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?

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!

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!

Oshawa Rotary Ribfest

Yesterday momstown Whitby-Ajax took a family trip to the Oshawa Rotary Ribfest to eat some award-winning ribs and pulled pork sandwiches, enjoy some childrens entertainment from Dan the Music Man, as well as each others company. We also met up with momstown Oshawa-Port Perry while we were there!

The weather was absolutely beautiful for this event, which sent the crowds pouring in to get their hands on some yummy grub!


After chowing down on some yummy food (... and going back for seconds or thirds)... we decided to head are way over into the midway to let the little kiddies ride the rides and play some games! There was something to entertain children of all ages in there (even the tots).


After the kiddies burned off much energy at the midway, we decided to take a walk through the beautiful Lakeview Park before calling it a day!



Following our deliciously, fun day - the wee ones were quite tired... so after our walk we all parted ways so our tuckered out little ones could head home for a much needed nap!

We had so much fun, and can't wait to all get together again 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