Any of you who have a toddler at home know how difficult it is to keep them busy.   My  2 yr. old Liam and I were feeling a little lonely and uninspired at home.   I knew he needed more structure and exposure to new activities and children and I was looking to add more programs to his schedule.

As if she read my mind, Sharyn, of Toddler Adventure Group (TAG), sent me an email and invited us to experience one of her playgroups .    Sharyn is a toddler expert who runs structured playgroups for 18-36 month olds in the Thornhill Woods area.   A playgroup is 90 minutes long and includes skill development through play, songs, crafts, and much more.

As soon as Liam and I sat on a carpet covered in colourful little pompoms, I knew that this wasn’t just another playgroup.  Every minute at TAG is planned to help toddlers grow and hone skills that most of us take for granted.   Sharyn brings warmth, energy and new materials every week to engage and stimulate the little ones and she reminds us to do things at toddler speed, toddler height, toddler fun.  While Liam was enjoying every minute of his participation, I too was learning.  Being in the company of other adults while focusing on my child felt great.  Learning to teach my toddler important skills through play was inspiring and being reminded that toddlerhood is a magical time was simple here.

To learn more about Toddler Adventure Group visit the website or follow their Facebook Page.  If you are looking for a backyard camp, TAG’s Summer Sparks may be the perfect camp for your toddler.

Mamapicks used to have a ” what to do this weekend” column and she sort of gave up because there is not enough high-quality stuff to do in the Winter with kids.  But now and then , she will let you know about great activities that she finds.  She will also let you know about places that are not great in the new “It sucks” column.

Home Depot has monthly workshops for kids which are FREE and amazing.  We went to our first one this past Saturday morning with my 5 yr.-old son and he was the happiest kid on earth.  The two-hour workshop involves a different building project every time which is suitable for ages 4-12.  It is held at most Home Dept locations one Saturday morning a month, 10am-12pm.  This past weekend, my son used a hammer and nails to carefully construct a savings shed.  He received a kit to complete with an accompanying adult and a really cute  Home Depot kid-sized apron.  He also received a tattoo sticker which was a really big deal for some reason.  You must pre-register as many locations fill up fast.  The next workshop takes place on Feb.11th. Register online.

Located at Holt Renfrew’s lower parking deck on P1, valet parking is available for $8 and is complimentary with a visible Accessible Parking Permit and for MasterCard World and World Elite cardholders from December 1 – 31.  From December 1st – January 8th, receive free valet parking for the first & last two hours of Yorkdale’s operating hours with a $50 purchase. Space is limited.

I hate this time of year.  Perhaps if the start of the school year did not coincide with the end of the summer season, it would be more tolerable.  For those of you who are past denial and getting ready,  Children Inspire Design has two super useful checklists to help you ease (or crash?) back into routine.

I love this list of great ideas from Counting On Me.  The Baby is almost a toddler and some mornings, I feel like I need fresh ideas in order to keep him busy.  Come to think of it, I can keep the other two non-toddlers busy with some of these tips too.  Rain doesn’t scare me any more.

Worlds collided in a really good way yesterday when I heard that my all time favourite Etsy (a website for all things hand-made) and my recent infatuation with Grouponish sites came together into something called Heartsy.  Heartsy is a Groupon-like site for Etsy.  So, if you like Etsy, you might want to subscribe to Heartsy.  Gotsy?

P.s. above is this beautiful mom’s nest which makes for a personal and symbolic gift for Mother’s Day.  Great for your mom or mother-in-law if you order all of the grandkids’ names.

So…Old Navy says they just got better!  A Play Spot for kids, now that is a good idea  Let’s just hope they maintain and keep it clean unlike some Children’s Place location I am thinking about.  Print your coupon for 30% off one item and go check it out.  Valid until Feb. 27th.

I am sure you have all read some excerpt of an article about the effects of praise on kids.  I think my kids are praise junkies (My fault) and it’s something my husband and I are working hard to remedy.  This article from New York Magazine was quite long and I praised my own effort for reading it through.  It is a really good one though, and has a wealth of useful information and real-life examples.  Take the time to read it, I assure you that you will learn a lot about how not to talk to your kids.

You Name It Baby is an amazing place for personalized gifts for kids.  They are opening a new location and you can use the above voucher if you go for a visit.  They have great products and customer service!  The new address is 3383 Bathurst St.  New store opens Feb. 22nd.