Christmas

Was Christmas crazy for anyone else this year? I don't mean just the hustle and bustle but the excitement was awesome!  My daughter knew exactly what was going on! Mind you she also knew she wanted to stay up partying with all the family!  Christmas morning was amazing, she was so surprised at what Santa brought. There is so much more I could say but it wouldnt describe the moment.

So I haven't been on here in such a long time as my mom has been sick. She is doing much better now. However myself and the baby caught my 3 year olds cold and it has taken me down hardcore.

I am currently busy as always and waiting for my mom at the airport while holding little man in my lap in the car and trying to get this post to you! So much to catch up on. I'll be back soon, promise.

Wish me luck...

Apologies

So, it has been way too long since my last post. I am sorry for those who follow me but I have been tied up with family issues. I am hoping to get everyone caught up tonight on my blog and how things are going with this motivated mommy! Until then, wish me luck!

The Potty

It was a long time coming but finally I can say we are almost 100% potty trained!  I wanted to wait to potty train my 3 year old until she was really ready for two reasons: one, you really can't successfully force a child to do anything and have their full cooperation (if anyone else has and has step by step instruction, please let me know), two, not that I am lazy but who really wants to consistently clean up puddles of pee or wash poopy undies?  Be honest... no one does, especially not when balancing a baby in your arms. 

So a few weeks ago I bought a "potty chart".  I found a store that sells teacher aids for the classroom.  I had tried giving rewards previously while keeping the pull ups on.  I told her if she used the potty she would get a candy or some treat of the day and it worked for a couple times but she was just not motivated and that was just to pee on the potty!  It was a whole other story trying to get her to poop.  In order to get her to do her business on the potty and not in her diaper, I had to promise Subway or McDonald's or something big!  This girl is too smart for her own good, potty training was going to cost mommy some big $$$ by the end.  I decided enough was enough and now just had to figure out what would she like more than anything else?  Then I found the fish bowl.

The fish bowl is a big poster fish bowl that comes with all colours of the rainbow fish that you could imagine.  There were over 100!  This was perfect.  Every time she pees in the potty she will get to stick a fish in the bowl.  My daughter is crazy over fish so I knew this would work.  I then decided she needed something that would also help her want to do her #2 in the potty too.  NEMO!! When I said she was crazy over fish, she is even more crazy over NEMO.  I found a package of fish that look like Marlin, Nemo, Dorey, Gill and Bubbles.  PERFECT!

I brought it home and instantly my little pee pants became a big girl and started pottying.  She was already somewhat using it at daycare but now we were full fledged pottiers!!  She couldn't be more happy to get a fish and put it in the bowl.  She was a little weary of pooping at first ( I think that I scared her when she was two and started to try out the potty.  I kind of got super excited and might have screamed a little or squealed... you know you've all been there the first time you don't have to clean off a poopy bum!) but once she did it a few times she had no more issues.  Now, she would go a few days sometimes without going at all but eventually she started doing it and each time saying to whoever was around, "my mommy be so proud of me!"  And she's right...

...Mommy is so proud of her!

Next on the list is getting her out of pull ups at night time.  She is pretty close but some how, no matter how many times she pottys before bed, she still pees over night.  Oh well... Wish me luck!

Where does the time go?

Well, here I am a few days after trying to "unglue" my baby from me.  So far it hasn't worked.  He has had a cold and has been extra clingy.  That's okay though, I am going to try again once he is feeling better.  On another note, that interview I went to, apparently went well and I am going back for a second one.  The last few days seem to have been a whirlwind and I can't keep up!  Since my last post I have gained a few more Real Estate clients, my yard is now ready for grass and my blog has gotten a face lift!  I would love to hear your feedback or thoughts on it :)

Now that you are all up to speed I will tell you about the delicious supper I made tonight, plus some pretty yummy dairy free cookies...

Supper:  Honey Mustard Crusted Trout and Orzo Pasta
It's actually a Et Tu kit... I somewhat cheated but it was still tasty
The kit provides the Mustard Crust which you can put on any type of fish (I chose Trout because it is light and perfect for flavour enhancing).  Next instead of cooking on a frying pan I baked it in the oven.  Once you take it out there is a honey mustard sauce that you drizzle over it.

For the Pasta - you boil your water,  cook the pasta, add a bit of the pasta water and some butter.  Add a pesto parm powder that is included and presto chango you are good to go.  For those of you wondering - No, this part of the meal was not dairy free so I skipped this part of the meal but the fish was dairy free and I already had some veggies and rice left over from last nights Pad Thai.

Cookies:  Chocolate Chip Dairy Free Cookies

I found this recipe and tailored it slightly to be dairy free - also added a little more flour than it called for as the dough was very sticky and really hard to work with. And YES I ate the missing cookie!  Had to test it. :)

Thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies, perfect for school lunches.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour (again add a pinch or two more as needed if dough is too sticky)
• 1 tsp baking soda (I accidentally skipped this step and my cookies turned out great... oops)
• 1/2 cup of butter (replace with vegan margarine)
• 1 tsp salt (I only used 1/2 tsp and the salt was slightly coarse)
• 1 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips vegan or dairy free friendly) 

Instructions

1. Kick the tires and light the fires to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together your butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing thoroughly. Beat in the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. When that is done, fold in the two cups of chocolate chips by hand, and prepare to put them on some parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto the baking sheets.
5. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and slightly underdone. Cool on the sheets completely.

Operation Un-glue Part 2

Okay, so after putting him in his crib the second time he woke up and stayed there less than 5 minutes.  I brought him down stairs as my husband came home from hockey and I figured I wasn't quite tired yet and the baby was now somewhat awake.  Once I was ready for him to go to bed again I gave in and brought him to bed with me.  He was asleep within minutes still nursing of course.  Not much sleep for either of us last night either as he was so stuffed up.

New day but a long one.  Seemed like although I think I really only got groceries today it was a long and tedious day.  Too boring to really get into but none the less I am exhausted.  Just got both kiddos to bed after my daughter ensured to drag out her bed time and I gave the baby a bottle tonight for something different (and he actually took some of it!).  And of course by bed for the baby I mean his swing :(

1st attempt tonight... not happening!  I was completely psyched and ready to do it and then decided I am way too tired.  The baby has a cold and is very tired also.  So no un-gluing tonight!  We will try again tomorrow.  I did ensure to put him in his crib a few times with his sounds going and lights off to try and get him as used to that environment as possible.

Well gonna try to get some sleep and try the sleep training again tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Operation Un-glue

Today I realized just how "close" my baby and I are.  Although I enjoy spending every waking moment glued at the hip (or should I say boob) with my baby, whether it be bed time, meal time, bathroom breaks, shower time or just anytime... there comes a time when mommy just needs a break!  I know you've all been there because one can only take so much before you just need a second to breathe without hearing crying, yelling, whimpering or the words "mom..." (obviously that part is from my 3 year old not my baby, yet anyway).  Either way, today I decided the baby and I need some space.

Now before you get the wrong idea, I'm not leaving him but I think it's time he sleeps in his own bed.  :)  Just saying those words makes feel happy!  If only it were that easy.  So tonight I began trying something different.  Rather than feeding him and then putting him in his swing until I go to bed (which sometimes he will go in his cradle for an hour or so and then end up in bed with me), I have decided once he is in a somewhat stable sleep, to move him into his crib.

First attempt... fail.  He woke up slightly moving him from nursing to swing and then again from swing to upstairs.  Got him into the crib and he fell asleep with a new white noise maker I bought today.  It shines stars lightly on the ceiling and makes either natures sounds or music.  My boy prefers the sound of water so that's what I put on.  All goes good, I get the monitor on and pull the door to, come downstairs and wait.  5 Minutes go by and he starts fussing.  No wonder!  I get up to his room and the blanket is over his head, feet in the air and he is not happy.

Back down we go and start all over again.  This time I decided to try a soother.  In the past this has been a waste of time, however with teething I decide that it may just prove to be somewhat useful.  He is currently in his swing and I am going to move him up to his room again shortly.  If it fails this time, in order to give him the sleep he needs, I will stop it for tonight and try again tomorrow.

Second attempt... Wish me luck!

Starting off on the right foot

After my chaotic day yesterday I thought today would be a breeze.  Turns out it wasn't.  I got up at a decent time this morning to get my hair straightened, eye brows plucked (badly needed!), make-up on and teeth brushed... next got the kiddos dressed, hair done and teeth brushed and yes... I even remembered to get my 3 year olds teeth brushed.  Anyone else out there have trouble remembering that toddlers need their teeth brushed?  I find it so hard to get it into my routine in the morning let alone at night.  Back to getting ready - my pants that I bought yesterday fit so nice but since I am not 6 feet tall I will eventually need to get them hemmed!  Ever have that experience with clothing?  Story of my life!  So looks like heels for the interview.  Oh yeah, remember the construction going on in my yard?  Well I am going to have to wear flats until I make it to town.

Got everyone packed into the truck - still borrowing my mom's truck as it looks like we need a new starter after we get it towed to the shop.  Pick up mom, get daughter to daycare, 15 min before my interview feeling good about the morning.  Drop my mom and baby off at the office (gotta love mom's, they are the best! Always there when you need them).  Realize I didn't bring a copy of my resume just in case - sometimes HR likes you to have them.  Thought about printing it at the office but now I have 9 mins to get there and I wanted to be at least 10 min early!  Ha ha so much for being the keener, looks like I will be doing good just to get there on time.

I arrive at the building, get into the elevator but WAIT!  I forgot to change into my heels :( too late now... looks like I am walking on tippy toes!  I get into the room and meet the interviewers and realize I left my cell phone on high volume and can't get to it in my purse without being awkward and rude.  Here goes nothing!!  The interview goes well or at least I feel it does and I make it through without my phone ringing (only one msg notifier and I think they may not have noticed). 

I look at the time and have now been away from the baby for 45 min.  Time to call mom and let her know I am on my way.  All I hear is the baby screaming his head off... typical, he really doesn't like me leaving him.  Early signs of a mommas boy I think ha ha.  After getting back and picking him up I remember I have to meet clients about 15 mins away at 11am.  Thinking I have the day under control I remember I don't have a vehicle - "oh mom...".  Okay get the truck, go home, feed the baby, relax, right?  NOPE - I get a phone call "did you know you were supposed to meet your client at 10am?"  ahhhhhhhhh.  Pack the baby up, call the client, figure out where they live and speed!  Of course by speeding I mean drive very careful but fast enough to not waste anymore time but still be safe with the baby in the truck (you all have been there... I know!)

After that is all taken care of I finally got to get dropped off at home.  My yard is looking fantastic!  Might cost me more than we had originally planned for but I have a driveway and no holes or should I say trenches in my yard.  I can now relax with little man until my little girl and my husband get home after work!  Phew.  Peace at last.  When I relax, it usually involves thinking about what I should be doing like cleaning or preparing supper.  I then realize that the hamburger for supper is still frozen.  I guess Spaghetti and Meatballs are out of the question unless I fill the sink with some cold water and throw the hamburger in.  Hmmm... Wish me luck!

The Construction Zone

Ever feel like your life is a puzzle and some days you are really good at getting through your day no hitches and things seem to go your way?  Like when you find all the edges and corners to start your puzzle and things are shaping up nicely?  Then there are the days where one thing after another seems to either not go the way you intended it to or flat out goes wrong? Like when you finally get the puzzle close to being finished but all of a sudden you've either lost a piece or the pieces don't fit together and you have to start again?  This is how the last few days have been around here.  Not to mention the construction zone happening in my yard!

So yesterday my husband called and told me the truck wouldn't start, fair enough, I knew it was stalling out every now and then but not completely to the point where the truck would not start again.  Luckily enough he got a ride home and decided he could just take the car to work today.  I know I have an appointment this morning so I ensure to get my mom to pick me and the baby up and my mother-in-law to be here early to get my 3 year old.  It's 7:30am and I am up and on the couch... the baby decided to wake up at 5am thanks to my noisy husband and his annoying sleep habits.  I figured the only way to get some sleep is to get him into his swing and sleep on the couch.  I hear my 3 year old calling me and knocking on her door yelling "Mommy I wake up!".  I go say good morning to her, get her and myself dressed, get the baby ready and we wait.  My mom gets here right on  time and my mother-in-law finally shows up (a little late but hey who's counting) :)  We take off get stuck in traffic at a construction zone of course finally get to the office and my client isn't there yet so far so good.

After my appointment was done I realized I have an interview tomorrow morning and have nothing that will fit me!!  Since having baby boy I lost quite a bit of weight, enough to take me back down to almost my wedding weight (pre baby, pre hubby and pre 25 & up haha).  I borrow my mom's truck and head to the mall, find two pairs of dress pants and a sweater all for $60.  I feel happy and want to try them on but wouldn't you know the baby hates shopping and is screaming at the top of his lungs while I fit one pair of pants on.  I decide I will try the rest at home for the feeling of embarrassment coming over me that my child is ruining everyone else's shopping experience.  Ever get that stressful feeling with either a screaming kid or one throwing a temper tantrum?

Made it home and I find out that the construction supposed to be happening at my home to fix my ditches and yard and landscaping is starting today! YAY so happy to know that I will have a yard and driveway!  Then I was asked to go and get some zip ties.  This is really where the chaos started... I run to one store close to home thinking I was saving time and money BUT they don't carry the size and strength zip tie I need.  I then truck back into town, go to where I know they have the ties as this is where I got my culverts however they think they are out.  Now I have wasted more time then I wanted with baby boy in the back starting to get more frustrated than ever.  As luck may have it they found some and I was on my way back home.  Have to take the longer way home this time to avoid the traffic.

Once home I get baby boy stretched out, bum changed and fed.  I finally hear back about the truck that is not working and it is still not working!  Looks like it won't be ready for a few days because it's still not even been towed to the shop.  Then after that unfortunate phone call I get one from my husband saying I have to go get him in town, bring him back to our house to explain to the workers what we want done and then take him back in town.  I somewhat try to justify this to the baby but he is not buying it and still not happy about going back into the car seat.  I get my husband and get back home only to find out that we have some piping outside not connected but half buried.  He figures out what's wrong, digs it up only to find out the water is not coming out of the drain as the levels changed with some re figuring of the culverts we did.  Long storey short I had to make another trip to town to get some foam to plug a hole in the culvert cut by a chainsaw!

Now I am coming back home (still borrowing my mom's truck thank goodness for her today!) checking to see if she needs a ride home yet but it is too early so back home I go.  Next the baby needs feeding again and before you know it I'm back in town and need to figure out supper (which I'm sad to say was not exciting for any of you but yummy for me - hot dogs) so I stop at the store and get everything except something for supper of course!  I finally get home for the night and find out my yard will not get done now till next week.

Left with my yard a mess but still much better than where I started and my truck sitting 20 mins away and not working, not to mention the somewhat construction site going on in my home with items left to unpack and cleaning to be done!  Anyone else have one of those days? 

Well, looks like another busy morning tomorrow, I better get myself prepared... Wish me luck!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Two more calls today... Real Estate is getting busy!  I am meeting a client tomorrow to help her sell and buy - hoping to sell a current listing to them which would be awesome!  Also got a call to possibly list another house on Thursday.  I will have 10 listings which is fantastic, if only there were more buyers!  November is shaping up to be a profitable month if I can get some listings sold :)

Remember that cleaning I talked about yesterday?  Well it didn't happen.  I did manage to unpack a few more things that my mother dropped off to me but for the most part I snuggled with baby boy.  He really just didn't want mommy to do anything else.  I barely had enough time to eat some leftover homemade veggie pizza and catch up on my emails and talk to a client let alone try to sort clothes or clean.  Good thing the house got a good cleaning Sunday!

Supper tonight is Korean BBQ Pork Chops with Veggies and Basmati Rice, mmmmm, can't wait :)  Pork is already baking in the oven and smelling yummy!  I will try to post a picture to see how it turned out.

I guess tomorrow is looking like my cleanup/unpacking/posting on auction day, or at least I hope if baby boy decides to cooperate.  If anyone has suggestions on how to handle a momma's boy, please share.  Wish me luck!

Long lazy day

Well, after a long day I am about to go to bed! My kiddos tied me up all day so I am just saying hello for a quick minute :) We didn't do a whole lot today as the baby was pretty finicky and attached to me but I did manage to make a delicious supper, oh and have a nice little nap with the baby while my toddler "snapped" (short nap type playing session). 

Supper consisted of Trout baked in the oven covered with a bit of vegan butter and lemon dilly spice from Epicure (which I LOVE) with mini roasted red potatoes and a mixture of veggies with a Bearnaise (dairy free) sauce.  I have to say, my family thought it was the best fish we've had in a while.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get some more unpacking/cleaning done while my girl is at daycare and thinking I will sell some things online.  Those facebook auctions are so great! I managed to make over $100 so far and that was only from posting two times.  I highly recommend if you have the time to clean out your goodies and photograph them and itemise/post on a local auction page.

Looks like I am starting to get a few page views :)  Hoping that this is entertaining or at least finding someone who can relate. Off to bed I go, hoping for some sleep tonight (if baby cooperates) and a big day of cleaning tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Cold Fall Day!

Well, I didn't post anything yesterday as I am getting a face lift done to the site :) However, I didn't get all the info sent in time so hopefully it will be updated soon! So here's what you missed... I met with my client, listed 2 homes, had a fun filled day with the family at the corn maze and play ground, shopped and got some lunch while out on the town. 

Later, after the house warming party, I went to (which was great by the way) I got the kids to bed and watched Clueless - mostly because I really couldn't find anything else to watch.  While watching I got the munchies.  Now while I was at the party, there were all kinds of delicious looking dips! Not thinking anything of it, I grabbed a chip and was about to dip into the cheesy goodness and remembered my baby is allergic! Not sure if I just had a really long day or I was just realllly hungry but that would have been bad for baby boy. So since I was still craving dip, I decided I wanted the same dip at the party - Franks Red Hot Buffalo dip - but I made it into a Dairy Free dip. 

Here's what I did:

Took 1 container of Dairy Free Cream Cheese (Tofutti) - original calls for Cream Cheese
1 Scoop (Maybe 2 Tbsp) of Mayo (Hellman's) - original calls for Ranch Dressing
a Dash of Italian Dressing (1 Tbsp approx) - original calls for Ranch Dressing
Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce to your desired spiciness
1 Cup of Dairy Free Cheese (mozzarella) - original calls for no cheese but you can't go wrong with adding more!
1 Cup of cooked diced chicken

Mixed it all together and baked until melted and gooey!

It was soooo yummy and I have lots left to snack on tonight :) As for today's events, we never got our family pics done as the weather has not been cooperative with anything, let alone outdoor pictures but we did manage to get the house cleaned! Also as a bonus I had a wonderful hair dresser come to my home to cut and style my hair.  She was fantastic and I am super pleased.  You may be wondering why have someone come to my house, why not just go to the salon? Well, that 4 month old of mine is not willing to separate from me even for a second, so, while the hair dresser worked on my hair, I was either holding the baby, my husband walking him around (always ensuring the baby could see me at all times) or trying to put him from one piece of baby equipment to the other!  Needless to say as hectic as it was I was still able to get my hair did!!

After all this, what do I have to look forward to tonight??  Well, I am going to get a few groceries to last for the week and grab some delicious "Down by the Bay" fish and chips.  Can't wait to try 'em out.  Wish me luck!

Busy Weekend Ahead

Well, I successfully posted my first blog. I also managed to list two new properties today, unfortunately the down side is that I didn't clean my house. Oh well... it will still be here tomorrow.  I have to get some more documents signed tomorrow, put up two signs, go to a house warming party for a friend (also figure out what to take) and then Sunday get my hair done and get family photos! Let's see how it all turns out.  Wish me luck! Good Night All.

The beginning!

So, I decided that I wanted to start a blog, mainly because I am home with my baby all day and feel like I need someone to listen to what I have to say and also possibly so someone will talk back!

I am a mom of two and am on Mat Leave with a Real Estate career on the side. I have a 3 year old girl who is just in the process of potty training and a 4 month old baby boy who is either sensitive to dairy or a full on allergy to it... just not sure yet. 

Either way, now you know a little about me and will either enjoy my chatter or will just move onto the next blog but this is me.  More to come, of course, but I am headed out to see a client and looks like get soaked in the torrential down pour happening out there.  Wish me luck.