'A Cuddle for Little Duck' at momstown Victoria Scholastic Sponsored Tales for Tots

We had another great time meeting friends at our monthly Scholastic sponsored momstown Victoria Tales for Tots program at Chapters Victoria. This month we shared an adorable board book, A Cuddle for Little Duck, by Claire Freedman. This is a perfect bedtime story about a little duck's busy day that ends in a warm cuddle!

We did a very easy standing duck craft, then rounded everyone up for story time and our book prize draw. This month's winner was Dominique and her son Linden!

Tales for Tots is our FREE public drop-in every 3rd Wednesday from 10-11 am at Chapters bookstore! The Victoria Transit stop is right outside the entrance; or request a 1-hour parking coupon to any of the city parkades when you come for the momstown event! 

Interested in knowing what else momstown Victoria has to offer? Sign up now for your FREE 4-week trial! 

Welcome Laura Shepherd to momstown Victoria Team!

Laura Shepherd has a passion for working with children and has been instructing studio dance in the South Island for the past 15 years. She has instructed hip hop, lyrical, modern, tap, jazz, musical theatre and creative ballet as well as prepared students for dance exams, competitions and many performances. She has achieved Associate certification with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London, England, tap and modern branches. 

Laura also enjoys instructing for local recreation centres and frequently instructs classes which include parent and tot, preschool and school age dance, art and themed programs. After discovering the many benefits of baby sign language with her own daughter, Laura became a Babysigns Independent Certified Instructor. She has also recently completed the Family Child Care Training through the CCRR and holds a Standard First Aid/CPR C certificate. She currently owns and instructs dance for Gravity Dance Co. which operates out of the Shawnigan Lake Community Centre a few evenings a week.

Laura lives in Victoria with her fiance, five-year old stepson and 21-month old daughter. She enjoys being a mom as well as a step mom and spends her family time at local attractions, community festivals, beaches, parks and occasional lazy days at home. Laura is very excited to be coordinating events for momstown and is looking forward to celebrating all of the joys of parenthood with the families of Victoria. 

Laura will be instructing our momstown Victoria Music & Movement program at Dance Victoria this Wednesday, August 22nd, 10-11 am! Not a member yet? Sign up for your FREE 4-week trial here! 

Today's Parent Bonus with momstown Victoria Membership!

If you haven't noticed it yet, momstown is more. We're more than a website, and we're more than a business. We're a movement that is connecting local moms through frequent, high quality, fun and supportive networking events. We offer this at a low membership fee of only $45 a year, and our members enjoy exclusive discounts and deals at both the local and national level to make this incredible value even more incredible.

momstown.ca is proud to announce that Today's Parent, Canada's leading national parenting magazine, is offering a BONUS 1-year (12 issue) subscription with each 1-year momstown membership. This limited time offer is only available between August 1st, 2012, If you already receive a Today's Parent subscription, your subscription will be extended by one year! 

Today's Parent is committed to helping parents build happy, healthy families. From pregnancy to teens, and in between, parents will find articles on health, education, discipline nutrition, crafts and so much more. 

Look for our full-page article on p.76 of the September issue! Click here to sign up for your FREE 4-week trial! 

Celebrate with us! momstown 5th Birthday Bash

momstown Victoria Music & Movement with Jacob Lee

Here is a look at our latest momstown Victoria Music & Movement program, with our special guest, Jacob Lee! Jake is a music teacher on summer vacation, and he brought his wonderful assortment of drums, musical props, and mad ukelele skills to our playgroup! The children sang, danced, hopped, chased balloons, and played with different instruments and sound props. As a parent of three spirited kids, I also loved that all age levels were engaged in the music and fun!

It also happened to be Jake's birthday, so we celebrated with cupcakes from - where else? Crumsby's!

Join us again on Wednesday, August 8th, in Studio 3 at Dance Victoria. Not a member yet? Sign up now for a FREE 4-week trial!

Now Hiring Event Coordinators for momstown Victoria

momstown.ca is an on-line network for neighbourhood moms wanting to connect for support, conversation and just plain fun! With a fantastic event calendar and lively message board, momstown.ca is a great way to get involved with your community while having a blast with your kids! They say it takes a village to raise a child, we say it takes a town!

Are you looking for a way to channel your creative energy? Are you a positive, outgoing person inspired by parenting, early education and community? Are you looking for a fun, part-time supplemental income? Then joining the momstown team could be the answer for you!

Job Description – Event Coordinator

momstown Victoria is currently seeking creative, self-motivated, and energetic individuals for a rolling 3-month contract position as an Event Coordinator. In this exciting role you will coordinate & execute fun and educational events and field trips for parents and young children ages 0-6 years old.

This part-time role requires approximately 8-12 hours per month. We’re currently looking for up to two Event Coordinators for our momstown Victoria chapter to run fun, family-friendly events, such as our Baby Basics, Alphabet Play, Tales for Tots, Junior Chefs, Little Scientists, Discovery Field Trips and more! This is the perfect role for a SAHM or mom on maternity leave. Where else can you run events and work with your kids in tow!

Responsibilities:

• Event Coordination
• Creating and customizing events from designated momstown curriculum
• Personally running & attending a minimum of 4 events per month: prepping supplies and running activities.
• Act as a membership ambassador and liaise with members

Qualifications:

• Outgoing, dynamic leader who is creative, organized, highly self-motivated
• Strong communication & interpersonal skills
• Vested interest in children and parenting
• Comfort with leading circle/storytimes and craft activities for children
• Must have a valid driver’s license & reliable vehicle
• Must have a reliable computer and Internet access
• Criminal record check is required
• Event planning experience and First Aid would both be assets

Pay Structure:

• Independent Contract work – 3-month rolling contract
• Per Event Rate

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please submit your resume and cover letter by August 10, 2012 to info.victoria@momstown.ca.

3 Ways to Spread the 2012 Summer Olympics Fever to Your Kids

Has your family caught the Olympic fever yet? The Olympics are not only exciting to watch as a family, but also a great way to introduce your kids to subjects like geography, sports and history. And for the little ones, here are some great ways to get creative with the Olympics theme from momstown.ca:

1. Gotta love this easy Olympic-themed torch craft! Simply roll construction paper into a cone and table or glue red and yellow tissue paper inside, cut ragged to resemble flames! Kids will love racing around with their own Olympic torches in the air! 

2. O my, this is a brilliant craft for teaching young children. Create the Olympics logo with your child, and you can introduce colours (which ring is blue? which is red?) counting (how many rings do you see?) shapes (it's a circle!) and letters (the letter 'O'!) Plus, cutting out the rings is great practice for fine motor skills. This is a must-do!!!

3. Finally, you can make an Olympic Rainbow Trifle together! This is an easy treat that little ones would love to help make too. Layer colourful fruit, cubes of sponge cake and whipped cream in a large bowl. What could be simpler? 

For more great ideas on how to share the Olympic spirit with your kids, check out 25 Ways to Make the Olympics a Teachable Experience. GO CANADA!!!!