CLOVERDALE — For many moms, it's difficult to separate parenthood from personal career goals.
That's something Amanda Collett, self-proclaimed "mompreneur" with a background in corporate sales, found out after having two little tykes herself.
"Some people look at motherhood like 'OK, now you're life's over,' and now you can't be considered in business or your priority should be your kids which, yes, my priority is my children but this way I can mix both," Collett said of combining motherhood and her most recent business endeavour, the Belly Baby and Kid Show.
"And it's fun, I get to be like a child and get creative and get caught up in pixie land ... It brings you back into imagination. That's what the show's about."
The Maple Ridge-based parent, who's held the show in the Fraser Valley in previous years, is bringing her event to Surrey for the first time this Saturday (Sept. 27) in what she calls a "cross between a family fair and a trade show."
"We have Par-T-Perfect and they bring in the bouncy castles and the facepaints and the balloon animals that you would typically see in a festival," Collett said of the event and some of the local businesses appearing.
"We sort of add a whole other element to it. We bring in a Cirque du Soleil element to it; we bring in acrobats hanging from the ceiling, so when you first walk into the show, there will be acrobats who are performing and they're actually kids, which is cool.
"The family-based event is best suited for families with kids 10 and under, Collett said, with a range of activities and stages including a shipwreck, a pixie hollow and an underwater-themed grotto where Disney's mermaid princess, Ariel, will make an appearance.
What's different about this family fair and trade show is that the six-hour event will have interactive elements while local entrepreneurs and businesses related to kids are able to hawk their wares.
"We really want to support local businesses as well as a few corporations ... to show what their products and services are like, and (what's) available to parents in the community," Collett said.
"Normally, when you just go to a baby show, it's catered more or less to a mom, and they have some great things apart from what's readily available to you but it's not an interactive activity-based (event) for families."
That's not to say there isn't something there for expecting moms as well.
Moms and "mompreneurs" alike can get a belly rub from UCBaby or take a pre-natal fitness class with Fit4Two.
Another bonus? The first 100 people to arrive at 10 a.m. will get a "swag bag" with more than $250 in samples, gift certificates and coupons.
The Belly Baby and Kid Show takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cloverdale Fairgrounds' show barn.
Admission is $5, but kids up to 12 years of age are free.
Event details are on the web at Bellybabykidshow.com.