i just love it all

Something to Stew Over...

2012-01-24T16:11:00.000-08:00

I hate winter produce. The grocery store never looks as genetically mutated as it does in January. This morning for brekkie I had a grapefruit the size of Mollys head....now just try tell me that's a natural occurrence. It's not.

Anyway, as I surf through tmy regular 'mommy sites', I can't help but notice all the chatter at 5pm each night. Moms all around town last night were looking for new ideas on how to cook their ground beef. And the suggestions that get thrown out there are just delightful: Tacos, Hamburger Helper (Barf!), Spaghetti (Yawn) and other *yummy foods that usually require a can of cheese soup or jar of Prego. It's disappointing to say the least. And yet when someone mentions that ground beef might not be the best ingredient to start a healthy meal, almost every single mom says "It's cheap."

So is Kraft Dinner. And my kids have it weekly (and sometimes Tacos, and Spaghetti too). But I can do that guilt-free knowing that most other nights (6 out of 7) I am putting in the effort to make sure they eat well. You can eat well for for cheap, you just have to put forth the effort. And I want to shake some of these women who are consistently cramming garbage into themselves & their children's bodies. I see it online everynight, at 5pm. And if you are just deciding what to have for dinner at 5pm then I am pretty sure the effort just isn't there (It sure isn't when it happens to me).

I start "supper" every day at 4pm. Almost every.single.day.

I start prep, so that if I get interrupted & have to stop to put a wheel back onto a firetruck (5 times!) then we will still eat at a reasonable time. It was something I started last year & it has worked so well for me (us).

I suggested to a lady online that she make stew the other day. She said she didn't have time and money for "fancy" foods like that. .... Ummm, pretty sure my dads farming family of 9 didn't grow up on stew because it was fancy. What is with people???

Here's the stew I made tonight. Something to think about while you are chopping your onions is how much effort you are putting into your family's meals.

Kraft Dinner for a family of four- $2.50 & 15 minutes time.

Stew for a family of six (with leftovers for lunches!) - About $11.00 & 20 minutes prep.

easy Greek Bean Stew

Stewing Beef Cubes (About $4.50. You only need one package because you are going to add so much more to this stew. You'll pay $7 at the farmers market for natural beef, you decide how important that is to you.)

Baby Potatoes - scrubbed, not peeled. (Often go on sale for $2 a bag)

1 Onion - Peeled and diced (3lb bag is $2. That's .25 cents for your onion.)

2 Garlic Cloves - Grated

1 Can of Diced tomatoes (We buy organic for $2.69 You can buy regular ones for half that.)

1 T, of Tomato Puree (Paste)

2 Bay leaves

2 T. parsley (Buy fresh for $0.49)

2 T. dill

1 t. sea salt (Winners & Homesense often have great deals on Sea Salt in cute packages)

1/2 t. of pepper (We use more)

1/2 t. paprika

1 T. Sugar

1 Rinsed can of Mixed Beans (About .70 cents. Seriously.) (We love beans so we usually add another can of chickpeas and a cup or two of dried lentils. So cheap.). Rinse your lentils before adding them.

The Beef and potatoes are optional. This stew is great without either.

If you own a spice rack you should have all of these spices. Bay leaves can be purchased at a farmers market for about $4/bag. They last forever. Take them out when you are done cooking - don't eat them - don't reuse them.

Directions: Boil potatoes until tender. Sear your beef (helps to seal in the flavour & shorten the cooking time). Throw everything into a crockpot & cook for at least 2 hours (can be up to 8, why not?) or throw it into a cast iron soup pot & cook stovetop on low for an hour or so. Serve with feta sprinkled on top, or not, you decide.

Like a Charm

2012-01-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

We're sick. But no details on that ( I mean, really, it seems to be everyone's Facebook status right now.) My dad swears by Nin Jiom. I first tried it when I was pregnant (although reading the English instructions on my bottle, I see that's a No-no. Oops.) and couldn't take regular cough medicine. Its a thick brown syrup that looks like it would be vile (think Buckleys) but it's actually pretty good. You leave it to melt in your mouth & slowly drip down your throat. And it works. I mean, really works. Almost instant relief. So I thought I should share it, because I would have never bought it on my own (I mean, look at it). London Drugs $8.99.

Killer in the Kitchen.

2012-01-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last night I made my first french-style roast. Nailed it! But I really can't take much credit because everyone was complimenting the flavour & I have to admit that it wasn't due to a secret combination. It was Herbes de Provence.

I has been meaning to buy these when I worked at William-Sonoma but even with the staff discount, they were pricey. So I was thrilled to see that Winners has somehow gotten their paws on some for only $8.99. But it was before Christmas, and I couldn't buy them for myself (but couldn't buy them for Brian, he would have known they were secretly for me). So I took a picture of them and added them to my wish list and hoped someone would make it to Winners before they were gone. I was thrilled on Christmas morning to open up a cute little crate in my stocking that had this adorable pot & a refill. (Thanks G&K!)

If you ever come across this, I highly recommend trying it. Its a perfect blend of French herbs that will drive your senses wild. It great for roasts but loads of other recipes too (stew!). From now on, this is a staple in my kitchen...

For Real?

2012-01-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

I rarely make two separate meals in my home at supper-time. If the kids don't like what I've decided to make...too bad for them. Sometimes it means that Miles will sit at the tale for 30 minutes after we leave before he even tries it, only to find out....he loves it! I don't make them clean their plates, but I do make them try everything on it. And my mom told me that she read somewhere that kids need to be exposed to foods at least 8 times before they will recognize it as one they approve of.

I digress... The point is, I rarely make separate meals for my kids. But tonight I did. I was planning on trying a new recipe for 'Extra-Green Soup' and knew it would be a hard sell for the kids. So they got left-over roast, potatoes and carrots from last night*. And wouldn't you know, neither of them wanted anything to do with them. But the Extra-Green Soup was a big hit. Maybe the color made it look like something from a story book, but whatever the reason, my kids devoured it. Both of them! So just in case this soup is some sort of hidden phenomenon, here is the recipe for Extra-Green Soup from 100 of my Favourite Easy Recipes by Chef Michael Smith (with a couple minor changes to suit our family).

In a glug of olive oil, saute an onion, 2 garlic cloves (the recipe calls for 4) and the whites of 4 green onions (Sliced. Keep the green parts.).

Once tender, pour in 1 cup of half & half (the recipe called for Whipped Cream) and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer.

Add 1 bunch of broccoli florets, 1 cup of frozen peas & 1 tsp of thyme. Simmer until tender (pictured below).

Stir in 6 ounces of spinach, the tops of the green onions & a small bunch of fresh parsley (stems discarded) (I love/hate parsley. So I only used about 8 pieces. But a small fresh bunch is only $0.49 and worth it for all the flavour the fresh herbs provide.). Cook for another minute or so. Season with salt & pepper.

Run through food processor or puree with an immersion blender.

Enjoy getting Extra-Green mustaches as much as my kids did!

From the book: Green vegetables are some of the healthiest possible foods you can eat, and the darker the green, the better. They're low in calories and fat, high in fibre, and packed with a laundry list of nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and various antioxidants and phytochemicals. A diet rich in green veggies has been proven to reduce the risk of many different cancers, improve vision, and strengthen your bones. Bottom line? Extra-green soup for all!

*See my next post.

New Inspiration.

2012-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get not one, but two new Cookbooks for Christmas.

Brian bought me a Jamie Oliver book that I have been eye-ing. And my In-Laws got me a Michael Smith book. Needless to say, both of these books played a big part in my meal planning for January.

1. Greek Stew - It was amazing. I've made this stew before but for some reason this time, it was unreal. Best stew I have ever made.

2. BLT's +A (The A is for avocado)

3. Sweet Potato Chilli (from pg.93 of the Michael Smith book) with Cinnamon Sour Cream

(as illustrated below) and Chopped Salad (a family fav.)

4. Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Glazed Carrots (From Real Simple magazine)

5. Green Soup and Bacon Lentil Salad

6. Home-made Chicken Strips & Split Pea Soup (pg. 132 in my new Jamie Oliver book). The chicken is pretty much for the kids. They love it, so it's a Friday night treat.

7. Quinoa Garden Burgers & Cesar Salad

8. Quinoa Carrot & Lentil Stew with Bread

9. Cauliflower & Broccoli Bake

10. Poor Man Pasta (a family fav) - My moms recipe from her Home Ec class in high school.

11. Pita Pizzas

12. Beef Sliders & Home-made Fries with Spicy Ketchup (pg. 206 of Michael Smith)

I also have on-hand the ingredients to make Red Pepper Soup, Sweet Potato Curry Soup & Italian Wedding Soup for the nights when I just don't feel like cooking. Just because this is the order I make the meals in, doesn't mean we stick to it. Some days I am too tired. And sometimes something is starting to go bad & needs to be used.

There it is. The 1st 1/2 of the month. See any trends? I've blogged about this before, but nothing pains me more than throwing away spoiled food. But nothing is worse than having to eat the same thing you had the other day, just so it doesn't go to waste. So, to make the most of my ingredients, I try to use the thing over & over (but in a different way). This time it was bacon (used 3 times, but I will only buy one pack), sprouts & carrots. I also worked hard to be "light" on the meat this time around. There are 6 meat-less meals, and 2 others that are very light on meat. I love meat, but it's making us fat. And although it is a good source for iron & protein, we get plenty of that from other sources (I am forever grateful that my entire family loves beans, even Miles.). This meal plan is much healthier than the one I created for December.

Last Nights Dinner: Sweet Potato Chilli with

Cinnamon Sour Cream

I cooked my veggies in a Chilli-infused Olive Oil that Brian ordered for me from Italy a while back. It is good, but I find it hard to use, I don't eat that much spicy food.

I also don't use Cumin very often. It reminds me of an idiot on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. This woman has two cookbooks published in her name but pronounces Cumin - Come-in. It kills me. She also says Ingrediences instead of Ingredients. Anyway, the cumin and chili powder smelled amazing. And there's a little dried oregano in there as well. So pretty.

Gorgeous colors. It's one of the reasons I whip out my camera when I'm cooking.

With the Cinnamon Sour Cream and some green onions. I added WAY too much cinnamon. It was what was called for, but it was too much for me. I love cinnamon, but it masked some of the Chilli's flavour, so I had to mix in some more plain sour cream. Not a problem for me, sour cream in one of my favourite foods. Condiments? Whatever, I love it.

The Problem with Resolutions...

2012-01-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

The problem with resolutions...is that they must be resolved.

And its the lack of resolution that leaves me blue when the New Year rolls around. Last year I resolved to read 24 books in 2011. I failed, I read only 14. And that's even less than I read in 2010. That being said, I think the most important thing that became of that resolution was that, despite the busier schedule, I still made time for a hobby I love.

Had my resolution been to Cook More, Keep a Tidy Home, Clean the Basement or Learn to Knit, I would have achieved it. How can I know which goals I will achieve without even setting them?

The reading resolution I set last year was the only one. I look back and wonder why I didn't even consider setting a weight-loss goal? Too hard? Too many failed attempts? Too much pressure? And accountability? Or maybe I was just plain lazy. But why, when I think about my weight so much, did I not resolve to lose weight? I made myself believe that I was alright with being a Fat Girl, when I am not. I am soooo not. I thought it was fine because I am still pretty active... I go for bike rides with my kids, I do work around the yard & take them to the beach (although never in a swimsuit).

This year I put on another 5 lbs. It seems that since I got married, that has been the case. And having been married for 5 years in 2011, that would amount to 25 lbs. 25lbs that bother me every.single.day. of my life, but for some reason never seem to amount to any type of resolution. Could it be as simple as wanting to avoid a resolution clique? Everyone and their dog seems to vow to drop 10 or 20 lbs in January, and by February 14th most are perched on their couch, eating marshmallow hearts while a bi-weekly payment of $22.99 is taken from their account. But what if I made weight-loss my resolution and on February 14th I was 5lbs lighter? What if... It's worth a shot. If I can even un-do the past years accumulation I will be happy. So here it is, the resolution I have been avoiding for the past two years:

In 2012 I will lose weight.

Not just avoid gaining another 5lbs, but also lose some of what I have.

If I am honest, the reading resolution was a scapegoat. It was a way for me to have a goal that I knew (or thought!) I could possibly meet. I like those easily attainable goals, which is why this one scares the bejebus out of me. But there it is, on my blog. Unavoidable now. I guess I might as well try & resolve it. Or at least put-forth the time and effort that I put into reading in 2011. And if I come up short (as I did with the reading) then I am none the worse. I am disappointed that I didn't read 24 books, but not suffering. And in my current body I am suffering, so here goes nothing.

“If you hear a voice within you say 'I can’t run' then by all means run, and that voice will be silenced.” - Vincent Van Gogh

(Today I replaced the word 'run' with 'climb' and burned a cool 550 calories on the eliptical.)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

Only two more sleeps until Christmas. It will look like I am posting this on Christmas Eve, but I'm really still finishing off a busy Friday. I hope to be in bed by two. I hope. Well, 2:30 am at the latest. I promise. And tomorrow I am so taking a nap. For once I would like to go into Christmas well-rested. Stop laughing. I'm serious.

We spent today delivering the White Chocolate Candy Cane Popcorn that we made (after the kids helped themselves to some) and some Christmas cards that didn't get mailed in time. I put off going to Sobeys until 9pm which turned out to be a great move, it was not busy at all. I stocked up on Egg Nog, Mandarin Oranges & didn't forget the Hollandaise ingredients for Christmas breakfast!

Miles, who lost his TV privileges, played with the dreidel that Seth gave him for a good part of today. He ignored all the rules and ate his gelt (Yiddish for 'gold' as my Jewish friend Teresa explained to me) within minutes & spent the rest of the morning asking if I had anymore 'goat'. I guess he's a little too young to understand Yiddish (no kidding).

We drove to Spruce Meadows to see the Christmas lights (they were beautiful) and then cruised around Calgary. We listened to Raffi's Christmas CD on repeat as the kids sang along in the back seat (Molly just goes 'Ho ho ho' and laughs).

I spent the evening finishing off a gift I made for my Father-In-Law. He is by far the most difficult person to buy for. And on our tight budget this year, all I can hope is that my home-made gift gets a smile. I'll be sure to take pictures, it was kind of a cool project.

Well, I am off to do dishes, put in a load of laundry & charge my camera battery. I am just now realizing how much work my mom did to make sure everything was ready for Christmas. I'm failing again this year, but by the time the kids move out I should be a pro.

Merry Christmas

Hustle & Bustle

2011-12-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

It's a busy time of year! It seems the older the kids get, the busier I get.

I am done Christmas shopping (not sure I can say teh same for Brian, who leaves it until the last minute) but my to do list is still growing.

On Friday we had friends over for a game of Horse Race. It must have been a good time because everyone stayed longer than they intended... although it might just have been all the baking. I was the first loser at the table, running out of nickles before everyone else... typical. I didn't go to bed until 2am which left me nice and exhausted for Saturday...

Saturday we ran errands. We stopped at Starbucks twice (!) and Miles indugled in a Hot Chocolate. To say he is obsessed would be an understatement. It's the first place he asks to go each morning...

He was sad I denied his request before school.... which has been an 'event' almost every day. He made gingerbread houses on Tuesday (I went along as a helper) and had a sing-along on Thursday. My little 'sweetheart' didn't open his mouth once, just scowled and wiggled his eyebrows (his new thing)

Just as I was running out of steam, it was time for me to slip into my LBD (Little Black Dress). I bought a new LBD in Washington in the fall knowing I would be wearing it to every Christmas event of the season. And I have. It was so nice not to have to figure out what to wear... We were invited by our Foodie friends Matt & Jess to their home for some home-made stew. It rocked (I had high expectations, and they were met!) and I met some interesting people, a lady in particular who was a fellow Jian Ghomeshi lover. I could have stayed all night but was pulled out the door by Brian and off to the next party....

Did I mention that the weekend before we went to THREE Christmas parties on Saturday night? Because we did. I hardly recovered from them during the week...

I spent Sunday night with friends from out of town & Yokozuna (I would sell my children for a Las Vegas Roll...) & Monday shopping with them at Chinook (I didn't buy a single thing!). I walked into Miles' room today (after getting home from the gym) to see his T-Rex had been tucked into bed before he left to school.. I was instantly jealous of the Jingle-Belled toy. I need to sleep.

And I almost can, guilt-free... I just have a couple more things on my list. So I'm meeting my friend Kacey for a late-night Wal Mart trip tonight. In honor of the giant retailers classiness, I am going to wear my sweat pants and suck loudly from the straw of my drink.

No more shopping. No more school. Only one more party (at Broken Plate tomorrow night...mmmm). No more baking...my sisters came over Sunday afternoon & we finished up with Peanut Butter cookies with Reece centers, Peppermint Brownies and Eggnog cookies.

Brian is on this way home with a Carrot Cake Jelly Modern Doughnut (What a star!). It's a donut shop downtown that I have started a love affair with. Thank God I went to the gym today so I can really enjoy it.. I can't wait... I am going to go curl up in bed & read. I finished two books last week, including Mindy Kalings (which was SO not funnier than Tina Feys book- girl at Chapters!) and an old Dick Francis collection of short stories. I started a new book called City of Thieves, I discovered it on my shelf so I thought it would hold me over until Christmas (Hoping Santa comes through with a Chapters gift card or a book on my Pretty Please list).

Hope you all are as satisfyingly busy as I am. I just love this time of year.

In case I don't get a chance to blog again,

Merry Christmas Everyone

10 Random... (+1)

2011-12-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Two words: People Watching. And the mall is one of the best places for it (2nd to the airport). A couple years ago I had such an interesting visit I made a tribute to the trip on my blog. I was extra aware today, intending to do the same thing.

Things I saw while Christmas shopping at Chinook Centre today...

1. A group of Muslim ladies (with their babies) waiting in line for Santa.... no one can resist that Jolly fat guy!

2. Too many people who text & walk. Seriously. Watch where you are going.

3. A super-nice sales lady who helped me find a great gift for my SIL.... but she was my size. No wait...she was my size and wearing leopard print leggings with a short t-shirt. It didn't look great, but more than that I noted that she had the confidence to pull it off. You go girl!

4. A guy who was at least 7 feet tall. Wearing a basketball jersey, of course.

5. One thing I saw today was the window of William Sonoma. I always stop to take a look because that was a big part of my job as manager. It didn't look great. Apparently in the past year they haven't replaced the broken steamer, the tablecloth was wrinkly, again. It made me miss working there. I wanted to go in & instruct someone to fix it. And then I thought about all the stress I had, the time it took away from my family & the hours I spent telling old people why the Peppermint Bark is $42.00. (Not sure I still understand, but it's dang good.)

6. Victorias Secret. I forgot there was one at Chinook Centre. I started to walk in & then in the last moment I gave the stroller a sharp turn. It's for my own good.

7. Bad kids. And for once they weren't mine. Mine were angels today. Angels I tell you. But there were a lot of sick-and-tired kids, and I felt for their moms.

8. The Abercrombie & Fitch store. This is how I know I am old: Not only do I never go in, I walk far away from the entrance. The music is too loud & the place reeks of cologne. It reminds me of having morning sickness. I use to love that store. And now....no.

9. A lady who's daughter took a bracelet off the shelf & shoved it into her mouth. Wait, that was Molly. And that lady was me. I had to buy the bracelet, it was $1.00. I will be taking it form Mollys piggy bank.

10. I noticed the lack of human statues this year! Chinook Centre always had these characters who were all dressed up & stood still on pedestals for hours. It was amazing. Every once in a while they would move, but kids would taunt them & they remained still. Last year I saw a dirty old man telling Marie Antoinette dirty jokes (while his wife looked away, mortified)... Marie didn't move. She should have at least rolled her eyes.

11. A trail of Kernels popcorn through out the mall. Hey I said my kids were well-behaved, not clean :)

Hakuna Frittata

2011-12-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Hakuna Frittata, what a wonderful phrase!

That is what is stuck in my head the entire time I making a frittata. And this one, which I've had twice in the past month, is deserving of it's own song. From Donna Hay's fast, fresh, simple (pg.88) it's one of the best I have had. So I thought I ought to share it with you.

potato & bleu cheese frittata

(you must love bleu cheese to love this, luckily, I do)

12 small red potatoes, cooked and sliced (I left my skins on)

2 tsp rosemary chopped

S&P

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups cream*

110g bleu cheese crumbled

Preheat oven to 325 (I do 350) degrees. Place the potato, rosemary, S&P in an ovenproof dish (I use a pie plate). Whisk together eggs and cream. Pour over mixture & sprinkle bleu cheese. Bake for 30 mins or until eggs are set**. Enjoy.

* I use 1cup of cream & 1/2 cup sour cream

** I baked for 45 minutes as my family likes their eggs well-done.

__________

A little update on my baking list, I have been able to strike off a couple items this week. Peanut butter balls (chocolate dipped!) were easy but I seem to be missing half of them already, I'll look under the couch... because I am sure everyone has obeyed my DO NOT EAT note. Hah! It looks like I will be S.O.L on the giant pretzels (I'll try William-Sonoma at the mall tomorrow in a last ditch effort) so I am looking for a replacement, any suggestions?

My Over-Zealous Christmas Baking List Update

1. ~~Banana Loaves~~

2. ~~Molasses Spice Cookies~~

3. White-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (New this year!)

4. Sugar Cookies (For the kids to Decorate)

5. Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies (From Real Simple)

6. Shortbread Cookies (I've already made these, they didn't make it to the freezer! Oops!)

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Nuts & Bolts (New this year!)

9. Fiddle Diddles (A tradition. No Bake = Easy to Make)

10. ~~Peanut Butter Balls~~ ~~(Also No Bakes but a little more work~~)

11. Martha Klassens Saltine Cookies

12. ~~June Bars~~

13. Cinnamon Pull Aparts (For Christmas morning)

14. ~~Lemon Jelly Squares~~

15. Granny Ruths Butter Tarts

16. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks

Nailed Nuts & Bolts!

2011-12-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this while I wait for my Fritatta to bake. We're having 'breakfast for dinner' tonight. And it's late, but Miles & Brian are at the hockey game (Go Flames!) so it's just Molly, my company & I. By company I mean my Sister-In-Law and her fiance who are staying with us for the week.

Today I make Nuts & Bolts. I nailed it (pun fully intended)! I am so proud to write this because I had never done N&Bs before & until the guys got home and grabbed a hot handful, I wasn't sure. But the response was exactly what I wanted. Perfect. I was especially worried because I mucked with the recipe I was given a bit. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some Masons jars so I can portion it perfectly pretty with a bow & deliver it to friends. All part of my thrifty Christmas. I've been sewing and knitting like a maniac too!

I'll be snuggling up in an hour to watch Michael Bubles Christmas special (nerdy, I know) & then hitting the hay. Tomorrow is a long day of shopping (the only one I will get without the kids before Christmas). Wish me luck! Merry Christmas!

Expecting Visions of Sugarplums

2011-12-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot. But then I remembered... I missed out on 4 whole days of snuggling into my flannel Christmas sheets. I love my Christmas bedding. It was a gift from my mom (she also got me my Christmas dishes) and it has a tiny bit of robins egg blue in the plaid so that it matches my comforter perfectly.

Molly has inherited Miles Christmas crib sheets which are gorgeous. They were a gift from my friend JoAnn and I think of her every time I see them. I think I will buy him some Christmas sheets for his new 'big boy' bed as well...maybe that will be my mission for the week... then we can all sleep while visions of sugarplums dance in our heads... although I'm not sure what a sugarplum is. I'll be dreaming of visiting my parents in sunny Las Vegas, Brian might be dreaming of that too. Miles is likely dreaming of Lego men and Molly of Christmas cookies.

Looks pretty inviting hey? I can't wait to go to bed.

Snowy Days.

2011-12-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

I love December. Even on the snowy days. And the snow today looks beautiful. This week I bundled the kids up (took almost 30 minutes!) to go out & shovel the driveway. I had bought Molly a shovel for Christmas, but she got it early (I didn't want to listen to them fighting). I got loads of help...and by help I mean hinderance, but the kids had fun. And it tired them out, they napped for almost 3 hours!

I have great memories of playing outside in the snow when I was little. We live in a cul-du-sac full of kids but n the snowy days it seems no one is around! It was just the opposite when I was little. We spent hours playing outside, skating on our home-made backyard rink, sledding, making 'forts', snowmen, snow angels and footprints in fresh snow. My husband has the same memories, only his includes a lot of street hockey. I don't think it was any colder than it is nowadays (is that a word?) but it seems the kids are all indoors. Our kids have definitely inherited our love of playing outside. Miles begs to go out everyday. And most days he does, I let him wander around the snowy backyard. But it is hard, because Molly wants to go and she is too small to let me know when she's cold...so that means I have to go...and that means nothing is going to get done inside. I look forward to the day when letting them loose in the backyard means I will have a quiet house all to myself.

I'm trying to figure out when it's too cold to go out. -10? Is there some unwritten rule I don't know? Do the neighbors see Miles playing outside & think I am a bad mom? Of course I always check on him and feel his

hands, but I wonder if there is a general rule... When I use to run, I never ran if it was colder than -20...but I would never send Miles out in that cold.

It's been busy days here at the Ross house. I know I have been busy when I look at my nails & see that they have grown.... Sounds weird but I chew my nails (Eww. Gross. Gag. I know, I know.) and I haven't even had time to do that! And it seems that when my head hits the pillow I am done!

Tonight before Brian went to work we decorated our Gingerbread Village. The village is a great idea, each of the kids get their own house (Brian & I included). Miles was determined to use each & every piece of candy we had, so we added snowmen, trees and anything else we could think of.

A quick update from the baking front... I have been slowly knocking items off my list. Three things this week and I am still in search of jumbo pretzel sticks. I might have to abandon those.

My Over-Zealous Christmas Baking List Update

1. ~~Banana Loaves~~

2. ~~Molasses Spice Cookies~~

3. White-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (New this year!)

4. Sugar Cookies (For the kids to Decorate)

5. Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies (From Real Simple)

6. Shortbread Cookies (I've already made these, they didn't make it to the freezer! Oops!)

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Nuts & Bolts (New this year!)

9. Fiddle Diddles (A tradition. No Bake = Easy to Make)

10. Peanut Butter Balls (Also No Bakes but a little more work)

11. Martha Klassens Saltine Cookies

12. ~~June Bars~~

13. Cinnamon Pull Aparts (For Christmas morning)

14. ~~Lemon Jelly Squares~~

15. Granny Ruths Butter Tarts

16. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks

Get This.

2011-11-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

I found this cool CD Packaging Kit at Winners today for $5.99 and had to share. I'm not giving it as a gift, but using it to make gifts for some of my looooved ones. For my parents I am going to burn CDs and for some of my besties I am going to make "mixed tapes". Sometimes it's hard to be thrifty at Christmas (because it's fun to spend and because I don't want to give crappy gifts) but I am confident these CDs & DVDs are going to be big hits if I pick the right songs... and they are so dang cute!

There were still lots left (by the till) at the Winners at 130th Ave (In case you were looking).

I am going to make one tonight for my Mother In Law who is in the hospital recovering from a recent surgery. She'll love it (as long as there is some Josh Groban on it! Heehee!).

So excited to give the gift of music!

mmm Christmas.

2011-11-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas is great on the senses. I love the taste, smell, sights & sounds. I got into the spirit early this year & it hasn't subsided, yet. Today, while the wind tore off our shingles & took down our neighbors tree, we cozied up for some Candy Cane Hot Chocolate & North Poles (below).

I bought these mugs (I have 12, all different) at Value Village when I was in college. I remember hating them, but I needed mugs & they were 10cents each. Now I love them and the fact that each one is different.

10 Things I love Doing Before Christmas (whew!)

1. Baking. Obviously.

2. Decorating the house.

3. Putting up outdoor lights. But only if it's warmer than zero degrees outside.

4. Wrapping. This year each kid is getting their own pattern. I thought that'd be cute.

5. Reading Christmas magazines. It's like Pinterest.. I'll never do even 10% of what's in those magazines, but it sure is fun to look.

6. Taking the kids to see Santa at the mall. Even if they cry, it's still fun.

7. Getting the kids all dressed up... they sure do clean up nice!

8. Shopping. Even on a budget, it's fun. And I am so happy with the couple of gifts I have picked up for people thus far. I know my parents are going to love theirs... and they are so hard to buy for.

9. Cleaning. My house is always so clean at Christmas, it's nice to spend time in a clean house.

10. Singing. We've been listening to Christmas CD's since the beginning of November. Miles is really getting to know some of the songs. The other day he was in his room singing "Old McJinglebells" - Nice try sweetie!

My Over-Zealous Christmas Baking List Update

1. ~~Banana Loaves~~

2. ~~Molasses Spice Cookies~~

3. White-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (New this year!)

4. Sugar Cookies (For the kids to Decorate)

5. Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies (From Real Simple)

6. Shortbread Cookies (I've already made these, they didn't make it to the freezer! Oops!)

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Nuts & Bolts (New this year!)

9. Fiddle Diddles (A tradition. No Bake = Easy to Make)

10. Peanut Butter Balls (Also No Bakes but a little more work)

11. Martha Klassens Saltine Cookies

12. June Bars

13. Cinnamon Pull Aparts (For Christmas morning)

14. Lemon Jelly Squares

15. Granny Ruths Butter Tarts

16. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks

Molly enjoying a present-shaped Sugar Cookie. I have hardly let them taste my wares... I'm saving it all for Christmas but she gave me such a look, I just couldn't say No.

Santas Little Helper

2011-11-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

I had already made my Fiddle Diddles and cleaned them up (and even blogged!) when Miles called me out on a promise I made to him. I had told him we would make cookies today. But then he napped & I seized the moment and made Fiddle Diddles without him. So I hauled back out my mixer and we got to work.

Miles is a great little helper. He can crack eggs, he loves to dump in all the ingredients & he especially loved that this recipe called for crushed pretzels. His favourite part was smushing the cookies with the fork before they hit the oven. Even Molly helped, well, tried to.

We made 2 dozen (and burnt one dozen!) Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies. Sounds good right? They are. I got the recipe from this months Real Simple. It's a gooder! They have 30 different cookie recipes in this months issue.

I got a scoop of broken pretzel sticks (I am still on the hunt for full ones, if you know of a source please let me know.) at Bulk Barn for less than $1 & I had Skor bits already in the freezer!

Our finished cookies were divine! I thought the pretzels might be too hard but they actually seemed to get softer baking them. Here is our finished product...cooling off before they hit the freezer. Shhhh. No one tell Brian they are down there!

My Over-Zealous Christmas Baking List Update

1. ~~Banana Loaves~~

2. ~~Molasses Spice Cookies~~

3. White-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (New this year!)

4. Sugar Cookies (For the kids to Decorate)

5. Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies (From Real Simple)

6. Shortbread Cookies (I've already made these, they didn't make it to the freezer! Oops!)

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Nuts & Bolts (New this year!)

9. Fiddle Diddles (A tradition. No Bake = Easy to Make)

10. Peanut Butter Balls (Also No Bakes but a little more work)

11. Martha ~~Stewarts~~ Klassens Saltine Cookies

12. June Bars

13. Cinnamon Pull Aparts (For Christmas morning)

14. Lemon Jelly Squares

15. Granny Ruths Butter Tarts

16. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks

Fill 'em up!

2011-11-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Fill 'em up!

I've got 6 large containers waiting to be filled with Christmas goodies. Today I made 3 dozen Fiddle Diddles (you might know them as Haystacks). They're no-bake treats so they came together so well. I'm saving the baked treats for cold days when I need to warm the house up! Ha!

It's as easy as putting all the ingredients in a bowl (Cocoa, Coconut, Walnuts & Oats) and then pouring over the melted butter, milk & sugar. Mix, spoon & freeze. And I'm done! Another Christmas treat crossed off my list. I suppose Brian will come home one day soon & tell me it's Fat Friday (when everyone in his office bring home-made treats), this time, I'm ready!

I had to run out to Bulk Barn this morning where I spent a whopping $2.21 on walnuts (best deal in town!) and $1.28 on colored sugars for making Sugar Cookies later this week. I sound like a broken record, but I just love being able to buy only what I need. I rarely use walnuts so rather than buy a $10 bag, I got 1/2cup, just enough for my recipe.

My Over-Zealous Christmas Baking List Update

1. ~~Banana Loaves~~

2. ~~Molasses Spice Cookies~~

3. White-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (New this year!)

4. Sugar Cookies (For the kids to Decorate)

5. Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies (From Real Simple)

6. Shortbread Cookies (I've already made these, they didn't make it to the freezer! Oops!)

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Nuts & Bolts (New this year!)

9. Fiddle Diddles (A tradition. No Bake = Easy to Make)

10. Peanut Butter Balls (Also No Bakes)

11. Martha ~~Stewarts~~ Klassens Saltine Cookies

12. June Bars

13. Cinnamon Pull Aparts (For Christmas morning)

14. Lemon Jelly Squares

15. Granny Ruths Butter Tarts

16. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks

Ready, Set, Christmas!

2011-11-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

I had a fabulous weekend...

Each year for my birthday my Sister-In-Law gets me a subscription to Real Simple magazine, it's the only magazine I read consistently. Anyway, it came in the mail on Friday & I have been devouring it all weekend. In fact, I revised my baking list to include some of the treats in this months issue.

Our lights are up! Brian had a bit of a Griswold moment (below) when he got all the strings out of the garage, but we finished them last weekend & turned them on this weekend. Is it too early for lights? Our neighbors have theirs on, so we're taking their cue. It was so nice to have the fireplace going & the lights on.

I checked a couple baking items off my over-zealous Christmas baking list this weekend. I made 5 dozen Molasses Spice Cookies & 2 dozen Banana Loaves. They turned out great & are in the freezer, ready for Christmas company to stop by. I know that I set my goal of 16 items (I've added one more since I last blogged) a little high, but we've been home-bodies for the past couple weekends to try & save money for Christmas, so baking has been the perfect way to keep busy.

My Over-Zealous Christmas Baking List

1. ~~Banana Loaves~~

2. ~~Molasses Spice Cookies~~

3. White-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (New this year!)

4. Sugar Cookies (For the kids to Decorate)

5. Peanut Butter Toffee Pretzel Cookies (From Real Simple)

6. Shortbread Cookies (I've already made these, they didn't make it to the freezer! Oops!)

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Nuts & Bolts (New this year!)

9. Fiddle Diddles (A tradition. No Bake = Easy to Make)

10. Peanut Butter Balls (Also No Bakes)

11. Martha ~~Stewarts~~ Klassens Saltine Cookies

12. June Bars

13. Cinnamon Pull Aparts (For Christmas morning)

14. Lemon Jelly Squares

15. Granny Ruths Butter Tarts

16. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks

So. There it is. A little daunting. We'll see how it goes. Now I am off to finish decorating the rest of the house and have a warm molasses cookie. I am feeling so Christmas-y this weekend & am pretty excited for Brian's Christmas party this coming weekend.

AOHT & 'Quite the Doll'

2011-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

Photo of Molly by Michelle Gier

I can always count on two things to trigger Acute Onset Happy Tears (AOHT) (Yeah, I totally just made that up.). When I was pregnant that list was much longer, once a Telus commercial featuring a hippopotamus had me in tears for hours...and I hate Telus. But in my less hormonal state, only two things can really cause a bout of AOHT so terrific that I need to let it play out or it will just start up again in 10 minutes. Christmas & Vinyl Cafe. And yesterday I had a healthy dose of both which lead to the present Kleenex shortage in our home.

If you're not familiar with the Vinyl Cafe radio programme on CBC radio then you won't understand the mistake I made. If you are, then when you read this you'll be asking yourself "What did she expect?". Good question. As I put Molly down for her afternoon nap I had to acknowledge that I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was exhausted and not in the typical Mom way...more so. And I don't nap, I've never been able to, so as I climbed into bed I knew sleeping wasn't an option. I took off my glasses and scrolled through my iPod eventually selecting a (free!) podcast from Vinyl Cafe entitled ' Springhill'. Within minutes of hearing Stuart Mcleans voice I was sobbing. Not crying, sobbing. And rather uncontrollably. I find AOHT is like that. Its not as easy to stop as tears of sadness or frustration. You can't reason with it. Once the floodgates are open...watchout. So there I am, listening to the story of Dave, stuck in the laundry chute listening to his sister sing (Splish Splash was also a favourite of mine), thinking of all the trouble my sisters & I got into and sobbing. Thinking of my children and overwhelmed with hopes that they too have childhood memories similar to that of the character Dave's or mine.

If you have iTunes (if you don't what decade are you living in???) go & download a free Podcast of the Vinyl Cafe today. Or pick up the 'Family Pack' at Costco right now for $19.99. You will love it. Nothing makes me feel more Canadian, makes me more nostalgic or gets my priorities and values in check than listening to it. And I look forward to the concert every Christmas season when they finally come out west (December 1st!).

In case that wasn't enough for the day, at the prompting of a message from my cousin Leya, I decide to watch the Polar Express with Miles before bedtime. Short story short: I was bawling for the same reasons I was just hours earlier. I close my eyes and prayed that my children will be blessed with those same experiences I had that made my childhood so fantastic. I prayed that they will believe in Santa, or the spirit of him, when they are 30 like their mom. I prayed that they will be lifelong friends like Dave & his sister or myself & mine. It was clearly a cry-fest. And I was clearly out of control.

Maybe some days you just need to cry. Maybe it's all inside you & needs to get let out at regular intervals. And maybe it reminds you that you are human and capable of feeling these awesome things. And maybe it's all part of staying sane & being reminded of the reasons you chose to endure.

And it seems there is always balance. Had I not been overwhelmed with positive emotion I might not have handled the days events with as much Calm, Cool & Collect as I did.

Molly has this doll. She was actually mine, my dad bought her for me on a trip to Hong Kong. I always liked her (she has a baby wearing the same uniform that straps to her back) so I kept her around. I guess because she's been around for 18 years I forgot that she doesn't look like most of the other dolls around here. Molly has really taken to her and I let her take her with us while running errands yesterday. At the grocery store the cashier, a woman in her 60's, looked at the doll, looked at me and commented "Well, that's quite the doll!". It wasn't what she said, it was how she said it. Like the doll was made of razor blades or crack-cocaine. It was the tone of her voice that lead me to believe it was a criticism and not just a comment. I'm packing my groceries, growing increasingly offended. So what if I let my daughter take her doll out in public? I can wash her! I use to take my Cabbage Patch everywhere and I turned out just fine! It is a bit germ-y but I don't let Molly drag her on the floor and ------------------------------ it hits me! My first reaction is that the comment is a criticism on my parenting but I think it was actually a racist comment! It SO was! The lady didn't approve of my daughters military-clad Asian doll. I must have looked like an idiot standing there with a dumbfounded grin on my face. I was shocked by her ignorance. Shocked. But I didn't flip out. I didn't lose my cool. I didn't dive into a lecture on Acceptance or Diversity because it would have been wasted energy. Instead, when I was buckling Molly into her car seat I told her to give her baby lots of kisses because someone had just hurt her feelings.... Maybe a bit dramatic but there's a part of me, still 8 years old, that secretly thinks my dolls might be alive & have feelings.

Meal Planning & Pizza Soup

2011-11-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

I spent the better part of the day meal planning. I think most people do this, some do it daily, I do it weekly (usually on Sunday night), and we all regret when we don't do it at all (but that's what Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is for!). Meal planning has been a great way for us to keep on budget & to cut down on the number of trips I make to Sobeys & Costco during the week. It also stops me from having to throw out expired food. Before I started meal planning (when Molly arrived) I threw out at least $30 in food each week. Usually fresh vegetables & condiments. I also didn't mind making several trips to the store each week. Now I grocery shop weekly and today I came in $20 (and an extra jar of pickles) under on our weekly grocery budget which I state loudly (and repeatedly) to Brian until he pays me compliment.

Seven meals ready to go. They can be shuffled around, if I don't feel like roasted chicken tomorrow I can switch to pulled pork, but I know that I have the ingredients to make seven different meals in my fridge & pantry. If you don't meal plan I would suggest considering it as a New Years Resolution. Just try it.. honestly, when I do it I feel so much better about cooking & being organized in the upcoming week.

One thing I love is hunkering down with a stack of cookbooks to help me pick my meals. I am a bit of a cookbook addict but I use them all religiously. I bought the new Donna Hay at Costco last month ($20!) and hadn't cracked it open until today (I love that sound). I found loads of meals I would like to try but put just two (That's restraint!) into my weeks plan.

This weeks lucky seven

1. Pizza Soup

2. Garlic Roasted Chicken & Quinoa salad

3. Pulled Pork, Glazed Carrots & Mozzarella-baked Tomatoes

4. Cottage Pie

5. Turkey Chili & Spinach Salad

6. Orecchetti with Brussels sprouts and pancetta

(From my new Donna Hay cookbook...I'm so excited to try this!)

7. Potato & Bleu Cheese Frittata

(Also from the Donna Hay cookbook!)

If you noticed a trend, you are right. We will eat spinach twice, potatoes twice, mozzarella twice & carrots four times. If I repeat the ingredients I can still buy in bigger portions (saving money) but I have to work hard to make sure it doesn't feel like we're eating the same thing each night. I try not to double up on the meats we eat, and go meatless at least one day (Day 7 in this case).

If you have a meal plan that you love to follow, or tips, I would love to see it (post a link). I am a sucker for buying magzines that already have built-in meal plans (Real Simple has fabulous ones.).

Tonight we had pizza soup for dinner (above). I had been waiting all week to make it (I guess that's the downfall to meal planning). It was divine...as good as it looks. And it does look good doesn't it??? The main ingredients were vegetable broth (although the recipe called for chicken), mozzarella, carrots and crushed tomatoes so it was right up my alley. Super easy to make (about 25 minutes total) and an excellent way to break in my new stonewear! The recipe can be found in the Chef At Home cookbook.

Tomorrow Miss Molly & I are headed to the Children's Hospital for a procedure (she's fine everyone!). I just need to keep my emotions in-check so I am off to bed (with a full tummy) to get a good nights sleep... and to spend a couple minutes perusing the Sears Wish Book ( I can't help it!).

Remember.

2011-11-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my Grandpa, Paul Hopaluk. He fought in Italy in WWII. And I think of him often, but even more so on November 11th. When we were little my parents would take us to Wainwright to honor the veterans on November 11th. Because of Camp Wainwright this town (where my grandparents lived & my dad grew up) has a beautiful ceremony to honor the vets. They marched down main street and placed poppy wreaths by the town clock. I remember looking for my grandpa in a sea of silver-haired military men. When I saw him I felt so lucky and so proud of him as he marched in unison. He seemed bigger and stronger than the Grandpa who sat in his recliner at home. It was usually cold out & I am sure I complained about that but my parents made sure we were well behaved and we paid our respects in a moment of silence. As a child, it seemed to be an eternity with my head lowered watching each cold breath leave my mouth. I looked forward to the end when we would head to Legion to play under the tables while our parents visited but I knew why we were there.

There were approximately 45,000 Canadian Soldiers killed in WWII and another 54,000 wounded (my Grandpa was one of them). A good number of these men are now gone. They were sons, brother, dads, grandpas and freedom fighters (imagine being able to add that to your curriculum vitae!). I only hope that as they leave this earth that there is a lasting impression of the sacrifices they made. I will be sure to teach Miles & Molly of them (as my parents did). I hope my friends will do the same.

Tonight before bed Miles & I made some cookies. As we made them I told him about my Grandpa & showed him his picture. I know he's too little to understand & remember but I want to get into the habit of telling him. I told him my favourite things about my Grandpa & that he must have loved him family very much to be willing to go away from them for a long time ("A long long time. Far far away." Said Miles.) I told him that because my Grandpa did that today we were able to go to school, go to the park & make cookies. It sounds like an even bigger accomplishment when you break it down for a three year-old. I told him that I loved my Grandpa like he loves his Papa ("So so much.") and that is why we have poppies on our jackets. So that when we see those poppies we think of our Papa's that we love. He liked that.

Layout 271

2011-11-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

- Pablo Picasso

It was beginning to look like The Molly Show yesterday for a while... little girls are so easy to scrapbook. But these pictures from Miles' first day of school were so full of color I couldn't wait to have a go at them. And when he gets home from school today he's going to be so excited to see this page (he loooves when he is on a layout).

Also, can't help but note I am at layout 271 as of today. I remember thinking it was impossible that I would reach 300 layouts by the end of the year but now I think it might just be attainable. The last half of the year is always so much more productive... We'll see...

Layout 270

2011-11-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

If you could only see how this layout looked the first time I did it... I wish I had taken a picture. You know when you're trying to do something different for a change? But in the end you are left with something that is SO not you? Thats what happened. And I love these photos (they are blurry) of our stop at the Enchanted Forrest this pas summer. Molly had an amazing time & the original layout just wasn't getting that point through. So I redid it, in about 20 minutes. And I am so happy... LOVE this layout, just need to add my journaling (in the top of the circle).

Layout 269

2011-11-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

I love love love this layout. It is linear, simple and so me. I love it. And once I figure out what to write in my journaling space (Me, at a loss for words? Never!) it will be all done. These are more pictures done by my wonderful SIL. If you need a great photographer (there are a million bad ones out there) then she is your gal. 'LIKE' her Facebook Page which is Picture A Memory Photography and she is giving away a free Christmas Time-Saver Session at the end of the month! You will love her work. I do.

Layout 268

2011-11-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Delightful by Haley Ross

This layout will forever make me smile. Firstly, the beautiful pictures of Molly that my Sister-in-law took and secondly because of the scenario I was in while scrapbooking these pictures. Generally I have committed to never fussy cutting anything... but I found myself to be alone with some time on my hands and this is what happened. Without making a peep I cut out all of these little outfits! So cute! And I went undetected through it all ;)

Layout 267

2011-11-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

The Good Life by Haley Ross

I could never get enough of scrapbooking the random cabin pictures I take. I love each season & every shot I take. This layout actually sucks (boooring) but I have been so happy just to be getting things done.

Layout 266

2011-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thirst for Adventure by Haley Ross

I spent yesterday (a Wednesday) with a friend. She is going through some tough stuff so I was there to listen & the scrapbooking was just a convenient medium. It was a great way to spend a day and turns out, it was exactly what I needed as well.

Possibilities.

2011-11-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

I was out tonight to 'scout out' some Christmas gift options.

I haven't been to a mall in a long time. It was fun. I had both kids with me but they were pretty mellow & I was able to use the Lego store as a bargaining tool for Miles (he didn't get to buy anything but he loves to look at all the displays). I left Chinook Centre without any more ideas than I had going in. I have no idea what to get Brian for Christmas. I thought about it the whole way home, he is so hard to buy for.

So I stopped at Winners in Okotoks. The kids were pretty tired but I was going to push my luck. And I am so glad I did. Not only did I find the perfect present for Brian (my lips are sealed... he reads my blog once in a blue moon) but I found a little something for myself...

I've been wanting these Le Creuset stoneware ramekins since I worked at Williams Sonoma last year. And I found them today at Winners for just $10! I was so excited I practically ran to the cash register! We have a rule in our house that after November 1st we don't buy anything for ourselves but... but...I mean Brian will understand, won't he? He will when he is enjoying an individually served pot pie, apple tart or french onion soup. Yep! I have big plans for these little guys. I have been eyeing this pizza soup in the Chef At Home cookbook and there is a 99% chance that we will be having it for dinner tomorrow night! I am picturing bubbling cheese forming a perfect crust on top. Mmmm. Can't wait! I'll be sure to blog about it.

I Hate Monday.

2011-11-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

...They're the worst. It seems like every Monday my To Do list is a mile long. Today I felt so overwhelmed with it (and the state of my house from the busy weekend) that I decided to stay home & get a handle on it.

The only other option was to abandon it all and head to Chapters with a Peppermint Hot Chocolate in hand. And that just seemed irresponsible.

And I miss my husband. He seems like a distant memory during the week. I miss having a team mate.

The basket of never-ending socks to be paired (above) seems to have peaked. And on top of the regular list I am trying to get a head start on some of the Holiday tasks for the year. I am finishing up my Christmas Cards (ordering them, not even close to sending them out), working on the long list of people to buy for (What am I going to get my sister-in-law???) and putting together the missing pieces for our Christmas outfits (Brian needs a white shirt, I need a jacket... the list goes on...and on.). My poor little message board is almost full... and even walking by it stresses me out a little.

So. I hate Mondays. But the great thing about that is in less than 12 hours it will be Tuesday and all will be right with the world again (provided I get those socks paired.)

To cheer myself up I am going to make 3 dozen sugar cookies tonight to pop into the freezer. It will be a head-start on the Christmas baking I usually do with my sisters each year. I made my grocery list for baking last night, it's a big one this year. I have big plans to make 15 different things... stay tuned for the epic failure that will occur from knowingly setting this goal MUCH too high :)

I also had to share this page that I came across in Mollys coloring book. I posted it on the fridge. Made me smile (which is appreciated on Mondays).

Which one doesn't belong? Uh, in a Childrens coloring book? All of them!

Layout #265

2011-11-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Score by Haley Ross

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: 7 Gypsies; Felt Embellishments: Basic Grey.

Not All I Have Left...

2011-11-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last night I cleaned my sheets. And I will remember that forever. I replaced my pillowcases with these ones (I took this picture in the morning). And they smelled like my Grandma.

They were hers. And I'm crying knowing that last night was the last time I will ever smell her again. I took these pillowcases from her things. I chose them. She had actually made two other sets for me, but I when I was looking at her things once she was gone, I wanted these ones. They were hers.

I loved sleeping at my Grandmas. When they moved from the farm into town, I would sleep with the window open. I liked that you could hear the train go by. I loved the squeaky bed. I loved the hand-made linens. I loved the white lamp with the cheap shade that let off a yellow-ish light. I loved my Grandma. So much.

And so maybe chasing that memory of a good sleep at Grandmas house I chose these pillowcases. Grandmas laundry was always so clean. Her towels were the best. Her whites were so white. And they smelled so good. Not like detergent or perfume. And they weren't too starchy. They were just right. Something I didn't know I was appreciating as a child, but I was. I know that now.

So when my head hit the pillow last night (not even thinking that I was using Grandmas pillowcases) it all came rushing back to me. And I was up all night, breathing it in deeply, thinking about my Grandma. Soaking her pillowcase with tears.

She didn't smile for pictures. And the last time I saw her she was watching OLN and her hair was standing on end. But she was perfect. She was the kind of Grandma that made hundreds of hand-made perogies for my wedding, spoke so proudly of my dad & was a hard worker. She was a woman dedicated to her family and without ever hearing someone say that until her funeral, I knew it.

She is the only Grandma I ever knew and I loved her so much.

And these things aren't the only things that I have to remember her by. They are just things. They are pillowcases, a recipe card & photos. I have memories. Of her yelling at us to get out of her garden and stop playing the the rain barrels. Or going to Co-op with her in her big cushy car & being so happy to buy boxed cookies. To build an igloo in her front yard with my cousins. To wake up to her on Christmas morning. To see her fishing. Or crocheting. Or watching gameshows louder than a jet plane. I remember her baking bread. And her chirping clock. And seeing her cry last summer when I was talking about Grandpa, fifteen years after he was gone.

Lucky me, to have all those things. All those memories. And those items. Lucky me to have been given one last night of that good sleep at Grandmas house I so loved without knowing it. Even after she was gone.

You were the best, Grandma. And I loved you. And I miss you. And I hope you know.

I've Been 'That Mom'

2011-11-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we took the kids to the Calgary Flames Family Skate. We were lucky to get tickets from a friend. Miles was in awe. I think he said 3 words. His mouth was open & he was looking up, up up the entire time. I loved every minute of it.

I forgot my skates on the counter (Making sure everyone else's made it into the car. And helmets. And mittens. And jackets, snacks, water and warm socks...etc.). I was so bummed when I realized (in the parking lot downtown). But I thought it might work out well as Molly seemed to be getting grumpy.

While we were lacing up our skates the family sitting across from us made a sad discovery. One of their sons was short a skate. There was only one skate in the bag. I didn't know what was going on but when we were lining up to go on the ice, Brian filled me in, he was devastated (Brian). He was imagining himself as a kid, pumped to skate where Jarome Iginla (or Doug Gilmore in Brians case) skated...and then not being able to.

I felt bad for them. But not in the same way Brian did, he was concerned about the boy. But moreover, I couldn't stop thinking how his mom must be feeling. We all make mom mistakes. I make a million. And I've made them at some pretty big & important times. Luckily, today it wasn't my turn. It was hers. Just plain bad luck. And I knew it was probably killing her, even though it was an accident. I also knew Miles had about 15 minutes of actual skating in him (he hadn't napped long). So I offered up his adjustable skates when we were done (Plan B.).

Miles had his 15 minutes on the rink and then I explained to him we were going to lend his skates to someone else so they could have a turn. He was so into it. (I wasn't sure he would be.). The boy crammed his feet into the skates & hit the ice (probably embarrassed by the Toy Story skates, but willing to strap them on & have a skate with his brother) . Miles & I sat in the bleachers & watched for a couple minutes. Miles said to me "That boy will be happy, right mom?" I told him yes. "You made him happy. You got to be happy for a while & now he can be too." And Miles was proud of himself, I could tell. I almost teared up (PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER HALEY!). What an awesome way to get to teach him this lesson!!! He loves hockey so he knew what he did. At 3 years old, he just knew.

Miles did a couple more laps with his dad after Molly had her turns. I think he liked being zipped around the ice in his Dads arms better anyway.

What a great day. Great experience. Great lesson. Great life.

Cozy Up.

2011-11-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

I ran errands this morning. Which included going into Costco. I took in a $20 bill so that I wouldn't allow myself to go on a spending spree with money I dont have. I love Costco at Christmas... but it's not Christmas. Yet. So I can out with only the bread I went in for (and some photos I had to pick up). And now I am home and dedicating the rest of the day to being cozy with my kids.

10 Things to Think About While I am Cozied up on my Couch Today:

1. All the great things I have added to my Christmas list at Costco. 2 Cookbooks. Babybel Cheese. The Vinyl Cafe CD set. And there's more....

2. How much I love my sisters. I just got off phone with Kendra. I looked at the receiver and wasn't surprised to see we had been talking for almost an hour. I love that. And I know I'll talk with Carm at some point today. I love my sisters and would wilt away if I didn't talk to them daily.

3. The book I am reading. I need to finish it so I can start Mindy Kalings new book.

4. My Christmas cards. I am ordering them on Monday once I narrow down the pictures. I want to use them all but I don't think anyone would appreciate getting a Christmas photo album in the mail. I am ordering them from Vistaprint.com this year, $1.99 for 20 cards. You can't beat that.

5. What to get Brian for Christmas. The Kindle Fire isn't available in Canada...so now what?

6. Egg nog.

7. When I will haul myself & the kids out to black diamond to buy some firewood. I hate going but we need a fire to be legitimately cozy.

8. How sweet Mollys looks all bundled up. My friend gave Molly some adorable hand-me-downs to keep warm this winter. I can't wait to take pics (or ask Linds to take pics).

9. Smashing Pumpkins. Not the band. I had a great time smashing pumpkins at the community compost bin yesterday... I've never done that before but it feels great...no wonder all those little punks do it.

10. How pumped Miles is going to be tomorrow when he gets to so to Family skate with the Calgary Flames. I hope Brian gets some good pictures.

Layout #264

2011-11-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

I loved scrapbooking Miles first day of school pictures. They were mostly taken by my talented Sister-In-Law Lindsay (of Picture a Memory Photography). I was so grateful she happened to pop by that day.

I wanted to use all the pictures so the left side is a folder that opens and holds a smaller 10x10 page (pictured below). Love it.

I was so happy to use up some of this old Daisy D's paper. It was perfect for pre-school pictures!

Layout #263

2011-11-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Beachy by Haley Ross

I am happy for several reasons. Here they are:

1. I have gotten back into a scrapbooking groove. I did about 10 layouts in October. Awesome.

2. I love spending time with my scrapbooking friends. One provides friends for Miles & some daytime relief, another is up for good conversation & even some apple bread (mmmm) and then I have the girls who made a mini getaway possible. <3

3. I discovered this wired ribbon at The Scrap Yard. Love it.

4. I was able to use these super old Heidi Swapp letters. Super old.

4. This Basic Grey paper makes me happy.

5. I love any & all pictures of baby girls in bikinis. Who can resist hose little bellies?

6. My husband captured a great memory I have from this trip to BC.

7. I love Kraft paper. What a great way to start any layout.

Seven is several, right???

Layout #262

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lake Lovers by Haley Ross

This layout is so different for me. Yes, it's still linear... aren't they all? But for me it's different. I really couldn't decide if the waves coming from the centre worked. But I got the ok from a friend and went with it...so happy I did. In fact, I am so happy to have turned out a page I like, it's so inspiring.

I take mostly portrait pictures & fill my frame each time, it makes for some difficult scrapbooking. I try to remember not to, but it seems I always end up flipping through my pictures noticing I've done it again...dang.

Materials: Paper & Stcikers: Echo Park; Brads: Doodlebug designs; Alphabet Stickers: Thickers by American Crafts.

A Halloween Treasure

2011-10-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. And I have as many Halloween decorations as I do Christmas Decorations. I've had this department 56 village for about 5 years now. It only took me a year or two to collect. Last year it didn't get put out. But the year before my sister-in-law took some pictures for me to scrapbook (I'll get around to that someday...).

I built this little village onto a base Brian made for me. So now each year I don't have to take it down, I just throw a blanket over it & store it in the garage. In case you're wondering, in favourite piece is the pumkin water tower. Miles likes the train & Molly loves the carousel.

Halloween Ready.

2011-10-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Candy? Check. Costumes? Check. That's really all you need but I tend to go a little overboard on Halloween. I love it. It's my 9th favourite holiday of the year (Do you really want to see that list?).

This year all that we had left to do on Halloween Eve was carve pumpkins. Last year I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I hadn't bought (more) candy. I hadn't decorated. I wasn't ready. I was also working full time...

This year the list was all checked off, so while the boys carved pumpkins, I tied one on. My apron on, that is.

I bought some fun cupcake toppers at winners ($3!) a while ago just in case I was organized enough to make cupcakes. And the cute spatula is from a year ago, when I was working at Williams Sonoma. Running around like a chicken....

30 minutes later...

Also watched an old Halloween favourite which I ordered online. I had ordered it for Miles, I remembered loving it as a child. Um. THANK goodness I watched it before allowing him to. It is SO not for 3 year-olds. Even watching it tonight gave me the creeps (that book with the moving eye!). So I'll stash it away until Miles is 20. Anyway, Happy Halloween everyone. Hope you enjoy your Halloween as much as I will enjoy my little Monkey & Little Red Riding Hood tomorrow.

Falling short...

2011-10-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's October 20th and I am beginning to realise that I won't meet the only goal I set for myself in 2011. The ONLY resolution I made. To read 24 books this year.

When I was making this goal, I was excited because I thought it was reasonable. In the past my resolutions have been nearly impossible to maintain. No sugar (phfa! That one last a day.) Lose 20lbs (Not impossible, just improbable). So I made a resolution that would be easy to keep in 2011. In 2010 I read about 20 books. Without trying. Without a goal to motivate me. As of today I have read 10 books in 2011. Putting me on track...if my goal were 50% less.

I could meet my goal. I really could. I could line up all the John Grishams and Sophie Kinsella books I could find. I could even read the Twilight series (not that there's anything wrong with that). But I want to read for the love of reading...and not to reach a goal.

So book #11 for me is Payback. And it was hard to get into at first but I am loving it. Let me share something with you that I thought was a little thought provoking.

All human technologies are extensions of the humans body and the human mind. Thus eyeglasses and telescopes and the images of television and film and painting are extension of the eye, the radio and telephone of the voice, the cane and crutch of the leg, and so on. Writing and written numbers are - among other things - extensions of the memory.

Makes you think, non? Anyway, just wanted to share that, but then became very aware of my unmet goal. It feels like in order to be successful in New Years Resolutions I will have to make mine 1. To Breathe. 2. To Love and 3. To Eat. Voila!

Soup Week Confession

2011-10-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was day 2 of Soup Week. Which doesn't mean anything more than the title would suggest. Yesteday, I made soup. This time of year, when things are cooling off (quickly), I find myself wanting hot soup for lunch. So it was time to stock the freezer. Sunday I made my favourite Red Pepper & Tomatoe soup. Yesterday I made Chorizo and Sweet Potato. It took me 3 hours (clean-up included). And herein lies my confession: I like to cook more than I like to scrapbook (gasp!).

10oz of beautiful Chorizo Sausage. I wiki'ed Chorizo to find out a little bit more about it (we eat it often). FYI: It's a Spanish-style pork sausage seasoned with paprika.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to throw my rub-ons out the window (Except the Heidi Swapp ones. They suck.) But cooking seems to be the way I prefer to spend my time lately. And given three hours, I chose to make a soup rather than a layout. And I had fun (until it came time to do the dishes).

Today I will make Cauliflower Cheddar Soup (I know, right???) and when I am done, I will proudly add my individually portioned containers to my freezer, with the same pride in which I add a completed layout to my album.

Carrots, celery, onions and a sweet potato waiting to be peeled, sliced and diced. Oh! And if Brian happens to ask, I would like a new peeler for Christmas.

I guess as far as hobbies go, I never considered cooking. If you had asked me my hobbies I would have answered "Scrapbooking, skiing and reading." But I spend more time cooking than all three of those activities combined. And if you were to judge the talent I possess (on a scale of 1-10) for each of those activities you might give me the following scores: Scrapbooking - 5, Skiing - 4, Reading - 7. But I have been told often that I am a 'good cook' (although that might just be a courtesy). I would give myself an 8 (that's generous).

Cooking my ingredients. I didn't realise just how good the house smelled until I left to take out the garbage.

And now that I have given my 'hobby' it's fair consideration, I can justify spending time (and even money?) on it. I will be heading to the Library today to see what the 'Cooking' section looks like. I own many cookbooks, but I can honestly say I have never checked out the 'Cooking' section of the library looking to build a basic cooking foundation. Does it even exist?

Even when I managed Williams-Sonoma I didn't think of cooking as a hobby (and that's their credo!). I though you were either a Chef, trying to be a Chef or a consumer (which I considered myself to be)... I never thought you could comfortably (and confidently) call yourself a Cook if you just dabbled. I didn't think you could list Cooking as a past time if you didn't own a $300 knife or wear a white hat. Why not?

Ready for the processor. I don't have an emulsifier to I ladle everything into my food processor. Tedious, but I am grateful for even that.

I will no longer be embarrassed to say I spent the day (or week) making soups (it sounds like such a waste of time). But instead I will say it with the same tone in which I would brag about spending a weekend scrapbooking. So what if I start making dinner at 4pm some days because I 'feel like it'? And I won't pretend to bitch & complain about 'not knowing what to make for dinner' because I actually like that part of my day.

Layout #261

2011-10-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

RoadTrip

I have become my own worst nightmare... a scrapbooker that needs a crutch. What I mean is, I seem to be unable to scrapbook without the help of the person sitting next to me. And I should know better (nothing annoys me more than when I get nothing done because I spend all my time looking at someone elses projects). But knowing I was being bad didn't stop me from asking my neighbour to cull my photos (which she is great at), borrow paper & Thickers (which she did so graciously) AND THEN help me with my layout (the 4 photos on the right were her idea). So thanks neighbor...for being my crutch when I was feeling uninspired... I won't happen again (I am 33% confident).

Layout #260

2011-10-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hard Workin' Boy by Haley Ross

My little guy is growing up so fast... I couldn't get over how big he looks in these pictures.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Girls Paperie & Websters Pages; Alphabet Stickers: Basic Grey & October Afternoon; Brads: Making Memories; Other: Tool Charms and Drywall Mesh.

Layout #259

2011-10-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Get Wet

The best thing about having kids is getting to use all the bright colored paper. (Ok, there are other better things. LOTS better. But this is good too.). I love Echo Park. It is making scrapbook so easy.

Materials: Patterned Paper & Stickers: Echo Park and Pebbles Inc.

Layout #258

2011-10-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Miles loved looking at this page when I brought it home from scrapbooking this weekend. He was pretty pumped about the cookie he was eating in the picture. Too funny.

Materials: Patterned Paper and Stickers: October Afternoon; Alphabet Stickers: Bella Blvd; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Layout #257

2011-10-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Get In Gear by Haley Ross

I have to laugh at the extent I will go to sometimes... I could have just bought striped paper rather than cutting up all these strips. Anyway, it turned out, Christmas paper & all (as Jen so sweetly informed me, I was using two different lines..)

Materials: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories; Gears: Tim Holtz; Charm: Pebbles Inc; Cardstock: Basil Basics.

Layout #256

2011-10-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

Sister In A Box

Materials: Patterned Paper: Die Cuts With A View; Stickers: Making Memories; Ribbon: May Arts.

Layout #255

2011-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Spokane by Haley Ross

I think I impressed a fellow scrapbooker by scrapbooking pictures from the previous weekend. It gives the illusion that I am "all caught up". But I am far from...

Materials: Patterned Paper: Crate Paper; Die-Cuts: My Minds Eye; Chipboard: Scenic Route; Stickers: October Afternoon; Alphabet Stickers: Rusty Pickle & Karen Foster.

I've got 'Art'

2011-09-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

.. And I am not really sure what to do with it. For now, it is on the fridge. But there have been 3 more pieces added since I took this picture...and it's getting a little full.

I am alright with having lots of stuff on my fridge. My mom never let us, I mean, we hung up our art, but she was really minimalist when it came to magnets & pictures. So I think I am over compensating by covering every square inch of mine. But seriously, what do I do with it once it's had it's turn on the fridge? I know I can't keep every piece but I can't imagine tossing any of it.

Miles started Nursery School this year. This is him on his 1st day of school. My sister-in-law took this picture & I love it. He looks so grown up. And he is. It breaks my heart.

And while we're on the topic of 'Miles' (aren't I always?), I have to mention his new obsession with Lego Mini Figures. I am using them like an allowance (or bribery). When he does a job, we earns money for a Lego man ($3.49 ea). He got two last week! He's been setting the table (I even let him carry the milk!!!), sorting recycling & playing with Molly. I wonder how long the Lego Man motivation will last?

Easy Readin' & 10 Randoms

2011-09-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

I made a deal with Miles tonight, so while he watches Dora The Explorer before bedtime I found myself with a moment to sit down with a book. Molly is climbing on my legs & Miles keeps asking for a Popsicles (He's wondering how many No's = one Yes?)... it's clear I can't take on too big of a challenge.... my new Margaret Atwood will have to wait.

I picked up this book at Time Out for Women. I was so excited to see the author speak (it the reason I bought the ticket for the weekend) and she didn't show.Something about having lost her passport. I had to giggle that I was looking forward to learning some motivating (hopefully) parenting & prioritizing tips from someone who lost such an important document. I decided to give her books a go anyhow. And I peeled through The Time-Starved Family in a couple of days. Great book.

This is the second book I bought that weekend. By page 5 I had found pure brilliance (re: mothering). ...Instead of consistently being pleased with my daily efforts, I somehow tend to concentrate on my undone tasks - on those areas that desperately need improvement. Without question I was buying into that familiar fallacy that my offerings had to be grand to be great, and that small meant insignificant.

In honor of that passage, and pretty much the entire Introduction, here are 10 small (but supposedly significant) things I did today (this was harder than I thought it would be).

1. I finally put that darn rocketship outside. It's a punishment for not sharing that I know will be worth it in the end....but there were tears.

2. We made foam turkeys to hang up for Thanksgiving (but that's not the little thing) and I let Miles get glue all over the freshly-oiled dining room table (that is). He has more fun when I'm not cleaning up as he creates.

3. I fixed Miles race track at least 12 times. At least.

4. I rewashed some second hand clothing a friend gave us for Miles. I explained to him that his new Superman PJ's were once his friends (who is bigger than him) and that he was giving them to him...sharing!

5. I rummaged through my old photos to find a picture of my childhood dollhouse that I would like Brian to recreate (build) for Molly this Christmas. Found one! Can't wait to see her face on Christmas :)

6. I ordered pictures from Costco of Miles first day of school. I ordered extras for Aunties, Grandmas and an enlargement for Great Granny who is slowly losing her vision.

7. I made dinner. A cottage pie. And I was lucky to have help from Sister Hill & Sister Riley, who peeled my potatoes when they stopped by today. Miles hated it. Molly loved it. And Brian will be so happy to have leftovers for a week (I made enough to feed an army).

8. I let the kids have a cookie from the bakery at the grocery store. I knew they would be filthy in minutes and that I didn't have wipes or change of clothes. I knew I would regret having the kids with the dirty faces at the next store (where they don't pass out free cookies or appreciate grubby little hands) and that the judgements of others ("What's all over your face sweetie?") would make my skin crawl. But I did it anyway, because Miles was so happy that he remembered where the Free cookie lady was ("Near the Lobster!")

9. I let Miles mash the potatoes for the cottage pie. I had to stand behind & mash with my arms around him. It was so awkward and my arms were aching.... he was pretty proud of himself.

10. Miles was upset about going to bed... so I do what my mom did when we were younger and calmly talked to him until he stopped crying and accepted his fate. We usually have two conversations. The first one is "Who Loves You" and I name all the people who love him. And then "Tomorrow is Going to be a Great Day" and I tell him all the things he will do tomorrow if he goes to sleep. It works every time, but sometimes takes some time.

Fall Feel-good

2011-09-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a fabulous day, today stinks. I'm in a rut (ok, only one day, but that's one too many). I could make a list of 10 things that are bugging me right now... but I am afraid that if I start I will hit 99 before I know it. No one needs that much negativity.

So in an effort to feel better I decided to decorate my house for Autumn. It's early but changing my home a little bit each season usually makes me happy. It worked today, for an hour or two.

There have been some big changes in my life over the summer. Some of them I am thrilled about, but some have made my heart a bit heavy. I am looking forward to Friday when I am off to scrapbook with some friends & can take my mind off of it all. It has been too long and I think this will be just what the doctor ordered. Maybe I'll even do some baking on Thursday in hopes that sugar will assist my creativity.

My my phyllo pie!

2011-09-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's worth mentioning that I remember where I was 10 years ago today. I had come 'home' from College for the weekend. I rarely came home, but I guess I just knew I was burning out. My relationships weren't good, my health wasn't great & I missed my family. I fell asleep on Mom & Dads couch & woke up just in time to see a plane fly into the second tower. Mom & I sat, stunned. Carmelle walked into the room and asked what movie we were watching. It was on this weekend that I had two revelations. #1 being that I will no longer expose myself to 24/7 coverage of any tragic news story. It just isn't good for the soul. And #2, I wanted to be closer to the people I loved.

The decisions I made based on those two revelations play a big part in where I am 10 years later. Without going into much detail about my choices and situation at the time, I can tell you that 10 years later, I am happier because of how the tragic events of September 11, 2001 impacted me (although I wish they could have come about another way).

Today I didn't watch the news. I can't. I prefer now to get my news through printed media. I have more control over the graphic details I am exposed to and I know this is healthier for me personally. So, while I know that the tributes and memorials can be uplifting, I decided to immerse myself in my family...the thing I am pretty sure most victims of September 11th would do if they had just one more day.

I went to church. And then I came home and sewed Molly a blanket for her 'baby'. It was flannel and minky, and I put the letter 'M' on it. I still have the little blanket my mom made for my doll, I think Molly will love this one just as much. I went for a bike ride with my husband and kids and we played at the park. And I cooked a delicious meal for my family. A spinach and feta phyllo pie and it turned out fabulously.

Then we built a big fort in our living room with a sheet, brooms and hockey sticks. We (including Woody, a Dinosaur, Tabitha the Cabbage Patch, Cinderella & a Groovy Girl) cozied up to watch a movie.

I lined up all the popcorn buckets. Brians, mine, Miles' and Mollys.....

... And Brian made popcorn with the WhirlyPop (and let me take his picture).

Sundays with my family are my favourite thing in the world but this one seemed extra juicy. Maybe because we appreciate our lives a little bit more on this day each year.... or maybe because I have so much I can appreciate.

Layout #254

2011-08-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Day In May

I had intended to make a mini album from these pictures that I took on a really great day in may. But in the end, I scrapbooked them, I just wanted them done. And I love how they turned out.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper & Journaling Spot: October Afternoon; Buttons: American Crafts; Dots: Scrapworks; Stickers: October Afternoon and Thickers by American Crafts.

Layout #253

2011-08-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

i love you

I love these pictures of Molly. I got these little Juicy pants from my friend Trista in a bag of hand-me-downs from her girls (thanks!). They are too cute (and too sexy for a baby?!?!). Either way, I love them, but only have her wear them at home or camping, I don't think little girls need to be walking around with writing on their bums, that's just me. Molly is into everything lately. I can't leave her alone for a moment. Today she ate charcoal from the fireplace....I wish I could say it was the first time. On this day she was all over our charging station, intent on stealing a cell phone. I explained to her that she had to be 12 to have one ;)

Love that I used up some really old rub-ons on this layout, and a big thank you to my friend Jen who traded me that cute Telephone die-cut for...something, I don't remember.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Rub-Ons: DCWV; Paper: My Minds Eye; Chipboard: Heidi Swapp; Journaling Spot: October Afternoon; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Layout #252

2011-08-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Look In A Book

I finally had a chance to scrapbook this summer with a great frend. Two weeks later, I am finally getting a chance to post the layouts I got done. Three! (Minus journaling.)

Materials: Patterned Paper: Sassafrass Lass; Rub-On Quote & Alphabet Stickers: Doodlebug designs; Flowers: Close To My Heart; Pen: Ek Success Zig Writer.

Good Eats.

2011-07-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

I seem to spending a lot of time in my kitchen lately. More so than normal. Maybe because I can't seem to keep my house clean in the summer...I just finished doing dished at 9:30 tonight. But I have been cooking too (and then cleaning some more...)

At Vin Room I had these great crispy Eggplant slices. I tried to recreate them at home. They turned out alright and I learned a thing or two. My bread crumbs were too soft & my coating wasn't consistent... but Brian enjoyed them and this is a fantastic way to ruin a perfectly healthy vegetable. Slice your eggplant, coat in egg & roll in a breadcrumb mixture. I added lime zest, pepper & onion powder to mine.. you could really try anything. Then thrown them in a pan of oil & crisp them up (they brown quickly). Great side dish.

A gorgeous loaf I bought at the Farmers Market. I've been making a lot of soups for lunch with all this rain lately so it's nice to have good bread to dip. Today was tomato...tomorrow I have to use up my sweet potatoes before they go bad, so I'll come up with something I'm sure...

Dinner tonight (looks pretty damn good hey?). A lasagna I adapted from a Jamie Oliver Cookbook (I always do that, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Tonight it did!). This lasagna is like nothing I have ever had before. Made with Asparagus, Peas & Fava Beans. And the recipe called for Anchovies, but I wanted it to be vegetarian so I used capers for that little bit of zing instead. I also baked it, not broiled...and I didn't use fresh pasta (it's hard to find in Okotoks). It was so good.... Can't wait for leftovers tomorrow.

July.

2011-07-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is 1/2 done. It breaks my heart. We've had such a great summer so far... Here are some of my favourite pics so far.

Miles went to Stampede for the 1st time...and loved it. When I asked him what his favourite part of the day was he said "The Super Dogs. Or the pretzo (Pretzel). I like the horseys and baby chicks. And I like the pigs. And I like the police man. And the hot dog." Well, we didn't even have hot dogs, so he must have been one tired cowboy, which means it was a great day for him. (Molly and I? Well that's a different story).

Paul, one of my favourite cousins (Yep, I totally have favourites) got married this month. The wedding was so beautiful. You can tell the bride is one of those super creative people. But the feeling was laid-back and we partied like Hopaluks. Here is Molly at the farm where the wedding was, trying to catch a glimpse of the first dance which took place inside the barn.

We spent some time at the lake... playing on the beach, eating Smushmillows (Marshmallows) and boating. It rained a fair bit, but I read 2 books (The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell & When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris) & we played some great board games (I dominated Scrabble & Scattergories).

Hope everyone is having a great summer. xo.

Pimp my Pizza

2011-07-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to make pizza dough. I mean, I am sure I could, it's not rocket science, but I never have. I guess in our house, pizza is the thing we eat when we are hungry & haven't planned ahead. Pizza is a convenience food around here. But we rarely order pizza (when we do, we splurge on Pizza Hut), instead I rip into the grocery store & buy a frozen pizza. And then I 'pimp it out'. My mom does this, and for a long while I thought everyone did. But today, when our company asked what kind of frozen pizza this was I realized I should maybe share my moms ' home imporvement' tip. I buy whatever is on sale when it comes to pizza. So my foundation is usually just $4-$5 (The one pictured above was a MacCains Bruchetta Pizza). Then I take it home & add-on all the good stuff (usually whatever we have around the house). Todays Pimped Pizza got diced ttomatoes, shredded spinach, extra mozzarella and a little bit of green pesto. So good. So there, if you're bored with frozen pizza but don't want to shell out for delivery, just 'pimp' your pizza by adding your own fresh ingredients. Love it.

Today, I was able to buy Happiness.

2011-07-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

In the heat of the summer nothing is better than cool white stoneware. Today my husband gave me these three beautiful Le Creuset Stoneware canisters. Beautiful. He is out for the evening so I am going to try & ship the kids off to bed early (Lord know they could use the sleep with all this summer heat...) and scrapbook for a while by the breeze of the fan. I am looking forward to it.

Summer Days

2011-07-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing in our household. Today we had three fans running full-tilt to try & cool us down. It was no use. In the end we resorted to cooling off the old-fashioned way...with a garden hose and a Slip & Slide (Or a Slip & Bleed). It's been at least 20 years since I have been on one of those. The kids loved every minute of it. And I even had a couple runs myself. No blood. No broken bones. Success.

Brian & I were out for a pre-Stampede party last night (me in my 'western' shirt below). We finished up the night at UNA on 17th where they have no air conditioning but great food & drink. We splurged on a bottle of Arizona Stronghold...worth every penny. I was so happy to walk outside at the end of the night & catch a small breeze...I thought I was melting.

I treated myself to some peonies (above) and a new pair of Ray Bans today. Perfect summer treats. The fridge is filled with watermelon, cool quinoa salad & lemon juice (perfect for icy cold water).

I don't have to wear perfume because sunscreen smells so darn yummy.

The kids are running around with little to no clothing on. And I'm sleeping with the windows wide open. Miles is so tired from a hard day of play that he doesn't even argue at beditme.

I've decided that I am not going to worry about my floor again this year...so it's open season for wearing flip-flops in the house. Best decision I have made this summer.

All these things just make me so happy. It's them & the vitamin D (I'm rocking a pretty sweet tan right now) that are making for some pretty perfect summer days.

If it rains, I am ready to scrapbook. I picked up pictures at Costco today. I can hear a huge storm blowing in now. Some pretty intense looking lightening. Love that.

Why can't this just last forever?

My First Simple Apple Crisp

2011-07-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

You see, I never order Apple Crisp when I am out for dinner. There's always something with chocolate I'd rather order, something better than a dessert made of fruit. Today I decided to make a pie with the beautiful apples I had just bought but time seemed to fly by this afternoon and I ran out of time to make a pie. So, Apple Crisp it was. So here, without further adieu, is my first SIMPLE apple crisp.

Sammy peeled the apples (I used 5) and I chopped them up.

I tossed the apples in cinnamon. I used 2 tsp. but I love cinnamon so I like lots.

For the topping it's 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup of brown sugar & 1tsp of Nutmeg. Mix it together with 1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine.

Scoop the mixture onto the apples. Cover it completely, the mixture won't spread when baking (it just gets crisp!)

Ta-da!

My very first apple crisp. Simple. But Brian said it was delicious (he was a willing guinea-pig). I think it needed a little something else, but for my first try I am pleased with myself.

Thoughts...

2011-07-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

... about all things disposable.

I've had this conversation with myself before... I think this could officially be classified as Blog Babble. Nonetheless...this little sailor got me thinking. Miles was playing with this toy, once mine, at the cabin this weekend. My mom has kept him around as well as the tug boat in which he rides. In fact, she's kept a fair-sized box of my old toys. Watching him play I wistfully thought to myself : "I wonder which toys of Miles' his children will play with?".

Likely, none. Unless I can break the cycle (when did it start?) wherein everything is disposable. Everything has an expiry date. And at a certain point, things aren't worth keeping & certainly not worth fixing. When I sit down with a bag & clean out the toy box, I assume that the toys I am getting rid of will find themselves in a new, good home. And I might be right. But for how long will they remain in this home? And will they make it to the next? With the quality of toys these days, not likely. So do I stop giving toys away? Heck no. We'd be over-run! But what I will do, is buy a better quality toy. And for that matter, a better quality spatula, lunch-kit, dress and pair of socks. Is it possible I might even learn to darn socks? Why not? I know how to sew & stitch. When did it become acceptable to throw away a pair of socks with a single hole in the toe? And because something is plentiful, cheap & easy to replace, should we? Darning socks takes time (I'd imagine) but isn't the negative impact we make by throwing socks away worth that time? I know one thing, when I think of the toys Miles has now, that he might pass onto his children (and that they would actually use) I can only think of a handful. Wooden Thomas Trains, puzzles and toy cars. Wouldn't it be worth it for me to buy a better quality toy, pay a little more, take care of it (Fix it!) and have his children play happily on the beach all day long with it? My mom thought so... maybe I should be giving this a second thought too.

Layout #251

2011-06-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Snow Day

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper & Chipboard: Cosmo Cricut; Jounarling Strips: Dymo

Layout #250

2011-06-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've done it! I've met my goal for 2010. I have finally completed 100 more layouts. And I am only 6 months behind schedule! Which would mean I need to do a layout every 2 days in order to complete my goal of 100 layouts per year. As if. I enjoy my summers too much to stay inside & scrapbook. I'm waiting for my in-laws to show up for dinner which is the only reason I am inside blogging. It is beautiful out today. We went to the spray park & had lunch outside. So 100 more layouts is too many. I need to rethink my 100 layouts a year goal: How many do you think is reasonable?

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Bella Blvd & Reminisce; DieCuts & Stickers: Bella Blvd; Rub-Ons: Moxie; Wooden Tags: Chatterbox; Alphabet Stickers: Cosmo Cricut; Canvas Letters: Prima Marketing.

Layout #249

2011-06-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

That's How She Rolls

I made the little flower embellishments on this page!!! Ok, truth be told Jen made one and I made the other two with her help. It was kind of neat to make something, I am so pro convenience that I usually just buy what I need already made. These turned out too cute. Thanks Jen!

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper & Stickers: Girls Paperie; Brads: Making Memories; Journaling Spot: Jillibean Soup; Other: Twine and felt.

Layout #248

2011-06-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

1 Red Dress

More pictures from Molly's 1st Birthday. So cute right? I had to buy Valentines Day paper because it was the only stuff girly enough that had red in it. I love red, but it's hard to find in scrapbooking supplies.

Materials: Patterned Paper: My Minds Eye & BoBunny Designs; Stickers: BoBunny; Alphabet Stickers: Scenic Route; Lace: Creative Impressions (I think).

Layout #247

2011-06-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

Molly

I am done scrapbooking Molly's 1st Birthday! I'm not even done Miles' 1st Birthday (Yeah, yeah, I took too many pictures). It makes me happy that she will have a completed album someday. I've done 247 layouts in 5 years. That pretty much one layout a week....and at the rate I take pictures, I think that's pretty achievable.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper & Die Cuts: My Minds Eye; Brads, Rub-Ons & Fuzzy Flowers: Making Memories; Alphabet Stickers: Scrapworks.

Layout #246

2011-06-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

Little Bow

We missed out on what was going to be an 'annual' camping trip this year. It seems like just happens, and everyone was so busy. Maybe next year. In the meantime, I enjoyed scrapbooking the highlights of our multi-family trip to Little Bow last year. I love the pictures of Miles digging into his 'Worms & Dirt'. He sure did love that, I need to get that recipe from Kacey (If you're reading this, send it to me. Heeheehee). We've been out camping twice & I am really excited to get out again.

Materials: Patterned Paper, Sticker & Chipboard: October Afternoon.

Layout #245

2011-06-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Camping Pros

This is the only page I am going to post today that was actually not taken directly from a sketch. A friend of mine (Thanks Jen!) gave me these great sketches (about 100 of them) so I plan on using them to scrapbook for the next well, 100 layouts... I was so happy to have completed 7 layouts this weekend...there might be something to this whole 'sketch' way of scrapbooking. I am all over it.

Materials: Patterned Paper & Stickers: American Crafts: Journaling Spot: Reminisce; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts; Vellum Pocket: Colorbok; Page Extension: Close To My Heart.

Layout #244

2011-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Spring

Um, I love Mollys beautiful little Easter Dress (My mom picked it up in the States). It was something different than the usual spring colors but it suited her. She was just a tiny little baby last Easter and she was drowning in her 0-3 mos. dress. I got to use a flourish from my new Cricut cartridge (I now own eight!) Straight From The Nest. I bought it & Create a Critter on my trip to Washington for just $35!

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Stickers: Making Memories; Flower: Pink Paislee; Flair: American Crafts; Flourish: Cricut.

Layout #243

2011-06-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunt by Haley Ross

I haven't been scrapbooking much. I've only done 3 layouts in the past two weeks....better than nothing. My Easter pictures were all over exposed this year....they look terrible. I had been messing around with my camera and when Brian took all the pictures it was still on the settings I had been playing with. It's hard to scrapbook bad pictures.

Materials: Cardstock & Just The Edge Strips: Bazzill Basics; Rub-Ons: Making Memories: Stickers: Jolees by You & Scenic Route; Ribbon: American Crafts; Other: Tags.

Owl Done!

2011-06-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished my little owl first thing this morning before my kids were up. Here he is, sitting in Molly's window, he's totally cute right? I can't wait to make one with Sammy when she gets here in 4 more sleeps! I would recommend this project for teaching someone to stitch. It's quick (took me about 3 hours), easy & cheap (so if it's not for them, no harm done!). Here's the breakdown:

4 x Embroidery Floss

3 Sheets of Felt

A small bag of Polyfil

Approximate Total Cost $7.42

(And you have a small bag of polyfil left over)

I machine stitched the breast plate and edges on but you could hand stitch them if you felt inclined! So the only tools you really need are a needle & scissors.

Sunday Mornings & Evenings

2011-06-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

I love having people over for meals, it's a great excuse to set a pretty table. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen but it isn't a chef's kitchen my any measure. My kitchen is a mish-mash of things I've collected over the years, things that don't match & things that are, well, useful (no matter how ugly). I recently replaced my drinking glasses with these recycled glass ones from Starbucks. Brian was complaining that there were too many small glasses, so naturally he loves the new ones. I know they aren't something that need to be 'replaced', but our needs change & I can justify adding new glasses as long as I get rid of the old ones....

Extra crispy bacon. Who doesn't love bacon? Even the vegans I know say they miss bacon.

Springy cloth napkins in napkin rings. Pretty.

A big plate full of waffles (there were two).

Breakfast was great & we were so full we skipped lunch!

Tonight I started a stitching project from a book I bought a while ago. I love this book. It's so easy (I mean, really very easy), has great pictures, instructions & do-able projects. Tonight I decided to make a little felt stuffed owl for Molly. I'll walk you through the steps I took tonight (until I started going cross-eyed and decided to blog for a while).

I cut an owl out of felt. There are no patterns, but simple shapes like this are easy to freehand. It took me about 3 tries to get an owl I liked.

The owl on the left is the one I am making. So cute right??

Machine sewed on the breast piece (also from a freehand pattern....turned out pretty good!).

Now I am busy stitching away to embellish the owl. I am about half way there but the lighting in my house is pitiful (as you can tell from my pictures) so I thought I should break.

Brian's cousin is coming to stay with us for three weeks. She arrives Friday & I thought I should have some little projects around for us to work on...just in case this rain doesn't let up! I hate teaching someone something I haven't done before, so this is my dry run. I think it's going to turn out great!

Hope everyone had a Happy Fathers Day. We sure did!

Bedtime Snack.

2011-06-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Tonight I made a small batch of Blueberry muffins...just the way I like them (pretty, non?). Most people would say I use too many blueberries. I probably do. In fact if I stir the batter too hard it turns blue. But if I am gentle & patient, they turn out beautifully. I bought a huge carton of blueberries at Costco the other day, my little family are practically fruititarians in the summer & they are almost gone. The best thing about summer is the produce (well right now I can hardly say the weather...). And sometimes, if I can get to them before they are gobbled up, I can make fresh muffins & they are the best way to end a summer day. Or even a dreary, rainy one.

Summer IS coming.

2011-06-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Miles will play outside rain or shine. But it's just not the same trying to enjoy a homemade Popsicle in the rain. Last year Auntie Kendra went to Lego Land & got Miles (who has since become a little obsessed with Lego minifigures) this Popsicle tray. Because my blood pressure would sky rocket if I tried to let my kids have Popsicles inside, in our home, they are a summertime treat. Of course Grape Kool-Aid is a favourite, but so is Orange Juice, Banana Puree & Cranberry juice. So we just wanted to share our super cool Popsicle tray with you.

A Shoestring Where's Waldo Birthday Party

2011-06-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

I put my 'mom skills' to good use this week. Miles turned three, and while we don't do parties in our house, we do have family over for presents and dinner....and cake. So the night before Miles' birthday I was feeling a little guilty because I hadn't put together anything special for him. I was about to go downstairs and dig out last years Buzz Lightyear banner. On the way I slipped on a Where's Waldo book. It's not unusual, Miles is looking at those books twice daily. And that's where I got the idea for a Where's Waldo Birthday.

I stole this image from the Internet (On a scale of 1 - 10 how illegal is that?) and printed 6 large ones and 44 small ones. Then I found another image and made a little sign (below).

I cut the little images out & hot-glues them onto Popsicle sticks (below). Then I made cupcakes (at 11pm) and stuck them on top.

Miles already had a stripped shirt (a lucky hand-me-down from a friend). Here he is pictured below wearing the hat I knit for him (Only took me until 1:30am!) and the new scooter he got for his birthday! I couldn't have planned the colors any better :) Perfect for scrapbooking. I stuck 6 Waldo figures (that I printed off the computer, about 6" tall) around the house. Each time he found one, he got to open a gift! It was a great way to prolong a party with 6 gifts. It took us 45 minutes to open those presents! I bet he would have otherwise done it in 10!

I don't think I am an original person, but I am without a doubt creative. And I am so thankful for that when it is 11pm and I am feeling guilty about having nothing planned for my little 3 year-olds birthday. And the smile on his face made it worth every bit of effort. You CAN do a small party on a tight budget (although that's not why we don't do parties. I am a bit of a Hum-Bug and don't like throwing BIG parties that I don't get to fully enjoy (after years of throwing them at the store). Our family made the decision to keep parties small, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. Here's the breakdown for this party (2 kids, 5 adults on a weeknight):

Cupcakes $16

(I made buttercream icing from scratch or it would have been cheaper)

Dinner $14

Red & White Decorations $5

(Dollarama)

TOTAL COST OF PARTY: $35

+ Presents from Monkey Mountain Toys & Games

June Bars

2011-06-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on a blog & can't remember which one, or even how I came upon it. So if you're reading this & thinking "She's ripping off other blogs." you are correct. I only get recipes from 2 places: Cookbooks & Blogs. I avoids online recipe sites, they are often unreliable & I end up wondering if anyone had even tested the recipe. With blogs, I feel like there's a greater chance that the blogger actually had success with the formula (or why post it?). So today when I came across these Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars, and it happened to be raining I thought I'd give them a go. Miles was up for the task which is always fun.

I've renamed them June Bars. I do this. I rename recipes. Because I naturally associate them with a time, person or place anyway. Some of my favourite recipes are now referred to as "Marthas Cookies" (My friend Martha Klassen gave me the recipe), "Ryan Bars", "Oakmoor Salad", "Gondola Steak" (Which is actually made with Gorgonzola but that seemed too hard to say)... and now June Bars (Because it rains for the whole damn month & there's nothing else to do but bake).

(June Bars fresh from the oven. I cut them up into OVER-SIZED portions. Why not???)

1 cup butter (At room temperature is best)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup chunky peanut butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

1 cup oats (I used 'quick')

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt (I use half-salt & it seems to work fine)

2 cups of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add butter, sugars and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add eggs & vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add flour, oats, baking soda and salt & beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread dough evenly into a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown & puffed all over. Remove from oven & cool. EAT.

Lazy Lady?

2011-05-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

I bought this backpack for Molly at Monkey Mountain Toys & Games. It's the cutest thing I have ever seen (well, today anyway). But here's the real deal: This backpack is actually attached to a "leash". In the past, I have seen kids with harnesses and leashes & secretly judged their parents. How lazy can you be? A leash takes away the simple responsibility of keeping your eyes on your child. But now I'm not so sure. Maybe I was too quick to judge. Molly is a mover. And a shaker. And definitely a trouble-maker. If I turn away for a moment, she's gone! Miles was never like that. Until now. He's 2 and making sure the phrase 'terrible twos' isn't changing. So I have two kids each running off in separate directions. A cheap fix would be this backpack. But what happens when I have another child? I buy another backpack? And soon I look like I'm a "Toddler Walker". There are millions of moms out there without "leashed" children. I'm torn. Is this the Ultimate in LAZY or the best frowned upon invention?

Layout #242

2011-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

April Snow by Haley Ross

I sat at the Church across from Kaly, who was decidedly uninspired and Jen, who was scrapbooking a layout just to fill an empty slot. Both great ladies but neither of them were at their inspirational peak. I often feed off the creativity of people around me. So as we chatted about the usual things (babies, husbands, what to make for dinner) this page seemed to just happen. I wasn't really even paying too much attention to what I was doing. And it made me so happy. It made me start to love scrapbooking again. Because when something becomes too much effort I get grumpy. And scrapbooking was making me grumpy.

Materials: Paper: Echo Park; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts; Journaling Spot: Jillibean Soup; Fabric Tabs: Scrapworks; Brad Charms: Making Memories.

Layout #241

2011-05-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

Easter by Haley Ross

There was a moment there when I thought all hope was lost. When I thought I would never feel happy about my layouts again. This is NOT the layout that restored that hope, it's the one I did before. But I still love it because I had a great day scrapbooking with a friend.

Materials: Patterned Paper & Chipboard: Scenic Route; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Stickers: Jolees By You & Scenic Route; Brads: Making Memories; Border Strip: Doodlebug Designs.

This is NOT a cooking blog...

2011-05-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

... But it's probably not JUST a scrapbooking blog anymore either. And although I will get back to my scrapbooking roots (I have 3 new layouts to post tomorrow), today I have to share two of my favourite things from this past week (and they just happen to be cooking things).

1. My new Dutch Oven (pictured above). I am in love. And the Honeycomb Cannelloni I made (with Creme Fraiche!) the other night in my new LeCrueset confirmed it. Never has cooking dinner been so easy for me. I love the easy transfer from stovetop to oven. This was a great investment.

2. Bee Keepers Gold. Brian made this beautiful cutting board for me and to keep it looking beautiful (but still getting to use it) I am lathering it with wax. I never understood how much gratification comes from taking care of something so simple. And how pleased I will be to get so much more from something I love & use daily. In a world where we consume SO much & throw things away (old cutting boards) without thinking twice (I do too.) I am oddly proud to claim to have had this cutting board (in great condition) for three years already.

Eating.

2011-05-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight as we cleaned up after dinner the conversation took an interesting turn. We have started "Meatless Mondays" in our house (a concept that I was surprised to see my husband embrace so easily.) and we were noting that our meal tonight was just as good as any meal with meat. Brian has often said that he feels a 'proper' meal consists of meat, a starch & a vegetable. Something he no doubt grew up with (I did too) as his sister shared with me that she also prepares dinner with those three components. Tonight our dinner was prepared with a very different formula. And possibly, we noted, a cheaper formula. So I started to look into it.

The average American (I couldn't find Canadian stats) in our income range spends $338 on groceries per week. And another $245 on eating out. We don't spend nearly that much. I would say on average we spend $170 on groceries (not including diapers or formula). I estimate we spend $60 eating out (mostly on coffees). When we discussed this spending Brian immediately proposed "Foodless Mondays" but for now "Meatless Monday" will suffice. On this budget it would mean our average meal (when we eat 3 per day) is $8.09. With such a tight budget going "Meatless" is looking more appealing. Here's how our meal tonight breaks down (Some things were on sale. And I did my best to estimate portions & round up.):

Red Pepper Soup

Can of crushed tomatoes $1.50

Red Bell Pepper $0.50

Cream $0.75

Basil $0.25

Vegetable Broth $0.25

Onion $1.00

(That's $4.25 for four adult servings)

Salad

Quinoa $1.50

Avocado $1.50

Canned Mandarins in Water $1.00 (At Dollarama. Not kidding).

Lentils $0.70

Canola Oil $0.60

Apple Cider Vinegar $0.25

Craisins $0.45 (I buy them bulk at Costco as they are a Ross Family favourite.)

Pine Nuts $2.00 (Also bought bulk.)

Cucumber $1.00

(That's $8.75 for four adult servings)

So. That's $13.00 for tonight's meal (which will also be eaten tomorrow at lunch along with other items.) That's nearly $5.00 over our allotted budget. Adding meat to that equation would increase the cost substantially Adding meat to that equation would increase the cost substantially But it's do-able when you consider that most mornings for breakfast we eat yogurt, toast or cereal.

So here's what I am wondering. Are we doing the most we can to make the best of our limited budget? Besides cutting out meat once a week (which was initially done for reasons other than cost), are there other things we can do without compromising the quality of food we eat. Should we be making our own bread? Should we be buying more or less in bulk? I already prepare meals based on what is available in my home (The other night I tried a new Southwestern Sweet Potato Soup based on the fact that I had two potatoes about to grow sprouts!). I refuse to buy more processed food, but I can see why those on a shoestring budget do. I was appalled to recently read that nearly 25% of people haven't used a fresh ingredient in the past WEEK. Even with Brian's "3 part" meal formula there is still a vegetable on the plate! And I don't claim to never used processed food. Miles eats Kraft Dinner EVERY SINGLE Wednesday after gymnastics. We also use cheese slices, fruit snacks & peanut butter to name a few. But is there something I am missing? Is there something I could be doing that I am not? Something that could be as revolutionary to our budget (and health) as "Meatless Monday"?

Knitting Attempt #2

2011-05-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

I am much happier with my second attempt at knitting. I used a thicker yard which made all the difference. I still had some issues attaching the flower so it didn't pull...if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them. That being said, I'm on a roll! I am going to make hats, scarves & legwarmers for everyone I know. Just in time for summer??? Ha!

How many items do you have to make before you can officially call yourself 'A Knitter'?

Rainy Day Cheesecake

2011-05-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

I tend to bake & cook the most when the weather is dreary. Give me a warm day & you'll probably end up with hot dogs for dinner (I'm too busy enjoying the weather to cook). Yesterday was rainy. And the perfect chance to try out one of my new springform baking pans (which I am so glad Kacey talked me into). So here's a look at my process. So pretty I just couldn't resist taking pictures.

Run graham crackers & melted butter through the food processor. Such a pretty (and tasty!) result (above).

Pack it into the bottom of the pan to make a crust. I used the opposite end of my meat tenderizer (below).

I don't have a juicer so I had Brian squeeze my limes (so hard!).

So hard not to eat the batter (Alright! I did lick the spoon once!). It's basically cream cheese, lime juice, eggs & sugar. mmmm. Health Food. Obviously.

Cooling off after 55 minutes in the oven. I always thought cheesecake was a no-bake dessert. Not so. Or at least not the one I made last night.

I started at 4pm. And by the time I finally finished it was late. About 8. Most of that time was spent chilling in the fridge while I made dinner. But by the time we finally had a bite it was dark out & the rainy day was almost over.

Lime Cheesecake on a rainy day.

My 1st Attempt at Knitting

2011-05-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Molly is wearing my first-ever attempt at knitting. And like everything else in life, it's amazing how much you can learn in one attempt. I love to scrapbook, but it's not the most portable hobby. And I like sewing, but it requires as much 'baggage' as scrapbooking. I wanted something I could easily take to the cabin & camping. So I decided to teach myself to knit. I think it was the beautiful selection of yarns available at Hobby Lobby & JoAnnes on my recent trip to the US that inspired me. And a couple days later, here it is. My first toque is finished (and let's just say I wouldn't feel confident throwing it in the washing machine...). I know they will just get better with practice.

Layout #240

2011-05-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Boys at Play by Haley Ross

I busted out my sewing machine to give "freehand" a little try. Holy crap. THAT is hard. I am so excited to try again... I think after a couple hundred time I could nail this technique :)

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper & Stickers: Echo Park; Buttons: Fancy Pants.

Layout #239

2011-05-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

4 by Haley Ross

Finally scrapbooking my family photos from the fall....I thought I should do it before it is suddenly fall once again. Michelle Gier took these pictures for us, it was such a nice day & Miles had a great time. Of course there are more pics, but these are may favs.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Transparencies: My Minds Eye; Rub Ons: Daisy D's and Basic Grey; Chipboard: Rusty Pickle; Flowers & Leaves: Prima & Close To My Heart; Other: Button.

Layout #238

2011-05-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

cake by Haley Ross

When Miles turned one I took about 400 pictures (true). When Molly turned one I took about 100. Still too many. So instead of scrapbooking them all (I think I did about 150 of Miles before I got tired) I have picked my favs. I usually do this, but for some reason I find it hard to slim them down for big events. This is when I most appreciate the Flip Flaps from Close To My Heart (seen above). This layout actually has 9 pictures. And I am sure I will slip all the rest into the album in a 12x12 slotted page (I love those!).

Materials: Patterned Paper: Heidi Grace and Chatterbox; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Flowers: Prima; Leaves: Making Memories; Alphabet Stickers: White Blossom; Flip Flaps: Close to my Heart.

Layout #237

2011-05-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Haunting by Haley Ross

I've had this Halloween line from Cosmo Cricut lying around for a while. I like it. I loved the little eyeball stickers & the journaling spot. Halloween really is one of my favourite holidays.

Materials: Patterned Paper, Chipboard, Stickers: Cosmo Cricut; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

For Pete's Sake...GO VOTE!

2011-05-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm annoyed today. But not because I had to go vote, although I don't appreciate or support this election. I'm annoyed because I saw a Facebook status that read "Didn't go vote. But doesn't complain so it's OK".

It's really not. And here's why (just ONE of the many reasons):

Today, as we line up to vote (there was no line up...), people in Libya, Tunisia and all around the world are fighting and dying for their right to vote. So when you chose to not to vote, you are making a HUGE statement. One that says you don't respect your RIGHT to vote (let alone your civic responsibility). That right wasn't given to you, it was fought for. And one of the men who fought for it (and was lucky to survive) was my Grandpa. He didn't just pop over to Italy for a weekend to show those Nazi's who was more powerful, he sacrificed years of his life (time with his family, time that would have otherwise been peaceful) to fight for freedom. And because he won that fight we have freedom today. And I think that with that freedom, he would want us to vote, to make sure that freedom is secure. TO make sure his efforts weren't wasted. Listen lady, maybe you don't complain, but that's because overall, you don't have a whole hell of a lot to complain about. And that's because of my Grandpa and thousands of others like him. Some of whom never returned home to their families. So get off your ass and go vote. It will take 30 minutes to educate yourself & do it.

Not voting is disrespectful and ignorant.

Beautiful Beans

2011-04-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't end up at the Farmers Market today. It's a long story, but there was no way it was going to happen. So I pouted for a bit. And then I made 3 dozen Chocolate Skor cookies (one dozen for a friend who helped me out the other day). I had big plans to take the kids on a looong walk. But it started to snow. Really? In April? Yes. In April. So, because I am stuck at home (I have no car. Long story.), I am going to pay homage to this crappy, cold weather by firing up my crock pot and making a great Turkey Chili. I know, sounds delicious. As I rinsed off my dried beans to boil them, I couldn't believe how beautiful they were. Ok, I could believe it... but they are pretty right? Kind of unexpected for 'supper'. So I snapped a picture and then tried to see how many of the items in this Organic 18 Bean Mix I could name.

Here's what I got:

Beans: Blackeye, Red Kidney, Baby Lima, Navy, Pinto, Small Red

Lentils: Green

Peas: Whole & Split Green

Here's what I missed:

Beans: Appaloosa, Azuki, Black Turtle, Calypso, Great Northern, Mung

Lentils: French, Red Split (I didn't know there were red split!)

Peas: Yellow

I think beans are overlooked in our home. I use them a lot in soups, stews and chilis, but knowing there are so many out there that I have yet to discover is intriguing. I don't think most people (who aren't vegan) know how versatile beans are. Last year I made a chickpea burger from scratch to take camping, and they weren't for me, but they opened up a new door for chickpeas in my home. Chickpeas were generally only used in Hommus but now I've even used them with squash in my Tagine. I am dying to find a source for more unique beans...perhaps the Farmers Market??

So excited!

2011-04-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Farmers Market has re-opened in it's new home. I am so excited to head over there on Thursday to explore. I love that they are open on Thursdays, and in their old location that was always the best day to shop/eat, especially if you're taking a stroller/kids. I'm looking forward to visiting Eden Essentials to pick up some much needed Nellies, trying out a new chai latte(I'll miss the love & care of a Phil & Sebastien soy chai).... but the things I have missed the most is being able to visit a fish monger. I looove fresh (not previously frozen) salmon. And it's hard to find in Calgary, as we are nowhere near an ocean.... So happy to have the Farmers Market open once again.

Market Hours

Thursday: 11 am - 7 pm

Friday: 9 am - 5 pm

Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm

Sunday: 9 am-5 pm

I'm Growing...

2011-04-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I have put some TLC into spring planting. Actually, it's been 3 years. And Miles is 3 this June. Coincidence? Yeah, I thought not. The year I had Miles my friend Julianna actually came & filled my empty planters full of flowers (she is a Green Thumb & it killed her to have them empty). But this year I am committed to having myself a proper garden again. But it seems that, among my friends, I am the only one. Why don't more women my age garden? Why does it seem that we wait until the peaceful years in our lives to do something so peaceful? All I can do it tell you why I am.

1. I love the taste of garden fresh vegetables. The real ones. The ones that are washed with the hose & eaten at dinner the same day.

2.It's easy. Compared to scrapbooking. Mother nature does all the embellishing & she never goes wrong. And anyone can have a container or small raised garden. With the Internet, the resources are free & plentiful.

3. Kids love it. Miles has loved getting his hands dirty. And watching the sprouts pop up (my lovely cucumbers pictured above). I am excited to watch him learn how these plants will grow to be flowers and things we can eat.

4. It's good for the environment. And cheap. If you have the right water systems, it won't cost you a cent more on your water bill. You can use all sorts of recycled containers to plant your seeds (muffin trays! egg cartons!) & they cost just a couple dollars per pack (compared to $3 for a single head of cauliflower).

5. It's peaceful. Even with Miles running around the yard there is something therapeutic about being so close to the growing earth. The smells. The colors. And being outside soaking up the vitamin D... which is proven to make you happy :)

It's not too late. I planted my lettuce seeds tonight. And you can too. You are also just in time to plant Cucumbers (which your kids will love as they germinate in just a couple days!), Squash & Beans indoors. Or take a week or two to get your garden set up outside & plant Carrots, Kale, Peas, Potatoes & Spinach direct to ground.

Spring Things.

2011-04-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend it finally FELT like spring. Maybe it was the sun in my face, maybe it was spending an entire weekend outside.... maybe it was just that I want it to be spring so badly. We still have snow in our backyard but I am ignoring it (maybe it will go away if I do). I love our yard in Spring. I love the clothes on the line, the toys in the yard & all the other little things spring brings (say that 10x fast). My pots are waiting to be filled with flowers, my lily is reaching for the surface, my grass is getting green along the edges....

I am actually allergic to mushrooms. They make me sick. But I loooove the look of them. They are so cool, each of them is so unique. So I fell in love with these garden treats I saw at the dollar store (Yup! The dollar store!). It was so hard to only pick 3. I hope they hold up well, I love 'pottery' (my inner hippie chick) but it often doesn't survive outside in Canada. I would have a million lawn ornaments if it wouldn't look so trashy. I love the frogs, pigs & snails I see in the gardening stores...love them. And this year I find myself wanting chickens. Real ones. I am dying to have farm fresh eggs & as Jess put it today 'my own little urban farm'. Ok, I don't want goats: I've seen how they eat everything! But I wish we were allowed a couple chickens... luckily for my neighbors it is not allowed ;) For now I will just have to be happy with clay ones...

I have to admit I have COACH rubber boots. And until this year I didn't want to get them muddy. They are white (What on earth was I thinking?) and almost $200. What a waste of money. But at the time I loved them. Now I want them to enjoy the Spring as much as Miles' little boots do. These boots get a lot of love. They go out everyday and meet up with puddles, mud & molehills. I love his little boots. I can't wait for the ground to thaw so he can really test out the mud. I'm jealous of kids in the spring. I remember one day at Martin Brown school when it was slushy & I puddle jumped until I was soaked right through ( I think I got in trouble)... I remember it so well, and I know Miles is out there making those memories. Jealous.

Layout #236

2011-04-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Looks Like Trouble by Haley Ross

This is my favourite layout form my weekend at Camp Croppin & it is also the first one I did. I guess I lost momentum fast..... I love these pictures of my troublesome little girl. She is a little devil & you can see it in her face. I love these wooden butterflies I found at Scrapbookers Paradise. So beautiful. I loved this paper the minutes I saw it. And I felt like I won the lottery when I saw the little wooden butterflies at another store. Gorgeous. I sure did use the heck out of mini alphabet stickers this week. They really are such a great value (usually less than 3 bucks) and jump off the page so much better than writing in pen.

Materials: Paper: Making Memories, Basic Grey & _______ (I have no idea who is beautiful butterfly paper is by, but I got it at Scrap Yard); RubOns: Basic Grey; Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories & Thickers by American Crafts; Wooden Butterflies: Studio Calico; Gems: Kaiser Craft.

Layout #235

2011-04-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Spring Chick by Haley Ross

Um. I love this. I always regret putting effort into pages (the folded border strip) when I am mid-way through them. But in the end, I am happy. The stitching was the icing on the cake for me. And although I was worried it would look cheap & tacky, I am happy I included the card Molly got on her first Easter. Who would have thought I would be so happy with simple Doodlebug patterns & stickers. <3.

Materials: Patterned Paper, Cardstock, Stickers & Clips: Doodlebug Designs, Floss: Bazzill Basics; Alphabet Stickers: Thickers by American Craffts.

Layout #234

2011-04-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

Buoy oh Boy! by Haley Ross

Worlds cheesiest title :) I love this line from Collage Press. Too cute.

Materials: Patterned Paper, Borders & Stickers: Collage Press; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer; Stickers: Pink Paislee & Thickers by American Crafts.

Layout #232

2011-04-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Campfire by Haley Ross

I hate this layout! Hahaha! When I pulled out those pictures my friend Kacey who was sitting next to me said "I've seen those pictures at every crop for the past couple years." It's true. These pictures are from 2007 & I love them, but couldn't seem to scrapbook them. Weird. Anyway, her comment forced me to scrapbook them (Thank You!) and I hate the layout. But at least it is done :)

Materials: Patterned Paper & Stickers by g.c.d; Alphabet Stickers: EK Success & Cosmo Cricut.

Layout #231

2011-04-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Molly Marie by Haley Ross

Pretty cute & girlie for camping pictures, non?

Materials: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Ribbon: Prima; Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories & Thickers by American Crafts; Safety Pin: Junkitz; Journaling Spot & Buttons: Unknown.

Layout #230

2011-04-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Thankful for... by Haley Ross

I know that there's really nothing special to this layout (or any of my layouts really) to you. But to me, there's usually something I like enough to warrant keeping it in my album. I love the journaling on this page. I would have never thought to write down the conversation (argument?) that took place has it not been for my friends who laughed when they saw these pictures. I am glad I took their advice. I love this boring layout because I did.

Materials: Patterned Paper: K&Co, Making Memories, Paper Loft & Reminisce; Stickers: K&Co & Reminisce; RubOn: My Minds Eye; Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Spring Projects!

2011-04-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

I sit around most of the winter project-less. I love winter but besides skiing & scrapbooking, I am pretty unmotivated & uninspired. Not so in Spring. I've got projects on the go.

I'm starting my garden indoors. And although I lack the sunny spots (I have run out of room on our kitchen counter) I am having fun getting my veggies and herbs going. I always want to have herbs year-round but I never have, I think I will try to grow them through the winter this year. This morning I stopped at Home Hardware to grab some more Marks Choice biodegradable pots (pictured above) before I hit up with quilting store....

... where I found some flannel from My Minds Eye. I love this Penny Lane line in paper & even more so in fabric! So warm & happy. I'm not sure what I am going to make (maybe some cute, tiny pillows for Molly) but I had to have it. Last night I made a bag to house my clothes pins. It has been so long since I sewed (since the summer when I started making matching aprons from my friend Tasha & her daughter Hannah (which I packed up when I left teh cabin and totally forgot about...oops). I found them at the bottom of my sewing bin & I am committed to finishing them before I am in Lloydminster again.)...anyway, I was loving the sound of my humming machine. So peaceful. So although I am headed to Camp Croppin' this weekend, right now I am on a sewing kick.

Besides gardening & sewing, I actually managed to get a layout done in the past week (the reason I initially took my sewing machine out). I will post it soon. I loved the Little Boy paper from Echo Park so much that I picked up the girls version on Saturday at Scrapbookers Paradise with my CC 40% off coupon. I am trying to be very prepared for this weekend so I get lots done. I think a trip to the Scrap Yard is called for...maybe Thursday night.

That's all! Just keeping busy any way I can. I am so excited for Spring to finally arrive. I am going to go start super & try to convince Brian to make a fire out on the deck tonight.... too soon???