7 Quick Takes (vol. 14)

It’s Friday!  Wahoo!  This has been a long week, but it’s OVER!  Don’t forget to join up with Jen for her 7 Quick Takes.

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Here is my attempt at one of the outfits I wanted to replicate.  I have found some green skinny jeans at Smart Set, Blue Notes, Old Navy and…hmmm there was another place but I can’t remember.  Maybe Garage?  Anyways, they were all $30+ so I couldn’t justify buying them just yet.  Instead I used my pink “party pants” (don’t ask) and decided that this was close enough of a replication.  Thoughts?

I like this outfit because it’s simple and both items are very versatile.  My only concern is the white top with two children…I’ll just take it off or cover it up when feeding them.

My outfit:

Replicating Kate’s:

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My kids reeeeeeeally like their mommy.  Or at least they really like to be near me all. the. time.  I swear, unless a show is on, they are on me every 5 minutes.  I tried to take a 5 minute shower; Chloe came to find me.  I tried to get dress; Ben found me.  Now I am debating running upstair while Ben is sleeping to brush my teeth…is it worth it?  I haven’t decided yet.

This is them playing for 4 minutes 10 seconds (I timed it) while I quickly washed some dishes.

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We went to pick up swimsuits from the second hand store so that I can take the kids swimming more regularly.  The fitness/activity centre here sounds really good and maybe once or twice a week we can go swimming and maybe to the gymnastics centre.  I think I’m a bit of a boring mom and would like to try to get out and do more with my kids.

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This week I read an article about stay-at-home moms which was kind of discouraging.  I guess the article itself wasn’t, but what she wrote about was.  Basically it’s about how educated women shouldn’t waste their education as a stay-at-home mothers.  This is insulting in every way.  Should mothers not be educated at all?  If they don’t deserve a degree, do they even deserve a high school education?  Are we so much less valuable to society simply because we choose to be present daily in the lives of our children instead of pursuing a successful career?  *Sigh*  Society, please don’t devalue the hard work that we do with our children at home.  We’re raising the little people that will become out future!

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We got a furnace quote the other day: $7000 for two.  *gag*  That’s a little more than we wanted to pay so now we’re looking for other options.  We aren’t overly pressed for time, but this is Alberta people and it could very well snow next month.

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Our dishwasher broke *sniff sniff BAWL*!  I went out to an Opus Dei recollection on Tuesday and when I came home, Ryan said “Bad news babe.  The dish washer is broken.”  The only thing worse than hearing that would be to hear “Bad news babe.  The washing machine is broken.”  Washing dishes by hand is slightly better than washing clothes by hand, right?!

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This morning Chloe slept in until almost 7am, but Ben decided to get up at 6:25.  I managed to still get in 15 minutes of quiet prayer time and decided that I wouldn’t get frustrated at the interruption, but continue in my prayer while he ate breakfast.  When I went to get Chloe, she decided she wouldn’t come downstairs until she put on her princess shoes…oh.my.word.

Haircut Success and Frugal Friday Kickoff!

I’ve decided that every Friday – along with linking up for Quick Takes – I will have *drum roll* FRUGAL FRIDAY!  On this day I will post one way that we were frugal in the past week.  Hopefully you’ll share some of your frugalness with us too!

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So back in November I attempted to cut Chloe’s hair.  And I completely botched it:

I cried a lot over this terrible haircut.  After watching a couple videos and a hairdresser friend cut my babies hair, I successfully managed to give my babies pretty decent haircuts!

Best part is I saved us about $40!  Getting kids haircuts is NOT cheap!

That’s my take for Frugal Friday!  Feel free to share how you were frugal this week!

Sometimes a Hero is…

…the one who rescues the lost Strawberry Shortcake figures from weeks of being trapped under couch cushions…

The Farmer’s Market

I went to the Farmer’s Market with Chloe and my sister Emilie.  Well, Chloe hated it and screamed at anyone who mentioned she was ‘so cute’ or asked her a simple question like ‘would you like to sample some cake?’.  Stinker.  Anywho, we picked up some garden produce (tomatoes, cucuber and onions) along with fresh baked bread.  Total cost?  $11.75.

There is something special about a Farmer’s Market that I love.  The music, the smells, the atmosphere in general all seems to represent something so good and wholesome.  Plus there is the added bonus that everything there is natural and homemade.  I can’t wait to go back.  Once we finish up our 5 dozen eggs – purchased from Costco the day before – I will be buying eggs from there too!  That’s been a long time goal of time – fresh farm eggs.  Now to find a way to get fresh cow’s milk…

7 Quick Takes (vol. 12)

Joining up with Jen for the weekly 7 Quick Takes.

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We FINALLY have a possession date for our new place!  It’s as we thought it would be: August 9th.  My issue is that I also have my MudHero 6km obstacle course run the SATURDAY of that weekend!  I said I’d be going, but now I’m feeling unsure and guilty…what’s more important, right?!

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I absolutely HATE when this happens:

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The shoe thief strikes again and this time she takes my shades as well.

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Not sure if you heard, but there have been 30 confirmed cases of Measles in 6 Canadian provinces.  Kind of scary stuff!

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Source

Easy Envelope Budget Aid (EEBA) is a cool little budget app that I discovered on my iPhone.  I absolutely love it!  For once in our married life, we’re actually able to keep track of every single penny we’re spending!  The simplicity and accesibility, plus the fact that it’s free for life, makes it the perfect app for a busy person who needs to keep track of their money.  Our budget is super tight right now because not only did we buy a house, but we’re now saving for renos!

Check out their short promo video: http://youtu.be/x8cB5q2Luyo

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My two favorite blogs this week…are…

Natalie’s at The Busy Budgeting Mama and Kate’s at The Small Things Blog!  Check these ladies out!  They are two of my blog inspirations!

I love Natalie’s blog because it’s so relatable.  I’m a mom, she’s a mom.  We’re both Catholic.  Bugeting and frugal living is a part of our daily lives!

Kate’s blog is great because she makes hair, make-up and style easy for the simple, every day woman aka moi.

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Every week I try to learn something new about living frugally.  Here is one article I found from Mrs.January that I found really helpful!

Shoe Thief

Cute shoes, no?  I decided I needed to buy a new pair – or two – because my last pair of nice flats got run over by our neighbour’s car.  Chloe had been wearing them around outside when she was helping her daddy wash my car.  She left them in the neighbour’s driveway and the next day I found them there, squashed and unwearable.  So off to Ardene’s I went to buy shoes, 2/$15!

Despite the fact that Chloe has more shoes than I do, she must think I purchased these for her.  And so the shoe thief strikes again…hopefully these pairs will last longer than their predecessor…

Canada Day 2013!

Catching up a little bit on blog posts…

Yesterday’s Canada was really fun!  Ryan had to work, but after a quick stop at Walmart for water toys:

Chloe and I spent the whole morning outside, and it was HOT (felt like 33C).  We mowed the lawn then played in the sprinkler and kiddie pool.

We had a super simple supper of cold sandwiches and while I went to adoration, Ryan took the babies for a bike ride to the spray park.  My sister Emilie came to visit us and watch the new show Under the Dome.  It was a really simple day, but we thoroughly enjoyed it simplicity.  I hope you all had a great Canada Day!

Summer is Here…

Yesterday it did not rain – AMAZING – so we got to enjoy some time in the sun.  My upper legs have a small burn on them, which gives them a colour other than blinding white.  I went for a run at 2:30 in the afternoon and that was intense!  29C, black leggings, and no sunglasses proved to be a challenge I accepted.  Because it was so warm, I should have cut down on the length of my run so as not to get as warm as I did, but there are no regrets.

Since it was so hot all day, Chloe had trouble staying asleep.  She woke up a couple times before midnight and was just beside herself.  Ryan tried to calm her down, but she just wanted her Mommy.  After calming Ben – whom she woke – I went in to deal with her.  After a few attempts at calming her in her own bed, I just brought her to mine.  That didn’t work so well for any of us because a) she’s a bed hog b) she wanted to be as close to me as possible which made her even hotter and more uncomfortable c) she wouldn’t stop squirming.  I brought her back to her bed and laid on her bedroom floor for about an hour until she fell asleep.  When she woke up at 6:30, I brought her to my bed and she is still sleeping there right now with her daddy.  Ben on the other hand is awake and clingy.  He slept really well though (11:50ish-7:30ish) so I can’t complain.

Today is supposed to be 33C so we’ll likely be heading to the spray park for some sweet relief.

I Am Blessed

On a day that two year old Naomi McPike was laid to rest, I found the the readings of today’s Mass to be quite fitting; the Gospel especially.

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

I spent more time treasuring Chloe today.  The little things she did were like precious jewels that I wish to collect in my memory.

This morning when I went to get her from bed, she was sitting and reading out loud, but quietly to herself.  The instant I entered the room, she gasped in delight and said, “Mommy!”  Immediately she stood up and reached for me.  I held her close and kissed her.  When she greeted her brother – ‘Ben-ja-ben!’ – my heart warmed at the love between the two.  She chattered in her own little language while she ate her peanut butter toast.  I watched in total awe while she played with her new Strawberry Shortcake toy: the simplicity and joy she felt while playing floored me.  Her father joined her in singing the Strawberry Shortcake theme song from the movie and I melted.

Because it’s such a cold, gloomy and rainy day, we took the kids to West Edmonton Mall just to walk around.  We took her to the Disney store and watched her ‘ooooo’ and ‘awwww’ over the dolls and pretty things.  She cuddled her favorite characters, but willingly put them back to move on to more fun.

This afternoon, I found poop in her hair.  POOP!  It was pretty disgusting, but I could only laugh as Ryan used a tissue to carefully remove it.  I washed her bedding and while remaking her bed, I thought lovingly of the precious little girl who would sleep there tonight.  I posted about this event in my mom’s group and Theresa, Naomi’s mother, replied: “I’m sorry but that’s awesome. Just what I needed to hear today.”  I realized how precious is every thing my daughter does.  Despite the fact that the poop was gross, it meant that she was alive and with me.  My mother’s heart still breaks for my friend Theresa and I honestly do not know how she has the strength to even write that on FB.

After supper, we just started to clean up, but Chloe told us: “Pray!  Pray!”  I was SO proud of her for reminding us that the family Rosary comes after supper.  We gave her one to hold; she made the sign of the cross and kissed the crucifix.  She sat through the beginning prayers and some of the first decade.  When I prayed, “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”  her little voice would say “…Mary…God…sinners…hour…AAAAA.  MEN!”

I watched her eating her popcorn tonight, and how she smiled at her daddy.  How when I kissed him, she came for her share in the kisses from us.  I kissed her so many times today that I can’t count them all.  I told her ‘I love you so much’ as often as I kissed her.

This wasn’t a planned post, but I felt that I needed to write because I am so grateful for what I have right now.  Healthy, happy children.  A wonderful, amazing, loving husband.  Warm home, and food in my belly.  Wonderful friends and family.  I am blessed.

Source

Ten Reasons Chloe was Crying Today

There were far more than just ten reasons that Chloe was crying today, but I thought it’d be easier to narrow it down to 10 instead of 82.

1. I wouldn’t give her 5 snacks before 10am.

2. She threw her book on the floor and didn’t want to throw it on the floor.

3. It was so windy today she was blown into the open car door.

4. I couldn’t push two full sized shopping carts – she, along with Ben, wanted to also ride in the child seat.

5. I wouldn’t let her push a full sized shopping cart.

6.  I don’t know why she threw herself on the floor face down at Old Navy and cried.

7.  I pushed the button to open the store’s automatic door.

8. Not all car rides lead to Grandma’s house.

9. I told her the toy at the store was not hers.

10. I made eye contact.