United Way Milton Christmas House Tour - November 2012

 

What a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Visit 5 houses and 1 church that have been professionally decorated for Christmas. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, October 15th.

NOV. 23 LIMO-TOUR TICKETS - $75 - SOLD OUT




NOV. 24 SELF-DRIVE TICKETS - $30 - 10 till 5 - Tickets still available!

AVAILABLE IN PERSON, BY TELEPHONE 905-875-2550 , OR AT

THE UNITED WAY MILTON OFFICE, 1 CHRIS HADFIELD WAY.

Limited Limo-Tour tickets available.

United Way Milton accepts payment by MasterCard, VISA, cash or cheque.

Saturday’s Self-Drive tickets will also be available at the following locations:

• A Country Mile -276 Main St. E., Milton
• Brancier Jewellers - Milton Mall
• Les Fleurs Kathleen - 136 Main St. E., Milton
• Maranatha Log House - 125 Main St. S., Campbellville, (Guelph Line)
• Milton Community Resource Centre - 410 Bronte St. S., Milton
• Oceana Whispers Floral Boutique - 13 Charles St., Milton
• Southside Paint & Wallpaper - 1030 Kennedy Circle, Milton, (Metro Plaza)
• Springridge Farm - 7256 Bell School Line, Milton
• The Flower Mill - 158 Mill St., Milton
• Holland Park Garden Gallery - 2243 Fairview St., Burlington

Tickets may be paid by cash or cheque ONLY . Payment by debit or credit card will not available through the above retailers.

 

Contest Alert: Go to our momstown Milton facebook page and find this post and "SHARE IT" for a chance to win a ticket to this magical event! Please put a comment when you have shared it.

 

momstown Milton: Mom of the month - Melissa Aquilina

Name:   Melissa Aquilina

Age:  33

Born In:  Belleville, Illinois (moved to Canada 2 ½ years ago)

Children’s name and age:  Addison – 5 ½ months old

Childhood Ambition:  Apparently I never knew “when I grow up, I want to be…”.  My mom told me that I always said “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up”.  I’m guessing I was in the minority when it came to that (as most children have some sort of answer…even if it never happens).  As an adult, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up J                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Fondest Memory: I always remember summer vacations and going to the waterpark with my brother and sister.  We’d all pile in the minivan and it was a several hour drive.  You’d think we’d drive each other crazy…but I think in all the excitement of getting there, it was the only time we’d actually get along.  We would count down the days until we went every year.

Wildest Dream: 
To travel the world.  There are so many amazing places out there just waiting for my family to visit them!

Proudest Moment: The birth of my daughter (followed closely by watching my husband look in amazement when he first saw our daughter) – it is still unbelievable to me!

Biggest Challenge: Becoming a mom.  You are suddenly responsible for this tiny person and there is no training manual or class that you can take that will teach you how to do it.  Every day is a new, but extremely rewarding, challenge.

Perfect Day:  Spending a day outdoors enjoying the sunshine (I’m definitely not a cold weather girl).  I’d enjoy a nice walk and a fabulous picnic with my family.  At the end of the day, I’d curl up on the sofa with an amazing book.  Nice and relaxing…just how I’d like it.

First Job:  Hostess in a restaurant

Indulgence:  Anything sweet…cookies, candies, chocolate, pretty much any dessert…I have a crazy sweet tooth!

Last Big Purchase: I guess it depends on what your definition of “big” is.  Our home was the biggest purchase I’ve ever made.  But a smaller, “big” purchase was my Michael Kors bag that I bought several months before my daughter was born (I have a bit of a love of handbags).

Favourite Movie or Favourite Sport?  My favorite sport is baseball.  I’m a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan (my hometown is about 20 minutes from St. Louis).  I was even able to go to the final game when they won the World Series in 2006…talk about an amazing experience.                                                                                        

How long have you been a member of momstown Milton? Almost 5 months

What has your experience been like being a member of momstown Milton?  Being a member has been amazing.  After moving here from the states, it took me some time to adjust and make friends…unfortunately most of those were single friends with no children.  Momstown has been amazing in helping me get out and meet other moms.  It was a great way to get involved in activities with my daughter, but to also have an opportunity to have “adult” conversation as well.  I’ve met some amazing mamas, and hope to continue those friendships for years to come.  Thanks so much Momstown…you’ve helped make the last 5 ½ months even more amazing!!

Think PINK…Let’s Talk About “Pinkeye”!

It’s cold and flu season….aka Pinkeye season 

Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids.

Pinkeye can be alarming because it makes the eyes extremely red and can spread rapidly. But it's a fairly common condition and usually causes no long-term eye or vision damage. Still, if your child shows symptoms of pinkeye, it's important to see an Optometrist ASAP!  Some kinds of pinkeye go away on their own, but others require treatment.

Causes 

Bacterial - Red, sore eyes with thick discharge that may make your eyelids stick together, especially after sleeping. This is very contagious.

Viral – Often occurs with a cold or flu. It is also highly contagious, and antibiotics don't help.

Allergic - Kids who have allergies already are more likely to get pinkeye than other children.  This type of infection is not contagious.  Artificial tears, antihistamine eye drops and oral medications are helpful.

Symptoms 

·         Discomfort in the eye (a “sandy” eye)
·         Redness of the eye and inner eyelid
·         Discharge from the eyes
·         Swollen eyelids
·         Sensitivity to bright light
·         Itchiness
·         Burning
·         Tearing

Preventing Pinkeye

·         Teach your kids to wash their hands OFTEN AND WELL with warm water and soap
·         DO NOT rub the eyes!
·         DO NOT share eye drops, tissues, washcloths, towels, or pillowcases
·         Wash your own hands thoroughly after touching an infected child's eyes
·         Throw away items like tissues or cotton balls immediately after they've been used to wipe the eye.
·         Wash towels and other linens that the child has used in very HOT water separately from the rest of the family's laundry
·         Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and get plenty of sleep
·         Keep windows and doors closed on days when the pollen is heavy
·         Dust and vacuum frequently to limit allergy triggers in the home

Treatments 

·         Antibiotic eye drops or ointment
·         Anti-allergy medication
·         Cool or warm compresses
·         Acetaminophen or ibuprofen
·         Removing contact lenses and throwing them away (for older children)

When to Call Your Optometrist 

If you think your child has pinkeye, it's important to contact your Optometrist ASAP to learn what's causing it and how to treat it.

If you or your children have an eye problem or would like a comprehensive eye examination, Milton Optometry welcomes all infants, toddlers and children (and their parents!). 



 

momstown Milton moms and tots had a Spooktacular time at our Fisher-Price Sponsored Halloween Boo Bash

Our momstown Milton moms and tots had a spooktacular time at our Fisher-Price sponsored Halloween Boo Bash! The Dance Shoppe was jam packed with little ghouls and goblins. Lucky for us we had use of the entire facility to accommodate the large number of members that showed up to our much anticipated annual event.

Having the three studios to work with made it easier to allocate the various activities and helped to keep the party exciting and fun. You had to make your way through each one in order to get the full experience of all that we were offering. The first studio was our "active" zone where we had a bouncy castle courtesy of the Dance Shoppe and a fitness circuit with the Monkeynastix Milton crew on hand to help guide and spot the kids as they attempted to try out the super cool equipment and test out their gross motor skills.

In the second Studio we set up our "dance" zone. Kids love to move n groove so we made sure to have a couple of demos booked to keep the party hopping!   Miss Lindsay from the Dance Shoppe and Miss Christine from Get Fit with Zumba did a great job getting out little dancers and mamas to bust a move.

The third studio was our featured "Toy" zone with loads of toys from Fisher-Price to keep our kiddos busy and engaged. You could hear the squeals of excitement as they entered the studio and caught a glimpse of each of the toys and realized that they were allowed to play with them. Too often are little ones told "don't touch" as they are tempted by the aisles of toys on the shelves. The moms were relieved that the toys were not just on display but that the kids got to have a hands on experience. It sure did give them some great insight as to what items to add to their Christmas List!

The Disney Baby Amazing Animals Sing Along Choo Choo got lots of use with our infants who enjoyed rolling it along the floor and playing with each of the Disney characters that are included as part of the set. The moms particularly liked that the parts were all large enough for easy gripping and put there minds at ease not having to worry about choking hazards.

The Fisher Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza came with 8 colourful balls that made there way down ramps and twisted through chutes keeping everyone guessing where the balls would pop out at the bottom. Extremely engaging!

Our kids had some competition when it came to bustin a move. The Master Moves Mickey had some insane hip hop steps that were totally outrageous!

The Little People's Disney Princess Songs Palace was a great cause and effect toy. Each princess figurine had their own tune that played when put on the magical dance floor. The kids were delighted to hear familiar tunes that they could sing and dance to.

Our next toy - Hero World DC Super Friends Voice Comm Motion Max Batwing logged in several air time hours with our little tikes. I don't think I saw it land once during the entire party!

What's a party without snacks! The Servin' Surprises Kitchen and Table had our little ones cooking up a storm to add to our already packed buffet table. This little guy perused the goodies and felt that a pizza needed to be added to the spread : )

The biggest hit with my darling son was the Rescue Heroes Fire Truck with Billy Blazes! He's usually good at sharing but this toy had him wanting to keep it all for himself. He had already had his eye on it from the get go and it took some convincing for him to give it up so that I could take it with me to the Boo Bash. Luckily he's got a birthday coming up in a month - shhh it will be our secret.

  

A special shout out to our friends at Milton Community Nursery School for sponsoring our spooky craft table. Footprint ghosts and tissue paper jack-o-lanterns were great sensory crafts that all ages could participate in.

We wrapped up the event by having Sherri from Circle Time Parties lead us in some Halloween songs and finger play including the all time favourite 5 Little Pumpkins. The kids really got into it and loved the bubble machine as the grande finale.

No one left empty handed. We had tons of door prizes courtesy of Shoeless Joe's Milton, Get Fit with Zumba, Simply Creative, The Cookie Mix, and of course all of the amazing toys from Fisher Price!

Thanx to everyone for joining us at our Halloween Boo Bash! The fun doesn't stop here. Check out our Indoor Trick or Treating event open to the public on Halloween night and don't forget to sign up for your 6 week FREE trial membership here! 

Milton moms and tots enjoyed our momstown Nutella Buddies Event

You know it's going to be a good day when you're able to leave for an event still dressed in your PJ's and that's exactly what our momstown mamas commented as they arrived for our momstown Milton Teddy Bear PJ and Potluck Picnic sponsored by Nutella.

The spread of food was unbelievable - so much variety and choice that both moms and tots had to make their way to the potluck table several times to get a good sampling of all the delicious foods.

While we ate, we chatted about breakfast being the most important meal of the day and how the greatest challenge that moms face in the morning (according to the Canadian Breakfast Report funded by Nutella)  is finding the time to serve a complete and nutritious breakfast to the little ones in the busy bustle of the morning flurry. We shared tips on how to maximize on our limited time in the "am" by trying to prep lunches and lay out clothes the night before in the hopes that would allow for more quality time around the breakfast table every morning.

After our tummies were filled, we got busy with our infants creating adorable foot print bears while our toddlers / preschoolers worked on making their fuzzy wuzzy bear puppets.

 

 

In keeping with Teddy Bear theme we read "Bears on the Stairs" by Julia Jarman and Lynne Chapman. This was a cute story about how creative our little ones can get in order to delay going to bed. We then got everyone involved with our reading of "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. This interactive story had us swishing through tall grass, splashing through a cold river, squelching through thick oozy mud and tip toeing through a dark damp cave. What an adventure!

We ended off the event with our raffle draw. Congrats to Molly for winning the Nutella Knap sack prize pack, Jennifer for winning the Bear Cookie Bouquet from Cookie Munchsters and Amy for winning the GC from our very generous host Maribeth from Scribble n Splatter! No one went away empty handed. We all received swag bags that included our very own jar of Nutella to enjoy at home!

If you would like to join in on the fun or just want more information on what momstown is all about please visit us at momstown Milton and click on the register tab to try out a 6 week free trail membership.