:)

Lovelies, how were your holidays/holidaze? My December started with a most amazing and wonderful wedding, rolled into a Christmas with my family which included a visit from my big brother and his girlfriend and so far this week, I hung out with my Aunt and baby (ok, she is 22) cousin.  I can't complain.  S1 went to NY to visit his dad and stepmom.  I think he will be coming back a bit swagged (spelling?) out. LOL.  I am looking forward to making some changes in the coming year- I think some will be more challenging than others but I plan to write down goals this year.  I slacked on documenting these last couple of years and I really think it bit me in the butt because I've been feeling like I've kind of been rolling along, you know? Ready, set, bring on 2012!!

Holidaze

This title feels familiar- did I blog about being in a holidaze last year? LOL.  Well, here we go again. Two weeks away from Christmas and S3 and I are headed out of town for a wedding.  Umm, I have gotten no Christmas shopping done at all. I'm not sure how I feel about Christmas anymore.  By that, I mean the ridiculousness that the holiday season has become.  Commercialism is at its finest this year, with decorations hitting the store in early October.  October! Are you kiddng me? Way to suck out any and all 'true' meaning of Christmas. 
Don't get me wrong- I love getting cards in the mail and I am all about traditions and spending time with family but I can absolutely do without the stress of gift lists, battling folks at the store, trying to find the best deals, blah. blah, blah. I have a friend who no longer even celebrates Christmas because it is not biblical (the tree, presents, stockings, Santa, etc). I can dig it, and am seriously considering weaning off of all this madness.  I think that my family will be better off for it.... Would you purge your house/youself of the madness that the holidays have become? How would you start?

OMG

Really though? I do believe that my computer crashed around this time last year right, lovelies? Well, it has happened yet again.  Only this time, I don't think it officially crashed.  I think I just got a bad virus.  Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.  This is some ridiculousness! Of course, my warranty expired ummm, last month. Yeah. So now, I've got to fine someone to get rid of the virus.  I used up my one 'get out of jail free' card last year.  Time to pay up.  Bah.  
The good news is that I copied all of my  pictures to a external hard drive about 10 days ago, so there.  My pictures are really what I would have cried over, had they been lost. 
Have you ever lost digital pictures, lovelies? What did you do?

Welcome winter?

Lovelies, can I just rejoice in the fact that the weather has finally dropped below 70 degrees?  Yes.  I live in a state of perpetual summer and so I am thrilled that I can wear boots and long-sleeved shirts without looking completely out of place.  My Canadian and East Coast friends would be laughing at me right now because 70 degrees is cause for celebratory shorts and flip flops in their worlds.  To me, 70 degrees means I can turn off my air conditioner and leave my thermostat off for the next few weeks before turning on the heat.  My children act like they've never seen my feet in socks before.  I put some on the other day and S3's eyes lit up! 'Mom! You're wearing socks?' LOL.  Yes lovelies, I am thrilled.  Off to find my toque and scarf. 

Lonnnnng overdue....

Lovelies, this year is whizzing by.  It's November already! October was hugely busy with my brother's wedding, catering jobs for chef and life!  We managed to finally get some family pictures taken.  The last time we took family pictures, S3 was less than a year old.  Terrible, I know.  My dear friend Kim (go like her on Facebook! KimmyBee Photography) and her friend Natalie took pictures of us in the park and we could not be more thrilled with the way they turned out! Sneak peek!

Ohmylanta!!

Psst. Lovelies, I have recently become an addict.  I was warned. I was warned that this addiction is worse than crack, but I took it on. I took it on and now I am full fledged addicted to....




Pinterest. OMG!!! Where has this site been all my life? It is hands down, the best.site.evarrrrrrr!!!! Projects and tutorials and funny stuff, oh my! The website is basically a snapshot of internet stuff that you like.  So you 'pin' them on your theme boards and then your pins (interests) are shared.  You can follow friends, like others' pins and so forth.  All I can say is wow. Yay! Wow.  Check the site.  YOu've been warned.  Follow me into the depths of craftiness and DIY home decor.  You will not regret it.  Or maybe you will.....

Some pics from the last month!

Wordless Weekend! ;)

Let's catch up!!

Lovelies, we have some catching up to do!  My younger brother got married and we schlepped the tribe all the way to the east coast.  It was an adventure! Everyone (including S4!!) traveled extremely well.  We had coloring books and snacks for the plane and everything went pretty well!  We got upgraded from a minivan to a Ford Expedition (yay!!), got lost from the airport to the hotel (we were turned around for a good 2 hours in the wee hours of the morning.  Not cool at all!).  We stayed in a big mansion with an amazing backyard but best of all, my brother looked happy.  He looked happy and relaxed.  I will admit that I was worried.  My big brother was able to make it and all was well with the world.  We were all together for a short while, but were happy to have shared in my little brother's day. 
As complainey (sp?) as he is, hubby told me that he really enjoyed himself, which caught me off guard because all he did was complain about the weather before we even left the airport after we landed! The Ss were in the wedding party and looked so awesome.  I was in the wedding party too, but after seeing the pictures, I know I have some work to do. (eek!).  The airplane we were on for the ride home was delayed, causing us to miss our connection and be put on standby, only to not make it onto the last flight out to AZ, thereby sending my entire family into semi freakout mode.  We got bumped to the next day's flight and were put up in a hotel and given food vouchers, courtesy of the airline.  Still plan on sending the airline a letter informing them of the inconvenience that we were made to deal with, with 4 children in tow!
Pics in a bit!  ;)

Wedding, marriage, little brothers.

Have I ever told you that I have two brothers?  I am the most blessed sister to be smack in the middle of my two brothers.  It's good to be a middle child with such awesome beings on either side.  Well, the youngest of our sib-set is getting married.  I'm trying not to freak out.  I'm not even sure if he can believe it! Of course, I have my big sister hat on, trying to get to know my future sister in law, which is cool. Plus I gave them both the 'plan your life, not just your wedding' speech while they had me on speaker phone a few weeks ago.  I am happy, worried, excited, all the feelings that go along with this type of occasion.  I'll probably bawl at the ceremony- just because my baby brother is officially grown.  He has been a grown man for awhile now, but jeez! lol

They are not planning on having babies right away, but you best believe that I will be educating/advocating for a midwife or doula and breastfeeding, co-sleeping, cloth diapering and all the other facets of natural parenting that society has been so slow to get back to.  My future sister in law seems to be open to try cloth diapering- she even sent me a cloth diaper after S4 arrived.
Lovelies, what advice would you give to a newly engaged/wedded couple? Is there any advice that you got and loved? Hated? Laughed at? Wished you had gotten?

Can I tell you

just how smart S4 is? She will be a year old in a couple of weeks and she is a serious problem solver.  OK- there is a phone on my nightstand that S4 loves to play with.  It is not a phone for playing.  So, in order dissuade her from getting to the phone, I put a basket of laundry in front of the nightstand.  Yeah- don't you know that this baby climbed into the basket?? She climbed into the basket and got the phone.  She climbed into the basket all.by.herself!  Her mission was accomplished.  Pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Do you...

enter giveaways? Contests? Attend Twitter parties? I do! My latest entry is for Livie and Luca shoes from Life with My Littles.  Yes. Livie and Luca shoes.  Omgoodness lovelies, have you been to this website to gaze at their footwear? So gorgeous.  In order to get a hold of a little piece of shoedom, I am posting without shame in order to gain more entries.  While you're reading this, you may want to enter too. :P

Labor Day

It's Labor day, lovelies.  We are hanging out at the house, surrounded by boxes (an organizational project that hubs started a couple of days ago).  Lots of boxes and laughing children.  The weather is amazing today, so we'll go outside for a bit.
Today also happens to be my parents' anniversary. 37 years.  Yes.  That's a lifetime, good people! Thirty-seven.  Trente septe. I love the example they have put out for us- marriage is hard work, but with lots of prayer and perseverance, a couple can get through just about anything. Thank you mom and dad! Wishing you another 37 years of wedded bliss! <3
My oldest and my folks;

wordless friday

I hope my friend doesn't mind that I post this pic.... I had the pleasure of shooting her last week, and this week she gave birth to a lovely baby boy at home.  Congratulations my friend! I am so happy to know you! <3

I'm still here!!

Lovelies, settling into the school routine has been more challenging than I expected it to be.  School started two weeks ago and I (because it's all about me. lol) am just now getting the hang of it! First day of high school for S1 and first day of grade 1 for S2.  All I can say is wow. So fresh and so clean! 

 Yes. Her shoes are pink and green.  Pinkies up!

Overacheiver

S4 took her first unassisted step on Thursday.  No- she took three steps.  Three steps in a row.  Did I get a pic? Nope. Was I able to catch it on video? Yeah right! It happened so fast that I almost missed it!  I'm a bit bummed about not capturing the moment.  She just did it.  It was cool.  I freaked out.  Hubs was like 'you know she is looking at you crazy because you just freaked out right?' Whatever dude.  You're a guy.  Go do something guy-ish. Like babyproof the house! :P

just the girls!

Is this not the cutest picture? Taken by my fellow midwife lovin new friend, Jen! Check her out! 

Woo! This week flew by fast lovelies.  S4 is teething and has been miserable despite the amber teething necklace. So, I have been fueled by coffee.  Coffee and Nutella.  Don't worry- I balanced it out with proteins and produce from the co-op.  Will be making a serious effort to go to bed early this coming week because school starts *gasp* the week after that. 
Back to the teething issue- S4 has been feverish, clingy, wimpery and of course she has not been sleeping well.  So I made an Allspice necklace.  Yes, Allspice.  Of course I looked up 'teething' on my favorite home remedy site, then did a bit or research.  I ended up with this blog, that has some background information on why Allspice works and even a tutorial on how to make the necklace! I'm not a jeweler by any means, so S4's necklace is made with dental floss because I couldn't get the elastic thread wouldn't fit through the eye of my needle. Yes. I used dental floss. So right now as I type, S4 has had the necklace on for about an hour and seems relatively back to normal.... I'll keep you posted and let you know when her first tooth comes in!

Another birthday....

Lovelies, it's Friday on the East Coast and so I am doing this post right now (even though it's only around 10pm here on the West Coast).  S2 is 6 years old today- July 22 on the east coast. ;)  *sigh*  My first little girl is now my big girl who will always be my little girl.  Time has flown by so fast.  I can't believe how grown she is, how beautiful she is, how smart she is and how much she loves (almost!) everyone she encounters.  S2 is such a great big sister and a fun little sister, although I know S1 haaaaaates when she is in his room.  She is his first sibling and they share a special bond even though they are 8 years apart. 
So, here is to my sweet S2.  A child who is a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a well loved granddaughter, a friend, a comedienne, a teacher and a kid who looks nothing like me but is every bit of me.   I love you little girl!!

psst...

see the new link on the left? the one with the curly girl in the black dress? click on that link.  it will take you to a most lovely and beautiful store called Shabby Apple.  Classic, sleek designs and hello, why didn't I know about this store when I was pregnant with S4? Shabby Apple has maternity, women (non preggo- ha) and little girl designs that will make you swoon.  I am swooning now. lol.

Hello Saturday!

Every other Saturday is busy for us, lovelies.  We are the site managers for our neighborhood Bountiful Baskets.  We get awesome produce and have met some very cool people.  The only thing about it is that we (yes, the entire crew) are up uuuuber early in the morning.  So when we get back home before 8am, I usually use the rest of the day to get things done.
Kale Chips:  Kale rubbed with olive oil and season salt and baked for 8 minutes on each side. So yummy!!

DIY laundry detergent made with lavender castille soap (the Ivory soap was way too soft to grate. Dr. Bronner's castille was perfect) the ingredients on the table and grapefruit essential oil. Smells so good!! At an average of 3 cents per load, and safe for cloth diapers, who can argue? I'll let you know how it cleans!

I made dinner and S1 suggested lettuce wraps for the ground beef.  What an awesome kid.  The lettuce wraps and coconut rice were delicious.  Craving one right now, but I am spent.

Oh lovelies it has been a trying couple of weeks.  I am feeling mildly rejuvenated and am ready to tackle some cool projects this weekend.  I have a list of fun stuff to make from here. Plus I am on a mission to make this.  So I plan to make like Martha Stewart, the mad scientist aaaaaand involve the little Ss at the same time.  Think it can be done? As long as I have a sling, nothing will be able to stop me! Muahahahahaha!!!

What are your weekend projects, lovelies? Do you have a running list of things to get through? I try to tackle my running list, but cool projects usually trump it. ;)
Alright,  I promise that I will post pictures.

Lately......

I have been in a foul mood. So much so that even lame things are irritating me. I think it's due to general lack of sleep.  Seriously.  So today, I will say this- I hate when I post something on my Facebook wall and then someone comments on something that has nothing to do with my post! For the love of all that is holy, why don't you just post a brand new comment on my wall rather than under what I just posted??? For example, If I post something about coffee, whyyyy would you post a comment about advice I gave you last month (which has nothing to do with coffee)? Really- just put a new comment on my wall.  I prefer it.  So because I have nothing nice to say when I see these rogue comments, I either delete them or I don't respond.  Yes, I am childish like that. So there.  What do you plan on doing about it? ;)

Lovelies, I hate bad grammar and blatant spelling mistakes.  Your, you're, their, there, they're, etc. Seeing these atrocities in written form makes me feel like my eyes are bleeding.  Let  me tell you that 'prolly' is not an acceptable form of 'probably.'  The word 'awe' is not the same as 'aww.' Awe- 'I was in awe of the rainbow in the sky,' Aww- 'Aww, that baby is so cute!' Am I getting anywhere? lol.  It's difficult for me to text in shorthand because I hate to read things like 'plz chk the ovn 2 c if itz stl on bcuz i thnk i 4got 2 trn it off.' Ahhh! I will take a page from my friend's Facebook post when I say please do not bother trying to shorten the word 'come.' Really though?  The three letter version of this word is icky when everyone sees it and knows that was not the 'c' you were talking about.  The scary thing about this is that it really seems that no one cares! I have seen these grammatical abominations on billboards, public (government and private sector) buildings, newspapers and really anything that can be read.  It really is mind boggling.
 
True story- one day (years ago), I called a guy because his sign said 'puppys for sale.' I asked him if he knew that 'puppies' had been spelled incorrectly.  He said that he did but that he did not have enough space for the 'ies.' Umm, how about you write smaller so that you don't make yourself look as uneducated as you sound? No, I did not actually tell him to write smaller, but I wanted to.....  Just like I want to call the attorneys who are advertising their practice on one of the big billboards on the freeway.  Just like I want to message the small-business woman who keeps putting 'September mama's.'  The only way that the apostrophe should be there is if this was a sentence that says 'September mama's doll.'  Alas, there is no spell check and grammar check is useless.  Insert eyeball roll.  Learn to live with it, or be an advocate for correct spelling and grammar?

i know, i know. another pic of S4.

but this one is hIlarious!

There, I said it Thursday...

I have a problem, lovelies.  I have some pregnant friends and it takes everything, EVERYTHING I have in me not to be 'that' friend.  You know, the friend who constantly gives unsolicited advice, tells you all about how great her homebirth was, how she would suggest a midwife to any and everyone, the one who suggests that you watch certain documentaries or read certain books?  Yeah.  It's really difficult for me.  I really try to only make suggestions and will delve into other topics if my friend is interested but past that, I bite my tongue. 
I bite my tongue, then I judge.  I judge when friends don't at least try breastfeed past the painful first few days or they decide on a c-section because their doctor is going on vacation the same week their baby is coming.  Or carry their babies in car seats knowing that damn car seat is heavy, or go out and get the most unsafe baby carrier after seeing me with my bazillion carriers that are both safer and cuter! I know- I am terrible.   I am well aware that there are often times very legit reasons for not being able to breastfeed.  I am well aware of the fact that there are wonderful medical personnel who know what they are doing when it comes to women's reproductive health.  However....... I believe in making decisions after learning about what all the options are (for example-homebirth/hospital/birth center).  I think I judge a little harsher when I know that friends are just going by what the doctor prescribes without asking any questions.  Think for yourselves. Do some research.  Rant over. Go ahead and judge me.  There, I said it.  ;)

They're related for sure.

It's June.

What?? June?  I know it's June. It's hot out. I shouldn't complain because the weather was amazing in May.  Hopefully the monsoon season will come soon so that some of this heat will dissipate. 

Ok, so S1 starts high school summer academy tomorrow.  Does this count as high school? Do I need to get kleenex ready?  The classes are prerequisites and will earn him some credit.  Summer academy will also give him a chance to ease in to high school life... but really, does this 'count' as high school? 

Time has gone by so fast, lovelies.  Things are moving.  We need a bigger house.  I need a vacation.  I've made some new birthy friends.  I am excited to see what the next few months will bring.  I have so many projects that I need to get done; sewing, organizing, weight losing. etc. Seems like there is never enough time, but when I look up, time has flown.    

is it wordless wednesday already?

 

Grandpa and his girls.

can i brag a bit....

on my midwife? yes, AGAIN! Lovelies, seriously. She and her team are second to none with providing mama-centered prenatal and postnatal care.  Now that they have their own space, sooooo many amazing services are being offered form breastfeeding to learning herbs to placenta encapsulation.  I am constantly in awe of my Shell Walker.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! (oh! I do know! heehee! I will post more when I can on this exciting venture).  Check out her site.  I'm going to have to convince her to make a blog button.... ;)

wordless wednesday

Lovelies, we are now parents to a first grader and a high schooler (and a preschooler and an almost 8 month old).  OMGoodness. S1 got promoted to 9th grade last night and S2 got promoted to grade 1.  I got all choked up when S1 walked out with his class.  He got a medal for having one of the best 'end of junior high/what are my goals' essays and got to read his essay at the ceremony.  He was one of two students who got to read.  This kid never ceases to amaze me.  He spoke so eloquently and his voice was so smooth that I barely recognized the young man standing up at the podium.  How could he have changed so quickly? I just brought him home from the hospital! I am still 21! ;)  We are so proud of him.  The principal approached us after the promotion ceremony and congratulated us for having such a 'fine young man.'  It's called 'keepyourfoottothebuttparentingwithloveandunderstanding' and this is what comes of it:

I have video as well, but I've got to upload it.  Probably this weekend.

Ahhhh lovelies, it's springtime in my state which means the ridiculous heat is right around the corner.  Don't get me wrong though, this time of year is the best time to be outside to enjoy the weather because we will be sitting under the cold blowing air conditioner soon! Some scenes from the backyard to let us know that spring has sprung!

It's my birthday!

yes lovelies, I am the big 35  27, no 35. I am so happy to be on this planet at this very moment.  I have an amazing family and a wonderful circle of friends.  Plus I got a dozen Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for free just for being born YEAAAAH!  Pics tomorrow.  I am exhausted.  Yes- I know it's 9:48pm.  :P

Remember the wave of creativity/craftiness?

Well, after months of neglecting all things creative and useful, I made these! I used a pattern bought on Etsy.

Sorry about the fuzzy pics! They were taken with my less than stellar cell phone camera.  :/

wordless wednesday

Extreme Couponing.

Lovelies, I enjoy a good deal.  The least amount of money for the best deal out there always makes me happy! I love that my grocery store upgrades all coupons to $1 and stacks coupons from the specific store and the manufacturer, and I recently graduated my coupons to a binder.  Yes.  Even I was surprised about that.  The thing is that I needed more space and slots for my savings!  It has paid off handsomely!  I have saved an average of 50-60% on my grocery bills so far, which I thought was pretty good!! Until I watched 'Extreme Couponing' on TLC.  OMgoodness.  Are these people geniuses or insane? Are they stockpiling or hoarding? All I know is that I want to be able to save 98% on my grocery outings!  One thing I did notice while watching the show was that these people buy things that they don't really need- who needs 100s of boxes of pasta or 300 sticks of deoderant? Granted, one extreme couponer was making care packages for soldiers but he was the only one who seemed to be sharing the wealth.  Also, these people appeared to be extreeeeeemely stressed out when clipping coupons and when they went through the checkout line.  One lady was actually turning red and sweating!
To me, couponing should be enjoyable.  I don't clip coupons for items that I do not typically use or need.  Many of the Extreme Couponers clipped everything!!! Stuff has expiration dates and you cannot tell me that a family is going to get through a garage full of grocery items before something goes bad (don't let me start about the preservatives that maintain these products for however long!! Post for another time).  I suppose it can be done if it's a large family but really, what is a couple with no children going to do with an ever-growing stockpile of shampoo/pasta/butterfinger chocolate bars? It kind of boggles my mind, lovelies. These extreme couponers are spending 20 and more hours per week, searching, clipping and making their lists.  A few of them go to stores more than twice a week.  I couldn't do it.  Like I said, I love a great deal but I love my sanity and peace of mind more.  Just my humble opinion!
Can I tell you what I scored for free today using coupons? 5 bags of Graham Goldfish, 1 container of Mentos gum, two tubes of toothpaste, a bottle of Metromint water and a 4.4lb bag of brand name dog food.  Not too shabby right? ;)

Speaking of time....

Can you believe that S2 is nearing the end of her first year of school? Yes, lovelies. Kindergarten is almost done. I have only one hangup. Graduation.  Is it graduation when it's something you're supposed to do?  Are we so quick to please everyone that we apply what was once reserved for high school seniors to every grade? Is it just my 'old school Canadian education' talking? I don't remember graduating from anything but high school.  In junior high, we had a 'congratulations for moving on but don't call it graduation' ceremony, but that was about it!
Annnnyway.  Just my thought....
I digress. Doesn't she look adorable? ;)

Time ain't on my side......

Lovelies, it was a busy weekend. It's tough for us to recover from busy weekends, especially when it involves laundry or dishes.  Right now, I am staring at an enormous pile of (clean) laundry that needs to be ironed.  I don't mind ironing, but wherrrrrrrrrrrrre is the time?? Who wants to iron after a full day of work?  Hubby does an amazing job of keeping laundry and dishes under control but I feel like I need to be more involved with it.  I need to be more involved with laundry and excercise.  Laundry, excercise and more reading to my children.  Ah, time.  I need to be more organized with it in such a way that I can get things done and get to bed at a decent hour.  How do you maintain this lovelies?  Is it easier said than done for you? I have a day planner that I love, but I barely make it through my daily 'to do' lists.  Tell me how you do it, oh wise ones!

LOL

Lovelies, I breastfeed.  I like the singer, Pink.  So imagine my delight when I came across this on Facebook! So cute.  It'll stick to your brain!

I'm not sure if I told you.....

that my husband is a chef.  Yes lovelies, I am married to a professional chef.  A professional, skinny chef.  When we met, I could fit into his jeans.  Let's just say that no thanks to him, I can barely fit my own jeans (but this will change in the next few months, by any means necessary!)
AAAAAAnyway, we started a catering and personal chef business called Fire and Spice Caribbean Grill and Catering Company. This weekend was Fire and Spice's debut, at the Tolleson Founder's Day Festival.  We have a cool banner and everything! Hubby is on the grill as I type- jerk chicken, ribs, coconut rice, plantains and rolls are on the menu.  Yum.  The festival is three days long, so hubs is going to be super tired by the time it's over, but I know he lives to be on the grill.  He has been running on adrenaline all day! Don't tell him that I ordered pizza for the kids and I for dinner tonight. LOL.  (no, really).
Pics to come!!!

wait!!!

Whennnnnnnnnnnnnn did plane tickets get so expensive? I was checking flights today for a trip I am trying to take in December and OMGoodness! It has been a few years since I flew the last time and I know gas prices went up, but it cost me less to go to another country back then than it will to get to where I need to go! Jeez! Am I that out of touch? Give me a minute to get through the sticker shock.  I might have to see about getting some air miles from my parents! ;)

Party on Bloggers. Party on.

Lovelies, I love a great online party.  Especially when there are wonderful people to meet and prizes to be won.  This year is no exception when it comes to the Ultimate Blog Party 2011.  I love to go through the linkies to see what fellow bloggers are up to! I honestly have met some great people via the internet and the Ultimate Blog Party is a great way for anyone to connect with others and make new connections! I still feel like a small fish in a massive blog pond, but Blog Parties make life in the blogging world that much better.
  A bit about me- daughter, wife, mom, breast feeding, natural curl having, thinking about naturopathing, licensed social working woman.  I am surrounded by love at all times and I smile when I think about it.  Four of my loves! (my husband doesn't like to take pictures but there are a couple of him buried somewhere in my posts!) ;)

So, come to the party!!! Check out what other mombloggers are doing, and have some fun at the same time!  Click on the link above, or the badge on the right. ;)

 Party on Lovelies!!

Milky goodness.

Lovelies, I have milk baby.  Yes I do.  He is adorable.  I have only seen a picture of him, and maybe I will meet him in person one day, maybe not- but either way, I am satisfied.  My milk helped save his life. You see, I was called to donate some of my milk to this precious being because of some issues that his mama was having with breastfeeding.  I was thrilled to help.  As of today, my milk baby is doing fine and his mama is doing better and better every day.  I can't tell you how proud I am of her to sticking with breastfeeding.

Have you heard of  Eats on Feets Community Breast Milk Sharing? well that was all started by my poop-stirring midwife!!! To me, Shell is nothing short of amazing and I cherish every time we get to hang out. Google her and check out all of the wonderful, informative and controversial stuff she has started with her 'audacity' to match milk donors with milk recipients without any money being exchanged anywhere! ;)    ANYWAY, milksharing and wet-nursing has been around since the beginning of time but because of the fear of human contact that society has put on us, both entities have all but disappeared.  Milk banks are charging up to $5 per ounce of breast milk.  Can you imagine? This makes banked-milk more expensive than formula! I couldn't charge for something that I know can help sustain a life. There are so, so many benefits to breastmilk.  I am thrilled that there are so many mamas who are not buckling to the formula companies. (I have had the honor or helping two such mamas).  I should say that I did supplement with S1 and S2 and they turned out just fine. However, S3 got no formula at all, and S4 has had no formula either.  When you know better, you do better, IMO.  If for any reason I need milk for S4, I will be checking Eats on Feets before even thinking about heading to the grocery store.
I will always advocate for breastfeeding! What say you, lovelies? Would you donate your milk? Would you accept another woman's milk for your baby?

wordless wednesday

My PSA for the week.

Spring is here lovelies, which means summer is around the corner.  Now is the time to get your feet in order. Please make sure to use adequate lotion and appropriate nail polish (if you wear polish).  Also, if your toes go over the front of your sandals, it's time for a bigger pair of shoes.  :p
I will tell you that as a mother of 4, it is sometimes difficult to carve out time to care for your feet but trust me, they (your feet) will thank you.  A nice little pedicure can go a long way and can help you feel rested and feeling sassy! I found a cool DIY pumpkin foot scrub, which I will be trying this week.  I love anything that has pumpkin involved!
Looking forward to the summer (not the heat though!) with my at least my feet looking decent! ;)

made by moi!

Lovelies, I make things because I am thrifty.  So today, I made my own lactation tea! I picked up the ingredients at my grocery store, shook them all together, brewed a tablespoon in one cup of water for 20 minutes and am waiting the results. 
Ingredients: 1 pack of fennel
                  1 pack of anise seeds
                  1 pack of chamomile
                  1 pack of star anise (I only used one per cup, for decoration)
If it helps boost my milk supply, YAY me! If not, then I guess I will go back to ye-old faithful, homemade oatmeal/cranberry chocolate chip cookies. ;)

update 3/27- lovelies, this combo works wonderfully! I am so happy with it that I think that I will go get these herbs in bulk so that I can have a nice supply on hand. 

This weekend!

This weekend was decent, lovelies! Hubby and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary, we took the kids to a festival for the sister cities to Phoenix (which included my hometown of Calgary!), I did laundry and made a most divine wild rice salad, we went to a birthday party, ate cotton candy and to top it off, hubby grilled.  Yum. Really don't want to go to work tomorrow!

This is my take on a recipe I got from Ani Phyo.  I didn't have any corn, but I put a splash of agave nectar in for a bit of sweetness and it was delightful.  Of course, S1 was the only one who tried it.  S2 and S3 are cornballs and respectfully declined the invitation to taste.  S2 looked at the salad and said 'my grandma would eat that!' LOL. Yes honey, grandma would absolutely eat this salad!

Had there been a Christmas card/letter,

You would have gotten to see these pics I took!  I did a mini photo shoot of the kids and had planned to put the pictures on a postcard-like card because I had an awesome coupon.  It didn't happen because of 'the computer crash that we won't talk about or bring up anymore.' ;)
So for your viewing pleasure, my Christmas card pics from December!