A Dock for my Tots : The most dreamy twinning you ever did see.

The Dock A Tot is widely known for encouraging longer naps, portable and convenient size and the great aid they have for transitioning from crib to toddler bed.  When we first received our Grand Dock for Ezra, she was over the moon. Instead of setting up pillows every time she watched a show or when she napped in mommy’s bed, she had her own spot dedicated to her!

There was a few times (and still is) where the Dock will somehow turn into a car, an airplane, or most recently a castle – yeah, go figure out that one. (She balanced the Dock A Tot over the ottoman and the edge of the couch.) She has also slowly began to imitate how we put her to bed, the routine she went through at night and how we would greet her when she awoke in the morning. This was also so sweet because she was going to soon be a big sister and watching her care for her dollies and teddy bear just melted our hearts.

You might also like : Cadenshae – Active wear for the pregnant and nursing mother.

The Dock A Tot is available in two different sizes, the Deluxe for Infants (0 – 9 months) and the Grand for toddlers ( 9 – 36 months ) . Our Deluxe Dock A Tot arrived a little bit after Ezra’s arrived and to see the look on her face when she opened up one that was miniature size to hers, was priceless! Instantly she knew it was for the little baby growing in my tummy and that it was something very special for her and her sibling on the way.

Ezra is usually really good with going down for her naps and doesn’t have much of a struggle when going into her crib in the afternoon. The day that her Dock A Tot arrived she asked if she could nap in it and naturally, I said “No”. She then persisted and usually I don’t give in to whining with her, but she promised that she would sleep, so we tried it out. She fell asleep within minutes. I’m not sure if it was the struggle of asking to sleep in the Dock A Tot that tired her out or if there really was some special magic sleepy dust in the Dock. There she was, two hours later, air conditioner on, sun shining through the windows and the serenade of her oh so lady-like snoring.

You may also like : Saying no to the ‘Mom-Bod’

Fast forward 5 months and here we are with our two girls. We use our Dock A Tot DAILY. I might even go ahead to say hourly. It has been such a blessing in our household to be able to lay down Isla when I need to quickly help Ezra with something, or having Ezra nap in her room and Isla nap beside me, giving me a chance to relax. I have even had her in the kitchen with me, on the floor of course on the carpeted hallway, while I was making scones last week!

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Our Deluxe Dock has been a lifesaver for myself and helped ME get a couple extra hours of sleep in the mornings! After my husband goes to work, I am usually up nursing Isla, but my toddler isn’t awake yet so I usually try and stay in bed until she wakes up. When I am done nursing Isla, she usually will fall back asleep in the mornings, but she has been showing us that she likes to be held upright when falling asleep so this makes it a little bit more tricky and tiring when it is 6AM. I have found that Isla will also sleep longer if I am near her, therefore I usually sleep with my head rested right beside the Dock, but that’s okay, I sometimes miss my own sleep because I’m stuck staring at her beautiful sleeping face. I am nervous about having her directly on the mattress beside me so I just pop the Dock up on the bed beside me and off the dreamland we go! L I F E  S A V E R. There is just something about the coziness of the Dock that surrounds them and offers that comfort of a mother’s arms.

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Twinkle Stars Newborn Gown : Nixilauroo

Here’s Why I Love The Dock

  • Perfect solution to co-sleeping – as I mentioned above, Isla still has her days and nights mixed up, so we are getting 3 hours sleep on a good night! Having the Dock in bed with us has given us a couple extra Z’s.
  • Washable – At first I was so nervous about ordering their beautiful marble cover, but after the first encounter with BBQ sauce and it came right out, my fears are gone!
  • Portable and functional for travelling families – we plan on taking ours on a few over night trips this spring and are so excited to have both for the girls.
  • Interchangeable Covers with a huge selection to choose from. The perfect addition to any nursery, no matter what the theme, style and colour, there is something for every babe!
  • Eco – Friendly – This is something I haven’t really thought about before, but when I was looking in to the Dock A Tot and what set them apart, this was really something that stood out to me. Unlike regular crib mattresses, the Dock A Tot is hypo-allergenic, all natural 100% cotton.

The dock has been a little piece of heaven for my girls as we transition in to this new chapter of life with two girls, sisters and best friends. Having their matching ‘beds’ has been so fun and created a bond even before Isla was born.

We are looking forward to more bonding while enjoying Saturday morning cartoons and taking our docks on trips with us this Winter and Spring!

XoXo

Cass

Donut Grow Up – Donut Smash!

 

When people started to ask me if I would be doing a cake smash for Ezra’s birthday I thought, ‘uhm obviously.’ Like they even had to ask. Then I started to think about different ways or themes I could do for it, what really screamed EZRA and what would she enjoy? (other than Paw Patrol). I then remembered another theme I had wanted for her birthday party but was unable to do, because, well, Flamingos.

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

My second choice for her birthday theme was ‘Donut Grow up’. Super cute, playful and full of hot pink messiness! The adventure began. I started to jot down ideas, placement and who I would love to be involved in this shoot and came across four mompreneurs who joined in celebrating Ez turning one.

  • Glitter&Spice
  • LittleSproutCreations
  • Natalia Reardon Photography
  • Always and Foreverly

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

Then came the donuts. YUM. I picked up some plain glazed donuts from Safeway and made my own hot pink royal icing. Yah, you could probably already guess, it didn’t really go as planned. My sister came over to help prep for the shoot and we made do with what we had and they were sloppy and oozing on the sides with color and sprinkles. Homer Simpson would’ve been proud.

Here comes the fun part.

Enter Ezra.

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

 

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

 

 

Obviously, any parent anywhere knows that you dress your child in white when you WANT them to get messy. So here she is, poofy sleeves and pink tutu, ready for 6 stacked, hot pink donuts.

 

Most people I have talked to about their cake smash said their little one wouldn’t even touch the thing. That they had to put their hands in it and get messy, then, almost like being given the go ahead, they dive in!

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the shoot Ez kept going back to the cake pops and was a huge teething fan of the sticks that were attached. We kept turning them around so she could have some cake, but she would take one bite and then off we go again, bottoms up.

 

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

I am so lucky to have Natalia Reardon Photography partnering with me on this journey of blogging and styled shoots. We had a blast with this shoot and we’ve got some pretty rad things coming your way this summer! Keep your eyes peeled!

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Can you spot some details that may be giving you a sneak-peek of the theme of Ezra’s birthday party?

(Hint: Think feathered&pink)

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

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LET’S COLLABORATE! >> If you are looking to put together a styled shoot, head on over to my contact page and send me a note! I (and Ezra) would love to chat and be apart of your next creative adventure!

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/donutshoot

Donut Grow Up Banner – Little Sprout Creations

Tutu – Cousin Hand-me-down

Hot Pink Donut Wall Decor – Little Sprout Creations

Pink/Gold/White Bunting – DIY

Flamingo Teether – Glitter and Spice

Photographer – Natalia Reardon Photography

Donuts: Safeway & DIY

Flamingo Bow – Always and Foreverly

Mat Leave Ends, But Another Adventure Begins

Back to work. Back to the grind. Back to the ol’ time card.

But it’s not the same. Back to work, with a baby. What does that look like you ask? Well, I really couldn’t tell you; yet. I have my first day back to work on Friday. Starting a new job in a new field of which I know nothing about the company but I’m excited. It’s going to be good and it’ll allow my week to have a more structured look to it. Thankfully I have found a position I can go back to part time, as I don’t know if I could quite muster up enough courage to leave my baby girl for the entire day for 5 days a week.

[The day she was born – 17 hours old// Her first baseball game – 6 days old//Teens camp – 2 months old]

Luckily, I have the most amazing mother in law who is willing to watch sweet Ez for those two days that I’m away. Not only does this give me the confidence and freedom to separate myself from mama-mode and dive into work-mode, but Ezra LOVES her Nama. Let me tell you, the second Ez sees Nama, everything else disappears and nothing else matters, Nama is here. Her little legs start pumping a hundred miles per hour, she is fist bumping the air and with her big goofy grin, she is screaming at the top of her lungs. She loves her.

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The night I went into labour 

Looking back on when I was pregnant, very pregnant, and preparing for maternity leave, the 12 months you’re given seems like an eternity. The ‘go-getter’ in me thought, ‘yeah, I’ll get this baby thing under wraps and then I’ll just have a 9 month vacation!’ Oh man was I wrong. Everyday has been a joy, full of love, laughter and all that gushy stuff. There has been hardships in the midst of that, endless crying, sleepless nights, but every parent goes through that. We were fortunate enough to have an angel of a babe that was, and continues to be, so kind to us. But even though I thought having a baby wouldn’t weigh me down and immobilize me that much; it did. You get in to the routine of sleep, nurse, change diaper, sleep, nurse, change diaper, and eventually that starts to level out. Ezra is pretty simple when it comes to this schedule and will mostly go anywhere with me as long as I’m able to take time out for her. Pushing the stroller a little longer or put a wrap on to cuddle her close, to ensure she can have a nap.

[Ezra in her new Beluga Baby ‘EZRA Wrap’ Photo|Haley Campbell Owner of Beluga Baby // Ice cream at Morgan Crossing // Ez meeting Jillian Harris for the first time (all babies have this ‘first’ right?]

All this is about to change though. I am going to feel that heart wrenching, yearning sensation to want to be with my baby and can’t. I’m fully anticipating a meltdown, not on her part but on mine! She’s was and now, has become again, a part of me. My little side kick. The robin to my batman, the tissue to my sniffle, the laughter to my jokes, the peanut to my jelly. the Ez to her mama. For the past three weeks I have been completely soaking up every hug, every smile, every giggle, and yes, even every roar. (she’s a baby Rex). Getting more sentimental as the time tock’d and the days grew closer. I am not usually this type of person, at least the one that sits there for an extra minute just staring at my sweet babe, every, single, moment.

[I really miss this precious time of napping with a newborn. Oh how sweet it is.]

I am looking forward to going back though. To have more then the length of a nap time to be a real person again, to be an adult and have a conversation that doesn’t include what was in her diaper or how many veggie balls (IKEA – delicious) she ate for lunch. To regain some composure and assertiveness that I can bounce back, I can be social and I can live my life again, of course, with my little sidekick holding my hand through it all. This’ll be another new chapter in our lives, a chapter of change and a chapter of growth. Figuring out what it means for mama to go back to work and how Ez will receive it. Here’s hopin’ and you bet I’ll be praying.

What were your thoughts? your doubts? your fears? Did you find identity in going back to work, feel more like yourself again? (whatever that may mean to you).
What were your biggest hurdles in trying to make things work and making sure your little loved one was comfortable and confident in you leaving them? I want to know them!
From one mama to another, I would love your support and guidance in some ideas or scheduling that you found moved mountains when you went back to work.

I’ll leave you now with a few of my favourite memories from the past year with my sweet babe. Enjoy x0x

Wedding Shoot photo | Sasha Cooper Photography

The BEST Butter Chicken Sauce!!

Butter Chicken. Mm mmm. Delicious. If you love butter chicken as much as I do, you have try this combo of Naan and Butter Chicken!!

Grab your frying pan & rice cooker and let’s get started! I have a small, three cup, black&decker rice cooker and we’ve had it since we’ve been married and use it all the time! It’s small, easy to clean and we never really need more than 3 cups of rice!

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Butter Chicken Sauce : Umi’s Kitchen Butter Chicken Simmer Sauce. I picked up two bottles of it from a past market I just attended but you can get your sauce here , your local Save on Foods and Granville Island Market!

Naan : CRISPY Traditional Style Tandoori Naan. We grab ours from Walmart

Basmati Rice : Kirkland Brand

Two Chicken Breasts

**We also like to add a veggie option for a side! Tonight we chose red pepper**

You know when you start a meal and you’re so excited to get it going, and then you cook the carrots first to perfection but then the potatoes are still going to be another twenty minutes? Man! That is so annoying; I hate it when that happens! So below I have written out your schedule to the perfect butter chicken that will all be pipin’ hot when you plate to serve!

First Step: Prep

Ÿ Cut your chicken breasts into cubes

Ÿ Place 2 cups of rice in rice cooker & fill to 2 cup line

 

Step 2: Turn on rice cooker (roughly 20minutes) & Preheat oven to 200degrees

Step 3: Start cooking chicken in frying pan with a drop of vegetable oil in pan

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Step 4: When chicken is all cooked, add in entire jar of Umi’s Kitchen Butter Chicken Sauce into pan. Place lid and let simmer.

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Step 5: Place naan directly on middle oven rack and sprinkle with water on each side, cook 2minutes.

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Plate & Serve

Enjoy!

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After making this meal, I feel like I ate the whole plate in one bite. I’ve also included an after photo of my little girl at the end of her dinner time tonight for a few laughs. Hope you enjoy it!

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Send me a note after you try this sauce and tell me what you think!! I’d love to hear your thoughts or about your own Butter Chicken dinners!