Great Wet-Hair Styles For Summer

Summer is FINALLY here!!!

This is the season for splash-pads and pools. For oceans and lakes. For jumping out of the shower and styling your hair without the heat of a dryer. 

That is why I LOVE these quick and easy hair tutorials for wet-hair styles from Hair Romance.

Here are my favourites:

The Fishtail Ponytail

(Click here for tutorial) 

The Fishtail Bun

(Click here for tutorial)

The Loose Triple Bun

 (Click here for tutorial)

The Side Twist Bun

 (Click here for tutorial)

I hope you try these styles out and love them! 

They should be fabulous for running out the door with wet hair and still looking great!

And the absence of a blow dryer is just better for our world, as well. :)

Peace.

The Perfect Kijiji-ed Birthday Gift

For my 3-year-old's birthday present, I watched kijiji for a few days.

Right now (and pretty much since the day he was born), he is into all things superhero.

I picked up this bag of various superheroes for $10. Pretty good score, huh?

It included a few Batman's,  Robin, Aquaman, Penguin, Gorilla Grodd , Joker, Riddler, and many others. :)

The same day, I popped into Talize to see if they had anything I could add to the gift. I found a DC Super Friends book for 99 cents. It was perfect.

 It had a spot in the back that I could put the figurines.

He loved it. :)

I threw in a swimsuit for $3.99. He loved THAT almost as much. Haha.

Getting a gift for my kid that he loves for $14.99 total- I LOVE that.

I realize that there MAY come a day when my kids beg me for something brand new. But until then, I will try to impart my views of thrifting and buying second-hand, and to explain WHY I believe that it is important.

Try thrifting your next birthday gift. :)  The earth will thank you. 

Peace and blessings.

Three's A Crowd

(Capturing Imagination Photography)

Since my littlest man has come into my life, I feel I am constantly running short on free hands, free time, free space.

The old saying that "three's a crowd" is definitely true.

When we sit down for dinner, the table is a little more crowded than it was before. More than that- my chair is more crowded as it usually seats two of us now.

When I drive anywhere with my sister and brother-in-law in the car as well- the stroller has to go back into the house because there is simply no room for it. 

My bedroom is no longer my own and is constantly home to mountains of laundry- mine, as well as piles of sleepers, onesies and receiving blankets.

My living room that used to be somewhat clutter-free now has a baby swing, a vibrating chair, countless blankets and nursing accessories all strewn about.

My life is more crowded. Absolutely.

But my life is more full.

During the long nights, as I have my quiet one-on-one feeding time with my son, and he caresses my skin with those tiny fingers, I am so thankful that for now my bed is a bit crowded.

When I sneak into my other sons' room after they are supposed to be asleep and my middle child hears me and asks to cuddle, and proceeds to kiss and hug me over and over and tell me he loves me- I am so thankful that I don't have free space in my home. Every room in my house is filled with family- what a comfort that is to me.

When I sit down to help my oldest with his homework and am blown away by this baby that I once held in my arms, now able to read and write... When I watch him from the sidelines of his soccer games- his face lit up with excitement... I am thankful for my lack of free time.

Yes, my life is more crowded. Lacking in free time, space and hands.

But again- it is more full.

My home is more full of life.

My heart is more full of love.

My spirit is more full of hope.

Blessings.

S-weet Ideas For S- Hooks Around The Home

The other day I was rummaging through my tool-bench - which is really just a mish-mash of screwdrivers, screws, nails, and a hammer- and came across a bag of S-hooks.

I'm not quite sure where or when I purchased these hooks. Most likely I acquired them at the ReStore or at Reuse Center on one of my visits.

I decided to check Pinterest for some ideas of how to use these hooks around my home and I found some really fabulous ones.

For Your Bedroom Closet:

These hooks are great for keeping purses,

 scarves,

jewelry,

and belts organized.

I also love this idea of attaching bars to the underside of shelving and hanging hooks from there. Its a great way to utilize some unused space.

For The Kitchen:

I really like this idea for hanging mugs so that they are right where you need them. I think that this idea would look as cute with mismatched mugs as with a matching set.

How wonderful is this idea for a hanging herb garden? All you need is a tension rod and you can grow these herbs anywhere.

I love, love, love this repurposed ladder into pot/ pan holder. Seriously cute.

For Play:

These hooks are a simple way to hang dress up clothes and costumes for the kids.

 And what a great way to keep craft supplies and hardware organized.

For The Front Hall Or Closet:

They are an easy and clutter-free way to keep everything you need on your way out the door close at hand.

 I love this idea for keeping shoes organized. I could see boots held together with a binder clip or something similar hanging on these hooks as well.

Just a few ideas to encourage you to think of new ideas for old products.

I love that you can find similar bars to these (to hang the hooks on) at any thrift shop for a few dollars in with the bathroom supplies. You can find various colours, or spay paint the bars to be any colour that you wish.

Happy thrifting/ repurposing!

Blessings

Make A Statement With A Statement Necklace

I am now at the point after having a baby when I hate all of my clothes. Nothing fits. Maternity clothing is too big. My normal clothes are still too small. I refuse to buy anything in between. Well, I refuse to buy MUCH in between....

So I decided to do a post on accessories instead of thrifted outfits. Accessories fit no matter what your waist size is. ;)

I am seeing 'Statement Necklaces' all over again this season.

I am a big fan.

I especially LOVE when they are paired with a simple tee or a chambray (denim) shirt.

I was checking out Talize's website to see if they had a sale coming up any time soon, and they had a post on Statement Necklaces, as well. 

Whether you are looking at thrift shops or consignment shops, Statement Necklaces are a fabulous way to keep current for a relatively small amount of money.

Here are some of my favourite Statement Necklace with 'Tees' looks:

Here are some paired with button-down tops. I simply LOVE the first one with the two layered necklaces. Beautiful.

Here is a way to make your own DIY statement necklace. You just need to wind a few thinner, similar chains around one another. What a great idea! You can find gold chains at thrift shop for just a few dollars each.

Alternatively, if you prefer beads to bling, or if you prefer to not have to dig through thrift shops for jewelry, OR if you just want to support a local, fairly-traded accessory company- you can buy one of these beautiful Statement Necklaces from JustOne. I did a post on this fabulous company here.

These Ugandan Necklaces range from $25-$28 each. 

How do YOU like to wear YOUR Statement Necklace?

If you DO go looking for necklaces at Talize- bring in a couple of large bags of clothing and you will receive 20% off your purchase. :)

Peace.

Babymooning In The Never New Home

(Capturing Imagination Photography) 

Twelve days ago my life changed yet again.

My third child, a baby boy, was born.

Lately I have been sharing about how nervous I have been coming up to his birth. About how scared I was that I couldn't handle another child. About how worried I was that I wouldn't bond with him.

Even in the midst of labour, my nurse asked me if I wanted him put up on my chest right away, or if I would prefer him to be taken to be cleaned and weighed first.

I didn't know how to answer.

What if they put him on me and I felt absolutely nothing for him? 

I don't believe I even DID give her an answer. Circumstances decided for me. They had seen a tiny bit of meconium in my amniotic fluid and when he came out, they assessed him and said "he's not breathing"...which was a GOOD thing. That meant that he had not breathed any of the meconium into his lungs, thankfully.

But, when I heard "He's not breathing" my motherly instincts kicked into high gear and I was so fearful for his health. I watched helplessly as they took him to the table and aspirated him. Still not hearing any noise from him, I looked at my friend who was in the room with me. She and all the doctors and nurses seemed calm. I wondered why no one else seemed worried! "He's still not breathing!" I thought.

When I finally heard his strong little cry, my heart began to melt. "He's okay", I sighed.

(Capturing Imagination Facebook Page) 

And so I began to fall desperately in love with my newest little man.

I can't help but want to protect him from any dangers that may come in his life. 

I can't stop my lips from grazing his soft little head. His cheeks. His mouth.

(Capturing Imagination Photography) 

Turns out I DID have enough love in me to give. And my other two boys have been falling in love, too. 

Now we have the perfect little family. Me and my three boys.

And I couldn't be happier.

Or more tired. ;)

Blessings.

Three Weeks To Go And Feeling....

(Capturing Imagination Photography)

I guess I didn't realize when I posted about considering adoption, that people would be wondering what my decision would turn out to be.

Well, I will be keeping this baby. He is due in 3 weeks.

I am frequently asked how I am feeling.

I am not exactly sure how to answer this question.

I guess I am feeling terrified. 

I do, of course, realize that most parents-to-be feel some version of fear- even if we don't let on. Fear for the future of the child. Fear about wondering how we will ever support and raise this helpless baby to be a functioning (and hopefully contributing) member of society. Fear for the health of the baby. 

( Capturing Imagination Photography)

I absolutely have all of those fears.

But I have others that haunt me.

If I am truly honest with myself- I fear that I simply won't be enough. That I won't have enough energy in me for all 3 boys. That there just will not be enough time in the day to adequately love all 3 boys. That one, or two, or ALL of them will almost definitely miss out. 

I fear that the added pressure of buying a home and a larger vehicle in the past few months will cause me to be short with them. To focus more on money and less on just being in the 'NOW' with them. And that would be counter-productive of the life that I have tried so hard to set up for us until now. Of that, I am terrified.

I fear that I will make mistakes. Even though I KNOW that I will indeed make many, many, many in my lifetime- making mistakes in regards to my children causes a particularly horrible feeling of dread.

But I have an even worse fear.

I hate to admit this, but I am feeling absolutely, positively, BEYOND intimidated to meet this new baby.

(Capturing Imagination Photography) 

I worry that I won't feel a bond with him when he is born. What kind of mother feels this way? When I mention this to anyone- I am reassured that I will, in fact, bond with this baby. Probably immediately. But it is a fear that lingers. It is a fear that I can't seem to shake.

And I suppose all I am able to do about this fear is meet it straight on. To refuse to live in fear and vow to love this baby boy with all that I have in me to give. To be the best mother that I can possibly be to all 3 of my sons.

And to be honest with myself and with others when I need help with this. To lean on the support that I have in place. To be strong. To be wise. And to be gracious with myself when I falter.

So, in the next couple of weeks until this baby comes, I will strive to live in the opposite of fear. To be confident. To have faith. To try to be calm, brave, and assured. Assured that although some things I cannot control- he may have health problems, he may not grow up to be all that I dream for him- I can decide to love and accept him. And to give him a loving home with 2 brothers that will most certainly adore him.

(Capturing Imagination Photography) 

Peace and Blessings.

And updates to come...