Dinner Dice

I was reading an old copy of Real Simple the other day, and stumbled across a solution for my slow, procrastinating, picky eater of a 3 year old!! Some days its like pulling teeth to get him to finish his breakfast/lunch/dinner.....so I thought this little game would work wonders! Lately he has been into games......he asked me the other day, "mommy, can we play cards for monies?" hmmm...wonder where he is getting that from......

The simple trick is a pair of dice. When he seems to be slagging, I grab the dice, and let him roll them to determine how many more bites he has to take! The first try was a success! He loved the idea of it being a GAME! Tonight, he finished all his chicken!

Give it a go if you have a picky eater! Its worth a shot!!

K

Bloggers Block!?

I have been absent for 2 days....well, almost...I have been sitting here at my computer trying to think of something to write......nothing...it's one of those nights....so I will share with you this, my list of 10 things that drive me crazy...

1. listening to people eat, especially chips, bananas, nuts, smarties....

2. the sound of a dry cough (like the one Noah has right now)

3. when the Brita water jug is empty, and no one fills it up

4. people who budge in line

5. able bodied individuals who take the elevator before you, when you have been waiting with your stroller

6. wearing socks to bed

7. rude sales clerks

8. tailgaters

9. breathing in my ear

10. when people don't straighten the hand towel after drying their hands...

Tomorrow, if your lucky, I will write about the 10 things I love! HA!

K

Best tuna sandwich EVER!

Today we had a tuna sandwich for lunch, with some apple slices and corn flax chips (from Bosa Foods, SOOOOOOO good!). I spruced up the tuna a little bit...here is what I did...

1 can of tuna

half an apple sliced thin (gala or spartan are the best)

shake of salt and pepper

dollop of mayonnaise

tsp curry powder

Give a good stir, and put it between your favorite bread!

Enjoy!

K

ps......its good with red grapes instead of apples too!

Back on track!

I love to have a plan, especially for dinners. I find that shopping all in one day, makes it easy through out the week to be organized, especially when you have kids, even more so when there is more than one! Gone are the days when you could just clip your one child in the car seat and run to the grocery store as needed, it takes a whole half hour, at least, to just get out of the house with two kids...who the hell wants to run to the store after that!

I have always made my own meal plan, but while reading the January 2011 issue of Real Simple magazine (love this magazine!) I came across this meal plan....I have printed some copies off this morning, and plan to do my meal plan, and shopping this afternoon.

http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/dinner-plan.pdf

I have slipped over the holidays. My cupboards weren't stocked, dinners were on the fly (lots of spaghetti) and snacks were sparce! There was lots of baking, lots of eatmore bars, but not nearly enough hearty meals, that I usually love to make! My first real meal, seemed to be on New Years Eve, when I made my "all day lasagna" which I must tell you didn't have a chance! It was gobbled up in no time!

So if you like to plan like me, print out this list, do your meal plan for the week (the only thing I don't like is it doesn't have weekends!) do your shopping...I also find that it saves me money, no impulse buys, I just get what's on my list...and man is it nice to have everything on hand when you go to make something through out the week!

Happy planning!

K

Coming to an end..

Photo taken by Devon Hall

www.devonhallphotoarts.com

The greatest thing about living here is the benefits of maternity leave that we are offered....we get to stay at home with our kids until they are 1 years old...we get a full year to be at home with them...still, to me, it's not enough, lol. My maternity leave will finish at the end of March. This is scary to me, but what is also scary, is that also means Anabelle will already be 1 years old! But on top of that, the most scariest, nerve racking thing, is that I have to get a job....a new job.

I was so hurt when my sociology teacher at Capilano College told me that I would never be able to be a stay at home mom..she looked me right in they eye and said, "no way"...this was something I always wanted to be....I'm afraid she was right, things have just changed way to much, things cost way too much, and we expect way too much. So If I want all these things, its back to work I go! Good thing is, I plan to have another baby, so another maternity leave will come, eventually.

The luxury of being able to attend every function because you aren't stuck at the office, or being able to plan a holiday without thinking about getting the time off work is lovely. I am already thinking about the events I will miss in the summer time...I am being selfish, I know. On the other hand I am eager to get out and be an adult again, leave the house without the kids, and know I am getting ready for something other than a trip to the mall...

I won't lie when I say I am jealous of those who had babies after me..they will still be on mat leave! And I am always to first to tell someone on mat leave to relax and enjoy, don't stress about going back to work..I still have three months, but I know how fast time flies! The events that are set to take place in these next month will just put it in super duper speed!

I will try and enjoy these next few months to the fullest, even though I have to get a resume together! Something I have not had to do in 7 years!! (that freaks me out!). And know that my kids will be in the hands of there daddy, and that I will get to see my husband when we go to bed at night.

Cheers to Mat Leave!

K

When I was a kid...

It was a gorgeous Sunday, the sun was shining, weather was crisp, my family and I headed down to Granville Island. When we were little, my mom and dad would take us girls to Granville Island on family Sundays. Often to have breakfast as Isadora's (which is now Cat's Socialhouse) and to play on this same boat that I watched my son play on today........

Those days seem like yesterday...such a trip that I am now 29, married, and have two children of my own! My own family to bring to Granville Island, to create family days.

I stood back and took this picture of Noah waving on the boat, he was waving at his daddy...I smiled to myself just looking at his face...how good was life when we were this age, carefree, not a worry in the world. No bills to pay, meals to make, or houses to clean (maybe our bedroom!). Just pure happiness, simple happiness. Nothing these days seems simple...

My sister posted a quote on her Facebook profile the other day, it rang so true....it went like this......"Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." So today, watching my son play on the same wooden boat that my tiny little hands grasped so long ago, and letting him run through the sand despite his shoes getting filled, and watching him squeal with excitement just seeing the ducks on the water....were my little things...for today anyway.

"Enjoy the little things.

For one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things"

K

Out with the old, in with the new!

Its a new year. Fresh starts, new beginnings, new furniture! Yesterday, my new sideboard arrived in my living room! I said goodbye to my IKEA, which served me well for a few years, and replaced it with a beautiful reclaimed mango wood sideboard from AG Living. I fell in love the minute it walked through my door....can you see why...

www.agliving.com

It did not take long for this piece to feel right at home :-)

Check this stuff out online www.agliving.com

K

ps...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!