This Isn't Another Mushy Mommy Post

One of my very first posts talked about how I became a mother in my (very) early 20s, but how it was all worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat yada yada yada. That is all true of course, but I think there are two sides to every coin, and there are many moments to every motherhood.

Few things give me more contempt that mothers who smugly declare to the world that motherhood is nothing but joy, sunshine and rainbows. I call their B.S. right now. Motherhood is freaking hard, and yes, of course the rewards are more than worth it, but that doesn't make it any less of a bumpy road. Anyone who says raising a tiny human is all smooth sailing probably drinks a little too much wine with dinner or something and can they please share their secret with us mortals?

I have been a mother for just over 3.5 years and I already know that I've screwed up more times than I care to admit. But I'm only human, and my child is alive and well fed so I figure I must be doing a good enough job. In the spirit of the upcoming Mother's Day, this post is dedicated to all mommies out there who, like me, feel guilty way too often about their parenting. I'm learning to rid myself of unnecessary guilt and I'm starting here.

- Children can be really irritating creatures. Mix together a long day and about twenty "Mommmmy"s and you are bound to lose it a bit. You are allowed to lose it every once in a while, don't beat yourself up about it. Losing your temper does not equal abuse.

- Feeding them a Happy Meal when you are too busy to cook a proper meal every once in a while isn't going to kill them. I don't care how many smug moms say otherwise, a cheeseburger once every two months hasn't poisoned any kid I know.

- I really don't like cursing but I would be the biggest liar in the world if I said I've never accidentally uttered the f-word while driving, forgetting my super attentive child is in the back. Give me a break, he was going to hear it sooner or later.

- I've been known to put my kid down to sleep a bit earlier once or twice because I just really didn't want to miss an episode of The Big Bang Theory, or because I was getting dangerously close to murdering him and that would be unfortunate. And guess what? There were no dramatic consequences from him going to sleep 20 minutes before he usually does. Go figure.

- I have to admit that I have used the iPad or TV as a babysitter before. Look, when I'm sleep deprived and I know I can get a good half an hour of rest thanks to Thomas The Tank Engine, I'm only human and I give in it temptation. I'm pretty sure he is not going to get overly traumatised by that, as long as it doesn't become a daily occurrence.

- I feel bad sometimes (often, really) that I'm not the kind of mom who bakes homemade cookies every week, or the perfect perfect macaroons, or heck, even a simple birthday cake! I'll never be the kind of mom who when kids come to play, shows up with freshly baked goodies, and I need to come to terms with that. But I am instead the mom who tells him a story every night before bed, who drops him off at school every morning and picks him up, and asks about his day and has tickle fights with him. I can't be everything, nor do I have to. And that will be good enough for him.

I am a firm believer that even if you don't abide by every single rule in the "How To Be A Perfect Parent" book (who even wrote that!?), if you have a well-fed, generally happy child, you are doing a heck of a good job. So on Sunday, pat yourself in the back, let yourself be spoiled and pour yourself a well-deserved glass of vino.

Wine Celebrations

Last week, my husband and I went out and celebrated wine...  oh, and our two month anniversary too, of course!
I put on my favorite LBD and bold fuchsia lips, and I was ready for our night out. We found a cute little winery with a very vintage vibe. I love discovering small, unconventional places that make me feel like I am somewhere in Europe. At this particular winery, I felt like I was somewhere in the Spanish region of Catalonia, thanks to the amazing selection of tapas the place offered, its rustic ambience, and of course their mind-blowing wine selection. I indulged in a ridiculously good salmon carpaccio, and Sean had the peppered beef with a side of fries (pictured).

Now that I think about it, it only seems fitting that we celebrated two months of marriage with something as sweet, timeless and elegant as wine... I mean, how can you go wrong with wine!?
(I apologize if that last line made you throw up a little in your mouth... I realize how sickeningly cheesy it was).

However, the 'highlight' of the night was when my lovely hubby dedicated a song to me. For a second I thought it was going to be something along the lines of Ellie Goulding's Goodness Gracious (Goodness Gracious I can't seem to stop / Calling you up / Calling you up / Just to keep crawling to your arms). I am realistic, however, and know my husband isn't so much the smoochy-coochy (a word made up by me, BTW) type of guy. But I thought that maybe I would get something like Kanye West's Bound 2 (Close your eyes and let the world / paint a thousand pictures / one good girl / is worth a thousand b*tches). 

Wrong again.

Turns out my husband is a little more creative than that, and he went with "She Will" by Lil' Wayne feat. Drake. He insists that the song is about a strong-willed girl who isn't afraid to go after what she wants and it reminds him of me... Hmmm... really? I don't think that's what I got from the song AT ALL. Nonetheless, I do appreciate the sentiment. And truth be told, I like how he chooses to go against all convention and be romantic in his own quirky way. I am way too cliché (as you may have noticed), so I figure we complement each other perfectly.

Any ideas as to how we should celebrate month #3? (with minds out of gutters, of course ;-) )

Activities For Kids On A Budget

We hear it everywhere: having a baby is beautiful, and gorgeous, and demanding and overwhelming all at once. And yes, it is all those things, but something else it is? EXPENSIVE!  From having to buy more diapers than the number of surgeries on Joan Rivers, to the million activities they start undertaking as they grow older, a little human can take a major toll on your wallet!

However, as they grow they need to see and explore and discover and learn, so cutting out on their activities when the budget is small isn't a very good idea. It is during those times that parents need to make use of all their creative neurons and find dynamic, fun activities to do with their little ones without breaking the bank. This list I am providing below isn't exclusive to parents, though! If you are babysitting for a relative or friend, or just want to do something fun with the kiddo in your life (and even if you do have spare cash), here you can find some inspiration for different activities to do with them.

1. Go hunting for funnily shaped rocks/leaves/etc: Go with them to a nearby park (or even your backyard) and have a contest to see who can find the funniest rock or leaf or anything else you see there. Then try and see what it is shaped like (perhaps a dinosaur? a car? a bird?).

We are trying to find a rock shaped as another "plane" so mommy can fly too.

2. The classic fort: An oldie but a goodie! Make a fort in your living room out of pillows, blankets and rugs. If it is dark, grab flashlights and pretend to be camping there.
3. Create your own game of memory: With some paper or cardboard and some markers, a basic game of memory can be easily created. Make an even number of flash cards out of the paper, draw a simple picture (twice), face them down and spread them evenly on the floor and let the child turn them over and match them.
4. Prepare a concert: Go into your kitchen and grab an assortment of pots, pans, lids and utensils. Create different songs using them as your musical instruments. (Just try and not do it at night time - your neighbors might hate you after that!).

We didn't do a concert with this potholder, but we did have a puppet show!

5. Balloon Characters: This is a favorite! Firstly, make some papier-maché: cut some long strips of newspaper; make the paste with 2 parts of water, 1 part flour and a teaspoon of salt. Paint a layer of the paste on the newspaper strips and stick them on the balloon, applying even strips until you've built up a good, strong layer. Once all the strips are on the balloon, cover it with yet another coat of paste. Leave to dry for a couple of hours or if you can, overnight would be preferable because you want to make absolutely sure that the papier-maché has dried. Once it has, apply a base coat of white paint, and then enjoy painting all kinds of different designs and faces on it!
6. Mad Libs: There are hundreds of free printables on the Internet for hilarious mad libs for you to fill out with your kid. To make it even better, why not create your own version? One of you asks the question and the other one answers, and then read the final result. Then reverse the roles.
7. Bean-bag contests: A big hole in a cardboard box and some bean bags provide the setting for an awesome tossing contest, where the goal is to get the bean bag through the hole.
8. Have an election: Grab all of the child's stuffed animals (or cars, or dolls, you get the idea) and have an election to determine who shall be the Official President Of Stuffed Toys. Each of you can put forward your arguments as to why each toy shall/shall not be elected and then decide who will hold this very important title.

Turns out Mickey won this one because "he is the only one wearing pants". Fair enough!

9. Make a mud picture gallery: Make some mud with water and dirt, grab some cardboard or boxes that you aren't using, an old brush or toothbrush, and start painting!
10. Make Soup: Fill a container with water, go to your backyard/garden/nearby park and start finding "ingredients" to add to your soup. The mud from the previous point works wonders too!
11. Create a little house/room in a shoebox: Again, the more creative the better. Start filling the shoebox up with what you find: an old cloth can be made into curtains, for instance; a bed can be created by cutting a small piece of cardboard or with an old plastic container. A kid's imagination is unstoppable, so let them find ways to add elements to the room.
12. I spy clouds: If it's a nice day, take them out and play "I Spy" with the clouds. Find as many silly and quirky shapes with the clouds as you can and encourage them to do the same.
13. Good ol' time capsule: The shoebox becomes useful once again! Find stuff around the house that can be stored to be found "hundreds of years later".
14. Works of art: Dried noodles and popsicle sticks can be made into houses, picture frames, and a zillion more things! Ask what he/she wants to make, and help them create it out of it.
15. Create a construction site: If your kid has an assortment of diggers, trucks and cars, all you will need to create an awesome construction site is a big cardboard box that serves as the site, and diverse props such as sand, rocks, grass and maybe even some mud to create some pretend cement.

You can easily recreate this in a big cardboard box!

16. An alphabet tour: Perhaps I was way too nerdy, but I loved this as a kid! The idea is that you play with your kid to see who is the first one to find an object that starts with the letter 'a', then 'b', 'c' and so on. Educational and plenty fun!
17. Hopscotch: Another oldie but a goodie! If you don't have chalk, you can create the hopscotch out of lined-up pencils or whatever else you have on hand (which makes it great if you are indoors, too!).
18. Egg race: The classic! If you don't want to waste any eggs, little balls will do too. Put them on a spoon and race away!
19. Toilet paper rolls: Oh the possibilities! Binoculars and telescopes, for example. Or why not some cute bunnies or perhaps a castle? I think my favorite one, however, is this awesome car!
20. The Dress-up Box: Gipsies, fairies, pirates... they can all come to life with a few garments and a lot of imagination!

These are only some ideas that have provided hours of fun with my kiddo without having to spend any significant amount of money. The best part is I found that these activities aren't only cheap and easy, they are also very educational as they encourage lots of creative thinking!

On the next rainy day, stuck at home, be sure to come back to this list instead of gluing your kid to a screen and I guarantee you'll both have a blast!

Friday At Home (Or New Parent) Playlist

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When you become a parent, Friday nights are pretty much confined to the house. You can't just go out and party every week, and on the odd day that you have someone to look after your kid, the thought of having to wake up with him at 6:00 am, with the worst hangover, is enough to stop you in your tracks. Since stay-at-home Friday nights become the norm, you are going to want to vary it every once in a while, and that's how you end up with two kinds of Fridays: the ones where you just want to chill out, open a bottle (or two) of Rosé and have a nice meal before watching a movie with your partner. And then you have the ones when you really feel like going out but can't, so you invite some friends over, and get in "faux-party" mode.

That is what prompted me to develop two separate playlists: one for the relaxing mode and the other for partying mode, to really help set the mood and make us feel a little better that our Fridays have pretty much been spent within four walls for the last three years. So this is what we have been listening too lately, depending on what kind of Friday it is:


CHILL-OUT-FRIDAY PLAYLIST:

• It's time (Imagine Dragons)
• Royals (Lorde)
• Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)
• The City (The 1975)
• How Long Will I Love You (Ellie Goulding)
• Can't Remember To Forget You (Shakira feat. Rihanna)
• The Man (Aloe Blacc)
• Not Giving In (Rudimental)
• Ready For Anything (Landon Austin)
• Make It To Me (Sam Smith)
• Little Talks (Of Monsters And Men)
• Give Me Love (Uncle Jed)
• This Year (Meghan Tonjes)
• Please Don't Say You Love Me (Gabrielle Aplin)
• Just Give Me A Reason (Pink)
• No Ordinary Thing (Op Shop)
• Cool Me Down (The Black Seeds)
• Viva La Vida (Coldplay)
• Somebody Loves You (Betty Who)

PARTY-FRIDAY PLAYLIST:

• DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (Usher feat. Pitbull)
• Timber (Pitbull feat. Ke$ha)
• Wake Me Up (Avicii)
• Don't You Worry Child (Swedish House Of Mafia)
• Red Lights (Tiësto)
• Hey Porsche (Nelly)
• Feel This Moment (Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera)
• Under Control (Calvin Harris)
• Take Me Home (Cash Cash feat. Bebe Rexha)
• Thank You (MKTO)
• Without You (David Guetta feat. Usher)
• Wild Ones (Flo Rida feat. Sia)
• I Love It (Icona Pop)
• Good Time (Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen)
• I Could Be The One (Nicky Romero & Avicii)
• Just One Last Time (David Guetta)
• Dance Again (Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull)
• Titanium (David Guetta feat. Sia)

What do you like to listen to on those Fridays when you find yourself at home?

OOTD: Chilly Evenings

When the weather starts getting chilly, I have a sort of "uniform" I love to wear: a girly dress, basic tights and boots. It is very simple, yet you look tidy and put together without too much effort, while being warm enough to be outside. It isn't exactly chilly here, but I was very much in the mood to wear this (albeit for only 5 minutes), since I haven't been able to wear my boots for many, many months.

I like keeping accessories simple and feminine with this look: a little chain and matching earrings from Forever 21, and a stone bracelet I bought last month on our trip to Mexico. 

I have a big obsession at the moment with all things coral, and I like the pop of color this dress brings to the entire look. Keeping everything else in neutral colors ensures that the focus stays on the dress. I also love how the color of the dress complements the sunset and the green lot we were visiting. 

After a while, Tommy wanted to be featured too. He enjoyed being the centre of attention when I did his photo shoot last week and didn't want to be left out this time around:

Another great thing about this look is that when the weather starts warming up, it can be turned into a summer outfit in three easy steps (which I did a minute after the photos): pull your hair up in a bun, take off the leggings, switch the boots for some comfy flats, and done!

Toddler Lookbook: 2014 Edition

Hey there!

As you know, I have this little rad man in my life. Also, I am not very good at taking lots of pictures (I forget, mostly!), and decided to change that this year (I guess that qualifies as a resolution?). So I started snapping away some pictures of him, and this is the result. Without further ado, I present to you A Toddler Lookbook, encompassing his five "coolest" looks:


Look at this sneaky little fella! Feeling all badass in his Despicable Me t-shirt:

Just chillin' mom. Just chillin'...

Yes, I am half New Zealander. And yes, I have awesome Spider Man sneakers that light up:

Oh mom, if only you knew what I have in mind... ha ha ha!!

Some quality time with my mama...

Oh, Tommy, you are so delicious! I particularly love how much he enjoys the little things in life, and I am quite proud that it was so well portrayed in this lookbook! That truly is how he lives his life: smiling and laughing, and not taking himself too seriously.
I still have a great deal to learn from him...

Let me know if you liked this lookbook, and if you would like to see more every once in a while :)

Why I Almost Killed My Husband Two Days After Our Wedding

Pic taken by Sean in Mexico, two weeks ago

It was December 17th. On the next day we were traveling to Cartagena, the city where we were going for our wedding on December 21st. Naturally, there was a mountain of jobs to be done before leaving for the next three weeks, so I gave Sean some jobs to do and I took on some too. On his list were things such as "Finish wrapping the Christmas presents", "Grab our passports", and "Buy snacks for the trip". We finally managed to get everything done (or so I thought) and the next day a van picked us and Sean's family up and drove us to Cartagena.

We spent the next four days busy with last-minute details, throwing up on boats in front of the in-laws (whole other story!) and then finally getting married. On December 23rd, after those blissful days, it was time to fly to Medellin to spend Christmas there. Tommy, Sean, Sean's family (mum, stepdad, brother and sister) and me went to the airport to catch our flight. We all handed our ID's at the counter and for some unknown reason, Sean decided he wanted to give them his passport, so he reached into our suitcase to find it. After a few moments, I see Sean give me his signature "You-are-not-going-to- like-this-so-I-better-say-it-fast-and-pretend-to-be-angrier-than-you" look. I feared the worst, but it turned out to be worse than that: he didn't have his passport! He didn't need it for that particular flight, but he did need it for the honeymoon, which we were leaving for three days later!

But wait a minute... "how can you not have your passport? it was on your list of jobs to do, you told me you had packed them... I asked if you had double checked and you told me (very annoyed) that you had...? are you sure?" When it hit me that yes, he was sure, my blood had never boiled so quickly. My brain immediately became busy with ways to kill him painfully and slowly: "I don't care if 'till death do us part' means two goddamn days!" was pretty much my frame of mind at the time.

Thankfully for him (and me! in the end, I do love the man) his mom was there, and I am pretty sure she was the reason I didn't go through with my plans: I don't think she would like me as much after murdering her son, right? Knowing her son's life depended on her, she tried to calm me down: "We better focus on ways to solve this, dear". I believe that little sentence right there is the reason my hubby is alive with me today: I actually did come up with a good plan five minutes later, which involved a housekeeper, a four hour trip by bus and overnight mailing. The passport finally arrived in Medellin the day before we were to leave on our honeymoon, much to our relief, and we did have a great trip, where I did not feel any urge to murder him again.

The best part? Sean is never again allowed to complain when I ask "are you suuuuure" for the twentieth time! woohoo!

Note: I was just kidding about actually "killing" him, obviously! ... Sort of.

10 DIY Holiday Gift Ideas For Kids

Kids can go crazy at Christmas. Some of them ask for a real pink pony, some ask for less specific stuff, such as something that can turn into anything at anytime (true story!). At this time of year, many parents find themselves in trouble trying to fulfill their kid's not-so-rational desires (and even less rational ideas of where to fund said desires from). To the rescue I come, with a list of links (because, let's face it, I'm not that creative) that will provide you with easy, affordable, and super awesome gift ideas for the littlies in your life:

1. DIY Art Easel: Remember the girl who wanted something that can turn into anything, her parents can get away with this! She wants it to be a pet? draw a little puppy! two minutes later she wants it to be the whole American Girl doll collection? erase and get drawing again. Solved!

2. DIY Heart Hair Clip: The ultimate stocking stuffer for little girls. We all love 'em.

3. Glitter Playdoh: You just can't go wrong with this.

4. DIY Train Table: This is a great way to upcycle some old furniture. My own son would adore this!

5. Buzz Lightyear Jetpack: Easy and cheap to make, and sure to be a hit!

6. Kitchen Set: What a great gift! And you get brownie points for upcycling instead of buying a plastic set!

7. Angry Bird Hooded Towels: Going for the win!

8. Kids Sleeping Bag: An outdoorsy kid will think this is the best present ever!

9. Glitter Flats: If you can only afford some basic, plain flats, make them an awesome gift by adding glitter to them, and make a girl's day!

10. Sock Monkey: Fisher Price toys are great and everything but they are so pricey and so much plastic! Nothing beats making the special kids in your life something from the heart, such as this adorable monkey!


So there you go. Kids are going to get a million toys from everyone, so why not be a little different and give them something more personal? I have already started making the easel for my son (photos to come), and will probably continue with the Buzz Lightyear Jetpack (the kid bloody loves it!). Not only will you probably save money, but those types of gifts are the most memorable ones.

Surviving The Aftermath Of The Holidays

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Between the families of my dad, my mom and my step-dad, there are enough relatives to make even the sanest person lose their minds during the holiday season (and to begin with, I am not "the sanest person").

First of all, there is the logistics issue. How on Earth are you supposed to attend THREE (or more) celebrations!? And don't you even dare mention to one of them that you won't make it, because you will pay for it every day until the next Christmas (believe me!). So you devise a pretty clever plan, and know exactly how long you get to stay at each place. But then wonderful cousin Alfie arrived late, because he also happened to be with his girlfriend of one week's family, so celebration #1 goes on for longer. Now you are late for the second one! You quickly excuse yourself, even though your grandma is giving you that guilty look (I might not be here next Christmas, but fine, leave... I will be okay... hopefully... if this little mole turns out to be benign... but who knows...). Yes, these words are all there, in that one look. 

You finally arrive to celebration #2, which has started without you. They are already halfway through the gift pile. Suddenly, there is a gift for you. "Oh, auntie Muriel, I love this knitted sweater! I had always wanted a 3-sizes-bigger sweater with a weird-looking reindeer! How did you know!?". Oh, there is another present, this time from your "funny" cousin Gil. For some reason, he thought it would be hilarious to give you what you can only assume is something taken from Christian Grey's Red Room of Pain. Suddenly, your old aunty exclaims "oh, what an interesting spatula" and the whole room falls silent. You pray that the ground swallows you whole. But thankfully, now it's time to go to celebration #3. By now, you are exhausted and have answered a million times "I don't know, possibly next year" when asked when exactly is your next child going to be conceived (I was lucky I never got asked the "You are (insert age here) and still single!!!?). Of course you are forced to eat yet another meal, because the second you imply that you are actually full, they give you the death stare and exclaim, loud enough for everyone to hear: "We slaved in the kitchen since 5am for you to reject our food!?" and everyone just shakes their heads at you. You are forced to smile and say thank you for the 500th time when you receive a bag of candy from that great-uncle, who by the way, insists that your resolution for next year should definitely be to lose some weight. You nearly snap back: "SERIOUSLY!!?? I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EAT AT LEAST THREE ADULT PIGS AND YOU EXPECT ME TO LOOK SKINNY!!!" but all you do is nod politely and smile. 

After all that, you get to go back home, and relish in the thought that you won't have to endure this again for another 364 days. You have survived three sets of relatives and came back in one piece (nearly) and that is something to be proud of! I am now a master at this art of family gatherings, as every single year since I was little I have divided my time amongst all three families, but it has taken years of experience. My best strategy? nod. Nod and smile as much as you can. People get confused as to why their comments aren't getting the expected reaction, and that way maybe they'll shift their focus away from you and towards that little cousin who (shock horror!) decided to dye her hair blue and magenta the other day. 

This year, however, I am at a complete loss. You see, my in-laws are coming from New Zealand and spending Christmas with my whole family, and I am pretty much sure that it will be an exact replica of "Meet The Fockers" (yep, my family are the Fockers for sure!). I can only pray that "funny" cousin Gil doesn't gift me "spatula" this year...

Any advice is extremely appreciated!

This is a likely scenario this year...  help!!!   ***cringe***
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Gosh-How-I-Love-This-Season Tag

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A while ago I did a Sweater Weather Tag, even though it is never sweater weather where I live. Now the holiday season has started in full force, and I effing love it! I love the way everything seems happier, people are hopeful and become generous, compassionate and supportive of each other, and don't even get me started about the food....!!! Oooh the food... you basically have license to overeat without any judgement... now I'm hungry... *I may or may not be drooling*... yummm...  wait.. what was I talking about? oh yeah, the tag. Ok, so here it goes:


1. What is the best gift Santa has ever brought you?
When I was around seven, Santa brought me these super amazing, super cool Barbie rollerblades. About three days later, I broke my right wrist riding them... but that didn't stop me from loving those things!


2. What is your favorite Christmas memory?
I loved spending Christmas in Germany in 2005, going to the Weihnachtsmärkte and drinking delicious mulled wine.


3. All time favorite christmas/holiday movie
It just doesn't feel like Christmas without watching Jingle All The Way.


4. Favorite Christmas/holiday song
Soooo so many! The list includes, but is not limited to: Deck The Halls; Silent Night; Winter Wonderland; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Jingle Bell Rock, Joy To The World.... carols have this way of making me giddy with glee!


5. Favorite holiday food/treat?
Lots and lots of Christmas cookies and a big fat Christmas ham.


6. What is your favorite Christmas decoration this year?
This vintage Mickey and Minnie ball I bought for Tommy:

7. What's at the top of your Christmas list?
Since I am going to Cancun on my honeymoon, I guess some spending money would be great! A good old-fashioned post-holiday shopping session in Mexico can't hurt!


8. What are your plans for the holidays this year?
I am getting married four days before Christmas (!!). Since my fiancé's family is coming all the way from New Zealand for the wedding, both families will get to spend Christmas together at my mom's place, which is an extremely rare occurrence and I am beyond excited about it!


9. What is your resolution for the next year?
I would love to go back to vegetarianism. I would also love to grow my blog so much more!


10.  Tropical Christmas or white Christmas?
Tough one! I am not a fan of full-on winter, but I think there is something very magical about a white Christmas. Moreover, I have had a tropical Christmas most of my life, so a white Christmas is all the more special.

Top 5: Things my toddler taught me

It is amazing to see how wise this little dude is

We have taught our toddler how to go potty. We have taught him how to speak, in both English and Spanish. We helped him learn to walk, and we have taught him to say please and thank you. However, I believe he has taught me far more important stuff in his three short years:

1. I am far from a perfect mom. I try really hard to be the best I can be, but I am still human, and I have made some mistakes. However, he is the most understanding little person, and very forgiving. He never rubs my past mistakes or shortcomings in my face. What a great trait to have! No one is perfect, nor should they be. Everyone makes mistakes, and the faster we learn that, the better. There is absolutely nothing to be gained from holding a grudge. We would be far happier people if we just learn to forgive and forget.

2. Tickle fights are the best kind to have. They can make you forget all your worries. Nothing is more effective at alleviating stress, and causes more laughs, than getting tickled by your toddler. Tickling him and hearing him laugh like crazy does the trick too.

3. He is completely mesmerized by the moon. Every night he can just sit and stare at it for hours (ok, that might be pushing it a bit... but you get the idea). It is one of the very few things that keeps him quiet and still for a fair bit of time. Of course, I have sat with him and stared at it, and learned that it is one of the best ways to relax. There is nothing really that can stop you from taking 1 or 2 minutes and just look into the night, and then carry on with your life. It has become a favorite ritual of ours.

4. Taking life too seriously is no fun. Life becomes much easier when you let go and burst out laughing when, for instance, your mom makes a duck face while putting makeup on.

5. There is absolutely no rule that says that we can't have dreams and beliefs that others would consider ridiculous or unrealistic. It is way more fun to believe that Mickey Mouse is truly there instead of a guy wearing a costume, isn't it? There is no harm in having dreams, and if no one else believes in them, it is more than enough if you do.

I can definitely say that with a kid, it has become easier for me (if not imperative) to put things into perspective. Prioritizing and time management are not a luxury, they are a must, and even though my life is crazy hectic 99% of the time, I always have very clear what is most important in my life.

Baby Tiggers and Brave Cowboys

It's that time of the year again!

This is going to be Tommy's first ever trick-or-treating. Well, technically, when he was 1 1/2 months old, we did dress him up as Tigger, but he wasn't so much trick-or-treating as sucking happily on his pacifier and sleeping. So this is the very first time he actually knows what is going on, and is looking forward to it. I was just going to dress him up in his Superman pajamas, since my ever-so-rational fiancé mentioned that it would be a waste to spend money on a costume for one day. And it's not like we are the best DIYer in the world to go ahead and make one. But the kid was just so excited and curious about this whole ordeal, that I couldn't stop myself when he stared wide-eyed at a Woody costume.

So yes, that is what he is this year: my adorable little cowboy, boots and all. We will probably have a very, very hard time convincing him to take it off, he is that thrilled.


Oh, and the prize for best/most awesome/most creative Halloween decoration of all times? Definitely goes to the team who submitted this epic depiction of Anna and Christian for their office pumpkin decorating contest:

Motherhood in Your Early Twenties

Girl goes on exchange to a strange country, where she knows absolutely no one. She is excited, thrilled, and a little nervous about what she'll encounter there. Girl sees boy on her very first day at university. Girl sits next to boy and introduces herself.

One month later: Girl is sick of her university accommodation and boy suggests she move in with him. She has never done anything this impulsive, this irrational, this exhilarating. She moves in three weeks later. Girl and Boy start falling hopelessly in love with each other.

Six months later: the pregnancy test comes back positive. Girl runs to tell Boy. Both of them are surprised, scared, happy, and a thousand more emotions at once. Boy decides he will move back with girl to her home country, 36 hours away by plane, which they ended up doing in the second trimester of the pregnancy.

Three years later: Boy proposes. Girl says yes. They start preparing the wedding, which doesn't take place until a year and a half later.

If you think this is a story taken from some old rom-com movie, let me tell you that this is my very own true story. I met Sean in New Zealand in July 2009, and on the 13th of September 2010 our son Tommy was born in Colombia.

When Tommy was born, we were both 22 (I am older than Sean by exactly 17 days!). It has been quite a ride, full of ups and downs. I always thought being a mother was going to come easily to me. Throughout the whole pregnancy I kept daydreaming and picturing how we were going to raise our son, the values we would teach him, and the habits I didn't want him learning. Three years down the road I can see how naïve I was. I was really smug and thought I had it all figured out by the time he was born. I was prepared and ready.

Except I wasn't. I wasn't prepared for those moments in which I have wanted to scream in frustration because he just isn't cooperating very much. I wasn't prepared to feel like I was missing out on my youth because of him, nor for the inevitable guilt that comes one second after thinking that. And I definitely wasn't prepared for the strain it put on my relationship with Sean.

We come from completely different cultures, so our ideas about how to raise Tommy, discipline him and teach him right from wrong sometimes differ greatly. And that for me has been the biggest challenge of motherhood in the early 20s: you are only just starting to know yourself, but are forced to know what kind of mother you want to be and on top of that, reconcile that concept with that of your partner's.

Also, in order for me to function, I need some me-time. It is part of who I am, and if I don't get it often enough, I become stressed, anxious and overwhelmed, definitely not the kind of parent I wish to be. But it is hard to get that me-time when I am working at a full time job and trying to spend as much time as possible with my toddler and fiancé. I feel guilty very often, and that has also been very hard. I don't think this happens exclusively to mothers in their 20s, but when you have children a little further down the road, you have had enough time to be on your own. I didn't have a lot of time when the only person to consider when making a decision was myself, and I have resented that at times.

Sleepy Tommy. 24 hours old.

A dirty, just-after-dinner Tommy at age 1.

Tommy at age 2

Tommy three weeks ago, aged 3.

However, I have also enjoyed many aspects of being a young mother. I love that we are both young and energetic (most of the time, anyways) to play with our son. I love that we have our whole lives ahead of us still and get to enjoy them with this little person that looks up to us. I love how when he is a teenager, we will be in our mid-thirties and although he will probably think otherwise, we won't be too old for his stories. I also like the idea that we will probably get to meet and enjoy our grandchildren, just like our (still very young) mothers are enjoying Tommy: my own mom is 47, and Sean's is only 43 having had him at the age of 18.

Those early mornings when he wakes up at 6am; those times when I have had a long day at work and he is being especially clingy; those times when our friends call us to go out but we can't find someone to look after him... all those times are worth it when I come home and have someone waiting eagerly by the door to give me a big bear hug. Or when he is in bed and tired beyond belief but still manages to give me a little kiss and whisper "I love you mommy" with half-open eyes. Or when he comes home from kindergarten, and excitedly starts telling me snippets of his day. Because of these and a million other moments, it is all worth it. Those moments fill my heart more than any amount of outings or parties ever could, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

There are few things more adorable than cute baby stories, so if there is/has been a special baby or toddler in your life that has completely melted your heart, I would love to hear about them in the comments.