The Momma Stuff Blog

I answer to mom, but you can call me wonder woman

2012-05-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Compliment of the week: 'I'm pretty sure you're wonder woman.' -via facebook

Unfortunately my superhero costume isn't skin tight and sexy, its stretched out, loose and covered in barf, boogers and excrement. In no way do I begrudge my children, their little immune systems are learning to ward off offenders but its been almost three months since I had a healthy household and I'm starting to feel more than a little thin around the edges.

The baby is finally on the mend (this month alone he spent a week throwing up, a week with a near 40 degree fever and a week on antibiotics for a resulting ear infection), unfortunately the boy is still fighting something and has had a fever for a day and a half and has been cranky and miserable for two weeks and my poor hubs, he's been fighting a cold for weeks too.

I'm generally a glass half full kind of gal, but as of late I have to admit that glass has been starting to feel a little bit 'half empty'. I hate being negative and I don't want to wallow in self-pity so when I could have (and perhaps should have) been finding moments to share the challenges that have been my life as of late, I instead chose to introvert; to read a few pages in my book, bake muffins with my boy or watch a show with my hubs.

But all that is going to change; I've spent the last week alternating between thinking of great posts to write and feeling guilty that I haven't made time to do so. I believe in mind over matter, and I've decided that this is the turning point and I WILL get back on track with my posts. Although I generally try and make sure that my posts have a good balance of personal and sponsored posts, there may be a small flux of sponsored posts as I have a number of commitments that are overdue and I'm keen to get published.

Now, I just hope my immune system is up to wonder woman's standard and I don't get knocked down with illness the moment all my boys' recover.

Happy Allergy-Friendly Birthday! | Guest Post

2012-05-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have vivid memories of attending birthday parties as a kid. I loved running around with my friends, playing games like pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. But what sticks out in my mind from the majority of the parties I attended was having to be very diligent about what I ate. I was sent with a list of instructions from my mom about what I could/couldn't eat and usually a bag full of food that was just for me. Now didn't I sound like the life of the party?!

Being so hyper-aware of allergies and what was and wasn't typically in both homemade and store bought food at such a young age definitely wasn't something I enjoyed. In fact, I hated it! All I wanted to do was eat what the other kids were eating! But knowing the ins and outs of cooking and eating for allergies has come in very handy over the years, more than ever, now, as I have a child of my own who is leaning in the direction of being just like me in the allergy department (sorry kiddo!). But I'm ready. I can swap out ingredients in recipes like nobody else. So if you're new to the allergy arena, cooking either for your own little one, or that poor, allergy-riddled kid who will be coming to your son or daughter's next birthday party, here's a bit of help. Just a few simple swaps can make any recipe safe for even the toughest-to-feed child.

So what's on the menu for an allergy-free party?

Snacks

It's a party so toss out a bowl of salt 'n vinegar chips and some Doritos and you'll be all set, right? Wrong, especially for dairy sensitive kids. Salt 'n vinegar flavouring, for example, almost always contains milk ingredients, and of course, anything nacho-flavoured will as well. But this doesn't mean you can't have easy snacks lying about. Just choose crowd pleasing yet safe flavours like salted; try corn or rice chips for gluten/wheat sensitive individuals, served with salsa or guacamole; or pop your own kernels and top with a little olive oil and different herbs or nutritional yeast for a healthier popcorn.

Fruit and veggie platters are always safe bets as well, and can be made more appealing by using different shaped cookie cutters (stars, hearts, etc.) or creating fruit kebabs.

Main Course

Pizza, hot dogs and deli sandwiches are all great regular party staples, but can be loaded with danger for the allergic kids in the group. If you're looking to make a meal everyone can enjoy without a ton of work, I suggest sticking to whole foods. These are foods that have not been processed in any way. You know all the ingredients because you can see all the ingredients, right in front of you. If the idea of serving just whole foods is leaving you a bit stumped, I suggest the following, very easy to handle homemade fare, which are all kid and adult favourites, made allergy friendly. The best part is, those with regular diets won't even know they're eating 'safe' food!

Chicken breast tossed in gluten free breadcrumbs and oven baked for everyone's favourite - chicken strips!
Chicken wings made by ditching any flour dredging and opting instead for a salt and pepper toss before throwing them on the bbq
Tacos - you can even have a 'make your own' taco bar set up with corn tortillas/shells, rice, beans, veggies and meat
Homemade burgers - turkey, beef or veggie - with regular buns as well as gluten free buns or lettuce for wrapping the patties of wheat sensitive diners
Meatballs, omitting the breadcrumbs or eggs, depending on the allergy
Sushi platter, safe for most, so long as you steer clear of any rolls with sauce (soy allergy) or any tempura rolls (gluten allergy)
Side dishes - potato salad (use olive oil instead of mayo for egg allergies), green salad, macaroni salad (gluten free macaroni is easy to find!), potato wedges baked in olive oil and herbs, rice or quinoa salads...the options go on and on here!

Birthday Cake

If you'll be making a cake or cupcakes from a box mix, there are a few swaps that can be easily accomplished. Usually, the recipe on the box calls for the cake mix, water, butter, vanilla and eggs. Let's address each one separately.

Dairy Replacement

For a dairy allergy, you'll obviously want to avoid the butter. An easy substitute for butter in a baking recipe is an equal part of mashed up fruit, such as pear or apple (canned or fresh, either works). The fruit flavour will be subtly present in the finished product, which isn't a bad thing, I personally enjoy it, but it's something to be aware of, especially if you have potentially picky eaters. You can always add in a few dairy-free chocolate chips (like those made by Enjoy Life Foods) to distract them though! If you don't want to use fruit, another option is to use coconut oil as a butter substitute. If you've never experimented with coconut oil, I recommend it! It comes in a tub-style container and is actually solid at room temperature, not liquid, so you can scoop it out just as you would with butter. It can be a bit pricey but you only need to use 3/4 of the amount the recipe calls for. Example - recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 3/4 cup coconut oil instead. Just like the fruit substitute adds a bit of extra flavour, so too will the coconut oil. But if you enjoy the taste of the tropics then you'll like this swap.

Egg Replacement

To replace eggs, there are a few tricks. Eggs act as binders in recipes so you're looking for something that has a sticky quality. The easiest option, if you're already running to the store, is to buy a box of egg-substitute. It's just a powder mix to which you add water. I like EnerG brand myself and it's pretty readily available. If though you'd prefer to use ingredients you already have on hand, you can try any of the following to replace one egg: 1/2 mashed up banana; 1/4 cup tofu (make sure soy isn't an allergy issue if going this route); 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water; or a mix of 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp oil and 2 tsp baking powder.

Gluten-Free Replacements

If gluten free is what you're after, well, you'll have to either make the cake mix from scratch with gluten free flours or try out one of the amazing new Betty Crocker gluten free cake mixes. They are available in yellow or chocolate at most grocery stores and are my go to when I need to quickly whip up a cake. I've fed them to avid gluten eaters and they can't tell the difference. If you'll be using the gluten free yellow mix, be sure you also use gluten free vanilla flavouring. The regular kind may trigger a reaction in gluten sensitive kids.

Planning an allergy-free party doesn't have to be a ton of extra work and ensures all the party-goers, especially the ones with allergies, feel included and just like all their friends. And having a safe menu allows you to relax and have a good time too, focusing on making memories with your kids, not worrying whether or not Johnny is staying out of the trail mix and Suzie has her hands off the icecream cake.

OneStopMamaShop is a blog offering advice, information and practical tips for all new mamas who are navigating the wonderful worlds of pregnancy and motherhood.

The blog's author is based in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, so some of the posts are regional and apply specifically to mamas in that locale, though the many product recommendations, general pregnancy and baby-care information, and stories on the ups and downs of motherhood are universal, for any and all mamas to share in and enjoy.

Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars Recipe | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

2012-05-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

We made it through my first week of work, unfortunately I did very little working, and not in the lazy way. The baby woke up Sunday morning covered in vomit and as the week progressed the barfing seemed to increase. My Mom is amazing, she only works on call and is usually able to watch the kids when I'm in need, unfortunately, she is currently suffering from sciatica and a day of holding, carrying and rocking my twenty plus pound little boy is near impossible for her.

In the end I worked two short days and stayed home with my barfy little man for two days. As I told the hubs, it was a very long week, but not at all in the ways that I had expected it to be. I spent hours cuddling, snuggling, rocking and soothing my little man this week; aside from a ridiculous amount of laundry the only other thing I accomplished this week was a batch of homemade chocolate cranberry granola bars.

These bars are easy to make (I made them with a crying baby on my hip) and I love that they use nutritious pumpkin as a secret ingredient to create moist, chewy and delicious granola bars. This recipe comes from The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski (which I love and will be reviewing this month), though I have made a few minor adaptations to make it meet the dietary restrictions and tastes of my household.

You can change up the add-ins as you please, but Janet and Greta recommend that you keep the quantities the same and chop your ingredients small to keep your bars from becoming crumbly. I have used both gluten-free oat flour (ground up gluten-free oats) and my all-purpose flour mix and didn't find much difference in the end product; use whatever you have on hand, I'm sure it will work well. For those of you who can tolerate gluten, the original recipe keeps these bars extra nutritious with whole-wheat flour.

(adapted from The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski)

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups gluten-free quick cooking oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup chocolate chips, chopped (or mini)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour or all-purpose mix
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil (or canola)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with a large piece of parchment paper. Allow the parchment to overhang on two sides to you can use it like a sling to pick up the cooked granola bars.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk together the wet ingredients and then mix into the dry ingredients. Stir well.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands to ensure it is tightly packed into the pan.
Bake for 25 minutes until the top is light golden brown and dry to the touch.
Cool completely, in the pan, on a wire rack.
Use the parchment paper to carefully remove the slab of granola. Use a sharp knife and firm pressure (not a sawing motion) cut the granola slab into 16 equal bars approximately 1.5 x 4 inches.
Wrap bars individually in saran wrap. Bars can be stored on the counter or in the fridge.
Enjoy!

Indigo Kids Blog Tour | Review & Giveaway

2012-04-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

As long as I can remember, I've loved to read. My Mom recently told me that when they tested my reading comprehension in grade 4, my abilities were at least a grade 12 level, as my scores surpassed the limits of the testing. Given that information, its not surprising that I would rather read a book than watch TV. I love allowing the words on the page to come alive in my mind and I can't help but hope that my boys will find as much delight in books as I have.

I do my best to foster a positive reading environment, we have books in both our playroom and in the boys' rooms and we read books before each and every sleepytime, naps included. I love taking the boys to the bookstore and I'm super excited to let you know about Indigo Kids an amazing initiative by the folks at Chapters Indigo Books.

Indigo Kids is available at select book stores and with their wide stroller-friendly aisles, adequate space for kids to play and try a variety of toys including plasma cars and train tables; Indigo Kids stores are specifically designed to make shopping with and for your little ones a breeze. And for those of you who don't have kids, but need to buy a present for a special little person in your life, Indigo Kids has book and toy recommendations based on the child's age. Last but not least, free gift wrapping on children's gifts is available at all Chapters and Indigo locations.

When given the opportunity to check out Indigo Kids for myself, I was more than a little excited to shop at my local Indigo Kids location, however given all the sickness in my home, it didn't end up being feasible so instead I did my shopping online.

In truth, I LOVE online shopping. It's easy, its convenient and at Chapters Indigo its even easy on the wallet. As a Plum Rewards member I received 5% off the list price of every book I ordered, I received free shipping (as my order was over $25) and when I ordered the Game of Thrones Box Set for myself, it was significantly cheaper than if I had bought it in store.

I shopped Indigo Kids for presents and ended up finding lots of great products. Although there are tons of toys to choose from, I opted to stick with books and bought my almost one year old niece the Dr. Suess Beginner Book Collection that I hope she will enjoy for years to come, Tails for the boy and Goodnight Gorilla for the baby. My boys love their new books and 'Goodnight Gorilla' has already become one of the baby's favourite books, just as it was one of his brother's.

Want to do some Indigo Kids shopping? We're giving one lucky reader a $35 gift certificate to spend at Chapters Indigo Books, enter using the rafflecopter after the jump.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Indigo Kids program by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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I have 'Working Momma Guilt' and I haven't even finished maternity leave

2012-04-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that a year ago, I was hugely pregnant and awaiting the arrival of my little man. In exactly one week, he will have his first birthday and with that milestone comes yet another life-altering change.

On April 30th I will once again don my office attire and the hubs and I will scramble around like a chicken with our heads cut-off to get our kiddos dressed, fed and out the door by 7am. My year long maternity leave will be over, the kids will be starting a new daycare and I will return to my desk and my job as an Environmental Coordinator with the Provincial Government.

I'm already feeling guilty; not because I will be at work while someone else cares for my children the majority of their waking hours, because I'm looking forward to going to work. I'm excited to wear clothes that aren't covered in food, snot or other bodily fluids. I'm excited to use my brain, have adult conversations and simply do a job I love and believe in.

I know these are normal feelings, but the truth is a year at home with two kids was much harder than a year at home with one. In fact over the the past few months, I've caught myself uttering 'in another month, it will be someone else's problem' on more than one occasion. For that, I feel truly guilty.

The transition back to work was incredibly emotional and difficult the first time around, but this time I know with certainty that my boys will settle into a new routine, they will make new friends and enjoy the stimulation of daycare, so this time, those are the least of my worries. I also know that a mentally stimulated momma, makes for a happy momma, which is better for the entire family.

I love my boys' so much and I'm saddened by the thought of not being with them all the time, that I might miss the baby's first steps or any other amazing milestone in either of their little lives. But staying at home permanently isn't an option for us and even if it was, I'm not entirely sure I'd be up to the task.

Truly, I have so much respect for stay at home mom's, you are amazing and I've enjoyed the opportunity to walk in your footsteps, but now its time for me to dive back into my life as a working momma, and the many challenges the lifestyle entails.

Spring Cleaning with Clorox Green Works | Blog Tour Review and Giveaway

2012-04-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

There are people that get great satisfaction from spring cleaning, a sense of accomplishment and pride at throwing away junk, organizing and cleaning. I am not one of those people. I like a clean house, but making it clean, not so much.

I need things to be easy, a quick spray and a wipe is about my speed, but my conscience also requires that said sprays be safe for my family, for my children and for our planet. Clorox Green Works fits my needs perfectly.

The entire Green Works line is 95-99% naturally derived, with the remaining percentage accounting for preservatives, fragrance and dyes. Each product displays a small 'Designed for the Environment' or DfE logo; a designation given by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which indicates each ingredient has been screened for both health and environmental effects and the product contains only those ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class. As if that isn't enough, you can find a list of all Green Works ingredients, with explanations of their uses in everyday English, on the Green Works website.

Once the cleaners are deemed 'safe' in my mind, the real challenge begins. Can Green Works products effectively clean my home with minimal effort on my behalf?

My answer is a resounding yes. Armed with Clorox Green Works, I have been successfully challenged myself to undertake one 10 minute tidy at a time. I started in the powder room, which if I'm being honest, smells a bit like pee. I have a recently potty trained toddler and if you are the parent of a little boy, you know that their urine has a tendency to hit the toilet seat, if you're lucky enough to dodge the pee bullet yourself.

When my Green Works products arrived, I initially gave the toilet seat a quick wipe with a Green Works Natural Cleaning Wipe, which definitely gave a fresher scent to the bathroom, but didn't quite succeed at banishing the urine smell; a little more effort was warranted on my behalf. Using Green Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner and Glass Cleaner I gave my teeny little bathroom the once over and in less than 10 minutes and much to my amazement I had a sparkly clean, fresh (but not overpowering or chemically) smelling bathroom.

One ten minute tidy complete. Well done me.

Next up, what can only be described a baby food bomb. Distracted and being pulled in far too many directions, I dropped a full bowl of sweet potato and chicken baby food on the floor, which of course went everywhere. We cleaned up most of the mess immediately, but about a week later I realized that we had missed the area under the dishwasher. That food has been caked on for probably three weeks now and I'd been avoiding cleaning it like the plaque.

I allowed the Green Works All-Purpose Cleaner about 5 minutes to soften the baby food before I dove in with a damp rag and started chipping away at it. Imagine my surprise when it pulled away from the dishwasher with minimal effort; after only a little bit of scrubbing, the baby food had all but disappeared. I also gave the dishwasher a few spritzes and wipes with the All-Purpose Cleaner and was impressed to see the streak-free clean that resulted, especially given that stainless steel appliances have a tendency to streak when cleaned.

Another ten minute tidy complete. I admit I am proud that I have now cleaned two areas of my home instead of starting to read 'Game of Thrones', which is what I really wanted to do. Perhaps there is some pride to be had at cleaning my home.

Surprisingly, I'm excited about my bounty of Clorox Green Works products; the dishwashing soap not only smells delicious, it makes lots of bubbles (which I know isn't actually necessary, but I like it) and gets the dishes squeaky clean. The Natural Cleaning Wipes are perfect for sticky spills that I find long after the boys have made them and although washing floors is absolutely not my thing, I'm certain that the hubs will have good things to report about the Green Works Multi-Surface Cleaner, which is safe for use on wood.

One lucky Momma Stuff Blog reader is going to win their own Clorox Green Works Gift Pack, make sure you enter using the Rafflecopter after the jump.

Please note you may enter to win a Green Works Gift Pack on other sites participating in this Blog Tour, however you may only win one prize.

“Disclosure – I am participating in the Green Works program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This is a personal blog. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of The Clorox Company of Canada Ltd.”

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Baking Soothes My Soul: Oat Fudge Bar Recipe | gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free

2012-04-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

From the time I was in grade 5 right through my high school years you could almost always find me baking cookies on a Friday afternoon. I rarely ate them, but I loved making them. Baking is cathartic for me, I think the creativity clears me both emotionally and physically. After my last few weeks taking care of a sick family, the urge to bake was strong.

In fact I even made oatmeal raisin cookies using whole wheat flour when I was visiting at my mom's house. Since I couldn't enjoy them, I still felt the need to bake something delicious. And since I'm so tired, exhausted and craving chocolate, I opted to bake some ooey gooey gluten-free goodness.

These oat fudge bars are an adaptation from one of my favourite cookie and bars cookbooks and are in no way healthy, unless of course you count the fact that they contain oats. They take a little bit of time to make because you have to make your own dairy-free sweetened condensed milk but its totally worth the effort; if your family tolerates dairy, feel free to substitute a can and speed things up. This recipe make a huge 9x13 pan and I suspect that you could easily halve the recipe and bake it in an 8x8 pan. Personally, I've just been eating a bit every time I walk by the pan and they don't seem to be getting stale any faster than I can eat them.

Be forewarned, these bars are delicious, addictive and not-so-good for you. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Oat Fudge Bars

(gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free)
Adapted from 500 best Cookies, Bars & Squares by Esther Brody

BASE Ingredients:

3 cups gluten-free oats (quick cooking if you can find them)
2.5 cups gluten-free flour mix*
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 cup shortening + 2 tbsp water
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

TOPPING Ingredients:

3 cups rice milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cups chocolate chips
2 Tbsp shortening
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Mix rice milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and boil, stirring frequently until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. (You should have about 2 cups after reduction).
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 pan.
While the milk is reducing, in a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, salt and xantham gum. Set aside.
In a separate bowl beat the shortening, water and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated.
Stir in the vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
Press 2/3 of the oat mix into the prepared pan.
Once your milk has reduced (it will be thin), scoop approximately 1/4 cup into a small bowl. Add the cornstarch, blending well before mixing back into the hot milk.
Try and allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding the chocolate chips, shortening and salt. Stir until smooth then mix in the vanilla. (You can warm the mixture over low heat if your milk isn't already hot.)
Pour chocolate over the prepared base.
Crumble reserved base over the chocolate layer.
Bake 35-45minutes until the edges are golden and the centre appears nearly set.
Cool pan completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
Enjoy.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix
(adapted from Living Without's 'Mary's All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend')

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups white rice flour
1-1/3 cups potato starch
1 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Store in a sealed container or mix right into a large Ziploc bag and use as needed for gluten-free baking.

yield: 7 cups

Nonuttin' Natural Foods | gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free

2012-03-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

Nothing is more important than keeping your child safe and when your child has an anaphylactic allergy doing so becomes a little more complicated. Nonuttin' Natural Foods was created by a Vancouver Island mom who wanted her daughter (who is allergic to peanuts, almonds, kiwi and chickpeas) to be able to share natural, healthy snacks with her friends. I met both Alana and her daughter Megan, who carries an epi-pen, at the Vancouver Gluten-Free Expo.

I applaud Alana, not only does Nonuttin' Foods cater to her daughter's allergies, their products cater to most common allergens; they are gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut free, dairy free egg free, kosher and in the process of becoming soy-free. Their products are made in a dedicated facility, they use certified gluten-free oats and they only source non-gmo ingredients.

Go Momma, thanks for looking out for all of us.

Nonuttin' granola has sweet, crunchy, clusters and gluten-free oats that are vaguely reminiscent of honey bunches of oats cereal. Regardless, paired with some vanilla coconut milk or lactose free yogurt and a cup of coffee, it makes a perfect breakfast, though I must confess it makes an equally good evening snack. I had the chance to try out the Blueberry maple granola and enjoyed both the sweet blueberries and the subtle maple flavour.

Nonuttin' granola bars are soft, sweet and sticky not to mention almost undistinguishable from a traditional commercial granola bar. Seriously they were so good, I stashed them in my purse and ate them when the boy wasn't looking simply because I didn't want to share. I sampled most of the flavours, but my favourite flavour was the plain chocolate chip.

I've been munching away on Nonuttin' berry delight trail mix while writing this post; its made with sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, dried bluberries, semi-sweet chcolate chips, canola oil and sea salt. So simple and so tasty, though I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of sunflower seeds, so a little trail mix was more than enough for me. Nonuttin' trail mix comes in two other flavours; the third flavour is currently on sale for 50% off as they move to a soy-free facility.

Nonuttin' creates allergen-friendly, healthy, tasty snacks and they want you to try them out too, so we are giving away a $20 gift certificate to spend on the Nonuttin' website, to enter use the rafflecopter after the jump (I promise you its easy!).

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The Alphabet, Appendicitis and Asthma

2012-03-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

I want to start off by saying that I am horrified that its been over two weeks since my last blog post. I assure you its not due to a lack of things to write about, it's about finding the time, it always seems to be about time.

I remember when my time was my own, when my world revolved around me: my needs, my wants and my desires. Although I would never trade my boys for anything, I would be lying to say that I don't have moments where I long for the carefree, freedom of young adulthood.

As a mother and a wife, my life now includes both great responsibility and so much love. The past week has reminded me of both these facets of my life. Last Saturday, the boy turned three years old. In previous years we've simply had family over the the house, but this year I wanted the boy to have a birthday party that he could really enjoy.

I also wanted to make the boy something handmade and from the heart and Alphabet Bean Bags were the perfect project. On the crafty front I alo made plain bean bags and crayons for each of the kids goodie bags. With the help of Pinterest, I considered a robot themed party, debated whether to make gluten-free cupcakes with marshmallow fondant or attempt a gluten-free rainbow cake. In the end, the party was great, we took the kids to a local playplace, Fun 4 Kidz to let them burn off some energy before heading back to the house for hotdogs and cupcakes. Overall the party was a success and fun was had by all.

So that was last week.

This week has not been so much fun.

On Sunday night the hubs had an upset stomach and was up vomiting during the night. In the morning, his pains had become sharper and more localized on the right side of his abdomen. After some rest and a trip to the doctor he was off to the hospital. He ultimately had to have his appendix removed, although it didn't rupture, it was perforated and leaking. Following the procedure the surgeon made point of telling him that he could have died.

As he recovers, he's of course in pain and discomfort, but he's also heartbroken that for the next month, he can't lift anything over twenty pounds, including our children.

And my baby boys? Cold's, both of them. They have low grade fevers, the baby has lots of congestion and snot and the boy's asthma is out of control. In fact the boy is now the second family member to go to the hospital this week. Fortunately he was back out within a few hours. He's on a four day dose of oral steroids, however it will be a couple days before we can expect to see an improvement.

Interestingly, we've also been instructed to actively keep his fever under control and keep him on acetaminophen every four hours. Not only can the fever provoke the asthma, the asthma can affect the body's ability to fight a fever. What a vicious cycle.

So things have been hectic, tiring and overwhelming to say the least. Thankfully yesterday I had a beautiful walk and coffee in Steveston with one of my best friends, with absolutely no children in tow. It was amazing and just what I needed. Today I am at my parents house with my boys and I am so incredibly thankful to have such caring and kind family and friends.

Dear PVR, I miss you.

2012-03-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

I admit it, I LOVE my PVR; on more than one occasion I have wondered how parents ever managed to watch their shows before the advent of the PVR. That said, when we got our PVR for Christmas three years ago I was not impressed. It seemed like such an unnecessary extravagance.

Was I ever wrong, as a parent, our PVR is not extravagant, its essential. It allows us to watch our shows when we want to and has the added convenience of allowing us to fast forward through the commercials, which as far as I'm concerned, rot your brain. The PVR also allows us to tape whatever show the boy is obsessed with at any particular moment and turn it on with the click of a button.

On Wednesday morning, our PVR remote got thrown on the floor one too many times and stopped working. I initially thought that batteries were dead, but when brand new batteries yielded no response from the PVR I knew we were in trouble. Based on previous experience, I already knew that PVR remotes aren't available in retail stores (despite the fact that you can buy the PVR in stores).

In an attempt to remedy the situation, I promptly called my service provider SHAW to find out how to get our hands on a new remote as soon as possible. After ten minutes of elevator music and 20 minutes of exasperated conversation I was no where near closer to having a new PVR remote.

I had two options:

I could pack up my kids and drive to a SHAW retail store to exchange my remote control. Unfortunately there are only three locations in the lower mainland, and the closest one is still a 45 minute drive away.
I could pay $15 and have the remote shipped to my home. Unfortunately, despite the fee and the fact that the remote would be shipped via Purolater, the customer service agent informed me it would be a three day wait.

Perhaps its just me, but as far as I'm concerned, these options are inadequate. An hour and a half of driving with my kids just to wait in a lineup and exchange a remote is ridiculous, however a three day wait for a courier delivery, particularly when I can get a package from Toronto in a day, is even more absurd.

I opted to wait for the delivery with the hopes that the 'three day wait' was just a worst case scenario. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case as it is now Saturday night and we still have to sit on the floor and press buttons to access the PVR. Although we can watch our recorded programs via the buttons on the PVR, we cannot stop, pause, fast forward or rewind our programs.

This has been a tough reminder that before our PVR, not only did we have to run to the bathroom and fill up our water glassses during commercials, we also had to watch our shows at the listed times. In truth its been such a hassle to use the PVR that we've barely watched any TV (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but in all honesty I can't wait until our new remote arrives and we can resume our regular TV watching habits.

By the time my remote arrives on Monday (I hope) we will have been without for five days, am I being petty thinking that is by no means an acceptable option?

Spring in the CASH $500 Giveaway | hosted by Mamanyc

2012-03-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 'SPRING IN THE CASH Giveaway hosted by MamaNYC! Since everyone loves FREE MONEY, I have once again teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to bring you a terrific CASH prize! The lucky winner is going to receive $500.00 PayPal CASH!

Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to residents WORLDWIDE; 18+, however the winner must have a PayPal account in order to claim this cash prize.

All entries are optional, but the more entries you complete the higher your chances will be to win this prize! This giveaway will end on March 14, 2012 @ 11:59PM (EST) and the winner will have 48 hours to confirm winnings or the prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be selected.

Although this giveaway will be running on a number of blogs, you only need to enter this giveaway on ONE blog. If you have any problems with the Rafflecopter: Please REFRESH the page by right clicking and using "Reload".

Good Luck & Have Fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is a self-sponsored group collaborative effort in order to provide a cash prize. Each participant has provided funds in order to present this giveaway. This event is in no way sponsored or affiliated with any company or other individual(s) other than those included within the Rafflecopter widget.

Martin's Marvelous Naturals gluten-free granola and crisps | Review & Giveaway

2012-03-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

I love granola; there’s something about the hearty, earthy deliciousness of granola that I just can’t get enough of, particularly when paired with thick creamy yogurt. I’ll admit when I first went gluten-free I was disappointed to discover that although oats themselves are gluten-free they are so often grown in adjacent fields and processed in the same factories as other grains that cross contamination is a very real concern.

Unfortunately finding gluten-free granola that I didn’t make myself has been a bit of a slog, particularly when you also add in my need to keep things nut-free. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to connect with the folks from Martin’s Marvelous Naturals at the Vancouver Gluten-Free Expo and had the opportunity to taste their products. After one bite, I knew I had to share them; read on for a chance to win your own prize pack of Martin’s Marvelous Naturals products.

Both the granola and the crisps are made with Canadian grown, non-genetically-modified pure oats that are RS ELISA Certified. Not only are their products gluten-free, they are also nut-free and kosher and produced in a facility that is free of tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame, eggs, fish and shellfish. The facility does however process dairy as the crisps contain buttermilk, but the granola is dairy-free.

My favourite thing about Martin’s Marvelous (aside from the taste) is that they are a local company from Burnaby, BC that uses locally sourced, natural ingredients. Using local ingredients not only supports and stimulates our local economy, it’s also good for the environment. The further the ingredients and products must travel to reach the consumer, the more fossil fuels are consumed, which ultimately leads to an increase in air pollution.

But I digress, Martin’s Marvelous Granola comes in two flavours, sunflower seed raisin and pumpkin seed cranberry; I had the opportunity to test out the latter and I admit I ate it every day until it was gone. The granola has a perfect balance of salty, crunchy pumpkin seeds, sweet, tart cranberries and the unmistakable chewiness of perfectly roasted oats. As an added bonus, the granola also contains hemp seeds, which boosts both the omega and protein content. If you’re not a fan of pumpkin seeds, you need not worry, I confess I’m not all that fond of them myself, but in Martin’s Marvelous Granola, they are perfect. Martin’s Marvelous Crisps come in four flavours: rosemary lavender, pumpkin seed cranberry, chocolate mole and date & olive tapenade. I had the opportunity to test out the rosemary lavender crisps and was amazed at the flavour combination they provided. Packed full of sunflower seeds, raisins and hemp seeds the rosemary and lavender flavours are very subtle and not overwhelming in the least. The crisps are crunchy, salty and sweet but not too brittle. They soften up perfectly when topped with deliciousness such as my toppings of choice, cream cheese and some homemade apple butter. Read on if you want to try out Martin’s Marvelous Naturals products, we are giving away FOUR prize packs containing one box of pumpkin seed cranberry granola, one box of rosemary lavender crisps and a reusable shopping bag. Enter using the Rafflecopter form after the jump.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received products from Martin's Marvelous Naturals for the purposes of this review, however all opinions are my own.

I Wish for Every Child to Have a Bully-Free Journey | Pink Shirt Day 2012

2012-02-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Pink Shirt Day a number of local schools, students and the school district organized a flash mob at a local shopping centre. Watching this video honestly made me start to cry; we have come so far since I was their age. Although it still happens, with initiatives like these, bullying is far less acceptable than it once was.

Bullying is very real; its awful, its hurtful and it can and does have lifelong implications. You may remember Reena Virk the teenage girl who was bullied and ultimately murdered back in 1997. The thought of it still makes me teary eyed, the same month my younger brother's experience with bullying peaked. It's not my story to tell, but the short story is that he was approached by almost 35 kids and when they left him he was alone, laying on the road, falling in and out of consciousness.

His kneecap was nearly split in half and he suffers physical pain nearly every day. He had to give up skateboarding at a time when it was his solace and although he can still snowboard he needs a hearty does of Advil to make it through the day.

My brother is amazing, and wouldn't be the same person today if he hadn't been bullied; I have the utmost respect for both his strength and resilience. That said, I wish, from the bottom of my heart, that his path through adolescence had been bully-free.

As a parent, I wish for every child to have a bully-free journey.

Tomorrow is Pink Shirt Day, an amazing anti-bullying initiative and I believe that together we can successfully make bullying a thing of the past. Below is a PSA put together by the folks at Pink Shirt Day.

I'll be wearing a pink shirt tomorrow, will you?

The Lorax Movie Premiere | Presented by Seventh Generation

2012-02-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

Before I was a mother and into my early days as a wife, I worked in Stewardship. I spent my time working to preserve the environment by inspiring others to volunteer and work by my side to make a difference one small step at a time. We removed invasive weeds, planted native vegetation, hung and cleaned bird houses, picked up garbage and educated others on the ways they too could make a difference.

Although we worked in all sorts of inclement weather, including dreary Vancouver rain and snow, each year I made a point of having an afternoon in to enjoy the original Lorax Movie and facilitate the important discussions that the movie always prompted.

When I heard there was going to be a new Lorax movie, I knew that I wanted, no needed, to see it. So when Seventh Generation invited me to their green carpet premiere screening in North Vancouver, I jumped at the opportunity, despite the fact that the event was at a theatre more than 45 minutes from my home.

I have so many fond memories of going to the movie theatre with my Dad and he has been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to take the boy to a movie, so it was an obvious choice to invite him to join us at the screening.

When we arrived, we knew we were in the right place, there were families lined up outside the theatre and we promptly joined the crowd. Although it was windy, the line moved quickly and before we knew it we were inside being greeted by the Seventh Generation staff.

My Dad loves popcorn, though his teeth (and his dentist) advise against it, so he keeps his consumption low. He was planning to share a kids pack with the boy; imagine his delight when we were handed tickets for our full sized popcorn and beverage, all courtesy of Seventh Generation.

The boy has had plain air-popped popcorn once and in truth he wasn't much of a fan, but after all our talk of popcorn, he was excited to see what it was all about. Turns out he loved movie theatre popcorn, he must have eaten close to half a bag.

The Lorax was fabulous, they did a great job accurately incorporating the original story into a movie that younger generations can relate to.

After I left the theatre my drive to preserve the environment and find ways to make a difference was revitalized. Fortunately, our swag bag from the folks at Seventh Generation not only included their brand new 4X laundry detergent (in a fully compostable packaging), it also included a booklet full of great tips to green your lifestyle.

Here's some food for thought courtesy of Seventh Generation:

75% of the electricity that powers home electronics is consumed when the products are turned off. Unplug [them]...when you aren't using them.
If every home in Canada replaced one roll of virgin bleached toilet paper with recycled, we'd save almost 48,000 trees and prevent 4,500kg of air and water pollution.
Turn off the tap! Save about 11 litres of water by turning off the tap when you brush your teeth or wash your face.
On average, each Canadian uses a staggering 343 litres of water per day.
Keep a pitcher and some reusable bottles filled with water in the fridge. Why? The water helps maintain the cool temperature inside and allows your refrigerator to work more efficiently.

Although I no longer work in stewardship and motherhood is my number one job, the environment is still in the forefront of my being and my full-time job (that I will be returning to in only a few short months). I may not be a magical forest creature like the Lorax, but each and every one of us has the power to drive change and make our planet a healthy place for generations to come.

"Unless someone like you care a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not." -The Lorax

A New Generation of Gluten-Free Freezer Food | Kettle Cuisine All Natural Soups

2012-02-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Lunch is my least favourite meal of the day and as a result my meals tend to get boring and stagnant, especially when I'm at home with the boys. So when I had the chance to warm up my winter lunches with some gluten-free soup from Kettle Cuisine, I was more than a little excited.

Kettle Cuisine is nothing like soup from a can, it truly looks and tastes like homemade, best of all not only can I read all of the ingredients on the package, they are made from whole foods and actually look like the picture on the package. Kettle Cuisine offers both vegetarian and meat-containing products, but rest assured all meats used are naturally raised, which means they are antibiotic free and raised in a humane and sustainable manner.

Precisely what I want in pre-packaged food; nutritious and delicious as I like to say.

I had a chance to test out five of the eight Kettle Cuisine soup varieties; the tomato soup with garden vegetables, the angus beef steak chili, the chicken soup with rice noodles, the three bean chili and the new England clam chowder. My favourites are the tomato soup and vegetable (which is suprising as I generally don't like tomato soup) and the angus steak chili, the beef was so tender and delicious.

To say I was impressed would be an understatement, I don't generally care of soups, but I couldn't get enough of Kettle Cuisine. Paired with a sandwich, on gluten-free bread of course, Kettle Cuisine soup makes a perfect (and quick) lunch on a dreary Vancouver afternoon.

If you don't believe me, you should have seen the lineup at the Kettle Cuisine booth at the Vancouver Gluten-Free Expo.

You can find out more about Kettle Cuisine on the web, on Facebook and on Twitter.

I received Kettle Cuisine soups for the purposes of this review, however all opinions are my own.

The Unexpected Effect of Potty Training on Naptime

2012-02-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

If you can believe it, until about a month ago, the boy would happily toddle upstairs for a nap nearly every day. Lucky, I know. Unfortunately an unexpected side effect of potty training has been a sudden refusal to nap. The little guy may be almost three, but he still needs a nap; he's exhausted and constantly has bags under his eyes.

For the first couple of weeks I alternated between putting him in his room (and allowing him to scream for 10-20 minutes until he fell asleep) and plopping him on the couch with a movie so he would veg out for an hour or so and unwind. Unfortunately, he then started to outlast me with the screaming and I eventually stopped trying to get him to nap altogether.

A month of not napping is definitely catching up with him, the other day he told me 'I tired' at 10am. He promptly laid down on the couch and asked for a blanket and 'a little tv'. Unfortunately these days a rest on the couch is simply not having the desired effect. He doesn't rest for long and his cranky, moody, tired self promptly returns.

All of this I could probably live with, but the boy is the type of child that needs his sleep. Sadly, the combination of an overtired and overstimulated boy frequently results in night wakings, based on my readings (and the fact that I had them) I assume they are night terrors. He screams and screams and is not particularly soothed by our presence; in fact the only thing that calms him is leaving his room. Although we do sometimes let him watch a show on TV, we don't want that to become habit so we try to avoid it.

Lately he's been waking just as we are going to bed and we have been letting him sleep in our bed, something we have worked very hard to avoid.

We have NEVER let him sleep in our bed before and we certainly don't want that to become a habit, so this week I started forcing him to nap again. It seems easier to get him to nap in the day then to try and get him back into his room in the middle of the night. Fortunately both yesterday and today, the screaming lasted only 20 minutes before he fell asleep. He obviously needs the nap, I had to wake him up from a pretty deep sleep at 3:30 after a two hour nap and he still went to bed without a fuss at 7pm.

Did potty training have any unexpected effects? Do your kids nap? Do you let your kids sleep in your bed? Do your kids wake with night terrors? How do you cope?

Coffee for one with Tassimo | Review

2012-02-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

Do you Tassimo?

I recently admitted that I'm a bit of a coffee addict so its probably not surprising that I'm quite particular about the coffee I choose to brew in my own home. I've had tons of coffee makers since I first moved out on my own, back when I was in university. I've had machines that brew into travel mugs, expensive coffee makers and cheap ones and one thing I can say with certainty is that brewed coffee tastes best when you make at least 6 cups.

The hubs doesn't drink coffee and considering I usually only drink one cup of coffee at a time, its seems wasteful to consistently brew more coffee than I need. So when I won my Tassimo from Maple Leaf Mommy, I was eager to discover what it was all about.

My Tassimo brews great coffee quickly. Each T-disc has a barcode that tells the machine exactly how to brew the coffee, including the precise temperature and quantity of water required to brew the perfect cup. Since I've been home with my boys (and trying to cut back on my Starbucks addiction) my Tassimo has been my saviour.

There are a huge variety of coffee and tea options for the Tassimo; I allow myself one caffeinated coffee each morning and either the Americano or the Gevalia Dark Roast always hit the spot for me. I love that you can buy t-discs just about anywhere: grocery stores, drug stores, department stores and even office supply stores.

Although I'm off of dairy these days, for the sake of the baby, the Tassimo also brews a mean latte, chai tea or hot chocolate simply add the milk T-Disc to the machine once your espresso, tea or chocolate syrup has finished brewing.

My favourite part of my Tassimo? The boy comes running to help me make my coffee, its quite possibly one of the cutest parts of our morning routine.

So back to my original question, do you Tassimo?

You can find Tassimo Canada on the web, on Facebook and on Twitter.

FYI - there is a voluntary recall on some Tassimo T-discs and brewers; I have already registered for my replacement part and you should too!

I received sample t-discs for the purposes of this review, however all opinions are my own.

Medic Alert Bracelets: Do they work?

2012-02-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago my sister Kat went into anaphylactic shock.

I knew, without question, that a phone call at 3:30am meant someone was in trouble. Fortunately, she was already at the hospital recovering and her friend was by her side; the baby was due to wake up for a feed so it was close to 5:30 by the time I got to her.

Her reaction came on slowly, over a few hours and although she knows she’s allergic to hazelnuts and latex, she has still been unable to determine exactly what caused the reaction. She was in pretty rough shape and home from school for a week, though I think she’s pretty much recovered now.

Anaphylaxis is scary. I hope the boy will never have to fully experience it, however it’s a very real fear. Almost immediately after we found out the boy was allergic to peanuts, we got him a medic alert bracelet that he wears at all times. It provides peace or mind that regardless of the situation, the boys’ information will always be close at hand to those that would need it.

That belief is currently under review.

Although she was unable to talk, no one checked my sister for a medic alert bracelet. Despite her barely conscious, oxygen deprived state she waved her medic alert at the nurse who repeatedly pushed Kat’s arm away without a second glance. She was a the hospital and NO ONE checked her for a medic alert bracelet.

Three weeks later and she still has a rash on her arm from the latex tourniquet used to start her IV; a minor reaction to a small but unnecessary action. If someone had checked her for a medic alert, they would have known to keep everything latex-free.

I can’t help but be disappointed. I always believed that wearing a medic alert was a proactive move; a medically recognized way to keep medical information is available, regardless of consciousness. But now I’m not so sure, Kat tells me this is the second time she's been to the hospital and no one checked her for a medic alert.

As a parent of a peanut allergic child, I NEED to believe that wearing a medic alert will help keep my boy safe. I must stay strong and I can't allow my faith to be shaken; anaphylaxis is scary enough as is.

Do you or your family member wear a medic alert bracelet? Do you know someone whose live was saved by their medic alert bracelet? Or alternately, do you know someone else whose medic alert bracelet was ignored?

It's all about the choice baby | Potty Training Month 2

2012-02-07T06:51:00.000-08:00

I know I've been talking about potty training a lot lately, but its my reality and its exhausting. For the first time since he was born, I really felt like I was losing a battle with the boy. He wanted to wear the big boy undies and refused diapers but he also refused to sit on the potty and essentially peed wherever he felt like it.

We've tried nearly every suggestion I've read to get him to sit on the potty: special books and toys, treats, bribery, reward charts, bubbles in the potty, sitting backwards on the potty, even watching tv while on the potty. The only thing that's even been remotely helpful has been singing my 'pee pee in the potty' dance after a success.

Given that I see a lot of my brother in the boy, I decided to experiment with a tactic that worked for him. Growing up, my little brother had ADD and one of the things that works for him is to always offer choices and allow him the illusion of control.

When the boy started to shriek and protest a trip to the potty, I calmly told him it was his choice; he could go pee pee in the potty or he could go and have a time out in his room. I want to be clear, I was not trying to threaten or scare the boy into using the potty, I simply needed to provide an undesirable second option to increase the odds that he would choose the option I wanted. Once he thought it through, he promptly chose to head to the washroom where he sat on the potty and went pee almost immediately. Honestly, it felt like a miracle.

Since I started giving him a choice, he has not once chosen a time out (or time alone in his room as we usually call it) and we have had very few accidents. The boy seems to be embracing his new role as the big boy and the big brother and its absolutely amazing.

It's been about a week since I introduced the choice and we've had a number of accident free days and even a two-day streak. but yesterday we had two major successes. First, the boy peed in a public washroom (and on a full size toilet no less) and second, the boy initiated a successful trip to the potty; success truly does taste sweet.

I no longer need to offer a choice everytime I take the boy to the potty, more and more he is understanding how his body works and acts agreeable when its time to go to the potty. It's true, potty training is a tough road, but they all get it eventually and when we embrace and celebrate the little steps along the way the road doesn't feel quite so bumpy.

I'm a finalist in the Canadian Family Tales of Bliss Readers' Choice

2012-02-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

Last February I was honored to win tickets to Blissdom Canada because of all your votes. I had an amazing experience; I met fantastic people, heard thought-provoking speakers and found myself inspired in ways I'd never thought of.

While there, Jennifer Reynolds, Editor-In-Chief for Canadian Family issued an impromptu 'How did you find your bliss' challenge. I spent a lot of time thinking about the topic, I wrote and re-wrote and re-worked the article until it really said what I wanted it to.

And now I'm honored, yet again, because I'm a finalist in the Canadian Family Tales of Bliss Readers Choice. After the editors chose three stories to be published, they chose another thirteen they felt were worthy of sharing with their readers. The stories are amazing and I hope you will have a chance to read them all, but it would mean the world to me if you would read my story and if you like it, I'd appreciate your vote.

CLICK HERE To read my submissionFinding My Bliss by Amber Smith

CLICK HERE To VOTE
(second to last entry)

And once again, thank you all for your support, comments and overall awesomeness, in this instance and always.

Looking for Equal at Walmart Canada | #Cbias #EqualCanada

2012-01-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Every dietary restriction has its challenges, I know first hand what it means to live a life without gluten and feed a child with sensitivities to gluten, dairy and soy. Food is important to me and finding a way to eat the food I love regardless of dietary restrictions is not optional in my opinion. My continued search for Equal Sweetener has really made me stop and think about all the people that can't have sugar. Of course my thoughts immediately went to all the goodies that I could make with a canister of Equal, but that's just me. My very good friend's husband is diabetic and she's lactose intolerant, so I'm definitely going to make them something tasty.

My sister Kat and I headed off to the Queensborough Walmart in New Westminster BC, which was recently expanded into a Supercentre with a complete grocery store. On our last trip I spent so much time in the food we barely had a chance to look at the rest of the store.

As we shopped the grocery aisles I assumed that I would find the Equal with the sugar and baking supplies and when I didn't find it there, it took me a moment to remember to check the pharmacy, which is exactly where I found it. The yellow Equal Canister I was looking for was on the middle shelf , but I found it kind of odd that the blue Equal products were on the bottom shelf with a different brand of sugar alternative on the shelf between the two.

The Equal yellow canister is their new sucralose sugar alternative and it can be substituted 1:1 for traditional sugar which makes baking adaptations easy. The 275g canister is equivalent to 5lbs of sugar and at a price of $7.97 it feels like a pretty good deal, particularly for a specialty item. Although the yellow canister was on rollback price, only the blue Equal products were displaying rollback tags.

After a quick stroll through the clothing, we headed for the checkout. We accidently ended up in the express lane; somehow we didn't see the sign that the central area of cashiers were all express. Fortunately it wasn't very busy and our cashier was very gracious about the situation.

After our shop both Kat and I were feeling thirsty so we headed to the McDonalds for a smoothie, but were dissapointed they didn't have any. We ended up grabbing some french fries and hitting the Starbucks drive through on the way home instead.

Although I had noticed them outside on the way in, the inside recycling and garbage cans were completely photoworthy and thus worth mentioning. I love garbage cans that emphasize recycling and I think its great that Walmart is making an effort to help their customers, help them, reduce their waste.

Now I just have to find the perfect recipe, something gluten and dairy free that will travel easily from my home to my friends.

You can find #EqualCanada on the web, on Twitter and on Facebook and you can view the rest of my pictures from this trip on Flickr.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #Cbias however all opinions are my own.

Cupid's Cash $850 Giveaway | MamaNYC

2012-01-31T22:08:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Cupid's Cash Giveaway hosted by MamaNYC! I have teamed up with a number of amazing bloggers to bring you yet another fabulous cash prize.

One lucky reader is going to WIN
$850 USD in Paypal Cash.

To enter the Giveaway please use the Rafflecopter Widget below. This giveaway is open to residents worldwide; 18+. Winner must have a PayPal account in order to claim this cash prize. All entries are optional, but the more completed entries – the higher your chances will be to win this prize.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway This giveaway is a self-sponsored group collaborative effort in order to provide a cash prize. Each participant has provided funds in order to present this giveaway. This event is in no way sponsored or affiliated with any company or other individual(s) other than those included within the Rafflecopter widget.

Cupids Cash $300 Giveaway | Sober Julie & Kidsumers

2012-01-31T21:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Cupid's Cash Giveaway Event hosted by Kidsumers and Sober Julie Doing Life. I have teamed up with a number of amazing bloggers to bring you a fabulous cash prize, just in time for the Valentines Day!

One lucky readers is going to WIN
$300 USD in Paypal Cash!

To enter this giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway runs February 1st at 12:01 AM EST until February 14th at 12:01 AM EST and is open worldwide. The winner will be announced through the Rafflecopter widget and notified by email by the end of the day on February 17th, 2011. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!!!
Participating Blogs:

Sober Julie Doing Life

Kidsumers

Nugglemama's Handful Funny Things Are Everywhere Between The Kids Elegantly Said Shopping in Your Pjs My Little Review Corner The Jolly Blogger A Hen's Nest Nolie's Place Wisconsin Mommy Raising My Boys Humble Pie Tara's View of the World My Secret Home Shasher's Life Maple Leaf Mommy Mommy Moment Smookie Style Thriftymommastips Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar Rants Reviews Pixie Deals Noteworthy Country Mouse, City Mouse Mommies Point of View Bewildered Bug Canadian Coupon Mom Mom's Musings My Big Blue World The Momma Stuff Blog Number Crunching Momma Family Tales Not Ties

McDonald's Fruit Smoothies are gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious | #cbias

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

There's something about smoothies I love, so I was excited to try McDonald's new fruit smoothies, I did my research and not only are they gluten free, when made without yogurt, they are dairy free too. A fast food treat that I can enjoy is always cause for celebration in my books. I'm certain I had seen some coupons for McDonald's smoothies around my house, but I have a tendency to keep and lose coupons until after they expire so I didn't bother looking for them.

I piled my boys into the car, dropped the boy off at preschool and the baby and I were on our way. Once again, we headed to the Ironwood McDonalds so the little man and I could enjoy our visit in the Playplace.

When we arrived the baby was in good spirits and there was no lineup, so I had a chance to really look around. Pretty much the entire menu and all the signage inside the restaurant reflected the McCafe branding. I like the clean look and style, though I'm pretty sure not all the items available are on the menu boards anymore and sometimes I find that a little frustrating.

But I digress, when it came time to make my purchase, I knew without a doubt I would be trying the Mango Pineapple Smoothie, I'm a sucker for the tropical flavours and I'm not actually a huge strawberry fan. Raspberry on the other hand, I would have a hard time passing up. Although I was certain I'd only be having a smoothie, I couldn't help but order a Big Breakfast at the last minute. I recently discovered that without the english muffin, the eggs, sausage and hashbrown are all gluten-free and dairy-free and for only $3.49 its hard to go wrong.

Despite missing his nap, even after an extra 15 minutes of driving, the baby was an amazing date; he happily had a little snack and a few bites of hashbrown while I enjoyed my Mango Pineapple smoothie and Big Breakfast. The smoothie was delicious, the flavours blended well and tasted natural and fruity. Almost as important as taste, the texture was smooth, the ice was uniform and the entire drink melted evenly making it easy to drink every last drop.

Before we left the baby had a quick crawl around the PlayPlace to burn off some steam. One of my favourite things about the PlayPlace is that the room feels very safe and secure; there is only one entrance and that all of the edges are padded and protected.

After that we headed off to pick up my new menu planner from Staples and brief stop at home before running back to preschool to pick the boy up before lunch.

You can check out all my photos from this shop on Google+ and you can find McDonalds on Twitter @MCD_Canada.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias, however all opinions are my own.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

2012-01-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

With yesterday's new moon, a new lunar year began.

In Chinese culture, that's the only year that matters. In fact, my grandmother can't even tell you her exact birthday since she counts it on the lunar cycle rather than the traditional calendar. Much like the traditional new year, our family celebrates on the eve of the new year.

Although I'm sure there were fantastic parades and festivals around Vancouver, our family simply gathers at my grandmother's house for a home cooked meal and of course the exchange of the lucky red envelopes.

As you may know, although I am half Chinese, I don't speak Chinese and as such my knowledge of Chinese culture and traditions is minimal, though I have travelled to China three times, including my most recent trip when the boy was only 8 months old.

When I was young, red envelopes were a cause for celebration; married relatives must provide the unmarried children with cash filled lucky envelopes. As far as I know, there are only a few simple rules.

Each adult must provide each child with a lucky envelope, couples may not give a single envelope.
All envelopes must be received with two hands, accompanied by the appropriate thanks, dough-ja in Cantonese.
One must NOT open their envelopes and count their money until they are in the privacy of their own home, to open them when received is simply rude.
Lucky money must NOT be spent on bills, groceries or other household expenses. It is meant to be enjoyed, so its a perfect excuse to splurge on something unnecessary.

Although I'm a day late, I want to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY