Happy things Archives - Page 4 of 35 -

Explore: Life in Pictures, Vol. 4

May 2, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

Alternatively titled: How to Make a Thursday Feel Like a Saturday

We had an adventure last week. The exploring kind. More for me, I guess, since we went somewhere I hadn’t been before that Rich had (and he has the scar to remember it by). It was somewhere I’ve wanted to go since we moved here and now that we’ve been I have no idea why we didn’t go sooner. It’s a town not all that far from here that’s best known for its dinosaurs. The real kind, and, as it turns out, the kind people put on signs to make the most of the millions-of-years-old tourist attraction dinosaurs create.

I figured it would be fun to go, and a dinosaur-themed day was sure to be a hit with Connor. Rich suggested a couple of other stops along the way and, like any good explorer, I was game.

And, oh, was it a good day.

Here, then, is how to make a Thursday feel like a Saturday. It’s really not hard at all.

1. Put your kids in the car and drive for an hour and a half until the landscape looks like something from another planet.

2. Climb up high.

3. Take the opportunity to admire the view and get some perspective.

4. (If you do it on the day your baby gets his first tooth, you end up with a sad little dinosaur.)

5. But he’s a good sport about it, so play with him anyway.

5. Find the world’s largest dinosaur.

5. Climb into its mouth. (Resist the urge to add to your four-year-old’s terror over the situation by making loud roaring noises.)

5. Decide to see what happens if you take the aforementioned scaredy-cat child to a museum with actual dinosaurs.

6. Clarify that the dinosaurs aren’t really real, because the four-year-old thinks real means alive and he seems convinced that the Tyrannosaurus is going to eat him. (Secretly think he’s lucky he’s behaving well that day, otherwise you might have been tempted to see if T-Rex wanted a nibble.) Then measure him next to a dinosaur’s foot (but don’t point out that the dinosaur could crush with one toe any small boys who throw things at their little brothers).

7. Watch your boys draw. Smile.

8. Then get up close and personal with a wooly mammoth (without the wool).

9. Head back out and find some dirt to play in.

10. Ponder life and the elements and the meaning of time in the context of evidence of the millennia that created amazing things.

11. Be grateful you live in a place that offers such diversions close enough to do them as day trips with your kids.

12. Finish exploring and hit the highway so you’re home in time for dinner.

But stop for ice cream first.

Filed Under: Happy things · Tagged With: family, favourite activities, gratitude, living life, One word, photos

Kiwi Crate: Crafts for the Uncrafty

April 10, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

Let’s just be honest: I suck at entertaining a four-year-old. I think I’ve reached my limit for LEGO and my attention span for playing cars is about 4 seconds. I’m really trying, but this is one part of motherhood I find totally hard.

In theory, I think crafts are great. Connor actually likes them and I don’t mind pretending I have some crafty talent. The problem is that I don’t really have the craft gene and, while Connor likes doing crafts, he’s often entertained only slightly longer than I am playing dinosaurs so it’s a little disheartening to find craft ideas and gather all the stuff and not have it take more than six minutes.

But hark! I hear the gentle call of a crafty fairy godmother.

The lovely folks at Kiwi Crate got in touch to see if I’d like to try one of their kits. Um, yes please! If someone wants to send me a box of stuff that will help me play with my kid I will not say no.

I’m going to tell you about our experience, because I really like what they offer, but first here’s what Kiwi Crate is in their own words:

Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription service, targeted at kids ages 3-7. We deliver a box to your child each month that’s designed around a certain theme (think dinosaurs, garden, superheroes, space.) In each box are 2-3 carefully designed and kid-tested projects, which cover a range of developmental areas and subjects, including art, science, and imaginative play. All the materials and inspiration to encourage creativity and curiosity are included – you just supply the kid!

Now, a box of craft supplies is fab enough. But one that is fun, artsy and with a science or learning element? That totally scores me points in my Am I a Good Mom spreadsheet. And these kits are done really well.

We got a box that had two crafts – a wind sock and two wind cars. See?

The box has EVERYTHING you need. Even bits of tape where tape is called for. And I love that they include scissors because, while we happen to have our kid scissors accessible, they could very easily be buried in our craft box in the basement.

Connor chose to do the wind sock first, so we checked out all the supplies and pulled out the pieces we needed for that one.

Next up: decorating the sock with the full set of oil pastels provided (which gave me a serious case of nostalgia). Connor loved this part and used ALL the colours.

Then there were some steps that I didn’t get pictures of because there’s only so much multitasking an uncrafty mama can do. We glued the ribbons on (using glue dots – easy peasy) and got the wind sock all put together. I helped a little bit but the little dude could really do this whole thing almost entirely on his own.

Cool, right? And what I loved about this one is that we also got a (kid-friendly) Beaufort scale and an observation card to see how strong the wind is. (0 = Calm, no wind. Your wind sock is completely still. 1 = Light, barely a wind. The ribbons on your wind sock move a little. 2 = Light breeze. Leaves are moving and rustling lightly. You can feel the wind on your skin. And so on.)

We hung the wind sock on a tree on our deck and watched the wind blow the ribbons. It’s still there, actually. A nice little burst of colour outside the window.

The next day we donned our Superman jammies and made wind cars. This craft was great because there were supplies for two (so you can race them), which meant I got to make one of my very own and the four-year-old didn’t get any input into the design. Ahem.

We got to decorate both the base and the sail, and putting the cars together was a cinch – wheels, straws, tape, and some dough. (Can you tell which one is mine?)

The idea is to make them go using your breath.

Seriously, these kits are fantastic. We had enough supplies plus some extras just in case. There are cards inside with ideas for parents to talk about the concepts (e.g. What else can make your car go? (A fan?) If you put something on your wind car, is it easier or harder to blow the car?) and the Kiwi Crate website has even more resources.

Kiwi Crate was recently featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, In Style, Parents Magazine, and they have a partnership with Pottery Barn Kids. They were also just recently named one of Dr. Toy’s 10 best creative products of 2012, and I can totally understand why they’re getting all this attention. It takes a lot to make me rave about something, but I’m raving about this.

You can get a monthly subscription or an annual one, and they offer sibling add-ons (the “no fight” crate – brilliant!) as well as options for giving this as a gift. I think this would make a really good gift. *bats eyelashes* (And Canadians, you can get these too. Kiwi Crate is a U.S.-based company but they’ve just started shipping to Canada.)

And—last thing!—Kiwi Crate has a big giveaway going on Facebook right now where you can enter to win everything in Kiwi Crate’s DIY Materials craft shop and a brand new craft table from Pottery Barn. (Worth $750 and is open to US and Canada.)

And that’s my rave review. Gold star. Two thumbs up. Recommended wholeheartedly by this mom.

Disclosure: I was provided one Kiwi Crate box to try and tell you about, but the side effects of inspiration and sanity saved are all my own.

Filed Under: Happy things, Stuff I like · Tagged With: favourite activities

Good Times

April 4, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

If you turn left off our street and then drive just around a short bend, you’ll be driving straight towards a wall of mountains whose view fills the entire horizon. On a clear day every peak and every sheer face of ice and snow is visible. On a sunny day, the light actually reflects off of them.

To get to my parents’ house—20 minutes from here in the adjacent town—I turn right at the end of that road and then take a left. The road leads up and I drive, picking up speed to reach the faster limit as the road turns into highway. My adrenaline and excitement pick up speed as well, and I smile when this sunny song comes on the radio.

A very good friend of mine
Told me something the other day
I’d like to pass it on to you,
‘Cause I believe what he said to be true

We’re here for a good time
Not a long time (not a long time)
So have a good time
The sun can’t shine every day

There’s something about this road. To the south is a valley where the land dips out of sight, making it feel as though this highway is at the top of the world.

I love this drive.

It never fails to leave me paused in time, especially on a sunny day (which, around here, come often). Tucked behind trees I see houses and imagine living in them in this beautiful location just beyond the city. Here and there are abandoned barns and the occasional piece of rusting farm equipment. It’s a landscape that speaks to me despite having grown up in a city known more for flowers and ocean than wide open spaces and bales of hay.

Where do you live? Do you notice what’s around you or does the scenery fade into the background of your days? Does anything ever catch your eye?

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the stuff we have to do. The first part of my day today was a rush of tidying and cleaning after Connor had a massive nosebleed in the middle of the night. We had blood on clothes, beds, carpets. I was desperate to get the laundry’s critical path right before leaving for a walk with a friend in the afternoon lest we end the day with no sheets and a pile of sopping wet bedding. I managed to get all the beds stripped and one load of laundry started and then another load started and the first load finished before I had to leave the house.

I walked with my friend in the crisp spring air and after our walk I hit the highway.

…Every year has its share of tears,
Every now and then it’s gotta rain

Things aren’t perfect. There’s always laundry and the dishwasher seems to require emptying every time I turn around. Rich has been sick and Connor has been sick and I’m tired. But life can’t be perfect all the time.

We’ve had our share of rain. I certainly did in my last postpartum phase. That wasn’t just rain – it was a massive, ongoing deluge.

But right now life is good.

The sun can’t shine every day, but the rain brings perspective.

I believe that to be true, so while my sun is out I’m going to bask in the good times.

Filed Under: Happy things · Tagged With: favourite activities, gratitude, living life

Explore: Life in Pictures, Vol. 3

March 24, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

I’m not sure if I can honestly say I’ve been cognizant of pursuing my one word this last month. I think it’s almost been ingrained in me though. Get out there. Do stuff. See what happens. Just try it.

It’s kind of nice.

I’ve been spending less time on the computer and more time on the floor with Connor (who is refusing to let me take his picture lately).

I decided it was time to stop being lazy and actually take both boys out one afternoon while Rich was working. We went to the zoo, and while it wasn’t the most successful trip ever (don’t ask) we did have fun and enjoyed some time in the sunshine. Plus, I really dig this dude’s hair.

We’ve still had snow here – a few big late-winter snowfalls and one near-blizzard. I’m a little sick of the snow-warm-melt-freeze-icy-sidewalk pattern we’ve got going on, but I definitely still appreciate the snow. It makes me want to go outside and really look at stuff. What can I say? I just like winter. Besides, it’s so photogenic.

We did some Ukrainian Easter eggs this weekend. I remember doing these as a kid, though evidently then I was less worried about how (not) artistic I am. Still, it was fun, and the colourful dye begs to be made into art.

Even the little guy has been getting in on the exploratory action. I suppose he’s inevitably going to be obsessed with LEGO.

We’ve just started him on solids too, but first we gave him some time in his high chair and let him play with a spoon. He definitely looked at the spoon like there was supposed to be something on it (and the next day when there was some cereal on it he was a big fan).

I’ve continued reading and am really enjoying it. (One thing, though – I’m reading a book right now and I think I’ve read it before but I’m not sure. Does this ever happen to you? I’m finding it odd, but I keep reading in hopes of remembering something other than a vague familiar feeling.)

I also read a book about writing for mothers and ohmygosh was it ever good. Presuming I can get over that whole is-it-good-enough thing I’ll share some of the writing I’ve done in response to the book’s exercises.

And finally, one of the things I did as part of choosing my word for the year was make a list of goals. And then I started exploring opportunities. Writing for Huffington Post was on that list. (I need to write over there again – ahem.) And so was blogging for a parenting site. And I can cross that one off now too!

I’ve just started as a blogger for Yummy Mummy Club. My YMC blog is called Meant to Be and I’d love it if you’d come and follow along over there too. (There’s also an RSS feed if you’d like to follow that way.)

How is your year going so far?

Linking this one word update with our monthly check-in on Just.Be.Enough as well as:

Filed Under: Happy things · Tagged With: favourite activities, One word, photos

Living in the Light

February 21, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

Rich and I had a fight not long after Ethan was born. We had both been sick – him first and then me. I got really sick. And I got pink eye. Twice. And, as is the way with many breastfeeding moms, I was up at night while Rich slept. And, as is the way with many moms who are up in the night while their partners sleep, I was cranky about it because being up so much made it hard to get better. And that’s what caused the fight.

I won’t get into all the picky details, but it was about sleep – the too-little of it I was getting, and my perception that he wasn’t helping me out as much as he could have. And then he pointed out that when he was at home and I was working when Connor was little he never got a sick day either.

“You didn’t ask for help!” I countered.

“I did,” he replied, much more calmly than was probably warranted.

The thing is, I have no recollection of that. I don’t recall him being sick and me going off to work leaving him to fend for himself (and the energetic two-year-old).

I don’t recall a lot of things from that time.

This is one of the things about postpartum depression that — in my experience, anyway — is so hard to deal with. It’s like living in a fog, except that fog leaves those weeks or months completely socked in so that there’s never a clear picture of them, even afterwards. My particular fog was built from my anger — my rage — as if spewed forth from a fog machine I couldn’t turn off.

But it’s not like I don’t remember anything from that timeframe. Just certain things. Often big things. It’s come up in conversation a few times, where someone will be recalling something, and every single time I’ll think, “I have absolutely no recollection of that.” It just doesn’t exist as a page in my memory book. Whether torn out or never properly recorded I don’t know. It’s just not there.

I’m not really sure the point of telling you this, except to say that this time is different.

Now, I know when I’m being a bitch. I know when I’m picking a fight (and sometimes I do it anyway). I know when I’m not doing what I need to do for myself.

It doesn’t always make it easier to do what I need to do, but at least this time I’m living in the light.

***

Speaking of happy things, I’ve heard about three recently that are making the world a better place and I’d like to share them with you:

For the first time, there’s a product dedicated to helping fight postpartum depression. Jammies are the creation of Hélène Laure, a fashion designer whose clothing designs for women have been sold to such specialty stores as Henri Bendel, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Helene wanted to create a new business that gives back, so she designed Jammies with the intention of helping to benefit moms with postpartum depression. For each Jammies Jar sold, Helene’s company, Two Mice, A Bear and A Bunny LLC, will donate 10% of the profit to Postpartum Progress, the national nonprofit that raises awareness of postpartum depression and promotes better support and services for pregnant and new mothers with mental illness.

These onesies are so cute (perfect for gifts). Here’s the description:

“100% pure cotton onesies for boys and girls made from a soft and breezy light gauge cotton Jersey that are are uniquely packaged in a sweet little jam jar. The design is reminiscent of the all-American long john, with its henley tab closing and ribbed cuffs, and a flirty ruffle added to the girls’ style. Mr. Bear, Lily (the bunny) and Cinnamon & Ginger (the identical mouse twins) are the delightfully hand-drawn characters featured on Jammies onesies.”

You can see read more about them (and order them) on the Jammies page on Postpartum Progress.

——

PeaceLove is working to combat the stigma against mental illness. One of the biggest ways they’re helping is through their giveback program: for each PeaceLove tee purchased, they give away a free expressive arts class to a child affected by mental illness. They just launched a tee campaign with the hopes of giving away 100 free expressive art classes (and they’re really close!).

——

February 27 is Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying campaign supporting Boys and Girls Clubs/Big Brothers Big Sisters. If you’re in Calgary, you can get an official pink shirt at any London Drugs. (And if you’re not, wear a pink shirt anyway.)

Filed Under: Happy things, Postpartum depression · Tagged With: admissions, gratitude, rage