Petals and Sunshine

Getting the energy to craft

2012-02-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Not that crafting requires a great deal of energy, and certainly no one ever needs to twist my arm for me to want to do it, but since my last post, there had been no crafting at all. Not one peg, sheet of felt, or paintbrush was taken out. I had been so exhausted, I couldn't even find the energy to craft. Because the little bit of energy I had, I had to use to care for my children and work. Turns out I was low on iron, (obviously I hadn't been a good girl and didn't stick with my green smoothies), but thanks to a diet wake up call and adjustment (aka actually drinking and eating my greens) and a few supplements later, I am feeling better and am getting back on track.

So yesterday, when my friend's daughter came over for a play date and sleepover, I knew I'd have the chance to get some things done. Nothing like adding an extra kid to the mix to keep your busy and content for hours!

So I got started on painting this pirate ship for a pirate play set I am making for the shop. I can't wait until it's done, I think it will be adorable, don't you think?

I also had time to take out my wood burner and watercolours and finished this memory match game.

All that's left to do is to polish it and sew a draw string bag for it before I list it. And for that bag, I am going to use this awesome rainbow fabric I scored at the thrift store. I was lucky enough to find 3 yards of it! Oh how I love thrifting!

So here you have it. The reason why I hadn't posted in a couple of weeks, and now you are all caught up on my on going projects. I better go do some polishing why my kids friend is still here, because once she leaves, who knows if the kids will allow me to work on anything, lol.

Do your kid do that too? Hover over you to see what your doing, or keep asking if they can paint your stuff for you, etc? I am betting it's natural!

Crafting ADD and some wood burning

2012-01-31T17:05:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been suffering from crafting ADD it seems. Actually, I think I've always suffered from it to a certain degree, but it seems to be getting worse. Over the Christmas holidays I bought myself a good quality wood burner and after a bit of practice, decided to give it a try.

So I made a couple of peg people (I especially love the knight!) and also made a story egg. (At least I got as far as painting them and giving them a coat of beeswax polish, so they are almost done.

I also used my wood burner on my son's barn to make some window and door trims like he wanted to... except I didn't get to paint and finish his barn like he wanted.

I also found an old hidden stash of half started project, like this cut up and yet to be assembled dragon, some finished "egg slices" for a felt chef salad, (except the lettuce hasn't even been started yet) and a head band with the felt pieces patiently waiting to be stitched.

My son also asked me, about a month ago, if I could make him a Totoro stuffie, and so here it it. All, um, cut and still not sewed, on my coffee table beside the couch.

That's not to mention the needle felted nest I started to go with some wooden robins eggs I did weeks ago, and a small pile of cut up felt hearts waiting to be turned into a Valentine's day garland. Oy oy oy!

Yes, it seems I suffer from a severe case from crafting ADD. The only good thing about it, is that I have started the first step towards healing: admitting I have an issue ;) And I am decided to finish these projects before starting more.

What about you? Do you suffer from crafting ADD??

Linking this post to:

{this moment}

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sibling Giggles

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

"Love yourself" green smoothies

2012-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

The very first time I made a green smoothie, I was really worried about "all that salad in there". I mean, with a cup of spinach in my drink, I could surely taste the greens, right? Well, I leaned that it depends. It mostly depends on the kind of greens you use to begin with. I think the more you get used to drinking your green smoothies, the more greens you want to put in it, and eventually you might venture onto stronger tasting greens to vary your nutrients or where your nutrients come from.

I have found that spinach is the most neutral tasting green, when it comes to using it in green smoothies. Seriously. So spinach is what I usually use for the first few months, until I'm ready to venture onto some new green horizons.

I have a few different green smoothie recipes that I make and love, but today, I'll share with you my raspberry green smoothie. It's delicious and packed with iron, vitamin C, fibre, protein and omega's 3 and 6.

Raspberry Green Smoothie

2 ripe bananas (make sure they are ripe, or your smoothie will be tart because of all those raspberries)
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup filtered water
2-3 Tbsp hemp seeds
spinach (I do about 2 cups)

Place all your ingredients in blender, leaving the spinach at the top and blend until smooth. If you've never had a green smoothie before, start with a small handful of spinach. Blend and taste. If you can't notice the spinach, maybe you can add a little more even. The point is not to taste the spinach, but just to get as much of it as you can, it'll do your body good. That's it, enjoy!

When I started with the green smoothies, I used to just put in a small handful of spinach. I was so scared to taste the greens. Just go at your own pace, but keep going. Before you know it, you will start seeing some changes that you will be very excited about. I get much more energy (no more mid-afternoon crash!), my skin clears up and it also changes my taste buds and I start craving more fruits, veggies and even water!

So love yourself, and go make a green smoothie today!

Love is in the air

2012-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Love really is in the air lately!

I've had Valentine's day on the brain for a little while now and decided to make this felt cookie dough for the shop. It was my first time making this, and my kids couldn't keep their eyes off this set as I was making it. I even made some of the icing removable so some of the cookies can be "decorated". It was really fun to make!

I also decided to try my hand at making a heart garland. It was much easier to sew than I had anticipated, but as this one was my first practice, I'll have to keep it as I had a little glitch with my sewing machine when I started it. So I foresee more heart cutting and sewing in my near future for the shop and for my home. (Have you seen Mama West Wind's Valentine Peekaboo ornament tutorial? Go check it out, its super adorable! I know I'm planning on making them for my kid's to hang in their rooms!)

And since love is in the air, I decided to love myself a little more these days, and not just feed myself, but nourish my body. A few years ago, I used to drink green smoothies daily and I felt so amazing thanks to it. My energy levels were through the roof and I had started shedding some unwanted pounds. And green smoothies are what got me started. For some reason I fell off the wagon and never went back to drinking them daily. But a couple days ago, I decided it was time to love myself again.

(this particular green smoothie is not green because of all the raspberries in it, but it's actually packed with about 2 cups of spinach!)

My body deserves it, as does my soul. It's great to show love to others, but why not to ourselves too!

So tell me, do you do anything special to show yourself some love?

Last week: In my kitchen...

2012-01-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas break, I really enjoyed the time I spent in the kitchen (much more than I had in a long time) and got my mojo back.

And without even noticing, I've been cooking up a storm and experimenting lots.

I've made an old recipe of mine that I've forgot about for years. Rice pudding with Thai jasmine rice, coconut milk and a touch of natural sweetener.

I also whipped up this super easy Thai tofu curry that quickly became a favourite of mine. I think I've made it 3 times in the past 2 weeks, LOL. But don't go thinking I've got the most amazing little eaters out there. They don't even like the smell of curry, and they will try lots of things, but curry isn't one of them. This is only a Mama dish around here. But that's ok too ;)

I've also tried this apple cornmeal muffin recipe.

The kids really like it fresh out of the oven, so I thought it was a keeper, but they don't really like it that much after all it seems. Oh well. You never know unless you try!

And last but not least, I've made Madeleine's. These are little cookies with a cake texture from my childhood. I remember eating these at snack time at daycare, when I was about 4 or 5 years old. Years ago, I was surprised to find a pan to make them, and couldn't help my self. Because a Madeleine is not a Madeleine unless it's in the shape of a shell ;)

So I dug out my old recipe and made a batch. It had been so long, that I couldn't remember what they tasted like. They are really good, but I need to experiment with other recipes out there. My recipe is full of egg, butter and sugar. I don't digest those types of fat very well and my son is sensitive to sugar. And unfortunately I felt ill after eating only a few. (I know, I should have known better.)

The kids still enjoyed them fresh out of the oven, with some warm soy milk and honey as a bedtime snack. They enjoyed a lot. (Remember last Friday's my "this moment" picture? It's Madeleine's my son was holding ;)

I am determined to find a healthier recipe for us to enjoy these, so I'll have to experiment lots more. But other than that, my goal for the next while is to focus less on snacks and deserts (as I already have lots of recipes my kids like), and focus more on main dishes my kids will love. That's been a bit of a tough one, it's been pretty repetitive.

So for the next while, the experimentation's will involve more veggies, beans, pasta and such. But that's ok. I've been really enjoying spending some time in that little kitchen of mine :)

{this moment}

2012-01-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Cold enough

2012-01-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'm still here! These past couple days have mostly consisted of hiding (aka hibernating) at home as much as possible. Our winter here has been unusually mild with almost no snow falls. But since the weekend, it's changed completely.

First we had a nice little snow fall on the weekend. Just enough to cover the ground and make it look pretty and be fun for the kids to play outside. Then, temperatures dropped. And I mean dropped.

Since yesterday, school busses have stopped running in our area. Frost bite can happen within 10 minutes of skin being exposed, that's how cold it is.

And since we live in an apartment and the building (and our windows) are old, this is what our windows look like right now.

The frost is creeping in!!

This door frame happens to be metal, but don't be fooled, even the wooden window frames are covered in ice chunks. It's supposed to be like this until Sunday, though according to the forecast, the worst will be over after today.

So, how cold has it been? It's been as low as about -44 Celsius with the windchill as far as I know. That's -47.2 Faranheit. (My hubby works a couple of hours from here and said it was -51 C this morning, yikes!)

Needless to say, I'm craving soup right now! LOL.

Loving life

2012-01-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finally opened my Etsy shop!

I'm sorry if part of this post is a shameless attempt at plugging my new shop, but I truly am loving life lately :)

Rarely does starting the new year have any effect on my life, or brings a feeling of renewal for me, but since last year, it seems it has. Coincidentally, almost a year ago, I wrote a post about how I signed up for my Holistic Nutrition course and how happy it made me feel, and at the same time, I had posted about these felt heart ornaments I had made.

I had been wanting to open a shop on Etsy for almost a year now, and for some reason, never took the time to do it. But now it's done, and I love this feeling it gives me. I realize that if you want something, you just have to go for it, you have to do it. Take control. Things don't always happen by themselves. Shops don't open themselves either, lol.

And so begins my knew journey as a little shop owner. I find it inspiring. I realized the other night, that with a little place like that, I need to continue to create with the seasons and holidays, but just a little more in advance. So I started on Valentine's day creations. (Even started a little for Easter, but it's not quite finished yet).

Valentine's day decorations are so fun, and I don't know if it's because of the theme or the colours, but it really does bring me happiness to work on these little hearts.

But don't worry for me, I am still studying for my course, and still loving that too. Every day, I am learning how to balance motherhood, crafting and studying. And I am still loving all of it and don't think I should have to choose between being an artist, and becoming a holistic nutritionist and cook healthily to my hearts content. I think modern moms can do it all. I think we DO, do it all. And I wouldn't change a thing!

{this moment}

2012-01-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Finding rhythm (and a recipe)

2012-01-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, it seemed one minute life was infused with chaos, the next minute everything came to a halt. But I'm not complaining. We needed this! We've all been catching up on some much needed sleep (even the kids have been sleeping in a bit later in the mornings), and it was just plain nice to be home by ourselves with an open "schedule". We all regained our health as well during the holidays, and I can't even tell you how nice that is!

But one thing that happened to me over the holidays, as it does with almost everyone else for that matter, is that I ate foods I don't normally eat. I think for most people, usually that means desserts filled with sugar, for me, it meant meat and dairy. I am not vegan, but I try to eat mostly a vegan diet at home. I am seriously lactose intolerant, and I don't digest meat well at all. So after a week straight of this, my body had had enough.

Now, don't go thinking that I decided to go on a diet for the new year. Not this gal! I don't do diets. I believe in lifestyle changes. And for some, those changes happen over night. But for the average person, it takes much longer. In my case, years... and it's still a work in progress.

So on New Years eve, I was home alone with the kids and we had no plans whatsoever. I decided it was time to fill my freezer with healthy meals and snacks! So after a quick stop at the grocery store, I came home and got to work!

I baked some cinnamon rolls and banana muffins (both vegan) for the kids snacks and then made a huge batch of veggie soup. Then new years day, I decided to do more... (After a few months of being sick and feeling like I was running around like a chicken with a head cut off, I would only cook by necessity and hadn't really baked snacks for the kids in a while. But on NYE, I got my kitchen mojo back :)

So I made a batch of vegan brownies and another recipe that's been a favourite of mine lately... Curried tofu quinoa

I used to only like soft tofu in desserts and smoothies, but not the firm stuff in meals... until I learned how to cook it properly!

So if you've been thinking of trying tofu in a meal, this would be a great meal to try!

Curried Tofu Quinoa

For the quinoa:

1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 small onion, minced
1 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 cup quinoa
1 lime, zest and juice
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup water

In a pot, saute first 4 ingredients in oil over medium heat. When the onions are soft, add quinoa, lime zest and juice, coconut milk and water. Cook quinoa according to package directions (I just leave it on medium to medium-low heat, partially covered until all liquid is absorbed, between 20-30 minutes).

For the tofu:

1 Tbsp cumin
1 paprika
1 tsp sugar or other sweetener
pinch sea salt
1 Tbsp Madras curry
1 package of firm tofu

When you open your tofu, discard all the liquid. Lay it flat on a board and slice it into about 10 slices. Then stand some slices together and cut them in about 8 cubes each. You just want to make sure your cubes are not too big. Put your tofu in a bowl, then add all the spices and toss to coat. In a pan, heat a bit of oil and saute the tofu until golden. Set aside.

When everything is cooked, you can just add the tofu to the quinoa and stir. I like to add some chopped fresh cilantro (when I can find it) and I usually add at least a cup of frozen peas as well. Once you toss, the peas will cook with the heat of the quinoa within a few minutes. You could also do lightly steamed broccoli :)

And voila! If it's your first tofu meal might, it not be the last anymore ;) I'll admit though, my kids won't even touch this dish, but I love it so much, I make it anyways. It's perfect for when your in a rush, or those left over nights when you fed everyone and realized there is nothing left for you, LOL.

And the great thing about this dish, is that it freezes and reheats beautifully.

So now I have a freezer full of healthy homemade foods, we are all rested, I had time to catch up on some projects and start some new ones. I found my rhythm again!

I am ready for this year, it's going to be a great one!

Sewing adventures

2012-01-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

So this morning I woke up with the sewing bug. I was itching to make something else with this adorable fabric my daughter picked at the store last night.

Those who know me well, know that I am really just a novice sewer. I can make "magic bags" and basic drawstring bags for presents and such, but even the draw string bags need a bit of refining for where the draw string part goes (in my opinion). And not only do I not sew anything else, sewing is the one craft where I really doubt myself. I don't know why, I just do.

So what possessed me to make this adorable headband this morning?

(You can find the tutorial here)

Well, last night I made this skirt out of my son's too-small-and-ripped-at-the-knee jeans following this tutorial, as part of a Pinterest challenge my friends and I are doing together.

(Skirt tutorial found here)

I was so unsure of myself, that I had to call a knowledgeable friend half way through my project. I really didn't think I'd be able to finish it. That's how non-confident I am with sewing!

I couldn't be more happy to have proven myself wrong!!

Mind you, the my gathering method needs some work, and I'm pretty sure I'll need a serger if I want the skirt to stand the test of time without ripping apart from the jean, but I did it!

And I had one happy little girly this morning :)

Since I'm in the mood to get things done now, I am off to go setup my Etsy shop, once and for all. This is the year, when I am finally going to sell my stuff! Though I'll keep the sewing for my family, the toys, gnomes, fairies, wands, felt play food and such, yes! It's time to get rid of this stash that's been accumulating. After all, creating makes me happy, so why not spread the happiness around :)

Wishing you a fabulous day!

Stephanie <3

Handmade Holidays 2011

2012-01-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

Months and months ago, I had decided that this past Christmas would be a handmade one as much as possible, weather it's handmade by me or by others. And I am proud to say that I've attained my goal. Scarves were knitted, a couple more Harry Potter wands were made for my nephews to go with their HP Lego kit ( and they were super excited about the wands! Yay!), and more.

So I thought I'd share with you some of those hand mades...

I think one of my favourite things, has to be this gorgeous Waldorf doll my daughter received from my mom. (It was purchased from here.) She's one of my favourites because she's already inspired some more handmade presents to go with it, for my daughter for her birthday in 4 months, lol.

I also made some (all handmade) little gift bags for my girl friends. In it was some strawberry butter, felt white bird ornaments, peppermint lip balm...

It was my first time making it and I'm addicted!!

And I also made some Waldorf star lanterns made from watercolor paper for each of them.

There was also the rocket ship and fairy play set I made for my kids, which they absolutely adore!

And then last, but definitely not least, these beautiful wooden items my friend's hubby made (but shhh... it was from Santa ;)

Arianne with her beautiful doll house. And you know what? It's made especially to house peg dolls!!

And Ashton received this adorable barn and tractor (also fits a peg doll in it).

I knew my kids would prefer these last things in color, instead of plain wood, as they love color, but I ran out of time before Christmas. And sure enough, as soon as it was received on Christmas morning, they expressed their desire to paint them themselves. I guess they saw plain wood and thought of a blank canvass, lol.

My reaction: "Um, no." LOL. I think these are things that should look beautiful, simple and last a lifetime. Be passed down to their own children down the road even. I explained that to them, and they understood. So Ashton wants his barn all red, with some details wood burned on it. I plan on painting it with watercolors and beeswax polish, as it looks and feels nice. And Arianne keeps saying she wants her house to be purple... so I thought maybe I could compromise and paint the exterior with purple watercolor and beeswax polish the entire thing, but I'm still not sure. Any ideas?

And there you have our handmade holiday at our house for this past Christmas. Perhaps if I start now (or in the summer at least), I can have next Christmas entirely handmade? ;)

I hope you all had fabulous holidays and wishing you and your family a Happy New Year 2012 filled with health and happiness!!

Enjoying the holidays

2011-12-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Good morning all!

I thought I'd share a recap of how our Christmas went :)

I am happy to report my kids couldn't have cared less about the unfinished Santa sacks! If anything, they just really enjoyed this new tradition!! I am planning on not only finishing the sacks before next Christmas, but I'm thinking of adding some felt appliqué to them. Maybe a snowman or something like that.

The kids just thought it was fun to reach into the bag and pull out their presents. Something else that was great about it... they appreciated that it was better for the environment. I think this mama is doing a pretty good job teaching them about caring for our earth ;)

The rest of the day was filled with play. Lots and lots of creative play. Though the kids got some beautiful wooden and natural toys, their favourites that day was the Lego boat for my son (plastic yes, but very good for creativity and imagination, so I'm ok with Lego's), and this set of wood beads for my daughter. At the rate she's going, she will run out of beads by next week! LOL.

And of course, Christmas wouldn't be complete without a hot chocolate (almond milk) treat. I never buy mini marshmallows for the kids, I'm just not a fan of gelatin, and my son can't do too much sugar, but I thought once a year is not too big a deal ;)

And they were so excited! I think it made their Christmas hot chocolate extra special, don't you think?

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve madness

2011-12-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....

Well, I'm not going to write the entire poem, because my reality here is not exactly reminiscent of a Christmas poem. Yes, the kids are sound asleep in their beds, and they are probably dreaming of Lego's would be my guess, lol.

But it's been a busy, busy few days here and I am happy to report that we are no longer sick (Thanks for all the lovely wishes of health!). It's been so busy, that I didn't even have time to bake cookies with the kids today. I didn't even think of putting out some pre-made ones we already had, out for Santa. I wanted to make some Santa sacks for the kids, along with some other fabric gift bags, and didn't get to do that until this evening after they went to bed.

I've also been meaning to make the kids some play sets that would be their presents from us(and have them finished last month!), but time was escaping me, and I had to let go of that perfect ideal I had in my mind. It just was not going to happen in time for Christmas.

I made Arianne's fairy set, but the box still need touch ups and the finish to be put on to protect the paint.

It's still adorable though (or so I like to think, lol)

I did manage to make Ashton's rocket ship set and put the finish on it...

And then realized that I forgot to make him a set of 3 small aliens like I had planned on.

This Christmas Eve, I have learned that sometimes we need to let go of that picture perfect day or moment or gift we had in our minds. In the grand scheme of things, none of it really matters. As long as we make some time for our loved ones, it's all that counts.

So now it's past 11pm as I write this, and there is my tree. Santa sacks undone because I didn't take the time to add the draw string to them. The presents are peaking out, and that's fine with me. I don't even think my kids are going to care in the morning. Now that gives me a year to finish them anyways, lol.

So if you only remember one thing from this post, is to try to not let yourself get caught up in your ideal of how everything should be. Christmas should not rhyme with stress or madness, but happiness!

Merry Christmas!

{this moment}

2011-12-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

Crystal play

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

More recent creations...

2011-12-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

We've been hit by the flu bug again (about the 10Th time since fall). So other than trying to keep up with normal everyday life, and trying to get some Christmas presents done (trying is the key word here), not much else has been going on. So I thought I'd share with you a couple projects that I was able to complete.

Remember the Star Wars peg doll set I made for my friend? Well, this is the last set I made for her. This one is for her daughter. Her hubby is super talented made their little girl a wooden peg sized doll house for Christmas and these dolls are for it :)

Sometimes when I craft, I get ADD. I sometimes get bored of doing the same thing over and over, or I get simply distracted (darn you Pinterest! lol) So one night, after hours of painting little peg people, I needed to do something else, that didn't involve painting.

So I made this little winter playscape!

I didn't come up with it. You can find the full tutorial and pattern HERE. The only thing I changed, is that I turned it into a winter scene to represent the season we are having here.

Now, once I'm done making all my Christmas presents, I'll have to add a little penguin and/or polar bear I think :) Maybe try my hand at needle felting them perhaps?

Well, that's all for now. I'm going to get some rest now since I've been up sick since 4am.

I think I should write a letter to Santa today and ask for health for my family and I for Christmas and ship the letter express to make sure he gets it on time!

Linking to:

What I've been working on...

2011-12-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks, I've been concentrating on making these Star Wars pegs. It's a special order for a friend of mine. There is also a peg doll family of 5 I've been making, but I'll share the pictures when I'm done. I still have the dad left to finish tonight, and then I'm completely done of the order.

I must confess, I have never watched Star Wars in my entire life, so making these did not come easy to me. Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers were not to bad, but these little guys below were a heck of a lot harder. Thankfully, my friend provided me with some pictures of pegs she had already seen online, so I basically copied them. But copy or not, it was still a huge challenge for me.

I am still very happy with how they turned out though. Just disregard the robot's weird eyes, the picture was before touch up ;)

So this evening, I can finally put the final touch on the last peg of the entire batch and then I'll be able to work on my own kids stuff.

Because yes, I am also making some wooden play sets for my kids, and I'm not even close to being done of them.

Sleep might become overrated until Christmas I think, lol.

Linking this post to:

Pine cone Christmas tree

2011-12-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

The kids had friends over for a sleepover last night, and we are about to head out to a birthday party in a few minutes. So lets just say, my kids are plenty excited and hyper today. I was trying to think of something to calm them down, that would also be fun to do. With only an hour to spare/waste before the party, I decided making pine cone Christmas tree's would be perfect! This could also be a great rainy (or snowy) day activity.

For this, you need the nice large pine cones. They are almost impossible to find here, but luckily enough, a friend of mine brought some back for me when she went to B.C. last summer :)

The kids sat at the table with their white glue, large pine cones, and tiny pompoms from the dollar store and started decorating away.

They had fun doing it, and are very excited that once it's dry, they can put them in their own rooms. Why not let them decorate their rooms for Christmas!

And I couldn't resist making one myself ;)

Sometimes, it's just plain fun being a kid too!

Linking this post to:

Yarn along

2011-12-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

I decided to join Ginny in her Wednesday Yarn Along. Knitting is more my thing. Well, I should say, knitting scarves, as I don't know how to knit anything else at all. But last spring, a friend of mine showed me how to crochet, and I've been enjoying a bit of that as well. While I find making scarves much easier by knitting them, when you need to make something very narrow, I find knitting annoying. You barely get started, and you have to change your needles around.

For this holiday season, I was super lucky to score a beautiful Waldorf doll for my daughter. A super talented mama that lives close to me started making some and I bought one from her. So I decided that Orchid (that's the doll's name) would need a rainbow scarf. While it's not a super long project to make, it's about all I have time to crochet right now. I still have so many projects on the go for this season, some for my own children, some for friends and some for family. The yarn I used is an acrylic variegated yarn, and the scarf is not going to end up with any of the green or blues, since it's not wide and won't be very long. But I think it's going to work out just perfect, as the doll's hair is purple. The orange and reddish tones will suit her perfectly!

And somewhere in between all this crafting and normal everyday life stuff, I'm trying to carve out time to study. I have quite a few books I'd love to read and am quite behind on reading "the other stuff", but school has to come first when it comes to books right now. I'm still struggling to find a balance between studying and crafting at the moment, but I suspect that once Christmas is over and the present making will be done, that I'll be able to catch up on school reading just fine and find a balance again.

The last chapter I read was about nutrition labelling and I'm glad it's over. It was boring! LOL. This new chapter I just started is called Nutrition, attitudes and behaviour and it's so interesting! I love it!!

So there you have it. I am finally talking a little bit about my schooling ;) And sharing my teeny tiny project to go with it. Go check out Ginny's yarn along post to see some beautiful creations others have been up to along with some interesting reads :)

Handmade ornaments

2011-12-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

When I took my tree out this year, I realized that I was no longer in love with how it looked. Does this happen to you every now and then? I think we all go through this at some point, we feel the need to change the "look" of our tree, change the decorations.

I decided I want more nature elements, like a woodland theme, and I also want to add some handmade felt ornaments. Making them is SO much cheaper than buying enough to cover the whole tree, AND much more rewarding!

I decided to make a felt bird, and kept it very simple and elegant looking. I am quite pleased with how it looks... now if only I can find time to make more and actually fill the tree, lol.

And since I had been finishing my friend's mitten garland, my son had been begging me to cut some extra mittens so he could make an ornament for the tree.

I keep thinking my kids are too small to sew, yet, time after time, they prove me wrong. I think he did such a good job!

I will try to put a tutorial together for you this week and show you different ways you can do the bird ornament. Now, I better go get busy! I still have lots of elving to do!

My creative space: Angels and trying to make bendy dolls

2011-11-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty quiet here on the blog lately, I hope you didn't think I was forgetting about you? I've just been mostly sick for the past couple of weeks, but now I'm on the mend. Though I wasn't updating the blog much, it doesn't mean I was laying down doing nothing.

While I was clearly ignoring some household chores, I still found the time (and inspiration) to be creative. I have my priorities straight, don't I? ;)

I made these beautiful little angels for a swap I am participating in. I was inspired by a lace trim that I found at the thrift store and was going to add it to them, but the trim was too wide and I couldn't make it fit. None the less, that's where the vintage-y inspiration came from for them, and I love how they turned out.

I made a signing one,
And the others are simply smiling, peacefully :)

They were so much fun to make, and a huge hit with my daughter... I had to make a fourth one for her. She really, really wanted one!

In between making the angels, starting a mitten Christmas garland for my friend Myriam, starting on a dream catcher for my daughter (as she often has bad dreams), and making a couple other things to add to my yet to be opened Etsy shop, I found the time to try something I had been wanting to try for a long time now...

A bendy doll!

I haven't fixed her hair into place yet, and still need to give her a face, but I'm pretty pleased with how she turned out! What do you think?

So there you have it. You're all caught up on my creations! Now I better go and catch up on everything else that needs to be done in my house since I'm starting to feel better.

Have a Happy Monday!

Linking this post to:

Got a cold or flu? Make Elderberry Syrup!

2011-11-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

Last week, just before I got sick, I stumbled upon a video from Mountain Rose Herbs that shows how to make some Elderberry syrup. This syrup is said to be great for both helping to prevent and treat colds and flus.

Only a couple days later, I was sick with a really sore throat. Little did I know at the time, that it was strep and not the flu, but I made the syrup anyways. There is lots of honey in this syrup and as you probably know, honey can really help with sore throats as well.

I got my son to help me measure the ingredients and then I let it simmer down. The result was this beautiful, deep and rich syrup you see above. I can even get my kids to take it, which is great. We've been sick so much since fall, it makes me feel good that I can get them to take something that will help boost our immune systems. It's natural, healthy and homemade to boot. Remedies don't get much better than this!

Here is are the ingredients, but just watch the video to see how simple it is to make!

Elderberry Syrup

1/2 cup dried elderberries
2 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp grated or chopped ginger
1 cup raw local honey

Note: I have not been paid by Mountain Rose Herbs to review their products, or to speak about, or even share their video and recipe. I am simply sharing with you what I found. It's been working for us so far, and I really prefer natural remedies to store bought ones. Just know that I am not a Doctor though, just a mom ;)

Baby it's cold outside!

2011-11-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we went away to visit family (about a 5 hour drive) and had a great few days. The difference in weather between here and there can be vastly different sometimes, even in such a short distance. Something to do with all the mountains of Alberta.

By the time we got home, we realized we missed the first snow fall of the year, as the ground was covered by a thin blanket of pure white snow. But it wasn't the last one. Since then, it's snowed, and snowed, and snowed.

And by this morning, this is what it looked like when I was standing beside my car.

It's -15 Celsius today (that's 5 Fahrenheit), and it's going down to -19 Celsius (that's -2 Fahrenheit!!) for the next few days!!

There's something so calming about cold winter days though. Life had gotten so insanely busy here, and I was trying to slow our pace down, without really succeeding though. Then I got sick earlier this week with a high fever and a very sore throat (I think it was strep or something like that). But I am not complaining. It forced me to reduce the pace. I caught up on lots of sleep and even made a natural cold and flu medicine yesterday (more on that soon).

I love the winter rhythm! And of course, there is something to be said about how beautiful everything looks :)

A touch of nature and a new addition

2011-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

After the business of Ashton's birthday, I found myself with a nice quiet day and a clean house on Sunday. My kitchen table looked particularly bare (which does not happen often, as I am very disorganized most of the time, but shhh, don't tell anyone ;) . It usually has a pile of papers, or a WIP, or the centre of the table is held hostage by my large bowl of fruit. And most times, it's all of the above. But not Sunday. There was nothing at all on it. And I decided to add a touch of nature to it. So I topped my jute placemat with a small wooden bowl where I put my handmade rolled beeswax candle surrounded by acorns and tiny pinecones. And I added another candle, because one can never have to many candles ;)

Next, I thought that those two pomegranates would be a great addition to a centre piece while they are waiting patiently to be eaten. They are such perfect colours for fall decor, don't you think?

Then, right before supper, I decided I really needed to make a new gnome, but one that I would keep. I had been seeing little gnomes with toadstool hats here and there on the blogsphere and Etsy, and thought, I can make this! Next thing I knew, I had my very own toadstool gnomie.

And you want to know what? I love my arrangement so much that I've been making a real effort not to pile things on the kitchen table since. (I know, I know, it's only been a day, but I'm telling you, it's big, lol)

There's something so pretty and calming about the simplicity of it all. Now, if I can just tackle other corners of my home in this way, I'd be all set! lol.

Linking to:

Harry Potter birthday and traditions

2011-11-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

It was a busy couple days here. Ashton turned 6 on Friday, and his party was the next day. If you've been following, you know that he wanted a Harry Potter birthday. And a Harry Potter birthday it was!

See this picture? That's not just Hedwig, Harry's owl. Would you believe me if I told you that was Ashton's birthday cake? I kid you not!!

My insanely talented friend Myriam (same girl who made the beautiful and delicious chai cake for my birthday), made this one as well. All I told her is that it was a Harry Potter theme. She came up with the design and my gosh, did she ever deliver!! (you can find her here.)

I've always been a procrastinator, so in my true spirit, I waited until the night before the party to start making the 8 Harry Potter wizard inspired wands for the kids.

When it comes to arts and crafts, I am usually better at copying things that I see. I'm not very good at coming up with something and executing it. But I had a vision for these wands. I knew what I wanted them to look like. And to my surprise, they came out exactly the way I wanted them to. They are all unique in design, and slightly varied in colour as well.

I am so proud of how they came out! What do you think?

But something I am more proud of, is my son. He just turned 6, and he is such a caring and thoughtful boy. I am so proud of the amazing person he is growing up to be!

This year, I decided to add a new birthday tradition. The felt birthday crown. It is something I've been seeing ever since I first heard about Waldorf education and all the wonderful traditions, crafts and toys. Some of those influences have been making their way into our lives, and the birthday crown is something I've been meaning to add.

I was really glad that he went along with it :)

Another tradition that we've had for the past few years already, is that my kids always give each other presents on their birthday's and Christmas. As much as I love handmade, it's pretty much always been bought. I am planning on making more of an effort for this Christmas and have them craft something for each other. But no matter what it's been, it seems that the present from the other sibling is the one they seem to look forward to the most.

Her, excited to give her brother something she picked herself.

Him, finding out what she picked, specially for him.

And the gratitude showed after, is always something like this.

They don't hug each other often anymore it seems, so I'm glad I caught this on camera :)

Ashton was very excited about his HP Lego's, but I'd like to direct your attention to the dramatic little girl in the background. I don't know why she did that at that particular moment, but I had to share with you, because this picture cracks me up!!

Fun with his crystal mining kit. And lots of silliness.

Then the next day, came the party with friends. It was a fun theme to work with. I had tried to make silly putty for the kids, as a party favor, but it didn't quite work out. Ashton wanted to keep it, said it looked like guts (his words), so we decided to put it in a jar as a prop. I was able to use some things I had around the house, purchased the feathers from the dollar store, and used some Halloween decorations we had on hand (aka the eyeball balls in the jar). I mean, who knows what wizards use in their potions, right?!

I made a simple batch of "dirt play dough" and added some critters and that was part of the loot bag, instead of the ruined goop.

I heard it was a hit! (Recipe found here).

Ashton had a great birthday and loved his party. He says it was his best birthday yet. And I think I might have to agree. It might be a long time before I can top off this birthday and party, but in the end, it's not about topping off each year after year.

It's about time with family and friends. About instilling new traditions, and keeping old ones alive. That is what I love the most, and I hope my children grow up with that same love for what really matters :)

But can I just say as a side note, it was really hard cutting into this cake to eat it! You would have had quite the laugh to see me struggle cutting it. Maybe he looked too real, or just too cute to cut.

Do you have any special birthday traditions that you have in your family? I'd love to hear about it!

Linking to:

{this moment}

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Turning 6

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Harry Potter birthday (Part 2)

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in this post, my son requested a Harry Potter party for his 6Th birthday, and I am more than happy to do this for him. What a fun theme this is to work with!

This weekend, this is what I worked on. Little Harry Potter pegs to give to the kids as loots.

I don't know who started the whole loot bag thing, but I really dislike it. I could really vent on the subject, but I'm going to refrain. Anyways, I decided that I was not going to buy anything for the loot bags this year, but simply make everything. And I'm keeping it simple too. So these little Harry's are one of the two things going in the bag. Aside from the bag, each child will get to take a wand home as well, but they will get to play with them during the party. I just haven't tackled the wand making part yet.

I found my Harry Potter peg inspiration here. They proved to be much harder to paint then I thought they would be. Especially the glasses. I much prefer to paint Waldorf inspired peg people, like the little ladybug I made for my daughter, or even the astronaut and aliens I made for a friend's little guy (I should post the picture sometime).

Anyways, I think they still turned out ok. I think they will do. Especially since Ashton saw them already and was very impressed. He says he loves the ties. I do too.

Now, if I could just get those wands started...

Linking to:

Juicing for the good of it

2011-11-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I decided to dust off, I mean, take out, my juicer. To be honest, I hadn't used it in a long time. *Shakes her head in shame* We had all (the kids and I) been sick for the past month, off and on, in one form or another, from colds, flu's, double ear infections (twice) and tonsillitis. At one point, enough is enough.

Juicing is one of the best way I know to get pure nutrients in your body quickly. I had some carrots that needed to be used that day, so I decided to make a simple carrot-apple juice for the kids and I. We made one batch (which made 1 cup) and the kids drank all of it minus the one sip I had.

My daughter really surprised me, because she's always refused juice from the juicer in the past. This was the first time she drank any, and she finished her glass! And then, Ashton asked for some more, so I happily obliged.

Out of that second cup, I got none. He drank it all!

Carrot-apple juice

1 organic apple (I used Gala)

About 2 handfuls of organic baby carrots or 2 small carrots

Note: when juicing, it's especially preferable to use organic produce, as all the nutrients get concentrated in your glass of juice, so will the pesticides. If you don't have organic produce, just take the time to peel it :)

Put half of your apple through the juicer, then the carrots, then the rest of the apple. It's nice to finish with something juicy, that way, you make sure to get a little extra out of your carrots that may still be stuck in the juicer, therefore, more nutrients and less waste :)

Enjoy!

I think this will be a great time to start making juicing a regular part of our lives. Keep the momentum going, especially with the kids. I'll just have to make more next time so I can have some too:) And it's also a great way to keep the sun shining in our bodies, as we head into winter and get knee deep in the cold and flu season.

Prevention is the best medicine!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, I took the kids to the library. They were having a mask decorating activity for children and my son really, really, really wanted to go. I must say, I love our little library. They always have such neat programs and activities for the kids, and the kids really enjoy them.

The kids got to pick from a multitude of mask designs, and then they could colour, paint, and/or glue some feathers and other ornaments on them.

They even got to make 2 each! It was an hour and a half well spent! And perfect to put us in the mood for Halloween!

This year, I also decided to dress up with the kids. I've never done that before, but this will also only their 3rd time trick-or-treating. So, of course, I had to be a fairy!

I had to work this morning (I do the babysitting at our local rec centre), so I wanted to be wearing something cozy AND be dressed up at the same time. I went with black and purple to match my wings. The head shot-self-portrait will have to do, since I don't have anyone to take a picture of myself. But I've since added swirly lines on both sides of my eyes ;)

Arianne wanted to be a witch this year. A pretty witch that is. That didn't surprise me ;)

And Ashton is a skeleton (pardon the crazy morning hair!)

They are both super excited for this evening! We are going to a friends house after I pick up Ashton from school. We'll be carving pumpkins with their kids, and trick-or-treating with them as well. The kids can't wait, and neither can I!

I'm sure those of you who know about my son's sensitivity to sugar and food coloring, you are wondering how we handle this holiday? What do we do with all the candy? Well, the kids get to keep the chips, and they trade all their candy for a small toy. It's that simple. It was surprisingly easy to convince them of doing that last year and they were still ok with it this year. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't even care if they didn't get a toy in return either. But even if they get a small toy, it beats the sugar rush and all the symptoms my poor little guy (and I), would have to endure for days or even weeks.

Well, that's all for now. We are leaving soon to go have our fun!

Hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!

Decadent chai scones anyone?

2011-10-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

I know I've posted a pumpkin scone recipe before, but this is too good not to share. For a person who had never made scones 2 months ago, this is about my 5Th time now. I swear, I'm not addicted to scones... per say. But I sure can't get enough of those yummy flavours! In my defence, I have not eaten all of them. I don't even think I got to eat any from the batch I made last week actually. I brought them at my friends place, and the kids went through all of them, I don't think any of us grown ups got to have any. So if a bunch of kids (ages 3 to 6) devoured them, I think they pass the test, don't you? And those ones were without any icing. That says a lot.

I was planning on sharing the recipe with you today, but realized that I didn't have any pictures. So in the name of blogging, I sacrificed myself and made, yet again, another batch, this evening. (I know, life is painful, right? ;)

This time, I decided to make some chai icing to go on those chai scones. I don't usually use regular (or powdered) sugar in my kitchen, but I had some left over from I don't even know when, so why not. The kids were in bed by that point anyways, so they don't have to know, lol. I just made a small batch of icing and covered just a few of the scones for the pictures (and yes, I ate them :)

Don't they look good?

Are you dying to know how to make them yet? Ok, ok, I'll stop taunting you and I'll share the recipe now :)

Chai Scones

3 cups of whole wheat flour
5 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chai spice mix
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup milk substitute (I used rice, but soy or almond would work well)
2 bags chai tea
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small pot, warm the milk substitute over med-high heat. When just starts bubbling, remove from heat and steep the bags of chai tea for about 10 minutes. Squeeze the bags to get all the flavour out and discard the bags.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chai spice mix. Add the margarine and cut into the flour mixture until it's in small pea size pieces. Then, all at once, add the chai-milk mixture, agave, applesauce and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

Put dough on lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. I first cut the dough in half, and then each half (rectangles) into 6 (they became small squares), then those in half to have small triangles, so I ended up with 24 pieces. But you could really cut them which ever way you want to. I just like the small size rectangles, as they are a nice size for the kids as well.

Bake in 350 degrees F, for 15-20 minutes.

They are delicious as is, but if you want an extra special treat, try them with the chai icing :)

Chai Icing:

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp chai spice mix

About 2 tsp milk substitute

First, put the icing sugar and chai spice mix in a bowl. Then add the vanilla and start with 1 tsp of milk. Stir slowly and add a bit of milk, as needed, until you have an almost runny icing, but still sticks to your fork without dripping right off.

When your scones are cooled off enough, just use a knife to spread the icing over the scones and let sit (if you can), until it sets.

Or devour right away.

Whatever works :)

Adapted from this recipe.

Linking to:

Harry Potter birthday (Part 1)

2011-10-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

While many parents are putting up Halloween decorations, carving pumpkins or helping their kids find their Halloween costumes, I, on the other hand, am busy planning a birthday party.

My son's birthday is only a few days after Halloween, so for me, this is when I'm starting to plan for a little boy's party. Well, my little boy is turning 6. He's not so little anymore. And now that he is in grade 1, he definitely knows what he wants. He made it very clear that he wanted an all boy party (no girls allowed!), and he wants a Harry Potter theme.

The all boy part did not surprise me, but Harry Potter? He had never even seen the movie. But I guess kids at school talk about it a lot and he had noticed Harry Potter Lego's at the store. So last weekend, I borrowed the first Harry Potter movie from the library (I had seen it so long ago, I could barely remember the movie). We watched it over the weekend (in the name of research and inspiration;) and the kids loved it so much, they spend the weekend playing wizards and casting spells on each other!

So a Harry Potter birthday it is. It's in a little over a week from now, so I had to get a wiggle on and make the invitations so Ashton can take them to his friends at school today. And this is what I came up with:

The pack of cards only cost me $1 from the dollar store, I used some antique looking scrapbook paper for the part on top and just hand drew (as you can tell) the glasses and hand written inside as well. I like how they turned out, and best of all, Ashton loves them!

And can I just say, thank goodness for Pinterest! I've gotten so many ideas for the party from there, it's a life saver!

Now that the cards are made, next on the list is a wand for each of the boys. But that will have to wait until late this evening, after a day of running errands, picking up Ashton from school, making supper, getting the kids ready for bed and taking a school test after they are asleep.

Somewhere after all this, hopefully I'll have time to make these wands.

Phew, this Mama's busy!

Linking to:

Crazy for Chai

2011-10-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been completely crazy for fall flavours. Especially Chai. If you follow my blog, you may have noticed that Chai has been sprinkled in some posts here and there. Think of my birthday cake, the felt acorn pouches I made for my friends, or even the chai scones I whipped up last night (recipe to come this week).

Well my breakfasts have not been exempt of chai flavours either lately. I'm a smoothie-for-breakfast kind of girl. I don't take the time to sit down in the mornings, but I always make time for proper nutrition in the am. Sometimes it's green smoothies, sometimes it's other smoothies. Lately, it's been ALL chai smoothies. Like every weekday morning. I'm not exaggerating!

If your as nuts for Chai as I am, or want to try something new, this is for you!

I got the original recipe from here. But I didn't have all the spices to follow the exact recipe and I don't make my own nut milk because my blender is not strong enough. So if you like things simpler like me, here is how I made it :)

Chai smoothie

1 tsp Chai spice mix (recipe below)

2 frozen bananas

1 cup milk substitute (I used rice)

2-3 Tbsp hemp hearts

1 Tbsp almond butter

Blend until smooth. Can reserve a bit of the tsp of chai spices and sprinkle it on top of your smoothie :)

Chai spice mix:

1 Tbsp ground (dried) ginger

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cloves

2 1/2 Tbsp ground cardamom

2 tsp ground nutmeg

Put all ingredients in a resealable glass jar. Close lid and shake. Will keep for a very long time. You can also use this spice mix for so many things, sky is the limit!

I hope you enjoy!

Linking to:

{this moment}

2011-10-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Fall indoor play

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Pretend play: birthday play dough

2011-10-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

My son and I have been sick since the weekend. He's got a double ear infection and I, tonsillitis. Thankfully he is getting better day by day, and I thought I was on the mend, but I woke up worse this morning.

So things have been quiet around here in the past few days. I have not even lifted the finger to craft once, that should tell you something.

While I'm busy nursing myself back to health and boosting our immunes, while keeping up with everyday life, I though I'd share something I did a few weeks ago with the kids.

Birthday play dough!

It's super simple.

Whip up your favourite play dough recipe in fun colours or take out some you already have on hand. Now go in your cupboards and dig out your birthday cake supplies, such as candles and decorations, and also some play dough supplies you might already have.

I also took out my silicone muffin moulds for the kids.

Sky is the limit!

A few colourful cupcakes were made by both.

A cake was made also, I think it was a collaboration of the two of them ;)

And lots of fun was had!

I love finding new ways to play with play dough (like when we did the space play dough activity). It's a great boredom buster, rainy day activity, or simply some "it will keep the kids busy while mama's making supper" activity.

Do you have a special activity you've done with play dough you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about it!

Linking to:

Market update

2011-10-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am letting you know how the market went last Friday... Well, lets say it was a learning experience.

My daughter had a great time though!

Sorry for the picture, it does not do the table justice, as I had a crochet rainbow banner hanging along the edge of it, and purple playsilk on the other end and way more items than what is shown. But this is the only picture I took.

I am glad I did it for the experience, and it gave me ideas of what I should add to my table as props to make for a nicer display, but lets be honest, it did not go so well.

Not many people stopped at my table. And I figured out why. It was the wrong place to be. You see, our farmers market is small, and most of the people who come to it for shopping mostly come to buy produce and baked goods it seems. I sold only one item, so at least it paid for the cost of the table, but I am not despairing!

I've been considering opening a shop on Etsy for a while now, I just have to figure out all of the shipping before I can do that though. So for now, I am going to set up an album on my Facebook page with what is for sale and the prices. I will do that throughout the week. I am also going to try to get a table at one of the various Christmas Craft fairs around here. They are much busier than our farmer's market ever is.

So that's the news for now.

If any of you have a shop on Etsy and have any pointers for me as far as figuring out prices for your items and shipping, or anything else you think might help me, I'd love to know. Your help/advice would be greatly appreciated! You can e-mail me at sunshine-mama (at) live (dot) ca or leave a comment here. Either way, I always read everything you write to me :)

Have a great week everyone!

What I've been up to...

2011-10-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Crafting! Is that shocking, really? I'm guessing not, lol. I've also been studying (my nutrition course), but mostly crafting. I have a table at the farmers market in my town tomorrow and it will be my first "exposition". I'm pretty excited, but I've also been a bit stressed. I think I didn't realize just how much work it would be to prepare for this. But it's been fun, of course.

Here is a little preview of one of my latest item for my craft table. A fall gnome with bedding and toadstool. I'm in love! So much so, that I had to make an extra one for our home :)

Embroidery detail also on the back, and I made the hat bendy :)

If you are wondering, I used the patterns from Wee Folk Art found here.

So that's the news for now. It's getting quite late here and I still have felt and craft supplies all over my kitchen table and need to pack my son's lunch for school tomorrow, but I promise to be back soon with an update on how my experience goes at the market.

Wish me luck!

Linking to:

Fall comfort food: stuffed acorn squash (And roasted seeds!)

2011-10-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

It was Thanksgiving here, and we spent the entire weekend at home, for the first time in a really long time, and it felt so good! I did everything from having some company, to catching up on house work, to having a lazy day in my pj's doing nothing but read and watch movies with the kids. One thing that I definitely was not lazy about, was using this time at home wisely and making some healthy foods so we can have quick meals and snacks throughout the weeks coming.

In a 2 day span, I made leek and potato soup, stuffed acorn squash, chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls and raw caramel dip to eat with apples. I also wanted to make my carrot soup, but I had ran out of potatoes, so it will be made later.

So I thought I'd share some of this goodness with you (virtually of course). Here is the recipe for the stuffed acorn squash. It's not my creation though. My friend Ruthy made this for me last year and I've made it a few times since. She had the recipe from somewhere and changed a few things in the recipe. And then I put my own little spin on it to veganize it and made it gluten-free this time too.

I'm babbling again. Here is the recipe now ;)

Stuffed acorn squash

Cut 2 large acorn squash in half. (Large ones are the only I can ever find here. Adjust to 3-4 ones if you can find small ones). Remove the seeds (but don't throw them out! See **note** at the bottom)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Put some water in a baking dish, enough to cover the entire dish. Place the squash cut side down and bake 40-50 minutes, or until tender.

In the meantime prepare the stuffing.

2 large leeks, sliced length wise, then sliced thinly

1-2 apples (I used gala this time, but I've used so

ft fleshed before like McIntosh. Either way, it works just fine) chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 tsp dried sage

1/4 bread crumbs (I used gluten-free rice bread crumbs)

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the leeks, apple, celery, sage and pecans in a pan with some olive oil on med-high heat, until the apples and celery are a tender and still a tad crunchy, and the leeks have cooked down. Set aside until the squash is ready.

Scoop the squash "meat" into a bowl, but be careful not to tear the skin, you'll need it! Add the leek-apple-celery-pecan stuffing to the squash, add the bread crumbs, and season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Scoop back into the acorn shells, top with mozzarella (I used Daiya) and broil to melt the cheese.

And voila! You have comfort food in an acorn squash shell!

I'd serve this with a salad, but honestly, my squash were so big, that my tummy is completely full with just one of these halves. And the great thing about these, is that you can put your left overs in the fridge and reheat it through the week as needed.

***Note***

Remember those seeds you just saved? Make some roasted seeds with them. You'll be surprised how delicious they are. I like them better than pumpkin seeds actually!

Roasted acorn squash seeds

Rinse the seeds to remove any flesh, dry them on a towel. You'll have about 1 cup of seeds. Add them to a bowl, with 1 Tbsp olive oil and about 1/2 tsp salt. Roast them in the oven at 275F until they are crisp all the way through and brown lightly. I'd say about 15 minutes or so, but I forgot mine in the soaking bowl, so they were so wet, they needed much longer to cook. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. And voila! Roasted acorn squash seeds! Who knew?

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

{this moment}

2011-09-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Fall beach visit

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Fall inspiration: sunflowers!

2011-09-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

I went to visit a friend earlier this week, and I knew I wanted to bring my camera with me, as she lives out in the country and the fall colours are absolutely stunning right now. What I didn't expect, was to find giant sunflowers towering majestically over her front yard.

Most of them were starting to wilt pretty good, but there was this one, that was just perfect. I wanted to take a nice picture of it, and next thing I knew, I had a whole photo shoot with it, lol.

So I thought I'd share the results with you. I am choosing to show you my absolute favourite one with you first.

I just can't get over how lucky I was to not only capture how translucent the petals are in the sunlight, but to have a bee visiting at the same time!

They are such a beautiful symbol of fall, aren't they?! Hope you are enjoying the season, what ever it may be where you are!

Pincushion jar tutorial

2011-09-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, one of the things I made for my friend Chrystil's swap was a pincushion jar. They are great for storing those sewing odds and ends, and one can never have to many pins, therefore, an extra pincushion can't hurt!

So here's how to make one for yourself:

First, gather your fabric, a canning jar of your choice, pinking sheers, glue and poly fill. Seriously, that's all you need!

(Ooops, I took the picture with my fabric upside down. Oh well ;)

Then, with your pinking sheers, cut a circle a bit larger than your lid. You need to make sure you'll have enough fabric to stuff it and still be able to glue it. If you have too much at the end, you can trim it then.

This is where the tricky part for me was to take pictures. I couldn't gather the fabric, glue and fill with poly fill AND take pics at the same time.

Start with gluing a bit of fabric, and keep going around until you have about 2/3 done. Then, flip it over, add some poly fill until it's pretty stuffed, flip again and glue some more. When all you have left is a little opening, don't glue it yet. Put the ring on, and see how it looks. If you feel you need to add more filling, do it now.

Now your ready to glue the last piece.

Cut another circle slightly smaller than the lid.

Glue it under your lid, to make a nicer finish.

And voila!

I really should go make one for myself... I've got a few sewing odds and ends that could use a home as well!

Linking to:

My creative space: presents for friends

2011-09-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Back in spring, my group of friends and I decided to do a craft swap. A swap with no time limits at that! It took my a long time to decide on what to make for my friend Chrystil. I kept changing my mind back and forth, but I eventually decided to go with my first idea.

Chrystil is pretty awesome at sewing and has her own sewing room, so I decided to make her some practical things for her to use, but still pretty :)

Hedgie the pincushion, a flower booklet to store sewing needles, and a pincushion jar for her to store her odds and ends.

She was super happy about it, but I think Hedgie was every one's favourite. I'd like to take credit for it, but I'm not that talented. You can find the pattern HERE.

I mean, how cute is he?

And since fall started and the leaves are bursting with colours here, I was in the mood for some fall crafts as well. So I whipped up some felt acorns for all the girls (and one for myself).

And I stuffed them with cinnamon bark, whole cloves and fennel seeds to make them chai scented. Something we all enjoy :)

So that's what got whipped up and given to my friends about a week ago.

I still have lots going on in my crafty corner though. Two of my girl friends are having birthday parties for their kids within the next two weeks, and I've had some crafty requests for their kids birthday presents. A felt sandwich set, and a space play set. I'm super excited to share the crafty love with their kids, and I'll share with you as they are done.

I also am trying to finish a few WIP's, as I am aiming to get a table at our local farmers market within the next couple weeks. I think I under estimated how many things it can take to fill up a table, but I'll go weather the table will be full or not and see how it goes.

So that's all for now. I've got to go finish making some (felt) bread now, but come back tomorrow, as I'll have a tutorial for you, on how to make the pincushion jar :)

**update** You can find my pincushion jar tutorial HERE.

Happy Monday!

Linking to:

Thrifty finds (and saving the best for last)

2011-09-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

I've always been one of those lucky people who walks into a store, picks up an item I like only to realize it's on sale at a really good price. Years of luck in stores with sale items combined with becoming a mom, and I've gotten pretty good at scoring some good deals and being thrifty.

A couple of weeks ago, I got in my head that I wanted a tea pot and maybe some of those cute little cups that don't have handles. It's one of those things that I wanted to find just the right one, that suited my style. I had some "birthday money" when I went shopping, so I didn't mind having to pay regular price if I needed to. But I just couldn't find something that spoke to me. So I waited.

Fast forward to last Thursday, after picking up Ashton at school, I saw a sign for a yard sale that was not too far from home, so I stopped by, and look what I found!

I had actually been looking for something more country or vintage looking rather than Japanese style, but at $3 for the set, I couldn't go wrong. That's right. $3!! Insane right?

Well, my luck didn't end up there. I also found a box of 12 big vintage glass jars. I didn't take a picture of them, but they are Mason type jars, and could hold at least 4L I would say. And the reason I'm guessing they are vintage, is because all the lids (not rims) were glass. I got all 12 of them for $5. And that was just Thursday...

Our thrift store in town is only opened 2 days a week, and I love going there and see what new things they have. But since we had been gone most the summer, I don't think I had been there in about 2 months. So while Ashton was still in school Friday, I took Arianne and we found some great things. Like her new Halloween costume for a whooping $2.50, or this pottery container for $1.25.

As soon as I saw this, I knew I wanted to put some kind of art supplies in it. At first, I was thinking about the kids pencils, scissors and glue. But I just love it so much, I decided to be a bit greedy and keep it for myself ;)

And then, while still at the thrift store, I found the deal of the year, in my opinion.

Embroidery thread.

In all the colours of the rainbow.

Good brands too.

I counted them all, and would you believe me if I told you there was 140 of them? I kid you not.

Wanna know how much this was? Keep in mind that at Michael's they are about 50 cents a piece, but I have to drive over an hour to get to a Michael's in the city. In my town, the only store that has some, charge $1 each. Now I bet you are really curious to know how much.

Drum roll please...

$10 for all of it. You do the math.

I think that was definitely a major find!

With all this thread, I've been beyond inspired to craft with felt, so stay tuned to see what else I've been making. I'll post more on that this week.

I'm currently looking for a way to bottle some of this luck so I can send it and share it with all of you :)

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Pumpkin scones

2011-09-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this look insanely scrumptious?

It's because it is! I know I'm patting my own back here, but I still can't believe how good these turned out! You see, when I find a recipe I want to try, I have a few ingredients to change to fit our dietary needs. I have to replace dairy, reduce the fat content because I can't digest it very well (which means remove the eggs and reduce the oil or butter) and replace sugar for natural sweeteners instead since my son is sensitive to sugar and natural sweeteners are better for us anyways ;)

But when you try a brand new recipe and try to change all those things at once, sometimes it flops. I've had cakes that wouldn't rise and cookies with funky textures.

This was actually my first time making scones, so I didn't know what to expect. But I decided to go a head and change the recipe to suit us and see what happens.

I now have learned that I need to trust my instincts more in the kitchen, because they rocked!

So I'm going to stop praising my scones now and share the recipe with you.

Pumpkin scones

(vegan and refined sugar-free)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour (I didn't have enough whole wheat, so I had to do half and half)
1 tsp ground flax
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
6 Tbsp cold vegan margarine
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tbsp vanilla rice milk
1/8th cup agave nectar
1 egg replacer

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a bowl, stir together flour, flax, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Add the margarine and "cut" it with a fork into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with margarine pieces no larger than small peas.

In a small bowl, prepare your egg replacer according to directions and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, rice milk and agave.

Add the pumpkin mixture and the egg replacer to the dry ingredients and fold in until well combined and form a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form a 1-inch thick rectangle about 4 inches by 12 inches. Use a knife to slice dough making 3 equal parts. Then cut each of the parts into 4 by making an X so you end up with 12 triangles.

Place on baking sheet and bake 14-16 minutes, or until light brown. Place on wire rack to cool. I prefer them while still warm a bit. Enjoy!

You could top with a glaze if you wish, but I broke my scone in half when it was still warm and spread some maple butter on (my best friend brought me some from Montreal when she was here), and it brought the scones to a whole new level! Even without the maple butter, they are still very delicious though.

The true test, is with my daughter though. She will refuse all kinds of delicious foods, but if she likes it and keeps asking for more, I know it's that good. And she can't get enough of these.

So if you are going to try a new recipe this weekend, I think this should be it! Perfect for fall!

Linking to:

{this moment}

2011-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

True friendship

(I'm changing the rules a bit this week, as I have two pictures.)

Picture taken September 2011

Picture taken September 2009

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Settling into a new rhythm

2011-09-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you've been following this blog, you know that it's been a crazy summer (and beginning of fall) for us here. As in "we've barely been home in the last two months" kinda crazy. As I've mentioned a few times in my past couple of posts, we've been craving a routine here. Really bad. Not that we are settled into one already, considering we've only been "back" since Monday, but I thought I'd made a Waldorf inspired rhythm chart again to help us settle into normalcy.

So here is what I whipped up today:

As you can see, the middle of the day is only described with a theme, instead of being filled in with something specific. The reason for that, is that I like my rhythm chart to feel like a rhythm, instead of a schedule. And our lives are kinda crazy (like many other families I'm sure). Ashton is now in grade 1 full time and I drive him to school, I started my part time job again and the weekday mornings I work are subject to change, so just between those two things, I didn't make sense to fill in that part of the day.

But I did want each day to have a theme of some sort. I decided Mondays would be bread making day. I haven't made homemade bread in a very loooong time, so I feel that writing it down will help me make the time to do so.

You might also have noticed that I wrote the weekdays in French. The reason for that, is that, first of all, my first language is French, and though the kids grew up with me speaking English to them, Ashton's first language was French until he was 1 1/2 years old. He is also in French immersion at school, and so will be Arianne next year when she starts kindergarten. I know Ashton will be able to recognize the days of the week written this way, and Arianne, for now, will follow them by colour.

I can't wait until we settle into this rhythm, it will be very nice that's for sure!

But considering I was home long enough today to even make a rhythm chart, that says a lot, lol.

Before lunch, I finished a WIP and delivered it to my neighbour's daughter, as it was her 5Th birthday not too long ago. She had seen Arianne's set last month and was mesmerized by it, so I made her her very own.

She was one happy little girl!

Then after lunch, I finally got around to start Arianne on her "preschool" work. I had bought her some activity books a little while ago and she couldn't wait to get started!

She's still doing some as I'm typing this!

So grateful for Pinterest, I'll be able to have all kinds of fun activities for her throughout the year! And I'll share our preschool homeschooling activities along the way.

It's so nice to be home!

Jasper: our last camping trip of the season

2011-09-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before, last weekend we went to Jasper (Alberta). It was our last camping trip of the season, and also a way for us to relax and enjoy the awesome company that my best friend Val is :)

We didn't get there until late Thursday evening and all went to bed early. Which means the next day, we were all rested and ready to have fun! After lounging around the camp site in the am, we headed to Whistlers mountain to take the gondola. The gondola is literally 3 km from the campground and though we had been on it before, it was Val's first time going up this one.

At the top of the gondola, there was a trail leading to the top of the mountain. The view was amazing!

The great thing about this time, is that the kids are now old enough to walk and the weather was perfect. It was summer weather in fall. So we were able to walk on the trail a bit this time.

View of the town of Jasper and area from Whistlers mountain.

Ashton pretending to be rock climbing ;)

They had told us there were "whistlers" at the top of the mountain, named after the mountain itself, though this little guy looks like a chipmunk to me, so I'm not sure exactly what he was. But he was cute :)

Val, taking the view in.

After that, we headed to Lake Beaumont for my hubby to go scuba diving in it. It's such a beautiful lake, that we had no issues hanging around while he was diving. That's where the picture on my last post was taken.

It was a great vacation, but then again, how could it not be? Great company, relaxing time with my hubby, kids and best friend, and mountains. I could never tire of that!

But now Val's gone back home, my hubby is back at work, and finally, after a super busy summer and a crazy (but fun) beginning to fall, we can start settling into a new rhythm for fall. I will share on that soon, but now, I am going to go try to catch up on my rather still large to do list. Why do they never seem to get any smaller? lol

Sneak preview: what we've been up to

2011-09-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

I know I've been mostly absent from this space lately, but remember a few posts ago, I said that my best friend was here on vacation? Well this is where we were last weekend, with my hubby and kids.

Lake Beauvert, Jasper, Alberta

Val just left yesterday and I have to take Ashton to school this morning, tackle the mountain of laundry that's still left to do, unpack all the stuff that was in the camper that we took in and rearrange the entire living room with my hubby's help today, before he leaves back for work tomorrow.

In other words, I have lots to do, lol. But I'll be back tomorrow with more gorgeous pictures and tales of our adventures, so stay tuned!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Amazing friends with a hint of Chai.

2011-09-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 31st trip around the sun. And for the occasion, I only had one request. Spending the day with my friends!

It had been years since I had spent my birthday surrounded by a group of friends, and yesterday, I had my wish.

The girls and I spent the day together while our older kids were at school and my super talented friend Myriam made a Chai cake for the occasion, inspired by my love for henna designs. Purple is also my favourite colour and I love chai spices, so she really hit a home run with this cake!

Everyone loved it!

While we were together, I was also asked to show some of the girls how to knit. I'm no expert, by any means, as all I can do is knit and purl, but it's still something, right? ;) So I taught the girls how to cast on and knit. A couple of them already knew how, and another couple of them I had already taught last year. I love how we all have different skills and can show each other all kinds of new crafts and skills when we get together!

It was a really great day! I was pretty spoiled too, as two other of my friends hand made presents for me. I heart hand made presents! I'll take some pictures and show off more of my friends talents soon ;)

But most of all, I love how they spoil me with their friendship! I'm really a lucky girl to have such amazing friends!

Fall rhythm and shenanigans

2011-09-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's September already!

Time is flying by when your having fun! One of the reasons I have not posted in the last week, is that my best friend came for a visit from Montreal (again :). We've been having a great time, but it's about to get even better. After today, we have a very packed schedule for the rest of her stay. I'll post more on that soon, so stay tuned to see what shenanigans we'll be up to ;)

The weather started cooling down here and I've been truly enjoying being home and getting into a rhythm with the kids. After being gone all summer, we really needed that. We were craving it. One thing I love to do when the weather starts cooling down is light candles in the evenings. It's so relaxing, it really has been bringing me a great sense of peace and makes our home feel, well, like a home more.

Fall is my favourite season, and while the leaves are starting to change colours, I'll have to wait a little more before I can enjoy some hot cocoa on a chilly evening. It's warming up again and we are supposed to get summer weather for the next week at least. Oh well, I don't mind one bit :)

Wishing you all a fabulous week!

Reflecting on summer

2011-08-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

As summer is coming to an end, I've been reflecting on the past few months. I had a mental list of things I wanted to do with the kids and places I wanted to take them. We didn't even come close to do half of those things. Maybe my list was unrealistic? Maybe. Most definitely.

But when I think about this summer, I feel no regret. I don't dwell on the things we have not done.

I feel extremely happy about all the amazing memories we created, all the fun we had, all the laughs we shared.

There were swim lessons, camping, play dates with friends, crafting, hanging out by the campfire, more play dates with friends, picnics, getting slightly lost at the corn maze, outings to the water park and another to the splash park, the kids noticing the little things in nature and catching all kinds of bugs, more camping, and more and more fun with friends.

(pictures were taken last week, at the splash park)

I might not have had time to take the kids to the zoo, or had time to visit the farmers market in the city like I wanted to, but I am very pleased with the summer we had. We all had so much fun, and the kids were smiling so, so much. They learned, they grew, they experienced, they felt, they laughed, they matured. And most importantly, they are happy. And so am I :)

In my kitchen: disasters!

2011-08-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up Saturday morning in the mood to get busy in the kitchen. On the menu that day, were cinnamon banana muffins (a new recipe I wanted to try) and a batch of strawberry jam (a recipe I made years ago very successfully and that was delicious).

So right before the kids morning snack time, I got busy and set out to to make the muffins.

Now, looking at this picture, you might wonder why I called my post kitchen disasters. Well first, the muffins wouldn't bake all the way through. They were supposed to bake for 20 minutes, and I ended up having to leave them in the oven for an entire hour and I raised the heat half way through. They were still raw inside. Complete mush. To the garbage they went.

But at that point, I'm not thinking I'm the one with the curse. Simply that the recipe did not work.

Right after lunch, I decided to tackle the strawberry jam. After reading this post from Soule Mama, I decided it was time I made strawberry jam again. I've never canned anything in my life and though I'd love to do some canning, I find it a bit scary since I have no idea what I'm doing. But jam I can make. Jam I have made before and it was so delicious. I used the same recipe as I had made before, found a bunch of fresh strawberries on sale at my local store and was ready to go.

Then this happened:

Yes. I burned the jam. Or I'd like to think my stove did (that's my story and I'm sticking to it ;) I left my black ladle in there so you can see just how dark (aka burnt) the jam is. And it tasted burnt too. Seems my stove gets a bit too hot compared to my last stove (the one I made jam with before). Next thing I new, there was smoke everywhere in our home, and jam all over the stove and the wall beside the stove.

This has never happened to me before, so I decided I was cursed in the kitchen and called it a day. But I am happy to report, that the curse has been lifted now and will be back with more food posts soon. Posts of the yummy kind that is ;)

My first try at needle felting!

2011-08-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of summer, my girlfriends and I have been getting together on an almost weekly basis. Our kids all play together while we hang out, chat, eat and sometimes craft. This particular group of friends of mine is filled with talent. It's really fun to hang out with them, because I always leave inspired to craft more. We all have our own different styles, and favourite mediums, and from time to time, we've been showing each other how to do different things.

I've shown some of the girls how to do the Waldorf star lanterns, and I've been taught how to crochet, create with polymer clay, and most recently, needle felt.

I've been wanting to learn how to needle felt for quite a while now, but didn't know where to start. Luckily, my friend Myriam knew how and wanted to teach us :) So one afternoon, a couple of weeks ago, we sat on her patio and started on our creations.

I must say, I found it intimidating to just create something from scratch with some wool and nothing but my imagination. If you craft a lot, you might understand what I mean. I might be creative, but when you try a new medium, it doesn't always come naturally. So I started making a pumpkin, simply because that's what Myriam was making, so I could sort of copy her, lol.

Here is my little pumpkin. Crooked stem (on purpose) and vine and all :) I was quite surprised how well it turned out!

Next thing I new, I started making a toadstool. And a bee. I should have taken a picture of the under part of the toadstool to show you the ridges I made. It makes it look more realistic.

The bee was quite tricky for this newbie, but I still got it :)

Needle felting is very addicting, I find. I now started making a baby pumpkin to accompany the first one I made. It will be perfect for our new nature table for fall! And I definitely have plans to purchase some more wool to needle felt, and now I really want to learn how to (wet) felt a play mat or a bag maybe.

So that's all for now. It's been an insanely busy (but fun!) past few weeks, and I'm so glad to finally be home and back to a normal routine (well, sort of). I still have lots to catch up on at home. You know, a mountain of laundry to tackle and some organizing around the home from being mostly gone all summer. But Ashton starts grade one in a week from now, so I still have to make the most out of what's left of this summer :)

Have a happy and creative day!

Linking to:

Rhubarb sauce

2011-08-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

A little bit ago, I my friend Sherry gave me some rhubarb from her garden. I hadn't had rhubarb since I was a kid. I was the only one at home that would eat it, dipped in sugar of course. I think my parents would eventually just mow the lawn right over the plants at some point through the summer. We didn't cook or bake with it, nor did we know anyone who wanted any I don't think.

But I'm all grown up now, I don't do the rhubarb dipped in sugar anymore (I don't think I would even like it that way anymore). But I know there are lots of ways to use rhubarb, so I was really grateful to be given some :)

I made this absolutely delicious rhubarb sauce and here is the recipe:

Rhubarb Sauce

2 1/4 lbs rhubarb (or 6 cups prepared)
1/2 cup sugar (I used organic raw sugar)
1 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Trim away the leaves and butt ends of the rhubarb. Cut each stalk in half lengthwise, then chop into 1-inch pieces. Strain the orange juice into a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the juice is reduced by half. Add the honey, cardamom and stir until dissolved, then add the rhubarb, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft and broken down.

Serve warm or chilled.

Store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezes well.

And if your wondering how you would eat this, well let me tell you, it's absolutely delicious as is, while it's warm. I actually prefer it warm. It was just so good! You could also spoon some over a cake, such as my apple cake, but you'll have to wait a little longer for that recipe ;) I'll post it soon though, promise. In the mean time, I hope you are enjoying the bounties of summer!

Linking to:

Summertime fun!

2011-08-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

This last week of camping has been filled with great summer memory making moments. We really embraced the whole camping experience as our camping came to an end. The mosquitoes were letting off a bit, which made it much easier for us to enjoy ourselves too.

Nature treated us to a beautiful rainbow late last week. We could see the full arch too, I haven't seen one of those in a long time, and the kids were in awe.

We had a beautiful full moon as well. Which explained my kids crazy behaviour for the few days prior, lol.

We had a few campfires, of course, and the kids got to practice lots of golf. We were lucky to not have any neighbours beside our site, so they basically had an entire field to play in :)

Isn't he so handsome!

The kids and I did make a day trip into the city last week and I had to stop at Michaels. I was lucky enough to find these foam craft kits on sale from $10 down to $2.99!! There was only two kinds left, but they were perfect. Tree house and mermaid habitat. I waited for one of those "the-kids-can't-stop-fighting-and-it's-driving-me-crazy" moments to take it out and distract them. As you can tell, it worked perfectly!

Yesterday was our last day there, and it was a beautiful one. I took the time to clean my car and found 2 kites in my trunk. I had completely forgotten I had them! Great timing, because yesterday was also the windiest day we had all summer I think. So we put those puppies to use right away!

Both kids did such a great job! They were like pros! And of course, mama had fun with the kites too. I can never pass up a kite flying opportunity!

We ended our camping with a lovely picnic.

It was great fun, but I am quite happy to be home sweet home now. Except for the massive mountain of laundry and unpacking. But it's still nice to be home!

Linking to:

Crystal attraction

2011-08-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've always been attracted to crystals. I mean, what's not to like. They are pretty, most times soft or sparkly, and always magical.

(Amethyst from my collection)

I had a few of them that found their way to me over the years, like an amethyst pendant I bought back in college, or a rose quartz that was given to me by a friend when I was just a kid (and I somehow never lost it through the years).

Then last year, during our trip to Drumheller (aka dinosaur land), I found myself in a cute little shop that was filled with everything crystals. My son was as drawn to them as I was. So we each picked two small stones, and he also picked two for his little sister that was not with us in the store at the time. When we got home from that trip, and I decided to gather all our crystals in a small wood bowl and left them out so the kids could reach it anytime they would like.

Fast forward to this summer. I met a wonderful new friend who is also really into crystals. She actually used to sell some, and she still had some stock left. Lets just say that the girls and I went through her stock pretty quickly.

And I realized something: The more I have, the more I want!

This is what I came home with that day :)

I've been meditating with them on occasion, but most the time, I just like to hold and "play" with them. Especially when I feel stressed or upset. They definitely have a healing quality, which I will talk more about in another post to come (if your interested in learning more).

Would you believe me if I told you that I just got even more this week? Yep. I have crystal issues, lol. Not only did my friend inspire me to surround myself with more crystals by opening my eyes to the fact that I've always been attracted to them to begin with, but she also inspired me to start having a nature table again! Well, I never had a nature "table" to begin with, I only had a plate. Now I have a nature table, and it makes me happy. I will show you in another post soon.

What about you, do you have crystal attraction?

Been busy crafting

2011-08-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy crafting in the the past month, slowly trying to build an "inventory" so I can fill a table and start going to craft fairs. I don't have pics of everything I've made so far (like the felt sandwich set, the bookmarks and the oodles of owl headbands), but I thought I'd share these two with you, because they are just so sweet (in my opinion), but I could be a bit bias ;)

I made this little flower fairy (using a pattern from here), for my friend's Chrystil's little girl. She had her appendix removed, and she's just 3. So when we went to visit her after, I brought her this little fairy, to keep her company :)

Something else I've been working on, was to create my own pattern for a Waldorf inspired toadstool house. I apologize for the picture, it's not very bright, as I took them in the evening. I wanted to take the pictures before my kids saw it and started playing with it. I made sure to make it just the right size so that my kids gnomes, fairies and other peg characters would fit in it, and their heads be at the height of the window.

I made it in two pieces, so the kids can remove the roof if they choose, so it's easier for them.

They get to keep this one, as it's the first one I've made, and will likely make a few changes to the next one. They are always quite happy to be the recipients of my "practice crafts" or my mistake ones. All in all though, I'm pretty happy how it turned out!

Oh, and on a side note: I made my first two sales this week! Two friends bought some owl headbands, one for her daughter, the other for a gift! I was so excited to have made a first sale, I may or may not have done the happy dance ;)

Linking to:

8 signs it's summer

2011-08-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

1. Having picnics and enjoying refreshing foods.

2. Enjoying campfires.

3. Firey summer skies.

4. Pink sunsets that announce tomorrow's heat.

5. Being able to witness the rain falling out in the distance.

6. Seeing a moose taking a stroll in the canola fields.

7. Actually, it was a mama moose, walking with her young... see the ears peeking behind her? :)

8. Seeing beauty blooming everywhere you turn.

We've been enjoying so much of this summer already, and I'm really looking forward to all that this season has to offer that we haven't had time to do yet. I hope you are enjoying life to it's fullest too!

A great summer day

2011-07-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

**Warning, this post contains lots of happy summery pictures :)

Today was a great summer day. My daughter had her swimming lessons this morning, so after lunch, I decided to take the kids back to our camper for a bit of the afternoon. The weather has been nicer lately, and it was windy today, so I figured there might not be any mosquitoes to bug us. And I was right. There was not even 1, and we enjoyed ourselves fully!

All these pictures were taken this afternoon, in a one hour span. I actually took way more than that, but I couldn't post them all ;)

There was lots of skipping and jumping around.

Lots of running (with a smile).

For some reason, there were quite a few dragonflies out. We don't usually see them often. So I got Ashton to help me. He would spot them for me, and I would take their pictures. I had to use my 300mm lens in order to get close ups of them or they would fly away. I think it worked out really well, don't you think?

The clouds were so big and fluffy!

And the canola fields are blooming everywhere! They just look like fields of gold. Yellow and bright, it's so pretty!

We snacked on some cherries, and some of us were using others as face makeup.

More precisely, clown make-up ;)

After playing out for a while, my daughter went back in to draw a bit. She's not as outdoorsy as her brother, and that's ok. She's quite the little artist, and I have no problem with that. It always makes me so happy to see them create!

And do silly face.

After silly face.

What a great day it was!

Home sweet home

2011-07-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are back from camping already.

We've been back since Saturday actually. I took all our stuff out of the camper and drove the kids and I home and took the weekend to unpack, do laundry and rest.

These are the only pictures I took during our stay at the camper.

We were having a family movie night, and the kids decided to snuggle. I had to capture that on film again ;)

Your probably wondering why we came back early? And why would we doing a family movie night inside, instead of playing outside by the camp fire? Well, let me tell you...

The mosquitoes (and the weather) were BAD!!! I'm not usually one to be running back inside as soon as a few mosquitoes come and bug me, but this has been ridiculous. It's been mostly rainy here for the past month and the mosquitoes have been reproducing like crazy. I've never experienced such a thing. I know some people who said that this year, even the strong and full of chemicals bug sprays don't even work. Almost all the mom's I've talked to, said they have been keeping their kids inside lots this summer so far. A friend of mine actually thought her daughter had the chicken pox a few weeks ago, until she took her to the hospital to get her bumps looked at... turns out it was mosquito bites. I think she said they counted about 150 of them. My daughter actually had 29 bites all on one of her leg, from where I missed with our natural bug spray. Yeah, it's that bad!

So movie night it was for us that evening. And as soon as daddy left back for work, we got bored of being stuck inside, and left for home. But that's ok. We were not camping very far from home (only about 25 minutes away), and my little girl has swimming lessons every morning this week, so we would have had to come into town anyways.

We are making the best of the situation no matter what. Arianne is very excited to start her first ever swimming lessons this morning, Ashton is happy to play with his lego's again, and mama is happy to sleep in her own and very comfortable bed. It's actually raining again today, and rain is in the forecast for most of the week. We have a few play dates planned this week and there's lots we can do around here if the weather does not cooperate.

We will be back at the camper though. Weather we will go for bits at a time, or actually stay for weeks on end, will depend on the weather and the mosquitoes. But no matter what happens, or what the plans might have been, it's always nice to be home :)

A snuggly crafty kind of day

2011-07-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

The last thing my kids did last night, before bed, was craft. I had asked them to get ready for bed and next thing I knew, they were sitting at the kitchen table with paper, scissors, pencils and glue, drawing and cutting their shapes, and then gluing their scenes. Normally, when I ask to get ready for bed, it's because it's time for bed. But this time, I gave them an extra 20 minutes because A) It's summer vacation, and B) Who am I to stop such amazing spur of the moment creations?!!

Then this morning, the first thing that happened once they were both awake, was that Arianne was demanding hugs from her brother, and him happily obliging.

Now don't get me wrong, my kiddo's get along quite well, (most of the time), but the snugly moments between them are more of a rare thing in the past year.

Except today. Today, they hugged, and hugged. I have about 8 pictures of them hugging, but I thought I'd refrain from posting them all ;)

Even mama got some snuggles too! And Ashton was able to use my Cannon Rebel XSI and got a pretty good shot of us too I might say :) (Not an easy camera to use, or even hold, for a 5 year old!)

Later in the day, after the snuggles and hugs, they were back at their craftiness!

I've been giving them complete free range and they really amazed me with their imaginations!

And mama's been crafting too, of course! I went to the city on Friday and a friend of mine showed me a place where I can pieces like these...

I was like a kid in a candy store... I should have got more!

But it will do for now, LOL.

We are actually going camping this week. I'm planning on bringing these little wood pieces, along with some paper and watercolours, for the kids and I. I've also been cutting out some felt shapes so I can bring them and sew them at the camping, after the kids go to bed. And in between playing with the kids, going on nature walks, crafting and getting meals ready, I am also bringing my school books. I don't talk about school very much lately, as I've been in between semesters, but it's going to pick up again soon, and I still love it as much as ever!

I know it seems like I'm planning lots for our camping trip, that's because we are going to be gone for over a month. I am really looking forward to it. I find when we camp, is when we function at our best. There are no outside distractions, the kids don't fight over the oodles of toys they have at home. In fact, they become absolutely inseparable when we're camping! I also don't have to clean a whole house at the end of the day, so it leaves my evenings free for doing whatever I feel like. And not to mention we are more in touch with nature.

I will try to update this space with what we're up to. But I'm not guaranteeing that it will be regularly, I don't have a laptop to bring with me. I really want this summer to be a focus on my family, and on doing things that make us happy.

Summer vacation has only begun 2 weeks ago, and already it's been the best summer I've had in years! And it's only going to get better!

What are your plans for summer?

Pretty with a purpose

2011-07-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I saw a pack of batik print fabrics in different colours. And thought I don't sew much, and didn't know what I would use it for (yet!), I knew I had to buy it.

Then last weekend, I got some inspiration.

So I made 2 "magic bags". They are just the right size for my kids tummy's. (My little guy gets frequent tummy aches, so we get lots of use out of these.)

I made a couple "dream pillows" (they have some lavender in them). I still have to hand stitch the opening, but once I am done doing them, they will go in my kids pillow case. And hopefully, it will soothe them to sleep :)

And last but not least, I made some cool packs. These are to be kept in the freezer, ready to use to cool off on a really hot summer day (like the ones we are experiencing lately!), or to make any ouchie feel better. Of course, I won't need that many cool packs though. I made a few extras with the intent of selling some. And if I don't, well, they'll make cute presents :) You just can't go wrong with such cute and colourful fabrics!

Linking to:

Arg matey!

2011-07-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

After a nice long weekend of taking in the Canada day fireworks, resting, cleaning, enjoying summer days and oodles of crafting, today we were ready to leave town and head to the city!

The "big mall" (as the kids call it) in the city, was organizing a pirate themed activity today, complete with stories, balloon blowing, face painting, games, loot bags and there was even a cute little parrot for the kids to pet. Oh, and did I mentioned that the activities were all happening on board of the pirate ship? Yes, that mall has a pirate ship... and it's in the water... in the middle of the mall. It's a pretty huge mall, as you can maybe imagine. Normally, you are not allowed on the pirate ship though, it's reserved for special occasions, so the kids were extra excited to be allowed aboard!

I love Ashton's "pirate face"! Plastic axes and balloon swords are very threatening, LOL.

My little girl hiding behind a purple poodle. She's not much for the scary pirate stuff... she's more of a "if it's cute, pink or purple, I like it!" kind of girl ;)

There was even a pirate lady making balloon swords for the kids with belts to put them on.

All in all, it was a pretty fun way to spend our morning, and it was free! Best of all, they are apparently hosting something like this weekly all the way into early fall, with a different theme each time. I'm not going to make the hour trip weekly, but I'm sure we'll end up going once more through the summer. Especially if it's too hot to spend it outdoors :)

I hope summer is treating you well! Or winter, depending where you are ;)

Silly faces

2011-06-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last week, for my this moment post, I shared a picture of my daughter making a funny face. But that was actually just one of many silly faces picture we took, so I thought I'd share them with you today.

I just adore all their silly faces! These kids certainly know how to crack me up :)

Mango quesadillas

2011-06-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

I know, mango and quesadillas don't usually belong in the same sentence, let alone in the same meal, but trust me, this is good!

The other day, when the kids asked what was for supper, I told them quesadillas and veggies on the side. Arianne asked :'Can we have mango quesadillas?'

Of course, why didn't I think about this? She didn't come up with it, I've been making them for a long time, but she certainly reminded me of an old favourite of mine. I hadn't made those in such a long time, and she would never eat them, so I was very surprised that she even remembered, let alone ask for it.

They both ate it, and they loved it! And I think if you just give this a try, so will you!

The trick is to slice the mango with the peel on, and not to slice it too thick. Once it's sliced, just use your paring knife to cut the peel around each slice. I find it works better this way, and the slices hold well. But you can try whatever way works for you.

In your frying pan, just put a whole grain tortillas on the bottom and cover with sliced mango.

Then, top with Daiya cheese, sprinkle some sliced green onions, and if you dare, even a bit of seeded and chopped jalapeno peppers. I didn't do the hot peppers this time, as the kids are not fond of it, but it was definitely missing that little extra flavour it brings.

Top with another tortilla and heat over medium heat. I tend to cook regular quesadillas on a higher heat, but for this one, you need a lower temperature, if you want to be able to warm up the mangoes, melt the cheese AND NOT burn your tortilla. Once your first side has browned a bit, flip over and leave until cheese has melted.

When it's ready, just let it sit a minute before slicing, so it won't fall apart. If your not vegan, you can serve with a bit of plain yogurt for dipping, and can substitute the vegan cheese for some Brie or even Havarti if you like. Serve with a side salad and most importantly, share with your friends. They'll be surprised too!

{this moment}

2011-06-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

Silly faces

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Tutorial: Friendship bracelets

2011-06-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

Remember the friendship bracelets I told you about in my last post that I made for my son's entire class? Well here is the promised tutorial! Of course, there are different types of friendship bracelets you can make, but since I was in a rush to make 20 of them, I opted for the simple ones, and my kids loved them so much, they also wanted their own.

First, dig through your (ahem) neatly put away stash of embroidery thread to find the colors you want. (I swear, before I made all these bracelets in a rush, my stash was not a tangled mess like this. But now it is. Oh well. Things got done I suppose ;)

Pick 2 or 3 colors for your bracelet. You want to make sure you have 6 strands total.

Once you picked your colors (in this case, 3 per bracelet), measure 24 inches for each strand. That means for Arianne's bracelet, I had 2 strands of pink, 2 of light green, and 2 of blue, all of them measuring 24 inches long.

Now that your ready to start making your bracelet, find a suitable place to pin the bracelet so you can use both hands freely for your project. Note: pinning right into the arm rest of your couch, or into a cushion (like I did) works just great.

Make a knot, leaving about 1 1/2 inches on one end. I found the easiest way to do this, was to make the knot around the pin (you can tighten it a bit more when your done and removed the pin).

Now your ready to start the bracelet.

Pick your first color (which ever one you choose), and pass the thread underneath all the other ones.
Then make a knot, sliding it all the way up to the top. Continue until you have just about an inch (I don't actually measure each color. I just eyeball it and it works just fine). The trick here, is to try and pull each knot always in the same direction, as much as possible. So if your pulling your knot while holding the strand directly to your right, try to do the same all the way through. (When your all done, it will naturally give the knots a spiral effect.)

Now you've done the first color. Put that strand back with the other ones, and pick another strand from a different color.

Repeat the previous step. You'll see, the transition from color to color is very easy.

When you are all done, make a knot right at the end of your last color using all the threads. Remove the safety pin and tighten that top knot if you need to.

Voila, you are done! Just find a kid who is willing to wear it and tie it around their wrist :)

I hope you enjoy and if some of my instructions are not very clear, don't hesitate to leave me a comment, I will do my best to answer your question or correct my tutorial.

Actually, these bracelets could probably fit my wrist as well, so I might slip back into childhood and sport some this summer ;)

Last day of school friendship bracelet

2011-06-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

Today is Ashton's last day of kindergarten. I wanted to make something for all his classmates, started looking on the web for ideas months ago (just so I wouldn't be stuck making things for 20 kids at the last minute), but nothing caught my eye. Then the other day, I was surfing on Etsy, and then I saw a bracelet (you know the kind that looks like it's a bunch of bracelets together), and then I remembered these friendship bracelets I used to make out of embroidery thread when I was a kid. There are different ways to make them, but the flat and wide kind that have patterns in diagonals take much longer to make.

So I opted to make this type, being all last minute and all! For the most part, they are all different, and I made sure I had the right amount of each for boys and girls. I got the idea last weekend, and thought I'd be done by Monday... NOT!

I only managed to make 5 over the weekend, and with weekdays flying by, I found myself making about 10 of them last night alone. If you do the math, that means I still have 5 more to go and they need to be given today! It's a good thing they are quick to make!

I am putting them in little individual bags with a little message from my son (well, ok, I wrote them because we are running out of time, but shhh... don't tell anyone!). My son decided I should write on the other side that they are a friendship bracelet, in case they don't know what they are.

I guess that means I still have some work to do, so I better stop blogging, and start crafting!

I posted the tutorial, you can find it HERE. Enjoy!

And the winner is...

2011-06-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone who entered my giveaway! You all left such wonderful comments and it really made this gal happy to get such positive feedback about the blog and my felt creations, so thank you!

The pancake set giveaway winner is Sheila! Congratulations!

A cozy Sunday morning...

2011-06-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was in the city and needed to go to Chapters book store to get my nephew a present. I love the book store, it's such a great place to hang out and get "lost" for an hour (or two ;). My kids also love it because the children's area has a train table to play with, giving mama plenty of time to sit down beside them, and look at possible purchases.

Of course, I can't go there to buy someone else a book and nothing for myself. I have no problem just looking and not buying for myself in other stores (most times), but at the book store, I find it very difficult!

As soon as I got there, I decided to see if Growing Up Sew Liberated was there, as it just came out. And it was, so I had to buy it *grin* It's my first sewing book ever, and so imagine my surprise when I realized that there's an envelope in the back with all the patterns! I guess next time I go to the book store, I'll have to pick up her other book, so I can sew a little something for myself as well :) I'll be sewing up a storm before you know it!

And so, this is how I am spending my Sunday morning...

Relaxing on the couch, with a warm cup of coffee and a good book. Perfect!

:: Have you entered my giveaway yet? You have until Tuesday!

Blog update and a giveaway!

2011-06-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Good morning dear friends!

Last night, I was playing with my blog and finally figured out how to add some tabs at the top, so I created some so you can find crafts and tutorials, recipes and one for healthy living (being that I'm studying for holistic nutrition and all, it made sense :)

I'm not done filling up the tabs with link backs to my posts, but I'm working on it, so please be patient. I hope you like it though. As for the blog background, I'm sure you notice it's quite different. I'm still unsure about it, so please bare with me as it might change again until I figure out what really works for me.

Now, enough blog talk and let's get on about the giveaway, shall we?

I've told you last week, that since I had just hit 10 000 hits on the blog, that I would do a giveaway. Over the end of last week, I completed this felt pancake set, and since you all seem to like my felt creations, I thought I would give it to one lucky reader!

The set includes 2 pancakes, a splash of maple syrup (removable), a dollop of cream, a square of butter, 2 slices of bananas and a strawberry. Yes, it's ALL for you! (There's no fine print here, such as this and that not included ;)

*** Giveaway now closed***

Leave a comment here (and please leave your e-mail address if you don't have a blog that your comment will link up to, so I have a way to reach you).
You can also "like" my Facebook page and come back here to tell me you've done so.

That's it! The contest will close next Tuesday, June 21st at midnight (my time), and I will announce the winner the next day.

Linking this post to:

It's a beautiful rainy day!

2011-06-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right! A beautiful rainy day!

(Source)

You know when you wake up and your bed is so comfortable and the air around you is so fresh and cool, you just can't bring yourself to get out of bed right away? That's how my day started. I had a really great sleep and woke up to my two kiddo's fetching themselves breakfast. They just started doing that recently, and I love how they are trying to earn a little independence. Ashton climbs on the counter to get the bowls since Arianne does not have his monkey abilities ;) , and together, they set up a breakfast assembly line on the kitchen floor. Bowls, check! Cereal boxes, check! Milk, check! By the time I actually got out of bed (though it was still only 7am), they were already eating their breakfast.

This rain today makes me want to sit back with a nice cup of warm tea (or maybe I'll cave in and have coffee this morning ;) and appreciate the little things in life. Tough it does make me a little sad to see my kids grow so fast, as many moms do, I am still proud of all they are becoming. Wanting to be independent is a great quality... as long as they don't push me back when I want a hug and a kiss when dropping them off at school. I'm not ready for that and I don't think I'll ever be!

Today is the kind of day, that you just want to stay home, curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a good book. But I can't do that just yet. I have to drive Ashton to school first, then I get to spend the day at home with my baby girl (I know, she's 4 and not a baby anymore, but she's my baby girl anyways :).

I know for a fact, she won't let me open a book and read for more than 2 minutes without interrupting, so curling up and doing so is out of the question. So today's plan is to set her up at the kitchen table beside me with some water colors and let her paint to her hearts content while I finish some felt crafting projects and a wood memory game I'm working on (more on that very soon!). She loves painting more than I can describe, and I have a little water color painting kit I bought a long while ago that I was keeping for a special occasion and I think today is when I'll give it to her. And if we are in the mood for more than crafting, then we'll move to the kitchen and work on some new and healthy recipes I've been wanting to try.

I just find myself feeling so calm and very content this morning, I'm looking forward to the rhythm of this day and I'm thanking this beautiful rainy day for that.

What do you like to do, on rainy days?

{this moment} kangaroo hopping

2011-06-10T07:17:00.001-07:00

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

A bit of this and a bit of that

2011-06-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

We've been having lots of fun here lately in the "Sunshine" household. Yes, even some fun on an old style carousel! But first, I have some exciting news! When I checked my blog this morning, I was only 4 hits away from 10 000 visits! I always told myself that I'd do a giveaway when my little bloggie would reach 10 000 visits, but I thought it would take a couple of years to get there, not just after my blog reached a year old! So this week, I will put together a giveaway for you and will announce it later this week, so stay tuned!

Like I said earlier, our week was filled with fun. We did a little visit to our weekly farmers market and there was this table filled with goodies handmade in Kenya. I love their table! They go to Kenya and purchase hand crafted items that are made ethically and everything is fair trade. Not to mention, everything is so beautiful! This blue bowl really caught my eye. I thought it was made of wood, until the guy told me to look under the bowl... it's made of soap stone and the white you see in it? It's not painted, but engraved!

The little owl also caught my eye. My son pointed it out to me at the same time as I saw it. I have a serious owl fetish lately and the kids and I are now noticing owls everywhere we go. I've been able to resist buying every cute owl thing I see so far... until I saw this little guy.

He's so cute, he deserves a picture all of his own :) There's even another little owl carved into it's belly. It's all in one piece, so the inside owl is carved through the holes you see. I don't know how they do it, but I find it fascinating!

Saturday morning, we hit the yard sales. I used to go to yard sales weekly with my mom as a kid and have so many great memories! But I myself, only go check them out once or twice a year. This weekend was one of them, and we had lots of great finds.

I found these great books for Arianne. I didn't give them to her yet, I'm waiting for special moments to take them out, one by one. The book I'm most excited about is "A book of fairy tales". It's filled with stories such as the little red riding hood and such, and the illustrations are all similar to the one on the cover. I don't know how old the book is, but it definitely has a vintage look to it and I'm in love. I can't wait to read her stories from it!

That morning before I left to go check out the yard sales, the only thing I told myself I'd really like to find, was some wood bowls. Ask and you shall receive I guess, because it's the first thing I found! This big salad bowl, with 4 smaller bowls and the utensils for $3. I was so excited!

And last but not least, this brand new Ikea indoor igloo tent! We used to have one we had got used, and used it so much ourselves, that it got ripped up and was no longer usable. (The kids were a lot younger and my little guy was very rough with it back then). But that was a couple years ago and the kids are older and more careful of their belongings, so I thought it would be worth it. Funny thing is, Ashton was just asking me last week if we still had our old tent and was saying how much he missed playing with it. And they've been having lots of fun with it already, yay!

Here I'm backtracking a little, since this was last Friday, but I took the kids to Galaxyland at the West Edmonton Mall. I rarely take them there, but I wanted to take them out for a little fun :) Well, a lot of fun actually, they had a blast!

First stop was the carousel.

Some fun kid sized kart racing (they were going so slow, I could have walked beside them, but shhh... don't tell them! They thought they were going so fast! lol)

And some other rides too...

Our town also had organized "wacky Saturday". Some activities and sales downtown. There was a bouncy "house", street hockey, face painting among other things... and a petting zoo. I managed to take this picture of the kids snuggling with the bunnies.

They were so happy but now were all exhausted! OK, they are not exhausted, I am. They are kids full of energy while I'm just getting older, lol. So I'm hoping to stick around home today, enjoy a cup of coffee (or two, to make it through today ;) and maybe craft more with felt. I'm not sure what will be in the giveaway yet, but I think I'll be making you some of my felt creations, since everyone seem to like them so much.

Hope you all had a great weekend and are enjoying life!

Stay tuned for the giveaway :)

{this moment}

2011-06-03T07:15:00.001-07:00

Emulating Fancy Nancy :)

{this moment} - (inspired by Soule Mama) A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Dancing into June...

2011-06-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'd call it doing the happy dance, but it's clearly a robot dance. I can't believe it's June already! Where has time gone? I didn't see April fly by, let alone May!

But I'm happy it's June. Happy dance kinda happy. June means school is almost out and summer vacation is approaching soon. June means warmer weather and lots of sunshine. It means long walks with the kids, and watermelon and freezer pops snacks. June means camping season is ON!
I love June and all that it represents! Especially happy kids and a happy mama!

My creative space: I've been bit!

2011-05-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

By the creative bug, that is!

I spent most of the weekend cutting and hand sewing felt food. I've had in the back of my mind to create enough things to fill a table at one of the craft fairs that happen in my town throughout the year, or at the farmers market that we have here weekly. I didn't have as much time to devote to making felt creations, as I'm still studying for my holistic nutrition course, along with being a (mostly stay at home) mama and having a part-time job. But now I'm done the first part of my course (and I even completed it early at that!), so I have a little down time.

The kids and I had a nice relaxing weekend at home, with no plans, so I used the times when they played together quietly to fill up my plates with felt food :)

I even made the bacon bendy! The kids got a kick out of it :)

Kiwi and banana slices

I love how the pizza turned out! Stuffing and hand sewing the crust was more time consuming than I thought it would be. But so worth it! I posted these felt food pics on my personal Facebook account, and a friend of mine is interested in ordering some of these for her kids for Christmas :) I've been also toying with the idea of starting a little Etsy shop, but was too unsure of myself to do so. Now, I'm leaning that way, more and more. What do you think?

These last creations I made a little while back, but just realized I forgot to share them with you, so here goes...

I made Arianne a little lady bug peg person (she wanted it before I got to paint the hair ;). And I couldn't help myself but give her ladybug a matching sleeping bag :) I adore this one!!

And Ashton was so excited to see he had his own astronaut! I still have to make a space sleeping bag for it though. I guess I know what I'm doing today :)

Happy Memorial Day!

I am linking to:

border="0" href="http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com"

target="_blank">

src="http://hadfield.smugmug.com/photos/825895175_xmTVA-O.jpg"

alt="Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap

up party!" />

And

Delicately Constructed Fridays

Rainbow birthday party and near disasters

2011-05-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm about a month late for posting this, but better late than never ;)

A few months ago, when I started talking with my then almost 4 year old little girl about her approaching birthday party, she said she wanted a "rainbow and unicorn birthday". She was very clear about it. So I googled rainbow birthday parties and found all kinds of inspiration online. But I'm not a professional party planner, with access to different tables, props, fancy plates and such. I'm not a chef, who's got an amazing cake recipe in her back pocket and who can whip up the most amazing frosting and make amazing curls with a piping bag.

I'm just a mom, who loves to put effort into details of my kids birthday parties. I stress myself out immensely twice a year with those (at both kids parties), but I still like to do it regardless.

So when Arianne said she wanted a rainbow birthday, I knew I wanted to make this cake. The problem is, that I only own 1 round cake pan, and didn't feel like buying more just for 1 day, and the cake might not be difficult, but takes time to prep, bake and assemble.

Thinking I was doing a good thing, I decided to simplify things and proceeded to colour the batter into rainbow colors. I even had the kids help me with this, and they loved it!

So pretty and colorful!

So far so good, right?

Wrong!

I had layered the colours in my bunt pan, thinking they would stay separated, but they marbled together and didn't stay vibrant like what I was hoping for. The cake also broke in about 4-5 pieces when I tried to remove it from the mold. Though I had some friends saying they thought it looked fun to eat and it could have been saved once the icing would be on, it was the evening before the party and I just could not see myself start over. In the heat of the moment, I could not even see myself fixing this one, I was a stressed out mess of a mama I tell you!

So off I went to the store and bought this...

And turned it into this:

I'm very proud of how it turned out! Arianne was SO happy too!

But you know what, it would have been quicker to bake a rainbow cake following the proper steps, than baking the one I made, then going to the store and spend another almost 2 hours coloring icing in 6 different colors, 1 at a time because I only had 1 piping bag and had to wash it in between each applications.

Note to self: Next time just buy the darn cake and save yourself some time and stress! LOL.

Next on my to do list, I wanted to make some play dough lollipops. Again, I wanted to make some in 6 different colors, so I though I would use my regular play dough recipe, divide it, and then dye it after. It didn't work out that way at all...

The colour would not take. So instead of very colorful dough, I was left with a ball of almost white stuff...

So I started over, did two halved batches and picked 2 colors instead of doing it 6 times. Blue and yellow with glitter were chosen by the birthday girl.

And the party favours turned out like this:

In the end, everything worked out, but I learned I need to stop putting so much pressure on myself. I need to remember than my kids are easy going , and that they are just happy with whatever they get.

She was happy to have a party with some rainbow colours throughout the house and on her cake. And she was mostly happy to have her friends to share this special day with!

I love these cute moments with her brother, and she was very excited to receive her first play silk ever! (Thanks to a friend of mine :)

But a rainbow party would not be completed without rainbow coloured tissue pompoms! (Sorry, the orange one was missing from the picture ;) (And thanks to my other awesome friend for making a crochet banner in rainbow yarn for me. We love it so much that it's still hanging in the kitchen a month later!)

These were very easy to make (you can find the instructions HERE), though I learned the hard way that they are more time consuming than they look. But well worth it!

Note to self #2: Do not start making these at 10pm the night before the party, or you may risk having bags under your eyes the day of the party.

Just saying ;)

I'm curious, so my question for you today is this: Do you stress over your kids birthday parties like me? Or do you have some trick to make them less stressful to prepare? Do you celebrate at home or do you just skip all the mess making/cleaning and rent a space?

Linking to:

border="0" href="http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com"

target="_blank">

src="http://hadfield.smugmug.com/photos/825895175_xmTVA-O.jpg"

alt="Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap

up party!" />

Blueberry and Wild Rice Salad

2011-05-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I got together today for a playdate today. We've been doing this more consistently lately and it's been such a nice break! The kids all get along so well together and we get some time to chat, catch up and be silly between us moms... a perfect way to spend the day!

When we've been getting together, good food is always involved and last time, one of the girls requested this salad for me to bring. She saw it on my food photo album on Facebook (yes, i'm that much of a food nerd ;), and she really wanted to try it. So I made some for the girls today, and they loved it! Yay! I always make this salad when spring comes and throughout the summer. It's so light and fresh, yet very filling.

I know it looks a bit purple, it's because of the previously frozen blueberries. They tinted the rice salad when I mixed everything around and that's when I took the picture. But don't worry, once you let the salad sit a bit in the fridge, the rice regains most of it's normal colour :)

Blueberry and Wild Rice Salad

1 cup brown and wild rice

2 cubes vegetable broth (I use CelifibR brand, it's vegan, gluten and MSG free!)

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup cranberries

3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp agave nectar (I prefer with honey, it makes the salad taste even better)

1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger *

1 tsp lime zest

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

Follow directions on package to cook your rice until tender, making sure you add your veggie broth cubes to your cooking water, or substitute the water for liquid broth if that's what you use. Let cool and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, agave nectar, ginger and lime zest. Whisk in the olive oil slowly to emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop the red onion finely and add to the rice, along with the chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries and sliced almonds.

Slowly pour the dressing over the rice and mix well. I say slowly because you may not want to use all the dressing. I usually end up having a little extra.

Gently fold in the thawed blueberries and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

* Quick Tip: When your not using your fresh ginger root, wrap it in plastic wrap and then put it in an airtight container or resealable bag and keep it in the freezer. That way, it will keep for a very long time AND when you want to use it, all you have to do is grate it while frozen. The peel will naturally pull away and since your grating it finely, it will thaw almost immediately. No more rotten ginger in your fridge or cupboards! And no more excuse to not having fresh ginger on hand :)

Now, go make the salad and find someone to share it with! Or keep it all to yourself. Whatever you choose ;)