Aspen's Masterpieces

Since Aspen LOVES to paint and draw "pictures", I really wanted to display her artwork.  I came up with this idea to show off her Masterpieces.  I took a piece of wood and painted it white.  I then painted on "masterpieces by Aspen Jade", and glued on a couple flowers and a butterfly to match her room....as the artwork will be displayed in her room cause she loves it so much.

She so proud!!

Nina xo

Easter Weekend

I know I am a week and a bit late for posting Easter weekend, but I have been busy all week getting ready for 2 events I had to do this past weekend, plus 3 doctors appt all on separate days.....it was a HECTIC week.  Now this week is catching up on work that I didnt get to last week....including my blogging.
So Easter weekend was a busy one as usual.  Friday we spent the day painting eggs for Easter, and other arts and crafts.

Aspens Easter Basket filled with the Easter eggs she painted!

We also made her favorite show, Small Potatoes!  For those who have not seen this cute little show, you tube it and watch.. Too cute and Aspen LOVES it!!  I think its the song she loves.  She will sometimes cry when its over!  She was SOOOO happy when I had surprised her with the small potatoes having google eyes and a place to sleep (just like they do on TV).





Surprised at the google eyes on her small potatoes.....now they look like the real thing!

Aspen so excited to have her very own Small Potatoes!

And here her Small Potatoes are ready for bed.  She dressed them in her PJ bottoms!

 Saturday I spent 3 hours (7am - 10am) grocery shopping and picking up stuff for Easter brunch/lunch at our place for Sunday and then we went to Easter afternoon dinner at the inlaws.

Getting ready to go for Saturday Easter Dinner at the inlaws

Aspen in her Saturday Easter wear!

 Sunday woke up at 5am to start everything for brunch/lunch as everyone was coming over for 12pm, and we had to have things ready for Aspen so that when she woke up the Easter Bunny had been to our place!  She had such a great time when she woke up!!  She was so excited!!   I didnt end up getting her any chocolate for Easter.  She will have PLENTY of time to have that when she gets older!  But she did get a lot of little gifts and organic treats that she LOVES!!!

Easter Presents from Mommy and Daddy!

Easter presents that the Easter Bunny left outside!  Even a few HUGE Easter eggs filled with stuff....that sneaky bunny!

Aspen enjoying opening everything!

Did her Easter egg hunt and opening all the eggs to find little surprises in each one!

One Easter egg had a yellow catapiller!!  Now she has two!  LOVES these catapillers!

Everyone got to our place between 12 and 12;30pm..  We had all the food ready to go.....potato salad, macaroni salad, smoked ham, buns (babas sandwiches!!  yummy!!), Vince exotic Yam and seeds dish, BBQ lime shrimp, fruit tray, veggie tray, marshmellow coconut dessert (mom used to make this), fresh fruit cake thingy (soooo good!) and my yummy breakfast casserole!!!!    I should have taken a pic of the display of food and Easter decor on the island!  I LOVE doing these kinds of things.

The center Piece for the Island and having all the food around.

Aspen having a GREAT time putting bandaids on Uncle Danny (my brother)!  Yes he is TOTALLY asleep!

There;s one bandaid!

And she continues to put another!

LOL!  Still Sleeping!!

My brother takes after our Dido Mike!  ALWAYS ends up falling asleep!  Too funny.  My Brother Danny, Sisterinlaw Robin, Neice Brook and her Boyfriend Shay.

Aspen having fun with Aunt Ashley (vince's sister).  Ashley, Aspen and Gramma (Vince's Mom)

Vince, My dad, and Vinces Dad standing in the kitchen chatting it up.

Aspen getting more bandaids for Uncle Danny's face!  I wish I would have gotten a better pic of her Easter dress!!  This one was such a beauty!!  I bought it online and when it first arrived, Aspen wanted to wear it EVERYDAY for about a week!!  Lets jsut say it washes GREAT!  lol

What a great weekend!

Nina xo

Staying "Regular"

Are you "Regular"?  Do you "go" everyday?  If not, you SHOULD get on it and get your body pooping everyday!!! 
Yes you heard me right......POOP!!  Something that a lot of people will avoid talking about!  But it is soooooo important to go everyday!
Over the years of training clients, one of the most important things I ask is "how are your bowel movements?".  Yes this is one of my important questions I ask ALL my clients!!  This tells you how the body is functioning as well.   I have had many of them tell me that they go a couple times a week!!  After I pick my mouth off the floor, I ask them how long this has happened for and tell me what they eat on a regular basis, and how what they eat from morning till night.

Too many people DONT go poop on a regular basis....its VERY toxic to the body.  If you are not going everyday then you are getting backed up, which means that poop is in your intestines for long periods of time which will get toxic.

I've had my daughter go through this a couple times.....I monitor her like a hawk!  Just want her to be healthy and not have any intestinal issues at a young age that will carry on with her for life!  The longest she has gone is 2 days of NOT going.  It was hard cause this is the time when she was getting potty trained, so its an uncomfortable feeling for them.  Plus she is a dairy lover!  So I had to cut back on the dairy.  She has only had a couple episodes of this over the past year and a half. 

She has been taking supplements (vitamins and minerals, and EFA;s, oh and acidophilus since birth), and I've been including some other beneficial foods to keep her bowels healthy and strong.  Last thing i want for her are weak bowels....she will have problems forever! So for all new moms out there....its VERY important for the bowels to be trained at a young age!

Here is a YUMMY recipe for your little ones that they WILL eat.....so that you know they are getting in the fiber that is needed!  Remember,  most of us remove the skin (FIBER) from fruits for our kids to chew easier until they get older!!  I personally still do.....I NEVER liked the texture of the skin on fruit!!  So Im sure I always add in other fibers to my diet and also drink lots of water!!  Again for the moms....cut back on the juice as the sugars are not good for the digestive system.  It will plug your kiddies up!!  If kids are having a hard time drinking straight water cause they are used to the juice, then jsut add fresh lemon to the water.

Things you can add to your kids food are psyllium, ground flax (not seeds as seeds will not digest whole), wheat germ, and bran, jsut to give you some examples of things to add to foods!

Rice Krispie Squares
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Peanut butter (remember Natural Peanut Butter is healthy!!!  The other is NOT good for you!!)
1 bag marshmellows
4 cup rice krispie
2 cups psyllium

Melt butter on low heat - melt marshmellows and peanut butter in the butter, add your vanilla, then the rice krispies and psyllium.  Mix well.  Place into a greased 9 x 13 pan and let cool.

Enjoy!!

Nina xo

Conditioning Proposal

Last year I was chatting with someone in my hometown and they had mentioned to me that I should put in a proposal for the Port Perry Minor Hockey Association.  So I had put together a proposal for each Board member and Spoke to the Board this past Monday.  Lucky I DO love to speak about Fitness and my passion for it, but I GET SOOOO nervous!!  .....and NO this is not my new venture I spoke of recently.  lol  Like I said I will ALWAYS be involved in Fitness/Sports....its me...its my life!

So the meeting went REALLY well!!  I think I forgot a few points to mention but I mentioned most of them and some VERY important ones.  I am thankful for my upbringing in sports and continuing them through my whole life so far.  I am also thankful for all my knowledge that I have acquired over the past 10 years and more.  Experience is KEY....GOOD experience!!!  You can go to a course or school and anyone can become a trainer, but if you dont have the RIGHT experience, you will never know as much as you can in fitness/sports.
It would be like someone reading and being book smart about hockey or soccer, but put them out on the field they wouldnt be a good player.  But train hands on with the best and actually doing the sport, you learn EVERYTHING!!  If I hadnt train with the best in the world for my sport, I would not knowledge that I have now.  No books can teach you that.

I was contacted already by an association when they were told I was submitting a proposal for Port Perry, so we will see how things go with both Associations!!  I happy that I can handle both Associations if I get them both. 

Wish me luck!!
Keep you all posted.

Nina xo

Aspens New Bedroom

Well, Aspen's room is basically finished....jsut waiting for the night table and looking for a bookcase.  She LOVES her new room.....especailly her big bed!!  She has been sleeping in a "big girl bed" for a year and a few months now.  We just didnt have an actual bed frame for her.....jsut the box spring and the mattress on the floor.
But now we finally got her an actual bed and matching dresser and night stand (which is on the way soon).

Her room turned out great....Aspen picked the color that she wanted, PURPLE, so I chose a few different shades that still go with the rest of the house, and I let her pick which shade of purple.  And then she loves dragonflies (i must say so do I), so i accented her room with dragonflies. 

Aspen's night stand will go beside the bed

Bookcase might go against this wall

I ordered her bedding online and I LOVE it!!  Pink and White zebra print with black bows.  I decorated the walls with her butterfly  clip holder we made, a canvas picture that says GIGGLE and I added a ribbon to it as well.  Then above her bed I put picture frames of and glued butterflies and flowers to the frames and put pics of Aspen having fun with friends and cousins.  On another wall I put p two shelves and put her painted rocks on them with a few dragonflies around the shelves.  I found deep purple curtains which matched the walls and bedding perfectly.  The 3 corner shelves I hung up, were mine that my mom got me years ago so I painted them black to match the furniture.  I had them in her room when she was a baby too.  I put 2 shelves in one corner and the other is over her bed with a few crystal stones (that are meant for her - for those who know crystal stones and their meaning and what they are used for).  I also have her dress-up trunk in the corner of her room with all her princess dresses she got from her Aunt, Uncle and cousins.  I still kept her chandelier that was in her baby room, but I might change that.  She gets very warm when she sleeps that sometimes a ceiling fan is good for her....we have one in our room and it cools her down for those nights she cant sleep and comes in with us.

But her room turned out GREAT and she LOVES it!!

......Now its decorating baby B's room.....color is done, bedding is ordered and things are going up on the walls over the next few weeks.  Just painting the baseboards and closet doors.  EXCITING!!!

Where I got everything in her room......
metal dragonflies - made by Umbra, purchased at Green Earth
picture frames, butterflies, flowers, box shelves - Micheals
bed set - the Brick
Bedding - Wake up Frankie
Curtains - Bouclair
Paint - Benjamin Moore, at Oshawa Paint and Wallpaper (I ONLY deal with Mark there, hes GREAT!!)

Nina xo

Rainy Sunday

I've been wanting to go out for breakfast for a few weeks now, but the Sundays have been not too bad and I hate wasting a good day indoors (or at a restaurant).  So today was a perfect day to go for breakfast....its rainy out.....and chilly. 
So this morning Vince, Aspen, my dad, and I went for breakfast in Port Perry.  It was nice.  We all go for breakfast every once in a while (usually once every 4-5 months).  It was a nice breakfast.  Its good to take Aspen out and about like this so that she learns how to behave in public too.  She's pretty good tho.  I know our limit and how long we can be....she can only sit in a booth for so long.  But she's well behaved which is great.
Now we are home and I have some business stuff to prepare for this week, so Vince and Aspen got some crafts from the Michaels store to make today.  We picked up some sponges so that we can make "textured" Easter eggs next week.....and Aspen loved the sponges so much that she wanted to wear them.....and she was cleaning everything at the store with one!  Too cute.



Aspen and Vince and now making a sparkley Easter egg! Aspen is having a blast....and i think Vince is too.

I cant believe she is still wearing the sponges!!!  My little cutie!!  lol.  Here is her final creation of the sparkley Easter egg.....

And here they are painting the bird houses we got!!  We will hang them up this week for the birds to nest in.....I hope its not too late! 

I will be sure to take pics and blog when we all go out to hang up the bird houses.....Aspen is so excited!!!  LOL!

Fun times at the Luchka House!.....

Nina xo

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