Programs

Babysitting Co-Op

More info coming soon!

Consignment Sale

Club consignement sales are held twice a year, in both the spring and fall.  Members participate by staffing the sale and consigning their used children's clothing, furniture, toys and gear, and donate a portion of their earning to the club.  Proceeds from the sale are used to support community service projects. 

Helping Hands  (HH)

Helping Hands is Mothers of Wonder's way of supporting a member or a member's family in a difficult time. In the past, we have done it for new babies, a member's surgery, a car accident, a member's illness, a death in the family, etc.

If you or someone you know needs a little help, you only need to contact the Helping Hands or any board member.  The coordinator will contact the member in need and find out what kind of assistance she can use, and when she would like it to start.

Most often, Helping Hands consists of meals.  We try to provide complete meals, so most members do deliver a salad or a side dish with the meal, and desserts are always popular as well.  Many members try to deliver meals hot and ready to eat between 5:00 and 5:30, but that is not a requirement.  We all have busy schedules, so don’t let that be a limiting factor.  You may deliver a frozen or refrigerated meal earlier on your assigned day, as long as it is something that is easy for the receiving member to reheat.  Not a cook?  You may also consider a providing a prepared meal from a local grocery store or other establishment.  If you do need to deliver a meal earlier on your assigned day, please be sure to contact the member ahead of time.  In fact, it's always a good idea to call the member before you head out to make the delivery to make sure she's ready for you. When Carlie posts the request for Helping Hands, she will include directions to the house, the member's phone number, and any dietary restrictions or requests. Although it's not mandatory, we think we all appreciate it when the meals are delivered in disposable containers so we don't have to worry about returning someone's favorite casserole dish.

For "standard" Helping Hands, we usually deliver meals for 5 days. In that case, it's nice if you can let the group know what you'll be making when you sign up, so the member doesn't find herself with Italian or Mexican food 5 nights in a row. For more extenuating circumstances, we obviously will provide more meals as the needs suggest.

Beyond meals, Helping Hands has been known to help with childcare, transportation, deliveries... whatever the member needs.

We try to keep track of what is going on and offer Helping Hands to members whenever we're aware of a situation, but please don't ever be shy about letting anyone know if you need some help, or if you know someone who does. Some situations may be more personal and sensitive than others, and we can try to help you more discreetly with those too. This is a wonderful group of women who want to pitch in whenever there is a need.

Lending Library

We are currently building our library of child care/parenting books which are available for our members to “check out”.  We have the following titles:

Guiding Young Children's Behavior: Helpful Ideas for Parents & Teachers from 28 Early Childhood Experts

Discipline The Brazelton Way (Brazelton/Sparrow)

What a Difference a Daddy Makes (Leman)

New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics)

The Nursing Mother's Companion (Huggins)

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Shelov, Hanneman)

Baby Talk:  Video Guide for New Parents

Feeding Your Baby

Baby Care Basics:  Preparing for Your Baby

Members' Banquet

The Member's Banquet is held each spring to commemorate the past year and to mark the changing of the Board.  The banquet is the one formal event of the year, and members enjoy good food and friends in an elegant atmosphere (something us moms don't get very often!)

Member's Night Out  (MNO)

A great opportunity to get out without the kids!  Held once a month, Members Night Out can be anything to dinner at a local restaurant to Zumba lessons!  Several recent suggestions have even included horseback riding and skeet shooting.  Favorite past MNOs include dinner at The Melting Pot, an evening at Mojitos and Tapas, and of course, the limousine wine tour.

Play Groups  (PG)

A moms group staple, playgroups give the kids a chance to play and socialize with their peers while parents get to chat and swap stories.  Playgroups are generally divided by age groups, with groups categorized as Under 1 (U1), Age 1, Age 2 and Age 3-5.  Mixers are playgroups where everyone is welcome to come out and play, regardless of age.  Mixers are especially popular in the summertime when older siblings are home from school.  Most playgroups are hosted at a member's home, but they may also be held at a local park or any other location determined by the hostess.  Some members opt to provide a light snack and drinks at their PGs, but this is not required. 

Social Meetings/Open Houses

Social Meetings are held the second wednesday of each month.  There is usually a theme, and lights snacks are provided either by the club or by individual members (pot luck style).  This is a chance for all members to get together and socialize or discuss club business.  Children are always welcome.

Special Club Events

Several times throughout the year the club sponsors special events.  These include the Halloween Trunk or Treat, the Easter Egg Hunt, Father's Day Picnic and the Family Holiday Party, among others.  These events are especially popular among members, and we try to hold them at times where the whole family can attend.

Special Community Events

Mothers of Wonder is very active in the local community and we enjoy being involved with large community events.  Each year MOW organizes the Warrenton Christmas Parade, one of the town's most popular events.  We also help sponsor the 4th of July Parade, a fun, festive event for the whole family - pets included!

*Point of Contact (POC)

POCs are listed for each activity and playgroup on the calendar.  The POC is the member who is in charge of organizing the event, and is the person to contact if you have questions.