Introducing Retro Love Photography: Fine Art Prints {giveaway}

HOW WE CAME ACROSS EACH OTHER

I met Nastasia 9 years ago. We were both working as nannies in London, we were young, wild and free. We both had a passion for photography, languages and traveling. Today, we are both happily married to foreigners: she moved to the US, I moved to Canada. She managed to turn her love for photography into a full-time home based business and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I love her and I think everyone should hear about her and what she does.

THE ARTIST BEHIND RETRO LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY SAYS HI

She says: “Hi! I’m Nastasia, a 26 year old photographer based in sunny Orange, California. Photography has always been a big passion of mine, and after growing a nice collection of photographs from all my travels, I decided to start an Etsy shop in the summer of 2011. What started as a side hobby of selling some fine art prints has since grown into a full time business that I run from my home studio. My art can now be found on multiple mediums such as Iphone cases, pillow covers, photo wood blocks and jewelry. All of these products are  handmade by me with lots of love!” 

SIXTINE AND THE LITTLE THINGS’ SELECTION

PROMOTIONAL COUPON CODE FOR ALL MY READERS!

All my readers will be offered 10% off on pillow covers and wood blocks using SIXTINE10 and 20% off on everything else using SIXTINE20.

GIVEAWAY! 

And because I love you that much, we are also running a giveaway contest. One lucky winner will receive an art wood block with picture of choice. Similar as these one, available in black or white, all art wood blocks come ready to hang. Beautiful nursery and home decor, it would also make a wonderful gift for a new baby! “Your first breath took ours away”, “She will move mountains”, “Young wild and free”…and so on!

To enter the giveaway, please do as follow:

• Like Retro Love Photography Facebook Page
• Like Sixtine and The Little Things Page
• Visit Retro Love Photography’s Esty Shop and tell me which one you would like to win (picture + wood color)
• Share contest on your FB profile and copy the link in your comment.

You have until Tuesday, May 28th to participate!Giveaway open internationally. Good luck to you all! And a special thank you to Nastasia, founder of Retro Love Photography for her fabulousness!

Wanted: Potty Learning Tips

Sixtine has been showing potty learning readiness for a bit now.

 Throw your tips at me!

Thank you

Introducing French Blossom: Celebrating French Fashion For Children

Do you have children? Do you love fashion? Do you love Paris and anything French? Then you will love French Blossom!

French Blossom is an online boutique which showcases 100% French designers for children’s clothing, toys and decoration. Everything they have in store is pretty and elegant!

I tell my family and friends that I miss French fashion all the time. I have to stock up on French clothes, books, toys (anything really) every time I go home so imagine how happy I was when I heard about them! My children are going to look so stylish and it won’t cost me a flight to Paris and back! Yes, they ship worldwide!

Check out my wishlist and tell me what you love! I may as well have copy pasted the whole website!

Top 3 Clothing items
Sixtine would rock these! I especially love the Vichy scarf!

Top 3 Little Somethings
I think the puzzle would make a really nice gift! It contains three monuments of Paris including the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Sacre Coeur.

Top 3 Nursery Decor
Ohh dear, I LOVE the mini-piano. WANT. IT. My daughters have to have it!

Top 3 Toys
Well-known Sophie and bilingual Flashcards!

Visit French Blossom if you would like to add some French flair to your life! Follow them on Facebook and Twitter, and stay tuned for a little surprise-surprise!

Put On Your Sunday Clothes Petit Bateau

The 6 Week Growth Spurt & Breastfeeding

Going through a growth spurt and breastfeeding has proved challenging. I am starving. I am always thirsty (and water doesn’t cut it!). And I am beyond exhausted. (It is past midnight and baby is sleeping. I should go to bed.) So tired that my eyes hurt. I have cried the past two nights. More so last night when Victoire was crying, hungry and I felt empty. Not one drop of milk would come out. And all I wanted to do was sleep. I can understand now why a mother in distress would go to formula! We eventually fell asleep and, a couple hours later, some more milk had come in and she was able to nurse. She actually ate A LOT last night. I am hoping that tonight will be a little easier than last night – but I feel fuller, even tensed so it should be. I was able to get support from some ladies on the French LLL Facebook page and it really helped. Who would have thought that something so natural would be so hard!?

My Toddler Is A Fussy Eater

Is there anything more discouraging than your children refusing to eat what you lovingly prepared for them? It is beyond frustrating and it’s been happening a lot lately. I sometimes feel super lazy to cook but I do because it is part of the job! And I am almost proud of serving her a nice home cooked meal (nothing fancy but still, I am not much of a chef!) until she says “na”. I say “Try it. It is yummy look…Hummmmm. Sissi do it!”. And she says “na” again. And I get so upset! She often ends up eating just dessert. And it drives me nuts! I was starting to worry and posted a message on Baby Led Weaning’s Facebook Page and was almost immediately reassured reading this:

“- Dont allow the situation to be stressful.

- It still doesn’t matter if your older baby or toddler doesn’t eat at every meal as long as they are still receiving their usual milk when they want it still doesn’t matter if your older baby or toddler doesn’t eat at every meal as long as they are still receiving their usual milk when they want i

- Keep offering a variety of foods.

- As your child gets older, they can help in the preparation of the meal. Children who are involved often eat more adventurously than those who aren’t.”

It also seems to be quite common at this stage. So I guess I will keep doing what I am doing and wait until she eventually outgrows it!

Sixtine And Her Terrible “Twos”

This seemingly angelic little girl turned 18 months about a month ago, and she has well entered the terrible twos. I will say that the terrible twos are, rather than a set age, a state of mind. Sixtine says no a million times a day. And I, say no a million times a day. She says no when she means yes. She says no when she means no. I don’t think she realizes what she is saying no to – most times, she says no for the sake of it. I know it is her way of showing me/us that she has become her own person. And I am happy for her.  But I really hope that it will pass rather sooner than later.  I have been working on redirecting her positively – didn’t think it would be so hard to break the habit of saying no! (Ie: “Sixtine, don’t scream.” Instead “Sixtine, use your little voice.” ) but it definitely needs improving.Yes, I have to confess, sometimes, I react/ed childishly – trying to be the loudest. But a fault half confessed is half redressed, isn’t it? Reading on the subject has given me the opportunity to step back and realize that the most important thing was to keep calm (and have a cupcake)!

How did you get through the terrible twos? Aside from eating cupcakes? 

 

Got Milk? Thoughts On Breastfeeding.

• Breastfeeding is natural. It doesn’t mean it is easy for everyone.
• It does get better. 
• Get informed and surround yourself with knowledgeable people. It can make a whole difference.
• It is OK not to get it right the first time. Baby and you will learn together.
• Carpe diem. It is very hard to see the big picture when you are in pain or going through something difficult. Just try to make it through the day.  And reevaluate tomorrow.
• It is not as bad as it looks to nurse during the night when you get the hang of it. Just keep doing what you were doing (sleeping) and baby will do the rest. Lying down position to nurse is my favorite!
• After a good nursing session, that ”I had too much of this turkey dinner but damn, that was good!” look is so precious!
• It is both practical and not. No need to own, wash, store, prepare bottles. Milk is at the right temperature and it is perfectly adapted to your baby’s needs. But you are the only person that can feed him/her. Which is a beautiful thing but makes it difficult if your baby nurses often and you would like to go somewhere without him/her.
• It gives you a sense of pride and empowerment. I can’t explain, it just does. It is also extremely relaxing.
• Growth spurts are kill-joys. When you think you and baby have adjusted well…think again. We are going through the 6-week growth spurt and I am not surprised to hear half of the women who breastfeed stop right there. It is not easy. It is extremely exhausting (I will let you picture how wonderful I feel today being sick as a dog and juggling with a toddler who’s favorite word is “no”).  But I read somewhere it would get better so I am hanging in there (even though last night at about 1am I kinda wanted to cry. Oh, no wait! I did cry!)
• Victoire and I are very fusional. She is happy to stay by herself for a few minutes after a good feeding but will most likely cry in someone else’s arm for over 5 to 10 minutes. I don’t think I like that.
• She is growing very well. And I couldn’t be prouder!
• I want to wear a badge saying: “Cracked nipples survivor”.
• When your baby cries, people will automatically assume he/she is hungry. Even though he/she just ate. That is majorly annoying.
• I don’t know if it has anything to do with breastfeeding but I lost all my baby weight. It doesn’t mean I am back to looking sexy but the weight is gone. It is a good start.
• Breastfeeding Victoire helps me to be healthier.
• It makes you thirsty. I have recently been dreaming of swimming in a sea of Peach Ice Tea or Orangina.
• Finding ultra-absorbent nursing pads was life changing.
• Had never heard of “forceful let-down” now I wish I didn’t know what it meant! To think I thought spraying my baby’s face with milk was funny at first…doesn’t make me laugh anymore.
• Breastfeeding in public isn’t as well seen as bottle-feeding in public for some reason.
• I think breastfeeding is going better this time because I was better informed and knew who to turn to if I had concerns or questions. But also because labor and delivery went extremely well. I didn’t feel as “broken” as I was postpartum with Sixtine.
• It is an ongoing learning.
• Breastfeeding more or less “successfully” Victoire has made up for the bad experience I had with her sister.

Life With Two Children Under Two

Three girls. Three pairs of feet. Three different personalities and routines, wants and needs.

When I became pregnant with Victoire, I often wondered how life would be like, looking after a 17 months old and newborn. I wasn’t so much worried about organization than how Sixtine would react to this change in our lives. I felt sad for my baby daughter thinking she would have to share her Mama, a Mama who could barely walk her to the park during a long, tedious pregnancy. I felt sad thinking she would have to be the “big girl” now, a big girl that was only so little…

I never really enjoyed being the eldest of four. My friends in school would call me “the little Mama” and that, I didn’t want for my daughter to have to go through. I wanted her to live her life and not worry about who was coming after. Or at least, not for some time. I guess I was projecting my own fears on Sixtine.

I had been dreading it for a week but one very early Monday morning, my husband had to go back to work after three weeks home (including one at the hospital for the birth of baby). When that day arrived, I had a good cry (I can’t-do-it-alone-sob-I-am-too-tired-sob-help-I-need-somebody-help), wiped my tears, got up and went. I nursed Victoire, prepared breakfast for Sixtine, got both girls ready, and one thing after the other, it was bedtime for Sixtine. I had mixed feelings at the end of the day: I felt both happy and proud, and at the same time I wondered how I would be able to do it for another week, month, year. But I realize now that children bring the best in you.

Looking after both of them day & night is extremely challenging – I find it hardest at meal times and at the end of the day, when we are all tired. But even then, it is much better than what I had envisioned.

Sixtine who I feared to be jealous and terrible, is actually very sweet to her baby sister, helpful, and generally well-behaved (as much as a 18-month old can be). She helped me change her sister this evening, holding wipes and diaper for me, and putting the dirty one in the garbage. She kisses, and strokes her sister’s head every single day, many times a day. She does sometimes walks on all fours (she has done that a few times now, since her sister has arrived), steals her sister’s soother, or jumps in her sister’s bed but I guess she is just showing her love. She loves her sister so she wants to be like her. She has also done a few cute things like putting a nursing pad under my shirt or hers. She’s also tried to nurse a couple times, asking then for a bottle of her own. (Oh yeah, and that one time when she told her sister not to scream with a threatening finger…I was in shock when it happened – it was the first time ever I heard her say “no screaming” (in French), let alone associate two words together.)

She loves her to pieces. The thought of it makes me really emotional as I can tell how happy she is to have a baby sister, even if she is still very small and doesn’t interact with her. I am so happy that we were able to give her the gift of a sibling. Now, I can’t say that it is all roses. I am extremely exhausted (as in major case of baby brain, and falling asleep for a half hour and waking up thinking it has been a full night already). I sometime forget to go pee or eat. I sometime feel like I am running a never-ending marathon.  I haven’t blow dried my hair since Vic’s birth. I have very little time for myself until the night comes, and even then, baby Vic keeps me company. She is breastfed and we co-sleep. But I enjoy her company very much.

It has only been a month and I know there are more challenging days to come but this is how things are right now. I don’t think I can afford to worry about how it will be in a few months down the road. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow and make the most of it. It is much less scary that way!

Long Time No See or Victoire Callie.

She is here, and I am back. Before starting to blog again (I don’t know how realistic this is but I will give it a try), I would like to apologize for being a stranger and announce the birth of my new baby daughter, Victoire Callie. She was born March 25th, late morning. She is one month old, and three days today.

To keep it short, my daughter threatened to make an appearance at 24 weeks which made for a very stressful pregnancy. Fortunately, she was born healthy at 40 weeks + 2. Blogging in times like these wasn’t something I had the energy for. But I have missed it.

One month has passed since she was born. I feel that I can finally get back to it or at least try. It made me happy.