Attacking Breastfeeding Mom's for Giving an Opinion!?!

Here is the LINK
What do you think?
Is it wrong for mommy bloggers to give an honest opinion and review of  a product, even though they are compensated? (The article fails to tell you that not all of the reviews of the app were positive, so obviously, reviewers are being honest)
There are also a lot of negative comments on this article, attacking mothers who use the iphone app. Clearly, the man making these comments, doesn't know that most doctors/hospitals, ask breastfeeding, or formula feeding mothers to track the baby's food intake, and diaper changes for a few days after the baby is born. Why not use an iphone app for it? Because an evil formula company made it? WHO CARES! (I DO NOT think formula, or formula companies are evil, this just seems to be the tone of the article, in my opinion. I am pro baby feeding. Whatever way you chose to feed them. COOL!) If it works well, and helps a new mom track her breastfeeding session, AWESOME. I did track my breastfeeding sessions when Jackson was first born, as well as his diaper changes, and sleeping. I probably won't with my next baby, but as a first time mother, i was of course going to do things the way i was instructed by my doctor.
I think it's great that more companies are having real moms test and review their products. Most new mothers turn to other mothers for advice. From what brand of diapers to try, which bouncy chair is the best, and even breastfeeding advice and support. Yes, a lot of the time they are compensated. Again, i say, SO WHAT!? Do they not deserve the compensation? I truly believe most mom's reviewing products are honest. Of course there may be some that aren't. There will always be bad seeds, and i don't think everyone should be painted with the same brush.
*This post was sponsored by, Ihatejerkswhoattackmomsthatarejusttryingotdotheirbest. 

A Day in the Life

A day in the life of a working mommy.
6:30 Alarm goes off6:45 Actually get up6:45-7:45 Get dressed, get ready,pack my lunch, pack Jacksons lunch and diaper bag, feed the dog, feed the cat, let the dog outside, make the bed, eat breakfast7:50-8:00 Drop Jackson off at Babysitting8:00-9:00 Drive to work9:00-3:00 Work (cleaning houses)3:00-4:00 Drive home4:00 Pick up Jackson4:30-7:30 Go to bank, go to grocery store, get home, grab the mail, unpack Jacksons diaper bag and lunch, let the dog in and out 1,000 times, wash our lunch dishes, put a load of diapers in the wash, vacuum, play, read books, start dinner, prepare lunches for the next day, hang diapers on the line (inside), eat dinner, clean up the food that is thrown within 5 feet of Jacksons high chair and in his hair and ears, wash dishes from dinner, wrangle Jackson into the bath tub, dry J-man off and get him jammied up for bed.7:30-11:00 Swiffer the kitchen, fold and put away laundry that was hanging on the line last night, catch up on blogs i read, respond to e-mails, write a blog post if i'm lucky, shower, watch my fav show with a hot chocolate, zonk out around 11:30.
I have to all that again tomorrow?
Aicarumba.

A Stairwell.

You can do a lot with a stairwell.




Jackson started this project for us, back in december, when he peeled a piece of wall paper off, at the top of our stairs (there is a landing, and a baby gate, safety first) The previous owners apparently wallpapered over a few holes in the walls. Ugh. Once Jackson had exposed the hole, i decided we had pull up the wall paper, and start fresh (also, we couldn't fix it, we didn't have any of the paper)

After peeling back all of the wallpaper, which came off pretty easily, i realized there was no chance i could just paint the walls. They were so mangled, they would at the very least need a skim coat. I decided to fix all the major dents and bumps, and re-apply wall paper. I chose a Wall Doctor brand, it looks like bead board, and it is specifically made to hide imperfections. You can even put it over cinder blocks, or panelling. It was very easy to put up, it took Mr.H and i maybe two hours.

I left one wall paper less, because i've always wanted a chalk board wall. Since the wall was rough (old plaster) we covered it with a very smooth piece of plywood (i have no idea what kind, that is up to the Mr.) I used Rustoleum chalkboard paint in Moonstone. It took 3 coats to be smooth enough to write on, i assume because i painted over wood instead of the usual drywall. The chalkboard will be great for Jackson also, when he is a bit older. It is safe, because it is on the landing, and we have a "top of stairs" baby gate there, which is extra tall (it comes up to my hip, and i'm 5'6") So if/when he is able to climb over the gate, we probably won't be using it anymore.

Since we have a fairly small house, and i like to use every available space, i decided some shelves were in order. There is so much wasted space at the top of the stairwell after all. I wanted some vintage crates, but after deciding that they might not be strong enough for shelves that would be hung above our heads, i asked the Mr. to make me some, from barn board.

I think they turned out fab, and are the perfect way to use the space. I only put things in them that are for display only, or we rarely use (the top two shelves are accessible only by ladder). It's a great space for things that you want to keep, but don't need access to often.

And that folks, is our stairwell makeover.

The Smart Guy

I don't know if every mother feels like this, but every time Jackson learns something new, i'm convinced he's the smartest baby alive. This week, he's all about stacking and sorting. Int he pictures above, he's stacking a frog toy. He loves it. We clap and cheer when he completes it. He also loves to stick legos together (the big kind) His other favorite for stacking is tupperware. I keep all of my tupperware in a basket that he can access, he pulls i all out, and stacks the container together. Then he pulls them all apart, throws them everywhere, and starts again. He's also taken a liking to the shape sorter. He tries to put the shapes in the spots (he's gotten it right twice) and we cheer for him every time, even if it's wrong. Then we show him where the shape goes.

What can i say, smartest.baby.alive.

I Feel Special.

Sara at 1+1=Baby gave me the stylish blogger award. (She's a fellow Canadian!)

This is my first blog award, and i'd like the thank the academy...just kidding, lame attempt at a joke.

I want to pass the award on to Jess at Here Comes the Sun. She has the cutest little man, and an awesome upbeat blog, that will surely brighten your day.

When you receive this award, you are supposed to write 7 things about your self, that your readers don't/may not know.

Hmmm....i write about every little thing that pops into my head, but here goes:

1.I am pretty ocd about cleanliness and organization (people who know me in real life know this obvi)

2. I love the show Gossip Girl (it's my guilty pleasure)

3. I am very opinionated about thing i am passionate about. Probably to a fault.

4. I wear a night guard, because i grind my teeth so bad, my front teeth are chipped!

5. I have realllllllllllllllly bad eyesight, and a hole in my retina. 

6.I HATE peanut butter and chocolate together.

7. I believe the things in scary movies, could really happen!

There ya go. Some ridiculous things about me, that you didn't know.

SUPERFAN!

Jackson is a superfan. These pics are from Superbowl sunday. Thanks to his auntie Kaitlin, Jackson supported his team in style.
BTW, Packers gear for babies is hard to find, if anyone ever sees ANYTHING anywhere in Canada, let me know. Luckily this shirt is 24 months, so hopefully it will fit him for part of next season, though, at this rate who knows!

 My best advice for new mothers purchasing clothing, buy very little in the 0-3 mos range (really they wear sleepers, so a couple of cute outfits are enough, and you will get SO MUCH at your baby shower), a little more in 6-9 mos, but 12mos-2t is where the real investment is. Jackson started wearing 12 month shirts when he was 7ish months old, and can still fit a lot of them, although they were big then, and are getting short now. Now, he can wear 18-24 month shirts, and i think he will for most of this year, now that his growth is slowing down. However, when it comes to pyjamas, they should always be very fitted (strangulation hazard if they are loose). For us, 2 piece pyjamas were better, for a long time, one piece did not fit his body type well. Also, if you cloth diaper, one piece pyjamas can be tight, once baby starts sleeping through the night, and you have to double or triple stuff their diaper.

Grunge Boy

Flashback to the 90's.
We didn't get any pictures with the hoodie and the winter hat, but you get the drift. Jackson is supa fly. I think he may have been trying to sing Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Jackson finnally had his 12 month doctors appointment this week.


He is 23lbs (he's gained just over15 pounds in a year), 29.5 inches (hes grown about 9 inches), and pretty darn perfect. He has 10 teeth, 4 on top and 6 on the bottom (including 2 molars, which are the meanest thing ever to do to a baby!)

He cried for a brief second as he got his needles, and that was it. The nurse said she wished every baby was like him. He had no apparent  pain or fever after his needles, and slept great.
Now, we have the 15 and 18 month appointment, then, no needles for a long time! Yay! I hate seeing my little man hurt, if even for a second.

Valentines Weekend

I heart V-day. Just as a reminder, to do something special with the ones we love.
On Sunday we had french toast with yummy berries for breakfast, then Jackson went to Grandma's for a few hours.Mr. H and i spent the afternoon, checking out some shops, and having a late lunch on Locke Street. (We'd much rather spend time together DOING something, than buy each other gifts)

Of course, the Cheese Shop on Locke was Marcus' favorite. He got some expensive stinky cheese. I took some pics of their loverly product displays.

My favorite store, is Citizen Kid. They sell a lot of unique toys. wooden, handmade, organic, toys that require use of imagination. A great store to check out if you are going to a baby shower, or a child's birthday, and want to get something unique. I didn't take any pictures there, i was some what scurred of the sales girl.
Our original plan was a somewhat fancy dinner, but alas, we were ready to eat at 3, and the dinner places weren't open yet. Instead, we went to the West Town, a diner-ish place. Our kind of food.

All i can say is, i have serious love for deep fried pickles, and pizza with feta, sun dried tomatoes and red onion. Oh, and Stella. I can't forget the Stella.

(a nice out of focus picture of me. Bleh!)

In lieu of going to the movies, and trying to find something decent to see, we rented some movies, and made homemade hot fudge sundays. Yumfreakin'um. A damn perfect Valentines day to me.We watched Conviction, which was a GREAT movie, as well as Black Swan, which was good, but weird, and sort of meh.
We also had The Fighter to watch, but we were asleep on the couch all too early.
We sort of extended our V-Day celebration into Monday, which brought us to the decision to get back to our healthy eating habits after today. We sort of fell of the wagon after Christmas, and never fully got back. I don't think either of us have actually gained any weight per se, we just feel icky and lame. Normally, we eat healthy during the week, and on the weekend allow ourselves to have 1 or 2 free meals. For us, it is a good balance. By healthy i mean, nothing fried, whole grains, fruit, veggies and usually lean meats. Marcus' does eat white bread, but at least he doesn't get a doughnut at Tim's, and he doesn't drink beer or regular pop anymore. Here's to hoping that we stick with it. I think the fact that we discussed it with each other, and i am now accountable to the blog sphere should help.
Now to plow through all the chocolate we have in the house!

My V-day flowers. (Jackson picked them!)

Pretty Pretty Please

They have reset Top Baby Blogs. If you have a second could you give me a quick vote? You can also vote every day, by clicking the link on my sidebar.



Today the Mr. and i are going for a late lunch, and stroll on Locke Street, and then desert and movies back at home. (Our v-day fun) J-man is going to Grandmas.
I'll have some fun pics for you tomorrow.
Have a loverly Valentines Day every one. Even if you think it's a holiday made up by greeting card companies. It's a nice reminder to do something for someone you love. Even as a kid, i remember always looking forward to the box of chocolates from my dad on V-day.
Tomorrow, is Jacksons 1 year doc appointment. Eeek. Needles! They were so much easier when he didn't know what was happening. 

The Many Faces of JGH

Jackson Graeme is a man of many faces.

Crazy eyes, puzzled, tough guy, and super sad guy.

All in the span of 15 seconds. Yup, he's a toddler.

A Slideshow of His First Year

The Napping Guy

Playing is such hard work. Sometimes a little man can't quite make it to his crib for a nap. 

Oh how i heart the times he falls asleep on me. Swoon.

Our Baby Turns One

Jackson's actual birthday (Wednesday)

Opening presents from Mama & Daddy, and Grandma.

Baby + Helmet= Cutest thing ever (gift from Grandma)

Seriously, cutest thing ever.

Chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

Jackson's birthday party day (Saturday)

Right befroe his haircut. Crazy hair boy!

The fastest haircut ever! We were able to keep him entertained and he actually did pretty good!

The cute man with his haircut. Omg. 

Tissue paper pom poms i made, they turned out great. They would be super cute for a wedding or baby shower too.

Food! We made it all.

Chili, hot dogs (for chili cheese dogs) bread, hummus, veggies, snacks, cake and cupcakes. YUM.

So many presents!

Jackson had some help opening his gifts from his bff Fen.

Awesome hand made barn. it's like a dollhouse for boys!

Cake time! Jackson was scared by the cake. He enjoyed it once a small piece was put in front of him, instead if the whole cake. 

Nom.

Nom. NomNom.

Jackson was soooooo pooped by the end of his party. He had a super fun time though. We are so grateful to all of our friends and family for coming out to celebrate the birth of our sweet little man.

Also, this is his auntie. Auntie Crazy Face.