Tuesday, February 26, 2013

spring outfits for baby girls

The warmer weather was on its way. The other day we had a nice, sunny day and now we get hit with a snow storm. It's crazy for me to think that Avairy has been bundled in long sleeves and pants since she was born. Or that she doesn't know life outside without a winter coat. So you can only imagine how excited I am to finally be able to pick out dresses and shorts for her!

I absolutely love, love, love the colours that come with Spring, especially the softer pastels. So, to distract those with horrible weather, here are 4 super adorable outfits for Spring!



I was shopping around in Joe Fresh the other day and saw the cutest sailor-style bathing suit! If you've ever seen a baby's bathing suit hanging in a store before, then I'm pretty sure you know what dying from cuteness feels like. If I had no self control then I would've bought every single style they had! I swear, having a baby girl is a life sentence to being broke. Too many cute clothing and accessories to buy.

Which reminds me, I'm starting a new DIY project this week for making your own baby leggings! Even though baby leggings are usually cheaper, it'll be fun to customize them.

Until then I'm thinking happy thoughts every minute for more sun and less snow.

Monday, February 25, 2013

DIY: single serve coffee


I wouldn't call myself a regular coffee drinker, but when I'm lagging a bit I definitely need to grab myself a cup. Today was one of those days. I felt like I was running on fumes and it just so happens Avairy has been staying up longer and napping a lot less. I feel like babies sense your depleting energy and suck out whatever is left. That's why they're always so energetic and you're so tired all the time!

Either way, I had myself a nice cup of coffee using a handy little invention, The Keurig. I love how it makes just the right amount right when you need it. I do hate how expensive the coffee refills can be though. $15 for 12 cups of coffee! Get outta here with that...

However, it gave me an idea for a DIY. Why not make you're own single serve coffee for cheap!


step one: grab yourself a coffee filter.
step two: fold it in half and sew 3 sides of a square with a sewing machine or by hand. Making sure to not sew the folded side.
step three: use a pin to make an small opening along the fold so you can cut it more easier with scissors.
step four: pour in 1 1/2 - 2 tsp of your favourite coffee into the opening.
step five: finish sewing the opening and cut around the stitching.




Voila! Cheaper, cuter and tranportable single serve coffee bags. 

These are perfect gifts for any occasion. I especially love the idea of giving it as a fun gift for a mommy-to-be for after baby has arrived. I made a super cute card to go along with the gift. I'm working on how to upload the template so you can download it, but I'll keep you all posted once I get it figured out.


Right now I actually need a big cup of coffee or some serious sleep time.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

mealtime must-haves & first food

Today was a big day for my little bug. She turned 5 months and had her first taste of solid foods! I was going back and forth between feeding her avocados, sweet potatoes or bananas. All great first foods, but in the end I chose to go with avocados. It has a ton of vitamins and is packed with good fats to help brain growth and development. Avairy was definitely ready about a week ago, but I wanted to wait for her 5 month birthday. Just to make the day extra special.

I'm so excited to share these adorable pictures of what she thought of her avocado lunch!


She didn't really care much for the avocado, but she was such a good sport about it! I'm not too worried because it is the first time trying something other than formula. She'll get the hang of it.


This picture gets me every time. haha If she were eating spinach I'd call her Little Miss Popeye! Toot toot!


ALL DONE!

I was so excited for today that it honestly felt like Christmas morning. I got to open up my Baby Bullet and finally use it. And let me tell you, the storage containers are stinkin' adorable! It gives you pretty much everything you'll need to make your own baby food. Really handy! So, when it's time for your little one to start solids it'll be helpful to buy everything you need beforehand. Here's some of our favourite finds for mealtime!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I highly suggest buying silicone bibs with a crumb catcher. Ulubulu has really cute ones with a lot of different monster faces. I made the mistake of buying a plastic one and found it was too bulky. It kinda cut into her chin/face a lot so for the time being I just switched it up for a cloth bib.

If there's anything else that I'm missing on our list let me know! Also I would love to hear about your little one's favourite foods to eat, maybe Avairy can give it a go too.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

losing baby weight


After having Avairy 4 months ago (5 months on Tuesday!) I vowed to get back into shape as soon as I could! Of course with the lack of sleep, I was extremely unmotivated. I yearned to be those amazing hot mamas that popped the baby out and looked like nothing ever happened. Unfortunately I wasn't one of those lucky ladies. Let's just say when I was pregnant I thought it was all going to my belly instead of my thighs. (I should've known better!) Today I'm trying to eat better and push myself to workout here and there. 

So I wanted to share with you guys some of the things I've been doing to get me a little closer to being that hot mama!

  • Of course eating healthier. Try to slowly incorporate healthier foods into your diet over time. Eating healthy is a lifestyle and if you go cold turkey on all the junk foods right away you'll crash hard and binge.Try small steps like having a side salad instead of the fries. Have chocolate 1-2 times a week (this one is easier said then done). Cut out sodas and sugary juices. Have oatmeal with cinnamon instead of sweet cereals. By making these simple choices, you'll eventually start to feel better and not even notice you grabbed a bottle of water instead of the can of pop. 
  • Record everything you eat. I know, it sounds like a huge drag and I use to hate whenever people suggested this, but seeing the good and the bad of what you eat on a day to day basis really gives you a reality check. I've been using this app called My Fitness Pal and it's amazing! You put in your weight and height and it gives you the proper amount of calories you should be eating. You then record your meals and your workouts and it lets you know how many calories you have left. Super handy!
  • Workout with your baby. Believe it or not, when I first started using workout DVDs I had to do it while Avairy was awake! I would put her in her swinging chair and she would watch me jump and hop around. To her I was being silly ol' mommy and it made her laugh and she loved it. For me it keep me energized and positive trying to make her laugh while I did jumping jacks. Not to mention the bonus of seeing her happy and smiling. Then before I knew it, my workout was done! Also it might help to make sure baby is fed and comfortable so they don't get fussy in the middle of your workout. 
  • Don't eat too late! Have your last meal well before your bedtime and if you must snack on something try to make it fruits or vegetables. Even some apple slices and oranges will surprisingly hold you off until lights out. Me and my boyfriend use to have dinner a couple of hours before bed and then wake up feeling so full and bloated that we would skip breakfast. By lunch we would be so hungry that we would grab something quick to eat like fast food. Then eat more crap after work because we were tired, making the cycle repeat itself. It's just not a good feeling!  
  • Stay motivated. It's hard to keep the big picture in mind, so you have to constantly remind yourself everyday. It helps to keep a picture scrapbook of what you're striving towards. It can include celebrity bikini bods, inspirational words or pictures of your family. This is just for your eyes only so it can be as personal and honest as you want. I found an awesome account on Instagram that specifically posts pictures to motivate you towards exercising. You can check them out @reasonstobefit

Let me know if any of these have helped you or if you have any tips for me! And if all else fails you can always use the excuse of just having a baby so you're still working on losing weight. Although if you're still trying to make this excuse work 18 years later you might be outta luck! haha

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

moms with sass

I just wanted to quickly share with you guys a community blog I came across. It's so hilarious and full of striaght forward truth about being a mother/pregnant!
My favourite post so far is the one that's written as a letter to their pregnant, child-less self. I died laughing because it took the words right out of my mouth. Click the picture for the post and check out some of the other things written on there. It'll brighten up your day, especially if it's one of those kids-pulling-on-your-hair-and-screaming days. You are welcome.  :)


Scary Mommy Confessions

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

getting ready...

I thought I would share with you what I've been doing to prepare for Avairy's first foods. Since she's turning 5 months on the 19th, I think now is a better time than any to introduce her to something with more taste to it. Not to mention she is definitely ready. She's always so curious and anxious to get her hands on whatever mommy and daddy are eating and you can't run from the waterfall of drool that I have to mop up when she sees someone eating something!

This is probably one of the most fun and exciting milestones babies will go through. But the best part about it all is choosing what to feed her first. I'm so excited to see the funny faces she'll make when she first tries a banana or some green beans! Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures to show when the time comes.

So to prepare I've been read tons of books and websites on what to do and I've always come back to these two books. If you want to do some of your own research, I would suggest Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes and The Wholesome Baby Food Guide by Maggie Meade. But my all time favourite one would have to be Maggie Meade's book. If you don't feel like buying her book, her website is just as informative. Check it out at http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com she has awesome tips and recipes for every stage of feeding.



I've also been looking into some foods that are the most nutritious and easiest to digest. I wanted to stay away from the traditional (might I add myth) of feeding bland first foods like rice cereal. So far the top three fruits or vegetables are avocados, bananas, and sweet potatoes. They can be made into smooth and chunky consistencies very easily and pack a lot of punch in the nutritional department. 




In the meantime, I'm gonna leave you guys with this adorable picture. Try not to roll over and die from cuteness haha I'll keep you guys posted and let you know how everything turns out with Avairy!



Saturday, February 9, 2013

here's to the beginning...

Let's just be honest with each other from the start. I was extremely intimidated to start a blog. I've had blogs before, but most were just wandering rambles. This blog was different. This blog was a mommy blog! 
I sat and I typed then I deleted, then typed some more and then got distracted with the smell of spit up somewhere on my shirt...or on my pants...or was it in my hair?

Either way, after many days of cowering in the shadows of the graveyard of abandoned blogs, I wasn't going to let mine go down this way. I've finally gotten enough courage to throw myself into the world of mommy blogs. 


So here I am, just a creative soul looking for an outlet. A new mother of a beautiful baby girl. A baby mama to one of the hardest working persons I've been lucky enough to have in my life.


And with this blog, I hereby dedicate it to writing about my life, family and creations I may spontaneously decide is a good idea. To share tips and any advice I've learned so far to help new and young mothers. As well as share our journey of moving from Ontario to Saskatchewan in hopes of making the best future for our family.

With a new baby added to the mix, life is far too precious to not document every last bit I can.

So as I sit here in the dark, trying not to tap the keyboard too frantically so as to not wake the sleeping baby, I hope you will join me on this journey...to raising dreams.