Three Sneaky Ways To Get Your Whole Family Reading

Reading, for many of us, is as natural as breathing. But what about those people for whom reading is a challenge? A struggle? A stress?  Here are three fun and sneaky ways to get your whole family reading without anyone’s even realizing it. Try these new approaches to reading to see some big payoffs.

Photo credit

1. Travel (even if you stay in your own hometown!). When you’re out on the town, even if it’s in your own neighbourhood, environmental print — text on signs, posters, billboards, you name it — is a great way to get kids reading in a new and fun way.

Have your child “help” you read street signs in order to get you to your destination. Even beginning with a simple stop sign will get your child reading. Have him yell “STOP!” when he sees that big red sign, and soon he’ll recognize the letters when he sees them on the page.

Ask your child to find the big “H” for the community hospital, or to locate the EXIT sign in the movie theater or the elevator in the parking garage. Have an older child help you write grocery lists or to-do lists, checking off each item as it’s found.

If you really can skip town, travel brochures and menus will get everyone reading, as you work together to plan itineraries, meals and more.

2. Go Digital. If your child hesitates to pick up a traditional book, then don’t wait — go digital. Thousands and thousands of books and media are available to borrow on various electronic devices, and you can find them by checking your local library’s website.

Often these digital books, magazines and newspapers are interactive, which really helps engage reluctant readers.  Reading comes to life in new and exciting ways, and often if a child finds something that works for him digitally — a series or new magazine, for example — he’s more likely to want to pick up the hard copy.

3. Research. Is your daughter totally into LEGOs? Does she design bridges for bugs, plant tomatoes for you or draw amazing amusement parks? Work together to find some books on these topics or on topics that relate, connect or inspire.

Does your son go nuts for Skylanders or Minecraft? Find books about the elements, about engineering or about the games themselves. Reading books about these topics will be both interesting and engaging.

As a family, research and plan something together. Research a weekend getaway. Do some Internet searches; pore through travel guides. Plan an easy gathering, and from creating invitations to facilitating the event to expediting the menu, kids will be doing so much reading they won’t even realize it.

It all counts, and often parents just need a little reminder that reading comes in many shapes, sizes and colours. So what are you waiting for? Start that sneaky reading!

*This is a guest post written by Amy Mascott, originally posted on the Sylvan Mom Minded Blog.  Sylvan Learning Centre in Oakville can assist your child by creating a customized tutoring plan (JK and up). Contact them for more information. 

CrossFit South Oakville Workouts Are Worth A Busy Mom's Time!

Have you heard of CrossFit yet?  Chances are you have, but you may not know exactly what it is or if its something you might enjoy.  CrossFit is a training program that builds strength and conditioning through varied and challenging workouts.  CrossFit is suitable for people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical well-being and cardiovascular fitness.  It is intense but is also fun and full of encouragement.

CrossFit South Oakville was a perfect addition to the momstown Oakville fitness challenge.  This popular workout is something that moms should check out - it offers a tough workout in a one hour period.  I know from experience that moms often find it hard to carve out workout time, I found CrossFit to be worth it! You can really push yourself and you certainly feel like you accomplished something once the workout is done.

We visited CrossFit South Oakville on three separate occasions.  Our first group was our moms and babes. Would you be surprised to know that they are very baby friendly?  They have jolly jumpers that you can hang in the door frame and baby can jump away as you get your workout in.  They also have baby friendly areas so if you have a mover, there is still a way to get your workout in too.  In chatting with some moms who have been doing CrossFit on a regular basis for the last few months, they were adamant in saying that this was the only workout that finally helped them get off that last ten pounds of baby weight.  That is a pretty compelling endorsement!

Here is a look at our workouts using a Tabata training format (a Tabata is high intensity interval training that improves aerobic systems as well as anaerobic systems):

• Wall balls (throwing medicine balls at the wall)
• Kettlebells
• Rowing machine or bikes for cardio
• Burpees
• Overhead presses
• Lunges

CrossFit South Oakville has class times at all times of the day and also does personal and group training.  If you are looking for a workout to kick start your fitness again, CrossFit will do it!  I was sore for several days after the workout I did there but felt empowered!  CrossFit will get you to push yourself and that feels good on so many levels.

Here's what some of our mamas had to say about their workout with CrossFit South Oakville:

"Definitely a workout! I feel everyone of my stairs from my multiple squats!"

"Consider my butt kicked. CrossFit was intense!"

"I liked the workout at Cross Fit! I am feeling it everywhere :)"

For more information on class schedules and workouts, please visit their website.  You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to learn more workout tips!

Taste Of Downtown Oakville Celebrates And Showcases Local Oakville Restaurants

Chicken parmesan, braised short ribs, harvest soup, grilled calamari, frog leg beignets, linguini alla moda di daniela...these were just some of the delicious foods I tasted last night as part of the Taste Tour to kick off the Taste of Downtown Oakville that runs from Wednesday, February 19 to Tuesday, March 4.

This year's event includes 14 restaurants that will be offering priz fixe lunch and/or dinner menus (generally from $15 to $45 for a three course meal).  The Taste of Downtown Oakville is an excellent opportunity to try something new or to re-visit a favourite restaurant and enjoy delicious food that can be found right here in our community.

I was fortunate enough to enjoy food from six participating restaurants last night (and shuttled between locations by Mercedes Benz Oakville - thank you!):

Paradiso
Piazza Bistro
Salvatore's
Ristorante Julia
De Stefano's
Jonathan's

I can say without a doubt that the food at each location was outstanding.  I loved learning about the restaurant's background (three restaurants on our tour, Piazza Bistro, Salvatore's and De Stefano's, are relatively new to Downtown Oakville), their specialties and seeing the food presentation and effort that went into each dish.  It's pretty impressive to think about the culinary excellence that can be found in the Town of Oakville.  I really encourage you to take advantage of the Taste of Oakville event and head downtown to eat! Click here to view the menus being offered.

It's been a long and cold winter so far but this event is reason enough to come out of hibernation and enjoy a great night out.  Book that babysitter (I've got one booked!) and make a reservation for the Taste of Downtown Oakville!

Increase Your Upper Body Strength & Your Confidence At Aradia Fitness In Oakville

The 2014 momstown Oakville Fit Mama Challenge is now in its third week and going strong.  We ended our second week with a pole dancing, floor and chair cabaret workout session with Aradia Fitness in Oakville. Out of most mom's comfort zone?  Maybe, but we had a terrific response to this workout and were so happy that so many of our challenge participants wanted to give this fantastic workout a try.  Aradia Fitness was so welcoming to your group, even having some snacks and drinks out for us to enjoy!

Right off the bat I can tell you that there are many things you don't know about pole dancing fitness.  It's not easy, that's for sure.  It's also not sleazy or shady, awkward or embarrassing.  And let's be honest, once you become a mom, the part of you that may once have been a silver pleather pant wearing lady (yup, those would be my pants I am talking about!) gets pushed to the back and doesn't often come out.  But why not? 

I can tell you that ALL the moms who did our Aradia class loved feeling like a woman that night and shedding the mom identity for some time focused on themselves.  Aradia Fitness Oakville owner Jane has a fantastic story to tell about just this type of thing - read her story here.  

So what did we do for our workout?  We all got a chance to try a beginner pole dancing class as well as a rock bottom class (targets butt, abs & legs!) and some chair cabaret.  The studio offers registered classes but also has drop in classes as well, you can view all the class descriptions here.  Classes at Aradia Fitness in Oakville are a fantastic way to build upper body strength, tone and tighten and boost your confidence in yourself.  If one of your New Year's resolution was to try something new this year, I can tell you that this is it! Every woman should try a class at least once.

Read what some of our mamas has to say about their Aradia Fitness experience:

"Really found it fun....surprised myself :) Would go again!"

"LOVED IT!"

"I loved it too. The chair dancing was my fave. Such a great space and I love that you can just do drop in classes with no pre registration!"

Make sure to visit Aradia Fitness Oakville's website and Facebook Page to find out more about their classes and workshops offered.

How To Make A Lego Birthday Cake

My son has entered his LEGO years.  It actually started when he turned four but over the last year, his love for building and creating and imaginative play with LEGO has grown into a full force favourite thing to do.  So when I was thinking about what to do for his fifth birthday, a LEGO themed birthday party was the obvious choice.  I have enjoyed making his birthday cakes since he had his very first taste of cake on his first birthday (click here to see some of the cakes I have made over the years or click here to see the race car cake I made for his fourth birthday) so tackling a LEGO cake was my challenge for this year.

Here is how I made a LEGO birthday cake:

1.  Make a two layer cake using a 9 X 13 pan.  I made a double batch of chocolate cake using this recipe.
2.  Put icing between the cake layers and frost the outside of the cake.  I used chocolate icing but you could use any colour you'd like.
3.  Decide how big of a LEGO area you'd like to have in the cake.  I cut out a piece on the front of the cake about two inches deep and about seven to eight inches long.
4.  Using LEGO pieces (I had a ton at home to choose from!), I built a LEGO wall that would fit the hole I had cut in the cake.  I added LEGO figures and tools as though the characters were doing construction work on the cake.  You could add any type of LEGO characters or scene based in the LEGO you have at home or what kind of LEGO your child is into.
5.  I added some LEGO candles on top that were found at Target and used some white icing to add his name and then the number five.

Alpha-Bits Alphabet Play Brings Snowmen To Life!

It's been a very wintery winter and so when the letter 'W' came up as momstown Oakville's Alpha-Bits Alphabet Play theme for February it was easy to pick Winter as our word to explore!  Each child got to make their own snowman and we even made it snow by making our own tiny, homemade paper snowballs.

Everyone brought something from home that starts with the letter 'W' and we also sang some winter themed songs that went like this:

The Snow Song (to the tune of Row, row, row your boat)

Snow, snow, snow is here,
Falling to the ground.
On my nose and on my tongue,
Snow is all around.

Snow, snow, snow will make,
Everything so white.
Trees and cars and houses too,
What a chilly sight.

Snowman ABC Song (which we added to everyone's snowman craft)

A B C D E
Build a snowman just for me.
F G H I J
Please don't let him melt away.
K L M N O
Is he melting? NO! NO! NO!
P Q R S T
Down he melts away from me.
U V W X Y Z
I'll build him again you see.
~ Author Unknown

Every month our Alphabet Play program explores another letter and its sound.  This is just one of our 40+ programs on our event calendar each and every month.  Join us next time; find out how by clicking here.

How To Host A Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a very popular children's book first published in 1969.  The story is very cute and follows a caterpillar who eats its way through a wide variety of foods before emerging as a butterfly.  Recently, one of our momstown Oakville Event Coordinators hosted a joint birthday party for her children with a Hungry Caterpillar theme.  We knew we had to share this great birthday theme as its perfect for a toddler or preschooler and there were so many cute ideas that turned this book into a fantastic party!

Hungry Caterpillar Crafts & Games:

Die penne pasta green and then use paper red circles and yellow yarn to make a caterpillar necklace!

Make a caterpillar magnet craft using these simple instructions.

Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, it was pin the food in the caterpillar's mouth!













Hungry Caterpillar Food:

There is a lot of food in this story and thankfully most of it is very healthy!  Each food item from the book was displayed on the table with its own line and image from the story.  For the ice cream cone in the story, the party host used an ice cream shaped cookie cutter to cut out sandwiches in the shape of ice cream cones.

Hungry Caterpillar Loot Bags:

The Hungry Caterpillar loot bags contained a lollipop to eat, lollipop eraser, squishy caterpillar, butterfly glowstick and a package of caterpillar food (fruit gummies).










This book has lots of elements in it that can be drawn out for a great birthday party theme.  Visit the momstown arts & crafts site for tons more birthday party theme ideas.

Sensory & Discovery Play With Momstown Oakville: Shaving Cream Painting

Sensory and discovery is always such a fun time for kids - they love trying new things, getting messy and moms love that momstown Oakville deals with all the mess!  Miss Amanda got very creative this month running our Sensory & Discover Play program and figured since we have tons of snow on the ground, why not build it into a sensory event all about ice and snow?

Snow & Ice Sensory Bin:
Freeze cars ahead of time in coloured water and provided the kids with spoons to see if they can break the cars out of the water. The kids discovered the cars were frozen solid and needed a bit more muscle to break them so then we got a hammer, tried again and had little success! Finally we poured table salt onto the ice blocks and finally it started to melt! By the end of the event the cars were still frozen and colourful slush started to form in the bin. The sensory bin was a rainbow of colour!

Art Table:  Printed Shaving Cream Pictures Using Paint & Shaving Cream

Grab a shallow tray, spray shaving cream to cover the bottom (or the size of your canvas), then add small drops of paint in different colours (the more colours you add, the more colourful your print will turn out).

Grab a fork and gently swirl around the paint being careful not to mix too much (otherwise you end up with brown glop--yuck).

Press a piece of canvas onto your swirled shaving cream/paint mixture, press and hold firmly  for 10 seconds, then lift.

Let dry completely then display! The shaving cream and paint combination creates a beautiful dimensional piece of art that is perfect for the mantel.

Interested in joining in on momstown Oakville programs?  Click here to get more information on how to sign up.

Mommy Bootcamp In Oakville Is A Perfect Support For A New Mom's Fitness Goals

The momstown Oakville fitness challenge offers workouts in the evening for moms only but also some mom and me workouts during the day where baby can be incorporated into the activity.  Today we had some mamas try a class with Mommy Bootcamp and it was so impressive how supportive and encouraging the classes are while still managing to get in a true workout (think lots of squats with your baby as a weight!).

Mommy Bootcamp is the only bootcamp in Oakville designed specifically for the needs and indications of the postpartum and/or breastfeeding mother.  Its also the only bootcamp in Oakville that allows you to get a fantastic workout while participating with your baby.

The indoor classes take place in a great open space that allow you to bring what you need to keep baby happy while you get in a good workout.  Some mamas brought exersaucers or playmats while other little ones were happy on a blanket on the floor.  During the strength portion of the class, babies are worn in a carrier for resistance.  The instructor is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about helping each mom make sure they are properly and comfortably using their carrier.  The exercises are also modified to give your baby and extra hug or squeeze along the way which was so nice to see.

The Mommy Bootcamp classes are a perfect fit for moms at all fitness levels - they can modify the classes to suit your needs.  But I can attest to the fact that these classes are not a walk in the park!  You will be challenged and your heart will be pumping!  Fitness is such a great activity for a new mom - its social, it improves your physical fitness and your mood will be elevated too.

Register now for the next session starting February 25th!  Option to register for once or twice a week.

Don't let fear hold you back, this class will make you feel confortable, stronger and inspired all at the same time!

www.mommybootcamp.ca

Music & Movement: Sea Deep In Adventure With The Backyardigans

The Backyardigans live show, Sea Deep In Adventure, is coming to Toronto in April and we were so excited to be able to give away a four pack of tickets to the April 19th show!  momstown Oakville held a special music & movement event at Annex Dance Academy where we drew for the lucky ticket winner but we also had a very fun morning making an sea themed craft, colouring and singing and dancing as part of our own sea deep adventure.

Our sea themed craft was a very colourful jelly fish that looks beautiful hanging in a window.  Here's how to make your own jelly fish:

• Cut out two jelly fish shapes using contact paper (also called Mac Tac).  
• Peel of the back of one piece of contact paper and add your colourful insides of the jelly fish.  We used bright ribbon, sequins and some sparkles.  
• Add as many tentacles as you like to the bottom of the jelly fish using curling ribbon
• Peel off the back of your second piece of contact paper and stick on top to seal in all the insides of the jelly fish and to keep the ribbon secure.

After we did some crafting, we put on some Backyardigans music and played freeze dance and also did some warm up movements (stretch your hands to the sky, bend down and tickle your toes) to be ready for parachute and circle time.

Here is a song that worked well as everyone knows the tune (Wheels On The Bus) and there are fun movements to make that went along with our sea theme.

The Sharks in the Sea
The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp! (open and shot hands like mouth)
Chomp, chomp, chomp, Chomp, chomp, chomp!
The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp!
All through the day!

The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim (wave hands back and forth sideways)
The crabs in the sea go pinch, pinch, pinch (pinch with thumb and 2 fingers)
The octopus in the sea go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (wiggle fingers)
The dolphins in the sea go up and down (jump hand up and down)

When we took out the parachute, we shook fish and The Backyardigans and sent them high in the air, we made small and big waves and also let the kids run under and have a turn riding on the parachute.  Add in some Backyardigans colouring sheets and a bit more dancing and it was a busy morning!

Of course before we ended the event, we drew for the four tickets to the April 19th live Backyardigans show and Julie and her daughter were the lucky winners.  Not to worry, tickets are on sale now for the Sea Deep In Adventure live show - click here to get yours!

Barre Life Workouts Tighten and Tone Muscles Making Oakville Moms Stronger!

The 2014 momstown Oakville Fit Mamas Challenge is underway!  Our first workout was at Barre Life located at 427 Speers Road.  We had 16 mamas try out the class tonight and have another group doing a class on Thursday night.  Barre workouts are relatively new (although rising in popularity very quickly) and can be classified as a dancer's workout…but without the dance. Barre Life sums it up as "Barre workout is a fusion exercise that combines Pilates, yoga, ballet and strength movements while using the ballet barre, resistance bands and weighted balls".  Barre workouts are suitable for any fitness level and you don't need to have a dance background (speaking from experience on this one)!

What I loved about this workout is that it focuses on tightening and toning your body while increasing flexibility.  I felt strong doing this workout.  I have never been an overly flexible person but I know as I get older (gah!), this is something that I need to take into account so that I can remain active for years and years to come!  I also liked the movements - took me out of my comfort zone (trust me, I am no dancer...soccer, hockey and skiing were my sports as a kid) and challenged me at the same time.  And are you ready for more great news about Barre Life?

Left:  Child care room.  Right:  Change room area

They have a lovely change room with showers, lockers and lovely bathrooms so you can freshen up post workout.  And while you workout, they also offer FREE (yup, you read that right) childcare every day from 9:30 -10:30am 7 days a week in their childcare room so you can bring your little one (6 months to 6 years) and get your workout in first thing in the morning.

We tried a Barre Classic class (recommended for beginners) but Barre Life offers a wide selection of classes such as:

• Barre Sculpt
• Barre Cardio
• Upper Body Burn

Check out a full listing of all the class types here.  Read what some of our mamas has to say about their Barre Life experience:

"I liked that it was not your usual cardio type workout, but more of a focus on posture and strength and stamina and stretching."

"Fantastic class. I didn't think I could get my legs up so high. I felt great after - much more relaxed and not so tight."

Visit their website or Facebook page for more information on how to get your barre on!

Celery Heart Paint Stamping Valentine's Day Craft

I loved this craft!  It's not often that something so easy produces a work of art that looks like it took much more work than it did.  These celery heart flowers are so pretty and require very little effort.  The bottom of the celery is the perfect size for little hands to grab and no matter how they put the stamp down when there is paint on it, it produces a very lovely result.

What You Need:

-As many celery hearts as you'd like (one per colour, although the wash easily and you could use the same one for a different colour).
-White paper and a coloured piece of construction paper for the flower pot
-Scissors & glue
-Crayons or markers
-Red, pink or purple paint

What You Do:

-Wash the bunches of celery and let dry
-Cut off the bottom of the bunch, leaving a few inches
-Pour some paint on a plate to use for the celery stamps
-Cut a flower pot shape and glue onto the white paper
-Stamp your flowers
-Draw stems and leaves on the flowers
-Personalize your picture as much as you'd like!

Police Car Hand Print Craft & Story Time For Oakville Mom And Baby Program

momstown Oakville's theme of the month is Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  Last week at our mom and baby program at Ellephysio we put those cute little baby hands to work making adorable birthday card that each mom took home (envelope included) and can give out to a special someone on their birthday.

In addition to spending some time being crafty, we read our Scholastic Canada baby book of the month "I Am A Train" by Ace Landers.  This book was one of my son's favourites so I was happy to be able to give a copy away to one lucky mama to take home and enjoy.

momstown Oakville's mom and baby program (Baby Basics) runs weekly and includes either a craft project or a guest speaker.  Take a look at our schedule for the next few weeks:

January 27 - Feeding Your Baby (Guest Speaker, Beansprout Nutrition)
February 3 - Baby Picassos
February 10 - How Physiotherapy Can Help After Giving Birth (Guest Speaker, Ellephysio)
February 24 - Infant Massage

Click here to join momstown Oakville and participate in our mom & baby program as well as the 40+ other events we have on our calendar each month!  Your one1 year membership also includes a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine!

Tips For Saving Time & Money And Still Getting A Healthy Dinner On The Table

SupperWorks is convenient, most people are aware of that.  But is it budget friendly?  It is!  It doesn't really add to my grocery bill.  And I am a price matching shopper.   In fact 88% of respondents in a customer survey said that, since using SupperWorks, their monthly food bill has either stayed the same or gone down! It can seem expensive as it is an upfront investment because you pay for multiple meals at a time. But it is something you will use over several weeks, and I buy less week over week when I know I have a SupperWorks meal built into my plan for the week.

SupperWorks has done the cost comparisons and when you compare what you would pay to purchase all the ingredients, the cost of using their service is not a hit to the budget as you may think it would be.  Here are the reasons that using SupperWorks doesn't inflate my grocery bill:

1.  SupperWorks uses Triple AAA or higher grade meat.  And the portions you get are huge value. For a pork tenderloin recipe, you get 2lbs of pork.  Any chicken breast recipes includes chicken breasts that are 5 ounces.  When they say that one meal serves 4-6 people, I always find they base that on large serving sizes so you absolutely get what you pay for, if not more.  If you bought the same grade of meat, you would pay a higher price as they have access to volume discounts and a restaurant level supply chain.  At this point, to get enough chicken to feed my family (with a bit left over for lunches) for dinner is costing me $18 or more!  And I haven't even bought the rest of the ingredients for any recipe yet!

2.  Ingredients you don't use often and fresh herbs.  I love using fresh herbs but to buy them at the grocery store leaves you with large portions that I find hard to use up.  Cilantro, fresh rosemary and fresh parsley are three herbs that I love but usually stick to dry versions (or omit them all together) as I don't want to buy the large quantity and have it go to waste.  To me that seems like a waste of money.  At SupperWorks you use fresh herbs and the recipes are full of flavour and freshness.  I also love using things like shallots and sherry in cooking but often don't have those items on hand (and cleaning shallots is a pain!) but I love being able to incorporate those things in the meals I choose at SupperWorks.

3.  Variety.  I find trying new recipes can be expensive as you usually have to buy ingredients you don't have on hand.  SupperWorks adds variety to my dinner table and gets us all trying new recipes and proteins (Basa fish anyone?) with little effort.  One of the reasons people stick to the same recipes is because they want to use up ingredients on hand but that leaves little flexibility and makes the cost of trying new recipes expensive.

If I bought the exact same ingredients for a SupperWorks recipe I might be able to save a bit of money (I do have honey and garlic, etc on hand) but if I add in the time for chopping and prepping and cleaning...there is no contest in my mind.  The money I spend at SupperWorks is totally worth it to me and doesn't bust my budget.  SupperWorks is a smart solution for those who appreciate family time and good food while sticking to their budget.  No more last minute poor quality meal choices that are expensive and unhealthy.

Still some time to take advantage of their free entree offer! Choose an additional entrée of your choice when you book a 6, 9, or 12 entrée session or pick up in January!



Click here to see the January menu
Click here to see the February menu

Tips For Visiting Ripley's Aquarium In Toronto

This past weekend we took the kids into Toronto to visit Ripley's Aquarium.  We had gotten ticket to the attraction as a Christmas gift (love experience gifts!) and figured the holiday crowds might have died down by now.  We had a great time and all the sea life on display is pretty impressive.  Here are a few tips I'm passing along to make your Ripley's Aquarium experience a good one.

Left to Right:  Sharks, a Jelly Fish and a School of Fish

1.  Buy your tickets online ahead of time.  You can pick your date and your entry time (they give you a one hour window).  Children 2 and under are free.  By getting your tickets a head of time, you won't have to wait in line when you get there.  As this is still a busy attraction, this is a great way to save time.

2.  If you go on a weekend, my suggestion is to book the earliest entry time (9:00 - 10:00 AM) and plan on getting there right for 9:00 AM.  There were other people there for 9:00 AM as well but nothing compared to the crowds when we left later that morning.

3.  Parking.  We parked in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's South Building underground lot (222 Bremner Blvd, Ripley's Aquarium is 288 Bremner Blvd).  We paid $12 - not too bad for downtown Toronto.  It was just a quick walk across the street to the Aquarium.

4.  Your stuff.  There are no lockers but you can do coat check at $2 a coat.  I would really recommend you leave strollers at home if you can.  There is not a lot of room to move through the exhibits.

5.  Food.  There is a cafe located in the Aquarium so you can stop and have a snack or lunch of you'd like. There are no rules limiting outside food so packing snacks is fine too.  They serve what you would expect: pizza, hot dogs, french fries, wraps, soda pop, juice that somewhat reasonably priced for an attraction but seating is limited and will fill up fast given the crowds that are still going through.

6. Kids Area.  There is a cute playground that has a submarine and some slides/climbing equipment.  My kids really liked this area but I will warn you that there are multiple exit points so you really have to keep an eye on where they come out!  Its not a contained area either so they could wander outside of the playground area easily.

7.  Washrooms.  There are washrooms located by the cafe but not really any place else.  We assumed there would be some at the exit but we were wrong and it would have been too crazy to go back through the crowds to get back to the washrooms by the cafe.  So use them when you see them!

There is certainly lots to see and the kids enjoyed themselves.  There are some neat features for kids like tunnels they can crawl through that are inside the aquariums and the moving walkway was a hit too.  It is pretty dark inside but that makes it easier to take pictures and enjoy the exhibits.  Not so easy to keep tabs on little ones though so if you have any shoes that light up, get the kids to wear them that day!

Nottinghill Co-operative Preschool In Oakville Invites You To Their Open House

*This is a guest blog post written by Melissa Sanz, a Nottinghill Co-operative Preschool parent.

This is my seventh year and third child at Nottinghill Co-operative Preschool. Why? Quite simply, it is one of the happiest places to bring your kids. Initially, I just wanted a preschool reasonably priced and close to home. I found a place where the teachers are in tune with the children and the knowledge they send home with the children goes far beyond just alphabet and counting. Planets, dinosaurs and bears are just a few topics covered.

Nottinghill Co-op Preschool Website

Nottinghill is a privately run co-operative preschool that was founded 52 years ago. The co-operative aspect of the preschool gives you, the parents, the opportunity to become actively involved in your child’s preschool. One thing that makes Nottinghill Preschool such a fantastic place is the sense of community for both the parents and the children. Nottinghill’s vision is to inspire children to learn through play.

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, February 1st

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM 

Glen Abbey United Church at 1469 Nottinghill Gate in Oakville.

Preschool Progams:

• 2 year olds: Tuesday and Thursday mornings. (2 years by end of 2014.)
• 3 year olds: Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. (3 years by end of 2014.)

Program Highlights Include:

• Two spacious classrooms – the creative classroom and the dramatic classroom
• Healthy snacks are provided
• Toilet training is NOT required
• Outdoor play is offered in our playground
• Extra-curricular activities such as Dash Sports and Kindermusik

An Affordable Alternative To Full Day Kindergarten:

At Nottinghill Co-operative Preschool, we offer an affordable Enriched J.K and S.K. program that runs 5 days a week, in the afternoon.

• Small class sizes and 2 R.E.C.E. teachers per class, mean your child will get the attention they need.
• Successful/Tested Reading/Language program.
• Fun, Hands on Learning and individual table time.
• Each child is given their own individual program allowing them to develop at their own pace.
• Plus, introduction to French and Enhanced Science/Math program helps set the groundwork for greater success in Grade 1 and French Immersion programming.

If you are interested in learning more about being part of the Nottinghill community, please visit our website at www.nottinghillpreschool.com or contact our Registrar by e-mail at registrar@nottinghillpreschool.com or by phone at (905) 827-1442.

Keeping Oakville Kids Busy On The Weekend

momstown Oakville's momstown Movers program is a perfect way for Oakville kids to spend a Sunday afternoon.  This month our program ran from 3:30 - 4:30 at the Oakville Soccer Club during that tricky time slot after nap that can be hard to fill!

We had lots of activity stations set up so there was something for all kids in the 1-6 years of age group. Here is what kept our group very busy:

• Ring toss
• Bowling
• Hula hoops
• Bean bag toss
• Hopscotch (thanks to some painters tape on the floor)
• Bubble wrap jump and pop (kids stomped, drove cars over it and experimented with putting different kinds of pressure to make the pop sound)
• Trains and tracks
• Car mat and cars
• Action activity cards 

We rounded out the event with making wheel tracks using paint on car wheels and a fun circle time with transportation themed songs to go along with our theme of the month (planes, trains & automobiles) and the parachute. Songs that were a bit hit included:

• The good afternoon train
• row your boat, drive your car, drive your train (all to the tune of row, row, row your boat)
• zoom zoom zoom

At the end we also sang shake your sillies out with the parachute and then threw cotton balls on the chute to make it snow!

Using Books To Celebrate Holidays With Kids

Momstown's partnership with Scholastic Canada enables us to give away two books a month to some lucky mamas.  I loved the books that we got to read in December, both were perfect for the time of year and the holiday season.  Books about any holiday or season seem to become special favourites at my house as my kids look forward to pulling them out year after year.

For our December Tales for Tots program, our book of the month was called The Night Before Christmas by Barbara Reid.  Our winner, Sarah, will have so much fun reading this book with her children each Christmas season!

We give away a Scholastic book each month at our Tales for Tots program and our Rhyme, Rhythm and Read program.  To join momstown Oakville and participate in our programs, click here.  Our January Tales for Tots book is called Superworm  and you can enter here to win a copy!

Experienced Mamas Share: What You Need For Your First Baby

Let's face it, babies seem to come with a lot of stuff.  Once you find out your pregnant, there seems to be nine months of not only growing a human but of also accumulating items for this new tiny being.  It can certainly be overwhelming to determine what are essentials, nice to haves and gimmicky items (like the pee teepee in my opinion) that are probably better left at the store.

Recently we posed the question on the momstown Oakville Facebook page about what new moms consider essential items and we got a wide rage of honest, funny and helpful answers.  Here are the top four things that were listed.  Interesting to see that none of them are even baby gear related!

1.  Ipad
Some type of tablet or smartphone will allow you to read emails, surf the internet, even watch your favourite tv shows while you nurse or hold the baby.  If you don't have a tablet, a tv works well too.  I always made sure the tv remote was in my 'circle of reach' (along with the phone and a glass of water) when I sat down to nurse my newborns as you could be stuck in one spot for a long time!

2.  Lactation Consultant
Lactation consultants are fabulous resources.  Don't be afraid to ask for help and seek out a professional to provide guidance and assistance.  I was at the lactation clinic at least once a week for the first few weeks after my first baby and their encouragement really helped me stick with breastfeeding and eventually we found our way with it.

momstown Oakville's mom & baby program (Baby Basics)

3.  Friends Who Have Recently Had Kids
Peer to peer support is so key for new moms.  Sometimes going to a mom and baby group was my life line after a hard night or day and is exactly why I joined momstown as a new mom in 2009.  Did you know that joining a momstown community has been medically proven to improves mothers' mental health?  Click here to read more.  To join momstown Oakville, click here.

4.  Help
Whether its grandparents, a doula, a nanny, other family members or friends, you will need some help. Don't be afraid to ask for it and try not to be too proud to take it or admit you need it.

Some of the other items listed were large swaddling blankets (muslin blankets), a good nursing pillow, the best breast pump you can afford, a good monitor (they have some you can connect to your cell phone!) and the funniest comment "a good detergent for "poo-namis" (meaning those poops that explode out of the diaper and sometimes even out of the clothes!

What To Do With An Old Car Seat?

Car seats are a big part of your life from the moment you have a baby until your child reaches the big milestone of no longer even needing a booster seat (they must meet one of the following criteria:  need to be 8 years old OR 80lbs OR 4 foot 9 inches).  But from the time you install the first bucket seat until they meet those big kid/no more booster seat requirements you can go through several car seats.  Add in siblings and chances are you will end up with several car seats that either become outgrown or expired.  So, what do you do with them?

This conversation recently came up on the momstown Oakville message board and its hard to throw something away that may still be in good condition and that chances are, cost you as much as a monthly car payment!  But the reality is, car seats should be considered single-owner items.

Here is what you need to do with car seats that are expired or that you no longer need (thanks to S.E.A.T.S for Kids Canada for providing this great information):

• Cut the straps
• Take out the foam and take off the fabric
• Take off the cover, write "EXPIRED" or "CRASHED" or "NOT SAFE TO USE" on the shell of the seat with a marker. 
• Feel free to bash it in a little if you like and put it in garbage bags. and make it unusable before disposing of it. 

Currently, there is no service that recycles car seats so taking the steps to properly dispose of them is the best plan to follow.