10 Little Known Facts About Myself

As a new blogger, I thought I would share a little bit about myself to all my followers. I am by no means a super interesting person, but here are ten little known facts about myself!

1. I am born and raised in Grande Prairie and so is my husband. We actually went to the same high school as well but I was a few years behind him and we never met until one night when we were both in Edmonton!
2. I was homeschooled from Grade 3 to Grade 6. My Mom was an elementary teacher and homeschooled all three of us kids for a few years. 
3. Growing up we had four cats at one point! I was also very fortunate to have a horse from age ten until just last year.
4. I have dislocated my shoulders four times. Three times for the right and one time for the left. My favourite sport is still volleyball and I’m quite careful while playing.
5. I used to be a snowboard fanatic. It’s actually something my husband and I did frequently while dating. I haven’t been on a snowboard for about 7 years now. Hopefully, one day I’ll get back into it. 
6. My first vehicle, when I was 16, was a blue truck! I loved it and fondly name the truck Blue Belle.
7. If I were to go on vacation, I would prefer places like Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand to a beach vacation.
8. My brother and sister in law live in Paris right now!
9. I have an intolerance to most alcohol. This started after having my second child. I get super flushed and hot. I haven’t quite figured out what types of alcohol causes the reaction and what doesn’t. 
10. I can’t stand scary or overly gorey movies.

There you have it! Ten facts about myself. If you’d like to share please leave a little known fact about yourself in the comments. Thanks for reading!

The Weekend Hustle

This weekend was busy and relaxed all rolled into one. It started with husband’s work Christmas party on Friday night. Yay kid free night! And an excuse to dress up nice. The previous years Christmas party had a magician, this year it was a murder mystery Christmas Party. Sort of like Clue, there were facts about the characters on our table and we had to guess who was the murderer and their motive. The actors and actresses incorporated one of hubby’s co workers to play a character as well. Each character came by and talked to us once or twice. It was a lot of fun and in the end I had the correct culprit and motive!

The kiddos got to go to The Northern Spirit Light Show with Grandma, Grandpa and their cousins. Then my son had soccer Saturday morning. So far I’m really liking the organization and variety of drills at indoor soccer practice! We’ve only done outdoor soccer games before. Saturday was relaxing and filled with family, movies and muffin making.

On Sunday, I kicked it into high gear and tackled the one side of our basement( one sides finished the other is incomplete) and the craft corner in our kitchen. Oh my goodness! I know sensory play is important but I vacuumed up a whole canister full of coloured rice off the basement floor. Needless to say, the kids hadn’t played with the sensory table that was fall themed with beans as a filler, for a few months. I decided it was time to part with as the mess it created brought on anxiety and I prefer the smaller bins at the kitchen table anyways.

In the basement, I also got rid of a broken electric race track and downsized our wooden train track lot. Our basement isn’t set up how I’d like it but it’s getting there. Next big project is to move the 7ft trampoline outside or into the unfinished side of our basement. There’s a lovely space behind our sectional that would make the perfect play area once the trampoline is out if that space. The kids in the trampoline gives me a heart attack quite often so it might be time to get rid of all together and opt for the smaller one person style.

What’s with surfaces being magnets for clutter? We had a desk in our kitchen for the purpose of LEGO play for my son, when my daughter was two. It turned into a piled up mess of craft supplies. I got a white cabinet on Black Friday sale last year. Just built it last month, procrastination at its finest. It’s perfect for storing all the colouring books, markers, paints, play dough etc. So now the lovely white cabinet has replaced the cluttered desk in our kitchen.

And that was the extent of our busy, yet chill weekend hustle!

The Great Toy Purge

November, is a great time to do a thorough overview of the toys in your home. With Christmas coming, and more toys, it’s perfect to sort through what toys you have now and purge what your kids don’t need or use. Studies have shown that having fewer toys can help children to be more creative, to focus better and use their imaginations. Less toy clutter, can lead to increased focus and joy! Just like a cluttered home can make us feel overwhelmed, so too can a cluttered playroom leave our children feeling the same.

With a garbage in hand and donation boxes ready, I started a fun playlist and got to work in our living room which houses the majority of the toys. First off, I like to pull out the toys from the storage ottoman and off the cube shelf to assess what we have. Immediately, I toss away McDonald’s toys or Dollar Store toys we’ve collected and anything broken or missing pieces.

Next, I assess which toys the kids have outgrown. My youngest is 3.5 yrs now and is growing out of the Little People stage. My oldest is 6 and he had a monster truck phase almost a year ago now. I asked him if we could part with some of his collection and he was totally game for having another child enjoy his monster trucks. We decided to sell them and he could use the money to go towards something new. If you choose to, and have the time, by all means make a sell pile as well! Once Upon a Child is another option to bring your toys to as well for re sale.

 I’ve  included my son in the toy purge process since he was four about. He is usually quite understanding when there’s a toy he hasn’t played with in a long time, that’s it time to get rid of it. This time around he wanted to keep nerf guns and bey blades that are stored in his room. My daughter is still a little young to understand so I just watch what she plays with for a week or two to help decide what’s worth keeping. Recently, she was really into Peppa Pig but right now has shifted to Spirit from Netflix. Since Peppa pig is still fairly new but hasn’t been played with in the last week, it’s up on the chopping block. If come after Christmas, Peppa pig hasn’t been played with in a weekly basis, then it will be time to let it go.

After, I’ve sorted through the grown out of toys, I evaluate which toys I see the kids play with a lot. Our play kitchen and play food get played with often so that’s a keeper for sure! My daughter has a few dolls she loves and some she never goes for. The ones that aren’t loved go in the donate pile. My son enjoys his LEGO right now and my daughter loves her DUPLO so those stay too! We had an abundance of hot wheels and LOL Dolls, so I went through those and kept the favourites.

One of the hardest things I find to get rid of is toys you wish your kids would play with, but they just don’t. For us it was the raved about magna tiles, they were a hit for a month then maybe were played with once every 3 months. So I parted with those a while back as well as wooden building blocks. My kiddos just never went for them, even though they are a great open ended toy.

Some other timeless items we decided to keep are some wooden train tracks, Melissa and Doug Doll house and barn, dress up clothes, age appropriate games and a marble run. Anything sentimental or very much loved and played with is a must keep. We also always have a couple colouring books, markers, paints and play dough on hand. With the changing holidays we tend to do crafts as well.

Recently, I have implemented  the rule that if you take a toy out, you must put it away before taking another toy out. This is helping keep our home and living room tidy and relaxing.
Now, that you’ve gone through the kids toys check out my blog post about Toy Storage Solutions here:

https://honestprairiemomma.blogspot.com/2019/11/toy-storage-solutions.html?m=1

Here are a few great questions in the form of images that have helped me to purge the toy clutter:

Toy Storage Solutions

The secret to toy storage success is choosing solutions that make it easy for children to clean up. Depending on the age of your children, you could make labels for bins that toys go in. I am about to re-implement this into our household with a 6yr old and 3 yr old. I tried photo labels when my son was 4 and daughter was 2 but it didn’t work the best for their maturity levels at the time. This time around we will have a play food storage bin, LOL Doll storage bin, little people storage bin etc. You may prefer everything just goes in one big toy box or ottoman. This worked great for us when the kids were little. Today, I’m here to discuss which toy storage solutions are my favourite and regularly used in our household!

1. Toy box- Little Tikes makes a nice big toy box in different colors. Some of them have two drawers underneath or a shelf up top to hold books. We keep our large toy box in the basement play room. All toys that are downstairs are stored in here other than a princess castle that doesn’t fit and our tub of train tracks.

2. Cloth Book Racks- each of our children have a cloth book rack in their rooms. It keeps titles visible and is very easy for them to put their books away. My daughter has the book rack with two storage baskets at the bottom which we keep her dress up clothes in! They may look small but these drawers hold 5 dresses, purses, a doctor costume and fire hat!

3. Cube Shelf-  these type of storage shelves are very versatile! You can place larger toys like buses and trucks in their own cubby. You can get cute cloth style baskets to organize toys in. Or you can use plastic baskets; this is what we do because of dog hair being attracted to the cloth baskets. Cube shelves can also store books. Depending on size ( we have a two cube by three cube one) they can be placed horizontally or vertically. We got ours off Amazon but places like Walmart and IKEA have cube shelves too.

4. Stuffed Animal Storage- my kids aren’t super into stuffed animals, yet we seem to accumulate them. In my daughters room, I have a hanging organizer in the closet that holds her teddies ( see photo below) My sons teddy bears fit nicely at the end of the bed. You can also get corner nets for holding teddy bears as well. If you have lots of stuffed animals consider the wooden teddy bear zoo’s that are popular right now.

5. Hot Wheels Storage- there’s quite a few different ways to store hot wheels. You could put them all in a storage basket, or use the over the door shoe organizer to hold the cars. Our favourite is the 100 car plastic storage suitcase.

6. LEGO Storage- our oldest boy is 6 right now and we just got him a LEGO table for his room. I went to Superstore and found a small red plastic four drawer storage unit. It works perfect as we don’t really organize the LEGO in the drawers. I just have one drawer dedicated to LEGO men and the rest is assorted!

7. Storage Ottoman- we have a grey storage ottoman in our living room that’s from Homesense. It holds the toys that don’t fit in the cube shelf, like the small doll house. Toys are neatly tucked away in the living room for when company comes over. The dog also uses it as her perch in the window.

Fourth Trimester Favorites

The term 'fourth trimester' might sound strange as your baby is already born. The fourth trimester is the three months after birth where your baby goes through great changes and development, adjusting to life outside the womb. The fourth trimester is also an adjustment period for moms. It is a state of transition for you and your baby. Here are some of my favorite items that helped us get through the fourth trimester with my first and second child.

*All opinions about any products are my own and I only recommend products I either own or are passionate about and would purchase. I do not receive commission if you choose to purchase the products listed.

1. Frozen Padsicles- OMG what a netherly region saver. Basically find the largest overnight pads you can, take a spray bottle with witch hazel and lavender essential oil drops diluted with water, spritz the pads till slightly damp, and then freeze them. Here is a photo where the person also uses Aloe Vera ( I am allergic so couldn't)

2. Chickweed and Clover's Recovery Spray- this magical spray is formulated for postpartum tears and incisions. It soothes and heals.I used it every time I went to the bathroom after birth, until healed. Bonus, I would use it for baby bum changes as well to keep everything clean. It has many other uses as well, like as after bite, facial toner, or a natural deodorant.

https://www.chickweedclover.com/apps/webstore/products/show/6682430

3. Freezer Meals- my sister and I planned an evening before baby to make crock-pot dump meals and casseroles to freeze. I also made breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches and froze my husband some homemade pizza subs. Here are some of the websites I got inspiration from,

http://www.eatcakefordinner.net/2013/11/homemade-freezer-breakfast-sandwiches.html?m=1

https://www.eatingonadime.com/crock-pot-freezer-meals-in-under-an-hour/

4. A Lazy Boy Style Chair or Glider- Trust me, you will spend a lot of time in the nursery chair, it’s worth it to invest in a nice one! We went through two glider chairs, they just don’t seem to last. Before we splurged and got a plush reclining chair. There’s been countless nights where babes been sick that I slept with them on my chest, as being upright helped their cough. My daughter went through a phase of only napping in my arms in the chair too. During the fourth trimester it will be your favourite spot for breastfeeding or rocking babe to sleep if you choose to. 

5. A Comfy Breastfeeding Pillow- You will spend a lot of time breastfeeding( if you choose) in the first few months. A supportive breastfeeding pillow is a must! I tried the boppy  one with my first and it kept slipping out while feeding or repositioning. With my second I got the Brest Friend Pillow and loved it. It has back support and clips around your body if needed. It’s ultra supportive and has a pocket for your phone or a burp cloth. Here’s the Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.ca/My-Brest-Friend-Original-Fireworks/dp/B003TSDMH8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=brest+friend+nursing+pillow&qid=1572378810&sprefix=brest&sr=8-1

6. Your Favourite Coffee- Stock up on your favourite coffee for the type of machine you have! Or tea if that’s your favourite. Having a nice, hot, comforting drink on those hard days really helps. I love the Wapiti Bean Co. coffee and they have a great selection to choose from. They also grind the coffee beans for you in the spot to suit the machine you have. 
https://wapitibeanco.com/

1. A Velcro Swaddle-  Bamboo swaddle blankets are great, but Velcro swaddles take the time and difficulty out of swaddling. Swaddling mimics the womb and stops babies startle response when being laid down. There are thin ones for summer and fleece ones for winter. They come in newborn to about 6 months and should only be used up until your baby can roll for safety reasons. Here are two of my favourite simple swaddle brands.
For newborn to 2 months
https://www.amazon.ca/Swaddle-Blanket-Adjustable-Fastener-Breathable/dp/B07G2G1B2X/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=swaddle&qid=1572379554&sprefix=swa&sr=8-4
For 2 months till rolling
https://www.amazon.ca/Halo-Innovations-Swaddle-Heather-Newborn/dp/B07CCCZ3L5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=swaddle&qid=1572379655&sprefix=swa&sr=8-3

2. A Swing- Now not all babies love swings, but it is a useful item to have and try out. Our first baby thought they were ok and it gave me a nice thirty minute break. Every now and then he would nap in it too. Our second baby loved motion, so she napped frequently in her swing and it gave me that much needed time with my first born. There are battery and plug in ones and some do both. I preferred the plug in one as there was a few times I scrambled to change the batteries on a dying swing while baby slept. Here was our favourite out of four( even tried the Momaroo and wasn’t a fan)
https://www.amazon.ca/Fisher-Price-Sweet-Snugapuppy-Dreams-Cradle/dp/B01MQM7W6M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=graco+swing&qid=1572379990&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMlVOT0EzTjRQOUZWJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc5MjgwWUhRS0hUWDRWVzQwJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxOTYyNzkxODZEQjNZSUwzOFMzJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

3. A Sound Machine-  A sound machine can be very soothing and mimic the noise in the womb as well as block out outside noises while baby tries to sleep. For me it was our barking dogs. For my first I thought the sleep sheep was great... but it turns off after 45 min which resulted in babe waking up. I also noticed since baby was in our room, as soon as it turned off I woke up immediately. So we tried a plug in continuous one on white noise, and it was perfect. Been using it for 5 years. However, our children are able to sleep without their sound machines. I found them most useful from birth to three years. Here is our favourite, it can be found at Bed, Bath and Beyond as well:
https://www.amazon.ca/HoMedics-SS2000J3PK-CA-Relaxation-Machine-Nature/dp/B000F3QG0U/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=homedics+sound+machine&qid=1572380576&sprefix=hom&sr=8-3

5. A Stretchy Wrap- Babywearing keeps you hands free while doing daily activities or going out for walks. The cuddling along with movement helps keep baby happy and calm. I didn’t wear my first baby a whole lot, just on walks and to the Dancing for Birth class we attended. I found babywearing with baby number two made life a whole lot easier. Even just around the house, she would nap while I tidied or played with her brother. I had a baby bjorn and a LilleBaby carrier, that I preferred when baby was over 3 months. For those first few months, wrapping baby was best for me. Practice beforehand to get the hang of it before baby comes.
https://www.amazon.ca/Moby-Wrap-Moderns-Cotton-Carrier/dp/B00GDKEMRI/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=moby+wrap&qid=1572380698&sprefix=moby+wrap&sr=8-5


Those are all the items I can think of that I frequently used and loved in the first three months. In the months following I found a high quality breast pump, a video monitor, a LilleBaby carrier and a cold mist humidifier for babies room were some of the other items that were extremely useful!
Remember you got this Momma! Rooting for you!

My Favourite Podcasts About Intentional Living

Over the last couple of years I have started to listen to Podcasts on my iPhone. Here are some of my favourite’s that inspire intentional living!

1. The Purpose Show with Allie Casazza
I love this podcast! I have been listening to Allie for going on two years now. Besides her podcast, she runs Declutter Like a Mother once a year and it’s amazing! Weekly decluttering tips and areas to focus on for that week. Lots of inspiration and support all sent to your email. I tend to put one of Allie’s podcast episodes on in the background and fold laundry, have breakfast or cook supper. I really enjoy her minimalist approach to Christmas and love the podcast episode on creating a mission statement for your family

2. The Mother Like a Boss Podcast by Kendra Hennessy
Kendra is amazing at home making advice and how to make it work for you. She also specializes in cleaning routines and how to maintain your home simply. There are tips, strategies, and tools for modern homemaking in this podcast.

3. Minimalist Moms Podcast 
This podcast is made for mom’s who want to be more minimal and mindful but don’t want to get rid of everything. There’s a broad range of titles such as Simplifying Dinner Time and Minimalist Holiday Decor. Aspiring minimalist , Diane Biden, goes through every area of your home in different podcast episodes. 

I have a few new podcasts I am starting called Refine & Restore and Simple Families. If they make this list I will add them! What are some of your favourite podcasts?

Simple Fall Declutter

Fall is a great time to declutter your home which can help reduce holiday stress. There are a few areas you can focus on in fall to help keep your home clutter free and purposely filled with items you actually use. First off, why not declutter the summer clothing!

Now that the cooler weather is upon us, it’s a great time to reflect back on what we actually wore and loved this summer. Have a dress that wasn’t so flattering, a pair of shorts that didn’t fit quite right, add them to the donate pile! As for kids summer clothes, if there were items that were getting small near the end of summer chances are they won’t fit come next summer. Either box them up for your younger child or donate.  It’s also a good time to put away summer footwear. Tidy up that entryway by finding an out of the way place to store sandals, crocs and other summer shoes. If there’s any summer footwear your child has outgrown, consider donating them.
Next up is...

It’s time to re-visit your cold weather wardrobe! Maybe the kids outgrew last years coats or boots, donate anything in good condition. Sort through the mitts and hats. For things that don’t fit anymore, donate. Missing a pair, garbage. Take a look at the long sleeve shirts and sweaters in your child’s wardrobe and see what still fits. Donate clothing that’s too small. Go through your own wardrobe and get rid of those pieces you just don’t love.

Pertaining to both Halloween and Christmas decorations. We tend to accumulate decorations every year. If you use everything, that’s great! If certain decorations are broken or looking awful, time to trash them. Maybe there’s certain decorations that aren’t your style anymore, consider donating them to someone else. Re-evaluate what your keeping if your left with decorations at the bottom of the box. Do you really need or want those left over items? If not get rid of them.

It’s time to clean up the outdoor space and winterize. Detach hoses from the house and your sump pump once it gets really cold. Deflate any pools and put them in the shed or garage. If your child outgrew their bike this year, you could donate now, or store and wait for spring. Tidy up all the outdoor toys, I like to use a Rubbermaid tub to store our toys. Drain the water table and you can clean and bring it inside for sensory play, or store it out of the elements. Tuck away the porch chair cushions and put away the patio table umbrella. Take this time before the cold winter months to tidy, declutter and organize your outdoor spaces.


And that’s it! You deserve to have a clean, decluttered home over the holiday season... until next declutter session, usually known as spring cleaning!

Tackling the Entryway

With a snowfall warning underway, I figured it was a good day to tackle the entryway. This is the space you first come home too and for me if its cluttered and messy, it isn't very inviting. So I wanted to change that. On top of diminishing the clutter, I also plan to add a few decor touches to make the area more appealing.

With the kids outside in the backyard playing in the snow, I got started ( checking on them frequently of course). First, I focused on items that didn't belong there. There was an unopened amazon package, a backpack from swimming, some donation bags etc. Once, I had put misplaced items in their true home, I sorted through the toque and mitt bin, placing to small items in the donate pile. Armed with a trash bag, I took down the two storage bins of random expired dog items at the top of the closet. There was a new Frisbee up there to that went outside with the dogs and kids. Husband stores his snow pants at the top of the closet, so I just left those there. 

Living in Northern Alberta, means there are lots of coats for all the seasons. I sorted through what no longer fit the kids and decided to pass on a snowsuit to a friend and try my hand at selling a coat and boots in great condition. The thing I find with selling items on Facebook or Kijiji is that it takes up some of your time to post, respond to messages and then set up pick ups.... only to have someone no show. So I tend to only post items now and then. Another great option for outgrown children's items is, Once Upon a Child (link at the bottom). 

Now usually, when you clean other closets in your home you come across sentimental items. I didn't think I would find any sentimental items in my coat closet. But, low and behold, there were two coats I wore out to see my horse and they brought back fond memories. Knowing I wouldn't need these items for a long time, I decided to pass them along to a friend.

Next, I started on the shoes. Again, our climate means we have sandals, shoes, rubber boots and snow boots all in one closet. And at times these are worn in the same month. I found out the shoe rack in the entryway space would fit perfect alongside the plastic drawers in the closet. So I moved the larger shoe rack into the entryway space and tucked the smaller shoe rack and storage drawers into the closet. The plastic drawers hold mitts and toques for all four of us and the large bottom drawer is dedicated to extra dog harnesses and leashes.

The shoe rack in the closet now housed sandals, swim shoes, dress shoes and other footwear that was out of season or only worn occasionally. The larger shoe rack held rubber boots, running shoes and winter boots. After vacuuming the rug and washing the floor, the entryway was done! All that is left is to add some decor to the walls.

The dog leash holder is from Crafty Things for Crafty Homes.
The over the door hat holder and coat hooks on the wall are off of Amazon.

Once Upon a Child is a consignment store in Grande Prairie for used baby/children items, toys and clothing.
https://www.facebook.com/onceuponachildgp/

Tidying Up the Linen Closet

Today, I have decided to tackle the linen closet in my journey of de-cluttering my household to lead a more intentional life. I figured if there is less laundry in the house, I would have more time for family and playing with the kids. First off, I washed all the towels and bedspreads that were in our laundry area so I had a good idea of the number of sheet sets and towels that we owned.

Then I went through what was in the closet at the moment. I store games and puzzles at the bottom of our closet. Games and puzzles that were broken or missing pieces got trashed. If we had games that we never played or were to old for our children, I decided to donate them and happened to have a friend who was looking so it worked out perfectly. 

The next shelf up had bed sheets for our queen bed and the kids twin beds as well as random crib mattress protectors. I immediately posted the mattress protectors on Mama's for Mama's GP edition, a local Facebook page about donating goods to other Mama's in need. I sorted through my son's bed sheets and decided to keep two and donated the Thomas set and Cars set as he was too old for those now. My daughter just moved to a twin bed, so she only has one set with a backup paw patrol set from her brother. As for queen sheets we had two sets to donate. Not sure why we had four.

Next up, the towel shelves. We had towels from when we both lived on our own that were over six years old, somehow towels accumulate quickly. Previously, I had gone through our dishcloths and dish rags and downsized those to 6 of each, with 4 cleaning cloths as well. Around Christmas I plan to revisit this amount and see if we can make do with less. We are a family of two adults and two children. So for towels, I plan to keep 4 hooded towels for the kids, 4 beach towels, and 4 bath towels. As for washcloths, I kept 4 adult ones and 4 kids ones. Hand towels I kept 6 as we have 3 bathrooms in our home. Personally, I use the baby towels for my hair after a shower so I plan to keep two and donate the rest. We all know accidents and messes happen, because well kids and dogs, so I will be keeping four well loved towels for those messes. 

We don't usually have house guests at our home and if we do there would be two spares from the four adult towels I plan to keep. If you have house guests, definitely keep a set for them.

The top shelf of my closet has some spare reusable bags and a box of couch wooden bottom pieces. I took these off our couches so that toys wouldn't get lost underneath anymore ;)  I also decided to treat ourselves to a few new towels ( these are a part of the four kept) as a reward for spending the time de-cluttering.

Well that's a wrap on de-cluttering my closet. Below I will list my favorite places to donate to.

Mama's for Mama's - https://www.facebook.com/groups/214396762582554/

Bandaged Paws ( they love towels, flat sheets and blankets for their animals) 

https://www.facebook.com/BandagedPawsAnimalRescueAssociation/

Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program (for baby items)-  https://www.facebook.com/PregnantandparentingteenprogramGP/

Odyssey House ( women's items, children's items)- https://www.facebook.com/TheJourneyThroughFamilyViolence/