Respect for 2011 & Optimism for 2012

This time of year everyone is talking about resolutions.  What can I do differently next year?  Do we all really look back on each year with regret? Not enough weight lost, not enough time spent with family, etc?  This cartoon made me laugh but it's true, we focus too much on what we haven't done and not enough on just how amazing we are. 

I'm making a list of accomplishments this year and how I'm going to build on them going into 2012.

What was amazing about 2011?

1.  I'd been longing to be an entrepeneur for years but couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. This year I purchased a business that I am passionate about and that fulfills my need to connect with my community and with other mothers.

In 2012, I will take the giant leap of faith that is leaving my guaranteed paycheque and becoming fully self-employed.

2.  In 2011 I tried to focus on my family. At Christmas and for birthdays I asked for gifts that we could do together, crafts and games that would lead to us sitting around the table doing things together. 

In 2012, I want to spend even more time with those kids! Turn the tv on less, sit down and read a book with them more.  I'd like my husband and I to plan to spend some time alone with each of our daughters every week.

3. This year I made amazing connections with local businesses and local moms!  We reached more people in person, on our blog and the message board than ever before.

In 2012 I'd like to grow our momstown chapter to be something even more amazing.  We have some great partnerships already in the works for 2012!  I will shout from the rooftops the benefits of this amazing organization!

2011 was a great year! It was full of change, growth and realizations that I can't please everyone and I can't do everything.  I go into 2012 full of inspiration, purpose and the focus to follow through!

Tell us what you did in 2011 that you are proud of!

Our Christmas Wish for You

Our Christmas Wish for You 

We wish for you a home full of giggling, happy  faces.

We look forward to a New Year filled with fun events and friendships

We hope to connect more moms and bring this big world together.

To give our moms a place to talk, get out and fill their lives with laughter.

We feel so blessed to have our momstown moms and can’t imagine our lives without you.

So we wish you all a Merry Christmas and from the bottom of our hearts, Thank you!

Families Built Backwards...

I'm married. Finally. After 8 busy years, 3 cities, 3 houses, 2 babies and 3 dogs. Yep, we did it backwards. Jamie and I had been together for two years when we bought our house and only a few months later we found out we were expecting our first baby. At first we both cried. I was only starting in my career and was so excited about climbing the ladder (I only had my foot on the first rung!) I felt like that phone call from the doctor ruined every plan and aspiration I had going for me. (I know, I know a little dramatic but what can I say, I was 21.) My parents were a little bit upset and most people that I told were more shocked than happy for us. I was grateful that I was in a loving stable relationship and so glad that we had decided to take the plunge and buy a home only a few months earlier. We got over the loss of youth and freedom and began to get excited for our new arrival.

When our daughter was born we were elated. This was no mistake, this baby was a gift. I corrected anyone who used the word 'accident' and replaced it with 'surprise'. We talked about getting married, but life got in the way and soon we both felt that adding another baby to our family was more of a priority than a wedding. In the two years after my first daughter was born, we moved 10 hours from home, my 'boyfriend' went to school and when he finished we moved again 5 hours closer to home. We had just settled into our new home when we found out we were expecting again. Only happy tears this time. We had gone from a couple to a family in those years and were closer and more connected than ever. I still had my career and he had his, we were doing just fine.

I wondered if we had missed the boat on having the wedding I'd always imagined. What was the point now of making a big production? We decided to finally plan this wedding, we wouldn't make a big deal of it, just a small destination wedding in Mexico. Little did we know we would have 70 family members and friends who travelled thousands of miles to support us - our little family. I didn't realize until I was walking down the aisle towards the father of my children that this wedding is as significant, if not more, than it would have been 8 years ago. I held my daughters hand while I said vows that I truly meant. We had come so far, been so blessed and as I promised to love and cherish this man who had been my biggest support all of these years, I thought - maybe this wasn't the 'wrong' way to do it after all; families assemble in so many different ways and this was just our family's story.

Baking Exchange - My favourite time of year!

Well...maybe it's not my favourite time of year because I don't really like baking. I do enjoy baking with kids, I love watching them get involved in the measuring, pouring and stirring. This week I taught my dayhome kids how to crack an egg gently and was genuinely amazed as I watched them crack a perfect egg. I just don't really bake on my own it's much more fun to watch kids marvel at cookies slowly rising in the oven.

What I do love about this time of year is Baking Exchanges! I love making one enormous batch of cookies and coming home with a multitude of Christmas treats. They are so popular with our momstown mamas that we had two this year! I attended one and came home with delicious homemade treats that I can impress my family and friends with this season. Cookie exchanges definitely make me look like much more of a super mom than I actually am!  I shared my Holiday Secret, what's yours? :)

Here are the delicious recipes I got to come home with this year!

 

Ting-A-Lings

1 - 6oz pkg (170 grams) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (approx. 1 cup)

1 - 6oz pkg (170 grams) of butterscotch chips (approx. 1 cup)

1 cup of Salted Peanuts

1 cup or more of Chow Mein noodles (broken into pieces) (DO NOT buy Farkey - it's gross) - Taipan label - must say "in canola oil"

Put wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Break the chow mein noodles into short lengths (less than one inch).  Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler and mix together.  Add 1 cup of salted peanuts and 1 cup or more of broken chow mein noodles. Mix together to coat the peanuts and noodles in chocolate.  Drop mixture onto wax paper with a teaspoon.  Should make 48 pieces. I usually get less out of a recipe because I make mine bigger.

Butter Tarts

Ingredients Needed

1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of raisins
1/3 cup or margarine or butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons of milk
1 tsp vanilla
unsweetened and unbaked tart shells

Melt your margarine, then add in the vanilla,egg, cream and brown sugar. The lovely part about these is they are SO easy and fast to make. Throw it all in, mix the ever-livin’ devil out of it, and you are good. Now add in your raisins, and half a cup is the bare minimum I use. I find that sometimes there is too much liquid and not enough raisins by the time I reach the end, be brave and just add in what you need at that point.

Put your tart shells, still frozen, on the tray and fill a good 3/4 of the way. I say still frozen because I have found when they are defrosted the filling leaks through the pasty, not ruining them, but making them softer. A good frozen tart shell will hold the contents in, and cook at the same time.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until the rims of the tarts are beautifully browned.
Recipe from: http://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/my-butter-tarts-theyre-even-famous

White Chocolate Peppermint Delights

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

3/4 cup white chocolate chip

1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Preheat oven to 350F and grease cookie sheets.  Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. In big bowl cream butter, sugar and brown suger.  Beat in egg, peppermint extract and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Fold in crushed candy cane and white chocolate chops.  Drop by teaspoon into greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes

Easy Decadent Truffles

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls.

Brownie Peppermint Cookies

Yields about 3 dozen　

Ingredients:

1 (18.3 oz) pkg brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

1 recipe vanilla cream frosting, recipe follows

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, flour, brown sugar and salt. Add in eggs and milk and stir with a large spoon. Add in melted butter, vanilla and peppermint extract, stir until well blended. Spoon dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (you can fit 12 per sheet). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. Once cool, frost each cookie and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

Vanilla Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

6 Tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together sugar, butter and cream until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt, blend well.

Gooey Turtle Bars

1/2 cup Butter

1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

1 (12oz) jar caramel topping

Combine butter and wafer crumbs in a 13x9 pan. Press into bottom of pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chops and pecans. Heat caramel topping for one minute or until hot, stirring every 30 seconds. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Chill at least 30 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares.

Snowballs

1 devils food cake

1 cup sugar

5 cups unsweetened medium coconut (1cup for rolling)

5 cups quick oats

1cup 2% evaporated milk

2 cups of melted margarine

Mix ingredients, roll into balls and chill.

A new momstown tradition - Santas Anonymous!

 

momstown loves to give back, chapters all over the country are working together this year to help people in our communities.  This year, momstown Edmonton-South decided to help out by delivering gift hampers for Santas Anonymous.  Walking into the Santas Depot seeing all of those bags piled high with gifts for needy local families made me both proud and overwhelmed.  I was thankful that so many people had donated; their generosity allowed so many families to have a christmas that they might not have had otherwise.  I was overwhelmed by the realization that so many families in our city are in need.  We were shocked to see the delivery map, there were needy families in every area of the city.  We didn't deliver toys to the inner city, we delivered toys to my local neighbourhood.  We quickly became aware that these people are no different from us.  Who hasn't struggled to make ends meet? So many families are only a lay-off away from being in this very same place.

Delivering the gifts was a rewarding experience, next year, I'll be bringing the kids along. We got hugs and handshakes of thanks from the grateful parents.  I was glad to have done my part but dissapointed in myself that I hadn't done more. Next year I will do more.  We've decided that this will be an annual event for momstown Edmonton South and next year we hope to add a wrapping team and a few more delivering teams.  We are so thankful for the momstown mama's that took time out of the last weekend before Christmas to join us in delivering some joy to our neighbourhood.

Did you know that momstown.ca is also helping out this holiday season? For the month of December they are making a donation to the Red Cross for every new 'like' on their facebook page! Click here for the details! Want to help out in your community? Check out these great ideas for how you can give back - with your kids!

Breakfast with Santa at Salisbury Greenhouse!

 momstown had a great day among beautiful plants and flowers at Salisbury Greenhouse.  The greenhouse holds this event annually and is always sure to sell out! 

The kids enjoyed face painting, balloon animals, a delicious nutritious breakfast and of course a visit from Santa! 

 Check out all the fun we had!

10 Tips for Keeping your Sanity During the Christmas Chaos

There's only one week left till Christmas, who's sanity is on the brink of destruction?  I know this time of year is hectic but there are some ways to keep your cool and enjoy the holiday season without cancelling Christmas altogether.

1) Hydrate - Despite the rumours, we cannot survive on coffee alone. Make sure you keep hydrated while your shopping, wrapping and baking. This will stave off pesky headaches that could hinder your holiday spirit.

2) Take short cuts - No one will know and you'll look like even more of a super mom than you already are. Cookie exchanges are a great way to save time and impress your friends. Another great way to save time is to prepare your side dishes in advance. A lot of dishes can be made the night before (check out these make ahead mashed potatoes!, this will save your sanity on the day of the big meal and give you time to enjoy your company.

3) Make lists - Know what you have to do and when it needs to be done.  Lists can not only keep you organized but make you realize just how productive you are, so you can cut yourself some slack.

4) Don't multitask yourself to death - We know you can clean the house, wrap presents, and make supper all while baking dozen of cookies but who are you trying to impress? Take one night to wrap the presents, one night to bake the treats and for the love of God don't even think of cleaning till the last day or your efforts will be undone within hours.

5) Take time for yourself - In the midst of the chaos take a long bath or stop in for a massage or pedicure while you're out shopping and don't forget to log onto your favourite momstown message board to vent and get some holiday ideas from the mama's!  

6) Ask for help - See that guy sitting on the couch leisurely watching the hockey game? He's your husband and he's perfectly capable of taking some tasks off your plate. Have a hard time giving up the control? Give him the easy tasks like grocery shopping and stocking stuffers (accompanied by a detailed list).

7) Eat - I know it tempting to snack on all the sweets and delicious holiday food but to feel good and have energy we need fuel. Eating properly around the holiday season will also help keep you bloat-free for holiday parties.

8) Let go of the guilt - Accept that you may not get every gift on the list and not everything that "needs" to get done will.  But no one will notice and they're there to spend time with you, not critique your perfectly decorated table.  Cut yourself some slack this year and don't stress about the small things.

9) Shop with Focus - Don't wander into stores without a clear idea of what your coming home with.  Find out where the sales are and call ahead to confirm they have the "must have" toy of the year so you don't waste your time.

10) Embrace the Chaos - It's Christmas, so embrace that crazy aunt and the noisy house that's what the holidays are all about! 

And if all else fails throw some rum in your Eggnog and just let relax.   

Merry Christmas!

Handprint Christmas Ornament

momstown Edmonton South had fun at Connect the Tots getting messy and making these adorable handprint christmas ornaments.

These hardly need an explanation they're so easy!

What you need:

-White paint

-Matte or Sparkly Christmas Ornament

-Black and orange marker

-A small childs hand : )

Paint your childs hand with white paint, make sure their fingers are covered including their palm.  Place their palm on the bottom of the ball and wrap fingers around the ornament. 

Wait till the paint has dried and color a hat, nose and buttons on the fingerprints.  That's it, super easy and adorable craft!

We've done this 2 years in a row and always write their name and the year on the bottom.   

Hope you have fun making one, we sure did : )

Check out this list of 6 great snowman crafts for kids!

Kids and Planes - Tips from "the expert".

So a while ago we decided to go on vacation. Let's take the kids we say, it would be so nice to go somewhere warm as a family! We get the passports, the sunscreen and the towels.

I planned on writing this fantastic blog about plane rides with children and how if you're prepared everything can go smoothly. It was supposed to be an awesome list of tricks and tips from an "expert".


Here is what actually happened...


On our way to paradise

I'm nervous. I have only taken my daughter on a plane but now I also have my son Nolan who is 18 months old, he is one of those "active" children. I love that parents choose the nicest possible way to describe a child who will not stay still for longer 5 seconds at a time. The type that went from rolling over to crawling at 6 months, who just skipped that perfect age between 4 and 8 months where they can sit and play but are completely immobile. You know this kid... he's the 9 month old walker.

So there I was with the "active" child, herding him into a 4 x 1 foot space for 6 hours straight. Most people would think that letting this child peruse the plane and aisle who be a good idea. They are mistaken. If he knows he can get out of his cage of seats there's no turning back. That would be the end of me sitting, although the sitting I'm describing is not kind I'm used, this sitting involves being a toy, stool, and a climbing apparatus.

Although it's no walk in the park this plane thing is pretty easy I think to myself. Just let them play and bring lots of snacks and toys to keep them occupied. As we deboard the plane I'm pretty proud of my plane skills and other than poop explosion with no extra pants we get through the flight without a single tear.

I decide on the way back I'll actually write my fabulous blog because the kids will be sleeping as I know exactly how to keep the content now.

Leaving Paradise for a Mountain of Snow

My confidence is up and I'm feeling pretty good about my plane parenting. I now know to pack extra pants and I've learned to make sure snacks are readily available. Unfortunately this is an evening flight my "active" child has considerably less patience for being stuck in these extremely tight quarters when he's tired. Before we even leave the ground he's laying on the floor planning his escape route under the seats. This is not a good sign.

Take off is rough he will not sit the "burp position" like he did last time. He will not drink the bottle I came prepared with to avoid ear troubles. He doesn't want to sit with us at all actually. I get the snacks and toys out but he is not the least bit interested. Then he starts crying, my son isn't much of a crier so I do the checklist; Hungry, no. Thirsty, no. Tired, no. Poopy, yep that's it. I stand up to take him to the bathroom to do a quick bum change. I'm trapped. I've got a drink cart coming at me from both directions. I normally change my baby wherever and whenever but considering the lack of airflow I didn't think it was appropriate, so the crying continues. After a few minutes the coast is clear. I dart for the bathroom but on my way the seat belt sign turns on. I risk it and keep going it's already been a good 1/2 hour since the poop was discovered. The flight attendant stops me and tells me to sit. They are continuing with the drink service so logic tells me this can't be life or death type of turbulence. I argue with her and tell her I promise I'll be quick. No luck. Back to my seat with the screaming baby. After a quick discussion my hubby and I decide to ignore the seatbelt sign and change the poor kid on the seat, he's had diarrhea a few times on the trip so we don't want a sore bum situation happening. While the fabulous scent reaches my fellow passengers I hear some mild grumbling. As the flight attendant walks by I ask her to take the diaper to the garbage but she refuses so the diaper continues to fill the already stale air for another 10 minutes.

Crisis averted but he's still crying. I sit, I stand, I walk, I bounce, I rock, I sing but the crying continues. A really considerate flight attendant stops and asks if he's hungry. Oh, well that makes sense it's 5:30, he must be hungry. She makes him a supper early but he won't eat a single bite. I wrap him in a mei tei hoping he'll just fall asleep. He doesn't. It's been 1 hour of crying now, since the original poop crisis crisis. People are beginning to get annoyed. I'm surrounded by a group of 20 somethings who look like they've had a few too many margaritas and were hoping for a quiet flight home. For the most part though I get a lot of sympathetic looks from mothers and grandmothers. Another hour goes by of contant crying and their sympathy turns to pity. A dad comes up and asks if I need anything for him medically, he offered tylenol or benadryl, I have no idea whats wrong with him so I take the tylenol in hopes it will at least make him tired (at this point I would have taken a tranquilizer if it was offered).

After another 1/2 hour he finally starts doing the closed eye cry. For all you non parents this means he's on his way out. He goes in and out of sleep and crying. If I stop rocking or if I talk or sit he wakes up. Ok. I give up. I will just sit, my back is acheing and theres no way I can stand for another second. As long as I'm singing he's quiet I can't think of a lullaby long enough so I sing him Adele's Someone like you. It's long enough that he finally falls asleep for good. There is still 2 hours left of this flight and it's going to be quiet.

I ask the flight attendant for a pop. I set it on my daughters tray and it slides off and spills all over her. She's begins screaming and wakes up the "active" child. Seriously. He eats a few bites of cracker and cheese and with some more Adele he lays his head down and goes back to sleep.

Ahhhh....it's quiet for 30 minutes straight. Everyone is sleeping. I begin writing my blog and realize I just happen to get lucky on the ride to Mexico. I've come to the conclusion that you can't predict how children will react to anything. We're lucky if they stick to a routine day to day let alone expect them to behave while we're on a flight 20,000km in the air. I was a fool to think I had any control over the situation. I am still proud of my plane parenting. I don't think I could have handled the situation any better. I ignored all the stares and grumbling and focused on my child and that's about all you can do.

The flight ended with Isla waking up screaming because her bug bites were bothering her and to top it all off a pen exploded all over Jeff as we landed.

We survived. And we'd probably do it again....just not anytime soon : )

Walk to Remember - Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Early Infant Loss

Walk to Remember: Honouring Little Lives Lost

momstown attended the Walk to Remember this year as a group.  Some of us have lost little ones and many were there just for support.  The event always surprises me because it's such a sad topic yet there is so much positivity and hope.  We have attended the walk every year since we lost Maya and it affects me differently every year.  Every year I grow and my grief has changed.  Although I miss Maya and think of her everyday, I feel at peace and this year's walk meant so much to me.  To be surrounded by women who care so deeply for me and my family that they put aside a whole saturday afternoon to support us was overwhelming.  

At the walk each year every family releases a balloon for the children that they've lost and that childs name is written on the sidewalk.  This event is so unbelievably touching and every year I feel more at peace with my loss.  I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to share this day with my momstown mama's and family. I hope the walk brought some closure to those who were there to mourn their children and understanding for those there to support their family and friends.

 Kate Inglis spoke at the event, she is a blogger and a fellow Angel Mama.  Her words touch me every year but this year the words below really resonated with me so I thought I'd share.

"You might say, My Baby is gone, and I don't know how to feel. I don't know how to breathe, I don't know how to walk, I don't know how to exist when my baby doesn't. I don't know what to do.

Four years into this, I don't know either, to most of it.

But I can tell you what to do.

In the last moments, you looked at your baby and you thought the same thing I did.

Please live. I don't mind if you dye your hair kool-aid blue. I don't mind if everything you believe turns out to be different from what I believe. I don't care who you love or how you love, as long as you find some and give some. I don't mind what you're into, as long as you're safe. I just want to support you. I want to witness you. I want to see the things that make you smile. I want you to have the chance to be. To be happy.

Please live.

And then your baby died, like mine, and unconditional love was illuminated for you. You might have thought you knew what it was before, but you probably didn't. Now you do.
Carry it with you. Every single day, turn that into compassion for other people, all of whom started out as somebody's baby.

When you're moving through the world, you'll come across people with blue hair, who live differently and love differently and speak and think differently, who are perhaps in every way -- aesthetically, spiritually, culturally -- the opposite of you. Or maybe they're not sure what they are yet. Maybe they're struggling. Maybe they have nightmares too.

Extend them the same compassion that you would have given your baby, had you been given the chance. Regardless of how they align -- or don't align -- with you.

It's one of the only things you can do, after a loss like this. To treat others the way you would have liked to treat your child. With care, with hospitality, with humility.

It's a daily practice, and it does bring some peace, to look at every person and think, There goes somebody's baby. Could have been mine.

And before you're finished, extend some of that compassion to yourself.

That's what you can do."

 

  

Doodle Bear = Lots of Fun!!

This toy really brought me back to my own childhood.  I always wanted a Fisher-Price Doodle Bear as a child, needless to say I never did get one.  My daughter was so excited when she saw this adorable bear, and that was before she knew she was ALLOWED to colour on it!  She's also a huge fan of ballerinas so she was thrilled with the design.

My daughter is 4 and she's very much in the artist stage.  She loves writing, colouring and painting anything, she's always looking for ways to be creative so this bear really hit the nail on the head.  Once she saw the markers she looked at me and said "I can colour on this bear??" She literally played with this for well over 1/2 hour, which in child time is like a century.  She handed it to me when she was done and said "Okay, put this in the washer so I can colour it again!"  What's really neat about this toy is that you can conveniently store the markers on the Doodle Bear's back!

She has taken this out and coloured it again and again and it even stays in her bed to cuddle with too. I am so glad my daughter got to enjoy what I thought looked like a fantastic toy when I was her age. It has definitely lived up to my childhood expectations and as mother it exceeded them!                               



How to make the cutest Sock Snowmen

Our moms had a great time getting crafty with these adorable sock families!

In just 2 short hours we had entire snowville made complete with 25 of these snow people!

Heres how you can do it at home:

What youll need:

-one white sock

-one colourful or Christmas sock

-string

-2 elastic bands

-Assortment of buttons 

-wooden bbq skewer

-any decorations you want to add *see picture below

- glue gun

How to:

1) Cut white sock straight across just above heel

2) Fill sock with rice, needs to be stiff (if you use the ankle part of the sock you'll need to tightly place an elastic on the end and flip the sock inside out)

3) Tie elastic around the top of sock leaving some fabric out (this will keep his hat propped up)

4) Cut decorative sock above ankle and just below heel (if using a short ankle sock you need 2 - cut one at toe and heel, the other just below the heel *see picture)

5) Tie string around neck to create a head

6) Fold extra fabric under, place toe section of sock on head and tie hat with decorative bells etc.

7) Glue two small buttons on as eyes

8) Cut bbq skewer and colour with orange marker for nose

 9) Decorate with whatever you have to bling out your snowmen

 That's it! Then you can make a whole family! Here are the ones I made to represent my family!

Dana McDonnell with Snowville also sells ready made kits

To purchase one please email: danamcdonnell7@gmail.com