And our Biggest Loser is.....

So back in January we started our 4th Biggest Loser Challenge. Lots of new faces, some repeat challengers, and past winners.

The moms were all pumped to get started on their weight loss journey, and a sweet pot of $200 for the winner was great motivation... at least at the time!

As the weeks went by the mamas chatted about their successes and failures and tried to stay motivated. Losing weight is not easy, especially for busy moms! The temptation to finish what's left on your kids plate at dinner, or to just stop for takeout when running late for dinner is just too easy.

Some of the moms did really great though. Me, not so much! While I did lose a whopping 2.9% in 8 weeks, I was no where near what I really had hoped to accomplish. Willpower does not live here!

This morning our moms weighed in, some with surprise at what they had actually lost and some with disappointment. And one mom surpasses all the others by leaps and bounds... our winner Natalie (and previous Biggest Loser winner in our very first round) lost an impressive 11.47%!!! Way to go!!!!!



So of course we all wanted to know how she did it. Her secret? Eating healthier, drinking lots and lots of water and cutting back on "crap". A true testament to how eating a little better can make a world of difference in the battle to lose weight.


So now I will use her inspiration to hopefully lose the weight I would love to lose. No more donuts for dinner.

Congrats again Natalie!

Pancake Tuesday!

What could make a Tuesday better than having breakfast for dinner! But not just any breakfast - pancakes!! Oh yeah!

We love pancakes in my house! Usually I save pancake day for Sundays, the amount that I need to make to feed this crew (my hubby alone eats a whole batch!) makes this a weekend kind of breakfast. But a few times a year I find an excuse to have them for dinner, and today I didn't have to make the excuse, all hail Pancake Tuesday!!!

Pancakes make a great meal, tasty, healthy and versatile!

The kids were excited when I told them bright and early this morning that we were having pancakes for dinner. My 3 year old has asked me 87 times today when the pancakes will be ready!!


So as I made my pancakes - plain, with chocolate chips (for my oldest!)
and a new oatmeal pancake recipe, the kids excitement that there were no veggies to be eaten tonight created a great atmosphere in the kitchen. The table was set without me asking for help and they all say eagerly waiting for them to be served.What a great night.


The kids loved their breakfast dinner! Even my little man, he shoveled in the sweet oatmeal pancakes like they were candy!



Pancake Tuesday, I love you.

Smiles all around

This week some of our moms and tots paid a visit to the Victoria Village Retirement Home in Barrie.

It was a truly an amazing morning full of smiles and laughter. It was so heartwarming to see the little ones interact with the seniors just like they would with their own little friends.

The ladies were bowling when we got there and the kids were so excited to be able to take part and take their turn to bowl!

It was so sweet to see the young one cheer on the residents and to clap and yell "score!" when one of them knocked down the pins.

As the kids warmed up they even wanted to help pass the ball to the next player and set up the pins that had fallen.

As we got to know the lovely ladies that let us join them for bowling, we met learned that Reena, a long time resident had just turned 100 this past September, as she held little Daxton, who was born this past October, it was an awe inspiring moment when we all realized that there before us was 100 year of living life.


Looking forward to our next visit and more smiles and memories!

Do you love momstown just as much as we do?

Valentine's may be over, but the month of love is still in full swing!

momstown.ca is running an awesome contest all about LOVE, the love you have for momstown!

We all have our reasons for loving momstown, share your reasons and you could WIN!

What's the prize you maybe wondering. The prize is a stunning personalized "Sophia" LOVELINX necklace from Riverstone Designs!

Want an extra entry into the draw? Share this contest through Facebook or Twitter and come back to the Comments section of the contest to let us know you did (feel free to share our link too!) Just head to the momstown.ca Contest Blog and share the contest!

Do you have a blog? Write about why you love momstown in your blog, include the link to the blog in our Comments section, and receive TWO extra entries!

Thanks in advance for the 'love' - we have the best members, subscribers and fans ever!

P.S. momstown will be be posting what we love about the 'momstown experience' too, following the contest - and we'll be linking blog entries and including shared comments too!

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 14th, a day to reflect on love. As moms we really do just have so much to love and be thankful for - our kids!



This holiday has become a retailers dream! We head to the stores to buy chocolates and candy, stuffed animals and cards. It sure is a sweet holiday, and what only makes it sweeter is the adorable little faces that light up our lives everyday and the smiles that melt our hearts.



This year Portraits & Digital Imaging by Jennifer Hall did some mini Valentine
photo sessions for the momstown Barrie mamas. The pictures speak volumes about her talent and about the adorable little beings in our lives.

Happy Valentine's Day from momstown Barrie and all our mamas and their super adorable kiddies!!!

Breakfast is a great way to start any day!!

Today was our Valentine Breakfast Party!! It was a fantastic event all sponsored by Kellogg's and their Love Your Cereal campaign.

We had quite the snowy start to the morning, but it didn't' keep the moms and tots away from a fun filled morning of breakfast, crafts and parachute play!


Watching all the kids excitement over their bowls full of cereal was great fun! They all seemed to love the Froot Loops and Corn Pops, and moms loved the new knowledge of just how healthy they really are!!!


Our moms also dug in and enjoyed bowls of cereal with their kids! Our pregnant moms all went for the sweet ones... and felt good about it knowing they were filling their bellies with wholesome goodness!

Who would have thought that breakfast could bring so many people together and bring so many smiles to little faces? It truly was a great way to start a Saturday morning.


To top off the fun, all the moms took home a goody bag full of cereal all thanks to Kellogg's!

Thank you Kellogg's, we really do all Love Your Cereal!!!!

Cereal, it does a body good!

Yesterday I took part in an awesome presentation by Kellogg's as they introduced their new Love Your Cereal campaign to a group of momstown owners.

After taking away a great gift bag loaded with cereal and armed with information, not to mention my prize gift pack that I won, i headed home to share with my family what I had learned and what I had received. You have never seen boxes of cereal bring such great joy to a room full of kids!!!

Kellogg's reminded me why I love cereal. Not only does it taste great, is a versatile food for any meal or snack of the day and a great way to get the kids to
have some milk during the day, but cereal is loaded with all the good stuff that we want our kids to have in a day!! Fibre, iron, whole grains, etc. But it also doesn't contain the things we try and avoid for our kids... most cereals have NO sodium! They are also so low in sugar, that even the sugary versions many of us tell our kids they can't have contain less than 5% of the daily intake of sugar that a child will consume in a day... WOW! Check out their Love Your Cereal site and see for yourself!

I was amazed to learn so many great health facts about cereal. It just made my love of cereal deeper, and made me feel great for allowing my kids to eat this for breakfast day in and day out (ok, and occasionally for dinner on those rushed nights). So i will continue to pack cereal in the diaper bag for a quick snack, give kids a bowl before bed or as a treat after school, because it's just that good!!!

Now off to have a bowl of some yummy Frosted Flakes, or maybe some Froot Loops... or wait, Vanilla Rice Krispies sound good too.... oh the options!!!!!