I did decide to keep it in a journal, though, where I would tell him about all the crazy things that happened throughout the year in his life. I figured that I could add pictures and drawings and whatever I feel like. There are so many moments this year that I can think of to write about. Like what a little dare devil he has become, or how much he loves his favorite green "Shrek" shoes. Both conveniently shown in the picture below.
 I love my little boy, and I don't want to forget a memory with him. Maybe this is my way of helping myself remember them all too! Happy Memory Making! Jena xo 
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Lay it out for your potential employer. I did, and it was a seriously liberating feeling. As much as I scored an interview with this one particular company, it went both ways. What do I want out of this job? It was not as much an interview, as it was a conversation. And there are some important questions that you, as a potential employee, need to ask. Is the company worth my time to go back to work? Are they flexible in my hours? Raising my son is 100% priority, and if a company doesn't allow an employee to put family first, their values are not the same as mine. Thus, that would not be a good match. Does the company interest me? Do I like their long term and short term goals? Would I be excited to explain to someone what I do for work? Working hard at something you believe in and enjoy makes work purposeful and well, enjoyable. Who doesn't want to enjoy their job? Am I a good match for the company? Be honest with yourself, and if it's a job that is just going to put bread and butter on your table, and you're not passionate about it, maybe the next person in line is a better match than you. Passion is what makes you happy with your career anyways, so without it, it's not your perfect job. If you answered yes to all of these questions, you'd better put your best foot forward going in! Chances are, if you are a good match, an employer will see that. On that lovely note, I hope you all have a great day at work. Good news! It is almost the long weekend, and I know I'll need it. I'll be tired from my new job, which I am VERY excited about! More of that later! Happy Career Searching and Finding! Jena xo  Lately, I feel like we have been on a Mexican kick. One of my favorite things is fajitas; I don't think I could get enough of them! I love how fresh they are, with avocado, cilantro, peppers, cucumbers, you name it! The beauty of it, is they can taste so different depending on what you feel like adding to your wrap. Adam and I found this awesome bowl down in Mexico, which is perfect for our favorite meal (or one of them, at least)  The perfect plate straight from our Mexico travels  Taste Serving Set design by Sagaform from: Burke Decor LLC I had never really thought about what was actually in the packaged seasoning until recently, now that I have a baby. He loves any and all food, so I try to make sure whatever I do feed him is at least as healthy as possible. No need for extra sodium or MSG or who knows what! I found this recipe for homemade fajita seasoning from Annie's Eats ,and I will never go back to buying packaged seasoning. So yummy and much better on my conscience.
 There we have our Mexican themed post, and to finish it off, here's a picture of me snorkeling right there in Mexico from our vacation a few years ago. Happy Mexican Eating! Jena xo   The little man has been a little under the weather the past week or so, and I can officially say, I'm not scared of snot anymore. I'm turning into one of those hardcore moms that just pulls boogies right out of their kids noses, so that the dreaded Kleenex episode can be avoided. I don't understand why every kid is so terrified of a simple snot napkin. Each to their own.  I'm pretty sure I've overcome my snot fear thanks to this deep love I've got for this little kid. He melts my heart every day, the least I can do for is wipe his nose and butt and face, and rarely, tears. Thankfully!
 That leads me to talk specifically about wiping butts. Very deep topic, I know! Before he was born, I decided on cloth diapering. A lot of people questioned me and told me how hard it would be, but I went with my favourite motto: oblivion is bliss. It's my first child, so I didn't really know one way or the other. I have to change butts anyways, so why not reduce my impact on the environment? It totally has similarities to snot wiping, basically that both are nasty, but you've gotta do it anyways.
This I have to share, in case anyone else uses cloth diapers and bleaches the shit, literally, out of them. Apparently, I am the worst at reading directions, and they say right on the tag "DO NOT BLEACH". I bleached them. When all of a sudden, they started leaking, I freaked out, thinking I had wrecked them all, which I probably had. Then I had one of those moments when you actually think of the best idea ever. We had a bunch of this soft shell stuff by Nikwax, which is really meant for our snowboard coats to get them all water-proofed again. I used it on the diaper shells, since it's pretty close to the same material. Thankfully, that stuff totally worked. So if you are like me and have this problem or you just want to give them that extra protection again, this stuff is the solution. I've never tried BumGenius! Biodegradable Baby Odor Remover for Cloth Diapers, but I would like to try it! No one like a stink butt.
If you do decide to commit and go to cloth diapers, I'd definitely recommend buying a set. I use a Grovia Live set, and they have been awesome. They are not like the cloth diapers back in the day, that's for sure. They are actually cute now, too! Happy Butt Wiping! Jena xo
We looked at getting new windows installed as they are pretty ugly and old, but as our energy assessment told us, they actually are not bad when it comes to their energy efficiency. To upgrade them would change our house's energy efficiency so minimally that an immediate upgrade was immediately put on the back burner.  Except for this window, the rest were in fairly good shape. Unfortunately, replacing even this window just wasn't in the budget. A little tape just to keep the wind and rain out seemed like a good option. Then I got the great idea. Out of sight, out of mind. And thus began yet another project.  Ta-da!
I wanted something plain for the bathroom, but not too plain, so I opted for a faux Roman blind. I had picked out a linen that would have worked perfectly, but it was $19 per yard, so I decided I'd settle on the less expensive linen that would still be ok... thinking the less expensive, second choice linen was $12 when it was actually $21. Damn dyslexia. I took it home, and the colour just didn't work. I wished so badly I went for the other first choice of material, but no... I told my mom about the mistake, nearly in tears, and when my sister came to visit me last week, she had sent a flat sheet that she scored for $4. Of course, mom's ALWAYS know best, and the colour worked perfectly.
Next up was the second dowel. I covered the ends with purple duct tape (the colour choice is optional) and placed it in front of the shade. Tension is what is holding it in place, so that duct tape is not only hiding my beaver like cuts, but it is also providing grip and that extra 1/8" that the hand saw thought I didn't need.
 Hope you appreciate it as much as I do! Happy broken window hiding! Jena xo  Something I don't admit to everyone (but am about to, via the www, no biggie) is that I have a hard time telling time. I don't know why, but it just confuses me. I have been practicing, as I have a few beautiful watches that I mainly wear for looks, but it's still a work in progress. Most embarrassing "can't tell time" moment? A friend of mine once asked what time it was, so I just stuck out my wrist for him to read it, and he points out to me that my watch it upside down. Yup. Clearly wearing that one for style and for style only! Clocks and watches are beautiful though, so here is a plethora of gorgeous time tellers, from vintage to modern to straight up rad!  I miss this clock. It was stationed at our old place. And there it remains.  Ballet School Clock in Green design by Newgate - $80.00 from: Burke Decor LLC  Quad Wall Clock in Chrome design by Newgate - $185.00 from: Burke Decor LLC
 Stirrup Desk Clock design by Twos Company - $55.00 from: Burke Decor LLC
 Black Forest Clock design by imm Living - $78.00 from: Burke Decor LLC Hope you had a good time. Hahahaha. So clever. Jena xo   It would be cliche to say that I can't believe it's back to school already in another week or two. But I really can't believe it! Time can just slow down already. While our little dude is not quite ready for school for at least another 4 years, I thought it would be fun to do a back to school post.
 Master Key USB Key design by imm Living - $33.00 from: Burke Decor LLC I don't know why, but I used to love school supply shopping. I'm trying to think of a good reason why, but I've got nothing! Hope the list below helps remind you what the kiddos need for heading back to class. Happy Back to School Shopping! Jena xo 
 What is a project you've got that is so simple, but still encompasses the idea of reusing something? Happy Reusing! Jena xo 
What does International Delight have to do with it, you ask? Well, Adam and I have an addiction to coffee, and I prefer flavoured coffee, so needless to say, we have a pretty good stash of the empty bottles. I've been brainstorming for months about what to do with them, and the obvious answer would have been to just recycle them. But no. Not this girl. It actually came to me when I lined them up on my table to look at them, and really, really brainstorm about what I should do with them. It seemed so obvious with them lined up in front of me. They look like they should be turned into bowling pins!
 Looking like bowling pins, hey? I decided to embellish the pins a little with jute, and that's where I should have just stuck to using a simple sharpie pen.   Next thing I know, I'm creating nautical decor, not bowling pins! Oh, how easily my mind changes. I guess that is what I get for painting them colours like Lagoon and Galapagos Turquoise. It was inevitable.  This was a two in one project; one that can go either direction! Now, I just need to paint three more international delight bottles and use a Sharpie instead and Keenan will have his bowling pins to match our nautical decor. Happy Evolving! Jena xo  I love zucchini. It is one of my favorite vegetables, by far. I was pretty excited when I harvested my first zucchini out of the garden this summer, as you can see! I can't say I've had the same luck in my harvest with all the vegetables I've grown, but I'll consider it a success that I got anything, especially that I did get one of my favorites out of the deal.
This recipe is my favorite way to eat zucchini. It's so simple, and so tasty. 
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