Joyfully Seeking

gingerbread dreams

2011-12-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

Win a New Kitchen Faucet: a really nice one

2011-11-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Since we first stepped foot into our current house while on our house hunting trip back in April I have been itching to switch out our kitchen faucet. It's pretty builder basic and not great quality. Our town has super high water pressure and I really don't want to be pulling some at home plumbing with a flooded kitchen when hubby is working nights.

I have been searching and drooling over the faucets out now with technology that allows you to turn it on with just a touch. So great for dirty hands. Now ~~you~~ I someone could win one!

You want one? Me too. Natural Mommie is hosting a giveaway for us Canadians of a fancy shmancy Brizo faucet.

Top Ten Tuesday: Preparing for Autumn

2011-09-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

The temperatures have dropped drastically around here over the last week and there are a few things around our household that need to be adjusted to prepare for the arrival of autumn.

1. Swap my flip flops for ballet flats.
They sit at the back door so I can quickly scoot out with the dogs when they do their business and jamming my socked toes into flip flops is getting old.

2. Get some new socks
How have my socks worn thinner by sitting in the drawer?

3. Put away the gazebo canvas
Yes we need to get the gazebo frame naked.

4. Hem the curtains
We have basboard heaters in this house, under every window and my floor length living room curtains won't look so cute with scorch marks on them when the heat comes on... Still unsure of a solution without looking like dorky short curtains...

5. Dig out sweaters and jackets
Gone are the days of wearing a solitary t-shirt all day

6. Unpack autumn decor
More unpacking...

7. Get a hair cut
My hair has been growing for many months and I am not a blow dryer type gal so having really long wet locks is getting chilly. Need an easier to blow-dry style. ( This photo was before my last chop in March, it is even longer now)

8. Switch moisturizers
The lightweight summer stuff is not cutting it on the cooler weather.

9. Dig out the slow cooker
Craving warm soups, stews and chilis

10. Dump the summer planter
My petunias have gone to a better place and their carcasses are just not that pretty.

For more top ten fun go see Amanda

Meal Plan Monday

2011-05-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sickness smacked our house this weekend, well smacked my husband the rest of us have escaped unscathed so far. Today is housework catch-up day and menu plan day. Since we're moving in less than 3 weeks it's deep-freeze pantry clean out menu time.

Monday: Baked Potato Soup

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: pizza

Thursday: Perogies, frozen veggies and bbq chicken

Friday: Turkey Soup

Saturday & Sunday: leftovers since hubs is away

For more meal plan ideas visit Laura

Linky Love: Cake and Shower Curtains

2011-05-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

How beautiful and dainty is this mother's day cake from I am baker. So so sweet.

photo from I am baker

Love this shower curtain from Urban Outfitters and found this DIY tutorial. I'm thinking for the main bath which will be used by Isabel.

from Urban Outfitters

For more links from the week visit Staci

Top Ten Tuesday: House Wishlist Revisited

2011-05-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

After I wrote my house wishlist we went house hunting. It only took us one day and nine scheduled showings plus one unscheduled (by us) God showing and we had found ourself a house!

We were up bright and early after a late night flight and a four hour time difference, coffees and breakfast in hand we met with our realtor and hit the road. When we walked into our new house it was oh so apparent that is was the One. No others on the market even compared and our disappointment soon turned to anticipation as we drove back to the office to make an offer. They accepted and in a couple of months we move in!

Now that evening I went back to my wishlist and was so thrilled to see how well our new house did.

1. Bedrooms on a second storey.
Our current home is one-level, it is great and our daughter is a fantastic sleeper but it would be nice to have the bedrooms away from the living area.
Check! Our new home has three bedrooms upstairs and one in the finished basement.

2. A yard.
I will not specify size as we currently have a very dinky backyard so anything larger would be wonderful.

Check! We half a half acre lot with a green space as our backyard neighbour.

3. A mudroom.
I would love to have space for jacket and boots besides our one main closet or the garage.
Check. There is a separate door into the heated garage that leads to a mudroom area as you enter our kitchen.

4. Three or Four bedrooms.
Three is a must four would be nice so that we could always have a spare room.
Check. Three up, one down.

5. A garage.
In the area we'll be living most are older homes so garages are not common but it would be nice.
Check. A two-car attached garage as well as a separate garage.

6. A rec room area.
I would love to have a basement or loft area that could be a tv/toy room away from the living room.
Check. Finished basement rec. room.

7. Space for crafting.
The rec room area or fourth bedroom would cover this. I would like just enough to have a desk for my sewing machine and scrap-booking supplies organized and accessible.

Check. The fourth bedroom will be the guest room and it will also have a special crafting area.

8. A window over the kitchen sink.
Standing at our current sink I look at the wall straight ahead or into the living room to my left, I have always found staring out a window makes doing dishes more enjoyable.

Check. There is my window looking out into our backyard and my mum checking out the under-cabinet lighting.

9. A deep tub.
I love a good bath and though I did turn our overflow drain around so I can fill the tub a little fuller there are still bits of me that are never fully submerged in the bath.

Check. Master bath has a big tub.

10. Little or no carpet.
Our two dogs produce a lot of fur and it is so much easier to keep hard flooring clean.

Check. Hardwood, ceramic tile and laminate.

For more top ten fun go visit Amanda.

HOUSE UPDATE: WE FOUND IT!

2011-04-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

I posted my top ten house wish list a few weeks ago and just wanted to give a quick update. We found our dream house!

We were house hunting and stopped for a bite to eat while we waited 45 minutes to see the last house on our schedule. We met a guy in the coffee shop also eating his lunch and as my husband was chatting with him he invited us to go look at his house. His wife and he had discussed relocating just the other night.

We saw it, loved it, and bought it, without it even being on the market.
God is good! Giving us those 45 minutes to kill so we would be in the right place at the right time.

Top Ten Tuesday: House Wishlist

2011-04-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

We sold our house!! Hurray! The sold sign went up today and now we pack and prep to leave Sunday for our house hunting trip. We're moving 3000 miles across the country back to our family. I'm so thrilled that this next step in our journey is finally here and so anxious at the same time.
We've been aware of this move since October so virtual house hunting began then but I thought I should perfect our wishlist.

Top ten things I would love in our new house

1. Bedrooms on a second storey.
Our current home is one-level, it is great and our daughter is a fantastic sleeper but it would be nice to have the bedrooms away from the living area.

2. A yard.
I will not specify size as we currently have a very dinky backyard so anything larger would be wonderful.

3. A mudroom.
I would love to have space for jacket and boots besides our one main closet or the garage.

4. Three or Four bedrooms.
Three is a must four would be nice so that we could always have a spare room.

5. A garage.
In the area we'll be living most are older homes so garages are not common but it would be nice.

6. A rec room area.
I would love to have a basement or loft area that could be a tv/toy room away from the living room.

7. Space for crafting.
The rec room area or fourth bedroom would cover this. I would like just enough to have a desk for my sewing machine and scrap-booking supplies organized and accessible.

8. A window over the kitchen sink.
Standing at our current sink I look at the wall straight ahead or into the living room to my left, I have always found staring out a window makes doing dishes more enjoyable.

9. A deep tub.
I love a good bath and though I did turn our overflow drain around so I can fill the tub a little fuller there are still bits of me that are never fully submerged in the bath.

10. Little or no carpet.
Our two dogs produce a lot of fur and it is so much easier to keep hard flooring clean.

Stay tuned for an update as to how many wishlist items we are able to find in our new home.

Go see Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Ultimate Blog Party 2011

2011-03-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! The party has started! Last year was my first UBP and it was so neat to meet folks from all over blogland partying together.

I'm Naomi, I'm a mom and wife. I love Jesus, cupcakes and making crafty things.

I started this blog when my husband's job moved us to the other side of the country away from all of our family and friends. Three years later we're gearing up to move back across the country so my time lately has been consumed by phone calls, signatures, faxing, and virtual house hunting... I am welcoming this week of blog-partying.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to party and I'm looking forward to 'meeting' you all, please leave me a comment so I can come visit your little piece of blogland.

Linky Love: Curry, Bracelets and a Camera Strap Cover

2011-02-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hubs surprised me with a new camera last night, so of course my first priority is clearly to make this.

image from The Cottage Home

This chickpea potato curry is so delicious, one of my favourite recipes ever. Hubs the self professed carnivore even gave it rave reviews.

image from Simply Recipes

Remember how I said I need fabric? Well I found some.

image from Three Dolls Fabric

I saw this bracelet on Love but I think my new camera may have eaten up my gift quota for a while.

image from Ponder and Stitch

For more links go visit Staci

Feeling the wrong kind of crafty: Top Ten Tuesday

2011-02-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling super crafty lately, like fabric crafty but I need more fabric...I wish I was feeling scrapbook paper crafty because I have a ton of scrapbook paper (thanks mom!) and then there would be more pages in my 14 month old's scrapbook than just the one of her baby shower from the summer of 2009.

Here are the top ten crafts that I have bookmarked to do. At some point. When I have more fabric.

1. Rolled Flowers from Snazzie drawers (the tutorial link is in her right sidebar)

2. Fitted cloth diapers, haven't decided on a pattern as of yet but have been looking at several.

3. Dragon slippers, how cute are these!

4. Love letter? Toadstool? Jam Jar Topper? So many options

5. Ruffle pillows for the living room, our bedroom, Isabel's room...

6. Wool soakers to cover the fitted diaper I make.

7. Yo-yo's would look great with some rolled flowers.

8. So what if it's a Valentine craft? A cute wreath is still a cute wreath right?

9. Leggings for Isabel with some flare.

10. A diaper sewing job I really actually NEED to do more then want.

Join the top ten fun with Amanda

Valentine's Linky Love

2011-02-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

What your husband REALLY Wants... seriously read this! thank you Quatro Mama

The Other Proverbs Wife, are you her? Thanks to Diaper Diaries

Best valentine's cards: Give:LOVE from Sorta Crunchy. Found these via Oh Amanda, love her.

Bake a heart inside a cupcake. How cute are these!

image from Bake It in a Cake

For more links go see Staci

Winter ONEderland Birthday Party: Top Ten Tuesday

2011-02-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

So this is coming 6 weeks late but here's a recap of the 1st birthday party for our little girl.

1. Cupcakes!

I made vanilla cupcakes from Hello Cupcake and frosted them with simple white frosting with a hint of mint flavour. I found red and white patterned cupcake wrappers on sale at Michaels.

*see #2 for cupcake toppers.

2. Paper Decor

Etsy seller totfulmemories made the beautiful printable party package. Many thanks to mom for helping me assemble cupcake toppers, banners, cup labels and hanging signs.

3. Cake Pops

My mom gave me an early Christmas gift of the Cake Pops book by Bakerella so I thought I would give them a shot for the party.

4. Hot cocoa station

I made a vat of hot cocoa and kept it warm in my slow cooker. It was quite yummy on a cold December afternoon especially when paired with a cupcake or two.

5. Martha's Balls err tissue paper balls that is

I have been looking for an excuse to make these ever since I first saw them when I was wedding planning almost 5 years ago. I found my excuse.

6. Double Duty Decor

The snowballs are now hanging in the nursery as is this banner, I just couldn't bear to pack them away.

7. First Cupcake

She looks less thrilled than she was for most of her party.

8. The outfit

Who doesn't want to wear a tutu on your birthday...

9. Friends

What's a party without guests. We had many great friends come celebrate with us and showered the birthday girl with many wonderful gifts. I didn't manage to get a picture but we made foamie snowflake ornaments from a kit I found on sale at Michaels too...

10. Happy 1st birthday sweet girl!

For more Top Ten Tuesday Fun go visit Amanda

2011-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've been menu planning but I never get around to posting my menu. The last 2 weeks have been really using my memory since my list keeps getting mangled by tiny hands. So for the sake of my memory, I am posting this here in hopes that dinner time will go a little smoother.

Monday: Creamy baked mostacolli

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Baked Beans and molasses brown bread

Wednesday: Meaty Squash Soup and buns

Thursday: Leftover Buffet

Friday: Roasted garlic chicken and spinach pizza

Saturday: Loaded Tostadas

For more meal plans visit Laura

Moments

2011-01-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

favorite moment from the day: having a spontaneous dance party

with my girl in the kitchen before lunch.

[re] learned today: life is too short not to enjoy every last moment.

said one million & thirty six times today: close the cupboard please.

frivolous thing i'm most thankful for right now: sugar plum tea and chocolate chip cookies

song i'm listening to right now: stuck like glue- Sugarland

[okay....now it's your turn! you answer these 5 things.]

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday: Christmas Links

2010-12-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is so soon! Living across the country from family means we seem to be less busy than most at this time of year. This gives us lots of opportunities to enjoy time with our little girl, each other and our close friends. Oh and to type lists like this. Here are my top links in my Christmas bookmarks folder.

1. Advent Conspiracy A great reminder and challenge to 'Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All'

2. Etsy has some fantastic sellers with money going to great causes check out Twiggie, all the money she makes goes to Compassion International. Love is raising funds for adoption.

3. DIY ornament wreath made by Lisa Leonard. So cute and easy...looking. She makes beautiful jewellery too!

4. If you are looking to make a stocking for someone special here is a great round up with some really great designs.

5. Homemade bath fizzies oh Martha Stewart.

6. Fantastically delicious and simple to make fudge. Aha! Writing this just reminded me that I have a full container of this stuff in the deep freeze...uh oh...

7. Home for Christmas: A list of shops and websites supporting adoption and orphan care.

8. Holly napkin holders. How cute would these be at the Christmas dinner table.

9. Love this reusable ribbon garland.

10. The Etsy listing for the template for our Christmas card this year.

Linked with Amanda

1 year ago today...

2010-12-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

Our lives changed, our family grew, my heart grew, my belly shrank (some)...

Happy 1st birthday cutie pants!

Top Ten Tuesday: Pick My New Glasses

2010-11-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

So my glasses got broken last Saturday. By my dog. While I was wearing them. My 80 lb dog.

We were heading out the door so that our real estate agent could show our house. I had finished tidying, vacuuming and was leashing our small dog when our super boisterous 3 year old chocolate lab smashed into my face, breaking my glasses.

So my glasses that I didn't plan on replacing anytime soon now need to be replaced. Here are my current top ten choices, please please help me choose!

I know glasses choice all depends on face shape, glasses shape, size etc. but let's say that these all fit my face and it is just a matter of preference...

1. Love L702: They are purple and pink and black and fun.

image from www.lensway.com

2. Just Cavalli 126: Brown and stripey: kind of reminds me of a rugby shirt or maybe a root beer float.

image from www.coastalcontacts.com

3. Just Cavalli 063: They are blue. I love blue. My wedding dress was blue.

photo from www.coastalcontacts.com

4. Modo 5006: Simple and brown but still a little fun.

photo from www.eyeglasses.com

5. Kam Dhillon 3017: Pink inside, how girly and fun is that?

photo from www.coastalcontacts.com

6. Modo 5005: lilac and texturey.

photo from www.lensway.com

7. Love L703: Reminds me of bamboo.

photo from www.coastalcontacts.com

8. Jones New York 608: Olive like my eyes.

photo from www.coastalcontacts.com

9. Love L704: They say Live, Love, Laugh. Kinda like having tattoo but not permanent and without pain.

photo from www.clearlycontacts.ca

10. Cynthia Rowley 228: Remind me of Mardi Gras somehow.

photo from www.lensway.com

Go visit Amanda for more of Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Maritimers

2010-11-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

In light of Amanda's post on being a true Southerner I thought I would do something similar.

I am a maritimer. Except for the first 22 months of my life and the past (almost) 3 years, I have lived in one of the wee provinces on the east coast of Canada. My parents are both from the maritimes as well as my grandparents and I'm pretty sure my great-grandparents were too so it's in the blood.

Moving out west nearly 3 years ago made me realize just how maritime I am. Maybe not so much in my accent as some, although I have my moments. (Care for some saaaaaaahlmon anyone?)

Top Ten Things I've Learned About Maritimers by Living on the West Coast

1. We are alll about family. That is our major reason for wanting to move back is to be closer to family. There is always some kind of family event happening. Birthdays, baptisms, graduations, weddings, I got a good deal on lobster....always some reason to get together.

2. Some of us have a bit of a...twang. We drive carrrrrrs hard on the 'r' and eat saaaaaahlmon.

3. We drink tea (hot tea) or iced tea (sweet tea). There is no such thing as unsweetened cold tea, gross.

4. We don't tend to have fenced yards. Some do, and maybe it's just where I've lived, but out west just about everyone has a fenced yard.

5. We have yearly inspections on our cars. Could be because the salt air and salt on the roads in winter eats our vehicles but we have to have them inspected every year to have them on the road.

6. We use snow tires. That's not necessarily a maritime thing but all seasons are not all seasons.

7. We use salt on our roads in the winter. Where I live now they use sand on the roads (read: gravel) because it gets too cold for salt to work on ice....

8. We rarely have to replace our windshields. Out west it's a yearly thing because of #7.

9. We are very friendly and respect is huge. Funerals are usually large events and when a hurse drives by on the street all oncoming vehicles stop right where they are and pedestrians stop and remove their hats until the procession has passed. I may or may not have been nearly run over the first time I saw a funeral procession here...

10. We have fog, lots and lots of fog.

I'm sure these things are not unique to the maritimes... anyone?

Go see Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday: Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend and that means we spent time with some great friends, family and ate some delicious food so here it is, top ten Thanksgiving foods.

1. Turkey, obviously! Never had a deep fried one but would love to try it.

2. Sweet Potato Casserole. Different from yams so I learned 2 years ago and pure yumminess especially when mixed with butter and brown sugar and topped with marshmallows... (okay so every photo I found appears to be made with yams...hmmm) googled the difference

3. Yams...yes they're good too especially when baked in orange juice, mmm.

4. Potatoes and gravy. Yes they must go together, they are one entity.

5. Cranberries. I could eat my weight in these, seriously.

6. Carrots and other vegetables. Really these are eaten to even out the turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce and to soak up some of the not so good for you stuff.

7. Stuffing/Dressing. I detest the stuff but I understand it really isn't turkey dinner without it.

8. Pumpkin Pie. Again I'm not a fan but it is very thanksgiving-ish dessert.

9. Ice Cream cake. Okay not traditional but we had it and it was scrumptious.

10. Rolls. Mmm so buttery and good.

We took a lovely walk with the dogs on Thanksgiving Sunday and enjoyed the crisp air, blue skies and crunchy leaves. I LOVE autumn!

For more Top Ten fun go visit Amanda.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Meal Plan

2010-10-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

I LOVE autumn, love it! It means warm soups, drinks, and just a general coziness that I love. I'll be baking some pumpkin yumminess and we'll be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday most likely. Other than that, here's what we'll be eating for the week.

Monday: Burgers as requested by my husband so we can use some yummy spicy peppers given to us from a friend's greenhouse.

Tuesday: Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi soup but with pasta

Wednesday: Stir Fry

Thursday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice casserole

Friday: Burritos

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Thanksgiving dinner?

For more menu plans head over to Laura's site

Linky Love: cupcakes, autumn and bunting

2010-09-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Naomi: I love all things cupcake and I also love her name, just look at these babies.

Echoes of Laughter: I love autumn and she has some great decorations oh annnnnd she's a fellow maritimer living out west.

The Artful Abode: I love bunting, love it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Things I Did This Summer

2010-09-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

1. Visited with far away family and friends. Oh how nice it was to be able to spend some quality time this summer catching up and introducing Isabel to everyone from back east.

2. Saw places I've really been missing.

3. Camped across the country and then some with my best friend, our daughter and our dogs in our tiny trailer.

yes half our roof top carrier is missing but that is a whole nother post.

4. Drank yummy Java Moose drinks. Hello Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Mocha.

5. Shopped in stores that don't exist where I live.

6. Combined #1 and #3 for a family camping trip.

7. Watched my baby girl learn to sit, wave, crawl and pull to standing.

8. Ate entirely too much good food...

9. Missed my own house but not the smoke from wild fires

10. Flew by myself with the babe for the first time...across the country

Fr more top ten fun visit Amanda

2010-07-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Totally slacked on the blog for the summer but hoping to get back in the swing of things.

I'll also probably have some more spare time on my hands since the babe is napping regularly and we cancelled our satellite tv!?

Now in some areas that would mean that we still have a channel or 2, we do! We have 1 channel but it's all celebrity gossip all the time. Not my style. I've lived without tv before and I actually like how it made me feel.

I'm figuring it might save us in electricity from running the tv (for background noise when I'm not even watching it)... Not to mention I'll get outside more and spend more time just enjoying quality family time.

Linky Love: May 1st edition

2010-05-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Gift Ideas and Giveaway from The Diaper Diaries: I love love this jewellery in particular, what an awesome gift idea...for mother's day...perhaps a first mother's day...?

Family Ring: another awesome mother's day gift from etsy.

Eco-Friendly Tutorials neat ideas, need to make the scrappy zipper pouch.

Chicken Pomodoro Recipe from Cooking During Stolen Moments: Made this on Thursday, so good and a nice option for a spaghetti type dish.

Things I love Thursday: Nauseous Egg Separator

2010-04-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

What to do when a recipe calls for just an egg white or just an egg yolk...one must separate the egg. Now you coooouuuuld just crack the egg shell and do the old pass the yolk bag and forth between the 2 halves but really why do that when you have one of these:

My husband's nanny gave it to us and it makes me snicker every time I use it, not to mention it's beautiful handmade pottery.

Go see the Diaper Diaries for more loved things.

Top Ten Tuesday: Cutest "Vacation Homes"

2010-04-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

We love camping and do so in our Boler trailer. We've been working hard on its interior to make it all spiffy and cute but now it's time for the exterior to get some love. In my searches I have come across many many photos soooo here are:

THE TOP TEN CUTE BOLER/FIBERGLASS RV EXTERIORS

1. A cottage, just needs a porch

2. A cozy honeymoon

3. Cute as a bug

4. mellow yellow

5. Awesome matching paint job!

6. Ruh-Roh!

7. Firefighter Boler

8. Similar to what ours will look like

9. Meow?

10. Starry starry night

I'm thinking we're going to go with a solid colour and have it done in truck bed liner for durability...orange perhaps

Please go visit Amanda for more great Top Ten lists

Linky Love: Glee, Baking and a Tattoo

2010-04-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

Glee came back on Tuesday, squeeeeee!! Now while I didn't celebrate with cupcakes these people did. Fantastic!

Is this not the best tattoo ever?? hahahaha if I ever lose a toe, please refer me back to this.

I've discovered Joy of Baking, she tries all the recipes and includes photos! I love seeing how the final product should look...made these this morning..mmm mmm good

Find some more good links here

Top Ten Tuesday: happy un-birthday to Nugget

2010-04-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's 9pm on Monday night, feels like 11pm and I am starving. Amanda's post sure isn't helping...

On a completely unrelated note, today is the 2 year anniversary of our small dog Nugget finding us on the side of the highway. We were taking touristy pictures by a giant gold nugget...hence the name. (That and he is such an odd looking dog, very low to the ground with a big head, Nugget just suits him)

So without further ado I present the past 2 years of Nugget in photos:

1. The day we found him.

2. Shaved due to all the burrs/mats in his fur...poor dog

3. furry friends

4. working on his tan

5. hanging out in the snow, one of his favourite places to be

6.snuggling on the couch

7. sympathy morning sickness

8. the rarely seen nugget-crocopus

9. Oh Christmas tree

10. on baby duty

The question is...is this a good enough excuse to bake cupcakes or maybe just a cake?

Saturday Stumbles

2010-04-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Some nifty links I came across this week

To buy organic or not that is the question. Here's a handy dandy little list showing the dirty dozen and the clean 15 to help you get the most for your money.

Made this and this for dinners and they were both hits!

Reading this book right now and it has really hit home in my heart about being a mom, good stuff.

If you are looking for a good party check out The Ultimate Blog Party, there are way too many good links to list here so go see!

Click here for more good links

Ultimate Blog Party 2010

2010-04-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Woot woot! Welcome to the par-tay! Crosby and Nugget are ready with their party hats...are you? Grab a cupcake and make yourself comfy!

I'm a Christian wife and new mom enjoying making new friends in the blogosphere. Check out my about me page for more on who I am and you can follow me on twitter.

In an attempt to sum up my blog in one post here are a few of my favourite things...when the dog bites (whoops sorry, but really what's a party without music??) Oh and just in case you noticed the "u" in the word favourite, not a type-o, I am Canadian...you caught me {Waves enthusiastically to fellow Canadian bloggers}
Now onto my faves:

Cupcakes, yeah I know! who would-a guessed?

Iced Capps of the homemade variety

Pretty Easter things: so springy and fun, I mean who can live without butter in the shape of a lamb?

My favourite girl: aspiring Michelin baby

SO glad you stopped by I'm really excited to party with y'all (that was for all the southerners out there :)

I forgot to mention all the fabulous prizes at the party, I'd be happy to win any of them!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday: A tribute to my sister on her birthday

2010-04-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

She's 22 today woot woot! Living on the other side of the country I thought I would do a tribute to her. This is what we would do today if she wasn't 3300 miles away.

1. We would wear Norwegian olympic curling team pants

2. Devour a DQ blizzard Treatzza Pizza

3. Right after we finished stuffing ourselves at Pizza Delight

4. Then we would head out to

5. Go shopping for some new make-up

6. Get pedicures

7. Drive around singing at the top of our lungs

8. Stop at Old Navy for some shopping

9. Stroll on the beach in our new outfits

10. Curl up in our PJ's for a girly

Happy Birthday! I love you!

Go check out some more top ten lists

Meal Plan

2010-04-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter all! Hope you enjoyed the wonderful weekend celebrating with your family and friends.

Monday: Crock Pot Shipwreck

Tuesday: Chicken Salad Wraps

Wednesday: Stuffed Shells

Thursday: Bean Stew

Friday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Sunday: Leftover Buffet

Visit Laura for more meal plan ideas!

Saturday Stumbles: Easter Edition

2010-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Easter's about Jesus from Amanda @ Impress Your Kids: Great ideas, can't wait to use them when Isabel is older.

Easter Cupcakes from Twiggie Makes: I knew what she was doing the moment I read that she was cutting graham crackers, yes cutting graham crackers...deliciously cute.

Easter Dinner Ideas from Country Living: yummy!

Easter Butter Mold from Polart: I soooo need this, Easter dinner wouldn't be complete without it...

Go see more Saturday Stumbles and link up!

Top Ten Tuesday: Things to Make with Ground Meat

2010-03-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

We buy our ground meat in bulk and there was a sale soooo, we've been eating a lot of it lately. I've been going through my collection of recipes to create dinners with our freezer stash. Join me in our ground meat adventures :)

1. Rachael Ray's Mega Turkey Nacho Dinner: My FAVOURITE recipe of all time! As in what I want for my birthday dinner, or any other night.

2. Burgers: Really try this:

ground meat
ketchup
bbq sauce
egg
onion soup mix
salt & peppa
garlic

I've only come to like burgers in the past year, around the same time I got pregnant, I blame it on pregnancy.

3. Sloppy Joes: try this

ground meat
tomato sauce
basilsalt & peppa
chipotle chili powder
garlic powder
onion powder

4. Lasagne: Cheesey meaty goodness. My favourite trick is a little nutmeg in the ricotta/cottage cheese.

5. Rachael Ray's Super-sized 7-Layer Casserole: A supper-fied 7 layer dip! yes!

6. Brown Bag Burritos: great for lunches!

7. Mexican Pile-Up: Like deconstructed tacos, yummy! A family favourite.

8. Baked Taco Salad: another family favourite

9. Taco Salad: just the normal kind not baked :)

10. Spaghetti: I've only liked spaghetti since I've been married..I know what kid doesn't like spaghetti?

Go visit Amanda for more top tens

Good Stuff Saturday: Feeling Springy

2010-03-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Pretty spring decorating from My Blessed Life: I love love love her dining room, so fresh and bright!

Super cute ruffled leggings from Sugar Bee: I'll be making some of these!

Beautiful birthday cards: how fun would it be to get one of these in the mail!

Cupcake contest winners: so cute!

Head over to It's Come to This for more linky love.

Friday Fail: Chocolate Covered Baby

2010-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

As I was getting ready to nurse the baby a few weeks ago I had a major urge for chocolate, I grabbed a couple of chocolate covered pretzels and settled into the chair. When she was done feeding I handed her off to hubby for a diaper change and headed to the washroom. Looking into the mirror I wondered "what is that on my neck?" It was chocolate, a large smear of melted chocolate on my neck and chest, I chuckled at myself as I wiped it off, what a waste. A few seconds later I heard hubby calling me and I headed into the nursery, he asked me what is on the baby...there my little girl is laying smiling on the change table with a handful of melted chocolate and big smear across the side of her face.

Feeding the baby chocolate...fail!

I didn't think to take a picture of the incident but here is her cute smiling face :)

Things I love Thursday: Woodwick Candles

2010-03-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like reading a good book, whilst cradling a cup of tea with the crackle of a wood fire in the background. Unfortunately if you are like me you have a gas fireplace which lacks that special ambiance that only a wood fire can give. Luckily for us there is the neatest little invention that I discovered a few years ago when my mom gave me a candle as a gift. Not just any candle, no no behold the Woodwick Candle!

It's wick is as you might have guessed is a thin strip of wood that crackles as it burns, I know!

It's great I have a big one for the living room and a small one that keeps me company when I am lounging in the tub.

I love Woodwick Candles!

Go visit The Diaper Diaries for more things people love.

P.S. she has a giveaway too!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Good Stuff Saturday

2010-03-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Awesome pancakes, seriously. I always used mix because my mom always used mix but we ran out sooooo on Shrove Tuesday we tried these and they are fantastic! It has changed my pancake making forever!

Cute tattoo: perfect for any baker, especially a cupcake obsessed baker.

Learning to Run Plan: Never been a runner but would like to be, what better time than when I am at my heaviest and most tired as a new mom (eye roll)

Top Ten Tuesday: New Baby Tips

2010-03-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I'm recovering from my very first run yesterday...ugh legs are a little sore

but nothing a snuggle with my baby girl and some yummy breakfast won't fix. Did I mention that she is 3 months old...already?!?! It seems like yesterday when I wasn't sure I w

ould make it through those long nights in the first week.

Over the past 3 months I have gathered a few tips from other moms and my own experience on easy things to do to get ready for and/or to make everyday life with a new baby easy and economical.

1. Bounty - Peanut Butter Jar Wipes I need to buy some more paper towel to make more wipes so I will post a picture when I have some made but the link will take you to another mom who has discovered their wonder. I you are going to go the route of disposable wipes you might as well give homemade ones a try.

2. Hand-Me-Downs I will accept any and all donations of clothing from moms because they just make my day. Chances are my kid(s) won't wear them out either and they can go to their next happy home when I am done with them. Not to mention that most of the gross manufacturing chemicals have been washed out of them by the time I get them.

3. Baking Ahead It seems no matter what time I get up I am not on time since having this baby. She is always hungry or needs a diaper change as I am about to go out the door. I don't deal well without breakfast in my tummy so by making a batch of muffins I have insta-portable breakfast-to-go ready and waiting. Also saves money on drive-thrus.

4. Coffee Timers Caffeine makes me jittery if I have too much of it but since I have entered the realm of new parent sleep deprivation 3 months ago I have become a one cup of coffee in the morning type of gal. Our coffee pot has a timer and due to reasons stated in #3 if it is all set and brewing I can pour myself a travel mug and be on my way.

Just in case you are looking for some delicious coffee, visit my favourite coffee shop from home Java Moose...Maple Cinnamon Coffee??? drool. And like #3, saves money on drive-thrus.

5. Dishwasher I always felt kind of guilty using the dishwasher for just my husband and I but unless I want dirty dishes stacked until each evening when I have a moment without incidences that I mentioned in #3 we load our dishwasher and it at least gives me the feeling that my kitchen is clean.

6. Meal Planning I have been doing this for a while but it seems to make all the more sense now that my schedule is much more dictated by a 14.5 lb person. Laura hosts Menu Plan Mondays, an awesome place to start.

7. House Cleaning Schedule I'm still working on this one but it just seems like laundry piles up in a matter of minutes...

8. Cloth Diapers Not that these make my life a whole lot easier but they don't make it any more difficult. We do have to empty the garbage less and they are just so darn cute! My current fave are Fuzzi Bunz and I'm looking to buy some more, they really are great, and they do work out to be cheaper in the long run.

9. Baby Wrap I love this thing see my other post

10. Loving Husband He is seriously the best dad I could ever have hoped for and I wouldn't want to do this without him.

For more Top Ten Tuesday Fun go see Amanda.

Things I Love Thursday: Baby Wrap

2010-03-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

I became a mom almost 3 months ago and I'm not sure I would get much of anything done without my baby wrap. She loves being in the wrap and it got me through her first month of life especially, she was so unhappy being anywhere but in our arms. I received 2 as shower gifts and was so grateful. If I hadn't I was prepared to sew one because of the good things I had heard about them from other moms. There are also benefits to baby wearing check out this list.

I have another popular baby carrier but the weight it puts on my shoulders makes them tired and sore in a very short time, baby and I are so much more comfy in the wrap. Daddy even wears her :)

Check out other things that people love over at The Diaper Diaries

Smarti Pants Cloth Diaper Giveaway

2010-02-24T21:41:00.000-08:00

Stephanie over at A Pocket Full of Buttons is a fan of Smarti Pants diapers and is hosting a giveaway! So if you are into cloth diapering or considering it and would like to try these diapers head on over and visit Stephanie.

Top Ten: Getting to know ME!

2010-02-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

This is in response to Candace's post...

1) What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name?
Naomi, I like it and can't imagine another name except maybe Tinkerbell :)

2) What was your worst date (as in going out on a date, not an actual calendar date…unless you have a really bad one to share)?
Umm haven't been on many dates...maybe the one where the guy just wanted to sit and talk about "us" when there was no "us" to be talked about...

3) If you had to teach one subject in high school or college, what would it be?
Science for sure, such fun experiments to be done!

4) When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
last night, I just get goofy when it's late and by late I mean 10pm :)

5) What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
many things but most recently meals made for our family when we had our baby

6) If money or skill-set was no issue, what would you love to do for a living?
Diabetes nutrition counselling or dermatology or maybe to be more whimsical wedding planning and owning a cupcake/cake shop

7) What is one thing as an adult/parent/spouse you do that you swore you would never do?
not having the dishes done before I go to bed, nothing worse than waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes

8) If you could go back to one particular time in your life (not to live, not to change anything, just to visit) when would it be?
sometime before I was 11 to spend more time with my dad

9) If your walls could talk, what would they say about you (good & bad)?
I talk to the dogs constantly

10) If you could fix or put an end to one problem in the world what would it be?
Not treating others as ourselves

Works for me Wednesday

2010-02-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

Lent begins tomorrow and for all the joking about eating sugar, fat and eggs in preparation for fasting, I am excited because I'm going to be reading The Purpose Driven Life. I hope to use the next 40 days to really focus on God's purpose for me and the ultimate sacrifice He made.

I've read this book before with a small group and tried on my own since then but this time a group of us ladies are reading it and discussing it via Facebook. It's going to be great to be held accountable to read it each day, to get to do this all together and chat with friends and family from across the country.

For more WFMW head over to We Are That Family

Shrove Tuesday

2010-02-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia: the day is often known as Pancake Day. Making and eating such foods was considered a last feast with ingredients such as sugar, fat and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent.

So tonight we're having pancakes. I mean really can you go wrong with sugar, fat and eggs?

Improving our Marriage for Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

We don't make a big deal out of Valentine's day around here but yesterday we spent the day at church doing a marriage seminar. I figure it's a pretty good Valentine's present to each other. We watched a video series by Mark Grungor called Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage. HILARIOUS!!

Seriously if you get the chance watch these videos he has some awesome advice and presents it in a way that really makes sense to men and women.

Today is a banquet for the seminar attendees and one final video. I'm looking forward to a lovely Valentine's evening.

Happy Valentine's Day, give your loved ones a hug!

cloth diaper cuteness

2010-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Ergo Organic Baby Carrier giveaway

2010-02-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

Lydia is giving away an Ergo Organic Baby Carrier as her first giveaway! These seem to be the cream of the crop when it comes to baby carriers and here is your chance to win one of you very own, head on over to enter.

WFMW: baby leg warmers

2010-02-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have always thought baby leg warmers were so cute and now that I have a baby to put them on I just had to have some. I sew ( haha I totally just typed "I'm a sewer"...hahaha) so I set out to make some myself.

The first one I made following this tutorial but I was using adult knee socks and the cuff turned out too big for my baby's ankles. I did buy a pair of girls knee socks this week and will follow those directions, but for adult socks I made the cuff smaller like this tutorial shows.

They are so simple to make it's ridiculous, even if you don't sew I know you could make them.

here's my model

That's what works for me! For other great ideas be sure to head over to We Are That Family.

Baby Bean has arrived!

2010-02-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well she arrived nearly 2 months ago but we've been busy needless to say:

Isabel was born on December 15 @ 0640 weighing 8lbs 8oz and 20" long.
She is absolutely precious and we can't imagine life without her.

Help Haiti

2010-01-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

I've always had a heart for Haiti and have even spoken to the folks at an orphanage there about volunteer opportunities so the disastrous earthquake that happened this past week has been weighing heavily on my heart.
Please pray for the people in Haiti and if you are able please donate.
If you are from the U.S. you can donate to the Haiti earthquake relief effort here.
If you are a fellow Canadian please help Compassion help the people devastated by the Haiti earthquake here.
Even a donation of just $35 can help provide food and water for a family for a week. Compassion is one of the charitable organizations with financial integrity helping the people of Haiti.

cool days = warm drinks

2009-11-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

I love curling up with a good book and a warm drink that's been topped with some milk foam. I've never been a fan of whipped cream and last year I found a milk frother on sale...tadaa! Skim milk goes in the microwave then gets frothed and a regular drink gets fancy. I don't know what it is but it seems to taste better when it looks like this, or maybe it's just pregnancy talking.

If you've never tried a London Fog I highly recommend it!

less than 2 weeks to go

2009-11-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

How far along?: 38 weeks
Total weight gain: 32 lbs
How big is baby?: 20 " and 6.5 lbs
Maternity clothes?: absolutely
Stretch marks?: a couple old ones re-awakened on my side and a few low on my belly that have appeared over the last week
Sleep?: okay with my beloved body pillow in our comfy bed but getting less and less comfortable
Best moment this week? sushi dinner date with Nat
Movement?: Hiccups and a bum poking out quite often, and little hands tickling my side.
Food cravings?: Fruit, yogurt, and milk. mmm smoothies
Labor signs?: some braxton hicks
Belly button in or out?: In.
What I miss: Being able to sit comfortably for any length of time
What I'm looking forward to: finishing getting the house organized
Milestone: baby getting lower

S'more Cookies

2009-11-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

1 cup margerine softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1&1/3 cup flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs or 16 crackers crushed
1/8 tsp salt
mini marshmallows or large ones quartered
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbsp peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl beat marg. and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat. Add flour, cracker crumbs & salt, beat until stiff dough forms. Put heaping tsp of dough on ungreased cookie sheet and indent each with a thumb print. Bake 10-12 mins.
Put 2 mini marshmallows on each or a quarter of a big one, bake for 2-3 mins more.
Meanwhile melt chocolate chips (and I added peanut butter which wasn't called for in the original recipe but was delicious), dollop on cookies as they emerge from the oven.
Enjoy!

I made these the other night thanks to my sister for giving me the recipe, great for those times when a campfire just isn't possible :)

autumn goodies

2009-10-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

Our ladies Bible study had a luncheon last week so I decided to whip up some pumpkin muffins. I had some Martha Stewart autumn stencils that mom gave me as part of a shower gift so this was a perfect opportunity to try them out.

Voila pretty pumpkin muffins to delight the tastebuds, mm mmm.

Next, to try these adorable owl cupcakes how fun are they??

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my absolute favourite time of the year, warm days cool nights, spices and warm drinks, I just love it all.

This upcoming weekend is Thanksgiving up here in the great white north so we'll be celebrating with friends on Monday and enjoying a delicious feast. Until then we'll be indulging in some cool weather meals.

Monday: Homemade pizza

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: boiled ham dinner

Thursday: manicotti

Friday: baked beans and brown bread

Saturday: cheesy chicken and rice bake

Sunday: Leftovers

Monday: Thanksgiving dinner

for more yummy idea's check out Laura's site

2009-08-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

We're flying home this week for a much needed vacation to visit all our family, soo excited. Until then we still need to eat so...

Monday: Turkey Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy

Tuesday: Asian Style BBQ Pork Chops

Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Broccoli

Thursday: Leftover buffet

Friday: Air plane/Airport food

Saturday & Sunday: ? staying with our parents

natural toilet bowl cleaner

2009-08-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our hard water leaves this nasty ring in our toilet if not scrubbed all hours of the day.

Sooo...I was looking for some toilet bowl cleaner and stumbled across the Clorox Green Works line. The natural toilet bowl cleaner was on sale so I thought I would give it a try.

It works! Oh it's great, gets rid of the ring in no time and keeps it sparkling clean and smelling good for days, my new favourite bathroom cleaner.

That's what works for me.

Click here more WFMW ideas.

excited to sew and shop

2009-07-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

So I just got this book because the Amazon preview just looked so good.

I'm excited to get our nursery all ready for the little one and looking at sites like rate my space just gets me that much more excited.
I mean just look at this from user grettacole! The bright fun colours, I am in love and I'm looking forward to a trip to Ikea :)

2009-07-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Iced cappuccinos, particularly those from Tim Hortons but any frosty creamy coffee flavoured drink is one of my favourite summer indulgences.

On a good day caffeine makes me wired so I avoid it, now being pregnant I have an even better reason to avoid caffeine. So I have been making my own iced capps at home. The tastiest recipe I've found is this:
homemade iced cappuccino
1 cup skim milk
1 tsp instant coffee powder (or you could use a bit of brewed coffee if you had some leftover)
4 tsp sugar
4-6 ice cubes

Blend until slushy and frothy and enjoy.
This also has much less fat than the store bought variety so I can enjoy it with less guilt :)

But I have been experimenting and to make it even better I save any leftover decaf flavoured coffee that I make every so often in the morning and freeze it in ice cube trays. I cut the instant coffee powder down and use frozen flavoured coffee cubes, mmmm. I hear the blender calling my name now :)

Not to mention this way is much cheaper, so that's what works for me.
To see other things that work check out Works For Me Wednesday .

What's for dinner?

2009-06-22T16:02:00.002-07:00

Recently my like for cooking dinner has wavered and flickered and turned into more of a dread. I'm meal planning to make it easier so I don't have to think about it as much and just do it. Ugh the thought of dinner just does nothing for me, I'd rather eat some raw fruits and veggies. I guess there could be worse pregnancy cravings :)

So for this week I will be attempting:

Monday: Chicken a la King

Tuesday: Chili and cornbread

Wednesday: honey chicken kebabs and potatoes (carried forward from last week)

Thursday: Spinach mushroom manicotti and garlic bread (carried forward)

Friday:Awesome slow cooker pot roast and veggies

Saturday: homemade mac and cheese

Sunday: Lasagne and salad

Want some more ideas?

Top Ten Things to do on a Rainy Day

2009-06-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

1. Finish some overdue sewing projects : as you can see I need to finish making the new curtains for the Boler these just had to go

2. Work on some craft projects that have been neglected: I need to make some birthday cards to have on hand since the mail takes a week to get to family at home or you could check out my friend katie's Etsy store

3. Write a letter: A lost art, and who doesn't love getting "real" mail??

4. Read a good book: I've been neglecting reading lately since I feel that there are other things I should be doing but there are so many good books out there...

5. Clean: grooooooan but it has to be done and it does feel nice to have a freshly cleaned kitchen/bathroom/ living room.

6. Redecorate: I like to do my mantel every now and then just for a lift I mean look at this

7. Do some baking: mmm muffins

8. Enjoy some tea: best when enjoyed with the above mentioned baking

9. Call a friend: next best thing to being able to visit in person

10. Visit a friend: in real life or the blogosphere

For more top tens visit Amanda

2009-06-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Why does eating outside make everything taste better? It just does somehow. We had a picnic at the lake on our anniversary, and it was deeelicious! I made pastrami sandwiches on french bread (my hubby's fave), mock mojitos, veggies, dip and slurpees for dessert.

I'm looking forward to enjoying some more outdoor meals as the summer progresses but, for this week we'll be enjoying:

Monday: We had taco salad last night, yummy!

Tuesday: Spinach mushroom manicotti and garlic bread

Wednesday: honey chicken kebabs and potatoes

Thursday: Burritos

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: Spaghetti with homemade sauce

For more great meal ideas check out menu plan monday

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-06-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Top ten exciting things about this week:

1. We heard our baby's heartbeat at the Dr.'s office this morning and everything is progressing along smoothly, I'll be 14 weeks tomorrow! Which leads me to #2.

2. We called all of our friends and family to share the news today, it's so fun to share good news and hear the reactions (screaming, that's great, yay!, WHAAAAT?, that's so exciting, is it a cinnamon bun?) which results in #3

3. I don't have to suck in my"baby gut" anymore! (you know the flub that results from your insides being shifted around?)

4. I get to be pleasantly plump when we go home to visit in August. (not about this week, I realize that but hey)

5. I get to buy a new dress for a wedding in August. (also not about this week...)

6. Our anniversary is tomorrow, 3 years! My plan so far consists of crepes for breakfast, anything else would be great too, maybe a picnic.

7. I found a great gift for my sister at Winners yesterday, I just love Winners.

8. I got to go grocery shopping with my hubby today which was so nice since I always do the grocery shopping alone while he's at work.

9. I bought the ingredients for virgin mojitos, now I just need to get a mint plant so I can make them just a little more tasty. What an awesome summer drink.

10. I get to use the "please can we get slurpees/ice cream/other yummy treat? it's our anniversary" line tomorrow . Wish me luck!

go see Amanda for some more top tens

finally sharing the positive

2009-06-02T20:47:00.001-07:00

14 weeks tomorrow! woot woot!

Almost summer days...

2009-05-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

call for iced capps! I just can't bear to pay the 3 bucks or whatever it is for these delicious frothy wonders so I pulled out my personal blender (one of my favourite kitchen appliances) and put this together.

homemade iced cappucino
1 cup skim milk
1 tsp instant coffee powder (or you could use a bit of brewed coffee if you had some leftover)
4 tsp sugar
4-6 ice cubes

Blend until slushy and frothy and enjoy.
This also has much less fat than the store bought variety so I can enjoy it with less guilt :)

p.s. for any of you reading this who know me and my strong reaction to caffeine and are concerned, I use decaf :)

2009-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Come on in I've got a pot of tea on!

I'm back! I've really been neglecting the blog world but I guess that can be considered a good thing because it means my real world life has been busy.

I started a part-time job at the end of March which quickly became a full-time job and was too much and not what I had in mind. So now I'm back to cooking, cleaning and taking care of my hubby and the dogs. I like this life :)

My mom came to visit for 2 weeks and we had a great time, so glad our family has been able to visit as often as they have.

I booked our flights home for our trip this summer!! We're so excited having not been home for a year and a half now, we miss everyone muchly.

Wow, it's time to mow the lawn again, yikes, but that also means we get to spend more time outdoors. I love warm weather. We even went for hike last weekend with some friends and all our dogs, it feels so good to get out after a long winter.

meal plan monday

2009-03-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe for crockpot falafel through my friend Kate and gave it a try last week. They were delicious!!! My hubby the carnivore even gave them rave reviews so they will definitely be on our menu again.We ate them in spinach wraps that I had on hand, topped with cheese, peppers, baby spinach and some light ranch dressing, delicious! Next time I hope to make homemade tzatziki and pita bread to go with them.

For this week we'll be enjoying:

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: mexican pile-up

Wednesday: slow cooker pot roast with potatoes and veggies

Thursday: grilled shrimp with veggies

Friday: baked beans with homemade molasses brown bread

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: homemade pizza and salad

For more meal plan ideas head over to organizing junkie .

happy spring!

2009-03-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by, I'm serving tea and coffee today so grab a mug :)

Spring has sprung, yay!! I'm not really a huge fan of spring with the freak snow storms and slushy muddiness everywhere but it gives me hope that summer is on its way! I only had to scrape one window on the truck this morning, so very exciting.

This week has flown, mostly because I worked in the mornings, which is great. When I came home this afternoon the doorbell rang and there was a beautiful bouquet of pale pink tulips from my mom all the way on the other side of the country. She's so sweet, tulips are my favourite!
I'm looking forward to the weekend to catch up on housework and start my hubby's days off, ah let the spring cleaning begin!!

sponge dog square pants

2009-03-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

I love my dogs, I really do. They are fantastic company and are great at warning me of such impending dangers as...the cat up the street or the mail man dunh dunh dunh. Seriously though I've never owned a dog before we got these two a year ago and I've always wanted one. I just can't wait until summer when the snow and dirt won't be all over my house. Oh summer with your green grass and lack of snow and gravel mmm.

Crosby our lab is not so bad as long as I wipe his feet but Nugget, poor Nugget is the silliest mix of breeds so that he is a low lying sponge. Just a few minutes ago he was in the back yard and he didn't come when I called, I pulled on my boots and trudged through the snow and had a moment of panic when I didn't see him (let me just say the day we found him he was running down the middle of the highway) but then I saw movement up up in the garden on our retaining wall. The poor dog was stuck in the snow and couldn't move as it was deeper than his little legs, I burst out laughing then composed myself long enough to reach above my head and lower him to the ground.
Why didn't anyone tell me dogs were so much work...?

Anyway onto my gratitude list for this week

1. My wonderful husband, he works so hard.

2. Melamine paint: has anyone used this stuff? We've been painting our trailer and chose it for its durability. Proof: There is a a green spot under my thumbnail that I can't get off...we painted on Monday...

3. Friends, I love visiting and having tea with friends

4. Tea: see number 3

5. The time change, yes I said it. I do enjoy how much lighter it is in the evenings.

6. My down comforter, so warm and cozy. I think I'm going to go curl up now.

See you soon

Meal Plan

2009-03-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

Brunch, what a wonderful meal, my favourite in fact. I love breakfast foods and on my hubby's last days off we made a wonderful spread of crepes with strawberries and yogurt and homemade biscuits with eggs and bacon. Oh it was soo good. If you've never made crepes, they are so simple and delicious plain or when served with fresh fruit. My favourite recipe is vanilla crepes they smell heavenly when they're cooking and taste just as good. The recipe is from all recipes and I modified it just a bit

Vanilla Crepes

1 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted marge

1.Stir milk, egg yolks, and vanilla together. Stir in flour, sugar, salt and marge.

2. Heat crepe pan or large frying pan over medium heat, pour 1/3 cup of batter in the pan then tilt the pan to spread. when edges begin to curl and middle looks set flip and cook for another minute. Keep warm and serve.

On the menu for this week is:

Tuesday: brown bag burritos (making extras to put in the freezer for lunches)

Wednesday: homemade pitas and crockpot falafel with tzatziki

Thursday: linguine with garlic sauce (whole wheat linguine, low fat cream cheese and skim milk)

Friday: bbq chicken on buns with veg

Saturday: pizza (making pizza pockets for the freezer)

Sunday: refried bean nachos

Monday: veggie pot pie

For more great ideas go see Laura

sunny days...

2009-03-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by, grab a mug of something warm and get cozy in the sun.

I love the sunshine and this week has been beautiful!
On Sunday after church we had an outdoor bbq, we stood around in the sun while the kids played with snowshoes, sleds and got pulled around by a snowmobile. What a great afternoon, it was so nice to enjoy the weather outside after a long winter.

I've been able to get out and walk the dogs and still feel my fingers at the end of the walk, so nice.

Our driveway is almost clear again, the ice is melting and our car hasn't slid down the driveway in weeks!

I just can't wait for spring and I know the dogs are loving the sunny weather too. Anyone else had their fill of winter?

pvc dryer balls?

2009-03-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

I found this from Norwex which is a largely chemically free company who makes dryer balls which are also made with pvc like the ones I posted about.

QUESTION: WHY ARE NORWEX DRYER BALLS MADE OF PVC PLASTIC, WHICH IS THE MOST TOXIC PLASTIC ON THE PLANET?

CANDI'S ANSWER (from Norwex Canadian Headquarters:
Yes, during the manufacture of pvc, there is a small amount of dioxin generated. This is definitely a cost, however, dioxins are not released upon use of the product – only if they were burned (i.e., by fire). It would be very nice to eliminate all environmental costs – so they tried to make them from different types of material, but so far, none have been successful (i.e., other types of plastic simply aren’t effective and don’t work well). Another potential issue with regards to them being made of pvc plastic are phthalates, which are ingredients added to plastics to soften them. These can leach out in water, especially under high heat...this is a problem if you are drinking the contaminated water. Such leaching is unlikely to occur to any appreciable degree in the dryer as they are not sitting in water...and also, we are not drinking the water they are sitting in. The amount of residue, if any, they would leave on clothing is exceptionally small. One study done on the absorption of phthalates into human skin found that, even when added as a concentrated liquid directly onto the skin, that very little penetrated the skin - skin is largely impermeable to them. Also, the amount, if any, on the clothing would be so small as to be immeasurable. Certainly, dramatically better than any other products used to soften clothing and reduce static, which leaves a lot of chemical residue...and for a wide variety of chemicals!

For now, this issue requires additional research, but for those using dryersheets or fabric softener – we are dramatically reducing their exposure to chemicals that are far worse and more likely to affect them than by using dryerballs. Also, the dryerballs reduce energy consumption. I certainly acknowledge that there is some environmental cost, as there is with all human activities…but in my mind, the cost of the manufacture and lifetime use of this product would be dramatically less than that of using fabric softener or dryer sheets. I still give them a thumbs-up on user and environmental friendliness over their lifetime, as compared to other products used for the same purpose.

It may also be worthy of note that there are very large uses of pvc in homes, dryerballs are a very small component of that – i.e., most piping and newer windows are composed of pvc (I do note, however, that this in no way negates the additional cost of having yet another product made from this material – if a better option becomes available, I’m sure we’ll be on board!).

dryer balls

2009-03-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

I have some articles of clothing that can go in the dryer but cannot have fabric softener. Now you see I'm anti static cling and my husband seems to be the king of static electricity so I like to use something to keep things from sticking together in the dryer. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of unnecessary chemicals so when I was wandering the aisles of the dollar store I came across packs of these spiky little guys. They were 2/$1 (cheaper than tennis balls) so I thought I'd give them a try. They're quite hard plastic so if you can stand the banging around in your dryer for the first few minutes until they warm up and soften they are a fantastic little creation. They fluff up and separate the laundry without chemicals so I can use them on the wicking clothing, microfiber things, and down filled things that would get clogged with fabric softener. The box recommended 4-6/ load so I bought 4 for a grand total of $2. That works for me :)

Check out Works for Me Wednesday for more things that work.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-03-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

Yay it's March! that means we're one month closer to summer!! woot! Mind you we've been having some beautiful weather here, bright sunny days that are very motivating and the dogs and I have been enjoying walking in the sunshine after what seems like a long winter.

My brother-in-law is visiting for his March break so as I've been planning my meals I've been trying to keep in mind that I am feeding two men and me. That means moooore food. This week has gone well so far so we'll see what next week holds, I'll try not to kill him with veggies :).

Oh I almost forgot to mention that last week I made my very first pot roast, this recipe really is awesome, if you've never made one you should try it!

So on the menu for this week we have:

Monday: Chili

Tuesday: Chicken a La King

Wednesday: Chili dogs and salad

Thursday: Stacked Enchilada Pie

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: Veggie Pot Pie

Sunday: Spaghetti

For more great meal plan ideas visit Organizing Junkie

new colours

2009-02-20T19:16:00.001-08:00

Over the years I've had a mullet, a super short pixie cut, long long hair, a perm, bangs, no bangs but (aside from one very unfortunate incident where I volunteered for a hair show and they botched up a blond dye job) I have been very tentative with hair colour. The cut is not the issue, I chopped my hair all off super short the day after prom just a week before graduation but cccccolour...eeek. I would think that I could do it, that I wanted a colour change but wandering the hair dye aisle I would always gravitate toward the semi-permanent-almost-my-natural-light-brown box. Well ladies, not anymore! No, this chick has stepped out.
That's right I have dark copper and violet streaks!! It is so much fun, why didn't I do this before?

Speaking of colour, we have been getting some work done on our Boler trailer. So far it is still a dingy white and yellow but not for long. We have fabric for cushions and curtains and my hubby made his first box cushion today! He did a fantastic job, I have begun working on the curtains and soon the paint will be applied. We're going for bright and cheery. It's exciting to have a project to be working on together and we are hoping to have it done so we can take our inaugural voyage in May. So if you don't hear from me I'll be with my sewing machine.

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to visit some other company girls.

attitude of gratitude

2009-02-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or did this week go by in a blur? The weekend went out with a bang when we awoke Monday morning to snow, lots o' snow.

I even learned how to use the snow blower, woohoo! A wonderful invention!

Wednesday I bought salt for the driveway and we chipped away at the ice that had built up. Why, you ask? Why were we so intent on getting rid of the ice? Well on Tuesday night we went out to return a movie only to find the truck at the bottom of the driveway more than a car length further down the driveway than where it had been parked...yep gotta love an icy hill for a driveway. Anyway onto my gratitude list for this week:

1. Snow, I love that we live somewhere we can experience all 4 seasons, true summer and winter included.

2. Snow blower and salt see #1.

3. Dryer fuses, ours came in today and tomorrow I will clean out the lint and have it up and running again. The past 2 ands a half weeks of only rack drying has given me a new appreciation for the dryer.

4. Good friends, I had the opportunity to get together with some good friends this week and I just love it.

Thanks for stopping by have some more coffee with some other company girls.

Gratitude Saturday

2009-01-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a day late but yesterday morning I was in the dentist's chair with a drill in my mouth so it's coffee time this morning instead. I have just brewed some decaf creme brulee flavour and it smells delicious!
I saw gratitude Friday on another blog and thought it was a great way to sum up the week. So here's my gratitude list for the week:

1. My dentist visits are over for a while now, I am so glad!

2. We opened up our dryer and found that the thermal fuse was blown, now I'm just waiting for the part to come in then we'll have a working dryer again!

3. We had a ladies night at church on Wednesday where we talked about beating the winter blahs, it was a great evening out with the ladies.

4. It has been sunny and not too cold for the past couple of days, I love the sunshine.

5. I made a housekeeping schedule this week and am hoping that will help me keep on task and tidy. I'm glad Rachel Anne posted this idea.

Go visit some other Company Girls for coffee

found my career...apparently

2009-01-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

So I found this quiz the predicts your job just by your name. That's right type your name in the box and out pops your job.
So I typed my name in and out pops........housekeeper.

I guess it's a good thing that I made that housekeeping schedule yesterday huh?

I bet if I had this set I would be much more enthused, very cute.

2009-01-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and us company girls are trying out a realistic housekeeping schedule. Go see Rachel Anne if you'd like to get all the details or even give it a try!

Up until a year ago I had been a full time student all my life so my days were very scheduled and housekeeping had to be done at a certain time or it didn't get done. Over this past year I have been running our house while my husband works full time but having a very minimal schedule has left me frazzled sometimes as I lose the motivation for chores.

Schedules are my friend! I like having allotted tasks and times to do them. I work very well when I am organized and when I have specific tasks set before me. So I've listed my tasks, scheduled them around Bible study and church and am off and running.

Check out works for me Wednesday for other great ideas

you know it's cold when...

2008-12-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

1) The dogs who normally love to play outside only run out long enough to do their business then zoom back to the door waiting anxiously for me to open it.

2) The garage door begins to go up then creaks and proceeds to close itself. (a problem fixed when i scraped the ice off the cracks in the door)

3) The sliding glass door is frozen shut.

4)The furnace pumps continuously all day to maintain a liveable temperature.

5) The dogs hop on only 2 of their feet at a time while outside while the other 2 thaw.

6) The snow stays frozen to the car even at highway speeds.

So we're having a bout of really cold weather, not as cold as Winnipeg but cold nonetheless. I count anything below -15 C really cold. Then add a windchill and I practically go into hibernation mode.

The cold weather is good for getting things inside the house done. Such as putting up Christmas decorations perhaps. I think I'm going to do some baking today, I've been hankering some ginger something to have with my hot chocolate...mmm

winter wonderland

2008-12-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

It's official, the snow is here to stay, yay! I am so happy at the thought of a white Christmas. Not so much for the shovelling but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, besides our snowblower is finally fixed!

remembrance day

2008-11-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

John 15: 12-13 (NLT)
12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Thank you to those who have served defending their lands and the lands of others in hopes of freedom for all.

Pray for peace.

ode to the slow cooker

2008-11-10T12:21:00.001-08:00

I recently acquired a 3.5 quart slow cooker from a generous soul so I thought I would try out a "big" slow cooker recipe that I couldn't make in my small one. Slow Cooker Chicken Taco soup won because I had most of the ingredients on hand. My modifications included:

Chicken stock instead of beer
28 oz can diced tomatoes
19 oz can of beans
1/4 cup tomato sauce
12 oz can corn
2 chicken thighs
no sour cream

It was delicious though I would add another can of beans next time, with nacho chips it certainly hit the spot.
In case you weren't aware flu season is upon us, and let me tell you some sort of stomach flu bug body slammed me last week. My meal plan went out the window and my husband was so glad I had made the Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup before I got sick.

My father-in-law is coming for a visit this week and we are very excited to see him. While he is here the boys are going to work on our Boler so I will be sure to have some delicious meals for them at supper time to thank them for their hard work.

With that in mind I am off to tidy up the spare room which means hauling boxes of clothing to the basement. A good time to go through my clothes to put summer stuff away and give away the stuff I don't need. Goodbye summer dresses, I will miss you...

Monday:
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin with potatoes, squash and corn.

Tuesday:
Leftovers

Wednesday:
Chili and homemade corn bread

Thursday:
Baked Beans and Ham and homemade brown bread

Friday:
Shepherd's Pie and salad

Saturday:
Perogies, sausage and salad

Sunday:
Cheesy Chicken and rice or homemade pizza

Be sure to head over to Laura's site for other great menu plan ideas

Meal Plan Monday errr Tuesday

2008-11-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

As the weather gets colder I have been enjoying cooking more and more, it's so nice to have a warm kitchen smelling of freshly baked goods. Soups are so good this time of year to warm you up from the inside out. A few weeks ago I tried out curry carrot soup click here for the recipe. It was very good, but now it is frozen in portions in the freezer as I was unaware that hubby dislikes blended soups...too much like eating baby food he says. Well he was trooper and ate it when he came home from work saying it was good and only later when I was in a less fragile state admitted that it wasn't his favourite...so if anyone wants to have some curry carrot soup with me come on over! I served it with cheese bread which was more like a cheese biscuit loaf, this was also very good and my hubby loved it.

Onto the menu for this week...

Monday:
Leftover spaghetti bake

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Wednesday:
Pork Chops with squash, potatoes and carrots

Thursday:
Leftovers maybe in the form of Shepherd's Pie

Friday:
Baked Beans and homemade molasses brown bread

Saturday:
Perogies with sausage

Sunday:
Leftover buffet

For more great meal plan ideas head over to Laura's site

meanwhile back at the blog

2008-11-03T22:51:00.000-08:00

So I didn't take an intentional hiatus just been busy with life but I'm back. Wow, October flew by and we're progressing through November, hard to believe.

October in a nutshell:
Thanksgiving was nice, we were invited to eat with our friends and their family which was so great since we aren't able to visit our family for a while. I even got to try sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, so delicious and to think I've always called yams sweet potatoes...it's sad really the sheltered life I've led.

Next up was my birthday, we decided to be practical and have fun so we took the hour drive to the "big city" haha and went to Costco for dog food and appetizers before we enjoyed dinner at Eastside Mario's and a movie. Appetizers at Costco?! come on if you've ever been to a Costco you know to check out the food section where there are usually samplers = fun and cost effective. Just to be clear we brought the dog food home to the dogs..okay then. There really wasn't any movie playing that I had a burning desire to see so we settled on Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist..it was kinda funny but soo not my favourite movie. Still it was nice to go out to a movie and enjoy my birthday. Oh AND while at Costco we saw these movie deals for sale, they include two tickets, two pops and a popcorn for $21. Now when we do go out to movies we don't buy movie treats but we splurged and since the movie alone was $10 each it was perfect. Check them out if you are going out for a movie night!

We finished re-painting the living room and hall in a colour called muddy river, it's a nice colour and looks great with the blue kitchen, I loved the sunny yellow but the open concept style of our house just didn't really allow for the two colours to live harmoniously. It is soooo nice to have it all done, furniture back in place and pictures on the walls. My mood has improved drastically since we got everything put back together.
On Halloween night I stayed home with the pups to hand out goodies and decided to dress up because well I just love getting dressed up. I also love carving pumpkins. This year I did an owl but it was too soon and she shrivelled, soooo the backside of that pumpkin ended up as stars and I did another one as a pirate as per hubby's request. We had quite a few kidlets stop by and one in particular cracked me up, not because of his costume but by what he said, it went something like this...

Kid glances into living room while receiving his treats...
kid: "you use one of those??? said in utter disbelief
Hubby following kid's gaze... "use what?"
"one of THOSE" (gesturing wildly with arms in shape of the letter V) "on top of the tv"
at this point my hubby realizes he is talking about our antenna...no we don't have cable, a sad thing for hubby.
Thanks kid for bringing it up...it was too cute, I bet he has only seen tv antennas on old tv shows or something. Wait til you see our ringer washing machine...just kidding.

Well it's now November and it is also late so I am off to bed to give my body the rest it needs to combat cold season. More posts to come including Menu Plan Monday..tomorrow. I know *gasp* on Tuesday...

2008-10-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe another week has flown by, and it's almost thanksgiving! I'm planning on making a Thanksgiving meal for just the two of us, it will be a mini version so I might just get some turkey drumsticks or something instead of cooking a whole bird.
I made lasagna last night, modified the recipe according to what I had and wow it was good! Hubby raved and is excited that I made two 8x8 pans so we have one in the freezer all ready to go.
I'm going to get some pictures and recipes up here but for now I'm going to scoot to the grocery store...have a great week!

Tuesday:
Lentil Tacos

Wednesday:
Potatoes, Veggies and Chicken

Thursday:
Barley Veggie Soup with grilled sandwiches

Friday:
Spaghetti with Salad

Saturday:
Homemade pizza try this with half whole wheat flour, delish!

Sunday:
Thanksgiving meal

Monday:
Leftovers

for more great meal ideas check out Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

So we were able to stretch our meal plan last week to last another couple of days by eating leftovers on the second night so I'm a bit late getting this put together. We're still working on eating as much as we can from the pantry, fridge and freezer but I'll have to pick up a few things tomorrow.

As the autumn weather is upon us here I have been craving some good hearty soups, if anyone has any good recipes they would like to share please do!

Tuesday: potatoes, vegetables and salmon-missed it last week

Wednesday: creamy burrito casserole

Thursday: grilled ham sandwiches and curried carrot soup

Friday: lasagna and salad

Saturday: pizza- I love this recipe, quick, easy and with half whole wheat flour it turned out perfect! Makes a whole cookie sheet too.

Sunday: Leftovers

for more meal plan ideas and recipes head over to Menu Plan Monday

food for thought...God's pharmacy

2008-09-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Thought this was neat...

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today sh ow s grape s are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. (For more heart-healthy remedies, visit www.BloodPressureNormalized.com and www.CholesterolSecrets.com)

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.
Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys. (For a natural kidney stone remedy, visit www.KidneyStoneNaturalTreatment.com)

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (mo dern science has only studied and named about 141 of them)

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility. (For more info about male sexual health, visit www.NaturallyStiff.com)

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic
index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

about those muffins...

2008-09-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe as promised for the muffins I made a few weeks ago. They are great on their own but if you like some added sweetness I have included the recipe that my Nanny-in-law sent me for caramel icing.

Yogurt Blueberry Bran Muffins from Muffins: A Cookbook

2 cups plain yogurt (if you use flavoured reduce sugar accordingly)
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup brown sugar or less to taste
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups natural bran
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries

1. Measure yogurt into medium bowl. Mix in soda and set aside. (Don't leave too long.)
2. In large bowl beat together eggs, sugar and oil.
3. Stir in Bran and vanilla.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and add mixture alternately with yogurt.
5. Fold in berries.
6. Bake at 350 for 35 mins or until poke in centre comes out clean.

Caramel Icing or Hard Sauce from The Kitchens of Saint John

1/4 cup butter (or margarine)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar, Stir over low heat for 2 minutes. Add milk and continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add icing sugar and beat until creamy. Add vanilla.

You might want to change it a little to thin it somewhat. However, it tastes just right with blueberry muffins.

2008-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back to meal planning after a crazy 2 weeks! This week I really based the meals off of food that we already had on hand to minimize the grocery bill since we just purchased a 1975 Boler, our very first travel trailer. I've included a couple of other family's favourites that I found while meal planning this morning and one of our own, happy meal planning!

Monday:
Mexican Mesagne

Tuesday:
Salmon, roasted potatoes and veggies

Wednesday:
Spaghetti and salad

Thursday:
Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Friday:
Baked Taco Salad, a family favourite!

Saturday:
Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza switched up the recipe to include wholewheat flour

Sunday:
Leftovers

For more great meal ideas head over to Organizing Junkie

mmm mmm meal plan

2008-09-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Mexican is my husband's and my favourite kind of food and I had a hankering but how's a girl to make Mexican food without taco seasoning?? I dug in my spice cupboard and found a good basic recipe then tweaked it. So if you have the spicy hankering and no spice mix here is how you make your own:

Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Mix all together in a container or baggie and keep in your cupboard for your next fiesta. I tripled this and have it stored for future hankerings. *You can add 1/4 tsp onion powder if you have it I just didn't have it on hand.

Monday:
baked taco salad (recipe below)

Tuesday:
Baked Ziti

Wednesday:
Baked beans

Thursday:
Curried Carrot Soup with whole grain grilled ham sandwiches

Friday:
homemade pizza

Saturday:
Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from the happy housewife

Sunday:
Leftover buffet

Baked Taco Salad
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 cups refried beans
1 cup corn
1 cup shredded cheese
2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning

Brown ground beef, drain and mix in taco seasoning. Mix beef and beans together to make for easier spreading and spread in bottom of 9x9 pan, layer corn on top then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 325 for 20-25 mins until cheese is melted.

Layer nacho chips, scoop of above mixture, and toppings of your choice like lettuce, peppers, sour cream, ranch dressing, salsa etc.

My husband loves this and wants me to please please make it again.

For more great meal plan idea visit Organizing Junkie

just a little sweet

2008-09-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Blueberry yogurt bran muffins with caramel icing (hard sauce) delicious, I'll share the recipes once I have them typed up...but for now I'm curling up with a cup of tea.

Florida with Fay

2008-09-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

So we just got back from Florida a week ago. Now you may ask, who goes to Florida n August? well, we do! It just worked out best that way for everyone's schedule and we found a good deal on flights so away we went.

First of all August is hot, we left home during a heat snap of 35+ degrees and ended up in Orlando as tropical storm Fay approached the coast. We landed on Monday night and once we met up with my mom and sister, crammed the 5 suitcases into our rental car we were on our way to Sarasota. Now one of the top ten things you don't want to hear the radio announcer say as you are driving is the name of the county you just entered preceded by the words, evacuation...Fortunately it was for mobile homes in the area but still we listened intently on our 2 hour drive to make sure our condo would still be there when we arrived. As we neared the coast we passed stores with plywood and giant garage doors covering windows, made us a little uneasy but kind of exciting for us Canadians. Before we headed to bed that night Fay was scheduled to make landfall early the next morning on the same coast we were on.

Fay hit 2 hours south of us at 5am and we awoke to high winds, big waves and dark clouds. The beach was still beautiful but not nice enough to stay out for any period of time, so what did we do..well went shopping of course. Had to go behind plywood barricades to make it into Marshalls but we had a good day of shopping. Our next few days were the same as the storm continued to hit other parts of Florida, swooping around us! Thank you Lord.

One evening as we ate supper, I went back into the kitchen to get something and crawling across my path was a bug...from the kitchen the other heard..."ummm what does a cockroach look like?" Mom was convinced it was just some kind of beetle and after using my sister's sandal (much to her horror)to squash it many many times we finally killed it. Mom was still convinced it wasn't a roach until I pointed to our roach's twin on my laptop screen...oh.
Cockroach count = 1

On Friday we packed up and headed back to Orlando to visit Disney World. Orlando was hot, the storm was in Northern Florida by this point. When we first arrived at the house I was about to open the door to go look at the pool when I noticed a bug on the ground, yep cockroach #2. One evening Bronwyn and Nat were laying on the deck as I floated in the pool, Nat looked over at the bottom of the screen and saw a cockroach staring at him then it began moving toward him, I have never seen him or Bronwyn move so fast. Cockroach count = 3. Mom found and killed 2 more "beetles" inside over the next few days.

We packed our days full with Disney and even went home for supper then Nat and I went back to the parks on a couple of occasions to see more sights and ride more rides. What a great trip, we were so sad to leave especially having to say goodbye to my mom and sister for a while.
Cockroach count = 5

August already?

2008-08-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe that June and July are gone and we've only been camping once! It was a great camping trip though, we went to a forestry site on the lake. Free camping makes it that much better. After a 5 or so hour drive with the dogs and all our camping gear we arrived and set up camp. We had the entire 10 sites to ourselves as well as the beach below. The lake was beautiful and it was so nice to get away just for a couple of nights and explore our new province.

Waiting for the fire to get going

Relaxing at the site

Crosby "helping" me with dinner

Nugget seeks his freedom on the lake

We leave for Florida in less than 2 weeks and when we get back it will be nearly September, how has this happened? I do love autumn though and I am excited to be settled this winter so that we can enjoy it together. Maybe even go skiing! Whoa it's only August no talking of such things yet.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer and making the most of each day. The rainy week here is over and the sun is shining but I have decided to repaint the living room/hallway. The yellow I chose just doesn't do our blue kitchen any justice so it's going to go from Mellow Yellow to Muddy River and I'm going to try to tackle the job that took my mother-in-law and I 2 days by myself...I'll let you know how it goes.