First Beach Weekend

We spent the Victoria long weekend up at my hubby's parent's cottage in Sauble Beach. 

 The weather was hot & sunny...perfect for our first beach trip of the year. Most past May long weekends in Sauble are rainy & cool so when the weather is nice we really enjoy it. Saturday morning we did the traditional May long weekend garage sale hunt. I picked up a couple vintage books & a life jacket for Kieran. Then to the beach for most of the day to soak in the sun. Sunday was spent mostly at the beach again, then in the evening we enjoyed a spectacular firework display put on by Lance (a friend of the family / co-owner of the cottage) and Neil's dad.  Throw in some not so relaxing moments ... Neil, Kieran and myself all had colds & more toddler meltdowns then I can even count.  With some amazing moments like seeing my brother-in-law for the first time in almost two years. It all works out to be a memorable weekend and a pretty good way to start the summer. 

 Lance & Wanda's son Jayden 

Evening fires. 

My brother-in-law Kyle.

I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked. I also didn't take any pictures of myself. Something I need to work on. 

The weekend & my first mothers day...

Such a beautiful weekend and first momma's day. 

My sister and nephew spent the weekend at our house. The weather was amazing so we spent the majority of it outside. The little ones played in the kiddie pool and much gardening was done. (thanks Dan!) Sunday I slept in and woke up to the smell of pancakes and roses (thanks Dan and Norah-Leigh!) We spent the day with Dan's parents afterwards I enjoyed some much needed relaxation. 

It was wonderful to wake up on Sunday and think "It's mothers day and I'm a mom" 

Even after 6 months saying "I'm a mom" still blows my mind. 

In the best possible way. 

My 6 month drool monster..

 okay, I'm late posting her pictures again, but we've been a busy bunch.

Spring is here and we are enjoying ever minute of it. 

Walks to the park, hanging out in the garden and getting ready to open our pool!

A certain little girl is going to be a water baby this summer. 

Some Norah-Leigh 6 month updates..

She is a non stop drool machine, with two chompers! 

Teething is still a little tough, she's usually fine during the day but now and then wakes up mid night pretty cranky.

Her new skills include waiving and giving the most slobbering kisses ever. Which of course I love. 

She is a master backwards scootcher, I think crawling will be any day now, our cat better watch out. 

Picnics in the Park.

Gorgeous weather, an impromptu picnic, a happy toddler and a 

slackline all make for a wonderful Sunday. 

Can't wait for all the adventures, picnics & beach trips we'll have this summer.  

The little things...

Adventures with a sippy cup and water, so simple yet so entertaining. 

This was her first try using an actual cup, i think her expressions says it all. 

Sippy cups may just be the new thing around here.

Oh and a thank you to her cousin Kieran for leaving his cup here. Norah-Leigh promises to give it back with as little drool as possible. 

❤

quick note to the mister,

while he's at work...

Good thing it's Friday! 

p.s. I got some new glasses :) 

A few iphone pictures..

The last for awhile!

Sadly, my iphone finally kicked the bucket. I'm not really surprised it's had a hard cell phone life. 

Yes, the poor thing has been left in the snow, dropped multiple times and I actually ran it over with my car. Remarkably it did survive my unintentional abuse, however, the charging port gave out and it's a goner. 

The worst part is the many photos I forgot to upload to icloud till the last possible minute. 

sigh.. now a two month wait till  contract upgrade time.. 

Antique auction newbie...

Around a month ago Dan and I went to our first antique auction. It is something I've been dying to try for years and years. I remember as a kid my grandparents would go quite frequently, always coming home with some wonderful treasures. They were two of the most knowledgeable antique collectors I have ever met. I only wish they were around today to teach me their ways.
When we first got to the auction it was a little intimidating, the room was filled with collectors, store owners and regulars. Everyone examining all the pieces before the auction got underway.  Once it started one of the first items up for bid was a box of vintage post cards, without hesitation I jumped into action placing a bid.
To my surprise I won the item! Although there were other bidders, no one was all that inclined to spend too much on old postcards. Throughout the day Dan and I won quite a few items, for a great price. He won his new price possession a vintage guitar.  Here are a few items we came home with..

Vintage globe lamp. 

A crate I won for $5 they also threw in a step stool. I'm thinking about painting it. 

A box full of vintage Chatelaine magazines 

This quilt for $25

Some things to keep in mind if you are new to auctions like myself...

-Take a close look at the items you are interested in- once your bid is won there is no giving it back
-Write down the items you have your heart set on before the auction starts - that way you don't impulse bid
-Remember some actions charge a fee on the items won, In my case it was 15% - So if the item you won is $10 you would pay an additional $1.50 to the auction and applicable taxes.
-Know how much you are willing to spend on an item before you bid and stick to it. - It's easy to get caught up in the moment and keep bidding.
-Don't be too quick to bid - Auctioneers start high and work their way down, if you are too eager you will end up spending too much


It's a lot of fun, Good Luck!

Kieran.

 Hopes for a two year old

VIA

It's been a while since I added some pictures of just Kieran. The pictures below are from his grandparents (on the hubby's side) back yard. I love that they have so much space for him to run around in especially since we currently live in an apartment building. They also have a sandbox, play-set with swings and a slide and even a pirate ship playhouse! What else could a little boy ask for? 

Can you believe he's already 2 1/2! He's truly growing up too fast. Especially since he's big for his age and most people mistake him for being older.  I'm trying to enjoy and take in every moment.  

Just a few things I want to remember about him in this moment:

- He loves playing with other kids! He'll go right up to kids at the park and say "Wanna Play?"

I love that he's not shy and so outgoing (he get's that from his father). Especially since he's an only child.

- He won't go to the hairdressers (hence the mop). You can guarantee a full blown temper tantrum no matter how many stickers or lollipops we promise. He'll let me cut it but I'm no hairdresser even after watching countless "how to" videos on you tube.

- Puppy (his stuffed dog in the last picture) is his favourite stuffy. He's a bedtime must & also like's to accompany Kieran on adventures. I do my best to keep puppy clean. 

- Like most little boys he loves anything with wheels. Hot wheels always find their way into my purse, bottom of our shoes and even our bed. 

- Epic meltdowns. If there is a stronger-willed two year old out there I have yet to meet him. At a recent doctor's appointment it took me, my hubby & the doctor to hold a screaming, kicking Kieran down while he had his ears checked. The doctor (who has 3 kids of his own) called him a very worthy opponent. 

He's also the sweetest (especially when he's sleeping), silliest, and funniest little guy. One day I'll miss all his quirks and the full days we spend together. 

Norah-Leigh 5 1/2 months..

For some reason I'm always late on posting her updates. 

Maybe it's because time seems to be flying on by.

A few weeks ago we discovered a wee little tooth. Yep she is now our lil' chomper!

Poor thing has been such a teething trooper, how many more teeth to go?

We recently started her on solids,  yesterday I whipped up some avocado puree. Let's just say she was not a fan. She seems to enjoy rice cereal a lot right now, hopefully we can ease her into some veggies. Although, If she is anything like her parents she gonna be one picky eater as a kid.  

Also, this little gal is holding her own bottle like a pro! Even when I hold it for her she moves my hand away, like "hey momma, I've got it"

She's just the best. 

MIY

Recently during a thrift outing I found these books at a Value Village. 

Sadly, they were not priced and due to their new policy: If the item has no price tag you can't buy it. You have to wait for it to be priced, which can take a day or two. Frustrated I gave it to the cashier & walked away. A week later I went back with my sister and lo and behold there they were. I assumed it was meant to be and headed to the cash, except again they were not priced.  I thought "are you kidding me!" Thankfully the cashier this time was nice enough to bend the rules. I'm not sure what is up with VVillage these days but it's quickly becoming my least favorite thrift store. 

Rant aside I really do love these books, written in the 70's they are full of crochet patterns, needlework, embroidery, home craft projects and much more. 

The only thing that makes them better is the pretty amazing 1970's photos.

Can't wait to try some of these projects.