Entertaining Tips

Hey Guys,

Regardless of how many kids you have, having people over can be overwhelming. My boyfriend and I have people over all the time, and Ill admit it, as stressed out as I get, i love it! After I had Kayden, i realized it is not as easy as it use to be. Here are some tips to help you make it a little easier. I start planning 2-4 weeks before the event

Make a list
I know this sounds so obvious, but it is constantly overlooked. I make a list for everything, food, plates, decor etc. I like buying items slowly so i love going down my list and crossing items off if i see them on sale or if i have a quiet weekend. A list will remind you What you need to do. i am constantly adding things to it, and if i didnt write it down i would never remember. My boyfriend got me into making lists on my phone, which is so handy! It is always on me and i know i won't loose it.

Have something for everyone
Sonetimes when you have people coming over there are some dietary restraints, so try to have a few dishes that you know everyone will enjoy. For instance if we have a vegetarian over, i make sure there are plenty of neutral snacks and appetizers that everyone can enjoy e.g. cheese platter, chips, spring rolls etc. That way no one feels uncomfortable or that they cant participate.

Drinks
It is so easy to rack up a high bill when buying drinks. Ill admit we go a bit crazy when we buy alcohol. Our friends dont drink a lot of pop which saves us some money. We try to get a good idea of What people like to drink. We love white wine, so even if we dont finish the bottle, that is something we would definetly drink. Dont be afraid to buy wine that is on sale, unless they are a wine connoisseur they probably wont be able to tell the difference.

Food
Its hard to know how much food to make or buy. I like to do a mix of buying things from the store and making things from scratch. I try to have a dip of some kind, whether its veges and dip or chips and dip. That helps eliminate stress. Another favorite of mine is a cheese and meat plate. I always try to incorporate atleast 1 homemade appetizer. It doesn't have to he extravagant, you could even do a homemade dip.
If i do a dinner, i always try to make the desserts the night before. Because baking is so specific, i like to do it when i am calm and i have no distractions i.e. when Kayden is sleeping. I understand that baking isnt everyones forte, so go ahead and buy baked goods from the store.
With dinner i like the main dish to be the spotlight. I try to have some variety so people dont feel like they need to have 1 thibg. For instance for a starch ill do rolls and mashed potatoes/ rice. Have a vegetable, salad, and a fun or different side you wouldnt normally make.

Have something for children
I know all of our friends dont have kids, so there are times when Kayden has no one to play with and is surrounded by adults. Thank God for our PVR. I always ensure we have his favorite shows available for him to occupy his time, and his favorite snacks. For the most part, that holds him over. I also try to have something for him to do as well, a craft, special toy or music for him to dance to. Often i am cooking and Curtis is in charge of mingling with the guests, so whenever I can keep Kayden occupied it is so much easier on us.

Nivea All in One Facial Cleansing Lotion Review

Hey Guys,

Awhile ago I got a sample for the Nivea All in One Facial Cleansing Lotion.
I was excited to try it because I love Nivea products.  They are extremely moisturizing which i love during the fall and winter months.
Their package suggests that you massage it all over your face and remove with water or a cotton pad.
I tested out this cleanser two ways, first with my eye makeup removed and the second with ALL my makeup on.
When I removed my eye makeup then used the cleanser, it did take off all of my makeup, but there was something missing. My face didnt feel as clean. The second time i left all my makeup on and hopped into the shower. I used the facial cleanser and i fell in love! It took everything off, there wasnt one trace of makeup on my face. I didnt have a drying feeling on my face and i felt moisturized. I admit, that was deceiving, it felt so moisturizing i skipped applying my facial moisturizer. A few minutes later the tightness came! I love that I dont feel the need to immediately reach for my moisturizer and I can take my time getting out of the shower.
Before moving in with my boyfriend, my skin use to be so dry, within seconds of stepping out of the shower my skin use to feel tight and itchy. As of a few years ago my skin has changed. I do get some wiggle room between the time i step out of the shower and my skin tighting up.
 I love this product!! I would reccomend this product for anyone who has dry skin I love how moisturizering my skin instantly felt after washing my face.  I also love that i didnt have to pre-remove any makeup and it ALL came off. I can see this product being used everyday. It cleans deep enough that there is no makeup left but it is also gentle enough on your skin that it feels smooth refreashed.
With Nivea, a littke bit goes a long way. They sent me individual use packages, which originally I didnt think would be enough. However I was in the shower and wasn't going to hop out to get another package. I can't wven begin to tell you how wrong I was. Once again, a little bulit truly goes a long way. This product is so great at cleaning deep down that you dont need more then a pea sized amount.
Nivea is a brand that I personally love and everytime i try their products I am always happy. They smell amazing and they were the only brand that actually helped with my dry skin.
I wouldnt recommend this product for people with oily skin. I read a lot of people complaining that they broke out or that they actually produced more oil.

If you are in the market for a new cleansed of just want to try something bew, be sure to pick this up!

Children and TV

Hey Guys,

I am sure before your child(ren) were born you heard plenty of stories about TV being detrimental and it turning their brains into mush. I admit my boyfriend and i went back and forth on whether or not for the first year of Kaydens life, the tv should/shouldnt be on. He won.
For the past 2 years, i have been trying to find a happy medium. These are some of my guidelines and things to think about when deciding whether or not the tv should be on, or what the rules should be.

Be mindful of what they are watching
Kayden loves music and animals. Any show that has one of those elements he is in love. I try to play into those interests. That is one if the ways kayden has learned animals names and the sounds they make.

Age appropiate
I know this sounds odd at their age to be watching age appropriate shows but it makes a difference. Children need to learn the basics. There is no poibt in them watching a show that they dont understand. As annoyingg as BabyTv may be for the parents its something that is geared to them and will stimulate their senses. It can also help parents. I know there were times when i was running out of ideas of what to do with Kayden, and they had amazing suggestions and tips.
When you pick channels/shows that are for their age, it is easy to make it an interactive experience and they will be eager to repeat, immitate and 'join in'
Kayden is almost two and a half. Right now he is a sponge, whatever he sees or hears he immitates. For instance if my boyfriend is watching wrestling he will immitate the moves. Now it is much more important to be aware of what they are being exposed to. He doesn't understand that wrestling is pretend or that they are trained athletes.

Set limits
I know there are days when it seems like its easier to just turn on the tv and do your own thing, or even just relax. I try to have a balance for kayden in his day. I incorprate a lot of activities that kayden enjoys i.e. coloring, reading, playing outside etc. Set a limit of how much tv they can watch or what time of the day. It will help set boundries and hopefully prevent the constant question of when they can watch tv.

Make it interactive
It is so easy to turn on the TV and walk off, ill admit, i do it from time to time. But try to ask your children questions about the show they are watching. Ask them to repeat words, point out colors or even you can point out common objects. A lot of childrens television is educational, it is meant to teach kids something, which makes it easier to teach!

JustFab Review

Hey Guys,

I had seen a lot of ads running on tv about justfab.ca, i was always curious about their company and always wanted to make a purchase. I had seen a lot of mixed reviews online and decided to try it out myself .

How it works
When you sign up with your email address you do an online style quiz. They show you pairs of shoes and outfits, you then choose which one appeals to you. They also ask you questions about what outfits you would choose on a weekend, night out etc. They have different style profiles and will choose one that best suits you. On the 1st of every month they give you shoes, outfits and accessories based on your style profile. The average price is $39.95 but some pieces run higher. If you dont want to purchase an item you simply'skip the month', which i have done a few times.

My review
I have only purchased boots from there, both for specific occasions. I must say they were comfortable and stylish. They did run small when i wore socks (necessary in the cold canadian weather) so i suggest ordering half a size/size up if socks are a must. I wore my one pair a few times since i was able to dress it up or down and they are still in amazing shape and condition. Because they are coming from the states i did have to pay the exchange rate which i didnt care for but my order has always come within 2 business days.

The only downside is that they dont restock their items. If you dont purchase your size in time, there is no chance you will receive it.
They do charge you a fee for returning an item, and then credit your account.
There are different levels of VIP depending on the amount of money you spend. 1 point for every dollar you spend before taxes. There are different point levels which gets you exclusive sales and offers from justfab. The more you purchase the more benefits you receive.

Quo Beauty Sponge Review

Hey Guys,

We have all heard about the Beauty Blender. Every youtuber and beauty guru swears by it. I will admit the price turned me off. I don't wear makeup often (1-2x a week) so for me to shell out a lot of money didnt make sense to me. I was at shoppers one day and saw a Quo dupe. I had heard about dupes before and people fell in love with them, and for $6, who cares if it didnt work.

It looks like a beauty blender, with a flat bottom and a pointy top. For those who dont know how to use it, you run it under cold water until it is soaking wet. It will expand, so in actuality it is much larger then what appears in the package. Squeeze out all the water and then use it. A beauty sponge it suppose to give you a flawless and natural finish to your foundation, concealer and other makeup products. I have never used a foundation brush, always my fingers. Once i used my beauty sponge i fell in love. I got many compliments about my foundation and makeup. Alot of people told me they wouldnt have thought i was wearing foundation at all. I was told the quo sponge uses more foundation then the Beauty blender, so beware.
I have gotten into the habit of cleaning my makeup brushes regulary but i find my quo sponge takes forever. Everytime i need to clean it multiple times and im never satisfied.
The flat bottom is perfect for foundation and blends fast and seamlessly. The pointy end is perfect for under the eye and those hard the blend areas.
All in all i think if you are hesitant about shelling out $20 for a Beauty Blender or are on a budget you should give this a try

Why I caved and got a Keurig

Hey guys,

So a few months ago i purchased a keurig! I must say it was the best decission i ever made. I went back and forth a lot, but my boyfriend pushed me to buy it.
In the summer curtis worked the night shift. I would always have coffee ready for him when he came home. Most days he would come home exhausted and fall asleep with a full cup of coffee in his hand. I ended up dumping out a whole pot of coffee most days. That is when i first presented the idea of getting a keurig. I could make one cup at a time and we would be saving more money. He would wake up around lunchtime, or later so some days he wouldnt have coffee.
Then he switched to a daytime shift. So we went back to our coffee pot brewing ways.
 As any mom of a toddler knows, by late afternoon fatigue sets in. I found myself half awake, just trying to make it through the afternoon. i never wanted to brew a whole pot of cup so the keurig was starting to look pretty good.

As you can see there are multiple reasons why i loved the keurig brewing system. It was convenient and customizable to each person. We mostly use the keurig on weekends. We use it for our morning coffee and sometimes in the afternoon if we need a pick me up. We have a single serve resevoir, and for now it is perfect. Since we so not use it daily, we dont need water to sit in the machine, which could possibly be for a week at a time.
I only had one issue with the keurig since i bought it, which was water leaking all over my counter. I called customer service and they were able to resolve my issue and taught me about my machine. I learned you need to use room temperature water. It takes less time to warm up and will not leak all over the counter.
Pods can be quite expensive, costing $10 for a box of 12. If you have a costco membership it can be a lifesaver! I did the math and i would save $20 when purchasing a box from there.
All in all i love it! I wish i had purchased a keurig sooner and i definitely see what all the hype is about! It is fast, convenient and there are so many drink options, there is something for everyone!

Im back

Hey Guys

I know its been awhile since i blogged, but i have been busy and done a lot of self reflecting.
Holiday season is officially done, and it was our first real holiday as a family. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner, had people stop by for christmas and had a fun traditional christmas morning.
I went back and forth about whether or not i should blog. Not because i didnt enjoy it, but rather i felt overwhelmed. I had a lot going on in my personal life and i didnt want to publish posts that i wasnt passionate about.
The more i sat back and felt like the pieces were going back together i thought of some blog posts i wanted to do and couldnt help but come back to blogging