Things were fluttering at Dazzle!

Our monthly momstown Oakville party at Dazzle was a huge success! Thanks to all the mamas and kids who were there, it was alot of fun. We had a few new Oakville mamas trying out a momstown event for the first time. We had a great turn out, and lots of activities to keep everyone busy. This was the perfect playgroup for a wide age range, as Dazzle has toys, games, and activities for all ages.

Momstown brought along 2 butterfly crafts to go along with the educational theme for the month. A coffee filter butterfly, and door hangers. All the kids were really excited to personalize their doorhangers with their names.

We pulled out the parachute, and the kids had a great time: loads of songs and rhymes.

Even our snack time was fluttering with cupcakes arranged in the shape of a butterfly, juice and yogurt.

We ended off our morning with a draw - prizes to spoil mama a little. There were 2 spa treatments, a couple of gift cards, and wine tasting! Enjoy moms.

Want to join us for our next monthly party at Dazzle? Register for a free 2 week trial. The theme for June is construction - and there will be lots of action!! We will be building sky scrapers!


Curious about other Butterfly activities to do at home? Check out our momstown arts and crafts blog for ideas like B is for Butterfly, Toliet Roll Butterfly, Books about butterflies & bullfrogs.

Paper plate butterfly craft!

From our friends at Dazzle Art, this simple but beautiful butterfly craft is easy to make!

What you need:

• Paper plate
• Tissue paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Ribbon to hang (optional)

Fold the paper plate in half, and make scissor cuts to create a design - kind of like snowflake-making! When you unfold the plate it will be symmetrical, just like a butterfly.

Glue tissue paper squares on to decorate, and add a ribbon to hang your beautiful butterfly!

momstown Oakville thanks Dazzle Arts for their craft inspiration! Check out their website for information on birthday parties with a crafty twist!

momstown Oakville also holds a monthly playdate at Dazzle for moms and kids of all ages. Join us - it's a great way to experience the momstown community and also try a local kids' entertainment venue!

I LOVE Summer!

This May long weekend, i feel like we finally got a little taste of summer 2011!

I love the smell of summer, the warm air, the long days. I especially love how summer makes my kids sleep! This was the scene by mid Saturday afternoon after several hours outside playing. My little 2 year old Issie went from sandbox to slide to pool to bug catching playing in the beautiful long weekend sunshine. She came inside for a quick break from the suns rays, and a snack. I cut up a few orange slices, and when i peaked around the corner to see how she was doing, this is what i found. I threw a blanket over her and she managed to stay in that exact position for 2 hours! Unheard of in the winter months. We live in a busy house: 3 kids, 2 dogs, and loads of visitors. None of the commotion seemed to disturb this wonderful nap. Momstown will have many outdoor activities planned for the summer, from park playgroups, to splash pad get togethers, picasso in the park, and swimming parties. Join us for some outdoor fun, and you might even get a minute to rest and put your feet up this summer!

Butterflies at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory

It was a big group when momstown Oakville, Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Guelph got together at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory and fun was had by all! The kids started the day colouring their butterfly crowns, and playing interactive games and puzzles - all with a butterfly theme! We also learned new rhymes and songs. We then had free time to explore the conservatory, with over 2000 birds and butterflies. Even the babies in carriers were captivated by all the butterflies fluttering around.

Next we learned about owls and bugs, and finished the tour off with a story time. My girls loved the butterflies so much, we had to go back into the conservatory for another tour. It really was beautiful. I wasn't too keen to hold any of the bugs, but the "stick bug" was a real favourite amongst the kids. The waterfall, and humid air created a wonderful tropical atmosphere. The day trip tied in perfectly with the momstown educational curriculum as the theme for the month of May is Bullfrogs and Butterflies.

If you are interested in becoming a momstown Oakville member, click here for your free trial membership!

momstown Oakville new community manager!

Hi! I'm Sarah, and I'm thrilled to be joining the momstown team as the community manager for Oakville. We moved to Oakville 2 years ago, and love everything this community has to offer. As a busy mama with 3 kids ages 4 and under, I'm aware first hand how important it is to have a strong network of moms around for support, fun and adventure. I love momstown because it offers so many opportunities to connect with other moms, through the 24 hour on line message board, or at a community event. I look forward to providing some great events, sharing the ups and downs of motherhood, and meeting you all very soon.

Oakville help for our overgrown gardens

Let it be said my thumb is a lot of things, but not green. I want to have a great garden but alas, my yard looks pretty scrappy next to my empty-nest neighbours next door.

It's a good thing my kids think dandelions are pretty flowers!

Who to call to help fix? Will a trip to the garden centre to talk about grubs in my lawn or help with perrenials be beneficial or will I leave overwhelmed??

Good thing Oakville has so many resources and garden centres for help!

Cudmore's Garden Centre is a wealth of knowledge both in-store and online. I found they have a 'tip of the week" on their site which is really helpful when you don't even know what you're supposed to be doing when or where! This tip below - who knew? ( I didn't!)

Fight weeds naturally: By encouraging a thick, healthy stand of grass your lawn will outcompete weeds naturally. Overseed your lawn this spring with Topdresser and a good quality blend of grass seed to fill in bare spots and thicken the turf.

Wonder what those huge square bags are on everyone's driveway? Full of soil they are. And you need a wheel-barrel to move that earth. You can order from Van Beek's Garden Supplies. However, remember the point of it is to NOT have that bag on your driveway in September! Make a plan and pray for no rain.

Do you know what a Nematode is? Nope, not a toad. They are a "naturally occurring organism" that apparently kills larva and other grubs in your lawn - pesticide free! Jade Gardens carries them and says to get them fast as these nematodes sell out fast in Oakville!


Once the lawn is in order (at least cut!) we can then think about gardening with our kids and momstown has listed the top crops to plant with kids. It's too late now to start with seed packs but all nurseries (and even add-on garden centres at the grocery store) carry seedlings of vegetables or annual flowers to plant in containers or a sunny patch for a children's garden.

Maybe our next momstown Oakville playgroup should be a working one? Move a wheel-barrel from house to house and garden together? That would be a sight to see!

Perfect Mother's Day in Oakville

Perfectly fitting that Mother Nature would bring us beautiful weather like this for Mother's Day. A bright, sunny day to enjoy family time and remind us how lucky we are.

My family headed to Coronation Park today to spend time at the lake, scramble on the path and hightail it to the playground.


There were lots of Oakville families out today and even the Canadian geese were celebrating Mother's Day with fuzzy little goslings!


Very shortly, momstown Oakville will be back at Coronation Park for splash pad playdates, messy Picasso's in the Park & Baby Book Club picnics. Can't wait for more nice weather!!

Hope all our momstown mamas had a fabulous sloppy kiss and maybe a homemade gift inspired by momstown Mother's Day arts & crafts today!

Mother's Day frame craft!

Brought to you by our friends at Dazzle Art, this simple yet precious craft lets mom put her favourite picture in a frame decorated by the kids!

Plastic frames are available at craft or dollar stores for minimal cost - your child can add the embellishments to make it their own! You can use:

• Foam cut into flowers
• Sequins
• Markers to decorate
• Tissue paper/glue to add dimension

My son was so proud of his creation and as his mom I couldn't wait to display it proudly!

Thanks to the folks at Dazzle Art for the inspiration! Did you know that they host birthday parties at their fantastic studio in Oakville? There are tons of options or you can personalize it with your own thoughts and ideas!

momstown Oakville's Crafty Kids playgroup meets at Dazzle monthly to enjoy a craft and free play time in their great creative space. Find out more with a free trial today!

What momstown mamas want for Mother's Day - $150 in free gifts!

This Mother’s Day ask for a momstown membership or better yet, give one to a friend. We promise this will be one of the best gifts you’ve ever received – you will find partners in motherhood, fabulous activities for your kids, community connections and a better mom in you.

From May 1-10th momstown is offering an extra bonus with a great “Gift with Purchase” package! When you buy a regular $45 annual membership to momstown you will also receive a package worth over $150 in special exclusive discounts from our partners!

Included are 12 awesome monetary discounts from places where you like to buy already! momstown has partnered with Simply Colors ($7.50), Mabels Labels ($5), Name Your Tune ($5), Whimsical Creations ($10), Gingerbread Monkeys ($10), Rocky Mountain Kid ($10), Suetables Jewelry ($10), Well.ca ($10), Lavish & Lime (15% off), Evymama ($10), Style Kid ($15), and Photobook Canada ($60).

A momstown membership is always a sweet deal but now we’ve made it even better and this promo is open to both renewals and new members. Visit your local chapter’s membership store to buy now.

The only tough part is which discount will you redeem first???

Click here to register and BUY a momstown Oakville membership.

WIN: Are you a Mother on Fire?

WIN WIN WIN!!!

What a fabulous personal development day planned for May 14th hosted by Mothers on Fire at The Oakville Club!

Mothers on Fire is proud to present a day long live event focused on helping moms discover and connect to their unique passions.

Live Your Passion will bring together several highly respected women in the field of personal development. The focus will be helping mothers find their inner passion and experience first hand what it’s like to live in alignment with that passion.

Check out the line up of speakers and inspiration you can expect from this day.

HOW TO WIN: momstown is heading to this event and looking forward to learning and enjoying a great day with inspiring women. momstown Oakville has a ticket to give away (value $125!!). To enter - just add a comment on this blog about why you'd like to go. We will then select a random winner (you can only enter once). We will select a winner on Thursday the 12th.

Details
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2011

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $ 125.00 for the entire day!
Includes: Continental Breakfast and Lunch

Give yourself a Mother’s Day gift you’ll never forget. Connect with other mothers and share the experience of self-discovery and personal fulfillment!!