Hello friends!!!! I took almost a month hiatus and though I wish I could say that I was away enjoying a fabulous vacation, I was not. Honestly, life just got way too busy and I was feeling absolutely overwhelmed trying to keep all the balls in the air. First thing that went was blogging, next reading my favorite blogs, then my running, which led to me being pretty much unbearable to live with. All is well, this is just what life is like sometimes, and I know most of you mommies out there totally get that.
Now it's Dec. 1st and I am back and feeling great. Today I had a big day, two presentations to approximately 150 people and though I was extremely anxious leading up to it, everything went so well and I am so happy to have it behind me. I feel like I am back in control of my life and I am liking it.
In October and November I had a list of the following three items, over the knee boots, a faux-fur vest and faux leather pants, that I wanted to purchase. I have been practicing being on a strict budget, $100/month, and have been sticking to it. So in early November I scored these amazing, suede boots at the Bay for half price!!!! Then in November, sometimes waiting really pays off, I got the faux-fur vest at Old Navy for $20 and the jeggings for $40 at the Bay. For the two months I saved a total of $40!!!!! Woohoo for me!
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of combining all of my new pieces into one outfit and I felt like a trendy mommy. :)
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This past weekend the weather was record breaking, warm here in Saskatchewan and we all took advantage of dressing like spring had arrived (here in Sk. we've already had a dump of snow and a cold snap, so this is crazy unusual and we must take advantage). We strolled around downtown, caught up on some much needed vitamin D and hit the mall for a little bit to do some Xmas window shopping.
I snagged this top last spring at H & M, which is not online so I've linked some other options below, and every time I wear it I get complements on it. It's got all the essentials rolled into one top, lace, embroidery, feminine/vintage feel, and a little skin can be shown (not for work).
Now check out my little ones that decided to dress in their matching dresses, GUSH . I am not sure about other 'tween' moms but I find shopping for Halie's age group (soon to be 10) extremely difficult. She is particular about how the clothes feel, she has sensory issues, and she wants them to be "trendy". We both love the Jessica Simpson and Material Girl line for kids at the Bay and both lines are reasonably priced; I watch for 30- 40% off sales which happen regularly. If you have other places that are a must please share!!!
The little fashionistas hit Triple Flip and the Bay to add a few items to their Christmas/birthday wish lists.
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Last spring I read the book, The Whole-Braine Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina P. Bryson, and recently I gave a talk, based on the book, on how to deal with young children (ages 2-6) when they are exhibiting challenging behaviours. I flew through the 149 pages of text within three days and was able to connect to the content as a teacher and as a parent. Frequently, I found myself nodding my head, agreeing with the author, and experiencing waves of relief and understanding.
The authors connect their work to research on brain development from birth to mid-twenties, while maintaining the reader's interest by providing real-life examples, funny analogies, cartoon like diagrams and charts. I appreciated that the authors acknowledged that there are various ways to deal with any one situation and that sometimes parents/teachers don't have to, and shouldn't, negotiate with their child.
A new piece of learning for me was observing, understanding and identifying the types of tantrum a child is having. The author explains two different types of tantrums, downstairs and upstairs tantrums (Siegel & Bryson, 2012, p. 44-46). In a nutshell the downstairs tantrum, which we often witness from young children, is a tantrum that is consumed by emotion. During this type of tantrum a child needs an adult to sooth them, calm them with gentleness, and generally let it run its course. An upstairs tantrum is calculated and used specifically to gain something. The person throwing the tantrum is in control of this type of tantrum. The quote below is one of my favorites from the book:
An upstairs tantrum occurs when a child essentially decides to throw a fit….She is able to control her emotions and body, to be logical and make good decisions. A parent who recognizes an upstairs tantrum is left with one clear response: never negotiate with a terrorist. (Siegel & Bryson, 2012, p.45)
The authors provide twelve different strategies for helping children develop their brains to their full potential, especially when dealing with strong emotions. The strategies vary from connecting the left-right brain, upstairs-downstairs brain, memory recollection to gain understanding, and building positive relationships. The book provides ideas that parents/teachers can use to discuss brain development with the children at various levels and stages of life. They also have a quick guide at the back of the book on how to incorporate each strategy at various ages, 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12. I created the Printable Infographic below that compiles six strategies that may help specifically really young children, which I presented to our early learning educators, but I have used the some of the other strategies with my 9 year old.
This book is an excellent resource and a quick read - a resource worth having!!!
A couple of weeks ago I decided to photograph a weeks worth of flat lays. I love planning my outfits for the week ahead of time and not being overwhelmed by my closet in the morning while trying to get myself, 2 kids, a dog and lunches all out the door by 7:30 a.m. To be honest my husband helps out a TON and actually does most of the lunches and bags for the kids, and the girls can dress themselves but need a lot of reminders, etc. Anyway, the point is that there is no time for my indecisiveness. I really appreciated having these outfits all ready to go this week as I was really sick and feverish and it took all my energy just to get dressed and go to work. I was signed up for an important three day training session on language development and acquisition for children ages 0-7 years of age, so I really couldn't stay home.
Flat Lay #1 OTK boots, dark skinny jeans, crop top blush blazer
I absolutely didn't get enough wear out of
this crop top at the end of summer so I knew I wasn't ready to place it
in my "spring/summer" wardrobe bin, and instead I paired it up with a
blazer, and a camisole underneath, for a casual day in the office. I swapped out
the OTK boots for my burgundy pumps for two reasons, I had been wearing
them a LOT and I love how blush pink and burgundy go together. Head
over to my INSTAGRAM to see all the flat lays for the week.
Blush Pink Blazer: Just Fab
Jessica Simpson Kiss Me Skinny Jeans:The Bay
I've been meaning to share our families favorite green smoothie recipes for a while. I was introduced to green smoothies by my friend Amber who loves them and was doing a smoothie challenge at the time. I was intrigued but knew with certainty that I was not a person who could replace a meal with a smoothie for two reasons.
#1 I absolutely LOVE eating food and I don't enjoy drinking my meals.
#2 I would be hungry within a few hours.
That being said I liked the idea of packing in some extra veggies and fruits into my children's diet and my own. I started using them instead of a snack once a day over the summer months and over the school year we use them if we are running to an activity but haven't had supper yet. Our smoothie recipes make 4 smaller sized cups, like water glasses, and that's enough for us. The girls love the smoothies and even my nephew, who cringes at the sight of vegetables asked me to share the recipes with his mom. WIN!
Spinach, Carrot, Banana & Berry Smoothie
1 carrot
1 Banana
1 C spinach
1 C berries
1/2 C oats (optional)
1tsp flaxseed/wheat germ (optional)
1/2 Greek yogurt (optional)
1 1/2- 2 C coconut milk
Dinosaur Smoothie
2 C of spinach
3/4 vanilla Greek yogurt
1 C mango
1 banana
2 C pineapple Juice
1 C water
1 tsp flaxseed/wheat germ (optional)
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)
Mango/Berry Smoothie
1 C spinach
1 C mango
1 C berries/we often like to just use blueberries it's our favorite combo
1/2 Greek yogurt (optional)
1 tsp flaxseed/wheat germ (optional)
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 C coconut milk
I usually go into a large production on the smoothie bags by buying everything I need at Costco and then making several (20) Ziploc bags to freeze at a time. I label them with the name of the smoothie and it usually lasts us a month or so in the summer, and for at least 2 to 3 months during the school year.
In an attempt to keep myself from seeking sugar during the 2:30 p.m. slump at work, I've actually invested in a Magic Bullet. I make single serving packs, spinach, 1/2 berries, 1/2 banana, to keep in the freezer at work! It gets me through the afternoon and I don't come home at 5:30 wanting to eat the whole pantry while prepping supper.
What are your favorite, healthier, snacks?
Last winter I splurged on this Pink Martini cardigan from a local boutique in the city. When I saw it I was initially drawn to it's fuzzy but classy look. I know, fuzzy and classy just don't make sense in the same sentence but they do in this cardigan. I remember showing my best friend, she gushed and said, "Bo, this is exactly like the carpet that I want for my new house!" Now you might think I would be offended but Amber loves interior design like I love running, so it was a huge complement actually.
I kept the outfit really simple because I knew the sweater is a draw on it's own and people always want to touch it. I did throw on a fall, floral scarf to do a bit of pattern mixing but kept everything else simple.
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Nine West booties old (Similar)
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Oh la la. That's what went through my head when my eyes fell upon these beautiful strappy heels and it couldn't have been better timing, as I was looking to purchase a new pair of black pumps. Love at first sight! Bonus, they are super comfortable. I spent all day in them today and my feet didn't feel a thing.
A bell sleeve top was on my "must get" list for the fall but after searching high and low here in the city I was out of luck. UNTIL, I stumbled upon this little top at Old Navy. Often when I venture to Old Navy, I try on a bunch of things and most of the time I walk away with nothing, but not last week. I love the burgundy color, flowy design, and the 3/4 length bell sleeves (the price was a bonus because I had money left to splurge on something else that's coming in the mail any day now ).
One more thing!!! I am now on Instagram and Bloglovin so be sure to follow me there. Have a wonderful weekend!
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