What makes you happy?

A new year is well under way, the winter blahs are lingering and we are all trying to get through the days with a smile on our face.

So what makes you really happy? What makes you stop and smile? What makes you lie in bed at night and feel content?

I know the common answer for most will be their kids. And it's true for me too! At the end of the day, no mater what obstacles I encountered, how many rude people I spoke to, how many bad things happened, my kids can always make me smile. The love of my girls is something that I can never get bored with or ever be able to shake off... they are always there to make me happy and give me a reason to get through the day.

Maybe this is why we have kids. Maybe kids are here to remind us that nothing is ever so bad that a hug, giggle or sloppy kiss can't fix.

Sure we all have days where our kids make us want to scream, but our anger or frustration never lasts. Their innocence and light hearts can break through even the worst moods.

So the next time you are out with your kids and they are having a tantrum, running loose in a store, or wiping their runny nose on their sleeve, and encounter that lady without kids who says, "Why would anyone want to have kids?", just smile and shrug your shoulders, because you know that when the tantrum stops and the kids are calm you will be showered with hugs and kisses by the sweetest little beings on earth.

Nothing beats being a mom!!!!

momstown memberships ON SALE!!
6 months FREE!!
One week only!




What mom doesn't love a good SALE?!

momstown is having a ONE WEEK ONLY Membership SALE!

Sunday, January 17 - Sunday, January 24

$45 for 18 month membership!
$30 value for FREE
(memberships normally are $45 for 12 month membership or $30 for 6 months)

That's SIX extra months of fabulous events, thrilling moms nights out, educational mom & tot programming, interactive access to our chatty and supportive message boards, and special momstown member discounts. It's a value of $30 for FREE!

If your New Year's Resolution was to 'get more involved' then momstown is the answer to make that happen!

Click on the community name to go directly to your local site. If you are renewing then sign in and click on the membership store (top right corner) to renew for $45 + gst. To purchase a New Membership, first register and the option to pay comes up at the bottom of the form. You can pay the $45 + gst online with PayPal or send in a cheque via the store, directions all online.

Regardless of when your renewal is up, your new 18 months will be added onto your expiry date. The first 12 months will automatically be added on and your local momstown team will tack on the extra 6 months manually.

Buy now and relax knowing your membership and local connections are taken care of until 2011! We're thrilled to have you as a member as we continue to grow and help even more local moms connect & thrive.

Thank-you momstown! You all make momstown a wonderful place to be, to parent and to grow.

momstown.ca
Neighbourhood Moms. Connected.

2010 off to a great start!

I think everyone can agree that this new year is off to a great start so far, momstown included!

The new year brings a renewed energy for everyone, the stress of the holidays is over and people can now shift their focus on to other things.

At my home, the new year has brought us many new things. My youngest has started gymnastics, her first structured program and she potty trained herself in just a few short days. A great way to star the new year!!! My oldest is back in the full swing of school and is heading into competition season for baton. And for myself, only 8 and half weeks until our new addition arrives... this will be our biggest change, challenge and triumph for 2010!!!!

Momstown has some great things starting up to kickoff of the new year too!!! Playgroups are starting back up, the momstown Biggest Loser Challenge is going to kick off for a 3rd time and some other great new events and partnerships are in the works.

If you haven't joined us at momstown yet, now is a great time to do!!! Log on and find out how to get your free trial and start getting out, getting active and making friends for 2010!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year!!!! 2010 has arrived and along with a new year, a new decade and new promises came the snow and cold!

We had been lucky so far with a mild winter, but with a new year came the cold and snow!

I don't mind the snow, it makes everything look so nice and is fun for the kids to play in. But the cold is another story... I don't like the cold at all, but the kids don't seem to mind it! They can play outside in the bitter cold until their cheeks are glowing red, their lips are blue and they are shivering, but they still insist they are warm...the determination to play outdoors beats out the sense of cold. Go figure!

With the winter and new layers of snow come lots of new activities for the kids and for momstown! Tobogganing, skating, building snowman and making snow angels... oh the fun the moms and kids will have!!!

3 More Sleeps and Santas on his way!!

Every morning my boys wake up and the first thing out of their mouths is....... Mummy, only _ more sleeps, until Santa comes. The excitement makes me excited.

Although, my oldest is 7 ( almost 8), this is the first year in a long time, that I have had the "Christmas Spirit". Even my husband commented on how different I am this year. Not sure what it is, not much has changed since last year, but for some unknown reason, Im excited this year.

I think this time of year we are expected to get in to the spirit, December 1st and be singing Christmas songs, start baking, get the house decorated etc. But for some of us, its stressful. Whether you are home on Mat leave, making it on one income in order for you to stay home with the kids, its hard to make ends meet this time of year. Buying presents for your own children, neieces/nephews, aunts, uncles, Grandparents etc. Its hard to find the extra money to get through the month of December, all with a smile on your face, and in the "Christmas Spirit".

At this time of year, its important to take step back, look at your beautiful children, and remember, its not about just giving gifts, running around and putting on that smile. Its about, family, being together and taking some time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour over the past year and think about the year ahead.

From all of us here in Momstown, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and great things for 2010!!

Christmas Party a Great Success

On Saturday December 12th we had our 2nd Annual Momstown Christmas party at Holly United Church. It was a great day, filled with crafts, games, food and of course Santa!

The kids eyes lit up when Santa walked through the door. Some in delight, some in fear. A few of the children ran to give the Santa a hug, while others watched from afar, wondering if their parents were going to make them get close to him. I'm sure some great pictures were captured, of the little ones sitting on Santa's knee ( smiles or not).

As the days pass by, and Christmas approaches, its amazing to see my children's excitement. Both of them are counting down the day until Santa arrives. Justin my 4 yr old, really "gets it" this year and asks every day when it will be Christmas. He cant wait until Santa comes with his Diego Underwater Adventure toy and his Rocketship. Braydon my 7 yr old, is excited as well but I fear the questions will be coming soon, " Is Santa Real?". I have to start preparing my answer, I want to get as many years of Christmas Magic as possible out of my kids. I will lie, for as many years as I need to in order to watch their eyes light up on Christmas morning, when they run downstairs to see if Santa has eaten the cookies and milk we left, only to realize that, this must mean, he has left presents for them. Not that I'm promoting lying to my children but in this case, LIE,LIE, LIE! if it creates magic and memories for them.......... a mothers gotta do, what a mothers gotta do... right?

Christmas Traditions

December is here and in full swing, although the weather outside isn't frightful things inside are starting to look delightful.

At my house most of our decorations are up, we will be putting up the tree over the weekend.

A few years ago we bought an artificial tree, just to be used that year as we had a one year old running around and thought he might get in to everything, well that one year old just turned four in November and we still have the fake tree. I don't mind it actually, less clean up at the end of the Christmas season, no needles to vacuum up and clog up the canister, no fighting with it as we carry it up the stairs from the basement. Just pull it out of the box and decorate!

Speaking of decorating... its a process at this house! My husband, is a perfectionist when it comes to tree lights. How it usually works is, I take the tree out and set it up, we leave the room for a few hours while he puts the lights on ( no wire showing and every branch with lights on it), then we all come together as a family and start to decorate. The kids love looking at the decorations as they put them on.

Every year I buy my boys a decoration according to their interests that year. So, for my 7 year old we have everything from Bob the Builder, Little Bill, Hot Wheels, Darth Vader and Indiana Jones! If I can find a Lego one this year he might just fall over! I hope that one day when they have their own trees and they are putting it up with their families, they will look at their box of "childhood decorations" and it will bring back memories for them.

Whatever your Christmas traditions are, its nice at this time of year to think back and remember our own Christmas memories as children. We can pass them on to our little ones and hope they will do the same with their children one day.