The Northern Nest http://thenorthernnest.com My adventures into creating simple delicious recipes, MommyHood, & Everything In-between! Wed, 01 May 2019 17:31:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.21 76408443 New House, New beginnings http://thenorthernnest.com/new-house-new-beginnings/ http://thenorthernnest.com/new-house-new-beginnings/#respond Tue, 29 Jan 2019 04:13:36 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1925 Well overdue, we are into the new year just by a smidge and I have failed to get our new house update up.  We get Fall family photos done each year from my good friend Erin. To remind us of...

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Well overdue, we are into the new year just by a smidge and I have failed to get our new house update up.  We get Fall family photos done each year from my good friend Erin. To remind us of how fast the years go by. Since having kids it’s like time has sped up 🙁

Lots had gone on this past year, new home, my best friend got married, work has lead us to great opportunities. With a new home came the stress of moving. We decided to do a new home build, bought into a development. It was an interesting experience, should I write about our new home build? It was definitely quite the experience, but worth it in the end. I just wish I would have been warned or knew what to expect during that process.

This lane way is just beautiful

Yay it’s finally finished, Jeremy wanted a dirt picture! I didn’t get why but I am glad we did, the week after we finally got grass, Mason was super happy.

One of the reasons why we wanted to move back to where we had grown up was the country life. As kids, my husband had fond memories of growing up on a farm as do I. My family had more of a hobby farm than working though. I’m really excited to let my children have the chance to grow up in this unique community. #Farmlife without the work.

My little explorer, you think the older they get the easier it is to get a nice picture. In reality, Olivia was the child that co-operated. But he’s so handsome when you snap a good one.

Can’t you just stay little forever, Olivia is really turning into a daddy’s girl, I’m happy for that though, it’s so cute to just see her talk about her daddy nonstop.

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Traveling with a toddler and baby! Hawaii Edition http://thenorthernnest.com/traveling-toddler-baby-hawaii-edition/ http://thenorthernnest.com/traveling-toddler-baby-hawaii-edition/#respond Thu, 31 May 2018 01:04:37 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1907 Hey guys and gals! Haven’t been on here for a bit. Life has been crazy, new baby who is now 14 months and a 3 year old going on 15.  New house, it’s like a bomb has gone off here,...

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Hey guys and gals!

Haven’t been on here for a bit. Life has been crazy, new baby who is now 14 months and a 3 year old going on 15.  New house, it’s like a bomb has gone off here, and new opportunities. That being said we did get away for a 2 week vacation.

Here are a few quick tips for traveling with a busy toddler and infant.

#1 Bring an ipad, it’s just easy.  People on the plane will thank you for it.

#2 For your infant bring along a dockatot. Mine was a life savor, cozy for her to sleep in and easy to move when baby is sleeping, fits on your lap perfectly, or if you happen to have a free seat beside, score!

#3 Bring a friend or family member if you can, we decided to bring along a family friend and between myself, husband and family member we played pass the baby.

#4 One of the most important things to not forget are, snacks, kids are like a loop hole you can bring water bottles, veggies, squeeze packs you name it, you can bring it. My kids always seem to be eating so this was a must!

#5 Enough diapers, wipes, carrier, and extra clothing to get you through the airport/ plane ride/ and landing.

Here’s a few snap shots from our family vacay.

 

See works like a charm 🙂

 

Baby carrier is a must, we did a 3 hr hike with the kiddos and they mastered it like pros!

Beach day with the Uncles.

My baby carrier saved the day, I used this baby every single day!

 

We did some educational outings as well, this was an octopus farm in Kona, Hawaii

 

Believe it or not we walked with the kids down to that beach, boy was it a hike.  We were so pumped when we got back up.

 

A few other tips and trick I have learned from my experience with traveling with little’s, don’t book a hotel. Way to expensive and your all crammed in the same room.  Do a rental home, a lot cheaper, especially if you split it with family, and way more room.

Book places with baby stuff so you don’t have to rent or buy, if you can’t don’t waste your money on renting. I tried that this trip and it was cheaper to just buy a play yard and bring it home.

 

Those are my tips for traveling with your little ones, hope they help 🙂

Till next time,

 

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Newborn Photo Shoot http://thenorthernnest.com/newborn-photo-shoot/ http://thenorthernnest.com/newborn-photo-shoot/#respond Sun, 04 Jun 2017 19:34:08 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1871 To go along with my maternity photo shoot, I also booked a newborn session.  We didn’t do one with our first so I was so excited to get Olivia’s done this time round’, looking back I wish we did it...

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To go along with my maternity photo shoot, I also booked a newborn session.  We didn’t do one with our first so I was so excited to get Olivia’s done this time round’, looking back I wish we did it with Mason (our first).

Before booking her shoot, there are some things that are great to know before hand, our photographer did a great job of making sure we were prepared.  I didn’t know that there was so much that goes into the session, props to our photographer Emily, she was really amazing and is so patient.

Here are a few tips before the shoot:

  1. Expect it’s going to be hot, photographers like to keep their studio warm since your little one will be naked for most of the time, you don’t want them to get cold.  So bring a t-shirt.
  2. Newborn sessions take some time, so don’t pack your day full of other errands and activities.
  3. If you are doing family photos as well  and you have another little, (we have a 2 year old and he did not co-operate at all) that’s toddlers for ya 😉 Have your partner or someone else take your other child home after the family portion, I was super stressed when my toddler didn’t want to participate. It was much more relaxing when he left haha. We only ended up getting a few good ones, and that was thanks to Emily having Paw Patrol characters.  So bring things that your toddler will interact with/ and or keep them busy.
  4. Bring a few different outfits in case baby pukes or has an accident.

Here are a few pictures from our photo shoot with Olivia, I love love love how they turned out. Thank you Emily Rae Photography 🙂

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I love this product! http://thenorthernnest.com/i-love-this-product/ http://thenorthernnest.com/i-love-this-product/#respond Thu, 06 Apr 2017 16:32:08 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1842 I received this product for free in exchange for a review, however this does not affect my opinion of this product! When I first found out that I was pregnant with my second child I was so excited! Then the...

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I received this product for free in exchange for a review, however this does not affect my opinion of this product!

When I first found out that I was pregnant with my second child I was so excited! Then the realization kicked in that we would be starting all over again with a newborn plus a toddler.  With our first we did a lot of co-sleeping, which in my opinion was stressful.  Always afraid that baby would get squished.  Then I found out about the Dockatot,  I was like I need to try out this product, it would take away the stress and maybe I would actually get some sleep while baby is in a safe spot.

A little info about the Dockatot, it’s made out of completely breathable material, 100% all natural Cotton, and made in Europe/designed in Sweden. I find it a great product to put her in while she is napping, you can use it as a tummy time mat, and in general a safe spot to put baby.

We have found the Dockatot to be a super handy product to have with a newborn, makes life a little easier. One thing I would recommend is purchasing an extra cover. I did end up buying an extra cover because newborns are messy 😉

The verdict: I am very happy with this product and would definitely recommend it to any mamas out there wanting to give it a try.

 

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Top Newborn Must Haves http://thenorthernnest.com/top-newborn-must-haves/ http://thenorthernnest.com/top-newborn-must-haves/#respond Fri, 06 Jan 2017 11:33:47 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1560  I received some of these items for free in exchange for a review, however, this does not affect my opinion of these products! Hey, ladies so we are onto our second child, and I thought I would share some of...

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 I received some of these items for free in exchange for a review, however, this does not affect my opinion of these products!

Hey, ladies so we are onto our second child, and I thought I would share some of my newborn musts!  It is so hard to know, especially when you’re a new mom what baby items you will “actually need” vs. the items blogs tell you, you “must have” but then don’t even end up using them.  So I took it upon myself to create a list of items that made our lives a lot easier.  So here is my list of my “mommy must haves for baby”

We started out with a regular bassinet but ended up using the Nuna Playyard instead.  It was great and came with a bassinet insert so baby slept up higher.  It is also great because once baby grows out of the bassinet stage you can use it for traveling and on the go.

I found that the Medela Swing Pump was great for me since I only pumped when I was going to be away, it is also small and super portable so it didn’t take up a lot of space.

They recommend some sort of playtime mat, and we went with the Skiphop Owl Tummy Time Mat. Babies tend to hate tummy time, but it is important that they do it and not have them laying on their backs all the time. Mason hated tummy time but seemed to enjoy looking at himself in the mirror it came with.

The Maxi Cosi Car Seat is great! I had a lot of compliments on this seat first time around, it’s funny how once you have a baby you start getting compliments on your baby gear! The only complaint I had with the seat is the canopy it is little flimsy, but other than that it is super durable, removable cloth part with is awesome, and super lightweight.

Boon grass is a life savor! for all that baby stuff (bottles, nipples, pump parts, etc), It’s great, I am still using mine, now for sippy cups.  But it is nice to keep your adult dishes separate from the baby stuff.

The one item that my husband even raves about is our  4moms Mamaroo Swing Mason loved the swing, when all else failed the swing always fixed a fussy baby.

Aden + Anais swaddle blankets, were defiantly a life savor when he was a newborn, except for the fact that Mason always managed to break one arm free. Once we stopped using the blankets for the traditional swaddle they still came in handy and Mason is almost 2.

For bath time we used the Boon Naked Bath Tub, it is a 2 position collapsible baby bathtub, it was great with the to positions from newborn, to when he could sit up on his own.  It was also great for transitioning to our big bath tub.  Mason was a little scared of our big deep tub so we would put his baby bath inside until he felt comfortable to transition.  Now you can’t get him to leave the tub.

One baby product I am super excited to try out with the new baby is the DockaTot Deluxe, we did a lot of co-sleeping with Mason and it was terrifying, some nights he would only want to sleep on our chests and to say the least we did not sleep.  With the Dockatot it is said to be a life savor so I am excited to try it out and report back.

Another new baby item I’m excited to try out with the new babe are those baby Milestone Cards, I always meant to get some the first time around with Mason but never ended up getting some.  I take a lot of pictures, so I think it will be an easier way of keep track of babies firsts.

An alternative to the traditional swaddle blankets I am also excited to try out The Ollie Swaddle, it is a swaddle that uses Velcro to allow individual sizing to your babies needs and if this baby is anything like my first will be an escape artist, so hopefully with the use of the velcro she will stay put.

I also really like the Honest Company when it comes to diapers and wipes. If you’d like to try them out you can use my affiliate link and sign up for a free trial of their products.  It wasn’t realistic for me to do the whole cloth diapers so I figured a great alternative is an Eco-friendly diaper.  My little guy is pretty sensitive to what goes on his body so I wanted to make sure I found a good company that he wouldn’t react to. Plus the prints are so adorable 🙂

Another necessity is a good quality Diaper Bag, I got a Kate Spade Bag, I wanted something stylish and would hold a lot of stuff.  I have no complaints with this bag, I still love it 🙂 Lots of space, pockets and comes with a change pad.

 

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Surviving a Toddler/Family Photo Shoot http://thenorthernnest.com/surviving-a-toddlerfamily-photo-shoot/ http://thenorthernnest.com/surviving-a-toddlerfamily-photo-shoot/#respond Sun, 11 Dec 2016 20:01:07 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1805 Christmas is right around the corner and I decided that we as a whole family should do a little photo shoot, cute idea to give out Christmas themed photos to the relatives.  Sounds like a great idea right? oh was...

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Christmas is right around the corner and I decided that we as a whole family should do a little photo shoot, cute idea to give out Christmas themed photos to the relatives.  Sounds like a great idea right? oh was I wrong, toddlers and photo shoots don’t really go together very well.  It’s either a hit or miss, this day was definitely a miss! I thought Mason would love it, getting to run around in the snow, we even brought the dog.  But he wasn’t having any of it.

In the end, our photographer was able to get a few good shots, check it out 😉 Photography by Ever Images

Some advice I would definitely pass on to anyone looking for ideas on how to survive a photo shoot with a toddler.

  1. Go early enough before  their nap, or after.  But NEVER right before.
  2. Let them explore the area before hand if you can, Mason was all over the place.
  3. If there are props involved and your toddler takes a liking to one, don’t take it away,  just work with it.  If you take it away you’re asking for a melt down.
  4. This one is for you mom, try not to stress! if your toddler is losing it just go with it, don’t let it ruin your time. I spent the majority of the time stressing and it definitely took away from having fun with my family.

Now here are a few shots of my little man not wanting to cooperate!

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Exciting News to Share! http://thenorthernnest.com/exciting-news-share/ http://thenorthernnest.com/exciting-news-share/#respond Mon, 21 Nov 2016 23:41:46 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1791  This past weekend my husband and I shared some extremely exciting news with our family and friends and now I would love to share it with you lovely ladies 🙂 We are due to have another little Rupke in March...

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gender reveal party This past weekend my husband and I shared some extremely exciting news with our family and friends and now I would love to share it with you lovely ladies 🙂

We are due to have another little Rupke in March yay!! (my family and friends already knew that we were having another 😉  but now I am sharing with you guys. We are so excited but also so nervous at the same time! It feels like we just got a handle on life with a 22-month-old and things are running smoothly, add another baby into the mix and oh boy here we go again.

Anyways, this weekend we revealed if we were having a boy or a girl. Can you guess? We took it to a vote to see how many of our guests would be right. Let’s just say majority guessed correctly, I have shared a few pictures from the party below.  I think it turned out pretty good, it was a lot of work trying to get everything together and looking after a toddler, let’s just say it was a VERY LONG NIGHT.  Thanks to my hubby for chipping in when it got a little late.

 

gender reveal party(The spread)

gender reveal party(The Cake Lipstick Baker)

gender reveal party

gender reveal party

gender reveal party(I look a little scary here with that knife…)

gender reveal party(the big reveal)

gender reveal party

gender reveal party(I don’t know how Mason feels about this..)

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It’s been a while! http://thenorthernnest.com/its-been-a-while/ http://thenorthernnest.com/its-been-a-while/#respond Thu, 17 Nov 2016 16:10:35 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1772 Hey ladies! It certainly has been awhile, motherhood is definitely harder than it seems! When I first started this blog (before I had my little guy) it was a fun project to keep a diary of my favourite recipes, my...

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fall photoshootHey ladies! It certainly has been awhile, motherhood is definitely harder than it seems! When I first started this blog (before I had my little guy) it was a fun project to keep a diary of my favourite recipes, my travels, things I like, I figured I would then write about the next chapter in our lives, which was my pregnancy with baby M.  He is now almost 2, I can’t even believe that! When you’re growing up you always hear from people older than you time flys.  Believe me, as soon as you have a child it does!

So I am back! I took a bit of a break from blogging, I found it too hard to juggle this hobby and a new baby. I don’t know how those mommy bloggers do it! Becoming a new mum and keeping up with their blogs and followers (crazy hard).  But now that I have a handle on my life I want to jump back in, share my experiences so far as a mom, how your life actually changes when you have a baby (not the fake fluff you see all over social media #momguilt), new recipes, and just things that I feel like writing about and sharing to all of you 😉

Here is a little photo shoot that my family did this fall! I love fall, it is my favourite time of year, especially in Muskoka.  The colours are amazing! If you have never visited the area it is a definite must!

fall photoshoot

fall photoshoot

fall photoshoot

fall photoshoot

fall photoshoot

Big thanks to Ever Images Photography

fall photoshoot

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Best bibs that you won’t find in stores! http://thenorthernnest.com/best-bibs-that-you-wont-find-in-stores/ http://thenorthernnest.com/best-bibs-that-you-wont-find-in-stores/#respond Thu, 10 Dec 2015 04:48:23 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1743 Hey ladies! I know I haven’t posted in a while, ahh so sorry! Mom life is a little harder than I anticipated.  My little guy is almost 11 months old now (yikes) time fly’s. So now I just post when...

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bib review

Hey ladies! I know I haven’t posted in a while, ahh so sorry! Mom life is a little harder than I anticipated.  My little guy is almost 11 months old now (yikes) time fly’s. So now I just post when I can, in my spare time.  Posting about things I come a cross during my life as a mom and right now I have an obsession with baby bibs!  Mason is a drool king and I have made it my mission to find some of the best bibs that contain the drool.  So here are a few of my go to bibs.

ollieandtatebibsI absolutely love bibs from Ollie & Tate, I came a cross Cait and Laura’s shop on Etsy.

Patterns/ Product

They have a great selection of patterns! I own 5 different patterns and love them all, they are made out of 100% Organic Cotton, and have an absorbent layer of French Terry on reverse side, they come with one snap. The only thing that I would change about these bibs is adding another snap so that baby doesn’t grow out of them to quickly.  Stains in my experience remove well.  I once left a spaghetti stained bib in the hamper for a day without treating it and it came out the next day! I was super impressed.

Drool Report

These bibs are pretty good at containing the drool, however I have had to change them on super drooly days.  I have found that Mason gets them quite wet from teething.  I find that the french terry backing isn’t as absorbent as fleece or minky.  But still adore them!

 

BareBabiesAnother shop that I had recently  come a cross on Etsy was BareBabies, I was very impressed with Karen’s shop from fast shipping, to great prices, to the personalized note that she includes with her orders! That is one of the things I love about Etsy shop owners! they really make the experience a nice one.

Patterns/ Product

I chose the Bears ‘n’ Teepees Bandana bib, she has many more patterns to chose from.  This one in particular is super cute, and great quality.  Holds up well against stains if you treat right away.  This bib is made from 100% Organic Cotton with a Minky fabric backing. Her bibs come with 2 snaps which I love so Mason won’t grow out of it to quickly.

Drool Report

The minky backing holds up very well on the most drooly of days.  Also the minky backing is super soft so I would imagine it feels nice around babies neck.  I have found that with the minky backing there hasn’t been a need to change his bib unless he gets it soaked from spilling milk.

 

 

matimatibabyThis bandana bib is from Matimati Baby.  I found this company through a friends recommendation.

Patterns/ Product

They come in a pack of 4.  All packs are theme related.  For the price of $24.75 I was like wow what a great deal.  But the shipping to Canada is awful, so if you live in the states it’s a way better savings.  But besides the shipping cost these bibs are pretty good, I find them on the thinner side, but still get the job done. They are made from 100% Organic Cotton and have a polyester fleece backing, which is soft and very absorbent.  The one thing I find with these bibs is they stain, and they stain quite easily, even if you act fast and treat right away they still unfortunately stain in my experience.  They also come with 2 snaps so they can be easily adjusted as your baby grows, which is a definite plus!

Drool Report

Rating the drool factor, they hold up pretty nicely.  On very drooly days I have had to change the odd one.  But comparing the thickness of the bib to the others, I would have thought I would have had to change they more frequently, but was mistaken, so yay Matimati for making a bib that is light but effective.

quaintbibLastly, this bandana bib is from Quaint, this bib was also recommended by a friend.

Patterns/ Product

Bibs by Quaint are playful, fun and reversible.  They have a good selection of patterns to chose from.  These bandana bibs cover a large portion of your babies body so it definitely saves babies clothes from getting soaked on the drooliest of days! These bibs also come with 2 snaps so they can grow with baby and the backing is made with fleece, which helps absorb drool better to keep baby nice and dry!  I find mason has to spill something on it to soak all the way through.

Drool Report

Since the bib covers a large portion of his body it catches drool well, and the fleece backing helps baby stay nice and dry.

Hopefully, these tips on some great bibs help you select the right type of bibs for your baby 🙂

best bandana bibs

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Baby Moccasins, are they worth it? http://thenorthernnest.com/baby-moccasins-are-they-worth-it/ http://thenorthernnest.com/baby-moccasins-are-they-worth-it/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2015 16:02:31 +0000 http://thenorthernnest.com/?p=1724 Hey ladies! I want to start off this post by saying thank you to Freshly Picked for sending me these adorable baby moccasins in exchange for a baby photo shoot and review.  Opinions stated in this post are 100% my...

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Freshly Picked MoccasinsHey ladies! I want to start off this post by saying thank you to Freshly Picked for sending me these adorable baby moccasins in exchange for a baby photo shoot and review.  Opinions stated in this post are 100% my own.

I found out about this adorable company when I was pregnant with baby M, as soon as I knew I was having a boy I Googled everything from inspiration for his nursery, to what type of clothing and accessories I would dress him in, I was obsessed.  I stumbled upon a picture of baby moccasins on Pinterest and immediately fell in love and needed a pair for my little man.

My first thoughts when the moccasins arrived. I was impressed with shipping time (they came super fast), the package was so adorable.  They come in a little screen printed bag with a FP pin.  I am a sucker for good packaging and this company has thought of the minor details that make opening packages so fun!  Once I took them out and gave them the once over you can tell that they are well made, I chose from the Utah collection (Beehive State).

At first I thought that the leather maybe hard to slip onto a babies foot however, there is a built in elastic that helps stretch over your babies foot without having to jam it in.  So they go on very easy and for the most part stay on his feet.

freshly picked

One thing I was worried about with having a light coloured shoe and didn’t think about until after I received them was if they stained easy, between baby pulling them off and chewing on them and general wear and tear they have held up which is nice to see in a shoe.  Especially since my little guy loves putting everything in his mouth.

freshly picked child moccasins

So are baby moccasins worth it? I would have to say a big fat yes!  Freshly Picked has thought of everything from the cute packaging to the adorable shoe itself.  They are very well made, and have held up to the gooey slobber that my little guy has put on them on a daily basis.   I have also had so many compliments on his moccasins, people asking me where I got them from.  I think that they are totally worth it.  They come in an assortment of feminine and masculine colours, so it doesn’t matter if you have a boy or a girl they have something for everyone 🙂

freshly picked

 

 

 

 

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