Goldfish Playdates at Purely Baby

Our first Goldfish playdate at the new Purely Baby started last week. This playdate is for moms and their babies 0 to 12 months old. It's a great way for moms to get out of the house, socialize and enjoy good company. And nobody has to worry about cleaning their house for friends to come over. Well, except Becky, the owner of Purely Baby!

We were some of the first in Winnipeg to see the brand new facility that offers prenatal and postnatal programs and resources for Winnipeg moms. It is a fabulous space. We loved the soft floors and bouncy balls. We pretty much stayed until we had to leave. What do you mean there's a yoga class after us?! :)

We are there once a week. If you are interested in joining this playgroup, you can register at momstown Winnipeg. Playgroups are included in your momstown membership!

Japanese Painting Workshop

One of the benefits of having an artist as a member is using her talent to teach the rest of us! Cathy, our very own in-house art teacher got together will a group of moms to teach them pseudo-rice paper Japanese style painting. 

It is super easy for anyone, even those with no background in art!

Keep an eye on the calendar! She's got more workshops in the works. 

Thanks again Cathy for hosting a fabulous workshop!

Clothing Swap

Have a lot of clothes that you want to giveaway but also need to update your own wardrobe? Host a clothing swap with your friends. The other week a bunch of momstown moms got together to swap clothes.

Initially we planned to use decks of cards to keep track of how many items we each brought, and we could 'buy' the same amount back. But after quickly realizing the excessive amounts of clothes we had (we love to shop!), we just decided to go at it. Everyone was of different shapes and sizes but there was still something for everyone. That's the benefit of having a swap with moms. We've all been different sizes at some point in the last few years. We also had accessories there.

To have a successful clothing swap have somewhere to hang some clothes and have some mirrors around the room. You may also wish to have private rooms or bathrooms for fitting rooms.

And what's a girls get together without food!

After we went through the piles of clothes we packed up the rest and donated the bags of clothes to Ka Ni Kanichihk which is an organization supporting Aboriginal women.  They were looking for clothing donations for their "My Sister's Closet" event on Jan 19th. They have an office administrative training program for women and in February the participants begin work placements and job interviews. We thought it was the perfect place to donate the clothing and accessories. We had quite a few business attire that would be much appreciated at Ka Ni Kanichihk. The clothing donations will be a big help for women prepare for the professional work environment.

Kids Book Club - Perfect Snow

This month we got together to read Perfect Snow by Barbara Reid, a favourite author in this household!

Perfect Snow is about two boys and their adventure with freshly fallen snow! Snow comes one night, and the next morning it's Perfect Snow for the schoolyard. Scott is making snowmen, and Jim wants to build the world's best snowfort. They find a way to work together to make a great creation from the perfect snow!

Winter Wonderland is our January theme at momstown, so this book was perfect! We made snowman for our craft and used some sugar to make snow on our art work. Nothing like a little mess and some good old fashion sensory play! Thanks to Chapters Polo for letting us make a mess of their place!

Congratulations to this adorable little tot who got to take home a copy of the book!

Kids Book Club - A Porcupine in a Pine Tree

This past month we got together to read a fabulous book called A Porcupine in a Pine Tree - A Canadian 12 Days of Christmas written by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Werner Zimmerman.

This is the classic 12 Days of Christmas, but with a Canadian twist! There are beavers, caribou, loons, and even Stanley Cups!

 For our craft we made Rudolph ornaments the keep with the theme of Christmas, and our monthly theme of R is for Rudolph! 

Thanks to Scholastics for sending us this fabulous book to read and giveaway! This mama has had to sing this book many times during the Christmas season. It was even brought out to sing at our Circle Time Nursery Rhymes playdate!

Announcing Our Meals4Mamas Program!

momstown Winnipeg announces the launched a new program called Meals4Mamas. 

Meals4Mamas is one of the benefits of being a momstown Winnipeg member. It provides an opportunity for our members to help one another out when they need it most. Who better to understand the struggles of a new mom then our own members! Meals4Mamas will provide your family meals every other day for two weeks. It is most widely used by our moms who just had babies; however, we will provide meals in the event of a death in the family or major surgery and need the extra assistance.  

Questions running through your head? Hopefully the answer is below:

1. How much time do I need to give the Meals4Mamas coordinator to set up meals?

While the more time, the better, it is understood that things happen and a moment’s notice is all that is given. If you know you’re having a baby, please try to email info.winnipeg@momstown.ca prior to your delivery so we are aware you’ll be in need of meals. If you are in need of meals for a death or illness in the family, then just let us know as soon as you can and we’ll do our best to get the meals set up right away.

2. If I’m on the Meal Maker list, how often do I have to prepare a meal?

You decide how often you can help. If you can make a meal on one of the requested dates, please do and if not, we will catch you next time.

3. What kind of meal should I prepare?

You will receive information about the family’s preferences and allergies when you volunteer to be a Meal Maker.  Please assemble a complete and balanced meal that is enough for the entire family plus leftovers. Some ideas: Chicken and rice casserole, broccoli, rolls, brownies; chili or soup, bagged salad, bread, cookies; barbeque chicken, green beans, baked potatoes, fruit salad

If you are expecting, please email info.winnipeg@momstown.ca.  We will send you a short questionnaire to fill out and then leave the rest to us!

Looking for Mamas who want to volunteer!

If you are interested in being a Meals4Mama Meal Maker, please email info.winnipeg@momstown.ca.  When a meal request is made, we will contact you with instructions.  

Thank you to all the volunteers who are making this program possible. After all, It Takes a Village to raise a child.

Calling All First Time Expecting Moms!

Are you a first time expecting mom living in the Winnipeg area? momstown offers a FREE membership until 1 month after your due date.