Maple Leaf Mommy

The winner of the Baby Einstein Discovery Kit is...

The winner has 72 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw. Thanks to Baby Einstein for partnering with me for this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered!

Giving Gifts was kind enough to hook us up with this awesome Cate & Levi frog puppet.

The puppet we received is well made and fun to play with.  Because various different pieces/colours of wool were used to create him there are many seams on the puppet and all of them are very nicely stitched.  He is quite sturdy and looks like he'll last a long time.  I love that the long frog tongue is open inside, allowing you to put a finger or two in and "puppeteer" it.  My girls had a great time playing with this guy (until my daughter lost him, but we'll just overlook that part shall we).

Cate & Levi is a Canadian company, operating out of Toronto. Their puppets are made from reclaimed wool in a variety of colours and textures. Each one is a work of art; a unique, one-of-a kind creation.  I like that they offer some unusual animal choices, such as walrus and moose (go Canada!).  They also refuse to be constrained by the colours of the real life animals, and I love some of the funky colour combinations they come up with.  Actually Cate & Levi creates any number of cool things, not just puppets, all made from reclaimed wool.  Giving Gifts also carries framed wall art from Cate & Levi, as well as their adorable Zoo Cubes.

You can pick up your own cool Cate & Levi puppet at Giving Gifts for $28.  And to give you an idea of how reasonable her prices are, that's lower then the retail on the Cate & Levi website. PLUS the ever awesome Lisa at Giving Gifts has generously offered my readers a discount -- enter the code "MapleLeaf" for 10% off (good on everything in store, not just Cate & Levi).

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You can do as many of the following bonus entries as you choose:

GIVEAWAY RULES:
Remember, one comment per entry. The comment IS your entry. I will be drawing a random number, and the corresponding comment number will be the winner.

Please be sure to include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you then you can't win!

Giveaway ends on Saturday April 16th, at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Open to Canadian residents only. Good luck!

Disclosure: As mentioned above, I received a free Cate & Levi frog puppet. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company, or by the free product received.

When G-Girl was about two years old I was searching online for age appropriate activities and I started reading a lot of buzz about playsilks. I read about what a wonderful multipurpose toy they were, and how they fueled the imagination and the senses.  I loved the concept, so I started looking around to purchase some.  In the end, I figured why did I need to order playsilks from online when I could just give her scarves and get the same end result?  I asked my mom for some of her old scarves, and dug a few out of the back of my closet, rounding things out with a couple of used one from garage sales and the Salvation Army.  So G-Girl has over a dozen scarves in various sizes and patterns.  While she does play with them they never panned out as the super toy that I thought they would be, most often she uses them as tablecloths or bedding for her dolls.

Then a few weeks back Bumblebee Toys sent us a lovely purple playsilk, made by Sarah's Silks, and I discovered why playsilks are actually way better then scarves.

Welcome to Purple World!

They are the perfect size. The playsilk I received is a generous 35 x 35 inches, far larger then any of the scarves she was previously playing with. It's not too big, as to be unwieldy for her. It's just the perfect size for a little one. Just big enough for her to hold with her arms outstretched. The larger size means it can be turned into far more things, and used in far more ways. Everything from a cape to a dress, to a curtain for a puppet show.

They are made of real silk. A very thin, see-through, breathable, fabric. It lets the light shine through when the cloth is thrown over something. G-Girl loves to hold our purple playsilk over her face and look out through it, turning the world purple.

Our playsilk is so very light and airy. It weighs next to nothing. I love the way it moves when you wave it, and when you toss it in the air, it flutters. It is also super soft. The texture is very inviting. The baby loves to finger it and rub it against her face.

I love the quality.  The hand-hemmed edges are fantastic. I also like knowing that the dyes used to create the playsilks are non-toxic. I enjoyed checking out the Sarah's Silks website and discovering that they follow "better then fair trade practices".

Baby-G entranced with the soft silk cloth.

G-Girl is also quite enamored with our new playsilk, which she calls  her "be-anything-do-anything cloth".  She has come up with some pretty bizarre things to do with it. Things that would never ever occur to me. And that's the beauty of it. The playsilk really does seem to promote open ended, free form play.

A "purple snail birthday cake" that G-Girl sculpted by laying the playsilk on the ground and scrunching it just so.

Bumblebee Toys has seventeen different colours of Sarah's Silks available for a rather reasonable $12.95 a piece. They recently posted a suggestion on their Facebook page which I thought was simply brilliant.  Instead of using fake grass in your kids Easter basket line it with a playsilk.  What an awesome idea!  I am so doing that this year. Bumblebee Toys also has an excellent deal on right now, where if you order $25 or more worth of toys they will throw in a free green playsilk (while supplies last).

Disclosure - I received a free playsilk for review purposes. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company, or by the free product received.

When I was fixating on my Grandma's stuff the Chief Blond, over at Still Blond After All these Years suggested I take part in her Declutter 365 Challenge.  At that time, I decided I would indeed take her up on the challenge but I've yet to post anything about it.

The idea behind the Declutter 365 Challenge is to organize and tidy up your place by getting rid of stuff, donating or tossing one item per day.  In an effort to keep myself motivated to list stuff on eBay I've modified my personal challenge to sell, donate, or toss.  As far as I'm concerned, anything heading on a one way trip out my door is a step in the right direction.


To be honest, I don't think I've come anywhere near the one item per day quota.  However, I am happy that I've managed to clear out some junk.  Also the "charity box" has been a great springboard for conversations with my three year old, which has led to me explaining the concept of charity to her and why we donate to others.  As the current disorganized state of my house is starting to drive me insane, I anticipate that I'll be chucking many more items in the days to come.

If you're interested in joining the challenge head on over to Still Blond After All These Years.  There are some pretty cool prizes up for grabs for those who take part.  Let me know if you decide to join in!

For the second time now we've managed to misplace something for review before I was able to take an pictures of the girls playing with it. I'm mortified. I just spent the last three days tearing the place apart looking for this cool Cate & Levi frog puppet that Lisa over at Giving Gifts sent us.

G-Girl was getting frustrated with me this morning, as I insisted that instead of playing we clean, sort and find that darn frog. So I sat down and tried to explain it to her, and our conversation went something like this...

Me: Okay, remember when we got Lee Lee Plum, and she came in the mail?
G-Girl: Yes, mom, I love Lee Lee.

Me: Well, the same person that sent us Lee Lee sent us that frog puppet. And we were supposed to play with it and take some pictures, and tell people how much we liked it. That's how we say thank you for her sending it to us. But since we lost it, we can't do that. So we need to find the darn thing!

G-Girl: Well I think we should just write her a note. Like you put her name and then I'll tell you what letters to write.

I was curious enough as to what she would come up with to put a hold on the search and rescue mission and grab the notepad.

Ok kiddo, what should we write.


Her name is Lisa.


Dear Lisa,

What's next?


You can't ask for another one, that's not polite sweetie. How about you tell her what you thought of the frog?


So you just loved all of it?


Um... they're hiding in cherry blossom?


I don't know that word.

At which point G-Girl lost interest in the proceedings and meandered off.

So there you have it folks. Miss Mousie and Sir Frog-O are shacked up somewhere, in a house named Cherry Blaus.

I can't help thinking of that old folk song...
Froggie went a courtin', he did ride.
Now Miss Mousey has him by her side,
unh-huh, unh-huh, unh-huh.

Seriously, I can't be the only one this happens to.  Do you other blogger-type folks ever misplace review items?  If so, how do you deal with it? Or even better, how do you organize yourself so this doesn't happen? Oh and does anyone happen to know where the heck Cherry Blaus is?


I'll have a serious review up for Sir Frog-o, whether I find him or not, sometime in the next few days.  Along with the chance to win a way cute Cate & Levi Zoo Cube from Giving Gifts. So stay tuned...

Images taken from A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go, by Randolph Caldecott
Project Guttenberg, Public Domain

Zimbali Boutique is run by Stephanie, a crafty Canadian mama, who lives in London, Ontario. She creates beautiful floral headbands and other nifty items. Everything is one of a kind, or made to order.  Her Facebook page is her storefront. You browse through the photo albums, find something that catches your eye, and then email her to place an order. Take a look at some of her lovely creations HERE.

A few of my favourites.

If you look around on the Zimbali Boutique Facebook page you will see a picture of an adorable little girl in a lady bug dress for which Stephanie designed the cutest matching headband. I was intrigued by Stephanie's custom work, so I set her a challenge. I asked her to create something to match with Baby-G's Decaf Plush "dino" dress.  And she came up with this:


Isn't it awesome?  I think it's adorable!  The quality is also fantastic. The felt flowers are quite sturdily stitched.  The flowers sit nicely, they stay flat on my never-stay-still baby's head. And I love the material the headband is made from.  It's this incredible, soft, stretchy stuff that maintains it's shape. It's just brilliant.   G-Girl has "borrowed" the headband a few times, and I worried that her wearing it would stretch it out of shape, but thus far my worries have been unfounded.

Stephanie was amazing to work with.  She emailed me with ideas, laid out several potential designs, and even sent me photos to choose from. She finished the headband in a ridiculously short amount of time, and shipped it out immediately.

If you are looking for something for a special event or to match with a certain special outfit, I would definitely recommend contacting Stephanie about one of her custom designs.  Or shop through the pre-made items available on the Zimbali Boutique Facebook page.  Her prices are very reasonable, with most of her headbands being in the $7-$10 range. Keep in mind, all of her pieces can be turned into hairclips or broaches as well.

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Zimbali Boutique has a rather cool contest going on right now, and there's a special bonus entry available for Maple Leaf Mommy readers.  You can win $50 in Zimbali Boutique store credit, plus an adorable handknit hat from Ewe 'N' Me Boutique and a cute tutu from Totaly Cute Tutus.

Here's what you need to do to enter:
First, head on over to Zimbali Boutique and "Like" her Facebook page.  Then click on "Spring Giveaway" in the right hand column to enter the giveaway.  Leave a comment here on this post telling me you entered to gain a bonus entry. There. Isn't that simple?

Oh, and be sure to also head over to Ewe 'N' Me Boutique and "like" their page as well.  If both Zimbali Boutique and Eve 'N' Me Boutique manage to hit 500 fans there will be a second winner drawn. This "runner up" bonus prize will consist of a handknit kufi hat from Ewe 'N" Me Boutique and a $50 credit for Zimbali Boutique.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
Your comment on this post is merely a bonus entry, and will not count unless you have also completed the main entry via the Zimbali Boutique facebook page. Zimbali Boutique will be drawing one random entry from the combined ballots as a winner. You should either have your email accessible on your Google Friend Connect profile, or leave it in the comment, so that we can match your bonus entry to your main entry.

The giveaway is open Worldwide and ends on April 22nd at Midnight EST. Good luck!

EDIT:  The winner of the Zimbali Boutique Spring Giveaway has been announced. Check out Stephanie's weekly update video and find out if it was you!

Disclosure - I  received the custom headband described above for  free. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company, or by the free product received.

The winner of the Playtex Baby Prizepack is...

The winner has 72 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw. Thanks to Playtex for partnering with me for this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered!

Deal Find has a cool deal on right now for a a two night stay in Niagara Falls.  You can stay at the Howard Johnson for only $59 for a two night stay, including parking and continental breakfast.  That sounds like an AWESOME deal.  Since I was just in London two weeks ago there is no way I'm heading out of town anytime soon, so I was thinking I'm going to have to pass on this one.  Then I noticed that there is no expiration date. Ok. Too cool. I haven't been to Niagara Falls since I was 8 years old. Seems like it might be a fun place to spend some time with my husband. I'm going to buy a voucher to set aside, and at some point my husband and I will visit Niagara Falls for the first time.  Figured it was a pretty awesome deal, so I'd share it with you all. Technically the deal is for London, Ontario, but anyone can take advantage of it. The deal ends around 5am on Sunday March 20th.  Let me know if you go!

Have you tried the new Tim Hortons Real Fruit Smoothies yet?  I had a chance to give them a taste test, and I have to say: YUM.

I wanted to try the Mixed Berry first, but I was with my husband and as driver, and drive-through order placer, he got to choose and he went with the Strawberry Banana.  We ordered a medium and paid the additional $0.70 for low-fat yogurt to be added.  It came to three-seventy-something, which I was thinking is a tad expensive for a drink.  But then I tasted it, and I loved it.  I was originally thinking it would make a nice treat for my three year old, however the truth is my husband and I shared most of it.  I had to use supreme willpower to save some for G-Girl to try.  When I finally did give her some, she was crazy about it. Three-something for a treat that we managed to share between all three of us really isn't that bad. 

I think these will be perfect for those infrequent times when we want to visit Tim Hortons as a family.  While my husband and I are grabbing something caffeinated, I can get something tasty for my little one to drink. I love that these new fruit smoothies are made with real fruit, without any artificial colours or flavours. A small 10oz serving is equal to one full serving of fruit.  If you choose to add  yogurt you can sneak in some dairy as well. Next time I'd probably get a small, which is only $1.99.

Disclosure - I received a Tim Hortons gift card to help facilitate my review. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company, or by the free product received.

When I was pregnant with our first child my husband had the idea that our children would never set foot in our basement.  The basement contains our gaming area, full of my husbands large collection of books, board games and miniatures.  How would we keep little fingers out of all those dangerous, breakable, little pieces?  Simple. We would tell them there was a child eating monster living in the basement, and no one under the age of 18 was safe to enter.  I thought he was joking. I laughed.  I looked at his face to see he was dead serious. "What, like it's any worse then lying about the Eater Bunny?!"

Once G-Girl was actually here, we found it impractical to keep her from the bottom floor, as our couch and TV are in the carpeted corner of the basement.  The rule became that she was allowed downstairs, but was not to set foot off the carpet.  And somehow it worked. The desire to be allowed to watch TV kept her firmly on the correct side of the invisible wall drawn along the edge of the carpet and the tile. As she's gotten older, I've been able to leave her alone watching TV, while I do laundry in the other room, or even run up to the ground floor for a few minutes, and she stays on the carpet.

Now, all of a sudden, all bets are off, as she keeps sneaking into the basement on her own. While I am changing or nursing the baby, G-Girl will fiddle with the gate and head downstairs. I finish up with the babe to find my older child is no where in sight. I call her name and she doesn't answer. I search around only to find her once again down in the forbidden basement.  This has happened like six times in the past week or so.  Coupled with the fact that she now thinks it's hilarious to hide quietly instead of answering when I call her, it can be rather frightening.

The other day I came downstairs looking for her only to find that she had demolished all of the leftover junk food left out from our roleplaying game the night before.  The same child that has issues with taking over an hour and a half to eat a meal, managed to devour half a bag of ketchup chips, a cup of M&Ms and three chocolate chip cookies in under six minutes. Not only had she eaten two months worth of junk food in one go, but when I got down there she was no where in sight.  She popped out of the danger filled laundry room and when I demanded to know what the heck she was doing in there would only answer that she was "Just looking with her eyes."

I have tried "time out" and other various punishments such as taking away TV privileges, but she continues to sneak downstairs and get into trouble.  There is a gate barring her way, but sometimes we forget to latch it shut and at other times she has figured out that if she shimmies it enough she can pop it open.

So one night last week after my husband got home we were sitting together with the kids and having a bit of a family discussion.  We were discussing various possible solutions, and we asked G-Girl, "What do you think we should do?  What do we need to do to make you remember not to go in the basement?"  She tapped her finger on her chin and said, "Hmm... let me think.... Wait, I know! You should make a sign!  One that says, No kids without moms. And when I read it, I'll remember not to go downstairs."  I tried hard to keep a straight face but I just couldn't do it. I laughed. My husband got up and left the room and went on the computer. I told my daughter, "You want a sign?  How about the baby gate? That's a sign! It says You Can't Go Past Here. Trouble! You shouldn't open that gate and you shouldn't step through it."  There, end of discussion.

I was a little miffed at my husband for walking off in the middle of our family talk, but then I found that he was actually in the computer room fiddling around on Adobe photoshop making our daughter a sign.  He then took her in the kitchen and had her help him hang it in the stairway. And you know what? It worked. The next day G-Girl told me, "I got up in the morning and I went through the gate into the kitchen.... but then I saw the sign and I remembered. So instead of going downstairs I came upstairs and woke you."  You did what kid? Seriously?  Sometimes my husband can be an awesome Dad. Maybe we should have just went with that child-eating monster story all along.

Right around her first birthday Baby-G went through a phase where she refused to sleep.  I was at a loss, as I stumbled around in a zombie like haze. I wrote about it on here and many of you responded with helpful suggestions, for which I am so thankful. I wanted to write and say thank you, and give you all an update.

Baby-G was freaking out every time I laid her on her back, to the point that I wondered if something was physically wrong with her.  Yet, until several of you suggested it, it never occurred to me to lay her down on her stomach to sleep.  It's sort of like that bad joke; where the patient says "Doctor, it hurts whenever I wiggle my toes... what should I do?" to which the Doctor replies, "Don't wiggle your toes!"  A ridiculously obvious solution, yet I was blind to it.  I started placing her on her side when I laid her in her crib, at which point she would either roll onto her back or her front and settle down.  That one small change made a world of difference.

We had plans coming up to go out of town without the children over night.  With the baby refusing to sleep, we wondered if we should cancel. We discussed it and decided to go ahead and leave her at my parents overnight.  They had a horrible time of it, and the baby slept very little. We got home late in the day and we had to wake her the baby up to take her home, for which I felt rather guilty.  When we got home I nursed her and laid her down, at which point she proceeded to sleep through the night, not waking until 6:30 the following morning. I was thankful for the rest, but figured it was fluke brought about by her exhaustion and lack of sleep.  However, since that night things have continued to go relatively smoothly.

I also started tucking a doll in with her at night.  I lay her down, let her choose a position, and then I lay a stuffed animal down next to here.  I cover them both over with a blanket and tuck them in.  I tap the doll and say "Night, night kitty." and then I touch my daughter gently on the face and say "Night, night, Baby-G".  It seems to distract her from how upset being laid down makes her.  Every couple of days, I switch up what animal I lay down with her, as I worry about her becoming irrevocably attached to say the stuffed cat doll, and then somehow losing it. 

Did the small changes I initiated make the difference?  Did staying at my parents overnight cause a break in her (bad) routine?  Maybe whatever was bothering her simply passed.  I don't know.

I am still rocking her in the chair and nursing her at bedtime.  As before this rough patch, some nights she is asleep, or mostly asleep when I lay her down, and other nights she is still awake.  I am not intentionally keeping her awake until I lay her down.  She does still sometimes protest and cry.  The difference is, she is not jumping into an upright position and screaming her head off each and every time I lay her down. Also now when she does cry she settles down after a few minutes.

Next up, now that she's a year old, I plan to wean her from nursing throughout the night. Well, maybe in a week or two. Right now I am enjoying the relative calm, and the rest!  Thanks again to all of you who wrote me or responded.  Any tips on phase two (night weaning)?

My mom had all three of her children by c-section.  The sight of the dark scar running vertically down her belly used to fill me with disgust and dread.  I had this irrational fear of having a c-section myself.  I can't really explain it.  That's the thing about irrational fears, they're not rational. For many years my fear kept me from seriously considering child birth.


When I was pregnant with my second child I decided to prevent any arguments with the O.B. by going with a midwife instead. I didn't give a cesarean birth any serious thought.  I figured I was in the clear.  Then my water broke and based on the fact that I was strep b positive and I wasn't in active labour, the midwife insisted on an induction.  I fought it, but not as hard as I could have, because it was so last minute. I was blind-sided. I explained to her that I didn't want an induction because I knew it increased my chances of a c-section. She insisted. She told me I could go with her advice, or cease to be under her care. She would transfer me to the care of whatever doctor was on call and head home. I felt like I had no options.  After stalling as long as I could, I let her put me on the pitocin drip. Then it turns out, once your hooked up to the IV, additional fetal monitoring is required.  The portable monitor was on the fritz and kept cutting out.  I ended up strapped down to a bed with constant monitoring.  The monitor had to be held just so. If I moved at all it would cut out. This was exactly the situation I knew I needed to avoid.

Everything went to hell.  All of my worst fears were confirmed. After a dozen hours of labour, I made to it the active pushing phase and the baby's head was crowning.... and then the monitors cut out. They couldn't find the babe's pulse. I was rushed down to the operation room. I was told that they were bringing me there "just in case" and that once we got there I would be allowed to push more.


I remember one of the first things the midwife said to me in the recovery room is, "Oh I'm so sorry, and here you didn't want an induction because you were afraid of a c-section..." She assured me it was all for the best, as my babe was perfectly healthy, and she made some remarks about how I managed to get a two for one deal by having my tubes tied while I was cut open to remove the babe.  I wanted to slap her, to punch her. Instead I smiled and nodded and didn't say anything that wasn't polite and banal.

I was so ANGRY and lost after Baby-G's birth. Recovering from the c-section was horrible.  I had all manner of complications.  The incision became infected.  I had problems with extreme, unending, migraine like headaches - a side effect from the epidural.  I also regretted agreeing to the tubal ligation. I don't think that is something that should be decided on the spur of the moment. Nor something that should be asked of someone who is currently not in her right mind.


I was so relieved when the baby came out perfectly fine.  But here's the thing. she was perfectly fine.  As far as I could tell from everyone I spoke to afterward, there was no need for the c-section.  They panicked when the monitors cut out, so they erred on the side of caution and operated. Turns out she wasn't in any sort of distress, and I should have been able to have a normal birth. But I didn't. I had a c-section.  My scar is small and discrete compared to my mother's.  It runs horizontally along the edge of my panty line. In all probability, no one will ever see it. But I know it is there. I am scarred, both inside and out.

Today is my birthday.  I am thinking about my life. I stand in the shower with my hand over my scar and I am thinking about how my children have marked me, inside and out.  The process of bearing children has marked my body,  with  my scar from the c-section being the very least of it. I have been changed and marked in so many ways that I could never have anticipated. Like any woman who has gone through childbirth, regardless of  the ease or difficulty, I have been transformed from the person I was before into a mother.  I have been blessed to have these wondrous, annoying, frustrating and amazing little people brought into my life. If I had never had that c-section, I would still be marked.  Like my mother before me I am scarred, but maybe it's not so bad after all.

Image: Anna Kosali, Creative Commons 
Image: Gilberto Santa Rosa, Creative Commons

I joined Swagbucks on Feb.21st.  In 18 days I've earned over 1800 points. A $5 Amazon.ca giftcard only costs 450 points, so at 1800 I've already earned enough to redeem for $20 at Amazon. Woohoo. How awesome is that?

Whenever I've seen bloggers writing about Swagbucks in the past, I assumed they were racking up points through referrals.  I didn't do it through referrals. ( I do have a couple of referrals on my account, which have earned me under 100 points total thus far.)  As of writing this article I have 1945 points. Here's how I earned 'em:

• Do the daily poll each day for 1 Swagbuck.

• Page through the daily "No Obligation Special Offers" for 2 or 3 Swagbucks.

• Click on "Trusted Surveys" to see if there are any new survey's available and earn 1-3 Swagbucks just for checking in.

• Complete surveys. I've earned from 38 to 128 Swagbucks by completing a Survey.

• Take advantage of the Daily Deals. Twice now I've bought a Groupon, which I would have been buying anways, through Swagbucks to earn points. Originally the deal was 315 points for buying a Groupon, but it's dropped to 160.

• Swagbucks TV. Turns out most of the "channels" are available in Canada after all (just not the cooking ones, all the others I've tried have worked).  Throughout the day I play Swagbucks videos in the back ground.  Every ten videos you watch gets you 3 points.

• Swag Bucks codes.  You find secret codes and enter then on the Swagbucks homepage. I signed up for an email alert system so I get a notification every time there's a new code available. Usually 5-10 points per code and they release a code at least once a day.

• Searching the web.  Everytime I need to go anywhere online, I use the Swagbucks search engine.  Even sites I already know the address for, I head there through the search engine.  I have "won" from 7 to 29 Swagbucks on searches. I am averaging a minimum of 30 Swagbucks a day through the search portal.

I'm not even getting into all the "no purchase required" daily deals or tasks that you can earn points on.  I simple don't have the time to invest. However I think someone with extra time on their hands could earn major points pretty quickly.

Overall, I still can't get over how quickly I am earning point, which for me means money to spend at Amazon.ca, though they do have plenty of other prize options. If you haven't yet, I'd definitely recommend checking Swagbucks out.

We were having an awesome morning until my daughter decided to colour herself first orange and then green.

The girls ate their breakfast in under an hour, and were getting along nicely.  I actually felt awake for once, sure maybe the second cup of coffee was helping, but I was glad to have actually got some sleep.  We were reading the Baby Einstein Rythym board book, which lead to am impromptu jam session in the front room. G-Girl showing me how she makes a beat by wildly dancing and stomping on the floor.  We brought out some musical instruments. Despite G-Girl's insistence that she needed three instruments and could play them all at once, I managed to convince her to share with her sister.  I put on the march tempo on the organ. The baby played tambourine and laughed and laughed. Awesome morning.

This looks harmless enough...

G-Girl was pooped out from all the dancing, and insisted she needed a nap in my laundry bin.  Meh, no harm, sure why not.  After much fussing around with pillow and blankets she declared herself cozy.  No, she didn't want to come upstairs and help me put the baby to bed, as she needed to take her pretend basket nap.
 
So I headed upstairs without her. Changed one little bum.  Nursed Baby-G for maybe five minutes tops. Tucked her into her crib. Thinking about how awesome today was going, and making plans to break out a craft kit to work on with G-Girl, I headed downstairs only to find her barricaded in her room. I knocked on the door, insisting she open.  She muttered something indecipherable.  I pushed on the door, trying to force it open, afraid I was going to hurt her as she was using her body to hold it closed.  I came round the edge of the door to find my girl covered in orange cheesy powder.  She has a bag of her Dad's Cheetos in hand, which she's devoured half of. Her hands and face are literally coated in orange.

The problem here isn't the fact that she helped herself to snack food that she knows she's not supposed to touch.  The problem is the last time I saw those Cheetohs they were on the couch, downstairs, in the I Am Filled With Danger basement which my daughter isn't allowed to set foot in without adult accompaniment.

Just last week she pulled a similar stunt.  Disappearing downstairs while I was getting the baby dressed.  I headed downstairs to start the day and she was no where to be found.  I called out her name but she didn't answer.  Eventually I found her downstairs, sitting on the couch, covering her face up with her hands, with a half eaten box of her Dad's snack crackers.  Again, it's not so much what she was doing as where she was doing it.  Given the open access to the cat's litter box, my workbench tools and goodness knows what else she could get her hands on in the laundry room, not to mention her dad's extensive collection of miniatures, etc. etc., a box of crackers is probably the very least trouble she could get herself into.

I was frustrated as hell.  Once I had her washed down, I gave her a time out. Then once I had simmered down I sat and talked with her (Again!) about how dangerous it is for her to be in the basement without a grown-up. I decided to try a new tack, and told her she was grounded; no TV, no video games with Dad, no Dorothy-Toto read to her at bedtime.  Also normally while her sister sleeps we spend some one on one time.  I told her because she was grounded that I would not play with her, but rather I was going to work on the computer while she should play quietly by herself in her room.

My darling girl looking like a hobo with a 5 o'clock shadow.

I went on the computer and started chatting online with my husband, discussing important things like what the heck to do with our girl and where to hide the cheesies. I suddenly realize that it is Very Quiet.  When I'm sitting on the computer her bedroom door is about five feet from me. My daughter, who was sitting in her room quietly drawing, is no longer talking aloud or singing to herself.   I called out to her and she didn't answer, but I could hear her creeping quietly in the hallway.  I asked her again what she was doing and this time she answers, "Nothing. I'm doing nothing" Then after a long pause she timidly steps into the computer room and declares, "I'm just decorating and colouring myself, see." She is COVERED in marker.  She has drawn dots all over her hands and arms. It's smearing badly and she's has green marker rubbed all over her face.

For the record, Crayola washable markers, not as washable as you'd think.  I scrubbed G-Girl so much she complained I was hurting her and she still had a nice undead green tinge to her lower face and dashes and dots all over her hands. So much for my awesome morning.  It's only 10:30 and I'm already ready to sell my daughter to the gypsies.

Along with the DVD, the set includes a CD and a board book.  The World of Rhythm board book is an enjoyable read, with a nice rhyming scheme, and some suggestions for actions, such as "Wiggle your fingers and repeat: pitter-pitter-pat, pitter-pat-pat" or "Clap your hands to the rhythm: 1 and 2 and 3, 1 and 2 and 3".  The book was a big hit with G-Girl.  Reading this book has her excited about rhythm and making a beat.  Baby-G does also like it, but it seems to have a bigger effect on her older sister. By the end of the book we are always engaged in active play.  Jumping, stomping, drumming, and dancing.




The board book gets my girl moving and clapping,
and apparently also doubles as a tambourine.
At first I thought the CD was a little on the short side, as it runs just over 10 minutes.  But actually I find this to be perfect for playing on the floor with Baby-G.  The upbeat music promotes energetic play. The short runtime is the ideal length for a nice quick burst of active play, giving my baby 100% of my attention for that short period of time.

Baby-G loves the World of Rhythm video.  With our other Baby Einstein DVDs she will sit on my lap and bounce along to the music, point, sign and babble.  With this one, she insists on getting down off my lap. She stands holding on to the edge of the coffee table and bounces, bops and dances for the entire DVD. Movement and exercise just seem to spontaneously flow from reading this book or watching this DVD. I liked that along with the feature presentation there is also a five minute and a ten minute show.  These shorter shows are perfect for when I just have a moment or two to spend focused on my babe in between chores.




Baby-G doing her World of Rhythm happy baby wiggle dance.
I realize the target age group is babies from newborn to 2 years of age, but my three year old still enjoys watching Baby Einstein DVDs, or "Baby TV" as she calls it, and requests them fairly regularly.  I think she enjoys sharing this time with her little sister and showing her things, helping her to learn. Both girls enjoyed this new DVD.  The concepts of rhythm, like fast and slow beats, etc, seemed a little advanced for my 12 month old, but were really engaging to the preschooler.

Three new discovery kits were just released in February; Baby Lullaby, Neptune's Ocean and World of Rhythm. Added to the kits already released in 2010, this brings the total available up to nine. If you already own the older Baby Einstein videos you will see some repetition in the DVDs.  I'm looking forward to seeing what other new material they intend to release.

Overall I love this particular set and would definitely recommend it to others.  I love that it encourages active play.  Both the book and the DVD just seem to naturally encourage movement and exercise. I like the format for the discovery kits in general. I like that they are bundled with books or flash cards. The suggested retail is $19.99 U.S. or $24.99 Canadian. For not just a DVD, but also a separate CD and book, this seems like a good deal.

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GIVEAWAY RULES:
Remember, one comment per entry. The comment IS your entry. I will be drawing a random number, and the corresponding comment number will be the winner.

Please be sure to include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you then you can't win!

Giveaway ends on Monday March 28th, at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Open to Canadian and US residents only. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received this free Discovery Kit through a LBi/Baby Einstein program. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and no other monetary compensation took place.

The winner of the Baby Gourmet Sampler Box is...

Thanks to Baby Gourmet for partnering with me for this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered! The winner has 72 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw. I have a bunch more giveaways lined up over the next little while, so stay tuned.

The winner of the $70 M&Ms Prizepack is...

Thanks to M&M’S®- Canada for partnering with me for this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered!  The winner has 72 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw.  I have a ton of great giveaways lined up over the next little while, so stay tuned.

It's nice to be away from my babe for a bit, but gods do I ever hate pumping.  Not so much the act of pumping itself, but the timing. Finding a time and a place to do it. I have no problems with nursing in public, but pumping in public seems somehow obscene. On the other hand, pumping is just one of those mom things I do and I am always surprised to find how squeamish people can be about it.

Since my first babe was born over three and a half years ago I have pumped in all manner of places, pretty much across southern Ontario. I have pumped in restaurant parking lots or  parked down a sidestreets. My husband sits in the car and reads a book while I pump in the passenger seat next to him. I've yet to have anyone call me on it, but I'm always worried someone is going to stop me and tell me what I am doing is illegal.  As extremely embarrassing as I find pumping in the car, I still prefer it vastly to a dirty bathroom stall..  Technically going topless in Ontario is legal, so I'm probably good, but I always feel intensely awkward.  I finally figured out that, as a passenger in the car, I can pump while we're driving around.  Saves time.  In the dark driving down the 401, it even feels relatively private.

My worst experience with pumping in the car happened here in Windsor.   This was a few months back when Baby-G was about 7 or 8 months old.  I left the girls with my parents for the day  so I could attend an all day board gaming tournament being held at the local gaming store.  Between games I snuck outside to sit in the parking lot and pump.  I was pretty covered up, using a blanket as best I could.  There was an older guy hanging around in the parking lot and when he noticed I was pumping he started staring at me intently.  He seemed to live in the apartment above the store.  He was hanging around having a smoke.  He kept finding reasons to stand right outside my car.  He was tidying up, fiddling around with things, carrying out the garbage. He was emptying outdoor bins that had filled with water.  Carrying them five steps away from the building and emptying them directly next to my car while staring in the window.  The van that was parked next to me pulled out.  This guy now gave up all pretense and simply started standing in the empty parking spot next to our car staring at me.  I was really uncomfortable and sort of surprised to find how angry I was.  I was about ready to stop pumping, open the car door and yell at this guy.  I was thinking of yelling at him something along the lines of, "What's the matter, don't have the internet? Haven't you ever seen a tit before? If you really need an eye full why don't you go online. I hear the internet is full of porn.", when my husband stepped out the door and the guy vamoosed.  I later spoke to the store owner and discovered that creepy guy was the landlord at which point I was sort of glad I hadn't screamed at him.

Last week I had company over and one of my male friends was tiptoeing around the ground floor trying not to wake anyone.  I had been upstairs in the baby's room, sitting in the rocker pumping, and he assumed I had been putting the babe to sleep.  I assured him he didn't have to worry about being loud as the girls were staying overnight at my Dad's. What was I doing upstairs then, if I wasn't putting the baby to bed?  Oh, I was just pumping.  At which point he turned beat red, stammered, apologized, and out right said "I did NOT want to know that."  What's the big deal?  As I said, to me pumping is just one of those mom things I do.  I also spend at least 10% of my day dealing with poop and pee in some form. Changing diapers? Now that can get gross. Much more disgusting then expressing breast milk.

So, what's your story? How do you feel about pumping?  Would you, or have you, done it in the car? Any crazy stories, or tips on how to get by when away from your babe?

The winner of the $25 CSN Stores gift card is...

Thanks to CSN Stores for partnering with me for this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered!  The winner has 72 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw.  I have a ton of great giveaways lined up over the next little while, so stay tuned.

I am in London, in the hotel, hiding out in the club room while my husband sleeps in. Given that I haven't been sleeping at home because of Baby-G, I know I should be sleeping right now, but I woke up at 9am and needed to pump. And then after pumping I needed something to eat, so I came in here to find a snack. I was hoping for toast or something... but I came in too late for the continental breakfast. There is however a giant bowl of fruit, so I helped myself to an orange. There is this huge industrial K-cup machine, that looks like it requires two hefty lads to carry it and an engineering degree to make it run. I managed to muddle though and was rewarded with a delicious cup of hazelnut coffee.

I am the only one in here, it is soooo quiet. I'm on the 20th floor of the hotel looking out over the city. I have a window seat in a fancy room with unlimited coffee, and no interruptions. My children are two hours away. This quiet moment to myself, sitting here browsing Facebook and munching on an orange feels like the most decadent experience I've had in years. This is the longest I've been away from the kids since babe number two was born. My parents are at home with my kids, who will probably be crispy fried from weird sleep routines by the time I get back to them this eve. My mommy guilt and my wallet both tell me I need to head home today, but man I wish I could stay. Stay here in the hotel one more night. Stay right here in this quiet private moment.  This moment? Totally worth a week of Kraft Dinners.

We headed up to London for an early birthday treat overnighter. Nothing extravagant. A one night stay in my fav hotel. A couple of meals out, including dinner at our favourite restaurant. Pints of "rare" beers at the near by pub. Fancy breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Searching for books in my favourite used bookstores. It's the B-irthday extravaganza; Books, Beer and Breakfast.  My husbands birthday gift to me is the infinite patience with which he waits while I climb through the stacks of books at City Lights and Attic Books. End result, a hangover and a milk crate's worth of new to me books to head home with.  We do this most years. We skipped last year because there was a new born babe to deal with. I was hesitant about doing it this year, because we can't really afford it, but I'm glad I gave in as I'm having a blast.

How about you guys?  What sort of  treat is worth blowing your budget on? What silly little decadent moments do you treasure?

You know I'm always excited when I find another cool small Canadian retailer to work with. So I'm very pleased to announce that I'm going to be partnering with Bumblebee Toys for an upcoming giveaway!

Bumblebee Toys is a is a little toy shop located in the Kootenays, in the beautiful town of Nelson BC, Canada.  Their website is filled with a wonderful selection of imagination fueled toys.   Here's a quote from their website, which explains their toy choosing criteria:

"High quality, durable, and exceedingly fun with lasting play value; These are the standards our products live up to... You won’t find anything that takes batteries, nor media driven, commercialized or name branded items.  It is important to us to give our children playthings that are closer to nature than their plastic cousins, pleasurable to the touch and always feeding the imagination."

They carry toys for infants and toddlers, as well as older children. I love that they focuses on child-driven, battery free, toys.  They have everything from rattles and teething rings for wee babes to craft kits and play clothes for the older bunch. They carry wooden blocks, stackers, play food, pull-toys, puzzles, handmade dolls, playsilks and much more.  You really need to browse through their site to get an idea of all the interesting toys they carry.


If  you're looking for something special for your little one, check out Bumblebee Toys. They offer free shipping on orders over $200. 

If you want to be the first to know about sales, new products, and other updates,  head over and join their Facebook page. You can also keep tabs on them on Twitter as @BumblebeeToys.

And be sure to check back here in the next few weeks for your chance to win a Bumblebee Toys gift certificate.

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