Mia's first steps .....or is it a dinosaur.

Love

I love you

Videos of my beautiful babies.

a little light heartedness for today .

Sandy Hook #1

First of all, here are the names of the souls that were lost on Friday. I think it's important that we know their names, and remember their names instead of focussing on the hurt. Lets start with names and ages:

Names and ages of the 26 people gunned down at a Connecticut elementary school Friday in the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history:
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto,27
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6

Source: Connecticut State Police

Here's a photo of some of the beautiful faces

 

I am working on my response. Stay tuned.

I'm trying to publish my next post.

I'm currently trying to write my next post. It's hard for me to write, it's bringing tears to my eyes and pain in my soul. Not just my heart- it's deep down in my soul. I'm trying to write a response to all of the tragedy at Sandy Hook this past Friday. I think before I publish my response, I will start with publishing the names of all of the victims and some of the pictures of their beautiful faces. I want their families to know that we're praying for them all over the world, and that their beautiful children will never be forgotten. We need to sensationalize the victims, lets talk about their lives, lets talk about their favourite things, lets show some of their artwork , lets publish some of their hand written journal entries- lets celebrate their youth. Lets not focus on the shooter - he doesn't deserve my attention , or yours. Instead lets focus on the souls that were lost, and the problems there are in the world surrounding mental health. Lets focus on how to fix that. Lets focus on how to help.

it's all those little things...

that matter.

All those little breaths, all those little hiccups, all those little pitter patters. Those are what matter, those are my big picture, those are the things that keep me going when life around me gets hectic. I was perusing through photos last night, for a special Christmas project I'm working on {...well....have intentions of working on...soon. haha} and I saw my pregnancy photos from all 4 of my babies. My belly measuring shots, baby shower, birth , etc. All those photos bring back such vivid , wonderful memories- I loved every second of being pregnant. I loved feeling those first flutters and wondering if I'm just gassy from something I ate or if it was the baby kicking. As those kicks got stronger and the feet would lodge in my ribs..although it was painful, I still held every moment dear to my heart.

I look at all of those photos, from Mason and then Madison, followed by Manning and Mia. All their first breaths, their first visits home, etc. All different in many ways but very similar. I couldn't get over how much personality my babies all had at very early ages- such joy and happiness and character! I couldn't help but smile....and I felt a tear run down my cheek as my heart started beating so hard it wanted to jump out of my chest. It was then, that it dawned on me- my heart walks around outside my body everyday...in 4 beautiful little creatures I so proudly call my own. They are my heart and my soul, they are my best friends {or B.F.Fs as they call it } "forever and ever and ever ".

Mia is sick right now with a nasty little head cold- she thinks this gives her freedom to stay up way past her bed time! At first I dreaded her late night wake ups and bursts of energy..but here I sit, while she sings and dances in my lap, just laughing. She's having a phone conversation with herself and thinking she is the funniest person on the planet. Although she isn't talking yet, my heart melted when I looked her in her adorable blue eyes and said " I love you". She gazed right back into my eyes and leaned in and planted a kiss on my lips, three times in a row. If that's not love....I don't know what is.

Merry Freaking Christmas.

To all the Martha's out there, I'm clapping my hands for you. You know you who are- the mums who are on Pinterest every waking moment creating albums. Not only are you creating the albums, but you're completing the projects, and you're completing them well. You have special little cards for every morning of December leading up to Christmas, you have a easy grab craft for your kid to do every day after school, you have your kids lunch cut into themed shapes every day- you shape your pasta on the plate like a freaking Christmas tree. Well, here I am clapping my hands in your honour. No.....no that's not right, I am raising my glass of wine to you- congrats to you.

I'm kind of joking, kind of not. I love Pinterest, I browse it all the time and compile my little "Pins" and boards. I have made things I've seen on Pinterest, and I've posted some of my own creations on there. But this month, December, I feel like a creative failure. I'm so busy with everythign this month, that my kids advent calendar has only been filled 3 times. I don't have a themed craft for them to do everyday. I haven't made any Christmas tree shaped lunches and I haven't wrapped a new book for them to open every day.

How about you mums who have an Elf on the Shelf? This phenomenon is insane! My facebook page is littered with mischievous little Elf with various names. He gets into so much trouble- and where do a lot of these parents find the ideas? Pinterest. I had every intention of getting an Elf this year, but they sold out FAST. I thought about ordering online... but then I thought, I would probably forget to move him and then the concept would be lost. We have Santa on speed dial here, and when the kids misbehave- I call him to make sure he was watching. Works like a charm, they're terrified...it's hard not to laugh. The Toothfairy is also on speed dial, as is the Easter Bunny.

How on earth do you have time to keep the creativity going in your house? A lot of the people I know with an Elf, work full time and have 2-3 kids of their own. I absolutely love that you're doing that for your kids, and keeping it exciting. I feel like a failure in the mum department that I'm not doing all these cute little festive things that have swept the world, it seems. Am I crazy? I see people's elves wrapping their Christmas tree in toilet paper- and I think "what a waste of t.p!! that's money down the drain!" ...... he made a mess of cheerios all over the floor? "why would you waste that cereal like that?!" ...I'm just not built for the torture, I guess that's what being married to an accountant does to you ;-) {did you know that toilet paper isn't really on sale unless you're paying less than 21 cents a roll? ........he actually does the math in his head before putting the package in the cart}.

So to all of you creative parents out there, or caregivers- I tip my figurative hat to you, and raise my glass of eggnog. I'm glad people like you exist....but I hate you all the same. ;-)

Merry Freaking Christmas.

My kids are so bossy!

I love it when I have something of my own and 'hide' it, in my pocket, my purse, my closet- wherever. The point is...I have hidden it making it- OFF LIMITS. My kids however, think the opposite.

They know that I sometimes stash things- usually treats- once in a while so they hunt them out. They're like sniffer dogs searching for drugs. They can smell something sweet on your breath, they can smell a cookie on your hands and they can notice the teensiest, tiniest crumb and ask where it came from.

my favourite tip I get from Madison dearest, when she finds something {....by opening, digging, emptying my purse} and I say "hey! get outta there, that's just for mummy!" she loves to respond with " well, you shouldn't have put them in there". No...Madison would rather I put them in HER bag or better yet, her mouth.

Thanks tips....thanks.

So apparently, I totally suck.

You know my whole goal of writing my blog every single day? ya...well, as you've all noticed- I blew that one.

So the holiday season is among us. Yes, it's just November..{oh and Happy Birthday to my little man, he just turned 3yrs old yesterday! :) - I need to post 2 birth stories to even out the score..they'll come within the next few days I think}, but my Christmas tree is already up and decorated, my house is full of pointsettias {which...I actually can't stand cause they die so damned easily- and are one extra thing for me to take care of...wait no....3 extra things for me to take care of!} my wreaths are up, the Christmas music plays in the background all day long...you get the picture. You would think though, walking into my Christmas wonderland, that I'm done or even....close to being done, my Christmas shopping. WRONG. I have one gift, because I won it in a raffle. That's it. I love online shopping- I hate going into stores now, because I have 4 busy kids and by the time hubby gets home for me to shop in the eve, I'm too damned tired and don't want to be at the mall until closing. I also love online because I can shop on sites like www.etsy.com and find totally unique gifts made by artisans making a living from home. I love supporting small business owners, and crafters. Last year I got some great stuff from Australia, U.SA, and Canada. Only problem was....that it took forever to get here so I had to give some gifts AFTER Christmas.

So I'm on the hunt for some amazing and unique gifts for my whole family. We follow the: Something to read, something you need, something you wear, and something you want. Santa brings one big gift per kiddo and fills a stocking with wonderful things like new toothbrushes, new undies, new socks,etc. Isn't he generous. ;-)

I will post here when I find some great things, maybe help everyone else find some creative inspiration.

Ho,Ho,Ho!!

October is ....

Infant loss and awareness month. Sadly I know too many families who are reminded of this, every single year as they miss that pitter patter that *should* have filled their lives at some point of another.

October is a month where we share stories, learn about new stories, and just...remember. Remember the lives that touched us so briefly- whether they were born asleep, or not born at all- even those who were born awake but taken far too soon. I have been indirectly touched by so many angels , their stories, the excitement in their announcements and ultrasounds, only to be followed by my soaked shoulder when their mama was told their fate. It's not a nice club to be a part of for those families, but I'm sure they appreciate knowing, they are not alone. Nobody is ever alone in this life, we are all in this together.

So here are a few beautiful quotes I found to commemmorate October's Infant loss and awareness month.

“No one can know how much I love you, because you are the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside.”   - author unknown.

 ‎”For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” -Psalm 139: 13-16

”A person’s a person, no matter how small.” -Dr Seuss

“Some say you’re too painful to remember. I say you’re too precious to forget.” -author unknown

“An angel, in the Book of Life, wrote down my baby’s birth. Then whispered as he closed the book, Too beautiful for Earth.” -author unknown

“How very quietly you tiptoed into our world, silently, only a moment you stayed. But what an imprint your footprints have left upon our hearts.’” -Unknown

“Do not judge the bereaved mother.
She comes in many forms.
She is breathing, but she is dying.
She may look young, but inside she has become ancient.
She smiles, but her heart sobs.
She walks, she talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works, she IS,
but she IS NOT, all at once.
She is here, but part of her is elsewhere for eternity.” -author unkown

 

To everyone, everywhere- if you are reminded this month of a little bean that never came to be, that went to Heaven too soon- I am sending you a big virtual hug. You can lean on me, and weap, we can laugh, we can drink a glass of wine. I send my love to each and every one of you today and always as you cope, struggle, surpress. My heart is for you. <3  Em xoxox.

I'm ba-aaaack !!

Get ready readers,

I'm back to my daily postings now that we're in the school year. The summer was insane, a good insane, but insane none the less. We were so busy running from place to place I hardly had time to breathe.

So we're in the swing of school now- I have two full time kiddos. Madison started today for the very first full day, got on the bus this morning and took it home tonight. She is such an independant little firecracker....it amazes me. And of course- first day of school means she comes home with buttons missing from her brand new denim jumper and holes in the knees of her tights. That's my girl.

Madison Olivia 8-20-2008

4 years ago today, I gave birth to my princess Madison. She came 3 weeks ahead of time, but was fierce and mighty.

The evening before her birth, I got the sudden urge to have a long hot bubble bath, shave my legs, paint my toe I remember looking my late grammy {who had passed the night of my wedding after spending some time in a coma from a fall} directly in the eyes and she said "be calm". I shot up , sat straight as a board the second she left my view- woke up. Then I had my first contraction. This was amazing, she had met Mason a few times and I have some great photos of her with him- but I really wanted her to know about Madison, and I feel like she knows. Just proves to me that she's always watching, from her lawn chair on the front lawn waiting for me to arrive , just like she used to. { I couldn't tell her I was coming or she'd wait on her lawn chair for 8hrs until I got there, worried to take a pee break incase I got there when she was inside. lol}

I let husband sleep a while, I came out of the bedroom after dealing with hair and makeup {yup, again} because my contractions weren't intense but they were enough that I couldn't sleep through them anymore. So I got myself ready, I went and watched tv, I chatted on fb with whoever was around, I emailed, etc. I remembered all of my teachings from my magical Doula the first time around- because she is now 4hrs away from me since we moved. I was calm, I was collected, I was ready.

6:20 am I decided to wake husband and he complained of course and asked if he could sleep a while longer. Well I said, no since I've been up for 2hrs already you can get your butt out of bed now. I wanted him ready incase we had to run suddenly. So I piddled around a bit more, I did iron-on transfer for the shirt I wanted Mason to wear , it said "Big Brother" and I got Mason's things organized for the hospital, because baby was giving him a gift when she arrived. I had tested positive for Strep B, so we had to go to the hospital earlier than I liked, so I could get my full dose of penicilin to keep baby safe. So we headed to the hospital around 9am, after my inlaws came over to be here for Mason. I had husband drive to McD's on our way, since I didn't eat anything before Mason came, and I was absolutely starving once he had arrived- and then husband offered me a measly dohunut. I didn't want to run into that again- so McD's full breakfast while in strong contractions it was. We walked into the hospital, I walked this time instead of wheelchair ;) , I had my McD's juice in hand and the nurses looked at me disapprovingly. "you know you're not supposed to eat before you give birth". ....ya, well...what are you going to do about it now? really. I go into triage, and wait to be called on. The nurse comes out and calls "Melissa?" ...no, I'm Emily. "Oh, what are you here for?" ..." I'm going to have a baby today". She looked me up and down, smiled, and said "sure you are honey. give me a {pee} sample and I'll check you, we'll see." ...In other words, she thought I was crazy, that I wasn't big enough to be delivering that day , etc. Well she measured me, went wide eyed and said " you're having a baby today! You're 4cm!" ... Thanks. I know.

It took some time, we waited from 9:40ish until 12pm for my doc to come in and see what was happening. Things were progressing, albeit too slowly for my liking. She was waiting for things to happen on their own, as they did so easily with Mason. I didn't want an epidural but my contractions were strong enough I was uncomfortable. I remember husband saying "don't be a super hero" and he asked the nurse for the laughing gas. I tried it and demanded she take it as it was just making me feel dizzy and drunk. I didn't know she had also shot me with demerol, I was to find this out...later.  My water wasn't breaking, and I was getting impatient, so I asked her to break my water at 1pm and she obliged. By 1:30 my active labour started and Madison was born an hour later. When Madison was born, she came out screaming, pink, and perfect. What a mightly little soul! She was beautiful , I wanted to hold her so badly and then I started to feel weird, around 10mins after her birth. I started to slur my speech, I couldn't see straight, and I was thinking fuzzy. I said to my doc, "something's wrong, why do I feel like this?" and she was getting concerned too. She looked at my chart, and saw that they had given me a dose of demerol, and she said " well...they gave you demerol to help with the pain of birth, and it didn't kick in until now- " Fan-friggen-tastic.

Took about 3hrs for the demerol to wear off, which didn't help me AT ALL during the birth process, I felt it all, even the stitch at the end...ouch. Funny thing though, I felt like the one measly stitch hurt worse than pushing a baby out.

So there she was in all her glory, all 6lbs 9oz of her, 3 weeks early. Beautiful Madison Olivia and our lives would never be the same, again.

Mason Alexander 08-08-2006

6 years ago today, I gave birth to my very first bundle of joy. Here is his birth story.


Leading up to Mason's birthday , I had read every book there was about childbirth, breastfeeding, sleeping babies, nutrition during pregnancy and infancy, the whole shabam. I had a wonderful Doula, Marlo, who was ..and still is...a (frontdesk) superstar. She was so helpful leading up to his birth, we'd walk , talk, breathe, and just be.

The night before Mason was born, I had "that feeling". I wasn't due for another 4 days, but I just knew he was coming. My doc had said a week before, that I wasn't allowed to give birth before the 8th, because he didn't get back from his cottage until the 7th and wasn't working until the 8th. I listened.

My contractions started around 4am. I sat up and grabbed my belly and had a weird feeling. I tried going back to sleep but that wasn't happening, so I got up and started packing my overnight bag ..well, re-packing- it had been packed for weeks but suddenly that I was in labour, I thought it was all wrong.

I called Marlo around 6am , and she says " nooo Em, not today!! I'm sooo sick". Thankfully, she loves me- she hopped in her car, guzzled the pepto bismol and arrived in a timely fashion. :) {thanks Mar!!!!!} We started going through the official motions around 8am. I was upstairs in the bathroom, applying my makeup... yes...makeup- the lighting in hospitals is horrid! husband was up there with me, holding my hand when I had to sit for a contraction. He was scared out of his mind, and so was I - but we were there, it was happening, and we had to be ready!

Lunch time came around, and my sister was coming over to help us. I was starved, so I asked for her to grab me a Harveys veggie burger, fries, pop, and extra pickles on the side. (Mmmmm.....I want it , now. ) She brought us all lunch, and husband started munching his as I'm hunched over on all fours, on the couch during contractions. Bless his heart, he's in my face, "how are you feeling? are you hungry at all?" ...I went from calm and serene, to mega bitch in 2 seconds. I chucked those extra pickles clear across the room and told him to get out of my face- all I could smell was burger, and hear him crunching/munching... at the moment, it was awful.

Sitting on the couch, I felt a GUSH. At the time, I didn't realize it was my water breaking- I thought I had lost control of my bladder, so I ran upstairs to the bathroom again, and asked husband to get me a change of pants- wouldn't you know....he grabbed BRIGHT PINK YOGA pants. and I was mad because they didn't match my top...

I came out of the bathroom, and demanded we go to the hospital. It was now 1:10pm and I just had that feeling that something was happening. I was right- we arrived , I was measured, and I was already 6.5cm dialated. Marlo rushed me upstairs to my birthing room, banging my legs into doorways {in a wheelchair} as we went. By the time we reached the room, I was 8.5cm and ready to go! I demanded an epidural, because I didn't know any better, and once it kicked in....at 10cm, I was all jokes with my Mc Dreamy doctor. First thing I said as he walked in the room, was " you told me to wait.....so I did!" He had just gotten back to work only a few hrs before.

Once the epidural kicked in, everything went numb. I couldn't feel a contraction, I couldn't feel the nurses or doctor touching me, everything from the waist down was numb- and baby's heart rate started to drop. People started to panic, including myself. Shit was getting crazy.

After a tiny little help of the foreceps, beautiful Mason was out {at 2:50pm}- screaming loud as ever. As the nurses were doing Mason's apgar testing, I noticed one of the nurses take his little wrist and watch it flop. *panic* I looked at husband , looked at the nurses, and said "uhm...what are you doing? why is his hand doing that?" and they tried brushing it off like it was nothing. Then they noticed , what we now call his 'baby boo-boo'. Mason was born with a gaping wound on his arm, and it was scary. We were terrified, and the random possible diagnoses that were being tossed around, were awful and devastating, especially for first time parents. I felt like Charlie Brown, with all the nurses and doctors talking but all I could hear was "wa wa wa, wa wa wa wa, wa wa wa" as I stared at my beautiful baby boy. Long and short of it- Mason was born with a Brachial Plexis injury. He had no use/control of the nerves in his hand/fingers, because coming out of the birth canal he had been squished just so that the tendons and nerves in his shoulder had been compressed. We still have no idea about the wound on his arm, that was never figured out- and his injury ended up correcting itself at about 1yr of age. His pediatrician actually cried and called his wife, when he saw Mason grab a toy with that hand. Husband and I have a hard time remembering which side it was, I believe it was his right arm, we thought he'd for sure be a lefty {just as husband and myself BOTH are} but after his injury corrected itself, he started using his right hand like a pro. Today you would never know , he ever had a struggle in his early weeks-first year of life.

I'm so proud of where he is today, a strong, confident, social, sweet, caring little man. He is creative, he is imaginative, he is smart. He's a great friend, an amazing son, and a sweet brother {....when it's good for him ;)  } .

Today is your birthday little man, and I hope you enjoy every single minute of it.

<3 Love, mummy.
xoxoxox

Image isn't everything.

In today's society, we see so many "ideal body image" messages. Its been this way since I can remember of course, and the ideals change it seems , every 5 or so years. I do love those adds on tv that have been playing for a while, the "media monkey" ad by the Concerned Children's Advertisers. It's so important that we instill confidence in young girls , and not fear. I don't want my girls growing up with skewed ideals of what they should look like, or that if they look a certain way, they'll be popular. I want my girls to be confident, strong, intelligent, independant and popular because other girls respect them and look up to them. If they're not the "popular girls" that's ok too of course- as long as they are happy with who they are and who they associate with. That goes the same for my boys too of course, but it seems girls have a stronger media influence.

Recently on facebook , someone posted a photo which had Victoria Secret models on the top, and Dove beauty campaign models on the bottom. Everyone praised the photo, saying " finally- real women are being represented in the media" and are admired for being beautiful, and normal. I beg to differ. Of course, it's wonderful to see models of all sizes represented in the media and very important. But a lot of women claim that the thin models are unhealthy, "look emaciated" , "look malnourished" , etc. Well, while I am no Victoria Secret model- {in my mind and in my mirror I am *wink* } I am thin, and some refer to me {lovingly...I hope} as "skinny bitch". That doesn't mean I'm emaciated , malnourished, or not normal. It means I eat healthy {most of the time anyway, I'm human after all.} I'm active. It means I have a high metabolism and it means I have good genes. Simple ...or as complicated, as that. I also know a lot of other women who are in the same 'grouping' as me body size, weight, type as me- and they are all healthy and strong as well. I think telling girls and women that the Dove campaign models are normal , is giving the wrong message also. Its telling those skinny girls who don't gain weight { I was that kid with the long spider legs and countable rib cage} that they are not normal, that they should gain more weight, that they are not healthy. It's telling kids that if their mothers are thin, like the top image {Vic. Secret} there is something wrong with them, and their mothers are not healthy.

So, remember everyone- that bodies come in all shapes and sizes. We need to embrace each body size for it's beauty, and we need to remember that body size does not reflect overall health. We should focus more on being healthy, and happy, than on the shape of our butt or the size of our bellies.

Lets work together in making sure our kids are happy,healthy, confident and strong. Give them the tools they need to succeed and to make the healthy choices they need. Start them making healthy choices as children- whether you have to hide the healthy stuff in the "junk" {I make my own chicken nuggets....with fresh , organic, homeade vegetable purees mixed in with the meat!} be sure your kids are getting the healthy foods they need to grow and be strong. Don't focus so much on calorie counting, or weighing yourself. Don't talk about "hot bikini babes" infront of your children. I have to smack my husband sometimes for comments he makes infront of the girls- I don't want them living up to THAT ideal either ;-)

If together we are stronger adults, our children will become stronger, more respectful teens and adults as they grow. Lets get the health cycle moving.

I've always wanted an Oak tree.

I love this quote: When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." -Peter Marshall

I seem to keep being thrown flames from every angle, and I'm supposed to catch them and juggle them high. Well- they're burning, and I'm dropping them to the floor. I'm breathing though, and I'm walking tall. I am taking more time to gather my own thoughts and desires, giving myself 'time outs' from my daily responsibilities. I think doing this, is going to make me stronger and able to handle those flames without flintching. I've got some new developments coming up for the fall, and it means I'm going to have to make some time management changes. I'm going to need to keep business time for business, and family time for family.

I am going to have specific work times in the evening and focuss all of my attention during the day on my family , instead of popping in once in a while to "deal with one quick thing" .

Phew...I'm here, I'm strong, and I will be stronger. Get ready.

Life, is very humbling.

I do a lot of reading. I read blogs, I read articles, I read life stories shared on facebook and other social media outlets. Often times, I am very humbled when I read about the health challenges other babies and children are facing. While we live our own medical challenges every day with two of our four beautiful children, we've come to manage it with ease. In the beginning though...it wasn't so easy. I did a lot of crying, I did a lot of stressing. I questioned my pregnancy, I questioned my eating habits, I questioned my relationships, I questioned the doctors, I questioned ....everything. It was a really difficult and isolating time.

Someone I went to University with, just had his first baby- {well his fiancé had their baby ..} 5 weeks early and they are dealing with the challenges that come with that. I remember what that was like when Manning came 4 weeks early, not being able to touch him, smell him, feel him, breath him.  This event though, comes right around the time another friend of mine *should* be having her baby, but God had other plans. She gave birth to an angel instead and sent her sweet baby boy to Heaven.

I read a blog today about baby Oliver . He is fighting CDH with his family, and is not even a month old but going through so much. Please check out their blog and send them your prayers, your happy thoughts, your good vibes, and your love.

All of the people I've mentioned in this blog post, need enormous amounts of love. I want to warm their hearts and lift them up, I want them to cry tears of joy knowing that their story has made a difference, that their battle is inspiring.

Do you have a battle of your own? Do you blog about it? Share your blog here, and we will send you love , and prayers too.

Service Review: Rainforest Cafe.

The other day we took Mason and Mia to the city, because Madison and Manning were visiting my parents for a few days. So we had a city adventure, and had a great time. We figured we'd end the day with a special dinner at Rainforest Cafe, at Yorkdale Mall, for Mason's enjoyment.

We were amazed that it wasn't busy at all- there wasn't a line up anywhere to be seated, there were tons of empty tables, we thought- great, this will be pleasant and quick....wrong.

We sat down and someone came within seconds of our asses hitting the seat, to take our order. Come on....really?? So we said, no we need a few minutes to decide, because...we just sat down. So a few minutes, translated into disappearing for 10-15mins and then finally coming to take our orders. 30 minutes later, I had to flag down the waitress to ask where the food was, because husband wanted to get up and leave {keep in mind, we got to the restaurant around 6:45pm, with 2 kids}. Food finally comes out about 5mins after that, cold. Husband used to work in the service industry , in casual fine dining, so has no tolerance for mediocre. Calls the manager over, who saunters over in his really bad...I mean, really bad, hair piece and has nothing to say but he had to get used to the Rainforest Cafe timing {apparently all dishes take 22-30mins. puh-leeze.} and that he didn't agree  with the timing either. Did he do anything to apease the situation? Ya...he comped us an over-priced scoop of ice cream for Mason. woopty freaking do.

So, we won't be headed back there anytime soon, Mia was terrified of the thunderstorms and the elephants {we sat through 2 thunderstorms before our dinner hit the table..} anyway, which all of our kids were at her age, but yes- they got a 2 on a scale of 1-10  that day. Food, gets a 3, only because Mason loved having dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, but the rest of the food was shitty

.

The annoying things some people say...

Ok, so I'm young, fit, and energetic....and I also have 4 children. As you can imagine, this brings out all sorts of comments from people. Mostly, people applaud me and tell me I'm a wonderful mother {I absolutely love it when strangers compliment my parenting in public - I really do!} There are, however, some people who feel the need to interject some irritating comment, or joke, or advice when they see me.

Here are some of the annoying things I've heard { some of...not all...I don't have time to write all}


1. "you're like a real life 19 kids and counting" .... um..first, how can you compare a woman with 4 children, to a woman with 20? How on earth does that even come close to being the same?

2. "are you........done!!?"     ....not that it is any of your business whatsoever, yes our family is complete. "phew."   ..... hang on now- What?! why does that bring relief to someone else?

3. When I say that I am exhausted - which doesn't happen too often at all, but sometimes, exhaustion does hit me, hard. I get  "it was your choice to have kids" .    .. Thanks for the tip, asshole. I never said I didn't want my kids anymore, I said I was tired. here is something actually cut and pasted from my own facebook wall, a response to this very thing:
when child-less people comment that having children was my choice {or anyone else with kids for that matter} I want to smack them. Of course it was my choice to have 4 beautiful children with the love of my life, and every single day I am greatful to have them all a part of my day even when I am exhausted, even when I want to escape for a vacation to the grocery store. I still get to think about them, and smile and feel the warm fuzzies inside my heart knowing that I have 4 gorgeous babies waiting for me at home, full of innocence , love , and affection.

4. " can you, handle this many kids?"     .....again, is it any of your business? But last I checked, my children aren't running around naked, starting fires, beating other kids up, or stealing cars. My children are polite, caring, respectful, sweet, adorable, outgoing, and are all born leaders. They can also speak English and some French, and do wonderful amazing things. I can take all 4 to the grocery store and come out alive, with no extra groceries than are on my list. I can take them to the mall to pickout toys for their birthday and leave empty handed and not one tantrum.  Can you do that, with your one child?

5. "...do you have any help??"  ...what , like having more than one child means everyone should have a nanny? Although there are days I would kill to have a nanny, I do it all myself. Husband works in the city and is gone from the house for about 13hrs a day. Which means, who is on deck? that would be me. Two days a week, I have an extra 2yr old in the mix as well and I take all of them out. Yes, 5 children, I take to the splash pad, the park, the petting farm, playdates... {you can hold your aplause ;) }

6. "good to get it all over and done with" . This comment comes, because the biggest age gap between kids is 24months and 2 weeks. I had 4 babies, in a span of 5years. While husband and I didn't sit down with a calendar for 5yrs to plan out dates and timing, we wanted them close together. 15 months was a bit of a *gulp* but, in all honesty, we thought it would take longer to get pregnant, and he came early. I loved being pregnant, I had lots of fun being pregnant {until my 4th...that was interesting to say the least} the anticipation up until delivery was intense, I loved it. I also love all the stages of childhood. I don't want to get it all over and done with, I want to enjoy every minute of the day with all of my beautiful children. Having them close together, means they are in the same stages {for the most part} and we can enjoy more things together. I don't have one playing video games, one chasing girls, and one in diapers, and one never home. They are all here together, and they all love the same things- for the most part. It actually makes life a lot easier lol.


7. I thought of another thing! When people with less children {usually friends...yes, even you guys say things that irk me sometimes lol} but when they say " oh I can never complain to you about my day, I would feel too guilty since you do it so easily, with 4".   Well, I didn't always have 4 kids. I used to be a mother of 1, for two whole years. I know what it's like with one, with 2, with 3 and now with 4. I've been there, I've had the same hiccups that other parents of 1,2,3..etc have had or do have. And also...I don't always do it so easily with 4. There are days where I want to run and take refuge, there are days I want to move into a one bedroom apartment...alone (haha.) there are days where I want to buy a plane ticket to nowhere. These days are few and far between, but they do exist. So friends...you can unload about your day, because there will be days I want to unload to you, and while I don't expect you to fully understand what it's like having 4 kids, I do know, that as parents, you can relate- even in a teeny,tiny way.  <3

That's all I will put for now, when I have more time I will add more . There are many, many, many more things that I hear in a day. Mostly wonderful, kind, and respectful but you still get the ass who thinks the world revolves around them, who feels they need to put their two cents into every person's life. So for those of you who are expecting your 4th, I know there has to be some who read this blog, or even your 3rd. Be prepared for all sorts of comments- I think I get a lot of comments because mine are very close together also, but still. Just grow a thick skin, and come up with some awesome come-backs that you can just zing their way as you walk away. ;)

beautiful Mia, in her laundry basket on the dock. yes...laundry basket. :)

parenting tip of the day: let them be.

Let them be....themselves, kids, anything they want to be. Too often we as parents/caregivers think we need to provide kids with everything they need to get their imaginations going. We need to intiate the game, we need to tell them what to do and when. I remember as a kid being told what colour to colour my drawing. My own drawing!! um...shouldn't that be up to me to decide? It takes way too much away from our little ones and causes way more harm than good, when we take all decision making control away from them.

I have 4 different ages , all under the same roof. This sometimes is amazingly sweet, they can be the best of friends...but they can also be the worst of enemies over something so simple as a missing lego piece that someone accuses another of stealing...until he finds it under his pillow. (oh how I love those moments....)

So as I sit here typing this, I'm watching Manning playing playdoh at the table (we made a massive batch last week, I've given up using store bought since he loves it so much but mashes it all together and leaves it to dry out most of the time ) , Madison and Mason are sitting in front of Mia {who has been sitting on her own for the last 30mins without so much of a teeter!} reading to her. But they're not reading to her together...they're now fighting for her attention. " Mia...Mia...look at me. read my book. don't look at her Mia, look at me Mia....Mia....MIA!!"  But instead of me jumping in there and instructing them what to do here, I am watching them and coaching - a little bit. I asked them to take turns reading Mia's favourite book and to show her different toys, seperately. While this doesn't always work- it's working for now and Mia is loving all the attention she's getting from her brother and sister. Their desire to be her centre of attention will come in handy this week, when Mia perfects the skill of crawling! She's so close- I will position the kids on the floor and have her crawl to them !

So- let your kids be themselves. Unless someone is bleeding, being bullied, tormented , or treated extremely unfairly- don't step in. Give them the tools to work it out- give them the language they are looking for, teach them how to handle certain situations not by removing them from the situation, but by directing {or re-directing} on what to do in such situation. You'll find me often asking questions when the kids start fighting. " How did you feel when your friend so-and-so left you out of the game last week? How do you think your sister/brother is feeling right now?" . I even give them tools for independant re-direction. If they're fighting over books or toys or whatnot, I give them the opportunity to make a choice to do something else. "If he/she doesn't want to share that book, why not look at this book? Here are some other books you can choose from, or you can just wait until that book is available".

What's the craziest thing you've done?

Have you ever done something so out of the ordinary for yourself or as a couple that it almost scared you? I'm about to dive into my own adventure- but it's bound to be fun. I'm not going to discuss what adventure it might be- but I would love to know from my readers, what's something you've done that made you give yourself a pat on the back?

Camping with colitis - the party pooper.

So we just had a wonderful long weekend. Spent it with family at the cottage, swimming, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, camp fires, fireworks, the whole bit. The part that was shitty? {literally!!} Manning's colitis. When we're somewhere that food is in abundance, and not always the healthy choices we have at home - but chips, crackers, cookies, etc. It's hard for a 2.5yr old to decipher between the spread to know what's safe and what's not. He helped himself to different gummies....wrong ones. Had a few chippies....wrong ones... and other infractions along the way , during the weekend. It results in his system just flipping inside out on him. Poor kid had so many blowouts of green {sorry for the visual!} it was heartbreaking. So this week, we will be trying to get his system back on track.

I long for the day where Manning can make these decisions on his own, and just know. Right now it's hard for him to know that one cereal is ok, but the other is not. One bag of chips is safe for him but the others are not.. At home we have a cupboard just for him and Mia. He knows , and so do the other kiddos, that anything in that cupboard is safe for Manning or Mia to eat- even without asking mummy or daddy. I'll have to bring a cooler to the cottage just for him, to have the same concept while we're there. That way if he's going to hep himself to a snack, at least he can know that anything in the red cooler is for him.

he's awfully cute though....in't he ?

Happy Canada Day Weekend!

To all my fellow Canadians, happy Canada day, EH! And to the American readers out there, happy 4th of July- I think you might be celebrating this weekend also..or is your long weekend, next weekend?

Regardless- have a great weekend. Don't drink too much, watch your kids around the water and the fire, protect yourselves from sunburn and bug bites, don't drink and drive, don't drink and swim, don't get naked with people you don't know.

Cheers!

My Accent

So this is going around on the net, so here are my answers with my "accent". I don't think I have one though ;-)

Your name.

How old are you?
...
Where are you from?

What is your favorite color?

Pronounce the following words: aunt, roof, route, theater, iron, salmon, caramel, fire, water, New Orleans, pecan, both, again, probably, alabama, lawyer, coupon, mayonnaise, pajamas, caught, naturally, aluminum, tumblr, crackerjack, doorknob, envelope, polka dots, swag, LOL, papaya, penthouse, subtext, smile.

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is a bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

What do you call a knitted winter hat?

What do you call the item of furnature in the living room that you sit on.

What do you call %3.25 milk?

Summer time posting...

Just figured I'd tell you all- if you hadn't figured it out by now- that my summer time posting varies drastically , in that I can't post every single day. Amazing how exhausted I am at the end of a summer day with 4 kids. This is all a learning experience for me !

I'm also going to be getting tested for gluten intolerance for myself, so if that test comes back positive expect a lot more food related posts to come about. I welcome the challenge of winter meals that are gluten,dairy, and soy free. I'll figure them out this summer so I can make freezer meals ahead of time!

Have a good night, my avid readers!

Travelling by train with little ones

So husband and I both have our seperate  cars. Mine is the typical "mom-van" but it fits all my kids, the big dog, luggage, stroller, playpen, etc. while travelling- so it won my vote. It also has a built in dvd player...DING DING DING. it was the obvious winner. But sometimes we like to leave the cars at home and travel in other ways. The kids have been begging to ride a train since daddy rides one to work everyday. Well here, they just started a Saturday Go Train schedule and today was it's first official day running- we jumped at the chance. The kids absolutely loved it. We went into the city on the train, hopped on the subway, and then just wandered around. We didn't do anything in particular, just walked, ate some cheap food, grabbed an ice cream and checked out the Harbourfront .

We had a great time, everyone made it out alive, in one piece and with very few tears.

I will post a few travelling tips in a later post, right now I just want to relax! :)

Marriage..

I'm coming up to my 5th anniversary with my husband, this coming Saturday. Yes, 5yrs of marriage and 4 kids- we've been busy. We've been together 10yrs this year, it's so incredible and so crazy at the same time.

I know a few people who have been married and divorced already, and their marriages were as long as celebrity marriages. Heck, I even know one woman who , at 27 has been married and divorced TWICE. So - how do you make a marriage last? I must be an expert.

Stop trying to be perfect.   You don't have to prove to anyone but yourselves that you're happy and in love. If your neighbours hear me yelling once in a while in the heat of an argument, I don't get embarrassed or worried about what they might think. I figure , it just shows that we're normal , not perfect.

Get dressed up for each other.  Even if you're just going to buy a new tree for the backyard,  put some effort into how you look. Not for other people out there, but for each other. Remember when you were first dating, and you'd actually spend 30 mins or more prepping to go out? picking an outfit, doing makeup {or hair for the men!} shaving...the works? I would do that even if we were just going for chicken wings! ....and I still do it today. Of course when I'm home we lounge, I don't always wear makeup or do my hair, but often times I do.

Keep dates exciting. Make time to be spontaneous. It's so easy to forget about the things we once loved to do , either alone or together. Even if you have kids, book the sitter, drop them off at grandmas- and take a weekend to yourselves to just, be. You don't even have to go far, just be at home all by yourselves and just do non-kid centred things for even just one day! Try something new together, go to an amusement park and ride all the rollercoasters- just have fun together. I hope we get to do this , this summer. I want to go to an amusement park again, and being alone with hubs there would be amazing.

Remember important dates.  Remember the big ones. Remember the little ones. I don't mean appointments or meetings, of course those are important to remember too- but I mean birthdays, anniversaries, milestones, etc. If you forget an important date even once, it will take you a lifetime to redeem. My dad has learned this time and time again....but still never remembers the important dates- and I still hear about it, All. The. Time.

Appreciate your differences. Understand that you're two different people with different interests, some different friends . Take time to spend time with your different circles of friends doing the things you enjoy doing. After 10yrs together, husband and I don't have many seperate friends but we do have a few so we spend time with them. Husband plays poker once in a while with the boys, I sent them paintballing and to the cottage one weekend, he goes for drinks once a month {recently} with old friends from university and tonight they're going to play ping pong or something like that. I need to start putting more time on the  calendar for ME to enjoy doing things with my friends but it's important for us all to do that.

Love each other.  You don't have to like each other all the time, because lets face it- there are things about your other half that irritate the crap out of you. And vice versa I'm sure. If you are sitting there reading this thinking " pshh...I don't know what she's talking about, I love every single thing about my husband/wife." you're lying to yourself, and the rest of the world. But love each other. Love each other through thick and thin, even if you're upset with each other for whatever reason- still stand beside your husband/wife and still tell them that you love them. Still look at each other with love in your eyes and hearts. Hold hands. Sit beside each other on the couch.

the day we signed our lives to each other.

"Does this count as annoying?"

What is with kids, and being annoying. Really? ... No, I mean..... really!  If you are a parent, and say that your kid is never annoying...you are one big fat liar. It seems that lately , my 2.5yr old is on a mission to be the most annoying toddler to face the planet. He bugs his brother. He bugs his sister. He bugs the dog. He does the opposite of what you tell him or ask him. Example? I put the air conditioner on because it's hotter than hot out there, and I say to the kids " the A/C is on, so we need to make sure we keep the doors and windows closed" . Manning, stands at the door and looks at me , dead in the eye as he opens the door and leaves it that way. "Manning, please close the door." ......|still looking right at me, with the door hanging open.| "Manning, close the door" .....|doesn't move a muscle| ..... " MANNING! CLOSE THE DOOR!!!" .....that gets a reaction- crying as though I've told him there's no such thing as Santa Clause.  This happens daily, with different things. I ask him not to bring food into the tv room because he just makes crumbs e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e ...you can put money he's got food in there. I ask him to be gentle with the fish tank- yep...he's hanging off the base. Mason has an awful habit of kicking at people when he's sitting on the couch, he says so they don't go near him. Not cool. I tell him you can't boot people in the stomach because they're bothering you {if only that was acceptable, eh?!} So Mason gets in trouble for booting Manning, I explain why we can't be doing that { I say the exact same thing every.single.day.} so what does Manning do? He casually stands by Mason, and starts to kick him. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!!!!! so he's now in his room...and will probably fall asleep.

I cannot wait until they're older and I can remind them of how they acted as little kids. And no- this isn't what I was like as a kid.... I was perfect then, as I am perfect now. ;-)  |disclaimer: that was a joke people|

*stock photo*

Happy Father's Day !

Well its here again, Father's day! Do you do anything super exciting for Father's day, or Mother's day for that matter? I try keeping these events simple, because it's all about the kids celebrating daddy, afterall.

The kids made husband amazing little gifts at school, and at home. I love handmade gifts especially from the kids. They have been itching to give Husband their gifts since they made them- they're awful with secrets or surprises. I managed to stash their pressies so they didn't know where they were unil this morning and they were so excited to give them to him. The pride they feel when they make something themselves, brings tears to my eyes everytime. I got Husband some locally made {bought at the farmer's market!!} Jerk seasoning - he loves that kinda stuff. Me...not so much, I'm not huge on spicy. I also got him a beautiful keychain made by another local artisan in Toronto. She does amazing work and made my necklace with my kiddos names on it, which I love. I wear it everyday and get compliments on it everytime someone sees it.

We're going out for "lupper" {lunch and supper...what else!?} later on and everyone is looking forward to that.

So- keeping it simple, but spending it together. :)

So what are your plans?

Made by JT Sky Designs on Etsy. I had one made for my dad {the Ampy one} and one made for Husband. This was before they were put on their keyring attachments but- this is them and they are beautiful.

more frugal entertaining ideas!

If you're hosting friends for lunch or an afternoon playdate- check out your local grocery store at the wee hours in the morning. Go when they first open, and you can buy their fresh fruit and veggie trays usually at 50% off. They are technically supposed to cut and sell in the same day- but lets be honest here. When I cut up a giant watermelon {because yes I usually cut it all up at once so we can grab and go} we're not consuming it all within 8hrs. The trays are prepared fresh the morning before, and are kept in the fridge all day/overnight. They are super fresh, super easy, and super cheap.

I'm having friends over for lunch today and I'm making my own pizza dough {dairy and soy free of course} , they are bringing a soba noodle salade and I got us a fruit tray with chocolate sauce for dessert. I also picked up EXTRA watermelon since the kids love it so much and today is an after school gong-show day {extra kiddies after school lol} so  I get extra, and I picked up a tin of Van Houte coffee which had a $2 off coupon on the shelf. I spent $16.

Free or Cheap summer entertainment ideas!

The summer is full of amazing experiences, events, and memories! Even if you don't have kids- free or cheap is always a great option when trying to find something to do on a date, with friends, or with kids.

So I'll add to this list as I learn of new things to do in the GTA specifically- but here are a few ideas I like to do all the time in the summer to keep us busy! Look in your local area to see if you have anything similar!

These are not in any particular order.

1. Swimming at the beach {that's a no brainer}

2. free concerts - Toronto has amazing free concerts all summer long at the Nathan Philips Square and at Dundas Square!

3. mini putt . This is usually an inexpensive event to do and it's fun for a date or with the family.

4. Go to the movies , and follow it up by ice cream. I used to love sharing an ice cream with my dates ;-)


5. Walk the boardwalk or beach. I LOVE doing this on a date- grab a hotdog, walk hand in hand and then get some ice cream. Such a nice day or evening :)

6. Free petting zoos - yep they do exist. We have one close to us that lets you bring your own veggies and bread to feed the animals. the kids love it!

7. Go camping. I love spending time with the family outdoors. Cooking food at the camp fire , making up stories while laying on our backs and looking at the clouds , star gazing , and catching fireflies. I love this. It can be romantic {I was proposed to while star gazing on the lake and wishing on shooting stars...I kid you not. } but it can also make wonderful family memories. It's one of my favourite things to do.

8. Roll craft paper along your fence- attach it- and paint. Fingers, brushes, faces, bodies. Paint. Shoot water guns at the paint. Watch it run. Make amazing family artwork by just unleashing your inner artist! Cut your favourite pieces of the masterpiece and frame them. :)

9. Go berry picking. I prefer eating as many as I can...as do the kids, so it's best Husband does this on his own if he's getting berries for his jam {of COURSE he makes his own jam heheh} but we love to do this as a family.

10. Visit the market! Go to different farmers markets, visit a few different town markets- some markets sell livestock, bunnies, etc . It's a great place to go and check out what your local farmers have to offer . Youd' be amazed at what your area has to offer in terms of fresh produce. Make a fancy dinner with farmer's market finds!  YUM!

oops!

Sorry for no posts the last ....two...days! I've been swamped with everything, and I went to London to visit one of my besties for her bridal shower and some girl time!  Mia joined us and we had a great time- but man was it HOT! sweating constantly, just....ick.

How do you stay cool when it's muggy and hot?

Moonlight mama

Some people are at their best early in the morning. Some are more mid-day accomplishers. I like to do my "stuff" at night when the kids are in bed , dog is in bed, and husband is soon to be in bed. If I bake for the market while everyone is awake- husband swoops in and steals cookies, kids bug to lick the bowl and beaters, dog walks around sniffing the air like he's a K9 for the border police.

So- I start around 9pm and go through until the wee hours. I bake, I clean, I sew, I be. While the rest of the neighbourhood sleeps.

When are you most productive?

                                          rocking a vintage inspired Transformer's Tee today!

Natural Living

For most people reading this blog, you know I'm sort of a natural mama. I love all things organic, natural, pure, and earthly. I was always this way as a kid- I would try to make paper out of tree bark and pens out of twigs and feathers , than spend the time in the mall or playing video games. Seriously. I made my own tee-pee with my sister in our parents forest, and we made it look so realistic that as the years went by , it actually looked like it was an original lean-to that was left by a hunter or someone. I was about 9yrs old- and it STILL stands today- that means it's been there for 20yrs or so. I guess we did a good job! {yay us, R! }

So it only makes sense that I continue this tradition in my adult life. I try to use natural products with my kids, from bath soap to skin lotion , laundry soap and sunscreen. Even natural bug repellant and lip moisturizers.

So here are some tips on products you can use to keep your little one clean , safe and bug-free this summer without using chemicals , additives, and ...gunk...
**I have not been paid to endorse any of these products. I am simply discussing what I like to use for my family. I am not a medical professional, any advice,tips or facts I provide should not replace your family doctor.**

1. Sun protection : Babies under 6 months cannot wear sunscreen. Why not? Because sunscreen prohibits their ability to sweat, and babies overheat quickly because they can't regulate their body temperatures as easily or as efficiently as older children and adults do. So for babies 1yr and younger I never use sunscreen. I use Muselin blankets, long sleeves/pants with thin 100%cotton and sunhats!

                             Older children: I have two natural sun screens I enjoy using on my kids, Badger Balm and Green Beaver . Both of these sunscreens are soy free which means they're safe in our house. The Green Beaver is a bit greasy compared to Badger, but I like that it's  a Canadian company and all natural and WORKS. Also- hats are a must and U.V shirts/bathingsuits/hats/outfits are a great option as well.

2. Bug Repellent: Babies and kids shouldn't be doused in bug repellent. Citronella isn't great for them either, and forget about Deet. I wish I had known about this simple remedy while I was pregnant, since I wasn't allowed bug spray then either- and I was eaten alive everytime I'd go outside in the evening. If you want to make your own repellent {yes....even you can make your own bug spray!} then follow these simple steps :

Ingredients:

• Essential oils: choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
• Natural Witch Hazel
• Distilled or boiled Water
• Vegetable glycerin (optional)

How to Make Bug Spray:

1. Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
2. Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin if using
4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. My personal favorite mix is: Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus… it works great and smells good too!

Other Simple insect repelling ideas:

• Add vanilla extract to either of the above recipes, or just rub on the skin. You can also mix vanilla with witch hazel and water for a spray version.
• Rub lavender flowers or lavender oil on your skin, especially on hot parts of body (neck, underarms, behind ears, etc) to repel insects.
• Rub fresh or dried leaves of anything in the mint family all over skin to repel insects (peppermint, spearmint, catnip, pennyroyal, etc or citronella, lemongrass, etc) Basil is also said to repel mosquitoes and I’ve used fresh basil leaves in the garden with great success before!

3. Laundry Soaps /Stain busters : I don't know about your house, but in mine- warm weather means a few things. Dirt under nails, popsicle stained faces, grass stains on knees and food stains on clothes!

*. Laundry Tarts   : a Canadian , local handmade product that smells great and cleans beautifully! It's even HE front loader friendly! Their stain stick gets out tough stains quickly and painlessly! Just colour it on, and wash! Sometimes I let it sit before washing and find the stain fades to nothing and then wash and BAM. gone.

*. Nellies all natural : another Canadian company that makes a great natural product! I love it's vintage look too!

*. Make your own detergent! Yep- some people make their own laundry detergent and swear by it! The link I provided I've never tried myself, so I am not vouching for it's greatness- just giving you one recipe. If you're looking into making your own though- do some research, and check youtube!

4. Bath Soaps : I have a personal favourite head to toe wash for the kids, Little Twig  . I love the pump , it's easy to get soap when I've got 3-4 kids in the bath at once {this mama conserves...time and water ;-) } I can lock the pump so when I'm washing one kid, another can't squeaze out all my beloved soap. We like the lavender scent, it's relaxing, refreshing, and lovely.  It's a great shampoo as well , it's been kid- approved.


5. Teething : How could I almost forget to talk about natural teething remedies?! I used to swear by Hylands teething tablets  until Manning was diagnosed with milk and soy protein induced colitis. Hylands are honestly magical- they really are, and I used them all the time with Madison. But they're coated with Lactose to make them sweet so they were a big no-no in our house from that point on. What do I use now? 100% baltic amber!  It works, it works , it works, it WORKS! and it's really cute and stylish, never loses it's value, and never loses it's efficiency if cared for properly. SoF you can use an amber necklace on your first kid- and all the kids who follow. Pass it on to your sister to use on her kids, and when she's done with it- she can either sell it for near full retail value {ya....unheard of today isn't it?!} or pass it along to the next home. incredible. simple. natural.

6. Snacks and busy kids/families : Again- I forgot to touch on something I wanted to talk about. What's going on brain?! For busy kids and families on the go- instead of using plastic baggies for lunch packing, or those diaper bag snacks. Don't use bulky containers taking up all the space in the world- use reusable snack bags! They're typically made with a cute cotton print on one side and lined with food safe nylon. Makes for quick and easy wiping, and they can be washed just like the rest of family's laundry. Where do you buy such contraptions? Well...I just so happen, to make them!! ems_creations@yahoo.ca

oops I lied!

I just realized I said I'd post about natural sun protectors, bug repellants , skin care etc. That will come, as well as ONE of my delicious recipes. I can't share them all though...but I'll share one ;-)

blood, guts, and gore!

Why is there so much blood, guts and gore on tv these days? I can't get over how my once favourite shows are too much for me to handle anymore. How are people so desensitized that they need to continue to go further and further to terrorize themselves?

I like to be spooked. I don't like to be traumatized. I like adventure, drama and excitement- I don't like gruesome murders, or descriptive, terrifying scenarios . If I'm doing something in the other room, and husband is watching one of his shows which feature such brutality, I get freaked out just listening to the premise . I don't think that makes me strange..I think it makes me normal.

Everyday I'm constantly telling my children that we must be kind to each other,kind to animals, and kind to ourselves. "Treat others the way you want to be treated" is said almost daily in my house. How can I constantly be talking about such kindness and acceptance if I'm watching shows at night that terrorize me and give me disgustingly disturbing thoughts in my head? I just can't.

So because a lot of the tv has gone to this disgusting brutality, I'm now watching a lot of "fluffy" shows when I get a chance to watch. My favourites are off season now, so I really don't watch that much tv in the summer. I have so much to do in the spring/summer months that I rarely watch tv and it's almost never live. I've recently gotten into The Real Housewives of Vancouver- and oh man is it juicy. I feel like I know them, and I get so sucked into their drama and gossip it's as if I'm sitting there with them. I pvr it , because husband won't watch it. haha.

What are your fave light-hearted tv shows? What ones should I check out?

What a day!

What odd weather for June! It was actually cold at the market this morning, and I was quadruple layered {I refused to wear my winter coat- I just can't do that in June!!} and was actually shivering at points throughout the farmer's market!

We still almost sold out of all of our goodies, and they weren't as wonderfully scrumptious as usual. That barometric pressure messed with my baking times and gave me a few different results for our usual favourites- but they became fast favourites among the market goers. They had new names such as "rainy day favourite" , " not your grandmother's scones" etc. We are featuring a new treat every weekend- something for everyone!

This week I am going to try to concoct an allergy-friendly nanaimo bar and I'm going to be featuring my cupcakes next weekend as well, I just need to find a great egg-free icing!!

the art of clever gift giving.

I'm still trying to master this art. I love clever gifts. I love well thought out, one-of-a-kind , creative and super clever gifts. Usually this is a fairly easy task to tackle. But for husband this is a near impossible feat to accomplish. He's really hard to shop for, and he's not as appreciative of the one-of-a-kind cleverness that I am.

Our anniversary is coming up , as is Father's day. I'm mulling over a few ideas for both occasions and going to be checking them off my to-do list starting this weekend. But for our anniversary I'm still at a loss, trying to come up with cute ideas that he'll actually appreciate and show off.  I wanted to get tattoos together...he wasn't big on the idea. ha. I thought it'd be fun!

If anyone has any GREAT ideas for our 5th wedding anniversary {10yrs together} then shout them out! let me know, and send me links!! I love supporting handmade and I love items from all over the world! I got Husband awesome tshirts for Christmas, from an artisan in Australia! Love Etsy!!

So- send me your ideas!!

Test Message!

My last post was getting warnings plastered all over it,  I was kicked out of blogger because McAfee deemed it unsafe, I couldn't link it on my facebook...the whole shabam. What the heck was that all about, anyway?!!

So here is my test post- do you receive it well?

Enjoy the sunshine and remember to protect your littles from sunburn!  My next post will be natural ways to prevent sunburn , heatstroke, bug repellants, etc.

Prayers and thoughts, please

My little cousin, who is 17yrs old, was rushed to the hospital over the weekend with menengitis of the brain. Talk about scary. Though I'm not particularily close with his family, we are still family and it still worries me greatly when someone in my family falls ill. Having kids of my own, I actually know exactly what they're going through and how insanely scary it is. I've been there- not knowing what's going to happen, not knowing how your little one is going to recover, not knowing when your lives will return back to normal. That is terrifying stuff for anyone going through it, and you may feel like you're staring down a dark hole with no end in sight...but you're not. Everyday new developments will happen, everyday new signs of improvement will come about and you'll cheer for every independanty taken breath, blink of their eyes...every. little. thing.

So please, send your well wishes and prayers to my cousin who is at Sick Kids hospital in Toronto for a few weeks , getting stronger everyday. He had surgery and I'm not sure what's next for him, but just hold him in your thoughts.

:)

Ouchie wawa.

So here I sit, cursing to the wind about my knee. I have a bad habit of taking care of everyone else around me, and forgetting to take care of myself... or so it seems. By the time I get to a doctor, it's usually "too late" to do much about what's going on. I've been hospitalized for pneumonia, got a nasty kidney infection recently, had mastitis after my youngest was born , etc. I don't want to go to a doctor if I don't have to. If I don't really feel that I NEED a doctor...chances are I will google what's going on, and try to solve it on my own.

Well, my knee went completely numb early Monday- and I mean...completely numb, frozen, weird. I fell over, I've been in excruciating pain, etc. Everyone has been telling me to deal with it. "ya ya ya, I will when I get time" . Well, I have seen 2 doctors now, and am now going for xrays and to see a reumatologist. I've managed to stump those 2 doctors and they're both very intrigued and are anxious to find out what's going on. ...as am I, trust me. I can't even bend my knee anymore- I feel ridiculous.

I'm on Tylenol 3s right now, to attempt to release any of this pain...and it's not quite working that well. I'm still in pain and I'm still aching- but they have definitely gone to my head! I'm baking for the market with D , and I've turned into a maniac in the kitchen. Breaking eggs, dropping macaroons, chocolate chips all over the counter. Yes world...I'm a wild woman.

mmmmm.....cookies. {dairy,soy,nut,gluten,egg,refined sugar-free cookies to be exact!}