So, my daughter got the LeapFrog Tag reading system as a Christmas gift from my brother and his wife. And she loves it. So do I, in fact. I've already bought her 7 additional books. This system is truly amazing. Not only does it read individual words or the entire story, you can also touch anywhere on the page for great sound effects that bring the story to life. Now they have one for toddlers and I am so excited that Natural Mama is hosting a giveaway on her site for a Tag Jr. The contest is open to Canadian and U.S. residents and ends January 17, 2010, so be sure to enter. You have the chance to enter more than once!

As a French teacher, I teach students from ages 5 to 13. And while I know that each child learns at their own pace, I often take for granted that, by the time they reach grade 1 or even 2 depending on their learning abilities, they have mastered a very difficult learning milestone - reading. I never really knew how hard it is to teach a child to read until I had a child of my own. I have always been eager to teach my daughter the alphabet and promote an early love of reading, especially since I struggled with reading when I was a child. But it hasn't been until my daughter started Junior Kindergarten this year that she is actually learning (and loving) phonics. At her school, they use the Jolly Phonics program and I always rejoice when she comes home and shows me the new letter sound under study. She's so excited about it, too. And now, it's been about a week or two that she is decoding words entirely on her own. For Christmas, her teacher gave her a copy of Flip and Flop written by Dawn Apperley. She has read it about 3 or 4 times now and feels so proud knowing that she can read entire sentences. I couldn't be more thrilled! I use this book for guided reading, since there are many words that are intimidating such as spluttered, thought, and excitedly. But there are also some repetition and fun-sounding words like wheeee and boomba, which she thoroughly enjoys.

And for those of you who love books by Robert Munsch, I just thought I would throw in this link to Kidspace from the Toronto Public Library site where you can access animated versions of his wonderfully illustrated books online and listen to the author read them himself.  It's a great site and it also features a wide array of books from several different authors. Just look under "Read-a-Story," click on "Tumblebooks Library" and then click on "Story Books" to view them online.

On a similar note, Madeleine is taking her phonics skills and applying it to her writing. She has mostly written individual words up until yesterday when she finally had the confidence to write the following in a note to Santa Claus:


Madeleine wos u per uv soks. (Madeleine wants a pair of socks.)
Madeleine wos u bot. (Madeleine wants a boat.)

I cannot express the joy I felt when I read what she wrote. It is a true marvel and blessing to be able to witness this ongoing learning process through the eyes of a 4-year-old and the pride she feels throughout her journey when she has accomplished something truly remarkable.

Madeleine, when you read this in the (near) future, I want you to know that I am so proud of your accomplishments!

Love you,

Mom

Toronto Teacher Mom is excited to announce the winner of the nursery mobile courtesy of CSNbaby.com. The winner, as selected by Random.org is:

If you're like me, then procrastination could be your middle name. Yes, I know. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? It's probably due to the fact that I'm just not as organized as I'd like to be. And this Christmas is no different. Not only have I yet to buy Christmas gifts for my friends and family, I still have to send out about a dozen cards. But seeing as I have very little time to get them mailed out for a Christmas Eve delivery, I may just have to resort to an alternative.


E-card is the name, artistic animation is the game. Have you seen the work of Frederikke Tu? She is the artistic designer behind the beautiful works of art on Ojolie.com which she later turns into animated e-cards. What I really love is that these two elements are both tied together nicely with a wonderful selection of music. Another really neat part of the final product is the incorporation of Frederikke's own watercolor paintings. It adds a striking uniqueness to each card and makes you feel good knowing that you are sending a one-of-a-kind work-of-art to your family and friends while saving trees in the process. Frederikke also has a beautiful blog where she shares her work and her passions as well as her insight on running an e-card business.

Now, while they have a fairly large collection of e-cards that you can send for free, you can also sign up for a paid membership. For a small fee of $10 US, you get a one-year subscription or you can pay $15 US for two years. Ojolie was kind enough to grant me a free one-year subscription to their site which allows you to:

• Personalize and send as many e-cards from their entire selection.
• Personalize your account with an address book, card scheduling and card status.
• Include your own photos with your card message.
• Access their quick and professional customer service by directing inquiries to Timothy Tu.

And they are currently offering the following promotion:


So if you need to send some Christmas cards and are worried about them arriving in time, why not send an e-card from Ojolie.com? It's quick and easy, as well as economical and eco-friendly!

Click here to see one of my favourites.

Wow! A lot more people than I had anticipated entered this contest. What an amazing turnout! Thank you to all who entered.

The winner of the $75 Burt's Bees prize pack, as selected by Random.org, is

Have you ever heard of the Ouch Pouch? Neither had I until today. It's a really neat and compact first aid bag that comes in a variety of styles and it's also available pre-filled with handy items such as a thermometer, wipes, a lollipop, tweezers, bandaids, sunscreen and a Tylenol sample. You can take them with you anywhere and they are made of vinyl so they can be easily cleaned, too.

Would you like to win an Ouch Pouch of your choice? So would I. That's why I entered Sandy's contest over at ShopaholicMommy.com. Her contest is open to everyone and ends December 27. Good luck!

Attention all new and soon-to-be parents! With the cold weather approaching, online shopping might become more appealing. From the comfort of your own home, you can pick out an entire nursery and have it shipped to your door!

CSNbaby.com is an online store based in Boston that offers a wide variety of baby items, such as furniture, decor, baby gear, toys and crib bedding. The company opened in 2002 and has since been ranked among the Top 3 online U.S. retailers. And they ship to Canada, too!

They currently offer guaranteed delivery by December 24 on products marked with snowflakes and for a limited time, you can save 10% off your order and get it shipped for free (some exclusions may apply). Be sure to take advantage of this promotion before it ends this Sunday. Just use code 10PERCENT at checkout.


And here's a little excerpt I found under their shipping information:

"We will make every effort to ensure this item arrives to you by or on December 24th. In the unlikely event this item doesn’t arrive on time, we will offer you a refund of 15% of the item's price if you decide to keep it, or a full refund on the item, including free return shipping and no restocking fees, if you decide to return it."

Sounds pretty cool to me. With that kind of a policy, you can't really lose.

One item that caught my eye was the Trend Lab Max Musical Mobile. There are several styles and colours to choose from and they look so adorable.








They also have ones in pink, too.




Most are being sold below the listed price and you can also get a free gift with purchase. It's a "Milk Belly" message bodysuit. Too cute!



CSNStores has kindly offered one reader of Toronto Teacher Mom a choice of Baby Mobiles to help spruce up the nursery (up to a rough value of $35 including shipping). So if you like the themed Trend Lab mobiles I mentioned above or the one seen here, they are eligible for the prize.

For your initial entry, which is mandatory, check out CSNbaby.com and tell me which product you would like to have in your nursery. Leave a comment on this post with the name of the product and a way to contact you if you win. (You need to click on "comments" at the end of this post to leave a comment.)

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each indicating what you have done.

• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post. When you are done, leave a link to your post in your comment.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Subscribe to Toronto Teacher Mom.
• Become a fan of Toronto Teacher Mom on Facebook.
• Update your status on Facebook to notify your friends about this giveaway.
• Become a follower on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:  

Contest ends December 18 at midnight EST. Open to Canadian and U.S. residents.

Winner will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

You know the winter weather is upon us when your skin starts to feel dry and your lips feel chapped. It's enough to make you browse through travel catalogues in search of warmer climates and pristine beaches. But for those of us who are stuck facing sub-zero temperatures and the effects of dry air, we can take consolation in knowing that there is a solution to our dry-skin dilemma. And it goes by the name of Burt's Bees.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Burt's Bees, it began back in 1984 as a candle-making operation ran by Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz that produced $200 worth of sales at their first craft fair. (You can read about their "unusual" story written by Roxanne here.)By the end of their first year, their sales reached $20 000, an indicator that their candles were of high quality and their craftsmanship highly valued. Soon enough, their company expanded to include natural soaps, perfumes and eventually lip balm, their best-selling product to date. By 1998, their sales surpassed a whopping $8 million! Their expansive product line now includes other natural products such as body lotions made with natural milk and sugar enzymes, bath products made with sea ingredients, toothpaste, shampoos and a Baby Bee product line to name a few. This year marks their 25th anniversary.

When I first met my husband, I was introduced to the notion that natural and organic was the wiser and healthier option. It has been a way of life for him and his family for longer than most people I know, so when they introduced me to Burt's Bees lip balm almost six years ago, I had to try it. I loved it then and I still love it now. So imagine my delight when I was asked to try Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil for review. The first time I applied it, it went on oh so smoothly and tasted oh so sweet! My husband and I went out that evening to catch the premiere of New Moon, and after having applied it only once, and then devouring a large tray of salty tortilla chips, my lips still felt refreshed and kissably smooth. This naturally hydrating lip balm has definitely earned it's place in my purse! Best of all, it is infused with the antioxidant properties of pomegranate oil that coats your lips with a hint of colour.

As any new mom can testify, starting a new life with a newborn can be both exhilarating and also frightening. While you may feel overwhelmed with joy and excitement, there is still quite often the fear of the unknown. You might find yourself asking what you should do when the baby wakes up crying in the middle of the night. Or you might often worry about the transition back to work after your maternity leave is over. Whatever the situation may be, there may be consolation in knowing that you are not alone, and that millions of women over several generations have experienced similar concerns and asked similar questions. So who do we turn to for the answers? More than likely, you turn to experienced moms, those who've been through it all and those who are going through it right now. Their tips and advice can ease your worry and maybe even allow you that extra hour of sleep or two. That is why Pampers is working with Mom Central on a project entitled "A Parent is Born."

The aim of this project is to compile a list of useful tips for new and expecting Canadian moms. This list will be published in the Pampers Online Tips Sheet and 25 randomly selected entrants will receive a $20 gift card and one grand prize winner will receive a cash prize of $500! (Just in time for the holidays!) To enter, visit MomCentral and share your tips for any of these two categories:

1. How to Cope with Going Back to Work: Ways mom can prepare for the big day and ways to soothe the unease.

2. Baby/Mommy Sleep Tips: Tips on helping both Baby and mom sleep through the night.

Here are some tips I would like to share.

Topic 1: If you intend to return to work after having a baby and need a daycare, start looking at all the available options and put your name on as many waiting lists as you feel are worthwhile. You can always narrow down your choices at a later date but I found you can be on a waiting list for at least a year before a spot opens up. So I'd say start looking while the baby is still in utero.

Topic 2: I'm sure every mom can tell you that routine is key. (Keep late night activity to a minimum to avoid over stimulation; watch for the baby's cues such as rubbing his/her eyes, or in my son's case, sucking his fingers; turn the lights down low; consider a warm bath with calming lavender bubble bath and/or a massage before settling down to read a book.) For moms who nurse, you might want to try nursing in bed while lying down. My friend told me about it and it really made it easier for me to handle late night feedings.

If you have some advice you'd like to share on these two topics, be sure to place your entry before December 10, 2009 at midnight in order for a chance to win. This contest is opened to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec).

(Disclosure: I am participating in a Mom Central blog campaign and I received an Amazon.com gift certificate as a thank-you.)

Hello one and all. I just thought I'd share with you this link to Karen's post. She is hosting a great giveaway to the Disney On Ice: Princess Classics show being held at the Rogers Centre from December 18 - 27. If you're looking to buy tickets, she also has a coupon code to provide you with some savings through Mom Central. So if you haven't checked out her blog post, head over there now and enter for a chance to win 4 tickets!

So it's finally happening. My daughter is starting to sound out words phonetically! It amazes me to know end and although she spelled Africa "Afik" I am so excited to see how her skills will grow from here. It makes me light up with utter joy to hear her spell words on her own and read isolated words. She is so smart! My son is also making some achievements of his own as well. Not only is his lexicon ever expanding, but he is also saying these new words with more clarity. And he notices it, too. I love it!

I just wanted to share this picture I took of them around Halloween.


And here is a recent picture of my little ham!

I'm not quite sure what happened but I am pretty sure I did get plenty of shut eye last night. I just don't understand why I'm so tired to the point where I can't even keep my eyes open. I have tidied up a bit around the house and I really want to do more, but I'd rather curl up under a blanket and watch Grey's Anatomy on demand. Let's hope I can keep my eyes open long enough to see the ending.

During this crazy flu season, you might be one of those moms (or dads) who, like me, is constantly debating about what to do to help our kids be as healthy as possible. Now that my kids are both in daycare, with my eldest attending kindergarten as well, I often worry that they are now at more of a risk of catching the flu and other ailments.

This year we opted out of giving our children the flu vaccine as well as the H1N1 flu vaccine. I think the main reason we chose to do so is simply because our kids now have to get so many more vaccines than we did as children. It's scary to think about what is actually inside these vaccines (such as thimerosal in the hepatitis B vaccine) but it can be even scarier to think about what can happen if our children were to fall ill to the disease itself. I know this can be a very touchy subject but it is one that should be explored, discussed and debated until we can find a definitive answer, which could take a very long time if it is at all possible. It is thus my opinion that parents should do their own research if they are unsure of what to do, cover all our bases, so to speak. I know it can be time consuming and frustrating when you find information that conflicts, so it is handy to know which sources are most reliable and contain the most up-to-date information.

I was asked by Mom Central to participate in their blog tour to help make moms (and dads) aware of the resources provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Here are some of their helpful links that may aide in your decision-making process:

Updated flu clinic information

General flu information provided by the Ministry of Health

Online influenza assessment tool

(Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central, who will be sending out a "Fight the Flu" gift pack to the 20 bloggers who have to chosen to participate. Also, my name will be entered into a draw to win an Acer Notebook computer. So please keep your fingers crossed on my behalf!)

I came across this link posted by Valerie Reiss, who writes about healthy and holistic living. She shares some really interesting tips to help prevent you from getting the flu. You are probably aware of some of the tips but there are others that I am going to have to try out for myself. If you haven't already, read up on these simple tips on flu prevention. Hope this helps!

Seventh Generation and millions of babies are crawling to Washington to demand a law that will regulate toxic chemicals found in household products.

Check it out!

Babies are getting on soapboxes to demand toxic chemical policy reform from Congress, and to rally support for The Million Baby Crawl. Just have a look at this video.

And if you haven't already, check out this video: Babies Seen Crawling Through a Crosswalk

Let's all join the crawl!

Okay, so this is my first ever vlog so please don't laugh at how terribly it turned out. I recorded this on Facebook using my laptop camera in poor lighting conditions and to top it off, I sound ridiculous. It makes me wonder what I sound like when I ramble on during a lesson. My students must be so annoyed hearing me talk all period long! LOL I'm going to watch it again tomorrow and if I still feel embarrassed by it, I will most likely delete this post. So here is my Monday Mingle Vlog:

Just a short month ago, I was pleasantly surprised when my personal Clorox cleaning kit arrived at my door. Inside I found a bottle of Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Clorox Clean-up and several packages of their Disinfecting Wipes. You're probably wondering why I got so excited about cleaning products. Aside from the fact that I got to try them out at no expense, all these products have something in common that I find very important - they are DISINFECTING! This came at a crucial time of the year, the ever-dreaded flu season. With the H1N1 flu pandemic causing much concern amongst parents and the general population, it was nice to know that I had a stash of disinfecting wipes that kill 99.9% of household germs such as E. coli, Salmonella, Influenza Virus Type A2 and Rotavirus. Simply wipe any hard, non-porous surface throughout your house, bathroom or kitchen and let it remain wet for 10 minutes and voilà! The surface is disinfected!

My other two favorite products have to be the bathroom cleaner and toilet bowl cleaner. Whenever I think of germs, the bathroom is the first place I think of and hence, the first room I clean. Unlike some of the other bathroom cleaners I've tried, these two products do not have an overwhelming scent. This is very important to me because, ever since I had kids, I find my nose is awfully sensitive to powerful smells. I also like that the spray handle didn't leak, which I have experienced with some other spray bottles. It also gave me satisfaction in knowing that my bathroom was disinfected.

Although I was thoroughly pleased with the results of these products, I am very curious to try their Green Works Natural Cleaners. They contain plant-based and biodegradable ingredients, are not tested on animals and use recyclable packaging. These cleaners are available in a wide assortment, including laundry detergent for high efficiency washing machines, and are said to be powerful eco-friendly cleaners without harsh chemical residue. I am so glad this is where the trend is heading!

It's 7:00 am and it's raining outside. While my daughter sleeps after an exhausting week of fevers, coughing and rushing out to see doctor after doctor, I'm sitting with my nearly 18-month-old son at the dinner table. He's playing with a Little People magnetic drawing board. Just a few short minutes ago, he was pointing to certain body parts on the Little People character and I was naming them off. My son already knows how to point to his ears, eyes, mouth, nose and belly button but has not been able to say any of the words yet. Today, he pointed to the hand of the blond haired character on his toy and I told him, "Hand." He shows me his own hand and repeated after me. How exciting! That brings up his total of new words this week to five, adding to the words he spoke at daycare this week: truck (pronounced "uck"), bus, Paolo (his name, which I have yet to hear him say) and John (pronounced "Ron"). John is the custodian at his daycare, and while they were thrilled to hear him say, "Hi, Ron" every time he walked by, his teachers were a little disappointed that he chose to say John's name over their own! He also found complete and utter satisfaction yesterday in repeating "Bye-bye nonna" as we left his grandmother's house and during the entire ride home.


Now I wait for my daughter to wake up from a much deserved quiet night. Her cough seems to have subsided a great deal but she did have a mild fever in the middle of the night. Every doctor that has seen her said it's just a cold but with this whole Swine flu scare, your thoughts begin to run wild. We're going to start her on a homeopathic treatment today to help rid her of the cough and try out some natural anti-viral tablets to help boost her immune system. She's still in pretty good spirits and has no other severe symptoms other than a lack of appetite. But what was that old adage? "Starve a fever, feed a cold." What do I do when she has both?

Calling all Grade 4, 5 and 6 students.

There are three weeks left in the Genworth Financial/Habitat for Humanity “Meaning of Home” contest. It’s a great educational experience for students and it supports a great cause.

Here is a little FYI for Canadian parents. The Entertainment Software Association of Canada has created a video series to guide parents through the ESRB ratings system for video games and on parental controls for video game consoles including the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and the Personal Computer. We have a Nintendo Wii at home and although my daughter is still quite young and only uses it mainly for Wii Fit games, it's good to know about the parental controls available for it. The online videos created by ESAC show you how to use these controls so if you're not terribly comfortable fidgeting with them, these videos will show you how to do it.

You can access the videos here.

...you get excited over a simple word like house. Why did I get so excited over the word house? Well, it's because my son, who is just shy of turning 1 and 1/2 years old, was watching his Baby Einstein DVD this afternoon and instantly pointed to the first image to appear and cried out, "House!" I was elated! So much so I didn't believe my ears at first. Then he said it again. And then I was certain, as was he, that he named it correctly. What a joy! Lately, he seems to be making more attempts at saying words but can thus far only manage beginning sounds, such as the [k] in car, though his mouth forms the [ar] blend, it's just that no sound comes out. But it doesn't matter because I'm excited about that, too!

My daughter has since made a proud achievement of her own. For the longest time, she has harboured a slight fear of knives, mostly instilled by us, her parents, as a safety guard to ensure she won't go near one, let alone touch one. But now that she is four, she has mastered the use of a butter knife. Last Friday, her nonna invited us over for dinner and enlisted the help of her sous-chef, my daughter, in making her delicious homemade gnocchi. My daughter is almost a pro at this since she's had more experience than I have had at making them. When she ran out of little balls of dough to roll into the gnocchi shape, she wanted to cut a chunk from the large roll of dough. Under her nonna's supervision, she carefully picked up a blunt serrated knife (for the first time) and cut a piece of dough, and at that very instant she turned around to look at me with a grin from ear to ear and proudly exclaimed with near bewilderment, "Mommy, I did it! I used a knife and I didn't get hurt!" That moment was priceless!

So my son has decided he's actually going to make an attempt at saying some words, other than mama. Though I love that his world revolves around me, I have been anxious for him to learn new words. And he's finally learned some. So far he can say: ouch, uh-oh, thanks, milk, and dada. He is also demonstrating a good understanding of other key words and can point to his nose, mouth, ears and belly button when asked. Today, he also showed me how he can shake his finger whenever I say, "No!" It's so cute!

I'm happy to say he's adjusting rather well to daycare. He did stay home yesterday due to conjunctivitis (pink eye) but he's much better now. Madeleine still puts up a bit of a fuss before heading out to school but she's slowing adjusting to the routine and never ceases to ask, "Is it the weekend, yet?" And I'm just so thrilled that I've managed to get both kids in bed by 8:15 for the past two nights all on my own. A pat on the back for me!

Now, having caught up on the bills, I can either do the mountain of laundry piled up around the house, mark two sets of verb tests, or curl up in front of the t.v. and finish watching Revolutionary Road, which is now overdue. I think I hear a bag of popcorn calling my name...

Last year, we bought the Wii console along with the Wii Fit game. It was somewhat frustrating for me at first playing certain balance games using the Wii Fit balance board but now I feel I actually have a very good handle of it. My 4-year-old daughter has recently taken a liking, to put it mildly, to the Wii Fit game and plays it almost daily. It's great because she can get some physical activity into her day, especially during the rainy weather. (There's a rainstorm right now as I type!) But man, is she ever obsessed over obtaining good results. She's actually doing better than me! The funniest thing about it is watching her determination as she gyrates her hips in wild, circular motions during the hula hoop simulation game. I have to get it on video, it's so funny! I love her to bits, I tell ya, to bits!

Okay, don't think I'm greedy. I know I've already won the personalized FreckleBox lunch box for Madeleine. But I have been hungrily eyeing the Hooked On Phonics Giveaway on My Organized Chaos. I have the Hooked on French edition and Madeleine really loves it. She's learned more in one summer than some of my grade 8's learn in their lifetime. And one of Madeleine's friends has the Kindergarten edition and it seems to have worked so well for her son, who is already working his way through the grade 1 book. (He's starting grade 1 next month.) Anyway, I really want to work on my daughter's reading skills. I also want my daughter to enjoy reading more than I did when I was a kid. I always found it a bit of a struggle and felt I was a really slow reader. If Hooked on Phonics could help her surpass that struggle, then I want it!

Today Paolo visited with his daycare class and seemed quite comfortable in the toddler room. He wasn't sure if he should explore the room or hug my leg tightly, at first. But once he noticed the number of child-size furniture, he went to town. He pulled out the first chair he could grab and then nestled his little bottom onto it. Then, just like Goldilocks, he pulled out another chair and tested it out, too. And if that wasn't enough, he continued trying out every available chair in the room. I think it was a nice change from the struggle he encounters at home when he tries to climb the sofa or any other piece of furniture for that matter. It was the cutest thing to see his eyes light up at the ease of finding a comfortable place to sit. When he discovered some toy cars and trucks, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to casually sneak my way out of the room. I went to the office and finalized a few things with the administrator and left peacefully after a quick phone call to the teacher in Paolo's room confirmed he was happy and had not shed a single tear.

I can't believe it but I was just notified that I won the FreckleBox contest over at My Organized Chaos! Out of 330 entries, my number was picked and I couldn't be happier. I love personalizing things so I'm so excited that my daughter will be getting her own personalized lunch box. And just in time for school, too! She starts junior kindergarten this year and I'll be heading back to work. She already picked out the style for her new lunch box - The Cute Kitty. And cute it is!

Last Friday, during dinner, the phone rang and my 4-year-old daughter ran to answer it. I tried to encourage her to wait in order that I may check the call display and see if it was anyone we know. She chose to ignore my pleading and answered it anyway. After a quick hello, my husband took the phone from her, listened for a few seconds and determined it was a telemarketer. He returned the phone to my daughter who then proceeded to ramble on about random things, as she often does, until I heard her say, "Hello?.... Hello?"

It was about two weeks ago that my baby boy finally overcame his fear of falling and attempted his first baby steps without any assistance. And boy, was he ever proud! For the longest time, he preferred to walk around only with the security of holding on to a stationary object or by holding on to my hands. He was very slow to sit himself down from a standing position and every move was carefully calculated. It paid off. Because not only has he attained the confidence to walk on his own, but he has been able to avoid plenty a fall, unlike his older sibling who took her first solo steps when she was ten months and didn't know when to stop. She still stumbles over her own two feet to this day. So needless to say, I'm glad my son chose to hold off on his first baby steps. It's just another indication that my tiny little baby is not so tiny anymore.

If you compare how many posts I've written about my first-born with those I've written about my not-so-newborn, you will easily note that I have not nearly written enough about my son. And now a year has gone by since his birth and sadly, I have not recorded many memories of his first year. There have been many an occasion, as you can very well imagine, when I wanted to share with someone, anyone, all the wonderful things I've witnessed, all the little milestones the my baby has reached, and there have been plenty of times when I wanted to blog about it. But, alas, I did not make much of an effort to do so. And now I regret it. I'm not the most organized person I know, and yes, having two children can keep your hands full enough, but at the end of the day, it's all about prioritizing. And thus, I hereby announce to all my blogging friends that I am going to change my priorities to include blogging about both my children. Because their babyhood is too precious to forget.

Okay, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything on here. I've been trying to keep up with my cardmaking hobby and blogging over at Diana's Designs. But I subscribe to My Organized Chaos and get email updates with useful product reviews and great giveaways. I saw this one today and I just had to blog about it. Her review is on the Do-N-Slide Picture To-Do Lists which looks great and seems very versatile. Check out Tammi's review and enter for a chance to win a copy. Good luck!

By chance, I came across a blog called My Organized Chaos by a mother of three darling girls in Alberta. I really like it because A. it's Canadian, B. she writes reviews on products that would be of interest to moms and dads alike, and C. she offers baby product giveaways to her readers. So I thought I'd give it a try. Her latest review and giveaway is on Satch and Sol, which is a fair trade artisan that makes children's clothing by hand. And they have some really cute items. As a bonus, Tammi provides a coupon code in her review that will give you 15% off your purchase which, as an added bonus, they will ship for free if it's over $50. And I, who did most of her Christmas shopping online from the comfort of her own home, couldn't resist. So I succumbed to the lure of online shopping deals and bought a pair of really cute flower cut slippers made of 100% wool for my daughter and another for my goddaughter in anticipation of their summer birthdays. It sure beats last minute shopping!

So I finally created a card that I am quite proud of and thought I would share it on my blog. I gave it to my mother-in-law today thinking she could use it for a wedding or something. She was so kind to take my daughter off my hands for a few hours while I rested and tried to fight this dreadful head cold. I sure am looking forward to the warm weather in tomorrow's forecast!



Here's the recipe:

Paper: DCWV All Dressed Up
Embossing: Cuttlebug D'vine Swirl
Ribbon: Colorbok Printed Ribbon from Michael's
Stamp: Studio G, Stampcraft Black Dye Ink
Cricut: flower from Accent Essentials

It's great to be able to start fresh, isn't it? You take a deep breath and relax your shoulders after all that shopping, gift wrapping, cleaning, hosting, traveling and celebrating. You get a good night's sleep, wake up and open your eyes to sunshine and look forward with optimism to another year not knowing what lies ahead but welcoming any change with open arms nonetheless.

I have decided to make one resolution this year and I'm keeping it simple:

I will try to be a nicer person.

It encompasses a wide array of possibilities and it seems to be what I really need right now. You see, I haven't been the happiest person I know and I was always finding other people or things to blame for my crankiness. The truth is, I just wasn't happy with who I was and how I was acting. Looking back on the past few months, it seems I was being rather selfish and obsessive about a lot of things. I was getting lazy with the housework and was feeling overwhelmed by the pressure I felt I needed to place on myself. And I wasn't giving myself enough rest. Hence, the Dr. Jeckyll and Mrs. Hyde complex. By resolving to be a nicer person, essentially a better person, I am going to tackle all of the little things that have gotten in the way of me being a Mrs. Cleaver of sorts. This one resolution is so simple, that instead of being another burden as sometimes resolutions can be, it has set me free to enjoy whatever 2009 will throw my way.