Gift Guide for Children

Hey Guys,

With holiday season around the corner (some consider it now), many struggle with keeping their children balanced. For the past two years Kayden has had a low key Christmas. His gifts haven't been extravagant, but as he is getting older he is becoming more aware of what holidays are about.

Curtis and I are lucky that we are on the same page about what holidays should be about i.e. family and religion. Christmas can quite easily be about getting a bunch of gifts, rather then it being a celebration. I never want my child to be overly spoiled or ungrateful. I have seen families buy so many gifts for their children that they loose track of the gifts they have bought, and find them hidden somewhere months later, not my impression of the holidays.

Curtis has no family in Canada, and my family doesn't celebrate Christmas, even if they did they wouldn't join us. Christmas is always a special time for our family and regardless of our financial situation we have always made the best of it.

With Kayden getting older I wanted some guidelines on how to approach gift buying, this is what I found

Buy something they want

Every kid wants something impractical that usually costs a lot. This is what I consider to be the 'main gift'.

Get them something they need

This is what parents pick out for their children. It's usually practical and something that children dread seeing

Something they can read

Something they can wear

I love all of these categories. It allows children to receive presents, enjoy that aspect of the holidays but it also keeps them balanced. It gives children gifts they want as well as parents giving them what they feel they need. A little fun with a little education.

As kayden gets older there will be two additional categories.

Something to do as a family within the home

This includes a board game, movie etc. This gift benefits the whole family. It is usually something the whole family would enjoy and is non-stressful.

Something to do as a family outside the home

This may include a nice dinner out, going to the park, seeing a movie, playing mini golf etc. I know for many families going out and doing these activities is cobsidered special. Its nice to go out and not have to celebrate a birthday anniversary etc and do something out of the ordinary.

Tips for saving $$ on children's clothes

Hey guys,

As the mother of a two year old toddler I know how expensive it is to buy clothes for you little one. I did a post a few months ago in the summertime about how to save money when you have young children, because the costs can add up quickly. I know one of the best things to do as a mother is buy clothes for my little one and just dress him up. Because we all know been a few years he's gonna have an opinion and is gonna buy what he wants and wear what he wants to wear.

Unfortunately at this age children grow so fast. I'm so lucky that he is at the stage now where he is the same size for about one year which makes it a lot easier and makes it less stressful to purchase clothing because I know it'll last a lot longer than before. I decided to share some of my tips for buying clothes.

Sign up for emails to your favorite stores

 We all have favorite stores we like to go to for our little one's, mine are, The children's Place, Osh Kosh and Joe Fresh. All of these stores have stylish clothing at affordable prices. There are so many benefits to signing up to their email program (if you don't mind getting an e-mail everyday). Many of these stores have online exclusives, which are amazing deals. You get access to sales that many don't, with many perks. For instance 50% outerwear, 50-75% off of clearance items etc. Even when you shop for clothes, items can be expensive, so whenever you can save money on daily/seasonal items I will take it. Usually these stores will have a different theme every week, which can be easy on your pocket. The stores also give you a heads up about sales going on in stores, so you are the first to know and can beat the crowds!

Take advantage of seasonal sales

We all love dressing up our kids in cute pumpkin shirts, and have shirts with cute christmas saying's on them. One of the thing's I don't like doing, is shelling out $20 for a top he will only wear for one month. What we often forget as parent\s, is that stores need to get rid of their merchandise before the holiday arrives. For instance, halfway through October, I was getting sales for Halloween items. One of the great things is you are getting fashionable themed clothing at a discounted price. Often times I love buying a size up so Kayden can have stuff for next year. This is applicable for anything, shorts, t-shirts, jackets etc. The great thing about children's clothing, is it doesn't go out of style over a year. To be honest, I see the same christmas pj's online that Kayden wore 2 years ago. That just shows children's fashion takes a full circle. 

You don't always have to buy name brand clothing

As parents we want the best for our children. We often want to buy our children Nike, Ralph Lauren etc. While their clothing is cute, there's often no point to it. I admit, I have bought a few brand name items for Kayden, but those are few. At this age children only wear clothing for about 3 months. Luckily I live in Canada, so sometimes I can stretch it out for a bit longer. Buying a sweater for 45$ that Kayden will wear a handul of times (if I am lucky), makes me want to sweat. Walmart is my friend. I know I know, when I was growing up, we would turn our noses up at that place. What changed my mind is Cityline. They often showcase fashion and one week they talked about Walmart. They improved their quality of clothing, and stepped their game up with fashion as well. I love buying pj's from there for Kayden. It's hard to find his size, but when I do, I jump on it. I don't always find clothing that I love for kayden, but if you search I am sure all of you can find something. Their clothing is reasonably priced, and it does last a long time. They also have a gurantee, that the clothing won't wear out before your child outgrows it.

How I clean my makeup brushes

Hey Guys!

I'm sure if any of you wear makeup, you know how important it is to clean your brushes. I'll be honest, I use to be horrible at this. I wanted to find a quick and easy way to wash my brushes and also something that didn't break the bank. The way I did it previously just didn't make the cut. I always had makeup left on my brushes, which isn't hygienic at all. I decided to take to google ( my lifesaver) and see what they had to offer.

I came across a website that suggested using baby shampoo and warm water. I thought to myself this is exactly what I have in my house Bristol using baby shampoo on Kaden so why not just try it out. So I decided to share with all of you this new way I have been clean my makeup brushes that is quick easy and inexpensive.

So I take a old yogurt container that I am no longer using and I fill it up with warm water. the amount of water you need will depend on how many make up brushes you are washing. 

 

 

Because I've gotten into the habit of washing my brushes after every use I fill it up about 1/4 of the way I pour a tiny bit of baby shampoo and a tiny bit honestly goes a long way, then add a bit more water.

 

 I dip my brushes into the water, make sure to only get the bristles in the water, and I swish it around for about 10 seconds and then I rinse it under the warm water.

 

 I continue to do this with all of my brushes.

For me this is the most convenient and cost-efficient way to clean my brushes. The last thing I want to do is go out and have to buy a specific cleaner for my make up brushes. baby shampoo/wash runs for about $5 maximum where I am and I always have it in the house because of Kayden. I never have to worry about running out of it. It is gentle on my bristles and so far I haven't had any makeup residue.

Adventures in Potty training

Hey Guys!

So for almost a month I have been potty training Kayden. I decided to discuss the whole process with all of you, and hopefully share some of my insight.

How to know when they are ready

Kayden started verbalizing a lot more. Everytime I changed his diaper I would say whether he peed or took a poo. This help familiarize him with the differences between the two. We were also going through less wet diapers. It would be lunchtime and I often wouldn't have changed it unless he took a poo. This meant his bladder was growing and he was able to hold his pee for longer which was great. Kayden would also tell me when he peed. He would grab the front his diaper and wouldn't like how it felt. I knew it was time to get things started.

What you need

Pull ups and diapers (30$ for size 2T-3T and you get 74 in a box)

Potty seat ( We got ours online for about $14)

Wipes for the toilet (when you child poo's, they work great for toilets because they wont clog them) $3

Underwear (pack of 4 for $10)

Treat/reward

What I did

We started on a weekend because his dad was home and was able to help out. At first Kayden freaked out whenever we put him on the toilet. He didn't understand what was happening, but we continued to reassure him. We started using pull ups unless we were going out or Kayden was napping. We refer to them as underwear, and started saying that we don't pee/poo in them. The weekend was hard, he didn't actually pee in the toilet until atleast 3 days later. I was frustrated as well. The first week we put him on the toilet every 20 minutes, then 30 minutes the next week and so on. This allowed for a natural increase in the amount of time in between bathroom visits and he hasn't noticed that he needs to hold for a longer amount. Some people use stickers then give their child a reward after they get a certain amount. We chose to give kayden a small treat. Right now we are using skittles, 1 skittles when he pee's and 2 when he poo's. It has worked wonders for us. He is so motivated to use the toilet and runs to the bathroom when I tell him it's time to pee. It is true what you hear, you need to cheer loudly an make it seem like they did the greatest thing ever. Now I've toned it down it down quite a bit, I still cheer when Kayden does go to the bathroom but now he knows that he's done a good job so he does a thumbs up and he gets excited himself. The great thing is on the weekend his dad's home so his dad makes a really big deal out of it because he's not here during the weekdays to celebrate those moments so there's still a lot of excitement for Kayden.

Review on products

The first brand of training pants we bought was pampers and I will tell you I do not care for their version of it at all. One of the biggest things we did not like was we had trouble knowing which was the front and which was the back. On the box there was no clear distinction of how to put them on, I actually had to google it myself. I then found out the pattern that does need to remain at the front because that will fade once your child has soiled the diaper. Another thing I did not care for was the sides of the training pants. One of the things that Parents will find when they are potty trained their child is the ease of opening the sides if they do happen to make a mistake and go to the bathroom in a training pants. Kayden is amazing at peeing in the toilet, the one thing that I am trying to get him comfortable with is pooping in the toilet. He has expressed to me that he is scared, I don't know exactly what he is scared of but that is something I am working with him on. As a result he does still poop in his training pants and I did find when opening the side you really have to pull on them and you really do see a clear distinction between training pants and diapers and it is so difficult to open up the side you almost yanking it. And once you have opened up the sides you cannot close it back up it's basically opened it and then you gotta throw it out so that part was not a plus in my box.

I personally do not have a preference when it comes to diapers. I bought Huggies because it was on sale and it was something that I was able to easily find in my local Walmart. I was under the impression before purchasing Huggies that the pampers style was the style of training pants everywhere. I was so relieved to find out that Huggies was a million times better then pampers. One of the major pluses was a clear distinction with the front and the back of the training pants. Huggies clearly stated back on the training pants are there was no confusion. The pattern for the front of the training pants was bigger and it was more clear when it comes to your child to soiling the training pants. there was a picture within a circle and it was so much easier and quicker to read whether not the child has soiled the training pants then peppers. Also the sides of the training pants were quite similar to a diaper. If I would compare it to anything I would probably say it's almost like a Velcro and the great thing about it was if you did open it as a diaper you could quite easily close it back up and you would feel confident that it was still secure on your child.

Because we live in an apartment buying something for kayden to train on was difficult. Experts say it's important for toddlers to only use the potty in the bathroom so they associate going to the bathroom with that room. Also, once you take the toilet out of the room, and place it in the kitchen, bedroom, hallway etc for instance it can become a toy. We decided to get the seats that fit on top of the toilet. It helped save on space and Kayden loves it. There are two handles on the side for kayden to hold onto, and we can tuck it away nicely when he is not using it. With a tiny bathroom it such been such a relief that it doesn't clutter up the space.

My thoughts

Potty training is exhausting. You are constantly getting up and sometimes chasing after your toddler because they think it's a game. Sometimes you think they are never going to catch on, and yes, I have a few days where kayden rarely pees in the toilet and I feel like I'm back peddling. You honestly need to take it one day at a time and im just focusing on Kayden staying dry in the daytime. I don't want to overwhelm anyone. I keep it short and sweet on the toilet. I don't force him to sit if he's fussing because it's counterproductive. He knows there's an incentive if he goes and that's enough.

Latest Obsession

As a mom, getting 'glam' everyday isn't an option. I hate to say it, but no makeup, comfy clothes with my hair up is my daily look. I know I know, I've heard it all before, I'm letting myself go, I'm not taking care of myself etc. But to be honest, since my son was born, my boyfriend has had a hectic and abnormal work schedule. His schedule changes every week, which means some weeks I'm with kayden all day and other weeks for half the day. Running after a toddler and a Maltese while maintaining a household isn't the easiest.

Nevertheless, like any girl, I like to get out of my sweats/workout clothes and enjoy a good pair of heels and having my hair done. One of the things I've gotten reintroduced to is lashes. The past few months I've really taken the time to update my makeup collection and buy things for myself and not feel guilty about it. My boyfriend urged me to buy lashes, and try them out.

Since I have made this purchase, I look forward to special occasions. I am not a super glam person while running errands so I leave my lashes for those times when I want to dress up, for instance, thanksgiving, anniversaries, birthdays etc.

My go to lashes are the individuals. The reason I love them is because I already have long lashes, and after applying mascara it takes my lashes to another level. I use 3-4 individual lashes to fill in the gaps, and my lashes instantly look full, stand out more, and look fluffy. It doesnt take much for my lashes to go to another level so this is perfect. For myself personally, I find individual lashes easier to apply, as it takes less time and requires less concentration. I personally love my lashes standing out more on the edges where my lashes tend to not stand out as much.

One of the main things I love is how natural they look. Because I use them to fill in the gaps to give a cohesive look, they blend in seamlessly, and look like they are part of my own lashes.

Individual lashes are also much cheaper then regular lashes. Regular lashes run for about $10-15$ whereas I can get a pack of individuals for about $6.

I have seen people say that individual lashes are much more difficult to apply then a strip but I feel the opposite! A few lashes go a long way (for me atleast) and I have had a better experience overall with individuals.

Dole Chopped Salad Kit

Hey Guys!!

You all know I love YouTube videos. I was watching a vlog and Jenn Brooks was raving about Dole Salad Kits. I normally don't rush out to buy things, but her comments convinced me this is something I needed to try. I am not the biggest fan of pre-packaged salad kits as I feel they taste wilted, lack flavor and are over priced.

Dole Salad Kits proved me wrong. Firstly, the packaging is so simple and compact. You open the bag just like a chip bag, there is separate packaging for the added ingredients( in my case it was tortilla chips and dressing).

I will say, the chopped up salad wasn't my cup of tea. You couldn't poke your fork in it, you had to scoop it up.

There is so much flavor packed into this little salad. I added the smallest amount of chicken, but you could quite easily omit protein and not miss it.

The great thing about the salads is that they taste delicious, and you can quite easily get full with them. I know for myself personally, these salads will come in handy on those busy hectic days. There are tons of times when Kayden is acting up, and this is a quick and easy meal..

The salad is also low in calories for half the bag it's 150 cal of course if you add some protein to it the calorie count will go up I'm sure, they do give you tons of dressing your salad is easily quite coated in the dressing.

The only negative about these solid kits, is how expensive they are. I don't know what the prices in the USA, but the price here in Canada is about five dollars for a bag. Finding a variety of flavors isn't easy either.

I am sure this will be a staple in my fridge and be a life saver during those crazy moments!

I did find another brand, that is similar to these kits called Fresh Express and they had an asian inspired salad which was delicious! I wish they had more flavors in Canada, but so far I havent gotten tired of my bbq ranch salad. I did find if you shop around a little, you can get them for about $3.99 in canada, which is the lowest I have seen it.

Just a tip ladies, guys love this as well! My boyfriend took a bite and loved it as well. My boyfriend isn't a big salad guy ( what guy is?) and only gravitates towards cesar salad's, but I am sure, if I added chicken to this and gave it to him for dinner, he would love it!

How to get through Toddler sick days

This past week Kayden got sick for the first time since he was one month old. As a mother, this was the first time he was sick, so I was worried. He didn't sleep much and didn't have much appetite. The medicine Curtis got, wasn't Kayden's cup of tea. They were nose drops that did help, but Kayden refused to take them again, so that didn't help. The next day he got a bit of a cough so I got some children's Tylenol in banana berry flavor, and I saw an improvement, thank you Tylenol!!

I decided to compile a list of things to get through a toddlers sickness, because it's not easy.

1. Be prepared to be tired

I am utterly exhausted as I write this. Kayden didn't sleep at all last night, and his naps have been all over the place. I napped when I could last night (4 hours of sleep) and today Starbucks was needed. Being a toddler he needed extra attention and cuddles.

2. Medicine

Have the basic medication in your cabinet, this will be a time saver. Since kayden turned 2 a few days ago, infant Tylenol wasn't going to cut it. I ran over to the pharmacy an picked up children's tylenol. We usually have tylenol stocked in our cabinet, which has come in handy a few times when he was teething. When kayden came down with a cold, he literally woke up from a nap and and had a runny nose. If you have certain things in your cabinet it'll be easier to tackle it from the begining. Try to also get a medicine that has a flavor that your child does enjoy, it'll make it so much easier for your child to take that medicine. Tylenol for infants it was white grape flavor and Kayden couldn't stand it but unfortunately it was all that we could buy so it made it difficult for him to take it. This time I got banana berry and Kayden is obsessed with bananas if you put banana and anything he will gobble it up and I didn't have to fight him at all he took the medicine so easily.

3. Prepare for anything

When kayden gets sick (it's only happened twice) he doesn't have much appetite and all he wants to do is sleep. The only time he is fussy is when he is exhausted and needs a nap. Sometimes you get a whole new personality when your child is sick, so be prepared for anything, diarrhea, vomiting, only wanting certain foods etc. Today I was lucky that kayden ate a cookie, that's about all he ate. He was very quiet, but despite everything, he wanted to be outside constantly.

4. Tv/Movies

As a child I remember the best thing about being sick was being able to lay in front of the TV and just watch endless amounts. That is the exact same thing I have done with Kayden because honestly it has calmed him down and he is just relaxed. Cadence favorite show is curious George, so we always have those on the PBR and we have a few curious George movies. We have put them on the coach with his favorite stuffed animal, which is a monkey no surprise, and he's also late up in our bed. We have a blanket for him And he just loves being close to either his dad for me, his dad was working last night so it was just me and him cuddling in the bed. I had Curious George on and I mustve played the movie at least three times in the past 24 hours and the day is not even done, but he just sits there and he laughed and he has a good time and he totally forgot that he is sick. So one of the greatest things is for him to sit down and just enjoy himself and he will stand been like dancing play a little bit as well when he seems to have the energy.

I will tell you from experience, regardless of any tips that anyone gives you it will always be difficult when your child is sick. To see your child in pain to see you child crying and you not being able to ease the pain as easily as if they had fallen is very difficult. It's also hard for the child themselves because sometimes they don't even understand this concept of being sick. Kayden hates getting his nose wiped right now because he's been getting it done since last night and he is just absolutely over it all he wants to do is be outside playing but he doesn't understand why is energy level is so low. To see you child's personality change can sometimes also be hard to come on located is extremely lazy doing certain point of the day he breaks down and cries a lot when he is extremely tired and he's also fighting trying to sleep thinking that he can stay up. You need to just fight through this as and if you are able to switch over to your partner and let them take over or call the family member or friend and allow yourself just to recuperate. When your child is sick You need to work harder and there so much more that you were doing and trying to balance. A lot of times Parents thing because you talk to sick your child to stop being lazy and sleeping in that's not the case I dog is so much more effort that goes into it when you tell this feeling under the weather.