Halloween costumes...how far do you go?

First of all, sorry for the delay in posting...life continues to be incredibly busy. So, although Halloween was 6 weeks ago, I thought I would still post about it.

This year's Halloween was the first one where my son could participate. My little one was only 2 months old last year, so this year I decided to make him a costume.

Now, I am not a sewer (wait that doesn't look right!!). Maybe I should say...I'm not a person who sews. A friend taught me this summer, and it wasn't as scary as I thought. I tried several little projects and they all turned out great. So why couldn't I make a costume?

First though to decide what costume. I love when you theme it up with mom/dad's costume. So since Dad loves fishing, why not a fish costume. I did a little research online, and then started to formulate a plan. A visit to the fabric store to get supplies. And I was off and running.

I started my project, freehanding a pattern. And it turned out! Ok, the colors were a bit girlie, and some people said he looked like a mermaid...but he's not, he's a fish! It's very exciting to have a project turn out, it makes all the work very satisfying. And it really didn't take me that long, I could have easily spent that same amount of time shopping for the right costume.

What do you think? Fish/mermaid?

Shatobu...a girl needs all the support she can get!

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http://www.shatobu.com/

I've always wondered about these blogging opportunities that everyone was talking about...and then I was one of 25 moms chosen to test out the latest Shatobu wear. It all sounds very fancy but Shatobu is the latest in support wear. Yes, I said support wear!

Ok...not as glamourous as the latest smart phone or some cool kitchen gadget. But as a mom (of a now 14 month old), a very needed piece of additional support in my life. (no pun intended) So in September, I received my package of support wear...just as our fall heat wave hit! But I made a commitment and I wasn't going to wimp out. I pulled on the high waisted bicycle short version. And surprisingly they weren't that warm. I had committed to wearing them every day for 5-6 hours, for 30 days. And I did it! 

They were comfortable, easy to get on, and held a pleasant shape (no squiggy bum here!). What was also awesome about this support wear was that not only did they keep all the jelly in the belly in check, but the snug fit help suppress my appetite. (I felt full a lot quicker.) And that excessive back fat that usually occurs after putting on this type of garment did not get out of hand! Shatobu stands for Shape, Tone, Burn. It definitely shapes, but does it tone and burn? Who really knows, but since I ate less, I did lose weight. Yay!

I would say that this is a good thing and worth trying!

Oh no!! I've dropped my baby!

Yes, I finally did it!  The infamous "dropping of the baby" that every new parent does.  Lucky boy, he was almost one before it happened.  Just to clarify, it wasn't so much a dropping of the baby, but rather carelessly allowing him to fall off the change table.  :(

I had heard all the stories from other mom's, variations of dropping, falling, and knocking the baby's head on something.  I remember one mom telling me that the day after she got home from the hospital, the public nurse stopped by to see how they were doing.  And as she rounded the corner to greet the nurse, she banged her baby's head on the edge of the wall.

When my son fell, unfortunately it was a lot more preventable.  He had started standing up on the change table to look at the shelf next to it.  I leaned over to place something in the closet next to the change table, when I heard a noise and turned to see him falling off the table.  Luckily, he slowed his fall by grabbing the change table on the way down and landing on a small rug.  Unfortunately, as he landed he fell back and hit his head on the hardwood floor. 

Well my heart stopped!  I was trying to figure out what to do.  I waited to see what my son would do.  He then proceeded to do the “silent” cry, where it takes (what feels like an hour!) for him to make a sound.  I couldn’t believe that I had let him fall!

But within a minute, he was fine...I hadn't broken my baby!  These little guys really are tougher than they seem.  :)

My baby is turning 1!

I obsessed months ago about what I was going to do for my son's First Birthday.  With only a few weeks left till the day, we are running out of time!

There is a lot of pressure on what to do for a First Birthday.  Do we want a big affair, or a small intimate affair?  What type of food, what type of cake, what type of decorations?  Do we theme it up or just go with the flow?  What can we do to make it special? Clowns, ponies, or pinatas?

But maybe we should just remember what a special little boy we have, to just bring people together to celebrate and visit with us.  And take the pressure off, and just enjoy the day.  And have lots of wine!

This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids. Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at http://www.themellowmama.com/ or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Putting my life in someone else's hands!

Sounds a little daunting doesn't it?  Like I am getting a serious operation or going on a dangerous expedition.  But no...I'm looking for childcare.

Is it normal to have this kind of anxiety?  I'm not afraid of leaving my little person with someone, someone I know!  This whole process of regular childcare is fraught with tension.  And not only is it about finding the right person but also the right type of childcare.

After my research I have discovered this...there are childcare centers, licensed daycares, unlicensed daycares, nannies and casual babysitters. And they all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Childcare centers-these are what we think of as traditional day cares.  Held in public buildings, with many caregivers, and many more children (max 12 kids for infant/toddlers).  Really, to me,  it's like school for the little ones. Advantages are that they are more flexible for when you need part-time and everyone is fully certified, and the disadvantages are (and I'm just guessing) that the relationships built with the caregiver and child are more like teacher/student relationships.

License Not Required Caregiver (unlicensed daycare): they are allowed to care for two children or less that are not related,  not including their own children.  The advantages are that there are less children, disadvantages are that there is no licensing requirements needed.  They can be registered as not licensed and that requires them to have first aid, criminal check, home inspection, and references.

Licensed Caregivers: they are allowed up to 7 children including their own.  And there is a range of regulations regarding the ages of the children.  Advantages, fully regulated and full certifications like, Childsafe First Aid Certificate, Criminal Record Check, References, must comply with the Child Care Licensing, & Facility Act and Regulations. Disadvantages many more children to caregiver ratio.  

Nannies: this is where a caregiver comes to your home to care for your child.  Advantages are personalized care, no need to transport child, ability for child to bond. Disadvantages are no social interaction with other kids, no supervision or other children around, and much more expensive.

Luckily there are a few organizations in Kelowna to help the child caring process.  Nannysitters they will arrange all types of child care for a fee, although the fee can be a little expensive, it does help in a bind. We are actuallly using one of their babysitters next week while going to a wedding.  There is also the Kelowna Child Care Society which is a government funded society with resources and a referral service.  I was able to find a bit of information regarding rates & regulations on their site. 

So there are many things you need to look at when deciding on the type of childcare that you require. Other than the details like, when are they open, what happens on holidays or when the child is sick, or what they charge, it really comes down to the particular person or place. And the most consistent advice that I have received,  is to find someone or somewhere where you feel comfortable.  Go with your gut instinct, it's mother's instinct. 

And if you have any other advice...please let me know! Maybe I should just lock him up in a cage?!

This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids. Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at www.themellowmama.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.