It felt like it took forever for Riley to get moving on her own as she rocked in place for well over a month. Well, right before she turned 9 months, she basically took off like a rocket and has been exploring every little deathtrap in the house since! We’re now at close to 18 months old, and yet again, we’re finding ourselves with daily Amazon purchases aimed at keeping our little one safe. This is our current babyproofing checklist, so far. (I’ll keep updating as we go since we’re taking the babyproof as we go approach, see below) You Might Also Like: Our Favourite Baby Toys For 8-9 Month Ol ..read more

Since our post about our favourite toys at 4 months was so popular, I thought it would be helpful to do a follow up post about what Riley is loving at 8 months. She’s officially in the busy phase and we’re finding it even more essential to have toys on hand that she loves. These baby toys are our current favourites and this is how we organize and store them in the playroom; the car and when we’re on-the-go. The Lovevery Play Kits As I’ve said before, our goal has been to keep toys to a minimum, being very intentional with all the purchases we make. If you could only buy one set of toys in y ..read more

Wondering what baby toys to buy for your little one at four months old? If you’ve been following on Instagram, you know that I haven’t wanted to buy toys in excess or anything that isn’t developmentally appropriate for Riley. We did however choose to subscribe to the Lovevery Playkits and the toys that have come in them, along with the Playgym, have definitely been some of our most used baby products. Around 4 months, I really noticed that Riley was more excited about playing with her toys and we could definitely be a little more interactive. The crinkle paper toys were a definite hit and she ..read more

Beanie / Touk (Similar) | Bunting Suit (Similar) | Stroller Ganoosh I appreciate you purchasing my recommendations through my links, whenever possible. The small commission, at no cost to you, helps pay to keep this little online space going. Since it’s now that time of year (but thank you extended Fall!), I thought I would make a post about all the winter gear for babies now that the snow has finally arrived in Calgary. Winter in Alberta can be a bit of a shock to the system if you aren’t used to it. This will be our seventh winter and it can still feel tough to know what to wear! A good rul ..read more

We are now hitting the toddler phase where Riley is all about standing and running to the next exciting thing that I’ve caved and bought enough toddler bath toys to rotate now (yes, I’ve gone mad and Montessori-ed my bathroom, too). My goal is to keep bath-time fun and something to look forward to. Let’s be real, if you consistently put anything in a wet environment, at one point or another you’re bound to come across a mold or mildew sighting. In general, I’ve found avoiding purchasing toys with holes in them is easier altogether because no holes = no mold growing inside of it. Storage ..read more

1. Wow, it’s been a busy couple of months! Riley started her first day of daycare rather unexpectedly (we got a call the day before start date). Then we celebrated Craig’s birthday and our 6th wedding anniversary all while Craig studied and wrote his big (and, hopefully final) medical exam. Oh, and we wrote our Citizenship tests in the middle of all that! It’s been a busy season, especially with juggling work while Riley has been on and off from daycare (those fun daycare germs). I don’t think I was prepared for just how many viruses were going to be brought home, but we are hoping for a heal ..read more

True to my realist nature, I had to write a post on my experience as a South African moving abroad to Canada. I sure wish someone had told me some of these hard truths before I emigrated from South Africa. It probably would not have changed my mind about moving, but it would have changed my expectations; my approach and inevitably helped the adjustment period. I actually wrote this post as a letter to myself at the peak of my struggle while adjusting to Canada (little did I know, I was probably suffering from Expat Depression), so reading it back was tough. Not being able to work, drive, get m ..read more

If you saw my tearful update on IG about our last minute daycare plans, you’ll know that I scrambled in a weekend to get our 14 month old ready for her first day. It was an emotional change for me to think about not having her nanny around (who we trust and who Riley loves), and then also not having quality time with her during the week. That said, we got her all packed and ready, and she did really well her first week at daycare. Wherever possible, I appreciate it when you purchase through my links as it’s free to you and supports this little blog. Some Questions About Daycare: Why did yo ..read more

Riley turned one years old and toys have really been a lifesaver with the long wake windows and the busy-ness of this almost toddler. Riley loves all her books and we update this list often with her favourites. You can also shop our Amazon Favourites, here. Duplo Lego Sets We got the unicorn version of this but it’s basically the same thing. I love that it has a ‘transportation’ element to it too, so when she’s into cars or ‘driving’ the toys, these will be perfect. For now she pulls them apart and tries to put them back together. They’re also super affordable at under $14. I store them ..read more

We’re getting organized this year and doing our first Valentine’s Day baskets ever. Riley will be one, so while it won’t be that exciting to her, it’s going to be fun for this mama to get a little creative. Inspired by these, I bought this set of three crates that I can hopefully reuse throughout the years and holidays. We also purchased things we needed anyway, so it’s just a fun excuse to dress the items up for an occasion. SHOP MY AMAZON STORE: VALENTINE’S GIFTS JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content. Crates & Baskets I love these crate ..read more