Leave, maternity leave?

2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 11:16

“You'll see, you won't see the time pass! Taking care of a baby is a full-time job! they said. However, with a good baby like mine, we have plenty of time!

We always think we could do this, do that, if we had more time. “When I retire, I would like to take painting lessons! What if the weather was right under our noses?

A newborn baby sleeps an average of 16 hours a day. Obviously, he does not sleep 16 hours at once and some babies are more difficult to sleep than others, but the numbers are there and you are well and truly on leave. If, like me, you have a model baby (and although some moms curse us!), you can have a little fun at home and develop new skills.

Here are some suggested activities

Paint

If you have any imagination, painting is not rocket science and above all, it is less expensive than you think. Dollar stores are now full of art materials. Certainly, the great painters will tell you that the quality of the products is questionable, but they are perfectly the case for your first paintings.

You can get a canvas for about $2 andeach pot of acrylic color costs about $1. To manage to mix all the colors, you will have to buy red, yellow, blue, black and white. You will then need brushes and a board where you can mix the colors. In all, for about fifteen dollars, you can paint two canvases almost to your liking and in the colors you have chosen. Who knows? You may find the inspiration you need to make a dozen more…

Fudge

Not necessarily “making fondant”, but “making spectacular cakes” because it is not easy to make a good fondant. I tried two recipes, one with glucose and the other with marshmallows. Although both worked, I'm still not convinced that the housekeeping that followed and the price of the ingredients was worth the effort. For those who, like me, are not cooking aces, it is possible to buy ready-to-use fondant at DeSerres and at Arès.

The real fun of fondant is the handling. You can even ask your children to help you since the coloring is easy and the fondant is handled like modeling clay. I discovered a whole range of food colorings during my visit to Arès. I found there, among other things, a coloring gel pigmented enough to dye black the equivalent of a tennis ball of fondant with a single drop of gel. It is available in about thirty colors and must imperativelybe handled with gloves. The fondant can then be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days if well wrapped.

Obviously, you will need a cake to lay your fondant on. Any cake will do, but the denser your cake, the more uniform it will be and the easier it will be to give your cake a smooth finish. Again, if you are rather limited in the kitchen, you can use a canned mix, but it is important to grease the mold well in order to unmold your cake to perfection. You will then need to frost it with buttercream or another icing of your choice and leave it in the fridge for a few hours so that the buttercream hardens enough not to stick to your fondant.

You can then roll some of the fondant and place it on top of the glazed cake. The rest is up to your imagination, your mold, your dexterity, your cookie cutters, your tools and your patience. With lots of love and a little experience, you could eventually make cakes like these.

Get in shape with the Wii

No woman feels as stiff as a woman who has just given birth. We feel heavy, we lose our hair, we are overweight and we would like to try the fondant recipe recommended on Mamanpourlavie.com. No problem! Those who had a Wii Fit during pregnancy know that it does not take pregnancy into account. Your Mii nodded and got fatter for monthsand now you feel ready to turn the tide.

Running and jumping is strongly discouraged for 4-6 weeks after giving birth, but you can start pelvic floor contractions the next day. You can also gradually start doing sit-ups.

That being said, the Wii has some great floor exercises and yoga exercises that will keep you moving smoothly. Plus, visualizing your progress and gradual weight loss will lift your spirits and help you feel more beautiful.

A bit of makeup, find your clothes and presto! You have become yourself again!

Learn the piano

Are you bored of the music lessons you had in school? Do you still remember your greatest success on the recorder? Do you still sing some tunes you learned and the canons of your choir?

If you have a small electric piano or if you inherited the organ from your grandmother, you could learn the basics of the piano thanks to the Bastien method. The theory and exercise books for beginners that are sold at Archambault will refresh your memory and make you practice several easy songs, until you can read the sheet music and play the letter to Élise with both hands. Be careful, you have to practice regularly, it's the only way to learn.

Change scenery

You have changed… your life is notthe same, you don't feel like going out less, you know all the TV series and the cleanliness of your house sometimes leaves something to be desired… As you spend more and more time there, it could be good to make your environment more pleasant.

Do not hesitate to consult several decoration sites before buying anything. When you have a general idea of the kind of decor you are interested in, you can start making some changes. Sometimes it's all about simplifying things to lighten up a decor. You don't need to spend a fortune, simply rearranging your cupboards and moving furniture can allow you to externalize the wind of change that lives in you.

If you feel like it, painting white, cleaning up, putting away some knick-knacks, rearranging your paperwork, buying things to store your jewelry and shoes will give you a nicer overall picture. You can also buy a centerpiece, such as a mirror, a canvas, a new table or a new sofa that will catch the eye and give your home a new look.

Finally, open your eyes, look around you and have fun doing what really interests you. We are only giving you a few examples, but you can travel if your budget allows it, you can also learn Spanish, learn to sew, to knit, it's up to you to have fun since it's YOUR leave and your baby will be happy to watch his active and smiling mom createso pretty things.