CTV Morning Live: Mommy Must Haves

I was asked to do a segment on CTV Live (click here to watch) this morning to help promote Suddenly Mommy at Centrepointe Theatre October 20th, 2016. Anne Marie Scheffler takes on the hilarity of being a mom, telling motherhood like it really is and the parts that no one tells you about. For ticket information click HERE.




Mom on the Go was asked to take a look at the ingenious products that are made for moms and babes to help make life a little easier being a mom on the go. All the products were collected from local Mompreneurs who know better than anyone that life as a mom can be challenging and hilarious at the same time. 

I would like to start by thanking all of these generous women for going out of their way to help provide these items for the show today. 

Tag Along Toys- Great customer service, a friendly environment, and an amazing selection of toys, a wide range of toys for baby, bath, puzzles, wooden trains, loot bags, plush, science kits, dress up, travel toys, music and outdoor toys as well, plus so much more. Although it was difficult to choose,  here are some of my favourite items;

1. The Munch Mitt. This great little mitt covers babies hand and allows them to chew on the mitt instead. It has the perfect little scrunchy sound for baby, protects their hands and is completely washable.  

2. The Travel Seat. Simply slip it over the back of any chair and you have an instant chair that is safe for baby. This then zips back into a small sac and you can slip it into your purse or diaper bag instead of lugging around a huge chair. 

3. These wrist and sock rattles are perfect for baby. All moms know the struggle of running back and fourth to pick up baby's toy over and over again. PROBLEM SOLVED!

4. To all you Pinterest Moms out there, stop, save the time of cutting, printing, and gluing. These little milestones stickers are designed to peel and stick onto a onesie. 

Flickering Light Designs- Osgoode based mom who enjoys working on various crafts  things that you don't usually find at craft shows, likes unique items to the Ottawa area and does custom orders as well. 

One of the "it" items this year is these socks for mom and baby. Enough said! Everyone needs a pair! 

Breelee Boutique- offers Canadian-made baby apparel & accessories. proud to work with some of Canada's best brands to HANDMADE BABY ACCESSORIES.

1. This Car seat cover  TRIPLES as a car seat cover, nursing cover and a grocery cart cover. Every mom would likely agree that less is more when it comes to having to pack a diaper bag (3 in 1) makes me smile every time!

                    

2. Thanks to my cute little model for showing off, and if babies were not cute enough already, these beanies, headbands and dribblers are sooo cute and come in so many different patters.                    

Bite me offers some of the most stylish chewllery around. No more worries about baby ruining your favourite necklace or breaking it and swallowing a piece. Now jewellery can be stylish and functional! Check out their necklaces and soother clips. 

                        

Custom Quilting and Sewing- One of my favourite keepsakes I have ever seen has got to be this sweet little bear. It is made out of the Onesies that my daughters wore home from the hospital. These bears can be customized with up to 6 materials, eyes, embroidery and more. I will cherish this bear forever and just a little hint... significant others.. this makes a great mommy gift ;)

CeeGeeCouture-Custom and hand made items for all your needs. 

1. Suck Pads. This item is a carrier saver! As we all know carriers are very expensive and baby chewing on the straps can wear them out quickly. These pads clip on easy and are washable. Amazing!

2. Although some carriers come with hoods, not all do, these hoods clip on to your carrier and protect baby from wind, sun or rain and can also be used as a cover when breast feeding in the carrier. 

3. These re-usable zip lock bags are so simple, yet genius! Can be used for wipes, diapers or snacks and are completely water proof and washable. Save you the mess and save the environment too.

4. One of the most sough after items in the Car Seat Poncho. This item is designed to keep your child warm while safely secured in the belts of the car seat. These are also available in an array of colours :)

Bumbini- These sweet little Halloween inspired cloth diapers are too die for (haha Halloween joke). If you love cloth diapers like I do, you probably have one for each occasion, and if you don't Bumbini has them for you. Check out their amazing products cloth and swim diapers and so much more. 

Milkface Ottawa is known for it's breastfeeding and carrier accessories. The Boba sweater from the show actually belongs to me and I have to encourage every baby wearing mommy to buy one. They are worth every penny, in fall, spring and cooler summer nights I wear mine every day. I also use it indoors in the winter if it is cool (like a mall or museum).

Please take a minute and explore some of these websites, I can not even begin to touch on the amazing products they carry and make. 

My Favourite Thansgiving Books for Children

I love these books because they are easy for toddlers to relate to. They focus on the idea of giving thanks and the importance of friends and family, and 10 Fat Turkeys is just a funny book :)

1.Franklin's Thanksgiving 

2. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

3. What's for Thanksgiving Dinner?

4. Little Critter: Just a Special Thanksgiving

5.Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving

6.Five Silly Turkeys

7. The Night Before Thanksgiving

8. Arthur's Thanksgiving

9. Bear Says Thanks

10. 10 Fat Turkeys

Exercising for Moms

I spoke with Heidi from of AIM Fitness Ottawa and asked her to share a some information with me regarding their pre and post natal programs for busy moms. Here is what she had to share;

Exercising after having a baby can be a challenge. The time and energy that used to be so abundant are now being poured into caring for your new little person. At AIM Fitness we understand that these changes can make it difficult to fit exercise into your new lifestyle.

    That’s why we strive to make exercise interactive, enjoyable and adaptable for Mom and Baby. We offer a variety of fitness classes for Moms and Moms-to-be, these classes are designed to be safe, effective and fun. Our Certified Trainers have specialized training in Pre and Post Natal Fitness so that you can be confident in the instruction you receive.

Here is a summary of the classes we offer:

Pre Natal Fitness

Exercising while pregnant has been connected to less complicated labour, reduced fat deposition and retention and reduced side effects of pregnancy (such as back aches and constipation).  Our Pre Natal Fitness Classes help you to feel your best during your pregnancy as well as prepare you for the demands of labour and motherhood. It’s also a great way to connect with other Moms-to-be!

Baby & Me Fitness

If you’re not one for leaving your baby in the care of others while you go to the gym, or simply don’t have that kind of support and time, a Baby & Me Fitness class is a great option. Learn how to exercise with your baby and incorporate him or her into the majority of the exercises we do together. The class puts a big emphasis on strengthening your body, bonding with your baby and connecting with other moms.

Strollercise

If getting outside and enjoying the fresh air is important to you, then our Strollercise Class is a great way to fit in exercise while spending time with your baby. This class is a great combination of cardio and strengthening exercises. It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce your baby to the great outdoors and to meet other moms that enjoy being outside.

In-Home Personal Training

Sometimes our Moms prefer to participate in a more individualized exercise program. We offer In-Home Personal Training with an exercise program that is tailored to each person and their goals. Cut-down on the time required away from your family by allowing us to travel to you.

For more information on these services and others that we provide please check our website: www.ActivitiesInMotion.ca

To stay up to date with events, and free tips follow us on:

Facebook: AIM Fitness

Instagram: @aimfitness.activitiesinmotion

Pinterest: A.I.M. Fitness

Twitter: @A_I_M_fitness

CONTEST TIME!!... Clair's Adventures- That Time at the Zoo

Are you a fan of following the adventures of Mom on the Go? Well now you can read these adventures to your little ones and see them through the eyes of my daughters. 

Shortly after my first maternity leave I started writing down some stories that I had experienced with my daughter. I would sit and edit them on my spare time and finally I thought they were ready, I shared the stories with a few of my closest friends and family and had a great response. Before I knew it they were being illustrated. Now, it is just weeks away from the book launch and I'm very excited to share this story with you. This is the first of a series I have written, each with a fun story, lesson and of course a song! I hope you enjoy the books as much as I enjoyed writing them. 

The book launch will be in a few weeks (details to come), in the meantime you can head over to Clair's Adventures, and Like the page to keep on top of the updates. You can also click HERE, to enter to win a signed first edition copy, before release date, as well as a t-shirt and a cool bookmark.

So....we found the Grotto

There have been many articles floating around lately about this "INSANE GROTTO" only an hour from Ottawa. SEE HERE. Being the adventurous type, I loaded up the car and off we went. The drive there is very straight forward and we arrive with ease. As we drove down the winding dirt road towards the mine, I found the roads getting worse and worse. At one point there were many people walking down. After seeking some friendly advice, we were told we could park about 1km back at a side road, as all the main roads say no parking due to work vehicles.

                              

 

                                       

Well 1km back I parked and began the walk down.I kept thinking that it can't be much furthur, the day happen to be 35 degrees and I was babywearing my youngest and the 2 year old was walking. 30 mins later we arrived at the bottom of the mine. (There were one or two cars down there, but they must have bottomed out if my SUV couldn't make it). We admired the waters and then began the trek to the top to see the view. 15 mins later we arrived and found a small hole in the fence. The view was gorgeous, and something I've never seen before. Once at the top the trek down was very steep but doable (less so with young children), however the water was EXTREMELY COLD and unfortuantely there was a lot of garbage floating around and the mine itself was also full of garbage and spray paint.




All in all, beautiful view and I would like to return with a canoe/kayak at some point to explore the caves better. However, it seems as though tourists have ruined this beautiful attraction, and it wouldn't surprise me if this was cut off to visitors due to the garbage and vandalism. I believe the long walk and parking issues may have been due to heavy rain fall washing away the gravel road so closer parking may be available at a different time.

Personal Messages from Santa-Portable North Pole

The elves at Portable North Pole have announced that Santa’s famous free video message is expected to pass 100M views worldwide in 2014. For its seventh edition, the personalized video messages from Santa will offer free mobile app experiences! We’re also introducing a new package, the Unlimited HolidayPass, for limitless access to Santa Premium video messages and personalized phone calls.

Homemade Paint Review

This is the paint recipe that I had found and shared.

Ok, so I tried this out and this is what it looks like:

                            

It technically works, however, it was very gritty and when it dries, it left a chalky residue and that was it. 

I assumed the salt was causing the grit, so I boiled the water first and lowered the amount of salt. 

I tried

-1cup boiled water

-1cup of flour

-1/4 cup of salt

Mix the salt with the boiled water until it dissolves, then I added the flour slowly until it made a nice paint consistency. 

The left is the original recipe and the right is the one with the reduced salt. This is a good alternative, but it still does not have the exact consistency of store bought paint. This would be great for children who are still in the habit of eating everything they touch :) Good luck and please share any alternatives in the comments below. 

Happy Painting

For all your photography needs....

Ikea- Shop and stay a while

Welcome to our family friendly store!
Bring the whole family!

Shopping with the family can be a relaxing and pleasant experience. IKEA stores offer family-friendly services:

• Special family-friendly parking spots closer to the store entrance.
• A controlled access playroom in our stores, where the age, height and number of children admitted is controlled for safety.
• Other unsupervised play areas for children to enjoy through the store.
• Strollers and baby care rooms.
• Spacious restaurant with nutritious children's menu (vegetarian and organic available), play area, highchairs, bibs, and microwaves. (Don't forget to grab your free baby food when you purchase your meal)
• Spacious elevators 

Not to mention; Sign up for a FREE Ikea Family Card to receive

IKEA FAMILY Benefits:

A chance to win a $100 IKEA Gift Card every month.

Monthly Restaurant and Swedish Food Market offers.

Monthly product offers, as well as every day member prices on the entire IKEA FAMILY product range.

30 additional minutes in Småland Monday to Friday, space permitting.

Free coffee or tea in our upstairs Restaurant. Monday to Friday.

An extended 90-Day return policy.

Hours
Monday to Friday:
10am - 7pm
Saturday:
9am - 7pm
Sunday:
10am - 5pm

PeapodMat Review and Giveaway

What is a Peapod mat? Well it's a waterproof mat that is completely portable and versatile.

I have been using the PeapodMat for over a week now, and I have to say I am in love! My daughter is currently 11 months old, and this means mess!!! From diaper leaks to Sippy cup explosions, I have been washing everything in site. Well no more! The PeapodMat is portable and great to bring along or use at home, and when you are all done you can just throw it in the laundry and Voilà it's clean. (I have not been paid for this review, my opinions are my own).

Uses for children

• bed sheet protector (at home or very discreet for sleepovers)
• couch protector (for snacks or naps)
• stroller, high chair, playpen or car seat protector
• beach blanket or summer blanket (great at protecting little bums from hot decks)
• tummy time mat
• change mat

For moms:

• pregnancy mat
• birthing mat
• exercise mat

Pros	Cons
Coated bottom prevents slipping or moving around	Would be nice if it had a bag for travel or a strap, but easily fits in beach or diaper bag
Wash as you would your normal laundry	Extra drying time in dryer (for my dryer) (15mins)
Inexpensive compared to tearaway sheets
Portable
No crinkle plastic sound while child is sleeping
Canadian Company and environmentally friendly (reusable)

Product comes in 2 sizes (3x5) and (3x3) and it comes in Blue, Red, Grey and Pink. Click HERE for more information.

Would you like to win a PeapodMat of your own. Enter daily below to win a 3x3 mat 

($50 value)!!!

(Contest ends Sept 8th)

a Rafflecopter giveaway