Shopping Trip

I recently treated myself to a little shopping trip....a little retail therapy sure does make a girl feel good!!  I've always been a fan of ZARA, so I was thrilled to see how many cute tops and dresses they had this season...now if only it would warm up so I could wear some of my new purchases. 

Here are some pictures from the Zara website that I love (and even purchased for myself!) Any of these tops can be worn with jeans or shorts...dress it up with some fun bracelets and necklaces and your all set.  The dresses are versatile as well....add a belt to any of these and you've got a whole new outfit.  I love dresses, they can be so comfortable and make you look put together without even trying:) 

Unclogging drains

Here's a trick that I use in our house for unclogging drains.  You can find all the ingredients in your pantry and the best part......no nasty chemicals!

Pour ½ cup baking soda, then ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover, and flush with steaming-hot water.

Bring out those Eyes!

Want to make your baby blue eyes pop but not sure how to do that???  All you need is your colour wheel from grade 10 art class (you can also purchase one from Michael's or your local art supply store).  All you have to do is find your eye colour (or close as possible) on the colour wheel, then look to the colour directly across your eye colour (this is called the complimentary colour).  For example, if your eyes are brown, pick a complimentary colour in blue.  Not sure that you want to cover your entire eye in blue eye shadow??  Why not try a dark blue eyeliner, you'll love the results!

Russian Chicken

This is one of our family's favourite meals and best of all it's so easy to make.  Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

1.4kg  boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 pkg dry onion soup
1 cup Russian salad dressing
1 can jellied cranberry sauce

Arrange chicken in a 9x13 glass pan
Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken - let marinate in the fridge for 1-8 hours
Pre-heat oven to 350
Cook uncovered for one hour

Serve with rice and a salad.  Enjoy!

Thinking outside the box

No doubt about it....Moms are busy and we have very little time to spend on ourselves.  We need flexible and comfortable clothes that do not require any special treatment (ie - dry cleaning!)  Many of us turn to the always reliable track/yoga pants pairing them with an oversized hoodie or sweatshirt in hopes of concealing our post baby bellies.  Unfortunately, this "look" is not doing us justice and can look at bit frumpy, sloppy and actually make us look bulkier.  I'm not suggesting that wearing yoga pants and hoodies should be outlawed, but there are other options.

Leggings are a great alternative to track pants.  They are extremely comfortable, versatile and inexpensive.  Here is an outfit that is mommy-nursing friendly, while looking super stylish at the same time. 

(Scarf - Old Navy $14.50 CDN, Boots - Aldo $54.98 CDN, Dress - Old Navy $34.50 CDN, Leggings - Old Navy $10 CDN)

Why this outfit works?  It's comfortable....you can bend and twist while looking great and by wearing the leggings with a dress you are getting great bum coverage.  The buttons on the front work well for nursing mommies and the boots are flat (important!) and stylish.  By adding a scarf you give the outfit a punch of colour and dress it up a bit.  Not shown, but would look nice also, would be to cinch the waist with a belt.

Do you have a fashion suggestion or tip?  Want to share an outfit that you love - send a picture to us - you could be spotlighted for the day:)

The Baby Gear List

When you're pregnant, deciding on what baby gear to purchase can be overwhelming - not to mention EXPENSIVE!!  It's hard to believe that such a small bundle requires so MUCH STUFF.  Below is a list to help you get started on your purchases: 

1.  Car Seat
2.  Stroller
3.  Crib and Crib Mattress

4.  Bedding

5.  Bathing tub

6.  Swing

7.  Bouncy Chair

8.  Exersaucer
9.  Baby Carrier/Sling
10.  Diaper Bag
11.  Changing Table
12.  Diapers
13.  High Chair
14.  Baby Clothes (Sleepers, Socks, Onesies, hats, mitts, etc...)

Don't forget to ask around to your friends and family for gently used baby items...not only do babies require lots of stuff....this stuff also takes up a lot of room around the house, so families that are done expanding their broad are more than willing to give, sell or lend out some of their items.  Another great way to save money on baby gear is to hit some Mom to Mom sales and eBay.

Keep in mind some items, such as car seats, have expiry dates and should not be used past the expiry date.

Happy Shopping Everyone:)

P.S. - the next few Thursdays will go into more detail about the items on the baby gear list and give you a range of products to choose from.  If you have a comment about a baby product you have used, please contact us.

Reuse and recycle your child's artwork

(Photo from marthastewart.com)

If you're like me, you have a hard time throwing away artwork that your children may do, but you can't frame or store all of it.  So what are you to do???  At a three year old's birthday party a couple weeks back, I noticed some very colourful and creative wrapping paper on one of the gifts - the parents had used their child's artwork to wrap the gift.  What a terrific idea - I'll definitely be doing that for our next party!

Do you have an organization, decorating, gardening, entertaining or any other tip or solution you use for your family?  Contact us, we'd love to hear it!