Happy Holidays!

The month of December has been a huge barrel of fun around momstown Whitby-Ajax with all of our great Christmasy themed events!

Now with Christmas just a few days away, we'll be taking a little break to spend time with our families. We hope everyone has a VERY Merry Christmas, and that Santa is good to all!

During the holidays our message boards will still remain active, so if you're looking for some adult conversation you can check us out there! 

Thank you all so much for all your support through 2010, as momstown Whitby-Ajax launched and took off the ground running. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you!! It's proven to be a great and fun year, but I'm sure that 2011 will prove to be BIGGER and better... Meaning great things for momstown Whitby-Ajax. We have many great things planned out and in the works for 2011.

Happy Holidays!!

Featured Sponsor: Ashlyn King Photography

Have you had the chance to check out momstown Whitby-Ajax's December Featured Sponsor - Ashlyn King Photography? If not... why not head on over and take a few moments to read up on what they're all about.

Ashlyn King Photography is a professional photographer based out of Ajax, ON serving the Durham and Toronto Regions. Ashlyn King Photography specializes in capturing your maternity, newborn, child and family portraits.

As a special exclusive offer, Ashlyn King Photography is extending momstown Whitby-Ajax members a discounted early bird special if you book your 2011 standard session before December 31st. For further information CLICK HERE..

Rice Krispies Christmas Tree

So last week, it was mentioned that I made the Rice Krispies Imagine & Make Christmas Tree to take and display at the momstown Whitby-Ajax Christmas Party.

I have to admit I was fairly nervous about having to create this so-called masterpiece from the very beginning. Firstly because I had never made homemade rice krispies before. Secondly because I totally SUCK when it comes to making gingerbread houses with the family, which always in turn ends up with us all fighting.

To my surprise the rice krispies were VERY easy to make. Now I'm left to wonder why up until this day that I hadn't made them before. Once we made the rice krispies, we left them to set in the pan for about half an hour before cutting them out into 3 triangles.

Once they were cut the assembly was quite easy. We used cake mate frosting the glue all the sides together before decorating.

The decorating process would have been much for fun for us had our daughter been a little bit older. At 16 months old, all she wanted to do was eat it, rather than help. Which made for a huge meltdown!

We ended up keeping the tree quite simple, but you can definitely decorate it more elaborately using jube jubes, other gummys, gum balls, smarties, etc. There are certainly no limitations!

We can't wait to try again next year when our daughter is a bit older and more understanding.

If you're looking for a fun creation to make with your family, check out all the cool recipes over on the Rice Krisipie website. It amazes me how creative you can get with Rice Krispies!!!

All That Glitters Christmas Party

This morning, momstown Whitby-Ajax members all got together to spread good holiday cheer and celebrate the holidays with a Christmas Party. Yesterday evening, we were hit with a significant snowfall, so as today approached we were quite nervous about whether the party would be able to commence or not. Thankfully the roads weren't all that bad. Quite a few members had to back out, but otherwise the turn out was great!

We had a Christmas tree set-up, holiday music playing and lots of yummy treats for everyone to enjoy. My contribution to the day was a cute little Christmas Tree inspired by the Rice Krispies Imagine & Make recipe ideas, as well as some Rice Krispies treats. (I'll make a separate blog post later this week that will show off in greater detail of the Christmas Tree I made, as well as provide you with some steps on how to make it at home. )

The Moms of young infants mingled on the floor, while the other tots played.

For circle time, we'd planned to read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

But the older kiddies decided they would rather color and do a craft instead.

Today's craft was a Stick Christmas Tree with Glitter Decor. Some children made funky-colored trees; while others decided they would rather make sparkly fairy dust wands. It was very cute to watch their imaginations come alive!

To make the tree, check out the momstown Arts & Crafts blog for further instructions. This is certainly one of those crafts that you can enjoy doing as a whole family, and adapt however you like.

We were provided with a great little gift bag for today's event containing cereal, baking sheet, cookie cutters, etc. from Kelloggs to giveaway to one of our lucky partygoers. Towards the end of the event, we did a draw and the winner was Liana. She was more than thrilled to get inspired and create something delicious with her whole family!

Today was a great day! The holiday cheer is certainly being felt in momstown Whitby-Ajax!

All That Glitters Gingerbread Decorating

This morning, we met up for our All That Glitters Gingerbread Decorating event. We had quite a few members planning to come out, but as Mom's we all know how things can come up and so many had to cancel. That doesn't mean the event was cancelled; No, no! It still went on and we had a lot all had a lot of fun!

We started off the morning by decorating Gingerbread Cookies.

The little girls making the cookies were both a little young, but that didn't stop them from trying to make a masterpiece.

Why bother decorating the gingerbread men when you can just proudly eat them instead!? Yum!

The end result... Fabulous masterpieces.. Half eaten cookies and pretty decorated ones too!!

Once we finished with decorating, the kids head into the playroom to burn off some more steam. They had a great time exploring the toys. It was hard to believe the house was clean before they arrived, once their wrath was done with it. Haha!

Everyone was having such a great time that come lunch no one wanted to part ways yet. All the Mom's agreed to take the "party" over to Boston Pizza for some great food, coloring fun and chitter-chatter!

We had such a great time today!! If you didn't get the chance to get in on this holiday event, don't worry - we have many awesome holiday events coming up, including our All That Glitters Christmas Party and Mom & Tot Morning at Boston Pizza. Be sure to check our calendar to view upcoming events and to RSVP!

Christmas Storytime

Yesterday we headed out to the local library for Christmas Storytime. We had quite a few members show up for the fun morning filled with stories, songs, music & movement and a craft.

The children had so much fun during circle time. First we read a holiday book. Then we sang a song about snowflakes. The part that the children enjoyed most was sing and dancing to The Reindeer Hokey-Pokey.


The Reindeer Hokey-Pokey

You put your antlers in
You put your antlers out
You put your antlers in
And you shake them all about
You do the Reindeer Pokey
And you turn yourself around.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

You put your right hoof in
You put your right hoof out
You put your right hoof in
And you shake it all about
You do the Reindeer Pokey
And you turn yourself around.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

You put your left hoof in
You put your left hoof out
You put your left hoof in
And you shake it all about
You do the Reindeer Pokey
And you turn yourself around.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

You put your red nose in
You put your red nose out
You put your red nose in
And you shake it all about
You do the Reindeer Pokey
And you turn yourself around.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

You put your fluffy tail in
You put your fluffy tail out
You put your fluffy tail in
And you shake it all about
You do the Reindeer Pokey
And you turn yourself around.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

You put your reindeer body in
You put your reindeer body out
You put your reindeer body in
And you shake it all about
You do the Reindeer Pokey
And you turn yourself around.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT! 

Once the children burned all their steam doing the reindeer hokey-pokey, we all went over to the craft tables and made a Reindeer Christmas Card.

We had such a fun morning, and we can't wait to all get together again!!

The winner is...

The winner of our November contest is.... Julie .L.!

Congrats Julie - you've won a $25.00 gift certificate to Boston Pizza Ajax!

Be sure to enter check out our December contest for your chance to win a 1-year membership to momstown Whitby-Ajax. You can enter daily, so check back frequently to enter as many times as you want.

Mom & Tot Morning at Boston Pizza Ajax

Yesterday morning, we met up with some of our members and their children for a fun morning at Boston Pizza Ajax. The weather was quite gloomy and the roads were quite slick, so not everyone who planned to join us were able to make it... But those who could were glad they came out. 

Boston Pizza was kind enough to open their doors to our group an hour early so that the children could take part in a craft  before eating lunch. Our momstown curriculum this month was themed as 'My House, Your House'.

The children enjoyed putting their imaginations to use to creatively build their own houses. 

At 11 we had a few other Moms with infants come out to join us for lunch to take advantage of our member exclusive momstown Whitby-Ajax discount of 10% off. Just another perk to being a momstown Whitby-Ajax member! It was nice to enjoy some chatter and food with the other Moms and tots. The children were all very quick to make friends.

The Moms and tots all had such a fun time yesterday morning! We can't wait to do it all again, and we're already in the midst of planning our next exciting visit to Boston Pizza Ajax! 

Not a momstown Whitby-Ajax member yet? It's not to late to register and join in on the fun!

Ajax Santa Claus Parade

Last weekend, momstown Whitby-Ajax members headed down to our local Ajax Santa Claus Parade for a night of fun with our families. We were sure to get there very early to locate a good spot, and were also sure to have coffees in hand to keep us warm and toasty.

The parade started at 6, but the floats didn't make it to our location until about 6:30. The kids were getting antsy by the time they neared, but as soon as they were insight they quickly settled and were in totally awe as they awaited the arrival of Jolly 'Ol Santa Nick!

The floats were all lit up, and the costumes were phenomenal. The biggest hit of the night next to Santa was when the children saw Lionel from Boston Pizza Ajax. (Boston Pizza Ajax also happens to be a partner of ours. If you are a member of momstown Whitby-Ajax be sure to check out the calendar/member discounts for some awesome perks!!)

We knew that Santa was on his way the moment that the reindeer started to walk by with their elves. The children were so full of excitement to see Santa!

We had such an amazing evening with our families! We can't wait to get together again to watch the Whitby Santa Claus Parade in just a few weeks time!

Once Upon A Child Ajax Moonlight Madness Sale

On Friday December 3, one of momstown Whitby-Ajax's sponsors - Once Upon a Child Ajax - will be having a moonlight madness sale. The sale starts at 8AM and will run through to midnight. Shop early for the best selections; Shop late for the biggest savings! In addition to the fabulous savings, there will also be fabulous prizes to be won too! So mark your calendars for the sale that everyone has been waiting for!

Give the Gift That Lasts All Year!

Give the Gift that Lasts All Year! Give your favorite mom friend, sister or daughter a momstown Gift Certificate this Christmas. Use the tab below to purchase your certificate and we will mail you the actual Gift Certificate to give this Christmas! We can also email you the gift certificate for those last minute purchases!

(Note: When purchasing the gift certificate, if you'd like to receive the gift certificate by mail please include mailing instructions in the "personal messages" section at check out)

momstown Whitby-Ajax membership

6 months $30.00 1 year $45.00

Monthly Meet & Greet at Creative Play!

Wow! We had such an amazing time yesterday morning at our Meet 'n Greet at Creative Play. It was so much fun for both the Moms and kids alike. All the Moms had the chance to mingle, chat and enjoy their coffees; all whilst the little ones ran and played.

There was so much to do at Creative Play. It was sure not to be a bore to anyone. They had everything from cars, train tracks, and a "roller coaster" for the children to ride on. All of which had the kids lining up for their turn.


There was also a large play structure, hockey and ball play area, an imagination station, jumping castle, large indoor playground structure with slides and an infant play area. There was something there for children of all ages!


The event was scheduled to run from 10AM to 11:30AM, but the kids were having too much fun to leave. Thankfully the party room was free, so the kids got to snack and enjoy their lunches in there with Mom and continue with play again. How could you want to leave a fun play place, like this?!

If you didn't have a chance to make it out to the Meet 'n Greet this month, don't worry... we will be doing it all again next month on December 10th. That's right... momstown Whitby-Ajax and Creative Play have formed a partnership which will surely have some great perks for momstown members! To RSVP for our next event, visit our event calendar.

Mingling Mommas & Mocktails Ajax Show - TOMORROW!

Tomorrow evening marks the Mingling Mommas & Mocktails Ajax Show at the Ajax Convention Centre. Will you be there?

What is Mingling Mommas and Mocktails, you may ask? Well... it's a fun-filled night out for YOU(!) and your girlfriends! You will get a mocktail from the licensed bar, take advantage of the free bra fitting clinic and enjoy complimentary hand massages for only $5.00 at the door. Get your holiday shopping started with original gifts from the unique boutique style businesses and services by local entrepreneurs. PLUS, mingle with special guest Erica Ehm from Yummy Mummy Club. The event starts at 6PM and runs through to 10PM.

If you're a momstown Whitby-Ajax mama, and are planning to attend be sure to mark off your RSVP on our online event calendar. It's bound to be a fun evening!!

Mingling Mommas & Mocktails Ajax: Contest Winner

And the winner is... Julie B.L.!

Congratulations Julie (member of momstown Whitby-Ajax), you have won 2 tickets to the Mingling Mommas & Mocktails Ajax Show this upcoming Friday at the Ajax Convention Centre (hosted by Market Moms). When you arrive at the show you will also be presented with a gorgeous pashmina (in the color of your choice).

Enjoy your evening out with the girls! As a busy Mama... we all know you deserve to be pampered and treated to a night out! Enjoy!

Nanny Robina: Sleep Seminar

momstown Whitby-Ajax has kindly been extended an invite by momstown Oshawa-Port Perry to attend the upcoming Nanny Robina Seminar.

This class is very informative and sprinkled with lots of fun. Listen on how a few small changes to your day time schedule could be the answer to the gift of sleep, or how a little patience and perseverance could have your baby sleeping unassisted! How to transfer your baby from crib to bed and how to keep that run away toddler in bed! Need to know how to soothe then join my class and learn with a few simple techniques. Nanny Robina will be there to teach you how don’t be defeated! This class is approx 90 minutes Q&A period to follow.

The cost of the class is $20.00 per Mom. If you'd like to attend please CLICK HERE to email for REGISTRATION or further INFO.

Based on how informative the Nanny Robina Toddler Shenanigans seminar was a few weeks ago... This seminar is sure to be a true hit amongst Moms.

Mingling Mommas and Mocktails Contest

Who wants free tickets to the Market Moms Shopping Events Mingling Mommas & Mocktails show in Ajax this Friday night? momstown Whitby-Ajax has TWO tickets up for grabs, plus a gorgeous pashmina in your choice of colour from our Mingling Mommas friends. To enter, visit the momstown Whitby-Ajax Facebook Fan Page and comment on the picture in the album Mingling Mommas & Mocktails Contest outlining your momstown Whitby-Ajax Username.

This contest is open until November 9, 2010, 6PM EST. The contest is only open to momstown Whitby-Ajax registered users. If you are not yet a registered user, please our user registration to sign-up for a free 2 week trial membership.

Good luck!

We've been FEATURED: SNAP Oshawa - Momstown Launch Party

momstown Whitby-Ajax and momstown Oshawa-Port Perry collectively teamed up to celebrate our grand opening launches in the Centre Court of Oshawa Centre back in September.

We invited out SNAP Oshawa to cover the event, and we recently found out that we were featured in their November issue. Here's a short blurb of what SNAP Oshawa had to say:

"Moms and children enjoyed a live performance by Keri-Ellen from MusiGo (as seen on Treehouse TV) face painting and balloon animals from Bellybutton the Clown. There were also activities for the children such as colouring and Lego toys along with contests and giveaways." (SNAP Oshawa)

To view the full article, visit the link below:

SNAP Oshawa - Momstown Launch Party

Thanks again to everyone who came out, and helped in making the event the true success that it truly was! We enjoyed meeting each and every one of you!

Nanny Robina: Toddler Shenanigans

Last Friday evening, momstown Whitby-Ajax was invited out to Creative Play Indoor Playground for a 2-hour Toddler Shenanigans seminar hosted by the ultimate Nanny, Nanny Robina.

For those who are unfamiliar with Nanny Robina, she has been a Nanny for over 30 years and is well-known as the resident Nanny on the Slice Networks TV show 'The Mom Show' and for her role on CityTV's 'Cityline'.

We had such great fun learning the in's and out's of toddler shenanigans with Nanny Robina everything from Temper Tantrums, Bottle to Sippy Cup, Dropping the Soother, Potty Training, etc. was covered. We shared many great laughs as we heard some of the funny stories surrounding the Nanny's experiences over the years. It's safe to say all the momstown Moms walked away with a vast full of knowledge that we couldn't wait to put into motion.

We can't wait to team up again with the Nanny again in the future for another great seminar!

Hiring: Advertising Sales Representative

momstown.ca is an on-line network for neighbourhood moms wanting to connect for support, conversation and just plain fun! With a fantastic event calendar and lively and message board, momstown.ca is a great way to get involved with your community while having a blast with your kids! They say it takes a village to raise a child, we say it takes a town!

Are you looking for a way to channel your professional energy while having the flexibility of choosing your own hours and working from home? Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit but still want to spend time with your family and be compensated for it? Then joining momstown.ca could be the answer for you!

Job Description: Advertising Sales Representative

momstown Whitby-Ajax is currently seeking a self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic individual for a rolling 6 month contract position as an Advertising Sales Representative. In this self-directed role you will sell online advertising and sponsorship opportunities for your local momstown site. This role requires approximately 10 hours per week and is paid in commission. We’re currently looking for Advertising Sales Representatives for our Whitby-Ajax chapter starting immediately.

For further information please email info.whitby-ajax@momstown.ca or check out the description enclosed below.