Other Mothers Daily

1st October, 2009 - Posted by othermothers - Comments

November 19, 2009

Yesterday was a busy day.  All the kids had activities after school and I was swamped at work.  So, I did’t make an effort to support the Olympic torchbearers.  I also didn’t make a point of going down to Parade Square to celebrate the Olympic Flame being in our neighbourhood. Today, I regret it.

 In speaking to a friend last night, we both agreed that we should have pulled the kids out of whatever they were doing and joined the celebrations.  How often was the Olympic Flame going to be at our doorstep?  So I hope you guys went.  And, since I didn’t show my pride for our Olympic Team by being there I have found another way to show my support. I am going to buy some Olympic mittens.  Proceeds go towards supporting our athletes and on top of that they look good.~mf

November 18, 2009

Temporary Art

Every year I struggle with Holiday decorating.  I am always so impressed when I walk into someone’s house and see all the fun and beautifully arranged decorations.  It doesn’t matter how hard I try – whether I put up candles or garlands or funky ornaments – I can never get my house to look “decorated”.  In previous years I’ve just given up and let the legos and candy canes give my house the holiday feel.

This year, though, I found something a little different that just might do the trick. Peel-and-stick wall decals that will add festive flair to the room without requiring any skill.  That’s just what i’ve have been looking for.~mf 

November 17, 2009

Birthday Day

With three of mys five kids born within six weeks of each other in the fall, it seems like I am forever planning birthday parties.  Today is no exception.  My newly minted four year-old is having his first big-boy party.  I have adhered to the rule that he is only allowed to invite the same number of people as his age – plus one.  I am not sure where the “plus one” rule comes from but it’s working for me so I am going with it.

The biggest problem is always the loot bags. I am quite opposed to all the candy the kids get in these bags.  I usually end up tossing them as soon as I can get the bags out of my kids hands.  One year, I made up loot bags for my oldest son’s party and didn’t include any candy. As the kids were leaving I heard them say that it was the worst party ever. I guess no candy meant no fun. My son was shattered.  So, I fill the loot bags with candy now.  Today, though, I am trying something a little different. In honour of the Holiday season, I am handing out candy in the form of Advent Calendars I picked up from the dollar store. Not sure how well this will go over, so I have a couple of suckers on hand as well – it never hurts to be prepared.

For fun Advent Calendars whose proceeds go to a good cause, check out UNICEF Canada.

 

November 16, 2009

Grocery Bag

I did it again this weekend.  I got all the way to the grocery store when I realised that I had forgotten my cloth bags.  This wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have several dozen of them at home from all the other times I did the same thing. Now, in theory, I am all for using recyclable bags but they have now crept into every aspect of our lives.  Where we used to pack our sleepover gear in a knapsack, we now put it into one of these distinctive green or black bags. Similarly, I used to carry my work files in a briefcase and now I find myself reaching for one of these cloth wondersacks.

It’s all good for the grocery stores but I am getting a little wary of promoting their brand and of feeling like a bag lady.  So, I’ve decided to invest in new bags that at least promote a good cause and whose proceeds benefit wildlife conservation projects.  I am talking about the WWF sac. It’s made of durable nylon and it can fold itself neatly into my purse. ~mf 

 

November 12, 2009

 Lists.

 By: The deal is sweet.

Recently I’ve had some time on my hands – time that is ALL mine to indulge in the things that make me happiest. But, because of the circumstances, it turns out that this will be the last chunk of “me” time I’ll have for a while. So I’ll need to be efficient with how I spend it.

 Perfect. To kick-off my break from day-to-day craziness, I treated myself to a latte, a sunny patch on the sofa and some serious list building. Yes, you heard right. There is something so satisfying about a thoughtful, organized list – neat, tidy and waiting to be completed.

Recently I acquired the perfect list notepad. It’s not too large, not too small. The paper stock is hefty enough to fold easily and tuck inside my bag or pocket without being destroyed, but not too thick to feel like a waste.

List aficionados will also get this – the “task-complete-indicator-method”. Mine is the strikethrough and, oh what a sense of accomplishment I feel when I get to cross out that task. Some prefer the check mark but I like to obliterate the item completely.

I’m not sure where this love of lists came from. In recent history multi-tasking Moms, fresh off the baby brain train, have created lists out of necessity.

“Buy milk and food to feed family.”

“Pickup healthy snacks for playgroup to not look like the deadbeat, slack-ass I really am.”

(Of course the above are excerpts from some of my own lists and are in no way meant to insinuate that other mothers are as scattered as I apparently was/am.)

Analyzing this list thing further though, I remember my father carrying his lists around with him, pulling them out from time to time and using the same strikethrough method to indicate completion. And funnily enough, somewhere in the back of my mind I feel close to him when I pull my list out to do the same.

It’s funny how the simplest things are handed down – my Dad also comes to mind as I’m scrambling the perfect egg using his fool-proof technique – water not milk and scooping and turning not stirring (in case you’re interested).

So half-way through my self-indulgent “me time” I have done well. My list is looking good and messy with lots of strikethroughs and lots of additions. And funnily enough, the “buy food and milk” item remains at the top of the list. I’ll get to that today.

Then there at the bottom, a late addition prompted by advice from a great friend is the one I’m looking forward to the most: “Take a nap.”

I have a funny feeling this one was always last on my Dad’s lists too.

 

November 6, 2009

“Timmies, Tantrums and TSN Prospects – Chronicles of a Serendipitous Puck Mummy”

 Hockey Girls…

 

I am writing this sitting next to a barfy six year old.  But for her inclement health, I would be sitting at a rink right now.  Her vomit is currently distracting her from the fact she is not at the rink, but when the dust has cleared I predict she will be upset she missed her practice.   And because she missed her practice, that means there will have been no estrogen on the ice at all this morning.  As it appears she is the only girl on her team.

 I know there are other girls who play hockey.  But I am stating the obvious when I note the numbers of girls to boys is disproportionately low in this sport.  Particularly at this young age.

 It was not surprising our daughter wanted to play hockey as soon as she was allowed.  Having spent a fair amount of her tender young years at a rink watching her brother and father, she was rightly ready to assume her place on the ice and be “watched”.  When we arrived at the first IP session for five year olds, there were roughly 60 boys and three girls.  One of the girls cried each and every time she was on the ice.  After about four practices she was never seen again.  The only other girl was a friend of our daughter’s and the two of them held their own in a field of boys for the year.

 In second year IP, the coaches have broken the kids up into groups based on skill ability.  Our daughter can skate (having been doing so since she was three) so she is in the more advanced group.  She is the only girl in this group.  She has not commented on this, but I have certainly registered it.  Sometimes I wonder if she thinks the only way she can play hockey (or baseball) is to be a boy.  Who could blame her given the gender she sees on the rink and field at this young age.  Even the coaches are all male.

This past summer, Baseball Nova Scotia hosted a girl’s only baseball day at the Halifax Commons field.  I made it a priority to attend with our daughter.  It was a phenomenal event.  Girls, girls, girls everywhere with two members of the Canadian National team and several provincial team players on hand to provide skill instruction and meet the young players.  Our daughter saw she was not the only girl to play baseball.  I hope Hockey Nova Scotia does something similar. 

 I think a lot of people do not register (literally and figuratively) hockey as a sport for young girls.  Try it out – the sport is organized so those attempting for the first time are not thrown in with those who have been playing for years.  The first skill learned is how to skate and that’s a skill your child will need to learn even if they want to figure skate.  Let them learn the fundamentals now and who knows where they will go.

The future appears to bode well for other females to join the hockey ranks with my daughter.  Her reading buddy (in grade six last year) is on an all girl hockey team and she is one cool cat.  Our daughter adores her and treats her like a celebrity whenever she sees her.  Both girlfriends of our basement hockey players are hockey players themselves.  One is on the university female hockey team.  The other played all through high school.  One of my bridesmaids is on an all woman hockey team in Digby and has her own smelly gear that she proudly wears.  Great role models, great hockey players and great women!  My role in Gabi’s hockey future will be to continue to expose her to these women so she can see what girls can do. 

The Serendipitous Puck Mummy can be contacted at puckmummy@bellaliant.net  ~tm

 

 

November 5, 2009

Things To Do This Weekend

 

Warm your Heart – Another birthday in our house today.  This time it’s the four year-old.  It was very cute when my older son suggested taking him to Build-a-Bearbecause he remembered how much he loved it as kids.  So, we are going to MicMac Mall this weekend to get our favourite four year-old a new “stuffie”.

Kids and Theatre – Munschapaloozabrings the charismatic characters of Robert Munsch, Canada’s number one children’s author, to life in a high-energy show.  Performances of Munschapalooza are Friday, November 6 at 7pm, Saturday, November 7 at 11am and 2 pm, and Sunday, November 8 at 2pm in Neptune’s Studio Theatre.  Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for youth ages 16 and under. Tickets are available by contacting the Neptune Theatre Box Office at 429-7070 or by clicking here. 

  

November 4, 2009

Tutus are in

If you’ve always fantasized about being a ballerina or have a little girl who loves to look girlie – do I have the tutus for you. 

A local mother has started a business making tutus for all occasions.  Fenny and Lolo makes tutus for little girls, big girls and even for dogs.  They are great for dress up but, as you can see in the picture I’ve posted, they look great with jeans.  Fenny and Lolo will be selling their wares at the Craft Fair at the Forum this weekend.

 

November 3, 2009

A Decorating Tip

I am in the process of moving my office from the corner of my bedroom to the spare room.  It was a bit of an emotional battle as my oldest son had his heart set on turning it into his first bachelor pad.  To be fair, he is only 12, so the fact that we decided to have him continue to share his bedroom with his brother is not the end of the world.

So now that I have claimed the room, I need to set it up.  I plan to do this without incurring any expenses – a great goal but not an easy feat these days.  The other day I was looking for ideas for bulletin boards and came across this neat-looking option at With This Nest.  All it requires are some clipboards, paper or paint and imagination.  I plan to try it and will post a photo when I get it finished.  In the next few weeks I will also figure out how to do a desk, chair and filing system without spending anything – or very little.  Keep checking for updates.~mf

November 2, 2009

A Good Mom Idea Your Kids Won’t Like

 Have you had enough of all the candy? After a full-day of sugar-induced hyperactiveness I am ready to throw is all out but the frugal part of me just can’t do it. In other years I have hidden the extra loot and tried to dole it out judiciously.  Then last year, the mice found the stash and I am still cleaning up after that mess.  So this morning I was cruising the Web looking for things to do with all our excess candy – 5 kids worth. I found some great suggestions so I thought I would share them with you.

Ronald MacDonald House – This children’s charity will happily take anything that is still in its original wrapper.  They ask that you call at 429-4044 (in Halifax) before dropping anything off.

Feed Nova Scotia – The community partner that supplies local food banks across the province is happy to accept leftover candy and chips.  Again, they need the donated goods to be in their original wrappers.  For more info visit www.feednovascotia.ca or call at 457-1900.

Canadian Military - I read online that in the US there are a couple of organizations that are accepting candy to send to the troops overseas.  I still haven’t found anyone doing this for our Canadian troops, but if you know of any please let me know and I will pass it along.

 

October 30, 2009

Things To Do This Weekend

Delicious Treat – If you want to make something easy that looks really hard, look no further.  These Itsy-Bitsy Spider Cupcakes were a huge hit in my son’s grade 3 class this morning.  If I can do it, I am sure you can too.

Haunted House – If your kids can’t get enough of creepy crawlies and scary ghosts, then take them to the Bluenose Ghosts Festival’s Haunted House.  Open tonight and tomorrow night from 6:30 to 9:30 at Alderney Landing, it is sure to send chills up anyones spine. For more information call 461-8401.

Beatrix Potter on Stage - The Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts is putting on a ballet – Two Tales Dancing:  Beatrix Potter’s Jemima Puddle-Ducka nd Peter Rabbit.  The ballet is tonight at 6:30 and Saturday at 1:30 at the Bella Rosa Arts Centre. 

October 29, 2009

Notes from the Other Side

Some Halloween Advice from the Kids

Disclaimer: I am writing as a representative of the children. The following views are not necessarily the opinions of the writer nor are they endorsed by this website.
 
We, the kids, would like to discuss this whole Halloween situation. First, let’s clear something up; Halloween, and all fun involved, belongs to us, the kids. I mean, yeah, we let you grown ups borrow it sometimes and sometimes we share our loot with you (meaning, we turn a blind eye when our stash shrinks at an alarming rate whilst we sleep). We also let that Martha S. lady make a mint by basking in the Halloween events and craft potential. Clearly though, Halloween is for kids. Dressing up? Treats? Being rewarded for acting like a bunch of wild things? That has kids written all over it.  Now that we’ve established that, let’s get to the whole Treats situation.

Now, we just want to let you know that after parading around in a costume, freezing our butts off and slipping in wet leaves, we really don’t want to heave home a bag full of apples. I mean, one or two are fine, and that one mom who takes the time to cover those apples with caramel… well let’s just say that time is greatly appreciated by us small ones, as it takes us just as long to pick the caramel off of our hands, face and hair, etc. However, if we wanted a bag full of fruit we would have gone to an orchard. We aren’t trying to sound ungrateful by any means. We just want to fill all you tall folk in on some of the rules we’d like you to live by when preparing for all us little hooligans to come knockin’.

Firstly, we aren’t opposed to less junky treats. We all know that some candy is a terrible idea; suckers and hard candy for instance: choking hazard and cavity on a stick. That doesn’t mean that we should come home without any hardcore junk. Little bags of chips, for example, totally necessary for lightening the loot load. And those little chocolate bars: must have at least a few. But you can mix it up too. There are lots of great ideas for treats that aren’t “full of sugar”: popcorn, sugar free gum, roasted pumpkin seeds, yoghurt tubes, cheese stings, tattoos, nail polish, stickers, and crafts are all great treats. And for those moms with the time, we all know we’ve hit the jackpot when we get those cute little Halloween baggies with a mixture of treats. WE LOVE IT!

Another thing to consider is that it’s great to have options for the big kids and the little kids. Little kids would love crackers, gold fish, playdoh, toothbrushes, cheese shapes, and little toys probably more than chocolate or candy. For those of you who think you’ll have mostly friends and neighbours, baked goods are always a hit with us.
And that’s about it! We really do appreciate y’all putting so much work and effort into this super duper holiday! Oh… and also, we do appreciate when you treat-giver-outers dress up. I mean, generally grown up costumes are pretty dorky, but still awesome!
 
From us, the kids.

 

October 27, 2009

Road Trip…

“Timmies, Tantrums and TSN Prospects – Chronicles of a Serendipitous Puck Mummy”

My rule of thumb is that when it is cold enough to justify wearing gloves, then it is probably a good time to get the winter tires on.  Partly because the snow is coming but mostly because it’s time for hockey road trips.

 The hockey road trip is a creature of its own.  Our first road trip came when our son was five…. never too early to start the tradition!  That road trip involved travel to the Eastern Shore for a “jamboree”.  I cannot begin to tell you how excited our son was about that trip.   He talked about it for weeks.  As a complete novice of the road trip, I was totally ignorant of what the day would entail so I was generally ambivalent.

 The road trip took up our entire Saturday.  And I mean entire Saturday.  We left home at 7 am and arrived back in our driveway at 7 pm.  I am not sure what I expected in terms of a time commitment, but it was nowhere near 12 hours.  My initial ambivalence turned to frustration as I thought about all that stuff which was not getting done at home.

As someone who is typically well organized, I freely admit I was simply not prepared for this road trip.   I link this back to having no idea we would be gone for 12 hours.  The biggest example of this involved food.  I packed a granola bar or two and a few of the “on their last leg” bananas.  Being gone for 12 hours meant we were out of the house for our normal breakfast, lunch and dinner hours.  The result was that we did not eat anything that was green, red, orange or yellow.  Well, unless you count the sprinkles on the various Tim Horton baked goods, the ketchup on the rink fries and the yellow/green Gatorade.  Not a great Canada Food Guide day. 

We did the same road trip last year when our daughter was 5.  I gave myself over to the reality that the trip was going to be the entire Saturday (and did the laundry on Friday night….).  I have to say that made it more enjoyable for me.  I was also much more prepared and packed a cooler of healthy snacks, fruit, drinks and sandwiches.  I need not have bothered.  My children were pleased to report that despite my preparation they still did not eat anything green, red, orange or yellow with the exception of, you guessed it, the sprinkles on the Timmies stuff, the ketchup on the fries and the colourful Gatorade….

There is something about eating on a hockey road trip.  Financial advisors will always recommend that hockey families bring coolers of healthy food from home for the hockey road trip.  Good luck getting your kids to eat that in a rink smelling of hot salty grease.  That rink air is like a drug that drifts over all under the stadium roof.  Heck, I would rather eat the fries! 

We will likely get better with the food thing over time, but for now I have accepted that as a reality of our hockey road trip.  And that the road trip will take up our day.  Everyone in my family is quite happy with that.  Including me.  But check back with me in a few months and a few hundred kilometers as my view may have changed…

The Serendipitous Puck Mummy can be contacted at puckmummy@bellaliant.net

 

October 26, 2009

Green Helper

Today was compost day in our neighbourhood.  I couldn’t wait for it. Our green bin was completely full as we had forgotten to bring it to the curb the last couple of times.  As a result, my indoor composter hadn’t been emptied all weekend and was starting to get stinky.  Once I finally emptied it I tried scrubbing the plastic container to get the smell out but I couldn’t quite get rid of it all – I could still detect the odour of fish.  That’s when I decided enough was enough. 

I drove myself down to Lee Valley and picked up a new compost pail. These stainless-steel containers don’t take on the smell of onion scraps or the color of beet juice (my mother just made pickled beets). An added bonus is that they look good so you can keep them on your counter-top. Each pail includes a lid and a stainless-steel carrying handle.

 

October 23, 2009

A tear-fest

I was invited to attend a luncheon yesterday to benefit Pancreatic Cancer.  In my past life, I used to go to a lot of these.  Basically, you sit at a table with people you work with, eat some form of chicken dinner and listen to speakers.  Although I fully expected this to be along these same lines, a friend was one of the key organizers so I agreed to go. What a good decision.

The luncheon took place at Pier 21 and started off like any other lunch I have ever attended – although it did start on-time which is great.  We had the usual introductions and moved quickly to the speakers.  The first person to address the crows was a man recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer who told us he probably didn’t have long to live – the survival rate for this type of cancer is usually less than 3 years and often people diagnosed only have months to live.  This man wasn’t bitter – at least with us- he simply told us his story and introduced the next speaker.  It was short but impactful.

He was followed by a doctor who said there was hope for treatment but it was a long way off.  Then it was time for the keynote speaker.  For the next 45 minutes we laughed, we cried and we were inspired.  Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal columnist, is the co-author of The Last Lecture -the amazing story of Randy Pausch’s final lecture at Carnegie Melon University.  Diagnosed with Pancreatice Cancer, Pausch was invited to address his colleagues and students as part of a series of lectures that asks professors to consider their demise and to think about what matters most to them.  In this case, Pausch was actually diying and leaving behind three young children and a wife.

Zaslow’s recounting of the events leading up to the lecture, to the writing of the book and to Pausch ultimate death were moving and inspiring. This last lecture has become a bit of a phenomenon nation-wide, although I had never heard of it – they’ve even been on Oprah.  I bought the book which I am sure made the author happy. I think it’s a great story and one we can all learn something from.  You can check out the video of the whole last lecture here  or the Oprah version here and then decide if you want to read the book too.

 October 22, 2009

Things To Do This Weekend 

Register- It’s time for the kids to register for the annual Children’s Choice Book Awards.  Hackmatack introduces new literature to young readers in grades 4 to 6.  www.hackmatack.ca

 

Take the Family- The Fall Festival of Fire is a free family festival taking place Saturday, October 24th from 6 – 9 pm at Aldernet Landing.  There will be an all ages costume contest and family firecworks. www.halifax.ca/events

 

October 21, 2009

Clean and Sterile

I am off to the dentist today with three of the five kids.  I usually try to do just one trip but it was turning into a scheduling nightmare for my dentist.  So this time, I have broken it into two groups. I was sure to split the two middle boys up as they are the ones that tend to have the dirtiest teeth.  No matter how many times I remind them to brush, they seem to think dental hygiene is optional

The other thing they do is share toothbrushes.  Instead of going to the bathroom where their toothbrush lives, they grab whichever one they see first – that includes mine.  For you germaphobes, that might seem really gross.  To me, it’s just another problem I need to figure out, and I think I have.  While reading another mother’s blog the other day I ran across a toothbrush sanitizer.  The “Zapi Toothbrush Sanitizer”by Violight is a cross between a weable that wobbles and an egg.  They have versions for adults and kids and even have an interactive model that allows the kids to decorate it with stickers.  Check it out at www.violight.com.  They claim it takes away 99.9% of the germs and apparently Oprah believes them.

 

October 20, 2009

’tis the Season

I am talking about Halloween, of course. I am a great fan of the day since my middle child was born on October 31st.  I love decorating the house with scarecrows, spiders, Webs and witches.  As soon as October 1st rolls around, I like to litter – quite literally sometimes – my front stoop with fall plants and pumpkins.

Now, just because I love to decorate my house, doesn’t mean I love everything seasonal. I am not very fond of the holiday sweaters or theme shirts.  But when I was in the hospital with my son early on the morning of October 31st, a nurse put a hand knit little pumpkin hat on his head.  Ever since then, I have loved giving him Halloween accessories – preferably in orange.  This year, I have found the cutest skull and crossbones scarf from Admiral Road.  This Canadian company makes blankets, scarves and baby accessories out of soft fleece. This seasonal treat is fun and warm and at $12.99 won’t break the bank – which is always key. ~mf

 

 October 19, 2009

Kid Lit

Last week I was telling you that my sister-in-law was launching her new book “Not Suitable For Family Viewing”.  The event was a big success with Woozles selling many copies and Vicki Grant – the author – being very funny and entertaining. 

This week I want to tell you about another literary event that is taking place in Halifax.  Tomorrow night at the Coburg Coffee House, on Coburg Road, Sheree Fitch will join host Vicki Grant - I know, she is very busy these days – for an informative conversation on writing, creating and literary challenges.  Sheree Fitch has a new novel for senior teens coming out soon called Pluto’s Ghost.  It is a real departure for Sheree.  She calls it her drakest work yet. Come hear why she chose to write something so far out of her comfort zone.  All are welcome. Things will get started at 7:00 pm. ~mf

October 18, 2009

What To

My youngest is still at home during the week.  He goes to pre-school three times a week but the rest of the time he is trailing after the adult-in-charge and the other kids.  This happens when you are the youngest of five.  Your entertainment becomes doing whatever everyone else is doing – which in his case is going to the pool, the rink and the gym.  Most of the time it really isn’t all that bad and when he gets older he will probably be the envy of his classmates when he gets to go to “older” movies.  But for now, he is probably missing some of the more age-appropriate activites that my other children enjoyed.

Tomorrow, however, will be one of those one-day exceptions.  I am hoping to take him to the Keshen Goodman public Library for Musical Munchkins.  Presented by Symphony Nova Scotia, this program introduces three to five-year-olds to music and motion.  It is on from 10:15 to 11:15 and you can register by calling 490-6410.  They are also offering the program on Wednesday at Tantallon Public Library and on Saturday at Captain William Spry Library. 

 

October 16, 2009

Quick Fix

The reason I called this site “OtherMothers” is because most of my best advice comes from other mothers like me that I run into through the course of my day.  Yesterday was no exception.  I was sitting at the rink - my new favourite pastime as 4 of my kids now play hockey – when I was saying how crazy Saturday would be.  We have 4 ice times basically back-to-back.  My guess is that we will park the car at 10 and stay for the day.  Anyway, I was lamenting the fact that I wasn’t sure how I would feed the kids, or what that food would look like, when my friend gave me this great tip.

She suggested I make Ceaser Salad Chicken Wraps the kids could eat in the car between activities.  The assembly is easy and it is relatively healthy.  All you need is a Caesar Salad-in-the-bag kit (it comes with lettuce, dressing, croutons and parmesan), cooked chicken (store-bought or even just-baked chicken findgers) and a package of tortillas.  At the rink – or in the car – assemble the salad in the bag (or bring an extra tupperware). Once that is done all that is left to do is to put the wraps together using the chicken, salad and tortilla. It’s as easy as 1,2,3 – or so it seems.  I’ll let you know after I try it.~mf

 

 October 14, 2009

Cleaning Tidbits

by Notes from the Inside

Within the run of a week I work in a number of different homes providing child and home care and I use a multitude of home products and gadgets. I see the worst of the worst and the best of the best. I see trendy products purchased and then break… in one house, two and so on. I also get the chance to learn from the research and trial and error testing thanks to the knowledgeable families I work for. It’s great for me… I’m ultimately being primed for housewifery … and now it’s great for you because I am going to let you in on some tips. Some of you may know it all already but you might learn something new!

All IN ONE

Just as the commercial with mom trapped in a glass box forced to clean all the surfaces tells you, Pledge multisurface (6.99) actually cleans glass, electronics, wood, granite, and even stainless steel. I’m going to be honest and say I would not use it exclusively for glass and S.S. but this product cuts down cleaner clutter and is great for use in all rooms. Best all-in-on, hands down.

PAINT THE HOME GREEN

My parents raised me to be environmentally kind and I am personally thrilled to see so many products becoming more enviro friendly and so many families making the changes in what they use in their home. One excuse or complaint I often hear is that the products don’t smell as nice or work as well. Well, it all depends on the product. Let’s air out our clean, fresh smelling laundry here… just between friends!  Best laundry detergent that is both environmentally friendly and leaves clothes with a soft scent: Purex Natural Elements ($7 for 1.47 L).

For the rest of your home: go Method. These products are available at Shoppers but are also sold at other dept stores. The Method line is amazing. Everything down to the recycled packaging is enviro friendly. No need to worry about the lack of scent as the entire line smells brilliant from ylanh ylang tub n’ tile ($4.50) to almond wood cleaner (although they do have scent free products for sensitive noses). The wood cleaner ($6.50) is fabulous and comes in both floor cleaner and polish. The best product from this line, however, is the mint glass cleaner ($5.50). I looked high and low for a Windex substitute that actually cleans without streaks and without burning your lungs out and this product does exactly that.

LETS TALK FLOORS

Ok people… this is one thing I don’t understand about families with young kids and no dog to clean up the mess on the floor… where is your handy vacuum? One mom I work for (God bless her tidy soul) has a vacuum on each level which is great. If you aren’t willing to do that, just opt for a small broom/ vac combo. The best $35 I ever spent was on my Swiffer vac. It takes care of all the big dirt with the vac and the dust with the static sheet thingy and can be used as a mop as well. Also, there are often coupons on the Swiffer site. My only complaint about this product is its battery life but I can clean my whole apt floor on one charge so that’s not too bad. I promise that you will never want to pick up a broom again ~ jh

 

October 13, 2009

Not Suitable For Family Viewing – Launch

I am already a fan of the clever and funny writing of young adult author Vicki Grant. So it is with great pleasure that I am promoting the launch of her newest book Not Suitable for Family Viewing. I think this is where I should own up to the fact that Vicki is my sister-in-law. 

 The first book Vicki wrote was The Puppet Wrangler.  At the time, I didn’t have a blog but I wanted to support her so I figured I would just skim the book and then tell her how much I enjoyed it – I mean these are books for young readers after all. As it turned out, I enjoyed it so much that each time I came to the end of a chapter I found myself saying, “Okay…I better read just one more.”

By my count this is Vicki’s 8^th book and I must say I have enjoyed all of them. Not surprising considering that she always uses the same mix of humour and smarts to reach her young audience.

This new book is about Robin, a young girl who appears to have everything. Her mother is the internationally beloved talk show host Mimi Schwartz. Together they have the money and the means for Robin to do whatever she wants.  Instead, she spends her time sitting in a dark room watching endless reruns of her mothers show. Then one day Robin finds a ring.  Her quest to figure out where it came from leads her to a tiny fishing village in Nova Scotia.  There she finds herself, love and the secret behind how her mother became a star.

 Already this book is getting great reviews.  It’s being launched tomorrow at 7:00 pm at The Council Of Women House at 980 Young Avenue.  All are Welcome (including kids).  Vicky will most certainly read an excerpt and will be available to sign copies ~ mf

 

October 10, 2009

Saturday Morning Coffee

One of my favourite parts of Saturday morning is sitting with my coffee and reading the paper – granted with five kids running around my version isn’t as blissful as most but I’ll take whatever I can get.  This morning, however, the coffee part just didn’t happen.  I love my coffee with steamed milk.  I don’t have one of those fancy machines but I do have a milk frother that allows me to enjoy a  good homemade latte.  Imagine my surprise this morning went I went to whip my milk and the frother didn’t work.  Upon further investigation I saw that the whipper part was bent. Apparently frothers can also be used as swords.  This little known fact was shared with me by my eight year-old when I cross-examined him about how my favourite little gizmo was broken.

So off I go today in search of a new frother.  My preference is to get the Bodum Electric Frother.  I know they have them at La Cucina Moderna. Let’s hope they haven’t sold them all.

October 8, 2009

Winnie the Pooh

 I love books and luckily so do my kids.  With five of them, you can imagine the library of children’s books we have collected over the years.  We are lucky enough to have a large selction of kids classics as well as newer books that everyone loves.  As a result, it isn’t often that I need to go to the store and buy a new book.

This week, I am making an exception.  Just released is the long awaited sequel to House at Pooh Corner.  Return to The Hundred Acre Woodis the first approved companion book to the Winnie the Pooh series. It is definitely a book worth adding to your collection.  Available, at Woozles, this hardcover book will warm the hearts of young and old Pooh fans.

Wild Things Latte

I went to a meeting today at my local Starbucks.  Being a freelancer, I tend to have a lot of meetings in coffee shops.  I rarely take the time to browse the merchandise but I was early today so I started shopping.  Usually looking at stuff at Starbucks tends to be dangerous.  I always love the CD compilations and their holiday decorations.  Today was no exception. Although it was too early – thank goodness for holdiay cheer – there was a really great CD.  It was the Soundtrack to “Where the Wild Things Are”.  The new movie isn’t due out for a couple of weeks but already the music has hit the streets.

This Soundtrack is definitely not the kid-music that I am used to.  With songs from Arcade Fire and Karen O, this is definitely worth checking out.  So if you need an excuse to head out to your local Barrista, look no further.  Go there for the coffee and pick up a new CD.

October 5, 2009

Blame the Movie “Fame”

My daughter walked out of the house this morning wearing leg warmers.  Remember those from the early 80’s?  I could never pull off  “the look” but she did just fine this morning.  I might have to take some of the blame for this fashion faux-pas as I took her to see the movie Fame yesterday.  As my husband said, it was really all about me re-living my youth.  That being said she loved it – almost as much as I loved singing the title song again.

It should be no surprise then, that she looked more like a dancer than an elementary school student this morning. What did surprise me was that she owned leg warners.  It turns out they were hand-me-downs from a friend.  But upon further research, I found that they are all the rage this year.  The Gap has some cute ones and Uncommon kids is selling them for the toddler set.  How does that saying go?  ”Whatever is old will be new again” or something like that.

 

October 3, 2009

Manners Forever

The month of September was supposed to be “good manners” month.  Am I ever glad that is over.  The pressure was too much.  Dinner time in our house is pretty chaotic.  We make a point of eating together and talking about our day.  With activities and school stuff starting in September, just trying to eat as a family can be quite a zoo.  When I tried to instill good manners into the mix, life just got too crazy.

Now that the month is over, I have come up with a plan to teach my kids good manners.  I found this game called Manner Isms.  It is a card game that lets you have fun while you’re having dinner and learning how to eat properly. My kids love cards and they love to eat – most of the time.  So this is a great mix.  Give it a try.  It just may make the next meal with the in-laws more enjoyable.

 

October 1, 2009

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

By The deal is sweet.

Matt Damon recently said that his home is “testosterone deficient”. His statement really hit home with me because, though I can mani, pedi and cosmo-drink with the girliest of girls, I can’t come close to the testosterone surplus we enjoy at our house.

At first I was in denial. I was convinced from the moment I saw pink on the pregnancy test that I was having a girl. I day-dreamed my way through Baby Gap, watched Moms and daughters lunch at sidewalk cafes and had ballet and gymnastic classes well-scouted before the end of my first trimester.

It wasn’t until I heard those five words in the delivery room: “It looks like a boy,” that I really considered the possibility of having a son. Of course we had a boy name picked. Of course the nursery was gender neutral. Of course we were over-the-moon that he was healthy despite a premature and dramatic delivery. But what was I to do with a boy?

I was overwhelmed with the thought. I remember vividly one of my hormone, sleep deprived post partum hysterias during which I lamented to my husband that I knew nothing about boys – hated camping, sweat and dirt in general. A Sunday afternoon tutorial on tennis rules almost ended my marriage and convinced me that I could never hope to become familiar with the various sports that would surely come to rule our lives.

Emerging from those foggy first days as a mother though, I found that I had fallen head over heels in love with my perfect little boy. And, to my surprise a new day dream had taken the old one’s place.

I had girlfriends and sisters to shop and gossip with. This little man could be as rough and tumble as he wanted – as sweaty, dirty and super hero-obsessed as any male. He had me tightly wrapped around his teeny tiny finger.

During those early days we made out fine. He rivaled any girlfriend. We strolled through every mall and shop in the city. He could care less that he ate his lunch at a coffee shop downtown. He smiled his toothless grin at me as I told him about our plan for the day. Nodded enthusiastically when shown a potential purchase and didn’t complain once about “holding” my wallet.

Over the years though, Mommy has become a “girl” to him. I think I’m a bit of a mystery. He handles my jewelry like it’s a precious treasure and dramatically coughs when I use hair spray in his presence. He loves to watch me paint my toes and is so tickled when he gets to choose which scarf I wear for the day.

But I’m the parent who refuses to let him wear sweat pants on days other than gym days. I’m the one who makes him brush his hair and match his socks and wear a sweater. I even have a different last name than him and his Dad.

Dad is the best bud – the tennis partner, adventure seeker and guy-who-can-fix-anything.

I worried a lot about this shift in dynamic – the “two against one” syndrome. And I admit I feel left out from time to time. But I’ll tell you this. I wouldn’t trade my boys for anything. I‘d have a houseful of them in a second. There is something so wonderful about a sun-kissed, dust-covered, sleepy-eyed hug from a boy who has played hard all day. Or the sweet smell of shampoo as I rest my chin on his head during story time – sneaking in a few cuddles.

And you know what? At the end of the day, when that Dad and Boy come crashing through the door after a marathon adventure, it’s me he’s looking for to show his treasure and describe with animation the things they’ve seen. 

Maybe I’ll get my girl someday. But for now, bring on the boys. It seems that I’ve figured out what to do with them after all.

 

September 15, 2009

International Chocolate Day

Did anyone know that Sunday was International Chocolate Day? I did not until it was too late which is really too bad as I would have had a great time enjoying all things chocolate without feeling any guilt. When I mentioned this little tidbit to my kids they had great ideas about how we could celebrate this wonderful day a couple of days late.

They talked about going out for chocolate ice cream, making a chocolate cake or getting a bunch of chocolate bars and having a taste test. The latter sounded like the best idea to me. I love choclate bars but I don’t indulge very often – well actually I should say I don’t indulge my own choices very often. I have to admit that I often steal bites from whatever the kids are eating which tends to be an Aero Bar or a Kit Kat. If left to my own devices I wanted to try the chocolates sold at Sugah! and Uncommon Grounds. Whenever I go in for a coffee I see these great big chocolate bars calling my name – but until now I never answered.

These bars are called Tall, Dark and Delicious for a reason. They have a variety of exotic flavours and tastes. Since the kids were involved I didn’t go all out but we did give the Sea Salt and the Essence of Orange a try. The kids probably would have been just as happy with a Captain Crunch bar but for me this was a better way of celebrating international chocolate day.

 

 September 11, 2009

Bookbag Dilemma

I did again. I decided to buy the inexpensive backpacks and I am already paying for it – one of the zippers is already broken and another has a hole in it. It my fault really, a couple of weeks ago I decided that I would go online and order some good backpacks. Then the days just seemed to get away from me and I didn’t get around to it. That’s when I decided I would go buy sturdy packs at a sports or equipment store that could carry the older kids’ books and not break their backs. But again, I never got around to it. So, the day before school I bought packs at the same place where I was buying school supplies. I should know better.

As a result, this weekend I have to return the broken and ripped bags and find some sturdier alternatives. I have already cruised various Websites and my guess is that we will end up at Mountain Equipment Coopfor their Bookbag Daypack but if you have other suggestions – please pass them along. ~mf~ suggestions