Where Moms Connect ~ Mommy Connections

 

 

Are you looking for a way to meet other new moms in your neighbourhood, while also participating in some of the best mom and baby programs in the West End?

Then Check out Mommy Connections West Toronto, a Post-Natal Program and New Moms Social Network! This eight-week program features expert presenters who will enlighten, support and educate moms – as well as provide an opportunity to socialize with their babies. Each registrant will also receive a free swag bag full of samples and discounts from local businesses!

This eight-week program is geared toward the needs and interests of today’s modern mother. The program highlights fitness, nutrition, safety, infant communication, and more! Mommy Connections gives moms the information they need to make decisions that are right for them and their family. It’s also a fantastic venue to connect with other moms in your community to share stories, solicit advice, and laugh!

Mommy Connections West Toronto is revolutionizing the idea of connecting and educating new moms. With fun and educational presenters, local moms from your area and lots of time to socialize with your babies, Mommy Connections is an excellent choice for mums and little ones.

The next class starts May 17^th, 11-12:30 at Swansea Town Hall and costs $120 for 8 weeks.  To register, or for more details please visit www.mommyconnections.ca/west-toronto or contact Karen at Karen@mommyconnection.ca

 

xo

Erica Ehm ~ Our Mompreneur of the Month

 

 

 

WE think Erica Ehm is fabulous hip & stylin’! That is why are proud to introduce her as our Mom-entrepreneur of the month and we want to let all our readers & followers know!                                                                                         

Here is a glimpse into her daily life, juggling mom, entrepreneur, & an empowered woman!

We’re huge fans of Erica Ehm from her days as a VJ and now we’re even bigger fans of her Yummy Mummy Club as moms!

Thank you for being the first person to create a space where moms can connect with themselves & others. ♥

 

 

How many kidlets do you currently have and their ages? 

My son Josh is a decade old, daughter Jessie is 6 and 7/8^th

 

Business name & how you came up with this fabulous idea

YummyMummyClub.ca– online destination for modern moms. I had a very difficult time adjusting to motherhood after being a career woman for so long.  I started this sit to connect with other moms – to celebrate and commiserate this roller-coaster of motherhood.

What was your WHY when you started?  Is it the same?  Has it changed?

I launched the site when my TV show Yummy Mummy was cancelled. I felt very passionate about connecting with other moms and reminding everyone, myself included, that perfection is impossible and to cut ourselves some slack in our desire to be the ultimate mothers. My definition of a yummy mummy is someone who is a good parent, but also maintains other personal interests and is continues to be inspired both with and without their kids. Yummy is a state of mind. I’m on a personal mission to obliterate guilt from a mom’s psyche. Mums need to play too!

 

What’s the funniest/craziest/zaniest situation you’ve encountered as an entrepreneur?   

Nothing funny about the intense amount of work, pressure, pace and time spent building a business.

How do you make it through the day running a business, chasing after the kids & keeping your house in order?  Or do you run it like a zoo like we do?  Tell us!

First, I have an amazing support system – my husband is hands on! I have a full time nanny. My mother in law loves to help out. My mom is there for me. And I really dropped the bar on my personal expectations. My house isn’t always perfect, I sometimes show up to my kid’s events on the wrong days and we often run out of food in the house. . Please don’t look in my minivan. It is disgusting.

But my kids are loved, happy and busy

Where do you get your inspiration from on days when you feel like you’re hitting a wall?

My kids remind me how lucky I am to really have it all – a loving family and a career that turns me in. When I cuddle with them or have an awesome conversation, it soothes my nerves, calms me down and gives me strength to get up and get going again.

How do you make time for your family?  Do you have a games night?  Special outings?  A designated time for just you and the family?

I try to include my family in my work. My kids come to a lot of my events. I travel with them for work. They man my booth at shows. That way they feel part of my business and I keep them close to me.

How would you describe your style?  We know you don’t wear mom-jeans so share your secrets!  You’re on the go: how do you make sure you’re always looking & feeling your best when you leave the house? Heels or flats?

Black boots with chunky heels. Slightly rock’n roll yet comfortable. Gotta love my Rockports

 

♥ xo0           Join the Yummy Mummy Club ~ you won’t regret it!

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The leaves are changing & so are the trends!

The leaves are changing & so are the trends!
(written by Alexandria Durrell of Clippo.ca)

 

It’s Fall and we all know what that means – time to put away the flip-flops folks, and break out those comfy, cozy fall fashions. If you’re anything like me, your kids might be the ones sporting the most stylish gear – isn’t it so much easier to dress the peeps than ourselves? Want to have a look at what my kids will be sporting this season? My four-year old daughter is very much into what I call Pink Comfort Chic – meaning, if it’s pink and comfy, she’s sold. We’ve managed to accommodate her wishes by finding the best styles of the season. Thankfully, our little baby boy is still too young to protest much – though, oh, how I wish he’d wear a cool hat like the ones Chill Monkeys recently released!

Here are a few cool trends I’ve noticed for Fall 2010 that I think you’ll just love, too.

 

Houndstooth Swing Coat – Crazy Baby Accessories

Handmade gear for the win!

Everywhere we look, we’re seeing a return to the wholesome, handmade fashion front. With Etsy storming the shopping scene, everyone’s clamouring for charming, unique pieces. Our favourite (Canadian!) shops include Butterflies & Bees and Crazy Baby Accessories .

Classic Bucket Hat with an Haute Twist – Butterflies & Bees

Just Like Dad!

Glow Magazine’s most recent issue featured a men’s spotlight that included the most darling accessory for boys big and small: the bowtie!  As always, Clippo hit the fashion mark with the recent release of the Clippo Bow Ties, available in various designer prints, and the classic black.

Grace MacCall of TykeThreads (the incomparable shopping site for the little men in our lives) tells us, “The top three trends for  boyswear this fall/winter are: plaid power, hybrid hoodies, and skinny jeans. We’re also delighted to see interesting colours (at last!) for our little guys. I love the backcountry plaid shirt by Knuckleheads in turquoise. Contrast is also noteworthy this season — the grey fleece hood sewn onto plaid red lumberjack shirt by Ben Sherman is a favourite and one my own son will be wearing. And in the skinny jeans department, we love the Appaman black jeans that have a little bit of a give. Also, another popular item that we love is the hat: fedora, cap or beanie, these accessories fly off my virtual shelves.”

 

Comfort reigns, hoorah!

We’re seeing comfy jeggings and leggings paired with layered cotton tops and cozy sweaters for little girls – love it! For boys we’re seeing cool screen-printed tees with comfy jeans for a preppy, casual look. While we think it’s super cute for little ones to dress up like their parents, we want them to embrace childhood, and we’re happy this year’s Fall trends reflect that kind of fun!

Clockwise from top-left: Knuckleheads shirt, Sherman lumberjack shirt, Appaman fedora (tykeThreads.ca)

Wondermoms.ca

 

 

Have you been introduced to Wondermoms yet?  Tamara McPherson is the founder & creator of Wondermoms.ca, we are so excited to have her share her WHY and  tell us why Wondermoms is so amazing!

If you are not a Wondermom yet, make sure you join the awesome community of Wondermoms!

 

How you came up with this fabulous idea ?

WonderMoms.ca – We are an on line social networking site that offers our members fabulous contest and giveaways. WonderMoms was created to have a positive upbeat site for Moms to learn from each other through our message board. We saw the need to grow beyond the message board and created our website WonderMoms.ca . We were ready to work hard from the ground up and now our very proud of the achievements.

What do you love about being an entrepreneur?   Don’t be shy – go ahead and tell us!

I control my own hours and love the flexibility. I am a very hard working and seldom take time off. I do try and balance work, family and life – not sure if I balance it 100% but I really do try. I involve my children in my work, as they do go to a lot of events with me and get to meet and have fabulous opportunities.

What fantastic services do you offer moms?

At WonderMoms.ca we are always looking for new contest and keeping our site fresh, we offer fabulous contest and giveaways to our members. We love working with companies that have great products that we showcase . Our parents can come to WonderMoms.ca and find events in their community, discount ticket’s s to shows, wonderful insightful articles, contests and the chance to connect with other parents.

Why do moms love you?

WonderMoms.ca is consistent and we support a lot small local companies. We network and get involved in our community.  Our site is full of fabulous information!

 

xo

 

 

A Barbie-licious Party

Mom-Entrepreneur Leigh Mitchell ~Founder of Mom Entrepreneurs Network & GTA Parent

Our October Mom-Entrepreneur is all about giving back to her community.  Not only does she help woman market their businesses but she also provides the tools to help them be a part of a fun & loving networking environment, develop friendships and  strong support groups.

Leigh represents empowering woman and is all about balancing the family and your personal business!

Leigh Mitchell is the Founder of Mom Entrepreneurs Network & GTA Parent. 

 We’re excited to have her as our feature this month; she is a fabulous woman and a good friend!

 

 

We think you’re a fabulous hip & stylin’ Mom-entrepreneur; and we want to let all our readers & followers know!  Tell us your story; share your secrets; and give us a glimpse into your daily life, as you juggle being a mom, entrepreneur, & empowered woman!

We want to know how you got started, your why, what you’ve learnt about yourself along the way, how you survive the daily grind, and any style tips you have that show moms you don’t have to “let yourself go” once the kids come along.

 How many kidlets do you currently have, and their ages?  Any on the way or plans for more?

We have two kids – Boys, aged 1.5 and 5 years of age. Do we plan to have more? Hahahaha. Ask me in 2 more years.

My business is called Mom Entrepreneurs Network – We provide opportunities for friendship, learning and support through networking, small business resources, webinars, training and events. I also own Marketing4Moms which provides marketing consulting & coaching for small businesses looking to target the mom market.

Did you work a corporate job in your past life? What was the turning point that you made you decide to become a “Mom entrepreneur”, and did family members think you were off your rocker? 

My turning point for starting my business was when I had to fire my nanny three weeks after returning to work! The catalyst was I had no choice.  I have always dreamed of owning my own business since I was in my twenties.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

I see myself running a national organization for women entrepreneurs with a lovely family supporting me. I hope I don’t become too much of a workaholic!

What gets you going in the morning and how do you keep the fire going?  Do you jump out of bed and do a dance?  Or do you sit quietly and meditate?

My son’s school schedule gets me out of bed. No choice. Killer start – 8:25 am. I do not dance or mediate. I run out of the house to make it on time. Usually someone spills something.

How do you make it through the day running a business, chasing after the kids & keeping your house in order?  Or do you run it like a zoo like we do?  Tell us!

It is always busy. Crazy busy. There is little order to the house until we all pitch in to clean it up. Somehow we keep it together but it is messy!

What do you do to make time for your family?

I do my best to keep my weekends free for fun. I also ensure that we spend as much time outdoors as we can – it is easier to be less distracted.

How would you describe your style?  We know you don’t wear mom-jeans so how do you make sure you’re always looking & feeling your best when you leave the house?

I don’t always to be honest. During the week I am pretty boring but when I go out to meet up with friends, go to a cocktail party or a date with my husband I try and dress up! I love sequins, hats, accessories. I am definitely an accessories gal.

 Heels or flats?

I love heels as long as I don’t have to wear them for too long!

 

xo

 

Yummy Gummy Vitamins

As moms we worry about whether our kids are getting enough vitamins and nutrients in their diet.  They sometimes eat proper balanced meals and other times, they are picky eaters who go on short spurts of hunger strikes.  That’s why we feel it’s so important for them take a multi-vitamin.  The problem we faced was that our kids hated the chalky flavour of the vitamins we were giving them.  I mean really, we remember taking multi-vitamins as kids and not enjoying it at all. However, just recently we both tried out Iron Kids Gummieswith our kidlets – and what did we find ~ Our kids are asking us daily for their cute fish-shaped vitamin gummies that come in awesome flavours like tropical fruit.  It’s like giving our kids candy – minus the sugar and artificial ingredients!

We love this husband and wife team because they are building a business that affords them time with their children and each other; plus they are dedicated to creating nutritional products for our little ones.

 

Deborah Lowther  also known as @KidsGummyMum on Twitter and http://KidsGummyMum.blogspot.com for blog. 

Web site is www.iron-kids.comand Facebook page is IronKids Gummy Vitamins.

What is your Business name & how you came up with this fabulous idea ?

The company name is Life Science Nutritionals and the main brand right now is IronKids – a line of children’s Gummy vitamins.  My husband is the creator of this company ~ Stuart Lowther~

He named his company Life Science Nutritionals because his long term vision is to provide everyone with healthy products they can trust and feel good giving themselves and their families.  He started the company because he is passionate about human health.  The first products developed are for children because of the growing concern of obesity and lack of nutrition is today’s children.  Most large company’s use inferior ingredients with limited nutritional value.  Life Science Nutritionals puts the consumers health before profit and uses only natural ingredients.  There was a need in the market place for vitamins without artificial flavours, colours and chemical preservatives.

IronKids is the first brand to put Omega 3’s in a gummy – this makes it easier (and more fun) for kids to take their fish oils that they really need.

Stuart is busy expanding his brand lines to include healthy beverage and snack products for children and a whole division of adult gummy vitamins.

What do you love about being an entrepreneur?  Doing what you want to when you want to?  Being your own boss?  Don’t be shy – go ahead and tell us!

 For my husband, starting his own company meant he could develop the products he has always wanted to and could make an impact on people’s healthy.  It also meant at first he could work at home, then as the company grew, he could find office and warehouse space close to home.  No longer did he have to do the 3 hour daily commute to and from Toronto!  He is home anytime we want him home, takes kids to school, home for dinner every night. For me, working with my husband in this new capacity as Director of Web Social Media, I get to met so many amazing women, moms, entrepreneurs and friends.  I have recently quit my full time job to work with my husband full time and connect with more moms.  It is my passion to get the word out – our children can have great tasting vitamins that are not full of ‘candy’ fillers.  IronKids is an awesome brand and I love being the Mom behind it.  I can be home for my kids and I can talk to other moms about how important our kids health is.  We have 3 daughters, age 4, 6, and 8, they are our testers and our proof that IronKids Gummies taste great.  Our kids are the ones who asked Daddy to make the Vitamin D gummies into sunshine shapes – so he did!  This company is a family affair !!!  And we all love being a part of it.

What fabulous products do you carry & where can we buy them?

IronKids are currently available in Multi, Omega 3’s, Calcium and Vitamin D.  The next product currently in production is a Vitamin C gummy, just in time for winter cold  & flu season!  IronKids can be purchased in Canada at Rexall PharmPlus, Loblaws, Fortinos, Costco (Omega’s only for now), Shoppers, Drug Mart, London Drugs, Sobeys, Metro, Lawtons, Jean Coutu (Quebec) and independent health food stores nationwide.  Online at Well.ca, Target.com, Walgreens.com, and Amazon.com and in the US at Rite-Aid, GNC and Fred Myer stores.

Why do moms love you?

Because I am just like them.  A wife, a mom of 3 and trying everyday to do what is best for my children.  I found a great product I am passionate about & all moms need to know about – just so happens my husband developed it !!

                                                                                                                  

 

xo

2 cool moms @Gingerbreadmonkeys

 

 

2 cool moms with one cool store.  Cool moms indeed!  These ladies know how to shop the latest and coolest accessories and apparel for girls and boys.  I would say they are definitely my top 3, go-to online stores for kids.  And their customer service is awesome!  When my family arrives to a party we want to be handing over the coolest gift to the birthday kid and that is why I shop at Gingerbread Monkeys.  Fantastic store for your own kids & gift giving! Diesel is one of my favourite lines for kids.  Their denim is adorable for both boys and girls. 

The Diesel collection is so hip for toddlers (pssss it’s also on sale today!!!!)  I love diesel for my 2 year old, he rocks his denim with a cool hoodie. 

My daughter loves her Diesel wear as well, but she especially loves her new cool lunch box for school!

 

 Let’s chat with these cool moms Elena & Marianne and hear about how they launched into the kids market!

Gingerbread Monkeys- a Canadian online baby boutique that offers a collection of only the finest quality baby and toddler products, from gear and accessories to unique gift items. Co-Founded by a pair of friends, these “mompreneurs” share a vision: sophisticated simplicity.

Gingerbread Monkeys opened its’ virtual doors on November 30, 2006. The concept for the store was born out of necessity by a pair of long-time friends who each have children of their own. Both avid online shoppers, Elena and Marianne found that time and time again, items that they wished to purchase were from non-Canadian online retailers that didn’t ship to Canada. When they were able to find stores that shipped to Canada, the combined costs of shipping and duties often exceeded the value of the product purchased.

With that in mind, these mompreneurs set out to set up a unique Canadian online shopping experience. Priority one: to import products not previously available outside the US or UK. Also on the agenda: variety

Gingerbread Monkeys stems from an unusual nursery rhyme that neither Elena nor Marianne was familiar with, but happened upon in search of a clever name for their exciting new endeavour:

Smiling girls, rosy boys,
Come and buy my little toys;
Monkeys made of gingerbread,
And sugar horses painted red.

What do you love about being an entrepreneur? 

Being mompreneurs has been a juggling act for the last 4 years…six kids between us! We love every second of it.

What fabulous products do you carry & where can we buy them?

Gingerbread Monkeys offers practical items that are considered “modern staples” in tending to the half pint set. They also have a generous selection of unique gift items that can only be found in specialty boutiques and not in your average department store.  Juicy Couture, Diesel Kids, Skip Hop, Boon, Storksak are just a few labels that they carry.

www.gingerbreadmonkeys.com

Why do moms love you?

With the re-design of the store, Gingerbread Monkeys offers variety, quality all from the comfort of shopping from the home.  Moms love having the flexibility of shopping on their own time without having to lug the family!

 

xo

A Mommy Soiree: Sexy Swag & A Hot Mama Makeover!

 

We are just ecstatic to announce the upcoming Mommy Soiree taking place in Oakville on October 14 at Dirty Martini, and in Toronto on October 21 at The Gladstone Hotel.  This is the premiere shopping event in the Greater Toronto Area catered to trendy and hip Mamas, soon-to-be Mamas and their BFFs.  The Fashion Mommies will be there, and so will Stella & Dot!

1. It’s geared towards moms and their girlfriends only.  Kids tugging at moms pant leg and dads waiting impatiently are not on the fabulous-fun-list.
    
2. It is the only event of its kind that has a philantrophic touch to it – with partial proceeds from the entrance fee and all the funds raised in the silent auction benefitting SickKids Foundation.  Hello?!  Great cause!  Enough said.

3.  A little birdie has told me that Mommy Soiree is giving away a Mommy Makeover valued at $600!  Who wants a brand new outfit and great Stella & Dot jewels?  I do!  I do!

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