Amazing FREE Literacy Program for Kids 0+ Years

I only came across this program because I went to an Early Years Drop-In program where another grandparent told me about this great program called Action Read.  I was new in town, so I asked about what there was to do.  She told me about this great literacy program that would start up in September at the West End community centre.  There were other locations, but that was the closest one to the Early Years program we were at.

I went home to Google more information about the Action Read program.  I find their website incredibly hard to navigate.  I could NOT, for the life of me, find the locations where the various Action Read programs ran out of.  I still find it difficult to find the information.

For the sake of other new parents out there, or new parents to Guelph, here is a link to the Action Read site that I find most helpful.

http://www.actionread.com/get-involved/learn/family-literacy-program/

Here is the information for the remainder for this term:

*****from the website*****

January 23 – June 22, 2017

Join us for free literacy and numeracy programs! Enjoy story-time, number and language games, songs, rhymes, word play, puzzles, crafts and nutritious snacks. Gain ideas, tips and resources for early literacy activities at home. Caring and nurturing staff, qualified in Early Childhood Education.

Programs operate on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis in locations throughout Guelph. They are open to parents or caregivers with children ages preschoolers – newborn to 6 years. Register at the program site. For more information, or to check if a program is full, please call 519-836-2759.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
West End Community Centre Parkwood Gardens Neighbourhood Group 21 Imperial Rd. 9:30-11:30 am	Brant Avenue Public School 64 Brant Ave. 9:00-11:00 am	Morning Westwood Public School West Willow Woods Neighbourhood Group 495 Willow Rd. 9:00-11:00 am	Kortright Hills Public School Kortright Hills Neighbourhood Group 23 Ptarmigan Dr. 9:00-11:00 am
		Afternoon “Kindergarten Readiness Program” *COMING SOON! NEW SITE* Immigrant Services 104 Dawson Road Start date to be determined shortly

Schedule last updated Jan 16, 2017.

*****end*****

If you want more information, please comment below and I'll do my best to answer any questions.  I am not affiliated with Action-Read, but I do love the program.

Gyms in Guelph

There are a few great places to get your exercise on in Guelph.

For some free fun, consider the trails to get your exercise by walking, running, or biking.

If you love the gym, here are a list of a few.

- StayFit (East End, known to be good value at about $10 / month)
- Goodlife Fitness (3 locations, if you have joined Goodlife before you know what you are in for)
- Movati (great classes, can be more expensive side)
- Fit4Less (located in mall)
- Orangetheory Fitness (South end)
- Studio57 (West End, boutique gym, expensive but offers services that other gyms do not) - closed as of April 2017
- Anytime Fitness
- YMCA (South-west end on Downey Road, can subsidize to those who qualify)

I have personally tried Movati, Goodlife, and Studio57.  All of them were great!

There are also some Yoga studios in Guelph, which I have not listed.

The West End Community Centre also has a small gym (free weights, and some machines) that you can use on a drop-in basis for a fee.

Also consider activities like swimming which you can do through the community centres on a drop in basis whenever their leisure swim times permit.

Moving To Guelph: Best Neighbourhoods for My Family!

This might be a controversial post, because really, what defines best?

Every family wants what is best for their family when they are looking for that new home to buy (or even rent).  For many, this list means
- great schools
- close to parks
- access to amenities

Lots of people will have their opinions about areas and neighbourhoods.  Opinions are opinions - good or bad.  Here are just a few opinions heard about various areas of Guelph.

EAST END
- biggest complaint by most is the lack of amenities
- not as close to grocery stores
- lots of families live in the area
- a bit cheaper than other areas
- lots of new builds, new homes
- has access to trails and good parks
- once amenities are built, the area would be really great for families

SOUTH END
- Popular school: Rickson Ridge Public School
- Harts Village: Builder Terra View has built houses there that are 5-15 years old ranging in 1500-2900 sq ft
- lots of families BUT lots of students too - ask around the neighbourhood to see who your neighbours are

- close to amenities: movie theatre, gym, great restaurants, grocery stores, parks,
- close to the 401 which is great for commuting to neighbouring Cambridge, or even to Milton, Mississauga, Toronto, etc
Cons:
- Apparently, there are more and more students living in the area.  While students aren't a bad thing, they give a different feel to the area.
- getting congested with all the new builds

DOWNTOWN / CENTRAL

Streets to consider:
- Westmount Road
- Exhibition Park (area)
- area known as "The Ward"
- London Road

- close knit community
- closer to downtown
- family friendly


WEST END

Schools in area
- Taylor Evans
- Mitchell Woods

Streets to consider
- Rochelle
- Elmira Road
- Stephanie Drive
- Imperial Road / Paisley Road, Elmira Road

- Lots of amenities
- Close to Zehrs and Costco!
- Close to the West End Community Centre, and Fire station
- close to new boutique gym, Studio57 (but expensive membership! at $60+ / month)
- relatively new area
- family friendly, diverse
- easy access to the Hanlon (highway that takes you to the 401)
- closer to Kitchener/Waterloo if you have to commute to there
Cons:
- area of the west end known to be "bad" is along Willow Road, between Dawson Road and the Hanlon (highway 6)
- generally a lower income area, but if you live here it's not that "bad" - but it is the reputation that the area has

NORTH END
- closer to Guelph Lake and trails

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE
There are lots of new builds going up all over the city, but mostly along the perimeters.  Some builders include
- Fusion Homes, http://www.fusionhomes.com/
- Terraview, http://www.terra-view.com/
- Reid

The outer edges of the city are more suburban, so consider what your personality type is and waht it is that you are looking for.

There is one mall for the area: Stone Road Mall.  The rest are plaza type places, or big box type places.

Find a good realtor!  It is in their best interest to help you since it will reflect on their ability.  Tell them what you are looking for (downtown feel? suburbs? good school ranking? new house?) and they should be able to put it all together given your budget and get you what you are looking for.

However, this page is supposed to give you some insight, as that is exactly what I was looking for but could not find very easily!

If you have any more information to add to this post, please feel free to comment below!

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