From Yoga Pants to the Workforce...

Tomorrow is the day I've been dreading since my son was born, it's time to go back to work.  I've dreamed up every possible way to stay home and for us unfortunately it's just not an option.  Although I am going to miss my kids and my "old life" I’m desperately trying to stay positive about my “new life”, so here are a few things I’m actually looking forward to!


1) Taking care of myself- I can no longer leave my eyebrows untamed or my hair in the standard ponytail, I must look presentable to the general public this means I will need take more than glance at myself in the mirror.   I’m actually looking forward to showers being necessity rather than an optional luxury.  Now if this post pregnancy weight didn't make these damn pants so tight I might actually like getting dressed up!
2) Adult conversation – I love talking to my kids and other moms but it's nice to have a conversation that doesn't include breastfeeding, dirty diapers and sleep schedules.  This means when someone asks "how are you?" they don't mean "How many hours of sleep did you get between feedings??".  I’m not sure if I know how to have these real conversations anymore but I’m sure I’ll learn.
3) Problem Solving- I am absolutely not an expert on parenting, I’m just flying by the seat of my pants, like the rest of you.  Parenting is about trial and error and I find that as soon as I think I know something about my child she changes making me more confused than ever.  I can’t wait to live in a world where there’s just one solution to a single problem, rather than having 100 possibilities why my child isn’t sleeping, eating, walking, pooping...the list goes on and on.

Although I know returning to work will benefit my family, but I have to remember it may be good for me too.  I’m going to try to remember these things this week, while I hold back my tears, do my hair and put on those pants with a button.

Teddy Bear Picnic with momstown!

On April 1st we pretended it was summer here at momstown Edmonton South! Of course it was too cold to enjoy a real picnic so we laid out our blankets inside! The kids brought their favorite teddy bears to share their lunch with.  There were lots of laughs over our April Fool's joke earlier that day and a ton of food enjoyed by all!

Top 3 tips for Parents Taking Pictures!!

Parenthood, especially early parenthood, is a chaotic, whirlwind time in a person's life, and if you're anything at all like me, you're completely blown away by the speed with which your little one is changing before your very eyes. I find myself moved, daily, by my daughter, who is 21 months...oh my goodness, 22 months old. This morning, she was sitting in her high chair, blond locks all disheveled and big, round hazel-green eyes looking tiredly at me and a little pout on her pillowy little lips. Looking back now, five hours later, I cannot believe I did not snap a photo. Every moment in time is so precious and irreplaceable. So, it makes sense that we want to take photos of our children every single day. We're lucky to live in the digital age, where that's very possible and I encourage everyone to carry a camera everywhere you go! But there are good photos, and there are bad photos, and what good are a million photos if you didn't manage to get any good ones? So, here are some simple tips you can follow to take good and even great photos of your kids! 1. Make sure you camera settings are appropriate to the situation. While just about every camera has an "AUTO" setting, you won't get the best results in every situation. Kids move QUICK. So take a look at your camera - does it have a "Kids" setting? This setting is designed specifically to reduce blur in your subject, by using the fastest possible shutter speed for your lighting situation, and by using it, you'll have far fewer photos of adorable little blurs. 2. Lighting is key in photography, so be mindful of your light. The more light the better, and natural light is always best. I know, we can't take every photo outdoors, but we can still be smart about our lighting. So, to avoid disappointment, DO NOT shoot a photo of your child in front of a window! At best, you'll end up with a silhouette, and at worst, your kidlet will disappear completely. Light shining on the face is ideal! 3. Get up close! When it comes down to it, the situation and the place don't matter - it's those wonderful little expressions that you're going to be treasuring forever. When getting up close, it's better to ACTUALLY get up close, unless you're outside in daylight. Using the zoom on your camera will change the amount of light that can get through the lens, and will increase the length of exposure, which may result in blurry or grainy photos. It's much better to just get closer to your kid - and if you start early, they won't mind so much when you have a camera in their face all the time. Time is precious, especially with little ones, so don't let it get away from you! Take photos often - you'll never regret taking too many, and you will thank yourself later! By Jen Schimanke - Snow Pea Portraits

Message to the mama's - Take the help!

I admit that I am not the first person to ask for help. I've been guilty of saying "No. I'm fine." when I really, really wasn't. When Madilyn was born I was deadset on breastfeeding. I was committed, then my baby starting shrinking. My midwife and I tried everything to try to get my supply up. This meant that Maddi was attached to me constantly and if she wasn't, a pump was. My older daughter was getting extremely frustrated with the whole situation and was acting out constantly. Of course I didn't ask for help. What's worse? I didn't accept the help that was offered. My mom offered to take my 3 year old to Fort McMuray for a week to give me a break. I said no, over and over again. My sister finally convinced me to let her go so that I could focus on getting my sweet baby healthy again. I felt so relieved and wondered why I had put up such a fight to allow someone to help me. I think we all need to remember that "Can I help you?" does not mean "You can't do it" it doesn't mean "You're failing" and it most of all does not mean "You're not a good mother". However, it does mean that I have someone in my life willing to go out of their way to help me. Lucky me. :)

Rules & Filming Dates

APRIL FOOL'S!!

Come on mama's! You know we at momstown love messy children, not to mention yoga pants!! Not even Oprah could take those away from us!

We hope you all have a fantastic day!

Janine & Kristin

Your momstown mama's

March Contest Winner!!

Congratulations to Joanne Mekdara!

She won an adorable personalized dish set from CHILDish!

Thanks to everyone for entering!

Check out this month's contest here!

Stronger than you think - Moms Supporting Moms

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. -Christopher Robin to Pooh

Our vision for momstown is not only playgroups and a helpful message board; but a real community. We know that moms need to feel that they are supported and cared for. In the past few months we've seen moms who are stressed, alone, or affected by postpartum depression. We've had moms who've lost babies, been admitted to hospital or had sick children.

We feel it is our duty as a community to have a support system for situations like these. We've been amazed to see so many of you reach out and support moms who need help. Whether it was a kind word, offer for childcare or help around the house.

We believe this group is full of compassionate, kind and downright incredible women! We know how hard it can be to ask for help, or to talk about difficult situations. We'd like to make sure that if one of our own is struggling they know they have somewhere to turn. We've created a committee of moms who have volunteered to help us with this. The response to our request for volunteers was incredible, it was extremely hard to choose only a few of these amazing & caring women. It was so nice see so many of our moms truly care for eachother and were willing to help.

Janine & Kristin Your momstown mama's

Our Love-ly Breakfast with momstown!

On valentine's day we hosted our Love-ly breakfast with momstown sponsored by Kelloggs!!

My daughter and I spent the afternoon before filling all the gift bags, she was excited to hand them out to all her friends!

Our momstown mama's were so looking foward to this event, they'd been hearing the buzz through twitter and facebook and the day was finally here!We had a selection of cereals for everyone - moms and kids alike enjoyed trying out some cereals that were new to them as well as the old favourites! We also enjoyed fresh fruit, coffee, tea and juice all provided by Kelloggs!

Many of our moms were surprised to hear that some of the cereals they'd been avoiding giving their children were actually very nutritious!

We wrapped up the the day with a valentines day craft and handing out the incredible gift bags! We had more than one mom say, "Is this really ALL for me!?"

What a great way to spend Valentine's Day with our momstown mama's! Thanks Kelloggs!

February Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Stephanie Kanee who won the O'Play card courtesy of Cafe O' Play!

Check out this months contest here!

New February Contest!

This month enter to win an O' Play card courtesy of Cafe O' Play - one of momstown Edmonton's favorite places to visit!! Remember to enter once a day all month long!

January Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Debbie N. who won a 6 month membership to momstown Edmonton South!

Sweet Lil Minis

What could be better this Valentines Day than sending a Valentine that showcases your sweet lil mini?

momstown is pleased to partner with Tangible Moments again for more fabulous Mini Sessions.

Sign up on momstown for a spot at these fun and fabulous sessions now!  Not a member?  No worries, you have two options!  Register for a free trial momstown membership and get in on the action at no additional cost or email us for further registration details.

Winter Wonderland Crowns

We're getting ready to celebrate Hat Day this month at momstown. What better way to get ready for the big day than to make a hat of our very own?

Next week we will be making Winter Wonderland Crowns.

What you need: 

• Paper Plate 
• Scissors or utility knife 
• Embellishments (for us it will be foam snowflakes, mittens, polar bears etc and jewels) 

What to do:

Have an adult take the paper plate and, with an utility knife or scissors, cut the center just like you would a pie, stopping before the outer rim of the plate. Gently fold up the triangle pieces to form a crown. Decorate with embellishments!

 Join us at our crafty playdate to make Winter Wonderland crowns next week. Register for a free trial membership with momstown Edmonton-South

12 Days of Toopy - Winner

Congratulations to the winner of our 12 Days of Toopy Contest!  Kim G. wins a Family Four Pack of tickets to the upcoming January production Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon compliments of Koba Entertainment.

If you weren't our lucky winner you can still enjoy the show!  Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.

Stay tuned for more great contests hosted by momstown!

Happy New Year!

2011 is here already!

A quiet couple of weeks in momstown, where everyone seems to have cozied up in their homes, with their families to enjoy some down time after the holidays.

While I am busy working on calendars and thinking of what is ahead for momstown, I am also thinking fondly about a great year gone by.

Thanks for a great year!  I hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays and look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year!

If you would like to join the fun, register today for a free trial momstown membership.