Our New Home

We took possession of our home in the beginning of June. Which now feels like a lifetime ago! Our home was a blank palette... It made me go the minimal route. Less ‘things’ to take up space & more quality/ special pieces. As soon as the moving truck arrived we wanted everything unpacked & put in it’s place (because we all know it’s easy to move with small children 😬). 

It took about a week to unpack, organize & settle. Another few weeks to put the items we weren’t using into the crawlspace. Finally, we hung some art on the walls & made the commitment! (Why does hanging something on the wall feel so final?) It felt good to be ‘home’ & to enjoy our new house. 

Then we moved onto the projects. First, it was staining the massive fence. We were grateful to have that done for us prior to moving. Not so excited about it when we realized we had to paint by hand each panel. We caved & bought a spray gun! It was a lifesaver. Not to mention timing when we stained (no rain in the forecast, not in the heat of the day). It was accomplished at night while the kids were in bed & the mosquitos were out! Then it was onto the garage. Purchasing large storage racks, bike racks & making a hanging storage area for bigger garden tools, brooms, etc. Our last big project of the summer was the front garden. We took the summer to compile ideas (thanks to the rest of the neighborhood for giving us inspiration) & to wander nurseries. Something we didn’t want to rush but for good reason. We both agreed plants lining the driveway would give our home curb appeal & give it a finished look. Who knew gardening could be so satisfying? We were so happy with how it turned out. Lavender, heather, schrubs, grasses & a beautiful ‘lime light’ hydrangea is what we went with. Next up will be planning our flower garden in the backyard. The spring bulbs are going to be planted very soon. 

Excited to see what our next project will be! For now we’ll enjoy our home & the work we’ve put in. 

The Perfect Travel Stroller

I used to think it was crazy when people would mention that you need more than one stroller. I never believed it well until I had children. Let me tell you, they were right! A good every day stroller with a large basket, one with three wheels for trails & of course a compact city stroller. I had the first two now I was searching for the best compact lightweight stroller. 

I found the BILY 

It folds & unfolds with one hand, brilliant! Super lightweight & takes up minimal space in the trunk. It also offers a large storage basket. The bonus of this stroller is that is reclines for naps on the go. The small wheels work best on concrete or smooth surfaces. All in all it’s a great compact stroller! 

Wellness

We’ve been having many conversations in our household lately about “wellness”. It all started from the discussion about where our food comes, what we need to consume to fuel our bodies, making healthy choices when preparing food & how we dispose of our waste. Trying to encourage our children to make the right choices. We’ve now implemented the guidelines of eating the rainbow. That seems to have stuck ;) We’ve had ample discussions about how when we return home we need to wash our hands. Due to cold & flu season we can’t afford to not be mindful of this task. Of course a toddlers imagination runs wild picturing the germs all over her hands. (At least it works!) Thank goodness for essential oils & a diffuser. Taking care of our body in winter vs. summer. Explaining how our skin dries out & needs more moisture. We’ve loved our Green Beaver calming lavender lotion as well as chapstick. This winter has been a learning curve for wellness but hopefully by next year we will have it figured out! 

Our Day To Day Routine

It seems like it’s non-stop from the moment we wake up until we go to bed. But maybe that’s just being a mom to two littles? 

Our day starts out with Avery’s gro-clock going off. She wakes up the entire family but she’s allowed to “once the sun comes up”.  We make our way downstairs, brew a coffee, light our wood stove, turn on her favorite cartoons & she always starts the day with fruit.  Harrison gets his diaper changed (the new Green Beaver diaper cream is fabulous, especially during rashy teething times it’s been clearing up any redness & irritation immediately) & plays on his blanket with his toys.  Next it’s breakfast & getting dressed for the day.  We get out for a family walk around the lake. Then of course, it’s time to eat lunch. We usually spend the afternoon playing, reading, creating crafts & ALWAYS have a dance party! Next thing is dinner prep. This is usually a family affair even including the dog. The more people to trip over in the kitchen the better ;) Eating together as a family is a priority for us. My husband & I enjoy cooking. Preparing food at home is something we both take pride in. We want our kids to learn how to make wholesome & nutritious meals but also to have appreciation for home cooking. Once dishes have been done it’s time for bath time. Both kids love bath time! It’s a good excuse to play & eventually wind down. We love our Green Beaver calming lavender body wash & shampoo. Leaves everyone smelling delicious without the nasties. 

Once we’ve towel dried, we apply our Green Beaver body lotion. Pajama & story time. Lights out, flashlights on & we make our way to bed. Start the process all over again the next day! 

Melissa 

New Year, New Products

I’ve been thinking a lot of New Years resolutions (tis’ the season). I didn’t make any goals or resolutions this year as it seemed too overwhelming. I did know one thing, that I want to be more conscious of is the products we’re bringing into our home. We prepare & eat delicious organic wholesome meals at home. We’ve been teaching our daughter that it’s important to eat healthy & balanced meals. Explaining to her what fuels your body & where our food is coming from. I think the next step will be learning more about household items, beauty & hygiene products. The more informed I am the more I can educate & explain to my family believe me three year olds have inquiring minds & they always want to ask ;) 

Quality over quantity. Although, it’s easy to grab the product with the smaller price tag off the shelf. The products that are organic, sustainable & green come with a higher cost. I’m looking at that as an investment in my family, our health & well-being.  There’s too many unknowns out there & I’m realizing lately paying attention to labels is more important than ever. Especially when it comes to skin care (we come from a long line of family members with sensitive skin). I want to be able to recognize & pronounce the names of the ingredients & have the ingredients list be fewer. 

I was excited to come across quality certified organic Canadian products from Green Beaver. More importantly, baby products. This is the perfect start to welcoming clean baby care items into our home. The calming lavender baby lotion has become part of our nightly bedtime routine. It smells heavenely & moisturizes the skin the way it should (not leaving it greasy or disappearing right after it’s applied). I even find that I’m applying it to my hands throughout the day. From constant hand-washing to dry winter hands it’s exactly what my hands need. Green Beaver is a brand that I can get behind & I can’t wait to grow our collection. 

Melissa xo