New Baby Must Have's

No, I am not announcing anything! I just thought while I still have it in the forefront of my memory I would share it with y'all.

Disclaimer: I am half hippy, breastfeeding, baby wearing mom. A quarter kijiji, bargain mom and a quarter buys gimmicky shit mom. So don't judge my picks, aight.


Beco Baby Carrier - Babies, big and small loved to be carried, news flash, I think not. My point, you can actually do laundry, take out the trash and make yourself some lunch all while baby tags along happily.
Look for a carrier with padded shoulder straps, a hefty waist band and made of soft material.


"What, I have a baby on my back?! No kidding"



Tummy Tub - It keeps baby warm and comfortable as the water surrounds them. It also mimics the mother's womb helping the baby feel calm and relaxed.


Gimmicky, maybe. But blonde baby loved it, especially as a newborn. It was part of our night time routine and he slept beautifully!



Aden + Anais Blankets - These are wonderful for swaddling babies, and come in varying thickness for colder temperatures. They also come in bamboo and organic materials depending on your hippy level.


Two days old and swaddled up.



Padraig Cottage Slippers - Who needs socks or shoes when you can wear these?


Sporting his favorite fuzzy slippers.

Some other notable mentions are:

Peg Perego Si Stroller - lightweight but still has all the features of a full size stroller.

Nursing Pillow - Breastfeeding or not, they are useful to prop baby up while feeding. They can be used later for a support cushion while baby is learning to sit up.

Bounce Chair - Most come with a toy bar that babies love and usually have a vibrate option that soothes baby....usually to sleep, bonus!

Hope these tips are useful....they all were great for us!

Ren

Bridal Beauty (or any special occasion really)

One word when it comes to Bridal Makeup - Classic

Leave the trends for your shoes and flowers not the neon eyeshadow:


Blick - your makeup should be an amped up version of you, not a tramped up version

Opt for peaches, corals, berries and plums that compliment your skin tone.







I also took a rare opportunity the other day to peruse the Benefit Cosmetics counter sans blonde baby, and wow, was I blown away! I have been a devout Benefit Mascara girl for awhile (yeah, BADgal Lash!) but have not bought much else. So this is now my must have list:


With it's hefty wand and smooth texture, this stuff rocks!


The silky texture leaves your skin primed and bright, sigh.


The sweet, sweet colour of summer....or spring, or fall, whatever, it looks good all the time.


Silky, creamy, lipstick....I LOVE Skinny dip.

And if you need any suggestions on makeup cases, you are in the right place. Check out Apple and Bee. Adorable. Chic. Perfect.

http://appleandbeeshop.com/





Have a great weekend beauties! AD and I are headed out on a date tonight...we will probably drive down the street and sleep in peace for 2 hours.

Ren

World Oceans Day

Today is world ocean day. If you are reading this, you now have a choice. Continue reading and find out what you can do or continue reading and find out what you can do. :) Great, you are still reading!

Step 1:
visit www.seachoice.org
This website gives you detailed info on the most sustainable seafood. Simple

Step 2:
Talk about what you now know

Step 3:
Watch these movies - Sharkwater and The Cove

Step 4:
Talk about what you now know

Step 5:
Respect your planet, your oceans and each other.

DIY - Headboard

It's done, it's done!!! Ok, it didn't take me that long but painting in all the little nooks and crannies was tedious.

Before:



And After:





I decided to leave the side pieces off for now, it was a bit much in our room....but it turned out pretty good, don't you think?!

Update - Swoon - Yum

Wow! What a busy couple of weeks it has been :)

First the mouth guard and then the lipwax....it can only get better, right?!

Most definitely, my cousin Robyn was married on May 23rd to Brad. The wedding was amazing and of course Robyn looked stunning. After the spa day, girls night, rehearsal dinner, wedding day and then the gift opening I was pooped! So I thought to myself....take a break...or renovate. I am an idiot.

Soooo, we decided to re-decorate our bedroom, and by we, I mean me :) Poor AD was dragged into it but I think you will agree we are off to a good start!

Before: $49 ikea junk:



After: the most gorgeous bedside table ever!





I found the inspiration on this great blog:

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/hack-of-all-hacks.html

Next I am going to bring this headboard beauty back to life!



Continuing on with my Martha Stewart self....here is my FAVOURITE brownie recipe:

Cheesecake Marbled Brownie



Brownie batter
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake batter
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Make brownie batter: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Heat butter and chocolate in a 3-quart heavy saucepan — though I did mine double-boiler style, placing the mixing bowl I was using over simmering water, thereby creating one less dirty dish and melting the chocolate more gently — over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.

Make cheesecake batter: Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.

[I actually like using a butter knife because the tip of it is round enough that you can use it to fold bits of the brownie batter over the cheesecake batter for a more visibly marbled effect. Try it!]

Sprinkle chocolate chips over cheesecake/brownie batter swirl. Although it might be more logical to just mix them into the cheesecake batter (and feel free to do this, it will have no ill-effect) I thought it might interrupt the swirl-ability of it.

Bake brownies: Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Slicing tip: I like to chill my brownies until they’re almost frozen before cutting them. It makes it much easier to get a clean slice. I also like to eat my brownies super-cold, but that’s just personal taste.

And lastly....a little etsy find, oh how I love the Etsy!



I think these courtesy cards are hilarious....now only if I had the balls to use them!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48000361/child-parking-courtesy-card-set-of-10

Ren

Yum - Flaky Cornmeal Cheddar Scones

These scones are absolutely the best! They are crunchy on the bottom and flaky on the inside. Even picky toddler eats them!

Ingredients
•3/4 cup (175 mL) buttermilk plus 1 tbsp (15 mL) for brushing
•1/4 cup (50 mL) cornmeal plus 2 tbsp (30 mL) for dusting
•1 3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour
•1 tbsp (15 mL) each baking powder and granulated sugar
•3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
•1/4 cup (50 mL) cold butter, cut into cubes
•1 cup (250 mL) grated old cheddar
•1/2 cup (125 mL) diced ham
•2 green onions, sliced
•1 egg


1.Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Lightly spray or coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil. In a medium bowl, add ¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk and ¼ cup (50 mL) cornmeal and stir to combine.
2.In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with baking powder, sugar and salt until evenly mixed. Then, using your fingers, a fork or a pastry blender, work in butter until flour mixture is crumbly. Stir in cheese, ham and onions.
3.Whisk egg into buttermilk mixture. Then pour into flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just combined. Gently gather into a ball. Then slice into 2 equal-sized portions.
4.Sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) cornmeal on a cutting board. Place 1 portion of dough on top and gently pat into a 6-in. (15-cm) circle. Cut into 6 wedges. Repeat with remaining dough, pressing into remaining cornmeal on counter before cutting.
5.Place wedges on baking sheet at least 1 in. (2.5 cm) apart. Lightly brush with remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) buttermilk. Bake in centre of oven until lightly golden, 14 to 16 min.

Swoon - Wedding Treasures

Maybe it is something in the air or maybe it is the 4 wedding invitations we have received, but I am feeling very bridal....so here you go, some wedding treasures I found on Etsy (you will soon realize my obsession with Etsy).


A beautiful bouquet....made of clay, Say WHAT?! No really, check it out!

www.etsy.com/listing/24699806/claycraft-by-deco-white-and-green-pearl


It's your wedding....wear some bling. That is all.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/38740389/sparkling-chandeliers


A clutch with a bow, how darling. No really, I love this. Really, it has a BOW, come on now.

www.etsy.com/listing/44820954/all-about-a-bow-clutch-translucent-ivory


Turquoise invitations, I am pretty sure this going to be the colour of the year. Just saying.

www.etsy.com/listing/42169031/tiffany-folded-invitation-sample

Swoon away lovelies
Ren