Category Archives: Thoughts on Parenting

Posts about parenting our little girl.

I would love to work in a Children’s Bookstore: More favourite picture books that I can’t stop raving about

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I would love to work in a children’s bookstore. I would love reading all of the new books coming into the store, searching out new books that would soon become favourites on a family’s bookshelf, and chatting with customers to find out their interests and suggest new stories. Children’s books are, without a doubt, my favourite genre of book. I love how clever they can be, how well written they are, the beautiful illustrations, and the occasional song or rhyme! I have written a few blog posts already, about some of our favourites. If you’re interested, have a look at: Pigs, Dragons & a Superhero Princess: Chapter Books we love for our 6-year old; Reading with young children: Recommended books for babies and toddlers; and Finally branching out from indestructible cardboard to paperback.

If you’re still looking for more excellent books to check out … read on! My eldest and I have been reading some chapter books together lately, which has been really fun. I love having a story that stretches over a few nights. But we still both enjoy a good picture book (as does my youngest of course!). These are some of our current favourites:

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Turning 7 during isolation: Making our daughter’s birthday special

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Like many children, our eldest daughter recently celebrated her birthday during self-isolation. I was determined to make sure that she had a memorable birthday – despite the fact that she couldn’t have the birthday party she had been dreaming of (and talking about!) for months.

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Pigs, Dragons & a Superhero Princess: Chapter Books we love for our 6-year old

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I love books. Especially children’s books. I’m always on the hunt for new stories to read at bedtime with my eldest daughter. She just turned 6, and has become interested in chapter books lately. I’m so excited that we have started reading chapter books together: a chance to delve into a longer story, build an attachment to the characters, and look forward to picking up where you left off the night before!

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Fun Apps for Pregnancy & Parenting

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I am the mother of a 5-year old and a 5-month old. I am sleep deprived; have been for the past 5 years, 6 if you count pregnancy! I am always looking for ways to make life as a parent easier. I also have a Masters in Educational Technology, so I tend to look to technology for help! Over the years, I’ve come across a number of apps that I have found useful during pregnancy and motherhood. Anything that makes things quick and simple is considered a win in my books!

Here are my favourites! I’d love to hear if you have any other apps that make motherhood easier for you. As with any app, I recommend checking out the regulations and privacy concerns before you commit. My recommendations are based solely on usefulness to a busy Mom, not on the legal/privacy aspect!

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Bonding through Board Games: 7 Recommended Games for Young Children

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This post was originally published on Victoria Moms Blog.

We are definitely a “games family”. Growing up, my parents taught us numerous card games: everything from Uno, to Solitaire games, Accords, and Bridge. And our family has always loved to play board games. Every Christmas my Aunt would come to visit for a week, and almost every night after dinner the whole family would play board games. We still do! We have many favourites, including Pictionary, Cranium, What, Catch Phrase, and Taboo. I remember so many nights spent laughing together as a family, and so many jokes that started during a board game and went on for years.

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Reading with Young Children: Recommended Books for Babies & Toddlers

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This post was originally published on Victoria Moms Blog.

I love to read. I have so many wonderful memories of reading from when I was a little girl: curled up in my parent’s window seat with my parents and brother, reading stories before bed; my Dad reading us The Hobbit when we were a bit older; and my Mom reading Harry Potter aloud to me in the hospital when I was in my early twenties! I have always loved books, and when our little girl was born, I knew I wanted to try to pass that love of reading along to her.

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Creating Homemade Toys

Posted in DIY Projects, Thoughts on Parenting by

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I love homemade toys. And I love DIY projects. There is something special about a toy that is made with a particular little one’s interests in mind. Over the past year, we have created some wonderful homemade gifts for Baby E, that she has truly loved. I am thankful for Pinterest, and the inspiration that it provides. And I am extremely grateful for my Dad, who is a fabulous carpenter and can turn any project idea into reality!

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Halloween with Toddlers

Posted in Thoughts on Parenting, Toddling Around Town by

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I have to admit, I have never really been a huge fan of Halloween. I don’t love ghosts, mummies, witches, spiders, and many of the other things associated with Halloween. And as I got older, I always found it tough to come up with a good costume idea for Halloween.

But, since becoming a mother, I’m starting to really enjoy this holiday because of the fun opportunities it offers for children and families! Here are some of the things that I am starting to love about Halloween, and looking forward to this year …

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“Enjoy every moment – they grow up too fast”

Posted in Thoughts on Parenting, WordPress challenges by

This post is in response to the Pace Oddity prompt. The prompt states: “If you could slow down an action that usually zooms by, or speed up an event that normally drags on, which would you choose, and why?”

The number one piece of parenting advice I heard when I was pregnant, was “Enjoy every moment – they grow up too fast”. Well, that and “get some sleep now because it’s about to get a whole lot harder!”

Our little girl is already 3 years old, and while the sleeping has gotten much better, I have to say I feel like the years are flying by a bit fast! There are so many amazing moments as a parent. There are many times when I would love to slow down time and just enjoy this amazing time of our lives with our little girl …

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Snapshots: From a raspberry to toddlerhood

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This post is in response to the weekly Discover challenge, Snapshots:

Get inspired by Andrea Jarrell’s post “A Roar for the Ages,” and tell a broad story using a series of short, focused scenes.

1.
We are all sitting around the table at my parent’s house: my parents, brother, sister-in-law, husband and I. We have finished dinner and are chatting, when my husband asks “What time does Shoppers [Drugmart] close? Does anyone know?”. This question, seemingly out of the blue, ends up being how we break the news to our family that we are pregnant! My husband, never the best at keeping secrets, has inadvertently revealed to the family that the reason for the evening Shoppers trip is to purchase a pregnancy test. Our family is over the moon with our surprise … and even more so when we text them all later that evening to reveal the results of the pregnancy test!

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