Word on the Street with Stephanie

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...