Acceptance for Positive Change - or - Stop Nagging Already!

Today, I accepted the fact that I am a nag. I nag my son all morning long, beginning with light nags like "It's time to get dressed now" and "Don't forget to turn off the light in your bedroom." Eventually, no matter how many nags I issue, we are behind schedule and in our last five minutes the nags are coming fast and furious. "You've got x, y, and z still to do and you've got two minutes to do them in." "We need to be out the door in one minute." "We're late!" "RUN!!!"

Not only does this stress mama out, it creates a tension between junior and I that I don't like. After all, we only have this short hour of togetherness before he's gone to school all day. I also don't want the start to his day to be stressful. My constant reminders about what he has to do and when he has to do it also relieve him of any responsibility for anything. He knows I am watching the clock, so why should he? He knows I'll remind him if he forgets something, so why listen the first time?

Today, I decided to take responsibility for what I was doing, instead of blaming him for what he was not doing. Today was day one of my son's new life as a responsible six-and-a-half-year-old. This morning, he was responsible for everything, including keeping track of the time and what he had to get done. He has a watch and he can read it. He knows the morning routine. Guess what? We made it to the bus on time. Yes, we had to sprint, but we made it. No stress and a light workout. Awesome.

Have a responsible day! :)

Sue

Stock Your Freezer: Nine Meals Under $3.00 Per Person!

This past Sunday, a friend came over and we worked hard for five hours to make this:

Well, in fact, we made more than what you see in this picture. This is just my half of what we made (and there's one chicken dish missing... 'cause we ate it right away)!

That's nine meals prepped for my freezer at a cost of $2.20 per person. Nine meals that, even with the addition of one or two side dishes and/or pasta, cost under $3.00 per person. Note that many ingredients, such as the tomatoes and chicken, were organic, so that's an amazing cost. The cost would have gone down even further if I had planned meals around sale items. Here's what I put in my freezer:

2 x Lemon chicken with carrots and olives (one not frozen because we ate it right away)
1 x Pepper-lime chicken
2 x Adzuki bean and yam burgers
2 x Tomato sauce
2 x Tomato sauce with meatballs that I prepped the day before (plus one more small batch of tomato sauce with meatballs just for mama... I'm dreaming of a delicious submarine sandwich...)

We also had some leftover boiled and mashed yam. I froze mine in one cup portions that I will use in muffins. We also made some mashed potato mounds that can simply be heated up to pair with a steak or one of the chicken dishes. We also had a couple of baked potatoes left over that can be defrosted, sliced and fried to accompany a nice weekend breakfast or breakfast for dinner on a busy night.

I have to say, this is really the way to go. I had a nice visit with a friend, we both stocked our freezers with a couple of weeks worth of meals and sides, we saved money and we freed up some time in the future. Having these meals ready to go means not having to spend an hour in the kitchen at the end of a long day. Yes, prep day was long and tiring, but it was just half of one day. It was also cheaper to prepare the food all at once - one trip to the store and no waste when you realize a meal you planned to make but had no time for has been in the fridge too long and needs to be thrown out. There is some work to do ahead of time to choose recipes, decide how many batches you will make, create the grocery list, buy the groceries and prep some of the food. For example, I boiled and mashed the yams the day ahead and my friend cooked the beans ahead of time. To me, it was totally worth it to not have to ask or answer the question, "What's for dinner?" for at least a couple of weeks!

You can find the recipe for the Roasted Chicken And Carrots With Olives And Lemons here:

Roasted Chicken And Carrots With Olives And Lemons

Happy cooking!

Sue

I'm linked up with:

Happy New Year! Resolutions: What I should do, and what I actually will do.

I'm back! I had a nice break with the family - punctuated by two flus and a cold. I took a break from my personal blog, but there was still LOTS going on at the book club.

If you're looking for e-books to load up that e-reader, iPhone or tablet you acquired over the holidays, visit Cookie's Book Club (the list of giveaways is at the top of the right sidebar). Some interesting guest posts too from some of my favourite 2011 independent authors!

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are slowly acclimatizing yourselves to the new year. Happy 2012!

I can't tell you how happy I am to usher in a new year. In our house we dubbed 2011 'The Year of the Cold'. We had a minimum of twelve colds and flus last year (I lost track towards the end). In fact, 2011 went out with one final hurrah, as our tiny human woke up early on December 31st with the flu. Suddenly, today, January 1st of a brand new year, he is miraculously well. I've spent the morning feeling grateful and hopeful while at the same time crossing all of my digits and knocking on everything made of wood.

Guest Blogger:Beth of Far From Camelot"Moving Revelations"

Today, I am proud to present fellow blogger Beth of Far From Camelot. Beth is the mom of one adorable Riley Benjamin who she describes as her reason for getting up in the morning and her husband's reason for working so hard.

Beth has a knack for seeing the positive in even the most trying of times. Check out her new weekly link up, Our Blessings Box, hosted every Monday where you can write about the good that's happened in your life and meet some new friends.

Moving Revelations

by Beth of Far From Camelot

I have had my life packed up in moving boxes for almost two years. Books, framed art, knick-knacks, kitchen supplies, you name it. My life has been trapped and unable to be used. Items have been replaced, although I had a perfectly good one already. It’s just in a box that I can’t get to. Two years is an eternity when you’re staring at empty walls in rooms of a house not of your choosing.

After being forced to close our business in Florida, Chris got a job in Georgia. The company was to pay for our move. They fired him the day before we were to leave and bring back our home. Apparently he was too inexperienced for the money they were paying him. Strange though, because he’d been doing the same work almost all his life. For three months we lived on a rented pull-out couch and RB slept smushed in his play pen. Even the TV was rented. It took three months to get another job, find a house in the city where the job was and afford to get our things from Florida.

The next house we chose to rent was out of sheer desperation to find a place quickly. It was affordable yet old and run down. It was out in the country so the area was quiet and it had a large back yard. That was its redeeming quality – RB had a place to run wild and free! But it didn’t feel like home and we relegated the majority of our things, still packed in boxes, to the spare bedroom. Thinking we would be leaving at the end of the lease, I didn’t want to unpack everything just to pack it back up again.

It’s easy to feel in limbo when things aren’t going your way. The year spent in Georgia was not productive for us. Our plans failed and people we trusted became a disappointment. I suppose when a life change is made beyond your control, your attitude is not a positive one. I felt we were stuck and stagnant. Our financial situation seemed to be getting worse. It was looking like we were going to stay a lot longer than we wanted to.

But moving to Bluffton has sparked some change and positive results. The majority of our life has now been unpacked. Family pictures and other art have been hung on the walls. Some of my tea pot collection is decorating the kitchen as well as the porcelain plates that my grandmothers painted. My books have come out of hiding and out on new bookshelves. The lies of our past cannot dictate the truth of our future. Tomorrow certainly is another day. Another day to wake up and be glad for a fresh start. Another day to learn from but not dwell on past mistakes. Do not settle.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that material things don’t matter and shouldn’t rule our life or self-worth. We did have to downsize to move into this apartment but what a blessing! You’ve heard the organizational saying, if you haven’t used it for a year, get rid of it? Well, I had two years worth of unused items to donate! It was a load off my past that was keeping me from moving forward. What a relief it is to start living again! I don’t miss those items. They don’t define me. Literally cleaning house was a release from a past that we thought we should hang on to. Now, I’m looking forward to acquiring new items to celebrate this next chapter in our lives, but don’t tell my husband!

Guest Blogger:Carla of Mrs. No No Knows"Tips for Easy Back to School Lunches"

Today I am pleased to feature Carla of Mrs. No-No Knows! I'm always so grateful for her weekly menu plans and fabulous food ideas. Today Carla is going to share her tips on back-to-school lunches. 

When Sue asked me to write a guest post, I was flattered and excited! (Thanks Sue!!) Let me start by introducing myself: My blog is really a mish-mash of what my every day life is like - so I end up writing about something fun we did the day before, or the week before, I write about crafts and sewing, and I write about my little Miss No-No - but mostly I write about the food!!

I love good food and I know that you don't need to "break the bank" to have it. I believe that you can eat well on a budget and you can feed your family without resorting to processed foods or being in the kitchen all day long. We don't have time to make a meal that takes 3 hours (who has 3 HOURS to cook??? I don't and I'm guessing that you don't either). But, I don't think that your family's taste buds or health should suffer because of that. For those reasons, I write about awesome, healthy food that can be made, in about 30 minutes or less! Doing this for your family makes your life richer and your family's life better - and, really, what could be more awesome?

Since it's September and that means the start of school for most of us mommas, let's talk about lunches.

My pre-K toddler has a program at her school where they provide lunch, for an extra fee. I'm in the "business" of running my house, our finances, and taking care of everyone - that $4 lunch doesn't work so well in my business plan. And while corn dogs, small kids' sized pizzas, and chicken nuggets for lunch everyday would be her dream come true, it really doesn't seem like the most healthy of diets...and since I am actually doing some grocery shopping every week, and have food in my house, it seems like a small stretch for me to make her lunch for her.

There are many benefits to my making her lunch, including:

• it costs less for me to take something from my fridge (that I have already bought) than for me to send her to school with $4 every day for someone else to make her something
• I know WHAT exactly is going into her lunch
• I have the assurance that (even if she doesn't eat the vegetables) there are vegetables in her lunch
• and, I get to send a little surprise for her every day!

Making a to-go lunch for a little one every day can take some planning, but it's really easy when you get down to it. Even when I start from scratch, I can get her lunch together in no more than 10 minutes (I've timed it!). Even though I feel like I have a lot of things to do every day, I can squeeze out another quick 10 minutes, even if it's just barely! ;)

So here are some quick and easy tips to help you with your toddler or school-age kids' lunches. I use these ideas weekly and I know once you start using them, you will keep up with them. Not just because of the good feeling that you will have sending your little ones off with the nutrition that they need to fuel them for the day, not because it will take about as much time to make lunch as it does for you to hunt through your bag for another $4 or $5 to give them each morning, but you will be able to stick with this because it works!

Plan ahead. Sounds easy, right? I've read this everywhere: plan ahead, be prepared, make lunches daily, and on and on.... But, we have all been there.....It's not THAT easy to plan ahead these fabulous lunches each and every day. My little one, honestly, is happy with a PB and jelly sandwich daily. And, really, PB and jelly is healthy, full of protein and good carbs that will keep her full until her afternoon snack. So my first real tip is this:

1. Find something that your kids LOVE. For mine it's those PB and jelly sandwiches. So, I pre-make them for her! I will make 3 or 4 instead of just making one, pop the extras in Tupperware, and put them in the freezer. On those days that I just can.not.find.the.time to make her lunch, I have a back-up. I can put one of the frozen sandwiches in her lunch in the morning and by lunch time, it's defrosted and ready to go. And I do that with a lot of things - if I cut up carrots or red peppers for dinner, I will grab an extra one or two and cut those up as well, divide them into good portion sizes in Tupperware and save them in the refrigerator for lunches. When I need a veggie for lunch, they are there and ready to go. I also do this with fruit, applesauce, rice or any other grain, beans, whole wheat pasta, and especially leftovers. Once you have a little arsenal of Tupperware containers in your fridge, you grab a couple (one from each food group) and have a complete lunch ready to go.
   
   
2. Make it fun. If I send my little one with a sandwich, I use a cookie cutter to make it into something special. It might be a heart, a flower, or something seasonal. She never knows what she is going to get, and it's different each day. It's nothing elaborate, and it only takes another couple of seconds, but it sets her lunch apart from the other kids' lunches.
   
   
3. Give them something to pick at. Kids love to pick and munch, talk for awhile, and then come back to their lunch. A little one with a burrito might not eat a lot of it, but a little one with carrot sticks or cucumber "chips" can grab some and talk and eat at the same time, they can share with friends, and then can eat what they want or how much they want without being overwhelmed by having to eat a BIG piece of something. I send edamame, beans, raisins, and other small pieces of fruit in her lunch. So, basically, what I am saying is - cut everything up!! :)
   
   
4. Add an element of surprise. I think this makes my little one look forward to what could possibly be in her lunch each day (I put the thought that she may be sneaking a peek into her lunch bag early completely out of my mind!!). Anything, really, is appropriate - it's just a little "I'm thinking of you" surprise. Sometimes, I use silly bands or bracelets, stickers, a handwritten note that says "I love you", or I will just draw her a silly picture. It doesn't have to be elaborate - and that's the beauty of it - you can do something simple, but it will have a big impact on your kids.

I believe these are the basic "building blocks" of a healthy lunch. And I think as long as you get something from each food group into that bag, kids will eat! They might not eat as many veggies as you would like, but in the end they are getting good food, healthy food, and you are saving money (and now time) making lunch for them...it's an easier way for you to help your kids live a richer, fuller life.

So go ahead and pack those lunch bags, mommas - there's nothing to worry about, you've got the tools to get it under control!!

Here are some example pictures of lunches I have made for my little one (just so you can see the creative cookie cutting I do!!)

A word of warning: If you have older kids, like teenagers, all bets may be off here!!!

Have questions or comments? Come on by my blog, my FB page, or even Twitter and ask away!!! If you need help packing lunches, I'm here for you.

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The Green Thing: email joke

I recently received this 'joke' (well, I found it highly amusing) in my email inbox and had to share it all with you.

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
 
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
 
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."
 
He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
 
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
 
But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.
 
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
 
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
 
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
 
But that old lady is right; they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
 
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
 
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
 
But she's right; they didn't have the green thing back then.
 
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
 
But they didn't have the green thing back then.
 
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
 
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks
were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?

Life's Lessons: The First Edition

I have been feeling especially uninspired - tired, but also just enjoying the great outdoors with my son a whole lot and not really feeling like doing anything productive. I've experienced several Scarlett O'Hara moments this week: "I'll think about that tomorow!" It's partly the heat and partly the realization that summer is short and I want to be outside soaking up as much of it as I can!

Then one of my favourite blogging moms, Rach at Life with Baby Donut, decided to host a link up along with Sara at Life's Recipe, and I was once again inspired.

What I learned this week:

1. I learned (or was reminded of the fact that) a massage is like a little slice of heaven and always helps me sleep like a baby (one of those babies that sleeps for 6 hours overnight as soon as they come home from the hospital, not one of those babies - like mine - who sleep for only one hour at a time for five months).

2. I learned that story time at the zoo starts at 11:00 not 11:30 and is at the north end of the zoo, not the south end. Oops! Sorry M! Mama needed a nap that day.

3. I learned that my son can easily survive a 3 hour camp, and even enjoy himself... the whole time. Crisis averted!

4. I learned that if you eat before a late evening get together with friends, none of them will have eaten yet and vice versa. 

5. I learned that I can bike for hours and hours and still not really want to stop. What's that about?

6. I learned that hanging out with friends while the kids play on the playground equipment and someone feeds you hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, water and juice is not half bad!

7. Oh, and I learned that I have the kind of boobs (can I say "boobs" on the interweb?) that really hurt when they get squished in a mammogram machine. Happy news though - negative mammograms-2, cancer-0! Woot!

Have a great week everyone!

Hosting a Garage Sale Guest Post from Coupons Make Cents

It's garage sale season! If you're planning on hosting a garage sale, you'll want to read today's post from guest blogger, Elizabeth of Coupons Make Cents. Also, check out Elizabeth's previous post for tips on how to get the most for your money when checking out other garage sales.

Thanks for these great tips, Elizabeth!

Garage Sales — How to get the most for your stuff when you’re the one SELLING.

If you read my previous post, you know how to get the most for your money when you're the buyer, but what if you're the seller?  How do you set up and conduct your sale so that you get the absolute most for your stuff?  There's lots you can do, and here are some great tips.

• Plan carefully.  Host your yard sale on a day that is supposed to be sunny and warm.  We can't control the weather, but we can take our best shot.  Rain will absolutely ruin your sale.
• Group yard sales always work out better than single yard sales.  See if you can talk your neighbors into hosting one on the same day.  That way you save on signage too!
• Be CLEAR about whether you will accept commercial offers.  There are people who own businesses who will come in early and offer you a low price on a large amount of your stuff.  If you want to get out fast, this might be a good thing, but bear in mind that these people almost always are trying to get your things at a price that they can mark up and sell again at their shop.  If you are ok with that, then go for it.  If not, be CLEAR in your ads (newspaper, Craigslist, etc) that commercial offers will not be accepted.
• Advertise, advertise, advertise. Clearly marked (in BIG DARK LETTERS) signs with your address and subdivision name are absolutely required.  Most newspapers offer free advertising for yard sales, and PLEASE take out an ad on Craigslist.  There is a great new tool out called Yard Sale Treasure Map (it's a site, you can google it) that interacts with Craigslist and a map for the user to plan their trip.  Make sure you're on there!  Be as detailed as possible in naming what you have for sale.  Consider posting on Facebook to your friends that you are having a yard sale, and let them know whether it's ok for them to share that info with their friends.
• Be clear in your ad that you will/will not accept early birds.  They can show up as early as 5 am...are you ready?
• Prepare. Make sure that you have small bills and PLENTY of change on hand.
• Offer coffee and donuts/cookies/Cokes to your customers.  Word will spread like wildfire that your sale has food and drink, especially if it's hot out!
• If you are hosting a group sale, be sure to keep a ledger.  Keep note of item description, whose it was, and how much it was sold for.
• Don't bad mouth your items.  You should be truthful -- if someone asks if the camera works and it doesn't, you should tell them it does not work.  But if it does and you just upgraded, don't be the guy who says "yes, but it doesn't have x, y, or z."  Chances are, your buyer already knows what the camera has/doesn't have, and items at a yard sale are sold on an as/is basis.  The buyer won't be coming back to you later asking why you didn't tell them it didn't have a telescoping lens.
• DO tell the positives about your items!  Don't overdo it, but mention that your kids loved that game, that skillet makes great pancakes, cake doesn't stick in this pan!  etc.  As a buyer, it would make a difference to me if I knew that the china was only used once or twice and really looked like it.  I'd be inclined to give you more for it.  No sense in telling me that it breaks really easy and that's why you only have 7 plates instead of 8.  ;)
• Make CLEAR labels.
• Organize clearly.  There are lots of ways to do this -- you can organize according to price, according to content (clothes here, toys there, etc) but please make sure your items are organized so that the buyer can see FROM THE ROAD that you have some good stuff.
• Bargain.  Negotiate.  Think of your labelled price as the sticker price at the dealer.  Lots of folks will be willing to pay that, but you will always get the hagglers (especially if I come to your neighborhood!).  Don't price too high.  A reasonable price for items at a yard sale is anywhere between 10-40% of what the item would cost new.  Age, wear, and timeliness will also come into play here.  For example, if you have printed encyclopedias to sell, I know how much you paid for them and how much you'd love to get for them, but I have news for you -- .25 might be about right.  They just aren't going to sell.  If technology has come along and made something nearly or completely obsolete, you have to take that into consideration.  As a seller, you have every right to be firm on whichever price you set, but please understand that the buyer has the right to walk away as well.  If someone offers you a price early on in your sale that you aren't willing to take at that moment (thinking that maybe someone else will come along and pay more) tell them that you'll take their name and number and if the item is still there at the end of the sale, you'll call them.  It doesn't mean you have to take their offered price, but it does open the door again to negotiation, and you'll know that your price has been too high to sell.
• Collectables.  Label and group them clearly.  Someone may not understand that your bronze teapot is part of a collection - the other parts of which are scattered across the driveaway.  Price your collectables carefully -- check completed items on Ebay to see what something similar has sold for, because you can guarantee that your buyer, if they have a smart phone, is doing the same thing.

Overall, have fun!  Enjoy your traffic, and hope for the best.  You're clearing out your house, and you're going to love the decluttered rooms.   Revel in the idea that someone else is going to find joy and get use out of something you were clearly finished with.  And end your sale with a smile on your face and cash in your pocket.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What are your garage sale season tips?

My Family Rocks: Post-Mother's Day Reflections

Okay, I'm taking another crack at a post I wrote last week that was subsequently lost by Blogger. Nice! Let's see how much I can remember....

On Mother's Day I was sick with a cold. Sucks to be me, you say. Mmm... it wasn't all bad. Not that I wanted to be sick... again.... but it was just a cold (there are worse things in life), and in the end it turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

 Retrieved May 16, 2011 from http://twinpossible.com/when-mom-gets-sick-oh-no

A couple of weeks ago my husband asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. I was just amazed to be asked that question more than 24 hours ahead of time. After I got over my shock, I jokingly said I'd like to sleep all day. I have been burning both ends of the candle, fighting off colds, and was exhausted. There were all sorts of reasons why that wasn't going to happen. We had other plans such as attending a Mother's Day/Birthday dinner for the matriarch of the family. But it was a nice dream.

Well, I came down with another nasty cold and guess what happened? I pretty much spent the day in bed. That's right. I got my wish. I couldn't go to dinner and risk making our 94-year-old aunt sick. Life essentially came to a halt. Well, except for the laundry that needed doing - sheets needed to be changed. Moms know this - no matter how sick you are, your to do list does not do itself. 

Thanks to that cold, I had time to slow down! My boys were great caretakers. They brought me food and made sure I had hot tea to drink. It was a wonderful Mother's Day! What I needed more than anything (besides sleep, which is just a standing order around here), was a chance to lay back and do nothing much of anything. Ahhh. 

Thanks boys. You two are the best. Thanks for caring about what I wanted and thanks for looking after me when I needed it!

By the way, if you find yourself sick, here are some tips on how to handle being a mom at the same time.

The Most Beautiful Moment of My Husband's Life

I want to share a moment with you filled with deep emotion, a personal moment that my husband will remember for as long as he lives.

Have you ever had such an intense feeling of joy that you couldn't contain it? There's that screech that comes out when we hear that our girlfriend is pregnant. Sometimes we're so happy - when we or someone we love gets married, when a child is born and so on - that tears escape down our cheeks.

Well last week I saw my husband happier than I have ever seen him before. Now, consider that we are married - so there was a marriage - and that we have had a child together. Neither of these events have made him as happy as he was last week when his favourite hockey team, the Vancouver Canucks, won the 7th game in the series against the Blackhawks in overtime.

I've always known about my husband's love of hockey, but it never occurred to me that I might be his second love. He was so overcome with emotion when they won that he picked me up and started jumping up and down in celebration. He was almost in tears when he pronounced that he hasn't been this happy since the Canucks beat the Flames on their way to the Stanley Cup final in 1994.

I'm very happy for my husband, don't get me wrong. But just for a second, I was feeling a little less than worthy. Now, after some reflection, I understand that there are different levels of love and that the love for a child, the love for a spouse and the love for a sports team can coexist.

And now, since it is my vow and my pleasure to support my husband's interests....

Go Canucks go!

 Retrieved May 2, 2011 from http://www.globalmaritimes.com/sports/Photos+Canucks+fans+show+their+Game+love/4679210/story.html

An evening of music: Brentano String Quartet

Last night a friend and I saw the Brentano String Quartet perform a number of different pieces including Beethoven Quartet Opus 135. Our favourite moment of the night was hearing the 3rd movement of this Beethoven piece, the Lento Assai. It's a beautiful movement, and even more so when you can see it not just in your mind's eye but also in the movement of the musicians' bodies. I love watching a quartet perform. Each musician's contribution is uniquely beautiful yet they are all part of the same organism. If you ever have a chance to see a quartet live, take it!

The second favourite moment for me, just because it was in perfect contrast to the hoity-toityness of the concert atmosphere, was at dinner before the concert when Jack was blowing bubbles in his milk. The bubbles were overflowing the glass and making a right mess. I put a napkin under his glass and left him to it. We forgot to bring toys for Jack to play with at the restaurant, so I was just happy he found a way to entertain himself. Then Jack spilled his glass of milk, what was left of it, all over my pants.

Wet again. A friend of mine - a saint with four children - once described her early parenting years as always being wet. I now get that. I quietly cleaned myself off, cleaned my chair, cleaned the table, cleaned the floor, sat down and took another bite of my cornbread. It was an accident, what else was there to do?

Here are the Brentano String Quartet playing another piece (not performed last night, but one I quite like), Haydn String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2 ("Quinten"). Enjoy!

What an adventure!

I'm back! Jack and I had a very fun and wonderful visit with his Auntie, Uncle and cousin. There were a few wrinkles, of course. Issues? When travelling with a preschooler? You don't say!

The trip started out very well. I was so relaxed that by the time Jack and I wandered through security, grabbed a snack, played in the kids play area and meandered to our gate, the last few people were boarding the plane. Oops. So much for pre-boarding. We may have been the last two on the plane. Our seats were, of course, at the very back. I arrived with my hands full, looking slightly mystified, when a hand reached out to grab my tea. Why, thank-you kind stewardess! Maybe a minute after I got all of our stuff stowed and Jack and I settled into our seats, we were backing away from the terminal. That worked out pretty well actually. Who wants to be on an airplane any longer than is absolutely necessary? The flight went well until the very end when all of the electronics had to be turned off and stowed. From then until we landed and deplaned, Jack screamed "iPAD, iPAD, iPAAAD!!!!!!" at the top of his lungs. I was very glad to be at the back of the plane. The funniest part of that experience was the pilot saying, "I think someone needs a WestJet spanking!" (Since I can't convey the perfect timing and delivery of that line, you'll just have to trust me that it was hilarious rather than creepy.)

How do you find time for this?

Retrieved March 26, 2011 from http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/01/09/time-to-write/

A question I get asked a lot is, "How do you find the time?", usually in reference to this daily blog. Well, the answer is, I don't. I wish I could, but still haven't figured out where or how to find more time. Besides, if someone gave me an extra few hours a day, eventually I would just fill them up and want more. My oft used purse analogy works well here - ladies, you get this - the bigger your purse, the more crap you put in it.

My husband laughs at me when I say, "I don't have anything written for tomorrow's blog post." He laughs at me because he hears me say this at least four times a week, and so far I have not gone a day without posting. He laughs at the mild and unnecessary panic in my voice. Somehow something always occurs to me and away my fingers fly.

We all do things that we don't have time for, else how would we ever do anything that we want to do? There are so many have to dos in life, especially if you're a parent. Sometimes the only way to find time for the want-to-dos is to steal it from somewhere else. In my case, laundry and other household chores get less attention. Gee, what a sacrifice. I'm pretty sure that my last words are not going to be, "If only I'd spent more time with the vacuum!"

Retrieved March 26 from http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/allergies/what-is-an-aafa-certified-appliance.htm

Multi-tasking helps. I'm currently writing this post, while chatting with a friend on Facebook, participating in an online forum and having a conversation (in person, if you can imagine) with my husband. Sleep sometimes get robbed too, but I figure there'll be plenty of time for that in the afterlife.

I love to write. I used to write every day before I decided that there were more important things to do. Well, I am stealing that time back!

What would you do with an extra few hours a day? No one is going to give it to you, so I say, Take it! You're worth it!

Retrieved March 26, 2011 from http://www.watchmojo.com/tv/Grab/Howcast/3972669/

Spring Break Ideas

It's hard to tell looking out my window, but spring has officially begun.

Photo retrieved March 24, 2011 from 

http://pixdaus.com/?sort=tag&tag=%3B%20crocus%20ice%20snow

If you are looking forward to a spring break with your kids, next week or sometime in April, you're probably also wondering what to do with them. The kids are used to having their days scheduled and packed full of activities. Like many parents, you may be wondering how to keep them occupied during the break. In every city there are fun and educational places to go and things to do that your family might not have time for otherwise. You could:

• visit a science centre, museum or zoo
• take in a play or concert
• enroll the kids in a camp for a half day, full day or for the whole week
• hit the skating rink, toboggan hill or ski hill if you live in the Great White North
• go to a public pool or a kids' play centre
• some recreation centres have drop-in activities planned for the week
• participate in an art class or visit a craft studio (e.g. to make your own pottery)
• spend some time at the local library where kids can run their eyes and hands over hundreds of books, choose a few books to take home, and have their favourite stories read to them by a lively librarian
• schedule a play date with friends, maybe combined with one of the above

If you're like some other parents who think the spring break should be just that, a break from scheduled activities, there are still loads of laid-back ways to have fun:

• knock a few things off of the to-do list - young kids in particular like to help, so let them!
• bake a special treat and enjoy it with chocolate milk or hot chocolate while watching a family-themed movie together
• give each of your kids their own day and allow them to plan the food and events for the whole day
• put out a whole bunch of craft supplies and let the kids create to their hearts' content
• go to the farmers market and let the kids pick out the vegetables for that night's meal
• have the kids purge their closets and toy bins and pack up unwanted items to give away, then take them to a second hand store or garage sale to pick up a new book, puzzle or toy

Looking for something completely different to do with the kids? Why not give Geocaching a try? Geocaching involves using a GPS navigator to locate a hidden container with a logbook inside. Once you locate the container, you add the date and any other relevant details to the logbook. You might also find a small, inexpensive item inside, which you may take if you replace it with an item of similar value. Visit Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site to view the caches in your area. Also at this site you can download an application for your iPhone or Android that gives you real-time access to the more than 1.3 million caches worldwide. I haven't tried this yet, but it might even be possible to use an Amazon Kindle to hunt caches. 

http://renzoscustomcache.blogspot.com/2009/07/geocaching-101.html

However you plan to spend spring break with your kids, remember that the best gift you can give them is your time. If you have the time, take time to capture a few memories from your spring break. Snap a few photos or a bit of video, and write a few notes about what you did. You might include some memorable quotes from the week. Above all, have fun!

Eat a Rainbow!

Trying to figure out what to feed the kids can be a daunting task (see Lunch should be a four letter word), especially if we want to serve healthy meals. If we don't work at it, our kids could go days (weeks? months? a lifetime?) without ever eating a vegetable.

Lately, my family has been trying its best to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Canada's Food Guide recommends eating 4-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (see suggested daily servings by age). A serving is defined as one piece of medium-sized fruit or half a cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruit or vegetables (see examples of serving sizes). It is further recommended that we eat at least one serving of leafy greens and one serving of an orange fruit or vegetable every day in order to meet daily folate and vitamin A requirements (see Tips for Fruit and Vegetables).

Some of the ways we try to eat a rainbow every day:

http://www.thelazyvegetarian.com/eat-a-rainbow.html

We like fruit for breakfast and snacks. The only rule is that it has to be something we haven't already eaten that day. It's fun for Jack to remember what he's already had and to remember what we have in the fridge or pantry that he hasn't had yet.

example: strawberries or banana cut up into cereal for breakfast, grapes with a muffin for the morning snack, apple slices with crackers and almond butter for the afternoon snack

I try to include vegetables with the lunch and supper meals. Jack can choose between a salad and cut up vegetables. The same rule applies as for fruit. He needs to choose vegetables he hasn't had yet that day. He is also encouraged to pick at least two vegetables per meal that are different in colour.

example: carrots and celery sticks for lunch, red pepper and cucumber chunks for supper

http://www.5to10aday.com/en/fruits-veggies-primer/variety-colours

We try to eat foods from the five basic colour groups every day, and vary them day by day. What Color is Your Food? is a gorgeous article that outlines the properties of each of the five colour groupings. Kids can try creating sample menus by adding fruits and vegetables to meals. Here you'll also find tips on how to increase the number of fruits and vegetables you eat. Some of their suggestions that we like the best are:

• Keep cleaned fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator — ready to eat.
• Have vegetables with low-fat dip for a snack.
• Drink 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks or soda pop.
• Keep a bowl of apples, bananas and/or oranges on the table.
• Choose a side salad made with a variety of leafy greens.
• Add lettuce, onions, peppers and/or tomatoes to sandwiches.
• Enjoy fruit smoothies for breakfast or snacks. 
• Pack fresh or dried fruits for quick snacks.

The Mix It Up! web site also has some great tools and information about fruits and vegetables. You can download a colour chart, place it on your fridge and track how well you did each week eating the colours of the rainbow. For information about what to look for when buying, nutrition information and storage and preparation tips, see Fruits from A to Z and Veggies from A to Z. There are also some tasty looking recipes on the site.

http://www.todayiatearainbow.com/kids-zone/

If you're still having trouble convincing your kids to eat their fruits and veggies, check out this product: Today I Ate A Rainbow!™. Kids get a colourful chart, magnets, a bookmark, shopping list and story book, all designed to help them eat fruits and vegetables from each colour of the rainbow. There's also a great Kid's Zone on their website where kids can get colouring pages and play games.

Paying for the Party

You may recall my recent post about the realities of date night (see We know how to par-tay!), and how hard it is to stay awake long enough to enjoy it. Well, despite how bad an idea we know it is, sometimes we parents do push ourselves beyond our natural limits and successfully 'tie one on'. We still have as much fun as we used to - more, because it's such a rarity and we're so proud of ourselves for still having 'it' - but, boy do we pay a price the next day. I recently had one of those days, the day after my night of invincibility.

Forget the to-do list. Forget anything that you wanted to do. Forget personal hygiene. The day after the night of pretending that 40 is the new 20 is for sleep. Sleep and water and ibuprofen and more sleep. If you're a single parent, you deserve a medal for even attempting a late night out. At least with two parents, you can tag in and out, and provide some barely sufficient level of care to your children.

By the way, if this never happens to you (you're not one to over indulge) that probably means you have the good sense to know your limits and as a result you enjoy the priviledge of mocking us over-indulgers for our weaknesses. Mock away. We deserve it.

We know it's going to hurt to stay up late, to try to keep up with our still-single-and-loving-it friends, but every now and then we have to give it our best effort. It lets us know we're still alive. We feel young again for just a few hours, and the next day our bodies remind us that we are mortal. That day after, when our headaches pound out all other stimuli, we remember all of the good things about our lives that don't involve over-indulging. We swear we'll never do it again. But we're human and our memories aren't that great. We soon forget the pain of the day after, and think... well maybe just this one more time.

Why do we enjoy that first sip of wine the most?

I've heard it said that the first sip of wine is the best. That seems to makes sense. After the first sip, your palette becomes accustomed to the flavour of the wine. Subsequent tastes might be less distinct, less powerful and potentially less enjoyable. 

Yesterday, I thought about this relationship between the initial experience of a thing and the thing's evaluation. I was in the car... alone. It's amazing what thoughts creep into my mind when it's not busy answering the deep questions of a preschooler, such as "Where does that truck live, mommy?; Does it talk?; Do you drive fast, mommy, or slow?;" and "Are there more mean cars or are there more nice cars?" These are all very complex questions that drive out any other thoughts I might try to think. Further, Jack's important questions about driving are especially hard to ponder while actually trying to drive a car. But I digress. 

Alone in the car, it occurred to me that many things seem to be the best of what they are when we first experience them. Think of a first kiss, the first few beats of a really great song, the first time you saw mountains/the ocean/Niagara Falls. All of these firsts are exhilarating or in some other way emotionally-charged. Is that the measure of quality we're talking about when it comes to our first sip of a wine? Does wine become less exciting the more of it we drink? That seems counter-intuitive. After all, wine contains alcohol!

Consider that when we taste something, we also smell it through olfactory nerves that travel to the brain (see How does our sense of smell work?). The first whiff of something is usually the strongest. After living with a scent for a period of time, it's power diminishes (sometimes, that's a very good thing). It is possible that if the first sip of wine is the best, it is not because of how it tastes, but rather because of how it smells. According to Jim LaMar (see Three Wine Myths), "A great deal of the pleasure of wine comes from smell," and I would wholeheartedly agree based on my own experience. I can spend several minutes just smelling the wine in my glass before taking a drink. LaMar writes, "The smells in wine are comprised of Volatile Organic Compounds." These compounds can evaporate very quickly. To experience the wine as fully as possible, you need to smell it as soon as possible after opening or decanting the bottle. Since we can smell by tasting, this might explain why the early sips of wine are the best, at least if we define best as being the most accurate representation of what's in the bottle.

How many of our exhilarating firsts are enhanced by the sense of smell? Certainly first kisses qualify. The ocean and Niagara Falls have strong smell components. One of the areas of the brain stimulated by smell is associated with memory (see From Tongue and Nose to Brain). Anytime we smell a familiar scent it can transport us back to an earlier time, reinforcing the memory and creating a still stronger attraction to the smell. This makes me wonder, if we enjoy that first sip of wine the most, is it really the wine that we are enjoying, or are we instead drinking in the memories that its scent evokes?

Whether that first sip of wine is the best sip may be debated. What we can likely say is that if it is taken soon after the bottle is opened in order to savour the wine's delicate aroma, the first sip is the closest representation of what is in the bottle. It may be argued that it provides the fullest experience of the wine. Part of that rich experience may result from powerful memories associated with the wine's aroma. Knowing that makes me appreciate wine even more!

À VOTRE SANTÉ!

Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www.trendir.com/dining-entertaining/glassware_bar/?start=10

Thanks Ben!

"Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." - Benjamin Franklin

I used to like Benjamin Franklin. In grade school, I wrote a paper about his discoveries and made a clay likeness of him, hand extended to hold onto a kite with a key at the end of the string. (He and Einstein were my childhood heroes. That probably explains a lot to friends who sometimes wonder about me.) Today, I'm not so happy with Ben. You see, it was Ben who first suggested we adjust our days with the seasons. Ben thought it would be wise to save money on candles and make the best use of the daylight. To be fair, he had nothing to do with Daylight Savings Time (DST) as it exists today. DST was first proposed by New Zealander George Vernon Hudson, and later by William Willett in London.

According to Wikepedia (I'm too tired to verify that their sources are correct. Blame DST or one of the guys above), "Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours,^[3] but causes problems for farming, evening entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun....DST clock shifts....can complicate timekeeping, and can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, recordkeeping, medical devices, heavy equipment,^[8] and sleep patterns.^[9] " Sleep patterns, yes. Yawn.

I just don't get it. The original purpose of DST was to reduce the costs of supplying power to lighting our homes at night. Today, people use electricity in a multitude of ways and work a variety of shifts across all hours of the day and night. Does DST make sense anymore? Well, not to me anyway. I had the hardest time rolling out of bed this morning. Taking an hour away from an already sleep-deprived parent is some kind of abuse, I think. It's almost worth moving to Saskatchewan just to avoid DST altogether. Or, better yet, Arizona. Ah... Arizona this time of year would be grand. Yes, there are some places that don't observe DST. They get it!

Ben, I'm sorry for being so upset with you this morning. I know you meant well, and I still heart you, as the kids say (or at least that's what they said last week). But, if I have any way of affecting things, I plan to stop this madness! Who's with me? Ya, I know. You're all just struggling to get enough coffee into you to make it through the day. Alright, fair enough. For now, we'll take a cue from Scarlet O'Hara and think about that tomorrow. Good day everyo...zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Edited to change the word effecting to the word affecting. You see what a lack of sleep does to me?

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Cough-Cough-Cough

Another long night of fever and coughing for my little guy. The good news is he is eating food again this morning. His spirits seem to be lifting too. Today he said to me, "Mommy, do you want a treat this morning?" I answered, cautiously, "Um... yes?" "Okay!", he said, "So... lets go watch The Sound of Music!" It's probably my favourite movie of all time. How could I resist? We usually have a strict-ish two hours of TV max per day rule around here, but many rules go out the window when our kids are sick, don't they?

Watching any movie with Jack is a special treat, especially for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet. As any scene is coming to a close, Jack will give a summary of the next scene. "Maria is going back to the Abbey now. That's where her life is. But then she's going to go be with the Captain and the kids, and have a new life." Sometimes, because of our strict-ish TV time rules, we will stop a movie before it's done. Jack never forgets the exact point that we have to return to in the movie, even if it's been days since we stopped watching it. Fascinating memories kids have. If only that trait could be bottled.

I hope you are well this Sunday. If someone in your house is a little sick today, just try thinking of your favourite things, and then you won't feel so bad.

My Favorite Things
The Sound of Music at MOVIECLIPS.com

A Child's Cold is Hazardous to a Parent's Health

Jack is sick today. Again? Still? It's hard to say. I've been up several times through the night listening to him cough, and feeding him ibuprofen and warm drinks (See Now That's Crisp, for a home cough remedy that is palatable to kids).

One of the toughest things, if not the toughest thing, about being a parent is having a sick kid. We've been very lucky - Jack is a reasonably healthy boy - but every now and then we get a little scared. Last night was one of those nights. Jack was having trouble breathing and was choking on phlegm. (That's just one of the many parenting skills that is acquired with the birth of a child: The ability to toss around words like phlegm and poo without flinching.)

Once again my child amazed me. His dad and I were having mini panic attacks as he struggled to breathe. A few pats on the back and sips of hot liquid helped to relieve him a bit. Dad asked if Jack would like some nose drops and Jack said "No thank-you, da-hack-hack. No thank-you, daddy." Struggling to breathe, but the boy has time for manners. The heart skips a few beats in worry, and then melts into a tingly pile of love-sick goo. That may just describe parenthood in a nutshell!

Jack is better this morning, thank goodness, at least in the sense that he can breathe more easily. He's in his room, not sleeping as I had hoped, but humming a lovely tune and chatting with his toys. (If you haven't already read it, check out You're not a duck!. I have the priveledge of witnessing some pretty funny early morning discussions between Jack and his toys.) I really am amazed at how happy that kid is, no matter what else is going on. He's such an inspiration to me every day.

And now, since it's almost time for Jack to get up and I have had no sleep, I think I'll set up the TV room for breakfast and a morning of cozy movie-watching laziness. I hope you are well, and wish you a happy Friday. TGIF!