The Start of a Healthier Lifestyle

I have been sick for way too long! I feel like as soon as I get over one illness, I get another. I have now been well for only 10 days during the past month. That is not a good ratio. To combat my seemingly sickly constitution, I have decided to make a conscious effort to eat better and to make time to get more excercise. I am also going to be meeting with a nutritionist next week to help me figure out what else I can do to boost my immune system.

My first step as I am finally feeling better from my recent Flu, was to menu plan for the following week and create my shopping list. I do have a number of healthy cooking cookbooks, as I love to cook and I do try to cook healthy meals. I just had gotten off track of late so need to refocus on this. I pulled out my Heart Smart cookbook by Bonnie Stern and started leafing through the recipes. I decided on the following recipes for this week (as we had a lot of the ingredients already in our freezer):

1. Sweet Chili Chicken
2. Moroccan Meatballs
3. Cod Baked in Tomato Sauce with Onions
4. Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Bocconcini

Most of these recipes are fairly easy so are a good choice. I also want to introduce new flavours for the girls to expand their palate.

Wish me luck on my first week towards eating better. Next step: Join a Gym!!!

Christmas Gifts for a 6 Month Old and $100 Giveaway!

It's not that I'm anti-toy, it's just that I think kids have SO many toys these days. Now I know this is easy for me to say now because Lil' J is only nearly 5 months old and is just starting to show interest in some toys. I'm sure once she's older, walking, talking and into playing. But even then, I want to make a rule to where she can only have enough toys to fit in her toybox. When there's too much for that, it's time to donate and trade up.

I half expected I'd just go to a Goodwill myself and look for some toys I'd bleach clean but I decided Christmas and Birthdays are occasions we can splurge on new toys. But what's the best toys for her age group?

Right now she's still quite in the infant sensory stage, and likes things that are black and white, she loves mirrors, and things she can chew on, but she's starting to like to grab, and shake things, and I know by Christmas she'll be all over the cause-and-effect toys that involve banging, shaking, pushing pulling etc.


So off I set on an online adventure looking for Black Friday deals on baby toys.

I already bought her a Tickle Me Elmo (the regular one, not Xtreme) off eBay and a stuffed Cookie Monster to go with him. She loves Elmo and his voice so I know she'll love him.

I'm totally into VTech toys for some reason. Maybe because I've always been an electronics kid myself. I also figure if a toy is going to make noise and light up it might as well be an educational toy. I want to get Lil' J this VTech Touch and Learn Musical Bee. It's similar to the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy, which I also like, but it has better ratings and is only $18 at Walmart.

It plays upbeat songs when you bounce it around and soothing songs other times. It also helps teach numbers, colors and shapes. I'm actually trying to see if I can find one in Spanish since it's a given she'll be learning these things in English.

Another VTech toy I'm eyeing is this VTech Baby's Learning Laptop. It's only $14.54 at Walmart (it may be a Black Friday sale?) and it helps teach shapes, common objects, and feelings. She'll mostly be interested in the noises and lights it makes at this age, but in another year--If she's not bored of it yet, she can use the mouse pad and do more with it. This toy also has really high ratings and seems like babies like it quite awhile. It also comes in a pink but I'll get the more neutral blue.

If I'm going to splurge on one toy it's may be this 5-in-1 adjustable gym from Little Tikes. It looks really cool because it grows with her. She's just starting to sit up a little, but she could also lay down to play with it, or stand up with it when she's older. The ratings aren't as high and for being $45 at Toys R' Us, I'm thinking I may look around on Craigslist for it. Or, use our Babies R Us gift card for it (anyone know if TRU accepts BRU gift cards?).

I'm really into more of the simple things though like this wooden farm book. Lil' J loves books for some reason. When we bring out books at home to read to her every day, or if were reading or singing from books at church she loves to grab them. She loves board books and I think a wooden one she'd like even more. It'd be practically indestructible, and make a cool noise when the pages clap together.

This Sassy Fill and Spill Bucket is exactly what the name says and I think, exactly what babies love to do. Fill and dump... Mostly dump. So I think she'd like something like this, and it's only $10.

Lil' J also loves lights and things that move. I'm thinking about getting this Tiny Love Nature Soothing Serenade Mobile for her, but it's a little pricey too at about $45. She really likes the butterfly mobile I made for her, she has since birth. Now she kicks and laughs at it during the day, but at night she can't see it because it doesn't glow. I'm not sure if I'll get something to this extreme for her crib, maybe I'll get something more subtle, but I think she'd like it if there was something nice and glowey in there, and what better time than Christmas to get it for her!

Finally, one of our friends gave us this rain forest jumper and I packed it up since I was about 6 months pregnant with a ways to go. I forgot I had it and may save it for Christmas, or take it out before and see how she likes it.

If she does like it than I think she'll LOVE a door jumper (like a Johnny Jumper). I just can't decide if I'd rather the Sassy Seat Doorway Jumper that has lights and toys and fun things and is about $35.

Or the fancy smantsy Merry Muscles Jumper Exerciser Baby Bouncer that's about $85, but apparently lasts a long time and is better for your baby's feet etc. I just don't want to spend a lot of money if she ends up hating it. I think she'll love the bouncers though because she loves to kick and jump with us already.

So that's that for the toys on my shopping list. I'm much more into clothes myself. I used to think clothing was a boring gift but now that I have a child myself I understand why parents like buying them... To see their kids dressed up all cute! I'm in love with the Tea Collection. An online shop with children's clothing for the little citizens of the world! Here's a few of my favorites:

Croatian Floral Hoodie

Romanian Floral Top

Eniko Yoke Dress

Hungarian Floral Dress

All of the my blog followers (old or new) who leave a comment letting me know their favorites from this store before December 8th will be entered to win $100 to spend there! You get an extra entry if you follow @teacollection on twitter or if you let me know a Christmas gift recommendation for my husband or Lil' J (hehe, I'm cheating). Random.org will choose the winner, good luck!  

In a few hours I'll be posting another Christmas gift idea that Lil' J LOVES, plus doing a giveaway for it!

I Should Have Listened to My Mom

It was almost my 11th birthday, and I just knew I was getting a new bike. I told my friends exactly what it was going to look like, how big it was going to be, and how excited I was to ride it around the neighborhood. When my birthday came and went and I didn't get that bike, I was not only heartbroken, but embarrassed. What made matters worse is when my friend got the exact bike I wanted for her birthday.

I was 11 when my mom taught me a lesson I'll never forget... Don't brag about something until you have it. At least that's how I interpreted it, though she didn't tell me in that exact way.

Last year a woman working on a new website for women (I'm not going to mention any names) approached me and asked if I'd blog for her, tweet for her, and promote her site, and in turn be their "Future Mama" which they'd pamper with gifts like baby monitors, strollers, nursery decor, and more.

I was emailed pictures of the three choices for baby monitors and asked to tweet about it and promote it on my site to get people to vote for which one I should get. Really, I didn't care, they were all fancy and great, and I was grateful to be getting one.

A couple of months after that it was the same thing, but with strollers... But not just any old stroller, a BOB stroller. Kind of like a Lexus of strollers. A stroller my husband and I wouldn't be able to get unless we scrounged and saved, donated blood plasma, then sold one of our cars... Ok not really, they're not THAT expensive, but they're really nice, and I was so excited and grateful to be getting one. So, I once again blogged, and tweeted, posted on Facebook and everything else to get people to vote for which of three BOB Strollers I should "win." It's what she asked me to do in turn for getting it. And really... Who wouldn't do some promotion in turn for a $400 stroller? Over the course of the voting I got a mix of responses from "Man, I wish I could have one" to "Ooh, I'm getting one of those." The latter comment immediately reminded me of my mom's words of wisdom, and I had a gut feeling things weren't going to end as I hoped.

Like with the monitors, the contest ended and I got nothing. I've communicated with the woman behind the site, and while my monitors should be coming this week, BOB apparently fell through... Or maybe never was, who knows!

So... After months of guest blogging, tweeting, video chats and promoting I'm back to square one, yes, a little ticked, but mostly disappointed.

I cried this morning when I got an email response saying I wasn't getting the stroller, and my husband (just wanting to stop the tears I'm sure) told me not to worry, we'd get a stroller... He said we'd get a BOB but that's before he knew how much they cost.

Now don't get me wrong. We are UNBELIEVABLY blessed to seriously only have this ONE thing missing from our baby checklist... As a matter of fact, I have enough baby wraps and carriers to where we quite possibly don't even really NEED a stroller. But it's poor Snoop I worry about... I promised him I'd take him for jogs once Lil' J was born but that will just be hard without a stroller. Just look at his face!So... I'm browsing Craigslist now looking for baby strollers but I have no idea what kind to start with. I initially was obviously thinking "jogging" and I was going to buy an adapter for our Graco baby infant car seat so it could snap in when she's small. I like the idea of being able to go running with a stroller, and one that can also even stand trails and such since there's a lot of that around where we live.

I found this one on craigslist for $225. Much cheaper than the $400 retail.I've heard pluses and minuses about the... I forget what they're called, but the big strollers that the car sear just pops in, and they fold up... I think I heard they're heavy or something, I dunno.

So what kind of stroller would you recommend? Would you get one of Craigslist or is that considered "unsafe"? How much did you pay for yours?

I'm a stroller novice but I've relearned a life lesson from my mom, and a new lesson about social media... Don't promote something until you have it.

Baby Shopping List

Ok so I've been wondering what I'm going to need when this baby gets here. I know some friends in college told me love would be enough.. Love, some clothes and diapers I guess. But yea, I've gotta get real. I waited awhile to be ready to have a baby so I could hopefully afford more than the essentials. But since I'm more than three months pregnant now I figured it was about time to get real, buckle down and see what I'm REALLY going to need.

I have a Prego Planner and it ROCKS! I'm going to be giving you a full review on it soon so I won't spoil it all now, but it's really helped me stay organized with this pregnancy and all of the information I need to know and/or remember.

One of the many many things it has which I LOVE is a Newborn Checklist. And it lists all of the things I may need for the first few months of Spawnie's life. Yes, it's daunting at first, but that's ok. I've got a long way to go. All of these things aren't total necessities, but it gives me an idea of what I may need. I'm sure I'll get a lot used/recycled, and as gifts, but it's an encompassing list of what I may want to end up with.

I'm listing it below, and throughout pregnancy I'll mark off what I have to have a visual of what I still need. A strike through means I have it!

NURSERY
Crib and/or bassinet
Crib bedding
Crib mattress
Mattress pad
Waterproof crib liner
Fitted sheets (2-3)
Sleep Positioner
Receiving blankets (4-5)
Changing table
Changing pad
Changing pad covers
Dresser
Rocker/glider- Coming from grandma!
Hamper
Nursery monitor-Coming-Won from Real Moms
Mobile
Night Light

Feeding Supplies
Bottles
Bottle Sterilizer
Bottle brush
Bottle warmer
Bottle drying rack
Nursing pillow
Breast pump
Nursing pads
Nursing cream
Breast shields
Nursing bras
Nursing gown
Milk storage bags
Travel formula dispenser
Pacifiers
Pacifier clips
gas relief drops
High chair
Meal mat
Infant spoons
Sippy cups
Teethers

Bathing
Bathtub
Washcloths (5-10)
Baby wash
Baby shampoo
Baby lotion
Bath toys
Tub toy pouch
Hooded towels (2-4)

ACTIVITY

Toys and More
Swing
Bouncer seat
Play gym
Crib mirror
Jumper
Rattles
Walker- Not getting
Toy Chest

Books and Music
Preggo Planner
Pregnancy books
Childbirth books
Breastfeeding books
Parenting books
Baby book
Journal
Educational music
Lullaby music

OPTIONAL STUFF I'D LIKE
Baby sling
Baby Wrap
Diaper stacker
Nursery curtains-Made by me, Yay!
Pregnancy pillow
Scrapbook

NEWBORN ESSENTIALS

Diapering
Diapers (disposable or cloth)
Wipes (first box)
Wipes warmer don't need.
Travel pack for wipes
Diaper bag
Diaper pail and refills
Rash ointment
Diaper sacks for travel
Disposable (portable) changing pad

Clothing
Homecoming outfit
T-shirts
Onesies
Sleepwear
Bibs (5-10)
Burp cloths
Booties and socks
Dresses(More than enough)
Hats (2-4) (or 10)
Mittens
Footed rompers
Sweaters
Swaddle blanket
Baby laundry detergent
Stain remover
Baby clothes hangers

BABY CARE

Health
First aid supplies
Thermometer
Medicine dispenser
Baby fever reducer
Nasal aspirator
Humidifier/Vaporizer
Baby brush and comb
Nail clippers

Safety
Safety gate
Corner guards
Outlet covers
Drawer latches
Cabinet locks
Toilet locks
Fireplace bumpers
Fire alarm
Carbon monoxide detector

TRAVEL
Rear-facing infant car seat
Car seat base for 2nd car
Full-size stroller-Coming- Won from Real Mom TV!
Lightweight stroller
Stroller rain shield
Stroller toys
Infant car mirror
Pack and play- Coming from grandma!
Soft carrier

MISCELLANEOUS
Birth announcements
Thank you cards
Stamps
Camera
Camcorder
Picture frames
Growth chart
Batteries
Baby calendar
Personalized items

Not bad for 13 weeks 34 weeks right? I know that I obviously don't need all of these things from day 1. I can build up a lot of this stuff after Spawnie gets here, and some of the safety stuff after he/she starts crawling around. Surprisingly I have quite a few things already! Anything you think I don't need or that I forgot on the list?

Glow Baby's First Holiday Promotion

Buy 3 Notepads Get 1 Free Holiday Promotion

Glow Baby (me) is offering a special holiday promotion this year. Buy 3 notepads and get 1 free. This promotion will start Nov 30th and run until Dec 31st. To select your free notepad you will be asked to select one from a list upon check out (in the same section as your billing details).

Use these pads to stay organized this holiday season with Glow Baby's To Do List and Shopping List.

The Benefits of Menu Planning

I have been grocery shopping for over 15 years. It’s a weekly chore and for some it is not a favourite task. I however, love grocery shopping. It’s is partly because it is a form of shopping (I’m a bit of a shopaholic), but mainly because the little organizer in me loves the whole process that leads up to the weekly shop.

My favourite part is the menu planning. I love sifting through my many cookbooks to plan what mouth-watering meals I will be making for the week. I usually plan for three to four recipes for each week and write out all the ingredients I will need. I check the fridge and cupboards to figure out what we need to buy and what we already have. I then make sure I have the staples in the house. I always have pasta, spaghetti sauce, hamburgers, hot dogs and other kid friendly items. I then check to see what snack foods we have left and write down what we will need for the week.

This process of menu planning is very important to make sure that I have the right amount of food for my 10 month old, favourites for my 2 ½ year old, lunches for my husband and the right amount of food for our dinners. Aside from my enjoyment of menu planning, there are some very important benefits.

1. Planning saves money – If you stick to your list, you will buy only what you need. You can also plan around coupons and store specials to help with a budget.

2. Making Healthy Choices – By planning ahead and listing healthy options it is much easier to avoid the barrage of unhealthy choices you are faced with in the store

3. Efficiency – By doing a bit of prep work before your trip to the store, you can make your shopping experience much more efficient. You spend your time getting what you need, you have a focus and you won’t waste time trying to decide what to get.

4. Avoid multiple visits to the store – By menu planning, you will only need to go to the store once saving time. This also saves money as the opportunities to buy extra items are limited.

All in all, menu planning may seem like work up front but in the end it saves you time and money. It is definitely worth it!

New Note Pads

I just realized that I haven't posted pictures of the new note pad series now available at www.glowbaby.ca. If you are looking for a Christmas gift for someone who likes to stay organized in style check them out.

I love using lists. They help me stay focused which is especially important when my attention is often divided between Ainsley, Juliet, my husband and the business. To make sure that everything gets done I rely on a to-do list and so I wanted to make a pretty list that would fit on the fridge so I would always know where it was and what needs to be done. It's also great for listing chores for Brett.

The Shopping list is great as I always do a list each week but I would often loose it so having the list on the fridge works well. We haven't been sick yet (knock on wood) so I haven't had a chance to use the medication pad but while it was in the design phase I desperately needed it. Both girls were sick and Ainsley can take medicine that Juliet cannot and it would have been nice to have had something to keep all this straight without having to explain this to my mom and husband multiple times.

Check them out and tell me what you think.

Have a great day!