A bit of loveliness on Etsy... for details see my etsy favourites (link on the left)
bxx
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
My Top Baby/Toddler Tips
These few things helped me so much I thought i'd share them with well whoever you are or whoever you may know and pass on this information to!
There is a lot of debate when it comes to the
best way to help a baby to sleep. It has got to be one of the hardest things
parents I talk to face. To be honest, we didn’t have much trouble. This is
because the day Maxwell arrived home from the hospital, he slept all the next
morning. I called my sister asking if this was normal as I thought he needed breast
milk every 2 hours! She said, “well, yeah, but they have one long sleep and
since it’s in the morning it means you will likely be up all night every two
hours feeding.” Pause. I’m freaking out. I just went through labour and now the
idea of not sleeping floors me. C’mon
I hear you say, you knew you’d give up
sleep when you have a baby right? Well, yeah. Sure. But after labour the
reality did not feel good. Now I’d already told my sister I wasn’t really into
the whole ‘routine’ thing – I wanted to be natural and go with the flow... so
when I blurted out “how do I fix it!?!?” she replied with “well that’s the
whole routine thing... you’ve got to get the long sleep to be at night. Ahh.
Made sense. So after her visiting and
showing me what the routine was all about, I was halfway sold. Next she went
out and bought me this book. Admittedly it is not the easiest book to read. If
I didn’t have my lovely sister there to ask her to explain things I may have
given up. But seeing her apply it with her daughter who was only 6 months
ahead, and seeing it work gave me confidence it could for me too. Also if you
are interested but it sounds a bit too hard, I recommend going to Tizzie Halls’
website and downloading pdf sheets which in my opinion explain very well the
importance of the 7pm bedtime and self settling. I’ve looked at other routine
books and they are all pretty much the same. Why? Because they have studied
babies and know this is their natural
rhythm. Max loved it. He settled into it very well and the best part was
having people wonder why he is such a good baby not hardly crying. Why? Because
he always got what he needed just as he started to realise he needed it.
I felt
great, in control – something I needed to keep me going through the shock of
being a mother. Then the Idea of self settling! I thought it sounded like
controlled crying which I have never liked the sound of. Actually Tizzie hall
is rather against it as it involves going in and out almost teasing the baby
and also not listening to the babies cry. In self settling I loved that she
explained an emotional cry and so I knew if max did this I was to go in right away
and comfort him and stay with him til he fell asleep. She explains the way a
tired cry sounds too so I could be comforted to know he was just learning to
put himself to sleep. For my husband and I, we liked the idea of not needing to
sleep with them, rock them, use a dummy etc. We love him dearly and would have
done those things, but thinking even 5 years ahead, I really didn’t know if I could
cope with him running into our room to sleep every night.
There is a whole lot more to this concept, but for me I’ll
just say, I’ve just put Max down at 7pm, and not heard a peep. I will not
likely hear anything til 7 or later in the morning. You rock Tizzie Hall!
(Noted: All babies and toddler are different! But this tested book has worked for many!)
Love and logic Magic for
Early Childhood
Around the time Maxwell hit 16 months and onwards, I found
no form of discipline to work. He was too young for most techniques, or they
simply didn’t work! He acted like I had no right to say
anything and it was driving me batty! I don’t
mind Jo Frost, Super nanny, and use a few techniques, but to be honest, one particularly
bad day, I hopped online and some lovely person recommended “Love and Logic
Magic” It was amazing! Max responded so well! You basically use empathy instead
of anger when you respond. And no warmings. Sounds a bit harsh but well, life
doesn’t give warnings. Especially for under 3years if you give warnings they
are likely to push and push and see how far they will go. Also a key word or
Phrase is all that is needed. Okay so say my 19 month old Max throws his bowl
of food on the floor. “How sad. Dinner is over.” Action: Promptly remove Max and
stick to my word – dinner is over. He doesn’t starve. He learns by the very
next meal, no more throwing food or I will go hungry! As they get older the
techniques involve questioning – what do you think you should do? It’s a great
great read for any parent who is struggling to find a comfortable disciplining
technique. Reacting with anger – physical or verbal- makes the child angry at
you. The adult is the problem. Using a key word and a consequence shines light
on the action of the child which was wrong. It wasn’t them, or you, but the
action. They learn very quickly!
Tena DVD of Excercises
Not just pelvic floor but a whole range of exercies to get your tummy and back, your core back to normal! Only a half hour routine, one during pregnancy, another routine for post birth. So easy to fit in, not too intense and FREE to your door!
Sleeping
Bags
If your baby constantly wakes between
about 3- 4:30 it is VERY likely they are cold. In Australia in particular,
being hotter during the day we under dress our bubs and when it gets colder at
night they are not quite warm enough. Tizzie hall has a pdf on her website
which actually lists how many layers of blanket and clothing for babies or
varied ages in varying temperatures AND in varying areas! She really has
accounted for everything. In the end if you aren’t dressing them in warm clothes,
a sleeping bag and blankets, and your baby wakes at these times, well you know
what to do! The advantage of a well fitting (your own head should not be able
to pass through the head hold of a sleeping bag or the baby can slip down as
they are smaller, and potentially not be able to get out or breathe) sleeping
bag is no matter if they slip out of the blankets, they will be warm. It is
harder for them to climb out! And I found for max it was a nice signal for
bedtime! They can also be used in a car seat or pram as they have a neat little
slot at the back for a seat belt.
The double wrap
Some awesome Books:
Dunstan Baby Language
My sister was put onto this DVD which was truly amazing! We
honestly could understand every cry max had in the first 3 months. We practised
on other babies and it worked too. I felt so empowered. I knew exactly what MY
baby wanted. NO one could tell me otherwise, in that being a younger mum I felt
like everyone may of felt the need to give constant advice. It’s not just silly
either. When a baby wants to feed, for example, they want to suck so they move
their tongue to the roof of their mouth. But then they start crying so the cry
comes out like a ‘neh’ sound. There are more but I’ll let you look into it! As
with Tizzie Hall, it is so important to listen to babies cry’s to know what
they want. After all how would you like it if you wanted to have a whinge to a
friend about something bothering you and you were shushed – or even stuck
something in your mouth to quieten you down? When I listened to max’s cry and
knew well it was pretty amazing!
SAVE OUR SLEEP
I felt
great, in control – something I needed to keep me going through the shock of
being a mother. Then the Idea of self settling! I thought it sounded like
controlled crying which I have never liked the sound of. Actually Tizzie hall
is rather against it as it involves going in and out almost teasing the baby
and also not listening to the babies cry. In self settling I loved that she
explained an emotional cry and so I knew if max did this I was to go in right away
and comfort him and stay with him til he fell asleep. She explains the way a
tired cry sounds too so I could be comforted to know he was just learning to
put himself to sleep. For my husband and I, we liked the idea of not needing to
sleep with them, rock them, use a dummy etc. We love him dearly and would have
done those things, but thinking even 5 years ahead, I really didn’t know if I could
cope with him running into our room to sleep every night. (Noted: All babies and toddler are different! But this tested book has worked for many!)
Around the time Maxwell hit 16 months and onwards, I found
no form of discipline to work. He was too young for most techniques, or they
simply didn’t work! He acted like I had no right to say Tena DVD of Excercises
Not just pelvic floor but a whole range of exercies to get your tummy and back, your core back to normal! Only a half hour routine, one during pregnancy, another routine for post birth. So easy to fit in, not too intense and FREE to your door!
Conception Pregnancy
and Birth – The first book we bought upon the news of being pregnant. Amazing
to see the babies growth every four weeks! (It did however become known as the “booby
book” as it also shows the changes in the mother’s body!)
Pregnancy and Birth
The essential Australia checklists – get this for your first pregnancy!
Planning with Kids
– A fellow Blogger! Awesome for more than one child, or the preparation of!
Raising Boys- I
only have sisters, so I was so clueless when it comes to boys. I know I know
they aren’t that different as babies... but this book showed up a few things
like the way they play is different and that it’s very important to give them
more love and affection in the ages 1-3 as it will ingrain the idea of it being
okay to have emotions! Good read. There is one for girls too.
How to choose the sex
of your baby by LB Shettles and Davif Rorvik – scientific I am not lying. I now know a fair few people who
have said this worked for them. It is a very interesting informative read.
If/when I decide to have another; this might be something I’ll pull out to read
again. Depends on if you have a preference with your next child. If not – meh!
If anyone knows of other awesome things - books or otherwise that helped them i'd love to know! I know what worked for me might not work for others, but things that helped me SOO much I felt I just had to share!
I'm sure I"m forgetting something!
bxx
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
How French can you get?
Well, there is Toulouse-Lautrec.
It just so happened we were visiting our good friends in Canberra - and what else shall we find in Canberra other than the incredible coffee at the now two cafes of Lonsdale street roasters? Lautrec Exhibition of course!
His works varied so much in style you cannot pin him down and catergorise him, not really. And that's one of the fascinating things about him. One of the many, fascinating things about this artist.
He rejected the beauty of landscape artworks insisting the lanscape only supports the character or person portrayed. Lautrec wanted to show something of the personality behind the portrait.
Of course he also created posters which we all know of today.
It was amazing to see so many of his works up close, knowing I stood where he did as he made art history.
bxx
Friday, February 1, 2013
My latest Painting
Introducing my latest work....
She's Acrylic on Canvas, 101x76cm and will be available for sale shortly.
I'm pretty pleased with her if I do say so myself :)
~Love E xo
Friday, January 25, 2013
Some home inspiration from the land of my dreams
Les sigh. Les envy.
All images via Pinterest. Please ask if needing links.
~Love E xo
Monday, November 12, 2012
Before and after
We received these drawers from t & b over 2 years ago and ever since I have been planning to give them a spruce up but have never gotten around to it. Until now...
Yay for getting stuff done! The little table to the left is an heirloom from my Nana. It is handmade and opens up as a musical jewelery box. Very precious.
Hope your Monday is treating you kindly as all well behaved Mondays should!
~Love E xo
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Some prettiness for Sping
Its Spring!! Thank goodness! Time for open windows, generous flowers, and lazy picnics.
Last night I went to a vintage fair at Burnside and picked up a few goodies.
This dapper little bow tie for my man
These awesome 1940s pastel coat hangers. There's 16 of them! So stoked!
They look so pretty with my vintage lovelies.
And lastly I got these adorable little gift cards
Our lovely friend Kurt and Rachel gifted us with these goodies.
How sweet is the hot water bottle cosy?!
After a particularly difficult job this month I splurged and bought myself this magnificent specimen...
Oh. She makes me so happy!
Other things that make me happy...
Finally I thought I'd leave you with a recipe that I've been loving. I've been cutting down on carbohydrates and sugar lately and adding more healthy fats to my diet. This bread recipe has been my comfort food. Its great with butter and vegemite or avocado. It is also gluten and Dairy free.
Golden Flax Bread
Ingredients
2/3 cup almond flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp. organic virgin coconut oil
4 large free range eggs
3 tsp baking powder
1.5 cups organic flax meal
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Melt coconut oil. In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients together well. In a small bowl, gently beat eggs. Whisk in coconut oil. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Pour batter into pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
It looks kinda gross and boring but is really tasty and the texture is just lovely. It doesn't need toasting and stays fresh for about 4 days. Give it a go!
~Love E xo
~Love E xo
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