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!

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!!!

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!

Grand Opening Launch Party!

The big day finally arrived and our Grand Opening Launch Party was a great success! With all the excitement in the community leading up to the event we drew in quite a crowd! There was stroller parking, but as you can see by the stollers in the picture there was a while there when the space allocated for strollers just was not enough! But, that didn't stop anyone! Moms with babes that ranged from 2 weeks to 5 years all came in to see what momstown was all about!





momstown Oshawa - Port Perry was celebrating with momstown Whitby - Ajax the opening of the two newest chapters of momstown.ca and Durham Region was SO ready for us! Nicole (left) from Whitby - Ajax and I from Oshawa - Port Perry were able to meet so many great moms and explain to them what makes momstown so fantastic! The response that we received was pretty much the same across the board - "When and where can I sign up?!"

While the kiddies got busy playing with blocks, puzzles, books, manipulatives, and a variety of art materials, moms had a chance to sit back and relax and talk to other moms!

Then, Keri-Ellen Walcer from MusiGo came!!! Everyone was very happy to see her! The kids loved the music and movement program that she was doing with them and were especially happy when she brought out some of her props! The children were able to wear animal masks and use musical instruments, there was ball play, 'Roll Play' (of course) and a whole lot of dancing!!!

Throughout the whole morning, our very special guest Bellybutton the Clown made the children and adults alike smile and laugh! She did some fabulous facepainting, made lots of children very happy with balloon animals, and told lots of jokes! Even children who thought they might be afraid of clowns, warmed up very quickly to Bellybutton! What's not to love?!

At the end of the day, all of the children went home with some homemade playdough and a recipe card so that they could make more at home with mom! Homemade playdough is the best because it's fun to make (and it doesn't take too long), it's all natural (so even the littlest babes who put everything in their mouths would still be safe to play with it), and it's an excellent fine motor, creative and sensory activity that's suitable for all ages (a perfect thing to get out when you want to get children of different ages to be able to play together)!

It wasn't just the children who went home with something, there was stuff for mom too! We did a contest for a bouquet from Bobbi's Cake Lollipop Shoppe, and gift certificates from FitMom, Once Upon a Child Ajax, and of course, momstown!!!

What a wonderful day! Thank you to all of the people who made this event the success that it was, and a very big thank you to Oshawa Centre who made it all possible! momstown Oshawa - Port Perry and momstown Whitby - Ajax are both so happy to hear that so many moms were able to enjoy their morning out and were given the opportunity, if they hadn't already done so, to sign up to become a momstown member so that they could get out like this more often!

If you missed the launch party, that's okay! There will be plenty more events coming up! Each chapter offers over 30 events per month to help get moms out of the house and connecting with other moms! There is always a wide variety of events on the calendar to suit every schedule and interest - but if there is something that is not on there that you would like to see happen, we are always more than happy to hear your suggestions and will do our best to accomodate them!

If you are the type of mom who just cannot seem to find the time to get out to events, we have a 24/7 online message board just for moms! This offers you the ability to connect with local moms right from your own home!

We also offer great member discounts and privileges that are momstown exclusive so that your membership will pay for itself, and then some!

If you are not a member yet, check us out now for your free 4 week trial membership! This offer is only good until the end of October and then we will be going back to the standard 2 week trial. So now is a great time to join the neighbourhood!

Hope to see you soon!

Lucky Winner of FREE One Year Membership!!!

Yesterday morning, we reached 50 members!!! Very exciting for momstown Oshawa - Port Perry and also for dtmitchell who was the lucky winner of our FREE One Year Membership! momstown loves contests, prizes and free stuff! That's why we won't be stopping here! Every month there will be a new contest posted up for momstown members, and every month another winner of a great prize! So if you`re not already a momstown member, be sure to register now!

Oshawa Ribfest!

What a beautiful day for this event! momstown Oshawa - Port Perry met up with momstown Whitby - Ajax to enjoy amazing award winning ribs, Dan the Music Man, and each other's company!!!

There was an overwhelming number of people making and selling delicious ribs as well as fries, blooming onions, pizza, ice cream, fudge, cotton candy, snow cones, freshly squeezed lemonade, just to name a few!

After getting a bite to eat, we enjoyed children's entertainer Dan the Music Man!! The older kids couldn't pull themselves from the stage show, while some of the younger ones enjoyed dancing and chasing bubbles!




My kiddo was having so much fun she didn't even want to take the time to stop for a photo with her mom! We spent so much time eating and enjoying the bubble dance party that by the time we were ready for the midway we were just too exhausted, so headed home for a much needed nap!

Oshawa Ribfest is still on tomorrow! So, if you haven't gone down yet, or want to go back again, go check it out! Admission and parking are free! You just have to pay for your ribs of choice! Also free... a guaranteed good time at beautiful Lakeview Park!!!

A Day at the Zoo!!

Today, momstown Oshawa - Port Perry teamed up with momstown Whitby - Ajax to conquer the Toronto Zoo! We were a little nervous in the days leading up to the exciting field trip we'd planned because the weather forcast was anything but promising. But it turned out to be an amazing day! The sun was shining and the air was just cool enough to get the animals up and moving around!

Our little monkeys, were able to get very close to their relatives! But most importantly, getting out to the zoo gave the little ones an opportunity to build friendships!

We saw lots of different animals! There were several favourites, but one of the best was the polar bears! We were amazed at their size and beauty, and just couldn't get enough!

So we decided to learn more about the "world's largest carnivore!" The zoo keeper showed us some polar bear hides that we were all eager to feel. Did you know that the polar bear's fur consists of underfur as well as hairs that appear white - tan but are really transparent?!

After we saw all the animals, and learnt a few things about them, it was play time!!! The Toronto Zoo has a great "Kids Zoo" with lots of cool things to do and discover!

We all had such a great time that we cannot wait for the next time that we can all get together for a fun-filled day out! The best news of all? With 25+ momstown exclusive events per month...it won't be long before we do!

FREE One Year Membership!!!

To help us celebrate the exciting launch of momstown Oshawa-Port Perry we have decided to give away a FREE ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP!!!





That's right! As soon as we hit 50 members a name will be drawn! You do not have to enter to win, you just have to sign up for a free trial membership and your name will automatically be placed in the draw.

momstown Oshawa-Port Perry launched just over 48 hours ago and we are already at 26 members - more than half way to that free membership!

So if you are a mom in Oshawa, Port Perry, Uxbridge or any of the surrounding towns and you haven't already registered at momstown Oshawa-Port Perry, why not? Get over there now and get signed up! momstown offers support, conversation and a whole lot of fun to neighbourhood moms!

With 25+ events every month, great member privileges and discounts, and a whole 'neighbourhood' of moms just waiting to connect with you, you have nothing to lose, and so much to gain!

For a limited time, momstown Oshawa-Port Perry will also be offering an extended free trial period! Instead of the usual 2 week free trial, we will be giving you 4 weeks! But this offer will only last for a short time! So register now! And tell your friends to join too!

See you around the neighbourhood soon! And good luck in the draw for the full year's membership FREE!

We have arrived!!!

Today is opening day for momstown Oshawa-Port Perry! We are so pleased to be able to say that we have arrived! The last three weeks have been full of excitement as we've prepared the website, planned our fun-filled September calendar of events, and gotten ready for this official launch!

Now, our message board is already getting people talking and getting moms connected for the support and companionship they have been looking for and our events calendar already has people signing up!

If you're a mom in Durham Region, or a surrounding community, head on over to our site and get registered! If you join us in the next 2 months, you will receive an extended Free Trial of 4 weeks! If you know a mom in Durham Region, spread the word of mom to her too! We don't want anyone to miss out on all the fun we're having!

momstown Oshawa-Port Perry has arrived!

momstown arrives in Oshawa - Port Perry!!!

Before becoming a momstown mama, I had a career that I loved, working as an Associate Director of a childcare centre. Watching children grow and develop, and being involved with the planning of an enriching program, was extremely rewarding. Even more rewarding however, was becoming a mom. My daughter Alyssa was born on March 25th, 2009. From that day forward, I knew that I would always be interested in working with young children and their families, but now my priority was to be a great mom!

I did go back to work after my maternity leave ended, but found great difficulty in working full time and making a long commute everyday. That's when I stumbled upon momstown and was shocked that I hadn’t heard of this fantastic way for moms like me to connect with other neighbourhood moms and talk about what's going on in our lives. With a monthly calendar packed full of exciting events and member discounts that I could really use, I wondered how I'd missed out on being a part of such a great opportunity sooner! I then realized that the reason I had not heard of momstown was that it had not yet reached my home town, and that is when I made the decision to open a chapter of momstown in Oshawa – Port Perry!

Finally, I've found the perfect balance in my life; an amazing family life and an exciting and fulfilling career. I am thrilled to be able to offer this amazing resource to moms in my community and to be able to tie in my love of enriching the lives of young children and their families with my desire to spend more time with my own child! I cannot wait to meet more moms in the neighbourhood and look forward to great conversation and support, and to all of the fun events where we'll make lasting friendships and memories!

Stay tuned for more details and updates as we approach the launch of momstown Oshawa – Port Perry, scheduled for late August, 2010!

Your momstown mama,

Nancy