Category: being mom

When a toddler happens to your house…cleaning tips

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I’m not big on cleaning, no we do not live in absolute squalor, I clean, I just don’t list it on my top favourite things like some of my friends do, seriously I know people who clean to RELAX!
We on the other hand employ someone to clean twice a week and I like to make as little mess in between those visits as humanly possible, you know, so I only need to do the bare necessities.
I’m one of those, “can if I need to but would rather not need to” type people.
But seriously I work a full day then have freelance gigs at night, so cut a girl some slack, hehehe.
But alas Aidan is not about cutting this girl some slack!
The kid is clearly not in on my, “don’t move till the cleaning lady’s next visit” plan.
In fact he is quite destructive. The moment you put him down it’s like watching the Tasmanian devil ransack your home.
I’ve been making him help me clean up before bed everyday, but he is pretty much at the unpack while I pack in stage – but we are getting there…
He has created some serious cleaning conundrums in the last few weeks so I thought that it would be nice to share the list of cleaning tips I got from the interweb for those pesky toddler messes.

 

When a little someone gets play dough in your carpet

 – Remove as much as you can the moment you notice

– Let the rest dry

– Use a brush/fork to loosen the particles

-Vacuum up the rest

-Swear to yourself you will never let your kid play with play dough near a carpet again
 
 
 

How to get crayon masterpieces off the wall

 

Different methods

 
Baking Soda
 

– Dampen a cloth or sponge. – Sprinkle baking soda on the damp cloth or sponge.
– Scrub the crayon marks gently with the baking soda. Don’t press too hard or you risk scratching the paint. – Wipe the wall with a damp sponge to remove any remaining baking soda.
2     Erase
     – Rub lightly along the crayon marks with an eraser. You can use a standard pencil eraser, but do not press too hard or you can buff the finish off the paint. – Wash that area of the wall with a warm, soapy sponge. – Wipe the wall with a damp sponge to rinse.
3     Toothpaste
– Squeeze a small amount of non-gel toothpaste onto the crayon mark. – Scrub away the crayon wax gently with an old toothbrush. –Wipe the wall with a damp sponge to rinse. – 
 
 
 White Vinegar
 – Dip an old toothbrush into undiluted white vinegar. –Scrub gently along the crayon mark. –Wipe the wall with a damp sponge to rinse.
 

Cleaning stuffed animals that have become gross



Washing Machine Instructions – Place stuffed animal in a pillow case or mesh bag. – Wash in cold water. Do not use bleach. –Air-dry stuffed animals overnight or tumble dry with no heat.

2   Odor Removal

– Vacuum stuffed animals to remove dust and dirt. –Place the stuffed animals in sealed plastic bags with 1 cup of cornstarch or baking soda in each bag. Shake each bag vigorously to coat the toys. – Remove the stuffed animals from their bags and shake them off outside. –Leave the toys outside in the sun for at least two hours. This method is particularly effective for removal of moldy odors.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_7669659_clean-disinfect-stuffed-animals.html

 

Set in finger paint on clothes 

 
Nail polish remover gives good results.
Also if you combine nail polish remover, Windex, and hair spray, and put it on the stains it should come out.
(have not tried this, but might have to since I have quite a stain on my jeans)
 

 Rice

 
… cover a paddle or your hand with tape sticky side out and press down

 
 
 

The three little bears had one child, why can’t we?

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Aidan is now one and a half so naturally the question on everyone’s lips is” sooooooooo when are you having another one”?
A friend teased the other day that she still has 17 years of instalments on her current one so she is in no hurry.
This all got me thinking, how is it that having only one child is more of a “social taboo” than having lets say, none.
“We have decided children are not for us” seems to be more acceptable than “We are happy with just the one”
The thing is, right here, right now, in this space in time, we are happy with the Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear, scenario and can see this working for us as a long term thing.
Yes I might get very broody one day and find myself vowing to have a baby as I stare longingly into someone else’s stroller as they rush off from the crazy lady, but for now this is okay.
But the thing is, apparently it’s not ok…Apparently I’m selfish, my child will turn our spoilt, I am not being fair to my kid, I will regret it when I get too old, this is the perfect time
…. and so forth and so on.
(I have recently spent a total of 15 months pregnant this is actually not the perfect time)
It’s so funny though, no one says that of my cousin who is a “single mom” (It’s in quotes because we are a very pushy family and no one gets to be single anything, hehe)
 She has one child and she is seen as a strong independent woman making a life for her and her child, one is the perfect number for her while her married counterparts should know better…
Don’t get me wrong I know the pros of having siblings, I have two, Rob has two, we also have hoards of cousins , so we know all about the big family holidays, the trips, the fights, the love/hate, we get why that could be great.
But we also don’t see why we have to have more kids just so he isn’t lonely, isn’t that a little “my sisters keeper” like all the subsequent kids are actually just his play things.
I want to have another child if it’s right for my family, not because society dictates.
The lonely argument doesn’t work with me anyway, I have two siblings and spent most of my life pretty lonely and actually spent/spend way more time with my cousins than with my siblings anyway.
Aidan is getting two first cousins this coming March, one from each side of the family and one will be living next door so there goes the loneliness argument.
Rob and I just feel that financially and emotionally we are better equipped to parent one, and don’t think there is anything wrong with that.
Besides technically and in our hearts we parent two… I’ll admit some of it might be fear, I haven’t had the easiest pregnancies and both births saw me almost losing my life, so do we really want to play Russian roulette with my life?
We wanted to be parents, and we got that, why chance things? People keep telling me not to fear, God will provide, and so forth.
It’s just that, well…. He has provided hasn’t he? why am I not allowed to be happy with said provision?
The point of my rant is this… I think every family is special, whether you chose to have one child or five it’s the love that matters, the caring, the support.
I no longer get to buy fancy shoes whenever I want, or go out whenever I feel, my house is a mess and I’m  tired all the time, so I would appreciate not being called selfish thank you very much.
My boys are my everything, watching Robin and Aidan interact makes me ridiculously happy…. I just wish people would stop trying to “finish the picture” only God knows the end result so…Let it Go
Who knows maybe one day I would like to be the old woman who lived in a shoe….but for now I’m very happy as Mama bear and might just live out my days like that.
Regardless of what you decide your family should look like, I wish you tons of love and light 🙂

Professional advice for the picky eater in your life…

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Nothing changes your views on parenthood quite like being a parent!
I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be the mother of a picky eater…SERIOUSLY!
I had this archaic view instilled by my grandmother that children don’t have a say and that they should eat what is offered.
This view was then paired with my new age belief that if you make anything pretty enough it will be eaten-I even passed this advice on to my cousin who battles with her own strong willed picky eater…

My mom found my views funny but in true “Angie” style she let me do my own thing and bump my head if need be. So when I came back to her with tears in my eyes saying that I don’t know what to do with Mr “3 grapes and a provita”, she just smiled and said she understood as I only started eating around the age of 15 WHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!!

See I have vague memories of everyone making a fuss every time I finished a plate of food. Seriously I could bring back an A on a test and it would be less of an achievement. It also explains why at every family function my portions are still pretty “kid sized” it’s a well known thing in my family that “Eleanor doesn’t eat” (WHY OH WHY hasn’t that message got to my fat bum!)

Anyway’s so you would think that I would be like “okay he will eat eventually” but I’m not, because along with praise and portion size I also remember passing out LOTS! being sent home from school, not being able to concentrate… I passed out so many times at one stage they thought I had a brain tumor. It was just anaemia paired with too little food and I don’t want that for my little guy.

I know my mom tried her best I even had separate meals, but I just didn’t have a healthy relationship with food and even sneakily threw food away – sorry mom…

In the interest of getting Aidan to have a healthier relationship with food, I started him on proper home made food from 6 months which he loved and ate with gusto…then he turned one!

I spoke to a professional Greta Williams from Nurture Naturally about getting my picky eater to eat…

Greta gave me the following advice, I’m putting it on as a jpeg so you can print it out and keep…

This is where we are on the list of things he eats:
– Squish Puree (the only way you get veg in)
– Thin cut oven baked chips
– Yogurt
– Provita
– Apples (he actually stole this from a friend’s kitchen once)
– Grapes
– Popcorn (this is his favourite thing in the world)
– mini Cheddars
– half a vanilla biscuit here and there
– dry toast
– dark chocolate
– flings/lightly salted lays

he drinks full cream milk, tea, water and the occasional fruit juice

See not the healthiest and apparently he is a vegetarian 🙁 everything else makes him physically run away or make himself vomit

How do you deal with a picky eater?

*Oh if you want to contact Greta you can over here www.NurtureNaturally.co.za and if you are in the PE area you can even order healthy kiddies snacks from her (she spoke at BabyBlogZA’s mommy breakfast)

You can spoil your child and bless another at this year’s kids expo

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We will be going and I’m pretty excited because I think Aidan will finally be able to get involved and enjoy what they have to offer (play area, meet Barney, that sort of thing).
He was too young last year so this one should be more “him” orientated than us getting ready for him, if that makes sense.
I’m also very chuffed with the charity aspect of the expo because there are just so many kids who can do with our assistance 🙁  So this year instead of just taking things home we will be taking things there  . . . Allow me to explain
Visitors are encouraged to bring along a toy to donate to the Uviwe Child and Youth Service’s Care Zone Toy Library. Aidan is very blessed to have in abundance so we will be packing a few things in to take along… He is probably to young to fully “get” what we are doing, but I wan’t to instil the importance of charity in him from a young age so this is an awesome start.
The Toy Library stall will focus on the importance of play and what their toy library is doing in the community. They would definitely make use of any and all donated toys, games, puzzles and books – for all ages.(Their youngest child using their toy library is 2 and the oldest 13)
So if you have anything extra  DON’T BE SHY 🙂
If you don’t have, you can still get involved by purchasing Story stones (R2.50 per stone or R45 for a set of 20 stones) and their Uviwe beaded bracelets ( R7 each)  
The stones lend themselves to story telling games but can be used for much more…
“They can form the foundation of literacy skills when used as story writing prompts for older children and building vocabulary for younger children; and early maths skills when used to group stones, make patterns, match, sequence, count and order.
Through story telling children learn to distinguish make believe from real life and can explore fears and problem solving for real life experiences.  Story telling also promotes language and vocabulary development, sparks a child’s imagination and gets them talking about what they see, think, feel and understand about the world.  In short, they are awesome.”
They will also be running a raffle where people stand a chance to win one of two Uviwe  Teddy Bears 
You can also support the Thandu’sana Babies Safe Home for abused and abandoned babies by donating a R100 to their ‘Feed our Babies for a day’ campaign.

(The Feed a Baby for a day campaign is a roster where for R100 you can feed the babies in the home their milk formula. It’s a great concept to give on a loved one’s birthday or special day, they receive a card saying that they fed the babies at Thandu’sana for a day, thanks to their friends donation.)

 Alternatively visitors can volunteer to actively participate in the charity by visiting the home and assist with feeding the babies. “This simple act allows these little bundles of joy to experience the kind of affection that is so much needed, the love from adult to child that will help them grow as individuals.” Said Thandu’sana co-ordinator Lorna Lamerton.   Donations such as nappies, baby toiletries, wet wipes, examination gloves, clothes, toys, any groceries or cleaning items and even cash which is a big need will also be welcomed with open arms.
– Efa Bamboo nappies will be running a special in aid of the Thandu’sana Babies Safe Home, every 12th  nappy sold will be donated to the Charity; they welcome any nappy donations to the Charity as well. 
Hope to see you at the expo at Moffet on Main lifestyle centre between Oct 3-5

*info from press release

Challenge Accepted…My Summer List

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So I was tagged…It’s pretty awesome that I got tagged by a blogger I love, Stiletto Mom in THIS post. I never liked tag much as a kid…hide and seek is much better because you can find a great hiding spot and get some reading done…or let your little cousins go hide and take forever to find them when they annoy you 🙂

But this kind of tag is fun so here goes:
This is all about Summer, so it should be noted that I’m more of a Winter/Autumn kinda girl

What is your favourite thing about Summer?
Family outings and long days to braai and play games and ( like everyone who grew up near the coast) THE BEACH BABY!!!

This was last year…can’t wait for this year!!!

Do you have a favourite Summer drink?

Lemonade for when I’m good
Sangria for when I’m bad

Is there a location you like to go to each Summer?

We are Jeffrey’s Bay people 🙂

Favourite make-up look for Summer?


Bronzer because the sun tends to make me look very dirty and in need of shimmer
 it’s weird but true

Dresses or skirts?

Both make me feel sweaty, I’m a shorts kinda girl
Sandals or ballet pumps?

Pumps 🙂 

Do you prefer to wear your hair up or down for Summer?

I don’t know if this is up or down, but I tend to braid my hair in summer because it’s so much easier to deal

Deep smokey eyes or bold lips?

Neither I’m not a make-uppy girl, but just booked to get the lashes again

Favourite perfume for Summer?

Cause I’m Hoity Toity like that

Last but not least, favourite music for Summer


Uhm I don’t know, every summer has it’s  own HIT  I tend to get swept into

Now it’s my turn to tag people. . .
And I chose:

Heather from SAMomBlog

let me know if you accept and when I can read your sure to be fun answers 🙂

20 facts about me challenge…

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Luchae Williams who blogs over HERE  challenged me to list 20 facts about me…its technically a facebook challenge, but I feel more comfortable doing it over here… (also I’m suffering from insomnia tonight)  so here goes:
1. I’m very family orientated     
2. I hum/sing when I’m sad
3. I love singing and think i have a good voice, but am reluctant to perform in front of people in case they hate my singing and “take that from me”                                     
4. God plays a big part in my life
5. I never wear shoes at home         
6. I wear a size 3 and buy my sneakers in kiddies department  – much cheaper but looks the same  
7. The only time I’m not ridiculously clumsy is when I have Aidan in my arms
8. I was afraid to change Aidan’s nappy because “he is a boy”           
9. I blush at the drop of a hat
10. I really love learning new things and gaining new skills – love it
11. I think the best feeling in the world is being responsible for someone else’s happiness
12. I prefer comedy because I think real life has enough drama
13. It broke my heart that I lost friends due to how I handled the loss of my son 
14. I sometimes have nightmares about losing Logan    
15. I love beautiful notebooks but sometimes can’t bring myself to write in them for fear of spoiling them
16. I babble when I’m nervous and say stupid things I almost always regret right afterwards         
17. The biggest compliment I ever received was when the  editor of Argentina Vogue mistook me for a model in Brazil (then I stood up . hahaha back in my skinny days)     
18. I’m a chronic over thinker
19. I’m pretty social awkward and have to talk myself into social situations
20. My next tattoo sums up my life “born of fire and faith” also Aidan means  born of fire