momstown Oakville's Fall Mom To Mom Sale

Are your kids outgrowing clothes faster than you can keep up with?  Are you looking for a great deal on gently used children's clothes and toys?  Then come on out to momstown Oakville’s Mom to Mom Sale on Saturday, October 19th, 2013.

With lots of tables filled with fantastic deals, you’re sure to find something that suits you and your budget! And to make shopping even easier – keep checking this blog for updates from our sellers with the items they’ll be offering!

Date:   Saturday, October 19, 2013

Time:  8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Location:  BrightPath Early Learning & Child Care Centre (20 Shepherd Road, Oakville)

ENTRY FEE:

Free for momstown members

$2 or a non perishable food item for non members

Food items collected are for the Oakville Fareshare Food Bank

This is a CASH only event.  No strollers please.

Items for Sale:

-Strollers

-Lots of boots and snowsuits

-Halloween costumes

-Baby Slings & Carriers

-Toddler Boy Ice Skates

-Ikea Mammut red & pink toddler dresser

-Eddie Bauer High Chair

-Booster Seats

-Kids clothing 3 mos - 4T, boy & girl

-Toys, DVDs and books

Visit our Facebook page to see a few pictures of brand name items for sale.

When You Have To Be 'That Mom'

Whether you've already experience this or not, there will come a point in your parenting life when you are going to need to be 'that mom'.  You know, the one people think is over reacting or being too cautious or too assertive.  The one that won't stop fighting for something that may be right for their child even though its not easy for others to understand or easy for others to do.  At some point, every mom is going to have their turn at being 'that mom'.  Food allergies, academic or behaviour challenges, developmental challenges, health challenges...the list is long when it comes to things that moms will become advocates for if it means protecting, helping or improving the lives of their children.

But here is the tricky part.  While your gut may be telling you, screaming at you, that you have every right to speak up, push and demand answers, there will always be some part of you that wonders if you are being too unreasonable, to pushy, or bordering on the status of helicopter parent.  I guess self doubt is just a typical feeling, something that is hard to shut out 100%, but I think its also because during the time when you've got your back up, you can't help but notice that other moms don't have to fight the same fights.  That is a catalyst for self doubt too.  Your gut is never wrong though, and most moms know that, even if sometimes they don't realize it until after a situation has transpired.  Haven't you ever said "I knew I should have..."? 

Next time a friend is telling you about a situation they are dealing with where they have to advocate for their kids, just offer your support.  It doesn't feel good to be 'that mom'.  It doesn't feel good to feel like no one is on the same page when it comes to what is best for your kids or that you aren't being taken seriously.  And as we all go through the prime parenting years (its a lot of years!), every mom will have to face the feeling of being 'that mom' at some point.  All I can say is that you should trust yourself.  Being outside your comfort zone is tough, but you will never regret fighting to make sure your child gets what they need.

This time of year is ripe with advocacy situations as we all settle into new routines, new schools and new teachers.  Go easy on yourself!  There is lots of talk about how the kids are adjusting to the new school year, but that doesn't mean the adjustment isn't just as hard for you.

Tales for Tots: Exploring Apples With Oakville Moms & Kids

momstown Oakville's monthly Tales for Tots program welcomed lots of Oakville moms and kids this week at The Little Gym to explore our theme of the month - apples.  Our craft got the kids glueing and letting the creativity flow with the creation of their own tissue paper apple.

We used paper plates as the apple base. Red tissue squares to fill in the apple, green construction paper for leaves and brown card board for the stem- an easy, adorable apple craft for kids! After our apple crafting fun we sat down to read a wonderful story called Fox and Squirrel. The book is all about appreciating differences in others. Since September is also back to school month, this story was very fitting as there is so many new people at school to get to know and each of us are unique.  As always, we gave away a copy of our Scholastic Canada book to one lucky Oakville mom.  Congratulations to Melissa and her daughter Emily, they were the big winners this month.

Every month we give away a Scholastic Canada book at our Tales for Tots and our Rhyme, Rhythm and Read program.  Come and join us next time!  Click here to purchase your one year membership for just $45. Membership includes all of our programs, a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine and so much more!

StageCoach Theatre Arts Offers Quality Programming For Oakville Kids In Singing, Dancing & Drama!

StageCoach Theatre Arts Oakville provides quality training in singing, dancing and drama - all three in one program! As part of the longest running and most successful children's performing arts schools network in the world, StageCoach Theatre Arts Oakville is more than just another theatre school or dance school. They are proud to offer a full and rounded education, teaching life skills to build confidence and stretch imaginations through the performing arts. Skills for Stage=Skills for life!

Two program options:

Main Stage - ages 6 to 16. Students are divided into groups by age and rotate between an hour of acting, an hour of singing and an hour of dancing. Our highly trained, exceptional teachers, small class sizes, beautiful venue ensure that each child's unique potential is fostered and nourished.

Early Stages - ages 4 to 6. This gentle but invigorating introduction to the arts is a 90-minute fun-filled class with roughly 30 minutes given to acting, singing and dancing, along with lots of games to get those little imaginations buzzing. Small class sizes with two teachers per class.

Stagecoach Theatre Arts Oakville is having an Open House on Saturday, September 21st at 1pm at MacLachlan College.  Come learn what makes Stagecoach the longest running and most successful performing arts program in the world. Meet the staff, see the venue and you can complete your registration on site. Refreshments and theatre craft making too so bring the family! Call 905-808-0669, visit our website, or simply show up.

The Fall, Winter and Spring terms are 10 weeks long and both programs perform for family and friends twice a year.

More class times have been added due to growing popularity - the word is spreading, StageCoach Oakville is the region's premier centre for the performing arts for children and teens. No experience necessary, come play with us!

Fall term begins September 28th! To register, call 905-808-0669 or enrol online by visiting our website.

LifeClass in Oakville: Passion, Purpose & Possibilities

For more info on the LifeClass Starting in Burlington on September 18th or Oakville on October 8th, visit www.lifeclass.ca Our momstown team has a chance to experience the incredible coaching of Jen Bodenham - we highly recommend this insightful program!

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run For The Cure Needs Your Support

On Sunday, October 6th the annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run For The Cure will be taking place in communities across Canada.  Last year was my first time participating.  I'd recently had a momstown colleague diagnosed with breast cancer and our momstown community rallied together to run for her and the many other women affected by this disease.

When someone you know is diagnosed with breast cancer you can't help but have the 'what if that were me' thoughts float through your mind.  Who would be there to help?  How would I explain things to my kids (even writing that sentence made my stomach drop)?  Research suggests that one in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime.  That is not a great statistic. Its time we all do our part to change the negative impact that breast cancer is having on the lives of women, men, children and families.

So what can you do to make a difference?

• Make sure to visit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run For The Cure website and get the details of the event in your community.  
• Register for the event.. There is a 1KM and a 5KM option and many people we saw last year did it as a family with little ones in strollers.  What a great, active way to spend a morning as a family!  
• Make a team and then recruit friends, extended family, co-workers and neighbours to join you.  All teams with the minimum of 10 people will qualify for a t-shirt printed with your personalized team name.  I wear my t-shirt from last year frequently and it reminds of my 5KM race accomplishment (was my first!) and of how it important it is to continue to support this cause that can make such a positive difference in the lives of women.  

The run is about 5 weeks away which is still lots of time to train and prepare.  There are lots of great 5KM training resources online or visit the Running Room website for tips.  You can do it!

momstown Oakville's 2012 Run For The Cure Team

If you aren't able to participate in the run, there are still lots of other ways you can help.  To find out more about volunteering for the event, click here.  Ask around to find out if you have friends or family participation and make a donation to support them!  And finally, head down to the event on Sunday, October 6th and cheer on those who are running.  It was very motivating to have people with signs cheering and encouraging us as we ran the route last year, especially when we only had a 1KM to go and were feeling tired.  The community really came together and it was inspiring to see.

Women seem to have a really hard time putting themselves first (guilty!) and participating in this event is another step in the right direction for making healthy living a priority.  Exercise makes you feel good on so many levels (and is one of the key ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer) and how great would it be for your kids to see you run across that finish line?  And of course, as we band together to support those who have experienced breast cancer or are currently living with the disease, make sure you are regularly doing self breast examinations and are regularly being checked by a doctor. If you are in your forties, nearing them, or 50+  and not currently being screened for breast cancer, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation encourages you to learn about your breast health, breast cancer risk, ways to reduce your risk, and the benefits and limitations of breast cancer screening.  Please visit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website for more information and be sure to visit their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to join the conversation about women's health and breast cancer.

Mark the date for Sunday, October 6th and help wipe out breast cancer!

Apple Wreath Craft For Kids

Momstown's theme of the month for September is 'Apples'.  So far, Oakville moms and kids are loving this theme as there are so many fun Fall things to do that involve apples!  At our momstown Monet program this week, we got together to make festive apple wreaths.  This craft was so much fun as it involved apple stamping, as well as cutting and gluing too.

Apple Wreath Craft

Here is what you need to make your own apple wreath:

-green pipe cleaner
-large white paper plate
-green construction paper
-brown crayon or paint
-white paper
-red paint
-apples
-scissors
-glue

Steps to make the apple wreath:

1.  Cut out the middle of the paper plate so the remainder is a wreath shape
2.  Colour the back side of the paper plate ring using brown crayon or paint it with brown paint
3.  Cut an apple in half and paint the halfs red.  Stamp 7 good apple stamps onto the white paper and leave the paper to dry
4.  Put a small hole in the top and put the pipe cleaner through making a circle so you can use this to hang the wreath.
5.  Take the green construction paper and cut out stems for the apples
6. When the apple stamps are dry, cut them out.
7.  Glue the apples onto the brown paper plate ring and then glue the green apple stems on to the apples

Hang this cute creation in our outside your house to help celebrate the arrival of the Fall season!  Join us for our next momstown Monet program or one of the other 40+ events we have on our calendar each month.  A yearly membership is just $45 a year and includes a 12 month Today's Parent magazine subscription!