I don't think I have come across a mom who has a kid these days under the age of 10 that doesn't love Disney's Frozen or that does love Voy Media. It has infiltrated every market
Read MoreGuess Whooo Is Turning Twooo? Amelia's Second Birthday Party
#THROWBACKTHURSDAY!
It is time to turn back the clocks 3 months and reminisce about Amelia's second birthday party. I think I thought of the theme for this one when I was searching for her first birthday party (which I will blog about another Thursday soon). I saw an invitation with "Guess Whooo Is Turning Twooo?" on it with the cutest little owl and I just thought it was the sweetest and most perfect theme for a 2-year-old birthday. And really there is never another perfect time. You can't do "Guess Whooo Is Turning Three?!?" It just doesn't work. And Amelia loves owls so really it was a big win! I started collecting things for months ahead of time so that I would be prepared. It was more of a forest/woodland owl theme with birch stumps and corkscrew hazel decor. I was actually able to turn a lot of the decor pieces into my Christmas and Winter decor which was perfect. I loved the look in the end!
We decided to have a family dinner the evening before with both sides of the family here for dinner, cake and presents. Then the next day we had a little party for her and 5 friends. It was a perfect number and went off without a hitch. We played a 'search for the hidden owls' throughout the house, created little owl pom-poms as a craft, ate mini pizzas for lunch and chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting for dessert. Then finished everything off with gifts. It was a great size with only a few friends and Amelia was happy and exhausted by the end of the 2-day event. She was one spoiled little two-year-old! Such generous family and friends!
I hope you enjoyed some of the photos and maybe get some inspiration for your next party!
xo Anna
Quick Tip Tuesday: Preserve Your Guacamole
This week's quick tip will ensure that your homemade guacamole from scratch or a mix is perfect every time!
Read MoreSt. Patrick's Day Toddler Art
Amelia and I are always dreaming up what she calls "special projects" while Molly is snoozing. Seeing as St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, I decided we needed to update our seasonal art frames
Read MoreSkip Hop Central Park Outdoor Blanket: My Favourite Thing
There is such a wide range of baby and kids products out on the market and it is super hard to filter through them all to find what is out there and what is worth buying; especially when you are a new mom.
Read MoreMagnetic Imaginative Play Board: Toddler Travel Game
Yesterday I posted about a whole Toddler Travel Kit, ideal for a road trip. I mostly packed specific things into a tub that I didn't have to make or prepare; however, there was 1 item that I made myself. The goal for me was to find things that Amelia (20 months at the time) would have fun doing for an extended period of time.
Read MoreToddler Road Trip Travel Kit
Is your little one a mover and a shaker? Does she hate being in her car seat? Does he scream until he falls asleep? No matter the personality of your toddler, travelling is difficult! So for our 11-hour journey...
Read MoreQuick Tip Tuesday: Sliced Apple On The Go
I may be a little weird but I am not a fan of eating apples whole. I like to cut them up into slices and not have to worry about the core. But apples are also super good for a snack on the go; especially for kids! So how do you bring an apple with you and have it ready to eat and sliced at the same time without going brown? Just prepare it at home by slicing the whole apple, including removing the core. Put the apple back together and tie an elastic around the outside. It is the perfect way to keep your apple slices fresh.
xo Anna
A Letter To My Nap-Losing Toddler
Dearest Amelia,
I want you to know that I love you. I love your sneaky grin, hilarious sense of humour, your willful nature, confidence, your sweet little voice when you want something, and the way you clutch my leg when you are shy.
Read More10 Reasons Why You Should Use A Weekly Menu
Ever since I became a mother, I have started using a visual weekly menu for our dinner meals. It is one thing that I would recommend everyone doing…and here is why:
- It will result in you throwing out WAY less food. If you plan your whole week ahead of time you can rollover items into the next meal. Eg. onions, peppers, lettuce etc.
- Even though you have to sit down for some time on the weekend to plan, it will actually save you time in the end because you won’t spend any time trying to figure out what you are going to make.
Track Your Baby's Food: The Beginning
Introducing solids for the first time to your baby is super fun, hilarious, entertaining, messy and ridiculously cute. It can also be extremely overwhelming deciding what to feed them first, how much, how to prepare it etc. Just like everything else about being a mom, EVERYONE has an opinion. And clearly their opinion is the one and only way to go about it.
Read MoreBloglovin'
You can now find me on Bloglovin', a super cool way to find new blogs and read all recent posts in one location.
9 Steps To Protect Your Toddler's Room From Your Toddler
Amelia's room when she woke up from her nap...it was immaculate when she went to sleep.
Yes, I know that typically you think of child-proofing as protecting your babies from the dangers in your home; however, I had quite the experience trying to do the opposite.
Some of my friends talk about how their little ducks go to sleep totally on their own and never leave their new toddler bed. Ha! I wish!
Read MoreRed Velvet Cheesecake Cake: A 30th Birthday Celebration
Everyone knows you can't have a birthday party without a birthday cake!
This last weekend I hosted a 30th Birthday dinner party for a good friend of mine. It was a small and lovely affair with lots of great food and wine.
Read MoreQuick Tip Tuesday: Upside Down Pineapple
You know how the bottom of your pineapple is always juicier and more flavourful than the top? Well no longer my friends! Just store your pineapple upside down and naturally the juices will be move down with gravity to the top. When you cut into it, the juices will be dispersed throughout the fruit. Summer is coming and pineapple is one of our favourites in this house. Happy flipping!
Sock Puppet Craft For Toddlers
As you all know, toddlers have the same attention span as a hummingbird at a feeder. Get it done (well only half way most of the time) as quick as possible and on to the next best thing! I am always searching for creative crafts for Amelia to do that are simple to prepare and do-able for her in a short period of time. There are tons of crafts for older toddlers with gluing, cutting and others that focus on more advanced fine motor. I want to make sure she is successful at what she is doing so that she doesn’t lose interest or get frustrated.
Read MoreAmelia's Guide On How To Be A Sibling
Ever since Molly came home from the hospital, Amelia has been absolutely obsessed with everything about her! It has been so wonderful to see their sister bond begin so beautifully. Molly thinks that Amelia is the funniest thing on the planet and Amelia wants to touch Molly as much as humanly possible. Because Amelia is just so 'keen' on Molly, I thought I would start a series of MEME's inspired by this obsession.
First tip on how to be a new sibling: Proximity is key!
xo Anna
6 Months of Breastfeeding - As Told By Your Baby
![By Kenny Louie from Vancouver, Canada (Hah! Uploaded by russavia) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5164321ae4b07ef0fe18726d/t/54e56593e4b070fd064bb430/1424319897405/)
By Kenny Louie from Vancouver, Canada (Hah! Uploaded by russavia) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Every baby seems to share the same thought pattern through the first 6 months of their life...
Month 1
“Mmmm this stuff is great! Let me just close my eyes and…zzzzzzzzzz…wait, Mom, why are you poking me?! I want to…zzzzzzzzzz…seriously just let me sleep!”
“I don’t know why you want me to open my mouth so wide…I can eat just fine from the tip!”
Month 2
“Ahhh…why are you squirting me in the face?!”
Read MoreQuick Tip Tuesday: Waiting Room Toddler Time Filler
I am not a big fan of surrendering my iPhone to my toddler when we are out and about as a time filler. First off, I am a huge germaphobe and I have heard so many nasty stories of what can be on a phone! One of those, 'I really don't want to investigate because it will creep me out and I will probably vomit' kinda things. Apart from that, I try to minimize screen time when I can.
My dear friend introduced the Melissa and Doug Water Wow! to me awhile ago and it is my go-to necessity that I carry with me in my diaper bag for those 'feel like you will never get in' waiting room, screaming in the stroller, and poking their sister in the eye moments...and many more! Your toddler just uses water to colour the many pages and once it dries they can reuse them again and again. They are only $5-7 each and are perfect for travelling or just on-the-go.
I want to start a list of where to purchase them because many people have asked me and they are actually quite hard to find.
Where have you seen them? Comment below with store and city.
xo Anna
Life Through 'Frozen' Goggles & 7 Signs You Have A Daughter In 2015
I know I probably need to just ‘Let it go’ but seriously, I don’t know how much more I can handle. Frozen has taken over my toddler...and there are no signs of it slowing down.
I didn’t think that at just 2, Amelia would be able to sit through even half of a movie and understand what was happening. I was somewhat on the right track…except for Frozen. Once she heard ‘Let it go’ at her daycare, she was officially hooked and the obsession has been growing ever since. Our house (as you can see in the pic) is being taken over. And who knows when or where the end will be! It is the only movie she can watch without moving a muscle from beginning to end. I have to admit, because I am a Disney movie fan at heart, I kinda like it. But it is beginning to rule my life.
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