:: things i love friday - halloween edition ::

My $3 costume! Leaf bag from Home Depot for $1.99, and some $1 gold paint to dress up a cut up cereal box fashioned into a crown. Et voila! Paper Bag Princess and Dragon. 

- this free halloween bunting for the last minute decorator. It looks really cute here in our front entrance. The basket will be filled with candy at the very last minute to avoid me eating it all!

- more halloween printables over at Daffodil Designs blog.

- these beautiful and super-chic Halloween decorations at Shim + Sons.

- the Fall sweepstakes at Bravado. Liz Lange diaper bag, a digital clutch (not sure what that is exactly but looks very cool) and nursing necklaces....yes please! Enter here.

- this cupcake costume I saw on Cityline this week. They had some awesome DIY costume.

Happy Halloweekend!

:: liv & co diaper bags on beyond the rack :;

There are diaper bags on Beyond the Rack again! I really like the Chanel feel of this tote. Regular or patent? Mommy's getting an early Christmas gift!

:: wordless wednesday ::

I shouldn't really call these "wordless wednesdays" because I always want to say something about the photo. Like "LOOK HOW BIG MY BABY IS! He's wearing a tie and walking around and he used to be just a tiny little slow motion baby burrito in my arms!"

Perhaps I am just a little bit more reminiscient of his baby days because I attended a baby shower this weekend and held a little newborn again. I won't say I have the baby fever again yet (H is only 10 months old!) but my temperature is rising.....

Any ideas for another name for my wednesday posts? Anything I think of seems too cheesy......

:: i sewed something! yay me! ::

It may be less than perfect - but I am pretty proud of my very first finished sewing project! My lovely friend M made Hunter the most amazing blanket before he was born and I knew I just had to make some part of her baby shower gift this past weekend. I remembered the bunny I blogged about here, and thought I might be able to make one out of some upcycled cashmere sweaters I thrifted and then felted.

I am pleased with the results (even if it's legs are a little quirky and I accidentally sewed the whole thing shut before I stuffed it and had to rip the seams *sigh*) and I think I might attempt more animals for Christmas presents!

:: wonderful woodland nursery from a mon petit amour reader ::

I absolutely LOVE it when Mon Petit Amour readers email me, especially when it is to show off an amazing and original real nursery design.

Lisa created this amazing Woodland themed nursery (which of course I adore!) for her 6 month old  Owen. Here is what she has to say about the process of creating this space:

Thank you so much Lisa for sharing your lovely nursery design! If you would like to email in your nursery, please do! You can contact me at monpetitamourblog {at} gmail {dot} com.


I wanted to create a modern yet still a little boy nursery for our baby boy, Owen. I absolutely fell in love with the come back of the owl that was such a huge hit in the 60's and based the room on the Woodland inspiration. We had a small space to work with (10 feet by 10 feet), but I am absolutley happy with the way that it turned out. My favorite aspect of the room is the homemade wood/willow tree paneling behind his crib. My Dad and I created these together over a weekend. With a little wood and paint from Home Depot, and real stripped willow branches from our backyard, the look was exactly what I envisioned!


My husband and I are both very family oriented and we wanted Owen to know his roots and where he came from. On his shelves, he has framed pictures of both his Momma and Daddy when they were babies, as well as pictures of both his maternal and paternal grandparents when they were babies/children. I added a few wicker nests from Winners and well as some ceramic owls found at the Dollar Store (score!), along with a few pine cones and natural outside materials and voila!

Items in Owen's Woodland Nursery:

Crib: Stork Craft "Tuscany", Sears
Bedding: Bacati Metro 4-Piece Crib Bedding Set, www.overstock.com
Wardrobe: "Hemnes", Ikea

Map On Side Of Wardrobe: Chapters
Dresser/Change Table: "Hemnes", Ikea
Chair: "Karlsro Multicolor" Poang Chair, Ikea
Shelves: "Lack", Ikea
Faux Sheepskin Rug: Costco
Stuffed Owl (In Crib): Pier One
Mobile Above Change Table: Woodland Art Cards, www.weegallery.com
Birdhouses: Michael's Craft Store (Handpainted By Daddy!)
Birds: Michaels Craft Store
Drawer Front Hangers Above Change Table: Made By Moi!, Spotted On Your Blog Originally From Design*Sponge. (Knobs purchased from Home Depot)
Wood Willow Tree Paneling: Made By Moi! (Wood & Paint Purchased At Home Depot, Willows Stripped From My Parent's Backyard)
Cast Iron Rabbit: Winners

:: hape wooden toys on beyond the rack ::

I am loving the wooden Hape Toys on Beyond the Rack today! Just in time for Christmas shopping!

If you aren't already a member at Beyond the Rack, you can join by clicking here! They also have perfume, watches and purses for the adults on your list!

:: things i love friday ::

- my little boy. I cannot get enough of him these days. 10 months old is such a fun age. He is taking more and more steps every day, flirts with every little girl to older woman he sees (love watching this!) and is saying so many things these days. (Hi, Uh-Oh, Ow, Dad, Mum Mum Mum, Tick Tickle)

- the music on Enjoying the Small Things blog. It's been my playlist this week around the house. So upbeat and cheerful....I just love her blog.

- scarf weather. Love scarves. And boots. And cardigans. Yay fall!

- sewing. I still am not all that good, but I finished my first Martha Stewart project this week. It's a gift for a friend that I know reads my blog, so I will have to wait and post about it next week once I have given it to her! Next on my list? Some stockings from some thrifted wool and cashmere sweaters....

- mommy's night out. Enjoyed a lovely dinner out with a girlfriend this week. I can't remember the last time I ate a number of courses and desserts slowly and had the time to really taste and savour my food. It was heavenly!

- this cute dress on Etsy.

- getting an early start on my Christmas shopping. Feels so good to have a couple gifts bought already.



Happy Happy Weekend!

:: overwhelmed? ::

I recently read Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project and I really, really enjoyed the book. Remember I blogged about it before here?

I often feel overwhelmed by all my to-do's, projects I want to accomplish and the feeling that I never have enough time to do it all. Which makes me snippy and not all that fun to be around.

One of the things Rubin talks about in her book to combat that feeling is to tackle one small nagging task. I tackled two this week, and each one took about 5 minutes but took a load off my shoulders.

 It's these little things on my to-do list that make me crazy! Especially when I walk past them every day. Our family photos have been waiting to be hung for almost 3 months (*blush*) and they are now proudly displayed on our main floor around the previous photo wall I had created. It's so much more complete now and makes me so happy every time I look at it.

I also tackled the task of hanging all my jewelry on a pretty bulletin board I found at Superstore. It's all ready for back-to-work accessorizing in a few weeks! *tear* Hunter loves playing with necklaces and I figured out very quickly that I had to hang it up pretty high and let them hang down and taunt him. Poor kid!

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? 

p.s I am not the most focused person at the best of times and I normally do NOT tackle tasks when I feel overwhelmed...I usually pour myself a cup of coffee (or wine!) and watch TV or surf the vortex of the internet. Then I feel guilty for the wasted time that I could have used doing something. Which is why I am now reading "168 hours - you have more time than you think" by Laura Vandekram. I'll report back when I am done the book. Pretty good so far! You can read more about it on her blog here.

:: wordless wednesday ::

:: paper wall flowers DIY ::

Loving these DIY paper wall flower tutorial on the Billie Monster blog. These would look so pretty in a little girl's room!

:: monday's munchkin ::

Check out Hunter on the Momtographers Blog (a new find in my Google Reader - great tips about taking good pictures of your kiddos!) featured as Monday's Munchkin. I love this photo of him at 4 months old. Has it really been 6 months since then? I think this pose was a peek into his rambunctious future!

:: things i love friday ::

:: the wonder of a child mesmerized by falling snow, even when his mommy is kind of cursing snow in October! It made for the most magical morning. Must get him a snowsuit so we can go outside and enjoy it next time.

:: hunter's padraig slippers (seen in photo)

:: my blogger friend Sarah's things i love tuesday

:: this article on avoiding mommy burnout that I read in Calgary's Child (I'm off to have a bath right after I post this!)

:: my blogger friend Jen's master bedroom makeover. Must get started on our own soon!

:: my new contigo coffee mug from costco. No more cold coffee for this Mama! This may be my new mommy must-have. Who knew I could love a coffee mug so much? Best enjoyed full of Phil & Sebastian's coffee, of course.

:: the chance to win $5000 dollars by sharing your Mom Moments here.

:: reader review - totseat ::

I absolutely love getting emails from readers of my blog (especially from ones that aren't my friends and family!) and it's even better if they can tell me about something they found recently that they love!

Angela emailed me about the Totseat recently, and it sounds like it was the perfect addition to their suitcase when they travelled to Italy this summer. Try not to drool in jealousy as you think of all the great food they ate in Italy!



I wanted to submit to you a product review of a portable high chair that I bought recently.  I was needing something for our recent trip to Italy since highchairs are few and far between at restaurants there and the apartment we rented did not have one. I needed something that weighed next to nothing and was portable, as in could fit in my purse or diaper bag because we would be travelling all over Italy with as little as possible (as little as you can with a baby). I found one by the name of Totseat (www.totseat.com) after much research and can honestly say this was my best baby purchase to date. It fits on any style of chair, comes in a few different colors and works like a normal highchair but far lighter. My son was very content in it, he didn't even try to wiggle out of it and he is a wiggler. 


Here are some highlights:

- portable, fits into its own small bag - goes in my purse, diaper bag, stroller.
- adjustable for any size kid
- has straps and clips to attach to chair
- machine washable
- quick set up on chair

My husband and I are avid restaurant goers and now that I have this product I don't have to resort to just restaurants that have highchairs here in Calgary, which seem to be very few.  I can bring my Totseat and my son virtually anywhere to eat. I even use it at my mothers house as she doesn't have a highchair for him.

Thank you so much for getting in touch Angela. Please pack me in your suitcase next time you go to Italy!

The Totseat ($39.99) can be purchased online at Canadian online store Raspberry Kids. For stores in your area, click here.

If you discovered a product you and your baby can't live without - I would love to hear about it! Email me.

:: wordless wednesday ::

:: melissa & doug on sale at beyond the rack ::

There are all kinds of lovely Christmas gift ideas from Melissa & Doug on Beyond the Rack today. I love the wooden tool bench! And I always dreamed of a dollhouse like this one, so cute. There is also (as always) some lovely handbags for Mom, and jewelry and clothing too! It's one of my favourite daily visits.

If you don't already belong to Beyond the Rack - join here.

:: babylicious on hautelook ::

I just received a big package from HauteLook today (my Green Toys for Hunter - dump truck, recycling truck, tool set and dishes set - YAY!) and I think I might just have to place another order.

I am loving the gender neutral blankets, sleep sacks, crib sheets and bibs by Canadian brand Babylicious that are featured right now. I especially love the pennant bunting style crib fringe. Lovely. Hurry, because the sale expires Wednesday, October 13th! These would make lovely baby shower gifts!

:: hockey night in canada - for babies! ::

How freaking CUTE are these leggings from Canadian brand Agoo? I saw them in person at a local boutique today and they looks so comfortable too. It's so hard to find legging type pants for boys and these look like they would even be stretchy enough to fit over a cloth diaper. Find your favourite team here.

:: my very first app ::

I spotted Eric Carle's "My Very First App" on Design Mom last week, but I was sad to find out it is not available in Canada! My American friends will have to download and enjoy the colourful illustrations (or colorful - right?)

I did find "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" audiobook in the iTunes app store for the Canadian mommies and babies. It could come in handy on long car rides, like the tired ride home from Thanksgiving dinner we did today!

:: give thanks ::

family rules sign by {signs of vintage} on etsy

It's Thanksgiving here in Canada this weekend, and I have lots to be thankful for. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

:: spotted - gossip girl baby decor on babybot ::

IGE Design 5 Little Monkeys decal at Babybot

If you know me, you know I am a not-so-secret fan of Gossip Girl and have a leeetle crush on both Chuck and Nate. It's embarassing for someone nearing 30, but that show is my guilty pleasure.

When Lily arrived at Georgina & Dan's to make a nursery I got all excited to see what the designers for the show would come up with since I love the design in all the apartments on the show. Although I was not a huge fan of all the humongous stuffed animals she crammed into the space but I did love the playful "Barrel of Monkeys"-esque decals that adorned little Milo's room. 

And then I found them on Babybot! I love how you can search by theme on their website. I truly think they are the hippest of the hip baby shops online. And I am not just saying that because they are our newest sponsors (yay!)....I spend a lot of time browsing their site. And many others. Playing shop shop shop - then close the window. Love that game.

xoxo

Morgan

:: wordless wednesday - beautiful babies winner! ::

:: love notes ::

How cute are these love notes for your little one's lunchbox? Download this page of notes you can cut out and fill out to make your child's day at school here.

:: if only this app could also do the chores.... ::

Spotted at ParentHacks - a great app to help keep your house running smoothly called Home Routines.

I've posted before about Flylady - and I have to admit I have regressed terribly! Now that Hunter is on the move, I have a much harder time getting things done around the house. I am hoping this app is going to give me the motivation I need to get back on track and do a couple little things each day. Hunter does love "helping" me fold laundry after all! And I do love gold stars....it's the teacher in me!

Available on iTunes for $4.99.

:: things i love friday ::

- this lovely "I Love Lucy" apron from LoverDovers. The Alice in Wonderland one is pretty amazing too. I need a little girl to dress up!

- a sunny week in Calgary with the most amazing colours everywhere. Must take lots of pictures this weekend. Who knows how long it will last?

- Robert Munsch board books. I think I have decided to be the Paper Bag Princess for Halloween.

- the new Phil & Sebastian's Cafe in Chinook. The bestest best best coffee in Calgary. Also ridiculously excited about Anthropologie coming in December. YAY!

- the anticipation of a sunny Autumn weekend. Hope you have a great one with your family!