Urban Suburban Mommy – Page 23

The things I find myself doing…

Posted on April 18, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Struggle is Real .

My former self would never have imagined the situations I’d find myself in and the things I’d say when I had kids.

I’m saving this top 10 list to remind myself exactly what I went through when they’re teenagers so that I can vindicate myself accordingly.

10. Why did you just wipe your nose on my shirt?

9. No, the cat does not want another bath.

8. If the toy is being bad and making you fight, then I’m going to have to give the toy a time out.

7. Please don’t throw up on me again.

6. Who peed on the bathroom wall?

5. Santa is not bringing you a gold bar or a mansion for Christmas.

4. If you don’t like it you don’t have to eat it, but please don’t spit it out on my plate.

3. Why did you put that into the toilet?

2. Did you wipe your bum?

1. No, I don’t want to smell your feet.

Only some of my best moments, I can’t even really put them into order.

Maxing out in Mexico

Posted on April 15, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Bon Voyage .

FEATURE shane and sullivan pool oasis mexico

You always hear about people taking last-minute vacations – well Saturday my husband and I went into a travel agency with the muppets in tow, and asked to book whatever was leaving the next morning.

I will definitely try that again, because it worked out so well. There was no anticipation with the kids. there was no build-up. There was just 4 plane tickets to Cancun, Mexico with an all-inclusive 4.5 star resort at the other end.

My husband often works 16-18 hour days and my 9-to-5 grind starts at 6.30 am and ends after the kids are in bed, the clothes are put away and the dishes are done. The days merge into weeks and into months. Spending time in an all-inclusive resort where the biggest decision is “beach or pool” was absolutely heavenly! Good food and bottomless tropical drinks were just a bonus, time with the family was all I wanted.

Time with the family and a swim-up bar.

We stayed at The Grand Oasis Palm. As far as luxury resort chains go, it was nice. Numerous restaurants, a few different pools, a decent beach and spotlessly clean. I couldn’t believe how we’d lucked out.

On day 3 we decided to check out Kids Club.

Kids Club!

I never knew that such a thing existed, but when it comes to all-inclusive resorts, you HAVE TO check out the Kids Club. It was definitely the most spectacular surprise.

Now maybe this shows how little we travel. We go to Great Wolf Lodge a lot, and we stay in nice hotels around the city for staycations, but we’ve never been to a resort as a family, and we had no clue!

Kids Club at The Grand Oasis Palm was a child’s dream come true. A big pool with two waterslides, a room complete with a dozen gaming systems – Wii, PlayStation, XBOX – and beanbag chairs for the kids to veg out on, an arts and crafts room, games room, theatre, a playground with climbers and a trampoline with harness, movie nights, a nap room and a huge staff of childcare providers to watch over the ensuing madness.

The boys couldn’t wait to go to Kids Club and hang out with their friends. They thought they’d found the best place on earth! And while we wanted to spend time with them, it was nice to take a quiet break by the pool and have a little bit of adult time. We even did a romantic dinner one evening at the fine dining restaurant on site. The boys went a few times over the rest of the week and have been telling endless stories about friends they made.

And to whomever invented Kids Club, thank you, you’re a genius.

Cancun is nice because the flight to Mexico from Toronto is about 4 hours. The hotels are under 25 minutes from the airport and, surprisingly, the boys handled the travel quite well. I think it has something to do with the in-seat personal screen with movies, shows and games for entertainment. They certainly didn’t have those when I was a kid!

We were even able to rent a car for the day and drive to Tulum to see the ancient Mayan ruins and go to the market. And because the Oasis is a chain, with a location in Tulum, we were able to visit the Grand Oasis Tulum and enjoy the facilities and our all-inclusive privileges there for the day instead of wasting the sunshine on the 2 hour drive back to Cancun.

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Sunkissed and relaxed, a week away was just what we needed. We’re already dreaming about the next destination. What’s your dream vacation?

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Hair stylist Erica Wearing dishes on hair style and colour trends for Spring 2016

Posted on April 14, 2016 by ericahwearing Posted in The Best You .

With the flowers blooming and the sunshine finally warming us up we all like to brighten up our looks and freshen up our cuts. If your looking to do so, here are some inspiring cuts and colours for spring/summer 2016 to keep you on trend and looking like a hip mama.

This season is very versatile. There lots are of shades and cuts to choose from: lobs, long layers, choppy bobs, blunt bobs, blunt fringe – whatever it is you love, rock it!

Women’s hair 2016

I’m loving a fresh fringe for the season change. It can shake up your look completely, leaving you feeling youthful and making those eyes pop.

My lovely friend Jen Ly took me to a violet rose shade, and I’m absolutely loving it! Check her out on Instagram byjenly.

Here are some more shades of blonde I love:
Icy cool blonde
Warm rose gold with violet undertones

Beautiful shades of the rainbow. I prefer the softer pastel shades like these – they aren’t as permanent and the fade out is beautiful as well.

A beautiful change to warm up the completion, “Ronze” a mixture of Browns and copper tones

Men’s hair 2016

Tell your man he has to look fresh next to his beautiful lady. Here are some great cuts for your handsome fella.

Toddler hair 2016

We have all seen those poor little kids with the bozo haircut they got from a heartless stylist – or I should say butcher! Some great advice mommies, take them to your own stylist. They will do a fabulous job on your little Muffin’s hair.

Here is a great photo of my handsome lil guy after I cut his hair. He was so good I fed him lots of frozen blueberries and put on a good cartoon to distract him.

Erica H. Wearing has been a stylist for over 16 years and she absolutely loves what she does . “It’s a great feeling to help people feel and look their best when they leave my chair. I wouldn’t trade this for any other job in the world!”
Check out Erica at Ka!Boom Hair Salon 1129 West Pender Street, Vancouver B.C .
(604)681-6003

alissia marciano hairbyericaw

Surviving The Threenager

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Alexis Nicols Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I have a Threenager. This summer, he’ll be a Fournado – but let’s deal with one emotional apocalypse at a time.

My son has feelings. Big, big, nuclear feelings. They are spectacular to witness, in much the same way that the good people of Nevada were awed by hydrogen bomb testing.

Threenagers are an enigma, wrapped in Tasmanian devil on crack and surrounded by mess. Our morning routine used to be a recipe for disaster: Add a dash of dawdling and stir in a healthy cup of I-will-not-do-anything-you-ask-me-to-do-until-you-reach-a-pitch-that-only-dogs-can-hear. Our mornings used to be an endless power struggle that started the moment we woke up.

I knew there had to be a better way to communicate with my son, a method that empowered him and enabled us to parent him in a way that achieved long term goals. My partner and I took a class led by an Adlerian Parent Educator.

After applying some of her techniques and following her suggestions, we saw an almost immediate change in our oldest son. I’m not advocating one school of thought over another, or that this method works with every child across the board. In my home these suggestions worked for my child and ultimately, for our entire household. Here are just a few things we learned:

1. Let It Go (don’t sing the song. Just.Don’t.)

This was a hard one for me. I manage everything in my home. And it’s exhausting. My morning monologue used to sound like this:

“Time to get dressed, get dressed please, here are your clothes, do you need help? Get dressed get dressed please get dressed, please brush your teeth here let me help you with the toothpaste stop eating the toothpaste brush your teeth top AND bottom, stop chewing the toothbrush, please sit down and eat breakfast, sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, eat your breakfast, eat it please god just eat it please eat your breakfast, time to get your coat on get your coat on get your coat on are you listening to me? Stop pushing your brother and get your coat on fine I’m leaving if you don’t get your coat on in 5 seconds…”

And so on…

After the class, we just…stopped. Stopped arguing with him, stopped the power struggle, stopped trying to tell him what we think is best. This is closer to what I say now:

“Your clothes are on the bed for you. See you downstairs when you’re dressed and we’ll have breakfast.”

“Time to get our coats on. Here are your boots, I’ll meet you at the door.”

We’re letting him do as much for himself as he is capable of. The results were amazing; as soon as we stopped telling him what to do, he became more amenable to doing for himself. The process took time (about two weeks of script-flipping) and it’s not perfect (he intentionally wears his shirts or pants backwards and getting him to sit through breakfast can be challenging), but he’s making more of his own choices and he’s learning to live with the consequences of his actions in an age-appropriate way.

2. We Know His Limits

There was a brief period of time when we didn’t go out with other people. The thought of scheduling a play date sent me into b*tch-panic. And forget restaurants. I remember taking the threenager (along with his baby brother) to his first birthday party for a school friend. I only remember a whirlwind of chasing, spilling and endless “no thank you’s”.

At one point, I had tied a balloon to his wrist so I could find him. Now, we give him limited choices, prepare him for the day in advance and watch for early meltdown signs (fatigue and hunger are the main killers.) I still get anxious when we go out, but as long as it’s early enough in the day and in a controlled environment, weekends are much, much more enjoyable.

3. Respect Yourself

Ultimately, I can’t control my threenager – and I wouldn’t want to. Do I want him to grow up to be a compliant people-pleaser? Of course not. But I can control me and my reactions. Sometimes, he acts up and lashes out (remember big feelings?) A few months ago, we had Wafflegate. My son, who will only eat waffles if they are whole and un-cut, was barely picking at his breakfast. I asked him if it might be easier to eat if I cut it up for him. He said yes (he was distracted. I take full responsibility.) Well didn’t that child take one look at his easier-to-eat waffles and flip his s**t – along with his syrupy plate full of food – all over the floor. The old me, who never fully healed her inner child, would have agonized and freaked out. But at that moment, I realized that I couldn’t make him see my point of view or apologize, but I could respect myself enough to walk away.

“Here,” I said, returning with a cloth. “You can clean up.”

Him: “Make me another waffle!”

Me: “Ohhh, no…no more waffles. Breakfast is over. You get nothing.”

Him: “I get…nothing?”

Me: “Well, not nothing. You get to clean up the mess.”

I didn’t yell, I didn’t fume, I didn’t resent him. But I wasn’t about to give him another chance to treat me poorly. And he wasn’t going to starve over it either.

I’m not perfect. Sometimes I lose my patience and yell. Sometimes, I sit in the bathroom with the door locked and cry for five minutes. Sometimes I feel like it’s a threenager’s world and we’re all just surviving in it, Lord-of-the-Flies-style. But the limit-testing, the challenging behaviour and the button-pushing are all signs that he’s developing exactly as he should be.

At the end of the day, I’d rather have a child who stands up for himself and has loads of confidence.

Having said that, come talk to me when he turns four…

The bottomless piña colada

Posted on April 12, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

We just got back from a wonderful week in Mexico. While I know the “all inclusive resort” life isn’t really Mexico, it was a great – and much needed getaway, where I was able to consume way too many piña coladas and enjoy the beach day after day after day.

I’m back home.

It’s cold.

The harsh, sober reality of no more days by the pool has hit. The only thing to do now is perfect my piña colada recipe and share it. I hope you’ll mix up a batch too, and enjoy some dreams of sunshine and beaches with me.

What you need:

– 3 ounces rum – you can use cocnut rum, golden rum, white rum, light rum – I like Appleton White Jamaica Rum, but Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Royal Oak Trinidadian Rum and the German Old Guadeloupe are delish too.
– 5 ounces pineapple juice
– 3 ounces coconut cream
– 10-15 ice cubes (or frozen pinapple chunks)

What you do:

Easy peasy: Toss it all into the blender until it’s whipped smooth and frothy. Pour into 2 frosted glasses and garnish with a chunk of frozen pineapple.
(Seriously, 3 shots of rum – you should share, though you don’t have to!)

¡Salud!

The grandparent situation

Posted on April 11, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Struggle is Real .

the grandparent siguation - nana helen and grampsy leo

My kids have grandparents, but they don’t have “grandparents.”

When I was a kid, my Nana Helen and Grampsy Leo would dote over me. They let me sleep over pretty much every weekend. They indulged me when I had special occasions. They were the ones I wanted when I had a problem, a secret or just needed comfort. My Nana Helen always had a bottomless pot of chicken soup on the stove and a vat of homemade applesauce in the fridge, and my grandfather would wake up at dawn to go to the bagel shop and bring home a dozen while they were still warm.

My parents were 23 and 24 when they had me. My grandparents were about 55 when I was born. They loved having me – us, all of their grandchildren – and spent a lot of time with us.

My own mother really wanted to be a grandmother. She was always asked when I would have kids, and I always tortured her with the “I’m never having kids!” line. I was a free spirit in my 20s, and I had no plans for settling down, even as I hit 30.

She passed away a few months after my 30th birthday. She was 54.

“Dad, do I look pregnant to you?” I asked, with that tell-tale smile plastered on my face. He was he lit up like a traffic light. But, unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 61, when my first son was only 6 weeks old.

While my parents died fairly young, one of the inevitable drawbacks of starting a family at the latter end of childbearing age is that you don’t always get to have your parents there with you. At 40, your parents are hitting their 60s and 70s – or older. They may be with you, but they’re not necessarily up for the sleepovers and big days out. They’re not up for chasing after a toddler or having a couple of little ones race around their home leaving a trail of mess wherever they roam.

What’s even more difficult, many 40-something parents who have small children are dealing with sleep exhaustion, tantrums and the energy of young children, and simultaneously dealing with parents and/or inlaws that are starting to decline in health, perhaps losing a parent, and having to deal with the stress that old age brings – health problems, financial issues, limited ability to live independently and the struggles that come with that phase of life.

Many of us are in the position of looking after both young children and elderly parents.

Our kids don’t get those grandparents that dote on them. They don’t get the sleepovers, the cuddles, the confidants and the warm, loving memories. Our ‘advanced maternal age’ has taken away the opportunity for our kids to know their grandparents the way we knew ours.

And though it’s our own doing, it’s just not fair.

The birthday party rant

Posted on April 8, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I’m betting I’m not alone in this, so feel free to give me your 2 cents.

Birthday parties drive me nuts! These kid parties are out of control.

Now let me preface this rant by saying, I love throwing birthday parties, I love everything birthday! I think it’s a great opportunity to celebrate. That’s not the problem. It’s the insanity that has started to swirl around the birthday party expectations that’s making my head hurt.

The presents:

I have a $25 limit on birthday presents. I like my kids to pick out their own gifts, since they know what their friends like. I actually take the time to have my kids add stickers, make cards, draw on the paper and have some fun with it – as long as I’ve remembered before the party and am not racing across town to try to get them there on time and whipping into the local toystore last minute (thank goodness they offer free gift-wrapping services!!).

But I’ve got 2 kids. They’re well liked and get invited to a lot of birthdays. We’ve had weekends where there are two birthday parties for each kid. $100 in presents, and that’s not the only parties they’ll have that month. It gets EXPENSIVE! People complain about the cost of daycare, the cost of diapers, well here I am to add birthday gifts to that list! Never mind that my weekends are not my own.

I kind of like these new ‘group gift’ sites that handle the guestlist. There’s one that is used pretty commonly around here, where the child receives money and splits it between a specific present they’re saving for and a charity of their choice. So instead of 25 Lego sets the kid can buy a bike and donate to the local animal rescue. You just transfer the cash right then and there while you’re RSVPing and you’re done.

I don’t love the ‘expectation’ of gift giving, even though it absolutely is an expectation, but it’s organized and easy and so I’m good with this.

The venues:

I feel lucky that my kids are spring and summer babies, I can have parties outdoors. Living in the city, I have a small house that doesn’t easily accommodate more than 5 kids at a time. I feel they won’t remember specific gifts, but they will remember the big, fun parties, so I try to throw them at a community centre party room or the big park at the end of the street. I like to invite the whole class and always offer that siblings are welcome. I find it no trouble at all to bake up a few extra cupcakes and make it fun for all.

I can’t understand some of the venues in the city. I just can’t justify $500, $600, $800 on a kid’s birthday party! It’s not even so much about the money (although I think that is steep!), it’s about the expectations we’re creating for our kids. With a small home, I get it. We need to find a venue, and frankly, it’s pretty sweet to be able to pack up and leave the mess for someone else to clean up, but the aquarium, science centre, museum – these ‘high-end’ party venues don’t make sense to me. The guest list is extremely small, the cost per child very high and then, it seems, there’s a need to outdo other parties, or ‘better than last year’ even.

SMDH. They’re 6, they don’t even know.

The birthday child:

These big venues, the big productions, this can be a bit overwhelming to the birthday child. Know what I hate the most though?

All of the presents.

In years past I tried “your presence is presents enough” type cuteness for No Gifts Please, but they got gifts anyways. And the kids want gifts. My husband pointed out that it was all part of the party expectations for our children. That they would be sad to have all their gifts taken away. Instead, they open them up slowly, over the following few weeks, and enjoy them one at a time – instead of opening them all at once and being overwhelmed and undergrateful.

And all of the gifts – they have enough toys. As much as I LOOOOOOVE Lego, superheroes, trucks, Skylanders and Transformers, they have enough. We tried the “one in, one out” method, but it was painful. We’ve asked them to donate, but I don’t think they’re quite ready for that yet, last year my older one was so stressed out about having to pick what to give away and not enjoy that I quickly put the kybosh on that idea. Why have a party if it’s going to stress your kid out?

The invitations:

I love designing their invitations. I have them printed up at the local copy store and even though I get rave compliments – and offer to do them for other mamas – they’re actually cheaper than buying invites. Especially when you’re handing out 30-40 of them. (Or 60 – like last year, when instead of giving them out to the daycare and the class, Urban Suburban Daddy misunderstood my instructions and stuffed them into all of the daycare cubbies of the other two classes. So we had 3 daycare classes, a school class plus siblings. Lesson learned.)

I also email the invitations to all of the parents. I never know if the kids get them home or not. My son occasionally gives me an invite a few days after a party has already happened.

The politics & the fallout:

“I invited him but he didn’t invite me.”

“I wanted to sit next to the birthday girl.”

“I wanted the piece of cake with the blue rose.”

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHFFFFFFFTTTTTT

Seriously. Sit back at a birthday party and notice how many little squabbles occur over the course of the 2.5 hours. Kids have developed these crazy expectations and are indulged in ways they can’t manage. They are fed junk food and sugared up, and then sent home to mama a very wired, hot mess.

Is it a drop-off party? Do I stay? Do I go? What do I do with my other child if it’s not a drop-off party and numbers are a big deal? I’ve tried to pay for my other child, I’ve tried to find another parent who can take mine. I’ve tried to understand why my son would sooner give up his XBOX than miss a birthday party. It’s a social standing and a testament of friendship – plus they get to do all kinds of cool stuff, from circus classes to science experiments, to being taught how to make pizza.

I have no idea what the solution is, but I feel much better getting that off of my chest!

Suburban Mommy Michelle adds: My son just recently started JK and I too feel like I have now become part of the birthday turbine. In fact, I do remember dropping a pretty penny on my son’s last 4 birthdays. In fact, for what I spent on his 1st birthday party, our family could have enjoyed a vacation instead! Our second is born in the summer, so hoping this helps with eliminating some costs on venue. I do agree that birthdays are out of control – now that I think of it – so is every holiday. We have become such a commercial society. Perhaps instead of presents this year, I will ask if parents minded chipping in for things like daycare, diapers, formula..you get the drill.

Tips on overcoming picky eaters from leading kids nutritionist Aviva Allen

Posted on April 7, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Struggle is Real .

How many of us parents can say that our children are picky eaters. Some of us may even say that we have also picky spouses to tend with when trying to meal plan and prepare healthy meals. We sat down with kids nutritionist Aviva Allen who has some great tips to share about easy meal prep, making good food choices for your family as well as overcoming objections from the little ones.

1. Can every child be inspired to be a good eater?

I think that every child can be inspired to become a better eater. It is important to allow your child to explore new foods at their own pace. We can continue to expose them to foods that we eat and when they are ready, they will try them and eventually learn to like them too.

2. How do you convert a picky eater into a good or better eater?

The goal is not to convert them. Eating is a learned behavior and as parents, we are their best teachers and need to lead by example. That being said, if you are dealing with a picky eater, getting to the root of why your child eats the way that they do is key in terms of figuring out how best to help them. Sometimes it can be as simple as removing pressure when it comes to feeding, changing the mealtime structure/routine or making the food more visually appealing. Other times it involves addressing some oral-motor, sensory or nutritional concerns first before any other strategies will be effective.

3. Are all prepared foods or boxed foods bad?

Not necessarily. It is important to read ingredients and not just look at the nutritional panel and to limit processed foods which are often high in sodium and refined sugar. We definitely want to focus on fresh, whole, unprocessed foods, but you can also find some nutritious foods that come in packages which can be helpful time-savers.

4. How do you help parents who are working late and/or have limited time to prepare healthy meals?

Try using a Crockpot or cooking in large batches to freeze some for a future meal. Plan meals in advance and do as much prep work as you can the night before. There are also lots of produce delivery and healthy meal prep services available that may be an option, depending on your budget.

5. When kids ask for a treat (hoping for cookies etc.) – what do you suggest as a healthy alternative?

Fresh fruit can be offered, but homemade cookies or muffins made with healthy ingredients can be a good option. Remember that you are in charge of when food is being served and what is on the menu. Just because the kids are asking for a “treat” doesn’t mean you need to oblige.

Aviva Allen is one of Toronto’s leading Kids’ Nutritionists specializing in helping parents deal with their picky eaters. After obtaining certification from The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Aviva went on to graduate from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City; a health-supportive chef training program with an emphasis on cooking with whole, unprocessed foods. Aviva has also received specialty pediatric training that has allowed her to support parents of children who are extremely picky and/or resistant eaters. www.avivaallen.com

@AvivaAllen @kidsnutritionist

Random thoughts at 3AM

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Alexis Nicols Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I compiled this list during a time when the baby was very new and still waking to eat during the night (the situation has since improved. Now he only wakes me up for really important things, like a crease in his blanket or he heard someone pass wind in Kapuskasing.) Continue reading →

Chicken Zucchini Poppers

Posted on April 5, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

We love when Nicole cooks. It always looks as good as it tastes with this fabulous photographer, and we think the things she tries out are just amazing. She’s creative in the kitchen and we’d love to take a page out of this mama’s book! If you liked her Beet Chip Massacre and her Baked Butternut Zig Zag Blackbean Taquitos, you’re going to loooooove the Chicken Zucchini Poppers! But let her tell you herself:

If you’re like me, you TRY to get your kids to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Now I admit, my kids are actually pretty good about this however I do know some who are not. I am ALL about packing in anything extra that I can though, because well it certainly can not hurt right? When a recipe also works out so that making extra and freezing it for nights that are hectic (hello, baseball season is upon us – between practices, games and my daughter’s ballet classes I am all for quick and easy dinners).

I have even crazy things like lightly sautéing freshly chopped spinach and tossing that in too. Like I said, I am all for tossing veggies in where ever I can! This is totally a Pinterest find (Adapted from http://www.onelovelylife.com/chicken-zucchini-poppers-gf-df/) that I actually made, and daresay improved upon if for no other reason then I sort of combined it with another recipe I have for sausage balls.

To make ahead for those crazy nights I double the recipe.

What you need:

-1lb Chicken breast
-2 medium zucchinis (grated, peel on)
-2-3 green onions sliced or 1 small onion finely diced
-1-3 tbls Taco seasoning (this is to taste, or you can use just about any seasoning that is a favorite in your family)
-1 clove minced garlic or 1tbs garlic powder
-4oz ricotta cheese (or you can use cream cheese)

Optional: Toss in a tablespoon or so of Milled flaxseed not only does it work well to help “bind” but it’s full of healthy nutrients kids and adults need!

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 400°. Mix the ingredients all together, scoop into meatballs and place onto greased pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Depending on the seasonings you use – kiddos of all ages can dip these into ketchup, salsa, sour cream (my daughter’s choice, regardless of seasoning), guacamole or even barbecue sauce. Really you can take this in any direction you want!

To freeze and reheat: cool and place in a Ziploc bag and toss in the freezer. Depending on your microwave, I typically heat 4 at a time for roughly 1:30.

Organize your front entry DIY project

Posted on April 4, 2016 by kasiawdesigns Posted in DIY .

This simple DIY can be used in a front entry, mudroom or even laundry room. It helps to keep the family organized and ready for school in the morning. It not only adds decor to your space but offers a convenient way to hang your kids backpacks, scarves or even yet your own purse.

STEPS + TOOLS

1. Decide on the species of wood you want to use, knotty or not. You can get your pieces cut down at your local Hardware Store (Home Depot, Lowes) – I used 1×8 Knotty Pine planks that I had cut down into 24″ lengths.

2. Once you bring it home, give the edges some sanding to smooth them out and get rid of any jagged pieces of wood.

3. You can either paint your wood planks a solid color or stain them. I used a wiping stain by Old Masters – I prefer using a wiping stain because it brings out the grain and knots of the wood much better – the stain I used was custom mixed to match my hardwood floors – which in the end ties in really well with the rest of my space.

4.Once you have applied your stain to the edges and both front and back surface your can either finish it off with a clear top coat or leave it as is.

5.Once dry, stick on your frame with a photo of the family member inside (you can also include family pets and hang their leash from the hook), I used the No More Nails tape (extra strength) to stick on both frame and wooden letter.

6. Position your hook on the wooden plank – I drilled two pilot holes for each of my hooks to avoid the wood from splitting. Once the pilot holes are drilled then use screws to secure the hooks. I really like the Ikea Bjarnum hooks because they fold in, which makes it very convenient when they are not in use, everything is flush with no protruding items.

7. Lastly hang them on your wall and enjoy!

Kasia Waloszczyk

Kasia Waloszczyk, Urban Suburban Mommy’s Design and Decor expert is an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator. She also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

Gifted with a keen eye for colours and shades, Kasia Waloszczyk has been applying her colour and design techniques for more than 15 years in the industry. A design expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show, Waloszczyk’s work has always kept her ahead of design trends and has also given her an in-depth expertise on fabrics for creative custom window treatments and unique upholstery, for both residential and commercial spaces.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

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