Because it’s a little early for local blueberries, the blueberries that I used in this recipe were actually the last of my frozen stash (the picture of my blueberry bush was taken last summer), but if you have fresh berries around, feel free to use them. Of course, if you aren’t a blueberry fan, this recipe would work equally well with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or even cut-up peaches!

Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt Popsicles

*makes 6 popsicles

Ingredients:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup pure unsweetened cranberry juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Puree blueberries and cranberry juice in blender (or food processor). Strain through sieve to remove skins.
2. Put blueberry puree back into blender and add yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Blend well.
3. Put mixture into popsicle moulds and freeze until hard.

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Stuck on You Labels and Personalized Items

Stuck on You labels and personalized items are isn’t just a great idea for back-to-school preparation though, they are also handy if your child is gearing up for a super fun Summer Camp. Stuck on You was created by mom-to-three, Carrie Felton, 17 years ago to help all kids identify their belongings. Besides labels of all shapes, sizes, designs and fonts, you can also get personalized backpacks, library book bags, book labels, lunchboxes and drink bottles, pajamas and more!

Stuck on You Giveaway

I am thrilled that I am able to offer two readers of A Lot of Loves a gift voucher for $50 that can be used towards anything at StuckOnYou.ca!

Like Stuck on You on Facebook AND leave a comment on this blog post telling me something that you like to label with personalized labels. Once you have done that, mark those options as complete in the Rafflecopter widget to ensure your entry is registered. This giveaway is open to Canadian addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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All across the nation, Walmart Canada called on Canadian shoppers to challenge themselves to make the most of their dollar by shopping at Walmart. Our goal was to live up to the slogan: Save Money and Live Better.

I was provided $100 for the challenge, and while there were a number of challenges that I could have tried (I was strongly tempted to go with the head-to-toe outfit for myself, or buying enough groceries to feed my family of four for four days or more), in the end I decided that I would use the money to transform my son’s bedroom into something that he likes to call “Awesome!!”.

A couple of months ago, I had found some super cute Hello Kitty bedding for my daughter’s newly painted pink on pink bedroom, so I had faith that Walmart would come through for my son.

At almost 7 years old, my son is in the stage where he really likes popular characters, but he also wants them to be “cool”. There were a few options in the youth bedding area that appealed to him (Angry Birds, Spiderman, and Transformers were all contenders), but since he had already decided that his new paint colour will be an unbelievably vibrant orange called ‘Dragon Fire’ (we are still in discussions as to how much of his room will actually be painted this colour, so it is still currently a pale yellow), we knew we had a winner with the Skylander Giants bedding which features, appropriately enough, a large red-orange-yellow dragon (I have yet to learn the names of the dragons, but I’m sure I’ll be indoctrinated into the world of Skylander soon enough).

I bought my son the Skylander Giants quilt ($49.94) and full-size sheets ($39.94) with my $100 gift card, and then I added the matching super soft matching fleecy blanket ($39.94) with my own coin because it was too cool to leave behind. The result is a fresh new look in the bedroom that is perfectly suited to my son. Now all we need to do is to paint the wall(s) Dragon Fire Orange and our son’s bedroom makeover will be complete. Thanks, Walmart!

Disclosure: I received a Walmart gift card for the purposes of this article. Any opinions stated are my own.

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Part of my belief is due to my own history of unexplained infertility which  makes me feel a kinship to women who are struggling in the same way that I did, and part of it is due to the fact that I believe publicly funded IVF would actually save the Province millions of dollars in health care costs by ensuring an end to multiple-embryo transfer. Most people who choose to undergo IVF choose to implant multiple embryos because at $10,000-$14,000 a time, they consider the cost of the procedure an extreme burden. Multiple embryos result in multiple babies which can then result in premature birth and increased health care costs of the babies for months or even years to come.

In BC, the multiple birth rate through IVF is one of the highest in Canada at 28%. A recent survey completed by the Infertility Awareness Association of BC, estimates that with the introduction of publicly-funded IVF and the implementation of mandatory single-embryo transfer, BC would save $12-$13 million in perinatal hospitalization costs, $7-$8 million in post-natal costs related to first-year care of surviving low-birth-weight babies, and $22-$27 million in long-term health and social-services costs of caring for children with permanent disabilities as a result of pre-term birth.

Vote Your Conscience

Considering that our British Columbia provincial election is happening right now (voting day is Tuesday May 14, 2013), there is no better time than now to take a look at the available parties and vote for the one you believe will support health care (and everything else you want to support). Trust me, I always find it tough to know who to vote for, but I still do (and did at the early polls) . Make sure your voice is heard!

Support for Public Funding of IVF

If you are struggling with infertility or want more information on IVF in BC you can contactIVF4BC (www.ivf4bc.ca) (Twitter: @IVF4BC) (Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ivf4bc) (Pinterest: http://Pinterest.com/ivf4bc ) 

Disclosure: I am a member of the #IVF4BC blog team and as such I received compensation. As always, any opinions stated are my own.

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Maybe this will help…

The princess movie obsession is finally paying dividends.

Truth be told, I don’t feel that strongly about princess movies. I know that the topic of princess movies, Barbie or pink toys for girls can be a divisive one, but I’m too distracted by worrying about things that actually matter to care overly much. My daughter loves princesses, and that’s okay.

In fact, my four-year-old daughter watches princess movies so much that she has begun to seriously plan out how she will become a princess when she grows up. So far, I’ve explained that she will need to marry a prince, but since princes are boys and boys simply won’t do, she has decided to hold out for a better answer.

In the meantime, Miss Em wears her ballgowns to the grocery store and absolutely shuns anything that isn’t pink, purple or cute. I’m not complaining – especially since she has recently taken up emulating the scene from Cinderella where she washes the floor on her hands and knees with nothing more than a bucket of water and a cloth. Score for me.

And she does it with a smile! That’s more than I can say for myself.

Next up, we will work on the laundry portion of  being a princess…

The post Why You Should Immerse Your Daughter in Princess Movies appeared first on A Lot of Loves.

My factoid loving kids (and relatives) have spent quite a lot of time immersing themselves in our copy of the Smithsonian Super Nature Encyclopedia lately. Each facing page of the book features a large colour photograph of an animal and is surrounded by interesting stats and facts about it. For instance, did you know that the Japanese Spider Crab is the largest crab with a leg span that can reach a whopping 12 feet (3.8m)?! That’s so crazy, I’ve had to tell pretty much everyone I know about it. The Japanese Spider Crab page also tells me that they live up to 100 years, weigh an average of 44 lb and is actually a decapod – a 10 legged animal. Cool!

The best part of the Smithsonian Super Nature Encyclopedia is that it’s laid out in such a way that it’s easy to browse through and find fascinating tidbits about the animal world. There are pages showing animals in cross-section and strip layers and readers can explore detail of the animals’ anatomical features and learn why their bodies work the way they do. It’s an excellent book that I heartily recommend for anyone with kids interested in animals and nature. The cover price of this hardcover is $27.99, but you can pick it up from Chapters Indigo right now for $18.47.

Final Verdict: A+

Everything You Need to Know About Snakes

The title of Everything You Need to Know About Snakes says it all, this book really does tell you a lot of snakes. In addition to piles of close-up images of our slithery friends, there is also a ton of facts – some more shocking than others – and descriptions of anatomy, diet and behavior on dozens of snakes, lizards and other reptiles.

My six-year-old son, in particular, is quite taken with this hardcover book and though he isn’t able to read all the words on his own, there are enough pictures that he can happily sit for quite a long time studying it.

Everything You Need to Know About Snakes has a cover price of $17.99, but I saw that it is currently on sale for $13.67 from Chapters Indigo.

Disclosure: I received these books from DK Publishing for the purposes of this review. All opinions stated are my own.

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This comprehensive hardcover book is jam-packed with the Strawbridges real-life experiences, tips, techniques, illustrations and photos to show how to make the practical changes that will have a big impact on your life and the health of the planet.

Big projects that are covered include building structures using straw bale walls, designing your own solar or wind power generators and making bio-fuel. Those are all projects that interest me (or my husband) quite a bit, but they’re a little more involved than we have the time for. However, there are a lot more tips for the “everyman” that I am already using, such as ways to make your garden plot more productive, making your own compost, creating homes for wildlife in your yard (think ponds and bee B&Bs). Many of my friends have expressed an interest in having their own chickens – well there is info on how to care and house chickens in here too! Also included: how to butcher a pig, keep bees, make butter, dry herbs, make your own solar dryer to dry those herbs, brew beer, create an earth oven, make your own green cleaners, how to weave a willow basket, and so on and so forth. As I said, Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century covers pretty much everything anyone could think of on the topic.

I’ve had this book for a few weeks now and I still have only scratched the surface, but I love it as an amazing resource that I will be able to use for years to come. It’s a perfect book for anyone interested in green living (and maybe an excellent book to give a dad who likes projects for Father’s Day next month).

Final Verdict: A+

Buy Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century

Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century is published by DK and has a cover price of $33, but is currently available from Chapters Indigo online for $21.78.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine.

The post Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century: Book Review appeared first on A Lot of Loves.

Koala Kid is all about a small bear on a big adventure and stars the voice talents of Rob Schneider, Tim Curry and Alan Cumming. The movie was released on DVD this week.

Koala Kid Synopsis

In Koala Kid, Johnny is a rare white koala who is tired of standing out and wants to make friends so he joins a traveling circus. While on the circus train, his train car becomes unattached from the rest of the train and crashes into a billabong (an Australian outback oasis) where he inadvertently saves his friends from a pack of dingos. Johnny is then called the “Koala Kid” – a fearless protector of animals. As he makes his way through the outback with his friends, Johnny has many adventures and comes into his own as a true hero.

Top Australian Animated Characters

To celebrate the release of Koala Kid on DVD, 20th Century Fox is going down-under to explore the exciting world of Australia in animation. These are their favorites below:

The Tasmanian Devil

Often referred to as ‘Taz’, the character is the youngest of the cartoon characters from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes series. He is a ferocious yet dim creature with an extremely short temper and boundless appetite. Distinguishing features include communicating mainly through grunts, growls and blowing raspberries. He also has the impressive ability to spin like a vortex when on the chase for a tasty morsel (Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck).

Blinky Bill

This much-loved classic Aussie children’s character is a mischievous boy in the form of a koala. He lives in the bush along with his mother and sister, a marsupial mouse named Marcia, a platypus named Flap and his teacher, Wombo. Created by Australian writer Dorothy Wall in 1933, Blinky featured in his own range of books but was bought to life with his own TV series in the 1980’s.

Felix the Cat

This black animated cat is one of the most recognizable cartoon characters of all time. Although his origins remain disputed, Felix is widely thought to have been created by the Australian cartoonist, Pat Sullivan. This was during the silent era of film, which may explain the lack of Aussie twang in this funny feline!

Dot (Dot and the Kangaroo)

When Dot gets lost in the Australian outback she is befriended by a kangaroo and several other marsupials. On eating some red berries, she discovers that she has the magical ability of being able to communicate with the animals, and with their help is able to find her way home. Since the first feature film, there have been eight others made, all based around another exciting adventure in the wild. We say that’s not bad for a character based a book written back in1899 – Dot is certainly a character who has lasted the test of time!

Rocko

The main character of Rocko’s Modern Life which aired on Nickelodeon. Rocko, a young Bush Wallaby, was raised down-under but emigrated to America in High School because of a bully named Dingo. He now lives in O-town along with an assortment of odd-ball friends including a greedy Heffer Wolfe and a hypochondriac turtle named Filbert. He has been described as having the personality of “a young wallaby Woody Allen”!

Koala Kid

Johnny is a small white koala bear who just wants to fit in and make friends; however, when a twist of fate mistakenly transforms him into a fearless protector of the animals, called Koala Kid, Johnny finds himself in over his head in a thrilling adventure across the outback.

Koala Kid Giveaway

I’m giving away a copy of Koala Kid on DVD for you to enjoy with your family! To enter, leave a comment on this blog post telling me one of your favorite Australian animated characters and then mark that as complete in the Rafflecopter widget for your entry to be registered. This giveaway is open to anyone with a Canadian or US shipping address.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD. Animated character text courtesy of Think Jam.

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From April 19^th to May 9^th, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, and Extra Foods locations throughout Vancouver are holding their annual spring Extra Helping Food Drive.

If you live in the Vancouver area, you can help the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society by donating nutritious, non-perishable food items in marked bins in your local Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills or Extra Foods store. All donations made in-store will go directly to the food bank, which means that you can be sure, your help will go to those in need in your area.

You can make donations to the Extra Helping donation bins by either bringing in (or buying) your own food to put into the bins or by making a cash donation at the check-out.

What to Donate:

If you aren’t sure what to donate (besides cash), the most needed non-perishable food items include:

• Pasta
• Rice
• Canned meat and fish
• Dry and canned soups and stews
• Canned fruit and vegetables
• Flour
• Hot/cold cereals
• Whole grain cereals
• Peanut butter
• Aseptic packaged or canned/powdered milk
• Fruit juices
• Pasta sauce
• Beans and legumes
• Infant formula and baby food.

The post Extra Helping: Buy a Little Extra, Help a Local Family appeared first on A Lot of Loves.

As you may be able to surmise from the pictures, the ‘mini’ aspect of the spanakopita kind of got away from me a bit. I’m always a little stressed when working with phyllo dough and in the end, I was just happy that I managed to wrap my dough into triangular shapes that held the filling. However, near the end of making my triangles, I caught on to the process and I’m confident that I’ll be much more adept at wrapping my spanakopita into pies that are smaller than the size of my child’s head.

But who cares about looks? It’s all about the taste, right? And these were delicious. In fact, I flatter myself that the spanakopita I made using the following recipe, was better than a lot of the spanakopita that I’ve paid for from a store.

Spanakopita Recipe

*makes 24 appetizer-sized triangles

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oz fresh baby spinach (aka 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches)
• 1/2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 24 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (should be 14″ x 9″ or 35 cm x 23 cm approximately) **Tip: make sure you cover your opened phyllo dough with a damp cloth, or it will dry and crack.
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F, positioning racks in upper and lower thirds.
2. In large skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring until wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
3. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach then transfer to a cutting board. Chop coarsely and place in a large bowl. Add green onions, parsley, lemon juice, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper; stir to blend. Add feta and toss to blend.
4. Place one sheet of phyllo on clean work surface, short side facing you. Working quickly, brush with melted butter and fold in half lengthwise. Brush again with butter. (Tip: don’t use too much butter – just a thin coating is needed.)
5. Spoon 1 heading tbsp of filling onto bottom left of strip of phyllo, leaving about a 1-inch border at the bottom. Fold bottom left corner over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold triangles up the strip of phyllo to the top as if you were folding a flag. Brush top of triangle with butter, pressing end to seal. Place triangle, seam side down on baking sheet. (IMPORTANT or your triangle will burst open in the oven) Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling, making 24 triangles.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through, until phyllo is deep golden brown and crisp. Serve warm.

Buy 175 Best Mini Pie Recipes:

175 Best Mini Pie Recipes was created by Julie Anne Hession, who is a chef, food writer, competitive cook and food blogger. Her recipes have been featured in People, O, The Oprah Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, and Food Network Magazine. Her new cookbook, 175 Best Mini Pie Recipes, covers recipes that everyone from the novice to experienced baker will be able to appreciate.

There are a number of gluten-free and vegan options presented in the book as well. Although there are 24 lovely photographs in the book, I’d love to see even more, but this is an excellent and comprehensive pie cookbook that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys baking.

175 Best Mini Pie Recipes has a publication date of April 30, 2013 with a cover price of $24.95 both in the US and Canada.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this cookbook from Robert Rose Inc to facilitate this review. The opinions in this post are my own. The recipe is excerpted from 175 Best Mini Pie Recipes by Julie Anne Hession. ©2013 Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

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