Tag Archives: Family Lifestyle

Easter traditions I grew up with

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Easter can sometimes be a controversial subject for many parents. Ever hear the saying “Easter is not a second Christmas”? This would be because many parents go way overboard with buying things at Easter foe their kids. I’m probably (for sure) guilty of over buying slightly. But I wouldn’t say we go overboard here. Maybe this is because my parents never went overboard for us. Easter wasn’t about presents per-say, It was about kind of welcoming spring time and anticipation for the warm weather and when you could play outside from dawn till dusk.

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The big theme was outdoor toys in my house growing up. We had skipping ropes, chalk, skip-its, bubbles, maybe some bug catching baskets or nets. We always had outdoor stuff that we could play with as the weather warmed up. Even different types of pool toys or what not to hang out. A sprinkler was not unusual too. Anyone have the crazy armed octopus sprinkler too? Or maybe the wacky fire hydrant that spun around and you would run through. Of course we did get candy and chocolate however we never had an abundance. Just enough to last a solid week or two and this was eating so much daily and then it was gone. Some of the best things we got were the outdoor toys, anyone remember the ankle killers, Skip-its?

In my home we would wake up, no earlier than 7am. Wait for our parents and then head to the living room. We never had things wrapped though, again, this is Easter not a second Christmas. We would however have one “wrapped” gift eventually from our grandparents which would be in an Easter bag and Ill go more into detail later about that. So we would normally be allowed one piece of chocolate before breakfast. This was something like a kinder egg. No we were not allowed to eat an entire chocolate bunny before breakfast!! But we did have a treat. Fun fact: I was actually allergic to chocolate more so as a kid to the point I would break out in rashes in my elbows and knees. So it wasn’t hard to tell when I would sneak a few extra pieces within a day or two. Especially when I was scratching up a storm. Then we ate a bigger breakfast. Normally bacon or pancakes the whole shebang so to speak. Even if my dad wasn’t home and was away driving the truck my mom still did a bigger breakfast for us though since it was Easter. When we were younger we did go to church the night before though, We always typically went to church on a Saturday night because it was far less people so you didn’t have to wait forever to get out of the parking lot or to get your communion because everyone wasn’t there.

After lunch we either waited for my grandparents to arrive for an early supper/super late lunch. Or if they were not coming over then we went there. Now my grandparents gave us similar things every year. One that they got every year was they got us our new bathing suits. This was huge because we knew summer was on the way and we could swim soon. We also did swimming lessons as a kid so it was exciting to know summer was coming too. They also gave us a chocolate bunny, maybe milk chocolate or maybe white or rice filled. And they always gave us a card sometimes with 20$. My grandparents had the 3 of us and 2 other grand kids but they lived in another province and then moved to England. So we were the only grand kids that were really close.

Easter was something that we loved to look forward to, not because it was about chocolate or hot big our baskets were but because it was another milestone through the year. It never had to be about a second Christmas. I know that looking at different people across Facebook giving their kids literally everything and anything under the sun is wild and amazing. They give their kids a huge bucket to load up with treats and goodies because the old fashioned basket was far too small. Call me crazy but all of my children have the same size basket and will have the same things together too. Sometimes we even got new pairs of sandals or shoes or even a new spring outfit to wear as the weather warmed up. I do live in Canada and it was not totally unusual to have an Easter with snow on the ground.

I will mention though, if you are in a family that takes a more religious view than this holiday may mean a lot more for yourselves growing up. Growing up mine was not super religious and as we got older we kind of stopped going to church and did our own things. As someone who is now raising her kids we choose to not raise them with any religion. If they choose to seek that as they get older they are more than welcome to do that. And they would be supported also. However us as a family just are not raising them to be religious or doing anything like that. So for us it is just a super fun holiday and a great way for us to just spend time as a family with a little bit of fun.

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I do believe though, regardless if you go overboard and or you don’t. Keep it chilled when it comes to the Easter Bunny bringing things. At the end of the day the Easter Bunny is not bringing new bikes, or scooters, or game systems or an abundance of clothes to all kids. The Easter Bunny may even be bringing nothing to some kids. But to keep it to candy and chocolate like the classic days of Easter Celebrations, that way no child feels left out when it comes to comparing gifts with their friends.

Prep for Early Christmas in the Fall

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It may come as no surprise that I am addicted to Christmas. And that is saying the very least of the extent of my addiction. I love everything about it. This year there is so many things that are far beyond expensive especially where I am in Canada that I have only just started to think about it in August (Though I know you are probably reading this in the early fall!). My goal for this is to spend the least amount of money possible without breaking the bank, which as we all know with kids can be easier said than done. finding yourself in the overspending hole of endless toys that if I am being honest, they barely use half the time anyways, is something that I am really trying to avoid doing this year.

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One major thing I have been doing is shopping around. I typically check Amazon first for the convenience of it being one site and trying to add things to the kids wish list. I will say for example, the beginning of August I had bought an Elmo guitar doll. My thinking was for my youngest to use when he transitions into a big boy bed however my oldest always talks about Elmo now due to the sesame street, I bought it for nearly 35$. Not more than 2 weeks later it is now on the website for 55$. With more than a 20 dollar increase. The same could be said for the Blues Clues lullaby doll that I had got for our oldest last year. This was about the same price also, It was something that he brings to bed and still plays with as I write this. The highest price that I had seen if go up till though was 70$ which is nearly doubled the price. Shopping a bit earlier if you do have the funds to slowly purchase gifts may save you in the long run as apposed to the rush towards the holidays. If retailers can capitalize on those last minute shoppers, believe me, they certainly will.

Another thing I have been doing is kind of prepping what I would like to give everyone else. My parents we gift things to, my siblings I normally do some sort of a movie night where I put in sweets that I have baked or even some little treats and popcorn since I know they all have Netflix. I even start brain storming for my partner and his stocking too. Thinking ahead about what you want to gift others is huge. This can help you pay or even budget better so that you are able to see what the holidays will cost and predict when and where you can find deals if in fact you know things will have deals. Amazon again makes this easy because you can browse the lists once a week or so and see the price differences, obviously though if they increase they do not advertise that. Don’t be fooled either with a high cost and then it jumping down and looking like a great deal when the price was inflated to begin with too.

Another expensive thing I do now a days is during the Holidays I bake. I bake Bits and bites (Recipe here) Also Peanut Butter Fudge (Recipe here) as well as I have started making Millionaire Squares too, (Recipe here). What I have started doing even last year since we moved back home was I try to shop the sales. In terms of things I try to get things at the local grocery store where I can earn points, also through my credit card, to purchase the items needed for baking there. This is a huge help because I normally would be saving this money for a rainy day. It also helps because the side clothing brand to the grocery store also accepts these points. Every 10k is worth 10$ which believe me adds up. I have used these points when I was pregnant before too to buy clothes and tops that would fit my growing belly also too. finding a store that does this type of point system can be such a life saver towards the holidays when people are trying to hopefully not go into debt for it either. This year at the time of writing this blog, towards the end of August (I know sorry I write them early!) I have about 50$ in points that I will be putting towards the baking. This will be a great help too for the family party that I will be trying to also hold the first weekend in December so this saves a lot in terms of thinking about what I will make for that too.

And finally, another good thing is that if you are like me, having a list of ideas and gifts you have bought can be huge in trying to play things out. Let’s remember. This is Christmas. You are not competing with every person you know that also has kids and you also do not need to buy the best of every single thing out there. No holidays is worth going into debt for because you can spend months or even years trying to dig yourself back out. This is especially true with younger kids, I know for me people are trying to out do one another, and let’s be honest. Kids under the age of 3 and especially under the age of one will not remember a single thing that you got them. Start with building memories and creating traditions when they are super young so that as they go on they not only appreciate the gifts they see under the tree but they are more fascinated with the family time that they can spend together.

And let’s not forget about you too, I have 2 poetry collections out right now The Darkness and The Light which are great for the avoid reader in your life! The Darkness has some themed that may not be suited for a younger audience due to the subject matter and The Light is more of a collection about winning things, and overcoming some of those tough subjects from the first book.

Soooo Ready for September – Update

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To say this summer was a flop is a MAJOR understatement. And by major I mean it was a total flop. It didn’t help that it started with Covid and ended with having to put our family dog down. Needless to say though I am ready for a new season and new adventures.

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Our summer started off horrible with covid hitting out home. After dodging it for over 2 years including spending the beginning in Quebec where cases were super rampant, we got it. It literally kicked my butt. My two boys also had it and they were just having a really bad cold. I talk about this more in details in upcoming blogs, Be sure to look for those as it really isnt as big of a walk in a park as everyone makes it sound like. It completely sucked.

Another hard thing that happened this summer was that we had to put our Sheldon down, our family duck tolling retriever. I’m not sure if I was writing about it in previous updates however if you are a follower on any social media you would know that there is a bit of health issues that started the beginning of this year. We had tests done and what not but even medications at one point were not helping. As sucky as it was we made a promise to ourselves that we would never keep any animal alive just to have them alive. He just was not getting better and the medications he was on should have been causing some weight gain when he was steadily losing it. We made the tough decision that obviously something was wrong and to spend thousands to have the same outcome, he was not an young dog by any means either. It was by far one of the hardest things that we have ever had to go through but we feel like it was the right decision considering near the end the vet had said that she thought it was cancer and there basically is no coming back from that at his age and the surgery’s that would be needed and whatever interventions as well too. We will get another dog but it wont be any time soon though that is for sure.

Click on this photo to be redirected to purchase a copy of The Darkness for Kindle or Paperback today!

Streaming has been rocky, I had suck high hopes for the summer to be able to stream some more than usual but here we are and I’m giving up on the 5 days a week streaming. We are back to focusing on the 3 days a week and getting back to consistency. When I want to do more I can totally do bonus streams but for the time being right now it is just going to be 3 days. I swear every single time I want to stream more though something ALWAYS pops up and I am unable to do it for some silly reason and this summer was no exception to that also.

I started another weight loss challenge in mid August, well the 8th of it. I feel a lot better about this than previous ones. I really need to control the munching late at night though so starting next week well, when I have the check in I will be keeping better track of calorie counting though because the over eating is not helping anyone. I have also recently have started back at the elliptical which is a huge win for me and I am really happy about that too! I kind of was sitting at the computer one day and was like wow I am going to find the cord to plug it in, and there you have it! It worked great and I was so happy to finally be able to get back to it. Why have one if you don’t use it!

Click on this photo to be redirected to purchase this book on either Kindle or Paperback today!

I HAVE 2 BOOKS PUBLISHED! I did not think they would be done as fast as they are but I have two books out. The Darkness which is explained here, and The Light is explained here. Both are poetry collections with 100 poems, and I still have a third that is also coming out in the near future. I am so happy and excited to share them and feedback I have been getting has been tremendous. I am so happy though to be able to have this chapter opening. I have a few blogs talking about my methods and what not on how I could get not one, not two but three books published this year!

And lastly, in a little over a week I will officially be married, after being with the same person for nearly 12 years it was about time after 2 kids, and hopefully a third that we actually settle down and make it paperwork official. I will have a blog coming up about that also too. It is pretty low key and super low maintenance. It is kind of more of an elopement but kind of not? There is literally 9 people including myself and spouse and our two kids. To the point that we have to actually buy a package! It includes 10 digital photos on an online album so like that is pretty cool too! I am pretty excited but also not super excited because we didn’t want it to be a big deal either. Eventually maybe on an anniversary we will do something bigger like a mock wedding and reception but right now our focus is on the kids and home renovations to set us up for the winter and hopefully saving money.

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Overall though, The summer was nothing like I expected it to be, but then again what in life is. Nothing. I just am still bummed about our dog being sick. I had this feeling back in April but hearing and having to actually go through it. No one ever talks about having to put down a pet because they literally are members of the family and do everything together. People also forget I find that Sheldon was around long before we had kids and he was a huge part of me feeling safe when I was home alone. I hope the fall has some more pleasant surprises but time will tell wont it!

The time is NOW!!!(For Real) -July 2022 Update

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(This post contains some affiliate links, This is to help a kick back to the blog financially by simply shopping as you normally do. If you choose to support the blog by this way, thank you, your support is greatly appreciated!)

I know this is probably coming out later than expected for the July Update but honestly, it happens! We are getting very excited. My partner has just taken his parental only 3 months compared to the 9 with our first little one however it couldn’t be at a better time. I am so looking forward to the next few months to have a bit more time to “pretend” like I have a job. If you know what I mean by that!

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One thing I am looking forward to is really tackling getting my books finalized. That being said I have covers being created right now, I have one person doing all three since they are so similar due to them being a trilogy. I will explain more about them in the future obviously I would like it to be a surprise once they come out! I am so happy and yet so very nervous. There is such raw feelings and emotions in these books that I feel extremely exposed. Though I know I am not the only one who can relate to these. That is a huge step for me to see everything coming together in that regard.

I know you guys are probably super sick of hearing this but I am here to say it again for the 14th time. I am going to lose weight. I would say out of all my 2022 goals this is probably the hardest one to reach by far. I am really trying but I get so discouraged. I am sure a lot of you can agree reading blogs like this where I dont lose weight is probably hard. But I am totally taking advantage of the fact that my partner has parental and wanting to lose weight and get ahead of this next and final pregnancy when the time comes. And for the obvious reason that I want to be a healthier version of myself. This time I want to make it different. I want to look at myself and bring back habits when I was working and not able to eat the entire night on the couch. I am going to even be posting mini daily vlogs on my tiktok which you can follow here or at the username @StaySeeJ. I think this is a great way for em to be held accountable and to show you guys what it really is like being a picky eater. I know that I cannot be the only one here who eats this way and I want to show you all that life isn’t just about salads and you can do anything you want to do. This is why I mentioned here about this a little bit on the weekly blogs that for the summer every other week I will have a blog that is pre-written (as you know I do most of the times anyways) I really want to hammer down and show you guys that obviously my food habits are an issue but I can still lose weight or be better at not using toxic behaviors like binge eating nightly I can still have balance.

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As you know I will never limit myself when it comes to snacks and things however I will do things a bit differently in terms of eating. I dont count macros or micros or whatever ohs I always just counted calories. I am trying to think of healthier alternatives though like these reese bars . I also have a can of slim fast chocolate that I hope to put to good use. As I have said before the hardest part for me is when I at at night watching TV like I need to eat food. One big thing I did the other day was that I brushed my teeth early on. I was literally thinking why am I getting these chips. What is the reason? and the only thing I could think of was boredom so I got up brush my teeth and never ate anything else for the rest of the night. That’s progress to me.

Another thing I am so excited about is to be live more also too! Since May I have been doing fantastic in terms of streaming. I have been pretty good at keeping my schedule going. I have had some days off and I have had some shorter streams but knock on wood I have been doing great while trying to be regularly live again. Going live is something I enjoy doing and getting back into it and feeling as great as I do since before I had kids. I feel like I am finally putting it on the forefront again (Obviously with 2 kids I have a good enough reason to not be regular but as a parent we sometimes put ourselves last all of the time when we need to remember we also are important) Check out this blog here if you want to see how I put myself first in more depth. I also am excited to finally have a great background using these lights for my stream area. The two strings that I used fairy lights for one and the second set were round bulbs however not warm white like here the multi color version . The entire side and stream looks fantastic. I may even be preparing for a revamp/re brand here in the near future! Even with a mascot too! I will be streaming now 5 days a week temporarily by just adding Tuesday and Thursdays which I am very excited to be live then. I will be live in the day time and keeping the other 3 days (Monday/Friday evenings and Sunday Mornings) And streaming from about 12 noon Atlantic time (11am EST) and going till about 4pm Atlantic Time (3pm EST). It will be a great time and I am so looking forward to it!

Surreal Feeling of Parenting

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If you are not a parent I’m not entirely sure that you will know what this feels like. I don’t mean that in any way disrespectfully either. Just that for this particular blog, it really is only since becoming a parent that I have really noticed this.

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Since becoming a parent I have become such a sad sap it isn’t even funny. I swear that I am one of those people who now cries at any animated movie no matter how small the inconvenience is. I tear up and think about things and it makes me feel like trash only because I would poke fun at my mom who also would get sappy about things too. Before becoming a parent I would never feel this way or even admit to it but here we are.

Another thing is that I find myself feeling an overwhelming sense of relief or even sense of serenity. I know that makes me also sound like a weirdo but it’s not. I mean sometimes I am sitting on the couch. One of my son’s is playing with his blocks in front of me. We have the TV on for background noise, and then we have my other son trying to bit his teether toys furiously like he means business. I just look around and I feel a sense of happiness that I dont think I can even describe because it doesn’t even feel real. I feel a sense of wow and wonder that this is actually my life. That this is something I could never have imagined how it felt until I was in the moment. I still can’t believe that after over 2 years, maybe 3 including pregnancy, that I have been a mom and my life has been changed.

*** If you are someone who is really enjoying the blogs and has the financial freedom to want to support this through tips, you are more than welcome to do so by clicking on this link to bring you to my personal Ko-Fi page. Never will you ever be pressured to support in this way however the option is there if you wish to do so! Your continued support regardless of financial or not is greatly appreciated.

Another thing that I know people talk about often is this, Time passes sooo fast with children. I know you know people with kids and have heard at some point, whether a parent or not, you may even have heard your own parents say it, is that “before you know it, they will be growing up like weeds”, “Or off to college soon with them in the blink of an eye” or something along those lines. THIS IS TOTALLY TRUE!! Which is mind blowing right. It really is.

When we had our first child, we knew time was passing fast. When you had to change clothes or even go up diaper sizes you would think to yourself holy moly, there is a lot of time that passed we are already changing up! Well, let me tell you this, when you have more than one kid, you will notice that that time is then going twice as fast as it was with just one child! Maybe I find this is because my second son is growing so quickly and at the time of reading it is 5 months old and next month we start baby foods. I feel like we just had him!


There are even times now when both of the boys are asleep when my spouse and I are laying on the couch and we have to look at each other and wonder, “Wow, we made them” as we look at their monitors form their rooms, which is still hard to grasp. Like we made two human beings. Two little pieces of both of us mixed together they are us. I always knew when I was younger that I would have kids one day. I knew that I would be a mom. It was just a feeling that I knew. And again, I want to state if anyone not a parent is reading this, there is nothing wrong with not wanting to have children! There is enough pressure for couples to have a family that I do not want to be someone who does that. There is people who want kids and others who do not and there is nothing wrong with that.

I also know a lot of parents feel this strange passing of time due to the amount of parents on my Facebook that when their child’s birthday comes around they comment about how they maybe turned around and they already have a 10 year old! which is again, mind blowing when it comes to things also too. it really is that when you decide to have kids that time has a new meaning. I feel like days in particular happen fast too. There is a lot of times when I turn around and feel like the day has flew by and my spouse is already home from work.

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Being a parent changes you. Or I should say, being a good parent changes you, we know there is a lot of bad ones out there which I would assume their lives don’t really change at all. Being a good parent makes you want to do better, be better, get better. I have been a parent for over 2 years, including pregnancy though I would say closer to 3. I know that I have been changed by my kids and remembering who I used to be and how I dont do some of the things I did before is tough. But there is still many many days when I sit around and think in awe how great my life is. How thankful I am to have 2 children and hopefully we plan for our 3rd and final one towards the end of the year. I am starting to think that this feeling doesn’t ever fade either, It hasn’t since my oldest was born! And it still feels like he was just a little baby and in the hospital and how excited and nervous and happy I was holding him! Even if not he is Mama’s big big baby now!

Why I Disagree with Vegan Lifestyle for Kids

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If there is one thing for sure, there is no shortage of how people want to try to tell others how to parent their children. Anywhere from waiting to pierce a child’s ears til they could consent to circumcision without consent(You can read either blog about those subjects here!) but there is nothing more wrong (IMO) than trying to push a specific lifestyle upon your children. Again this is going to be a more or less a personal opinion piece so if you dont agree well, that is completely fine also. This is just how I feel about the subject and as always I welcome any and all opinions in the comments.

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Why I dont think vegan lifestyles should be pushed on kids is just this, they are unable to voice their opinion whether or not they want to pursue that lifestyle and forcing them into it just is plain cruel. Veganism is a very difficult lifestyle. Sure you can face the argument of well you can get everything from other products without eating meat or animal bi-products, however does it really compare to the real deals here? Maybe not. Have the parents been like this for a long time? Maybe, but that doesn’t mean that they should be doing the same thing for their growing child.

The fact is, when kids and babies are growing and they need to have nutrient rich diets. That isn’t to say that aren’t allowed to have treats or sweets and things by any means. It just means that there are nutrients that are majorly important to a growing human being. There just are some things that to substitute out of their food or to even get the proper amounts can be challenging at best. That is not to say that there isn’t specific ways you can actually get the same nutrients. Remember too that kids do not exactly have the largest bodies including their stomachs. In order to cram everything in to get their nutrition for the day may take a lot more than the original choice of getting the nutrients.

*** If you are someone who is really enjoying the blogs and has the financial freedom to want to support this through tips, you are more than welcome to do so by clicking on this link to bring you to my personal Ko-Fi page. Never will you ever be pressured to support in this way however the option is there if you wish to do so! Your continued support regardless of financial or not is greatly appreciated.

So why is it now a days people are so quickly to judge others and how they raise their children but when it comes to dietary needs they are turning away and pretending that they don’t see it. Why is it when people are doing these specific lifestyles and pushing this on to their kids people aren’t also asking the question of why wouldn’t you wait til they could consent to this way of living?

I also want to state, I am not talking about children who may have allergies or sensitivities where they are unable to eat certain things or process certain things either. I am talking about where a parent chooses a lifestyle where they are no longer eating certain things in this world and they are making their child then not eat the same things they will not be eating. Allergies and sensitivities are a whole different ball game which to be frank, could mean life or death if ingested. I am also not saying that people who choose to life a vegan lifestyle are right or wrong in that either. I am sure anyone has valid reasons for eating the way they do, I am just talking about trying to have your children follow the same lifestyle, without them being able to say if they wanted to or not.



I personally am under the understanding that this is wrong and should not be enforced on children. I for example, barely eat a lot of many food groups. I talk more about that in my blog here, however when it comes to say meat, I dont eat much at all. No bacon or steak or hamburgers. Does that mean I make sure my kids don’t eat that also because I dont eat them? No. They eat all of the things I cook for them even if I dont like the taste or am too much of a picky eater. Their dad eats just about anything and everything from snails to frogs legs. I make these things because I know the importance of them to have a well balanced lifestyle when it comes to foods. I cant imagine trying to make my children eat what I eat (Which is carbs carbs carbs) and watching them not have the proper nutritional value per day because of myself. My own way of eating or lack there of is based on me, I dont want to be the reason my children get sick for following my diet.

Just because you lead a specific lifestyle does not mean that you should be forcing your children to also lead the same lifestyle. Until they can consent and form their own opinion on this they should, again in my opinion, be eating the same things anyone would be eating. Which is including all of the food groups and not excluding anything. Would you feel the same way about ear piercing or the same way about male circumcision?

And I also want to throw it out there that I am not talking about making your children lead a vegan lifestyle and then on top of that trying to give them all of these supplements and crap to try to make them have the same nutritional value. A multi vitamin makes sense, but to fill them up with drops and chewable Flintstones vitamins does not make any sense. Eating a certain way only to have the nutrients in those forms is not a way to live either.

Hello June, I’m BACK!- June 2022 Update –

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Okay. First let me say I am sorry there was no update for May. I really thought about it and I just felt like I needed to skip a month. As you know I tend to write my blogs ahead of time. That is what I did here. And by the time I felt line writing the update we were closer to June than May and well, here we are!

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Blogging has been going okay. I have been pretty good aside from my self care Thursday which I will be starting back this week as I also took a break from that too. I need to also schedule tweets of popular blogs a bit more frequently on my twitter so that I keep getting my link out to people with new hashtags.  Also, call me crazy, but I am low key planning blogs for 2023 including some months where there will be nearly a blog every day with different subjects. I feel like 2023 may be a great year for me to really hammer down and try to get things happening in terms of content creation and making a living doing this.

Poetry is also starting back up. I can confidently say that I was very much into writing poems in April that come May I burned myself out. Thankfully I started to type things up already so I am a bit ahead and behind at the same time. June the goals are to finish writing all the poems for the 3 poetry books. And have all of them typed and put into Kindle in order to get prepped for publishing.  I feel like taking the step back was needed and I can keep following through. I need to make a to do list also for what I need to do to publish the books.

**If you like what you are reading through out these blogs, and are looking at ways to financially support the blog, please consider checking out my Ko-Fi link here. You will NEVER be pressured to contribute to towards put any type of money towards the blog however if the thought has crossed your mind, here is a great way to help a stay at home mom provide some financial relief for her family.

Weight loss is still a struggle (Surprising right?).. I went more into detail about that here in the Thursday Update if you want to read it here, instead of me repeating it here and if you are a dedicated reader it might get a little bit stale trying to read the same things over and over.

Streams have been fantastic also! I streamed over 30h in May. That was the most hours streamed in one month in easily over a year. It was so nice to actually follow a schedule and actually spend time doing something I enjoy. June will be a great month and with July, August, September I am looking forward to the increase of hours also too. I am also looking at revamping my discord server to be more “Me” focused. I have always made my server about community.  Starting the Society it was about everyone including me. I want this focus to change to be just me. It’s time that I invest in me as a content creator and not just everyone else. Of course I will still be trying to support everyone I can and there will be places to promote themselves and what not. But Id like to still change focus, clean up the server, etc.

I recently had my first ever in my entire life psychic reading by an amazing women Amanda. It was very enlightening and eye opening experience. There were some things spoken that I never post, talk, speak, even think that often about. We connected on twitter and have kept in touch. I ask her silly questions and am trying to keep myself going spiritually and grow. I cannot wait until I can do my next reading. It was a lot to process though due to the things mentioned but what an eye opening experience for me. If you too would be interested in a reading by all means check her out on Twitter, DMs are open (Dont be a creep!) And she even has an email in her bio too. Ill write a whole blog piece on my experience in the near future!! And hopefully more content on the spiritual journey I have just started also! I swear I am such a newbie I have no idea what I’m doing sometimes!

And lastly, Life! I think life is going pretty well. May was a bit of a smaller month in terms of content as I really never touched poetry, I failed a bit on weight loss, and I was a bit down in the aspects of things. That being said I am not going to beat myself up about it either because we are in a new month. What was interesting was my partner and I went out to our very first restaurant dinner though since before my oldest son was born. That is over two years! We went out for his birthday and my mom was watching the boys. It was a great experience and I was so thankful that we were able to spend quality time out. It was such a weird experience leaving them both home and not having one of them with us. I was so happy though because as much as we are home body’s and enjoy eating garlic fingers and donairs here, it really doesn’t beat the feeling of actually going out and actually sitting down in a place to eat. We need to do it more often, but not too often!

There you have it, Kind of a condensed update for the past 2 months since I was a major slacker and suck at this content creation sometimes. See you in July for the next update and I hope you enjoy the blogs lined up for the month too!

Ear Piercings and Kids

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I already know the controversy that this subject entails and so be it. I just feel like since having children this subject comes up far too often and I thought why not share my thoughts about it also. Especially in parenting groups on Facebook it seems to be a subject that pops up every few weeks which clearly divides the community.

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Growing up, in the 90’s, not to date myself, many parents would get their little girls (or boys maybe on traditional reasons) ear’s pierced. There were specific reasons for doing this so young. I, myself, had my ear’s pierced by my mother when I was maybe 6 months old. I still have them in today, in fact I have a few more holes not just in my ears too! The reasoning for this was because of the fact that I was so young the chance of infection was lower. Why you may be thinking? That would be because as a baby you really aren’t interested in your ears and are playing with them far less than you would be if the child was older. There is also the cosmetic reason where girls should have piercings in the eyes of society. Or maybe the boys or girls get them done based on cultural or religious views too.

**If you like what you are reading through out these blogs, and are looking at ways to financially support the blog, please consider checking out my Ko-Fi link here. You will NEVER be pressured to contribute to towards put any type of money towards the blog however if the thought has crossed your mind, here is a great way to help a stay at home mom provide some financial relief for her family.

One of the recent debates that is up for discussion nearly any time I see this posted anywhere locally is “Where can I get my (insert age) child’s ears pierced?”. Which when it is seen almost immediately you see the troves of people saying “Get it done when they can consent to it.. blah blah blah blah”. Why is it all of a sudden we are caring about a child has to consent to this being done? Is this a wave of different things in the world that causes parents to be waiting for everything and not making decisions on this.



Then there comes the argument of “But I want my child to be able to have a say if they want their ears pierced or not”. This though valid, can be see the other way too. If a child does not want their ear’s pierced and can voice that they don’t want them, can they not remove them and have the holes grow over too? Can’t it go the other way here.

I also have noticed when it comes to these types of posts so be it the same people comment in the smaller groups for parents and what not, that the same people who are shaming others for wanting to get their children’s ears pierced are the same people who live a meat free or vegan lifestyle. They are completely against having any cow’s milk for their kids and will typically use some alternative like almond milk or maybe cashew milk. Why is it that these particular parents are sometimes trying to say “Their body their choice” but then deprive them of different food groups to suit their mindset. Sure you can get nutrients from everything and anything but sometimes the other alternatives just does not have the same effect on a growing human though.

Photo by Angela Roma on Pexels.com



As with many other things, there is also the heritage reasons for this where some cultures require both sexes to have it done or maybe they are to have it done based on becoming a certain age too. I feel like this may be a subject that is acceptable in different parts of the world however in Canada I would say that the opinions here are pretty split in terms of it is something that is acceptable to have done with your kids.

It should also be noted, myself included in this, that growing up when kids did get their ears pierced they were done with a piercing gun. This can also be the way people choose to get a child’s ears done now however more and more people are saying they should go to an actual piercing studio to have them done with a needle. Apparently now a days the gun causes some sort of trauma to the ear that a needle does not. The main difference is that the gun you can have two people doing it at the same time making the piercings themselves happen a lot quicker than if it was a needle. Thus also being known that if you go to a piercing studio you can basically guarantee that they will not do it unless the kid can consent to this though. Where as with the guns you could probably go to a smaller store spot like maybe a Claire’s store. Which these people are not trained in the a lot of areas that a professional piercing artist is.

Though at the time of writing this I cannot confidently say whether or not I would get my girl’s ears pierced due to the fact that I dont have any daughters, if I was decide today if I would, I feel like I would be leaning towards yes. If at a later time they did not want to have their ear’s pierced they are more than welcomed to take them out. I dont believe this is a mutilation that is unable to have be reset so to speak. You can simply take the piercing out and have the hole grow over. Though I am not really thinking about that type of decision and it would really depend what I choose when the time comes!



5 Feel Good Parenting Moments in the 1st Year

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Being a parent is no easy feat. There is so many things that you go through even within the first few days that have you questioning everything. Is baby happy? Am I doing this right? What is wrong with me? It can be hard to loose track of how great of a job you are doing though when you are riddled with some anxiety around parenting. That being said, even with all of the worry and anxiety surrounded by asking yourself “Am I doing what is right”. There are many moments that happen that will no doubt reassure yourself that you are a wonderful parent raising the next generation. This is some of the best things that happen within the first year that will make you feel that sign of relief that you are doing everything right!

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Crawling is a huge milestone for any baby. It really is something that you can look forward to and also one of the major things you need to prep for since baby will officially be on the move! It really is a nice feeling to see your little one finally make it a bit across the floor. Normally their first little crawl is for yourself or spouse, another sibling or maybe their favorite toy! None the less it is a major milestone that no matter when it happens whether sooner or later you are going to be so filled with happiness you will be beside yourself for a little bit! When my 1st son started to crawl I even woke up my spouse from sleeping in because i did not want him to miss it. The fact that your tiny human is becoming mobile and moving about without your help is a relief in more ways than one.

**If you like what you are reading through out these blogs, and are looking at ways to financially support the blog, please consider checking out my Ko-Fi link here. You will NEVER be pressured to contribute to towards put any type of money towards the blog however if the thought has crossed your mind, here is a great way to help a stay at home mom provide some financial relief for her family.

Standing and or pulling themselves up onto things is another time when you will find yourself grinning and smiling from ear to ear. This typically is a sign that your young one will soon be walking. Pulling themselves up on to things like a table or chair is a sign that you also need to be checking what is up top of them and avoiding putting anything there. Due to the fact that they will be grabbing things they can now reach. I swear, it is like every month or so you are continuing to baby proof your house over and over again! And if you have another child that is older you already are half way there because you did it the 1st time! We even got a little walker for our first which we hope to use for our second (And third when the time comes!) to help them learn to pull themselves up also.

Laughing was a huge smile maker for myself. I don’t mean the little giggle at whatever they are thinking about. I mean the laugh where you are the one that created it. With my 1st this was when I would pretend to put his pacifier in his mouth but wiggle it on his gums or take it away really quick. I would say “Ohh too slow! I got your sookie!” And he would laugh and laugh and laugh. There is no greater feeling, or very little greater feelings than hearing and seeing your little one laugh because of you! This is a lot better then the alternative that will happen when they are teenagers when they begin to laugh AT you. Hearing your little one laugh is basically an instant mood booster also. No matter what type of mood you are in whether it be a sadder mood or even a mad one, hearing your child laugh can instantly turn that around immediately!

Trying foods was always a fun time. Especially if there were ones that you know they may not enjoy like a lemon or lime or even a raspberry which my son found was sour to begin with. Trying foods is a huge milestone because if you are like myself who bottle feeds, you can look forward to having to make less bottles because they are beginning to get full on more solids. Figuring out what you baby enjoys and doesn’t and seeing all of the facial expressions is a moment that you both will share as his pallet begins to grow! It was always funny to see his face scrunch up with different textures and foods to find out what he liked or didn’t like!

My 1st son Vincent! Playing Peek-a-boo in his blanket!

And lastly, a major milestone to look forward to is smiling! Sure, babies do smirk and smile quite frequently due to gas or whatever else. However when your little one finally smiles at you is incredible. Whether you are talking to them, or you are making a silly face, or trying to make them smile in whatever way works, seeing them fully have a real smile is a moment you will never forget! Seeing your child light up when you do that silly little thing that just gets them in their moment!

There is so many milestones within the first year of a child’s life that I could probably make more editions of this (Maybe some new blog ideas!) and each child you choose to have they may even change too. Or they could also vary in terms of child to child. For me, my first son never walked til after he was a year old. He was a late bloomer. Where as my second son maybe he will be walking before he turns one. Whatever you list as being the top moments of the first year, there is no wrong answer!

Transition from Work to a Stay at Home Mom

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Transitioning to being a stay at home is not an easy thing to do. You have an entire new human to take care of. Your whole schedule is no longer your own and you are running your own things based on another person. I know me it was challenging however with the right tools I was able to adjust and now I feel like time in the day goes extremely fast!

Vincent and Felix!

If you are not familiar with my blogs, I have said previously that I used to live in Quebec. I before that, was in Nova Scotia. I grew up here. When I was living home and had never moved away I was in fact working. I was a disabled support worker and I also talk more about that here. It was such a rewarding and inspiring job that leaving it was a bit of a sad feeling for me. Leaving this work place that I was at for over 8 years was something that needed to be done but it never made things easier either.

After quitting this job due to moving to a different province, I never worked. I went to school to be able to learn French and obviously learn how to communicate more with my spouse’s family. He is from Quebec so his family speak French, I knew very little so instead I was able to sign up for French Classes through the government and get paid to go to school. It was nothing like if I was actually working however it was something and that was better than nothing.

**If you like what you are reading through out these blogs, and are looking at ways to financially support the blog, please consider checking out my Ko-Fi link here. You will NEVER be pressured to contribute to towards put any type of money towards the blog however if the thought has crossed your mind, here is a great way to help a stay at home mom provide some financial relief for her family.

And if you have not noticed the crazy amount of parenting and or baby type blogs you will find out that I ended up school and by then I was nearing the end of my first pregnancy. I wouldn’t have bothered to apply for work since the fact that I was nearing birth for my 1st I probably would never have been hired based on a few months work anyways.

I love being home with my son’s however I do find it very challenging to find a routine. If I was to tell you I didn’t miss the aspect of leaving and making a real paycheck I would be lying. I miss being able to make money and save where as the only income I have right now is the monthly allowance for having children basically, which of course does not amount to a whole lot. You can read more about why my partner and I decided that I would not work once we started to have kids here.

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Regardless though, I am trying my best to make something happen at home. I stream live on Twitch 2 days a week, Monday and Friday. I also have between 3-4 blogs being released every week which also helps to fill my time. I also do crafts and paintings and some creating as well because I think it is great for me to keep in touch with things I did before or still do since having Children. That being said they do not all bring in any money if any at all currently however it is a work in progress and hopefully by the end of the year I will be able to re-write this.

So how was it to go from being out in school and class all day or working all of the time trying to make a living, to staying at home taking care of a household and two little boys? It was not to bad. One of the biggest things I find is that time flies by most days. I am sure anyone you know who has any amount of children will tell you, “Wow! They sure do grow up fast don’t they”. Well you would not be wrong. I feel like I am just having my 1st son and here I am a few months into having another son. Time flies when you have children and before you know if they are back talking and sassy to you!

One thing that has kept me sane the whole time being home (Not just with being a stay at home mom, but also dealing with Covid too!) is having an agenda. I talk about my obsession with them and what I look for here. I find being able to schedule things even if it something as simple as date night with the boyfriend, crafts with the kids, time to blog and prep for the month ahead, network and chat on social media. Scheduling things (As hard as it may be with children!) is important for me to keep track of where I am going, where I want to be, and what I can do to make things go smoother. It doesn’t have to be just about appointments either!

For me I think the transition was pretty simple due to the fact that I was in school before and not working my shift work job before. I also am sure that if people are used to doing over time and suddenly working from home that it also may be challenging too. Or maybe they plan on only taking so much leave and going right back to work. That I can imagine will also be tough too. Knowing that my spouse could be away for a long time with his job, or even months, I think has made this a bit easier at least on myself. The idea of being a constant in my children’s lives while there can be so much uncertainty is a huge things for me. Regardless of what you do, there will be challenges, but nothing you can’t over come!