Our Everydays

Penelope and Oliver, just as they are! [#peanutsportraitsbyamanda by Amanda Barbara Artistry]

*All images in this blog taken by Amanda Barbara Artistry. Visit her Website or Facebook Page for more info. If there have ever been portraits that capture so much of my little one’s personalities, it’s these. The nuances in their silly faces, their body language. The way Oliver’s hands look like at age two and a…

Words of January [The Last Month in my 20s]

There is something truly satisfying about putting words down on paper (blank screen in this case). Reading, looking back and remembering the days I spend with the people in my life who who I love the most is wonderful. I turn 30 in a few days, and this month, the last month in my twenties….

Reflections from my First Year at Work after [an extended] Maternity Leave

Exactly one year ago, I went back to work after being a stay-at-home mom to my two children for three years. I’ve you’ve been with my blog since then, I’m sure you remember how hard that transition was for me. Perhaps, one of the most difficult moments in my motherhood journey. Every woman is different, and…

The End of Breastfeeding [Weaning after Two Years of Nursing – a bittersweet milestone]

The end of breastfeeding is very much like the beginning of breastfeeding- a beautiful irony. My breasts are leaky, I have a bit of engorgement, and as the days pass, I wait for my supply (or end of supply) to regulate itself. A little bit of Mother Nature’s poetry. It’s been three weeks since my…

Words To The Lullabies I Sing To My Children [stories of motherhood and culture]

When I picked my children up after work today, my mother told me that when they heard the song “Los Pollitos Dicen” on an old CD that she had found, they said “Mama”. I am writing this for you, my darlings, Penelope and Oliver, so that you always remember the words to the songs your…

Super Easy Kid Friendly DIY Lanterns [making our own winter festivals]

You know that scene from the movie Tangled, where Rapunzel and Ryder sit on a boat and watch lanterns in the sky? Yeah, that is my dream. There is just something magical about lanterns, and so yesterday afternoon, we made lanterns to have our own little winter festival in our backyard. Using materials that we…

From a First Time Mum… [Stories of Motherhood and Culture – Guest Blog]

I am a 29-year old Indian woman, born and raised in Africa, and 38 weeks pregnant with my first child. When I found out that I was pregnant, I was ecstatic. I have been lucky enough to not have experienced many of the pregnancy woes such as morning sickness, swelling, lower back pain etc. I…

A Portrait of My Father

My father is an easy man to draw. His features strong and recognizable to those who know him. Like him, my nose is bigger and strong. When we smile, our eyes squint and wrinkle the same way, and our mouths are small on our face. If I stand next to him, it’s easy to see…

Bike Rides and Yellow Leaves [just storytelling]

Trying to make the best out of the nicer days we have left this season, the kids and I went for a bike ride this week. It’s been 6 months since I went back to work full time, and after being a stay at home parent for 3 years, a part of me, a big…

Are we REALLY moving in the right direction #YEG? [ “legalizing” helicopter parenting]

I’ve seen it pop up a lot over the past couple of weeks. I’ve seen in it parking lots, billboard signs, sponsored Facebook posts. It bothers me. I wish it didn’t, but it does. The sign I’m talking about is the Edmonton Police Service “A vehicle is not a babysitter” campaign. With this campaign, community…