Happy Halloween 2010

Halloween was a bit crazy for us this year.  On Thursday Evan had a Halloween party at his preschool.  On Thursday we had a party at our friend Shawna's house and tonight the finale.....Trick or Treating!

Shawna & Kali

Thanks to Evan's Auntie Victoria, he had two costumes to pick from. One was the Alien from Toy Story and the other was a puppy (tho he swore it was a bunny).  He decided to wear the "bunny" costume to Shawna's and the Alien everywhere else.

Evan as a puppy/"bunny"

I only took him to the houses in our loop so he didn't have an obscene amount of candy.  He got to eat a few pieces tonight and he mostly wanted to eat the chips he got.  

In case you're wondering...here's what Evan looked like last year.

We had about 30 Trick or Treaters last year so I bought enough to give 1 bag of Cheetos and 1 Mars bar to 60 kids.  You would think doubling the amount would be enough....right?  Wrong!  We ended up getting 120 kids!  We ran out of candy at 6:50 so I had to run out and buy more.  Had it been later we would have turned off the lights and called it a night but that was too early.

All in all, it was a great night.  

BUT....did I mention that I'm on a diet?  Yep.  I didn't eat ONE candy bar.  It almost killed me but I managed to "just say no".  My trainer would be proud!

How was your Halloween?  Did you go Trick or Treating?  Hand out goodies?  What did you hand out?  Dish....I would love to know how your night went!

Read more...

CBC's Canada Reads 2011 List

Since Evan appeared on the scene, I have been a lot less of a "reader rabbit".  Before becoming a mom, I plowed through book after book.  Hmmm....now that I think about it the internet has probably had something to do with my lack of reading these days too.

I saw this Meme over at Thoughts of a Smother Mother that she found at Postcards from the Mothership.    CBC recently listed the Top 40 Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade.  Since I'm always trying to learn more about the art & culture of my new (cold) Canadian home, I think reading more Canadian novels is definitely in order.  I have bolded the ones I've read, underlined the ones I recommend and put an asterisk next to the ones I want to read.

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews

Bottle Rocket Hearts by Zoe Whittall

Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright

Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant

 Conceit by Mary Novik

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Drive-by Saviours by Chris Benjamin

Elle by Douglas Glover

Essex County by Jeff Lemire

Far to Go by Alison Pick

February by Lisa Moore

Galore by Michael Crummey

Heave by Christy Ann Conlin

Inside by Kenneth J. Harvey

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill *

Moody Food by Ray Robertson

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood *

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Room by Emma Donoghue

Shelf Monkey by Corey Redekop

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis 

The Birth House by Ami McKay

The Bishop’s Man by Linden MacIntyre

The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill - I would underline this one 100 times if I could...so good!

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

The Fallen by Stephen Finucan

The Girls Who Saw Everything by Sean Dixon

The Last Crossing by Guy Vanderhaeghe

The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart

The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood *

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden *

Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

Twenty-Six by Leo McKay Jr.

Unless by Carol Shields *

Only 4 out of the Top 40.....It looks like I DEFINITELY have my work cut out for me so I need to get to work.  If you decide to play along on your blog definitely leave me a comment and let me know!

Are you a big reader?  What kind of books do you like to read?

Read more...

Christmas Gift Idea - Kid's Baking Basket

We had a charity silent auction at work last week.  There are always a few awesome baskets to bid on.  This year I decided to vote on a Kid's Baking Basket for Evan....and I won!

The basket had so much STUFF in it:

• A kids set of silicone bakeware 
• a kids sized cookie sheet
• a mini muffin pan
• mini heart springform pans
• rolling pin
• wooden spoons
• cookie cutters
• cake mix
• brownie mix
• frosting
• sprinkles

When I brought it home Evan was so EXCITED.  We didn't have time to bake anything but Evan didn't care.  He played "baking" for almost an hour.

Last night we finally had time to bake with his pans.  He was so excited to bake with his own pans.

Then he got to eat his handiwork (no we didn't let him eat the whole thing!).

I think this would make an excellent Christmas present for the pint sized baker in your house.

Read more...

Wordless Wednesday - Atomic Zombies Are Cool

Awesome Graffiti art in Downtown Edmonton.  Love it!

Atomic Zombie is a tattoo parlour.  I would totally get a tattoo if I could decide on something I really want permanently etched on my body.  So....do you have a tattoo?  If so, what & where (if you tell).

Read more...

Top Ten Tuesday - Best Parts of a Girls' Weekend Away

I got to go away on a bit of R&R this weekend.  I met 3 girlfriends of mine in Edmonton for a little shopping therapy.  Here's the top 10 best parts.....

1. Spending time with friends who live far away - Andrea and Diana moved to Fort McMurray last year.  We still stay in touch but we don't see each other nearly as much. It was great to get to hang out and just chat.
2. Spending time with friends without kids or husbands - We do see each other over the summer camping but somehow it just isn't the same when you have to cook dinner and chase after the kids!
3. Dinners out - No cooking!  Oh and dining at restaurants that don't have a kids menu.  Wooo Hooo!
4. Sleeping In - Okay....we messed this one up a bit because our room was plotting against us.  First we were right next to the breakfast room where the door slamming started up at 6am.  Then the last people in the room had left the alarm clock set for 6am.  Two pigeons outside our window and a heater stuck on "molten lava" were thrown in for good measure.  We finally gave up and changed rooms for the last night.  That night might have been the best sleep ever!
5. Shopping at the mall without screaming/whining/running/crying children - Need is say more?
6. Three days without Treehouse or YTV - not one minute of 4Square or Max & Ruby.
7. Shopping in boutique stores - Boutique shopping just does NOT happen with a toddler.  They are always trying to run out the door or chew on a hat that is $300.  
8. Sleeping in a bed all by yourself.  
9. Eating chips and/or a candy bar in the car and not having to share. with. anyone! - I had a Mars Caramel bar on the way to Edmonton and ketchup chips on the way home.  Yum!
10. Coming home & realizing that everyone is happy to see you.  Of course that wears off in about 5 minutes but oh well.

Linked up at Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday

Read more...

Pink? Pink? What's Wrong With Pink?

I think he's got a pink kink in his think!*

Have you heard about the controversy surrounding a group of referees in Washington State that are being threatened with a 2 week suspension because they used pink whistles to commemorate breast cancer survivors at one football game.  Todd Stordahl, the head of the Washington Officials Association says that the referees are sending the wrong message to the kids they referee because they didn't ask for permission before making a change to their official uniforms.

While I can stretch my mind to see what he is saying, I am still left saying.....REALLY?????

I think what they are really teaching the kids is that we should support the causes we care about.  Oh did I mention that the referees are also each donating a games pay to breast cancer research?

Should they have asked?  Probably.

In the grand scheme of things does it matter? No

What do you think?


* This quote is from Boundin'.  One of the cutest Pixar shorts ever.  It has a great message and did I mention that it's cute.  Yep.

Read more...

Family Picture Sneak Peak

Andrea of Pink Antler Photography has posted a "sneak peek" of our family portraits on her blog.  Oh my goodness.....I LOVE them.  They turned out so, so well.  

You can check them out here.  What do you think?

Read more...

What's Cooking Wednesday - Banana Pudding for a Crowd

Even though I am from the South, I have never actually made banana pudding before (shocker I know!!!!).   This week I teamed up with a couple of other Sales guys at work to cook for charity, we chose a "Southern" theme for our submission.  I volunteered to make banana pudding.   Easy, peasy....right?  Well, I forgot about it and then had to figure out a recipe last minute.  Thankfully Allrecipes.com had my back.

I would definitely call this a "cheater" recipe.  Traditional banana pudding has a "cooked" pudding base while this recipe has an instant pudding base.  Regardless it tastes AWESOME and was a big hit with everyone.

***I have pictures but Blogger is being testy...I will post ASAP.***


Banana Pudding for a Crowd
Serves 30+
Adapted from this recipe that serves 8 (so it says)

3 cans condensed milk
4 1/2 cups cold water
3 small packages vanilla instant pudding
6 cups whipping cream, whipped
2 boxes Nilla wafers
12 bananas (+/- depends how big they are)
additional whipped cream for garnish
1 disposable rectangular turkey roaster pan

In a large bowl combine condensed milk and water.  Stir until well mixed.  Add vanilla pudding and mix well with a whisk.  Chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Whip whipping cream in small batches (you cannot whip 6 cups of cream in a normal mixer at one time....ask me how I know).

Peel bananas and cut them into 1/2 inch thick circles.  Toss banana pieces with lemon juice to keep from browning.  Set aside.

Gently fold whipped cream into chilled pudding mixture until just mixed.  Spread 1/4 of the mixture in the bottom of the roaster pan.  Follow with a layer of vanilla wafers and then a layer of bananas.  Top with pudding mixture, layer of cookies, layer of bananas & finish off with the rest of the pudding.  Chill over night if possible.

To serve, add additional whipped cream for garnish.

Recipe Notes:  This is BIG.  It will serve a lot of people.  It is a big party pleaser, though, so it is worth it.  My friend Jolene said "It's like a slice of heaven."  If you have a smaller group just make the original recipe.

Read more...

Wordless Wednesday - Peach Pie Baking

When we were at Nana's for Thanksgiving, she made peach pie for dessert.  Evan wanted to know if he could help.  Nana had an even BETTER idea....he got to make little pies all his own.  He was so excited and they turned out great.  Though Evan much prefers pumpkin pie so I got to eat the tiny peach ones.

This post is linked up on A Lot of Loves and 5 Minutes for Mom!

Read more...

Top Ten Tuesday - Great & Not So Great Things About Halloween

The days are getting shorter and chillier.  Autumn is definitely upon us.  Now it's time for Halloween!

I've always loved Halloween though I've never been very good at coming up with great costume ideas.  Here are my Top 5 favorite things about the great candy holiday.....

1. Candy! - Yes, I know.....I'm an adult, I'm supposed to eat healthy and candy is bad, bad, bad.  Hey, at least I'm honest.  I could lie to you and say I don't drool over the candy aisle at Halloween but I won't.  I try to save myself as much as I can by refusing to buy Halloween candy until a few days before because I can NOT help myself if it is in the house.
2. Taking Evan Trick or Treating - He still doesn't really "get" it but he likes it just the same.  He heard "candy" and he was all in. I keep reminding him that he has to dress up.  We'll see if he agrees to wear his costume.
3. Costumes - Not on me mind you.....on the kids.  I love seeing Evan and all the other little kids dressed up.  So cute!  This year I wussed out and bought Evan's costume instead of making one.  He's going to be one of the aliens from Toy Story.
4. Jack O Lanterns - I love carving pumpkins.  We haven't done one yet this year but I'm sure we will before it's over.
5. Our yard decorations.  We started decorating our yard for Halloween last year.  This year we bought another blow up decoration.  Evan LOVES them.

Unfortunately there are also some things I really DON'T like about Halloween.....

1. Teenagers who trick or treat and don't dress up.  I'm not a crabby person who says "you're too old to trick or treat" but at least dress up!!!
2. Super scary decorations. - I like a more friendly, less scary Halloween.  I really don't like when people make their houses super scary for trick or treaters because it really scares little kids (like mine).
3. People who judge me because we celebrate Halloween.  I truly believe that you can celebrate Halloween and believe in God.  I don't try to push my beliefs on people so I really, really wish they would lay off mine.
4. The incessant begging for candy. Evan will ask for candy if he can see it.  That's why we put the candy in a reusable shopping bag (non see through...yay!) and put it in the pantry.  It then sits there forgotten until I throw it away the next year b/c it is so hard (one of the joys of living in Calgary dryness).
5. Not knowing how many Trick or Treaters we'll get.  There's no way to know.  I like to have just enough candy so that I don't have tons of leftover candy because I WILL eat it.  

So what do you think about Halloween?  Love it or hate it or a bit of both?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Linked up at Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday!

Read more...

Family Photo Time

It's that time of year again!  The time to torture my family while trying to decide what we're going to wear for our annual family picture.  I get blank stares every time I say things like:

"It doesn't have to match, it just has to go!"

"We can't all wear brown!  We'll look like a big mud puddle!"

"Help! I don't know what to buy Will & Nicole that they'll actually wear!"

I look at other people's pictures and they are so darn fashionable and it makes me want to somehow morph my family into that family.  Here's the thing, though, we're not that family.  Hell, half the time Nicole's hair isn't even brushed!

So I am going to try my best to not freak out & remember that regardless of whether our pictures look like a fashion plate or not....we will still have a snapshot of what we looked like in 2010 because time flies and we'll never be here again.

So do you take a yearly family portrait?  Does it stress you out?

If you live in Calgary....we are using Pink Antler Photography.  Her pictures are awesome.  I'll post my pics as soon as I have them.

Don't forget that if you are on Facebook you can "Like" my blog page and get updates in your Facebook feed!  Just click HERE and then click "Like" at the top of the page.

Read more...

Imagination is a Beautiful Thing....

Evan had found one of the true joys of childhood.....


cardboard boxes.


I can hear you now saying "What is she talking about?????"  But stay with me for a minute.....cardboard boxes can be anything that you can imagine.  I had an entire dollhouse made out of cardboard boxes once (ok...maybe that was because we were poor but that's so not the point...I loved it).  Will and Nicole had a spaceship made out of a refrigerator box & I even made them tinfoil alien helmets.

Evan is the proud new owner of a submarine and really.....how cool is that?

Read more...

Wordless Wednesday - Bake Sale!

This week is our United Way campaign at work.  One of our events to raise money is the bake sale.  I'm organizing this baking extravaganza for the second year in a row.  

Pretty dishes from Michaels

Mini Banana Loaves

The Bake Sale haul....granola bars, banana bread & ginger cookies.

This post is linked up at Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Read more...

Top Ten Tuesday - Things I'm Thankful For

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada so I thought it would be a great way to finish the day by focusing on what I'm thankful for this year.

1.  I don't know if you've noticed but I have a very cute 3 year old, Evan, that I am very thankful for.  He changed my life completely 3 years ago and sometimes I want to flick him in the nose but mostly I just love, love, love him!

2.  I also have a very cute rocking star husband, Dewey, who mostly loves me even though I'm more than a bit crazy at times.

3 and 4.  Oh and don't forget my two great stepkids, Will and Nicole!

5.  I'm thankful we got to celebrate Thanksgiving last night with family and friends!

6.  Though I didn't get to see my family....who I'm also thankful for. (Don't let my lack of pictures on my laptop tell you otherwise....I just haven't seen them since I got this laptop.)

7.  I have my health.  I'm trying to keep it by starting to work out more & eat less (don't look at that plate of food in the picture above!!!!)

8.  I have a career that keeps me busy & learning every day.  It also allows us the luxuries like vacations and extras.

9.  I live in a safe and beautiful city that I like mostly....if only it didn't snow so much!

10.  And last but not least, I'm thankful that I am allowed the luxury of having the time to be a blogger.  I love my little corner of the blogosphere & I love my readers.....like you!

What are you thankful for?

Linked up at Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday!

Read more...

Negative Blog Comments

Well I guess I'm a "real" blogger now!  I got my first nasty blog comment today.  After almost 5 years of blogging, I guess it's about time.  It kind of cracks me up.

Today I got an email showing that I had a new comment on my Calgary Corn Maze post from last year.  When I opened it here's what I found....

"From Anonymous:


Im looking for information on the Calgary Corn Maze and I find this. Why do people put this garbage on the internet. Why would you report to the world that you went to a corn maze? Stunning clutter.

Dave"


This really makes me laugh for a few reasons:

1. He actually commented.  How long does it take to just click "Back" if the page brought up by Google isn't the one you want.  I BEG readers to leave comments but this is what I get.  Ha!
2. Has he SEEN the internet?  If I'm clutter then what are all the spammer sites, p0rn sites, etc?  Really!
3. No I don't give time/date info for the corn maze but if you have small children, reading a blog about the experience of someone similar to you can be helpful.

Anyhoo.  I just thought I would share because I thought it was hilarious!  So have you gotten negative "troll" comments on your blog?  How do you handle it/what do you think?  I would love to hear your experiences!

Oh and Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Read more...

Basement Reno Update - We Have Furniture!!!!!

I know, I know....I've been a bit remiss in posting basement pictures.  I just couldn't get too jazzed up about taking pictures of an empty room.

Well, this week our new furniture for the TV room was delivered from Urban Barn.  I am really happy with it.  Much happier than I thought I would be because I could not visualize what it was going to look like.  It's hard visualizing a couch in a larger size and a different fabric than the one in the store.  It doesn't help that I don't have a  "decorating" bone in my body!

I hired an Interior Decorator to help me pick everything out.  She's going to come back now that the furniture is in to help me pick accessories and side tables.

My favorite thing....It's MY CHAIR.  I lurv, lurv, lurv it! It's called a nest chair and it is perfect to curl up in and read a book.

Our sectional sofa.  It's a charcoal grey/blue color.  Notice the matching pillows on the couch and the chair?

Together.  The potlight above the couch makes the corner part look a different color but it's not.  It's totally the lighting.

We have an ottoman in our living room upstairs that is blue/grey with a pullout bed inside that we're going to move downstairs.  It's really coming together. 

What do you think?

Read more...

Knowing Me, Knowing You - October 2010 Edition

Shan took a break from Knowing Me, Knowing You in September but now it's back! Feel free to play along. Just copy the questions and head over to Tales From the Fairy Blogmother to sign up on the linky.

1. Started your Christmas shopping yet?  Ummmm.....no.  I haven't even started thinking about it yet.  Probably should get on that soon. I have plenty of ideas for Evan, though, since he says "I want that!" after each commercial on TV these days.
2. Fall is here, what is your favorite cold weather comfort food?  Hands down chicken and dumplings. I never get to eat those anymore, though. My grandmother made them and I never really learned how.  Most soups/stews/chili make a decent substitute.
3. Are you watching any new shows?  I've recorded a few but I haven't gotten around to trying many of them.  I am liking "The Defenders".  How could you go wrong with Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell????  I tried to like Lone Star but didn't.....it got deleted off the PVR.
4. Have you read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Foilet?  Why yes I have.  I really liked it too.  I love really long books because I have time to get really in to them and then time to savor that I like them. If books are too short I am often disappointed b/c they are already over.
5. Is the top of your desk cluttered or clear?  Definitely cluttered.  I am a firm believer that a clean desk is a sign of a sick mind! I am a pile person.  There are piles all over my office, piles all over my desk at home, piles on the counters....you get the idea.  I would love to be an organized person but it is just not meant to be!

Definitely play along! Leave me a comment b/c I would love to learn more about you!

Read more...

What's Cooking Wednesday - One Cup Cookies

Thanks to my Twitter pal @MichelleLKent for this recipe!  They turned out great and were very popular with the guys on Dewey's golf trip and ladies at work.  This recipe makes a large batch so you can put part of them in the freezer for later.

One Cup Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut (I didn't use b/c I didn't have)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup Crainsins
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and peanut butter.  Mix well.  Add remaining ingredients.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 10 minutes.

Recipe Notes:  This makes A LOT of cookies.  They spread quite a bit so don't put them too close together.

Head over to Shan's to see what else is cooking this Wednesday!

Read more...

Wordless Wednesday - San Antonio Sights

Linked up at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Read more...

Top Ten Tuesday - Austin Visit Photos

We lived in Austin for 5 years.  Even though I've been in Calgary for 6 years, I still think of Austin often & I would love to move back.  We spent 4 days in Austin before heading to San Antonio for a conference.  It was great to visit the city we love so much.

All of the pictures below are taken on South Congress which is one of the key "Keep Austin Weird" neighborhoods.

One of my favorite meals...Black beans with avacado, tomato, cheese with lemon sour cream sauce.  Served with a jalapeno corncake.  YUM!

Fran's Hamburger Drive In

Okay...don't be offended but I had to take a picture of this.  This was advertising a church service & I thought it was the most original/funniest thing I've seen in a while!

So I know there are only 8 photos....so sue me!  :)

Linked up at Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday!

Read more...