Mom self-care is essential to maintaining a healthy balance between work, home, and family life. It is important for moms to take time for themselves and practice self-care. Self-care is also important for moms to make sure that they are taking care of their mental health. In addition to mental health, it is also important for moms to practice physical self-care. This can include activities like running or walking! Getting out once a month to meet up with the MOM RUN COLLECTIVE brings all the above together! Especially the emotional self-care, sharing with other like minded moms, making new friends and talking to friends. A safe space for expressing our mama emotions in a healthy way. Join us for the first MRC!

This post is sponsored by Mydoh. It’s been a great year of learning about money management in our household! Ever since the boys were little, they always had a piggy bank in their rooms where they would save any gifted money or treasures found in the sofa. As the boys got older, a piggy bank didn’t cut it anymore. We were on the hunt for something better: an innovative way to teach them financial literacy skills. Luckily, we came across the perfect app for the job: Mydoh. Mydoh is a money management app and Smart Cash Card that helps kids navigate and learn about money; from earning, saving, and spending! It’s easy to sign up and get started. I downloaded the app to my phone and set up a parent account. I then sent an invite to my boys to join. The boys downloaded the app and we helped them set up their accounts. The process was quick and efficient. Soon after, the boys (Anthony and Stefano) received their Mydoh Smart Cash Card via snail mail, which they were super excited about! These cards act as their own debit cards, and the boys can tap and purchase items in store or online. Anthony loved being able to pay for his own lunch off campus every Friday, saving us from having to scramble for cash on those busy Friday mornings. With my parent account, I really liked having oversight over what he purchased and where; which allowed us to have some great discussions about spending and saving! How does Mydoh work? This is my favorite part, it’s so easy! Through the Mydoh app, I can transfer money to my parent account and then send funds to the boys’ virtual Mydoh wallet. Each Saturday is pay day and that’s when the boys receive their allowances for helping with everyday tasks around the house. In addition, parents can set up extra tasks or household chores which allows their kids to earn more money. In our case, if the boys want to take on extra work, like cutting the lawn, shoveling the driveway or cleaning out the garage, we transfer funds, or “payment” as the boys like to call it, to their Mydoh accounts based on the agreed amount for the work. The boys and I have been loving Mydoh and the financial learning and independence they get from it. They can see what they earn, think about their spending, and learn to save! Our favorite is the Mydoh Goal feature because the boys can set a savings goal for a specific item, visually track progress, and once achieved, we can all celebrate their success. Using Mydoh, Anthony and Stefano have set some lofty saving goals for this year, and they plan to use some of their savings to buy Christmas gifts for each family member. We always recommend Mydoh to friends and family. It’s the perfect app for tweens and teens. Want to check out Mydoh? Download the app, create an account, and invite your children to join. Parents who sign up for a new Mydoh account using code DINA10 from now until Dec. 31, 2022, will receive $10 in their Mydoh account. Till The Next Post, xoxo Move Play Mom

It’s rare that moms think about putting themselves first. Here on Move Play Mom, I often stress the importance of taking time to make time for yourself. Reminding you to make sure you are carving out time for little things like a coffee alone, a workout or booking a massage. Today I want you to imagine if you got to do all three of these and more! I strongly believe in connecting with yourself and your friends, finding time outside of your day-to-day routine and enjoying a much-needed getaway together. Sometimes getting away for a few days or hopping on a plane isn’t realistic or in the finances. But you know what is? A night away with your bestie in your own local city! Seems crazy, I know, but it’s so much fun! Splitting the cost of a room at an awesome hotel just twenty minutes from home can shockingly be just what the doctor ordered! Tristan, my business partner, and I were so excited to check out the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Calgary for a fabulous wellness getaway for a night! The morning of our big evening away I was still able to help pack kids’ lunches, get their teeth brushed, and get the boys to school. That's the nice thing about a getaway just down the road. After squeezing in a morning of work, Tristan picked me up at three in the afternoon and off we went for a much-needed besties, moms, business owners and girls’ night away. With easy parking on site, we rolled right into the Hyatt and headed up to the check-in area. We happen to be staying there right before the holidays and the hotel is beautifully decorated. We got our key cards and headed up to change for our spa appointment at four. The rooms didn’t disappoint! We had a room with a view, overlooking downtown Calgary. We quickly changed and headed down to the stunning Stillwater Spa on the second floor. We were invited to spend some time at the whirlpool, in the steam room and then had a much needed, incredible, therapeutic massage. This was the perfect way to kick off our girls' night away. After our fabulous time at the spa, we headed back up to our rooms to shower and change and then had a wonderful dinner and delicious cocktails at Thomsons Kitchen & Bar which is located on-site at Hyatt Regency Calgary. I think my favorite part of this entire getaway was being able to have the most amazing sleep in the most comfortable bed with no interruptions from a snoring husband or a child who needed me. I love them, but they do say…sometimes distance makes the heart grow fonder. After a quick run at the gym, I showered (amazing bathroom!) and Tristan and I had a business meeting over a lovely breakfast in the hotel’s private Regency Club lounge. We checked out at noon and left feeling relaxed and rejuvenated! Right now Hyatt Regency Calgary is offering a Wellness Retreat Package, a perfect getaway with a friend or partner. This package is similar to my night away. An overnight stay in a Regency Club Room, a bottle of sparkling wine as a welcome gift, a massage for both guests, a credit to Thomsons Kitchen & Bar, and more! I can't stress enough how important it is for us to reconnect with ourselves especially as moms. Sometimes we just need space. That room we create allows us to breathe and reconnect with our heart. It’s so vital to a healthy mind and soul. Special thanks to Hyatt Regency Calgary for hosting us and providing us with such exceptional service. I can’t wait to return! xoxo Move Play Mom

Over the last several years our family has taken a different approach to list making. I have seen this come up on several minimalist blogs and it’s a cute way to manage gifts for the younger children and teens in your life! I even get my husband to fill one out! Something you WANT Something you NEED Something to WEAR Something to READ I've created a template here for you to print When it comes to receiving gifts from friends and family, I know it can be difficult to speak up about not wanting more toys, clothes, toys, toys, clothes…TOYS! Here’s the thing….you get to decide what comes into your house and what doesn’t. Communicate to your loved ones that you don’t want more stuff, instead, you can ask for experiences! (swimming lessons, Skis lessons, dinner gifts certificate) season passes to things like the zoo, the science center, the museum movie tickets, show tickets food (cookies, chocolates) consumables they will enjoy donation to a charity of your choice in your name These can add huge value to our lives without bringing in more stuff to our home, STUFF that we don’t really need. If you can’t have this conversation with certain family members or friends (I get it!) and you know you are going to get swamped with toys and clothing (Grandma). Well, you get to be in control of what to do with the gifts once they are in your hands. You can have your child decide to keep the new item and let go of something old. You can donate new toys to a local charity or hospital. You can take the clothing down to your local goodwill for a family in need. However, I highly recommend that if you feel strongly about not bringing more stuff into your lives, I would just be honest with the people around you and consider having a conversation and suggest purchasing ideas like those listed in tip number three. In 2015, when we had slowly just started on our minimalist journey, we decided to start a new tradition of getting away and providing the kids with an experience during the holidays rather than a bunch of gifts. Year one we took the boys to Banff where we went on a horse-drawn carriage through the Rocky Mountains and cross-country skiing. It was so magical and the boys still talk about our first holiday getaway to Canmore, Alberta. My parents and my little brother and his wife joined us a few days later. My parents used that opportunity to provide the boys with more fun in and around Canmore! It was the best! This year we are meeting my family in Mexico! Tag me over on instagram when you use the template to write out your Christmas lists xxoo Move Play Mom

MOVE.PLAY.MOM Moving Forward Together, One Step at a Time Moving Forward Together, One Step at a Time About Me The MovePlayMom blog documents my family's journey to simpler living. In 2017, We sold everything we owned. We downsized our life, sharing our incredible home renovation in under 65 days on Instagram and here! MovePlayMom has evolved to include home design, lifestyle tips, minimalist living, travel, parenting, and movement. My qualifications for sharing include a double major in Liberal Arts and Women's Studies, a BA in Child Studies and Development, and graduate courses in Educational Studies. As a mom, I have experienced joy, pride, and struggles balancing work, family, and personal commitments. Being a mom has taught me resilience, patience, unconditional love, appreciation of the small moments of joy, and the importance of connection. ​ In addition, I am a mom who grew up being very active, playing sports and running, which have always been an essential part of my life. Making time for myself has made me a better parent. I have used my skills and knowledge as a leader and entrepreneur to bring the parenting community together. I have organized mom groups, Meetup groups, Project Love Run, and now the Mom Run Collective. Through these groups, I have created a space for moms to find support, share in the parenting journey, and connect. . Book a place > aboutMRC Hello, I'm Move.Play.Mom (AKA: Miss Dina) Welcome! MovePlayMom has evolved from a lifestyle blog to a mom community collective. WHY? because I wanted to create a space where mothers could share their stories and support each other. A few years back, I was part of an incredible running group, Project Love Run, and led the Calgary chapter. As a leader, I quickly noticed a need for a mom's "movement" community in Calgary. Most women who signed up month after month were mothers who wanted to take connect with other moms. After a few years, I am excited to share this new project, The Mom Run Collective. We are just starting, and I hope moms will be inspired nationwide and reach out to create a chapter in their community. ​ I wanted to create a platform where moms could connect and inspire each other. Our goal is to create a "movement community" where moms can get together once a month on a Sunday to do a 3-4km run (or walk) and then followed by brunch. Over brunch, we connect, we share, we inspire, and we may even cry. We are moved by each other, and everyone is always respected and safe as we explore our monthly topic. ​ Every month, the group focuses on an overarching topic that allows moms to share their stories and experiences and gain support from each other. Through these, moms can build strong relationships, find strength and comfort, and work together to walk away feeling happier, healthier, connected, and supported. Register for a Run! Contact me CONTACT ME I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU For Collaborations moveplaymom@gmail.com FOR BUSINESS INQUIRIES moveplaymom@gmail.com First Name Last Name Email Type your message here... Submit Thanks for submitting!