it's my girls' world

Here's just a few little random snippets of our favourites this week that don't specifically warrant a post all on their own. 

1- My new desk and chair that we got for the corner of our bedroom is exactly the little space I need. I didn't want a full out desk with storage and drawers etc. Just a place to put my (shared for the moment) laptop. Maybe a notepad and pen. I love their clean lines and simplicity and the chair is pretty comfy too. I don't love that there are already little fingerprints that are all over it and it's even more glass to clean on this already glass filled house. #firstworldprobs

2- C had a day off and we had the most lovely morning before picking A up from preschool. We had breakfast in a diner and did some shopping for a few hours. One on one time with C is kind of rare so we had fun! A's turn is next and we have a trampoline park playdate followed by lunch with her little friend.

3- This house came with a specific drawer for spices… Knowing my OCD/org junkie that I am, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I put it to good use. The kids (mostly C)  helped as well- peeling the price tags off the bottles, getting them ready to wash and printing labels off the label maker.

It's the little things, right?

4- Even though I have a little stash still, I couldn't resist the BBW sale this week (and coupon on top of it) so I got my summer scents in order! 

5- And these cuties….

 She is slowly dropping her nap and I'm not ready for it. She usually falling asleep in the car after…grrrr. 

But seriously, I love sleeping kid pictures!

Linking up with 

Andrea, Erika and Narci for Favourites on Friday

 

Yeah, there are moments that my kids have more sugar than I'd like or a less than optimal supply of veggies in their system. And the same goes for me… especially when it's nutella- I can't keep that thing in the house- i.just.cant. But I try as much as possible to get those greens in. Kale, spinach and arugula are all pretty tasteless so I sneak them in whenever I can. From the nutrients they provide to the many benefits to overall health, it just makes sense to get them into your system. Here are just a few of my favourite ways to get those greens in….

1- Eggs

I love to chop up lettuce or kale and then  have it in my eggs- either as an omelet, in a quic or scrambled with veggies- I also throw in an onions, peppers and mushrooms as well if they're on hand. I heard they're great scrambled with tofu also but I haven't tried it.

2- Sandwiches

Instead of lettuce which is awesome but not as much of a nutrient powerhouse, I throw in spinach or arugula instead.  And these go well in pressed paninis too, as cooked spinach is way more palatable than wilted lettuce… ick!

3- Salad

obvs :-). Even with the harder kale leaf- like one of my favourite salads here.

4- Pasta

 a handful of spinach towards the end of making your pasta just wilts them and isn't a very strong taste. Also pasta salads with arugula and kale are awesome like these here and here.

5- Pizza or flatbread

 chopped spinach or arugula as a topping as yummy or blended into the base sauce at the bottom

6- Sauces and marinades

As weird as this one is, I recently threw a couple kale leaves to blend into my meat marinade and it was awesome. It didn't even turn the meat green or anything. Just darkened it slightly. The same for different sauces.

7-Stand alone cooked veggies

Cooked alone and wilted with some olive oil or butter, garlic and onion as a simple side veggie. Or mixed in with other veggies for a stir-fry. Or maybe this spicy Indian spinach dish. 

9- Soups

I throw greens if I can into my soups, chilis and stews. Or this awesome spinach side dish/soup that we grew up with in the Caribbean. 

10- smoothies! 

Lots of detail about this one here.

So as a sidenote, I didn't mention other leafy greens like chards, mustard greens, collard greens and dandelion leaves as they are stronger tasting and a little less kid friendly…. Having a slight Napolean complex as well, I'm not a fan of bitter so though I'll have it at times, I don't make it for my family. Oh, and I totally omitted kale chips because as much as I try to love them, I kind of don't. 

What about you? Any other ways you sneak those greens in?

Linking up with Annie and Amanda.

This weekend---

+ I started it off with a bang, organising my spice drawer- bottles, label maker and all! Don't say I don't know how to have fun! 

+  I made bang bang shrimp wraps on Friday to start off the weekend

+ we did just a bit of spring clean up in the front yard

+ I picked up my very own desk and chair! 

+ we babysat my friend's kids for a couple hours and the four kids were awesome together. Lots and lots of play and fun-- I was even able to get some laundry in while keeping an eye on them. 

+ D and I had date night in and we feasted on delicious spiced carrot salad, mediterranean lamb tostadas, beautiful red wine and yummy cupcakes that my friend bought us. 

+ we went to Wonderland(it was a company friends and family day)  for our inaugural visit. Separate post coming soon. 

+ I had my first beavertail for the season-- but I followed it up with a salad at home after-- ok and maybe some leftover bang bang shrimp… it's all about balance, no?! 

Linking up with lovely Biana for weekending

 

1- I got this pancake pen and used it over the weekend. I'm still getting the hang of it and my batter was too runny but it's the only pancake that A had. She is my anomaly-- she does not like sugary breakfasts at all. #whoisthiskid

2- I'm kind of loving the new show 'The Catch.' It's suspenseful and I like the chemistry of the main actors. Not my usual kind of show for sure but it's been good!

3- I'm still in love with my Fitbit Charge HR. My mom gifted me one for Christmas.  I'm the type of person who is competitive with myself and I'm always checking my steps. This lets me do it on the band and not have to check my app all the time. The price is really great too for the convenience. And there's a watch so I don't have to get up at night to check a clock all the time. (I wake up several times at night. I'm so weird like that. My favourite time to get up is between 2 and 5am and realise I have a few hours left to sleep). 

4- Loving the email I got from Amazon gifting me three magazines this month. I chose The Good Life (Dr. Oz's magazine), House and Home and  Good Housekeeping. Just call me Susie Homemaker!

5- And finally, some smiles.

How I am some mornings to get my kids out of the house on time….

Linking up with 

Andrea, Erika and Narci for Favourites on Friday