Lifted Mood - Change Of Post

Happy Friday everyone! I had a whole other post already written up and ready to share with you all. I had written the majority of it yesterday and it was one of those "real" posts. It wasn't necessarily negative but it was a little shift in what I normally write. 

Then, yesterday I went and got Sam. As we were driving out the daycare laneway we met friends Ricky and Stacy who were there to pick up their daughter Mady as well. All summer Mady has been spending her summer at Sams daycare helping and playing with the other little girl who is her age. 

Mady usually comes with Sam and I in the morning which has been so fun! Yesterday, Stacy stopped me before I rolled onto the highway and handed me a box with a card on the top. 

I was a little shocked as I didn't know what it was for! It had the cutest little note on top and inside gourmet donuts from Suzy Q donuts!! AHH! Yum! 

The card had Chihuahuas on the front (she knows me so well! ha ha!) and a gift card for Boston Pizza! One of most recent favorite spots because one finally opened in a convenient location and is very kid friendly! 

As I said, I was shocked! I feel as though it is me that should be thankful! Mady has been my little helper in the morning! Entertaining Sam when I get my coffee ready, picking up his bottle when he drops it in the car and I know a big help at daycare! I have really enjoyed her company in the morning and our chats! I will miss her when she starts school next week! Even Tucker has warmed up to Mady and looks forward to his morning back rub. 

Thank you Mady and Stacy for making the end of my crazy work week so bright! You really made my week! 

Mady, Sam and I are really going to miss seeing you every morning but we know you are going to do amazing this year in school! 

Have a good weekend everyone! 

xo 

My Tips For Traveling By Plane With A Toddler Who Doesn't Like To Sit

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am starting to get out of my "post holiday" funk. I actually had to resort to an energy drink on Monday afternoon in order to keep my eyes open. It is totally worth it though! All week I have been having flashbacks from our week away! It was just a really great time! 

There was one thing that I was not looking forward to when we planned our trip, the plane ride! Being the frugal parents that we are, we decided to fly out to the cottage being that Sam's ticket is free until he turns 2! The weeks leading up to our trip Sam had been getting better at walking and was becoming very insistent in his practicing. He doesn't like to sit very long right now and I was beginning to worry about the hour and a half flight. 

Surprising both Ryan and I, Sam was a CHAMPION on both flights! Here's a few tips that I found helpful while dealing with Sam on the plane! 

1. PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! 

Our flight TO Halifax was at 9 AM and the flight home was at 1 PM....Anyone who knows our schedule with Sam would know that both of those are routinely his nap times! What was I thinking? I wasn't, we didn't have many options for flights. So, my game plan was to hopefully tire out Sam before we had to board! Both the Ottawa and Halifax airports have these children's play areas! They are great! We would get through security, grab some food and then keep Sam actively moving until it was time to board! We were successful in tiring him out and on BOTH flights Sam fell asleep before we were even in the air! He didn't sleep through the entire flight on the way home but enough to keep him happy. 

2. Do NOT listen to the family boarding call. 

If you've flown before, you may have heard the airlines announce pre-boarding for people who need assistance or people with small children. DO NOT LISTEN! I appreciate the "help" but this boarding takes place and it means that you would be sitting on the plane 20-30 minutes longer than if you were to be one of the last ones! It is hard enough to keep a toddler entertained for the flight that I don't want to dock on any extra time! 

3. Umbrella Stroller! 

Our very first ever flight with Sam, we didn't bring a stroller. We figured he was small enough and we had his car seat. It was a huge mistake! For our next flight, we invested $40 in an umbrella stroller! It has been AWESOME! Sam buckles into the stroller as we are making our way through security and to our gate. He then sits in it as we walk down the long hall way to our plane. This way, he is strapped in and cannot get into anything he isn't suppose to. Right before you get on the plane you leave the stroller with the attendant and its waiting there for you when you get off the plane! 

4. Stay on the plane! 

Once the plane lands people are pretty antsy about getting off of it! It's like a herd of cattle all trying to be the first ones off and through the door! It can be a little chaotic. We have learnt to just stay put until we are some of the last people off. This allows us to methodically get things gathered before getting off. It's means a little longer on the plane but we find it is worth the wait. 

5. What we packed! 

This trip, Sam had his very own backpack! We used his daycare backpack and filled it with all the stuff to keep him busy. I think that the key to keeping him entertained is that the stuff  is new to him! I have been gathering a little pile of stuff to keep him entertained that he never saw until we were on the plane! This was the things that worked well for Sam! 

a. An old spice bottle with pipe cleaners! This may seem really simple but Sam LOVED this. He would take the pipe cleaners out and then put them back in. Over and over again! This kept him happy for 30 minutes! 

b. Dollar store caterpillar. I made a quick trip to the dollar store before our trip to get a few items for Sams bag. I spotted this little guy and thought Sam would think it felt cool. I was right! It was a favorite! 

c. Used book! I also grabbed a couple of used board books for Sam that had flaps in them! Books are always a hit with him. 

d. Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Oh, and something to wash it down! 

Gold fish, cookie, granolas, crackers...we had it all! I also brought two sippy cups of milk (1 extra in case we had plane issues). If you are travelling with a child under the age of 2, you can bring more then the recommended liquids. I also brought an empty sippy cup so that we could fill it with water or juice!  

The fact that Sam fell asleep for both flights was a HUGE help! Murphy's Law! I packed all these fun things that we hardly got to use! Flying with a toddler is not easy, but if you plan ahead it can actually go very smoothly! 

Happy Wednesday! 

xo 

Farewell To Nova Scotia...For Now!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that you had an amazing week! Things are a little rough this morning! We flew in from our week away at the cottage in Nova Scotia yesterday afternoon. After grabbing groceries, unpacking and making supper we were all pretty tired and looking forward to bed! This morning it is almost like holidays never happened! Up early, lunches made and out the door to daycare right on schedule! It is so weird how we can go from living life in vacation mode to being snapped back to reality so quickly! 

But the adjustment is nice! I have to admit, while living without too much structure over the last week, there is something so nice about being back into our routine. I guess I like knowing that to expect. I hated not having a meal plan all week and just grabbing something when we felt like it. 

Overall, the week was AMAZING! The weather was perfect and I can honestly say this has been our best trip to the cottage! It was fun, casual, relaxed and for the first time over 3 visits, Sam slept and I am more rested after any vacation we have had as a family! 

We kind of wanted to keep this trip relaxed. Not plan TOO many things. We did make a little promise though. We know we will be making many trips to Nova Scotia in the years to come and we don't want to over plan our trip with sight seeing every year! We want to be able to enjoy and relax. But we also want to enjoy and take in some of the tourist sights. So our plan is to do 1 tourist thing a year! This year was Peggy's Cove! 

Other than that the cottage plan is the same! Slow mornings, late morning outings, lunch and nap at the cottage, boat rides, sand castles, Mommy and Daddy dates (after Sam is in bed) and games! Here is a few pictures that best details our trip to the cottage for 2015! 

Oh, I take it back! Give me the water, boats, beach and sleeping in over routine! Take me back to the cottage life! 

Hope you all had a fantastic week! 

xo 

A Few Things On This Friday BEFORE MY HOLIDAYS!

Happy (finally) Friday everyone! I hope that you have had a great week that passed by in a blink. Mine has been weird. With daycare being closed it makes me feel like we are sort of out of our routine! Yesterday morning I scrambled to tie up all the lose ends at the office so that I could be off for the rest of the afternoon with my boy! Oh boy and was he having an off day yesterday! While Sam napped I got all of the family laundry done so that today I could pack because we are heading out for a family summer holiday to my parents cottage in NS!

Here are a few things that I am looking forward to next week....

- NO alarm clock. Yes, I know with a child a vacation isn't really a "relaxing" holiday and Sam will likely get us up every morning before 7. But I am looking forward to not waking up to a 4:30 AM alarm clock! 

- Waking up to this view! For most of the week it will be just the three of us at the cottage so Ryan and I are going to stay in the master bedroom that has this awesome view of the ocean right when you wake up! 

- Peaceful nap times! I am REALLY good at doing nothing. I crave nothing! During nap times I am going to sit out by the ocean and read, nap myself, binge watch Netflix, and even knit! Yes, I will be that person who packs knitting needles in her suitcase. I have a little project that I am working on and crafting to me, is peaceful! 

- Checking out a couple of the local sights. Last year, we went to a few of the Eastern Canada landmarks. We got to see the Bluenose and check out the harbor. This year, we want to go to Queensland Beach for a morning and go to Peggy's Cove. Peggy's Cove is only 20 minutes from the cottage! A perfect quick trip! 

- Ordering Pizza in! Last time we were at the cottage we ordered a pizza in from Pizza Town. SUCH good pizza and they deliver right to us! 

- A few "dates" with Ryan. I am a firm believer that marriage takes work! I think you need to continue to get to know someone as the years together go on. We really don't need fancy alone dates. A board game, movie night, game of cards or just sitting and talking by the water, those are the dates that I am looking forward to next week. 

No computer, my boys, lobster, scallops, spa time, more than one coffee a day....honestly, my list could go on and on! I cannot wait!

 

I hope that everyone has a good weekend and week next week! 

xo 

Pumpkin Tortellini

Happy Wednesday! Not going to lie. This week has been interesting. Daycare is closed but thankfully my mother in law came to the rescue and agreed to watch Sam for 3 days this week which allows me to still work and figure out what to do the remaining days! Thank you Bev for always being there and so willingly accepting to watch Sam when we are in a pinch! 

I think my biggest challenge since going back to work has been our evening schedule. It is SO hard to get home, keep Sam happy and get supper ready at a reasonable time. After daycare Sam is EXHAUSTED and has no problem going to bed at 6:30-7 PM. Being that we don't get home till around 5, this means that supper, bath and bed (and any hanging out) all has to happen within 2 hours. Sometimes, that's really hard!

I've had to get creative and think in advance when it comes to suppers. I've had to adjust my meal plan to only include items that can be cooked and on the table in 15 or so minutes. I just don't want to spend all night at the stove when I could be hanging with my boys. Not to mention within 30 minutes Sam is cranky and looking for food. 

A quick "15 Minute Dinner" search and I've tried a few new recipes. Some have been big failures but others, like this one have become part of our latest meal plan!

Ingredients:

Package of Cheese stuffed tortellini 

1 tbsp butter 

1/4 cup of diced onion (I do this the night or morning before) 

1/2-1 cup of canned PURE pumpkin 

1 1/4 cups heavy cream 

1/4 cup Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste 

Pinch of nutmeg 

Directions: 

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package. 

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in skillet, add onion and cook until soft. Add the pumpkin and nutmeg and stir while continuing to cook for about 1 minute. 

3. Stir in cream. This will look off at first but keep stirring! 

4. Continue to stir until cream sauce comes to a slight boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese and cook until thick (about 1 minute). Season with salt and pepper. 

5. Add sauce to tortellini and toss so that it is well combined with the sauce. 

6. Enjoy! 

This has quickly became one of Sams favorite meals! He gobbles it right up and truthfully so do Ryan and I. My husband is a picky eater and at first turned his nose up at the thought of pumpkin but admits that he can't even taste it! 

This meal is so quick and it has us all sitting at the table quickly. I now watch for sales on the tortellini and stock up when it comes out at a good price! But being that this meal doesn't have meat in it, it is a reasonably priced supper to make! Which as you all know, is right up my alley! :) 

Have a great day! 

xo   

A Very Domestic Weekend and The Time Sam Played With A Dead Mouse

Happy Monday! Where has the weekend go? I had an unexpected and busy day on the road on Friday! Lots of driving! Hence the lack of posting! 

Thursday afternoon, Ryan left for a four-wheeling trip with a bunch of friends and so it was just Sam and I this weekend. It's funny to think back on some of the first times I was left alone with Sam for an extended period of time. I was worried at the thought of it but quickly learnt that it's really not that bad. I really like the fact that I get Sam 100% to myself. 

We stayed pretty close to home this weekend. Mostly because there were other things that needed to be done and lack of plans. It was nice though to get caught up on a couple of chores around the house! 

We had a quiet evening on Friday and a Pita Pizza supper. Sam seemed extra tired that evening but since he has started walking he had a few days where going to bed has been a problem. Thankfully, Friday wasn't AS bad as the previous night. 

Saturday morning we took our morning selfie to send to Dad and then got ready for our day! I put the finishing touches on a shower gift and we loaded up the car. I left for the bridal shower an hour before I was suppose to because I wanted to allow lots of time for Sam to have a decent morning nap in the car. 

We had a great time at the shower and Sam had so much fun playing with all the other kids there! 

We got home and Sam went down for his nap at his usual time. While he napped, I worked on my garden. 

After collecting the veggies, I came inside to get to work. I wanted to get more corn in the freezer! I got an awesome new tool from pampered chef that allows you to take the corn off the husk! I almost have enough bags in the freezer now to last us the Winter. I can't wait to have that fresh corn taste all year long.

(2 dozen cobs gives me 10 bags with 1.5 cups of corn)

I also got to sewing a little table runner project I have been working on. I decided to hand sew it because there is something relaxing about working on something like this while I watch TV. 

Sam had an awesome nap and I eventually had to wake him up! We went outside for a long walk and lots of playtime before enjoying an easy meal that I had prepared in the freezer! 

We played some more and Sam was seeming really grumpy and tired. I took him up to get ready for bed before 6:30 and put him down. Surprisingly enough, he fall asleep almost instantly. I think I tired him out! #mommywin 

That evening I enjoyed a glass of wine while I made some pickles and pickled beans! I also sat down for a documentary on Netflix. 

The next morning Sam and I had some running around to do so we were up early and out the door! Not before his Sunday Selfie though! 

It was First Aid training day for the farm and we had to set it all up. I was setting up the tables and chairs while Sam wandered around. I looked over my shoulder to check on him and saw something grey that he was playing with. I tried to look more closely and realized it was a DEAD MOUSE! I screamed bloody murder and scared Sam and I ran out of the basement to my car where I knew I had some wipes and soap. Ew! 

That afternoon Ryan got home and it was nice to catch up and get a little break! It was a HOT afternoon so we spent a lot of time outside by our water table! Oh and after supper we went and got Sam his first ice cream cone! 

How was your weekend? 

xo

That's What Long Weekends Are All About...

Happy Wednesday everyone! I can't believe that it is already the middle of the week! This past weekend was extended and it was really great! I LOVE long weekends but I HATE Tuesdays after a long weekend! There are always a million things to do and not enough time. Not to mention getting back on work-week schedule is so hard! Sam and I were both in bed super early! 

This weekend was perfect! We got to spend so much time together, especially with that added day. 

Long weekends start perfectly when your wonderful daycare supplier sends home a little treat! Brazilian buns that were the afternoon snack! She is originally from Brazil and this is a treat for them. They were DELICIOUS! I may (aka: definitely) have eaten 2 on the way home! 

Ryan and I watched 3 movies on Netflix this weekend! It's feeling like we are going to run out of choices soon! 

I love that on weekends I get to drink out of a real coffee mug instead of my travel mug! 

I also love my Saturday summer tradition of reading the paper and sipping my coffee in the early morning! This 1-2 hours before Sam and Ryan get up are amazing! I get ready and have some quiet time! 

We ran and got groceries and got the stuff to start the outdoor bathroom reno! The pool place bathroom has been needing a face lift for a while and we are going to attempt to do it all ourselves! Eek! 

Sam is all about books lately! He loves to "read" it all himself. 

This weekend the sweet corn has started to sell! One of my favorite foods! I also bought local honey, beans and potatoes. After a snack of corn with supper, I blanched and froze the other corn. A little taste of summer is in the freezer. 

Sunday some friends gathered pool side for a non-birthday celebration (ha ha!) but it was so fun to watch all the kiddos together! Sam napped while I visited for a couple of hours and then he wore himself out from keeping up with all the big kids! 

All weekend long, Sam has been practicing walking on his own. He could take some steps but would still rather crawl everywhere. All weekend long he has been trying at more walking. On Monday, it seemed to finally "click" and he hardly crawled all day! Now we have a walker on our hands and a big part of me is relieved that he is finally walking. At 16 months old, we were getting some questions as to why he wasn't walking yet. It is so cute to watch him walk around. I think everything looks really new to him at this angle because he'll break out in laughter while walking around. 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! 

xo