If It Wasn't For My Mom, I Wouldn't Be Here.... Literally

Hello beautiful people,
In honour of Mother's day, I would like to dedicate this post to my wonderful, amazing, beautiful Mom!!! She is the person I truly look up and if I can be half the mom she is, then I can consider myself to be a great mom.
Mom has taught me so much. She's taught me to stand up for myself, to fight for what I believe and to not let anyone bring me down. She's not much of a "homemaker" but damn she can fix almost anything, especially when it comes to plumbing. Mom can also dig the hole that the pipe needs to go in. I don't think there's a piece of equipment out there that my mom can't figure out how to run. She has always been there for me and I know she loves me with all her heart. I have found that since I became a mom and a wife myself, that we have grown even closer together.

In my browsing of Pinterest, I have noticed a saying that has been done in various ways, it says " the only thing better then having you as a mom, is my children having you for a grandma." I find it very appropriate because my mom is an outstanding grandma!!! My children must believe it as well, because when Grandma is around, Mom just doesn't matter anymore. Especially when said Grandma tends to spoil them. Red still insists on sleeping in Grandma's room, even though she is now 7 and there is an empty room since my brother moved out. Actually if Grandma is by herself, Red will wiggle her way into sleeping with Grandma. As I'm typing this, I can just hear my mom protesting it all as she reads it. She will even probably call me just to state her reasoning on why she does it. But I don't mind too much, she is making wonderful memories with her grandchildren that they will remember forever.

I can't forget about my other "mom" though. I have been blessed with a terrific mother-in-law. She raised a man who is a fabulous husband and father. If it hadn't been for all her hard work raising him, he wouldn't be the man he is today. For that I thank her with all my heart. My children are also blessed to have such a great grandma, that spends as much time as she can with them. They get to go for sleepovers, quad rides, camping, wiener roasts, and just to spend the day with her. She has been a huge support system for me, allowing me to get out and do things on my own without always having the munchkins with me. She's also my source of adult conversation, whenever the kids are driving me crazy and I need to get out of the house for awhile. I really don't know what I'd do with out her.

I know some of you thought that maybe after I was all done talking about how great my mom is and what an amazing influence she is on my life, that I might talk about my own experiences as a mom, not this time. This is just for the moms in my life!! Hopefully one day, if I do my job right, my own children might write about the wonderful job I have done as mom, but until that day happens, I would rather just talk about my mom. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful, hardworking, a little crazy, moms!!

The First of My Ongoing Topics...

Hey,
I've started a couple of different projects, that I plan to be ongoing throughout the rest of the posts as long as I do them. I don't plan on dedicating another full post to this, but it will be more like updating you at the end of random posts on how I am doing.
The first is that I have started doing the "no-poo" method for my hair. The theory behind it is that by simply using baking soda as your shampoo and vinegar as your conditioner, you can completely get rid of what we consider "normal" shampoo and conditioner. Now this isn't one of my Pinterest pins, but I had seen a few similar pins about this method. I looked at them and thought that it was just for those truly odd people who needed to live off the land and blah blah blah. Then my mom was telling me her hairdresser has started doing this "no poo" method and was loving it. I figured that if a person who deals with hair on a daily basis thought it was a great idea, then maybe I should look a little more into it. So I started googling it and a few of the sites that I found were pretty vague on how this method is suppose to work and various questions that a person needs the answers to. Then I found a gold mine. This lady (http://coderedhat.com/no-poo-method/ ) has done a wonderful job explaining exactly how this works, and different ways of doing it and ways to make it work for you so you don't get discouraged by it and quit. She is truly a hair guru. I highly suggest you go check out her site because she does such a good job with it. I just want to share with you what I have tried, what I liked,  what I didn't like and keep you posted on how my hair looks ( all part of getting me to take more pictures, especially of myself).
I love my hair and everything about. It's thick and healthy and I love my natural colour ( for the most part, until those darn grey hair started popping up. But ssshh don't tell, its our lil secret). So if I have found something that will continue to keep my hair healthy and possibly even make it that much better, I'm going to give it an honest go. I will inform you that my hair colour in the pictures isn't natural, (what can I say, I'm not ready to age gracefully yet) but I think it is as close as I probably can get with a box colour. Now the hair guru I found describes two different methods of how to use the baking soda (bs). One method is to mix up a tablespoon of bs in a cup of water and pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle. From there you squirt the mixture onto your scalp and rub it in with a circular motion. You are suppose to get a slippery feeling and if you don't, then you need to add more bs. You need to make sure that you only use it on your roots and not your ends and make sure to rinse your head very well! The second method is the one I used the first time I tried this. All you do is put some bs into a small container for in the shower and when ready, scoop up about a tablespoon of bs into your hand and add just enough water to make a paste. Dump that on your head and rub in a circular pattern, let it sit for a minute or so and then wash out very very well. It was definitely an odd experience in the shower that morning. First I didn't get that wonderful sudsy feeling that I normally would get with shampoo and it felt like it took me forever ( OK  maybe an extra minute or two more then normal) to make sure all the bs was rinsed out of my hair ( every time I type bs it makes me giggle). Once it felt like I had all the bs washed out of my hair, it was time for me to move on to the "conditioning" phase. This is the part that really had me leery  Normally I use a lot of conditioner to keep my hair tangle free so how could using vinegar do the same thing? Well folks, I am a believer! You can use vinegar as conditioner and it works amazing!!! Plus it makes your hair extra shiny. Now I can hear some of you wondering what kind of drugs I am on to even think that vinegar can be used as a  conditioner, but trust me you have to try it! Don't worry though about the vinegar smell because after its rinsed out, there is zero smell! It's so simple, it's brilliant! You mix a 2 tablespoons of vinegar with a cup of water into a spray bottle and shake it like a Polaroid picture ( you must sing that like Outkast). Spray the mixture on your hair, avoiding your roots as much as possible and concentrating on your ends. Let that sit for a few minutes, and since it's getting warm out I used those minutes to shave off my insulating blanket, then rinse super good again. My hair felt really weird at this point and not even close to what I was use to, but I was still slightly optimistic that it was all going to work out. I grabbed my wide tooth comb ( very important to not use a brush when your hair is wet because it will cause even more breakage) and with my eyes shut tight against the pain I knew was coming, I started to slide my comb through my hair. I was prepared for resistance and to be hollering ouch ouch ouch but to my surprise and delight, my comb continued to slide through my hair just like it would if I had used conditioner. I am a believer!!!!!! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that she recommends using apple cider vinegar for dry/normal hair and white vinegar for oily/ normal hair. I started off using apple cider vinegar because it was in my pantry and I didn't have to go downstairs to get it.

These are my before pictures, just before i washed with no shampoo. I wanted to make sure that I kept photos so that I know for sure there is a difference. 

I am now on Day 3 of doing this method and the first two days I found my hair to be itchy and oilier then normal. I had read that you can use a combination of cornstarch and cocoa powder as a dry shampoo to help get rid of the excess oil, but I wanted to see how long I could go without using anything and without shampooing, so I didn't try it this time. I lasted two days without having to wash my hair and these are my photos before I washed my hair and afterwards. 

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I used the bs paste method again, except instead of trying to make a paste in my hand, I got another small container that I used to make the paste. It gave me a lot more control over where I put the paste. I did notice this time that while my hair was still wet, it had a waxy feeling to it, but when it dried I haven't noticed it. From what I read that seems to be pretty normal. I also didn't use any hair product this time, and it still feels weird to not use any. I asked some questions and the general consensus is that once your hair has reached " hair nirvana", you don't need to use any product. Also that it is all the silicone that is in the shampoo that makes your hair feel extra silky, therefore needing the product to help your hair hold its style. So for now I am going to resist all temptation of washing my hair with shampoos and using hair products, and hope that the end result is worth it.

I highly suggest for everyone to check it out and I will keep you posted as to how my hair journey is going.

Now its time for this tired mom to head to bed. Sweet dreams everyone!

My Baby Turns 7...

Hello Good Friends,
Recently, my eldest child Red, turned 7. While it feels like just yesterday I was blessed with a perfect little girl, I have to come to terms with the fact that as much I don't want her growing up and that I want her to stay little forever, its just not going to happen. I came to that conclusion with tears in my eyes but also the determination that I want to make these last few birthdays that my little girl will have before she becomes a teenager (shudder), as special as I possibly could. So for the last few months, as I have been "briefly" browsing Pinterest, I've kept my eyes open for different ideas that I could use for her birthday. I found quite a few ideas for games, crafts and such, that I liked but I wanted some ideas to make the actual day special just for her. Then Eureka!!!! I found this mom's (http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/04/birthday-traditions-for-kids.html) wonderful blog on how they make their girls' birthdays unique and special. I didn't use all of her suggestions but the ones I did do were a huge hit with Red.

I started off by making her day extra special and that she had no doubt in her mind that Mom was as excited as her for her birthday. Red and Dude (my middle son, who will be 3 in August) share a room, and since he tends to crawl into bed with me in the middle of the night, I made sure to move him first so he wouldn't ruin the surprise. Next I proceeded to blow up, what felt like to my poor lungs, a billion balloons, tied them onto streamers and then hung them up in her doorway.

I also attached balloons to our chandelier over our dining room table and had a present with even more balloons sitting on the table for her, just waiting for her to open first thing. Red thought that it was the greatest thing ever that she didn't have to wait till after school to open presents. The best thing about younger kids is that to them, the size of the gift and worth of the gift doesn't matter. Red received a sweet little necklace from her two little brothers that said #1 sister. She was so proud of it, that she just had to wear it to school.

Red loves pancakes and bacon, and would probably have them for breakfast every morning if she could. Sadly though, especially for Red, her mom is just not a morning person ( we tend to have a lot of pancakes for dinner though, which is when my brain tends to start functioning at full speed). Nevertheless, since I wanted to make the day special for her, I kick started my poor brain and my Red got her pancakes and bacon. I added a candle just for that extra special kick and my ever so grateful daughter called me weird and crazy. I knew she said it with love though, well that's just what I'm going to tell myself.

Considering, Red was awake way too early, we had plenty of time to get her all dolled up for school. I curled her hair, and put a pretty flower in it, she got dressed in a pretty skirt and we still had time to do a little fashion shoot to commemorate her 7th birthday. I felt all warm and fuzzy that I was able to send her on her way to school feeling very special and well loved.

 


The rest of the day was busy for myself and my boys. We were having a small birthday supper that night and she wanted her very favorite meal, sweet and sour meatballs. No time for browsing Pinterest that morning, I had to get my butt into gear. I had cupcakes to make, meatballs to make, her present from her dad and I to get from our extra sneaky hiding spot, plus a house to clean. I'm not too sure why I bothered with my floors, due to the fact that it is spring, we have no grass in the backyard and a dog, I definitely was fighting a losing battle with the muddy footprints. On top of that as well, my youngest had his 2 month vaccinations that afternoon. Thankfully he came through it like a brave little man and his needles never seemed to bother him. But I got it all done with plenty of time to spare. I even had time to start to put Red's dollhouse together but then my father-in-law and my grandpa showed up and I was more then willing to hand over that responsibility to them.

 

At the end of the day, my little girl was another year older (which I hate to admit, makes me another year older) but I had done what I had set out to do. I made her 7th birthday a day she will not soon forget. And so in closing I would like to leave you with a quote I found about mothers and daughters.

" The special bond shared between a mother and a daughter is the one place in all the world where hearts can be sure of each other. Like branches on a tree, we may grow in different directions but our roots remain one. And through the fury of the storm or the calm of the rainbow, we depend on each other for understanding and compassion. We will always share these moments, sparkling, like a star in our hand... keeping memories we have gathered through the years close to our hearts."

Let's Start at The Beginning....

Hi Y'all,
OK, well that makes me sound very southern, which is funny because I'm not, it just seemed to be an appropriate opening this time.  I am proud to say that I am from a very small town in Northern Saskatchewan, and for those that think I live in the middle of no where, you are in fact correct! Now living in a small town has many advantages, especially when it comes to raising our children (You couldn't get me to live anywhere else though), there are some disadvantages that come with it. Mainly the fact that there isn't a lot to do, more so in the winter. So in an effort to help me relieve some of my boredom and to help keep those slowly diminishing brain cells active, I have decided to try my hand at blogging. Its all the rage nowadays and I figured this was one bandwagon that I could jump on and really enjoy.
I have a few slightly insane reasons on why I decided to blog (besides being bored), the main one is that I have always enjoyed writing and taking pictures, but I haven't had much time to indulge in it. The second reason is that I LOVE Pinterest and I mean in the creepy, stalking, they don't love you back, even possible restraining order type of love. My husband says I'm just addicted to it. Now the true definition of addiction according to the dictionary, "is the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes sever trauma". With the truth staring so blatantly in my face, I have to admit it, I have no choice. I must stop lying to myself. My name is Stephanie and I am addicted to Pinterest!! There I said it! Whew, I feel sooo much better now. Well I've admitted it to the world, now what do I??? I don't think they will let me into AA, and I'm pretty sure there are no cessation aids like there is with smoking, I guess I'm just going to have to be my own support group. I will provide myself with constant morale support that yes I can do this. Wait a minute, what exactly am I saying "yes I can do this" to?? Hmmm , well now that I have thought about this a little bit, I am going to say yes I can do this, to finding some way of using every single pin I have saved! With that in mind, and as I look at the number of pins I have (771 in case you were wondering) I should have enough material to keep me busy for a very long time.
Pinterest is a very sneaky ( and yet oh so wonderful) invention. It is the world's best time killer for procrastinators, like myself, who really have very little intention of ever using any of the things they have pinned. So watch out Pinterest, I'm fighting back! And to start off this very long and fierce battle, I would like to share with you this pin that came off my " Ain't that the Truth" board.

This pin epitomizes my unquestionable daily struggle with Pinterest. Most mornings I will get my eldest off to school, feed and clothe the other two and sit down at my laptop with a cup of coffee to only browse Pinterest "briefly" while I enjoy my coffee. That's my intention every time I log on, but sadly as this pin shows Pinterest is evil and by the time I get off, I have drank more coffee then I should have, and my morning has been well wasted.
My very first post is coming to a close and with that a strong sense of pride. I hope you have enjoyed this one and will stay with me as I continue my long and daily struggle with Pinterest. So as a closing, I wish you all a wonderful, sunshiny day, and now I am off to go briefly browse Pinterest with my morning cup of coffee