Mama & Babe Teething Survival Guide

For the last few days my happy baby has been fussier than usual, unable to play on his own, needing to be held and sleeping through the night has been interrupted. Cue rosey cheeks and buckets of drool and I knew the culprit..TEETH! Connors first few teeth came in quietly  almost overnight. These next two teeth are coming in with a vengeance. In addition to the teething he has a little cold too. Im guessing putting everything and anything in his mouth to relieve pain gave him the cold. So needless to say it has been a rough couple of days for us. Right when you have a routine and you think you are getting the hang of mommyhood-life throws you a curve ball whether its teething, illness a sleep regression we have to adapt and help our little ones and ourselves through these things by whatever means possible... Including a glass of wine after bed time :).

 Its so hard when your little one can't tell you what and where it hurts and all you can do is guess. We have been fumbling our way through the week and trying different things. I wanted to re visit teething/cold remedies and what is helping us,especially since teething is an ongoing process that we all go through.

1) Ice Cubes served in a mesh feeder or any other kind of frozen fruit-This week I made some chamomile tea and froze it. Chamomile is an ingredient found in alot of the natural teething products you can buy so I thought I would give it a try.

2) Teething Necklace- Some people swear by these. Whether they work or not I say why not try it! Nothing to lose. We have the hazel wood version.

3) Plenty of chew friendly toys & objects- Connor has taken to chewing on my fingers whenever he can get ahold of them. With his many teeth he has quite the strong bite, so I try to keep new and different things he can put in his mouth to spare my fingers :). The pressure of biting is a great distraction and natural pain reliever. 

4) Connor also has a mild cold-mainly a really runny nose and congestion which can be frustrating at night or whenever he is laid down. I have been using baby vicks at night on his chest and feet. I elevated where his head rests by putting a blanket under the sheet so it was not loose.

 The other product I have used in the past are Coryzalia Drops. They are made by Boiron a homeopathic company that makes a line of baby products. They are to help with runny nose,sneezing & congestion. I find it helps and am comfortable using it as I have used other products they make.

5) Tylenol and Advil- I try to use natural pain relief as much as possible. This week I have been using Tylenol & Advil because Connor was still unhappy after trying everything else. I find that if I alternate Tylenol and Advil throughout the day he is happier and his pain is managed better before it gets out of control. Than by night he is able to fall asleep instead of being in crazy amounts of pain. It's all about what your comfortable with.

6)Baby Orajel Naturals - I just bought some more of this and find it helps, especially at night. Again  it contains Chamomile and is free of additives that are harmful to baby that were in other teething products previously sold.

7) Time. All things will come to an end teething included... Until the next round. Connor has become more like himself these last two days which is so nice to see. Even though some of the hours in a day took forever to pass I try to remember how fast days go by and just spoil him with love and try to distract him.

8) Try to keep your normal daily routine. They are already going through so much,at least with routine they have something they can expect. In saying that,realize that your little one might need to sleep earlier and longer than usual. Bath time might move to an earlier time like it has in our house. It was a great distraction and kept Connor happy for at least ten minutes :)

9) Be patient and if your little one is up at night be kind to yourself during the day. No task needs to get done- everything else can wait. Sleep. Eat. Shower when you can and have a glass of wine or watch a favorite show after bedtime.. Whatever helps you relax and unwind. Treat yourself and hope that your little one returns to there sweet self soon.

10) I have no magic potion or answer to give you. I'm ten months in and learning everyday. I asked my parents if they remember us teething and they don't .. It's funny how the rough days kinda just melt away over the years. I hope our little survival guide helps you or at least provides comfort in knowing your not alone in your experiences.

Happy Friday!

TGIF :)

Hope everyone is having a great Friday! Really feeling the Canadian pride with all the latest Olympic wins. Go Canada go!!!!

We are going to spend our weekend visiting and relaxing. I dropped a glass lid on my toe yesterday and that caused some kind of pain and an ugly toe :(. I can't believe how much it hurts. But enough about my toe.

Here's to having a healthy happy weekend.

Health, Happy and Well Fed

Loving that it's Tuesday today- bring on the short week! I hope everyone had a great family day long weekend. We headed to a cabin in the woods with a view of a winter wonderland. It was so nice to just relax in the quietness and beauty of the woods. We spent our days playing with Connor, relaxing and going for walks. We had some of our favorite foods and drinks too which was quite the treat since we are still sticking with our new meal plan. Connor slept so good too which made the trip that much more enjoyable :). 

For today I wanted to share a blog & Facebook page I have been following for a month now. I am loving our new meal plan but am always looking for ways to makeover recipes we used to eat,to make them as healthy as possible. The blog Busy But Healthy is one of my favourite resources when I am looking for a new recipe idea. The writer has a whole index of recipes that she has made over, including desserts which is a must in my opinion! She has a very realistic eating philosophy which is great and is very creative with her recipe make overs. I love that she has tried different things with each recipe and taken the guess work out of it. I have tried quite a few of her recipes and enjoyed most of them.

So If your looking for healthier options that taste good than head to her page. One of my favourite chicken recipes is the Parmesan Yogurt Chicken it is so easy and has the best cheesy flavour without the calories. Its a great way to get protein and use up greek yogurt too. We had it last night and I cant wait to eat it again for lunch, definitely a must try! I will share other recipes I have tried from her site and others and let you know if they worked out as listed and what tips I found helpful along the way.

Enjoy your day!

Valentines Day for the Little Ones

Heres to another day closer to friday-VALENTINES DAY! I hope everyones having a great week. Today I wanted to share a few ideas for your little ones valentines day. Even though some are too little to even know whats going on, it is so fun to start traditions early and get to experience that excitment we once felt as little people ourselves. For Connors valentines day we will have some heart shaped fruit and pancakes and he will wear something festive. Nothing too over the top but still festive.

I love how simple it can be to create happiness and festiveness. The meal ideas are way too cute, I mean heart shaped food! Love it. There was way to many cute things to share all of them so I narrowed it down..reluctantly! 

1) Valentines Day Meal Ideas, 2) Baby Boy Bib, 3) Heart Sweater, 4) Pillsbury Heart Cookies, 5) Valentines Lunch printables, 6) Toms, 7,8,9) Festive Valentines Day Outfits

Valentines Day Facts:

• Girls of medieval times ate bizarre foods on St. Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future spouse

• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.

• 73 percent of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

• 15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.
• Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within the three-day Valentine's Day time period.

  

I hope you all have a great Valentines Day full of love and laughter however you choose to recognize or celebrate the day.

Megan xx

Valentines all week long continued...

Good morning to you all!

Today I wanted to share some valentines day ideas for the men in your life. You still have a few days and all of these ideas can be put together in that time. I find men can be hard to buy for well thats what my mind tells me anyways. I think I complicate the whole gift buying process sometimes with all the "what if's"..what if they have it? what if they don't like it?...etc. Its ridiculous I mean its a gift, its meant to be thoughtful yes but not work! For valentines day I usually get Cory a card and a small something. In addition we have a nice supper and maybe a few drinks :).

Anyways, here are some great ideas for men. Simple to the point just how they like it!

1)Sports themed chocolate, 2) Basket of his favourites, 3)Beer Cake, 4) DIY Valentines Day Coupon Book, 5)Meatloaf Cupcakes, 6)saxx underwear 

More Interesting Facts  about Valentines day. Enjoy!

• Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the holiday, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight
• About 3 percent of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
• The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.
• In the 1800s doctors commonly advised their heartbroken patients to eat chocolate, claiming it would sooth their pain. To this day, many women find comfort in a box of chocolates when dealing with heartbreak. 

Valentines Day all week long!

Hope you are all doing well. We are healthy over here for now! Wahoooo. Knock on wood*

We have just been getting back into routine after Connor was sick -which includes lots of playing and catching up on laundry :). Thats okay because it has been horribly cold and windy so inside acitivites work for me.  The other news this week in the Eklund house is that we have found a day home! I am so happy and relieved and about 1000 other things that we have found a place for Connor when I return to work. It was not an easy process to find someone and I know the first day dropping him off wont be either but I feel so much better now. I can move my thinking to how we are going to adjust to our new schedule, rather than worrying about who and where we are going to find child care. Other than that we are just living life and loving every minute of watching Connor change and develop into a little person...so sweet.

Valentines day is coming up on friday-I know everyone celebrates and recognizes it differently. In our house we show love every day but Valentines day allows all of life's noises to be drowned out and for us to just focus on one another.  How ever you celebrate vday is up to you-it might mean a supper in or out, jewelery, a weekend away or just a longer cuddle under the covers than usual. I personally love any and all holidays and Valentines day is no exception. We will spend this valentines day away as a family, eating good food and spending time together. In honor of the big day I wanted to share a few of our valentines day favourites as well as some fun facts behind the holiday all week long :).

1)Philosophy Set,2)Heart Boot Cuffs,3)Heart Sweater,4)Big Red Apple Polish,5)Philosophy Set,6)Chocolate Box,7)Festive Socks,8)Heart Locket,9)Women's Boxers

Because who doesnt love Informtion. Here are some tid bits about valentines day....

• Casanova, well known as "The World's Greatest Lover," ate chocolate to make him virile
• The red rose was the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love
• Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines
• Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.
• In addition to the U.S., Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark and Italy.
• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."

Info From Sheknows.com

Hope you enjoyed todays post.I will be sharing Valentines Ideas for the men in your life and your little ones this week. Also some more facts about valentines day.

Hope your having a great monday!

Valentines Day Festivity Begins

With valentines day coming up,I have been admiring the many ways to receive valentines cards and any craft involving hearts. I used to love getting those cute little valentines day cards at school-so much anticipation. I can hardly wait for the day when Connor can recieve and give valentines to his little classmates. I also always LOVE an easy festive craft or project. ENJOY!

This felt card holder from The Crafting Chicks is adorable and can be made to hang on the back of a chair to receive all the little valentines

I love this paper heart garland from Green Wedding Shoes. Its so sweet and easy to make with minimal supplies. A great way to add some valentines LOVE to any room in your house.

Look how cute this Shoe box card holder is and easy to make simple or embellish as much as your little one wants to.

This paper plate card holder is so sweet and the supplies are readily available.Love that!

How Cute are these leg warmers. I can picture these on many chubby legs this valentines day :)

I love this heart wreath, So simple and pretty.

How great are these paint sample book marks and easy to gather supplies for at your local Home store

Love this and what a great way to use an empty frame and something you can keep up all year if you want to.

If you don't have time or motivation to make one of these projects head to the dollar store. I bought a great heart wreath and a few other small things to add some festivity to our house. I love holidays, big or small. Great excuse to add some festive cheer to our days and our hearts. Hope you are all enjoying your week where ever you are. 

Megan XX

Curing Mama Cabin Fever-Get up and DANCE!

I love being at home with Connor, it has been so amazing watching him change and grow every day. Even loving every minute of it the days can get long and its not always sunshine and roses, especially in the winter. Sometimes I feel like I want to get out of the house but theres no where to go that I won't end up unnecessarily spending. I wanted to share some outings that we go on when we want to get out of the house. 

For the days we stay home-I have started to make sure I do certain things,to feel more human at the end of the day.

1) Get dressed-It can be so easy to stay in pjs which can be great but if done every day can lose its charm. I make it a goal to get dressed before lunch daily and Connor too. If we didn't, he would never wear any of his cute outfits. Sometimes I will even opt for a non stretchy fabric..like jeans! 

2) Put deodorant on and brush your teeth-this was more for the first few months of having Connor but even now I can forget these things that were once so routine. Its amazing what a good minty toothpaste and fruity smelling deodorant can do for you!

3) Do something for YOU during the day -exfoliate your face, nap or sit in silence enjoying some coffee or tea-whatever you can find the time for.

4)Connect with other moms or friends-have them over for coffee or go to them. Its so nice to have some adult conversation during the day and a playmate for your little ones. If you both want to get out head somewhere that offers a free play place.

5) Bake-I love a good treat to brighten up my day and something about baking & cooking makes me happy.

6) Turn some music on and JUST DANCE-I find having music on makes my mood better and when a favorite song comes on , I can have a kitchen dance party and best of all it makes Connor laugh.

7) Head to the grocery store- Its a great way to get out and have some human contact and you can get some milk etc. while your at it.

8) Go to the mall or a coffee shop and people watch, its amazing how entertaining it can be and its FREE.

9) Open the blinds- Natural light is a natural mood booster.

10) Get outside as much as possible. As much as I like to hate on winter, I find if I get outside and give into it-I end up really enjoying it. Even just a short walk to the mail box is better than nothing. On the days that are too cold, look into indoor tracks in your area that you can walk on or head to a mall and do a couple laps.

11) Go swimming-It is usually very reasonable in price and a great way to spend an afternoon out with your little one.

12) Put a piece of jewellery on and maybe even a nicer shirt than usual- I find that when I put more effort into how I look it makes me feel better, less tired etc...

13) To go with the above-Put some make up on. A little mascara maybe lip gloss or a bit of bronzer.

14) Take up a hobby that can be done at home- than you have something to look forward too aside from the daily household laundry, cleaning etc.

15) Take a hot shower-Its amazing how a 15 minute shower can re-energize you 

16) Laugh it out-No matter how bad or gloomy a day laughter even if its forced can make a person feel 100 times better.

17) Pick up the phone and call a friend or a family member. In the day and age of text messaging we can get segregated and phoning can feel like you are intruding on peoples time. I say do it!

18) Go for a drive. Last week with Connor being sick, it was hard to get out of the house. We have taken a few drives to get a coffee and than just drove around our neighbourhood. Its good for both of us and makes sure we get some sunlight and fresh air even if its just on the way to the vehicle.

Whatever you do with your days enjoy them. Lower your expectations of yourself and smile. Im still working on all of this but am well on my way. Have a great day!