HO HO HO Holiday Party!

Fun fun fun was had at the Milton Sports Centre on December 18th!! momstown gathered to makes lots of Christmasy crafts, sung some carols and had a visit from Mr Claus himself!!

momstown's party was featured in the January version of SNAP this month. Click here to see.

Merry Christmas Milton - you're ALL INVITED!

You're all INVITED to momstown Milton's Holiday Party!

Fri. Dec 18th, 2010

10-11:30 am

Milton Sports Centre in the Banquet Room (on Derry between Bronte & Ontario)

Christmas Crafts!

Carol Circle Time!

Visit from Santa Claus!

This is an open invitation which includes our members and non-members - come check momstown out, meet some members, & enjoy a fun, FREE morning with your children!

To reserve your spot, please email info.milton@momstown.ca so we can expect you and have enough crafts arranged etc.

Me love Christmas cookies!!!

Who doesn't love having an array of 6 dozen gorgeous and delicious holiday cookies instantly?

Our momstown cookie exchange last night was wonderful - a table full of beautiful cookies to swap, great conversation and a nice night out for mamas only. Such a great way to get into the holiday spirit!! Thank-you Krista for hosting us last night!

Now, the only challenge comes from avoiding these treats tucked in the freezer so they last long enough to share with guests over the holidays!

WOW - Family Photo Shoot!

The ladies struck it lucky this weekend with an awesome photographer, a super outdoor property & perfect picture taking weather for the momstown Family Photo Shoot with Katie from Natural Attraction Photography. Check out Katie's blog for more pictures but here are a few teasers!

G is for Gingerbread!

momstown had a great field trip to Springridge Farm to participate in their Gingerbread Program this week! All the kids learned about Gingerbread (all those smelly, yummy spices!) and rolled out their very own cookies.

What a delicious activity and day!! Bring on the holidays!

Me, Me, ME!

Today was all about ME! Our kids traced their bodies and coloured them in while talking about their eyes, hair & clothes (see some of our featured children lined up next to their BIG pictures here).

We also made keep-sake books which detailed out how old am I, how big am I, what my favourite things are, why I am so special.

It was a great morning - we even had some quiet, calm time as mommies to relax (rare!) on the mats before our circle time. The kids loved the parachute too (even the made up songs!)

Dinner's READY girls night

Thanks ladies for coming out for a fun and PRODUCTIVE ladies night out at Just Add Heat in Oakville. We all gathered for the meal assembly and put together our group of dinners. I think Rocchina might just be a little addicted to the place (which is a good thing) and I think she's encouraged us all to return soon. Probably a monthly outing ongoing for momstown. Thanks Sanyo for hosting us.

I didn't freeze my Crockpot Coffee Pork ribs and am popping them into the cooker tomorrow - can't wait to try all the concoctions!!!

Trick or Treat Milton!

Oh my... our momstown Hallowe-en party today was filled with loins, monkeys, bumble bees, princesses, dinosaurs, skeletons, butterflies, Minnie Mouse, a bride, a scarecrow and even Thomas the Train! The kids made painted egg carton spiders, created pumpkins, bats & ghosts and played with orange playdough. After circle time we had a Halloween Parade down the community centre hall and "trick or treated" at the door to take home a goodie bag with homemade Pumpkin spice playdough (we know it looks like a timbit but it's to play with, not eat!).

Have a Happy & Safe Hallowe'en Everyone!

PS: here's the pumpkin playdough recipe if you want to make a bigger batch at home. We borrowed the recipe from the No Time for Flash cards blog.

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup salt

3 Tbs. oil

1 Tbs. alum

2 cups boiling water

food colouring

pumpkin pie spice

Gather your materials. You will need the ingredients – separated into individual bowls, pumpkin pie spice, food color is you want, a cutting board, and fall cookie cutters for playing after!

Start by pouring your flour into a large bowl, I don’t suggest having it at kid level until you are ready to mix… my camera batteries died and in the 2 minutes it took to get new ones there was a nice dusting of flour all over.
Pour in the salt, oil, alum then spice.

Pour the boiling water in ( adults only please- the water needs to be boiling not just hot)

Mix.
Pop onto the cutting board and knead, add food color if you want

Let cool a few minutes.
Play! The addition of seasonal cookie cutters make all the difference for us. Plain old playdough becomes extra fun with these $1 cookie cutters!

YUMMY Mom's Supper Club

Carb carving anyone?

8 Milton momstown mamas noshed (I think we all had pasta?) and chatted up a storm last night at Pasqualino's on Main st. It was yummy and just so fun to actually enjoy a hot meal with no child interruptions! Many of us had not met before so it was a lovely opportunity to get to know one another in a civilized setting with no distractions. In fact, we talked so long we even closed the place down!

Can't wait until next supper club on November 24th. The more the merrier - hope to see you out next month!

Family Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

Our morning was all about PUMPKINS!

momstown Milton had our first Family Field Trip today at Frootogo Farms and visited their Pumpkin Patch!

Moms and Dads, babies & preschoolers - we all had a blast petting the animals, playing in the sandbox and playarea, riding the tracktor and slopping around in the mud to pick our pumpkins.
Some might agree the best part were the tasty bakery treats and warm apple cider at the end!
The fickle fall rain even held off our us so we were happy with Mother Nature today.

We're looking froward to our next Family Field Trip next month where we explore the Escarpment with a family hike.

Five little Pumpkins Playgroup

"Five little Pumpkins sitting on a wall..."

Our Milton members had lots of fun at their Pumpkin themed event this week! Crafts and stories & loot bags! What's not to love about a pumpkin?

This Saturday our group hits the pumpkin patch for a family friendly field trip! Watch for those cutie pictures!

Looking for a Milton moms group?

Look no further!!!

You've found Milton's momstown chapter - full of events to keep you & your child busy through the fall, full of great local moms wanting to connect and full of online resources to keep you linked in while on maybe trapped at home at naptime!

Visit us at http://milton.momstown.ca for your free trial!

Scroll through here for a bit of info about momstown and some of the neat events we've done or contact us at info.milton@momstown.ca

and the monthly contest winner is....

Michelle Brown!

Congratulations! You've won a one year momstown membership!

All momstown mamas can enter the monthly draws once per day, so don't forget to check out our home page!

And the Winner Is....

Jennifer Ollier!

Congratulations....you've won a My First Keepsake Book from Zaida baby!

Happy Canada Day to everyone and don't forget to enter our July monthly contest. You can enter once each day! :-)

Let's Give it a Tri!

Have you ever participated in a triathlon? Interested in training for one, or chatting with others that are? Well check out our momstown Movers blog - set up for our members that are training for a triathlon! Here's the link: http://momstownmovers.blogspot.com/. For more information about training for the triathlon with our group, email info@momstown.ca

and the winner is....

Jennifer Ollier....

You've won a free momstown membership for you or a friend!

Don't forget that everyone can enter the monthly contest giveaway once each day. This months contest is brought to you by zaida baby!

Fire up the Griddle!

Our Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast was organized chaos at it's best! Hot pancakes, crafts, circle time, songs, parachate playtime - what a morning!

Mad for mania!

Our momstown Mania event took place yesterday and it was a huge success! Over 80 moms with tots attended the event that was jam-packed with activities including mom n' baby fitness, toddler gymastics, Kindermusik, crafts, parachute circle time, and more...

Check out our photos of the event below. We look forward to doing it again next year! And hope to see many of those who attended out n' about at our future events...

April contest winner is....

Mary-Anne Selwa!

Congratulations!! You have won a copy of the Jason Mraz's new CD 'We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things."
(great title huh?)

Don't forget that you can visit our monthly contest and enter to win once a day!

momstown MANIA - 5 days away!!

You're INVITED to momstown MANIA!
Mania will offer moms and tots a chance to sample activities that provide sensory, creative, physical and social experiences for both mother and child. FREE, charitable event for all!!
Milton Memorial Arena, 77 Thompson Rd S, Milton
Wed. MAY 6th: 9am - 1pm

Ongoing Activities from 9:30-1
Picassos in the Park Painting by momstown
Toddler Olympics by Firepower Crossfit
Mama Coffee Circle by Starbucks
Breakfast by Kelloggs MultiGrain Krispies
Mother’s Day Planting by Crawford Gardens
onsite Photographer by Adam Faithful

Rotating Activities:
9:45-10: momstown Welcome Circle (Parachute & Bubbles)
10-10:30 & 12-12:30 Mom & Baby Fitness by Boot Scootin' Baby
10:30-11:30 Sign Language by Little Hands Talking
11 – 11:30: Kindermusik demo byLittle Starshine Music
11-1 Sneezy the clown
11:30-12 Storytime by Shazia
12:30-12:45 momstown Parachute & Bubble Circle

Great door prizes! Bring a friend and get an extra door prize ballot!

Free Family Event - momstown mania! May 6th

Join us on May 6th from 9:30 - 1:00 pm at the Milton Memorial Arena (Thompson Road) for FREE sensory, cognitive, physical and social activities for both parent and tots (aged 0-5yrs).

Activities include Toddler Olympics, Mom and Baby Fitness, Baby Sign Language Demos, Music demonstrations/storytime, Planting station with child-made Mother’s Day gift, Clown for the kids, and momstown parachute and bubble circle times.

For more information, check out our mania blog at: http://momstown-mania.blogspot.com/, or contact courtney.reistetter@momstown.ca

See you there!

Mom's Tip of the Week

Each week, we'll post a new Mom's Tip - little tips and tricks to make our lives easier! If you've got any of your own, please add to our blog!

Mom's Tip: New uses for a colander. Invert the colander and use it as a tent over buns or burgers at a bbq. Make a perfect martian's helmet for Halloween. Pour flour in it for quick sifting - use a wooden spoon to break lumps.

And the Winner Is....

Leigh McMartin...

You've won a free cleaning from Merry Maids. You are entitled to 1.5 hours of cleaning with two professional women. Just a leave a list and you can relax! Visit www.merrymaids.com to find out more about having your home professionally cleaned!

Don't forget to check out our momstown monthly contest and our April Milton contest and register once a day to win!

Mom's Tip of the Week

Each week, we'll post a new 'Mom's Tip' - little tips and tricks to make our lives easier! If you've got any of your own, please add to our blog!

Mom's Tip: 'Dish Cloth Over the Door'. Drape a dish rag over the top hinge of the door so that the door will not close completely. Now you don't have to worry about your kids closing their fingers in the door, or locking themselves in the room.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Last week our group took a cake decorating class at Yummy Cakes in Milton. Check out photos below - yum! Also, watch our newsletter for the buttercream icing recipe!

Mom's Tip of the Week

Each week, we'll post a new 'Mom's Tip' - little tips and tricks to make our lives easier! If you've got any of your own, please add to our blog!

Mom's Tip: 'Round the Room'. When you begin your spring cleaning, try to focus on one room at a time. Begin at the door of that room and move 'Round the Room' clockwise - organizing, cleaning, and dusting as you go. Rather than running single items to another room, where you might be distracted, place those things into a box to be put in their proper place later. You'll be surprised how quickly your spring cleaning is finished!

The Bellies Came Out...

Courtney and I had a great time representing momstown at Birth Connections annual Bellies & Babies Day yesterday. The event brought out a number of new and expectant mothers - many of whom had lots of questions about our group! Many of them have heard of us before and all the women we spoke to seemed quite enthusiastic about out group... So we might be getting some new members out and about at our events!

And, I know that we have some current members that haven't made it out much, given that the past couple of months have been cold and there were a lot of flu bugs going around, which nobody seemed to be able to escape. Well the sun is coming out, and hopefully more bellies and babies will be out too! Can't wait to see you all soon!

For more information on the Bellies & Babies Day, visit: http://www.birthconnections.ca/index.php?pr=Bellies__Babies_Day

Pajama Party!

I wear my pink pajams in the summer when it's hot... I wear my pink pajamas in the winter when it's not... Today we had a great time at our March Break Madness Pajama Party! All guests got their own pair of slipper socks, and we had lots of delicious food too! After lunch, we had circle time where we read 'Llama, Llama Red Pajama' and sang pajama songs! Then we awarded prizes for the 'best bed-head' and the kids did crafts - decorated door hangers for their bedrooms. All while the moms had a great chat! Check out photos of the party below.

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Mom's Tip of the Week

Each week, we'll post a new 'Mom's Tip' - little tips and tricks to make our lives easier! If you've got any of your own, please add to our blog!

Mom's Tip: Stop Morning Madness

1. Be the first one up... you can't expect your child to be organized in the morning if you aren't! If possible, try to shower and have your coffee before he wakes up.

2. Begin with a grin... it sounds goofy, but kids are influenced by a positive attitude.

3. Schedule in some extra time... always assume that your child will dawdle or change their mind about something. Plan for it in your schedule.

4. Limit distractions... Turn off the TV and no playing with toys until they are ready and have eaten breakfast.

5. Rely on routine... Keep the order the same every day (however you do it)... eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, etc...

6. Reward your child with undivided attention... When she gets ready early, give her some quality mommy time for those extra minutes.

Mom's Tip of the Week

Each week, we'll post a new 'Mom's Tip' - little tips and tricks to make our lives easier! If you've got any of your own, please add to our blog!

Mom's Tip: Another use for a pizza cutter... You can use a pizza cutter not only to cut pizza, but also sandwiches, quesadillas, pancakes and even spaghetti!

Mom's Tip of the Week

Each week, we'll post a new 'Mom's Tip' - little tips and tricks to make our lives easier! If you've got any of your own, please add to our blog!

Mom's Tip: Another use for spaghetti noodles... Instead of using a toothpick to check if a cake is done, an uncooked spaghetti noodle will do the task just fine!

Let's Start the Month Off Right!

I think it's safe to say that last month - we all got hit with some sort of bug. It seemed as though everyone was sick! And if you weren't sick... you were taking care of someone that was!

Unfortunately, this meant that our event attendance was a little low and not a lot of us were out n' about, meeting new members, etc.

Well, out with the old and in with the new! March is here and it's time to get out of the house!

We've got a ton of events on our calendar... Baby Book Club, park playdates, movies, new members lunch, cake decorating class, Book Club, Baby Sign playdates, Sharkey's playdate, field trips, Maple Syrup Festival, and lots more... So sign up through our events calendar and we'll see you soon!

Photo Playdates - It's a Wrap!

We had our final photo playdate last week and the pictures turned out really nicely! The photographer had a great time and I think the moms were pleased with the shots! You can check out some of the photos that were taken on the photographer's blog: http://kellyclancyphoto.com/blog/.

It'd be nice to do something like this again when the weather is warmer and we can go outside!

Here's a few more photos of our members' little munchkins that were taken last week: