momstown Central Alberta

Guest Blog - From There to Here

2012-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

My little girl is born. She is perfect, she is 8lbs. 8oz, and she is perfect. “You have a perfectly healthy baby girl, mazeltoff”. (Not a lot of folks in Red Deer say that I am so grateful for the way that hearing that made a mark on my memory). I hear her - is there anything more magical and surreal than hearing your baby's first cries? I see her - oh she looks so much like her big sister!

I just want to stay there for a minute longer – a minute longer where I believe that everything is going to be alright and I will have these gorgeous little healthy girls. I’m looking at her chubby little pink body in my mind’s eye and I just want to freeze, freeze, freeze.

Oh, I love being a mom the second time around… you just have a confidence that makes having a newborn so comfortable. The fact that you know this exhaustion beyond belief will pass and you will feel "somewhat" normal again makes it a little easier. I think everyday that this is one of the happiest times of my life - I feel so "Mother Goddess" beautiful and my husband is so sexy in his confidence and thoughtfulness. My oldest loves having a baby sister and never once shows any signs of jealousy! It's a magical time.

Rowan is sent home from hospital having lost over one pound (she was a c-section baby and we had been in there for a few days) but our family doctor knows that I know what I am doing and we probably just need to get home for my milk to come in. She gives me a prescription for motillium and boy oh boy does that do the trick!!! She gains a couple of ounces within a couple of days - enough to satisfy doctor and health nurse.

Now, looking back, we knew something was wrong because this wasn't our first time around…. she would cry and cry and cry…. not the gas pain cries we were familiar with…. not even the colicky cries we have heard with some poor unfortunate souls friends' babies…. this is different. She is insatiably hungry.. especially in the evening. I remember one night where I sat on our love seat for nearly 6 hours - only the occasional food, drink and pee breaks. When we ask the health nurse about this on the telephone she indicates that this is "sort-of" normal…. I get the impression that she thinks I am exaggerating!

And oh the poop! The stinky, fluorescent yellow poop! Our doctor says it's normal and assumes it's because I didn't nurse my first baby and I am not used to seeing breastfed poop… I am not sure when she says this but I don't push it - I want to believe what she is saying.

I remember the day - 3 weeks after she was born - that I really started to think that something was wrong is actually the day that our doctor's office called. Some markers for Cystic Fibrosis have appeared on Rowan's blood work from her heel test taken in hospital and I know - I know like I know the sun will rise tomorrow - my baby has Cystic Fibrosis.

Dark, dark, dark days….. I don't want to get out of bed, I don't want my husband to touch me, I am so scared to love this baby but of course I can't help it - I want to stop falling in love everyday but of course I can't help it…. oh I don't know if I can take my heart breaking like this - like that. Please I just want some mercy, Mercy, MERCY!!!

It's so hard to re-visit this time…. I really can't get through writing about it without crying so hard. Thankfully, day by day, we are coming back to our center… my husband and I are remembering why we fell in love, we are sharing our fears, we are laughing together (it will be nearly 2 years before we laugh like we did before). Day by day I am gaining strength to face this path we have been asked to walk, little by little I am starting to feel blessed beyond recognition and part of that gratitude comes from Rowan's diagnosis - learning to stare fear down and conquer it - learning to see the silver lining - learning that the curve balls of life are all about PERCEPTION.

What I have learned since Rowan's diagnosis is that it doesn't matter what your child is faced with… your heart and your soul don't know the difference between Cystic Fibrosis, or Down Syndrome, or Autism…. your heart and your soul know that your poor precious child is about to face a life that a smooch and a band-aid can't make go away… and there are days when your heart and your soul are not certain that you are up to the task of this. I write this knowing that anyone who is facing this mountain can relate.

The toughest thing for me still is seeing the change in my lifestyle – our lifestyle. Will I ever go to a playground again and not have my heart in my throat the whole time? Will I ever not want to tell people to back off, quit smoking, just leave her alone – and I know that’s not who we are – that’s not who I want Rowan to be…. I have spent so much of my life being scared and for the very first time I have a very real, very painful something to be scared of. Then, one night, nearly 2 years after her diagnosis I have an epiphany…

I felt a tremendous responsibility having a daughter when it was just my first daughter. I want to teach her empowerment and strength and courage and kindness. I know that uncertainty and insecurity will hold her back from time to time but I want to try my very best to not let it cripple her. Then, along comes Rowan and that level of responsibility sky rockets…. I want to fight to find a cure for CF - I want my girls to be able to have babies and not live with this…. But it's more than that… I want to teach Rowan that she is so much more than CF - I could have stayed in that dark little desperate cave but that would have been cruel to my children - waiting for someone to die to protect your heart is no way to live. If she dies and I had loved her just as hard as I wanted to it wouldn't hurt anymore than if I had laid down. That's the big life lesson isn't it? Life is going to hurt, it's going to stink sometimes - but living like there is a big proverbial axe just waiting to fall - that's ridiculous.

That's where I live most of the time now…. doing all that I can to find a cure, find a way to slow the progressive degenerative effects of this terrible disease. I love how this is strengthening our family, my marriage, how I see the impact this has on my 5 year old's confidence and sense of compassion… not everyone would decide this is the path they want to take and that's okay… we all do what we have to do to cope - to deal - to live… WE are going to live life BIGGER and BETTER with more GENEROSITY than we thought we had and more COMPASSION than we thought imaginable. When you share your INTENTIONS you set some pretty AMAZING things in motion… you just wait and see ;)

Kelly Tibbets blogs as mortgage mummi, and has recently has been elected President - Central Alberta Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

She is the brains behind the Wish Upon a Star Princess Ball February 25th.

Tickets will be on sale February 4th from 10-5pm at the Collicutt Centre.

Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair

2012-01-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Our family was fortunate enough to be asked to try out this chair.

We love that our youngest can "sit at the table"with us while we eat, since it tilts back and has a nice comfy cushion for baby to relax in, all the while being close to everyone at the dinner table.

We also love the fact that it converts to a booster seat for an older child to sit, in our case, "like a big girl" at our table, and we love that it takes very little space, being placed very securely on one of our existing dining chairs. We were really impressed with just how stable the high chair is on the dining chair, as we have one of the cheaper chairs, and it moves a lot, and if there is any hint of a tantrum in this chair, there is no movement!!

This chair was very easy to put together from the box, and easily converts from high chair to booster and back in just a few minutes. It is also fast and easy to clean, without a lot of nooks and cranny's for food to get trapped in.

In our house, with 2 little ones so close in age, 18 months apart, they can both use it now, and this has caused a bit of a jealousy issue with our almost 2 year old. She does not think that baby has any business sitting in her chair at any time! ha ha. We might be seeing an additional purchase in our future!

Winter Wonderland Craft Party

2012-01-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

Our first Craft Party of 2012!!

We had two different crafts ready to make!

We had mittens to cut out and decorate.

Then we had snowstorms to paint!

We then read our Scholastic Book of the Month Perfect Snow By Barbara Reid, and Aylssa and Melia were the lucky winners of their very own copy!

We loved the vibrant pictures, and how Jim and Scott found a way to share in the day of perfect snow! It is a much loved book in our house! We loved the descriptive language, it described the day the smells and the characters so well, it could have been played out in any school in Canada.

We have two craft events planned for February, one for our Valentine's Day event, and one devoted to our monthly theme of Mix n Match! You child too young for crafts, and maybe not the crafty type, no worries, come out to visit with other moms, and of course we always have the bucket of toys and the parachute to play with!!

Kindermusik Demo Classes

2012-01-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what a children's music class is like? Want to find out before you sign up? Some of the moms from momstown Central Alberta got to do just that this week, they got to try our a demo class with Miss Val and Kindermusik Korner! And it was free!

The kids learned all about movement, music, instruments and they had a great time doing so. Such a great time a few little ones were not interested in leaving, my daughter included. If you have read this blog before you would not be surprised by this! (wink)

Here are some action shots of the kids enjoying their Kindermusik adventure.

Classes start soon! Contact Miss Val for more details and to register you little one.

If you missed out, keep an eye out on our calendar for more events like this one, and I am sure Miss Val will be holding another Demo class very soon. Not a momstown member yet? Sign up for a free two trial membership!

Healthy Eating for One

2012-01-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Why is it so easy to eat well when pregnant, and baby's health is at stake and not so easy for "just" our own health?

I have been asking myself this question a lot since our third daughter was born.

You see I had gestational diabetes with all 3 of my pregnancies, and I was the star patient! My sugars were always in check, the nurses who monitored me were so impressed, and I gained very little weight with my pregnancies.

So why can't I continue this healthy eating? Why is it I do not value my health as much as I valued that of my babies?

I think a lot of us moms think this way, that we are too busy to get to the gym, we are too busy looking after our families and don't see ourselves as an integral part of 'looking after our families'. We have time to take our kids to all of their activities, why don't we slot in the time for ourselves? I managed to find a way to schedule four soccer games and two hockey games of my daughter's this weekend, why is it so hard to schedule 30 minutes for me to run?

If you have an answer, please share!

This is why I want to re-start our momstown healthy happenings group with Jo Dumont. I need all the motivation I can get, and I want to be made accountable. I want other moms who are just like me to commiserate, challenge and share how we can ensure that we start 'eating for one'. Ourselves.

This is a new goal of mine. To make sure I am as healthy as I can be, both for me and my family, as they need me to be healthy for them and me.

Mom Friends Needed

2012-01-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

momstown Winnipeg wrote a great blog post called the Dreaded Playdate. Go and read it. I'll wait, just promise you will come back. Here is another from momstown's Christy

I know I have felt this way. Afraid to put yourself out there, afraid that the other moms will judge you. It can be hard to make mom friends.

I moved to Central Alberta when my oldest was 3 months old. Didn't know anyone but my family, and no one with a baby. My sisters would come and visit me before they ventured out on the town. On the rare occasion I could join them, it was a very carefully orchestrated evening planned around feedings. It was invariably an early evening, with maybe 1 glass of wine, while I constantly watched the clock, so as not to be late and have my parents having to deal with a crying grandchild that they would not be so keen on watching again the next time I needed a break.

My mom saw an ad in the local paper about a parents group, and she suggested I attend. I did reluctantly, as this was not my sort of thing, but I was desperate. I needed a mom friend!! This group wasn't what I was looking for, but I met another mom, and we hit it off! She was a life saver that first year!

Next I joined a strollercise class, again desperately wanting mom friends. Luckily I wasn't the only one, as we somehow arranged to have coffee after class twice a week, which eventually led to playdates.

I did finally meet some moms, but it was a lot of work! How I wish momstown was in my neighbourhood in 2003!!!

So if you have found momstown, and are nervous about meeting other moms for the first time. I GET IT. Almost everyone of us has had to walk into the room alone without knowing a soul. I encourage you do just do it. Come to the new member meet up. Find me, introduce yourself. Come to the new member coffee date at my house. Or just Email me. We also have registered playgroups, some still have space.

I can't promise that you will become best friends with everyone. But I am pretty sure you will make some mom friends, you will get out of the house and you will be glad you did.

Women Who Lift Us Up

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we need to let people know we need their help or support, and amazing things happen when we do.

I usually pretend I am the tough one, the one who has it all together. I promise, this is usually not the case!

I am as frazzled as the next mom, Trying to juggle four things like any mom entrepreneur.

Well these past few weeks have been tough, and unlike me, I reached out. I said that four letter word. HELP.

Guess what happened. Go on. Guess

Yup. That's right. I was offered help. Emails of checking in with me, offers of coffee dates (one of my favorite ways to drink my coffee by the way, hint hint), twitter shout-outs, amazing support.

Why didn't I reach out before? Why do we busy moms think that we have to do it all alone? Why do we pretend we do not need help? It is not a sign of weakness. Honest. I checked.

So to all those who have reached out, gave me an inspiring word or two, shared coffee with me, or just listened.
THANKS
You made my year.

I am here to repay the favor. I am so fortunate to be living where I do, working with the amazing women I have the privileged of working with in both Central Alberta and momstown.

More Business of Being Born

2012-01-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

momstown Central Alberta was proud to be apart of the free movie screening of the movie More Business of Being Born. It was a great resource and follow up to the original movie Business of Being Born

We saw a few familiar faces, lots of great mom and baby focused businesses and hopefully have met a few new faces around momstown Central Alberta!

Dr. Joelle and her team from Family First Chiropractic and Wellness will have this movie available in their lending library if you were not able to make it to this event!

(Click HERE to see the trailer.)

Thanks to all that could attend!

Entrepreneurship Isn't Easy...

2012-01-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

But that is what makes it so rewarding. It is not easy. It takes lots of time, work and mistakes to make a business successful.

I just posted my Goals and Resolutions for 2012, and one of them is to work hard on this wonderful business.

I have had a rough couple of days with this business, and for the first time an easy out was offered.

I thought for a moment what it would be like to no longer be the momstown Mama for Central Alberta... and I was sad.

I didn't get into this business to give up after 5 months. I love what Ann-Marie has built. After meeting the momstown team in November, I don't want to leave the organization. It is awesome! It is a force, and I will be apart of it!

Ann-Marie wrote a blog post last year about the rise of the disposable entrepreneur. Giving up when it gets hard is the easy way out, and I do not want to become a disposable entrepreneur.

The other thing about being an entrepreneur, a "mompreneur" is that you have to do what is best for your family while building your business. I work at my business with little people at my feet, crying to be fed, changed and entertained. I bought this business because I wanted a different way from the way I was living. I have chosen to give up being a Full Time Working Mom. I no longer work for an employer, I work for me. Being a mompreneur I need the support of other moms in this poition, and the national momstown team delivers in spades! It is also why I have a second business, Entreprenuerial Moms of Red Deer

Working for me has to work for my family as well. My family has a baby that is not yet 4 months old that demands a lot of my time. A lot of my time that cannot be used to do some of the things I want to do for this business. That will change in the coming year, as we figure out the childcare option that works best for our family.

I knew being an Entrepreneur wasn't easy when I started this adventure, and it is proving to be more challenging than even I expected. But it doesn't scare me. I am sticking around, building this business the best way I know how, how it works for me and my family, and of course this momstown Community.

New Year Resolutions

2011-12-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

Resolutions. Do you make them?

This has been a topic on our message boards, with our family and I am sure yours.
A few members have spoken about goals for the year versus resolutions, and I love that concept!

I also know that until you make yourself accountable, they are not real, whether it is a goal or a resolution.

So here I am being all accountable. These are my goals/resolutions

1) I want to Run a 10km race. It has been 5 years since my last race, and it is about time to get back at it. Deadline is November 30th 2012

2) Organization - get my office together, deadline January 30 2012

3) Grow this amazing momstown business so that it can afford a car payment! Deadline December 31st 2012

Now that it is out there, now there is no hiding!

What are your resolutions?

Happy Noon Year Celebration 2011

2011-12-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for our Happy Noon Year's celebration!

The sun was shining, it was about -5 degrees and the ice was perfect for skating and the snow was perfect for sledding!!

The kids were having such a great time we left out the countdown and let the kids continue on playing!

To top off a perfect day in the winter sunshine, of course there was HOT CHOCOLATE!

Happy Noon Year Everyone! See you in 2012

1st Christmas Turkey Dinner at MY HOUSE

2011-12-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Ever since I had my own place, at about age 23, I wanted to have Christmas Dinner at MY HOUSE. This has never happened UNTIL THIS YEAR!

I was so excited, now I am a grown up! Really!

I was never able to host before because my house has never been large enough to accommodate my family. When I was 23 my downtown Calgary apartment was too small, when I was 29 my Montreal apartment was too far away, and up until this year my two story home home has been too small.

Oh sure I have hosted Christmas Morning Breakfasts in the past, and the come and go Christmas Eve event we host every year, but this year I was in trusted with the Big Event.

So the fresh 20 pound Turkey was ordered, the guests were given their dish to bring, and I was so excited to cook my FIRST TURKEY EVER!!

So as you probably already know, 20 pounds of Turkey is heavy! Hubby was given the job of washing the Turkey along with the removal of the giblets (ewww!!!).

We had to borrow my mothers roaster, as of course, why would I have one that was big enough? I seasoned the bird and then that Turkey was gently placed (read shoved upside down, oops) into the roaster to cook.

The Turkey was basted a few times (without a baster, as who has one of those when you haven't cooked a Turkey before?) temperature was checked (by my Father, as I seemed always to be feeding a baby when he deemed it time to check) and when it was declared DONE, my father and Hubby gentlemanly asked each other who should do the honor of carving the bird, (my Dad ended up with the job) and Dinner was served.

Only one kink in this otherwise perfect Tale a Cooked Turkey, half my family that had RSVP'd had come down with the stomach flu and didn't show up... so we have had Turkey for almost a week!! Luckily we had some great Turkey recipes handy to add variety to the LARGE amounts of left overs we had!

Who knew cooking a Turkey was so easy? ha ha I am volunteering for this job EVERY YEAR as it seems everyone is so worried about overwhelming the hostess, she doesn't get to do much!

Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Elf on the Shelf is all the rage this year, many of you may have purchased it, so many have it is very hard to find one to purchase anywhere.

I had no idea what this was until it was a topic on our message board, with the hope of members finding one for their families.

I think they are a great idea, super cute... but you don't need one. Growing up we knew about the Elves! My mom made sure we knew they were watching, and they made us believe AND behave, without ever really seeing anything. Oh sure there were many times I was sure I saw "something" when my mom told me that "the elves" just saw me misbehaving...

My sisters and I loved the Elves story my mom told us, it is one of our favorite holiday memories.

I loved it so much, and thought it so ingenious, I decided I would pass along this same story to my girls... except my oldest seems to be a much more discerning listener. Where my sisters and I just believed, my daughter checks up on me!

One time when she was 4, she was behaving badly, so I used what my moms told me on her. I told her I just saw an elf looking through the front door window, and they saw her bad behavior, and they would be telling Santa... What does she do? She goes to the door opens it, looks out and asks "if there was an elf there, why don't I see any footprints?!?!" I was not prepared to answer questions!! ha ha.

I guess I just believed and never questioned my moms story. But then again, I figured out my parents were Santa when I was in grade 2. My oldest is in grade 3 and still believes. I know this is helped by such things as "Magic Santa", who has already sent a video via email to her... and because I have become smarter... If I see tracks in the snow, I make sure I show them to her and tell her I think they may be elf footprints...

So I don't think I will purchase the Elf on the Shelf, it seems like an awful lot of work, and invites WAY more questions... my oldest has seen one, and asks why she never sees the elf move, how come it looks like a doll, will it really lose its magic if I touch it? Here is another blog about The Elf on the Shelf, it is super funny discussing "Over Achieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies". Truly hilarious.

I love the Elves story my mom told us, and I will continue this tradition with my 3 girls, getting smarter about it every year!

momstown Christmas Party

2011-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

With many thanks to Kristin and Lisa, we had a fabulous momstown Central Alberta Christmas Party this past weekend.

There were 2 crafts to make, lots and lots of delicious food that so many of the momstown moms and families brought, and the highlight was of course our short visit from SANTA!! He even managed to bring some "early" Christmas gifts!!

We have to commend Santa on his excellent child holding skills, as it was a day of many tears on his lap, but the parents held their cameras steady to get the picture anyway! ha ha Santa did brag that he hasn't dropped a child yet! And a few kids gave him a run for his money on that claim!! I love to see the pictures of the kids crying on Santa's lap, makes me giggle, and plus is great for showing their friends when they are teenagers right?

It was a great Saturday spent with Families and Friends, and a great way to celebrate the holiday season!!

Check Out what other momstown Chapters got up to this year!
Our next big event is our Happy Noon Year Event! See you then!

Morning with Santa Toy Drive - Teaching Our Kids the True Meaning of Christmas

2011-12-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

momstown Central Alberta, in other words, yours truly, was very fortunate to be asked to partner with Kelly aka Mortgage Mummi and June of Candy Faces fame, for this great event.

We were treated to some mingling with Santa and Mrs. Claus, cookie decorating, making a few crafts, and listening to Mrs. Claus read some delightful Christmas Stories. All of this in the hopes of teaching our kids what the true meaning of Christmas is, GIVING. In exchange for this amazing morning, we accepted donations to the Red Deer Food Bank and the Christmas Bureau instead of trying to buy a small gift or two for all of our friends and their kids.

Kelly wrote an amazing blog post, so please go read her recap AFTER you finished reading mine! (smile)

It is so important to me, that my girls grow up being thankful what they have, and sharing this with others. Even if these "others" may never know it was them that helped them out. Getting to "hang" with the Clauses made the event more fun then just dropping off the gifts, but it was all in the same spirit of giving.

I have so much more to say on this topic, and especially how it relates to our family, but I will save that for a blog post on another day.

In the meantime, please enjoy some pictures from this great event we were lucky enough to be apart of.

Hot Pot Studio Christmas Edition

2011-12-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

The ladies of momstown Central Alberta got together for an evening of ceramic painting, at HOT POT STUDIO this time to create some great Christmas ceramics!

The weather was perfect to put us "in the mood' for Christmas as it was snowing!

Here are a few pics of the ladies "getting their pain on"

Thanks Candace for the great event event!!

November Winners

2011-12-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

I can finally announce who our winners for November were!

Our Scholastic Book of the month "Are you a Horse?" by Andy Rash was won at our Monthly craft Party by BRADLEY

At our Monthly moms Night out at Heritage Ranch we had a gift certificate for a Family Carriage Ride was won by BRADLEY AGAIN!! She needs to buy a lottery ticket...

Our Monthly Contest Winner of the photography package worth $749 from First Blush Photography was DORA!!

Congratulations to our November Winners!!

Balance

2011-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Lately there has been a lot of talk about BALANCE. In our networking groups, on facebook and on blogs. Go ahead, Google "finding balance" and see the thousands of links, self help books and seminars you can take to "find balance"

Mothers seem to strive for this more than anyone else. We are always trying to balance our lives, whether we are working moms, stay at home moms, step moms and especially if you are a mom entrepreneur who works from home.

Kelly, mortgage mummi thinks it is B^llS&!t! Ha ha
Another blog post about the same thing titled lower your standards!

This has got me thinking... why are we searching for balance?
I think we should strive for HARMONY.

If you are striving for Balance, it means you are static, not moving. It also means to me, that it all could come crashing down with one wrong move.

If we look for harmony in our lives, it means that our lives are fluid, are filled with music and have plenty of opportunities for dancing!

It might mean that some days we are "out of tune" but even out of tune, it is still music and you can still dance!

It means that your life is ever changing and moving, and as I think it should be.

So stop googling "work life balance" and go find some music to dance to!

Wild West Craft Party

2011-11-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

It was a week filled with sickness it seamed for the momstown moms in Central Alberta! Hopefully this means that sickness will not stick around for the holidays! Because of this we had a smaller turnout at our monthly craft party, but we still had fun!!

We of course had our craft time, making a horse tracing the kids foot and forearms! I love these types of crafts as we can see just how little our kids were, and really who doesn't like having their foot traced?

We also had our story time, and well I hope someone heard me read it! ha ha

You see I have our monthly story books delivered ahead of time to our house, and my toddler loves to "test drive" the books before our monthly events...

This month's Story "Are you a Horse" by Andy Rash, happens to be her ultimate favourite!! (Here is a great recap about the book) As I sat in my chair, handed over a crying baby to another mom, toddler comes over and wants to "read read" the book herself, there is no way mom will read it!! So guess what happens next? ha ha if you have been reading this blog, or attended this event, you know!! ha ha Crying and a great tempter tantrum!!

I did manage to read the story, and the kids were listening, and in the end momstown mom Bradley won the book, which we all asked her to HIDE so that toddler did not see that it was gone!

No need to worry about toddler losing her favorite book, we have our own copy at home! ha ha

Public Temper Tantrums

2011-11-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

This evening in Red Deer the Red Deer's Biggest Christmas Tree Festival and Christmas Parade, was held. For the past two years it has been cancelled because it was -25, but this year we have had a Chinook wind blow in, and the temperature was right, so, I promised my oldest that we would do downtown to see the festivities. Oldest had seen Toronto's Santa Claus Parade on television on the weekend, so I had to keep reminding her that this was not in the same league! ha ha but she was very much looking forward to it nonetheless.

I checked the website and saw that events started at 6pm, and we arrived downtown at about 5:50, found a good spot and waited.

I have blogged about my toddler before, and her public temper tantrums, and yes this is the same theme! She is almost 21 months old, and temper tantrums are par for the course. So she didn't have as much patience as the rest of us, in waiting for the parade to start. She wanted DOWN, which wasn't going to happen on the parade route downtown, as she is a runner! So she started to cry, and scream, and have a temper tantrum. I am used to these now, and I just wait them out, knowing that when the parade starts all will be forgotten.

While we were waiting, and while toddler DD was crying, a mother daughter "team" started to make comments, loudly about my crying daughter. Not the consoling kind of "oh we have been there" but the accusatory kind, saying things like "I need earplugs" "this is ridiculous, why do we have to be subjected to this" and she has snot all over her face". They were less than 3 feet from me, so they knew I could hear them!

I couldn't hold my thoughts in any longer, so I asked them had they never had a screaming child before? I also asked them to give me a break, and where was their Christmas Spirit? I also reminded them that it was a SANTA CLAUS PARADE and that kids were present!! I also stated that my oldest had been so excited about this event and I didn't think it was fair to her to haul everyone back to the car.

I still cannot believe people were so ignorant at an outdoor event for children, about a toddler crying. I can understand if we were in a movie theatre and we were ruining a movie for others, or at a restaurant, but at the Santa Claus Parade? What are your thoughts? What would you have done? Has this ever happened to you?

Moms Night Out at The Bra Lounge

2011-11-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

The momstown moms had 2 night out at the bra lounge, as we had such a great response to this event, we all couldn't go on one night!

Sheena and Cortney treated us with Wine and Cheese, 25% off our purchase and an awesome shopping experience!

I think we all left with a new purchase and we want to be back!

Keep a look out to our next moms night out!

Disposable mom at the half way point

2011-11-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

So this disposable turned cloth diapering mom is half way through her month long experiment, and I have a confession to make.... I cheated.

Yup, since I took baby DD with me to Toronto for the momstown conference, I brought disposable diapers, as I am not yet experienced enough to travel with cloth diapers. It was a good thing too, as my bag was packed full, with 3 carry on bags on the way home from all the goodies the sponsors loaded us up with!!

But want to know what else happened? Her yeast diaper rash came back... hmmm is it from the disposables? I think it might be but who knows. What I do know is that it was almost cleared up when we left.

So 2 weeks to go, and then I have to come to a decision.

Am I still a disposable mom?

A Fun Morning at the Red Deer Museum & Art Gallery

2011-11-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Some of the momstown moms ventured out into the cold for a morning of crafts, art and learning at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.

The kids were fascinated with the coy fish in the front entrance, and I think a few of them would have been happy to just stay there! But they would have missed all the crafty fun!
We were then led to the craft room where our instructor Tanya (not me) taught the kids about colors, shapes and how to make pictures from them.

Then we got to try out the magic crayons that turned into Paint when water was added to them!

Then it was off to the small but great play area that museum has. The kids loved it there as well!
We will be back!

Amazing momstown national conference

2011-11-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend my first momstown conference. All I can say is that I am so glad I went! I learnt so much, connected with the whole momstown team, and came home with lots of new ideas, new passion and lots of excitement!!

We worked on our brand, we tasted some wine (thanks Chateau des Charmes!) worked on out sites, and really connected with each other.

Being a new momstown mama, working with my peers, was an invigorating time of networking and learning. We were also spoiled by so many sponsors. Thank you to

@GMCanada / #ChevyOrlando
@SummerFresh
@BabyDdrops
@ChaptersIndigo
@PurdysChocolate
@LifeChoicesFood
@MySecondCup
@Shatobu
@Welldotca
@PlaytexBaby
#VaselineMen
#Kelloggs
@ToshibaCanada
@Jan_Kelley
@padtitude
@AlisonIPR
@KristaK01
@MaryFearon
@mbosc
@Williams_Fresh

After all of the work, we had some fun on Monday! First stop was kidscbc! and if you haven't seen the awesome video they created for us, go now! I'll wait. You have to see it! I know I am a bit biased, but it made all of is momstown mamas both laugh and cry!

Then it was off to the Steven and Chris show, and here is another awesome video of some momstown mams trying to in a prize.

Last stop of the day was a meeting at Fisher Price, where we were able to learn about our new partnership, play with some toys, and of course behave like the kids we really are at heart.
The trip was jam packed with information and things t do and learn, but it was also a great time, that didn't feel like work.

I am very much looking forward to the next conference in May.

Left Over Halloween Candy

2011-11-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

Do you have any Candy Left? Eaten it all?

Halloween Candy has been in our house for almost 2 weeks, and I am ready for it to be gone, as I an indulging too much!! Like Jo from Jo Dumont Fitness Training calls them the mini chocolate bars from hell! lol

I have heard of the switch witch, and the Halloween fairy, who takes most or all of the candy away, but that would never fly (get it? ha ha) in our house. As I have mentioned before, momstown Papa Paul is from Zimbabwe, so food is not wasted, nor is it thrown out! Expiry dates are not adhered to, the nose and taste buds rule (unless it is already blue).

My favorite story, and I like to tell it often, is when I found a package of the chocolate covered cherries in our pantry, expiry date of 2006, in 2009!! I tried to throw them out, but no way!! "sugar doesn't go off Tanya!" So they were eaten!! I told him if he was sick, no sympathy from me, but he proved me wrong!

So What do we do? On Halloween night, I sort the candy, and take out the best gingerbread decorating candy out and that is stored away for the decorating closer to Christmas. But don't worry momstown Papa Paul ensures that gets eaten as well!!

What do you do?
Another momstown mama makes jewelry out of the candy.
Does the Halloween Fairy Visit your house?

Ever have one of those days?

2011-11-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days for me!

We woke up great, quizzed oldest for her science test she has today, had breakfast, got the 2 youngest dressed, and it wasn't even 9:15! We were on a roll!!

Then I tried to print and send off my waiver to drive the Chevy Orlando at the momstown conference this weekend... printer won't work. So off we go to my parents to borrow their printer/scanner, and I cannot get their scanner to work either... and we have to leave as we promised Oldest DD that we would be at the school for the Remembrance Day Celebration, as she had a reading part.

We get to the school just in time, find our seats, and the celebration begins, Oldest read beautifully, by the way and then it was time for the bugle and the minute of silence... Have I mentioned I have a 20 month old? She was not interested in sitting quietly, so I took her our of her stroller (do you see where this is going... ha ha) to sit in my lap, nope not interested in that, she wants DOWN (loudly) so I get her to stand holding my hand... when she decides to make a break for it, runs down the aisle of students and grabs the nearest pylon!!

So do I leave her (the minute of silence and respect remember?) or let her just be... I made the split second decision to grab her, and the tantrum begins, so out of the gymnasium we go to try to get her settled down.

By the way I left littlest in her stroller with the other moms, as she WAS sleeping, but as soon as we exited the gym, she starts to cry, so I run in grab her and the three of us wait in the hallway until there is no more crying. This continues until the end of the celebration, once the kids start filing out of the gym, toddler DD is quiet, of course!!

So we go back in, tell Oldest what a great job she did, and head back to my parents to try again to get the waiver sent, (got it this time, whew) as I really want to drive the Orlando, and Grandma makes us lunch! Yay!

We are now finally home, both girls are napping, and I walk by a mirror and ask myself what is in my hair??... baby puke!!! Awesome. I wonder how long that has been there. I would put money on since about 9:15 this morning...

How is your day going?

Rememberence day with kids

2011-11-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

How do you talk about all the poppies on all the coats this time of year with your kids?

I know my oldest has been asking every year since she could talk why everyone wears the red flowers on their coat. Even this year, as an 8 year old she asks again, seeming to forget year after year (Here is a great craft to do with your kids while having a conversation about why November 11th is a day we recognize.).

Remembrance Day for me is all about my Grandfather and my great Uncle. My Grandfather passed away last year, he was a World War II vet, who fought mostly in Italy. As a kid he always teased us by speaking Italian, and I was always so curious as to why he knew this language, we have no Italian ancestry! He almost never spoke of the war, only speaking of his time on leave in England where he met my grandmother, and of course the little bit of Italian he learned and teased his grand kids with.

When I was fresh out of University and exploring Europe, I went to the Canadian War Memorial in France, and looked at all the names on the wall, looking for a name from my Family. I was surprised to find the name of my Grandfather, thinking it was quite the coincidence, but knowing it wasn't him, as this memorial is from World War I.

I met up with him soon after, and he explained that that was my great Uncle, and that he was named after him. This began an almost two decade long conversation between my grandfather and I about those years, he also started to finally tell his story, taping his story on cassettes.

He passed away last year at the age of 90, and we have his dress uniform jacket from the war, and I treasure it. I also am so grateful that he made those tapes. When I visit my parents, I see his medals that have been framed and hung up on the wall.

There are very few WWII vets left, but when I see them at the Remembrance Day ceremonies, I think of my grandfather. This is the story I tell my daughters, and I will have their great grandfathers first hand account of his experience of war.

Can this Disposable Mom be Converted to Cloth?

2011-11-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is a question posed to me by Brie from Green Bottoms Diaper Service.

I don't know if I can. Laundry is my least favorite thing to do!!
Paul, momstown papa, has been trying for years to convince me to use cloth... and now I have run out of excuses not to try, since Brie's company picks up the dirty diapers and delivers nice clean ones!!!

So we decided I would try her service, and cloth diapers out for the month of November. I went to Brie's for a quick lesson and to pick up my first batch. It all looks quite easy, but to be honest I was really nervous! She convinced me I would be fine and off I went.

It did take a few tries to get the fit right on Ciara, as she kept leaking through, but Brie was available to ask questions and she suggested a few things, and now I think we have it!

I will update this again to see how it is going, and also to recap the lesson that momtown papa needs to make sure he does it right too!!

October Winners

2011-11-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well October and Halloween have come and gone, and I for one am so happy that the snow held off on Halloween night, as it seemed to threaten to make it a cold night!

With the start of a new month we have some momstown winners to announce.
Carrie won a copy of our October book Story County.
We had 3 winners at our Halloween Contest
Tina won funniest Costume as Jelly Beans Costume
Angie won scariest Costume as a Sparkly Skeleton, and the kids weren't scared!!
Shayla won Best Costume for her paper bag princess Costume

Kim was the big winner of our monthly contest that had all our members wanting to win! Kim won a gift certificate to spend at Jo Dumont Fitness Training valued at $250.

What is JDFT?

Jo Dumont Fitness Training is Red Deer’s (non)gym! No attitudes, no egos, no judgement. Undertaking a life journey to change your health and your life requires support. LOTS of support. JDFT understands that, they’ve been there. They’ve been that girl in the corner uncomfortably pulling at her shirt, or that guy that only goes at 10pm so he can be alone in the gym. They’ve been there and they’ll help you get out of there. Kids are always welcome - always."

The prize is a gift certificate that can be used towards any of JDFT's services. Day camps, membership, personal training, nutrition classes, Shred Fitness Camp, punch cards. No catch, no further investment. It is what is it is. Just like JDFT.

We have another fabulous contest for November, so remember to enter daily for your chance to win a photography package valued at $749.99 from First Blush Photography!! Check her out on facebook and twitter @firstblush!

momstown Central Alberta Celebrates Halloween

2011-10-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

It was time for momstown Central Alberta's Halloween Craft party!

Everyone was encouraged to dress up, which we know the kids love, but we had lots of great moms in costumes, vying for one of our 3 prizes (with trophies!!) Funniest Costume, Scariest Costume and Best Costume.

Some of our awesome members brought lots of treats to share, we made hand print ghosts, played of course and had some parachute time.

The morning went by so fast, but it was great fun!

Check out what other momstown Chapters were up to here, here and here

Next up is our Wild West Craft Party on the 24th, and of course costumes are always welcome!!

The Glass Ceiling a Result of the "Mommy Track"??

2011-10-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Again I was listening to the radio this morning again Q... and they were discussing women and the glass ceiling and if the "mommy track" is to blame.

What I want to blog about was some of the comments made by one of the participants.

In particular the ones that stated that child rearing was a leisure activity, and that highly educated women have a moral duty to work, and that those women who stay home or work are time are setting a bad example to their daughters....?? Another 'favourite' was when she said of course employers will choose men over women as they will leave when they have kids. And that is OK as they want to get the most out of their investment in their employees...

Where to start, really I could write 5 pages of rantings on what this women said.

What we need is to start supporting each others choices, we women are not all the same, all have different motivations and reasons for choosing what we do. Some of us want to be stay at home moms, others want to be working full time, others want to run their own business, and everything in between. We need to leave the judgements and the 'mean girling' in the past.

(As an aside, I really liked the comments on twitter asking if this woman had children, as anyone who has raised a child know that it is no leisure activity.)

I was directed to this blog, which is a great read on this same debate.

I made the choice to work from home, and I know I am not doing my three daughters a disservice! I know I am a good example to my girls. They are only little for a short while, and I know I missed too much with my oldest when she was littler, when I was working full time. There was no choice then, but it wasn't the better choice FOR ME. When I went back to work earlier this year, my employer was not willing to offer me flexible hours, and everyone was miserable, and I know I am a better mom when I am not working away from my kids from 9-5 everyday.

This also speaks to the rise of the mompreneur that has been in the news lately, especially on my mind with Ann-Marie's winning the SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the year award. There are so many of us entrepreneurs who happen to be moms who want a third way... to be our own CEO.

Listen to the podcast of the debate if you haven't already and lets discuss!

momstown is SavvyMom MOM ENTRPRENEUR OF THE YEAR!

2011-10-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Wow... what an honor! I am so thrilled and privileged to be apart of this great organization and to work with the amazing mom entrepreneurs of momstown, including the winner Ann-Marie Burton.

Ann-Marie has encouraged me and inspired me in the very short time I have been one of the mom entrepreneurs of the momstown community, she to me is what a great entrepreneur is! I have worked with entrepreneurs for years, entrepreneurialism is my passion, for myself and to work with other entrepreneurs. The energy and passion that entrepreneurs have for their business is such an amazing energy to be around.

What this award means to Ann-Marie is posted here. What else does Ann-Marie's win mean to me? it validates that momstown is both an amazing community of moms and their families, but also that it is a viable business.

I have to extend my thanks to all of our members and friends who voted for momstown, and because we are so thrilled with this honor, we are letting our members and fellow mom entrepreneurs share in our win! How are we doing this?

momstown is saying THANKS for voting us SavvyMom MOM ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR with 1 FREE month membership!

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- 28^th. 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

Scarecrows Theme Craft Party

2011-10-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a blast at our monthly theme craft party!

October's theme at momstown is SCARECROWS and we had 2 crafts to make! The moms had their turn earlier this month with the life sized scarecrows that we made at the Jungle Farm in Innsifail.

For more Autumn craft ideas check out our momstown arts & crafts blog here!

The kids of course played, made some crafts and then played some more!

Along with our party is our monthly selection from Scholastic Books that Carrie won her very own copy of! This month's book was Story County by Derek Anderson.

Welcome to Story County! Farmer, Dog, Pig, Chicken, and Miss Cow are eager to make a farm. And it's no ordinary farm. They paint the barn a rainbow of colors, plant crops of jelly beans and candy corn, fashion the prettiest scarecrow, and more, until presto!-the farm is complete. Or is it? New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson takes readers from white page to colorful farm in this charming tale of friendship (and teamwork), as five friends come together to create Story County- a special new home for young readers, where anything can happen!

Next month our theme is The Wild West!

Hallowe'en Costumes = Lingerie?

2011-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Lingerie is the new Halloween costume... or so it would seem!!

I am busy planning our Halloween party for momstown Central Alberta, and I wanted to find a new Hallowe'en costume for the occasion, my fabulous witch costume has had its day , and I need an excuse for a new one!

So checking out the costumes online, the flyer's and in stores, it seems they are all made for porn stars! Seriously! My options seem to be a witch (see above, been here done that) or a nun (don't worry though there is still the sexy nun option available!)

Since when has Hallowe'en turned into the contest of who can wear the least amount of provocative clothes and pretend it is a costume? Also for another blog post, way too many little girls costumes are over the edge of appropriateness.

Now as a disclaimer, I have dressed up as a french maid in my younger days, but now it seems there is no happy medium, it is either full on lingerie or a sack, and this is the choice offered is witch or nun. I just wanted a new fun costume that was appropriate for a kids party.

So I guess I am becoming creative and making my own!

What about you, what do you think about the costumes that are offered for sale?

Travelling with Young kids

2011-10-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Does your family have the traveling bug? Or do you travel just as a couple?

Our family has the traveling bug bad...(OK maybe it is just the parents!) But when we travel we travel as a family. This makes many question WHY????

When we traveled to Zimbabwe, everyone from friends to the public health nurse questioned why we would bring a 1o month old. It was even suggested more than a few times, that we leave her behind! We were gone for a month!!

Last week, our family was privileged to travel to the Dominican Republic, as momstown papa Paul was awarded a work trip, and us 4 girls escorted him! When I told people that we were going away, so many asked why we didn't just go the two of us, leave the kids with the grandparents... and they knew we have a 5 week old! She is exclusively breastfed to start with, but she is not sleeping thought the night, not even close, and I cannot imagine asking my parents to look after her for week while we went away... that is a lot to ask, but I know those who have done so, even with younger babies...

I am a true believer in choice, and it is not my place to question how others parent, but this is not our choice. We believe that traveling as a family brings us closer together, is amazing quality time, and we wouldn't do it any other way.

What about you? How young is too young for you to travel with your kids?

Another Fabulous Resource brought to you from momstown

2011-10-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Do time outs and counting to 1-2-3 work in your house? I know I have been at the end of my rope some days and it seems like it is just one time out after another, and still the behavior continues. When you have an 8 year old, an eight minute time out is a long time, and at this age, it isn't as effective as it once might have been.

So I am very interested to listen to one of the webinar's that momstown and Positive Parenting are teaming up again to bring to members. On October 20th and 24th they are presenting a 1 hour webinar training course on parenting discipline. The webinar objective is education and participants can leave the session to tools to help them be a more confident (& content) parent.

Here is the link to register, and yes it is free, which makes it even better!

Things that make you go hmmmm

2011-10-06T20:30:00.001-07:00

I was listening to Jian Ghomeshi this morning when he started to discuss this "Should Facebook take down 'rape joke' pages?

As an aside it is World Breastfeeding week. Why are these two things even remotely related you might ask?

Well maybe you recall that Facebook considers pictures of a woman nursing a child obscene. Therefore they will remove any pictures of a woman nursing her child... but they won't remove these 'rape joke pages' as these are not obscene. Hmmmmmm.....

Why do we live in a culture that believes nursing a child is obscene, and rape jokes are OK? Showing a woman feeding her child cannot be pictured on Facebook, but these distasteful jokes can. I have read the comments on the Blog to the discussion on Q today, and lots say let the Internet monitor itself, free speech etc. etc. OK then, same rules for all. But they aren't. Facebook the giant of social media has decided which is OK and which isn't. Facebook's stance on these two issues boggles my mind. Why is this OK? Even Facebook with a petition of over 200,000 thousand signatures hasn't changed their position on the 'rape jokes' pages....

This dichotomy bothers me... pictures of breastfeeding = obscene, rape jokes = OK?

Your thoughts?

momstown Central Alberta goes Scarecrow Building at the Jungle farm

2011-10-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of this month's theme of SCARECROWS the moms of momstown Central Alberta took a fun field trip to the Jungle Farm to build our very own scarecrows! For the moms in our group who are "city slickers" this was our first time at temping to make a "real scarecrow" and I think that maybe the moms got more into it than most of the kids! (wink)

For our outing, we first had to maneuver about 18 moms, kids and strollers onto a wagon pulled by an antique tractor, this as you can imagine took some time, and during this time we were lucky for momstown mom Bradley as she saved us, when the tractor started rolling with said kids moms and strollers attached in a wagon with no one in the drivers seat!!

Once we were on our way, the tractor took us to some farm animals that the kids were able to feed. The kids obviously loved this!

Then we were finally onto the scarecrow factory to try our hands at this life sized craft, involving copious amounts of hay, clothes and power tools!

We were all impressed with our results...

But the hard part now was getting our creations home, well at least for me this was a challenge. Luckily Jodie saved the day and delivered ours to our house, and our scarecrow was just a bit worse for wear... OK a lot, she lost lots of her stuffing, her pants fell down, and she needed a repair job before taking her spot in our front yard.

momstown gets Lost!

2011-09-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

momstown Central Alberta moms hit the Lacombe Corn Maze, and it was a beautiful fall day, even though the sun hid behind the clouds on us.

As we ventured into the maze, it was a long line of moms strollers and kids trying to make our way through!! Corn Mazes are one of this momstown mama's favorite things about fall!!

The Lacombe Corn Maze has lots of other things to do besides the maze! This was a favorite of my daughter, as we had a hard time getting off!!

And of course, there is the barrel train to end a great outing!!

Breakfast Pajama Party with Kellogg's

2011-09-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

momstown Central Alberta stayed in their pajamas all morning and enjoyed a breakfast with their kids, because it never happens that we forgo getting dressed right?

We had lots of moms and their kids show up in the pajamas!

Jodie P was the lucky winner of the Kellogg's Prize pack. Her kids are super excited with all the cereal that now fills their cupboard!

Here is the momstown Central Alberta papa enjoying breakfast with our daughter!

Some of the moms getting their breakfast.

Some of the kids in their pajamas after their breakfast playing

All of our participants were lucky enough to take home $25 dollars worth of Kellogg's coupons, and the kids got stickers, and we all were able to have a healthy breakfast, got to try our some cereals that we might not have otherwise, as well as learn all about options for breakfast, how Kellogg's breakfast cereals compare nutritionally to other breakfast options.

We love our Cereal!

At the Zoo Theme and Craft party

2011-09-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

I hosted my first momstown Central Alberta craft party, and it went well!
The kids played - of course!

I had two crafts for the kids to do (1)Finger painting which I know is always a hit and this great craft Spiralling Snakes, from the momstown arts and crafts blog.

We topped it off with a Reading of THE UNDERPANTS ZOO by Brian Sendelbach which is our Scholastic book of the Month, and Mandy was the lucky winner from our event draw, who took home her own copy of this great book.

See you at October's party where our theme is Scarecrows

Back to School Pajama Party with Kellogg's... Have you RSVP'd yet?

2011-09-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

momstown Central Alberta is having a pajama party! Are you on the guest list? There is a great gift basket to be won by one lucky momstown Central Alberta Mom, as well as the first 30 moms in attendance will walk away with a goody bag with over $25 worth of coupons from Kellogg's!

momstown Central Alberta will also be giving away a year's membership to all moms who change their facebook profile picture to their favourite Kellogg's cereal, and come back to this blog post to make a comment telling me that they did! I will make the draw on Tuesday, so even if you cannot make the breakfast (but I really think you should) you can win! An extra entry into our draw is available if you go onto twitter and tweet your favourite Kellogg's cereal and add the hashtag #luvurcereal

So why are we having this breakfast? It is all about making the morning rush easier on us moms, and learning about what healthy options are available, as well as to dispel a few misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy breakfast. And of course, all the while having a great event with our kids, and spending the morning in our pajamas, because that never happens right? (wink)

So I hope to see lots of momstown Central Alberta Moms on Monday at our breakfast!

So how do you attend this event? It is open to all momstown Central Alberta members, and if you are not a member, become one! Click here to sign up for our free trial membership and come see what momstown is all about.

Just for the record, this momstown mama's favourite is Special K - because my mom always told us we were special K's when we were growing up! (and well I am still am!)

Discovery WildLife Park to celebrate this months theme of At the Zoo!

2011-09-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

The momstown Central Alberta moms ventured to Innisfail to spend a very windy morning at Discovery Wildlife Park, all to celebrate this months theme of AT THE ZOO.

This momstown mom ventured out with her 2 youngest, including baby, and we lasted about 90 minutes! We saw lots of bears, the tigers, jaguar, black panther, some very cute squirrels and an Alligator, to name a few of the animals.

Ciara did great on her first zoo trip, and only cried a couple of times (smile).
Here are a few of the pics I managed to take in between feedings.

Loving Family Dollhouse by Fisher Price

2011-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Our family was lucky enough to be chosen to test out the Loving Family Dollhouse by Fisher Price! www.FisherPricePlay.ca

When the box arrived, my girls could wait to see what was inside, wanting me to open the box immediately. Then they saw what was inside! Word to the wise, do not have little eyes and hands around when you are ready to assemble the dollhouse, as they can hardly stand the anticipation, and really start to play as soon as you take everything out of the box, regardless if all the pieces are in the right spots yet...

The dollhouse is very easy to put together, and the assembly only took a couple of minutes, even with the impatient little ones "helping" to get the job done.

My girls love the grand house, the dolls, and especially the twin babies it comes with. The house comes with 2 high chairs & trays, a mom and a dad, table and two chairs. These few pieces have been more than enough to entertain my girls for the past 2 weeks we have had it. In fact, since our new baby has arrived, we have had lots of visitors to our house, and all the kids are instantly drawn to the house, and they all want to play! We have had little people entranced by this toy from 15 months to 8 years, boys and girls! Needless to say this is a toy that will not quickly outgrown in any household. Our 18 month old will sit still for over 45 minutes playing, and I know that when a toy can do that at this age, it is a keeper! They love to imitate real life, putting the babies in their chairs, using cloth napkins to make beds for nap time, and sometimes it the parents that get to spend some time in the high chairs!

Here are some more pictures of the kids playing with the Dollhouse! I know that the additional pieces to the set will be on our girls Christmas wish list!

Want to know what else is awesome? You could win the Loving Family Dollhouse for your house!
Click here to enter! Good Luck!

September Winners

2011-09-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Winning came early in September at momstown Central Alberta!

Lisa N is our winner of the family pack of Tickets to see the Backyardigans!
Becky from Uppy Mama is our vendor winner of a social media campaign.
Kristie M has won a 6 month membership to momstown Central Alberta!

Congratulations to our winners!
New Contest for October will be announced at the end of the month!

Love Your Cereal Pajama Party Invite!!

2011-09-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Decisions on Bottles Formula Soothers all in 5 minutes!

2011-09-08T20:17:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week, we made a return visit to the hospital as baby Ciara needed to spend some time "under the lights" to help her jaundice. Her numbers were too high to be ignored, and to veer on the safe side, off we went for an overnight stay.

Needless to say this was the hardest on me, hormonal post partum mom!
The day started out pretty great for day 3 of Ciara's life, the public health nurses made a home visit, and this is where they noticed just how yellow Ciara was looking. I have never had a jaundiced baby, so this is all new to me. The nurses also were concerned about her heart rate, and this scared me as well. They made a call to the prenatal clinic we had attended, and baby and I were sent off to the clinic to be looked at. Once there, our wait was about 45 minutes to be told we needed to head straight to the hospital. Once there, we were looked after by the pediatrician, who then booked us in the for the night. This all took about 6 hours!!

Once admitted and into our shared room, I had some big decisions to make. These are decisions that I haven't been pressed for in the past. Right off the nurses asked if I wanted to pump and have baby bottle fed... I have never offered a bottle to my baby this early! Then the nurses wanted to "top her up" with formula so that she would settle down, another thing this mom has never done, my babies have been breastfed exclusively for 6 months minimum! Then they take Ciara away to be settled and assessed, and when she comes back she has a soother!! I haven't offered a soother to my babies in the past, and that wasn't the plan with baby Ciara either!

This was just about too much for this mama to handle. Thankfully, the nurses and I had a chat about what I wanted, and all is well... but talk about stress!!

What decisions have you felt pressured to make about your baby? Have other "experts" weighed in on your decisions?

Here is a great post about what mom needs after her baby is born.

momstown Baby has arrived!

2011-09-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

On Sunday September 4th, our daughter Ciara arrived! 7 pounds, 15 ounces, 20 inches long with tonnes of black hair!
We are now a family of 3 girls, and we are thrilled!
momstown papa Paul is thrilled that his life is destined to be surrounded by pink forever!!

Baby's coming! Dad's Perspective

2011-09-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday 3^th of September

Tanya called me just as I had completed my sale to an elderly lady. It was three forty five in the afternoon. My mood immediately changed to haste and conclusion. My client just had to deal with it. In fact it excited her world as well in her little eyes far behind some overlarge practical glasses. Tanya’s waters had broken and I was to return home to take her to hospital. The baby was on its way.

I climbed into my vehicle casting my transaction papers aside onto the passenger seat. Everything was done quick and the SUV was soon hurtling down the QEII; Bowden to Red Deer. My mind was buzzing with excitement, anxiety. Was it all going to be OK? We are not ‘spring chickens’ and we want the baby to be 100%. Would it just magically arrive as proposed; today??? How does it all work that it all just happens today? Mom opens her legs and the baby pops out and it starts crying? Ha ha.

Were we ready for all of it? We knew the hospital backwards, where to park and which ward to arrive to. Tanya had a bag packed and the nappies were waiting. The crib was prepared at home. We had chosen green and yellow sleepers to start with as we did not know the sex of the child. Was it to be a girl or a boy? Did we care?

Not really. We had six to eight boys and girls names to work with. When the baby arrived I felt that we would fight over the details. Our two daughters were off to stay with Tanya’s sister. Chloe was jumping around with excitement, hyper, chatting away uncontrollably. Charlotte was apprehensive, clapping away in spasms and singing but when it came time to separate she put on a nervous whine. She did not really want to go with Auntie. She wanted to be with her Mom. She was “Mommies little darling!” Why should anything change? Why should it? She was really content with things, but there again there were some strange comments and actions in the house; and then there was Mom’s tummy?

If it was a girl it was going to be fine. We already had two. If it was a boy there was a question that I still had not satisfactorily answered. Do we circumcise? I am old school. My family is all circumcised (all my friends from boarding school). They will not change (circumcision in Africa is being promoted on huge billboards as it lowers HIV infection by 60% - AIDS being a huge problem in Africa still –)… but here in Canada it is being phased out. Why cut something if it ain’t broke?

Our 4th Birthday Bash Winners

2011-09-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay!
Drum Roll Please.....
Ashley C has have won the Pink Coupe Car from Little Tikes!
Kristin F have won the Shaklee Basket from Tania's Shaklee Business!
Rachelle T has won the kids Tupperware set from Brandi's Tuppererware Business! Boy or Girl?
Angie H has won the Pampered Chef pan from Carole's Pampered Chef Business!
Leane Y has won the Green Works gift set from Green Works!
Janeth L has won the Life Choices Cooler Lunch bag from Life Choices Foods!
Kim T has won a $25 Loblaws gift certificate from Loblaws!
Bradley W has won a Thermomaster Spatula and coupon Pack from Maple Leaf foods!
Robin R has won foundation from Smashbox cosmetics!
Sarah M has won a huge Tupperware set from Brandi's Tupperware Business!
Donna M-F has won the little pet shop set from Hasboro!
Michelle C has wn the mug & CD from Kindermusic Korner!
Robin D has won a gift certificate from Green Bottoms!
Aimee M has won girls size one shirt or a boys size 5 from Heidi's Peekaboo Beans
Leslie L has won our Scholastic books for the Month of August!

(This was the post I was writing when my water broke Lucky huh!?!)

Things people say to you when you are pregnant

2011-09-02T15:10:00.001-07:00

When I am sporting a 'bump' people seem to lose their inhibitions, and just start talking to me. I am sure this must be the case for any pregnant lady who dares to be out and about, visibly pregnant. This is my third go-round, so I am pretty used to the standard questions and conversation topics.

Mostly it is just an easy conversation starter, and comments are genial in nature, I usually am told I "will be busy" when they see me with my 18 month old. Sometimes I am asked if this will be my last, or if I know what I am having. All questions that are easy to field, even if they are verging on a bit of the very personal side.

But today, wow, I was dumbfounded. Truly.

I was in a department store, asked for some help, and the saleslady seemed it necessary to tell me, and I quote "Oh my you are as big as a house!". I just stared at her, thinking I can't believe she just said that to me!! Saying nothing, as really what could I say.... then she starts laughing, and proceeds to tell me that she thinks it is important for people to know what other people are ACTUALLY thinking.

Ummmmm REALLY? She thought it was important that I know that she thinks I am "THE SIZE OF A HOUSE"!! (enter rant here! wink)

So tell me, what is the oddest, rudest or most personal question a perfect stranger or even a close relative has asked you when you were pregnant?

Check out the momstown moments blog with this post about another perfect stranger who feels the need to share their thoughts and opinions....

momstown Central Alberta August Winners!

2011-09-01T21:44:00.001-07:00

The Winner of our monthly Contest was Michelle L! She won a fall session with Miss Val from Kindermusik Korner!

Lisa and Jamie were the lucky recipients of a free movie for our moms night out at the movies at the Galaxy Theatre in Red Deer.

Michelle L and Alissa K were the lucky winners of a $25 Gift Certificate from Cities Gastro Pub from our sponsors for moms night out.

The list of Door Prize winners from our biethday bash will be announced very soon!!

September's monthly contest is a family pack of tickets to see the Backyardigans on September 17th at the Memorial Centre in Red Deer! Contest entry will be posted shortly!

Have you entered the momstown contest yet?

2011-08-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter to win a free semester with Miss VAl in a class of your choice with Kindermusic Korner!!

Here are your options

Village (babies 0-18 months)

Our Time (18 months - 3 years)

Imagine That (3 & 4years)

Young Child (41/2 5 years)

Family Time (0-7 years)

Sign & Sing (8months - 2 years)

Enter Enter Enter!!

Next month's contest will be announced tomorrow!! Stay Tuned

momstown Central Alberta's 4th Birthday Bash!

2011-08-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

Wow that was a great day!! The weather was amazing, I remembered to bring everything I needed except the tablecloth clips (wink), and baby stayed put!! momstown Central Alberta's 4th birthday bash was a huge success!!

We had so many amazing sponsors that need a shout out!
Big Bounce Inflatable Rentals
Candy Faces Face Painting and Body Art
First Blush Photography
Yummy Custom Cakes
Tupperware
Green bottoms
Uppy Mama
Kindermusik Korner
Bold Beauty
Jo Dumont Fitness Training
Pampered Chef

I am so excited with the turnout that we had! Over 150 moms and their kids enjoyed a fabulous day in the sunshine at the Kiwanis Picnic Area in Red Deer.

Here are some great pictures of our event.

I have so many ideas for our BIG event next year to celebrate 5 awesome years of momstown.ca!

Thanks again everyone!!

Here are some other momstown.ca 4th birthday bash parties that have been held across the country!
Winnipeg
Guelph
Burlington

If you are not already a momstown.ca member, sign up for a trial membership and see what else we having going on in Central Alberta for moms and kids!

Stay Tuned for our winners from all of our Fabulous Door Prize Sponsors will be posted very shortly!!

False Labor... False Alarm?

2011-08-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Driving home from meeting with Ann-Marie and most of the momstown west team, I started having contractions, not too painful but enough that I had to breathe through them. And yes I was the one driving. My husband was a little concerned, asking me to switch spots with him, but there was no way I was moving from my spot! I WAS NOT having a baby on the side of the highway, and I needed the distraction of ensuring we got to Red Deer, as I know I would be beside myself if I was in the passenger seat, panicking about how long it was taking!!

I was also thinking of how I had left 2 doulas in Edmonton, just a few hours ago, and maybe we should have just stuck around... right Janine and Kristin? ha ha

But all is OK, went to the hospital to be checked out, appears to be false warning, but could be anytime... I just want this baby to wait until AFTER our 4th birthday bash... is that too much to ask??

Moving to 3 kids from 2

2011-08-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

I had an easy adjustment from 1 child to 2. My oldest was 6.5 and in school all day, so it was like I was having my first all over again when Charlotte arrived, just the two of us all day until school was over, and Chloe, my oldest was pretty self sufficient by then, getting her own drink, getting a snack, turning on the TV...

But now I will have 18 months between Charlotte and this new baby that is due to arrive in the next week... and this is making me more nervous as the day approaches.

I need tips! Charlotte is very demanding of my attention right now... how do I balance that with the demands of a newborn? I have spoken to many moms with similar spacing of kids, and they say the first 3 months is the hardest... OK ladies who have been in my shoes... pass them along.

Here is momstown Mom, Ann-Marie's take on going from 2 to 3 kids.

Please send me your tips! I need them!

A Beach Day FINALLY!!

2011-08-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Beach Day at Gull Lake!

momstown Central Alberta hit the shores of Gull Lake on Sunday to FINALLY enjoy some summer weather in Central Alberta! The forcasters had called for a high of 28 but I heard it was over 30, and the beach was packed!

Here are some of the sandcastle masterpieces that were built.

We even had a couple of Dad's show up, including the momstown papa Paul!

Any chance we can do this again on the Labour Day long weekend? I will keep my fingers crossed as it was a fantastic day in Central Alberta!

Moms Take over the Market!

2011-08-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say thank you to all the amazing moms that stopped by to say Hi at the momstown booth at this great event getting moms out at the market and visiting local mom owned Businesses!!

We had an amazing spot thanks to Brie from Green Bottoms and her getting up and being at the market at 4:30am!! She even had an area set up for moms to take a break, have a bottle of water, a change station set up and a nice comfy spot to feed the babies! Thanks Brie!!

Mommy connections also shared our booth, and there was some great collaboration from all these mom owned businesses, so great to see!

Park Hopping Play Dates - Splash time!

2011-08-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

The weather was actually decent enough to head out to the Blackfalds Spray Park for our Park Hopping Playdates. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The kids just needed a warm up between visits to the water, as it wasn't THAT warm!!

I have to admit that it was our first time to this splash park, and I know we will go again, as my girls had a blast! There were a few tears as we left!

Thanks for the moms who introduced themselves to me, and for directing us to the right group! ha ha I will get to know more and more of your names and faces I promise!

See you all next week!

Hi! I'm new here...

2011-08-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce myself...

I am Tanya, your new momstown mama for Central Alberta. I am the mom of 2 gorgeous girls, and our family is expecting a new little one at the beginning of September, so apparently I am looking to be very busy!

My husband is Paul, aka momstown papa, and he will be posting on here occasionally to give his unique perspective on life in Central Alberta.

I attended my first momstown moms night out last week at East Side Mario's and met a few of you there, and if we weren't formally introduced, I was the very pregnant lady! ha ha. I also attended my first park hopping playdates and met a couple of the ladies there as well. Small turnout, but it was holiday Monday, I hope to see many more of you next week at the Blackfalds Spray Park!

My goal in August is to get the hang of things with LOTS of help from Alison, as well as meet as many of the momstown moms and families as I can. I can't promise that I will remember your names though... but I will get better!

I am also busy working on our 4th birthday party! I am so excited about what we have in store for all the moms and families in Central Alberta that day! We have face painting from Candy Faces, bouncy house from Big Bounce Inflatables, cupcakes from Yummy Custom Cakes, a demo class from Kindermusic Korner and Jo Dumont Fitness Training. Suzanne from First Blush Photography will be wandering around taking pictures of your little ones having a blast, which you can later purchase from an online gallery if you choose. Joanne from Bold Beauty will also be set up with a Little Fingers Little Toes for any little girls who would like their nails done!

I look forward to seeing you around town!

July Winners!

2011-08-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our winners from July!

Jordana S. is the lucky winner of a Family 4 pack of tickets to see The Wiggles in Calgary on August 6th!

Jo D. & Loretta M. saw a movie on us this month (even if they were different movies thanks to the slow cashier!)

Kim T. & Jill K. each took home a $25 Gift Certificate from East Side Mario's at our monthly Mom's Night Out/New Member Meetup.

Donna M. won a copy of Robert Munch's The Sandcastle Contest!

There are SO many prizes to be won in August as we celebrate momstown.ca's 4th Birthday! Stay tuned to all things momstown so you don't miss out!

A trip to the farm

2011-07-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

We took a field trip to Sunnybrook Farm in Red Deer on Friday - and the weather gods finally smiled on us! The kids had a great time playing on the farm in the sunshine! First stop was the milking barn to learn all about how the pioneers got their milk from cows. The kids even got to give it a try for themselves!

Then it was onto the Blacksmith's shop to learn all about building tools from steel.

Next we checked out some big old farm machinery and learned about how it was used to grow and harvest crops.

And of course, a visit with the farm's animals - definitely one of the highlights for the kids.

A wagon ride around the farm followed by a barrel train ride for the kids and some playtime at the park wrapped up our day!

Sunnybrook Farms is a great place to visit and great fun for the kids! Check it out next time you're looking for something to do in Red Deer!

Fun at the Beach!

2011-07-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

That's our theme this month... but Mother Nature had other plans! The weather was pretty hit and miss this month, and it seemed that each time we planned to hit the beach - we missed! The closest we got was when we hit Serendipity Scrapbooking in Sylvan Lake for a beachy craft day!

The kids each got to create their own beach themed name plaque using Serendipity's awesome selection of great scrapbooking papers and products. Did you know they do kids birthday parties? Yep - it's not all about moms sneaking away for some alone time in the cropping room! A great option for a great party, and keeping the mess out of your house!

My son has proudly hung his plaque up on his wall - I have a feeling this will be one of those crafts that hangs around for a long time to come!

momstown.ca is turning 4!

2011-07-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

You're invited to a day of family fun to celebrate the

4th Birthday of momstown.ca!!

Monday, August 29th

Kiwanis Picnic Park

4707 Fountain Drive - Red Deer

10am - 1pm

Check out all of the fun we have lined up for you:

Free gift bags for the first 100 moms in attendance

Tons of chances to win great door prizes from our national & local sponsors!

A bouncy castle from Big Bounce Inflatables

Free face painting from Candy Faces

Free cupcakes from Yummy Custom Cakes & Treats

Demo class with Kindermusik Korner

Demo kids class with Jo Dumont Fitness Training

First Blush Photography will be roaming around catching all of the action on camera.

(with opportunity to view and purchase pictures of
you and your little ones after the event.)

Have a friend that you've always wanted to
introduce to momstown? Now is your chance!

This event is open to the public - the more the merrier!

Please register your attendance on our Facebook event!

Our National Sponsors - President's Choice, Life Choices Foods, Clorox, Greenworks, Maple Leaf Foods, Hasbro, Little Tikes, Smashbox Cosmetics and Kids CBC

Your Local Sponsors - Big Bounce Inflatables, Candy Faces, Yummy Custom Cakes & Treats, Kindermusik Korner, Jo Dumont Fitness Training, First Blush Photography

Central Alberta's New momstown Mama!

2011-07-20T20:06:00.001-07:00

It's with great excitement (and a little sadness) that I announce that momstown Central Alberta has been sold effective August 1st. Your new momstown mama for Central Alberta will be Tanya Kitchen-Johnson. Tanya is a mom of two girls - and is expecting her 3rd baby in September. She's also the director of Enterprising Moms Network Red Deer and is excited to bring a new perspective and energy to momstown Central Alberta! I'll be hanging around to help transition her into the business for the month of August - but she'll be taking the reins on August 1st. Please welcome her and be patient as she learns the ropes & gets her feet under her.

This transition is definitely bitter sweet for me, but I am definitely looking forward to participating in momstown as a member - and enjoying all that it has to offer! You'll continue to see me on the message boards and out at the events. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Tanya has in store for us, and spending some time just being 'mommy'. My time with momstown has been wonderful - and I will always cherish the friendships I have made here! Thank-you all for making the past 1 1/2 years great ones for me and my boys!

June Winners!

2011-07-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

We gave away lots of cool stuff in June as usual!

Congratulations to Michelle L. who won our monthly contest - an 8 week Mamacise session and a Mommy Motion 10 pass from City Motion!

Natasha H. took home the "My Fair Lady" gift basket from our event at Lush in the Bower Mall.

Robin P. & Leslie got to see The Bridesmaids on us this month at our Mom's Night Out at the Movies monthly event.

Ashley C. won a copy of Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord courtesy of Scholastic Canada at our Construction Party.

Niki B. won our Father's Day message board contest by telling us what a great Dad her husband is! She'll be able to treat him to dinner at The Wok Box with a $25 Gift Certificate.

Megan L. & Tara K. each took home a $25 Gift Certificate to The Toad & Turtle at our Mom's Night Out for June.

Don't forget to check the momstown Contest blog regularily - there are always great new contests being posted up. Don't miss your chance to win!!

Happy Birthday Canada!

2011-06-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

We gathered in the park yesterday for our second annual Canada Day Potluck Picnic.

The sun was shining, and the Poplar Fuzz was flying - but the kids still had a blast running around, playing at the playground and burning off tons of energy! The food was amazing - as per usual at a momstown potluck!

Happy Birthday Canada - enjoy the long weekend with your families & soak up the sun while it shines!

This one's for the boys!

2011-06-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

What does every little boy love? Trucks! Construction vehicles - or anything that makes noise and is big to be exact. We celebrated all things construction at our monthly craft party this month - and gave the boys a chance to shine. They each brought their favourite trucks - and had some fun being boys!

Then we got crafty with some popsicle sticks and playdough. Building... whatever! We ended up coming home with a porcupine and a picture frame - gotta love the creativity of a 5 year old, and the funny faces he makes when he's told to 'smile'!

We then had some more free-play time - where my 5 year old once again got creative with the puzzle mats.

Congratulations to Ashley C. who took home a copy of Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord courtesy of Scholastic Canada! We'll be giving away a new book each month as a part of momstown.ca's focus on early literacy! Join us next month for Fun at the Beach!

Picasso's In The Park

2011-06-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

We hit the park last week for our first Picasso's In The Park of 2011. After being rained out on our first try for this ever popular event - we hit it just right with a fantastic sunny day!

The kids donned their spiffy paint smocks - and we let them lose with the finger paints. What better place than outside - where they can really get in there and make a mess?

Then we hit the park for some playtime for the kids! A great morning of fun in the sun - bring on summer!

We'll be doing this once a month through the summer (and as far into the fall as the weather holds out) - so make sure your membership is active so you can join in the fun! If you're not yet a member - register now for your two week free trial period!

Cookin' up a storm!

2011-06-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

We did just that this past weekend at our first ever Big Cook event here at momstown Central Alberta. What's a Big Cook you ask? It's just that - a few of us got together and assembled a TON of food to stock up our freezers with pre-made food.

We each took care of the preparation for one recipe ahead of time, and came with everything pre-chopped and ready to go. Here's what 18 Lbs of cooked ground beef looks like... all ready to go for our Lazy Man's Lasagna!

Then we gathered together to assemble our meals.

A great meal is perfected with a great bottle of wine, and the perfect addition to the big cook was the Generation Seven Wine provided compliments of Chateau des Charmes. Kristin took home the door prize - a bottle of red, and a bottle of white - congratulations!

At the end of the afternoon we each had 12 meals to take home to our freezers. We sat down and enjoyed another glass of wine knowing that next time the mad "what are we having for supper?" hour was upon us - we would have the answer!!

We'll be doing this one again for sure! Make sure you join us and keep your eye on the calendar!

Join the momstown movement!

2011-06-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

momstown Central Alberta is FOR SALE!

Wanted:
An aspiring mom entrepreneur who is intrigued by the momstown concept to join the momstown movement in Central Alberta.

momstown Central Alberta was launched in January 2010 and has since had a huge impact on the lives of over 800 moms of young children in Red Deer and surrounding areas. The time is right for a new entrepreneurial minded mom to step in and take the community to new and exciting places! The sky is the limit!

The momstown Mission
Connecting neighbourhood moms. One community at a time.

momstown.ca is here at the right time and the right place. momstown is part of the social networking wave that is changing the way the online world operates and how society is behaving, learning and most importantly, parenting.

The momstown Opportunity

momstown.ca is a social networking, media and event business geared for moms with children aged 0-6 years old. The goal of each momstown chapter is to connect neighbourhood moms both online and in-person with over 30 local, in-person events monthly. Additionally, as a media company we invite and integrate brands and local advertisers into our mom dialogue. With strategic partnerships with CBC Kids, Scholastic Canada and a study commissioned by the University of Waterloo on the benefits to mothers brought by momstown, we aren’t the only ones to recognize the value that momstown brings to a community. momstown.ca is more than a website and different than any other work-at-home business. We’re not just building a community-minded business but a national brand that connects mothers across Canada.

Are you searching for a business that is flexible and family friendly? Are you passionate about children, parenting, and connecting with like-minded mothers? Are you looking for a part-time income, a fulfilling way to contribute to your family and an at-home business you can be proud of?

momstown is a dynamic small business to run - fun event planning with revenue earned from advertising sales and membership fees. It's perfect for a mom who wants to continue being the primary parent while owning a child-focused and mommy relevant business.

momstown may be the right choice for you!

Click Here for more information.

Are you ready to be a part of momstown?
If you are interested in this unique ownership opportunity and would like more information please email info.central-alberta@momstown.ca for more specific information. You can also visit our website at http://central-alberta.momstown.ca for a better understanding of momstown.ca.

Contact:
Alison Colton
info.central-alberta@momstown.ca
403-506-5054

Mamacise!

2011-06-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Some of the mamas went to check out a Mamacise class by City Motion on Friday. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor workout!! The kids played on the outdoor exercise equipment, while the moms got to work doing the cardio portion of the class.

We ran a little, did some sprints & even skipped rope. A first for some of us in a long, long time!

Then we headed over to the playground to give the kids a change of scenery & continue our workout with the strength training and core portions. We incorporated resistance bands and the playground equipment in to get it done!

At the end of the hour it felt really great to have accomplished two things in one hour - a playdate for the kids and a great workout for mom!

If you're looking for a great way to get active with your kids this summer - City Motion has it all! They run a fun playgroup for the kids each week called Mommy Motion - where your kids can get active, and they offer all sorts of Exercise Classes to get mom moving! Don't forget to enter our monthly contest for June - which is your chance to check out both of these great programs for FREE!

Wanna get pampered?

2011-06-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Lush in the Bower Mall is the place to be! The momstown mamas were treated to a night out to be pampered last week, and they loved every minute!!

We were treated to facials and foot & hand treatments - all using their fabulous product line which are all made by hand and smell fantastic!

Congratulations to Natasha H. who won the door prize, a My Fair Lady gift package! Lucky girl!

Check out our event calendar - and join us for our next great Mom's Night Out!

May Winners

2011-06-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our prize winners for May:

Michelle L. won a Pinotage Facial & Spa Pedicure from Head Hunters Salon & Day Spa in Lacombe. Lucky girl - enjoy!!

We gave away two door prizes at our monthly Mom's Night Out & New Member Meetup this month. Kristin F. was the lucky winner of a $25 Gift Certificate to Las Palmeras, and Erika R. won a gift pack from Shaklee courtesy of Tania Vasquez. A big thanks to Las Palmeras for hosting us - we're headed to the Toad 'n' Turtle in June - don't miss it!

Family Barbeque!

2011-05-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe after the week of rain we've just had, but the weather on the long weekend was perfect for our Family Softball Game and Barbeque!!

First we hit the park for some family fun on the ball diamond. It turns out the shale was newly redone - so after the kids had fun kicking up some dust, we decided to move over to the grass to save the mama's sanity & washing machines. The game was short-lived, and not really much of a game - but the kids had fun, and that's all that really matters!

Once the park on the other side of the fence was spotted there was no turning back...

So we packed it in and hit the playground for some more fun. The dads chased the kids, while the moms enjoyed some uninterrupted time to chat. We all marveled at how nice it was to play at the park when dad is around to do the chasing!

We then returned to Jill's house to have a visit with the 4 week old puppies. Oh what a hit! They are just so cute there are no words!!

After the puppies retired for the evening, it was time to eat! So we hit the backyard for some hotdogs, hamburgers, salads & deserts! It felt so nice to eat supper from a paper plate with my toes in the grass - it's about time!! Check out the message board for our desert recipes (yum!) - and don't forget the momstown meals blog for lots more great summer recipes.

The kids had tons of fun running around, and reaking havoc on Jill's basement. But we didn't mind - because we were sitting in the sun, and it was her house ;)

We had so much fun that we've decided to do this once a month through the summer months. Join us in June for a Father's Day Picnic! You can assure your husband that there will in fact be other dad's there - it's Father's Day afterall!

Bullfrogs & Butterflies

2011-05-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

This month, our theme party at momstown Central Alberta was all about bullfrogs and butterflies! We even had two beautiful butterflies flutter in just to join in the fun!

We made some cute butterfly crafts out of coffee filters. Check the momstown Arts & Crafts Blog for how to instructions.

Then we had some tasty treats - yum!

And the kids played and got creative with the puzzle mats while the moms visited.

Our craft party for June is all about construction - so bring your little ones down for some fun, and a chance to win a copy of Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord courtesy of Scholastic Canada!

Moving Mountains

2011-05-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

I've seen mountains being moved this week by an amazing group of women... mostly moms of young kids! It's been an amazing thing to be a part of.

Our fellow momstown mama Jo Dumont and her team at Jo Dumont Fitness Training have done an amazing job with their Slave Lake Needs Everything Donation Drive! JDFT is a very small business with a staff of only 5... yet they literally moved mountains this week! Mountains of clothing & supplies... but still, mountains!! Jo, Shelley and their team deserve some huge props for turning their gym into a warehouse for a whole week - and coordinating all aide efforts from all of Central Alberta!! Even much larger businesses with far more resources & contacts in the community brought their contributions to JDFT - and the ladies there didn't even blink. They just worked harder, rallied the community and got it done. Other than some support from a few local radio stations - there has been a big lack of media coverage for this huge accomplishment. So I'm just doing my part to put it out there - well done ladies!! You are rockstars!

I've also seen lots of other momstown mamas working tirelessly this week!! Big shouts go out to Jordana (serously lady - you and your family are hardcore!), Brenda, Tina, Robin, Cassi, Jill, Niki, Sheri, Sannah, Amy, Jenn, Melanie and all of the others that I might not have crossed paths with. Some brought their kids in with them to teach them firsthand that helping others in need is SO rewarding!

They're headed up to Athabasca this morning with a whopping 5 semi-trucks FULL of donations - that have all been sorted and boxed up in their small gym. Thank-you Jo for teaching us all what stepping up truly looks like!! You are amazing!

Infant & Child First Aid & CPR Seminar with St. John Ambulance

2011-05-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

We're doing it again! Just for momstown! We're pleased to announce round two of the Infant & Child CPR Sessions by St. John Ambulance, the leader in nation-wide CPR and First Aid training provides a brief 90 minute session on what you need to know to save your child’s life.

Do you know what to do if your infant or child is choking? Not breathing? Maybe you have your First Aid certification from years ago and need a refresher? Knowing the basics in an emergency can save a life.

Our workshop is led by an instructor from St. John Ambulance – Canada’s standard for excellence in first aid and CPR services. Our instructor will cover infant and child CPR, choking and prevention.

And guess what? The best part of this offering is that its FREE. That's right, all momstown members can attend these session at no charge.

Not a momstown member? No worries! Register now for a free trial membership and join us at our sessions.

Need more inspiration to join and take this workshop? Read about a fellow momstown mama's experience highlighting the importance of learning the basics.

Donate to Slave Lake Fire Victims

2011-05-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Donate to Slave Lake Fire Victims

Our friends at Jo Dumont Fitness Training are accepting donations for the people of Slave Lake - who have been displaced from their homes due to forest fires in the area, which have destroyed half the town.

Donations of gently used household items are being accepted at the following locations:

Jo Dumont Fitness Training - #1 7810 50th Avenue

Kidz Rock Active Wear - # 5579 47th Street

Growing Like A Weed - 5202 54th Avenue

More details are available on the
Facebook Event

Park Hopping Playdates!

2011-05-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

We welcomed spring to Central Alberta this week with the kickoff to our weekly Park Hopping Playdates!

The fog burned off just in time, and we took over the playground at Kin Canyon for some fun in the sun with bubbles - and of course, lots of fun in the playground.

I'm pretty sure my 2 year old went down the slide at least 25 times... and I had to drag him out of there!

We'll be meeting up at a different park in the Red Deer area each week through the spring, summer and as far into the fall as the weather holds up. We'll be incorporating different themes every other week - including our ever popular Picasso's In The Park. Check out our event calendar for details - and join the fun!

April Winners

2011-05-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the moms that took home some great prizes in April:

Elissa O. was the winner of our monthly contest - she won a $50 Gift Certificate from Wee Piggies & Paws.

Mandy R. (and her various partners) reigned surpreme in our Skyball Tournament. She won a 12 pack of child passes to The Collicut Centre and shared them with the group.

Michelle L. dominated in our message board contest this month by starting the most new threads and making the most posts. She won a My Baby's World book from Discovery Toys Central Alberta.

Kristin M. was the lucky winner of a $50 Gift Certificate to Original Joe's at our monthly Mom's Night Out/New Member Meetup for April!

momstown Membership Madness!

2011-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

momstown Membership Madness!

momstown.ca is celebrating Mother days with a free GIFT to our mamas!!

From May 1st to May 10th momstown is offering a "gift" with purchase or renewal of membership.

Spend $45 for our membership and receive exclusive discounts from our fabulous partners valued over $150*!!

Click Here to Purchase!

You'll receive discounts from Mabel's Labels, Name Your Tune, Gingerbread Monkeys and Photobook Canada... just to name a few!

Happy Shopping!!

momstown is now offering even more events, discounts, and interactive features than ever! We offer over 25 local events, a 24/7 message board to get answers to your parenting questions from local neighbourhood moms like you and exclusive member privileges.

* Offer valid with a purchase of a new (or renewal) 12 membership and expires May 10, 2011.

Be The Change...

2011-04-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~ Gandhi

No one does this better than my friend Jo. She is changing the world one woman at a time as she helps accomplish things they never thought they could.

When I was just in the beginning phases of setting up momstown Central Alberta back in 2009, I got an email from Shannon at Jo Dumont Fitness Training inquiring about advertising options. I was so excited to have my first REAL business contact, and set up a meeting to go in and meet with Shannon and Jo. I was really excited to show them what my business could offer, and although I didn't yet have one single member - they believed in me from the start. I left that meeting feeling so amazed at what they had put together in their tiny space - I felt a real feeling of community from the first time I set foot there.

Since that day, Jo has evolved from being a business acquaintance to being my trainer and best of all, my friend! I think most of her members would call her a friend, because that's how you are treated the minute you walk into JDFT. My kids are at home at JDFT and have made many friends there as well - and they are learning about healthy living and being active. Something I wish I had learned about much earlier in life!

Jo's been given the opportunity to win $25,000 to not only improve her life & JDFT, but the lives of so many other Central Albertan women. Please watch this video and then like the page and the video to help her get one step closer to her dream!

momstown Gets Active with Get Fit!!

2011-04-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

The ladies of the momstown Central Alberta Get Fit Club have decided to tour the town... we're taking Get Fit on the road and checking out what Red Deer has to offer! There's more than one way to stay active - and Red Deer has some great options!!

This month we tried our hand at Skyball at The Collicut Centre. It's a cross between Basketball & Volleyball played on trampolines. We may not be world class athletes - but we sure did have a great time playing our mini-tournament! There was a little trash talk, and a whole lot of fun!!

We'll be doing this one again for sure! Congratulations to Mandy & various partners who came out victorious! Join us at our next meeting of Get Fit to get in on the fun.

A Mother's Day gift for YOU from momstown Central Alberta!

2011-04-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Our Mother's Day gift for you!! Take advantage of these great local deals & pamper yourself for Mother's Day - or pass them on to whoever should be pampering you! Click Here to view our time limited offers!

A big thanks to our fantastic sponsors!

Also - stay tuned to our Neighbourhood News coming out on May 1st for another great gift from momstown! Membership Madness! Subscribe now to stay in the loop!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter with all of our momstown friends with an Easter Potluck & Craft Party rolled into one!

The kids had a blast building & decorating their very own Easter Baskets.

Then they dyed eggs to fill them up with!

Followed by an awesome potluck lunch courtesy of all of the momstown mamas!

And - even though it snowed the day before... The Easter Bunny didn't disappoint! He hid some eggs right in the snow for the kids to find on their way home!

We hope you have a very Happy Easter celebrating with the ones you love! Don't forget to check our Arts & Craft Blog for some great Easter crafts to keep the kids busy after the egg hunt is over!

Ladies Night Of Indulgence

2011-04-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking Anyone?

2011-04-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've wanted to do ever since launching momstown Central Alberta is start a monthly scrapbooking club. I love scrapbooking - it lets me flex my creative muscle (which is severely out of shape, unless you're talking about crafts appropriate for two year olds!) while capturing my family memories forever. I never seem to have time to get to it at home however, so I figured if I started a monthly club - I would MAKE time for it every month.

I've tried it a few times - and haven't had much interest. I thought maybe it was just because we didn't know each other well enough yet?!? Well - we now definitely know each other well enough - and I've come to discover that there simply aren't too many scrapbookers in our group.

The few of us that there are scrapbookers got together last month at Savvy n' Sassy to crop together. We had a great time - and I actually made some inroads in my two year old's newborn album - that's how far behind I am!

So - we decided that we're going to have to introduce this great hobby to the group - and we're running a Learn to Scrapbook event in May. Robin is going to school us in her expert ways - and we're going to get you all hooked on this awesome hobby!

If you're interested in learning how to scrap - join us! If you're not, join us anyways! We offer tons of other events every month - there's something for everyone!

Flowers!

2011-04-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Our theme here at momstown for April is Flowers - since the ground is still covered in snow, and there's no sign of any tulips around here yet, we hit The Jungle Farm last week to get a head start on our spring planters. We had to battle the mud and muck - but it was totally worth it to be inside the greenhouses with the smell of spring all around!

Unfortunately the play equipment was still burried under a snowbank - so the kids had fun running up and down the greenhouse, while the moms potted their flowers.

After we were finished getting our hands dirty, we got to go visit the farm's chicken coop. We visited with the hens and roosters - and had a small taste of what the summer months will bring as we tour around to Central Alberta's many fun places to visit!

Make sure you join us for all of the fun!

It's Spring!

2011-04-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? It's spring... or so the calendar says. If you actually look outside you might think it was February. But whatever - the calendar says that its April, so it's spring.

It was a beautiful day today - and I need points for our Get Fit Survivor Challenge - so my family and I hit the trails at Bower Ponds for a family walk. Please ignore the two feet of snow on either side of the trail - remember, it's spring.

The entire way around the loop - all we heard was "Can we go to the park?", "When are we going to go to the park?", "I can't walk anymore unless we go to the park!" from our 5 year old... so we take the cue that spring fever has set in and head to the playground.

The kids had a great time tromping around in the snow - from the slides to the teeter-totter to the monkey bars. Who cares if rain boots are a bit slippery on the snow? The best part is that we weren't the only ones who decided to embrace spring today - there were plenty of families out doing the same! Welcome to spring in Central Alberta!

Spring Membership Survey

2011-04-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

We'd love it if you could take a few minutes out of your busy day to give us some feedback on how we're doing!

The survey runs from April 1 - 15, 2011 and you'll be entered to win one of two $25 gas gift cards as a thank-you for taking the time to help make momstown better for everyone!

Click Here to take the Survey!

March Winners!

2011-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our WINNING mamas from March!

Carrie O. won our monthly contest, a $100 gift certificate from Reflections Day Spa.

We ran a great essay contest with 360 Fitness Personal Training and Weight Loss during the month of March also. Here's a message from Jack announcing the winners!

Hi Momstown! Jack here from 360 Fitness Personal Training and Weight Loss. First off, I want to say how privileged I am to have read so many terrific, touching nominations for our March contest. It was such a tough decision to make since every single nomination was deserving of the prizes in their own, unique way. Nevertheless, after our staff meeting we have made our (very tough) decision! Congratulations to the winners!! Good luck on your fitness journey!!

Grand Prize - 1 Month of Personal Training goes to Jill Kohlman - Nominated by her husband, Grant

2nd Prize - a $300 Gift Card goes to Jordana Simms

3rd Prize - a $200 Gift Card goes to Niki Burkinshaw

Rah Rah!

2011-03-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

The mamas went to check out Premier Cheer All Stars to see what it's all about last weekend. We started out by playing some parachute games, followed by circle time, a gymnastics style circut and some free playtime.

The kids had a blast burning off some of their extra energy from being cooped up inside during our extended winter weather! Premier Cheer is a great alternative to get your kids moving!

Their spring programs are starting soon, they offer a fantastic Birthday Party package, and they are starting a Pre-School in the fall. Be sure to check out their website for all of the details at reddeer.premiercheer.org.

Sip...Snack...and SpAAAH

2011-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

We braved the nasty spring weather on Tuesday night to check out Reflections Day Spa in Lacombe, and boy was it ever worth the trip!

We were treated to massages, pedicures and facials - while snacking on treats and visiting with friends. What more could a girl ask for? It made the nasty weather outside fade away - if only for a couple of hours.

A few lucky mamas took home some great door prizes too. Congratulations to Kristin T., Robin P., Brenda S. & Elissa O. - who all took home $25 gift certificates to the spa.

A big congratulations goes out to Kim T. who won the grand prize - and Escape to Paradise package from the spa valued at $240!! The perfect treat for a pregnant mama of soon to be 3!

If you're looking for a great place to pamper yourself - or maybe have a girls day with your friends - Reflections Day Spa fits the bill perfectly! And remember - momstown mamas get a discount just for showing your membership card!

Get Fit!!

2011-03-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Round 2 of our Get Fit Club wound up this month - a brave few of us forged through the spring snow storm to get together and discuss the month's successes and failures. For me personally - there weren't many successes, except perhaps surviving the month. But it felt good to be in a room full of women waging the same wars - that understood!

Congratulations to Brenda S. who took home the Grand Prize of $175 plus Soap on a Willow Soap Dish from Orchid Rain Salon & Spa and a Free Haircut from Divas Hair & Tanning.

Also a big thanks goes out to our fantastic sponsor - Jo Dumont Fitness Training - for letting us gather for a group workout once a month and to Jo herself for always providing such great support and inspiration to our members!

We're switching things up a bit for Round 3 and playing a game of Survivor. We're teaming up and competing to take each other down (I mean win)! The competition is already heating up on the message boards! If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for? Join us!

Dancing the night away!

2011-03-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

The momstown mamas had an absolute blast on Saturday night dancing the night away at Bellini's in Red Deer. For some of us - including myself - it was the first trip out for more than just supper in many, many years. It felt really great to let our hair down and let lose with some great friends! Here's to many more fun nights together ladies! Maybe next time we'll invite our husbands? Nah!

Twinkle Twinkle Little... Craft Party

2011-03-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Our craft party for March was themed around good old Nursery Rhymes.

We had some fun with crayons & paint and made some stars magically appear.

And made some cute little lambs with fleece as white as snow

And of course, some time with the parachute. Simply because of the smiles it brings to the kids faces when I whip it out!

For instructions on how to make these, and so many more great kids crafts, check out the momstown Arts & Crafts blog!

360 Fitness

2011-03-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

360 Fitness is Red Deer's #1 Choice for Personal Training and Weight Loss, and we have a unique opportunity for momstown members. Do you know of a momstown Member that is at a crossroads in life and needs a change? Do they want to lose weight, feel great, fit more comfortable in their clothes and get their body back....but just can't afford a personal trainer? Does this member really deserve a lifestyle change and to do something for themselves? Well this is their chance and they need YOUR help!!
Self-nominations are also welcome!! Write a short essay (a paragraph or two) on why your nomination deserves a true lifestyle change and body make-over and they could win a

FREE MONTH OF PERSONAL TRAINING

FROM 360 FITNESS! Grand Prize: FREE MONTH OF PERSONAL TRAINING 2nd Prize: $300 Gift Card for Personal Training 3rd Prize: $200 Gift Card for Personal Training Submissions must be emailed to info@360fitness.ca with

SUBJECT: momstown Contest Contest ends Thursday, March 31 with winners being contacted the next day. All submissions must include: Writers Name Writers Phone Number and Email Nominations Name Nominations Phone Number and Email Goodluck from 360 Fitness!! www.360fitness.ca 403.347.1707

Moms Know Best!

2011-03-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winner of our Mom's Know Best coluoring contest from February! Mason was the lucky winner of a $50 gift certificate to Toys R' Us!

A big thank-you to our fabulous sponsors:

Kelly Tibbets of
Professional Mortgage Planners

www.professionalmortgageplanners.ca

and

Melissa Mackenzie of

Maxwell Real Estate Solutions Ltd.

www.yourreddeerhome.com

When it comes time to buy, sell or refinance your home - they're the ones to call. They're both busy moms, who 'get' the challenges that come with being a mom! Moms Know Best!

Don't forget to check out our Cool Stuff page frequently for more great contests and local deals! Don't miss our March Essay Contest - sponsored by 360 Fitness. One month of FREE personal training is up for grabs!

Support

2011-03-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

I can't say it enough - it's what momstown is all about! I've seen it time and time again among our members - when someone is going through a rough time - others jump in to lend a helping hand in whatever way they can. An ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a mama to babysit, a friend to play with.

I've had a rough couple of months personally with health scares for myself and my family. I recently spent a couple of weeks in Vancouver at my Father's bedside. The support I received from my fellow momstown mamas was unbelievable. Both members that I've gotten to know well, and those that are new and have only met me once or twice expressed their words of support on our message boards and via personal emails. It made a big difference for me - and reminded me that although life is hard sometimes, I'm not alone.

Thank-you ladies! If you're ever in need - you know I'll return the favour!