it's my girls' world

Happy Thursday!! Here's a little spring cleaning Q and A for your Thursday!

I was listening to a podcast the other day and the topic was outdoors! And what type of outdoor person you are.... Are you an adventurer? If you had a choice, would you spend all your waking hours outside? Are outdoor sports or  camping your idea of a good time? Or are you like most of my (extended ) family and prefer the AC, indoor activities and not too much sunshine.

Summer is my jam.... I love the patio season: the warmth, the sunshine, the good moods, the grilling, the flip flops, the fashion and the flowers! But here's the deal. I like easy summer fun! Anything that requires loads of pre-planning or work to 'get there' is not my idea of fun. I'm okay with sticky and sweaty but not mosquitos and outhouses. Fresh air is awesome, so is a good walk but you won't see me going on a daytime backpacking trip anytime soon. Give me a spritzer, some good music and a little sunshine and I'm a happy camper--- who has seriously never actually been camping (ha!)... except for that time we did it in our back yard.

Anyways, here are a few things we do to make the most of gorgeous weather.

1- Parks are awesome and we try to vary it quite a bit with different venues. However, as my kids are getting older, dare I say they are outgrowing parks. It's nice to vary it a bit by maybe bringing a different thing sometimes-- maybe a ball, a frisbee or some bubbles to add something new to the experience.

2- Sunscreen, baseball caps and water bottles to keep hydrated and cool through it all. 

3- Keep updated on different festivals and things to do in your area. We've discovered so many different things in and around our area like rib festivals and bunkerfest. There's a berry picking farm in our area that we love to go to! 

4- For those bugs, area sprays are awesome in addition to mosquito repellant.

5- When entertaining, keep it simple. No need to make multiple course meals and complicated cocktails. Do what you can before and then enjoy your company when they get here... ( I don't always follow this advice)

6- Relax with the rules: my kids eat a bit more sugar and go to sleep just a bit later in the summer time!! Also, we take time as adults in the house. At one time, I was entertaining almost everyday pool side... We've stopped that big time now. 

7- Mix it up... some weekends are busier than others but it's nice to get some time at home with a whole lotta nothing to just chill (or catch up on laundry or projects in my case). We also mix up those play-dates with different friends and to different places. Also, make some time for the adults only.

8-  D always love to walk on the "shady side of the street". Ha! Makes a huge difference in the sweltering heat. 

9- Make it fun, educational and observational for you and your kids. We look at different flowers and plants and discuss our favourites! If we go on a roadtrip, we all like to learn about the place we're heading to. Sidenote, D and I check the architecture out and cool houses that we like. 

10- Push yourself outside your comfort zone! For the sake of the family, ha! Yeah I've never been camping before but when we camped in our backyard-- I'm like maybe one of these good days with the right company I could do this camping thing. Also, I don't really like a big mess but I turn a blind eye to the chalk paint, the outdoor slime and the mud pies... 

Are you an indoor or outdoor person? What outdoor tips do you have to share with me?

Linking up for: 

Happy Friday1

Yay for the holiday season that is creeping up on us. This weekend with all this snow we have, we intend to slowly start decorating and getting things ready for Christmas- we don't have Thanksgiving in Canada but for sure I'm going to prepare a little turkey feast with my family in solidarity with my American peeps. We love the Christmas Tree in the background though and it is often the start to our holiday season.

As well as Friday Favourites, I'm linking with Sierra and some other lovelies for Girl Chat on Tips on Juggling the Holiday Season. I changed the title here from juggling to enjoying. So much media I'm looking at these days are talking about how stressful the season is and  tips for reducing the mayhem or surviving the season. And I get stressed too at times so I'm hoping by changing the word, I'm changing my mindset, ha! Here are my tips...

1- Start early!

I know that lots of people groan when they see holiday decorations up in November. (I groan when they are up in October, LOL) but by doing my tree and my decor early, I have more time to enjoy all the decor that we take our time to put up. I also try to do some of my holiday shopping for presents, holiday baking and meals early too either when they are too good to pass up or on sale. 

2- Make a List and Check It Twice

Love my lists-- and my holiday lists are my favourite. I make several and get great satisfaction, checking them off!

3- Entertain easily

It doesn't have to be an extravagant event! My girls' nights in off past have been tons of fun as have my holiday parties. Finger food and a serve yourself party are my favourites. However, if I don't feel like it gets to be more work than fun, I will probably take a little break and reassess doing it in the future. 

At this party, everyone brought an app. 

4- Delegate

Don't be a martyr. Husbands, kids, grandparents and store staff can do things as well. Not everything has to be hand done and home made. 

5- Eat real food as well!

Tons of sugar, alcohol, white flour and other carbs at this time of year have us feeling bloated and those carbs creeping up. Let's face it, the 80-20 rule is non existent during the holidays. I sneak as much real food as possible in there.... but some of our favourite healthy  dishes so we don't feel it as much. Like this chicken tortilla soup or my white turkey chili. And I make a large batch as well so it lasts for a few meals. 

6- Keep Moving

Exercise or even a walk is good for boosting energy levels even when we do overindulge. 

7- Don't overspend

We all do it. Try to set a budget, or at least look for some sales!

8- Say no

Sometimes if an event doesn't spark joy, we decide to opt out. We've declined parties in the past because of snow storms or the stress of driving in the snow or the distance or opted out of events because of the weather. It's okay to say no! 

9-

Be generous. So many great causes and charities out there that need both physical or monetary help. All year round of course!

10- Enjoy the tiny calm moments of Christmas beauty

Those twinkling tree lights in the morning, those family movies, the christmas carols on the radio, the eggnog with my person... enjoy it as it only comes once a year. 

Have a wonderful weekend! And yay for the Holidays!

'Tis the season! Not only for all the fun stuff but cold and flu season is upon us. Despite our most valiant efforts, we usually get a cold (or five between us) through this time of year. 

As the kids get older and we get a bit wiser though, it's becoming less and less. Here are a few tips we use to prevent colds/flus around here:

1- Wash those hands.

The VERY first thing we do when we come in the house, is give our hands a good wash. Doesn't matter if it's from school/classes/the supermarket or just from a walk, we wash our hands. Also, I try to wash my hands before I leave the gym because of...

2- Watch those fingers

Those fingers, especially for the little ones, always rub eyes, go in the mouth or yep, even the nose! I always warn my kids not to put their hands on their face.... Also, see point #1.

3- Clean for viruses.

Those door handles, faucet pulls, chair edges and counter tops get a stronger dose of disinfection to try to control virus spread at this time of year.

4- Eat and Sleep for Health.

Fruits and veggies for all the vitamins and antioxidants at this time of year. Smoothies for the win! Also, sleep to make sure the body is properly functioning is especially important. Apparently, exercise is also supposed to help. 

5- Echinacea and Golden Seal/Oil of Oregano

Someone already have a cold in the house? The rest of us take a little dose of either oil of oregano/echinacea. And of course, we try not to use their blankets, touch their utensils, play with their toys etc. And we all 

So these simple tips make a huge difference in our house. What are your favourite tips/tricks that work for you? 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm loving this four day week and the sunshine we're having. 

Today on How We Wednesday , we're talking Meal Planning Tips. Here's how we do it around here:



LOL! Kidding.... kind of... but seriously here they are.

1- On Sunday or Monday, I do a big grocery haul and get the supplies for the week. I plan in my head a general idea of the meal plan for the week. 

2- I do a big batch of  soup on the Monday or sometimes the Tuesday and use that as much possible during the week for leftovers. 

3- We usually make a protein and a vegetable for the adults and a carb for the kid. It's pretty easy to boil some pasta, bake potatoes, make some rice or give them a roll. I do try to mix up the different sorts of cuisines though. 

4- Everyone has to usually eat the same sort of things. Mama is no short order cook.

5- Cutting up veggies at the beginning of the week makes it easy for lunch, snacks and even for meal prep. 

6- A big salad all prepped never goes to waste for lunch or dinner.

7- These days I'm not buying as much as I used to as I was finding some things are wasting so I'm trying to 'eat out' our pantry, freezer and fridge a bit.

8- On that note, if there are enough leftovers, I omit a meal and save it for the other day.

9- We go meatless on Thursday.

10- As for sharing recipes, I just google what I'm making that day or do it from memory. I could be better in that department.



Speaking of recipes, here are my 10 of my favourites:
Pumpkin Poppers (yummy fall snack)

Healthy Corn dip (a hit with a bigger crowd and so simple to make)

Spicy Tuna Poke

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

Chicken Tortilla Vegetable Soup.

Asian Cilantro Chicken Pasta

Oprah's Turkey Burgers

Cauliflower Rice

Grilled Calamari

 (The Best!) Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies


How do you meal plan? Any favourite recipes to share?

Linking up for How we.. Wednesdays with Erica and Shay, and also with Erin for 10 Things.

Yay for Friday and for school ending!!! My little one has one more day but guess who finished the third grade yesterday!? She's grown soo much in a year, huh?

Today, we say goodbye to our montessori also. I cried at the last parent teacher interview at the school. I'll be a total hot mess this afternoon. 

Since we are going on a little long road trip with our kiddos, I thought we'd talk road trip tips and tricks. I share mine and then you give me your best ones in return!

A's first road trip-- she was 10 months!

1- Last year, on the advice of a friend, we left really early for a road trip with the kids... I mean I'm talking 4:30 sort of early. I went to bed before everyone and we always pack our car the night before.  We scooped the kids out of bed with their pjs on and packed them into the car. They were able to sleep a couple hours and we were able to get a good head start and the entire day wasn't wasted driving. I usually change them when we stop for gas.

2- We usually pack breakfast and have it in the car. Just that much more healthy and then I get to use some of my stuff from the fridge :-)... oh and cheaper. Another friend also told me this tip of packing a picnic lunch too and stopping off somewhere... that way the kids can stretch their legs for a bit instead of just stopping at a rest stop. Last year, we were able to stop in the little town of saratoga and enjoy a walk and some time in a park.

3- Have enough snacks and drinks but let them not drink too much! Also, I try to give them treats but watch the sugar. No one needs to see my five year old sugar crash. 

4- Screen time is your friend but my kids have to take some breaks. I download a couple movies on Netflix. We also have this portable DVD player which comes in handy.

5- Then they can play games and do some reading. Road trip bingo is a fun one. This year, I also plan to do times tables with them. I'm the world's most fun mom, I know!

6- This is obvious but I keep a garbage bag in the car so we can toss all the trash. I empty it in rest stops when I can so that clean up after isn't too bad. 

7- For the adults, I borrow a few audio books from the library and download some podcasts. That keeps us entertained!

8- We use this time to chat with our kids as well. We talk about the trip and try to create excitement but also set expectations! 

I used to dread road trips when the kids were younger. Now that they are growing up, they've become fun family adventures that I will cherish for the rest of our lives.

What are your favourite tips/tricks for road trips?

Linking up with

Happy Wednesday, friends! Here's hoping the sunshine is out, wherever you are...

Today on How we.. Wednesdays with Erica and Shay, it's all about the summer vacations. With school out in T-minus 2 weeks and 3 days (can you tell I'm excited?), vacays are definitely on our mind. Here's how the summer vacations are planned around here-

(Sidenote, I totally interpreted summer vacays as time off from school, not travelling for an actual vacation).

1- First off, we see what family commitments we have that we might have to travel for-- like last year's cousin's alpaca wedding, or this year's parents' anniversary prayer. Usually it involves some kind of road trip/airline travel so we organise that as well.

2- Then we try to plan our big trip. For the past few years, we've done one big trip a summer. We've done a couple Disney cruises, Napa, NYC etc. We usually do it around the middle of August around our wedding anniversary. This year, it's Greece but because of the weather, not around our anniversary!

3- Sometimes we've done it with this kids (and my parents) and a couple times mini getaways without the kids. So then, I check with my parents to make sure it's okay for them  and we can make it work.

4- Of course, I then make D take the time off (all of this is usually around March or April. I also tag on some other dates usually around a long weekend.

5- We also try to do some little trips in the summer. Both day trips and weekends. Like this random one to Rochester and this one to Cleveland.

6- I also sign my kids up for 2-3 camps in the summer. This is our third year in horse back riding camp and Girl's Rock camp. It's nice for the kids to have different summer vacay activities instead of just all time off. Oh and I make them do some prep work for the new school year ahead.. shhhh....

7- And of course, there is tons of pool time, play dates and parks thrown in the mix.

How do you plan your summer vacays?

Happy Friday! I feel like this week has flown and dragged all at the same time. I'm so ready for some weekending to just chill with family and friends but know I'll end up working a bit and getting lots of chores done. 

Keeping it light and not involving too much brain-work, here's a compilation of a few of my favourite kitchen tips and tricks.

1- A can of white or Northern beans in pureed soups (like my butternut squash soup here) is a great thickener and adds some satiety. And so much healthier than other thickeners like potatoes and cream. Also, I try to sneak veggies into my soups whenever I can. I puree what I can or just let some melt into the soups.

2- Chicken in the slow cooker with just a bit of seasoning is great to shred and use as a base for soups, salad sandwiches, tacos and stir fries.

3- I am the champion with doctoring up a store bought dish or dip at fresh herbs, spices, veggies for an even fresher and more delicious result. Like with guacamole, I add extra cilantro, tomato, chili and cumin. 

4- I save takeout containers to give other friends/family/my neice when giving them food. That way, they don't have to remember to bring back my rubbermaid containers.

5- I am the queen of re-purposing. Older apples or pears, softer berries or overripe bananas get frozen and go into smoothies, desserts or muffins. I do a sweep of my veggie drawer in the fridge when making a soup or stew. Cranberry sauces from Thanksgiving or extra pepper jellies are put into appetizers. The options are endless.

So many little hacks out there. What are your favourites?

Linking up with

Who doesn't love a good hack? Especially around the holidays where time is as precious as a Fingerling Unicorn (the it toy of the season- so hard to find)... Here are a very few of mine.

1- Command hooks are awesome to stick on the wall, doors and windows. I use them for stockings, wreaths and garlands. 

2- When decorating our tree, we use a combination of cheaper items and more expensive ones. Like dollar store cheap and a few  nicer ones that are more neutral and can be used year round. I like a tree that's full but don't want to pay $1000 on ornaments. Also, if you have older decorations that you still want to use but it's not in the colour you want, feel free to spray paint it. 

3- How do you guys display your Christmas cards? I saw this at a friend's house and totally copied it. Two command hooks and either string or a simple garland  and some decorative clothes clips is how we display ours.

4- I love beautifully decorated gifts but don't want to spend hours creating beautiful bows. Our glue gun to the rescue. We make a fancy bow once and then use them year after year. 

5-  Need some height or some extra decorative accents? Cover some books or some empty boxes. 

And for some holiday entertaining tips, click here.

What are some of your favourite holiday hacks? Decorating or otherwise?

Linking up with 

Andrea, Erika and Narci for Favourites on Friday

and Caroline and April for Five on Friday!