momstown Oakville Father's Day Contest

Looking for something special for Father's Day this year?  momstown Oakville and Garvey's Fine Men's Wear in downtown Oakville are here to help - starting June 1st until June 10th you can enter to win a $150 gift card from Garvey's Fine Men's Wear!

Here's how to enter:

• Visit our Facebook Page and leave us a comment about why your husband, partner or Dad deserves some special recognition on Father's Day this year.
• You must be our fan in order for your entry to count (that means you have to 'like' our page)
• You can enter once per day!
• Contest closes on June 10th at midnight
• Winner will be selected at random and announced on our Facebook page on Monday, June 11th.

Family owned and operated since 1961, Garvey’s Fine Men’s Wear offers superior men’s dress and sportswear. They are confident that you will find clothes suited to your style and daily life from top designers such as Canali, Bugatti, Coppley , Samuelsohn, and Allen Edmonds. Their stylists are ready to help you build your wardrobe with custom-made and ready-to-wear suits, classic pieces, the latest trends, and casual wear. 

From sport coats, suits, trousers and dress shirts to a large selection of footwear, Garvey’s buyers search the globe to bring you the best from each season’s collections. Garvey’s Fine Men’s Wear—celebrating 50 years of quality and style.

Good luck to everyone and start thinking about what might look best on the Dad in your life.  A new pair of shoes?  Some golf attire?  So many possibilities!

If you'd like to join us this month for our Father's Day Picnic, sign up for a FREE four week trial today!

Need Sleep? You are not alone

Our baby basics program had a special guest speaker join them today!  Our moms were so excited to meet Debbie the founder & president of Precious Moments Babeez.  Debbie holds many impressive credentials, and joined our group today to speak specifically about her expertise as a sleep consultant. 

Debbie was able to spend the morning with our moms chatting with them about routines with their newborns, sleep schedules and the many challenges that arise in the first few months with a new baby.  So many of our moms had questions answered, and really enjoyed the time the they spent with Debbie. I'm sure many of them will be enjoying longer naps, and happier bedtimes!

One of my favorite things about momstown is that we not only provide in person support (like today's speaker), but we also provide a great online resource and support system for our moms.  After the event, and in the weeks to come, our momstown mamas can discuss what they learned, support each other, and have somewhere to seek support (yes, even at 3am) on the message board.  They leave this session filled with helpful information, and also have a wonderful support system with all the other members.

Our momstown Oakville baby basics group meets every week.  We have great speakers join in to chat, provide advise, and answer questions.  In June we will welcome a baby wearing expert, learn about baby yoga and find out how to make your own wipes!  If you'd like to join our baby basics group, or to find out what other great opportunities momstown Oakville can provide, register for a FREE 4 week trial.

Fee Fi Fo Fun's June 9th Anniversary Party in Clarkson!

Looking for a fun day out with your kids?  Mark the calendar for June 9th and be sure to attend the 1st Anniversary of Fee Fi Fo Fun Kids Costumes & Balloon store in the Clarkson area of Mississauga.

Party starts at 10:00am and will run until 4:00pm

The event is FREE!  Meet your favourite princess or train with a Jedi Master!

SPECIAL OFFER:  momstown members will receive 25% of their purchase during the party or you if you bring a friend (non momstown member), you will receive 40% off and your friend will receive a free gift!!  You must show your momstown membership card in order to receive the special offer.

Fee Fi Fo Fun has costumes and accessories for girls and boys.  I used to find it hard to find dress up items for my son, but this store has more than enough things that he would love!  Construction vests and hard hats, astronaut helmets, knight wear and so much more.

And of course, there is plenty of princess wear, cute summer accessories and adorable stuff for babies too!

The Clarkson Summer in the Village event is also taking place on June 9th so there will be lots to see and do.  See you at the party!

momstown Oakville: Picasso In The Park with HUGGIES!

momstown Oakville was thrilled today to be hosting our first Picasso in the Park of 2012!

This is a favorite summer event amongst our members, and the kids look forward to the outdoor excitement of painting, creating, running and playing.  Our moms took advantage of the beautiful Oakville weather and packed picnics for after the painting fun.

 
Our theme today was Luau and we started the morning off with paints and creativity for all things coconut and palm trees!  Our little ones painted with their hands, brushes and even got creative with sticks and pine cones!

Momstown Oakville was lucky enough to receive some adorable diapers and wipes from HUGGIES to try out.  The Limited Edition Huggies Hawaiian diapers are the cutest diapers I have ever seen.  My little guy was so happy to just spend the morning strolling the park in his diaper!  Our moms were excited about the great print.  Many of them commented that in this warm heat a cute diaper is all a baby needs!  Thanks to HUGGIES for the opportunity to try these diapers.  I know momstown Oakville moms will be looking for them in stores.

We also had some HUGGIES Simply Clean Wipes on hand and they made this mess so easy to clean.  They wiped away paint and dirt and got hands clean quickly so our little ones could grab a snack.  Moms were impressed by how well they worked, and how strong they were to stand up to our sticky disasters! 

We have Picasso in the Park scheduled all summer long at momstown Oakville.  If you and your little ones are looking to get out to the park, and enjoy some painting fun, register for a FREE 4 week trial membership with momstown Oakville.  Our summer fun is just getting started!

Brownie Recipes - Two Types To Enjoy

I'm an avid baker but not really a fan of baking brownies.  There are so many types of brownies (cakey, fudgey, dense, etc) that I had a hard time finding one that I really liked. But through tireless trial and error (such a tough job), I do have two recipes that I go back to time and time again.

However, there are times for decadent brownies and there are times for ones that aren't so hazardous to the waist line.

Let's do decadence first!

Fudgey Brownies

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup cocoa (I've been a fan of natural cocoa powder lately)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir together flour and baking soda in a small bowl.  Melt butter in a large saucepan on the stove.  Remove from heat and stir in cocoa.  Blend in sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Pour batter into a greased 9 X 13 rectangular pan.  Bake in preheated overn at 350F for about 30 minutes.

Now for the healthy option...

Almost No Fat Fudge Brownies

INGREDIENTS

½ cup plain chocolate, melted
1 cup 0% Greek Plain yogurt
½ cup sugar
¾ cup flour
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup water

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a large bowl, mix melted chocolate, yogurt and sugar until combined.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into chocolate mixture and stir until just combined.
Add water and stir until mixture comes together. Pour into a parchment lined 8×8” pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely and cut into bite sized squares.

Both recipes are delicious, just depends on what you are in the mood for.  The end product disappears very quickly in my house when either recipe is made.  For more great recipes, don't forget to visit momstown meals!

Looking to do some baking and cooking with your little ones?  Join us for our Junior Chef program!

Baby Basics: Learning About The Library

Our baby basics program had a special guest today from the Oakville Public Library.  Cathy stopped by to talk to the moms (and the babies) about the what the Oakville library has to offer.

It's never too early to start reading to your baby, and momstown is a strong supporter of early literacy, so we were very excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our moms.

Cathy brought along some great resources, to show our moms samples of the great selection of books the library has to offer.  She also brought along so much great information.  The library offers so much more than books!  You can stop in for story time, available to ages newborn and up.  They have great programs for toddlers and pre-schoolers too.  Crafts, activities, and even a dedicated children's section at each library.  There are 6 library branches in Oakville, have you checked out your local branch lately?

We have guest speakers at many of our baby basics programs.  To find out about our next speaker, and to join in the fun, register for a FREE 4 week trial with momstown Oakville.

Simply Green Baby 1st Anniversary Sale!

Simply Green Baby is turning 1!  We all know what a big milestone that is so help them celebrate this weekend by taking advantage of their amazing sale - up to 70% off from Friday, May 18th to Monday, May 21st.

Visit the store on Saturday, May 19th and enjoy entertainment, drinks and food.

Simpy Green Baby offers products that are Organic, Eco Friendly and Non Toxic.  Their mission is to provide healthy and safe products to customers who want to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Their goal is to make the decision to go GREEN easier by providing a wide selection of organic, eco-friendly products at a competitive price.

67 Bronte Road, Unit #4 in Oakville (entrance to parking lot is on Marine Drive)

905 582 9687

Visit their website to see their amazing selection of products.

Junior Chef: Splish Splash with Pond Friends

At our Junior Chef program this month our kids were exploring with some great food, and making pond friends!  We made turtles and frogs and lay them in a pond.

 

Our kids creativity was incredible, and everyone had a great time.  The best part for moms was that this was a great healthy snack, easy to make, and the kids loved eating their creations.  This was a "no bake" recipe, so super easy to handle with a group of kids (if you are thinking of trying this at home).

Sherri from Circle Time Parties creates and hosts our Junior Chef program for momstown Oakville.  Thanks Sherri!  Our kids (and moms) had a blast.  I know I'll be making this recipe at home with my kids over the summer.  It's a perfect one to assemble in the backyard for an afternoon snack.

After we were done creating with food, Sherri hosts a circle time for the kids.  The music is turned up, everyone is on their feet, and the kids are moving.  What a perfect way to end the morning.

 

If you are interested in joining us for Junior Chef this summer, sign up for a 4 week free trial.  Sherri has some great recipes she will be bringing out over the next few months.  For other great food inspirations check out momstown meals.  We have new recipes being added every week.

Tales For Tots: Giraffes Can't Dance

momstown is having a luau this month!  What better way to help celebrate than with a book about dancing from Scholastic.  This month at Tales For Tots we shared the book Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andrea and Guy Parker-Rees.  Our kids got a kick out of all the dances going on in this book, from the waltz, rock n' roll, tango, and cha-cha. 
Poor Gerald has a hard time feeling good, until he finds the right music!  This book teaches children through wonderful illustrations that everyone has their "own music" to dance to, and when they find the right music they can be the BEST dancer ever!

Again this month, thanks to Scholastic Canada, momstown Oakville was able to give away a copy of this book to one of our families to take home and enjoy. 

Looking to host your own Luau this summer?  You won't want to miss these other Luau inspired books for kids.  To join us at our next Tales for Tots events, register for a FREE 4 week trial.  The Luau isn't over yet, we have all month to celebrate.

I love books

I've always loved to read, even as a child, I couldn't seem to get enough of books.  I remember in university spending so much time reading text books that I really missed out on reading for pure enjoyment.  I dove right back into reading upon graduation and fell in love with so many great books all over again.  Then I had kids.....and we all know how busy we can be.  Reading?  Really?  If I got one minute to myself I would fall asleep!  I do remember (vaguely) getting into some great books while nursing my babies.  When they were so small, and would nurse peacefully, i would often be found with a great novel propped on my nursing pillow beside my baby.

When I joined momstown, it was to connect with moms during the day to do activities with our kids.  I have found so much more than that!  After joining the momstown book club, I have renewed my love of reading once again!  This time, even when I get busy, I seem to be able to make the time to read a chapter here and there.  Most of the time, I can get through the book.  We meet once a month, and I really enjoy our book club meetings.  Some months we barely talk about the book at all.  We enjoy a glass of wine, and the conversations lead far away from the book we read.  What I do love is that it has got me back into a hobby that I really enjoy.  This book club has got me reading some great novels that I would not have otherwise picked up, and taught me to take a moment to relax and do something that I enjoy every so often in the evening (instead of laundry?!?)

Have you read any good books lately?  You can join us anytime at the momstown Oakville book club, we read a book every month, and get together to chat about it, and enjoy an evening out.  To find out what we're all about, and to find out what we are reading next, join us for a free 4 week trial membership.

Our Mother's Day Celebration

On Friday we celebrated Mother's Day with a wine tasting event.  It was such a great night out!  Thank you so much to Michelle for hosting the event at her house and for putting out a yummy spread that we dove into once the tasting had concluded.

 

Our sommelier, Angelo, was a perfect mix between instructional and fun.  Our theme was Old World versus New World wines.  We tested five wines, two white and three red.

I am a wine drinker and have been to tastings before, but I learned a few new things that I thought I would share.

Old world wines are named after the region in which the grapes were grown.  The region is the star.  New world wines are named after the wine maker.  The wine maker is the star.  Old world wines have more limits on how they can be made, you can only use certain grapes in certain regions while the new world wines contain a higher level of creativity.

New world wines also tend to have stronger, more abrasive flavours - they really grab you!  While old world wines can be a bit more subtle and earthy.

It was interesting to see the favourites among our group, some people liked the old world wines better and some preferred the new wines.  Angelo was quick to point out that we were all right and its really about what you like.  

We ended the night with a goody bag for everyone filled with some treats to pamper the moms for Mother's Day.  Thanks to Audrey from Norwex, Enza Day Spa, Party Monsters Invitations and More, Cupid's Cupcakes and Forest of Flowers on Trafalgar!  

If you are looking for another event like ours, the Taste of Oakville is coming up on May 27th.  Sample and pair wines, beers and summer cocktails with delectable creations from over a dozen top Oakville Chefs.

Happy Mother's day mama's!  If you'd like to join us next time but aren't a member yet, join us for a FREE 4 week trial.

A Working Mama: What I never even considered

I remember being in high school and talking about what career I wanted and where I wanted to do post secondary education.  There were many considerations in play - did I want to work in an office or not, physical work or more of a desk job, did I want to pursue a master's or a PhD and become a doctor or lawyer?  If I wanted to pursue a Business degree, would it be in Finance, Marketing or maybe Supply Chain Management?

It was exciting when all the colleges and universities came to my high school and wooed us with pictures of students having fun, interesting course names and of course the opportunity to move away from home!

But do you know what not one person mentioned to me while trying to decide on where my career might take me?  How will your future family fit into your career plans.

I know, I know....what is this, the 1950's?

And even if that question would have been posed, I'm sure I would have brushed it off for two reasons.

#1 - I was going to be a modern woman!  I could do it all, have my a career and a family!
#2 - Having a family was SO far from my mind, I don't think I could really even be clear on what that meant in terms of how my life would change.

Both of those reasons are still true...sort of.  I am a working mom.  To be clear, that phrase "working mom" applies to anyone who is a mother, I think.  We all work very hard.

I just recently went back to my office job at the end of my second maternity leave and I'll be very honest is saying that I am finding it much harder to juggle things at work than I did when I returned after having my first child.  What's different?  Well for one, I am also the proud new owner of momstown Oakville but I actually don't think that has a lot to do with my stress level.  momstown Oakville has actually provided me with a creative outlet and is something that I love to do.

What I find the hardest is being outside the home from 7:30am to 5:30pm, five days a week.  This means that all the household chores pile up and we are left scrambling after the kids are in bed and on the weekends to  hold things together.  I was tweeting with another mom yesterday and she joked that she hoped there were some clean clothes in her kids drawers that morning.  I completely know what she means.  I always feel like we "just did" laundry only to realize that  "just" was 5 days ago!  I struggle with getting nutritious and healthy meals on the table for dinner.  My 14 month old wants her dinner as soon as we walk in the door.  My 3 year old can wait until 6pm and eat with my husband and me.  But that means that we are trying to feed my daughter, cook dinner for the rest of us, and play with my son all at the same time, and all to be accomplished within about 20 minutes!  Sounds like fun, right?

I feel torn all the time.  A new thing that has happened since going back to work this time around is a physical reaction to the situation.  When I went back to work the first time, I missed my son, I did.  But this time, I feel a physical weight on my chest when I think about how much time I am missing with my kids.

So why am I working?  Good question.  A recent blog post I read said that the number one reason women returned to work was due to financial reasons.  I guess I'm kind of in that boat, it's certainly a factor.  But I also needed to see for myself how much I liked or disliked going back to work after two kids before I could make any big decisions.  I do like working and I am good at what I do.  However the lifestyle my family and I are currently living is not something easily sustained for a long time.  It's really hard to make it work.

I am working towards finding more flexibility in my work life and to be able to focus more on being the owner of momstown Oakville.  I love that job.  It really is the best of both worlds and the closest I have ever found to having some semblance of balance.  And us moms all know how hard that can be to find.

For now I will do my best to keep all the balls in the air and I am getting pretty good and turning away from the dirty dishes to play choo-choo's with my son.  Or leaving the laundry to go play outside instead.  Hydro rates are cheaper if you do laundry at midnight anyway!

So back to that original question.  Did any moms out there think about how their career choice was going to affect their family life later on?  In hindsight, I wish I would have thought of a career as a physio therapist or a pharmacist where there is more flexibility in hours or part time work was more readily an option.

And fast forward 20 years...what advice will I give my daughter about all this?  I think I'll have to save all that for another post.

momstown Oakville: Mother's Day Pampering

There is a lot of love going around this week for Mother's Day! It's awesome to see everyone taking some time to thank their mom's, spouses, friends or anyone else who is a mom and recognizing what an important job we do.

But sometimes in the hustle and bustle of trying to make everyone feel special (multiple brunches or bbq's, etc) there isn't any time to pamper yourself and relax!

If you can't make it to the spa this weekend to give yourself a little treat, here are some at home spa treatments that I love and wanted to share.

Glow Facial

What you need:

6-12 non coated Aspirin tablets (I usually do 8)
One lemon
Cotton balls
Baking Soda
Water

What you do:

Crush the aspirin tablets into a powder.
Combine with lemon juice to make a paste
Smooth the paste over your entire face (avoid your eyes directly).
Let this paste stay in place on face for 5-10 minutes.
While you have the mask on, soak several cotton ball in baking soda and a small amount of water (should be a watery paste).
Remove the mask with cotton balls soaked with baking soda. 

Rinse face with cool water and enjoy the glow.

I've been doing this facial at home for a few years and it really does give you super soft skin that looks hydrated and fresh.

Simple Salt Foot Scrub Recipe

What you need:

1 cup Sea Salt or Epsom Salt
4 drops Peppermint essential oil (or a scent of your choice)
4 drops Lavender essential oil
2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup Olive oil

What you do:

Measure the salt into a glass container. Drop in the essential oils, placing each drop in its own spot on top of the salt. Seal the container and shake vigorously to mix the essential oils into the salt.

Let sit 24 hours. You can store this mixture in a cool, dark place.
Mix 2 tbsp of the salt with 2 tbsp of Cider Vinegar to make a paste.
Massage the homemade foot scrub into your feet until your skin feels tingly.
Rinse away the salt scrub, then massage Olive Oil into your feet.

Slip into a pair of comfy cotton socks, grab a good book and a glass of wine and relax! This is best done at night so that the oil has time to absorb into the skin.

If you have any other homemade spa treatment recipes, post them to our Facebook page!

Yesterday I ate stress

Yesterday I ate stress.  And it didn't even taste all that good.  Anyone else out there eat when stressed, tired, sad, angry, etc?  I made the mistake of eating right out of the box too, which is a surefire way to have no idea of the amount your actually consume.  Sigh...

Lately this has been a struggle.  It always kind of is for me, but lately has been terrible. The muffins or other carb type delectables are calling my name incessantly!  I tend to carb load when I am tired...just like an athlete, right?  Except they do it before they are about to burn off a 1,000 calories!  And I do it and then I just feel even more tired.  I don't think of myself as a naive person, but in this case I must be!  "This will totally make me feel better...." goes the inside voice in my brain.  But it doesn't.  Ever.  But I know I'll do it again!

The way too big, evil muffin!

I am frustrated with this cycle that just won't seem to break right now.  And what is even more frustrating is that I do have a voice screaming in my head telling me not to indulge these bad habits but my brain and hands seem to be suffering a disconnect.

The worst of it is that I am aware that these are choices I am making myself and that I am CHOOSING to treat myself this way.  What is up with that???

I look at what I do for my kids and am so annoyed that I seem to do the exact opposite for myself.

They eat plenty of fruits & veggies & I make a conscious effort to make sure that they do.
They rarely eat take out or processed foods.
They go to bed at an appropriate time and take naps when they are tired.
They get time to run around (or crawl in Ally's case) and play outside.
They take their vitamins.
They drink lots of water.

Now, let's do that list for me.

I don't eat nearly as many fruits and vegetables as I should.  And I know it.
I don't eat a lot of take out but I do eat too many processed foods - see image above!
I go to bed way too late & rarely take a nap even on the weekends when I feel like I should.
I don't make time to exercise right now.
My vitamins have been untouched for weeks.
At least I drink lots of water - one point for me!

Again...what is up with this???  I would never give my kids the lifestyle I am living. So why is it okay for me?  That's a rhetorical questions because the answer is that it isn't okay. Why can't I make myself a priority?

I should be modelling the way and not using the "do as I say, not as I do" method.  I should be taking care of myself.  This is a work in progress, I know.  And I  know that sometimes I am much better at it than others. I also know that beating myself up about it doesn't help and that I should just resolve to take it one day at a time and focus on small victories and goals.  Taking my vitamins everyday, getting more fruits and veggies into my daily diet, going to bed earlier, running away from high fat foods, etc.  By default, all those things will help me accomplish a few end goals I have such as having more energy and getting rid of the last of the baby weight.

Anyway, I know there are others out there who are in the same boat so I wanted to share my frustrations and say - you are not alone!  I'll get there, I know I will, but at least writing this blog might be a kick in the pants I need to start to pay a bit more attention to what is important - ME!!

C is for Caterpillar, Clowns and Cookies!

On Wednesday we held our monthly Alphabet Play program.  This month we focused on the letter "C".


We always start the program by singing "The More We Get Together" and the "ABC's".  We talk about how the letter sounds and how it can look different, showing both upper and lower case versions.  It's wonderful to see kids as young as 16 months learning about letters and their sounds!  

Our Alphabet Play program is lead by Sherri from Circle Time Parties and she always brings lots of things to help learn about the letter of the month.  She gives the children clues and they have to guess what it could be.  This month they discovered a caterpillar, a cookie, a crocodile and a cat!


We also sang "Mary had a Little Cow", as a lamb just did not fit in with our theme and belted out "C is for Cookie"!


Our craft was making caterpillars and the kids got creative with tissue paper, glitter glue and crayons.

We finished our time together by reading "C is for Clown" by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

  

Did you know that momstown's programs are based on 6 key program pillars that focus on early education and early literacy?  Join us at Alphabet Play next month when we'll focus on the letter D.  Visit our website to sign up for your FREE 4 week trial and learn more about Alphabet Play and the 40+ other programs and events we have going on each month.

Would you know what to do?

It's really scary to think about a disaster happening in your area.  Really scary.  But the reality is that hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami's, floods and black outs exist and can happen.

Would you know what to do?

Last year we bought a a 72 hour disaster prepardness kit that we store in the basement and replenish and update as required.  With two small kids in the house, the thought of not being able to provide something for them (medical care, food, water) in the event of a disaster scared me more than the thought of the disaster itself.  It's hard to think about those scenarios but it's important - like getting a will or life insurance.  Planning for the "what if" makes it easier to deal with.  Having some basics taken care of in an incredibly stressful situation is invaluable.

Tonight our mamas are participating in an Emergency Preparedness seminar put on for us by the Canadian Red Cross.  We are so appreciative that they are providing us with the opportunity to learn about how to protect ourselves and our families.

We encourage everyone to take a course and learn about how to be prepared in the event of a disaster.

momstown.ca is proud to have a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross!