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