Pop Wahm Buzz

Well I hopped on a plane and headed t...

2010-05-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

Well I hopped on a plane and headed to Denver and I am now a Dr.Sears Certified L.e.a.n coach. For those you you who have no idea what that means, here are a few of the seminars I will be offering soon:

From "America's Pediatrician" Dr. William Sears, L.E.A.N. is a series of effective, innovative and educational programs that teach practical and easy to follow methods for parents and children to create a lifetime of health.

All L.E.A.N. Programs focus on the four pillars of health:

L - Lifestyle: How we live
This means healthy living without smoking, excessive alcohol, or other unhealthy substances.

E - Exercise: How we move
One of the healthiest ways to stay lean is to exercise. The more muscle you have, the more fat calories you can burn.

A - Attitude: How we think
Trim the fat in your feelings by keeping your mind off counterproductive stuff.

N - Nutrition: How we eat
Emphasize a fresh, real-foods diet.

L.E.A.N. Essentials
A fast paced, highly interactive two-hour class designed to introduce busy parents and caregivers to easy, practical ways to choose healthy, nutritious foods for their families.

More...

Subjects discussed include:

Why should you care about what your family eats?
Traffic Light Eating
Why breakfast is important
The skinny on fat
How much protein is enough?
Play helps kids grow
Water can be cool
Know the NO’s
Myth Busters

L.E.A.N. Start
Targets parents of children ages 3-12 and provides six hours of practical instruction on nutrition and physical activity for parents and caregivers to:

Develop a lifetime of healthy habits for the entire family
Improve the mood, learning and behavior of children through proper nutrition
Avoid nutrition related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity
Make nutrition at home easy and fun with healthy foods that taste great
Keep children and family members physically fit

This is a scientifically proven and clinically tested program that benefits the whole family as they experience:

Improvements in their overall health
Fewer missed work and school days because of sickness
Reduced medical expenses
Better weight control
More active, energetic and happier lives.

Sessions topics include:

Traffic Light Eating and Portion Control
Breakfast and Grains
Veggies and Fruits
The Skinny on Fat
Power Up with Protein and Play!
Water Your Growing Child

L.E.A.N. Expectations is a series of educational workshops that teach those preparing for pregnancy, expecting and nursing mothers how to care for themselves and their babies. The program is made up of three separate workshops, each two hours long, that can be taken in sequence or individually.

Hilarious

2010-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

It is so funny - the squirrel necklace is actually on my Christmas list - check it out!

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

A Christmas Update...

2009-11-18T19:09:00.001-08:00

~~Waldorf Doll~~ with Doll Clothes and a Doll Sling

The doll is done - you can see her above, her name is Beryl and I even made her a little friend, who's name is Clo. I still have to make her some clothes and get a doll sling figured out so I'll post about her in more detail then

~~Lap Quilt from~~ Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew

This was so fun and I am so proud of my very first quilt - more details in my next post.

Makeup bags: maybe a couple of these boxy little pouches from Three Bears or this box bag tutorial from Drago[knit]fly -

huh, I cannot remember who I was going to make these for, oh well, they are off the list!

Car organizer - I started it but it got removed from the list so I'll post about it when I finish it.

Car garbage - not done yet

~~Cashmere lap quilt~~ - finished one, then started another, almost done

~~Corsage scarf~~ done, love it! might make another

(3) Cookbook and Cooking DVD and Apron - scratched the DVD and apron, added T-shirts, none of it done

(3)~~Fabric necklace~~ ~~using a tutorial from Froogal And artsy clutch (Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew~~)done and I love them!

~~(5)Tissue holders~~ ~~using the oh so great tutorial on Skip to my Lou With~~ some embellished pencils and magnets (earring/fabric)- love the tissue holders, not done the embellished stuff yet

Woolen leaf scarf (Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials Plus Tips & Resources for Earth-Friendly Stitching) or Corsage scarf - scratched in favour of a really cool bracelet, I'll show it when it is done.

(5) Stenciled t-shirt - the Hubby is in charge of this so I'll add some links when he decides what he is doing - hahaha, so not done, I'll let the hubby post when he gets around to it

Music portfolio - I am going to work this out myself, I'll post the tutorial - changed to an April Bag from Sew Mama Sew Handmade holidays, not done yet.

(3) ~~Crayon roll~~ ~~- another Skip to My Lou gem Or pencil roll all with pad~~ - done, love, love, love them!

(2) Wool bonnet or maybe fleece? - again this is one of mine - tut to follow- not done yet

I added a Busy Book that I am just getting ready to assemble - I will write a very detailed post about that!

I may add another Easy Lap quilt - we'll see.

So that is it, I am actually quite proud of where I am!

A preview of Hallowe'en

2009-10-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

I put together a Princess Leia costume for Lil'A and it turned out so great. I don't have time to post a tutorial right now but I will within the week. The Bun Hat was so easy and turned out so cute that I must share it with the world. It is great for Hallowe'en but I am sure she will wear it throughout the winter to keep her head warm (and her Daddy delighted)

A new cape and hat in time for the Halowe'en train

2009-10-30T09:26:00.001-07:00

Inspired by this tutorial from Ruffles and Stuff blogger Disney, I raided my stash and whipped up this little cape. I added a hat with some ears and it made the perfect outfit to ride on the Hallowe'en train. Lil'A was warm and happy!

Yikes!

2009-10-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since my last post. Never fear faithful readers, I am not completely off track with my Christmas gifts. After I completed the awesome clutches I made the matching necklaces, sewed up the pad and crayon holders, cut out all of the fabric for the tissue holders, the car garbage and the car organizer. I also received my order for the Waldorf doll kit (so excited about that), ordered some wonderful felt from Lupin to make a busy book for Lil'A, won an Ebay aution for 4 cashmere sweaters (only paid $13.50 including shipping, score)to make Lil'A a cashmere quilt, won and received 12 awesome vintage patterns, celebrated Thanksgiving and my birthday, received two Japanese Children's pattern books (birthday gift from the hubby) and received a copy of Amanda Soule's new book, Handmade Home(birthday gift from a great friend). Whew - I have been too busy to blog, but I promise I will post about as many of these things as I think you might be interested in reading. I'll leave you with a snapshot from Thanksgiving!

My version of the artsy little clutch.

2009-10-01T19:01:00.001-07:00

This gift is fashioned after the Arsty Little Clutch featured in Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. Again, I won't give you all the details but I will include some photos to give you an idea about how these are put together. I will say again that I love this book. I haven't had an opportunity to check out her new book but I am looking forward to it! I used quilting cotton for the outside and lining of three of these (the black one is lined with Amy Bulter home decor weight fabric). I used some felt I had leftover from last Christmas as a stiffening layer and I will say that it worked great - it really gives the clutches some shape and will be a nice cushion should they be used to store things like ipods, cell phones or makeup. I really love how these turned out.

I used hair elastic for the closure (thanks to everyone who blogged about that ingenious methods)

Once all of the pieces were assembled and sewn together I was left with a little opening (where the material is flipped so it is lined perfectly) to top-stitch. I chose to use some of my decorative cams that came with my Elna and crossed my fingers...

... I am glad I did. I love the detail.

They look so pretty lined up in a row. This is definitely another gift I will have to make for myself when I have some time.

and I weep with embarasment

2009-10-01T18:35:00.001-07:00

It's funny how sometimes even with the best of intentions you can produce something you are not at all proud of. My blog post about nursing bras was one of those things. I just reread it and wow - I was going to funny and manic and I came off as, well, absurd. What I really wanted to emphasis is that Bravado has managed to make a bra that feels like it was made just for me and fits my specific criteria for a good nursing bra. Instead I rambled on about ogling men and expensive lingerie and gigantic breasts and weeping. To anyone who wishes they could get their 5 minutes back, I apologize. I offer you this picture in the hopes that it helps you capture a few moments of bliss.

Cashmere Lap Throw

2009-09-30T13:38:00.003-07:00

This project comes from Sewing green by Betz White. I'm not going to include step by step instructions because I don't think it would be fair to publish for free what some one worked so hard to perfect and then put in a book. (Not to mention I don't want to be sued). This book is filled with great projects and well worth the cost. If you want a copy follow the link above and buy one from Amazon. If you don't, check your local library for a copy.

Basically I purchased 3 used cashmere sweaters on ebay.

When I received them I threw them in the washing machine on hot with some laundry balls. I also dried them on hot.

Cashmere doesn't really shrink or felt much but washing them ensures the quilt will be machine washable when it is finished. I then cut the sweaters into the largest rectangles possible.

Once I had all of the pieces cut, I decided on a pattern. I laid out the rectangles to make sure the pattern looked right.

The pieces were then pinned and sewn together. Betz White has a really good method for piecing the quilt - it is easy and the seams look great.

Lil'A loves to hang out under my sewing table while I am working. It used to be a problem when I had a sewing machine with a foot pedal but now that I have a knee lever it works out just fine.

Once I had my quilt top completely assembled I let Lil'A test it out - she loved it so much I had to pry it away from her to attach the backing.

I attached a backing of cotton velour, topstitched the entire quilt and I was done. It is absolutely gorgeous, so soft and warm. I am delighted with it and I think I may have to make one for Lil'A because she loves it so much.

and I weep with happiness...

2009-09-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have a confession.

I have been wearing the same bra for 9 months.

It is stretched out. It is ratty. It smells faintly of over sweet breast milk.

And worst of all - I made it into a nursing bra. Not very neatly.

It is probably the ugliest thing I have ever had on my body. In a fit of desperation and the desire to wear something cut slightly lower than my collarbone, I gathered a nursing bra that never fit me, some elastic and a bra that I wore before I got pregnant and performed surgery.

If I was an actual surgeon I would have been sued for malpractice and lost my license. As it was, the result was so hideous that someone should have taken my sewing machine away. But I was going to wear it beneath my clothes and no one was going to see it but me, my husband and my baby and none of us cared right? Plus I knew that I was going to suck it up and buy one of the gorgeous, comfortable and affordable nursing bras available at every major mall.

Wait - there are no gorgeous, comfortable and affordable nursing bras available - anywhere. There are nursing bras at the mall but they are only made to fit tiny, barely swelled breasts, not the gigantic G cups that are living on my chest. They are also made of materials that are not meant to touch the always sensitive nipples of a breastfeeding mother.

There are comfortable and appropriately sized nursing bras available online but they are not precisely expensive and as anyone who wears a bra know, you really have to try them on. I could not face the idea of ordering, trying on, returning, ordering, trying on, returning and errrgh.

Then there are the gorgeous, comfortable and appropriately sized nursing bras available in the few high end lingerie stores around town. You can try these on but since they cost the same as your car payment, you are going to have to take the bus for a while and with your new, well supported and exceeding large bosoms, you are probably going to be ogled which will make you realize that all men are pigs and wonder why your husband isn't ogling you more and then you'll have to call him and ask him why he's not ogling you and you won't speak to him for three days and by then you'll be going crazy because you don't have a car and you can't ask for his because you aren't speaking to him (remember) and errrgh.

So this is why I have been wearing this horrible bra for 9 months. Everyday.

I finally hit the breaking point and starting looking into the availability of those expensive nursing bras in my area. I checked on the Bravado website and saw that they have 2 new bras on the market and they both had potential. I checked their store locator, made a few calls and found a store that had them in stock and was close enough to drive to in a day.

We loaded into the car and headed out.

As I walked into the store I saw an entire wall of nursing bras. They were pricey but cute and there was more than one style available in my size. I grabbed the Bravado bra that I had researched and a few others to try on and headed to the change room. I hung the bras on the back of the door, peeled off my shirt and there it was, the terrible bra, looking so much worse compared to these fabulous, glorious, brand new bras. I saved the Bravado bra for last. Each of the bras fit and were pretty but none of them was perfect and boy, were they expensive. I admit that by the time I picked up the Bravado bra I had lost heart. I just knew I was going to have to wear that terrible bra forever ( oh and this is where I begin to imagine my daughter doesn't ween, ever, and I am doomed to spend the rest of my natural life in this bra)

I check out the tag, 36 F/G, $50.00,it is called The Sublime Nursing Bra and I am trying it on in French Vanilla.

Oh, please fit, please please please fit and be comfortable and cute and supportive and easy to unclasp.

Please.

I hook the hooks, slide it around, put the straps over my arms, adjust and look in the mirror.

It is perfect. It is wonderful. I am jumping (okay, I am thinking about jumping). I want to run out into the store and tell everyone how great it is. I don't want to take it off.

But I do. I take it off and put on the old bra and walk to the cash and pay for the new bra. I gather my husband and my daughter and we go to the car.

Where I remove my old bra and pull it out from my sleeve. Then I put the new bra on without removing my shirt. I am the bra Houdini.

My husband asks how if I like it and I say

"It's perfect"

and I weep with happiness...

Welcome Autumn

2009-09-23T08:17:00.001-07:00

Autumn is hands down my favourite time of year. The cooler weather, turning leaves, my birthday, Thanksgiving, Hallowe'en and the faintest hint of Christmas. The day that marked the September Equinox in Vancouver was warm and wonderful. Although the leaves and berries are turning...

...it was warm enough for bare feet (or one bare and one socked foot if you are Lil'a)

I was inspired by the book I recently read called "The Creative Family" by Amanada Blake Soule (aka Soule Mama) and decided to mark this year's equinox with an autumnal feast.

I made Panko breaded pork loin chops with caramelized onions and roasted Russian Purple potatoes, beets and gem yams. It was yummy.

It felt really wonderful to mark the occasion with a small celebration. We were all happy to have a reason to sit at the table with candles and a special dinner. When I walked up to the grocery store with Lil'a to pick up the pork chops, I meant to stop in to the Dollar store and pick up some Autumn decor but I was up there too early and the store was not yet open. I have to say that I am glad that it was. I was forced to look through the house for things that would make the table a little more special and I easily pulled together the apple fabric, candle and candle plate. It looked simple and pretty and not only did I not spend any money but I also do not have anything that I now have to find a home for (or throw out). Even though I am trying to be as conscious a consumer as possible, it is always the special occasions that trip me up. These are the times that I am most tempted to buy disposable goods for a one time use. I hope I can be mindful of my sense of accomplishment with this small celebration the next time I am tempted by decorations that I don't love but will do for the moment.

Happy Autumn!

Corsage Scarf Tutorial

2009-09-13T11:25:00.001-07:00

So the very first Christmas project I have completed is the Corsage Scarf, which was inspired by the Corsage Tee tutorial at Enchantresses3. It turned out so much more pretty than I could ever have hoped and now I am the one with gift envy. After I get through all of my Christmas gifts I just may have to make one of these beauties for myself.

As promised I have taken pictures as I put this gift together, so here is the tutorial for any of you who would like to make one too.

Materials:

1/2 yard of cotton spandex

1 yard of 6 inch tulle

matching thread

scissors

water soluble fabric marking pen

quilters safety pins

Step One - Decide how long and wide you want your scarf to be - I chose 60 inches by 8 inches.

Step Two - Cut out a pattern for your petals - in this case I followed the Enchantresses3 directions and used a heart (see the link above). Trace your pattern onto your fabric and cut it out. I found that I could cut 4 layers at once if I secured the centre of the heart with a quilters safety pin. It isn't an exact science, just try to be as neat and uniform as you can. Don't forget to cut the hearts out of the tulle as well.

Step Three- Do some quick math to figure out how many rows of petals you want. I had 86 white petals and 72 tulle petals so I chose 8 rows, 1 inch apart with 6 petals in each row. I used my water soluble marker to mark one inch increments along the bottom 8 inches of the scarf.

Then I joined the marks to make lines.

I marked off 1 1/4 inch increments along each line as a guide for petal placement.

Step Four - Time to sew. I just lined the petal up with the mark and sewed 3 stitches forward and back. Every second row I alternated 3 stacked tulle petals with a white petal.

Close-up

A little further along - you can see the finished other side in the background. Oh and my beautiful Elna Supermatic - Cricket. I got her for $15 and after a little tune-up she runs as smooth as silk.

Done - now I clip the threads, front and back (what, cut as I go along, are you crazy?)

Voila.

The picture does not do the scarf justice. It is so pretty and fluffy and wintery. I would post a picture of me modeling the scarf but I don't want to completely ruin the Christmas surprise in case the recipient reads this posting.

I hope this tutorial makes sense, I strongly encourage you to make one of these for yourself or as a gift for someone else. I can totally see this in a myriad of colours and if you wanted to be really luxurious, make it in a bamboo jersey. Soft and ecological.

Have fun and please send me pictures if you make one, I would love to see your creations.

Book Review: Bend-the-Rules Sewing by...

2009-08-17T14:12:00.001-07:00

I thought I would start to review some of the books that have been crossing my desk (read: lap) lately. I will start with one of the books that is providing inspiration and instruction for some of my handmade Christmas projects.

Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew is a book filled with great information for the beginner sewist and great ideas for the seasoned stitcher. Her pattern instructions are clear and concise but you really feel like you are just chatting with your super crafty friend. The patterns themselves are such a breath of fresh air. They are whimsical and useful. The artsy clutch is a great addition to anyone's purse and I will say that it is the prefect size for stashing all of your time of the month goodies and transporting them to the bathroom in style. The woodland elf hat is so cute it could make me scream and the easy lap quilt is a great first quilting project.

I would ( and will) make many of the projects in this book. It is a wonderful resource for gift giving. There are several quick and delightful projects (the Tea Cozy and the Vintage Apron) that are perfect for last minute, stash busting gifts. There are also projects that may take a little more time (the scalloped baby blanket, the puppet theater, the charming handbag) but are sure to be treasured gifts. I have the artsy clutch and the lap quilt on my Handmade Christmas list, so be sure to check in for my step by step photos and results.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to expand their sewing book collection. I think it provides valuable information and great patterns for anyone who is just starting out. I also think it is a great source of inspiration for more experienced sewers. I really love this book.

If you are still not convinced that this book needs to be checked out, head over to the Bend the Rules Flickr stream to check out real life examples of the projects in the book. Don't forget that the fabulous Amy Karol is also the author of the amazing craft blog Angry Chicken. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll craft, it is a great read and I highly recommend stopping by for a look.

A Handmade Christmas

2009-08-12T14:28:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of my renewed interest in all things sewing and craft, the Hunky Hubby and I have decided to have an all handmade Christmas this year. We are both realists about this and realize that it may not be possible to hand-make every gift we give. We are also committed to giving only things that will be useful for the recipients. We could make everyone babyfood jar snowglobes or brooches with our faces on them but we wanted to leave some crafts available for Lil A to make when she is 5 or 6.

We have also decided to publish the list of gifts we are going to make as well as do our best to take pictures and post tutorials as we go along. We know that members of our family and friends read this blog so we won't say who is getting each gift but we wanted to share our trials and tribulations and show that it is possible to have a handmade Christmas that makes you proud. We have done tons of research and stolen tons of ideas from all of you crafty bloggers out there and we will do our best to give credit where credit is due. That said, if you stumble upon this blog and see an idea that seems the same as yours, please leave me a comment or email me with a link and I'll check it out. I have seen so many different blogs that sometimes I can't find my way back and thus I can't post the link. Trust me, I want to link to you, as your tutorials are bound to make much more sense than mine.

I also want to publish the gift list to keep both the Hunky Hubby and myself accountable. I don't want to spend the last 2 week before Christmas chained to my sewing machine, breathing in Speedball screen printing ink fumes, frantically trying to get finished in time. I want to stick to a schedule and I want you to send me ~~encouraging~~ disappointed emails and comments if I get too far behind.

So here we go, the master list. I will add the dates I intend to make each item as soon as I figure out our budget.

Waldorf Doll with Doll Clothes and a Doll Sling

Lap Quilt from Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew

Makeup bags: maybe a couple of these boxy little pouches from Three Bears or this box bag tutorial from Drago[knit]fly

Car organizer from the tutorial on The Mayfly

car garbage from Make it and Love it

Cashmere Lap Quilt

Corsage scarf using ideas from the Enchantresses3 (who did it on T-shirts)

(3) Cookbook and Cooking DVD and Apron

(3)Fabric necklace using a tutorial from Froogal And artsy clutch (Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew)

(5)Tissue holders using the oh so great tutorial on Skip to my Lou With some embellished pencils and magnets (earring/fabric)

Woolen leaf scarf (Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials Plus Tips & Resources for Earth-Friendly Stitching) or Corsage scarf

(5) Stenciled t-shirt - the Hubby is in charge of this so I'll add some links when he decides what he is doing

Music portfolio - I am going to work this out myself, I'll post the tutorial

(3) Crayon roll - another Skip to My Lou gem Or pencil roll all with pad

(2) Wool bonnet or maybe fleece? - again this is one of mine - tut to follow

So there you go - my christmas list. I will post info as I go along. I am going to do my best to add links to the great vendors I use so that you can use their awesome stores as well.

Wish me luck!

Swagbucks ahoy!

2009-07-09T15:18:00.001-07:00

Okay. So I am generally skeptical of getting something for nothing. Especially when it comes to the Internet. So when I initially read about the while Swagbucks thing, I didn't sign up.

Big Mistake.

I kept reading about it again and again and I decided to do a little more research before dismissing the idea as a scam. So I did what any self respecting blogger would do. I googled "Swag bucks + scam" and read what came up. It turns out that Swagbucks isn't a scam. It isn't something for nothing but they do award Swagbucks with regularity and they do allow you to trade your Swagbucks in for some useful stuff.

Basically, you use the Swagbucks homepage to do your Internet searches. Swagbucks uses google and ask.com to do the searches so you have access to valid and well tested search engines. Every so often you are awarded a Swagbuck and eventually you will have enough to trade in for some real world stuff. They have gift cards, apparel, comics, collectibles and more. Now don't get me wrong, I know Swagbucks is using the information contained in my searches for their gain, but here's the thing. The info you are required to give them is minimal and frankly, I am sure google uses my search info for their gain and I don't get a thing out of it.

You can also earn Swagbucks if you shop online, if you promote it to others and they sign up as your friends and even if you trade in old cell phones and gaming consoles (which appeals to the environmentalist in me)

I admit that I don't always remember to log into Swagbucks and so I miss winning some every day but I know I'll get in the habit eventually and I figure every little bit counts. If I ca earn enough to pay for a few birthday or Christmas gifts each year then I am ahead of the game.

So check it out and earn yourself some swag -mateys!

Sew Cute

2009-05-07T13:29:00.001-07:00

Since my father graciously offered to pay for a seat for the Darling Daughter and the plans to fly to Montreal to visit the relatives have been solidified, I have been trolling the internet for ideas about how to make the flight easiest. Something I have come to again and again is to have a little stash of brand new toys for the child to play with on the flight. Since we are not exactly rolling in extra cash, I thought I would see if there was anything interesting and age appropriate I could make for her.

My first search for toys I could sew offered and bonanza of free patterns and tutorials. Thanks internet. For my first project I thought I would try the "Itty Bitty Oddity" from Odd-Dotty Dollmaker.

Here is the result of my attempt:

So cute huh? The Darling Daughter is sort of interested in this little gorgeous gal. Hey - help me name her, suggestions welcome in comments.

My next search was a little more pointed. I was looking for something that had tags on it. You know how baby's are - give them a new toy and all they want to play with is the tag you forgot to cut off. I came across the Craft Schmaft Tag Monster Pattern and thought with a few alterations I could make one that looked a little more girly.

Here she is:

I added arms and sewed the tags so they formed a sort of monster tutu. I also embroidered green circles in the centre of the eyes and then used a blanket stitch to rim the eyes. Scary cute?

The Darling Daughter just loved, loved, LOVED this one so I am feeling pretty smug. I'll let you know if it remains remotely interesting during the plane ride.

The Power of a Good Sign

2009-04-27T16:02:00.001-07:00

Dear Soil Merchant,

You seem like a really nice person. You sell many different types of soil and you seem genuine in your desire to meet the needs of your customers. I mean, people need dirt. They need to fill in holes, they need to even out their yards, they need to plant things. You have all of the types of dirt they need. I bet your dirt isn't even the kind that will grow several different extremely hardy weeds that one can never get rid of. I bet your dirt doesn't even have gross bugs (I'm not talking about nice, friendly earthworms but the more insidious pests that populate other, lesser quality dirt).

But alas, soil merchant, I can never purchase dirt from you.

Why, you might ask? I have done everything right, you explain, I have even gone so far as to post several large, crisply lettered signs advertising my many dirt options.

Well soil merchant, that is the problem. The first sign is a beauty, "Potting Soil". The sign so clean and clear I am sure anything planted in the soil would grow beautifully and win gardening contests. The second sign is wonderful, "Top Soil". Ooooo, I can only imagine the lush, emerald carpet that would grow from this fine dirt. It is the third sign that is the problem. I can only guess that it says "Gravel". But unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, one of the bolts that secures the sign to the fence has released its hold and the sign now hangs crookedly, dipping below the bushes at one corner. Oh soil merchant, if only it was the "G" that hung below the bushy screen. Then commuters would see "ravel" and think only of tangles and complications or perhaps of winding wool skeins. But such is not the case and it is the "L" end of the sign which remains out of sight.

Oh for the lack of an L.

Your sign clearly and crisply spells out G-R-A-V-E.

No one wants to eat tomatoes grown in dirt from the grave.

Apologies,

A good day

2009-04-24T16:20:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days where everything goes wrong? And yet even after a whole bunch of annoyances, setbacks and general crap, you still find yourself feeling pretty good? That's my day today.

The Darling Daughter had an awful night last night. One of those teething terror nights where you should have just given the poor kid some real medicine instead of the homeopathic stuff. But in the moment you keep thinking, maybe it's not her teeth, maybe she's just cranky, I can't medicate my kid for cranky. (Hey all you homeopathic companies out there, you should market Vitamin D drops as anit-cranky drops. Even if they don't work that way, parents everywhere would feel better. This is one time I think truth in advertising in over rated. Go on, you'll make a million bucks)

Anyway the poor thing only dropped off the sleep at 1:30 am and it was a fitful sleep and she was SUPER HUNGRY ALL NIGHT! So she just sleep/ate the whole time and I dozed lightly, ready to spring into action in case she reached full scream again. Thankfully she did not and when she was ready to get up the next morning it was 9:00 am. Not too bad really. And I felt fine - well rested in fact. I opened the curtains and it was a beautiful day. One of those rare, sunny, sparkling west coast weekdays.

Now the Hunky Hubby is home today and usually I would be chomping at the bit to get out and enjoy the day but I knew he had to do some maintenence on the cars. This would be another thing that would ordinarily irritate me. Not that I don't appreciate his ability to fix the cars but sometimes I wish we could just bring the damn things to a mechanic like normal people. But today I was cool with it - almost zen like. Me and the baby just chilled, had an early nap, tried on some clothes (yes you can try on clothes with a 7 month old. It's fun but they can't be trusted to tell you if your butt looks fat in those pants.) When we were finally dressed I popped her into her buggy and we headed to the garage to check on Daddy.

He was just finished and was coming to see if we wanted to go for lunch. Did we ever, so we jumped in the car and headed to Milestones. Lunch was great but poor baby girl got her hand squished in her buggy sunshade during a vigourous game of peek-a-boo with Daddy. I was calm, I was cool. I scooped her up and comforted her. I didn't even reproach the Hunky Hubby but instead told him that it was totally something I would have done.

On the way home we stopped at Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up some of Darling Daughters favorite Prunes and Oats and I realized when the Hunky Hubby had loaded the buggy into our car, my wallet had fallen out. At least that is what we thought happened. Again, I was calm, I was cool. I knew that I had a bunch of gift cards in my wallet and that replacing all of my ID and all of the baby's ID 3 weeks before we fly to Quebec would suck (and might be impossible) but I was totally chill. Thankfully the Valets remember the family with the cute baby and had nabbed my wallet right away. We packed ourselves back into the car and headed to get my wallet.

On the ride back home, the Darling Daughter fell asleep and as I watched her peaceful little face I wondered what it was that made today so good. It certainly hadn't been an easy day. I was sleep deprived, we had to deal with broken cars, squished hands and lost wallets. Yet through it all I felt a-okay. Was it the sunshine? Was it the Bob Marley we listened to at breakfast? Whatever it was I wish I could bottle a little of it up and keep it in my back pocket for the days that aren't so great. Where nothing really goes wrong but nothing really goes right either. On those days I could open that bottle and take a deep breath of the air from this day and remember the magic and think "ahh- a good day"

You made what?

2009-04-23T09:40:00.001-07:00

So I recently came upon some information on the internet about making your own butter. Making it at home. Like in the olden days. I was intrigued and a little more excited than normal. I told my husband about it. I stressed the possibility of making organic butter - for a lot less. He also seemed a little more excited than normal. (I think visions of milkmaids were dancing in his head).

As I continued my research I came upon some info about making your own yogurt. Although the butter instructions seemed simple enough, the yogurt instructions seemed more approachable. I mentioned it to my friend and she said her mother used to make yogurt when she was a kid. I was so stoked I barely heard her add "it tasted weird"

So I did it - I made my own yogurt and it was awesome. AWESOME. It was also super easy. It was also super tasty. Mild and tangy and tasty. Then to add to the deliciousness I strained it through cheesecloth and made it into yogurt cheese. Which is like cream cheese, only better and better for you.

As I write this I am munching on a crunchy bagel slathered with yogurt cheese.

I am so making butter next!

Life in the FIlm Industry

2009-04-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hunky Hubby (HH): So the Location Manager asked me if I wanted a full day.

Me: Uh - on Sunday, I thought you'd be home soon.

HH: I do get to come home soon. But then I have to drive out to Abbotsford tonight around 10:00pm

Me: Why Abbotsford?

HH: That's where the Turkey farm is.

Me: Turkey Farm?

HH: Yeah, I have to record three minutes of turkeys being loaded onto a truck from different distances.

Me: What was the name of the movie again?

Week 4 Meal Plan

2009-04-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

Week 4 Meal Plan

Monday: Blueberry Apple Muffin, Leftover Thai Chicken Wrap, Cranberry Turkey

Tuesday: Kashi,leftover Cranberry Turkey, Veggie Burger

Wednesday: Banana Bread, Salsa Topped Potato, South of the Border Chicken

Thursday: Kashi, leftover South of the Border Chicken, Chickpea Curry

Friday: Oatmeal, leftover Chickpea Curry, Pizza

Saturday: Orange Spice Muffin, Soup and ½ Sandwich, Flex

Sunday: Sunday Eggs, Asian Spring Rolls, Cocotte

Check out more Monday Menu Plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie

It's one hell of a workout.

2009-04-16T10:54:00.001-07:00

I am lucky to be writing this. I am lucky to be writing anything. It is a good thing that a keyboard requires the barest minimum of energy expenditure to use. My arms are dead. I have begun the 30 day Shred.

The 30 Day Shred? you ask. What is that? Well, it is a 20 minute torture fest helmed by that she-devil, Jillian Michaels. Yes, that Jillian Michaels. The Jillian Michaels who ~~bullies~~ motivates the participants on the Biggest Loser. I must admit that I have not watched the show. Ever. So I was not prepared.

But is is only 20 minutes you say. How bad could 20 minutes be? Well let's discuss the aforementioned arms. It is true that they are not sore. They are not achy. The sad truth is I cannot feel them at all. AT ALL. They are useless flesh sticks dangling sadly off of my shoulders. My 7 month old does not understand why I can't pick her up and administer to her needs. I have to change diapers with my toes and mouth. She had to learn to feed herself. Oh and we have to spend our days in my bedroom because I cannot get out of bed. Why?

The abs. Oh the abs. I have had a baby. I had slightly prolonged Abdominal Diastisis. I was pretty sure that I didn't have abs anymore. Then along came Jillian Michaels and hey, wow, what do you know. I do have abs. And now that don't work. They are so sore they won't support my upper body. So it's good that I am staying in bed. I am pretty sure I would scare my daughter if I shuffled around the house flopped over at the waist with my arms dangling to the floor.

But surely you could leave the bed. I mean, you could at least hang out on the couch. Then the baby could use her exersaucer and play with her toys. Well sure I could, I could head DOWN THE STAIRS. But that would require moving my legs. Not shuffling but actually creating an angle with my knees. I would have to lift one leg and place it on a stair and then that leg would have to be able to support my body as the other leg descended. Oh and they would have to do this on their own, no help from my arms. Oh and did I mention that my daughter weighs more than 20 pounds? It's not like I can roll her down the stairs so presumably I will have to figure out how to strap her securely to my body. 'Cuz I can't use my arms, remember?

Although rolling may be an idea. I could fashion some kind of counter-weight elevator device to lower my daughter to the bottom of the stairs. I could then coach her on crawling (she hasn't quite got the fine points down yet). Once she is out of the way I could roll myself down the stairs and using that momentum I could make it to the kitchen. Once there I could use my freakishly dexterous feet and toes to prepare some food. Although once I am there I am pretty sure I could not get myself up off the floor. And the kitchen floor is cold... and hard... and dirty.

Okay so no go. Baby can hang here. She's got all the food she needs and I am pretty sure I left a granola bar somewhere around here. I'm good.

But I am pretty sure the 30 day Shred is supposed to be done 30 days in a row. Hmmm. HMMMMMM.

Not gonna happen.

Week 3 Meal Plan

2009-04-13T08:04:00.001-07:00

Week 3 Meal Plan

Click on each day and you'll find the meal plan and recipes

Monday: Applesauce berry muffins , Grilled Veggie Sandwich, Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Tuesday: Kashi, Turkey Shepherd's Pie, Pierogi

Wednesday: Banana Bread, Turkey sausage Omelet, Crustless Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday: Kashi, Crustless Chicken Pot Pie, Veggie Quesadillas

Friday: Oatmeal, Veggie Quesadillas, Chicken Chow Mein

Saturday: Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins, Chicken Chow Mein, Flex

Sunday: Sunday Eggs, Thai Chicken Wrap, Spaghetti

If you would like to see more menu options go visit I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Week 2 and 4: Sunday's Menu and Recipes

2009-04-12T12:47:00.003-07:00

Breakfast

Have any egg dish you like.

We have sunny-side up eggs with pan fried potatoes, orange juice, coffee, toast and fruit.

Snack

Lunch

Asian
spring rolls

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/2 oz rice sticks

1/2 c peeled, shredded carrots

3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/2 tbsp shredded fresh basil

1/2 c shredded green-leaf lettuce

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

3 tbsp chopped green onions

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 c seeded, chopped red bell peppers

8 cooked medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined

4 8 inch round rice-paper sheets

1. Place the lime juice, oil, soy sauce, sugar and ginger in a screw-top jar. Shake vigorously until blended. Set the Soy-Ginger Dipping sauce aside.

2. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the rice sticks, cook for 3 minutes. Drain, run under cold water, drain again.

3. Combine the rice sticks, carrots, cilantro, basil, lettuce, garlic, green onions, red pepper flakes and bell peppers in a large bowl.

4. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise.

5. Place one rice paper sheet in a shallow bowl or pan. Cover with 1" hot water and let stand for 30 seconds or until soft. Place the sheet on a flat work surface.

6. Place 1/2 c rice stick filling in the centre of the sheet. Arrange 4 shrimp pieces on the filling.

7. Fold on both sides and then the bottom of the sheet over the filling. The roll it up from the bottom to close. Gently press the seam to seal. Place the roll on a plate and cover with a damp towel.

8. Repeat the process with the remaining rice sheets.

9. Place the soy-ginger dipping sauce in a small bowl and serve with the rolls.

Have with 1 c milk and an apple for dessert.

Snack

Dinner

Cocotte, potato, yams, squash, milk, fruit

1 whole chicken

2 potatoes, chopped

2 yams, peeled and chopped

1 small squash, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 bottle wine

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Place in dutch oven with potatoes, yams, squash, onion. Add wine.

3. Cover and bake until internal temp of breast reaches 165 degrees F.

Serve with 1 cup of milk and fruit for dessert.

Week 2 and 4: Saturday's Menu and Meal Plan

2009-04-12T12:47:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

1 Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffin with 1 c nonfat milk and ½ cup apple juice w/
hemp protein

Snack

Lunch

Soup
& ½ sandwich:

Heat a bowl of low fat soup serve with 1 slice multigrain bread layered with mustard, chicken and 2
slices tomato. Serve with mini carrots on the side and have an apple for dessert.

Snack

Dinner

This is a flex night - have leftovers, go out or make something ambitious. But whatever you do - enjoy.

Week 2 and 4: Friday's Menu and Recipes

2009-04-12T12:46:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

One serving of your favorite Oatmeal or hot cereal (I prefer Sunny Boy) with 1/4 c craisins and 1 c nonfat milk

Snack

Lunch

Leftover Chickpea Curry with 1 c of milk and fruit

Snack

Dinner

Cook a frozen Pizza according to package instructions, serve with cauliflower and have fruit for dessert.

Week 2 and 4: Thursday's Menu and Recipes

2009-04-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Kashi with 1 sliced banana and 1 cup of milk milk

snack

Lunch

Leftover South of the Border Chicken stew,fruit

Snack

Dinner

Chickpea Curry, milk, fruit

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 c chopped onions

1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

4 c canned chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp sugar

3 c chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 c frozen spinach

1 1/2 c chopped cauliflower

1/2 tsp garam masala

1.5 c cooked brown rice

1. Heat the oil in a 4 - 5 quart pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, red-pepper flakes, and salt. Cook 2 minutes, stirring.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and cook on medium-low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, cauliflower and garam masala. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Divide the curry in half - save one half for week four, divide the rest and the rice between two bowls.

I have an addiction

2009-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

It's true. I do. I am admitting it to the world but I am not looking for help. I am not ready to give up my addiction. I may never be. I'll be fine. It may empty my bank account. It may take all my time. But I don't care. I can't live without my addiction. I need it - erm - them.

I am addicted.

To babies.

(Don't tell my husband)

Okay so first I should say that the babies don't even have to be mine. Although Darling Daughter intensified the addiction, I admit I was on the road to baby-loving long ago.

I come from a big family. Okay I come from an enormous family. My grandmother had 14 kids. They went forth and multiplied and I have over 60 first cousins. They went forth and multiplied and I admit I have lost track of how many first cousins once removed I have. Two children in my family are rare. One child is even more rare. No children is, well, unheard of.

This means from a young age I was exposed to babies, lots and lots of babies. And I loved them. Cute babies, cuddly babies, chubby babies, skinny babies, happy babies, cranky babies, quiet babies, LOUD babies, poopy babies and just bathed babies. I liked them all.

Consequently I did a lot of baby sitting. A lot of babysitting. I really enjoyed it. I had fun. I wasn't grossed out by diaper changes or spit up. I didn't get bored. I didn't invite my friends over. I didn't get annoyed with crying babies. I became an expert at teething. I loved those babies and those babies loved me.

To be fair, I really like little kids as well. They slay me. Their insights are wonderful. Their utter brilliance dazzles me. Their energy sustains me. They definitely hold a large portion of my heart. But babies, babies...

I had the wonderful opportunity to learn some baby massage yesterday. My friend's Mom just took a course and to complete her certification she needs to teach three moms how to massage their babies. I was lucky enough to be included and so away I went. As soon as I walked into her place I knew I was in trouble. Three babies. My baby and two of my girlfriend's babies. I do believe my hands started to shake. I started to sweat. I was in trouble and I loved it.

The problem with my addiction is that it lives up to my expectations every time. My Darling Daughter is amazing on a daily basis. I can't get enough of her. My girlfriend's babies were just amazing as well. One of them is just a few weeks older than my daughter and she is a total spitfire. Cute, vocal and wiggly. She is seconds from crawling. She smiles at the drop of a hat. She eats whole cookies in a single bound. She is amazing. The other baby is three months younger than my daughter. He is so cute. He is a big boy. A BIG boy. He is only two pounds less than my daughter and she is over the 100 percentile for her age and height. He had the biggest blue eyes and the roundest little tummy and the chubbiest little legs. And his cry, his cry, oh his cry. It is so tiny, so teeny, like a newborn. Like a newborn kitten. Yet he is so big you would expect a yell but no, out comes this sweet little coo. I melted on the spot.

I had such a great time. When I left I was so happy. Writing this I can feel little tears of happiness at the back of my eyes. I love babies.

I am Pop Wahm Buzz and I love babies.

Don't ask me to stop.

Sometimes Vancouver Driver's are just A-holes

2009-04-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I realize that almost everyone has said this about almost every city that has cars. And I am not saying that Vancouver drivers are specifically worse than any other city. They are just A-holes. Rude, in a hurry, generally oblivious, they make pedestrians and fellow drivers feel like they take their lives in their hands every time they leave their house.

Case in point. I take a walk with my Darling Daughter every day. We live on the corner of a fairly busy intersection but it is heavily surrounded by residential street. There is also a fairly major bike route one block over so we have the added bonus of some wonderfully maintained paths. This makes for a wonderful walking experience and one that I look forward to taking. What I do not look forward to is dealing with all of the A-hole drivers I encounter on the way to the wonderfully maintained path.

My top five personal favourites:

1. Non-signal guy who is going to secretly turn right at the intersection without letting anyone know - especially the mom with the baby carriage who is trying to decide if it is safe to cross.

2. The bone head turning right who isn't paying any attention at all and blows by the pedestrians about to step out because they have a cross signal.

3. The idiot-stick turning right who has seen the pedestrians, knows they are about to cross, has made EYE CONTACT with the pedestrians holding their babies in their arms and still takes the corner as fast as he can without regard for the walk signal.

4. The impatient chick who is turning left and drives right up to the cross walk - sitting in the middle of the oncoming traffic lane and glares impatiently at the pedestrians crossing with the signal. (I have seen this driver reap her Karmic reward with the crossing of very old lady and the change of a light a block away, bringing lots of oncoming commuter traffic)

5. The stupid-ass new driver, with their parent purchased quasi performance vehicle driving ~~1000~~ 100 km an hour up a pedestrian laden, bicycle heavy side street talking on the phone.

ERGGGG.

Please feel free to share your bad-driver stories- I would love some commiseration.

Week 2 and 4: Wednesday's Menu and Recipes

2009-04-07T20:33:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Banana Bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 c nonfat milk and 1 small orange

Snack

Lunch

Chili
Topped Potato, 1 apple

See recipe here .

I substitute sour cream for the yogurt but you can have it either way. Have an apple for dessert.

Snack

Dinner

South of the Border Chicken Stew

16 oz chicken breast (approximately 2 large chicken breasts)

Salt

Freshly Ground pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 c chopped onions

1 c seeded, chopped green peppers

1 c diced celery

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tsp dried oregano

4 c nonfat, reduced-sodium chicken stock

1 1/2 c frozen corn, thawed

1 1/2 c canned, diced tomato, with liquid

1 1/2 c frozen spinach

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/4 c sour cream

1/4 c chopped green onions

1. Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks and season lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 4 - 5 quart pot over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken, stirring, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a bowl.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp oil, onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Stir in the oregano, broth, and 1.2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the corn, tomatoes and chicken and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spinach and hot sauce.

5. Divide the stew in half. Put half away to be frozen for dinner in week 4. Divide the other half between 2 bowls. Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Have some fruit for dessert.

Week 2 and 4: Tuesday's Menu and Recipes

2009-04-07T20:32:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Kashi with 1 sliced banana and 1 c of milk

Snack

Lunch

Leftover Cranberry Turkey, yams, carrots, bread, yogurt

Snack

Dinner

Veggie Burger,

buns, tomato, cucumber, fruit

2 veggie patties (we prefer Yves Best Burger)

2 Rolls

1 sliced tomato

1/2 sliced cucumber

1. Preheat a lightly oiled grill pan or frying pan on medium-high heat.

2. Grill patties 1 minute in each side.

3. Serve on buns with preferred condiments. Serve with tomato and cucumber on the side, adding a light sprinkle of balsamic and extra virgin olive oil if you like.

Have fruit for dessert.

Week 2 and 4: Monday's Menu and recipes

2009-04-05T15:46:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Blueberry Applesauce Muffin, 1 c nonfat milk, ½ cup apple juice w/ hemp
protein

Snack

Lunch

Thai chicken salad wrap, 1 c milk, apple

Snack

Dinner

Cranberry Turkey

4 Turkey Breasts

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 yams

1 c carrots

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp honey

1. Boil chopped yams in water - steam carrots over yams.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cranberry sauce with cinnamon, spoon mixture over uncooked turkey breasts. Pack 2 breasts away in freezer bag to cook in 2 weeks. Place the other 2 in a parchment lined pan and place in oven. Cook until internal temp reads 165 degrees F - approximately 20 minutes.

3. Once yams and carrots are tender, remove yams from water. Add 1 1/2 tbsp butter to yams and mash. Add 1/2 tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp honey to carrots and stir.

4. Serve Cranberry Turkey with yams and carrots. Have some bread on the side and some yogurt for dessert.

Week 1 and 3: Sunday's Menu and Recipes

2009-04-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

Week 1 and 3: Sunday's Menu and Recipes

Breakfast

Have any egg dish you like.

We have sunny-side up eggs with pan fried potatoes, orange juice, coffee, toast and fruit.

Lunch

Thai Chicken Wraps

1/2 c sliced green onions

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 seeded and minced jalapeno

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar

7 c torn romaine lettuce

1 c shredded red cabbage

1 c peeled, grated carrots

1 c seeded, diced red pepper

1 c seeded, chopped cucumber

1 c snow peas

2 c cooked, diced chicken breast

4 tbsp crushed, unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

4 6" tortillas

1. Whisk the green onions, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, peanut oil, vinegar and 2 tbsp water in a large bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Whisk the dressing to recombine and add the lettuce, cabbage, carrots, red peppers, cucumber, snow peas and chicken. Toss well to combine.

3. Split filling between the 4 tortillas, sprinkle with peanuts, roll and serve.

Theses are great as is but my husband love to dip them in peanut sauce so if you have that around, go nuts (pun intended!)

Dinner

Spaghetti

1/2 cup of spaghetti per person

1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce (mine is the three cheese and spinach from President's Choice)

1 cup frozen spinach

Parmesan cheese to taste.

1. In a medium saucepan on a medium heat, mix the spinach with the pasta sauce and allow to warm.

2. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

3. Once both are cooked - serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan. Have a fab glass of wine and some fruit for dessert.

Saturday's Menu

2009-04-04T08:38:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins

see excellent tutorial at pinchmysalt.com

Have with 1 c of milk and 1/2 c apple juice and hemp protein

Lunch

Leftover Chicken Chow Mein

Have with yogurt and fruit.

Dinner

Flex - have whatever you like - go out, have leftovers, order in.

We are having pork chops with sour cream mashed potatoes and maple baked beans. Yum!

Friday's Recipes

2009-04-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Oatmeal

Make your favourite hot cereal for breakfast (I prefer Sunny Boy), add 1/2 cup of craisins and have with 1 cup of milk.

Lunch

Leftover Veggie Quesadillas

Serve with sour cream, salsa and have an apple for dessert.

Dinner

Chicken Chow Mein

Preparation:

In large saucepan of boiling water, cook noodles until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well and set aside in colander.

Meanwhile, in bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Thinly slice chicken crosswise; add to bowl, tossing to coat.

In large wok or skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the vegetable oil over high heat; stir-fry chicken mixture for 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Add remaining oil to pan; reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic and ginger; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add broccoli, snow peas, yellow pepper and 2 tbsp (25 mL) water; cover and steam for 3 minutes. Add noodles and stock; stir-fry until hot. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; add bean sprouts and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with green onion.

Have with fruit juice and yogurt for dessert.

Cobbling for Dummies

2009-04-02T16:59:00.001-07:00

Right before I had the Darling Daughter I took my sewing machine in to be serviced. It was acting totally crazy and I thought it was going to cost me a fortune to have it fixed. Luckily all it needed was a tune-up and it came back running like a top. But by the time I got it back I had just given birth and I was much too busy nursing, changing diapers, napping and staring in utter amazement at this enchanting little creature to sew anything.

Now that the enchanting creature is a little older and happily spends time in her exersaucer and sitting on her own, I can squeeze a little time into my day to do some sewing. I have found some great sewing blogs with free tutorials to help me get started on some fabulous one of kind clothes for my fabulous one of a kind daughter. I posted a photo of a great little dress a few days ago but since then I have completed a gorgeous kimono top from some Heather Ross fabric that I fell in ~~lust~~ love with at the fabric store and a tutorial found here.

Oh my gosh - isn't the fabric just delicious - the kimono is so much cuter on the baby - it is so perfect with the chocolate brown binding. I could just eat her up! The Hunky Hubby loved the little shirt so much that he asked me to make him a big boy version. So now I go on the hunt for the perfect pattern for that.

I have also been lately lamenting the complete and utter lack of baby bonnets that exist in my immediate shopping vicinity. That's right, I exist in a baby bonnet vacuum. As cute as the Darling Daughter looks in the parade of toques, berets, sun hats and baseball caps I have plopped on her head in search of the perfect lid, I have longed for the nostalgic simplicity of a basic baby bonnet.

I finally took the dilemma in hand last weekend and decided to look for a sewing pattern. Although there are many different baby bonnet patterns out there, none of them really lived up to the picture I had in my head. I mentioned this out loud to my husband and his eyes got that wild look associated with my quest to find the perfect black flat that exists in my head.(We've been together 9 years and I am still ~~barefoot~~ sneaker-shod.)

I quickly assured him that I had taken an intensive sewing course in high school and drafting a pattern to match my imagination was not beyond my capabilities. After a few wonky paper patterns I had a workable version that quickly translated into a gorgeous brimless bonnet. Some cute buttons and satin ribbon later it was on her head and better than I imagined.

Now I just need to figure out why the Hunky Hubby keeps leaving Home Cobbling brochures around the house.

Thursday's Recipes

2009-04-02T09:27:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Kashi have with a banana and 1 c of milk

Lunch

Leftover crustless chicken pot pie

Dinner

Veggie Quesadillas

1/2 c of broccoli florets

1/3 c skim milk

3 tbsp flour

1/4 c corn kernels

1/4 red bell pepper

2 tbsp coarsely chopped green chillies

pinch of salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp cilantro

2 6" flour tortilla

1. In a large pot or boiling water, cook the broccoli 2minutes; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 425 F; spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk the milk and flour; cook, stirring frequently, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the corn, bell peppers, chillies, salt and cayenne; remove from the heat and stir in the broccoli and cilantro.

4. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the bottom half of the tortilla, leaving a 1/2" border; fold the top half over the veggies. Place the quesadilla on the baking sheet; bake until hot and bubbling; about 8 minutes. Serve at once.

Serves 2 (save one for lunch)

Serve with sour cream, salsa and have an apple for dessert.

It is snowing in Vancouver

2009-04-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, you heard correctly, it is snowing in Vancouver. SNOWING ON APRIL 1st.

That is just not right.

Excuse me while I crawl back under the covers...maybe I'll come out in May.

Maybe.

Wednesday's Recipes

2009-04-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Banana Bread

1 1/2 c unbleached flour

2 t baking soda

2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/4 c wheat germ, toasted

1/2 c butter/margarine, softened

3/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c white sugar

4 eggs

3 very ripe bananas

1/4 c sour cream (or soy milk)

3/4 c walnuts, roasted and chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9X5 loaf pan. Combine the flour, wheatgerm, baking powder, soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Blend in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Mash together the bananas and sour cream. Add one third of the flour mix into the creamed sugar/butter mix. Next, stir in the banana mash and mix thoroughly. Add the remainder of the flour and mix until combined, taking care not to over mix. Gently fold in the walnuts.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, and bake for one hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 mins, then run a knife along the edges and turn the loaf gently out. Cool on a wire rack.

Lunch

Turkey Sausage Omelet

2 eggs

2 oz Turkey sausage

1/2 cup broccoli

1. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add a teaspoon of olive oil.

2. Chop broccoli and saute for 45 seconds in pan. Remove

3. Chop turkey sausage and lightly brown in frying pan. Remove

4. Crack two eggs into frying pan, quickly mix them and allow them to cook, untouched, about a minute, add sausage and broccoli and cook for another minute.

5. Fold in half, remove and enjoy.

Have with 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup yogurt and an apple. Don't forget to drink water!

Dinner

Crustless Chicken Pot Pie

1/2 c cream
1/4 c chicken broth
1 large chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 medium sized yams, diced to 1 cm
1 c frozen peas
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Directions

In a medium pot, cook yams in salted water until soft. In a large saucepan melt butter on medium heat. Gently saute onions until translucent. Stir chicken into onions and cook. Add yams and frozen peas. Stir in chicken broth and cream and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to gently simmer for 20 minutes. Serves 2.

Enjoy with a glass of wine and some fruit for dessert.

Oooo - this looks all weird - I'll have to check out what the heck is wrong with google doc. Sorry!

Flying with an Infant

2009-03-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

I was born and lived most of my formative years in Quebec, about an hour north of Montreal. I come from a large family (I have over 60 first cousins on my Mom's side alone) and most of them live in a 30 km radius. Consequently, now that I have a baby, I am especially keen to go back for a visit.

I was innocently perusing the Internet looking for travel tips as I have never travelled with small children and I cam across all of this very foreboding information about how dangerous it is to travel with a child on your lap.

I am not going to pretend that some of the urgency I feel about going back to Montreal is that the baby will get to fly for free and as a Mom at home, there isn't a lot of money to throw around. There are no discounts for a child flying so going back after she turn 2 means paying for another ticket.

But all of the information out there scared the poop out of me. Stories about Mom's losing their grip on their babies mid-flight during turbulence and the baby coming to serious harm. Or about how a lap child must be placed on the floor during a crash and how these baby's are often lost in the landing.

Okay - so I know that the chances of there being a crash on a plane is much smaller than in a car but turbulence is pretty common. And I can't help but feel like that fact that i have read about the dangers of a lap child, if anything happened (even something minor) I would be guilty of negligence.

Now I know the ultimate answer is to purchase a seat for the baby and strap her into her aviation approved Britax Marathon and call it a day. Unfortunately there is the problem of actually paying for the ticket. I am off on maternity and while I am still receiving some pay, it is just slightly more than half of my salary. There isn't a lot of extra money to through around and to complicate matters, the Hunky Hubby should actually be coming back with us. His father and paternal family all live in Montreal as well and he hasn't seen them for 5 years. We planned to slowly save for the trip and go in November when I had returned to work. But my Mom has decided that she wants to return this May or June and we both feel like having my granny, my mom, me and the baby all there at the same time would be a wonderful memory. My mom has offered to pay for my ticket (which I have not yet decided if I can accept) but that still leaves me to decide what to do about the baby.

Here is a link to the website recommended by Transport Canada for infant air safety. Take a minute to check it out and then weigh in - what would you do?

Tuesday's Recipes

2009-03-30T19:06:00.001-07:00

Tuesday's Recipes

Breakfast

Kashi

Kashi Go Lean Crunch

1 banana

1 cup milk

Pour a bowl of Kashi, add sliced banana and milk and enjoy.

Lunch

Leftover Shepherds Pie

have with fruit juice and a cookie

Dinner

Pirogi

6 pirogi

4 oz smoked turkey sausage

1 tbsp sour cream

1 onion, sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1. Melt butter in small pot, add sliced onion and cook on lowest heat for 30 minutes

2. Prepare pirogi as per preference - I toss mine in olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crisp.

3. Slice the sausage and quickly brown.

4. Place pirogi on a plate, add sour cream, caramelized onion and turkey sausage.

Serve with carrot sticks and have a piece of fruit.

Don't forget your snacks!

Recipes for Monday

2009-03-29T19:27:00.001-07:00

Applesauce Saskatoonberry Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups unsweeted applesause
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (I used Saskatoonberries yum)

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly coat 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Mix together the 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowel. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, egg, oil, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Toss the blueberries in 1/4 c all-purpose flour to lightly coat the berries.

Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the batter is just moistened. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the mixture evenly amoung the muffin cups. Bake for 20 mins. Cool muffins in pan on a rach for 5 minutes. Remove muffins and serve warm or at room temperature.

Store in the freezer to have throughout the month (if you can wait that long)

Have one for breakfast with hemp protein in apple juice and a glass of milk.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

1/2 Baguette

1 oz mozzarella

4 slices of tomato

4 olives, torn to pieces

1 tsp olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan on a med heat.

2. Layer olive pieces, mozza and tomato on bottom half of baguette and top with top of baguette.

3. Put the sandwich in the frying pan and scan kitchen frantically for something heavy to put on top.

4. Settle on stacking three large cans of diced tomatoes precariously on a saucepan.

5. Hover to ensure cans do not slide off.

6. Flip sandwich after 3 minutes and repeat steps 3-5.

7. After the second 3 minutes have elapsed, grab sandwich (careful its hot) and as soon as you are brave enough, bite into its hot, gooey, sweet, salty goodness.

Have with some water and an apple.

Turkey Shepherds Pie

1 lbs ground turkey
1 onion chopped
1 can of corn
2 large yams (not the supersized ones - like a large potato)
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

1 Peel and quarter yams, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the yams are cooking, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins).

4 Add groundvturkey and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add corn after the meat has initially cooked.

5 Mash yams in bowl with 2 tablespoons of butter, season to taste.

6 Place turkey, corn and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed yams on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well. Daub with 1 tablespoon of butter.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 20 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves two.

Have with fruit juice mixed with soda water and a cookie for dessert.

Last Minute Change - if you like

2009-03-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I came across a recipe for Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins and I thought that they sounded too good to miss. So here is the adjusted shopping lists to get rid of the Maple Bran Muffins and replace them with the new Orange Spice Muffins. I will keep the old shopping lists up as well so that you can choose to include either muffin. I'll post the recipe for both.

New Monthly Shopping List

New Week One Perishables

Weekly perishables

2009-03-27T17:38:00.001-07:00

The weekly perishables list can be viewed and printed here. Again, I have left space to record cost. I'll post my filled in list after I shop. Happy Shopping!

March Monthly Shopping List

2009-03-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

The list can be viewed in detail and printed here. As you can see I've left space to record cost. I'll post my list with cost filled in after I shop tomorrow.

Food Serving Sizes and Suggestions

2009-03-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

You can view and print this document here.

March Complete Meals and Nutritional Guidelines

2009-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

You can print the complete meals and and nutritional guidelines here.

March Meals

2009-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

You can view and print the March menu here.

March Meal Planning

2009-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am experimenting with the idea of meal planning for an entire month to simplify my meal preparation and to (hopefully) save money. I looked at having a different meal every night for the month but I found that repeating a two week menu kept things more simple and more frugal. The cost of groceries are going to be a little front loaded - you will do the one month grocery shop and the week one perishables in week one but then groceries will be much less expensive as you will just be shopping for the weekly perishables.

I decided to plan for all three meals and two snacks for the entire month. I though that this would be a better capture of how much an entire month's groceries will cost and more importantly it will keep us out of the grocery store during the week. Not only will this be a time saver but it should be a money saver as well. Everyone knows that when you head into the grocery store to pick up something quick, you end up spending $50 on a bunch of stuff you didn't know you needed! This plan will avoid that exact scenario.

I decided to plan for 28 breakfasts, 28 lunches, 56 snack (two snacks a day) and 24 dinners. Why only 24 dinners? Well I think inevitably there will be leftovers or we will feel like having takeout or we will have dinner with relatives or we feel like having red meat or something decadent.

I have a few suggestions for making this a much easier month.

1. Look over the meal plan and get rid of anything you think you won't like. I know the recipes are not yet attached but the meal names should give you some indication if it contains something you hate.

2. Look over the shopping lists before you shop and shop your cupboard. We often forget if we have a certain ingredient at home and end up buying it to be safe only to discover we actually have a 2 kg bag of it in out pantry. Avoid this by taking a minute to shop your own supplies.

3. If there is an ingredient on the grocery list that you hate, leave a comment and I will suggest an alternative.

4. Clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer before shopping. Get rid of the stuff that has been floating around for months so that you have a place to put all of your new groceries. Remember that if you have anything that has not been opened and is non-perishable you can bring it with you to donate to the foodbank.

5. If you double a recipe the first time you make it and freeze it, you will cut down on how many meals you need to make in the second two weeks.

I'll post the menu, the nutritional guidelines I was following and the components of the complete meal in separate posts so you can quick reference it. I'll post the tutorials and recipes as I cook them. I hope you like the meals and I hope this menu planning helps you out!

Home made baby

2009-03-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

I made a dress for the Darling Daughter yesterday out of some fabric I bought for $4.00. I used some grosgrain I have for my hair bow making and voila - the cutest dress ever!!

You can find the really easy to follow tutorial at Habitual. Oh and I made the headband and baby legwarmers too. I make them a little different than the tutorials that are out there so I'll post those soon. I think there is enough fabric left to make some matching bloomers. I am going to work out a pattern for the bloomers with Velcro to make diaper changes a little easier so when I do I'll also post that tutorial too. Enjoy the cute!

Twilight Fever

2009-03-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

The Hunky Hubby works in the film industry in Vancouver and as such, we often have the inside track about any films coming to town. We knew the second and third films from the Twilight series were going to be shooting here and we knew that everyone involved was doing their best to keep that information a secret. I don't know why - it is not like there was any lack of media coverage of the fact that they were going to be filming here and there have been more than a few photos of the set and actors since filming began. The complete lack of secrecy has actually become a bit of a joke for those not working on the film.

In fact, there is a documentary crew in town filming a piece about finding Twilight and they seem to be approaching any crew they see filming and asking if they are "Twilight" or if they know where they are filming. The hilarious part about this is that EVERYONE knows where they are shooting - it isn't a secret and contrary to what the film's organizers apparently believe - no one cares. At least not enough to cause any real issues for the film crew. I am sure there are a a few mega-fans hanging around and there are obviously some photographers around as we have been treated to such scintillating photos as:

Twilight Stars getting coffee...

When a crew member pointed out how easily the documentary crew could actually find the new Twilight movie it became obvious that the documentarians actually knew this but it wouldn't be much a story if they found the set right away.

(Aside: *Sigh* Even documentaries can't be trusted to be real these days.)

Which brings me to the point of this post. I do not get it. I've watched the original film and I say it again:

I do not get it.

Yeah, yeah, it is filled with teen angst and eternal love and vampires, all three of which tend to be just my type of guilty pleasure. It's just that I do not buy it in this case. It is a little too much, they fall in love too fast, everything is just too, too TOO. Maybe someone needs to explain it to me.

Maybe I need to read the books.

photo from here

Weekend Rants and Raves

2009-03-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had a very busy weekend bopping around all of the interesting blogs taking part in the Ultimate Blog Party 2009. So I don't have too many rants and raves other than a big rave for all of the great posts I read and all of the great blogs out there.

A big rave for successfully finding very cute shoes to complete the Darling Daughter's Easter outfit. She is going to wear the Embroidered Party Dress in fresh from the Children's Place

and my mom found a pair of Jack and Lilly shoes that are just perfect. After seeing pair after pair of hard soled, plastic dress shoes it was great to find shoes with a flexible, soft sole, made of quality, breathable leather. Once I read the package and found that they were podiatrist approved I was even happier with these shoes.

The shoes actually bring me to my rant - why is it so difficult to find appropriate shoes for a baby who may have slightly larger feet than average. And what the heck is average nowadays? It seems to me that almost every baby is not wearing the actual size that corresponds to their age. Everyone seems to accept that their child will wear a size between 3 and 6 months older than their child is. Which isn't a huge problem except for pants (they often stop having snaps on the legs after 12 months - so my 6 month old is mostly out of this size - and these are essential for easy diaper changes) and shoes. I don't want my baby in hard soled shoes with a heel - even if she is wearing a size 4 infant shoe!

Thankfully I have found Jack and Lily and their cute shoes should do the trick until the Darling Daughter is a little older.

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

2009-03-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

A big welcome from Vancouver to all of you Ultimate Blog Party-Goers. I know you are busy bopping around to all of the fabulous blogs so I'll be brief (don't expect it to last!)

I am PopWahmBuzz and I have been blogging since July 2008. After blogging only for family I found myself drawn to blogging for a wider (wilder?) audience. I love the sense of community that exists in the blogosphere and I wanted to contribute to that community in way beyond comments. My blog is a snapshot of my life and of the time we live in and I intend to keep a keen eye (and a sharp tongue) on all of the pop culture, buzz-worthy stuff that registers on my radar. I hope you join me...

Now a quick recap of my world:

This is me - all of my recent pictures include my Darling Daughter so you get a little gratuitous baby-love. I am a just-turned-thirty first time mom currently on maternity leave.

and here is the Hunky Hubby, looking calm and cool as he flavours a chicken butt. He works in the film industry and has some crazy stories which he writes about on his blog. I intend to solicit a few Dad posts from him periodically -( editorial control is power bwa ha ha)

and this is the Darling Daughter, she is 6 months old and so cute I could die from it. She is also hilarious- no really, remind me to tell you about how she lip-syncs - LIP-SYNCS!!

I love to sew and craft and I have recently started a little etsy shop called MinxMaker so you know I'll be sharing some crafty ideas.

I also love to cook and bake and I have recently become obsessed with meal planning on a budget so I will be adding recipes and tutorials for that little project as well.

So for lots of laughs, the chance to rant, recipes, crafts and maybe a little lip-syncing, hit the subscribe button and have each post delivered to your inbox or reader.

You can also follow me on Twitter for random thoughts, observations and pleas for help.

There are some awesome prizes up for grabs. I hope I win a Go Baby Mat from GoBaby, or maybe a pair of See Kai Run shoes from Traveling With Baby or a blog makeover from Sweet n Simple Design. If those are not available them anything baby girl or blog related would be great!

Getting to Know Me

2009-03-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

1. Who would you most like to meet?

David Suzuki - I know he would have some great tips for living a more sustainable life.

2. Who would you most like to have dinner with?

Martha Stewart - I am sure she would be amazing!

3. Who would you refuse to meet?

Any major actor or actress - they couldn't live up to my expectations

4. What are you best at?

Problem solving - I am awesome at thinking outside the box.

5. What are you worst at?

Decision making - It was hard for me to decide if that was what I was worst at...

6. What is your favorite poem?

Air and Angels - John Donne

7. What was the first record you bought for yourself?

Versus - Pearl Jam

8. What is your motto?

Anticipate the best, plan for the worst.

9. What is the biggest/best compliment you've ever been paid?

"You are the smartest person I know"

10. What is your worst phobia?

Mascots

11. What insect do you dislike most?

Earwigs

12. Who did you hit?

My readers - you're it, email me yours and I'll post the best ones. Basically answer the 12 questions and then do a search on Flickr for your answers. You must pick a picture from the first page of the search and make them into a photo collage. It is a cute idea!

Weekend Rants and Raves

2009-03-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Whew - what a busy weekend! I have several things to rave about after this weekend and not a rant in sight!

Things I think are great:

1. Running into an old friend from high school who lives in a different province and who has been in Cambridge (yes THAT Cambridge) for that past year and a half. Especially running into them when you are randomly standing outside, downtown, amidst the anonymous masses!

2. After running into the aforementioned friend, being able to say - "Hey, guess what, I have a BABY!!" (number 1 and 2 both where incidents that happened to the Hunky Hubby but I shared in the overall greatness of the moments!)

3. Getting to talk about cloth diapers to someone who is actually interested! The aforementioned friend is married and his wife is 6 months pregnant and they are currently contemplating their cloth diapering options. We cloth diaper the Darling Daughter and I LOVE cloth diapering. I do not find it hard or gross or very much extra work. A couple of loads of laundry a week is not a big deal! The Hunky Hubby is just as enthusiastic as I am so he was delighted to throw in his 2 cents as well. For those of you who are interested, here is what we use:

24 premium sized prefolds

4 Motherease Bamboo diapers with liners

4 Bummis Bum Genius one size pocket diapers (these are perfect for outings)

2 Bummis SuperBright covers

2 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers

4 Snappi Fasteners

We wash every second day with Country Save and use Bert's Bees Diaper Ointment to keep her bum in great shape (not even a hint of diaper rash yet).

4. Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer and cloth washcloths. This requires its own category. The Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer works perfectly with cloth washcloths. It keeps them nice and warm, fits enough for a few days and saves me trips to the bathroom to wet the cloths before changing the baby. Woo-hoo!

5. Guests who bring snacks! My Dad and his Girlfriend popped by yesterday to visit and they brought the most delicious European cookies! Two types of shortbread and some chocolate covered crispy crepes! YUM!

6. Saying "Beware the Ides of March!"

oh wait, I do have one rant

SNOW IN VANCOUVER IN MARCH - I cheerfully put up with 8 months of rain to avoid this exact situation.

Screw You Snow - Screw you.

'Nuff said.

I miss working at Starbucks

2009-03-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was on Plinky today and one of the prompts reminded me that I miss working at Starbucks. Okay, so I don't really miss working at Starbucks - people can be total assholes, especially when they are un-caffeinated and resentful. I do miss seeing the amazing people I worked with at Starbucks.

The specific prompt that reminded me of these wonderful people was asking who would win in a fight between a shark and bear. How did that remind me of my Starbucks pals? Well I worked with a wonder gal who had a deathly fear of both bears and sharks. Part of our responsibilities at Starbucks was to clean the washrooms. One day before she was heading in to clean up, we decided to draw a picture of a melded shark-bear. You know, shark head, teeth gleaming and a ferocious, be-clawed bear body. We told her that she should be careful because a Shark-Bear was known to come out of toilets. She was terrified! Rationally she knew that this could not happen but I have never seen anyone clean a bathroom faster!

Other hilarious things I heard or saw my fellow Starbuckians do:

"You can't smell botulism" our manager said as she held a bottle of salad dressing that had been living in the fridge for an inordinate amount of time.

"Be quiet or I'll put you in a box" a guy says to his 3 year old as he tries to pick up my friend by "remembering" her from high school and regaling her with tales of his hydroponic store as she is trapped behind the counter making drinks.

"Dare me to eat this spoonful of cinnamon?" from a male Starbuckian on a slow evening

"No"

"C'mon, I'm going to do it" and he does, after which he coughs, releasing a cloud of pure cinnamon powder, almost obscuring his beet red face and streaming eyes.

"Why did I do that?" he laments, after recovering 10 minutes later.

"Oh, she hates little people, didn't you know?" says one partner to a rather small partner, about our manager.

"That guy was totally looking at me weird" says the partner making drinks to the partner on till

"That's 'cuz I wrote your phone number on the cup you just gave him"

"It's okay that they bring their kids to pick coffee because if they didn't, the kids would be left home alone" a manger told me after a week of indoctrination at a national convention.

"Huh - why don't you think about that statement and tell me if you still believe that in a week"

"Hey - do you know where I can buy some crack?" says crack-head to our manager as she WALKS to the banks with a deposit across the parking lot of a nice, safe suburb shopping mall.

She wasn't freaked out - just insulted that he thought she knew where to get crack!

These are just the few that I can think of off the top of my head - if any of my starbucks pals has a story they want to add, please put it in the comments!!

One of those days...

2009-03-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday but as the title says, it was one of those days. The Darling Daughter is cutting two more teeth and it is making her sleep quite restless. Although she doesn't actually wake up in the night, her thrashing and pained crooning in her sleep keeps me awake. I just felt like I couldn't get ahead of anything yesterday - not the house tidying, not the laundry, not the meal prep - nothing. But the Darling Daughter was happy and we did read and play and work on this week's Learning Exercise from Slow and Steady Get Me Ready by June Oberlander.

It was really cold and since the Hunky Hubby is working on some pre-production for an upcoming TV pilot project I knew he would be home rather early (for him) so I thought I'd let him pick up the things I needed for dinner. Unfortunately he is still working out the kinks of the car he bought so he ended up having to replace his alternator on the fly, then on the way home the car lost power completely. He ended up figuring out how to get it home but needless to say he did NOT stop and pick up any groceries.

Oh and did I mention that daylight savings has wreaked havoc with whatever schedule I've come to expect from Darling Daughter. So...

When the Hunky Hubby walked through the door at 8:15 pm I had not had dinner, the Darling Daughter was still awake, we did not have the ingredients for the dinner I thought I was making (and not much in the pantry as it has been 2 weeks without a decent grocery shop) and I was almost defeated!

Fortunately I have been reading a fair few Frugal Cooking blogs lately and so I tied on my apron, set my brow and went to work. I threw a couple of turkey breasts sprinkled with Spike seasoning in the oven, diced some potatoes and yams into a 1 cm square and threw them in some water to boil and started sweating some onions in a large sauce pan with some butter and olive oil. Once the onions were a little browned I added 1/2 cup of half and half and 1/2 a cup of milk and some flour and brought them up to a rolling boil to thicken the sauce. Meanwhile I diced the Turkey breast, drained the potatoes and yams and opened a can of peas. I threw them all in the pot and let them intermingle. I grabbed a basil pizza crust from the freezer and brushed it with some olive oil and threw it in the oven.

Ten minutes later the Hunky Hubby and I were sitting down in front of two steaming bowls of Crustless Turkey Pot Pie with Basil Foccacia - YUM! The Hubs was so impressed he snuck out to the store to get me some chocolate while I was (finally) settling the baby down to sleep. I guess it wasn't such a bad day after all...and I have leftovers!

Tell me about a throw together meal you made!

Scary Sunday

2009-03-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Hunky Hubby and I always enjoys a fabulous Sunday breakfast. He is a wizard with eggs and his pan fried potatoes cannot be beat! We were all out of eggs yesterday morning so as soon as the Darling Daughter was up and I had emerged from the comfort of my bed (weekends are the only time I get to have a little extra sleep, yay!) he headed out the door. Two seconds later he popped his head back in and asked if I could come outside - uh-oh! Out I headed into

the c-c-cold in my jammies.

Hunky Hubby, calmly, "Do you smell that?"

Me, after big whiff, splutter, splutter, "Is that GAS?" (not calm)

Hunky Hubby examining the natural gas pipe into the house, calmly, "Yup"

Me, again NOT calmly, "Call Terasen"

Hunky Hubby, continuing the look around the exterior of the townhouse, calmly, "I will - I just want to check...Wow, it is really strong"

Me, looking in the air for a giant FIREBALL, NOT calmly, "CALL TERASEN."

I headed back indoors, visions of sparks triggered by lamps, refridgerators...and ran up the stairs to pull on some clothes and figure out how to convince El Calm-o out there to evacuate the premises immediately. I grabbed some clothes and a travel cloth diaper for the Darling Daughter and headed back downstairs.

Hunky Hubby was just finishing up on the phone, "They said that there is natural gas venting in our area and there are technicians on site - I'm going to call your Mom to see if we can come over."

Me - pause- "Oh...okay...good" That was EASY, no convincing at all, must be worse than he's telling me, PANIC -TIME.

I choose to forgo dressing the baby, throw a jacket, hat and boots on her, stuff what I think she needs in the diaper bag and am-scray!

As we drove away from the complex, I looked around at all of the people jogging, walking and generally acting normally and thought, HEY, you should be worried too, potential giant FIREBALL in the area.

On the drive to my Mom's we discussed the blase attitude of the Terasen employee, who didn't actually tell the Hunky Hubby anything worse and actually recommended just calling back in an hour if the smell was still there. Now I know that the dissipation of Natural Gas in the air was probably not at a concentration that COULD explode, but I'm sure that inhaling natural gas for a while could not be good for you AND we had no idea where the "venting" was in relation to us and I'm sure that the source had enough concentration to be flammable. Both scenarios were not things I was interested in experiencing so we headed out.

Does this make me paranoid? Reactionary? Crazy?

Maybe, but I still got my Sunday breakfast, I spent a great day at my Mom's and came home to the clean smell of ...fabric softener? Well, you can't win em all!

Menu Planning

2009-03-06T07:41:00.001-08:00

I am a terrible meal planner. In fact, I am so disinclined to plan meals ahead that when I was pregnant and had no appetite I had to sign up for a meal planning program that created the recipes and shopping list for me. This was a great service but now that I've had my Darling Daughter and have no problem with appetite I have found that the recipes are rather expensive to put together and I am looking for a more frugal menu planning method.

So I got out my trusty laptop yesterday and did a quick search for frugal menu planning and I came across a huge cross section of amazing blogs, mostly written by Moms. These women are grocery shopping, menu planning, family feeding SUPERSTARS! I know groceries are less expensive in the USA (where these bloggers are based) but seriously, one Mom spends less that $400.00 a month to feed SIX KIDS and herself and her husband. And they are eating WELL, not crappy processed food and she MAKES HER OWN BREAD with SIX KIDS.

Okay, so I am ashamed to admit that the Hunky Hubby and I have consistently spent more than $400 a month on groceries for just the two of us. Even worse, at the end of the week I end up throwing out LOTS of perishables that have gone uneaten. ORGANIC PRODUCE. Although we haven't felt the pressure of the recession directly, the overwhelming amount of news coverage has led to a lot of conversations on the home-front about how we can save some money and generally be more responsible with what we have.

So I spent some time last night planning out a month of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. Today I am going to use some of the blogs I found to modify the recipes to be more frugal. I am going to make sure I use the Canada Food Guide to keep things healthy as well. Then I'll put together a shopping master list and away we go. I'll post all of this info as I go along and I'll track how well I do.

I will say that I am unwilling to go to a gazillion different stores to get the BEST deal on everything. I don't see this as productive or responsible. The use of gas and frankly the waste of time adds cost to the "cheaper" price of whatever I am buying. So I intend to continue to shop for my green as my great Organic place (Organics at Home) and for the rest at Real Canadian Superstore. I do intend to supplement with Costco for any meat we buy and anything else that is less expensive there.

So wish me luck and I'll update you as I make progress! I'd love any feedback you might have or any tips!

Raising a Girl

2009-03-04T19:39:00.001-08:00

I have to admit that when I was pregnant and wondering what the sex of child might be, I was always a little afraid of having a girl. I would tell people this and they would usually look at me like I was crazy - "afraid of having a girl - but you ARE a girl, what could be easier?" Umm first, obviously I know I am female (pregnancy hormones would usually demand the immediate thwacking of the respondent's head - resist, resist). Second, the fact that I am female is the very reason I was worried. It's hard to be a girl (and before you get all up in arms about how hard it is to be a boy, I KNOW it's also hard to be a boy, I have three brothers, but I also have an amazing husband and I had every confidence that HE would be able to fill in any gaps in my ability to help raise our potential son) and I wasn't sure I had figured out how to be okay with my own female personhood, never-mind helping a whole new person navigate those muddy waters. I mean between the prostitot clothing and the undernourished hollywood actresses and the overwhelming barrage of advertising and media that continues to undermine a woman's worth how that hell was I going to raise an empowered, strong, intelligent, grounded, confident woman? So when I held my firstborn in my arms and looked down at this perfect little GIRL I knew I had a responsibility to figure it out! I admit in the blur of the first few months I did not worry about any of the aforementioned crap - she was too little and I had way too much feeding and changing and washing diapers and admiring her adorableness to even think about the long term raising of this Being of Perfection. But eventually I realized that I did need to think about it so I turned to my trusted confidant - Mistress Internet.

-Hey Internet, I'm worried about raising my kid right, any advice?

-What sort of child are you hoping to raise?Vegan? Pacifist? Granola? Conservative? Attached? Independent? Responsible? Spirited? Gifted? Left-brain? Right-brain? Left-wing? Right-wing?

-Uhhh -wait, I don't know, you know what Mistress Internet, I'm going to consult Madame Amazon on this one.

Thankfully Madame Amazon did not let me down and I came across a book that I ordered and read in short order. It is called "Mother Daughter Wisdom: Understanding the Crucial Link between Mothers, Daughters and Health" by Dr. Christiane Northrup. It is a truly wonderful and inspiring book and a must read for anyone raising daughters. While I did not necessarily agree with everything Dr. Northrup wrote, the book really made me think about how to be a conscious parent. Her straightforward, easy to read style perfectly blends anecdotal and medial experience to help every parent understand the major physical, emotional and neurological milestones of our children. She also explores the profound impact mothers have on their daughters throughout their lives. Not only is the book a great starting point for figuring out how to raise an empowered, strong, intelligent, confident woman but it also provides numerous resources to continue that learning journey. Okay so I am starting to sound like an advertisement for this book - but it really is great so check it out of your local library or order it from Amazon or go to your local bookstore or borrow it from a friend but you won't regret reading it!

What is normal?

2009-03-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

I heard about a child development specialist who conducted a study to determine if all parents were concerned with being "normal". She had been seeing many different parents and she found that they all seemed to wonder if their parenting choices were within the "normal" range as compared to other parents. She undertook a study of primarily North American parents to determine if their worries were universal - she found that they were. In a nutshell, all parents wondered if they were "normal". I must admit, I have never had this thought cross my mind. Perhaps I have taken for granted that my parenting choices thus far have been unconventional. I cloth diaper, I co-sleep, I never let my child "cry it out". I chose midwifery, I agonize over vaccinations (I have chosen an alternate vaccination schedule and have omitted some of the standard vaccines) and carry my baby in a sling as much as possible. I nurse her to sleep, she has never even napped in her crib. I hope to breastfeed as long as I can. I have never wondered if I am normal because I know I am not. To tell you the truth it is liberating to know that you are not "normal". I don't feel like I am in a competition with other parents - I feel like I am in a different race. That is not to say that I have an issue with anyone who chooses to parent in a different way - as far as I am concerned, whatever works as long as the baby and the parents are happy and healthy. I'm sure that when my Darling Daughter gets a little older I may have more concerns about normalcy but for now I am content to be to know that "normal" is not what I am. Answer the poll if you want or add a comment about "normal".

Comfort

2009-03-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

I was watching Oprah today (I know, I know but she's OPRAH!) and the show was about, what else, the economic downturn. She had two families on who were conspicuous consumers and they both took part in an experiment where they tried to live more consciously. No spending on non-necessities, no TV, no Internet, fewer toys, clothes etc. While I can't really relate to the over the top spending these people were doing, the crazily overstocked pantry of one of the women struck a chord with me. She said that she shopped everyday and while she always made sure she was getting a bargain, she was buying much more than her small family could eat in a year. I mean she had BOXES and BOXES of pasta and granola bars and rice and shampoo and cereal and chips... Yet it struck me that there was something appealing about that for me. Not that I keep crazy amounts of food in my house but I can understand the comfort that having food brings. My husband once observed after we had moved that I never really seem settled and comfortable in a new place until I have filled my fridge. It made me wonder where that comes from - as a child we never had empty cupboards, there was plenty of food and I never had any idea about whether it was had for my parents to fill those cupboards. We always had enough of everything. I've wondered if my full-fridge thing has some bad connotation, if it is indicative of something missing, something I feel like I need to fill. I realized today that it is just the opposite. I don't covet designer labels, I gladly accept hand-me-downs for my child, we don't drive a fancy car and we want for nothing. Our lives are full. My full fridge is my daily reminder of my bounty - I am lucky that my fridge is full and I am even luckier that when it is empty I don't have to worry about how I will fill it again. I have to say that I agree with Oprah when she says that this economic downturn may be a blessing in disguise - it may force us all to think about what is important to us. Sometimes the things that give us comfort and security are empty and we can do without them. But sometimes the things that give us comfort and security make us realize how full our lives really are.

I think when it comes down to it we all have simple everyday things that make us feel safe and comforted - I'd love to hear about what yours may be!

Photo by The Vegerator

Pop Wahm Buzz?

2009-03-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hey, you spelled Wahm wrong! No actually, Wahm is an acronym for Work at Home Mom, which I now am with the launch of my new Etsy store! I have been madly trying to get my store up and running, putting together inventory, writing copy figuring out costs, shipping and store policies. All while my 5 month old naps. This blog is a way for me to share all the random stuff floating around in my head - as my friends will tell you there are bucket loads of it and it is completely random. I'm going to keep this short and sweet as I told myself that I would write Monday to Friday and give myself a break on the weekends. So I'll leave you with a parting photograph of the mayhem that is my workspace: