BIG NEWS for momstown!

Happy April Fools Mamas!

You didn't believe that did you?? 

Sign up for a free trial to find out why our members call momstown "facebook for moms"! 

Tales for Tots: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies?

This month our theme was My Senses! We read How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies, an adorable scratch and sniff book! We learned that Dinosaurs are actually quite polite. The kids had fun smelling all of the pages and talking about the smells, strawberry was the group favourite!

Each month we give away a copy of the book courtesy of Scholastic Canada!

 Brendan was our lucky winner this month!

It was also St. Patrick's Day so we made paper plate rainbows to

put in our windows when we got home!

Our theme for April is Baby Animals, join us next month at Tales for Tots where we'll be reading I Am Small by Emma Dodd - a story about a small penguin in a great big world!

Baby Basics - Baby Picassos

Our members had a blast this month getting messy with their little ones!  We did 2 canvas art projects that were a hit with our moms!  We may have had a little paint in our hair but all that mess resulted in some beautiful keepsakes to take home. 

Hand Print Canvas 

Finger Paint Canvas

Don't forget to register here for your free 1 month trial membership to join in all the fun!!

Alphabet Play: Letter A

It’s never too early to learn about literacy, and we’ve started to learn all about letters at momstown!  Today, we began with the letter A. We started out with Popsicle sticks and some construction paper. The children showed the mamas that they were able to make an A and then decorated it. How did they decorate their A’s? With stickers and drawing of things that start with A, of course!  After, we read a story and found out that “alligator”, “airplane”, “apple” and “ant” are just some of the words that begin with A. Each of the children received a printable book to colour and read at home as well. We also learned how to sign the letter ‘A’ and practiced saying both the sound and the name. After some playing, we sang a song about apples and then had a snack of, you guessed it, apples! 

Here’s the song we learned:

Way up high in the apple tree (stretch both arms above your head, hands open)
Two little apples smiled at me (keep arms above head, close hands into fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (keep arms above head, "shake" tree)
Down came the apples (bring fists down toward stomach)
Mmmm, they were good! (rub stomach)

Click here if you would like to read the book with your own child! 

Healthy Breakfast Popsicles!

 

How great are these Healthy Popsicles to wake up to? We make a bunch at a time so they're ready for a quick breakfast before we run out the door. They almost need no instruction! Froot Loops are a huge hit with the kids but they're great for moms on the go too made with Rice Crispies or Special K! Fun, easy and healthy - that's my kind of breakfast!

Everything you'll need

Cut a banana into three pieces

Put the banana onto the popsicle stick

Dip the banana into yogourt

Cover your banana with a cereal of your choice!

Once you're done, lay them flat and freeze for a minimum of 20 minutes and you have a quick snack or breakfast ready to go! For more great ideas for getting picky eaters to eat breakfast visit momstown meals!

The Best of Blogwest 2012!

One year into this blogging biz and we were enough lucky to attend our very first blogging conference this weekend in Edmonton! Yes! Finally, a conference in Edmonton! Thank you to Felicia Dewar and all her helpers for their hard work and dedication to plan Blogwest! I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a ton of focus on Western Canada - this conference showed that the West is rocking bloggy-land with our own unique brand of awesome!

From Disney to the Redneck Mommy we were impressed with both the caliber of presenters and the interest that everyone had in our little corner of Canada. We had so many take-aways from the sessions our heads are literally still swirling with ideas (we've been tweaking headlines and playing with our design all weekend, huge thank you to Paperleaf & Redpaperclip for those tips!)

We were excited to connect with so many bloggers doing amazing things, right here in Western Canada.  Here are some of the people we connected with that blew us away with their ideas and skills, we just had to share with our mamas!



Based in Whitecourt, Alberta but with fans all over the world, Laura is the Org Junkie! She and Angie of Beautifully Organized Living even made a mid-conference dollarama run to grab organization supplies (two peas in a pod!).  She has a blog & website full of organizing tips and tricks to have your pantry, linen closet and life organized quickly and easily. She's given me the inspiration to organize our very messy pantry! I'm too embarrassed to post a picture but I will tell you, it's worse than yours..no really it is. Trust me.



Three beautiful Edmonton locals looking for a hair stylist worth their weight decided to open a website where you can see the actual work of local stylists on real people.  Check our their blog for pictures and referrals to great local talent.
Best.Idea.Ever.

  



We're not just writing about them because they gave us the coolest business card ever - a pack of paper straws! We'll be sure to let the kids test them out at our next potluck playdate! Greenmunch eco store, based right here in Edmonton is Canada's source for trendy eco-friendly, reusable, natural and compostable products! Check them out for all things green!




Another lovely Edmonton Blogger who connects you with her favourite things! This mama does her research - everything you find on her site has a canadian focus! All freebies, giveaways, contests and links are applicable to Canadians, unlike many other sites out there!




St. Albert mama of two Angie is the creator of Echoes of Laughter and Beautifully Organized Living! You'll find amazing tips for design & organization on her blogs. Check out this post about packing a weeks worth of lunches all at once! I'll be using this one very soon!  


Family Fun Canada is currently in Calgary, Vancouver and coming soon to Edmonton! They share local events, activities and attractions to attend as family! Great blog to follow for Canadian families looking to get out in their community and have some fun!

Little Scientists: My Senses

This week, our Little Scientists learned all about their senses! Our experiment had us using all of our senses. Sandpaper shamrocks and cinnamon sticks greeted our budding scientists when they arrived at the tables. We talked about how each of our senses was working as the children rubbed their cinnamon sticks on the sandpaper.  Some of the children couldn't resist the taste of the cinnamon sticks! Next, we brought out the crayons to see what would happen if we drew pictures on the sandpaper. 

For circle time, we read a story called “The Ear Book” by Al Perkins.  The children were able to tell us that we use our ears to hear. After the story, we sang “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” several times, different ways. The children were very good at listening and following along to the song, and even suggested a few ways of their own to sing it!

Interested in momstown’s programming? Make sure you sign up for the free trial to see what it’s all about!

Naturopathic Medicine: Is it right for your kids?

Naturopathic Medicine is still a mystery to most people.  A lot of parents don't know that it can be a great option for the whole famly, including kids!  I know as a busy mom it's hard to find time to research your options so we've compiled a list of FAQ's from parents to naturopaths at Optimum Wellness Clinic to help you realize the benefits naturopathy can offer! 

• What does naturopathy offer versus an MD?  The main goal of naturopathic medicine is to get to the root cause of disease.  We look for symptoms and often are able to match them up to a nutritional deficiency, for example, chronic nose bleeds is quite often a sign of a zinc or vitamin C deficiency.  A good example of getting to the root cause is eczema – often MDs will prescribe cortisone cream which seems to help, but if you stop using it the condition returns. This is because the root cause of the condition has not been identified and that is one of the main differences with an ND – we seek to identify and treat the problem rather than using “band-aid” solutions. We also spend more time with patients on the first visit to take a thorough medical history. 
• Does my child need to see a pediatrictian if I am seeing a Naturopath? Many parents typically use NDs as their primary care physician, but it is helpful to have a file started with a pediatrician if testing is required. It is good for ND's and MD's to work together for the optimal health of the patient.

• What kind of conditions can naturopathy help my child with? Any condition that you would take your child to an MD for can be treated with naturopathic medicine.  The most common conditions we see are: eczema, asthma, autism, ADD/ADHD, frequent colds and ear infections, digestive concerns, constipation, “picky eaters”, behavioural disorders, etc.
• When should my child start seeing a naturopath? From the day they are born would be the technical answer, however lots of studies are showing now that a pregnant mother who has good nutrition throughout her pregnancy will produce a child who is smarter, has less incidence of illness, less ear infections, less skin issues, etc.  So seeing a mother before she conceives is ideal so that we can make sure she is as healthy as possible before conception. 
• Can a naturopathic doctor prescribe medication? Not yet.  Once regulation for naturopathic doctors gets passed by the government, a limited set of medications will become available to ND's. For example, in British Columbia, Naturopathic doctors have prescription rights for antibiotics, antidepressants, bioidentical hormones, and some cardiovascular medications.
• What type of tests do naturopathic doctors use? We can request the same type of blood tests that MDs can; however, we often differ in our interpretation of test results as we practice “functional” or “optimal” medicine which means we look at where you are within the reference range and what direction the body is going in. We don’t wait until your have an abnormal test result instead, we try to prevent this from happening. While conventional blood work can provide a lot of clues to health, other tests can provide additional information.  Such tests include:  food intolerance testing, heavy metal testing, organic acid testing, comprehensive stool testing, environmental pollutants test, comprehensive nutritional profile, neurotransmitter testing, hormone testing, etc.  
• What kind of treatments do naturopathic doctors prescribe?  We have a lot of tools in our toolbox as we are trained in Botanical medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Homeopathy (which is great for kids!), Nutrition and supplementation, Counselling and Lifestyle changes, as well as Energetic medicine (ie mind-body medicine and Bowen therapy) and Hydrotherapy. We also study pharmacology so we are aware of commonly prescribed medicines used by MDs.  
• What is the number one thing that parents should know about Naturopathic medicine? Optimal health requires effort and often change is required in terms of diet or taking prescriptions. Awareness is the key and once you know better, you will do better and as a result of your efforts, you will feel better. Good health is attainable for everyone!

                                                                     

Dr. Christina Bjorndal and Dr. Michael Mason-Wood are a husband and wife team both are naturopathic doctor's who are truly passionate about helping people achieve greater health

At Optimum Wellness Clinic we operate a full naturopathic medical practice where patients benefit from the use of naturopathic therapies that create a healthy environment in which the body can heal itself. Prevention, detoxification, education and self-responsibility are the cornerstones of our naturopathic philosophy.

Share Your Breakfast with Kellogg's and momstown

On Thursday, March 8th momstown teamed up with Kellogg's to help promote awareness about hunger in communities across Canada. Not only did Kellogg's provide us with a fantastic breakfast, we also had the amazing opportunity to deliver breakfast kits to families in need right here in Edmonton.

To celebrate National Breakfast Day we invited our members to eat, play and learn about what we can all do to help raise awareness about how important breakfast is.  Each member received 10 breakfast kits and have shared with us that they've been donated to friends, schools, and workplaces!

Our goal was to help other moms in Edmonton, we donated 150 breakfast kits to the daycare at Braemar School which is run by the Terra Association for Pregnant and Parenting teens. We loved spreading the message to new moms that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Kellogg's is offering an amazing promotion in support of Breakfast Clubs of Canada and Breakfast for Learning. When you purchase a specially marked Kellogg's breakfast food, they'll donate to one of Canada's two largest breakfast charities, and you'll get a PIN code for one free breakfast item that will help your family have great breakfasts and better days. 

To find out more visit www.kelloggs.ca/syb!

Boudoir Photos: Making Moms Feel Beautiful.

How often do you look at a photo or in the mirror and say "Wow, I am a beautiful woman! Not often I bet, maybe not ever. We're so used to criticizing ourselves that sometimes we forget to recognize what amazing things our bodies have done to bring these little beings into the world. There might be stretch marks where there used to be smooth skin, wider hips meant for carrying babies and breasts that have been inflated and deflated many cup sizes in a span of a few months. These bags under my eyes mean I've spent countless hours rocking babies in the middle of the night. This hair in a ponytail means that this morning I decided to have a dance party in the living room with my kids instead of taking a shower. That snot smear on my shoulder? That's a crying child soothed in my arms.

When I look around the room at our momstown mamas I see true beauty. Incredible mothers putting their children first and having too few hours in the day to look after themselves. I recently had the opportunity to see myself in a new way and I think that every woman should experience it. When I booked my boudoir shoot with our resident photographer Snow Pea Portraits I thought I was doing it for my husband. I thought it would be embarrassing, I might possibly regret it and hate the pictures.
I was so wrong! Before even seeing the pictures I felt amazing, sure, my husband was fond of the pictures but this did more for me than it could ever do for him. I felt truly beautiful and I pull out those photos on a regular basis and remember that I'm not always a snot smeared, baggy eyed mama.
Thinking about doing a boudoir shoot? Snow Pea Portraits gave us a fantastic list of tips for mom's considering taking the plunge. Is it terrifying standing in your underwear in front of someone you barely know? Yes. Will you regret it? No, and when she tells you you're beautiful during your shoot - believe it, because you are.

• Smile. No, I mean really smile - not that fake "smile" you always have in photos. Close your eyes. Think about...the first time your child said 'I love you, mama". Yes, that smile. Happy is beautiful. 
• Try to avoid wearing a tight bra or panties before your shoot. No undies at all would be best! But that's not an option for everyone, so try to opt for something comfortable that won't leave those ugly red marks - they're hard to edit out! 
• Stand up straight! Slouching never looks great, and you will accentuate your assets with a straight back and shoulders behind you.
• Practice facial expressions in the mirror. Who cares if it feels foolish - it will give you a definite edge when you're in front of the camera. And hey - you can make sexy faces all day once you're good and practiced up!If there's something about you that you don't like (yep, we've all got a few of those) don't be afraid to tell your photographer beforehand. In fact, please do!
• Talk a friend into going with you. Like going to the doctor when you're a teenager, boudoir photography is way more fun when done with a friend.
•  If you're having your hair and make up done for your session, try to avoid wearing make up that day, and don't wash your hair in the morning before your shoot. The make up artist may ask you to bring your own foundation to save time on mixing colours - do this!
• Bring your ideas for hair and make up! Most photographers are probably okay with you bringing ideas for poses as well, but if you don't have any, don't stress - the photographer will know lots. 
• Relax. Have a glass of wine! This experience is for you, so don't over-think it - just enjoy it!

Why would I ever take my child to a chiropractor??

Do you take your new car in for regular service even though it runs just fine?  Do you take your family to the dentist even though none of you are complaining of problems with your teeth? Do you clean your house regularly even though you don’t feel like it?  Why do you do these things?  Really.  Why?  The answers to these questions seem pretty obvious, don’t they?  Well, the same can be said about the reasons for seeing a chiropractor at any age.

There are really only two reasons to go to the chiropractor. 

1.      Something in the body isn’t working right (usually seen in the form of pain or discomfort) and you want to fix it.

OR

2.     You feel fine and you’d like to stay that way.

As parents, how do you know when to take your infant or toddler to get adjusted? (An adjustment is the name of the procedure a chiropractor uses to re-align or “adjust” the position of a joint.)  Let’s answer this by using the  criteria already discussed.

1.  Is your child in any pain or discomfort?   

·  is your child having regular daily bowel movements?

·  is your child having long periods of unexplained crying that you can’t comfort?

·  does your child have trouble nursing on one side compared to the other?

·  are they getting frequent colds or  ear infections?

·  is your child sleeping regularly and deeply or is their

   sleep restless and short?

·  is your child struggling or unable to achieve the childhood milestones of 

   olding their head up, crawling or walking?

·  Do you feel like something’s wrong with your child but you just can’t put your finger on what it is?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your child may have a misalignment of one of more of the spinal bones that is causing irritation to the corresponding nerves which causes a disturbance in normal function. 

Here we have a problem that needs to be fixed!

A chiropractor examines the child and determines if any misalignments or “subluxations” are present and then proceeds to correct then with a chiropractic adjustment.  This is a gentle force applied to the joint in a specific direction to correct the misalignment.   It’s that simple.

Does it hurt?    

Babies often sleep right through it, some are startled for a moment but easily distracted again and yes, some cry for a few minutes.  Most young children claim that it does not hurt, but it really depends on the sensitivity of the child.

 Now let’s address the second criteria…

2.  Your child is fine and you’d like them to stay that way.

If you are fortunate enough to have a happy, healthy and thriving child you can first, thank your lucky stars, and second decide if you want to take a “wait and see” reactive approach to their health OR a preventative pro-active approach.  Chiropractors recommend prevention since we see what happens to a neglected spine and nervous system on a daily basis.

In the first year of life, we recommend a chiropractic check-up for your infant as they progress through the significant milestones of:

·       birth (within 48 hours of being born)

·    holding their head up (usually 2-3 months)

·    sitting up (around 6 months)

·    crawling (around 9 months)

·    walking (around one year)oll

We are making sure that the spinal joints are working properly and the nervous system is functioning at maximum capacity.

Chiropractic care and your toddler!

The second and third years of life can be a little more demanding on a child as they stumble and crash “head first” through life.  A general tune-up every 3 months is recommended on a preventative basis unless you suspect a problem.  Small children are usually unable to name their problem or pain until they are a little older and able to articulate abstract ideas.  Therefore, bring your child in for a check-up whenever they experience a disturbance in daily behaviours like eating, sleeping and pooping and/or becoming unusually irritable for longer than a couple of days. 

Watch a two year old for a day and you’ll see the amount of stress they put on their young bodies.  Fortunately, the body is designed for self-healing and correction and lots of these bumps and falls are no problem.  But from time to time, children get into more serious situations that put their bodies under more demand than they can handle.  That’s when they get “subluxated” or misaligned and need a little extra help from the chiropractor. 

Your children’s bodies are no different than your own.  Life is demanding and we can all use a regular tune-up to keep all the mechanisms working smoothly.  Just like a wheel alignment problem with your car will cause the tires to wear out more quickly and put more strain on the whole chassis, an alignment problem in your spine will cause your joints to wear out faster and put more strain on your whole body. 

Take care of the body and it will take care of you!

For more information visit:

www.jacksonchiropractic.ca

Drs. Don and Kathy Jackson

Jackson Chiropractic 

11157 Ellerslie Rd SW

Edmonton, AB

(780)988-5444