A Cute Mother's Day Gift

We always say, kids say the darnedest things, and my kids sure do!  Since the day my oldest was born I have been writing down a description of moments that stand out in our daily routine and nowadays they are mostly about the things both my kids say.

For the first year of each of my kids' lives I used the following calendar:

Via Bed Bath & Beyond

But after that, I couldn't find anything to keep track so I just wrote notes in my phone with the hope I would find something new in which to document and keep as a keep sake.  And last week, 2 years later, I finally did.

Via Chapters Indigo

This diary is perfect.  It is made to allow you to document 5 years and gives enough space to write down that special something, whether it is something that was said or done.  Now I have to start transferring all that I have on my phone to this book.  Wish me luck, as I know it is going to take me a while.  Worth it for sure.  

This diary is sold out on Chapter's website but they have it in store and you can also order it from Amazon.ca. 

Honest Products - Jessica Alba

To be honest (no pun intended) I had never been a person who worries about ingredients in a product. When it came to food I generally ate a balanced diet (and still do) and when it came to the products I use I tried to be as diligent as I could be about not purchasing products that are unhealthy or toxic.  This is mostly because I've always found it difficult to follow what is good for you and what is bad, one day milk is bad the other milk is good, one day the trend is flax seed, the next it is Greek yogurt.  Have you ever read Woman's World magazine or watched Dr. Oz? If so, do you find it hard to keep up with the different nutritional and health recommendations?  I certainly do.  That being said, after becoming a mother, I've tried to make more of an effort to lead a "non-toxic life", although I still find it challenging.

After a recent conversation with my husband and some friends about certain studies saying most sunscreen have toxic products in them I remembered an interview I saw on Ellen with Jessica Alba in which she spoke of her "Honest" products which are supposed to be natural, non-toxic, etc.  I went on her site and was surprised to see the variety of products.  The reviews are great, so we placed an order.  Unfortunately, they don't ship to Canada so we placed a large order to test many of products.   We received the packages yesterday and are looking forward to start using them.  Here are some of the products we purchased.  I will let you know as I use them what I think of each:

Shampoo & Body Wash

Via The Honest Co.

Sunscreen

Via The Honest Co.

Bubble Bath

Via The Honest Co.

 Bug Spray

Via The Honest Co.

Dish Soap

Via The Honest Co.

Dishwasher Pods

Via The Honest Co.

Bathroom Cleaner

Via The Honest Co.

Toilet Cleaner

Via The Honest Co.

Honest even offers some gift ideas:

Housewarming collection

Via The Honest Co.

New Baby Arrival Collection

Via The Honest Co.

Pampering Collection

Via The Honest Co.

Finally Figured It Out - The Gift for a Second Time Mom

People have asked me time and time again what I would like as a gift to congratulate me on the birth of my second son. After one child you pretty much have all that you need, especially when you have two of the same gender. But the other day when I was going up and down the stairs, carrying one child up and then the other and then back down each time I had to change a diaper, I realized it would be so much easier if had I had a diaper changing station in the basement and one on the main floor, in addition to the ones I have in their rooms, in order to avoid the up and down.  So now I am shopping for some nice and practical diaper caddies and think a diaper caddy would be an ideal gift for any mom and especially for a mom of multiples.

Here are a few I like.

Via Etsy

Via Etsy

Via Etsy

Via Toys R Us

If you plan on buying a gift for yourself, you can even make your own diaper caddy by purchasing a nice basket with a handle.

If you are planning on buying a diaper caddy as a gift, it would be nice to fill it with the essentials, like diapers, diaper rash cream, blankets, wipes, etc.

Via J.J. Cole Collections

A Gift for Me for Mother's Day

On the day I became a mom, my husband read me a newborn prayer he found online.  It was a beautiful moment that I will certainly never forget.  Not only were we emotional having just become parents and met our wonderful little guy but we were in tears reading such beautiful words.  I've wanted to frame it for my son since that day and unfortunately, I haven't had time and then I just couldn't find the right paper to print in on. Finally, last week it dawned on me that I should just print it on one of my son's newborn shots.  Took me long enough!!

Here is the result:

 

This picture was taken by a wonderful photographer, Eduardo Reyes.  You can see his work at www.eduardoreyesweddings.com.  It was perfect to fit the prayer.  I tried to find the source of the prayer online and I couldn't but you can find it on so many blog posts online and I got it from this blog.   I framed the picture in a white frame and will be hanging it in my baby's room.  It will be a nice keepsake.  I hope to do the same for the next little guy.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

A Mother's Day Basket for a New Mom or Mom-to-be

Tomorrow I am attending a Mother's Day fundraising event at St.Elias Banquet Centre in Ottawa.  It is a great event for a great cause and the highlight is a super fun basket auction.  The banquet centre will be filled with donated baskets, each up for the grabs by the winning name.  Guests throughout the evening purchase tickets and put those tickets in a box for the basket(s) they would like to win. At the end of the night, each basket is drawn for one lucky winner.  This year Mrs. P and I donated a basket of Our Favourite Things for a new mom or mom-to-be.

The items include

Bath Kneeler

Via Skip Hop

Via Skip Hop

Ikea 4 piece cookware for kids

Via Ikea

Sophie Teether

Via Walmart.ca

Baby's first year calendar

Via Walmart.ca

Via Walmart.ca

Here is how the end result looks like.

Wish me luck, I hope I win a basket!

My tip of the week!: Emily Press Labels

My son (sadly for me) is starting day care next Monday.  So I am getting everything prepared for him and I remembered that a friend told me about Emily Press.  This website has all labels you can imagine a child would need for preschool, school and even day care.  Although my little man is only going to a home day care with not many kids, I think labeling his items with his name may make things easier for his care giver.   Here are a few items I found on the website, but make sure you visit the site as there are so many more label options.  Click here.  This would make a great and unique gift for a new mom or a unique birthday gift for children of all ages.

Shoe labels Via Emily Press

Container labels Via Emily Press

Allergy labels Via Emily Press

Mealtime labels Via Emily Press

School Labels Via Emily Press