Landon says...

It starts with "Papa" (or dada) and "mama" and then goes on to "byebye" and the dreaded "NO"! Quickly, more and more words come tumbling out. Little ones learning to speak new words are the cutest things. Especially when they make up their own pronunciations.

And as they grow up into toddlers and start to speak full sentences – watch out! Children can be very honest and blunt, resulting in hilarity! Ben and I are constantly shedding tears (from laughter of course) about the things that come out of our 2 1/2 year old's mouth. I started to write down the hilarious conversations that we have together throughout the week for us to look back on. Here are just a few parts of them I've had to write down this week...



(Jeremy was screaming at the top of his lungs in the car)
L: Jay-me (Jeremy) SO HAPPY Mama!

M: I love to kiss my boys.
L: I love kiss boys too!

(Jeremy woke up crying in his crib in the morning.)
L: Mama! Jay-me want boobie now!!

M: Landon you're going on a plane to Germany soon!
L: See Oma, Opa...Uhh see Drea, (Andrea) Da, (David) aaanndd TEFFAN! (Stephan) YAY! (Hands clapping)

L: Cookie monster scare me!!!
M: Why are you scared of the cookie monster?
L: He eat cookies SO LOUD! Like this OM OM OM! He eat me loud tooooo!

L: Had a bad dream!
M: Oh no...what was so bad in your dream?
L: Mama!

L: Can watch Thomas Train, Mama?
M: You'll have to go ask Papa hunny.
L: No, Papa say No Thomas...

(Doing our prayers before bed.)
Ben: Do you want to pray, Landon?
L: YA! (Folds his hands and closes his eyes)
Oma come my house now...play trains with me....AMEN!

Megan Preece Photography

We're so thankful for this hilarious little boy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Some things you just shouldn't say to a Stay at Home Mom

On Friday evening I took the kids out to the park before dinner. As we walked by the opening path we could see a few other kids playing in the distance - the mothers stood watch and monitored their kids like all of us parents normally do. Of course Landon is always ecstatic to see the other kids and wastes no time running up to them to say HI! He enjoyed digging in the sand with colourful shovels and scoops that the other kids willingly shared, as well as learning the new and confusing (to him) concept of playing tag.

I said hello to a few of the other Mom's standing by. We engaged in small talk about the weather, how many bee's have been swarming like crazy around the play equipment lately, and answering questions back and forth about how old our kids are and what we do for a living.

And there it is. That question.

"What do you do for work?" one woman asked.

A part of you wants to change the topic. But you answer the question and try not to hold your breath.

"I'm a stay at home Mom" I replied...
You wait for it. And then there it is.
That little nod of the head and pity in the voice.

Then come the little comments. Those slighty insensitive comments that I've gotten too many times to count. You stand there and wonder if some people actually think about what they're about to say before those words come flooding out. After being in this situation many times before, I'll be happy to report that this hasn't been the case in every situation. Thankfully!!! But eventually some of the misconceptions of being a stay at home Mom begin to be too much to ignore.

This time and every other time it's happened, I left feeling irritated and discouraged. How can you not?
But getting a few encouraging comments in between the inconsiderate ones really helps the soul. I am thankful for my husband's sweet and comforting words as well as good strong friendships from women in the same situation as I. It can be hard in the beginning to not take these words seriously. But over the past few days I've learned to have confidence in my decisions and this important choice I've made for my life and my family. No matter how "boring" or "unfulfilling" people might think my life is - I know that it's completely the opposite. I need to take on this job with pride and embrace it. God has given me this important roll for my life and in that I am thankful, content, and satisfied. We should respect all mothers and each of our decisions and choices we've made for our lives and families.

I've kept these comments in my head over the years...and learned to find humor in them.

So that being said...
Here are some things you should never say to a stay at home Mom!

1. You look so tired. 

(That is something you just shouldn't say to any woman - let alone a busy mother.)

2. I couldn't stay at home with the kids all day and do nothing. 

(Hmm, I can't do nothing either. And as far as not wanting to be with the kids all day - You're missing out.)

3. So you're just a Mom? 

(Sorry to hear that you think that isn't enough?)

4. I'd get so much done if I was home all day. 

(You're funny. I once thought this way too.)

5. Your husband must make big bucks if you can afford not to work.
(Because you need to be a millionaire these days to raise children right? Wrong-o. If people would stop thinking they always need the latest and greatest, they'd be able to do the same.)

6. So, what else do you do?

(I'm sorry. I won't be able to explain it all to you in a matter of minutes.)

7. You know...Oxi clean would get that stain right out of your shirt...

(Oh, thanks... But there will be another one there tomorrow anyway. And another after that. I gave up on this shirt.)

8. You must get bored.

(No way. I'm too busy keeping this household running.)

9. Your husband must love all the home cooked meals. 

(If you call tortellini from Costco and store bought frozen perogies home cooked...then sure!)

10. It must be nice not to have to go to work. 

(You're right actually. Because then I'd have 3 FULL TIME JOBS!)

11. Your hair looks good messy...

(Thanks! It's my go-to look!)

12. What do you do with all your free time?

(Hmm, let's see...Take a shower?)

13. Your son is HUGE! Is he seriously only 2 years old? 

(yes I'm serious. Why would I make that up?) 

14. Must be relaxing. 

(Actually no. I burn more calories at home than I do in my Zumba class at the gym.)

15. I could never do what you do. I'd die without adult conversation. 

(Oh so you don't own a phone and don't have any friends to plan play dates with? That's sad.)

16. Hey, are you getting any of my text messages? I sent them 10 minutes ago already. 

(Sorry I can't text and change my child's clothes and a poopy blowout diaper at the same time. I'm just not that talented.)

17. Do you miss not having a real job? 

(Ok wait. Who says being a devoted mother isn't a real job? I hear you complain more about your job then I do about mine actually.) 

18. I'm sure if you were working your son wouldn't be so clingy. It's because your with him all day long.

(Oh...your child isn't wanting to cuddle and spend time with you (that's called clingy now) after they've been away from you all day?

19. Just go to bed early. 

(Totally! I'll aim for 11:30 tonight. Not happening though.)

20. Don't you feel unfulfilled? 

(Definitely not. These memories I'm making with my kids will last forever.) 

21. I wish I could get pregnant so I could stop working too. 

(Maybe you'd like to rethink and rephrase what you just said. Makes absolutely no sense to me...)

22. I'd be so bored at home 24/7. 

(Trust me, there's no time for boredom.)

23. I'd hate just talking to babies/kids all day long. 

(Really? That's funny. Talking to kids can actually be more entertaining than talking to adults sometimes.)

24. Sleeping in every morning must be so nice. 

(What time do you think my kids are awake at?)

25. "Just a Mom" 

(Oh boy! Hold on a second. My blood is boiling, No comment to this comment.)

26. I'd lose my mind. Seriously I'd go crazy. 

(Ok, did you not just sound crazy right now?)

27. What do you do all day? 

(What don't I do?)

28. Does your husband give you an allowance from his paycheck? 
(Do I tip my husband if he watches the kids for a long period of time on the weekend? Sounds silly doesn't it...And if my husband ever decided to give me an "allowance" I'd just laugh and go by diapers and formula with it anyway.)

29. What did you use to do when you worked? 

(I still work. I actually work harder now than I ever did.)

30. You don't work so I'm not sure if you'd understand. 

(Try me......)

31. Terrible 2's eh? 

(Not quite. My son would just rather walk around the store then be in this shopping cart. Thanks for pointing that out loud and clear in front of this aisle full of people though. Like I needed more attention drawn to the fact that my child is crying loud in public at the moment.)

32. Being a stay at home mom is taking the easy way out.

(Oh really eh? Then why didn't you choose it? Hmm...I thought so.)

33. You should look for a job that you can do from home.
( I did already...And I chose this one.)

Little things add up to big things. Those things matter. I say those things are enough

Being a mom is simply enough. 

S.

. 

DIY: Sharpie Mug

These DIY personalized sharpie mugs are pretty well known to most DIY-er's and craft-aholic's. I've been seeing them all over the web lately and it's been on my to-do list to give this project a try. To be honest I was a little worried to take a swing at this because a steady hand definitely isn't one of my strong points...

I've never been so good at painting or drawing lettering at all let alone keep it straight & centered...

But I figured I'd give it a go and share my final product with you all. This is how they turned out...

Here is the tutorial I based mine off of and it worked out perfect! I purchased my mugs from Dollarama and the sharpie paint markers from Michaels craft store. They come in a variety of bright fun colors - but I just went boring and chose black and red for mine. I love how personal and creative you can make these! 

I'll have to get Ben to hide our white dish set...I want to sharpie everything! 

Get Creative! What would you write on your mugs?

Goodnight all!

S

Milk and Honey White Bread

Yesterday morning started off like any old morning - but let's just say...the day got hectic pretty quick. There were runny noses and potty training meltdowns. There were baskets (yes baskets) of clean laundry to be folded and puzzle pieces from 3 different puddles scattered all over the living room floor. A pee accident on our suede couch by our toddler and a sick baby boy that wouldn't nap and wanted to be held all day long. 

Ben (the lucky guy that he is) was working from home yesterday and got to witness all of the madness that was our Thursday. I'm sure yesterday was a day that he actually wished he was in the office! 

I noticed in the morning we were on our last few slices of store bought bread. I thought I'd try to start making more homemade bread around here and try out a recipe I found online a few days ago. After everything that was going on - why on earth did I decide that THIS DAY was the day I was going to tackle the time consuming task of making bread. I'm nuts I guess. BUT I was able to accomplish this mission I made for myself. And even though I had frazzled hair and peanut butter smeared on my shirt, I did feel a little bit like super mom afterwards. That would of been a cute picture to insert here in this post...NOT! Ok enough with the caps lock...I promise I'm not yelling - just a bit excited here.

I had to tell myself yesterday to slow down. Do one thing at a time. Not to expect so much out of myself in one day. If the laundry gets folded at 3pm or after the kids are in bed at 8pm, who cares. At least it's getting done. A calm happy mom is better than a stressed out impatient one. I need to remind myself of this everyday. To be the mom I want to be for my kids means I just have to pick my battles and let some things go. There were a few other things on my list for the day to get done that didn't. But that's ok. Today is a new day. So if you're struggling with this same thing today (or any other day) you're not alone! I totally understand you! Call me up and we can exchange stories! Haha.

Before I start getting back to the jobs in the house that need some extra TLC today, I wanted to share this bread recipe with you! 

We had spaghetti for dinner last night and this bread really topped off the meal. What's better than fresh bread still warm from the oven? It was so soft and fluffy, and the buttery crust was just so delicious. 

Someone was super curious about what was making the house smell so good. He couldn't wait to climb up on the stool to get a closer look. 

He's excited!!!!! Love that face!

The hint of  sweetness from the honey in this bread really was the star ingredient. I'll definitely be making this again! On a not so hectic day hopefully. 

If you're having a day like I did yesterday - Slow down. Take a breath. We all have days like this. We're not failing because we can only do so much in a day. There is always a new day. And with a new day comes new strength and new thoughts. I challenge you - make this day a stress free day today! 

And seriously, this bread is amazing. Try it out! 

Thanks for reading!

S

Milk and Honey White Bread

4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packets)

2-1/2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)

1/2 cup honey

6 tablespoons butter, melted + 2 tablespoons reserved for greasing bowl and butter top

1 tablespoon kosher salt

7 cups all-purpose flour

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, warm milk and honey. Swirl with a spoon to dissolve the yeast.  Allow to sit until the yeast starts to bubble and becomes aromatic, about 5 minutes. 

2. Add butter and 4 cups of flour, mix on low using dough hook, until smooth.  Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (mine usually takes the whole 3 additional cups) add salt.  Allow to knead for about 5 minutes. You should have a ball of tacky (not sticky) dough at this point

3. Put onto a floured board; knead about 10 turns. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Punch dough down and shape into two loaves. Place in greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350° for glass and dark pans (375° for light metal pans).  Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

BubblezBumz

Landon was a huge drooler and dribbler when he was a baby. I wanted to try harder this time around with Jeremy to find some pretty absorbent bibs so I wouldn't be changing his outfits constantly throughout the day. I first heard about BubblezBumz from a friend of mine. I always love looking at her pictures on Facebook and noticed that her son was often wearing adorable bandanna bibs. I asked her where she purchased them because I couldn't seem to find them anywhere. She told me that BubblezBumz is a small business started by Geri-Lynn - a wonderful stay at home mom in Niagara Falls, and directed me to her Facebook Page. She makes cloth diapers, diaper covers, wet bags, bibs, weighted blankets, mitts, and also infinity nursing scarves.

I wrote her about purchasing some bibs and it was so nice writing back and forth with her. She is such a sweet person and always answered any questions I had right away. I couldn't believe how fast she had these bibs made, into the mail, and at my door in just a few days!

I was anxiously waiting for the package to come in the mail and was shocked to hear that it arrived so quickly! I was visiting my parents when I got a message from Ben that my package arrived! I was SO excited to open it and check it out. Anyone that knows me well enough knows how excited I am when I get mail! It's like Christmas or something. I'm weird. So you'll know how disappointed I was when I came home to this...

Yup. That's right. My husband opened my mail. The package I had be anxiously awaiting to retrieve out of the mailbox was sitting on my kitchen counter like this. Oh Ben! Of course I gave him my signature pouty lip to make him feel horrible about what he had done.

Just for fun I looked up the definition of pout.
I can be really good at it when need be.

Well he felt pretty awful and apologized a million times. I forgave him after the first apology though of course. He was a sweetheart and tried to tape it back up for me so I could kind of re-open it again. What a darling husband he is.

I couldn't wait to open it up and check out these bibs! Geri-Lynn was such a sweetheart and threw in this teething ring with my order as well - just because! :) 

When I first planned on ordering some she sent me some pictures of the fabric choices she had at the time. These were the 3 I picked out. When I took them out of the bag the first thing I noticed was the nice bright colors and how soft the fabric is! 

The quality of these bibs is amazing! They are $8 a piece with free shipping. Totally worth every penny. The stitching is so perfect! She also makes them rounded or reversible as well. 

She makes them with snaps on the back which I love! Landon would always be pulling the velcro ones off every 10 seconds. So I'm loving that these ones have the snaps. She makes them with 2 size options which is brilliant! 

I chose the terry cloth backing for mine but you can also choose between flannel, or the colorful dot minky fabric for the backing of the bibs. 

The terry cloth is so soft and super absorbant. Geri-Lynn assured me that all of the fabrics she's using are great for absorbency! 

I'm so thrilled with these bandanna bibs! I think they look so adorable and Jeremy gets compliments on them everywhere. You should definitely check out BubblezBumz - like her Facebook Page and show her some love! 

At the moment she does all of her orders through email or Facebook. If you'd like to contact her here is her information:

Geri-Lynn Gorzalczynski

email: gorzalmansfarm@hotmail.com

Check her out!