How My Daughter Made Me Cry

It happened; my daughter is old enough that she is asking me those tough questions and saying the words to make me wonder where my baby has gone.

For weeks now I have been prepared for the "where do babies come from?" question because one of her friend's mothers is about to have a baby and there has been a lot of discussion about it. I was NOT in anyway prepared for what she did say to me as I brushed her hair on the bathroom floor.

E: "When I grow up I will have a little girl and I will brush her hair too."
Me: "Oh, that will be so nice! You'll make a great Mommy if that is what you want to do."
E: "I do want to be a Mommy and have babies when I am bigger, but I don't want you to be a Grandma."
Me: "Well, if you have babies then I will become a Grandma, just like my Mom is your Grandma."
E: "I want to have babies, but I don't want you to be a Grandma because then you will get old and die."

How the hell do you respond to that?! At this point my eyes were welling up with tears! 

Me: "Well, we all die, it is just part of life."
E: "And then you are gone."

Now I'm bawling.

We got into the whole topic of dying and going to Heaven, as much as I could explain through crying any how. I told her it was time to get ready for bed while my husband laughed at me and joked about how I should read them Love You Forever as a bedtime story. I could barely make it through Hello Kitty dressing up as a princess never mind reading that parent kryptonite!

I know there will be many other hard questions and moments that will bring me to tears, this one just really caught me off guard! How do you prepare for the hard questions that your children are going to ask?

Too Many Excuses!

I recall being at home with my oldest while on mat leave, and then later on while I was pregnant with our second and thinking that things were so busy. The house not always in the cleanest state because "I just didn't have the time" or "the baby needed x amount of attention." Once our second was born that only increased as now I had two children to look after "How could I ever have the time to get everything done?!"

Running a daycare and having eight kids here pretty well every day for sure tells you a thing or two about time management! My little loves are sick today so I closed and even with making sure to take time out to give them all of their much needed snuggles I have been able to accomplish so much! It really makes me wonder what I was wasting my time on when it was just two kids here every day.

I love my job but it sure makes me appreciate these days at home!

The End of Nursing

It was roughly this time last year that I quit nursing Dillan. He had become very aggressive with me. Yanking my shirt off to get at me, biting, hitting me. I was sick to my stomach over the decision to stop nursing him. He was still a baby, my last baby. I had to remind myself that I had made huge strides and reached many goals when it came to nursing him. He was sixteen months old when we stopped, he had never had formula. I had nursed him longer than I did with Ella. These were huge things to me. Part of me was upset about it being the end but another part of me was happy that I didn't feel like I had failed him like I did with her.

One of the hardest parts about this was that we quit cold turkey. I know you aren't really supposed to do that, for us it really seemed like the only way. He was quite upset for about three days and then it just became the norm. I on-the-other-hand was in pain and my emotions were likely crazy. Matthew was very supportive. It took my body a couple of weeks to adjust while using cabbage leaves, ice packs and sage tea to help the transition along. I very badly just wanted to nurse him to relieve it but that would have been counter productive.

I only occasionally think about how I can no longer nurse him, or that I will never nurse a baby again. Honestly right now what I miss the most is the way I looked and felt! Nursing a baby takes calories, nursing a toddler takes a LOT of calories! I was back down to the weight I was before I had Ella! Now in the last year 25lbs have found their way onto my hips and ass - I'm calling this baby weight!

Sigh

This always seems to happen; I blog and blog and blog some more and then *insert crickets* Nothing. It has been OVER a year. For what excuse? Busy with life? That's lame, I just stopped for a while I guess. Everyone gets busy.

What have I been up to in that year? Running the daycare, tending the house and children; all of the usual mother and wife things. Is that not what this blog was supposed to be about?! I am going to try to pick it back up and see what happens. Hopefully I wont go on a year long hiatus as I have done, a few times now.

Spring Has Sprung?

I've often heard people say that we live in a schizophrenic province; the weather can never decide what it wants to do. Snow, melt, snow, melt, snow... its just been on going. I, on the other hand, am sure ready to get spring  summer underway!

It wasn't until I had kids that I became someone who had to be prepared for anything and everything at all times. Right now my mission has been backyard toys.  This is the first year we actually have a developed yard to deal with, flowers to plant and kids to entertain. I'm very anxiously checking used sites so that I can get awesome deals on used kids toys, because lets face it, these things cost a lot of money and usually don't get used for very many years. Looks like I will be waiting for Mother Nature to make up her mind though so that everyone else can catch my spring fever!

Tupperware Smart Steamer Review and Giveaway - Winner

And we have a winner!!!

Rachel Buc that is you!!! Please contact me at definitionofawife@gmail.com (under the contact tab!) And I will get you all set up with Chantelle! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated! Don't forget you can still get $10.00 off a steamer through Chantelle and that they are on sale this month!

Stay tuned for future posts :)

Tupperware Smart Steamer Review and Giveaway

A good friend of mine recently started her venture with Tupperware, (and has been doing quite well I might add!) and asked me to review the Tupperware Smart Steamer. Knowing what I do for a living she thought this would be a great time saver for me and boy was she right!

What Tupperware Has to Say

Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to prepare food because it retains nutrients, fatty acids and vitamins while preserving color, texture and flavor.

How it Works

The Smart Steamer blocks microwaves from cooking foods. Instead, microwaves are directed to the Water Tray, causing the water to boil and steam to rise for perfectly steamed foods. Two-tiered system lets you steam one or two foods at once.

It really works! You really can make chicken and fresh veggies in just 15 minutes!

My Thoughts

What I was really impressed with is that I have made chicken in the microwave before and usually the chicken dries out and gets hard, this steamer prevents that. The chicken was tender and moist and completely cooked. I've only just begun understanding all of what I can make with this steamer, its very versatile. At any rate, I love that I can make the kids steamed veggies and chicken in less time than my old steamer would take to steam just the veggies and less dishes to wash! 

At $167.00 I found this item to be on the pricey side, I do have to keep in mind though that this is a Tupperware item, which likely means that its going to last until I'm an 80 year old woman and food comes in those futuristic little food capsules where you just add water. Luckily for anyone wanting purchase this item, its on sale for $83.00 for the month of March, which really does make this item worth every penny! 

The Giveaway!

Chantelle would like to give one lucky winner a $50.00 gift certificate for Tupperware products bought through her! If you're thinking you want to order the Smart Steamer just let Chantelle know by email or phone that you read this blog and you'll get another $10.00 off, and if you order direct through her site and mention this blog  you'll get $10.00 off a future purchase.

So, here is her website! www.my.tupperware.ca/chantellescott





 How to Enter

Head over to Chantelle's Tupperware website, have a look around, come back and tell me one item you would like to try!

Giveaway will close Monday March 5, 2012, 1:30pm CST. This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only. Winner will be selected via Random.org!

Extra Entries

If you want extra entries to win be sure to:

Like Definition Of A Wife on Facebook

Follow DefOAWife on Twitter!

Don't forget to leave a comment to let me know that you did! 

 Happy Entering!

Hello All!!

Its been a couple of months since I last posted anything but that is going to change! In the last couple of months we have moved, I've started a new at home business and the kids are keeping me insanely busy!

I'll tell you a little bit about why we moved and our house! Sometime last summer my mother-in-law sent us an MLS link to a house. I knew nothing about the house but I can't say the same for my husband. He started showing me the photos of the house in the link. Aside from some of the bright painted rooms I thought it was a great house, but we really had no intentions of moving. Turns out the house he was showing me was the house he lived in until he was five years old before his family moved to another city. After much back and forth (and thankfully price drops in the house!) we decided to purchase the house. Our new house is my husbands old house! I LOVE this house! I'm very happy we made the choices we made to move.

The new house happened November 1st and by December 1st I opened my own home daycare, which is something that I have wanted to do since before Ella was born. The set up of our old home would not have allowed for me to run a daycare very effectively, here the playroom is right next to the kitchen, which works really well for us!

Now that things are mostly settled around here (with kids is it ever really settled?) I'm going to get a good review, complete with a giveaway up for all of you! :)

Eco Freak Dryer Ball Giveaway

Sorry for the delay in posting! I have had a teething baby that will NOT sleep!

No need for random.org... Diane you are the winner! I think everyone is hibernating!

More posts to come soon!

Eco Freak - Wool Dryer Balls Review and Giveaway!

In my quest for making our lives around here greener, about a year ago I purchased a set of dryer balls from a company. They were a rubbery-plastic and I found that they did absolutely nothing... money well wasted. Once my journey in cloth diapering was well under way I read many stories of wool dryer balls. I mentioned them to my friend, owner and creator of Eco Freak, and she went with the idea!

Shortly after she made them and tested them out for herself I purchased a set to use with the cloth diaper stash. I had never been more amazed with anything in my laundry room ever. All of the diapers were completely dry in under 20 minutes. And the ultimate test- I have a Bottom Bumper diaper that is made with a bamboo soaker, (all of the other diapers are microfiber or prefolds) this is a diaper that NEVER comes out of the dryer dry. I can hang it out over night and it is still wet the next morning. The dryer balls turned this into a drying miracle, the bamboo soaker was dry! Needless to say I was VERY impressed!

After this I decided to try them out with towels and was again very amazed at how quickly they dried. They were also very soft. I now use them in every load of laundry and no longer need fabric softeners.

Eco Freak dryer balls come in sets of four for only $16.00! Which just happens to be an awesome price when compared to other companies. I ordered mine with a lemon fresh scent, which lasted for about a month. The balls them-self are going to last for years and can be re-scented at anytime. Another great thing about them is that they are purely Canadian! Even the wool used to make them is made right in our own backyard!

Eco Freak Dryer Balls can also be found at one of my favourite retailers, Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop and will also be found on Canadian Co-op from November 1st to 15th at a discounted rate!

Would  you like to win a set?
Mandatory Entry: Head on over to Eco Freak and tell me what else of her products you would like to try.

The giveaway will be open until Tuesday November 15, 2011 at 7pm CST. Winner will be selected via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to claim the prize.

Additional Entries:

Like Eco Freak  on Facebook

Like Definition Of A Wife on Facebook

Follow Defintion Of A Wife on Twitter

Follow Eco Freak on Twitter

Tweet about this giveaway! Make sure to tag DefOAWife so that I know about it :)

My Journey With Baby-Led Weaning

Maybe you have heard of the term baby-led weaning and maybe you haven't. Baby-led weaning, or what our grandmothers would have called "feeding the baby" is simply allowing your baby to try the day to day foods that the rest of the family is enjoying.

When I began solids with Ella I went to the store and bought all kinds of baby foods and cereals and she ate them happily, for quite a long time too. I wasn't too adventurous about making my own foods but I did try to find foods for her that were organic. My kitchen became full of baby food jars that I wound up finding someone to take off of my hands. When it came time to start solids with Dillan I followed the same plan, only he had a different idea of what solids should be. He refused to eat anything purred, he wanted the real deal. I have noticed with him that even from early on he has wanted whatever his big sister has. So I began to feed him whatever we were eating. I had another friend that was doing baby-led weaning with her baby who is also Dillan's age and it seemed to be working quite well for them.

Needless to say Dillan thrived from this and has been eating anything and everything ever since. I really don't mind that I didn't have to go through the whole pureed stage but it does make him seem older and like he is growing up quicker than I would like.

Have you tried Baby-led weaning? How did it work for you? Do  you plan to try this?

MIA- I'm Still Here!!

It's been a while since I have written a post! TOO long. I guess life has just been busy for a while but I will be getting back into the swing of blogging, more reviews and of course more giveaways!

Over the later half of the summer and the start to fall I was assisting with the first ever Warman Run Walk and Wiggle event along side some pretty major sponsors, including Running Room and one of our local radio stations, C95. The event went quite well and everyone was impressed. Ella is still talking about how she went running and won a ribbon.

As soon as that event was over we began a new adventure buying a new home and selling our current home. So I have been busy packing, this week especially, we are moving next Tuesday!

Without any further a due I shall get into a new post!

Bug Out! by Eco Freak Winner

Sorry for the delay in posting the winner for the Eco Freak Bug Out giveaway. The lucky winner is..... #11, Tara, as selected via random.org! congrats to Tara and thank you to all of those who participated. Stay tuned for another giveaway from Eco Freak in the near future.

Tara, please contact me via the Contact tab up on this blog within 48 hours to claim your prize!

Cloth Diapers Not Just For Crunchy Mamas

This past Wednesday I really wanted to do another "Wordless Wednesday" post but I really had more to say about the photo than letting the "picture speaks 1000 words" rule fall into place. (And I noticed another blog had done a WW that day and I didn't want to steal her post!)

Maybe you have already seen the photo that I am talking about, it has been circulating around Facebook and various other sites, and if you haven't seen this photo you really need to!

   

This is 5000 disposable diapers, which is on average what it takes to diaper ONE baby for two and a half years. This is what people throw into landfills all over North America (if not a good portion of the world) every day. I am guilty of this myself. We used disposable diapers for our oldest child the entire time she was in diapers. I am sure many of you feel the same way that I do about this photo, shocked and upset.

Cloth diapering is NOT just for the "crunchy" bunch of us, it should really be for anyone who even has the slightest bit of care for the planet that they live on. These diapers are going to take thousands of years to biodegrade and its only going to destroy the planet in the process.

I don't know where this photo came from. I have no idea who took it but I am sure glad that they have put it out there for everyone to see, because people NEED to see the daily impact that they are making.



How does this photo make you feel?

Bug Out! by Eco Freak - Review {Giveaway!}

The season of the West Nile Mosquito has arrived. Thankfully none of them have been found where I live yet, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been attacked by the nasty little buggers! Even with an abundance of dragon flies swarming my house the mosquitoes still seem to find their way to me, and to my kids.

I have never been a fan of bug spray. It stinks and if you have ever accidentally gotten some in your mouth, well it doesn't taste good at all. Having two small kids I don't want to load them up with chemicals either. When the summer started I was discussing this situation with my dear friend and owner, creator of Eco Freak. Being that she was in the same boat (our not-so-little baby boys are 8 days apart) she decided to do something about it and add a bug spray to her company. It was then that Bug Out was born.

 As soon as the Bug Out was finished I ordered some. Eco Freak sent me the product (along with a few others that I wanted to try!) right away. I opened the box to find the best smelling package I have EVER opened. As I took each item out of the box trying to figure out which one it was the smelt so good, I discovered that it was the bug spray! Finally!! A good smelling bug spray! My husband had a differing opinion on the scent of the bug spray, but this is coming from the guy that uses Muskol and thinks that the disgusting smell of that is fine.

I applied the spray to the kids and myself, and my husband applied the "trust worthy" Muskol and we set off for a walk. I still made sure to keep my eye on the baby. I didn't want to spray the Bug Out on his hands (just as the instructions on the bottle say) and I also didn't put any on his face.

Guess who came home with the bug bites? Yep, the man who applied the "trusty"- deet filled Muskol spray. We'll stick to the natural version thanks!

Because I think that this is something that everyone should try, I am going to give one lucky winner that chance!

Mandatory Entry: Head on over to Eco Freak on Facebook (her website will soon be up and running!) and find the album of available products, come back here and let me know another Eco Freak product that you would like to try.

Extra Entries: *Remember to leave a comment for each entry!*

Like Definition of a Wife  on Facebook

Like  Eco Freak  on Facebook

Follow Definition of a Wife on Twitter

Tweet about this giveaway and don't forget to tag @DefOAWife to so that I know that you did!

Follow this blog via Networked Blogs >>>> Over there on the Right! :)

The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the United States. The winner will be selected via Random.org August 15, 2011 @ 4pm CST.  

Want to hear more about products from Eco Freak? Stay tuned for another review of some more great products including another giveaway!! 

Sweet Pea Pocket Diaper Winner!!!

Wow!! My most entered giveaway yet!!! Thank you to all of the participants and to Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop for the giveaway!

The winner is............ Leah!!!

Leah please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize. After 48hrs a new winner will be selected. 

 

Wordless Wednesday!

 

Enough said! 

This cartoon always has me nodding my head along with it.  

Charlie Banana Mama Cloth Review

** Disclaimer** If talking about your monthly friend makes you in the least bit squeamish stop right now and do not read ahead. No I am not going to get into a whole lot of detail here, but this will be nothing but honest. Thanks!  

When I began my research for cloth diapers I came across the idea of cloth pads, also known as "mama cloth." At first I thought the same thing as I once had about using cloth diapers... Eww. Low and behold I found out that I loved to cloth diaper and thought that giving cloth pads a shot would go over well too.

For the time being I set the idea aside having no idea when that unwanted month visitor would return. After all, some women are lucky enough to go over a year without good ol' Aunt Flo returning while they are nursing. I on the other hand, was not so lucky. When the uninvited visitor decided to show up I was just outraged! My little baby was 100% breast fed and only five months old. Somehow I felt that this was my body's way of shoving in my face that we weren't going to have anymore kids and saying, "Here  you go! Get busy!" Setting all of those raging hormones aside I decided to revisit the whole "mama cloth" idea.

Visiting my favourite cloth diaper site, Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop, I found the Charlie Banana cloth pads. Without much more thought I decided that I would give these a try. I had looked up the prices and they were the most cost effective, varying in price from $15.99 to $18.99 for a box of three. Most other companies that I had visited were that price for one cloth pad.

My Stash!

Deciding how many to buy was not an easy feat. Being that I hadn't really had this "problem" in quite a while I had no idea how long it would last or how heavy it would be. I decided to start off with one box of liners (3 liners), two boxes of regular pads (6 pads), and one box of super pads (3 pads.)

Wet bag and Purse-Sized Wet Bag

Within a day or two I ordered another box of the regular, and another box of the super, as well as a Charlie Banana wet bag for storing the used pads in.

Charlie Banana cloth pads are made just the same as their cloth diapers, a PUL outer layer (bottom) and a microfleece inside (top.) They are an all-in-one pad, so no stuffing is needed. The snap on the wings of the pad allows you to attach them to your underwear or snap them shut for easy storage and portability. Each box comes with a purse-sized wet bag for when you are on the go.

I have found them to be very absorbent, durable and comfortable. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would describe a pad as comfortable! The best part about them is that they don't smell and are really easy to clean. Give them a rinse in the sink, then throw them into your wet bag/pail until you are ready for wash time. Any detergent that you would use on your cloth diapers will work for the cloth pads. The biggest surprise with these pads is that they will not stain. Even the pads that I was not able to rinse right away have not stained. The cloth pads can be washed with your undergarments or even with your cloth diapers.


Here are some images of the varying sizes: 

Panty Liner

Regular Absorbancy

Super Absorbancy

All wrapped up and ready to go!

 I think these are well worth their money. I love that I wont have to run out to the store because I am almost out of feminine products, or that I wont have to watch for pads/tampons to go on sale and collect coupons for them. And I also love that once again I am doing what I can to help the planet!


Have you tried any "mama cloth?" Let me know what would make you want to try these or not!

Sweet Pea Pocket Diaper Review {Giveaway!!}

If you have never heard of Sweet Pea Diapers you should! Sweet Pea Diapers carries a variety of cloth diapers and accessories, including the Sweet Peat Pocket Diaper, which I believe is a new class of cloth diaper all in its own.

The Sweet Pea Pocket Diaper design is common, while unique at the same time. Like many other cloth diapers it is made up of a PUL outer layer, a micro fleece liner, and a micro fiber insert. While this may sound identical to other one size pocket diapers there are some unique twists to the diaper that make it superior. The first major difference is the front AND back pocket.

This allows you to remove the insert or stuff the diaper with easy access to either side. The great thing about the insert though is that you don't have to remove it. Just throw the diaper into the wash and the insert(s) will come out on it's own. The diaper comes with two inserts, one new born insert and a larger size adjustable insert. That's right, I said size adjustable! Just like the shell of the diaper uses snaps to change the size of the diaper, the insert does as well.

The PUL and the micro fleece are made very well. This diaper is high quality and for a great price ($16.95 CND at Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop.) This one size diaper also includes cross snaps to ensure that it will fit your baby from about 8 to 35lbs. Sweet Pea Pocket Diapers also stand behind their product for longer than most other companies that I have seen. The elastics, sewing and any manufacturer dysfunction come with a six month warranty, while the snaps come with a one year warranty.

The absorbancy of this diaper is amazing! I have never had a single leak. To really test out the diaper I put just the infant insert into the pocket. (Please keep in mind that my little one is just about seven months old.) He lasted a couple of hours in the diaper with just the infant insert before it was time for him to go for a bath. I am sure he could have gone longer, the trim insert just held up that well! This diaper is perfect for night time. The infant insert can be added to the front or back easily for extra nighttime protection.

While there are many places to find this diaper, my favourite online shop to find Sweet Pea products is Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop. The store owner really believes in what she sells and that helping her customers is always most important. The shop has a great, and ever growing variety of cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories and other child-mom friendly products. She ensures that she tests out each and every product and will always give an honest review of how she feels about the products.

Sweet Lil Dimples would like to give another set of lucky parents the opportunity to try out a Sweet Pea Pocket Diaper! Here are the contest rules:

Mandatory Entry: Go to Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop and tell me of another item from them that you would like to try.

Extra entries:
Like Definition of a Wife   on Facebook

Like Sweet Pea Diapers on Facebook

Like Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop  on Facebook

Follow Definition of a Wife  on Twitter

Follow Sweet Pea Diapers  on Twitter

Follow Definition of a Wife via Networked Blogs

Follow Definition of a Wife via Google Friend Connect

Place an online order with Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop and let me know that you did. (worth 5 entries!) Be sure to let her know that I sent you!


Please leave one comment per entry. (Just one comment for the last entry) Winner will be selected Friday July 22, 2011 at 7pm CST via random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me regarding their winning or a new winner will be selected.

Good luck to everyone!!

Funny Fathers With Baby Gourmet {WINNER}

The winner of the Baby Gourmet prize pack is.... comment number 2, lilmissie! Congratualtions on your win! Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Due to the low entries on this prize (Only TWO contenders! ) I have decided that both will win a prize! Monica, please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize as well!

Please stay tuned for more topics, reviews and giveaways!