Thursday, December 22, 2011

Pinterest captive

While I apologize for lack of posts....I do have a really good excuse. I have been held captive by Pinterest (and if we are being honest - my family and work have something to do with my lack of blogging too!).

I am officially hooked. If you haven't heard of it or checked it out yet - I highly recommend. It is my go to now if I need a recipe or craft idea or decor inspiration or even something fun to do with the kiddos!

Google Shmoogle - I Pinterest it!

As I gleefully collect a plethora of fab ideas on my boards, I also have been trying them out!! Crazy, I know!

Here are a few that I have tried and loved!

Hot Cocoa Cookies - If you love chocolate and still need another batch of cookies for the holidays. Drop what you are doing and go make these. So delish and GORGEOUS on a plate! I added crushed candy cane to top mine - so much more festive and loved the hint of mint with the chocolate madness going on!



Fort Kit - I made this for a girlfriend's little boys for their birthday. It was a hit. I photo-documented it, and will post more on this cool idea later!



Handmade Bejeweled Bookmarks - I made a batch of these beauties to give as teacher gifts (my daughter has FOUR preschool teachers and TWO daycare providers!). I used red and black velvet ribbon and some gorgeous baubles I scored at Walmart! Each bookmark cost me $2.50 to make - yet they look very luxe!



Christmas Tree Tomato Cages - Can you give me a "WHAAAT!". Who are these brilliant people!! I made three of these for my front yard. They look great and took all of five minutes to complete.

Hope these gave you some inspiration to either check out Pinterest, make something, or just add more to your boards! LOL!

Monday, October 31, 2011

happy halloween!


I love Halloween! I love the creativity and silliness of it all...I am really just a big kid.
I found this site last year and have made a few of these snacks for daycare Halloween parties as well as adapted them to make a spoooooky Halloween dinner before heading out trick or treating!
I have great success with these ideas. This year I am making the Salty Bones to accompany our "guts" dinner (spaghetti) and Cheese Fingers for lunch.

Hope you find some inspiration and try a couple of these for your little goblins to munch on today!!
Find some great Halloween Snacks HERE

Sunday, October 16, 2011

a new toy

I think if I had the chance I would go back to school and become a graphic designer. Not that I am an artist in any shape or form... actually using the term "artist" to describe my abilities may offend some.....but I do love the look and playing with digital design! My new obsession is picnik.com. It is a free (or low price - $20ish a year) online photo editing program. Now I know I said digital design, not photo editing, but with a few tips you too can be printing off some amazing labels, cards, signs, tags, etc.

I followed this tutorial at saltwater kids and was quickly hooked! It has it's limitations, but hey it's free!!!

I am putting together halloween treat bags for my neighbourhood kids. I used my newly acquired Picnik skills to create the tags for the bags. Each "picture" is three tags, so an economic and less wasteful choice!


Feel free to print these off for yourself if you like and don't want to spend the time making them!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving Canada

Here in the great white north (or in my case the tiny green southwest island...lol) we celebrated Thanksgiving this weekend. I just want to share a few things that I am thankful for.....
my family
my safe home
being married to a wonderful man
peace in my country


hope everyone had a wonderful day of gratitude.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

a mid week chuckle....

I came across this on Pinterest and had to share....
ps I lurve pinterest....


Monday, September 26, 2011

out of the mouths of babes



My daughter came home from preschool today with three drawings addressed to her. A little guy in her class drew her these pieces of art at home and presented them to her today. They are really cute!!! Since we live in a small community, the chance of these two spending their childhood/adolescents together is quite likely. As I mused about the future the following conversation took place.....

Me: I am going to save these pictures.

My girl: They are very nice. Henry drew them for me.

Me: I know. I am going to keep them - just in case.

My girl: Why mama, in case of what?

Me: Oh I dunno, maybe one day he will be your boyfriend.

My girl: - bursts into a fit of giggles - Oh mommy. He is just my friend.

Me: That is what they all say....

My girl: I don't need a boyfriend mommy.

Me: Oh...okay.

My girl: I already have a little guy to take care of (she is referring to her little brother) and I DO NOT need another.



I think I peed my pants a little.......

Thursday, September 22, 2011

stranger danger

A shocking and brazen attempt at an abduction just occurred only 30 minutes from our seemingly safe neighbourhood. A man entered the fenced backyard and tried to grab two young girls (age 3 and 6). Thankfully the 6 year old when running for help, but the 3 year old was walking away hand in hand with the evil man as their mother came to see what was going on. He took off, leaving the children behind (there is a God (s)).
Scary stuff.

A second abduction occurred a few months later. This time the napper was successful and managed to steal a 3 year old from his bed in the middle of the night...you read that right. He was abducted from his own bed. Again - the Gods stepped in, and the little boy was returned to his home (in the middle of the night) and deposited on his couch. The abductor called 911 and told them he had returned him unharmed. The suspect was unknown and unrelated to the boy. Thankfully the police have nabbed the obviously sick man and he is in custody.

These scary events have prompted me to have a "stranger danger" chat with my 4 year old. I was really hoping to avoid telling her about the evils in the world. Keep her in that bubble for as looooong as I can. But I couldn't ignore that mommy instinct telling me that now was the time. I quickly researched the topic and would like to share with you what I found. Of course you need to keep it developmentally and age appropriate, so what I am sharing is appropriate for a 4-5 year old!
  • First off, defining stranger. I told my kiddo that a stranger is someone that you and mommy and daddy don't know. Even if they are nice they are a stranger unless mommy and daddy know them.
  • I also stressed that she is never ever ever ever to go with any stranger at anytime. Even if they say they know me or daddy, or want to show her something, or give her something.
  • I told her that if a stranger asks her to come with them, or worse (ie grabs her) to scream "STRANGER STRANGER NO NO" etc. I told her to scream, kick, fight and run to a safe place (store, cafe, home, trusted neighbour, etc). I told her to scream and make a HUGE fuss. I don't really care if this happens by accident one day.....I would rather her have a freak out unnecessarily instead of not doing it when it mattered.....It has been shown that attempted abductions fail when the kids freak out. No abductor wants a handful.
  • Rehearse with your child what they will do if a stranger were to bother them. This includes not talking to them, running away, kicking and screaming, biting and running to safety. Just like with any other action, when it is a habit by doing it over and over, it will become reaction. This reaction as second nature will be the key.

here is an idea of what I said....I gave some context to my little speech and told her about the man who tried to nab those sisters.
"There are bad people in this world. Those bad people take little children away from their mommies and daddies. That is what a stranger can do to you. They would take you and you could never come back. So I want you to listen very carefully to me. If a stranger tries to talk to you, and that is someone mommy or daddy does not know, then you need to get away from them. You need to scream loud if they try to grab you. Yell "STRANGER STRANGER STRANGER". You also need to kick and scream and bite if they try to take you.”
We then had some fun practicing running away and yelling (inside the house....I didn't want to freak out my neighbours!).

I am hoping that this little speech and practice empowered my daughter, not scared her. I haven't noticed any signs of her being scared - but I do ask her occasionally what a stranger is and what to do. She still remembers.... I hope she never has to actually do it.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

  



 


LOVE.
I am keeping this handy for the days when they are beating the crap out each other....
"look, look! you DO love each other!!"

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays - Lunchtime!!


Okay...so we are back in the thick of it...lunches being made for three different folks everyday! I have been experimenting with some great go-tos* and would like to share a couple of them....now these are not groundbreaking recipes, they are just good ole lunchbox favourites that you may or may not have in your lunch repertoire. I know as a busy mom, I sometimes forget about how easy this can be!

*Recipes get "go-to" status when they meet all my needs - yummy, easy, fast, healthy!

First off.....kid friendly recipes/lunch inspiration.
Let's face it, kids come first in the lunch lineup - I have the luxury of popping into a local cafe for my lunch...lol.

Roll ups
Can't get easier than this.  Take a wrap/tortilla of your choice. Add some kind of spread (cream cheese, peanut or sun butter, guacamole, hummus). Spread it all around to the edges of the wrap. Add a veggie or two. Roll it up in a tube-like fashion. Done.
Here are a few combos that both my kids like:
  • cream cheese and diced cucumber and/or red pepper
  • nut butter and banana (a wrap the banana whole)
  • hummus and diced red pepper
  • guacamole and diced cherry tomatoes
Pesto Pasta Salad
I like it because I just make some extra noodles the night before as part of dinner and then add some pesto and veggies and yer done! Our fave veggies are roasted zucchini and peppers and fresh tomatoes. But you can add whatever is lurking at the bottom of that veggie drawer in the fridge!


Rice balls ~ Japanese Style
My husband used to eat these a lot growing up. Basically make a lot of rice for dinner. Set some aside and drizzle with rice vinegar (optional:use if going authentic Japanese) and pop into fridge. When you are done dinner and ready to make lunches, the rice should be cool enough. Wet your hands...(biggest secret revealed!!) grab about 1/3 cup of rice in palm of hand. Push in a tasty tidbit into the middle (we like salmon the absolute best) - you can put in things like tuna, avocado, pickled radish, carrot-whatever your kid likes with rice. Then roll into a ball or shape into a triangle. You can roll in sesame seeds and add some nori if you are doing the Japanese lunch thing.

Chickpeas
Can't get easier than this. Open a can of chickpeas - rinse - serve.
I accompany them with some veggie sticks and dip and pita bread triangles.

For a more varied palate ~
Now we can get a bit fancier...but not too much...still want this doable.

Quinoa Salad
Make lots of quinoa for dinner. Set some aside to cool. Add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley to taste. Crumble in some feta. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Avocado, Tomato and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
hmmm...if you need more explanation than the title, then you need more help than I can offer :)

Curried Tuna and Apples on Pita
Add powdered curry to taste to a tuna/mayo mix. Throw in some diced granny smith apples and serve open face on pita or stuffed into a pita pocket.

Monday, September 12, 2011

blatent neglect

I apologize to my readers for the lack of random thoughts, cool finds, and giveaways these days (I like to think people actually read my blog...lol).

We have had a lot go on the past couple weeks including - I returned to work full time, and my son was hospitalized for a random seizure which we still don't know why it happened! Not to mention all the other craziness that back to school brings to every family!

But have no fear, I am back in a groove now, which means I can find a couple minutes to write on here more regularly.

Tomorrow look for a lunch box special - a couple no fail and super quick lunch ideas for you and the kids!

I am also lining up some more giveaways in the near future!! Yay for giveaways!

Thanks for your patience and readership. I do appreciate it.

Cat aka Yippiemomma

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays




This week I would like to share with you a couple of my favourite go-to recipe sites. I very rarely lift a cookbook these days and rely on the fabulousness of the interweb for all my culinary education!

My hands-down fave is Weelicious. This site is packed with healthy delicious recipes that will appeal to even your youngsters. I have previously shared one of her recipes on my blog - Spinach Ricotta Bites - yum. I often lurk her weekly meal plan. Very creative and inspirational family cooking!

She also has an AMAZING facebook page. Check out the photo section for some great foodie eye candy! I kinda hate her a little for being so awesome at making cool lunches for her kidlets. What a great resource!!

I also have been using the Canadian Living site for awhile now. Now this site has a fab meal planner tool that helps you meal plan!!! And it is FREE!!! Best part about it is that you can input your own fave recipes from it as well as use the tested recipes from the Canadian Living Test Kitchen.
(For all of my American friends - Canadian Living is a magazine that caters to the middle age + women of Canada and is renown for easy and delicious recipes!)

Another bookmarked site I frequent is Allrecipes. I love the recipe box function and the review/tips are very helpful. This is a recipe mecca.... you crave it...it is here.

Happy recipe surfing!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

WINNER!

And the winner of the Kiddo Designs gift certificate is........

Nicole!

I will email the winner tonight.

Congratulations Nicole and thanks for entering!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Kiddo Designs Giveaway!!


Crafty mama Nicole from Kiddo Designs has generously offered a $20 gift certificate for use in her amazingly cute etsy shop!

Here are a couple of items you may want to snag....it is what I would get!
Face Scrubbies....um...BRILLIANT! Use for make up removers, light exfoliation, applying toner, etc. Reusable so environmentally friendly...and CUTE.

Newsboy Hat ....oh my cuteness!  Perfect for upcoming fall weather! Available in four size and tons of colours for boys and girls!

Unique Wall Art....great modern twist for a nursery or child's room. I love the simplicity combined with pure cute. There are a lot to choose from!


To enter:

Just fill out the easy entry form HERE


The Rules

Mandatory for entry:
  • Follow Yippie Momma on GFC (or Facebook if you don't use Google)
  • Tell us your fave item at kiddo designs shop
Extra entries:
  1. Like Yippie Momma on Facebook
  2. Facebook "Like" an item on the kiddo designs etsy page (the "like" button is on the right in the grey area)
  3. Etsy "Favourite" an item from the kiddo designs shop
  4. Share the giveaway in your blog or facebook page or twitter
Randoms details:
- The draw will happen August 16th 2011 at 9pm PST.
- I use Random.org to do the draw.
- I will contact the winner via email that you provide me on the entry.
- The winner will have 5 days to respond, or I will move on and do another draw!
- Open to US and Canada

Here is the entry form again - ENTRY FORM

Good Luck!

D day

Tomorrow I return to work.

After being on maternity leave for 16 months, back to reality I go. It is a bittersweet feeling. I love being at home with my amazing children, but I also like to use my brains (and my degree for that matter). Finding a balance between work and life has never been an easy feat for any parent in any situation. Since I have returned to work once before with my daughter, I do have a couple tricks up my sleeve to make the transition a bit easier for everyone. But I now have TWO little ones I am leaving behind. So I am feeling twice as anxious and am left wondering if these tricks will do the trick!


Few of these tricks are:

  • less the stress -  I try to do everything well in advance so I don't have a lot of morning stress...I pick out my outfit (shoes and accessories too), steam it, make my lunch, gather anything else I might need that day the NIGHT BEFORE. It is amazing how much this helps.
  • touch base - call your caregiver to check in with your kids once a day. I hate left wondering how everyone is doing...good or bad. 
  • permission - it is okay to feel crappy about going back to work and it is okay to feel great about it. Just let yourself feel what you are feeling and then move on from it.


Regardless of all of this....my tummy hurts.
Sigh. It will be alright, right??

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Welcome to the Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Summer Giveaway! One lucky person is going to win $1000 USD paid via Paypal!
The giveaway starts August 1st 12:00 am EST until August 15th 11:59 pm EST and is open worldwide. $1,000 CASH prize will be delivered via paypal as soon as the winner’s entry has been verified.
Enter the Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Giveaway! One lucky person is going to win $1000 USD paid via Paypal!

Gain entries in this giveaway by following Yippie Momma on  Google Friend Connect


$1,000 CASH prize will be delivered via Paypal after the winner has confirmed. The winner has 48 hours to confirm their winning notification.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours of receipt of the winning email a new winner will them be drawn and so on and so forth.


To Enter:
Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Summer Giveaway can be entered on Survey JunkieSimply Stacie or Little Yaya’s (you only have to enter on one of the sites as the forms will be the same on each).

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Summer Vacation



Whew.... what a whirlwind of vacation that just happened in our house! Is it just me or do vacations often need yet another vacation to recover! We embarked on a road trip to heavenly Tofino, BC Canada. What a magical place this is. Abundant wildlife (eagles, whales, and bears oh my), cute town, amazing amazing beaches...with SURFING nonetheless... and the peace and quiet only a small remote village can offer.

Here are a few pics of our time there to entice you to visit this awesome place. If you want solitude, beauty, nature, and good ole fashioned fun...this is the place for you.



Thursday, July 14, 2011

summer fun



In a past life (otherwise known as my single days), I worked at a summer camp! BEST.JOB.EVER. Who wouldn't love hanging out with some great kids, playing all day, soaking up rays at the beach AND getting paid for it! I learned a lot in those years as I put myself through college working with kids. One of the things I learned was how to entertain kids in the summer without a lot of fuss or money.

Here are a few of my fave easy summertime games/things to do with kids!

Water Painting: Here is a super easy thing for all ages! All it takes is a bucket of water and some old clean paint brushes of any size. Find a fence, or side of house or sidewalk even and "paint" the water on. It darkens the tone of whatever is being painted, but dries quickly...no mess but tons of fun!

Drip Drip Drop: This is best played with a few kids (and kids at heart). Basically Duck Duck Goose, but with wet sponge instead of a tap on the head!

Shadow Tag: This can be played two ways. One like regular ole "tag your it". The other like "freeze tag". You tag the person by stepping on their shadow! If you play the freeze tag way, you get defrosted by having your teammate match their shadow with yours!

Beach Collage: Bring a piece or two of construction or cardstock and white glue to the beach with you. Then make a design with the glue on the paper. Sprinkle sand over the glue to create your masterpiece. You can add shells and other treasures to it as well.

Here are a few links to help add some fun to your summer fun roster. Remember that games are usually easily adapted to meet every age and ability level...just use your fun creative side!

Games Kids Play - not a fancy pants site, but FULL of great stuff. I used this site all the time.
Ultimate Camp Resource - everything summer camp here!
Kaboose Holidays - mash up of everything

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

 
My daughter having a silly time on the swing at the cottage.... can you say "ham"?

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays


Having just returned from the cottage, I am still in cottage mode....so this week I am reminding everyone single one of my readers to go and enjoy a roasted marshmallow or smore at least ONCE this summer.

This sticky gooey bit of heaven is a summer time essential. Nothing is more fun than sitting around a campfire (or BBQ if you can't enjoy a fire) and slowly rotating a marshmallow until it is perfectly golden.

Here are a couple items to make this a reality for you!

Coghlans Telescoping Fork

A telescoping roasting fork makes campfire goodness easy! I like the thumb-rolling feature.

These are the ultimate in hybrid roasting. You still get to hunt for the perfect roasting stick, but you get the double prong benefit of a metal roaster. Plus they fit in a backpack or picnic basket.


Do traditional marshmallows turn you off?? Maybe give these morsels a try! 100% vegan!
Happy Roasting!

Love, from Nora WINNER!

Pleased to announce the winner for the Love, from Nora giveaway......*drumroll*......

Congratulations to Just the Two of Us! I contact you today!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

growing cuter everyday

I discovered the CUTEST growth charts the other day and I have to share my find with you all!

Check these out! I dare you to find a cuter handmade original growth chart!

I asked the wonderful seller if she would customize a chart for my son's VW theme room. She happily obliged. What an amazing job she did (and super fast too!).


She has generously offered a discount for my readers! Use coupon code BLOGFRIEND10

If you follow her on Facebook, you can get an additional 5% off too...here is her page!

Stop by her shop, Love From Nora and take a look...she has some super cute things! Ready your credit card!


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays



As summer is FINALLY upon us, I need to share our all time favourite summer salad. It is easy and delicious - my two requirements for recipes these days.
This is made best with fresh fresh fresh produce (try out those markets I was preaching about last week).

Tomato Bocconcini Salad

Fresh tomatoes - sliced (or halved if cherry tomatoes)
Bocconcini (or tiny cheese balls as my daughter calls them)
Fresh basil - torn or coarsely chopped
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Basically use as many tomatoes as people, unless using cherry tomatoes, then just cut up how ever many you want! Same goes for the bocconcini -  I love the stuff, so I use a lot...
Add about 1/4 cup of basil for a salad for two or to taste (see how easy this is! No rules!)
Then sprinkle about a tablespoon of vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil - again, use more if bigger salad. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

I like to make this in advance since the longer it sits, the better!
Enjoy.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

: Giveaway : Love, From Nora


I am so excited to be offering this giveaway in partnership with Love From Nora. Up for grabs is a personalized lovey....are these not the CUTEST loveys ever! I really love her stuff. So cute and great quality...


To Enter:

mandatory =
extra entries =
The giveaway runs from June 30 to July 8th. I will use Random.org to determine a winner!
Good Luck!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

Hana's first day fishing!
She caught one in about 10 minutes...a natural. We practice catch and release....much to her dismay! 
"but mama I wanted to EAT it"

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Tasty Tuesday


I have the luxury of living next to farmland. There are about seven different farms that I visit for all kinds of yummy goods - eggs, apples, berries, produce of all kinds - even honey! They are all within a five minute drive for me. As soon as they open, I am there weekly.

The quality of fresh food is AMAZING...sweeter, greener, yummier....I encourage you to find a local market nearest to you and try it. Even it is a bit of an adventure to get there, pack the kids up, bring a blankie and make a picnic out of your purchases! It is a meaningful trip...you get to sample some great food, support your local farmer and teach your children about where food comes from! This is a very valuable lesson. Ask your kid where food comes from...let me know the answer in the comments below...it can be an eye opening experience!

Here is a link to help you find a market/farm near you!

Have a fun time!!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Winner!

Time to do the draw for the Blog Bash!
Drum roll please....
I will be contacting the winner Julie tonight! So if you are Julie - check your email! :)

Thank you all for participating...what fun! Stay tuned for another giveaway coming soon from Love, From Nora.
You DON'T want to miss this...her stuff is amazingly cute and creative. I love it.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Blog Bash

IT'S BLOG BASH TIME!

To enter in the giveaway, all you have to do is follow my blog and fill out the entry form. I will choose one grand prize winner via Random.org on June 26th.
The contest opens June 22 at 12:00am EST and runs till June 26 11:59pm PST.

My Summer Essentials giveaway includes:

Here is the list of all the blogs participating in this giveaway hop. Please take the time to visit them and enter in all the great giveaways!


Tasty Tuesday:broccoli made gourmet



Wanna make something fast, healthy, and looks and tastes super fancy?!?

I have the recipe for you! 
This has become a fast favourite in our house. We all love it...even the picky kid. This is even guest worthy...and a great option for last minute dinner guests.

Broccoli Strudel

1  large head of broccoli, cut into tiny florets (mine are about 1/2" or so)
1  roasted red pepper, or 1/2 cup of jarred roasted red pepper, drained and chopped(I use the jarred, that way it is faster and always on hand)
130g  log of goat cheese, crumbled (it is the small goat cheese log...like 2 1/2" in length)
1/2 cup almonds, chopped or slivered
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped (optional) I have a mint plant, so I add this only in the spring and summer!
4 sheets phyllo pastry, defrosted
2-4 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl stir together broccoli florets, red peper, cheese, almons and mint.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or oil generously. Spread 1 sheet of phyllo atop baking sheet. Lightly brush with butter. layer a second sheet overtop, brush with butter. Repeat with all sheets. Spread out broccoli mixture in the shape of a log, lengthwise in the center of the phyllo. Pull long ends of each side of phyllo together, fold and crimp together. Then fold under short ends of log. Brush with remaining butter.

Bake in centre of preheated oven until golden, 20-25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve alongside a garden salad if desired....we usually just eat this!

Gorgeous and healthy dinner in less than 30 minutes!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

BLOG BASH! 2011

Oh YA!.... it is mega giveaway time!!!

I am participating in the Blog Bash 2011 event...yay!! 
Over 150 giveaways with some AWESOME sponsors! It is a good one!

My Summer Essentials giveaway prize pack consists of a Safe Sippy (in either blue or pink - you choose), a Happy Heiny's wetbag (great for pool days!), California Baby diaper/boo boo spray (a must for every beach bag...great 1st aid spray!), a crabby Melissa and Doug linking toy, and of course, beautiful mama bling - a chandelier necklace for mama (you choose colour) and a $25 gift certificate to use towards a silver piece (does not include fingerprint) from World Touch Designs.

To enter in the giveaway, all you have to do is follow my blog and fill out the entry form. I will choose one grand prize winner via Random.org on June 26th.
The contest opens June 22 at 12:00am EST and runs till June 26 11:59pm PST.

STAY TUNED FOR ENTRY LINK AND PARTICIPANTS LIST!!!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Giveaway time!

Finally reached my goal of 100 followers! To celebrate and thank those who have helped me reach this goal I am doing the draw for the Rockin Green samples! I am using the Random.org number generator to help do the draw.


And the winner is..... 18

Congratulations friend #18! I will be contacting you about your samples today!

ps. Friend 18 is Crissa at http://www.bellabud.com/

Thursday, June 16, 2011

first 100 giveaway!



If you are one of my first 100 followers on Google Friend Connect (see bottom of page), you will be automatically entered in to win three samples of Rockin Green Laundry Detergent!

Just visit my friends over at Baby Bellhop and check out the scent descriptions then let me know what three samples of Rockin Green you would like in a comment! The current availability includes,
Rage Against the Raspberry, Mighty Mighty Marshmallow, Lavender Mint Revival and Bare Naked Babies.

You can increase your odds of winning by liking my Facebook page and by sharing this giveaway on your blog or Facebook. 
Just let me know about it in a comment!! Each comment will be an extra entry for you! Easy peasy.

As soon as I hit 100, I will do a random draw for a winner and the three Rockin Green samples of your choice will be sent your way!

WE ARE SOOOOO CLOSE TO DOING THE DRAW!!
ENTER TODAY SO WE CAN DO THIS YO!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays : the dirty dozen


I am lucky to have access to fresh, pesticide free produce just down the street. We live on the border of a farming area! So it is relatively easy for us to eat clean fresh food. Eating organic is of course a good idea for many reasons, not just for us, but for the environment, farmers and even livestock. BUT eating organic is EXPENSIVE!

There is a list available that shows the worst offenders in pesticide use and the best/closest to organic without being organic! I shop for produce with this list in hand. I buy the "dirty dozen' organically grown and local too (if I can), and the "clean fifteen" I buy whatever is on sale.

Here is a link to a downloadable PDF so you can have a wallet sized card with both lists on it!

The lists are as follows.....
The "Dirty Dozen" - buy these organic whenever you can!!!
  1. Apples
  2. Celery
  3. Strawberries
  4. Peaches
  5. Spinach
  6. Imported Nectarines
  7. Imported Grapes
  8. Sweet Bell Peppers
  9. Potatoes
  10. Domestic Blueberries
  11. Lettuce
  12. Kale/Collard Greens

The "Clean Fifteen" - buy whatever is on sale!
  1. Onions
  2. Sweet Corn
  3. Pineapples
  4. Avocado
  5. Asparagus
  6. Sweet Peas
  7. Mangoes
  8. Eggplants
  9. Domestic Cantaloupe
  10. Kiwi
  11. Cabbage
  12. Watermelon
  13. Sweet Potatoes
  14. Grapefruit
  15. Mushrooms

Saturday, June 11, 2011

if you only need one word....


Kids teach us many amazing things.... patience, appreciation, finding joy in everything, how to love unconditionally. One thing my son has taught me is that you only need one word in life.
More.

yup... it is all you need. Kai's favourite word is "more" and it is universally interchangable for pretty much everything.

Let me show you how this works....
  • point at object of your desire - say "more" - this means you want more of that cool thing that isn't a toy
  • as you eat - say "more" - this means you need more food and more food and more food
  • when you are finished point at the floor, huck a piece of food so it splats on the wall - say "more" - this means I am more than finished sitting here
  • when you are tired - whine "more" sign "milk" - this means 'nurse me woman so I can fall asleep'
  • if you see something super cool - yell "more" and clap your hands - this means I am diggin this big time and I want to see more (kinda like bravo)
See what I mean....my kid is a literary genius.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

yay me!





I was just nominated for the Versatile Blogger award by fellow blogger Bellabud! Thanks so much! Feels great to be acknowledged by another blogger!

So Here is How It Works:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award by linking back to them in your post.
2. Tell us 7 things about yourself.  
3. Award a few recently discovered bloggers. 
4. Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news!
Seven Things About Me:

  1. I love children...not just my own, but all of them...I even have a career working to systemically support them to reach their greatest innate potential.
  2. I live on an island - a big one, but an island nonetheless.
  3. I am a passionate person with a big heart.
  4. I ride horses and I have since I was 7 years old.
  5. I love to read, even if it is just to my kids! 
  6. I am silly. I am in my thirties, but feel very young at heart. Everyday I laugh and do something ridiculous that makes even my three year old roll her eyes at me (I am SUCH and embarrassment).
  7. I feel most relaxed walking hand in hand through the woods, tossing stones into the ocean, or plodding along a trail on my horse. 

 Here are some blogs that I have been enjoying and am passing the award onto. 


http://thecrunchymamacita.blogspot.com/
http://amyrodymckay.blogspot.com/
http://pauline-lifewiththeboo.blogspot.com/
and...the nominator Bellabud!

 


Sunday, June 5, 2011

Father's Day Idea

So a cyber friend of mine (no I am not a nerd, really I am not) posted her Father's Day project the other day. I was SO impressed by her creative genius that I needed to share her idea with you all!

Her plan is a five photo frame, but I think you could also morph them together in one long frame too! Or work some photoshop magic with it to make it one big photo.....





Seriously.... can this idea (and these kids!) be any cuter. Great job momma!! My husband would LOVE this for his office!

Off to find matching outfits and big white letters..... Thanks!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Guest Hosting Finding Friends Weekend Blog Hop!

Wow!  It is Week 10 of Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop hosted by Shelly from My Saving Game and Jeannette from The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug!  Thank you all for helping make this hop so successful!  We love you tons!  Now what are you waiting for?  Let's get to hopping!  We are finding some fabulous blogs through this hop and having a great time getting to know so many of you!  So thank you for linking up again this week to those of you who are hop veterans and welcome to those who are new!  Let's continue to make new bloggy friends and increase our traffic! We do have a few simple rules for you - nothing too tough though.  So here we go:



1.  Please follow your hostesses My Saving Game and The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug.  Leave us a comment and we will follow you back! (If you already follow us on GFC, we'd LOVE it if you would follow us on Facebook or Twitter.)

2. Please follow our guest co-host who this week is Cat from Yippie Momma. (that's me!)

3. You don't have to post our button but we sure would like it if you did. Not only does it help our hop grow so we can all get new followers, but each week we will choose a guest co-host and to be considered you must have our button somewhere on your site!  If you post our button and want to be considered for guest co-host, please email me at jmanandmillerbug@gmail.com to express your interest.

4. You can link up blogs, facebook, twitter accounts, whatever - just be sure to specify what each link is.

5. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

6. Have fun!

Linky: 







First 100 follower GIVEAWAY!



If you are one of my first 100 followers on Google Friend Connect (see bottom of page), you will be automatically entered in to win three samples of Rockin Green Laundry Detergent!

Just visit my friends over at Baby Bellhop and check out the scent descriptions then let me know what three samples of Rockin Green you would like in a comment! The current availability includes,
Rage Against the Raspberry, Mighty Mighty Marshmallow, Lavender Mint Revival and Bare Naked Babies.

You can increase your odds of winning by liking my Facebook page and by sharing this giveaway on your blog or Facebook. 
Just let me know about it in a comment!! Each comment will be an extra entry for you! Easy peasy.

As soon as I hit 100, I will do a random draw for a winner and the three Rockin Green samples of your choice will be sent your way!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays

I am going to start this new feature on my bloggy blog where every Tuesday I will post either a super scrumptious recipe or a foodie tip!

First things first.

All parents NEED these two simple yet unbelievably helpful tools in the kitchen.
The melon baller (double ended) and the pizza cutter.

The melon-baller makes eating more fun. I swear that eating melon or any other fruit or anything else you can think of in a fun shape makes it more delicious. Seriously. This thing will be your best friend. I have melon-balled all melons, apples, ice cream, jello, pineapple, made tiny cookies, etc.

The pizza cutter is the answer to sandwich making hell. My daughter will not eat the crust no matter how hard I try. Using the pizza cutter, I can quickly trim off all offending crusts and slice up her sandwich in no time! I use it for cutting up french toast and pancakes into bite-sized morsels. And of course, pizza!

You can thank me later.... :)