Family

FamilyJannine2020-06-29T23:05:35-07:00

Personalize your playroom teepee with a fun DIY design and pom poms.

DIY Playroom Teepee Makeover

The kid's playroom has never quite felt right for me. It's an awkward space with a huge baby gate wrapping around our wood stove making the actual play space quite narrow. Previously our playroom teepee was in the corner but it felt like it took up more room. Moving it to the center has actually made it feel more open...

Best Educational Apps for Toddlers

Screen time can be such a controversial topic for some, but whether your kid is in front of a screen for hours a day, or closely monitored and time restricted, I think we can all agree that it's great when they're engaging with something that's educational. But, not all apps are created equal and it's surprisingly hard to find good...

7 Valentines Day ideas for toddlers including toddler activities, toddler crafts, and tasty treats.

7 Easy Ways to Make Valentine's Day Special for Your Toddler

I was never a big random holiday type of person, but now that I have kids I like to do a little something special for them and Valentine's Day is no exception. Because food is our family's love language I've created this drool-worthy Valentine's Day charcuterie board and I've connected with some other great mom bloggers to show you their...

How to Throw a Dollar Store Curious George Birthday Party

My son loves Curious George, so as his 2nd birthday was approaching I knew I had to throw him a Curious George birthday party. I have so much fun planning parties like this (Low Key Gender Reveal), but I also think things should be kept simple and within budget. The dollar store is my favourite way of doing that! In...

Surviving Life with Two Under Two - Relatable Motherhood Blog Jannine MacKinnon

6 Tips For Surviving 2 Under 2

Two under two is no joke. The adjustment period pushed me to a point of exhaustion I didn't know was possible, and every day felt like chaos. I was scared to be left alone with the 2 kids for more than a couple of hours. How would I handle naps? What if the baby is crying and my toddler needs...

Capturing Family Memories with Bebe Films

As we all know, life goes by in the blink of an eye. Already my son has turned 2 and my baby girl is 6 months old! Every moment feels so special and like I will hold onto it forever, but as the days go by, everyday duties cycle through, new adventures begin, and I find myself unable to recall...

boy playing with pipe cleaners in a colander - 5 Simple Toddler Activities

5 Toddler Activities for 18 - 24 Month Olds

Kids are serious nutcases and when they're so little their attention spans can be so short so they get bored easily and tug on your pant leg to entertain them for a while. As much as I love playing with my kids, I can't do it all the time, cause this mama needs to get shit done and have a...

Our Experience Sleep Training a Toddler with Sweet Sleep Sierra

Working with Sierra has been truly life changing for our family. I've heard so many bad things about sleep training a toddler and was very relieved with how our gentle sleep training program went with Sierra from Sweet Sleep. She was able to help us turn things around with our toddler and set our newborn up for sleeping success (read...

Addiylnn's Birth Story - A hospital birth experience from a second time mom.

Addilynn's Birth Experience

It is truly incredible what we go through creating our tiny humans, and every mom's birth experience is so different. After having such a rough experience with Logan (read more about his birth story), I'm so happy I'm able to share about a positive birth experience this time around. As my due date crept closer, our family fell sick, talk about...

The Minimalist's Hospital Bag Checklist - Free Printable

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25 Practical Mom Hacks from Mom Bloggers That Use Them Everyday

Parenting isn't easy, so any way we can make things a little more simple and work better is a total win in my book. That's why I've reached out to a bunch of Mom Bloggers to bring you these 25 mom hacks that actual moms find useful and use all the time. This isn't your usual mom hacks post with...

10 Weird pregnancy symptoms nobody talks about but should. Don't feel alone as a new mom. These pregnancy symptoms are totally normal.

10 Weird Pregnancy Symptoms No One Talks About

There are some seriously weird pregnancy symptoms that no one talks about. So when you start to experience them you wonder what the heck is going on with your body, only to find out after you speak with your doctor/midwife/mom community that it's totally normal. I had some very alarming moments during my first pregnancy and I want to save...

10 Laundry Hacks Every Mom Should Know

Laundry, it's the never-ending story of #momlife. We all have to do it, and there's always more to do. Make life a little easier with these 10 laundry hacks every mom should know. Related Posts: Wool Dryer Balls Review Easily Clean Your Makeup Brushes At Home Simply Earth Natural Cleaning Subscription Box 5 Essential Oil Skin Care DIY's 7 Healthy Costco Snacks Treat Stains Right Away Treat stains...

Easter gift ideas for babies and toddlers that are affordable and fun to use for more than just a day.

Easter Gift Ideas for Babies and Toddlers That aren't Junk

Before kids, I was never big on holidays, but now that I have a toddler with a baby on the way I love the excuse to spoil them with something small and have some family time. As much as I like spoiling my little guy, I think it's important to be intentional and not buy a bunch of junk that...

5 Activities for 9 - 12 Month Olds

If you're like me, you're probably always looking for new ways to entertain your little munchkin. These 5 activities for 9 - 12 month olds are great for entertaining your babe and working on their fine motor skills. I've tested all of them out on Logan and have some tips to make them more successful, like don't use a strawberry...

Boost your milk supply with these tasty energy bites.

Lactation Boosting Energy Bites

These lactation boosting energy bites are a favourite snack of ours and everyone who tries them loves them. They're great for boosting your milk supply, but they're also a great snack regardless if you're breastfeeding or not. The oats, seeds, and brewers yeast all help build your supply. I would notice a difference between days that I snacked on them throughout...

Mom Self Care - 7 Ways to Fill Up Your Cup

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5 Benefits of Reading to Children

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Best Teething Products and Teething Remedies – Happy Stylish Fit

10 Best Teething Remedies and Teething Products

As with many moms and babies, teething has been a long and steady road for us. Logan began teething since just 2.5 months old, before he was even old enough to hold a teether :( and finally, at just over 9 months old he has cut his first tooth! Needless to say over these months and some sleepless nights we've...

Find out why this is the best baby carrier with this in depth Ergo Omni 360 Review. #BabyWearing #BabyCarrier #Ergo #StructuredCarrier

Babywearing - Ergo Omni 360 Review

If you've been following me for a while you will probably know that I love babywearing. I loved using our stretchy baby wrap, but as Logan grew I knew we would need a more structured carrier. There are so many options out there it can be overwhelming, and with a higher price point, you want to make sure you are...

7 Ways to Pull Yourself Out of a Mom Rut

I've said it before, and I'll say it time and time again, motherhood is H A R D! It's so easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, guilty, lacking, unnoticed and with all of these feelings and responsibilities many of us start going into a mom rut. We may not leave the house for days on end, live in sweatpants (not going...

Addie and Jannine – Amazon Baby Registry

What Your Really Need for a New Baby - Amazon Baby Registry List with Free Printable

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7 Things I wish I knew when I became a first time mom.

7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a First Time Mom

Motherhood is truly amazing and the most important role you will have in your life. But it's also not all rainbows and butterflies. It's really really H A R D, especially during that 4th trimester. Like most first time moms, throughout my pregnancy I did a lot of research about having a healthy pregnancy and about birth, because birth is...

Get Those Family Photos Taken

As moms, we wear many hats, and often times one of those hats is family photographer. When we're behind the lens documenting all of those memories, it can be hard to get photos of us with our families. We want those photos in our homes and in albums, and as our children grow old and we're not around as much...

This post is for all of you rushed mamas. Use these beauty tips for how to get ready in the morning in less than 15 minutes.

A Moms Guidebook: How to Get Ready in Less Than 15 Minutes

I know, I know, it can be hard to make time to get ready in the morning. The kids are up and demanding attention so you toss your hair up in a bun, add some mascara, do your brows and call it a day. But when you take a bit of time, really just a quarter of an hour or...

Tips and tricks for travelling with a baby whether its on an airplane or on a roadtrip.

Tips for Keeping Your Sanity While Traveling With a Baby

Vacations, although fun, can be quite stressful when you're traveling with a baby. I personally dreaded the idea of going on a 2 week trip across the country because I had no idea what to expect with our baby. Will he sleep ok? Will he freak out on the plane? What if he gets super grumpy the whole time? But,...

3-6 Month Baby Essentials - The Useful Things You Need

Every stage of babies and children comes with new needs. These are the items we used most during the 3 - 6 month old baby period. You probably don't need each and every one of the toys, but they all have a great purpose, and isn't it so hard not to spoil them! This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions...

Your baby essentials list for the main things that helped me with a newborn baby.

0 - 3 Month Baby Essentials

I've been meaning to write this post for a few months now, and now that Logan is almost 6 months and it's almost time to do a 3 - 6 month essentials list I couldn't waste any more time. So here you go, our 0 - 3 month baby essentials list. All of these are items that have been a HUGE help during...

What to pack in your diaper bag for a day trip with the baby.

Diaper Bag Essentials - Everything You Need to Get Out of The House For The Day

Every new mom knows they need a diaper bag, but what exactly should you put in it? After some trial and error, and over packing and under packing I feel like I've found a pretty good system so I wanted to share it with you! I use all of the diaper bag essentials on a regular basis, and during blowout...

Lactation boosting recipe for breastfeeding moms. Tasty green smoothie to help boost milk production.

Green Matcha Lactation Boosting Smoothie

For me, breastfeeding was hard at the start, but after a few tips and making sure I had the right essentials things were going fairly smoothly. After a while, I felt as though LO wasn't getting as much milk as he may be wanting. He'd been gaining weight at a good rate and having the right amount of wet diapers,...