Summertime...a change of routine.

Summer is here! And if you have lived in the Okanagan a while, this is the time when our out of town friends and family descend on us to sample a bit of the lifestyle we enjoy. We love having family come to visit us, and I am not adverse to change. I love to travel, and have always considered myself a little carefree and adaptable. But after a recent visit, I realized that I do have a routine...and my sister's family routine is different.

My sister came with her family which included, along with her husband, two four year old twins and a 1 year old dog. Talk about a different level of energy than what's usually in our house with a 9 month old son and a 16 year old dog. Naps never seemed to coincide and baby nap time seemed to be at the peak of the 4 year olds energy. We even went through a couple of nights where it felt like he was up every hour.

However, it was pretty cool how my 9 month old was fascinated with his big cousins. He would follow them everywhere a crawling baby could, but that caused bedtime to become a challenge. I'm sure that he felt that he was missing out on something while he was sleeping, so he fought it with all his might.

Learning to be adaptable is a reality in life, and I would love my son to learn this trait. Although, I was thinking, it would be nice to get him back into a proper routine with proper sleep. And as I was writing this, I did notice something else that may have been the culprit of those rough sleeps...looks like tooth #2 is here!

This posting was featured on Okanagan4Kids.

Getting Venture Capital...the new way!

Have you got an amazing idea?  But no funds to produce it?  Why not use the internet and hope your idea goes viral?!  http://www.kickstarter.com/ is a great sight for raising capital.  You do need to provide your backers with something, either a prototype, limited edition, or in some cases a mention in the credits.  My favorite is the Capture Camera Clip System.  Peter is currently being funded with over 2180% of his goal...that means his goal was to raise $10,000 and currently he sits at $218,000 raised.

Check this site out and see what the power of many can do!  I better get mine before it's too late!

Mommy obsessions

Why oh why...and how?! Did I become mommy obsessed?  We all have our little obsessions...currently mine are nursing tops, baby carriers, and diaper bags.  Ok I have a bag obsession in general...so it's not a big stretch to become obsessed with diaper bags.  And in all fairness, the shoe obsession has been reduced a little lately. :)

I love trying new nursing tops.  I think I currently own about 5 different brands...but it is an expensive obsession!  But I am on a quest to find that perfect nursing top.  I have to say that one of my favorites so far are the Boob nursing top. (Which are now available online at Toysrus-my Canadian friends!)  It offers just the right amount of ease and discreetness.

My other obsession would be baby carriers.  One of the images in my mind when I was pregnant was carrying my baby while doing chores and while nursing.  That definitely did not happen! First, had a wee little trouble figuring out that nursing thing which didn't get resolved until about the 3 month mark.  And then my little one was much bigger and not so easy to carry. I tried a standard carrier (2 kinds), a wrap, and briefly a sling.  But so far the winner, hands down, is the Ergo Baby! It's comfy for me, comfy for the baby...and easy to use!! Yay, the obsession has paid off!

And finally diaper bags.  I have my assortment of diaper bags, but what I have discovered is that in reality...if you have a bag (any bag...like a sports bag) with lots of pockets, and a couple of bottle pockets (which lots of them do now), you are good to go.  All of them can be adapted to hang off your stroller, they even sell the attachments separately.

The awe of the uniqueness of all these cool items is finally wearing off a little.  Probably due to the lack of use of some of these cool items...I've used my shopping cart cover-exacty twice!  Although, I'm sure if I had the cover when E was smaller, then I would have used it more.  But now he eats goosepoop-so why worry about a few shopping cart germs.

Relay for Life...in loving memory.

This past weekend was the local Relay for Life.  A friend and I decided to run a concession instead of putting in a team as our contribution to the Relay.  Not only did we want to raise money, but we wanted to offer healthy food at the event.

The response from the community was amazing!  Not only were we able to get about 90% of our products donated, but we had over 20 volunteers step forward to help us! 

Our menu was quite impressive:

Greek Lentil and Feta Salad Wrap, Black Bean and ChickPea Salad Wrap, Tijuana Chicken Wrap, Hearty Three Bean Chili, Vegetable Minestrone, French Onion Soup,Papa John’s Pizza, Natures Valley Granola Bars, Sunrype Fruit Source Bars, Sunrype Fruit Snacks, Assorted Woodfire Bakery Pastries, Organic Oranges, Apples, Bananas, Multigrain, Original, Honey Nut Cheerios, Fiber 1, Hot Apple Cider, Juice Boxes, Water, Milk

Our Sponsors were even more impressive!

Nesters Market, BC Tree Fruits, Specialty Bakery, Urban Harvest, Kelowna Family Gourmet, Woodfire Bakery, Sunrype, Costco, IGA Rutland, Fresh is Best, Home for Dinner, Save on Food – Cooper Plaza, Safeway - Dilworth, Starbucks West Kelowna, Sysco Foodservices Kelowna, Red Robin Kelowna

Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors for your contribution to this great cause!

All this rain, and a welcome little visitor

Steggie came to visit us!  In all this grey weather, it is so nice to add some brightness to our day.  Our little visitor is completely handmade and adorable. And my son loves him!

So often handmade items are geared to girls, so it is so cool to have a unique toy that is geared to boys. This little dinosaur is just one of the unique designs made by Snap Pea Designs, and they have plenty for the little girls too. I do have to say that I have a soft spot for this little froggy too.

Beautiful colors and made from cotton, wool or super soft merino/angora, each design is unique. Made by a local Kelowna mama, you just know that each one of these toys was made with love.  You can order these items directly through Snap Pea Designs or stop by The Natural Baby Shop to see them.

Check out our blog on Okanagan4Kids.