Helium Balloons at Dollar Tree on Silvercreek

I'm getting ready for a birthday, so I'm on the hunt for party supplies.

I checked out the Dollar Tree store, which is right beside the No Frills on Silvercreek.

They have foil helium balloons for $1.40 !!  That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.  They have some character balloons at the moment.  Their stock varies.  Some shapes and characters include:
- pink heart
- stars (blue, white, other colours)
- happy birthday
- Elsa and Anna
- Paw Patrol
- Minnie Mouse
- Disney Princesses

These are just a few.

The other thing I asked about, which I found interesting was that they do not fill up latex balloons!  Good to know!

And what if you bring your own foil balloon?  The fill cost is the same as buying a new balloon...so you would probably just want to buy the new balloon.

Have you found any great finds for party supplies?

Driving To Downtown Toronto From Guelph, Your Options

There was a time when I drove in Downtown Toronto a lot.  I had my parking spots scouted out, I knew my one way streets.  I knew where I was going, and the best streets to take to get there to avoid excessive traffic or obstacles.

That being said, driving in Downtown Toronto can be quite STRESSFUL to even a seasoned driver.  So if you are planning a trip from Guelph to Toronto to go to the ROM, or Ripley's Aquarium, or the CN Tower, you might just want to take a moment to think about how exactly you should get there.  What mode of transportation is right for you?!

Are you taking the kids?  How old are they?  Are you bringing strollers?  How long will you be staying?  These are all questions you should consider when assessing the best transport mode for you.

DRIVING

The big advantage of driving right into the city is that you will have your vehicle there at the end of the day.  Your kids can nap all the way home comfortably.  You can leave things in the car and come back to get them if you need to (e.g. extra clothing, cooler with food, etc.)  You can turn the air conditioning on, and you will be guaranteed a seat!  If  you are travelling during rush hour, the TTC can be packed with people.  When you are travelling with kids and strollers, this can be less than ideal.

Finding a parking lot can be difficult, and parking is rarely cheap.  What you might save on is convenience and time...well, you might only consider it convenient if you don't mind driving in downtown city situations.

DRIVING + GO TRAIN + TTC

Drive to Oakville and take the GO Train.  The ride is about 45 minutes to downtown, and it goes directly downtown to Union Station.  Tickets aren't cheap though.  About $17 for an adult, $7 for a child.  The trains are relatively frequent.  The advantage is that you will probably avoid the bulk of the traffic along Highway 401, and most definitely avoid traffic downtown.

DRIVING + TTC

You can park at a few TTC stations (such as Yorkdale, Downsview, Wilson) and take the subway the rest of the way into downtown.  Parking at some of these stations does cost you, but it is likely cheaper than paying for parking at a lot downtown.  You lose some of the convenience factor of having your car nearby in a parking lot downtown.  But you at least have it for the drive home, and for when the kids might zonk out more comfortably.

So you just moved to Guelph with a baby...

Hello!  Welcome to Guelph!

So you just got to Guelph.  You want to go out with your baby, but where do you go?

Let's start with the Early Years Centre.

You can easily fill in lots of time just by attending free programs offered by the Early Years Centre.  Here is a link to their program page: http://www.guelphchc.ca/developmental-health/program-guide

There are registered programs and drop in programs.

• Infant Afternoons - drop-in program.  
• If your baby is less than 8 months old, try Infant Afternoons.  At the time of writing, Infant afternoons is offered at the Stone Road Mall location on Tuesdays at 2 - 4pm
• Get there early as the program does fill up.  Once it fills up, moms get turned away despite the fact that some moms might leave part way through the program
• What to expect - there are a few mats laid out with baby toys on them.  The moms and babies gather around these mats and let their babies play while having some friendly conversation and adult interaction

And how about the Guelph Public Library

The Guelph Public Library offers programs designed for children ages 0-2, as well as other age groups.  One particular program that is popular for young babies is Bouncing Babies

• Bouncing Babies - drop-in program
• Complete with bubbles, stories, songs, and a parachute, your baby is sure to love all that is going around him
• in the events calendar section, select the filters for your child's age to see what programs are offered.  Make sure to change the dates so that you can see more than what is offered for the one day https://www.guelphpl.ca/foundation/pages/calendar/

Breastfeeding Cafe
Have some tea or coffee, and meet other moms who are breastfeeding.  Even if you are an expecting first time mom, feel free to drop in.  They don't discriminate - as stated in their "Who We Serve" statement:

WHO WE SERVE

WE Breastfeed is a free program open to all new and expecting parents in Guelph, and anyone interested in breastfeeding, regardless of gender identity, age, race, national origin, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or socioeconomic situation.

You can also connect with them on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WEBreastfeed/

Review: 2016 Beyond The Bump Guelph Show

At first glance, this show seemed pretty well planned.  I saw advertising for the event through various mediums such as print and online  (shared in Facebook groups).  However, the show did not seem incredibly well attended.  I can not comment on actual numbers, but as an attendee who went at around 11 to 12PM there weren't a lot of people there.

Highlights:
- PRINCESS TEA PARTY!  There was a princess tea party complete with a visit from Princess Ariel in a mermaid outfit, and cupcakes!

Thoughts:
- there was a bouncy castle set up, but the fee was $2

Swag bag contents:
- metal baby spoon with silicone coated tip from eggs.ca/baby
- 2 newborn diapers
- sample of Sudocream diaper cream (10g)
- 2 individually wrapped Nursing Pads from Lansinoh
- May 2016 edition of Today's Parent magazine
- Today's Parent Pregnancy guide
- coupons

Vendors:
I didn't get a chance to connect with all the vendor tables there since I had a limited amount of time.  There are some interesting vendors that are local to Guelph!
- Cedar Lily - makers of nursing bras and other apparel with magnetic clasps (Babe Magnet)
- Anointment - natural skin care products
- Wellington Works - antique shelves, decor, and other wood products (Sean and Jill Reid - workwithwellington@gmail.com)
- House of Jude - www.houseofjude.ca, hello.houseofjude@gmail.com - bamboo turkish towels

The Best Fun, Free Activities for Baby in Guelph!

So you've finally got your mom groove on and you're looking to get out and about!  But what to do with your little baby in tow?

Okay, so I encountered this dilemma as well and here is my short list of fun free things to do. There is plenty more I could add to the list, but since these activities are free and pretty entertaining for my baby, I prefer these as my go-to activities with babe.

1. Ontario Early Years Centre
• This is definitely my favourite resource for activities for my children (even at the toddler, and preschool stage).  They have drop in programs running almost every day.  This link is one that is bookmarked on my computer:
• http://www.guelphchc.ca/developmental-health/program-guide
• It lists different locations, and times / days of different programs
• It's also a fabulous way to meet other moms
• My favourite location? - Stone Road Mall.  It is nice and spacious, with lots of activities and toys, and even a mini ball pit!
2. Guelph Public Library
• The library also runs programs now and then that are suitable for babies
• Apply the filter on the calendar for 0 - 2 years if you are looking for baby activities
• https://www.guelphpl.ca/foundation/pages/calendar/
• Bouncing Babies, and Itty Bitty Story Time are two faves

I can easily fill a week with lots of things to do for baby and me with just these two suggestions.  I know, I was surprised myself.  But there are registered programs offered through the Early Years Centre which fill the gap of drop ins - such as Baby Basics (for 0 - 3 months) and Infant Massage.

And in the summer time, there are a bunch of nice parks that you could go to.

What are some of your favourite activities in town?

Prenatal Birthing Classes in Guelph

First time mom?  Or you want a refresher?  Here are two options when you are looking for a prenatal class in Guelph:

1: Tummies to Toes - http://tummiestotoes.ca/guelph

2: Wellington-Dufferin Public Health - https://www.wdgpublichealth.ca/?q=prenatalclasses

Besides getting a primer on pregnancy and birth, you get to meet a bunch of other parents with babies due approximately when your little one is due.  It's a great way to form new friendships with other new parents.

Sometimes spaces fill quickly, so give them a call when you are thinking about it to see how full they are.

Guelph Bike Reuse Program!

I have not personally had the opportunity to use this program myself, but I think that the Guelph Bike Reuse Program is an awesome idea!  Not only does it divert waste, it saves you money.

Bicycles are available to residents all year round, free of charge.

You can get up to 2 bicycles a year.

Here is the link:

http://guelph.ca/living/garbage-and-recycling/waste-reduction/bike-reuse-program/

Hours of operation:

Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Closed Sunday, Monday and holidays

Waste Resource Innovation Centre
110 Dunlop Drive, Gate 2
T 519-767-0598.

If anyone has any feedback about this program, I would love to hear it.  I'll be sure to check it out when it comes time for me to look into a bicycle (might be a while though).