Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Deliciousness of Chocolate and Peanut Butter - Cookies Worth Drooling Over

girl who ate everything chocolate peanut butter cookies
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies


I am a huge fan of chocolate and peanut butter together.  Asides from chocolate and mint, I am not sure if there is a better flavour combination when it comes to sweets.

A friend of mine posted on facebook that she had made these cookies a week or so ago, and as soon as I saw the recipe I knew I needed to try them.  They are from The Girl Who Ate Everything - for this particular recipe, click on the picture above and it will link you to the recipe.

If you decide to make them - be warned, they are addicting!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Stop Distracted Driving

This post brought to you by Insurance Hunter. All opinions are 100% mine.

In October 2009, the province I live in banned cell phones and other hand held devices while driving.  The goal is to help decrease the number of traffic related accidents that are caused by distractions.  The only time that you are able to legally use a hand held device while driving, is if you are calling 911.  Fast forward almost 4 years later, and it shocks me to see how many people still talk on their phone or text while driving - which makes me wonder if the ban has helped to Stop Distracted Drivers or not?

Insurance Hunter has released the infographic below to help increase awareness about distracted driving.  I will fully admit that when I was younger, I used to talk on my phone while driving.  This was years ago, before the law came into effect. I will also admit that my children have at times been a major distraction to my driving.  My youngest son hated the car. Absolutely hated it and screamed his way through 95% of car rides until he was 2 years old. It calmed down a bit, and local trips were handled well, but anything over 15 minutes would turn into a scream fest.  Listening to it definitley had me on edge and my focus was more on getting us home or to our destination.  

How about you? What do you find to be the biggest distractions while you are behind the wheel?  Your children or passengers, the radio, cell phone / gps device?  

 

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Monday, July 29, 2013

epost - another way to reduce waste and save some tree's in the process

Over the last couple of years I have been trying to implement changes to our household - I am trying to find ways that we can lessen the impact we have on the environment.  Some of these changes are switching from harsh chemical cleaners to Norwex Microfiber; using our recycle bins consistently and now taking part in the green bin program offered by the city.

first flower on my tomato plants

I am also now trying to limit the "packaging" that comes into the house - I have started making my own baguettes and bagels, we are growing our own herbs, strawberries and tomatoes (with hopes to add cucumbers and peppers in next year).
canada post epost

To help eliminate paper waste, I thought that I would try out epost - a service offered by Canada Post. What a great way to eliminate unwanted paper (less envelopes, less bills printed and the inserts that often come with them too!)

epost
This months bills that have arrived so far

the computer, waiting for me



I gathered my bills and opened up the epost website. Setting up an account was really quick and took me less than a minute to complete
#cbias epost
What you see when you open the site

Next up was searching through the "mailers" to find the companies I needed.

browsing for mailers

I was only able to add a few of my bills - Rogers, property tax and water and sewer. Unfortunately, most of the bills we have are not offered on epost yet - so I would hope that they would get those added in soon (Bell Canada, Enbridge etc).  Once I chose my "mailers" for Rogers and my bank of choice, I set them up and got everything authorized. Something I wasn't aware of - certain companies are on there and you can add your pay statement to epost - I thought that was pretty neat!

Be sure to check out my Google + album for more pictures - and leave me a comment telling me if you have used epost before, and if you strive to be green!

Monday Giveaway Linky July 29

Please make sure to include the end date and also which countries are eligible to win!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Sunday, July 21, 2013

10 Ways To Keep Cool On Hot Days

With the hot, humid weather we have been having lately I thought it would be a great time to share some ideas on ways to keep cool on hot days.  Read about those ideas on the CHEO blog!

What are some of the ways that you keep yourself cool when the weather is in the high 30's with the humidex?

Remembering My Dad

18 years ago today, my father passed away.  I was 14 years old - and it pretty much turned my entire world upside down. I have written a few times about it, but today - I am not.  Today, I am going to talk about what a great day I had with Mr. J.

I try and spend time with each of the boys on their own.  With Mr. J in school, I have LOTS of time with Mr. K, but not a lot with Mr. J.  I try and make sure that I schedule time alone with him, so that he still gets some mama time too.

Today, Mr. K was going to his grandparents, and it was the perfect time for some Mr. J time.  Every year on the anniversary of my dad's death, I take my mom to the graveyard. Some years the kids come with me, and sometimes they don't.  I never FORCE them to come, but I do try to encourage it.  Today, Mr. J really wanted to come with us ( I am pretty sure that the ice cream counter at the general store next to the graveyard had just a little something to do with that decision).

kids visiting graveyard


When we got out of the jeep, he immediately ran to the water. He loves to watch the boats going by.  Then, he wanted to water the flowers - a few years ago a pump was installed so visitors could get water without having to walk down to the river (it's a bit of an incline to get to, and I have actually slipped a few times). Once he had watered, he found some wildflowers growing and picked them for Papa Rick.

When that was done, we went to the store for ice cream, and he wanted to sit on the dock to watch the water and the boats.

While I am still sad, knowing that I don't have time with my dad anymore, and the boys will never actually KNOW him, it was such a great time to have with my little guy - and made today just a little bit easier.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Home Made Bagels - Easy and Delicious


Montreal style bagels home made
Easy and delicious Montreal style bagels - made at home!

I have been wanting to make my own bagels for quite some time, but never found a recipe that seemed easy to make.  I recently found out a friend of mine has a blog and while I was looking through it found a recipe for Montreal style bagels.

Here are my notes:

* we don't use honey, so I did not have any in the house. Even with this omitted, they turned out great
* as this was a spur of the moment decision, I had no poppy seeds or sesame seeds so mine are plain (still good!)
* cook time - it will really depend on your oven. I always have to adjust the cook time, as mine gets pretty hot fast.  Next time I will leave them for 12 minutes before flipping, and then only 3 to finish off.
* this made 12 large bagels, and 2 small (I based the size so I could use 2 cookie sheets only)


Friday, July 19, 2013

Dragons: Riders of Berk GIVEAWAY



My boys are SO excited about the upcoming release. We were able to have a sneak peak at these tonight, and they LOVED them (and hubby and I enjoyed them too!)  After each one ended Mr. J would ask if there was another, as he wasn't ready for it to be over.  We didn't make it all the way through Part 1 - will probably finish that tonight!
Debuting on July 23:




Over the years, Dreamworks has introduced to us the exciting world of dragons! From dragons in love to dragons in battle, here are some of our favorite dragons of Dreamworks. When it comes to action and excitement, the sky’s the limit in this high-flying animated adventure based on the Academy Award®-nominated hit movie How To Train Your Dragon! Toothless from Dragons: Riders of Berk


Toothless is not only the most intelligent species of dragon out there, but he is a true friend to his best bud Hiccup. Even with one of the wings on his tail missing, he can still soar speedily through the air! Dragon from Shrek
Their relationship may be a bit unusual, but who can blame Donkey for loving Dragon? As a do-it-all mom, Dragon balances her time taking care of her young Dronkey’s, battling Prince Charming, and hanging out with pals Fiona and Shrek. Stormfly from Dragons: Riders of Berk
The beautiful Stormfly is both caring and fierce. She looks after her pal Astrid, but watch out because Stormfly will shoot one of her poisonous tail spines if you are not careful! Meatlug from Dragons: Riders of Berk
Although she is not as beautiful as Stormfly or as fast as Toothless, Meatlug still makes the list of our favorite dragons of all time. Don’t let this Gronckle’s laziness fool you; she is one of the toughest dragons you will ever meet! Po (the Dragon Warrior) from Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
Po may not be a dragon himself, but this Kung Fu master is as fierce as any dragon. Since the day he was selected as the legendary Dragon Warrior, Po has been going on tons of crazy adventures!

Now it is time for a giveaway! One lucky reader is going to win one copy of EACH volume (1 and 2)

Entering is easy - leave me a comment telling me which of the Dragon's you like most - and make sure to fill out the rafflecopter form.  Giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada; ends July 28 2013 at 11:59pm

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Just one reason not to leave your kids in the car

Please do not leave your children or pets in vehicles - it does NOT take long for the inside of the vehicle to get too hot and affect them negatively, possibly causing death. In a 2 week period, I heard about 3 toddlers dying after being left in vehicles. Also, it isn't always about being LEFT in a vehicle. Kids like to hide - keep your doors locked, and if ever you cannot find your children - check the vehicle and trunk immediately.

Milk Unleashed - milk on the go

This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Milk Unleashed blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.




Summer is here, and our lives are even busier than they were during the school year. Between swimming lessons and play dates, we always seem to be on the go; hubby works 6 days a week, which leaves me to be chauffeur for almost all of the activities. Sometimes it is hard to make sure we are eating as healthy as we should be. It’s really easy to grab convenient, but less healthy, snacks and drinks while we are on the go. This doesn't HAVE to be the case though. With Milk Unleashed offering Tetra Paks of shelf safe milk (with the flavoured options too – my boys like the chocolate) we can make sure that we are getting the recommended milk intake even with our busy lives.

Shelf safe milk goes through ultra-pasteurization, and then is stored in convenient, eco-friendly tetra paks. It is then able to be kept at room temperature in a pantry, basement or garage (they only require refrigeration AFTER opening); you could even keep a few in the diaper bag or back pack to make sure you aren't without while on the go. As I mentioned above, my boys love the chocolate one. Sometimes I will throw one in the freezer at night, and then add it in the morning to Mr. J's lunch box. It acted as an ice pack, keeping things cold, and was thawed out to drink by lunch time.

Shelf safe milk IS real milk. It is not a substitute. The ultra-pasteurization is what makes it shelf stable. One carton of shelf safe milk contains 8 grams of protein and nine essential nutrients – calcium, A, D and B12, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, riboflavin, niacin and zinc.


It can be found in most grocery stores; some carry it with juice boxes and powdered drinks, others carry it in the cereal aisle.  Click here to find where you can buy shelf stable milk.

I don’t know what your family is like, but I am one to stock up on products that we use regularly. We don’t have the room in the fridge to stock up on milk (not to mention that we probably couldn't drink it all before it went bad even if we did have room) With shelf safe milk we are able to store it in our basement pantry with the rest of our stock piles (peanut butter, pasta, crackers, rice, toilet paper, tooth paste etc) It retains its qualities for 6 months (and the cartons have dates on them).

With the hot weather here, it is nice to be able to keep a couple of single serve with us while we are out at swimming or at the park - we can still enjoy our milk without worrying that it has spoiled. Have you tried shelf safe milk before? Where do you find it is most convenient - and what is your favorite flavour?



I would love for you to connect with Milk Unleashed on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube. 


Update on our 2013 Bucket List

Last week I posted our Bucket List for Summer 2013 - I thought I would post an updated list with some of the items crossed off


  1. Go to Aunt Bev's Cottage
  2. Upper Canada Village
  3. Bike Rides (although we will do more)
  4. Family Water Fight (we did this last week while hubby was on holidays)
  5. Go for ice cream
  6. Movie theater (we saw Monsters U. today!)
  7. Go to a splash pad
  8. Go to the park (we will continue to go)
  9. Work on learning to tie shoes
  10. Bake yummy treats (raspberry pie and cupcakes!)
  11. Visit the fire station with my cousin (volunteer fire fighter)
  12. Visit to Funhaven
  13. Visit (or many) to Brinkeetos
  14. Have a sleepover (away from home and AT home)
  15. Have friends over for a game of tag
  16. Visit the Childrens Museum
  17. Visit Valley View Little Animal Farm
  18. Visit the Central Experimental Farm
  19. Mini Putt
  20. Go Karts

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Super Buddies - premieres August 27 2013 on Blu-ray and DVD

San Diego Comic-Con featuring Super Buddies

Random Acts of Kindness

Over the last few years, I have been on the receiving end of a few RAOK in drive through line ups - and most often it has come on a day where I have been cranky.  They really do help to put a smile on your face, knowing that someone has gone out of their way to do something kind for a stranger.

The one I remember most, I was pregnant with Mr. K, Mr. J had not slept well the night before, he was cranky in the morning and I was on my way to work. I was absolutely starving, and heading into the timmies drive thru to pick up a bagel and iced tea.  When I was heading into the line up, there was a car coming from another direction - I was closer, but I decided that letting them in would be a nice thing to do, and it might make me feel better.  When I got up to the window, they had paid for my breakfast and thanked me for letting me go ahead - it definitely put a smile on my face, and changed the outlook I had on the day ahead.

That wasn't the first time I had been the recipient, or the last - and I paid it forward by paying for the car behind me (again, not the first time for that either).

Now that I have been couponing and price matching for awhile, I have a stockpile of coupons that are for products I won't use, and most likely won't trade either. Every now and then, I will be a "coupon fairy" on my grocery trips and leave this coupons with the product they are intended for.

Also, if I am in line and the person in front/behind me has items that are available to be price matched, I will let them use my flyer so they can get the items at a cheaper price.  It's amazing how happy it makes them to know that a stranger went out of their way to help them save a little bit of money.

I have decided that I am going to try and perform RAOK weekly (I would say daily, but I am not out everyday) and I hope to get the kids involved with it to.  Sometimes, it is something as little as holding the door for someone behind you, or even rushing ahead to get it for someone.

What about you - have you ever been on the receiving end of a RAOK? I would love to hear what it was, and how it made you feel.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Sleep Training - my experience

When Mr. J was an infant, he cried a lot. Nursing often settled him down and he would fall asleep; except in the afternoons. From 3-5pm he was often inconsolable. What did I do? I lay in bed crying with him next to me crying. He would fall asleep from exhaustion and I would lay there crying.  Hubby would come home from work and couldn't understand what was going on.  He had no idea how exhausting it was for me to try and comfort our son, just to end up "failing"; add that to postpartum hormones and I was a tad emotional.

I was never diagnosed with postpartum depr for 28ession, but after having Mr. K and not experiencing a lot of the feelings I had with Mr. J -  I do think I had it mildly the first time around.

Mr. J was a pretty good sleeper as a newborn.  He would give me 5 hour stretches for the first part of the night, then 4, then 3 and then up to start the day. He would nap anywhere (in the car, nursing, someone holding him and I could transfer him without issue)  When he was 5.5 months old, he decided he did not like sleep anymore.

I was exhausted; absolutely, utterly exhausted. I had people telling me that I should sleep train and I was absolutely against it. No way could I let him cry it out.  When he was 11.5 months old, I could barely function.  He was falling asleep at 7:30, waking up to nurse every 2 hours until 2:30am and then not going back to sleep. He would be awake until 5 am, and then "nap" until 8am when he would be ready to start his day.  I just could not do it anymore.  I bought Dr. Richard Ferbers book on my doctors recommendation, and decided to do it.

I knew I would need help with my will power to not get him, and I didn't think hubby would be able to stop me - I thought he would just say, yes - go get him.  So, I went to my mothers.  The first night was by far the worst - he cried for 28 minutes (with me checking in at intervals). The next wake up was 20 minutes (with interval checks) and the third wake was 10 minutes (with only 1 check in) The next time, he cried for a minute and stopped.

The next night was 10 minutes at bed, with 1 check in and no wake ups. The third night was only a minute or 2 with no wake ups.  I was shocked; I was able to sleep, he was refreshed and all was happy. Until he was 15 months old and cut his molars - then his sleep turned horrible again and sleep training didn't work this time (I waited until they had been through the gums a week before attempting) but he could out last my resistance, so I gave up. If he was going to be screaming for over an hour - that wasn't right to me.

When Mr. K was born, he was a pretty good sleeper. He was giving me 7 and 8 hour stretches by 3 weeks old.  He was napping well, and such a happy little guy. Then he hit 8 weeks, had his needles and he stopped sleeping.  He was inconsolable at times.  By the time he was 4months old - it would take 2 hours of nursing, rocking, shhing and patting to even attempt putting him down in his crib for fear of him waking up.  During this time period, the slightest sound would have his eyes fly open.  Mr. J was told to stay with daddy, he couldn't play in his room, he couldn't play with this toy or that toy for fear of waking Mr. K.  I quickly realized that something had to be done - it was NOT fair to Mr. J to basically be told to sit on the couch quiet every night for 2 hours.  I decided to sleep train again. This time, I used the Sleep Easy book (which is similar to Ferber) and it absolutely broke my heart.  To listen to my infant cry, it was horrible.  Hubby sat holding me on the couch while I cried listening to him. The first night actually wasn't too bad.  He went to sleep only needing 1 check in; it was the wake ups that were the issue (2 wake ups - now, I wasn't night weaning him - I did dream feeds with him to make sure he wasn't hungry).  After 3 nights there was no more than a slight whimper as he got comfy at bed, and he wasn't waking (I continued dream feeds) that is, until we went away for a week and we were not in his home surroundings. When we got home, I attempted to sleep train again, but I just did not have the heart for it. He was pretty good at falling asleep himself now, and that had been my ultimate goal. If he woke in the night, it was just for short nursing sessions.

With Mr. J, I don't really regret it. He was much older, and it really wasn't that hard (and when I say the first night was 28 minutes, that was NOT straight crying - there were breaks in there - and I would even say it was more of a very loud complain/whine than outright crying). With Mr. K - I regret it. I didn't do the sleep training because I needed him to sleep through the night - I did it so that Mr. J wouldn't suffer during the time it was taking me to put K to sleep.  I really wish I had found some other way to help him learn to fall asleep on his own though.

I personally believe, that every family does what is right for them in terms of raising children.  If sleep training is something that you REALLY think is needed, then I am not going to try and change your mind.  But really, I don't think that Mr. K "learned" to fall asleep on his own because I left him to cry. I think he was probably falling asleep out of pure and utter exhaustion, and realized mommy was not coming when he needed her. He will be 3 soon, and this is something that STILL weighs on my mind. In the end - while the ultimate goal may have been realized with both my boys, they both had periods that needed "re-training" and it failed.  Mr. J is 6, and is now a TERRIFIC sleeper.  We had many issues, and even up until this past winter he was not great. But setting a STRICT bedtime routine and sticking with it, including a strict routine in regards to dealing with wake ups has been amazing.  He RARELY wakes in the night now, and when he does it is generally because he needs the washroom.

All this to say, babies cry for a reason.  Put yourself in their situation - waking alone in a dark room, not knowing where mommy is. Maybe being hungry, cold or hot and scared.  Mommy (or daddy) is the comfort they are seeking.  We aren't going to do them HARM by responding to their needs.

5 Ways To Outfit Your Children For Less



Buying clothes for kids can get expensive. Over the last 6 years, I have learned a few tricks to cut down on the cost.
  1. Shop at consignment stores; they only accept clothes in good shape - so you don't need to worry about buying clothes of poor quality (and you can often get brand name items for cheap)
  2. Swap clothing with friends/family members - hand me downs are great
  3. Buy clothes for the following year at the end of the current season.  I just purchased 4 pairs of shorts, 3 tank tops and 3 polo shirts for Mr. J online from The Children's Place - with tax and shipping, the cost was $52.00
  4. Buy a size larger than needed (this won't work for all types, but you can buy pants/shorts with adjustable waists - and it may get you an extra season out of the item)
  5. Sell old clothing that is in good shape, and use the money you make towards purchases for the new wardrobe
Do you have anything to add on how to keep costs down on clothing?

Monday, July 15, 2013

Monday Giveaway Linky July 15

Link up any open giveaway's you have! Be sure to include end date and which countries are eligible to win!

The Tooth Fairy Makes a Visit.....or 2!

Last weekend my oldest son lost his first tooth - on the way home from soccer!  When he first came in the house and told me, I was concerned that maybe he had taken a ball to the mouth, but he and hubby assured me there was no impact - it was just a wiggly tooth!


Of course, he was super excited to know that the tooth fairy would be making a visit that night - and he was curious as to what she would leave him.  She ended up leaving him a $5.00 bill - but from what we have heard from others that have had visits, she only does this for the first tooth. We are under the impression that she leaves a loonie for all the other teeth that are lost.

However, a few days later he lost ANOTHER tooth!


Imagine my (and his) surprise when he woke up to a TWOONIE under his pillow! He was very excited to add $7.00 to his wallet this week.

Growing up I was very disappointed in the tooth fairy; when I lost my teeth, she left me a little bit of money. However, when one of my little friends lost teeth, the tooth fairy left Polly Pocket toys. I so wanted the tooth fairy to leave me a Polly pPocket, but she never did. Come to think of it, I never did own any Polly Pockets either......hmmm.

Has the tooth fairy been to your house recently?



Friday, July 12, 2013

Movie Maniacs Boutique with DK Canada



Do you have a James Bond lover in your life? I sure do. My hubby is a fan; when I had the chance to check out the Movie Maniacs Boutique from  DK Canada - I knew I needed to find one on James Bond  and it didn't take me long at all - they had many.

Not only do they have James Bond - but also lots of others Star Wars, Children's Movies - Monster's Inc, Pixar Characters, Disney Princess and more!  Check it out if you are on the hunt for something a little different.


The 4 C's Make For A Great Night! #Totem

What are the 4 c's you may ask? Cousins, Cupcakes, Champagne and Cirque Du Soleil!  Last night was the premiere of Totem in Ottawa - and I was given 2 tickets to attend.

Totem cirque du soleil

Hubby and I were really looking forward to a date night, but on Wednesday he decided he was just done from the humidity and working outside (he works in the construction industry). So, I called up one of my cousins - who is also a great friend - and made it into a girls night!

I will start off by saying that I have never seen a Cirque Du Soleil show before; I didn't really have much of an interest in it, and could not understand the hype. I wasn't overly sure how the night would play out. When we arrived,  I was very happy to notice that the bathrooms were not the typical porta potty type I was expecting. They were pretty much normal washrooms, with flushing toilets and a hand washing station set up outside.  This made me happy (it's the little things).

After we took our seats, I was surprised to see how Le Grande Chapiteau was set up.  For some reason, even knowing the size, I thought there would be more seats in it - and with the way they have it set up, it doesn't seem like there was a bad seat there.  We were very fortunate, our seats were in Row E - so we were pretty close.

Once the show started, I will be honest and say that there were times where I sat with my mouth gaping open, mesmerized by what they were doing on stage (well, above the stage)

I didn't fully understand the STORY behind it (I know it is supposed to be about evolution, and there were chimps and humans and I got that part of it) but I gave up trying to grasp it and just lost myself in the acrobatics and trapeze work the performers were doing.  An hour into the show they announced it was time for an intermission, and Kelly and I were pleasantly surprised to find a table filled with yummy cupcakes and other goodies; after we each had a small treat we wandered around and discovered that they were handing out free champagne (this is NOT a regular occurrence, it was just for the premiere)

There were no photo's allowed during the show - but here are a few from our girls night



If you have a chance to check out Totem (or another Cirque Du Soleil show) I would highly recommend it. After witnessing last nights event,  I would most definitely BUY tickets to another show.

Fun Things For Kids

10 activities for kids


With summer here, there are lots of kids at home with "nothing to do" over the summer. My 6 year old has already told me that he is bored - which is something I don't understand when his room is filled with lego, angry bird games and lots of workbooks/reading books.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Kids Swim Lessons



I have written before about Mr. J's fear of water.  How he always wants to swim, but would end up scared and not get into the pool - or cling to me.

We had a great summer last year, visiting friends with a pool almost weekly; he did well in his swimming lessons with the city in the fall, however he wouldn't put his face/head in the water and still has that fear.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

#NetflixFamilies - perfect for on the go!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.


NETFLIX web


Summer is here and with that comes many extra hours of trying to keep the kids entertained, and hoping that we don't hear the ever common "MOOOOOM I am bored - what can I do?".  I find that having some sort of routine really helps to keep things running smoothly.  If we have errands to run, I like to get out early in the morning and back home around snack time.  That still gives us lots of time to play outside before it gets too hot.  Neither of my kids nap anymore, but I do like them to have some down time in the afternoons.  Netflix makes this VERY easy. My oldest knows how to use our tv, so he is able to find some great, kid friendly shows and movies using #NetflixFamilies.  Once we are finished watching the selected title (sometimes they fall asleep, but not normally) we can move onto other indoor activities - or outdoors if it isn't too humid. If it is a really rotten day out, then we may just have a Netflix marathon!

#NetflixFamilies has set up many different playlists that you can choose from, depending on what you are looking for (they even have a section called "Catch Up TV for Busy Parents"!  Great way to get all caught up on those favorite shows you don't have time for.)
NETFLIX_Families_FamilyFavorites

Hubby and I really like to have family movie nights with the boys, and some of our favorite titles can be found under the Family Movie Night play list - some of them include Madagascar 3, Ice Age: Continental Drift, and Puss N' Boots!

the boys enjoying some down time watching Netflix

The 2 playlists that are best for us are Family Movie Night and TV for Curious Kids; Mr. J loves to learn about different species and I knew he would be really interested in checking out Walking with Dinosaurs!

One of the great things with Netflix is that it is available on the go! Families can enjoy Netflix on a wide range of devices including tablets, certain gaming systems and smartphones too! You can have access to your favorites without commercials anytime, anywhere!!

We access Netflix from our main tv in our family room - this is what our set up is like

Mr. K showing off Netflix on our TV

Where will you be accessing Netflix from? Home, camping, a car ride? I would love to hear from you!


Netflix.com/Families is a new destination designed to meet your family’s summertime entertainment needs. On Netflix.com/Families, parents can find lists of movies and TV shows for all kinds of special summer moments.

Visit www.Netflix.com/Families for more information on the best ways to stream as well as videos from families using Netflix.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

2013 Summer Bucket List



Last year, I was reading my friend Lisa's blog - and came across her post about a summer bucket list.  It got me thinking, and Mr. J and I sat down and made our own.

I kept meaning to do it again for this summer, but put it off for whatever reason - until today, when she posted her families bucket list for THIS summer.  I decided to just sit down and work on it.


  1. Go to Aunt Bev's Cottage
  2. Upper Canada Village
  3. Bike Rides
  4. Family Water Fight (we did this last week while hubby was on holidays)
  5. Go for ice cream
  6. Movie theater (we saw Monsters U. today!)
  7. Go to a splash pad
  8. Go to the park
  9. Work on learning to tie shoes
  10. Bake yummy treats
  11. Visit the fire station with my cousin (volunteer fire fighter)
  12. Visit to Funhaven
  13. Visit (or many) to Brinkeetos
  14. Have a sleepover (away from home and AT home)
  15. Have friends over for a game of tag
  16. Visit the Childrens Museum
  17. Visit Valley View Little Animal Farm
  18. Visit the Central Experimental Farm
  19. Mini Putt
  20. Go Karts
What about you - do you have a summer bucket list for you and your family?  If you have a blog post about it, link it up at Learning Titus 2!

WW: teeth

Someone lost his FIRST tooth!

Kids and Pedal Cars

When my oldest was really young, I was on the hunt for a great little car for him.  I was really interested in the pedal cars I had seen (you know the ones - the red/orange ones that look like Fred Flinstone's car?) at the time - I had no idea what they were. I did a search and found out it was a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Crafts for Kids

A few months ago we received a great book from DK Canada, Big Book of Things To Make.  Mr. J and I went through the book, and came up with lots of activities for this summer.  The first one we tried out was making paper boats.

Monday Giveaway Linky

Monday Giveaway Linky - link up any giveaways you have, please remember to list which countries are eligible to win

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Angry Birds Birthday Party

Tales of Mommyhood angry bird party photos

Today was the day my son has been waiting for - his Angry Birds Birthday Party. He turned 6 on Thursday, and his party was this afternoon. It all started with the invites. We invited 9 friends - and 7 were able to attend. That meant we had NINE kids in our house running around (including my own two).

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy 6th Birthday to my baby and Happy 4th of July

It is the 4th of July and that marks my oldest childs birthday. He is turning 6 today - one of these days I think we will drive across the border so he can see some terrific fireworks to help him celebrate!  To everyone in the States, Happy 4th of July - enjoy the celebrations and be safe.

Monday, July 1, 2013

The lilac thief strikes again - and a shout out to RCSS Kanata

A few weeks ago I wrote about Mr. K's lilac, how he picked it out, helped to plant it and then it was stolen. We took him to replace it the following weekend, and it happened AGAIN. Not only was our Lilac stolen a 2nd time, but we found out that a house on the street behind us had a tree stolen from their FRONT yard the same night.