Holiday Gift Guide - For the Little Ones and Giveaway

We are now a week into December,

and I am sure that your Christmas shopping is well

on its way.

If not, there's a special gift guide 

coming up just for you in a couple weeks.

This weeks gift guide

is for all the little people in your life,

and my favourite to shop for! 

Whoever they are,

chances are they will love 

at least one or two items

on this list! 

Read on below,

and don't forget to enter the give away!

1. Bath toys are always a hit and a great gift. Because these toys sit in water all the time, the turn over rate is higher than other toys. To help solve that problem, I would recommend one of these for storage. We have one and we love it. I am a big fan of Boon, and these Boon pipes for the bath look like so much fun! They suction right onto the tile and will make for lots of fun. There's one under our tree this year! 

Amazon.ca also sells Boon, so if you're a Prime member, you can ship it right to the recipient complete with gift wrap and a note! 

(image via booninc.com) 

2. Next on the list is the book of names and faces, customized to your own family and friends. For bigger kids, they have fun memory games with familiar faces as well. 

(image from pinholepress.com)

3. I have featured them here before, so my love for them is no secret! How about a bib that grows along with them? Maybe a cute scarf to protect them from the cold? Acorn and Leaf has some adorable prints for both of those. Their products are lovely, quality and Canadian!

4. Always a hit - you can never go wrong with a book or two! My kids love reading books and will request their favourites over and over. Chapters made a list of their top sellers for 2015 divided into age categories, in case you're stumped on what to buy. I can also tell you that Jane, our 1 year old, loves the touch and feel books. Especially the That's Not My... series. Claire loves imaginative books and thinks Robert Munsch is hilarious. We got here some of these mini Munsch books for her stocking this year. 

Of course I always encourage my readers to shop local when they can, but again, for convenience sake Amazon does carry several (and by several I mean thousands) of kids books that can be gift wrapped and sent directly to your recipient. 

5. For the teething littles on your list, I highly recommend the 'chewelry' from Glitter & Spice! The founder and owner is a local mama who is absolutely sweet. She runs the business out of her home and was one of the first teething jewelry businesses on the block. Since then she has been featured in magazines (like Vogue and Glamour), was at the giving suite at the Emmy's and word is spreading widely about how awesome her product is. We have the teething necklaces for mama and baby, and also a teething bracelet for baby. I love that the pieces are safe for baby to chew on and play with, no yucky material used and it is also cute enough to wear without looking like you are wearing something baby-ish.

6. Another big hitter in the local business game is bébé de luxe! Based out of Coquitlam, BC, this mama decided she wanted something organic, natural and free of yuckies for her baby. This is how her company was created. Bébé de luxe, along with Glitter and Spice, were part of the celebrity gift bags at the Emmy's this past year. Bébé de luxe specializes in milk bath and baby bath bar. Perfect for gifting and come highly recommended by moi.  

As a gift to our readers,

Bébé de luxe would like 

to gift one of our lucky readers

a package of Coconut and Oat bath milk! 

To top it off, 

I'm going to add another one to 

one of your friends!

The contest is open 

on Blogger and Instagram,

but is in no way endorsed by either of them.

By entering you confirm you are

at least 18 years or older,

and live within Canada or the U.S.A. 

Contest rules below-

If you are entering on the blog,

all you have to do is leave a comment below

with your email address,

and the name of your friend that you would like to win too.

Please make sure you have your friends mailing address,

 so that we can send them their prize as well.

If you are entering on Instagram,

all you have to do is follow both

Just An Ordinary Family 

and 

Bébé de luxe,

tag your friends in the comments,

one tag per comment.

Good luck everyone!

Winner will be announced on Friday December 11th.

*The winner will have 73 hours to make contact,

after that a new winner will be chosen.*

Style Inspiration: Christmas Home Decor

The time is upon us,

I can officially decorate free of judgement.

I think all the holidays have passed 

that place strict regulations 

on when it is socially acceptable to 

dig out my Christmas bins and throw tinsel

around the house.

We still have little people in our home

that like to walk around with

decorations.

So for now,

the breakables go up high

and the plastic and wood stays low. 

We only lost one tealight holder

to the fall this year.

Our tree is a big and beautiful one

that was passed down to us from my parents

who replaced their tree for a smaller version.

It is lovely,

it is full and it is large.

The decorations that adorn it

are eclectic, to say the least.

Some Baby's First Christmas

from both my husband, our kids and myself.

Some vintage crafts circa the early 1990's

that our mothers passed along to us.

We also have some beautiful pieces,

the ones that only Mommy handles and go out of reach.

There are some pieces

that hold dear memories for Spencer and I.

His, a small golden fire truck he 

picked out with his grandmother as a child.

Mine, a small porcelain puppy with a red handkerchief

that I hung on our tree as a small child.

In the evening,

I love to sit and look

at the glowing tree and think about

all the memories that go along with each ornament.

Our tree would not be displayed in a department store,

but to me it is most beautiful.

For now I save the gorgeous,

glamorous Christmas decorations for my Pinterest boards!

Here is some holiday inspiration

that I simply love.

Click here to follow Just An Ordinary family on Pinterest.

(From The Inspired Room)

(From Refresh Restyle)

(via Centsational Girl)

(via redheadcandecorate.com)

Mommy Mondays: Worth Reblogging

This post originally was written for

 A Good Mother Project. 

I had to share it here because it is just so true,

 I think you need to read it too.

---

It takes a village to raise a child. But some days it’s just me. In fact most days it’s just me. In the beginning this was tough – hands down the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do – and I have a couple of degrees under my belt for Pete’s sake. Why was it so damn hard being home alone with my child those first few months? There were mornings I would literally sob the moment my husband left for work.

Well, for starters, she screamed. A lot. When I tell people how hard it was they say, “Oh yeah, but that’s normal.” Trivializing my experience. Making me feel like I was a failure because it being hard is just “normal.” Nothing. Even. Worth. Discussing. “Oh yeah, but that’s normal.” As soon as these words would leave their lips, I instantly had the urge to justify my statement by providing further information.

“Normal?” I’d say, “Well she screamed for five hours straight most days and there was one day where it was eight hours. We couldn’t go anywhere after 3pm because we knew what would happen.” Immediately, I’d hate myself for trying to justify anything. Why should I? Anyone remotely understanding would get it. Because you know what? Even though all the mums in my mothers group had comparatively calm babies, they still had it tough.

They were still getting up through the night to feed their babies multiple times. They were still battling exhaustion. They were still adjusting to their brand new life with an extra person and a lot less patience, sleep, and time. No matter what “type” of baby you have, those first few months are HARD. And no-one, NO-ONE should ever brush you off, or make you feel weak when you admit it.

A few months later, I was organizing my daughter’s christening and a guest rang to RSVP. A fellow mother. She asked me how I was doing and I said “It’s a bit busy, but things are going okay.” Understatement of the year.

She practically whooped with delight. It honestly felt like she had set me up just so she could bring me down. Before I’d even had a chance to finish my sentence she said: “Oh darling, wait ‘till you have three – then you’ll know what busy means!” When I rang off, I was fuming. Why? Why must we do this to each other? Why couldn’t she just say “I hear ‘ya sista! I barely have time for the toilet!” Or something like that?

She had no idea what my new life as a parent was like. Perhaps I’d woken up to a screaming baby twelve times the night before and had had two hours sleep. What if I’d had a really tough pregnancy and was battling PPD? What if my baby had developed an allergy and had been in and out of hospital for the past fortnight? In one fell swoop she dismissed me. Her patronizing, and might I add, dangerous response made me feel like what I’d been through did not matter; like I was not worthy of her sympathy because I only had the one child. And really, it would have been so easy for her to be supportive instead.

Shortly after this incident we were at a 2nd birthday party and a friend of a friend had just finished describing a rough night with her baby daughter. When she finished speaking she went silent for a few moments and then said, “I don’t know why I’m complaining, sorry, I know I have it good compared to you.” I told her to complain away – we all have our problems to deal with – and talking about them helps. The thing is, there’s nothing to gain from comparing our problems and rewarding the most stressed out mother with a gold medal. Apart from a figurative gold medal to the highest cortisol carrier. Each and every parent has the right to say “I’m having a rough time.”

Do you know why they say it takes a village to raise a child? Because it’s HARD. And for me and many other women most days there is no village. It’s just mum and bub alllll day lonnnngg.

And dammit, I will not be ashamed to say that some days are a struggle.

Mothers need to talk about how difficult parenting can be. New parents-to-be should not be going into their new life completely blind. I’m not saying we should traumatize every pregnant woman we see, I’m just saying – let’s be a little more real so that new parents don’t get such a shock in those early months. BUT we can only be more real when we’re not being patronized, judged, or made to feel like we’re “complaining over nothing” every time we speak up.

Mothers need to be able to safely say things like, “Shit my house is such a mess a 30 minute clean wouldn’t even scratch the surface, and I just ate a packet of Doritos for breakfast” without someone responding with, “Wow, I have two whole children, still managed to clean my house this morning and make myself Eggs Benedict!” Yep this was a real conversation I read on a mother’s forum (the Eggs Benedict may have been a slight exaggeration).

Mothers need to be given adequate time and space to talk about what they’re experiencing – no matter how big or small.You might receive just one phone call during a really tough time and you have thirty seconds to get something off your chest. The person on the other end of the line should support you, not tear you down.

Mothers need a village, but most days, there might not be a literal village on stand-by to help change nappies, puree broccoli, and say “noooo, don’t put that in your mouth.” But you know what? We can be each other’s village. Whether it be online, over the phone, face-to-face – we can support one another – even if it’s for a few minutes a day. We can only do it if we acknowledge that each other’s parenting journey is different – some may have an “easy” child, others may have a “reflux” baby – it doesn’t matter. We all have it hard some days and we need to respect that. It’s only through this respect a village of mothers supporting one another can be born.

Then, even on the days it’s just me – I’ll know I’m not really alone. I’ll have my darling, sweet girl, yes that’s true. And I’ll have the strength of a thousand mothers to guide and uplift me. Who, through their words, actions, and subtle glances, send me the message:

You are not alone, we are your village.

Marina is a sometimes scientist, sometimes jewelry maker, accidental chef, and an always mum. She has slowly emerged from the trauma of the first four months of her baby daughter’s life to…write about the traumatic first four months of her daughter’s life, and the brighter days that followed.

Style Post: Easy and Elegant Twist

If you're anything like me,

you understand how hard it can be 

to find the time for yourself in the morning.

Realistically, I am not going to 

be getting up an hour before everyone

else in my family every day of the week just to do my 

hair and make up.

I love my bed too much.

Some days a messy bun has to cut it.

Other times, I can spare an extra moment to

do something that looks a bit more put together.

This easy style takes just a couple of minutes

and the results are usually pretty good!

The twist at the front gives 

it just a touch of elegance to pass

of an effortless, yet effort-full, look.

Isnt' that what we always strive for?

We want to look like we tried,

but not too hard.

Women are a contradictory,

aren't we?

Here it is, broken down step by step.

Step 1: Start with clean, brushed, unstyled hair.

2. Part your hair slightly two one side. Take two one inch pieces of hair side by side. 

3. Begin to twist the hair together, overlapping one piece with the next. Adding another one inch piece of hair as you go along the side. Secure it with pins just behind the ear. Repeat on the other side.

 4. Hold both pieces in the back and gather them together. With one hand, twist the hair into a bun and secure with elastics.

5. Tuck in any loose pieces with pins.

6. Voila - you're done! Quick and easy!

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Brother

Gifts for your brother 

that has a great sense of humour

and amazing taste in women. 

(I have 3 of these!)

1. A hot shave from a near-to-him barber. Like a spa-day for men! This shop in Yaletown offers a Deluxe Hot Shave, or step it up and give him the Royal Treatment! 

2. A magnetic dart board, so he doesn't ruin his walls.

3. A hat with a beard, yup.Keep his face cozy and warm without the hassle and upkeep of a beard. 

4. Does he drink whiskey like the guys in my life do? How about a collection of glasses and some ice balls for at home whiskey drinking like a gentleman. 

5. A customized gift box, shipped anywhere! These are my two personal favourites, both local companies; Old Joy Gift Boxes and Barn Curated Gifts. 

6.If he is feeling rather fancy pants, you could get him these cashmere lined leather smart phone gloves. 

7. Is your brother goofy and childish? He'd love these emoji pillows to throw around his dorm room or apartment! 

Motherhood Monday: Here I Am

Here I am,

Covered in children,

smothered with love.

Make up smudged under my eyes,

coffee getting cold.

Here I am,

almost two years

on the other side infertility.

Those long days and nights 

that my heart ached 

for a baby I did not yet know.

My body aching to 

carry another life 

inside of it again.

Here I am,

now mothering the baby

I yearned for. 

Somehow I expected it 

to be easier

this time around.

That the intense nausea 

wouldn't bother me.

It did.

That the sleepless nights

wouldn't leave my feeling

as weary and exhausted.

They did. 

That her tiny one-year-old tantrums

wouldn't get under my skin.

They do.

Even though each 

of those moments are

just as tough 

when you prayed

 long and hard

for a baby;

they are filled with this 

intense kind of gratitude. 

There's something different

about the kind of gratitude 

you feel after striving

and working so hard for it. 

When my oldest 

was born

the love was huge, 

the gratitude big.

I took it all for granted. 

We were pregnant the 

first month we tried. 

It was all gain and

very little pain. 

Before we become mothers 

we dream of having a baby.

We imagine the early morning

feeding with an almost 

romantic thought. 

We don't think of sore cracked 

nipples and the desperate 

desire for a few more

 hours of sleep. 

We vision holding our babies

and cooing at each other. 

This does happen,

but we don't see 

the part of ourselves that

just doesn't want to be touched anymore.

The dried milk everywhere, 

the face that hasn't been 

washed since yesterday morning.

And that's okay, 

because we are dreaming. 

I often hear mothers in waiting

say that all of those things 

won't bother them.

As a mother in waiting myself, 

I can tell you that they just may -

and don't best yourself up 

if they do. 

Through it all-

the nausea, sleep deprivation,

spit up everywhere and a baby with colic-

your heart will never 

forget to to give 

thanks for all you went through

and all you do.

For that sweet little babe

you waited so long to hold. 

Mothering is an 

incredible journey.

It sneaks up on us

and grabs hold of us,

shapes us, molds us

and changes us

into a better version

of the person we used to be. 

It never lets us go. 

Whether you waited

 a month, years

 or didn't wait at all.

We are the same.

We are mothers.

Holiday Gift Guide:

You asked,

we got it!

Introducing to you

a Holiday Gift Guide

from Just An Ordinary Family!

Is your family funny, quirky,

sentimental and hard to shop for like mine?

Then this should help you out.

We will be helping you shop for

your parents,

your brother,

your sister,

your best girlfriend

and then a special list for all the last minute shoppers out there!

Parents can be tough to shop for.

They are at an age

where they can buy whatever they want,

and all they really want is to be with you during the 

holidays anyways.

Here are some ideas to gift to mom and dad this year:

1. How about a charitable donation in their name? Compassion has a fantastic catalogue of items from water and sanitation for $23 to a bigger ticket item like a playground for $116. There are many places to give, all you have to do is choose. What I like about Compassion, is that you can print or send a card that lets the person know what you have gifted in their honour.

2. A personalized crib board, for road trips and tea dates together at home. 

3. Are they grandparents? How about a personalized calendar filled with images of their grand kids?

4. A framed photo from the past. Their wedding photo, or one from when they were dating or a family photo from when you were all much younger. 

5. The gift of your time. Plan a day together to go do something together. You could do a cooking class together, go for dinner and a movie, find something fun going on in your city like a Christmas market. Have you been to Vancouver's Christmas Market, made to resemble the German Christmas markets? 

6. A basket of goodies. Their favourite magazines, books by their favourite author, coffee, tea, mugs and a cozy blanket. 

Try this blanket, these mugs for mom and dad,

 perhaps some of this small-batch local coffee and these chocolates to go with.

Binge-watch Is A Verb

One of the perks of being married

is having someone to hang out with on the week nights.

Okay its obviously not the only perk,

but even though it may be lame its still a perk! 

One of my favourite things to do

after we put the kids to bed

is to change into my pajamas and slippers

and curl up on the couch next to Spencer.

We watch mindless TV and binge-watch series.

Binge-watch is a word, by the way. 

Check it out on Urban Dictionary.

Our current addiction is watching Entourage.

The movie came out in September,

so we decided we needed to watch

all of the episodes before we watched the movie.

Logical, right?

Sometimes we talk throughout it,

sometimes we sit in silence.

What I love is just being with him.

Having the no pressure company

of him there beside me.

Someone to lean on 

or to keep my toes warm on these chilly nights.

Recently I saw this card by the Hipster Housewife on etsy.

So incredibly fitting, isn't it?

What shows have you binge-watched on Netflix?

Some of our favourites have been 

the Office, Sherlock, Homeland, Suits and Arrested Development.

(Just to name a few!)

Mommy Mondays: Mommy Style

There is a joke that the mother uniform

is a pair of yoga pants and t shirt.

Well yes, it is definitely the most comfortable

and probably most practical outfit 

for chasing toddlers and changing babies.

It certainly isn't the most fashionable.

Believe me,

I definitely have days

where I am at home doing chores

and I don't care one bit how I look.

I am all about comfort.

However,

sometimes I find I get stuck in a rut.

I have little energy to put into how I look

and it loses priority. 

One of my goals

for this year was to learn 

how to take better care of myself,

and this falls under that category.

I certainly don't do it well.

There are many days where I fall into that rut again.

This I can tell you - I am trying.

Each day I try to do at least a bit of make up,

put on clothes that are comfortable and cute

and look presentable.

The hard part for me is make up. 

The balance between wearing make up

because it makes me feel better

and teaching my daughter that I need it to feel better.

I want to show her that I can think I am beautiful without it.

I want to teach her that it isn't needed to feel beautiful.

Right now we talk about make up as being fun.

It is fun to put on fancy dresses,

do our hair and wear make up.

Sometimes it makes our already pretty selves even prettier, 

highlighting our best features.

Admittedly, this is a struggle for me.

Jennifer Garner has spoken before

about limiting her make up

for the sake of her daughters.

This intrigued me and always stuck with me,

especially now that I have two girls of my own.

Where is the balance between relying on it

and using it to help us feel beautiful and confident?

What are you thoughts?

I like to simply put on a lotion with SPF,

fill in my brows and apply a couple coast of mascara.

To me, that helps me feel awake and comfortable. 

Sometimes, when I have the extra time (ha!),

I like to play around with make up and try different things. 

Regardless of how much make up I put on,

I always feel a bit better when I take an extra couple of minutes

to choose an outfit and try a little bit harder.

I don't have that feeling when I go out

like I'd be embarrassed to I run into someone I know.

Which in this small town is inevitable. 

Here are a few pieces to help tie together a look

that is simple and comfortable for any mom.

1. A good lotion with SPF.

It really doesn't matter what lotion it is, just make sure it has a high enough SPF.

(image via Mari Claire UK, their recommendations here.) 

2. Basic t-shirts, in a few solid colours. 

These are great for layering, and in basic colours like black and white, they are versatile and go with anything. I like the ones from Old Navy because they are inexpensive. I don't cry when my kids spit up on them, rip them or generally destroy them. They are replaceable and comfortable.

3. Camisoles

Again in basic colours. I like them for layering as well, under a sheer top, or just for some added warmth. I used them especially while breast feeding because I could lift up my top without exposing my midsection. 

4. A pair of comfortable and versatile jeans. 

I am in love with my boyfriend jeans and went through a phase where I wore them way too often. They are definitely casual, however they can be played up a bit with a nicer top and cute shoes. A juxtapose between ultra feminine and very casual. Dark wash skinny jeans are great as well, especially when worn with boots.

(via Google images)

5. A cardigan or wrap sweater

Again, layers. Typically I aim for the three c's -comfy, cozy and cute. There are some adorable styles out there right now, the Aztec print being a big one. 

(image via polyvore.com) 

6. A really good mascara

'Nuff said.

7. A pop of lip colour. 

It is amazing how a touch of lipstick can transform an outfit! My favourite colour is Hot Tahiti by MAC.

(via mylittlemakeup.com)

8. Comfortable footwear.

Yes, comfortable. As a mom I can't explain how hard it is to run after your toddler in heels. Or tread through a sea of tiny pebbles at the playground in wedge sandals. Shoes can definitely be cute, but practical and comfortable has taken top priority in the shoe department. I will still bring out the heels for a special occasion.

For everyday wear I love my Keds. I slip them on and am out the door. I can go for a long walk, ride my bike and stroll through the mall without wearing my running shoes. 

For the fall and winter, I really love my boots and booties. I have two pairs of tall boots in black and brown that are flat. I also have a pair of brown ankle boots in a tan colour, with about a half inch heel. They are really cute and dress up my outfit a bit, but I can still play with my kids in them. 

9. A good bra.

Those babies need support. 

10. A pair of earrings. 

I am rarely seen without a pair of earrings. A tiny drop or studs are my favourite for everyday wear. They just add a touch of femininity to any outfit. These ones by Stella and Dot are my current favourite and can be worn two ways. 

(via Stella & Dot)

There you have it!

My list of simple ways to

go from frumpy mommy

to stylin' mommy.

Which ways do you add a little something

special to your outfit that help make you

feel beautiful? 

Comment below, I'd love to hear!