Happy 1st Birthday Ronan!

It has already been a year since we rushed to Women's Hospital in the early hours of March 31'2010....WE meaning myself, Noah and my new daughter Anabelle....she was only 3 days old!! My first morning of getting both kids ready in a hurry!

We arrived just past 8:30am, after a message that said "she has started to push!"...we sat in the waiting room, not knowing what was going on, wether a baby had been born, or if my sister was still partaking in the most excruciating workout of a lifetime! Not long after, Kelly came in and told us "it's a boy!!" with tears in his eyes...Mr. Ronan had been born! With my bag of frozen peas (my milk had just come in that night!) we paraded into her hospital room. There he was. Weighing in at 8 lbs 5oz and 21" long!

Ronan, I have enjoyed watching you and Anabelle grow up together this first year! and I look forward to the many years to come! Megan, you are a wonderful mother, keep enjoying this ride, its a magical one, things only get better!! Ronan is so lucky to have a kind, gentle, creative and playful mom like you!

Happy 1st Birthday BamBam!! We love you!!!!!

xoxo

Kristen, Alfredo, Noah and Anabelle

I love you Country FM

I never thought I would be listening to JR FM 93.7 steady in my truck....I must say it is a nice break from hearing...."Imma disrobe you, then imma probe you, see I abducted you, so I tell you what to do". I enjoy singing along to "where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken, where I come from a lotta front porch sittin'", or "I was busy getting lost in her cherry lip gloss".

One of the best concerts I ever went to was Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. It was magical. The sound of that country voice...and the cowboy hats, kinda make a girl giddy :-) It made me wish I was wearing my own hat, along with my cowboy boots and Levi jeans...could I be a cowgirl??

I balled my eyes out listening to Carrie Underwood sing "Temporary Home" and I sing at the top of my lungs to "Barbeque Stain" by Tim McGraw! Which I heard Noah singing the other day..."I worked so hard for that first kiss"..."Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter, and "Danced Anyway" bring me back a few years, and Sara Evans, "Could Not Ask for More"......

I have this station on my radio at home...its easy listening, every song becomes a sing along song!

K

Anabelle in Wonderland

At this exact time last year, I was convinced I was going to die...and I am sure I told Alfredo there was no way we would be having another baby! After a few hours of pushing, my beautiful baby girl was welcomed into the world, 12:10pm, 6lbs 13oz, Miss Anabelle Lauren Valente was born! Just a little while later, we were home, with our new family.......then pouf, a whole year was gone!

I knew I wanted to do Alice in Wonderland for her 1st birthday for quite some time. I had a vision, and this past weekend it all came together! From the invitations (Kardz Kouture by Jessica Boffo) to the ceiling of colourful pompoms, to the amazing cake! (Leena Chandi) Everything looked just as I wanted it. Even my little girl was adorned like I wanted! I made her an Alice tutu! Which I think she really enjoyed wearing!

We celebrated with our family, even my sister from Toronto was here with baby Everett, and my soon to one himself nephew Ronan! We ate, we drank, we sang.....I could have another party today with all the food we have left over! Thank you to Leo from Astorino's Catering for always supplying such yummy yummy food!

I have already claimed her party theme for next year, and seeing how fast these years fly by, that is just around the corner.....

Thank you to all our friends and family! Anabelle is a very lucky girl to have you all in her life!

K

xoxoxoxo

a sunny day at Le Marche..

Today, we visited Le Marche St. George for a coffee with my sisters and nephews...the sun was shining, it was a gorgeous day...I highly recommend you get there early for a chance to snatch a pastry! The treat cupboard was bare when we strolled in around 3pm....

I wanted to buy everything on the grocery shelves...the packaging was all so beautiful! The bicycle pasta was a hit with Noah, and the linens, and pottery by owner Janaki Larsen were special additions displayed ever so neatly on the table surrounded by fallen magnolia leaves.

One of my favorite things was the raw sugar that filled a tarnished silver gravy boat, and a mason jar full of a variety of little silver coffee spoons....I loved the 'mismatched' feel of this coffee/grocery shop, it made it feel so comfy...

A place that felt like an extension of my own living room...warm and friendly staff, great music, tucked away in a great neighborhood just off of Main and King Edward.

Hope you make it down one day :-)

Le Marche St. George

4393 Saint George Street

Vancouver, BC

604-565-5107

www.marchestgeorge.com

K

soccer camp

Noah is able to participate in soccer camp this year with Coquitlam Metro Fords Spring Break camp....you can tell by this picture (taken by Linda Hallam) that he is enjoying himself! He leaves with Fredo first thing in the morning, and isn't home until the afternoon. Yesterday, I went to see him in action...I could feel the tears of joy welling up in my eyes as I got closer to the field. I didn't have my glasses on, but could still see my little boy clear as day running along with all the other kids. I felt super proud of him at that moment..and I know I have written about this before, but I cannot stress how proud my heart is in these moments, wether its preschool, swimming, skating, soccer, and soon to be hockey...I am so happy, I just cry.....I still can't believe this child is mine.

To end this post, I will share a quote that I read on the talented photographer Devon Hall's blog www.devonhallphotoarts.blogspot.com that again, made me cry, it rings so true....

“The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.”

~Pablo Casals~

K

popcorn

Noah loves popcorn...even though it's like the number one choking hazard, I still let him have it once in a while as a treat, smothered in butter so that it just slips down his throat, HA......he had been bugging me for the past few days for me to make him some. He kept losing his chance by being naughty....so this Saturday, he was a good little boy, and so he got his popcorn, in a cute little paper 'popcorn' cup. PING! I just got an idea for his 4th birthday party....CARNIVAL!!!!

K

Baby Gourmet Baby Food

I remember my sister telling me about this baby food that was packed like the "CapriSun" juice's. It was re-sealable and the flavors were yummy. Some of her mommy friends were using it, but it was only available in the states.....so we thought.

While strolling through Walmart the other day, I came across an 'end of the aisle' display. On it, was this baby food, that came in CapriSun like packaging! I had to by buy some. Although Anabelle is passed the baby food stage, the flavors were too yummy to pass up! Juicy Pear and Garden Greens, Original Apple Crisp, Tropical Banana Bliss, yes please! At $1.47 for a 128 ml package, I wanted to give it a try.

You can buy cases on their website, or individual pouches at all the Walmart's. They even offer sample packs on their website, 9 pouches for $19.99. They have different stages, 6, 7 and 8 months. Baby Gourmet even offers loyalty points for each purchase! Read about it on their website http://www.babygourmet.com/blog/baby-gourmet-loyalty-points/

www.babygourmet.com

100% organic ingredients

no thickeners or fillers

no added sugar or salt

BPA free packaging

prepared in Canada

Anabelle devoured all of them, I will be headed back for more! They are great for 'on the go' knowing you aren't compromising nutrition! DOLE also makes applesauce in these same pouches, awesome for Noah, as they are re-sealable and easy to take along! Walmart is the best place to buy these as well, as they are 4 pouches for $2.97, as apposed to $4.59 at Safeway :-)

K

work of art...

This is my new mug. Alfredo bought it for me at Starbucks, it was a blank canvas to start.....I handed Noah the ceramic pen and let him go to work! Isn't it beautiful! My favorite mug :-) It is a process...first you have to draw on the mug, then let it dry for 24 hours, then bake it in the oven at 300 for 30 minutes, then let cool for 3-4 hours....so if you are in a rush to use your newly created mug, you will have to wait.

A great gift for Mothers Day!!

K

Library Tote Bag...

This is totally going to blow part of my nephews 1st birthday present, but I wanted to share, I was quite proud of my freehand owl, drawn with pesky fabric paint! I made one of these totes for Noah to bring to the library as his "book bag" my sister has always said she wanted one for Ronan.....so......this is what his looks like!

I got a natural canvas bag from Michaels, with some fabric paint and fabric markers, slipped my cutting board inside for a hard smooth surface to work with (a book would do the trick) and got to it!

-Fabric Bag $3.99 (they have some others that are $6.99 but I didn't like the material)

-Fabric Paints $9.99 for a set of 6 (use your 40% off coupon!)

-Fabric Felts (can't remember how much these were, but you can use your coupon for these too! I sometimes print off two, and then just come back in and make another purchase if the item is a higher price)

Sorry Megan to ruin the surprise, but I wanted to Blog about this fun project, Noah still uses his to this day!

K

Give me an E T S Y!

Have you ever found yourself browsing the ETSY site, only to look at the clock and realize that a few hours have gone by!? This was the case while looking for head pieces and shoes for Anabelle's Baptism....just when you thought you had stumbled across something perfect, you found something new....and then something new again, and then when you had finally decided and made your purchase, you get a message from the vendor saying "thank you for your order, 50 new pieces to be added to our collection soon" CRAP....oh well, I am still in love with the things we got......

Artistic Inclinations

Little Posh Bebe

RCC Couture

I can't wait to put it all together on her Baptism day! She is going to be one trendy little gal! It is certainly more exciting shopping for a girl! Her godmother is going nuts!

ETSY also has awesome DIY (do it yourself) kits for birthday parties, showers, ect........come one, don't you have a few hours to spare?!

K

Chicken with Baby Bok Choy

I bought a bag of baby bok choy the other day at the market....I didn't have an idea for it (it wasn't anywhere in my menu for the week), it just looked yummy, and hearty...last night I cut up my chicken, and left it overnight to marinate in some garlic, oyster sauce and a drizzle of vegetable oil...I figured, I would use my bok choy with my chicken....I used about 6 pieces of bok choy, cut the bottoms off so that the leaves all separated, rinsed them well, and set them aside while I cooked my chicken. I added another tsp of vegetable oil to my pan, and cooked my chicken well...threw in the bok choy, let it wilt with the heat, then added another tbsp or two of oyster sauce. Cooked the bok choy until soft, and served it over rice.

Very simple, very quick, and the chicken was soooooo tasty from marinating it overnight!

K

feeling organized!

These are some of my little Easter gifts.....I feel outrageously organized, I even have the little treats for the teachers and Easter is over a month away!!

I took advantage of Noah's colour change felts, and I LOVE to wrap with craft paper, I always have a roll on hand!! Not only is it nice looking, you can recycle it! I have a basket of supplies that keeps growing, which I find helpful when I need to get crafty on the fly! I always pick up ribbon when it's on sale, Michaels always has great deals! I always poke through the clearance stuff there as well....there are some great finds!

I am planning an Easter Egg Hunt for my kids and my nephews, as well as a brunch for the adults! I love brunch! I will do a post on our menu....

I just love the colours of Easter! For some great Easter finds, visit DOLLARAMA at Metrotown in Station Square (out near future shop) the best dollar store ever!

K

Quick Easy Chewy Brownies

These brownies are so quick and easy, that you can whip them up after dinner, in time to have a nice warm gooey treat, with a dollop of ice cream!

5 tbsp butter

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

Preheat your oven to 350, put the 5 tbsp of butter into your 8x8 pan, and put in the oven to melt while your oven is heating up (by the time your butter is melted, all the other ingredients will be ready). Mix everything else together, the batter gets kinda weird, and looks dry, but its all good! Remove your pan from the oven, pour your melted butter over your batter and mix well. Press into your pan with a spatula or spoon, bake fore approximately 30 minutes!

Serve right away with ice cream :-)

K

"lullaby"

Everyone should sing their baby a lullaby..

They didn't have you where I come from
Never knew the best was yet to come
Life began when I saw your face
And I hear your laugh like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

I slip in bed when you're asleep
To hold you close and feel your breath on me
Tomorrow there'll be so much to do
So tonight I'll drift in a dream with you

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

As you wander through this troubled world
In search of all things beautiful
You can close your eyes when you're miles away
And hear my voice like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

Thank you Dixie Chicks for making me ball my eyes out every time I hear this song....

December 19'2007

March 28'2010

K

leap of faith...

This photo speaks volumes. I can't believe my 3 year old son is about to jump off this diving board, with no life jacket.....having complete trust in this stranger waiting for him in the pool. Noah has become so confident in the water, he has been in swimming lessons since September now, and the improvement is remarkable.

I wish we could all have this much trust in one another....

K

surprise! from Australia!

With a loud bang on the door, the Canada Postman was here to deliver something for me.....when I opened the door, he stood with a big box for me! A great surprise on a dark gloomy pouring rainy day! Right when I saw Australia, I knew it was from my dear friend Fiona (I told Noah it was from Toot and Puddle)! I met Fiona years ago.....before Noah was born, she had come to Vancouver on her Visa and was hired to work with us at The Cross during her stay. She is lovely, a true gem, with a great sense of humor, and amazing talents. She started up this business doing these adorable canvases while I was pregnant with Anabelle....I knew I wanted some for her nursery!

Along with her package was a letter, a handwritten three page note to me, seeing her handwriting made me hear her voice even louder as I read.....I would love to visit with her soon...

Thank you so much Fiona! This made my day, I can't wait to arrange them in Anabelle's room!! Hope to see you soon!!

xoxo

K

apple sauce and sunshine

The other day, at around 4pm......the sun was still shining..I needed a breath of fresh air, so me and the kids went to sit on the front steps to share an applesauce, and soak in some of that sunshine!

Noah insisted on feeding Anabelle, she let him, it was the cutest thing. These two little munchkins are my kids, they belong to me....every bit of them. The screaming fits, the crying, the attitude, the stinky diapers, and all the mess that comes with them, I still would not trade them for ANYTHING in the world! It is a simple moment like this that makes my heart ache with love for them even more.

To watch them interact with each other makes my heart melt...when Noah gets in trouble and is sent to his room, she sits outside his door, and waits for him to come out, she sometimes gives his door a little tap, and giggles to let him know she is waiting. Even if he is in his room for being mean to her...she is always wanting to be close to him.

While doing the dishes the other day, and trying to get things wrapped up around the house, like sorting all the laundry and getting things together for dinner, Noah came into the kitchen and said "no one will play soccer with me..., mommy will you play soccer with me??" I started to say, "Noah, I am busy......" but stopped myself, dried off my hands, and kicked the ball in the kitchen with him. Even if it was only for 5 minutes, the dishes and house chores can wait. I never want my kids to think I don't have time for them...

The sunshine felt so good, warm on our faces. I ignored the saucy mess, and let them enjoy their time together...as I realized by Noah's preschool picture, time does not wait.....it keeps ticking, and it sure ticks awfully fast!!

K

i once made a diaper cake...

I was thinking about adding a package of diapers to a shower gift...but I didn't just want to hand over a pack of Pampers, so I googled how to make a diaper cake, and off I went.....I stuck with the colours of the shower...and was super impressed with the outcome! It ended up being a great centre piece for the party as well!!

K

Vino

Lately I have been consuming some good wine. I pour myself a glass while I am cooking dinner, this wine is a really good one, and I think I paid only $10.99 at the Liquor Barn. We have gone through 5 bottles in the past 2 weeks......

I have found that I frequently have a glass while watching tv at night after the kids have gone to bed. It's like the craziness of the day is over, and I can just sit or lay on the couch, knowing there will be no interruptions!

Somedays I have to check the clock, because 3pm is sometimes too early for a drink....happy hour is 4pm at my grandparents house, I at least have to wait until then! If I am prepping my dinner early, and know that I am not going out anywhere later, I will pour myself a glass, turn on some Van Morrison and get cooking! Lately, Noah has been into dancing, so we will sometimes dance it up in the kitchen.....Anabelle joins in too, she stands there and bends her knees with her hands in the air.

The sweetness of simplicity, and a nice glass of vino.

K

LovelyLittles is back in action!

I finally bit the bullet and went out and bought a new sewing machine! It was hell getting it all set up, so a big thanks to my mom for sorting that out for me!! I spent last night sewing up some much requested drool scarves!!!! Next is a trip to the fabric store!

I also finished Anabelle's tutu for her Alice in Wonderland birthday party.....maybe you want a tutu too for a special little girl? Let me know, I can make you one! I sell them for $25! They can be ordered in pretty much any colour!

K

best bibs EVER!

A few weeks ago, Anabelle was quite sick, she threw up 4 times at a family baptism...ugh...for the ride home later that evening, my aunt gave me a bib to put on her incase she threw up in the car again....best bib EVER!

My aunts mother in law makes them from tea towels! She cuts out the neck, and sews a tie in place! These are great because they cover Anabelle's whole outfit, and they are super easy to wash. I sometimes just throw it in the sink and spot clean with my dish soap, ring it out and let it dry for next time!

The best tea towels are the ones that are actually made out of terry towel material. I know they have them at the dollar stores.

I told my aunt that she wont be getting this one back....it has come in too handy! Now, to learn how to make them, or put an order in with Bettie :-)

K

cheese biscuits

These are a great addition to your soup, especially slathered in butter, when they are warm from the oven! Even with chili, to slop up the saucy goodness....

Cheese Biscuits

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter (cold)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

handful of finely chopped cilantro (if desired)

1 egg lightly beaten

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cube your cold butter into your flour mixture, to resemble course crumbs. Stir in cheese and cilantro. Pour milk over top and stir with a fork to make soft sticky ragged dough.

With a floured surface and floured hands knead your dough 10 times. Pat into a circle, about an 1" to an 1.5" thick, cut into rounds (cookie cutter or a drinking glass), repeat until all the dough is used. Place the rounds on a cookie sheet, brush the tops with your beaten egg.

Bake at 425 until golden, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

K

something i want...ooo, and maybe these shoes too!

My daughters baptism is coming up.......she gets a new dress, so why can't I get a new dress too!? I stumbled across this Ignacia wrap dress on the DIANE von FURSTENBERG website, and now I can't stop thinking about it.....then I saw a pic of these shoes, why not throw those in as well! An unrealistic purchase (maybe I should call Brad, he could take me on a shopping spree! HA), but I can still imagine having 100% silk wrapped around my body...

I am a HUGE fan of dresses with sleeves....even my wedding dress had capped sleeves, makes my arms look much nicer, and thins out my wide shoulders...

I never spend a lot of money on clothes, but for that occasional purchase, I must tell you, being hugged by something that cost more than $20 spunks up your self esteem...your poise...you feel good, you feel GREAT!

I did call Holt Renfrew, they no longer carry this dress....boooooo....

K

Massive Sweet Peanut Sale!

So this Sunday, at the Heritage Hall on Main Street, Sweet Peanut Clothing Company is having a "massive sale". They attempted a sale a while ago, which we lined up for, only to be disappointed that they didn't show......then said they were going to have it a few months later, and never did.......so I have mixed feelings about attending this sale. Bad business as far as I'm concerned, but they still have great stuff....they say that all pieces will be $10 and under, which is a great deal, because if you are familiar with their stuff, one sleeper is almost $25.oo! Check out the link on Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/SweetPeanutInc?ref=ts

Sunday March 6th 11am - 5pm

3102 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Or check them out online....

www.sweetpeanut.com

K