Holiday Survival - Checking Off the List!

Happy first week of December! How are you feeling? Stressed? Ready? Honestly, this year, I'm determined to experience this month with as little stress as possible. Well, that's my goal. Have you seen Bad Moms Christmas movie yet? The original Bad Moms was better but honestly, I laughed out loud a lot watching this one. I saw it in the theatre a couple weeks ago with some girlfriends, wine in our travel mugs and it was great. What mom doesn't stress at the holidays? But really, we put this unrealistic pressure on ourselves. So, this year, I've done a few things differently.

 

The first one, I decorated early. Obviously as a home design blogger, I love to decorate for the holidays. Its my favourite. But I know you know, hauling out the Christmas boxes is an event in itself. Honestly, our house lacks storage space and Mr. Fix-It's workroom is filled with bins FULL of Christmas stuff. It's amazing how much we all store to celebrate such a short season. But, it's worth it...totally worth it. So a couple of weeks ago, mid November we brought up all the boxes, and the decorating began. It's one of those things that seems like a great idea when you start and halfway through, when the garland greenery is all over the floor and the decorations are strewn throughout the house, it seems never ending. However, the carols were on, I had my wine in hand, the kids loved decorating their faux tree in the basement with all their special ornaments and I'm a happy girl because it's one thing checked off the list of "to-dos". Now, its the first week of December and the house is shimmering and glowing with Christmas beauty. Only thing left is the tree, but we can't get it until this week or we'll be left with a naked dead tree by Christmas. Our old house is so dry, the tree would self-combust from the dry air.

I've also ordered a few more decor items online that I'm waiting to arrive to finish it all off. I'll share that post soon :) Here's a look back at the last couple of years here, here and here

So, decor done. Check. Mr. Fix-It, aka "Clark Griswald" worked on the outside last weekend with the kids. He's training them;) A few trips to the big box stores, and oh Lord, our house could be a runway for Santa's sleigh. Thank God he doesn't do the inside decor. But, the kids love it, it was great to get done before the snow hit the ground and it's another thing off the list. Check. We're waiting for one more online order to arrive and I'll share the over-the-top exterior decor in another post to come. Stay tuned.

So, on this "stress free" list, we've checked off a few things. For the bakers, have you done your baking yet? I'm not really a holiday baker but I do love the Christmas smell. 

I always do the "stove top" Christmas smell each year and only requires...easy. Let's keep it easy and simple, shall we?!

Who's travelling this year? We're staying put for Christmas but will travel to the cottage at some point. Honestly, how on earth did anyone travel with kids without Netflix? I know we didn't have it as kids but how long can you keep a kid occupied at the airport or on the road, colouring? For us, we use Netflix to save our sanity when we're driving to Toronto or at the airport. Well, let's be real, our kids watch Netflix all the time but when we're travelling...its a necessity for all involved. Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadian parents say one of their main concerns when travelling is keeping their kids entertained.

The best part is that you don't only need wifi to watch Netflix. You can download your family's fav shows. Netflix at home, becomes Netflix on the go. Amen! It's available for "Netflix originals" and you can click on "available for download" menu on the Netflix app on your phone or tablet and browse all the titles available to take with you whenever and wherever you want.

You don't need to feel like you're stuck in Litchfield from Orange is the New Black while being on a family road trip again. So, if you know you're going to be travelling with the kids this month, download all their fav shows now and it's another thing off your "to-dos". So, go decorate, get your baking done (or just create that delicious smell on the stove), download your shows and you're already ahead of the game.

Good luck guys! And when that stress level feels like it's rising, when in doubt, always have wine on hand.

Keep it Beautiful.

xo Alicia

Disclosure: Christmas is busy and can be over -the-top stressful. I'm sharing a few tips from Netflix because we all love Netflix and we all need survival during  the holidays. I'm part of the Netflix Stream Team and get perks to share ideas with you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

JUST GOOGLE IT!

Is it me, or have you noticed yourself telling your kids to "just Google it" when they have a question that you don't have the answer to. Long gone are the days that you would wander upstairs to pull out the encyclopedia (not even sure my kids know what that is) to find the answer to your detailed curiosity. In University, if someone on ICQ didn't know the answer, then you knew your answer would be found at the library- but who are we kidding...I didn't spend too much time there ;)

All the Netflix binge watching that we do has left my fam looking for answers to our questions about our favourite Netflix shows. Turns out we're not the only ones. More than ever, viewers are turning to Google to answer their kids questions that have stemmed from their fav shows. "Mummy, how far away is the moon?" This is a question I got from my baby girl while she was watching Justin Time. Ummm....well, let's Google.

I have totally gotten sucked into The Crown (ah-mazing...did you know the new season is out?). Watching it spurs so many questions about the Royal Family that honestly, I didn't care much about before. Enter in Google. The answer to all our detailed Netflix show questions. 

Does this look like your house?

What are your kids asking you when they watch shows? Have you had to Google your way through wowing them with answers?

Keep it Beautiful.

Alicia

Disclosure: I love Netflix. I love sharing all the  latest shows with you that Netflix  releases and I am part of the Netflix #StreamTeam.  Everything here are my opinions. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

WHAT'S YOUR MOM SNEAK?

Hey lovelies,

We all do it. #momsneak

Did you know that 58% of moms admit to sneaking in TV "me-time"? I'm shocked it isn't more?!??! Seems too low of a stat for me. Im all about the Netflix Mom Sneak. How else are you going to get in your fav shows? Honestly!

My fav #momsneak is while making dinner. Love it. Or, I've also sat in the car after getting groceries and watch a little on my phone. When you find that show you love, its addictive!

Here's what I'm sneaking right now-

Orange is the New Black (I'm almost done....so good!)

Pretty Little Liars

Chef's Table

Hoarders - I'm addicted. I just am.

Leave me a comment and let me know what your #momsneak is

Keep it Beautiful.

Alicia

Disclosure: I'm a #momsneak addict and love Netflix. Just like you do too!  I'm part of the Netflix #StreamTeam and happy to share the Netflix love with you each month.

BIG GIRL ROOM REVEAL

Hey lovelies. Happy Monday! I've got a room reveal for you today. You'll remember I shared the inspiration boards for our daughter's "big girl room" and the the new "guest room". It was the big swap-a-roo day a little while ago. The kids went up to the cottage for the night and Mr. Fix-It and I worked for 15 hours straight. Killer. Actually, it wasn't really that bad. We had tunes, we had food and we had beer. Now the rooms are complete and I'm excited to share our daughter's room today and I'll follow up with the guest room.

This is what the room looked like before. The guest room was bright and simple and it made me smile every time I walked up the stairs. However, it was time to go pink. 

About 7 years ago, I found this armoire on the curb. It needed a good paint job but it's housed the wrapping paper and my files for Keep It Beautiful Designs. It's quite large and weights a ton, so we just moved it around the room while we painted and then slid it on a towel over to the new guest room later. 

This accent wall had my girly glitter running all through my bod. How cute eh? We decided to add the bright pink to the window wall. One, it meant that we weren't staring at a super pink wall every time we walked up the stairs to the second floor and I just loved that it would be framed with the drapes and window bench.

The DRAPES.  They kill me in cuteness. Typically we need 95" length for the ceilings but these guys worked out fine being the standard length because I needed them to be shorter behind the window bench. I bought them at HomeSense. Our daughter doesn't seem to mind falling asleep without a blackout blind and I love the airy fresh feel of the material. Win!

Next up was putting together the bed. This is the bed that we ordered. It's gorg.

Add all the finishing touches...

And we have a perfectly girly room for our big girl. 

This is my Great Grandmother's mirror. We hung it low so our big girl can see her gorgeous self in that mirror every morning. I love that generations of strong women have looked at themselves in that mirror and I hope they loved what they saw.

This chair was Mr. Fix-It mom's. We've rocked all our babies in it and our daughter had only one condition for her new room - that the rocking chair goes in it. This little corner is a perfect spot for stories and songs before bed. A cute pillow and throw and she got her wish.

I took the same frames and photos from her nursery and just gave the frames a "refresh spray" (pretty sure that's not actually a phrase). I was going to update the photos but when I told her that she said she wanted to keep her baby pics in there.

I took this side table from our bedroom. Poor Mr. Fix-It now has to have his stuff on the floor ;) but really he didn't have much on there before. His phone while it was charging and his watch charger...that's pretty much it. So, it found another home. I really like how the shiny silver works with the gold. Don't be shy to mix your metal finishes. 

The light is from her nursery. It was the first thing I bought when I started decorating her baby girl room. Its from Ikea and ADORABLE. Really, what girly girl wouldn't want a tutu light? 

I've been holding on to these two pieces of art of A LONG TIME. For years, they hung in my parent's house and when they moved, I knew that they would be perfect in a little girl's room if it was ever meant to be. And here they are. They hang right beside her closet and you see them as you come up the stairs onto the second floor. 

I bought this shelf and these brackets from Ikea and of course, sprayed the brackets gold. Instant glam. The shelf holds a few of the breakable treasures she's made, as well as some of the treasures from my room when I was a little girl. I totally forgot to spray the screws, so a quick tip...just spray the end of a q-tip and dab it on the screws. 

Our big girl loves to dress up so this tiny corner was the perfect spot for a couple of hooks and a basket for her accessories. Remember when she broke her leg this winter? I placed her casts on a floating shelf here. I want her to remember how strong, brave and powerful she was during that time. She's little but fierce!

This dresser from Ikea fit perfectly in the space. It's feminine, solid and long enough to hold all her jewels and hair stuff.

So that's that. 

She loves her room. It's bright, it's girly, its fun. It's special. It's her.

'Scuze the blurry photo. She was moving fast when she saw her room for the first time :)

Next reveal to show you is the guest room.

fresh.fabulous.sophisticated.

Keep it Beautiful.

ANYTIME IS BINGE TIME!

Remember the TV Guide? It would be tucked in the newspaper and every week my brother and I pulled it out to see if our fav shows were on the same time that week AND if they were new. Can you believe TV Guide is still around? Crazy. 

The only way to see your fav show that week was to make sure you knew what time it was on or to "tape" it. Another act that seems totally ancient and "taping a show" is completely foreign to my kids. I guess PVR is the next "taping" but even then, my kids don't even know what PVR is because we have basic cable and really what is on basic cable that is PVR worth?! 

Netflix has revolutionized how we watch tv. No longer are cartoons only on at 6am or Saturday mornings, they are ready to watch at anytime and anywhere. Honestly, God bless the afternoons where the kids need a break, I need a break and Netflix cartoons SAVE ME! However, there was something exciting about waiting a whole week for the new episode of your favourite show to air. A concept that seems weird to the kids.

Last weekend was the Great Glebe Garage Sale and Ottawa Race Weekend - my fav weekend of the year. Thousands of people embark on the Glebe in Ottawa and sell and shop for treasures. I set up a Keep It Beautiful Shop - PopUp Shop and sold my pillows, makeup cases and prints. 

In the afternoon we got the kids ready to run the 2km race. They were pumped and we were thrilled that they wanted to run the race to feel powerful and strong. 

The next morning, Mr. Fix-It was running the 1/2 marathon. He'd been training all winter (in so much snow!) and was hoping for a PB. However, Sunday turned out to be Ottawa's first scorcher of the season and he knew a few kilometres in that it wasn't going to be his race. At the 10km mark he decided to turn the race into something else and called our older son off the sidelines to run the last half of the race with him. 11km later, a very strong and tired father-son team crossed the finish line. Our 8 year-old had no idea how far 11km was, he didn't have proper running gear on, had only ever run 2km straight (the day before) and he didn't know the course. But, he knew his Daddy wanted him to run with him and they trusted each other. Melt my heart. 

Shortly after the race our older son needed Gatorade, food AND Netflix. He asked me if his legs were supposed to feel tingly. He was so tired! These are exactly the times that you need cartoons at the press of a button. When you need to chill out, rest your bod and watch your fav shows. 

Right now the kids are binging Nicky, Dicky & Dawn - it's like a younger version of Saved By the Bell. 

King Julien is another fan fav of theirs. It's actually pretty hilarious. Some of the jokes go right over the kids heads ;)

Mr. Fix-It and I just started watching the new episodes of House of Cards. Oh man that show is Ah-mazing! So twisted and so addictive. 

Orange is the New Black starts soon and we finished the new episodes of Scandal. Another binge worthy, wine drinking show that is available at your fingertips. Anytime, anywhere. 

God bless you Netflix!

*Disclosure - I'm part of the Netflix StreamTeam and that allows me to share exciting Netflix news and views with you. And, ensure you're all as addicted to Netflix as I am ;) Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog.

NETFLIX & VALUES

Can Netflix teach your kids values? Bold question really. Kids values are shaped by everything around them. As a mom, my hope is that their core values, what is deep inside them is nurtured from the beginning. At home. With their family. With their friends. However, their values will be tested and questioned as they grow. From who they hang out with to what they watch. The goal really, is to hope that nature and nurture work together to help shape their life skills.

I feel like just sitting down with your kids and watching the shows they love,  helps them feel like you are interested in the shows and that you love them too (even though sometimes I know you are counting down until you get to curl up with a new episode of Scandal). They feel connected to you. Sure, it's not the only way you should connect with your kids but it's an outlet of opportunity. Check out this cool social experience video showing teens and parents coming together over Netflix.

My kiddies are regularly watching Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh these days. There is a great episode about bullying on there. Honestly, that word makes my stomach turn. To think that your kid could experience such pain, makes my anxiety go through the roof. But, obviously talking to your kids about it, what to do and using any outlet to drill it home that bullying is wrong is crucial. Episode 6 of Home has a good lesson.

Have you watched 13 Reasons Why on Netflix yet? I haven't and I'm avoiding it. Why? Truthfully, I'm not 100% sure but I know that when I watch it, there are stories in there that are going to wrench my gut, that will leave me tossing at night. I know that it's a show that's getting a lot of attention right now because its real. Teens struggle. The struggle is real. If you have watched it, I would love to hear your thoughts. I'll let you know when I do. I need to package my babies up in a bubble. As much as I want them to be successful and eventually leave the nest...I'm also okay with having them live at home forever. Um, sorta ;)

Here is a quick cheat sheet to use. If you feel like your kiddies need a refresher on something specific or a good lesson. Check these shows out...

Keep it Beautiful.

Disclosure: I'm part of the Netflix Stream Team. All my Netflix addictions are my own and I love sharing them with you. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that support this blog.

NO DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

This is our girl. She's beautiful. She's feisty. She's brave. She's ours. On February 20th she had an accident tobogganing. She broke her femur. HER FEMUR! It's the biggest bone in your body and some argue the most painful to break. From the minute the break happened to 4 weeks later with her cast off, she has shown us how powerful and resilient she is. She is no damsel in distress.

Our baby girl is all things girly. She loves everything pink and purple, lipgloss, dresses and baby dolls. She also loves to play super heroes with her brothers and wants to be doing anything that they do. She declares herself as "super girl" and we love it. We love that she is girly but already, at her age, understands that she can do anything. Girls are powerful. She is powerful.

There are a lot of really bad shows out there. Whether they are geared towards boys or girls, there are bad shows directed at both. Our kids love watching shows. Really, are there that many kids out there that don't love tv and movies? We all need to be aware of what our kids are watching. Sure, each child has their own taste in what they like but I do love that Netflix offers a wide range of shows and many of them with strong female characters. 

Our girl is drawn to shows like Project Mc2 where a group of girls are working to solve mysteries and Glitter Girls - these girls are full of all things girly AND are defending the earth. Lego Friends is also a fav in our house. The girls promote creating, building and inclusion of friends. 

What are your girls watching on Netflix? Any favs? Do they make your girls feel powerful? Speaking of girl power...I'm all over Scandal. Are you? They have new episodes right now. I'm addicted. 


Keep it Beautiful.

Disclosure:  I'm part of the Netflix Stream Team.  Netflix is addictive and we all love it. I love sharing my fav shows with you and your family every month.

WHAT'S ON THE TUBE THIS MONTH!

Hey guys. How's January treating you? Can you believe it's almost done? Yikes. Honestly, I just put away the last little bit of lingering Christmas decor. It's been down for weeks but hanging around on the dining room table just begging to be organized. Our tiny storage room in the basement is busting at the seams. Ugh! We so need an organization system down there. From hammers to skates, golf equipment to Christmas. Old house = no storage. Grrr. Do you have storage issues?

In any event, during the month of January we've been watching a whole lot of Netflix. Woot! Hello...the 80s called - Harry and the Hendersons is streaming on Netflix! Classic. Our kiddies really liked it. I loved that movie as a kid. Watching it as an adult, I realized that it's not as good as you thought it was but my kids thought it was just as good as I did years ago. 

I also saw that Back to the Future is on there. Mark it down for movie night. 

The kids are going to think that car is awesome...I hope?!

Our oldest is in that stage where he doesn't want to watch the "baby shows" with his younger siblings but sorry kid, no Walking Dead for you. There is a new show called, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. 

It's based on a series of books and the sets and scenery are amazing. Super good for those in-betweeners (don't think that's a word but you get it).

Our big guy has started to check out some of the shows that are geared more to adults but are kid appropriate. He and I love watching Chef's Table (sooo good). 

Sometimes we put it on in the kitchen while we make dinner. We might be making plain 'ole noodles but he still feels like a Michelin star chef while watching and cooking.

There is another show that's new called One Day at a Time. 

It's like an old-school sitcom that brought families together with laugh out loud humour and more importantly, relevant teachable moments. If you have someone in your family that is starting to walk the line between kids and teen shows then check this show out.
 
Mr. Fix-It and I are binge watching Quantico. 

I would say the acting is not great. Well, it's okay...but we're hooked. It's the story line. Yup, it's pretty far fetched but we're liking the whole FBI trainee facing off with the FBI as a whole. Yes!

That's it folks. Happy watching. It's that time of year for all things cozy. I have a few things in the hopper that I want to share with you soon. Happy weekend!

Keep it Beautiful.

xo

Disclosure: I'm part of the Netflix #StreamTeam. Who doesn't love Netflix? I'm happy to share all the latest info every month.