Butterfly Snack Bags

Any mom will tell you that snacks on the go are a life saver when you are out and about. Little ones get cranky when they are hungry and having a snack on hand is an easy solve to avoid a full on public melt down.

Mary-Anne mother of four is very aware of this and that is why she taught us how to make Butterfly Snack Bags at Junior Chef this month. It's a very quick and simple yet creative way to throw together a few snacks  -because choice is key for some picky eaters.

Here's what you will need:

A large zip lock bag
A wooden cylinder shaped peg - decorated already from an earlier craft session
2 types of colourful snacks such as grapes, peppers, goldfish, blueberries, cheerios, etc..

Have your child pick what items they want to put into their personal snack bag. Great for families that have more than one child since they can customize to their liking and you won't have to worry about taking several individual containers with you.

Let them count out and sort the food into their bags. A great opportunity to practice numbers in a fun way!  They can mix items like grapes and blueberries but encourage them to keep the "wet" and "dry" separate such as crackers and grapes.

Once they have loaded up their bags find the centre of the bag on the top and bottom and gather folds until both ends reach the centre. Pinch / secure the bag with the peg and voila - instant butterfly.

They were so thrilled with their creations that they didn't want to let go of the bags!

A special shout out to Huggies for supplying our Junior Chef program with Simply Clean Wipes to make sure little hands were wiped and free of dirt before handling any food.

Our Junior Chef Program takes place monthly and is included in the price of your yearly $45 membership fee. Click here to register to become a momstown Milton member and take part in ALL of our special programs.

momstown Milton goes Hawaiian with Huggies!

This months momstown theme is Luau so we decided to dress the part and have some beach fun at our Art & Play Program. The little ones came dressed with their boldly printed shirts, flower lei's, sunglasses & grass skirts. They looked good but they still needed something to complete the outfit - I knew just the thing. I went and grabbed the Hawaiian Diapers that Huggies had sent us to try out. The moms loved the hip floral prints and couldn't wait to get them on to see how they fit.

Once they were on, the little ones were off to put them to the test. Maribeth of Scribble n Splatter had set up paints for them to make footprint windsocks and mini decorative grass skirts. For some it was their first paint experience but you would never know it by the way they put their best foot forward and went with it. The moms were a little worried about the mess but relaxed once they saw that there were Huggies Simply Clean wipes readily available to clean up with.

There was also time for some sensory fun. Pineapples and coconuts for exploration. It was amusing watching them try to figure out just exactly what to do with the coconut. Some tried to roll it and throw it like a ball, some tried to take a bite out of it but soon discovered that it was much to hard. They also discovered that if they shook it they could actually hear a wooshing noise from the coconut milk that was inside.

A big shout out to Jamie of Barefoot Studio for coming out and taking pictures of our program and all of our adorable little models that came out to participate!

Our  Art and Play is one of our 6 pillar programs that takes place monthly and is included as part of your momstown Milton membership fee which is only $45 for an entire year! Register for a 6 week trial membership and come out to experience the fun first hand!

Tales for Tots- "I am Small"

This month's momstown theme was focused on Baby Animals. I was very excited  to read our Scholastic sponsored book "I Am Small" by Emily Dodd at our Tales for Tots literacy program since I knew the kids would instantly relate to it.

This story is based on a baby penguin and how he views the world. Everything is big, fast paced and at times scary.The only thing that this little guy can find solace in is the reassurance that he is the Biggest thing in his Mothers life and the love that she showers him with is what gives him the confidence to face all that comes his way!. This tender tale was very heart warming and you could hear the chorus of "awe's" as the last sentence was read.

The crafts we chose to do today to highlight our Baby Animals theme were lambs and chickadees for the infants. We used feathers and cotton balls for sensory exploration.

 Our toddlers and preschoolers had fun putting together their baby horses - otherwise known as a foal. They put their fine motor skills to use by cutting the yarn in order to make the mane and the tail. The final touch was the clothes pegs that made up the wobbly legs that foals have when they are first born.

Congrats to Erin and Ethan who are going to be adding "I Am Small" to their own personal book collection!

Out Tales for Tots early literacy event is just one of the many educational based programs that momstown Milton moms and tots enjoy as part of their membership. If you want to experience the fun click here to register to become a member!

Mom of the Month: April 2012 - Pamela Commisso

Momstown Milton mom of the Month

Name: Pamela Commisso

Age: 31
Born In: Toronto

Children’s name and age:  Olivia, 2.5 yr.

Childhood Ambition: To be a veterinarian

Fondest Memory:  I have a couple....         

• When Olivia was born
• My last family trip to Cuba with my parents and sister before I got married.
• Travelling to Italy with my Nonno.
• Being a MOH at my sister’s wedding.   

Wildest Dream:  To travel all over the world!

 

Proudest Moment: Giving birth to my beautiful daughter

Biggest Challenge: To find time to get everything done around the house and spend time with my family since going back to work.

Perfect Day: Hanging out with Olivia playing at the park, going shopping and eating cookies.

First Job:  Harvey’s, I was the garnish girl and cashier.

Indulgence:  Cheesecake and Cookies. I love to bake!

Last Big Purchase: I haven’t done it yet, but really, really soon... a new SUV.

Favorite Movie or Favourite Sport? Yoga! I love yoga! Also right now my favourite TV show is Game of Thrones

Win Babytime Show Tickets!

The Babytime Show is THIS weekend and momstown will be there! Win a pair of tickets to visit Canada's largest Baby and Toddler show!

14th Annual Spring BabyTime Show: The Ultimate Event for Pregnancy, Birth, Baby and Toddler.

Shop, learn and have fun all within one vibrant place celebrating parenthood.

• SHOP! TRY & BUY from over 200 Manufacturers, Retailers and Artisans.
• REGISTER for all your baby needs with Babies "R"Us.
• TALK TO THE EXPERTS behind your favourite brands and take advantage of great show specials.
• LEARN from Top Pregnancy and Parenting Experts. Click on the Speakers tab to read up on the experts.
• MEET AND GREET your favourite characters.

Visit the momstown Booth (#765) to enter to win one of our 3 fabulous prizes from Britax - contest open all weekend!!

• Britax Baby Carrier
• Britax B-Nimble Stroller
• Britax Boulevard Carseat

Want to WIN Tickets to attend the Show for free? We have a pair of tickets to give away. All you have to do is GO to our momstown Milton Facebook Fan page and TELL US you want to win Babytime Show Tickets by adding a comment on our Facebook wall Thursday April 26th. We will confirm the winner the morning of April 27th and tickets will be waiting for the winner at the Show. Good Luck! Hope to see you at the show!

Having a Bad Day!

It's not very often that you would ever hear me say that "I'm having a Bad Day". Not because I don't have them, because I sure do but I was always taught to put on a happy face and I really don't run into a lot of things consecutively that I can't handle. Well this past Saturday, was one of the most trying days I've had in a very long time.

It all started off with my phone being turned off and discovering that I had 10 voice mails and 7 texts about an event that was taking place that morning at 9am. I didn't even realize that I had the calls until 9:50am! As I was on the phone trying to figure out what went wrong and do some damage control, my darling little attention seeker decided to dump the blue bin in our kitchen. I was not aware that my hubby had emptied out our shredder the night before so you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the kitchen to this mess! I took a couple of breathes and laughed it off, grabbing my camera and taking some pics- couldn't resist and it put me in a better mood.




While I was cleaning up the kitchen, I had sent Jaxon into the family room to play so that he would be out of my way. Bad idea. He came running into the kitchen pants and diaper removed yelling "poop mommy poop!" Oh my! Took another breathe and ushered him into the bathroom to wash him up. I put him down beside me to wash my hands and the next thing I hear is "uh oh". You've got to be kidding me. Not even a a foot away from the potty yet he decides to pee all over the side of the counter and on the floor. Great - Breath in, Breath out. Ok, run to the kitchen to get the my tough and tender spray from under the sink and of course I return to the bathroom to a not so "helping hand" with my son pulling at the roll of toilet paper, dabbing at the puddle and dumping the wads of paper in the toilet. Found the bright side by reminding myself that he was only trying to help and was taking responsibility for his actions by cleaning up. Gave a quick prayer to the porcelain gods - please don't clog toilet, please don't clog! Flush - phew... all is good.



Time to get out of the house. Being a member of momstown Milton has it's perks since it's pretty easy for anyone to pick up the phone and get in touch with at least a dozen moms that you can lean on for support pretty much whenever needed. Trying to get Jaxon out of the house was a challenge. Struggles to get his wet clothes off and into dry ones, a battle on getting his coat and shoes on and a full on tantrum from not wanting to be put in the car seat. I checked my watch thinking that I could justify his behaviour to being close to nap time - not a chance. It was only 10:45am! It's going to be a very long day!

Picked up a pizza on my way since I knew I would need at least an hour of venting to feel any better about my day. Pulled into our destination and realized that I had left the sippy cup on the driveway at our house and that the marinara dipping sauce had fallen down the side of the seat by the door. Opened the door very slowly and was able to catch the container before it splattered. Things were already turning around. Got inside. plopped Jaxon down with the the other kids around the trains and was offered caffeine right away! Thank goodness for mamas that know what to do in a melt down situation. Got the listening ears that I needed and felt so much better once I let it all out. Being a part of momstown has allowed me to let down my guard, share my REAL feelings and not be afraid to be judged for not being the perfect mom 24-7. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm having a bad day any longer.

Tales for Tots - Exploring our Senses

What a terrific turn out momstown Milton had this month at Indigo for our Tales for Tots program! It was an equal division of infants and toddlers which created a healthy environment for learning where the little ones could watch the older ones and practice a wee bit of modeling.

This months theme was My Senses so we raided our craft box and came up with a variety of sensory materials that the kids could explore while creating their spring pieces. The craft today was a visually stimulating bright Spring landscape with clouds made out of soft billowy cotton balls, flowers made with great smelling Fruit Loops and flower stems made of colourful pipe cleaners. For the grass we used strands of shredded paper that felt like straw to the touch. I think of all of the supplies provided the Fruit Loops were the biggest hit since it seemed to double as a tasty snack!





While the older ones were creating their crafts, the infants enjoyed the freedom of exploration, crawling around on the colourful parachute. They became quite excited by the fuzzy pig and fluffy quacking duck puppets,shiny glittering butterflies, and cloth textured books that were scattered about their play area.Giggles and thrills of excitement could be heard through the store as some of them saw these furry creatures come to life for the very first time.





For circle time we sang a modified version of "I've got two hands" and went through all of the five senses highlighting the importance of each one in making our world come to life. Our book selection was How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies? By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague donated to us by Scholastic Canada. What a great book for sensory awareness!Not only did it talk about cookies, which we all love to taste, but it had a scratch and sniff component that had our little ones amazed that a book could smell like chocolate chip cookies or lemon drops!Hannah - our lucky winner was thrilled to add this tasty book to her collection at home!

Easter Events around Milton 2012

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.

March 31-April 7: Presented by Milton Mall

Hippity Hop! The Easter bunny is making an appearance at the Milton mall. Dress you little ones in their bonnets with baskets in hand and capture the moment with an adorable picture that will melt your heart for years to come! For photo session times and cost please click here.



April 6, 7 & 8: 10-4pm- Presented by Springridge Farm

Springridge Farm Easter Festival includes, Egg Hunt with the Easter Bunny, Eggcellent Easter Show, Face Painting, Pedal Tractor Track and more! For more information, please click here.

April 6 - 9, 11- 3:00pm - Presented by Halton Conservation Area

An Easter Egg Extravaganza at Mountsberg Conservation Area

Easter Egg Hunt - East side of Discovery Centre - 11am-3pm
Scavenger Hunt(Children 10 & up)-East side of Discovery Centre-11am-3pm
Colouring Book Station - Hummingbird Room - 10am-3pm
Candy Jar Guess - Giftshop - 10am-3pm
Barnyard Visit - Barnyard - 11:30am and 1:30pm
Bubble Station - Playbarn - 12noon and 2pm
Easter Jeopardy - Dufferin Room - 1pm and 2:30pm

For more information, please click here.

Wed Apr 4, 10-1130am - Presented by momstown Milton

Easter Egg Hunt at Kidz Korner!

Bring your little ones out for a morning of hunting for eggs, story / circle time, activities, Easter crafts and indoor playland fun! Don't forget your basket and bunny ears! For more information, please click here.



Friday Apr 6 2012, 11-1pm - Shoeless Joe’s lunch with the Easter bunny!

Come join in the fun with a special guest appearance from the Easter Bunny! Magician and crafts too!For more information, please click here.

Saturday Apr 7, 10am-12pm- Presented by Downtown Milton

The Annual Easter Parade, 123 Main Street East

Participating businesses will be inviting families into their stores with all kinds of goodies for children 5 and under.For more information, please click here.



April 7,2012 at 9am - Presented by Sheridan Nurseries.

Easter egg hunt,colouring contest,in-store specials and plenty more! Georgetown location. For more information, please click here.

April 7 & 8, 2012 - Presented by The Royal Botanical Gardens

RBG’s famous Easter Brunch returns, this time with added chocolate features. Take a stroll through the Gardens and catch some early blooms, then join us in the Café for a delicious spread. Reservations required For more information, click here.



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 brings you a basket full of goodies!