In addition to our weekly MC activities, we have been getting to know the Mommy Connections Director for Regina, Jaclyn Roach. For the past four weeks, we have been learning more about MC and how it got it's start here in the Queen City. This week I decided to change gears and ask about down time.
What do you do for yourself outside of momming and running MC?
I always love hearing about what other moms are doing for themselves. After that needy newborn period ends, and you begin to see a glimpse of your new normal, it is so important to take that time to reconnect with yourself. Whether that's trying something new or rejoining something old, it feels good to practice some self care. That's how Ventures in Motherhood was born. I needed a little push to kick that mom-guilt to the curb and take some time for me. And my daughter loves seeing her mom find joy in new and old hobbies.
We have just one class left! If you missed one of the weekly MC articles, you can catch up here!
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In case you haven't heard, we've teamed up with Mommy Connections in Regina to give you the inside scoop on what these programs are all about. Each week, Rowyn and I attend a session at a new location and try an activity geared toward her age group. And while we're at it, we thought we would also take the opportunity to get to know Jaclyn, the program's director for the Queen City.
Why do you think programs like MC are so important for families?
I think this type of programming is so important to families in our community for lots of reasons! Finding friends who are at the same point in their life as you after having babies is a crucial piece of wellness postpartum. It’s important for moms to feel like they have other women to connect with, to rely on, and to feel safe with.
The programs are also a great place for little ones to learn how to be around other little ones too. It's the perfect way for moms to meet each other, for babies and tots to play, and for services in the community to reach their audience. I love Mommy Connections and truly believe that what I’m doing is a valuable part of the community.
There has been a real push for better postpartum services in our city and I definitely agree that getting out and connecting with other moms is an essential part of that support. Whether you've just had a baby or are making the transition to stay-at-home mom, Mommy Connections is a great way to get out of the house each week and meet other mamas.
This week was our make-and-take — something Jaclyn offers during every program so you have an opportunity to create something with your little one to keep. Our project was a wall hanging that we decorated with an assortment of materials. I used stickers to spell Rowyn's name and then let her fill in the rest. She chose markers, crayons, and more stickers, of course! It will adorn the wall in her playroom along with some of her other works of art.
This week was also our picture day — another staple for the sessions. Lauren Murphy from Serene Photography came out for a complimentary session which I think is such a great idea. Moms tend to be the picture takers so I welcome any opportunity to grab a photo with my daughter.
Our activity was originally scheduled to be outdoors but was moved to Amazing Adventure due to possible rain showers. They have a party room upstairs that was perfect for this and the kids got to climb on the indoor playground afterward. It was a packed afternoon of rainy-day fun!
If you're looking for something to do with your babe this fall, registration is now open! And if you missed an episode and want to get caught up, just click here!
I'm back with my third installment of the Mommy Connections Weekly, where we will be getting to know all about their programming as well as the mommy behind our Regina location, Jaclyn Roach. This week is about the challenges of growing a new business: something I'm sure all you Momtrepreneurs can relate to!
MC is still fairly new to Regina; how have you been successful in building the MC programs so far?
"In September I offered my first Mom & Baby Class and was (and still am) so grateful for the 10 moms who were willing to take a chance on me and participate in that first group."
On June 10 we celebrated 1 year of Mommy Connections Regina with a party at the Eastview Community Centre. I am so grateful to the moms who have joined my programs and given me their feedback and helped me make the programs better. They are still not perfect but I am growing and learning everyday as a business owner and I am so excited to see where the next year takes me.
Check back next week for another edition. Miss an article? Click here to catch up!
We are enrolled in the Mommy Connections Parent & Tot session this summer and this week we visited Pointflex Dance Company for a dance class. If you've never participated in a structured activity with your toddler, it is something best described as herding cats. Classes offered to this age group are generally short and require parent participation, and you'll leave feeling more exhausted and sweaty than your toddler. But we love trying these types of programs because it's how our wee one will build confidence to one day partake independently.
Our session was 30 minutes which left us with some time to visit at the end while the kiddies snacked. I think this was the most cooperative they were the whole session; it was just one of those days! Side note: I need a better camera for capturing moving toddlers — so many blurry limbs!
If you're not sure what would be a good fit for your little one, Mommy Connections is a great place to start. You get to try a variety of programs over the course of a session without the commitment. You can then register for something you and your child enjoyed or continue to use the à la carte offerings of MC!
Two weeks ago, I mentioned the awesome Parent & Tot group Rowyn and I joined through Mommy Connections here in Regina. I also mentioned the lovely director, Jaclyn Roach, the mama and superstar behind the organization of all the great programming available. I hadn't heard of Mommy Connections before this past year so I wanted to know how she came to head the Regina location. I decided to feature a bit about her and her business for the next five weeks so we can learn more about the programs, and the mama behind them, together!
How did you get started with MC?
During my year off, my husband and I found out we would be moving to Regina for his job and that we were expecting baby #2. We wanted me to be able to step away from my career (I am a high school English teacher) while we raised our babies but needed something that could give me the stimulation I needed outside of kids and something that could hopefully bring in some money to supplement my husband's income - it's too hard these days to live in a one-income household! I started looking around and came across the Mommy Connections website and they were looking for a director for Regina! I was so excited that I got on the application process immediately and within a few weeks was all set up to start Mommy Connections in Regina.
Next week we'll learn more about how she's grown her business this past year!
So what did we get up to this week? On Wednesday we had the opportunity to check out the STARS Air Ambulance hangar. We live near the airport and often see them flying overhead so Rowyn was thrilled for this tour.
Regina has two choppers that they use to respond to remote accidents and emergencies. Both were available for the kids to explore at their leisure. As excited as Rowyn was in the lobby, she was reluctant to climb aboard at first; by the end she was prepping the stretcher for a snooze. The paramedics, nurses, and pilots on site were all wonderful with the kids.
If you're currently on maternity leave, parental leave, or are a stay-at-home mama or dada, check out the fall programming now available through Mommy Connections. Jaclyn also loves supporting other momtrepreneurs, so send her a message if you want to collaborate with her to help get the word out about your products or services to more mamas!
I often see new and stay-at-home moms looking for suggestions on what to do to fill the long days of being at home with their little ones. Getting out of the house is imperative to me and my sanity so my daughter and I get out a lot. Like everyday. Even if it's just for a quick walk or to grab a few groceries. A change of scenery can do wonders on a toddler who has passed on her nap and appears in need of an exorcism.
We also participate in structured activities. It provides my daughter with that critical social interaction she misses out on at home with me and she learns new skills like following directions, taking turns, and participating in a group. I always have my eye out for new things to try, so when Jaclyn Roach of Mommy Connections Regina invited me to join their summer Parent & Tot group, I responded with an enthusiastic, "Shit yeah!"
For those who aren't familiar, Mommy Connections runs programming all over Canada for moms and babes/tots to introduce them to other local moms as well as programs, services, and activities geared toward their kid's age group. It's a great way to meet new mamas and try some new things with your littles. They are also offering dad and parent sessions this fall for those stay-at-home dads, too.
Our first session was held at Get Air, a place I had never been before. I was actually nervous to go after reading the recent stories circulating about it being unsafe for children under the age of 5. Rowyn is a cautious toddler — something I am occasionally grateful for — so we went to check it out and meet the other moms. I was pleasantly surprised by the setup. They have a separate toddler area called "Little Air" that has four small, vertical trampolines and two foam pits for their enjoyment. It also has a nice carpeted area all along the side for parents to sit and watch their kiddos. My toddler did end up doing a little jumping but she mostly threw foam blocks into the pit and sat on the trampoline for others to bounce her. I was a little relieved and I got to visit with the other gals without worrying.
We have five more sessions, all with different locations and activities for us to try. I will be blogging about our experience each week so you can get a feel for what Mommy Connections is all about. If you decide it's something you'd like to join, check out the website for all the new classes starting in September!
This week was my last class with Carla at Cathedral Art School & Studio. It has been such an incredible 8 weeks of learning and making. I have always been a lover of art so this ended up being a perfect fit for me to reconnect with that side of myself. If you are looking to explore your inner-maker, I highly recommend the mixed media classes.
Now onto my final project. We were each given a stretched canvas and three cups of pouring medium to tint with acrylic colours of our choosing. I picked a teal, a shimmery gold, and blended myself a coral. Then you just drizzle and swirl, adding more paint where and when you want. I have never been a fan of paint as a medium, but this is a project I would try again.
I would choose different colours next time but I love the way you can change the design by holding it a different way to let the paint run or by adding more colour. Less is usually more, but in the case of pour painting, more is more. All of these supplies can be acquired locally which is another thing I have appreciated about all of the works we have created. In the end, you get a unique high-gloss painting to adorn your walls. Give it a try!
What colours would you choose?
Today I made my fish obsession official. It started out innocently with those cute sardine prints. Then today when we were hand building some clay pieces in class, I debated carving a fish on my platter. When someone else mentioned my sardines, I changed my mind to avoid becoming... too fishy. But when I added a hole in one of my decorative ends and the whole platter became a fish, I was suddenly teetering on the edge. The salmon I barbecued for supper tonight sealed the deal.
Look at that little guy with his sweet smile. It was meant to be. I made this platter and a couple of pinch pots. I wasn't super happy with how my pieces turned out today, but I'm waiting to make my final judgement until after the glaze has been fired on. I also need to remind myself that this is my first time working with clay and that even seasoned vets don't always make winners.
We have just two classes left and then I'm off for the summer to create some projects on my own. I'm hoping to make a few things worthy of selling in the Gallery soon!
This is me, actually making something on a pottery wheel! Today's art class was all about throwing clay. My instructor, Carla, gave us a full demo and then let us get to work. This is her jam so she was able to whip up a beautiful little bowl in minutes. There are so many important details to working with clay. From centering and shaping to wheel speed and moisture levels. It's much harder than it looks but so relaxing. I could just watch someone else work for hours. Seriously, google it. It's mesmerizing.
We were each given three pieces of clay to work with and it became quite obvious why. My first piece was my favourite but I made my hole too deep so the bottom was too thin to keep it together. Boo. I was just playing around with making different shapes for my next two and ensuring they weren't too deep. We only had a couple of hours to work today but I was able to make two vessels for the keeping of things. I was cutting it close to the end of class so you can see my second has some sort of button in the middle I didn't get to smooth out.
I had been looking forward to today all week. Pottery is something I've always wanted to try and I loved it more than I thought. I'm thinking my next session will be a full pottery class to have more time to develop my skills.
The Good
I think the current state of my garden can easily be sorted into one of the above three categories. Let's start with the good news. I found two great pots to add to my porch: one at Dutch Growers and one from Carla Lorence Ceramics at the Cathedral Village Arts Fest. I purchased flowers for them last week and both are still living.
These three beauties are thriving. The purple iris was a donation from my mom and last year it didn't bloom. I'm happy to report that this year it has several buds. It's a little flimsy though but that might be toddler related. The peony is also blooming and looking bright. In the spirit of honesty, it's a new addition and was already about to pop, but I'm hopeful it will remain.
The big news of the day is the bleeding heart on the end. My neighbour gave it to me last year because it wasn't enjoying its home in his backyard. Unfortunately, it was August and I had already quit watering my garden. It appeared to be beyond saving and I was sure it was long gone. But I noticed unfamiliar little sprouts shooting up this spring so I googled what bleeding heart shoots look like and confirmed it was back in business! It didn't bloom this year but I read it can take a couple of seasons for it to establish itself. The Bad
These are looking great, right? So what's the bad news? The celosia are all replacements and the marigolds aren't producing new buds. Boo. I think, actually I know, I selected flowers based on my likes versus choosing ones suitable for the location. Rookie move. I think I need to set them out to sunnier pastures and pick new ones that like shady times.
The Ugly
Brace yourself...
Oh boy. Half of my impatiens have died. I replaced one but I'm coming to terms with another poor selection. This box used to be very shady but our neighbours chopped down a large tree in their yard so now it gets a full morning of sun. Impatiens don't like that much sun so I'm basically cooking them. These will also need to pack up so beach lovers can move in to take their place.
It's a bit early in the year to have so many dead plants so I feel compelled to call a mulligan and start over. Anyone have any gardening tips for me? I'd love to hear them!
I'm in the home stretch of a three-month stint of solo-parenting (hopefully), so these Thursday dates have been more important for me than ever. I continued my coffee treat trend this afternoon with an iced chai because it was a million degrees outside — summer is here!
Today's class was all about finishing our lino block carvings and making our prints. I learned how to roll on the ink which can be tricky. It's a fine balance between not enough with blank spaces and too much with pooling. I was so nervous to stamp my design, but I am so happy with how it turned out!
I tested my print a few times in the purple and cut away any bits that were getting in the way before stamping on my good paper. My tiny details are still a little rough, but I think it looks so neat. I want to try printing in blue on white paper to get that spanish tile vibe.
As with my zentangles, if you want to see this beauty on your walls, send me a message and we'll chat!
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