All That Glitters

Two Months, What Happened?!?

2015-10-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

Oh my it has been a really long time, the Little Nugget has just turned 2 months old. While scrolling back through my photos I am shocked at how much she has changed. It makes me excited to see how she is going to change in this month.

Parenthood has been NOTHING like I was thinking it was going to be. I have learned so much about myself in the last 2 months. I found out that I pretty much have NO idea what I am doing and am just winging it every day. And that while I love her so much (and miss her if I am away from her for a couple of hours) I still really like my own time, which I usually take while she is napping. And she has already started developing her own personality with likes and dislikes. She REFUSES to breastfeed, she is more then capable (and I have seen many professionals for this) but she doesn't want to. You can make her freak out just by holding her like you are going to feed her and once I was able to do it just by asking her if "she wants some boobies"??? She LOVES watching Friends (yup I have used that so I can keep her calm so I can get dressed or something done, and I'm not even a little sorry). She likes it when you read to her and you can make her smile just by saying "where's my smiles"? And possibly the most valuable skill I have found was actually learned in university; using your brain and functioning with little to no sleep. The Little Nugget has gotten into a pretty good sleep pattern she doesn't always stick to it and there are some days where I get almost no sleep the night before.

With the ups and downs that I've had these last 2 months it has been an exciting ride and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

2 Months

* She is smiling on command

* Spends her mornings laughing and cooing

* Sleeps from 9pm-5am (if fed a "sleep" bottle around midnight)

* Loves sucking on her hands (hasn't found her feet just yet)

She's Finally Here...

2015-08-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

It has been a long and difficult process but I am happy to report that after 9 (very long) months Little Miss is finally here in the world.

I will be writing my birth experience in a follow up post and it stayed true to how my pregnancy went. Which means it was an exciting and complex event.
But for now I'm happy to report that Little Miss was born exactly 1 week late at a very healthy 9lbs 10oz. And while the Hubs and I are very much missing our sleep she has been a pretty calm and low maintenance baby. If she would just get the hang of breastfeeding and not scream every time she sees my nipples (it's starting to give me a complex) she would be perfect.

But either way I'm very happy to meet the little girl that has been causing me so many issues for the last 9 months, and am so very happy that she is much more chill on the outside.

XOXO

A Long Overdue Update

2015-07-17T16:01:00.002-04:00

Oh my it has been FOREVER since I have done a post.

I went off on Sick Leave in the middle of May and I had this thought that I would have so much free time, where I would be able to just blog, clean, prepare food and rest before the baby shows up. Turns out however that while on sick leave I mostly just rest and spend A LOT of time in bed. I have managed to get some food prepared for the freezer and I recently got a helper who comes over once a week to help with meal prep and light cleaning. But otherwise I have given my Netflix a real workout.

I have managed to do a couple of fun things in the time that I have had off though. The baby's room is all ready (missing only a couple small things that aren't a big deal), the Hubs and I went one day to the Experimental Farm where I was very excited to play with the goats, and I have caught up with some friends.

But mostly I have spent my time resting in bed (which doesn't make for very exciting blog posts). But I am now over 38 weeks pregnant and everyone is guessing I will be delivering early (which I am more then OK with), so hopefully I will have a lot more exciting things to write about soon.

Here are some pictures of what I've been up to the last month and a half.

My amazing work threw me a baby shower. I was a big fan of the theme

Mmmmm strawberry shortcake at my work shower (this cake caused a 2 week craving once)

The goats are ALWAYS my favorite

The Hubs playing with a sheep

A large batch of French toast for the freezer

Sushi dinner catching up some girlfriends

The Important thing is to Live Life with Hope – Boy Meets World

The Nugget's Baby Shower

2015-05-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

It's so nice to be back. My computer has been in and out of the computer repair shop for the last few weeks so it's been difficult to get posts written.
However my computer is now back and hopefully it will stay working.

So I thought I would share as my first post back, my absolutely awesome baby shower that my friend S threw me last weekend.

The shower was so much fun and I had the added excitement of having my mom and lil' sis (who originally wasn't going to be able to make it) attend.

Guess how large the belly is

I can't believe all the amazing stuff our friends got us, and just how generous everyone was.

It was more then I could have asked for, S went above and beyond. (Plus she had LOTS of pickles and cake which was AWESOME!!!)

Thanks to everyone the nugget was spoiled so much (and so was I)

I ended up eating about 1/2 this cake. It was soooo yummy I don't feel guilty at all

Mother's Day, a bittersweet time

2015-05-13T19:57:00.000-04:00

For the last couple of years Mother's Day has been a bit of a sad day in our house. It's been 2 years since the Hub's mom passed away just after Mother's Day. Then on top of that it became a annual reminder that we were having fertility issues.

This year however we have a little joy to mix in with our sadness. With my due date about 2.5 months from Mother's Day weekend it seemed like a good year to bring back a little happiness to this weekend. And I definitely got my happiness wish. The hubs surprised me with a Strawberry shortcake that he had carved into an M, and a card from him and "the baby". It was such a sweet gesture (especially since I had been craving strawberry shortcake for about 2 weeks).

In the morning we got up and went to a super yummy Mother's Day brunch. I LOVE breakfast buffets so it was great to get to do that. I ate my share and the baby's share. I thought by the end the Hubs was going to have to roll me out. I was so stuffed. But really is there anything better then a happy, full pregnant lady??

I know it was a really hard day for the hub, and I'm really grateful for the effort that he put into showing me a fun day.

To all the mom's out there (however you identify with being a mom), hope you were able to also feel special. And to all the moms who are no longer with us, we miss you a lot.

XOXO

A pretty amazing weekend/date night

2015-05-03T20:46:00.003-04:00

It was such a beautiful weekend in the capital this past weekend. We had nothing but sunny days and temperatures above 20. It felt like spring/summer is here and we are finally done with this crazy cold winter that seemed like it would never end.

I absolutely tried to take advantage of this gorgeous weekend. Friday night I had dinner and caught up with my friend S who I haven't seen in such a long time. It was so great, we went to Don Cherry's where we got food (OK I ate a meal she had a really yummy looking desert). It was great to just sit around and chat.

Saturday was a beautiful day out, so I decided to run some errands in the morning and take advantage of the beautiful sunny day. But the gorgeous day and the great feeling of having all the baby's clothes washed and put away was nothing compared to the SUPER AWESOME date night the hubs and I had Saturday night.

Just about to go in and enjoy our dinner

The hubs and I went to a teppanyaki place for dinner. We had our first teppanyaki experience on our honeymoon a few years back and we liked it so much. While we were trying to get pregnant I came up with the idea that it would be such a cool association to go again to teppanyaki when we w. were successful. However the celebration dinner was put on hold because of my severe morning sickness.

Our table

Well this past Saturday I made the reservations and the Hubs and I finally got to celebrate the pregnancy. If you haven't ever been to a teppanyaki place you absolutely need to check one out. It's a little more expensive then your average dinner out, but you also get a pretty awesome show while they prepare your food.

Here are some of the pics from our great night out.

My super yummy drink, it had coconut, orange and some other juice. Pretty tasty (almost didn't miss the alcohol)

The Hubs got beef sashimi to start. He said it was AMAZING!

Onion volcano, such a neat trick.

Very talented chef.

My dinner of chicken, the Hubs had Kobe steak. It was yummy

Very happy/full from our great date.

It was well worth the wait to have this as a celebration dinner. But I think next time we won't wait as long (3 years) to go again. Maybe we'll go after the baby is born. I love the idea of tying this style of restaurant to big life events.

Don’t Rush Things. Anything Worth Having is Worth Waiting For - Unknown

Super Easy BBQ Side Ribs

2015-05-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

With the upcoming baby I have been going through my Pinterest Boards and trying out lots of my slow cooker and recipe pins. I am trying to come up with 8 recipes that I can make and freeze so that eating yummy food won't be an issue when we are trying to figure out how to be parents.

One of my go-to meals is possibly one of the simplest slow cooker meals I make, BBQ Side Ribs. All it takes to put this recipe together is 3 simple ingredients: side ribs, BBQ sauce and an onion.

I pick up the ribs whenever they go on sale so I usually have 1 pack in my freezer. Since there isn't much to this recipe it's important that you use a BBQ sauce you really like (I used Diana's).

Slice an onion and sprinkle on the bottom.

Place frozen ribs on top (I never defrost things before putting them in the slow cooker).

Cover with about half a bottle of BBQ sauce (remember the ribs are frozen and will let off juices as they cook so the sauce will be more at the end.

Turn on low and cook for 5-6 hours.

That's it. Easy Peasy. (Sorry I forgot to take a finished picture, but trust me they were yummy)

Poutine Fest & Some Bed Rest

2015-04-26T13:33:00.001-04:00

It has been a bit of a challenging week for me. I have been having cramping/pain in my belly, sides and back more frequently this week. I have been taking it easy and it seems to resolve itself for a while. But it does seem to come back if I am not just laying around in bed (which at 26 weeks I am not really looking to go on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy). So I am going to try and mix rest with low activity and hopefully I can still remain a bit active for the last 3 months.

That being said the Hubs and I took advantage of "Poutine Fest" which was this weekend in downtown Ottawa. It was such a fun time. I ate crispy chicken poutine and finished it off with a Churro. To complete the date night the Hubs and I watched the "Avengers" movie to freshen up on the past events and to get ready for the second Avengers movie coming out next weekend.

Excited to be out and getting poutine

The truck I finally settled on; Lou's Fast Food

My crispy chicken poutine. So yummy and I didn't get any heartburn after. WooHoo!!

Not a very exciting week since I have spent quite some time in bed with my feet up (yup that's how I currently writing this post). But hopefully this is just a new symptom and will pass in about a week. Until then I wonder if I can find an ice cream delivery service (aside from the Hubs).

Choose to be Optimistic. It Feels Better

**Here are some more bump pics. The little nugget is getting so big and is moving around a tons (my stomach looks like a alien is trying to get out)


21 weeks

23 weeks

24 weeks

25 weeks

26 weeks

April TopBox Review

2015-04-25T09:16:00.000-04:00

It has been a LONG time since I have done a post on my TopBox. But trying to stick with my resolution of being a better blogger I have decided to start my TopBox reviews again (since I haven't stopped getting the box). So read on to see my April TopBox.

Every month I get a little surprise in the mail. It's my monthly Topbox.

Topbox is a monthly beauty service that delivers " luxe box of beauty samples for you to try out in the comfort of your home."

For about $15/month I get to try out about 5 sample and quite often full size products. I LOVE getting my little present every month.

For anyone who is interested in checking out what they are all about go to Topbox

The products I got this month:

Deborah Lippmann - Luxurious Nail Colour - She Drives Me Crazy

What TopBox Says: "A luxury line of award winning nail lacquers, created working with iconic figures in fashion from Cher to Sarah Jessica Parker. For best looking nails, apply 2 coats of polish." - $20 for 15mL

What I say: This is a great summer colour for my toes. Can't wait to give it a go. I have used her polish before, they have great pigment and coverage.

Would I purchase: I would get different colours if/when they go on sale.

Me MAXEffects Naturals

What TopBox says: "Gently wipes make and impurities away while balancing the skin's pH." - $7.5 for 65mL

What I Say: I haven't tried these yet, but they are great for my travel kit.

Would I purchase: Maybe if I was looking for a substitute for my pre-moisten clothes.

Matrix Style Link - Smooth Setter Smoothing Cream **Full size product received**

What TopBox Says: "Your link to smoothness with control. This cream textures delivers satin finish and doesn't weight down hair for a natural movement." - $16.25 for 118mL

What I say: This was great. It made my hair very smooth and soft. I used it on damp hair then went to sleep, the next day my hair looked pretty good.

Would I purchase: Yes

Philosophy - Miracle worker overnight

What TopBox Says: "Apply after cleansing and treatment as a nighttime or daytime moisturizer." - $117 for 118mL

What I say: I haven't noticed a big difference between this face cream and my regular one. Not a big fan that there is no SPF in it (something I think ALL face creams should include)

Would I purchase: No. The price is just too extreme to justify.

**Bonus Item** Hawaiian Tropics Sunscreen spf30

This was a bonus item and therefore doesn't have a write up on it. But it's a readily available sunscreen and with summer right around the corner I was very excited to see this in my box.

Would I purchase: It smells great and I would absolutely purchase.

Pancakes, Maple Syrup and some Fresh Air

2015-04-19T15:28:00.001-04:00

It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend this weekend in Ottawa. Originally suppose to be overcast and 12 degrees with maybe rain on Saturday, the day turned into 14 and sunny. With my parents up visiting for the weekend we decided to take full advantage of the awesome spring weather.

When S tcalled?? about the Fulton's Pancake House and Sugar Bush located about 45mins away from Ottawa I was down for a Saturday trip. I have done maple syrup tours before (in grade school) but it has been a really long time. So early in the afternoon on Saturday the Hubs, 'rents and myself loaded into the car and took off for a drive and some maple goodies.

They had goats!!!! Even being snubbed by the goat is better then no goat at all.

The Hubs trying out an Aboriginal resting bed (he said it was pretty comfy)

A little demonstration of some Aboriginal tools used back in the day

The Hubs and myself in another shelter area. Yup that's a butterfly on my face (I was fancy)

My dad checking out how "comfy" the facilities used to be

It wouldn't have been a trip to a maple syrup farm (is that what they're called?) without ending it with some yummy food. I ate so much and was ready for a sugar coma to kick in.

Pancakes and maple baked beans. SOOOOOOOOO yummy

But we had passed a sign about a fudge store so we decided to take a little detour and pick up some fudge. Unfortunately Penny's Fudge Factory was closed but the country drive was a lot of fun and I probably didn't need anymore sugar.

A great way to enjoy the beautiful spring weather, and a visit with the 'rents. Plus I found out my mom had never been to a maple syrup place before. So 1 check for her bucket list.

A Sense of Peace and Gratefulness.

2015-04-14T08:54:00.000-04:00

I was laying in bed (watching bad for me reality TV) while fighting a bit of a cold/allergies this weekend. The hubs was working hard turning his old art studio into the nursery and I was over come with this amazing sense of gratefulness.

It's a feeling that I am a bit sorry to say I haven't had much of lately. The whole act of "trying" to get pregnant (over 2 years) and also using a fertility clinic left me with less of a feeling of gratefulness and more of a feeling of failure and hopelessness.

Having a baby was something that I never really wanted in my life, but it was something that the Hubs has ALWAYS wanted. There were lots of times that I had the thought that since I didn't want a baby before maybe that's why we weren't getting pregnant now. And once we got our little one I have had a very difficult pregnancy.

But I have made my peace with my pregnancy troubles (and really since the vomiting has stopped it's been a LOT easier), and accepting that things are really not going to go the way that I want them to things have been a lot smoother/enjoyable.

So on this afternoon while sitting around trying to breath through my plugged up nose, listening to the Hubs paint the walls, I just feel so lucky. My life is by no means perfect but the more I figure out how to be an adult the more I am finding that it's not about life being perfect, it's about finding the good and keeping the faith that you really are destined for happiness.

Our first Easter in our home

2015-04-08T19:45:00.000-04:00

This week has been a pretty awesome week. Sure it started out as hell week at work (end of the fiscal year = massive deadlines when you work in research and with the Feds). But after a couple of harsh days (though I admit less stressful/long then I was actually expecting) the real fun started.

I was lucky enough to "work from home" on Thurs, which sorta translated into less work and more afternoon nap. Though I did try and be a bit productive during the day, so I thought maybe I would make my first Passover Seder dinner.

Now I admit that I am not too sure what you are actually suppose to have or avoid for Passover dinner, instead I decided to pick something to make that could possibly become a yearly tradition.

I have a ton of bones in my freezer so I decided to give homemade Matzo Ball soup a try. I made it all in the crock pot, and cheated a little with Matzo Ball mix but since it was my first attempt EVER I don't feel overly guilty about it.

I have to say it was pretty tasty, and super easy to make. After the broth was made (5hrs in the slow cooker) I picked off the chicken, thinly sliced some onions and made the matzo balls. I had read somewhere not to pack them to tight when your making them so they stay nice and fluffy. I just put them into the slow cooker and let them cook for an hour.

Probably not a traditional Matzo Ball soup, but I say it was a really tasty first attempt.

Good Friday was a restful day that ended with a super fun date that the Hubs planned at The Keg Manor. We go to this restaurant every time we want a romantic night out. Usually we make dinner reservations for around 8pm, but since getting pregnant I can't eat dinner that late as that is usually the time I start longing for my bed. Thankfully the hubs knows this so he made the dinner reservation for 6pm.

It has been a few months (probably around 5 months) since we have been there and I was so excited to get the Chicken Oscar or the Creole Chicken (which are basically the same thing except the Oscar has seafood mixed in a cream sauce over the chicken and the Creole is seafood with a tomato sauce). But much to my surprise they had changed ALL of their chicken dishes. This might not be a big deal to others but since I have a beef allergy my menu options are a limited there (plus I have a food aversion to strong smelling fish).

But our server was able to add an Oscar to a plain chicken for me so in the end I was able to get what I wanted.

mmmm creme brulee my favourite desert

But while I was super excited to go I have to say this time the food and the service was not up to the regular amazingness that we usually get there. Not only had they changed all the chicken dishes but instead of getting really nice grilled veggies you now get yucky steamed ones (our waitress again was able to fix this for me). Our service was ok, she did correct both of my "complaints' (I promise I'm not super picky) but I had to flag her down because she never checked on us, and I wasn't able to get a drink refill to about the end of my meal (which was a little crummy).

I admit that this night out was not typical of the Keg manor so we will absolutely be going again for another date night (hopefully before the baby is born).

Easter Sunday had to be my favourite day of the week though.
Not only was this our first Easter in our new home but my oldest and bestest friend and her husband stopped by on their way home from visiting family in Quebec.

K and J not only stopped by to see our home (and us) but also to have a mini baby shower for the baby. K and J along with K's parents (who while growing up were like a second set of parents to me) spoiled the baby so much with their generosity.

Such a lucky little girl.

After some tears (both cards made me cry, which totally made K laugh) we all headed out for a late lunch, and some trivial pursuit 90's edition. After we all settled into an Easter dinner (with M joining us for trivial pursuit and dinner).

To help with the stress of hosting a holiday dinner I tried to keep it super simple with baked ham, crockpot potatoes au gratin and lemon meringue pie (that the Hubs and M made).

Good food, amazing friends and some quality time with the Hubs. I have to say this was possibly one of my favourite weeks.

She believed she could, so she did. - Unknown

Pregnancy, Seriously?!?

2015-04-03T13:41:00.001-04:00

Ok I'm calling it, pregnancy is not at all the magical ride I was thinking it was going to be.

Now I admit that I have not been kissed by the pregnancy gods and have had a rather tough go at it, and I have had friends who's pregnancy has been a wonderful and beautiful thing. If that has been you, then take it from me, you are one lucky lady (and I am so very jealous of you).

This post is not going to be an ode to the joys of pregnancy, it's more about calling bulls***t on this notion that it is always a beautiful time in a women's life.

The hubs and I were really excited when we found out that we were pregnant, we had been trying for a very long time (and had been under the care of a fertility doctor) and I was at the point where I was starting to think it might never happen. However the joy was a little short lived because before we had gotten all the confirmation tests/ultrasounds back saying we were in fact pregnant and everything was ok, the vomiting started.

Ahhh Dec. 8th the day that will live forever in my memory. I had a massive deadline at work that had a bunch of problems with it. So while I was trying to be a team player and help out I was also getting sick about once an hour for the next 9hrs at work. I called the clinic and they prescribed me some diclectin (a awesome and safe anti-nausea meds for pregnant women).

Now I am very confident that the diclectin did in fact help with the "morning sickness" (seriously who named it this? Worse Name Ever!!!) it really just turned it into bad morning sickness. On the maximum dosage (8 pills a day mixed with gravol at night) and a part time work schedule for a couple weeks to rest, I still made 2 trips to the ER for fluid IVs, and was still sick multiple times a day.

Thankfully by about 18 weeks my nausea was controlled with just 2 diclectin a day (YAY no more puking) and I had started gaining weight and most of my food aversions were going away (Though I still can't eat veggies raw like before). I was so happy, now I will be able to really enjoy my pregnancy I thought.

Hahahaha what a foolish thought. I started getting severe back and leg pains. I did a little research (and talked to my midwife) and figured out that regular massages and a walk during the work day significantly reduced the pain.

Alright back in business of this beautiful miracle that is creating life. Which I did get to enjoy for about 2 days and then an awesome (unknown to me pain) started happening. Now I won't fully go into details but lets just say it's very similar to being kicked in the lady business. I was expecting this type of pain but I thought AFTER the baby was born.

Now at 23 weeks preggers and starting to figure out how to make the lady pain less (so that I don't waddle when walking or yelp in pain from lifting my leg - which is feet up and lay down instead of sitting) I am excitingly awaiting my next super awesome pregnancy symptom.

For all the women out there who have had the Hollywood blissful pregnancy, rejoice in this fabulous time in your life. For everyone else, take heart this too will pass (you can't be pregnant forever even if it feels like you are), and know that you are not alone in this. Heck you could even send me a message I might have already had your symptom and might know a trick to dealing with it.
But please if you are one of the lucky ones don't tell us how great your pregnancy has been. We know that you don't mean anything by it at all and you are trying to understand our misery but with uncontrollable hormones, and constant pain/discomfort you might accidentally get punched.

**I don't own any of the pictures posted, they were all found on pinterest

An apology and an announcement.

2015-03-30T21:05:00.000-04:00

I have been the WORST blogger over the last few months. I was starting to gain a following and then I just dropped the ball. I am making the resolution to turn around my blogging and at the very least set aside 1 hour a week to write a post. I have LOVED blogging, I find it so therapeutic. There are many times that I will start writing a post and am upset about the content of the post, but, by the end I have found the positive in a situation that I previously saw as only negative.

That all being said though some of you already know why I have been such a shameful blogger, and I thought it was time to put out an official announcement. The Hubs and I are EXPECTING!!!

We were pretty excited about this, but it hasn't been the easiest pregnancy so far and that is why I have been such a slacker. But I am at the 22 week mark and have been feeling better (though that could be relative since I still seem to have lots to complain about). So with my new goal (of once a week minimum of blogging) and my feeling better I am sure you will be hearing more from me.

Here are a couple pics of me and my growing bump.

20 weeks

20 weeks (please ignore my messy bed)

22 weeks (again with my messy bed, I promise I do make it)

XOXO

Gelous review

2015-02-16T14:54:00.003-05:00

I LOVE a good manicure, I feel so put together when my nails are freshly done. But I have really soft nails so traditional polish usually chips within 48hrs. When I go to the salon I like to get the gel polish done and I even have the supplies to do my own at home (a great cost saver when a single polish costs $20 each time).

While I love the look and longevity of a gel polish I sometimes miss the colour options that my traditional collection has. So when I was messing around on Pinterest and saw the tutorial about how to create a 'cheater' gel polish look using the Gelous topcoat I decided to give it a whirl.

I am happy to say that this is a GREAT substitute for a gel manicure. It doesn't last as long as the traditional gels but it also doesn't chip off within 48hrs like a normal polish.

Just in case you don't want to take my word for it (what don't I have an honest face) I did a manicure last week. On my left hand I used the gelious topcoat and on my right just a regular Nicole topcoat.

Left hand with Gelous topcoat

Right hand with Nicole by OPI topcoat

Left hand 9 days later

Right hand 9 days later

While both hands had chips the right hand was considerably worse.

If you are looking for a good substitute for a gel polish (or trying to save a little money on manicures) I recommend the Gelous topcoat. It helps extended your traditional polish wear and it's about $8 a bottle (found at Sally's Beauty Supply Stores) you can't beat the price.

Pintrest results = Pass

A Fantastic Week

2015-02-12T19:15:00.000-05:00

It has been such a long time since I have done a weekly recap. This week has been a pretty great week. A great balance between busy and relaxing.

I was off from work on Wednesday and instead of sitting around watching TV and napping all day, I had a great sushi lunch with a friend.

We sat around for about 2.5hrs and just chatted and ate. It has been a really long time since I have had a lunch or dinner like that. The conversation flowed so easily and the time pasted without either of us noticing how long we had been there.

The weekend was a mix between relaxing and busy. I went for a long over due massage on Saturday and then prepared and served a charity dinner.

Every February our church has a charity auction where people can bid on services or items donated to the auction. For the last couple of years I have offered to make the lucky winner a home cooked dinner for up to 6 guests. This weekend was the weekend that I made the lucky winners dinner.

It's a pretty simple/rustic dinner of roast lemon chicken, mushroom risotto, roasted root veg and tiramisu.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves so I am going to say that dinner was a success. I think this might be mine and the hubs contribution each year.

My blogging hasn't been the only thing that I have been neglecting, family dinner has been less then reliable. But this week I changed that. Since I had a pretty busy Saturday I wanted to have a more relaxing Sunday so I decided to make a winter and slow cooker staple....chili.

Where there is Hope, there is Faith. Where there is faith Miracles happen.

Creamed Honey

2015-02-07T11:09:00.001-05:00

A little while a go I saw this post on Pinterest about how to make Creamed Honey.

It looked like a great way to use up some crystallized honey (something I always have because it takes me FOREVER to use up a container). So after reading the post a couple of times I thought I would give it a try.

To view the original post click here.

For my version I basically took the "idea" of the post and sorta free-handed it.

I started by dumping all of the honey I had into my stand mixer.
Then I scooped out about 1/3 to 1/2 of the honey, put it in a bowl and microwaved it till it was liquid again. The original post says to mix liquid honey with the crystallized honey but I was too ~~lazy~~ busy to run to the store to get fresh honey.

I combined everything in my stand mixer, attached my whisk attachment and turned it on low.

Honey after 10 mins of mixing

That's all hard work it took. I let the mixer do it's thing, changing to medium speed about halfway.

Honey after 40 mins of mixing

1 hour of mixing

After about an 1hour and 20 mins, I decided that was as whipped as I needed and transferred it to a small glass jar.

While I did find mine still had some crystallized bits in it I am sure that could be solved by reducing the crystallized honey and adding more liquid honey.

All in all I am going to say this is a great way to use up old honey.

Test Results = Success

A Great Day.

2015-01-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone, it's been SOOOO long since I've done a post. I have had such a crazy couple of months and am excited to be back to my blog.

I thought I would have my fist post back be a recap of a great day I had. This week my lil' sis came back to Ottawa for a visit. Last summer lil' sis moved to London ON. She's made a pretty awesome life for herself there, but London is about 7 hours away from Ottawa so I haven't been able to see her since she's moved.

Since she was only here for a couple of days, and she had friends in the city to see I got to hang out with her all day Tuesday.

Lil' sis has been missing/craving some of the awesomeness that only Ottawa has to offer so we made a morning of hitting all the places she's been missing.

We dropped the hubs off at work (so we could use the car) and then started our

Super Day of Fun.

We had breakfast at Wild Oat. A vegan/vegetarian cafe/bakery that lil' sis used to work at and has been craving for a while. While it's not my first choice for breakfast (I LOVE bacon) it is still a yummy place to eat. Lil' sis got the traditional breakfast (eggs, hash browns, toast and homemade jam), while I got a crepe stuffed with ricotta cheese and blueberries.

She's just so happy to be at the Oat

Once we were fully charged we headed over to La paradise a cooking supply store that lil' sis loves and has spent way to much ~~money~~ time at. After watching her "browse" for what seemed like forever (it was probably more like 30 mins) we we headed out.

We headed over to Suzy Q's doughnuts a Ottawa staple that she has been craving for months to pick up some yummy treats.

I couldn't wait to get to the car, I ate half a doughnut on the walk to the car

We grabbed a movie from Jumbo Video (yep they still exist) picked up a movie, hit up my favourite sushi restaurant for lunch and then back home for some jammies and a movie marathon afternoon.

It had been a long time, and this was soo good

Movie time with the lil' sis

It was a short visit and while I still hate how far away she is, I loved getting to spend the day with lil' sis.

A Week of Lunches

2014-11-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Between working long hours, volleyball and other commitments the Hubs and myself have a very busy weekday life. To help cut down on stress (and to keep us on budget) I try and make lunches for the week on the weekend.

This week I made creamy cheese polenta, veggies and baked ham.

Creamy cheese polenta is so easy to make and a great starch substitute when you are tired of potatoes or rice. The recipe can be found here. I baked up some ham which I coated in red pepper jelly (during the last 15 minutes of baking) and added some veggies.

In total it took me about 45 minutes to get everything done, and I had all the ingredients at home already so no extra cost. Now we don't have any stress worrying about lunch for the next week.

PS. I never make 5 lunches for us as I found that we inevitably only eat 3-4 of them because we usually go out once, or the Hubs is so busy he doesn't get a chance to eat lunch one day.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2014-10-28T16:45:00.001-04:00

I am always looking for ways to save a little extra money, so when I kept seeing all these recipes on pinterest I decided that I just had to try it out.

I tweaked the recipe a little bit, but if you would like to see the original recipe just click here.

All of the ingredients that are needed for the laundry soap I was able to find at the local grocery store. I picked up a container and a set of measuring spoons (so I had a scoop) at the dollar store.

To get the soap into small pieces I just used a cheese grater (which I picked up at the dollar store). Some people use a food processor but I didn't want to get soap in it and then have a soap taste on my food later.

Grating the soap was really really easy and made my living room smell AMAZING.

I added the powder ingredients first, then the soap and the sent add-ins.

After snapping the lid on and giving it a really good shake. This is what my finished soap looked like.

I used 2 tbs per load for this. But what I found was this is GREAT for things like linens, towels, jackets etc. it did not do a great job on clothing. After washing I found that some of my shirts still had some deodorant smell (TMI??)

It does however smell GREAT and I love how my bedding and towel smell afterwards so I will be keeping some on hand to help stretch my regular detergent.

My tweaked version of Homemade Laundry Soap:

2 cup of Borax
2 cup of washing soda
1 sunlight bar
1 cup sent add-ins

Grate the sunlight bar, I just used a cheese grater bought specifically for this.
Once grated add the bar to a container and dump in all the other ingredients.
Snap a lid on and give a good shake.
Use 1 to 2 tbs per load the same as any other powder detergent.

It Was a Sad Day in Ottawa.

2014-10-23T20:24:00.000-04:00

Picture belongs to CBC

October 22nd was a sad day here in Canada. It was the day that an unarmed solider was shot at point blank range just feet from our nations capital.
The gunman then calmly proceeded to parliament where he was shot and killed by the Sargent of Arms.
Federal buildings went on lock down and cell networks were jammed with people trying to contact friends and loved ones.
Very fortunately there was only one fatality (a side from the shooter). While a very sad and stressful day we were lucky and myself am very grateful that it wasn't a lot worse.
The response of the Ottawa police, RCMP and Canadian Military was very impressive and the media coverage along with their (armed forces) response to the situation helped me feel calm in a situation where we knew little information.
In the after math of this there has been a lot of media reports about the shooter being an Islamic convert. But PLEASE don't become so scared of another attack by some crazy separatist that you link all Muslims into the same category of extremists.
Being understanding and compassionate is what helps define Canada and Canadians. One mans senseless and selfish agenda should not alter that.
A BIG thank you to all of our men and women in the forces that work everyday to help keep us safe. I am sorry you lost a comrade yesterday. To Cpl. Nathan Cirillo's family I'm sorry for your lost. Thank you for your sacrifice. To the Ottawa police and RCMP thank you for all of your training and daily duties that help keep us safe and for your quick response to yesterday's events.

RIP Cpl. Cirillo - Picture is from CBC

It was a stressful/emotional day yesterday but let's remember what makes us Canadian and strive to keep those values. Let's not let one asshat change who we are.

Our First Thanksgiving (in our new home)

2014-10-19T20:22:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was Thanksgiving. Normally we go up north to some cabins and spend time with the Hub's family. It is a weekend that the Hubs looks forward to every year. We go on long walks surrounded by beautiful nature, spend time with family and eat A LOT of food.

However this year we unfortunately we couldn't make the annual trip. The hubs was a bit disappointed but also understands that as we settle into our married life here in Ottawa, that sometimes we might have to miss some traditions (though we won't be making a habit of missing traditions).

By not going to the cottages this year that left me with the responsibility of doing Thanksgiving dinner. Now I have never made a turkey before. A few years ago (before we were married) the Hubs and I hosted a Christmas gathering for my family. But he cooked the turkey, while I graciously entertained everyone (and taste tested the wine). But the since the Hubs was already missing his annual Thanksgiving tradition I didn't want to have him miss out on a yummy Thanksgiving turkey.

We didn't know until the last minute that we wouldn't be able to attend the cottage Thanksgiving, and we did not have a turkey ready to go. So 2 days before our dinner we went to the grocery store and were very lucky to find a small fresh turkey. We decided to have our dinner on the Saturday so that we could just relax the other 2 days off.

Friday night I made (again for the first time, I was feeling very brave this weekend) homemade pumpkin pie. It was soooo easy and I can't believe that I have waited so long to try it out. I used a super simple recipe found here. The other desert I made was caterpillar cake for the Hubs. He looks forward to it every year so I knew he would be excited about it.

Saturday morning after drinking coffee and laying around for a little bit I put the turkey in the oven at 12pm (we were shooting for a 4pm dinner time). I used a meat thermometer, and hoped my calculations were correct and I had timed my dinner correctly.

Well it turns out all of my worrying was for nothing, because our dinner was a huge success. We didn't have a lot of people over but our friend M ate about 3 plates (plus took some home which he also ate that night).

It wasn't the usual Thanksgiving, but it felt really nice to still be able to celebrate with family and friends and to remember all of the good things we have in our life.

What I am thankful for:

My loving husband

Our beautiful new home

Both of our families

Our friends

My job

And being able to help other

It's definitely not perfect but I am very blessed with the life I have.

PS. my favourite part of Thanksgiving dinner was the boys cleaning up afterwards.

Budgeting, my struggle

2014-09-30T11:41:00.000-04:00

Budgeting is something that I struggle with constantly. I love playing on Pinterest and whenever I see budgeting tips I usually give them a read (though I never save them to look at again later). And I have found some pretty good tips.

Things like buying deli ends from the deli department instead of fresh cut. You can usually get a large Styrofoam plate (our local metro cuts them up and puts them on a Styrofoam plate) of good meats (I always skip the ones with loaves or baloney on them) like the Cajan chicken, roasted turkey and salami. I have gotten enough ham (the yummy black forest kind) for a week of sandwiches for 2 people and a quiche for about $3.00.

I also try to follow a cash budget. By taking out cash for all of our needs each week I find that we are much more conscious of our spending. I also find that this really helps up distinguish between "needs" and "wants", something both the Hubs and myself struggle with.

But even with all of my little tricks and knowing that I like having a buffer in our bank account I find that they are too many times where I just say "F** the budget" and I over spend. My guilty pleasures are takeout food and shopping. (Both of which I have a weekly budget for so as to not completely deprive myself). But I find that after a couple of months I get annoyed with constantly having to be cautious about my spending and I like to go a little crazy.

This of course does not help the budget and it really doesn't help our bank account. Plus then after the fun I have of shopping I end up feeling guilty and down for a couple of weeks for spending the money.

But even knowing this I struggle with breaking this cycle. Which makes me feel like I am stuck to continue this annoying cycle for ever.

For now I guess I will just have to keep working at staying on budget maybe after some time it will feel more like second nature and not like a bit of a chore. And truthfully I do get really excited when we have money leftover at the end of the week or I am able to get something I really want at a fabulous price.

Does this happen to you? What are some of the strategies that you have to help yourself stay of budget.

Canada Supports and Remembers...

2014-09-21T15:46:00.000-04:00

Today was an awesome (though extremely early starting at 530am) day. Today was the first time that Hubs (and myself in spirit) participated in the Canada Army Run.

The boys all ready to go

This is an annual event with proceeds going back to the Armed Forces. The event is a big deal here in the capital with over 25,000 people participating this year (largest turnout ever) including Vets, soldiers and civillians. If you want to find out more about the event and keep tabs so you can sign up next year (I think this might be a yearly event for our family) then click here.

That's our Ottawa mayor beside the solider

The hubs and myself signed up to participate in the 5K run together with our goal to be completing the run in under 35mins. However the Hubs hurt his one leg a few weeks ago in volleyball and then on his birthday he hurt his other foot. Both of these injuries were still bothering him so he elected to walk. And much to my sadness I was not able to participate but our good friend Mike volunteered to step in and do the walk for me.

Unfortunately for Mike it was too late to change my bib over so he was stuck participating under my name, but I think he represented me pretty well.

Look closely and you can see my name on Mike's bib

The boys did very well, they were able to complete the course in just under an hour, and I am am super proud of both of them for participating in this very worthy cause.

I can't wait until next year when hopefully I can also participate and finish the course in under 35mins.

The Hub's Birthday (a late post)

2014-09-18T08:51:00.000-04:00

This summer has been such a great summer. An old friend of mine got married, we bought our first home and have really been able to enjoy the summer (something I don't think I have really done in a while). However with it being a great summer it has also been a really busy summer and that has meant that I haven't posted as much on the blog that I would've liked. But with the September here and cooler weather approaching I think things will slow down a bit and I will be able to post more often again :)

This post is a few weeks late, but I really wanted to write something about the Hub's birthday that happened at the end of August.

I have a great husband, he is pretty laid back and understanding, he accepts me fully (all my crazy faults and everything). So when his birthday comes around I really like to do something special to show him just how much I appreciate him.

This year the hubs wanted to do a paintball outing with some friends. He looked around and found a great place. They went to Commando Paintball just outside of Ottawa and they had a blast.

It was a complete outdoors course, with multiple fields to chose from. They ended up playing 2 of the courses and that took up 5hours.

Since I wasn't playing I sat around with a friend (who also wasn't playing) and we chatted and found some pretty awesome turtles to entertain us.

We didn't give them the pizza

After paintball everyone came back to our house for some drinks and BBQ. I hope that the Hubs had a great time and realizes just how awesome he is.