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!

Liam's Birth Story - Home Birth to the Hospital...

To tell Liam's birth story I'll start with my previous births. My first birth was a natural hospital birth in Fort McMurray. Her birth also started my journey as a doula, I saw first hand a lack of respect and support labouring moms receive at the hospital.  For our next pregnancy we planned a home birth but unfortunately due to a serious complication we lost our little Maya and delivered her at the Royal Alexandria Hospital in Edmonton.  With Nolan we planned and carried out a perfectly amazing home water birth.  While I labored upstairs all my close friends and family gathered downstairs and waited to hear that sweet cry.  We were blessed with a fast delivery surrounded by love & support.

So with our fourth and final child we planned the same.  We bought all the home birth supplies which included plastic sheets, giant diaper like pads and a sieve (don't ask.)  We rented a birth tub from the wonderful people at Baby Birth Pools and had it set up weeks in advance.  We lost many hours of sleep to move our two younger children into the same room so the baby's birth room would be ready for the moment he decided to make his arrival.  The only regret we had with Nolan's home birth was that we had no good photo's of the birth. We planned ahead this time and hired Vanessa Brown, an amazingly talented birth photographer to capture every moment of our last child's entry into this world.  

With all the preparation complete, we waited.  And waited.  Finally after a fun night of crafting with my momstown mamas we decided to take a brisk walk, I told those ladies that I could still do a cart wheel even at 41 weeks preggo.  They didn't believe me, so I proved them wrong and did a near perfect cart wheel.  Apparently that cart wheel may have been the eviction notice little Liam needed as I woke up at 5 am with cramping.  

After an hour of timing contractions at about 4 mins apart we called the birth posse; midwife, doula/twin, photographer and parents.  Labour was consistent and I worked through contractions as everyone arrived to help with the kids and wait for our newest addition.  My husband frantically filled the birth tub as my labour's tend to be short.  

My midwife checked me at 9:30 am. I could tell by the look on her face that something wasn't right.  She said "I can feel the cord" okay big deal there should be a cord there, right? No. The cord had slipped in front of the baby's head and was presenting first.  It's called a cord prolapse. It's a complication that afflicts only about 0.5% of all pregnancies.  The risk of the cord coming out first is the head drops down and puts pressure on the cord, cutting off blood supply to the baby which can cause brain damage and even death in 15% of babies if not taken care of within minutes.  

As a doula, I knew all of this.  I knew that those two words were a life and death emergency.  She didn't need to explain or tell me what would happen next.  Janine called the ambulance at 9:52 am.  Paramedics were there in just minutes.  With my midwife holding baby's head off the cord and me on my hands and knees we headed to the hospital.  We live very close and but it felt like it took hours perhaps because of the awkward position and strong contractions.  Jeff was in the front seat of the ambulance but I didn't know he was there. 

When we arrived they whisked me into the OR and started prepping for a Cesarean.  It hit me at that moment.  Laying on the cold table, completely alone and terrified I realized that this was it, I really wasn't going to be able to deliver my baby.  I begged them to do a spinal rather than general anesthesia.  I knew the responsible thing was to put me under but I couldn't even fathom not being present for the birth of my baby.  I laid there completely in shock while they prepped me for surgery that I didn't want.  I managed to tell them I wanted no one but my husband to see the baby before I did. The last thing I remember was a nurse saying "When you wake up you'll be a mommy." 

Liam was born at 10:34 am just 40 mins after the call was placed to 911. He weighed 8lbs14oz and measured 21.5 inches long.  I woke up at 11:40 am in extreme pain.  My midwife was there talking me through what happened.  I didn't feel like I just delivered a baby.  Waking up to mommy hood just isn't the same.  All I wanted to know was that my baby was okay.  I needed him and I needed my husband.  Finally they both came in and I got to hold him.  I was so groggy that I don't remember much but I was happy to be near him and to have my husband close by.  

This was not quite the peaceful home birth we had imagined.  Like a nightmare, the whole scene replays in my mind often and the first few days I had anxiety attacks when I thought about what happened.  I've had a really difficult time coming to terms with losing everything I had planned for this birth.  I missed seeing him take his first breath, open his eyes, and hear his first cry.  I missed anxiously waiting to hear what he weighed and being the first person to hold him. I've actually felt like I have grieved all these moments, as they are something you just can't get back. 

As a doula, teaching prenatal classes and attending countless birth we always say "Life is what happens when you're busy making plans." Those words could not more true. I've always thought everything happens for a reason and even though this birth was a virtual disaster I've felt a sense of relief over the anxiety that plagued this pregnancy.  I am eternally grateful to my incredible midwife who caught the impossible and literally saved my sons life.  Coming so close to losing Liam, it seems I have nothing but pure gratitude and love for this sweet baby. Maybe that's why I've gone through this horrible experience?  Maybe it's to help another mom in my doula work?  I'll never know why, but what I do know is that I love this little boy more than anything and if I had to, I'd do it all over again.

Thank you to Belle Photography and Design for
 the gorgeous photos of our little miracle baby!

Personalized Christmas Wreaths

You all know these momstown mama's love to craft! Christmas is fantastic because the ideas and options are endless! This month momstown Edmonton made personalized Christmas wreaths and we had a great time in the process chatting, snuggling a newborn and snacking on yummy dips

I will warn you that this was not the tidiest of crafts, but what great craft is?! The tables and floors were littered with leaves, twigs and glitter but the final product was so worth it! 

Here's a list of supplies to make your own personalized Christmas wreath:

• 18" Vine Wreath 
• Christmas Balls (Anti-Shatter would be the best option, we broke a couple of balls in the process)
• Assorted Ribbon
• Hot Glue Gun
• Christmas Picks
• Tule
• Wooden Letter 
• Red & Green Acrylic Paint
• Mini Styrofoam Christmas Balls

The great thing about this wreath is that they are whimsical but you can go traditional with the colours or have fun with pinks, blues and purples! They took us about 2 hours to make start to finish but we were sharing glue guns and talking too much so I'd say an hour or so would be a good estimate on time.

We used Acrylic Paint to add polka-dots to our letters, instead of buying the pricey circular sponges at the craft store, use the eraser end of a pencil or a crayon way cheaper and work just as well!

We started by gluing our Christmas balls on, then went about  filling in the gaps with the decorations. We put glue all around the neck of the ball and stuck it between the twigs. Tying the ball on is another option, we opted for hot gluing so they didn't move around on us!

Next we added the picks, they are basically a decoration with a wire bendable end. We chose an assortment of colours and  varieties for everyone to choose from. They were fairly big so we tore them into threes to spread them around.

Next we used the tule, ribbon & mini christmas balls to fill it out. We tied the tule onto the vines in the wreath in bows, super simple. I highly recommend sticking with the vine wreaths for this project for this reason, it was really easy to make sure everything stayed put and we didn't have to go to glue crazy because everything stuck in nicely to the wreaths.

All done! I know I know cheesy picture but what can I say? It was fun :)

Christmas Traditions - Random Acts of Kindness

We've always done the traditional chocolate advent calendar every year but this year I wanted to change things up, the last thing my kids need is more chocolate! I want to teach them about kindness, giving back to the community and compassion for other people this Christmas season. We have a list of 25 things we'll do leading up to Christmas to make someones day just a little bit better.

We found these fantastic RACK card templates here as well as some fantastic ideas! Here's a list of the ones we're going to tackle this Christmas season! 

If you have more ideas for us please leave a comment! 

• Pay for someone behind us in a drive-thru
• Plug parking meters downtown
• Leave a gift for our mail carrier
• Grocery shopping for the sole purpose of putting it in the Food Bank box 
• Fill a Good Samaritans Christmas Box
• Tape quarters to vending machines
• Drop off homemade cookies to a firehall with a Thank You note
• Visit the elderly at a retirement home to hand out homemade Christmas cards
• Ring a Salvation Army bell
• Hand a gift card to the person behind us in line at a grocery store
• Shovel snow for our neighbours
• Drop off books to give to patients at the Stollery Childrens Hospital
• Let someone in front of us in line at the bank
• Drop off treats to the school for teachers 
• Hand out Tim Hortons cards at a mall
• Drop off gifts for Santa's Anonymous
• Donate diapers and wipes to The Terra Centre
• Pay for the person behind us at the movie theatre 
• Tape scratch tickets on toilet stall doors
• Bring a gift to the School Bus drivers
• Put a quarter in each candy machine at a toy store
• Give blood
• Drop off a coffee to a busy mom
• Unload groceries and return carts for shoppers
• Hand out hot chocolate at a skating rink
• Leave a gift card tucked between books at a book store
• Drop off treats to a construction crew working outside

Alphabet Play: Handprint Fun!

All month momstown Edmonton has been having fun with the alphabet. Alphabet Play was no exception. The letter “H” was our focus for Alphabet Play, so we made a fun handprint craft—hands in the shape of an H! With a little help from the mamas, the kids traced, cut, and glued their handprints down. Afterwards, the kids used play dough to make the letter H on a laminated sheet. Kids LOVE playing with play dough and this simple activity is a great way to introduce them to letters

Join us next month at Alphabet Play to discover letters with your child!

Family Winter Events in Edmonton!

I know, it's cold. Winter came in with a bang this year, and you might be feeling a little claustrophobic already! Luckily we live in a city where there is always something to do! Edmonton is known for being Festival City and winter is no exception! Check out the listing below of all of the exciting activities available for families during these cold winter months! 

Bundle up the kids then get out there and enjoy your city!

Christmas on the Square Holiday Light up!
When: November 17th, 2012
Take in the sights and sounds of the holiday season at the Downtown Business Association’s Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up.
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square

Jingle On: Santa Claus Parade
When: Sunday December 2nd, 2012
Colourful floats, mascots, marching bands, dancers and others will jingle their way through Commerce Place, Manulife Place, and Edmonton City Centre Malls. The highlight is the arrival of Santa who takes a break from the North Pole for a pre-Christmas visit with all of Edmonton’s good boys and girls.
Where: Commerce Place, Manulife Place & Edmonton City Centre Mall

Festival of Trees
When: November 29-December 2nd, 2012
There are over a hundred magnificently decorated trees and 150 other festive displays. A gingerbread village and uniquely decorated cakes are other attractions.
Where: Shaw Convention Centre - 9797 Jasper Avenue

A Prairie Christmas at Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm
When: December 15, 16, 22 & 23 2012
It's a quieter, gentle time at the farm with fun indoor & outdoor activites for youngsters who still BELIEVE IN SANTA! Theres a indoor snow ball fort, fox & goose trails in the snow, bale maze, and train rides on the Polar Express, free family photos with Santa Claus, shadow puppetry, and Christmas stories with Mrs. C.
Where: 56311 Lily Lake Road, Bon Accord; 25 Km north of Edmonton

Metropolis Winter Festival
When: New Years Day through to Family Day weekend 
Metropolis is a Sir Winston Churchill Square festival of lights, sound and live entertainment for the entire family.
Where: Winston Churchill Square


Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival
When: January 5th & 6th 2012
The Deep Freeze Winter Festival is a free family event that brings together the Ukrainian, Franco-Albertan, Franco-African, First Nations, and South American communities to revel in the magic and beauty of winter. 
Where: Alberta Avenue (118 ave between 91st & 94th Street)

Ice on Whyte
When: January 25th-February 13th 2012
Come outside and play in a park made of ice and see beautiful ice sculptures by internationally renowned artists!
Where: End of Steel Park (Gateway Blvd. and Tommy Banks Way) and Strathcona Community League (10139-87 Ave. NW)

Silver Skate Festival 
When: February 15th-24th 2012
The Silver Skate Festival & Winter Celebration is a blend of arts, culture, recreation and sport in the heart of the city river valley. Check out the AKA Kids for fun activities for the whole family!
Where: Hawrelak Park (9930 Groat Road Northwest) Edmonton