Wednesday, July 27, 2011
To the casinos and the high-powered air conditioning.
Sometimes the only way to beat this kind of sweltering summer heat is to run away. Luckily for Wilmington residents, the Recreation Department offers some amazing trips and ticket discounts to places like Foxwoods Casino. Every month the Rec Department offers you a chance to visit Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut for a discounted price. For $25 you get a trip on the bus down to Connecticut, plus casino incentives. Foxwoods has all kinds of gambling options from $0.01 slot machines, smoke-free rooms, high-roller tables, video gambling machines like video poker, and of course black jack and roulette. At the casino you will also find delicious dining options and events like comedian shows. The bus leaves at 7 a.m. and comes back by 6:30 p.m. …
42.564489
-71.181891
Recreation Department
121 Glen Rd, Wilmington, MA
/articles/the-rec-dept-helps-you-escape
1718807
/locations/4943020
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
There are many great options in Wilmington.
The older my daughter gets, the more I am fully convinced she is a complete and total extrovert. She brightens up the minute people of any age are around and seems to progress quicker the more she is around other people. For this reason, and because I need a break too, I've decided we are going to enroll her part-time in a day care program. Just a few hours a day will give her the child-to-child interaction she craves and will allow me to get out of the house more often--alone. With home daycares and daycare facilities all around Wilmington, the choices are plentiful. Home daycares are just what they sound like, daycares run out of someone's home. Licensed daycares and background checks are a must when considering this option for me. …
42.529288
-71.17775
Mill Brook Country Day School
56 Mill Rd, Wilmington, MA
/articles/day-cares-for-little-ones
763247
/locations/4936084
42.540336
-71.154468
The Wonder Years Learning Center
148 Lowell St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/day-cares-for-little-ones
763442
/locations/4936085
42.539369
-71.163827
Tender Learning Centre
668 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/day-cares-for-little-ones
763982
/locations/4936086
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Find a cheap escape indoors.
The rainy weather this week definitely leaves many moms without an opportunity to escape outdoors. But you don't have to leave the house to escape for a little while. Books are a great, and cheap, way to take a break from your hard work and get lost in an alternate world or life. And Wilmington has some great, cheap, options to find good books. Salvation Army's thrift store has a ton of classic books, but also a lot of relatively new books for a very very discounted price. CVS also offers the latest bestsellers, many times for the same if not less than at big bookstores. Market Basket also offers some paperback and hardcover books. And who can forget, Wilmington Memorial Library has all sorts of choices for your reading needs.
42.55776
-71.181831
CVS Pharmacy
222 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/escape-into-a-book
763977
/locations/4356974
42.541487
-71.166646
Salvation Army
625 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/escape-into-a-book
763281
/locations/4356975
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
And special.
Every mom knows that from one baby to the next, there are differences and similiarities that hold true; but no two babies are created the exact same--not even identical twins. And reaching milestones later or earlier in their infancy to toddler years, especially physical ones, doesn't necessarily mean those children are smarter and certainly no better. My daughter is pretty advanced in her development, especially physically. She was crawling at about 6 months, able to climb stairs at 8 months, and now walking at 11 months. She even knows how to say "momma," "dadda," and sometimes "cat." I see that sometimes in her "classes," the other mothers are comparing their child to mine. Seriously, as much as I would love for all this advanced …
42.557658
-71.164435
Wilmington Memorial Library
175 Middlesex Ave, Wilmington, MA
/articles/all-babies-are-different
1714868
/locations/4347650
42.55486
-71.180201
260 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/all-babies-are-different
/locations/4347651
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Use your creativity to release stress.
When I was pregnant with my little girl I was in need of a creative stress-relief after I wasn't able to hit the gym anymore. I signed up for art classes and was amazed at the relaxing and therapeutic effects. My class was a drawing class, but any type of art class could work I'm sure. Not only do you get to channel your creative energy, you get to meet new people (or sign up with some friends) and get out of the house at least weekly for a little "me-time." Sign up for classes at Shady Lane Art Studios, who offer everything from painting to sculpture, or with the Wilmington Arts Council, who offer mostly painting classes.
42.568844
-71.161144
8 Shady Lane Dr, Wilmington, MA
/articles/art-therapy
/locations/4206941
42.559503
-71.16288
219 Middlesex Ave, Wilmington, MA
/articles/art-therapy
/locations/4206942
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
One giant leap for baby's physical development.
Late afternoon on Friday, my 10-and-a-half-month-old girl took her first few steps and has been testing her tiny feet out every day since then. I am ecstatic and so is my lower back! I have heard that this is when I should really start to worry, but honestly I'm relieved. Not only does it feel great to have a relatively early-walker (if you think I'm not looking for every excuse to say my kid is gifted you don't know me--or most moms, very well), but it also gives me a sense of relief that she's becoming more independent. Yes, I know there will be many more facial bruises to come, like when she started crawling, and she will whine more about having to stay inside her play-pen when I shower. And yes, I already know I will probably have to …
42.555612
-71.166266
Shawsheen Elementary School
161 Church St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/one-small-step-is-anything-but
1708955
/locations/4202124
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Patch's Life in the Mom Lane columnist has one in the plans for 2011.
After the incredible roller coaster ride that was the first year of our little girl's life, one would think my husband and I would want to hold off on baby number two. But because we're a bit crazy and because we do want to have more children (probably three total), we've decided baby number two is definitely in the plans for 2011. Not that I am too worried, but the risk of giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome and certain birth defects does increase, rather sharply, after the age of 35. Infertility rates also start to increase for women after the age of 35, so pregnant women over mid-thirties are put in the "high risk" category. It's too bad our bodies haven't really caught up with society! Women today are more likely to have …
42.55776
-71.181831
CVS Pharmacy
222 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/baby-number-two
763977
/locations/4137732
42.553757
-71.179536
Walgreens
277 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/baby-number-two
763800
/locations/4137733
42.56806
-71.15984
Planet Fitness
355 Middlesex Ave, Wilmington, MA
/articles/baby-number-two
763879
/locations/4137734
42.559078
-71.147979
Anytime Fitness
3c Lopez Rd, Wilmington, MA
/articles/baby-number-two
763862
/locations/4137735
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Mommy night out and away.
It's been 10 months plus since my daughter was born and I've spent only one night away; so when a friend called me up asking to come to NYC and help her pick out a veil for her wedding dress, I jumped at the chance for a mommy night away. For sanity's sake, we all need a little girl time and it's nice to get away from home and remember what it's like to be a little independent. Spring is a great time to travel too, most places are warm (even somewhat local places), but the rush of summer travellers hasn't hit just yet. The MBTA Wilmington Commuter Rail stop is your window to the world and a great place to start your mommy night/week away. You can take the train into Boston, out toward Lowell, or to North Station and head to the airport for…
42.547192
-71.174023
MBTA-Commuter Train Station
407 Main St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/a-total-escape
763691
/locations/4088564
42.539776
-71.150763
Longwood Travel
201a Lowell St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/a-total-escape
1839565
/locations/4088565
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Everyone needs a break.
I remember my birthing class instructor told all us mommies we would need a time-out for at least 30 minutes a day from baby and everyone else in the first three months after giving birth. Well I would add that all moms, stay at homers or not, need at least 30 minutes a day to ourselves (minimum) until our children are out of the house. Whether that time out involves working out without our hubbies or other people talking to us, sitting in our cars listening to music no one else can stand, or just sitting in a quiet room to read a book, we need a little quiet time. I realize that it has nothing to do with the level of love for our families or babies, it's a time to just recooperate from work (whether that's for a company or house/…
42.557658
-71.164435
Wilmington Memorial Library
175 Middlesex Ave, Wilmington, MA
/articles/mommy-time-out
1714868
/locations/4076740
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Be safe but not too neurotic.
Last Friday was the first time I hosted a playgroup at my own house with the local mommy group, Middlesex Mommas. My daughter and I frequently visit the nearby libraries for playgroups and we have a membership at Gymboree in a nearby town, so having a playgroup at our house would be no problem...I thought. The Mommas are always a breath of fresh air for me to hang out with and I love their children; however, I don't think my daughter at 9 months was ready for the chaos two-year-olds and above bring with them. After only 40 minutes of the other children playing with her toys, knocking over bits of furniture and screaming, my daughter started to freak out. Within 90 minutes she was full-blown crying. She was tired and needed a nap soon-after…
42.55605
-71.16747
Wilmington Town Common
Middlesex Ave & School St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/the-age-factor-in-play
1706604
/locations/3756729
42.557658
-71.164435
Wilmington Memorial Library
175 Middlesex Ave, Wilmington, MA
/articles/the-age-factor-in-play
1714868
/locations/3756730
Robert Hayes
9:45 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
... and right next door to the library is the Book Store Next Door. All books are $2 or less with more than 5,000 titles to chose from! A COMMUNITY book store run entirely on donations and volunteers! 100% of the proceeds benefit the library. In fact, we're approaching $75,000 raised for the library! Just sayin'. :) more ›