hilary in alderwood

Dec 13, 2010

Boots for a Canadian Winter

Well folks, I have pulled out my Sorels for another Canadian Winter. There really isn't any other sensible way to get around town when ice and snow are at your footstep. I am not in need of a new pair of winter boots...but it is fun looking at what's out there this season :)

The Merrell's (bottom center) are quite cute, aren't they?

Boots for a Canadian Winter by hbjorn featuring sorel boots

Dec 12, 2010

Thinking about...Gingerbread Cookies

It's Sunday night and another year at the NOTL Christmas parade has come and gone. What a fun weekend. I was looking forward to for so long, but, now it's over and the Sunday blues are kicking in :(. I was reading up on some of my favorite blogs and everyone is buzzing about holiday baking. Two weeks ago I stocked up on all of my baking supplies but my kitchen has yet to produce anything sweet. If it continues to rain tomorrow I am going to stay in doors and get started with some Gingerbread Cookies in attempt to reignite my holiday cheer.

ps. I will post some pictures of the NOTL parade weekend later this week.

Dec 8, 2010

A Hilary Book Review: Mini Shopaholic

OMG, she did it again! If you are a Sophie Kinsella fan (who isn't?) & mommy (or not mommy) I highly recommend adding Mini Shopaholic to your collection.

It has all of the usual Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) drama with the perfect dose of motherhood. At times the content scared me, since I can totally see Madelyn as a little Minnie Brandon one day, but not enough that I didn't want to keep reading. Doesn't Luke Brandon always sound so dreamy too?

If you are looking for the perfect gift to get your girly-girl gal friend this Christmas, this is a pretty good option.

Thanks for lending it to me Katie!

Happy reading!

Dec 7, 2010

Baby Food Starters: 6-9 Months

First, I need to caveat this post: I am not a baby expert, please listen to the advice provided by your Pediatrician, GP or Lactation Nurse. I am only writing from my experiences with Madelyn, hoping to provide insight to other new moms.

Now, we can get down to business :)

It's been almost a month since we started solids and so far it's been SO much fun. I am very blessed with a baby who loves to eat, making the whole process enjoyable. We decided to wait until after Madelyn was 6 months as I wanted to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. One sign we also looked out for (under the advice of our Lactation Consultant) was Madelyn's heightened interest in the foods we were eating. On our trip to Cuba she was reaching for our food and was totally into drinking water from her sippy cup. We knew she was ready.

I compiled our 6-9 months food starters list by consulting our GP, Naturalpath doctor, Lactation Consultant, Lila's mom and other moms I know. They all had different opinions (of course) and different good reasons for their items. I highly recommend doing your own research to see what is best for your baby. Every baby has different needs.

Baby Food Starters: 6-9 Months

* Listed in our trial order

Squash
Steamed Prunes (helps get things moving)
Avocado
Sweet Potato / Yams
Banana
Broccoli
Peaches

My Organic Baby Brown Rice Cereal (fortified with iron)

Pear
Carrots
Cauliflower
Pureed Dark Chicken Meat
Apple
Cherries
Blackberries

Some notes:

The Red Items are part of the Dirty Dozen. It's better if these foods are Organic.
The Blue Items are some of the least contaminated foods. These do not need to be Organic.
The order of food was based on what we had available in our kitchen, however, we purposefully started with veggies before fruits so our baby didn't develop a preference for sweeter tasting food.
Wait 2-3 days between food introductions to look for allergic reactions, rashes, or changes in mood.
All foods with the exception of bananas, peaches and avocado were steamed.
All foods with the exception of bananas and avocado were pureed in a food processor before serving.
Brown Rice cereal was recommended for it's Iron content. We mix it straight with warmed peaches or pears (rather than water) to boost it's flavor. (Try it on it's own, it tastes like glue - nasty).
If you are debating between Brown Rice or White Rice cereal, read this article first.
Pumped breast milk can be added to any food to make it taste super yummy for baby.
It's a great time saver to make a big batch of one food and freeze it in ice cube trays (1 tbsp serving to start, 1/3 cup as baby progresses) and keep them in a zip lock bag in your freezer for daily serving.
We serve 3 flavors per meal and often mix the foods together to create new flavors.
We offer water in a sippy cup as a compliment to the meal.
Baby Wise II says, "Begin as you mean to go". We say a prayer before our meal and keep baby's hands to her side while we eat. It's a cleaner way to do it and takes less time to clean up after! Honestly, by the second day she knew to keep her hands by her side - babies are amazing!

I'm looking forward to comments about your own food successes!

Dec 5, 2010

Christmas Babies

Don't you just want to cuddle them forever?

Unfortunately their cuteness also makes me want to go on a shopping craze for my little baby doll. Baby Gap has the cutest Christmas stuff right now... maybe I should let Madelyn indulge with a little pocket money?

Christmas Babies by hbjorn on Polyvore.com

Gap Taffeta smock dress, $35

Gap Tutu crawler, $30

Gap Polka Dot Tulle Skirt, $25

Gap Sparkly ruffle cardigan, $25

Gap Picot-Edged Ribbed Onesie, $15

Gap Babys White Solid Tights, $13

Gap Shearling Mittens, $11
Gap Striped cable knit beret, $15
Flapper dress | Gap
Polka dot bear bottom tights | Gap

Cable knit jumper dress | Gap

Dec 2, 2010

Glove Love

It's that time of year again. I have always been faithful to my Mittens, but something tells me Gloves are a little more practical with a baby in tow. White has to be my favorite mitten colour, but they get dirty so darn fast. I would love to get a pair of the purple UGG gloves below and attach my own strings so they never get lost in the shuffle.