momstown.ca is for neighbourhood moms in Ajax, Whitby and all of the surrounding communities of Brooklin, Ashburn and Myrtle wanting to connect for support, conversation and just plain fun. We bring you an online calendar chock-full of momstown specific events, a 24-hour interactive message board, and exclusive member privileges and discounts.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
And The Winner Is...
Congratulations Serena Agueci - You are the winner of our June contest! We hope you enjoy your $50.00 gift card to Once Upon A Child Ajax!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Beating the Rainy Day Blues
This past week started off gorgeous, but very quickly the rain came and put a damper on things. If your child is anything like my toddler, then they've been suffering from the rainy day blues syndrome. Today we've been focusing our energy on beating the rainy day blues.
We've been channeling our inner picasso's by painting with oatmeal and exploring the textures of dried pasta.
To do this activity all you need is:
Once we finished up with our impromptu picassos session, we decided to have a dance party. My toddler enjoyed busting a move and tearing up the dance floor to some top 40 music.
It's been such a fun morning, and even better we've burned off so much energy that nap time is bound to be a huge success this afternoon... Leaving time for Momma to enjoy a much deserved break!
Want to check out some more fun ways to beat the rainy day blues, head on over to momstown Arts & Crafts. Get inspired and have lots of fun!
We've been channeling our inner picasso's by painting with oatmeal and exploring the textures of dried pasta.
To do this activity all you need is:
- Construction paper
- Oatmeal
- Water
- Food colouring
- Dried pasta
- Glue
- Paint brushes
Once we finished up with our impromptu picassos session, we decided to have a dance party. My toddler enjoyed busting a move and tearing up the dance floor to some top 40 music.
It's been such a fun morning, and even better we've burned off so much energy that nap time is bound to be a huge success this afternoon... Leaving time for Momma to enjoy a much deserved break!
Want to check out some more fun ways to beat the rainy day blues, head on over to momstown Arts & Crafts. Get inspired and have lots of fun!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
My Journey to Home Birth
It's now been a little over 4 months since I gave birth to my son at home... Yes, I said it... AT HOME!! It seems whenever people find out that I had a home birth that they either assume I'm crazy or that I just didn't have time to get to the hospital. Neither apply to my situation. My home birth was simply my decision and birth plan.
My pregnancy with Cameron had been a rocky one, and not always had I had the home birth vision. Being put on bed rest at 20 weeks as result of complete placenta previa led me to believe that my hopes for a natural birth had been crushed. The midwives and doctors all prepped me for the inevitable c-section. You see with complete previa, the chances of a placenta moving are slim. At 32 weeks, I took a bad spill down a flight of stairs while holding my one year old daughter. This spill brought on contractions, and found me in the hospital for fetal monitoring. It was at that time that I received the news the placenta had cleared! Woot!!
At 32 weeks, I had to start making decisions on my birth plan. Home birth was something I was very weary and skeptical of, but the midwives had really wanted me to consider it given my fast 5 hour labour with Cadence.
Did I always want a home birth? Did my family agree? Was the decision to have one easy? No... no... and no. Plain and simple. My conscience pulled me in every which direction. I constantly reminded myself that my epidural never took during my horrible back labour with Cadence. I reminded myself of the horrible experience I had at the hospital and that the hospital was 45 minutes from my house. Really I think for the longest time I had my mind made up that I wanted a home birth, but I couldn't bring myself to admitting it. Most of my family didn't agree with my decision to have a home birth, which has been hard for me to swallow... To this day it is something we just don't speak of.
I was 3 days overdue when I went into labour with Cameron. I had been feeling off all day. It felt like I had the case of the flu. Come 8PM my husband insisted I page the midwives. Just my luck the midwife clerk was in the area. She came by with my main midwife and checked me. I was 3cms. They performed a stretch and sweep, went out to dinner, came back a half hour later... When they returned I was 8cms, and I was going through the emotions and stages of active labour. My Mother-in-law had come to pick up Cadence and I broke down, fearing I'd never see my daughter again. The midwives and my husband decided at that point that keeping my daughter home during my labour was the best decision. I spent most of my labour in the water; it was the only place I could find my zen. The midwives vigilantly monitored the baby. Around 10:35PM they decided to move me to my bed to try and get things to progress. I had stagnated at 8cms for too long, and was in a lot of pain. At 10:40PM, I had the urge to push. The midwives wanted me to restrain, but I couldn't stop myself. They quickly broke my bag of waters and I pushed the remaining cervix out of the way (very dangerous... this was why they were trying to restrain me from doing it). At 10:42PM... just 2.5 hours after my initial page to the midwives... Cameron was born, his arm was delivered first followed by his head. I'll never forget the moment. Heck, I'm getting teary right now thinking about it! It was phenomenal experience to be in the comfort of my own home, giving birth to my son.
The bond my son and I share is unreal; Whether that be from the home birth or not, I really don't know! Cadence had been taken from me straight after delivery by NICU and respiratory nurses, so perhaps I feel the stronger bond because Cameron was placed upon my chest immediately following his delivery. Who really knows. What I do know is that given what an amazing experience I had, I'll definitely consider home birth for any future bundles that I may be blessed with!
Having experienced both a hospital and home birth, I'm happy to say that I have both experiences under my belt. I know home birth isn't an easy decision, nor is it for everyone! If it's something you're considering or you'd love to hear more about don't be shy to drop me a line!
My pregnancy with Cameron had been a rocky one, and not always had I had the home birth vision. Being put on bed rest at 20 weeks as result of complete placenta previa led me to believe that my hopes for a natural birth had been crushed. The midwives and doctors all prepped me for the inevitable c-section. You see with complete previa, the chances of a placenta moving are slim. At 32 weeks, I took a bad spill down a flight of stairs while holding my one year old daughter. This spill brought on contractions, and found me in the hospital for fetal monitoring. It was at that time that I received the news the placenta had cleared! Woot!!
At 32 weeks, I had to start making decisions on my birth plan. Home birth was something I was very weary and skeptical of, but the midwives had really wanted me to consider it given my fast 5 hour labour with Cadence.
Did I always want a home birth? Did my family agree? Was the decision to have one easy? No... no... and no. Plain and simple. My conscience pulled me in every which direction. I constantly reminded myself that my epidural never took during my horrible back labour with Cadence. I reminded myself of the horrible experience I had at the hospital and that the hospital was 45 minutes from my house. Really I think for the longest time I had my mind made up that I wanted a home birth, but I couldn't bring myself to admitting it. Most of my family didn't agree with my decision to have a home birth, which has been hard for me to swallow... To this day it is something we just don't speak of.
I was 3 days overdue when I went into labour with Cameron. I had been feeling off all day. It felt like I had the case of the flu. Come 8PM my husband insisted I page the midwives. Just my luck the midwife clerk was in the area. She came by with my main midwife and checked me. I was 3cms. They performed a stretch and sweep, went out to dinner, came back a half hour later... When they returned I was 8cms, and I was going through the emotions and stages of active labour. My Mother-in-law had come to pick up Cadence and I broke down, fearing I'd never see my daughter again. The midwives and my husband decided at that point that keeping my daughter home during my labour was the best decision. I spent most of my labour in the water; it was the only place I could find my zen. The midwives vigilantly monitored the baby. Around 10:35PM they decided to move me to my bed to try and get things to progress. I had stagnated at 8cms for too long, and was in a lot of pain. At 10:40PM, I had the urge to push. The midwives wanted me to restrain, but I couldn't stop myself. They quickly broke my bag of waters and I pushed the remaining cervix out of the way (very dangerous... this was why they were trying to restrain me from doing it). At 10:42PM... just 2.5 hours after my initial page to the midwives... Cameron was born, his arm was delivered first followed by his head. I'll never forget the moment. Heck, I'm getting teary right now thinking about it! It was phenomenal experience to be in the comfort of my own home, giving birth to my son.
The bond my son and I share is unreal; Whether that be from the home birth or not, I really don't know! Cadence had been taken from me straight after delivery by NICU and respiratory nurses, so perhaps I feel the stronger bond because Cameron was placed upon my chest immediately following his delivery. Who really knows. What I do know is that given what an amazing experience I had, I'll definitely consider home birth for any future bundles that I may be blessed with!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Luv U Zoo Musical Activity Mat
We LOVE our Fisher Price Luv U Zoo Musical Activity Mat! ... er... Let me clarify... My 4 month old son, Cameron, loves it!
Last month we were selected to review the Fisher Price Luv U Zoo Bouncer, which we had an amazing experience with! So when I found out I had the opportunity to review the Luv U Zoo Activity Mat I jumped all over it.
The mat was delivered to us a few weeks ago. Upon deliver, I cracked open the box and set-up the mat right away. The set-up was easy-peasy. It took not even 10 minutes to get everything in working order. The only problem I had once I set it up was that a part was missing. The musical mirror that hangs from the middle of the overhang structure was missing. We notified Fisher Price. They were quick to rectify the problem, and sent out a new part!
My son loves this mat. He loves to lie in the center of the mat and stare at himself in the mirror. He also recently discovered the art of rolling. He loves to roll on to his tummy and chew on the monkeys attached to the side of the mat. The monkeys are perfect for teething infants!
This mat is geared towards infants of all ages. The toys are in easy reach, and if your baby is rolling the bright colorful mat is sure to keep them entertained. I've encountered one too many playmats for infants that have toys attached to the overhang structure that are ridiculously out of reach for the infant. With this playmat you don't have that problem.
If you are looking for a shower gift for an expectant Mom, I would highly recommend purchasing this mat. There is a deluxe version at Babies R Us for $99, which is an amazing deal!
My family and I love this product, and I'm sure you will too!
Last month we were selected to review the Fisher Price Luv U Zoo Bouncer, which we had an amazing experience with! So when I found out I had the opportunity to review the Luv U Zoo Activity Mat I jumped all over it.
The mat was delivered to us a few weeks ago. Upon deliver, I cracked open the box and set-up the mat right away. The set-up was easy-peasy. It took not even 10 minutes to get everything in working order. The only problem I had once I set it up was that a part was missing. The musical mirror that hangs from the middle of the overhang structure was missing. We notified Fisher Price. They were quick to rectify the problem, and sent out a new part!
My son loves this mat. He loves to lie in the center of the mat and stare at himself in the mirror. He also recently discovered the art of rolling. He loves to roll on to his tummy and chew on the monkeys attached to the side of the mat. The monkeys are perfect for teething infants!
This mat is geared towards infants of all ages. The toys are in easy reach, and if your baby is rolling the bright colorful mat is sure to keep them entertained. I've encountered one too many playmats for infants that have toys attached to the overhang structure that are ridiculously out of reach for the infant. With this playmat you don't have that problem.
If you are looking for a shower gift for an expectant Mom, I would highly recommend purchasing this mat. There is a deluxe version at Babies R Us for $99, which is an amazing deal!
My family and I love this product, and I'm sure you will too!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Wine & Frozen Meals = One Happy Mama!
Today momstown Whitby-Ajax hosted our second Big Cook! Our Moms were very excited to gather for a morning of exchanging meals, adult conversation and wine tasting. This fantastic event was sponsored by Chateau des Charmes.
It was such a nice and welcomed break!
The kids all got to play and bond while we sipped an amazing tasting wine! It couldn't have been any more perfect!
Two of our members were lucky enough to walk away with a bottle of wine from Chateau des Charmes. We had been given one prize pack, but the Moms all wanted to open it up and contest off each bottle. Want your chance to win your own prize from Chateau des Charmes? Check out this great contest over at momstown.ca!
We all walked away from today with so many great meals! Now we comes the task of finding the freezer space to accommodate them!
If you want to join in on our next Big Cook make sure you are registered on the momstown Whitby-Ajax site! Our momstown chapters everywhere are celebrating with their own Big Cooks!
A few days prior to the event, we decided that rather than prepping the food at our event that we'd prep the meals prior to the event. This way when we got together today we were able to sit back, relax, enjoy wine and allow our little ones to enjoy some play time.
It was such a nice and welcomed break!
The kids all got to play and bond while we sipped an amazing tasting wine! It couldn't have been any more perfect!
Two of our members were lucky enough to walk away with a bottle of wine from Chateau des Charmes. We had been given one prize pack, but the Moms all wanted to open it up and contest off each bottle. Want your chance to win your own prize from Chateau des Charmes? Check out this great contest over at momstown.ca!
We all walked away from today with so many great meals! Now we comes the task of finding the freezer space to accommodate them!
If you want to join in on our next Big Cook make sure you are registered on the momstown Whitby-Ajax site! Our momstown chapters everywhere are celebrating with their own Big Cooks!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Summer Reading - Join The Club!
All across momtown communities, kids can join summer reading clubs at their local libraries! You don't need to be a reader to participate. The books you read to your child count towards his/her participation!
Sponsored by TD Bank, the reading program is launched Canada-wide at the end of June/early July in many communities*. The goal is to encourage children to engage with books throughout the summer.
The theme this year is Splash! Celebrate Summer and the website has lots of links to recommended book lists (ranging from pictures books up to teenage years).
An interactive kids website has been designed to engage kids in reading with online games and activities. Whatever momstown community you're part of, there should be a local library ready to engage your kids in reading this summer!
momstown has a strong literacy program as part of its educational curriculum for children aged 0-5. Our kids and baby book clubs, book reviews, and parent resources help families make reading a part of their every day.
Even the youngest child can engage with letters - momstown has a full range of alphabet crafts to get kids interested!
Join us this summer - momstown Whitby-Ajax has a fun calendar filled with park and splash pad playdates, Picassos in the park, Crafty Playgroups and more!
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