Peek thru our window....

The Age Old Question: Who & What To Gift?

2012-05-30T08:41:00.002-06:00

School ends in just a few weeks and I am forced to think about that age old question, who and what to gift? My kids are still pretty young, so I am new to the whole 'gifting' scene. I know I have gifts to give, but the list seems long! This year, I have one child in Kindergarten who rides the school bus, and one child who attends Preschool with speech issues. Here is the list of people

Wordless Wednesday ~ Sesame Street Pals

2012-05-23T08:23:00.000-06:00

Sea World San Diego, California Cookie Monster and Elmo were actually so hilarious, it was very hard to keep a straight face!

San Diego, CA: Exploring By Water

2012-05-21T11:22:00.001-06:00

Our stay in San Diego was very relaxing, yet full of adventure! I know that is an oxymoron but we only had one 'theme park' day on our itinerary, so we had plenty of opportunity to find out more about this beach town. We stayed on Mission Bay, across from the Rowing Club and nearby Sea World. Since we were vacationing with another family of four, we opted to try VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner

Sunday In My City: A Devilish Touch to Any BBQ

2012-05-19T20:57:00.001-06:00

What is your favourite go-to BBQ item? Oddly enough, while I love eggs in most other forms, this isn't my favourite. But I know how much other people like them, so I happily make them. Recipe Based on 8 Eggs: Boil eggs until hard. (About 10 minutes.) Rinse with cool water and let sit. Refridgerate if time allows, or let sit another 10 minutes. De-shell and rinse with water.

Williamstown Show Homes, Airdrie Alberta : An Exciting New Community

2012-05-15T20:27:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday, Heather and I were fortunate to host a 'Social Media Tweet-Up' on behalf of Vesta Properties, at the new community of 'Williamstown' in Airdrie. We shared some chit-chat and omelettes with Calgary's finest Ladies, then spent the morning viewing beautiful show homes. It had been awhile since I purchased my home (2006), so I was a little worried about falling in total love with

Small Appliance Burnout

2012-05-13T08:43:00.001-06:00

I believe I need a new blender. I made this smoothie yesterday and the blender made horrible sounds and the room smelled like something was burning when I finished. It has done this the last few times I've used it. This Cuisinart blender is well used and has 10 years under its belt, it has served me well. I could simply buy a new blender of the same, but I'd like to explore what other

Tweet Your MP & Help Your Local Food Bank #WinWithChicken

2012-05-03T12:21:00.000-06:00

Hunger affects everyone and IS a problem in Canada. Over 40% of the Canadians using food banks are children! This is your chance to help out your local food bank, by encouraging your MP to submit their favourite chicken breast sandwich recipe to the 'Everyone Wins With Chicken' contest. Simply Tweet them or Email them! You can find your local MP's Twitter handle on the list HERE.

May Days (Daze)

2012-05-01T14:54:00.000-06:00

Sitting here starring at the calendar for May, I thought that March and April had me in a dizzying swirly haze, but I see roughly the same ahead. In planning all things a family of four may need to do in a month, I am fairly good at making sure nothing conflicts with something else; however, I have yet to find the happy medium that doesn't make me feel like I am going to die~! This month, on

Wordless Wednesday: A Rare Moment

2012-04-24T19:10:00.002-06:00

We had just strolled out of the car after a day of travel. We were asked if we'd like to walk down the street to see a few new baby goats. Of course! As we neared, we noticed that a Mama Goat had indeed just finished up delivering a new 'kid'. It stumbled around, collecting itself in new surroundings. Grandma Roe and I decided to wait it out; after all, we knew that Mama Goat did not

Sunday In My City ~ Deep Fried Creme Egg

2012-04-22T13:03:00.000-06:00

Take one Cadbury Creme Egg. (Tip: Using a frozen Creme Egg may help egg not leak.) Make batter recipe as follows: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup corn starch 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup milk 1/2 cup club soda / water Put enough oil into a pot to cover the Creme Egg. Place Creme Egg into the oil when hot. Deep fry Creme Egg until batter is crispy! Place on a paper

Life.

2012-04-18T21:54:00.000-06:00

You know when everything you had on the schedule suddenly does not get done due to an act of God, and you are dealing with the aftermath the following week? Yeah, THAT. I really do plan on blogging again. The lack of blogging has also been exacerbated by a broken laptop screen, leaving me desk-top bound. I've realized, I just can't spit out any words in this spot. This desk lacks

Sunday In My City~ Moments of Beauty

2012-04-08T11:13:00.000-06:00

When we first moved into this house, there were two owls that lived around here. But last year, for some reason, we did not see the owls at all. We missed watching them. Out back there is a perch and often in twilight, you would see them sitting together looking for mice. Guess who made an appearance a few nights ago, sitting on their perch? The owl pictured was actually sitting on the

Garden Diaries 2012: It Begins...

2012-04-05T13:26:00.003-06:00

I have embarked on yet another season of battling with Mother Nature. Last year she demoralized my efforts handily, leaving me perturbed and lacking in excitement. (Which is rare! I'm usually raring to go in February!) Being a hobbyist gardener who grows only for my family's consumption, I've come to realize that I'd go completely insane if I was a farmer. Besides weather wreaking havoc on

Wordless Wednesday ~ A Picture I Love

2012-04-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

This picture makes me recall a really great celebration. It also makes me laugh and laugh. I laugh because of their like expressions. I laugh because of their cracker crowns. Siblings, with their Mum, on her 90th birthday. (Incidently, Christmas Day) A picture perfect moment. Captured forever.

Alberta Beef in the Crock Pot

2012-04-03T19:18:00.001-06:00

At the moment I have a freezer full of local, grassfed, organic Alberta beef (1/4 to be exact). That means I've been hitting the Crock Pot a little hard these days. This is one of my all-time favourite recipes geared towards the cheaper cuts. Creamy Swiss Steak ~In a slow cooker. ~Makes 6 servings. 1 1/2lb , 3/4-inch thick round steak 2 Tbsp. flour 1 tsp salt ( I used an herbed garlic sea

Disneyland: The Characters

2012-04-01T12:01:00.000-06:00

Doing Disneyland means stepping into a magical place both in spirit and location. If you believe for one second that you won't find yourself hugging a life-sized character, you are seriously kidding yourself. Disney magic just happens and you find yourself excited (for your kids) to spy cartoons come to life. And, in some cases, you may also find yourself waiting in a line up for a pose just

Lime, Tequila and Beer- Oh my!

2012-03-30T16:11:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday everyone! Not many people know that making a beer-cocktail is actually quite tasty! Especially sitting outside on a sunny patio! Molson sent me a few Coronas and a Cocktail recipe to try, so we couldn't resist whipping up a drink (or two)! Coastal Surf Margarita Corona with blended tequila, lime, orange syrup and crushed chilis, garnish with a lime. In a blender,

Are You a Fan of Coupons?

2012-03-27T19:00:00.000-06:00

In the past I've talked about my love of coupons. Admittedly, my coupon usage is still primitive for the most part (read: old school paper coupons) and by no means am I an 'extreme couponer'; however, having young kids forces one to order things online sometimes and I've come to know about finding and searching for coupon codes to save some money. (They're out there people, look for them!)

Wordless Wednesday ~ A Disneyland Siesta

2012-03-27T15:00:00.000-06:00

Xman caught a cold a few days into our trip, and spent one afternoon at Disneyland like this. 2.5hrs to be exact. Seems he had impeccable timing too. The rest of us got rained on the whole time.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall...

2012-03-26T14:16:00.000-06:00

"Mirror, Mirror" A Tale of Snow White. In a theatre near you March 30th, 2012! One pretty lady may not be such a nice lady this time... I'm so excited to see Julia Roberts on screen again!

The Dumb Thing I Did...

2012-03-22T10:15:00.000-06:00

Looking back upon the incident, I'm still in shock that it even happened. And, until now, I haven't even thought about it one more time because I really, really, cannot believe that it happened TO ME. I mean, I was being totally careful and cautious! I also recall hearing DaddyO's voice in the back of my head at the time telling me that it was indeed a horrible idea. (Sorry Honey!) I was at

Isn't It Time You Had a Good Nights Sleep?

2012-03-21T07:15:00.000-06:00

I love my bed. It is flat, firm and pretty much the best bed on Earth. A few years ago, we were shopping for a new mattress when we found love in 'memory foam'. Memory foam mattresses allow two people to sleep together without actually feeling each other move around. My hubby is 6'6 ft and is also a fidgety sleeper. It takes him minutes (feels like hours!) to get settled and this occurs

Wordless Wednesday ~ Wikki Art

2012-03-20T21:00:00.000-06:00

Wikki Stix Art.Beebo, March 2012

Baking Tip 101: Cupcake Flare

2012-03-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across these at the grocery store when I was getting Cherry Cheesecake supplies for Beebo's birthday. They were pretty and had a few neat features. ~Vibrant colours/patterns that won't fade. ~Foil lined for easy release. ~No need for a muffin pan, simply place on a cookie sheet! My muffin tins are a little worse for wear these days. (I abuse them making Yorkshire

Sunday In My City: A Mother-Daughter First

2012-03-18T12:33:00.000-06:00

It was Beebo's birthday earlier this week, so in lieu of a BIG birthday bash (last years party shaved years off my life!) we decided to go for a Mother-Daughter Mani/Pedi. It was the first time either of us had this experience. I am not sure why I've never had a Mani/Pedi before, but for the amount of work the poor fella had to do to get me in tip-top shape, I'm pretty sure it was long overdue