Friday 30 August 2013


Lunch Box Idea #3

Yogurt with berries

Organic chocolate chip cookies

Banana chips

Carrots 

Pizza toppings on a whole wheat bagel 

*Add in milk, juice or water

Tips from Posh Mumsy: "I get the string cheese for Zoƫ a lot and apple sauce cups. I put all of her snacks at the bottom of the fridge so she can just grab and go!"

Other lunch ideas:

Chicken quesadillas

BLT 

Home made muffins or granola

Ants on a Log: celery, cream cheese, raisins

Pasta Salads

*** For more ideas check out the sites below! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! :)




Thursday 29 August 2013

Another blog post for Baby Organic Joy--Breast feeding products!

http://babyorganicjoy.wordpress.com/

Lunch Box Idea #2

Biscuits with cream cheese and jam/berries

Cucumbers

Apple chips

Sliced Apples

Goldfish crackers 

Banana

***Add in a juice box, water or milk. :)

Tip from Diana: "My kids love it when I cut their sandwiches into different shapes, I often use cookie cutters for this. It is always a hit!"

Wednesday 28 August 2013

For the rest of the week I will be giving out lunch box ideas, and posting tips that readers have sent me. :)


Lunch Box Idea #1 
 
Turkey Cheddar Wrap
 
Grape Tomatoes
 
Yogurt
 
Berries
 
Nut-free Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
 
Apple Sauce
 
Apple Juice
 
Tip from Kate: "My kids love turkey from the deli on whole wheat...one takes lettuce and mustard the other just butter with it :) carrots and ranch, pretzels and apple sauce are the guaranteed to get eaten foods."
 

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Good Morning Momma's!

I'm sorry that my posts have been less frequently lately, I've been getting pulled in every direction and trying to keep a good balance between life, love and happiness. You get the picture. :)

Everything is well with Owen and I and we have been spending many moments just cherishing time together before JK starts next week. Some of your little ones I know have started school already, how's been the first days back? And to the ones who are starting next week, are you prepared? :) Owen has everything he needs for back to school, and I have been meal planning for his first week back. That's what I will do this week... a test run for back to school lunch ideas! I will share them with you and you can give me your feedback and lunch ideas that you may have!

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week! x0x Suzanne







Thursday 22 August 2013

Our Painting








^^^Mommy + Owen^^^

One painting that I will never stop admiring. :) Enjoy your weekend!!

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Summer Salad


Peach season is here! this is a perfect little summer salad for you to try that is so simple to make! 

What you will need:

2 ripe peaches, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

1 half cup of blueberries

1 local honey ( or store bought )

1 handful of walnuts 

Instructions: 

Layer and alternate between peaches and avocado on a serving plate. Top with blueberries and walnuts, then drizzle with honey! How easy it this-- and believe me, its delicious!

Tuesday 20 August 2013

One Love

“And I can’t change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to, my love, my love, my love: She keeps me warm, she keeps me warm, she keeps me warm”
Amazing how music and lyrics can have such an impact and also mean such different things to different people. Macklemore- One Love has been mine and Owen’s favorite song to sing to this summer.
To me, it is the importance of love and legalizing same sex marriage , and to Owen, he hears “she keeps me warm” and thinks of his Mommy.
At the end of this song “Love is patient, love is kind” Owen and I sing together. We smile with such love.
Amazing what one song can do.

Monday 19 August 2013

Have you done everything that you wanted to do this summer?

At the beginning of summer I created a short list of things I wanted to do/accomplish here they are:

1. Finish course work for Childbirth Education
2. Birth Observations
3. Prenatal Classes sit in-teach
4. Work 
5. Travel
6. Day Trips
7. Spend more time on the beach with Owen
8. Try new recipes
9. Meet new people

I've accomplished my list, and them some. 

I finished my course in Childbirth Education and am currently waiting to write my final exam in October. I have had several job offers, even in other cities that I am seriously considering. I worked hard to finish 2 year program in less than one year. There were many late nights, but I did it. :)

For work, I had the opportunity to work for a great friend, and now a lawyer. I've also been paid to do what I love- which is write! :)

This summer I wasn't able to do as much travelling as I wanted to due to my course and trying to finish on time, but I did manage to make several trips to Toronto and Burlington, and will be heading to Chicago very soon with my friend Michelle! :)

Day Trips- Owen and I have taken many to Port Stanley and back home to enjoy the beach.

Which also takes care of number 7. :) The beach was such a big part of my summer when I was younger. We had a pool growing up and I could probably swim better than I could run, I was a little mermaid. We also had the beach practically in our backyard. Almost every day was spent there. It is such a calm and peaceful place to me with wonderful memories, I want the same for Owen.

Owen and I tried many new recipes this summer, we baked, we cooked, we barbecued! :) He's a wonderful little helper! Our summer favorite would have to be barbecued pineapple! It pretty much goes with everything from chicken to ice cream! If you haven't tried it... Please do.

9. Done. I've met many new friends and got caught up with old ones. I'm very lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life, and in Owen's.

Other things that we did this summer-- Owen joined soccer and it was adorable to watch. I introduced him to baseball, football and golf. I've had the joyous opportunity to start writing for Baby Organic Joy. I've had the opportunity to connect with many companies, and write for them as well. 

All in all-- Its been a great summer.

If you have a list of things that you wanted to do this summer, there's still a couple of weeks left! Go do them! :)

Thursday 15 August 2013

Have you been putting off buying your preschooler a lunchbox, backpack, pencil case etc? If so, you are not the only one. I have been purchasing his must-haves for school I'd say for about a month. I cry almost every time I reach the cash register, and I turn to Owen and say "can't you stay little forever?" I almost wished I would have done all the shopping at once, almost like ripping off a band-aid, but instead, I torture myself through 5 trips to the store. It has not been easy.

When I ask Owen if he can stay little forever, he first says, " Ok, sure." Just to please me. Then follows up with "If I stay small I can't turn into a superhero!" That is what he wants to be when he grows up, a superhero. I ask him if hes going to become a superhero to take care of me, and he replies with "No, because you are supermommy!" Apparently he knows me well enough that I don't need saving. Either that, or it has to do with the fact that one morning while we were chatting in my room, talking about superheroes, a light bulb went off in my head and I told Owen that I in fact was a superhero. I told him to close his eyes as I grabbed a Robin Halloween costume that I wore one year, threw it on quickly, and when I came out of the bathroom his mouth dropped! Lol. I gave him my cape and other parts of my costume to wear, he was over the moon with excitement. 
The things we do to make our kids smile. 

Anyway, getting a little off topic. :)  Back to my wows of being a Mom of a soon to be Junior Kindergarten'er, if you're struggling with this too, you're not alone. I don't think it is ever going to be easy seeing Owen grow up, and I'm not sure why it is so hard. I'll cry some more for the next month or so, and the day I drop him off will be one of the most tearful, that I am sure. 

I will keep in mind that I want this to be an exciting time for Owen, and I don't want him confused why every time we bring up JK I'm on the verge of crying. I want this to be a positive experience.

So there, if you're having a hard time like I am-- Save your tears for me. I'll be here to chat if you need me, and hey, I may need you too! :)

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Read Together

From when Owen was in my tummy, up until this present day, we have always made time for reading. We love to pick out new books, and read our favorites over and over again. Owen has a incredible vocabulary for a 3 and a half year old, and I’m positive that our early reading has contributed to this.
When you first start to read with your baby choose a time where you’re little one is alert and engaged.  Choose appropriate age books,  and books with rhymes are really well received by children.
When Owen was only a few months old I would use puppet books like the one found here:
Touch and feel books are great too:
( We have both of the above)
Water resistant books are great too, as when your baby is teeting- pretty much everything will end up in their mouth.
Here is a cute teething book:
As Owen grew older about 1-1/2 he really loved rhyming books, “Read Me a Book” by Barabra Reid was a favourite, we read this story over and over again for a good 6 months:
Today when we read Owen asks one thousand and one questions, so I’ve changed our 5 or 6 books before bed, to 3 or 4. I do this because I want to answer every single little question he has, I want him to enjoy reading and the way kids learn is by asking questions. If you skip over their questions, your kids will become less interested, and so will you. Take your time—pick fewer stories.
If you are interested in reading some books that we recommend ( fun for kids and parents ) refer back to my previous post here:
 Happy Tuesday Everyone! :)

Monday 12 August 2013

Photo's from the last few days :)








                                                                   ^^^Port Stanley^^^

                                                             ^^^Burlington^^^
                                                          ^^^Sunday fun-day ^^^ :)

Friday 9 August 2013

A Work Of Heart


One morning I was browsing through Instagram while enjoying my morning coffee, when I came across a painting of a mother and baby giraffe. What caught my eye was this beautiful painting, but what attracted my full attention was that this painting along with many others were being sold by A Work Of Heart, a small online business that sells artwork and donates a portion to building projects in Kenya.
Immediately I contacted the founder Laura Armstrong and I asked if she would be able to create a superhero painting for Owen, she gladly agreed, and the picture below says a thousand words. Owen could not have been more excited to have received such an incredible piece, and he will grow to know and learn the importance of this artwork.

So impressed with Laura, and her team at A Work Of Heart, I asked her if she would send me a little background on herself and how A Work Of Heart came about, this is what she had to say.
        “If you were to ask me how I came up with the idea to start ‘A Work of Heart,’ I can pin point it back to two moments during a trip to Kenya, a few years ago.
 I was standing in a run down internet cafe, looking at a small selection of postcards for sale. The one that stood out was a Zebra standing in stream of water. I told my teammate I was going to paint it. My team mate who didn’t believe I knew how to paint, told me that if I did, he would buy it. I had never considered selling my paintings before. I painted as hobby.
 Later during my trip I met a little girl named Doris. She lived in the local slum I was working in. She wasn’t attending school, and getting herself in very grown up trouble. This was certainly going to lead to a bleak future for her. It was down right heart breaking to observe.
 When I sold my Zebra painting, I used the money to sponsor Doris for one year. Doris is now in boarding school, receiving three meals a day, a place to sleep at night, and achieving an education that can take her miles away from the drug filled streets of the slum she lived in.
 I loved how my art not only sold, but did something for someone.
 I wanted to do it again.
 I made a Facebook group showing pictures of my work. Anyone could send me a photo and I would turn into it a piece of art. I would then give a portion of my earnings to, Living Positive Kenya (the charity I volunteered with while in Kenya).
 Since then I have raised enough money to renovate the charities daycare and I am in the process of purchasing  1/8th of an acre of farmland.
 A Work Of Heart is about causing positive change from personal success. We all have the potential to be successful, and then use it to make a difference.
 I look at my paintings and don’t see just art, I see a charity being supported, I see Daycare’s being built, I see a little girl getting the chance to go to school.
 I see change.
 It’s not just a piece of art, it’s a work of heart.”

Teary-eyed after reading this, you can see the passion and compassion this young lady has. With the help from Tetley and One Method, Laura was able to take her organization to the next level. Shown here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBfBlKfjmLA)
This is only the beginning for Laura and A Work Of Heart. Thank you again for this incredible piece of work, we will cherish it always.
Please visit: www.aworkofheart.ca
Follow on Instagram @aworkofheart3
Or on Facebook www.facebook.com/aworkofheart3




Wednesday 7 August 2013

After my beauty summer picks from Clinique, I had quite a few people ask me what mascara I use, and if I wear false lashes. To answer the second question, I do not wear false lashes, these are 100% my own.  Although I think lash extensions are absolutely beautiful, I am not at the point to splurge on them just yet. Below are two mascara’s I use and recommend.

Estee Lauder has always been a family favorite for many of their products, and I have been lucky enough to receive their products as gifts over Christmas or birthdays. I say “lucky” because they are a little pricey, and my absolute favorite mascara is one of the most expensive that they offer--go figure! If mascara is a cosmetic product that you splurge on, then Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara would have to be my favorite Mascara. I have been wearing Estee Lauder’s products since I was about 16 years old. I find that this mascara you only need to apply once, holds up all day, and really gives me that full length and volume that opens up my eye.
On the search for a more budget friendly product that will give me the results that I’m looking for, I tried Flamed out by COVERGIRL and I absolutely love it! This mascara will give you length + volume to give you the full lash you are looking for and bonus- it cost about a quarter of the price compared to the Sumptuous Extreme. I had to apply twice to achieve the length and volume I wanted, but that is pretty standard for most mascaras.
Any other questions or comments, feel free to email me! J
Find Estee Lauder products at The Bay or Sears and COVERGIRL at most retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, and Walmart.

http://babyorganicjoy.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/why-breastfeeding-matters/

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Breast Feeding Matters

There is no question that breast milk contains everything that your baby needs for the first 6 months of their life. Breast milk contains nutrients and essential vitamins to promote healthy brain development and prevents risks of ear, chest and stomach infections, prevents diarrhea, Crohn's disease, colitis, SIDS and the risk of obesity later on in life.

Breast milk is always available, at the right temperature, and promotes healthy bonding between you and your baby.

Once your baby is born, the feedings will be frequent, and shorter in duration, ( this is where having their crib close to your bed comes in handy) as their little bodies mature and develop, and as their tummy's grow, their feedings will become less frequent and longer in duration. If you are worried that your baby isn't getting enough breast milk, here are some guidelines: To give you an idea your baby's stomach in only about the size of a cherry when they are born. Look for at least one wet diaper, and one soiled diaper the first day, on day two, at least 2 wet diapers, and by day 7, your baby should be having at least 6 wet diapers and 3 soiled diapers by this point. 

Having encouragement and support around you is also important. When I was pregnant, my mother would brag to me about how wonderful and easy breast feeding was for her, that she could feed, pump, have extra milk stored in the fridge. To me it all sounded so simple, and I remember thinking- breastfeeding will be a breeze! Boy, was I wrong! Owen was a sleepy baby and would fall asleep almost immediately, I was having a hard time latching, he preferred one breast to the other, it became frustrating, I was tired, and feeling down.

 Here is a valuable lesson that I learned through all of this, don't be afraid to ask for help. I contacted the local health unit, and had a visiting nurse come by the home to help me stimulate Owen, to keep him awake and interested. She showed me different breast feeding positions and surprisingly, the "football hold" (go figure), worked! A few days passed since the last visit with visiting the  nurse and even though I thought I had breastfeeding down to a science, I still involved myself in a close by breastfeeding group. Although Owen and I were on our way to breastfeeding successfully, it was still great to hear that other Mother's were going through the same trouble with breastfeeding like I was. It was good to feel like I was not the only one, it was a good way to meet other mothers, and learn some valuable tips. 

Breastfeeding and bonding with your baby is one of the most pleasurable aspects of motherhood and infant care. Enjoy it. :)

If you are interested in joining a breastfeeding group, La Leche League is a great resource to use, as they have mother to mother support groups and education, tips and tricks of breastfeeding. To find a group near you, you can visit their website at http://www.lllc.ca/




 
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