Baby Expo in London Ontario

Want to know where momstown London will be this weekend?

 

The Bump, Baby & Toddler Expo.  We are so excited to be a part of this great one stop baby and toddler event! Taking place this weekend, May 25 & 26, 2013 from 10am-4pm, at the Western Fair District, you and your family do not want to miss it. 

The expo provides one stop shopping for all your baby and toddler needs. Some of London's finest local businesses will be giving away some great deals exclusive to expo attendees.

momstown London will be there to say hi, and let you know all about our calendar chock full of events for June! We will also be giving away a Scholastic Prize Pack, as well as some great Fisher Price toys.  Sign up for a free trial at the expo and receive 6 weeks FREE + with your momstown membership you will receive a FREE full year subscription to Today's Parent Magazine.

Bring the entire family out to the Bump, Baby and Toddler Expo. We hope to see you there!

I think I just got an F in Parenting

As the long weekend was coming to a close and the busyness of the week encroached, I found myself savouring every last minute with my son.  His smiley and giggly mood made it ever so fun to spend

the evening diving into the fresh scent of the clean laundry pile and throwing it around the room.  It was all fun and games until he started climbing up onto the bed and attempting to dive head first down onto the floor, (visions of a head injury or broken neck swimming through my mind).    My 16 month old is not easy to reason with, but he does understand very clearly when there is something he should not be doing.  Through our giggles and laughter, I now had to sternly tell him not to dive off the bed head first as he could get hurt.  Sounds easy enough, but I could NOT manage to switch the "fun" off and say it with a straight face.  That little smirk and heart warming look he kept giving me made me melt under his glare and it was all I could do just to avoid bursting into a fit of laughter.  My reaction, ofcourse, fueled his desire to keep diving off the bed.  My words did not, at all, match my reaction.  Lucky for me, hubby was not far by and I was able to call him in for back up.  *I should also add that he too, buckled under the smirks and cheeky laughter.

 

I suppose that lesson will need to be taught another day. 

Until then, we will avoid playing on (or near) the bed!

Mother's Day in London Ontario

Mother's Day is fast approaching; Still looking to make plans?  Here's our 2013 edition of Mother's Day activities in London, Ontario that the kid's can enjoy too.

1. East Park Is Open for Mother's Day! Bring mom out for Mother’s Day and purchase a round of mini golf at the adult rate and Mom’s plays FREE! Golf Activities Open 9am-Dusk

2. Mother's Day Tea and Eldon House: Tea and treats will be served as you spend a delightful afternoon with your mother. By reservation only. Seatings at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Call 519-661-5169 to register. Cost: adults $10.00/ children $5.00

3. London Children's Museum: Join us on Mother's Day and make something special for Mom! Mom's get free admission on Mother's Day.

4. Fanshawe Pioneer Village: Join us at the Pioneer Village Café for a wonderful Mother's Day experience. Our chef prepares a meal from only the freshest ingredients. Sittings available at 12:00pm and 2:00pm. Adults $13.50/Children under 5 are free

Do you know of any others to add?

Easy and healthy dinner idea

As a busy mom, its always great to have those go to recipes that are quick, easy, delicious and healthy that can be made in a pinch.  I'd like to share this meal idea, that was an "as you go meal".  There was absolutely no planning.  As I pulled things out of the fridge, I threw them together and came up with this tasty creation.  Hubby was pleasantly surprised by its colourful presentation and my toddler loved it!

Here's what I did:

White Fish- pan fried in a bit of oil and sprinkled lightly with pepper (that's it!)

1 small zucchini sliced and quartered

1 small red pepper diced

1 small yellow pepper diced

1 can of 6 bean medley (rinsed)

baby spinach leaves

1 cup quinoa (cooked)

greek feta salad dressing (to taste)

 

Pan fry the fish.  In a separate pan saute veggies and beans.  Cook quinoa (according to directions).   Add desired amount of salad dressing to quinoa once cooked.  On a bed of baby spinach leaves, add quinoa, beans, veggies and fish. 

 

*My toddler enjoyed his without the spinach leaves.

 

What's your go to recipe?

Babies, Tots and You Show

momstown London is a proud sponsor of the Babies, Tots & You show this Sunday April 28th.

Come out to the Best Western Lamplighter this Sunday from 11am-4pm for the Babies, Tots & You show.  This is a FREE event for the whole family!

momstown London is a proud sponsor, along with Jennifer Zehr's Lovable Labels, and Whoa Mama!  Several other great businesses will also be there offering products, services and resources, all local and great for every young family!

If you're pregnant, a parent, or grandparent, you will not want to miss the Babies, Tots & You Show. www.babiestotsandyou.com Don't forget to show them some love on facebook too
                                                                             https://www.facebook.com/BabiesTotsAndYou

Don't forget to stop by the momstown London booth for some great prizes!  We will be giving away a Little People Disney Princess Castle, AND the Little People Rampway thanks to our great national partner Fisher Price.

We can't wait to see you this Sunday!

Mommy & Me Photo Shoot in London Ontario

-Join us in Springbank Park, London, Ontario on Sunday May 5th.

Come on out and join momstown London in the park! We will be planting seeds for spring, and decorating cards for Mother's Day.

Professional Photographer, Priya McHardie, will be with us to take some great pictures of you and your kids having fun in the park together.  Us moms are always the ones behind the camera, so this is a great opportunity you don't want to miss! Check out Priya's work at www.priyamchardie.ca

E-mail info.london@momstown.ca for specific details or book a session with Priya by calling 519-697-7577

What to do when your toddler has pink eye

After dropping my son off at daycare, his provider promptly informed me that he had pink eye!
How did I not notice this?  I just assumed he scratched his eye and it was slightly irritated.  She noted the goop, tearing, and pinkish colour around his eye, and sure enough....she was right.

Because pink eye is so contagious, she typically would not have accepted him, but this particular day, he was the only child there.  After dropping him off, a ton of emotions came over me.  How did I not realize this? How can I just drop him off and leave him, when he's "sick"? What do I do now? I  felt like "failure mom" dropping my kid off to some much more competent and caring individual.

In the battle between work commitments and my family, its a no brainer who will always win.  I barely got to work before I found myself back in my car driving home.  I needed to get my son treatment if we wanted to clear this up asap.  I convinced myself that he needed ME, no one else. (Which, reality or not, is the best feeling in the world!)

After a quick stop at the pharmacy, the pharmacists confirmed that it was polysporin antibiotic eye drops for pink eye and other eye infections that we needed.  This can be bought over the counter without a prescription and can be used for all ages.

For a more natural remedy, nursing moms can use breastmilk to clear eye infections, including pink eye. This method is known to be much quicker to clear up the infection....and more cost effective!

Read more about pink eye here: http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/conjunctivitis.html