Insert catchy name here......

I am very new to the crafting world. I began this journey as a challenge for myself. I was tired of seeing all these fantastic creations and thinking how much I would love to be that talented. I would still love to be as talented as some of my friends and I am fully aware that is not going to happen. My goal when I sat down in front of my sewing machine for the first time was not to become a designer or a seamstress, it was to try and finish one small project. 

First attempt with my sewing machine. All I wanted to do was start and finish a few simple projects. I sat down with no expectations except to just try it.  Now that I have a few simple completed projects under my belt its time to begin another New Years resolution. By the end of 2014, I want to be able to say I sold something I made to someone other then my mom! In order to be able to put myself and my creations out there, I will need a name. I need something that when you are asked, "Where did you buy that from?" They should respond with something other then, "some crazy person at the corner selling her crap" So, I turn to you for help. I need suggestions. I am looking for something fun. I don't have one specific product I am focused on so it would need to be something general. The ones I have so far are: homemade by Amanda Dragonfly Designs The Happy Pineapple handmade with love What do you think? I would love to hear your suggestions!!

Crafting.....

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to get in touch with my crafty side. I purchased a sewing machine and knitting needles and gave it a go. I did discover that me and knitting do not go well together but I am getting the hang of crocheting. I still have to use a step-by-step tutorial but I am getting better with each new wash cloth. Check out Heather's page at Dragon Fly Designs if you are interested in learning! I am still learning how to cut fabric and sew a straight line but here are a few pictures of some of the things I have finished....

 Its hard to see here but this tote even has a flat bottom!

When Riley saw mine, he wanted one. This one is reversible! I got the tutorials and tote pattern from Pinterest but mostly used the tutorials from Sew Mama Sew. The steps were super easy to follow and there are step-by-step pictures! And finally, I have fallen in love with making Deco Mesh wreaths. I had been admiring the ones in the craft stores but they were very expensive so I decided to make them myself. I still need a lot of practice but here are the few I have completed.

I have a few more projects in the works so check back for updates!

SHREK Muffins

Like most children, Riley is not a fan of veggies. I have tried many things and its just not working. I have discovered however, if I hide them in muffin or bread form, he will likely eat it. I have done carrot and pumpkin whole grain bread, squash and broccoli muffins, and his absolute favorite SHREK muffins! (a.k.a Spinach muffins)  These are so popular with the tiny humans that they are the number one snack request. And if I run out...6 toddler temper tantrums at one time! Needless to say, I always have a supply of these in the freezer. 

Our most recent batch even had Riley helping in the kitchen!  Yes, they are green, which is why the name SHREK...ever try to ask a child if the want a spinach muffin? I found the recipe here. I often add a little plain Greek yogurt or whole milk to get them a little more moist. Give them a try. I would love to hear what you think!

Snow Day

Today is another snow day! Well, it’s a snow day for some but not for me. It is one of those little downfalls of running your own day care. No sick days and No snow days! I will admit there is nothing more annoying than having a child dropped off and their parent going on about their snow day and they can’t wait to crawl back in bed or just relax. Maybe annoying is not the right word. JEALOUS pretty much sums it up. But that is the life I have chosen and I really do enjoy being able to spend my days with Riley and the other tiny humans.

On this snow day we made “Shrek Muffins” a.k.a Spinach muffins and some chocolate chip muffins for a very special treat. You can get the recipe for the Spinach muffins here.They are in fact green and seem like a very gross idea but I promise you, they are actually pretty good. I had no apple sauce so I used peach sauce instead and they turned out great.

We enjoyed our treats I and them traced our bodies and colored them in. 

I will admit not the brightest idea I had considering I have 4 kids under 2 here but hey had fun. 

I promised a movie after nap time since most kids will be leaving early because of the weather but 
only only after we do a few songs! I hope you are all having a happy day!

Wedding on a Budget

Wedding DIY 

Before we even got engaged I had been planning and dreaming of our wedding day. I never really saw myself as the marrying kind and when J and I started dating I thought it was the perfect situation. He had been married before and I was perfectly content with spending the rest of my life with someone in un-married bliss. Even better, he had children. It was like my own little family without ever having to have the full responsibility of caring for a child. Perfect, right?! That worked for me for a while and then I saw him more and more with his own children and he was a great father and it got me thinking and before I knew it I had baby fever. And then Riley came into our lives. Finally, I had the perfect little family but something was missing. Next thing I know I am secretly googling wedding sites and cruising Pinterest and staring into jewelry store windows. 

To make a long story short, he got the hint and popped the question via Harry Potter, nonetheless and here we are. On June 8th, 2014, I will marry my best friend in a beautiful lake side ceremony on a local farm in a DIY kinda way. Over the next few months, I will share with you how I planned our wedding for less than $8500! 

The first item I purchased was my wedding dress. I was never one to swoon over expensive fancy wedding gowns that I would never wear again. When I sat down to start a budget I set a budget of $200 $400 for my dress. I went low in the beginning but everyone said that was impossible so I set it a little hire. After many hours of online searching I found the dress that suited me and one I could see myself walking down the aisle in. And that original budget I set? I did even better. I managed to buy my dress and have it shipped for less than my weekly grocery budget! Check it out brides….www.davidsbridal.com Make sure you read the reviews. I had two picked out and going through pages of reviews I discovered a few issues with the other style. I am very pleased with the one I ordered and it fit perfectly!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

New Year, New Me.......

With all the changes and craziness that has happened over the last few years, I have decided 2014 was my year. This will be the year that I start doing the things I have always said, " I wish I could.." or "If I could.." or "someday I will.." Crafting, baking, sewing, blogging and getting married are among those on my list. In an effort to stick to my 2014 goals, I give you my first blog of 2014! My goal is to blog often on anything that I feel like sharing. I will share with you my thoughts, favorite recipies, my crafting journey and of course my life. I am a stay-at-home mom of sorts, in that I am home with my 2 year old son during the day. Of course in order to have such an awesome opportunity, I had to open a small in-home daycare to make up for the financial loss. It is not always fun and games and often causes me nightmares and way more stress then any job, but I love being home with Riley and most days I love the tiny humans. Yes I will blog about them and all the craziness that goes along with running a daycare. I love to cook and bake and will post my creations from time to time. I have been learning to decorate sugar cookies with the help of Sweetopia and I still have a very long way to go but I do enjoy it and so does the kiddie taste testers. I can be a creative person but I tend to stick to what I know. This year I have decided to try new things. My sewing machine has arrived and I took it out of the box! Its a start right? My hope is that I will be able to sell some of my creations later in the year. I love to make new things and I am really looking forward to see what I can do. I hope you stick around for the ride.... The biggest new thing in 2014 will be marriage. On June 8th, 2014 I will marry my best friend in a intimate ceremony at Hatfield Farm. When we got engaged we agreed to not go into debt over our wedding. This includes no credit cards and a tight budget. Aside from what the farm provides, everything will be DIY and nothing makes me happier then ribbons and glue guns! Keep an eye out for wedding updates and how to stick within a budget. Thanks for reading and stop by from time to time! Amanda

10 months old.....

In just 6 days from now, my tiny little man will be 10 months old! He has changed so much in the last few weeks. He can crawl all over the place and is now climbing on everything. He especially loves to climb up on the TV stand and touch the TV. I think he is trying to touch Elmo!!! We spent a lot of our day walking around. He is still holding on to my hands, but he is getting much stronger. I give it a few more weeks and he will be walking instead of crawling... Riley now has 4 teeth; he says "dada" and screams "mama". He did say "no, no, no" once and even attempted "ball" and "truck". He will shake his head when I say "no". He loves to eat. Avacado is still his favorite. He does not like Mango!! We just introduced Haddock . He seems to enjoy it very much. I am not a fan and just the smell makes me sick. He does play a little rough with his friends but that is expected at his age. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will not be the one to cause them pain..hahahaha Here are a few pictures from June....

May

I have said it before; it is crazy how time flies. May has been an exciting month in the Buckle-Pineau home. May began with Riley turning 8 months old. He is learning so much. He can crawl laps around the apartment and is saying “Mama” and “Dada” more clearly now. He is still off wheat but we are soon going to slowly introduce it to him again. I certainly hope for his sake it is not a Gluten allergy. Both J and I celebrated our birthdays and I celebrated my first Mother’s Day. My first Mother's Day was very special. We went for brunch and spent family time together. Riley gave me a lovely journal. I had been keep a journal for him since he was born and I guess he (with help from daddy) decided I should have a nice one instead of the pieces of loose leaf I had been using. It was a beautiful gift!! Later in May, we traveled to Newfoundland for a friend’s wedding. Riley was an excellent travel companion, besides getting sick within the first 20 mins of the trip!

A day at the park

In about one week from now my little man will be 8 months old! He is growing so fast and developing an interesting personality. He can crawl now...we sorta. He has chosen to move around on his back, he can move on his front but it slows him down so he flips over and scoots around on his back. It has left a cute little bald patch on the back of his head. He has discovered how loud his voice can go and has choses to babble at the highest level at all times, even in public. He loves to giggle, especially at his daddy and we discovered he has a ticklish spot on his side that sends him into fits of laugther. For his 7 month photo, we decided to take him to the park for the first time. He got to sit in the swing and touch the grass. Here are a few.

Happy Easter

The Easter Bunny made an appearance at our home for Riley's 1st Easter. Here are a few pictures.

7 Months Old

I cannot believe that just over 7 months ago my little man was born. Time is just flying by. There was a point when I was praying for it to go fast, especially in the early days, but now I need it to slow down. He is getting so big and it won't be long before he is walking around. My tiny human weighs in at close to 24 lbs and over 28 inches tall! Yes he is the size of a toddler and he definately gets his height from his father! He has grown so much in the last few weeks and has been learning plenty of new things. He is not crawling yet, but getting close. Instead of crawling he has taken to rolling or scooting on his back. He can move from one end of the living room to the other in seconds. He is sitting up on his own, although he would rather be pulled into a standing position and can hold himself up while holding on to the couch. He loves to play with his books but would still rather eat them then have me read to him. Peek-A-Boo is his favorite game. He puts just about everything over his face and pulls it down and waits for your reaction. A new thing he has picked up is removing his socks and sucking on his toes (or his socks). He has also taken to throwing things out of his crib or off his high chair and gets a laugh when you pick them up for him. Riley absolutely loves to eat. Avacados and squash are still his favorite but the only thing he has refused to eat so far are cucumbers.

He has the best little personality and is pretty chill most days. He is very "chatty" most of the time and is working out his loud voice. The last few days have been filled with much screaming but in a playful way. However, it now means we get an even louder baby when he is unhappy. He can be heard saying...well screaming, mum mum mum ma when he is upset or can't reach a toy. Riley even has little friends that come and visit him and I think he actually enjoys it. It is cute watching them interact with each other. He has been invited to his first birthday party this weekend which is exciting. His brother turns 12 and is having a swimming party so Riley gets to go swimming for the first time. Its a good thing the Easter Bunny brought him new swim shorts. I write this as he is lying on the floor, feet up on a pillow and playing with a book. That boy is just to darn cute.

March and such...

I am very behind on my blog updates so here are a few pics. A Riley update will be posted soon!!

Riley is 6 months

Playing Peek-A-Boo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Today was a great day!!! I spent the day with my favorite little man so of course it was a great day!

We had breakfast together as a family and then Riley and me spent the day playing, snuggling, laughing and we even went for a coffee date! It was his first Valentine's Day so of course there were a few small presents!

We ended the day with a few snuggles and a story!

Happy New Year!!

Riley rang in his very first New Year in NEWFOUNDLAND!!! The day after Christmas we packed our bags and headed to Newfoundland with Aunt Barb. Riley was a very good traveler, considering all the driving and waiting he had to do. The ferry over was fantastic and the ride back...well not so fantastic but he did better than all of us. It was great to get home so he can meet all his Great-Aunts, Great-Uncles and cousins and spend quality time with his Nanny and Auntie!!

Riley did a lot of visiting and had many visitors. He did very well for meeting many new people. To celebrate the New Year we got dressed up and took Riley to his first New Year Party. Of course he passed out early but had a great time anyway. The next day was filled with more visiting and lots of food..for me!!

As always it was a great visit and I did not like leaving. I cannot wait to get home again!!!

Merry Christmas to You!!

Once again this blog is being posted a little late...Okay very late but its better late then never! These are a few pictures of Riley's first Christmas and his first trip to Newfoundland.

Every year we spend Christmas Eve with family and friends and this year Riley was the main attraction! He enjoyed spending time with his brother and sisters and they had a blast getting him to laugh!

Riley may have not realized what was going on, but we enjoyed it. We helped him leave cookies for Santa and early in the morning he opened his presents. After presents and breakfast, we headed to Ben and Abby's to watch them open more presents.

The day after Christmas we headed to Newfoundland. We had a fantastic time. Stay tuned for more pics....

3 months and learning

WOW! I cannot believe December is here already and that Riley will be 3 months old in just a few days!!! We are enjoying watching him grow and he is learning so fast. Already over 2 feet long and weighing 15.5 pounds, Riley now pretty much sleeps through the night, smiles all the time, reaches and grabs things, and sucks his thumb! He has a favorite toy already, a stuffed elephant and can sit in his chair and watch Baby Beethoven and A Muppet Family Christmas from start to finish. He is not a fan of Frosty the Snowman, but really, who is? Riley is not the only one learning new things over the past 3 months. I have learned many things that you will not find in any new parenting book. For example, ALWAYs leave the tags on things you buy, babies grow so fast that they may never get to wear it; buy sleepers without feet, you will get longer use out of them if you have a long baby; breastfeeding is horrible for the first 8 weeks but gets MUCH easier if you just give it a chance; All you will talk about is poop and gas; just because baby sleeps all night doesn't mean you will, can't hear him breathing? better check for the 10th time in that hour; The baby swing is your best friend; those late night feedings where you are tired and cranky will be forgotten when he looks up and you and gives you a big gummy grin! Those smiles make all the frusturation go away! We are looking forward to December and celebrating his first Christmas. We have the tree up and the cards ready to be mailed. His sister will be helping him with his letter to Santa and next week we will be taking Riley to meet Santa! I am so excited. Here are a few pictures of Riley!!!

Generations

After all these years it has finally happened, my momma came to Halifax! Despite her incredible fear of flying, Nanny B boarded a flight from Deer Lake and arrived October 1 to spend 12 days with her new grandson. Here is a picture of them meeting for the first time...

We had a wonderful time. Auntie Ashley was also here for a visit.

Riley celebrated his first Thanksgiving and I discovered Turkey dinner and breastfeeding does not mux!! We did some shopping and spent time with family and friends.

It was a great visit the ended with Riley`s christening. We were able to capture a few pics of course.....