life with a toddler

Toddler Tummies

I remember when I used to think of being a mom and having babies, I had all sorts of hopes and dreams for the type of parent I would be. I like to pride myself in being a rather relaxed parent but there are things that I have always been strict about. Bedtimes. Lots of cuddles. Bath time and brushing teeth. After experiencing a newborn baby, an infant, a baby and now a toddler, I feel like I should send out a disclaimer that corrects many things I said PRE-parenting. The truth is, you just have no idea until you are in it. It’s survival of the fittest. If it works, you do it. My little girl was in total hysterics the other day because I took away the disgusting dirty Freezie that had been dropped in the grass seven times while she tried to eat it. She was so upset and it broke my heart so much that I handed it back to her. I have no idea if she played with it or simply ate it but that filthy blue popsicle was all that made her smile in that moment. Don’t even get me started with how happy she was ten minutes later when I am almost positive she ate a dragonfly! I am not saying she is the boss all the time and that the slightest tantrum will win her all battles. I am not saying that at all! I am fully admitting though that you need to pick your battles wisely. Some of them are not worth the tears. With all of that being said, I feel it is the perfect segway into the topic of food! Toddlers are picky as hell. If they like it today, tomorrow it will end up splattered across your face. Or all the way up your walls and all over your crisp, freshly washed white linen curtains. Toddlers also have the ‘chipmunk winter-food-storing-ability’ down to a science. This girl will chew up about fourteen baby carrots, hold them discreetly in her cheeks, and wait until about an hour later when you are cuddling on the sofa and spit them out all over you. What the logic behind this for her is I have absolutely no idea. She sure finds it funny though. As I fight my way through the darkness in identifying what foods will and will not work, I wanted to share a few tasty treat ideas that are a success in our home- this week anyways. I have probably jinxed it now!

These mini pizzas were delicious and a hit with those big and small. I picked up what I can only compare to Naan Bread from our local bakery, infused with spinach and herbs. Drizzled with tomato sauce, topped with prosciutto and mozzarella (some grated and fresh), and baked for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. I even like to grill the top a little bit to brown and bubble the mozza. Slice them up small for baby and serve as is for mom and dad. Bon appetit!

Hallie is slightly obsessed with Munchies Mix – the mix that has sun chips, cheetos, pretzels, etc. Not going to lie, I love them too. Instead of buying a bag of that though I bought a bag of each type of chip in it (more or less) and mixed it all together in a jumbo zip lock bag. I then divided up the mixture into these plastic mason jars. These plastic jars are the best! They store easily, stack, travel well to the park, I LOVE them!!! Very kid friendly too. Oh and husband friendly! Henry cannot open a bag of chips to save his life. We always end up with a long rip down the bag and stale chips, so this is a great solution for him too.

Homemade Guacamole is possibly my favourite snack ever. It may as well be a meal. Today in fact I ate a bowl of guac which consisted of at least three avocados. Good fats right? (Don’t care..) I follow a very simple gauc recipe. Perfectly ripe avocados, lime juice and lemon juice, chopped cilantro, fresh ground pepper and cayenne pepper. Sometimes I will add a few tablespoons of a really nice salsa just to excite things but trust me, it isn’t necessary! Nothing like fresh ingredients. It also helped that a certain little lady LOVED dipping her tortilla chips in it.

Until next week when she decides she hates all of the above mentioned snacks and we need to turn to Pinterest for new ideas. I don’t know if I have thick enough skin though. It slightly hurts my feelings when she hates my cooking or hard work & preparation haha!

All Of The Things

I am titling this post ‘all of the things’ because that is literally what we have been doing – all of the things! Every since I got back into sewing and started my little side baby biz, every day seems to be jam-packed with things to do. Whether it be for that, or for playing catchup on getting housework done (yuck, who needs that), getting ready for baby boy, or simply having fun with Hallie. Life has been BUSY! Makes me wonder how much busier it can get when the second baby arrives but I am trying not to think too much about that. Now that we are living in Kamloops too, the weather is much warmer than on the coast. It feels like summer as already arrived. It was 20 degrees this morning on my back patio. As I hide out under the patio table umbrella mid-afternoon, it is actually a scorching 32! It’s only a couple days into June too! July and August are going to be much hotter. I foresee lots of beach time and water parks in our near future.

So a little recap on the business and life with a crazy toddler!

I do not have a website or an Etsy page yet (YET!) but I have started a Facebook page. Please feel free to wander over here and check it out, or my Instagram feed here. Even without a huge social media presence, things have been picking up nicely. I have had a number of online orders and am getting some action by participating in the weekly Farmer’s Market. So far the response has been great and people are LOVING what I am making. Here’s hoping it just gets better! Once I square away some free time (that doesn’t exist) I hope to set up a website and have a proper ordering system. If you have done this, message me tips! Help a fellow mama out! It’s all very new to me and I often feel like I am fumbling my way through the dark. Fun & scary!

Trying to manage all of that with a toddler certainly has been interesting. Every single day that child is more full of life and personality than the day before. She is WILD too! Her current obsessions include closing all of the doors in the house, jumping on my bed and burying herself under pillows, screwing and unscrewing lids to squeeze pouches, watered down iced-tea, bananas, and helping pick up dog poop. In keeping up with her love for dogs, her favourite show appears to be Paw Patrol and choice of music still appears to be hip hop. We are hanging on by a thread to spoon feeding though I see the end of that happening soon enough. Miss independent love to feed herself while simultaneously launching food across the kitchen at my head. Each mealtime is it’s own adventure, full of messy surprises. With all of her development and total toddler craziness comes a whole lotta love. She is so affectionate and obsessed with mummy and daddy. Loves to cuddle and hold hands. Sometimes I wonder how my heart will grow bigger and fit MORE love for another baby. I am told it happens quite naturally. Can’t wait to experience it first hand! Only about five more weeks to go and I will be knee deep in baby love for TWO kiddos.

The pregnancy is going well I guess. Not as enjoyable as my first. This time round there is a lot more discomfort and overall body pain. There was way more ‘morning sickness’ that occurred all damn day and night and in general, I have complained a lot more. My husband has been a saint of sorts. But we are the final countdown and I have been healthy throughout so there is absolutely no reason at all to be such a whiner. My doctor even offered to do a sweep at 38 weeks, thinking I am probably ready to get this party started. After weighing the options, I am all for it. Maybe baby boy will be a little bit early.

Last but not least is the life adjustment of having my mom living close by. By close by, I mean downstairs! I love having her here. Boy does Hallie love it too. There is something to be said though about another ‘parent’ around. Sometimes I feel there are now three adults trying to raise my kid. It can be quite trying on my patience actually. I keep telling myself that God helps us through these situations but giving us the opportunity to BE more patient. I think Oprah has said that too. Moments where we can really stand up, look deep into who we are, maybe bite our tongues a bit and smile through it LOL! I think it is easier to do that too with a bit of wine, which I plan to have plenty of help from this summer. Anyone else back to living close to their parents now that they are adulating with their own family? Feeling like a teenager again? I would love to hear your experiences, the good the bad and the ugly.

For now, back to juggling it all! My next post I am so excited to share some home projects I have been working on as well as getting the back patio ready for some serious summer lounging. Hope the sun is shining where you are and you are enjoying the day, and all that it brings!

Potty Training

I cannot believe I am saying these words…. Is it time for such a task already?! When you pick up your toddler only to discover they have removed their diaper and are now in the nude on the lower half, then yes, it may be time. We purchased a Baby Bjourn potty when Hallie was 9 months old. I didn’t intend on starting anything that early. I merely wanted to introduce her to it so that she wasn’t afraid of it or anything when it came time to learn. Over time since then, we have successfully used the potty a few times, only by chance and getting her to it in record time. She had no idea what she was doing or why I was clapping and cheering like a maniac when something appeared in the bowl. She also tried to PLAY with the filled bowl directly after filling it which even traumatized me slightly. For the most part, the potty sat in our bathroom up until now and Hallie would sit her kitty stuffie in it while she had bath time. Fun for the whole family haha. However, I think now it is time to really start using the potty for it’s actual function and not just an uncomfortable portable chair. I have been combing the internet for different resources and even picked up Sesame Streets ‘Elmo Goes Potty’ on DVD from the local thrift store. There are so many opinions on this subject out there that I feel like I am in the whole breastfeeding versus formula battle all over again. Parenting choices are HARD my friends! Either way though, I need to pick a method and stick to it. I have decided that when it comes to Day 1 and starting this arduous task, I am going to set up our wall-length baby gate and barricade us in the kitchen for the day. We will have our potty, toys, and all emergency materials for ‘accidents’. I just feel that by being in the kitchen it will minimize our chances for messy mishaps on my rug or sofa. Not that they are in pristine condition anymore anyways – thank you toddler and dog! I have also been told that we should stay close to home for the week while undergoing this training. Who knew it could be such a mission to take on?! I thought babies and newborns were the hard part. Toddlers, you really are on a different playing field and mommy is the rookie up to bat! Toddler 10, mom usually zero. What are your go to methods for teaching the do’s and don’t’s on toilet 101? I would love to hear from you with any tips that might help this scared momma out! Our first casual lesson with the potty and Elmo went interesting to say the least. It involved kitty on the throne again and one very happy toddler! Think she missed Elmo’s concept.

Step 1: Watching Elmo

Step 2: Trying out technique on Kitty

Step 3: Well I am not sure what step is happening here BUT I am pretty sure the lesson is over

Flashback to when we bought the potty and she ‘tested it out – don’t you love a good ‘poo face’?!

Hello March!

Well it’s a little out of the ordinary for Kamloops lately but we have a wet and dreary day on our hands today. There was even some wet snow this morning! Come on people it’s March! Yep, March 1st. I can hardly believe it. Spring has finally arrived. Well except for the crap weather today; I feel like I am back in Vancouver, honestly. just took a look at the weather app though and looks like the sun is back tomorrow. Just as well because we had a taste for it on the weekend and need back outside in that sunshine stat!

This week has started off busy and slow a the same time. It was month end yesterday for my side business with Rodan + Fields so I was busy trying to wrap up any sales that I could. The hard work paid off as I made my first promotion with the company and hit Executive Consultant Level for the month of February! Yay for me. Of course a new month means a new start so the hard work must continue. I have some exciting things going on for the business though this month including a girls night out and a girls night in spa-party! Should be a great turn out for both! Month end magic was all the craze last night but fizzled off quietly this morning of course. Combined with the weather, it felt like a day to stay inside, keep warm with coffee and donuts, and get in lots of snuggle time with my little girl. She has been sleeping through the night and getting up at 7am (as opposed to waking up once at night and sleeping in until 8:30) so we had a long morning of playing and watching Paw Patrol. There is something about that show that really zones this kid out. Read this article! It is bound to give you a good chuckle about those crazy pups. Not even going to pretend that I don’t sing along to the theme song. With these new-found sleeping habits of hers, she has also been NAPPING! It’s crazy. This is what all of you lucky moms brag about, a child who naps consistently at the same time every day for the same length of time, every time! I must say, it has its perks. I get a lot done in that time and sometimes, even get a bit of shut-eye myself. It is a bit strange though having to stay home all afternoon when we would usually do whatever we wanted. Both work for me though, no complaints at all here.

Since it is a relatively quiet start to the week, we are taking advantage of that. I am taking many moments to sit down with a cup of coffee, plan our month ahead activity wise, and finish up my meal planning for the month. I think a discovered a thing or two last month when I completed the ‘month of meals’ challenge. Even though I had the meals planned out and was completely stress-free when it came to dinner decisions, I still went over budget and made too many trips to the grocery store. This month I plan to avoid those mistakes and most of all, save some money! Feeling pretty positive but it is only the first of the month. I see my darling hubby has already made a large dent into the cheese allowance I bought for March! Maybe I helped…

Things are going to get busy near the end of the week too as I leave for Vancouver on Friday. Grandma is moving here and I am taking the bus down to keep her company on the drive back. I can’t believe it is already time for her to move in downstairs! Hubs has been working on the basement suite since September and it is finally almost finished. It looks amazing too! Many aspects about it are much nicer than the level we live on! I do hope she likes it. Most of all, she will love being so close to her granddaughter. Oh and grandson on the way! We are close, my mum and I, so I am hoping we have no issues in establishing our boundaries. Fingers crossed it is a smooth transition and everyone is happy with the new living arrangements. It will be pretty fun to have her here though. We already have a craft fair booked to take part in and HUGE plans for the backyard garden. So many things to look forward to – all you can do on a rainy day like today!

Looks like I am missing out on some serious stuffed animal playtime now too so I am going to say goodbye until Friday. Friday Favourites For The Boys coming then!

Manic Mondays

Ah Mondays….Seriously though, don’t you just want to start the day over sometimes? Even if the sun is shining, Mondays sometimes have a gloomy cloud hovering over them. I named that cloud Murphy, for Murphy’s Law. Anything that can happen, will usually happen. When it does, thank god for deep breathes, counting to ten and Starbucks drive-though. This morning consisted of a few mishaps. First off, thanks to my darling hubby’s snoring, I did not get even remotely enough sleep. It’s also quite common when you wake up in the middle of the night, your mind will race over EVERYTHING that worries you at that time. I must have spent over an hour at 3am just thinking, and contemplating, and worrying about things I had no control over. Especially in the middle of the night! I think the lack of sleep was making me nauseated so I popped a Gravel- thankfully it has a dual purpose of knocking you out! Next thing you know, the whole family has slept in and we are now running very behind. I made it out the door in record time and scored a really good parking spot at the swimming pool. As I tried to carry our swim bag, Hallie and my coffee to the parking pay station, I managed to bop her poor head on the pay station and spill coffee all over myself. Thankfully the little knock didn’t seem to phase her but I was sure soaked and upset. The swim lesson was great, probably our saving grace of the morning. Upon getting changed I discovered I had brought a diaper bag that contained ZERO diapers. Cue me begging another mom in the group for her size 2 diaper; Hallie is a size 4. I prayed for no poop explosions as we wrapped up our errands and headed the heck home! It may be small stuff, and in the grand scheme of things, not important at all. But sometimes, every now and then, shit just feels like it is never going your way. Thank goodness no major tantrums entered the realm of the morning. My sweet girl seemed to be oblivious to all these ‘mom problems’ and gleefully carried out the morning with a smile on her face. I love that girl. I hope you are all having a much better Monday! Though it seems to be picking up. You can’t really complain after an afternoon of baby snuggles on the floor watching Mickey Mouse Club & Curious George. Not to mention the impromptu kitchen dance party after lunch. My daughter LOVES hip hop. She is a total gangster… Happy Monday friends! Now here are some fun photographs that are unrelated to this post, but I simply had to share.

Hubby finally finished some wood for me to hang as a shelf on my Anthropologie Brackets! Also a great Rodan + Fields display area!

The importance of saving money…

What do you do when your baby finally takes a nap? Why you make a Valentines heart garland for her bedroom for of course!

Bump Progress! On the left, I am pregnant with Hallie at 20 weeks. On the right, that is me NOW and bump is almost the same size… 15 weeks! Bump number two proves to be growing a lot quicker.

Halloween Has Arrived!

Well it’s here! Yesterday, being the Eve of Halloween, I always find to be a bit more exciting but nothing beats the actual day of Halloween either. The weather is extra spooky today too, blustery with leaves blowing all over the place. Really adds to the effect of it all!

We got our pumpkins all carved up last night and much like every other year, mine were shockingly bad and hubby’s pumpkin’s resembled the work of Picasso. Carving is not my forte. Nonetheless they are out on the front steps ready to be lit up this evening. I had a few plans for today including heading to the library for spooky story time however my precious little baby is pretty much not down with ANYTHING. Guess she spent all of her good behaviour yesterday. Yesterday went perfectly. Happy baby, easy and long nap time allowing momma to bake cookies and get ready for our halloween party downtown, great participation from a happy baby at the party and then top it all off with a very smooth bedtime. Today nothing is cheering this kid up and naps certainly are not happy. Full moon perhaps? So for now we are just playing and puttering around the house, praying for naps and departing cold and windy walks. Is it time for a Halloween cocktail yet? Nope. It is only 11:30… come on!

Since today is presenting no peace and quiet, I am going to share some fun Halloween photos with you rather than a lengthy post. I hope you all have a wonderfully festive and safe Halloween, full of treats and smiles from your little ones. Hopefully I get a smile out of mine today too! Happy Halloween!

Here are some shots of our Halloween decor during the daytime:

We added a lot more to it all but it’s too cold outside right now for me to take any updated photos. Sorry!
Here are some nighttime shots – much spookier!