I live in Canada with my husband, two kids, and our dog. I'm an artist by profession and a 'maker' for the love of it (vegetarian cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, etc!). Enjoy your stay, find something fun to link to, have a great day!
When I was a little girl, my parents were very cautious about the toys I had. Encouraging creative play and avoiding gender stereotypes were priorities for them. And, honestly, Barbie was on the "caution" list - mostly because of her unrealistic figure and the emphasis on fashion. Through the eighties, Barbie became more and more of a "yes" with her diverse career choices and emphasis on imagination!
I do think the price was a factor, too - I seem to recall them being fairly pricey for the boxed ones with all the great accessories. Funny how a lot of extra box and an extra few bits of plastic made all the difference between the fashion dolls (with only one outfit) and the MUST HAVE theme dolls (my favourite was the one that had a little kisses stamp). Remember the earrings and rings that plugged in to the holes in her ears and hand? Do they still do that?
Just like pretty much every little girl ever, I loved Barbie from the start. The combination of glamour, smarts, and all those fabulous clothes and accessories (I am not immune to fashion myself, despite the current mom wardrobe!) drew me in like a moth to a flame. Between garage sales and Christmas gifts, I ended up with a couple of fabulous Barbies of my own (and a really awesome camper van, and even a horse, too!).
Despite my love for teeny plastic shoes and jewelery, my absolute favourite thing to do with Barbie was to create a world for her to play in. I made ski rental shops out of shoe boxes and ski hills from blankets and Barbie became an Olympic skier. My paddling pool or bathtub was the ocean, and Barbie was a deep sea diver, collecting specimens for scientific research. Barbie was a teacher, instructing my stuffed bunnies. Dr. Barbie gave medical advice to my other dolls.
And while I appreciate my parents' initial reservations about Barbie, as a parent of a little girl now myself, I also appreciate that Barbie provides an entry to a lot of different roles that girls can try out. I'm not a big fan of the 'princess' type dolls, but the veterinarian, doctor, astronaut, pilot, computer engineer (yes, really - that's her on the left), and so on, I think are inspiring to little girls, and reinforce that a girl can be anything she wants to be (did you know there is even a Katniss - from the Hunger Games - Barbie doll?).
See What Happens When You Save With Barbie! There are going to be some fabulous coupon savings for Barbie products available on WebSaver.ca starting August 7th! I'll be sharing the coupons on my Facebook page and on Twitter every week! You can also keep in touch with all things Barbie on the Barbie Facebook page.
Disclosure:
I am participating in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Barbie and
receive compensation for my post. All opinions on this blog are my own.
Lately I have two new obsessions: Pinterest, and busy bags.
Pinterest... well, I'm a late adopter on that one. Everyone and their mother is already on it. I managed to keep it off my radar for a while, knowing that once on there was no going back... and that is exactly so. So, feel free to follow me on Pinterest if you're into it (see top right for button).
Busy bags! Oh! I am loving this idea. Busy bags are contained activities to keep toddlers (or even older kids) busy. Each bag has a different project or activity. How fun!
There are LOADS of ideas out there for busy bags, and I really want my local mums' group to do a busy bag swap playdate, if I can convince a few mums. Then each mum can make a bunch of the same bag, and go home from the playdate with a selection of different ones. Great idea, right?! They don't even have to be crafty.
Here are some ideas (and you can find a lot more by searching for them)
crayons and a small blank book or notepad... a classic
felt board (cardstock covered in felt) and felt shapes to stick on. That can be a puzzle or a scene, colours, animals, whatever! Or, bits of yarn to "draw" with on the felt.
lacing cards (as simple as bristol board cut into shapes and gone at with a hole punch), or pasta shapes, or big beads (supervised play of course - gotta watch those choking hazards) and a shoelace (great for fine motor control)
small coloured objects and containers (for sorting, learning colours, fine motor control, and also good for shaking to make noise!)
paint chips for sorting colours (bonus - free at your local hardware store!)
matching tops and bottoms of those hollow plastic easter eggs (fine motor control, colours) - for an added bonus mark them with upper and lower case letters.
an "I-Spy" box or bag or bottle - make with a box with a clear lid, filled with rice and small toys - or a ziploc taped shut - or a clear plastic water bottle - whatever you do, make sure it is, taped or hot glued securely shut!
Okay, I could do this for hours (and pin them all on Pinterest)... but I think I'll just go play with my toddler :)
I've not been posting as much as usual, because between a toddler and a very major house renovation, I'm just about as busy as can be.
Our main floor is completely ripped out down to the studs, as is our
master bathroom, powder room and laundry room. We're living in the
basement (with a teeny 4x8' kitchen - while our fridge is still on the
main floor; take a second to imagine that hassle every meal) and
the guest bedroom. Luckily, our daughter's room is untouched - but with
all the demolition and construction noise, naps are sporadic.
It's a real pain.
Three
more months until the "optimistic" completion date, which I'm certain
will be delayed, as getting the kitchen and bathroom layout done with
the cabinet company has been a debacle.
I can't tell
you how much I am looking forward to living in a real, complete and
functional house again. It's already been six months since we moved from
our house in Ontario to Calgary. Three months of ghetto rental house,
half-unpacked, and now three months of this construction site, still not
unpacked...
It will be nice to see our stuff again, and to put pictures on the walls, and call it our home.
A few "before" pictures, just for fun:
The kitchen, with cracked plastic "glass" blocks, a pantry, and a peninsula - now it is down to studs, no cabinets and the glass blocks have been taken out and filled in with wall.
The golden oak bookshelf - we'll have this made symmetrical and painted white. The ceiling in this room and the attached kitchen has come down as well for installation of pot lights and removal of old fixtures.
The master bathroom with a gross old jacuzzi tub. And hey, no door between bedroom and bathroom.
More master bathroom with a shower insert (now gone). Note carpet throughout (ugh!) and also no door between toilet and bathroom!
From the closet, looking through the bathroom to the bedroom. Everything in here is gone.
The whole house is also painted the colour of mud, I hate the colour. So much to do - don't even get me started on the horrible yard!
Following up on my review of the new Bambino Mio Miosolo cloth diaper, Childish Notions has generously offered to give away one of these great cloth diapers to one of my lucky Canadian readers!! The colour will be a surprise (they have a lovely selection, so it will be nice!).
Entering is easy with the Rafflecopter form below (click "Read More" if you don't see it).
I was honoured to be chosen to review the Bambino Mio MioSolo cloth diaper with Mia from Childish Notions!
Childish Notions is an importer of unique and brilliant baby products - products with innovative and thoughtful design that these two moms have discovered in other countries and brought to Canada! I've been browsing their site and can see a number of products that look like they'd make parenting so much easier. One that just caught my eye is the KiddyLoo - a combination step-stool/potty seat for the toilet that I can totally see making toilet training easier. (I'll be embarking on that adventure soonish with Mia...!).
The MioSolo is a one-size all-in-one diaper, new in Canada from the UK. There are different kinds of AIO, and this one has an attached insert and a pocket (as opposed to the type where the absorbent core is sewn right into the diaper). I prefer this type, as it dries faster both in a dryer if you choose to go that route, or on the line.
The Bambino Mio Miosolo in Flying Saucer.
With insert in. Super soft lining!
The MioSolo has features that set it apart from your typical AIO diaper and make it a much better choice, in my opinion.
Let's begin with the regular features:
The PUL cover is brightly coloured and ours has not faded at all over a bunch of washes. Perhaps it will fade over time, but so far, so good.
The microfleece liner is so, super soft. No pilling to date, and it remains soft when hung to dry.
The insert is also soft and stays soft when hung to dry. I hate when inserts get crunchy on the line, so I appreciate this! The insert is very absorbent for my heavy wetter.
No leaks to date!
The cross-over velcro tabs are pretty much standard good quality velcro. Mia has recently discovered how to undo velcro, so for us this is definitely a diaper for under clothing, not to be worn on its own beneath a dress or on a hot day!
The laundry tabs have not failed in the wash.
It has snaps for different rises. My toddler at 17 months is on the biggest rise setting, but this would also fit a much smaller baby.
As for fit, on my little one who is about 25 lbs with a smallish waist and ridiculously chubby thighs, it fits well.
It looks super tight, but it's not - she's just chubby. No red welts and no leaks either!
Now, what makes it special?
The insert has loops to tug it out before washing. I have to be honest, I usually just let inserts come out in the wash on their own. I don't like touching wet inserts (and definitely not soiled ones), and most of the time they will self-unstuff in the wash. But with the loops it's simple to tug it out without getting icky fingers.
Easy unstuffing loops!
The insert also has a handy pocket at the end that makes stuffing it back in easier. I really like this feature!
See the pocket at the end? The loops can be seen here, too. Mia added her toes to the picture :)
It is a remarkably trim diaper
Look how trim! Hardly any bubble bum at all.
And, it goes with her favourite shirt... the one with the DAWWWW! on it!
Overall, this is a good one - if I were starting out with cloth diapers, the MioSolo would absolutely be a brand I'd choose for my stash. It will fit long-term, has great unique features, and is a quality diaper.
Disclosure: I received a Bambino MioSolo diaper to review, but was not obligated to write a positive review or paid for this post. I honestly like it! Thanks, Childish Notions!
A couple days ago, it was super hot (yes, Calgary does get heat waves!), so we went to the splash park with friends.
gratuitous cute baby at the water park shot
Super fun for Mia, I was chasing her all over as she ran from one water feature to the next.
On the way, I stopped to pick up a drink and a sun hat for her. The store had two options for drinks in the coolers: pop, or Vitamin Water. I chose Vitamin Water as I don't care for pop, and it seemed a healthier option. I picked the tropical citrus one, thinking of refreshment and not really noticing the name of that flavour: Energy.
On the way home, chugging back the last of my drink, I noticed on the label:
Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers
Ughhhh! I'm still nursing Mia a LOT - like probably 15+ times a day she has milk still (and yes, she's 17 months old and no, I have no plans to wean her). I guess it was because this product contains caffeine. I hadn't even noticed. I know that a little caffeine is not going to be a big problem, but I'm not cool with drinking it unaware. And there is the lesson: Always read the label.
The lesson that I didn't actually learn, apparently.
I just popped open a bag of sea salt and lime Crispy Minis rice cakes as a somewhat healthy snack. They were on sale this week - we don't normally buy them, but the sale price tempted me. After chomping down about 3/4 of the bag, I check out the nutritional facts. 12 of these tiny tasty treats equals 90 calories. A bag is 100 grams. So I just popped about 340 calories of this non-food. They're not particularly filling, and have little to no nutritional value. That was dumb!
This isn't a dramatic story or anything, but more of a reminder to pay attention to what you're eating. Hopefully I will do a little better from now on with reading labels!
My fabulous mum has opened an Etsy shop for her paintings! If you have a minute, do check it out. Lovely little (and affordable) paintings of cakes and other yummy things! I think these would be super sweet for a little girl's room - or anywhere that needs a little cheering.
Inspired by a post over at Eco-Babyz, Mia did some water painting this morning. What fun! All you need is water, a brush, and construction paper for some relatively mess-free busy toddler time.
We did this on a plastic table, so no worries about soaking through or dying the surface with the wet construction paper. You may wish to add waxed paper under your paper if you're working on a surface that might react badly to water or colour!
So, we recently moved into a new (15 year old) house in Calgary. It's in a fabulous location, but it is so dated inside. We decided when we bought it to do a massive renovation.
The kitchen was white, with beat-up cabinets, an impractical pantry, a poor layout and granite that was chipped and heat-damaged. The enamel sink was chipped and scratched. The lighting is those big old pot lights and some really tacky directional spotlights with bare bulbs.
Out it all comes. We are having it taken back to the studs - out come the cabinets and counters, the drywall and even the ceiling! We have bought all new appliances to replace the high-end but half-broken appliances the house came with. The oven door didn't close properly, the dishwasher had a tiny interior, and the over-the-range microwave was big, black and ugly. The stovetop was ceramic and one of the burners didn't work - we're replacing that with a fabulous new gas range. We are doing a whole new kitchen layout with a big island to eat at.
The kitchen is open to the living room, which has a giant built-in bookshelf and fireplace that is a honey oak (not our favourite wood at all) with a big mirror that reflects the ceiling - it's too high to reflect anything else. The fireplace has an ugly tile surround and brass trim.
We are having that bookshelf stripped and painted white. We'll address the tile ourselves at some point.
With all this on the main floor, the oak flooring needs to be refinished. And since we're doing that, the carpet in the office, living and dining room is coming out and we are going to extend the hardwood throughout.
The front entry has hardwood already, which is a disaster with wet and dirty winters. So we are putting tile in that area.
The laundry room doesn't fit a standard washer and dryer, so we're having the door to the garage moved over a foot so that it will actually open. And so the closet in there has to be taken out. And so the flooring and ceiling need to be redone as well, as well as the cabinets and sink...
The master bathroom has carpet throughout (!!!) and NO DOORS! That's right, no door between the bedroom and the toilet. That is just not right. The vanity and tub are old and stained. The tiny bit of tile around the toilet is ugly. The shower is an insert. The mirror is kind of square but with rounded corners which looks tacky. The light fixtures are hideous.
Out it all comes. We are replacing everything, and having a custom tiled shower put in, and doors...! New cabinets, mirror, lighting, tile flooring, and fixtures.
HUGE, right?
AND, we're still living here while all this goes on.
Can't use the main floor so we are using the closet of a mini-kitchen in the basement. Yet the fridge is still on the main floor. So every meal involves several trips up and down stairs, either carrying the toddler and whatever food we need to bring down to the kitchen, or doing a mad dash and hoping she doesn't follow us up the stairs as she's not really safe to do it on her own yet. Think of how many times in a day you open the fridge. Now imagine it's on the wrong floor and every single time you have to lug a 25lb baby with you or run, run, run so she doesn't notice you missing for a couple minutes!
Every day the guys are banging as they demolish the old to make room for the new. Ever tried to get a toddler to nap while there is banging shaking the house ALL DAY LONG?
The estimated completion date is October 18th... I'm not sure I will still be sane by then.
About a year ago, my husband and I decided to do the Couch to 5k program. It's basically a schedule for getting your butt off the couch and running. I used to run in high school (er... two decades ago, eek) and I would like to be in better shape, so it seemed like a great idea.
With lofty ambitions, we headed to the Running Room and bought ourselves some expensive fancy running shoes. And then... we stalled. Between moving three times between two provinces in the last year, and our daughter's busy transition from baby to toddler, we found a lot of excuses NOT to start.
But on Saturday night, we headed out on the trail near our house, with Mia in the Chariot. We're lucky to live right on the edge of Fish Creek Provincial Park (the fourth largest urban park in Canada), and half a minute from our doorstep is a beautiful trail right along the Bow River Valley, with views of the mountains and the Calgary skyline. The other day I was walking there with Mia and saw pheasants, a deer, and a flock of 25 pelicans! Beautiful.
Anyway, we did it. Day One of the Couch to 5k is under our belts. It was easy at first and hard at the end. But I am looking forward to it getting easier and easier.
Now if only it weren't 14 degrees (Celcius) and overcast/rainy today... I think I have to go anyway, and keep it up if I mean to do this, but OH, I hate being cold and wet.
This review of the vTech Crazy Legs Learning Bugs Ladybug and the vTech 3-in-1 Zebra Scooter is my own opinion - you can watch the video and judge for yourself. These toys were not sponsored for review. They were purchased for my daughter.
This is my first ever video review so go easy :) If it is vertical on your screen, be patient - it's being processed and will be horizontal soon, says YouTube.
We got two vTech toys last Christmas for my daughter. It is now early June, so these toys are about 5 1/2 months old. And both are broken.
Let me preface by saying that my daughter is easy on her toys. She doesn't drop or throw them. She's a careful little girl and gentle with her stuff, not a rough player at all.
The vTech Crazy Legs Learning Bugs Ladybug was fun for a while. It played music and you can match the shapes by plugging in the 'feet' to the appropriate shape and then tap the bug on top to release them. It's pretty cute and the sound is not terribly loud. My daughter loves music and would play it just to dance to the music.
About two months ago, the music began to slow down and speed up randomly. Not a battery issue, it just seemed to start changing the tempo. Not the end of the world, though it did make it harder for me to sing the words to the songs for her.
Then last week, it began to play only little snatches of the voice or music in loops, OVER AND OVER. I am sure you can imagine how annoying that is.
Our other vTech toy, the 3-in-1 Zebra Scooter, was recommended by a friend who had a baby just a bit older than ours. Their daughter loved it so my husband picked it up as a special gift for Mia for Christmas. Special because we found it pretty expensive for a toy at $60.
It's a neat toy because it has three positions: a walker push-toy for littles just learning to walk, a ride-on toy for toddlers, and a scooter for when they're a bit older. Besides that, it has fun lights and buttons to push, music, and animal sounds and tidbits of information.
Mia used it as a walker for a couple months, and now happily rides it around. She loves the music and pressing the buttons. The other thing she's quite interested in is the way the seat can be adjusted up and down for the other functions, so we sometimes raise it up or lower it. And that's where the trouble is.
As you can see in the video, the plastic screw that holds the seat up in the scooter position has snapped right off in the middle. It can never be used as a scooter now. We hadn't tightened it too tight. It was simply the stress of torque on the plastic causing it to shear. Checking out the reviews on ToysRUs.ca, I can see that the same has happened for other people as well.
I contacted vTech Canada with the contact form on their website. I asked if there was a way to purchase a replacement screw for the zebra, and a way to repair the bug. Soon after, I received a form email telling me my email had been received and that I'd be hearing from them within 2-3 business days. Two weeks passed and I hadn't heard anything, so I called their toll-free number.
The recording on the other end asked if the toys were under or over 3 months old. Since we got them at Christmas, I chose "over". It took me directly to a recording stating that our toys were no longer under warranty. Five months old and broken, and they assume no responsibility.
The kicker for me is that the very next thing the recording says is that I have the "opportunity" to purchase more vTech toys on their website. Um, really? Somehow I don't think we're going to follow the $60 we spent on the zebra and the $25 on the ladybug with giving more of our hard-earned money to vTech.
So my verdict on these two toys? Don't waste your money. You may get a few months' use of them but if they break (and based on my experience, it seems likely that they will), you're out your money and your child has broken toys. That is definitely not fun.
Mia is pleased to review the Little Tikes Ladybug Pillow Racer by MGA Entertainment.
One of her very first words is "bug" (well, "buh", which means: bug, bird, banana, bath, button, bunny, bum, and bear), and she looooves spotting ladybugs in the grass when we play outside. So what a treat to try the Ladybug Pillow Racer!
The Racer is easy for a parent to assemble. The wheels on the bottom are a lot like office chair wheels - they swivel in all directions, so no more riding a toy into a wall and not being able to turn around. This toy can spin! Not pictured in the above image (but you'll see it in the ones with Mia) is the anti-tip stabilizing piece at the front of the bug, so it can't topple forward.
The handle is the perfect size for little hands. Mia likes to hold on to it with one hand and take her dog along for a ride with the other! Another fun option is playing with the cute antennae!
One thing to note is that it is recommended to wear shoes while riding
the Pillow Racer. Mia was barefoot the day I took pictures, but really she should have had shoes
on. A wheel accidentally rolling over a foot would hurt.
The soft pillow top is comfy to ride on and good for cuddles, too. It is removable and can be washed - my one complaint is that it's hand wash. Of course the first thing Mia did was share her banana with the bug... But it came clean with a little spot wash.
The height is just right, easy for her to get on and off. I have noticed at play places some of the riding toys are too high or too awkward for her to get her leg over to ride or get down from a toy. She's about 31" tall and has no trouble with this one.
It's fun to push as well!
The Ladybug is very light. Mia can pick it up herself.
What a fun toy! Great for indoor play. I'm sure this will last her quite a while. At 16 months she is about 25 lbs or so, and it will handle up to 50 lbs! And I like that it has no batteries - no songs or noises that are annoying long after they are cute.
I just got some of Sibu Beauty's new products to try: the Exfoliating Scrub, Purifying Mask and Clarifying Toner.
If you haven't heard of Sibu Beauty before, it is a line of products made from the Sea Buckthorn berry, a remarkable berry from Tibet. This premium line of beauty products is designed to help you care for your skin from the outside and the inside, with products ranging from creams, cleansers and soaps to sea buckthorn berry puree and cellular support tabs. The line is also paraben-free and preservative-free, as well as cruelty-free and fair-trade.
The Exfoliating Scrub is granular to freshen the complexion. I have extremely sensitive skin, so I find I need to go easy with this. The particles of apricot kernel are a little large and coarse for my skin. But with a gentle touch once or twice a week, this is great to get a deep clean and exfoliate.
The Purifying Mask is designed for all skin types. It contains kaolin clay, so is great for taming oily complexions like mine - yet it does not leave my skin dry after using it like so many clay masks do. It is a very light mask, with a creamy texture, almost slippery. Very easy to apply, and in 3-10 minutes you rinse it off. I use this a couple of times a week as well, and I find that it does help with my oily skin. Not to mention helping me feel a little pampered :)
The Clarifying Toner is a refreshing spray that you can use directly on the face, or on a swab. I like using it after cleansing to ensure that all makeup residue comes off. Unlike other toners, it does not leave my skin dry either.
All of these products have a lovely citrusy smell, from the citrus essential oils in them. Nice and fresh, but not overpowering or too sweet.
And here's something beautiful for you - Sibu Beauty has generously offered a prize pack of the same products I received to one of my lucky readers!
Click "read more" if you do not see the Rafflecopter form to enter!
I never thought I would be impressed by Build a Bear. It's a weird concept and seemed totally gimmicky and lame.
If you haven't been (as I never had before today), here's how it works - you (for "you" assume you or your child, if your child is old enough) choose an unstuffed animal, you can choose a sound pack to put in it (for an extra fee), you take the animal to the fluff machine where a staff member fills it with blown-in stuffing. You can press the pedal to power the machine if you like. Once the animal is full, you choose a small heart to add to the animal. Then the staff pull the pre-stitched threads to close it up, and you can either take it home like that, or spend more money in the "boutique" on outfits, shoes and accessories (even small plastic branded wardrobes, ugh) for your stuffed animal. A little upsell attempt at the till to negotiate, as they tried to sell me some kind of mesh carrying bag. If you don't opt for the upsell, you can take it home in a printed house-shaped cardboard box (I opted out of that too - it would just go directly in the recycling).
All that sounds awful to me as I write it out.
But I had a $20 gift card and also a $5 off $25 printable coupon for Build a Bear
(click the link to get your own coupon - not affiliated or anything,
just sharing). So with $25 burning a hole in my pocket, we had to go.
We took our 15.5 month old daughter there today, and here's the thing... she LOVED it. I mean, she was in a grouchypants, complainy mood (molars, I needn't say more). And the minute we went into the store it was all squeals of delight. She's in a phase where she adores stuffed animals, so it was really no surprise. She spent a great deal of time hugging and squealing at the unstuffed animals, armfuls at a time, until we spotted The One - a chocolate lab much like our beast of a dog, Cadbury.
Pure joy!
The dog was $27 and we did not choose a sound pack or any outfits or accessories. Total cost to me after tax and my coupon and gift card? $3.10. She went to bed with it tonight.
So. Worth. It.
If you are thinking of what to get a child (anywhere from 15 months to, I don't know, 12?) for a gift, maybe a gift certificate for Build a Bear would be a good one! It's a fun experience for them.
I'm about to write another review of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil, and while my review is of the oil as a cooking ingredient, I also want to share my experience with it as a skin treatment.
I love virgin coconut oil for the skin. It's completely non-toxic,
of course... compare that to most of the moisturizers you see on the
shelf and it's a sure winner (see the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database for more info on your current moisturizer!). It's really nice rubbed into the skin for moisture, and beyond moisturizing, it is also anti-bacterial. My daughter is constantly kissing or otherwise putting
her mouth on me, so using a skin care product that is perfectly safe for
her to consume is important to me).
Let's have a little disclosure here: I'm
no doctor, dermatologist or expert of any kind, and Tropical Traditions
makes no health claims nor endorses use of this product as a medical
treatment.
However, I have found that it has been helpful in treating a minor case of Tinea Versicolor that I got after pregnancy (where the skin becomes discoloured in patches). A little rubbed on the area every day has very noticeably reduced the problem in just a week of use.
I
can't use any medical treatments for it as I am nursing, so my
dermatologist recommended trying out natural or home remedies and this
has worked well, so far, for me. I have also seen reports of people using it to treat minor skin blemishes, eczema, and even scrapes. You can even use it as a hair oil. Your mileage may vary (but isn't it
worth a try?!).
Here's the one I've been using, from Tropical Traditions.
I've updated my cloth diaper stash review with mini-reviews of Rumparooz, Happy Heinys and a note on the WuddaH diaper.
Read all my mini reviews of cloth diapers here! I've got a lot of variety in my stash, and am still on the hunt for the perfect diaper. I wonder if she'll potty-train before I find it?
I know, another giveaway?! Oh, my. I'm finding it a little hard to keep up with a toddler and a blog (how do those mums of many do it all??), and it seems the rambling posts have given way (for now) to the review posts. Hopefully my lovely readers can stand yet another review and giveaway :)
I have had the pleasure of working with Fairhaven Health several times already and have never been disappointed by any of their products. I actually reviewed the Nursing Time Tea previously, back when Mia was just about 3 weeks old (read that post here, if you like).
Early on, I was so engorged all the time it was painful, and leaked ounces at every feeding (for about seven months. So glad that doesn't happen - often - anymore). Supply was not really an issue for me!
Now she's 15 months old, and it's a whole different game. These days, I find that my milk supply changes with
the time of the month, and there are days when she lets me know that I'm
not meeting her quota!
I'm still nursing Mia frequently - I guess it's not that usual, as people seem surprised when they ask how much she nurses, and I reply, "Well, it's about six times before noon, and beyond that I lose track - as often as she wants!" I am proud to still be breastfeeding, especially after the ridiculous challenges we faced in the early days (raging thrush, mastitis, overactive letdown... it was excruciatingly painful for me and difficult for her). We are stubborn creatures, my daughter and I! (She does eat solid food, of course; she just loves her milk!)
And that's where the Nursing Time Tea comes in at this stage. I find that it helps during those times of the month when my supply is low. It's a relaxing blend of herbs that are lactagogues (promote milk production), help with gas for baby, and contain nutrients for mum and child. The ingredients are organic, and it is caffeine-free. A bag is about a 1-month supply!
I find the flavour to be herbal rather than "lemony" (as it is described) - with a predominant flavour of anise, which I love. Add a little honey or maple syrup in there and it's truly fabulous. I tend to brew a big pot, then keep it in the fridge. Hot, it's relaxing and soothing. Cold, it's refreshing.
Do you know what? I think the loose tea would be lovely in a not-too-sweet shortbread as well. A new kind of lactation cookies? Hmm! I may just try that.
Anyway, I am thrilled that Fairhaven Health has generously decided to offer one of my readers a bag of the loose leaf Nursing Time Tea to try out for themselves!
You may have been following along as I tested out Finish Quantum dishwasher tabs. Trial by fire in two dishwashers (the old beast at the rental house we lived in, and a higher-end one in the house we moved into). The results were sparkling!
I don't think I mentioned in any of my previous posts how much I appreciate that there is no strong scent in the product. I really don't like scented dishwasher detergents. Eating off a lemony, soapy smelling dish does not appeal to me at all. One more thing I like about Finish.
When you think about all the mothers you know, it's amazing what those women have accomplished. Mothers who work, and mothers who work at keeping a household. Mothers who put everyone ahead of themselves. I think the moment you become a mother - whether it's a child you birthed or a child you foster, adopted, or provide care for - you grow up. It may be of necessity, but it's 100% a labour of love.
I know there are mums out there who have overcome huge personal crises
and obstacles in their lives and I admire that. I also admire the
everyday heroes, the mums who keep families running smoothly and happily, mums who can be counted on to be there for their little ones, stand by their husbands, put family first and still find time to be good friends.
There's one mum I know who I really admire for all she does. Maggie is a mum of four great kids who are happy, smart and interesting children (not to mention cute as all get-out). She manages to keep her house spotless, get the boys off to school, entertain her two little girls all day, and prepare a hot dinner for the family, all before heading off to work at her job - and still finds time to hit the gym.
Maggie is also a great friend. She organizes play dates for all the mums she knows, often hosting loads of little ones and their mothers at her house (and I'm sure you all can imagine the chaos that can entail). She is the person who gets everyone together and sorts out what to do and when. She's a great listener, and a thoughtful and intelligent person to have a conversation with. Just the sort of friend you want to have.
Maggie is my pick for Mom of the Year. What is MOTY, exactly?
This year Walmart is launching the Mom of the Year Award to
help celebrate and recognize the huge contribution moms make as role
models and integral members of the family and community. This award
will become an annual program to celebrate all that Mom does and shine a
light on what is important to her.
Nominations will be accepted Mother’s Day (May 13) through July 8, 2012 and can be submitted through www.momoftheyear.ca. They can come from daughters, sons, family members, friends, colleagues or community members.
Eight finalists will be selected and notified in mid-August and will
be treated to an award celebration weekend in September. The Mom of the
Year Award recipient will receive $10,000 for personal use and $100,000
to their cause or charity of choice. The remaining seven finalists will
each receive $10,000 for personal use and $10,000 to their cause or
charity of choice.
Wow - talk about a generous and amazing award! Way to go, Walmart. So get thinking about who you are going to nominate for Mom of the Year.
Disclosure: I’m part of the Walmart program by Mom Central. I
received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions
on this blog are my own. Mom of the Year Award: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
Internet access and valid email account required. Nominations open May
10, 2012 to July 8, 2012 for legal residents of Canada over the age of
majority. Entrants cannot nominate themselves. One (1) grand prize
available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $100,000 donation by
Wal-mart Canada Corp. to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV
$22,000). Seven (7) runner-up prizes available to be won consisting of
$10,000 cash, a $10,000 donation to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto
(ARV $22,000). Charity/cause subject to verification and final approval
by Wal-mart Canada Corp., at its sole discretion. Odds of winning
depend on how the judging panel evaluates each entry according to the
criteria. For Official Contest Rules and to nominate an entrant, visit [www.momoftheyear.ca].
I just wanted to share with you an online store for mum and baby products. Mom 4 Life is US-based (and offers free shipping with no minimum order in the US - if only that was for Canada, too!), and carries loads of products that take you from maternity through labour and delivery, to parenthood.
I love the name, it really resonates with me. Especially with Mother's Day just past, I really feel the honour, joy, and responsibility that comes with being a mum. Definitely a mum for life!
A couple of products they carry that I can personally recommend are the Ingrid and Isabella BellaBand (fabulous for pregnancy, it's a firm yet stretchy fabric that keeps your belly comfortable and covered - and there are some in the clearance section! Deals, mamas!) and the popular BabyLegs - super cute legwarmers that make diaper changes so easy! Mia has several pairs and they're great. Mia also has a Wubbanub that she loves. She never took to soothers (fine with me) but adores her cute Wubbanub puppy. It's a plush toy with a soother attached, which I find helps keep track of the soother and makes it harder to lose! They carry cloth diapers as well!
It's a store to check out if you are doing some online shopping for babies, mums, or mums to be!
Disclosure: Mom4Life sent me products in return for an article on their store. My opinions of the products I've mentioned are honest and my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
As part of the Finish Revolution campaign, I had the privilege to watch a webinar on getting the most out of my dishwasher. You think it's easy, right? Throw the dishes in the dishwasher, add some detergent, turn it on, voila! Clean dishes.
HA! There is much more to it to achieve the gleaming dishes we all want to see come out of our dishwashers.
I had no idea about the science behind detergents, or the best techniques of loading and caring for our dishwasher. So let me share some of the things I've learned, and hopefully we will all have better, cleaner results from our favourite kitchen machines (okay, my favourite kitchen machine, at least... I hate washing dishes by hand!).
Did you know that there are two types of cleaners that can be in detergents? Enzymes take care of proteins and starches, and bleach gets the rest. Enzymes work at a lower temperature than bleach, and start the cleaning process - as the water temperature rises, bleach kicks in. The bleach kills the enzymes. For this reason, a gel detergent can only contain one or the other. So a separated detergent tablet like Finish Quantum seems the ideal way to go. The wall inside the tab keeps the bleach from killing off the enzymes - hence, more cleaning power!
Then there's that ball of rinse agent in the Finish Quantum tabs. This helps prevent soft water etching (damage on glasses, for instance) or hard water film and calcium buildup on your dishes and in your dishwasher.
Another thing I learned (which should be common sense, but for some reason this was an eye-opener for me) - under the kitchen sink is one of the dampest places in the house. So keeping your dishwasher detergent in there is not the wisest plan! Have you ever had a box of powder detergent go hard? That's the moisture activating the cleaner. Once it's hardened, it will not have the same cleaning power anymore.
And my technique of loading every last thing I can jam into my dishwasher before running it probably isn't doing me any favours. I often have put small bowls under big ones, thinking the water will wash up and over the little ones. Not so. Nesting like that can trap particles and prevent water from reaching the upper dish. So for the best results I should be taking care that each dish has its own space. It may mean more frequent loads as a result (our current Bosch dishwasher has a small load capacity), but better results. Huh!
So I'm trying this new approach on loading the dishwasher and I have to admit, I am running it a bit more often, but doing a lot less post-dishwasher hand-washing. And why have a dishwasher if you have to hand-wash what comes out of it?!
Here are my top takeaways from the webinar. I hope you find this helpful!
My Top 5 Tips for Great Dishwasher Results:
Use hot water. If your kitchen is far from your hot water heater, or your heater is set too low (it should be at 120 degrees, and no hotter than 125 to prevent scalding), you may not be getting the ideal temperature for your dishwasher's peak performance.
Load with care. Make sure cutlery and dishes are not nesting or pressed up against each other. Give the water and detergent room to do their job!
Use detergent that contains everything you need. You want enzymes, bleach, and a rinse agent to get the cleanest dishes (Finish Quantum contains all three - and does not contain phosphates).
Check and clean your dishwasher once in a while. Check the holes in the spray arms for build-up, and check the water outflow drains for food or buildup as well. Water should be able to enter and exit the dishwasher freely. Running a cleaning agent like Finish Dishwasher Cleaner once in a while will keep your dishwasher running smoothly and odour-free!
Keep your detergent away from moisture! In my experience the powder in boxes always goes hard before I finish the box. That's wasted money and useless detergent. And despite the smaller boxes, tabs are more concentrated and keep longer as they are sealed - and generally do the same number of loads as a big box of powder detergent!
Happy dishwashing!
Disclosure: I am part of the Finish Blogger Program by Mom Central. I
received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The
opinions on this blog are my own.
Think you didn't win? Maybe you did! One of my winners did not respond, so I have chosen a new one. Announced on the original review of DreamBelly Stretch Mark Butter, and emailed!
We've been Goodlife Fitness members for years. I mean, I joined in 2001 - back when the bi-weekly rate was $16 (it's now $23, or $21 if you sign up during a sale). I was always a big advocate of the club, too. I loved their Les Mills classes. BodyFlow was my favourite - a mix of tai chi, pilates, and yoga. I brought several new members into the club myself with my glowing praise and enthusiasm for it.
Over the years I was thrilled to keep my locked-in member rate as prices increased. In 2007, I moved to a location that was fairly far from a club, and terminated my membership. What a mistake that was. I ended up missing it enough to make the 20 minute drive and re-signed soon after at a higher bi-weekly rate. It was not ideal to pay more than I had been, but I recognized that I'd cancelled my membership and was considered a new member.
Then my husband's company started a corporate partnership account with Goodlife. We got a great rate by going with the corporate plan. Knowing their tendency to increase rates, we asked the club before we switched to the corporate plan if we could return to our current rates should we leave the corporate plan. "Sure," they said, "No problem." And with that sorted - or so we thought - we went ahead with it.
And guess what? A year later, my husband has changed jobs and provinces, and we are no longer eligible for the corporate plan. Fair enough. But when we tried to switch back to our old rates, we were told that was not possible, despite what we'd been assured of before.
We went to the local club to talk about it. The staff member disappeared several times into an office to "call the district manager" and every time came back saying there was nothing they could do. If we wanted to stay at the club, we could pay the sale price (ending the next day - no pressure!) of $21 bi-weekly each.
One staff member enthused about the Jump Fitness child care at the gym, as she saw that we had Mia with us - I found that ironic considering my recent, first and LAST experience with that - read my review of Goodlife's Jump Fitness Child Care to see why!
We were happy and loyal members and felt like we had just been treated like dirt. Broken promises, what a disappointment.
So goodbye, Goodlife.
We're going to spend the summer (if it ever gets to Calgary - it snowed today!) outside exercising and making the most of the beautiful parks, lakes and mountains around us. And in the fall, we'll look for a new fitness club. Hopefully one that honours its promises and has some interest in keeping loyal members.
If there are any co-ed fitness clubs in the south of Calgary that are interested in a review, well, my husband and I would be happy to test out your facilities :)
Are you watching it? My husband and I enjoyed the first season of this HBO program so much that we have begun reading the book series by George R. R. Martin as well. The books are great - and make me realize how true the show is to the story. My husband says he's finding that reading the thoughts each character has adds a lot, as that is something that's harder to portray on television.
I love the sets on the show - so detailed, so large - and the costuming and casting is fabulous.
I'd love to hear your favourite character. It's hard to commit to one, because you never know who's going to die next! But I really like Daenarys - her transformation in the first series was remarkable. And I am rooting for Arya as well! Who do you like?
and 
. We are just over half way through the first book, and a few episodes into the second season of the show. It's super addictive! Highly recommended. 
