Word on the Street with Stephanie

On Saturday, October 25, 2014 I had the honour and privilege of watching my younger sister get married. Following in the footsteps of both of her big sisters, she had been dating her boyfriend/fiance/husband for 10 years before they decided to make it official. The day was everything a wedding should be. It was a beautiful day, the bride and groom were surrounded by family and friends, there was plenty of food, speeches were heartfelt and emotional and the guests danced the night away. I am so happy that my sister has found her true love and that they are beginning their lives together. I am excited for her to experience the joys of marriage and am confident that they both have the tools to work through the tough parts. I am also excited at the idea of having more nephews/nieces to love and cannot wait until they start a family. Weddings have a way of bringing out my sappy, nostalgic side and I am sitting here writing this post with a cheesy smile on my face and tears in my eyes. I

It seems like the moment I got pregnant is when the opinions came flying at me from friends, family and even complete strangers. Breast versus bottle feeding, attachment parenting versus CIO, what to do when your child has a tantrum, what to feed your child and whether or not to vaccinate. My daughter is almost 16 months and for her entire life I have been nodding politely while I listen to everyone tell me what they did or what they think I should do when what I really want to do is say, "mind your own business! My husband and I will raise our daughter OUR way!".  I avoid confrontation at all costs but as time goes on, I find that I am a little braver everyday. Take today, for example. After our doctor's appointment, I decided to go to the drugstore quickly because it was right beside the doctor's office. I knew that my daughter was tired and wanted to nap but I really needed a couple of things and the thought of getting settled at home and then dragging her out of

When you talk about listing your home everyone who has been through it proceeds to tell you how difficult it is. I acknowledged the comments and murmured my agreement but holy crap I had no idea how stressful it can be, especially with a baby. We put all of the baby`s toys in the basement, I was vacuuming daily, cleaning the bathrooms just about every time they were used and had to clear off all counters. Every time my phone rang with someone wanting to see the house, I had to scramble to erase all evidence that three people and one dog lived there. Thankfully, our home sold relatively quickly (it really is a great house) and now I have the next month to pack up, organize storage, cancel our utilities and everything else that needs to be done before a move. Did I mention that my sister is getting married in 3 weeks ? Wish me luck!

While my daughter naps I am sitting here trying to decide what to do on this beautiful Friday afternoon. September is apple-picking season and I have settled on a farm that is close to home and doesn't cost anything to go. They give you free reign of the orchard and we will only pay for the apples we pick.  It is a sunny, 25-degree day and I can't think of a better way to spend it! I hope you are all enjoying this glorious day. I know that the cold weather is approaching so I will be making the most of these warm, sunny days! Have a blessed weekend!

My husband and I are getting ready to list our first home. It is a townhouse and we are looking to buy a detached home as our family grows and our needs change. We are feeling so many different emotions: stressed at the thought of packing up our home and keeping it in perfect condition since prospective buyers will be coming through with very little notice, excited because we are moving forward with our plans for our family, nostalgic because this is the first home we bought as a couple and began to build our life in. This is also the home we brought our first child into. These walls hold all of our married life memories, as well as our daughter's first words, steps, gestures. I have been looking forward to purchasing a new home for so long that I'm surprising myself with how sad I feel. I will just have to keep reminding myself of all the new memories we will make in our next home. I've got plenty of work to do in the next few weeks to keep my mind occupied!

I have come to accept that life with a baby means I can no longer run into stores like Costco for "just a couple of things". I will always spend at least $100. My most recent trip began with me convincing myself that I would stock up on toilet paper and baby wipes, as well as my husband's favourite cheese that is a much better price at Costco than the regular grocery store. However, to get to the cheese and toilet paper (which are conveniently located at the back of the store), I had to walk by the clothes. So I grabbed a t-shirt for my hard-working husband and then noticed some really cute children's pj's and picked up one of those. I finally made it to the grocery section where I found the items I needed and made my way towards the cash. Since my daughter was born I always make a point to check the price of diapers and sure enough, they were on sale. I didn't need them just yet but I knew that when I did there wouldn't be a sale (Murphy's Law), so

My husband and I decided that yesterday was a good time to take our 14-month-old to Canada's Wonderland. It is a long weekend so I knew it would be busy but it was too beautiful of a day to pass up. We had dinner at home and left in the early evening. I have not been to Wonderland in several years but boy is it expensive! It went something like this: Parking attendant: "That'll be $20 for regular parking or $25 for premium parking". Me: Wide-eyed expression "Really? Just to park? What's premium parking?" Parking attendant: "Premium parking is a designated area that is closer to the gate" Me: "Right, ok just regular parking. We'll walk" Parking Attendant: "Sure, $20 please" Me: Mumbling, hands over money. I was surprised they didn't also ask for my firstborn. It was already after 6 and the park was only open until 10! My husband gently reminded me that we knew it would be expensive and to let it go. S

This Spring/Summer my daughter has been lucky enough to have gone swimming more than a few times. We first noticed that she was a water baby during bath time. She gleefully splashed about (and made a mess of the bathroom) and would sit and play for a few minutes after her bath. We signed her up for parented swimming lessons and she thrived. She loved being dunked and jumping off the edge of the pool into Daddy's arms. We are also lucky enough to know a few people with a pool so she has been in the water quite a bit this summer. To keep the momentum going, I decided to sign her up for private swimming lessons so that she would be able to benefit from some one-on-one time with an instructor. We showed up the first day excited and ready to go and... she screamed her little head off the entire time. I felt so bad for the instructor who had to listen to her crying in his ear the whole lesson. It got so bad it was suggested to me that she might do better if I wasn't around. So I spen

It seems like every time I ask a parent what their child's first word was, they tell me "dada and shortly after, mama". I was so excited to hear my daughter call me Mama and practiced every chance I got (ok so I still do that). The thing is, no one told me that not all babies follow this pattern and I naively assumed mine would. She is almost 14 months old and in addition to nonsensical baby babble, this is her list of spoken words: Go Doggy Hi Zia That last one kills me. Zia is Italian for Aunt and, naturally, I can thank my sisters for this one. It was one of her first words (I honestly can't remember if it was "Go" or "Zia") and even though she pronounces it like "eeeyyaaa", she definitely associates the word with my sisters. However, I must have gone horribly wrong somewhere because she also calls me "eeeyyaaa". I have tried everything to correct her. I say, "I'm Mama" and point to myself, I do not address

Our much anticipated weekend getaway was...successful! The only thing I forgot was a hairbrush for myself so I had to comb my hair with my fingers for two days-not a big deal. We went on a boat cruise, had lunch and dinner in restaurants and enjoyed every single minute. Don't get me wrong, it was still hard work. Trying to think of everything we would need for ourselves and baby was stressful but if I forgot something, it wouldn't have been too hard to go to a store and get whatever we needed. Nighttime was especially interesting. Our daughter loves her crib and has been sleeping through the night for some time. She was so confused as to why we were all in the same room and thought it was party time rather than bedtime and was not happy about having to sleep in her playpen which was 3 feet away from our bed. My final verdict is that I would do it again because the memories my family created exceeded any stress I had to endure while I was preparing. We had a blast and are loo

My husband and I have not gone anywhere since our honeymoon a couple of years ago. Now that our daughter is 1 we figured we should try a short road trip. Once he gets home from work we are supposed to be leaving and I am currently sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by clothes, baby gear and anything else I think we may need for 2 whole nights away from home. I am certain I will forget something. Here's hoping she sleeps well and that we enjoy our family time! This will either go very smoothly and we will have a great time or we will be pulling our hair out and barely speaking during the 3-hour car ride home. Fingers crossed for the former. I better get all these things into a bag (or 2 or 3) before my husband comes home. Have a great weekend!

Earlier this week I decided to run some errands between my daughter's nap times. The hilarity that ensued prompted me to compare running errands pre-baby with the marathon I had just experienced. On my list: to drive 15 minutes to the next town because I had to grab a hair product at Target and then a stop at Walmart to pick up some pictures. Pre-baby: 1) Leave whenever I want, drive with the music cranked and dance along to the radio.  2) Arrive at Target 3) Stroll the aisles and pick up anything interesting before making my way to the pharmacy for the hair product I wanted 4) Pay for my item(s) 5) Drive over to Walmart 6) Pick up my pictures from the photo lab 7) Stop and grab an iced coffee to enjoy on my way home Post-baby: 1) Eat lunch while I wait for baby to wake up 2) Prepare baby's lunch and feed her as soon as she wakes up 3) Put on baby's shoes and my own and, just as I'm about to unlock the front door, realize she has pooped

I honestly believe that there is no such thing as an easy birth. There are some that are easiER than others, but none that are easy. My story is no different. If you are pregnant with your first child or are planning to have a child at some point, you may want to skip this post ;) I had a drama-free pregnancy until 3 days before my due date when I slipped while going up the stairs and fell down them instead. I managed to turn onto my side so I did not fall directly onto my belly but I was still worried about what it could mean for the baby so I called the labour and delivery ward at my local hospital and was advised to get myself checked out. I spent the entire day being monitored and, after a couple of tests, everyone was satisfied that the baby was fine so I was sent home to rest and told to come back two days later for follow-up. My left leg was black and blue from my hip to my knee but the baby showed absolutely no signs of distress. This was the very first time that I would take

Having just submitted my final assignment for this online course, I can finally say that I'm finished! I have already worked out my lowest possible grade (yes I realize that makes me a nerd, don't judge) and have concluded that, barring some major error on my part, I will definitely be passing this course. I cannot even describe the relief I feel. I have already warned my family and friends that should I ever mention taking an online course in the near future, they are more than welcome to remind me of all the late-nights, the seven weeks I have spent riddled with anxiety and the lack of time I had for EVERYTHING except this course. I realize that, as an educator, I have committed to being a lifelong learner and will have to take other courses in the future but it will be a looooong time before I walk the plank again. Now if you'll excuse me, it's 9pm and I have a date with my television.

I know I know, I've been slacking on my posts. Well get in line because I've been slacking on just about everything besides feeding my child. My course will be done in 12 days and I can finally start enjoying my summer. I also really need to catch up on house chores. Baseboards, windows and floors oh my! If only sleeping was optional! Then I would be able to fit everything in. I sure hope this course helps me land a teaching job. With the upcoming election I can only hope things go my way (for a change). Otherwise I will have wasted a lot of time, effort and money and will need a career change before I've even started. I swear I'm through complaining. My family is happy and healthy and that's all that matters. Plus I'm kicking ass in this course :)

It's official! I am terrible at time management. On top of taking care of my infant daughter and running a household, I decided to take a course that will hopefully get me onto an occasional teaching list. In my head I assumed I could sit down to do homework during nap times and it would be a breeze. I...was....wrong. But don't tell my husband I said that! In my head it worked out perfectly and I would be able to stay on top of everything. I figured that when I needed a break from doing work I could get up, stretch and fold a load of laundry. In reality, I scheduled nearly every minute of my day and, let's be serious, who thinks doing laundry is a "break"? When I get fed up of being on the computer what I really want to do is watch a few minutes of tv or log onto one of my social media outlets and see what's happening in the outside world. I just have to make it through one more month and then this course will be finished. Until then, laundry and housework w

At some point, I decided that it would be a good idea to take another course. I am currently earning my certification in teaching at the Senior level. It is online and I thought that, with proper time management, it would be a piece of cake. It is not. There is a lot of work to do and although it isn't my first online course, it is my first since having a baby. Her nap time used to be "me" time. I could sit down, eat and just relax but for the next 7 weeks or so, as soon as my daughter is sleeping my bum needs to be firmly planted at my desk, doing work. It isn't enough to simply keep up with the course work. I never know when we are going to have a bad day so I am doing everything possible to stay ahead of the course work, just in case. I just have to keep reminding myself of the bigger picture: it is only a few weeks and once I am finished I will have increased my chances of getting hired by a school board. In the meantime, I am encouraging my loved ones to stay

I don't know what it is about the month of May but regardless of how the weather has been, I expect nothing but blue skies and sunshine. I realize that we are behind in the weather department this year but I'm ready for some sun already! My daughter is finally at an age where I can do stuff with her like put her on a swing at the park and we have had very few days this year where I've been able to do that. I made the mistake of checking the forecast and all I see is rain, rain and more rain and it's got me in a bit of a slump. What do you do when the weather refuses to cooperate?

As a a soon-to-be stay at home mom I have come up with some simple yet effective ways to stay on top of our budget. I have found that we get accustomed to having access to all of our funds via debit and credit cards, which can make it difficult to reign in our spending. To combat this, my husband and I have developed a system that works pretty well for us. We sit down together once a week and review our spending habits, pay our bills and plot our income on a graph (my husband is in construction and is considered self-employed, therefore every pay cheque is different). We have also learned to use cash whenever possible. We decide how much we will need for gas, groceries and "life" and take the cash out of the bank. When that cash is gone, we are done. We are not allowed to take out more mid-week so planning is key. Of course there are emergencies that come up but we deal with those on an individual basis. As far as coffee money and other small issues are concerned, it's

Today my husband and I are attending a children's safety workshop along with some other family members. It is important to us that we both know what to do in the event of an emergency. My daughter gags and chokes quite often as she tries new foods and textures and I lovingly tease my husband for the way he panics. Some babies are great with new foods and some are not. Ours is the latter. She loves food and is always interested in trying out what we're eating but the second it is in her mouth she will either gag or try stuffing her mouth with as much food as she can get her hands on. I'm afraid I will be breaking her food into tiny pieces until she is an adult. Admittedly, it is scary to watch your child gag and choke but they almost always cough it up on their own. I have become quite efficient at scooping slimy bits of food out of her mouth with my fingers. My husband, however, gets wide-eyed and starts jumping around without really doing anything to help. I have my fin

I realize yesterday's post was a bit of a downer so I felt the need to post again today since the sun is shining and my mood has lifted. As soon as my little girl wakes up from her nap we are off to the park to enjoy the sun after a long, cold, dreary winter. I'm discovering that motherhood is all about ups and downs, good days and bad ones, rain and sunshine. So vent when you need to and get things off your chest, then move on. Enjoy the good days and find your 'happy'. In the words of Pharrell Williams: Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth Because I’m happy Clap along if you know what happiness is to you Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do How will YOU spend your day?

Ever have one of those weeks where nothing seems to go right? Some days I feel like I have super powers and amaze myself with how much I can accomplish and then there are days (or weeks) like this one where I am lucky just to survive. My almost 10-month old is either getting sick (again!) or is about to cut some teeth because she has been a different baby. She won't sleep and just wants to be carried which doesn't sound so bad but when you're in the thick of it, it can make you want to pull your hair out. I'm going to say something that I have been afraid to say out loud: sometimes I question the decisions my husband and I made which are that I will stay home with our daughter for now and hopefully expand our family in the near future. I find that I get so caught up in being a mother and a wife that I forget what it is that I wanted out of my life. Don't get me wrong; I love my family and know that this is the best thing for us right now, it's just a struggle

Not too long ago I discovered that a former classmate has been diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor. We have since reconnected and I am supporting her journey as she goes through some testing and decides on a course of action. She is a mom of four beautiful kids and she inspires me to be grateful for what I have and to live in the moment. She is also gracious enough to be sharing her story through a blog called My Journey with an Intramedullary Ependymoma Spinal Cord Tumor. You can link to her blog here . I highly recommend following her blog as her writing draws you in with its honesty, wit and charm. This type of tumor is very rare and she is doing an amazing job to raise awareness!

We made it 9 months without the little one getting sick. My husband and I both got sick this winter; I even had strep throat and a flu that left me in bed for three days, yet we managed to keep our daughter germ-free. Until now. I am always teased by my family for being a germaphobe and having a baby has only increased my paranoia. However, I have had to relax somewhat since she entered the "everything must go in my mouth" phase. Sure enough, this week she developed a runny nose, followed by diarrhea and of course, a nasty diaper rash. Nothing can prepare you for the heartbreak of seeing your child cry when they go to the washroom because it burns their skin. I have stayed indoors pretty much all week wiping her nose and applying every diaper rash ointment under the sun. . Before motherhood my life consisted of school, work and enjoying my easygoing life. I never would have thought that one day I would be overjoyed to open a diaper and see a normal stool. Likewise, I neve

My name is Stephanie Street and I love to write. I have degrees in Professional Writing as well as Education. I am currently a mom of one sweet little girl named Grace. I am hoping to become an English teacher in the near future and am about to begin my Senior level qualification. My little girl is 9 months old and between taking care of her and keeping our household running smoothly, I am kept busy! I am throwing a course into the mix and I believe it will help me with time management as I will have to make the most of my daughter's nap times. My husband of just over two years is a drywaller and although he puts up houses for a living, I have yet to get him to commit to fixing up ours in the three years we have owned it! I have always wanted to start a blog but just never sat down to figure it out. One day, while looking at a community page, I came across someone who was doing exactly what I wanted to do. I reached out to her and she has proven to be an invaluable asset in my blo