating your hands with a little bit of oil then kneading and<br />
kneading the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.<br />
3. When you have a nice smooth ball, coat it with a drizzle of oil.<br />
Place it back in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let it rise<br />
for 1 hour.<br />
4. After 1 hour, punch down the dough and divide it into 2 balls,<br />
along with a few smaller balls for kids to play with. Let the dough<br />
rest for 10 minutes while you get the rest of the pizza ingredients<br />
ready.<br />
5. Preheat the oven to 475˚F and prepare the pizza toppings.<br />
6. When the oven is preheated, roll out the pizza dough on a lightly<br />
oiled surface. Each dough ball should make a 12-inch pizza crust.<br />
7. Sprinkle two baking sheets with cornmeal and place the pizza<br />
crusts on the baking sheets.<br />
8. Decorate the crusts with your favourite toppings.<br />
9. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and crust is<br />
golden brown.<br />
Emillie Parrish loves having adventures with her<br />
two busy children. You can find more of her recipes<br />
in her recently released cookbook Fermenting<br />
Made Simple. fermentingforfoodies.com<br />
2 <strong>GRAND</strong>mag.ca
Explore<br />
Multi-generational Travel<br />
Multi-generational travel has been popular for some time<br />
and now there is an increase in skip-gen or ‘gramping’<br />
travel, when grandparents travel alone with the grandkids<br />
leaving mom and dad behind. It’s a great opportunity to<br />
get to know the grandkids, create life-long memories and travel<br />
experiences for your grandchildren.<br />
The planning process should be as fun as the trip itself and<br />
when all involved participate it is sure to be a hit! If you want<br />
to get really creative, how about a mystery trip? With hidden<br />
clues along the way and the destination a surprise, it is sure to<br />
keep everyone interested and engaged in the trip itself. If the<br />
thought of the planning is just too overwhelming, there is always<br />
help by way of your local travel advisor.<br />
To make the most of your trip, here are a few tips and ideas<br />
to get you started.<br />
1. Family Meeting: Gather the troops together and ensure<br />
everyone is on the same page. Are you looking for an actionpacked<br />
or relaxing getaway? Being on the same page at the very<br />
beginning will help avoid disappointment and conflict. You<br />
may have an aspiring marine biologist that would love a trip to<br />
the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea on Vancouver Island or perhaps<br />
for the animal lover stop in at the Greater Vancouver Zoo<br />
in Langley.<br />
2. Planning: Once you’ve agreed on the overall concept,<br />
plan together. Involve the grandkids! If they are old enough<br />
to research, have them look into activities and points of interest<br />
along your route and at your destination. This way they<br />
are invested, and you never know what they may find! Need a<br />
theme? How about a farm tour, totem discovery tour, cycling<br />
tour or see as many waterfalls as you can tour?<br />
3. Consider Everyone’s Needs: Are there special requirements<br />
for accommodation and restaurants? Separate bedrooms<br />
for the snorers in the group? Restaurants that offer a menu to<br />
suit everyone’s taste, including accommodating any food allergies<br />
or preferences? Did you know your grandson is afraid of<br />
heights or your granddaughter is a vegan? Having some options<br />
in advance will save a lot of time and frustration on your trip.<br />
4. Plan for Meltdowns: Adult or child, there will be at least<br />
one. Plan your day to include some down time, respect each<br />
other’s pace while doing activities and keep to familiar schedules.<br />
Stopping for meals before everyone (including grandpa)<br />
is hungry. Stop at the local deli for a picnic lunch on the beach,<br />
stop at the local food truck or farm-to-table restaurant. And<br />
remember to always have a plan B!<br />
5. Trip Photographer: Perhaps the most important job of<br />
all! Designate someone as the trip photographer. To appease<br />
multiple volunteers, you may want to alternate days. If you<br />
have younger grandkids, pick up some disposable cameras. It’s<br />
always fun to see what has sparked their interest. If it is a special<br />
trip, you may want to consider hiring a professional photographer<br />
for a couple of hours or for the day. Either way, you<br />
want to capture those family memories.<br />
We have so many beautiful and wonderous places to visit in<br />
the Lower Mainland, in the province and across Canada. Take<br />
this time to enjoy it with your grandkids and spend some quality<br />
time together.Here are some resources to help in your planning:<br />
destinationvancouver.com, hellobc.com.<br />
As co-owner of Departures Travel Sidney,<br />
Cathy Larsen is passionate about sharing<br />
her love of travel—even after 35 years of<br />
experience in the industry. She enjoys life<br />
and sees travel as more than a stamp in<br />
their passport! departurestravel.com,<br />
facebook.com/DeparturesTravelSidney,<br />
linkedin.com/in/cathylarsen
Home<br />
Downsizing<br />
Finding Your<br />
Perfect Fit<br />
All of your kids are out of the house and now your home<br />
feels like a big empty space. The idea of keeping up on all<br />
the work in the yard gets more daunting with every passing<br />
year and vacuuming the stairs has become a real CHORE!<br />
The thought of leaving the home your kids grew up in likely<br />
feels overwhelming and emotional, but now may be the time<br />
for you to downsize into a space that better suits your current<br />
needs. You will have an exciting new space that is easier for<br />
you to maintain, and you will save money on hydro and property<br />
tax. No matter if you’re making the change as a couple or<br />
on your own, there are a variety of downsizing options for you,<br />
maybe some you haven’t even thought of before!<br />
A Smaller House<br />
Maybe you cannot imagine not having a stand-alone house<br />
with a yard, but your current house is just too big. You may<br />
want to investigate buying or renting a smaller home that better<br />
suits your current and future needs. A one-story home with<br />
a small yard would allow you to still have an extra bedroom for<br />
family visits, a small garden and no extra stairs to deal with.<br />
Townhouse or Apartment<br />
Buying or renting an apartment or townhouse is ideal if you<br />
no longer want to deal with any yard work and are ready for a<br />
cozier space. Moving into an apartment or townhouse may be<br />
a consideration if you are still fine doing all your own cooking<br />
and housework, but don’t want to deal with any more yard<br />
work or manage any maintenance issues that come up. Townhouses<br />
will give you a bit more space and a private outside entrance,<br />
but most typically have stairs so consider your mobility<br />
needs currently as well as for the future.<br />
Retirement Community/Independent Living<br />
Contrary to widely held belief, retirement communities<br />
(often referred to as independent living communities and occasionally<br />
as senior communities) are not for the “old and frail”<br />
demographic. These communities are full of life! You have a<br />
private suite to live in while also reaping the benefits of weekly<br />
housekeeping, most to all your meals prepared for you and activities<br />
and community events for you to enjoy. This type of living<br />
situation is ideal for someone who is still able to take care<br />
of themselves and enjoys their own private space but is also<br />
looking for someone else to take care of those tedious chores<br />
that you oversaw for years. Being a part of these communities<br />
is also a fantastic way to meet people your age and have access<br />
to fun entertainment, activities and outings. One monthly cost<br />
includes everything, and most of these independent living<br />
communities also have laundry services, libraries, hair salons,<br />
recreational services and visiting health professionals.<br />
Assisted Living or Long-Term Care<br />
If failing health is an issue and you or your partner needs<br />
extra care, it may be time to investigate assisted care homes or<br />
long-term care communities to get the proper care you need.<br />
In most cases assisted living communities provide you with<br />
a small private room to decorate as you choose, as well as all<br />
meals are prepared for you and housekeeping is typically done<br />
daily. Plus, there is a 24-hour care team of nurses and registered<br />
care aides who will look in on you as often as needed and<br />
are available with the push of a button. You no longer need<br />
to worry about remembering to take your medication and the<br />
rooms are often equipped with special beds and other equipment<br />
to make you feel more comfortable and safer in your living<br />
space.<br />
Moving in with Family or Friends<br />
You likely have a few friends or know other couples your age<br />
who are in the same boat as you are so consider teaming up and<br />
buying or renting a home to live in together roommate style.<br />
You can share in the responsibilities of doing or paying for the<br />
housework. The Golden Girls made it work—and had a lot of<br />
fun together!<br />
With the rising housing costs in BC, you may also consider<br />
moving in with your kids to help them out with the mortgage.<br />
Many homes have basement or garden suites as mortgage helpers.<br />
You can have your personal space for relaxing and be close<br />
enough to spend quality time with your grandchildren.<br />
Erika Palmer is a writer living in Victoria with<br />
her husband and daughter. She believes most<br />
problems can be solved with a good cup of tea<br />
and a huge piece of chocolate.<br />
4 <strong>GRAND</strong>mag.ca
Make sure you are included in the upcoming<br />
Independent School & <strong>Ed</strong>ucation Guide!<br />
This is the most comprehensive list and resource for families.<br />
10 Types of Private Schools<br />
T<br />
here is no such thing as a homogenous private school system.”<br />
In reality, the private school world is defined by choice. There are<br />
many types of private and independent schools, and they come<br />
in many different configurations. Some schools educate children from<br />
kindergarten all the way to grade 12, while some start at grades six or<br />
eight. Others are high school only. It all depends on what you’re looking<br />
for in your child’s education.<br />
DAY SCHOOLS<br />
This is the traditional model of schooling: a school that students<br />
attend from morning until mid-afternoon, returning home afterward<br />
and staying home on the weekends. Parents largely take on helping<br />
kids develop good schoolwork habits, such as studying for upcoming<br />
tests and completing homework thoroughly, especially with younger<br />
students.<br />
BOARDING SCHOOLS<br />
At a boarding school, students live at school during the week within<br />
the school year calendar. At some schools—and depending how far<br />
away students’ family homes are from school—they may live at school<br />
on weekends, too. Students go home for breaks, such as the Christmas–New<br />
Year break and spring break, and for the summer. Boarding<br />
school can start in middle school (grades six through eight) or in high<br />
school (grades nine through 12). Boarding school is highly structured,<br />
with set times for study after school and during examination periods,<br />
set “free times” during the week, as well as curfews. Supervision and<br />
support are provided by staff such as peer counsellors, residential<br />
dons and academic staff, including teachers. Boarding school students<br />
are deeply involved in academics and extracurricular activities. This<br />
is a highly personal choice for a child and his or her family. Some kids<br />
thrive at boarding school, while others are much better suited for day<br />
school.<br />
SINGLE-GENDER SCHOOL<br />
In single-gender schools, the student body is all boys or all girls.<br />
Some believe that boys and girls experience less peer pressure, focus<br />
better on learning and operate differently in school without the distraction<br />
of the opposite sex. Some studies point to better grades and<br />
a higher rate of admission to four-year university programs. Singlegender<br />
schools may help break down gender stereotypes—leading to<br />
more girls taking maths and sciences, for example.<br />
CO-EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL<br />
Often referred to as “co-ed,” this is a school in which the student<br />
body is made up of boys and girls attending classes together. It mirrors<br />
the real world, where boys and girls, men and women interact and<br />
work together all the time. Some believe that going to school together<br />
helps girls and boys benefit from the other gender’s learning style,<br />
promoting cooperation.<br />
RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS<br />
Depending where you live in the country, schools based on world<br />
religions can be found: Bahá’í Faith, Christian (specific denominations<br />
or non-denominational), Hindu, Islamic, Jewish and Sikh. Faith-based<br />
schools offer full academic curricula that adhere to or exceed required<br />
provincial standards, but also religious instruction. The faith’s general<br />
worldview is reflected in teaching and is part of the life of the school.<br />
Parents should learn about a school’s curriculum to ensure that, while<br />
22 WestCoastFamilies.com<br />
Email sales@westcoastfamilies.com to reserve your spot.
Gone are the days of rocking chairs and<br />
recliners. Today’s grandparents are more<br />
likely to be rock climbing or going for a run<br />
than they are to be rocking or reclining.<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. III<br />
RAND<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
We’re an active and diverse group—an engaged,<br />
evolving and powerful force. We’re<br />
mentors, nurturers, keepers of secrets.<br />
We’re caregivers, child care providers,<br />
dessert-before-dinner defenders. We’re<br />
historians, spiritual guides and the holders<br />
of family stories.<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong> celebrates who you are as a grandparent<br />
and who you are as an individual.<br />
You love spending time with your grandchildren<br />
and you’re happy in your other<br />
roles: at work, in the community and on<br />
your own. <strong>GRAND</strong> acknowledges that you<br />
are not “one or the other”—an “either/or”<br />
version of yourself—you are many different<br />
things to many different people. And to<br />
yourself.<br />
With an Island perspective that speaks<br />
to an international readership, <strong>GRAND</strong> is<br />
the source for on-the-go grandparents of<br />
up-to-the-minute and thought-provoking<br />
information and ideas—on everything from<br />
having fun, staying fit and things to do to<br />
travel, leisure, health and technology. Think<br />
of <strong>GRAND</strong> as a trusted friend who happily<br />
shares those “senior moments” (in the<br />
best sense of the words!) and keeps you<br />
informed and connected to the issues and<br />
ideas that really matter. After reading an<br />
issue of <strong>GRAND</strong>, you should feel inspired,<br />
up-to-date and informed.<br />
Downsizing<br />
Finding Your<br />
Perfect Fit<br />
Jim Schneider Publisher<br />
publisher@islandparent.ca<br />
Sue Fast <strong>Ed</strong>itor<br />
editor@islandparent.ca<br />
Kristine Wickheim Account Manager<br />
kristine@islandparent.ca<br />
RaeLeigh Buchanan Account Manager<br />
raeleigh@islandparent.ca<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong>, published by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a digital<br />
publication that honours and supports grandparents by providing<br />
information on resources and businesses for families and a forum<br />
for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not<br />
necessarily those of the publisher. No material herein may be<br />
reproduced without the permission of the publisher.<br />
518 Caselton Place, Victoria, BC V8Z 7Y5<br />
The Perfect Pizza Party<br />
Multi-generational Travel<br />
250-388-6905 grandmag.ca<br />
A proud member of<br />
BC<br />
We’re here for you: from helping you<br />
figure out where you fit in to tackling your<br />
most perplexing questions, sharing your<br />
greatest discoveries and celebrating your<br />
deepest joys.<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong> features articles on topics ranging<br />
from the importance of storytelling,<br />
cooking with your grandkids and community<br />
superheroes, to photographing your<br />
grandkids, gift-giving and grandparenting<br />
from afar. There are ideas and inspiration<br />
to help keep you in-the-know and connected,<br />
there’s a guide to investing in your<br />
grandchildren’s future and there’s tech<br />
support that will help you face your fears<br />
and embrace the cloud.<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong> is as diverse and engaged as you<br />
are. Together, we’re a powerful and positive<br />
force—in our grandchildren’s lives and<br />
in our communities.<br />
6 <strong>GRAND</strong>mag.ca
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<strong>Vol</strong> 5, <strong>Ed</strong> 4 7<br />
course