Last year, for those who remember, I went all out with a vintage newspaper boy theme birthday party for Mavrick and my family & friends couldn’t believe the amount of work I put into it. So, in return I promised them that his 2nd birthday would be a very basic party. Well the designer in me was dying. I couldn’t just have a blah party. I decided to do two things to stay somewhat true to the idea of a basic party.
For his first birthday, I went all out with food and it wasn’t friendly on the wallet. Even if I basically made everything myself with the help of family/friends, it was rather time consuming, and who has time now, with 2 kids. So this year I decided to do two things : #1 Opt for a dessert only party which is more manageable than cold/hot food, not to mention less expensive, and #2 Seeing as I’m on a budget, I decided to go to the dollar store for party decor.
I used pretty much the most inexpensive decor items you can find and threw this amazing party for very little. There was a crepe streamer backdrop which was paired with balloons, and $2 bunting that actually inspired the whole party. I got colored plates, glasses and napkins for that much needed punch of color.
Again, I opted to make majority of the desserts myself. From strawberry mousse, to cone cupcakes, to rice krispies balls to the birthday cake. I purchased mini donuts, popcorn, fruit and candies. I even served cold lemonade as the signature drink for the party.
Looking at these pictures you wouldn’t guess that the birthday boy was sick and rushed to the hospital. Luckily our guests had time to enjoy the sweets we prepared for them. Let’s hope that next year won’t be as eventful in the health department.
Would you have guessed this party cost less than $40?
Tonight, Joyfolie is opening up pre-orders for some new models that are just adorable. These stylish shoes are perfect for your little girl and her back to school style.
From what I can see, there are about 8 different models which will be released in two batches. Tonight (9 pm CT) the following designs will be up for grabs.
My favorite in these (well I have 2 favorites) would have to be the Molly (gotta love the bright color and dots) and the Madelyn. They remind me of classic tap dance shoes… which look awesome on tiny feet. I’m definitely looking forward to one specific model (2nd shoe in this picture) which will be launched at the same time as the mommy version (let me just say, lace and vintage stone embellishment). Oh boy, luckily I’m on maternity leave, otherwise I’d be getting one too many pairs.
Be sure to visit the Joyfolie FB fan page for some additional discounts tonight. Usually BIG discounts on the in stock models.
It’s been a while since I’ve been posting on the blog. (wow, crazy how fast 6 weeks go by!) Nothing serious to report, the family is doing great (though we’ve been pretty busy, hence my lack of content) but now that September has hit… it’s time to resume blogging!
I don’t think I’ve shared the news with you, but I’m officially a mommy blogger on Hellobee. You can find all my posts about baby, parenting and life with 2 kiddos all there. I’m Mrs. Sunglasses! Will I continue to blog about my adventures in mommy hood and party planning here? Well of course… but I won’t necessarily post everything on the blog (seeing not everyone wants to hear about my bebes! – I’m assuming. ) So if you like the baby, toddler, parenting talk… then be sure to follow me there.
I hope you are ready to follow along… I have great things in store (including some giveaways! ) On that note, why not end with a cute baby pic!
My husband is a devoted superman fan, I haven’t kept that a secret, so the first thing he showed me this morning was the Man of Steel trailer. I like Superman too, not as much as my husband, clearly… so I hope this movie will be better than the last one (Superman Returns)
I have a good feeling about it to be honest, just the imagery of the trailer is stunning and if you look at the actors who are taking part in the movie you can’t help but think it’s a good indication. Let’s just hope that when it opens June 14th, no one tries to be a real life Lex Luthor.
Last weekend we celebrated Mavrick’s 2nd birthday at the hospital. He was showing signs of coughing Friday night, but come Saturday things only turned for the worse. At first I thought he would be okay so I didn’t cancel the party, but halfway through the party Marc left with our baby to consult the doctors.
My mom told us she suspected he had croup because both my sister and I had it when we were young. It’s a respiratory problem that makes it extremely hard to breathe under certain conditions like night time, when laying flat, and in humid conditions. When she explained to me that I was rushed to the hospital because I had stopped breathing, I have to admit I started to freak a little.
I was getting impatient waiting at home without any news, but I finally got a call from my husband that they were going to keep him for the night. That meant I had to figure out what to do with Sienna because I wanted to spend the night with Mavrick. I tried to get a hold of my mom (who was at a wedding), but no luck. I left her 2-3 voicemails in hopes that she would listen to them really soon. At the same time, my next door neighbours arrived and I asked if they would take care of Sienna until my mom arrived (I figured my mom would come, even if I hadn’t spoken to her).
I knew Sienna would be in good hands so I left without a worry. I was extremely grateful, at that moment, that I had a freezer stash of breastmilk seeing as I’ve been solely breastfeeding her since she was born. I don’t think you realize how important it is until something unexpected like this happens.
I arrived at the hospital and Mavrick was still in the emergency ward. He had just fallen asleep. I tried to keep my cool but my mommy heart was breaking seeing his little arm with an IV. A few minutes after I arrived, they were ready to move him to the pediatric ward. Before transferring him from a stretcher to his bed, they had to examine him again. That’s when he woke up and started crying and screaming, making his breathing even harder. I tried comforting him, but tears kept streamed down my face. Clearly I’m not 1/10th as strong as my mom was. I gave him his lovey and pacifier and luckily he fell back asleep.
Once he got examined by the pediatrician, he confirmed that Mavrick had a severe croup, severe bronchitis and a massive ear infection. My poor baby. When he was awake he wanted to rip off his IV, put on his shoes to leave and cried at the sight of the nurses. I tried my best to calm him down with no success, so I had to restrain my baby and force him to breathe through a mask so they could administer his meds. Cue tears.
They kept him at the hospital for 3 days (2 nights), and I don’t think there could have been a bigger smile on his face when he was able to put his shoes on and walk away. We got home on Monday and even though his breathing improved considerably, it was still not back 100% so we kept him home with us until we felt he was okay to go back to daycare. We even kept him indoors because of the humid weather, which would only make his breathing worse.
I’m happy this whole thing is behind us, but I know it will take time for everything to get back to normal because it was a very traumatic experience. I’m so thankful my mom was there to see the first signs of croup so we caught it in time. Let’s just say he celebrated his 2nd birthday a whole new way. I hope no parent ever has to go through any type of hospitalization for their kids… it’s the worst thing in the world.
I’m a little behind on my waredrobe purchase updates. In case you haven’t followed along, I said I would purchase 1 item a month (on sale) to slowly built a selection I would be proud of. You can check out my previous purchases here :
In December I scored a great pair of boots and though my husband would tell you I don’t need any more shoes to add to my closet (honestly I don’t have many shoes – he’s a guy he doesn’t have a clue what A LOT is ) When I came across these leopard flats I was tempted and tried them on. Well… not only did they fit, but the price tag blew me away. Originally 24.97$ at Zellers ( our Canadian version of a Target) marked down to 7$ … That’s over 70$ off!!! how could I walk away from that?! So ya, I got them. (obviously)
April Purchase
Part of my goal was to increase the number of dresses in my closet. Reason for that, dresses are just so easy to dress up or down. Clearly being extremely pregnant meant I had to find a dress that would work well pregnant and after bebe. Obviously a Maxi dress is the best option for that. This one I found at a local store. It wasn’t on sale, but it wasn’t very expensive either. I was able to score this dress for $19.99 pretty good considering it wasn’t on sale.
Slowly but surely things are coming along. And I can’t wait to do the tally of my purchases at the end of the year. Now, if only I can find a nice jean jacket on sale. That’s something I’ve wanted for quite some time now, but can’t seem to find the right one. (or on sale) Any tips on where I should look?
When I was pregnant with Mavrick I didn’t opt to take any maternity shots. I considered it to be honest, but when it was time to actually go for it I started having stretch marks on my bump so belly shots were out of the questions. One thing lead to the other and it just didn’t happen. Then I got pregnant with Sienna and I knew I wanted some bump shots (but covered) I figured it would be great for Sienna to have something her brother didn’t. I don’t know why that is but a second pregnancy isn’t like a first. We don’t have time to remember all the little milestones so capturing my bump seems so much more important this time around.
My friend and oh-so talented photographer Christina Esteban offered to take pictures of Sienna in womb and here are just a few of my favorite shots. I was about 38 weeks here, so yes I was ready to pop. I can’t believe it’s been over two months already.
My original plans was to wear a dress but the weather didn’t permit it… even if it was May. It was cold, wet and there was fog. Even my hair ended up having a life of it’s own. Regardless, I love how the pictures came out. Christina is always a pleasure to work with. (Remember she’s the one that took the pictures of Mavrick’s first birthday) Thank you Chris… you are a rock star in the land of photographers. xxx
You might of heard someone talk about breastmilk as liquid gold. The reason for that is because it just is. It’s precious and we don’t want to waste it. I remember when I was pumping my milk for Mavrick I actually dropped a whole 4 oz on the floor. I wanted to cry. Its hard enough to breastfeed, so having to add pumping on top of that… you want to make sure you keep every drop.
I received a Milkies Milk-Saver Breast Milk Collector as a gift from a friend and even though Sienna is on the verge of turning 2 months old, I have to admit that I haven’t used it until this morning.
Basically it collects your leaking breast milk when you nurse/pump, allowing you to store extra breast milk effortlessly. To be honest, I never knew how much milk would leak while I nursed or pumped. I always wear a nursing pad so clearly all the milk would be collected in there. But when I forgot to put a pad once, and noticed my jeans were drenched, I thought… okay I do have a lot leaking.
This morning, I decided to pump and put the collector on my other breast (inside my bra) It is actually very comfortable but I didn’t have high hopes. I was told you could save a good amount of breastmilk if you used the collector, but I was skeptical. I didn’t pump very long, maybe 2 mins, and while I collected about 1.5 oz from the breast I was pumping, I could see I had a fair amount in the collector. I added it to the bottle of the freshly pumped milk and could you believe I gathered about 1.5 oz as well. THAT IS INSANE?! All this time my liquid gold has been going to waste!
If you aren’t a fan of pumping, I strongly suggest you get this to help save as much milk as possible. Same goes for breastfeeding (especially if baby has a strong latch… who knows how much milk you’ll collect)
I have not been paid by the company whatsoever to blog about their product. This is just me sharing the oh-so-awesomeness of this liquid gold saver. Do you have a collector?
as a gift from a 
