FIFO Life Misconceptions

FIFO- Fly In Fly Out. This is the life we lead now, meaning my husband travels for work. That also means I'm solo parenting the kiddos for a certain amount of days at a time while he's away working. This lifestyle isn't for everyone BUT it works for our family. That's the beauty of life and families. We're all different and have different living situations. What works for one family doesn't work for another, and thats totally OK!

However, one of the frustrating parts about FIFO life is the amount of negative comments people like dish out about the situation. 

"I don't know how you do it" 

"I would never be able to do that"

"I love my husband too much to be able to do it"

"I would live in a cardboard box before I'd live that life"

"Aren't you worried about cheating?"

There's many different reasons why families chose FIFO Life. Maybe it's financial, lack of local employment, to care for a sick loved one, whatever the reason is...that's your business! 

YES it is hard. Being the sole care giver for days/weeks at a time isn't easy but you find a routine and after awhile it's just second nature.
YES is gets lonely (for both of us). Thankfully technology is in our favour and we can talk/ Facetime. YES I love my husband more than anything and YES we still have a great relationship. NO I'm not worried at all about cheating, that can happen living in the same house every single day. Trust me, if your unhappy in your relationship it will likely fail regardless of where you live. FIFO isn't going to end your relationship. If anything for me I feel it makes us stronger. Absence makes the heart grow fonder type of thing. 

Do the kids miss him? Absolutely, but again here's the thing. They get to see him and spend more quality time with him then they would if he worked a typical 9-5 job. We get multiple days off at a time to do things together as a family, and we definitely take advantage of the time we have together. 

At the end of the day, all families are different. Just like people, we come in all shapes and sizes. No 2 families are the same and no 2 situations are the same.
You do what you need/want to do and what works for your family. It's nobody else's business. As long as you are happy with your situation, thats all that matters. Keep doing your thing!

Do you life the FIFO life? Leave a Comment below on what you wish people knew about FIFO! I'd love to hear from you :)

Valentine's Day Is Overrated

I've never liked Valentine's Day. It's one of those weird "holidays" that I just don't get. I love my husband and we tell/show each other all the time. I don't need a holiday to force me to buy overpriced chocolates and flowers.

I remember when my husband and I were approaching our first Valentine's Day together (14 years ago!). I told him not to buy me anything and not to plan a night out. He of course thought I was lying but I was totally serious. So when Valentine's Day rolled around and he bought me diamond stud earrings, I was actually a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the earrings were beautiful and I still wear them 14 years later, but I really meant it when I said I didn't want anything. Since then we've "skipped" Valentine's Day. Let me explain why.

To me, Valentine's Day is so overrated. Flower prices shoot through the roof (trust me you can get them the next day half off), chocolates, jewellery, romantic getaways. While these are all wonderful, I would much much rather receive them as a surprise on a totally random day through the year, not on a forced holiday. I mean, I don't want my husband to feel like he has to buy me something or take me to dinner just because its February 14th (and vice versa since love and relationships aren't one sided).

Has your husband ever gone to the grocery store on a random day during the year and come home with surprise flowers?? Now those are the BEST! When it's not expected it feels so much more meaningful for me. Or have you ever been shopping and found something you just knew your husband/partner etc would love and totally surprised them? It's such a great feeling!!

Don't get me wrong I love chocolate and flowers just not when they are expected on a commercialized holiday :)

Check out this photo of us from way back when. We look like babies!

My Family's Favourite Casserole

I'm a huge foodie. I love to cook and I love to eat (probably why I still haven't lost my "baby" weight LOL)
One of my favourite things to cook in the winter is casseroles. Comfort food at it's finest, quick, easy and super budget friendly as well.

A few years ago, my Aunt gave me this recipe and it has become my family's favourite casserole. Both my daughter and husband ask for this all the time. I usually make a big batch and freeze some for hubby's lunches when he's away working.

Here's what you will need:

1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey if thats your thing)
1 onion diced
1 green pepper diced (I add whatever colour peppers I have on hand)
A few mushrooms diced
A couple celery stalks diced
1 pkg Egg noodles
1 Jar of Spaghetti sauce (any kind whatever your fave is)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Cream of Tomato and Parmesan Soup



Cook ground beef with vegetables.
Boil Egg noodles. Mix everything together. Top with cheese and bake until the cheese is melty and delicious. Voila! One batch will feed 4-5 people.

If you make this, don’t forget to comment below and let me know how your family likes it :)

Bubble Foam Fun

I'm always trying to come up with fun activities to do with the kids especially during the cold winter months. One of my favourite activities is Bubble Foam. It's so easy to do and the kids absolutely love it. I first tried this out when my daughter was 3 and it was a huge hit. The bonus to this is, free time to prep supper, clean up around the house etc. This activity gave me over an hour to cook supper and put laundry away! Mom win!

How to make bubble foam?

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup bubble bath (you can use dish soap but I prefer a mild, tear free bubble bath) 

Food Colouring (optional)

Beat the water and bubble bath with an electic mixer until stiff peaks form (just like beating egg whites for meringue) 

Add in food colouring and Voila! You just made bubble foam.

I like to make a couple batches and use different colours as its another great way to teach the littles their colours. 

Here's a picture of the kids playing with the finished product!

Here's a picture from a few years ago when we made bubble foam for the first time. It's been a hit in our house ever since.

I hope you and your kids have as much fun with this as we do! Please let us know how you like it :)

DIY Kitchen Chair Makeover

I'm a huge fan of all things DIY and all things crafty!

I purchased this table and chair set from my neighbour 3 years ago for $50! (She basically gave it to me and lets face it, I felt guilty only paying her $50 but she insisted!)
It was basically brand new when we got it and has suited our family perfectly until recently when the chairs started coming apart. The vinyl covering started peeling away, exposing the wood and what was left of the foam underneath. I was determined not to buy new chairs because those aren't cheap and I'm thrifty so I decided to fix them.

I hit the vinyl jackpot at Fabricville. I went in to check prices and to my surprise vinyl was half price that day! SCORE!

Then came the foam cushion. Those can be purchased per square for around $6-10 a piece but I knew I could do better than that, so I bought a foam mattress topper half the price at Walmart.

The first step was removing the seat. Our particular chairs were screwed down so we removed the screws and the seat popped right off.

Next we removed all the staples and realized the wood underneath was actually completely warped and cracked....it was just a mess. So we ended up having to replace the wood too but at least now nobody will fall through them!

Then cut the vinyl and foam, place it on the wood and start stapling! Attach the seat back on to the chair and VOILA! Chairs look new again :)

The Elf Is Coming!

It's almost that time of year again. Like it or not, The Elf on the Shelf is coming! My Facebook feed has been plastered with Elf memes lately and people how have a serious dislike for that thing. I actually LOVE the Elf and I have no shame in admitting it.

I first heard of this Elf when my daughter was 2.5 years old. I saw the posts circulating and decided it would be a fun little tradition for us to start. I still remember the look on her face (I got it on video) when she saw our Elf Holly in the tree for the first time. It was pure magic. Glistening eyes, smile from ear to ear. It's the same reaction every single year. It never gets old!

Now our "Elf" doesn't do any crazy antics, or make messes (this momma does not have time to make a mess AND then be the one to clean it up night after night) BUT Kudos to the moms and dads who do those things (I love seeing the pics!). It's just a personal preference of mine to keep it simple.

Our Elf Holly arrives every year on December 1st and hangs out with us until Christmas Eve when she returns to her home in the North Pole. Each night she finds new hiding spots around the house (unless of course one of us forgets to move it, in which we say she must really like that hiding spot!)
Every morning the kids bound out of bed so fast and rush around the house trying to find her. Again pure magic! Watching how excited they get each morning trying to find her just melts my heart.

One thing I don't do with the Elf is associate it with behaviour. It is not a tool to get my kids to "be good". She does not report back to Santa on whether or not you are "good" or "bad" because it's just not my parenting style. Instead our Elf hangs out with us and watches the fun traditions we have, and sees all the kind things we do for others leading up to Christmas.

Sure it's a bit of work moving her each night but to see the smile it puts on my children's faces....it's 100% worth it to me and I will continue this tradition for as long as I can.

Top Things To Do This Holiday Season In And Around Saint John

It's no secret that Christmas is my favourite time of year. When we moved to the East Coast I found it difficult finding fun things to do with my family. This year I've compiled a list of my Top things to do in Saint John and surrounding areas.


1. Town of Hampton Santa Claus Parade December 1st at 6PM
https://www.facebook.com/events/161652547944272/?ti=icl

2. Town of Sussex Santa Claus Parade. December 1st at 6:30PM. One of my favourite things to do is travel and see different parades with the kids! It's FREE and FUN!
https://www.facebook.com/events/489736398175238/?ti=icl

3. Family Christmas Movie Night. December 1st from 6:30-8:30pm at Saint David’s Church.
Movie showing: The Star.
https://www.facebook.com/events/306790086716938/?ti=icl

4.Christmas Tea and Caroling. Brundage Point River Centre December 2nd from 2-4PM.
https://www.facebook.com/events/377150829696742/?ti=icl

5. A Christmas Carol. Presented by Hampton High School Theatre Company. December 5th-8th. Contact the school for more details and ticket info.
https://www.facebook.com/events/261087107924613/?ti=icl

6. Uptown Sparkles. Uptown Saint John. December 7th, 2018 5PM-8PM.
https://www.facebook.com/events/767847160220349/?ti=icl

7. Toy and Turkey Drive. December 8th Walmart East Saint John from 10-4pm. One thing I love about the holidays is teaching my kids to give back. Help stuff a city bus!
https://www.facebook.com/events/264437684258911/?ti=icl

8. Old Fashioned Country Christmas. December 8th, 2018 at 10AM-3PM. This event is held at Maple Lane Barn Weddings and Events 7515 Route 102 Brown's Flat NB.  Join them for Caroling, sledding, wagon rides, visit with Santa and more! I can't wait to take my kiddos to this one.
https://www.facebook.com/events/328916664579284/?ti=icl

9. Snider Mountain Christmas. December 9th at 2PM. Pony Rides, live music, sliding, hot chocolate. Lots of  FUN for the whole family!
https://www.facebook.com/events/448721482319143/?ti=icl

10.  Mayors Tree Lighting. December 12th 7-8PM at Rothesay Common. Skate with Santa, enjoy free hot chocolate and cookies and live music!
https://www.facebook.com/events/2207605936168153/?ti=icl

11. Town of St.George Santa Parade at 6pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/1022625921257680/?ti=icl

12.  Cracked up Christmas. This one's for the adults in the family! December 15th 7PM at the Cornerstone in Saint John. Get ready for a night of laughs with top Comedians.Tickets are on sale now! This is one you won't want to miss!
https://www.facebook.com/events/690357601349837/?ti=icl

13. Meet and Greet with Santa. December 16th from 1-4PM at Exit Realty Rothesay office.
https://www.facebook.com/events/309782526291745/?ti=icl

14. Frozen Holiday Skate in Sussex. December 23rd from 1:15pm-2:30pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2237751789791647/?ti=icl


I’m sure there are many more fun activities to take part in over the holidays. These are just a few of the fun things we hope to do this year :)

Christmas Birthdays

I still remember the day I found out I was expecting my second (hell I still remember the first like it was yesterday too). I don't think you ever forget those amazing moments.
April 18th 2016, which made my due date...December 26, 2016. A Christmas baby! I was over the moon excited. There's 6 years between my children, as it took us longer than we thought to get pregnant.

When we announced to everyone, thats when the comments started rolling in.
"Oh no, poor baby will be born around Christmas", " Oh what a sin to have a birthday that close to Christmas", "oh their birthday will be overshadowed by Christmas" and on and on and on. I was shocked that people would actually say this to someone and I was also shocked that people actually thought these things. I've even seen on birth forums comments on how to "avoid a Christmas baby"! So crazy!

Every. Single. Child is a blessing. They are all miracles no matter when they are born and having a Christmas baby was absolutely incredible.

As my due date approached, it was decided that I would have another scheduled C Section. My first was a footling breech baby and baby #2 was in the exact same position. The doctor gave me the date of December 15, 2016. 10 days before Christmas. I had hoped for a VBAC but was excited that I knew an exact date when baby would arrive (anyone who's had a c section i'm sure can relate to that!) I had everything prepped and ready, all the presents were wrapped, tree was up (in November I'm always early), childcare arrangements were made. We were ready to meet our newest member of the family.

December 15, 2016 at 9:01am our baby boy arrived!

It was such a magical time of year to have a baby. The atmosphere inside the labour and delivery ward was so happy and cheerful. The nurses and doctors all seemed so full of Christmas spirit. All of the room doors were decorated, lights hanging from the doorways, Christmas trees in the hallways. The ambiance was incredible. He truly was the best gift ever that Christmas.

Am I worried that his birthday will be overshadowed by Christmas? Absolutely not. He'll still get a birthday party and birthday presents (Not wrapped in Christmas paper as thats a huge pet peeve of mine). We treat his birthday just like any other birthday in our family regardless of the season. Did you know that December babies are actually considered "rare"? Less babies are born in December than any other month! That's pretty special if you ask me :)


So please stop with the negative comments. If you're having or already have a baby on/near the holidays don't fret! It truly is the most magical, wonderful time of the year.

Do you have a Christmas baby? What are some of your birthday traditions? I'd love to heard from you!

I decorate for Christmas before Nov 11th and that doesn't make me a bad person

There I said it. I decorate for Christmas before Remembrance Day. Cue the eye rolls now.

I remember as a kid my mom would always start decorating right after Halloween. I loved helping set up the decorations and we would listen to Kenny and Dolly's Christmas album while we worked. It's something I looked forward to every year and still have such fond memories of.

When I moved out on my own, its a tradition that I kept up. As soon as Halloween is over I'm itching to dig out the boxes and haul out the Christmas decor! If there's snow on the ground I'm even more excited to get started. There's just something about the glow of Christmas lights that puts me in a great mood.

Then I came across the social media posts...tons of them. " Don't decorate before November 11th out of respect for our Veterans" HUH? Where did this come from? I had honestly never heard of this before in my 30 some years of life. It seems to be a very hot topic these days.

Let me start by saying that my Grandfather was a WWII Veteran. He was and always will be my Hero and I would NEVER do something to disrespect him. When these social media posts started popping up, I called him and asked what he thought and he laughed. I remember his words " I fought for freedom. Decorate whenever you want". He had never heard of it being disrespectful to decorate early before either.

I wear my poppy proudly. We used to attend the Remembrance Day Ceremony in our town, however thats become a bit challenging with an almost 2 year old who doesn't sit still so we now stream it online. My last Remembrance Day Ceremony with my grandfather was in 2016 as he passed away 2 months later. I am so grateful that I was able to spend that day with him. To see him proudly wearing his medals with all of the other amazing Veterans who so bravely fought for our freedom. That's a memory I will always cherish.

So where did this come from? And why are people so bent out of shape over it? I'm always curious what exactly people who make these comments do differently than I do besides decorate my home.

Nobody should have to defend their choices. Christmas decor makes me happy and excited. I love sitting with the tree lights on at night. Seeing the eyes of my children light up when the tree lights come on. Listening to Kenny and Dolly's Christmas while baking cookies with my daughter. It makes me happy and there's actual scientific research to prove it. Google it Ya'll!!

If you want to wait until after Remembrance Day to decorate, that's your choice. It's my choice to turn my house into a mini Clark Griswald's anytime I want to. Christmas can be a tough time for a lot of people so perhaps decorating early helps ease their pain. Or maybe they are celebrating early because they have a terminal illness. There are lots of reasons and honestly it’s nobody else’s business.  Let’s  just put this whole respect vs disrespect thing to rest. Be kind and respect each other’s choices because the only thing disrespectful I see about it is the attacking comments and arguments regarding who's being respectful/disrespectful. Trust me I have seen some nasty comments on those forums! Not cool. No judgement, just love and kindness to everyone.

SO please. It's 2018. Thank a veteran and do what you want because we have the freedom to do so.

xoxo

Shawna

Christmas 2018

Pure happiness 

My babies decorating the Christmas Tree 2018

My Veteran Hero on his last Remembrance Day 2016.

Lest We Forget

Finally Taking The Plunge

I FINALLY did it! Starting my own blog has been on my mind for about 10 years now and I finally decided now is the perfect time. As a kid I always loved to write stories. I had a teacher in junior high school tell me he thought I would've been an author (Thanks Mr D!) Maybe I missed my calling? 

I haven't always been a "FIFO Wife". For the first 8 years of our marriage/my mom career we lived in the same place. Our first home. Then in 2016 our entire world changed. 

I found out I was expecting our second child on April 18th, 2016. We were SO excited. Things were great! 
We had a couple rough months with the Fort McMurray Wildfire. We along with 88,000 others had to evacuate from our homes (that's a story for another day). Then in September, my uncle passed away unexpectedly. We flew to the East Coast to be with family for a 1 week stay. 

I was 28 weeks pregnant. My doctor had given me clearance to fly. The day before we were due to fly back home, life threw us another curve ball.
I woke up that morning feeling off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but I just felt weird. Pains, aches, lightheaded. All day I couldn't shake it. We decided it would be best to see a doctor as we were flying across Canada the next morning. 
In the ER, the doctor hooks me up to monitors and orders an ultrasound.By this point I'm positive I'm having contractions. Sure enough, I'm in pre-term labour. Our entire lives were turned upside down once again. What are we going to do? Now the doctor won't clear me to fly (understandably so)until I am seen by specialists. After 2 weeks of specialist appointments, ultrasounds, fluid checks etc, the doctor gives his verdict: no flying for me. SO we moved all of our things and settled into the East Coast lifestyle and of course the baby decided to stay put until his due date in December (go figure).

And so began our FIFO life! 

Do you have a travelling spouse? Do you travel for work? 
I'd love to hear from you!

xoxo

Shawna