Momstown Milton moms and babies enjoyed our Fisher Price Baby Basics Program!

As large snowflakes hit the ground and the cold wind bit into our cheeks, the momstown Milton mamas and their babies sought refuge in the Sharkey's Cuts for Kids - Milton and were in for a spectacular Baby Basics (newborn-12 months) program.

Sponsored by Fisher Price, the momstown Milton families got to try out amazing products: the Say Please Tea Set, the Ocean Wonders Aquarium, Laugh 'n Learn Click 'n Learn Remote, and the My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing.

For some extra special fun and learning, there was a make-your-own-bunny craft centre (more about the "feet dipping into paint" experience a bit later...) and a tactile centre in which the babies got footloose and fancy free and experienced different textures with their bare skin.

So let's talk about the dynamite time everyone had at the Baby Basics program sponsored by Fisher Price! 

It took the little ones no time to engage in their very own tea party (putting their role play and social skills to work) with the Say Please Tea Set (the little tea bag sitting in the pot was greatly admired). Soon we could see small hands learning the delicate manner of clinking teacups and nibbling on the tasty looking treats! Little laughs and smiles of delight were heard and seen everywhere as the buttons on the tea pot were pushed and sing-along songs and phrases were heard.

 

 

 

Young eyes became mesmerized by the underwater adventure of the Ocean Wonders Aquarium. A real stimulation of the senses. The babies curiosity surrounding the big bright orange fish was quite evident. It was a wonderful way to enhance learning through discovery. For those moments as they were entranced with the Ocean Wonders Aquarium, they were no longer babies on a play-mat but daring seafarers!

 

Switching gears or should we say remotes, the babies got to unleash the little remote lover in them (and act just like mommy and daddy at home) through the Laugh 'n Learn Click 'n Remote.  As the babies eagerly pressed buttons, they were developing their fine motor skills. The babies also got a chance to learn colours, numbers, shapes and more through the fun sounds and phrases of the Laugh 'n Learn Click 'n Remote.

For those babies looking to unwind for a little bit (some even caught a cat nap!), there was the My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing. The soft, rich fabrics and canopy helped baby feel safe and secure. And we all got such a thrill watching little ones admire their own reflection in the mirror ball! This product is extremely versatile: The side-to-side cradle motion provided a soothing experience and for those babies looking for a little more stimulation, the head-to-toe swing motion was perfect! With the My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing, the momstown Milton mamas were able to create the ideal experience to suit their little one's needs.

 

 

 

When it was time to get crafty, the babies settled down with their mothers to create their very own bunny! They dabbed eyes and noses with Bingo markers, drew on whiskers with markers, pasted cotton-balls for fur. And here comes the best part. The bunny ears! The moms took off the little babies socks and the babies got interactive with their art by having the paint put on their tiny feet and then pressed on the bunny craft to make the ears.

Remember the tactile centre mentioned earlier? Well, on square boards were different fabrics and materials: cotton, shredded paper, burlap, bubble wrap, cotton baton, sandpaper and tinsel. Coos, smiles and laughter ensued as the babies felt the sensations of the differing textures.

 

 

The Baby Basics program ended on a very high note as the four fabulous Fisher Price products were drawn as prizes! The super lucky winners were:

Tracey M. (Laugh 'n Learn Click 'n Remote)

Heather R. (Ocean Wonders Aquarium)

Patty (Say Please Tea Set)

Shaunet (My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing)

 Did you know that momstown Milton's mom and baby program - Baby Basics - meets once a week to connect moms with babies 0-12 months? Interested in joining us? Purchase your membership here for just $45 a year. All one year memberships include a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine too!

 

Register here for your FREE Trial and 

come out and meet our incredible group!

  

Written by Liz Marques Kogan - a momstown Milton member and mother of 2.  Her blog is: OrchidaForever. 

momstown Milton Barbie™ in the Pink Shoes Music and Movement Event made dreams come true for ballerinas of all ages!

Our young aspiring dancers got a chance to channel their inner ballerinas at our momstown Milton  Music and Movement Event.  Dressed in their tutus and tiaras, the dancers were all raring to go as they walked into The Dance Class and saw all the wonderful stations set up.  From arts and crafts to the Toys Trunk  play station, and the princess / ballerina puzzles,  the event sponsored by Barbie™ in the Pink Shoes had all of the right components to make every ballerina's dreams come true!

We started off with a variety of crafts to keep the kids occupied as the instructors were warming up for their performance. The children had a number of choices from shooting stars, ballerina puppets, and hand print pink tutus to create and take home as a keepsake of this memorable event.

 

The play area equipped with a vanity and Doll house was put to good use. Our dancers worked intensely making sure they had the proper outfits on and that their hair and makeup were just right for their upcoming "recital". It was super cute to watch as the imaginations soared thinking about their debut performance! .  Barbie™  has recently released a line of dolls, accessories and a play set that will allow little ballerinas the chance to act out scenes from the movie with an outfit that changes with just a twist of the doll. Role playing is an important part of everyone's childhood and this doll will lend itself to all kinds of fabulous performances.

The main attraction of the event was a ballet demo courtesy of Miss Lizzie and Miss Ashley from The Dance Class.  Step by step the real live ballerinas taught the future dancers some basic moves that they needed to practice in order to become a prima Ballerina. The best part of the demo was when the Barbie™ in the Pink Shoes theme song was played and the girls were encouraged to dance freely to the music. Watching them delight as they twirled about reminded me of the Barbie™ in the Pink Shoes Movie that momstown had the pleasure of pre-screening. In the movie the main character - Kristyn learns that when you dance from your heart – your dreams can come true. The expressions on each of the faces was a true testimonial to that very important message.

Sadly enough the event was nearing its end but not until everyone had a chance to sample a cupcake from our friends at Sprinkles.  

  

 

Several wonderful door prizes were drawn including a copy of the Barbie™ in the Pink Shoes DVD. The little girl who won was grinning from ear to ear and told her mother that she wanted to leave immediately so that she could watch the DVD at home! 

 

Don't forget to enter our Contest giveaway running for the month of March for another chance to win this must have DVD.  Barbie™ in the Pink Shoes is now available on the shelves for purchase on both Blu-Ray and DVD and would be a great addition to every child's movie collection.

The event was a success from beginning to end.  Being able to dance with a real live ballerina was dream come true for many of the little girls in attendance.  It will be an event they will talk about for years to come.

 Not a member yet but would like to be a part of this amazing community and join in on the fabulous events? 

 
Register here for your FREE Trial and come out and meet our incredible group!
  
This Blog was written by Angela Hickman - mother of 2, momstown Milton member and blogger - Mommy TimeOut.

Momstown Milton Tales for Tots featuring The Very Hungry Bear sponsored by Scholastic Canada

Their morning may have started at the Indigo Milton  bookstore on February 27, 2013, but soon the momstown Milton families were off onto an exciting  expedition to save endangered animals inspired by the book "The Very Hungry Bear" by Nick Bland sponsored by Scholastic Canada. 

To say that the momstown Milton group had fun would be quite the understatement. The high energy in the air was positively contagious. Sweet smiling arctic animals greeted the children as they made their way in.  

Soon it was time to settle down and get crafty! The eager little art students worked diligently alongside their families to transform paper plates into polar bears. Their eyes focused and little hands at work, they put their hand/eye coordination skills to the test by pasting body parts on their polar bear, and used crayons to colour their creation as their imagination dictated. 

Crafty families 

Getting some snuggle time with their arctic friends! 

The group then gathered together in a circle around the momstown Milton mama, Sam Kassam-Macfie, for an interactive story reading session. With her gift for bringing a story to life, the children were quite mesmerized and their delighted giggles filled the air. 

Following the reading of the "The Very Hungry Bear", the children were given a very important assignment! They were now special arctic explorers searching for animals at risk of being extinct in the arctic (the stuffed animals were hid throughout the Indigo Milton and the children had to find them). By having the children take part in such a journey to save the animals; they were learning about extinction and the need to help the animals on our planet. 

Their arctic expedition a success; they then gathered around in a circle again, for a sing-a-long! Voices were loud and clear and arms were waving happily in the air as they imagined and reenacted a penguin waddling across the arctic ice as they sang, "Did You Ever See A Penguin?" 



Doing the arctic dance! 

Singing along waving penguins in the air

A draw was held for the book and one very lucky little one

smiled brightly as she claimed her prize!

We would love to have you join us for our momstown Milton events!

Register here for your 6 week FREE trial. 

Written by Liz Marques Kogan, a momstown Milton member and mother of two children. You can check out her blog at: www.orchidaforever.blogspot.ca 

WIN TICKETS TO SEE MONSTER JAM AT COPPS COLLISEUM FROM CAA SOUTH CENTRAL ONTARIO!

Monster Jam is a family-friendly experience featuring the biggest performers on four wheels; Monster Jam Monster Trucks!  These twelve-feet-tall, ten-thousand-pound machines will bring you to your feet racing and ripping up custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over- or SMASH through!

You and your family could win 4 tickets to see this action-packed event April 6 at 2pm.

Monster Jam tickets are 20% off with your CAA membership.  With every CAA membership, you receive entertainment discounts on movie tickets, events and even Disney travel!  We’re more than Roadside Assistance, We’re Life-side assistance®.

Check here for the full list of member discounts.

*tickets will be mailed 2 days before the event.  Dates and times are not exchangeable.

Here is how to enter:

Leave a comment about why you want to win tickets and attend the show. An email address must be included.

One entry only.

Winner will be selected randomly.

Winner will be contacted directly.

Must have reached age of majority and be resident of Ontario.

Contest Runs March 8 - April 1st, 2013.

momstown Milton Mom of the Month: Samantha McIntosh March 2013

Name: Samantha McIntosh
Age:  34
Born In: Sudbury, On

Children’s name & age:Hannah 3, Claire & Charlotte 8 months

Childhood Ambition: Marine biologist

Fondest Memory: I have three: 1 - When my husband proposed at his family cottage in Flin Flon, MB,which is also where he first told me he loved me. 2 - Finding out we were finally expecting our first baby after 3 years of trying. 3 - Hearing the two strong heart beats of our twins.

Wildest Dream: Starting my own "home organization" business

Proudest Moment: Every time one of my daughters hits a milestone I think...wow I created these amazing little people

Biggest Challenge: Finding & enjoying some “me time” without feeling too guilty AND realizing that my husband is just as capable as I am to take care of the kids; even if he might not do things “ how I would”, at the end of the day everyone is all still in one piece.

Perfect Day: Any day where I don't hear "mommy look at me, mommy look what I can do, mommy, mom, mama, whaaaaaaaaa" a million times...a dozen is ok though :)

First Job: Paper delivery girl & cashier at local corner store

Indulgence: Red wine; although it is more of a staple in my house rather than an indulgence ;)

Last Big Purchase: A 5 day vacation to Jamaica with my best friend without the kids

Favorite Movie or Favourite Sport? GREASE

How long have you been a member of momstown Milton? Just over a year

Describe your experience as a momstown member?  Having no family around to help out, its wonderful to experience the kindness of everyone in the momstown Milton group & the support all the moms offer each other. Something as simple as another mom holding your baby (crying or not) so you can go to the washroom alone or distracting your toddler after a meltdown can mean the world when your just trying to make it through the day.

As a mom who wants to have her children experience everything life has to offer; I LOVE the 6 pillar program momstown has implemented. The calendar is always full of repeating & new events; giving me lots to choose from to help fill my days and keep myself & my kids busy.

I love the monthly themes & Hannah is always engaged no matter what event we attend. We both always look forward to our next get together and have both made some wonderful friends; I can't wait for the twins to make some great friends too.

March break activities for Milton families

March break is a great time to get out with the kiddies and see what our Milton Community has to offer.  momstown Milton has a number of different events open to the public that everyone can participate in. 

Here is a listing of what's happening around town:

Sunday March 10: Music and Movement sponsored by Barbie in the Pink Shoes at The Dance Class. We are excited to help launch the new "Barbie™ In The Pink Shoes" DVD with this super fun Music & Movement program. We will have a ballet/dance demo planned with our friends at The Dance Class Studio!We invite children (ages 2-6 boys and girls) to dress in tutus, tiaras, crowns and robes to join in on our dance demo and interactive play area.There will be a themed craft station and door prizes too. Click Here for more details and to RSVP

Monday March 11: Hats off to Dr. Seuss - Indigo Milton. Celebrate the birthday of beloved children's book author Dr. Suess

Tuesday March 12: Join the Milton Mall  Daily for a Trip Around the World in 5 days! Today they will be visiting France and painting the Mona Lisa.


Wednesday March 13: momstown Milton presents our Baby Basics Toy Zone - Sponsored by Fisher Price  We are so excited to announce that on March 13th, Fisher Price is sponsoring our momstown Milton Baby Basics infant playgroup! momstown Milton moms and babies generally meet every Wednesday at Sharkey's to socialize, unwind and seek support. We offer info sessions, an early start literacy book club or a picassos art session weekly but this event is extra special! Click here for more details and to RSVP


Thursday March 14: momstown Milton exclusive Mom and Tot Zumba Dance Party with Milton Zumba. Come join the party at our Zumba Mom and Tot Dance Party. The little ones will love bopping to the high energy beats and mamas will get in a good workout! To Register for a drop in session please contact sam.kassam@momstown.ca.


Friday March 15: Family Fun Day (all ages)  Main & Beaty libraries
Enjoy a library-wide scavenger hunt for children's book characters. Once completed, enter your names into the prize draw for a gift card. Additionally, our program rooms will be set up with a variety of games for families to use during their library visit.


Sunday March 17: Mountsberg Conservation Park: Its Maple Syrup Time! Join us for a day of learning how sap is transformed into maple syrup, making Maple candy and sampling some free candy, and sit down to a stack of piping hot pancakes with maple syrup ......of course!
 


No matter what you decide to do with the kids the important thing is that you take the time to spend some quality time with them! Have fun and be safe.

This Blog was written by Angela Hickman - mother of 2, momstown Milton member and blogger - Mommy TimeOut.