green isn't always a good colour on me

                                                               Source: jackrogersusa.tumblr.com via Krista on Pinterest

i’m jealous

i’m jealous of people out there who are able to pull off living “simply”.  You know the people/blogs I’m talking about. The people who un-school their children, make all 3 meals from scratch (i’m talking right down to slaughtering livestock), knit a sweater a day, don’t own a t.v, hand make fresh bread each morning, have time to read, go on hikes, tap some trees, watch their children play NICELY with eco-friendly toys and then tuck everyone in under their handmade quilts after some sort of gratitude ceremony... oh and I forgot that the house ALWAYS looks neat, tidy and uncluttered.

Yes, I know that blogs are like reality tv, its all in the editing but that doesn’t stop me from  flying into a jealous rage at least once a day (only a minor exaggeration).  Sri would at this point mention to me that the above person has actually complicated their lives by not taking advantage of modern conveniences and is probably running around like a maniac trying to get everything done and making everything look “perfect”.   

We like think that we are living simply and then we look around our house and at our lifestlye and re-think “EPIC FAIL”.  We have way too much, spend way too much on nothing really, spend a lot of time watching TV (ahem, hello Netflix) and don’t spend enough of our dollars locally.

So in conjunction with 2012 being my year for organization it is also going to be a year to simplify.  buy less, make more, shop locally, watch less tv and get rid of excess.  

We are going to start with small steps and not my usual "okay thats it...throw out all plastic toys, any food that comes in a box and cancel the T.V".  We are thinking about starting with fermenting our own gingerale.  Is that starting small? 

{this moment}

Joining amanda and friends in "this moment"...capturing a moment from the week that I want to cherish and hold onto.

Have a great weekend!

hint hint

I don't know about you, but everytime my husband says he is going to cook dinner I get so bombarded with questions and confusion that I end up taking over (I think that is his intention!) and making the dinner myself.  In my attempt at getting better organized I have made up this sort of cheat sheet for the common meals and baking that goes on in my kitchen.   This sheet is also going to be a wonderful resource for those in the house that wish to make a meal without my help YAY!!!! Without saying anything to Sri I am going to put this on the front of the fridge and see if it encourages him to make a meal.... how long do you think it will take?  

Hello Monday!

hello MONDAY!
hello family day!

hello fancy hair styles

hello art gallery of hamilton and your wonderful family day program
hello art class where the kids learned to paint self portraits (whoa...you should see the end product!)
















hello lovely weather in February

hello bike riding at the pier

















hello MEX -I- CAN.... it was a VERY long wait but VERY well worth it
hello thumb-wrestling... thank you for occupying my super impatient children















hello green monster spinach smoothies , thank you for giving me illusion of health

hello dominos.... you are not fun enough to warrant all the fighting between children over your tiles
hello lazy and short week ahead.....I am so looking forward to you!


I am linking up with Lisa today for Hello Monday.
What are you saying hello to today?

{this moment}

Joining amanda and friends in "this moment"...capturing a moment from the week that I want to cherish and hold onto.

Have a great weekend!

not original but certainly adorable!

I hijacked the kid’s valentines this year. I have been wanting to make this style since last February and come hell or high water, this year, it was getting done.  While it should have been as easy as 1-2-3-4

1.  taking a photo of each child with an outstretched fist, 

2.  overlaying some font in photoshop 

3.  printing them off,

4.  cutting a little slit above and below the outstretched fist to fit the sucker through

...it just didn’t work out that way.  

I really complicated things with my over the top ideas.  Since Anthony is really into super heros I thought I would make his card look like a comic strip.  Ava’s was a lot simpler because all she wanted was PINK.  Despite my constant battles with photoshop, I think that the cards ended up looking super adorable.    These cards would be a great idea for so many different occasions.... thank yous, get well soon, sorry (holding a little white flag), and congratulations.  I see many many more versions of this card in my future.....I may even let the kids have a little input!

My day is going to be spent showering these two with kisses and hugs, hand delivering valentine's cards, making a cake for Ava's school raffle, receiving gifts (hopefully) and enjoying a MEAL COOKED BY SRI.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today!

she had moves like jaggar

This past Friday night Ava went to her first school family dance.  We have been planning for this dance for weeks... picking outfits, making dresses, finding accessories and practicing dance moves.    

 It took a while for Ava to come out of her shell but once she did...WATCH OUT!  She was all over that dance floor (mostly just jumping up and down...which I did not participate in for a number of fairly obvious reasons!). 

 You could tell that Sri and I haven't been out in quite a while because we were really into it....actually dancing like it was OUR school dance! 

Anthony was more the creep around the edges of the dance floor kind of guy but had quite a swagger and was seen wiggling with the ladies at times.

To complete the whole dance experience we had to stop by McDonalds for happy meals...what is a dance without an unhealthy late night (8pm) snack right?  

We spent the weekend recovering from our wild Friday night...getting ready for this event really took it out of us.  

green thimble update

Just in case you forgot that I actually DO make children's clothing and accessories (I will have to start posting more about my sewing!) I thought I would share 2 adorable pictures that I received from some happy apron customers.

This picture is from Giuliana (who takes breathtaking  birth photos.... check it out here)

and

This picture was sent to me by my friend Tanya who has just started an amazing blog called the Brown Bunch... check it out, it is an inspiring read.

Thanks to both of you for sending me these pictures... I love seeing my work in action. Your daughters are adorable and I am so glad you are getting use out of your aprons!

{this moment}

Joining amanda and friends in "this moment"...capturing a moment from the week that I want to cherish and hold onto.

and yes, that is a pot lid being held on his waist by a plastic snake.....HEEEE-MAN!

Sorry for the lack of posting this week...we were busy being the most powerful people in the universe!

Have a great weekend

kicking it up a notch

Friday nights are usually movie night in this house.  The kids love it because we all snuggle up on the couch (knitting not allowed) and watch a movie that they have chosen (input by parents not allowed).  This week the kids and I decided that movie night, although fun as is, needed a little jazzing up.  The kids chose to set up a concession stand and charge admission.  They spent the majority of the afternoon making signs, tickets and planning snacks.  They rushed through dinner like I have never seen so that they could get to the movie.  They were very professional.... calling me "miss" and Sri "mister", a little un-hygenic and a lot adorable.  We were escorted to our seats by Anthony (who wore gardening gloves for the occasion) and covered with blankets.

The movie the kids chose was HORRIBLE but I really didn't care because the whole process was just so darn cute.  The kids can't wait until next Friday night but we were informed that "real money" will be required and that it is "not going to be cheap".  I think that if we are paying than I am going to DEMAND that WE get to choose the movie!

{this moment}

Joining amanda and friends in "this moment"...capturing a moment from the week that I want to cherish and hold onto.   What you don't see is me whipping down the hill Christmas Vacations styles with sparks shooting out the sides of the toboggan. Have a great weekend!

photo fun

Add some adorableness to your pics with props....check out my guest post to see how over at bunchland.  I would love to see what you come up with!

weekend happiness

a lot of He-Man and He-Man-ish activities

a great thrift store find

a good start on Ava's Valentine's DANCE dress

a big pile of wet snow clothes

a brave brave girl getting her ears pierced

tea parties:: in this house meaning a Perrier and Oreo party

homework done before Monday morning

It was a great weekend!!

The triplets and a tradesman

Today I would like to formally introduce 3 new members to our family.  Izzy, Battle Cat and Captain Hook joined our family about 2 weeks ago and let me assure you that they have had some real highs and lows during that time.  I think they have finally adjusted to having our four faces pressed against the glass on a pretty constant basis.  I love listening to the kids chit chat with the fish.  Last night I actually hear Anthony say " good night Battle Cat... you were a very good listener today!"... I could devour that kid.  Just a word of warning, if you think it would be great fun to turn the tank light off and on like a strobe light and have a fish dance party IT IS NOT.... based on the book that Ava took out of the library, it could stress them out and KILL them.  Ava set a new family rule...dance parties for humans only!

Anthony fancies himself quite a tradesman around here.  This is his current style of choice and I LOVE IT!

Kung Hei Fat Choy

2012 has been my year....I know I'm only 23 days in.  I have dubbed this year "my year of organization" and I have been able to make a great start thanks to my most treasured 2012 Laurel Denise Planner.   Not only does it look FANTASTIC, it feels fantastic and it is fantastically functional.  The layout allows me to look at the month, week and day all at the same time... are you reading my excitement??  The quality of the paper is amazing....ink doesn't smudge or bleed through. I actually saw Ava just running her hand over the February page the other day...."just because".  There are pockets to put all my little papers in, spots to write notes and inspirations and oh so much more.  

At first I was a little concerned that I wasn't going to be able to fit my huge and sloppy hand writing in the allotted spaces BUT all i needed to do was buy a very fine pen (well actually a few of them in different colours) and my sloppy writing has been magically transformed into neat and orderly script.... would that concept work with dress sizes?

I always buy a new planner at the beginning of each year and I never use it past January  because they are always very impractical in a variety of ways.  I predict I will be using this planner WELL past January and am planning to buy the pink one for next year....okay i'm getting ahead of myself.

This planner is for my personal use only as I am not a fan of people chicken scratching in
my prize possession.  I have put a cheap calander up on the fridge for that kind of thing....you know who you are!   

This planner has truly helped me to release my inner stationary geek and get organized in a non-stressful way.

Thank you Laurel Denise for thinking of everything in your planner!

and thank you Dave of mixed media for hunting it down for me!

Continuing with the theme of New Year, I was so excited to celebrate Chinese New Year with the kids and Sri this year.  I even went all out and bought this adorable book to get them involved.   I had planned to have a big dinner and try to incorporate as many of the New Year traditions that I could.  Unfortunately, I was the ONLY one excited about this in my house....in fact I think one of the kids actually hid the book because I had been going on about it so much. So happy lunar New Year from ME!  Im counting this as my new years day so that I can restart my resolutions...none of which i have been able to keep....NONE!

snail mail

If we have your address check your mailboxes! Ava is on a letter writing spree and can't be stopped.  She is now on the hunt for a penpal.  Check out my guest post over at bunchland about the  letter writing kit I put together for her for Christmas.  I would love someone to put one together for me... HINT HINT!  

{this moment}

Joining amanda and friends in "this moment"...capturing a moment from the week that I want to cherish and hold onto.   Have a great weekend!

three!

It is so very hard for me to believe that three years ago today my little baby Anthony was born.  A little battered, a little blue (and then yellow) and a lot adorable.  

Now he has grown to be my little boy who keeps me constantly on my toes but also oh so busy laughing.

He loves all things sharp and dangerous in order to "preteck" the family.

He is the one who loves to be doted on by his sister and tries to copy her every move...yup 

nail polish included.

He LOVES animals but is totally petrified of them.

I love how curious he is and how he can get so caught up in his imagination... to watch him fighting off dragons is hilarious.

He is immune to time outs and laughs in the face of consequences

His talents include:
- not listening
- giving gentle but very sloppy kisses
- feeding the dog
- pretend karate moves
- finding long and pointy sticks no matter where he is
- being able to watch the same movie over and over and over again
- loving and then hating the SAME food at the SAME meal
- climbing UP slides
- swallowing gum

Anthony always seems to find a way to make you feel loved and appreciated.  I love his cuddles and his raspy little voice (especially when he is cuddly)
To have him in our lives is a privilege.  These last 3 years have been challenging but ones that I wouldn't trade for anything.  I am sad that his "baby" years are over but look forward to watching Anthony change and grow....hopefully not too fast!

We threw him his first of many 3rd year parties this past weekend complete with ruffled streamers, banners, custom birthday hats, unsuccessful balloon animals, photo props, tons of food, family and friends.  He can't wait for the next party...rather the next set of presents I suspect.