Saturday 29 June 2013


Before I leave you for the weekend, I wanted to share with you, this beautiful photo taken by Shannon Belanger. She was absolutely wonderful to work with and I can not wait to see the rest of the special moments that she captured. 

Have a wonderful long weekend and HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY CANADA! :)

Friday 28 June 2013

The Black Walnut Bakery Cafe


I had an appointment last week in Wortley Village so I decided to leave an hour early from home to stop by The Black Walnut Bakery Cafe. They have wonderful quiches, soups, salads, pot pies, and many treats to choose from. One of my favorite treats that they have are these delicious pecan butter tarts!  I sat down at a table and while I was enjoying my treat a elderly lady struck up a conversation with me about the lemon tart that she was enjoying, it had a shortbread crust. “This is to die for!” she said to me. We both smiled, I find Wortley Village to be beautifully quite, cute, cozy, it’s very comfortable and the people that I run into while there are so friendly. If you are looking for something to do this weekend, take some time for lunch, dinner or tea in Worltey Village, you will be glad that you did! 

For directions and cafe menu, see their website http://www.blackwalnutbakerycafe.com/

Thursday 27 June 2013

My Summer Favorites From Chapters Indigo



1. Etched Medallion Pillar Candle
2. Blossom Mug Turquoise
3. Blossom Bowl Turquoise
4. Scroll Medallion Pillow
5. Sanctuary from Bluelounge
6. Organic Cotton Take Me Home Gift Set
7. Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks ( all of her cookbooks are wonderful, you can't go wrong! )
8. LIFE OF PI By Yann Martel (choose from the movie tie-in addition, or the original )

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home/

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Owen's Summer Favorites From Chapters Indigo


1. Green Eggs and Ham By Dr. Seuss
2. Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cookie Set
3. Classic Red Dual Deck Tricylcle #33
4. Shaving In The Tub
5. I Have To Go! By Robert Munsch
6. The Paper Bag Princess By Robert Munsch
7. Go, Dog. Go! By P.D. Eastman
8. Hoops For The Tub

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/kids/

Tuesday 25 June 2013

“I don’t have to be your best friend, I’m your Mother"

What I said to Owen the other night after our fight at the dinner table. My perfect little pumpkin was acting out of sorts, fighting me over everything, followed by screaming and “you’re not my best friend mommy”.  “I don’t have to be your best friend, I’m your mother” I replied.

As soon as those words left my mouth, I immediately thought of my parents, something they said to me many of times while growing up. Almost at my wits end I brought Owen upstairs, gave him a bath, and put him in his room for some quiet time. He assured me that he wasn’t going to bed, and I assured him that he did not have to, but that he would be taking some time to himself, in his room.

Twenty minutes later, I went upstairs to check on Owen. “Hi Mom, I’m reading books!” almost as though this fight downstairs had never happened. All was good in the world, and I was now again his “best friend”.

As Owen is growing and learning, so am I. I don’t have all the answers, but I try to do the best that I can. As a parent, you have so much to worry about. All of a sudden you have this precious gift, this gift relies on you, and this gift looks up to you, you want to do the what’s best for your child, and it’s hard to know what that is at all times. The icing on the cake here is that he is only three years old! I have so many years to worry about! I get anxious thinking of public school, highschool, then I just have to STOP and not get too far ahead of myself, all of this worrying will not do me any good.

So here is my advice to you parents out there- stop worrying! That sounds almost impossible, but we worry because we love our children. What you can do is, do the best that you can, always have their best interest even if that leaves them in their room for quiet time. Model the behavior that you want to see in them. Stay consistent, stand your ground, keep them safe. And lastly, you may have good days, you may have bad days, but no matter what, always love them.



Friday 21 June 2013

Congratulations!!

Congratulations!! You’ve made it through this week of fitness! I hope all of you are feeling GREAT! Before I leave you for the weekend, here are some ideas to keep you and your little ones active, rain or shine!

Have a parade!
Owen and I grab some musical instruments and I follow him as if we were a two man marching band and we march from the living room, to the kitchen, down the hall and repeat.

Turn on the music and have a dance party!
Kids love music--especially my toddler! He will pretty much dance to anything.  All I have to do is turn on a music station and dance around in the living room. You know the saying, “Dance like no one is watching?”  Set your beat to that drum and just have fun! :)

Hide and Go Seek!
Until Owen’s a little older, our version of this game is that you follow the sound of the voice of the person  who is hiding until you find them. Owen is a big fan of this game!

Create an Obstacle Course in your Basement!
Jump over ropes, run around toys, climb over pillows. I often “time” Owen and he really enjoys seeing how fast he can get through his obstacle course!

Take a walk to your nearest park!
Take a walk to the park and enjoy playing on the equipment with your children. Climb with them, slide with them, or chase them around the playground!

Play your favorite sport! 
Set up posts in the backyard for the goal and kick around the soccer ball, take a baseball and bat to the park and work on your swing, or run around the field with a football! Whichever sport your child is into-- you can't go wrong! Get out there and have some fun!

Thank you for joining me for fitness week! Enjoy your weekend everyone!! :)



Thursday 20 June 2013

Thursday Fitness Motivation


From my beautiful friend, Katherine, who is a momma of 2, and has a degree in Kinesiology! 
Get out your strollers and have some fun!! :)

Good morning mamas!

I’m excited to share with you a super fun, easy and quick circuit that you can do with your stroller that will do double duty incorporating both cardio and strength training!  Women can tend to focus on cardio, but strength training is really important too as it will contribute to more lean muscle mass, increased bone density critical in preventing osteoarthritis as well as lean muscles burn calories even when we aren’t workout out (Bonus, right).

THE CIRCUIT is 3 sets of:

5 minutes of cardio (skipping rope, jogging or brisk walking)

10 repetitions of all 5 exercises

EXERCISES:

20 WALKING LUNGES alternating each leg so that lunge 10x each leg

-          Make sure to keep your back straight (straighter than shown) and core tight (by pulling your belly button in)
-          Don’t allow your forward knee to go beyond that toe as it will put too much stress on your knee

10 SQUAT JUMPS

These are a super fun and effective way to work your glutes, quads and core muscles as well as calves! If you find jumping too strenuous on your joints or experience knee pain, please stop and do regular squats.

-          Remember: Don’t allow your knees to go beyond your toes

-          Tip: Envision a chair behind you and sit back into it, keeping your back straight then jump straight up and land keeping knees soft

10 CALF RAISES

-          Keeping your posture tall and core tight, lower your calves over the side of a curb and raise all the way.  These will help give you nice defined calf muscles (also good to do when doing your hair!)


5 WIDE ARM PUSH UPS & 5 CLOSE ARM PUSH UPS

-          Using your stroller (WITH THE BRAKE ON) or a park bench/curb elevate your feet, keep your back straight and lower down into a push up where your elbows are as close to a perfect 90 degree angle.  If you have any back pain, do not elevate your feet, and bend your knees. As you extend your arms, remember not to fully lock your elbows.

-          For wide arms, keep hands shoulder width apart – this will focus more on your chest and bicep muscles

-          For close arms, keep your hands closer together, a few inches apart, and this will focus more on your triceps

10 TRICEP DIPS

-          Using stroller, bench or curb to elevate feet, slowly lower body by bending Elbows until they reach a 90 angle, then extend until elbows are only slightly bent but not locked

Hope you all enjoy these fun exercises to do with your babies or at the park!

Katherine 

Wednesday 19 June 2013

The Little Gym


Continuing with our week of fitness,The Little Gym has a variety of classes that range for children, ages 4 months to 12 years! These classes include:

Parent and child classes for children, ages 4 months to 3 years
These classes focus on increasing strength and muscle control, fine and gross motor skill development, coordination, balance, spatial and perceptual awareness, introduction to colors, language, and early socialization.

Gymnastics for children ages, 3 to 12 years
Increase strength, flexibility and coordination. Increase confidence, imagination development, integrated into groups, listening skills, sense of pride and achievements.

Sports Skills for children ages, 3 to 6 years
Children will learn the fundamental skills for a range of team sports. Kids will have fun working as a team, and developing self confidence.Their trained coaches will run drills and simulated games for many popular sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, football, hockey and golf. 

Dance for children ages, 3 to 12 years
The Little Gym of London Dance program introduces children to ballet, tap and hip-hop! While allowing them to express themselves through creative movement, children spend a good part of their class time refining their techniques in the studio. These dance classes help increase children's flexibility, coordination and strength, improve balance, posture and grace, development of rhythm and creative movement.

Karate for children ages, 4 to 12 years
These classes give students the fundamentals of karate blocks, punches and kicks, in a positive noncompetitive environment. Your kids will enjoy the obstacle courses, high energy music, skill-based activities and games!

Find out about these programs herehttp://www.thelittlegym.com/londonON/Pages/default.aspx

Or visit them at either location

395 Wellington Rd #212
London
(519) 681-9100

1225 Wonderland Rd N, (Sherwood Forest Mall)
London

(519) 642-0660

Have a great Wednesday Everyone!! :)





Tuesday 18 June 2013

Beach Routine

Start off your Tuesday with this beach routine that comes from one of my best friends, Renee, she is my beautiful fitness guru!We spent the late afternoon jogging, working out our lower body, and ended the afternoon with some yoga stretches. 

First, get your body warmed up with a 5 minute jog along the beach, then start your lower body work out.
                                                                                                     Lunges
  • Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and down and chin up.
  • Stepping forward with one leg, lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, and make sure your other knee doesn't touch the floor.
  • While engaging your core step forward with the opposite foot and repeat.
  • Goal was to do 20 lunges on either side.
  • To extend the exercise carry handheld weights.
                                                                                         Glute Kickbacks
  • On your hands and knees, raise your head and squeeze your buttocks as you simultaneously raise a leg up.
  • Alternate legs
  • Goal was to do 30 on each side
  • To extend the exercise strap on a pair of ankle weights.

Squat
  • Stand with your head facing forward and your chest held up and out.
  • Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Extend your hands straight out in front of you to help keep your balance.
  • Sit back and down like you're sitting into an imaginary chair. Keep your head facing forward as your upper body bends forward a bit. Allow your lower back arch slightly as you descend.
  • Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles. Press your weight back into your heels.
  • Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position

After our lower body workout we went for a 15 minute run along the beach, then stretched it out with these yoga poses.


                                                                                             Crescent Pose
  •  Lower your hips into lunge position and shift your weight onto the ball of your back foot,
  •  Bringing your hands to your hips. Stay up on the ball of your back foot and lift your upper body so that you're standing straight up. Keep your hips squared the entire time.
  • Bring your arms above you and reach for the sky. Palms should be facing each other.
  • Gaze up as you dip into a lower back bend. Back bend is optional.
  • Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then switch sides
                                                                                              Downward Dog
  • Start the pose on all fours, placing your hands directly under your shoulders while tucking your toes into the floor.
  • While exhaling lift your buttocks to the sky, while straightening  out your hands, fingers spread apart for extract support.
  • Back legs should be straight. Allow yourself to adjust your feet into a comfortable position.
  • Goal is to to eventually have your heels completely on the floor.


                                                                                            Pigeon Pose
  • From downward dog, step first foot between your hands.
  • Lower your body down so your back leg it stretched our with the top of your back foot facing down.
  • Resting your bent front leg down with your foot tucked to your opposite thigh.
  •  Make sure your left hip is always pointing down toward the ground.
  • Hands are to be on either side of the body. For a deeper bend, bring your torso down supporting your body with your hands on either side.
  • A lower back bend can be done to help open the chest.
                                                                              Pigeon Pose into Upward Twist
  • While is pigeon pose, raise your back leg so your toes are pointed to the sky.
  • Simply twist your torso to your back leg.
  • With your same hand, grab your bent leg while gazing behind you.
  • Your opposite hand should remain on the ground for support. Keep torso straight and shoulders back.
If you don't live by a beach, grab a yoga mat and head to your nearest park! 

Keep up the great work everyone! Fitness inspiration continues tomorrow! :)

Monday 17 June 2013

Fitness Week!

Starting tomorrow I will be focusing this week on fitness for you and your little one. Along with good nutrition, it is equally important to stay active, so I, along with some friends, have come up with some creative ways to stay fit and have fun doing so! 
In the meantime, give this coconut juice blend a try! It is full of antioxidants, cancer fighting agents, potassium, and electrolytes.
Blend: Cherries, half of a banana, fresh pineapple juice and coconut water in a blender. Enjoy! 

Sunday 16 June 2013

Happy Father's Day!

You know the expression when talking about Father’s “She’s got you wrapper around her finger” I believe this to be true, but I believe my Father has me wrapper around his as well. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for this man. I love him with all my heart.

Growing up he was the Father at every sporting event that I had, I learned a lot of my cooking from him, and a lot of my parenting skills I have learned from my Father. When you have a child, you start to see what you’ve learned from your parents. You appreciate your parents far more than you might have before. I am lucky enough to have the most generous, selfless man I know for my Father.

 I know my Father is the man he is today because of his wonderful parents and their parenting.

 My grandfather had the most kind eyes. He was sweet and playful, full of love and always greeted me with “Hi, dear”. I see that with my own Father, the way he is with Owen. So kind, loving, Owen’s best “Buddy”.
I am thankful that I have had these men to look up to in my life. They have taught me many valuable lessons, among them how to love, unconditionally.


Happy Fathers Day! :)


^^^My Parents^^^

^^^My Grandparents^^^

Friday 14 June 2013


So I have been boasting to my friends about how great the juice cleanse was that I did not too long ago, and a reader has reminded me that I have not shared how it went!
 This 3 day juice cleanse was anything but easy. I started around dinner on a Sunday and ended the cleanse on the following Wednesday about lunch time. I was hoping to have pushed through til dinner on that Wednesday evening but I was starting to get a little shaky, and called it quits. Something to note* if you are planning on doing a 3 day juice cleanse, try to clear your schedule, I did not feel up to doing much of socializing and I went to bed early every night.
 I started out this cleanse by juicing and drinking a mix of kale, celery, apples, oranges, cucumber, lemon, and lime. I very quickly got bored of that combination, so I started drinking each fruit or veggie on its own. I would juice a glass of orange, then a glass of carrot, then a glass of spinach… You get the picture. ;)  I would also have sliced fruits  and veggies on hand to snack on. What I thought I would be craving and missing was my morning coffee, but I didn't. The only thing my body really craved was bread, every day I craved bread!
 The first day I started to get a headache in the afternoon, and a headache is something  I rarely never experience,I went to bed with a headache that night.
 The second day I woke up, my headache was gone. I started juicing and eating fruits, veggies, nuts. Then the headache started again, this time around 10 A.M, it would sort of pass then come back, this continued until bed.
 Wednesday, by lunch, my body had enough. Almost immediately after eating some fresh twelve grain bread, the headache was gone, I was feeling good.
What surprised me the most were the days to come. The following days I really noticed a change. I felt healthier, my mind was clear, I craved fresh juice, my skin looked refreshed, I felt recharged.
What I have learned from this is to rely more on fruits and veggies to give me that extra energy that I needed rather than from other sources. Before this cleanse I almost felt dependent on coffee in the morning. Now, if I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning it is out of enjoyment, not a need.
During this cleanse, I remember thinking to myself; I am never doing this again!  But now, I’m almost looking forward to doing it again because I know how good I felt after the cleanse. There are many different ways of doing a cleanse, do some research and see which interests you. If you are excited about it, you are more likely to follow through. Lastly, most cleanses are done once or twice a year and it is always important to consult with your Doctor before starting any cleanse.
There you have it- now get cleansing!!! :)
Have a wonderful weekend everyone! :)


Wednesday 12 June 2013

Our bedtime routine has been quite habitual lately, Owen insists on reading the same three books: The Paperbag Princess, I Have to Go, and Where the Wild things are. After we read together I turn off the lights and we tell jokes. These arent your average joke mindyou, but they are similar to this: Knock knock, Who’s there? Banana Orange! Then Owen starts to laugh. This continues on for awhile switching up Banana Orange with different fruit or animals. Before I tuck Owen in, we start a make believe story of Owen and I going to the park and having a picnic, and what we are going to bring.
I kiss Owen Goodnight and I say to him, “Do you know how much I love you?"
Owen says: “How much?”
I reply: “To the moon and back!”
“Well, do you know how much I love you mommy?” Owen asks.
“How much? I reply
“I love you all the way to the mountain, and river, and back” says Owen.
I smile, kiss him good night and pretend to throw him “magic” as I leave his room.
I come downstairs and I start to write out everything that Owen wanted to take on our picnic. My plan is to pick up these items and we will enjoy a picnic in the park this week. Not everything on the list will make the cut, but s’mores, books, fruit, and Spider-Man, to name a few, will.
As I write out this list I can’t stop but think of how happy Owen makes me. Not everyday is easy, but with this house full of love, it makes even the hard days, manageable, I feel very lucky.
Take time to enjoy the small things. Enjoy your children, spend time with them, and if the weather’s right, have a picnic! :) 

Tuesday 11 June 2013


With Fathers Day fast approaching, I have been searching different gift ideas online and thought I would share them with you! Along with a gift I have put together, I always add something created by Owen. Some ideas would include finger painting, a framed photo of your little ones, crafty cards, or a canvas of your loved ones handprints like this one we had previously made for Owen’s Father. For this craft you can purchase everything you need from the Dollar store. There I found this canvas, paint, and paintbrushes. Everything I needed for only $5!

Instructions: I had Owen paint his father’s hand his favorite colour.  We had his father press his painted hand on a small canvas then let the canvas handprint dry overnight.  The next day, I painted Owen’s hand his favourite colour and then placed his handprint on top of his Fathers. When that dried, we could have left it as it was but decided to write Daddy + Owen underneath the hands at the bottom of the canvas!

Super simple, easy to make, and touching all at once.  However fancy the other gifts,  receiving a crafty gift from Owen is always our favorite gift to receive. 


To go along with our craft I am putting together a BBQ themed present. I have picked up these sauces--one is a Budweiser BBQ sauce and the other a Jim Beam wing sauce. I’m planning on picking up a book with recipes for the grill, like the one here from Chapters Indigo, (Only $19.14!) and some new BBQ tools.

Still in search of Father’s Day gift ideas?? Check out these following links from Chapters Indigo and Today’s Parent Online. You will be sure to find something he’ll love this Father’s Day!





Monday 10 June 2013

Instead of doing a typical weekend photo recap post, I wanted to highlight a few local entrepreneurs and businesses that I had the pleasure of running into over the weekend.
My brother Bret, was showcasing his artwork in the London Covent Market this past Saturday. He has always been creative, imaginative, and his artwork is quite unique. We have two paintings in my house from my brother, one he made for Owen, and for myself.

Above is one of Bret’s newest pieces of artwork, he describes his art as “ impulsive abstract space art,colorful and very mystical” I am honoured to have such a talented artist in the family. To view more of Bret’s work or to contact him directly, visit him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bret.toth?fref=ts
After spending some time with my brother my friend and I walked through the Rag Bag Bazaar that was happening in downtown London.

^^Mac & Joe^^ This handsome duo are behind the handmade unisex accessories! With bow ties for days, and gorgeous scarfs, there really is something for everyone! You can find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MacAndJoe  all of their accessories can be shipped worldwide. Mac and Joe also find it important to give back to their community, for St. Patricks Day they partnered up to raise money for the London’s Children’s Health Foundation, how incredible is that? We will be hearing and seeing much more from these two!

^^^LIQUID GOLD! ^^^Before leaving the London Covent Market, I searched out a vendor for local honey. I have been hearing the best things about it, and the rumors are true, its amazing!! This honey is produced by the Wildflower Honey Company. If you are ever stopping by the market, make sure to grab a jar, or two!

^^^ And if snacking all day wasn’t enough, I heard about Penny’s BBQ  and made a priority to stop by. Penny offers amazing BBQ next to Rona off of Commisioners. Penny offers Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Sausages, Veggie Burgers, fresh cut fries and a variety of cold beverages. I ordered the Veggie Burger, topped it with my favourites and her signature chipotle mayo, It was delicious!  With Penny’s warm and friendly personality and her fantastic BBQ she is huge hit! I will definitely be coming back for more, and soon!^^^

^^^Sunday, I went for a tour at Cinch Stables. This Western riding center has a very personable staff, and the horses are so friendly! I was impressed by how well kept everything was, and it felt like a very comfortable environment. Riding is something I have been wanting to get back into for some time now, and I am happy to have found this place. To find out more about Cinch Stables, you can check out their website here: http://cinchstables.com/^^^
To end our weekend Owen and I went to my Aunt and Uncles to Celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. We had some delicious appetizers at their place and moved our party over to Marienbad for dinner. It was a very lovely evening!

 ^^^ My Mother and Owen playing in the wind after dinner^^ I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as we did! ^^^ Happy Monday! :)

Friday 7 June 2013


With summer here to stay I have been seeing an abundance of juice pops and yogurt bars online and in magazines. I decided to pop into Homesense in search of popsicle molds, and I came across rocket shaped molds that are perfect for kids!


For this recipe I used ingredients that we love, you can't go wrong- get creative!

For this recipe you will need:

2 Cups of Coconut Greek Yogurt 

2 Tablespoons of Organic Honey

1/2 cup of frozen raspberries

1 Banana

Instructions:

Using a blender, blend banana, raspberries, honey and 1 cup of the greek yogurt until smooth. The consistency will be a little runny.Transfer to a bowl and add the second cup of greek yogurt, now it should be thicker in consistency. 

In a separate bowl, melt chocolate of your choice, we used dark chocolate. You can melt chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave slowly and stir often.

Pour chocolate into the bottom of the popsicle mold, then add the yogurt mixture, leaving some space on top, you do not want to fill the popsicle to the top as they will expand a little bit while in the freezer.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Note* If you are having trouble removing frozen yogurt bar from the mold, hold the mold under warm water for 30 seconds or so.

Enjoy!! :)

 
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