valentine's day is always full of love

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I love love love this day! I know many people are thinking "why do you like such a cheesy day?" Well, for me this day always brings so much happiness and joy. The past few years it has been filled with amazing memories I will cherish forever. I will fill you in on why I love this day so much.

On Valentine's Day 2009, I was sitting at home waiting patiently for my husband to arrive back from his business trip. As my husband came in the door I could not contain my excitement for many reasons... I knew he would be hungry, tired, and would probably want to take a hot shower but I asked him to come and join me on the couch instead. I wanted to give him his Valentine's Day gift. He asked me if we could hold off until later but I just said no, no, no open it now. As he opened some chocolates and few smaller gifts I could see him pondering why these gifts were so important to open right this second. As I gave him one last small bag, he reached inside and pulled out a pair of small booties. A big smile washed over his face as he asked me "does this mean what I think it means?" I said, "It sure does - you are going to be a daddy! That Valentine's Day, we were on cloud nine as we celebrated the hope of bringing a new life into this world.

Valentine's Day 2010 was another memorable day. The hubby and I decided to take a short trip to Valencia, Spain. Our weekend was filled with excitement as we watched our daughter experience many firsts such as riding the train, sleeping in a hotel and exploring another country. The city was full of great people, delicious food, and beautiful buildings I will never forget. I couldn't have asked for a better day than sharing it with my two favourite people in a unique city which I would love to go back and visit someday.

Now we have come to Valentine's Day 2011. Today our family would like to share something with all of you. Little Miss L. would like to announce that she is preparing to become a big sister! Our family could not be more excited that we will be adding a new member this summer. Now I hope you can see why this day has been and continues to be so special to me, and I hope there will be many more amazing memories to associate with this day. I love love love Valentine's Day :)

a valentine's gift to cherish

As you know, I am always looking for fun and easy activities to do as a family. With Valentine's Day approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to make some homemade gifts for loved ones. I went to our local dollar store and purchased a Plaster of Paris kit (plaster & mold). Little Miss L. loved putting her hands into the cold and gooey mixture. Only a few steps involved and clean up was fast and easy. After plaster has dried over night, add your own personal touch. Paint, sponge paint, add a flower, or write a saying...really, it is all up to your imagination where there are endless possibilities!

Simple four step process!

Daddy pouring the plaster into the mold.

Little Miss L. experiencing the cold and gooey mixture. 

I love these tiny little hand-prints! Plaster must sit overnight to completely set.

The finished product. We opted to use crayons to write a loving message.

Adds a great personal touch to any room. This keepsake sits perfect on this photo stand which we had in the house already. 

the little red dress

Every now and again, I decide to let Little Miss L. pick out what she would like to wear. These days her choices can be quite amusing at times. Yesterday, she had her eyes set on a red dress - nothing was going to stop her from putting it on. As Little Miss L. put her red dress on, I thought, "What better time to have a mini photo shoot?" I felt it was fitting as Valentine's Day is right around the corner - Little Miss L. is getting into the spirit early!

Mommy, these are my feet and toes!

Little Miss L. had to show me how she could dance in her dress.

We had a little fun with some tissue paper.

Little Miss L. is already a talker.

How can I ever say no to this face?!?!

Mommy, I am really tired, but no, I will not take a nap!

valentine's day craft for the kids

Are you looking for a fun and easy craft to do with your children for Valentine's Day? Well, look no further - Little Miss L. had a blast making this candy Valentine's Day ornament.

All you need is a glue gun, Styrofoam ball, festive ribbon, and candies of your choice.  

Use hot glue gun to apply candies onto the Styrofoam ball.  For children too young to use a glue gun, get them involved by asking them to pick the candy and place the candy on the ball. Once candies are attached, apply festive ribbon.

The finished product is then hung to set the Valentine's Day mood.

Note: When using a hot glue gun around children please proceed with extreme caution.

party pleasing spinach dip

This weekend, I was in need of some comfort food. I thought Super Bowl Sunday would be the perfect day to make a delicious spinach dip. My girlfriend had sent me this recipe a few years back and I have been in love with it ever since. Who can resist this creamy, cheesy treat? I find spinach dip is a great hot appetizer that seems to please any crowd. If you are hosting the next gathering, then try out this recipe - I am sure your guests will leave with a smile on their faces.

 Ingredients

• 2 blocks of light cream cheese (I like to use Philadelphia 250g)
• 1 package of frozen chopped spinach 
• 2 spring green onions (finely chopped)
• 1 large red pepper
• Tobasco sauce or your favourite hot sauce (I use around 10 dashes) 
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees/177 Celsius. Cut red pepper into four quarters and place on baking sheet. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until peppers are roasted. Take out of oven and cut into small pieces.
• Take spinach and follow directions to cook on stove. After spinach has cooked, drain and place back into pot. 
• Chop up green onion.
• Drop in 2 blocks of cream cheese with spinach. Add the roasted red peppers and green onion. Place lid on pot for a couple of minutes to help soften the cheese.
• Stir in tobasco sauce and add a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper. Allow mixture to warm on low  for 10-15 minutes to allow all the flavours to mix. 
• Once done, place in your favourite dish and serve hot. I like to add grated cheddar cheese on top for that extra flavour. Tastes great with nacho chips, bread, crackers, and veggies!

Green onions and roasted red peppers chopped.

Adding the final touches.

The finished product, yummy!

in need of a giggle?

Are you having one of those days when you just need a little pick-me-up? Well, as I look outside today I know I am in need of one. In situations like these, I always know who to count on. My daughter always seems to be able to brighten any day up! If you might be down today- hopefully one of these pictures will cheer you up. I love watching Little Miss L.'s facial expressions change over that last 16 months.

Brr, it's cold outside!

red.blue.green.yellow.purple.grey?!?!

Even though we still have a few months before we move into our new place, I already have the paint swatches out! I love browsing the web and magazines for home decor ideas. There are so many colours out there, how do I chose? One minute, I am in love with dark vibrant colours, and then the next I am smitten over a nice light grey/blue. It seems with each passing day, whatever mood I am in determines the colours I like. It is so hard to narrow it down to a colour that I will enjoy looking at every day, irrespective of my mood. What colour are you using these days that you just love love love?

The never ending sea of paint swatches!