New mom vibes AGAIN

I haven’t been updating as much as I use to on here. BUTTTT, I am now my second baby and she is over 14 months. There’s been a lot of life changes some good and some bad. But overall, I’m working on it. I’m just writing this post because I know that there’s someone out there like me right now... a lot of my mom friends are back at work. 

WHY?

Because the 12 months is up. 

Canadian Mommy Blogger

5 years ago, I stepped into the world of Mommy blogging in Canada... It's been fun. I've had the opportunity to have some cool experiences and bring my whole family along. 

Some mommy blogging tips!

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. 

Lunchbox snack ideas!

Are you tired of making the same lunch box meals for your kids daily? 

With Ava I always have to switch it up. Or you know she will call me out! Just like all of us, different foods, have different seasons in our life. If you can- It's always best to shop in bulk. 

That's my mommy blogger tip for you! LOL

I'm going to share some of my favourite snacks to give my daughter for lunch.

Fun Activities to Improve Your Toddler's Development

Teaching babies/toddlers' new things can have some rough patches in the beginning, but with keeping a consistent routine it will show you their growth. You should keep routine learning short, as their attention span isn’t that huge, it can be challenging to keep their focus on the activities you try. One minute we're playing with flash cards... next minute she's asking me for an apple LOL! All I can do is try to keep up with her!

Here’s three learning activities that you can start with your toddler in a fun creative way that will grab their attention.

Five tips you must incorporate or consider when starting your blog

I’ve had so many people come to me telling me that they would love to become a blogger but they don’t know where to start. I’m always flattered that people think that I have the clear path but honestly I don’t... 

As a Canadian lifestyle blogger, I wish I could say I have made over five figures and can show you how to do it. Who knows maybe this is the year I do it or maybe it’s not... Either way if you’re thinking about starting a blog you have to have the basics mapped out and I can totally help you with that. 

Read about becoming a blogger below.

Five different skin care masks that you need to try right now

I try to do a face mask for myself at least twice a week for great self-care. It’s important to pamper yourself and when I do my masks I feel like I’m giving myself mini spa treatments at home. They range in price too so if you don’t want to break the bank or are feeling like you want to splurge some coins, there are so many great masks out there that you can try. They rejuvenate your skin and give you a great sense of luxury and relaxation, so I highly suggest you give them a try!

I’m listing five different types of masks I’m obsessed with that you can pick up right now and start pampering yourself today.

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!

Fast meal ideas for Mamas on the GO

Girl... I'm tired of cooking! Do you wish you could have a personal chef to have all meals prepared all you have to do is sit down or grab it to go? Well, if you’re like the majority of tired mamas on the go we all wish we could have someone cater to us! NOT the other way around. Since I'm working from home with Ava, everything has gotten super tricky. Time passes by SO quickly. Before I know it, it's noon and lunch isn't close to being ready! I love super easy meals to be able to balance life. 

These are my favourite quick fixes... that Ava loves too!

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!

Bored? Five things to do while in quarantine!

It's May! 

We want to go out, play, eat, travel ... see family. Should I keep on going? 

Don't laugh at me but I miss walking the aisles of Winners/Home Sense. 

Man.. we're going stir crazy. I get it! We ALL want this virus gone. 

Are you looking for things to do while in quarantine?

Here are some ideas!

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

20 tips to help you save money in 2020

This year, I have added a few costly things to my life- New living arrangements, daycare, new car... need I go on? So I've had to cut back: no more lash extensions, no excessive eating out and no "new" clothing shopping. One thing I'm good at is saving! 

Also these tips might seem random- If one out of 20 helps you (that makes me happy). 

Here are 20 tips to help you save money in 2020.

Best Personalized Gifts- Printcious

We can all agree, even though the holidays are fun they can be pretty overwhelming. As a new mom, I'm literally running to get things done. One thing I know is that everyone loves personalized gifts. I feel like they are appropriate for any relationship. From parents to even teachers! 

I was lucky to get an email from Printcious a while back. They make personalized gifts of all types, from shirts to keychains to magnets and even things like phone cases and business supplies.

They let you design your own product right on their website by adding text and images and they even have templates to work with for those of us who might be less artistically inclined. I can't lie- it was pretty quick designing my own little personalized presents that I ordered something for almost everyone in my family!

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.