Guest Blog: Living Through Construction

We have lived in our home for just over 5 years. We have been talking for some time about finishing our basement. Our house was a new build so there is nothing down there but a cement floor and some insulation on the walls. Our house isn't very big, so we definitely want to complete this project to get the most space out of our house.

About a month ago my husband finally started working on the basement. We know this project isn't going to be done overnight because he is only working on it in his free time from his regular daytime job. So far most of the framing has been completed and drywall is going up in certain areas. Then we will move our belongings to the other side of the room and finish that.

I know I have been waiting for 5 years already, but I REALLY want this done. I seriously cannot wait and am beyond excited. It is currently such a mess, as expected. I can't wait for the fun parts to buy paint, pick out flooring and decorating of course. (Yes I'm such a woman)

With the kids being sick, my daughters birthday, hubby's crazy work schedule and now him being sick nothing has been worked on in over a week. I know it will eventually get done, but it's so hard to wait. I can handle it much better because it isn't right in front of me. I have a hard time living through construction and mess, I get anxiety over it all. Interestingly enough I can close the door and it all disappears...except when I do laundry, but I'm okay with that.

Hopefully sooner than later I can write a blog saying that my basement is done. Wish us luck!

Is anyone else renovating or changing things up in your house/apartment? Do you love or hate the whole process? Tell us about it.

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Heidi

Guest Blog: The Frustrations of a Picky Eater.

Let me start by saying my children for the most part are very good eaters. They usually eat all of their meals including fruits and vegetables. I have never been the mom to cook separate meals for my kids, they eat what we are eating and that is that.

The past 3-4 weeks my daughter who is 5 today has been a complete nightmare. Bringing home full lunches, only having a few bites at dinner and constantly complaining about what I make. I really am at a loss of what to do. Dinners have always been my least favourite time of day because she is such a slow eater. Since she is in full day school exhaustion can now be added to the mix. We are constantly having to remind her to stop talking and to take another bite. I don't know if that's normal but it's something we have to do or she will go on and on and not eat.

My son who is 22 months old is an amazing eater. He shovels food into his mouth like it's going out of style. I hate to compare the two of them, but I do find myself sometimes saying, "look at your brothers plate, he is done". Dinners almost always end up with my daughter in tears, facing a time out or my husband or myself raising our voices.

I want, no I NEED some solace at mealtime. I don't know when or if this will happen anytime soon, but it's getting to the point where I dread sitting down to eat. I don't know what has come over her all of a sudden and I wish I knew what to do to get her back on track.

In her lunch tomorrow she has her bagel, an assortment of fruit, water and a yogurt. There is no juice, and absolutely no junk! If this lunch comes home untouched I think I may cry.

I really hope this is just a phase that she snaps out of quickly. Of course I understand kids don't like everything us adults do and certain things definitely don't strike their taste buds. I just want her to be eating the way she was just a few short weeks ago.

If you have any experience with picky eaters, suggestions or tips please leave a comment. I am getting quite desperate. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Wednesday!! Heidi <3

Guest Blog: Sickness Lingers

Oh the dreaded school year, where sickness lingers.

As excited as I was to send my daughter to school this year, I never realized how many sicknesses are passed on from one child to the next. Before my daughter started school she was rarely sick. She has had the odd cold in her life, maybe 2x a year.

Since starting school this last September she has been sick on and off about 4 times. Nothing serious, once was a 48 hour stomach bug, but other than that it's been your typical cough and runny nose, thankfully. I hear about so many kids having strep throat, croup, ear infections the list goes on and on. We are lucky to have only had mild cases of sickness. It just feels like when we are finally healthy, not much time passes and we're all coming down with something else.

Today I received a phone call saying that my daughter wasn't feeling well and wanted to come home. Of course I said okay. Once she arrived home I was shocked to see how great she looked. I was expecting some sickly lethargic child, but nope she seemed fine. She told me her cough was bothering her and that her belly hurt. She rested, watched a movie and played with toys. I guess she just needed that down time away from the classroom, and that's okay with me.

I wish I knew a solution to prevent the sicknesses from happening? Or at least minimize how often it happens. We eat healthy, we are frequently asking her to wash her hands. I think one of the big issues is parents can't really afford or simply can't take enough time off of work. So they send their kids to school while they're still sick, thus infecting the other kids. I know this is boosting her immune system, it's just hard dealing with it in the meantime.

Do you have any words of wisdom on preventing sickness? Any tips or tricks, please share.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone. I am going to rest since my throat hurts and I'm not feeling the greatest. Stay healthy, Heidi <3 d

Guest Blog: My Girl is Turning Five!!

 I cannot believe that in a few short weeks my daughter will be turning 5. It seems like time has literally flown by. I still remember holding her in the hospital like it was yesterday. At the same time I feel like I can't always remember small details, like they're just slipping away and I don't even realize it. We only have 2 children so far and birthday parties are kind of a big deal. We have lots of family and friends that always come so it's always a full house. This year is my daughters first year of school so naturally she asked if she could invite some of her friends from school. We didn't have any problem with this, especially since she doesn't have a ton of friends outside of school and no cousins either.

Since our house is pretty small and we are in the process of finishing our basement we decided to host her party at an indoor playground. She is absolutely thrilled about the whole thing. She looks at her calendar daily and counts down the days to her actual birthday (February 26th) and her party day (March 1st). The place that we are holding the party includes food, drinks and snacks for everyone attending up to 25 guests. I stress out about parties when it comes to food, themes, guests, space etc. Having her party at a facility equipped to handle big groups makes me feel much better, plus I don't have to worry about cleaning up any messes haha.

I have a friend from high school that makes custom cakes for any occasion. Her prices are very competitive and her work is incredible. My daughter has requested a "Frozen" cake from the Disney movie. I cannot wait to see the cake and even more my daughters face when she sees it. I still need to put together loot bags and just the thought of getting them ready makes me panicky, I know I'm weird most people love this stuff. I don't know why I get this way, but I can't help it. At least having the party and food taken care of takes a lot of stress off of my plate.

In 3 short months we will be celebrating my sons 2nd birthday, time really needs to slow down a little. Do you love or hate party planning? Do your kids have a party coming up soon?

Thanks for reading, have a wonderful Wednesday. Heidi <3

Guest Blog: Diaper Liners vs Diaper Sprayer

Hello to all you wonderful readers it's Heidi blogging for you on this freezing Wednesday.

Today I am going to discuss - Diaper liners vs Diaper Sprayer

In our home we use AppleCheeks cloth diapers exclusively. They make phenomenal products that I am proud to use on my son. It wasn't until a few months ago I decided to give their diaper liners a go. I knew without a doubt that they would be a great product with superior quality, just like everything else they produce. I have always been a diaper sprayer kinda girl so this was a whole new ball game for me. After hearing more and more, how spraying your diapers can have significant wear and tear, my mind was made up. There was no way I wanted my precious stash being ruined all because of what? Water? I don't think so.

I immediately set off to buy some liners, and can I say how glad I am. This has made cloth diapering with AppleCheeks even more user friendly, if that's even possible. My hubby was never a fan of spraying. He always made a huge mess and lets face it, you're dealing with poop and well, it's kinda gross to know it's spraying who knows where. You just lay the liner inside of your diaper cover, snap and away you go. Once the child poops you pop in the toilet, flush and your cover and insert easily goes in your storage sac. The liners come in a roll of 100 and if they aren't soiled they can be rinsed off and used again once dry.

I seriously cannot believe it took me 17 months to discover the beauty of these liners. I went from being a spray only mama to a complete disposable liner advocate. If anyone is on the fence about using a sprayer or disposable liners, take my advice and buy the liners. They are so much easier, so much cleaner and your husband might thank you like mine did. ;)

Thank you AppleCheeks yet again, for another amazing product that surpassed my expectations.

Do you cloth diaper? Do you spray or use liner?

Thanks so much for reading, have a wonderful day. Heidi <3

Guest Blog: Community Shared Agriculture/CSA

Hi everyone, it's Heidi on this wonderful Wednesday. For my guest blog today want to discuss...

Community Shared Agriculture Or CSA - is a system of growing and distributing organic produce that restores the link between the farmers and city dwellers.

What is a share? “A Share” is the term we use for the box of fresh, certified organic produce you will receive, weekly or biweekly.

Yesterday I signed up to take part in this wonderful opportunity. I have been looking into buying local organic produce this way for quite some time but never have for whatever reason. A few weeks back I received an email from the local farm who organizes and takes care of everything. I had completely forgotten abut the shares, so I was grateful for the email. After receiving  the email, I knew that this was definitely something to further investigate. Their website is very user friendly and provides so much useful information.

After discussing with my hubby and deciding if this was the financially practical way to go, we both said yes. It really is a great way to purchase amazingly fresh, local, organic produce. We are supporting our local farmers, while knowing exactly where our food is coming from. To me that is a great feeling. The fact that it is no more expensive then me going to the supermarket is the cherry on top.

Our first delivery is set to arrive next Tuesday. I cant wait to see what will be included. I know this is going to force us to cook with things that I would never even think to try let alone buy at the supermarket. It's definitely going to make us get more creative with our cooking, but that could be a good thing right? Since trying to eat more of a paleo diet we have incorporated way more vegetables into our lifestyle. I think we are going to love this.

"It’s about more than just vegetables. It’s about supporting your local economy and local farm families."

Thanks so much for reading. Heidi <3

Keep your eyes peeled on the blog, because Jeanine has a wonderful giveaway coming up from Boba!!!

Guest Blog: Back to a routine..

 

Thanks someecards this is exactly me yesterday!

Hey all it's Heidi on this terribly freezing Wednesday. I hope that you are staying warm wherever you are. Yesterday was my daughters first day back to school after the winter break. I was so ready for her to go back. Not because I didn't enjoy her being home or spending time with her, I absolutely did. It almost felt too long to me. It threw everything we have worked towards out the window. 

This is her first year in school and it's full days, it was a big adjustment for all of us. She absolutely loves going and being with her friends, but I find it really takes it out of her. Yesterday she didn't even want to go and was saying she wanted to stay home with me. It made me sad, but I knew she had to go. Once she came home she was happy and was very excited to go back. On Monday evenings she goes back to her school for a language course. She is always thrilled to go because they do fun activities in the gym as well as arts and crafts. Yesterday was a complete no go and she was in tears begging to leave. Of course we took her home and said we will try again next week. I am chalking this up to being exhausted and totally not being back in the swing of things.

Last night before bed I was explaining to her that I may keep her home from school because our temperatures were going to be anywhere  between -35 and -40 Celsius. Well of course that was a HUGE problem, she said "nooooo I really want to go and see my friends". I said okay, if you're really sure then I guess we will get bundled up and go to the bus stop in the morning. When were done having breakfast I check my phone to see an email from the transportation board saying that there was delays and her stop was going to be 40 minutes later then usual. This was fine and gave us some extra play time. Right before we were going to get ready, another email! Now 120 minute delay.

 At this point I said forget it, you're staying home. It really seemed from there on out my children were determined to have the most terrible day. It was non stop screaming, no sharing and an awful time all around. So yes I am looking forward to school tomorrow, as is my daughter. She said multiple times today how much she really wanted to go. I couldn't explain to her enough about the delays for her to actually understand. Let's hope the buses will be on time tomorrow so we can get back to our regular routine and our mostly happy kids.

This cold weather is making us all a little stir crazy, I hope it lets up soon. Thanks for reading, have a great day!! <3 Heidi

Guest Blog: Remembering...

Today marks three years since I received the horrible news of my dads passing. My dad had his share of health issues in the past, so when I got the call from my aunt saying "it's about your dad", I responded "oh is he in the hospital again"? Her response was one I never expected, especially since my dad was only 50. "No Heidi, he died". My whole body went numb, I couldn't even get the words out to tell my other half. I was in such disbelief, I cried a little but it just didn't feel real. It wasn't until 3 days later at his funeral that I realized this is actually happening. I am never going to see or talk to him again, and then all of my emotions came flowing out.

My dad and I were not talking at the time of his passing so it made is so much harder for me. I had so many regrets and still do. There was nothing I could do, it was too late! My daughter who was almost 2at the time had never even met my dad, this really ate me up. We both made mistakes and said things we shouldn't have. But why we were so stubborn to not talk for so long? The thought of this now just drives me insane.

If I could change the past I would, unfortunately all I can do is move forward with the memories I have of him. If this experience has taught me anything it is that life is too short to bicker about nonsense. Hold your loved ones tight and accept them for who they are. None of us knows what tomorrow may bring, I learned this the hard way.

Gone but never forgotten <3 Heidi

I love this short story below, it speaks volumes to me about priorities. Sometimes we all need a reminder. :)

The Big Rocks of Life!

One day a wise teacher was speaking to a group of his students. He pulled
out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of
him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed
them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he
asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

"Really?" he asked. "Let's see." He reached under the table and pulled
out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar,
causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between
the big rocks. Looking carefully from face to face, he smiled
benevolently and asked again, "Is the jar full?"

His class was catching on quickly. "Probably not," one of them answered.

"Very good!" he replied. He then reached under the table and brought out a
bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the
spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. When he was finished he once
again asked, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted.

"Excellent!" he replied. Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and poured it
in until the jar was filled to the brim. Once again looking intently into
the eyes of each student, he asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how
full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more
things into it!"

"Aha, that's very good!" the teacher replied, "But let us look a bit
deeper. This illustration also teaches us a higher truth: If you don't put
the big rocks in first, you will never get them in at all!"

What are the "Big Rocks" in your life? Financial freedom? A project that
YOU want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your
education, your business? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others?

Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.

Here's how to grow a little. Tonight just before you go to bed, or first
thing tomorrow morning take a moment to reflect on this short story, and
ask yourself this question: What are the "Big Rocks" in my life or
business? Put those in your jar first.

Author Unknown

Guest Blog: The Wonderful World of Bento!

Hey everyone, it's Heidi here on another wonderful Wednesday.

I hope everyone is well during this crazy stressful time of year. Today I am going to talk about school lunches, in particular the Bento meal.

Bento is defined as a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese culture. A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container.

It was around 6 months ago that I really got into this bento craze. I saw a ton of awesome pictures on instagram displaying these incredibly cute, compact healthy lunches. In even cuter bento boxes with all of these amazing accessories that go along with it. I had been struggling for sometime to get my 4 year old daughter to eat her lunch in a timely manner without a fight. Once I saw these I knew I had to try them. These would be my answer to getting her to eat healthy lunches while making it fun. I placed my first order in July to a wonderful Etsy shop in japan, "Bento A Day". I received my order within a week to Canada, which I was totally shocked about. Upon opening the package with my daughter I explained to her what these item were for and how they were going to make lunchtime fun.  We were both extremely excited and I couldn't wait to see if my plan was going to work. The next day I made our first bento lunches and boy was she in love.

I knew with My daughter starting school in September that these would ensure she would eat most of what was packed for her. Almost everyday her lunch is coming home empty, which makes me extremely happy. While at the school for meet the teacher the subject of lunch came up and my daughters teacher couldn't stop raving about how wonderful these bento lunches were. It made me feel extremely proud to hear some recognition that wasn't just from my DD.

If you have a picky eater or maybe just a child who is bored or the same old thing, you should definitely look into the world of bentoing. We have not missed a single school day of using these great boxes and accessories. She looks forward to opening her lunch everyday and finding out what we packed for her and how unique it looks.

As much as I despise the chore of making lunches I am so glad to make these bentos because she truly does enjoy them. I know one day not too far down the road she will be too "grown up" for them, so I will enjoy this while I can.

 

<3 Heidi

Guest Blog: Are Smartphones a blessing or a curse?

Hey everyone it's Heidi here on another wonderful Wednesday.

Today I want to talk about SmartPhones. These fantastic little devices that are a mini computer right in our very own hands. I am an iPhone user, I purchased my first iPhone going on 3 years ago. Before I had my iPhone I just had a regular cell phone that was capable of checking email, sending text messages and making phone calls. Nothing fancy but it did the trick through my college years.

Once I got my hands on this amazing little device I immediately became hooked. Everything that I ever needed my laptop for was right in the palm of my hands. I really didn't ever need a camera because my iPhone had one. Need directions? no problem this has a GPS too. Apps for anything and everything imaginable. I went from a person who rarely used my phone, to a person who relies too heavily on my phone as do so many others. We cannot go out of the house without our phone because we feel "naked" without it. I see it everywhere I go, whether it be to a restaurant, the mall or just for a coffee. Almost everyone has their face glued into their phones instead of having conversations and genuinely enjoying someones company.

I will be the first to admit I am guilty of this myself. My phone is always around and whenever I feel bored I grab it for no other reason then something to do. There is always something to look at, an email to be checked, someone to text and a picture to be taken. I cannot speak for others but I think as a society we rely too heavily on our smartphones and tablets. Recently I have been trying to limit my iPhone time as much as possible. I am not always perfect but I am getting better. Starting tomorrow I am going to only use my phone for taking the occasional picture, while my son is napping and then again once both kids are in bed. I want to be present in my children's lives as much as I can. Having my face in a phone is not going to achieve my desired outcome. Children are only little for so long and I don't want to miss out on anything, or have any regrets.

Children need our presence more then our presents. <3 Heidi

Guest Blog: The Great Pre Christmas De-clutter

Hey everyone, it's Heidi here for another blog on this wonderful Wednesday! In keeping with the theme Jeanine has going, I am going to discuss pre-Christmas de-cluttering. A few weeks back my 4.5 year old daughter and I went through all of the toys in the living room. We were deciding what we would keep, what we would throw out and what we would donate. We managed to accumulate 4 grocery sized bags full. To me this is crazy, our living room doesn't even have that much space. The toy storage area isn't very impressive and I really had no idea it held that much. Even though we just did it a few weeks back, I am sure we could come up with another bag of donations. It really is a never ending battle. 

Around this time of year I always feel a bit anxious at the thought of all of the presents that are going to come in just over a month. The million piece puzzle that we will manage to lose pieces to, the doctor set that ends up missing everything but the stethoscope and a band-aid , and the workbench that has everything stored on it other then a tool. This year I am trying to be more proactive then usual in my efforts to rid our house of things we really don't use. 

After organizing the toy area in the living room I feel the need to move on to bigger and better things. The kids closets, their dressers, the garage and the dreaded  basement (which is another drop off zone for toys not being used). I really hope that as a family we can get this all done. It makes me feel more relaxed knowing that my house isn't busting at the seams with "junk" more or less. Now to get the motivation to get this all done in time with all of the shopping and craziness this upcoming holiday season has to offer.

Do you de-clutter? Or are you a Pack-rat?
Let us know your tips and tricks for staying organized.  Heidi <3