Hello There!

It feels like it has been such a long time since I have done any blogging.  I honestly have trouble keeping up with "real" life sometimes and the blog inevitably takes the back burner.

So.... what have we been up to?

-I did a 5 km Muck Run.  It was a lot of fun and challenging, too!  I was excited because I was able to complete every obstacle.  It was fun!

-That night, I held a bridal shower for one of my friends.  It was fun and ended early(ish) because everyone was tired from the race.

-We celebrated Mother's Day with my Mom and Grandma.  It was a fun and special day.  That evening I had supper with my parents.

-I have been working and the instruments were acting up (I feel like this happens a LOT!).  I worked late and my Mom came to stay with Miss. E.  I was able to get them working again.  Thank goodness!

-My in-laws stopped at our house on their way to visit family.

-I babysat my friend's little girl.  Miss. E had a blast and was very helpful!

-I got to meet another friend's brand new little girl.  She is such a sweetie!!!

-I organized a bunch of our belongings so that moving will be easier.  I packed up more than 10 boxes for donation.  It will be nice not having to haul them across the province.

-Of course there has been all of the 'regular' stuff as well.  Laundry, cooking , cleaning..... That sort of thing.

We have been busy!  Sometimes the back and forth between cities makes it difficult for me to get any blogging done.  I am trying to carve out time, but I have found it super challenging in recent weeks.  I hope to establish a better 'routine' amid the chaos.  This part of our life has been quite the learning curve.  I will be trying to put more effort into blogging, so I hope you stick with me!

For All the Moms...

Every time I turn around, it seems that someone is giving me a piece of (unsolicited) advice about how to raise my daughter.  It can make a person feel exhausted.  I know that I am not the only Mom who experiences this.  It seems that everyone wants to offer their two cents.  I acknowledge that this comes from a good place and that most people are actually trying to be helpful.  I choose to believe that they are not criticizing my parenting.  I choose to believe that they are giving me a useful nugget of information that worked for them.  Sometimes, however, the "advice" clearly comes from a judgmental place.

Can we agree on something?  The majority of parents are working hard to raise their children in the best way they can.  The majority of parents love their children.  This is the most important thing a parent can do:  Love their children.

Can we also agree on something else?  Children are individuals and families are unique.  What works for someone else's family may not work for yours.  And vice versa.  It is also true that children are individual people so what works for one child, may not work for another one.  This can be true even within the same family.  For example, when I asked my Mother if I could go to a party, she would ask me, "Do you think that's a good idea?".  To which I would reply, "No".  End of discussion.  3 years later, when my brother asked to go to a party she gave him the same question.  To which he replied, "Yup".  She gave him a curfew and off he went.  I sat there dumbfounded.  I told my Mom, "I didn't know I could say yes!"

I think that many parents, especially Moms, can feel discouraged, especially when someone else's advice contradicts what we are doing.  Even worse, when someone insinuates (or flat out tells us) that we are parenting "wrong".  So listen closely (or read closely?):  you are doing a good job.  If what you are doing is working for you and your family, then keep up the good work!  Trust yourself.  We also needs to recognize that someone with a different parenting style is just parenting in a different way.  It isn't a personal attack on your parenting style.  It isn't the "wrong" way to parent.

I try to keep an open mind when people offer unsolicited advice.  Most of the time it truly is meant to be helpful.  I ultimately get to decide what I use and what I don't.  So do you.  Let's be supportive of one another.  This parenting gig can be challenging!  Surround yourself with friends who support you, even when their parenting choices are different than yours.

High Five For Friday- 06.05.16

I am from a small town in Alberta, Canada.  This week a terrible fire broke out in northern Alberta and the whole city of Fort McMurray was evacuated.  80, 000 people had to leave everything behind, not knowing if they will have homes to come home to.  The fires are still burning out of control, with no rain in the forecast.  I am proud to be Alberta-born and to be Canadian.  Our country is filled with strong and generous people.  We are trying our best to help the evacuees find a safe place to stay, clothing to wear, and the necessities that they need.  Please keep these people in your prayers.  If you wish to donate to the people of Fort McMurray, The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations.

Here are the five things that brightened my week:

1.)  I got tickets to see Garth Brooks!   My Dad has always been a big fan of Garth Brooks.  I, of course, followed suit.  I have attempted to get tickets to see him before, but to no avail.  I was able to score 6 tickets to see him in June!  I will get to attend the show with my Mom and Dad, Hubby's Aunt and her friend and my Hubby.  I am so looking forward to the concert!

2.)  I was lucky enough to get some solo shopping time on the weekend.  I bought some new summer clothes and I enjoyed having the time to myself.

3.)  We went to the lake as a family this past weekend.  We played at the park and made sandcastles at the beach.  It was such a fun afternoon!

4.)  One of my lab instruments broke down yesterday.  After working on it for hours (!), I was able to get it up and running again!  I was so excited to get the instrument working again!

5.)  Hubby and I got some time alone together over the weekend.  We sat out on my in-law's deck and got to talk and reconnect.  I really don't like living apart, but I know that this is only temporary.  I really enjoyed the time we got to spend together.

Have a lovely weekend!  If you would like to join in H54F, link up with the lovely ladies below:

Loving Lately...

I feel so busy lately!  Oh my!  Between traveling, working and maintaining our home, I am exhausted.  This week's post was supposed to be about how to pack minimally and how to survive a 6 hour drive with a toddler and dog.  Ha!  Let's just say that the post is a definite work in progress!  I think that I can do better with my minimalist packing.  I have improved over the last few trips, but I think that my next trip will prove to be far better to write a post on.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some things that I am loving lately.  There are no affiliate links, by the way.  I am not that cool.

-I just finished the book Hoodwinked:Ten Myths Moms Believe & Why We All Need to Knock It Off by Karen Ehman & Ruth Schwenk.  It was a great read and a reminder that we need to rely on God during our journey through motherhood.

-I love Whitney's Blog.  I especially love her Marriage Matters posts.  It is refreshing to read a post that is supportive of marriage and that recognizes the value of putting effort into marriage.

-I bought this jumpsuit this weekend and I love it!  Comfy and cool?  Yeah!

-I would like to hug the wise person who invented this juice box holder.  AH-MAZ-ING!  No more juice all over the car!

-I also bought this skort.  A skirt without the risk of a wardrobe malfunction?  Yes, please!

I hope you are all having a great week!

High Five For Friday- 29.04.16

I always love Fridays, but this week I REALLY love Friday!  We have driven to see Hubby after he worked last weekend.  We are happy to see him and I am enjoying a little break here and there.  Here are my five:

1.)  We survived our 6 hour drive here.  I did this drive 2 weeks ago with just Miss. E and Penny (our dog).  It went well last time and went well this time.  I am so thankful to have a good traveler for a toddler! (I hope that saying that out loud doesn't change anything!  I still have to drive home!)  Miss. E slept for 2 hours and spent the majority of the other 4 looking out the window for "birdies" and "cows".  Thank goodness!

2.)  Miss. E is LOVING her sunglasses and it cracks me up.  She looks so cute in them!

3.)  I had a good couple days at work.  Someone has applied for my job and I hope they get it!  It would really make things easier for us and I could spend more time with Hubby and Miss. E.  Here is a picture of Miss. E "doing dishes" in her kitchen this weekend.  I love these moments and I look forward to having more of them together when I don't have to be at work so much!

4.)  I did my Fit Test with my Bikini Body Mommy workouts and I beat all of my scores!  I am so happy that I am feeling so strong and I am excited to keep improving!

5.)  Last Saturday, after I got Miss. E to bed (no small feat!), I curled up with some cherry pie and one of Joanne Flukes "Murder She Baked" novels.  I so enjoy having time to relax and read.  It doesn't happen very much, so I enjoy it when I can.

How was your week?  Join the lovely ladies below for the H54F link up!

Healthy Living Series- Week 4: Nutrition

When it comes down to it, the vast majority of us know how to eat properly.  We know that fruits and veggies are good for us and that donuts are not.  We know that moderate portions are smart and stuffing ourselves to the brim isn't wise.  We still seem to struggle with making good choices.  Let's be honest- junk food tastes good!  It triggers happy zones in our brains and we like to indulge.  Stress, fatigue and convenience leads us to poor food choices.

Here are some tips that have helped my family and myself stay on track with our nutrition:

1.)  Eat at the table.  I know that people are busy and have different schedules, but eating together as a family promotes healthy eating habits.  Meal times are important for sharing the experience of a meal, enjoying conversation and mindfully eating our food.  It is easy to overeat when we are distracted by a television and it is easy to scarf down more than you need when you are eating a rushed meal at the counter.  It takes your stomach 20 minutes to tell your brain that you are full.  It is much easier to allow this time if you are enjoying the meal with the people you love.  Even if you aren't able to do this every meal or even every day, try to do it as often as possible.  Can't get everyone at the table for dinner?  How about breakfast, then?  Can't do meals every day?  How about 3 times a week?  It is certainly worth the effort.

2.)  Limit sugary drinks.  When Hubby and I were struggling to conceive our first child, we really tried to clean up our eating habits.  We both enjoyed pop (or soda, as I believe my American friends call it).  Instead of going cold turkey we set limits for ourselves.  We made a rule that we could only have 3 pops a week.  When that became easy, we limited to 2 and finally to 1.  I am happy to report that neither of us indulges in sugary drinks every week.  We will have a pop on special occasions or occasionally.  It has been a great boon to our health.  The surprising thing for a lot of people is that juice can be just as bad.  Juice has a lot of sugar.  We only give juice to Miss. E as a treat.  We prefer to avoid all the extra sugar that juice can bring.

3.)  Try to choose whole foods.  We all know the rule.  The less processed the better.  Aim to choose 1-ingredient foods most of the time.  1-ingredient foods are food that are simply what they are.  An orange is an orange.  A cucumber is a cucumber.  A steak is a steak.  These foods don't have hidden salt or sugar.

4.)  Meal Plan and prep ahead of time.  Meal planning isn't my favourite thing to do, but it is so important.  When I plan ahead, it is easier to stick to healthy eating.  I don't rely on take-out or frozen pizzas because I already know what I am going to make for supper.  If you want more information on how to meal plan, please visit my friend Whitney's blog, Come Home For Comfort.  She has some great tips for meal planning!  I have recently starting prepping veggies to keep in the fridge for handy snacking and it has made such a difference!  We reach for what is ready to go, so have healthy options ready to go.

5.)  Indulge every once in a while.  Everyone needs a treat now and then.  It is okay to eat sugar or "junk food" once in a while.  It just shouldn't be your go to.  Enjoy your treats and then get back to eating a healthy diet.  Life is about balance.  All or nothing doesn't work.

Healthy Living Series: Week 3- Adequate Sleep

The irony is not lost on me that as I write this post, it is 25 minutes past my "bedtime" on a work night.  Ugh.  We have been away for the past week and I am playing catch up!

Sleep is super important to your overall health.  Your body heals and does important work while you sleep.  The recommended amount is 7-9 hours for women.  I am happy to say that I usually meet that target, although that there are definitely nights when I don't!   When you have young children, sleep can be interrupted.  I am okay with that.  Babies grow up and stop needing midnight cuddles.  I am going to enjoy the cuddles while I can!

I try to stick to the same bedtime every night and I try to wake up around the same time every morning.  I do have a toddler who helps with the wake up call if I want to sleep in!  I usually go to bed at 11 p.m. and I wake up around 6 a.m. on a work day.  On my days off, I will sleep until 7 a.m..  Sticking to consistent bedtimes and wake up times helps your body find a routine, which can make it easier to sleep.

Before I go to bed I try to get my stuff in order for the next day (especially if I have work the next morning).  I have a bath or shower.  I pray and sometimes write in my prayer journal.  I then go to sleep.  My bedtime routine helps to relax me and get me ready for bed.

I struggle to get enough sleep every single night of the week.  I can usually do it 4-5 nights out of my week.  The nights that I don't get sleep are often because Miss. E is having a bad night, or I am getting things ready so that we can sell the house.  Life is fluid and we can't always prevent every interruption.  My best advice is to make sleep a priority.  Try your best to set a bedtime and stick to it.  Make a goal to get enough sleep 3 nights a week and then increase that to 4.  Slowly work your way up to a consistent bedtime.

Do you have any tips that help you get enough sleep?  I would love to hear them!