Archive for the ‘parent’ Category
Congratulations to the Newmarket La Leche League for completing a lovely calendar.
Their mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support,
encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
This calendar will help new moms in our area with the support. To purchase for only $15 please email Denise.
HUGE CHILDREN’S CLOTHING, TOY AND EQUIPMENT SALE
Saturday September 26th, 2009
11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
The Aurora Child Care Centre
185 Industrial Parkway North, Aurora
Looking for clothing, toys or equipment for your children? Bring a friend and look over our selection of gently used articles at exceptional prices.
*CASH ONLY*
Our friends at the La Leche League let us know that they have produced a calendar that will be avaiable soon. They are $15 and avaiable in October. A nice way to support the local La Leche League group who offers advice & support for breastfeeding mothers and families. To order email Denise or check out their Facebook page.
In this day and age of computer games and television, some fun kids outdoor games and activities are what we need to get our kids physically fit and active.Kids these days are hooked on to Television and Video games. A little bit of fresh air can provide huge health benefits. Here are some fun games and outdoor activities for children that your preschooler will enjoy.
1. Have a neighbourhood Bug or Insect Hunt
Here is an outdoor activity for a warm sunny afternoon. When you are out on a neighbourhood walk with your little one, try this game. Its easy to begin by trying to find simple things like “Who can point to a birds nest first?” Simple games like this one are enough to get a preschooler all excited
2. Create your very own Story book
This one can be as good a fun educational activity as one of a fun kids games.Let your child know that you plan to make a story book. Let them have some crayons, paper or pictures and you can ask them to do some coloring and drawing. You can then cut and paste the pictures in a book.And once finished with pasting the pictures, ask your little one what the story behind the pictures is and then you can write the story for them in the book under each picture.You can even use old magazine cut outs and paste it and make the story book with your little one.
3. Have a Play dough making afternoon -Make your very own play dough with this simple play dough recipe. All ingredients you will need to make play dough are household.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 cup Water1 teaspoon cooking oil
few drops of food coloring
Mix all the above ingredients an cook it or a minute on a medium flame. It will form into a ball. Knead it into a smooth dough and you have your very own playdough ready.
4. Pack a Picnic
Why not have your little one help you plan and pack a picnic. If you plan in advance you can start by planning a “menu”, followed by a trip to the grocery store. You could also let you child choose the location of the picnic, maybe their favourite park or the beach! Enjoy!
It’s that time again! It’s time to register your kids with Kindermusik with Heidi. Fun & Learning Go Hand in Hand! Get ready to sing, dance, move & shake those egg shakers. “Kindermusik with Heidi” is a music & movement program, offering classes for newborns to 6 years,held in Sharon & Queensville, and available to daycares and preschools.
The internet just got a little more funky and unique thanks to Baby Butterfly Boutique! Baby Butterfly Boutique is the place to find that perfect baby shower gift, special present or maybe just a little something for you or your baby.
A few of the trusted brands you will find here include Earth Mama Angel Baby, RazBaby, LilyPadz, Personalizedpacifiers™ and Jack and Lily. You will also find a few new lines, such as Darling Designz, Yikes Twins and Polished Mama.
 |
Coupon : 20% off all items at Baby Butterfly Boutqiue |
Our Grand Opening sale is on now, sale is on now, but York Region Parent readers can save even more! Use discount code “yorkrp” to save 20% off anything in ourstore.www.babybutterfly.ca Offer expires September 8, 2009. |
So let’s say you live somewhere that claims to have four seasons but actually only has 2 – Winter & Construction… and let’s say you have family that actually lives somewhere that lots of people travel to for fun in the sun… any guesses as to who does the most traveling? Exactly! And such were our plans to take off somewhere in the summer and visit the fam down South once the weather turns bad. But guess what? They actually want to come North – and visit us! So it looks like we’ll be doing the hosting for a change and it’s time to try this staycation thing that everyone keeps talking about.
I’m determined to NOT spend the entire week thinking about chores and odds and sods that need doing around the house, so we’ve set aside day #1 to get our usual roster of stuff done. And as anal as it sounds, we’ve pretty much plotted out our whole week’s activities and meals (weather permitting for the activities) so we don’t have a chance to laze about a bit too much in the mornings and end up not doing much all day.
The nice thing about hosting family from out of town, is that they’ll be seeing things with new eyes. Even though the agenda is our usual haunts, we know that satisfaction is guaranteed and few surprises mean we can enjoy our outing AND our time with family. We would have loved to book a cottage for a few nights to give them a taste of our beautiful cottage country, but that will have to be another summer.
So where will we be “going” on our staycation? Certainly The Toronto Zoo. We can’t wait to check out the new Tundra exhibit – and we’ve missed the polar bears! Next stop – Centre Island. The city’s been on strike for the past 6 weeks, and a highlight from last summer has had to be put off until now since the ferries weren’t running. I LOVED Centre Island as a kid (something about that ferry ride makes you feel like you’re really going places) and I’m so glad my daughter loves it too. I think it’s just charming enough for kids from the land of the Amusement Park to enjoy as well.
Last thing on the agenda is a farm. We haven’t decided which one just yet, but there are a couple near to the city that we can explore. It’s cute how this was on their wish list of places to visit when they come, a real-life farm is hard to come by when you live where most people go on holiday.
Am I a bit disappointed that we’re not going away? A little – but I haven’t got the baby’s passport yet so we couldn’t go far anyway. What I’m most looking forward to is spending time with my family, and my extended family.
Corinne McDermott is the founder of Have Baby Will Travel, your online guide for travel with babies and toddlers. For more information please visit www.havebabywilltravel.com or send a message to info@havebabywilltravel.com
Photography by SSV offers cutting edge imagery that we guarantee will set your photos apart from everyone else’s and last the test of time. We are a boutique photography studio offering 1 on 1 service to meet all of your needs. (Specializing in Maternity, Newborns, Children and Family, we also accept 12 commissions a year for Wedding Photography). Join us today for your unique experience!
Editors Note: Sarah has created amazing portraits of our family. For the past 3 years we have trusted her from my maternity pictures, to pictures of our newborn and now yearly family pictures. You will love the results of your photo session with Sarah!
One of our favourite images created by Photography by SSV
By Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt
Besides questions concerning childbirth, the next most frequent question I am asked by first-time expectant moms is “how do families afford the cut in income while on maternity (or paternity) leave?” From my own experience as a self-employed mom of two boys and from the ideas I received from mypostpartum moms over the years, I have compiled what I consider to be the top 5 ways to save money in the first year of your child’s life.
1. Breastfeed – Besides the well-documented health benefits for both mom and baby, you can’t find a better way to save money. The truth is formula is expensive and breastfeeding is free! Breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally for some women, so if you experience difficulties, seek out some of the fantastic support available from lactation consultants, postpartum doulas and La Leche League. Although there are some women who are unable to breastfeed due to medical reasons, most women, with the right support, are successful with perseverance.
2. Cloth Diapers – Disposable diapers are not only costly for your pocketbook but also for the environment. Cloth diapers are much more economical and are easy to use. If you can’t stomach the idea of washing them, there are cloth diaper cleaning services. However, if you really want to save money, wash them yourself. Once you’ve done it a few times you become desensitized! Anyway, once your baby is past the 3 week mark chances are you’ve already been peed on, pooped on and/or vomited on! My husband and I did a rough calculation on the money we’ve saved by using cloth diapers and it’s over $1000. The best part about using cloth diapers with your first child is, with subsequent babies, you don’t have to repurchase diapers!
3. Make your own Baby Food –The best way to ensure you know what your child is ingesting is to make the food yourself. It’s very simple and is quick if you have the right tools. Take a class to learn how – the investment of time and money will pay off!
4. Join local mom/dad’s groups – There are many groups who meet regularly at each other’s homes. If your days are filled with play dates at parks and others’ homes, you are less likely to feel the need to fill them with costly programs! The benefit too, is the potential for long-lasting friendships – for parents and children.
5. Learn to budget – Budget doesn’t have to be a bad word! Set up a simple spreadsheet with a column for inflow of money and a column for outflow of money. Each time you receive a bill or bank statement, enter it into the spreadsheet. You’ll quickly see where you’re money is going and where you can cut some corners. And as a bonus, you are setting a good example for your children on how to manage money!
________________________________________________________________________
Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit. Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood. Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki. She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage. To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com
It’s back! Check out the Once Upon A Child in Newmarket on Saturday July 25th from 10am-6pm for their Grab Bag Event! Put as many clearance items as possible in one bag for only $10! It’s a great time to stock up on high quality gear, with previous experience for your babies & children! Great idea for back to school shopping on the cheap. You can choose all the amazing brands in the store, when we shop there we always find Gap, Old Navy, Gymborree and more for a fraction of the cost of new clothes.
