Monday, April 30, 2012

Musical Monday: Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

heh, heh, heh...
I could listen to this song over and over!!

HEY!


Thursday, April 26, 2012

We're Moving!


We finally got our paper work confirming we have officially been transferred!
It sounds so dramatic but I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Up until now we have been in some sort of limbo, knowing that we were likely to move but unable to prepare too much as nothing was "official". But it's all officially official now and life can start to progress.
We can now officially list our house and start entertaining offers or the idea of an offer.
We can start completing checklists and making more checklists.
We can start preparing the boys on another level for the move, knowing it will for sure be happening.
We can start planning where this new little bean will be born as it can't be born in our new location (more on that later).
I am so happy I can not help but randomly jump up and down and clap like a fool!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Company!

My parents arrive today for a week long visit and we are all super excited.
It's always so nice to have family visit. Zac has been counting down the sleeps until Nana and Papa's arrival and has planned all kinds of fun things to show them and do with them.
We are currently traveling to and from St John's hoping to spot a few ice burgs along the way.
Happy Tuesday!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Musical Monday: OK Go - Needing/Getting

Ummmm... in love with this video...



Saturday, April 21, 2012

I did it!

I didn't think it could be done, but I've done it.
I've got my mister hooked on the Hunger Games Series. 
In the 10 years we've been together I have never seen this man read anything except Men's Health Magazines and his Bible.
He mentioned last week that he might be interested in seeing what they were all about so I gave him the first one, thinking I'd bring up his progress around Christmas. To my surprise he plowed through it in less then a week and couldn't move on to the second fast enough. In the past two weeks I have not seen him around the house without the book!
muh-ah-ah-ah!! 

Friday, April 20, 2012

Cook Books

I have a love for cook books. 
I read them cover to cover, almost like novels, and have a sizable collection.
I thought I'd share some of my current favourites incase you have been feeling the need to expand your current collection...
... and I totally broke them down into catagories... perhaps this shows how freaky I can be about my books... thaaat or it just makes me look super crazy organized... you can decide...

Bloggy Love
Pioneer Woman (books 1 and 2) and Joy The Baker (blog here) are two of my favourite ladies on the web, the fact that they have both authored books, makes my life a very happy place.

Seasonal Reads
 Nigella Christmas by the lovely Nigella Lawson is so... Christmas-y! I read it at the beginning of every December just to help me get in the spirit. Her mint hot chocolate is everything right with the world.
Twelve by Tessa Kiros is all about cooking using seasonal ingredients, which is something I really need to try and do more of!

For the kiddies
 Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey is a delicious book, when Jill O'Connor wrote another book, by the same title adding Treats for Kids, I could not look the other way. Most, if not all, the recipes in this book are easy enough to be made with little helping hands, and once your kids are older then mine, easily completed with little supervision.
First Meals by Annabel Karmel is a great resource book for what your kids should be enjoying at each stage in life up to preschool, it also provides great recipes and meal plans. Love it.

Baking Goodness
 Chocolate Chocolate by Lisa Yockelson is a yummy book... and oh so pretty.
The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book is alway a go to for me. The recipes are delicious and easy and are always made using ingredients that are easy peasy to find.

Inspirational
Sometimes I like to just look at books to see the pictures and be inspired. It's even better when the books have great recipes, which both of these do.
At Home with Magnolia by Allysa Torey is delicious and beautiful and the same could be said for Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. I look at both of these books all the time to be inspired creatively, decoratively and foodly.

Healthy
I will be honest, I do not have a lot of "health" books. I am careful with what I eat, most of the time, but my passion in the kitchen is not usually for anything steamed, green or poached. 
That said both of these books (Now Eat This Diet, by Rocco Dispirito and So Easy by Elle Keiger) have great recipes in them and I have turned to both on many occasions very please with my results.


That's just to name a few of course... 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Bits & Pieces

We had a lovely weekend and my camera was close at hand!








 


1. Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee and yogurt covered cranberries... heaven!
2. We had such lovely weather, the boys spent hours outside.
3. Move over Mike Holmes!
4. Pioneer Woman's sesame noodles with (first grill of the season) steaks, mmmm... PW was my hero that day!
5. Time to hit the ice! The boys had a birthday party at the ice rink.
6. Zac loved every minute of it.
7. Eli wasn't so sure and refused to put the skates on...
8. Supplies for a new picture project!
9. Bubbles!
10. Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Musical Monday: Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made for Walkin'

I fell in love with this video the second I saw it!
It reminds me of Austin Powers and makes me giggle and dance.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Somedays

I think somedays it's just better to stay in bed. 
The last two days have been those kinds of days around here. 
Both boys and I have cut ourselves, nothing too bad, but Eli is walking around guarding his hand like a wounded animal... it's very sad. 
I accidentally put a (clean) pull up through the wash, which exploded it's overly saturated contents all over the inside of the machine, and the clothes. And I topped it all off yesterday morning by falling in the shower. While it was a heart stopping moment that ended up with a few hours spent in the emergency room checking out the baby, all appears to be good and aside from being banged up and sore I'm also fine.
That said, today will be an easy day complete with comforts and cuddles.
This is probably my most favourite cookie recipe of all time. You should try it, it helps even the worst days appear so much better... 
not that I'm an emotional eater...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Life Right Now

Right now I am...

Loving that Eli calls Zac, Zachary (Zak-a-wee) despite the fact that no one else does.
Trying to pack things away for either storage or donation to help the house show better... it's not progressing well...
Hopeful that we will sell the house quickly and with minimal stress.
Stocking up on craft supplies.
Working on more projects then I should be.
Inspired by everything. My mind is buzzing so fast these days I can hardly keep up.
Dreaming of going away for a craft weekend, or perhaps organizing my own.
Struggling with taking one day at a time, not getting ahead of myself and trying not to become too overwhelmed.
Obsessed with Downton Abbey, such a wonderfully cozy show.

What are you up to?

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Pumpkin Muffins

I luurrrrve pumpkin.
I would eat something pumpkin flavoured everyday and be a very happy lady.
This is my mother in law's recipe and it's wonderful.
My boys can make these with almost no assistance, I can eat them all in one sitting and for those that actually escape my snatching jaws, they freeze like a dream.

Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp mace
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

Beat sugar and oil together, add the eggs and beat until combined. Add the spices and dry ingredients and lastly mix in the canned pumpkin.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

...mmmmmmm...

Monday, April 9, 2012

Musical Monday: Andy Squyres - Why, Oh Why

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.
I was so excited to watch Zac learn and understand the Easter story over the past 4 days and to watch Eli talk so seriously about how much the bad guys hurt Jesus on the cross.
They have both decided Jesus is a pretty rockin' superhero to be able to raise from the dead after all that mean stuff and live in heaven with God until he comes back for us.
I think it's pretty impressive to...




Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Life Lately

I feel like I'm going to be saying this a lot over the next few months, but my-oh-my where have the last few days gone?
Life around here has been a little crazy since last Thursday and I fear it's only going to continue at this crazy pace for the next few weeks... until mid May to be exact!

Thursday my mister came home in the evening so we spent the day out. I figured it would be so much easier to keep the boys minds off the excitement if we were out and boy was that a good decision! He arrived home around bedtime to much excitement with gifts for everyone. We played for a while, visited and everyone went to bed late.
Friday was a bit of a catch up day. The boys were craving play time with daddy and he did not disappoint. I was still feeling a little under the weather so I slept a long time and woke up only because I was hungry.
Friday afternoon brought a bit of excitement when we got a phone call from the children's hospital in St John's advising of an apt on Monday afternoon. You see, a surprise trip to St John's is a straight up pain. We spent the afternoon trying to get ensure that my mister was able to get the time off and making plans. Saturday was a clean the house day as we now need to start planning for showings and open houses. My parents are also coming at the end of the month to sleep in our junk room (yes, we opted for a full junk room instead of the standard drawer). So I worked all day cleaning that stinkin' room up and am only about half way... seriously, how did we let that happen??
Sunday was a travel day to get into St John's and Monday was spent in St John's amusing the boys, doing the few errands we had to complete then going to Zac's apt. We came home last night, late, and so begins today...

This week is riddled with more dr's appointments and too many things on the "To Do" list. 
I'm hoping to complete a bunch of crafty things and finish tidying the house. We have our fingers crossed to do a private viewing this weekend of the house and let me tell you! we are no where ready for someone to come in here looking with any kind of a critical eye!

I'm really hoping to be able to share some crafty goodness on here shortly. I feel like it's been awhile since we had a crafty moment...

Monday, April 2, 2012

Musical Monday: Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That, Cover

I totally sound like this when I'm driving in my car singing... I also bring along a kazoo just incase I should need it... and my boys? Yep, they totally sing back up and play amazing instrumentals too...
psh... who doesn't?