Celebrate Friday, Celebrate Your Momma

Just a little happy for you on your Friday.

Image from here

The sun is shining where I am, I have a massage appointment later today, along with a bottle of tasty red waiting to be cracked open. All in all makes for an awesome Friday in my books.

And it’s Mother’s Day weekend to boot, allowing me to celebrate all the awesome mommas in my life. My momma who raised me right. Her momma who did the same for her. My hubby’s momma who blessed me with a gentleman. My sister who reminds me to be less uptight about it all, taking it all in stride with a beautiful four year old to show for it. My bestie who’s raising three amazing boys of her own and being the next best thing for my HP during the week. And so many many more strong, smart, amazing women. I’m truly one lucky lady to be surrounded by so many lovely ladies.

I hope you take time to honour all the mommas you’ve been blessed with. And of course, enjoy your Friday!

Awesome Women

Today is International Women's Day. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, with some even making it a national holiday akin to a combination of Valentine's Day + Mother's Day. I know some people who consider it to be just a feminist's movement, the reality is we live in a world where women are still paid less than men for the same jobs, where there are fewer women than men in business and politics, where violence against women remains atrociously high, and where women's education and health is poorer than that of men. So, feminist or not, I want today to be an opportunity to appreciate the women who surround us and make our world a better place.

I am beyond fortunate to have many strong, smart, savvy women in my circle of friends and acquaintances. To start, in my home I have my mom, my sister, my grandmother. And of course my mother and sisters-in-laws. Love them all. Then, in my career I've been fortunate to be guided and mentored by some of the strongest women in business. In particular, in my previous employer, I had an amazing female leader to follow. She was intelligent, determined, focused, driven, and kind. She could hold her own and then some in any room, be it filled with politicians, students, or journalists with microphones. I am proud to say we became friends through work and remain that way since I've left. I also recognize my good fortune to continue to work with smart, strong female leaders. My current boss, as well as several of my female colleagues, are without a doubt the reason I am looking forward to returning to work this spring. Seriously some of the smartest women in our province's business community.

Then there are the multitude of female friends I am blessed to know. I have friends who own their own companies, are independent consultants, are VPs and senior leaders within their workplaces, and are stay-at-home moms by choice. I have friends who have lost almost 90 pounds while raising babies, have become fitness figure competitors, and have run more marathons than I'd dare to consider. I have friends who have survived cancer, have survived deaths of loved ones unimaginable to most, and who have stood strong in their sexuality. I have friends who have fundraised thousands for charity, are pursuing and who have obtained their Masters, and who have moved for love and nothing more.

In my world, despite the challenges women still fight to overcome globally, I am blessed with examples upon examples of amazing women. Each and every one of them have influenced the woman I am today.

Happy International Women's Day!

Ring Her In

The New Year is upon us, waiting to be met with fresh and eager hearts.

Be sure to ring her in tomorrow with all you can muster.

As you do, count the blessings of the 365 days gone by

and present her with your dreams for days ahead.

For you'll never get what you don't ask for. 

It's been just about a year since I started blogging in earnest and, as the year comes to a close, I thank each and every one of you who returns to read what I have to say in this tiny space on the Internet. I value your time and comments with all my heart.

Happy New Year's my friends.

See you in 2012!

Image from www.wilsonspyro.com

The Turkey Twist

We are in the midst of enjoying a very happy holiday season with family and friends, so this is just a quick post to give you some turkey tips should you need them. I know we enjoyed a large bird on Christmas Day followed by turkey sammies later that evening, turkey soup on Boxing Day, and still have leftovers to spare. If you're in the same boat, you might enjoy these twists on turkey leftovers.

For Breakfast or Brunch
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Herbed Turkey + Waffles - courtesy of BHG



The Anything Frittata - also courtesy of BHG

For A Light Lunch or Side Dish

Leftover Turkey Spring Rolls - courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Baked Turkey Croquettes - courtesy of Gina at SkinnyTaste.com

For A Something-Other-Than-Soup-n-Sammies Supper

Deep Dish Turkey Pot Pie - from Kraft Canada

Southwestern Turkey Pizza - from Chatelaine.com

Turkey Vegetable Biryani - also from Chatelaine.com

Hopefully something appeals to your turkey taste buds!

Guest Post: A Healthy Balance

Making Your Holiday Season a Healthy Balance!
by Tara Antle, BSc.AHN, RHN, RNCP

Here we are, amongst the holiday rush, getting things all done for Christmas.  It’s really important that we factor our health into the mix, so here are some tips to help you maintain your health during the holidays!

• Set realistic goals for a realistic time frame that work for YOU and your life. 
• Be prepared to fall off the wagon and get ready to jump back on track again.
• Allow yourself to eat regularly through out the day…never let yourself get hungry.
• Now…how about that treat, cheat or reward???  No need to waste it on food!
• Make every meal a healthy balance; Make sure you use a plate at social gatherings and stand/sit away from food covered tables.
• Chug – a – lug on water!
• Alcohol…enjoy in moderation…choose light beer, light coolers, dry red wine, vodka, gin (mixed with water or diet pop).
• Have fun with food - get the best value for your nutrient buck!
• Exercise regularly – get that body moving!
• Decrease stress levels, get plenty of rest, and maintain a positive attitude!

The lovely Tara @ home

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy & safe holiday season!

From tomorrow through to New Year's Day, our lives will become a blur of family gatherings, parties, socials, and other holiday festivities. Here to help us find that healthy balance in the midst of delicious sweets, savoury treats, and alcoholic bevvies is my next guest blogger, Tara Antle. Tara, a long time friend, is a Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner (RNCP) with a decade of experience helping hundreds of people reach their individual goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you want to learn more about living a healthy balanced life, you can find Tara at her own private nutrition consulting business, Healthy Balance, in St. John’s, NL.

Guest Post: Who Wants Candy?

Looking for a last minute gift or tasty treat for yourself? Allow me to introduce you to our next guest writer, Martha Muzychka, and her Almond Buttercrunch. Martha is a writer and consultant living in St. John’s, Newfoundland with her husband and son. Martha and I met through our profession several years ago and I have learned much from her over the years, both about communications and craft. When not working with words, Martha likes to be elbow deep in flour and sugar, mesmerized by threads and fabric, or captivated by paper and paint.

Close to 20 years ago, when the Internet was just a fledgling community, I came across a food recipe group. People posted their favourites to share, and the focus was on the easy, the unusual, and the tasty.

One day someone posted this knock off recipe for a well known candy delight -- almond roca. I immediately latched on to it, especially since it didn’t require a candy thermometer. I have lost count how often I have made this recipe, but with few exceptions, it has always turned out well.

I used to make about 400 pieces for an annual fundraiser, but now I make just a couple of batches for my child’s school Christmas bazaar and another couple of batches to eat and share at Christmas.  Just a couple of tips: do not double the recipe; use a commercial butter, and not a local dairy butter; and do not touch the candy while it is liquid. It is extremely hot.

Almond Buttercrunch**

2 cups white sugar

1 lb butter (use Lactantia)*

1/2 cup sliced almonds***

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Line a baking pan with foil. Do not use an insulated pan. Use the old rimmed cookie sheets for best results.

2. In a heavy pot, melt butter with the two cups of sugar over medium to medium high heat. Heat to boiling and keep stirring the sugar butter mixture with a wooden spoon. When the mix turns golden (light tea colour) add the sliced almonds. Keep stirring until the buttercrunch turns a deep amber.

3. If it starts to smoke, turn down the heat. DO NOT TOUCH THE CANDY! It is extremely hot. When it has turned the deep amber colour (or the colour of a nice deep honey), pour the candy into the foil lined pan and spread with the wooden spoon. Do NOT lick the spoon, just sayin'.

4. After five (5) minutes, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and let the heat melt the chocolate. Spread all over the candy. Let cool completely. Don't bother with a knife to cut this. Just snap it with your fingers into small pieces. Keep in an air tight tin.

* If you use a local butter, such as Spyglass, the candy will not work because it has a high water content and the candy will fail.

** I have made this without nuts for my son's school bazaar. One pan will make about two pounds of candy. I usually bag it up in four or six ounce lots. One year I found small take out containers on sale at Michael’s and they looked super cute hung on a tree.

***A friend with whom I shared the recipe told me she added a half cup of dried cranberries to the candy and that the results were delightful.

Thanks Martha! I can't wait to try these.

Thankful Thursday - Holiday Edition

The holidays are happier when we take a moment to appreciate the little and big things that make up our lives. A few things I am thankful for this holiday season are:

Abundance. Not of things, but of love, faith, spirit, family + friends, good health, and sweet baby smiles. We are surrounded by so much of all of this during the holidays and all through the year.

even covered in sweet potato, that face makes my heart full!

Time Together. We've been fortunate to have D home with us for a while now and have often commented on how lucky we've been to have such extended family time together. He's been able to enjoy many milestone moments that daddys often miss. That time together is coming to a close very early in 2012 as he  moves on to a new opportunity. We are making sure to really enjoy the remaining time together this Christmas.

out for lunch on a weekday afternoon

Giving. It is the season where gifts are plenty among our families and friends. Knowing this isn't the case for so many others among us, I am grateful for the ability to share my abundance with others through donations. Our home has shared with the Marguerite's Place holiday program in a joint effort coordinated by a very dear friend. Through her, we collectively helped four families have a little less stress and a little more happy this holiday season. Our home will also be donating diapers to the annual Waterwerks Diaper Drive. 1 in 5 moms have had to choose between food and diapers. I'm lucky to not have to make such a decision and want to help make sure other moms don't either. And of course, there will be more donations to the food bank, as the donations they receive now not only help with the holiday season, but also help sustain the food bank needs through the long winter months. If you have the ability to share your abundance, please do.

Another Year Passing + Another Year Ahead. I often lament at how fast time passes and how much faster that seems with each and every passing year. Truthfully though, I am thankful to have lived another year and enjoyed the memories it has given us, particularly this year with the addition of little HP to our family. As it wraps up, I am also thankful for the year ahead and all that it holds for us.

What about you, what are you thankful for this holiday season?

Out of Season Scrapbook Share

Stressing over not having those holidays cards in the mail, the Christmas cookies baked, or those special seasonal crafts still sitting untouched? Let it go, look back on something you have already finished, and enjoy it. For me, as I give a passing thought to the few holiday scrapbook pages and craft projects I had planned on doing, I am happy to see this page in Hudson's scrapbook. The picture was taken on July 1, 2011 and the page put together in November. Love that it's done.

Happy Canada Day Holidays!

Slow Down + Simplify

Tis the season. The season of parties and get-togethers. The season of long lists and endless to-dos. The season of cooking and baking, shopping and wrapping, decorating and dining. Tis the season to be ... busy or so it always seems. I don't know about you, but sometimes that busyness can suck my merry and bright right out of the air, so this year I'm trying to slow down and simplify the season all around.

This is not the norm for me. I'm usually the one with a calendar full of sociables and am trying to balance how to get to everything relatively on time for a least a period of time. I've usually been in the thick of handmade holiday cards for a couple of months by now, or very much stressing about finding the time to finish them off. I've tended to plan my gift-wrapping station so that all the elements coordinate just so and that there's a little something special, be it handmade tags, a pretty bauble, or perhaps a sweet treat. My oven is usually working overtime starting early in December, pumping out the many sweets and treats to be devoured all month long. And of course, I am decking the halls and putting Christmas on anything that doesn't move.

While that's all good, it's not always happy holidays. I can guarantee there's a night {or two} of frustration in the mix when the decoration I had in mind I can't find, or the cards are not in the mail on time, or when I've realized I'm stuck for a good gift idea, or when I'm downright exhausted from eating, drinking and be freakin' merry. It quickly becomes the not-so-happy-holidays and my inner bah-humbug comes out.

Not this year. Nope, this year I'm slowing down and simplifying with the intent of enjoying the oh-so-short season with family and friends. This doesn't mean there won't be gifts or cards or sweets. There will, it'll just be with a bit less fuss and muss and lot more calm and bright. A few things I'm doing around here to simplify the holidays are:

1. Nixing the handmade cards ... well sort of. I decided that most peeps would prefer a pic of my cutie patootie than another holiday-themed card, even if it's one I've laboured over. Doubt me...have you seen his face? So the hours and hours I'd spend making 50+ cards over 2+ months were replaced with a pre-made template + a pic of my handsome HP + the Costco photolab. Well, that was my first intention, but I wasn't 100% pleased with the way the card turned out so I ended up doing a little trimming, adding a handmade touch, and mounting on cardstock. Even with that, it took less than three hours total, including uploading, picking and fixing them up! Easy peasy lemon-squeezy.

modified, simplified christmas cards

2. Trimming Tree-Trimming. Usually I'm scouring the Internet for decoration inspiration, hanging greenery and sparkles wherever I can, picking up new bits and bobs to add to the holiday decor. This year, everything didn't even make it out of the holiday storage boxes. I picked out a few trinkets, some greenery, some lights and some ribbons and placed it sparsely about. I find that it's usually the tree that really makes the decorations and am a-ok letting it be the star of the show this year. Excluding the tree that is yet to come, it took less than a day to haul it all out, put it all up and that's cleaning each room as I went with a baby underfoot. Will I make the pages of House & Home? Nah. Did I enjoy it ten times more than usual? You betcha. And better yet, it's done.

pulling out a few things, not all the stops

3. Shop early, shop online, + shop once. I love shopping and love seeking out the perfect gift for people, but that often involves several trips to several stores before deciding and purchasing. With time at a premium (thank you Mr. HP), this year went a little simpler. I made my list and checked it twice, early. I spent some fun time online and snapped up what I could there, early. What was left was then compiled into a power-shopping extravaganza. Four hours and one good list later, it was almost all done. Just a few outstanding items that I knew would have to follow. While I love to shop at my leisure, I decided my time and stress levels would be better served by making it simple rather than trolling around the Avalon Mall during the busiest time of year.

4. Stress-Less Wrapping. Instead of stocking up on more matching papers and ribbons to create creatively wrapped prezzies this year,  I'm going to use what I have and call it done. What I have are the ends of several rolls of paper and ribbons, plenty of tape, miscellaneous tags and bobbins to tack on top. While I love the look of coordinated packages, the reality is the only place it looks really great is under my tree before it gets given away. Once I deliver the gifts to family and friends, they end up under the tree among in the hodge-podge of other papers. Though it's not in vain as people do appreciate pretty packages, my packages can be pretty without being themed the same. Welcome to the year of the smorgasbord everyone.

5. Skipping a Few Dos. Between work parties, family gatherings, birthday parties and miscellaneous other events, we could be on the trot from now til January 2. Rather than try to do them all, we've pre-ok'd it to say no to a few. Now, if I've declined your invite, take no offence. It's not because you're less important, simply more likely that you've invited us to attend on the same day we've already agreed to do something else or that you'd be the fourth event in a two-day weekend. Instead of cramming it all in, we're going to a few places, making the most of the time we have there, and then spending equal amounts of time relaxing at home.

6. Sipping wine by the fire with my family. Yes, the time I saved making cards, doing my shopping, and skipping events won't go to waste. There will be ample time by the fireplace with coffees, hot cocoas and tasty malbecs this season. Oh yes indeed.

a tree from christmas past, the feeling will be the same

I guess most of this can be summed up as letting go of the usual 'obligations' in favour of a more relaxed and happy holiday. It will be Hudson's first and we really want to enjoy it. Spending that time together, with spirits that are truly merry and bright is simply what feels right.

What about you, is there one small thing that could simplify and slow down your holiday season?

Our Weekend Lens

I love this time of year. The feel of the crisp air. The sound of holiday songs. The smell of fires in chimneys and cakes in ovens. The sight of bright twinkle lights. The taste of tipples in mugs. Our weekend was filled with all this and more. It must be December.

Our weekend looked a little lot like this:

A little Baileys in my coffee in a holiday mug?
Why yes, I think I will. 

A little red cup love.

A little card crafting, vino drinking, itunes listening late night

A few snuggles with Nanny at the Rocket

and trying pop`s hat on for size

a bit of brisk walking downtown

a little lollipop eating

a bit of distraction during momma`s attempt at the 8 month photo shoot

a little decking of the halls

and a pre-bath, pre-bedtime strut to see the Christmas lights.

Ah December, you`re first weekend was fun. We can`t wait to see what else you have in store.

Hello December, Hello Sammy

The first of December marked the beginning of holiday traditions in many house yesterday. Here we pulled out Sammy the Snowman (I named him years ago, he didn`t actually come with a name, but Sammy seemed fitting).

For the last six Decembers, Sammy has taken up residence in our entry hallway and marked off the days until Christmas. It has been our version on an advent calendar and I was happy to welcome him back yesterday. Though what I was even happier about was starting this tradition anew with Hudson. He was quite intrigued by this large toy of sorts and picked and poked and explored for a bit.

I took a quick moment to snap a pic of the two of them. H looks so small in comparison. I`m actually looking forward to taking a picture of the pair each December 1st to see how much H is growing. I know it won`t be long before he`s towering over Sammy.

What about you, do you have a treasured family tradition that runs all December long?

Perhaps you do the Elf on the Shelf, which my friend Jennifer explains on her blog. Basically, Santa sends an Elf to your house to keep watch over the kiddies, reporting back each day on whether they've been naughty or nice. The kids can talk to the Elf, but they can't touch him or play with him. The Elf appears in a new spot every day and the kids get to have some fun seeking him out. If you're following along with this tradition, check out Pinterest for a few new ideas on where Elf can appear next {such as riding in the barbie car, squeezing the tube of toothpaste, with spilled flour, and so on}. If you're interested in starting it in your family, I know Gingersnap downtown St. John's is carrying the Elf on the Shelf kit.

Or perhaps you do some version of an actual advent calender. I know we always had the traditional chocolate one at our house growing up and I loved getting to munch on a chocolate with my breakfast! I'm thinking I might do a fun twist on the advent calendar when Hudson gets a bit older. I love these ideas seen on Pinterest {btw, I heart Pinterest}:

Or maybe you do a December Daily album like Ali Edwards and so many others. I think it's an awesome idea, capturing those holiday stories in pictures and words each year. You can look back to see how traditions hold strong and change and see what becomes new tradition over time. I've not yet found myself inclined to do this as the month is already busy enough around here, but maybe some day. If you're keen on this idea, be sure to check out this Flickr group for tons of inspiration.

Whatever your December traditions, I hope they got off to an awesome start yesterday and carry strong all month long.

Holidays Officially on the Horizon

Well, I'm not sure where the year has gone, but we are officially one month from Christmas Day. Around here, for us that usually means the clock speeds up even more. Between shopping, wrapping, decorating, entertaining, visiting, crafting and just plain chilling by the fire, New Year's Eve will be here bringing with it a brand new year.   Knowing that the next few weeks will be flying by, I'm making a to-do list and checking it twice, so far it looks a little like this:

1. Help Hudson write up his Santa Letter
2. Finish up the holiday gift shopping
3. Sip wine by the fire with my family
4. Pull out the holiday decorations and spread the love throughout the house
5. Bake a few cakes and cookies
6. Sip wine by the fire with my family
7. Schedule in a few runs, hikes and walks (to counteract those cakes & cookies!)
8. Write, address and mail the holiday cards
9. Sip wine by the fire with my family
10. Squeeze in a few holiday gatherings with friends
11. Squeeze in some time in the scrapbook nook and get my craft on
12. Sip wine by the fire with my family.

As you can see, my lists strike a healthy balance between errands, food, and fun :) That`s the only way I know to get it done! Of course, there will also be plenty of red cup love over the next few weeks.

What about you, do you have your holiday to-do list done?

Oh Canada!

Here`s one of the layouts I made at the scrapbook retreat this past weekend. I would say it is one of my faves, but I think they all were! I`ve officially become a scrapbooking mama and Hudson has become the official scrapbook star.

Journaling: I can`t resist dressing you up most days, but Canada Day I went all out. It was your first after all!
You rocked the onesie and hat and the sunglasses were the icing on the cake. xoxo.

The Canada Day pictures were too cute not to scrap!

{Remember}

It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 that the first world war came to an end. In Canada, it became known as Remembrance Day. A day where we commemorate those soldiers that died serving then and since and those that continue to serve. I am grateful every day for those men and women and proudly pin a poppy to my collar every year to express my appreciation for those that are braver, stronger, and more giving than I could ever dream of being.

As we all go about our day today enjoying the public holiday with our family and friends, please take a moment of silence to honour and remember. Whether it's 11am this morning at a ceremony in your town, at 11pm tonight as you pray before sleep, or at any time in between, taking a quiet moment to remember is the least we can do for those who have done so much more for all of us.

Ode of Remembrance

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

{Boo}

Waking up in the dark with the wind howling outside our windows made it feel more like winter than fall this morning. But it is still October, at least for one more day, and despite the weather you can't help but smile when you're waking up to this cute pumpkin face.


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cutest pj`s ... thanks Aunt sandy & Uncle Mark!

And despite the weather, we will head out for some trick-or-treating this evening. Well, sort of. Hudson is really too little for actual trick-or-treating ... as cousin Logan would say, ``he can`t walk, he can`t eat chocolate, why would he go?``. Well, he goes because his momma can`t resist dressing him up, using a few props, and taking like a gazillion photos. I unashamedly will pretend he`s my little doll, if only for today ;) Sure the costume hasn`t even come out yet and I`ve already started in on the snaps!

Look mom, it`s Cat in the Hat!!! Awesome!



Oh that cat, he`s so funny!



snacking on Jack-o-Cat, a treat from Aunt Martha...
probably the only treat he`ll get to snack on this year :)

 

Boo!

Anyways, we`re planning to keep the trick-or-treating to just a couple of visits so Grandmas, the aunts, uncles, and cousins can see the little tyke in his costumes. Our goal is to be out and back before little ghosts and goblins start ringing our doorbell. If you have trick-or-treaters in your house, be sure to dress them up brightly, give them lights and reflectors, and stay close, keeping them safe. And of course, drive a little more cautiously this evening and make sure it really is a Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Thanksgiving

I always feel like fall is really here once Thanksgiving hits. The rich, gorgeous colours are in full force, the smell of turkey roasting in the oven, and the sweet taste of an autumn dessert come together for a full fall sensory sensation. I love it.

As we prepare to celebrate the long weekend with family and friends, I'm taking a moment to count a few of my many blessings. This year I am so very grateful for:

• My wonderful little family of three
• Having time on our side to spend as we choose
• Getting out to enjoy the great outdoors
• Having friends and family all around us
• Sleep-in mornings when I'm lucky enough to enjoy them (thanks hubby!)
• Hot coffee from fresh;y ground beans when I'm not
• Baby laughs, late night snuggles and early morning smiles

 These simple pleasures are all bringing me much joy right now.

I wish you all a very happy thanksgiving and hope that your turkey goes down a little smoother than Hudson's first experience with poultry ;)


OMG mom WTH? Whaddya mean I gotta have this chicken stuff again???



Happy Thanksgiving!