Apologies

I know I said I would write often, I know I said a sorry at least four times since I started this blog and I know I said I'd write to maintain sanity... Well, I guess I thought going back to work wouldn't take up all my "free" time but it did.

Now I'm settle in my routine... I'm not much a person of changes, I don't do well with the "new" so it takes me quite some time to adjust. 

I have planned ahead as much as I could with JL, the renovations going on at our house and me teaching at this new school and to toddlers and young children now! (I always taught high school, never pre-k to 3!) But I still can't feel confident saying I'll come back twice a week, every week, not even twice a month... Although I can state for sure I'll come as often as I can.

Let me start by saying there is still A LOY of work to be done at our house! My husband is doing it all by himself and he is not the most organised and proactive person in the world, haha... Hard working, yeah, proactive, no! 

He already changed our bedroom and our closet, put up a new window at our bedroom and finished the backyard. There's still our garage and laundry room to be done and then painting and wallpaper throughout the house... (Insert panicking emoji now!)

We decided not to make our own headboard since we have a friend that cut us a pretty good deal for it, we are considering doing our own curtains however and I am anticipating a major freak out moment when it's time to buy and sew it all! 

We also sent our sofa to be cut to the perfect size for our new tv room and be upholstered by the same friend who's doing our headboard. 

Today I dropped JL off at my mother in law so I could take all our China, clean it and organise it at our new buffet (it soooo pretty!)... That was about four hours ago. I still haven't touched one single plate! Hahaha I got lazy, ate too many pieces of cremme brûlée cake (3, planning on eating another one just now!) and started to watch a new series on Netflix... 

Perhaps I'll start doing what I have to do after that fourth piece of cake... 

Eat, drink, enjoy... (And some essentials.)

Hi! 

I know it's been a long time since I wrote but boy, was I depressed... Well, not clinically but truly (haha) if ya know what I mean!

We ended up not traveling. 

The fares were extremely high and also my husband got called for a few job interviews and so did I (mind you, I wasn't even looking for a job!). 

As it happens I start work next week at a really good private school in town, very close to our house and my husband got a partner and is starting a new business... Talk about turn of events, right?!? Hahaha

So we postponed our travel plans until next July or maybe even December, we'll see how things go.

But yeah, apart from the apology and explanations I had to give you (not really HAD to, but wanted to!) I came today to write about what and how JL has been eating and drinking...

We started with regular food when he was about eleven months old. I know some start earlier but I was really nervous about the whole "our food/baby food" thing! (We introduced fruits at about six months old and then I started making his lunch - and later dinner as well - separately!)

By his first birthday JL showed absolutely no will to eat by himself, which kinda frustrated me. A week or two after that he started picking his food from the spoon we were feeding him and a few days later he started trying to mimic our movements.

Now he's almost 14 months and he almost had the whole spoon-mouth movement fully working, haha He gets anxious when it's something he adores (like Moroccan rice or scrambled eggs with broccoli!) and just goes for it with his hands, which I think is adorable and allow him to do and most days it takes at least fifteen minutes for me to clean it all up after he's finished, but it's all worth it and really enjoyable to watch! 

He also always loved water and is always looking for his bottle, that I swaped for those 'take and toss' cups with straw two months ago. I know it was early but he always saw us drinking from a straw and did it by himself as well so I gave it go with the cups and loved it! 

They are one of my favourite things and I actually just bought a new set (it comes in packs of four or more cups!) to leave at my mother in law and my Nana's house. We always take one when we go to restaurants because it almost never let my son make a mess - even when he turns it upside down!!! - and is really handy to have nearby for juices and water! We still use his Boon bottle for water in the car because the Take and Toss straw is totally removable so he kept taking it away and tossing it under the seat! 

For food I used those Munchkin bowls that come in massive packs and still do sometimes, but since the whole eating by myself thing started I realised we needed something that would stay put so I purchased three new bowls and will review them for y'all soon! 

I'm so sorry if this post got too long and if it might not make sense at some point, I had to stop and come back about three times because of JL and am now too tired to proof read it! Haha

If you have any questions fell free to comment and I'll get back to you! 

Oh, and I'll leave you with a photo I took of the things I bought today (new set of take and toss included!)! :)

One photo a week, week TWO

Week two (I'm a tad late, I know...) of this project. 

We are still avid looking for tickets to our eurotrip! It's insane how prices can go up 2k in a week... L got a job interview (this man can't stand still for a month!) and was between him and an older dude. He didn't get it! Bummer. It was the first time in a while that he had gotten really excited about work, I felt so bad for him. Not for the money (it was great money!), but for him, his hopes... Oh well, que sera, sera...

The weather in Brazil has being insane! Yesterday was about 36 Celsius! That's hot... Thankfully our neighbour invited us to her pool and so JL and I went, it was amazing. Boy, I want a pool! 

One photo a week, week ONE.

You don't know it, yet, but a long time ago, when I found myself lost in the world and didn't want to go back to my B.A. In Australia, I decided I wanted to be a photographer... And so, I bought my first "pro" camera. (I still use it, cos, you know, to upgrade I'd have to pay a few thousands and I just can't be bothered spending money on a new camera that I really I don't need. Haha)

It was a Canon Rebel XTi and I loved it! (Still do.) I also enrolled at Senac and attended a photography course in São Paulo - and enjoyed a semester there taking my 'oh so heavy' cam everywhere I went! 

Every since I got an iPhone tho, I have not taken my Canon  out (or any other camera, I have a nice starter collection!) and that's fine, I love iPhone picture just as much as I love IG filters! Haha

I told you this just to tell ya how I will not post professional looking photos here, haha. Instead, I intend on posting a picture a week, of anything that catchs my eye (or heart)... 

So, let's start week ONE with a picture of JL having a picnic in the park with me <3 (because, I mean, who can resist?!?).

On birthdays and prezzies

So my son just had his first birthday. It was amazing!

Do you know when a recent married couple say their wedding flew by? That they just didn't seem to find time to really enjoy the party with their guests? Well, that's how I felt!

JL's party was almost all DIY... I taught myself (yeah, I'm terrible with computers and technology!) how to make everything paperwise, from invitations to goodie bags (or egg cases!), everything was done by me. And let me tell you, I'm not only bad at this new technology thing, I'm also the most indecisive person you would EVER meet!!! So yeah, I had about 30 different invitations to chose, 20 types of stickers I wanted to use on many different things and a thousand ideas that needed to come to life. 

I also made almost all the sweets (condensed milk ran wide in the kitchen those days, enough sad!) apart from macaroons - that I have yet to master - and caramel apples - that I just couldn't be bothered! I have scars to prove! I chose to do most of the cooking at my Mom's house just because it would be a peaceful place without everyone interrupting me, that went well. My mother in law took care of JL for me and that was just a plus! 

We held the party at my best friend's vacation house, in a nearby town. It was the perfect location, y'all! (My dream is to live there, it's just the right size... Not big, not small... Just perfect!) She was kind enough to help with all the prep and even got her fiancé to do a LOT of the work also since my husband was running last minutes errands and picking JL up from my mother in law's. 

Another friend is a cook and did a great job with a variety of crepés she served. We set up a table in a corner for juices and soft drinks and it worked out well (we had a bottle of water at each table), oh, and each kid got a 'circus tend mini drink bottle' to take home!

It was stressful, don't get me wrong. And I would do a lot differently if it was possible (hello, hairdo choice not good, AT ALL!) but overall it was a great learning experience. I'm not found of party throwing, I just get too worked up and it all turns sour too soon for me. 

BUT, it was my son's first birthday and I just wanted to gather all my loved ones together because I know I've neglected most of them trying to be a great mom this past year...they deserved it just as much as my baby! (And me! Haha)

I still don't have any professional pictures and am waiting eagerly by the phone, so as soon as I get them from the photographer I will post the ones I think appropriate for the blog! 

For now, take this one from the main table with a piece of me in my puffy tutu skirt! Now that's what I call appropriate!!! Haha

Ps. We had 80 guest and the gift giving here was insane, which is why I thougt fit as a title... My son's whole year in toys is covered, I mean, people went crazy! (He also got a lot of clothes and Mama loved it!)