momstown Oakville

Weekend Recap - Snow and Trains!

2012-02-13T15:49:00.001-05:00

We finally got some snow this weekend (although I could have done without the crazy wind) and my son was so excited to be able to go out and shovel with his dad. It wasn't perfect snow, you know, the kind just right for building a snowman, but none the less, it kept him busy!

I had posted last week about some great things to do on Family day, but we decided to check out #3 on my list this weekend since we're going to see Grandma and Grandpa for Family Day.

The Model Railway Club of Toronto is having a Model Railway Show on February 12, 19, 26th and on Family Day from 12 to 4:30pm. We decided to take my three year old son since he has been a train enthusiast since he was around six months old. I'm not kidding! His first very favourite toy was a train and he has train sheets and his favourite shows are train shows (I think you can guess which one I am talking about).

We got there right at noon and it was already busy but my son was thrilled the moment we walked in.

There were two huge rooms that had a complete railway functioning in them. The operators were telling us that they run it just like a real rail road with schedules and freight to be picked up and delivered. They definitely anticipated having lots of kids as there were benches so that the kids could get up and see things at eye level. I enjoyed myself too! The attention to detail was amazing.

Young or old, if you have any train enthusiasts in your family, I would recommend this event. Parking was free and my son got in free as well (I think its free for 3 and under). I am sure he could have stood there all afternoon watching the trains go by, but eventually it was time to go home for a nap.

Lots of Ideas for Family Fun on Family Day

2012-02-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Family Day started in Ontario in 2008. Over the last four years the options of how to spend the day have greatly increased. Do you have a Family Day tradition or do you look for new and exciting things to do every year?

Whether you are hoping to stay close to home or take a little adventure, here are a few events that should pique your interest.

1. The Town of Oakville in collaboration with other community partners such as the YMCA and the Public Library have created a jam packed schedule of free family fun for their annual Make your Family Move Day! Skating, story time, fitness and a pizza or BBQ lunch or just a few things you'll find as part of the day's festivities.

2. Old Navy is hosting a FREE Family Day event at its Etobicoke store across from Sherway Gardens on Monday February 20th from 1-4 pm. The store will turn into the Funnovation Imaginarium, a place where the whole family can get wildly creative! Activities include dancing to a live DJ on the Funky Floor, strutting your stuff on the Crazy Catwalk, accessory designing and creature creation, as well a Kooky Cookie and Juice Bar. There is a special discount for purchases over $50, as well as a swag bag while supplies last.

3. All Aboard! For all the train lovers out there, you may want to make your way into Toronto to check out the Model Railway Show. I've heard that this show is HUGE hit with preschool aged children and although there is a cost ($8 per adult and $4 per child - cash only) I think we may venture down as I know my son would love this event.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the time with your family and be sure to visit our Facebook page and tell us how you spent the day!

Goodbye Nagging! Another learning opportunity brought to you by momstown!

2012-02-06T15:06:00.000-05:00

My son just turned three. Overall, he is an awesome kid. But as I just mentioned, he is three (trying 3's I think they call them?) Lately I feel like I've been having to tell him things many, many, many times just to get simple things done.

"Put your boots on please." (No response)

"We need to go now, I asked you to put your boots on please."
(I get a glance, but no action. Playing cars and trucks continues.)

"I don't want to have to ask you again...get your boots on please!"

And it's not like we were going to the dentist's office or something, we were going to a playdate!

So how can I get him to listen without nagging? Thankfully momstown and Postive Parenting have teamed up to bring you another one hour webinar training course called "Get Kids to Listen Without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling."

This event is open to everyone so feel free to share this information with friends and family. All you have to do is register and then log in from the comfort of your own home on Tuesday, February 21st. There are two times to choose from - 9pm or 11pm.

And did I mention that its FREE?! Seats are limited so I encourage you to register today.

I have already registered and have my notepad all ready to go. There will be concrete tips and tools guaranteed and I cannot wait to put them to good use!

The scoop

2012-02-05T15:53:00.000-05:00

I like to cook and I like to bake. A few years ago I took some continuing education classes in the Chef School at George Brown College. One of the courses was called "The Art of Cookies", and after each class I would come home with two big boxes of cookies I'd made. In amongst all that butter and flour, I definitely picked up some useful tricks and also acquired a few kitchen tools that have become staples in my kitchen. Now when I bake cookies and share them with others, I often get asked how I get them all to be the same size and to look so uniform.

So here is the scoop on the scoops!

These are called Cookie Scoops and come in all sorts of sizes. Their popularity has grown in the last few years for sure. They really do help make a uniform looking cookie and they bake much more evenly. Before I had these tools, there would always be one cookie that would come out a bit burnt because I had to make sure that another cookie on the same tray wasn't still raw! I have one more size that is larger than the two pictured here and I use that one for muffins. The other awesome benefit - I find it makes putting cookies on a cookie sheet so much faster!

My son loves to help me bake. He likes to operate the stand mixer and, of course, enjoys the end product. But I also find the scoops are a great way for him to help me out. I scoop the dough and he likes to push the release button to put the cookies onto the cookie sheet. It's always fun to have him help me, even if way more flour ends up on the floor. Okay, not just flour, but brown sugar, egg shells, etc!

And here is the finished product. Delicious, uniform and evenly baked cookies!

What are your kitchen tips and tricks?

Winter Days with Momstown Oakville!

2012-02-02T16:38:00.006-05:00

I know I find Mondays to be a very long day sometimes. After the excitement of the weekend, and the help of having my husband home with me for 2 days, I never really look forward to Mondays....unless I have something fun planned! Getting together with so many other great moms, having our kids run, play and interact can change my Monday right around!

That's exactly what our moms did this week! We had a playgroup at Dazzle Art! Lots of room for the energetic kids to run. Also - momstown provided a great craft table for the little ones to create "snowflake snowmen". This was a momstown arts and crafts inspired project. For details about this craft or other "winter" themed crafts you can do at home with your little one, check out our arts and crafts blog.

I love watching the kids interact, and play together.

This event is never complete without Sherri's circle time and parachute songs! Thanks to Sherri from Circle Time Parties, our kids were jumping and dancing.

Momstown Oakville has this playgroup every month, plus lots of other great playgroups for kids ages newborn to 6 years old. If you are interested in joining us for an upcoming event, register for a free 4 week trial, or email Kelly for information.

Welcome Kelly as our newest momstown mama!

2012-01-31T22:13:00.004-05:00

There's a NEW mama in town! We're pleased to announce a big change for momstown Oakville. As many of you know, our chapter has quietly been for sale for awhile and in the meantime, our incredible Community Manager, Sarah McLaughlin, has been running momstown Oakville since spring 2011.

A new licensee owner has come on board to manage momstown Oakville which will be very positive for membership, for growth and for making even better developments to the chapter. Sarah will be staying on as Community Manager as well, which means Oakville will have a superstar tag team to rely on, support and engage with.

Introducing, Kelly Goring Hodgson, you will know as KellyH on the message board, as our newest momstown mama!!

Hi! My name is Kelly Hodgson and I am the new owner of momstown Oakville. I have a three year old son and an 11 month old daughter. I moved to Oakville four years ago and when I had my son I knew I needed to get out and connect with other moms in the community. I have been a member for two and a half years and recently decided to follow my gut and become the owner of momstown Oakville. Whew! I've been dying to let that news out for a couple of weeks!

I grew up in a city in northern Ontario very similar to Oakville. Some of my best friends are those that I’ve had since my toddler days and it’s because of the relationships that my parents built with others in our community and in our neighborhood. I grew up feeling like I had not only my family, but several others that were there to help and support me.

I was drawn to momstown for the reasons mentioned above and because I know how much I value and count on the support I receive as a Mom. I really couldn’t do it without other Moms to connect with. I want to make sure that every Mom in Oakville feels like they also have support whether it’s through attending events, the message board or just reading the blogs to know that she’s not alone.

I’ll be upfront in saying that my maternity leave ends in March and that I am going back to work. But I am so thankful that Sarah McLaughlin, the Community Manager will be staying on and will continue doing all the great stuff she does for momstown Oakville. The benefit now though, is that you will have two of us to help ensure that you have lots to keep you and your little ones busy and even more ways to connect with the community. I am, of course, open to feedback and really hope to meet those I haven’t met before very soon. Please feel free to contact me and let me know what you’d like to see more of (or less of) for 2012.

I think that’s all the serious business out of the way for now. I am really excited to be a part of the momstown team and cannot wait to get started! There will be some changes coming, but they will help to make 2012 the best year yet for momstown Oakville!

Literacy Moments in momstown Oakville

2012-01-26T22:39:00.013-05:00

Happy Family Literacy Day!!! momstown Oakville is fully committed to literacy, early learning and encouraging a love of reading. We pulled up a few of our favourite pictures of some of our literacy based activities!

We love our Scholastic Canada partnership - we have books to read and giveaway at our Tales for Tots monthly program.

All ages love storytime!

Recipes are a terrific way to reinforce literacy and our Junior Chef program is perfect for this!

Oakville Parent & Child Centre attended our momstown Oakville Birthday and held a quiet reading corner!

Crafts are a big part of momstown and support literacy!

Our themed curriculum included a Zoo theme and a T is for Tiger alphabet activities.

Singing ABCs is a simple and easy way to bring the alphabet into your daily sing-songs. Notice the letter themed play mat? Sound out letters, push cars around the shapes of the alphabet, trace them with your fingers - great support for letter recognition!

Pencil practice is key!

The best way to learn is to have FUN! We're always having fun in momstown!

Boys and Girls Learn Differently Seminar

2012-01-17T11:35:00.002-05:00

As a mom of different gender kids, I am very interested in this free parenting seminar hosted by the Oakville Parent Education Network and thought momstown should pass along.

Boys and Girls Learn Differently Seminar

The Oakville Parent Education Network Invites you to attend the following event about how gender differences influence learning and behaviour.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
7 – 9 p.m.
Holy Trinity Secondary School
2420 Sixth Line, Oakville view map
Free Admission!

Boys’ and girls’ brains develop and operate very differently, and understanding the implications of what that means will help both teachers and parents. You'll learn strategies to raise and teach either gender to help them succeed in school and in life.

Guest Speaker: Michael Reist is a teacher with over 30 years of experience in the classroom. He is a frequent speaker to parent groups and education conferences across Canada where his workshops on gender differences and learning have drawn large crowds and enthusiastic responses. Michael’s work has been featured on CBC, TV Ontario, Today’s Parent Magazine, The National Post and the Toronto Star. Michael is the author of the forthcoming book Raising Boys In A New Kind Of World. His first book was entitled The Dysfunctional School: Uncomfortable Truths and Awkward Insights on School, Learning and Teaching. He has published over 70 articles on topics ranging from education, spirituality and parenting to movies, books and popular culture.

To RSVP

Online
Call 905-825-6000
E-mail accesshalton@halton.ca

Perfect Snow!

2012-01-11T13:16:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Scholastic Canada, momstown Oakville shares a book every month. We read the book and chat about it with our kids, and then a lucky family gets to take the book home with them to keep and share with their family.

Momstown is all about winter and snow in January! To fit right along with our theme, we shared the book "Perfect Snow" by Barbara Reid. This is a favorite at my house for so many reasons. My kids LOVE snow, and although we don't get much of it in Oakville, they love to read about snow, snowstorms, snowflakes....anything to do with snow. I love this book too and i'm especially excited about this one as it's a Canadian author.
Our kids really enjoyed this book, hearing about the snowmen and snow forts that we built after the perfect snow fall. I think a few of them left wondering when Oakville would get a perfect snow!
One of our kids will be bringing this book home to share with her family!

I would recommend this book if you are looking for a great story to snuggle up with this winter. Momstown also has some other great "winter wonderland" books that you'll want to read over and over again with your little ones!

Thanks to Scholastic Canada we will be sharing another book next month! If you are interested in joining us, sign up for a 2 week free trial!

Snow Crafts and New Member Meetup!

2012-01-11T12:55:00.007-05:00

There is no snow on the ground in Oakville right now, but our kids had a great time pretending, and really enjoyed our snow themed crafts!

We decorated our "S" crafts with snow, snowflakes, and snowballs!

Our moms had a chance to catch up, and chat.

Just a few of our finished crafts!

Are you looking for other winter theme crafts you can do at home with your kids? Check out our momstown arts and crafts for some easy ideas.
Our momstown playgroups meet regularly for fun, crafts and playtime. If you are interested in meeting us, and getting out for some great events this winter sign up for a 2 week free trial. We hope to see you soon!

Junior Chef: marshmallow snowmen and graham cracker houses

2011-12-14T21:21:00.006-05:00

It was snowman and graham cracker fun this morning!

Before getting messy the kids colored snowmen which they later attached to shakers for a snowman pokey.

Then it was time for creating their masterpieces. With lots of treats and icing little houses and snowman came to life. The children also got to decorate their own bear cookies. The kids LOVED creating their houses, and decorating exactly the way they wanted. The creativity was so much fun to watch!

Using tambourines and shakers, Sherri from Circle Time Parties and the children danced and sang many of their favorite winter songs like Jingle Bells and Frosty the snowman. The children’s favorite part was singing a song that helped dress up Benjamin bear in his winter clothes. The day was complete with the classic 12 days of Christmas story.

A Porcupine In A Pine Tree!

2011-12-14T21:05:00.004-05:00

Our Scholastic book this month was a funny holiday twist on the classic "12 days of christmas" - with a Canadian theme! A Porcupine In A Pine Tree. This book was a hit! Kids were giggling and laughing as we went through the 12 days of Christmas from beaver tails to Stanley cups, this book is a perfect addition to your holiday collection.

This book is donated by Scholastic Canada and after we read the book, one lucky member gets to take it home to keep and enjoy with their family.

I love reading with my kids, and Christmas is no exception! We have an extensive library of holiday books that we pull out in November, and enjoy all season long. If you are looking for great books to read with your kids over the holidays, don't forget to check out momstown book reviews, winter wonderland collection, Hanukkah books, and our Top 5 Reindeer books! Momstown has some great suggestions for keeping literacy in the holidays!

Crafty Kids and Christmas Fun!

2011-12-14T20:51:00.006-05:00

Our momstown playgroup at The Little Gym was in full holiday spirit this week!
We had a great group of moms and kids take some time to relax, play, and enjoy the holiday crafts (and snacks too!).

We made "r" is for reindeer crafts, and some of our littlest participants substituted their "r" for hand print antlers. It made a great keepsake for "baby's first christmas".
We chatted about our holiday chaos, and what we bought our hubby's for under the tree. Everyone left a little more relaxed, and the kids had a great time!

Looking to get out and meet some new people? We have a new member meet up at the Little Gym every month! Sign up for a 2 week free trial with momstown to find out what the fun is all about. For details about this craft, or other easy holiday crafts you can do at home with your kids, check out momstown arts & crafts.

Time With One

2011-12-08T20:36:00.005-05:00

With 3 young kids, 2 dogs, and a husband, it's not too often that anyone gets quality time alone with mom! At times I find myself alone at the grocery store, or running around town, but it's not the quality time I should be spending with my kids individually.

I recently had the opportunity to go to Calgary. There was a new member of the family that I just had to meet, and snuggle! I contemplated going alone - and really would have enjoyed the trip by myself, but after discussions with my husband we decided I would take our oldest (5 yrs) daughter.

Her countdown started in September for this trip! I was unprepared for how excited she would be to have me all to herself. The plan was to arrive in Calgary for a few days, and then head up to Banff to ski!

This trip was life changing for me. The conversations, and interactions I had with my daughter during this vacation are things that just don't happen when I'm running around with 3 kids. She was able to ask so many questions, and learn so many things that I don't always have the time to stop and explain.

I truly enjoyed my time away with Cassidy. We also hit the slopes together. It's her second season skiing, but I had so much fun helping her learn something new, and watching her improve right before my eyes!

My husband and I often talk about the importance of "date nights". We are pretty good at keeping a commitment with each other and getting out "kid free" a couple of times a month. This little trip has made us realize the importance of maintaining "dates" with our kids individually. We have now committed to our kids that on a regular basis they are going to have more quality time with one of us. We have realized that having strong individual relationships with our kids will help to keep our family unit strong.

Obviously (although unfortunately), vacations won't be our norm for spending quality time with the kids, but we have already started planning out some great local activities that we can do. The plan will be that one parent gets out with a child, while the other stays home with the other 2 kids. I'm excited to get this started!

Do you have "dates" with your kids?

Win 4 tickets to The Life Adventures of Santa Claus

2011-12-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

WIN a Family 4 pack of tickets to the Dec 20th performance of The Life Adventures of Santa Claus at Oakville Centre. Enter here on our momstown Oakville Contest Page!

Reliving childhood at the Oakville Nutcracker

2011-12-05T16:32:00.007-05:00

I spent yesterday reliving memories of being a little girl and wanting, desperately, to be Clara, the main little girl in the ballet The Nutcracker.

I grew up in a city where the ballet company put on a terrific production annually and local kids would audition for the small group roles of the mice, chefs, mini candy canes. The girls in the show practiced evenings and would come in late to school wearing a ribboned badge to show their ballet involvement.

Oh, the envy I had for those ribbons. I loved sitting in the audience but boy oh boy did I want to be backstage where the action was like my friends who were on stage.

Fast forward thirty years and I found myself sitting with my fascinated and suitably impressed six year old daughter and Grandma at the Oakville Ballet School production of The Nutcracker at the Oakville Centre. Unknown to myself at the time, I didn’t realize that most of the ballerinas were children from the ballet school.

Unbelievably talented children.

I was shocked at the level of excellence – both in performance by the dancers and with the stage sets and costumes. This show has been produced for the last 30 years so it’s a well oiled machine. I was beyond impressed.

If you live in Oakville, there’s simply zero need to head to Toronto to see the National ballet Nutcracker. The price was right, it's based right here in Oakville and featured local dancers.

Such an excellent afternoon spent with my daughter who was awestruck by the beauty on stage and inspired to keep at her own ballet lessons and be Clara herself.

For the love of Christmas cookies

2011-12-03T11:46:00.000-05:00

The cookie exchange is one of my favourite momstown Oakville events - time to bake, connect with adults and share holiday traditions.

Our mama only event was well stocked with delicious cookies all prepackaged into half dozens for us to take home.

Big thanks to Joanna for hosting us and for also collecting food for the Oakville food bank.

I have to admit, my cookies have been sneaking their way out of the freezer ... not sure if they will last until the holiday guests arrive!

Top 5 Oakville Family Fun Gifts

2011-11-30T10:30:00.012-05:00

Our playroom is jam packed with toys. My kids love their toys but really, we are a busy family who likes to get out of the house, attend lots of momstown activities, participate in extracurricular programs and explore together.

When Grandma asks what to get the kids this year - what about these terrific family focused gift ideas that encourage learning, adventure, physical activity and family fun?

1. Bronte Creek Family Pass

A family pass allows families to pop into the conservation area whenever they choose to ride bikes, play in the barn, go skating.... not sure why we don't have a pass but we SHOULD. An annual day-use pass is $150 - a perfect family gift of the outdoors.

2. Drop-In Indoor Play Pass
My kids love to run and jump at indoor playgrounds like Little Rascals or Dazzle Art. A 10 pass drop in pass at Dazzle is $60 and allows your child to run, jump, play AND create! Perfect year round gift!

3. Lessons and Activities
momstown Oakville spends a lot of time at the Little Gym and many of our member kids take lessons there which are fabulous but not cheap. My kids love gymnastics too and they also need to learn that it's a privilege not a right. By receiving a 'gym pass' for Christmas they realize it's a gift and the appreciation level goes up. I know of many grandparents who contribute to ballet, hockey or music lessons instead of another toy under the tree.

4. Tickets to the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
Going to a big production is always a hit with kids! We're so lucky to have a theatre like the Oakville Centre so close and with quality performances. Tickets to a family show are sure to delight any child and is an experience they won't forget for just $20/ticket. Additionally, there are packages that include many performances at a discount if you want to maintain the magic all year long.

5. Family Ski Pass
Get active this winter right here in Halton! With little legs and small attention spans, a day pass doesn't make sense for new skiers but a family pass sure does! Glen Eden sells their season pass for age 5 and under for just $89 - a perfect gift!

Hope these Oakville gift ideas help you and family have an active and fun year together in 2012!

momstown Oakville kids playgroup at Dazzle was a wild west time

2011-11-28T20:42:00.022-05:00

momstown Oakville welcomed kids of all ages today at our Wild West playgroup! Dazzle Art is a great place for galloping around, burning out some steam, and taking part in lots of pretend play.

We had a sheriff star badge craft to go along with our Wild West theme this month - but I think a lot of these stars may end up on the Christmas tree instead!

One of our littlest crafters got right into the action.
momstown kids got creative and created 3D stars with the foam shapes!

Parachute time! Sherri - a momstown mama and circle time parties owner did her usual terrific job rounding up the kids, and came prepared with some Wild West tunes like Yankee Doodle to get everyone moving. We also experimented with bouncing balloons and ping pong balls off the parachute - the kids loved it!

Join us every month at Dazzle for our all-ages playgroup - today we had kids from 4 weeks old to age 5! Not a member yet? Register now for a free 2-week trial.

Holiday Shopping & Swarovski Sparkle at the Eaton Centre

2011-11-21T16:33:00.002-05:00

We love Oakville and we know you do too. But - have you ever planning a day trip into the big city to celebrate the holidays with your kids?

Why not jump on the GO train one weekend this season, check out the holiday windows and lights, plan a trip to the Eaton Centre, and perhaps the Nutcracker ballet?

Each Saturday from November 19 to December 10, Swarovski is hosting the Stars for Wishes Workshop at the Toronto Eaton Centre! There will be glitter and sparkle and do-it-yourself ornaments the kids get to take home in addition to contributing to a great cause and holiday memory.

Best of all, proceeds go to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. So you’re not only getting creative with your kids, but it’s for a good cause! Ornament kits are $20 each.

To register and purchase your kit, visit the Swarovski Gallery Store at the Toronto Eaton Centre or call 647-439-8584.

Swarovski Stars for Wishes Workshop
Where: Toronto Eaton Centre (In front of the Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree)
When: November 19, 26 and December 3, 10th from 10 am to 12 pm

Make this even better? Are you a YummyMummyClub fan? Each Saturday one of Erica Ehm's bloggers will be there crafting away with you and your kids - join in for a photo op and chat with other mummies!

Guess what? 3 outta 4 weeks the YMC mummies who are there are Oakville moms too! What a small world - travel downtown to mingle with other local moms in an event that's beyond your average Saturday!

November 19 - Caroline Fernandez, Activity Mummy
November 26 - Sarah Gunn, Wall Candy
December 3 - Lisa Thornbury, Party Mummy
December 10 - Sharon DeVellis, Inside Scoop & YMC Editor-in-Chief

Check out this great video about why you should head down!

Junior Chef: Snowflakes and Snowballs!

2011-11-21T14:04:00.011-05:00

It wasn't snowing outside today, but we sure had a fun winter party inside! Our junior chef program today was all about winter and snow! We made snowballs and snowflakes and the kids had a great time!

Our youngest chef was too small to take a turn to stir, but he was so happy watching all the "big" kids creating with food! He also enjoyed the occasional taste.

Our snowflakes were made from tortillas! Just like you make a paper snowflake, we folded and cut the tortillas, and when we opened them, each snowflake was unique!

Everyone enjoyed tasting our treats! There weren't too many snowballs left to take home.

Junior chef isn't complete without our circle time by Sherri from "Circle Time Parties".
We sang about snow, dressed in hats and mitts, and even did the snowman Hokey Pokey!

Thanks Sherri from Circle Time Parties for hosting another great momstown Oakville event. Next month we are diving in christmas with gingerbread houses! If you'd like to see what the fun is all about, join us for a free 2 week trial.

Oakville Santa Claus Parade

2011-11-18T14:31:00.007-05:00

It's tomorrow!!! The man in red is getting his suit tidied up and his float in pristine shape.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 19th is the Oakville Santa Claus Parade! 9am on Lakeshore, rain or shine. Join other Oakville families to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season and enjoy the songs, clowns and activities of the parade.

You can find your way around with the parade route here:

Santa Claus Parade 2009 - momstown handed out momstown balloons!
Santa Claus Parade 2008 - momstown Oakville was announcing our launch (in the rain!)

Momstown Conference 2011: We have an amazing year ahead!

2011-11-18T13:44:00.006-05:00

Our momstown leadership team met last weekend for our semi annual momstown national conference. What a team we have! It was my first opportunity to meet some of the leadership team members and i have to say that i was truly impressed by each and every one of them. Each team member comes from a very diverse background, and brings different interests and skills to the group. With all of us combined as a team, we are an incredible force!

Although we would have enjoyed socializing all weekend, we really had to get to work, as we had 3 days packed with informative workshops and brainstorming sessions. We met at the offices of Jan Kelly Marketing in Burlington where they had an incredible space for us to use. We attended workshops lead by Jan Kelly Marketing, Allison Burke of Impressions Public Relations and seminars on blogging and marketing.

I am the type of person who needs to constantly be learning new things, and thinking about what's next. This entire weekend was perfect for me! There was so much information, brainstorming and excitement i was totally exhausted by bed time, but couldn't sleep as my brain wouldn't turn off!!

After our workshops, brainstorming and planning sessions we had a day planned to meet with momstown strategic partners. We spent time with Kid's CBC at their offices in Toronto. We then headed out to Fisher-Price offices to learn about their organization, and their exciting plans for 2012!

I left this conference so inspired by everyone I work with here at momstown. I am also so motivated to make momstown Oakville the best that it can be! We have some great events and contests planned for 2012, and i'm so grateful to be part of such an amazing organization of incredible leaders.

If you are already a member, you will be excited to see what we have planned for 2012! The events, contests, and information that momstown has to share will make for an exciting year. If you aren't already part of the fun, why not join us for a free 2 week trial! Momstown has so much to offer!

Wild West with momstown!

2011-11-17T19:56:00.005-05:00

Our momstown theme this month was "Wild West" and we had a party to celebrate!
Our new member meet up was a busy place this month. We had lots of new faces, and some great new kids!

Our kids LOVED the Wild West craft. We made foot and arm print horses! They really had alot of fun tracing their feet and arms, and cutting it out. With a little glue and crayons, we had horses! To practice lacing skills we punched holes and used wool to make the horses mane.

We also read our scholastic book "Are You A Horse?" at this event which was a huge hit with moms and kids!

To learn how to make these horses, or for other great Wild West craft ideas check out momstown Arts & Crafts.
If you'd like to see what the fun is all about, sign up for a 2 week free trial and join us at our next new member meet up.

Red Cross Infant CPR and Momstown

2011-11-17T19:25:00.007-05:00

A huge THANK YOU to the Canadian Red Cross for hosting our momstown event yesterday. Moms (and kids) from Oakville and Burlington joined together for an infant CPR class. November is CPR month at the Canadian Red Cross, and what better time to learn some new skills, or to brush up with a refresher course. Our moms were able to bring their kids along, which made for a very popular event. Kids played quietly, while moms learned.

Our morning was so informative, and gave moms some confidence and skills to better handle an emergency situation with a child. We learned what to do if your child is choking.

There were also some great demos to teach infant CPR.

Plus lots of great first aid general tips that every mom should know.

The Canadian Red Cross challenges everyone to get the training they need to help save a life. Momstown is grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a great initiative. Click for additional information about the Canadian Red Cross or check out momstown Oakville for more information about further upcoming courses like this one!

Are You A Horse?

2011-11-15T16:09:00.004-05:00

This months Scholastic book was "Are You A Horse?" by Andy Rash. Our moms and kids LOVED this book. It went right along with our Wild West momstown theme this month. Our kids were giggling as cowboy Roy tried to figure out what a horse was! He was asking every animal and cactus along the way.

Our group was so enthusiastic, they were shouting at the cowboy as he ventured through the book. This book was a great way to introduce kids to "describing objects". Cowboy Roy learned that a horse is a living thing, and animal, and has 4 legs.

Congratulations to baby Jacob who is taking this book home to enjoy with his mom!
Scholastic Canada donates a book to momstown every month. If you'd like to join us for our next event, sign up for a 2 week free trial at momstown Oakville. If you'd like to find other great books to enjoy with your little cowboys and cowgirls, check out our momstown arts and crafts for Wild West Books For Kids - Book Review.

November is CPR Month

2011-11-09T19:00:00.004-05:00

Did you know that November is CPR month at the Canadian Red Cross?

The Canadian Red Cross challenges everyone to get the training they need to help save a life. Momstown Oakville and Momstown Burlington are joining together for a fun filled and educational morning of learning. Whether it's your first time learning CPR, or just looking for a refresher course, this is a great time to do it!
Our moms will be learning some great skills: what to do if your child is choking, demonstrations of infanct CPR, plus some general first aid.

Remembrance Day in Oakville

2011-11-04T21:30:00.004-04:00

"Mommy, why is everyone wearing a red flower on their coat?"

Remembrance Day is a memorial we should all be talking with our children about especially since they have, luckily, been sheltered from war. I explain to my children that the poppy is a sign of 'thank-you' to all the brave soldiers for looking after us. That explanation seems simple yet deep enough for them to understand the basics.

It is important to recognize this day with our children and what better way to start a discussion than with a craft or storytime? momstown has many ideas on how to bring our the teachable moments

Remembrance Day Crafts:
In Flanders Fields Bingo Dabber Poppies
Preschool Poppy Painting
Paper Poppies

Remembrance Day Books for Kids
A Poppy is to Remember
H is for Honor
Boo Boo Bear's Mission
Pepper's Purple Heart: A Veteran's Day Story
Where Poppies Grow

Looking for a local service or parade to attend on November 11th?

Oakville Remembrance Day Parade
Church and Navy streets / Cenotaph at George's Square
Hosted by Oakville Legion Branch 114

10:15 a.m: Veterans depart from Church and Navy streets and march along Lakeshore and up Trafalgar to the Cenotaph at George's Square.

11 a.m: Ceremony at George's Square includes two minutes of silence and a wreath laying ceremony. After the ceremony, veterans march back to Church and Navy.

Remembrance Day in Milton
The traditional Remembrance Day Milton Service will be held Friday, Nov. 11 at Evergreen Cemetery on Ontario Street. The march will begin at 10:45 a.m.

Remembrance Day Services in Burlington
9:00 a.m. - Sunrise Remembrance Day Service, Spencer Smith Park

Burl-Oak Naval Veterans are holding a 30 minute ceremony at the Naval Ships Memorial Monument in Spencer Smith Park at Burlington's Downtown Waterfront. All are welcome to attend.

10:30 a.m. - Remembrance Day Parade begins at Central Public School (Down Brant to Elgin - Elgin to Locust - Locust to Ontario).

11:00 a.m. - Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph, City Hall

The Royal Canadian Legion is holding a 45-60 minute ceremony at the Cenotaph, just outside City Hall (426 Brant St.). All are welcome to attend.

Our momstown Hamilton mama Andrea comes from a military family, her father served and her nephews are currently enlisted. Read here about what Remembrance Day means to her.

Our thanks and full appreciation to all veterans who have served or who are serving Canada on our behalf. Thank-you for your bravery.

Win a clean house!

2011-11-03T21:00:00.009-04:00

I love a clean house but cleaning is not my thing. I'm good at making messes, not so good at cleaning them up. Ditto for my 3 kids. Thank goodness I'm married to Mr. Neat (who also goes by his alter ego Mr. Dishman).

I bet all moms love a clean house too even if we hate cleaning it. One of the most common comments on our momstown Oakville message board is about cleaning - for ways to get it done quick or to recommendations for a good referral.

"I am surrendering the cleaning (part of my "I can't do everything and be everything to everybody" makeover)."

"Best money I've ever spent is on a cleaning lady."

"How often do you clean the bathrooms? I can't keep up with the mess!"

Which is why this month's momstown Oakville contest is so exciting -- it's a FREE CLEANING SERVICE from Sunrise Cleaning Services.

One lucky winner will get her house cleaned top to bottom in 3 hours. Wouldn't that be agreat holiday gift? A sparkling clean house for all your guests?

Enter HERE to WIN! You can enter daily!

Halloween starts early and ends late

2011-10-31T10:16:00.003-04:00

momstown woke up bright and early on Halloween morning for our Halloween feature with CHCH Morning Live today. It's one thing to be up at home at 6am but it's a whole other kind of spooky to be up an on camera at 6am!

Thanks to Little Rascals for opening up (super early!!!) for us to arrive and play. Moms from momstown Oakville and momstown Burlington joined in on the fun until 9am.

Lori Live from CHCH as a yellow crayon & momstown founder Ann-Marie with a "supermomstown" insignia costume.

Great fun on the Little Rascal trampoline!

Cutie Skunk from momstown Burlington!

Care Bear Mabel cuddling with mommy (who's due tomorrow!!)

Dr Suess with Thing 1 & Thing 2 (brilliant and easy homemade costume! Red sleepers with Fabric circle and numbers).

Miss Cassidy with our momstown ghost and pumpkin crafts.

Sweetest watermelon baby ever!

Nifty rock climbing wall is fun our ninja and racecar driver.

Happy Halloween!!!

Infant Organics: More Than Baby Food

2011-10-27T09:26:00.010-04:00

After having so much success with baby food from Infant Organics, I was very curious to learn about their other products for older kids (and adults too)!

After stopping in at their store 300 Randall St in Oakville, I went home with some great treats for my girls. I was excited to have them try something new. I also knew from the staff in the store, that these "treats" were providing my kids with a healthy snack or meal that wouldn't have them hungry again an hour after they eat. My girls are 2 and 5. They eat well and generally I don’t have a lot of trouble getting them to eat healthy food, but I do find our routine gets a little boring. I’m always looking for new and healthy options. My girls usually enjoy trying new foods.

With the ages of my girls, we’ve been talking a lot about where food comes from. We’ve visited several farms over this fall, and my girls love to learn. We’ve picked apples and pumpkins last week, and talked a lot about the great things the farmer does to provide this food. I loved being able to take the opportunity to chat with my girls about this again. The fresh ingredients used to make their snacks is 100% certified organic, and purchased from local farmers. My girls loved hearing that the food they were eating came from a local farm, just a day or 2 ago!

My 5 year old is also learning about recycling and composting at school. She is always asking us “which bin” for different products. She was so surprised to learn that the packaging was biodegradable and went right into the green bin! It reduces the waste in the landfills, but also provided my daughter with a great learning experience – something she could easily relate to, as she is also learning about it at school.

We've tried some great breakfast foods. A favorite of both girls was “flippin flapjacks”. My girls were happy to try something new for breakfast, and we had some smiles all around. I've enjoyed being able to switch up our breakfast routine from our usual cereal with milk, and I know I'm sending my girls off for their days with full bellies and a healthy start to their day.

We also tried many of the snack foods. I have to send one of my children with a snack every morning to her school. I also am always looking for easy and portable snacks to take with us in the van, and out at momstown events. I was so pleasantly surprised by the great snacks Infant Organics makes. My girls had 2 favorites, they said they couldn't decide between grams grahams and pancake poppers.

I also tried them and they are great! I keep these snacks in my freezer so they stay fresher. We take them out the morning we are going to eat them. They pop into one of our snack containers, and are defrosted by the time we are looking for our morning snack. It's easy, protable, healthy and taste great. Mom and kids are happy! We’ve also tested both out in the van, and overall, not a messy snack to take along!

If you haven't visited Infant Organics yet, it is worth the visit. You and the kids will be happy you did.

Infant Organics is planning to expand it's menu to include many great items for mom and dad too. This will make easy 1 stop shopping for you to pick up a healthy meal for the whole family.

Infant Organics is also now offering online ordering through their site with FREE delivery to Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga for the first two weeks!

Halloween: momstown on Live TV and Tots on Parade

2011-10-26T22:17:00.006-04:00

The countdown for Halloween is ON!

momstown Oakville is excited to be featured on CHCH Morning Live on Hallowe'en morning. We'll be at Little Rascals Indoor Playground starting at the wee early hours to talk about Halloween crafts and activites. Then starting at 7:30AM (we know, it's EARLY!) our members will be arriving with their kids in costume for play, fun and crafts with us and Lori from CHCH until 9am.

If you can't make it, please tune in to Morning Live between 6-9am on Monday, October 31st.

Then our costumed crowd will be heading down to downtown Oakville for their annual "Tots on Parade' event. momstown loves this event and has been going for years! It's a perfect chance to trick or treat in the daytime when our kids are fresh and excited. All the shops along Lakeshore will be shelling out.

Don't forget your camera as there will lots of kiddies in costumes. And yes, LOTS. Prep for a crowd! The event kicks off at 10am at the Towne Square and ends around noon. momstown will be gathering in the Towne Square at the bottom of the big stairs.

See you there!

Happy Halloween momstown Oakville

2011-10-24T14:31:00.009-04:00

Our kids came out to Dazzle Art this morning for our momstown halloween party, and the costumes were great!!! We had superheroes, princesses, fairies, ladybugs, lions, monkeys and so many more!

We also had crafts set up for the kids. Witches made out of shapes. Halloween crafts, and a great way to practise shapes with your little ones! We made our witches out of 2 triangles, 4 rectangles, 1 circle and a broom. Just a little glue and crayons, and the kids were creating! My 3 year old refuses to have anyone help her with crafts. Her creations always make me smile;)
Momstown arts and crafts has this witch, and so many other great halloween crafts you can create with your kids!

No momstown party is complete without the parachute! Thanks Sherri from Circle Time Parties for all the great songs and fun!

Momstown Oakville hosts a themed party at Dazzle every month! Want to join us for the next one? Sign up for a free trial (6 weeks for a limited time), to find out what the fun is all about! Thanks again to Dazzle Art for having us!

momstown wins SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the year award!

2011-10-23T19:47:00.003-04:00

We are so excited here at momstown! What and honour it has been. We'd like to celebrate by sharing more of momstown. Until October 28th, you can extend your current membership or extend a trial membership by 1 month! If you haven't checked out momstown yet, this is a great opportunity! You get our 2 week free trial + 1 month celebration bonus! You'll get 6 weeks to try everything momstown has to offer.

Click here to go to our blog announcing all the details, and follow the link to activate your free month extension, reactivation, or extra trial membership.

Infant Organics: First Foods Are Just The Start!

2011-10-20T21:28:00.009-04:00

A great new store opened in Oakville this summer, and i've finally had a chance to check it out!
As a busy mom with 3 young kids, I only wish I had done this sooner. Infant Organics is a family owned business right here in Oakville, and you'll feel that from the minute you walk through the door. The friendly staff is there to help, answer questions, and help you find some great food for your little ones.

Infant Organics is committed to providing the freshest organic meals for your baby. Food is 100% certified organic, and produce is purchased from local farmers. The owners of Infant Organics pick everything up from the farmers in person. All the food is prepared right in the store at 300 Randall Street in Oakville. All the ingredients used to prepare this food is picked at its peak and travels very little from the farm, to the store, and then to the buyer. Infant Organics offers breakfast, lunch, dinner options, as well as snacks.

The baby food starts with full purees for 6-9 month old babies, and then increases in texture right up to 15+ months. As the stages of food progress, all the food groups are added in. There is no need to worry about the nutrition, this food is healthy, and as good as homemade.
We started out with infant food for my baby Cole. He's a good eater, but very fussy about texture, so i was a little nervous about trying something new. I decided to try fruit first as that seems to be a hit with my little guy. "Rosy Applesauce" was gobbled right up! and we moved on to the next item. Cole cleaned his bowl every time! We have successfully tried so many different items and he loves it all. I think his favorites so far are “squash and broccoli medley”, “Cheesy Cauliflower Soup”, and “Yummy Yams”. He seemed so happy with the flavours that he didn't seem bothered with different textures. I feel confident making baby food, but I’m not so great about combining flavours. This was perfect for me, as it gave Cole a chance to try some great food that mommy really doesn’t know how to cook. I will continue to make him some of the veggies and meet that our family eats, but my cooking really can’t compare in flavour to Infant Organics.

Something else I found very impressive is the packaging Infant Organics uses. All the packaging used for food is biodegradable or recyclable. They have taken great strides to ensure that everything is eco-friendly. All the food packages are BPA free, 100% biodegradable – I just tossed them into my green bin. All the tags are recyclable. I was very impressed that nothing goes to the landfill.

I usually make all my baby food. I have just found that i've been so busy, i haven't been able to keep up with the fresh produce, and keeping the fridge and freezer full of fresh pureed food. Infant Organics really filled a gap for our family. We feel good knowing that Cole is getting healthy food with all the nutrients he needs for his growing brain and body. It's as easy as defrosting and warming up! For a busy mom like me, Infant Organics has filled a gap in helping to provide a healthy alternative to my homemade food, when I don’t have time to shop and cook. Make sure you stop by to check them out online at www.infant-organics.com or at their store 300 Randall Street, Oakville.

Junior Chef: Ooey Gooey Pumpkins!

2011-10-19T14:12:00.012-04:00

Our momstown Oakville moms and kids were so excited for this month's Junior Chef! Our program is hosted by Sherri Phillips from Circle Time Parties, and it's always lots of fun. This months theme was all about Halloween! We made Ooey Gooey Pumpkins!

Our kids were practicing their counting skills with all the marshmallows!

Everyone took a turn to stir. Even our youngest chefs enjoyed this one. No baking, lots of sticky mess, and I think a few of them were tasting as they created!

The first of our final creations! Adorable, smiling, pumpkins. Totally edible too.

The kids were so proud of their creations! We had 8 happy chefs and 8 beautiful pumpkins.

Junior Chef always includes a circle time. Sherri uses the songs and music that she would use to host a birthday party. Our kids LOVE it! Everyone enthusiastically jumps in on the songs and fun.

Brave Sherri even pulled out the bubbles!

and finished off with a Halloween story time.

Thanks Sherri! Can't wait to see what we are going to create next month.
If you're interested in joining us for Junior Chef or other momstown activities, sign up for a free 2 week trial.

Join our free webinar to explore if timeouts really work

2011-10-18T11:20:00.005-04:00

Title: Is Time Out a Waste of Your Time?
Location: Webinar (virtual training)

Date: Thursday, October 20th from 2PM -3PM EST
Date: Monday, October 24th from 9PM – 10PM EST

Description:
momstown is excited to partner again with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, to offer a free live training webinar to our members!

Another Fabulous Resource brought to you from momstown!

Click here to sign up! It's free and easy to do from home!

Coffee for moms and music for kids!

2011-10-12T20:09:00.010-04:00

We found the perfect playdate combination! It was a rainy day in Oakville, and our mamas headed to CJ's cafe. Moms enjoyed a coffee and the kids were entertained by Suzanne Brown (Suzie Sunshine) a music teacher and entertainer!

Suzanne had some great ways to get the kids up and moving and really enjoying the music.

She was pulling out props every few minutes, the kids were dancing with scarves and shakers.

Even the youngest in the audience was jumping to the beat, waving his arms, and playing with shakers.

This performance was great for all ages, and really kept the kids moving and interested. They so excited to hear what the next song would be, and to participate.

Thanks Suzanne! We will be back again soon. Momstown will be heading out again for coffee and music. To see more pics of the fun we had, check our momstown Oakville facebook fanpage, or Suesings facebook fanpage. If you'd like to join us, please email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca or register for a free 2 week trial membership - you'll love what we have planned for the fall.

Zoo Animals and the Alphabet!

2011-10-12T19:45:00.009-04:00

Our moms and kids had a great morning at Dazzle Art this morning!
We LOVE Dazzle as it's a great location for momstown events, lots of room to run, also has a great range of toys and games for our kids.

To go along with our zoo animal theme for September we had some alphabet fun and made "T is for TIGER" and "Z is for Zebra" crafts. What i love about these crafts is that we can change a few simple steps to make them easy and fun for our toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school aged kids!

Our toddlers just love to glue: with a little help from mom cutting out a letter and stripes, they were happy to glue their creation together. With the 3,4,and 5 year olds we just gave them more freedom with the craft. Some were practicing their cutting skills and cutting their own stripes! We found some kids enjoy colouring more, so they grabbed some crayons and coloured the stripes onto the letter. Our moms just love how easily adjustable this craft was.

If you're interested in joining us next month at Dazzle email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca for a free 2 week trial for all momstown events.

6 Halton Thanksgiving weekend activities

2011-10-07T09:30:00.007-04:00

What to do this Thanksgiving weekend - you mean besides roasting a giant bird in the oven?

Looks like Halton is blessed with a stunning sunny weekend perfect for exploring the joys of our area.

Fall Fairs!
Rockton World's Fair is a big deal full weekend fall fair just down the highway. The schedule looks packed and fun for all ages!

Apple & Pumpkin Picking
Chudleigh's and Frootogo are fabulous places to visit for apples. momstown Oakville has picked pumpkins at Parkside Farms as well in Waterdown.

Harvest celebrations
We've been celebrating harvest in momstown this month but for more family fun try Springridge's Harvest Festival.

Take a Hike!
Our Halton conservation areas supply endless fun, beautiful trials for hiking or biking and discovering!

Turkey Run!
There's a fun "Turkey" 5km adult run, 1km or 300m run for little guys, at Heritage Square on Thanksgiving Monday.

Craft Away!
Of course, momstown will always encourage you to pull out the craft supplies - we have oodles of craft activities for Thanksgiving, fall or even Halloween on our site!

Halton Breastfeeding Connection needs Volunteers

2011-09-26T23:13:00.013-04:00

My breastfeeding introduction with my second child was a huge shock. After an easy nursing relationship with #1, I was stunned to find not all babies approached feeding the same way. I had given birth to a 10 pound suction machine whom attacked me with every feeding. I was a puddle of tears with each feeding, trying to bare it, until I finally got myself to a lactation consultant to help the “veteran” learn how to breastfeed.

During those murky weeks is when we as new moms try to learn (or re-learn!) how to breastfeed. We fumble with nursing bras and breast pads. We roll our eyes at spraying breasts or cry over low milk supply. We may curl our toes with a rough latch or sigh in relief when an engorged breast is finally no longer.

There are so many possibilities of how a nursing relationship can end up between any mother and baby pair. Most probable? There will be questions. Will you have someone to ask those questions to when you need to? Not everyone will seek out a Lactation consultant or a forum like momstown to post a question. Not every mom has a support network of nursing mom friends to brainstorm solutions.

How can momstown help more Halton moms make their breastfeeding experience positive? How do we help moms nurse longer than 6 months, which is the average time moms in Halton wean? Support, conversation, education, and more support, support, support.

The Halton Breastfeeding Connection is a wonderful peer to peer telephone support program for nursing moms to reach out to other nursing moms. I was a volunteer in 2006 & 2007 and it was gratifying to talk to other moms and help navigate their feeding relationship with their child.

The Breastfeeding Connection needs more volunteers. All that is required is a couple of short phone calls a week. In the past our community minded momstown moms have been a volunteer force for the region and we’d like to encourage reaching out and helping again. This is what momstown is all about – moms connecting other moms in the neighbourhood.

Volunteers do not need to be active nursing mothers, but with nursing experience of at least 6 months. The Halton Health provides training. All details are here and you can email if you’d like to help make Halton a more breastfeeding friendly region.

Call 905-825-6000 x311 or email Michaelle at michelle.griffin@halton.ca to Volunteer.

As an additional resource - local Oakville breastfeeding help/advice is available:

Baby & Parent Telephone Info Line 905-825-6000 x311 to speak to a Public Health Nurse for Breastfeeding Support
La Leche League - Oakville has an online support group
Breastfeeding Drop In by La Leche League, Mondays 10-12 at St Aidan's Anglican Church, 318 Queen Mary Dr, Oakville 416-483-3368
Baby Wearing & Breastfeeding Drop in: 2nd Monday of the month 930-1130am at Dynamic Health & Performance 12-1660 North Service rd, Oakville with Doula Ashely Pickett ashley@haltondoulagroup.com
Breastfeeding Cafe with Lactation Consultant Jean Kouba with HaltonBreastfeeding.com the 2nd and 4th Fridays at Oakville Parent & Child Centre 461 North Service rd, Oakville. 10am-noon 416-407-8552
momstown Oakville :) We're full of peer to peer support and many moms with breastfeeding experience (although we're not trained beyond our own experiences!)

Music Pups!

2011-09-26T19:55:00.005-04:00

Our momstown kids had a great time with Suzanne Brown at a music pups demo class! Suzanne is a music teacher with Music For Young Children.

We were moving and shaking to so many different beats, and every child was smiling, and singing right along.

Suzanne did an amazing job of integrating our moms and allowing us to participate in the music class with our kids. It's what we like to do best, join right in on the fun!

The class was for kids ages 0-4 years, and we really tested Suzanne. We had kids as young as a few months old, right up to 4. She had music and movement to include them all!
The class was varied and really kept our kids engaged.

We sang about such a variety of things that interested the kids. Giraffes, which fit right in with our momstown theme this month "all about the zoo". We sang about dump trucks and cranes which really had a few of our toddlers attention. We also got up and moved alot. Kids were dancing, and swinging scarves.

Suzanne Brown is opening her new studio and is currently accepting students. She has a wide variety of programs to offer anyone interested.
You can email directly suzanne@suzannebrown.com
For more information, please check out her websites: www.suzannebrown.com or www.suziesunshine.ca or call Suzanne directly 416-822-5500 OR 905-842-8793
Want to join in the momstown fun? email Sarah for a 2 week free trial sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca and find out what we're all about. We will be joining Suzanne at CJ's cafe in Bronte this month. She will be performing for our kids, while our moms enjoy a coffee. Hope to see you there!

Visit momstown at Oakville Mom trade shows this weekend!

2011-09-22T08:00:00.009-04:00

What a busy weekend is lined up for momstown Oakville! Two trade shows back to back all geared for moms and mompreneurs - fun and exciting!

We hope you will join us and seek us out and all the other terrific vendors.

Family Birth and Baby Show
Saturday, September 24, 1-5pm
St Paul's United Church, Rebecca St, Oakville (just east of 4th line)
Bring a food drive donation and get in for free.

What to expect at the show?

How to enjoy your pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods
Interactive Salsa Babies demonstration*
10 amazing tips that every new parent should know about how to ensure optimal neurological development for your children
Car seat safety and installation**
Family nutrition
7 Steps to Slumber: Sleep Expectations and Solutions for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers
Where does Dad fit into the breastfeeding relationship
Babywearing 101

momstown's founder Ann-Marie Burton is included in the line-up of speakers Most of all she'll be giving tips on how to get involved with your child in town and meet other mothers.

On Sunday, momstown will be at the Oakville Mompreneur Showcase
Sunday, September 25th 11am-5pm
Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Rd, Oakville

This event is a celebration of mompreneurs and an opportunity for people to shop and learn about the many local mompreneur businesses in our Oakville community.

momstown is a HUGE supporter and mentor of mompreneurs and consider ourselves ones as well. was named of the Top 50 Canadian Mompreneurs by MOMpreneur Magazine in 2010 and recently voted one of 2011's top 10 Finalists in the Mom Entreprener of the Year Award by SavvyMom.ca.

momstown joined Kellogg's for Breakfast in the Park

2011-09-19T14:39:00.014-04:00

Momstown couldn't have asked for better weather today! Our momstown Kellogg's breakfast in the park was a perfect warm and sunny fall day. Great weather to layer a comfy pair of pajamas over your clothes - and that's exactly what so many of our kids and moms did today!

We were so excited to be able to present our momstown mamas and kids with so many delicious choices of Kellogg's cereal today! Many of our kids LOVED trying a few bites of several different cereals. Some of our moms were so surprised at the cereal their kids chose, and then so happy to learn they loved it! A few of our moms have never bought Raisin Bran before, but it will be on the next shopping list! What a great opportunity to try a new cereal. I know my kids found 2 new favorites: Corn Pops! and Mini-Wheats.

We also had a great selection of fruit, yogurt, and orange juice, coffee and tea.

Our goody bags were great! They had $25 worth of coupons for Kellogg's cereals. The perfect part is that each mom can go out and get the cereal that their kids liked the best!

momstown Oakville talked nutrition and convenience, and found out that every mom is looking for a fast and simple way to get breakfast on the table in the morning! Kellogg's cereal answers all the demands, and meets the nutritional needs of our growing kids. Moms also found it convenient to have the cereals on hand to check out the nutritional value for themselves.

We often don't have the time in the grocery store to read the labels as we often have 1,2 or more kids sitting in shopping carts with nothing to do. This breakfast provided the kids with a chance to sit down and try the food, and gave mom a moment to check out the labels.

We strategically planned our breakfast right beside the park. So, once bellies were full, everyone headed to the park for some fun! Some of our toddlers don't take much time to sit and eat (at home or at the park). We were able to fill a cup with their favorite cereal, we didn't add milk, and it was the perfect snack "to go"! What an easy and portable snack, and no sticky mess for mom to clean up.

I can't wait to hear from our moms about what the new cereal is in their cupboards!
This event was a great reminder for moms that Kellogg's cereal is a great breakfast for kids. It provides them the nutrition they need for busy days, and is an easy and convenient option for moms!

Congratulations to Carter and his mommy Amanda on winning the Kellogg's prize pack!

Kelloggs Breakfast in the Park

2011-09-15T21:03:00.004-04:00

momstown Oakville and Kellogg's is hosting a breakfast in the park, and you won't want to miss the fun!
We are serving up breakfast for moms and the kids at Coronation Park. We'll have loads of great Kellogg's cereals for you and your kids to try - you never know, you might find a new favorite! We'll have coffee and tea, fruit and yogurt. You'll have lots of energy when it's all over to run and play!

We have a great prize pack to give away, and lots of great information for moms!
We have goody bags stuffed with great things for the first 25 families who sign up.

While we eat, we'll be discussing:

How to make your morning routine easier.
Tips for dealing with fussy eaters.
The nutrition and value of serving cereal to your family in the morning.

We'd love to get you involved in the discussion!
For more info about this great event, contact sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca

Sharkey's Baby Playgroup

2011-09-14T13:44:00.009-04:00

Our moms and babes had a great time at our baby playgroup today at Sharkeys!
This group was cancelled during the summer as many of our moms wanted to enjoy the parks and outdoors while the weather was warm. Well, with fall and winter weather just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to get this group going again!

We had a perfect mix of moms. Half the group are first time moms, and half the group are on baby #2,3, and 4. Great way to get some first hand advice, from an experienced mama!

Sharkey's has a wonderful room for the moms and babies. It's comfy to sit on the floor, and a bit of space for the babies to roll around and explore. My baby discovered this mirror, just the perfect height!

Our group is meeting at Sharkeys regularly, but also have big plans to get out around town. We are planning some trips to the movies, playdates at houses, restaurants, and lots more. We are always looking for new moms to join in the fun! To register for a free trial, and join us at our next baby playgroup, email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca

The Underpants Zoo!

2011-09-13T20:09:00.002-04:00

At our crafty kids playgroup and new member meetup today momstown shared "The Underpants Zoo" during storytime. The kids loved hearing about all the animals and their silly underpants. Every child at our playgroup today loves animals, and the room was silent while the book was read.

This length of book is perfect for this toddler age group. They also loved that each page brought a new animal to the zoo with a different pair of underpants! A new animal is introduced on each page, and the kids were all giggling to hear what they would be wearing. They also loved the rhyming in the book, and made for an easy read too!

Congratulation to Carter who took this book home with him. These books are donated to momstown by Scholastic. I think we can all guess what Carters mommy will be reading at bedtime tonight:)
For more reviews and to check out an interview with the author go to our arts & crafts blog.
Want to join in on the next storytime, and your chance to win a Scholastic book? Join momstown Oakville for a free trial membership.

Crafty Kids Playgroup & New Member Meetup

2011-09-13T19:47:00.009-04:00

Our momstown event today was all about the zoo! The toys, the book, the craft, and the kids LOVED it! We had a great time playing with all the little people. For many of the kids, this was their first chance to try out the Little People Zoo Talkers. It was a hit all around! I think a few kids went home to start their christmas lists!

To go along with our momstown education curriculum, our craft had a zoo animal theme. We made monkeys and snakes. The kids had a great time colouring, cutting, and working with pipe cleaners to create their animals. The part that i loved the most about this craft was that it could be adapted to suit a wide age range. With a little help from mom even the youngest kids were creating.

A little more playtime, snack, and a story, our morning was complete. We featured "The Underpants Zoo" as our Scholastic book at this event.

Some finished products that were created, these are the snakes. For detailed instructions on how you can make these at home, check out our momstown art & crafts blog.

The monkeys are also in the momstown art & crafts blog, with the template to print. This was a great example of how 1 craft can be adapted to suit a wide age range. A 2 year old made the monkey on the left. Mom did the cutting, and she did the coloring. She was able to help with attaching the arms and legs. A 5 year old did the other monkey. She was able to do this alone. She cut the monkey, and chose a template without a face, so that she could add her own expression. This allowed for a little more creativity.

Want to join in on the fun? email sarah.mclauglin@momstown.ca for a free 2 week trial membership!

momstown Halton Mom to Mom Sales

2011-09-10T17:01:00.005-04:00

Love a good deal? Mom-to-mom Sales are a fabulous place to pick up gently used children's toys, clothes and baby equipment.

In our Halton momstown neighbourhood, our momstown sister chapters, momstown Milton and momstown Burlington are hosting their own mom-to-mom sales this fall. Both very popular sales with tons of sellers, shoppers and oodles of goodies at awesome prices.

Our fall sales will have fall & winter clothes, winter coats/snowsuits and even Hallowe'en costumes for children aged 0-6 years old. Arrive early for the best variety and / or shop late for the best deals!

Saturday, September 17th -- momstown Burlington MOM TO MOM SALE

* NEW Location * Angelic Treasures at 2054 Mountainside Dr, Burlington.
8:30 - 11:30am

We will have boys and girls clothing, as well as toys and accessories from high chairs to strollers and last year, we even had a bed! Make sure to get there early, as our best items sell quickly and we will only have goodie bags for the first 200 people to enter the sale!

The sale is open to everyone, and there is a $2 charge for those who are not momstown members

The sale is cash only and no strollers are allowed into the sale.

As always, our famous 1/2 price sale will take place from 11:00-11:30!

If you are looking to sell your gently used items at the sale, please email info.burlington@momstown.ca

If you are looking to put something into our goody bags and/or want to have a door prize at our sale, please contact info.burlington@momstown.ca for more information and pricing!

Sunday, October 2nd - momstown Milton's MOM TO MOM SALE
* NEW location * Cirque du Play 525 Main Street East, Milton
8am - 11am

It's the sale we all wait for!! Our momstown mom to mom sale where moms sell their gently used kids items at a great price, and you get to stock up your kids closets and toy chests without hurting your wallet ;-)

looking to sell? email sam.kassam@momstown.ca for details

Local business? Get in on our welcome bags to advertise. Contact sam.kassam@momstown.ca

CASH only

FREE admission for members

$2 Admission for non-members

WIN Backyardigans tickets!

2011-09-01T11:09:00.003-04:00

Wanna WIN tickets to the Backyardigans LIVE show in Hamilton on Oct 20th?

All you need to do is visit the momstown Oakville Facebook Page and post a picture or comment of your kids loving Backyardigans. A picture of them dancing to their songs or telling you why they are their #1 fan.

Then come on back HERE and leave a COMMENT (this is your official ballot) and let me know you did so (please leave your Facebook name as well so we can easily find you)!

At the end of Monday the 5th we pick a winner between momstown Oakville & momstown Burlington.

Make sure you go check out the Koba Entertainment Facebook page and follow them on Twitter as well!

Win Toopy & Binoo Tickets!

2011-08-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

Do your kids love Toopy & Binoo? Mine do!

Great news! momstown Burlington and momstown Oakville are about to reward one of you with Free Tickets to their upcoming show on September 25th at Hamilton Place Theatre!

Check out www.ToopyAndBinooOnTour.com for more details on the Show!
Of course I am sure what you really want to know is how do you win those tickets!

All you need to do is visit the momstown Oakville Facebook Page and post a picture of your kids loving Toopy and Binoo. A picture of them dancing to their songs or telling you why they are their #1 fan.

Then come on back here and let me know you did so (please leave your Facebook name as well so we can easily find you)!

At the end of the day we will choose one lucky winner!

Make sure you go check out the Koba Entertainment Facebook page and follow them on Twitter as well!

Junior Chef: Sail Away to Snack Time!

2011-08-26T21:24:00.010-04:00

Sail away to snack time was a huge success today, and our momstown Oakville junior chefs had a blast!
This momstown event is open to all members, and hosted by Sherri from Circle Time Parties!

We had an awesome group out this morning, to our event. I just love that the older kids are so willing to jump in and help a younger one.

We started out with some arts and crafts as each child had to colour and decorate the sails for their boats. They cut out the triangle shapes, and glued them together.

We then put together our apple sail boats, and added a few sailors (raisins and peppers).
Egg boats were next on the list, and our hand crafted sails were the finishing touch.

Kids had a snack, and polished off their sailboats, while they did another traffic light craft, then off to circle time.

Sherri put together a great collection of songs and got all the kids moving around! We finished off with a story, and it was time to go.

Next month we are making edible sand castles! I saw some little ones looking at the pictures of the upcoming junior chef that Sherri has on display. I know they don't want to miss out!

This is a great program for any kids ages 2-6. Babies are always welcome, and playmats and toys are out to keep them occupied.
If your interested in joining us, contact Sarah. I will set you up with a free trial membership - and you can come out to see what the fun is all about!
For more pictures of the fun we had, check out our momstown Oakville facebook fanpage

Oakville Mompreneur Showcase

2011-08-25T15:24:00.006-04:00

The Oakville Mompreneur Showcase is coming to Oakville September 25th. It was created to help small business owners get the word out to the community about their unique and flourishing businesses. Multi-tasking is a way of life when one becomes a parent, but Mompreneurs take it to a whole new level!

The Oakville Mompreneurs Group and The Oakville Mompreneurs Showcase both have one main goal: to exhibit the creative talents of Oakville's local mom-businesses!
In doing so collectively, it is our hope that the community will get an informed glimpse of how everyday women are making a difference for their communities, for their families, and for themselves!

So many reasons to attend this great showcase!

Support your local community. Oakville is such an incredible community. Why not come out and support the mompreneurs who work within the Oakville community, call this wonderful town home, and raise their children here. What better way to show your support for your community than to attend, you won't be disappointed.

Are you thinking of becoming a mompreneur? check out the showcase and see how you can get exposure, network and build a business. This is an important step when deciding to become a mompreneur. You'll see so many businesses in action at the showcase. It will be motivating to see how many successful mompreneurs are within your community. I also find it uplifting to see all the support of the mompreneurs of Oakville coming together for this showcase to demonstrate to Oakville what we are all about.

You don't want to hear it! but, christmas is just around the corner....yes it's true. Some of these vendors have incredible products that would make a great christmas gift for mom or baby, even family gifts, and something for grandparents too! Don't miss the opportunity. You will get ahead of the christmas rush. You'll find gifts that you don't find at the mall, something special and unique.

Momstown will be at this showcase, stop by to visit and have a chat about our upcoming events. Our fall calendar will be finalized and i'll have lots of news about new and exciting events coming up! Not a member? I will set you up with a free trial membership so you can see what all the fun is about!

Don't forget to enter the Oakvillle Mompreneur Showcase prize draw! There are loads of great prizes to be won,including a 1 year membership to momstown!

Be sure to follow and "like" both momstown Oakville and the Oakville Mompreneur Showcase on facebook. There will be lots of info on both pages in the weeks building up to the showcase.

So join us, you will be amazed at the talents that lay within your community, and the work and effort these mompreneurs have put into turning passions into reality.
Please bring a non-preishable food item to donate at the door in lieu of an entry fee.

Apple Picking is here!

2011-08-23T21:29:00.008-04:00

I love Halton, there is SO much to do here and very closeby. For fun today I took the kids west down highway 5 to Frootogo Farms to pick apples and play.

Yes, apple season is here. It must have been the last couple of chilly mornings that reminded me. And the farm is open!

Have you been to Frootogo yet? It's in the very east end of Waterdown, off highway 5 on Evans road, maybe a 15 minute drive from Oakville.

Five reasons I love it at Frootogo:

1. It's free to visit!! (good reason!)

2. Pick-your-own apples is a fun & healthy experience for the kids. They feel like REAL farmers! We picked Paula Red today and more varieties will become ripe soon. In the fall they open up their fields for pumpkin picking.

3. The farm market is great. I always go home with fresh loot! Today I bought green beans, delicious cheddar scones to have with dinner and lots of apples! (They ask that no outside food comes in but provide loads of well priced options from drinks to soup to produce...)

4. The play yard is terrific! Hay bales & retired tractors to climb plus swing set, monkey bars, big sandbox with sand toys and TONS of ride on toys. There's a little animal area too where kids can see bunnies, goats and geese.

5. Frootogo likes momstown!! :) Every Wednesday August-October is momstown day and show your card in the market/cafe for a special treat/discount (often free coffee!)

Keep an eye on the momstown Oakville calendar for a couple of trips over to Frootogo or just throw your kids in the car on a random day and I promise you'll have fun. Only 15 minutes away and you're at the farm!!

Read about other momstown trips to Frootogo:
momstown Milton - pumpkin family field trip
momstown Burlington - momstown Wednesdays at Frootogo
momstown Hamilton - preschooler field trip to the farm
momstown Oakville - Frootogo apple day!

Burlington Children's Festival on the Waterfront

2011-08-19T08:38:00.006-04:00

In Oakville we're so lucky to have such great public events both in Oakville and in surrounding areas. Just next door in Burlington is the Children's Festival this weekend - an incredible spot to spend the day with your kids!

momstown Burlington is a sponsor of the event so make sure to pop over and do a craft with Lisa's team at Spencer Smith Park.

This is the 20th Year of the Festival that's all about kids having FREE fun - this year pirate style!

For more details visit the City of Burlington website or read below:

Day Two takes place in Burlington's Spencer Smith Park. On Sunday, from 10am-4pm, the park will be overrun by pirates & princesses! Themed around pirates & princesses, children will enjoy great activities targeted to them such as:

Live entertainment
Play zones
Pirate ship inflatables
SpongeBob SquarePants™ meet & greet
Talking parrot shows
Kids' marketplace
Princess & Pirate Promenade Parade*
Crafts

FREE for families!
*Be sure to come as a pirate or princess and join in the Promenade Parade.

Day 2: Entertainment Schedule

Time	Main Stage
10:00 am - 10:15 am	TBD
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Burlington Dance Academy
10:45 am - 11:45 am	Bird Kingdom: Talking Parrot Show
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm	Puppet Tamer Pirate Tim
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm	Princess & Pirate Promenade Parade
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm	BIEBERMANIA: Justin Bieber Tribute
2:15 pm - 2:45 pm	Puppet Tamer Pirate Tim
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Reptile Rob: Safari Science
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm	BIEBERMANIA: Justin Bieber Tribute
Event Highlights
10:00 am- 4:00 pm	Roaming Pirates on Stilts
12:00 pm- 4:00 pm	Brilliant Balloons by Cindy
Time	Gazebo Stage
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Tutor Doctor: Spelling Bee
10:45 am - 11:15 am	Monkeynastix: Kinder Gym Demos
11:30 am - 12:00 pm	Kicks for Kids: Karate Demo
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Creative Edge Dance Studio
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm	Princess & Pirate Promenade Parade
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm	SpongeBob SquarePants^TMMeet & Greet

Rejoin us at 7pm with the Amazing Captain Corbin to kick off our outdoor screening of a pirate movie! Cozy up after Captain Corbin's "Boatloads of Fun" magical Pirate show in front of Open Air Projection's 25ft. outdoor screen in Spencer Smith Park. Don't forget your lawn chairs or blankets! Movie starts at 9pm - fun starts at 7pm!

Last Picasso of the Season

2011-08-15T19:13:00.007-04:00

Well, it's with a sad face that I post these pics as momstown Oakville's last official Picasso in the Park of 2011. Now, summer isn't over yet, and we still have loads of outdoor fun planned, but this was the last Picasso. We had a great group of moms out this morning, and a few new faces who had so much fun during our Picasso table at the momstown birthday bash, they came back for more!

My enthusiastic daughter jumped in with both hands this morning!

It was a perfect overcast day to be out - not too sunny, no wind, just perfect.

These girls have been regulars at Picasso all summer, and I just love watching all the art they create!

When he got tired of painting paper, he collected rocks to paint! They make a great paper weight for your office too!

Just wanted to thank ALL the moms and kids who came out to our many Picasso in the Park events this summer - i had a blast with all of you! We still have splash pad dates, park playdates, and a pool party coming up. You won't want to miss the fun for the last few weeks of summer!

Our fall schedule is starting to come together, and is being posted and updated every day! To check out what we have in store, email Sarah, and register for a free 4 week trial membership.

Watch Oakville's Birthday Fun!

2011-08-15T15:03:00.012-04:00

We had a blast last week at our momstown Oakville Birthday Party so we made a little video to share our fun!

Curious about our sister chapters and their birthday celebrations?

Check out momstown Hamilton's pictures of their day at Battlefield Park in Stoney Creek with a sunshiny day!

More parties planned still to come - invite a friend to join us!!

August 16: momstown Guelph

ONLINE August 18: momstown Facebook Party
August 20: momstown Barrie
August 21: momstown Edmonton South & momstown Edmonton N orth
August 21: momstown KW
August 27: momstown Georgina
August 27: momstown Toronto
August 27: momstown Whitby-Ajax/Durham
August 28: momstown Calgary
August 29: momstown Central Alberta
August 31: momstown Markham

Planning your own birthday party? momstown has launched a new Birthday section in our Arts & Crafts Blog:

How to Plan a Mermaid Birthday Party

Host a cool Racecar Birthday Celebration

Tips for a Ladybug themed Birthday

Fisher Price Little People Zoo Talkers

2011-08-13T12:09:00.009-04:00

This momstown Oakville family is no stranger to the Fisher Price Little People at our house. They have been part of playtime here for almost 5 years. At 8 months, my first daughter received the airplane and bus, and we haven't looked back! My children have LOVED every little people set they have received. The doll house, garage, and farm, just to name a few....and all the accessories!

So, when the recognizable "Little People" box arrived on our door step it didn't require any explanation! Both girls (ages 2 and 5) were excited to get the box open and try this out.

It took about 10 minutes to assemble, get the batteries in and have the kids set up to play. They collected little people from previous sets to have a group visiting the zoo!

The exciting new feature that our other sets don't have - this one recognizes the animals! It tells you the name, and the sound the animal makes! Even my 9 month old turns his head to hear the animal sounds. There are lots of great sounds coming from this zoo. The zoo keeper even talks to you! It came with 4 figures: a zoo keeper, a polar bear, a lion, and a gorilla. You can buy additional animals, so yes, you can guess where we are headed this weekend!

What I love most about this toy (and all the little people sets) it that it covers such a broad age range, and really keeps their interest.

My 9 month old is crawling, and these little people figures are the perfect size for his little hands. We place the animals around the room, and he crawls around to collect them. He can grasp them with his little hands and still manage to crawl somehow without dropping them!

My 2.5 year old just loves making all the sounds around the zoo. You can hear the lion roar over and over again! She never seems to tire of hearing the zoo keeper (on a plus note: my husband and i didn't mind the volume).

And my 5 year old creates her own little zoo world. Using her imagination, you can hear her creating a "field trip" to the zoo with a collection of little people (riding on our pink little people bus), she moves them around, playing teacher and explaining the animals at the zoo! She's totally into role play and loves to be in charge of a group! So, she spends hours directing all her little people around the zoo, making sure to stop for snack time too!

Overall, this toy was of interest to all 3 of my children, which doesn't happen very often!

Momstown Oakville Birthday Bash!

2011-08-12T21:22:00.045-04:00

Happy Birthday Momstown Oakville!

In the week or so leading up to this event i may have made several lists, and left them laying all around the house, checked the weather network several 100 times (per day),
and ordered pizza for dinner more than twice as i lost track of time while stuffing goody bags. My husband actually asked told me the last time he saw me acting like this was
the weeks leading up to our wedding! So - you can see how excited, nervous, anxious and thrilled i was to be involved in the planning of such a great event!
On the day of the event i was beyond happy to look out my window to a beautiful sunny perfect morning! And so the day begins!

Loot bags were bursting at the seems! Filled with so many great treats for moms and kids.

Heather who is a photographer owns From the Heart Imagery and she was ready to go when the crowds arrived! She set up to take pics and from the few that i've seen, they are
incredible! Her online gallery will be posted on our facebook fanpage and momstown message boards. She has a small sample up now - i know many of you are excited to see final
pictures.

Oakville Parent Child Centre were there to set up a wonderful reading spot under the shade of a tree for moms and kids to enjoy! They also brought along 3 boxes of books for
kids to read, enjoy and take home with them! My kids picked "I Want A Dog", and we can't seem to read it enough!

Starbucks (Cornwall & Trafalgar) arrived to set up a booth and provide all the moms with coffee or cold drinks (that were kid friendly too). Thanks Starbucks! I'm sure there were a few mamas at the party who hadn't had a full nights sleep - that coffee really helped:)

TA Bounce Events arrived to set up the bouncy castle and i think they had a line up start before they decided where to set up the bouncy castle! The line up lasted all morning!
It was so much fun for all the kids!

Momstown set up our Picasso in the Park table. The longest one we've had so far! It was huge! It filled quickly, as did our clothes line, where everyone could show off
their creations! I just loved checking out all the work.

Safari Science arrived with a tortoise and a snake (gulp!). When i looked over - i was worried he was being swarmed with excited kids! They wanted to meet these creatures, ask questions, touch them and hold them! It was so great to see such interest.

Our demos began at 10:30 and kept the kids busy!
Opening the party with a fabulous circle time was Sherri from Circle Time Parties. The kids were jumping, dancing, and singing! Just getting warmed up!

Hope you are ready to move - Binu has energy! Zumba was our next demo and she really got the kids dancing and moving!

Monkeynastix was very popular! One of my kids just couldn't get enough climbing, jumping, and riding the bike!

Power Yoga Canada got the kids stretching and moving - so much fun!

And Sportball took the stage right after the rain! The kids were under the shelter for 10 minutes while it rained, but their energy levels were high, and they were ready to go! Sportball was perfect! They had the kids running, cheering, and having a great time!

We did get 10 minutes of rain, and it couldn't have been timed better. Right before the rain, Cupid's Gourmet Cupcakes arrived with our treats! Perfect. We will wait out the rain under our shelter and eat cupcakes while Ann-Marie and Ally announce the winners of our HUGE raffle! Raffle prizes were amazing! Moms were so excited to hear their names called - and every prize was great! Sylvan Learning, Kathy and Kim Originals, Circle Time Parties, Leya~Christine Linens, Hasbro Littlest Pet Shop, Clorox, Maple Leaf, Little Rascals,
Life Choices, Boston Pizza, Crockadoodle, Kellogg's, Little Tikes, Infant Organics, Longos, President's Choice, Monkeynastix! WOW!

We finished off with a very loud "Happy Birthday" Song to Momstown Oakville and a couple of parachute songs! and sent home 250 happy party-goers!

A huge thank you for attending, sponsoring, donating, and being part of our BIG day! It was truly a team effort and momstown was thrilled to be able to offer such a great
party to the community. Watch for pictures and stories as Oakville.com, The Oakville Beaver, and SNAP Oakville all attended the party and took pictures! Don't forget to
check out momstown Oakville on facebook where we are posting lots more pictures of the event.

If you are interested in being part of the day to day parties at momstown you can join us for a 4 week free trial. Check out our calendar, message board, and keep up to date
with community events. Register now, you won't want to miss out! Momstown is offering a 4 week free trial for the month of August, while we are celebrating our birthday.

Momstown Oakville was only the 2nd of 18 birthday parties that momstown is hosting across Canada. Keep checking facebook as we announce each party!

Well, i better get going, momstown's 5th birthday is only 363 days away, and there's lots of planning to do.

Happy Birthday to momstown Oakville!

2011-08-10T19:40:00.013-04:00

Happy Birthday!!! What a day - incredible party, wonderful guests, wicked activities, super weather (except for mid-party showers!), awesome raffle prizes and sublime cupcakes.

Thank-you all for attending our momstown Oakville Birthday Party today to celebrate with us down at Coronation Park on this sunny/windy/rainy day. We'll do up a full blog post later but a quick taste of some of the pictures...

Fun with the Sportball Coaches

The line-up for the bouncy castle never stopped!

Dancing up a storm with Zumba!!

Yummy cupcakes make people smile!

A little Picasso painting in the park

A cuddle with a giant Tortoise

Parachute Fun always makes a good end to a momstown party!

Also a BIG thank-you to our sponsors - you made our day that much brighter with your support, engagement and involvement.

Birthday Books: The Giving Tree

2011-08-07T22:55:00.008-04:00

Books - I love books. My kids rooms are filled with books. We are excellent garage salers with a preference for kids books and my children know I can never say no to bringing a book home.

I love to give books, especially as birthday gifts to friends and family. Books work so well for all age birthday gifts and support literacy in a way that Barbie or monster trucks could never.

Tonight I read my son one of my favourite books, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. I remember reading it as a child but as an adult, it fills my eyes with tears (understanding? empathy?) and I enjoy it on many more levels.

This is a book I need to start giving at birthday parties - its message is layered but appropriate for all levels - and my new grade-one reader could probably muddle her way through the book which means so could her pals.

Have you checked out our great contest packed with Birthday & Back-to-School books from Scholastic Canada? WIN with momstown and celebrate our 4th Birthday this month!!!

What's your favourite book to give as a birthday present??

wordless wednesday: checkin' out my birthday cake!

2011-08-03T14:58:00.003-04:00

August Contest: Win a Sleepy Wrap!

2011-08-01T23:30:00.001-04:00

Have you entered the momstown Oakville contest yet for a Sleepy Wrap? Contest is open until August 31, 2011! Click here to enter - enter daily if you choose!

Junior Chef: Hot Diggity Dog!

2011-07-29T15:39:00.010-04:00

momstown Oakville kicked off a new event today, and it was a huge success!
We have started cooking with our little ones at Junior Chef. Today was called
"hot diggity dog", and we sure had some great looking dogs.

Our kids arrived in aprons, ready to create in the kitchen. This event is hosted
by Sherri from Circle Time Parties. So, while our creations were cooling, we
had some fun with music, shakers, and a story time.

Getting started, with our instructions. We had a hard time keeping them from eating all the ingredients!

A couple of finished dogs! complete with carrots or pickles for legs. They were great! The kids were so excited to put the finishing touches on their dogs!

A quick picture before she bites the tail off!

Circle time dancing!

Finished off with storytime.

Thanks Sherri, we all had a great time! Be sure to check out our momstown Oakville facebook fanpage for loads more pictures.

Momstown has another Junior Chef next month: sail away to snack time. We will be creating sailboats, and having loads of fun! If you'd like to join us, sign up on the calendar. Not a member? We have a 2 week free trial, so you can see what we're all about!

5 reasons I love Stroller Fit!

2011-07-28T14:38:00.005-04:00

3rd baby? Don't worry, you'll lose all your baby weight so easily chasing 3 kids!
So, now I'm onto plan B.

My baby is 8 months old, and i've had no luck just losing the weight. So, I was looking for something to do, just to get active again, and start to feel better too.

Along came stroller fit! Mieka Forte from Clear Studio has been running stroller fit classes in Oakville.They are posted on the momstown calendar - and loads of fun.

As Mieka says "this ain't just a stroll in the park!"
I can't believe i never tried this before! I really love it.

Why do I love stroller fit so much? My top 5 reasons:

1. It's scheduled. So for me it requires a commitment (which is good). I know i need to be there at 10. So i am.

2. It's like having a personal trainer. Mieka pushes you harder than you can push yourself. Much better than being at the gym alone.

3. The great thing about this class is that it's geared to all fitness levels - you adjust what you do to suit your needs.

4. It's something fun for me to do with my baby. He giggles when i jog, and smiles at me when i do squats and push ups in front of him!

5. It's also just another great way for moms to get out of the house and meet other moms.

Oakville just happens to be a wonderful location for stroller fit. While i'm jogging, and exercising i can enjoy the scenery of life by the lake, as well as the much appreciated breeze, beautiful parks and trees.

Want to join me for stroller fit? Check out the momstown calendar with a free 2 week trial or momstown facebook fanpage. Mieka also has all the details on her facebook fanpage too.

Free Oakville Family Event - momstown's Birthday Party!

2011-07-26T21:48:00.033-04:00

Who doesn't love a party?? momstown Oakville sure does!

All Oakville families are invited to our FREE family event to celebrate momstown's 4th Birthday!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011
10am - 1pm
Coronation Park (Gazebo area)
1426 Lakeshore West, Oakville

First 75 families receive a Loot Bag full of goodies!! Join us at this beautiful park for fun in our Bouncy Castle, Fitness and Gymnastics Demos, momstown Arts & Crafts, Circle Time, Parachute games, 2 dozen prizes and delicious Cupcakes. Bring a picnic lunch and spend a summer's day with momstown on the lake!

momstown Oakville's Awesome Birthday Activity Schedule:

10am

Welcome Table Open for Sign-in

Bouncy Castle from TA Bounce Events (open all party)

momstown Arts & Crafts - Popular Picasso's in the Park Painting, Birthday craft, Super Why themed "A is for Alphabet" (open all party)

Quiet Reading Zone by the Oakville-Parent-Child-Centre -OPCC set up with books and a cozy spot to chill out during the party

From the Heart Imagery will be on hand taking candids & also mini family shots (sign up when you arrive for a spot!)

10:30am

Opening Circle with Circle Time Parties

10:50am

Mom & Tot Zumba Demo by Fitness 4 Life's Binu

11:10am

Monkeynastix Gymnastics Demo for all the kids

11:30am

Mom & Tot Yoga Demo by Power Yoga Canada

11:45am

Delicious Birthday Cupcakes by Cupid's Cup cakes

11:50am

Giant tortoise and lizard meet and greet by Safari Science

12:10pm

Let's get active with Sportball

12:30pm

Closing Parachute Circle time by momstown Oakville

12:45pm

Big Birthday Prize Draws!!!

Awesome Door Prizes to be WON from Local Oakville Sponsors Once Upon A Child Oakville, Longos Burloak, Circle Time Parties, Reptile Party, Kathy & Kim Originals, Crockadoodle, Boston Pizza, Monkeynastix, Leya~Christine Linens, Kathy and Kim Originals!

MORE Door Prizes from National Sponsors Little Tikes, Clorox, Greenworks, President's Choice, Maple Leaf Foods, Hasbro, Life Choice Foods, Smashbox Cosmetics, SuperWhy/Kids CBC.

Goody Bags are have treats from Jet Baby, Little Rascals, Clorox, SmashBox Cosmetics, Life Choices Foods, SuperWhy, Crockadoodle, Once Upon a Child, Infant Organics, Our Kids Media, Do Re Mi, Boston Pizza, Dazzle Art, Power Yoga Canada & Fitness 4 Life Zumba. Get there early to snap up one of these 75 loot bags!

Keep up with the newest details (more prizes and partners to announce!!) on our momstown Oakville Facebook Page and online on our site and Message Board (register here for a free 2 week trial membership). Send any questions to Sarah or sign up to reserve your spot on our Facebook event, on our momstown calendar or by emailing Sarah.

Thank-you to our momstown Oakville sponsors - so glad you can celebrate with us!!!

Keepin' Cool in Oakville!

2011-07-21T19:14:00.007-04:00

Well, momstown Oakville has found one way to keep cool with all this heat....keep having pool parties! It's keeping the kids and moms cool, we are having lots of fun, and i hear many kids are sleeping well:)

We had another great group of moms and kids out to our pool party. We have also noticed such an improvement in some of the kids confidence and ability. Lessons are great for teaching skills (and a must at our house), but don't underestimate the value of exposure and practise. Just getting the kids into the water to splash around, throw a beach ball and laugh with friends can make a huge difference in both confidence and ability in the water. Come out to our next pool party, and your little one will be splashing and blowing bubbles before you know it!

Remember, when you are having all this summer fun at the momstown playgroups: It is important to stay safe in this heat. Make sure the little ones are drinking plenty of water, and taking breaks in the shade or indoors where they can cool down. I've been surprised at how many breaks my kids needed to take today!

Check out our momstown Oakville facebook fanpage for more great pics of our pool party. Don't forget to "like" us while you are there!

For more info on the next pool party, or for a free 2 week trial contact Sarah.

My 4 legged friends

2011-07-18T13:06:00.005-04:00

We have 2 dogs: Matti and Gunner. Yup. 1 just wasn't enough. In our pre-marriage, pre-kids stage we thought it would be fun.

Well, we've been married 6 years now, we've had 3 kids and yes we still have our 2 dogs. I have many "what was i thinking moments".

I do try to remember my excitement of picking a puppy from the litter, training, and bonding with the little bundle (when i had nothing better to do with my time).

I do enjoy watching my kids with these little furry friends. A few momstown Oakville members have recently asked me about my dogs, and said they are thinking of getting a dog - so I thought I'd weigh in with my "2 cents".

1. They are a lot of work. Training is demanding, and required if you are going to have a well mannered dog.

2. As a mom, I really do clean my fair share of diapers and accidents. Don't forget to bring your poop bags with you on the walk - you will now have another to clean up after!

3. They cost money. Vet bills add up - even for a healthy dog. We have annual checkups and needles, and if there is ever a health concern, the bills can climb!

But then my heart melts when I see my little girl with her dogs.....

1. My girls don't like to play in the basement alone. Unless a dog is with them. These dogs provide a great sense of security, and allow my kids a little more independence.

2. I've heard others say this as well: dogs sense things. When my kids are sick, the dog knows. They sit with the kids, all day if needed, keeping them company.

3. I love watching my girls learn responsibilities, and caring for the dogs. Cassidy is old enough to help with feeding. My kids are really proud to be dog owners, and often ask to take the dogs for walks.

Overall, I can't imagine our lives without these 2 little guys. They truly are a part of our family. I love it when people ask my daughter if she has siblings.

She always responds with "1 sister, 1 brother, and i have 2 dogs!"

I would love to hear your family pet stories!

Picasso in the Park

2011-07-15T14:56:00.005-04:00

What a perfect sunny Friday for Picasso in the park. This event really does make me wish it was summer all year long. The kids just love running from the park to the splash pad, to the painting table. Babies all the way to the older kids just love this event, and the creations just keep getting better as the summer goes on! We have also been so lucky to have such great weather for every Picasso event.

I love that we keep this event so simple. Paper. paint. and a few paint brushes. It really allows the kids to create whatever they want. My daughter collected feathers from all around the park (yes...at first all i could think was "gross"). Then she started dipping them in paint, and creating really great patterns on the paper! Many of the kids don't even bother with the paint brushes, they just jump right in with their hands! A few today were just using the rocks on the ground to stamp patterns on the paper. It really does allow the kids to use their creativity and imagination - and the scene around the park sets the perfect tone.

Next Picasso i'm going to plan ahead to bring a picnic lunch for me and the kids - we never seem to have enough time in the morning to do everything:)

We have more great pics posted on our momstown Oakville facebook fanpage. Check them out, and don't forget to "like" us while you are there!

Want to join us for the next Picasso in the Park. Register for a free 2 week trial at momstown Oakville, or email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca for all the details.

Hope to see you soon!

momstown Oakville's Birthday - you're invited!

2011-07-14T23:12:00.008-04:00

We're thrilled to invite you to join us to celebrate momstown's 4th BIRTHDAY!

Wednesday, August 10th
10am-1pm
at Coronation Park in Oakville

Open invite to all to join us. Ideally, we would love to know if you're coming so email Sarah but not required. Everyone is welcome to join us for birthday fun activities, crafts, special guests, loot bags and more. Additional details to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned to our momstown Oakville Facebook fan page for more details.

wordless wednesday: my little teacher

2011-07-13T22:20:00.003-04:00

Crafty kids playgroup: Beach days

2011-07-13T20:41:00.006-04:00

Well, the cards stacked against us, but momstown Oakville still had a great time! We lost our location at the last minute, so we relocated to a member's home. Then the air conditioning broke, and we moved outside before we melted! Good thing most of the kids came dressed for our beach day theme - they were ready for some outdoor play!

Beach balls, slides, and a few snacks. The kids didn't seem to mind the change of plans:)

Moms still had a good chance to catch up on news, and overall, it was another great momstown event!

Our craft was from the momstown arts and crafts. We made sea creatures to go along with our beach day theme. We made octopus, crabs and star fish out of egg cartons! The older kids loved the painting part of the craft! If you are looking for more great beach themed crafts to do with your kids this summer, check out momstown arts and crafts blog.

Want to join us for our next crafty kids new member meet up? Register for a free 2 week trial membership. We'd love to see you out at our next event. Next month our crafty kids and new member meetup will be all about music!

Splash!

2011-07-07T07:08:00.004-04:00

Did you hear the splash? That's the sound our momstown Oakville kiddos were making today at our playgroup pool party!.
A pool makes for a great playdate for large groups. Kids get loads of exercise, great socialization, and moms have a chance to catch up too.

This was an all ages event for the kids, we had a couple of little babes swimming and splashing around. There was also a group celebrating "no school" and making a big splash! Everyone was safe with so many types of floaties, water wings and life jackets!
We were threatened by mother nature a couple of times, but we didn't back down, and it turned out to be a perfect pool party.
Kids were jumping, splashing, and having a great time. We kept the water warm to keep the mamas happy - and even with the overcast weather, a great time was had by all.

It was actually warmer in the pool than it was out - which didn't make getting out very pleasant! All the more reason to stay in the pool a few more minutes.
Kids worked up and appetite for snacks, dried off and then played some more.
I hope we tired everyone out, and mamas had peaceful nap times in the afternoon.
We have more great playgroups and outdoor fun scheduled this summer. For a 2 week free trial, and to find out more about our next pool party, email sarah.

wordless wednesday

2011-07-06T07:01:00.003-04:00

Summer Fun!

2011-07-04T20:11:00.005-04:00

Today was the first official day of summer vacation, and momstown Oakville started off bright and early with Picasso in the Park!
Our kiddies created some amazing art, and then headed straight for the splash pads and sand.
We had a few new faces join us today - lots of fun. We even had a couple of artists painting for the first time:)
My 5 year olds plan for the day was "i'll wear my bathing suit to paint, then i don't have to waste any time getting ready for the splash pad!"
Momstown Oakville has more Picasso in the Park events, and lots of other fun pool parties, park playdates, and craft get togethers. Want to get your kids out of the house this summer? Email Sarah, for a free 2 week trial. Momstown also has loads of great craft ideas that you can do right in your own backyard! Check out our momstown arts & crafts for some inspiration!

wordless wednesday: princess hard at work

2011-06-28T22:13:00.002-04:00

momstown construction party at Dazzle art

2011-06-27T20:21:00.007-04:00

We ended off our last construction themed event with a bang! Dazzle was full of excitement as our kids and mamas arrived this morning for some playtime, snacks, sky scraper building and parachute songs. A great morning was had by all, and i know my kids had a great nap when it was all over. There was a great group of kids - and Dazzle is always full of so many great toys.

Our skyscraper construction craft turned out great! For more construction craft ideas - check out our momstown arts and crafts blog!

Sensory, climbing, puzzles, imagination - you name it Dazzle Art has it!
Our kids enjoyed play time, and mamas had a chance to socialize. The kids slowed down just enough to grab a slice of watermelon for snack, and then we pulled out the parachute! Songs, games, a beach ball - and some very excited kids.

Thanks Dazzle Art for hosting us. This was our last party at D azzle until the fall. We have moved our playgroups outside to enjoy the sunshine. We will be resuming at Dazzle again in September. If you'd like to join us for a Dazzle party, or an outdoor playgroup, register for a free 2 week trial, or email Sarah for more details.