momstown markham

Are You a Horse?

2011-11-30T04:33:00.001-08:00

Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash (Scholastic-sponsored book of the month)

An entertaining tale about cowboy Roy, whose friends give him a special birthday present a saddle with some very specific instructions - 1. Find a horse, 2. Enjoy the ride!

Roy now has to find a horse... and it's not as easy as it may seem! Here is where the adventure begins as Roy encounters a bunch of animated furry friends and questions them - Are You a Horse?

A great book to introduce kids to details and descriptions, and a great way to introduce them to some wild furry friends. Cute twist at the end had everyone laughing!

Is Time Outs a Waste of Your Time

2011-10-18T20:00:00.001-07:00

momstown is excited to partner again with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, to offer a free live training webinar to our members!

Webinar: (virtual training)

Date: Thursday, October 20th from 2PM -3PM EST

Date: Monday, October 24th from 9PM – 10PM EST
Description:

The session is…Why Time Out is a Waste of Time! Amy promises that we’ll walk away with concrete discipline tools we can use the next day and see results. In fact, you’ll learn one of the all-time “parent favourite” tools for stopping any power struggle in its tracks. You can watch, listen and even interact with our host, Amy. Participants are not required to have a webcam, only a computer with speakers.

You'll love the way this webinar is structured. Amy is right there LIVE, a video image of her is in the upper left corner of your monitor the whole time. As she talks with you, you'll watch her PowerPoint presentation that is packed with valuable information. She'll also stop to answer our questions about difficulties and needs when it comes to getting our kids to listen.

You will also have the option to write in specific questions and she’ll address them, right there for you!

All you have to do is RSVP (sorry due to limited ‘seats’, you MUST register on positive parenting) (http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/momstown) and then kick back and learn the proven strategies to Get Kids to Listen without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling!
Have a friend(s) that are not momstown members that you think could benefit from this training? Please Invite Them Too! Just share this registration link http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/momstown!!
About Amy McCready

Parenting expert Amy McCready is the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, which has empowered thousands of parents worldwide to correct their kids’ misbehavior without nagging, reminding or yelling. Amy is a frequent guest on the TODAY show and has also appeared on Rachael Ray, CNN, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and elsewhere. A regular contributor to the TODAY Mom’s blog, Amy lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and two sons.

Incredible Kids Shows LIVE at the RHCPA!

2011-10-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

Incredible Kids Shows LIVE at the RHCPA!

A special note from Richmond Hill Centre For The Performing Arts :

Hello momstown Markham!

It is with great pleasure and excitement that the Centre gets to connect with YOU, the members, directly. As the title of this post suggests, we really do have an incredible season of LIVE kids shows in store for you and your little ones. Our theatre belongs to the community, so we invite you to take advantage of our world-class performances, right here in your own backyard!

Kicking off our kids show line-up for 2011 is Treehouse TV’s Big and Small – HappyTogether!, stopping by the Centre on Oct. 13, 2011 for 3 shows ~ 10 am, 3:30pm and 6:30 pm. Big and Small is a fast paced and highly interactive show with loveable characters, unforgettable music and toe tapping, knee slappin’ dancing. As a valued member of momstown Markham, the Centre is happy to extend a 15% discount off tickets to Big & Small by quoting promo code: momstown when purchasing tickets over the phone or online. See box office details below.

Next up is children’s entertainment royalty, Sharon and Bram, here at the RHCPA on Oct. 23 for 2 shows ~ 11 am and 2 pm. As members of the trio Sharon, Lois and Bram, they toured North America, producing countless albums and starring in two TV programs, The Elephant Show and Skinnamarink TV. A Sharon and Bram show is a one-hour sing-along concert for the entire family, featuring such well-loved favorites as She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain, Five Little Monkeys, One Elephant, and of course, Skinnamarink.

The new musical, Henry & Mudge, based on the best selling books by Cynthia Rylant, visits us on Nov. 26 ~ 11 am. Henry discovers that having a pet (Mudge) is a big responsibility, they need to be fed, they need to be taken out for walks, and of course, they need lots of love and playtime. Produced by TheatreworksUSA, this new musical tells an inspiring tale about true friendship.

And, this is just the tip of the iceberg! In 2012, we return with Clifford on February 6, Jason and the Argonauts on February 18, and Richard Scarry’s Busytown on March 3; not to mention all the shows we have for grown-ups this year:

Ben Vereen ~ Oct. 20, 2011
Steven Page ~ Nov. 4, 2011
Mark Twain Tonight ~ Nov. 22, 2011
Classic Albums Live – Led Zepplin IV ~ Feb. 10, 2012
Frankie Avalon ~ Mar. 10, 2012
Sheena Easton ~ May 3, 2012

And so much more…

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call our box office at 905-787-8811 or visit www.rhcentre.ca. Keep your eyes peeled here throughout the year for various ticket contests.

See you at the show!

Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts

momstown, cheers to another fabulous year!

2011-07-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ladies, dust off those dancing shoes 'cause momstown is celebrating! The community is four years young this August (can you believe it!), and you all have full access to the hottest ticket in town.

We're kicking things off on August 10 with our National Twitter party - follow us here: #momstownbd4, following that on August 18 will be the National Facebook party and all month long 15 chapters will be celebrating. momstown Markham's soiree will be held on August 31 at Longo's Boxgrove from 12:30-3:30, this is a public event, if you would like more info or to attend email me at info.markham@momstown.ca

The party buzz is growing; we've got an A-list of fabulous sponsors participating including Presidents Choice, Little Tikes, Clorox, Greenworks, Maple Leaf Foods, Life Choices Foods, Smashbox Cosmetics, CBCkids and more so stay tuned...

The venues are booked, the cupcakes are ordered, the swag bags filled, raffle prizes wrapped and the word is out - momstown is four years strong and this will be a par-tay you won't want to miss!

Wordless Wednesday - Summertime Twist, Guinness and Black please!

2011-07-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Have Baby? Will Travel!

2011-07-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

The idea of jet setting with the baby came from my retiree mother who thought well, since we all have the time, why not. It did not take much convincing on my part, I was all over it.
My first thought – traveling with a baby will be interesting. As a first time mother I knew I had some research to do. After soliciting ideas from the momstown message board and a few Google searches I managed to pull together a pretty hefty packing list for my little one.

Now that we’ve returned, I thought I would share what I found to be useful while traveling with a 6 month old and what turned out to be excess pounds in my suitcase.

First the useful stuff:
A good quality umbrella stroller, I heard mixed reviews on this one in my pre vacation research, some people said go cheap, I totally disagree, we spent a bit more for options like a generous sun canopy and nearly flat recline and our baby was a happy little camper on our outings and around the resort.

Infant carrier and wrap - rated very high on my list and turned out to be my saving grace, when fussy time struck into the wrap she went, here my daughter felt safe and secure and I was able to continue my evening festivities knowing that she was OK. On excursions the baby carrier which is more structured came in very handy.

A variety of toys on teethers – this one speaks for itself, to keep baby entertained and your piece of mind that their entertainment won’t constantly be hitting the ground.

Portable fan, battery operated (and extra batteries) – great last minute buy for $10 it was heaven sent for keeping baby cool in the hot, sticky weather and played double duty by blowing away annoying flying insects. It was mainly clipped to the stroller.

Portable high chair - made meal time so much easier, she had just started solids

And for the items that didn’t make it out of the suitcase:

Baby monitor – my intentions were good on this one but the reality was we all turned in early. A useful tool for the cottage or overnight family visits however.

Bumbo – don’t ask I honestly thought it was a good idea.

Beach Towel – just use the resorts towels, and you can exchange for a clean one whenever necessary.
Way too much baby clothes - the reality is you won’t use them all and you will reuse items because you can. I averaged 3 outfits per day, reality I only needed 2.

Hope this overview on baby travel tips helps, if you have anything to add I’d love to hear them!

wordless Wednesday - every colour has its place

2011-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Fisher Price - Luv U Zoo Musical Activity Gym

2011-06-23T12:47:00.001-07:00

With a busy little girl around, this activity mat could not have come at a better time. The Fisher Price Luv U Zoo Musical Activity Mat has become a welcome addition in our home as a new way to keep our baby girl entertained.

We were thrilled to be selected to try out the activity centre. As soon as it arrived I threw it together - easy peasy, and Emani was more than willing to give it a trial run. At 6 months old she's a ball of energy and full of curiosity, I find that she also looses interest in things very quickly. To my delight and hers she was squealing with glee while playing under her new activity centre. I was overjoyed and was actually able to prepare dinner before she started to fuss, in our world that's a victory!

The Luv U Zoo Musical Activity Mat is definitely a keeper. It has made it into the rotation of our daily routine. The colours are vibrant, the toys are interactive and the music is pleasant and at a good volume (I don't like it when it's too loud). When it comes to stimulating the senses and a well designed product Fisher Price has got it right in this one.

Fisher Price - Luv U Zoo Bouncer - Traveling Entertainment

2011-06-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from a family vacation to Lucea, Jamaica. Our trip was one for the books, good times were had all the way round for all. As my first time traveling with a baby I’m happy to report that I would do it again!

Preparing for the trip was definitely the hardest part of my journey, not knowing what, and how much of anything to bring, not to mention staying within our travel weight restrictions. After much research and reaching out to the awesome moms in our momstown community I compiled a packing list and was energized to get started. I knew that I wanted to bring some sort of seat for my daughter. Somewhere where she could sit for a few minutes, relax on the beach and even take a nap.

I chose to bring our Luv U Zoo Bouncer from Fisher Price. What a handy, compact and versatile tool this turned out to be. It was small enough to fold down into our suitcase, it didn’t take up much room at all, soothing as it features a vibration setting, interactive with a built in mobile that plays music and lightweight. It turned out to be a fabulous resource. When our hands were full in the room, we would place our little one down and she would busy herself so we could get ready. When heading out we found we already had too many things to bring so we decided to leave it behind, but that turned out to be OK because upon returning she was happy to sit in it once again.

Considering all the resources I packed to help make our trip a little more enjoyable and easier, the Luv U Zoo Bouncer was a great choice. Now we tote it around with us on extended visits like to grandma and grandpa's. My daughter loves it and so do my husband and I for its versatility and portability.

Body Works - Rejuvenating Pick-me-ups

2011-05-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of spa treatments. The pampering is nice and I try to go when I can, but I just don't have the time to go as regularly as before I had my baby, became a mompreneur, life, and everything else.

It's starting to get warmer out (though we've had some rainy days here lately) and that means the winter boots are coming off and the strappy sandals and flip flops are coming out! One problem. Most of us have been neglecting our feet all winter and they probably don't look so hot...

I have some simple suggestions for things you can do at home in between treatments to get your feet and other parts in better summertime shape!

Here are a few tried, tested and true recipes, that use simple ingredients that can be found in most kitchens. A few minutes is all you need for one of these pick me up remedies.

Natural Body Softeners

Cider vinegar is made from fermented apple juice and is a rich source of potassium, sodium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium. Add a cupful to your bath water to soften skin and help restore its natural acid balance.
Use this recipe twice daily on dry elbows, and ankles - you will notice a difference within a week. 3 tbsp olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and 1 tbsp honey combine in a sterilized jar and shake well. Massage into the dry areas for 2 minutes, rinse off, pat dry and moisturize.

Hand Treats

Before gardening or dishes, smooth on this hand lotion and leave to work under your gloves. Mix 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp honey, optional 1 drop geranium essential oil.
To remove dead skin from your hands, blend some granulated sugar with a little oil (vegetable, olive) and rub in well, rinse then moisturize.

Feet Soothers

Soak your feet in a tub of warm water with 3tbsp of baking soda. After you're done soaking, smooth away calluses with a pumice stone or pedicure foot file.
To treat swollen, tired feet and ankles soak feet in warm water with a few handfuls of epsom salts, and a drop of lavender essential oil, soak for 20 minutes and pat dry.

Cheers to the Green Smoothie

2011-04-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

With everything I have going on these days - my new business venture, mother to a 5 month old, wife and friend, staying on top of my health is a given. I've always been known to indulge - hey you only live once, but one thing that I do do is eat or rather drink my vegetables, in the form of a green smoothie. Seriously this stuff is what keeps me going. As defined in Wikipedia Green Smoothies are health shakes or smoothies, made by blending green leafy vegetables, such as spinach with fruit, some of which may be frozen, and water or ice. To balance flavor and nutrition the typical ratio in a green smoothie is about 60% fruit to 40% leafy greens. In my opinion it's life in a glass! Try it and you'll be hooked, literally it's known that once you start drinking these smoothies your body starts to crave the wholesome goodness. Here is a link to a few good recipes , and here are a few tips that I find helpful:

- be flexible, the first time I made these I followed recipes, now I just wing it, do what sounds good and it probably will be, if not drink it anyway, waste not, want not and learn for next time
- use ripe fruit bananas, pears, mangos etc. makes your smoothie so much tastier
- use organic fruit and vegetables, just because!
- a Vitamix blender is a great investment, if you can afford one, if not, go for a high speed blender preferably with an ice crushing setting and add a bit more water, you want to puree your greens as fine as possible

Here is a pic from my latest batch - dandelion, parsley, pineapple, honey dates, banana and apple, I make a bunch at a time and freeze them in glass mason jars for convenience.

The benefits of green smoothies are endless, they are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, great for digestion, regularity, and a super easy way to get in your 7-8 daily servings of fruits and veggies, to name a few. As Martha would say "it's a good thing" enjoy!

Hello from your new momstown Markham mama!

2011-04-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

A quick hello to all of the neighborhood moms, I’m the new girl in town and I’d like to introduce myself. I’m so elated by the opportunity to be here with you, I’m even more enthused that you are here with me!

A snippet about me, I am an entrepreneur and a new mom, life right now is kinda chaotic, but I am determined to find the balance to make this dream come true. I’m confidant my positive nature, resourcefulness and charm will see me through ;)

I am passionate about the things that interest me most, family, health, environment, education and community. A total hippie at heart, my profession(s), both planned and accidental includes marketing and event management formally, and informally crafting natural health and beauty products, floral design and culinary arts.

I’m so looking forward to discovering all that this relationship has to offer, both to you and me.

You are also welcome to join me at any of the following resources, I’d be more than happy to hear from you!

Twitter: momstownmarkham

Facebook: momstown York Region

Email: info.markham@momstown.ca

Talk soon,

Natasha

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."(unknown)

Exciting changes at momstown Markham

2011-04-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

As I said my good-byes to the moms that made it out to my farewell playgroup and luau it is a bitter sweet time for me. I have made great friends with momstown Markham and I will truely miss you and your children. I will still be running momstown Georgina where I live. I hope you will follow my blog and see what we are up to as well. I will pop by from time to time just to say hi so don't be surprised when you see me again. As you know the drive and the distance between where I live and the events in Markham became a struggle for me after I got sick so I decided to sell momstown Markham to someone that could take you to a level that I couldn't being so far away.

WELCOME NATASHA!!!!

Natasha is the new owner of momstown Markham and is also a local resident of Markham. Natasha and her beautiful baby girl are excited to meet all of you and I hope you will be attending some of the momstown Markham events this month to give them the warm welcome they deserve. Her background in event planning along with the educational curriculum from momstown.ca are sure to take this great chapter to new heights.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for making my stay in Markham such a welcome one.

Take care Everyone!!!.... Kim

Easter Fun in Markham

2011-04-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

momstown moms are already talking about Easter plans and how we're going to celebrate. Our educational curriculum for the month of April is Flowers - so let's hope those crocuses and tulips start to raise their little heads in our gardens soon!

April 19th momstown Markham will gather for our weekly Play, Chat & Create playgroup and explore the Easter theme.

momstown also features Easter crafts perfect for your toddler or preschooler to create at home with you. Visit our arts and crafts blog to find pictures and instructions for these ideas and more!!

Fuzzy Baby Chicks in Egg Carton Shell
Cotton Ball Bunnies
"Stained Glass" Egg window hanging
Old Fashioned Egg Painting
Easter Egg Mosaic
101 Uses for Plastic Eggs

Looking for some more local Easter fun?

Easter Egg-citement at the Varley - crafts and an Easter Egg Hunt at the Varley Art Gallery on April 17, 2011

Meet the Easter Bunny on Main Street Markham on April 23, 2011

Easter Family Fun Fair at Markville Secondary School on Sunday, April 24, 2011

It's officially SPRING!!!!`

2011-03-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Finally we can say SPRING has SPRUNG!!! Time to get outdoors and chase away all the winter blahs!

I've heard the first signs of spring sitting in my office with the Canadian geese that make the back parking lot their summer home! And pretty soon I expect to see a Robin or too looking for their next tasty meal.

Have you seen any flowers poking through the grass? Maybe a daffodil, crocus or tulip trying to brighten your day?

And what better way to welcome the spring than to come out to a momstown Markham event!

Be sure to check back often as new events are always being posted!

Stay tuned and let's BRING ON THE SPRING!!

Pancake Tuesday

2011-03-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

It's here its time and young or old we all love it.. PANCAKES!!! I didn't realize when I woke up this am that it was pancake Tuesday once again but how could I ignore the fact it was? I logged onto facebook to see what the cyber world was up to and there it was.. momstown Barrie, talking about pancakes. So I decided I was making pancakes for dinner. It got me wondering do I really know the true meaning behind what pancake Tuesday is? So here is what wikipedia told me..

In Canada,[20] the United Kingdom,[21] Ireland,[22] New Zealand, and Australia,[23] pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, which is also known as "Pancake Day" and, particularly in Ireland, as "Pancake Tuesday". (Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France and other countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.) Historically, pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday so that the last of the fatty and rich foods could be used up before Lent.

So off I went to the kitchen to make some yummy, fatty pancakes and to go with what?... bacon of course. Ok so I tossed in some fruit of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. While I was making dinner the kids were drawing me pictures and Alexandria drew a picture of me cooking pancakes. I asked her what she did at school and she told me she ate pancakes.. who knew? Guess she was having pancakes for lunch and dinner but she wasn't complaining. Now of course I can no longer eat milk, eggs or gluten but I wasn't being left out of this one so I had my very own special pancakes that where gluten free, wheat, milk & egg free. Actually they were pretty good to my surprise. There were no buttermilk pancake with chocolate chips like the kids were eating but I got to join in to.

Why are these nights so exciting for us? Is it the actual eating of those fatty foods, not really, ok so its part of it cause who doesn't like pancakes? For me and most moms its about what its always about, the looks on our families faces, those smiles that reach from ear to ear. The excitement that mom is really letting me eat this without brussel sprouts or asparagus just dig in and enjoy. Funny thing is my kids reached for the fruit to go with those chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup.

check this out for more great recipes from momstown meals

and don't forget to sign up for our Maple Syrup trip to Bruce's Mill..... its coming up soon!

Join Our Valentine's Party

2011-02-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

Have you signed up for our Valentine's Party? You won't want to miss it and there is still time...

Baby it's cold out there TAKE 2!!

2011-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

BRRRRRRR!!!!!

What is it with Monday mornings and the freezing cold?!? As if Mondays aren't already my least favorite day of the week since going back to work....it means not seeing my girls for hours and not participating in all the weekly momstown events that I absolutely loved to be a part of. And then Jack Frost had to make it oh SO COLD!! Don't get me wrong, I love winter, I'm just not too thrilled about the morning rush with all the winter extras that make driving oh so fun! Oh to be a stay at home mom again!

The weather girl this morning said we're in for a real blast of winter this week. Today the cold and by tomorrow a lot more snow. If you haven't heard the forecast, 30 cms is on its way. We've had lots of snow this winter, just not all at once. The hubby hasn't even had a chance to break out the snowblower, although I think this week he might get his chance. He will be in heaven!!! But for me, Wednesday will be a day I wish I was still a stay at home mom.

For all you lucky momstown Markham ladies, check out the calendar for events this week. A perfect start to February!! And if you're not already a member, come join us!! It's a great place to be! Hope to see you soon!

Family Literacy Day - January 27, 2011

2011-01-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

Today is Family Literacy Day in Canada! Family Literacy Day celebrates adults and children learning together. This special day encourages families to spend at least 15 minutes a day enjoying and participating in a learning activity.

Growing up, books were a big part of my life! My love of reading definitely came from my Dad. He always seemed to have a book on the go....from a western novel (his favourite), to any available magazine, map books....you name it, he read it!! I, pre-kids, always had a book on the go too and I could easily read through 2-3 books in a good week. With 2 girls now, it's more likely to be the latest Disney Princess story or maybe Pinkalicious!

The theme for Family Literacy Day 2011 is 'Play for Literacy'.

Anything you do as a family gives you a chance to learn from your children and your children to learn from you. Literacy is much more than reading, writing and math - literacy can be about play too!

Playing games together as a family is not only fun, it will help to create a strong family bond.

Some suggestions for your family's time together:

Have a family game night
Play fun games like Simon Says
Follow a recipe together and bake some cookies
Sing songs
Play cards
Read a book together and then watch the movie

Everyone will enjoy the time spent together, make great childhood memories and build on everyone's literacy skills.

How will you spend this special day with your kids?

Visit momstown.ca for more great Family Literacy Day ideas.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday despite all the cold and flu that was going around... YUK! I say this every year but I can't believe another year is behind us. What does 2011 bring for us? TONS of fun and surprises!!! You won't want to miss out and if you are not a member yet what are you waiting for? Sign up for your free two week trial and join us at our many fun filled events, that are not just for the kids! (put the kids to bed and sign up for some evening fun nights out too). momstown.ca has been working hard on some amazing new ideas for our momstown wide ciriculum and I can't wait to share it with you. If you think we were having fun in 2010 just wait.. I am just getting warmed up :-)

Be sure to follow our blogs, facebook fan page and twitter, you just never know when you may win great prizes just for doing so, you don't even have to be a member for that, after you follow us for awhile you'll want to open the door a little wider and see what's happening.

Remember members to log in daily and check the message board, just a little taste of what we say and do appears on facebook and twitter ;-)

Feel free to email me anytime if you have questions, concerns or comments.

Merry Christmas from momstown Markham

2010-12-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

& a healthy, happy & safe holiday from momstown Markham

We've had so much fun leading up to this special day! Just a few of the events were our cookie exhange, mama Christmas dinner out, kids Christmas party and we even had a float in the Markham parade. (of course we had lots of other winter events and Christmas crafts to).

momstown Markham placed first place at the Markham parade with our Christmas campfire theme and we are pretty excited about that.

I am looking forward to seeing lots of moms and kiddies out in 2011!!

Halloween Fun

2010-11-15T11:06:00.001-08:00

Hard to believe that once again Halloween has come and gone and we are now getting ready for Christmas, and in my case moving to a new home. This Halloween was extra special for me, aside from all the great things we did with momstown. We had our annual Halloween party hosted at playgroup, pumpkin painting, pumpkin patch fun and of course we had lots of treats! For my family it was also the first time we went trick or treating in town. Living on a small hobby farm we have never had kids to our house and never gone out, we often would drive to Grandma and Grandpa's where the kids got some special treats, a chance to dress up and give out candy to the kids that came to the door.

Lionel's Petting Zoo

2010-10-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

As a family of animal lovers we couldn't have chosen a better place for our daughter's 3rd Birthday party. Lionel's Farm and Petting Zoo in Stouffville, provides a venue with a difference, with a relaxed atmosphere.

We were already planning to have the Birthday party there and were delighted to be the winners of the Momstown Anniversary party draw, where Lionel's kindly donated a gift certificate.

Due to some scheduling conflicts, our party had to be held at dinner time. We started the celebration, with Family and Friends feeding the wide selection of animals in the petting zoo. These included, Deer, Llama and Donkey's to name a few. We then gathered around the picnic tables for pizza and the require Birthday Cake, before the gang were let loose on the barn.
There is a large selection of play equipment including a climbing wall, slide and tire swing. The floor is covered with sawdust for those inevitable tumbles.
After the free play came the highlight of the party, the Pony Rides. These continued for a whole hour and Children from 11 years to 6 months all enjoyed the ride!
Throughout the Party, Mark from Lionel's was attentive and receptive to our needs. We all had a great time and I would recommend it to everyone! Thanks to Momstown and of course to Lionel's!

A Heart Felt Good-Bye

2010-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

12 years ago I arrived at the barn with my new friend Elvis. He was skinny and skittish and everyone thought I was crazy but I saw something special in him.. he needed me and I needed him. Elvis and I moved on to various barns over the next 6 years. No matter where he was boarding I tried to get to the barn as often as possible, sometimes 6 days a week. It didn't matter the weather or if I was tired or even if it meant missing a party or a date I wanted to go to the barn to see my pal. Elvis and I had formed a very special bond, I had been told that a horse and rider form a bond like no other but until you've experienced that you can't understand it. Its a friendship that is hard to break and a trust that is mutual with some horse and riders it seems to go one step further, Elvis for me, was that horse. I remember telling my dad he didn't need a lead rope he would follow me when I cooled him out after a ride. I would walk him around the arena and he would put his nose to my back and follow me until I stopped. My dad tried to distract him by waving hay as he walked by. Elvis wouldn't stop he would continue as long as I did, after all we had become best friends and he trusted me.

I rode my horse for fun, I never competed, yet I still had that love for my horse that only a horse and rider have, after a bad day he could always make me smile, he listened to me, he never judged me and he even helped me make some tough decisions in life. When I was riding him he knew if I has happy or sad and he two would adjust to that. I learned to ride on him and he helped me along the way making sure I was safe. If I fell off him he would stand by me almost like he was protecting me, never running away from me.

Then one day I met my now husband and life was about to change for me and Elvis. We decided to move to the country for one reason and one reason only .. so we could have Elvis in our backyard. My husband realized early on that when he dated me he dated my horse to, we could not go out unless I had spent time with Elvis first. Elvis became a part of us and we spent many date nights in a cold barn so I could go for a ride before we went to dinner. So I guess my husband figured if he ever wanted to spend time with me then instead of going to the barn we should move Elvis to us.. and we did. Elvis was in my backyard and I was so excited.. I could see him whenever I wanted to. My best friend was "home". I would poke my head out in the mornings and Elvis would look up and call to me, I was happy! Elvis is even in our wedding pictures...lol

I got pregnant with our daughter in 2005 and with that I also got very sick, my daughter was born in 2006 and then in 2008 my son was born. A very important part of our lives was going to the paddock to feed the horses, all of us. Whenever the opportunity was there I would go to spend time with my best friend. As time went on my asthma become more and more of a problem and we knew it was time to sell our country escape, I was ok with that but I worried about Elvis. Part of me wanted to just forget about my asthma and stay here for as long as we could.. I knew it would affect my children with mommy always sick.. so we sold our house to. The reality set in of moving on without Elvis, I was shocked at how hard this was. I was always a tough person all of a sudden turned to mush. I had dogs and cats in the past that were no longer here so I didn't think I would be affected to the degree I was about Elvis leaving. As the day neared closer and he was leaving I become to regret my decision and would turn to my husband for the reassurance I needed.

The day arrived... as my husband and kids had breakfast I quietly went down to the paddock. I told Elvis I loved him and I shed a few tears thinking about what life would be like without my best friend. How would I get over those nights I needed someone to talk to? Elvis was always there, and who else would nudge me and give ma a fuzzy soft horse hug when I needed it? I found happiness in knowing that he was going to my husbands Uncle's farm and the family would love Elvis and invited us to come visit. Although it would never be the same it was better than not seeing him at all and I was grateful for this gift. The morning went by very fast as my husband, two children and myself spent it spoiling Elvis for one last time. His morning consisted of apples, stud muffins (molasses cookies), carrots, a warm shower while grazing on the grass and lots of kisses. Then we saw the trailer come up the drive way and my heart sunk, I knew it was time. After a short visit and some lunch it was time to load Elvis. As everyone was chatting I went down to the paddock, Leslie and Dana helped me with the kids and the gate and then I walked Elvis out of the paddock for the last time across the front yard and right up into the trailer without even a hesitation. Elvis knew it was time and that we had said good-bye, It was hard for both of us. He put his head on my shoulder, like he had always done, and nudged me. I kissed his nose and after a few pictures the doors closed. Down the drive way he went and I was filled with sadness.

My days of riding have come to an end. I look at my daughter and I smile as she to has that same love for horses, the one that just doesn't go away. I think one day she will ride to probably even better then her mom did. She talks about riding all the time and I hope one day she finds her Elvis and finds the happiness that I did, I consider myself lucky to have found Elvis

As I look out the window at the empty paddock it brings me to tears, I miss my bestfriend and wish he were here for the rest of his years. The only words that come to mind are "Elvis has left the building." I posted those words on my facebook page, within minutes the momstown mamas were already posting their support. So from the bottom of my heart, Elvis, myself and my family thank-you!! Now its time to wipe away my tears and start planning more fun events for us. Thank-you for understanding and I will post from time to time Elvis updates here for all of us to follow

Update Oct 13th from Uncle Don: "Elvis arrived at the farm at 5:00 this evening without incident, albeit a wee bit wobbly from the unaccustomed journey. He is in a stall for his first night. "

Thanksgiving Fun

2010-10-13T15:51:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!! We had lots of fun at our Thanksgiving playgroup. Our weekly playgroup is always so much fun but sign up early so we know how many people are going to be there. The bigger the crowd the bigger the craft..lol

Milliken Children's Festival

2010-09-20T14:47:00.001-07:00

momstown was at the Milliken Children’s Festival again this year, it was amazing! There was so much for the kids to do, lots of vendors, great food and fantastic weather!

It was great to meet all the moms of Markham, we even had momstown members stop by the booth to say hello!

At the booth the moms and kids stopped by to fish for ducks in our pond to win a sucker, I am happy to report we only had 2 kids join the ducks for a swim in the pond. They laughed it off and dried quickly.

Everyone I spoke with today is very excited about all the things momstown has to offer! So I hope to see some new faces joining the fun very soon!

I’m already looking forward to next year’s festival and hope that some momstown moms will come and join us at the booth to spread the momstown word; it was such a great day!

posted by: Amanda McKenzie

Pinkalicious Playgroup

2010-08-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Almost every night our daughter asks us to read her favourite story, "Pinkalicious, of course!"

Last Spring we took her to the live performance Pinkalicious and we didn't think she'd watch the entire show but we would just sneak her out early if we had to. When we arrived the only thing she asked for was a Pinkalicious cupcake, so of course we bought her an over priced cupcake that was worth every penny for the smile it brought her. We went in to watch the show and to our surprise she didn't take her eyes off the stage the entire time except to bring something to our attention. "Did you see that?" she would turn to me every once in awhile through the show, it was so worth the cost of admission and I would go back in a minute to see that look on my daughters face again. After the show I had my husband take her and get everyones autograph while I went Pinkalicious shopping. I bought her a t-shirt and a music CD. She came running back full of excitement showing me her well loved Pinkalicious book with all the signatures.

Oh and she wanted another pink cupcake, yes I bought her one. This was her special day with mom and dad, little brother was home with grandma & grandpa and it was her first time out with us since he was born a year and a half ago.

We went to Boston Pizza for lunch and she kept telling me that I needed to check the restaurant cause she was sure that Pinkalicous and Peter where there having lunch with their parents. She had such excitement and such a glow that day I don't think I'll ever forget it. After lunch we went home where we made homemade pink cupcakes for everyone to have with dinner.

So I got to thinking, I bet every little girl goes crazy for Pinkalicious and decided to do a pinkalicous playgroup. So of course there were pink cupcakes for all, everyone dressed in pink, even the story Pinkalicious was read and everyone had tons of fun. Stay tuned soon we will be having a purplicious playgroup and maybe even a goldilicious.

Check out momstown meals for some other sweet treats.

Prince and Princess Party

2010-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

Girls and boys dressed in their prince and princess best anxious to see our special guest. The construction was loud and dusty but that didn't stop our 1st annual prince and princess party. We moved inside and read stories until it was quiet outside and we could go out and play a few games and even play with the parachute. We had such a great time at our prince & princess party.

It was a special day for everyone who attended, the smiles say it all. We had a tea party, story time parachute play, games and more. Most of all a day everyone will remember for awhile. Thank-you Parties and More & The Rhenish Church of Canada for sponsoring this event for us.

Check out the July issue of SNAPMarkham for more pictures of our great day!

Kindermusik Fun

2010-06-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time with Angelica from Kindedrmusik. She joined us at our Tuesday playgroup and we sang songs, played with musical instruments, parachute play, baby message and more. I think the childrens favourtie by far was when Angelica pulled out her guitar and the children sang songs with her... it was such a joy to watch!!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well I am a little late for my Father's Day wishes today but I had good reasons. I didn't want to give away the secrets of our special father's day presents in case we had some dads visiting our blog today. We had great playgroups in both Markham and Georgina where we made hand print ceramic mugs. It wasn't easy with all our little ones getting covered in paint and trying to keep their little hands still as we put the print on dads mug. Boy was it worth if for the finished result, and those little smiling faces, not to mention moms had fun doing it. Best of all we can put them in the dishwasher..LOL

A special thank-you to Julie and her helper from Colour me mine who made this day possible and affordable!

Tea Time

2010-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

What a great idea!! One of the momstown Markham members asked about doing a high tea for a few moms on a Sunday afternoon.. no kids, no husbands, just moms, hats, scones and laughs. It sounded like so much fun I was a little disappointed when I couldn't be there due to a previous engagement (I was riding the big bike for heart & stroke). I had them promoise they would fill me in on the details and send pictures. Here is a look at how dazzling our moms looked at their high tea They put on their pretty hats, the table was set with the best china, scones and petit fours were served with their tea... don't they look great?

Check out what the Burlington momstown moms were up to.

Coffee with Kim

2010-05-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Have you met Kim, your momstown Markham mama? Would you like to offer me some ideas or opinions? Want to just come out and have coffee? Please join me once a month for coffee with Kim. This is just a fun way for me to give you the opportunity to chat with me one on one and just have fun mom to mom.

Thank-you to the moms that came out to our last coffee with Kim. Be sure to check the June calendar for the next coffee with Kim and sign up to join us for a few laughs :-)

A momstown Mother's Day in Markham

2010-05-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I wanted to give our momstown moms a special momstown Mother's Day, we are momstown afterall. I went to a little extra work and we had a Mother's Day pancake brunch!! I made over 300 pancakes (well me and my husband Chris..LOL) between the two brunches, one in Markham and one in Georgina. Ya know what? It was worth every minute! Moms always put the kids, husbands often even the house pets before themselves. I could not afford to take all the moms to the spa, although I would have liked to, I wanted to give them a special day. So we had pancakes with real maple syrup, fruit and cookies, the kids made special mother's day crafts and it was a huge success. For my my mother's day present that day, the smiles from both kids and moms, I receive so many thank-you's both on the message board and by email... it was a great day!
Here is a little video from our day:

Visiting Jacqueline and Jeff on Daytime - York Region

2010-05-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

I was so excited that we were invited back once again to Daytime TV with hosts Jacqueline Betterton and Jeff Moore, they are awesome! They are so much fun and so nice, now if only we could get them to come to one of our events...LOL.

(March 24th photo)

After being there on Wednesday March 24th I was really surprised we were invited back for Friday April 30th but truly excited. This time I brought a few moms and kids with me to play some parachute games. A big thank-you to the moms that joined me and sat in the green room with their little ones waiting for our 10minutes of fame.... but wasn't it worth it?

(Don't have the link for the segment yet but will post it as soon as I do)

So now for the interesting part, this time was taped outdoors and boy what a difference from inside. They start the interview and I am all set and ready and then all of a sudden there is a camera at the end of my nose, I am not kidding you! I had to bite my tongue to keep from bursting out into sudden laughter. I tried to continue pretending that I can't hear the guy behind the camera breathing cause he's so close but let me tell you it was not easy! So we start the interview and yikes I don't know where to look. So I am looking at whoever is talking but I feel like I am in there space. Have to admit once I got used to it this camera guy at the end of my nose it was kind of nice to be outside for the interview. Afterwards I spoke to the man behind that camera and said, "ok that was different." he laughed and explained it was a wide angled lens and so they have to zoom right in for the conversations. Well it was for sure an experience and although I didn't get to say all that I wanted cause I was totally thrown off by this extreme close up I hope that once again this will help to spread the word that we are all about moms connecting and having fun. We are just getting ready for an exciting summer of parachute and bubbles, Picasso's in the park, pudding painting, gardening, anniversary parties, park play, splash pad, backyard BBQ's and soooooo much more!

Here are some pics in the green room waiting for our turn as patiently as a 3 or 4 year old can.

Ring around the rosie was fun but I guess a little on the loud side, all of a sudden there were people running from everywhere as our children could be heard on the live set...oopsy.

Thank-you Jacqueline & Jeff and if you want to go for another ride on a parachute... give us a call we'll be there!!

Markham mom2mom Sale

2010-04-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at the mom2mom sale! A special thank-you to the momstown moms that stopped by to visit, we even had two moms from momstown Burlington stop by... way to go ladies!!

We set up a craft corner that the kids loved even the princesses from Parties and More enjoyed our craft table.

I also wanted to say a special Thank-you to Christine from Sprouts for Kids. Some of our moms have been taking her baby sign class, one of the many services she offers. Christine did a presentation during our Tuesday playgroup. She wowed the moms with what she does best... relate to kids and babes and make them smile.

Easter Fun

2010-04-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

We had so much fun at our Easter Egg hunt during our weekly playgroup. We had treats, circle time, stories, arts & crafts, prizes and of course chocolate eggs!

The Easter Egg Hunt!

Want to know what we're doing this week at playgroup? Join today to find out!

mama needs a break!

2010-03-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Working moms you asked and I listened!!

You wanted more evening events so you could get out with your momstown friends more often and you've been having a lot of fun with all the new changes! Our monthly movie club, supperworks ladies night, special guest seminars, Longo's Loft mommy escape, scrapbooking, hosted events like game night, card night, fondue night, special guest speakers like Nanny Robina, Chats with Dr. Debbie Smrz, ND and so much more!!
Your smiles say it all... momstown Markham moms are connecting and having fun!!

(and summer fun has not even started yet!).

Want to join us for dinner next month?

Sign up today and join us for our Easter Egg Hunt... chocolate eggs and fun bunny crafts hopping to our playgroup this month.

Weekly Playgroup.. have you been yet?

2010-02-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

some fun with moms.....

kids and
babes ....

I started our weekly playgroup in October 2009 and what a great success is has been. We've had a Halloween party, prince & princess party , Christmas party and tomorrow is our Valentine party. Coming up is our Easter Egg hunt and our PJ party not to mention our Hawaiian Lauai and quarterly Birthday Bash. Every month a different party and inbetween lots of fun has been had by all. The pot lucks that we add on to some of the parties from time to time are sooo yummy.

If its not a party week don't worry we still have circle time, arts & crafts and sometimes even the parachute and air cube will make an appearance for some added fun. Most of all moms get to connect with other moms while the children are having a great time. Often, you will even get the answers to a lot of your mommy questions.
Hope to see you soon!

Get out of the cold... join us for some warm fun

2010-01-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

I want to know who ordered this freezing cold weather when its minus 30 you can't really do a lot with the kids outside now can you? Not to mention I don't even want to go out there. When you sniffle and your nose feels like it just dropped off, when you hear the sound of the snow going crunch, crunch under your feet, this means its too cold to go outside. I'll be honest I am not a big fan of turning into an ice cube everytime I go outside, this is just wrong! I used to ski and I do enjoy a nice winters day but minus 30 is just not fun, especially with kids. Do you know when I was trying to get my kids in the car seats the other day my legs got so cold while buckling them up that at some point I couldn't even feel them anymore. ...no good! I told my daughter I don't think Santa went to the North Pole after Christmas this year I think he brought it here!

OK so the cold spell can't last for long and we will be back outside building snowman, painting snow and making snow taffy... I hope. In the meantime this cold spell could not have come at a better time. You see my freezer decided to breakdown. The serviceman came, he turned it on and said, "its the compressor". That took all of 10seconds... I kid you not! Of course panic... we all know when the compressor goes its a big bill. As luck would have it my warranty does not expire until next week..YAHOOOOO!!! We stopped looking at the new freezers... ok so I stopped looking at the fancy new freezers with all the fun gadgets and the repair man comes this week.

So what have we been doing with our food for a week? Using the outdoors of course, we even had ice cream after dinner tonight. You see when its that cold you don't need a freezer! We have three coolers in the mudroom cause the outdoors was just getting too cold and freezing the milk. The Fridge/freezer repair man comes Tuesday so by Wednesday we can have nice normal weather again..... I hope!

In the meantime... sign up today if you are not a member already and join us for some indoor fun until it gets a little bit warmer!

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

It's here its..... 2010!!!
Happy New Year to everyone and may you have a wonderful year filled with

Joy, Health, Love

& Happiness.

So let me tell you a little bit about our New Years.. since my husband and I were together, back in the dating days, we decided to stay home and just eat lots. Eat foods we wouldn't normally cook like lobster, buy the best salmon and caviar, (I pass on the caviar) lots of fun finger foods, dips, fondues, chocolate, you name it.

When we moved up north we alternated year to year with our friends in Pefferlaw cause not as many were coming around since we were now an hour away from most of our friends. The days of dressing up and going out to New Years parties and then trying to find your way home after; were gone. The thing about New Years, no matter where you go you can't get home, you might as well be stranded on a deserted island. There were years I slept on living room floors of the homes of friends of friends of friends, cause they lived closest to the party and after 4 hours of trying to get a cab home we'd just given up. Of course we can't forget the year I walked a million miles in high heels (ok it was only 5 but it felt like a million) and a mini skirt, in a snow storm... but I looked good for the party...LOL! I still have some of the after effects of frost bite from that year, although I didn't feel it at the time! They were fun days, but times have changed for us now.

Since we had children we moved the party to our house cause it was just easier.. you ever try to go to a party with kids? Well by the time you pack everything up you might as well put the house on the hitch and drag it behind the car to your destination so you don't forget anything. NO matter how prepared and how much we take we ALWAYS forget something. A favourite toy, the blanket that your child won't sleep without. For ease we moved it to our house and the kids are usually in bed before anyone even arrives.... until this year! My 1 year old son did what he was supposed to and went to sleep at 8pm. Then there were the toddlers.. who knew they could last to that long when usually at 7:59pm my daughter is so tired and cranky I know its the 8pm bedtime without even looking at the clock. Not this year!! She partied or should I say played until 1:30AM!!!!! She even cheered us at midnight and wished everyone a happy new year with her non-alcholic sparking apple. I was shocked she was still going strong but she wasn't alone, my friends boys were just as awake and having fun too.

Well everyone left and we put her to bed and I could hear her snoring as I walked down the stairs... I guess that is where the expression, "she was asleep before her head hit the pillow" came from. I have to say though, I did enjoy having a few of my favourite people with me, my husband, my daughter.. I missed my son but maybe, just maybe he will join us next year.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe its already Christmas Eve. Sorry I am a little late with my blog this week but its been crazy busy around here we've been planning and attending so many fun momstown Christmas events I just lost track of time. Even my husband has been helping out where he can to ensure we all have great memories of our momstown Christmas events for 2009. I have had a great time at the events and have gotten to know some amazing moms and I can't wait to meet even more of you as our events continue to grow more and more each week. I look forward to getting to know you even better and meeting even more of you and your wee ones as we connect for fun, support & friendship.

I wish you all the most amazing Christmas and I look forward to seeing you and your children at our fun evnts in 2010!!!

Be sure to check out the calendar over the holiday season as I will be adding LOTS of great new events.

Merry Christmas

& Happy New Year to you and your family from me and my family!

All for the love of cookies.

2009-12-13T20:27:00.001-08:00

Who knew cookies where so popular!! I mean we all love cookies but I didn't know I could plan so many events around cookies. We had a cookie exchange for moms, a gingerbread decorating at Longo's and most recently a cookie decorating afternoon. I might ad for those of you that showed up on the coldest day of the winter so far... Thank-you! I honestly thought I would be sitting in that room alone holding two boxes of cookies... imagine my surprise when almost EVERYONE showed up! Way to go!!! I think the kids warmed up real fast as the sugar rush hit before to long but it was well worth it to see those smiling faces.So the cookie exchange was a hit, cookie decorating was a hit and even the gingerbread house was a popular event. Our gingerbread house now has a sun roof on it, oh and the sugar Santa just never even made it to the car. I have come to the conclusion that Christmas is more about the sweet treats and

not just for the kids for us to. All for the love of cookies....hmmmm, it got me to thinking. Why do we only enjoy all these tasty treats at Christmas? I know so its special and we enjoy it more. But what if we had Easter cookie decorating, Halloween cookie decorating and even a Spring welcoming cookie day. I think its a great idea so watch for it coming soon....to momstown Markham.

pssssst... its almost time for our Christmas party, are you excited? I am... I can't wait!! sign up and don't miss out on all the Christmas fun...even Santa is joining us!!

Stop to smell the roses

2009-12-06T21:43:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not know my little boy turned one in November, the holidays for me this year have been memories of last year and remembering how we introduced our new son to his sister and the rest of the family... what fun it was. So as I look back on the last year it has been a wonderful year! Yes even through the temper tantrums of a 3 year old and late nights of an infant. I guess I always knew I was meant to be a mom and I am finally getting my chance. It has been hard to watch the "lasts" happen in our family this year.. the last time our baby will cry that new born cry, the last time our baby will fall asleep in my arms, the last time our baby will reach out to me and smile cause he doesn't know how to talk yet. I could go on forever. Over the weekend we also moved my sons car seat from rear facing to front facing, another indication he is growing up way to fast. I look at my daughter and I can't believe that she is already 3. I have a perfect family a little girl, a little boy, and a wonderful husband... my life is complete.

From time to time I can't help but feel a little sad as the "lasts" happen, but I look forward to the new things to. The first time they say, "I love you", the first time they go to school. etc. etc. I met my husband a little later in life and although he was worth the wait it also meant I was a mom a little bit older then most. Maybe its because I have a Birthday coming up that I am reminiscing so much these days, maybe its because its Christmas time and I can't believe another year has passed us by. Whatever it is I am enjoying looking at my family and thinking how lucky I am to have so much love around me, especially noticed at the holiday season. If we had met a little younger we might have had a third but we are happy with our family as it is now. As I write this I can't help but think of my 3 year old daughter trying to put together how this family thing works... "mommy if Grandma B is your mommy and Grandma E is daddy's mommy then when I get old will I be your mommy?" Although tempted to say yes and keep myself young forever in her mind I explained the truth.. "one day I will grow older too and if you have children I will be their grandma and if they have children you will be their grandma." Best I could do for a 3 year old.

So here we are coming to the end of another year and I am enjoying so much all the fun momstown events, I have so much to share but I will save it for next week. This week I am just caught up in thought of how lucky I am to have you, my momstown friends, my new friends, my family and my old friends... life for me is a happy place. I think everyone should slow down once in awhile and realize we are all lucky... we are moms, we are sisters, we are aunts, wives, friends and most of all we are lucky to be all of these things...stop once in awhile and "smell the roses."

Oh....the Holdiays!

2009-11-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us and as moms we love to see those precious smiles on our kids faces... that must be why we do what we do. I decided to go Christmas shopping this weekend with the family... what was I thinking!!! It took me and my husband 20min to pack everything, my husband often jokes that he is going to just hitch up the house and drag it along with us to ensure we have not forgotten anything. This time of all things we decided we didn't need the double stroller but we forgot to pack the single!! Lucky for us my mom that lives in the city has a spare. We stopped at moms picked up the stroller and off we went to the busy mall. My three year old and one year old already tired from the long drive in from the country and by the time we get there no matter how early we start its almost lunch time.

We started at Walmart oh the pretty decorations, the toys then it started. "I am tired, I don't want to shop here mommy, where is grandma & grandpa?" Then the pushing and shoving as we walked through the crowded malls with two tired kids. Then it happened I felt something weird and I saw the wheel from the stroller rolling down the isle... I am not kidding you. In the middle of the mall I was standing there thinking.... "what now?" My husband being the wonderful fix it man he pulled out his handy dandy pocket tools and tried to fix it... no luck. So we spent the rest of our shopping day balancing the stroller with my son in it on the wheels we had left. Lunch time.. thank goodness, I needed a coffee. As we met grandma & grandpa for lunch Chris ran back into walmart to purchase the Christmas gift for the kids we had discussed earlier when we were trying to Christmas shop for the kids, with the kids. I fed the kids a healthy lunch of bagels and cinnomon buns, this for kids that don't even know what McDonald's is. Still my husband was not there.. we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally there he was, with the one Christmas gift we had decided to buy, "did you get lost?" I asked. He responded, "did you forget I was at walmart? its as fast as a Tim Horton’s line up," I chuckled.

So my mother had convinced my daugher she wanted to go see Santa, not a good idea at 1:00 on a Saturday, I was not looking forward to this but what could I do now, I was not going to be the one to disappoint. So off we go to Santa's Village.. LOOOONNNNGGGGG line-up, as expected. As we round the corner my daughter says, "I don't want to see Santa he scares me." This I was expecting so off we go to the Disney store.... what was I thinking!!!

It was time to go home..finally! We were loading the kids in the car and as they were both tired..no naps yet, and crying. As we drove back to our home in the country I thought to myself , its all worth it to see those smiling faces on Christmas morning. I think I smiled all the way home just thinking about Christmas morning as our beautiful babes slept in the back seat.

The good news... I think I am finished my Christmas shopping now.

Montly Meet & Greet New Location

2009-11-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be fun to move our monthly meet & greet to an indoor playground. The kids would have a great time and moms might even get a minute to chat with both moms they already know and new moms. Non-members would also be more willing to come out and visit with us, a great opportunity for both. I approached Lil 'Explorers to see if they would host this monthly event for us. I was pleased when the the owner gave us such a warm welcome.

15 of us met at Lil 'Explorers last week and we were met with a very warm welcome. There was coffee brewing and some yummy coffee cake to. I took both my son 1 year, and my daughter and took advantage of the momstown discounted rates. We had a great time so great that I could not get my kids to leave. We stayed later then planned and as the kids played, for the first time in awhile with my kids busy playing in a safe enclosed environment I got to chat with some of the moms. It was great getting to know our members better and meeting some new moms as well.

The playground itself is a great place. My daughter that normally stays by my side was having so much fun I was enjoying watching the smiles on her face. As she rode on the cars and then ran over to show me a puppet show then off to the slide and whatever new adventure she could find, she even made a few friends along the way. My son made a few friends to and he to also had loads of fun. Snack time was made easy with the big eating area with lots of tables and chairs. The facility itself was very clean and I was really impressed with our new meet & greet location. I hope that you will join me next month you never know when we will add a few surprises just to make it that much more fun!

The day came to an end and I piled my tired children into the car and got ready to make the trip back home. I had really enjoyed my day and looked forward to our next time here.

A New Start

2009-11-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

When I joined Momstown this summer I figured it would be an economical way of taking my daughters, Emily age 3 and Maddie age 1, to a variety of playgroups without putting a strain on our single income bank account. What I have learned since then has completely change my outlook on motherhood and who I am.

As a stay at home mom, who occasionally works from home, I was feeling a little cut off from the outside world...well ok, A LOT cut off. My days consisted of changing diapers, doing laundry, cooking meals and trying to sneak in the occasional shower without company (my kids, my dogs, my husband!) - seriously I was starting to feel like I lived in an insane asylum - and I was the head resident!

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my family above anything else, and I woud do absolutely ANYTHING for them - and I was...to the exclusion of doing anything for me. It was the not doing anything for myself part that was starting to get to me. I was not depressed, but I was no longer happy, and I had started to look at being a stay at home mom as a job, and not a very good one, and both my kids and my husband felt it.

So anyways, I started attending Momstown kids outings with my girls and a friend and her 2 little ones, and they loved it - and surprisingly so did I. These outings allowed me to spend "fun time" with my kids surrounded by other mom's who were doing the same. Other mom's, who I learned after a while, were going through the same things I was; whether it was being frustrated at being at home all day trying to decipher toddler babble while their hubby's got to go to work and have adult conversations, or how to potty train that babbling toddler, or concern over where your child should be developmentally, plus a million other things.

I started talking to these mom's on the the message board and we really got to know one another, not just as mom's, but as people. And when I finally felt comfortable enough to go to a "mom's only" event I was shocked at how amazing it was. You see, I'm normally a very introverted person until I get to know someone, and yet at the mom's events I felt like I had known these ladies for years and there was none of the initial shyness to overcome. We had so much in common, regardless of social, financial, or other status, that we could talk about anything! Now I can't wait for mom's nights. Nights where we have stuffed our faces at pot lucks, laughed until our sides hurt, or just talked about what's going on in our lives.

You see, these mom's and I have become more than just people who go to a playgroup for their kids - we became FRIENDS. I had finally realized what had been missing in my life; a group of girlfriends who are at exactly the same stage in their lives that I am. Mother's, whether stay at home, work from home or working outside the home, who have young children and that feeling that no one understands what you are going through - no one but another mother.

My experience with Momstown has made me a better wife & mom. I'm a better wife because now when my husband says, "how was your day" I actually have stories to relate that don't just revolve around what colour our daughter's poop was that day. Stories about how two of my Momstown friends have gone "to war" over a dieting competition and message board challenge, to the extent that I can't read the message board without bursting out in laughter. Or how some of the girls are dealing with their concern over getting the H1N1 shot, or what I did at

Supperworks or another evening out. I'm finally back to being the girl he married, one with an active social life and a strong sense of self with an added big dose of happy mom on top to make everything pretty damn near perfect.

I'm a better mom because now I have special time set aside every week where I do fun Momstown events with my girls, time where I'm not also running around cleaning the house or doing errands. I have more patience with my girls, because when I'm frustrated I can go on the board and talk to someone else who's going through the same thing - and every situation seems easier when you know you're not alone. And now I can show my girls something I consider important: that while mommy loves you more than anything and will always be here for you, mommy is also more than just "mommy"; I'm Jacie too, and I'm a pretty great person - just ask my Momstown friends.

Shopping at Longo's Boxgrove

2009-11-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

This was not what I was going to blog about today but after being to Longo’s today I just had to share with you about this best kept secret. I had a meeting to meet with the Longo’s Boxgrove store manager this a.m. to talk about momstown Markham and what opportunities we may have to work together down the road. The store manager was an extremely nice man. We finished our meeting and I thought well as long as I am here and I have no kids why not do some shopping.

I don’t know about you but grocery shopping is not my most favourite thing to do, tired kids, long line-ups and big bills. Not to mention if I have not planned for it, I have to figure out a weeks meals in a moments notice. So off I went; the first thing I noticed was Starbucks, you can have a cappuccino while you shop, they even have a cup holder in the grocery cart, someone was thinking! So to the produce I go, I was pleased to see the many rows of fresh produce not to mention the great prices. Maybe I have lived in the country to long and don’t have new stores in my area but the fresh sushi, salads, fruit trays, pasta, etc. etc with the endless varieties and selection was also very exciting to me… I really need to get a life don’t I?

Pre-children my husband and I would go to the “specialty” grocery store and buy all kinds of expensive cheeses, meats, anything that looked yummy or was listed on the latest recipe I was trying. I was shocked to see the strange and unusual at Longo’s, and displayed so nicely. I didn’t have to make an extra trip to the specialty store it was here too! As I made my way to the ever-dreaded meat section I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable priced and fresh it all looked. They had pre-seasoned food, pre-stuffed, and of course just a great selection of everything and anything you could possibly need. I could smell the sweet smells of a bakery, I bought a spinach pastry and looked at the wonderful baked goods, from truffles, cookies, cakes and of course my favourite I have to mention on its own, chocolate filled croissants.

Now I have to mention the store manager, I had to giggle as I saw him racing up and down the isles of his store, his blackberry attached to his ear and probably finalizing next weeks order. This is not a man who sits back with his nose to a computer all day hoping that number crunching will make the customers come, although I am sure there is a lot of that to. This is a man who smiles, and seems very hands on and wants to meet his customers; he wants to know that they are happy at his store. His hand on approach is seen through his friendly staff. I bet everyone that works there knows who their boss is not just in a name but a face to. At the checkout, again I was pleased at how friendly and nice the lady was, it was something that I couldn’t over look. Everyone had been so friendly with smiles and hellos, even “can I help you with anything,” as I made my way around the store. I have to admit today I had forgotten how much I dislike grocery shopping.

My drive home didn’t seem like 45min it was gone in a flash. I ate my spinach pastry while I finished my cappuccino and listened to blaring songs on the radio from the 80’s. (shhhh, don’t tell my weight loss challenge friends about the pastry)

I am seriously thinking about setting up a monthly shopping day at Longo’s, I would be the first one to sign up every week, I hope you will join me at some of the events I hold here as we are lucky to have such a great location!!!

Halloween Fun

2009-11-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

What a crazy week we had last week with so much Halloween fun. From my daughter having two parties at Nursery school and me with a few momstown parties as well. We had a lot of fun dressing up for most of the week. My son was not so happy in his little dog outfit with the dog head and ears that sat on top his head like a hat did not go over to good. My daughter on the other hand well, she loves to be a princess so when I said she could wear her princess dress outside of the house she was quite happy!!

We ended our week of parties with our momstown Markham party and what a great time we had. It was a rainy day but that didn't stop all the Markham moms from coming out!! We had a little skeleton, lady bug, lion, frog, a few princesses a witch and many more. It was great to see all those smiling faces. We sang a few song and read a story then it was time for arts and crafts where the kids decorated cookies to eat, coloured some pumpkins and bats and even had time to do some pumpkin sticker art. Then it was time to eat and what a feast we had, from cheese and crackers, pastries, appetizers, fruit & veggies and to much more to list and for drinks we even had enough Tim's coffee for everyone.

It was so nice to look around and see all the children and moms having such a good time! Thank you to everyone that came out to join the fun and I hope that next time we will have even more moms come out to join us. Check the calendar often don't miss out on the fun we are all having!!

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-10-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

There once was a day in my life when I was a size 0, yes that's right 0. My family would laugh and make jokes about my small size and my brother would joke and say, "Kimmy if you turn sideways you will disappear." Well obviously those days are long gone. It first happened when my now husband and I were dating and we both enjoyed a few sweets here and there but as we got older we started to gain just a few extra pounds, nothing to worry about. We got engaged December 2004 and Chris gave me the most beautiful engagement ring. We were married August 2006 and I was pregnant in September 2006, my ring came off in November 2006, it just got to tight. So off to the safety deposit box it went.

I had gestational diabetes while I was pregnant, what does that mean you ask? Well you look at food and you gain 5 pounds. I was not one of the lucky ones enjoying extra desserts while I was pregnant I was eating yogurt and green vegetables. The honeymoon was over and instead of waking to hugs and kisses I woke to good morning honey as he stuck a needle in my leg... my morning insulin dose. Well 40 lbs later we had a beautiful baby girl and I was up a few more dress sizes. I lost quite a bit of the weight through sweat and hard work... wasn't used to that. Then I got pregnant again... still not wearing my ring cause I never lost enough weight. Then it happened again, the diabetes the weight..40+ lbs and a baby boy in November 2008. So coming up to my sons first Birthday, I am a little lighter but its time to lose more weight. In August we will celebrate our fifth anniversary and I have not had the opportunity to wear my rings an entire year yet!! My husband would love to see those rings back on my finger, so join me in my quest to lose the weight and wear my rings!

November is the start of momstown Markham, Georgina & East Gwillimbury's Weight Loss Challenge and we have quite a few ladies signed up. Sign up now for your free two week trial and join us to lose a little weight and have a lot of fun!

Halloween or Christmas?

2009-10-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

OK I have to admit I like both holidays but I would prefer to enjoy them each on their own. Its an early October day and the weather is starting to get cooler, that can mean only one thing! FALL is here and Halloween is upon us. I decide to go shopping with my daughter to pick out her Halloween costume. We go to the store and head for the seasonal displays... YIKES!!!!! NO IT CAN'T BE!!! Christmas is EVERYWHERE!!! Now I love Christmas but I find it hard picking out a Halloween costume when its placed right next to Rudolf! (and Rudolf is not a Halloween costume). There between the Star Trek and the Cinderella is a can of spray snow. I don't want to see it!! I love it in December, I even love it in November but come on its Halloween time and its a great holiday in itself. What other time of year can you dig deep into your imagination and come up with great costumes, nobody has to even know its you. You can be the sexy french maid and flirt with your husband all night you can be the drunk and make a fool of yourself and nobody can say anything cause its not really you. That goes for the kids to, they can really be Superman or Cinderella... just for a day, we can all live out our fantasies. The kids can eat as much junk as their tummies will hold and we can even make them do "tricks for teats", that is sure to get a few laughs. As a teenager I used to hold a Halloween party every year and we all looked forward to it. We would think about it weeks in advance on what were we going to dress up as, who could come up with the most original seemed to be the theme every year. I used to think how cool it would be to have your Birthday at this time of year, a costume party every year with the coolest decorations! I was close with my son he was born mid November.

Well all I can say is, I guess the retailers didn't get the memo so let my just say this... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Be sure to join us for our Halloween party... email me for details if you are not a current member but would like to join us.

Here is my other Blog I hope you will take the time to read it: Georgina / East Gwillimbury

Don't forget its not to late to catch up on message board Mania contest, you just have to register and start talking to the other moms on the message board!!!

Meeting the momstown Markham memebers

2009-10-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving weekend and my first blog for momstown Markham... my first of many I might ad. A big thank-you to Tracey for making this transition go so smooth. My first day as the new owner of the Markham momstown was spent in the rain at the Markham fair and the next few days were pretty much the same. The Markham fair turned out to be a great event to let more moms know of how much fun we are having and how much more fun we will be having into the fall/winter.

After the Markham fair I came home and started planning the next few weeks for momtown Markham. First on my agenda was to meet the members... so I started talking on the message board to find out what it is they want to see and do with their momstown location. We added a weekly playgroup to include circle time, arts & crafts, free play and even special themed events and parachute games. I also added some drop in play centers, skating and swimming to come soon and we will continue with the great coffee and walks throught Unionville. Of course we can't forget the great moms nights out and field trips that everyone looks forward to. Our Halloween meet & greet party is coming up at the end of the month and this is an open event so that you can come out and find out what momstown is all about. Contact me for details if you are not a member but would like to join us for our Halloween party pot luck, dress up, games, songs and more will all be a part of this fun filled morning.

Just want to say a Thank-you to the momstown Markham members for such a warm welcome to the group and I look forward to meeting even more of you in the coming weeks and having a great time with you and your kiddies. I hope you will join me here every Monday to read my weekly blog & Happy Thanksgiving!

Join us at the Fair!

2009-09-30T10:42:00.001-07:00

Join momstown Markham's new momma Kim at the Markham Fair October 1st to the 4th! She's got some great surprises up her sleeve... you never know who you'll see there!!

Email us at info.markham@momstown.ca for more information!!

there's a new mama in momstown Markham!

2009-09-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Coming soon!!!

* better connections and integrated partnerships throughout York Region!

* new creative events & outlets for members!

* a breath of fresh air in our local momstown community named Kim!

At the moment, the chapter is owned by the original momstown founders at " head office" (ie: our kitchen tables) but daily activities have been run by local Community Managers. Effective October 1st, the chapter has been sold to Kim Edmiston. Kim already owns and launched the Georgina/East Gwillumbury momstown chapter in York region and is adding the Markham chapter to her realm.

We'd like to thank both founding Community Managers Tracey Zarras and Shelley McLagan for all their hard work with the launch and running of momstown Markham. We're thankful and proud of the beautiful, supportive community they have built and we know you will agree with us that their efforts and personal energy have not gone unnoticed.

Unfortunately, our current wonderful and dedicated Community Manager Tracey has decided to pursue another calling but Kim is looking for an inspired, organized and innovative Community Manager to help her out with Markham. If you're curious about the part-time role, please contact Kim directly at kim.edmiston@momstown.ca

What does this change mean to you?

Mostly, this should be very seamless to all members. Your membership is still valid as before and other than a new mama at the helm, you should experience no functional changes. Both Markham and Georgina will continue to operate as separate chapters. However, we'd be selling Kim short if we didn't express how much we love her ideas, massive amounts of enthusiasm for momstown and creative events. With an owner living in the region, we're confident in the continued success and growth of the chapter.

To our advertising clients, your local ad rep will change but in the short term, everything is status quo with any commitments made to-date. You can still inquire about advertising via email at advertising.markham@momstown.ca

Please join us in congratulating Kim and thanking both Tracey & Shelley for their tremendous contribution!!

Many thanks, Christi & Ann-Marie

(your founding kitchen table momstown mamas)

More Anniversary party Pictures!

2009-09-02T12:26:00.001-07:00

August 2009 Meet & Greet

2009-09-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of the fun!

For the love of.... FALL

2009-09-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

September? Really?!? Where did summer go? Did summer start? WOWZA! I'm shocked! With all of the huff huff of the anniversary party, I almost lost track of time!

SO here, my friends, is an update for the blog. FINALLY!

I wanted to do a little shout-out to our friends who supported us at our Anniversary Party - without you, our party wouldn't have been as wonderful and full of fun as it was!

Thank you to Longo's in Box Grove for donating the fruit and water to feed and hydrate our parents and kiddies.

Thank you to our friends at Markham Baptist Church for allowing us to utilize the church parking lot and um... those lovely pottys!

Thank you to our friends at Parties & More for helping arrange Minnie Mouse's flight up here from Disney World to be with us for our special day and also for the fabulous face painting!

Thank you to the Markham Fire Department for showing up and letting our little ones have a tour of the truck - duty sure did call though - thanks for giving us some of your day!!

Thank you to Lionel of Boston Pizza for coming and strutting his stuff and handing out coupons to our parents!

And finally, thank you to the companies who donated door prizes listed below:

A Touch Of Love (Markham Location)

Phenomenal Health

Supperworks (Markham Location)

Lionel's Farm

Wee Piggies & Paws

Yoga Flow & Fitness

Snugabug Portrait & Art Studio

Citrus Silver

Body Lines Dance & Fitness

AB Dance

Extraordinary Beginnings

Mary Kay

WOW - There were some fantastic prizes! Thanks to all who helped out and donated time and effort... because of you, our party was WONDERFUL!

Moving on, September is PACKED with goodies! Think: busy apple picking, finger painting, seminar, moms night out, coffees, walks, talks, Birthday Bash, crafts... it doesn't get much better than this... or maybe it does! Who knows what October brings?! Join us and you can find out!

Join us! And if you're hesitant, why not try us out for a free two week trial? Just visit http://markham.momstown.ca/ and fill in your profile. We'll set you up with that trial and send you a temporary password - so you get full access to the site, message board, events... I promise you, you'll love it!

Spread the word! Tell your friends, neighbours and family about momstown. If you have any questions about momstown Markham, please email us info.markham@momstown.ca

Hope to see YOU around 'town' soon!

Now that was fun!

2009-08-24T10:31:00.001-07:00

WOW- I'm still in shock! It's been a year since we launched our Markham momstown chapter! And on Saturday we had more fun, more excitement and lots of food- to prove it! Special thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy themselves with momstown!

From what I could tell, the kids had fun - there was lots to do from having a visit with Minnie Mouse to Crayon Picasso's, Chalk Time, Music and Movement Circle and don't forget face painting... we kept the little ones busy. When we weren't busy with that, there was plenty of fruit, cake and water to keep bellies happy!

Markham's Anniversary Party is just days away...

2009-08-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's here! Our ONE year anniversary is here! We have been having fun and creating fun for moms here in Markham for a year now. This is amazing and has been so FUN!

Join us on Saturday August 22nd from 10am- noon for very exciting entertainment, amazing door prizes, fun activities and LOADS MORE! There will be special guests arriving and joining us for the entire event! It's an event you won't want to miss. So please, spread the joy of momstown Markham with a friend, neighbour, family and keep us going strong... next year's anniversary party will be EVEN BETTER!

If you have any questions regarding our event please email us at info.markham@momstown.ca

Hope to see you on Saturday!

and the monthly contest winner is....

2009-07-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Valerie.....

Congratulations, you've won a one year momstown membership!

All momstown mamas can enter the monthly contest draw once each day, so don't forget to visit our home page!

Where is summer????

2009-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

When someone says SUMMER I think of HEAT! Well, this year I think of cool. Finally this summer, I am able to sneak into my pre-baby clothes, bought some new funky summer clothing... and it's too darn cool to wear them! Am I alone???!!! Since July is almost at a close, maybe we can get some of that summer time heat, sunshine and beachy days in August! (FINGERS CROSSED... and toes, shoelaces....)

Don't forget that momstown Markham is getting ready to celebrate 1 year and we're inviting EVERY mommy in the Markham area to bring the troops and join us! August 22nd is JUST around the corner!

Our meet and Greet for July has been moved to July 31st... we'll be creating beautiful art in Unionville - you should join in! Email us for more details! info.markham@momstown.ca

Our summer special is still going on and we still have our FREE 2 week trial just for filling in your profile... so GO ON! head over to http://markham.momstown.ca/ and join us for great summer fun, creating and laughter - because life doesn't get better than this!

Happy Anniversary... Happy Anniversary....

2009-07-07T20:59:00.001-07:00

Oh it's so close I can almost taste it! momstown Markham is closing in on ONE YEAR! And you know what that means... PARTY! WAHOO!

Join us as we celebrate our one year anniversary at Markham Baptist Church on August 22nd from 10am-noon.

We're still working on the great juicy details but here is what I can tell you... READY?

There will be entertainment, refreshements, fun, and lots of great activities for you and your little ones! What else you ask?! Well, it's FREE! Even better? It's open to all! So, it's free and open to the public... what else can you ask for!

We are asking that everyone PLEASE bring a non-perishable food item to the event to help Markham Baptist Church and their out reach program. This is a great opportunity to give back to our lovely community and help some local families in need- makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! :)

So make sure you come and join in on the fun with Markham's momstown chapter! Why not tell a friend for two... or three... to come too! Bring the WHOLE family (dads, kids, grandparents....) and have a great morning with us!

Happy Birthday Canada!

2009-07-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

WOW! Another Canada Day has come and gone... how did you celebrate? Did you head out to a festival? Watch the firecrackers? Stay in and quiet? Party-hardy?

How fun is summer? (well normally very fun but with this wierd weather..... WHO KNOWS?!) with momstown, you can join in on the fun for the WHOLE summer for only $20... that's 3 months of greatness! Join us for a picnic, picasso's, a dog training class perhaps?, moms nights in and out, breakfast club, supper swaps... oh there is just SO much to do to keep us moms and our little ones busy, busy this summer!

Another great bonus? Well, since you asked... momstown Markham is turning 1 in August! That's right! 1 year ago we launched our wonderful online community and now, we're ready to party and bring moms and tots together with our 1st Anniversary Party! The details are coming, but keep this in mind: FREE, FUN, ENTERTAINING.... need I say more? Stay tuned!

And the Winner Is....

2009-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

Cassandra!

Congratulations......you've won a My First Keepsake book from Zaida Baby!

Happy Canada Day and don't forget to enter our July monthly contest once each day!

momstown mystery

2009-06-25T12:39:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love a good mystery? momstown.ca sure does! We had an online scavenger hunt throughout all of our communities... check out this link to find out who won what!

http://momstown-moments.blogspot.com

Vote for us!

2009-06-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.momstown.ca/ has been nominated for the 2009 SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award! WAHOO!

In order to help us win ($17,000 worth of cash & business related prizes that man oh man we could use!) we need your help - and it's really simple. Just click on the link below and vote for momstown.

http://momentrepreneuraward.ca/MomBio.aspx?momID=190

Some of you might not know what momstown is.... Our focus is on connecting neighbourhood mothers which we do with our online communities and by co-ordinating over 30 events a month for EACH of our local chapters. Our passion to connect mothers is real and energizing. momstown.ca uses the internet to help moms get out of their house and into the community to find the support of other local mothers.

Crazily we manage to fit all this activity in while still being home full time with our kids so we are especially proud of our accomplishments and honoured to be recognised with this nomination. Stay tuned!

Thank you in advance!

If you feel comfortable, please forward this request along to everyone you know who might be interested in supporting a few moms doing good. :-)

Summer Breeze....

2009-06-17T09:11:00.001-07:00

Well, summer feels like it's in full swing... after we got past the cool, rainy days... now it's hot and sunny and SUMMER! well, almost summer. Just a few more days!

Come out and see momstown at the park on Friday for our public meet and greet and new member meet up! It's a great chance to meet the moms in our group and enjoy a fun day with your kids. email us for details on location and time! info.markham@momstown.ca

Did I mention that we're offering a great summer promotion for those of you looking for activities during the summer?! Join momstown for $20 for 3 months! WHAT A GREAT DEAL! Join us for seminars, park plays, Picasso's in the Park, crafts, group walks and SO much more! Now is a great time to join since we're out and busy, busy in the parks all around Markham! There's still a free one week trial too... if you want to see if you'll love momstown (which we know you will), go to the site (http://markham.momstown.ca/) and fill in your profile... we'll send you a password and activate your account for one week absolutely FREE! This opportunity will allow you to see the calendar, post on the message board and see why it's great to have a group of wonderful supporting moms like our momstown moms.

Hope to see you around 'town' soon!

and the winner is....

2009-06-01T04:34:00.000-07:00

Joyce Derry!

Congratulations, you've won a one year membership from momstown!

Don't foget that everyone can enter the monthly contest draw once each day, and this month's contest is brought to you by zaida baby!

Another great reason...

2009-05-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hello mommas!

Just incase you needed another great reason to join in the fun with momstown... not that you would need an excuse! I mean, the moms are great, the kids are cute and the activities are always fun! But this reason, well, it's a darn good one...

Longo's in Boxgrove (who we absolutely LOVE) is offering all momstown MARKHAM members another FREE cooking class in their Loft. How awesome is that? I mean, a cooking class with friends is so fun... but a cooking class with friends that is FREE? WAHOO! Even better! But remember, you have to be a member... and you have to show proof of membership in order to take advantage of this free offer!

Join momstown today to get the inside scoop on what else you can get!

May's Birthday Bash was the best turn out thus far! So fun! Great company, yummy pizza and delicious cake... mmm! Just the way a birthday party should be! Every month we celebrate! Join the fun! We had a whopping 17 attendees (10 were little ones... cute and adorable and well, cute!)!!! The best turn out so far! Thanks for coming to our party and happy birthday to those who celebrated!

Now on to June... can you believe we're already into June? NUTS! We're hopping with great events, fun father's day crafts and lots of special mommy treats! For example: Learn to do your own Mani and Pedis... and don't forget the importance of allergies and what you can do to prevent and treat them.

There's lots more coming... stay tuned!

Rain, Rain go away....

2009-05-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

So the last few days has been a little damp... muddy and well, plain yucky! But no worries, with momstown, there are still so many things to do! We have had several events in the last week to keep our moms and their little ones busy as bees while the rain falls. Think of how green it's going to be when the rain ends and the sunshine starts!

This past week we've held tons of events including: Introduction to solids and milk seminar, Garden Party Cooking Class, Mom and baby coffee, morning and afternoon walks, park plays, our monthly Birthday Bash and many more things. Lots going on here at Markham momstown. Why not come and check it out for a week?! Meet some great women who are inspiring and supportive while having fun with your little ones.

June is quickly approaching... and so are many more great events!

May is blooming with great events!

2009-05-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, the mania has calmed after momstown MANIA and the trees are greener, the grass is longer... spring has fully sprung here in Markham. What wonderful weather this time of year can bring! We love taking advantage of the great spring weather with wonderful park time and picnics.

Now spring brings a fresh start to something great! Our next Public Meet and Greet is May 22nd! We will be playing in the park and then having circle time with our wonderful friends! There is no better time to come to a momstown event than this one! This event is open to the public... so if you're not a member, please do come! For information on when and where this public meet and greet is, please email us info.markham@momstown.ca

IT was the MANIA of all events!

2009-05-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

So it came and is now gone... for now! momstown MANIA was just that... it was MANIA... but of course, I mean that in a good way! It was an event we sure won't forget! Mania started out with a bang. I looked up and suddenly there were strollers and wagons... kids, moms EVERYWHERE! Yahoo!

Markham Fire Deptartment showed up with a bang... lights and a 'whoot whoot' on the way in... had heads turning!

These guys were so funny! However, they did get a call and had to leave a bit early. Great photo opportunities though!

It was a very exciting day for everyone! We had kids running everywhere laughing... This of course, is why we do events like momstown MANIA! To hear the laughter and see the smiles!

The kids had a blast with our Toddler Olympics! The events - well, they weren't run as planned but the kids didn't care! They were far too busy being creative with the props to care that there was a method behind it! It was too perfect!

Bellybutton the clown put on an amazing magic show, had the crowd laughing and then offered face painting for all! There was a large crowd around her and her very funny and entertaining show.

A huge thank you to Longo's for donating ALL of the plants, pots and soil for our planting station... It was great to have everyone digging in the dirt and getting their moms a plant that they can watch grow together.

Lionel (the Boston Pizza Mascot) came out to show some support of momstown and offered a coupon to all moms attending! Thanks Lionel and Boston pizza!!

We also had free demo classes from Sol Pilates and Yoga, Allegro Music and Wee Hands Sign Language. Thank you to our sponsors for the great trials and your amazing support!

Also, a HUGE thank you to all door prize sponsors and to the Rhenish Church for allowing us to host our event at your facility! We had a great turn out! In total, we had well over 60 moms and their children attend momstown MANIA in Markham. That's fantastic!

Wow... what a great day! Thanks to everyone who came out! momstown MANIA was a great success... not only in Markham, but across all of the momstown communities. In total, we hosted over 2500 moms over our communities! YAHOO!

Thank you for your support and remember to keep momstown MANIA in mind for next year....

MANIA... it's MANIA.... simply MANIA!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

So it's finally here! (well almost...) MANIA the mania of all manias... momstown mania! Tomorrow morning at 9:30am the greatest momstown event in the history of momstown events will take place! momstown MANIA. The greatest part of this great event... it's FREE for you to come! So please, do come and enjoy a day with your wee ones and us! There will be a ton of great and fun events running, fantastic door prizes (just read down the right side of the page to see who will be there and who donated prizes... yahoo!), and yummy breakfast by Kellogg's... not to mention yummy cookies donated by Longo's for our mom and baby coffee circle.

It will really be: a month in a day - the momstown way!

Excited yet?!

2009-05-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

YAHOO! YIPPEE! Here we come! momstown MANIA! We are 3 days away from the BIGGEST momstown event in history(so far anyway)!! With new additions to the events and lots of exciting surprises... we at Markham momstown are busting at the seams with excitement! momstown MANIA: a month in a day- the momstown way!

May also brings lots of great events - a moms entrepreneur night perhaps?! Why not show your support to our hard working mommies? Or maybe a moms night in! That's right! Why go out and spend money when we can stay in and enjoy some great company, eat some great munchies and hang out! We're having a momstown Public Meet and Greet on May 22nd... it's a great way to come and see why you should join our online group of great moms! There's no need for you to feel left out! Try us free for two weeks! Just mention this blog when you fill in your profile and you too can experience the great joys that momstown Markham brings! Plus, we'd love to meet you!

momstown is for neighbourhood moms like you. We're here to support you and offer you lots of educational and fun events each month!

April's contest winner is....

2009-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Maria Florentino !

Congratulations!! You have won a copy of the Jason Mraz's new CD 'We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things."
(great title huh?)

Don't forget that everyone can enter the monthly contest on the home page once per day! You can't win if you don't play! :-)

momstown on Breakfast Television May 12th!

2009-04-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! momstown is going to be on BT on May 12th! Tune in to catch why you should join momstown! momstown founders Christi and Ann-Marie will be showcasing momstown and the support we offer to moms with kids of all ages.

Don't forget to tune in and check us out!

2009-04-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

Amazing MANIA Door Prizes!

2009-04-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

YAHOO! A huge thanks to our sponsors! Because of them, Markham MANIA is going to have some AMAZING door prizes! Each door prize holds a minimum $25 value! Imagine what you could walk away from... all for coming to a FREE event! Amazing!

Mania is ONE WEEK away... only ONE WEEK until the MANIA of momstown MANIA is upon us! Make sure to come... and make sure to spread the word!

Spring time... flowers... birds... MANIA!

2009-04-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Spring. Isn't it the greatest thing? After spending the whole winter cooped up, now you can go outside, enjoy a visit to the park, get some fresh air and sunshine. Seeing those plants POP up out of the ground, ready to soak up sunshine and grow, grow, grow! It's so peaceful and happy. Spring is definately one of my favourite seasons.

But with spring, comes the Mania of momstown MANIA! (in a good way of of course!) May 6th at the Rhenish Church of Canada (Bur Oak and 16th Avenue)... it's going to be a great time! We have so much planned and so many great sponsors for our door prizes!! Wahoo! These door prizes are amazing! We hope you can make it! For more info, please email us at info.markham@momstown.ca!!

Co-Founder Ann-Marie Burton on Rogers TV today!

2009-04-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a youtube link (kind of crummy) that showcases our very own Ann-Marie (yay!! She is seen here in this picture with her two darlings) speaking about our two York Region communities (Markham and Newmarket/Aurora) and talking a little bit about MANIA!

Good Job Ann-Marie! Sorry the video is crummy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3re-_j-gc

Moms Entrepreneur Night

2009-04-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

A lot of our members are work from home moms, some are not, and some work full time... but if you are a mom who wants to support other local moms, please do email us! We would love for you to join in on some great fun while we showcase our little side businesses! What a great way to meet other momstown members too!

So if you're in the Markham area and you'd like to come by and see some of our mom entrepreneurs on May 12th, or for more information on our moms entrepreneur night, please email us at info.markham@momstown.ca!

Only few short weeks away!!!!

2009-04-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well my dear fellow mommies... markham momstown MANIA is just a few short weeks away! HOW EXCITING! We will be spending the day enjoying what momstown does best, entertaining and supporting moms and kids in our communities!

Enjoy yourself at a free event... why not? There will be lots for the kids to do including picasso's in the park, circle time, fitness, a surprise visitor mid-day, and lots more!

So please do join us and have a great time with momstown?!

Questions? Please contact us at info.markham@momstown.ca!

MANIA MANIA MANIA! Markham momstown is going MANIA!

2009-04-15T12:18:00.001-07:00

Join us for a month in a day! The momstown way! This event is going to be chock full of great events... keeping you and your little ones so busy you'll wonder where the time went!

Wanna know what is even more exciting? We have a special guest arriving mid-day! YAHOO! I wonder who? Come and see for yourself!

This is a day to remember... so join us at the Rhenish Church of Canada - Bur Oak Avenue and 16th Avenue on May 6th from 9:30-1:00. You will be glad you did!!!

Questions about the event? Contact us at info.markham@momstown.ca!

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

We hope you have enjoyed your holiday with family and friends! We sure have enjoyed having some family time and of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Wishing you all the best during this holiday and we hope that you will join us as we SPRING into action!!

From all of us at momstown MARKHAM- Hoppy Easter!

Don't forget that momstown MANIA is just around the corner! We hope you will join us for a Month in a day- the momstown way!

May 6th 9:30am -1pm at the Rhenish Church of Canada (Bur Oak Avenue and 16th Avenue). It's going to be a great day with lots of great activities to do! Don't forget it's a free event! Bring the kids! Tell the neighbours! momstown MANIA! Yahooooo!

Pregnant? Check out our new events for Mommies-to-be!

2009-04-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

We are so busy here at momstown getting our month FULL of great events! We're even adding in new events for mommies-to-be! Are you expecting? Wanted to know more about momstown but didn't feel comfortable with the whole moms night out thing? Now you can join momstown... join in on the great conversations on the message board, and even go to your own events! Each month we will feature two mommies to be events for the expecting mothers! Now that's a great way to reach out to other women in the same life stage as you! They're all going through the same issues as you! The conversation is bound to be lively! So come on and join momstown today!

Don't forget that momstown MANIA is quickly approaching as well! May 6th from 9:30am-1pm! Markham's MANIA event will be held at The Rhenish Church of Canada (Bur Oak and 16th Avenue) RAIN OR SHINE! Come on out to this great FREE event and join in on all the fun!

A MONTH IN A DAY- THE MOMSTOWN WAY!

April is hopping with things to do!

2009-04-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

WOW April already! Crazy how quickly spring is springing up on us! Have you signed up for your newsletter yet? Go to http://markham.momstown.ca/ and sign up if you haven't! There's lots of information and fun games, recipes... all mom friendly! BY moms FOR moms!

Well, this month is PACKED with great activities for you and your wee one! We've got our Easter Party, Moms Night In! MOVIE NIGHT!, Mom and Tot pot luck, Moms Night Out!, Book Club, Baby Book Club, Markham Momstown Mommy Meeting... and much, much more!

We're getting ready to start our spring/summer events that will bring us outside to enjoy sunshine and exercise... I hope you will come and join us! We have a great monthly contest and a newsletter that will keep you interested! Our message board has never been busier and more members are joining every day - hopefully you too will join momstown!! We are always happy to meet new members! Don't forget that we have a monthly Public Meet and Greet where you are always welcome to pop by and try us out! It's a great way to meet us and the other momstown Markham mommies!

And the Winner Is....

2009-04-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

The March monthly contest winner is....

Lauren....

Lauren has won a one year gift certificate for herself or a friend. Congratulations Laura!

Don't forget to check out our momstown monthly contest and your April monthly contest and enter once a day to win!

Press Release March 2009 - momstown MANIA!

2009-03-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

NEIGHBOURHOOD MOMS: A month in a day, the momstown way
On May 6th Localized Website Helps Moms Off The Computer And Into The Community

Using the internet as a social networking tool is becoming more common and even trendy. Social situations have changed making it uncomfortable to approach a stranger and start a conversation. People live in friendly neighbourhoods but know hardly anyone. The internet, when used correctly, can actually create a safe, preliminary environment to meet like-minded people.

The internet is making great headway in removing the barriers for communicating but it still hasn’t provided the answer (yet) for this generation of mothers in helping deal with the social isolation that can happen with motherhood. Simply, many moms don’t have any local friends, in the same life stage, to lean on. Neighbourhoods just aren’t what they were a generation or two ago when all families knew each other and spontaneous coffee klatches were common.

In 2007, suburban mothers, Christi Rasheed and Ann-Marie Burton, fought back to recapture the neighbourhood jive by starting an internet venture called momstown.ca.

momstown.ca began as one community in Burlington, Ontario and now stretches out to eight chapters including Milton, Oakville, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Barrie, Newmarket-Aurora and Markham.

momstown.ca caters to all local moms with kids between 0-5 years old - new moms and moms with van-loads, working moms and stay-at-home moms, alpha moms and granola moms - anyone who craves personal interaction with other mothers will enjoy momstown. The site addresses the ‘how do I make friends’ issue by fostering a supportive and open environment and provides easy, comfortable avenues to meet other like-minded mothers.

Each local chapter coordinates over 30 momstown exclusive events and activities per month all included in the $45 annual membership fee. At only $3.75 a month, momstown provides great value to all moms, including those on a budget, which is critical to success given the current recession.

“The need for mothers to connect with one another is a relevant one in every community, especially when household budgets are cut, and we’re eager to help address this with momstown” explains Rasheed.

To celebrate the success of momstown and its community support, momstown is has created a special event called momstown Mania happening on May 6, 2009. In an open and free invitation to all neighbourhood moms, momstown warmly welcomes all local parents to participate.

With the theme “a month in a day, the momstown way” the goal is to provide a sampling of typical events that momstown members have access to every month. momstown expects a minimum of 100 mothers at each Mania celebration.

“Our collective purpose is to promote momstown as a whole and focus on our unique community chapters with a credible and consistent multi-site event that showcases all that momstown has to offer” explains Burton.

In its premier year, Mania will offer moms and tots a chance to sample activities that provide sensory, creative, physical and social experiences for both mother and child.

At each local venue, visitors can participate in Toddler Olympics, Mom & Baby Fitness, Baby Sign Language, Music demonstrations, Planting station featuring a child-made Mother’s Day gift, Educational make & take craft for moms, mom & baby Coffee Circle and a special children’s entertainer mid-day. All locations will also feature momstown’s very own Picasso’s in the Park and showcase a dual of welcome and good-bye momstown circle times with parachute, songs and bubbles.

momstown.ca prides itself on being very community and child focused and has partnered with the national charity Invest in Kids (http://www.investinkids.ca/) to help them with their mission to support Canadian parents in the most important undertaking of their lives – raising a child. It is important that we financially support a charity that is clearly focused and committed to making our lives as parents so much better. The first 100 moms at each location will receive a gift from Invest in Kids. Any funds raised at momstown mania will be donated to Invest in Kids.

“momstown has tapped into the powerful motherhood movement in a supportive, modern fashion and we believe it will result in more connected communities.” comments momstown co-founder Ann-Marie Burton.

momstown.ca is for neighbourhood moms, with kids aged 0-5, wanting to connect for support, conversation or just plain fun. momstown offers a local online calendar with over 30 local momstown specific events per month, a 24 hour message board and exclusive member privileges and discounts. momstown currently operates chapters in Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Barrie, Newmarket-Aurora, Markham, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo. For more details log on at http://www.momstown.ca/
________________________________________________________________

momstown mania will take place Wednesday, May 6, 2009 from 9:30am-1pm in eight locations. Media is welcome. Burlington: Hidden Valley Park; Oakville: Oakville Soccer Club; Milton: Milton Memorial Arena; Barrie: Dorian centre & Sunnydale Park; Newmarket-Aurora: TBD; Markham: Rhenish Church of Canada; Kitchener-Waterloo: Waterloo Park; Guelph: Riverside Park

Follow along for more event details on our blog:
http://momstown-mania.blogspot.com/
If you’d like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview, please contact Ann-Marie Burton, co-founder and Director of Sales, Marketing & Promotions. Tel 905-635-4928 or email ann-marie.burton@momstown.ca

momstown MANIA!

2009-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

May 6th - momstown mania!!!
A MONTH IN A DAY - THE MOMSTOWN WAY!
Are you ready??
Wednesday, May 6th
Celebrate Mothers Day with momstown.ca!
9:30 am - 1pm-Being held at the Rhenish Church of Canada's Parking Lot and Grass Area
FREE!!! ALL WELCOME!!
Join us for creative, cognitive, physical and social activities for both mom & tot!
Baby Sign language Demos!
Music & Parachute Circle Times!
Momstown's very own Picasso's in the Park!
Plant a mother's Day flower!
Toddler Olympics!
Mom & Baby fitness demos!
Mom's Coffee circle!
Children's Entertainment - special guest at 11am!
Parent resource area!
Tons of Door Prizes and contests to be won!
Nursing & Diaper change station on site
Funds raised from all food & beverages to be donated to our charity partner Invest in Kids

Markham momstown St. Patty's Day Party!

2009-03-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

Well, it's come and now gone... and was so much fun! We had the luck of the Irish - great weather, great friends and GREAT entertainment!

The kids kept quite busy with all of the toys and balloons while us moms got talkin'!

There is no better way to enjoy a morning than with friends... not to mention a yummy snack or two!!

momstown Mania!

2009-03-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

Coming up in May we're having a HUGE event called momstown Mania! May 6th in Markham (and every other momstown community as well) we will be hosting a HUGE event! More details are coming!

Keep posted!

Monthly Birthday Bash Pictures... :)

2009-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

March Madess!

2009-03-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

Wow... March already! Can you believe that we're ALMOST through with this grueling winter weather?! Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the snow and fresh crisp air... but enough already! I'm ready for warm, sunny days where t-shirts and shorts rule! ah... a girl can dream... haha....

This month at Markham momstown we've got lots of fun events planned... including a Warm Up Winter Luau! How fantastic! We'll be washing away winter with a fun party... if only just for a couple of hours! (email us at info.markham@momstown.ca if you're interested) We've also got a St. Patty's Day Party planned... Honestly, did you think we would forget about the Irish?! Lots of playdates, craft dates, mall walks.... March has never been so fun! Check out our website at http://markham.momstown.ca... and don't forget to ask about our free two week trial ... yes! We are extending that until the end of the month! Try us out for TWO FREE weeks! Trust me when I say, you'll love it!

Public meet and greet tomorrow!

2009-02-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's not too late to rsvp to our public meet and greet tomorrow morning! It runs from 10am - 11:30am so if you can squeeze it into your schedule, just let us know! It's a great way to get out and meet some of the other moms in our community! Keep posted for what's coming up in March!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T12:32:00.001-08:00

Our Valentine's Day Party was a great success!

We had our little artists all busy making Valentine's for their loved ones! Not to mention a great snack... oh yum and we had circle time too! The whole time there was lots for our little cupids to do with toys and songs!

We wish you and your little ones a very happy Valentine's Day!!

February Sale is still on!

2009-02-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that we're having our FREE 2 WEEK TRIAL until the end of the month! Also, don't forget to tell a friend... share the love! Sign up and receive 2 weeks free! And then if you love it (which we know you will) you can join up by using our membership store right there on the site! February is FULL of great events and March is filling up just as fast! Wow! We're talking about March already! YIKES!

Don't forget about our Public Meet and Greet on February 26th! Please email us at info.markham@momstown.ca for more details!

There is a lot happening this month including an indoor play, mom and tot coffee, and lots of other events... so come and join momstown Markham!

The LOVE BUG!

2009-02-04T12:08:00.001-08:00

Look out or you'll catch it! The LOVE BUG! It's February! Can you believe it?! Already it's February. Come out from the cold and join us this month! We have lots of indoor play time and special events including - moms night out, Book Club, Toboggoning, Valentine's Day Party (yahoo!), craft day (fridge folk- it's going to be GREAT!), Family Day indoor Play, Parent Resource Night and MUCH more!
Our next public Meet & Greet is RUN, RUN, RUN - Indoor Playtime on Thursday February 26th from 10-11:30am. E-mail us at info.markham@momstown.ca if you're not a member and would like to attend!!

A little BONUS perhaps?!

2009-02-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

So a couple of weeks ago we had a membership sale... and well, that wasn't enough for us here at momstown... we're now offering a FREE 2 Week Trial with sign up for the MONTH of February!! Why not? I mean, you get to come out to events for 2 weeks, check out the message board, and see what we are going to be offering in March... FREE for 2 weeks!Forward this great news on!!! Let all moms in on our sale!

Go to http://markham.momstown.ca and fill in your profile completely... we will activate you and you can start using the site immediately!

Please contact us if you have any questions at info.markham@momstown.ca

Safety Seminar and Mom and Tot Lunch!

2009-02-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

So yesterday we had our first safety seminar hosted by Shelley (Markham Community Manager) done by the YRP. It was absolutely amazing! Our moms left feeling well... scared but happy to learn how to better protect their homes. It's amazing what a quick hour seminar with the police can teach us about keeping our families safe. I know that I will be taking some extra procautions and changing a few things around my house!!!

We also had a mom and tot lunch today! Great goodness! We ate and laughed and watched our kids 'greet' other kids... lol my son in particular... he decided that he is the official welcome committee... (he's 1) and every person that walked near us got a "HI!" and a wave... his wave currently resembles that of the Queen... good fun!

If you're interested in joining momstown, please check out our site at http://markham.momstown.ca or email us at info.markham@momstown.ca! We would be more than pleased to send you any information you need!!!

Hope to see you around 'town' soon!

Tracey :)

Going winter crazy yet?!

2009-02-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...oh wait a minute...that was over a month ago!...so why is it still so blankety-blank cold and snowy out there?! I don't know about you, but I've had it up to here with snowsuits, boots, hats, mitts, and the associated screaming fits that go along with the aforementioned. Fortunately, momstown is here to provide some great indoor-entertainment for our little snow-angels, and a little mom-to-mom time to keep us sane!

If you haven't yet, you should go to our website and sign up for our monthly newsletter... and while you're there, why not enter into our monthly draw? Why not? You get a great read and the chance to win a great prize! Go to http://markham.momstown.ca and sign up now!

February is FAST approaching!

2009-01-29T13:07:00.001-08:00

So we're almost, ALMOST through January... have you had enough of the snow yet?! If you're like most moms who fear venturing out to the mall for sanity- why not come and join us here at momstown.ca? We have lots of great activites planned for February! We've got lunches and craft dates, indoor play time, a Valentine's day party, a safety seminar hosted by none other than our own YRP... and LOTs, lots more.

I was thinking about where I was a year ago- without momstown... and I realized how much I could have done and how many new friends I could have had- all people like me. New moms, pro moms who have 3 kids... moms like me. There's never an event that goes on without great conversation- we all have one thing in common. Our kids. Our number one priority. So, that said, come and try us out! We've got lots to offer- especially if you're sick of venturing out to the mall... lol you can only do that so many times in a week (trust me!).

Please contact us for our next meet and greet/public meet up in February!

info.markham@momstown.ca

momstown markham

Are You a Horse?

Is Time Outs a Waste of Your Time

Incredible Kids Shows LIVE at the RHCPA!

momstown, cheers to another fabulous year!

Wordless Wednesday - Summertime Twist, Guinness and Black please!

Have Baby? Will Travel!

wordless Wednesday - every colour has its place

Fisher Price - Luv U Zoo Musical Activity Gym

Fisher Price - Luv U Zoo Bouncer - Traveling Entertainment

Body Works - Rejuvenating Pick-me-ups

Cheers to the Green Smoothie

Hello from your *new* momstown Markham mama!

Exciting changes at momstown Markham

Easter Fun in Markham

It's officially SPRING!!!!`

Pancake Tuesday

Join Our Valentine's Party

Baby it's cold out there TAKE 2!!

Family Literacy Day - January 27, 2011

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas from momstown Markham

Halloween Fun

Lionel's Petting Zoo

A Heart Felt Good-Bye

Thanksgiving Fun

Milliken Children's Festival

Pinkalicious Playgroup

Prince and Princess Party

Kindermusik Fun

Happy Father's Day!

Tea Time

Coffee with Kim

A momstown Mother's Day in Markham

Visiting Jacqueline and Jeff on Daytime - York Region

Markham mom2mom Sale

Easter Fun

mama needs a break!

Weekly Playgroup.. have you been yet?

Get out of the cold... join us for some warm fun

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

All for the love of cookies.

Stop to smell the roses

Oh....the Holdiays!

Montly Meet & Greet New Location

A New Start

Shopping at Longo's Boxgrove

Halloween Fun

Weight Loss Challenge

Halloween or Christmas?

Meeting the momstown Markham memebers

Join us at the Fair!

there's a new mama in momstown Markham!

More Anniversary party Pictures!

August 2009 Meet & Greet

For the love of.... FALL

Now that was fun!

Markham's Anniversary Party is just days away...

and the monthly contest winner is....

Where is summer????

Happy Anniversary... Happy Anniversary....

Happy Birthday Canada!

And the Winner Is....

momstown mystery

Vote for us!

Summer Breeze....

and the winner is....

Another great reason...

Rain, Rain go away....

May is blooming with great events!

IT was the MANIA of all events!

MANIA... it's MANIA.... simply MANIA!!!!!!!!!

Excited yet?!

April's contest winner is....

momstown on Breakfast Television May 12th!

Amazing MANIA Door Prizes!

Spring time... flowers... birds... MANIA!

Co-Founder Ann-Marie Burton on Rogers TV today!

Moms Entrepreneur Night

Hello from your new momstown Markham mama!