Winter Wonderland Book Club at Indigo!

Today we had the pleasure of reading the Perfect Snow by Barbara Reid, our Scholastic book for the month. 

I hadn't had the chance to read the book before our Kids Book Club, so reading it with them was even more enjoyable as we got to experience it together. Barbara Reid is a fantastic story teller. We loved finding out how Scott and Jim started out working by themselves to make fantastic snow creations at recess, only to realize if they work together they can make the greatest snow creations as a team. Even the end of the book left it open for the kids imagination. Reading about snow forts and snowmen made me wish for a little bit more snow!

                                      Congratulations to our winner of this months book Paxton!

All and all we had a great time reading and playing at our local Indigo Store and cant wait till next month!

Your momstown Edmonton North mama Kandice

Fisher Price Space Saver Highchair!

We originally purchased a highchair for our son. To be honest we didn't put much thought into it. I started looking at the ones I thought looked the best rather than practicality. The one we ended up with is very big, and always in the way in our small kitchen. I cannot count the many times my DH and I have tripped, kicked and run into it. So when I got the chance to try out Fisher Prices' Space Saver High Chair I was super excited.

                Assembly was actually quite easy. The hardest part was fighting our lovely son for the pieces while putting it together. Before we attached it to our kitchen chair we sat him in the seat and tried out the seat and tray into the different positions that they sit in. The seat reclines which is great for an infant to just relax in the chair while you are in the kitchen or eating at the table. Also, if you have the seat reclined you can still have the tray on and move it to different positions, which is great! 

               We love the way that the seat is shaped like a bucket seat, it makes it harder for my son to try to climb out of or hang off the side, so I am noticing less food on the floor. The tray is also wonderful, it has deep sides so that food stays on the tray, even when our little one is swishing his food all over the place, and it wipes off very easily. 

            When the fabric on the chair got too messy, it was easy to remove and clean. I put it through the washer and hung it to dry, and it come out without a stain on it.  As mamas, who doesn't love something that doesn't stain easily?! Also we tried the chair without the fabric and it worked well that way, too. I would definitely recommend it to whoever is looking for a chair and wished we looked into this option before we got a huge highchair (which is now in the corner being used as storage). A great product, with so many great aspects!

Your momstown Edmonton North mama,

Kandice

Paper Bag Popcorn: Healthy Mommy Snacking Idea!

A while back I was discussing with a another mom about my family's love of popcorn. We use an air popper but once the baby is in bed it is a little loud and usually wakes him up. Then another mom brought this wonderful idea to light and we tried it last night and it is awesome! And for those of you who buy bags of popcorn, this way is just as easy and less expensive...and doesn't have anything added so it's healthier!

All you need is:

Popcorn Kernels

Brown Bag

Tape (to keep it shut)

Put about 1/4 cup of kernels in the unopened brown bag. Fold the end over and put a piece of tape to hold it closed.

Place the bag in the microwave so the bottom is facing up, so that it can expand. Time varies for every microwave. Start with 3 minutes and listen for the popping to decrease to two or three seconds in between pops.

Open carefully, it will be hot. Add popcorn toppers if you like them or eat it plain!

We will be doing this if we feel like popcorn while the baby is in bed. Another interesting idea that I will be trying will be popcorn french toast.  Brilliant! Another great idea shared between momstown mamas!
Thank you momstown member Vicky for passing this idea on!

Your momstown Edmonton North mama,

Kandice

Making a Crown with momstown!

Over the weekend the new Java Mama in St. Albert opened up and we were invited to host a craft on the Saturday morning. We had some momstown members join us and a few hopefully soon to be new members join us in making crowns! The crowns were simple to make and fun to wear. Here is a guide to make them at home.

Supplies:

coloured paper

scissors

glue stick or tape

foam stickers and jewels

Once you have decided on the colour of paper you want for your crown. Cut the paper down the middle with the design you want for the top of your crown.

Then match your two pieces together and cut a strip off the bottom. This will be for the inside of your crown so it doesn't slip down your head.

Now you will glue or tape both sides of the crown together, make sure you measure on your head so it is not too big or too small.

Then you will put on one of the strips that you cut off the bottom on the inside of your crown.

Now your crown is ready to be decorated!

For more crowns that you can make with momstown click here.

7 Signs of Mommy Aging

Since I got pregnant I’ve noticed that my body had changed quite a bit. Last week while I was watching T.V at my moms house, I noticed this one commercial played continuously about anti ageing creams and started wondering if it would fix all my mommy aging. By mommy aging I mean all the stuff I have really noticed that have changed since getting pregnant and having a baby. Now I am by no means considered `old`, only being 24, however some days I feel like I am falling apart at the seams. These are some of the signs of mommy aging:

1. My brain has left the building, I really wish it would come back! It is really needed. Simple tasks now elude me at the worst of times. I am really embarrassed to admit but more than once I have left the house with my clothing on inside out or completely backwards or inside out and backwards.
2. My bladder is faulty. Laughing, coughing, sneezing, cold weather, running water, even thinking about one of these has me running to the washroom. For the first time in my life when I go somewhere one of the first things I scope out is the bathroom, cause I sure don’t want to be caught in public doing a frantic pee dance looking for the washroom. So many times I have pulled up to my place, ran around the truck grabbed the baby and his seat and ran full tilt.
3. My tear ducts are leaky. I am sure there is a constant leak somewhere in there. There is no way a person should tear up as much as I do. I never know what is going to set me off. It is quite irritating, someone is telling me a funny joke and I start crying. Haha I swear what you are saying is funny even though my mascara is running down my face, tears of joy, tears of joy. There are many things that are a no go in my thinking process, baby, happy baby, sad baby, something sad, something happy, something hilarious (because then I will also have to find a bathroom), pretty much anything that causes me emotion.
4. My breasts hang low(er). My breasts came in quite fast when I was younger so they have never really been overly perky and now they definitely wont ever be perky again. This past week my much younger sister pointed this out to me in front of everyone including her much younger boyfriend. This didn’t embarrass me so much as remind me that I cannot leave my room with out a bra on. Every time she pointed this fact out to me I felt like belting out Do your boobs hang low do they wobble to and fro....
5. I snap, crackle and pop. In fact I snap, crackle and pop in places that I didn’t know made those types of noises. In public I am scared to move when it is quiet, you can hear me from a mile away. Hide and seek is definitely out of the question, the person who is `it` will know exactly what direction I am going.
6. My hair as seen better days. This is more me not putting any effort into my hair, but it counts right? Most days I can not even get a brush all the way through with out my little man going into hysterics. I have started relying heavily on pony tails and headbands. Which only makes me look younger than I am. Right now you are thinking how is that bad. It`s bad when I am asked where my parents are when I try to get a sample at the supermarket.
7. The worst of it all for me, major stretch marks. I am not talking about the those who only get a few, I am talking about my whole stomach looking like a saggy spiderweb. That last month of my pregnancy when the doctor said “wow, you have a lot of extra fluid” still rings in my head when I look at myself in the mirror. I will now never be able to wear a bikini. Not that I have ever worn a bikini, but now I don’t have that option available to me, it makes the potentially skinny me sad. Oh well I will just have to wear a normal one piece... what am I complaining about I am one of those people who put a shirt over my bathing suit.
   
   The list can go on and on, but I wouldn’t change anything. I love my little man and all the laughter he brings to my life!
   
   
   

Winter Wonderland Connect the Tots and Craft!

On Wednesday morning we had our Winter Wonderland themed Connect the Tots, and it was tons of fun! The kiddos had tons of fun playing together, and the mamas got plenty of time to relax and chat about...everything! A couple of the kids were even running laps-I'm pretty sure it was nap time for everyone when we got home. Even with all the running and playing, there was still time for hugs between kiddos. It was very cute, and reminded me why momstown is so great. The socialization our kids get at playgroups like this one is so great, and we get an excuse to get out of the house!

We did a Winter Wonderland Craft where we decorated a big letter "S" for snow. The kiddos really enjoyed it, and the mamas got creative too! If you missed out and want to make the craft (above) with your kiddos, all you have to do is cut out a big letter "S" grab some glue and crafty fun supplies (we used cotton balls, crafty eyes, foam penguins and snowflakes, and colouring supplies). And then let your kiddos use their imaginations to decorate! We hope to see you at our next Connect the Tots, it was tons of fun!

Your momstown Edmonton North mama, 

Amanda

Our trip on the Bus

While planning a trip to my moms in another city, my list of things to bring was quite extensive. I pretty much had to bring everything for my son because she hasn't had a baby around the house for 15 years. It was a lot to bring but I have a truck so I never really thought twice about it. That is until we started having troubles with the truck and it wasn't safe to go such a long distance by myself and the baby.So I started looking into alternatives to get to Calgary. My moms couldn't come get me, and flying is quite expensive. So the bus it was.

I was secretly dreading going on the bus. With the amount of stuff I had to bring and the 4 hour trip. I cringed every time I thought about it. I even considered not going...After purchasing my ticket online I felt a bit better. They now have it that if you purchase a ticket in advance it is quite cheap! It works out to almost half off. It only cost 30 dollars to go to Calgary.

Now to cram everything into two bags. Everyone is allowed one checked bag and a carry on. Everything after that is 10 dollars a bag. Hmmm... I have a playpen, booster seat , car seat, and all his other essentials. I figured it was a good thing that I got a good price on my ticket because I was about to have to pay for all this extra luggage. I have to tell you that I was pretty darn proud of myself when I got all our stuff into two bags and two carry ons (not stuffed to the brim I might add!) plus the playpen on the side and car seat. I am proud of myself because I am a terrible packer. I bring everything because I 'might need it' even though I haven't worn it in months.

When we get to the bus depot at 7 in the morning, all I keep doing is yawning. I go to get bag tags and I find out that all baby stuff is free, I don't have to pay extra baggage for it. All I can think is I could have brought more! Now I am even happier that I took the bus.

Now just the ride to get through. We haven't even gotten on the bus yet and he is crying and getting angry. I am getting impatient, I just want to get going, but they now do bag checks before you are allowed on the bus. I had all our stuff at the front so we could get on first and get settled before everyone got on. However once they did the bag check everyone rushed to the table and we were now last. Arg, to early in the morning for this! Luckily when you take a babe on the bus you get first class treatment! They still let me go on first and they took all my bags to the bus for me.

Logan ended up getting his own seat because the bus wasn't that full so early in the morning. So the drive ended up being a breeze. The lady behind us played peek-a-boo with him thought the whole trip. Logan was beyond excited to have his own seat. As we were pulling out of the depot he was bouncing in his seat laughing. I was also excited to find out that they now have plugins at every seat and free Wifi. I was so glad I decided to take the bus. It was a great price and the ride went more smoothly than I originally in visioned it going. I will definitely consider taking the bus again, although I do miss my truck.


Your momstown mama Kandice- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone