Archive for the ‘events’ Category

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*

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

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.

We are a Canadian based online designer fabric retailer specializing in modern, funky, cute, kawaii fabrics, sewing patterns and notions. We carry fabrics by well known designers including Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, Amy Butler, Heather Ross, and Etsuko Furuya. This is not your typical run of the mill fabric store! We are here to support you - the modern designer.

You must check out Pink Panda Fabrics for all your fabric needs - a great place for nursery and kids decor ideas.

Written By: Aurora Mom, Lorilee Jarosinski

Like many others, my family has become more conscious of eating locally-grown food and we are so lucky here in York Region to have access to local farms and farmers’ markets.
York Region Tourism  has a great Farm Fresh map in PDF format , listing 21 farms and 3 farmers’ markets. It includes lots of great information about each farm, including what products the farm produces and operating hours.

I’ve had first-hand experience with three of the listings:

• The Aurora Farmers Market Every Saturday morning from May until October, my daughter and I make the short trip to the Aurora town park. We pick up whatever produce looks good that day, and sometimes some delicious unpasturized buckwheat honey . I like to grab a cinnamon bun and l some locally roasted fair-trade organic coffee to snack on while my daughter plays in the playground, after she’s eaten her back bacon sandwich. Sometimes there’s live music, artists, and hand-made wares of every sort. I love this market and I think it’s one of the reasons why I love living in Aurora.
• Forsythe Family Farms We visited this farm last Thanksgiving. The first thing we noticed was the incredible smell of pies baking in the store. We visited with the farm animals and the corn maze, picked up some apples, gourds, pumpkins and obviously, a couple of those pies.
• Cooper’s goat and veggie farm This year my family joined the Coopers in Community Supported Agriculture. In short, we paid for a share early in the season and in return we receive a basket of the farm’s produce each week for 20 weeks. I’m so excited to receive my baskets of fresh locally grown produce. Each basket’s contents will be a surprise, so this is going to be an adventure!

( Editor’s Note - Our family to have signed up for a CSA share with Coopers farm and last week we got out first box of fresh local vegetables, best idea ever!  I love it! )

So York Region Parents, head out to your local farms and markets, and enjoy!

Saturday May 2, 2009 @ 10:30 a.m.

Wild Child Baby Boutique - 262-Main Street South, Newmarket www.mywildchild.ca

There’s nothing in the world that compares to having your baby in your arms - the feeling of a sleeping child against your chest, the sweet-smelling, down-covered head under your nose. In the early days with a newborn, mothers have time to enjoy these moments. Then reality sets in.

Baby is still dependent on you for nourishment, care, and comfort but everyday tasks and errands demand your attention. And you may have other children who need you. Life goes on, and there is always too much to do. But busy mothers do not have to give up the bliss of keeping baby close. They can accomplish those tasks that need to be done and still enjoy their baby’s companionship by “wearing” the baby in a carrier. According to Dr. William and Martha Sears, “Baby wearing does good things for babies, and it makes life easier for mothers.”

Join Denise Martin, CD(DONA), Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Certified Breastfeeding Councillor and La Leche League Leader as we discuss and evaluate the benefits of baby wearing.  You will have the additional opportunity at Wild Child to practice using a sling and evaluate which style of infant carrier meets your fashion sense, and lifestyle.  If you purchase a sling on that day, you will receive a 15% discount on your purchase.

Though this is a free event, space is limited so please contact Wild Child to confirm your spot

@ 905-853-0500 or tazra@rogers.com

 Check out our events and activities page for a great start on what to do this March Break.  From local events in your community, including Markham to Keswick and even cool Toronto Events at the Zoo and the ROM.

For moms and dads in and around Markham, Extraordinary Beginnings is a studio for infant inspirational play.  If you are looking for mom and tot classes or other fun things to do with your baby you should check out their web site for new exciting events. Their Mom’s Coffee Hour hosts different professional speakers every 2nd week concerning parenting.  As well, offering classes in Mandarin and Cantonese studio classes for children 0-5 years of age, and great inspirational classes for Infants and parents.

Call 905-471-6260 or visit our web site at www.extraordinarybeginnings.ca for more information and to try a FREE CLASS when you mention York Region Parent.

We have an extensive list of things to do in and around York Region this Family Day!  So check out our events and activities page and enjoy your day with your family this Monday Febraurt 16, 2009.

Attend a great event for new dads!

Free Prenatal Education Event - Whatʼs A Father To Do?  

Getting Dad Ready For Labour, Birth and the Postpartum Period

Dates:  Thursday February 26, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m. @ Prenatal Plus Pregnancy and Parenting Centre

Join Expectant Couples for the free Educational Event:  

Whatʼs A Father To Do?  Getting Dad Ready for Labour, Birth and Postpartum

This fun and interactive session will address and explore the following topics;

• Coping With Your Partnerʼs Pain
• Pain management techniques to practice together
• Communication during labour, birth and postpartum
• Helpful reminders for fathers and other birth companions
• How you can be an active and supportive dad 
• Taking care of your needs

Though this is a free event, please confirm your attendance indicating location and date to Denise (905) 836-4342 or denisemartin@rogers.com to assure comfortable seating. This free event is brought to you by York Region Doula CARE.