WIN! Lil Tights By Skights!

The wonderful thing I love about being a Mamalicious Mama is the unique items I get to review for our group. Our mamas are based in Scarborough and Pickering, so you can imagine how happy I was to find product created by a Mama in the Durham Region.

Canadian Mom and designer Julie Thompson has created "Lil' Tights by SKIGHTS". They are like tights... But better than tights. I like to refer to them knee high tights.

It would have been awesome if I had them when Missy Miu was a crawler. I love the padded knee feature that would have protected her knees as she crawled on the floor and carpet.

When we are home I want her to feel unrestricted, but to remove her leggings would have her feeling chilly. With Skights that it a non issue.

Oh... And Diaper changes are much easier. No hassle of removing her pants. Just the diaper.... Just the diaper.

With Toronto 's latest cold Snap, these sure came in handy beneath her pants.

Lil' Tights have a stay put design so they are not easily removed by your little one.
And may I add... Potty training will be much easier.

Skights are made of stretchy Lycra and Spandex (75% Cotton, 22% Nylon, 3% Lycra). They come in three colours:
- small - 9 to 18 months
- med -18 to 30 months
- lg - 30 to 48 months

You can purchase Skights online for $14.99. Purchase 3 or more pairs and save 10%.

What is even more awesome is that this week Julie's Skights are heading to Hollywood to exhibit at L.A.'s exclusive, invitation-only Boom Boom Room Pre-Golden Globes gifting suite. This is where baby and kids' gear is showcased for celebrity moms and dads!

Great news though... Thanks to Skights we have an exclusive contest for the Mamalicious Mamas.

1. Visit Skights Facebook page and LIKE it.
2. Click on this LINK and comment on the pic what you love about Skights
3. RSVP on the event board after completing steps 1 and 2.

You have until Thursday, January 16, 2014, 3pm to compete for the a pair of Skights. Remember... to be eligible you must follow instructions to a T.

Good luck Mamas!

**The products for this review and giveaway were provided for free. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.**

New Year... New Events

Happy New Year Mamas!   Just wanted to give a heads up on January 2014 events:

- We have coffee at Debbie's Boutique Café and Café Mirage

- We will  have two Storytime sessions at Ray's Café

- Stroller Walking at Scarborough Town Centre and Markville Mall

- Hat Day at Creative Play Indoor Playground

We have room for 5 more events. Let us know if you have and suggestions.

We've just added Stroller Walking at the indoor track at Stephen Leacock Community Centre

Please visit our Mamalicious Mamas board for more information.

A Mamalicious Year In Review

A year ago Missy Miu was 4 months old and I was one lonely Mama.   I knew there were groups of Moms who were getting out and keeping each other company.   I was experiencing so much despair that the thought of being sociable would paralyze me.  Many of the Mom outings were a bit of a commute.   Going to work entails a 52 km drive one way.  The long trips to mingle with the baby became another excuse not to get out.

I soon realized that at this point maternity leave was going to be sad experience.  The only way to get around this was to create my own group.   I mean surely I would be a social butterfly if it was my group.   If I planned events in my area then the excuse of a long commute would be removed.

Thanks to Meetup.com I was able to get some great ideas and form a mommy group Scarborough Pickering Mamalicious Mamas.   Almost a year later we have over 200 Mamas.   Many going through the same predicament of loneliness.  

We are all excited about being a parent, but were not really forewarned that sometimes it would be difficult to find other children for our little ones to mingle with,  peer support and things to do. It's pretty exciting to know that we had Mamas participate in almost 200 events.   I would like to thank the volunteer Mama's who host many of our outings.

Our group has evolved.   We have new Mamas and Back to work Mamas.   We are listening.   Even though Moms are returning to work they still want to keep in touch with each other.  They had lots of baby questions and they have now turned to toddler questions.

I'm excited about out first Weekend Mama event taking place next month on a Saturday.   Any member can attend however it is a great opportunity for back to work Mamas to catch up with each other and for their toddlers to mingle.

We have accomplished a lot with the Mamalicious Mamas and would like to continue.     We have some great ideas and are looking forward to working with businesses in the community.

I am back to work,  juggling family life but excited about upcoming developments for the Mamalicious Mamas.

Cookie Exchange Event

We will be at Creative Play Indoor Playground for our Cookie Exchange.

While our little ones play we will get into the Holiday Season exchanging small tins of cookies.

You may bake em', buy em, then savour em. (nut free food is allowed on premises).

It will be a great opportunity to share secret recipes or the favourite secret spot you bought them.

Please RSVP by Monday, December 2nd. We will contact each Mama with her picked Mama name on Tuesday, December 3rd.
Shhhh.... It's a secret....

http://www.meetup.com/Scarborough-Pickering-Mamalicious-Mamas/events/152394092/

Mama Melanie will be your host for this event.

Our Holiday Diaper Drive Event

Hi Friends, we are excited to announce our First Mamalicious Mamas Holiday Diaper Drive.All Diapers collected will be donated to the Pregnancy Help Center of Durham (Ajax Location) located at 572 Kingston Rd., W., Pickering Village. www.pregnancyhelp.ca.

Diaper need is the struggle to provide babies and small children with clean diapers. Diaper need is defined as having to cut back on essentials, like food, utilities, medicine and child care in order to afford enough diapers for one’s children.

Did you know:
- 3 in 10 Canadian Mamas know a Mom who cannot afford disposable diapers
- Daycare facilities typically do not allow cloth diapers
- Many public laundry facilities cloth diapers to be washed in their machines for sanitary reasons
- In households experiencing diaper need, babies may be kept in wet, dirty diapers for extended periods of time- Mothers cut back on basic essentials, like food, utilities or child care in order to afford enough diapers for their child

We will be accepting new packages and opened packages of Disposable Diapers. These can be dropped off at Treehouse Play and Café.

All sizes are appreciated however there is a need for sizes NB, 5 and 6.

How else can you help?
-Spread the word.... Let your contacts know via Twitter, Facebook (and groups), and other forms of social media.
- Let family and friends know verbally, text or email..
- Deliver your friends donations to the drop off site.

This event starts Sunday, November 24th - Sunday, December 22, 2013. We have an alternate time and drop off site for Sundays which will be announced soon.Need more info? Please contact us in the comments area.

Thank you.

Wordless Wednesday

Can't wait! 

September Happenings

I Maternity leave is now over for Lexi and myself. As we now juggle with our little ones, work, school and family life - - we are determined to maintain The Mamalicious Mamas Social Network. Currently we are 157 Mamas strong.

September is jam packed with Mamalicious events:

* Get Mamaliciously Fit with Heike
* PYO Tropical Vegetables
* Java / Tea Adventures
* The Zoo
* Anything FroYo
* Lots of Walks
* Indoor Playdates
* Bellydance Workshop ( Mama Only)
* Menu Planning Info Session

Are you a Mama or a Mama-to-be? Then The Scarborough Pickering Mamalicious Mamas is for you. Let's venture out of the house and enjoy the day.

Starting A Meal Plan

In September we have arranged for the Mamalicious Mamas to attend an information session on Meal Planning at the Loblaws Cooking School. I will not be able to attend, but I've decided it would be a good idea to explore for our own household.

I have been Googling various sites on the topic and so far I like the concept of theme dinners. This is what I have written for the week:

Monday: Pasta and left over chicken
Tuesday: Steak
Wednesday: Wraps steak
Thursday: Stir Fry
Friday: Take-out
Saturday: Barbecue anything goes
Sunday: Chicken

I also read that you can repeat your detailed menu bi-weekly. So if you have lasagna on Monday, then feel free to serve it in two weeks.

Returning to work is leaving me a little overwhelmed with time management. An area I always have trouble with. Yeah… Yeah…. I have been told I have a tendency to over think things. But my commute is 55 kilometers from away. I need to feel that my time after I get home is quality time with my family. Not to mention I have to spend time behind the scenes of the Mamalicious Mamas.

Oh. And there is my hobby of cake decorating that garners me an order every so often.

Hubby and I used to spend a pretty penny on take-out. Yes, I am back to work getting (thank goodness) a full wage, but daycare takes a chunk out of it. Meal planning for dinner will also provide for lunch the next day.

Most importantly, I would like Missy Miu to eat healthy. I am looking forward to seeing her assist with dinner after daycare. Right now she eats the paper napkins. It will be pretty cool when she actually places them on the table.

So Mamas… Do you do any form of meal planning in your home?

Adventures in Babysitting

We have secured a spot for Missy Miu in a daycare for over a month now. I've had a few Mamas ask me about my experience. So I thought I would share.

When Missy Miu was 4 months Hubby and I started to look around for daycare. We were surprised  at how expensive it would be. The costs were from $68.00 to $73.90 per day. (say what?). We were looking at possibly paying almost $1500 per month! A friend pointed out that it was a mortgage payment. (crap!)

Unfortunately we do not have any family to help with Missy during the day. Paying for a provider was our only option.

I decided to check out a licensed home daycare provider. After doing some research, this seemed to be the best option. Monitored by the Ministry of Education the cost was less expensive due to the fact that this was in the provider's home. We were looking at a cost of $48.00 per day / $960.00 per month.

I filled out the online application and received a call within two days from the Scarborough franchise owner. I let them know the area we were interested in. It had to be easy accessible for Hubby so he could continue on to the GO Station. I was told that there were four providers within our area of interest and that I would receive a call back in April, four months before Missy's official start date.

April came fast and the in home daycare and I connected (actually in May). I paid $50.00 for the setup of the interviews. They set me up with two. Even though there was supposed to be four. We went to one and the next day the other. This one was perfect. It was across the street from The Rouge GO Station. We knocked and rang the doorbell for ten minutes . No answer. We were not impressed. On the way home I left an irate message on the answering machine of the main office.

I received an apologetic call the next morning from the office. Turns out the provider said she was unable to do any interviews because her daughter was ill. She had told the office previously, but they had forgotten.

I accepted the apology and waited for another opportunity for the interview as well as others. Two weeks passed. I followed up and left a message. I received a voice mail back that they would contact me when the provider could accept interviews.

The next day the main office called and told me the provider had decided not to offer daycare in her home anymore. Hmmmmm... I thought so. I asked about upcoming interviews. The person seemed a bit flustered on the phone and I was told I would receive a call.

I decided to phone on my own the next day. I expressed my disappointment that $50.00 got me only one interview. I hinted that perhaps I receive some if not all of that money back. They didn't bite.

Later I received a call back. They had a provider by the GO Station in The Guild. We visited her and she was very nice. Missy Miu liked her. But she was not looking after any other children. It is important for us that Missy interact with other children her age... Not hang out with an adult all day.

Sigh... Now up to two interviews we did not receive any follow up calls.

A bit miffed I called the office back. I told them that they had a lot of nerve to assume that I have decided to go with them. I am a parent who has to plan and was returning back to work soon. I ended the conversation with "well my husband will give you a call soon."

Within minutes I received a call from the franchise owner. She told me of another provider who was located between The Rouge and Guild GO Stations.

We visited, but not still not quite impressed. We received another call from the franchise owner asking me what we thought of the last interviewee. It seemed like she assume that we decided on the last provider. I told her we liked her but had other interviews.

Hubby and I went on a site www.godaycare.com. We found a babysitter by the Guildwood GO Station. She was very nice. A former teacher and she had a resume. She charged $45.00 per day. We just felt that she didn't have any structure to the day.

We finally came across a daycare that charged $73.90 per day. They were five minutes from home. We toured the facility and liked what we saw. They had two infant rooms that would hold 10 babies each up to 18 months.

It was a spacious facility with a couple of empty areas. This
daycare had space due to the full-time kindergarten brought in by the Liberal Government. All daycare centres had to close down spots that had children in this age range. Full day kindergarten was affecting the business of daycare. Because of this we lucked out. This daycare provider matched the daily rate of the licensed in home provider.

We were relieved that Missy Miu would benefit in a centre and interact with many other babies her age.

I would advise you to :

- start looking for a provider at the 4 month mark
- put your child's name on as many lists as you like. When you decide on one call the others to remove your child's name
- if a provider doesn't offer good service from the get go... walk away

So Mamas... Do you have any Adventures in Babysitting to share?

Strollerfit In The Park

The Mamalicious Mamas are so excited about the free workouts hosted by two wonderful mamas in our group on Mondays!

They sure make us work hard though. We power walk, squat, jump around, work on our abs, and sing and dance with our babies. It leaves us painful at the end, but its well worth it! And the babies get a good nap (usually).

M cried through the whole workout today though... She just didn't want to sit still. I didn't give in though! I distracted her with fruit snacks and managed to get through the workout.

We are so excited how big our group is getting and how the mamas are volunteering to help us host events. As you all probably know, Dee and myself are going back to work soon! Meaning we could use all the help we can get. Thanks awesome mamas!

M started her Montessori today (two weeks before I go back) so I can get some stuff done and hopefully get rid of old baby things. She did great for the hour she was in today.

On another note, Dee and myself have been frantically preparing for our picnic on Friday! We can't wait to have a Mamalicious picnic, but the sandwiches and cupcakes aren't going to make themselves. Of course with Dee's awesome baking skills, the cupcakes are guaranteed to turn out great. Hope we have lots of you join us Friday!!

Until next time...

Infant and Toddler Nutrition

Missy Miu and I were shopping one day at Loblaws in Pickering. Before leaving I went upstairs as I usually do to feed her. There was a lady in a white coat outside the Cooking School door. Being one who is always looking for an opportunity for the Mamalicious Mamas, I approached her.

She introduced herself as Lisa Ireland a nutritionist with Loblaws. I asked her if there were any topics that would be of any interest to my Mamas.

JACKPOT!

Turns out that she would be happy to present an educational seminar for my group. We arranged and set a date for a presentation on Infant and Toddler Nutrition. We had twenty-one Mamas in attendance.

Lisa informed us of:
- the nutrition requirements of breastfeeding moms
- various types of infant formula
- introduction of solids to baby
- sample meal plans It was very informative. I look forward to setting up more educational events for the Scarborough Pickering Mamalicious Mamas.

posted from Bloggeroid

We've Been Featured!

We had an awesome opportunity from Lovable Labels.

Once a month they do a feature on local women run businesses. Hear is the one they did on us, Mamalicious Mamas Social Network.

Lovable Labels creates a line of labels that include Regular and Slimline Stickers, Shoe Labels, Iron-ons and Bag Tags.  They are not only bright, fun and colourful but also met the high standards that parents have come to expect.  The Regular and Slimline labels are microwave and dishwasher safe, the Iron-on labels stay put in the washer and dryer, the Shoe Labels have an extra strength adhesive to ensure they won't come off and the Bag Tags are made of a durable and flexible plastic.

Thanks again Lovable Labels!

posted from Bloggeroid

Strollerfit at Thomson Park

We have two awesome Mamalicious Mamas.... Mellisa and Heike. They have volunteered to lead our group for exclusive Mama Strollerfit routine.

We have had a very good turnout at Thomson Park where we meet every week.

Mellisa and Heike are friendly Mamas, but they worked us hard. They would even check our posture during some of the excercise routines.

The hour long excercise session wraps up with weight resistance and ab routines while holding our babes in arms. We then sing songs to them while Heike blows bubbles.

I enjoyed the workout and my newly toned arms.

posted from Bloggeroid

Events - Week of June 10th

Mamalicious Mamas has 4 events events scheduled this week.  You will find us:

- walking and strolling at Pickering Town Centre
- indulging in some FroYo at ci gusta
- having fun with the little ones at a weekly playdate
- learning Infant / Child CPR

On Mondays we get our exercise on with Mommy and Baby Fitness.
Unfortunately I will have to miss this week's class.  Hubby and I went biking with Missy Miu.  I lost my balance, and flew off my bike head first into some rocks on the side of the path.  Yes I wore my helmet.  I actually landed on my left leg.

Missy Miu ate grass while we waited for the paramedics.  She was really concerned.

I went to the hospital.  Nothing  broken,  just severe bruising. 

I will live. Orders are that I stay off my feet for a few days. Did I mention that Little One is crawling? This should be interesting.

Mamalicious Tea Party

Mamalicious Mamas would like to thank Hy-Tea Teahouse for hosting our Mama Tea Party.  We had 19 Mamas and babes in attendance.

They arranged stroller parking for us out front.

We savoured the flavour of a warm scones, whipped butter, tasty deserts,  fruit, sweet Devon cream, delicious jam and delicate finger sandwiches.

Of course we drank from fancy china too!

We took a walk on the board walk.

And some of us wore fancy hats.