PHOTOHUNTERS: Theme - Sweet

[June 29th/07 11:39pm]

The PhotoHunters theme for Saturday, June 30th is SWEET! Just wondering if I can take picture of jubes and other candies and then eat them all up???!!! I am having some cravings tonight! Anyway, will think about the theme and take some photos tomorrow. Trying not to always just post pics of my kids, but they are such SWEETIES :) :) :) (speaking of sweet!)

Anyway, will be back tomorrow...

Sleeping Baby Boy, what could be sweeter than that?

If you like Blogs by Moms, I have a small list of a few that I enjoy. I think we like to read each others blogs so that we know we are not alone...in our quarks, our trials & tribulations, our craziness, our joys or our sorrows. The Internet Network!!!

You have to check this out: http://sahmbles.blogspot.com/

MARRIAGE MONDAYS: July 2007

July 2, 2007 will be our SECOND-ever MARRIAGE MONDAY. I hope that you will choose to participate by thinking about a way that you can go out of your way to do something GOOD FOR YOUR MARRIAGE OR RELATIONSHIP on Monday. Don't stop there though - keep the ball rolling and open yourself to the possibilities of relationship bliss, all week long!

It is always great to hear from people who's marriages have lasted the test of time. I found THESE tips (below) from pair of experts on the Internet who interviewed just such people!

Have a great Marriage Monday everyone and PLEASE send details on what you plan to do, what you did, or both!!!

Why Relationships Last

In talking with couples who have been married for many years, these aspects of marriage (not listed in any type of priority) are listed as necessary for a long lasting marriage.

Continue to build intimacy -- both sexually and emotionally -- throughout your marriage.
Create passion for life and for one another.
Continue to be committed to each other and celebrate your sense of commitment.
Like one another and be friends with each other.
Have fun together, laugh together, and use humor in healthy ways.
Comfort, encourage, and affirm one another.
Be able to stand on your own feet as a couple and not be dependent either financially or emotionally on either of your parents.
Respect one another's need for privacy and space.
Parent together.
Deal with a crisis and adversity together.
Fight fair.

==========================================================================

SOME IDEAS FOR MARRIAGE MONDAYS:

• Cook his/her favorite meal, make it a surprise!
• Book a babysitter and plan a dinner out.
• Send a nice note in his/her work bag or lunch.
• Call part way through the day and tell him/her that you miss him/her or were thinking about him/her.
• Take on a household chore that your spouse would usually need to get done on Mondays.
• If there is something that you have been "bugging" about, don't mention it on Marriage Monday!

===========================================================================================

[June 30th/07 11:55pm]

Update: I have signed up on behalf of all of us for:

10 WEEKS TO A BETTER MARRIAGE!

Yippie - this is week ONE :)

Week 1: Talk About Your Expectations

Unrealistic Expectations Have to be Faced
Everyone has expectations. However, unrealistic expectations will end up being direct paths to disappointment and unhappiness in your marriage. These include having false expectations, believing in the myths about marriage, thinking that someone else can make you happy, trying to read one another's mind, wanting to do everything together, and wanting to have a perfect marriage. When these are not identified or verbalized, they can create great barriers in your marriage. Hopefully, your expectations will include being able to lovingly resolve conflicts, to appreciate your differences as individuals, to respect and cherish one another, and to be able to discuss values and priorities.

COMPUTERS 101: Your Profile Picture

These days, most of us are on the computer for one thing or another. You may or may not already be using a profile picture for applications such as MSN Messenger, Facebook, Blogs, Epinions or other sites and programs. Perhaps the reason you do not have a profile picture is that you just don't like most pictures of yourself. You are not alone. As I mentioned in a previous entry, there are edits that you can do in common picture-programs that may be of interest to you and help you to come up with a profile picture that you like.

By the way, if you don't have a profile picture because you are worried about security or accessibility issues, you should investigate the application further to see if you can find out more about the ins and outs. One option if you aren't comfortable putting your own photo up is to select a scenery photo or free image from the Internet or your own picture files. To look on the Internet, go to:

http://www.google.com/

"images" - search

If you type in the type of image you want and add "+ free images" to your search, you may get non-copyright protected pictures that you can choose from. You can also type in "free clip-art".

There are lots of sites that provide free images, especially in lower resolution or clip-art. Yahoo Search also has an "images" option.

BACK TO PROFILE PICTURES:

- use your digital camera to take several face and full shots of yourself

- I suggest outdoor pictures with a scenic background (pleasant, but not distracting)

- Take the pictures in "your element" (though, I still recommend outdoors).

- With the proper lighting and a solid, plain background, you can also take good indoor close-ups.

- upload the pictures to your computer

- Use Microsoft Picture-It, Adobe or Picasa2 (free download) to edit your pictures

- try things like cropping, changing to black and white or sepia. Each time you make a set of edits that you like, click "save as" and save the file as a new name. This will ensure that you keep your original photo and can continue to try different edits.

Example of starting photo:

Photo (below) cropped, sharpened and saturated:

Photo (below) sharpened, cropped and sepia:

Photo (below) cropped and regular colouring:

Other ideas for profile pictures could be:

- scan in an old photo of yourself

- take a picture of one of your favorite items such as shoes or purse

- take a picture of your feet or other body part (discretion, please :)

- take a picture of your pet

HINT: User higher resolution when taking photos so that you can crop in closer, while still maintaining photo quality. This is useful if you want to crop in really tight, for example, to just a part of your face.

Time to go, company is here - can give more examples later. I LOVE trying to come up with good profile pictures. Check out the web and you will see that this is an art in itself. I have a long way to go...but enjoying the process of learning and experimenting...

PARENTING: I Love You Rituals

As a mother, one way that I would like to turn a new leaf is to actively seek out and begin to lay down the ground work for memorable family traditions. This topic came up recently in a parenting group that I was part of. Not everyone grew up with a whole lot of traditions, but those that did seem to think very fondly of them. I think traditions give children structure and security and connection to their family. I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to lay this groundwork with my boys. I know that my husband is also eager to give this gift to our children.

Let's get started. One way to start thinking about traditions on a small day to day scale is to implement "I Love You Rituals". I found this great book for only $1.00 at a local discount store that used to get boxes full of books, I am assuming from close-outs. Anyway, I just found the book on Amazon and they also have a feature where you can access citations and other contents through their website. Interesting.

I like this book because it begins with a chapter or two full of background information on why rituals are good for kids and how they tie in with discipline and also boosting brain potential. Who knew!? I will let you take a look at the book yourself, if you are interested. I don't plan on being on the computer all day today, so I think that I will just give you one ritual to try. I will look for something that is appropriate for a two year old and will try it with my own son.

Here's the Beehive (Interactive Finger Plays)


Here's the beehive, where are all the bees?


Hidden away where nobody sees.


Watch and you will see them come out of the hive.


One, two, three, four, five


Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


I'll catch them and keep them alive.


Preparation and instructions: Start this game with the child making a fist with the thumb tucked inside his or her hand, so no "bees" are showing.

"Here's the beehive, where are all the bees?"

Hold the child's fist and look all around the hand with an inquisitive expression.

"Hidden away where nobody sees."

Say this line with a sighing voice as your shrug your shoulders, looking at the child's closed hand.

"Watch and you will see them come out of the hive."

Showing anticipation and delight, prepare your other hand to "remove the bees."

"One, two, three, four, five."

Pick out one "bee" at a time as you count the child's fingers being opened. As each finger is extended, make the "Bzzzzzzzzzz" sound.

"Bzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Once all the "bees" are out, continue making a bee sound and move the child's hand in a fluttering motion.

"I'll catch them and keep them alive."

Pretend to catch the bees by gently tucking the child's fingers inside your hands. When the "bees" are caught, stop the buzzing noise. Check the "bees" several times to make sure they are still alive by opening your hands and looking at them. Each time you check, show the child that the bees are alive by making the "Bzzzzz" sound.

PARENTING: Our Top 10 Baby Gear List

[June 27/07 9:47pm] I don't have the time I need to post details at the moment, but I do want to post our list of TOP 10 BABY GEAR ITEMS. This list would have been our pick during the first twenty-two months of parenthood, when we only had one child.

1. EuroPrimo Bath Tub: The best baby tub. Good from infant to toddler. I think we used it from 4 months to well over a year. Loved it. Great for fun baths that are also safe (baby can not fall back and hit their head on the porcelein tub). It fits right in your bath tub and can hold lots of water for babies or toddlers that are a little bit older. You don't have to waste water filling the entire bath tub.

2. Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster: Just a great booster seat! Great colours, great design, fits securly to almost any kitchen or dining room chair. Tray snaps on easily. has a strap that can be used to carry it over the shoulder. We have taken ours everywhere! I know moms that have used these instead of a traditional, bulky high chair. I highly recommend this product. Read my Epinions review here.

3. Britax Roundabout convertible car seat: I can not say enough about this amazing car seat. It has great safety features, great fabric, great design, great comfort, great portability, great everything! Went into our cars rear-facing with ease and has the awesome push-button strap release that I don't think you can find anywhere else. Has a little bit lower back that some other seats, was great to take on the airplane. Fits SNUG into any vehicle that we have tried. Goes in REALLY easy with the latch system, but we use it with the seat belt in my husband's car. We chose the denim fabric and love it. It is a little cooler in the hot summer temperatures and came recomended by the lady at the store because of that. It is also very easy to clean because it does not have various extra pieces of fabric and unnecessary attachments such as headrests to worry about. Got great safety ratings and ease of use ratings. Check out Consumer Reports here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/child-car-booster-seats/car-seats-4-07/overview/index.htm (No report currently available on car seat safety). Check out 2007 ease of use ratings here.

4. Graco Travel System (stroller, infant carrier, base): I think our is a Quattro Tour. Anyway, we got it because it came recommended by a family member for it's ability to travel on rough terrain, such as paths and sand. It has worked out great for us and we are on baby #2 using it. The infant seat is standard and all equipment seems to be holding up well. We like the big basket and full recline position on the stroller.

5. Safety 1st Bouncy Chair: I actually didn't pick this up until our second child, but I am very glad we did. I prefer this seat over the first one that we bought, which was the Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker. It is a great chair as well, but I like the bouncy chair because the baby gets it moving with their own motion, rather than just having the vibration mode like the Fisher Price one. I think our new, Safety 1st, also has a vibration setting, but we haven't even used it. What I really like is that the baby is cuddled right in but sits in an upright position. We had also had a Bumbo, but I recently sold it as the bouncy chair is all we need.

Will have to post the final 6 and our new favorite items list (toddler) another time. Please visit again soon.

SAVINGS: Toonie Tuesdays - Deals

Here is an idea, if Marriage Mondays doesn't take off -- TOONIE TUESDAYS...a day to share ideas on saving money, thrifty shopping and deals, deals, deals!!! At least I feel somewhat qualified to write on this topic, since I do happen to be an extremely thrifty (conscientious) shopper! I guess it could way beyond shopping to facts about saving money on household bills, deals on insurance, savings plans and SO MUCH MORE! I think there are probably lots of families that could benefit from sharing knowledge about SAVING MONEY!

So, what's my TOONIE TUESDAY TIP OF THE DAY? Well, I just found out that where we live, McDonald's has Hamburger Happy Meals for $1.99 on Tuesdays! I never saw myself as being a "McDonald's parent", and we really don't eat a lot of fast food, but check it out...

For $1.99 you get a hamburger, toy, fries OR apple slices and a drink. For a drink you can choose from a small white milk, small chocolate milk, juice or child-sized pop. ALSO, parents get a free coffee! That is a cheap trip to McDonald's and kind-of a fun outing, especially if your McDonald's has a Play Land, which ours does not. You can even feel good about promoting healthier choices by getting the milk and apples. We got one fries and one apples and split :) The coffee wasn't bad either!

Please submit your thoughts, ideas and thrifty secrets HERE or email me HERE and I will post them for you.

HOMEPAGE: MARRIAGE MONDAYS

This is the Non-Official Button Link for Marriage Mondays.
Please visit again soon.


This page is being reserved for Marriage Mondays.


This page is under construction. Contact me for more information.

Update: Marriage Mondays

6/26/2007
Refresh yourself as a mother by going on a women’s retreat or a night out with Dad.

It looks like the concept of Marriage Mondays is officially being kicked off, so to speak! I will continue to give thought to the purpose and potential of this idea. I am also working on a button, in hopes that you will choose to post a link on your site. It would also be great if you would drop by on Mondays to see what's new and read the Marriage Thought of the Day. We would also really like it if you would share your plans to do something special within your marriage on Mondays, or any time at all. If you have any other ideas, such as posting themes or other information each week, please contact me.

Once I have enough thoughts together, I will create an official homepage for Marriage Mondays, with links and comment sharing. We will have to see where it goes from there and hopefully the ideas will take on a life of it's own. Again, your feedback is welcome.

Did anyone participate in Marriage Mondays yesterday? I did. My original idea was to email my husband and have him choose the dinner menu, but he was too busy to reply. I had also considered not emailing him with any to dos or other rants throughout the day. I got off a bad start with my first email, which included a request to fix our home computer; however, from there on in, I held myself back and did not send my usual stream of emails - until late afternoon, anyway....Hey, you have to start somewhere! I think I made up for it later and I think my husband is feeling pretty enthused about Marriage Mondays. I don't think it is too much to ask to give a little bit of thought and care to the marriage, at least one day of the week!

Hope to hear from all of you on ideas for keeping your marriage strong, especially through difficult or stressful times, such as the infant and toddler stages!!!

Have a great day!

PARENT REVIEWS: Diaper Bags

Who knew that this could be such a life-alterting topic, post-baby!? Wow. The diaper bag is this whole entity in itself, isn't it? Personally, I have gone through several diaper bags, many of which were not actually on the market as such. I started with a baby blue bag from Zellers.

Pretty Baby Diaper Bag - Zellers

I think it is called "Pretty Baby". I don't know who makes it. I bought it because I figured I was having a boy (I was right), but thought that I could still use it if I didn't because of the light colour. This bag worked well for travels in the car and with the stroller. I found that in the beginning I needed a bigger bag because I had no idea what to bring or what I didn't need to bring. I am an over-packer to begin with, so once I had an infant to take along as well, it was trouble! I think the packing peaked when I had to also start bringing snacks for baby.

Some time after that I saw that a friend was using a purse-style bag from Old Navy. I purchased that and found it really handy for trips to the mall. This was the post-baby phase where I wanted to get some of my "womanly identify" back anyway. Did this happen to you? That point where you want to where some of your old clothes or put on perfume, even though you hadn't been doing these things for various reasons? Okay, I'll stop right there. If you are wondering what the heck I am talking about, new moms are actually told to cut out the smelly soaps, body lotions, shower gels and perfumes because a new baby has a sensitive nose and might be turned off from nursing. I was a very "by the book" kind of first-time-mom, so I obliged. Anyway, back to my review -- The purse was good and could fit some diapers, my wallet, a small blanket and some snacks. I think a sippy cup would even fit - or I would just pile all the overflow into the stroller basket!

Over time, I have also had the little, black back-pack style bag. I didn't really like it for my purposes. I think I have actually had two of them circulate through here, and both of them I passed along via yard sale or FreeCycle.

Since then I have been pretty creative with what I have used. I have found that my needs have changed over time and also it depends on what we are doing and where we are going. A friend recently gave me a big black purse that I love because I can fit all of my usual purse-type items, PLUS diapers (2 sizes now), wipes, toys and whatever else. I also have a red travel bag that I use. This probably looks really dumb - but it hold a lot and either my husband or I can carry it. We usually use it for longer outtings and when going to church.

The diaper bag I would probably get if I felt like spending lots of money or I had it to do over and could register for it is one that is sold at Toys R Us. A mom I met at a friends house had it and I asked her about it and then looked it up. It is called a Black Messenger Bag by Diaper Dude. Anyway, it is black and stylish and sits on your hip. I think it would be great. If you have one, please leave a review here.

Diaper Dude Diaper Bag

My friend, Cathy, submitted the following tip regarding a bag holder that she uses with her diaper bag:

"I bought a eddie bauer bag holder that is small and it clips on to the diaper bag so I always have bags on hand. They come with refills etc. I also bought sunscreen that stays in the diaper bag so I know that I will have some."

I hope that my friend, Sarah, will write about the new super-delux diaper bag that she made!!! I will post a link to her blog if she wants to tell you about it there!

MARRIAGE MONDAYS: Let's get started

Here are my NON OFFICIAL BUTTONS for MARRIAGE MONDAYS!!! Stay tuned for the real thing!!! Thank you for your interest.

Here's an idea - Marriage Mondays. What are they? Marriage Mondays are an opportunity to do something, anything, that will benefit your relationship and marriage with your significant other. Why is this important? I think it is obvious, but let's discuss anyway...

I think as a parent it is easier to address parenting issues than it is marital issues. It is also easier to put energy into being a good parent than it is a good spouse. Have you had any experience with this? Chances are, if you have children, it has been a relevant topic in your life.

My suggestion for Marriage Mondays is simple...do something, however simple, that will have a positive impact on your spouse. What a great way to start the week off on the right foot. I don't know about you, but when my relationship with my husband is in balance, everything else seems easier. I feel connected, supported and loved. It is so much easier to face things as part of a "team", rather than feeling alone or even worse, being at opposite ends of the spectrum and wasting valuable energy butting heads.

I should admit right now that is an area that could use lots of work on my part...which is why I am interested in a journey of change. Someone recently pointed out the fact that we do preventative maintenance on our cars (and other possessions), but not on our marriages. I think this is a valid point. Let's not sit idle and wait for a major catastrophe, especially if we know we could do things to make things better. Maybe on Mondays you want to identify more than one way that you will enhance your relationship throughout the week...all the power to you. PLEASE TELL US what you have decided to do (well, within reason) and if your plan had the expected results.

I already messed up my plan for Marriage Monday. My idea was to not email my husband at work ALL DAY with any "to dos" or other rants. I was going to ask him what he would like for dinner and nothing more (except nice things). Oooops, I forgot about these details and did email him about dinner, but also asked if he could fix the Internet connection on our home computer. Do you see how this request will take away from what I was hoping to accomplish? Better luck next time. And by the way, I have not heard back about dinner.

Marriage Mondays TIP OF THE DAY:

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the "stuff" of life that we forget to take time to continue to discover the person we love. Remember the first days of love and the hours you spent talking and getting to know each other? No matter how long you have been together, it is important to continue the discovery. Take some time and ask each other these questions: What makes you happiest in our relationship? What is the one thing you would like to change in our relationship? Listen with an open mind and you may discover something new about your spouse.

Source: Church bulletin

PHOTOHUNTERS: Time for a change

About Theme: Shiny Roll

I have chosen to post pictures for this weeks theme of SHINY on Photo Hunters that keep with my theme for this BLOG. I did not actually know how I would pull this off when I logged on and found out what the theme was - but luckily my walk around the block and into the forest (with kids and camera in tow) proved successful when I looked down at my shiny watch. Before having this seemingly simple (yet broadly meaningful) discovery, I had taken pictures of ever thing shiny that I came across, including:

• shiny Canada Post mailboxes
• shiny lock
• shiny litter
• shiny rims
• shiny motorcycle
• shiny car
• shiny glass on trail
• shiny spot where sun filtered in through the trees

The watch and the leaves are both representative of my Blog theme, which is Time to Turn a New Leaf. If I'm lucky, I may even be onto something here that will lead me to some good design edits for my blog template, but we'll see...I don't really know all of the ins and outs of that stuff yet.

I played around with these photos on Picasa2. I am loving that program. I have not been back on Microsoft Picture-It since I discovered it. I am, however, wondering if I can add text or borders in Picasa??? I would like to add stamps to my photos like I have seen on TN Chick's pictures, on her website. http://tnchick.com/

The watch is shiny and so is your future! Take hold and turn a new leaf today!!!

You can do it!!!

I also liked this picture of the shiny lock. Locks represent so many things, especially in the hearts and minds of us humble humans. One of the things that I hope to get out of my blog journey is to become a more "open" person.

Maybe we need to free our old habits or old ways of thinking -- or whatever...
I guess the key is to always be moving forward...and though I am not exactly sure what that means in my life right now, I am confident that the secrets will reveal themselves as time goes on.


Speaking of "secrets", these are the shiny mailboxes that I check EVERY DAY in hopes that I have not been totally jipped by an Internet person who took my money through PayPal for a DVD copy of THE SECRET! I had read half of the book and thought I was on the path to "attracting" things to myself when I lost an Ebay auction but was in contact with the seller who said they had another copy of the DVD that they could send me. Ahhh. That was over a month ago. When I filed a PayPal dispute, the person emailed me and said that there was a family tragedy and the package had been returned. They said they sent it again and asked me to lift the block thing in PayPal. I did not do this, but I also did not get the Pay pal email that said I only had a few days left to escalate the dispute, otherwise they would consider it resolved and close the case! Ahhhh. The case was closed and I have not heard from the seller or received the DVD. I am still hopeful, but I think I might also be naive. There was no tracking information given. I'll keep you "posted" so to speak. In the meantime, watch who you are paying for what if you use PayPal!!!!

SELF HELP: The Weight Challenge

I don't have much time to blog today, but I do have lots and lots of topic ideas that I would love to write about. The first one that I thought I'd better get going with is my First 10 or Last 10 Weight Challenge. I am now 4.5 months post-partum and think that I am finally getting into the swing of things enough to deal with my nutrition and fitness issues. What does that mean? It means that I will try some old tricks to lose a few more inches in hopes of getting back into the loads of clothes that are awaiting me in bins and stacks in my closet.

I don't get on the scale very often, but I did today and it seems that I have about 10lbs to go to get back into at least one batch of my old pants (I have a very wide range of sizes!). Having said that, most of us with children know that it is not all about the weight, but in fact, it is also about the changes that happen to our body shape.

Anyway, I am calling this First 10 or last 10 because it doesn't really matter where you are on the spectrum...all of us with some weight to lose are bound by many common strings. Do you have trouble staying motivated? Eat more when you are tired? Poor nutrition because of being so busy chasing kids around? Buying snacks because they look so good in the store or are on sale? Crave sugar? Addicted to chocolate? I just described myself!!!

Okay, so what I wanted to write about is the little things that I think I can do (perhaps you also) to get things moving along on the post-partum weight issue. Most of these are things that all of us have heard a million times, some are new ideas. Regardless, I find that I can be so tired and busy so much of the time that reminders can be helpful. I will be doing the following (if I can stay committed and motivated). I will keep you posted. Please let me know if you decide to "play" along:

- Substitute sugar in coffee with sweetener or Splenda: (Oprah suggests Splenda instead of sugar or sweetener in baking and everything else. I find it makes my coffee a little fizzy and sometimes I can't stand it, but I have a box that I will try to use. It is supposed to be a healthier alternative than traditional sweeteners.)

- NO full-fat ice cream: This has been my weakness lately. It doesn't help that Zehrs has Nestle ice cream on sale for $2.50 this week. We are just polishing off the Rolo now. I say "we", but I mean, "I". I think Chris has had one or two servings. On my "Last 10" plan I will only eat fat reduced ice cream or No Sugar Added Fudge Pops. The fudge pops were also featured on Oprah. They are so yummy and great. They are only 50 calories in one serving and are really great for satisfying chocolate cravings. Chapmans makes a great low-fat ice cream. I like the chocolate fudge swirl or Neapolitan.Yummy. It seriously has almost half the fat,but still tastes GREAT...Not as great as Rolo, but great. Speaking of which, I actually allowed myself to walk by the $2.50 Nestle ice cream at Zehrs today without picking up a container to "re stock" before the sale is over (today). I will keep you updated if I can get through until store closing (10pm??) without running over there to get some. You see, for me, the fact that it is so cheap is the real draw. I would never pay full price, but on sale and so yummy - let me at it!!!

A chocolate lover's dream - rich, creamy and low fat ice cream with a fudgy ripple swirl and 40% less fat than regular ice cream. Available in 2 Litre plastic containers.
Ingredients:Concentrated Skim Milk, Cream, Sugar, Glucose, Chocolate Sauce (corn syrup, water, glucose-fructose, cocoa, soybean oil, caramel, salt, sodium alginate, natural flavour, potassium sorbate, soy lecithin, disodium phosphate), Cocoa, Mono and Diglycerides, Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Natural Flavour Source: http://www.chapmans.on.ca/products.aspx

My list (continued)

- Water, water, water: I do not know why I have not felt like water lately, but I am going to try to get drinking a glass when I wake up and one with every meal (minimum).

- Fruit: Again, not sure why I am off of the fruit - but I am going to eat at least one fruit per day. Gosh, do I ever sound unhealthy!

Anyway, it was important for me to embark on this journey because I did not want this blog to be all about just the easy things to do. I really do have some areas of my life that I need to look long and hard at and start making some plans to "turn a new leaf". (I am looking for a blogger application that would allow me to keep track of a list in my sidebar.)

The weight thing is not one that I have to put too much thought into, which explains why I have chosen it today, and not one of my more difficult issues, behaviors or thought patterns!

I would love to hear from you if you are "turning a new leaf" in your life today!!!

MEALS FOR KIDS: Healthier Hot Dogs

I thought I was being really smart when I decided that I would make "healthier hot dogs" for supper last night. I felt that this might be of real interest to other parents who have kids that seem to put wieners at the top of their list for favorite meats (why is that anyway?). The fact of the matter is that I did accomplish part of my goal by adding the broccoli and cheese, however, I thought the meal was really not good at all.

My husband calls these things "piggies in a blanket". I bought the special Pillsbury dough on sale at Zehrs. I will never buy that dough again. I think I will stick with whole wheat bread or buns. Anyway, I steamed some broccoli and added cheese before rolling the wieners. I also cut the wieners length wise so that they were not such a choking hazard. The meal was served with corn on the cob and fries. For my families sake, I am sorry to say that the whole meal was a disaster. This tends to happen to me most frequently when I leave planning until 5:00pm! Bad idea.

Truth be told, the fries were no good either. You will notice that "gourmet" is not one of the labels or search words that I am attaching to this post, or any other post that I do for that matter. I feel so bad about it, that I took the "as a cook" part out of my Blog description (I replaced "cook" with "wife"). I don't plan to give up all-together, I have cooked some good food in my day, I just need to get "back on track".

Back to the meal - the corn was not good. It was on sale at Zehrs this week for $0.50 per cob. In retrospect, a LOT TO PAY for cattle corn! Yuck. The fries were not very good because they were either undercooked (took longer than the piggies) and/or they were freezer burned. We don't eat fries very often PLUS they were in the door of the fridge. Two strikes.

Pilsbury hot dogs with veggies

Well, there you have it - the honest truth about a dinner gone wrong. I hope that I will have success stories to write about in the future. I should probably spend some time reading the blogs of my friends that CAN cook (see side-bar).

RATING: I give the success of this meal a 3/10. Having said that, Ja1 ate the piggies and the corn! Yuck.

Snack Idea (below): Just thought I'd mention this snack idea for raising the healthy factor on an infant-toddler staple, CHEERIOS! Just sprinkle cheese on top and bake or microwave.

Cheerios and Life Cereal baked with cheese

RATING: Sounds like a great idea (8/10) and did work for us when Ja1 was eating cheerios morning, noon and night. Tried it last night and he was not interested at all (2/10). The Life cereal has not gone over at all. It is very bland. So much for trying to stick to cereals with very little sugar. I bet if I baked brown sugar into the cheese he'd eat it! Yuck.

BY THE WAY: Check out the top photo for a new (new to me) cheese by Kraft on sale for $1.99 (where else, Zehrs). I LOVE it. 10/10 for cheddar!

SANITY: Where to park at the park

Many different groups of parents (mostly Moms) that I know have various mornings where they (we) meet at parks around town. I have had some fun and some serious stress at these outings. For most of my upcoming summer park adventures, and for my own sanity, I will now be most likely to join up with the group at parks that cause the least stress. Call it picky or silly or crazy, but I call it survival.

Some of my tips for morning park outings with a toddler and an infant include:

- plan ahead and pack a bag (but not too much) the night before

- apply sunscreen on youngsters before leaving the house
- bring snacks
- bring a blanket for sitting (or wiping noses, or playing the parachute game!)
- pack Kleenex (to avoid above, nose wiping comment)
- bring a plastic bag (or 6) for disposing of diapers
- go to parks that are not too busy
- go to parks that are not close to busy streets
- choose parks with walking trails nearby if you are taking a stroller or wagon
- even better, choose parks with a coffee or ice cream shop nearby and DO bring a stroller
- pack some spare change (see above)
- go early to avoid the sun
- go with people who will understand if you suddenly disappear (because of cues from your kids you have packed up your car and sped off for home!)
- choose parks that have age-appropriate play equipment for your child or children

- choose parks with close parking...the closer the better
- bring a sand toy or two and a ball or other toy if appropriate

- be prepared with "back pocket ideas" such as songs or games to amuse the little ones

(what a hit you will be)

RATING: If you know the above park, I give it a 10/10 for parking, shade, equipment and even location. The only thing I would change would be the sand to that really cool, special new park flooring that they have. Sand can be fun for the kids, but you never know what is "hiding" in there.

GAME IDEA:
RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT
In this game, one person plays the "stop light" and the rest try to touch him/her.
At the start, all the children form a line about 15 feet away from the stop light.
The stop light faces away from the line of kids and says "green light". At this point the kids are allowed to move towards the stoplight.
At any point, the stop light may say "red light!" and turn around. If any of the kids are caught moving after this has occurred, they are out.
Play resumes when the stop light turns back around and says "green light".
The stop light wins if all the kids are out before anyone is able to touch him/her.
Otherwise, the first player to touch the stop light wins the game and earns the right to be "stop light" for the next game. Source: http://www.indianchild.com/outdoor_games.htm

OTHER LINKS:

http://www.kids-fun-and-games.com/toddler-party-games.html

FAVORITES: Car Seats!

On our way home from the park today I glanced back at my two boys in their car seats and knew that I should post something about our love-affair with our Britax car seats. I got turned on to these seats when we were looking for the rear-facing (and beyond) car seat for Ja1, I guess when he was about 6 months old. I think that my friend had already bought a Britax and had told me about how much she liked it. I did extensive searching on the web of reviews and also looked for safety ratings. I think at that time I could access Consumer Reports safety ratings on car seats. I believe you have to pay and subscribe for that now. Anyway, the Britax seats that are available in Canada are the Roundabout and the Marathon. We went with the smaller and slightly cheaper of the two, the Roundabout. This seat has great reviews and great features. One of my favorite features is the push-button strap release! All seats should have this. I will copy the features of both from the website.

Anyway, we really loved our Roundabout and found the size especially handy when we took it on the airplane. The fabric is also awesome. We chose the Denim and it is really neat. The drawback is that it fades over time in the sun. I like it because it is easy to clean. The REALLY great thing about these seats is that the fabric part is simple. There are not a bunch of different inserts and flaps that you often find on other seats. The Roundabout fit snug into our car with the latch system and is VERY simple to install. It is easier to get it in really tight forward facing, but it still goes in nicely rear facing. It also has a special tether system for rear-facing so that you can tether it to the bottom of the front seats in the car. All in all, this seat has great safety reviews, great ease of use reviews and two THUMBS up from me, for sure!!!

Britax Roundabout Seat

[The legendary Britax Roundabout® convertible car seat is renowned for safety, comfort, and convenience.
Rear Facing:5 lbs. to 33 lbs.Forward Facing:1 year old and 20 lbs./ up to 40 lbs.
Unique features including a sculpted base, push button release LATCH system with patented Versa-Tether®, and built-in vehicle belt lock-offs, make a tight installation in your vehicle quick and simple. The tangle-free polyester 5-point harness and push button harness adjuster help you effortlessly secure your child every day. The Roundabout® also offers a cozy, washable seat cover for that ultimate comfort experience for children rear-facing from 5 to 33 pounds or children forward-facing from 1 year old and 20 to 40 pounds.]

Source: http://www.britaxusa.net/products/detail_roundabout.aspx

When it was time to think about getting a second car seat, we were undecided about spending the money on another Britax. I really wanted to, but we thought that we would explore our options first. I did look at Sears and Toys R Us at some of the seats that convert to boosters. We thought that the new baby could use the Roundabout and Ja1 could graduate to one of these seats. I bought a Safety First seat that I have only seen at Sears. It had the simple but sturdy design, which I like. I forget now what it was called, but it is black with some silverish-blueish colouring. The thing I did not like was that it sat really low in the car. We ended up taking it back. When a sale came on at our local baby-specialty shop, my husband lined up at the door and got in to buy our Britax Marathon. Very cool. This seat is bigger than the Roundabout and the child can stay in it to 48 lbs. Also very cool because the 5-point harness is the safest way to go. We bought the seat in Denim blue. The Marathon does not have the push-button strap release, but it does have tangle-free straps. We love both seats. Oh, the kids seem to love them too. They actually look comfortable, and we feel good about the safety features.

Britax Marathon Seat

[The legendary Britax Marathon™ convertible car seat is renowned for safety, comfort, and convenience.
Rear Facing:5 lbs. to 33 lbs.Forward Facing:1 year old and 20 lbs. / up to 65 lbs.
The Marathon is also one of many Britax products renowned for its ability to keep your child in a harnessed restraint up to 65 pounds.
Unique features including a patent-pending rip-stitch tether - reduces G-force effects on the head and body in the event of an impact, a sculpted base, push button release LATCH system with patented Versa-Tether®, and built-in vehicle belt lock-offs, make a tight installation in your vehicle quick and simple. The tangle-free polyester 5-point harness helps to effortlessly secure your child every day. The Marathon™ also offers a patented HUGS™ system, belly pad, and a plush & washable seat cover for that ultimate comfort experience for children rear-facing from 5 to 33 pounds or children forward-facing from 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds.]

Source: http://www.britaxusa.net/products/detail_marathon.aspx

Please feel free to post your comments about your favorite car seats or other baby gear. "What not to buy" can also be helpful to new moms. For example, I knew MANY first-time moms who HATED the Eddie Bauer car seats in rear-facing position.

ACTIVITIES: Nature Sack

Nature Sack is an activity you can do with children of almost any age in almost any location. We incorporated it last night while going on an evening walk. The concept is simple: find items from nature, but them in a bag one at a time, have other participants feel inside the bag and guess what is there. Twist: for a fun twist, try to choose items that will "trick" the other players.

We had more fun that even I expected with this one. After one round of me finding the objects and the girls guessing, they were off and running with the game. Throughout our ENTIRE walk, they looked for objects to try and trick eachother, my husband and myself. Once they found something, they would put it in the cloth bag and then ask someone to reach in, feel the object, and guess what they were touching. This is really fun if you can find an object that feels like something along the lines of a worm or bug!





Neat objects to try:

- a stick that feels like a bone
- a snail
- a small piece of litter (might feel like a leaf)
- moss

MY RATING:

Nature Sack: I give the success of this activity for us (last night on our walk) a 10/10

Everyone stayed engaged and had fun all the way home. We even continued the game when we got out of the forest and found things like mulch, a rubber band and a piece of plastic while walking on the sidewalk. The girls loved getting my husband to reach in the bag and would try to make him think he was touching things like worms or bugs! Lots of fun, a real hit!

DINNER FOR KIDS: Tacos & Cupcakes

If I haven't mentioned it already, the kitchen is not my domain. Having said that, I do enjoy cooking and do have high hopes of having more time and ambition to experiment with tantalizing recipes some day. In the meantime, cooking in our house is usually pretty much a means to an ends. We need to eat, so we need to cook. This normal routine did take a turn recently when I had mentioned to my neighbours that they could help me cook dinner sometime. When they mentioned it the next two weeks in a row, I knew I had struck a cord. These girls come over once a week for supper with our family and I guess they thought it would be fun to assist with the preparation.
I decided last minute on soft tacos. Nothing from scratch, just the shells, hamburger and taco mix from Zehrs. The girls helped with the tacos, though I actually had them more engaged in making muffins.

What you need:

- Package of taco spice ($0.99) Zehrs, or Taco Kit
- Tortilla shells (soft) or hard taco shells
- Hamburger, ground turkey or ground chicken
- Cheese (shredded)
- Lettuce (shredded)
- Tomato (chopped)

Note: make this meal healthier with whole wheat tortilla shells

The cupcakes were really fun. Baking is even less my forte than cooking, but I find it pretty easy to use a cake mix to make yummy cupcakes. The girls were eager to help crack the eggs, mix the batter, fill the cups, ice the cupcakes and of course, top them with sprinkles. This also gave them something to take home and share with their Dad or take to school.

You need:
- cake mix (or a "from scratch" recipe)
- icing
- sprinkles and/or smarties, jubes or other toppings

Making the tacos

Some of our ingredients

A happy pair!

MY RATING:

TACOS: The tacos were a 4/10 in my opinion. I did not have all the ingredients ready to have the girls help with chopping and shredding. Also, I warmed the shells, but they got a little hard around the edges and were difficult to wrap. The girls had not had tacos before, I don't know if they were overly thrilled with them, but I think they had fun in the process.

CUPCAKES: The cupcakes were a 9/10. Making cupcakes with kids is always a hit.
Please feel free to add your own recipes or suggestions or links for great meals and desserts to make with kids.