First time travelling with a Toddler

It's almost time.... Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.. 

We will be travelling with our toddler on July 10th, which just so happens to be his 2nd birthday. If you have ever been a parent of a toddler, or have ever had contact with these little primates you know when they reach 2, they go wild.  So wild infact it's termed the "Terrible Twos" 

In my case it's been going on much longer... Much much longer.. You see we were blessed with a very strong willed advanced primate, don't be fooled by all the cuteness up above there.. No, no, no that would be your first mistake!.. He crawled early and walked by 9 months...he has a special knack of picking things up quickly.. It's no surprise then that the terrible 2's hit around 18 months..and have showed no signs of leaving.... Ever so it seems.  He took control of my iPad not long after and who am I kidding, he runs this house okay!!  We are also smack dab in the middle of potty training.. Any experienced mom knows that once you start, you have to go with it. To stop or stray from the program can cause major set backs. Jax has been doing wonderfully well, but he is only 23 months and does have accidents sometimes which is another reason why I'm not sure how this holiday will go.

We are going to the Iberostar Ensenachos in Cayo Santa Maria Cuba. My husband is the best man in our friends wedding and we will be travelling with our terrible two, potty training, strong willed child... Not sure if that's a good or bad thing but we are about to find out.

I think I will be forced to spend a lot of time on this ship... I may end up walking the plank! 

T- 12 Days until Dday Bday... Some cute clothes I ordered from TCP have arrived and I was finally able to get the stroller I wanted and it's being driven down as they aren't sold in Canada... But more about that later... This weekend it's Canada day long weekend and I'm hoping to get things together and start organizing as I absolutely hate doing things at the last minute!

I bought a few snacks for Jax to take along.  Tomorrow I'll pull the suit cases out and check them over to make sure they're travel worthy as they've seen their fair share of voyage and have been tossed around a centrifuge quite a few times.

T-11 Days: 

Primate has awoken in a bad mood today he had an accident overnight first one in over a week. He seems much better now after feeding on eggs, Maple leaf bacon, oranges and raspberries!

I pulled the cases and hubbies is worst for wear, It may make it one way but certainly not a return flight. 

I emailed the resort our names and passport numbers for advanced check in as we will be arriving at the resort after 10pm, and I certainly will not feel like standing in line to register, that could take a few hours!!  Knowing this I will have to ensure we have some food for our primate as he is not very friendly when he is tired and hungry. 

Having travelled to Cuba quite a few times, 8 to be exact, I know that they lack some of the more modern conveniences we tend to take for granted . I will have to account for this when packing for our primate!

As I start making my what to bring list, knowing its a huge resort we will definitely need to have a good lightweight stroller with a shoulder carry strap to traverse the uneven terrain in towns as well as stairs and obsticals at the resort. The resorts in Cuba are not accessible. 

Jax is also basically potty trained at this point. He wears underwear all day and a pull up at night.  Now we tote along his potty/urinal everywhere we go, we even have one that stays in the van for when we are out. 

Considering we have to travel over 2 hours to get to the airport, another 3-4 hours at the airport, 3 hours of flight, another 2 hours to the resort I'm not sure how this is all going to work! Do I revert and put him in diapers? As his favorite potty training book states "I don't want to!" 

I'm not going to. No, I can't! The thought of having him reverse his potty use and stay in diapers until he's 3 is a nightmare!

I will have to make sure he has enough changes in clothes, a few pull ups just in case and I will bring his potty as a carry on item in a plastic bag. 

His potty is very light molded plastic made by safety 1st. Such a great invention as not only is it a floor potty but you can hang it up on the wall and it turns into a little urinal. Genius! 

T- 7days:

Had a few days of exhaustion, got some shopping done but that's about it!

We decided to have a party for Jax on Saturday (T- 5 days) How can you not throw a little party for your baby boy!  Lol his is sure to contribute turning the next few days before departure into shear chaos! 

The stroller arrived, have not had a chance to look at it yet, starting to feel a slight twinge of panic lol

I got Jax a Spider-Man carry on so he can pack some snacks and activities to keep him busy for over 12 hours of travel!

Hubby and I decided its in our best interest to invest in a little portable DVD player so our little primate can watch his shows or better yet, his favourite move The Lion King :)

The cloth training pants and swimsuits I ordered still have not arrived I'll be sad if they don't make it in time for this holiday 

Necessities for travelling:

1. A good lightweight stroller.

We have a Britax BReady and it's been a great stroller so comfortable for Jax on long hikes on the trails but not designed for travel! It's big, bulky and heavy! 

Jax also has a Mamas and Papas Urbo stroller that I won from OSM.  Jax loves this shiny stroller and it's lighter than the Britax and wonderful for urban strolls and at the mall but still not convenient for air travel as it needs to be taken apart to collapse into 2 pieces and although lightweight does not fold down enough to be gate checked.

I had been researching light umbrella strollers and there were a few that would have been great to have like the higher end Britax bnimble, Mamas and Papas tour, a Maclaren (obviously). 

Since we ended up having to pay for a seat for Jax because the day we leave (His Birthday) he turns 2.. We couldn't afford to go all out in a 3rd stroller just for travelling.  I came across one from Summer infant called the 3D lite and it looked perfect! At $79.99 usd it has all the features if the more expensive models.. A large basket, 4 position recline, cup holder, 11 lbs and most importantly a shoulder carry strap.  I was so disappointed to find out its not available on the Canadian market yet! So sad as it seemed like the perfect travel stroller that won't break the bank!

Went back to looking and came across the Baby cargo 200 review by whispering 

Coming in at 149.99 it was a bit more then I wanted to spend, also had the option of the 100 model at $119.99 for the extra $20 the 200 model is much more luxurious! After test driving it out at Toys r us, I was convinced to spend the little extra and get the 200 model.... That was until my wonderful sister in law announced she was driving down for a visit with a special surprise.. She had ordered the 3D lite!!! 

2. Familiar snacks, food and drinks

When travelling to a foreign country with a toddler its smart to bring along some familiar foods. Knowing Cuba is not how would you say.. A culinary capital of the Caribbean, this is one area that I will not compromise on! 

3. Toys, books and activities

Band-Aid Advanced Healing Blister Cushions

These could not have come at a better time, when we ladies are trying to break in our new summer heels and sandals! 

Ladies you do NOT have to do the walk of pain anymore!!

 Ill be the first to admit, there maybe times when I end up getting shoes that JUST fit. I know I should go up a half size, but often times they don't have them, or they're the last pair etc. 

Since having my DS23m I have not had occasion to sport a pair of heels until a dinner date the other day.  I was excited to get dressed up and go out sans bebe (kidless) that not once did I think that my tender toots my have softened up some during the last few years of wearing sneakers and flats!

Of course I throw on my 2hr heels and head out feeling like a million bucks! Teetering a little, but hey just like riding a bike right? Gaining confidence with every step, I strutted out the door with dear husband in tow.

In true mommy form, those 2 hour heels didn't even last me 1 hour :(

My heel was burning with every walk and I could feel a serious 2nd degree blister tinglingly festering!! 

I tried not to let my discomfort show and I was fine while sitting down to dine, it was when hubby proposed going for a walk after eating that I knew I was going to break. Not wanting to admit defeat so quickly and knowing i looked darn cute in  my new heels, I accepted. I was okay for a block or two.. Then each step got slower and more cautious. Hubby asked if I was okay and I lied intent on just going one more block.  That was until the hot burning with every step was too much to handle and I broke and made headway to the closest bench. Off went the shoes and down went my ego.. What has my life come to when I can't even walk a few blocks in heels anymore? I used to be able to run and jump.. Okay maybe not but damn sure I could last 5 hours burning feet and all out in the club like nothing. I must have been lost in thought of my demise as hubby pulled up alongside me in the van saying "hey good looking... What are you doing out here all by yourself? Want to roll with me?" 

It's these little things that remind me why I married this guy! 

I walked barefoot over and got in the van. He didn't mention anything and neither did I.

The next day, I tried to put on a cute pair of sandals I bought and felt a watery wetness running down my foot.. I had forgotten all about my defeat with heels, but y feet sure did not!

There it was, a rubbed raw broken weeping blister!! Great!! Not being able to find my flip flops, I remembered getting this Klout perk and it couldn't have been more perfect timing!! 

The box contained 6 Blister Cushions 

The insert in the box has a warning for diabetics.

Directions say to wash and dry the area thoroughly and not to use any creams or lotions that may affect the adhesive. 

Then you just put it on! And that's it! You can wear the same one for several days before changing ... Even in the shower!! This is great! 

Applying as directed, I put my new sandals on wondering if this cushion could really stop the pain of my sandal rubbing against the raw blister on my heel.. You know what?

It did.

I went to the BBQ that afternoon and forgot about it completely! 

It even stayed on while I showered! 

When I took it off a few days later, my blister had healed considerably! It didn't even hurt anymore!!

Would I buy these again?

You betcha! 

Only I know now, it's best to use them before you do any real damage to your tender toots!

Stop Blisters Before Blisters Stop You!

If only I'd have known.. I could have had a real fun night with the hubs.. But here will be other days! 

I love this product from Band-Aid! 

Stay Tuned & Stay Lovely!

~ Product Junki Approved!

I was given a free product or sample because I'm a Klout influencer. I am under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

Banana boat natural reflect kids SPF 50 review

I was lucky to be chosen to review this sunscreen, I received a full size product to use and review. I was not financially compensated, the review is mine from my own personal use of this product.

It took a bit for me to be able to test this out as we've been having some crappy weather here in SW Ontario lately! 

I was a bit disappointed to find that it does not have a scent, although some people prefer no scent, to me it's part of the summer experience! Not to worry, I wasn't about to let that get in the way!

This sunscreen is incredibly thick! It took me a bit of work to rub it in as my son is darker skinned but this also makes me feel that it's got superb protection!

This sunscreen repels water like no bodies business! Water beaded off my son like I hope the UVA/UVB rays did!

I did notice a whitish haze on my son especially when he got wet.  Not sure if that's because I didn't rub it in well enough but it is a thick product.

We spent the entire day in the sun at the splash pad and I reapplied once. I noticed it was easier to rub in during the 2nd application 

I can also attest to its claim of being year free and sting free as trying to apply it to a squirmy 23m old is quite tricky and he did rub his eye a bit when he had some on his hand but it didn't bother him and he didn't even cry when rubbed over his scathed elbow and knee from a fall a few weeks ago!! 

My son has got reactions from other brands of kids sunscreen and he had NO reaction to this one!!

One thing I will caution is that it does stain clothes/towels so use with caution!

Would I recommend this product? 

Absolutely! Although i will always choose an organic formula any day... It is more cost efficient then the other one we were using last season and no pimply reaction on my sons sensitive skin is all it takes to convince me! 

Stay Tuned & Stay Lovely

~ Product Junki Approved

Omg I'm such a @ProductJunki!

Cleaning out my desk at work....I'm such a Product Junki!!! 

How many products are in your desk at work at any given time!? 

Product Review: Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 Sunscreen andAfter Sun Lotion

I was one of the lucky ones chosen by one of my favourite Mommy blogs Stephanie from HowToSurviveLifeInTheSuburbs.com to test and review the new Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 Sunscreen as well as the new Silk Hydration After Sun Moisturizer. 

I was thrilled as anyone who knows me can attest not only am I a Sun Baby but I'm also a die hard Product Junki, that's right I have an addiction to products, ALL products lol! 

My package arrived just in time for the unseasonably warm May weather we had this year, we were lucky in SW Ontario.  I set out on my gutter garden project (in progress, stay tuned) and in true productjunki style, slathered on my favourite Hawaiian tropic sun screen. I've used Hawaiian Tropic for years and years and this new formula did NOT disappoint! 

The new Silk Hydration formula has ribbons of moisturizer wrapped in the SPF goodness i'm used to.   The name could not be more accurate. It was silky heaven slathering it all over my skin. My favourite aspect of Hawaiian Tropic is it's no fail scent.  It smells like the sweetest tropical flowers think... Plumeria and Aloe all wrapped around the juiciest tropical fruit like Papaya, Mango and Guajava fruit.. Hawaiian Tropic never disapoints in the scent department that's one thing you can count on.  The other thing you can count on is protection.  I did not burn once all weekend working outside on my garden project.

With SPF of 30 I applied 20 minutes before venturing outside and 3 hours and 6 hours later after a rest in the shade 

 My skin had been slightly on the dry side from a long harsh winter and this lotion went on silky smooth hydrating my parched skin instantly! It absorbed beautifully leaving my skin hydrated but NOT greasy which is very important to me. 

After about 9 hours outside on this day and applying the lotion every 3 hours I am so happy to report not one sign of being burnt!

I can also attest that my skin felt hydrated the rest of the day, in true Mommy form, after my gardening  project, although tired and sweaty, i had no time to take a shower with my 22 month old running around. It was about 15 hours later that i was able to have a much needed shower. 

Once i was cleaned, immediately out of the shower I slathered on the Silk Hydration after sun lotion. As I'm the kind of skin who can stand a lot of sun, and not look burnt until hours later or even the next day.  Not knowing if I had been outside too long I dutifully covered every inch of skin and it was such a pleasure to do!  Hawaiian Tropic swirled ribbons of it's signature scent into the after sun lotion! it glided on effortlessly and absorbed almost immediately, the Mango, Shea and Coca butter nourish the skin so intensely it's absolutely amazing with a long lasting light tropical scent with non stop hydration! I did have to re-apply in the morning as my skin felt a little dry, but through ought the day it kept my dry skin supple. 

I might be biased as i've been a Hawaiian Tropic girl my whole life (Think back to the days when we used to slather our skin with that dark brown luscious dark tanning oil.. with like SPF of 2 or 4 **GASP** lol oh how i miss the 80's :)

I found the aftersun lotion good enough to use and replace my regular after shower moisturizer for the summer at least. I really really enjoy the scent and the new formula works well with my skin. 

Come back and read more about my Hawaiian Tropic Summer adventures.  The family will be hitting up Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba in July and Hawaiian Tropic definitely has some real estate in my luggage!! I can trust that Hawaiian Tropic will protect my skin all through another summer. 

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen SPF 30 and Silk Hydration after sun lotion are must have's for the summer and are absolutely @ProductJunki approved!

Stay tuned and Stay lovely
- Undercover product junkie
**Give me my fixxx**

*note that the opinions expressed in this blog are all mine and have only been influenced by personal use and evaluation of this product.  In some cases I may have received the product free of charge for evaluation purposes, however no financial compensation. 
 

eBook Review: Hacking Kickstarter, Indiegogo- How to raise big bucks in30 days

I was given the pleasure to review a new eBook by Patrice Williams Marks entitled: Hacking Kickstarter Indiegogo- How to raise big bucks in 30 days - Secrets to running a successful crowed founded campaign on a budget.

I have had many great marketable ideas over the years but have never had the resources to make them become realities , so they've fallen by the wayside only sometime later become the next big thing  (Fad) if this eBook had been around a few years ago, I just may have been on a different path right now.

For those of you that don't know (me included) http://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/

kickstarter+basics

Kickstater is an online community funding platform 

For innovative, creative artist driven projects in film, games,

art, design and technology. Basically you upload your proposal and people pledge startup money if they like your idea... basically an online dragons den for artists.

This eBook outlines strategies and information on how to set yourself up successfully into kickstart and other crowed funded sites and get the attention to attract the funding you need to jump start your projects

Patrice Williams Marks sets the tone of the information contained in this brightly written eBook by telling the story of an indie punk/burlesque music artist named Amanda Palmer who wanted to make an album and tour the country and needed $100,000 to do it. She created an index card video with her songs playing in the background which introduced her to the world and let the viewer connect and know who she is as a result within 30 days Amanda not only met her goal, she broke out with a record $1,192,793 !!! 

Amanda, who's day job was as a living statue, no marketing experience, rich friends or record label!

Patrice Williams Marks eBook offers excellent concentrated working knowledge about this industry and is able to communicate what you and I who've never done anything like this before would need to do to be part of the 44% of success on these platforms.  

This is not a "how to" guide by any means.... this is what you need to do to draw fans to your project that will make you stand out and get noticed using various social media platforms.

If you are an artist looking to get yourself out there and get funding to take you to the next level.. I highly recommend you buy and absorb the information in this eBook it will be the jumpstart you need.

This is it...the plan and inside secrets are all laid out for you, ready to be put into action and be successful!

Invaluable.

#ProductJunkiApproved

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

4 Ingredient Ice Cream- lactose, sugar, gluten free

My quest to feed my family healthy, real food without all the preservatives and added unnecessary chemicals and GMO's that are wreaking havoc on our systems has lead to the creation of this delicious Ice Cream perfect for those looking for a Paleo, lactose, or gluten free alternative. Bonus? It's super easy to make and only has 4 whole, real ingredients!! 

We have been steadily enjoying our 1 ingredient Banana Ice cream for such a long time but missed the milky creaminess of a good full fat ice cream! 

Ingredients: 

2              Cans full fat Organic coconut milk (Reserve about 1/4c of coconut milk for later)

1/4           Cup of Honey, Agave nectar, Maple Syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice

1/4           Cup of Organic Raw Cocoa powder

1Tbsp.     Organic vanilla bean paste

That's it! 

Put it all in your blender and mix well

Once well blended and smooth, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for 3/4 hours or overnight. you may notice some separation but that's okay it will all come together in the end :)

 Once the mixture is completely frozen, tap out the cubes into a food processor.  If you have difficulty releasing the cubes from the trays, just run a bit of warm water over the back and try again

While pulsing, gradually add small amounts of the reserved coconut milk to help process the frozen cubes and pour into a freezer save container and put in the freezer to set.. I used a Pyrex loaf pan

 Once your ice cream is set, in about 3 hours... Scoop and enjoy

I recommend letting it sit on the counter about 5 minutes before you start scooping:) 

Trust me ... They won't know the difference! 

You can also use this recipe but substitute the cocoa powder with a cup of frozen fruit, strawberries  and mangos, or omit and add and additional 1Tsp.of vanilla for plain old yummy vanilla ice cream! You can  add more or less sweetener depending on your taste.

Feed your family real food made with real whole food ingredients!