Wordless Wednesday

Handmade for the holidays

Have you started your shopping this holiday yet? Consider making as many of your purchases handmade this year. Here are my top seven reasons to buy handmade:

1. Support local makers. Keep our dollars in our communities & out of the hand of multinational corporations.
2. Reduce waste. Most hand-made stuff isn't packaged, or it's much less so than store-bought stuff.
3. Decrease your carbon footprint. Buying local handmade goods means your gifts weren't shipped in across an ocean.
4. Meet the maker. It's great to meet the person who produced what you're buying, be it a farmer at the market, or a knitter at a craft sale.
5. Avoid the stress of the malls. No matter how busy craft markets get, it's just not the same vibe as the malls.
6. Quality, not quantity. Often handmade products are more expensive than mass produced ones, but they're often much better quality too.
7. One-of-a-kind. When you shop handmade, you're getting unique products, not mass-produced clones.

If you're in the market for hand made baby stuff, check out my Etsy shop or come on over to my Crafternoon! It's happening THIS Saturday, 12-5pm. See the FB page for more details.

Listomania: Halloween Costumes

Reading the lovely Chloe's blog, Tea Swamp Park, I found an idea I had to 'steal': a list of all her Halloween costumes, with quite a few photos. She got the idea from Hula Seventy's List Project. I am a serious list maker myself, but hadn't thought of working that into my blog here. Think I'll try the weekly lists for a year that Hula Seventy is doing. Why not?

I too love Halloween--it's probably my second favourite holiday, next to Christmas & only because it's generally shorter. If we had a holiday where we dressed in costumes, ate tons of homemade goodies, drank eggnog & gave a few presents, I think that would be perfect! 

Halloween seems as good a place as any to start the lists off so, I've wracked my brains trying to remember each & every Halloween costume I've worn over the years. Often I've worn one to work, then a different one to a party & possibly a third to perform in, so that complicates my list. As a stilt performer, I wear costumes all the time, so there are a lot of pictures of me in various guises at other times of the year too. As for Halloween, I can't remember every single year, but I've done my best. Without further ado, here it is:

Raggedy Ann (complete with crepe paper wig made my mom)

Raggedy Andy (my little sis used my Ann costume)

Mouse (Originally for a figure skating performance, I think I wore it for 

Halloween too.)

Cookie Monster (plastic suit & mask, bought at Kmart)

Sylvester the Cat (Kmart again)

A witch (made myself a beaked nose out of tin foil)

A magician

Dracula

A ghost lady (made a ragged gown out of an old sheet) 

Frankenstein's Monster 

Funky witch (pink chuck taylors & pink sequin-trimmed t-shirt dress with a tulle skirt)

Scarecrow (I made the hat in sewing class, first time I used a serger. Still have it, too)

Winter (I made a gown, slip & veil/cloak for this, trimmed with iridescent sequins & hand-cut paper snowflakes. Wish I had a picture of it)

Vampire, complete with custom fitted fangs

Vampire, again

Viking/valkyrie or something

Skull Wraith (on stilts for The Parade of Lost Souls in 2003)

Another witch

Skull Wraith (on stilts at my Halloween gig)

A viking again

Skull Wraith (on stilts at my Halloween gig)

Bird thing (Not really sure what I was going for here)

Creepy doll

Non-scary witch (didn't want to freak out Sprout for his first Halloween)

Zombie

Cyber Monday: free shipping at ANEW

Cyber Monday is apparently the biggest online shopping day of the year. So, I'm trying out a little promotion for ANEW, my Etsy shop: free shipping on November 28th, 2011. Just use the coupon code CYBERMONDAY during checkout & shipping fees will be taken off your order.

Bandanna bibs for the little drooler in your life...

2011 Resolutions: the Score

It's a bit cliche to make a list of New Year's resolutions, I know. Nonetheless, I think it's a valuable exercise to be explicit with yourself about what your goals are for the year. Writing it all down makes you a bit more accountable, in a way. Sharing that list with other people makes you even more accountable (then even if your will power is failing, you've got social pressure & hopefully support to keep you on track). Then at the end of the year, you can look back at your list & (hopefully) cross a few things off. That feels good.

Here is my list from last year, annotated:

1. Improve my writing, specifically around punctuation. I overuse ellipses & really don't know how to use semicolons properly. Not sure if I really achieved this. I am more aware of punctuation as I'm writing, anyway.
2. Blog &/or tweet daily. This might be a bit ambitious & could result in really tedious just-because-I-had-to posts, but I'll try to come up with something interesting every day. It took me about ten months, but I've done it: I'm now blogging daily!
3. Spend more time making things. I need to get around to some of the projects I've bought fabric for, fabric that is taking up a lot of valuable real estate in my sewing room. Not as successful on this one. I have done a few scrap-busting projects (book bag, bunting, doll clothes for gifts, baby blankets for Etsy, a few items of clothing for Sprout) but haven't really gotten around to completing any of the projects I bought specific fabric for.



Hurricane Linnaeus passes through the kitchen

4. Clean my house more often. To encourage this, I think I will invite people over more. Hmm. I think this one was marginally successful, but with Sprout trailing behind me, tearing things off open shelving, grabbing random things & dropping them in other rooms, it's hard to stay organized. & then there's his habit of dropping food he doesn't want to eat on the floor. I can't keep up with the mopping.
5. Organize my sewing room better & keep it that way. Definitely failed on this one. I did reorganize the furniture, but the room is really a narrow pathway amid heaps of fabric, notions, gift-wrapping supplies & paper craft materials. This will have to go on the list for 2012.
6. Get rid of some stuff in boxes that have been unopened through several moves. I think hours of sorting, then a yard sale & several trips to the donation area of the Sally Ann should accomplish this. Well, I did get rid of FOUR garbage bags of clothing. There's also a stack of kitchen items that are earmarked for donation. I still haven't touched those junk boxes that I know are squirreled away in the living room, the garage, my sewing room & Oli's office. It's well past yard sale season too, so I think it's all going to be donated, or postponed.
7. Research early childhood development, with the goal of being more mindful of how I raise my son & what preschool &/or elementary school programs I'd like to have him in. I think I was a little premature on this one. Sprout's still a couple of years away from pre-school, so I'm going to give myself a break on this, maybe add it to the list for 2013.
8. Complete four or more SFU courses in 2011 & maintain at least a 4.0 GPA in my Post Baccalaureate Diploma. I've completed three courses & will have completed three more in less than a month. My GPA on the other hand, I didn't keep as high as I'd hoped. I feel like it was an achievement to snag a B- in the unbelieveably thrilling research methods course I took in the summer, but sadly, that dropped my GPA to 3.87. Considering how my classes have been going this semester, it's headed downward again when my fall grades are factored in.
9. Start hiking again. One of the things I really want Sprout to love is the outdoors, so best get started soon! Absolute fail on this one. We haven't been hiking in ages. I'll add it on to the list for 2012. 
10. Decide on bike trailer vs. centric child seat & get Sprout biking with me. Done. We bought an MEC trailer. However, I no longer think this is either/or. I want to get a child seat too for those quick trips around the neighbourhood where the trailer isn't that convenient.

I give myself a score of 4/10. Not fabulous, but I still have over a month to go, so maybe I can squeeze in a few more of these. I do have a few projects on the go, so my progress in #3 will be incrementally advanced. #4 & 5 might be possible in December. However, with exams & Christmas also in the same month, I might be a bit short on time. Heh. Maybe I'll shoot for one more, at least?

What's your opinion on New Year's resolutions? Do you make a list annually? What were yours for 2011? Did you achieve some/all of them? What's on your list for 2012?

Linnaeus 15.2

The cutest thing Sprout's started doing this week is 'driving' from room to room now. I imagine his thought process to be like this: "I want to go play with the toy monkey that's stuck to the back door, but it's soooo far to crawl there from the living room. I'll just hop on my fire truck & ride over!" Sometimes he doesn't ride, he pushes his walker over. I'll find him standing at the tub in the bathroom, walker parked askew next to him on the bathmat. I think the fire truck might win the prize this week for most popular toy, by a hair. I can't wait until he sees his Wheely Bee that we've got him for Christmas! Because it has casters, rather than regular wheels, it's really manoeuverable on hard floors.

Not all the developmental milestones are cute though. Lately Sprout's also been screeching at the top of his lungs randomly. He's not complaining or crying, just screaming for fun. It's often painfully loud & he does it more if I pay any attention to it, so I'm trying to ignore it, hoping it will pass.

Maple syrup as styling aid.

He's also gotten more destructive in general, banging on things constantly, picking things up & throwing them to the floor. It's funny when he does it with a ball or soft toy, but when he did it to Papa's phone, he smashed the screen & when he banged a glass on the table at a cafe, it shattered into bits. We're having trouble keeping things he shouldn't play with away from him because we have so few places to lock stuff away. There are TWO closets in our entire house, in our bedroom & his. We don't have a lot of furniture in the living room & the majority of it is low enough that he can access everything on it.

On the eating front, Sprout is still chowing down with the best of them. He seems to be back on vegetables. At dinner Thursday, he ate half his broccoli & a few pieces of carrot. Of course, about 90% of what he consumed was udon. He just slurps them up & I think he swallows without chewing. It's hard to know what he's going to like or reject from week to week. For a while there, he was loving Oaty Bites cereal, but then refused it a couple of days running. Now he's back on it. Ah well, keeps me on my toes. & I guess I should be happy that he doesn't just categorically refuse anything for the long term. Except for mandarin oranges. Until recently, we hadn't given him any citrus because he seems to get such a bad diaper rash from acidic foods like kiwi & tomato. But several times now, he's tried a little piece of orange offered & immediately spat it out with an utterly disgusted face.

Sprout has also started to realize that we're not drinking the same things as him at dinner. He knew when we were eating the same or different by the time he was about six months old, but with drinks, he has taken longer to figure it out. He was pointing & squeaking insistently at Papa's pink lemonade Emergen-C drink last night at dinner. He's often quite curious about my hot tea too.

No new teeth lately--Sprout's eyeteeth are still sloooooowly making their way down. I kind of thought they'd be faster, given what a dagger-like point they have on the ends. Still no walking yet either. He's cruising lots & standing once in a while, but still prefers to crawl or 'drive' to go anywhere.

Gear: The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

What is it?
The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook, but Gill Rapely & Tracey Murkitt.
How does it work?
I'm sure you know how a cook book works, so I'll explain what the title means. Baby-led weaning is a way of introducing your child to solid food without purees. At about six months, babies are able to pick up food & feed themselves--there's no need to blend everything into mush & spoon feed them. In fact, starting with finger foods (chunks of steamed veggies, fingers of toast, etc) right away at six months is actually safer than waiting. Because their gag reflex is so far forward at that age, babies will push food out of their mouths before it gets anywhere near their throat if it's too big to swallow easily. By the time the gag reflex has moved further back, they've learned to manage food with their teeth & tongue, making them less likely to choke. 
Besides the safety issues, baby-led weaning is also so much easier: no pureeing, no spoon-feeding while you try no power struggles &  trying to get 'the airplane in the hangar'. The family can eat the same thing (with the usual exceptions like honey, nuts, etc for the first year) at the same time. Children introduced to solid foods this way are often more adventurous with food & less likely to be picky eaters.

Why is it good?

The book's full of information on baby-led weaning & 130 great, simple, nutritious recipes for the first few months (years?) of eating with baby. The food isn't baby food, it's food that everyone will like & babies can easily eat too.

How much does it cost?

Free if you borrow it from the library. $23 at Chapters.

Where can you get it?

The Vancouver Public Library has 14 copies. Amazon & Chapters sell it online.

What I'm reading: Doctorow

I've gotten into ebooks in a big way lately. Since I got my first smartphone this spring (not exactly an early adopter, eh?) I've been downloading whatever I can find for free & reading everywhere. I love the fact that I can always have a book with me when I've got my phone. I read on transit, in the bathroom, in bed, while waiting in line, while breastfeeding. It's particularly handy while breastfeeding, when I may or may not have another hand free to properly support a book. Nearly all the (real old fashioned paper) books I read are from the library & either big or hardcover or both, so it's a bit of a strain on my skinny wrists to hold the heavy things up single-handedly. But my phone--no problem! Plus, it's handy when getting Sprout to bed, because I can turn out all the lights but still read my ebook.

While browsing one of the free ebook 'stores' online, I came across a few of Cory Doctorow's works. I downloaded & read 'Eastern Standard Tribe' & got hooked, partly because his writing is funny, quirky & entertaining, reminding me a bit of William Gibson's recent novels. I kept downloading & reading due to his stance on copyright, DRM & the impact of technology on the publishing, music & movie industry. Every novel of his has a short essay detailing why he releases them for free online. Hard to sum up his position quickly but I guess I'd say he thinks that the dinosaurs who are squabbling over DRM & suing so-called downloading 'pirates' are headed for extinction.

At the moment, I'm reading 'Down & Out in the Magic Kingdom'. After just finishing 'Makers' recently too, I'm beginning to wonder if Doctorow's got a bit of a fetish for Disney. I'd call both novels speculative fiction, rather than science fiction. They're set in the future some time, 'Makers' the relatively near future, 'Down & Out' a little further into the mists, but neither one involves space travel or aliens or unfathomable technology. (Which is not to say I don't love that stuff--I've been a sci-fi fan since childhood) His characters are believable, imperfect & interesting hackers, writers & misfits. The pace of the novels doesn't drag on. He takes a new technology concept like 3D printers, for example, & runs with it, seeing where life could go with these things, how it might change business & entertainment.

Check out Doctorow's website, Craphound for info on & free downloads of his short stories, novels, young adult novels & essays. You can also find his work through ereaders' online ebook stores. I recommend the Aldiko reader for Android--it's super user-friendly, pages load quickly, books download nearly instantly & you can see all your book covers on a 'bookshelf'.

Delurking! (In other words, please say hello)

I've been trying to write more & have managed to post daily for the last few weeks. Yay! However, the comments are few & far between, despite the fact that (Blogger stats tells me) I have over 50 hits a day. I'd love this blog to be a bit more of a conversation, a community, rather than me spouting off into the ether.

Could you please comment on this post? Introduce yourself if we haven't met before, post your blog or website address. If you have any questions for me or ideas of things you'd like me to write about, I'd love to hear them!

Wordless Wednesday

(Apologies for posting a photo-less Wordless Wednesday earlier!)

Christmas is coming...

Sprout & his best friend with Santa

In the last couple of weeks, I've really started to think about Christmas a lot. Maybe editing the Event List for Vancouver Mom & writing articles for the Holiday Guide did it? One of the articles is titled, 'De-stressing Christmas", so I'm trying to take my own advice. Before I get too stressed out over all the work that the holiday entails, I remind myself that Sprout is still far too young to understand the whole thing. He likely doesn't remember last Christmas, either. This means we get a free pass again this year: he's not going to be concerned with how many gifts he gets, he won't remember which traditions we followed or when we decorated the house.
I'd like Christmas to be focussed on getting together with family & friends, good food (without too much sugary junk, though there will be more than usual) & giving. I don't want it to be about spending too much money, crowded malls, huge lists gifts to buy & lots of disposable junk. This year I plan to make more gift bags for all the gifts I give. I'm trying to make as many of the gifts as I can. So far, the only thing I've started is a new wardrobe for my nieces' dollies.

Best stocking stuffer EVER!

We've already bought Sprout a few things: a wooden rocking moose, a Wheely Bee & a deluxe Mr. Potato Head set. I know that Nana has bought him something, Oma & Opa will probably send a cheque, Auntie Wem has something brilliant in mind if she hasn't got/made it already, Auntie Sarah will have found something on her travels & Sprouty's best friend's mama Kirsten has threatened to buy him a puppy! (I think she was joking, but she was browsing the SPCA website at the time... ulp!)

I may get him a few more little things to stuff in his stocking, maybe a little candy & some small toys or books.  Things he needs might go in there too, like a new toothbrush, possibly some slippers or other clothing. It's a pretty big stocking, as you can see!

Getting ready for Crafternoon

Last year's fabric gift bags in action.

Do you end up with a mountain of shredded wrapping paper, plastic ribbon & stacks of crumpled paper gift bags by noon on Christmas Day? Sadly, most of it isn't even recyclable. Even if it's made of recycled fibres & you recycle it again, there's a lot of energy & water used in the whole process. The solution to this is cloth!

Last year I started on a collection of fabric gift bags for our family to use for wrapping gifts to each other. I say 'started', because I plan to add a few this year, maybe next year too. These bags could be used to give gifts to other people, but I think many of them will just stay in our family & get used year after year, along with the tree decorations, the lights & all the other holiday trappings.

After my sister requested I make some for her Christmas, I decided to add them to the lineup of ANEW products. They'll make their 'debut' this weekend at Crafternoon & then I'll probably add them to my Etsy shop too.

Small gift wraps 

So yesterday I trekked out to Southeast Marine Drive to Fabricland, as I wasn't all that impressed with the Christmas fabric selection at Dressew. I came home with ten metres of flannel prints after hemming & hawing over the vast selection of Christmas cottons there.

Medium gift bags

Today I got down to work when Sprout went down for his (surprisingly lengthy) nap. I designed, cut & sewed nine medium sized gift bags, plus 15 small sized gift wraps. The 18"x12" bags are designed something like a large envelope with a zipper closure on the flap. The 12"x12" wraps are a square of flannel with ribbon or ric-rac ties at two corners which can be wrapped around a small gift.
Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow to sew the larger sized bags I'm planning as well as a whole schwack of bandanna bibs.

Winter baby tips

As the snow started to fall, I was reminded of a desperate mom's message board post last winter about going out with her young baby. She lived in Alberta & was worried that her child would get too cold if she went out. She was also worried about her sanity if she had to stay indoors the whole winter because she couldn't drive.

So I thought I'd post a few tips I learned from other savvy moms or figured out on my own last winter as a new mama living mostly car-free.

1. Baby in the Bubble
The rain cover on your stroller also helps keep babe warm on cold windy days. The little bubble created by the plastic cover helps keep the heat in & cut down on wind chill, so even if it's not raining or snowing, it's still useful.

2. Be Safe, Be Seen
Now that the sun's going down so early, you'll probably be out in the dark more than you think. Get a small LED bike light to put on your stroller or carrier for the days that you come home after 4pm. I like the turtle lights from MEC, which are just $3.75. They have a solid or flashing setting, an elastic loop to attach to nearly anything, come in four different colours & have an easy-to-find replaceable battery.

Sprout & me zipped into my big old goretex jacket

3. Wear your Baby
If it's really cold when you go outside, like colder than it ever gets in Vancouver, the safest, warmest place for your babe is up against your body. Little babies can't regulate their own body temperature very well, so even if you bundle them up in the stroller, they might not be warm enough. If you use a carrier (I love the Beco Gemini), there's nothing in between you & your baby (well, except your clothing), so your body heat can keep them warm. Just layer on a fleece & jacket over both of you to keep toasty. If your winter wear is too fitted to do this, try borrowing a bigger one from your partner or a friend. I did this with an old jacket last year--Sprout stayed nice & warm everywhere we went. I got a few funny looks when people saw two heads popping out of the jacket last year.
Also, most strollers don't do that well in snow, so it just ends up being an exercise in frustration trying to get anywhere with one. Wearing baby in a carrier you are much more nimble getting around all the lumpy snowbanks & slush puddles that seem to be constantly in the way of strollers. Just be extra careful if it's icy--you don't want to fall. Obviously you're worried about hurting baby, but if you're injured, all those diaper changes, baby-lifting, laundry, etc that you need to do is going to be a lot harder.

Just unwrapped from his bunting

4. The Maggie Suit
What to wear? Those little duffel coats are so cute, or the little toques. Baby mittens are adorable too. But does your baby think so? Is s/he the kind to rip off mittens & hats as soon as they're on? Plus, when they get scrunched up in the stroller seat or the carrier, are there gaps where the jacket's ridden up & baby belly is poking out in the cold? Keep it simple by dressing baby like Maggie Simpson.
To keep Sprout warm last winter, we usually dressed him in a one-piece fleece suit, the Ursus Bunting from MEC. At $42, they're not cheap, but we used it every day for months, so I feel like we got our money's worth. The bunting is great because rather than having separate booties & mittens that snap on, there are integrated mitts & boots that simply fold over. I also found the hood to be a good fit & helped keep hats on him if it was extra cold. When Sprout's legs outgrew the 6-month size, we just unfolded the bootie parts & he got a bit more wear out of it.

5. Get out!
All this seems like a lot of work but you neeeeeed to get out when every day is grey & the weather's awful. If you stay at home too many days in a row, the cabin fever will drive you crazy.

Read me on Vancouver Mom

Just in case you hadn't got enough of me on this blog, you can also read my articles on Vancouver Mom. I'm the Central Contributor, covering my neighbourhood (Cambie, Main & Fraser Streets basically) & writing about three our four articles a month. I write about kid-friendly restaurants, shops that tickle my fancy, outdoor spaces I love, events that are going on in the area... Anything I think other Vancouver mamas might find interesting. If you have a suggestion for something I should write about, please don't hesitate to mention it!

As Christmas is coming, Vancouver Mom has put out an events guide, which I edited for this year. Each Wednesday there will be a list of fun, family-friendly activities going on in the city. The first one is already out! Read it here. I have also written two articles with some tips for maintaining sanity in the holidays & DIYing. Stay tuned for the links on Facebook, plus you can find my past articles here on Sprog Blog's Vancouver Mom page (see the dark grey bar above ↑ or just click here).

UPDATE: If you'd like to download the whole guide as a PDF, including the events listings, my articles & a gift guide, you'll find it here.

Linnaeus 15.1

At Hillcrest Pool 

This week Sprout has figured out how to get onto & then actually go somewhere on his ride-on toy. He's still working on the dismount, but hasn't fallen off it for a long time. He has even started making turns on it, which involves standing up & dragging the thing toward where he wants to go, as the steering is really limited on his fire truck. Most of the time he's still pushing his walker around while on his knees, but sometimes actually walking on his feet.
Linnaeus is babbling a lot more, saying 'ai' when he picks up the phone & puts it to his ear, even leaving voicemail for people.

Another exciting first is swimming! We finally made it to the pool. Sprout took a few minutes to get used to the idea of floating. I'd say he's still not entirely sold on it, but he did pretty well overall. He particularly liked the hot pool, where he played with some other little kids for a few minutes. I think we'll definitely go back again soon. Stay tuned for my article on Hillcrest Pool in Vancouver Mom Magazine.

In the dental department, eyetooth #2 is poking through, for a grand total of 14 teeth. He's really getting much better with his molars which are all through the gums completely now. Dense, crunchier food is not a problem.

Another milestone we passed this week was his first hair cut. His hair now looks much thicker & he's getting less food in it. Yay! Oddly, since having his hair cut, he went from looking just like mama to just like Papa & Opa. Even days later, I'm still not used to this completely different little person.

Gear: Playtex Straw Cups

What is it?
Playtex Lil Gripper Twist 'n Click or the Insulator Twist 'n Click straw cups
How does it work?
Simple twist-on lid with a soft upper straw & integrated valve that doesn't leak. Transparent cups (or insulated with cute patterns) with a 'waist' to make it easy for little hands to grab.
Why is it good?
Easy to take apart & wash. They make a variety of interchangeable lid types. It really doesn't leak. You can find replacement parts online & upgrade your lids without having to buy the whole thing again. (Update 5Feb2012: REALLY annoyed to discover that I can't seem to find the parts online anymore, now that I want to buy a few. Grr...) They come in a variety of colours so you can tell them apart. Also, the First Lil' Gripper Twist 'n Click Straw Trainer Cup doesn't have a valve & you can squeeze a bit of water or milk up the straw to show your child how to use it the first few times. These cups seem quite durable too: after being chucked on the floor & sidewalk countless times, the large ones haven't broken. (One of the handles of the small cup did break off after repeated chuckings however)
Where can I get it?
London Drugs, Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, online.
How much does it cost?
$5-6 each.

*I didn't get any freebies from Playtex to write this review. My sister recommended these cups & Sprout's been using them daily for about eight months.

Handmade for the Holidays

If you celebrate Christmas & you're starting to think about your shopping list, consider buying local & handmade as much as possible. Rather than shelling out for things shipped across oceans & made by sweatshop labour, take a look at what's made right here in Vancouver. There are TONS of craft fairs showcasing the best DIY talent at this time of year!
Also, I'll be hosting another Crafternoon at my place. Come on over December 3rd, between noon & 5pm. It's going to be part craft sale, part tea party. I'll have my latest hand-made baby gear & mama wear for sale, plus some deals on my older stock of handmade hats & scarves. There will be tea & nibblies. Kids are welcome to come play with Sprout & his toys. More info on the Facebook event page.
Here are some local craft markets coming up:

Last day to vote!

I've added my name to Circle of Moms' list of Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs. Please vote for me here! The contest closes tomorrow, so please vote one last time today! Thanks!


If I win, I'd get  featured on The RoundUp, Circle of Mom’s editorial channel. The feature includes a short interview, favorite posts, & a photo of each Top 25 winner. The Top 25 winners also receive a badge for their blog that links to their interview on Circle of Moms. Top 25 participants may also be invited to participate in Circle of Moms’ expert Q&A & The RoundUp editorial platform.

Wordless Wednesday

Baby's first haircut!

As much as I loved Sprout's silky blond hair, it was well past surfer chic & into sheepdog territory. We've had to shampoo it quite often because of the sheer quantity of food he managed to work into it at meals. I thought about taking him to one of those kiddie hair places with the toy cars they get to sit in, but wasn't sure that would go over well. Plus, I just never got around to organizing an appointment around his nap schedule & my school schedule.

Luckily, I know a hair stylist who does house calls for special clients. I called Michael Barry Anderson (who happens to be my cousin) to come over & do the cut. Michael generally cuts hair in his apartment, but we knew it would be easier to do this in Sprout's own baby-proofed space, with lots of distracting toys at the ready.

We started out with Linnaeus on my lap, which he put up with for most of the hair cut. For the last few snips, trying to even out the sides, I held Sprout while standing, he sat in the high chair, laid on the floor & even tried the swing outside. After much patient, cautious snipping with the scissors, our baby (who was often mistaken for a girl) had transformed into a little boy.

Here is the whole process in photos:

BEFORE

Started out on Mama's lap.

Moved to the living room floor.

Then on to the high chair for a snack.

Yes, I kept some.

Next we tried in Mama's arms with harmonica.

Then on the swing outside.

AFTER

Tiny Houses

Fitting right in with all the 'minimalizing' that I'm doing, I've been thinking of tiny houses a lot lately. I don't necessarily want to live in something under a hundred square feet like Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny Homes (see embedded video), but I dream of building one myself as a vacation home. Maybe someday we'll find a great deal on a small piece of land somewhere along the water (lake, river, ocean--doesn't matter) & then spend weekends one summer putting our little cabin together. Or better yet, build it on a trailer chassis right here at home, then tow it to our plot when's it's ready to occupy.

Though I don't ever envision living in a tiny house, I like the idea of downsizing our living space a bit. With our  1100 square feet upstairs, a garage, a tiny laundry room & a shed under the front stairs we have about 1500 square feet of indoor space to live in & put our stuff. I'd say close to a third of that space is cluttered to the point we can barely use it. There are a few cramped pathways through the junk in the garage: scrap wood, gardening tools, bikes & bike gear, old furniture, boxes of who-knows-what. My sewing room is a disaster area full of heaps of fabric, notions, craft supplies, costumes & papers with a sewing machine & serger peeking out from underneath. Oli's 'office' is more of a store room of dead electronics, old clothes & shoes, tools & more boxes full of unknown stuff. My dream is to 'minimalize' to the point that our house will feel very open & airy, if that's possible in a little post-war bungalow as short on natural light as we are. I imagine getting rid of so much unnecessary stuff that next time we move, we'll need a smaller moving truck. Maybe next time we move it could be into a smaller space, rather than continuing the upward trend of more & more space for more & more unneeded stuff.

I wish that there was a way to afford a smaller house than we have now in our area. You'd think that we could get a nicer house if we were willing to downsize, but unless we give up a yard & move into a condo apartment, that's not the case. Paradoxically, we need to own a larger house (with a basement suite or two) to be able to afford to live here.

Anyway, who knows what the future will hold, but I'll keep dreaming of a beautiful, organized smaller space. Here's some videos I've seen lately that inspired me. A renovated garage in Bordeaux, France & an interview with Deek Diedrickson of Tiny Yellow House.

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle: The Kitchen Edition

I've been thinking about our kitchen for a few days, wanting to take stock of what we've got squirreled away in the cabinets. I want to try to eat through what we have in the house & reduce our grocery purchases down to just perishables like dairy & produce. Partly this is a way to save money for a little while, but it's also to just reduce the amount of stuff we have in here. I think being better able to get at this stuff will encourage us to eat it. So in a fit of organizational energy, I pulled everything out of my upper kitchen cabinets this afternoon.

After pitching a few things (found something a decade past it's best before date--EEK!), I decided on a new plan for where everything would go back. One of the biggest problems I saw was that ridiculous corner cabinet. About half of it is essentially a black hole--once things go back there, they disappear forever. I picked out some other items that are more or less long-term storage & stuffed them in the back: the extra dishes & cutlery for the occasional barbeque (so we don't have to use disposables), some lovely sushi plates that were a gift ( although we've never used them, I can't bear to get rid of them), our massive stainless cleaver in its box, as well as various other things that we really should just donate. Sigh. Still, I did make some progress.

I amalgamated all the dishes, glasses & mugs into one area. The canned goods are in one place & more accessible now. I've moved all our baking stuff into one cabinet, so next time we want to make banana bread or whatever, it won't require zigzagging all over the kitchen pulling ingredients from cabinets, shelves & counter tops. The frequently used hot drinks that aren't tea are now in the cabinet near the stove & kettle, as they ended up just sitting around there anyway. Our tea shelves (Yes, plural. We have ridiculous quantities of tea) are looking a little less crowded without the cocoa & Krakus. My long term goal for the tea shelves is to use up as much of the tea as we can over the winter & then move all the counter top-hogging canisters up there.

Many of Sprout's 'toys' are now in cabinets out of his reach. We'll have to find something else to put on the open shelving near the floor. His favourite pastime in the kitchen was to pull every bag of pasta, every tetrapak of soy milk, every box of crackers onto the floor. Most of the time he didn't sit on them, but they're all looking a lot worse for the wear. Maybe I can move the lidded bins we use for recycling & root veggies onto that shelving to free up enough space for a dishwasher.

Having a dishwasher has been a dream of mine for over a decade. We did briefly have one when we lived in our condo. It was a tiny hand-me-down, leaked water on the floor & required so much pre-rinsing/washing, that it wasn't really worth using, as I recall. We sold it with the condo. Sadly, not one of the other six places I've lived since I moved out has had a dishwasher. Even if I had bought a portable & lugged it from rental home to rental home during my semi-nomadic 20s, most of those places had tiny galley kitchens with nowhere to put a dishwasher. Now that we have a kitchen where we may be able to squeeze one it, my dream could come true.

So, to sum up, today's reducing wasn't exactly ruthless, but I did add a few things to the pile of household goods earmarked for donation. I think my organizing might just make it easier to reduce even more by eating our way through all this stored food. I think it's going to be a long process to whittle down the mountain of stuff we've accumulated. The few little spaces that have opened up on the counters & shelves make me happy.

Whole Foods Pizza: YUM!

I've been shopping at the Cambie Whole Foods once in a while for a few months now. They're a good source of organic food, 'alternative' grains (like amaranth, kamut, spelt, quinoa), plus natural health products like probiotics & other supplements. Surprisingly, I had never tried their ready-to-cook pizza until this week. I was in there on a Tuesday when the pizzas are two-for-one. I grabbed a couple of large ones along with the other things I was picking up. When we ate them later that evening, I was floored. Whole Foods' pizza was really good.

My major beef with most pizza, be it frozen, delivery or eaten at a restaurant, is that it's too salty. Not a problem with the Whole Foods ready-to-cook. I picked up one with pesto rather than tomato sauce, as Sprout still has trouble with diaper rashes after eating tomatoes, plus a regular ham & pineapple. Both were fresh, flavourful, loaded with cheese (but not greasy) & the crust was a really nice consistency: not too thin & crispy, not poofy & doughy. The ingredients are much better quality than your run-of-the-mill frozen pizza--really fresh veggies.

Another nice little bonus is the packaging: the lid on the pizza is recyclable clear plastic, the tray underneath is made of recycled paper products, compostable or recyclable as well. You can bake the pizza in the paper tray if you like, which I did. It turned out perfect--not too brown, but not soggy because of the bumps built into the tray to allow for air flow during cooking.

Probably the best thing about this pizza was the price: $12.99 for a large. That's not a screaming great deal compared to the stuff you'd find at Safeway or IGA, but when they're two-for-one it's about the same price for much better quality pizza. If you're near a Whole Foods on a Tuesday, pick up a couple of pizzas & let me know what you think.

Gear: Just USA Jeans

UPDATE: After just a few months, the Just USA jeans look a little worse for the wear. Full review here.

What is it?
Just USA jeans

Why is it good?
These jeans are sort of a hybrid between 'jeggings' & jeans. They feel like yoga pants, but look like any other pair of jeans. They're very stretchy & snug fitting, but with proper front & back pockets & classic denim stitching. The inseam length is nice & long for those of us over 5'4" who actually want our ankles covered. They make several different colours & washes including solid black, overdyed navy & various denim blues. Most of the styles I saw were lower-rise skinny leg, but they do have higher waisted styles as well as boot cut.

How much does it cost?
$59, which is a decent price for jeans made in the USA. 

Where can you get it?

I got mine at I Found Gallery on Main Street.

*I didn't get any freebies from Just USA. I bought this after finding them by chance & loving the fit.

Top Canadian Mom Bloggers!

I've added my name to Circle of Moms' list of Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs. Please vote for me here! You can vote every day until the 17th. Thanks!


If I win, I'd get  featured on The RoundUp, Circle of Mom’s editorial channel. The feature includes a short interview, favorite posts, & a photo of each Top 25 winner. The Top 25 winners also receive a badge for their blog that links to their interview on Circle of Moms. Top 25 participants may also be invited to participate in Circle of Moms’ expert Q&A & The RoundUp editorial platform.

Linnaeus 15.0

This past week has been pretty crazy. All in all, our first emergency room visit was great. It was definitely an advantage to be able to go to a hospital just for children--the bedside manner of the doctor & nurses was perfect for a toddler. The stethoscope & the pulse oximeter freaked Linnaeus out, plus being overtired & having a hard time breathing didn't help. Thankfully the whole ordeal was mercifully short: we weren't in the hospital much more than a half hour. The medication started to kick in soon & Sprout was breathing better & asleep an hour after arriving home.

Another first this week has been an extended time away from Papa. Oliver has gone on a business trip & will be away for ten days. I don't think Sprouty had ever been separated from his papa for even 24 hours before this.

Sprout has finally started to get a bit picky about food. Several times this week he's decided he doesn't want to eat the breakfast I've made him, despite the fact that he loved it another day. I'm never entirely sure how much banana he'll want, if any. Cereal seems a bit hit & miss. Toast is the default plan. I've never seen this kid turn down toast.

Sprout's favourite playthings this week have been things he can push around: his fire truck, the kitchen chairs, the SPUD bin, the footstool. He's spending more time cruising & at least once a day he'll experiment with standing unassisted.

I suspect eyetooth #2 is working its way out, judging by all the drool & occasional rosy cheeks. Oddly, though his top molars erupted first, they are taking their time getting through the gums; the bottom molars seem to be completely in.

Sprout's vocabulary is growing, in terms of what he understands. The latest words: spider & monkey. We have a small monkey with magnetic feet that lives on the back door in the kitchen. There is also a big spider living in our living room, who we tolerate because she takes care of the odd fly or moth. Sprout often waves hi to her at meals because he can see her from his highchair. As for actually talking, the only recognizable things we get out of him most days are uh-oh, dah/dat (meaning I want that, usually). This is not to say that he's quiet--quite the opposite, actually--when awake he babbles all the time. He's also started to copy sounds that we make. When people are laughing, he'll join in. If you make a growling sound, he'll copy you. Sprout & Grampa had a hilarious back-&-forth growling session at lunch Wednesday that I wish I'd filmed.

Wordless Wednesday

Our new pet.

Bandanna bib 4g

Sprout has been really drooly lately, so I thought I'd make him a new bib that will keep him warm & dry. Poor kid has been wearing my bandanna bib 1g all this time. It wasn't until the 2g that I started using fleece lining so they don't soak through.
If you need a drool solution for your little one, I have some for sale here & I also do custom orders if you have some other fabric in mind.

Eating Organic

This just in: organic farming is better than conventional on all counts. I just read an article in the Star Phoenix about a 30-year study comparing conventional & organic farming methods at Pennsylvania's Rodale Institute. Organic farming is better for the environment & human health--this is well known. Did you know that organic farming yields are as good or better than conventional? Organic farms also provide more jobs & keep the money in the communities where the farms are. Read the article for more details.

Do you eat organic? If not, why not? It's not an all-or-nothing proposition. Try starting with your produce. The Environmental Working Group website has a handy list of the 'Dirty dozen' & the 'Clean Fifteen'. The former list is the things you should eat organic: crops which have the highest pesticide use conventionally. The latter list are foods with the lowest pesticide when not organically grown.

Mondays

It's nice to get a break from mommy duty for a few hours during the week. Being at school, thinking of things other than diapers, snacks, drool & tantrums for a while is a relief sometimes. (Tempered by the annoyances of life as a student, however, that's for another post) But being away from Sprout for nine hours on Mondays is hard. The smile on his face as he crawls at top speed toward me when I pick him up at daycare is pretty awesome. The little hugs he gives me when I pick him up & the way he ravenously tucks into breastfeeding, even if he's just had a snack: it all makes me melt. I try to enjoy every one of those moments now because I know he won't be breastfeeding forever, eventually he won't have that glee upon seeing me, one day he won't need me this much. But for now I really enjoy the physical connection that we have, the cuddles, the nursing, the huge smiles, even the dependence.

Ahhhh, socialized medicine...

Weren't at Children's long enough to need his bracelet on.

After our first visit to the emergency room at the hospital with Sprout on Friday, I've been thinking a lot about how that experience would be different if we were in the US. It's hard to find an estimate of what it would have cost us in a privatized system like theirs, but I think it's safe to estimate that the bill would have been hundreds of dollars, even for a relatively simple visit like ours.

Sprout had woken up about an hour after we put him to bed & was having more trouble breathing, so we booked a Modo car & drove to Children's Hospital. We got there around 11:45pm, checked in about fifteen minutes later & were called in within fifteen minutes. The doctor asked us lots of questions, listened to Sprout's breathing & quickly diagnosed croup, which was not a surprise. He explained what it was & a few ways to help Sprout breathe easier as he recovers from it. The doctor ordered a small dose of oral steroids & a nurse squirted it into Sprout's mouth. After we were satisfied that he'd swallowed it we were sent home with an info sheet on croup. We arrived home in our Modo van just an hour after we left the house.

The steroids kicked in within about an hour & Sprout was back in bed by 1:30am. The next morning his breathing was much improved. Now all we have to worry about is helping him get well,  not how much the bill is going to be.

According to a quick Google search, the average emergency room visit comes to somewhere around $1200 in the US. It can vary a huge amount depending on the level of care you require. I read a NYTimes article--Demystifying, & Maybe Decreasing, the Emergency Room Bill--which made me even more glad to be living north of the 49th Parallel. The writer describes a simple ER visit necessitated by her son splitting open his chin on the floor. The full bill was about $5400, which was negotiated down & some of it was paid by their health insurance. In the end, they paid nearly $1600 for those 14 stitches on their son's chin. 

$1600!?! We complain about having to pay MSP premiums in BC, but our annual cost isn't that much. I'm also happy that the amount I pay doesn't depend on my bargaining skills, as it seems to in the US. There your bill is essentially like the sticker price on a car: you need to haggle it down. The last piece of advice the article offers is to deal with the billing department promptly so they don't send your unpaid bill to a collections agency, impairing your credit. Ugh. It's easy to see why there are so many people in the US whose lives are essentially ruined by one health problem.  

I wonder when America will join the rest of the 'civilized' world & ditch their expensive for-profit system?

REDUCE, reuse, recycle: Update II

This week was a good one for getting rid of stuff. My friend Laura posted on Facebook that she was going to do a drop-off of cosmetics & toiletries to the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre. The DEWC has a wide range of programs, including an emergency shelter & a drop-in centre. They are always looking for donations of things like moisturizer, shampoo & other toiletries for the women they serve. If you've got a stash of hotel shampoos & soaps or a moisturizer you tried recently & didn't like, bring it to the DEWC!
I went through my bathroom cabinets & found some conditioner that I've used a little of & no longer need. I also had a few sample-sized cleansers & moisturizers that I'm never going to use. Then I opened up my nail polish collection. Some you who see me regularly in person, but haven't known me that long probably have never seen me wear nail polish. It's been years. I kept a bottle of red & a bottle of clear polish & gave away the rest: about two dozen bottles, nearly every colour of the rainbow (seriously: blue, green, purple, orange, white, black, silver, gold, the usual gamut of pinks, reds & browns.) Laura picked up the bag & a few from other people & dropped it off by bike this week. I feel so much better having cleared a bit more space in the bathroom & hope that finding a nail polish she likes will bring a smile to someone's face.


I also found out on Facebook about a new thrift store that's opening up in our neighbourhood. Aunt Leah's Thrift Store is collecting donations of clothing & furniture right now, planning their grand opening on December 2. You can find them in the Lee Building at 177 East Broadway at Main Street. Aunt Leah's Place is a charitable organization that helps foster kids & teen moms, focussing on housing, work skills training & parenting skills for young people who would otherwise fall through the many cracks in the system.

Aunt Leah's lovely volunteers arrived today with a U-haul truck to pick up our two TV stands, a desk chair, a rug, a dish rack, a kid's chair & four garbage bags of clothing. If you've got some stuff to donate, please contact Angelina Oates at  aoates@auntleahs.org or phone 604-525-1204 ext 232. They'll come & pick it up! 


Our living room feels a bit empty with all the furniture we've removed from it in the last month or so. I can't wait to redecorate! We have some white leather armchairs & matching sofa in mind, possibly a new coffee table as well. All are better quality than the stuff we intended to be temporary that we've been sitting on for nearly a decade. Getting rid of all those clothes really feels liberating too. I can't believe how much space they were taking up, just sitting there, unworn. I gave away a few things that I do occasionally wear too--I was fairly ruthless about my 'minimalizing': I tossed many things that I don't really love or that doesn't fit me well. Sadly, I still have a lot of clothes that I don't love in my wardrobe. I think if I reduced it to the favourites that look great & fit well, I wouldn't have enough clothing to go a week without doing laundry. 


I'm starting to realize that all the stuff we surround ourselves with can have a power over us, strongly affecting our mental well-being. Having too many things, especially poorly organized, just isn't healthy. All this decluttering, donating (& hopefully some selling) is going slowly, but every bag of stuff I give away makes me feel better. I feel like I was buried in a mountain & I'm slowly digging my way out. 

Gear: Tiny Diner Placemat

What is it?
Summer Infant Tiny Diner Portable Placemat by Kiddopotamus
How does it work?
The placemat attaches to the table top with suction cups to protect the table from your toddler's mess & your little one from whatever germs might be on the table.

Why is it good?
The suction cups work well to hold it onto a smooth table surface & the 'gutter' part that hangs over the edge of the table catches a lot of spills. The whole thing rolls up easily into itself so it's very easy to pop into the diaper bag & toss it in the dishwasher when you get home. No worries about creepy chemicals leaching into your tot's food: it's not made with PVC, latex or pthalates. 

How much does it cost?
Usually around $15, it's well worth the money. 

Where can you get it?

BC Children's Safety Station (on SALE for $6.60 at the moment!), Toys R Us & a lot of other stores.

*I didn't get any freebies from Summer Infant/Kiddopotamus. I bought this after seeing a friend using one & have loved it ever since!

Learning to walk

Sprout likes to push his walker toy around, but he doesn't walk with it, he crawls. I already knew that these things don't really 'teach' a kid to walk, but Sprout is making a point of demonstrating that no device will entice him to walk any earlier than he feels like. Yesterday as we were unpacking our grocery delivery, he chose to push the SPUD bin all around the kitchen & living room. Maybe he prefers it because it doesn't move as fast as his walker? It's definitely a lot more work! I caught a couple of minutes of his 'driving' on video.

Wordless Wednesday

Linnaeus 14.3

Nori NOM!

This week Linnaeus has been wavering between one & two naps a day, oddly enough. He fell asleep by 10:30am a few times, which is unheard of--he sleeps about ten hours straight at night & doesn't usually wake up until 8am--going to sleep again two hours later seems weird. Also, on the topic of sleep, Kirsten has managed to get him to go down without the magic napmobile, even getting him to sleep in the crib.

That one eyetooth is slowly making its way through, no sign of any other new ones. Probably for the best to have a little teething break while Sprout gets accustomed to all his molars. He seems to be figuring out how to use them: Monday he actually ate the nori in his maki, rather than picking off the rice & avocado like he usually does.

The Ghoul family

Hallowe'en was a three-day affair this year. We all went to a party on Saturday night until 10pm, then all three of us slept late Sunday. That afternoon we went with our little bat boy to Disco, Baby at Rhizome. Monday Linnaeus went trick-or-treating in Kingsgate Mall while in daycare, then in the evening we took him out to four houses. I think he was a bit confused by the whole trick-or-treating thing, & he got quite frightened by all the fireworks on our way home. It was just seeing them outside that seemed to scare him. We could hear them clearly when inside the house but he didn't mind that at all & went to sleep easily amid the pops, screeches & bangs coming from all directions around the house.

My favourite new skill this week: Sprout has figured out how to 'play' the harmonica! He's been singing into it for a few weeks, wondering why it makes different sounds for Mama & Papa when they put it to their mouths. But this week, at breakfast on Sunday, he blew into it & realized how it works. Here's the video: