Picasso's Flowers!

Okay, okay. Those of you who are a member of momstown Oshawa - Port Perry know that we did not actually have an event named "Picasso's Flowers!", as I've titled this blog post, but we did however have two fantastic events in a matter of a couple of days and so I thought I would share the fun we had at both events all at once! :) Our "Picasso's Party" and our "Flowers" themed "Circle & Craft!"

At our Picasso's Party, we rolled out a giant piece of paper down the perfect hallway for this type of thing and got out pretty much every art material a kid could want. There were markers, crayons, glitter pens, and paint as well as glue and pom poms, feathers, pipe cleaners, sparkly beads, stickers, and sequins! The kiddies all had a blast decorating our large sheet of paper and also making some personal masterpieces to take home. Some of them made beautiful bracelets as well! A couple of the kids also tried out some really cool new crayons for the windows! It was a great time for all of the kids and the moms who got to socialize while the children were all so busy creating! I personally love this event (which we do on a monthly basis) as it gives the children an opportunity to be truly creative. There are no cut-outs or rules (other than no paint on the walls!) and the only expectation is that they have fun! The children can create like true little Picasso's!

At this month's Circle and Craft event, our theme was Flowers! We started out with a couple of stories about how flowers grow, then we sang a couple of songs and made some pretty flowers, and a vase to put them in!

The song that was the biggest hit this time was "I'm a Little Daisy", which is sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot".

I'm a little daisy

Tall and slim (stand on tiptoes)

Here are my petals (place hands on side of head & wiggle fingers)

Here is my stem (hold arms down at sides of legs)

When the sun comes up (make sun with arms)

And the rain comes down (flutter hands to floor like rain - end in crouching position)

I grow, grow, grow - up from the ground! (slowly raise up bringing hands over head)

The flower craft that was completed afterwards was a lot of fun too! First we took a piece of contruction paper and folded it in half, decorated one side, and then rolled it (and used staples to hold it) into a "vase". We then filled our vases with flowers! The flower was made with a coffee filter coloured with bingo dabbers (markers would work too) and the stem was a simple pipe cleaner pushed through the centre.

I hope everyone has fun singing and being creative at home too, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our next Picasso's and/or Circle & Craft event(s)!!! Check out our chock-full calendar and sign up! :)

Another Relaxing Mom's Night Out!

We do a lot of fantastic events! There are playgroups, educational circle times & crafts, themed parties, and we go skating and swimming and play in the snow, we always have a ton of fun with the kiddies! Last night though, was all about having fun with the mommies! No kids allowed! A wonderfully relaxing mom's night out!

We started out at Montana's in North Oshawa. What a great restaurant! The atmosphere is very warm and inviting, the staff are very friendly and welcoming, the service is quick and accurate, and the food is just unbelievably tasty! One of the mom's in our group actually works at Montana's and I asked her what she would recommend, what was really really good that I just HAD to order. After she named off more than half of the items on the menu, my decision wasn't made any easier. I ended up with the meatloaf, garlic mashed, and veggies all covered with gravy. It was to die for. Everyone else at dinner enjoyed their meals as well, without a single complaint. When our bills came, there was also absolutely no complaints as the prices are already very reasonable and momstown Oshawa - Port Perry also enjoys a discount of 15% off! A big thank you to Montana's for such a great experience!

After dinner, we all went over to the movies to see "The Dilemma". The movie was good and again, the company was great! The evening was a well-deserved break from a mom's regular schedule and routine, and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

If you would like to participate in our next mom's night out, or any one of our other events, be sure to sign up on our momstown Oshawa - Port Perry calendar!

Making Gingerbread Houses!

momstown Oshawa - Port Perry got together yesterday to make gingerbread houses! The kids were excited, and the moms were excited too! We got all the materials out and began the construction. They were looking fantastic, and although mom had to do most of this part, the kids were right in there, ready to help!

 

The instructions on the packaging suggested a wait time of approximately 30 minutes after building the house before decorating! But, we didn't wait at all! We didn't actually read this instruction until after the gingerbread houses were complete, but even if we had read it, can you imagine trying to tell a whole table full of preschoolers that they had to wait? Not after already tasting the yummy icing and candies! It would not have been an option! So we just went ahead and started adding the candy to the houses!

Everyone was working really hard!

The gingerbread houses were starting to look really great!

Until...they started falling apart! This is when the instructions were read! Who knew you needed instructions for gingerbread house building? Well, we hadn't waited for the icing to set before adding candy and so that could have been part of the problem, but the other part was that we didn't use Royal Icing to stick all of the walls together. We had decided to use regular icing because we had just used it a couple of days prior to construct a fantastic Rice Krispies Christmas Tree and it had held the Rice Krispies Tree together like glue! Again, maybe if we had just let it set, this would not have happened...

The little ones were upset at first, which of course is the worst! The last thing you want during a nice holiday tradition is tears! The tears never came though, the kid's all got over it quickly and decided to just go with it! There were a couple of houses still intact, but those that fell apart we simply improvised with!

The morning turned out to be great fun, with a lot of laughs! Memories were made and relationships were strengthened! Isn't that what the holidays are all about anyway? That's what momstown is about too!!!

After the Gingerbread Houses were finished being decorated, the children burnt off some of the their sugar high in the playroom while the moms enjoyed a nice hot cup of tea and shared a few more laughs!

For our next great adventure, that's not so much about the finished product, but more about the process and the memories created along the way, check out the momstown Oshawa - Port Perry calendar of events!

All That Glitters Christmas Party!

Saturday, December 11th, 2010 was momstown Oshawa - Port Perry's first annual Christmas Party! What a fantastic start to this new annual tradition! The party was open to all momstown Oshawa - Port Perry families, not just moms and kiddies! Dad's came out too! The event was held at Boston Pizza Oshawa where a special menu of All You Can Eat Pizza and Pop for $10 was offered! Rice Krispies also sponsored the event and so there were lots of yummy Rice Krispies square "presents" for the kids to snack on (although some couldn't help but snack on the Rice Krispies Christmas Tree as well). There was also a gift from Rice Krispies that was raffled off and won by one lucky mom who is sure to be baking up a storm with all the great items in the gift bag!

 As soon as the children arrived they went straight to work! They decorated cardboard gingerbread men with all sorts of creative materials including felt, sparkly beads, glitter glue, googly eyes, pom poms, stickers, foam shapes, sequins, ribbon, markers and more! They also made some more Glittery Snowflakes (as they had at our ornament making event earlier in the week) since they were such a hit the first time around! The children enjoyed them just as much this time! Also using the same idea as the Glittery Snowflakes, the children made Glittery Christmas Trees as well! Using a brown pipe cleaner as the trunk and bending it at the top to make a hook for hanging on the tree, these ornaments were easily made by using sparkly green pipe cleaner to wrap around the "trunk" to make the branches and then decorated with sparkly beads!

The children also had blocks and Christmas books available to them to play with on the floor to keep them busy!

As everyone gathered around to enjoy each others company, a very special guest arrived!

The children all took turns meeting Santa and telling him all about the things that they wished for, for Christmas!

Some children were a little too shy to sit on Santa's knee and so instead made it as close as they had to in order to receive their present! Even if Santa didn't get a hug or a high five, he still gave each child a brand new book wrapped up with a candy cane!

Then we had a special surprise visit from Boston Pizza's Lionel! Santa and Lionel gave each other a hug...

which was followed by some of the children giving hugs to Lionel...

and of course, more hugs for Santa!!!

Thanks again to Santa for taking time out of his hugely busy schedule to come see all the families of momstown Oshawa - Port Perry and for bringing all of the children presents!!! Also, to Boston Pizza Oshawa for providing us with a location and delicious Pizza lunch! And finally, to Rice Krispies for the tasty treats and special gift!

We were so thrilled with the excitement and fun surrounding our first Christmas Party! momstown Oshawa - Port Perry plans over 25 events per month to help get moms out of the house and meeting new moms, but it is always the bigger events like this that really bring families together! Thanks everyone for coming out and participating in this event! Hope to see you all again next year...and some new faces too!

Christmas Tree Ornament Making

Everyone loves homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments made by children! They are so sweet and give any Christmas tree a little extra love! momstown Oshawa - Port Perry children got busy at a full morning of ornament making. They made Silver Bells, Rudolph the Red Nose Candy Canes, and Glittery Snowflakes!

The Silver Bells were made by using the little cups of an egg carton, wrapping them in tin foil and then poking a hole in the top for a pipe cleaner to go through. Attach a little bell to the pipe cleaner and you've got a shiny little Christmas bell ornament for your tree that really jingles!

Next we made Rudolph Candy Canes. Start with a candy cane and wrap a brown pipe cleaner around the top and twist it so it stays put, then you can bend the pipe cleaners to make the antlers look just how you'd like them. Get a couple of googly eyes and stick them on the candy cane along with a red pom pom to make Rudolph's nose (an adult is required for this as you will need a glue gun to make the pom pom stick). Finally, tie a another pipe cleaner, or a pre-made little red bow, around the reindeer's neck and you are done!

Glittery Snowflakes were the final craft of the morning and likely the most enjoyed! We took a couple of glittery pipe cleaners and cut them in half so that they were not so long, tied three of the short pieces around each other at the middle to make a six pointed snowflake and then had the children put glittery beads onto the pipe cleaner. Children of all ages love this and it keeps them very busy as they pick out their favourite colour of beads and concentrate on their hand eye coordination getting them onto each point of the snowflake. A great craft for at home on a cold, snowed-in day!

 

For all those moms out there that were not able to join us on our Ornament Making morning, be sure to stop by the local dollar store and pick up a few supplies of your own! These ornaments will look great on your own tree and are perfect for attaching to a grandparent's gift! 

momstown Oshawa-Port Perry is always making fun crafts that are great for keeping preschoolers and toddlers busy. If you are already a member, that's perfect, sign up for the next crafting event on our calendar and you won't have to worry about thinking of a great developmentally appropriate craft or purchasing all the materials - momstown covers that for you - all you have to do is sign up and join in the fun!

Cookie Recipe Exchange

mmm.... It has to be one of the best things about the season! Christmas Baking is such a great tradition. It always reminds me of my childhood, and I love that I can now make wonderful childhood memories for my own children, or child as it is.

This Christmas season, momstown Oshawa - Port Perry thought it would be a good idea to get together for a morning with the kiddies and share some of our delicious treats with each other. We have all been super busy, as is everyone during this time of year, and so we decided not to do a full Cookie Exchange in the traditional sense where each attendee brings dozens of cookies (one for each of the other participants). No, instead we decided to each just bake one batch of our favorite holiday treat and bring it for everyone to share. We tasted several goodies and then simply exchanged our recipes!

There were several really, really good recipes! I wanted to post them all because a great recipe really should be shared. I've decided against it however, given that I too am very busy during this time of year and currently need to get back to the kitchen to bake up some more of these delicious new recipes that I've added to my collection. I will share just one with you though as it is very festive...

Candy Cane Fudge

2 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg (510 g) Pillsbury* Refrigerated Chocolate Chip or Chocolate Chunk Cookies, cut into small chunks
2 bags milk chocolate chips
3 tsp peppermint extract

• In 3-qt (3L) heavy saucepan, cook corn syrup, butter, salt and condensed milk over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until well blended. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cookie dough chunks. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
• Stir in chocolate chips and peppermint extract until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Cook over low heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is shiny. Spread in ungreased 9x13-inch (22x33-cm) rectangular baking pan. Top with crushed candy cane.
• Refrigerate uncovered 2 hours or until firm.

Please enjoy as much as I have!  For more tasty recipes to use for your holiday baking and throughout the year, check out the momstown meals blog! And, definitely be sure to remember to sign up for the momstown Oshawa - Port Perry Cookie Recipe Exchange in 2011. Not only were new holiday treats tasted, but new friendships were built as well!

momstown Fun at Airzone!!!

Yesterday morning, momstown Oshawa - Port Perry members spent a morning out at Airzone Party & Play Centre!!! It was the first time that any of us had ever been. Most of us had never even heard of Airzone! It is tucked in behind the back of a building on Bloor Street in Oshawa, where none of us had ever noticed it. But through a desperate search to find an indoor playground in the area, to give the kids something to do over the next cold couple of months, we stumbled upon it and we're so glad we did! The second we walked in the door, we could feel the excitement building in the children! With all the bright colours and endless amounts of things to do, they were all just itching to go play!

The children played for hours in the many jumping castles, the blown-up maze, the balls, the arcade, and with the many floor toys that were available for little ones and for those who shy'd away from the bigger fun! It was fantastic because us moms were able to sit and relax while enjoying a delicious homemade muffin and bottomless coffee or tea (which was offered for the low price of $2). Everyone had such a great time we are definitely sure to return on a regular basis!

momstown Oshawa - Port Perry members are going to receive a discount at Airzone that can be used not only at momstown events, but also when you want to go as a family or just need to get out of the house for a change of scenery! Although, if you'd like some company, just mention on our message boards that you are going to make a trip and you're sure to have some other moms wanting to meet up with you! You will need to show your member ID card and some conditions will apply! Please check out our member discount directory for more information!

Picasso's at My House or Your House?

"Picasso's in the Park" is a famous event held at all 18 chapters of momstown.ca that involves, you guessed it, art activities in the park! It is so much fun for kids of all ages to be given the chance to get creative, make beautiful masterpieces, and sometimes, get a little messy! Children work on many areas of development including cognitive, fine and gross motor, and social emotional (a big one for the kids and moms)!


With this cold weather we are now getting, and with the end so very far in sight, momstown Oshawa - Port Perry decided to bring "Picasso's" inside! In the spirit of November's theme, "My House, Your House" momstown members were given the opportunity to host the event! momstown brought all of the art supplies including paper, paint, markers, crayons, modelling clay, scissors, pipe cleaners, pom poms, sparkles, stickers, glitter glue, foam letters and numbers, feathers and glue.

The kids got busy, and yes - a little messy! But they all had fun, including some of our younger members who watched from the sidelines with a huge smile!

After the little "Picasso's" were finished creating, they did a little role playing, building with blocks and worked on a couple of puzzles! The hostess' home was one of all girls, but even the boys enjoyed the princess stuff! ;)

"Picasso's at My House or Your House" was so much fun, momstown Oshawa - Port Perry will be sure to put it on the calendar monthly until our beloved "Picasso's in the Park" returns!

Boston Pizza Field Trip!

Boston Pizza Oshawa North opened up their doors early, exclusively for momstown Oshawa - Port Perry!!! Not just for lunch but for a fun filled morning! As we arrived, we were greeted with a hugely warm welcome and offered complimentary coffee or tea - a MUST HAVE in every moms morning! The tables were all set up for us with colouring sheets, crayons, and balloons! The children all kept busy with these items and watched some cartoons that were so thoughtfully being shown on the TV's throughout the restaurant that are typically on the sporting channels. Then out came Lionel, that "rumble in your tummy when your hungry" mascot!



The children's jaws dropped and their eyes were like saucers! They were in amazement for quite some time and then couldn't get enough hugs, hand shakes and high fives! Lionel was kind enough to give us a full tour of Boston Pizza and the children had a blast on our little parade! The most popular stop on our tour? You guessed it! The kitchen!!!

The children all lined up and one-by-one they got to make their very own personal pizza!

The kids got to put on their own sauce and spread it around with the big spoon, then sprinkle just the right amount of cheese on it, and pick their favourite toppings to finish it off! They each carried their pizza over to the big oven and watched as it went in to be cooked.

When we got back to the table, the pizzas started coming out right away and the fantastic staff at Boston Pizza took all the kiddies drink orders! They all ate for free at this special event courtesy of Boston Pizza Oshawa North, and as they were eating mommas got a chance to look through the menu!

Most moms stayed to order lunch for themselves too, so that they could take advantage of our great momstown Oshawa - Port Perry exclusive member discount of 15% off!!! Just another great perk to being a momstown Oshawa - Port Perry member! So the kiddies ate their dessert while mommies ate their lunch and started planning their next visit to Boston Pizza Oshawa! As we were leaving, the children were offered the balloons to take with them and given a colouring and activity book courtesy again of Boston Pizza!!! WOW! What a fantastic morning at a truly fantastic restaurant!!!

Halloween Boo Bash!

Our little goblins couldn't wait until the 31st to start celebrating! The day before Halloween, all the little momstown ghosts and goblins came out! Actually, there were no ghosts or goblins but lots of cute animals, a couple of witches, a sheriff to keep us all in line and a pumpkin, of course! :)



Other than when the kiddies got over-heated and sick of photos, everyone had a great time! It was so nice to see all of the children playing so nicely together and all the moms chatting.

The Mamas & Chicks Show

On Friday, October 22nd, momstown Oshawa-Port Perry and momstown Whitby-Ajax teamed up yet again to be part of The Mamas & Chicks Show!

As sponsors of the show we were very excited! We arrived very early to get our table all set up for big day! We had the opportunity throughout the day to meet many new moms and moms-to-be and tell them about all the wonderful things momstown can bring them!

We accepted payment for membership as well as took many new registrations for our four week free trial! It was a great day! Thanks Mamas and Chicks!

If you missed the show, you can still get on our site and register! We will still be honouring the four week free trial period until the end of the month! Beginning November 1st, our trial period will be reduced to two weeks!

momstown music & movement - Spiders & Bats

On Tuesday morning, momstown Oshawa - Port Perry gathered at the Port Perry United Church for another great momstown member exclusive event! "momstown music & movement" is a monthly themed event at which we sing some songs, read some stories, and get busy making crafts all while having fun and making friends!



This month's theme was a fitting "Spiders & Bats"! We talked about Hallowe'en, what we'd like to dress up as, where we'd like to go trick or treating, and what creepy things scare us!



The children really enjoyed story time and the book "The Busy Spider" by Eric Carle. This isn't actually a Halloween story, but it has a spider in it and that was good enough for the kids!

It wouldn't be a momstown event without some great art activites to keep the kids busy! After circle time, the children made some Halloween decorations - creepy crawly spiders and oh-so-cute handprint bats!

The mommys loved that the kiddies were busy and that they were all wore out by the end of the morning! Ready to head home to decorate the house for halloween before settling down for a nice, long nap (hopefully)!

Want to sing momstown Oshawa - Port Perry's favourite Halloween song at home?

If you'd like to join in the momstown music & movement fun, you need to first make sure you've joined the momstown Oshawa - Port Perry neighbourhood!

Oshawa Centre FUN!!!

On Thursday, October 14th, momstown Oshawa-Port Perry went to see Toopy & Binoo from Treehouse Live at Oshawa Centre!!! This was a free family event for all and WOW did the community LOVE IT! There were actually four shows Thursday at 11 & 2 and Friday at 11 & 2. I'm not sure if it was because we were at the very first show, or if Toopy & Binoo always pull in this size crowd, but it was packed! We knew ahead of time that it would be busy, so we arrived an hour before the show with lots of toys and snacks to keep the little ones happy and we waited. It was tough, but finally the hour passed and the show started! The kids all dropped their jaws in amazement and admiration and the fun began!

This is just one of the many great family events at Oshawa Centre. There seems to always be something fun going on and momstown Oshawa - Port Perry is sure to be there for all the excitement! momstown members have also been regularly visiting the mall for monday mall marathons to keep us active even on cool and rainy days, book club meetings to help moms socialize and work on getting rid of that "baby brain", and new member meet n' greets to get moms out of the house and meeting new moms, and that's just to name a few!