I've done it. I've inadvertently created a potty monster.
Mia's been doing so well with toilet training. She rarely has accidents (once in a while, a pee when she's doing something too exciting to leave, or on waking from a nap). We even had a great success the other day when she told me she had to go the moment we got on the highway - and it was about 10 minutes to the next exit with a store with a bathroom we could rush into - and she made it! I was so proud of her.
She's done great with going in strange places too, like the mall, grocery store, restaurants, and friends' houses. I don't even need to bring her travel potty seat as she has no qualms about sitting on random toilets.
So we praise her, and tell her how proud we are of her. Treats worked as an initial incentive, but she's pretty much forgotten to ask most of the time now, as going on the toilet becomes just another routine.
However - there is a down side that I was not expecting.
I knew finding bathrooms on the fly could be tough. I'm starting to develop a mental map of likely places. I knew I might need to keep a stock of M&M's in my purse for incentive emergencies (and hey, if I sneak one now and then who will know? :) ).
What I didn't know is that all that emphasis on how proud we were of her for peeing when we're out would create a monster. Now, if we are out she needs to go - regardless of how recently she's been.
For instance, today, we did a bathroom trip before we left the house. A five-minute drive later, we were at the restaurant. We were waiting in line for ten minutes (it was busy!) when I hear her little voice pipe up, "I need to use the toilet!" You can't ignore a toddler who needs to pee. They don't have awesome bladder control, and while I keep a spare set of clothes with me, I'm not crazy about carrying around pee-soaked pants.
We abandoned our spot in line and went to find the restroom. "Thank you for telling me," I said to her on the way. Once enthroned, she sat for a moment, faked a "try" and said, "I do nothing. I'm all done!"
Oh, boy.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
In the middle of the night
3:38 am.
I hear Mia cry out in her crib from my bedroom - she still only has to make the slightest sound and I wake. In I go. "I peed," she says, sleepily. We've been doing very well with toilet training, and she takes it pretty seriously. About half the time she'll wake and tell me she needs to go before she has, and we make a sleepy trip to the washroom.
So, I get her out of her night diaper and we go "have a try" on the toilet. Nothing happens. My tired girl is falling asleep on the seat. I'm sitting on the bathroom floor, enormous belly and all, also wavering between sleep and waking. We pull up a new diaper, and she reaches out, gives me a big hug and a kiss and says, "You're a nice mummy."
At that moment I forgave her for a million night wakings... I had tears in my eyes as I hugged her back, told her how proud I was of her for trying on the toilet, gave her a big cuddle and put her back in her crib. "Night, Mummy," she says as I stroke her forehead, turn on her ocean sounds, and leave the room.
I lie in bed for the next twenty minutes as the baby in my belly kicks and wiggles. If I get up in the night, so does he - the minute I lie down again. I think about my sweet girl and how she's never said those words to me before. Sure, she's said "I love you", but I've never been sure if that's a mimic response or the real thing.
4:18 am.
I am just drifting back to sleep, finally, when I hear the urgent call from Mia's room. "Mummy! MUMMY!"
I haul my seven-months-pregnant and very tired self once again out of bed and half-stumble, half-lurch into her room.
"What's the matter, Bunny?"
"I had a little popcorn. I eat it all up. I watch the Croods with Daddy. Night Mummy. Have a good sleep."
Okay. That one was a lot less worth getting up for....
I hear Mia cry out in her crib from my bedroom - she still only has to make the slightest sound and I wake. In I go. "I peed," she says, sleepily. We've been doing very well with toilet training, and she takes it pretty seriously. About half the time she'll wake and tell me she needs to go before she has, and we make a sleepy trip to the washroom.
So, I get her out of her night diaper and we go "have a try" on the toilet. Nothing happens. My tired girl is falling asleep on the seat. I'm sitting on the bathroom floor, enormous belly and all, also wavering between sleep and waking. We pull up a new diaper, and she reaches out, gives me a big hug and a kiss and says, "You're a nice mummy."
At that moment I forgave her for a million night wakings... I had tears in my eyes as I hugged her back, told her how proud I was of her for trying on the toilet, gave her a big cuddle and put her back in her crib. "Night, Mummy," she says as I stroke her forehead, turn on her ocean sounds, and leave the room.
I lie in bed for the next twenty minutes as the baby in my belly kicks and wiggles. If I get up in the night, so does he - the minute I lie down again. I think about my sweet girl and how she's never said those words to me before. Sure, she's said "I love you", but I've never been sure if that's a mimic response or the real thing.
4:18 am.
I am just drifting back to sleep, finally, when I hear the urgent call from Mia's room. "Mummy! MUMMY!"
I haul my seven-months-pregnant and very tired self once again out of bed and half-stumble, half-lurch into her room.
"What's the matter, Bunny?"
"I had a little popcorn. I eat it all up. I watch the Croods with Daddy. Night Mummy. Have a good sleep."
Okay. That one was a lot less worth getting up for....
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Our Fisher Price Favourites (and a discount code!) #FPFavourites
Our gear favourite - and I mean, I could NOT have gotten along without it, especially as an overwhelmed first-time mum last time - was the Fisher Price Baby Papasan seat.
I'm not even sure this is still available, but it was a LIFESAVER. It allowed me to take a shower (with the seat within view). Go pee. Sit for a few minutes without a baby on me, knowing Mia was safe, secure and comfortable. She napped in it, sat in it, played in it and joined us at the dinner table in it so that we could eat with two hands free. Best. Thing. Ever. Would I have survived the first six months without it? Debatable! I am not sure it's possible to thank my sister in law enough for this one, as it was a gift. I am seriously kicking myself for passing it on to another new mum after Mia outgrew it. Sure, it wouldn't have fit in the car on our jam-packed drive back to Ontario... but it was so awesome... argh!
Music and motion (side to side or head to toe), a moving mobile, and a cute bunny plush... oh, it looks awesome. I like that it's gender neutral as well. And, not hideous - you won't be cringing at the way it clashes with your decor. Some baby seats are just garish, aren't they? Not this one.
One thing I loved about the papasan seat was that it was quite portable - this one, not so much - but it has way more features.
In fact, I decided to leave the batteries out until just a couple of days ago. When I put them in, the new sounds it makes
absolutely delighted her - it's like a new toy!
Seriously, she plays with this every single day.
These are just a couple of the products on the 12 top must-have list for mums that Fisher Price has put together. Here's that list (if you're creating a registry or gift shopping for a tot, take note!):
- Ocean Wonders Aquarium
- My Little Snugabunny Cradle N Swing
- Infant to Toddler Rocker
- SpaceSaver High Chair
- Discover’n Grow Jumperoo
- Brilliant Basics Rock a Stack
- Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy
- Laugh & Learn Say Please Tea Set
- Laugh & Learn Click ‘n Learn Remote
- Brilliant Basics Stroll-Along Walker
- Little People Wheelies Stand ‘ n Play Rampway
- Little People Animal Sounds Farm
Fisher Price and Mom Central are offering an exclusive discount code at Toys R Us for all of the Fisher Price Favourites - to give you 20% off!!! Awesome! Use the code FISHERPRICE20 at Toys R Us until April 30th to receive the discount!
Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Wean Green review
Let me say right off the bat that this is not a paid review. I wasn't asked to write it at all. I just wanted to share an excellent experience with a company - so rare these days!
Wean Green is a Canadian company that makes air-tight glass containers. They are perfectly sized for snacks, lunches, or even tiny servings of homemade baby food. The lids come in bright, fun colours like raspberry, carrot, pea and blueberry. Cute, right?
I got some of Wean Green's Wean Cubes about 2 years ago. I got them to use for Mia's baby food when she was starting solids. Eight little Wean Cubes have been in heavy rotation in our kitchen ever since - now that she's well past baby food, we use them for salad dressing, snacks for the purse, cut up carrot sticks, and so on. They've been great.
Then, within the last month or so, two things happened. First, one of the clips on one of the lids snapped off. The lid still seals okay; it's just short one clip.
Then, one day I opened the dishwasher to find that one of the Wean Cubes had absolutely shattered in the dishwasher - just on a normal wash, not high heat or anything. Bear in mind, I have been using the dishwasher to clean these all along. I guess this container just finally gave up the ghost. There was glass all through the bottom of the dishwasher. You know, it didn't occur to me that there might be glass slivers on our dishes or cutlery - I didn't even check. Luckily, there seem to have been no ill effects, so I guess we're okay on that front.
Surprised, I contacted the company on their Facebook page just to make sure that they were dishwasher safe (the packaging had been long ago recycled).
Within hours, Wean Green had responded and asked me to send an email to them directly. Their immediate response to my problem was to describe how they have changed their manufacturing (down to moving to a different country for factory production) and improved their products since my Wean Cubes were made. And beyond that, they offered to replace the products I had.
Wait. Let me repeat that one. They offered to replace products that were two years old and well-used, just to ensure a happy customer. They provided a gift code for me to shop on their site - and when I had some technical difficulties, spent time on the phone with me sorting it out and making sure that my order was placed and on its way.
Within a week I had new sets of Wean Green products, which we are happily using already. And I'm also left with a really positive impression of the nice people and a company that stands by their products. I'm so impressed with their level of customer service. I'm thrilled that they have improved on the original products, and wholeheartedly recommend Wean Green to anyone!
Wean Green is a Canadian company that makes air-tight glass containers. They are perfectly sized for snacks, lunches, or even tiny servings of homemade baby food. The lids come in bright, fun colours like raspberry, carrot, pea and blueberry. Cute, right?I got some of Wean Green's Wean Cubes about 2 years ago. I got them to use for Mia's baby food when she was starting solids. Eight little Wean Cubes have been in heavy rotation in our kitchen ever since - now that she's well past baby food, we use them for salad dressing, snacks for the purse, cut up carrot sticks, and so on. They've been great.
Then, within the last month or so, two things happened. First, one of the clips on one of the lids snapped off. The lid still seals okay; it's just short one clip.
Then, one day I opened the dishwasher to find that one of the Wean Cubes had absolutely shattered in the dishwasher - just on a normal wash, not high heat or anything. Bear in mind, I have been using the dishwasher to clean these all along. I guess this container just finally gave up the ghost. There was glass all through the bottom of the dishwasher. You know, it didn't occur to me that there might be glass slivers on our dishes or cutlery - I didn't even check. Luckily, there seem to have been no ill effects, so I guess we're okay on that front.
Surprised, I contacted the company on their Facebook page just to make sure that they were dishwasher safe (the packaging had been long ago recycled).
Within hours, Wean Green had responded and asked me to send an email to them directly. Their immediate response to my problem was to describe how they have changed their manufacturing (down to moving to a different country for factory production) and improved their products since my Wean Cubes were made. And beyond that, they offered to replace the products I had.
Wait. Let me repeat that one. They offered to replace products that were two years old and well-used, just to ensure a happy customer. They provided a gift code for me to shop on their site - and when I had some technical difficulties, spent time on the phone with me sorting it out and making sure that my order was placed and on its way.
Within a week I had new sets of Wean Green products, which we are happily using already. And I'm also left with a really positive impression of the nice people and a company that stands by their products. I'm so impressed with their level of customer service. I'm thrilled that they have improved on the original products, and wholeheartedly recommend Wean Green to anyone!
Monday, March 25, 2013
15 minute Homemade "Skor" Bars!
First, a great recipe :) I got this one from my mum. I have no idea where she got it. I
made these today, seriously, in 15 minutes including clean-up. They
take a while to set in the fridge but are so yummy for so little effort.
Homemade Skor Bars
24 saltine crackers (salted)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 13x9" baking pan with parchment paper or foil, and lay the crackers out in a single layer, touching. I find 6 rows of 4 is about perfect.
Melt the butter with the brown sugar in a sauce pan, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then pour it over the crackers and even it out. Bake for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top and pop it back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to melt the chips. Use a spatula to spread out the chocolate evenly.
Stick it in the fridge or freezer to chill until set. Cut into 1" pieces (or bigger, but they are really quite sweet and not exactly good for you, so a tiny indulgence is just about perfect).
These store in the fridge, and freeze exceptionally. They're great little treats, and also good for including in Christmas tins or other gifty occasions.
_____
I've been so exhausted with our emotional, challenging, charming and affectionate two-year-old, this pregnancy, and coming down with every cold that crosses my path at various play groups. Mia's still not sleeping through the night... we are back to usually two wakings a night. We're working on potty training as well. Is there a stronger word than exhausted?
I've written about a hundred posts in the last month or so, all in my head in the middle of the night. So here are the topics I've been thinking on. Let me know if you want me to expand on any of these and I'll see what I can do.
Homemade Skor Bars
24 saltine crackers (salted)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 13x9" baking pan with parchment paper or foil, and lay the crackers out in a single layer, touching. I find 6 rows of 4 is about perfect.
Melt the butter with the brown sugar in a sauce pan, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then pour it over the crackers and even it out. Bake for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top and pop it back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to melt the chips. Use a spatula to spread out the chocolate evenly.
Stick it in the fridge or freezer to chill until set. Cut into 1" pieces (or bigger, but they are really quite sweet and not exactly good for you, so a tiny indulgence is just about perfect).
These store in the fridge, and freeze exceptionally. They're great little treats, and also good for including in Christmas tins or other gifty occasions.
_____
I've been so exhausted with our emotional, challenging, charming and affectionate two-year-old, this pregnancy, and coming down with every cold that crosses my path at various play groups. Mia's still not sleeping through the night... we are back to usually two wakings a night. We're working on potty training as well. Is there a stronger word than exhausted?
I've written about a hundred posts in the last month or so, all in my head in the middle of the night. So here are the topics I've been thinking on. Let me know if you want me to expand on any of these and I'll see what I can do.
- divorce, and the difference between a perception of a relationship and the reality of one. I sometimes think about my previous marriage and realized that I am a little bitter about the way people viewed the end of that. I have never really shared my perspective on it, and while I hate holding a grudge, it does bother me that people seem to make assumptions about what happened without knowing the whole story. Anyway. That's been on my mind. And maybe is way too personal to write about in such a public place.
- the second pregnancy and how it differs from the first. Boy, is it different. For lots of reasons. And I think that's kind of interesting, and unexpected (to me).
- circumcision. A whole world of debate. Everyone has an opinion on it!
- potty training. But then, everyone writes about that, don't they?
- renovations. yes, they continue, in a different way - we've just had to replace the roof. That's kind of an interesting story, but perhaps not one I can get into entirely, as we're in litigation over it. But I also never did post after photos of the kitchen and bathroom renovations, which are (thankfully) complete - and that's a whole other story!
- the world of secondhand shopping and how the internet keeps changing it. Things are so different from when I used to shop 'vintage' as a teenager. Okay, that was (ahem) 20 years ago, but I keep coming across new ways to find what I need for cheap, and that's cool.
- and, some recipes for quick and yummy dinners
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Potty training... the adventure begins!
Yeah, I'm going right ahead and talking about poop on my blog. I became a Mum, that's what happened.
I admit it, I'm not entirely ready for potty training. We have one more big trip coming up (two weeks in Maui! I can't wait!) and I feel like we should wait until that upheaval's over before we begin.
My husband is ready - and has been for about 5 months.
My 23-month-old daughter? Well, she's surprising me.
We started her on the toilet at about 5 months old, really sporadically - put her on, go "Sssss" and she would sometimes go. Great, but not reliable and I honestly wasn't anywhere near regular with it. The good of that is that she is used to sitting there, not afraid of the flush (she likes to do it herself), and understands what it's for. We also have a fairly open-door policy (where she is concerned) with us using the bathroom. She sees Mum and Dad using the toilet and we talk about what we're doing, wiping, flushing, washing our hands, and so on.
Santa (a.k.a. Mummy) got her some fabulous Big Girl Underwear for Christmas, which made a big impression. She talks about her owl underwear often and I think she's pretty keen to wear it.
I also got this great book out of the library, Diapers Are Not Forever, which we have been reading daily. She is REALLY interested in it, and asks for it, sometimes twice in a row, at bedtime and nap time. I like the way it doesn't dumb things down, but explains how and why we go on the toilet instead of in a diaper. Just like the big kids! I strongly recommend this book, as I think it's really helping her understand and prepare for the change.
I have looked at the various lists for readiness (stays dry overnight or during naps, can pull pants up and down by herself, tells when she needs to go, etc) and I don't see it. She will stay dry for a nap (her naps are short anyway), but definitely not at night. She has trouble with her pants, but can do it if she puts her mind to it. She definitely won't tell us when she needs to pee, but is pretty obvious about pooping.
We have had a bit of a breakthrough lately because of that. She was (ahem, TMI maybe) a little constipated this past weekend so it was extremely apparent when she was trying to poop. So we made a bit of a point of taking her to the toilet to try. And we are using chocolate chips and lots of praise as an incentive for successful trips to the toilet.
We had a successful toilet poop on the weekend, and then yesterday caught another one. This morning we were cuddling and nursing in bed (hey, she wakes at 5:30 am.... I'm not ready to get out of bed yet and like to prolong the down time with nursing) when she told me, "I poop on toilet!"
"What?!" I nearly shouted with excitement, "Do you need to go?"
"Yes!" she said, and off we rushed to the bathroom, where she promptly peed on the toilet. Yeah, her diaper was already soaked from the night, and okay, so she hasn't quite got the lingo down. But wow, that's awesome!
And today I have caught her 'trying' to poop in her diaper twice and we made it to the bathroom to do it in the toilet both times.
So we are doing remarkably well with poop... now to figure out how to get her to pee there on a consistent basis!
I'm seriously not in a rush as I feel like the traveling we'll be doing might set us back and that would be frustrating and disappointing for her. I want her to feel proud of her success. That said, I'm not that fond of dealing with poopy cloth diapers - and I definitely want her to be well out of diapers by the time the new baby arrives in June! The time is coming!
My loose plan is go simply go without diapers and straight into underwear (or go Naked Baby style if I don't think she'll catch a chill) and hang out in our tiled (and therefore easy to clean up accidents) basement for a few days. Incentives and praise for success, no shame in misses. I've heard this can be a one- to seven- day process, so I want to be able to set aside and commit the time and effort to it.
What were your successes with toilet training? Did you get on it early, or late? I'd love to hear your experiences.
Note: the links for the book are affiliate links, meaning I get a few cents from Amazon if you choose to buy through these links. I'm not kidding though, this book has really made a difference in the way she perceives going on the toilet.
I admit it, I'm not entirely ready for potty training. We have one more big trip coming up (two weeks in Maui! I can't wait!) and I feel like we should wait until that upheaval's over before we begin.
My husband is ready - and has been for about 5 months.
My 23-month-old daughter? Well, she's surprising me.
We started her on the toilet at about 5 months old, really sporadically - put her on, go "Sssss" and she would sometimes go. Great, but not reliable and I honestly wasn't anywhere near regular with it. The good of that is that she is used to sitting there, not afraid of the flush (she likes to do it herself), and understands what it's for. We also have a fairly open-door policy (where she is concerned) with us using the bathroom. She sees Mum and Dad using the toilet and we talk about what we're doing, wiping, flushing, washing our hands, and so on.
Santa (a.k.a. Mummy) got her some fabulous Big Girl Underwear for Christmas, which made a big impression. She talks about her owl underwear often and I think she's pretty keen to wear it.
I also got this great book out of the library, Diapers Are Not Forever, which we have been reading daily. She is REALLY interested in it, and asks for it, sometimes twice in a row, at bedtime and nap time. I like the way it doesn't dumb things down, but explains how and why we go on the toilet instead of in a diaper. Just like the big kids! I strongly recommend this book, as I think it's really helping her understand and prepare for the change. I have looked at the various lists for readiness (stays dry overnight or during naps, can pull pants up and down by herself, tells when she needs to go, etc) and I don't see it. She will stay dry for a nap (her naps are short anyway), but definitely not at night. She has trouble with her pants, but can do it if she puts her mind to it. She definitely won't tell us when she needs to pee, but is pretty obvious about pooping.
We have had a bit of a breakthrough lately because of that. She was (ahem, TMI maybe) a little constipated this past weekend so it was extremely apparent when she was trying to poop. So we made a bit of a point of taking her to the toilet to try. And we are using chocolate chips and lots of praise as an incentive for successful trips to the toilet.
We had a successful toilet poop on the weekend, and then yesterday caught another one. This morning we were cuddling and nursing in bed (hey, she wakes at 5:30 am.... I'm not ready to get out of bed yet and like to prolong the down time with nursing) when she told me, "I poop on toilet!"
"What?!" I nearly shouted with excitement, "Do you need to go?"
"Yes!" she said, and off we rushed to the bathroom, where she promptly peed on the toilet. Yeah, her diaper was already soaked from the night, and okay, so she hasn't quite got the lingo down. But wow, that's awesome!
And today I have caught her 'trying' to poop in her diaper twice and we made it to the bathroom to do it in the toilet both times.
So we are doing remarkably well with poop... now to figure out how to get her to pee there on a consistent basis!
I'm seriously not in a rush as I feel like the traveling we'll be doing might set us back and that would be frustrating and disappointing for her. I want her to feel proud of her success. That said, I'm not that fond of dealing with poopy cloth diapers - and I definitely want her to be well out of diapers by the time the new baby arrives in June! The time is coming!
My loose plan is go simply go without diapers and straight into underwear (or go Naked Baby style if I don't think she'll catch a chill) and hang out in our tiled (and therefore easy to clean up accidents) basement for a few days. Incentives and praise for success, no shame in misses. I've heard this can be a one- to seven- day process, so I want to be able to set aside and commit the time and effort to it.
What were your successes with toilet training? Did you get on it early, or late? I'd love to hear your experiences.
Note: the links for the book are affiliate links, meaning I get a few cents from Amazon if you choose to buy through these links. I'm not kidding though, this book has really made a difference in the way she perceives going on the toilet.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Surprise!
I've been a little quiet lately, keeping some BIG news to myself. We were waiting and waiting and waiting until our trip home over the holidays to let our family know that....
I'm 16 weeks pregnant today! Baby's due in June.
The first trimester was really difficult this time. I was much more nauseous than with Mia, and so, so tired - no full night sleeps and first trimester exhaustion really wear on a mama. I'm a little less sleepy now, but I still need an afternoon nap when Mia naps to keep from becoming a cranky monster.
I'll admit, I've had more than a few "what were we thinking?!" moments, as Mia at 23 months is still (yes, still!) not sleeping through the night. She did SO well on our trip, with three nights in a row of 8 hours of sleep straight - which makes six nights in her entire life where she has slept 6+ hours in a row.
But, she is back to her old habits now that we are home. Last night she was up four times, at midnight, 3, 3:40 and 5:45am... I will say that I am used to it, but that doesn't really make it any easier.
And she's such a busy toddler, I have no idea how I'm going to manage the constant needs of a newborn with the constant needs of Mia! But I tell myself women have been doing this for thousands of years... I'm sure I'll get by. The hardest part is that I have no support system out here in Calgary. All our family is back in Ontario, and while I have friends here, they are busy with their own kids and won't exactly be able to drop everything to help me out when the baby's born.
Mia's also still breastfeeding about 2-4 times a day, which is actually way down from three months ago, when she was still nursing between 10-15 times a day(!). I don't mind nursing her at all, but I know that she won't be thrilled about sharing Mummy's "milks" with a baby.
Anyway, we'll be finding out what the gender is in early February. Any guesses? I can post a nub shot if anyone's into that, but I warn you, it's the most ambiguous nub shot I've ever seen :) Tricky little one!
Mia's going to be a big sister!
I'm 16 weeks pregnant today! Baby's due in June.
The first trimester was really difficult this time. I was much more nauseous than with Mia, and so, so tired - no full night sleeps and first trimester exhaustion really wear on a mama. I'm a little less sleepy now, but I still need an afternoon nap when Mia naps to keep from becoming a cranky monster.
I'll admit, I've had more than a few "what were we thinking?!" moments, as Mia at 23 months is still (yes, still!) not sleeping through the night. She did SO well on our trip, with three nights in a row of 8 hours of sleep straight - which makes six nights in her entire life where she has slept 6+ hours in a row.
But, she is back to her old habits now that we are home. Last night she was up four times, at midnight, 3, 3:40 and 5:45am... I will say that I am used to it, but that doesn't really make it any easier.
And she's such a busy toddler, I have no idea how I'm going to manage the constant needs of a newborn with the constant needs of Mia! But I tell myself women have been doing this for thousands of years... I'm sure I'll get by. The hardest part is that I have no support system out here in Calgary. All our family is back in Ontario, and while I have friends here, they are busy with their own kids and won't exactly be able to drop everything to help me out when the baby's born.
Mia's also still breastfeeding about 2-4 times a day, which is actually way down from three months ago, when she was still nursing between 10-15 times a day(!). I don't mind nursing her at all, but I know that she won't be thrilled about sharing Mummy's "milks" with a baby.
Anyway, we'll be finding out what the gender is in early February. Any guesses? I can post a nub shot if anyone's into that, but I warn you, it's the most ambiguous nub shot I've ever seen :) Tricky little one!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Mashed Potato Pancakes (recipe)
Ever wonder what to do with piles of mashed potatoes left over after a big meal? This makes a great snack or lunch!
Mashed Potato Pancakes
1 egg
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped chives or parsley (optional)
Whisk the first four ingredients together until combined. Add in flour and baking powder and mix well. Stir in cheese and herbs.
Heat a griddle or pan to medium-hot and brush with butter. Pour 4" circles of batter onto the pan and cook until the edges begin to dry (the middle won't bubble and dry the way crepes or pancakes do). Flip and cook until the cake puffs, check for golden brown goodness on each side and they're done!
Serve with sour cream (or ketchup, if your toddler insists)! Makes about 20 pancakes.
Sorry for the crappy picture! I was too lazy to pull out the proper camera and just used my laptop.
Mashed Potato Pancakes
1 egg
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped chives or parsley (optional)
Whisk the first four ingredients together until combined. Add in flour and baking powder and mix well. Stir in cheese and herbs.
Heat a griddle or pan to medium-hot and brush with butter. Pour 4" circles of batter onto the pan and cook until the edges begin to dry (the middle won't bubble and dry the way crepes or pancakes do). Flip and cook until the cake puffs, check for golden brown goodness on each side and they're done!
Serve with sour cream (or ketchup, if your toddler insists)! Makes about 20 pancakes.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Milk Unleashed! (Giveaway)
Hello! It's been a while! Our whole family was pretty much out of commission with that nasty cold. Thank goodness we are almost all better.
Today I want to share Milk Unleashed with you! If you have a little one, you're probably like me and have a stash of snacks ready for even the shortest excursion. Of course, little ones get thirsty, too! I'm not a huge fan of giving straight juice (Mia does get half water, half juice from time to time) like in juice boxes, but it's not always ideal to take a sippy cup with water. Leaky sippies and no nutritional value.
That's where Milk Unleashed comes in! Single serving packs that don't need to be refrigerated combine the nutrition of milk with convenience. They are great for lunch boxes, diaper bags, or, if you're like me, the big giant catch-all purse that stands in for a diaper bag.
Milk Unleashed has a cute little app with fun activities, tips and a fun quiz too!
Take the quiz, it's cute - apparently we are a "Free-Wheelin' Family", ha ha!
So all this fun goodness leads me to a giveaway! Milk Unleashed has a prize pack for one of my lucky readers! The prize pack includes:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received products to try for this blog post, but was not paid to write it. My opinions are my own.
Today I want to share Milk Unleashed with you! If you have a little one, you're probably like me and have a stash of snacks ready for even the shortest excursion. Of course, little ones get thirsty, too! I'm not a huge fan of giving straight juice (Mia does get half water, half juice from time to time) like in juice boxes, but it's not always ideal to take a sippy cup with water. Leaky sippies and no nutritional value.
That's where Milk Unleashed comes in! Single serving packs that don't need to be refrigerated combine the nutrition of milk with convenience. They are great for lunch boxes, diaper bags, or, if you're like me, the big giant catch-all purse that stands in for a diaper bag.
Milk Unleashed has a cute little app with fun activities, tips and a fun quiz too!
Take the quiz, it's cute - apparently we are a "Free-Wheelin' Family", ha ha!
So all this fun goodness leads me to a giveaway! Milk Unleashed has a prize pack for one of my lucky readers! The prize pack includes:
- One liter of Shelf Safe Milk (Grand Pre or Baboo)
- Three single serving shelf safe milks (white and chocolate) from: Chokeo Chocolate Milk, Grand Pre or Baboo
- A calendar and brochure with information about Shelf Safe Milk
- Cool stickers and Tattoos
- Plus, one bonus prize!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received products to try for this blog post, but was not paid to write it. My opinions are my own.
Friday, November 16, 2012
For what ails you... (recipe)
Mia and I got our flu shots on Wednesday, and I'm not saying there's a causal effect, exactly, but we're both sick now. Granted, Mia had a cold before she got the shot. But she's been downright miserable since - waking on Wednesday night every two hours, and last night every hour.
I caught her cold, I guess, and I've been nauseous, with a killer headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, and so, so darn tired. If only I could catch a decent night's sleep! And if she would only sleep more than an hour during the day... Oh, Mia.
Anyway, I'm not into medicating, so here's my alternative cold treatment. Good enough for any time, but especially good when you're feeling off.
What Ails You Tea
3 slices lemon
1-2 slices fresh ginger root (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger if you don't have fresh, but fresh is best)
2 tsp honey (or maple syrup, or brown sugar to sweeten, but honey has antibacterial properties)
a pinch cayenne pepper
Steep in 2 cups of boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
This can be served hot and steamy, or chilled.
Toddlers (past 1 year of age, if you're using honey) can drink it, too. Don't add too much (or any, if you worry) cayenne for children under 2 years old. I feel that the tiny pinch within 2 cups is okay for my 21 month old, but use your judgment.
Why does it work?
Lemons help with throat infections (it is an antibacterial), respiratory ailments, and reducing the body temperature. They are full of Vitamin C, B, and flavonoids (antioxidants).
Ginger is helpful for nausea. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural painkiller.
Honey is a natural antibacterial, antioxidant and antiseptic.
Cayenne - the capsaicin in cayenne helps relieve pain and may help with heartburn and blood circulation.
I caught her cold, I guess, and I've been nauseous, with a killer headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, and so, so darn tired. If only I could catch a decent night's sleep! And if she would only sleep more than an hour during the day... Oh, Mia.
Anyway, I'm not into medicating, so here's my alternative cold treatment. Good enough for any time, but especially good when you're feeling off.
3 slices lemon
1-2 slices fresh ginger root (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger if you don't have fresh, but fresh is best)
2 tsp honey (or maple syrup, or brown sugar to sweeten, but honey has antibacterial properties)
a pinch cayenne pepper
Steep in 2 cups of boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
This can be served hot and steamy, or chilled.
Toddlers (past 1 year of age, if you're using honey) can drink it, too. Don't add too much (or any, if you worry) cayenne for children under 2 years old. I feel that the tiny pinch within 2 cups is okay for my 21 month old, but use your judgment.
Why does it work?
Lemons help with throat infections (it is an antibacterial), respiratory ailments, and reducing the body temperature. They are full of Vitamin C, B, and flavonoids (antioxidants).
Ginger is helpful for nausea. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural painkiller.
Honey is a natural antibacterial, antioxidant and antiseptic.
Cayenne - the capsaicin in cayenne helps relieve pain and may help with heartburn and blood circulation.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Quick and Easy Quinoa Salad
This is so super easy and delicious, I think I'll be making it a lot more often.
Quick and Easy Quinoa
1 cup quinoa (about 2 cups cooked)
1 can black beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 can corn, drained (or use frozen, or leave out)
1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa (as mild or hot, chunky or smooth as you like it)
1/2 cup sour cream (go on, use the 14% stuff... it tastes so much better!)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika (if you feel like it)
Cook the quinoa as directed on the package (I use my rice cooker, one of my favourite kitchen tools! 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water).
Mix the remaining ingredients in a big bowl. Add the quinoa when it's cooked. Serve warm.
That's it!
Variations:
It is packed with protein, fiber and iron, and suitable for vegetarians, vegans (use soy cheese and leave out the sour cream or substitute whipped silken tofu),
Quick and Easy Quinoa
1 cup quinoa (about 2 cups cooked)
1 can black beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 can corn, drained (or use frozen, or leave out)
1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa (as mild or hot, chunky or smooth as you like it)
1/2 cup sour cream (go on, use the 14% stuff... it tastes so much better!)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika (if you feel like it)
Cook the quinoa as directed on the package (I use my rice cooker, one of my favourite kitchen tools! 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water).
Mix the remaining ingredients in a big bowl. Add the quinoa when it's cooked. Serve warm.
That's it!
Variations:
- Great as a meal on its own (a big bowl), or
- as a hearty dip for corn chips, or
- add some broth and a can of diced tomatoes and heat it up in a pot for soup (leave out the sour cream for that - and add it as a dollop garnish to each bowl)!
- Serve it in iceberg lettuce "bowls" for a nice presentation.
- Chopped cilantro (if you like it), or parsley
- chipotle sauce or chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for some heat
- lime juice
- different beans (I like those red mexican beans!)
It is packed with protein, fiber and iron, and suitable for vegetarians, vegans (use soy cheese and leave out the sour cream or substitute whipped silken tofu),
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Hallowe'en!
Mia has been running around shouting, "Hallowe'en!" and "Ticky-Teet!" for the last week. I don't think she really gets the concept of it, but the words are fun to say.
As I mentioned before, I decided to make her costume: an owl. This is her first Hallowe'en (last year she was just 8 months old). I seem to remember my mum always making, or helping me with, my costumes (one of the more memorable ones was the amazing ladybug costume she made for me when I was about 2). I like the idea of homemade costumes rather than the ubiquitous polyester costumes. I definitely need more practice, though!
Here's the costume from the front. I made the tunic out of linen (an old curtain), the mask of felt and cloth, and the wings are linen on the inside, with feathers cut from a feathery shirt I found at Value Village.
Here's the back - lots of feathers on the wings! They took a while to cut out. The wings button on, so if they get too annoying for her I can take them off.
Here she is spreading her wings - this is a rare moment between the loud, "All done!" when I try to put it on her, and the crying and screaming "All DONE!" about the wings being attached to her wrists. Sigh.
She did tolerate it for several hours at a Hallowe'en party last week, so I'm hoping she can manage to stand it for today as well, for the Big Night. Tomorrow is Hallowe'en again at the community centre play group we go to. Fingers crossed for no costume meltdowns!
This is what happens when I try to get her to wear the mask... She cries, runs away and shouts "ALL DONE!!". She really doesn't like the mask. At all. Which is a surprise, as we already have a felt mask that she does like to wear - I expected her to like this one, too. There's no point even trying it, though - it's just not worth the misery. I might pin it to her hat tonight, if she'll let me.
So overall, the costume is not the biggest hit.
And I should have made it bigger, to fit over a sweater or jacket. There's about 4" of snow on the ground here, and it's snowing more today. She'll have to wear a jacket tonight as I take her around.
I think we'll just do the 7 or 8 houses on our little street and that's it, more to say hi to the neighbours than anything. She's pretty shy, and she certainly doesn't need the candy.
Do you have a toddler going out for Hallowe'en? Did you make, or buy the costume? And what are they going as?
As I mentioned before, I decided to make her costume: an owl. This is her first Hallowe'en (last year she was just 8 months old). I seem to remember my mum always making, or helping me with, my costumes (one of the more memorable ones was the amazing ladybug costume she made for me when I was about 2). I like the idea of homemade costumes rather than the ubiquitous polyester costumes. I definitely need more practice, though!
She did tolerate it for several hours at a Hallowe'en party last week, so I'm hoping she can manage to stand it for today as well, for the Big Night. Tomorrow is Hallowe'en again at the community centre play group we go to. Fingers crossed for no costume meltdowns!
So overall, the costume is not the biggest hit.
And I should have made it bigger, to fit over a sweater or jacket. There's about 4" of snow on the ground here, and it's snowing more today. She'll have to wear a jacket tonight as I take her around.
I think we'll just do the 7 or 8 houses on our little street and that's it, more to say hi to the neighbours than anything. She's pretty shy, and she certainly doesn't need the candy.
Do you have a toddler going out for Hallowe'en? Did you make, or buy the costume? And what are they going as?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Earning money online
I'm no expert at this, but I do make a few bucks here and there by doing things online. Here are some of the ways I do it (all of these are Canadian-friendly!)
Get paid for your opinion - do surveys for money
Survey Savvy*. Paid surveys, usually a couple bucks for 10-15 minutes of your time. It's not even minimum wage, but if you're a good multi-tasker, you can watch a tv program and make a few dollars at the same time. Surveys are emailed to you, and payment is by cheque request.
Pinecone Research. This one is pretty exclusive - they only open it up to new members once in a while, so if you see an invitation (usually a banner ad: "The web sites that our banner ads may appear on are constantly changing during the course of the campaign.'), jump on it! I love Pinecone Research. It's $5 per survey (paid into your PayPal account or via cheque), and occasionally send out products as additional survey material (as in, you do an initial $5 survey, they may send you a product to try, and then you get another $5 for a follow up survey). I've received random things to test out and that's always pretty fun. I've been a member for over 10 years.
Survey Lion. Very similar to Survey Savvy, only a bit more frequent survey invitationss emailed to you. Amounts between $1 and $10 (rare) per survey. Payment is by cheque. They do have a referral program that is currently disabled - aw! But I can still recommend the site.
Product Promotion
BzzAgent. Honestly, I haven't been invited to a BzzCampaign in ages - but a few years ago I was in campaigns regularly and it was fabulous. I'm not sure if they got too big or I got too lax in keeping up with their surveys and such. If you want to leave me your email address, I can send you an email to join - or just head to the site and sign up. They send out products and you are meant to "bzz" about them - sharing your experience via pretty much any method you can. I have received some really great products such as a high-end electric toothbrush, an epilator, teeth whitening kits and so on. There's no payment per se, other than the products you may be invited to try and promote.
Sponsored Tweets*. If you have a Twitter account and you don't mind posting the occasional ad, you can earn a few bucks with this one. You can set the amount you can charge per tweet (they will recommend an amount, but you can set it to whatever you like). You will receive opportunities and you can pick and choose what you would like to promote, or not. You also write the tweets (based on recommended information they provide). I find it a slow earner (over about two years I earned $56), but that will vary for everyone. Payment is via PayPal.
Swagbucks*. This one's relatively new (compared to the others I've mentioned - it's a few years old), and I know I've mentioned it here on my blog before. They used to be more fabulous, but it is still easy to earn and redeem. The reason I say "used to be" is that I could previously redeem for Starbucks cards which they would mail to me. Now they will only apply money to an existing, American Starbucks card. Last time I was in the States, I couldn't find a Starbucks that sold gift cards (?!) so I don't have an American one. I'm just hanging on to my Swagbucks until I finally get one. Anyway, that was my favourite redemption, but there are loads of other things you can redeem for including online coupons, PayPal cash and gift certificates as well as products they'll ship to you. The good thing is that Swagbucks are easy to earn and seem to add up fast. I think the easiest way is using their search engine for random rewards, but you can also find codes, do surveys, polls, and more.
Do you have favourite sites for earning money online? Have you tried any of these ones? Or is it something you have never, or wouldn't consider?
* indicates a referral link. I'd be honoured (and grateful too!) if you decide to sign up using my link.
Get paid for your opinion - do surveys for money
Survey Savvy*. Paid surveys, usually a couple bucks for 10-15 minutes of your time. It's not even minimum wage, but if you're a good multi-tasker, you can watch a tv program and make a few dollars at the same time. Surveys are emailed to you, and payment is by cheque request.
Pinecone Research. This one is pretty exclusive - they only open it up to new members once in a while, so if you see an invitation (usually a banner ad: "The web sites that our banner ads may appear on are constantly changing during the course of the campaign.'), jump on it! I love Pinecone Research. It's $5 per survey (paid into your PayPal account or via cheque), and occasionally send out products as additional survey material (as in, you do an initial $5 survey, they may send you a product to try, and then you get another $5 for a follow up survey). I've received random things to test out and that's always pretty fun. I've been a member for over 10 years.
Survey Lion. Very similar to Survey Savvy, only a bit more frequent survey invitationss emailed to you. Amounts between $1 and $10 (rare) per survey. Payment is by cheque. They do have a referral program that is currently disabled - aw! But I can still recommend the site.
Product Promotion
BzzAgent. Honestly, I haven't been invited to a BzzCampaign in ages - but a few years ago I was in campaigns regularly and it was fabulous. I'm not sure if they got too big or I got too lax in keeping up with their surveys and such. If you want to leave me your email address, I can send you an email to join - or just head to the site and sign up. They send out products and you are meant to "bzz" about them - sharing your experience via pretty much any method you can. I have received some really great products such as a high-end electric toothbrush, an epilator, teeth whitening kits and so on. There's no payment per se, other than the products you may be invited to try and promote.
Sponsored Tweets*. If you have a Twitter account and you don't mind posting the occasional ad, you can earn a few bucks with this one. You can set the amount you can charge per tweet (they will recommend an amount, but you can set it to whatever you like). You will receive opportunities and you can pick and choose what you would like to promote, or not. You also write the tweets (based on recommended information they provide). I find it a slow earner (over about two years I earned $56), but that will vary for everyone. Payment is via PayPal.
Swagbucks*. This one's relatively new (compared to the others I've mentioned - it's a few years old), and I know I've mentioned it here on my blog before. They used to be more fabulous, but it is still easy to earn and redeem. The reason I say "used to be" is that I could previously redeem for Starbucks cards which they would mail to me. Now they will only apply money to an existing, American Starbucks card. Last time I was in the States, I couldn't find a Starbucks that sold gift cards (?!) so I don't have an American one. I'm just hanging on to my Swagbucks until I finally get one. Anyway, that was my favourite redemption, but there are loads of other things you can redeem for including online coupons, PayPal cash and gift certificates as well as products they'll ship to you. The good thing is that Swagbucks are easy to earn and seem to add up fast. I think the easiest way is using their search engine for random rewards, but you can also find codes, do surveys, polls, and more.
Do you have favourite sites for earning money online? Have you tried any of these ones? Or is it something you have never, or wouldn't consider?
* indicates a referral link. I'd be honoured (and grateful too!) if you decide to sign up using my link.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Vegas, renovation and an unhappy owl.
I've been super busy the last little bit - no blog posts! Here's what I've been up to.
I spent a weekend in Las Vegas with some of my girlfriends. What a great place to go to get away!
It was my first time away from Mia, and I was pretty apprehensive about leaving her. She still nurses many times a day, so the first thing that happened to me was - a day of traveling and only hand-expressing in washrooms when I could catch a few minutes (I took my pump but couldn't use it the first day) - combined with wearing an actual bra rather than a nursing bra - and I came down with a FIERCE case of mastitis 12 hours into the trip. Wow, does that ever hurt.
So I headed to a clinic to get that sorted and lost a day of vacation and $200 in doctor's fees (how on earth do Americans afford health care???). One needle, a bottle of antibiotics, a long nap and lots of Tylenol later, I was about 80% better by the second night there.
I ended up having a great time, catching two (!) Cirque du Soleil shows (Ka and Zumanity) and losing ALL the money I gambled - all two dollars of it!
And I missed Mia like crazy, but it was so liberating to be off on my own.
The renovations are going as renovations go - one step forward, one step back. They are supposed to be done by November 1st, but that will never happen. They sanded down the hardwood floor, stained and varnished it - and did such a crap job that they are going to come back and redo the entire thing. That was two weeks of work right there, wasted. The varnish has such bad fumes that we had to go to a hotel once already. The only nearby hotel that accepts dogs is about $185 a night...
The tile that went into the bathroom was done with the wrong colour grout... that will need to come out and be redone as well. ARGH! It's so frustrating. The contractors are complete jerks about all this, too. They're never on site to supervise the trades, and when we tell them something has been done wrong (which has happened every single step of the way), they get mad at us.
The one guy has actually gotten into shouting matches with my husband and refused to speak with him for a few months. On Saturday he told me that "dealing with people is the worst part of his job". As far as I can see, as a construction site manager, that IS his job - dealing with the trades and being the liaison between the construction and the homeowners! And he doesn't even do it...! I can't tell you how frustrating the whole situation has been.
And, I decided, like a crazy woman, to make Mia's Hallowe'en costume. I did a tunic with feathers, and wings, and a mask - she's going to be an owl. It turned out really well! Only, she hates it. "All done! All done!" and crying. She won't even wear the mask and she usually loves masks. I must have spent 30+ hours on it and seriously was nearly in tears when she started throwing a fit about trying it on.
I spent a weekend in Las Vegas with some of my girlfriends. What a great place to go to get away!
It was my first time away from Mia, and I was pretty apprehensive about leaving her. She still nurses many times a day, so the first thing that happened to me was - a day of traveling and only hand-expressing in washrooms when I could catch a few minutes (I took my pump but couldn't use it the first day) - combined with wearing an actual bra rather than a nursing bra - and I came down with a FIERCE case of mastitis 12 hours into the trip. Wow, does that ever hurt.
So I headed to a clinic to get that sorted and lost a day of vacation and $200 in doctor's fees (how on earth do Americans afford health care???). One needle, a bottle of antibiotics, a long nap and lots of Tylenol later, I was about 80% better by the second night there.
I ended up having a great time, catching two (!) Cirque du Soleil shows (Ka and Zumanity) and losing ALL the money I gambled - all two dollars of it!
And I missed Mia like crazy, but it was so liberating to be off on my own.
The renovations are going as renovations go - one step forward, one step back. They are supposed to be done by November 1st, but that will never happen. They sanded down the hardwood floor, stained and varnished it - and did such a crap job that they are going to come back and redo the entire thing. That was two weeks of work right there, wasted. The varnish has such bad fumes that we had to go to a hotel once already. The only nearby hotel that accepts dogs is about $185 a night...
The tile that went into the bathroom was done with the wrong colour grout... that will need to come out and be redone as well. ARGH! It's so frustrating. The contractors are complete jerks about all this, too. They're never on site to supervise the trades, and when we tell them something has been done wrong (which has happened every single step of the way), they get mad at us.
The one guy has actually gotten into shouting matches with my husband and refused to speak with him for a few months. On Saturday he told me that "dealing with people is the worst part of his job". As far as I can see, as a construction site manager, that IS his job - dealing with the trades and being the liaison between the construction and the homeowners! And he doesn't even do it...! I can't tell you how frustrating the whole situation has been.
And, I decided, like a crazy woman, to make Mia's Hallowe'en costume. I did a tunic with feathers, and wings, and a mask - she's going to be an owl. It turned out really well! Only, she hates it. "All done! All done!" and crying. She won't even wear the mask and she usually loves masks. I must have spent 30+ hours on it and seriously was nearly in tears when she started throwing a fit about trying it on.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Toddler Fun: Bubble Wrap Print
Here's a fun project from The Toddler's Busy Book. Very simple!
Paint on some bubble wrap (taped to a table), and press paper onto it to make a print!
We used cheap acrylic (acrylics are non-toxic) craft paint. It's easy, but definitely can be messy. I only had BIG bubble wrap, so that's what we used. I think it would work better with smaller bubbles. But the result was pretty neat:
This lasted about 10 minutes with my 19.5 month old before she told me she was "all done". She had very little interest in the result (beyond wanting to paint on it more... she will paint on a paper until it is a sopping wad of mud-coloured fibre if given the opportunity). There was probably almost an equivalent time in prep and cleanup. But it was fun!
Paint on some bubble wrap (taped to a table), and press paper onto it to make a print!
We used cheap acrylic (acrylics are non-toxic) craft paint. It's easy, but definitely can be messy. I only had BIG bubble wrap, so that's what we used. I think it would work better with smaller bubbles. But the result was pretty neat:
This lasted about 10 minutes with my 19.5 month old before she told me she was "all done". She had very little interest in the result (beyond wanting to paint on it more... she will paint on a paper until it is a sopping wad of mud-coloured fibre if given the opportunity). There was probably almost an equivalent time in prep and cleanup. But it was fun!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
First Cheerios!
One of the big milestones in any baby's life is starting on solid foods. I know everyone has their favourite methods and recipes for baby's first foods, whether it's homemade organic or store-bought, but I think just about every parent I know included Cheerios in with the first finger foods.
With their high fiber, low sugar, and low fat content, Cheerios are a winner for both parents and tots. The size and shape make them easy to pick up for little fingers (and great for practicing the "pincer grasp", improving fine motor control), and once baby is able to chew, they love them.
I still like Cheerios for breakfast myself - Mia and I often share a bowl. One of her favourite things is to drop Cheerios one at a time into yogourt and eat a bite with both on the spoon. Maybe a little weird, but she likes it!
General Mills (the makers of Cheerios) has a fabulous campaign again this year to celebrate First Cheerios moments. You can join them on their Life Made Delicious Facebook page, and share a photo of your little one enjoying Cheerios - and it may even be included on the special edition 400g Cheerios box, in stores in Spring 2013! What a neat way to commemorate a fun moment in your child's life.
The first 1000 participants receive a coupon for a free box of Cheerios (one per household), and after that everyone gets a $1 off coupon towards your next box (one per calendar year)!
I added my photo to the group and loved seeing the photos other proud parents have submitted. How fun! When I was going through my photos, I realized just how many pictures I have of Mia having Cheerios. Of course, those can't just sit in my files - here's my own little mosaic of her Cheerios moments!
I hope you take advantage of this fun opportunity to share your baby's First Cheerios moment - and get a great coupon as well!
Disclosure – I am participating in the First Cheerios Blog Tour by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.
With their high fiber, low sugar, and low fat content, Cheerios are a winner for both parents and tots. The size and shape make them easy to pick up for little fingers (and great for practicing the "pincer grasp", improving fine motor control), and once baby is able to chew, they love them.
I still like Cheerios for breakfast myself - Mia and I often share a bowl. One of her favourite things is to drop Cheerios one at a time into yogourt and eat a bite with both on the spoon. Maybe a little weird, but she likes it!
General Mills (the makers of Cheerios) has a fabulous campaign again this year to celebrate First Cheerios moments. You can join them on their Life Made Delicious Facebook page, and share a photo of your little one enjoying Cheerios - and it may even be included on the special edition 400g Cheerios box, in stores in Spring 2013! What a neat way to commemorate a fun moment in your child's life.
The first 1000 participants receive a coupon for a free box of Cheerios (one per household), and after that everyone gets a $1 off coupon towards your next box (one per calendar year)!
I added my photo to the group and loved seeing the photos other proud parents have submitted. How fun! When I was going through my photos, I realized just how many pictures I have of Mia having Cheerios. Of course, those can't just sit in my files - here's my own little mosaic of her Cheerios moments!
I hope you take advantage of this fun opportunity to share your baby's First Cheerios moment - and get a great coupon as well!
Disclosure – I am participating in the First Cheerios Blog Tour by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Hey, Anonymous -
- go bug someone else.
I've been getting about 30 comments a day from anonymous spammers lately, so have disabled anonymous comments on the blog. I'm pretty sure my real readers won't mind. Just letting you know.
I've been getting about 30 comments a day from anonymous spammers lately, so have disabled anonymous comments on the blog. I'm pretty sure my real readers won't mind. Just letting you know.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Need business cards or playdate cards?
 |
| one of my playdate cards |
Of course, then we moved shortly after and my number changed... now they are fun toys for my daughter.I should really order some more. They're a fun way for mums to connect. Sometimes you run into someone you kind of click with (or your child clicks with theirs) at a park, play group or at a friend's house, and it would be nice to meet up again.
Just now, I ordered some business cards to promote my Facebook page for my business - again from moo.com. I was really happy with the quality of the playdate cards, so I was comfortable applying that to my business as well.
Another great thing is how easy the interface is to design cards. They really do make it simple. It took me less than 5 minutes from start to finish to design and place my order.
Both offers I received were free, just pay shipping - but I can see myself ordering from them in the future as well, now that I have seen samples of their work. If you are interested in ordering cards, I can recommend moo.com. Order through this link, and you'll receive 10% off your first purchase!
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, but the link is an affiliate link. If you're thinking of ordering, I honestly think you'll be happy with the results, which is why I'm recommending the site. And if you do place an order through my link, thank you for supporting my blog in a small but meaningful way.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Rumplesauce
It's apple season. Our new house has a little apple tree. It hasn't been taken care of (we'll do a heavy prune once it goes dormant), but it still produced 35 little apples this year. I have no idea what variety they are. They were only about 3" diameter, but were sweet, ripe and edible, so we harvested them. Mia helped.
What to do with 35 tiny apples? Applesauce, of course. It took a while to chop them up, but we love homemade applesauce, so it's worth it! (It's much easier with regular size apples :) )
Applesauce is so easy, everyone should do it. Here's how I make it:
Rumplesauce
Add the apples to a 5qt (medium size) pot and add water to about halfway up the apples. Stir in the cinnamon. Pop that on the stove, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a while until the apples get mushy. Check every 10 minutes or so, give it a stir, and add a little more water if you feel like it. These ones took about 30 minutes.
Smash them with a potato masher, if you like lumpy applesauce. I usually do, but these apples were a little grainy - in that case, use a stick hand blender to puree. Add water if the consistency is too thick.
Add in the vanilla, brown sugar and rum, stir.
**If you want to make Rumple Butter, leave the pot on low, uncovered, until the mixture reduces to a spreadable consistency.
Ladle into jars. Freeze what won't be eaten in the next week (leave about 1/2" head space for freezing).
Makes about 8 cups of Rumplesauce. This recipe is easily adjusted for different amounts of apples. Add or use other fruit, if you like! Pears make great sauce or butter (reduce the water as needed, or add berries or even sweet potato (add more water as needed) for a different flavour, whatevs! If you're adding sweet potato, try using orange juice for a bit of the liquid! So yummy.
What to do with 35 tiny apples? Applesauce, of course. It took a while to chop them up, but we love homemade applesauce, so it's worth it! (It's much easier with regular size apples :) )
Applesauce is so easy, everyone should do it. Here's how I make it:
Rumplesauce
- 2.5 quarts of chopped apples. I leave the skins on - that's where all the nutrients are, and I hate peeling. Bonus: if the skins are red, they will turn your applesauce a lovely pink colour!
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or to taste). Dark brown is yummiest, but you can use golden or regular granulated white, or honey, or agave... or none, if you don't like it sweet.
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla. Use real vanilla, not simulated flavour. I love Mexican vanilla and am dreading the day when the big bottle we got last time we were down there runs out. I guess that'll mean we're due for another Mexican holiday :)
- 1 Tablespoon rum (optional. But it's just "applesauce" without it). Use the good stuff. We like Appleton Estates.
Add the apples to a 5qt (medium size) pot and add water to about halfway up the apples. Stir in the cinnamon. Pop that on the stove, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a while until the apples get mushy. Check every 10 minutes or so, give it a stir, and add a little more water if you feel like it. These ones took about 30 minutes.
Smash them with a potato masher, if you like lumpy applesauce. I usually do, but these apples were a little grainy - in that case, use a stick hand blender to puree. Add water if the consistency is too thick.
Add in the vanilla, brown sugar and rum, stir.
**If you want to make Rumple Butter, leave the pot on low, uncovered, until the mixture reduces to a spreadable consistency.
Ladle into jars. Freeze what won't be eaten in the next week (leave about 1/2" head space for freezing).
Friday, September 21, 2012
Firmoo: Fabulous Glasses!
I was delighted to try out a pair of sunglasses from the international company Firmoo.
Firmoo provides prescription and non-prescription glasses to the discerning customer. I wore glasses for many years, until finally getting LASIK surgery. So I know how hard it can be to find a nice pair - and how expensive they can be!
At Firmoo, your first pair of glasses as a new customer is free (just pay shipping)! And, they ship all over the place: read the list of countries they ship to here!
With over 300 pairs to choose from (and at extremely reasonable prices), I'm sure you will find something you like. I sure did: I chose these awesome sunglasses:
I love the turquoise colour and the fun silver detail. The lenses are not too dark, and graded so that they're lighter on the bottom. They are very lightweight and comfortable - I like that I can wear them for a long time without any pinching or pressure points.
The glasses came with a soft pouch as well as a hard case and a soft polishing cloth. I appreciate the extra details! I always seem to have fingerprints on my glasses, from myself or my sticky-fingered toddler, so a cloth is great to have handy. The cases will keep them from getting scratched, as I tend to leave sunglasses in the drink holder of the car or in my purse.
Shipping was fast and by registered mail.
Another nice feature of the Firmoo site is the Virtual Try-On System. Upload your photo and you can virtually test-drive glasses - and even share it on Facebook to get your friends' opinions on your choice(s)!
I don't know how many of you are thinking about Christmas shopping yet, but this would be a fantastic gift for anyone - and so inexpensive, especially if you're a new customer! Just pay the shipping for a lovely pair of new glasses or sunglasses for someone you love.
Firmoo provides prescription and non-prescription glasses to the discerning customer. I wore glasses for many years, until finally getting LASIK surgery. So I know how hard it can be to find a nice pair - and how expensive they can be!
At Firmoo, your first pair of glasses as a new customer is free (just pay shipping)! And, they ship all over the place: read the list of countries they ship to here!
With over 300 pairs to choose from (and at extremely reasonable prices), I'm sure you will find something you like. I sure did: I chose these awesome sunglasses:
I love the turquoise colour and the fun silver detail. The lenses are not too dark, and graded so that they're lighter on the bottom. They are very lightweight and comfortable - I like that I can wear them for a long time without any pinching or pressure points.
The glasses came with a soft pouch as well as a hard case and a soft polishing cloth. I appreciate the extra details! I always seem to have fingerprints on my glasses, from myself or my sticky-fingered toddler, so a cloth is great to have handy. The cases will keep them from getting scratched, as I tend to leave sunglasses in the drink holder of the car or in my purse.
Shipping was fast and by registered mail.
Another nice feature of the Firmoo site is the Virtual Try-On System. Upload your photo and you can virtually test-drive glasses - and even share it on Facebook to get your friends' opinions on your choice(s)!
I don't know how many of you are thinking about Christmas shopping yet, but this would be a fantastic gift for anyone - and so inexpensive, especially if you're a new customer! Just pay the shipping for a lovely pair of new glasses or sunglasses for someone you love.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Shoppers Drug Mart Spin to Win!
Have you entered the 50th Anniversary Contest at Shoppers Drug Mart yet? It's a fun spin to win contest with instant win prizes and grand prizes like cars, trips and shopping sprees!
Monday, September 17, 2012
My go-to easy dinner: Quiche
If you've been reading for a while, you may recall that for 2010 I went eggless. (Why stop eating eggs? click to find out my reasons).
Well, that was an interesting year in the kitchen. I discovered that baking without eggs is really not that hard (check out some of my favourite recipes: Eggless Lemon Loaf, Eggless Chocolate Bundt Cake (so, so good), The World's Best Cookies, Eggless Orange Muffins, and Eggless Cheesecake.) - and the only thing I really, really missed was quiche.
I am back to eating eggs now - I'm still not comfortable with the whole egg production situation, but for now I am guiltily eating free-range eggs. They cost at least twice as much (and still are not kind - read more information about free-run, free-range etc eggs). I would love to find a local farmer who will sell me eggs by the dozen or flat from truly free-range chickens - the picturesque, ideal farmyard with chickens on the loose. Have you seen one lately? I haven't.
Anyway, the point is, I'm back to making one of my favourite dinners: quiche. It's on regular rotation at our house, and I love that it's so versatile. It's the kind of thing you can make for dinner when you're due for a grocery shop and there's not much in the fridge.
Here's my quick and easy recipe, if you feel like giving it a go. Does it look long and complicated? It's not. I just talk a lot.
Meanwhile, cook the vegetables if they're not already cooked. I don't care how you do it: steam, saute, microwave, whatever. And, grate the cheese, and chop your herbs if using.
Beat the eggs, and mix in your milk, herbs (dried or fresh) and salt and pepper if using.
Take out the crust and decrease the oven temperature to 375F, put half the cheese in the bottom, then your veg, then the rest of the cheese, then pour on the egg mixture. Here's an extra yummy tip: drape some of your grated cheese all along the rim of the pie crust. It makes the crust taste like cheese straws. Nobody leaves the crust behind when it tastes like cheese straws.
Pop that back in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Put an old cookie sheet underneath if you're worried about it leaking over the edges. I hate cleaning my oven, don't you?
Check for doneness by poking a sharp knife in the center. If you see milky fluid, it's not done. If you see clear, it's done!
Serve that puppy up warm or cold with some steamed vegetables or a nice salad. Yum!
(Like all my cooking, this is a vegetarian recipe - but if you're into it, you can always add some chopped cooked ham or chicken to replace part of the 1 cup of cooked veg). Another note: yes, I do know cheddar has rennet in it and so is not actually a vegetarian product. Use a soy cheese if you're not okay with rennet.
Well, that was an interesting year in the kitchen. I discovered that baking without eggs is really not that hard (check out some of my favourite recipes: Eggless Lemon Loaf, Eggless Chocolate Bundt Cake (so, so good), The World's Best Cookies, Eggless Orange Muffins, and Eggless Cheesecake.) - and the only thing I really, really missed was quiche.
I am back to eating eggs now - I'm still not comfortable with the whole egg production situation, but for now I am guiltily eating free-range eggs. They cost at least twice as much (and still are not kind - read more information about free-run, free-range etc eggs). I would love to find a local farmer who will sell me eggs by the dozen or flat from truly free-range chickens - the picturesque, ideal farmyard with chickens on the loose. Have you seen one lately? I haven't.
Anyway, the point is, I'm back to making one of my favourite dinners: quiche. It's on regular rotation at our house, and I love that it's so versatile. It's the kind of thing you can make for dinner when you're due for a grocery shop and there's not much in the fridge.
Here's my quick and easy recipe, if you feel like giving it a go. Does it look long and complicated? It's not. I just talk a lot.
Yummy Go-To Super Simple Quiche
Crust:
- 1 Tenderflake All Vegetable Shortening Deep Dish Pie Shell.
Filling:
- 1/2 - 2/3 cup grated cheese. I like old cheddar, but any version of cheddar, mozzarella, mexican or italian blend (if you're into the pre-shredded bagged cheeses) will do. Or go funky and use chevre or feta (lovely with a spinach and sun-dried tomato version).
- 3 eggs. You can't do quiche without these.
- 1 cup of milk. Don't use less. The milk makes it nice and fluffy.
- 1 cup chopped cooked vegetables. Here's where it gets interesting. I love any variation of mushrooms, onions, asparagus, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach (yes, you can use frozen chopped, just thaw and drain it first), something leftover you have in the fridge (bruschetta topping? why not!).
- a handful of fresh vegetables or herbs (optional), for example: green onions, chives, parsley and so on.
- dried herbs, if you like. I love using the Herbes de Provence that we got in (ahem) Nice. 1/2 tsp does nicely. But feel free to toss in some dried oregano (don't go crazy, that's strong stuff), basil, paprika, whatever floats your boat.
- a couple pinches of salt. Not quite 1/8 tsp.
- Pepper if you like it.
Meanwhile, cook the vegetables if they're not already cooked. I don't care how you do it: steam, saute, microwave, whatever. And, grate the cheese, and chop your herbs if using.
Beat the eggs, and mix in your milk, herbs (dried or fresh) and salt and pepper if using.
Take out the crust and decrease the oven temperature to 375F, put half the cheese in the bottom, then your veg, then the rest of the cheese, then pour on the egg mixture. Here's an extra yummy tip: drape some of your grated cheese all along the rim of the pie crust. It makes the crust taste like cheese straws. Nobody leaves the crust behind when it tastes like cheese straws.
Pop that back in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Put an old cookie sheet underneath if you're worried about it leaking over the edges. I hate cleaning my oven, don't you?
Check for doneness by poking a sharp knife in the center. If you see milky fluid, it's not done. If you see clear, it's done!
Serve that puppy up warm or cold with some steamed vegetables or a nice salad. Yum!
(Like all my cooking, this is a vegetarian recipe - but if you're into it, you can always add some chopped cooked ham or chicken to replace part of the 1 cup of cooked veg). Another note: yes, I do know cheddar has rennet in it and so is not actually a vegetarian product. Use a soy cheese if you're not okay with rennet.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
It's been a little quiet...
...because we've just come back from a family camping trip to Yellowstone National Park!
It was our first time RV camping (we rented one for the week) and what a great experience that was. SO much easier and more convenient than tent camping, especially with a toddler!
After all those geysers, mud pots, fumaroles and springs, we are a little "geo-thermaled out", as my husband puts it. I think a week was about right.
Mia had a fantastic time spotting "animohs" like bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, wolves and bears (at a rehab centre for those - we only saw two black bears in the wild), coyotes, bald eagles, hawks, grouse, mountain bluebirds, and ravens (everywhere). There were NO bugs at all and the weather was just about perfect - sunny and 22 degrees or thereabouts each day, but for one cloudy day. The nights were cold, but the RV kept us fairly snug.
I definitely recommend RV camping for families. It was so nice to be able to come back from a hike and cook a hot meal right there in the parking lot if we wanted - or stop at a pull-out beside a beautiful outlook for a snack.
Here are some of my favourite pictures from our trip:
While we were away, the contractors have nearly completed the drywall sanding, and installed hardwood in the office, living and dining rooms, feathering it into the existing hardwood in the rest of the main floor. There is still much to be done, but it's starting to seem possible that we will be able to live in a real house again rather than a construction site. They've threatened me with the prospect of moving the fridge onto the back upstairs deck (even more inconvenient than now, upstairs in the office while our kitchen and eating area are in the basement), and the washer and dryer into the garage, where they will be unuseable. I sure hope we can work around that.
It was our first time RV camping (we rented one for the week) and what a great experience that was. SO much easier and more convenient than tent camping, especially with a toddler!
After all those geysers, mud pots, fumaroles and springs, we are a little "geo-thermaled out", as my husband puts it. I think a week was about right.
Mia had a fantastic time spotting "animohs" like bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, wolves and bears (at a rehab centre for those - we only saw two black bears in the wild), coyotes, bald eagles, hawks, grouse, mountain bluebirds, and ravens (everywhere). There were NO bugs at all and the weather was just about perfect - sunny and 22 degrees or thereabouts each day, but for one cloudy day. The nights were cold, but the RV kept us fairly snug.
I definitely recommend RV camping for families. It was so nice to be able to come back from a hike and cook a hot meal right there in the parking lot if we wanted - or stop at a pull-out beside a beautiful outlook for a snack.
Here are some of my favourite pictures from our trip:
 |
| There is never a bad place to nurse, according to bison. |
 |
| This was a common sight. It looks like a postcard, doesn't it?! |
 |
| We hiked, Mia rode in the carrier. I loved the contrast of her sparkly shoes to our dusty hiking boots! |
 |
| Having a meal by the lake - watching Daddy feed the dog after our dinner. |
 |
| A beautiful spot for me to breastfeed - watching Old Faithful erupt! |
 |
| Our family at one of the most beautiful of the geysers, Imperial Geyser. Worth the 6 mile (9.7 km) round trip hike! |
While we were away, the contractors have nearly completed the drywall sanding, and installed hardwood in the office, living and dining rooms, feathering it into the existing hardwood in the rest of the main floor. There is still much to be done, but it's starting to seem possible that we will be able to live in a real house again rather than a construction site. They've threatened me with the prospect of moving the fridge onto the back upstairs deck (even more inconvenient than now, upstairs in the office while our kitchen and eating area are in the basement), and the washer and dryer into the garage, where they will be unuseable. I sure hope we can work around that.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Walmart Mom of the Year - Finalists Announced! #MOTY
You may recall me mentioning the new Walmart Mom of the Year program back in May, where we could all nominate our favourite amazing moms. One of these moms will receive $10,000 and have the opportunity to donate $100,000 to the charity of her choice! The other seven finalists each receive $10,000 for their own use and $10,000 to donate to charity as well! A gala at the end of September will celebrate the announcement of this year's Mom of the Year.
16,909 moms were nominated (WOW!), and of those, eight have been selected as finalists. I have no idea how they managed to choose as there were so many truly amazing women nominated. You can read the stories of the finalists on the Mom of the Year website.
I love reading the stories and love the idea. What a great way to support the strength, generosity and ability of moms. Some of their stories brought me to tears. With moms like Tammy MacKinnon, who has fostered over 30 children and done some amazing charitable work to support children around the world. Many of the other finalists are either living with or supporting family members with special needs, diseases, or even donating organs like Karen Whitford did for her aunt, it will be a very tough choice. Luckily each one of these moms benefits from the Mom of the Year program and so does her favourite charity.
This is only the first year of this ongoing campaign - we can look forward to doing it again next 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].
16,909 moms were nominated (WOW!), and of those, eight have been selected as finalists. I have no idea how they managed to choose as there were so many truly amazing women nominated. You can read the stories of the finalists on the Mom of the Year website.
I love reading the stories and love the idea. What a great way to support the strength, generosity and ability of moms. Some of their stories brought me to tears. With moms like Tammy MacKinnon, who has fostered over 30 children and done some amazing charitable work to support children around the world. Many of the other finalists are either living with or supporting family members with special needs, diseases, or even donating organs like Karen Whitford did for her aunt, it will be a very tough choice. Luckily each one of these moms benefits from the Mom of the Year program and so does her favourite charity.
This is only the first year of this ongoing campaign - we can look forward to doing it again next 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].
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Toes
"Mummy! Toes!" she said.
and then, much louder:
"MIA! TOES! PEASE!!!"
So I did.
Never thought I'd be painting an 18 month old's toes - it just happened. And yes, it's very cute! She loves it and keeps talking about her toes.
I'm not sure about it, though.
Why? Well...
- am I setting some kind of precedent here? Some kind of image/beauty thing? I don't even want to get into that. I mean, she's seen me apply makeup before and obviously has seen my painted toenails before... but to do it to/for her, that's different.
.
- I didn't have kiddie paint so used regular... what about toxins?
Hmm.
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