A Few of my Favourite Things

It's almost time for Christmas, so I thought I might share with you a couple of my favourite things, just in case you are still looking for something to put on your lists (or to snag in some great Boxing Day (week...month...??)  deals!)
The Nexus 7 Tablet

Up until very recently I had never owned a tablet. In fact, I had only used an iPad very briefly. I LOVE this tablet. It's nice and small, and the screen is incredible. It looks better than my TV! The sound is also pretty amazing. I don't even need to plug it into my speakers when I am listening to Songza (another one of my favourite things!). I also liked how easily it synced to my phone and automatically downloaded all my apps. Pretty slick. It would make a great e-reader due to it's size, but I still prefer reading on my non-backlit Kobo, as it's easier on the eyes. The only thing I'm not that crazy about on the tablet is the camera, but that's fine. I always think it looks funny when people take photos with their tablets anyway. ;) I always thought that tablets were sort of redundant for me, since I have a laptop and a phone, but it changed my mind. 



My moccasin slippers

I loooooove these slippers. I don't even know where they are from, as I got them as a gift from Hubby last Christmas. They are so warm and comfy, and I love that when I wear them I don't get cheerios and crumbs and all the other little treasures my boys leave all over the floor for me stuck to my feet. They take a beating and keep on cozying my feet. 









The Sodastream

I wasn't sure about the Sodastream. I hemmed and hawed about it for a long time. I mean, it seems like an awesome idea, but I'm a bit of a soda snob, especially when it comes to Cola. So I knew I wasn't going to use it much for making pop like Cola or Rootbeer. I didn't use it too much at first, but then I branched out and tried the other syrups they have, and the Kool-Aid syrup is my absolute favourite! I loooove bubbles, and that is the reason I drink so much pop. It's awesome to be able to control the level of syrup I use, as well as to add some bubbles to things like orange juice so I get that fizz fix but without adding calories or sugar. I also picked up some Torani syrup and make myself Italian Sodas as a treat every now and then. For those who like carbonated water, this is a must. It's so handy, and it was definitely something that grew on me. 


Dogeared Jewelry

If you haven't heard about Dogeared, please don't Google it, since you will probably fall in love. I adore their designs; so clean and simple and beautiful. I have coveted the Karma necklace for a few years now and finally decided to buy myself a little present and picked it up, as well as a bracelet. I love them and wear them every single day. I am pretty sure I want one of everything...hint hint Hubby!! ;) 




*Please note: I have received some items listed in this post for the purpose of review, however all opinions (as always!) are my own. 

My Favourite Nursing Must-Haves

I thought I would share with you my favourite nursing products. If you are a nursing mama, you know you spend quite a bit of time in the act of nursing your little(s). And there are a few products out there that make that job a little easier for me. 
By the way, this isn't a sponsored post, it's all products I purchase myself, I just thought I would share the awesomeness!

one. two. three. four. 

1. Bamboobies Nursing Pads
 Luckily, I haven't been as leaky this time around, but it's so unpredictable that I always wear them. Because the one time I don't wear them, I leak all over and have to pop into a store in the mall to purchase a scarf which I creatively drape to hide the giant wet spot on my shirt. Not that that has happened or anything. Please note: this actually happened. 

So my favourite pads are Bamboobies. They are amazing. They are supersoft, which is a plus (I hate the scratchy disposable ones!), as well as incredibly thin. The thinness is the absolute best feature, along with their unique heart shape. Those 2 things combined mean you don't get that super-obvious nursing pad ridge that shouts "HEY! I'M WEARING NURSING PADS!!". Very attractive...ugh. And they have never leaked on me, despite how thin they are. They have a milk-proof backing on them. Love them!
Ummm...you don't get a pic of me wearing them. Sorry. I am sure you are super upset...ahem. But you can trust they are being well-used in each of these photos. 
2. Undercover Mama
 I wish I would have got this nursing tank the first time around. Instead I purchased a bunch of cheap shirts that I could easily nurse in, but didn't necessarily look that great. This time I grabbed one of these Undercover Mamas, and my life was changed. It's basically just a strapless tank top that you can attach to any of your nursing bras. So, you throw this puppy on underneath any shirt and it's instantly a nursing shirt; you can pull up your top shirt without exposing your tummy. And that is my biggest uncomfortableness about nursing...I don't really care if I flash a little boob by accident, but tummy? Horrors! The other thing I love about it is it's just tight enough to add a little bit of slimming action. So I can wear all my regular shirts without having to worry about easy nursing access. Life-changer. I wish I could grab them in every colour. 
3. InfinityMOM

I prefer to cover when I'm nursing in public for my own comfort level. Last time I used a nursing cover, but I have to say it's kind of annoying fighting with it all the time. So when I heard about this next product, I rushed out to the store to buy it. InfinityMOM is an infinity scarf, but nice and wide so you can use it as a nursing cover when you need it. I bought one in teal chevron. Sooo cute! I love it. It's awesome because it's a great accessory, but also functional. And there is a lot less fabric so you don't have to fight with it. Plus it's made out of cotton (feels like a t-shirt) so it's breathable and I don't end up with a super sweaty babe and heat stroke from being under it. Ugh. 

4. Ergo Baby Carrier
This one isn't technically a nursing product, but man does it make my life a million times easier when nursing! The Ergo baby carrier is our go-to for outings. It's super comfy and easily adjustable so Hubby and I can swap no problem. It's also really easy to get the baby in and out, which is a must when you have a toddler as well. But by far the most convenient aspect of the Ergo for me is that I can nurse in it. I just strap Q in and he's happy and when it's time to nurse I just loosen the strap a little and latch him on. The Ergo has a wind hood you can clip on, so I do that for some privacy and voila! No one can even tell that I'm nursing, and I am free to keep doing whatever I'm doing! It is super handy when we are out and about with Peanut, as I don't have to stop whatever we are doing to nurse. It's also awesome when we are somewhere where there are no convenient spots to nurse. I remember the first time I did this was at a hockey game with Peanut. There is nowhere in the arena to nurse, and I wasn't going to go sit in the bathroom (ick). So it was perfect! Plus, it's always a bit of a super-mom moment when you are doing all the things while nursing your kiddo. Woot! 

So, those are my faves. What are your favourite nursing products? Any awesome ones you can recommend? 

Ingenuity Washable Playard: Review and GIVEAWAY!

A play yard has been an essential item in our household for Peanut. When he was born, he slept in a play yard in our room in the bassinet for the first 3 or 4 months. Since then, we use it as a travel crib when we stay overnight with friends or family, or when we go camping. And we use it as a baby containment unit (i.e. a playpen) when we need Peanut to have a safe place to play. Our previous play yard was alright. Nothing to really rave about.  The change table on it was so flimsy we couldn't use it from the very beginning when Peanut was only 10 lbs, as he would roll off the end if we didn't hold him up (and really, how practical is that? Changing a baby with 1 hand? No thanks!). The other thing that really bothered me about it was that I could only surface wipe it to clean up the inevitable baby poops, pees and pukes that ended up all over it. That always sort of grossed me out, really. Sure, you can buy the sheets for them, but really we all know that a mere cotton sheet cannot contain the mess of a leaky diaper, let alone a pooplosion. 
So, when I heard about the InGenuity Washable Playard, I had to admit, I was incredibly intrigued. Could it really be washable? Because if it was, it would be a HUGE improvement on the brand we have been using for the past year.

Mine is from the Sumner Collection. I love how gender-neutral it is!

I took it out of the box, and I didn't even have to look at the instructions to set it up. It is very simple and takes about 30 seconds. Score! The change table is so incredibly sturdy and snaps on all easy-peasy like. I can even change my squirmy 1 year old on it and it holds up wonderfully. This was enough to sell me on it! It also has a handy storage tray for diapers and wipes, etc. 

The tray folds over the bar so you don't have to remove it to use the play yard! 

But the thing that really flabbergasts me, and has me floating in clean-mommy heaven is that it IS totally washable. And it's completely easy. Everything just unzips and unvelcros (is that a word?!) from the frame and you toss it in the washer. 

See?! You can wash the whole thing!

You can learn from my mistakes and heed this tip: when you are putting the fabric back on the frame, make sure you line up the zipper in the correct corner! Duh! Of course I didn't realize until I had proudly reassembled the velcro on all the corners...sigh. 
For the mattress, you just have to slip out the 4 boards and toss the padding in there too. I have made a little video to show you how easy it is to use this play yard. I hate watching myself on video, so please be forgiving! I definitely say definitely too much...and you can see Kitty and Peanut making guest appearances. Peanut is obsessed with the play yard, so he's giving you a running commentary while investigating it. 
 I haven't been able to really test out the bassinet because Peanut is much too heavy for it, but it came already assembled with the bassinet in it, so it is easy to see how it sets up, and it looks a bit sturdier than my other one, actually, as it has straps supporting the bottom of the bassinet to the play yard. AND, you can fold it up without taking out the bassinet, which is also awesome. That was always a huge pain with our other play yard. 

Here's the bassinet all set up

And this is the magic that allows you to fold up the play yard WITHOUT removing the bassinet. Sooooo handy, trust me!

 The only thing missing from this model is a newborn napper-type device. We used that attachment extensively with Peanut in the first month or so, so if we have another little kiddo that would be a feature I would love to see on the InGenuity Playard! 

The folks at InGenuity are generously giving Up Mommy Creek readers a chance to win their very own Washable Playard!!! How awesome is that?! A play yard is a must-have for the little ones, in my opinion, and here's your chance to get one for free! Please note that this giveaway is only open to my fellow Canadians, as this snazzy line has not yet launched in the US. Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. And GOOD LUCK! :) 
Reminder: Giveaway open to Canada only! Sorry my international readers!a Rafflecopter giveaway
**Disclosure: I received a playard so that I could write an accurate review of using this product. All opinions are entirely my own, as always! I truly did love this product.

From the Man Files: Top 10 Gift Ideas for the Men in Your Life

So, today I have a very special guest blogger. Well, he's very special to me. Awww. The Hubby has decided to offer his insight into one of the things I find most difficult around this time of year: trying to buy gifts for the men in my life. Enjoy!!

I'm pleased introduce one of the world's foremost minds on insights into men; what they want, what they need and what they really think about. Without further ado: Adam. 
And the crowd roars (ahhhhhhhhhhhhh)
Standing ovation!!!
Every once in a while I will be giving some man perspective on Up Mommy Creek. This week I will be talking about gifts. Now I didn't want to write about the obvious things, like the big ticket items: sports cars, yachts, trips to Bora Bora and ridiculously huge big screen televisions. What I wanted to write about were the little things for those who are short on gift ideas. Here is my
Top Ten Gift Ideas for Any Occasion (in no particular order)
1. Booze - You can never go wrong giving your man a good stiff drink for Christmas, whether it's his favourite bottle of liquor, a 6 pack of some local micro brew, a nice bottle of wine (or a case). Whatever you give him should be something he wouldn't normally splurge for himself. 
2. A Good Book - if you have a good idea of your significant other's interest and he is someone who likes to read, then a good book is definitely an easy winner. Read some reviews first, check the top sellers list or ask the staff what they recommend.
3. A Magazine Subscription - with so many different topics you will be sure to find something he has an interest in, plus its a gift that the can be enjoyed year round. I recommend a subscription to Playboy - I kid I kid 
4. Gift Certificate - But they are so impersonal you say. Yes if you get him something like a Walmart gift certificate or one of those cash cards you can use anywhere. Instead, get him one for somewhere he really likes to shop; a bookstore, music shop, eBay or someplace where he can get something unique.
5. A Copy of his Favourite Movie - with the seeming slow death of DVDs it may be a good idea to get him a copy of his favorite movie on Blu-Ray. Or if he likes a particular trilogy or series of films then they would be a good idea too.
6. Concert DVD/Blu-Ray - If he has a favorite band or he is into music, a recorded concert would be something he can watch again and again. Selection is sometimes limited, so you may not have a choice between DVD or Blu Ray. I would say that Blu Ray would always be preferred, but sometimes you just can't make it happen. 
7. Music Box Set - same as number 6, but you need to know the band and or the genre to get this one right otherwise this one might just collect dust. Alternative? Same as #4: gift certificate to iTunes. 
8. Band/Sport Memorabilia - Band TV shirts, a ball cap of his favorite sports team; if he's got a fave team or band its not a bad idea to get him some memorabilia. Just don't do what Amy did and get a key chain of his team's chief rival. (it was a joke! Sheesh! ~Amy)
9. Collectibles - If he collects something, add to his collection. Note: only do this if you have a good idea of what he collects and how much they cost otherwise you could be over paying for whatever you get him. Generally eBay is the best place to go for collectibles as you can get a good idea of prices and there is enough variety that you generally won't over pay.
10. Tickets/Passes - Depending on his interests you can always get him tickets to a game, movie passes, concert tickets or passes to a ski hill, etc. Sometimes its not things that a guy wants but an experience. Plus these tend to be the most memorable if you go with him.
Hope these help you with coming up with gift ideas for the upcoming holidays. Generally get him something he wouldn't normally spend money on himself, and you should be good.
Talk to you soon
- Adam

Analysis Paralysis

So, it has occurred to me that almost everything baby related has a million different choices to be made. For instance, take a simple thing like a crib. You would think this would be straight forward. It is not. There are a ton of different options, colours, brands, features, and gizmos. All of which you, as parents, must choose. And don’t even get me started on the price. You can get your baby a solid wood cherry finish Cadillac that costs $2000, and we are sleeping on a $150 Ikea special. And once you get through the impossible task of choosing a crib, you have to choose a stroller. That’s almost worse. Do you go with a travel system? A jogger? Do you want cup holders? One handed folding options? Off-road capabilities? The possibilities are endless for every single thing you buy for your baby. And the retailers totally play this up. OF COURSE you want this feature; it ensures the safety of your baby. Once they play the safety card, they know they have you hooked, even if it actually does nothing. Everything is made to be more convenient, more streamlined, has more gizmos and gadgets, different looks for different moods. It’s insane. The only industry that seems to come close to this is the wedding industry. And in both cases it’s because they know you are going to eventually shell out the cash for it, even if it’s twice the cost of the same product without the word “baby” on it. How do you even begin to decide what to buy? What features will I actually NEED on a stroller? I have never had to use a stroller in Calgary before. How will I know if I will need it to go “off-road”? I don’t even have my freaking baby yet!!!!

And even if you can somehow navigate through the crazy jungle of baby products, you are still faced with lifestyle choices, which inevitably lead to more product decisions. Diapering is a good example of this. Should we use disposable or cloth diapers? This is such a complicated choice to begin with. Once you do weigh the pros and cons and research the costs, you are then faced with another decision of which brand of diapers to use. It never ends, really. It’s an endless cycle of decision-making. And what about choosing a name?! I tell you, it’s impossible!

I mean, it’s nice that we as parents (to-be) have choices, don’t get me wrong. But honestly, it is all too much. Preparing to become a parent is mentally exhausting and overwhelming in itself. Layer on the millions of decisions you need to make about what your baby uses and it’s enough to make one lose their mind. And while I was overwhelmed planning my wedding, that was essentially just a party. This is another human being. There are simply way too many things that need to be decided upon, all while I am an ever-enlarging blimp of hormones. Too many options, too many choices to be made, all leads to analysis paralysis. I physically and mentally cannot analyze or compare or weigh pros and cons anymore. Does. Not. Compute.

So far we have decided on a crib, and it’s sitting in the future nursery right now. After months of looking at every brand, wondering if we need a convertible style, deciding which finish to get to match the other furniture, Hubby and I saw a sale at Zellers and went in and bought it. We didn’t even have a choice of colour. And you know what? Best decision ever. It fit perfectly into our budget (i.e. we didn’t have to sell our belongings to afford it), it’s sturdy, and it took 10 minutes to put together. This, to me, means that it is good quality, as there are no moving parts or complicated installing procedures that we could have screwed up which would result in disaster down the line. But I know that every decision will not come as simply as this, just as I know that the decisions will not end when baby is born; there will only be more decisions to make. After all, as Hubby said, we are now responsible for a tiny little human. We have to make choices for him until he is old enough to be overwhelmed with options and bombarded with choices by himself.

So, where do you begin? Anyone have tips on how to deal?

The Day of Reckoning

Today is a depressing day. Up until now I have 1 pair of maternity pants that I wear for work (they are getting a lot of use…). I am ok with this, because generally work pants have a much higher waist, and so naturally they don’t fit as well anymore. However, I have a favourite pair of jeans that I wear all. the. time. Normal, non-preggo jeans that are flattering and perfectly worn in. I did see that recent experiment where that dude didn’t wash his jeans for like 2 months, but I think that is a bit extreme. So, naturally, I threw my jeans in the wash. Well, I went to put them on for work today, and lo and behold Fatty Fatterson can’t fit in them anymore!!! The perfect fit jeans no longer perfectly fit!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I refused to wear my mat pants once again today, so I grabbed my trusty Bella Band and am walking around work with my button and fly undone and my Bella Band camouflaging that fact. In some ways it is kind of funny though. It’s like I have a secret and no one knows. I kind of just want to whisper “my pants are undone you know” to my colleagues, but that would be so incredibly creepy. I would probably be sued. But it  still would be a little bit funny.

The other thing, albeit this one is a bit easier to take, is that it can no longer be considered appropriate for me to continue wearing my normal sized bras. The over-spillage is getting a bit extreme. I would prefer to NOT look like some creepy lady with over-flowing cleavage and undone pants and a big belly. Like a strange cross between a cougar at the local country bar and a swimmer with an inner tube around their belly. *shudder*

So, I guess it’s officially time that I march my big, fat, jiggly, pregnant behind to a maternity store and get properly outfitted for this little journey.

The day has come. I am big.