Wordless Wednesday - January 30, 2013

You know your day is going to be all right when free chocolates are mailed to you just to
get your opinion :) 

BIG Bibs! A Review...

Yep, it's time for another review!  Now, before you start thinking that I've gone on some mad shopping spree, let me remind you that many of these things I've been reviewing lately are items that most moms get for their kids...I have just been making the decision to purchase them from Work At Home Moms and local/Canadian companies.  It has been a neat experience, and I think these moms/companies deserve to have some recognition for their hard work and beautiful products.

Rant over...on with the review :)  

Our little Houdini of a daughter has become increasingly unsatisfied with her current bib situation.  Translation?  Her little Velcro bibs only stay on her tiny body for about 10 seconds before she rips them off and either throws them on the floor, or hands them to me.  As she experiments with more foods, she also needs more material covering her little clothes...and I don't want to change her clothes and increase my laundry production unless it is absolutely necessary.  We needed bibs...BIG bibs.

I contacted one of my friends who is "in the know" about great hand-made bibs (You can find the link to her blog, "As Time Flies", on my blog's home page), and she pointed me towards a great little company called Nic & Elli (You can find their Facebook page here)  I decided to give them a try.  I contacted them, and picked out two bibs to try out....and I SOOO wish I ordered more!  

I am not a fan of plastic bibs, plastic backed bibs, bibs with little food flaps, etc.  I want a bib that will last, that Jaelyn can't take off, that will grow with her....and one I can chuck in the washer and dryer.  I was not disappointed with the bibs from Nic & Elli!

These bibs come with two snap positions, so they can grow with your little one, and they cover the entire front of her!  Not to mention that they are so cute :)  They also have a super-soft backing on them, are at a great price, and wash beautifully.

She was great to work with, I was able to pay through email, and my package arrived fast.  It is a family-run company - named after her two children, and she and her mother do all of the sewing!  They have a lot of other items, too, such as cloth diapers and liners and sandwich bags.  

So, if you are in the market to purchase some bibs for your little one, I highly recommend Nic & Elli - and to those of you who are looking for baby shower gifts....may I suggest skipping the store-bought tiny bibs, and getting the new mom-to-be some bibs that will grow with their child.  These are made by a mom who knows :)

The two bibs that I ordered

Look at the size difference between the 'normal' bib, and the one from Nic & Elli's!

My happy little camper :)

Clippies, Clippies, Clippies! A Review...

I know, it's Wednesday, so my page is supposed to be wordless.  I've discovered something...I am usually able to post on Wednesdays, and sometimes that is the only day I can.  As a mom, you have to take whatever time you can! So I have decided that some weeks will be wordless while others, like today, won't :)

As you know, I have been trying to make a conscious effort to support Work At Home Moms (WAHM) - those who have home businesses so they can spend more time with their families, as well as trying to shop local/Canadian/North America.  What I have discovered is that there are so many awesome and creative products out there that you can't buy in a local store!

I recently heard of a company through Bundles And Buzz - you can check out their awesome Facebook Page here: Bundles And Buzz Facebook Page

I was in desperate need of hair clips that would stay in Jaelyn's hair.  We always get comments from strangers about her beautiful red hair, but she has unfortunately inherited her mother's fine hair.  It kinda goes everywhere.  She also has discovered how to disassemble every store-bought soother/pacifier clip known to man that you can buy in a local store.   That means when we put her in the car, there is always a game of "Where did Jaelyn throw her soother?" every time we need to take her out.

Well, I had heard so many great things about Andrea's Pacifier Clips & More (You can find her Facebook Page Here - Andrea's Pacifier Clips And More Facebook Page)...that I decided to give her a try!  Her prices are fantastic, and she has SOOOOOOOO many ribbons and designs to choose from (and I mean a lot...it took a long time to decide!).  I checked out her page, emailed my order and was able to pay with an email money transfer.  Quick and easy!  She was great to work with, is Canadian, and my package arrived fast.

I had tried larger clips from another company before...not sure where they ended up, as they didn't stay in her hair.  One of them didn't even make it out the door of the house before it went missing.  Andrea has "mini snap clips", and no matter how rough my little girl is, they stay in.  Case and point - I put one in her hair 2 hours ago, and it is still in.  

The pacifier clips come with either snap ends (for soothers with handles) or elastic ends (for soothers without handles).  Our little Jaelyn can't undo the snaps or the metal clip on the other end.  Problem solved :)

  I definitely will be buying from her in the future.  She also sells other great products like mitten clips, and other goodies I would love to try.  I encourage all you moms to check out her page and website, and for all you non-moms to think of it when you are looking for gifts to give!

I was sent an actual picture of my order before it was finalized to make sure it was what I wanted.

Yes, I know....a hairdresser I am not...but there is hope to contain her ginger locks!

Another shot....yes, she is teething....again....

One of the pacifier clips

Wordless Wednesday Part Two - January 9, 2013

This is three years of US taxes and six years of FBAR reports FINALLY ready to be copied and mailed off.
It is a happy day...thus the two Wordless Wednesday posts :)

Wordless Wednesday - January 9, 2013

My new Boots from Ardene's...they may not be the highest quality, but they were only $15 each!

Three Months Cable Free...And Loving It!

My husband and I just made the realization that it has been three months since we got rid of cable completely, and purchased a Boxee Box.  We hardly even noticed it was gone!  We do still have Netflix (and yes, the Canadian version), and we can stream pretty much any show or movie through boxee.  We can also play videos, some apps, and picture slideshows from my ipad and Darren's iphone.  It was a little investment, but with the cost of cable, to has more than paid for itself, and is now starting to save us money.  Since having Jaelyn, we haven't watched much tv anyway, but when we get a chance, we like to watch a whole tv series.  We've just started watching Fringe :)

Not a great picture, but look how small it is :)

As a side note on Boxee Box...it is not for those unfamiliar with technology...if you are not good with using the internet/computer, then it may not be right for you.  But if you are interested in saving money, you should check it out!

Wordless Wednesday - January 2, 2013

New Stonz Booties (they have Canadian flags on them, but you can't see them)
Maybe she will keep these ones on...

The Blessings Jar

When I saw this idea going around Facebook and Pinterest this last week, I knew it was something I wanted my family to do...and what better day to begin than New Year's Day.  We now have our very own "Blessings Jar", where we will record our blessings throughout this coming year, and read them together as a family next New Year's Eve - giving thanks to God for all He has done.

Being budget conscious, I used a jar I already owned, and found a printable online by Googling "Blessings Jar" and selecting images.  I found a perfect "Count Your Blessings" printable, and I added the words "and Good Times Jar!", and taped it to the jar.  I cut up strips of scrapbook paper that I already owned that matched my decor, and placed it in a prominent place in our house.

I am excited to see how God will bless our little family this coming year, and I am excited about how this process will help us to be more thankful and content in whatever circumstance God leads us through.

Happy New Year!

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT)

³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.

• 

  Our "Blessings Jar"