tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836975759060384162023-11-16T05:46:51.413-08:00Yippie MommaSo what is a yippie momma you ask?
It is a lifestyle hybrid of sorts - part hippie, part yuppie and all mom!yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-85467233549755240562014-06-24T16:57:00.000-07:002014-06-24T16:57:27.057-07:00"innnn summmmerrrr...."<div style="text-align: center;">
aahh....summer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sweet sweet summer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sandy toes, salty skin</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
long days, warm nights....</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and really really busy!!!</div>
<br />
Are you like me? One minute I am daydreaming of the relaxing, lazy days of summer and then reality hits as I take a peek at our calendar and we are busy every single weekend. Camping, weddings, cottage visits, friends from out of town, friends from in town - and on it goes.<br />
<br />
In order to make sure we don't miss out on the gifts summer has to offer, I created a Summer Bucket List that everyone (even the littlest ones) can create. I kept it short and sweet as to not add more anxiety and pressure of doing <i><u>allll</u></i> the things!<br />
<br />
Print off the template, grab some coloring tools and get creative...that's right, I am talking to you - adult. Draw yours too! We all need to add a little color and fun in our life.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagK2bQaiT6iihHvQxp-snaD_g3itrURk6w_un19tzO1Ncl0Z6juB1TrAq6ZSsCXdVDqibSc4Sz3kCw29XHnxnY8z6AvhZCDWBKDEJutFOs-4IIZ8N_gXRCjUssz0JCud3EG8fTGgLav4/s1600/draw+a+summer+list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagK2bQaiT6iihHvQxp-snaD_g3itrURk6w_un19tzO1Ncl0Z6juB1TrAq6ZSsCXdVDqibSc4Sz3kCw29XHnxnY8z6AvhZCDWBKDEJutFOs-4IIZ8N_gXRCjUssz0JCud3EG8fTGgLav4/s1600/draw+a+summer+list.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Enjoy this free printable (jpeg) made by me for you..... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(just right click and save as - no downloading necessary)</div>
<br />
Feel free to comment on what you and your littles came up with!! yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-4565845853768876492014-04-15T16:02:00.000-07:002014-04-17T10:42:20.697-07:00Project Glamp - from drab to fabOne of the first stages of Project Glamp is cleaning it up in every way possible. Imagine 36 years worth of camping grime...there are not enough rubber gloves in the world..... So after a lot of scrubbing we still had a dirty looking caravan on our hands.<br />
<br />
It was the old and tired and slightly smelly wood paneling that was bringing us down. If you look up the definition for 'dank', i am sure there would be a picture of the stuff. To bring quick resolve, I picked out a bright yet warm white semi gloss paint to cover every exposed surface aside from the table and countertop.<br />
<br />
The process, for those who are considering, is three step. Not hard three steps, but can be time consuming - just so you can mentally prepare yourself. If you are anything like me, I am not very good on estimating how long something will take me.<br />
<br />
1. Tape! We taped off all of the windows with tape and poly since we planned to spray the paint on. we also covered the floor since this was recently recovered in laminate. When covering the floor use either paper or in our case some plywood cutoffs that we puzzled into place. No poly on the floor people. Danger danger. This step was SO TIME CONSUMING! ugh. I hate tape. For your planning purposes. we used up 3 rolls of tape. We had to go to the store 3 times. sigh.<br />
<br />
2. Prime! We used an all purpose, all cover primer. There are a couple on the market to choose from, we used Bullfrog 123. We did a once over spray to make sure that the semigloss would stick.<br />
<br />
3. Paint! So we thought 2 coats would do since we primed...not so much. That dank paneling is a stubborn b-word. It took 3 coats to do it and the last one we rolled on as the spray was doing more damage through dripping than good. Our 15' trailer took a gallon and a half to cover - keeping in mind we covered EVERYTHING ceiling, cupboards in and out, bathroom, walls, benches, etc.<br />
<br />
Here are a little before and afters to satisfy your curiosity...pin at will.... :)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3kROITaRfGVDBQC06cKTxCen-Le5NgGfFiKp9SeVgt-RqwoLkv6xwCbmHrU3SMV6IdtGvrSehna_nAYhoHmGjN3216ujiIdMNPcORp1-cJjeioGsLBSVoDzs6KD5dkP3dD19wzlYLtU/s1600/113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3kROITaRfGVDBQC06cKTxCen-Le5NgGfFiKp9SeVgt-RqwoLkv6xwCbmHrU3SMV6IdtGvrSehna_nAYhoHmGjN3216ujiIdMNPcORp1-cJjeioGsLBSVoDzs6KD5dkP3dD19wzlYLtU/s1600/113.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">front dinette view BEFORE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg120Vpx2d65rwUWO92tr-GnMlmXyDC55ZDCq79x1ujcmHuh8ZB-Tm7mKVykOl7LzRbC6ly5TcPBaTF9-py-GFPp8XS0aYhBDE0yovP_dA7T3aj4EUWGlvPiW-pSrk2Lgg068ij23m3zws/s1600/125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg120Vpx2d65rwUWO92tr-GnMlmXyDC55ZDCq79x1ujcmHuh8ZB-Tm7mKVykOl7LzRbC6ly5TcPBaTF9-py-GFPp8XS0aYhBDE0yovP_dA7T3aj4EUWGlvPiW-pSrk2Lgg068ij23m3zws/s1600/125.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front dinette view AFTER</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OaTZIjMmgnmWqBweMSkgpZvGyly_sWw7V5dU8GaU5NeRohPND8EmjyUDv5rh3QJOYk5cshbCGTMVdCPKiPgEFg7vMPWy-dlxsVgK2KJ6URvDG6YbtAoOh7V-zQXo29Zm75c6biQgvjE/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OaTZIjMmgnmWqBweMSkgpZvGyly_sWw7V5dU8GaU5NeRohPND8EmjyUDv5rh3QJOYk5cshbCGTMVdCPKiPgEFg7vMPWy-dlxsVgK2KJ6URvDG6YbtAoOh7V-zQXo29Zm75c6biQgvjE/s1600/114.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back bed BEFORE</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ykOhOhXcg7O3HaOurnECTlKhAtUZjx0ulrKYk3LD10ijrmqTSTyJS-_xIUFs_N0aewQ4ITmZESffpD6ctu2_xPsy4ZNZ4M4m8RapCkWodueO57bZm_xFMyUn4GxN-VZ6Ie9Hzi6ZyJ8/s1600/126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ykOhOhXcg7O3HaOurnECTlKhAtUZjx0ulrKYk3LD10ijrmqTSTyJS-_xIUFs_N0aewQ4ITmZESffpD6ctu2_xPsy4ZNZ4M4m8RapCkWodueO57bZm_xFMyUn4GxN-VZ6Ie9Hzi6ZyJ8/s1600/126.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">back bed AFTER</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f7jJUuwXXSej6UlA4i5tM9CVJyLELeodhTCkJeH1QhODwNcFJM2Q9zHWDLpxkNyM5Y-zGvLpQOxqBJY06lndfw7fWK6f1V-AgR_OYpwT24qi9u1zOrAkxD1tBMWasdexuHUd4dI2omw/s1600/117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f7jJUuwXXSej6UlA4i5tM9CVJyLELeodhTCkJeH1QhODwNcFJM2Q9zHWDLpxkNyM5Y-zGvLpQOxqBJY06lndfw7fWK6f1V-AgR_OYpwT24qi9u1zOrAkxD1tBMWasdexuHUd4dI2omw/s1600/117.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kitchen BEFORE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq63DHzWkIjy5xOMKHJCSSVvK49L79pa-_qb8e0V_rxy42822-zAVV9VVWXoiT9xK5C-7oVuPvoGM-w61hECIBYyEfYN2u3YC8RZZV3n-E3ZSMdqkz_qRtEuArSmLrTvoiWGlspviRW8/s1600/131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq63DHzWkIjy5xOMKHJCSSVvK49L79pa-_qb8e0V_rxy42822-zAVV9VVWXoiT9xK5C-7oVuPvoGM-w61hECIBYyEfYN2u3YC8RZZV3n-E3ZSMdqkz_qRtEuArSmLrTvoiWGlspviRW8/s1600/131.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kitchen AFTER</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Now for the fabric.......yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-24053293898588055342014-04-01T14:13:00.000-07:002014-04-01T14:13:32.764-07:00Project GlampSo this is how the story goes....<br />
<br />
I hate tent camping.<br />
<br />
I know hate is a strong word, but it is more than appropriate in this situation. I have the privilege (?) of working in the Yukon Territory for three summer seasons which last 4 months each. There is NO housing there for all us seasonal workers - so we lived in tents. Little tenting communities popped up lovingly referred to as "Tent Cities". You quickly lose the novelty of camping when you live that way in the arctic. I never was able to get any of the novelty back...the Yukon wilds beat it out of me.<br />
<br />
Fast forward 18 years. Now living in a house with real walls not made of canvas and co-habitating in said house with one big and two little people who love to go camping. I managed to dodge the camping idea for sometime with the very good excuse of not wanting to camp with babies. But alas and sigh, my baby is now almost 4. That standby excuse is no longer valid. So after much "discussion" with the Hubs, we compromised on a vintage travel trailer to both meet his need of all things cool and vintage, and my need for a solid roof and running water.<br />
<br />
We set about to find a vintage tin can that would have all my wants and all his. No easy feat I must say. But we were able to amicably settle on a 1976 15' Scamper trailer. Not as vintage as we would like, but it was what we could willingly pay for an old trailer and had all the bells and whistles - like a teeny tiny toilet and running water! The JOYS!<br />
<br />
The downside of vintage is gross, old, stinky trailer decor. We wanted to make this a little cottage on wheels and the cutest little cottage on wheels we could muster. Plans quickly developed (thanks Pinterest) and we set out on glaming our little trailer find.<br />
<br />
I am going to document our little project so anyone who is in my camp (get it, get it) may see that even you can do this too!<br />
<br />
Hope you join us on our adventure.yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-86428040660108767992014-03-28T15:01:00.000-07:002014-03-28T15:01:30.308-07:00I'm BAAACCCCKKKKK..........<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgtH49HssDDj9efEFw0fm3FpneodvsDXXyaQssFZilr1rqb2dKB7GM5PTba8WgQM61N7VkhhujQcqyNwhNQfiAMUGDxFo64gleYlTgBrkvAexVi-x3-Ot_6n3tVXK2l1Rg09HaHDYtjc/s1600/light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgtH49HssDDj9efEFw0fm3FpneodvsDXXyaQssFZilr1rqb2dKB7GM5PTba8WgQM61N7VkhhujQcqyNwhNQfiAMUGDxFo64gleYlTgBrkvAexVi-x3-Ot_6n3tVXK2l1Rg09HaHDYtjc/s1600/light.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a>You missed me didn't you! It's okay, you don't have to admit it, but I can sense that glint in your eye ;)<br />
<br />
So obviously I have taken a very long break from writing. Why did that happen...well...life sometimes has a way of getting in the way. Wait. Re-frame and rephrase.<br />
<br />
<i>I</i> have a way of<i> letting</i> life get in the way! <br />
<br />
I allow myself to get caught in the never ceasing cogs of life, just getting turned around and around, thinking that I am doing stuff when really I am just slowly spinning. In the dizziness of it all, I lose sight of what I want and what I need. My passions are paused, my fire is smothered. And I am the guilty party. I allow it - then I complain about it - then I get sad about it - then I finally try to pull myself free of the life-machine and LIVE.<br />
<br />
I know that I am not alone in this vicious cycle. It's okay to admit it. We blame it all on family, responsibility, career demands, funds (or lack there of), etc. But I am going to stand with chin high and admit that I am responsible. Life is choice. What you choose will be your life. If I choose to allow myself to be smothered in the blanket of what-have- you (job, kids, etc) then what is the point.....seriously. I want my kids to see my light. I want my husband to bask in it. I want my work to thrive in the energy of it. BUT I have to choose it.WE have to choose it.<br />
<br />
So I am choosing life.... as defined by experiencing, doing, exploring, creating, reflecting, loving. And letting my light shine.<br />
<br />yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-30987749569933785952012-09-13T14:04:00.000-07:002012-09-13T16:04:35.279-07:00Shake it.<br />
I love to dance. No, I am not a trained dancer of any sort. When I say dance, I mean to move your body in a way that is pleasing to you - in a way that brings you joy. I take part in a dance class (<a href="http://www.thegroovemethod.com/" target="_blank">GROOVE Method</a>) every week that allows me the freedom to express what I want how I want through movement.....more on that class later....but I wanted to share with everyone this video I stumbled across.<br />
<br />
THIS is why I dance. THIS guy (guy, I know...who knew???) gets it. I applaud him....and am slightly jealous that he got to do this....Hey, Matt, next time bring me along.<br />
<br />
Here is an explanation he provided for this video and his project:<br />
<i>What are these humans doing?
Dancing.
Many humans
on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying
happiness is dancing.
Happiness and dancing transcend
political
boundaries and occur in practically every human society. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Harding">Matt Harding</a>
traveled through many nations on Earth,
planned on dancing,
and filmed the result.
The
<a href="http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/videos.shtml">video</a>, the
latest in a
series of
<a href="http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/videos">similar videos</a>,
is perhaps a dramatic example that
humans from all
over
planet Earth
feel a
common
bond
as part of a
single
species.
Happiness
is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwe-pA6TaZk">video</a>
without
smiling.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pwe-pA6TaZk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-940792458956691422012-09-12T13:55:00.001-07:002012-09-12T13:55:09.468-07:00good morning....When I started this blog I had all the best intentions. I thought that by committing to a blog I would create some space for me to have, well, me time. It worked for awhile there. I was at home on maternity leave with my second child, and I had everything in check.<br />
<br />
But then, work happened.<br />
<br />
I quickly became overwhelmed with all the responsibilities I carried - wife, mother, professional, a human being. I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't get on top of anything. I felt frantic all the time. I needed to drop something...but what! My husband needed me, my kids needed me, my job needed me (and well to be honest, I needed it too $$). What I dropped without even making a conscious choice was myself. I dropped myself as a woman, as a human being. <br />
<br />
I swiftly put aside all the things that made me, me. I stopped running, I stopped riding horses, I stopped reading, I stopped any creative outlet I was keen on at the moment (it rotates...I'm a fickle artist), I stopped writing. I stopped dreaming. I stopped being me. I lost myself.<br />
<br />
Almost exactly one year later, I am sitting here with the profound realization of how important I am in all of this chaos called everyday life. If I have lost myself, then what am I giving to my husband, children, and career? I am a shell of a former me. And it is me that they all need.<br />
<br />
Changes must happen. I need to be brave and do what is right for me so that I can be something to all of them, not just a ghost. I have had an awakening of sorts. Somewhere deep down, my former Self mustered enough energy to call out and say "you have forgotten about me" and thankfully I heard it. I need to let that voice grow stronger and be heard by not only myself, but others in my life as well.<br />
<br />
I am grateful that I have recognized this now, and not 30 years from now - waking up in a cold sweat of regret. So now that I have recognized it, let's do something about it. <br />
<br />
I will start by saying Good Morning after this awakening.... and a good morning it will be<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.....</span>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-74362978135185916122012-06-12T21:36:00.000-07:002012-09-13T16:08:12.858-07:00cool findsI am all about the cool stuff...yes, I am that momma that thinks she is still all hip and cool (<i>spaghetti in hair not cool?</i>). Okay okay...I like cool momma stuff. Stuff that makes my life or my kid's life easier and nicer.<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of my new obsessions:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://anythingbutperfect.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/APBMenuPlannerPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://anythingbutperfect.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/APBMenuPlannerPic.jpg" width="320" /></a>Meal Planners<br />
<br />
If you have offspring, you need this in your life. I am not joking around here people. Find one you like, download and print or if you have the time (<i>what is that T word?)</i> then make your own. I personally like the ones with the shopping list as part of it. I take the whole thing to the store with me and feel oh so cool and hip and on top of it all!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Snacks<br />
<br />
<a href="http://img4-2.realsimple.timeinc.net/images/0810/snack-container-dryfoods_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img4-2.realsimple.timeinc.net/images/0810/snack-container-dryfoods_300.jpg" width="268" /></a>When kids are hungry little demons straight from hell come fill the space where food should be. Again I am not joking...google it. It's true. I am on a mission to make sure that space never is big enough for those pesky devils to invade and turn my sweet children into head-spinning evil beings.<br />
Check out this uber cool and very organized approach to snacking!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Shoes<br />
<br />
A list that is titled "cool finds" cannot be without shoes. It cannot. Google that too while your at it.<br />
Oh, what's that you say? Yes, yes, little purple and pink butterfly toms.<br />
You're welcome.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.toms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/5/thumbnail/218x150/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/-/t-purple-butterflies-s-h11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.toms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/5/thumbnail/218x150/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/-/t-purple-butterflies-s-h11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-30793567195866661722011-12-22T11:39:00.000-08:002011-12-22T11:42:17.103-08:00Pinterest captiveWhile 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!).<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
Google Shmoogle - I Pinterest it!<br />
<br />
As I gleefully collect a plethora of fab ideas on my boards, I also have been trying them out!! Crazy, I know!<br />
<br />
Here are a few that I have tried and loved!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/255297872596224982_5MtkJmof_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/255297872596224982_5MtkJmof_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/255297872596224982/">Hot Cocoa Cookies</a> - 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!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/255297872596102521_4RgeX56U_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/255297872596102521_4RgeX56U_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/255297872596102521/">Fort Kit</a> - 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!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/239605642644555360_amMrf6JD_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/239605642644555360_amMrf6JD_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/255297872596229767/">Handmade Bejeweled Bookmarks</a> - 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!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/255297872596161855_Z0wwPhPF_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/255297872596161855_Z0wwPhPF_c.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/255297872596161855/">Christmas Tree Tomato Cages</a> - 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.<br />
<br />
Hope these gave you some inspiration to either check out Pinterest, make something, or just add more to your boards! LOL!yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-81253221513712450702011-10-31T09:35:00.000-07:002011-10-31T09:35:48.235-07:00happy halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/recipes/salty-bones-halloween-recipe-photo-420-FF1008SNACKA04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/recipes/salty-bones-halloween-recipe-photo-420-FF1008SNACKA04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I love Halloween! I love the creativity and silliness of it all...I am really just a big kid.<br />
I found this <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-snacks/">site</a> 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!<br />
I have great success with these ideas. This year I am making the <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-snacks/salty-bones-688986/">Salty Bones</a> to accompany our "guts" dinner (spaghetti) and <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-snacks/cheese-finger-food-685121/">Cheese Fingers </a>for lunch. <br />
<br />
Hope you find some inspiration and try a couple of these for your little goblins to munch on today!!<br />
<a href="http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-snacks/">Find some great Halloween Snacks HERE</a>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-31945212238171202722011-10-16T15:03:00.000-07:002011-10-16T15:03:24.854-07:00a new toyI 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 <a href="http://www.picnik.com/">picnik.com</a>. 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.<br />
<br />
I followed <a href="http://www.saltwater-kids.com/2008/10/tutorial-make-your-own-free-hangtags.html">this tutorial</a> at <a href="http://www.saltwater-kids.com/">saltwater kids</a> and was quickly hooked! It has it's limitations, but hey it's free!!!<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBezoX1RY-hcxvI7rZSzPFJq_whF_UJXtr2YyBl4rMkMdpGAe41tGJlHzbhCl7oH5RqFmGOKom-WR8IlvyfFgdpjKmfXWWBs2u3biVHAR1FW0nio1GMLRxa2cPdRS_6Tb1i4PMiysExrg/s1600/halloween+tags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBezoX1RY-hcxvI7rZSzPFJq_whF_UJXtr2YyBl4rMkMdpGAe41tGJlHzbhCl7oH5RqFmGOKom-WR8IlvyfFgdpjKmfXWWBs2u3biVHAR1FW0nio1GMLRxa2cPdRS_6Tb1i4PMiysExrg/s640/halloween+tags.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<i>Feel free to print these off for yourself if you like and don't want to spend the time making them!!</i>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-65329380978293896722011-10-10T21:44:00.000-07:002011-10-10T21:44:03.379-07:00Happy Thanksgiving CanadaHere 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.....<br />
my family<br />
my safe home<br />
being married to a wonderful man<br />
peace in my country<br />
<br />
<br />
hope everyone had a wonderful day of gratitude.yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-83325203802073814552011-09-29T11:01:00.000-07:002011-09-29T11:01:20.347-07:00a mid week chuckle....I came across this on Pinterest and had to share....<br />
ps I lurve pinterest....<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/248323055/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="500px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/248323055_PAtQZ70M_c.jpg" width="375px" /></a></div><div style="float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;">Source: <a href="http://you-can-fly.tumblr.com/page/228" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">you-can-fly.tumblr.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/jasmineef/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Jasmine</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div></div>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-5390906514611446112011-09-26T20:51:00.000-07:002011-09-26T20:51:49.198-07:00out of the mouths of babes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK6V3QUd-S_DG2PVKZLBzxadfM3JHfUHzW7teVB5JI0bEdpVm8aBz1rGujl3tIkICeLZGogc8vDDEwz5KbvB5AGLh1WtpDE2l46DzY-UhNmCp5JZhPpysP8NtaFCx5WXvXpWqHka48JE/s1600/IMG_2160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK6V3QUd-S_DG2PVKZLBzxadfM3JHfUHzW7teVB5JI0bEdpVm8aBz1rGujl3tIkICeLZGogc8vDDEwz5KbvB5AGLh1WtpDE2l46DzY-UhNmCp5JZhPpysP8NtaFCx5WXvXpWqHka48JE/s320/IMG_2160.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
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.....<br />
<br />
Me: I am going to save these pictures.<br />
<br />
My girl: They are very nice. Henry drew them for me.<br />
<br />
Me: I know. I am going to keep them - just in case.<br />
<br />
My girl: Why mama, in case of what?<br />
<br />
Me: Oh I dunno, maybe one day he will be your boyfriend.<br />
<br />
My girl: - <i>bursts into a fit of giggles</i> - Oh mommy. He is just my friend.<br />
<br />
Me: That is what they all say....<br />
<br />
My girl: I don't need a boyfriend mommy.<br />
<br />
Me: Oh...okay.<br />
<br />
My girl: I <i>already</i> have a little guy to take care of (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>she is referring to her little brother</i></span>) and I DO NOT need another.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I think I peed my pants a little.......yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-47979501183774127202011-09-22T16:40:00.000-07:002011-09-22T16:40:10.994-07:00stranger dangerA 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)).<br />
Scary stuff.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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! <br />
<ul><li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="135">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.</div></li>
</ul><div itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="135"><br />
</div>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.<br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>"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.” </em></div></blockquote>We then had some fun practicing running away and yelling (inside the house....I didn't want to freak out my neighbours!).<br />
<br />
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.yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-79057233165705981202011-09-14T06:30:00.000-07:002011-09-14T06:30:04.373-07:00Wordless Wednesday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8KzlAKzyPSR8SvzpjGecIIdMdLoht0Y0eyxpEO0O6L6A2fhI2dGc-1L8fMEuBNluDhE_OpyyGFgaIZ9e38xzNhXykt9Sjh7ubAkJ-Wmqx6RmP5TjIf4FyLfdKxGFhv_4iRxcOJl7yWc/s1600/IMG_2131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8KzlAKzyPSR8SvzpjGecIIdMdLoht0Y0eyxpEO0O6L6A2fhI2dGc-1L8fMEuBNluDhE_OpyyGFgaIZ9e38xzNhXykt9Sjh7ubAkJ-Wmqx6RmP5TjIf4FyLfdKxGFhv_4iRxcOJl7yWc/s640/IMG_2131.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LOVE.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am keeping this handy for the days when they are beating the crap out each other....</div><div style="text-align: center;">"look, look! you DO love each other!!"</div>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-33002468946986203762011-09-13T06:25:00.000-07:002011-09-13T06:25:00.140-07:00Tasty Tuesdays - Lunchtime!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKXVZb3XD-RuYh4kpiBAMfjxhAjwV9usEfIdhTEW4fl_rkpf2z" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKXVZb3XD-RuYh4kpiBAMfjxhAjwV9usEfIdhTEW4fl_rkpf2z" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>*Recipes get "go-to" status when they meet all my needs - yummy, easy, fast, healthy!</i></div><br />
First off.....kid friendly recipes/lunch inspiration.<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<u>Roll ups</u> <br />
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.<br />
Here are a few combos that both my kids like:<br />
<ul><li>cream cheese and diced cucumber and/or red pepper</li>
<li>nut butter and banana (a wrap the banana whole)</li>
<li>hummus and diced red pepper</li>
<li>guacamole and diced cherry tomatoes</li>
</ul><u>Pesto Pasta Salad </u><br />
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!<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<u>Rice balls ~ Japanese Style</u><br />
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. <br />
<br />
<u>Chickpeas</u><br />
Can't get easier than this. Open a can of chickpeas - rinse - serve.<br />
I accompany them with some veggie sticks and dip and pita bread triangles.<br />
<br />
For a more varied palate ~<br />
Now we can get a bit fancier...but not too much...still want this doable.<br />
<br />
<u>Quinoa Salad</u><br />
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.<br />
<br />
<u>Avocado, Tomato and Cream Cheese Sandwiches</u><br />
hmmm...if you need more explanation than the title, then you need more help than I can offer :)<br />
<br />
<u>Curried Tuna and Apples on Pita</u><br />
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.yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-5096759940730354322011-09-12T08:59:00.000-07:002011-09-12T08:59:01.618-07:00blatent neglectI 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).<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow look for a lunch box special - a couple no fail and super quick lunch ideas for you and the kids!<br />
<br />
I am also lining up some more giveaways in the near future!! Yay for giveaways!<br />
<br />
Thanks for your patience and readership. I do appreciate it.<br />
<br />
Cat aka Yippiemommayippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-61081785451535913722011-08-23T12:52:00.000-07:002011-08-23T12:52:46.194-07:00Tasty Tuesdays<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.8599523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.8599523.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>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!<br />
<br />
My hands-down fave is <a href="http://weelicious.com/">Weelicious</a>. 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 <a href="http://weelicious.com/photos/">weekly meal plan.</a> Very creative and inspirational family cooking!<br />
<br />
She also has an AMAZING <a href="https://www.facebook.com/weelicious">facebook page</a>. Check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/weelicious#!/weelicious?sk=photos">photo section</a> for some great foodie eye candy! I kinda hate her a little for being so awesome at making <a href="https://www.facebook.com/weelicious#!/media/set/?set=a.342399236608.194597.248062301608">cool lunches</a> for her kidlets. What a great resource!!<br />
<br />
I also have been using the <a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/food/">Canadian Living site</a> for awhile now. Now this site has a fab <a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/health/health_and_wellness_club/new_free_online_meal_planner.php">meal planner tool</a> 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. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(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!)</span></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another bookmarked site I frequent is <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">Allrecipes</a>. I love the recipe box function and the review/tips are very helpful. This is a recipe mecca.... you crave it...it is here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy recipe surfing!</div>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-1303365090914750532011-08-16T21:57:00.000-07:002011-08-16T21:57:13.279-07:00WINNER!And the winner of the Kiddo Designs gift certificate is........<br />
<br />
Nicole!<br />
<br />
I will email the winner tonight.<br />
<br />
Congratulations Nicole and thanks for entering!<br />
yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-85293832834385947412011-08-01T16:20:00.000-07:002011-08-01T16:22:10.354-07:00Kiddo Designs Giveaway!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/iusb_760x100.8419422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="84" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/iusb_760x100.8419422.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Crafty mama Nicole from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kiddodesigns">Kiddo Designs</a> has generously offered a <span style="background-color: cyan; color: black; font-size: large;"><u><b>$20 gift certificate</b></u></span> for use in her amazingly cute <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kiddodesigns">etsy shop!</a><br />
<br />
Here are a couple of items you may want to snag....it is what I would get!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.257515601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.257515601.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77909132/cotton-face-scrubbies-set-of-7-cherry">Face Scrubbies</a>....um...BRILLIANT! Use for make up removers, light exfoliation, applying toner, etc. Reusable so environmentally friendly...and CUTE.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.244527101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.244527101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74205064/cotton-newsboy-hat-for-girls-pink-with">Newsboy Hat </a>....oh my cuteness! Perfect for upcoming fall weather! Available in four size and tons of colours for boys and girls!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.256653639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.256653639.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77651107/whale-childs-wall-art-hanging-unframed">Unique Wall Art</a>....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!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="background-color: #6aa84f; text-align: center;">To enter:</div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Just fill out the easy entry form <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHpwNURIRzMzQm1qNXhtN3ZUTTduNkE6MQ">HERE</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>The Rules</u><br />
<br />
Mandatory for entry: <br />
<ul><li>Follow Yippie Momma on GFC (or Facebook if you don't use Google)</li>
<li>Tell us your fave item at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kiddodesigns">kiddo designs shop</a></li>
</ul>Extra entries:<br />
<ol><li>Like Yippie Momma on Facebook</li>
<li>Facebook "Like" an item on the kiddo designs etsy page (the "like" button is on the right in the grey area)</li>
<li>Etsy "Favourite" an item from the kiddo designs shop</li>
<li>Share the giveaway in your blog or facebook page or twitter</li>
</ol>Randoms details:<br />
- The draw will happen August 16th 2011 at 9pm PST.<br />
- I use Random.org to do the draw.<br />
- I will contact the winner via email that you provide me on the entry.<br />
- The winner will have 5 days to respond, or I will move on and do another draw!<br />
- Open to US and Canada <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Here is the entry form again - <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHpwNURIRzMzQm1qNXhtN3ZUTTduNkE6MQ">ENTRY FORM</a></div><br />
Good Luck!yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-11538897500062557742011-08-01T15:19:00.000-07:002011-08-01T15:19:22.325-07:00D dayTomorrow I return to work.<br />
<br />
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! <br />
<br />
<br />
Few of these tricks are:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>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. </li>
</ul><ul><li>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. </li>
</ul><ul><li>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.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
Regardless of all of this....my tummy hurts.<br />
Sigh. It will be alright, right??yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-3701419724455639322011-07-31T22:08:00.000-07:002011-07-31T22:08:37.495-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7136" height="275" src="http://www.sjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Boost-Your-Buzz-Summer-175-x-2751.png" title="Boost Your Buzz Summer 175 x 275" width="175" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Welcome to the Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Summer Giveaway! One lucky person is going to win $1000 USD paid via Paypal!</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">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.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Enter the Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Giveaway! One lucky person is going to win $1000 USD paid via Paypal! <br />
<br />
Gain entries in this giveaway by following Yippie Momma on Google Friend Connect<br />
<br />
<br />
$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.<br />
<br />
<br />
To Enter: </div><div style="text-align: center;">Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Summer Giveaway can be entered on <a href="http://sjunkie.com/">Survey Junkie</a>, <a href="http://simplystacie.net/">Simply Stacie</a> or <a href="http://littleyayas.com/">Little Yaya’s</a> (you only have to enter on one of the sites as the forms will be the same on each).</div>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-68057554291378491212011-07-27T10:26:00.000-07:002011-07-27T10:26:47.495-07:00Wordless Wednesday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHUlFf5WhEk3AIzzbeBeCE91oXFHmwovH65RucOphz8cjyOJbQ8g7gnq0kw08ugOyaiVQBe5J_KZa6eYEvfXJexK3Dt2reUAmogx60U9EoTIR-KAVFwI9SlcC0kZ81lhYkA6jMuKWTUA/s1600/DSC_0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHUlFf5WhEk3AIzzbeBeCE91oXFHmwovH65RucOphz8cjyOJbQ8g7gnq0kw08ugOyaiVQBe5J_KZa6eYEvfXJexK3Dt2reUAmogx60U9EoTIR-KAVFwI9SlcC0kZ81lhYkA6jMuKWTUA/s640/DSC_0431.JPG" width="640" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Breastfeeding....anytime anywhere.....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-91215493186198465862011-07-23T09:49:00.000-07:002011-07-23T09:50:46.580-07:00Summer Vacation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbhjoakVNSQRGCiOFkiHbM2K7pSh-MIapO-0WxMJvuPesu3jCF-J9H6y9OSnAMbC6SFUsL0Ptu8pg1qthyphenhypheniCky0LRu5G-iKSk5xYp0asAqh1fIvqivNxE7QKOIL4md6mMTLxXfuGE12I/s1600/DSC_1042.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbhjoakVNSQRGCiOFkiHbM2K7pSh-MIapO-0WxMJvuPesu3jCF-J9H6y9OSnAMbC6SFUsL0Ptu8pg1qthyphenhypheniCky0LRu5G-iKSk5xYp0asAqh1fIvqivNxE7QKOIL4md6mMTLxXfuGE12I/s320/DSC_1042.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLarTdu3HkU6w_BWZBnGqOVuMDe8KICdZ6DBxyjgyJooRTQuXr7e1LahdDaC2AihS2fJMgr1Z-kaHgesVVOLWoUyT_7xMm6kfyNjPEijbdWtMYqhaOLCSv7T5EedRuOged_dYsksXMqY/s1600/DSC_0274_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLarTdu3HkU6w_BWZBnGqOVuMDe8KICdZ6DBxyjgyJooRTQuXr7e1LahdDaC2AihS2fJMgr1Z-kaHgesVVOLWoUyT_7xMm6kfyNjPEijbdWtMYqhaOLCSv7T5EedRuOged_dYsksXMqY/s320/DSC_0274_2.JPG" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBOwkYDRjH8KLhPy2uNBqY20h3Uli6gpacaspqcpEXH3PepSMmzQC7pHdpCFUQJaZkyFIvMFuFCdurzqgT0Yp2QdxX7B442lOFrvrnFU2XVB4L-PAhYspF1a-_CSDSMWze27sKoF_4t4/s1600/DSC_0290_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBOwkYDRjH8KLhPy2uNBqY20h3Uli6gpacaspqcpEXH3PepSMmzQC7pHdpCFUQJaZkyFIvMFuFCdurzqgT0Yp2QdxX7B442lOFrvrnFU2XVB4L-PAhYspF1a-_CSDSMWze27sKoF_4t4/s320/DSC_0290_2.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIWmNQUc6_1idejX58wGyLorQFGg20Pk0qYXwsQwUSOD6-6Nf3kH1tJ_uBRTAH1VzAJiPPOVdVnBuizL1vlhje7aqauKIht-cstge4zfzQ1dHE-J18Qvbx_zLkV2SsbfhWCv18pWDR4o/s1600/DSC_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIWmNQUc6_1idejX58wGyLorQFGg20Pk0qYXwsQwUSOD6-6Nf3kH1tJ_uBRTAH1VzAJiPPOVdVnBuizL1vlhje7aqauKIht-cstge4zfzQ1dHE-J18Qvbx_zLkV2SsbfhWCv18pWDR4o/s320/DSC_0422.JPG" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbhjoakVNSQRGCiOFkiHbM2K7pSh-MIapO-0WxMJvuPesu3jCF-J9H6y9OSnAMbC6SFUsL0Ptu8pg1qthyphenhypheniCky0LRu5G-iKSk5xYp0asAqh1fIvqivNxE7QKOIL4md6mMTLxXfuGE12I/s1600/DSC_1042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>yippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183697575906038416.post-71501135429833858602011-07-14T09:25:00.000-07:002011-07-14T09:25:36.162-07:00summer fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1PwSpoznz-jtPAFQyXyRJqNuL4b2nbeKmaIngmAZSBHqZZKzGcA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1PwSpoznz-jtPAFQyXyRJqNuL4b2nbeKmaIngmAZSBHqZZKzGcA" width="346" /></a></div><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Here are a few of my fave easy summertime games/things to do with kids!<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>Water Painting:</u></i></b> 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!<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>Drip Drip Drop:</b></i></u> 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!<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>Shadow Tag:</b></i></u> 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!<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>Beach Collage:</b></i></u> 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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gameskidsplay.net/">Games Kids Play</a> - not a fancy pants site, but FULL of great stuff. I used this site all the time.<br />
<a href="http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/">Ultimate Camp Resource</a> - everything summer camp here!<br />
<a href="http://holidays.kaboose.com/summer/">Kaboose Holidays</a> - mash up of everythingyippie mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129989078485048485noreply@blogger.com7