Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Babies Babies Everywhere! What to buy that new momma in your life!

I'm not sure about you, but everywhere I turn around people are pregnant and babies are popping up all over the place!

As a new mom, maybe I'm just that much more aware of it, but this past summer, my little guy Ryder was the fourth of 12 babies born between March and August in our group of friends... not to mention the other seven that were born from September to December. And there's more to come!!!

I received a phone call from my sister this past week who was about to attend a baby shower for a friend of hers. The conversation went a little like this:

Jenny: "Hey Jacq, what sort of things were you really happy to get at your baby shower? Like, what did you really appreciate?"

Me: "Umm... that's a good question ... let me think"

It took me a second to think of all the things that I appreciated ... or things that I wish I had received.

That being said, I didn't have a problem coming up with a list.

Here are my top 10 gifts for all of those baby showers you'll be attending this year:

DIAPERS


Diapers are expensive. Like, ridiculously expensive.  I hate having to buy them, especially when they aren't on sale. Being given diapers was an amazing feeling. Size 1, 2 or even 3. Even though I'm partial to Pampers, I was ecstatic at any other brands that I received. (Walmart usually has the best deals!) The super boxes are the best.






DIAPER GENIE


Some people may argue this one, but I LOVE my Diaper Genie. I use it all the time. It is great to keep the scent contained and to keep Hank out of it! (You can get a pack of four refills for $26 at Costco ... best price I've found so far)




WIPES





You go through more than you think. I love buying the gigantic box of Huggies Natural Care Wipes from Costco.  $26 for 1120 wipes. Amazing deal!






BIG SIZES

I know, I know. The size 3 onesies are the cutest ever. So tiny and adorable. But they only last for so long. And it is every one's favourite size to purchase. I literally had a drawer OVERFLOWING with size three and he grew out of them so fast. So depressing.  I loved when people got us size 6-12 + because I knew he'd have something to grow in to! .... that being said ...





PANTS

Back to the onesies ... they seem to be every one's favourite gift ... but then the poor kid is pant-less. My onesie to pant ratio is about 10:1. So if you buying some onesies, throw some pants in there for a full outfit.








SLEEPERS/PYJAMAS

Somehow these get missed ... I'm not sure why. But sleepers are super handy for when you want to, you know ... put them to bed and sleep!








SWADDLE SACK

I purchased my own swaddle sack for Ryder when he was about 3 weeks old and it was one of the best purchases I could have made. I swear that it was the reason he would sleep 10hrs a night at 3 weeks. 








GROBAG

If you've ever tried to put your baby to bed with just a blanket ... you'll know that the blanket will be at the other side of the crib when they wake up. Then you feel bad that your poor child is so cold.  Introducing the GroBag.  It's basically a blanket they can't kick off. So useful.







SOPHIE THE GIRAFFE


If you haven't met Sophie yet, you're missing out.  Sophie helps stimulate all of your baby's senses: 
Sight - dark, contrasting colours
Hearing - she loves to squeak
Taste - perfect teething toy with lots of different textures
Touch - she is nice and small, so the perfect size for their tiny hands
Smell - she is made out of a natural rubber from the Hevea tree, which makes her scent easily recognizable 







TINY TOYS

One of the greatest gifts Ryder received was a little giraffe rattle that doubles as a teether. Any little toys, teethers and small things that can travel and keep the bambino occupied are awesome.









BATTERIES

Last but not least, batteries.  It is unreal how many toys require batteries. AA, AAA, D, the list goes on and on. And they die SO FAST. I'm always rummaging through draws trying to find random batteries lying around. If only I had thought to add them to my registry!







Well there is my top 10.  What did you love to receive for your new bundle of joy? What would you add to the list?

Monday, January 21, 2013

...and the walls came tumbling down

Demolition has finally begun at our new place and I cannot be more excited!

The 1980's wood panelling has finally be torn off the walls, ceilings have come down and walls are gone. This means we are just one step closer to moving in!

We have the floor plans from the engineer and the kitchen drawings are being finalized ... ahh! I almost can't contain my excitement! My Pinterest inspiration board continues to grow every day as I come across more and more ideas that will be perfect for our new place. You can see all of my grand ideas here.

Here are some before and after pics so you can see how demolition is coming along!



Before - Right side of house

Before - Left side of house

The Wrecking Crew! Jennifer, Alex & Jacq ... minus the main contributor, Matt!



All cleaned up, ready for the ceiling to come down

Well there's the beginning of the renos. It looks like a mess, but it feels so great! We are getting so much done and so thankful to every one who has helped us so far.

Have you done a renovation before? If you have recommendations to help us along, we'd love to hear them!

Stay tuned for the continuing Town Hall Saga!