I wanted to post something super low key and fun this week and I have been loving seeing these ‘this or that’ posts on Instagram lately, so I decided to go all out and pick 50 of my favourite ‘this or that’ questions to answer for you today! I asked them to my kids, and it was so neat to see how DIFFERENT all their answers were, and why they chose the answers they chose. I love how God puts people of all different personalities and tastes together and they become a family and it just works so well. As you go through the questions, be sure to answer them yourself! Some of them are just completely silly, and some are actually thought provoking! Here we go…

Cats or Dogs?

Do I even need to answer this one for you??? :) DOGS 100%, they are definitely ‘man’s best friend’ (women too of course) I have always been a dog lover, and I know we will always have a dog (or two) in our home. I love how they are loyal to you and just want to be with you and comfort you.

Tea or Coffee?

Coffee :) ever since I was young I loved the smell of coffee when my Dad would make it in the mornings, it’s such a yummy, comforting treat and a great way to wake up in the morning. I have one cup of coffee a day, and 1 cup of tea, tea is great too, but first COFFEE :)

Beach or Pool?

Beach, because salty ocean air, the sound of the waves, the sand in your toes, and the sun on your face. Need I say more?

Bus or Train?

Train, I used to take the train to Toronto from Montreal when we lived in New York, and it was a nice easy way to travel. Fun to look out the window at everything passing by, you can read a book, listen to music and the trip always goes by fast.

Pink or Blue?

PINK! But the funny thing is, growing up I loathed the colour pink, until about age 19 when I started teaching preschool and all the little girls wore pink everyday, and it made me love it again :) now blush pink is my fave colour.

Quiet or Loud?

Definitely quiet, which is exactly opposite of my house on any normal day ;) but I am not one that loves hustle and bustle, quiet and calm is where I recharge.

Hot or Cold?

Cold, which I know is the unpopular opinion! While I love all the summer time activities, like canoeing, swimming and hanging out on the dock, I DO NOT like hot humid weather, which is why I am quite happy during the chilly winter months.

Singing or Dancing?

Dancing :) everyone needs a good dance party now and then to relax and shake it all out! Plus I grew up dancing ballet, and to this day I still love it and watching it. I live vicariously through Mia who is the little ballerina now.

Sunrise or Sunset?

Such a hard one, but I would say sunset, because I kind of like the ‘end of the day’ time, where things quiet down and you get ready to get cozy for the evening (hence my love of quiet). While sunrises are equally as beautiful and colourful, there is something so calming about a sunset.

Night or Day?

This is also hard to choose, but I’d say night, because again that would be my quiet time of the day where I can either relax, or get a bit of computer work done without being interrupted. Plus I have always loved the moon and stars, and the sound of the crickets :).

Sweet or Savoury?

Savoury for sure! I don’t have a sweet tooth, if I am craving a ‘treat’ or junk food I’d definitely go for something savoury or salty, like nachos & salsa, or french fries. What’s worse, craving sugar or salt? I would also get much more excited about the main course portion of a meal, then the dessert!

Clean or Messy?

Clean :) all those years of watching my parents take good care of their home really rubbed off on me, and now I really do like to keep a picked up and clean home. Of course the kids rooms get quite messy as well as our school room, but the kitchen, bathrooms and living room are pretty much always tidy. Organizing drawers and cupboards is a whole new story though, that’s where my messiness comes through.

Jeans or Leggings?

Leggings, once you try them you don’t go back LOL. When I put jeans on that must mean that Mama is going out to a photo session, or church haha.

Stay in or Go out?

Stay in, my husband makes fun of me for this one, but I am a homebody and I can’t deny it…I do need to get outdoors everyday, but I am quite content to be home. It probably goes back to the fact that going out drains me, Introvert life :)

City or Country life?

Absolutely country life! There is something about nature that really brings me close to God and gives me peace and refreshment, so I don’t think I could ever permanently live in a city. Especially now that I’ve lived the lake life the past few years, it would be really hard for me to go back. Cities are fun to visit for a short time though!

Rainy day or Sunshine?

There is something really nice about both rainy days and sunny days, but if I can only choose one, I’d say sunny, because this is the time of year when I am really craving that natural vitamin D on my skin!

Talking or Listening?

Listening, I’ve been told that I am a good listener, and I do enjoy listening to people and letting them feel heard and understood.

Olympic medal or Academy Award?

Olympic medal for sure! How cool would it be to be super good at an Olympic sport? We really enjoy watching the Olympics when they come around every few years, and I love the dedication and drive that all the athletes have. I am so impressed by them!

Be your own boss or work for someone else?

Be my own boss, I have had lots of jobs where I work for other people and it’s OK, but since having my own business I really do like being able to make decisions, be creative and use my ideas, and make my own hours etc. it’s hard work to do it, but to me it’s worth it.

Mermaid or unicorn?

I am going to go with Mermaid, because yes they are real, one lives in my house and her name is Mia ;)

Hawaii or Italy?

Hawaii, Chris and I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, I feel like it would be a really nice place to live and not just vacation actually, but I’d miss having seasons. We really hope to visit Hawaii one day! The tropical foliage would be a dream for me!

80s or 90s?

80’s all the way :) I was born into the 80’s so they have a special place in my heart, and I LOVE 80’s music, it’s honestly one of my fave genres, they just don’t make music like that anymore ;)

Fiction or non-fiction book?

Fiction, I like a good story! When I think back to all my favourite books, they are all Fiction.

Rock climb or scuba dive?

Scuba dive, because I think it would be really cool to swim with dolphins or whales or turtles, and feel like a mermaid!

Good news first or bad news first?

Bad news, rip off the bandaid and get it over with then finish off with something positive. I won’t enjoy the good news as much, if I know the bad news is coming.

Give gift or receive gift?

Give! I truly love giving gifts, and seeing people’s reactions to what you’ve put thought in to give to them, or make them, it’s definitely way more satisfying then getting a gift.

North or South?

North, the south is nice, but I have to stick to my Canadian roots ;) I love the trees up here and the rugged feel. True North strong and free!

Locked or unlocked?

Locked, coming from the city I lock everything, but not many people up here lock anything…they leave their homes, cars, garages, everything open. I do not, I feel safer if I lock the house before I leave.

Call or text?

Text!!!!!!!! I am not a good ‘phone’ convo person, I would way rather talk to someone in person then on the phone. I actually have to talk to people on the phone quite a bit for my job (wedding photographer) when doing meet and greets with our many out of town couples, or when they call to ask questions about the different packages we offer etc. So while I don’t like it, I still do it often. But texting is just so easy!

Private jet or private island?

Private jet! Just imagine, flying on a private jet you could go anywhere! I think my husband would be happy with this because then we would travel a lot more ;)

Antique or brand new?

Antique, I love anything antique or with character. I think I get that from my Nanny because she always had beautiful antiques around her home. I love the look and story behind old weathered things. I could browse an antique store for hours and hours, you’d have to rip me away!

Apples or oranges?

Oranges, I love all citrus fruits.

Live in a tree or under a tree?

Oooo, this is a good one, I’d say IN a tree because I think that would be pretty cool to say that you lived in a tree house. I’ve seen some pretty amazing ones on YouTube that I could definitely live in, closer to nature :)

Be famous or not be famous?

Ahh, NOT famous, it seems like an awful job to be famous and having people watching your every move, I am happy to be more inconspicuous ;)

Fireman or policeman?

Fireman! I have to support my firefighter husband and all of the amazing volunteer firefighters he works with, they are all awesome at what they do, and I am thankful for people like them that serve the community.

Trees or flowers?

This is like asking me to pick a favourite child!!?! How can one ever pick??? I guess if I really could only pick one, I would say trees, because what would the world be like without trees? When people cut down live trees to build, it literally breaks my heart!

Inside or outside?

Outside! By reading all the above questions I am sure you totally figured that ;) I am a full fledged nature lover.

Alone or crowds?

Does anybody like ‘crowds’ ? haha….I don’t want to be completely alone, but also not in a big crowd lol! Can I be ‘alone’ with a few others?

Moonlight or Candlelight?

Moonlight. When we get a full moon up here it is SO beautiful to see everything lit up at night, you can literally see your shadow sometimes the moon shines so brightly, I love that! Candle light is great too, we get to do that a lot since the power goes out so frequently haha.

Paint or draw?

Paint! Mia and I have been practicing watercolour painting every week since January, and we are really enjoying it! I love any nature watercolour, and even some abstract watercolour art, it’s so beautiful.

Apple pie or blueberry pie?

Classic apple pie is always a fave.

Fireplace or campfire?

Another hard one! I don’t have a fire place at this house, I did at my last home and I loved using it. But I’d have to say campfire, because they have the element of being outdoors, and who doesn’t love toasting a marshmallow!?

Running or walking?

Walking, I love taking long walks, long runs….not so much anymore!! I can walk for hours though.

See or hear?

See, I can’t imagine not being able to see, and I think it’s something we definitely take for granted.

Read or write?

Another tough one, in the end I think I’d say write, because it’s one of my hobbies and I really enjoy it, I would definitely miss it if I couldn’t do it anymore. You can be creative when you write, but not really when you read.

TV on or TV off?

TV OFF please :) One of my biggest pet peeves is when a TV is on that no one is even watching. In our house the TV is only on if someone is actually sitting down to watch a specific show, and then we turn it off.

Pancakes or waffles?

Both are delicious, but I’d have to say pancakes because both my Dad and Husband make really good ‘Saturday morning Pancakes’ and I love the fluffiness of them, and how you can eat a bunch of them. With waffles I feel like I can only have one, haha.

Spontaneous or planned?

I love a good spontaneous outing, or project! It’s fun to just get up and decide to ‘go for it’ with something without planning too much. I bet all you type A planners are cringing at that thought ;)

Scrabble or Monopoly?

Both are so good! I think i’d day Scrabble because I love any games that have to do with making words, or words in general. Bananagrams and UpWords are also so good.

Lake or Ocean?

As much as I love the majestic look of the Ocean and all the animals that live in the ocean, I think I would pick a Lake, because I love the character of each different lake, surrounded by trees and rocks, and the fresh water. Lake’s are rustic and beautiful, have character, and there are so many of them all over Canada!

That was so much fun! I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed answering them :) and I hope yo have a great weekend :)

Stay cozy,

Shelley

This week I asked on instagram stories if anyone had any questions about Homeschool life and all that it entails, and I was so happy to receive some really good and thoughtful questions! I love to share about homeschooling because I know it is something that people can be very curious about and not really fully understand if they have never had any experience with it. So I like to share to open up dialogue about it, to show others what it can really be like, and because it’s something I am definitely passionate about. I also love to encourage others along in their journey of either choosing homeschool, or not choosing homeschooling, which leads me to the first question!

“Do you think Homeschooling is for everyone?”-

No, I definitely don’t think homeschooling is right for everyone, I am a firm believer that you have to really WANT to homeschool, feel called to it, and truly believe in it if you want to be able to do it well. I also think it works better for certain kids’s personalities and others not so much. So it’s really a case by case and family by family thing to decide to homeschool. Every family and dynamic is so different, and so what works for me may not work for someone else and vice versa. I also believe that there is no ‘perfect’ way to educate your children, wether you choose private school, public school, or homeschooling, there are pros and cons to every single one. That is why I don’t ever think someone should feel pressured to homeschool, OR send their child to school, but rather look at your children and your family and decide for your own situation which way of schooling would be best. For some families that means one child is in school and one child is homeschooled, and to me THAT is awesome! You know your own family best and that is the most important factor when choosing how to educate your children.

“How has Homeschooling changed your family dynamics?”-

I think it’s definitely changed a few things, it’s really bonded the kids and I, and brought us quite close together. It’s also given me a first hand opportunity to really know how my kids learn, and the ins and outs of their individual personalities. We spend all day together, every day, all..day..long….and we basically have no choice but to really KNOW each other well. We are able to spend lots’ of quality time together, and that is probably my absolute favourite thing about homeschooling, spending all this time with my kids! It has also changed Chris’ and I’s time together, because if we had kids in school, we could take day dates together, work on our business or projects together during the day, but alas that becomes quite tricky when the kids are always here :) Thankfully it just gives the kids an up front look at how we run our businesses and how we work together and that is good for them to be exposed to, but a lunch date here and there would be nice ;) Now that Ben is old enough to babysit a bit hopefully that will happen more soon.

“What are your top 3 benefits of Homeschooling?”-

This really ties into the last question about family dynamics, because I would say the quality family time we get to spend together is definitely one of the biggest benefits! Also being able to tailor my kids education to their individual needs and learning styles and not having to put them in a box is a huge benefit to me! We are able to choose their curriculum and what we teach them, and coming from a teaching background (I was an ECE (early childhood educator) and kindergarten teacher before I had kids) I really like having that option! Another benefit is that we can travel any time of year for however long we like, and not have to worry about school schedules, and even if this makes me seem like a rebel I guess I kind of am, because we really enjoy being able to make our own schedule. I also love how the kids learn how to interact with people of ALL ages, not just their peer age. When they are home they can glean and learn a lot from Chris and I , wether it’s woodworking in the shop with Dad, learning to play guitar, or making a meal for someone in need and delivering it, they are experiencing lot’s of real life with us everyday, and learning things that aren’t just academic. I also love all the outdoor time we are able to have as being out in nature is one of my favourite things, Ok, that was more then 3 things, whoops ;)

“What is your biggest homeschooling pet peeve, and your favourite thing?”-

I like this one ;) because I love keeping it real! My biggest pet peeve is probably not having much quiet time, I am an introvert and also a ‘type 9’ (enneagram style) and keeping the peace is something I really value, BUT when you have your kids home all day, every day, ‘peaceful’ is not always something I’d describe our house as haha. It is LOUD and crazy much of the time, and my peace craving self misses quiet time for sure. But I guess my pet peeve and my favourite thing kind of cancel each other out, because my favourite thing as I mentioned before is all the time I get to spend with my kids, as I genuinely enjoy being with them and watching them grow and encouraging them each day. So I can deal with a loud house for that benefit ;) I am sure one day my house will be so quiet and I will really miss the bustle!

“How do you choose curriculum?”-

By researching online, talking to other homeschool Mom’s and seeing what worked best for them, and also by just trying out different curriculum over the years you can figure out what ones you like, and that work best for your family. There is no ‘one size fits all’ curriculum, and so I just read about different ones, decide which ones will jive best with my kids personalities, and give them a try. The great thing is, if they don’t work out, it’s ok! If something isn’t working after giving it a good try (I would definitely say don’t give up too fast!) then it’s totally ok to switch and find something that works better. Even if it’s something that every homeschool mom has had major success with, but you didn’t, thats OK! It’s trial and error, and I am not sure if any homeschool family ever finds the absolute perfect curriculum. You can also use what the Ontario government provides online if you wish to teach exactly what the school board teaches too.

“How do you keep up with Homeschooling more then one child?”-

It’s actually really nice to have different ages and grades. My older kids can be more independent in certain subjects and while they are doing their independent work I can do some more hands on learning with my youngest. Then when my older kids need more one on one help with their less independent subjects, my youngest can use that time to build a puzzle, play with lego, or do his computer reading program. And some subjects we do all together! Sometimes an older child will help a younger child, while I am working with someone else. We all have a little job and try to work together to make sure everything get’s done in a day. It’s not always perfect, but I feel homeschooling 3 different ages is quite manageable, I tip my hat to all the large homeschool families with 6, 7 and 8 kids as I know that must be much more challenging! But if you think of a regular public school classroom, it is typically 1 teacher for up to 30 kids and they do alright for themselves, so I am ok with 3!

“Will you Homeschool in high school? If so how will you apply to college/uni?”-

We haven’t actually reached this milestone yet, our oldest is now at Grade 7 level, so we technically have another year before we have to decide about high school. As of now the plan is to start with Grade 9 at home and go from there. But a year from now this could totally change! We will take it year by year, and child by child and see how it goes. I am open to doing high school at home with a virtual academy (not on my own) and I am totally open for the kids to attend a high school also! If one of our kids ends up staying at home for all of high school, they can apply to any college or university they like as any other public school student, there is just a bit of a different process depending on how you decide to do everything, but they would have equal opportunity as a child who went to public/private school the entire way through. From what I know every college/university has a different process for accepting home educated students, and so it’s good to contact them a few years into high school so that your child can work on getting the proper requirements to where they want to be accepted.

“What were your biggest fears about homeschooling and how did you overcome them?”-

Through my life I have often been looked down upon and questioned about my abilities for looking younger then I am, and so one of my fears was that people would not think I was capable simply because I seem a lot younger then I actually am. I am not going to lie that I’ve gotten more comments then I can count about this very thing when it comes to homeschooling, but after the first few years it honestly doesn’t bug me anymore because I know I am capable and my family knows I am and that’s all that matters :) people will always have an opinion and I don’t need to focus on it, I realized that those people don’t really know me, because those that do know me would never say that. Moral of the story is, don’t look down on those that are younger then you, or look younger then you because that just ain’t right ;).

“Do you get nervous or anxious about teaching certain subjects, and how do you cope with that?”-

In the beginning I used to be nervous about teaching math, as that was the subject I personally always had trouble with myself growing up, and so I thought I would not be the best person to teach math. BUT those were silly thoughts, because instead of just worrying that I may not teach them math well, I went to work re-learning math! Not only was that good for me (by refreshing and re-learning everything that I never really understood in school as a kid, I love knowing that now I do understand it) but it’s been good for teaching, because now I feel more confident to teach my kids certain math that I never thought I could before. Just shows what a little hard work can do ;) never underestimate yourself! Every homeschool Mom will have subjects they excel at more then others, that is life and that is ok :) I just always try to keep on learning along with my kids, and I actually love it!

Last question for today because I don’t want this post to be toooooo long ;)

“What made you decide to Homeschool the kids?”-

This could be an entire blog post in itself, so I may very well do that one day soon, but to sum it up…I had always had it on my heart to homeschool ever since my youngest was born. It was something that I felt called to do right from his young toddler age, as a teacher myself, I really wanted to be the one that taught him. It was always at the back of my mind, but I never really talked about it too much because my husband wasn’t necessarily on board at the time. After sending him to traditional school for kindergarten and Grade 1, and never feeling quite right about it, and seeing how it wasn’t really the best learning environment for our son and his specific personality, I brought up the idea again and this time my husband was more open to it. Long story short, we started homeschooling for Ben (our oldest) and every year we saw the benefits more and more and have continued to decide to do it these past 6 years. We love the flexibility on so many levels and the family time, and I know I won’t look back and regret these years of having them home.

Like I mentioned before, to me there isn’t one ‘right’ way to school your child, I definitely don’t think homeschooling is the perfect way or the only way, I just know that right now for this time in my life I do feel called to continue this homeschooling journey and I will be grateful for every year I am able to do it! I also know I really love the many benefits it has and all the hard work of teaching the kids every day is definitely worth it!

Thank you again for your questions and for reading this! If you are interested in homeschooling and would like some support in starting up I am always here to help and listen, I love to help others and be a friend so don’t ever hesitate to send me an e-mail or message!

stay cozy,

Shelley

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour devoted to the ceremony known as afternoon tea’

-H.J.

There is something so lovely about afternoon tea, to stop what you are doing, get the kettle boiling and sip on some yummy and rejuvenating tea. It’s a little moment to relax as your hands hug the warm cup. On your own or with a friend, it gives you that motivation to finish out the day with a little pep in your step. I don’t always have the time to have a nice afternoon tea, but when I do it’s definitely something I really enjoy. Especially during the cold dark winter days, anything that brings a little extra coziness is always much appreciated. I am a coffee girl in the morning, but come afternoon if I am feeling like a warm drink I gravitate towards chai tea or earl grey tea. One of the ways I like to enjoy earl grey is in a ‘London Fog Latte’. I learned how to make these many a year ago when I worked at Starbucks and it’s been a favourite treat ever since. I made my own lavender earl grey tea blend this winter with the perfect London Fog in mind, and it did not disappoint.

All I did was mix a good loose leaf earl grey tea, with some dried lavender and voila, an aromatic tea to warm the heart and soul. I put the tea in tins, made some labels and have been giving them away as little gifts here and there. I especially love using this blend to make a yummy London Fog. This is how I make them at home, a bit different then the traditional way, but fast, and always delicious!

Lavender London Fog Latte:

Ingredients

-Your favourite Earl Grey tea (I use my lavender earl blend)

-Boiled water

-Heated milk of choice (I typically use unsweetened Cashew milk, because I always have it on hand)

-A splash of vanilla

-Sugar, honey or maple syrup to sweeten

Start by boiling your kettle, fill up a large mug about half way with hot water and steep your tea bag for about 5 minutes. You’ll want it to be well steeped as you add a bit more milk then you do with a regular tea. While it’s steeping, heat up some milk (1 minute in the microwave usually does the trick!) but you could also heat it on the stove top too if you don’t like microwaves ;). After your tea is finished steeping add in your vanilla and sugar or sugar substitute of choice (or no sweetness at all), and give it a little stir. If I am feeling really fancy I use my little milk frother to foam up the milk before I add it, then I pour it over top of the tea until it reaches the top of the mug. I eye ball all of these ingredients, and don’t really measure anything, but just decide when I am making it how sweet or milky I’d like it to be on that day. The creamy froth really pairs well with the earl grey and the lavender and vanilla gives it that little extra something special. Grab a book and settle into a comfy chair with a blanket and your good to go with your relaxing latte treat!

Wether your are a stay at home Mom, working Mom, or both, we Mama’s tend to always be on the ‘go’. Even on a home day we are always doing something, prepping a meal, folding laundry, referee’ing the kids fights. Our jobs are really never fully done, so I want to encourage you in all of your beautiful chaos to take the time a few days a week for afternoon tea. It doesn’t have to be in a fancy cup, any mug will do. It doesn’t need to include homemade scones (though that would be devine!) it doesn’t even need to be quiet in the house (noise is always happening around here) It can be on your own or with a friend, just 10 minutes with your cup of tea will be such a good time to refresh and pause during these busy days with our kids. Fill up your cup, so you can keep filling others cups! (literally AND figuratively!) :)

stay cozy,

Shelley

This week I thought it would be fun to share all about our Master Bedroom Renovation. We have renovated SO many rooms in our house since we moved in two years ago, and I need to start sharing the before and after’s more, because it’s so fun to see how a house can be totally revamped with a little (well A LOT) of elbow grease and some good ideas. We did everything ourselves and it ended up being such a big transformation! What started as a very dark room that was definitely not our light and airy style, became a relaxing place for us to go at the end of the day that is definitely one of my favourite rooms in the whole house. I wanted to change it up a bit so I could really show you the room, so I filmed this video for you! I am a little awkward in front of the camera, but I thought this would be the best way for you to really get a feel for the room. A big thanks to my husband Chris for editing the video, and of course for working his DIY magic on our master bedroom too. I think up lot’s of great home reno ideas and he literally makes them come to life! We are a good team that way ;)

The video explains it all, so I wont spoil the good stuff, but I share before pictures of what it used to look like, and details of everything we did to make our room the comfy oasis that we love. Watch the video below and let me know what you think!

Hope you enjoyed!

stay cozy,

Shelley