On Top Of Spaghetti Jr Chef event sponsored by Barilla in Red Deer

"On top of Spaghetti... all covered with cheeese....."
Remember that song from your childhood?
Well that was the theme at this months Jr Chef event in Red Deer sponsored by Barilla!

Barilla Canada’s latest line of pasta, called Barilla PLUS®, is a new multigrain pasta that contains protein, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fibre. Not only does it deliver superior nutritional benefits, but the same great taste you expect from regular pasta, too.  Barilla PLUS offers a taste, colour and texture that is delicious, while delivering a quick and easy meal that’s nutritious.  It’s a quick and easy solution for providing a delicious balanced meal that even the pickiest eaters in your family will enjoy.  Barilla PLUS is available in four different varieties including Penne, Rotini, Spaghetti and Spaghettini.  Barilla pasta can be served any day of the week in hundreds of different ways. 
For recipe ideas, visit www.Barilla.ca.


We started the event with two crafts!

Creating our own Chef hats and...

 colored pasta necklaces and Bracelets.

Then we just had to sing " On Top of Spaghetti"! The moms were shy at first, but the kids LOVED the song and wanted to sing it again and again.

Then it was time for the main event! Eating Our Spaghetti with Meatballs!
 

Thanks to Barilla, everyone was able to take home a box of pasta to try at home!

Canada Day Long Weekend Events in Red Deer and Central Alberta

 Looking for things to do this Canada Day Long weekend?

Red Deer has finally announced the alternative plans for Canada Day!
Events will be held at the Collicutt Centre.

Afraid you might miss out on the awesome International Food booths? No worries, they will be located on the North Side of the Collicutt. 

All the entertainment we have come to know and love will be on a stage they will set up on the East Side of the Collciutt Centre.

The East entrance is where you will be able to access the washrooms in the centre.

Going to be in Sylvan Lake this weekend? They have the rescheduled drive-in movie The Goonies planned for 10:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire parking lot.

On Canada Day in Sylvan Lake, there will be a barbecue, the March of Canadians which will end on the pier, And you can have birthday cake!

Have Kids? How about trying Hat Painting! There will also be an activities area with bouncy apparatus, clowns, temporary tattoos and more cake!

The day winds down with the unofficial illuminated boat parade, where boaters traditionally light up the water with their boat lights. Fireworks are planned to start at 10:30pm on Monday evening.

Lacombe
There will be free activities at the English Estates Centre, a pancake breakfast, a kid’s cash sand pile, face painting and industrial equipment on display.
As well the fireworks are planned to be let off at Cranna Lake

Blackfalds
Tayles Water Park will have CUPCAKES at 1 p.m. again at 8 p.m. at the All-Star Park followed by dusk fireworks, 10:30 to 11 p.m.

Want to see more fireworks? Innisfail will have their Canada Day Fireworks display on Sunday.
On Canada Day, the Innisfail Historical Village will host entertainment, kids activities, a teepee celebration, food, cake and ice cream.

Special Red Deer Tropicana Tropics Picassos in the Park Event!

Want to experience what momstown Central Alberta is all about?

Join us for a special FREE Picassos in the Park sponsored by Tropicana Tropics!!

This event is open to all!  Sign up here!

What is Picassos in the Park? It is our Summer Art and Play Program!

Art & Play is our flagship monthly event! 

Based on our educational curriculum and theme of the month, moms and kids will do tropical themed crafts together, enjoy parachute and circle time, and have some free play time to socialize.

During summer, Art & Play incorporates Picassos in the Park, momstown’s famous ‘let’s get messy’ outdoor painting activity.
 

Tropics (From Tropicana) wants to take us on an exotic journey this summer with a refreshing taste of paradise!

Enjoy a taste of "Tropics" and let Tropicana take you away!

Alberta Flood 2013

I grew up on Calgary. Graduated high school from Bishop Grandin High School. Spent my 20's living in the Beltline and working in downtown Calgary. I am a huge Calgary Flames and have been since they moved to Calgary. 

Inside the Saddledome - posted on facebook

I was married in Banff. Had our wedding reception in Canmore. 

You always see floods and other natural disasters on TV and think how terrible...But wow, when it IS places you know and love, with people you know and love affected...
I live in Red Deer now. We have been under a flood warning as well. It has been odd waiting for the waters to arrive here, hopping that we are not hit as hard. Red Deer luckily had warning... As a city we have had time to fill sand bags, to prepare.

Swollen Red Deer River

I can only imagine how it must feel to be one of the ones affected. The ones that had no time to grab anything just had to leave as the water came so fast...
What I love is that the amount of people needing shelter is very minimal, the people of this province have been amazing, taking in friends, family and strangers!

This disaster only emphasizes what an amazing organization the Canadian Red Cross is. They are where we need them when we need them, when people have had to leave everything and The Red Cross is there. 

The momstown team is so proud to have the Red Cross as our National Charity and an amazing partner. This is why I donate to The Red Cross every month for just that reason, and why I will donate again to help the flood victims!

Here is the link do that you can Donate as well. 

Camping Treat: Banana Boats

I had my first Banana Boat on a Girl Guides camping trip when I was a kid and I have never forgotten how awesome of a treat this was!
I remember being astonished that yes we put these RIGHT IN THE FIRE!!

It is a super easy and fun recipe to do with the kids on a camping trip!

What you need:
Bananas
Mini Marshmallows
Chocolate Pieces or Chips
Tin Foil
Campfire

Slice the Banana open lengthwise, make sure you don't cut all the way through
Stuff mini marshmallows and chocolate inside - you decide the amount!
wrap the whole banana in tinfoil, making sure it is all well covered
place the tinfoil wrapped banana into the fire for about 5 minutes - the waiting is the hardest part!
Remove (carefully) and unwrap and have a spoon ready to eat the deliciousness!

With FOUR girls now, does Dad need a man cave for Father's Day?

I was just re-reading my Father's Day post last year, and realized it needs to be updated!
We now have FOUR girls in the house!!

The first reaction people have when I tell them I have four GIRLS, is ask, how many Bathrooms do we have, and does your husband have a "man cave"!!

They also seem to pity Paul, because he has to live with so many girls!
I promise you he loves it! He said he will have the highest honor when he gets to walk each of them down the aisle at their own weddings.

We are also asked a lot if we will keep trying for a boy, as if to assume the last 2 girls are here because we wanted kids of a different gender. My husband is pretty practical, and he said if we keep having girls, we don't need to buy ANYTHING!!

But it would be fun, to give him his man cave, even for just a day.
I could then agree to hang his prize fish he had mounted on the wall (it's still in the box), his framed money he has collected from all over Africa could finally have a home, his scarves supporting the South African and Zimbabwe cricket teams could be displayed, and I would pay for the international Rugby and Cricket Channels on his very own TV, along with the Golf Channel...
But then, where would I store all of my momstown supplies....
Happy Father's Day Paul, its the thought that counts right?

Annie the Nanny in Red Deer talking with moms about common parenting concerns!

momstown Central Alberta had the privilege of hosting Annie the Nanny for a parenting talk this past month in Red Deer!

Who is Annie the Nanny?

Most importantly Annie is the mom of three (2 grown up, one left at home). 

Annie trained in the UK (N.N.E.B. 3 year) in 1988 and has worked with parents and children ever since.    In 2004, she started her company 'Annie the Nanny' and since then, has been working with families to solve every kind of behaviour issue.  Along the way, she has become a keen study of human nature, looking at why children display behaviour issues, how to fix them and how to prevent them from showing up later.  She's almost finished a book which details her observations.  Just recently, she started a CTV parenting segment answering common behaviour questions and hopes one day, she can add to that with her 

favourite medium...radio.

What did she tell us we would gain form coming? Is there a secret to parenting? A way of raising your child that guarantees happy, healthy and resilient children?  A solution to all the common issues parents deal with like temper tantrums, picky eating, sleeping problems and more?  Yes, there is.  But it’s not a secret.  It’s just hidden and it’s deep inside you.  Find out what really matters to your kids and how to provide it.  

Is this what we found? YES!!
The members of momstown Central Alberta loved her common sense take on parenting, all with logical consequences!!

What was the response of our members from this talk?
"I loved it!" 
"I tried it and "look busy" WORKS!! I love it!! 
"I spoke to my son about the behavior I expected... and he behaved as I expected!"
"I love that she has a facebook page, so we can ask her questions any time."
"It's wonderful having a "go to" resource at our fingertips."
"Little tips from an outside source can make a world of difference :)"
"I took all 3 girls to the little fair at Parkland Mall. I spoke with them before hand about the behavior I expected. They were so well behaved!! I also really liked the message that you need to lead the family."

Taken from Annie's website, the following tips are exactly what we took away from this awesome talk!
 
Annie The Nanny’s Tips For A Happy Home.
I do want to remind parents that tips can’t help solve underlying behaviour problems. They should only be regarded as pointers and it’s important that parents get to the root cause if their child is displaying behaviour issues.

1. Be a leader.
Children have a need not only for love but for reliable authority figures.  As such, they look to you to provide direction and clear expectations for their behavior. If you negotiate constantly change your expectations, or look to them as to what to do next, your little ones feel that no-one is leading the family and so they try to fill the void. No small child is able to handle such a responsibility, so they feel unsafe.  When any child feels unsafe they will ramp up their behaviour to get you to take control of the situation and make them feel secure. If you don’t, the behaviour will worsen as your child, panicked, desperately tries to get you to re assume leadership of the family.

2.  Make normal life the focus and not the kids..
It’s become normal these days for parents to spend their days entertaining their children.  The trouble is it’s a mistake as children need to be part of life and not the focus of it.  Children are hard wired to watch and imitate you and play along side you. If you allow that to happen naturally they will be happy little campers but if you constantly spend your time trying to entertain them or discover what they want to do next, you will find that they will become more and more demanding and frequently far less happy.

3. Give them some freedom.
Children these days are breaking down in record numbers at university because they can’t handle living an independent life. Remember the final goal of being a parent is for your children to eventually live without you taking care of them. Your children will never gain independence if you don’t let them experience it.  Sensible precautions are fine, constant supervision, especially as they age, is not.

4. Have fun with your children.
With all the stress of parenting today, sometimes this gets lost in the shuffle. Your children want to have fun with you and as long as you don’t spend all your time focusing on them, that is just fine. When they least expect it, dance in the rain, build sand castles, sing in parking lots. Enjoy yourself and your children. They are only young once.

5. Trust your instincts.
Raising your child nowadays requires negotiating a minefield of contradictory parenting practices. Just remember something though, we’ve been on this planet some 160,000 years and although things change, much remains the same. You’ve got instincts for a reason. Trust yourself and listen to them.

Make Busy activites for a rainy day

 

 Is it raining outside and you need to find something for the children to do?

I have 2 two super easy make busy activities for you to keep on hand!

The first is beads and a pipe cleaner. Depending on the size of beads and the age of your kids, the more supervision is required, but I promise you a couple cups of coffee is the time you can get out of this activity! They will string those beads on, take them off and do it again!!

Need something else? Grab those pipe cleaners again and your colander.  Now teach the kids to create designs pushing the pipe cleaners through the holes in the colander, and then pull the pipe cleaners out and DO IT AGAIN! The more pipe cleaners you give them the more time you will get!

We only had white on hand today, but imagine all the fun with MULTI-COLORED ones!!

momstown Central Alberta also hosts busy bags swaps, watch our message board for the date of the next one!