Humble Bee

Ah, Thats Better!

2012-01-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Currently, I am reading My life in France. Great little read that is quite informative. and after giving it some thought I decided to take a page from Julia Childs book and just go with it. I never dreamed of hanging anything on the walls of our kitchen let alone kitchen gadgets and accessories. I just imagined it would be chaotic looking or overly cluttered. I just kept everything in a large deep drawer but always found myself wasting time searching for things over and over. Basically, I just gave up trying to find the same items every time I wanted to use them. I talked it over with my hubby and he said, what are you waiting for. Picked up my peg board and the store did all the cuts that I wanted free of charge. I primed the board and really liked Julia Childs blue peg board but decided just to keep mine white for now. The cost for this project was $15 including the hooks . The rest of the peg board will be used on another project coming soon. Other sources showed hanging baskets with onions and wooden spoons and that is definitely something I would love to add in the future.

I did not take a picture but I popped off the sides of an old crib thanks Karen! and re-purposed the wood. the wood slats were screwed to the wall then the peg board was secured to the wood.


Awesome new pastry brush! Thanks mom.

I am really loving the organization that this project has created. The drawer has opened up space for dishcloths and towels and pens and paper and in turn, making my under sink area a much nicer place to visit. The last thing to add is a piece of artwork that says Bon Appetit!

Surprising News!

2011-12-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

Good News! I successfully finished my first Shape Kit and discovered that I lost 7.5 lbs on my fourth week. I knew something was different simply by the way my jeans fit. As I mentioned before they were just falling off. I even slipped on a pair of brand new jeans that I was never able to wear more than 6 years ago! I ran around the house jumping for joy! Over the holidays I indulged a bit but nothing over the top. So now after taking two days off of Visalus I am back on track and feeling great. I am still amazed at my progress and the direction I am headed. Below is one of my favorite shakes that I look forward to each & every morning. Occasionally, my oldest daughter and I have arguments over who gets the first batch.

I would consider this one my morning treat and then for lunch I go a more simpler route. Lunch would be a simple cup of Almond Milk, Banana, and ice cubes. Speaking of ice cubes I should mention that a glass blender is a heck of a lot better than plastic any day and of course you know the trick right? Actually, several tricks are to keep the blender running while you add powder so it does not stick to the sides. My mother complains that powder just sticks to the sides and the solution is to keep the blender running then add Visalus.

The second trick it to use your blender machine to wash out your vessel. Add water, couple drops of soap then lock your blender in place and whirl away. Some brands even have the button that says "clean." Easy peasy.

Raspberry Orange Smoothie
2/3 cup Orange Juice
3/4 Greek Yogourt
10 oz. Frozen Raspberries
1 Tablespoon milled Flax Seed or Flax oil {see picture}
1 tsp. Honey
2 Scoops of Visalus
Blend in the order given. Blend smooth. Fill your drinking vessel, mug, jug or whatever pleases you and enjoy!

I started out using Liberte Yogourt that was 7% MF and of course this was super tasty but higher in calories and fat. My husband stepped in and saved the day by making a simple modification for my shake by lowering milk fats and switching to O% MF yogourt. I am excited to see where I will end up on my 90th day of the Challenge! I will have to come up with a new set of goals now that I met my first goal of not sleeping the afternoon away!
~Becki

I Discovered Something!

2011-12-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

Recently, I discovered something new and I want to share it with you! I found something awesome! Let me start off by saying I am a very skeptical person and I hate wasting time & money. Anyone out there hate doing something only to find out you just wasted your time and efforts? I can't be the only one. I pushed my skepticism aside and went with my heart. I also knew that if I did not like the product I could return it, so that alone was a deal breaker. I always feel better about something if I can return it, if indeed, it does end up sucking.

I am talking about Body by Vi. Jam packed full of vitamins, easy, and tastes great! My story starts with me and the fact that I was so tired. I would nap 2 hours a day almost every day of the week. If I did not nap I would completely glaze over from 4-7pm and every thing would be a blur. I would go on auto pilot while I cooked dinner and helped my oldest with her math. It has been two weeks now and I can just take a quick cat nap for about 20 minutes and still feel fresh enough to chase after my two year old. Unfortunately, I did not think to take pictures in the beginning but I'm positive I am making progress because my jeans fall off. While I would love to show you how my jeans just fall to the floor I am sure my husband would not be amused.

Body by Vi is suitable for all types of people who are interested in investing in their health. You can use it to simply have a healthier lifestyle, use it for weight loss or to help maintain healthy physique while bodybuilding.

I am in my mid thirties and learning {just now} to do things for myself {selfish I know!}. Shame on me for being so selfish and putting myself first! My goal was not to lose weight and that just ended up being a bonus for me. I was so tired and feeling so crappy that driving to the grocery store was a huge challenge. My update for two weeks is simply that I have energy. At this time I cannot report a weight loss because we don't own scales. I will keep you posted on my 90 Day Challenge and if you want to take a challenge with me I would love that.

You can check out Body by Vi here.

I want to share my favorite recipe and even both my children love it! No kidding! My kids will eat spinach and I wasn't even tricking them. I picked up this recipe from the gals over at One Charming Party and adapted it to Body by Vi by turning it into one super powerful shake. I drink this in the wee hours of the am then I am supercharged and left feeling full. I can holla out,
"Watch out laundry, here comes Mama Bear!" Not sure why I'm Mama Bear, but my friend calls herself Mama Bird so I got Mama Bear.

Source: One Charming Party

Green Smoothie
4 cups loosely packed Baby Spinach {You should really use baby if you can} Adult spinach tastes a little earthy in my opinion.
1 1/2 cups Orange Juice
1 Ripe Banana
2 cups Frozen Light colored fruit {Pineapple, Peach, Mango, or Honeydew}
2 Scoops of Visalus

Blend 1 minute on high until there are no chunks.
You need to also place in the blender in the order I have given.
This makes 4 8oz. servings.

I will be hosting a taste test party soon so if you are interested in taking the 90 Day Challenge please contact me. If you are feeling adventurous you can even try a green smoothie! You will love it!
~Becki

All Hallow's Eve {A month ago}

2011-11-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

The Halloween fun seemed to go on and on and on. My mother came down from Fredericton to take the girls out and the fun never stopped. We attended the Haunted House at the High School, had a couple social parties, one school assembly, official trick or treat night and finally ended the festivities with a witch's tea and game of cards. Megan was a witch for all the social activities but when the time came to go trick or treating she dressed up super warm in her spider suit. The spider and the ladybug survived a cold night. My mother did not waste any time and quickly snagged all the cans of Pepsi.

We tried something new this year and the plan worked really well. I went to the sally ann store and picked up some awesome books including hardcovers for 45 cents. After trick or treating we did Books for Treats and they spread out the candy and each picked 5 treats and then exchanged the rest for the pile of books. They chose to eat the candy in one sitting and I was pleased with the results. I believe a lady in British Columbia started the idea and as soon as I find her link I will have to post it. Such a great idea!

I definitely felt like all the angles were covered, all the T's were crossed and all the i's were dotted except when my youngest went door to door I forgot to snap a shot. Oh well.

{School Treats}


{Class Carvings}

{Getting creepy}


{I am definitely not going in}


{The creativity does not cease to amaze me}

{Another creative neighbor who makes his own props}


{Witch's Tea with Mother}

{Ladybug}

Phew! That was exhausting! I would consider taking a nap but looking at the calender we are now at the end of November. We have already decorated for holidays and had our first tree up. Trees up, trees down we can't find the right tree. We aren't really that fussy but when I can see the wall through the bows I had to pack it up. We tried to fake it and just couldn't. In the meantime I hope to get some crafting done.

~Becki

Scrapping 4x6's

2011-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Anyone a fan of scrapbooking? I love to scrap my 4x6's mostly because it is easier and I do not like to crop my photos. I simply do not have time. I do well to take photos, edit, and send order to Costco. I just want to capture the moment then print and paste. My hobby is generally done in the winter months when I hunker down to hibernate from the cold and blowing snow. I can already feel the need to stay home, plug in the kettle for hot cocoa, and let the creativity flow.

By shear accident I discovered a wonderful website where we learn a new interactive scrapbooking technique for each month of the year. My favorite part is that it involves 4x6 photos exclusively. Love. Love. I was always discouraged by the odd number configurations that a popular scrapbooking magazine published. Asking for 3x2's, 4x4, 5x8 etc...and just ended up being super frustrated at the printers because the numbers never worked out to my advantage. So during the summer months I discovered Shimelle Laine. I simply watch her videos and then go ahead and create my own version of interactive scrapbooking layout. I found that I was actually having fun! If you enjoy scrapping and have never taken an exacto knife to slice your plastic page protector then you will have a blast! I was definitely stepping on the other side of fear for this project.

{Four photos and one open spot for journaling}

{The remaining three 4x6's}

This project was from July and since July is month seven we were supposed to scrap seven photos in our layout. And can you guess where I am headed after this blog post? Yup, you guessed right. Going to visit Shimelle at Two Peas in a Bucket to see her latest project for September, month nine.

She is a wonderful instructor and I am slowly learning about layering, layering, layering. Symmetry and layering seem to be a repeating trend in her method. But it works, it really works and that makes me happy.

Happy scrapping,

Becki

Mama's First Bird

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving Twenty Eleven

I was so excited to be doing my first big bird. I had visions of the house smelling fabulous, pies baking in the oven and the house warming up with wonderful smells from the kitchen. At first we were going to ask my Aunt Nancy if she would pick up a big bird over the US border. It always was a treat to go over or have someone to pick up a 79 cent per pound turkey. Then the opportunity came for us to have a free range {almost organic} turkey so we went with that instead after a week of deliberations. The pros outweighed the cons. So we picked up our 20lb. turkey and began the brining process. We were all excited to be part of the cooking and preparations. Our oldest, Megan, helped pluck the rosemary from our plant and sipped on her apple cider while she worked. My husband put the salt water brine to boil while I sliced the oranges and measured the cider.

I had visions of a golden turkey, lots of family and my husband making his wonderful gravy and carving our turkey at the head of the table. Everything went pretty smoothly until we started getting sick. I ended up with a painful chest cold and he ended up with a lot of bathroom visits and finally a package of immodium and toilet paper {lots of it} 12 painful hours later. By Monday morning he wanted me to find a babysitter to pay 50 bucks so that we could both go to bed and sleep for 3-4 hours.
We sure know how to have fun around here!

Aside from getting sick the weather turned and was hotter than our July weather. The kitchen thermometer reached 90 degrees and we were drenched. I had to go and dig out fans that I just put away in the attic and open every window possible. I think the temperature was a record high from 1980's. After dinner we decided to take our pie and lawn chairs and head outdoors.

A little fun with our first inaugral pumpkin push. I thought this would be something to entertain the kidlets with and I even ended up having a little chuckle or two myself. We set up a relay race with two brooms and two pumpkins that we pushed up to the chairs and back. Sometime later this week I plan to try and make puree from the pumpkins and then make muffins for snack.

We finished the day off by jotting down what we are thankful for on little pieces of paper {leaf shapes} that will be soon used in a crafty way.

Despite getting sick and losing my kitchen assistant to an illness I had a great time and I am thankful for everything in my life; all my family, my health, well being, indoor plumbing and running water. Of course must add I am thankful for our two crazy cats. One being an early morning book page flipper and the other a lover of vegetables.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Becki

Super Foods

2011-09-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today's post is all about super foods that sustain you. Fillers seem to be a waste of time and money and with the ever rising cost of groceries I am looking for foods that will sustain my family. For some reason I was choosing to feed myself poorly and my children the healthier option. I ate cookies and chugged coffee in the am while my children were given the better option. Wondering to myself why I needed a nap or had no stamina. Before the new school year started I made a promise to myself to stop relying on caffeine to get me through. Now that the time has come I wanted to share a list of foods to use in lunches or snacks.

Energy Robbers {These are just to name a few}
Limit:

Candy
Coffee
Cookies
Ice Cream
Bologna, salami, cold cuts {My personal worst}
Heavy creams, cheeses
White breads
Sugared refined boxed cereals
Bacon, sausage, ham
Commercial instant oats
Cakes and pastries

Energy Enhancers {Breakfast}
Enjoy:

Oatmeal with raisins, seeds, cinnamon
Whole grain cereal
Whole grain toast with nut butter
Boiled eggs and whole grain bread
Fruit salad or smoothie
Yogurt

Snacks for Stamina

Nuts an seeds
Fresh fruit
Natural nut and seed, granola
Veggie sticks and hummus
Air popped popcorn
Pretzels
Soy nuts
Sesame/soy sticks
Corn tortillas baked and salsa
Yogurt
Protein drink
Cheese and crackers

{Raspberry popsicle}

{Banana Bread}

Currently, my children love pureed raspberries frozen with yogurt. I put them in individual cups and freeze and serve them "ice cream" as a treat. Alternating between popsicle molds or little cups. Once I master the homemade granola {I swear there must be a secret out there nobody is telling me} then we will puree our fruit and make parfaits with yogurt. Sounds good to me!
I know your cells {in your body} will love you for this.

~Becki

Strawberry Picnic Party

2011-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

My oldest recently celebrated her 6th birthday and claims she doesn't feel any different. She told me it "doesn't hurt at all really."

On the morning of her actual birth date we went to the beach and had a surprise donut with a little candle. She couldn't believe she was allowed to eat a whole donut.

xoxo

Lunch

2011-08-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

Pretty soon I will be back in business; the business of making lunches that is. I would like to take this year's lunches beyond Kindergarten level and be more organized and prepare more homemade foods that sustain my child. I did not send pudding cups or granola bars but I did on occasion send lunch ables. Not a healthy choice but I seemed to fizzle out on Wednesday's and the occasional Friday's. Not this year!

A lot of supplies were purchased from Dollar Store and then I used stickers to put on the lids to help support the theme. No biggie if a container gets lost because it is just from dollar store. However, these containers should not be used for things that might leak (applesauce, yogurt, frozen fruit) . Then I used the dinosaur and heart shape cutters that the same store sells and added icing eyes or chocolate chips from Bulk Barn.

If you can, definitely go for Rubbermaid Blue Ice packs. This year we will be working on chicken salad on a slider bun so these ice packs are a must. I would highly recommend Thermos brand for soups or liquid type foods.

As far as specialty or going Bento I try to do this twice a week. If you can get the Easy Lunch Box and bag I think that would be a bonus for Bento style lunches. In the past Ziplock used to make the exact same style but I cannot seem to find them at the moment.

Sometimes themes can be really helpful. Using color, the alphabet or your child's favorite character can be fun as well. Dig out your cookie cutters and use them to cut fun shapes from bread, fruit leather and cheese.

These Tips are amazing! Read them and apply accordingly. At one point I was wrapping our freezer packs in tea towels and then the teacher would still return everything wrapped in plastic shopping bag.

Save time and have a stress free morning by pre-bagging all your goodies ahead of time and place them in a drawer or container. I used the snack size baggies then divided my pretzels or trail mixes.

Definitely check out Another Lunch and to get some help you get jump started for a new year of lunches.

Add a special note to your loved one with a cute printable.

Fruity Stickers from Alpha Mom

Super Sweet Lunch Notes from Paper and Pomegranates

Have a fun and stress free year of lunches.
~Becki

Morning Breakfast Picnic

2011-08-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful Saturday morning and decided to have an impromtu breakfast picnic. Luckily, I had everything I needed and tossed things in my basket and had everything together in 5 minutes. Next time I would love to use my camp cooker stove and take bacon & eggs. I think everyone who passed us on their morning walk/run was surprised to see us having a picnic breaky. We enjoyed the fresh air and then the girls chased bubbles on the grassy hill. On the drive home the little monkey played with a black marker she found in the backseat. At least this time it was not a Sharpie {permanent} marker.

Wonder what they are dreaming about tonight?

~Becki

Book Shelf {Magazine Style}

2011-08-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Rainy day here in Atlantic Canada with a fine spray of mist that makes my hair curl. Some think it's cute and some think it's unmanageable. Speaking of cute we created a practical and useful magazine style book shelf. After it was said and done I asked myself, "Now, why did I not think to make one for the other child at the same time?" My brain operates in an all or nothing state and I think this is the worst curse possible. This was supposed to be my own carpenter project where I purchased the lumber, sawed/cut lumber, painted then installed on the wall. I managed the purchase (with dad's help), the trim and paint and then my father in law drilled holes and hubby installed on the wall. I had to use a jigsaw to trim the 2x4's, and considering the tool I used I think I did an excellent job. The project cost about $20, not including paint that I already had. If I were to purchase this I think it would be well over 60 clams and to actually find one around here would be slim.

This solution is much easier to protect our precious favorites from little hands that want to rip and tear or leave sticky jam prints. To see the books face on also makes it a bonus for reading time. A lot of books I have saved from my childhood and consider them in mint condition so when one gets distroyed I am so sad.

The inspiration from this DIY came from Just A Girl (JAG) and you can get the detailed instructions here. Thanks Chris for all your hard work and providing lots of DIY projects to keep me entertained.

{I'm so pleased with this it's ridiculous}

I would rate it as easy and definitely would make more. If you don't like priming and painting your lumber then definitely invest more money and purchase the pre-primed lumber. I noticed that I did mine a wee bit different but no worries I'm still pleased.

~Becki

French Macarons

2011-07-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

Mercy! Recently, I discovered that Pioneer Woman was hosting a contest and I missed the opportunity for Macaron and Food Photography Weekend. Of course all of this was only potential because it was a contest after all. If you are familiar with Ree Drummond and her contests you will already know that a billion or sometimes gazillion people enter to win so the probability of winning is low. If there ever was a contest about winning something cool {for me} then this was it! I have wanted to make French Macroons for at least 5 years now and Fear is holding me back.

I can just envision myself getting on a plane to go to Pioneer Woman's ranch just to learn about a new technique or two taught by Helene Dujardin. I bet I would sleep really well there....or perhaps watch a certain cowboy round up them there cattle.

We are introduced to Helene's blog Tartelette which showcases beautiful food photography. I am pretty sure that this is the same Helene Dujardin that had the French cooking show on the Food Network but I will have to investigate that a little more...later. Right now my taste buds are bursting and want to make a plea bargain with my 1.5 year old, "Please, please let mommy make it to the store for ingredients so she can whip up some pastel colored treats!" What do your taste buds burst for?

{Raspberry Mascarpone Macarons}

{Powdered Strawberry & Vanilla Bean Macarons}

Most importantly Helene provides an accurate and detailed tutorial. Regardez la.

Have a beautiful day!
~Becki

Credit: All photos belong to Helene Dujardin.

C is for Caravans & Creativity

2011-05-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
We received our latest copy{May}of Cath Kidston and just couldn't get enough of the holivans and campers so I had to blog about it. When I discovered that Happy Loves Rosie was featured in the mag I was quite surprised. I guess you just never know what life will throw your way. I wish I could pull off a vintage camper in the back yard but quite positive that pigs would fly before a camper sat contently in the backyard. I think it would block out my neighbors perfectly. I would stock pile with homemade quilts, books, hot drinks or cold lemonade and various other sundries. Of course I would need a mini fridge and a long extension cord so I could hide my secret stash of Lemon Liberte yogurt.

The 1940's Teardrop looks pretty cute as well. Everything you need in a nutshell or in this case a teardrop. The closest I can get to this concept is having a vintage pic nic basket and Scottish plaid, wool blanket in the trunk. We just need decent weather. So far we made it to the beach 3 times and each visit was overwhelmingly beautiful. I even got to read a few pages of Sea Glass while kidlets filled buckets with sand.

{I absolutely must have that little red radio}

Camping is definitely on the list this year but we might have to wait until August when everything dries up from all this rain. Cannot wait to take my firecracker and stink bug camping. I see the stores now sell gigantore marshmallows for roasting. I can just imagine how fun it will be pulling out sticky marshmallows from their hair before tucking them in bed. Maybe I should just stick with unroasted and sweet talk my hubby into getting some strawberry marshmallows {only found in United States} on his next trip to US border.

I hope you all have Happy thoughts despite the miserable rain. If you need a boost check out Happy Loves Rosie. I can't help but walk away with a smile & spring in my step.
~Becki

Resources: Green Camper Courtesy happylovesrosie.co.uk

1940's Replica Teardrop, telegraph.co.uk/travel

Hunter Wellies & A Box of Tissue

2011-04-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Photo Source: Carrie {the vintage wren}

I have sadness deep in my heart. If anyone knows me I don't generally make frivolous purchases on a weekly or monthly basis if at all. I calculate and weigh every option before going for the big plunge. I was going to treat myself. I have wanted Hunter Wellies now for a long time. I finally decided to go for the big plunge. I got the ball really rolling when I invited a friend down to visit me and we would go shopping together. This would solidify the purchase. No waffling here. We even planned a little Easter holiday around these wellies. Woodland walks, cigars, chocolate lab cuddles, and cow manure caked on solid. Secretly, I was even planning on wearing the wellies to bed!

My friend arrived and even agreed to bring my mother along for the visit. Nanny watched my babies while we went to get boots. Long story short the dang boots did not fit! Put the passport away, no trips to Scotland to round up sheep, shovel manure or sip scotch. My friend was successful but I was not. I went home with a heavy heart.

I told my husband later and he said that he had something to tell me. He told me he was into the shoe store earlier that week and already bought the boots! He is about two city blocks away and must have went there on his lunch break earlier in the week. The whole thing backfired. Shelley at the Urban Shoe Myth was going to tell me a secret admirer already settled the bill when I went to go pay. Except I never made it to the register. Thank you to my sweet husband for the treat and I appreciate the thought. You can now help yourself to the secret boot stash of cash hidden in the cupboard.

I would be in a dilly of a pickle right now if I ordered online.

~Becki

Love Notes

2011-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Good Monday Morning!

I absolutely love getting notes in the mail. Dear sweet Maria from Sweden sent a note a week ago and we were tickled pink to find a surprise in our box. My oldest enjoyed the Hello Kitty sticker she placed with the note. That lead to an idea...Hello Kitty themed Lunch. Funny how one thing leads to another.

If anyone is interested in participating in a postcard exchange you should head over to Fairfield House and add your name to the link or email Deborah if you don't have a blog, but still would like to join the fun. If you have little ones or are looking to find new pen pals then I highly recommend this activity.

I have a 5 year old and we absolutely love the idea of receiving and sending postcards. She has fun going to the post office and explaining to everyone what we are doing. From an educational standpoint we both learn something new about a different city, state or country.

I would love a post card from France... hint hint. Or trade a parcel of Dutch Cocoa for Crosby's Molasses? I digress as cocoa {sadly} has nothing to do with postcards.

~Becki

Organic Coconut Oil

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

My dear father in law will be so pleased we finally took the time to purchase our first jar of coconut oil. So far we are happy with the results of the product. I know some of you are thinking, "eww, yuck!" Seriously, this stuff is like gold! I have an incredibly strong sense of smell and would be hard pressed to detect any coconut smell or taste for that matter. I personally love coconut so unrefined would be okay with me but you should stick with refined if you have issues. I never did ask my fil how he heard about it but sure glad he shared this amazing find with us.

{Try me with Rice Krispy Squares}

Cake Talk

2011-02-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is serious cake talk. Once in your life you should make & bake this cake for yourself or someone you love. Worth every ounce of energy. I have wanted to do this cake forever and a long time. Normally, I would not take all the effort to bake my own cake but this year I had no choice. I couldn't not have this cake. {The grammar police in me is cringing at my usage of double negatives}. We loved looking at the vibrant colors and of course the pretty skittles were fun to eat. My only mistake was not putting enough red dye in the cake as the color turned out pinkish. The batter looked fine but baked lighter. I think this cake will be the new family tradition for birthdays for the kidlets. Warning: Don't do this cake if you don't have a lot of people to share with.

This idea comes from one of my favorite places to visit and that is The Idea Room. If Amy did not mention how to divide the cake into equal measurements I never would have attempted this cake. I don't have the time or patience to experiment. My baby naps once during the day and that is my only time to shine. I have two hours to succeed or fail. So thanks for sharing your cake so that we could all have fun with it. And believe me we have had fun! Get the details here. We talked about this cake so much I am officially done with it until the next birthday. My birthday is Friday, Feb.25th and I think I will just have a salad.
~Becki

Holiday Trimmings

2011-01-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

We certainly went out with a bang this year. You could say our family was super busy by our standards. I think in total we had and attended a total of 7 parties. By January first I was completely knackered! All my extra energy that I had went towards chasing baby Kate at houses that were not baby proof and chasing the kitten away from ornaments. Who keeps China tea pots on lower levels of shelves anyway? My father wanted to know why there were no ornaments on the lower half of the tree. I will give you two guesses; one craps in a box and the other craps in her pants {with diaper}.

There was a nice fresh centerpiece made from borrowed tree tips from the forest placed in a wooden plant box and filled with silver balls. We added tea lights and pine cones and Ana ruined 3/4 of our display in a matter of minutes. I walked my daughter to school and returned to a dining room full of smashed silver balls and pulverized cones. I should have taken a picture but had to scramble quickly to get the glass off the floor before baby Kate stepped in it. Ana kitten did cut herself because I noticed the fresh white tablecloth had a couple bloody paw prints on it. I just ironed it the night before!
I had a special present from Sweden to open and my family was just bugging me everyday to open.
That was really fun to exchange gifts. I sent Maria a pewter ornament with our provincial bird and flower; the chickadee and purple violet. I have the exact same one so we have matching ornaments.
I also made her a red and white banner. She was supposed to get the handmade tags but the wrong ones were put in and she ended up with factory tags with English phrases of Merry Christmas. She sent me some lovely goodies including some of her photography. I have yet to take photos of what she sent so I will have to do that at another time. She sent a cute craft for me and Megan to work on and a necklace that I will wear for my upcoming Birthday party. She also sent a heart shaped soap which I think you can see in the silver bells photo above. When things settle back to schedule and school begins I can use nap time to write thank you notes. Thanks so much Maria! Tack så mycket!

{peppermint, polka dots pennant}

Happy New Year!
~Beck

Silent Night

2010-12-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Vanessa is on a creative streak. She blames this on me and tells me this "crafting is all your fault!" I just had to laugh and because life is to short to think negatively I will just think on a positive note to her remark and take all the credit. She has made the sugar cube cottages, rose balls, yarn wrapped letters, ball ornament wreaths and a kitchen chalkboard. She is rock'n it!

I love the chalkboard because it is so big and gigantic. She makes it look even cuter by writing Silent Night and adding a Christmas countdown. Maybe she did that so the children would stop asking how many days left every 5 minutes. Either way I love Silent Nights and would sing it to my babies anytime kind of like a lullabye. When I think of Christmas this song always come to my mind.

I believe she used several coats of magnetic paint then added the chalkboard paint. Her sweet handyman framed the chalkboard and that was it. The children can draw on the bottom half while mommy makes dinner and the other half can be used for love notes or honeydew lists. No more paper trails of notes and necessities.
~Becki

Shortbread Cookies

2010-12-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

Shortbread Cookies
My husband's cousin,Terri, made these beautiful shortbread cookies and do they ever look scrumptious! I wanted to have ~~a dozen~~ two with my piping hot coffee the day she finished them. Since we are not able to stroll over and share her tasty treats I thought it would be almost the same if we had her pictures and pretend we were there.

She also finished a gingy house with cute little peppermint pathway and spearmint leaves for hedges. Every house needs a little greenery. Megan's eyes lit up when she saw the roof because it was dotted with all her favorite candies.

I am going to have to add the recipe later because I am beyond knackered.
~Becki

Sugar Cube Cottage

2010-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

{Sugar Love}

My sweet friend Vanessa {first guest} and her daughter made this sugar cube cottage in 2009 and I immediately thought in the back of my mind that I should post this for next year. A year has gone by and here we are. An updated twist to the standard Gingerbread House. She used 5 boxes of sugar cubes and 5 boxes made two houses. For the glue she used royal icing and added more icing to garnish the house with the frosty look of icicles and snow.

I would love to try this in all white with silver dragees and put a tea light {battery operated} inside. Another house in red & white for a Swedish Christmas {God Jul}.

Please go over to I heart nap time for the Sundae Scoop so you can get some other fabulous craft ideas or to just sit and browse at all the goodies. After we finish our own gingerbread or sugar love houses I am hanging up the glue gun, sitting back and enjoying all the fruits of our labor{and yours}. No more glitter, no more glue, I want to sit back and enjoy the holiday with you!

2010 Sugar Cube Cottage


Light's on, somebody's home!

Vanessa is already dreaming up new ideas for next year including wax paper windows and red licorice pathways lined with lollypops.
Resources:
House & Home Christmas Issue 2003. Design Editor, Morgan Mitchener.
I am linking up with i heart nap time, just something i whipped up and blue cricket design.

~Becki

Holiday Ornaments=Mental Torture!

2010-12-11T20:05:00.000-08:00


{Note the chapter: A Desperate Situation}

These were supposed to be tortured book page ornaments and I think that the only one that was tortured was me. One ball took me an entire episode of Boardwalk Empire and I still needed to finish a bit the next day. I went mental! I found the instructions here. I recently visited Pinecone's blogspot and found Ashlyn's Pinwheel instructions here.

The ball is not even complete yet because I still need to add embellishments! Mercy will the pain ever end! I remember my grandmother Stewart making Santa Clauses out of old Reader's Digests and I wonder what kind of trouble she might have found herself in. I wonder if she swore that she would never make another...yet somehow ended up doing a dozen. I remember Santa's head falling off but I think the glue just dried out from the heat of the wood stove. Now I wish we had kept all those old trinkets, but at the time maybe she just never wanted to see one again and tossed him. Tortured book pages are just plain torturous! The pinwheels were a breeze and I sailed through those easily. Unfortunately, once I got into the wine I forgot what I was doing and ended up making super huge pinwheels that could sail a small boat to China and back. Good thing I stopped at two.

Moving on...Scrabble Love

{Love You}

On a happier note the scrabble tile ornaments were super fun, and turned out super cute.
Can't find these babies at the Hallmark store! I did not saw off any digits and had fun with the
sander making everything factory smooth. I used up all my G's in Eggnog so I had to
use my spare and add my own G in Jingle. Let's here some of that J-I-N-G-L-E! JINGLE BELLS. If you need instructions it would be ideal if you just went here.
{I picked up my Scrabble board for $1.50}.
Excellent Teacher gift.

~Becki

Trees, Trees, No More Please!

2010-12-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

My father works at this nursery where they were getting ready to clear out a ton of cedar trees that were ranging from 6ft. to 7ft. tall and they were just going to dump them. He graciously thought of us and how nice it would be to have an instant hedge. So, on that note he filled his truck with 13 cedar trees and headed down our way. November 27th the day we put up our holiday tree we also received a load of cedar trees; instant hedge. No secret walks on crown land at night this year. Crazy part was the price tags on these trees. I am not bragging about the price just can't believe we got these all for free! There must be $1700 worth of trees out there. One tree is $150 and others range around $90. My favorite is the cute little Japanese Yew that will have pretty little red berries someday. This lucky gem got a nice plot out front.

So between the snow, rain we are out trying to get them in. At this point I think the rest will have to wait until spring. Either Santa shows up with a heavy duty chainsaw to get past the roots or delivers a decent sharp axe to plow through the tangled mess. I stopped at my last tree a few days ago when I dug up a studded dog collar. I held my breath, grunted, heaved and dropped in the last cedar and ran like the dickens! I hope it was just a collar I find {if I go back}....

I never dreamed to be planting trees in December.

~Becki

Baby Kate Turns ONE

2010-12-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

My goodness we have been busy! My baby turned one at the end of November. A whole year has passed in the blink of an eye. Well, the first eight months were interesting and of course in the thick of it all it seems quite different. A lot of HGTV and a lot of nursing by the tree and more nursing and HGTV than I could handle. Night turned into days and days turned into nights and crafting seemed like something of the past. I still have not made it to the scrapbooking but once the old winter hits I will get back at it. I have been recording her milestones and writing everything down from her first pooh to her first tooth and taste of steak and all that fun stuff that babies do. She even got a little haircut tonight because she was starting to sport a little mullet and I could not stand it. What a difference a trim makes!

Kate had a snowstorm on her birthday party day and we were thankful for grandparents

who could make it, friends and aunt & uncle and cousin who braved the snowy roads.

I am glad we could help her celebrate in style with P Dub's Beans & Brown Bread.

I'm sure there were a lot of comforters ruffling that night. My regret was that we did not

do the meatballs from scratch. Lessons learned; make your own balls. I was tired and

started to cut corners. I was so tired, in fact, that I was on the cupboard counter reaching

for something up top and stepped back and fell right off the counter. I was shocked that

I could have done something so stupid.

Happy First Birthday Kate!

Holly Jolly

2010-12-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

This was a last minute photo session with my youngest. I don't think she has yet to cry on any photo taking opportunities to this date. Don't get me wrong she can certainly cry and has her moments especially when she is hungry or thirsty. Like clockwork everyday at ten minutes to five she is hollering. You'd think she had been out working in the woods all day cutting logs for the upcoming winter by the way she demands her dinner. I can hear myself saying, "Quick someone toss her a shank of steak, baked potato, molasses cookie and warm milk before we all lose our marbles!" Thank goodness she loves to get involved in her photos along with her sidekick Ana kitten.

Today Lisa is also featuring a sneaky tale of one of her daughter's clever tricks. Click here and you can read her story and see some cute captures of black & white Wednesday. Happy Wednesday & Happy December!
~Becki

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

2010-11-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

This week started off on a good note. I needed this. Badly. Holiday tunes alone could not bring me out of my funk. I wasn't in the mood to craft, cook or paint anything, however; I did manage to enter a few giveaways. I was searching for party ideas and found One Charming Party. They have all kinds of wonderful ideas for party and party planning. I was especially attracted to the Wizard of Oz party theme and all the little details. One Charming Party happened to have a week long giveaway on the go so I thought it couldn't hurt to try. Much to my surprise I won something! When I saw my name had been drawn I literally jumped up, threw my hands in the air and yelled, "yahoo!" My baby was quite startled by mommy's unusual actions and just started clapping her hands.

I won a $25 credit certificate to Shop Sweet Lulu. Lots of yummy party supplies to get you in the mood to party. No doubt I will choose something red & white.

~Becki

BW Wednesday~Robert Redford

2010-11-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

{Second shot was the winner}

These pictures I love. I should have made a toddler size newspaper for him to hold, but I think we did well with the glasses alone and you all know how things go when we try to push the limit. If he was holding a stocking in one hand I would use this as my holiday cards in a heartbeat (with his mother's permission of course). I retract that statement. I would use this on any card for any occasion.

His name is not really Robert Redford. That was just me being silly and needing a title for the photo.
Lovely Liam {heart}.

Join the fun at The Long Road to China

I can't wait to put the children to bed tonight and settle down in a cozy spot and see what everyone has to share this week.

~Becki

Frosty Wall Art

2010-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

My 5 year old's eyes popped open REALLY wide when she first saw this because she actually thought I would cut up our "Frosty the Snowman" book. I told her I would never consider cutting up one of my beloved childhood favorites. She said, "good mommy, because you would have to have a long time out for that." So all you do folks is copy or scan your favorite page from a book and hang on the wall. You could embellish any way you like, but I prefer to keep mine plain. Maybe the one that goes in the children's bedrooms will have a little more glitter and sparkle.

My grandfather built the frame and I just love it. I believe I had it as a baby with a cross stitch of a yellow duck. The wood is natural just how I like it. No bleaching, no sitting in the sun, no sanding or extra fussing. Easy peasy project. Old frame + Old Picture ( scanned from book) + Cut & Trim out and hung on the wall.

You could use this for cards, tags, wrapping paper, toilet paper or anything your creative heart desires, but unless you want to spend your holidays behind bars please do not profit from this.

~Becki

Holiday Traditions

2010-11-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Currently, I am working on getting my holiday ducks in a row. If I can manage all the prep work in November then execution of the traditions for December should be a breeze. This will be our second year of unwrapping books and reading them each night throughout December. Me being me made sure to pass on the information to daddy so in case anything happens he knows what to do. Sidebar: I should make a binder filled with directions and motherly secrets for emergency.

This tradition is simple, easy and fun for young ones. I found enough holiday books so that my oldest can unwrap 2 books per night leading up to Christmas Eve. They are wrapped, put in a basket and set aside, waiting for December 1st. The only one that is specially marked is 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'

I left the Christmas Carols and holiday craft books unwrapped. We have 3 organized crafts per week so we don't want to wait till mid December before starting or she might not unwrap the book till near the end so that does not work in this case. We love us some good songs to sing as well so better leave that book out and available now.

Although we have our holiday season tradition list completed, approved, printed and framed I would love to hear what other traditions you might have. A beautiful friend of mine makes sparkling, sugar cube houses and I am really hoping she will send a photo then, I can share with you.

~Becki

Holiday Tags

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I promised myself not to jump the gun too much, but just could not help myself. This was just something casual and quite simple. I did not want to invest any money or a lot of time into this quickie. As an avid scrapper I do love me some chipboard, however; I would never pay the price they charge and turn around and use it on a tag that will either be tossed or sent to the crackling wood stove. If the tag has an opportunity to be recycled then I'm okay with that.


{See my ugly marker tracings?}

I recycled a cereal box {raisin bran}and used a ruler to cut out a tag shape then covered it in scrap paper from the holiday stash and pasted the first layer. I placed them under two heavy books {Shakespeare & Websters} and waited a good day before finishing the tags. I'm glad I waited till everything dried. I also covered the back of the tag with a brown paper bag. I could see my black tracing lines and markings for where to trim. The fun part of course was garnishing the tags! The end results are cute and whimsical. This is Raisin Bran with holiday flare.

I asked my 5 year old if we should sell them and she raised her eyebrows up and replied, "I don't think so!" I then asked her if she had her own card making company what would she call it. Without hesitation she said, "Card Ink," which I thought was clever because I was thinking 'Card Inc.' the business and she was thinking 'ink' because we sometimes use markers on our cards.

Let the holiday magic begin!

~Becki

Fill'er Up Please

2010-10-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if our little guy was sad they had to stop playing and fill up the Jeep or exhibiting typical male signs of impatience. Either way I am so happy that I was there to capture this moment. I can't wait to get my stairway done so I can frame this one and add to the black and white gallery. I will definitely be smiling every time I pass them. I can easily calculate that is a lot of smiling in my future as I must go up and down stairs a hundred times a day. My sneaks know the route by heart.

Blondies out for a morning cruise. On their way to the barn to collect fresh eggs.

Don't forget to go here and find some other black and white beauties. Lisa has wonderful news to share with you all.

~Becki

Basement Love

2010-10-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Between last Wednesday and today I have been keeping busy painting, blogging, purging, and filling the rest of the gaps with baby stuff. Of course there are meals to make, laundry and all that other stuff that seems to fall on your lap whether you like it or not. In between all the painting I found a couple new blogs to read, exchanged mailing addresses, learned a photography skill and so much more! Here is proof that a multitasker can show her husband love AND paint all at the same time. What a win win situation!

I gave the basement brick wall some love literally. The brick was in this house for 40 years and probably never received this much attention. Washed, scrubbed, painted with a heart then covered in crisp linen by CIL. Then of course since I had the primer opened I did the rest of the laundry room while the baby napped. I got about halfway before she woke so that is good. I'm also certain I heard the wall whisper and sigh....ahhh thank you, I needed that.
Love can show up in all kinds of strange places.

~Becki

{Primer/After}

{Before}

{With Love}

Eerie

2010-10-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Technically these are not all black and white but with the gray fog and color of tombstones I was creeped out enough. I look back and still cannot believe how foggy it was that day.
Head over to The Long Road to China and join the fun.

We celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving and it came and went entirely too fast.
I didn't do any of the traditions we normally do and was overtired. The pictures that were taken are proof of how tired I was and it ain't pretty. My mother came to visit and I think I did too much all at once. By the time the long weekend was over I felt almost sick with exhaustion. On the flip side we got a lot done. We primed, painted and walked morning and night. Sadly, sodas fueled our fires along with countless pots of coffee. Maybe too much caffeine wrecked some havvock on my body and drained me.

From start to finish we accomplished a lot; 2 dressers, 2 night tables and the hardware. Priming each piece of hardware by hand made me a little bananas, but worth it. All the Halloween finishing touches were completed as well. For most this probably could be done no sweat any day but with a baby around these things take just a little longer. Then the kitten. She got her whiskers coated in the paint so we had to take a break and wash her whiskers, then her tail, then her paws. I finally clued in to put her in the playroom and shut the door so she would stop attacking the roller.

Now I have to make an executive decision; distress and sand the dressers to go for shabby chic look or leave them alone.

~Becki

Endless Summer

2010-09-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Black & White Wednesday

We had a fantastic summer that just seemed to last forever. Even now at the tail end of September we are having 17 and 18 degree weather. We had a great sense of purpose this summer as we followed our summer list of fun things to do.
In turn, we will make a fall list and create some more memories.

Crossing the harbour bridge today I followed a vehicle with Iowa plates and noticed how there was a pretty yellow bird. It was about the only thing I could see as the fog was incredibly thick. How neat it would have been if the person driving was a fellow blogger on a crazy mission to the Maritimes.

Go over here if you want to play along or if you just want to have a look at some fun photos captured in black & white. I can't speak for Lisa but I'm sure she would love to have ya!

~Becki

Time to Get Cozy Warm

2010-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

I found this blanket in my old ski patrol backpack and it is my new favorite blankie. So warm, soft and just incredibly cozy. All this time passed and it sat quietly folded in the pack and never once complained of neglect. We have a lot of making up to do. First we start with a piping hot coffee and pair that with a good book and we are set for the evening.

I still have not picked up a jug of chalkboard paint so I am still using black craft paint. I used a small piece of cardboard and made a sign for the basket. It is what works for now.
Next stop is the box of Halloween goods. Time to get gothic glamour up and running. The crows are just dying to get out and stretch their wings.

~Becki

I'm so far behind!

2010-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Egads! I posted some pictures for black & white Wednesday over at the Long Road to China but forgot to link up! And since then everything has snowballed. I guess we spent more time preparing for Kindergarten than I thought. We made bentos right left and centos. Testing things and menu listed until I could list no more. We perfected our bed making, dressing and anything else that had to do with getting ready in the am.

The day after our storm with Earl we went out and did school photos. I figured there was no way we would be taking photos on the day of with all the excitement around us. We popped over to the school on Labour Day weekend and it worked out really well. We were the only ones there so we could take our time, no pressure and nice and quiet. We had a special project we worked on while Earl blew his way around our house on Saturday. Wasn't that bad of a storm just blustery and super hot! The floors were sticky and we were melting. We finished our special project and tried to explain to our daughter what it was. I think she kind of half got it.

We have to give all the credit to Kami over at no biggie for this project. I loved it the moment I saw it. I wondered how many other moms and dads saw the speech bubble and went ahead and did it. So clever! Thanks again Kami, you never cease to amaze me. We did not have chalk paint so we just used black paint for now. Worked with chalk then I just wiped off with a damp rag. I also did not have room to write Kindergartener or use an exclamation mark. I should have asked my lovely assistant for something clever to say.

I said, "while you are holding the sign could you open you mouth, pretend you are smiling, but saying something at the same time?"
She replied that that was too much and could only smile. Our lovely assistant a.k.a daddy held the sign so she had one less thing to concentrate on. Fun times in the Maritimes! Can't
believe I just said that....

~Becki

Secret Agent Black & White Wednesday

2010-08-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Downtown Saint John. Permanent fixtures in our port city. Mr. Secret Agent and his pigeon
feeding friend. Kind of embarrassing that I messed up and forgot to link up with The Long Roadto China on this post earlier, (like 2 weeks ago) but I'm doing alright this week I think. My baby is now sleeping through the nights so I'm getting there slowly.

Ana Banana

2010-08-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

Never mind the dust particles now...that was out of my hands. Little Ana Banana stopped just in time for a quickie. Why can't they stay little kittens forever?

Head over here to link up with Lisa for Black & White Wednesday. Fun, fun, fun!

~Becki

Just Crabby

2010-07-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to a black & white Wednesday! Wow. Life just took over. We did find a nice little
crab at the seaside. I would say my dd is a little obsessed with all these ocean wonders. I continuously find crab parts all around me and just have to laugh. Just the other day I saw a big crab arm and claw in the bottom basket of our stroller while waiting in a lineup somewhere.
So here is our black and white submission for today. This is going on the wall for sure.

Let's head over and see what Lisa is up to today at The Long Road to China
I can't wait to see how everyone has been spending their summer.
~Becki

Jam Pots

2010-06-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

On June 25th Kate turned 7 months. We awoke to a sunny day so I thought it would be a great time to go strawberry picking. She ate her first unwashed strawberry! I thought about the worst case scenario and figured we could run for benadryl if necessary. She made out just fine. My little ladybug turned quite angry when I pulled the berry away so she would not choke on the stem.

Our (my) goal was to make jam with all the berries we picked. My goodness what a mess! I had sugar all over the table, berry juice dripping onto the floor and no oven mitts to take the jars from the oven. In the end everything was super sticky.

The last time I made jam was with my aunt Mary Jane. I thought it was only a few years ago, but the old stickers on the jars told the truth. Almost eight years ago! I have been carrying canning jars in a box for 8 years! I wish she was with me the other day to make the process a little smoother. All the jars sealed except one and the jam settled. The jam pots turned out great, but too embarrassed to say how I severely burnt my tongue. Thank you Auntie Mary Jane for showing me how to make jam.

Moving Stinks!

2010-06-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

May 26th ~ We moved. If you have done it you know how terrible it really is. On a positive note it does encourage a healthy purge. Our first house. I still feel giddy as I type. Slogging through the boxes, living out of a cooler and using the BBQ with two children under 5 has been challenging. Things are looking up since the oven and fridge arrived on June 5th.
I was hesitant about moving to the port city of Saint John, New Brunswick. We are only an hour away from our parents so that is not so bad. I do miss being able to scoot over to mom's for a quick visit. The other option is Ottawa, which is 15-16 hours away so Saint John is okay with me. The best part is that everyone is so friendly! Maybe all cities are like this and this is normal? I just can't get over how the neighbors and people you don't know are saying hello.

The best, best part...being so close to the ocean. I love the ocean! My oldest daughter seems to like it as much as me. Can't wait to take photos of her running in the sand.

Kate

2010-05-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been exhausting. Easter was a blur. It seems once Kate cut her first two teeth everything went downhill. Somehow she turned 5 months. Just to add more chaos to the mix we bought a house and we are preparing to move to Saint John, New Brunswick. We have a rather quick closing and by May 21 we will have our very own set of keys. No one will be living beside, on top or under us. I'm not looking forward to the moving part, but I am ecstatic about Kate having her own room. So when she naps we can go out to our backyard or playroom. Best of all Sunday walks at the ocean! Ocean rocks galore. So smooth and perfect. I digress... Back to Kate being 5 months.

Kate can do the following:
rollover and back
roll out of bumbo with faceplant
fit toes in mouth

hold her spoon and jams her cereal in
laughing to a chuckle
mommy's girl
4 teeth
rarely naps in the daytime

Easter Weekend

2010-05-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend at the Farmhouse. Nova Scotia. The eggs were dyed with onion skins in a big pot of boiling water. The children had an opportunity to feed the baby lambs on Easter morning. Nanny Kay filled the special baby bottles and each child fed a lamb. Quite a special privilege for 8.30am on Easter morning. The morning ended with a traditional egg hunt outdoors. More photos next week.

Go to this blog for more photos. Lisa has an extra special black & white Wednesday today.

Fall Photo

2010-03-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Please go to The Long Road to China if you want to play along.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-03-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I participated in MPM. It feels good to be back on track. I had a light bulb effect; no plan means failure to succeed and MANY trips to the grocery store. So I have finally got the hang of nursing my bebe and filling out the menu Sunday nights. Next step is making it to the blog in a timely fashion. If you want to see what Laura is offering for MPM then head on over. Looking forward to seeing what others are dishing up. I think my DD will love the tator tot dish from last week :)

Monday
Breakfast: Egg Sandwich (basically cooked egg on bun)
Lunch: Salad
Supper: Roast (slow cooker), mashed potato, carrots
Snack I: Sliced Apple & Cheese
Snack II: Jello (low sugar)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal & 1/2 banana
Lunch: Roast Sandwich Leftovers
Supper: Chicken Pie & Salad
Snack I: Fruit (pineapple, grapes)
Snack II: 1/4 cup yogurt & bran

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Wraps (filled w. rice, chicken, tomato)
Supper: BBQ Meatballs Mashed Pot & Corn
Snack I: Pizza Bagels
Snack II: Kozy Shack Tapioca (low sugar)

Thursday
Breakfast: Oatmeal & 1/2 Banana
Lunch: BBQ Hotdogs
Supper: Leftovers
Snack I: Cheese & Crackers
Snack II: Raw Veggies

Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal & Handful Raisins
Lunch: Box Lunch 2 Go (in car)
Supper: Chicken Dinner w. Corn & Carrots
Snack I: Alphabet Shaped Pretzels
Snack II: Apples

Saturday
Breakfast: Toast & Eggs
Lunch: Sandwiches
Supper: Homemade Pizza & Caeser Salad
Snack I: Fruit/Yogurt
Snack II: Jalapeno Bacon Thingies

Sunday
Breakfast: Eggs & Bacon
Lunch: N/A
Supper: Easter Potluck
Snack I: Chocolate Bunnies
Snack II: N/A

Just after 10 pm and the menu is completed, bebe is done her nummies and we are off to pillow cove.

~Becki

Bubbly Fun

2010-03-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Aren't bubbles fun?

Please join Lisa at The Long Road to China if you want to play, but don't delay because black and white Wednesday is just about over.

Santa Paws

2010-03-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

This photo made me sweat! No kidding. She (Chelsea dog) knew how important it was to me to capture this photo of her with the santa hat and knew how hard I worked for this photo. I lugged a feisty two year old out and about looking for the santa hat then waited patiently for a fresh white snowfall. Then early in the am I dressed the feisty toddler in warm layers, loaded the vehicle, picked up a coffee & donut holes for dog, and put the peddle to the metal to get to the dog park before all the other dogs. I wanted fresh snow that was unmarred by any human or doggie prints. We found the right spot. I held my breath and hoped that no squirrels would dart out from a hiding spot. I put the hat on and got the first shot and only shot. Immediately after the first click a new puppy arrived on the scene and we were done our photo shoot. Phew! I guess the hardest part was trying to manage the dog and keep my daughter from running in the snow and getting the dog excited. E for effort I guess. Sadly, this was her last photo.

If you want to see some more black & white beauties head over and see what Lisa has in store for you.

~ Becki

Black & White Wednesday -My Sweet Little M

2010-03-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

I celebrated a birthday recently and I am pleased to say I am still in the 30's. We asked our oldest daughter who is 4 how old she thought I was and she replied, "104!" I laughed and told her she was pretty close. I feel 104. My sweet little m.

Black & White Wednesday

2010-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! Another week has magically passed and here we are again - Wednesday. I will title this one Black &White- Almost. I tried the manual setting on the camera again and it just is all messed up. I think I did it right, but pretty sure I messed the settings up. Sometime in the near future I will find my booklet, sit down with a piping hot coffee and read the darn thing over and over. Here is my contribution to Black & White. Thanks to everyone who commented last Wednesday. Comments do keep a person motivated! Might just stick to automatic and use photoshop ;) Go check out some other awesome BW pictures at The Long Road to China.

Just glad to have captured a moment where she was barely able to sit still.

Sisters

~ Becki

Tasty Treat

2010-02-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

Found this the other day on Savory Sweet Life and I think it will be my new 3.30pm afternoon pick me up. This is sure to put a smile on your face. Curl up with a good book and hide under the sheets or lock yourself in the bathroom and devour this bad boy! I used to hear of mother's who would buy a special pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream or any treat and lock themselves in the washroom to sneak a treat and take a little break. I used to think who in the world would go eat ice cream in the washroom? Why would they do that? Ahhh, now I understand. Whatever means necessary to gain some sanity. Good reason to keep the washroom sparkling I guess. So maybe a vintage Mickey Mouse cartoon might be a helpful supplement while I suck down this sweet nectar. That always seems to gain my monkey's attention; she does not move or say a word. If she is not being a firecracker she is being a monkey.

Off to go work on my Black & White Wednesday photo. Should be interesting to see what happens. Photoshop makes my brain itch and my next best option is to go manual on the camera. Holy heck as miss monkey would say.

Peace & Love,

Becki

Snowy Sunday

2010-02-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

"Outside it was cold and snowy, but the little log cabin was snug and cozy. Ma, Pa, Laura, Mary, and baby Carrie were comfortable in their little house in the big woods." Laura Ingalls Wilder

I am nursing my daughter, Kate, and having the pleasure of watching the snow fall outside the window. Just like Laura and her family were in their cabin, we too, are snug and cozy in ours.

Having a Baby

2009-11-23T19:53:00.000-08:00

Having a baby soon and I hope I have done everything to prepare myself. The bathrooms have been scrubbed, things have been organized and the lists are made for hubby so that he knows what to do with our daughter while I am gone. He is worried about doing her hair for ballet, but I told him worse case scenario he can bring her to the hospital and I will do it there or he can try a ponytail. He is all thumbs in that department. I have not made any meals but I am confident hubby can handle that easily. I also did not want to burn myself out either. Even resting seems difficult and chore like. Off to bed to dream of sugar plums...

Chirstmas Wreath

2009-11-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have got to try this! Enough said.http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/2008/12/no-wire-hangers-well-maybe-just-one.html

Laundry Soap Recipe

2009-11-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

I think this soap is just fabulous! I use it with cold water and there is no residue of any kind left on the dark wash. I had tried another recipe that only worked with hot water, which defeated the purpose of saving pennies. By accident I got so excited I grated too much of the soap and ended up making more laundry soap than probably necessary. The good news? I have enough soap until May 2010. My DD had a great time stirring the goop and working on her "invention."

Homemade Laundry Soap
1/2 bar Sunlight bar soap grated
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax powder
2 gallons of water
A bucket about 3 gallon size

Add the washing soda and borax to 1 1/2 gallons of hot water in your bucket. Stir until it is dissolved.
Grate the soap and add to 1/2 gallon (6 to 8 cups) of boiling water. Heat in a sauce pan or microwave until soap flakes are dissolved.
Add you bar soap mixture to the borax mixture and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours stirring occasionally and it will gel.
Stir thoroughly and bottle.
Can be used in hot or cold water wash.

Shake the laundry soap bottle before you use it.
Use 1/2 cup per load.

16 cups = 1 gallon