Happy Birthday Canada!

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!

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

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!

Park Hopping Playdates!

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!

Happy Easter!

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!

Don't get fancy, just get DANCY!

That's exactly what the momstown mamas did last week at our Mommies Only Dance Class demo with Alissa Keinloog.

The moms had a great time laughing and dancing the night away. They learned some new moves, had some great laughs & a fun night away from the kids.

There are still some spots available for the class - which runs for 6 weeks starting in March. There are also still spots available for her Mini-Me & Mommy Dance Classes. Find out more information on Facebook or email Alissa.

Love was in the air

as we celebrated Valentine's Day at our monthly craft party and playdate for February.

The mom's had a chance to visit

We made some cute crafts

And played some games with the parachute

And of course, some sweet treats for our sweet little ones

A Night of Pampering

The mamas of momstown enjoyed a night of pampering at Copper Lane Hair Studio on Tuesday.

We were treated like royalty with a hand massage, scalp massage, style consultation, shampoos, blow-dry & style for each of us.  While we waited for our turn in the chair - we munched on goodies and sipped wine!

What a great chance to recharge our mommy batteries and catch up with friends!  The ladies at Copper Lane outdid themselves - and by the time they were finished with us we were a bunch of happy, relaxed & glowy moms!  Congratulations to Tina, who won a cut & colour makeover!  We can't wait to see the results!

After we were done getting pampered, we went next door, to Restaurant 27 for some "drinky-poo's" as Mandy called them.  We had a ton of laughs getting to know each other better!

We've still got a few more great mom's nights out planned this month - our monthly New Member Meetup, a Fondue Party and a Mommies Only Dance Class!  Join Us!

And the winners are...

Insert drumroll here....

Congratulations goes out this month to:

Melanie N who won our January contest - 4 weeks of diaper service from Green Bottoms

Melanie N also took home a free 1/2 hour massage with Chelsea from Family First Chiropractic & Wellness - lucky lady!

Mandy R won a $50 gift certificate to Mohave Grill for guessing what was different about both Robin and I at our Mom's Night Out/New Member Meetup in January!  A little twist on the old pull the name out of the hat drill.  We both took our wedding rings off for the night - don't tell my hubby ;P

Robyn D won a free Kindermusik class at our demo classes this month!  Have fun!

And Erika R, Amanda L, Jamie S & Mandy W went to the movies courtesy of Galaxy Cinemas.  We saw Country Strong - such a good movie!!

A Babies' Life

A babies' life is pretty grand!  Someone, who loves you more than life itself (aka Mom), is there to attend to your every need.  They change you, feed you, rock you and love you - while you just eat, sleep, poop and concentrate on growing and learning.  Sounds pretty fabulous doesn't it?

This is what I was thinking as I was watching all of the moms massage their babies at our Infant Massage & Chiropractic for Kids Clinic this week at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness.  It was really making me want a massage too!

First the Chiropractors, Dr. Joelle Johnson and Dr. Stephen Kelly, gave us the down-low on what kinds of conditions can be treated with Chiropractic Care.  Think everything from gas and colic to ear infections and general fussiness.  What a great way to enhance the health of your little ones - naturally!

Then Chelsea walked us through the basics of infant massage.  A great way to strengthen that bond between you and your little one - infant massage really is easy to do on your own and relaxing for not only baby, but mom too!  Some of the moms in attendance still had baby on the inside - so they practiced using some stuffed animals.  The babies had a great time hanging out, rolling around & playing with their feet - you know, the usual baby stuff!

If you're ever in need of some answers regarding the health of your little ones - don't hesitate to contact the staff at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness.  They are always ready to help - and kids are always welcome at the clinic.  They have a waiting room full of toys to play with - and are ready to answer your questions!

Also, don't forget to check out the 3rd Annual Indigo Festival on March 5 in the Field House at the Collicut Centre from 11am to 4pm.  Family First Chiropractic and Wellness is co-hosting this great natural health fair celebrating Holistic Pregnancy & Parenting - and there will be tons of local businesses there ready to pass on their information to you!  There will also be children's games & activities, speakers, demonstrations, silent auction, and more!   The festival is a fundraiser for La Leche League Canada - Central Chapter and Red Deer City RCMP Kid's Programs - two great causes!  And best of all?  Admission is absolutely FREE!  Don't forget to stop by the momstown Central Alberta booth and say hi!

Need a night out?

It seems that when you become a mom your whole identity changes to include those little people that life now centers around.  It suddenly becomes your all consuming purpose to feed, clean, entertain and care for your kids.  And that's how it should be.  They are your new full time job (even if you have another full time job!) and the most important thing you will ever do!

But - you are still you.  Before you became a mom you were a daughter, a sister, a friend - a woman!!  And you still are!  I hear time and time again from momstown mamas "Its really hard to make a new friend at the playgroups where I'm too busy chasing my kids."  Yes!  It is - and that's exactly what our moms night out events are about!  A chance for you to leave the kids at home, sip a glass of wine - and have a REAL conversation with that mom you've met a few times at playgroup and have lots in common with!

We had a wine & cheese night this month and it was so fun and relaxing to just sit and visit with a great group of women!  I know a couple of them sat up until the wee hours getting to know each other better - even though they probably paid for it the next day when they had to put their mommy hats back on.  We've got some great ones planned for February!  In addition to our regular monthly Book Club Meeting, Mom's Night Out at the Movies and New Member Meetup - we've got our Mom's Night of Pampering at Copper Lane Hair Studio, a Lia Sophia/Epicure party, a Fondue Party and we're letting Dad in on some of the fun with our Couple's Night In - Wii Party.  So book a sitter and join us!  We'd love to meet you and get to know you a bit better!

Hats, Hats & More Hats!

This month momstown Central Alberta celebrated National Hat Day this week with our Hats, Hats & More Hats party!

We started the morning of with a hat craft of course!  This one was a big hit with the kids - they had a great time decorating their crowns with stickers, glitter paint and crayons.

What you need:

• Paper Plate
• Exacto Knife
• Decorating Supplies - crayons, glitter paint, stickers - anything you have around!

What to do:

• Place paper plate on a surface that is safe to cut on
• Score 2 alternating x patterns in the plate with the exacto knife
• Decorate the underside of the plate with your decorating supplies
• Flip up the flaps - voila!  A crown fit for a little prince or princess!

We finished off the morning with some yummy hat themed snacks and some playtime with the ever popular parachute.  Join us next month when we celebrate Valentine's Day!  Don't forget to check out the momstown Arts & Crafts blog for tons of great craft ideas to keep you and your little one busy for days!

Toopy, that's me...

and here's my friend Binoo!!  You know the tune!

It's been stuck in my head ever since Sunday when my family and I got to see the Koba Entertainment production of Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon live in Red Deer at the Memorial Centre.  Or – as my 5 year old Alex put it “Mom – Toopy & Binoo are coming to life!”

As we sat and waited for the show to start – amongst a theatre full of excited kids – Alex tried hard to be patient, but asked “when is it going to start mom?” approximately every 30 seconds.  When Binoo stepped out on stage, my nearly 2 year old Eli let out an excited “Ohhh” as did most of the kids – and when Toopy joined him the kids went wild! 

We were then taken on a magical journey through our imaginations lead by a singing octopus.  Toopy was on the hunt for the perfect song – and in the process we were treated to songs from monsters in the toybox, dragons in love, and dusteroos.  In  the second half of the show – we all followed Toopy & Binoo into their fishbowl and then into outer space on their search for the perfect song.  They met some singing fish, had a seahorse race and met some twinkling stars.  Toopy finally found his song – in his heart where it was all along.  He performed it on the Marshmallow Moon for his best friend Binoo!  Here's a glimse at what we saw:



Near the end of the show Alex whispered to me that he could tell some of the characters were “just in costumes” – but the next morning he assured me that Toopy and Binoo themselves were in fact the real deal “come to life!”.  He wondered if they might come to life again anytime soon.  Eli has caught the live performance bug, and clapped and said “yay!” after each song that played in our van on our way to our playdate Monday morning.  It was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon for our family and we’re definitely looking forward to the next show that comes to our neck of the woods!

Busy Busy Busy!

The moms of momstown Central Alberta are busy, busy, busy this week out and around Red Deer trying new things!! 

Despite the weather - and all the SNOW on the weekend, Bikram Yoga Red Deer was packed full for their Free Weekend.  What could be better while its blizzarding outside than finding your happy place on a yoga mat? 

Next, we hit Intuition Massage & Pilates for a introduction to pilates.  What a great way to get your core back into shape after carrying your little one for 9 months!  Weather you've recently had a baby, or its been a couple of years (like me) we can all benefit from some core strengthening.  I am sure feeling it today!

And finally - some fun with the little ones as the mamas tryed out some classes at Kindermusik Korner with Val Hughes.  We've done this before and I'm sure we'll do it again - what fun the kids have singing, dancing and playing with music!  Check out the winter class schedule on Red Deer LooknBook - under Arts & Culture, Performing Arts - Child.

December Winners!

Congratulations to our final prize winners of 2010!

Michelle L won the monthly contest prize - a free winter session of any class offered at Little Yogi's Studio!

Kelsey K won our 12 Days of Toopy contest in December.  She'll be going to see Toopy and Binoo and The Marshmallow Moon on Jan 16th at the Memorial Centre with her family!

Mandy R won a $25 gift certificate to Deckerz Roadhouse in Blackfalds at our monthly Mom's Night Out event.

Kayleigh B won the fantastic Rice Krispies gift pack at our Christmas Party.

Here's to many more fantastic prizes to come in 2011 for momstown mamas!

Christmas Party

momstown Central Alberta did the last big event of 2010 with a bang at our Christmas Party last week!

We got crafty with some Christmas ornaments & picture frames, and enjoyed some snacks provided by some of our mamas and our friends at Rice Krispies.  Congratulations to Kayleigh B. who took home the fabulous Rice Krispies prize package!

The big highlight of course was a visit from Santa Claus!  We saw all sorts of reactions to jolly old St. Nick - but overall the kids were so excited to meet him.  He brought each kid a present to open and everyone had a chance for a quick visit and a picture with him.

We had a fantastic morning filled with wonder and made some warm holiday memories!  A big thank-you goes out to Twitchy Finger Photography for helping us capture all of our festive moments!

Join us in the New Year for more great events and help us make some new memories!