athomemom

JUST A QUICK NOTE: I´ve been getting some notes saying that packages haven´t arrived (most seem to have been sent out around the same time). I did send all my swaps, but if you haven´t received anything yet, PLEASE NOTIFY ME. I will resend, as it appears that there was a problem with the post office here. The joys of living in a third world country. :P

I´m a Canadian expat living in Guatemala, so that means that my packages might take a bit to get to you and vice versa. It doesn´t mean I haven´t sent it if you don´t get your swap package in a week . . . please contact me before leaving bad feedback.

Also, larger packages tend to get stuck in customs, so although I don´t plan to join any swaps with large items, keep in mind that large envelopes or small packets will come through a lot easier.

Ok, on to fun stuff. I am a mom of two little boys, 4 months and 21 months old. They are half Guatemalan, since my husband is Guatemalteco, but are learning both English and Spanish . . . Spanish is the predominant language in our household. I try to speak only English with the boys, but with my husband it is just Spanish.

I´m a freelance writer by profession. I write web content and have an article site where I sell PLR articles. In addition, I like to blog and currently have three active blogs and one that needs reviving!

We are in the middle of building a house at the moment. We have two rooms done, which will eventually be the master bedroom and the boys´ room, the kitchen/living room is only half-done. My older son (nearly 2) is an avid firetruck enthusiast, so their room will be decorated like a fire station, toys that involve cars, trucks or fire stations are a big hit around here!

I love nature and really enjoy living in a tropical country where we can buy very fresh fruit and veggies for pennies. We are not vegetarian and not particularly green, but I do try to be mindful of the environment.

No pets here. We had dogs in the past, but truthfully, the chaos around here is enough with two little boys . . . we don´t need any more living beings added to the mix!

My husband is a musician and stays home during the day to look after the children while I write (he recently left his teaching job to do this), then plays gigs at night. He often has to travel, so can be away for entire nights or even several days.

I´m a major coffee lover, also enjoy teas and any other kinds of drinks, especially hot ones! Even in the tropics, it gets chilly at night.

Things I love to do . . .

Sewing - especially baby stuff because it is quick and easy and so cute, but I want to get started on a fire truck quilt for my toddler.

Cross-stitch - I love doing cross-stitch projects, especially Christmas ornaments. Current projects include stockings for each of my boys and some ornaments for the tree.

Painting - Watercolor, specifically. I´ve even sold some of my paintings to tourists around here (I tend to paint portraits of local indigenous people), but it´s not a proper business.

Crochet - I learned to crochet just a few years ago from a student that I taught English to. Mostly, I made handbags (which I also sold) until my sons were born. Since then, I have taken to making baby hats and little jackets.

I enjoy learning new things, pattern and craft books or magazines are always welcome. If you have a craft that isn´t listed here, please feel free to teach me!

I am a HUGE fan of Supernatural, but in general I don´t watch a lot of series. In fact, I enjoy watching cooking shows, home decorating and reality TV.

Shows I watch occasionally: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, House, CSI, Psych, Top Chef, Jericho, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Project Runway, America´s Next Top Model . . .tv is rather mixed up down here, we get the first season when the third one has already started in the US, so I usually try to watch online if something really interests me.

Favorite colors: BLUE, red, black and dark green

Things I would LOVE to receive:

-Cute or interesting candy molds

-Cookie cutters of any description

-Any reading material in English (old magazines are perfect!)

-Twizzlers

-Paper stuff, for making cards, etc. or punches, stamps, etc.

-Yarn or crochet cotton

-Anything chocolate or coffee related

-Firetruck/station stuff for my son, nearly 2 (literally anything, prints, fabric, toys, etc. His room is going to be fire station themed).

-Crochet patterns, hooks, especially larger ones which aren´t available here (we get 0 and below)

-Earth toned stuff for my living room/kitchen

-Stamps, embossing powder (again, not available here)

-Funky magnets for the fridge

-Funky tacks for my bulletin board

-Sheet music for my hubby

-Drawing supplies

-Elegant or fun hair accessories - my hair is fairly long

-Cute buttons for kids´ clothing

-Iron on stuff for decorating children´s clothes

-Fun ribbons and trims, sewing accessories

-Leaf or nature themed items for my bedroom

-Gardening tips and ideas

-Necklaces, I love silver and handcrafted stuff

-Anything that smells nice, candles, lotions, body wash, etc. My favorite smells are vanilla, lavander and sandalwood, but I pretty much like anything that smells pretty! In a house of men, feminine scents are rare!

-Embroidery floss/cross-stitch kits

-Cross-stitch stocking kits (love those really elegant snowy night scene ones, but can´t get them here)

Here is a list of stuff I am NOT interested in:

• Pink stuff

• Earrings . . . I don´t have pierced ears.

• Big stuff that will have to be in a large box, meaning it gets stuck in customs and may never arrive

• Glass things . . . they will most likely break in transit, the post office here is really rough.

• Anything perishable, stuff takes up to 3 months to arrive, depending on people´s whims (don´t worry, unless you have a "no send", I will wait at least 3-5 months before giving you a bad rating, if something doesn´t arrive! :D

• Religious items . . . I believe in God, but I´m not religious.

I am a huge fan of reading, but it´s hard to get English reading material for a decent price down here.

I´m particularly interested in how-to books and pattern books, because I like to learn new things. But, for relaxing, I LOVE reading novels. I like young adult novels, anything with vampires or werewolves, science fiction (Isaac Asimov is a favorite, John White, too), fantasy (Lord of the Rings!), mystery, action, horror (John Saul, etc.), and pretty much anything else you can think of, lol.

Cookbooks are another big favorite, because they are virtually impossible to find in English.

Harry Potter is my dream book series . . . I read up to book four before I came to Guatemala, and now I can´t get any of them. Would love to read them to my boys when they are a bit older . . . so if you have a ratty old copy that you don´t want anymore, I´d be thrilled!