Time Freeze

Pardon me while I have a bit of a panic attack... Where the heck did my babies go?!? I blink for a second and they reach so many new milestones. At least it feels that way.

Let me preface by saying... This week has been the week of milestone achievement for both my son and daughter.

My son turned 5 months old, and as if that wasn't enough.... He got not one, but two of his first teeth. Holy eff!!! I knew he was teething, but I wasn't expecting two teeth straight away! Within the next month, we'll be starting solids... And not long after that he'll be 6 months!!! It feels like his first year is just zipping on by!!

AND then there's...

My daughter. Where, oh where shall I begin with her?! In a matter of a few weeks, she'll be two. Can you believe it? TWO!!! Where the heck have the past two years gone?! It feels like this past year has gone faster than her first. OH.EM.GEE!!! It honestly feels like just yesterday I told her she was going to be a big sister, and yet here I am a year later watching my little girl bond with her little brother. 

This past week we transitioned the Cadence to her toddler bed. I anticipated that it wouldn't go over well. That there'd be sleepless nights of fighting with her to stay in bed. Boy was I ever caught off guard when she went straight to sleep on that first night. The trend has continued. Not only did we transition her this week... BUT... This week she also started to form short sentences. Her vocabulary has just exploded! It's insane. She's such a big girl!

I'm totally handling her upcoming 2nd birthday worse than I handled her 1st.

Can we freeze time just for a little bit?!? Please!

Finding the 'Me' in Motherhood

As a Mom it is so easy to put yourself on the back burner. Once your little baby enters the world, you've quickly turned your attention to the new little bundle and their needs.You suddenly fail to remember that your needs are just as important, and deserve just as much attention.

How do you find the balance in motherhood? Do you take time away from being a Mom to focus on you? It certainly isn't easy... I know that much for sure! But it's achievable.

With both my children, the method that I found worked for us was E.A.S.Y. - Eat, Activity, Sleep, You. It's a very common sense approach; that allows for a relaxed and flexible routine. This routine is probably what helped me set boundaries and got me through the day. It ensured that I took time for myself... Even if that time was taking 20 minutes to have a shower. It's that 'me time' that got me through. That 'me' time is so crucial and important.

Now that I have a infant and a toddler, 'me time' certainly has a whole new meaning. My body craves 'me time' daily. It took me a while to figure out a way to satisfy the craving without spending too much money. I would have loved to get my hair done more frequently or go to the spa... But let's face it, it just isn't in the budget. One day I was sitting around, having a bad day, feeling like a sloth when it dawned on me... I needed to get out and be more active. I wound up enrolling at a local gym. So now 3 to 4 days a week, I head over to the gym  when the hubby gets home from work... I have my me time all while focusing on getting my pre-pregnancy body back (what is that again?)... I'm tackling two goals at once, and feeling happier and better than I ever have!

What have you done lately to find the 'me' in motherhood?

Boo Bash

On Friday, October 29th momstown Whitby-Ajax celebrated Halloween early with our annual Boo Bash!

A lot of Moms came out with their little goulish tots all in character. There were some pretty amazing costumes amongst the group!

The tots all enjoyed playing with the toys and creating styrofoam creepy, crazy spiders.


The spiders were made using pre-painted styrofoam balls, pipe cleaner and sticker googly eyes. The tots went crazy making the spiders, and were very proud to show off their masterpieces.



While the older kids played, the Moms chatted and nibbled on some snacks. It was surely great company!


Thanks to everyone who came out to the Boo Bash, and helped in making the day a success that it truly was! We look forward to seeing you all around the 'neighbourhood' again soon!

The Mamas & Chicks Show

On Friday, October 22nd, momstown Whitby-Ajax teamed up with momstown Oshawa-Port Perry to be part of The Mamas & Chicks Show!

As sponsors of the show we were very excited, and arrived to the show very early to get our table all set up for big day! Throughout the day we had the chance to meet many new moms and moms-to-be and tell them about all the wonderful things momstown can bring them! It was great to meet so many new faces, as well as see some familiar ones too!

Thanks to everyone who came out to The Mamas & Chicks Show and had the chance to stop by our booth! If you didn't make it out, its never to late to head on over to our site and experience all that momstown has to offer. If you'd like to try out a free 2 week trial, CLICK HERE to complete the online registration form. Hope to see you around the neighbourhood soon!

Tots & Tales

Today momstown Whitby-Ajax had our "Tots & Tales" group, with the focus on being spiders and bats! We had planned to start off with our circle time in the park, reading "Happy Halloween Curious George!", however the tots seemed to be more interested in the park equipment.

After the tots burned off steam on the park equipment, they all crowded around the park bench to look through the spooky Halloween books together. They really enjoyed the pictures each book had to offer.

Great book club get together! We're looking forward to next months Tots & Tales, where we'll be reading some fun stories around the theme of "My house, Your House".

Launch Party Success!

On Wednesday, momstown Whitby-Ajax and momstown Oshawa-Port Perry celebrated their launches together in the centre court of Oshawa Centre! And - what better way to do it, then by having a huge party!!

We had a massive turn out. We had set out an area for stroller parking, but it quickly became full and people had to start parking their strollers in the hallway. Nothing was stopping the parents and kids from coming in, and joining in on the fun!

Nancy (mama of momstown Oshawa-Port Perry) and I (mama of momstown Whitby-Ajax) came very quickly to realize that the momstown movement was being felt and accepted in the Durham Region.

We set up lots of different little activity stations for the kids. The tables contained arts & crafts; we taped a massive piece of paper to the floor for the kids to color all over. That was a huge hit!! Most ran straight into the activity station, ripped off their shoes and went to town coloring. The activity centers also offered a reading station, bead maze station and blocks/puzzles station. There was something for everyone!

Belly Button the Clown joined us in celebration of our launch, and brought lots of smiles to the children. She offered face painting and blew up balloon creatures for the youngsters.

Keri-Ellen Walcer from MusiGo put on a performance that got the kids all moving and dancing!



All in all, we had an amazing day! It was so great to have had the opportunity to meet and connect with so many families!

If you missed the launch party, don't worry! You can still sign-up for a free trial and get in on the fun by visiting momstown Whitby-Ajax!

Thanks to everyone who came out and contributed into making it a great day!

FREE 1-Yr. Membership!

In celebration of the exciting launch of momstown Whitby-Ajax we have decided to give away a FREE ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP!!!


That's right! As soon as we hit 50 members a name will be drawn! You do not have to enter to win, you just have to sign up for a free trial membership and
your name will automatically be placed in the draw.

momstown Whitby-Ajax launched just over a week ago and we are already at 40 members - more than three-quarters the way to that free membership!

So if you are a mom in Whitby, Ajax, Brooklin or any of the surrounding towns and you haven't already registered at momstown Whitby-Ajax, why not? Get over there now and get signed up! momstown offers support, conversation and a whole lot of fun to "neighbourhood" moms

With 25+ events every month, great member privileges and discounts, and a whole 'neighbourhood' of moms just waiting to connect with you, you have nothing to lose, and so much to gain!

For a limited time, momstown Whitby-Ajax will also be offering an extended free trial period! Instead of the usual 2 week free trial, we will be giving you 4 weeks! But this offer will only last for a short time! So register now! And tell your friends to join too!

Hope to see you around the "neighbourhood" soon!

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Nicole King, and I am “mommy” to my daughter, Cadence. Cadence is my first born, and she is gearing up to celebrate her 1st birthday in just a few weeks time. I have to say that motherhood has remarkably been one of my most treasured moments in life so far. I can't wait to watch my little one grow, develop and reach new milestones.

I haven't always resided in Whitby. My husband and I moved here shortly after our wedding in late 2007. We were born and raised in Brampton. What called us out the Durham region, one might ask? The commute to Toronto from the east-end was much more accommodating for my husband, and we also loved how close knit the community is here. The community is booming with young families, and that was really attractive to us.

While on maternity leave, I found myself going stir crazy quite often. Most of my friends who had been on mat leave with me were returning to work, and there I was left not knowing what to do with myself. That's how I came to find momstown. I originally signed up for a trial period with another chapter. However, distance held me back from attending any events. I was quite letdown, and had to do something about it. That's how I came to owning my own chapter of momstown.

The countdown is now on! momstown Whitby-Ajax is set to open in mid-August 2010. I'm extremely excited to bring momstown to the Durham region! I look forward to meeting everyone soon!

Keep connected to the blog for further details as launch approaches.

Your momstown Mama,

Nicole