LOVE Pandora!

A few years ago, I saw the Pandora collection and fell in  love with it.  But at the time, i had NO idea that you create your own bracelet!  It wasnt until Vince had bought me a bracelet for my birthday....and it was all filled up!!!  Then he told me he made it....I looked at him with a dumb look on my face.  lol  Then he explained it to me and I thought that this was the most thoughtful gift!!  Vince had to take the time create this beautfiful bracelet.  When Aspen was born he started me a new bracelet, but only bought 2 charms this time.  Now for each special occasion he gets a meaningful charm....and I ABSOLUTELY love it!  Its like a Father getting a tie for each birthday.  lol So the new bracelet is an "Aspen bracelet"....all charms are related in some way to Aspen. 
I wanted to start Aspen her own bracelet but Pandora doesnt make a small childs bracelet.....BUT I FOUND ONE!!!  A fake!!  But looks identical to Pandora and fits all the Pandora charms on it too!!
I went to the Mom And Chicks show in Oshawa yesterday (friday) and there was a booth set up selling jewllery and they had Pandora-look-a-like jewllery!!  So i bought the silver bracelet!!  Now we get to fill the bracelet for her as well.  I already bought her some charms....and I had Aspen pick out what she wanted, since its her bracelet.  I encourage her to make her own choices in almost everything.  Its great for the childs self-esteem.
I LOVE the charms she picked out and she LOVES wearing her new bracelet!!

Aspen's Pandora Bracelet.  She picked out the two blue charms and the soccer ball.  I picked out the princess one and out in two of my stoppers I had on my bracelet.  I will get her new stoppers next week.  It is sooooo cute on her!!!

Nina xo

Enjoying the Yummy Little Pleasures!

You can still enjoy the yummy little pleasures while still keeping things healthy.  And what yummy little pleasure am I talking about?.....ICE CREAM!!!  I LOVE ice cream....only in the summer really.  You can still enjoy this yummy TREAT, and keep it somewhat healthy. 
I great up on ice cream as a treat and my mom would only allow real maple syrup, wheat germ and fruit.  Well, because I was brought up that way, this is what Aspen gets too.  Funny how something you have been brought up on sticks with you!!!  This is why I am SO BIG on teaching my kids healthy habits while young.  Then its not much of an issue later in years and they already have a healthy foundation in place. 
So instead of fudge, caramel, colored sprinkles, etc that is all junk for us, try toppings for ice cream that I get for Aspen......
Wheat germ
Real Maple Syrup
Bananas
Strawberries
Pasturized Honey
Blueberries
Shaved Almonds
......and she LOVES it!!  I will also buy her the more expensive ice cream with real ingredients in it.  Not all the crap that is in Ice cream.  Sure its expensive and you dont get a lot in it but they dont need a lot to begin with.  I sometimes buy the organic rice ice cream.....I dont care for the taste though.  I will be trying to make my own frozen yogurt ice cream this summer.  Once I perfect it I will blog it!!

Nina xo

Sail....GREAT Store!

A new store opened up in Oshawa a little while ago.....SAIL.  Great store for the outdoors person!!  I LOVE it!!  Vince and I will go shopping there every once in awhile....the last time we went we got a beautiful spring jacket made by Columbia, for Aspen.

Aspen's new Columbia Jacket.  This jacket is SOOOO cute on Aspen!!!

Since Vince and I LOVE the outdoors, we also got a carrier for aspen and baby will be able to use it as well. 

We have a baby bjorn for baby already as we used it a lot with Aspen.  This new carrier holds up to 40 lbs. We have already went on a few walks out in the back bush with Aspen in the carrier....until she gets bored and wants to walk.  Here's a cute pick of Aspen and Vince walking....Aspen had to walk just like daddy, with her hands in her pockets!!  LOL  So cute!

Looks like we are going back to pick up a tent too!!  She had so much fun in all the tent displays and now she has been asking for one.  We WILL be sleeping outside some nights this summer....I think she will have a blast!  I LOVED tents growing up....actually, still do.  I would sleep in the tent ALL summer until late september!  NO joke!  Up until I met Vince which was age 20!!!!  I LOVE the outdoors and all the fresh air.  Looks like I get to spend the nights outside again.....of course for Aspen's sake. ;)!! 

I'll be sure to post pics and blog about our first sleepover outside in the tent....we almost did when it was warm out last week!

Nina xo

Shopping for a Skinny Minny!

Im sure im not the only mom out there that has a child who is a skinny minny....and TALL!  Its hard to find clothes that fit her especially when she was potty trained so early.....no diaper to keep the pants up or fill them in!  lol
I actually hate shopping but I must say shopping for her I absolutely LOVE!!!!  So finding clothes that fit her properly was pretty easy for me....jsut had to go to all the different stores and find which store fits her best.  Here are my results.....

I shop at the following stores for different things.....

Baby Gap - great for most clothes.  Jeans are great for her there as most of them have the adjustable buttons on the inside.  Tights there and anything that does not have an adjustment is NOT good.  Does NOT fit her at all.  PJS are the best here too....although they are big in the waist, they fit well everywhere else. 

Tommy Hilfiger - BEST store for tights (leggings)!!  Jeans are great here as well.  This store is actually more for the skinny minny.  Even the shirts for her are more slender.

Mexx Kids - for me the style there is a hit and miss.  I dont find a lot there....just the odd thing or two.

Old Navy - I will get her tops here.  Pants are a hit and miss for her. 

Osh Gosh - Some things are not too bad.

Carters - I dont shop there or in that section....Only when she was first born.  But the onsies were too wide for her.

Walmart -I dont shop there.   I only bought Aspen her onsies there when she was a baby....made by Gerber.  They were the leanest fitting ones. 

Joe Fresh - Hit and miss there as well.  But when I do find something there, I LOVE it!!  I have to usually buy a size smaller but for the tops they are a the same size as her age or a little bigger.  I jsut bought her the cutest bikini there!!!  I will take a pic and post that later.

H & M - pants are always WAY to big in the waist so I cant get them to fit in the waist otherwise the length wont fit..  Shirts are great tho.

Here are some of the things I bought her at Tommy Hilfiger!!....a DEFINITE store I will be shopping at for our little man!! 

Jean Capris

I bought these in white and also in a jean color!

The BEST tights ever!!!!

Again, the BEST tights ever!!!  I got these in grey, navy and a pink pair!

I bought her some tops as well that are soooooo cute on her!   Some of the stuff I got are for Easter, so maybe she will model for me and i can post the outfits.

Hope this helps those moms out there that try to find clothes that are not so wide and are meant for a skinny minny.  Try the Tommy Outlet stores!!  Sometimes there are FANTASTIC prices!  For you local moms....Pickering, the outlet stores on Brock by the Walmart.

Happy shopping!

Nina xo

A New Venture.....Maybe?

Well, I've been contimplating on a new little venture for about 2 years now.  I've had some great ideas and jsut need to go forward with it....but whats stopping me??  Not sure.
It is something totally different then what I have been into and doing for over 10 years now.  That doesnt mean that I will stop doing the fitness stuff like bootcamps and Dryland training for sports teams, but adding in yet another project.

I am the Motivated Mom....and definitely a mom on the go! 

I've always been business focused.....always looking to open my own business as this is a great way to make a good income and have some freedom as well (once its been established).  But I also feel this is great for my kids to be brought up in a family that is all self employed....they see how hard to work for the things we want in life and what we want out of life. 

I run bootcamps, dryland training, and online fitness programs for general people and for the competitive side.  I do tanning, hair and makeup at most shows and this year I have partnered up with two other great gals to create one AMAZING tanning, makeup and hair business (called Pro Quality).  We have exclusive rights to all OPA shows which is great!!  I am self employed with Body by vi, an amazing MLM business that is so rewarding!!   And now Im looking to venture into something totally different!!  Im still going to keep it on the Downlow, but some of you do already know what my interest is in.  I will still be keeping and doing all the other business as well...as fitness and sports has always been a passion that I jsut cant ever let go, and well the other 2 businesses...they make a great side income. 

......all this and I still take care of my little one and have another on the way....so things will be even more hectic but I will jsut juggle things around and it all works out.  I LOVE bing a mom and even more, I LOVE being a Motivated Mom....always on the go!  Making sure I always have time for teaching Aspen everything I can everyday!!  Its harder to get things done but I honestly wouldnt have it any other way.  Aspen is such a little adult....her remarks and how her character is so past her age!...its priceless. 

All you moms out there understand how we juggle and accomodate and work around our kids.....

Here I am working at my computer with Aspen sitting on my lap playing with her stickers.  Lots of interruptions and it all takes time.....but it will get done.  A HUGE change for me....but i adjusted really well and really fast.  I believe we should ALWAYS pay attention to our little ones.  They are trying to understand things and they dont get what "wait 5 mins please" is.  We need to understand things from THEIR perspective and how they see things.....and we teach them that way.  Less stress on the parent and the child.  Too many parents dont pay attention to their kids... I see it at the mall all the time!!!  But thats for another Blog post!

For now.....my new venture is nicely being created and visualized in my mind.....jsut a matter of time it will be well on its way!  So all you moms and moms-to-be....stay tuned! ;)

Nina - the motivated mom....
xoxo

Purple Woods....its been awhile.

We had such a great time at Purple Woods today!!  WOW, it has been a long time since I was there!  Probably since school.....just a few years ago!  lol ;)
Aspen had a fun time, seeing the maple syrup in the buckets, seeing the hoses go from tree to tree for the syrup to run through, the horses, and of course the PUDDLES and MUD!!  THAT was probably most exciting for her!  Puddles and Mud!  lol  TOO cute.

On the wagon ride!!

Mommy showing Aspen the horses big eyes!

Daddy showing Aspen how the maple syrup is boiled.

Mommy showing Aspen a picture of the Coyote, an animal we have around the house.

We went on the wagon ride and at the end we sat down in the new hall and had some yummy pancakes and fresh maple syrup.  What a beautiful day!  The weather was perfect for it too.

Nina xo

My little tomboy!

Had to share this....Aspen and daddy spending quality time together out in the back shop.  Vince had do an oil change on his truck and of course Aspen has to help....which I LOVE when she gets involved at this is how she will learn.  I would spend a lot of time with my brothers and my dad out in the garage, fixing things!  I LOVED playing with tools....even to this day I LOVE working with tools.  I was such a little Tomboy growing up.....and still am!  Dont get me wrong, I LOVE my heels and getting dressed up, and looking my best as much as I can, but I'm a huge tomboy when it comes to play.....dirtbikes, fishing, snowmobling, tools, etc.

Aspen sitting in the hood of the truck watching daddy pour the oil in

She LOVES helping daddy!

Aspen passing daddy the tools that he needs.

She's looking to see what else daddy needed

Vince dancing as he comes out of the shop!  lol

Oh the fun she has around the house!!  Always something to do for her. 

Nina xo

CONFUSED!

I've been thinking of this for while now.....When I first wanted to get pregnant, my doc had told me that back around the year 1974 (i forget what years but it did include me), that the MMR shot NEVER took.  So all this time I had NOT been immunized against Measles, Mumps and Rubella. 

I DONT get it!

First of all, HOW would they know this?  I think I did bloodwork and they could tell by that, But not sure.  Second, If immunization is VERY important and we have fear instilled in us if we DONT immunize, then how did I survive? 

I just messaged my neighbor from when I was little, as her son and I were best friends from when we were born till grade 8, and I had to ask her if I had measles as I kinda remember that I did.  AND, I did!  I had measles and chicken pox! 

So if the MMR shot did not take between a certain number of years, then there are MANY of us that were never immunized against it, so wouldnt there be a higher number of deaths.....since this is what picture is silently painted in our heads if NOT immunized?  Just sayin.

And, i had to be immunized with MMR BEFORE I got pregnant with Aspen.  So I couldnt get pregnant for 1-3 months (I forget if it was 1 or 3 months) after having been immunized.  But now that I think about it, I HAD measles so I have immunity against it.....WHY would they give it to me again!!  GREAT an extra chemical in my body!  Really they should have looked at my records to see if I had measles so that I didnt HAVE to get it. 

Now I dont get it, is that its dangerous if a pregnant one is around someone with measles, so WHY would I have to get the shot then before I got pregnant?  Because regardless its dangerous to be around a measles infected person, whether you were immunized against it or not. 

I guess I will be booking an appt with my family doc and getting some answers. 

I dont do shots!  I dont do medicine unless I ULTIMATELY HAVE TO!!  Not even tylenol!!  I take a thyroid pill daily which I do want to try and go off of and go on something natural....but that will have to wait until Im done having kids.

A little confused now......

Nina xo