momstown milton

Caged Babies: Saving our Sanity

2012-02-08T12:21:00.005-05:00

My oh my how things have changed. Its a shame they don't sell these anymore. It is multifunctional too! Comes with curtains for a breezy sleep nook! Remove the padding and no need for diapers or bibs! Oh how well people had it back then! I'm kidding... I think I am anyways. If it's not a window cage its something else. A playpen, a gated room, a locked closet (wait what?). These are all techniques us moms introduce to maintain our sanity. Some nights (last night for me) we get very little sleep. Our babies have their own schedule and for the first little while we follow it whether we like it or not. Even if it means party time at 4am. So to get that extra dose of morning caffeine, or even a little shut eye, we have to find little tricks to save our sanity.

But I also need my sleep. I need to shower. I need to do laundry. I need to eat. I struggle to find time for myself.

I've been creative with media to help with tummy time. My baby hates tummy time. He has hated Tummy Time since day 1. I used to prop him up a little with a rolled up towel but he is now long past that. Since he has figured out how to roll from tummy to his back Tummy Time has been an even bigger challenge. He lasts about 10 second on his front until he decides to roll over. This shouldn't be a big deal for most moms but it is for me. He has some issues on one side of his neck and shoulders causing him to always turn to that side (another breastfeeding challenge). This was likely caused by high forcep delivery when he was yanked from me in the most aggressive way possible. His pediatrician said that more tummy time can help balance this out. So how do I get him to stay on his tummy? Baby Einstein of course! I've tried throwing toys and books on the floor infront of him but he's just not interested yet.

It is very important to have these methods or you end up doing stupid things. Take the picture below for example:

This is our Diaper Genie. Full of dirty diapers and last nights explosion perched on top. The blue bag hangs down with that oh so important knot tied at the bottom. Well guess what I forgot to do last time I changed the Diaper Genie. Tie a freaking knot. So this mess is what I blindly stuck my hand into this morning when I went to change the bag. Delightful. I was in such denial I called my husband and asked if he changed the bag last. I was thinking I could not have done such a thing! I did. He hasn't ever changed it and doesn't even know how it opens. I had to accept the facts: I'm an idiot. Apparently I need to cage my baby more often. A sane mom is a happy mom, and a happy mom has a happy baby!

This blog was written by member Sarah Smith. She's a first time mom weeding through the ins and outs of mommy hood.

Confessions of an Unfit Mother

2012-02-01T17:13:00.016-05:00

Quote: “That’s not sweat, it’s my body crying….” Anonymous

Are you there Richard Simmons? It’s me…Unfit Mommy. I just got my “A” kicked by a lovely Fitness Guru from CardioCore named Leanne. I’m in so much freakin pain right now. I am feeling parts of my body I didn’t know existed. Did you know there were muscles behind your knees?? My thighs are burning so much if I rub them together I think I could light the pilot on my furnace. Did I mention I am writing this from the floor of my bedroom where I landed Tuesday night and cannot get up from…?

Being a former Athlete (high school sports teams count right?) and totally being the master at Wii Zumba I figured I would have no problem keeping up with a little fitness demo with the Momstown Crew. With my yoga mat under my arm (tags still on), my water bottle, and my cute little shorts I bought that morning I walked into that gymnasium feeling pretty confident. This would be a piece of cake. Mmmm cake. Anyways, I stepped threw the open door into the building and looked around the large space we would be calling home for the next hour. It reminded me of the gym we had in middle school. Standard Basketball Court-CHECK. Floors that squeak with the touch of my sneakers – CHECK. I felt very comfortable and eager to start working out. I turned my head and saw a smiling face staring back at me. It was Leanne our wonderful Cardio Core Instructor/Angel of Death. Her sweet smile and gentle voice showed me no indication of the pain and suffering I would be feeling later on. In front of me stretched an ominous row of bright orange pylons that seemed to go on forever. To the left I saw piles of 5lb weights and small towels strategically placed around the gym floor. “We are going to have so much fun!” an optimistic Leanne said. I don’t remember props on my "Sweating to the Oldies" DVDs I thought to myself. It was at this point I realized “Richard, I don’t think we’re at Dairy Queen anymore”.

Over the next few minutes others started to trickle in the door for our night of sweaty fun. The regulars were in full gear with their own weights and mats in tow. Each person looking more ripped then the last. I swear I saw one of the ladies on the cover of Oxygen Magazine last month. Leanne introduced me to the group of buff goddesses. Everyone was very friendly, encouraging and supportive with me being a Newbie to the club. I felt intrigued by the workout equipment around the room and I was excited to start the class.

We started our workout with some laps around the gym followed by sprints across the room, and high kicks. Then we continued with links of lunges and squats. After what seemed like an eternity my heart was racing, my breath was short, legs were shaking, and sweat drenched my body. I was ready to call it a day when Leanne said “Great warm up guys – now let’s get started!” Let’s get started?!? You mean we’re not finished? My body asked.

We moved onto other combos – Spider Climbs, followed by planking, Sumo Squats, and Burpees along with other torturous activities my body has never done before. For those of you who don’t know “Burpee” is Latin for “Death by jumping push-ups”.

To watch the regulars in the class you would think these moves were so easy. They effortlessly moved across the floor with grace and precision from position to position. Every movement like a perfectly executed ballet of intensity and strength. Then there was me still struggling to complete my first crunch in a pile of jelly on the floor.

After an hour with some prayer and a lot of wonderful encouragement from Leanne and the group I completed the “Modified” program without vomiting. WOOT WOOT! As I clasped onto the yoga mat in a puddle of my own perspiration a feeling of relief and triumph washed over me. Was it because even with a lack of oxygen to my brain I could still remember those three important numbers - 911? Strangely no. It was that now I could see why these ladies push themselves like crazy every week. The feeling of accomplishment and pride is overwhelming and completely diminishes the fact I may never walk again. I rolled over onto my right side hoping I could regain the strength to crawl from my mat outside to my car 20 feet away when one of the girls asks, “Are you coming back Thursday?”

This blog was written by our new fabulous and extremely humorous mommy blogger Jenny Dean. Please give her a warm welcome by leaving her a comment on your thoughts about this post.

Loving my new Toshiba Thrive Tablet!

2011-11-22T13:01:00.017-05:00

Last week I attended our momstown National conference where we were all given the opportunity to try out 4 of the new Toshiba Thrive Tablets amongst our group. I was eager to get the opportunity to have the hands on experience since that's how I learn best. I was pleasantly surprised about how easy it was to navigate myself through it to get to my email account, face book, twitter, take pictures and of course look at our momstown Milton website!

Having had the opportunity to play with it helped to make me realize that working off of my phone was no longer a productive way of getting things done and that I really needed to add the Toshiba Thrive Tablet to my Christmas wish list as a must have item.

It didn't stay on my wish list for very long since I ended up being chosen by my peers as a lucky winner. I was going home with a Toshiba Tablet of my very own..unbelievable! Thank you to both my momstown teammates and Toshiba for this awesome prize pack!

Working with it more, I have come to appreciate the size of the screen ( I don't have to squint anymore looking at my phone), the touch screen keyboard ( bye bye mouse) and the fact that it is a lot easier to type on have been a value added bonus for me. I like the fact that it is light weight and portable which makes it easy to bring along with me since I'm always on the go. The grooved backing makes the grip more sturdier and stable which is a great feature to have when working around little hands that like to reach and grab.

The tablet was just too great of a prize to keep all to myself so I took it to our playgroup to see what our other moms thought about it. It was an instant crowd pleaser. Not only did the moms enjoy the ease of using it (one handed by some) and keeping connected, they also enjoyed watching their toddlers being able to navigate the touch screen with very little assistance.

Want to hear what our other moms are saying about the tablet. Check out the other winners blog - momstown Winnipeg, momstown Guelph, momstown.ca and momstown Edmonton South for their thoughts and opinions.

Want to win one of your own? You can enter here to win your very own Toshiba Tablet from our momstown contests blog or nominate a good Samaritan in your community to receive one by entering them in the Toshiba Holiday Hero contest. Good Luck!

Laugh and Learn Puppy from Fisher Price

2011-10-31T21:45:00.021-04:00

momstown Milton was lucky enough to be chosen to review the new Laugh and Learn Love to Play Puppy from Fisher Price. When I opened it up, I had to do a double take since it looked very similar to the puppy that we already have and love! I was excited to see the upgrades that have been made and I was curious to see if my son would notice them at all.

I put out the new version for him to play with and waited to see what his reaction would be. He was startled at first since with this version the puppy actually wiggles, dances, claps and moves and my little guy wasn't expecting it all. After a few times of pushing the buttons and watching the movements (especially the ears going up and down) from a distance he warmed up to it and began engaging with the toy - singing, dancing,clapping and most of all smiling and having a good time.

The songs are upbeat and catchy with some childhood standards in the mix like if You're Happy and You Know It and Patty Cake. The instructions are easy to follow and offer your little one a fun way of learning the basics. Jaxon's favourite was the counting to 10 song that had him clapping along and counting out loud with the puppy.

We decided to take the puppy for a trip to our playgroup to see if the others might enjoy playing with him too. I should have known he would be a big hit! The kids gathered around him and couldn't wait until it was their turn to push the button. It was great watching them take turns, share the toy and act out the directions that were presented to them. I even picked up some new funky dance moves from the girls!

Overall the Laugh and Learn Puppy is a toy that will be well used and loved in our household. If you want one of your very own don't forget to enter our momstown contest to win!

Have you heard the exciting news....

2011-10-26T13:30:00.013-04:00

momstown.ca owner Ann-Marie has won the SavvyMom mom entrepreneur of the year award!

All of us momstown mamas are so proud of Ann-Marie! This is definitely a result of all the hard work she puts into the momstown communities on a daily basis! She is a dynamic, charismatic individual who genuinely cares for us all and offers a lending hand whenever needed! I am so honoured to be a part of the momstown movement!

Read about how this award has touched our momstown founder Ann-Marie and what she plans on doing with it!

In celebration we want to thank everyone by giving each and every one of you a FREE month of membership! This applies to current members, trial members, new members and even former members to come back and experience all that momstown has to offer! Check out the details below and don't forget to sign up by Oct 28th!

MEMBERS win when we win! Free one month membership to NEW members and a free month extension for EXISTING or EXPIRED members. To redeem, please register on your local site and complete the form* at http://momstown-moments.momstown.ca/node/372. Available between Oct 21- 28th. Memberships will be extended the first week of November.

PLUS, are you an ONLINE MOM ENTREPRENEUR? momstown wants to share our success by offering Online Mom Entrepreneurs exposure with a FREE national contest & member discount listing! Details, rules*, and entry at http://momstown-moments.momstown.ca/node/372. Available from Oct 21-Oct 28 for ad activity Nov – Dec 2011

Looking forward to connecting with all of you!

Sam Kassam-Macfie
your momstown Milton mama

Having a Hay Day with Scribble n Splatter

2011-10-20T20:06:00.018-04:00

Our momstown Milton moms and tots had a great time decorating scarecrows at our monthly visit with Scribble n Splatter. We started off by using water coloured paints to make the backdrop. The kids had fun dipping their brushes in the water and swirling it around the paint to get the colours they wanted. Some of them discovered that they could create new colours by mixing two paints together!

Once the backdrops were completed, we gathered around to have circle time. We weren't sure how many in attendance actually knew exactly what a scarecrow was so we decided to read our book "Story Country" by Derek Anderson that was provided by our awesome partners at Scholastic Canada. This was a cute story about building a farm from scratch and all of the components that are necessary to make it complete including a very pretty scarecrow! We then sang a few songs to go along with our theme including the Floppy Scarecrow where the kids got to role play how a scarecrow guards the crops.

We then gathered around the table to finish off the craft by dressing up our men with patches of fabric and straw. Once they were glued on to the water colour backdrops, the mural was complete! What a colourful masterpiece! To see all of the great pics from this event click here.

Join us next month when we learn about the wild west - Yee Ha!
Register for a FREE 6 week trial membership by signing up here.

Another fabulous resource brought to you from momstown!

2011-10-15T19:30:00.010-04:00

Title: Is Time Out a Waste of Your Time?
Location: Webinar (virtual training)

Date: Thursday, October 20th from 2PM -3PM EST
Date: Monday, October 24th from 9PM – 10PM EST

Description:
momstown is excited to partner again with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, to offer a free live training webinar to our members!

The session is…Why Time Out is a Waste of Time! Amy promises that we’ll walk away with concrete discipline tools we can use the next day and see results. In fact, you’ll learn one of the all-time “parent favourite” tools for stopping any power struggle in its tracks. You can watch, listen and even interact with our host, Amy. Participants are not required to have a webcam, only a computer with speakers.

You'll love the way this webinar is structured. Amy is right there LIVE, a video image of her is in the upper left corner of your monitor the whole time. As she talks with you, you'll watch her PowerPoint presentation that is packed with valuable information. She'll also stop to answer our questions about difficulties and needs when it comes to getting our kids to listen.

You will also have the option to write in specific questions and she’ll address them, right there for you!

All you have to do is RSVP (sorry due to limited ‘seats’, you MUST register on positive parenting) (http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/momstown) and then kick back and learn the proven strategies to Get Kids to Listen without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling!

Have a friend(s) that are not momstown members that you think could benefit from this training? Please Invite Them Too! Just share this registration link http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/momstown!!

About Amy McCready:

Parenting expert Amy McCready is the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, which has empowered thousands of parents worldwide to correct their kids’ misbehavior without nagging, reminding or yelling. Amy is a frequent guest on the TODAY show and has also appeared on Rachael Ray, CNN, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and elsewhere. A regular contributor to the TODAY Mom’s blog, Amy lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and two sons.

Kellogg's PJ Party - Breakfast is served!

2011-09-26T15:48:00.019-04:00

Last week our momstown Milton moms and tots had a fabulous time getting together to enjoy a quick and nutritious breakfast courtesy of Kellogg's cereals! The kids were super excited to actually be allowed to leave the house in their pyjamas and the moms were thrilled at the fact that breakfast was being provided for everyone. You see for a majority of moms, breakfast is one of the most dreaded meals since it takes place first thing in the morning when the entire family is scrambling to get to work, school or an event. Factor in multiple children or a fussy eater and the anxiety and stress doubles! Our Kellogg's PJ Party was a great opportunity for momstown to provide the learning tools to address the above challenges and providing suggestions on how to keep breakfast simple, relaxed and fun without compromising on nutrition.

We started off the event at Cirque Du Play by letting the kids run around and play in order to build up an appetite. Alot of times the mornings are just so rushed that children go directly from bed to the kitchen table and are expected to wolf down something in a 15min slot. That can put a considerable amount of pressure on them and lead to an absolute refusal to eat. Allowing for a few minutes of play time might help to overcome the "rushed" feeling and you'll find that your child may actually ask you for something to eat alleviating the morning struggle all together.

After a little bit of bouncing around and checking out the crafts, everyone was ready to dig in to the amazing spread of cereals, fresh fruits, yogurts, milk, orange juice and coffee. The table was bright and colourful and the set up was staged intentionally to be very eye catching and inviting. I guess it worked because we had no problem filling the seats when I announced that breakfast was being served! The kids were thrilled that they were empowered to choose what they wanted and couldn't wait to try dig in. A few of the moms were surprised at what their little ones reached for and more importantly consumed.

As we ate, I shared some interesting stats and info that helped to clear up some of the misconceptions that our moms had about "sugary processed cereal". As we chatted, we all agreed that the concept of dining together should be the norm but in our ever so busy days, we find that it doesn't always happen. My biggest discovery which was no surprise to me (I'm guilty of this myself) was that although the moms were ensuring their children's dietary needs were being met, they were not taking the time to eat themselves. After some walking around and coaxing the moms to sit and pour themselves a bowl, I too was able to pull up a chair and snack on some blueberry mini wheats once Zackery gave them up : )

Once our tummy's were filled, we all gathered around for circle time where we sang some song and read a few stories. The kids loved listening to the book "The Underpants Zoo" that Scholastic sent us this month to go with our "At the Zoo" theme. The giggles and laughs were contagious and it was a great way to end such a wonderful event!

A big shout out to Kellogg's for sponsoring this event and giving our moms and tots a special day to relax, enjoy and learn that breakfast can be easy, fun and nutritious! Our moms loved their goody bags that included $25 worth of coupons to help stock their cupboards. I know at least one mom that will be serving up cereal for the next little while - Congrats to Kelly for winning the Kellogg's Grand Prize Pack!

momstown Milton Mom to Mom Fall Sale

2011-09-10T17:24:00.014-04:00

Looking for a great deal? momstown is famous for its mom to mom sales! You'll be falling all over the Great Deals on gently used baby & children's clothing, toys, equipment and other goodies. Lots of brand names and like-new quality.

Our Fall mom to mom sale is being held locally in the heart of Downtown Milton so that we can get the entire community involved. We offer tables at a great rate to moms who need to declutter their homes, promote local businesses and mompreneurs through our goody bags and most importantly provide a GREAT Milton based event to our moms who are always searching for a great deal! momstown Milton is committed to getting involved!

Our sale takes place:

Sunday October 2nd from 8:00am - 11:00am

Cirque Du Play

525 Main Street East, Milton ON L9T 3J2

FREE Entry for momstown Milton members
$2 for non-member

Goody Bags for the first 50 people!

This is a CASH ONLY event.

For more details about the sale or to reserve a spot as a seller please contact:info.milton@momstown.ca

Fun with Fruit

2011-08-19T21:28:00.012-04:00

This month our momstown Milton junior chefs had the opportunity to have fun with fruit by assembling fruit kabobs with dip. Our instructor Mary-Anne started off the program by stressing the importance of kitchen safety and demonstrating to the kids how to carefully spear the fruit onto the wooden skewers.

After the safety lesson was completed, we spent some time identifying each of the fruits that were cubed on the trays before us. What a tasty variety! The kids could hardly wait to get started. They were each given their own skewer and began to pierce each cube with parental supervision. It was a simple yet challenging task for our youngsters that helped to build on developing their fine motor skills. You can see the intense look of focus and concentration on their faces and how proud they were as they completed the task!

Once the skewers were completed, the dipping began. There was carmel, chocolate, vanilla yogurt and coconut to choose from. Most of us could not make a decision so we settled on sampling all of them! What a decedent, healthy treat!

Want to catch a glimpse of what we're up to in the kitchen next month? Register for our 6 week FREE trial membership and join us for the next momstown cooking adventure!

momstown Milton Birthday Bash!

2011-08-10T13:34:00.026-04:00

August is officially momstown's birthday since it is the month that our very first chapter - Burlington was launched 4 years ago! Since then, momstown has expanded to 18 chapters Canada wide with more openings being planned for 2012! our Milton chapter was lucky enough to be the first one to kick off this month long party celebration and it was a HUGE success! I couldn't believe the line up that started to form even before the event began!

The swag bags were full to the brim and our first 50 party goers got to take advantage of all of the amazing savings that were offered by our local and national businesses such as: Sharkey's,Our Kids Media, Life Choice Foods,Olivia Rose Designs, Snails n Pails, Clorox,Urban Sports Club, and sooo many more! Our members were not surprised because as a momstown mama, they get to take advantage of discounts everyday just by flashing their membership cards all over town : )

We literally kicked off the event with our Karate demo by Academy of Martial Arts. The parents and tots were taught some effective defensive moves to protect themselves from strangers and attacks.

After the work out, we took a 5 min break and allowed everyone to cool off and take a peek at reptiles and snakes that Safari Science had brought to showcase. It took some of us a bit of time to muster up the courage to pet them but after a few minutes, we all became life long pals! momstown organizes a variety of educational field trips that allow our children to learn about the animal kingdom. Check out our most recent trip where we visited Big Bird!

Wee Jam was up next with Julie leading our circle time with songs and instruments that got everyone movin and groovin to the beats. DYK that momstown Milton runs a monthly musical program where moms and tots learn new songs that focus around our monthly themes.

We made sure that even our youngest participants were kept busy and entertained by designating a Discovery Toys Infant play area for them to learn and explore through play and giving them the opportunity to socialize with other babes. DYK that momstown Milton has a weekly infant play group for this very reason!

The toddlers and preschoolers had a blast at the Dazzle Art table creating their own individual birthday hats. Crafts are a large part of the momstown Milton program. Look for our Crafty Critters program, Picasso's in the Park,Children's Book club to name a few!

Even at a birthday party core values such as sharing, lining up, taking turns, patience all came into play as the kids lined up to visit Kitsa of the Catwalk Girls to have make up or tattoos applications, taking a turn on the bouncy castle provided by the Dance Shop or to try out the gym equipment provided by Monkeynastix. We did have a few melt downs but that was OK at this event and all of our momstown Milton events. Our mamas band together to offer support and a helping hand so you don't have to worry about your child always being the perfect child! We offer support on our message board and schedule talks where we discuss and try to offer solutions to the every day challenges we face as moms!

No Birthday party is complete without the food, cake,and presents! A big shout out to Boston Pizza for supplying the all time favourite - Pizza, TA Bounce events for the yummy cotton candy, Oh Baby Child Safety Services for the water and juice boxes and Cakes by Tanith for the wonderfully decorated cake and cupcakes for our event!

Our prize table was stacked with over 20+ incredible door prizes from our very generous sponsors: President's Choice,Little Tikes, Smashbox, Maple Leaf, Greenworks,Hasbro,My Smart Hands, Isagenix,Once Upon a Child,Harmony Is and many more!Check out the winners to see if you recognize any of them!

A Big Shout Out to everyone that came out to our event! It was great catching up with the regulars and just as great getting to know all the new moms that dropped by to experience momstown Milton first hand. A special thank you to Carla from Creative Flash Photography for capturing the event! You can see more of her wonderful pictures by visiting our Face book Page. Don't forget to hit the "LIKE" button to keep up to date with our latest and greatest adventures!

I hope that you all had a fabulous time but just remember, it doesn't stop here. We arrange over 25+ events on a monthly basis where mom, babes, tots, and family get together. So what are you waiting for...come join the neighbourhood and get connected!

momstown meets "Big Bird"

2011-08-04T12:52:00.001-04:00

Our momstown Milton, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo little ones were so excited about meeting "Big Bird" today at our field trip to White Rock Ostrich Farm! You could see the excitement in their faces as they eagerly awaited for everyone to arrive. The kids definitely had a good lesson in patience as some of our mamas (including me) got lost and ended up being a tad bit late for the event. Thank goodness there was an awesome gift shop and play area to keep them occupied!

We began our tour by boarding a tractor pulled wagon and proceeded towards the cages where the adults and teen aged ostriches (yearlings) were housed. We learned that the adult males are separated into individual pens along with 3-4 females in order to keep them from fighting over the lovely ladies.

Next stop was the yearlings and were they ever excited to see us! They came running to us at top speeds ( DYK : ostriches can run 70kms per hour!) , pushing and shoving to get to the front for feeding time! Our moms and tots were a little overwhelmed by this massive stampede and most took a step back to avoid getting their fingers and toes nibbled on!

We then headed back to the nursery to take a peek in to see the cute, not so tiny babies. We learned that they need to stay in a well heated environment for the first 6 months and are then moved to the outside pens where they are able to survive even through our cold winter days. After seeing the babes, most of our moms opted not to try the ostrich burgers and munched on their brown bagged lunches instead. I on the other hand have had ostrich burgers in the past and know what a great treat they are so I wasn't shy to get my order in for lunch. Delicious!

A big shout out to our momstown Guelph mama Leanne for organizing such a wonderful and educational outing for our momstown mamas!

Stride to Ride Dino from Fisher Price is a hit with my Toddler!

2011-07-30T11:23:00.017-04:00

This month, my son was lucky to be chosen as part of the momstown test group for the Stride to Ride Dino from Fisher Price. I was super excited when it arrived and could not wait to put it together to give it a try. Like most men, my hubby tossed aside the instructions and proceeded to piece it together on his own. I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to assemble the parts with very little effort, in a short period of time and that he still had a smile on his face once it was completed!

We placed the Dino in the middle of the living room so that it would be the first toy my son would see when entering the room. The look on his face was priceless! He was smiling from ear to ear and instantly this Dino and him were the best of friends.

He was intrigued by the noises that it made and kept on petting it so that he could hear the music and the sounds over and over again. When the "bouncing" noise played, my son would actually lift the Dino up and start to jump and bounce with it. When the Dino said "woo who" my little guy mimicked and said "woo, woo" and when it roared, my son would give out a giant roar right back at it and laugh. It was the cutest thing to watch.

His biggest dilemma is trying to decide if he is going to ride it or take it for a walk. I was happy with either decision since it meant keeping him active and burning off some energy which usually equates to a longer nap time.

momstown is currently running a contest where you can win a Fisher Price Stride to Ride Dino of your very own. Just visit the momstown contest page and enter to win!

A big shout out to Fisher Price for a well thought out interactive toy that my toddler is over the moon about!

How to build a Sandcastle

2011-07-28T20:26:00.008-04:00

Our little ones visited Indigo Milton yesterday for our Children's book club.The momstown themed curriculum was At the Beach this month so we focused on all that the beach has to offer. We started off with our craft which focused on how to build a sandcastle. The tots had a great time with this tactile experience and even our youngest members dove right in to give it a try.

After we finished constructing our castles, we assembled for circle time. We sang songs about creatures you would find in the ocean. A few of the favourites were Five Little Fishes in the Sea,Fish in the Sea and Five Little Shells.

We were then ready to read our feature book "The Sandcastle Contest". This is a classic tale from Robert Munsch and the kids absolutely adored it! If you've never read the book here is a summary of what it is all about. At the end of the program we were able to give away a copy of the book to our lucky winners Alexandra and Gabriella courtesy of Scholastic Canada!

Sign up now for next months Children's book club where will be focusing on Making Music!

momstown is hosting a FREE Birthday Bash and You're Invited!

2011-07-27T19:59:00.037-04:00

momstown Milton is celebrating our Birthday in a BIG WAY!.
All Milton & surrounding area families are invited to attend our FREE family event to celebrate momstown's Birthday!

Friday August 5, 2011
10am - 12pm
The Dance Shoppe
775 Main Street Unit#3, Milton

First 50 families receive a Loot Bag full of goodies!! Join us for a fun filled morning with arts and crafts, circle song time, a karate demo, a dance demo,a designated infant play area, parachute games, a table full of door prizes, free pizza sticks, cotton candy & cupcakes!

momstown Milton's Awesome Birthday Activity Schedule:

Front Entrance @10am:
Welcome table open for sign in and goody bag distribution for the first 50 mamas!

Studio#1 @10:10am:
Karate Demo by Academy of Martial Arts - parent and child participation.

Studio#1 @10:40am:
fitness demo with Monkeynastix

Studio#1 @11:10am:
Dance Demo by The Dance Shoppe - children will be taught some groovy dance moves!

Studio#1 @11:30am:
Parachute games led by momstown Milton

Studio#2 @11:45am:

FREE Boston Pizza, cupcakes by Cakes by Tanith, cotton candy supplied by TA Children & Public Event Planner and the cutting of the birthday cake!

Studio#2 will be where the ongoing activities such as designated play area for infants sponsored by Discovery Toys, arts and crafts table hosted by Dazzle Art, Circle time and singing with Wee Jam, Safari Science reptile demo and much, much, more!

Carla Leal from Creative Flash Photography will be joining us to capture all the smiles on the little ones faces!

Amazing door prizes and inserts from our local sponsors include: Once Upon a Child, My Smart Hands, Sharkey's Milton, Isagenix, Our Kids Media, Snails n Pails, Olivia Rose Designs, Urban Sports Club, and many more!

Prizes from National Sponsors include: Little Tikes, Clorox, Greenworks, President's Choice, Maple Leaf Foods, Hasbro, Life Choice Foods, Smashbox Cosmetics, Kids CBC.

Keep up with the newest details (more prizes and partners to announce!!) on our momstown Milton Facebook Page and our site Message Board (register here for a free trial membership). Sign up to reserve your spot on our Facebook event, on our momstown calendar or by emailing Sam Kassam-Macfie.

Good to the Last Drop!

2011-07-22T20:16:00.000-04:00

Smoothies were on the menu this month at our momstown Milton Junior Chef program. The weather has been so hot and humid which has led to a lot of our little ones refusing to eat much. We thought that this would be a great way to keep them hydrated and get a little bit of nutrition into them in the process. I always find that if my child helps in the process of making the item, he is more likely to actually consume it.

The recipe was very simple. One cup of frozen or fresh fruit, one cup vanilla or flavoured yogurt, one cup of mango peach juice and one cup of ice. Blend and serve!Check out our momstown meals site for some more summer time treats!

While making the smoothies there are all kinds of teaching opportunities that present themselves to you. For example learning about quantities and how to use a measuring cup.Identifying each of the types of berries that you are mixing into the drink. Observing the mixture change colours as it is being blended and figuring out why it turned orange and not purple like the one the other kids made!

Once the "lesson" was over, the moms and tots got to sit down and enjoy a good tasty treat. What a refreshing way to keep cool on a hot summers day! A big shout out to Mary-Anne for sponsoring this monthly event! Next month we will be making ....

Fun at the Beach!

2011-07-17T15:44:00.009-04:00

This months momstown educational curriculum theme is "Fun at the Beach" so our local southwest chapters Burlington, Milton, Oakville,and Kitchner-Waterloo decided to get together for a momstown Beach Party at Kelso / Glen Eden Conservation Park. We couldn't of asked for a more beautiful day! The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We had arrived early enough (around 9:30am) that we were able to secure a shaded area under some willow trees right beside the washrooms, snack bar and close to the water!

A lot of us had never been to this beach so we didn't know what to expect. A group of us ventured over to the water to check out the temperature to see if we could put our little ones in to splash about. We were pleasantly surprised that it was cool not cold so we plopped down the babes and tots on the shoreline and let them get to work with their shovels and pails.While the tots were busy constructing their mots and castles,some of the moms were able to sit, chat and soak up some of the suns rays.

I love these field trips because it allows me to have the opportunity to mingle with our members on a casual basis and get to know them better. I chatted with several moms who told me that they would have never attempted to go to a beach alone with their child for fear of not knowing if they could handle it on their own. They had only done so because it was a momstown outing and knew that there would be other mamas around to help out of needed. I must admit that is the very reason why I myself had not been to Kelso Beach even though I have a season's pass! It's a great feeling knowing that momstown is providing support and helping build confidence in our moms (including me) to get out of the house and enjoy all that summer has to offer.

If you're looking to be more active this summer and get connected with your neighbourhood moms, please visit our momstown Milton website and register for your FREE 6 week trial membership!

Gymnasts in the making!

2011-06-27T21:55:00.011-04:00

Our momstown toddlers joined the Milton Springers today for a parent and tot gymnastics demo. The kids were absolutely amazed by the gym. You could see their eyes widen as we entered the facility that was filled with a multitude of brightly coloured equipment that they had never been exposed to before. What a treat!

We started off the demo by doing a warm up session and then learned how to "present". For the girls, you place your feet together and then put both hands in the air like a "Y". For the boys, you place one arm at your side and one arm in the air. They were taught that they should perform this stance after completing each move.

After we had that mastered, we participated in a circuit style activity which allowed us to experience a variety of the equipment available. The trampoline, the foam pit and the climbing wall seemed to be the top three favourites!

The parents were thrilled that the little ones enjoyed themselves and got a great workout in the process! Our Milton mamas and tots would like to thank the Springers for a fantastic demo! We will see you again in September.

wordless wednesday - potty training

2011-06-22T23:34:00.003-04:00

A Very Berry Day!

2011-06-17T20:07:00.012-04:00

Our momstown Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Burlington & Milton members all met up at Springridge Farm today to get in on the action of sampling the first batch of strawberries of the season. I was super excited since not only was this my first time at the farm but also my first experience ever picking strawberries in a field rather then a grocery store! I could tell Jaxon was ready for the experience as well since he would not let go of the basket.

We were transported to the fields in a wagon drawn by a tractor. As we made our way to one of the furthest fields, I couldn't help but notice the perfect rows of strawberries well spaced out for people to be able to pick from either side. I was rather surprised to learn that the rows were lined with straw. Jaxon wasn't too sure of his footing at first and walked very cautiously getting used to the feeling under his feet. I began picking the berries as he was trying to figure out his surroundings and didn't realize that he had decided to plop himself down right beside the basket and help himself to a couple of strawberries...stem and all! I just had to laugh and of course grab the camera to capture the moment.

After struggling to balance trying to fill the basket while keeping Jaxon out of it, I finally gave up and headed back to the pick up zone to be weighed in and cashed out. Note to self, bring along an extra person when taking a toddler strawberry picking if you want to leave with a full basket!

We finished off our day at Springridge by visiting the children's play area which included a petting zoo, haystacks to climb on, a maze, and a huge sandbox filled with tractors, trucks and all sorts of farm equipment. I can't wait until next week when we return on the weekend with our working mamas!

Exploring Mother Nature

2011-06-15T14:47:00.001-04:00

Our momstown Milton little explorers went on a scavenger hunt today around the Mill Pond. Each toddler was handed a scavenger list of items that they would need to search for during our walk around the pond. They came well prepared with safari hats, butterfly nets and binoculars to aid in the adventure they were about to have.

It was amazing to watch the tots take in and observe everything that crossed their path. High or low, up and down, they left no stone unturned. Some took the search rather seriously and were determined to check off every item on the list, while others just took their time to smell the roses and absorb it all in.

We were rather lucky to see a few live creatures up close and personal! Wow check out the fuzzy caterpillar on the twig or the baby goslings that swam right by us. While others like the turtles sun bathing on the log or the fish in the pond we had to observe from a distance.

All in all, we had a great time identifying the items on the list and I'm pretty certain that at least one little keener found them all! Our next Little Explorers event is scheduled for July 7th. Hope you are able to join us on our exciting adventure!

momstown Milton takes on The Big Cook!

2011-06-12T20:17:00.001-04:00

Our momstown Milton mamas were busy yesterday prepping and assembling enough meals to feed an army...at least that's what it felt like for our Big Cook Event! I make meals because I have to not because I enjoy it so to participate in this momstown chapter wide event was a challenge for me but one that truly paid off in the end!

We had some seasoned chefs in our group who made the most difficult meals look like a breeze. At one point, I wish I had a stop watch because I swear that one of our moms assembled a meal in less then a minute when she realized that she had rotated to the wrong station!

I was thankful for the wine that was provided to us by Chateau Des Charmes and the dips that came from Summer Fresh to get me through the evening. I am a stress eater so this provided comfort for me to help calm me down. I was also relieved to learn that I was not the only mama that felt like this..thanks Sheri for sharing and making me feel better : )

A big shout out to the mamas who ended up assembling my meals for me while I had to run home to get the bag of ingredients that I had forgotten on my kitchen table!

I went home with approximately 32 ready made meals for my 2.5 sized family in a matter of hours! This means I am going to spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing the things I love to do during these summer days for the next month! Gotta luv it!

momstown Milton Tikes learn Karate

2011-06-12T14:25:00.009-04:00

Our momstown Milton Tikes visited Julie & Shawn at the Academy of Martial Arts this week for a karate demo. The class focussed on teaching the kids about discipline, respect and self defense. Before entering the dojo, we were asked to remove our shoes and line up in a straight line to bow and recite "Os" which is a traditional greeting to show respect and courtesy to the instructor.

We started off by warming up first to loosen up and get prepared to do some defensive moves. We learned a persuader, release, and a hit and run technique that could be used to try and get away from a stranger. First you start off with the kick and stomp, this is know as the persuader.

Then you make a fist, slide it down your arm forcfully while pulling your wrist that is being held away from the attacker "the release". It is encouraged that the child use an outdoor voice at this point and yell "Kiai" which is a spirited yell that helps channel all of their energy into the move.

The final step was the palm strike to the nose. Once the grip is broken it gives the child the opportunity to get away - the hit and run.

Both our parents and tots had a wonderful time learning the moves and gaining some insight on how to defend ourselves when presented with a dangerous situation. Thank you Julie and Shawn for taking the time to teach us such valuable life skills!

momstown summer standard!

2011-06-11T20:18:00.014-04:00

Our little ones gathered at Lowville Park yesterday for our first of many Picasso's in the Park programs.Our momstown Milton members met up with momstown Burlington to create some wonderful, vibrant works of art and enjoy a day out in the sun.

Our theme this month is Construction so we used different mediums such as cars, trucks, loaders etc to wheel thru the globs of paint that was scattered all over the tables.

At one point, one of our tots discovered that the car he was playing with could be wound up and released to spin it's wheels. The paint splattered everywhere! What a mess, but that's what it is all about! Letting loose, letting go of your inhibitions and just allowing yourself and your child to explore and enjoy without worrying about the clean up afterwards!

Once our budding artists were done, we pulled out the giant parachute to sing some songs and play some games. I think the moms liked "sleeping bunnies" the best because it seemed to settle down the kids if only for a few moments!

Park play and a picnic in the park was a great way to wrap up the event. I can't wait until next month when we do it all again with different sensory equipment. You'll have to sign up to attend in order to find out what we will be using next!

Busy Bees at Work

2011-05-28T11:50:00.008-04:00

Can't stand the heat of the not having an activity to engage your little one in? Come join our monthly momstown Milton Junior Chef program. This months recipe was peanut butter bumble bees.

We started off the event by rounding up all of our participants to get their hands washed and prepped for handling the ingredients.

We then gathered around the table and listened as our instructor Mary-Anne Selwa from My Smart Hands read the steps out loud and our little busy bees went right to work executing each request. The kids were given spatulas to scoop out globs of peanut butter, spoons to mix the ingredients together, and we used our bare hands to crush the graham wafers into fine pieces. Once the mixture was set, it was time to roll it into balls to create the bodies. What a gooey mess!

The balls were lined up on wax paper and the finishing touches - the drizzling of the chocolate and the almond sliver wings were added to complete the bumble bee creations.

Momstown is sensitive to food allergies and will modify our recipe selections if we are informed of any such issues. We did post to ensure no one attending this event had a peanut allergy for the safety of all of our participants. If you would like to learn more about the great interactive, educational events that momstown Milton has to offer, please contact info.milton@momstown.ca.

momstown Milton mom to mom sale

2011-05-26T21:49:00.016-04:00

Great Deals on gently used baby & children’s clothes, toys, equipment and other goodies! Lots of brand names & like-new quality!

momstown is famous for it's mom to mom sales especially with our flagship, momstown Burlington that gets a line up around the block a half hour before the doors are opened! In past years, Milton has combined with our sister chapter and run it together.

This year we decided to stand alone and offer our Milton mamas a local venue so that we could get the entire community involved! From offering tables at a great rate to moms who needed to purge out their homes and do some spring cleaning, to promoting local business and mompreneurs thru our goody bags and providing a great Milton based event to our moms who are always searching for a great deal, momstown Milton is getting involved!

Our sale takes place:

Saturday May 28th from 8:30am - 11:30am
Masonic St. Claire Lodge
6321 Regional Road #25, Milton, ON L9T 1A1

FREE Entry for momstown members
$2 for non-members

Goody Bags for the first 50 people!

This is a CASH only event!

For more details please contact:
sam.kassam@momstown.ca

Mucking around with the Boar and Chick

2011-05-14T12:21:00.001-04:00

A little rain....ok alot of rain wasn't going to dampen our momstown members spirits for our tour today at the Boar & Chick. We suited up in our rain coats and rubber boots and headed out to the barn to see the new batch of baby piglets.

They were absolutely adorable that we needed to get a closer look. Tania was kind enough to take them out of the pen and allow us to pet them. I kept on saying "piggy, oink, oink" and my darling son Jaxon immediately started signing for food. Too funny! We were able to pick up some interesting facts about pigs such as their gestation cycle is 3-3-3: three months, three weeks and three days and the little ones give out an ear piercing high pitched squeal as a way to communicate that they are in distress.

We then headed up to the loft to see the chickens. There were about 75 chickens that produce approximately 6 dozen eggs daily that needed to be collected. So we put the kids to work gathering the eggs from each of the coupes. A chicken lays one egg per day for the first year and then starts to slow down to one egg every 2-3 days. by the time they get to the end of their cycle, the eggs that are produced are less frequent but larger and tend to have a double yolk.

We braved the rain as Mark took us outside and guided us around the property and down to the creek. We were able to see signs of the beavers busy at work building a dam, the place where some deer had laid down for the night and even picked up a toad in our travels.

When we got back to the barn, there was a refreshing batch of lemonade and chocolate covered bacon for us to sample. It sure sounded like an odd combination but once we bit into it, we were asking for more. We also did a little bit of shopping and picked up some farm fresh eggs and bacon to take home with us.

A big thank you goes out to Rhonda our tour guide and Mark and Tania the owners of the Boar & Chick for having momstown Milton & momstown Burlington as their guests. We had a terrific adventure!

Crafty Critters - Beautiful Butterflies

2011-05-10T14:56:00.002-04:00

Every month momstown has a theme that all of the chapters incorporate into our events for the month. May's educational curriculum theme was Butterflies and Bullfrogs. The kids were very excited to see the tables set up with feathers, bingo dabbers and colourful beads to create their one of a kind butterfly.

The infants had their own special art piece to create. They were given some paint and a bath sponge and then let loose to see what they could come up with. A few of them decided to get creative by picking up the paint bowls and mixing them together. The outcome was stunning! We weren't able to cut out the butterfly since the paint was still wet but the moms were given the pipe cleaner antenna's and google eyes to complete the project at home.

Check out some of the other crafts that were completed this month by our sister chapters momstown Newmarket and Aurora, momstown Central Alberta and momstown Guelph!

Swings, Slides & Snacks

2011-05-09T13:40:00.006-04:00

Mother Nature finally decided to give us some great weather today and our momstown Milton toddlers decided to take full advantage of it. The kids were actually cooperative in allowing the mamas to dress them in their hats, sunglasses and slather them with sunscreen without much resistance. It felt like they knew that the quicker we were able to prep them, the sooner we would all be out the door heading to the local park.

Once we arrived, the little ones scattered in search of their favourite piece of equipment. Slides and swings were the most sought after ones, but for my little guy, a ball is all he required to put a smile on his face. He holds on to it from sunrise to sunset and the only time he will put it down with a little convincing is when it's snack time!

We found a primo spot in the shade and laid out a buffet style snack to share with everyone. On the menu was vegetable crackers, cheddar mini rice cakes, graham crackers, arrow route cookies and of course a sippy to quench our thirst after such a fun workout!

What a perfect way to spend a gorgeous sunny morning! Our sister momstown chapters have been taking advantage of the great weather as well. Check out their blog spots to see what activities their members have been partaking in!

Tiara's, Tutus and Prince Charming

2011-05-08T14:59:00.021-04:00

Our group enjoyed a very magical morning today at the Dance Shoppe for our momstown Milton Mother's Day Tea Party held on Friday May 6th. The moms and tots arrived in their dazzling outfits that included tiara's, tutus and a few Prince Charming dudes!

Miss Lindsay started off the event with a free tumbling demo that had our little ones bouncing, singing and dancing too!

Then we were off to put together our Mother's Day craft for our moms to take home as a keepsake. The craft was a flower stem with a beautiful sentimental poem printed beside it. All of the kids were able to participate in creating a hand or footprint stamp that completed the picture for moms to take home and frame.

Once craft time was over, it was time for tea! We all sat down to a formal place setting with some very tasty treats to sample. There were finger sandwiches, croissants and a variety of delicious jams from Springridge farms, biscuits, apple juice, Starbucks coffee and a wide selection of teas to sip on.

Circle time was next and we sure did have fun singing songs about love to our mamas, playing with the parachute and reading a book titled "Are you my Mummy?" Little Polar Bear. It was all about a little polar bear cub trying to find his mummy and all of the different types of animals he meets during his search. Simple yet engaging for all ages!

Sadly enough the event came to an end however for a few lucky mamas the pampering will continue with some fantastic services / items from Karen's flower shop and Allegra Spa.

Here is a glimpse of how a few of our sister chapters were spoiling their members.momstown Barrie, momstown Newmarket and Auroraand momstown Burlington. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Celebrating Mother's Day with momstown!

2011-05-04T13:30:00.011-04:00

momstown is starting early with spoiling our mamas and celebrating Mother's Day in every way that we can think of! We started off right from the beginning of May by offering a momstown Membership Madness Sale to all of our existing and new members alike!

Here's how it works: Spend $45 for our membership and receive exclusive discounts from our fabulous partners valued over $150*!! Discounts from Mabel's Label, Name Your Tune, Gingerbread Monkeys and Photobook Canada .. just to name a few! Don't miss out on the savings, sale ends May 10th!

We didn't just stop at a membership sale. We are also hosting a momstown facebook fan party tonight - Wednesday May 4th @ 8:30pm! As we all know, no one throws a party like momstown! Be sure to log on to get in on the great give aways we have to offer. First time at a fan party? I warn you in advance that it can be very addictive!

On the neighbourhood front, momstown Milton will be hosting a Mother's Day tea party on Friday May 6 at the Dance Shoppe. The little ones will be kept occupied with a FREE tumbling demo and a special craft project that mom can take home as a keepsake. Our mamas will be spoiled with tea and coffee sponsored by Starbucks - Kennedy Circle, along with finger sandwiches and cookies to be served by our tots. We will be raffling off some amazing door prizes from Allegra Spa and Karen's Flower shop to some lucky moms.

momstown Milton wishes all of our mamas a Happy and Relaxing Mother's Day...ENJOY!

Take time to stop and smell the Roses!

2011-04-22T17:51:00.001-04:00

This months momstown theme is all about Flowers. Our Milton munchkins have had a wonderful time learning about the different types of flowers and singing new songs on how to get a garden to grow.

Planting Time - Tune "Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Dig, dig, dig the earth (make digging motion)
Then you plant your seeds (pretend to drop seeds)
A gentle rain (Flutter fingers down)
And bright sunshine (Circle arms above head)
Will help your flowers grow (Hold one arm parallel to ground and move other arm up behind it with fingers extended to represent a flower growing)

Flowers are a great sensory tool for all ages. The softness of the pedals for tactile stimulation, sniffing the flower for its scent to get a sense of its sweet fragrance, the taste of an edible flower such as a dandelion and the vivid array of colours that are displayed in a bouquet.

We hold our weekly Shake, Rattle and Roll class at Sharkey's Milton at 10:30am on Wednesday mornings. If you would like to join us or would like more details about momstown Milton please get in touch with Sam Kassam-Macfie.

a Bunny, a Chick and a Basket full of Eggs!

2011-04-21T15:55:00.001-04:00

Our momstown Milton tots were all hyped up in anticipation of our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. In past years the hunt has been held outdoors at Rotary Park but since Mother Nature had been very unpredictable this year, we decided to move the event indoors just to be safe. A big shout out goes to Kidz Korner for offering their facility to us on such short notice!

The kids were absolutely adorable dressed in their Easter attire and were very excited to see a table full of goodies that the mamas had brought for our potluck snack after the hunt. We especially enjoyed some really cute itsy bitsy cupcakes that were donated by Mona from Dessert by Me! They were just the right size for little hands to handle! Brilliant idea!

The little ones scoured high and low for the eggs and did not stop until their baskets were full. The mamas were pleasantly surprised as the kids revealed that there was a variety of treats such as bouncy balls and stickers with a few chocolates in the mix. Even the infants were kept occupied with a special treat of bubbles for them to observe as they floated in the air above.

The next activity involved an egg and a spoon. The kids had to balance the plastic egg on a large spoon and walk around without dropping it. This activity helped to work on skill sets such as balance, hand and eye coordination and patience. You could see the intense concentration on their faces and how proud they were once they had mastered the task. Way to go!

Then the floor was opened up for free play and snack time. There were some difficult choices to be made between the ball pit, the tunnels and the train station or the tasty delights that were waiting at the snack table! In the end everyone got to sample a bit of everything and left with a smile on their face!

Easter activities have been going on in all of our momstown chapters this week. Don't forget to check out our momstown arts and crafts blog for some great craft ideas to keep the little ones occupied this Easter Weekend!

Watching our Little Buds Bloom

2011-04-16T20:18:00.014-04:00

Our momstown tots were at Scribble n Splatter this past week for our monthly Crafty Critters program. This months theme was all about flowers and our young artists had no reservations about throwing themselves into their art work to create a colourful bouquet.

For some of our momstown Milton budding artists this was their first time exploring with paint and they embraced it wholeheartedly! Even the mamas let down their guard and got just as messy as the little ones did.

Looks like we weren't the only chapter throwing ourselves into our art. Check out our sister chapter Barrie to see their colourful creations. A great time was had by all and we can't wait to return next month when we will be learning about Bullfrogs and Butterflies!

momstown helps Milton get a makeover!

2011-04-15T21:07:00.001-04:00

This morning was our Earth Day Event and to celebrate it, our momstown Milton moms and tots participated in the Milton Makeover Program that was held by the town.

We chose Rotory Park as our designated area to clean up since we hold a majority of our events there through out the summer months. It was a cold and windy day but that did not stop our clean up crew led by Mary-Anne Selwa from My Smart Hands from showing up!

Our little helpers were outfitted with gloves and garbage bags and once equipped, headed off eagerly in search of any trash that they could find. The kids made a game of it by running to the next piece and keeping track of who collected the most.

After all of their hard work, they enjoyed a snack and then headed over to the playground to reward themselves for a job well done. Thanx so much to everyone who participated in keeping our parks clean and green!

Our Earth day celebrations & efforts were not just limited to Milton. Check out our variety of momstown blogs to see how the momstown Earth Day movement is spreading throughout the communities!

Centreville EGGstravaganza Giveaway!

2011-04-11T21:13:00.015-04:00

momstown has a Giveaway for tickets to Centreville Amusement's Easter EGGstravaganza - the largest Easter Egg Hunt in Toronto! Easter weekend April 22-24, 11am-5am

We have a set of passes for each Halton momstown chapter: momstown Burlington, momstown Milton & momstown Oakville to give away.

To enter the momstown Easter EGGstravaganza contest, you need to:

a) LIKE the momstown Facebook Fan Page of your chapter (click here)
momstown Burlington FB Fan Page
momstown Milton FB Fan Page
momstown Oakville FB Fan Page

You can enter 3 times if you want to make the hunt around to each chapter!

b) Visit the chapter blog and make a COMMENT in the Giveaway post comment section telling us that you visited Facebook and liked our page.

Our blog links:
momstown Burlington Blog
momstown Milton Blog (right here! Make a comment below here!)
momstown Oakville Blog

This momstown contest will be open from April 11 - April 19th - enter today! Those who both like the Fan Page and make a comment on the blog will be entered and one random winner will be selected for the prize from each chapter on the 19th. Good Luck!!

Join us on Centre Island on Friday April 22, Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24 from 11 - 5pm for an Easter EGGstravaganza on Centre Island!

Exploring for Signs of Spring

2011-04-09T16:44:00.018-04:00

This mornings hike at Britton Forest Trail was a hugh hit with our momstown Milton outdoor adventurers.

Our tour guide Rhonda from Nature's Backpack was very knowledgeable and had scouted out the trail earlier in the week to ensure that it was fit to take our little ones trekking thru it. She presented the information in an interactive way by posing leading questions that prompted the kids to figure out the answers. This was a great way to start off the hike since it got the children excited about what they were going to discover.

Everyone had a great time exploring every inch of the trail. We got down low on the ground and under the leaves to find a caterpillar and a sprout just emerging from the earth, and reached up high to the branches to check out the tiny little buds that were just beginning to form.

A great way to expand on this experience would be to make a homemade compass to help teach directions. I personally could use a refresher in this area since I got lost trying to get there!

Where are all the Easter Eggs hiding?

2011-04-07T11:20:00.020-04:00

Are the kids getting excited about Easter? Are they asking where the hunt will be? New to Milton and just not sure what's going on around town? Here's a few suggestions of what you can do with the family during the Easter Long Weekend.

Momstown Milton will be hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Tuesday April 19,2011. The kids will participate in Easter themed activities and then search the fields for the hidden eggs.We will then sit down for story time while enjoying a sweet treat sponsored by Dessert by Me. For more details or to participate in this FREE event please contact Sam Kassam-Macfie.

Boston Pizza Milton will be holding an Easter Egg Decorating session on Friday April 22, from 11am-3pm. When you go in for lunch on this day, the little ones will be given the opportunity to decorate an egg while waiting for your pizza to be prepared.

The Downtown Milton Easter Parade takes place on Saturday April 23,2011 @ 10am. Participating businesses will be opening their stores to our youngsters. Don't forget to wear your Easter bonnet or bunny ears and to bring along a basket. There is no charge for this event. The start of the route will be at the corner of Main and James Street at 10am!

Springridge Farm Easter Weekend festivities will be held the entire Easter long weekend from April 22-24. Activities are scheduled between 10am -4pm daily. Check out Springridge Farm website for a detailed listing of whats offered and admission fees.

Want to build some family traditions of your own, check out our momstown site for great ideas on how to make Easter craft keepsakes at home!

momstown Milton wants to take this opportunity to wish all of our mamas and munchkins a Happy Easter and we hope that the Easter Bunny is good to you!

Running on Empty?

2011-04-01T08:50:00.004-04:00

Let momstown help ease the pain of gas prices and get you out to more of our events by entering our contest to win one of two $25 gas gift cards. All you need to do is help us learn more about you so that we can serve you better, deliver more catered events and help you get the most out of momstown!

Click here to enter your chance to win! Good Luck to all!

Big News for momstown Milton!

2011-04-01T07:45:00.001-04:00

GOT YOU!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Come on mamas! You know we at momstown love messy children, not to mention yoga pants!! Not even Oprah could take those away from us!

We hope you all have a fantastic day!

DYK: April Fools' Day is celebrated all around the world on the April 1 of every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day where everyone plays all kinds of jokes and foolishness. The day is marked by the commission of good humoured or funny jokes, hoaxes, and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, teachers, neighbors, work associates, etc.

Traditionally, in some countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and South Africa, the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool".

"JOKE" Posted on our message board and monthly newsletter:

We are very excited to announce that momstown Milton has been selected by The Oprah Winfrey Network for a new reality show about real mom's!

momstown headquarters has requested that new policies be implented immediately to maintain momstown's image. Please see new rules below.

-Children's outfits must be pressed, clean and with no stains.
-Please refrain from bringing or providing snacks as they tend to make the children messy. Please feed your children before or after events
-momstown uniform must be worn at all times. They are available for purchase please click here for information (link to april fool's)
-Yoga pants on momstown mom's will no longer be tolerated.

Please see the rest of the rules as well as filming dates on our blog site

Popularity of Nursery Rhymes carried on thru the generations

2011-03-31T13:37:00.005-04:00

We grew up singing Nursery Rhymes and now our children are learning them. Where did these songs come from? What do they mean? Some lyrics are whimsical and are merely put together to provide entertainment and fun. Others however are deeply routed in our history and outline the story of events that were taking place in that period of time.

Over the years, the stories have been preserved thru song and children chanting them all over the world. If you would like to find out more about the origins of your favourite rhyme click here.

At this age, our momstown Milton tots are all about the nursery rhymes and the joy it brings hearing it recited over and over again. We had a great time at Indigo Milton with our Children's Book Club this month incorporating all of the little ones favourites into the program.

We started off by making our very own twinkle little star mobiles that each child could take home to hang in their bedroom to wish upon a star each night before going to bed.

We then sang classics and acted them out such as row, row, row your boat, Jack be Nimble, Little Miss Muffet, Pat a Cake and of course twinkle twinkle little star. We made the songs more personal by incorporating each child's name for example Little Master Jaxon sat on a tuffet... they absolutely loved it and couldn't wait for their turn to come around!

Check out some of our sister sites: momstown Oshawa-Port Perry and momstown Edmonton-North to see how they incorporated our Educational Ciriculum into their chapters.

Wordless Wednesday - Survival in the Woods

2011-03-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

wordless wednesday:Good to the last bite!

2011-03-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

Maple Towne - Sap to Syrup Story

2011-03-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

Our field trip this month was to Mountsberg Conservation to check out their Maple Towne Event. We started off walking thru the woods to see how the sap was collected from the trees. Did you know that of the 7 species found in Eastern North America, only 2 are used to collect sap to convert to syrup - the Sugar Maple and the Black Maple. The little ones were excited to see the sap collecting into the buckets and wasted no time sampling the "sweet water" that had accumulated. It was enough to quench their thirst but not their appetites!

We then headed over to the pancake house where there was a never ending line up of hungry customers all wanting to try the famous hot cakes. The wait was worth it! The kids quickly went to work devouring the stack and not a morsel was left. We couldn't leave without visiting the Candy Shack as advised by momstown Guelph who had visited earlier this month. I enjoyed sampling some of their fine Hard Maple Candy and couldn't resist going back for seconds to satisfy my sweet tooth. The secret to making good maple candy is that the syrup needs to be boiled at a temperature of at least 122-125 degrees Celsius.

Overall the trip was a hugh success with our momstown Milton mamas and tots! Visit our other momstown chapters blog spots to see other reviews about this event.

Monkeynastix Demo - Keeping Little Ones Active

2011-03-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

momstown Milton joined with Monkeynastix Canada to help educate our mamas about the importance of introducing fitness to our little ones at an early age. Their fun and creative approach to movement allowed our children to be children again. Monkeynastix is a broad-based, holistic program that combines creativity, music and storytelling with basic training in flexibility, balance, strength, agility, co-ordination and body awareness. Our momstown tots experienced the fun first hand by exploring all of the equipment and practising the different moves.

It was amazing to watch the instructors at work getting the kids to stand on a spot, stretch out and touch their toes and then jump up and down.They then moved on to the equipment which included trampolines, tunnels, balance beams, tread mills and an exercise bicycle. The thing that impressed me the most was the attention to details and proper posture that they were instilling right from the start. They had spotters that assisted each child to help build on proper technique and to avoid injury.

I also learned that the program is being offered in schools and even day cares to help lay the foundation to a healthy lifestyle. Exercise not only promotes physical health but also contributes to so many other facets such as improved concentration, building confidence and helping to lay a strong base for higher order learning. Classes are being offered to children as early as age one and continues up to age eight. My little guy had so much fun that I think I will try out a full session to see what it's all about!

wordless wednesday - conquering your fears!

2011-03-02T13:24:00.001-05:00

momstown Milton - Field Trip to the Butterfly Conservatory

2011-02-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

A group of our momstown Milton mamas and tots headed out to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory today. The transformation from a cold, snowy winter day to a lush tropical humid setting was just what we needed to lift our spirits and remind us that spring is just around the cornor. The kids enjoyed exploring every part of the exhibit which included a variety of birds, flowers, plants, fish, turtles and of course butterflies! There was also an additional owl exhibit from the ROM that the kids got to view. The children watched in amazement as the butterflies fluttered all around us. A few even choose to get up close and personal with our youngsters. You could hear the squeals of delight everywhere you turned and that was enough to put a smile on everyones face! Did you know that a moth emerges from a cocoon and a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis. A cocoon is the silk casing many moth caterpillars spin around themselves and a chrysalis is formed when a caterpillar sheds it skin for the last time! Overall it was two thumbs up to the conservatory for providing a great morning of entertainment. Our various momstown chapters will be back!

Wordless Wednesday - Luv Your Body - inside and out!

2011-02-23T23:40:00.000-05:00

Why I love momstown!

2011-02-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

Currently there is a contest going on with momstown.ca titled "Why do you love momstown?". I thought that I would share with you why I became a momstown Milton mama. I have always been a very active. social person and have never really had any difficulty meeting people. All of that changed when we moved here to Milton and I became pregnant expecting my first child. The problem was that all of my peer group was back in T.O. and trying to get out there to visit them became more and more of a challenge as I approached my due date. The idea of being isolated and alone with a newborn scared me.I had never even held a newborn let alone having to be responsible for caring for one! I received an email from my husbands friends wife letting me know that there was an open house christmas party being held by a group called momstown and she encouraged me to attend it with her. I jumped at the opportunity to meet some local moms and boy was I ever glad that I did attend! There were approximately 20-30 moms and tots there ranging from infant to preschool. They were super friendly and chatty (just like me) and told me all about the various events, discounts,and support network thru the message board that was available to me just by becoming a member. The event itself was very well organized and impressive with a craft table, carolling, parachute games, and a book exchange run by Santa himself! I left the event feeling like I already belonged to the group and signed up as soon as I got home. Becoming a momstown mama is the best decision that I have made for me and my little one! I have met so many wonderful moms that I have been able to talk openly about any subject and have gained an abundance of confidence being a first time mom with the nonjudgemental support of each of them. I feel like I am now part of the Milton community and have taken on the role of owner to be an ambassador to all new moms out there who might be feeling a little lonely and afraid and just need a friend to chat with or a reason to get out of the house! Thank you momstown for making my transition into motherhood a lot less scarey and giving me the opportunity to pay it forward!

Breakfast Club the momstown way!

2011-02-12T09:31:00.000-05:00

We kicked started our Luv Your Body Event with a tumbling demo hosted by Miss Lindsy from the Dance Shoppe. The kids were introduced to the basics of dance and were encouraged to participate and be active. After a good physical workout the kids were ready to refuel! We sat down to an unbelievable nutritious spread that was sponsored by Kellogg's. Cereal, fruit, yogurt, juice, water, milk and coffee was on the menu and there wasn't a belly that wasn't full after such a feast! The infants had their own menu of butternut squash and chicken, peas, peaches and pears that Mums Kitchen provided as samples of her all natural baby food line..YUMMY! We finished off the event with our themed craft - heart people. The little ones had to identify the body parts as they assembled their creations. The book that I choose for the story time was titled "I Like Me" by Nancy Carlson. It was a great way to conclude the event because it enforced the concepts of feeling good about yourself and taking care of yourself inside and out! If you would like to see all of the pictures from this event please visit our momstown Milton facebook fan page! If you are interested in joining momstown Milton and taking part in all the amazing events please register for your 6 week free trial membership today!

This Months Theme Is: My Body - Feb 2011

2011-02-06T19:49:00.000-05:00

This months momstown Educational Curriculum Theme is My Body. We have planed many great physical activities for both moms and tots to get them out and about to establish a healthy lifestyle.

Did you know that obesity is becoming a major concern amongst our children and that 17% of children and adolescents are considered overweight and 9% are considered to be obese! (See the participaction website for more details)

Momstown Milton is proud to be a part of the solution. We realize that establishing a healthy lifestyle starts right from birth and that is why we offer an event calender packed with activities to keep everyone busy! This month we have arranged for demos from Monkeynastix, Kindermusik at Harmony Is and tumbling at The Dance Shoppe for our little ones. Our play dates include a Discovery walk, toddler bowling and infant swimming. Our mamas will be participating in spin classes at Premier Fitness and a Kettle Bell Physique Demo.

Eating right is another factor that needs to be considered to maintain a good balance. Did you know that people who skip breakfast can't make up for the missed nutrients later in the day! Kellogg's recognizes the importance of starting the day off right with a nutritious breakfast and will be sponsoring us with a complete cereal breakfast for our Luv Your Body Inside and Out event on Feb 11th. We will also be joined by Mum's Kitchen to sample her all natural baby food.

Our shake, rattle and roll classes, baby book club and crafty critters classes all reinforce the basics of science by focusing on the human anatomy thru songs, stories and crafts.

If you would like to find out more about momstown why not try out our free 6 week trial membership and get a first hand experience of what we're all about!

The Surprise Baby

2011-02-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

Since I know alot of our mamas are considering having multiple children, I thought you might enjoy reading this blog!

The Surprise Baby

Love is in the Air!

2011-02-04T19:52:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day came a little early this year for the toddler playgroup! Momstown Milton moms and kiddies gathered at Rocchina's house for a wonderful Valentine's themed playdate. Each child got to create their own Valentine's and mail it to their special someone. Then we all enjoyed double chocolate cupcakes! The icing on the little one's faces speaks for itself- they were delicious! Finally, we gathered around the living room to listen to a few good books. Everyone had a great time!

wordless wednesday - Family Time

2011-02-02T19:48:00.001-05:00

Shake, Rattle & Roll - Hats Theme

2011-01-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

Our momstown Milton munchkins had a great time with this months theme-Hats. They had a blast trying on different types of hats and learning new songs. They identified the various types of hats and what purposes they served such as protecting your head, keeping you warm and shading your eyes. The kids also had to figure out what occupation the hats were used for and then sang songs that were related to that particular job. It was a fun way to educate them on the importance of wearing a hat!
If you would like to incorporate some crafts with the program please visit our arts and crafts section of momstown.ca!

wordless wednesday

2011-01-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

Kellogg's "Love Your Cereal" campaign http://loveyourcereal.ca Check it out!

wordless wednesday

2011-01-19T13:39:00.001-05:00

Crafty Critters

2011-01-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

This months educational theme for all of our momstown chapters is Hats. Our momstown Milton munchkins had a wonderful time at Scribble n Splatter designing silly hats and feather hats to take home with them. Crafty Critters is a new program that has been introduced as part of our Milton monthly events for 2011. The program allows for our little ones of all ages to get creative,express themselves and make as much of a mess as they want. The best part of the program is that mom doesn't have to clean up! Our next Crafty Critters program is scheduled for Tuesday February 8th. If you would like to attend this event but are not a member please contact info.milton@momstown.ca for more details.

momstown Milton Mompreneur night

2011-01-17T20:08:00.000-05:00

Our first meeting of 2011 was a huge success. We started off the evening in a training session that focused on Social Media. The ladies came eager to learn and kept our presenter busy with several questions thru out the session. We then headed over to Shoeless Joes for the #MiltonTweetUp4 that was taking place that evening too. Most of our mamas had never been to a "tweet up" and were amazed at just how many entrepreneurs there are in Milton. We had a great time mingling with other business owners. The highlight of the event was when Dalton McGuinty showed up and took the time to meet with each person there. Our next momstown Milton mompreneur evening will be held on Fri Feb 11th at 7pm. If you are not a momstown member but are interested in attending this event, please e-mail info.milton@momstown.ca for the details.

Headstart to Healthy Habits

2011-01-15T12:45:00.001-05:00

This morning momstown Milton mamas braved the snow storm to attend a health seminar at Rexall pharmacy. This morning's session focused on the best care for a baby. Moms listened to a nutritionist speak while the kiddies enjoyed interacting with one another. After the presentation, kids got to try their hand at bowling and mini golfing, while moms got to enjoy some mom-to-mom chatter! Headstart to Healthy Habits is a bi-weekly program being offered to momstown Milton every other Saturday morning at 10:30. Each week a new topic will be discussed. The next session will run on Saturday, January 29th, the topic is 'what supplements to take during pregnancy'. Here's a picture of some of the kids taking a break from the bowling, colouring and golfing to enjoy a healthy snack!

My Smart Hands!

2011-01-15T08:39:00.000-05:00

Momstown Milton moms and babes enjoyed an hour demonstration by Mary-Ann of My Smart Hands. My Smart Hands is a locally run business that specializes in teaching children of all ages American Sign Language. Did you know the ideal time to start with signs is 6 months? We started off the class by going through the alphabet, then progressed to songs. All the children were entertained and having a great time! We sang and signed the hour away and before we knew it, it was time to go! Mary-Ann offers sign langauge classes throughout the week in Milton and surrounding areas. For more information, visit her website.

Holiday Cookie Exchange

2010-12-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

On Monday, December 6th, momstown Milton moms enjoyed a delicious Mom's night out at a Holiday Cookie exchange. Mary-Anne was a wonderful hostess, and she welcomed us all into her beautifully decorated festive house! She had prepared a variety of snacks for us to eat while we all enjoyed some adult conversation. Mary-Anne also made hot cocoa from scratch! It was like heaven in your mouth- so good! Of course, the night would not be complete without the cookies! We had a wide variety of cookies- chocolate chip shortbread, stained glass sugar cookies, apple oatmeal cookies, black forest crackles, fruit cake cookies and a Romanian cake. Everyone left with a dozen of each type of cookie. It was a great night out and a great start to the holiday season!

All that Glitters - Baby Book Club Dec 2010

2010-12-16T11:07:00.000-05:00

The theme for our year end momstown Milton baby book club was glitter and glam. The little ones started off with free play which of course included a bubble station. The craft was all about the glitter glue and shiny sequences as they decorated their snowflakes and christmas trees. The infants had a fun time painting using christmas cookie cutters, brushes and whatever body parts they could sneak in when mommy wasn't looking. We then gathered to hear the story "Snow Friends" by Christina Butler and ended off the program with instruments and carolling to celebrate the holiday season. Thank you Scribble n' Splatter for hosting our momstown event!

Springridge Gingerbread Man Making Tour

2010-12-13T19:58:00.000-05:00

Our momstown Milton budding bakers headed out to Springridge Farm this morning to design their very own gingerbread man. The program is based on an educational forum that is executed in a playful way. The kids got to smell the spices and touch the ingredients that go into making a cookie. They rolled the dough and decorated their men with icing and baking gummies. When they were done they got to listen to the story of The Gingerbread Boy while sipping on a complimentary peach drink. Thank you Springridge for the yummy treats!

momstown Milton Holiday Party 2010

2010-12-13T18:33:00.000-05:00

momstown Milton had our holiday party and it was a blast! The little ones enjoyed various activity stations, munchies and a special visit from the big man himself..Santa! Our momstown mommypreneurs participated by sponsoring the stations or donating a door prize for the event. The kids enjoyed playing with the toys provided by Toys Trunk, learning new christmas carrols using sign language led by Mary-Anne of My Smart Hands and balancing on beams from monkeynastix. The mamas learned about cloth diapers and slings from clothworks diapers and the importance of planning for your childs education thru establishing a reliable RESP. Special thanx goes out to Sharkey's Milton ,The Dance Shoppe , and Oh Baby Child Safety for their contributions to ensure this event was a hugh success! After the bubbles, parachute, crafts and toys this little one was all tuckered out as were our toddlers who had extended afternoon naps that day!

Christmas Hamper 2010

2010-12-07T18:14:00.000-05:00

Our momstown Milton mamas participated in the Halton Women's place Holiday Hamper Program this year. This organization was chosen by the members since it is a charity that supports motherhood and we all liked the concept of women and children helping other women and children. Once the family was assigned to us the moms wasted no time taking a divide and conquer approach to get the job done. The little ones were included by helping pick out the items needed and were taught the concepts of sharing and generosity in the process. What a great way to kick off the holiday season. Great job mamas!

Miles and Maizey Grand Opening

2010-12-04T22:24:00.000-05:00

What mama doesn't love to shop especially when it's for adorable outfits for their little one. Momstown Milton moms were at the Grand opening of Miles and Maizey Children's Boutique located in Carriage Square, Milton. Santa stopped by and the kids were all given the opportunity to take a picture with him. Santa also chatted with the mommies to see what was on their wish list...clothes of course! Thank you Deborah for a fun time!

Weekend playgroup

2010-12-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

Our weekend momstown Milton playgroup visited Scribble n' Splatter for a variety of holiday crafts. The craft stations were designed to incorporate all age categories and were well thought out to promote basic motor skills like pincher grip. We worked our way thru the snowman tearing station, the gingerbread man, the Ivy hanging piece but in the end the easels were where the little ones ended up the most. Creativity at this location is encouraged even when it means having a run away infant wanting to put his mark on everything. Where's that childs mommy :)

Mama Mini Makeovers

2010-12-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

Our momstown Milton moms had an afternoon of pampering at our mimi makeover event. We were given the opportunity to sit back and relax while the staff entertained our little ones. They reviewed cleansing techqniques, did a make up application and gave us tips on how to fit in a complete routine on a limited time schedule. We were offered refreshments and sent home with a sample pack that included cleansing cream, facial toner and day cream. Thanx Rexall for giving us a much needed break!

November Baby Book Club

2010-11-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

This month's baby book club theme was My house, Your House. We started off the event playing in our forts and building tall towers. The book selected was the "three little pigs" and the craft was designed to showcase each of the three pigs houses - straw, sticks and brick. We used shreddies for straw, chinese noodles for sticks and garlic croutons for bricks. The little ones had fun sampling the materials as they constructed their houses. Thanx Scribble n' Splatter for hosting such a wonderful event!

Firehouse tour

2010-11-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

Our momstown Milton munchkins had a great time at the fire station last week. We were greeted by inpsector Korby and Sparky who taught us all about fire prevention. We watched a short video on the ABC's of fire saftey which highlighted how to stop, drop and roll and to always have two escape routes planned in case of a house fire. We were then given a tour of the station and got to climb inside the fire truck. What an educational and fun way to spend the morning!

Sweet Night!

2010-11-26T22:31:00.001-05:00

Our momstown Milton moms enjoyed our dessert tonight! We met at a local cafe where the desserts were just fabulous! From the chocolate brownie cheesecake to the colussus chocolate cake, everyone left with a full tummy! The only thing better than the dessert was the company. We shared many laughs and had some great conversations. Overall, this mom's night out was the perfect way to start a weekend!

Pizza Making Party at Boston Pizza

2010-11-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

Our momstown milton junior chefs had a wonderful time at Boston Pizza making their very own personal pizza's. Upon our arrival, each chef was given their toppings to assemble on the pizza dough. Each child had their own unique technique on how to place the pepperoni and cheese to make the ultimate pizza. While we were waiting for the pizzas to bake in a 500 degree oven, we were given a tour of the kitchen. Each station had a special feature that caught the eye of both mamas and kids. The highlights were the heavy duty dishwasher that could get all of the dishes completed in 2 minutes, the large mixing bowl to kneed the dough,the walk in freezer and the induction burner for the pasta. The best part of the tour was when we got to sample our creations...YUMMY! Thank you Boston Pizza for teaching us how to make a great pizza!

Spiders and Bats- Baby Book club

2010-10-28T21:55:00.000-04:00

It's been a spooktacular week for momstown Milton! On Wednesday, children of all ages enjoyed October's Baby book club with a theme of spiders and bats! The children looked great in their Halloween costumes, as did the moms who also dressed for the occasion! During our time together, we read books about bats and spiders, sang songs, read poems, played games and danced.

The toddlers especially enjoyed jumping up and down to '10 Little Spiders Jumping on the Web'! The fun didn't stop there, after circle time, every child got to create at least 1 Halloween art activity. The young babies used their handprints to paint the wings of a bat, while the toddlers got to decorate a bat puppet and make a spider puppet. A fantastic time was had by all!

Momstown Milton- Tadpoles and Goldfish Halloween Playdate

2010-10-26T19:44:00.000-04:00

It was a full house on Monday when momstown Milton Tadpoles and Goldfish playgroup celebrated their first Halloween at Sharkey's. There were 3 tigers, a skunk, 2 cows, a rabbit, and elephant and a turtle! The little ones looked great! Babies gummed a little treat while moms indulged in cupcakes, cookies and fruit. The babies then played amongst themselves while the moms enjoyed some adult conversation and discussed various topics ranging from sleepless nights, crawling and feeding. The costumes were adorable, now if we could only get them to all look at the camera!

Mom's Night Out at Simply Creative

2010-10-21T12:18:00.000-04:00

Last night a few Momstown mama's enjoyed a nice night out at Simply Creative ceramic studio. With tons of ceramic pieces to chose from, picking the perfect piece was half the work! With the holidays around the corner, it's hard to not think of possible gift ideas when looking at the shelves of ceramics. Last night, many of our pieces were Christmas themed.

Each ceramic needs 3 layers of paint, which might sound like a daunting task, but with the good company of other Momtown members, the time just flies! A good time was had by all and we're all looking forward to our next Mom's night out at Simply Creative! Looking forward to next month's night out at Simply Creative, hope more moms can come out! A good time is guaranteed!

Gratifying Run for the Cure!

2010-10-04T22:43:00.000-04:00

Despite the cold & rain members from momstown Milton graciously ran & walked in the Run for the Cure yesterday. Our Milton moms ran at the Burlington site combined with momstown Oakville & momstown Burlington. Everyone was super excited in advance but nothing can compare to the actual day itself and the emotion of crossing the finish line.

Collectively, all of our momstown chapters raised almost $10,000 for the cause, simply incredible. Thank-you everyone who participated and donated. Well Done!!

momstown Milton at the Fair!

2010-09-27T19:32:00.000-04:00

Did you see us at the Milton Fair on the weekend? momstown Milton was at the Baby Show & contest on Sunday at the Fair watching wee little babes win blue ribbons for curliest hair, longest eyelashes, best laugh and cutest dimples.

Oh, and who coulda missed the sweetest little cowgirls and cowboys! Who knew cowboy boots even came in such tiny sizes!!

Afterwards we enjoyed the Fair and all the fun rides, animals and the Demolition Derby!

If we met you at the Fair, don't forget to activate your extra special trial membership and come out and experience momstown for yourself. Hope to see you all really soon!

momstown running for all mommies

2010-09-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

momstown Milton is Running for the Cure! Proudly, we have a large momstown team signed up to Run for the Cure on October 3rd at the Burlington run site with members of momstown from across Halton. Other momstown chapters are also running in their local towns - it's fair to say there will be a pink vibe across momstown on October 3rd!

This is an incredible event to be part of and really feels like you're part of a combined sisterhood when you take part in the day - either walking 1km or running 5km. The energy at the event is so positive and the air is electric with emotion - both joyous for survivors decked out in pink and sad for those have lost someone to cancer.

As a woman, a mother, a sister, a wife and a daughter, I can't help but be touched by the entire concept and mission of Run for the Cure. We have a wonderful volunteer, Lisa, who has been organizing our momstown team for the past 3 years and momstown will be proudly gathering in our momstown t-shirts to walk & run together on October 3rd.

momstown Burlington has a courageous member, Shelley, whom we always keep in our minds when organizing this event. Two years ago, Shelley, a momstown member who at the time had a 3 year old and a one year old, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Valiantly, she is now a survivor but that fall 2008, when we ran, all we had was hope.

This year, we are keeping in mind a wonderful woman in the community, Sylvia, who is a well-known preschool teacher and has taught many momstown Burlington children in her school. Sylvia is in our hearts and prayers this year as we know she needs positive thoughts in order to beat her illness. During our run we will share some laughs for Sylvia since she has the most infectious laugh and has been an incredible and positive influence with so many of our children.

Team momstown's goal is to raise $5000 for Breast Cancer, to date the team has raised $3410. We'd love your support. It's not to late to donate (click here) or even join our team (click here).

We'd also like to encourage all moms, to feel your boobies. Check your girls out!! As moms with youngsters, our breasts have gone through an unusual journey and well, it's tough to know what is 'normal' anymore (is that too much information? ha!). Check your breasts for unusual lumps, discolouring, pain -- anything odd, check with your doctor. Breast cancer does strike young women, women with babies and strollers. So, check your breasts and read here on how to Feel Your Boobies correctly! And run with us. Or donate.

momstown makin' music!

2010-09-12T15:10:00.000-04:00

momstown Milton loves to sing, dance, move & groove! Every month we have a fantastic trial class run just for momstown by Harmony Is Kindermusik. Our momstown monkeys love these classes and our mamas do too!

This past week we had 3 classes, one for beginner musicians aged 0-12 months, another for multiple ages (perfect for families) and third for the busy toddler crowd 18months+. What fun!!

Thank-you Sommer for hosting such fabulous events for our members! We appreciate it and love having this extra event!

Visit and register at momstown Milton for your free 2 week trial and you can join us at our next music class!!

momstown sack races & playground games!

2010-08-29T11:19:00.001-04:00

Our momstown Milton busytown playdates are the best! The main goal is to wear the kids out!

We met up for Sack Races at the playground - how fun is that!! Childhood memories were made for sure. Join us every Friday for a fun romp around town in some new place to enjoy fun!

We heart Baby Playgroup!

2010-08-24T00:31:00.000-04:00

momstown Milton loves a good playgroup - or better said - mama playgroup! When the babies are little like they are on Monday mornings, the "playgroup" is as more for the moms to connect than for the wee ones.
Bring a coffee and your baby (in a bucket seat!) and join us every Monday morning! Sometimes we arrange speakers to visit but most of the time it's a relaxed time with other moms (and babies!) like you.

(Curious about joining us? New members get a free 2 week trial so if you'd like to sign up and come out to an event like this to see what momstown is like, please feel free! Visit the Milton site here and click on Register)

Funtime Saturdays: working mom playgroups

2010-08-22T22:07:00.000-04:00

The first tough transition all moms go through is obviously, bringing home a brand new baby and navigating through all the new things that accompany that new little life.

The second hardest transition is going back to work after a great year of maternity leave. momstown hears this so often, you're a parent first but once back at work you feel cut off from the motherhood world.

momstown Milton has set up a bi-weekly playgroup just to suit this need. It's inclusive, it's not just for working mamas, but it's an opportunity to re-strengthen those ties with other moms like you had when you were "off". We're always just a keyboard stroke away, and we have many mama nights out but we know you're craving mom & child time with your old pals.

Every other Saturday we've scheduled time for you and your little ones to join from 10-11:30. Once a month it's a field trip type outing and once a month it's in a member's home for a more relaxed playdate.

Looking forward to funtime Saturdays together!

3 months FREE in momstown Milton

2010-08-17T15:39:00.001-04:00

Good things come in 3's!

momstown's 3rd birthday! 3 months FREE 3 days only!

Mon. August 16th - Wed. August 18th
$45* for 15 month membership!
3 months FREE on all 12 month memberships
(* plus HST, memberships normally are $45 for 12 month membership or $30 for 6 months, plus HST)

That's 3 extra months of awesome events - fabulous moms nights out, educational mom & tot programming, interactive access to our chatty and supportive message boards, and special momstown member discounts.

Membership Sale valid at these local momstown chapters only:
Burlington
MILTON
Oakville

Are you new to momstown? Register to receive a free 3 week trial period during this time period.

Don't miss what's coming up for momstown Halton in 2010/2011. Register now & be part of the 'new' momstown:

FAQ/How to Renew?

New members: Click on the membership store (top right corner) to place your order for 12 months. Follow the directions online and your one year membership will be added on automatically. The additional 3 months will be added on within 24 hours by a community manager.

If you are renewing then sign in and click on the membership store (top right corner) to renew for $45 + hst and the 12 months will be added onto your existing membership and the three free months will be added on by a community manager within 24 hours.

Buy now and relax knowing your membership and local connections are taken care of until 2011! We're thrilled to have you as a member as we continue to grow and help even more local moms connect & thrive.

Happy birthday momstown! You all make momstown a wonderful place to be, to parent and to grow.

Planning, planning, planning...!

2010-08-17T15:32:00.000-04:00

Need the image of the momstown mamas rubbing our hands together rapidly and getting very excited to roll our sleeves up tonight and get seriously planning & booking all of our momstown Milton events for the next 3-6 months! Yehaw!

Did you know momstown has an Educational Curriculum? Sure, we have lots of relaxed playgroups, walks and field trips but we also have planned thematic curriculum that we based our monthly events around!

September will be all about "School Time", October with "Spiders & Bats", November "My House & Your House" & December with "All that Glitters".

Watch to see how we incorporate these themes into various events through out the month. We're excited and we hope you are too!!!

S'more Hiking

2010-08-04T12:51:00.000-04:00

August 10th is National S'mores Day and momstown Milton is celebrating in style.

Join us on Sunday, August 8 for a hike around Hilton Falls and s'mores

Find out more, click here.

Jungle Books, Safari Hats and More

2010-08-04T12:12:00.000-04:00

momstown Milton's babies, tots and moms gathered at Lowville Park for our celebrated monthly book club. Everyone enjoyed listening to Jan Brett's The Umbrella and Marianne Berkes' Over in the Jungle: a Rainforest Rhyme.

Keeping with July's jungle theme, wee ones and their moms created fantastic safari hats and binoculars, using paper plates, bowls and toilet paper rolls.

What do you think of these?

August is all about Camping and Canoes. Join us at Hilton Falls for a hike and S'mores or perhaps you would like to join us for our monthly book club. Click here for the details.

Storytime and Starbucks

2010-07-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

We began the morning at the Beaty Branch library for drop-in storytime and then walked through the neighborhood

momstown Milton moms say " Bring on the Heat!!"

Our trek ended with a Starbucks iced beverage for mama

... and snacks for the little ones

...while others enjoyed a nap :)

Join us for a playdate, click here.

There's a Rumble in the Jungle

2010-07-18T14:54:00.000-04:00

momstown Milton moms, tots and babies recently explored the sights and sounds of the jungle. Well, ok the sights and sounds of Lowville Park.

We added the jungle part.

Our adventure began with circle time songs

and a read-aloud.

Puppets enhanced our fingerplay

And the coloring... well, that's just plain fun!!

Soon it was time to get crafty. We filled paper towel rolls with seeds and then painted them with interesting designs to create rainsticks.

In the end, we meandered through the creek and scampered across the brush while impersonating the animals in the jungle.

momstown Milton hosts a themed event once a month, as well as several weekly events. Join us for a free two week trial, click here.