Baby Basics: Babies Beating The Drum!

This past week at our momstown Baby Basics the babies got their groove on. Michelle from Prelude Music came by to talk about the benefits of introducing music at a young age and our babies got to play with instruments and we sang songs.

First off, Michelle has a voice! Oh my, what a voice. And what I really liked was that she sang different songs, not the typical nursery rhymes that we all know and love but if you hear The Wheels on The Bus one more time you will throw the CD out the window. You know!!

She also incorporated their names into the music and really paid one on one attention to each child. It intrigued them all and they were very focused on the session.

They even played with the guitar!!

We had a wonderful time. Michelle is not only fabulous with kids but so knowledgable about music. Michelle is both a Canadian accredited (MTA) and an American certified (MT-BC) music therapist. She has specialized training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), which can assist those individuals who have rehabilitation and/or neurological needs as well as Neonatal Intensive Care Music Therapy (NICU), assisting premature infants and their families.

You can check out Prelude Music's summer schedule on their website at http://www.preludemusic.ca/ or you can visit them at 1700 Corydon Ave. Summer session starts soon, so hurry. They offer programs for children of all ages. The perfect way to keep your little ones busy this summer.

Come help us celebrate momstown's 5th Birthday!

WE ARE HAVING A PARTY AND EVERYONE IS INVITED!

If you thought last years birthday celebration was a Blast......

you're going to be BLOWN AWAY by the party we've got planned for our 5th year celebration!

When: August 19, 2012

Where: Earl Grey Community Centre

Address: 360 Cockburn Street North

Winnipeg, MB  

Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm 

National sponsors such as Today's Parent, Kids CBC, Scholastics, Fisher-Price, Britax, Melitta, ConAgra will all be there to help make this our BIGGEST BASH yet!

That's just the start! We have tons of local businesses sponsoring the event such as Nest Family Centre, Two Rivers Chiropractic Centre, Prelude Music, Consumer Care Maid Services, Baby Butz Cream, Hair Do Zoo, Cake-ology Gabrielle Touchette Photography, Eye Impact Face Painting, Par-T-Perfect, Exhale Dance Studio, Booster Juice, Tim Hortons Community Cruiser and more!! 

There are more in the works too. Follow us on Facebook for updates on our sponsors, including awesome prizes and activities!

There will be lots for everyone to do. Demos (like music, baby massage, kids dancing, nutrition), circle time including songs, parachute play, crafts, a play zone, science & discovery zone, loot bags (to the first 100 guests) , door prizes and a cake cutting ceremony (courtesy of Cake-ology). We will also have a Nursing Station (courtesy of Nest Family Centre) for our moms and a Baby Changing Station (courtesy of Baby Butz Cream) for the wee little ones.

Let us know you're coming by signing up today on our momstown Winnipeg Facebook Fan Page - A great way to keep up with all of the latest and greatest announcements leading up to the main event! 

Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/momstownWinnipeg

It's a month long celebration across Canada with parties taking place in:

If you're a business and would like to help us celebrate please contact us at advertising.winnipeg@momstown.ca for details of our sponsorship packages. Spaces are limited!

Hope to see you there!

Old MacDonald Had a Farm....

This month's theme was loads of fun! On the farm couldn't have come at a better time. My son is just learning to talk and learn about animals and the sounds they make.

This month at our Tales for Tots we read this adorable finger puppet book. You may of heard of it before? Old MacDonald Had a Farm is a fun, interactive finger puppet book that got all the kids oinking, mooing and giggling.

Scholastics sent us a copy of this book to give away and one lucky tot got to take it home!

We of course sang the classic song, Old MacDonald Had a Farm and we talked about all the things you can find on a farm, like trackers, barns, cows, pigs, cats and more!

After the toddlers got to do a fun craft using their foot for the base of the tractor. It was little messy but fun! It's a great craft for kids to practise cutting and pasting.

Check out how to make this craft here.

Our infants sat around while the big kids got their craft on!

Thanks to Scholastics for sending us this adorable book and for Chapters Polo for having us again!

On The Farm Birthday Party

We celebrated Calista’s second birthday today! I love party planning and I’ll be honest, I’ve been brainstorming party ideas since well before her first birthday.  My husband said that I’m not allowed to start planning her third birthday until two months before. Little does he know the power of ideas that flow from Pinterest!

I chose to put together an On the Farm/Barnyard themed party. Calista enjoys making various animal noises and pointing out different animals. During a bike ride through Birds Hill Park, she was in awe when she saw horses up close. My childhood summers were also spent on my grandparents’ farm in Saskatchewan and I have very fond memories of being on a farm. All in all, it was the great theme to choose!

The food table:

• Napkins and cutlery were wrapped to look like carrots. I wrapped orange napkins around green cutlery and secured it with green ribbon. 

• I found the pony cake on the Betty Crocker website and printed off the template to cut out the shapes.  After the cake was baked and cooled, my husband helped me assemble and my mom and I decorated the cake.  It was a bit of a rushed job since the assembly and decoration started about 40 minutes before people arrived (note to self for next year: allocate more time for cake decorating).  

• For beverages, I served Moo Juice (chocolate milk) and well water (not really well water). 

• I made cute little signs with cardstock, markers and popsicle sticks describing things that are found on a farm.  There was a vegetable patch, a fruit orchard, hay, and tractor wheels.  Pretzels were used for the “hay” and wraps (because they are round) were the “tractor wheels”. 

• Baskets are found all over farms so it was fitting to carve one out of a watermelon and put the birthday girl’s initials on it. 

For decorations and invitations, we kept things very simple.  I purchased barnyard themed invitations along with the matching decorations from the store, Party Stuff.  The decorations contained 5 different cardboard cut-outs of various farm animals that I placed around the room in addition to the one balloon that came with the set.  Easy peesy!  As a thank you for coming to Calista’s party, I gave her little friends a book and stickers to do with “farms” that I purchased at Dollarama.

The activities that I planned were very age appropriate for Calista and her buddies.  We blew bubbles, sang Old McDonald Had a Farm and I read the story Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton.  A fellow momstown momma gave me some cardboard cut-outs of barnyard animals that she used for one of her child’s birthdays.  I glued popsicle sticks on to them and created props to go along with Old McDonald.  I loved watching my husband use the props (his inner child has really come alive a lot more in the past two years!).  

The party was two hours long starting at 11am which was a perfect time to do everything that I had envisioned and the kiddos were more than ready for nap time (mom and dad too!).  The barnyard theme gave me a chance to be creative and to create some wonderful memories and pictures that I can look back on in the years to come.  It was a wonderful party spent with loved ones!

This article was written by our guest blogger Christina, who sure knows how to throw a party! 

List of Toxic Chemicals in Your Home!

The Problem - Dozens of Toxic Chemical in Our Bodies

The #2 cause of death for 5 - 9 year old children, in Canada and the USA, is CANCER and it is not because they smoke cigarettes! This seems odd until you realize that the concentration of toxic chemicals is very high in children.

The Centre for Disease Control says most children and adults carry dozens of pesticides and toxic compounds in their bodies that are found in consumer products. Many are potential health threats.

Over 80,000 chemical compounds are commonly used in the products we buy! Many of these chemicals are responsible for causing health problems in children and adults such as;

• Cancer

• Asthma

• Bronchitis

• Emphysema

• Allergies

• Sterility

• Birth Defects

• Brain Damage

• Eczema

• ADD

This is just a partial list of possible health problems caused by things we are commonly using in our homes!

Fifteen Hazardous Household Chemicals

1. Air Fresheners

• Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen.

• Phenol: Skin swelling, burning, peeling, and hives. Causes cold sweats, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma or death.

2. Bleach

• Strong corrosive. Can irritate or burn skin, eyes and lungs. Can cause pulmonary edema, vomiting and coma if ingested. Don't mix bleach with ammonia, the fumes can KILL you.. 

3. Ammonia

• A volatile chemical that can damage your eyes, lungs and skin.

4. Carpet Shampoo

• Perchlorethylene: Carcinogen which damages the liver, kidney or nervous system.

• Ammonium Hydroxide: Corrosive. Irritates eyes, skin and lungs.

5. Dishwasher Detergents

• With concentrated dry chlorine is reported to be the biggest cause of child poisonings..

6. Drain Cleaner

• Lye: Caustic. Burns the skin, eyes. Internally it will damage the esophagus and stomach. 

• Hydrochloric Acid: Corrosive. Damages eyes and skin. Will damage the kidneys, liver and digestive tract. 

• Trichloroethane: Eye and skin irritant, nervous system depressant. It can also damage liver and kidneys.

7. Furniture Polish

• Petroleum Distillates: Highly flammable. Can cause skin and lung cancer. 

• Phenol: Skin swelling, burning, peeling, and hives. Causes cold sweats, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma or death.

• Nitrobenzene: Easily absorbed through the skin, extremely toxic

 8. Mold and Mildew Cleaners 

• Sodium hypochlorite: Corrosive. Irritates or burns skin and eyes and causes fluid in the lungs and can cause a coma or death. 

• Formaldehyde: Causes cancer. Irritantes eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Can cause nausea, headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, memory loss and loss of breath.

9. Oven Cleaners

• Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): Caustic. Causes burns to both skin and eyes. Inhibits reflexes. Causes severe tissue damage if swallowed.

10. Antibacterial Cleaners

• Triclosan: Skin absorption can cause liver damage.

11. Laundry Room Products 

• Sodium or Calcium Hypocrite: Corrosive. Irritates or burns skin, eyes and lungs. 

• Linear Alkylate Sulfonate: Skin absorption can cause liver damage.  

• Sodium Tripolyphosphate: Irritates skin and mucous membranes. Causes vomiting.

12. Toilet Bowl Cleaners 

• Hydrochloric Acid: Highly corrosive., irritant to both skin and eyes. Damages kidneys and liver. 

• Hydrochloric Acid: Corrosive. Damages eyes and skin. Will damage the kidneys, liver and digestive tract. 

13. Pesticides 

• Dimpylate: (Diazinon), Extremely toxic. Impairs the central nervous system. 

• Chlorinate Hydrocarbons: Suspected carcinogen and mutantagen. Accumulates in food and in fatty tissue. Will attack the nervous system. 

• Organophosphates: Toxic and poisonous. If you can smell it, your lungs are absorbing it.

14. Flea Powders

• Carbaryl: Very toxic, causes skin, respiratory and cardiovascular system damage. 

• Chlordane: Accumulates in the food chain, may damage eyes, lungs, liver, kidney and skin. 

• Dichlorophene: Skin irritation: May damage liver, kidney, spleen and central nervous system.

15. Lice Shampoo 

• Lindane: Inhalation, ingestion, or absorption through the skin causes vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and circulatory collapse. May cause liver damage, stillbirths, birth defects and cancer.

The Solution

Naturally Based Products

Replace the products with toxic chemicals with natural alternative products such as Melaleuca products. This is easier and less expensive than most people think.

For more information, contact me:

Dianne Gray-Wysocki
204-257-6140
wysocki@mts.net

Educating Consumers to Make Wiser Choices
http://saferforyourhome.com/

This article was written by Dianne Gray-Wysocki of safeforyourhome.com

Kidsfest 2012 - Children’s Festival celebrates 30 years

Kidsfest 2012 is happening June 7 to 10, 2012 at The Forks. An interactive, life-like Dinosaur Petting Zoo, a plate-spinning comedic waiter, international children’s stars Fred Penner and Al Simmons, and a group of singing “baboons” are among the headliners of Kidsfest taking place. Check out all the performers here.

Kidsfest also presents more than 24 lively hands-on activity centres where kids can play with clay, make a kite, try on costumes, create a pair of wings, make crafts like necklaces and paper bag puppets and go “critter dipping.” All activities listed here.

Advanced general public tickets are $14 each or $48 for a family pack of four. Gate prices are $16 each or $56 for a family pack of four. You can save on the gate prices by getting your advance tickets at all Winnipeg Safeway locations in early May.

Children under two are free, and kids under 12 only need to pay once for the entire four day festival, provided they keep their wristbands on. Kids’ wristbands can be exchanged daily at the box office.

For more information visit Kidsfest at http://kidsfest.ca

Motherhood: Finding You Again

This year has been life changing to say the least. A second child, new career, moving again, all while trying to be a good mother, wife, daughter, sister and person. These life changes were a trigger to depression. I seen it a mile away and could only ignore it for so long. I tried to cry for help, but it took a while to get my point across. Maybe I wasn't crying loud enough. Maybe I wasn't yelling loud enough. Or maybe my family couldn't read my mind like I thought! What do you mean guys can't read our minds?!?! In the end I learned that it was up to me to pick up my feet and get the help I needed.  Telling your family you think you have PPD is one of the hardest things you ever have to do.

I read the parenting books. I read up on articles on making decisions on becoming a SAHM or going back to work after my maternity leave was up. Early on in my career I knew I wanted to stay home with the kids for a few years before going back to work. That decision was easier said then done. I fell in love with momstown. It was a life saver to me and I wanted to help others. I knew this was just what Winnipeg needed. I had always dreamed of being an entrepreneur too, so I was excited to take on this opportunity.

So my plan to be a SAHM went on hold. I now have two jobs. I'm a work at home mom running a very busy and growing business. Plus I still have my son at home during the days. Juggling kids and work is a challenge!

What I didn't realize was the fight I'd have in my head with being happy at home raising the kids and trying to run a business. My husband and I are sacrificing a lot in order to do this. Being a SAHM and a WAHM is a sacrifice financially and emotionally. Heck, having kids is a sacrifice! We don't go on fancy holidays. We don't go to concerts. Fine dinning now consists of Perkins - did you know kids eat free on Mondays and Tuesdays?!?! I now trim my own hair. I visit the salon once a year. Here's a tip to moms on a budget - don't colour your hair lighter. Roots show up before your budget allows you to go to the salon to touch it up. But it's worth it right? I'm at home with my kids. My job has flexible hours. I am fortunate to have a husband that has a successful career so I even have this option. Yes, I know I'm fortunate!

So why do I have this guilt? Why I'm I stressed right out? Why am I not happy? I wish I had the answers. I wish this article was about tips for moms going through similar struggles on what to do with your life. All I can say is motherhood hit me with a ton of bricks. Did you read my blog on Motherhood: Perception vs Reality?

I feel guilty that my dreams affect my husband. We can't even afford for him to travel and see his brother get married. Because of my dreams to be a SAHM and an entrepreneur. I haven't bought my husband a present for his birthday in three years. Oh no wait, two years ago he got a bag of his favourite chips from our daughter.

I DO KNOW that the guilt will never leave. Have you ever sat there, spaced out on the couch, having an entire conversation with yourself in your head. Rationalizing the two sides. I call it Mama Guilt Syndrome. Some of us have a more severe case then others. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'm a 9. I use to be a 10. I now leave the house without the kids and go on dates with my husband without panicking for leaving the kids in the care of someone else. But on a daily basis I still have a conversation in my head about my personal life. If I go back to work (outside of the home) we'd have a lot more money but I'd feel guilty for sending the kids off to daycare or guilty for working long hours. If I don't have the business and just focus on the kids I would have a personal guilt of losing my skills and falling behind in my career. I do hear with time the mama guilt begins to fade...... I look forward to my 40s.

Motherhood is not easy. We hear of the challenges of raising kids, dealing with tantrums, dealing with diaper rash, getting them to sleep through the night, deciding on a parenting method, the list goes on and on. But deciding what to do with our lives isn't a big topic. Why? It's probably one of the most important and a big factor in PPD. We put our careers on hold for our children. We put our lifestyles on hold...... actually we change our lifestyles! I'm sporting sneakers and tights now, not heels and dress pants. My lunch consists of drive-thu at Wendy's while the kids are passed out in the back seat, not lunch with my coworkers on the patio at Earls. I drive a mini-van!

So what is in store for me? I don't know. I have a fight in my mind on a daily basis on what to do with my life. What do I want to be when I grow up? How do I get the old me back? I feel like I'm defined by motherhood now. It is a personal journey that I'm going through and will take time to work it's way through. Just like every other mother out there is going through their own personal journey, making life decisions that no longer just affect themselves.

What I can say is my life is definitely not boring! It's just different. Instead of late nights, fancy dinners, last minute seat sale vacations and sleeping in until noon, it's playing in a sandbox, watching my son take his diaper off and eat his own poo (yes that DID happen) and watching my kids take their first steps and speak their first full sentence. It's these moments when the world around me stops and my life feels balanced. I have a three year old and a one year old to thank for that. These little wonders define the small moments in my life.

Motherhood is more then just raising kids. It's about finding a balance of raising a family, being the wife your husband fell in love with, being the friend your best friends laughed with during those late night girls night outs, following your values without letting the latest parenting trend make you question your decisions and making changes without sacrificing your happiness.

So to all the mothers out there struggling with their journey, remember you are not alone. Seek out a friend, vent on the momstown message board or talk to your partner or mom. It will all work it's way out, and while you are figuring out which path to take, remember to sit back and enjoy those moments when the world around you stops and your life feels balanced.