Fit Mamas Challenge!

Fit Mamas Challenge

Get motivated, Be accountable and
meet Edmonton Mamas with goals just like yours!

Cost to participate:

momstown members $20

non-members $25 

You receive:

• 5 free fitness classes
• 1 Nutrition seminar + support throughout the challenge from Simply for Life
• Cash prize & weekly prizes awarded based on participation online and attendance at classes

Challenge Begins on February 1st! 
Deadline for registration is January 29th
Click Here to Register! 

Not a momstown member yet? You will receive a free 6 week trial membership during the challenge period!

 Use the code fit mama in the ‘Where did you hear about us’ field!

Log on at edmonton.momstown.ca

Click here for the class schedule!

Thank you to our fabulous sponsors!

It's Not About The Weight.

It's not about the weight. This journey that I am on isn't about the pounds or inches that I will inevitably lose as I eat healthier and train to run 21 kilometers. It's really not. But, I can't help but get giddy as I see my body shrinking and the number on the scale going down. I can't help but feel excited when clothes that haven't fit since before I was pregnant with E fit again. I can't help but smile when I look into the mirror and see less of the belly that stretched beyond its capacity to carry a ten pound baby. But, it's not about the weight.

What is this journey about then? Well, it's about the changes I'm FEELING rather than seeing. It's how just six short weeks ago, I couldn't even run for three minutes straight without feeling like I couldn't breathe, yet today, I ran for almost an hour (eight minutes running/one minute walking) and could have gone longer. It's about how carrying both boys (55 pounds!) out to the car no longer feels like a workout. It's about how going up the stairs to my house no longer puts me out of breath. It's how I can now dance with my boys to more than one song without needing a break. My body has changed. Every time I run, I surprise myself with what I can actually do. The first time I ran for 25 minutes straight, I was in tears for the last couple of minutes. Not because it was hard (it was), but because I didn't think I was capable of doing it. And I did it! My body is becoming stronger every day, and my brain is starting to realize that I can do more than I ever thought possible. And I couldn't be happier about that. No matter how crappy I feel before a run, afterwards, I feel like a warrior. Especially on the cold -25 C days!  

Some of our team on an exceptionally cold night!

I'm not the only one on this journey. There are ten of us momstown mamas who are running together. Ten of us who are trying to make a change in our own lives, and a difference in the lives of others. Ten of us who are finding our bodies are capable of more if we just push them a little. I am so proud of my fellow team mates and the dedication that I have seen from them. They inspire me to keep going. When my brain is telling me otherwise, they encourage me and remind me that I can do it. That I am doing it. So, what about the twelve pounds (and several inches) that I've lost? Well, they're a bonus. No, it's not about the weight, but it sure is a nice perk.

Thank you to our guest blogger this week Sarah Wallace, Event co-ordinator for momstown Edmonton and mom of two busy boys! 

Check out her blog Meditations of a Blueberry!

Mom to Mom Sale February 2nd!

The first ever

 momstown Edmonton Mom to Mom Sale 

is happening on February 2nd! 

or click here to reserve a table now! 

Babysitting services available onsite! 
$5.00 per child/hour 
First come first serve!

Raffle Sponsored by
 Nicole Cooper - Royal Lepage 
Noralta Real Estate

Enter to Win:
$100 Home Cleaning Gift Certificate
$150 Melting Pot Gift Certificate

Check out our facebook event page to tell us you are coming!

The cost of the table rental will be donated to momstown's Team in Training!  We have 10 momstown members  training for a half marathon with the goal of raising $40,000 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada

Taboo Topics - Donated Breastmilk

Our little Liam has thrown us yet another curve ball.  Not only did his delivery not go as planned, now we're struggling with his health.  This baby, although seemingly healthy and happy, did not gain a single ounce for an entire month. He's 2 months old and still stuck at his birth weight.  It's funny to me how I could see my child everyday for an entire month and be totally oblivious to his lack of weight gain. I was shocked as I saw the number on the scale stay the same for a whole month.  We've had some tests done and it seems Liam just isn't absorbing nutrients like he should be.  At this point until anything else is confirmed this means that he needs to be supplemented in some way as I don't have the milk supply to feed him what he needs to grow.  So we're doing something that many people either don't do, don't talk about or don't agree with.  We are milk sharing. Well, I guess we're just milk taking since I am on the receiving end of this arrangement. 

Milk sharing, although not a new phenomenon, seems like it's still too taboo to talk openly about.  My pediatrician's exact reaction with a very stern face was "You know, the institutions don't support that because of....the AIDS."  It took me by surprise because I am not the most crunchy mama on the block, but choosing to use donated milk to help my baby grow wasn't a hard decision or a decision at all, really.  Why is it that it is so taboo though? It is just milk after all.  Cows make it and mothers make it.  Does it really matter who's udder or nipple it comes from?  Right now, knowing that something could be preventing my child from absorbing nutrients properly only makes me want to continue to provide the very best possible source of nutrition for his tiny, growing body.  

Reading this blog about a mama being kicked out of a moms group for milk sharing just blew my mind.  I've never talked about the fact that I'm using an amazing momstown mama's milk to feed my child but I just assumed I would be supported.  It would be nice if every mama who has had difficulty nursing had access to a wonderful donor who could help her get as far as she needs.  I am thankful for initiatives that make it easier for moms to find donor milk like Human Milk 4 Human Babies and Calgary Mothers Milk Bank. 

I am sharing my story to help the mom who's struggling with nursing and isn't quite ready or comfortable enough to ask a friend for help. I was that mom and without the offer I'm not sure I would have been courageous enough to ask. I'm also writing this as a thank you to all those mamas who donate their milk to women like me. I hope you know just how much your gift of liquid gold means to moms that really need it. I am incredibly grateful while I watch the wrinkles on my baby's legs turn to chubby rolls.

What do you think about milk sharing? Do you have a milk sharing story to share?

momstown's Christmas Party!

momstown Edmonton mamas sure enjoyed our Christmas Party this year! Everyone gathered at The Toy Hutch for some bouncy fun and yummy food. Once everyone arrived, we got right down to business with circle time. 

After some Reindeer Hokey Pokey, our craft was waiting for us. But today wasn't an ordinary craft! It was a yummy edible craft! With waffle cones, green icing, and candies, the kids made and decorated their own edible Christmas trees. It was so much fun to see how some of the kids decorated their trees. And it was even more fun to see how some devoured their trees when they were finished, and how some refused to eat them! After our crafting, we enjoyed a delicious potluck that was a little sweet and baking heavy. It’s a good thing The Toy Hutch is such a great place to bounce off excess energy! .

Mommy Fails: School Picture Edition

I'm the kind of mom who forgets things. I forget that it's library day, I forget that it's a PD Day (where is that damn bus?!), just this week I forgot to send a dish to school for a multi-cultural celebration. My daughter was appalled that she didn't get to present our traditional meal of grilled cheese sandwiches or Kraft dinner. 

But on October 30th I was sure I'd forgotten nothing. We woke up that morning and dug the school calendar out of the recycling bin (I'm beginning to see where I've gone wrong) and I see marked on that day Halloween Celebration. 

Now. I do pause for a moment and think "Well, that's strange, you'd think they would do the Halloween Celebration on Halloween, since it was a school day and all". But I shrug off the silly thought, check the calendar again and tell my daughter to go get her costume on. In hindsight, maybe I should have picked up the phone and checked with the school.

An hour later my little pirate looked fantastic. All decked out with her bandana and eyepatch, she's so excited to get on the bus and see all of the other kids dressed up. The bus pulls around the corner, she jumps on and I settle in on the laptop for an afternoon of solid work. A short 3 hours later she climbs off the big yellow bus and I ask, like I do everyday "How was your day?". 

Hands on her hips, looking way beyond her 5 years she rolls her eyes and tells me that the Halloween Celebration is tomorrow and she was the only kid dressed up today in the whole school! Oh. My bad...or the calendar's bad..now I'm not so sure, do I know how to read a calendar?

Then she follows with this: 

"But you won't believe it mom! It was class picture day and I was the only kid that got to wear my costume!!"

WHAT!?...Now a vague memory of a little slip of paper saying that the class pictures were rescheduled comes flooding back to me. How can I be expected to read everything that comes exploding from that kid's backpack at 4pm?

So here it is folks. The class picture that I will never forget and that she may kill me for a few years from now. I will keep this as a treasured memory of my organizational skills and attention to detail. 

Yes. She was in the front row.

Win a $1000 Room Makeover from MortgageGirl.ca

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The biggest difference that sets Jackie and Martene apart from other Edmonton mortgage brokers and bankers is they won’t just “take the order”. The girls will take the time to review where you are now financially and where you want to be in the future.

They will not tell you what you should do, instead, they will provide you with facts, thoughts and suggestions that will empower you in making your own decisions.

Jackie and Martene Woodward are a mother and daughter team working together as Independent Mortgage Specialist’s. With 30 years mortgage experience the Mortgage girls have access to a large number of lenders who offer best rates and service in the industry. In addition to what you know, ”who you know” makes a big difference in the mortgage world!

Jackie Woodward has worked in “the world of mortgages” for almost 30 years.

She started as a banker and 9 years ago decided to take the plunge and become an Independent Mortgage Specialist. She truly felt she could help her many loyal clients by offering a broader range of mortgage products and options.  Jackie is the original Mortgage Girl.

Jackie’s daughter, Martene joined the business 3 years ago and is the senior underwriter in our Edmonton office.

“The apple did not fall far from the tree” as Martene has many of the same attributes as her mom, Jackie.  She seldom accepts “NO” for an answer and is well known for her dedication and tenacity in getting her clients the best possible deal.

                    Call Now!  1-866-932-8412 or Email: info@mortgagegirl.ca

Magic Milk Experiment with momstowns Little Scientists!

Our momstown Little Scientists had so much fun at Family Fitness World this month! We did a very cool experiment that amazed mamas and little ones alike. All it took was some basic things most people probably already have: homogenized milk, food colouring, and dish soap! Our Little Scientists LOVED this experiment. We ended up doing it over, and over, and over again!

Want to try it at home? Just pour some homogenized milk in a plate or bowl. Drop in some food colouring and swirl it around with a toothpick. Once it’s good and swirled, put a drop of dish soap in the middle and watch what happens! The dish soap reacts with the fat in the milk! Here’s a link for more information about why: 

http://www.nipissingu.ca/education/jeffs/4284Winter/PDFS/MagicMilk.pdf

Little Scientists is just one of the 30 events that are available for momstown members in Edmonton and Area! Check out a  free trial membership at http://edmonton.momstown.ca/user/register

Tales for Tots - Christmas Carnival

December brought another fun Tales for Tots for moms in Edmonton compliments of Scholastics Canada. We combined our monthly Tales for Tots program with a fantastic Christmas Carnival as a fundraiser for our Team in Training participants. 

We read the fantastic book "Finding Christmas" by Robert Munsch. It was such a cute story about a little girl who always found her Christmas presents every year, but couldn't find them this year. As Robert Munsch books tend to be, it was funny with just the right amount of heartfelt emotion. The kids LOVED this book.

After reading, we did two different Christmas themed crafts: popsicle stick Christmas trees, and beaded candy canes. The trees consisted of three coloured popsicle sticks, glue, and rhinestones. It was great to see the different ways the kids decorated their trees! And the beading was a great way to practice fine motor skills.  

All the kids got to participate in some fun carnival games and Santa even came for a special visit! momtown Team in Training participants are very grateful for the donations at this event! I hope everyone had a great time getting in the Christmas spirit!

Come join us next month for our next Tales for Tots session at Southpointe Chapters!

Junior Chef Sponsored by Nutella!

Nutella was the sponsor of our Junior Chef program this month and our momstown mamas and tots got some hands on experience in the kitchen making some delicious Bananalicious Nutella® Pancakes! Our lucky mamas event got to take home a jar of Nutella each! 

Check out our fabulous momstown meals site to find the recipe for these delicious pancakes!


We also had fun making cute chef hats to make our baking experience authentic for the little ones!

 

The kids had a great time measuring, pouring and mixing!

They loved watching watching their creations become delicious pancakes! 

Then the kids got to chow down and even put their own Nutella and bananas on the pancakes to make them even more yummy!


                                I think these chocolaty faces say it all!  

Thanks Nutella for providing us with great Junior Chef fun this month!

How to Make an Alphabet Soup Craft!

This month momstown Edmonton has learned all about the alphabet with our “Alphabet Soup” theme.  momstown is just loving Art & Play at The Toy Hutch. Not only do we get to have fun with our programming, we also get to bounce around and play at a fantastic location! We began by reading an alphabet classic, “Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom” by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Then, we sang the only song you can sing when learning about the alphabet—the alphabet song! It was great to hear how many of the children were able to sing along! After singing, we went to our craft tables to start crafting. And what better activity is there for an “Alphabet Soup” themed Art & Play then making Alphabet Soup! It is such a simple craft that turned out great! It requires a little bit of prep work so make sure you give yourself some time the day before. Here’s how to make Alphabet Soup!






Materials:

• Alphabet pasta
• rubbing alcohol
• food colouring
• Ziploc bags (or other zippered plastic bag)
• paper plates (without any design!)
• markers
• white glue
• q-tips

Directions:
The day before

1. In a ziploc bag, pour about ½ cup of rubbing alcohol and about 10-15 drops of food colouring. The more food colouring you put in, the brighter the pasta will be.
2. Add 2 C of pasta. Close the bag and coat the pasta with the liquid. Let sit.
3. Turn every 30 minutes or so for about 3 hours. The longer it sits, the brighter the colors will be!
4. Drain the liquid from the pasta and spread out on parchment paper. Let air dry overnight. If you are in a pinch and need it to dry faster, you can use a hair dryer on low to speed it up.

The day of

1. Colour the rim of the paper plate with markers. This will be the bowl.
2. Then, colour the bottom of the plate whatever colour desired to make the broth.
3. Find the letters for the child’s name onto the broth. Then, glue letters randomly on the bottom of the plate. Use q-tips and white glue to get small amounts of glue and to work on fine motor skills.
4. Draw vegetables around your letters.
5. Enjoy looking at your alphabet soup!

**Please note that once dyed, pasta CANNOT be eaten**

Little Scientists Toddler Absorption Experiment

momstowns little scientists were at it again at Family Fitness World in Sherwood Park! This month momstown looked at absorption and colours. The children were given two cups of water (one blue, one red), one empty cup, and two pieces of paper towel. After asking a few questions about what would happen, we put a piece of paper towel in each cup, put the ends of each of those into the middle cup, and sat back to watch. Right away, a few of our Little Scientists noticed that the water was slowly travelling up the paper towel. 

Sometimes, science is slow, and it sure was today. While we were waiting, the children played and the mamas chatted in the great space provided by Family Fitness World. After some more time (and with maybe just a little help from a couple of mamas), our Little Scientists saw the results. The water had traveled up the paper towel, into the empty cup, and mixed to make purple! So cool!

If you want to do this with your own children, all you need is clear cups, water, food colouring, and paper towel. If you use less “thick” paper towel, the results will show up much more quickly than ours did. Either way, though, the results are worth it!

Interested in what else momstown has to offer? Check us out and sign up for our free one month trial!

Mastering the Art of Couch Parenting...

As most of you know I was really anxious about adding another little person to our family.  Honestly, having 3 kids really freaked me out while I was pregnant. Well that tiny guy has arrived, he's 6 weeks old now and I have managed to keep it together (for the most part anyway).  

How does one survive having 3 kids and only 2 arms? 

What happens when you're stuck on the couch cluster feeding a ferociously hungry newborn for hours on end? These were my questions before baby arrived and I've come up with the solution...

Two words. 

Couch Parenting.

It's glorious. I've done my share fair of couch parenting in the past few months between the car accident recovery and being 40 weeks pregnant in the hottest month of the summer.  With two kids who seem to be bottomless pits of hunger and demands I've come up with some tips to help you master this new art I call couch parenting. 

Step 1 - 

• Teach toddler to open fridge. I know, I know this is a huge risk and eggs may get broken, but I promise it's worth the training time.

Step 2 -

• Select a drawer in the fridge and a specific shelf in a cupboard for kid friendly food only.  I have one drawer in my fridge that is strictly snacks and an area on my lazy susan with dry snacks as well.

Step 3 - 

• Buy only fruit and snacks that require minimal prep.  If you must buy an annoying food that requires prior prep and portioning, do it the night before while you've got backup (aka Dad. Or better yet ask  "backup" to do this part). This includes drinks, always have cups poured ready for the morning.

Step 4 - 

• Con eldest sibling into thinking being a helper is the best job ever.  Warning - this might take some work and serious coaxing.  My reasoning for this mild form of child slavery is: this older child got one on one time and attention from me that the other kids will never get.  She owes her siblings for this little advantage. 

If you've successfully completed Steps 1 through 4 you should be sitting right now while your oldest child proudly folds laundry and your toddler fetches his pre-poured milk and baggie of grapes from the fridge. 

You're welcome. 

Christmas Footprint Plates at Baby Basics!

This week at momstown Edmontons Baby Basics program we made adorable Christmas Footprint Plates! CST Consultant Erin also came for a visit and talked to our mamas about the importance of saving for your child's education. The mamas love to make cute keepsakes for their babies so we made a perfect gift for grandparents! This craft was the perfect keepsake to mark baby's first Christmas.  

 Supplies: 

• White Plates
• Red & Green Permanent Markers
• Red & Green Acrylic Paint
• Small Paintbrushes
• Sponge Paintbrushes

We found doing the footprint first gave the best results, then adding the writing with the markers. We added the bows using a small paint brush and the polka dot border using round foamy paintbrushes. I will warn that these plates are for decorative purposes only. You may be able to seal them with a varnish of some kind. 

Thank you to our Baby Basics location sponsor Birth Source! If you're in need of anything pregnancy and baby in Edmonton this is the place to find it!

Baby Basics is a weekly event available with a $45/year momstown membership. We alternate between crafts, speakers and fun activities for babies under 1! Click here to learn more about momstowns programming. 

Sign up for a free 30 day free trial membership here!

Tales for Tots - I Spy: Letters

momstown Edmonton has been exploring the alphabet all this month. So, what better book to read in Tales for Tots than I Spy: Letters by Jean Marzollo? Thanks to Scholastic for such a great book to share with the kids. Not your usual alphabet book, the kids loved the rhymes and the brightly coloured pictures. My son is still asking me for the “ABCD book, Mom! Please!”

After reading our book, we took to the craft table and made our own “I Spy” letters. Each kid got a large letter that their names started with and then, with the help of the mamas, found that same letter on some boxes. Once they had found and cut out several of that letter with adult help, they glued them down. This was a great letter recognition craft! At the end of our crafting, we drew a name for the book and little Molly got to take it home!