Staying positive during pregnancy

Baby #2 is on her way! Pregnancy can be an amazing but also a challenging time. No one reminded me that doing all this with a child is WORK!! Also with so many physical and emotional changes happening, it's easy to feel overwhelmed or negative at times. 

 Here are some tips to help you stay positive during your pregnancy. *I'm using them too: 

Let's go thrifting for baby clothes!

Are you on the hunt for some great deals on baby clothes? 

Thrifting can be a great way to save money while also finding some unique and stylish pieces.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when thrifting for baby clothes. 

What To Ask on Your Daycare Tour?

Ava started daycare when she was 17 months. And I was very reluctant on sending her. Why? I worked from home and felt like I had to keep her home. BUT the truth was she needed little friends. Something that I couldn't give her (being an only child). So we started daycare part-time so she could have the best of both worlds. A bit of time with friends her age and home with mommy.

When it comes to picking a daycare every family has different needs, so you should know what is important to you way before you step foot into a facility. These might be small BUT very important questions to ask your daycare provider. 

Losing friends after having kids: My Thoughts

Here is the truth… Losing friends after having kids can be tough, but it's a common experience.

Sometimes we grow apart. 

Sometimes we’re headed in a different direction. 

Surviving the fourth Trimester

When I was told "Beware of the fourth trimester" I had NO idea what people were talking about. But it's an important part for your mental health and wellbeing. The fourth trimester the period after giving birth is a challenging time for parents. 

Not only do you have to help your baby adjust to life outside the womb, but you may also find yourself overwhelmed by fatigue, pain, and uncertainty. 

Five things I will never do as a first time mom

Being a first time mom was something. Something good. Something INTERESTING. For one you get to really know who your village is/what its composed of. You get to see your limits- your partner’s limits… sometimes you impress yourself. Other times man it’s a fail. Either way it’s a learning process. 

So far we have survived 4 years and I'm excited to see my growth in the upcoming years of motherhood. 

5 Tips for Working from Home with Toddler/Baby

I know this Pandemic/January has made a lot of us work from home or be completely home-based. I’m going into my 4th exclusive work from home year. 

So trust me when I say- BEEN THERE DONE THAT! 

It can be a roller coaster of emotions. 

3 Black Children's Books by Black Authors

It’s sooo important to find books for your little ones that inspire them and show that their skin colour is represented and celebrated. It gives a sense of pride and hope in them to know that people that look like them have achieved great things. I want Ava Rose to grow up knowing that she is special and has the potential to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to, just like the black people she’s seen and read about. 

If you want to inspire pride in your children and make them feel like they’re represented, I suggest you grab these three books during your next bedtime story session!

Covid Summer Baby Bag Checklist

Lately, we have been taking Ava out on little excursions (obviously while social distancing). So far, we went to the zoo, a big park and to the splash pads. We're just trying to slowly add some normalcy to our life. 

One thing I've noticed is that I have add to add a few "extras" to diaper bag. 

I thought that it would be a perfect time to share them as I know some parents are now starting to ease up and go out.

Here is what's in our baby bag.

Decluttering 101: Tips for New Moms

As a first time mom, I accumulated a lot of stuff. A lot of gifts - mixed in with a few purchases. Now that Ava Rose is almost two. We decided to get rid of half of the stuff and keep the best ones for baby #2 *Whenever we are ready for that* 

When it comes to decluttering your space, there is honestly no right or wrong way to go about it. Everyone has their own routine that works for them but for someone like me who is extremely sentimental... it takes forever for me to start. Best outlook to have - It all comes down to simplicity and minimizing unnecessary things in your space!

21 Mommy bloggers share their toddler routines and activities

It’s crazy how things change so quickly. I am grateful to stay home and have my family safe... But I’m not gonna lie- I can tell how bored she is. There’s not much I can do to change the boredom especially with me working but I decided to give her her own space in our living room.

Most of the stuff we already had! The only thing that I purchased was a table set from IKEA which was extremely affordable at $30 CAN. My husband purchased the toy box plus she made me that lovely art in the background for Mother’s Day. I thought it would be a perfect addition to her space. I love that she has a place that she can go when she feels like she wants to sit down and eat or quietly play.

Easy Fun Easter Activities for the Family

Every year I try to come up with new and exciting activities built around Easter. This year I have created my top three family fun Easter activities that all can join in to create memories. But, most of all this holiday is near and dear to my heart because it is the celebration of Jesus- which is important to teach our kids!

Family Fun Easter Activities

The Best Way to Introduce Food to a Picky Child

I am not sure if your kids are like mine! They love to eat pizza, chicken nuggets and tater tots all the time! Those are mom’s quick go-to’s on those long days of working and juggling motherhood. But, seriously kids are picky they hate veggies and anything that has texture! It feels like mission impossible at times.

So what do you do?

Get creative! That’s what you do… super creative in the nutrition world for kids!

Life Update + Tips for Choosing Child Care

A while back I wrote a blog post about being a Self Employed/Entrepreneur Mom and Working from Home with a Baby. I’ve never knew how much love that would get. As fun as it was having her at home (seven days a week with me)- I know that she was getting bored and it was requiring me to take a lot of time out of my schedule to play/entertain her. Which is fine some days BUT when you have deadlines!! Not ideal. I always felt horrible having to have the TV on in the background at times.

After extensive research and moving houses- I decided to get "help". Making sure that she was with the best care. How extensive are we speaking? I mean going to four of the best day cares in my city within 48 hours. Which was insane but literally allowed me to compare them with fresh eyes. We decided on one which was completely out of my traditional ideas of a daycare but she loves it.

HOW did I do it?

Decluttering Tips that you Need to Know if You're a New Mom

A mother’s job is hard enough! We have to stay organized and know where everything is at a moment's notice! Especially if your child is having a meltdown and not able to find what they are looking for. How many times do you go to a store and your child begs you to just buy one more toy, game or craft. In the back of your mind your thinking “oh geez”… MORE clutter to add to the mess. We have to constantly organize and declutter their spaces!

One golden nugget of truth is from when children are young always include them in the clean-up stages to help them be responsible and take pride in their space … bonus they tend to remember where things are too! It’s so hard to stay ahead of the game by cleaning and decluttering areas to help ease our stress but in the long run, keeps kids entertained and they learn as time goes on. I’m happy I came up with this plan- so I would stop doing double the work!

Here are my top tips for decluttering spaces

Self Employed/Entrepreneur Mom: Working from Home with a Baby

Deciding go back to work and not take a full mat leave was a hard decision. I started working "again" when Ava Rose was four months. FYI- I took two months off to prep. Let me reiterate that this is one of the hardest things that I have done BECAUSE I also decided to go to school part-time as well. Looking back on it- it was extremely WILD but I had to do it. 

Why did I go back? 
Living on one income can be tricky because you honestly have to cut back on a lot and I'm spoiled. Well I'm used to doing what I want/when I want. Having to look into my resources to do things I wanted/ having to possibly not do it. NOPE. Not the life for me.

My support system: My family/mostly my mom dedicated a good amount of time a week to come and watch Ava while I caught up on sleep/school work/emails. My brother would come and watch the baby during my classes. This is in addition to help from my husband/dad of course. 

Review: Maxi Cosi Magellan Car Seat

I’m happy that I had to opportunity to be a Maxi Cosi mom from day one! I know if you read my Maxi Cosi Lara Travel stroller post. You will know that we requested the famous Zelia stroller from our family (pre-Ava Rose) and I’ve been in love with it ever since. We have been using the bucket seat from when Ava came home from the hospital in my car until 6 weeks ago.

The things about babies/toddlers is that they grow fast. Oh boy, do they grow fast. I mean I just bought a whole bunch of clothes for Ava like 2 months ago and she has already grown them out! Since she is now 16 months and super tall for her age. Recently we started noticing that she no longer comfortably fits in to her car seat in my car. I tried to prolong it as along as I could... But we knew it was time for an upgrade. I was also super lucky and grateful Maxi Cosi gifted us the Magellan Car Seat.

Three tips for your baby when using baby pouch foods

I recently wrote about my thoughts on baby led wending and it was suggested that I also write about baby food as well. We actually still give them to Ava as a "snack' after her naps. It's quick- it fills her up. Plus she just eats them on her own (very little supervision needed)!

Just like everything out there you need to pay attention and follow safety/handling procedures when giving them to your little
one. This will make sure that your baby does not get sick.

Resort Vacation Must-Haves for Babies or Toddlers under 2

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that our first family vacation was a bit of a mess. We ended up in Bahamas at the same time as a hurricane. Thankfully, we were in a part of the island that just got a lot of rain and crazy wind... but it honestly could have been so much worse. I don't mean to be overdramatic but I low-key feel traumatized by it. Thankfully, we got home safe and sound.

I am doing to toot my own horn. I did an AMAZING job figuring out what to pack for the baby. That I even OVER packed. I am also so thankful for all the moms I connected with before my trip to figure out what items I should bring for Ava.

My Quick Thoughts Baby-Led Weaning

Starting your baby on solid foods is somehow both fun and daunting. Solids is a huge stage in their development and a sign that you're doing everything right, but it's also stressful. 

• When are you supposed to do it? 
• How much do you give? 
• What is the best way? 
• How can you make easy on your baby?