like a hamster on a wheel

meant to be

2012-02-14T08:33:00.003-04:00

True love is when not only did you and your husband buy each other the same card for Valentine's Day, but the punch line on the inside of the card is about couponing.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours xo

10 years

2012-02-13T07:28:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago on this day, I was…

... in high school. Grade 12, to be specific. I was a senior, anxious to get on with my life and terrified of the prospect. Oh man, if I could only have known then what I know now. If I could, I'd tell the 17 year old me that it's all going to work out. Despite one particular university rejection letter, a couple stressful breakups, and getting laid off ... twice. I would tell her to save more of that student loan money so she wouldn't have to pay it back later. I'd remind her say yes to as many unique opportunities as she can. I'd insist that she worry less about body image and focus more on being healthy. I might even give her a hint about the love that was waiting around the corner and about how motherhood would change her forever.

It's hard to believe that this summer we'll mark our 10 year reunion, and I'll celebrate 10 years of being a Haligonian. Time really does fly when you're having fun.Where were you 10 years ago?

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

mark it on your calendar

2012-02-02T06:45:00.000-04:00

You no longer need plans for Valentine's Day.

It's back. February 14.

You're welcome.

try it tuesday: laying tile

2012-01-31T07:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I'll be damned. It's Try it Tuesday.

In our ongoing adventures in home ownership, we had to tackle the landing at our back door. The linoleum there was just plain yucky. Our plan: cheap and easy. Enter Traffic Master groutable vinyl tile.

One box was more than enough. The tiles, while they look like ceramic, are actually vinyl. That means we were able to cut them with a utility knife, rather than having to rent a tile cutter. The great thing about these tiles, though, is that they're super thick and tough, so they resemble ceramic completely, but there more forgiving when you walk on them and don't get as cold.

Since we were dealing with a small space, we just arranged the tiles a few times (with the backing still on) until we were happy with the general placement. Then we removed the backing and stuck each tile in place over the old floor. We used plastic spacers to give a 1/8 inch space on all sides for grout.

Husband did a fantastic job trimming all sides so they fit the wall perfectly (with many thanks to the school board for giving him a snow day on which to do the work).

I don't have an official before photo, but please journey back up to the first photo to note the difference between the grungy grey-blue from before, and this after:

We are beyond happy with the way it turned out and would highly recommend this to reno novices like us.

yawn.

2012-01-26T08:46:00.001-04:00

It's 8:30 am, and I've already been awake for five hours. FIVE. How does that make you feel? It makes me feel like I need another cup of coffee.

Jacob is getting molars, and if I ever said I understood what a teething baby was like, you should've slapped me, because frankly, I had no idea. He jumps between his normal happy-go-lucky self, to completely inconsolable, to sheer exhaustion from dealing with the discomfort.

And I know it's worse for him than it is for me, but I'm starting to feel like a walking zombie. I'm not a fan of complaining about lack of sleep because I chose to become a parent, and sleep deprivation was in the fine print. But commiserate with me for just a sec. I'm tired.

So I'm looking for advice, helpful hints and anything else you can throw my way. What are your favourite teething tactics and remedies?

5 to 2

2012-01-25T08:44:00.000-04:00

Enter this scene as Husband and I discuss baby names.

DISCLAIMER: Not pregnant. Our bro-sis-besties are giving us a new nephew, and a good friend is having a girl, both in April, so babies are top of mind.

Me: I really like E********* (names have been hidden to protect from name stealers).

Husband: Me too. Maybe our kids initials could spell a word. J ... E ... Jello!

Me: Oh, so we're having five kids now, are we?

Husband: Hmm. How about Je? It's French.

another monday

2012-01-23T20:02:00.000-04:00

What a weekend. We did nothing and everything all at once. It all started with a snow storm. We were planning to visit family, specifically this weekend in honour of our sweet niece's second birthday. Sadly though, we were kept back by the weather.

Ah that snow. It's the kind that crunches under your boots and almost doesn't seem real because it's so sparkly. As much as I can detest winter, I can't bring myself to hate the winter wonderland that our yard has become. Maybe I love it too because it's on our yard. We were out and about plenty this weekend, but the time we spent in under (and around) our little roof was just perfect. Playing outside, rearranging furniture, cooking and baking, laughing and hiding and finding and laughing some more. We did errands, went on a wonderful play date, got lots done and spent lots of glorious time doing nothing.

the current

2012-01-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

listening CBC.
eating pumpkin cranberry scone.
drinking coffee.

wearing a bracelet I forgot I owned.
feeling ambitious.
weather c-c-cold.
wanting a power nap.
needing to do laundry.
thinking constantly.
enjoying wearing winter hats.
creating birthday cards.
pondering décor.
loving my boy's mischievous laugh.
anticipating the weekend.

the day our tub became a toilet

2012-01-18T15:44:00.001-04:00

Husband: Wife?
Me: Yeah?
Husband: Can you come here? [... he asks from the bathroom, where he's scrubbing up the toddler.]
Me: Just a sec; I'm in the middle of something.
Husband: No, nowww.
Me: [annoyed] Agh, what is so important?

Then I round the corner to see Husband, holding up our dripping-wet son over the tub. Toddler grinning from ear to ear. Husband raises his eyebrows, glances down, and nearly drops the soaking kid as he busts a gut laughing.

Me: Oh. My. God.
[Trying to keep a straight face.]
Me: Jacobbb! What did you do?!
[Cracking up at the look on J's face, to which we all completely laugh out loud.]
Me: Guess daddy's got some fishing to do!

Moms, please tell me, after this happened once, did it happen again? I'm really hoping he doesn't decide use the tub as his own impromptu version of potty training.

no-spend week: attempt #1

2012-01-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

The very fact that this post has the word "attempt" in the title sort of foreshadows the ending, doesn't it?

This week, Husband and I decided to try a no-spend week. It's all part of wanting to save more in 2012. We usually don't spend too much during a work week anyway, but making it official made it feel more difficult for some reason.

We started Monday, which was easy. But by Tuesday, we had failed. On Day 2, Husband forgot his lunch at home, so he had to spend $5 to eat. Then, after work, I took J for his planned haircut. In all fairness, I took him on Tuesday because it was cheap day at a local shop and it only cost $10 with tip, but still, it cost money.

And then, knowing that we had already lost the no-spend game. I bought a coffee at work on Wednesday, because apparently I have no self-control. None.

* In all honesty, I started typing up this post on Wednesday, while the memory of my forbidden coffee still sat as an empty cup on my desk, and guilt overcame me.

As a result, Thursday and Friday? Both winners! So we had a no-spend three days. This really doesn't amount to anything in terms of our budget, but it did give me a bit of a rude awakening about how easy it really is to drop $20. Turns out, way too easy.

We're planning to give it a go again on Monday. The real premise is to not waste money on things we don't need, like purchased lunches and coffee, and also to thing twice about any spending ... if we want/need something on Monday and it's still important come Saturday, then we'll know better whether it's worthy of our hard-earned bucks.

link love

2012-01-13T15:24:00.000-04:00

Our carpet is in! Our carpet is in! Our carpet is in!

And by end-of-day tomorrow, it'll be in our house! Eeeeppp!

After going several rounds with a certain big, orange box store, our custom-ordered carpet is ready to be installed. I can't wait to do a proper before and after reveal.

Martha Stewart Living Wilderstein carpet in brook trout. Love.

Now ... accessories, coffee table, storage, TV (yay or nay?) ... so many decisions. I will be back for your opinions soon!

***

So many brilliant ideas!

A few new posts over at My Hectic Home: here, here, here and here.

Who knew?

This makes me drool.

Think I'll give this project a try.

***

What are you up to this weekend? Anything fun?

big boy haircut

2012-01-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

Who are you and what have you done with my baby?

what's on a mantel?

2012-01-10T19:54:00.000-04:00

Do you have a mantel? What's on it? Tell me, please, in detail. Because I can't figure out, for the life of me, what to do with mine.

Thoughts?

our casa

2012-01-04T21:40:00.000-04:00

I keep forgetting to formally introduce you to our new house.

She's warm, inviting and even has a sense of humour ... by way of wallpaper. But I'll get to that.

Our main level is exactly what we wanted: three bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, linen closet, broom closet, coat closet, open-concept living and dining areas, and an eat in kitchen with a pantry. Believe it or not, for a girl with a whole lot of cookbooks and gadgets, I actually have empty cabinets in my kitchen. Once things are just the way I want them, I'll give you a full-meal-deal tour. Until then, on to the renos.

So, when we moved in on December 9, we decided to only live on the main level in order to tackle some of the aspects we weren't so in love with in the finished basement.

The lower level of our back-split home featured floral wallpaper, country-scene border, dark, forest green trim and dark brown carpet. It's split into the following areas: play room, living room, laundry room, foyer and half bath. The remaining side of the basement, which is closed off by a door, houses our workshop, and the furnace and wood room.

There's nothing inviting about that (except for the amazing wood stove and brick surround, which you can't see in this picture anyway, so you are getting an accurate depiction of why I had. to. change. it. yesterday.)

Step 1: Peel the wallpaper. After living only 12 hours in our house, I decided to take the plunge and just grabbed a corner of the paper and start ripping. To my surprise, it came off with relative ease.

Hidden behind the smaller floral design was a layer of whoa-70s-inspired poppies. And honestly, if a wall of this paper had remained intact, I probably would've kept it. Sadly though, it all was ripped in the process, so was inevitably removed.

If you've ever peeled wallpaper before, you know that it isn't an easy feat that the best of times. The second layer was less than a picnic, but with generous assistance from friends and family, and a whole lot of elbow grease, we de-wallpapered, crack-filled, sanded, crack-filled some more, sanded some more, and finally* got to a place where we could re-paint.

Oh, and you may have noticed, we ripped up that terrible-awful-no-good-very-bad carpet, too.

A rare photo of Husband and his twin bro in matching T-shirts.

Picking colours was tough, but now that the walls are completed, I couldn't be happier with our choices. The walls in the play room, family room and foyer area are CIL's light taupe.

I wanted to do something different in the laundry area, and with inspiration from John and Sherry's grellow (green + yellow), I chose CIL's spring thaw.

It's a work in progress -- more after photos to come!

*Take the word finally with a grain of salt, of course, because we painted less than two weeks after moving day.

year in review

2012-01-01T11:56:00.000-04:00

January:
We travelled to Cape Breton to celebrate our niece Niamey's first birthday.

February:
We enjoyed a great visit from NB family and friends.
Jacob started using his big boy high chair and eating more solids.

March:
Jacob welcomed buddy Ethan Andrew to the world.
Jacob marked several milestones, including sitting up like a champ, learning to clap and his first haircut.
We celebrated Ayyam-i-ha over March Break in Cape Breton.

April:
Jacob cut his first tooth.
We spent Easter in New Brunswick with family.

May:
Jacob and I enjoyed our first Mother's Day.

June:
Jacob started crawling!
We travelled to Cape Breton to celebrate two good friends' wedding.
Jacob and Daddy celebrated Father's Day.
I got a new job at The Chronicle Herald.

July:
Husband turned 27.
Jacob got to stay home for two whole months with Daddy.

August:
Spent a week lake-side and pool-side with family in New Brunswick.
Jacob took his first steps.

September:
Spent the long weekend in Cape Breton with family.
We celebrated Jacob's first birthday!

October:
Husband and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary!
We carved pumpkins.

November:
I turned 27.
We put in an offer on a house, and it was accepted!

December:
We moved into our first house!
We spent the last week of the year with both sides of our big, happy family ... a perfect way to round out a wonderful 2011!

growing by the minute: 15 months

2011-12-18T07:13:00.006-04:00

I let the monthly updates slide after Jacob turned one. Now, to my utter disbelief, he is already one quarter through his second year.

Vital stats: At his check up last week, Jacob weighed in at 25 lbs and measured 81.5 cm, which puts him around the 75th percentile on the growth chart for his age.

Milestones & firsts: So many. Running, full tilt, with confidence; climbing furniture; adding words by the day to his vocabulary; befriending Scarley; started going to Miss Allie's House during the week; learned to identify head, hair, nose, ears, eyes, belly, feet, as well as objects, animals and a few colours; moved into a new house and a new room and has made himself quite at home ... I didn't realize how eventful the past three months have been!

Teeth: Nine and counting. We recently went through a tough week of teething, and now he has four in the front, on top, three in the front, on bottom, and two upper molars.

(Teeth are great for eating cake pop treats!)

Speech: I can't even begin to count how many words this kid says. He never. stops. talking. Which comes to great delight to people who love to point out who he gets that from coughmecough. Some of his most-often said and best understood include: hi, ball, dog, mama, daddy, hot, don't touch, I did it, no, please, water, apple, banana, oh wow, cheese, oh no, bottle, bath, guitar and the gamut of animal sounds, such as moo, woof woof and meow.

Zzzzzzz: Dare I put it in writing? Sleep is good. Very good. Generally, Jacob sleeps 12-13 hours per night without waking, though sore teeth or head colds wake him from time to time. His usual bedtime is around 6:30 p.m. He also takes a noon-time nap at Miss Allie's house each day, which can vary from 45 minutes to 2+ hours.

Om nom nom: Jacob likes most everything, but his tastes vary depending on the day. Recently, he was on a huge pb&j kick, on everything from English muffins to tortillas. He loves all veggies, especially broccoli, and eats tons of quinoa and beans. He's certainly not a vegetarian though; he eats chicken like it's going out of style. Oh, and don't let him see a banana, or he'll pester you until he gets it.

Likes: Hide and seek, stacking towers and knocking them down, sitting in his chair, toting toys from room to room, trying to dress himself and playing outside.

Dislikes: Laying still to have his diaper changed. I seriously can't think of anything else. He's a pretty easy-going dude.

Challenges: Jacob had a bout with a fever and rash that made for a rough weekend recently. It's never fun when he's under the weather or uncomfortable.

Special moments: Here's one perfect example: one night, when J was teething and having a hard time getting to sleep, we brought him into our bed for some cuddles and he just snuggled in between us and went to sleep. He stayed there, snug as a bug, all night. Felt so good.

have i mentioned that i love being a home owner?

2011-12-15T11:55:00.001-04:00

I owe you a follow up to this post, wouldn't you agree?

We started with a dark room and we are in the progress of completing several intentions.

#1: Rip out that terrible, old, dark carpet. CHECK.
#2: Remove wallpaper throughout the basement. CHECK.*
#3: Choose paint colours. Paint. HALF CHECK.**
#4: Have new carpet laid.***
#5: Put our feet up in front of the cozy wood stove.

* The wallpaper removal process seemed like a breeze, until we realized that the play room was still, in fact, papered. Under paint. What a mess. I couldn't bare the thought of leaving it that way. It's our home, I resolved, and it must be done completely, and done right. Well, after layers of paint thinner, wallpaper remover and loads of elbow grease on Husband's part, we've decided to crack fill and smooth it as best we can, and then paint over that sucker. I think it'll look pretty great once it's finished. And only I will know there's paper hiding under there. Well, and you'll know, too, but you won't tell, right?

** Paint has been selected and purchased! Yay! Now we just need to finish the job in asterisk No. 1 and we can move on to this satisfying stage.

*** Oh Home Depot. We are developing a love-hate relationship. It used to be all the former, but now I'm starting to drift toward the latter. We went in on Dec. 3 (yes, six days before we closed, because we're caraazay like that) and picked our carpet, paid the deposit and were told we'd hear back at the first of the week about a measurement appointment. Nada. Eight days later, the installer called on our quiet Sunday morning to announce that he would be there in 10 minutes. Super-awesome-advanced-notice-much? I was in my bathrobe and stayed dressed that way until he had come and gone. So, we promptly went into the store on Monday to pay our balance and book our installation. Three days later, still waiting. I'll keep you posted, but aim your eggs at HD until further notice.

ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

2011-12-13T11:56:00.003-04:00

Day 5 in the new house, and things are starting to look a little different ...

Behold, the BEFORE:

Horrible. Hideous border. Dark carpet. Even worse forest green on every bit of trim.

Then, the most wonderful thing happened ... Husband scraped off that border and took down the blinds ... and it was like a Christmas miracle:

Then up came one layer of carpet:

And then another:

Isn't this the most glorious pile of trash you've ever seen?

I wonder if the neighbours are starting to talk ...?

And this is only the beginning.

link love

2011-12-09T06:08:00.000-04:00

It's Friday! But more importantly, it's CLOSING DAY! The last 28 days have been a whirlwind (yes, that's all that spanned between the day we offered and the day we closed).

What you can't see here are the lovely mature trees in front, closer to the street. I love that yard. 16,000-square-feet of pure bliss, and it's all ours.

So, I think it goes without saying that we've got our weekend cut out for us. What are you up to?

***

I've been a busy be over at My Hectic Home:

Since our new home has a glass-top stove, I'm sure I'll be trying this soon.

How does your relationship score?

This is a great diy idea.

Yum! Adding these to my to-make list!

Craving Christmas 24/7? Listen to holiday music all day long.

financial bucket list

2011-12-07T07:54:00.001-04:00

Do you have a financial bucket list? Things you would do when and if you could save the money? I recently started reading Give Me Back My Five Bucks, a Canadian blog about finding financial independence, and it's given me inspiration to be even more aggressive about paying down debt.

Here are a few of the things on my personal financial bucket list:

1) Pay off debt as quickly and efficiently as possible. This includes student loans, two car payments and our new mortgage.

2) Create an emergency fund. Ideally, this would be enough funds to live for six months if something unimaginable happened.

3) Increase our retirement contributions. Who doesn't want to be set up to retire comfortably?

4) Increase our investment into education savings. Hopefully our children will pursue higher education and we want to be prepared to help them as much as we can with that.

These all seem quite logical, right? What are your financial priorities?

*Another huge bonus? Give me back my five bucks is hosting a great giveaway, so pop on over to learn more.

countdown to christmas

2011-12-03T06:40:00.002-04:00

I blogged for The Chronicle Herald on Wednesday about wanting to start a Christmas countdown tradition in our home. The idea that I liked best, of out all of the great ones I found on Pinterest, was a holiday activity for each day of December.

Here's what we're planning:

December 1: Sing Christmas songs.

~~December 2: Send letter to Santa here.~~

December 3: Bake Christmas cookies.

December 4: Watch Elf on CBC.

December 5: Colour Christmas pictures.

December 6: Make paper ornaments.

December 7: Take festive family photos.

December 8: Shop for stocking stuffers.

December 9: Send Christmas cards officially from our new address.

December 10: Deck the halls in our new home!

December 11: Watch Home Alone on CBC.

December 12: Make DIY Christmas gifts for friends.

December 13: Read Christmas stories.

December 14: Take an evening drive to look at Christmas lights.

December 15: Make paper snowflakes.

December 16: Go on a winter walk.

December 17: Do a good deed.

December 18: Build a snowman (weather permitting) or make an indoor version.

December 19: Make snow angels, inside or out.

December 20: Play outside.

December 21: Sip hot chocolate with candy cane stir sticks.

December 22: Read Christmas more stories.

December 23: Drive home for the holidays! Listen to lots of Christmas music along the way!

December 24-29: Celebrate Christmas with family.

December 30: Make a list of family plans and resolutions for 2012.

December 31: Stay up late, enjoy treats, and ring in the new year as a family.

five things

2011-12-01T07:12:00.000-04:00

Five things.

List five things we don’t know about you.

1) I can't iron. I hate to iron. I don't do it. Ever.

2) I can't watch violent movies.

3) I talk in my sleep. Often in full sentences.

4) I gave birth to Jacob naturally, without an epidural.

5) I've been pulled over twice for speeding. Received zero tickets.

Five things you’re knowledgeable about.

1) Cooking and baking. I am, by no means, an expert, but I love to try new things, so I'm always learning more.

2) Crafting and DIYing. I consider myself pretty creative and will try and project that comes my way.

3) The written word. I am an editor, after all. And yes, I know, the grammar on this blog isn't always to the letter of the English law, but this is my outlet. I'm allowed a few liberties.

4) Swimming, synchronized and otherwise.

5) Motherhood. I'm not going to pretend that I'm not learning as I go, but parenting takes up a surprising amount of brain real estate as of late.

Five things you know nothing about.

1) Football. I've been taught before, but I can't seem to retain all the rules.

2) Math beyond add, subtract and multiply. Don't ask me how to do long division.

3) Harry Potter, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.

4) Current music, besides what's repeated over and over on my morning commute.

5) Gardening. I'm an absolute brown thumb. Don't tell the homeowner police, but I am likely going to destroy my yard.

And five things you believe.

1) I truly believe everything happens for a reason.

2) I believe in my instincts.

3) I believe in the good in people.

4) I believe in love. It is the glue of the strongest bonds in my life.

5) I believe in karma and the Golden Rule.

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

house & home

2011-11-29T08:31:00.011-04:00

As I leaked in my 30 by 30 post - we are now home owners! As of our December 9 closing, at least. 10 sleeps, if you're counting. I already shared a bit of the story here.

We started the search a few months ago, initially browsing MLS and ViewPoint, and then we contacted our Realtor. Our intention was to start looking to get a sense of what we liked, and then but the plan into motion after the holidays. 18 boring houses later, and we unexpectedly found ourselves standing in the living room of the house that just felt like home. The layout is exactly what we wanted, spacious and open. Three bedrooms for our little family with the potential to add a fourth in the already-finished basement. It has curb appeal and a big yard, with lots of room to play and entertain. And it's not perfect either. There's some wallpaper to strip, and floors to swap and little updates here and there, but those things might be what we're most excited for-- to make our little home our own.

With moving day less than two weeks away, we've already packed a significant amount of our current home into boxes and bins. I spend all of my free time pinning, searching and jotting notes in a lengthy Google Doc, keeping track of our to-dos and must-buys.

On the list of priorities after Dec. 10:

Install new (just purchased!) dining room chandelier and fire place sconces.
Strip wallpaper downstairs. Repaint.
Work on updates to J's big boy room.
Put a happy wreath on our new front door.

Looking forward to giving you the full tour once we're in and settled!

black friday link love

2011-11-25T06:49:00.003-04:00

Good morning!

Happy belated turkey day to all of my lovely American family and friends. I must admit, I'm jealous, because I know some fabulous cooks south of the border who, I'm sure, put on some pretty drool-worthy meals yesterday.

If you're marking Black Friday today, good luck to you. Just thinking about the whole thing makes me a bit overwhelmed. As you know, I'm a fan of a deal, but whoa. Stay out of the Walmart electronics departments if you know what's good for you.

And now, I'm 27. Thank you so much to the friends and family who showered me with love yesterday, especially lovely friend A xo.

Still working on the Litwits book, and am certain I will be finished in time for Sunday's meeting. Even if it means staying up past my bedtime. Are you reading anything good lately? The next book on our list is Sarah's Key.

What are you up to this weekend?

***

I absolutely love this quilt pattern.

What a great idea to commemorate any big gathering.

I love this idea -- marking the days of December with Christmas stories.

Something I'm inspired to make from scratch.

A project I'm considering for our humble abode.

30 by 30

2011-11-24T08:15:00.000-04:00

Today, I turn 27. I don't dwell on age or the number. My year as a 26-year-old was pretty wonderful, and I'm looking forward to what life as a 27-year-old has to offer. In three years, I'm not going to have an ohmygodi'm30 freakout. It is what it is. Like a fine wine ... and all that.

I think we all have things in our minds that we intend to do in our 20s though. Some of my goals are time consuming, some are lofty. If I start now, I have a full 1,095 days to complete them. Doable.

30 by 30:

1) Eliminate half of my student loan debt. I have a chunk of student loan debt that needs to be paid.

2) Go down south for a week. This is something Husband and I have never done, and we'd love to do something like this together. Maybe for a 30th birthday celebration?

3) Volunteer for something that makes a difference. I'm not sure what this is going to be yet, but I'd like to use some of my spare time to contribute to something bigger than myself.

4) Grow my little family. I'm not going to comment on when this will happen or how many more children we would like to have, lets just say we're hoping/planning to give J at least one sibling.

5) Invest more. We have some of these adult things set up already, but I'd like to increase our contributions to better plan for our future.

6) Join a book club. I know this is kind of cheating because I did this already, but it really was one of my goals. I love our little club!

7) Try a new activity. Last year, I went to zumba for the first time and it was a lot of fun. I've always been curious about pilates. I will enrol in a new activity.

8) Take a cooking class. I love to cook and bake, but I've never had any professional lessons. I'd love to take a class to learn some new tips and tricks.

9) Buy a house. SURPRISE! This one is already finished, too! More on that soon!

10) Write more. Obviously I write plenty, between my weekly column gig, this ol' blog and various smaller projects like J's baby journal (which I don't update nearly as much as I'd like). I want to write more ideas down as they come to me, and in whatever form they take. I want to write more snail mail to friends and family to brighten their days. I want to be more creative/inspired/funny/interested.

11) Learn to use my SLR camera. It's a shame that I haven't cracked the manual on the camera we've owned for more than three years. I will make the most of that. Soon.

12) Buy adult furniture. Our couch and love seat are the kind you buy when you're just starting out. They served their purpose. Now it's time for an upgrade.

13) Read all of my hard-cover classics. I own 14 of them and have only read a few so far.

14) See more of the world. Visit one new province and one new state. It's all about keeping the goals realistic.

15) Take a course that will make me better at my job. I could refresh and learn more about Photoshop, or try some new software like InDesign or Illustrator.

16) Take a road trip with girlfriends. Shopping, anyone? Boston? Montreal?

17) Make yoga part of my regular routine. I love yoga, but often don't make enough time to practice. By 30, I'd love to be attending regular weekly classes.

18) Build something. With wood and nails and everything.

19) Donate blood. I've tried to do this years ago, but as a new vegetarian my iron was too low and I was denied the opportunity. I have a much better handle on my diet as an adult and I'm sure I would be eligible now.

20) Edit our wedding videos. These are now on three un-edited discs. I want to combine them and add some subtitles so we have a lasting time capsule of that wonderful day.

21) Dye my hair. I've done this many times in the past, but haven't done it for years. Then, just yesterday, a co-worker pointed out, "hey, you really do have grey hair!" ... yeah. So by 30, I fully expect to be a hair dye regular.

22) Attend my 10-year high school reunion. Next year. Where does the time go?

23) Do a 10k run. I've run a 5k since running the half marathon in 2010, so I don't see why I couldn't practice a bit more and run double.

24) Plant flowers and landscape my yard with success. I didn't say I could do it without help.

25) Dust off my trumpet. I remember the basics, but that doesn't mean it's going to sound good.

26) Try surfing. I'm sure I'll be as uncoordinated at surfing as I am at dancing, but it's worth a try.

27) Institute an actual moisturizing routine. Just because I don't mind ageing doesn't mean I'm just going to let myself go. This also includes never forgetting sunscreen again.

28) Sew more. Maybe even try some patterns. (Sorry, HH!)

29) Get CPR and first aid certification. Good skills for anyone, especially a mama.

30) Be thankful for my family and friends every day.

life as i know it

2011-11-21T07:36:00.000-04:00

This post by Melissa at Dear Baby made me think about the old days. The time of my life when I only had to worry about myself, when I didn't have a family to care for, a child who is my life's greatest responsibility. Made me wonder if I made the most of that time. Did I go out often? Spend time with friends? Travel? Act spontaneously? Craft, cook, creative write? Did I do lots of things for me when my time was all my own? I'm not sure. It's hard to look back, from the perspective I now have, and decide. What I do know for certain is that my life, as it is now, is beyond fulfilling.

Racing home from work to soak up every minute of awake time my boy has left before bath time, bottle and bed. Spending the time after that cleaning up splatters of supper off the floor from below his high chair and picking up toys and books scattered across the living room floor. Working on freelance to make a little extra for our family, and planning, scheduling, organizing so everything runs smoothly of all three of us. And it's hard work. A careful balancing act.

That doesn't count the things I try to do regularly for me -- like writing on this ol' blog, reading book club books, cooking and baking, and crafting. This weekend, I enjoyed lots of me time -- got a good start on the latest Litwits book, went out on a festive date to the parade of lights with a couple great gals, and spent some time crafting with a few other lovely friends. Weekends like this put life into real perspective -- I've got it good.

Some days it's tough. Sometimes it brings out my less-than appealing side when stress and fatigue take over. But I do try my best to keep it all in check, letting the little things roll off and meeting the big things head on.

As noted in Melissa's post, we are doing important work -- raising kids, nurturing relationships, keeping life going well from day to day. It's not always easy or glamourous or fun. But it's important. And always worth it.

lest we forget

2011-11-11T08:23:00.001-04:00

*For locals, here is a list of where to go for ceremonies this morning. Note changes in locations.

mid-week link love

2011-11-09T12:23:00.005-04:00

My saved links are overflowing with goodies that I've been wanting to share. I know I've been slacking lately, due to other blogging commitments, but I will be back soon, in full force. Promise!

How brilliant is this?!

And how cute are these?!

Can I just say that I aspire to have a house that is this beautiful.

I appreciate this sweet sentiment.

When we buy a house, I plan to give this project a try.

Ah, a topic every mother has in common.

my batman

2011-11-01T12:19:00.004-03:00

Dear Jacob,

It's really hard to believe that you have been entertaining us long enough now that we are marking your second experience with holidays, like Halloween. You were a great Batman, even though you refused to wear the special mask I made for you.

I love giving you treats and you devoured the mini areo bar I gave you to try. You ran up to the door every time the bell rang, greeting our trick or treaters with "hi, hi, hi" and lots of waves. It's so fun to see you interact with other kids.

I'm glad you had such a fun time at Miss Allie's house, too, with all of your friends.

I'll put each of these moments in my memory bank and keep them always.

Love,

Muma

link love

2011-10-28T11:41:00.003-03:00

I'm heading out of town this weekend for shopping with some of my lady relatives, and my list is longgg. I'm imagining that I could potentially complete my Christmas shopping this weekend. In October. Whoa. That would be impressive, no? I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm not actually taking the dude shopping with me,

but I saw this ridiculous image here,

and just thought it was too over the top not to share.

Thennn, on my way home, I'm stopping to visit HH and her lovely family in their dream house, and I can barely wait!

And then, I suppose, I should work on some blogs ... both here and there. As per usual, I'm sure the weekend is going to fly by. Do you have any fun plans?

***

This organization is inspiring. Based on how much J loves his Lego Duplo, I'll need this solution for myself one day soon.

You know I heart coupons. Read all about it here.

Pinterest Challenge time! Will you participate?

Installing zippers never seemed so easy.

What a great gift idea ... must try!

Thinking this would be a fun alternative for the Litwits. Read any great articles lately?

try it tuesday

2011-10-25T06:51:00.000-03:00

This is sort of a cheating Try it Tuesday, but it's something that I tried, that was fun, so I had to share. I just found such a fun online tool that is completely free -- thanks to You Are My Fave. It's called Photoboother.com, and basically you can upload photos and it transforms it into a photo strip for you, just like this:

Give it a try!

a big, fat not me monday

2011-10-24T12:55:00.002-03:00

See my latest Not Me Monday here.

house hunters

2011-10-23T07:34:00.000-03:00

Lovely friend H bought the house of her dreams last week. So, the fact that I've been surfing MLS non-stop for the past week or so can be squarely blamed on her.

We love where we live now, but ultimately there are restrictions to a renter's life ... no planning big renos, no building equity, no ... well, ownership. We've done little projects here and there, but I have the decorating/organizing/diy itch often, and there's only so much you can do in someone else's casa.

We're surveying our options and counting our pennies, just in preparation for the inevitability. This isn't the first time we've started on this road, but who knows, maybe it'll end differently this time.

So, I put these questions to you, dear readers, and am happily accepting any and all advice in these matters:

1) Detached vs. semi-detached? I admit that I am already very set on this matter, but I will open it to the floor anyway.

2) Fix-er-upper vs. new construction?

3) Oil heat vs. electric heat?

4) Subdivision (0.2 acre) vs. more rural (1+ acres)?

5) What are your top "red flags" when it comes to viewing houses?

Thanks, in advance.

link love

2011-10-21T07:30:00.000-03:00

Happy Friday, friends!

The sun has come out from behind a record 104 mm of rain yesterday. A few fun plans this weekend -- TV night with friends, celebrating a lovely friend's birthday, and a brunch meeting with the LitWits. What are you up to?

***

My Hectic Home: Dinner without the to-do

My Hectic Home: Mum carves the pumpkin

Check out a bunch of fun links here, especially the printables

I'm inspired by these creative pumpkin ideas

Great ways to go green

A must-try local recipe

Exciting news (finally made public!) from a lovely friend

22 things i've never done

2011-10-19T08:34:00.000-03:00

I am 26 years old.

And I've never:

1) Made a prank call.

2) Travelled further west than Ottawa.

3) Owned a dog.

4) Kept a hanging basket alive for an entire summer.

5) Been able to dance comfortably in a crowd.

6) Completely understood the rules of football.

7) Done pilates.

8) Been carried over the threshold.

9) Watched any Star Wars movies.

10) Been a contestant on a game show.

11) Gone scuba diving or snorkling.

12) Bought an entire outfit full price.

13) Bought a house.

14) Waxed my car.

15) Eaten an egg, scrambled, boiled or fried. Eww.

16) Read a book in one day.

17) Mastered driving a standard.

18) Successfully water skied.

19) Been to NYC.

20) Liked Tim Horton's coffee.

21) Baked a pie from scratch.

22) Met a carb I didn't like.

What are some things that you have yet to do?

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

new blog

2011-10-17T06:30:00.000-03:00

I have something fun to share with you, friends. Starting this weekend, I have a new, professional blogging gig! In addition to being an editor for The Chronicle Herald, I am now also blogging twice a week in the Homes section. My new online column is called My Hectic Home and will feature content not unlike what you're used to seeing here. I hope you have a chance to come by and see what's new each Monday and Thursday!

stuff breaker

2011-10-16T08:49:00.000-03:00

I'm having a problem with Husband. He keeps breaking my stuff. I'm not joking.

The list now includes:

- my favourite extra large ceramic bowl

- my Just Us travel mug

- my cookie jar

- the lovely white clock in our guest bathroom

- plus he dumped out my new house plant because "it was just a flower and was going to die anyway" ... ah, no! It was a plant that would last ~~forever~~ as long as I kept it alive.

What's a gal to do?*

*Yes, I am writing this to tease Husband. But yes, he has really broken all of these things. Good thing he's cute.

my little pumpkin

2011-10-14T06:28:00.000-03:00

10 things

2011-10-13T07:40:00.001-03:00

A list of ten things you should never ask your spouse.

1) Wife to husband: Do I look fat? Really, it is completely pointless, because any man who values his sanity is always going to say, "No, of course not!" Even if you beg for the truth, he's still going to say no.

2) Why do you love me?

3) How much do you love me?

4) Husband to wife: Are you PMSing?

5) Husband to wife, while eating a lovingly prepared dinner: Did you follow a recipe?

6) Wife to Husband: What are you thinking? I ask Husband this question all the time. He hates it. He usually says, "nothing" when I'm really looking for something.

7) Any question that criticizes your ~~wife's~~ spouse's driving.

8) Are you going to wear that?

9) Wife to Husband: Is your hair getting thinner?

10) Do you really know what you're doing? The true answer is usually no, but if when asked this question, the askee suddenly feels the insatiable need to prove the asker wrong. In my experience, this usually doesn't turn out well.

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

my first vlog: accents

2011-10-04T07:24:00.001-03:00

Please pardon the air-dried state of my hair as you watch the following clip. It also didn't occur to me, apparently, to turn on a lamp. This is my first foray into vlogging. A few of my favourites, including Amy and Leah, played along with this prompt, and I thought I'd throw my voice into the mix.

So what's the verdict? Do I have an accent? Do you use different words?

Here's the list of words and the questions if you want to give this a try:

Say these words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

Now answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

meatless monday

2011-10-03T06:27:00.000-03:00

The recipe swapping with lovely friends A and K continues. We traded last Monday — K offered up butternut squash and pear soup, and A made veggie chili. Here's what I made, one of my personal faves and something new ...

I love falafels, and this recipe is the best I've tried. I think it's the fresh cilantro. So tasty.

Baked Falafel
Makes about 21 balls

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I press my garlic; I find the flavour is distributed better this way)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (I don't use fresh in this case because I never have it; I use dried instead)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (Fresh is a must here)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (Fresh squeezed is preferable here, too)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander (I skip this because I'm not a fan)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Then, to accompany the falafels, I made homemade tortillas for the first time. I found this recipe via Suzie the Foodie.

2 cups flour (I used half white and half whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening or 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used the shortening option)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup warm water or 1/2 cup milk (may possibly need to add more, up to 3/4 cup) (I used warm water)

Sift the flour, salt & baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Into the dry ingredients, cut in the shortening, or add oil if you are using this option, & mix with your fingertips to combine.

Add the milk or water, working the liquid into the dough until a sticky ball forms. Wrap in plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 8-10 balls (for small tortillas) or 6-8 balls for larger ones, cover them again with the damp cloth.

Lightly dust a counter with flour and roll out each ball of dough into a circle or oval approximately 1/4" thick. If you want nicely rounded tortillas, trim off any ragged edges and discard.

Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Cook the tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until the dough looks dry & slightly wrinkled & a few brown spots form on both surfaces. Do not over cook or they will be hard. Roll up and wrap in damp tea towel to keep warm as you cook the other tortillas.

These were easy to assemble, but cooking them was definitely a two-man job — Husband rolled them out while I tossed them in and out of the pan. Keeping them in the damp towel is definitely important, and they seem to continue to cook within the steamy wrap. Not something I'll make on a regular basis, mostly because it'd be tough to not eat them all.

Have you cooked any new meatless meals lately? Share with the class.

nerd alert

2011-10-02T18:57:00.005-03:00

Oh man, you guys, something has changed my life and I'm so excited to share.

I got a new household appliance on Friday. I hesitate to call it that though, because I'm pretty much ready to make it an honourary member of the family. It's a Black and Decker Steam Mop.

I have been in the market for a steam mop for a while, but there are so many to choose from. Just about every cleaning brand has their own version, and they're all quite similar. I knew for sure though that I wanted one that boasts the ability to kill 99% of germs on your floors. With a baby and a cat who like to ~~lick~~ get up close and personal with the hardwood, the idea of cleaning without chemicals was pretty appealing.

I decided on the Black and Decker mop after reading a great review by Mag Ruffman in my newspaper's Homes section. I then read several blog posts recommending it, too. I was convinced, and I'm happy to say it's everything I hoped it would be.

Pros:

- It heats up in seconds. The light on the front changes from red to blue when it's ready to go.

- It comes with three washable pads — no need to buy any expensive refills.

- It runs on water alone. No chemicals.

- The swivel head rotates so easily around edges and in corners.

- I could instantly see how much cleaner it makes the floor.

Con:

- I really can't think of anything. If I had to say something, I guess it's that I now have another appliance to store, but it's still more convenient and cleaner than a traditional mop and bucket.

Plus, listen to this:

Me: Oooo it's awesome! Husband, do you want to try it?

Husband: [thinks about having to do another chore] No ... knock yourself out.

Me: [happily steaming the floor] Ahh this is so satisfying, and easy! Look how clean the floor is!

[Five minutes later]

Husband: OK, can I try now?

Any appliance that can make Husband ask to do an extra chore is worth its weight in gold, wouldn't you agree?

new do

2011-10-01T18:17:00.004-03:00

I don't know what is more foolish, blogging about getting my hair cut and then not showing you how it turned out ... or posting photos of my haircut on my blog. Either way, let the ridiculousness begin:

Sort of a combo between styles No. 2 & 3. If you're local, pay a visit to Melissa Fox at Allure in Dartmouth; she's awesome.

link love

2011-09-30T07:18:00.001-03:00

It's almost the weekend! Can't you feel it? When I wake up on Friday mornings, I pop out of bed with a smile on my face. OK, that's not true. I still have to drag my groggy ass out of bed, but it's not as painful as the previous four mornings! That's got to count for something!

We're staring down the barrel at three days of rain, so our festival frolicking has been put on the back burner in favour of indoor activities. And baking. I love to bake when it's rainy or snowy outside.

***

A different take on the "How to talk to girls" article.

A discussion about giving credit where credit's due.

Some reminders on ways to save money, here and here.

I think I will make some of these for Thanksgiving this year. Aren't they cute?

Happy weekend, friends!

all in the family

2011-09-30T06:55:00.001-03:00

You may recall the last time I asked Husband a silly question.

Me: Husband, how much do you love me?

Husband: Umm ... [puts hand up, creates tiny space between tip of index finger and thumb] ... about this much less than I love Jacob.

Me: Gasp!

Husband: Oh come on ... if I asked you, the space would be even bigger.

Me: No comment.

if i didn't have to work

2011-09-29T07:48:00.002-03:00

10 things you would do if you didn’t have to work.

Just 10?

1) Stay home with my little dude. We'd have adventures, go swimming and take long walks. We'd visit the playground and go shopping and have lunch dates. We'd join mom-and-baby groups and classes and make lots of new friends.

2) I'd be oh so crafty. I'd try all of these, and then some.

3) Tackle lots of home-improvement projects. I'd have time to find thrift furniture to re-do and re-arrange each room often.

4) Send lots of emails and regular mail notes and cards. Given more time in my day, I'd stay in better touch with everyone I love.

5) I'd occasionally spend all day in my pjs.

6) I'd freelance. I'd get to pick and choose my projects and write for me.

7) I'd read so many books. I'd fly through my book-club books and read several more in between.

8) I'd cook and bake until my freezer was overflowing. I'd try new recipes and experiment with different techniques. I'd probably take a cooking class, too.

9) I'd exercise more. I admit that I wouldn't go to the gym, but I'd swim and do yoga daily.

10) Sometimes, I'd put my feet up and watch guilty-pleasure tv and movies on the couch. All day.

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

hair today, gone tomorrow

2011-09-27T07:15:00.002-03:00

I have an apology, and it is two-fold.

Firstly, I'm sorry for this inexcusably lame post title.

Secondly, I'm about to bore you with something extremely trivial.

I'm getting a hair cut. I had mid-back length hair for a while, which was perfect for maternity-leave, hair-pulling-baby-inspired ponytails. Then, when I started back to work and decided that my frizzy updo wasn't exactly professional, I got a just-above-the-shoulders bob. And now, I'm a teensy bit obsessed with short styles.

It's been eight whole weeks since my last cut and, without the help of my trusty flat iron, I'm starting to look like a sideshow clown. Not even one of the fancy clowns under the big top who everyone loves. The sideshow.

So, I'm looking at a few new ideas for cuts and I thought I'd share some pics with you.

#1: Whoa, that's short. I've never had my hair this short before, and I'm not really sure I'm brave enough for it either. But this looks great on Ginnifer Goodwin.

#2: Shorter bob. Two questions though: 1) What will this look like in brunette? 2) Can my mop be thinned enough to keep my head from looking like a Q-tip?

#3: The inverted bob. Sis-in-law A is the inspiration because she's been rocking this style for years.

#4: Please try to overlook the fact that this is Paris Hilton. I doubt my ability to keep these bangs under control.

Have any short haircut advice?

it's officially fall in my world

2011-09-26T16:03:00.002-03:00

The perk of having a thoughtful husband who reads your blog ...

Pumpkin Spice Latte. Delivered.

link love: happy monday

2011-09-26T06:02:00.000-03:00

It was a busy weekend full of birthdays, baptisms, and a whole lot of cupcakes. I dug out my fall decorations this weekend, and despite anyone's objections, I might pick up some gourds today. No, it isn't too early for gourds. And since I'm feeling so festive, I think I'll get my first pumpkin spice latte of the season, too.

This week I'm getting a massage AND a haircut! It's like I've won the over-scheduled lotto because there are two "me" things on the books. Hoorah!

Happy Monday, friends!

***

I hate mornings as much as Amalah does.

Smartsource.ca is now offering printable coupons!

Speaking of fall decor, this post really makes me want to make some adorable little buntings.

I think I'll give these a try this week.

i am from

2011-09-22T22:33:00.000-03:00

I am from a box of note cards and stationary with love and wishes yet to be sent. I am from Moleskin books and lists on every page.

I am from the warm and snuggly. I am from wood-burning heat and candle light and crisp fall air.

I am from daisies and tulips, the yellower the better.

I am from pizza Fridays and lazy Saturday mornings in bed and hours of silliness and laughter. I am from my boy and my husband.

I am from the foolish and fun. I am from the wonderful moments and the lessons learned from tough times.

From being polite, sharing with others, always caring. From respect and honesty and empathy.

I am from a belief in God and faith in something bigger than myself. I am from purposeful prayer and meaningful hope.

I’m from the Maritimes, farm fresh veggies and strong cups of tea.

From my mother's apron and my father's workshop, the pride of my grandparents, and the smiles of my dearest friends.

I am from a bookshelf full of memories. Photographs keeping special moments caught in time. Reminders of everything important, providing some often-needed perspective.

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the Writers' Prompt. See the template for this exercise here.

one

2011-09-18T06:17:00.004-03:00

Dear Jacob,

You are the most amazing person I have ever known. The last year has been a privlidge, a challenge, an overwhelming experience, a joy, and the best of my life so far. You are clever and warm and curious and delicious. I hope that I have taught you and cared for you in the best way possible.

Happy Birthday, mister boy.

I love you with all my heart,

Muma

barely a baby anymore

2011-09-13T06:15:00.001-03:00

If you scroll way down to the bottom of this page, you'll see that there's a little ticker keeping track of Jacob's age. Today it says 11 months, three weeks and five days. Gulp. On Sunday, he'll be one year old. Why do I get choked up when I type that? I might be losing my mind.

Anyway, as we head into the final countdown to this very exciting day, I thought I'd share some of our baby faves of the past year. Things we love, things Jacob loves and the practical things that none of us could do without.

The Miracle Blanket. Truly a miracle. Jacob was always too strong to stay in even the tightest swaddle blanket, but the miracle blanket kept him contained, preventing him from flailing his arms and waking himself up.

Playtex VentAire Bottles. These are our lifesavers because they're the only bottles Jacob would tolerate. We tried many brands before settling on these ones and it's been smooth sailing since.

The Best Nursing Pillow Ever. I'm sad to say that I don't know the brand, since it has no tags, but it was purchased at the Cape Breton Baby Company and it is awesome.

Safety First Kirby Inflatable Tub. We originally had one of those big, moulded white tubs that are sold at any baby outlet, which worked great, but once Jacob was too long for it, we had to spend the time and waste the water to fill our tub up three inches for him to bathe. Plus, his little nekked butt slipped around everywhere. This inflatable alternative is great. It keeps him from standing up, he's more comfortable and safe, plus it doubles as a kiddie pool outside in the summer. Next time, we agree that we'll use this tub from day one. Also, between babies, we can deflate it and fold it up and out of sight.

Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n' Swing. This swing was awesome. Jacob loved to sway side to side or back and forth. He could be in it freely or swaddled. It was great for naps in the early days, or to be able to put him down comfortable for relaxed awake time. It's one of the big things we don't mind storing because we'll know we'll use it plenty next time.

And because this really got me thinking, here are a few things we never used:

Baby towels. You can get the boy dried off much more efficiently by wrapping him up in a big, adult-sized bath towel.

Baby bathrobe. A big sorry to the wonderful person who bought it for us, but it was just something we didn't have much use for. And I think that person will agree that we'd rather see a nekked baby bum crawling around the house anyway.

Pee-Pee Teepee. While these things are super cute and pretty hilarious, they're really not useful for keeping that powerful stream under wraps. If you're going to get sprayed, you might as well grab that big bath towel for cover.

And since I'm still going, how about some things that are just so-so. We use it, but it's not awesome, and we might ditch it before the next baby comes:

Diaper Genie. Yes, it keeps the stink contained, but really, you could put them in a regular garbage can and take it out once a day. It's not a huge chore. Emptying and changing the bag system in the Diaper Genie is more of a pain, plus the inserts cost extra moolah.

An actual diaper bag. These bags are kind of a right of passage for new Mums. I get that. I had one and I loved it. Now though, I prefer to carry one of my own bags, most of which are plenty big enough for a few spare items like a couple diapers, small wipes case, a sippy cup and a baggie of snacks.

The Bumbo. We did like it, but Jacob was too big for it really early in life. Once he was semi-mobile, he had no interest in being confined in it, either. It's also awkward to transport or store. We'll hang on to it, for sure, but it's not something I'm really in love with.

OK, folks. Spill it. Baby stuff loves? Baby stuff hates? And ... go.

meatless monday

2011-09-12T21:57:00.000-03:00

I can't believe I've never done this before. My neighbour-friend K and Miss A (J's to-be babysitter in one week!) and I did a freezer-friendly veggie meal swap today. It's as simple as it sounds -- we all made three portions of a vegetarian dish that would freeze well, and this morning we all swapped, giving us each three ready-made meals. So today, I have spicy chic peas with rice for lunch (which I portioned into seven lunch-sized portions in the freezer - thanks, Miss A!) and we're having zucchini-eggplant lasagne for supper (thanks, K!). And the best part? I don't have to cook! Simply brilliant.

So here I share with you the recipe I made. These are my Gram's stuffed shells. Totally and utterly delicious. In the spirit of our low-fat-ish, vegetarian theme, I changed this up a bit from the original, and they were definitely just as tasty.

Stuffed Shells

One box of large shells (It doesn't take a whole box though; I used two boxes and made four pans of shells to freeze with approximately 22 shells in each portion)

Cook shells until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

Combine in a bowl:

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used low fat)

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (I used low fat)

1 container of ricotta (Again, I used low fat)

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I use the Italian kind because they're extra yummy)

1 egg

2 Tbsp. parsley

A few pressed cloves of garlic, depending on your taste

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

Stuff mixture into each shell.

1 jar of pasta sauce (I used a low calorie version -- blue label Our Compliments mushroom and garlic from Sobeys. For extra veg, I added a cup of grated zucchini and carrot to the sauce.)

Pour enough sauce into 9X13 baking pan to cover the bottom. Arrange stuffed shells in pan. Cover with remaining sauce. Bake at 375F for nearly an hour or until hot and bubbly all over.

So, so good.

(Photo here.)

Our swap worked so well that we're going to do it again in another two weeks! I'm thinking a Mexican dish next time. Have any freezer-friendly veggie recipes to share?

a productive summer come and gone

2011-09-10T10:39:00.000-03:00

I set a few goals for the summer months and, as far as I'm concerned, once school has started, we can pretty much consider summer officially ended. Here's a round-up of my efforts. What'd you get up to this summer?

1) Grocery shop less. I feel like I did well with this. I wasn't on a strict budget, but I tried to think about what we already had in our cupboards before going out to buy the things that I just wanted instead of needed. We got out to farmers' markets several times for fresh, local produce, which was part of this goal. Now, we're in the midst of revamping our family budget plan, so I'm trying to see how inexpensively the three of us can manage. There will be more to this as the month goes on. So far, a success!

2) Find more time to read. Enter The Litwits! Thanks to our new book club, I'm working on my second book in the past month and I also have a beach read going on the side.

3) Take Jacob to the beach and dip his toes in the ocean for the first time. Take millions of photos.

Here you go ...

4) Journey to visit family. This includes NB, CB and anywhere in between. Done and done! We had some wonderful time with family this summer and hope to visit even more this fall.

5) Go camping. This was a lofty goal with a less-than-one-year-old, and it didn't happen this summer. We're super excited to take him out as soon as it's warm enough next year, though!

6) Keep my hanging basket alive. All. Summer. I'll spare you the photographic evidence on this one. I'd lie, but I know my neighbour friend reads my blog and would rat me out. The basket is dead. Dry, crunchy, dead. Never to be revived. Maybe next year I'll fill it with artificial flowers.

7) Sleep in. Please. Just once. Jacob was a peach this summer and many times Husband and I woke up before he did, which qualifies as a sleep-in for us. Waking up on your own, naturally, and refreshed feels so good.

8) BBQ. A lot. We did. Again and again. We filled the propane tank for a second time this year and we will BBQ well into the fall.

9) Wash both cars inside and out. We did clean both cars already, and just recently gave the Kia a second vacuum and wipe down. Being down to one-car family, for a while made it simpler, but we're a two-car household once again and I'm making it my mission to keep "my" car spotless.

12) Purge. Success as shown here.

13) Fix the DIY curtains I made for the front door. I haven't done this yet, mainly because I still don't know what I want to do. Must hit Pinterest for ideas.

14) Do a few little home-improvement projects, like touch up some paint, etc. This was so easy. In less than an hour, we patched holes in the Gyp-rock and re-painted some spots. Plus, we exchanged our kitchen hardware, which made a huge difference.

15) Scrapbook (or come up with a reasonable alternative). Even though I still have lots of scrapbooking supplies, I've put them aside in favour of organized photo albums for now. Rather than doing a rushed job on our scrapbooks, our albums will serve to keep our memories until I have enough downtime to do it properly. I also cashed in Pampers Gift to Grow points for a free Shutterfly photo book of J's first year, which may be my forever alternative to scrapbooking — it's so easy!

What are your most important to-dos for fall?

link love #8

2011-09-09T11:23:00.003-03:00

The air's been cooler this week, and I'm not going to lie, I love it. There's nothing better than sleeping all warm and snuggly under the duvet with crisp fall air coming in the window.

Makes me crave one of these:

Have any fun plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to spend lots of time outside with my boy!

***

I'm so inspired by all of these all-natural, DIY cleaning product recipes.

Based on the sad state of the banana I just pulled out of my bag, I could really use one of these.

This really makes me want all white towels. So simple for washing!

Join me in sending out good vibes/love/prayers to this amazing little family.

Here's a definite must-make. Oh, by the way, sis-in-law C surprised me last weekend with all the ingredients for the pizza recipe I linked up last week and it was just as delicious as we imagined it would be!

Happy weekend, friends!

what are you hoarding?

2011-09-08T16:16:00.002-03:00

If you were a hoarder, based on your personality … what would you hoard? (better yet, ask someone who knows you well, what they think you would hoard).

I am probably the furthest thing from a hoarder. Yes, we have our storage struggles, and yes, we have tons o' stuff, but I'm not afraid to purge anything that isn't useful. If I had to choose though, based on my personality, my stockpile would probably include books, stationary and greeting cards, craft supplies, fun stuff for entertaining guests and home decor items. Hmm, why is this starting to sound like a good idea?

I also asked a few of the regulars for their opinions.

Mum's thoughts: cookbooks (I now have 29), coupons (I do have a designated coupon wallet), and lists (or rather books for lists since there's one in every. single. drawer. in our house).

Sister-in-law C suggested canned goods due to my slightly-weird love for grocery shopping. This might be true about kitchen staples in general. I'm certain we could go a month without buying groceries and still have plenty to eat. Her self-confessed hoards? Purses, shoes and magazines.

Grammie says books. Both my vice and hers. She makes great effort to pass along books once she's read them, to her credit. Often that means those books end up at my house though! For some reason, I'm holding on to many that I'm sure I'll never open again. Hmm ... maybe a donation to the library is in order.

What kinds of things are you holding on to at home?

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

pancake supper?

2011-09-06T07:12:00.000-03:00

Settle a disagreement?

I am very pro breakfast-for-dinner. Husband is not. To him, there are certain things a person eats in the morning, like bagels and eggs, and certain things you eat at night ... namely, not bagels and eggs.

But sometimes a girl just craves pancakes. Like the ones pictured here. Can you blame me?

What do you think? Breakfast-for-dinner: a do or a don't?

And if you side with me, do you have any tasty recipes to share?

link love

2011-09-02T03:40:00.001-03:00

Happy long weekend, friends!

I hope you have some fun plans. We're heading out of town to visit family and take part in a charity golf tournament. The event is in honour of a friend's dad who passed away a few summers ago, and lots of friends gather each year to golf and raise money in his memory. Among the honours at the end of the day will be a prize for best team costume. Husband, his twin bro and their two buds took home this prize two years ago with their "nerdy" attire, including taped glasses and pocket protectors. This year, they're pulling a 180 and dressing up as these guys:

Oh dear. And Husband will be none other than The Situation. OMG. GTL.

***

I love this poster.

Does this reflect your twitter feed? It's a pretty good synopsis of mine. What colour are you? I'm green and blue.

This is definitely the next pizza I'm going to make. Drooling. Do you have any different pizza combos that are equally delicious?

As an editor by day, I also dislike several of these words. Do you have words that you just can't stand?

Jacob and I are at this stage now. I'm thinking of ways we could re-create a photo op like this, too. Cute?

travel friendly

2011-09-01T03:21:00.000-03:00

The 10 Dos and Donts of Airplane Etiquette.

Be kind. Help others in need to stow their bags overhead. We could all enjoy a little more courtesy while travelling.
Don't keep using your cellphone long after the flight attendant has kindly asked you to turn it off and put it away. I don't know what kind of interference your phone will have on the plane equipment, but I don't really want to find out.
That centre armrest serves as a no-man's-land divider. Don't hog it. Actually, just don't use it.
Don't laugh/hmmm/comment to yourself, outloud, while reading. The person sitting beside you doesn't care that you find your book funny/interesting/perplexing. It's just distracting and annoying.
Don't ask to switch seats. If you wanted a window or an aisle, you should have booked that in advance.
If you're sitting in the back of the plane, don't make a beeline for the door as soon as the fasten-seatbelt light goes off, knocking down elderly ladies and small children as you barrell forward. Relax, you will get your turn.
Get your shit together. Nothing's worse than standing in line to board behind someone who's digging for their boarding pass or waiting for someone to pack up their belongings while other people are waiting to get off.
Don't pack stinky snacks. I don't want to wake from my mid-flight nap to the wafting smell of your egg salad or tuna. Gross.
Don't glare at parents who are doing their very best to calm a crying baby. They're probably more stressed than you are about it and they can't help it, so please cut them some slack.
That said, if you are that parent and you're not doing your best, or anything at all, to deal with your screaming/misbehaving child -- especially when the child is of the age that they should know better -- get control of the situation. Just because they're a kid, they don't have the right to kick the back of my chair or anyone else's.

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

the litwits

2011-08-30T07:03:00.000-03:00

Lately I've been thinking about making a bucket list of all the things I want to do before I'm 30. Just for the fun of it. I do have a few years to go before reaching that age, but judging by how fast the past year raced by (my baby's almost one ohdeargod), it can never hurt to start early.

One of the things I've always wanted to do was join a book club. I love reading; I love talking about books; I love drinking and eating and laughing with friends. So, last month, I emailed a bunch of great gals and started a club. The litwits. I can't take credit for coming up with the name, but isn't it great?

Our August book was The Help. We had a kick-off event at my house, where we all brought three books, then drew names until all of the books had been picked up by someone new. It was a great way to get the literary discussion rolling. (Take the word literary with a grain of salt. There were definitely a few chick lit books being exchanged.) We all read the book, discussed on a private Facebook forum, and gathered again for a group movie date to see our book on the big screen. It's turning into great fun.

Here's our upcoming book list, if you're interested in playing along:

September - Whistling in the Dark
October - Left Neglected
November - When God was a Rabbit
December - Sarah's Key

not me monday

2011-08-29T06:08:00.000-03:00

I did not completely bust my front passenger-side tire on my way to work last week.

My car was not already 13 years old with 385,000 kms on it, for a little context.

I did not sell it to the ~~highest bidder~~ biggest parts collector.

For $300.

I know you're jealous.

I'm not carless now ... just automotively challenged.

growing by the minute: 11 months

2011-08-26T20:34:00.002-03:00

Better late than never. Time feels so fleeting to me right now. I just want to grab on to each hour and hold onto it for dear life. I had no idea that this would be such an emotional time — maybe the most emotional since the week Jacob was born. From being back to work to ending breastfeeding, a lot is changing around here.

And soon this little monster isn't going to be a baby. He'll be a toddler. One year old.

Vital stats: His growth is definitely slowing. He went to the doctor today with Dada to deal with a pesky ear ache and we found out that he is only 22 lbs., 3 oz. That's only a slight increase from his weight at nine months, putting him in the 50th percentile. He's lengthening though, and still in the 90th percentile for height. Oh, and that melon, 95th percentile.

Milestones & firsts: We find it so adorable that Jacob has different waves for hi and bye, though he only uses them when he wants to. He's doing things less on demand now and more when he really means it. This makes me sad because I used to be able to get kisses whenever I wanted, and now I have to earn them.

Husband has taught J so much since they've been home together this summer. Some of our boy's new tricks include waving his fist in a circular motion while we sing the first verse of the wheels on the bus.

Teeth: Four and more coming! It's been a somewhat rough month of teething, but now Jacob has his two top centre teeth and there's at least one more trying to push through beside it.

Speech: Jacob has added a couple words to his vocabulary, beyond Mama and Dada, which he now says with distinction. He can also say Dog and Duck. They sound similar, but are different when he's refering to different things. So far, ducks are always ducks, but lots of four-legged furry things are called dogs. Meh. We take what we can get.

Zzzzzzz: Husband has taken over nighttime feeding duties lately, since I'm no longer breastfeeding. Jacob's still sometimes waking once per night (night = a 12-hour period, usually from 6:30 pm to 6:30 am) to have a few ounces of formula, though sometimes he'll just settle himself back to sleep.

Om nom nom: We've been feeding Jacob based on what we're eating. He's especially loving peaches and nectarines when he can hold the whole thing himself. He likes taking big juicy bites and squints his eyes when its sour. The kid loves anything that's sour, like raspberries blended and frozen into popcicle form.

Likes & dislikes: Jacob is the opposite of a homebody. He loves to get out and do things. He and Dada take regular trips to the library for story time, or just to play and take out new books.

Challenges: Screaming. We went through this stage before and it seems to be rearing its ugly head again. Husband mentioned it to the doctor, who assures us it's just his way of exercising his voice.

Special moments: I tried to clear my mind and focus entirely on Jacod during our last breastfeeding sessions. I didn't allow myself to be distracted by my phone or eReader. I just watched him, talked to him and snuggled him close.

We're loving watching Jacob develop. He seems to change daily lately, which is exciting and scary at the same time. He's growing up so fast.

mom win

2011-08-25T06:12:00.003-03:00

I was gone from home for four nights when I went to Chicago last week. Four. That's a long time in baby world. Long long. Lovely friend A dropped me off around 11:30 pm Monday evening and all I wanted to do was climb over the rail and crawl into J's crib and snuggle him all over. I smoothed his back while he slept soundly and I took in the baby smell in his nursery. SO happy to be home.

Husband and I stayed up for a bit, giving each other weekend re-caps, and then I heard a soft cry, and for the first time in almost a year, I was thrilled that Jacob was awake in the middle of the night. I made a beeline for his room, so excited to scoop him into my arms. As I got closer to his crib, I realized this was no ordinary wake-up we were dealing with. I flipped on the light to discover that my sweet boy was covered, head-to-toe, in vomit. The look on his face could have shatter the hardest of hearts ... he was so sleepy and upset from his admittedly rude awakening, but when he saw me, his eyes perked and a smile slowly spread across his face. Despite the layer of smelly disgusting that covered him and his bed, I picked him up and held him close. He instantly laid his head down on my chest and I felt his whole body relax. I held him and rocked him for a while before gently cleaning up my half-asleep boy. I snuggled him in and gave him part of a bottle to help soothe his upset tummy, and he fell back to sleep. I laid him back into his re-made crib and smoothed his back once more.

I went back to our room and peeled off my pjs, which were no longer in sleeping condition to say the least. I could've been covered in worse and I wouldn't have cared. The poor little sickie just needed his Mama. And did it ever feel good.

mom fails

2011-08-24T07:15:00.001-03:00

A mom fail moment.

Just one, really? If you've been a mother for more than 15 seconds, you know that, while mom fails vary in severity, they are a fairly often occurrence. Such is life. We all strive to do our best, but none of us are perfect. Not even you, and definitely not me. But when it comes to the special privilege of executing mom fails, I think the first one is probably the worst one. The first time you think you've done something wrong feels terrible.

For me, it was during the first week that Jacob was at home with us. I was buckling my sleeping baby into his car seat, as carefully as I could, gently tucking in his teeny tiny baby limbs. Then, like a bolt of lightening, he was awake. And wailing. Loudly. What the ...? I looked down and realized I had pinched his itty bitty finger in one of the clasps on his car seat. It didn't break the skin, but it certainly startled him awake, and it nearly broke my heart. Knowing that he was crying because of something I'd done. Awful.

The next time was several weeks later, when I was trimming his finger nails. And he was again, sleeping. In my haste to get it done before he woke. I snipped a bit too far, and broke the tiniest bit of skin, which didn't even really bleed, but he wailed once more, and I scooped him up and smothered him with apology kisses.

Hey, it happens. I don't think I've inflicted too many more fails on him since those initial two, but I'm always on the look out for potential gaffes. But the moral of the story? You're still the Mama, and, thankfully, those sweet little faces love you anyway.

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

simplest things

2011-08-20T06:25:00.002-03:00

I'm writing this post as a reminder to myself. When things get busy, it's so easy to fall into old habits and forget about simple things that can make me feel good.

[+] Yoga. I love it, I really do. It refreshes me mind, body and spirit. Not all classes are created equal though. If you're local, I highly recommend Michelle's classes at Breating Space Bedford.

[+] Drinking lots of water. I hate it when I finish the work day and realize that I've barely consumed half a bottle of water. Not good. Must do better.

[+] Massages. Whether it's a splurge at the spa, a theraputic session thanks to health coverage, or a shoulder rub from Husband, it's all good.

[+] Taking vitamins. A simple multi, an extra vitamin D and occasionally a boost of vitamin C can make a big difference.

What makes you feel good?

link love

2011-08-19T07:01:00.002-03:00

Whoa, where did this week go? I know I owe you lots of things, most notably a "growing by the minute: 11 months" post, but I don't want to rush it, so it will have to wait.

Because, as you read this, I am here:

And I'm doing a little of this:

And this:

And on Sunday, I'll be going to this:

Happy weekend!

***

Mmm a farmers'-market favourite: hodgepodge.

Wonderful post about motherhood.

A fantastic playlist by a wild and wily brunette.

before & after

2011-08-15T14:55:00.003-03:00

I'm sure this isn't going to be nearly as thrilling to you as it is to me, but ...

So. Much. Better. We can actually close our closet doors now! Hallelujah. I was on a super roll, which lead to clearing out our coat closet and tearing apart the spare room, too. Bascially organizing is my middle name.

the seasons turn

2011-08-13T06:52:00.002-03:00

Well, summer's over. Too soon for that declaration? Nope. While I can confidently blame the excessive air conditioning in my office for my permanent chill, it also has something to do with the fact that the temperature guage in my car hasn't reached 20C in nearly a week.

This has prompted me to start sorting clothes. I get this urge any time the weather takes a drastic turn. In this case, it's more to do with the fact that my summer dresses mostly remain sad and lonely in my closet. Wasted. Summer, what summer? It is the Maritimer in me that causes me to talk excessively about the weather. I apologize.

I was inspired by this post on I'm an Organizing Junkie last week about purging clothes, because the situation in our bedroom is officially out of control, and my wardrobes are to blame. Yes, plural. Pre-pre-pregnancy, pre-pregnancy, maternity, immediately-post-baby, and now. Heaps of folded clothes everywhere. The closet is oozing, the dresser drawers are barely closing and there is an evil plastic tote. It sits next to my side of the bed, overflowing with clothes that used to fit or will someday fit again. Clothes I really didn't wear before anyway. Perfectly good clothes that I just can't bare to get rid of because, what if ... someday ...?

But no more. I am taking a stand. Our bedroom will no longer be the place that clean laundry came to die. The closet and dresser are getting a mass overhaul this weekend and only the ~~fittest~~ best fitting will survive.

do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

2011-08-11T07:38:00.001-03:00

Opinion post: Write about how you feel about cussing in blog land. Acceptable? Unacceptable? Do you keep reading?

The anecdote that you're about to read doesn't pertain to blog land, but it does deal with some suggestive content.

Since I started my new job, I've had a few email issues. A couple gals who I email with regularly (coughsisterinlawCandlovelyfriendAcough) told me that they tried to email my work account, but their messages bounced back, forcing them to forward their notes to my Gmail instead.

This started to be cause for concern when, on the day I was emailing with MARGARET ATWOOD, one of my friend's emails bounced. What if MARGARET ATWOOD'S email doesn't come through? So I contacted a friendly guy in IT to assess the situation. He asked me to forward the error message that they received, so he could use his magic IT superpowers to fix the problem.

After sending him the info he needed, here is his reply:

"Well well, your friend uses some salty language. You may want to suggest using **** next time. The emails are being blocked for banned content."

Ha.

Honestly, some of my favourite funny bloggers (like here, here and here) swear in their posts occasionally, and I find it hilarious. These writers aren't being mean spirited, so what's the big deal? In the right context, a good cuss can really emphasise the ridiculousness of a story, don't you agree?

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

a journey.

2011-08-09T07:37:00.001-03:00

46 weeks.
323 days.
And now, we're finished.

This weekend, I stopped breastfeeding.

I'm overwhelmed. I'm sad that it's over. I'm proud that I wanted to do it, and grateful that I was able to for almost a year.

I marvel at my fortune — breastfeeding came relatively easy for both myself and Jacob, and (after those first few initially, challenging days) it quickly became one of my favourite aspects of new motherhood. Most nights I didn't even mind getting out of bed to feed him. I looked forward to that quiet time, just him and me.

When I went back to work in mid-June, I decided to continue breastfeeding for as long as I could. I quickly realized, though, that not pumping meant that I had a self-imposed deadline -- a trip to Chicago for four nights, for which I'm leaving on August 18. So, we started introducing more formula, but gradually. Jacob wasn't too interested at first, but over the past four weeks, he's gotten quite comfortable snuggling in with Dada for pre-nap and bedtime bottle sessions. By the end of last week, he was even willing to take a bottle from me, so I knew he was ready for a full transition.

Having the experience to nurse Jacob for almost a year changed me. It forced me to put modesty and self consciousness on the back burner and helped me focus on selflessness.

Having had this experience, there are a few things I'll do differently next time ...

[+] I won't chart every moment of feeding for a month. Yes, I did it for a month. I wrote down when he nursed, for how long, which side, everything. I think I used it as a bit of a crutch, to keep us on a schedule, to remind myself that I was doing this motherhood thing right. Next time I'll trust my instincts, and my baby's signals.

[+] I won't waste money on nursing tops. Regular clothes work fine, for the most part.

[+] I will invest in great nursing bras. I bought a couple cheapies when I was still pregnant and they did not do the job. Support is key.

[+] I will drink more water. Nursing makes you crazy thirsty, and I know I didn't always hydrate properly while breastfeeding Jacob.

I know I'm going to miss that time that only I could provide for Jacob, I'm willing to admit that I'm happy to share the bedtime feedings with Husband and I'm glad to have more of my independence back.

What did you love/not love about breastfeeding? Do you have any nursing stories or advice to share?

meatless monday: turkey dinner

2011-08-08T18:37:00.000-03:00

Meatless and turkey doesn't exactly go together in one thought, but bare with me. I recently made turkey dinner. I know what you're saying, "You cooked a turkey in your oven in the summer? Are you mad?" It really wasn't so bad. I put it in the oven early in the morning on a day that was cool-ish and rainy, and it was ready by noon, so the house didn't get overly hot.

Believe it or not, turkey dinner is one of my very favourite meals, even though I don't partake in the star attraction. For me, it's all about the fixin's. Here are recipes for a few of my faves:

Squash Casserole

3 cups squash, lightly salted and cooked until just tender
1 medium grated onion
1 medium grated carrot
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream soup (I usually use cream of mushroom and garlic)
Dash of pepper

Top with:
1 box Stovetop stuffing
1 stick margerine, melted

Drain squash well. Add the next 5 ingredients and stir. Melt margerine and add Stovetop package. Add 1/3 of stuffing mix to squash mixture, combine. Turn into greased casserole and add remaining stuffing to top. Gently press. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Green Bean Casserole

This isn't an exact science. Here's how I do it:

1 bag of frozen French-style green beans

2 cans cream of mushroom and garlic soup

1 can French's fried onions

Mix it all up, saving a handful of the delicious crunchy onions for the top. Bake, covered, until hot and bubbly. Take the over off for the last few minutes to crisp the onions.

This last one is new to me. Turns out, after consulting with my Ma, that this is my great grandmother's recipe. I love these tried-and-true treats.

Molasses Cake

1 cup molases
½ cup sugar
4 Tbsp margerine, melted
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp all spice
2 cups flour

Mix all of the above. Add to batter: 1 cup boiling water mixed with heaping tsp baking soda. Mix well. Bake at 350 until springy.

So tasty! Enjoy!

yawn ...

2011-08-08T08:23:00.001-03:00

link love

2011-08-05T07:29:00.003-03:00

Happy Friday! It was only a three-day work week for me, so I'm not sure I have really earned my Friday happy dance, but I'm doing it nonetheless.

I learned something new yesterday that has changed my blog-reading life and I couldn't wait to share with you. If you don't use Google Reader, ~~you should have it~~ you can skip this part.

Did you know that there's an amazing Next >> feature for GR (under the "goodies" tab)? It's a little button you can grab here, and add to your bookmarks bar. Then, you can go to GR and go to the actual site of one of the new posts to be read, and click your Next >> button and it'll take you to the site of the next unread post. You follow me? So rather than reading bland, black-and-white posts within the GR window, you can visit each site without having to link through individually. Plus, your fave bloggers will then see and appreciate your traffic on their site. Clear as mud, I know. Try it out though; it's brilliant.

OK, enough of that. All you non-GR users can come back now.

I'm anticipating a crafty weekend with a few new projects to share next week. And I can't stop thinking about making these:

*

Some link love for your Friday afternoon:

How adorable is this pre-wedding photo?

Got a beach baby covered in sand? Try this.

Some pretty ensembles.

Too funny. And true.

A crazy-cute back-to-school idea.

This makes me drool. Must try.

Happy weekend!

blogging evolution

2011-08-04T06:09:00.000-03:00

If you were to go back to the moment you decided to start a blog, what 10 blogging tips would you share with yourself?

1) When you think of something to write about, draft a post. Right then. Don't wait. You will forget what you were going to say, I promise.

2) Try to keep your content consistent. It's super annoying to fall in love with blog, only to check it day after day and be disappointed to find no updates.

3) That said, if you don't blog every day, it's not the end of the world. How many readers do you really think you have? Don't sacrifice sleep for the sake of uploading blog photos.

4) Go ahead and write about whatever you feel like. Don't forget, you're doing this for you.

5) Use tags to sort your posts, but try to keep your number of tags under control. It's easy to label each post something different, but it quickly becomes overwhelming. Consider your content.

6) Comments are awesome, so share the love. When other bloggers take the time to leave a note, venture to their blog and write back. Even better, join a group like SITS where you can meet and converse with lots of fun bloggers.

7) Use photos to break up long, wordy posts. Try to resist the urge to just grab one from Google Images. You don't have be a pro. Try Picnik for easy edits.

8) And when you do use an image or text from elsewhere, ALWAYS give credit where credit's due.

9) Keep it simple. So many blogs are loaded with so many graphics that it's hard to see the content for the clutter.

10) Please, please, please consider the rules of grammar, at least a little bit, before hitting the "publish post" button. Nothing makes me unsubscribe faster than a blog filled with spelling mistakes and zero regard for the English language.

What are your blog tips?

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

vacation from my vacation

2011-08-03T07:04:00.001-03:00

Am I the only one who has a love-hate relationship with vacation?

I anticipate time off for weeks, sometimes months, in advance. Planning, organizing, packing. As the time approaches, I'm filled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension ... What do I need to remember? What have I already forgotten? Then, after hours in the car, I fall into that magical bubble of family, swimming, smores, and sunbathing. Then, when it's time to drive home, I'm filled again with the same mix of stress, but in reverse. Decompressing, unpacking, cleaning and regaining some semblance of routine.

Having a baby adds a unique element to the situation. I anticipate time with family in a different way -- I was thrilled to introduce Jacob to my fun relatives. I worked to make sure conditions are perfect -- that Jacob had what he needs to be in the best mood possible for being passed around by people he still (somewhat) considers strangers. And he didn't disappoint. Despite some obvious teething discomfort, Jacob was cheerful and fun the whole time we were away. Love.

But in the end, summer vacation is always wonderful. Each year, I'm sad to leave my family and return to real life. Thanks to all of you who helped make our whirlwind vacay pretty great. xo

try it tuesday: quick fix

2011-08-02T06:39:00.000-03:00

I swear if I didn't know it was definitely, 100% not true, I'd think I was nesting. A strange urge came over me on the weekend to change things up in our house. We are renting, so we can't go too wild and crazy, but there was one idea my Mum and I had discussed long ago that came to mind.

Here's the before-we-moved-in state of the kitchen. It's the closest thing I have to a proper before photo. Notice the dusty rose countertops and the gold-and-rose cabinet knobs?

The colour wasn't so bad once we actually furnished our kitchen with our mostly-black-and-stainless-steel, countertop appliances. But I still wasn't grooving on those knobs. So a quick trip to Rona and $40 later ...

So, look around. What small switch could make a huge difference in your home?

link love

2011-07-29T06:08:00.001-03:00

As you read this, I am in New Brunswick on vacation. Ahhhh. I hope that you are enjoying a long and relaxing weekend as well.

[+] I've only made guacamole once and the results were meh. Next week, I'm trying this.

[+] I often wonder if things at Costco really are a good deal. Here's a cool comparison between Superstore and Costco prices. I still maintain that I can usually get the best deal when an item goes on sale and I have a coupon to double up my savings. Either way, this is interesting.

[+] How annoying is it when a size 6 fits perfectly at one store and you can't even being to squeeze yourself into the size 8 at the next store? Check this out.

[+] Some financial lessons for our kids ... and for us.

[+] What we need, what we don't. I like this perspective.

all growed up

2011-07-28T07:14:00.000-03:00

A moment you realized your child is growing up.

Look at those bangs ...

Four days shy of being 10 months old, I finally caved to Husband's suggestions and we decided to take Jacob to get his hair trimmed.

Not without giving him a full-fledged mohawk first ...

Much better! So handsome!

Somehow my baby is turning into a little boy. When did that happen?

***

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

a day in the life

2011-07-27T06:10:00.008-03:00

I'm not sure why I haven't done one of these posts already. Most of my fave mommy bloggers have shared insights into their routines. Since I'm back to work now, I'm going to share a pretty typical Saturday. This is longgg, but, hey, it's real life.

6:15 am: Jacob is awake and saying so, loudly, from his crib. He's not crying exactly, but he definitely isn't impressed. This is one of my favourite moments of the day, because when I walk through his bedroom door, his sour face turns into a huge grin. It's pretty awesome to be loved like that. He's standing and starts to wildly slap the side of his crib as I approach, laughing. I scoop him up and nurse him briefly. During the week, I usually don't nurse him in the morning. It depends if he woke up to nurse during the night or not. We're slowly starting the weaning process, but that's a topic for another time. Today, he's distracted from his first snack of the morning by his infectious happiness. He keeps smiling up at me and I urge him to continue for a few more minutes. When he's had enough, I ask "Where's Dada?" and he whips his head toward the door. I say, "Let's go find him!" and we sneak into our bedroom where he pounces on Husband. "Good morning, mister boy!" is his daily greeting to Jacob. We spend some quiet time in bed. Jacob scales the headboard to look out the window as he does every day lately. He squeels at the sounds of birds chirping and dogs barking outside.

6:30 am: We all journey into our open-concept kitchen-living room area. Husband puts Jacob down on the floor and the baby starts to consider what kinds of mischief he can get into, crawling around the furniture, picking up and disgarding toys in his wake. Husband makes the coffee while I start to organize breakfast and Jacob scoots around underfoot. Jacob's having leftover French toast, diced pairs and lots of water. Husband and I are just having bagels today.

7 am to 8 am: Husband and I trade off between feeding Jacob and feeding ourselves. It's become so easy, this part of our day. It just flows. He does one thing, I do another, and it's all unspoken, yet somehow it all gets done. Husband goes to grab a quick shower, so I wipe Jacob's messy hands and face and we head to the play area in the living room. Jacob stands at his activity table, making music and bobbing his head and hips to the sounds. I sing a few songs -- we're stuck on Baby Beluga and Down by the Bay at the moment. Husband returns and I take my chance to get ready for the day. As I leave them, they're playing catch with a big beach ball and Jacob is laughing hysterically each time the ball slaps the floor and Husband shouts, "Ouchie!" They have the same sense of humour. God, help me.

8:15 am: Jacob's ready for his morning nap. This is his most predictable time of day; he almost always wants to nap exactly two hours after he woke up for the day. Since I can't feed him during the day on weekdays, I try not to do it on the weekends either because that would be confusing for his, albiet flexible, routine. Husband takes him to his room with a couple ounces of formula. They reada couple books and Jacob goes into his crib awake, but drowsy. He's asleep within five minutes.

Now, Husband and I clean up the breakfast mess, do a load of laundry, and tidy Jacob's toys. It's a cool, cloudy morning, so we veg on the couch and watch a couple reruns of The Big Bang Theory on the PVR. He catches up on sports online and I draft a couple blog posts. We both have another cup of coffee.

9:30 am: Jacob's awake. Not a great nap, but long enough that he's in a great mood when he wakes up. We change his diaper and dress him for the day. I grab our pre-packed diaper bag and we all head out for some errands. We'd usually put him back in his highchair for a snack at this point, but instead we bring a few snacks for the road, including mum mums and a sippy cup of water.

10 am: We're at Costco just as it opens in hopes to avoid the weekend infestation of people. Jacob loves Costco. LOVES. I don't know if it's the super huge cart that he rides in, or the millions of people who stop and say hello to him or give him a smile and a wave, but the kid is on cloud nine. Fine by us, makes shopping a breeze. We are efficient, get what we need and get out.

10:45 am: We still managed to spend nearly an hour from start to finish in Costco, so it's on to Walmart for a few more things, including diapers, which are on sale, plus I have a coupon, of course (if you are a new or soon-to-be mum, take my advice: never buy diapers at full price). We also find an adjustable pair of sandals to fit our boy who was blessed with what we like to call "meatball feet" ... you know, pretty much as thick as they are long. On clearence for $9. Deal. We throw a few more odds and ends into our cart and beeline for the checkout as Jacob's deciding he's had enough retail therapy for the day. I finish our transaction as the boys take a walk outside.

11:30 am: Home again from a successful outing. Jacob is glad to be home and shows us so by crawling like a marathoner into his room. We call his name and he peeks out and laughs. What a joker. "What are you doing?!" I call and he squeels and takes off into the bathroom. We recently caught him attempting to crawl in for a toilet swimming lesson, so we invested in an $8 lid lock. Works like a charm. Now he just uses the firmly closed cover as a big drum. Within seconds he's pulled himself up and I hear the familiar bang, bang, bang on the plastic lid. I retrieve him from his impromptu concert and deposit him into his highchair for lunch. On his menu: chic peas, green peas, bits of cheese, more diced pears and some yogurt. He's not so interested in the green peas today and most of them end up on the floor. Once he seems satisfied (read: refusing to eat another bite), he is released from the clutches of his chair. He's less interested in being solo on the floor and demands my company, so Husband takes care of clearing the mess and Jacob and I retire to the living room again for some Wiggles.

12:30 pm: Time for nap No. 2. This nap usually occurs about three hours after the wake up from the first nap, but it isn't as dependable as nap No. 1. Today, though, Jacob is exhibiting his classic eye-rubbing, long-yawning signs. After a bit more formula, he's put in his crib awake. He sleeps during naps and at night with either music playing or white noise provided by a static station on the radio. He's not as interested in sleep as he was this morning and cries in protest. We can see in the video monitor that he's sitting up. Wait, no, he's standing. He protests for a couple minutes and just when I'm thinking of going in to soothe him a bit, the cries start to stagger, mixed with periods of quiet or soft babbling. We hold off going into his room, and he transitions quickly from standing to sprawled out on his belly. In less than five minutes total, he's snoozing. It doesn't sound like long, but if you've been witness to a crying baby, every minute can feel like an hour. Lately, since I miss out on naptime through the week, I find I want to go in sooner than I should. When I resist the urge, I'm almost always glad that I did. He's doing very well at getting to sleep on his own, and we're very thankful.

12:30 to 2:30 pm: Husband heads out for a round of golf with a neighbour. Lovely friend A comes over to visit. She and I chat in the kitchen while I make a batch of muffins and then catch up on a few TV shows that were saved during the week (titles of which shall remain nameless, to protect our dignity coughPrettyLittleLiarsandTheBachelorettecough).

2:30 pm: Jacob is awake from a great nap. He's happy to see Auntie A and she's equally delighted to see him as she fetches him from his crib. They play and I take some photos. I used to take so many pictures of Jacob when I was on maternity leave, but there are a lot fewer now that I'm not staging photoshoots during the day. I try to make up for it on the weekends. The three of us decide to take a walk so we load Jake into his stroller and head out. We take our picnic blanket along and spread out at a nearby playground. Jacob swings and I take some more photos. We all enjoy some watermelon. Jacob explores the grass and watches other kids playing. On our walk back home, Jacob is lulled to sleep from the vibration of the stroller on the sidewalk.

4:30 pm: We're back home and A is happy to play with Jakey while I get supper organized. I'm not ashamed to say that I love having someone else around to take over with Jacob while I cook dinner. It's one of those little Muma's time-out things I really enjoy. Life is much easier now that I don't bother with purees and Jacob eats mostly the same things we eat. I make simple pasta with tomato sauce and cottage cheese mixed in for Jacob; I jazz up the adult sauce with veggies and chicken for the meat eaters. Husband returns home and we all eat dinner. Jacob makes a huge mess with this meal so he is just dressed in a diaper, which leads to yet another photo op — orange tinted sauce spread over his hands and face.

5:30 pm: Into the tub with you, dirty kid. We soap him up from head to toe, give a quick rinse and out he comes. I like to let him crawl around naked for a bit after his bath. I think it's adorable; he thinks it's hilarious. Win-win. In the hot weather, he sleeps in a T-shirt onesie or just in his diaper. I'm looking forward to the fall, though, because miss his snuggly footie pjs.

6 pm to 7 pm: The boy gets to play a bit more before bed. Sometimes we dance around the house to some mellow songs or read some books. Once he's completely tired out, I take him for some Mama time. I nurse him and talk to him. He usually ends up falling asleep on me while he has his bedtime snack. I hoist him up on me, snuggle him up and pat his back. He usually wakes as I lay him in his crib, but he wraps his arm around his buddy, Hooey (from Oh Say Can You Say?) and settles. I tiptoe out of the room and close the door. I click the monitor on occasionally to check, but generally he's asleep within five minutes.

7 pm to 10 pm: Our Saturday nights aren't exactly wild and crazy lately, but that's fine by us. We recently got a Netflix subscription and we've been enjoying watching some oldie-but-goodie movies. Even on Jacob's crankiest days, we usually end our evening by talking about him and how lucky we are. We just can't help it. We marvel at how our lives have changed, mainly for the better. We turn on the monitor to see what kind of crazy position he's sleeping in — he's flat on his back with his arms and legs flung out. Makes us laugh. What a nice boy.

try it tuesday: bling storage

2011-07-26T07:49:00.000-03:00

Note: I know I owe you a Meatless Monday ... it will probably pop up later today. I had words with Blogger yesterday. Luckily, we appear to be on speaking terms again.

This week's fab Try it Tuesday project comes to you all the way from Cape Breton where lovely sister-in-law C did some inspired repurposing in her new home.

She started with a couple old frames, and popped the centres out:

Then she painted them to coordinate with her bedroom, and added chains that she had stashed among her jewellery making supplies.

Et voila, instant bling storage:

No only is it super convenient, but her impressive earring collection now does double duty as part of her decor! Well done, C!

link love

2011-07-22T15:43:00.002-03:00

So this post is super duper random. My brain has been all over the place this week. Not unlike a hamster on a wheel. Ba dum bum.

This little graphic really illustrates the weekend I hope to have with my two best boys.

We're going out to dinner tonight and then we plan to do lots of lounging and snuggling. Bliss. Looks like it's going to be a sun shiny weekend, so we might to some of the aforementioned activity on the beach.

Some link love for your Friday afternoon amusement ...

Date a girl who reads.

Have you ever heard of LeechBlock? I heard about it from Ashley at Our Little Apartment. Click the image below, courtesy of Ashley, and add it as your desktop wallpaper.

If you know me in real life, you know that I was a synchronized swimmer and coach for many years, so I had to share this video. It gives me goosebumps.

And finally, are you familiar with dear blank, please blank? Enjoy.

Happy weekend!

coming to an email near you

2011-07-21T08:23:00.000-03:00

Don't you hate it when you're anxious for a new blog post to read, you click to one of your favourite writers, and there's nothing new. Lame-o. So to make life easier, there's a new feature in the good ol' right-hand nav that allows you to subscribe to like a hamster on a wheel via email. Be the first to know when new posts are added!

As always, thanks for reading!

things that make me happy

2011-07-21T06:59:00.000-03:00

The simple things …

hot coffee first thing in the morning.

a snuggle from my best boy.

reading a just-can't-put-it-down book.

hand holding with husband.

the smell of fresh-cut grass.

good news on the front page.

tear-inducing laughs with my best friend.

having extra time to play.

freshly washed sheets on the bed.

cool breezes on hot days.

days with zero stress.

What are your favourite simple things?

Thanks, as always, to Mama Kat for the writer's prompt.

run for the cure

2011-07-20T09:59:00.005-03:00

Hello friends,

I'm getting an early start on fundraising for this year's Run for the Cure in support of breast cancer research and awareness. I'll be running 5k on October 2 with a team of fabulous women. For me, this requires two key steps: 1) get my ass in gear to run 5k comfortably; and 2) fundraise as much as possible to contribute to my team's donation.

So, if you or someone you know would be interested in placing a donation, please scroll alllll the way down to the every bottom of this page and click the "Donate Now" button to make a contribution. Every little bit helps!

Thank you so much! xo

time flies

2011-07-20T06:25:00.000-03:00

How is it possible that my baby will be ONE in less than two months?
Does it surprise you at all that I've already started planning the party?

growing by the minute: 10 months

2011-07-18T22:24:00.001-03:00

For some reason, 10 months seems so much older to me. In two short months, my baby will become a toddler. Unbelievable.

Vital stats: Jacob was 22 lbs. (75th percentile) and 29.5 inches long (75th percentile) at his nine-month check up. So he's presumably a little heavier and a little longer. But his growth is definitely slowing down because he's not busting through clothes quite as fast, plus he's crawling and climbing everywhere, so he's burning calories like a marathon runner.

Milestones & firsts: Jacob has learned so much this month. I think this has been his most developmental month in terms of things he can now do.

He gives high fives! You don't have to put your hand up in his face or anything, just say, "Hey Jake, high five!" and he puts his hand up with a huge grin. Love it.

Also with high fives came waving. He doesn't do this as readily, but he's learning.

Over the past few days, Jacob has been trying to stand up without pulling himself up. He tucks his legs into a crouching position and tries to push up, but can't quite get there. He's also been standing next to the couch or coffee table and letting go for five or 10 seconds at a time, balancing on his own. He's also quick to grab anything that moves and truck across the floor at warp speed. If I had to predict, I'd say we'll have a walker on our hands before the one-year mark.

And my absolute favourite -- kisses and hugs. He is so lovey these days and happily lays a big, drooly, open mouth kiss on you whenever you ask for it.

Last weekend, Jacob experienced the ocean for the first time. It was adorable to watch him crawl through the ebbing surf. He only munched on the sand once and quickly realized that is wasn't as tasty as he thought it might be.

See what I mean? It was a big month!

Teeth: Still two. It's so weird how much it varies from baby to baby. His girl bestie, who is a wise and mature four days older, has at least six teeth, maybe more. Another one of his girl friends, who is two weeks younger, has no teeth yet. A boy buddy who is six weeks younger has four teeth already. Ah, the joys of teething.

Speech: Jacob seems to be saying Mama more and Dada less, which is weird since Husband is the one who is home with him during the day now. I sort of think he's using the word Mama to refer to both of us. We've started to notice him saying om nom nom nom when he's hungry. Coincidence?

Zzzzzzz: Usually one wake up per night still, to nurse as I mentioned last month.

Om nom nom: Among his new faves are whole chic peas, mashed potatoes, turkey and blueberries. Husband has been giving him a combo of bran and yogurt in the mornings, which he loves. They also sometimes make smoothies as a treat.

Likes & dislikes: Loves dancing!

Lately he dislikes naps. He's reluctant to take them and only sleeps for 45 minutes or so, which barely counts.

Challenges: What a little stinker. I swear he knows everything that he's not allowed to have or shouldn't play with and makes a beeline for it every time. Shoes, the plugged-in computer charger, the grassy rug in front of the door. What is it about these things that looks so tasty? Over the weekend though, I was quick to say "Nooo" as he was about to put something like that up to his mouth and he'd stop, grin a little, and then hold his hand out to pass me the offending item. Could he really be learning that this early?

Standing up in the bathtub. For a couple weeks, his baths were about a minute and a half long. Water, soap, rinse, done. No playing or splashing, because the first thing he'd do is grab the side and try to stand, ultimately slipping all over the place. Then Husband bought an inflatable tub insert, which has worked quite well. Eventually he still tries to stand up, but he's usually happy to sit there for at least five minutes first to wash and play.

The added bonus is that the tub doubles as a swimming pool:

Special moments: Receiving voluntary hugs and kisses is the best. He's such a sweet boy.

With our new routine of me getting ready for work and Husband staying home, it's been fun to go into Jacob's room together in the morning. He's so happy when he wakes up. We usually spend a half hour just playing and snuggling in bed as a family. It's the perfect way to start the day.

meatless monday: strawberry rhubarb sauce

2011-07-18T11:33:00.004-03:00

I seriously can't type the name of this recipe without drooling. I love the combination of strawberry and rhubarb. Sweet and tangy. Delicious.

This delight comes to you courtesy of Suzie the Foodie, one of my fave local bloggers. I get so much culinary inspiration from her posts. This time I just had to try her strawberry rhubarb sauce, which she used for crepes and I used for pancakes.

Ingredients:
- two heaping cups of hulled strawberries
- one heaping cup of chopped rhubarb
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 3 Tbsp. water

I did exactly as Suzie suggested, I started with the water and sugar in a large pot. I added the rhubarb, brought it to a boil and then turned it down and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Then I added the strawberries and cooked for about 10 more minutes.

Hold on to your hats; this is where things get exciting. I used my new immerson blender to zip this into a smooth, saucy consistency. Yes, it was saucy. The best part? This handly little appliance cost $7. Thanks to K for spotting this and picking one up for me!

We drizzled this over our pancakes and it was so delicious. Even Baby J got to try some and he loved the sweet-and-sour blend. I'm already thinking about what else I could pour this over ... waffles, crepes, angel food cake, biscuits ...

This is a must-try!

cook's question

2011-07-18T09:59:00.005-03:00

You know when you Google for a recipe and about half a million hits come up with all kinds of ideas? How do you know which to choose? Sites like Allrecipes.com and Cooks.com allow users to upload their own recipes. This makes me think of a potluck where you don't necessarily know all of the people/their cooking habits/the cleanliness of their kitchens/what kinds of ingredients they'd use. Can you really trust these kinds of recipes? I usually trust Foodnetwork.com or Epicurious.com, since they're compiled by chefs and the like, but often these recipes include little bits of weird ingredients and I don't want to have to go out to buy a $8 jar of spice/herbs/magic ingredient just to use a quarter teaspoon. So then I end up substituting ingredients and I can never be 100% sure what the original recipe would've really tasted like. That, and I rarely think to record my adjustments, so next time the recipe won't be the same. And I know, you're saying, "Be more organized! Write crap down! Use that adorable cook's journal that your sweet Grammie gave you for Christmas two years ago that is perfect for these exact scenarios!" Are you kidding? If I remember to bring my cellphone, wallet and office key card with me to work five days a week, then I think I deserve an award.

So my question is this, which websites do you trust for dependable recipes?

link love

2011-07-15T06:48:00.010-03:00

Happy Friday, lovelies!

What are you up to this weekend? It's pizza Friday in our house, which is always a wonderful thing. My bro-in-law and sis-in-law are coming to visit, another huge plus. And they weatherman is promising hot, hot sun! Hoorah!

Here's a little glimpse into one of my Pinterest boards, named "Simply Brilliant" ... where I tuck photos of ideas that that provoke a facepalm, why-didn't-I-think-of-that reaction.

Use a pressure rod for under-sink storage.
*

Simple and efficient ribbion storage.
*

Store sheets in their pillow cases.

Smart, right?

And some link love:
Still on a royal wedding high, like my bestie who got to meet Prince Will IN PERSON? Check out What Kate Wore.

#FF The 25 best Canadian parents on Twitter.

An '>organizational chart for busy households.

Are you on Google+ yet? See why experts say you should switch from FB.

meatless monday: verdict

2011-07-13T10:07:00.003-03:00

YUM!

The slow cooker vegetarian chili shepherd's pie (must do something about that name) is delicious! It's a tasty mix of flavours and a nice, warm bowl is the perfect comfort food at the end of a long, rainy day. Jacob loved it, too! It made a lot, so I split it up into several containers and froze more than half of it for future lunches, which was a bonus.

Score one for the Crock-pot.

out with the bad

2011-07-13T07:00:00.002-03:00

Playing off last week's post prompt, this week we list 10 shows you’re glad have seen their last day.

1) Most of the time, The OC was like a bad traffic accident. You just couldn't look away. It was a love-hate relationship really. That's how I feel about One Tree Hill, too, actually. Please, just cancel it and put us all out of our misery.

Admittedly, I do love me some Seth Cohen.

2) Iknow Desperate Housewives is still on, but it shouldn't be.

3) I may lose some readers over this one, but ... American Idol. Yes, I've watched several seasons, but this show has run its course several times over.

4) Average Joe. Like the Bachelor/Bachelorette, but with average people like me? What's guilty-pleasure about that?

5) After the series ended, I tried to give Lost a go. It was painful.

6) Scrubs is another one I tried to watch, but just couldn't get into.

7) Ally McBeal. I used to watch this, but why? I got season one from the library when I was on maternity leave and didn't even make it past the first disc. How could I have forgotten about the dancing, computer-generated baby?

8) Third Rock from the Sun. John Litgow was so much better in Dexter.

9) Let's add season one of Sex and the City to this list. Thank God they stopped having Carrie talk to the camera.

10) Extreme Makeover. Not the home edition, the people edition. People actually getting all sorts of plastic surgery. Gross.

Share your least favourites.

Thanks once again to Mama Kat for the prompt.

try it tuesday

2011-07-12T11:33:00.005-03:00

So, a few weeks ago I got my hair cut. I didn't really need a hair cut. But when I pay an arm and a leg to get it done, I like to notice a difference. So I foolishly encouraged the stylist to keep cutting. Now, I'm in hair purgatory. You know, not short enough, not long enough? Annoying.

Months ago I saw an ad for Goody's new bobby pin alternative, the Spin Pin. I ducked into the hair accessories aisle at Walmart and Shoppers on and off, checking for the product that was first available in the U.S. Finally, last week, I found some.

They come in differnt colours; I chose brunette. I'm actually pretty impressed with these little corkscrews. They really do work. I have some layers, so I find they work better if my hair is damp.

I wanted to show you photos of my own hair, but it seems that one of my spin pins has gone missing. I'm sure there is a cat to blame.

Here's a video of how they work. You can find many more like this on YouTube.

*This post was not sponsored by Goody, I just happen to think this product is genius. Try it!

meatless monday: vegetarian chili shepherd's pie

2011-07-11T19:44:00.007-03:00

One of the great things about being home on maternity leave was being able to make supper. Sometimes I'd cut veggies or make side dishes from scratch when the babe was napping. I'd scan cookbooks or Google new meal ideas.

Now that I'm back to work, I find I automatically jump to whatever meal choice is going to be easiest. Husband, who is spending his summer off from teaching with our boy, often plans dinner, but I still cooking for my family.

Enter: the slow cooker.

This is a highly underused appliance in my kitchen, but really it should be a regular player. How simple is it throw ingredients in and come home to a hot, homemade meal? The trouble is, I've never really made anything in my Crock-pot that I actually liked very much.

So with the help of another blog, A Year of Slow Cooking (so may great ideas here!), I'm trying a new recipe:

Vegetarian Chili Shepherd's Pie

So simple.

Stir together in slow cooker:
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn
1 small onion, diced

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sprinkle with:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cover with:
2 cups mashed potatoes (leftover, fresh, from a box-- your choice!)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-4. Uncover the slow cooker near serving time and let cook uncovered on high for 20-30 minutes to cook away any collected condensation. The potatoes will brown on top a tiny bit and begin to pull from the sides.

I'll be back to give you the verdict on taste tomorrow.

Have any slow cooker recipes that you love? Do tell.

link love

2011-07-08T06:09:00.023-03:00

Time to get this little blog into shape, agreed?

Let's start with the new navigation to your right ...

There are a few new pages here, including a welcome with ways to contact and converse, a more comprehensive list of some of my fave blogs (which will likely be updated often), and a spot with quick links to past posts.

Next we have a new and improved posting schedule. And I'm sticking to it, promise.

Monday will really become Meatless Monday, when I'll share a new recipe.

Tuesday will resume as Try It Tuesday.

On Wednesday, I'll continue to answer Mama Kat's Writers' Workshop promtps.

And Friday will become Link Love day -- a place for me to share some fun Pinterest/blog/Internet finds with you as you head into your weekend. Without further ado ...

This week's love ... family rules. There are a bunch of ways I might use to create this ... a diy chalkboard, lettering on wood, a collage of different elements. Regardless, the message will be the same.

*

And some link love for your Friday ...

A wonderful birth story with the most amazing photos.

It's not going to turn out the way you thought.

A brilliant solution to the cords-everywhere problem.

Love playing dress up? This is addictive.

Happy weekend!

an ode to awesome

2011-07-07T13:09:00.000-03:00

Today, Husband turns 27.

He'll be celebrating this day with Baby J because they are spending their whole summer together. So far this week, they've been to story time at the library, swimming at the beach and attended a pool party with friends.

And then today at lunch*, their outfits matched.

And that's awesome.

Happy Birthday to you, Husband xo

*We had lunch at the Armview, which apparently is our big-occasion place. It's where we had our wedding rehearsal dinner and where my water broke.

the golden oldies

2011-07-06T06:45:00.001-03:00

A list of 10 old TV shows you’d like to make a comeback.

1. Friends. Best. Show. Ever. I own all 10 seasons and watch them on DVD regularly.

2. Let me preface this by saying that if it's anything like the second movie, then I take it back. Sex and the City. The show was fantastic (I also own most of these seasons and replay them often) and the first movie was pretty great.

3. Veronica Mars. Cut down in its prime, really. Lovely friend J introduced me to this gem and I watched all three seasons in quick succession on DVD, and was quite disappointed to see it end.

4. ER. I think there are actually seasons of ER that I missed over the years. Maybe I should start from the beginning again.

5. Seinfeld. I'd even settle for more reruns ... it seems that the oldies-but-goodies of the series have been bumped for repeats of crap shows like My Name is Earl.

6. Husband would whole-heartedly disagree with me on this one, but ... Gilmore Girls. I loved that show! The dialogue always sent Husband off the couch and out of the room entirely.

7. Boy Meets World. Ah Cory and Topanga. My middle school idols.

8. Oprah, but only if any other season would be as good as this the last one. I used to record her show every day, but often delete it if I wasn't interested in the subject matter, but she managed to catch my interest with pretty much ever episode of her farewell run.

9. The original Law & Order. The spin-offs keep getting worse and worse. While Law & order: SVU is dependable, Law & Order: LA was cancelled after just one season. Lame.

10. In a category of their own, childhood faves like Doug, Clarissa Explains it All, Pepper Ann, and Goosebumps.

What shows would you bring back if you could?

Thanks again to Mama Kat for the writing prompt.

inside out

2011-07-05T09:28:00.006-03:00

41 weeks and three days.

As of today, Jacob has officially been on the outside as long as he was on the inside.

How did we get so lucky?

resolutions revisited

2011-07-03T09:50:00.001-03:00

1. Drink more water. I could say I'm doing this, but I'm not. Does coffee count?

2. Run a 5k race. Not yet, but definitely will. I swear. Really.

3. Save more money. Or spend less money. I started out with this goal by preparing a detailed monthly budget for Husband and I to track our spending. It worked for a while, but then we got lazy about it. Now that I'm working again, our finances have changed, so this is a great reminder to adjust the budget and keep working at it for the next six months.

4. Correspond with friends and family more often via snail mail. I did this a bit, but definitely not as often as I'd like. Can I blame it on the mail strike? Luckily, I already have a few stamped cards ready to be dropped in the mailbox.

5. Write in Baby J's journal more often and keep his scrapbook up to date. Oh man, this is just getting depressing. Have I accomplished anything in the first six months of the year? I haven't event touched this one.

6. Read 26 books. Fail. Fail. Fail.

7. Be adventurous in the kitchen. Make recipes I've been too afraid (or lazy) to try. Experiment with new ingredients. OK, I think I'm doing well with this one. I even tried some new muffins today. I've also made a few new salads, baked some tofu and enjoyed some tasty desserts.

8. Focus on the amazing joys in my life and make a serious effort to keep all kinds of stress at bay. Ah, my favourite resolution. This is such a great reminder. Deep breath in ... and out.

Just like all those people out there who hit the gym in January, never to return, I am really slacking on my resolutions. What have you been avoiding/forgetting on your to do list lately?

that's a load off

2011-06-30T10:12:00.004-03:00

Among my summer, and specifically my Canada Day weekend to dos, was a plan to purge all previously-intended-for-yard-sale stuff from our spare bedroom.

And I may have mentioned this plan to lovely friend A who has, shall we say, a fondness for cleaning.

And that may have resulted in a Wednesday-night, pre-Canada-Day, mega purge.

And, oh man, it felt so good.

not me tuesday

2011-06-28T13:31:00.004-03:00

That's right. This one gets its own special day.

I did not accidentally go to the store to leisurely pick up a few things on TAX FREE day (read: absolute zoo).

I did not wait forevvvver in line to pay, only to dig deep down in my over-sized, not-really-necessary-for-work, full-of-baby-crap bag, to discover that I had NO WALLET.

After going through the motions of holding my things at customer service so I could return for them after work, I did not beat my head against the steering wheel the whole way back to the office in honour of my stupidity.

Upon returning to my desk, my search for my wallet did not leave me empty handed.

I really swear that I didn't reach my hand back down into my bag, only to wrap my hand around my wallet that had been there the. whole. time.

That's right. I'm brilliant.