Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 Project Wrap up

So it's official.... 2012 is over and I didn't finish my list. Weather, scheduling and wishful thinking got in the way and left a few items incomplete. But I am choosing to focus on what I DID get done from my list, and in the grand scheme of things I am pretty darn proud of what I accomplished! So what if Ty and I never made it to the Museum of Anthropology....I've been there before and really it was just the thrifty side of me that felt the need to use a free pass. As for the post-baby list....I am a little disappointed that I didn't get those last 5 things in, but I guess that's what happens when you live in Vancouver and try to plan weather dependent activities. And having looked at my posts through the year, I realized that there are also a lot of things that weren't on my list but we did anyway. So really, those last few items just give me a little mini-list to complete next year! 

The List

Before baby:
1. Host a dinner party
2. Purge and organize storage room and dreaded office/filing nightmare corner
3. Spend an entire day in bed watching movies with my hubby
4. Read 5 books
5. Do a belly photo shoot
6. Get a new car
7. Visit one of the Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives recommended restaurants in Vancouver
8. Outfit the house for baby for under $5000
(do lots of crafting, DIY, borrowing, craigslist and second-hand store hunting)
9. Finish the craft projects I started or bought materials for and never got around to
a) make a maxi skirt
b) Vancouver Photo Wall Art project
c) crocheted blanket for baby
10. Continue craft and Bachelor Mondays with Jill and Corinne
11. Seattle Shopping Weekend Getaway
12. Decorate the Baby corner (since we have a 1 bedroom apartment, baby gets a corner)
13. Take a prenatal yoga class
14. Go to the Museum of Anthropology (Ty won free passes at his Holiday Party)
15. Movie Date with hubby

After baby:
16. Blog at least twice a month
17. Learn more about photography and take lots of photos
18. Go to a FreshAirCinemas outdoor movie
19. Do a Family Camping Trip
20. Take Family trip to Ontario to visit extended family
21. Family snowshoe adventure
22. Try and stick to doing family date night once a month
(take advantage of free and cheap activities in Vancouver)
23. Bowen Island picnic and hike
24. Do the 12 Dates of Christmas in December (idea from theRockstar Diaries blog)
25. Cut down our own Christmas tree
26. Buy a condo (hopefully)
27. Have a beach BBQ
28. Start and continue exercise program to lose baby weight
29. Host a waffle brunch party
30. Learn how to make baby food

2012 has been a year of ups and downs. Into my world came a little being that I never knew could bring me so much joy and whom I could love so much, but I also lost someone I loved dearly. Throughout this year and this 2012 list project,  I have learned a few lessons that I will try to take into 2013 and beyond  

1. As much as I try to organize and plan, there are still things beyond my control. Let it go.
2. Some of the best moments are not planned. Embrace spontaneity. 
3. Instead of building up a moment in my mind and being disappointed because it doesn't live up to my high expectations, go into any experience or situation with an open mind and enjoy the moment. Manage expectations and be present.
4. It doesn't really matter what I do or don't accomplish, it's who I surround myself with in those moments. Be grateful and focus on the positive.
5. Life is short so make sure the people you love know it.  All you need is love. 

♥ Lindsay

Ps.....not sure if you noticed but there is a pretty big item on my post-baby list that is crossed off. It's not for sure yet but stay tuned for an update on #26. 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Happy 1/2 birthday Alexis

I can't believe Alexis is 6 months old today. It truly does fly by so fast!! She is sitting up by herself, has gone from hating tummy time to tolerating it (or I daresay actually liking it on occasion), is discovering new sounds every week (this past week, she seemed to have found the volume button....so that's been fun) and generally exploring the world around her (my favorite moment to date was finding her trying to pick the polka dots off her leggings...too cute). We even started giving her some solid foods on Christmas day... she got to enjoy sweet potatoes just like mommy and daddy and she couldn't have been more proud of herself. She has her moments of quiet observation, but for the most part she doesn't like sitting still for too long and wants to be on the move constantly. I think she will be keeping me very busy once she figures out how to get herself moving....but she has learned so much over the past 6 months, I am excited to see what the next 6 months will bring..... I can't wait!! 
But for now, here is her life in pictures 3-6 months: 



Lindsay

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Family photo 2012

So I have a new found respect for photographers that take photos of babies....especially our little wiggle monster. She would look down, grab at the tree, try and jump out of my arms etc. But I was determined to get a good one. We realized that the key was for Ty and I to look at the camera no matter what Alexis was doing and it would eventually all come together.  









 It took us a few tries but we finally got a good one....success!
Merry Christmas from the Trudels
♥ Lindsay

Easier than I thought



I was reviewing my list today because we started solid foods on Christmas day and I wanted to cross off learning how to make baby food from my list! It turns out that it was easier than I thought....really the only tough part was deciding how to introduce solids and let me tell you....there are A LOT of opinions on this matter! After much deliberation and extensive reading (most of which gave conflicting advice) I decided to skip the rice cereal and start Alexis on whole foods. I didn't know whether I was making the right decision, but Ty helped me see that you can do all the research you want but there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong answer! Well I guess it could be argued that some things would be a bad decision....like candy as a first food, but in general we realized that this was just yet another lesson in parenting....gotta go with what feels right! So having decided to give Alexis her first 'real' food on Christmas day, the obvious choice for what to make her was some sweet potatoes. So into the baby bullet went some steamed sweet potatoes and breast milk....and voila; Alexis' first meal and # 30 on my list✓ That was easier than I thought! 

Alexis has been lusting after our food for weeks now and reaching for our forks while smacking her lips....so to say she was excited to be sitting in her chair with a spoon going towards her mouth is an understatement for sure. 


Once the spoon hit her lips it was a bit of a different story though! Not sure what she thought of the sweet potatoes at first but she is loving them now.


....and has moved on to sweet peas. Yum!!


Speaking of easier than I thought....#28 Start and continue an exercise program to lose the baby weight was not as challenging as I thought it would be when I made this list!  Apparently I am blessed with some pretty good genes because I was at pre -pregnancy weight just a week after Alexis was born. Let's be honest though....it's probably more than the genes that helped me out with that. I am breastfeeding, eating well and getting out everyday for walks so that in combination with some great genes..... I feel pretty lucky that I was able to bounce back so quickly. However the same can't be said about my core strength....it's a tough road to rebuild your core after having a c-section! So instead of focussing on weight loss I have really been working on regaining my core strength.....and it's slowly but surely coming back! I still  have a ways to go, but I think I can safely cross off #28 from my list too!
♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

12 Dates of Christmas

I am a huge fan of the blog Love Taza (just changed from Rockstar Diaries) and that is where I found out about the 12 Dates of Christmas. We decided to modify it a little bit and do family dates rather than coupley dates....the one rule was it had to be under $10 and of course it had to be baby friendly. Thanks to a a random act of kindness we were able to go to a Vancouver Giants game as one of our family dates! I was waiting in line to buy tickets and a lovely gentleman gave me a pair and said his friend couldn't use them so Merry Christmas. That was perfect because honestly I was running short on ideas and with the free tickets we came in under budget, so thank you kind stranger wherever you are!
Here's a little glimpse of what we did.




1. Christmas Tree Farm
2. Make homemade Christmas cards
3. Santa Visit
4. Grounds for Coffee Cinnamon buns and coffee
5. Waffle Party
6. Family trip to winners to buy a few gifts to donate to the CTV Toys for Kids drive (forgot to get a photo)
7. Christmas Tree Decorating and hot apple cider
8. Yummy hot chocolate and drive around to look at lights
9. Christmas craft making (Alexis' first Christmas ornament)
10. Christmas movie and treat night (Elf and peppermint ice cream...yum!)
11. Giants game
12. Take Alexis to see her first snow

I love the idea of this for a tradition because it gives us a chance to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. We see it as a time to spend time with family and friends, not necessarily a time to spend money on tons of gifts. It's also a season of spreading love and joy to others, so doing something together as a family to give back to others who may not be as fortunate as we are will always make our list. This year that came in the form of choosing gifts for the toy drive, but in the years to come I would love to be able to help serve a Christmas dinner at a shelter, or collect blankets to donate to the homeless. Really the possibilities are endless and I look forward to continuing this tradition each year!
♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Family fun at the tree farm

This year I really wanted to start a new tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree. I wanted it to be a new tradition for our little family to do together every year. This year Alexis obviously didn't really get what we were doing, but she loves getting out in the fresh air and was a little trooper as we weaved throughout the rows and rows of trees. It was definitely difficult to find a tree that Ty and I agreed on. One of us would ask; 'What about this one?' To tall. Not green enough. Too full. Too sparse. Is that one dying? I like the ones with the stiffer needles not the fluffy looking ones (clearly we know nothing about the varying Christmas tree species). Wait, haven't we looked at this one already? No wait....I think it was that one over there. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. It was no wonder Alexis fell asleep about an hour into our hunt. I can't even imagine how much longer it will take as we have more opinions to take into consideration! 
Hmmm...perhaps we should give ourselves more time next year. 
All in all it was a successful trip and I am so excited to keep up this tradition in the future.
#25 Cut down our own Christmas Tree ✔
♥ Lindsay

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Waffle Party!!

 One of my favorite things to do in the winter is to go out for brunch. There is just something about waking up late and strolling to one of the many brunch joints in our neighbourhood....then sitting down to enjoy endless cups of coffee and delicious food! These days there is no such thing as sleeping....nevermind sleeping late, so we are often the first customers for 'brunch' (really at that hour, it's just breakfast) and usually Alexis' patience doesn't allow for more than 2 cups of coffee....but it still remains one of my favorite weekend activities. Sometimes though, it's also just as nice to stay in and have people over for brunch, and that's what I decided to do for my birthday this year! We decided to kill two birds with one stone and check off #29 on my list.....so on the menu was the most decadent brunch item in my opinion; waffles and whipped cream. I have hosted waffle parties in the past and usually I like to have everyone bring their favorite topping. From the standard butter and syrup to homemade chocolate peanut butter sauce (YUM!) and caramel pecan dessert topping....we've tried it all throughout the years, but my favorite is good old fresh berries and whipped cream (a la Patisserie Lebeau). I decided since it was my birthday....people could eat their waffles the way I like them dammit! Just kidding....we also offered syrup and chocolate sauce :) Add in some mimosas and some really great coffee and we had a yummy waffle feast....#29 Host a waffle party ✔

Everything you need for a successful waffle party.
 The inspiration
The results....not as pretty but I assure you they were just as delicious!
♥ Lindsay

Monday, December 3, 2012

Guilt, obligation and other things I am letting go of....

Like it or not....I am in the final month of my 2012 list and I have come to terms with the fact that I am just not going to finish my list. Period. I am a pretty competitive person and although this isn't a competition per se, it feels like a personal loss to not be able to finish what I set out to. Dramatic?!? Maybe so, but looking back to January of 2012 one of the reasons I wanted to do this list was to have a reminder to keep doing the things I love, even when my life got infinitely busier as a new mom! However the inevitable happened. Life changed, weather got in the way, and let's be honest I feel like time just got away from me. With those unchecked items hanging over my head come feelings of guilt and obligation.....now how does that enrich my life? It doesn't....so I am letting go of those feelings. I have decided to be proud of what I have accomplished and look forward to the things I have planned for the month of December. As for the rest of the list....there's always next year!

♥ Lindsay


Saturday, December 1, 2012

Touches of Christmas

Is it just me or does Christmas in the retail world get earlier every year? It seems like Halloween is barely over and suddenly there are Christmas tunes in every store, trees and lights on display at every corner....and your favorite Starbucks beverage is now enjoyed in a festive red cup. Now I love the holiday season more than anyone I know, so you would think I would be all for extending it to enjoy for as long as possible, but starting in October is just ridiculous! In our home, the Christmas season doesn't begin until December, but let me tell you..... as soon as December 1st arrives (and not a minute sooner thanks to my stickler of a hubby) our house is filled with the Christmas spirit. As you can imagine November 30th is a busy day for me but this year it was even busier because I decided to make our stockings. So in addition to updating my iPod with a few new Christmas tunes and digging out our holiday decor to display, I also managed to start and finish 3 personalized stockings to hang on our bookshelf with care :) I used this tutorial  and I am so happy with the results!

Side note: Here's how I kept Alexis busy while I was sewing and decorating up a storm. Turns out she loves playing with material....well anything she can pick up really... but particularly she seems to love being able to play with anything that I have my attention on. Laundry, my lunch, a book I am reading....you get the point! 
So I used that to my advantage and gave her the two stockings I wasn't working on, while I was sewing the third one. Love the sneaky mom tricks I am learning :) 



I don't have very many Christmas decorations, but luckily I also don't have a very big space to decorate so it doesn't take much to make our little apartment feel festive! You may notice that a Christmas tree is absent from this collage....well that's because I wanted to cut our own tree this year (see list item #25) so I have to wait until Sunday when the hubby is available to come on our family tree cutting date. So excited for that, but until then I have these little touches of Christmas to enjoy! 
♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Grati-tuesday

The baby and the hubby are sick with a cold so the 5 things I am grateful for this week are:

1. coffee, coffee, coffee!!
2. coryzalia-homeopathic cold remedy for babies....coincidence or not...I gave Alexis this remedy and she slept for 5 hours straight for the first time in 2 months. 
3. So, Alexis enjoys using her new raspy voice and I find it quite entertaining to listen to her cold-induced throaty whispers. I wish I could capture it on video but apparently she is camera shy because as soon as I take my phone out she stops whatever she is doing and stares at it silently. I've even tried the sneak attack but the little smarty pants always seems to catch me...so I guess I should just enjoy this adorable side effect of her cold while I can and commit it to memory instead.
4. Despite being sick himself, Ty has been so helpful with the household chores and caring for our needy, whiny baby....so proud we have managed to survive 'baby's first cold'!
5. I have somehow managed not to catch this cold (knock on wood)....not sure how I have been so lucky because Alexis has literally wiped her nose all over me, coughed in my face and no joke, she actually managed to sneeze in my mouth once. So evading this cold is certainly a feat to be grateful for!!

♥ Lindsay


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Grati-tuesdays

Well it's that time again.....I feel like my weeks just fly by these days so its nice to take a moment to reflect on the past week and remember those great moments :)

1. First and foremost.....I am so excited to be going to see Oprah in January!!! I have been literally waiting 10 years for this. When her show was on the air I spent hours trying to get tickets by phone or online with no luck and even wrote emails that borderline begged to give me tickets (apparently I have no shame). I even travelled to New Orleans a few years ago to see a special presentation of the Vagina Monologues that she was supposed to be featured in....only to get there and find out that she was sick and had cancelled her appearance!! Although it was still an amazing event, I was obviously disappointed! When OWN came to Canada I entered every contest a Canadian is allowed to, with no luck. Then the stars aligned and I have in my hand, tickets to "A night with Oprah Winfrey" in Calgary. Finally my dream is coming true....unless she cancels....dang, I  hope I didn't just jinx it?!? 

2. I gotta say it....I LOVE Tiny toms....cutest things ever!! Ridiculously expensive but I couldn't resist! I mean really......does it get any cuter!?!
Alexis is officially the proud new owner of these adorable toms.

But she was almost the owner of these....
but the hubby couldn't get on board with leopard print! Can you believe it? What he's got against animal prints is beyond me! 

3. My 45- minute napper took an epic 2 hour nap today!!! Yay!! Maybe I am finally starting to get the timing right. Who knew that overtired babies don't sleep well and that when they are overtired it looks remarkably similar to a being 'wide awake, nowhere near ready to sleep' babies. We are getting there slowly....

4. Had the yummiest fall salad for lunch today with blue cheese crumbles, pomegranate, candied walnuts and honey crisp apples. And the best part is that I got to enjoy it sans baby-in-lap thanks to the above mentioned epic nap!!



 5. It's so frustrating when you go looking for something specific and you can't find it! That's exactly why I often end up doing DIY projects.....that and the fact that I actually like doing them! So, this year I decided to make Christmas stockings for the three of us. Often this kind of project poses the same problem because it requires finding a pattern and just the right fabrics, and I am pretty picky. I was pleasantly surprised to find a great tutorial right away(thank you pinterest) and the best part was that it uses fat quarters (hehe...gets me every time). You only need one per stocking  and they go for about $3.95 each, so including the cost of lining, ribbon and felt for the applique each stocking is easily under $10!! I went out to the local quilting shop at Granville Island that sells tons of fat quarters and I was cautiously optimistic. I didn't want typical Christmas patterns like Santa, reindeer and pointsettas.....I wanted more Winter-themed like snowmen and snowflakes for example.  Surprisingly I found the perfect fabrics!! I ended up getting 6 so that I can mix and match to make the main part of the stocking different from the cuff.......and of course now I have enough for 1 or 2 extra stockings just in case we add to the family. We can't have any new additions not have a matching stocking....that would just be unheard of!! (and no I am not pregnant....just a planner) So there you are.....a ridiculously long explanation of why I am grateful for having found these fabrics :)
♥ Lindsay

Monday, November 5, 2012

The days between the rain in Vancouver

I think one of the requirements to living in Vancouver is having terrible short term memory. I don't know if my fellow Vancouverites would agree....but it seems that one day of sunshine seems to make yesterday's rain (and the day before, and the day before that....etc) seem like a distant memory. I must admit that we have been pretty lucky this fall!! We have had tons of sunny days and the temperatures have been warm enough to warrant shorts....in October...crazy!! Then, as it inevitably does in Vancouver, the rains came....for days and days. So on those days between the rain, when we wake up to sunshine, we always find an excuse to get outside and enjoy it. 
So here it is.... one of my new favorite things....yep it's another picmonkey collage :)


Photo credits: me, my hubby and the fabulous Erin Crawford....I'll let you figure out which is which. but I'll give you a hint....the really awesome ones are Erin's ;)

♥ Lindsay

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween

From our trip to the pumpkin patch (hello....October family date) to carving our pumpkin with our little lady(bug) and partying it up at our 'baby fun time infant drop-in class'. We sure have enjoyed Alexis' first halloween!! 

Happy Halloween!!!

♥Lindsay

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Grati-tuesday

This is going to be a quick one because I almost forgot about it and now don't have much time left!

1. Had a fabulous girls weekend with my bestie and her daughter. Most of our outings seemed to centre around food....fish and chips on the water, waffles from Patisserie Lebeau, and Vancouvers best donuts according to our donut search back in April. We did others things....I just can't remember what they were right now because apparently I am a bit food-obsessed. 

2. My husband got home safe and not too tired from his trip to Arizona for a wedding.

3. I am so grateful for our beautiful sunshiney day on Sunday. We had a lovely walk to the beach and along the water....so great to take advantage of the great weather especially since it seems there will be a lot of rain around here in the next few days!!

4. Had a visit from my Mom and Dad......and they discovered what may become a new addiction for me. Sticky buns from Cadeaux bakery in gastown....and get this....they are wrapped in bacon!! Everything is better with bacon right?!?

5. Don't have to cook....sushi for dinner. Yum!!

♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Grati-tuesdays.....

It's that time again folks....

1. I am grateful for exersaucers and the 15 minutes of time I get to myself while Alexis is occupied in hers....even if all I do with that time is make a quick lunch, hang her diapers to dry, or send off a quick email, every little bit helps!

2. I am grateful that babies don't know it's not really socially acceptable to growl at people. Alexis has been learning tons of new things to do with her voice and lately she has been growling.....kinda weird but also so darn cute, we get a kick out of it!!

3. I love picmonkey....that is all!

4. The sun was shining for our trip to the pumpkin patch.

5. Hubby came home early from work today......that just happened!! Yay!! Just in time to fill in the blank for #5 and sign off for some family time :) 

♥ Lindsay 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Grati-tuesdays



1. Although weekends are busy....I am grateful that Ty and each others biggest fans at our sporting events. Ty has been to almost every one of my games (mostly because Alexis started refusing the bottle and so they watch my game together until she needs to be fed) but this past weekend I finally got out to his football game and his hockey game.


2. I am grateful for our 'romantic' dinner at the rinks' pub after his hockey game....no really I am grateful...it just wasn't that romantic :)

3. Can I be grateful for my football team going undefeated in the regular season? Well, wrong or right....I am grateful for Crew's perfect season!!

4. So yesterday I got mistaken for a nanny by not 1.... but 2 shop clerks!! They said I didn't look like I had a baby less than 4 months ago and thought for sure I was Alexis' nanny, so heck yes I am grateful to those two lovely ladies for the confidence booster :)

5. Alexis has finally started napping (sort of) and I am grateful for the time to crochet again. Here is Alexis modeling her sweet new headband....she also has one in pink and I have a feeling there will be more to come. Who says you don't need one in every colour? Well my husband does actually....but I have a feeling Alexis agrees with ME that its' good to have colour options :) 

♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Grati-tuesdays...Thanksgiving edition

There is nothing more important to me than family but unfortunately pretty much our entire family lives at least 5 hours away from us. That makes it really hard to visit and so we don't see each other nearly as often as we would like! So, this is my family centred grati-tuesday!

1. The weather was so beautiful we went for a family walk on friday night....in shorts and flip-flops!

2. My sisters 12th birthday is coming up and all she wanted for her birthday was to come visit her niece in Vancouver! So my mom, dad and sister drove down to visit us....I say 'us' but let's be honest I think it was mostly to see Alexis.....but it was lovely to see them nonetheless!!

3. I heard a saying recently that really struck a chord with me....'friends are the family that you choose'. I love this because that means that not only does Alexis have some of the best Aunts and Uncles but also some pretty great friends that she is lucky to call her 'Aunts' and 'Uncles'! This year we spent thanksgiving with two of them :) It was our turn on the rotation to host Thanksgiving dinner with our friends J & R, so we had a lovely night with good food, great company and of course pumpkin beer (yum!!)


4. So much has changed in the past year! Last year I was so thankful to be expecting our first baby and now I am so grateful that she is in our lives....happy, healthy and making me smile daily :)

5. Last but not least....my fabulous hubby who makes me feel loved daily and who is proving himself to be a pretty amazing dad (was there any doubt?!?). I am so lucky to have him in my life!!

♥ Lindsay

Friday, October 5, 2012

#17 Photo Fun

I have always been a photo junkie and I love capturing every moment on film....or I guess these days I should say on file?!? I must have inherited this from my mom because I have tons of albums chronicling my entire life; starting with the ones my mom put together for me then continuing them myself from the moment I got my hands on a camera. For some occasions like our wedding, our honeymoon and our west coast road trip, I give a little extra special treatment with an individual scrapbook documenting each experience. These handmade scrapbooks have since transitioned to digital photobooks....which I must admit I am kind of obsessed with!! So obviously my first thought when we found out we were having a baby was...how can I create a fabulous photobook documenting her first year?!? Ok....maybe it wasn't my first thought, but it did get me excited and motivated to learn more about photography. Knowing that the one thing that everyone tells you about having a baby is to enjoy it, because it flies by sooo fast, I wanted to be sure to capture all the right details and moments so I can preserve the memories forever in my photobook of baby's first year. Well apparently I am not the only one because there is a book called "Your baby in pictures: The new parents guide to photographing your baby's first year" by Me Ra Koh. And lucky me, this book ended up in my stocking last Christmas....thank you santa :) It might as well be called "Baby Photography for Dummies" because it is so detailed and well-organized that you can't help but take great pictures. There are how-to guides, tips and tricks for different photo scenarios, troubleshooting guides that show what settings to use for specific lighting etc. But my favorite part is that it is organized in ages and stages and each chapter gives detailed instructions of not only what to take pictures of during each stage but when to take it and how to prep, compose and capture each moment! The first chapter is 0-3 months and it has things I had never thought of from the 'fleeting hair swirl' that only lasts a week or two to the tiny features that don't stay tiny for long like the hands, feet, lips, yawns and cries. I can't believe I am already in chapter two and I am starting to capture the moments in the 3-6 months like tummy time and peekaboo. This book has me on track to have a quality photobook that chronicles Alexis' first year; from her first breath, and first cry to her 'smash the cake' session on her first birthday. And no, I am not receiving royalties for plugging this book in my blog, I just really love it!!
It has taught me a lot about photography and I have been taking tons of photos, so I think it is safe to say that I can check off list item #17!

#17 Learn more about photography and take lots of photos ✓

From tiny feet, newborn  and varying hairstyles (my fave is the faux-hawk) to story time with Daddy, first conversation with Sophie and her ever changing favorite pastimes like feet clapping, tummy time and bubble blowing, I tried to capture all the moments I want to remember forever. 
Peaceful and sleeping or awake and screaming...... gotta love those chubby cheeks, funny faces and of course those baby blues! 
Here are some of my faves from Alexis' first 3 months in pictures: 

♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Grati-tuesdays


Happy Grati-tuesday everyone!

1. Day 2 of October and the sun is still shining :)

2. My football team continued our winning streak. Undefeated this season baby!!

3. Mint girl guide cookies have returned....yum!

4. Had a very productive weekend so we could start the week with a clean house and an empty laundry basket. But best of all those bags of donations finally made it to the donation bin (Thanks to hubby!!). 

5. Found a halloween costume for Alexis....can't wait until the 31st to take our little ladybug trick-or-treating (it's not wrong to use your baby to get free candy right?!?).

♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Grati-tuesdays

I can't believe a week has gone by and it's Tuesday already! Well you know what that means....it's Grati-tuesday again.

1. My husband has been a very popular guy lately, there have been weddings, bachelor party weekends, golf tournaments and what else?...oh ya....work! He sure has been busy, so I was so happy to have some family time this past weekend. 

2. Just 1 month from today Alexis and I will be hanging out with my bestie and her daughter in Vancouver!!! So excited to have her visit and meet Alexis :) Love you Er!!!

3. Alexis and I love our walks these days, but although she is great company and I enjoy hearing her little singing voice as we be-bop around the city, it's always nice to have adult company. I am so happy that my friend Jill took time out of her crazy busy school schedule for a walk with us :)

4. Ok so this one is a little bit materialistic but I don't care....there is no rule saying that you can't be grateful for things on Grati-tuesdays! I found a fabulous pair of Nine West nude pumps that I have been lusting after for months for 50% off!! Now all I need is somewhere to wear them....

5. I just gotta say....it's so much easier to blog without a baby on your lap, so I am pretty grateful for this moment right now! Blogging with Alexis BESIDE me on her playmat and not on top of me squirming and hitting the keyboard at her leisure. 

♥ Lindsay

Friday, September 21, 2012

They have WHAT kind of ice cream?!?

This month in Vancouver we have been enjoying some unseasonably warm weather and so for our September family date we decided to go for a walk along the seawall for ice cream. Now I am not sure how far the walk is, but I am pretty sure it's enough to work off the calories in the ice cream....well that's what I tell myself anyway! Now, when I was pregnant I really didn't have many cravings....I was obsessed with lemonade but nothing weird like pickles and ice cream. If I did though, Mario's would be the place to go! They have different flavours every time I go and most times I am not adventurous enough to get a full cone, but I always love to get a taster spoon or two of red bean, garlic, black pepper or lavender just  out of curiosity. In the end I usually get my standby; two scoop waffle with chocolate peanut butter and orange creamsicle or if I am feeling 'healthier' I get a dairy free fruity sorbet....they have such yummy flavours like passionfruit, kiwi, watermelon etc. 
I thought I had seen every flavour imaginable, however this time, I was kind of shocked by one particular flavour they had available. It actually made me think about how much our world has changed since I was a kid. I am sure I would have never heard this conversation when I was getting ice cream with my parents at five years old.....
Mother: "Did you decide what kind of ice cream you want?" 
5 year old child: "Yep....I want the blue one"
 ~The mom looks at the one the child is pointing at, does a double take and says....~
Mother: "No, you can't have that one. That's for adults only....let's pick one from over here"  
I don't know about any of you, but when I was a kid, blue ice cream was bubble gum....you know the one with the cold hard gumballs in it that kept their flavour for 2.3 seconds. Well apparently times have changed because nowadays blue ice cream is Viagra flavored. WHAT?!? Yep, that's right....the little blue pill now has it's very own ice cream flavour. I am not a prude or anything....actually I think it's kind of funny, but it also made me realize that it is a very different world that my little girl will be growing up in, that's for sure! I am looking forward to when Alexis can enjoy ice cream with us and not just look at her parents longingly as we eat it in front of her, however, I am not looking forward to explaining to her why she can't have the blue ice cream! Yikes.....I don't want to think about it!
So for now, I choose to focus on how much she loves her walks, cooing to her mommy and daddy along the way and observing the world around her.


 Since it was an evening walk, we were able to go sans sun cover so Alexis could enjoy the scenery along the way.....

 but of course she fell asleep on the way home!



The scenery was beautiful and the ice cream was delicious as always....all-in-all a great family date night! 
♥ Lindsay

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Grati-tuesdays

For years I kept a gratitude journal that I wrote in nightly where I listed 5 things I was thankful for in my life. Those of you who know me well may ask if I did this simply because Oprah told me to? Well....maybe partially....I did get the idea from her show! But, although I may have started doing it because of Oprah I continued because I loved going to bed thinking about all the fantastic things about my life instead of planning my week, adding to my to-do list and obsessing over issues with work or relationships etc. I will be the first to admit I have a tendency to get caught up in the things that are going wrong and forget about all the things that are going right.....let's be honest I think we are all guilty of this sometimes right?!? This journal became a nightly reminder that, good day or bad day, there are always things to be grateful for. Now I am not sure when or why I stopped doing this.....but I find myself feeling the need to start it up again. My new life has me busy to say the least so it would be nice to take the time to reflect on the wonderful things about my family and being a mom instead of doing the things I feel like doing such as screaming, crying or taking it out on my husband etc ;)
My desire to notice moments of joy within the chaos + my love for word play
Grati-tuesdays.    
So every Tuesday I will be blogging a list of 5 things in my week that bring me joy.
(And BONUS....automatic minimum of 4 blog posts a week...sooo list item #16✓)

Ironically the biggest source of chaos in my life, also happens to be the source of a whole bunch of joy! With that being said I give you my first Grati-tuesday list about my baby girl:
1. Her smiling face and big blue eyes looking up at me from her bassinet every morning. So lucky to have a happy baby.
2. Her chubby cheeks that jiggle as we go over bumps in her stroller
3. Her gurgles and coos that combined with hand gestures, expressive eyes and facial movements make me feel like she is actually trying to tell me something. Can't wait until I actually know what it is!!
4. The way she twirls her hair when she is tired. I knew she was born with hair for a reason....to help her get to sleep :) 
5. How determined she is when she is trying to get those silly things that mom keeps putting on her feet off....and how proud she looks when after countless tries of rubbing her feet together and on her carseat etc she finally gets those shoes off!

Being 9/11 today....we are all reminded that life is short and I can't think of a better day to reflect on all that is good in my life. I'd love to hear from anyone who wants to join me in creating your own Grati-tuesday lists....so please comment if you feel like sharing your list!

♥ Lindsay