momstown Oakville's Noon Year's Eve Party At The Niblick Pub

While many people may be getting ready to celebrate the New Year tonight at midnight, momstown Oakville got a head start on the celebrations at our Noon Years Eve party earlier today at The Niblick Pub in the Upper Oakville Shopping Centre at 8th Line & Upper Middle Road.

We had a full house with families who came to make paper plate shakers, enjoy some yummy food and visit with friends before we rung in the New Year at noon.  With noise makers, bubbles and black and silver leis we did a countdown on the front tv screen and shouted 'Happy New Year' when the clock struck noon.

For most of us who will be at home (and probably asleep by midnight!) it was a nice way to ring in the new year.  A big thanks to The Niblick Pub for their great service!  They had crayons and paper on each table, self serve drinks and snacks ready to go when we arrived and served us all quickly too!  They've got a great menu for all ages and tastes.

Where ever you ring in the New Year tonight, momstown Oakville wishes you all the best in 2014.  We are ready for an amazing year ahead and we hope you are too!

Top 5 Recipes Of 2013

Whether you love it or hate it, chances are that as a parent, you spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen.  Here at momstown Oakville, we love sharing recipes that have been tested and approved by real moms so that you can get lots of ideas and meals that you and your family will love.

Here are the five most popular recipes that were viewed on the momstown Oakville blog in 2013.

1.  The Best Oven Baked French Toast

2. Cold Veggie Pizza Appetizer

3. Valentine's Day S'Mores

4. Best Steak Marinade

5. Marinaded Goat Cheese Appetizer

And click here to see the Top 10 recipes from our national momstown meals site!

Top 5 momstown Oakville Blog Posts Of 2013

It's been a fabulous year in momstown Oakville! Our supportive community has nearly doubled in size, as has the number of people reading this blog. Each month thousands of individuals read our posts! That's amazing and makes us proud to know that we're providing you with content that you find valuable from both a parenting and a community perspective. Thank you for continuing to come back.

We look forward to continuing to provide this to you in the coming year. Watch for more parenting, crafts, activities and community events to be published here on the momstown Oakville blog.

Take a look at our most popular posts for 2013.

1) What To Do & Where To Go In Oakville Series:

Whether it's a long weekend, March Break, Easter or another occasion momstown Oakville is your source for local events. You can always look to us to be a resource for family friendly activities in Oakville and the Halton Region for you to enjoy. Our top blog of the year, "Places To Go For Mother's Day Brunch in Oakville" is just one of MANY of our holiday focused listings:
http://momstownoakville.blogspot.ca/2013/05/places-to-go-for-mothers-day-brunch-in.html




2) Family Fun With momstown Oakville

Information about our 6th Birthday celebration event was our second most popular blog for 2013.  We were thrilled to celebrate with so many Oakville families at this free, open to the public community event.  Mark your calendars for April 13, 2014 for our next big community celebration!  We couldn't wait until August 2014 to celebrate with all of you again so you'll only have to wait four more months!

If you didn't make it to our 6th Birthday event, check out our second most popular blog to read more.
http://momstownoakville.blogspot.ca/2013/06/momstown-oakvilles-6th-birthday-bash.html

3) Resources For Kids

Oakville families are looking to momstown Oakville to find out about the best programs and resources for their kids.  Our third spot was taken by our "2013 Summer Camps For Oakville Kids".  Half day and full day, sports or art - we had a long and comprehensive list of options.

Take a look here - http://momstownoakville.blogspot.ca/2013/04/2013-summer-camp-options-for-oakville.html






4)  Apple Wreath Craft

Crafting is right in the heart of momstown!  We made these apple wreaths at one of our Fall momstown Monet programs.  Crafting is such a fantastic way to get children to learn through play.  Did you know that momstown has a theme for each month as part of our teacher developed educational curriculum?

Find out how to make this wreath here - http://momstownoakville.blogspot.ca/2013/09/apple-wreath-craft-for-kids.html

Don't forget, momstown has activities almost everyday for moms with babies, toddlers and preschoolers to get out and find fun & friendship. Join us!



5)  How To Make A Race Car Birthday Cake

momstown.ca is an amazing source for birthday party ideas. Whether you are putting together a theme for baby's 1st birthday or stuck for ideas for the 5th, you'll find lots of party inspiration with us. This race car birthday cake has been very popular!

Here's how you can make this cake: http://momstownoakville.blogspot.ca/2013/01/how-to-make-race-car-birthday-cake.html

Quick and Easy Christmas Tree Ornaments For Toddlers

momstown Oakville's monthly Art & Play program at the Oakville Soccer Club combines crafty fun with some free play.  Kids go home with their own craft creation and also get a chance to burn off some energy and be social while they play with other Oakville kids.

This month's craft provide kids lots of materials to get creative and make quick and easy Christmas tree ornaments to add to their tree at home.  We made popsicle stick Christmas trees, gingerbread men and snowflake ornaments! Kids had the option of using bingo dabbers, colourful foam stickers and shiny cut out pieces to really let our trees, gingerbread men and snowflakes sparkle.

As always there was still plenty of Christmas magic to burn off so we headed on to the soccer field for some soccer play, followed by the reindeer hokey pokey and frosty and Santa parachute games!  Join us in the New Year for Art & Play or any of our other monthly events you can find on our jam packed calendar. Your one year momstown Oakville membership includes a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine, member discounts and access to our active 24/7 message board.

Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe

I never really liked stuffing as part of a holiday meal growing up.  Didn't matter to me whether or not is was on the table or not.  And then I had my first holiday meal at my now inlaw's house.  My mother in law makes delicious stuffing!  I will be adding it to my table when I host this year so I wanted to share this delicious stuffing recipe.

Photo credit

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound loaf (about 680 grams of bread) - white or sour dough, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced
1 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspooon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1lb pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed (breakfast sausage also works too)
2-3 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, parsley, thyme, rosemary salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add to the bread cubes.

In the same pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.

Add the chicken stock and cranberries to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 until browned on top and hot in the middle.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt For Kids At Oakville Place

Winter time brings along with it so many fun outdoor play options, but parents also need to get a bit more creative with indoor activities too as there can be days that are too cold, harsh or wet to be outside. Arranging a scavenger hunt for kids is pretty simple to do and the kids love it!  momstown Oakville moms and kids headed to Oakville Place this week to do a holiday themed scavenger hunt.

We handed out a Christmas tree shape to each child and a sheet of 12 stickers along with a list for moms to read.  The items on the list ranged from a singing snowman to penguins, to Christmas trees, etc.  Each time a child found something on the list, they put a sticker on the tree.  Once they found everything, they headed back to the food court to meet Miss Amanda to collect a prize which was home made reindeer food and a candy cane!

momstown Oakville has got tons of fun events over the winter to keep your kids busy and active in the winter months.  Visit our website to check out the calendar and to find out how you can join us.  A one year momstown Oakville membership is good for the whole family and includes a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine.

Peppermint Meltaways Cookie Recipe

The momstown Oakville annual moms night out holiday cookie exchange took place last night and we had an amazing assortment of delicious baked goods.  One of the hits of the night were Peppermint Meltaways (they just melt in your mouth) and I knew the recipe needed to be shared!

Cookie Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla

Frosting

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (a blender works very well for this!)

Directions

1.  Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

2. Shape into one inch balls. Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.


3. For the frosting, start by beating the butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies.  You could add a small piece of candy cane on top of the frosting if you wish. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

How To Get Your Kids To Talk About Their Day

All parents know that at the end of the day the last thing their children want to do is talk about their day at school. However, it’s important for parents to know what their kids are doing at school and how they feel about school. It’s also important for kids to talk about their day and share their feelings. These tips can help you get your kids to open up about their school day.

• Avoid asking “How was school today?”— If you want to start a conversation, quit asking this boring and expected question. Ask more specific questions, such as “Who did you sit with at lunch today?” These types of questions will help your children focus on one aspect of their day, rather than their day as a whole.

• Use Artwork or School work as Conversation Starters— When kids bring home their masterpieces from art class or a completed assignment, take the time to look them over and make observations about them to your child. Simple comments or questions will encourage your child to share more details with you.

• Talk About Your Day— Do you want to hear what your child’s favourite part of his or her day was? Start by talking about your day and modeling what you want to hear. After hearing your stories, your child will better be able to relate to you and share a similar story.

• Stop to Actually Listen— It’s important to actually put everything else aside to listen to your child without any distractions. Stop cleaning the dishes and sit down with your child to have a real one-on-one conversation. This time will show your children that what they are saying is important to you. When you’re not distracted, you will also be more aware of your children’s feelings and how they really feel about school, giving you the chance to extend the conversation and dialogue.

• Stay In-the-Know— Read the school newsletters and everything else your children bring home from school. Stay updated on what’s going on in their daily lives and what’s on their schedules. Being involved will help you better understand your child’s life and therefore help you stay connected to your child.

Each child is different and will respond in different ways. Learn what helps your children open up and what causes them to shut down. When does your child talk the most about his or her day, and how do you fuel the conversation?

*This is a guest post by the Sylvan Learning Centre in Oakville.  Contact them for more information on a customized tutoring program to help your child.  For more great articles on parenting and education, make sure to visit the Sylvan Mom Minded Blog.

481 North Service Road West, Suite A11

Oakville, ON

(905) 469-6353

Christmas Is Feeling Very Christmas-y This Year

At first I couldn't but my finger on it, but for some reason, Christmas is just feeling more Christmas-y to me this year.  I am enjoying the season more, looking forward to celebrating with family and friends and love watching my kids get more and more excited as we get closer to Christmas morning.  So what's different this year I had to wonder?  Here is the list I came up with:

• No more sleepless nights
• No more diapers (pull ups at night don't count)
• No more pureed food, high chairs, bottles or breastfeeding
• No more pulling ornaments off the tree (well, mostly no more)
• No more tears at the sight of Santa

Almost one year old.  Don't be fooled...he lost it the minute this photo ended! We got very lucky!

Don't get me wrong, this is not to say that I have not enjoyed the past four Christmases since my son and then my daughter were born but I'll be honest, I'm enjoying it all a lot more this year! As my kids get older, their enjoyment of the holidays fuels my enjoyment to an exponential level.  And while a baby is adorably cute in a Santa suit or a reindeer onesie, they still wake you up in the middle of the night making Christmas morning foggy!  Both my kids 'get' (and believe in) Santa this year.  They love the snow and want to play in it as opposed to just being bundled up in a snowsuit and not being able to move (see picture below).

Doesn't she look thrilled to be bundled up?

I look back on the pictures of my kids on both of their first Christmases with fond memories and I love the ornaments we have added to the tree over the years that have their pictures as babies but I am so looking forward to this Christmas and the ones to come.  So my words of wisdom (unsolicited, I know) to those mamas who are still in the 'foggy years' (to me that means at least one kid under two, mamas that have multiple kids under 3 or 4 years of age, etc) is to enjoy the season the best you can but don't feel bad if it doesn't seem all that Christmas-y.  It will come!

Getting Rid Of The Soother With Susy the Soother Fairy

Getting a child to stop using a soother can be a daunting task.  Soother attachment is a tough habit to break and sometimes help and reinforcements are the only thing that will do the trick.  momstown Oakville was so pleased to welcome Susy the Soother Fairy to our music and movement program today and read her new book about helping kids give up their soother in positive way by helping them celebrate the milestone.

Before Susy was set to arrive, the kids got busy making magic wands.  We used glow sticks from the dollar store and then added some foam hearts for the top of the wand.  Each child decorated their wand using glitter, markers and foam stickers.

When our magic wands were ready, we sat in a circle for story time and read the 'Susy The Soother Fairy' book to learn all about Susy's magic sac.  Susy's book comes with a magic sac that children can leave their soothers in for Susy to come and take away one night and leave a present in return! To read more about how Susy's book and  magic sac work, click here.  Finally it was time for Susy to come and sing with us!

We sang lots of great songs like Old McDonald, Jingle Bells and Sleeping Bunnies but best of all was the Susy the Soother Fairy song.  A very catchy tune (my daughter was singing the song all through lunch after our visit with Susy!) that goes something like "You're getting so big, you're getting so tall, you don't need a soother at all!"  Susy was lots of fun and the kids all enjoyed her visit.

Susy the Soother Fairy was written by local Oakville author Laura Page-Hamelin who came up with the concept after trying to rid her own daughter of her soother attachment.  Using Susy worked like a charm for her three year old so Laura was inspired to bring the concept to life and help other parents end soother attachment using a positive and rewarding method.  Click here to read more about Laura and click here to buy the Susy the Soother Fairy book.

Sensory Activities For Kids Using Snow

Too cold to play outside in the snow?  Bring the snow inside and play!  Momstown Oakville's recent sensory activity brought snow indoors for kids to explore by way of using cups, spoons, and food colouring so they could build snow castles and explore the texture and temperature of snow.

We also had  frozen paint popsicles (get the recipe here) which were a huge hit with the kids.  Add in a fun, snow themed craft where each child had the chance to decorate a snowman cut out using tissue paper, googly eyes, cotton balls and jewels.

Sensory plan can be a great winter boredom buster.  Check out these other great sensory play ideas we've tried:

DIY Silly Putty
Sensory Rice Bins
Rainbow Magic Snowballs

Sound like fun?  momstown members love having sensory fun at our events and don't have to worry about the mess!  Click here to become a momstown Oakville member and find out how to join our next sensory event.

Christmas Eve Traditions

Once the kids are tucked into bed on Christmas Eve, my husband and I crack open a good bottle of wine and enjoy a cheese tray while we watch Love Actually.  This has been our tradition since my son was born five years ago.  Because we've seen the movie so many times, we mostly talk and watch at the same time. The glow from the Christmas tree provides lovely ambience and we take a quiet moment, just the two of us, before the Christmas morning chaos arrives.  We think of this as a special occasion and so it requires special wine and special cheese! Here are my picks that have made it into our Christmas Eve soiree.

Cheeses

Dubliner - I first tried this cheese at a Mother's Day event and have bought it many times since then.  It comes from Ireland (as the name suggests) and is a mix between sharp cheddar and parmegiano.

English Applewood Smoked Cheddar - Smoked cheddar is very holiday-ish to me.  Its got a richer flavour then traditional cheddar but is very palatable even for those that aren't into fancy cheeses.

Oka Classique - This is a Canadian classic and appeals to everyone (even kids) but its a but fancier than something you may buy every day.

Saint Honore - Triple cream cheese.  Need I say more.  This is an award winning cheese that is the perfect decadent finish to any cheese tray.

Le Douanier - I tried this cheese for the first time at momstown's recent Fall conference.  It was served at our wine and cheese event at Chateau Des Charmes and I just loved it!  Similar to French Morbier, this semi soft cheese is split with a thin line of grey-blue ash made from maple wood.  Very unique and very delicious!

Le Douanier (photo credit)

Wines

Konzelmann's Pinot Noir - One of my faves!

Chateau Des Charmes' Earth & Sky Riesling - I'm actually not much of a white wine fan (red is much more my thing) but I really liked this one when I tried it recently.

Mitolo Jester Shiraz - Often the wine I bring as a gift for the hosts

Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz - A family favourite

Beringer California Collection Cabernet Sauvignon - Very well priced, tasty, and goes well with just about anything in my opinion!

Hopefully I've made a few suggestions that have piqued your interest.  Whether you add these to your Christmas Eve or another holiday occasion, I hope you enjoy!

Tips For Ending Food Battles With Your Kids

This week momstown Oakville moms had an informative moms night out as we got together to speak with Jennifer Buccino, owner of Oakville's Beansprout Nutrition.  Not surprisingly, we had a ton of interest from moms for this event as pretty much every parent will have questions about food and nutrition at some point. Jennifer's approach is very realistic (probably because she has two young kids herself!) and she is easy to talk to, our time with her flew by!

We took questions from our Facebook page and also had many, many questions from the moms who attended the evening and there were certainly some common themes that we all had questions about.  Based on our chat, here are some top tips for ending food battles with your kids and for making meal time more pleasant for everyone.

1.  Remember the final goal of heathly eating. Healthy eating is about teaching your kids about balance and what nourishes their bodies.  Jennifer referenced The Feeding Relationship by Ellyn Satter – adults provide healthy nutritious foods and opportunities for kids to eat that food and kids decide what to eat. Its a really good reminder about not forcing them to eat and respecting their cues more.

2. Not eating dinner.  This problem came up quite a bit.  Jennifer's suggestion was to ask kids to do the 'lick test'!  They don't even have to take a bit, but lick the food so they can at least get the taste in their mouth. And you can certainly pull out dinner again if they didn’t want to eat it at dinner time but are asking for a bedtime snack. It can take up to 18 times before a person may decide they like a food so stick with it!

3.  Healthy eating is not about food at all.  It’s the relationship if you have with the food you have.  Its about the values that meal times represent - family time, sitting at the table together and having conversation, being together, creating rituals, etc.  Jennifer's suggestion was to not talk about food at all at the dinner table!  Asking kids repeatedly to 'eat your dinner', 'take one more bite', 'eat your carrots', makes them less likely to do so.  Would you want to eat if someone was saying those things to you?  Present the food on the table and if they don't want to eat, they still have to sit and participate in meal time but no one should be forced to eat.

4.  Remember to think of the bigger picture.  And that means not just over the course of the day, but over the course of a week.  Kids appetites can fluctuate a lot (no surprise there I don't think!) so look at their food intake in a larger chunk and you can determine if they are eating well or not.  Bigger picture thinking can also apply to things like the holidays.  Treats are in abundance (advent calendars bring on chocolate once a day!) but remember to think of that over the course of the year.  A few weeks of indulgence is not going to ruin good eating habits or have a negative effect on growth.  Its a short period of time when you think about it so try not to stress too much over holiday treats.

5.  Give kids the chance to learn to trust themselves.  They need to be able to decide 'I am full, I only want a bite or two'.  Listen to their cues and trust when they want to eat and when they don't.  In the end, those are cues you want them to have as older children, teens and adults.

Beansprout Nutrition offers a variety of services to suits your needs. Jennifer performs both individual nutrition assessments and nutrition plan, as well as family assessments. Workshops and small group seminars are also offered. Consultations happen in the comfort of your own home, or by email, Skype, telephone if those are more convenient. Contact Jennifer directly at jennifer@beansproutnutrition.ca to book one of her services or visit www.beansproutnutrition.ca for more information.

momstown Oakville's Rhyme, Rhythm & Read Program

momstown Oakville offers a few programs just for moms and babies as a way for new moms to connect and find support within the Oakville community.  In addition to our weekly Baby Basics program, we also run a program that focuses on early literacy and musical fun held at Little Sprouts Cuts For Kids called Rhyme, Rhythm and Read.  Each month we read a new book from Scholastic Canada and then one lucky mama gets to take it home to read it over and over again with their little one.

This month we read 'Kiss, Kiss Good Night' by Kenn Nesbitt which is an board book that tells the story of how mommy animals say good night.  A perfect snuggle up, bedtime book that shows baby bunnies, lambs, chicks, kittens, and cubs settle down for a good night's sleep while their mommies give them nuzzles, cuddles, and good-night kisses!

In addition to reading our book, we break out the parachute, let the babies shake and play with instruments and sing a few fun songs that gets the little ones bouncing along to the tune.  Join us next month by signing up on our events calendar!

5 Tips To Avoid Burnout This Holiday Season

Deck the halls! I love the holiday season; it’s a time for festivities, family and fun. As a mom I am so looking forward to making this a memorable Christmas for my kids, but not at the expense of my health. Here are my Dr. Mom tips to avoid the usual burnout this holiday season.

1. Keeping a regular sleep routine. Nothing says restoration and health like a regular sleep routine. Go to bed at the same time every night, the earlier the better. Remember to also sleep in complete darkness and away from all your tech gadgets  to ensure good quality sleep, or as good as possible - I too have a 5 month old at home!

2. Starting your day with lemon water. With all the indulgences the holidays bring, why not start your day by stimulating your liver with lemon water, a gentle and tasty liver stimulant that helps you detox toxins. Don’t forget to stay hydrated throughout the day!

3. Avoiding stimulants like coffee. I know, I know not a popular tip for the sleep deprived parents out there, but hear me out. Stimulants can negatively impact adrenal function and make us feel more fatigued. When I was child free, moms challenged me to see if I would still think this was sound advice after having children. Well, two children later and I can honestly say I function much more efficiently without coffee. Want to try a healthier alternative? Try a matcha latte or chaga mushroom tea - these are both energizing and adrenal supportive. 

4. Eating Protein at breakfast. Through my clinical experience, it is clear that most do not eat enough protein for breakfast. It is an optimal way to stabilize blood sugar right from the start which helps to balance our cortisol levels (our stress hormone) and prevents a yo-yo blood sugar affect for the rest of the day. Stabilizing your blood sugar is one of the best ways to remain energized and prevent over indulging in holiday treats – helping prevent  unwanted weight gain. My favourite, and one of the easiest ways to get protein in the morning? Smoothies, of course! Check out my website for my favorite smoothie recipes.

5. Move your body. This would be the worst time to drop your regular exercise routine, so donʼt let holiday commitments get in the way of something that does your body good. Make the time for exercise. Donʼt have a regular workout routine? Now is a great time to start. If getting to a gym doesn't fit in your agenda, then just get moving with your kids, walk around a mall, do a quick home workout when you wake for the day. Moving makes every cell in your body happy.

Already feeling burnt out before the holidays even begin? I can help! Naturopathic doctors are equipped with natural interventions such as botanical herbs, nutrition assistance, acupuncture, lifestyle advice and more to restore health and get you feeling optimal. We are your experts in treating and preventing exhaustion, naturally. I’m here to help you make this a terrific holiday season for you and your family.

Happy holidays!

*This is a guest post by Dr. Michelle Peris.  Visit www.drmomnd.ca to learn more and follow me on Twitter at @DrMomND and on Facebook for recipes and tips.