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activities

Easy St. Patrick’s Day Craft for Young Kids: Blarney Stone

March 13, 2013

by Darlene Morrison

Are you looking for an easy craft to do with your little ones this St. Patrick’s Day?

This craft is easy and it is a lot of fun for the kids too! I wanted to find a craft I could do with my children that was fun but didn’t require spending a lot of money to buy supplies.

The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle in Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the “gift of the gab”.

Here is an easy St. Patrick’s Day craft for young kids – how to make a blarney stone!

Supplies needed:

A smooth, clean rock

Paint brush

Green paint

Glue

Markers

Glitter, sequins, plastic jewels, googly eyes, bits of yarn, etc.

Instructions:

1. Make sure your rock is clean and dry. Paint the rock green. My daughters and I walked around the neighbourhood and found some smooth rocks we could use for this project. We washed and dried the rocks and then began the project.

2. After the paint is dry, decorate your rock using glitter, sequins, beads, plastic jewels, googly eyes, bits of yarn, or other interesting items. We had googly eyes, feathers, sequins, yarn, and pipe cleaners.

3. When the paint and glue are dry, add details (like eyebrows, etc.) using markers.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Darlene Morrison is a mother of four who resides in Newmarket, Ontario with her family. She loves cooking, running, reading and writing. Find her on Twitter or her blog.

News

Woman Tries to Sell Her Kids on Facebook!

March 12, 2013

Did you hear about the time when a mother tried to sell her kids on Facebook?

No joke — 22-year-old Misty VanHorn was arrested on Saturday for trafficking minors on Facebook. She offered up her 10-month old and 2-year-old for $4,000 on Facebook.

VanHorn offered the kids several times on Facebook, offering to sell her 10-month old girl for $1,000 – or get this – a package deal for both kids for $4,000, according to the police report.

A woman in Fort Smith, Arkansas was going to go through with it too! “Just come to Sallisaw, it’s only 30 minutes away and I’ll give you all of her stuff and let y’all have her forever for $1,000,” read VanHorn’s Facebook message, as reported in the Daily Dot.

Oh. My. God. I just can’t even…

Police reported they believed Van Horn was trying to sell her children for bond money to get her boyfriend out of jail. Now she’s in jail, awaiting charges of attempting to traffic minors, and now she’s being held on a $40,000 bond. The children are in the custody of the state’s department of human services.

Entertainment

The Bachelor Who Did Sean Choose and Who is the Next Bachelorette?

March 12, 2013

Bachelor Sean Lowe proposed to Catherine Giudici in an emotional and “dramatic” wedding proposal on Monday night’s Bachelor finale. The couple then rode into the sunset on an elephant in Thailand… and in a surprise twist, they are still together.

What a dramatic moment in Bachelor history! (Yes you must say “dramatic” 50 times when speaking of The Bachelor.)

Lindsay Yenter, who many thought would be “the one”, went home heart-broken.

And in more shocking dramatic news, Sean and Catherine will be married where they first met – on television.

And in more dramatic news, Desiree Hartsock will star in this summer’s ninth edition of ABC’s The Bachelorette. The 26-year-old fashion designer was sent home after her home-town date… and after Sean encountered her skeptical brother.

One thing I found interesting in After the Final Rose episode was that both Sean and Catherine spoke openly about getting through the Bachelor journey because of their faith – something that really wasn’t addressed during the season. Lowe is reportedly a born-again virgin but the Bachelor producers pretty much ignored that fact. Viewers were led to believe that Lowe and his dates may have spent the night in the Fantasy Suites but it wasn’t clear.

In any case, congrats to the happy couple and good luck to Des on The Bachelorette!

Photos: Instagram

Health

Reach Your Health, Fitness and Live Better goals with Goal Getters

March 11, 2013

I’d consider myself a bit of a foodie; I love cooking and baking (not the clean-up though, I mean who does?) A healthy lifestyle is very important to my family – we try to eat balanced meals every day and limit treats, although sometimes that can be a challenge!

Online programs like Goal Getters can help you and your family get on track with food and exercise. The Goal Getters Challenge is the newest tool from the Dairy Farmers of Canada’s Getenough.ca website with a goal to provide a solution for healthy living. Users can sign up for free and complete “activities” in order to collect “badges.”

The site can suggest easy ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle every day, including consuming the recommended number of servings of milk products and getting your entire family active. You’ll find simple activities that you can achieve every day.

I accomplished several of these goals over the course of the last few weeks (patting myself on the back). What I like about the site is that it really does encourage you to try different activities and food combinations that you may not necessarily think of on your own. You also feel great knowing that you’ve completed an activity for the day.

It wasn’t very difficult for me to complete these activities because I already live a rather healthy lifestyle, but it’s such a great reminder of how simple it is to incorporate health into our daily lives. I love cheese and Greek yogurt but I tend to use lactose-free dairy products. A healthy snack for me (this is also sometimes my breakfast) consists of light marble or cheddar cheese, an apple and rye crackers.

My family also enjoys fruit, cheese slices and nuts. For an afternoon pick-me-up, I’ll grab a handful of almonds along with some dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips. We’ll buy a huge bag of unsalted almonds and roast them ourselves, then put them in a canister to have handy for snack attacks.

The best dessert has to be a version of “frozen yogurt.” Throw a frozen banana into your blender with some frozen strawberries and peaches, add a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt (I use lactose-free) and voila – an instant healthier frozen yogurt treat .

Only 1 in 3 Canadians gets enough milk products. With Goal Getters, you’ll see how small steps can lead to a healthier lifestyle, which includes getting your recommended servings of milk products – every day.

See ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Dairy Farmers of Canada via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Dairy Farmers of Canada.

activities

March Break Movie Mornings at the Beach Cinema

March 9, 2013

March Break is the perfect time to take your kids to the movies.

From March 11-15, the Beach Cinema in Toronto is showing 10 kid-friendly classics every morning from 8:30am – noon. There will be face-painting and character visits at select screenings, great lunch deals at the nearby Boston Pizza, and even cupcakes for charity. Tickets are just $5 per person.

The Beach Cinema is a state-of-the-art, intimate Toronto movie theatre in the Beaches playing blockbuster Hollywood flicks and special programming on six big screens.

The Beach Cinema is located at 1651 Queen Street East (Queen & Coxwell), Toronto. Info and Showtimes.

Enter to win a prize pack!

Prize pack is admission for a family of 4, valid for any March Break Movie Morning showing at the Beach Cinemas, and a family-friendly DVD prize pack. To enter, tell us which movie you’d like to see during March Break Movie Mornings (list of movies here).

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Good luck!

More things to do in Toronto during March Break.

amw in the city

Things to Do with the Family in Toronto March Break

March 8, 2013

Wizard World Fun Park is southern Ontario’s best indoor March Break family fun park with locations in Toronto and Hamilton! Treat your children to a day of magical March Break fun featuring over 20 rides and inflatables, an arts and crafts zone, petting zoo, 3D maze, games, a Bubble Show, and much more. Toronto and Hamilton.

Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival – yum! Demonstrations, wagon rides, activities and of course, yummy maple syrup! Check our special March Break and Easter activities. At Kortright Centre, Woodbridge and Bruce’s Mill, Stouffville.

The biggest and best dinosaur exhibition, Ultimate dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana closes March 17th at the ROM so hurry! Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto.

Upper Canada Mall is bringing Zoo to You, a live exotic animal display featuring snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles and more from March 11-16. These amazing creatures will be available to interact with brave shoppers and curious children from 11am-5pm every day throughout the week.

Visit the Ontario Science Centre during March Break for lots of science FUN – special programs, IMAX films and more. Extended hours on March 13, 14 & 15.

Visit Canada’s Majestic Castle, Casa Loma and step back in time to a period of European elegance and splendour March 11 – 16, 2013. Acrobats and aerialists will defy gravity and turn the Great Hall into the site of a real circus spectacle.

From March 11-15, the Beach Cinema is showing 10 kid-friendly classics every morning from 8:30am – noon. Titles include “Spiderman”, the “Harry Potter” series, “Spy Kids”, “Gnomeo and Juliet”, and many more. Tickets are just $5/person, and there’ll be face-painting and character visits at select screenings, great lunch deals at the nearby Boston Pizza, and even cupcakes for charity!
March Break drop-in programs will run daily at the Art Gallery of Ontario from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 9 to March 17 and the AGO will be open on Monday March 11 as well.

The Toronto Zoo is offering daily promotions/savings during March Break including Toonie Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Appetizers & Soups

Split Pea and Ham Soup

March 8, 2013

I make a big batch of soup at the beginning of each week – just heat up for lunch and you’re good to go.

I just love Split Pea and Ham Soup – something about adding smoked ham (or bacon!) to a soup makes it even tastier.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil (you can use butter but I love cooking with olive oil)

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, shopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cup green split peas, rinsed

2 cups chopped smoked ham

8 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, saute vegetables with olive oil and spices on low heat, stirring for about 10 minutes. Stir in stock, ham and split peas and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cook for about an hour and a half or until split peas are soft. Remove the bay leaf. With a hand blender, blend the soup just a little bit. Soup will thicken more as it cools.

Enjoy!

lifestyle

8 Ideas for Mom ME Time

March 7, 2013

by Melissa B.

As moms we all know that balance is important. I’m not sure exactly when I became blanks mom rather than Melissa but somewhere along the line it happened. When you become a mom everything in your life changes, things are about the baby now and that won’t soon change, it’s easy to forget to take time out for yourself in the midst of the ensuing chaos.

We’re all busy moms whether you are at home or have a 9-to-5, your job never really ends. There is always something to be done at the end of the day and there are no sick days; we don’t get to clock out at the end of the day or even when the kids go to bed. Raising a family and maintaining your unique sense of self requires finesse and skill.

There is nothing wrong with taking time out for mom; in fact it’s important to have time for you. Anything from taking an hour or two to sip tea and read a book to a spa day sans kids will leave you refreshed but many of us just don’t do it. I don’t like leaving my kids unnecessarily for even a few hours and it seems a lot of other moms I know feel the same way but we need mommy time too.

As hard as it is to step away giving yourself some me time will make you a better individual and a better mom too. Life with kids can be stressful but taking a little time out every once in a while to take care of you will help you feel refreshed, recharged and read to tackle diaper duty for another day.

Here are 8 ideas for Mom ME Time:

1. Take a bubble bath and read a book.

No reading Dr. Seuss. Draw a bath, give your hubby the baby monitor, turn on your iPod and relax for a while.

2. Visit a day spa.

There is nothing more refreshing than a day spa except maybe a weekend getaway. A day away can leave you refreshed and energized in ways you never imagined.

3. Get a mani-pedi.

A foot massage and pretty nails, what’s not to love.

4. Get your hair done.

It’s a win-win. You get a break and you come back looking gorgeous.

5. Join a book club.

Yes that requires multiple kid free sessions so you have another break to look forward to and some reading that doesn’t include cartoon drawings.

6. Go shopping (not for groceries).

Retail therapy, enough said.

7. Dinner for two.

Dads like to take a break too so have a date night and enjoy each other’s company one on one.

8. Go out for coffee with a friend.

Other moms need time away as much as you do so take another mom along to bask in your kid free glory.

I still don’t like to leave my kids but I have found that some me time makes me feel like a better mom. I come back after just a short amount of time away I have more energy, more patience and new ideas. Take a break and take time for you, you’ll be glad you did and your kids will be happier too.

Melissa is a semi-random and always sarcastic L.A. mom. Addicted to shoes, exclamation points and always doing something new, she is powered by copious amounts of caffeine and always chasing kids; life is fabulously chaotic.

Photo: Fran Flores Dima-ala

Little Kids

Simple Tips to Get Baby to Sleep in First Year

March 5, 2013

by Sandy Pedrogao

“Is she sleeping through the night?”

You’ll be surprised that once you have your baby how many people will ask you this question. It’s a pretty ridiculous question as newborns rarely ‘sleep through the night’.

If your pediatrician is asking you this, she likely means about five hours of uninterrupted sleep, between midnight and five a.m. It’s unlikely that you will experience five hours of uninterrupted sleep before your baby is three to six months, but what you need to remember is that every baby is different and that to some parents, sleeping through the night actually means eight to 12 hours of peaceful slumber. That’s not likely to happen until well after six months, so don’t feel down if your answer is no.

To read the rest of the article, visit Oh Baby!

amw in the city

Enter to Win a Ticket to MomThrive Conference

March 4, 2013

Moms, do you struggle for “me” time? Need a break?

Give yourself the time you deserve and recharge at MomThrive, a weekend conference for moms (April 4-6, 2013) at the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel in Toronto.

MomThrive is the first conference dedicated solely to the care and pampering of moms. Think of it as a weekend getaway with a bunch of other fabulous women while attending inspiring sessions on life balance and much much more.

Since it is a weekend getaway for mom, there will be pampering and fun parties!

Find out more about the MomThrive retreat:

MomThrive Agenda

MomThrive Speakers

We are giving amotherworld readers a discount! Enter code AMW13 to receive $75 off the Early Bird price!

Enter to win a ticket to the conference! One lucky reader will win a ticket to the MomThrive conference, April 4-6, 2013 at the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel in Toronto.

Take advantage of the group rate at the Marriott by registering before March 14.

Note: Accommodation and travel to and from MomThrive (which may or may not include flights) is not included. Some meals, extra excursions, beverages and gratuities are also not included.

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