snow...laundry baskets...beavertails

This past weekend we decided to brave the cold and snowy weather and headed to the world famous Rideau Canal Skateway. We are so lucky to have the world's largest skating rink (7.8 kilometres long) in our own backyard! We bundled up Little Miss L. and met up with my brother- and sister-in-law and their handsome little man. Little Miss L. loved watching everyone zip past on their skates, I can't wait until I am able to strap on her very own pair. No trip to the canal would be complete without stopping for one of those delicious pastries formed like a beaver's tail with lots of sugar and cinnamon on top - they are just so good! All and all, we had a fabulous time, and can't wait to head back again soon.

We forgot our toboggan at Nona and Pops house, so we had to improvise with the laundry basket.

Daddy and Little Miss L. heading out on the canal.

Little Miss L. loving her ride and people-watching.

Group shot!

Little Miss L. trying a beaver tail for the very first time, and of course, she loved it!

Momma and Little Miss L. in front of the yummy beavertail stand.

I will catch a snowflake if it takes me all day!

30 seconds into our car ride home, let's just say someone was tired!

to be a kid again

If I were to ask you what brings back instant memories of childhood, what would you say? As I was pacing around the kitchen the other day trying to figure out what I was going to make for lunch, I happened to look outside at the falling snow and all of sudden it brought me back to when I was a young child. I clearly remember the days when the snow would be coming down, and my mom would ask what I wanted to eat. My reply would always be "Kraft Dinner please"! There was just something about it- it just seems so comforting to have during the winter months and who doesn't love that cheesy goodness? As much as I know I shouldn't, I search the house for a box of the good stuff. There always seems to be one box laying around for that one craving I might have. I must say, as I sat down to I enjoy my Kraft Dinner, I reflected on all of the great childhood memories I had created while eating those cheesy noodles :) What is that one thing you know you just shouldn't have but you do anyways because it brings back so many fond memories?

Yummy, the cheesy goodness!

i love baby bellies!

It's almost time and I can't wait to meet my girlfriend's new bundle of joy! The new arrival is scheduled to make her appearance near Valentine's Day. I had the honour of taking some belly pics for the new parents to be. They are such a cute couple and momma-to-be is just glowing! This precious little girl is going to be surrounded by so much love:) I love love love the belly!

 

time flies!

As my husband boarded his plane for a business trip to Jamaica yesterday, I thought about how coincidental the situation was. It brought me back to 4 years ago today when the love of my life popped the big question. We had set off on a beautiful vacation to Negril, Jamaica. We spent an amazing time enjoying the sunsets, yummy food, and experiencing the Jamaican culture. The hubby might not agree, but I knew he was going to do it!

We had been in Jamaica for a few days and he still had not dropped to one knee, but I patiently waited. Then the 24th arrived and I thought "this is it" because it marked exactly 1 year to the day when we had met on a blind date. We woke up early that morning and headed to the beach where we enjoyed the warm water and the sun.

I thought this would be the perfect spot to do it, the sun, the beach, the sand... what else could you ask for? - but still nothing happened. I started to think that maybe this isn't going to be the special day I thought it was going to be. Throughout the day, I observed my hubby, who didn't seem to be nervous at all and he wasn't acting any different. As we returned to our hotel, I was surprised to hear that we had been moved to a different room. The hubby had informed me that our room had a problem and they were upgrading us to a private villa! As we arrived at the villa, I was in complete awe, it was just the cutest thing you had ever seen sitting on top of cliff looking out on the beautiful sea. The hubby and I grabbed a bottle of wine and decided to relax and watch the sunset.

Again, what better time than now to pop the question! The sun had set, and I was still left with nothing on my left hand. As we enjoyed our bottle of wine and a fabulous meal on our private cliff, I decided that I didn't need a ring, I knew it would happen someday and it didn't have to be now. We finished up dinner and the hubby said "wait, I have a little gift for you to celebrate our anniversary" at this point I was a little annoyed as we agreed we were not going to exchange gifts. I opened up a cute mug which had a really nice saying on it (I love mugs!), but then the hubby asked if I liked what was inside. I reached into the mug and pulled out a pretty little box, and as I opened it, the hubby got down on one knee and asked "will you go steady with me... forever?" In that moment, I still don't know what I was thinking, it was probably along the lines of... really? did he just ask what I think he asked?, am I drunk?...I did drink a lot of wine, oh wait, he is being serious! At that moment, I was the happiest girl on earth, it was picture perfect!

Yes, I enjoyed the wine!

The last few days spent in Jamaica were amazing, we couldn't leave without a photo op to remember the exact spot that magical moment happened. I love love love Jamaica - enjoy your time my hubby and Happy Anniversary :) Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world!

The end to a perfect trip!

we did it!

After 6 long months searching for that special house, we finally found a winner! Last weekend was a whirlwind, I still can't believe what happened. The hubby and I had spent Saturday morning checking out houses with our realtor and by the afternoon we were home again and disappointed that we still hadn't found anything we loved. I decided to hop online and see if there were any houses we had missed in our search. As my search was coming to a close I happened to come across the perfect house (or so it looked on screen) It was in our ideal location, on 2 acres of land, and was the perfect size for our starter home. We were hoping there would be a showing the next day because we could not wait to see this property. We didn't see any open house listed online, so the hubby and I decided to call the realtor right away because we worried this property would not be on the market for long. As it turns out. we were right - the house went on the market the day before and already had 3 offers. Our realtor explained the 3 offers were going to be put forth at 5pm that evening. He said he could meet us there in an hour and if we really liked the house we could put an offer in as well at 5pm. We looked at the clock and it was 2:30pm. We hopped in our car and headed out to the house - in a nasty snowstorm too!

As we drove up the road I was already smitten - it was quiet neighbourhood surrounded by lots of trees. Neighbours waved as we drove past them. As we walked through the front door, I had a good feeling about this house. We had finished the tour of the house and we were discussing how much we liked it, when I looked out the window and I saw the deal closer - a  little pond, just the right size for Little Miss L. to learn how to skate. That was it, we had to have this house!

The hubby and I decided to put an offer in. As we were leaving the realtor asked us if we wanted to wait in the driveway to see if they accept our offer. Of course we would wait, but we didn't know that it would be one long hour sitting outside during a snowstorm. As we sat there in the cold, we wondered if we were crazy for putting an offer in so fast. The hubby and I like to analyze and go over every little detail and what we just did was way out of our comfort zone. As the realtor approached us it didn't look good. He explained to us that ourselves and another offer had been similar and the owners were having a hard time deciding. We told our realtor to get back in there and work his magic because we needed that house and that is exactly what he did... he stepped out of the house 5 minutes later with the wonderful news that they accepted our offer! We still can not believe that within a period of 5 hours we became homeowners!

Our closing date is still some time away, but the excitement is already building with all the things I can't wait to do...let the decorating begin! We can't wait to make this house our home :)

Nothing would be complete without the thumbs up!

coming soon...

Not much longer now, the wait is almost over...here is a hint! Have you figured it out?

sneaky spaghetti

Many of us are always looking for ways to get the essential nutrients which our bodies require. As a parent, you are always wondering if your young child is getting proper nutrition. With everyone's busy schedules, it can be hard to prepare nutritious and healthy meals on a budget. With that being said, I thought I would share with you one of the ways I prepare meals to make sure that each meal is loaded with the essential nutrients our family needs to stay healthy. It is also great for the picky little eaters in your household, they won't even know they are chowing down on a meal full of the good stuff.

Making a deliciously fresh pasta sauce is always a great choice because it is healthy, inexpensive and great for leftovers. You can load the sauce up with a variety of vegetables that you have on hand. I love to throw everything into mine such as fresh carrots, celery, onions, red and green peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs such as rosemary, parsley, and basil. I chop up all veggies, sauté them in the pan, add tomatoes and chopped herbs (you can use dried if you don't have any fresh on hand), and simmer for an hour. After I have allowed my sauce to simmer, I get out my trusty hand blender and blend the sauce. Allow sauce to simmer for another 30 minutes. Voila, you now have a healthy meal full of essential nutrients and it is ready to serve over hot pasta. Enjoy!

The finished product. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese for the perfect touch!

Let the spaghetti eating begin!

Yum, this is pretty good!

Okay, you caught me...I have noodles everywhere!

Spaghetti overload, I think I am full!

too short!

The weekend has come and gone, it seems it is always over in a blink of an eye! This weekend was filled with lots of excitement and fun. We have been a busy family and we can't wait to share it with all of you but you will have to wait a couple more days...Until then here is a taste of some winter fun we had :)

All bundled up and ready to go!

Little Miss L. and daddy enjoy the fresh winter air.

Someone please help! I am stuck over here!

This is how you build a snow castle.

What weekend doesn't go by without our little munchkin getting into some mischief.

The perfect way to end a weekend, a nice hot bubble bath!

I am cute and I know it!

all natural?

Have you ever stopped to take a look at the ingredient list on the back of your deodorant or antiperspirant? Do you happen to see words such as Parabens, Triclosan, or Propylene glycol? Most people think that antiperspirants and deodorants are the same thing, but they aren’t. Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores with powerful astringents such as aluminum salts so that they can’t release sweat. Where as, deodorants work by neutralizing the smell of the sweat by antiseptic action against bacteria. Deodorants are preferable because they don’t interfere with sweating, a natural cooling process. I believe that even the smallest changes can have big benefits for our future health. As one of my New Year's resolutions, I decided to switch over from the antiperspirant I was using to an all-natural alternative. The hubby and I agreed that if we can't pronounce the ingredients on the back, than we should not be buying it. We purchased two different types from our local health food store. The hubby uses the crystal rock, and I am trying out a natural spray deodorant. The pros are that they are made with all natural ingredients, unscented, hypoallergenic, aluminum chlorohydrate free, paraben free, alcohol-free, non-sticky, non-staining, and they do not leave residue behind. As for the cons, the only complaint regarding the crystal rock is that you must have a source of water around to apply the deodorant before applying to your skin.  As and for the spray deodorant, I find it is not really fast drying.

Once we are through with our deodorant, I would like to make our own homemade version and I will let you know how it turns out!

would you?

 

As I was browsing television channels the other day, I came across a show that was discussing new trends for 2011. As I watched the screen, I began to cringe as I witnessed a young woman being massaged by several snakes. I have seen some interesting spa treatments, such as fish nibbling calluses off feet, but could I really sit back and allow myself to experience the relaxing sensation of letting an assortment of snakes slither over my body? This creative massage was made popular in Israel and has now taken on interest in other parts of the world. Larger snakes are heavy enough to produce a deep kneading massage, while the smaller ones flutter over the skin, creating a calming, caressing sensation. I guess this brings new meaning to "therapeutic massage." I don't think I will be lining up any time soon to try it out...will you??