Share the Warmth Santa Parties at Halifax Shopping Centre

This sounds like the ultimate visit with Santa! For a donation of $5 your child can spend an hour with Santa and the Fairy of Warmth, enjoy storytime, crafts and a special photograph. All proceeds go to Operation Winter Warmth - such a great cause! Thanks to the Halifax Shopping Centre for creating such a lovely Christmas memory for our kids!

Kids CBC Characters at Tall Ships Festival

Join Kids' CBC characters at the Tall Ships Festival 2012 in the CBC Pavilion tent along the Halifax waterfront, on Saturday, July 21.

Come out and join in the fun meeting your favorite Kids' CBC characters like Mamma Yamma, Bo on the Go, Fresco Del Greco of Pirates: Adventures in Art, Lunar Jim and Canada! Meet Jeremie from Artzooka! in the Artzooka! craft zone on the Saturday and Sunday. It's guaranteed to be lots of fun.

We love our friends at CBC Kids and wish we were in Halifax to help celebrate like we will be at  Kids CBC Days in Toronto on July 18-19th.

Traveling with Kids: Peggy's Cove

After we left Peggy of the Cove and the wonderful painted house, we made our way to Peggy's Cove. I was so looking forward to seeing this "IN REAL LIFE" as I actually have two paintings in my house that were given to me as gifts, so it was time to see this place for myself. Our first stop was the swissair flight 111 memorial at Whalesback. I was a bit concerned that my oldest would be worried about taking the plane home after attending this memorial, but she seemed fine.

enjoying a snack and the view

Peggy's Cove in the distance

We really appreciated how the memorial blends in with the beautiful surroundings, with amazing views of the ocean and Peggy's Cove in the distance. It is lovely, understated and a beautiful memorial.

Peggy's Cove was next just a 5 minute drive and we were there... such a small place with lots of tour buses!! Luckily we chose a cloudy day so the crowds were not crazy! Regardless it is a beautiful place! I was told that it was not kid friendly, as you cannot get a stroller onto the rocks and well they will just be bored... but we did just fine!

The two older girls explored the rocks, CAREFULLY, with our two year old holding our hand the entire time, and we managed to get a few pictures of us as well, but not of the whole family...

Four out of Five family members

Safely exploring with a two year old (hand in shirt)

In almost all of the pictures of our two year old, she has her hand in her shirt, or my favorite, that I didn't notice until we got home, with her hands in her pants!!... I had no idea why she kept doing it, until near the end of our exploring she said "Mommy big owie Tummy!" and then the mess! Thank goodness for the Huggies Wipes we packed and the tourism information place and their bathrooms with a large change table!!

Sometimes it is the small things that really make the trip, especially when traveling with kids, right? 

Where is your hand??

So how do you deal with a "runny tummy?" In our house we have competing views, my husband's the Zimbabwean "remove all food until better" and my "Canadian" BRATY diet. Any other tricks?

Traveling with Kids: Discovering Peggy of the Cove

Our family was looking for a great cloudy and rainy day activity, so off we went to explore Peggy's Cove.  We expected that we would spend a couple of hours and then go home and spend the rest of the rainy day relaxing... This was not the case at all.

On our way to Peggy's Cove, we had some grumpy girls in the backseat, so we were looking for a place to stop and just calm then down when we saw a sign for a museum called Peggy of the Cove and then came across this painted house, and decided that this would be a great place to stop.

the Painted House

We weren't event sure it was open, so I sent my husband in to investigate, and saw a sign on the door that said to come in, and if Ivan wasn't there, just call him, he would be across the street! Can you imagine? ha ha

Ivan entertaining his guests

 What a great discovery this was!! Ivan is a local artist, photographer, framer and writer. He has written a few books about "Peggy of the Cove" bringing the story to life with bits of the folk tale and his imagination.  He gave us a tour of his childhood home, played the piano for us, let the girls find treasure, and then tell us all about his books. Well our oldest was enchanted, and had to spend her money on TWO of his books on Peggy.

finding treasure

On the property is a very fun photo opportunity that of course we couldn't ignore!

caught in a lobster trap

Then it was time to get to the famed Peggy's Cove. It is a beautiful drive along the coast on the way, and wow! It is just as wonderful as all the pictures I have ever seen.

Stay tuned for the continuation of our family adventure exploring in and around Peggy's Cove!

Traveling with Kids: Lunenburg

We set out after breakfast heading to the historic fishing Village of Lunenburg.

On December 6, 1995, Old Town Lunenburg was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Inscription on this List confirms the exceptional universal value of a cultural or natural site, which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity.

Old Town Lunenburg, founded in 1753, is an outstanding example of British colonial settlement in North America, in terms both of its conception as a model Town plan and its remarkable level of conservation. The Town's cultural evolution based on shipbuilding and the fishing industry can be seen in the buildings and spaces that exist throughout the Town.

Is this a family friendly place? Will our two youngest daughters 28 months and 10 months be bored and grumpy all day?

NOT AT ALL!

Touring around the town, there are lots of hills, so the stroller (or Pram as my Zimbabwean husband calls it) was a welcome addition to carry the two youngest, The hills are steep and the sidewalks are slim, so no room for a doddling toddler.

We explored the old buildings, found the dollar store to purchase forgotten sunhats, and enjoyed the scenery. When it was time for a picnic lunch, we found a wonderful little park right next to the Heritage Bandstand.

After a beautiful sunny morning and lunch, the rain started so we made our way to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. What a gem! It kept all of the girls occupied and intrigued for hours while it rained! The aquarium was a place I am sure the girls would have stayed all day, then they tried their hand at "ship building, and then just exploring all the museum had to offer. Our "almost 9 year old" loved all the information about the boat on the dime... the Bluenose.

One of my highlights of the day was being able to explore old fishing boats and a wooden schooner, set up as they would have been in their day. For someone who has lived in Alberta for most of my life, it was an awesome thing to experience!

We couldn't leave without seeing the Bluenose II, so this was our last stop of the day.

I was told that we could maybe spend 2 hours in Lunenburg with the kids, and we spent 6 and didn't see it all! It was a great family Day trip and would definitely go back!

Bo on the Go in Halifax on June 22!

momstown mamas are big, GIANT fans of Kids CBC and all their characters. Our whole team took a trip to the Kids CBC studios and offices in the fall and cuddled around  Mr Dress Up's Treehouse and cooked in the Caboose Cafe!

Mamma Yamma is a big favourite (and she loves momstown too, watch here to see just how much!) but Bo on the Go is another exciting character our kids love to jump around with.

If your little one loves to get ACTIVE with Bo, this Friday, June 22nd,  is a perfect day to get up and moving early and visit her down at the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market. Bo on the Go is attending as a special birthday guest of Information Morning, and after 7am (early!) she will be available for pictures and fun!

Hope to see you all there!

More details here:
Friday June 22, 2012
6 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market , Marginal Road, Halifax
Free Admission - Donations for FEED NOVA SCOTIA will be accepted at the door.

Join us for a live broadcast of Information Morning, great entertainment including David Myles and Mo Kenney, and meet Kids' CBC personality, Bo on the Go. Bo will arrive shortly after 7 a.m. to meet some of her young fans.


Complimentary cake and coffee for guests. Bring a few bucks to enjoy some of the delicious treats from Market vendors.

Parking: Due to an event that is taking place in one of the lots adjacent to the Cunard Centre, there will be a limited number of parking spaces available near the venue. Please consider using one of the parking lots on the waterfront and enjoy a short walk along boardwalk to the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market.

Metro Transit - #8 Waterfront Route Bike to the Birthday! There's lots of bicycle parking near the market so why don't you consider riding down and you can enter to win a great bicycle themed prize.

East Coast Momma Entrepreneurs Unite!

I'm a huge fan of mom entrepreneurs. There's something extra special about women who dream up a strategy to fuel a passion for both business and family into a perfect web that works for her. All our momstown mamas are entrepreneurs who run their own momstown chapter as their own event planning and marketing business and I've learned so much from them all.

The momstown entrepreneurial force tends to inspire other entrepreneurs and many chapters host monthly networking and entrepreneur events to connect like-minded business moms.  In fact, momstown even won the Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2011 and tries our best to mentor and help all mom entrepreneurs.

Hence, my immediate appreciation for the new East Coast Momma Collective that has sprouted up with the passion to unite business moms locally. Their philosophy is stated on the website and is one which is aspirational and so community focused:

"The East Coast Momma Collective (ECMC) is a coming together of Atlantic Canadian Moms who love to knit, sew, bake, decorate… create!" 

"The ECMC hosts 4 Craft Fairs a year in Halifax NS so these talented Moms can sell their unique products in a market-like setting, giving you the chance to buy one-of-a-kind locally made gifts. The ECMC – Fueling Mom-powered pursuits!"

Come on out to St Mary's Boat Club on June 24th 11am - 3pm to support local women in business and score some fabulous, unique items at the ECMC Summer Fair.


For additional inspiration - here are a few entrepreneurial blogs written by our very own momstown team about their insight into the work-at-home business world:
5 Ways to Run Your Own Business by momstown Hamilton
Finding Focus as a Work at Home Mom by momstown Barrie
Why Doing what your Love will repay you in Spades by momstown Edmonton South
Inspiration and Perspiration by momstown KW

Win a Bravado Breastfeeding Prize Pack

Looking for the ultimate in nursing comfort? Enter to win a fantastic nursing prize pack from Bravado Designs, including:  the Original Nursing Bra, the Essential Nursing Tank, a Breastfeeding with Bravado DVD, and nursing pads! What a prize!

Our main momstown mama reviewed the Bravado Bliss Bra and had great things to say about these fabulously designed, well made and comfortable bras.

Click HERE to Enter to WIN!

10 Springtime Family Fun Ideas

Here comes spring in Halifax and momstown has ideas to make the season as fun and family friendly as possible! Enjoy this top 10 list!

1. Blow Bubbles!
momstown Oakville has a great homemade recipe for bubbles! Blow as many bubbles as possible, hold competitions and practice together!

2. Nature Walk and collect found natural objects.
Gather pinecones, spot blossoming spring bulbs, count robins. Kids love collections and these nature items can kick start a collection. A hike is also great exercise for kids!

3. Earth Day Neighbourhood Clean-up
Pick a green space and arrive with a gloves and a garbage bag and get busy picking up litter like momstown Guelph did. It's a green and community lesson.

4. Bike Safety and Clean Check
Now is the time to blow up the tires, spring clean the bikes (set up a "car wash" station for bikes) and double check helmet fits. Now you're ready to ride! The Chain of Lakes Trail is a beautiful path to bike ride which starts at the Halifax Peninsula and goes right until Bayers Lake Industrial Park.

5. Fly a Kite
K is for Kite! Springtime is such a perfect time to fly a kite in a big open space! Run and the kite will follow!

6. Outdoor Finger Painting!
This is a momstown standard event - we call it Picassos in the Park and we love to get messy with loads of finger paint, long rolls of paper and lots of creativity!

7. Park Hop!
Make a list of all the nearby parks in your neighbourhood or even whole city and create a go-to map to visit them all this season. Make a  mini geography lesson out of it by showing your kids the map and locations. Older kids can keep track of the pros and cons of each park and keep a little rating survey so you know which parks to return to. Here's a list of all the playgrounds in the Halifax region by area, complete with a map!


8. Traditional Games
Hide and Seek, Hopscotch, Tag, Street Hockey..... all of these traditional outdoor games and pursuits aren't logical to our digital kids. Teach them how to play and play with them. You'll have fun too!

9. Build a Construction Site out of Sand.
Pull out the diggers and dump trucks and take them to the nearest sandbox, sandy park or beach along with some shovels and imagination. Such fun for all ages to build together. No one every tires of sand in their shoes!

10. Plant a Garden
Need family friendly garden ideas? momstown shared the top crops to plant with your children - fast growing options are lots of fun! Take a trip to the garden centre with your kids to get them excited and set the garden up together.

Halifax Easter Activities

Looking for Easter ideas, egg hunts and activities in the Halifax area? momstown Halifax is happy to share fun events in the HRM!

Easter Egg Hunt at the Farmer's Market
Hop your way to the Seaport Farmers Market for their second annual Easter bunny egg hunt! Tickets are $5.00 with the chance of winning the grand door prize.

11am -1 pm Register for the Bunny Hunt at the South door. Solve the clues and find the bunnies!

Eggs are hidden along the trail as well.

Toddler play area up on the Mezzanine with a puppet workshop in the afternoon.
Face Painting (free bunny face for those entered in the scavenger hunt)
Puppet Show (Times TBA)
Easter Craft Table  Fun for everyone. Make a bonnet!
 Illusions Rhythmic Gymnastics performances at 1, 2 and 3pm.

Meet the Easter Bunny

The Easter bunny is in town for a visit and wants to see you!  Head to the Bay Court at the Mic Mac Mall from March 26 - April 7 to get your picutred taken (1 for $7, 3 for $20 or 5 for $30) with everyone's favourite furry friend.

While you're there be sure to enter their daily coloring contest.  It's $2 to enter and all proceeds go to the Easter Seals Foundation of Nova Scotia

Decorate a Cupcake with the Easter Bunny
Drop by Centre Court at the Halifax Shopping Centre for a photo with the Easter Bunny! April 4th, 5th & 7th from 10am -2pm & 3pm-7pm.

Emails are free and you are welcome to bring your own camera! 4×6 prints are available with a $5 donation to the SPCA and will be available for pickup the following day after 5pm.

Our Bunny is Crazy for Cupcakes! Visit the Bunny between 10am and noon on Saturday, April 7th and decorate your very own bunny cupcake with a donation to the SPCA!

Easter Celebration at Veith House
Saturday Apr 7 2012, 10am-12pm

Veith House, 3115 Veith Street

We will be having an lots of fun for the family. Activities include an easter egg hunt, egg decorating, kids crafts and a bake table. Come out and support Veith House!

For Easter ideas you can creat at home, check momstown arts and craft. Or if you'd like to plan your own Easter Egg Hunt, we have the best tips on how to host one stress free!

Easter Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

It's the week before Easter and means it's time to hustle and pull out the Easter decorations and craft supplies and get ready for the Easter Bunny! momstown has gathered our top 16 favourite Easter crafts to keep your little ones busy this season.

momstown Arts and Crafts has so many ideas to share with parents and kids looking for crafty Easter fun! Click on the idea below for instructions and ideas!

Baskets and Decorations

Easter baskets

Easter wreath

Easter bonnets

Toilet roll centrepiece

Eggs-ellent Ideas

Easter egg decorating

Stained glass Easter egg

Easter egg mosaic

Easter egg literacy activities

Easter eggshell tree

Easter egg snowflake

Chicks and Bunnies

Thumbprint chicks

Egg carton Easter chicks

Cotton ball Easter bunnies

Easter sock bunny

Be a momstown Entrepreneur

Our momstown mission

Our mission is Connecting neighbourhood moms. One community at a time.

momstown.ca is a social networking, media and event company geared for moms with children aged 0-6 years old. The dual goal of each momstown chapter is to connect neighbourhood moms both online and in-person with over 20 local, in-person events monthly. Additionally, as a media company we invite and integrate brands and local advertisers into our mom dialogue.

momstown is here at the right time and the right place. momstown is part of the social networking wave that is changing the way the online world operates and how society is behaving, learning and most importantly, parenting.

Join the momstown movement

We’re looking for moms, like you, to join the momstown movement.

Are you searching for a business that is flexible and family friendly? Are you passionate about children, parenting, and connecting with like-minded mothers? How about internet-savvy, enthusiastic, self-motivated and leadership driven? Are you looking for an income, a fulfilling way to contribute to your family and an at-home business you can be proud of?

momstown is a dynamic small business to run - fun event planning with revenue earned from advertising sales and membership fees. It's perfect for a mom who wants to continue being the primary parent while owning a family-focused and mommy relevant business. momstown may be the right choice for you.

A bit about momstown

momstown is the original Canadian mom network, the only mom ‘website’ to plan regular events and achieve massive reach within the social media sphere.

Initially launched in August 2007 in Burlington, Ontario, with a focus to create a more integrated moms group, momstown was an immediate success because it met a relevant need in a unique and modern fashion. Our teacher-developed momstown educational curriculum is focused on early literacy, community involvement & local parents.

Today, with strategic partnerships with CBC Kids, Scholastic Canada and a study commissioned by the University of Waterloo on the benefits to mothers brought by momstown, we are not the only ones to recognize the value that momstown brings to a community.

Our national network of momstown influencers and bloggers, with real-life neighbourhood connections, is the host of hundreds of monthly community events for moms and is unique gem in Canada.

A momstown License Includes

• Exclusive license to own and run your momstown geographic territory
• Revenue from all local membership fees, local advertising via online, newsletter & email advertising, event sponsorships, & social media campaigns.
• Territory specific, social networking Website, up and running from Day one
• License to run proprietary momstown event programming complete with in-depth 5 year momstown national educational curriculum.
• momstown Training & Business Support

momstown is a turn-key operation, ready to be fueled by your vision and energy for your community.


momstown Testimonials

"momstown is the most vibrant mom community in Canada today. They've been able to take the best of the 1980's support group and carry that into the high-tech era for modern moms today."
Ann Douglas, Author & Parenting Expert

Having been around since momstown’s beginning, I’ve seen its team in action at national meetings and watched it grow from one chapter into a vibrant, licensed business. Momstown is a great step for any new entrepreneur who wants to work for herself, provide beneficial service to her community and stay rooted in family life. We need more momstowns in Canada!"
Julie Cole, Co-founder of Mabel's Labels

"It's been a privilege seeing Momstown grow over the past little while. My instructors have developed a lovely relationship with Momstown owners all across Canada. I love that there are businesses like Momstown that allows women to be their own bosses, that is why I started my business as well. From one mom entrepreneur to another I can honestly say that joining a strong team of people like Momstown will be a wonderful experience."
Laura Berg, President and Founder of My Smart Hands

Who's the mama behind momstown?

Ann-Marie Burton is the owner and co-founder of momstown.ca and motivated to grow momstown with an expansion strategy built on mom entrepreneurs. As the mother of 3 very young children, Ann-Marie intimately understands the mom consumer and the passion of mom entrepreneurs. Her own passion comes from building a dynamic business model, inspiring other entrepreneurial momstown mamas and developing a national momstown platform to connect and support neighbourhood moms across Canada.

Prior to becoming a mother and launching momstown, Ann-Marie spent 8 years in Customer Development and Marketing at Unilever Canada and has a degree in Honours English & Communications from Wilfrid Laurier. Ann-Marie was honoured to win the 2011 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award from SavvyMom Media, has been named the Woman of the Week by Women’s Post, listed as one of Canada’s top 50 Mompreneurs in 2010 and is regularly featured in print, online and television.

Ann-Marie is well suited for the task of both developing the momstown brand and for leading our ever growing team of entrepreneurial momstown mamas. Still based in Burlington, momstown has an official “HQ” team of 4 who support Ann-Marie with Business Development, Marketing, Online Publishing and Team Leadership.


Curious for more? Visit our licensing page and fill in the basic form for more information on you can invest in your own business and be part of the momstown.ca team. Click here.