Showcase: Iviebaby Modern Custom Crib Bedding

Iviebaby blanket

I stumbled upon Iviebaby recently and completely fell in love!  I wish I had this bedding for my two little ones.  I guess I will just have to have more babies so I can enjoy Iviebaby’s bedding!  Iviebaby is a fantastic Etsy shop with the most incredible prints and designs.  Everything Iviebaby creates is made to order so you can create your dream nursery.  Curtains, bedding, nursing pillow covers, cushions and change pad covers can all be co-ordinated.  The best part is you can create a registry on their Etsy site!

iviebaby

 

Iviebaby cushionDeer fitted sheet

The Historic Mommies’ Night Out, A Mom’s Identity Found

IMG_5105From Left: Shelley, Amanda, Jennine and Myself.

Last week I set out to plan an evening with my mommy-friends.  One of them emailed the rest of us suggesting a night out of town with dinner, drinks and if we were feeling a little crazy, maybe even some dancing!  After careful plotting with our husbands and many more exchanged emails, my friends and I finally planned a REAL ladies night out.  Not a quick meal in town where one of us gets called home because of a screaming child, or an evening at one of our houses with a couple of diapered tag-alongs.  But a real, makeup and heels night out!

After removing the carseats in my van and vacuuming up all of the cheerios I was ready to pick up the ladies and head out on the town; maybe we should pitch a show called “Mommy Vans After Dark”?  My friend Amanda was too cute, she must have said how excited she was about every two minutes during the car ride which continued on in the restaurant.  I just had to snap a picture of her excitement!

IMG_5106We had many laughs and learned a lot more about each other (which we didn’t think was possible).

One underlying theme that has been paramount when I have been chatting with other moms at the same stage as me lately is the feeling of a lost identity.   Many of us have been so immersed in the baby and then toddler stage that we have left ourselves behind.  Now that the dust has settled and we are able to start venturing out again, we are finding it hard to see exactly where our place in the world is other than being a mom and a wife.  We are not quite the person we were before having kids, so who are we now?

About a year and a half ago I had already been home with my kids for three years and was fighting increasing depression.  My whole life I had wanted to be a stay-at-home mom like my mother.  She had always made it looks so fulfilling.  But when it was my turn it was not at all what I thought it would be.  My son Holden was extremely moody and anxious for the first couple of years which kept me fairly isolated.  When our adventurous and happy daughter Beau came along I was so burnt out that I barely had the energy to enjoy the simple pleasures of being a mom.

I found myself resenting my husband Mike leaving to work everyday and not having a reason to get out of my sweats.  I finally came to a breaking point where I decided I needed to get back into the working world.  I had to remind myself that even my mother, an incredible stay-at-home mom was also pursuing her dreams of singing on stage in the evenings with community theatre.  So I joined an Interior Design firm and started to re-discover myself. After a year of working I realized that this too was not the perfect fit.  I did not feel very supported by my work about the fact that I was a mom and I could also see the toll that the long days in daycare were taking on my kids, especially my son.  I needed to find a happy medium.

It was time to start a new journey.  I would do what I had always wanted to do: run my own business.  With a lot of support from Mike we pulled our kids out of daycare and put a halt on our spending (which wasn’t easy because we had just moved).  It has been a balancing act but so far so good!

There are days when my house looks like a bomb went off or I have to remind myself that I am still working and to be careful to protect my “working” time but I find myself excited and fulfilled everyday.  I still get out of my sweats, put some makeup on and style my hair even if I am just heading out to a playdate.

The biggest piece of advice I can give other moms is this: motherhood may not be exactly what you thought it was going to be or you may not have everything as clean or as organized as you would like, but that doesn’t mean you are failing as a mother.  Every woman’s path as a mother and a wife or partner is different and you have to carve out your own that doesn’t just include your kids and your husband/partner but yourself as well.  Whether you are working or at home, single or with a partner, make sure you are doing something that is also for you.  Something that is yours and that you are in control of.  If you are worried you might be putting too much on your husband/ partner for an evening here or a day there, they might shock you (and also pick up a bit more of the housework along the way).  Trust me, you will be a better mother and wife/partner for it!  We wear many hats and are trying to take care of a lot of other people.  But before we can happily give so much to our family we must give to ourselves first.

21 Back to School Bedroom Must-Haves!

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Lunches are made, bags are packed and laces are tied!  The first day of school has arrived!  Here are 21 back to school bedroom must-haves to start the school year in style!  From Pre-K to University, Nesting Story has you covered!

Modern Boy’s Pre-K Bedroom

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Vintage Girl’s Elementary Bedroom

Final post3Industrial Chic Boy’s High School Bedroom

Final post4 Bohemian Girl’s University / College Bedroom

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1. First Day of School Banner, Etsy: Bekah Jennings

2. Kalon Studios, Hut Hut Kids Resin (rocking stool for toddlers)

3. Modern Alphabet Wall Art, Etsy: Paper Plane Prints

4. Nursery Works, Tree Bookcase

5. Cygnet Child’s Table, Rosenberry Rooms, by Little Nest

6. Etsy: Shugabee Lane, Button Magnet Set

7. Etsy: Shugabee Lane, Magnetic Board Butterfly Girl’s Magnetic Board

8. Pottery Barn Kids, Dollhouse Bookcase

9. Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, Julienne Desk

10. Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, Scalloped Edge Desk Accessories

11. District17, Large Chalkboard Globe

12. Etsy: Half Pence Design, Caffeine Chemical Structure Science Chemistry Art Poster

13. District17, Industrial Pipe Table Lamp

14. Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, Sawhorse Trestle Desk

15. Pottery Barn Kids, Rockwell 15-Drawer Bookcase

16. District 17, Blooming Etagere Bookshelves

17. Etsy: Half Pence Design, Science Biology Art Print Microscopes

18. Jonathan Adler, Monogrammed Bargello Paperweight

19. Etsy: Amy Rice Art, Earth Laughs Flowers / Hand Painted Vintage Globe

20. District 17, Uncle Jack Accent Table or Stool

21. EQ3, Nelson Swag Leg Desk, Part of the Herman Miller Collection

Luxury Meets Practicality at Snuggle Bugz, Furniture and Bedding for Babies

This summer has been wonderful but very busy!  We have been enjoying more activities with the kids who’s ages 2 and 4 make it a lot easier to venture out and we have been relaxing with friends and neighbours in our new backyard.  Part of me doesn’t want summer to end and part of me is counting down the days for school to start and to establish a structured routine.

I haven’t had much time to search the local shops for great finds and new items but I had a few minutes to take a quick peek in Snuggle Bugz last week and here is what caught my eye:

Natart’s luxury nursery furniture, fit for a princess!

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Also Perlim Pinpin’s adorable and practical mix and match bedding sets!

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I must have been feeling very patriotic that day because both companies are Canadian, each from Quebec!

 

 

DIY Tutorial: Beech and Surf Inspired Yarn and Felt Flower Wreath, Kid’s and Teen’s Room Decor

IMG_4178This is a fresh tropical twist on one of my favourite crafty projects: yarn wreaths.  Yes, I know, I am constantly drawn to surf themed decor.  Maybe that is me escaping cold Canadian winters in my mind and my home!

These shell and felt tropical flowers give the wreath a youthful feel fit for a teen’s room.  You will need a wreath form, yarn, felt, shell beads, fishing line, thread, a needle and hot glue.  Start by wrapping your wreath form in yarn; this is an excellent evening activity after your kids are in bed, the T.V. is on and your brain is off!IMG_5088

Now you can make your flowers.  This is pretty simple but a bit fiddly.  First, cut your petals.  There really is no right or wrong way, I even skipped the paper stencil and used the first one I cut as a stencil.  Then you will string your petals together by threading them at two points on each petal.

4Once your petals are sewn together, thread your fishing line onto your needle and pierce through one side of the centre of the flower.  You will then thread your fishing line through the shell bead without a needle.  Then sew the fishing line to the other side of the centre of the flower.

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After you have finished creating your flowers you will hot glue them onto your wreath.  There you have it, a pretty wreath perfect for your home or a great gift idea!

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Cheat tip: I am by no means a seamstress so I may or may not have used a little hot glue when sewing my petals together… same outcome!  This is our little secret!