Easy Fall Craft

This morning I participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure in Burlington and ran 5km!  Am proud of myself for running the whole thing since I didn't really have the chance to train a whole lot.  I had a great morning though and am happy I was able to provide support for those fighting this terrible disease, and for one great lady in particular.  I will admit, the race left me feeling pretty tired and so I was looking for a fun activity to keep the kids busy this afternoon while all I needed to do was supervise!  Painting pumpkins fit the bill perfectly.

I had purchased two small pumpkins earlier in the week and once we spread out a cloth to do our work on, I just put some paint in front of them and they got to work.

Yes, my son is wearing a fire fighter hat.  Don't all painters?

Both kids had a great time doing this activity and added glitter glue and a multitude of colours.  Don't limit yourself to pumpkins either, feel free to add in any Fall vegetable that is around this time of year, including gourds, squashs, yams, etc.  I think they would all make a cute centrepiece to a Thanksgiving table.

Above is the final result.  I'm thinking of carving the blue and purple one and using the paint as the hair!  The other one looks a little more gory so I'll have to make it the spooky one.  Happy that my Fall/Halloween decorating has begun!

momstown Oakville's Halloween Bash!

momstown Oakville will be celebrating Halloween with our own Halloween Bash, sponsored by Fisher Price on Tuesday October 30th at Little Rascals Indoor Playground starting at 9:30am.  Not a member but interested in joining us?  Reserve your spot by emailing info.oakville@momstown.ca.  Space is limited!

Make sure to come in costume as we'll have some prizes for the best kids costume and the best Mom costume too!  What else do we have in store?

Pumpkin Bowling
Fisher Price Play Area - we'll be raffling off 7 toys at the end of the event!
Costume Photo Shoot with LEWS Lenses (small additional charge will apply)
Ooey, Gooey Crafts and Sensory Bins
Halloween Treats
Spooky Parachute Fun
Lots of Playtime in Little Rascals

We can't wait to have a spooktacular time!  Hope to see you there!

Independent Kids

I think its a pretty common feeling parents have in that they sometimes wish their kids were more independent or find that they can't wait until they get a bit older and can do more things for themselves.  I'm in this camp too, however lately I found myself not even realizing that in some cases I am already there.  But I'm still not enjoying it!  My son will be four in January and he can put on his own shoes, mostly dress and undress himself, etc.  I remember thinking when he was a toddler that I couldn't wait until he was able to do some of those things himself.  And now he can and I find myself not letting him!

That doesn't make sense now does it?  No, it doesn't.  The commodity of time is stealing my ability to enjoy his independence.  As mentioned above, can he dress himself?  Yes.  Does it take him way longer to get it done than if I did it for him?  Absolutely, yes.  And so when we are in a hurry to get out the door, I still sometimes do it for him.  I really want to stop!  I think it takes away from his feelings of accomplishment.  It definitely doesn't help him get any faster at it by reducing the amount of times he gets to practice.  And I don't even think it really makes us get out the door that much faster.

Like many things parenting related, it requires patience.  I find that when life gets increasingly busy, you can rush by simple things that are actually pretty important.  I have watched my four year old go from learning to hold up his head, to figuring out how to put his pants on the right way and of course so many other milestones and accomplishments along the way.  I think he and I both deserve a pat on the back for making it this far and I'm really going to try and stop getting in his way and let him be the independent kid he is and that I was longing for in those baby and toddler days.

Now Hiring: momstown Oakville Community Manager

momstown Oakville is an on-line network for neighbourhood moms wanting to connect for support, conversation and just plain fun! With a fantastic event calendar and lively and message board, momstown.ca is a great way to get involved with your community while having a blast with your kids! They say it takes a village to raise a child, we say it takes a town!

Are you looking for a way to channel your creative energy while having the flexibility of choosing your own hours and working from home? Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit but still want to spend time with your family and be compensated for it? Then joining momstown Oakville could be the answer for you!

Job Description – Community Manager

momstown Oakville is currently seeking a self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic individual for a contract position as a Community Manager. In this exciting role you will coordinate & execute events for mothers and young children, moderate online activity, and implement marketing strategies for the local chapter.

This role requires approximately 6-8 hours per week (with the possibility of more hours if the right candidate is found). This position would start immediately.

Responsibilities:

-Weekly Event Co-ordination
-Assisting in the creation of the event schedule
-Posting events on momstown calendar (2 months ahead)
-Personally running & attending a minimum of 6 events per month
-Assisting with the co-ordination of big events (annual birthday party, Halloween, etc)
-Moderate Online Activity
-Build /maintain online community
-Use the message board as a communication tool with members
-Complete post event blogs with pictures
-Work at one trade show per term, some public relations opportunities
-Develop strategic partnerships within community

Qualifications:

-Strong computer skills and internet savvy
-Passion, enthusiasm for life & challenges
-Outgoing, dynamic leader who is creative, organized, highly self-motivated
-Strong communication & interpersonal skills
-Vested interest in children and parenting
-Should live in and have strong ties within the Oakville community
-Event planning background an asset
-Must have a valid driver’s license & reliable vehicle, reliable computer with internet access

Pay Structure:

• Independent Contract work
• Flat weekly rate

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please submit your resume and covering letter no later than Thursday, October 4th, 2012 to info.oakville@momstown.ca

Please visit our website and our head office's website for more information about momstown.

music & movement with Merriam School of Music

Our momstown mamas and pre-schoolers headed over to Merriam School of Music for a music class today, and we had a great time!

The pre-school program at Merriam School program is interactive, and really gets the kids involved.  The theme this month at Merriam School of Music is the circus.  We talked and sang about the circus, and read a book!  The kids were jumping around like horses, and pretending to be elephants!  A few even walked the tight rope.

Our instructor Victoria was wonderful, and handled a room full of excited momstown kids with ease!

There was something fun for everyone!  So many of the kids enjoyed exploring the instruments, while others preferred the dancing and moving.

Looking forward to a new theme and some great fun next month!  Thanks again Merriam School of Music for hosting us.

If you're interested to learn what momstown Oakville is all about, register for a free 4 week trial - we have music and so much more to offer.

Toddler Book Recommendations

The momstown Oakville message board was on fire this week with so many amazing book suggestions for toddlers that I just had to share!  Books always make a great toddler gift and with Christmas coming up, feel free to use these recommendations to start your little ones wish list.

Toddler Series momstown Oakville mama's love

1.  "That's Not My..." by Usbourne Children's Books

These books have textured pages and have a simple and repetitive story.  Really great for developing sensory and language awareness in babies and toddlers.  They have "That's not my Angel" and "That's not my Santa" - perfect for a first Christmas gift.

2. Free Spirit Toddler Tools Series by Elizabeth Verdick
These books are about regular occurances that toddlers have to manage.  Meal time, nap time, bed time and helps them learn more about these routines and and learn about these areas that can sometimes be trying for both parents and the child.

3.  J.D. Lester Series
"Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants"
"Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug"
"Grandma Calls Me Gigglepie"

Toddler Books that momstown Oakville mama's love

1.  Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
2.  Sing a Song of Mother Goose by Barbara Reid
3.  I Love you Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
4.  Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
5.  Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
6.  The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
7.  One Sheep, Blue Sheep by Thom Wiley

And of course we all mentioned timeless favourites such as 'Brown Bear' and 'Good Night Moon' and lift the flap book series like 'Spot the Dog' and books by Karen Katz.  Leave us a comment about what books are favourites at your house.  Join us at our monthly Tales for Tots program where we read a new book provided by Scholastic Canada and one lucky member gets to take a copy home.  A free 4 week trial with momstown Oakville is just a click away!

Babeebloomz Family Expo

On September 29th, momstown will be participating in the Fall Babeebloomz Family Expo at The Meeting House.  This expo is the place to be for everything baby, kid and parent related.  For a limited time you can get free tickets, and after that tickets are $3.00 (cash only at the door).  Kids under 12 are free.

This is a great opportunity to grab tons of information and also have a fun day out with your family.  Lots for everyone to do.  We'll be there and we hope to see you!

Junior Chef: Back to School Lunches Brought to You By Metro!

Back to school means back to school lunches.  Metro wanted to lend a helping hand to momstown Oakville Moms and show all the great options they have for making school lunches easy for Moms and yummy for kids!  Our Junior Chef's got together this morning to assemble some delicious school lunches.

First the kids decorated their lunch bags using crayons, markers, stickers and foam letters for their names.

Then we went over the stations which were:

Build a Sandwich

Make Snack Mix

Make a Celery Stop Light

Pick an Applesauce

Pick a Drink

Our snack mix was comprised of marshmallows, raisins, dried cranberries and small cookies.  The small cookies we used were Kraft Fruit Krisps which were part of the 'Do the Math' promotion in the Metro flyer this week and were a really great price!  Make sure you regularly check the Metro flyer for 'Do the Math' products, you can save money on great brand name products that are perfect for school lunches.

Metro's private label brands also provided lots of product choices for our event this morning.

The kids loved cutting their sandwiches into different shapes using cookie cutters (we had butterflies, stars, trains, apples and bunnies) and making the celery stop lights.

Celery Stop Lights!

Once the kids had assembled their lunches and were ready for story time, we shared the good news with our momstown Oakville mom's that they were each getting a Metro bag to take home with a $10 gift card inside. They were thrilled to say the least!  We made sure that all the Moms knew that until September 27th, when you shop at Metro, you could win $1,000 for you + $1,000 for your school PLUS 1,000 bonus Air Miles!  All you have to do is shop at Metro, save your receipt, then click on the Metro Facebook page to enter.

Enjoying their brown bag lunches

Our Moms were really happy to get a Metro gift card

Happy Shopping Moms!

It's always great to see kids excited to be helping with meal preparation.  Our Junior Chef's did a great job today.  Interested in your junior chef joining in on the fun?  Find out how you can participate in our programs - click here to sign up for a free trial.

How to dress your body shape

Last night the momstown Oakville mama's got together for a fantastic mom's night out.  We had a style party and it was awesome!  Wendy Woods from The Refinery held a session for us on how to dress your body shape, helped us identify what shape we had and answered any questions we had about style overall.  We each had a bit of one on one time as well to get specific assistance with any issues we have.

Since this was a mom's night out event, we treated ourselves to a little wine and cheese to get the party going.  The cheese from Whole Foods Market was incredible delicious, we spent a really long time chatting about how good it was!  Hands down some of the best I have had.  But I digress!

To start things off, Wendy gave us a brief overview of her company and about herself.  She recently had a baby and now knows first hand the challenges that women can have dressing their body after pregnancy. Next she moved into talking about the six body shapes which are - hourglass, rectangle, standard, triangle, inverted triangle and circle.  Do you know what your body shape is?  You can learn more about each shape on Wendy's website.  Click here to learn more about the circle body shape (you can scroll down her page to find links to the other shapes).

About half of the group pictured here - waiting for their body shape assessment

After describing the body shapes and assessing each of us, she provided us with take home cards that suggested types of clothing that work best for your body shape and how to make it work for you.  We then moved on to the question and answer period and we discussed everything from shape wear to skinny jeans to suggested stores to shop to the proper length to hem your pants.  So much great information was shared! 

Here is Wendy (on the right) talking body shape with one of our members

Wendy offers some really valuable services and so many of our members commented that a gift certificate to work with Wendy was going on their Christmas list!  I agree - what an awesome gift that can change the way you look and feel about yourself.  I would love to get this as a gift (hint, hint to my husband who reads my blog posts)!  We loved meeting Wendy and had a really fun night out.

Interested in joining our next mom's night out?  It's easy!  Click here to find out more about how to get a free 4 week trial.

What I love about my kids

Whew.  Life is busy these days.  With two young kids it feels like we are always on the go and always just squeaking in enough sleep and just somehow getting everyone fed, clothed and to bed on time!  We just finished potty training my son and with my 18 month old in a very exploratory phase (read - into everything, always on the move combined with wanting to do everything herself), our plates are full.  You know when feel like the end of your rope just might be near or when you hit a wall of tiredness and you are forced to slow things down?  I'm pretty sure my husband and I are there.  It's not one thing in particular, but months of a very busy lifestyle and managing many balls in the air.  I know we are not alone in this and that most people with young kids probably feel the same way.  And I know it's cyclical.  We'll get through this phase and life will feel calmer again.  But however exhausted, frustrated or discouraged I get, a healthy dose of perspective goes a long way and I never get bored of making a list of some awesome things I love about my kids (and serves as a good thing to read when they are pushing all your buttons!) and how lucky we are to have them.

• I love that my son comforts his little sister when she cries - "It's okay baby, don't be sad" (She is 18 months and no longer a baby at all, but her older brother still calls her 'baby' most of the time)
• I love that my daughter loves art already and often wants to colour or paint.
• I love that my son loves to help in the kitchen & is starting to know what comes next in a recipe.
• I love that my daughter screams with delight when my husband gets home from work.
• I love that my son has the most infectious giggle.
• I love that my daughter adores my son.
• I love that my son adores spending time at my in-laws farm.
• I love that my daughter sings in her car seat.

Brother and sister hug fest which produced mass giggles - music to my ears!

See?  I feel better already!  

Tales for Tots: Wishes

Our momstown Oakville group met this morning for Tales for Tots at The Little Gym.  We had a great morning playing, crafting and reading all about wishes.

A BIG thanks to Scholastic Canada who provided the wonderful book called "Wishes".  The rhyming made it a great book for kids of all ages.  It's whimsical and fun!  A book you can read over and over.  We gave away our book to a member who will be "wishing" on her birthday candles soon!  She is thrilled to take the book home to share with her family.

As part of our craft, we did sponge painting stars - to wish upon a night sky!  We added a little (or maybe A LOT) of sparkle to some of the night skies!

The kids had a great time and our moms had a wonderful morning to catch up and meet some new members.  

If you'd like to join momstown Oakville for our next Tales for Tots or to find out about the other great programs we offer, you can register for a FREE 4 week trial. Don't forget to check us out on facebook for more great pics from our morning!

2013 Fall Activities in Oakville

Fall is such a beautiful time of year and here in Oakville we are lucky to have so many things to do to enjoy the season.  Do you have any family traditions for Fall, activities or places you visit every year?  We've got apple picking on the momstown Oakville calendar along with some apple themed playdates and will be adding pumpkin picking to our line up very soon.

Here is a list of great family fun activities in and around Oakville to enjoy this Fall season.

Alexander Family Farm Day - Sunday, September 8, 2013 (10 am - 4 pm)

Halton Region Museum is celebrating fall with Alexander Family Farm Day. Blast into the past for a fun-filled day. Pack a picnic or attend the barbecue! Admission is $5 person (18 and older; under 18 - no charge). Live music, wagon rides and lots of family fun!

Christmas Town Lottery Registration - September 5th to September 19th, 2013
Mountsberg Conservation Area. Once the lottery closes, Conservation Halton staff will book lottery registrants in a random sequence. Your chances of being selected will not be determined by the order in which you registered for the lottery. Registration for the lottery is free. Due to the high demand for Christmas Town, we allow only one registration per household.

Telling Tales Festival - September 15th
Enjoy a fun filled family day of music, story telling, puppets, a book swap and more.  Great event for all ages.

Milton Fall Farm Craft Show - September 21 & 22, 2013

Harvest Festival at Springridge Farm
Harvest Festival begins September 21/22, 2013 and continues every weekend in October, including Thanksgiving Monday. Harvest Festival activities are 10am-4pm.  Admission: $9.73 + $1.27 HST = $11.00 per person, ages 2-92!

Season of Falling Leaves - September 3 - November 1, 2013 (10am - 4 pm)

On weekends and holidays, enjoy the spectacular Fall colours of the Niagara Escarpment at Crawford Lake! Visit the fascinating reconstructed Iroquoian Village to learn more about the autumn harvest as experienced by Ontario's first farmers. Enjoy guided hikes, self-guided crafts, discovery hunts, videos and visit the gift shop daily from 10am - 4pm.

momstown Oakville's Fall mom to mom sale - Saturday, October 19th, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Fall in to Nature Event - Thanksgiving weekend & Oct 19 and 20th, 2013

Enjoy the season!

Hillfield Strathallan College: Montessori School

Hillfield Strathallan College

The Life-Long Learning Journey Begins Here:  Montessori School

"The Montessori Program has been an integral part of HSC since 1967. Students are afforded experiences and opportunities that support the core values of self-confidence, self-directed learning, independence, respect for others and the environment."

Dianne de Freitas, Montessori School Principal

One of the unique features of HSC’s early education program is the option to choose the program best suited for the nurturing of your child’s ability and preferred learning style. Beginning at age 3, both the Junior and Montessori schools offer a different approach to active, inquiry-based, hands-on learning for students to develop key 21st century skills through exploration and discovery.

Our Montessori School is CCMA Accredited, upholding the highest standards of an authentic Montessori education.  It has been an integral part of HSC since 1967, offering our students experiences and opportunities that enhance the core values of the Montessori approach to education.

Our Program Reflects:

• The nurturing of each individual student's ability and preferred learning style.
• The cultivation of universal values which include self-respect, self-discipline, moral development, respect for others, empathy and peacefulness.
• The construction of knowledge through active learning involving concrete experience, reflective observation and abstract conceptualization.
• The fostering of independent, self-motivated work through freedom of choice and a heightened sense of responsibility.

Our early education programming is guided by our experienced, dedicated and dynamic faculty. The students’ learning is integrated into the College’s overall curriculum and follows a progressive continuum. This provides a natural transition into our Middle and Senior Schools.

In addition to the core curriculum, we offer French, music, art, physical education, and information technology. At Hillfield Strathallan College, learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom. Students have access to a wide variety of resources, including our extensive campus facilities, beautiful grounds, and a multitude of educational tools.

We invite you to learn more about Hillfield Strathallan College by joining an information session at our upcoming open house on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, from 9:30 to 11:30 am & 5:30 to 7:30 pm. 

Questions? Please contact Sheriann Heath-Johnston, Admissions Manager at 905-389-1367, ext. 106.

Art & Play with Tropicana

This morning our momstown Oakville crew gathered together for our Art & Play program with a special treat. Tropicana provided us with orange juice to share and the opportunity to learn more about their Tree of Giving campaign.  For each orange picked through this online campaign, Tropicana will donate a glass of orange juice to the Breakfast for Learning program.  As an added bonus for participating, you are entered in a contest to win orange juice for a year!  Click here to participate!

Loving the orange juice!

We got very crafty this morning and not only made our firetruck craft (our theme for the month is Firetrucks) but we also had the kids paste an orange onto our own Tree of Giving in honour of the Tropicana campaign.

As mentioned above, the theme this month at momstown is all about fire trucks so the kids got a chance to learn all about shapes as they assembled their fire trucks using rectangles and circles.

While the kids were busy creating, the moms had a few minutes to chat so we talked about the Tropicana Tree of Giving.  Many of our moms had already been on line to pick an orange to support the program and were all in agreement about the importance of providing children with the opportunity for a nutritious start to their day.  Don't forget that you can pick an orange every day!

We ended off the morning with a parachute filled with fun songs to get the kids moving and dancing.

If you'd like to learn more about our programs or to join us at an event, we invite you to register for a FREE 4 week trial.  Did you hear about the great offer going on for the month of September?  Purchase a one year momstown membership and get a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent as an added bonus!

Alphabet Play - The Letter G

momstown Oakville had a wonderful time this morning learning all about the letter 'G'.  Our Alphabet Play program is perfect for any age as there are learning moments for all different levels.  After exploring lots of books that started with the letter 'G', the kids got down to crafty business!

Using wine corks or toilet paper rolls, our artists made a bunch of grapes to take home with them.  A letter 'G' cookie cutter was used to make the stem!

We also has lots of things to play with that started with the letter 'G' like guitars, goats, ghosts and green blocks!

Join us next month when we learn all about the letter 'H'.  Interested in learning more about the programs we offer?  Sign up here for a free 4 week trial. If you purchase a one year membership in the month of September, you'll receive a bonus 12 month subscription to Today's Parent Magazine!

momstown Oakville offers a unique blend of early education programming and mama support delivered both online and in-person via 40+ events locally every month.