We be chillin'....
Wordless Wednesday
Wednesday, February 27, 2013 •
We be chillin'....
Tuesday, February 26, 2013 •
Last Friday, G and I went on a date...with our little man. It was so nice to spend a little one on one time with our guy. We hadn't told him where we were going until we were on our way. He was so excited. BUT he thought we were going to see the Bruins...
A: Mom I can only cheer for the Boston Bruins!
Me: But what if the Bruins aren't playing?
A: Who's playing?
Me: The Moosheads!
A: Weeellll...I guess I can cheer for them. GO MOOSEHEADS GO!
Our seats were in the second row from the ice. The puck had just dropped when a group of teenage hockey players sat in the row in front of us. Ozzy said he couldn't see, he could of course but he just didn't have a perfectly unobstructed view of the Goalie. They over heard him and switched up their seats so the shortest guy sat in front of my boy! I was so impressed!
Well the game was full of action, and the Mooseheads played great! The 50/50 winner took home $11,364...sadly it wasn't me, but it does give me another reason to want to go to the next game. The Sea Dogs scored with 9 seconds left in the game....but they still had their asses handed to them.
A: Mom I can only cheer for the Boston Bruins!
Me: But what if the Bruins aren't playing?
A: Who's playing?
Me: The Moosheads!
A: Weeellll...I guess I can cheer for them. GO MOOSEHEADS GO!
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| found our seats! |
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| Here comes the Mooseheads! |
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| 6ft Sub!!! Thanks to the Fans of the game for sharing |
Austin loved every minute. We are going to make sure we take him to another game in the next couple of weeks. I loved having that 100% time to focus on him, and he loved it too.
Monday, February 25, 2013 •
About a year and a half ago, G and I had the kids' bedrooms renovated to make better use of the space. We moved a wall and changed the closets. I had posted about Amelia's room but Austin's still wasn't finished. It's been done for a while now so it's about time I shared it!
The wall decals are from SuperStore. They had coordinating totes and I kicked myself for not getting them, because now they don't have them anymore. The decals are really what inspired the room. Simple and classic, they'll grow with him for a few years and can easily be removed if the little man suddenly decides he dislikes them.
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| I'll never forget the day I got him Buzz and Woody... he saw them at the Disney store and held them each by the hand and that was it! They are still favorites and tend to go with him whenever he can bring a stuffy. |
Four has been a bit of a challenging year, but we've found that Ozzy responds so much better to a visual goal so Santa brought him his very cool chore chart. He earns happy faces each day and then get a reward at the end of the week. Ozzy's buddy Graham gave him the car map for his birthday and it works as the perfect floor mat.
We've been working hard at decluttering and organizing our house and the kids' rooms have been the easiest to up keep. I've stuck to the something in - something out rule and (surprise, surprise) it has kept the clutter down. Austin can usually find what he us looking for, has room to play and it doesn't take forever to clean it up. (always the biggest bonus for this mama!)
Bedding:
We've been working hard at decluttering and organizing our house and the kids' rooms have been the easiest to up keep. I've stuck to the something in - something out rule and (surprise, surprise) it has kept the clutter down. Austin can usually find what he us looking for, has room to play and it doesn't take forever to clean it up. (always the biggest bonus for this mama!)
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| Oh the Hotwheels track....he loves it! |
Vitaminer Bil from Ikea (Thanks Little One for hunting this down and sending it to us!)
Curtains are plain navy from Walmart. I might change these up but for now they work.
Decor:
Rooms Come True (truck wall hooks)
Transportation decals (Joe Fresh Home)
Kudos Signs and Gifts (Boy wall decal)
Paint:
Caribbean Coast 550D-4 (upper wall) and Moon Rise (lower wall, trim and ceiling) both by Behr
Our room is the last of upstairs to post...but it isn't quite where I want it yet. Almost just a few finishing touches and then I can get started on a refreshing the main floor!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 • etsy
I've been a little busy.
I am so excited to announce that Grasshopper Kids Creations featuring A2 Designs is on ETSY!
We officially opened our store this week and have linked it to the Grasshopper Kids Creations Facebook page. Take a moment to check it out. We'd love to hear your feedback.
I'm an Etsy junkie. I always find cool gift ideas and I have yet to purchase something and not be happy with it once it arrived at my door (or the gift receiver's door). I love the idea of supporting crafters and finding things that are different and (for the most part) not mass produced. So it was almost a no brainer to list our creations there. It has taken a bit of time to post listings, create our shop policies and make sure that we're in compliance of everything. (And I certainly hope we are because frankly it would be a real bummer to have the Internet police after me).
I've added a few new items to the shop including these adorable booties:
And this sweet top:
Shelley and I will keep adding to the shop and we hope that you'll stop by, take a look and maybe share the word that we've jumped head first into the global craft market.
I am so excited to announce that Grasshopper Kids Creations featuring A2 Designs is on ETSY!
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| GrasshopperKids on Etsy |
I'm an Etsy junkie. I always find cool gift ideas and I have yet to purchase something and not be happy with it once it arrived at my door (or the gift receiver's door). I love the idea of supporting crafters and finding things that are different and (for the most part) not mass produced. So it was almost a no brainer to list our creations there. It has taken a bit of time to post listings, create our shop policies and make sure that we're in compliance of everything. (And I certainly hope we are because frankly it would be a real bummer to have the Internet police after me).
I've added a few new items to the shop including these adorable booties:
And this sweet top:
My model was a little under the weather but she tried to cooperate. She is seriously cute nonetheless and I think this top is going to look adorable in the spring fabrics that just arrived from Hawthorne Threads (click me for a sneak peek!)
Shelley and I will keep adding to the shop and we hope that you'll stop by, take a look and maybe share the word that we've jumped head first into the global craft market.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 • Anxiety, Bell, Depression, healing, hope, IWK Health Centre, Let's Talk, Mental health, PPD, sue siri photography
Today is an important day if you are a Bell Aliant customer. You should text. A lot. they are donating $0.05 for every text sent today to support mental health.
Why should I care? Why should you care? Because it's important. Take it from the lady who lived in denial of my PPD until one day I saw an airplane crash into my house...right into the baby's bedroom. Kinda hard to keep up the denial when you start seeing things.
I am lucky to have an incredible support network. People who don't think depression and PPD are afflictions that they can catch or who think that I just need to "get over it".I was over joyed to welcome our son. He was everything we had prayed for and we couldn't imagine how our whole world would change for the better with his arrival. I wasn't prepared for the possibility that I would be one of the up to 20% of women in Canada who experience Postpartum Depression. Up to 20%! At first I couldn't believe that the Canadian Mental Health Association would give a range of 3-20% to describe how many women go through this. But the symptoms are often missed as baby blues that dwell a little too long, mother's who suffer in silence because they are afraid they'll lose their lives as they know it and others still who worry that PPD means they will hurt their children. The scariest thing about mental health issues is that they are so common and people are still afraid to ask for help for fear of being judged. The resources can be difficult to access and the wait is often long. And it isn't fair. If resources were readily available there wouldn't be a large number of people who can't get the help they need and have their treatments pieced together by well meaning folks doing the best they can.
For me, the fear of being "less than" or of people thinking I was a bad mother held me back from seeking help. I was so afraid that I would be pushed aside and that people wouldn't care about me any more. Asking for help was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I was losing me and I knew it. I remember waking up one morning in the early fall and as if on auto pilot I picked up the phone and made an appt for that day to see my doc. I brought my amazing son with me and poured my heart out to her. With the help of my great doc, husband, family and friends I was able to come through on the other side. I won't say it was easy but it has taught me so much about myself and the people in my life.
I was much better prepared when we were blessed with our second sweet baby. The great doctors at the IWK refereed me to Reproductive Mental Health and the team there was instrumental in helping me recognize what I needed to be aware of to stay healthy. Most importantly I knew that if I didn't feel right and I spoke up no one would judge me.
I don't exactly wear a sandwich board to declare my struggle to everyone, but I don't shy away from talking about it anymore. I felt so alone so I feel like part of my healing is to help other people and let them know they are not alone. I wish that that people would see that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your teeth. You don't shy away from telling people that you have a dentist appointment, so why is that any different from making an appointment to see a mental health professional.
How can you help? For starters pick up your phone! On Bell Let's Talk Day, Bell will donate 5¢ more to mental health initiatives across Canada more to mental health initiatives across Canada for every:
Why should I care? Why should you care? Because it's important. Take it from the lady who lived in denial of my PPD until one day I saw an airplane crash into my house...right into the baby's bedroom. Kinda hard to keep up the denial when you start seeing things.
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| photo: Sue Siri |
For me, the fear of being "less than" or of people thinking I was a bad mother held me back from seeking help. I was so afraid that I would be pushed aside and that people wouldn't care about me any more. Asking for help was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I was losing me and I knew it. I remember waking up one morning in the early fall and as if on auto pilot I picked up the phone and made an appt for that day to see my doc. I brought my amazing son with me and poured my heart out to her. With the help of my great doc, husband, family and friends I was able to come through on the other side. I won't say it was easy but it has taught me so much about myself and the people in my life.
 |
| photo: Sue Siri |
I don't exactly wear a sandwich board to declare my struggle to everyone, but I don't shy away from talking about it anymore. I felt so alone so I feel like part of my healing is to help other people and let them know they are not alone. I wish that that people would see that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your teeth. You don't shy away from telling people that you have a dentist appointment, so why is that any different from making an appointment to see a mental health professional.
How can you help? For starters pick up your phone! On Bell Let's Talk Day, Bell will donate 5¢ more to mental health initiatives across Canada more to mental health initiatives across Canada for every:
- Text message sent*
- Long distance call made*
- Tweet using #BellLetsTalk
- Facebook share of the Bell Let's Talk image
*Bell and Bell Aliant customers
So let's talk...you can help change someone's life.
.
Thursday, February 7, 2013 •
I feel like I'm devoting a lot of time to making snack these days. In reality it's been twice in the last couple of weeks but it's more baking then I've done in awhile.
Monday evening I was tired. I had a sinus headache and after taking Austin out to the store to pick up supplies for A2 Designs orders (He insisted on coming with me so that we could have some "quantity" time together) we stopped in to Sobeys, grabbed some bananas and blueberries and headed home. I had absolutely no idea what to make for snack. I had already made granola bars and banana muffins just didn't sound like a winner. So I dragged open the iPad and opened my favorite app... Pinterest. I'm pretty sure a chorus of angels sing a heavenly tune and light beams from my screen every time I open it. I was on the hunt. I wanted something healthy that the kids wouldn't know was good for them. I came across a pin from the Fat Free Vegan. I've made some things from her site before but haven't been there in awhile. I looked at the recipe, decided on a few changes and went to work.
The cookies turned out really well and Ozzy said that the kids really liked them "...except baby Isaac because he was fussy but that's what little boys are like sometimes." (seriously folks I can't make up what comes out of this kid's mouth). They were super quick and I liked that they don't have much of anything processed in them, are simple and good for littles.
Banana Oatmeal "Cookies"
Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal ( not instant)
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp flax meal
1 tbsp wheat germ
1/4 cup raisins
1 egg
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until they are combined. I used a 1" scoop to make even sized cookies (the last thing teachers need is kids fighting over cookies not being the same size!) and baked them in the oven at 350 for 8 minutes. You need to watch these because if your internal baking clock is off they will burn. Learn from me people...set a timer. Because there is no fat added to these cookies, I really encourage you to line your baking sheet with parchment paper and then give it a light mist of cooking spray.
I tried one and was really happy with how they turned out. Because there in no fat in these i was concerned that they would dry out overnight. To solve that problem I packed the cooled cookies in containers and placed a piece of bread in on top of them and closed the lid. In the morning, I simply removed the bread and had perfectly moist "cookies" to send to school!
I will be making these again!
Monday evening I was tired. I had a sinus headache and after taking Austin out to the store to pick up supplies for A2 Designs orders (He insisted on coming with me so that we could have some "quantity" time together) we stopped in to Sobeys, grabbed some bananas and blueberries and headed home. I had absolutely no idea what to make for snack. I had already made granola bars and banana muffins just didn't sound like a winner. So I dragged open the iPad and opened my favorite app... Pinterest. I'm pretty sure a chorus of angels sing a heavenly tune and light beams from my screen every time I open it. I was on the hunt. I wanted something healthy that the kids wouldn't know was good for them. I came across a pin from the Fat Free Vegan. I've made some things from her site before but haven't been there in awhile. I looked at the recipe, decided on a few changes and went to work.
The cookies turned out really well and Ozzy said that the kids really liked them "...except baby Isaac because he was fussy but that's what little boys are like sometimes." (seriously folks I can't make up what comes out of this kid's mouth). They were super quick and I liked that they don't have much of anything processed in them, are simple and good for littles.
Banana Oatmeal "Cookies"
Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal ( not instant)
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp flax meal
1 tbsp wheat germ
1/4 cup raisins
1 egg
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until they are combined. I used a 1" scoop to make even sized cookies (the last thing teachers need is kids fighting over cookies not being the same size!) and baked them in the oven at 350 for 8 minutes. You need to watch these because if your internal baking clock is off they will burn. Learn from me people...set a timer. Because there is no fat added to these cookies, I really encourage you to line your baking sheet with parchment paper and then give it a light mist of cooking spray.
I tried one and was really happy with how they turned out. Because there in no fat in these i was concerned that they would dry out overnight. To solve that problem I packed the cooled cookies in containers and placed a piece of bread in on top of them and closed the lid. In the morning, I simply removed the bread and had perfectly moist "cookies" to send to school!
I will be making these again!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 •
Someone found the chocolate chip cookies...