A Mending Miracle!

I am definitely an "out of sight out of mind" type person. If something is not in my visual range, I won't think about it or deal with it. Right now we have the curtains over the back door shut, so I don't see the leaves that are piling up over our yard. I guess there is no raking for me! ;)

So this brings me to mending. If I have something that needs to be mended I put it in my bottom drawer of my desk with the thoughts that I will get to it, eventually. Well it is embarrassing to say that a lot of the items in my mending drawer have been in there for over a year! I just don't sit at my desk as much as we are in the middle of changing things around so the office is a glorified dump zone right now. If I do sit at my desk it is usually because I am performing a different task with the mending in the bottom drawer not even a blip on my radar.

Well, just over a week ago, I finally decided that I was going to mend. And mend I did. I cleared out my whole drawer and mended everything except a dress that I was supposed to put a pompom on. I'm not sure where the pompom got to. I will have to go on the hunt.

It felt so good to have that task, that had been hanging over my head forever, to be done. My kids now have usable clothes again and all it took was like 45 minutes, not even, of my time to get it done. By mending it saved me money and garbage space as I didn't have to discard the items and go shopping for more clothes.

While there are times when something is not worth fixing or it has been so destroyed it just won't work, most of the time it is worth patching that little hole, or reenforcing that seam. As it was reinterated to me while I was doing it sewing and mending is really a worthwhile skill to learn. It may take some practice and your first attempts might not be perfect, but in the end it is worth it for your own sense of accomplishment and for your desire to by thrifty. You don't need a fancy sewing machine, just a needle and thread and bam! You can be a lean mean mending machine.

Hopefully, from now on, as the mending comes in, I will be more on top of it and not let it pile up again. But even if that does happen, I know I will have a mending miracle day!

My Chicken is Loving the Crockpot

 I love the crockpot. Seriously, is there anything these bad boys can't do? I think I even saw something on my facebook newsfeed saying you can even bake bread in it. That is something I think I might have to investigate further.

Lately I have been using my crockpot to cook chicken. I have been making a lot of recipes that call for shredded chicken and makes using the crockpot perfect as the chicken is so moist it just falls apart and hardly needs any manual shredding.

This saves time and effort. Through in the chicken, through in a bit of water and sit back and let the crockpot do the rest. Amazing.

One of my favourite recipes right now has been chili-lime chicken, served over cilantro-lime rice, and spicy black beans. I got this recipe from a church function, not sure what the original source was, all I know is that it is amazingly yummy.

Chili-Lime Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts
3 limes, juiced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp garlic powder

In a large ziploc bag, or a different container, mix all ingredients together and marinate overnight. Put in your crock pot and cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours. (Play with the time and see what works best for you. Sometimes I forget to put it on so I put it on high for two hours and then on low for about two hours.)

see how nicely the chicken shreads

Cilantro-lime Rice
1 cup of rice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 tbsp butter.

Cook rice as you normally would. When cooked add the cilantro, lime juice and butter. Stir until mixed and enjoy. So yummy.

Spicy Black Beans (forgot to take a picture of this)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 cup chicken broth, water is fine too

combine all ingredients and leave to simmer until the consistency looks good to you.

How we usually eat this is sort of like a taco salad. So we put the rice on the bottom then add the chicken and beans. You can also add other toppings. Some of our favourites are corn, tomatoes and avocado. But you could do cheese, salsa, sour cream and more. Whatever you think will be good probably will be.

What are you cooking in your crock pot lately?

Recharging the Batteries

This past week was stressful. Mostly because the potty training was not going well at all. And then put on top of that lost shirts and lunch meal planning and feeling like I was getting nothing done... let's just say I was not my best self. 

So in a pleading phone call I asked my husband to take sometime off work so I could be by myself and recharge.

Now, since Wednesday, when I decided not to continue with the potty training, for now, the needing to recharge feeling wasn't as strong, but I still felt it was important to do something for me so I did.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I don't often get the chance to sit and think about what I want to do just for me. (That's not me complaining or feeling "oh poor me" or a call for sympathy, it's just the reality of being a busy mom of three, and that is okay.) I knew I wanted to do something active. The weather was so beautiful. I knew I wanted to do something that I haven't done yet that I really wanted to. So, I decided to walk part of the Trans Canada Trail, from the St. Jacob's Market to the actual town of St. Jacobs.

I love the idea of the Trans Canada Trail. It is neat to think that the trail I'm walking on could eventually connect me to places all across Canada. And that's no small feat considering, to quote the band The Arrogant Worms, "Canada's really big".

The section of trail I was on today wasn't super busy. I saw a couple of cyclists and a family sitting on one of the benches. But that was it. Just me, the trail, and the sound of birds and cars. This section of trail runs beside a highway, so it was rather loud. Not the best for soul searching in nature, but I'll take it.

I love the little curves under the canopy of trees. This will look beautiful in a couple weeks with fall colours

It's a bit fuzzy but this is one of the views of a farm from the trail.

I am looking forward to trying out some of these trails soon.

The Conestoga river. There was a nicer view at a different spot but people were there and I didn't want to intrude.

It is so important that we take the time once in a while to charge our batteries, and if possible, to find out what that thing would be that recharges us. When you are busy and have other people to be concerned with it can be hard to find what helps to refuel you as you are busy helping to refuel others.

While I was on my walk, I realized how much I missed these strolls in nature. When I was growing up we lived on 80 acres of wilderness. We had made our own trails throughout the property and every Sunday and sometimes more we were off on a walk to the see the beautiful spots we had discovered. We had a waterfall, an old mine, and a great loop through what we called the 12 acre wood. It was great to walk, to challenge yourself with the hills, to see the beauty of nature and the change of seasons. It was nice and peaceful and when I think about those walks I think of bliss and love. I definitely was living the good life. 

Now the thought of going for a walk with family does not incite feelings of joy. We have kids who complain about walking, or who walk too slow or walk too fast, or don't want to wear proper foot wear, or need water, or want to bring dolls or want in the stroller or out of the stroller, or are hungry, or are needing a bathroom even though they just went, and on and on. Not very relaxing is is. This walk taught me that I don't always have to drag my family along. It is okay for them to drop me off somewhere and me to just go by myself and reconnect with me. And by doing that they are probably going to get a better me in the process. Eventually I will invite them along, but for now I need to do these things for me.

There are so many other things that people can do to recharge. What do you like to do?

The Playhouse is Complete!

School has started and so hopefully I will be able to get more into the groove of blogging again. Man, distractions come in many shapes and sizes. And while most of the distractions have been my family, which is a good thing to be distracted by, it sure makes it hard to carve out time for me and my thoughts. Hopefully that time will begin again soon. Although, we just started potty training Miss P and that definitely has the foreground in my thoughts at the moment!

Well we did it. We completed a project!!! We are really good project starters. When it comes to completing the project on the time schedule that I want... not so good at. But we did it. This awesome playhouse was finished before the end of summer and that is a big win in my books.

So to recap the whole idea for this particular playhouse came from the blog vintage revivals. She has really great blueprints and instructions for the frame. (note previous post) But we did have to tweak the finishes. While she used a painters canvas for the roof and walls to give it a cool tenty feel I knew that that would not work in our climate. That canvas would get weathered and mouldy and not hold up well after a winter. So my husband and I went back and forth trying to figure out what the best solution would be. We thought of detachable roofs or just using a tarp and then a light bulb moment. We decided just to use the wavy plastic panels that are used on garden sheds and other structures. Seriously when we came up with it angels were singing up above. For our house we bought four panels and cut them in half. They were the perfect length and width. Seriously, they could not have fit any better. We also re-jigged the ridgepole to be two at angles to accommodate the angle of the roof better. We also put 2x4s at the bottom of the angles so we could attach the roof at the bottom as well.

For the walls we used lattice on all three sides. If we had thought it through we may have put up something in the middle of the long walls to give it support. If the kids push too hard on the walls they could break. But they are fine for now and the girls are really good about being careful with them. We liked using the lattice because it lets in a lot of light. Some play house are so closed off they can be pretty dark. This one is great because the kids can always see, yet it still gives a sense of privacy.

not sure what the fir branch is doing on the side. must be some sort of decoration :)

So it might not be the prettiest or cutesiest playhouse on the block but we love it. It is big enough and tall enough that it should be a nice hangout for years to come. And it was way cheaper than buying those prefabricated ones from the store. I see many tea parties and games being played in this house in the near future. Yay summer projects!

Oh the Projects on the Go!

Sorry about the hiatus. We were on a two week road trip vacation.

When we bought our house we knew that we would have a lot of projects to keep us going for a while. And while time is on our side to be able to do things slowly and at a pace we can afford it is hard to be patient. I have so many ideas of how I want different rooms to be that I just want it done now. But that isn't how it is going.

This summer there are two projects that we are tackling. One will be done shortly. The other will be well into the fall and winter.

The first is a little playhouse for the girls. Miss V and Miss G have been bugging me all winter about needing a playhouse or a clubhouse or a hangout or whatever you want to call it. Well thanks to pinterest and putting our own touches on it we found one that would fit our budget, did not involve trying to find pallets (they can be harder to find than you think) and will be big enough to fit them for years to come.

We took the blueprints for the main structure from this really cool blog. We had to tweak it slightly because she lives in a dry warm climate where I live in one that is rather wet and has snow to contend with. If you decide to build this kind of framed house yourself just watch the measurements for the roof peaks. We found that the length measurement was a little too short. It was fine enough, but then, we aren't picky. Just something to keep in mind.

This is where we are in it. All we have left to do now is put on the roof and the walls.

Our other project is turning our former, not being used for anything but storing junk, kitchenette into our office/craft area. This means a lot of getting rid of wallpaper and cabinets, fixing walls, figuring out lighting, pulling up flooring, putting down new flooring, deciding on appropriate storage etc. etc. This change came about because Miss V and Miss G decided that they did not want to share a bedroom anymore and that mean that they wanted to sleep in the spare room downstairs that currently holds our office. While their sleeping arrangement needs aren't dictated by them it did give me the kick in the butt I needed to get going on the kitchenette, which really was just a waste of space.

This is our kitchenette before we did anything to it.

the cow print wall paper is actually drawer liner

We have since taken out the cabinetry and sold it . We have also started to remove all of the wall paper which we have been slow at doing. We have also started taking up some of the flooring.

I am excited about having a blank canvas to work with and mould into my vision. Pinterest has given me quite a few ideas and I am excited to take those and make it into something new and mine. I will put up more pictures as the reno continues.

What building/reno projects do you have on the go?

Finding Joy at the Park

Last Tuesday the girls and I met up with some friends at Victoria Park in Kitchener. They have installed a new playground which is a lot of fun.

One of the new features of the playground is a structure that looks like a boat. The kids sit on it and then an adult can rock it back and forth. Now most parents usually just move it unenthusiastically just to rock it while waiting for their child to get off and then passing the rocking onto the next suckered adult. I know it is not a very positive way to look at it, but you as parents, you know what I'm talking about.

Well on this Tuesday the kids were in for a treat. There was a young man there, probably in his late teens who I'm assuming had some sort of mental special need, who was able to transport the kids into a world of fun on the high seas. He would stand near the entrance of the ship and yell "All aboard". The kids would rush on and take their positions. Then he would walk around this ship doing the safety check, mostly to make sure that no one was underneath. He would then get into position, ask someone to "ring the bell" and off he would go rocking the boat. The kids would then laugh and have fun as the boat moved up and down causing them to sway, loose balance and just have fun. After a few minutes the young man would stop. The kids who wanted to get off would and new kids who wanted to join would get on. He would then start again with "All aboard" shouted in this incredible booming voice.

While this boat thing is usually popular, I must admit I had never seen so many kids on it at once as when this young man was doing his thing. The kids just loved it. I think he loved it too. They were all just having fun and experiencing pure joy.

It got me thinking about how we as hardened adults of the world don't, as often as we should, take the time to let ourselves go enough to experience these pure joy moments. We are hustling and bustling trying to do things as fast as we can to move onto the next things. At the park I am usually on high alert at all times because Miss P likes to run, and she can run fast and silently. Seriously she must be part ninja or secret agent. Her agility, stealth and speed is quite astonishing. Anyways, because of Miss P's super set of skills it is hard to relax and really enjoy the moments at the park because I feel so preoccupied with Miss P's location. We miss out on a lot of moments of joy when we are distracted or moving too fast.

After this experience I am trying to make a conscious effort to slow down and look at the world through my kids eyes. Take in their joys. This past Friday Miss G and I had to go to the mall to find a bathing suit. Trying to find a kids bathing suit in July is an impossible task, which is kind of dumb because it is still summer and they should still have bathing suits a plenty, in my opinion anyways. So we had to go to store to store. I was feeling like I just wanted to rush it because I just wanted to get out of the mall, it is not my happy place. But Miss G showed me that even in the Mall small and simple pleasures can be found. We stood and watched the fountains for a bit. She then saw some tiles in a cool pattern that she had to investigate. Seeing the mall through her eyes helped me slow down and enjoy the experience a bit more.

I don't know why we feel we need to be running ourselves ragged, trying to get things done lickity split. While there are times when that is necessary, most of the time it is not. No wonder there are so many people stressed, strained, feeling overworked and depressed. Sometimes you really need to slow down and appreciate what's around you and find the small and simple joys that life is freely and constantly offering you if you just slow down enough to recognize it.

So thank you young man, whoever you are. You made a lasting impact on me and all the children you helped that day. Never loose your happy spirit. You are special beyond measure and you made everyone around you feel special too.

A Busy Start to the Summer

The past two weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster, hence no posts


Schools done which is awesome! For being on summer vacation for just two weeks we have done quite a lot. We have gone on a mini-road trip up to my mom's. I love going up to Bancroft, ON. It means I am super close to one of my happy places. It is a store called "The Shed" and it has the awesomest stuff. It has cool handcrafted furniture. It has awesome art work and the coolest wooden flowers. Each time I go up I buy some more flowers to grow my year round garden.

here are my latest purchases

On Canada Day we went to the movies (which is a rare occurrence for us), we got to splash around in a friends pool and then the older girls and my husband went to watch fire works. I stayed home with Miss P. and went to bed at a reasonable time.

Then on the weekend my church had a BBQ and then we went to some other friends new property and swam in their pool. (I don't think we will have to worry about not having a place to swim this summer!)

Then on Monday we went to Kiwanis Park to swim. Tuesday we went mini-golfing. Wednesday we went for a bike ride. Thursday we went to Music and Movies in Waterloo park. One of our favourite local entertainers, Erick Traplin, was the musical presenter. We always enjoy his sets. And the the movie we watched was Sponge Bob... definitely not my first choice, but the kids liked it.

Miss V waiting for the movie to start

There have also been trips to the library, the optometrist, other errands and hanging out. What a busy time!

the supersquad

Now we are trying to turn our focus to building the girls a little play house in the backyard and refinishing a part of the basement to make it our office/craft room. I will definitely have more posts on that coming up.

What fun things have you been doing this summer.

The Sustainable Market - How Awesome!

I am blessed with kids who will sleep in relatively late, or at least, allow me some quiet time in the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day. My favourite thing to do is wake up with the 8:00 news and then listen to the last bit of the KW CBC radio morning show. Yes, I know that most of the day is already gone by that time, but, this is the season I am living in.

A couple of weeks ago they had on one of the founders of a new online market in the Waterloo Region area. After the interview I knew I had to check out their site. The market is called The Sustainable Market. You can go to their website here. Once you have registered (which is free and there is no membership... honestly can it get any better). You can look at what they have that week to offer. The prices are pretty reasonable. You then order what you would like. Then they give those orders to the producers (who are local) and they have it ready for you to pick up on the Market day. The produce is picked to order so there is very little waste, and you get to pack your own bags, so you get to choose which fruit to take. What an awesome idea.

In this region we do have a lot of other farmers markets. But, sometimes it is hard to make it out to them, or they are so ridiculously crowded that it makes for a less than ideal experience. (Parking can be a nightmare!) It also takes time having to walk up and down the aisles to see what is available and who has the best prices. With the Sustainable Market, you can do all that from the comfort of your own home and then go to the pick up Market to get your produce. No pushing through crowds or herding of children needed.

Does that mean I will never go to the "regular" markets? Of course not. Sometimes it is nice to go there for the atmosphere and to get yummy fries, or sausages, or freshly squeezed juice. But when my weekends are packed and I can't make it out during the week, I definitely like this online option.

Do you have a market like this in your area? Or if you are from Waterloo Region have you used this new market? What do you like about it?

Baby Gear 101

I don't know whether it's the water or what but a lot of my friends had babies recently or are about to have babies. That got me thinking about baby stuff. It is so tempting to get every gizmo and gadget and cute outfit you can see. You want your baby to have the best of everything. But let's be honest, really, the baby won't care what it has or what it wears, it's more about satisfying you.

For one of my friends I had a devil of a time trying to figure out what to even get her for her baby shower. I think I spent about 40 minutes in the store walking up and down and swapping out items. It was so hard! I wanted to make sure it was something that was useful and that the mother would like. I also wanted it to represent a bit of me and what I thought was important but, without imposing my values too strongly on her. That is a tall order. I ended up giving her some books and a cool looking wooden toy that will be good for when the baby is a bit older. By the time I reached the check out I felt I had gone through deep soul searching and I was exhausted. I then asked for gift receipts and was on my way. (Thank goodness for gift receipts. They really do take the pressure off.)

But this has got me thinking about what you really need when you are preparing for little ones. After three kids I have definitely wittled down the necessities. So here is my list and thoughts of what baby gear you really need. This is my own personal opinon, but it has been built through my own trial and error, so hopefully this will help you not go through the same stumbling blocks as me.

The Essentials

Carseat
This probably doesn't have to be on the list because it is so obvious. Yet, when it comes to carseats there are so many different options. There is the bucket seat there is the convertible and more. The best thing to do is to get a demo model to check to make sure the carseat will fit in your car, check out the heft, and see how easy it is to install and to take off the padding for washing. (My sister once bought a carseat and found out later that the only way to take off the cover involved a screw driver! That is insane.)

I use a bucket infant carseat for when they are first born  and when they out grow that they go into a convertible carseat that can be rear-facing and forward-facing. Experts suggest that the longer kids are rear-facing the safer they are in the event of a crash (2 years at least). Often the kid will outgrow the bucket carseat before it is safe to be forward facing, hence the need for the convertible. I don't use the convertible carseat for little babies because the one we bought wouldn't fit properly in the car for it to be at the correct angle. Though my sister's convertible carseat has a removable headrest which makes fitting it in the car for an infant a breeze.

Stroller
A stroller is definitely essential. It allows you to lug a lot of stuff around without you having to do the lugging. While you can get a carseat stroller combination I wouldn't do it unless you absolutely love the stroller that is part of the combination. Most strollers will come with or you can get a universal carseat adaptor.

This is what I would look for when going out to get a stroller

• It can fold up compact and unfold easily. Nothing is more frustrating when you can hardly fit the stroller, and your stuff in your trunk. The stroller won't be useful if you can't fit it easily into your car. Also, you may be leaving your stroller with others. If there is only one or two steps to collapse it, it will make the sharing of the stroller less stressful for all. I remember one stroller I had needed 4 steps to collapse. Loved the stroller, just didn't want to leave it for a sitter.
• It can be steered one handed. I know from first hand experience how essential this one is. Most strollers on the market cannot be steered with one hand. That is frustrating when you are pushing the stroller and have a cranky toddler walking with you. Trust me on this one. Even my big double stroller that doubles as a bike trailer can be pushed and easily handled one handed and I am thankful everytime I use it.

There are other considerations to give but they are too individual for each person. These two are ones that, no matter who you are or your lifestyle, you should make sure the stroller can do.

Highchair

Some people have the talent of being able to hold their squirmy toddler while feeding them. I am not one of those people. I make a mess. Thus, a highchair is essential for me.

My favourite highchair that I have seen is this one from Ikea. It is the one we ended up getting and after three kids it is still going strong. It is cheap, easy to clean and very portable. Other highchairs probably work as well, you just need it to be sure you can wash it easily without junk getting in seams and crevices.

Clothes

Babies really need very few clothes, but there are so many cute things on the market it is hard not to get carried away.

Really all babies need are some sleepers, onesies and socks. When they start staying awake and moving more then pants, shirts can be easily added to the mix. For ideas on amounts click here to my post about clothing amounts. I would also check out second hand stores or children's consignment stores. You can get great quality stuff for very little. Or just wait for the hand-me-downs to start pouring in. Seriously I suffered from too many clothes and it drove me nuts.

Soft Structured Carrier

I love my SSC. I have a boba that can be used for newborns all the way up to toddlers without the need of an insert, which is so nice. I use this more than my stroller.

When my kids were younger I would use a wrap. When buying a wrap make sure their is a bit of stretch but not too much otherwise the material will stretch out too much and you will always be retying. 

More and more you can get used SSCs. New ones are a bit expensive, but seriously they are worth every penny. Most stores will let you try before you buy. I would recommend you do this.

Somewhere to Sleep

When it comes to the question of where babies sleep the answers are varied. Some want a co-sleeping arrangment, others want the baby in their own room from the beginning. Really the choice is yours. From about the months 0-4 I prefer to have the baby sleep in a bassinet by my bed. It is hard for me to get a good sleep if someone is touching me, so the bassinet is nice because they are still close, but they aren't touching me. I also usually have it on my husband's side because the baby's breathing is weird and wakes me up. Once they out grow the bassinet then they move to the crib. The crib we got second-hand from my sister. If you get a crib second-hand make sure it matches the standards of the day and has not been part of any recalls. Bassinets are also available second-hand. Bassinets aren't essential, but they sure made my early baby days nice.


Don't Bother

Here is a list of things that I wouldn't bother with.

Infant Tubs
While in theory they might make sense, they are just more hassle then they are worth. I usually would bring them in the bath with me or in the shower. Other mom's I know would use the kitchen sink. Babies really don't get dirty and don't need to be washed everyday as it strips natural oils from the skin leaving their skin dry and in need of lotions. So really, just sponge washing them on an as needed basis is fine.

Soaps and Lotions
If you don't bath them too often using harsh soaps, your babies skin will be fine. Using water to bath is fine and then if their skin is a bit dry use some olive oil or some other natural oil.

Change Table
While it might be good for storage or to "complete the look" of your nursery, I found it was much easier to change diapers on a change mat on the floor or the bed. Change tables can be cumbersome and there is a greater chance of your baby rolling off. I would usually have some diapers, wipes and a portable change mat on each level of my house. I found that more handy and useful than having a change table.


To Consider

There's other baby paraphernalia to consider. They can be helpful, but if you don't have them it's not the end of the world.

nursing cover - I have never used them. My kids didn't want to be covered up when nursing. Other moms I know have used them with success. It is really about your comfort level, and your babies comfort.
wraps -  sort of a repeat from before, if you have a nice SSC then this might not be necessary. If you do buy a wrap test it out first. Either borrow a friends or usually the store will loan it to you for a week. Some wraps have too much stretch and makes for an awkward time.
swaddling cotton blankets - these seem to be everywhere. If your baby likes to be swaddled go for it. My kids did not like to be swaddled at all, so I never bothered.
swing - my oldest loved the swing my middle didn't and we didn't try with the third. I would see if I could get it used or borrow one.
baby monitor - If you have a small enough place you won't need one. We haven't used one. If your house is big or you hang out in a place that is not near your babies room then it might be useful.
comfy chair for nursing - you will be nursing a lot, might as well be comfortable.
exersaucer - these are great, especially if your baby likes to stand up a lot and you need to give your arms a break.


So these are my thoughts on different baby products. If you are in doubt about a product or item just remember to keep it simple. Most things on the market or not essential. Babies really don't need a lot. They just need to feel loved and secure. Remember that you won't have to buy everything. There will be showers, gifts from family and friends, hand-me-downs, workplace gifts and more.  Check out children's consignment stores before you buy new. Hopefully this little guide is helpful and gives you something to mull over.

Any links to companies websites are done just so you can see what the heck I am talking about. I am not getting compensated in anyway from them.

Region of Waterloo Eco-fest

Yesterday I had the priveledge of being a parent volunteer for Miss V's field trip to the Eco-fest. It was a the perfect day weatherwise and the exhibits were very cool.

What is eco-fest. It is an awesome hands on experience for kids and anyone to learn about water and the importance of keeping it clean. They learned about how watershed work, how water contamination can be caused and dispersed. They learned about water cycles, aquatic animals and the importance of keeping foreign species out of our ecosystems. And there was much much more. We weren't able to do all the stations because there was just so much to do! It was a great day and the kids had so much fun. To learn more about eco-fest you can click here. If you are around the region you can check it out tomorrow. Admission is free and it is well worth going.

I liked the day because no one sounded too preachy and it helped the kids start to think about how their daily actions could affect others. Sometimes it is hard, especially as kids but even as adults, to think about what ripple effects our actions have on those around us. Quite often it is out of site out of mind. It is so easy to just toss something or throw something down the drain and then not think about it anymore. Probably if we were all more cognoscente about what happened after we got rid of something we would be more careful of how we dispose of things, and try to use reusable things and limit the amount of waste created.


I am so grateful for the time I got to spend at eco-fest and for the time for inner-reflection I was able to have about my actions. There are little things I can do to help the planet be more sustainable. I am looking forward to the challenge.

The Junk - It Has Served Its Purpose

A couple of months ago I read a book that really helped change my thinking around getting rid of things. In the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, she turns purging and organizing on its head.While somethings are basic like going through your items other concepts were novel to me and left me feeling excited and hopeful as I continue my journey at tackling the junk in my house. She invites you to tackle by categories and not rooms, which really spoke to me and so far as been working really well. She helps you see what is really essential and what is not. And she tells you the most liberating question to ask yourself when you are going through things, "Has it served its purpose?"

That question, "has it served its purpose?" truly is amazing. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before but when you start using that in your purging efforts things just seem to start rolling. I think the hardest thing about getting rid of things is thinking of the future of "I might need it someday" or "it still has some wear in it, it would be wasteful to get rid of it" or "so-and-so gave me it, I better keep it in case they ask". The thing is, if we aren't using it right now then it is wasteful. It is dragging our life down and not giving us the happiness that our things should. So if we stop asking ourselves those questions and instead ask ourselves "has it served its purpose" then we will really be getting at the heart of the issue.

One of the first categories that Kondo suggests we tackle is our clothing. That is always a tough one for me. Even though there were clothes that I don't wear anymore, some even from high school, I just couldn't get rid of them. Some items were still in good shape and so I felt I should be wanting to use them, even though I didn't. Sometimes things just aren't our style anymore, even if it was a recent purchase. So this past time when I was going through my clothes, it really was a breeze. When I got to clothes that I didn't really wear anymore but felt weird getting rid of I just asked myself "has it served it's purpose?" Nine times out of ten the answer was yes and I was able to put the clothes in the giveaway bag without a twinge of guilt. That round I was able to get rid of two bags of clothing and accessories and man did that feel good! I kept only what I loved and I was able to pass on clothing to someone who would appreciate it more than I would.

The purpose of your items can be anything. It could be the original happiness you felt when you bought it. That could be its purpose and then you pass it on. (That is a bit consumerist but, sometimes that happens.) Its purpose could be just for a certain period in your life, like maternity clothes, or the concert t-shirts from your youth. When you think of the purpose of the item and the fulfilling of that purpose, it helps give you pause to think about what the point of that object was, and seeing if it still serves a purpose in your current life. Like gifts. Sometimes people give us gifts and we feel obligated to hang on to them because we don't want to offend. The purpose of the gift was to allow the gift giver to feel happy about giving you something. Purpose completed. If that gift is something you love and want in your space, awesome, keep it. If not, well it has already served it's purpose so pass it on.

I used this mantra when I was going through the clothes etc. in the mudroom. And I got it looking pretty good and it is still looking pretty good.

one of my mudroom walls. I got rid of a lot of unnecessary shoes

So, I reccommend reading Kondo's book. It is a pretty fast read. It's not too long. It gets kind of hokey with the whole thanking your things when you put them away and it can get a bit repetitive but, there are some cool ideas in there. If you don't have time to read it, then take this advice... ask yourself "has it served its purpose?" That will be a life altering question for you and your junk.

Wrenches Can Be Useful Tools

from wikipedia

I don't know about you but things in my life rarely go as planned. Things come up that can really throw a wrench in things. While at times this can be really frustrating, in the end, you end up with a sizable tool collection. These are tools that help you learn and grow and allow you to roll with challenges instead of comletly seizing up.

In my home lately we seemed to have never ending sickness. Just as one kid would be getting better the next one would get it and so on like dominoes. When I thought I would have a day to tackle a project one kid would end up at home from school. Now, I love my kids and enjoy their presence but, and there is a but, they can make accomplishing things a little difficult at times. So, when all of the sudden they were home needing my attention a few wrenches were thrown into the mix.

Now these wrenches don't have to be just our kids. As with other wrenches things that mess up plans can come in all shapes and sizes. They can be an unexpected repair, a medical emergency, running out of a key ingredient, bad weather, traffic delays and so on. All can be wrenches, but, all can make things better than expected.

Example. Last Saturday Miss G. was at camp and had to be picked up by 2 p.m. My husband wanted to help out at the ball field in the morning and I wanted to go to the regional museum as it was the last day of an exhibit that I wanted to see. I knew my going to the museum was going to be a bit of a squeeze, but I figured it would be okay. Well that morning, while my husband was at the ball diamond I got a call that we needed to pick up Miss G. because her tummy was bothering her. 20 minutes after that my husband was home with the van, I had packed a picnic lunch and off we went to go get Miss G. Since she didn't feel too bad we were all able to go to the museum and enjoy a lovely and leisurely time there. It was much nicer than if I was there and was constantly checking the clock to make sure we weren't going to be late. So, what could have been a wrench in our day (getting Miss G. early from camp) turned into a blessing in disguise. 

Because of these small wrenches recently I have gained valuable tools. I have learned how paper towel is made and what makes it absorbent. I've learned how to make paint for kids to use. I've learned to be a bit more accommodating yet I am still learning that one. I definitely need to figure out how to be more flexible. So, while in the midst of the chaos a wrench can create, try to think of it as an opportunity. When you can do that the wrench truly becomes a useful tool.

The Best Brownie! Seriously.

I am not really a big chocolate eater. If it is there, I will eat it. If it isn't, well, it doesn't bother me. Most of the time I would rather a fruity type of dessert than a pure chocolate one. There is only on exception. These brownies.

Brownies are really a fickle thing to nail down. There are so many varieties and with that so many different tastes. Some people like walnuts in their brownie to give it an extra crunch. Sometimes I like walnuts in brownies but it really depends on the texture. Some like brownies with icing others not. You can have cakey brownies, fudgy brownies and everything in between. It really is hard to have a will please all kind of recipe.

For me I don't want a dry brownie. Nothing is worse then biting into a browning and having it be all dry and bleh. I need moisture.

Well enter this recipe. It is my favourite. I could eat the whole pan myself... sometimes I almost do. This recipe is from my grade 11 English teacher. She would bake them for us and when I bit into them I felt like I was in brownie heaven. At the year end assembly she gave the recipe out (as she was leaving the school) and I think I was the only one who brought a pencil and paper to write it down. But now I will pass on this delectable secret, mostly so I know where to always find the recipe when I need it.

In a microwavable bowl put
1 cup butter
300g pkg of Chocolate chips (this is around 1.5 cups of chocolate chips if you buy in bulk)
melt and mix together.

Then add
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sugar
mix together

then add
2 cups marshmallows
1 cup flour
mix up

Pour into a well greased 9x13 pan and put into a 350 oven for about 40 minutes.

I find that it is easier to cut them when they are completely cool, or the next day. But it is hard to resist the awesome gooeness.

Taking A Break

Around here life is getting pretty busy. I am going to take a couple week break and be back May 8th. Have a lovely next couple of weeks!

Yard Work, It Can Actually be Fun!

Miss V. and Miss G. preparing the front yard for their Fairy Forest

This week has definitely made me feel confident that spring has sprung. The weather was in the double digits for most of the week. I even got my first sunburn of the season. And, I think the snow has finally melted from all those shadowy places that snow usually holds out in.

With spring comes yard work and tons of it. Even though I thought I did a pretty thorough job in the fall, cleaning up the leaves and other debris, when the snow melts I am totally proven wrong. The leaves seem to have multiplied, little sticks litter the ground and holy pine cones Batman! In our front yard I have never seen so many cones as this year. There must be well over a hundred. As of writing this they fill about a fourth of the bin you see in the pictures, and we are not even close to being done picking them up.

Today the girls had the day off from school, and I needed the work in my front yard started. (I do not trust Miss P in the front yard at all. It is too close to the road, so it is hard for me to get out there and get it done.) I told the girls that the fairies came last night and told me that they love to dance in our yard and help their fairy flowers grow, but they couldn't get to their flowers because of all the leaves and pine cones. The fairies needed two girls to help them so they could come and dance. While Miss G. was skeptical of that story line, Miss V. loved it and soon both girls were out with their work gloves cleaning up. I know... I lied... but it worked and they are having fun. I hope not too much damage will be done to psyche.

After about 5 minutes they started planning more than picking up. They are planning to turn the front yard into a fairy town complete with university and "death school" (I don't even want to know). With a few gentle prods from me for them to keep going they kept up the work. While I still have lots to do out there, it is a start. I think the most important thing here is that the girls had a great time using their imaginations and are now so excited to make their fairy town a reality. I will make sure to post some pictures of their completed town, if they are actually serious about it that is.

What kind of yard work do you have planned? Do you use fairies as an excuse too?

Homemade Paint - for kids

This week has been a sick week here. Poor Miss G. She has had such a runny nose. It has now moved on to a cough. Poor girl. Hopefully this is the end to the sickness for this winter season and we will have nothing but health from now on.

Since Miss G. has been home from school she decided this would be the best time to do experiments. And why not? The schools science fair is coming up so this was the perfect opportunity to do her science fair project. She was looking at how well certain items absorb water.

I showed her how water absorption worked and what happens when things get over saturated. Here is a link to a great experiment to do with the kids. With the water left over from that experiment Miss G decided she was going to add a bunch of different things to see if she could make paint. I think she was on the right track but had the proportions out of wack. Well today we remedied that. Here is how to make homemade paint.

1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1 1/3 cup water
food colouring of your choice.

This makes four generous sized amounts of paint. For more colours either make more or have smaller amounts.

I found this recipe in the description of this youtube video. Thanks youtube! Have fun painting!

Don't Look for the Living Among the Dead

Sorry for the late post. Yesterday we were at a friends house with a bunch of other families having fun. We didn't get home until later than I was expecting.

It is Easter time. It is a time of rebirth for the earth and for the soul. For me it is also a time I reflect upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that means in my life. The following is a video that portrays that well.

In the New Testament account of Christ's resurrection, an angel says to Mary, "Why look for the living among the dead?" Now while in this account he is referring to the body of Jesus, this line can be applied to our lives and habits, whether Christian or not.

Ruts, we all get into them. For me, it is with tidying and getting rid of stuff. It seems I can never get the job completed or things accumulate again. Clearly what I am doing isn't working, yet I seem to use the same tactics. This is me looking for the living among the dead. I am doing the same things over and over, yet, I'm not gaining new results. I'm not gaining happiness. I am not living.

The same can be said for having too much stuff. If we accumulate too many things, we are not able to live. Instead we are surrounded by dead things. Objects that don't give off a living energy.

What we need to do when we are stuck looking for the living among the dead is looking at things a different way. Having a paradigm shift. Thinking of ways to inject a living energy. If you are feeling devoid of energy and feel listless it is time to examine what in your life is causing you to look among the dead instead of the living. So that could be examining your relationships, your jobs, the way you do things.

Now, I am not saying you should end relationships or quit jobs, but just reexamining them and seeing what can be done to be re-energized in them.

Often when the energy in something is "dead" it is often because it is stagnant or not moving. If you are not moving at all, there will be no energy, and without energy there is no life. So think of something creative to jazz things up. In relationships that can be date night, a list of ideas can be found here. An article by Richard Paul Evans says that we should ask "how can I make your life better today?" That is injecting life into things. That is looking for living among living.

In the world, things that seem dead actually bring forth life. Compost, rotting logs, burned forests, these seem dead. But when you look at them more closely there is actually a lot of life going on in them. And from that, new life and growth can flourish. So if there is something in your life that seems dead, look at it more closely, see the life that is in it and use that as a springboard to newer and greater things.

Have a Happy Easter!

My Way to Unwind

Sometimes you need a little pick me up. For me it is when I get to view or use some of my favourite things. Nothing spells out bless to me like drinking a caf-lib or herbal tea in one of my favourite mugs. These aren't the fanciest of mugs. There is no interesting story to go along with them. I bought the blue one at a grocery store in university and the other one at Target. But, despite their seeming ordinariness they make me smile and I feel content.

It is nice to have things in your life that help you feel grounded and remind you of how content your life is. I am a natural complainer. If I can claim it as one of my talents then it would be near the top of the list. Because of this it is natural to think life is dismal and that it will never be quite right. But, give me one of those mugs and I realize life is not as bad as I am making out to be. I just need to chill out and smell the roses.

What I love to do is put the kettle on right before I tuck the kinds into bed, or put them down for a nap. When that task is done the water is ready for me to start making my drink. I then take my book and sit on my comfy loveseat and voila. A peace flows over me. Warmth from the warm drink floods through me. How can you not be content.

Sometimes, if I need a break from the barrage that can sometimes be my children, I make hot chocolate for my own kids in their favourite mugs. Sometimes I even jazz it up. They are happy and I get a few minutes of me time where I can just sit and let my mind be.

I was feeling very generous. Whipping cream and caramel sauce. Yummy!

What are some of your ways to unwind?

How to Refill Foam Soap Dispensers Inexpensively

I don't know why but bars of soap just wig me out. They look beautiful (well they do until they are on their last legs), but the thought of using the same one others use to wash their hands just bothers me. I know that it is irrational. I am not a big germophobe so I don't get it. But there you have it. We all have our interesting quirks. Because of this liquid soap is for me.

Liquid soap is great. You just have to pump a little on your hands and a way you go. You don't have to worry about the bar slip sliding around and landing on the floor. I love how easily it lathers. To me it is amazing. But the thing with regular liquid soap is that you go through it like crazy. Or at least we seem to in my family. I think I was refilling the container once sometimes twice a week. That is with the older two at school for most of the day. The kids would use a full pump when only a half pump would do. And the refill jugs were pricey. I think the last one I bought was $6.99 and that lasted only only a few weeks.

Enter the foaming soap. I love this stuff. It is already lathery straight from the bottle and it uses way less soap. The container usually lasts two weeks with my family, so that's great. But once again, what to do about the refills?

Well lucky for me I have brilliant friends who show me all their nifty tricks of the domestic engineer trade. The following tip is brought to you by my friend Sherri. She truly is incredible!

All you need to refill your foaming soap dispenser is an empty soap container with foaming pump and your favourite kind of gel body wash. It has to be the gel kind. It cannot be the white creamy kind. That will not work.

Add about 1/2 an inch to an inch of the gel body wash to the container. (I am usually under an inch.)

Fill the rest with water. Make sure you leave space at the top for the pump and for the water and soap to move around.

Secure the lid tightly and gently rock the bottle back and forth to thoroughly mix the body wash and water. (You don't want to see any of body wash chunks.)

That's it. It takes a couple of pumps to get the foam at the beginning but then it is perfect!

The gel body wash I used I got for $2.99. I have refilled my soap dispenser six times and I still have gel left for probably 2 or 3 refills. (The body wash that I have in the pictures is bigger then the one I have been using so it will probably refill a lot more. I used it because the colour contrast is greater and thus easier for you to see.)

So if I get a full 9 refills from this bottle it will cost me $0.33 per refill. Not too bad. Even if I only get 8 it is still only $0.37.

I found another recipe online that makes it a bit more eco/people friendly. You can get that recipe here. I am going to try it out someday, I just don't have the materials on hand. So for now I will stick to the body wash.

What kind of inexpensive domestic tricks do you have that you get excited about?

Happy to Live a Green Tinged Life

I really try to live a green life. I make my own cleaners. I cook and bake from scratch to avoid too much packaging. I recycle and compost everything I can. I am really trying to do my part.

But, like everything, I am not perfect at it. Which is why I claim to be green tinged and not just green. There are times I have let my car idle in a bank drive-thru so I wouldn't have to get the kids out of the car while I got money out of the machine. There are times when I use disposable plates and cups, though I do try to make sure they are paper (they can then go in my city's greenbin program then). Sometimes when I clean my fridge and come upon a yogurt container that has been forgotten and turned gross, I just toss it instead of dealing with it. See my imperfections! These things are not common occurrences, but they happen enough that I do not feel correct in calling myself green. And, there is a lot more I could be doing.

picture from lds media files

Despite my greenness foibles I am so happy to be living my green tinged life. It is amazing how much safer my home is because of the green choices I make. This was brought home to me a few weeks ago when Miss V. brought home a science worksheet. The worksheet was all about liquids and the last activity was about dangerous liquids. She had to (with an adults help of course) find a liquid in the house that had a hazard symbol on it.

Now, thank goodness for this assignment because I don't think I ever sat down and discussed hazard symbols before. I vaguely remember pointing them out, but that's about it. This was a great reminder to me that I really need to educate my children about this.

Anyways, Miss V. and I looked and looked and looked for a container with a hazard symbol and it wasn't until I reached into the back of a really out of the way cupboard that I found some oven cleaner. (This was either from the previous owner of the house or before I started making my own cleaners. )

It was an eye opener to me about how living a more green life helps us keep our families safe. I don't have to worry about my children drinking windex or some other harmful chemical. The worst thing that would happen to them is that they would drink vinegar, and I think one sip would cure them of that. I guess this is one reason why I might not have gone over the safety symbols as rigurously as I probably should have. There wasn't a huge pressing need for it as we don't use those kind of products. Also, it is nice that hazard symbols are pretty self explanitory. I showed Miss G. a poison symbol and she said, "don't eat it or you will die." All right! I think she's got it!

Living a green tinged life isn't just for the planets benefit. It is for ours as well. By doing so, we have less chemicals in our life and less chance for horrendous mistaken liquid identity to happen. Doing little things does add up to a safe and happy existence. So while I am probably more a pale seafoam on the greenness scale, I am hoping to, at some point, be a dark shade of green. As I keep on doing little by little I know I will get there.

What makes you happy to be living a green tinged life?

Who's the Best Bonhomme?

Being a stay-at-home mom, I am involved in quite a lot of our girls' life. We live a 5 minute walk from their school so I meet their friends and many of their friends parents. I am able to get to know their teachers a bit. I am lucky to be able to have that kind of relationship with people that my kids are with for a lot of their day.

My husband on the other hand doesn't have that. He hears about people and friends from our stories but quite often isn't able to have a face with the name. He is very involved with the girls too, wanting to know what is going on at school etc., but the connected feeling isn't always as strong. That is why it is so great when Matt goes on field trips with the kids or is able to help out at special events. The girls aren't stuck with Mom there, again. They feel excited when their Dad is taking time from his work to be with them.

Today the girls school was having Carnaval. It is their tribute to the huge winter Carnaval that happens in Quebec City. To learn more about Carnaval click here. What would Carnaval be with out Bonhomme? Well for the past two years Matt has volunteered (he will say he was voluntold) to be Bonhomme. And despite his reluctantness and a bit of complaining (very minor), he has been super stoked to do it. He is so good too. Waving, giving high fives, hugging. And the kids. They just love it! From the kindies to the grade 6 students. They all get excited when they see Bonhomme walk in.

Matt as Bonhomme

It doesn't take much to make our children's world a magical place full of wonder and love. While we don't always have to dress up like a fuzzy snowman, there are little things we can do everyday that make our kids feel special and full of worth. Many of these things take little effort or time on our part. We don't have to be scouring Pinterest to come up with some over the top display of affection. It can be as simple as giving them a hug and letting them know you think of them and you think they are great. It could be getting them a chocolate bar or other special treat. It could be going on a bike ride.

Our kids are only kids for so long. Already I can't believe that Miss V. is going to be 8 next month. Next thing I know she will be moving out... which I'm not too adverse to, but I know I will miss her sweet self. We need to do what we can to make sure our kids voices are heard and understood. Children want to be heard and want to know that their parents are actually listening to them. That message was really brought home as we watched the movie Box Trolls with my kids tonight. We also need to make their childhood have a magical quality about it. That doesn't mean that we shield them from the ugliness of the world. What it does mean is that we show them the wonder of the world more. The world is a magical place. We are so blessed to have a planet that gives us so much beauty. Let's share that wonder more, even if that means dressing up as Bonhomme.

Birthday Blitz

It is that time of year when we have birthday fever in our house. Within 9 days we have my husbands birthday, Miss P.'s birthday and then my birthday. That's a lot of cake! (In April we have a mini blitz with 2 birthdays in 4 days). I'm not sure how we got our birthdays piled together. My husbands and mine we couldn't help, but we must did some serious awesome planning fitting Miss P. in there!

Usually I try to make sure that everyone has an awesome day on their birthday. While I try to make sure they always feel loved and special everyday (somedays I am better at that then others), I try to make sure their birthday is even more special and full of love and that it centers just around them. This year, I haven't been feeling it as much. I think it is because I am tired and I'm focusing so much on my fitness goals that the time just escapes. Time management is definitely something I need to improve on.

It's also hard because their idea of the perfect birthday does not reflect mine. Since I am currently the mother of an almost 2 year old all I wish for is time by myself with no on touching me, or asking for food, or watching me go pee or stealing the ipad. My perfect day would be for me just to be quietly by myself doing whatever I wanted to do without interruptions or questions or food preparation (at least food preparation for others). Ah... I can feel the silence now, and it is wonderful. I am sure when my kids are older and I am at a different season of my life I will want loved ones around more or at least have them call me. But I'm not there yet.

For my husband's birthday he just got a nice meal and a cake... I did remember to give him a card, but that's about it. Shameful I know. But it's hard when he has to work and I didn't have the car. Miss V. was drawing him a card but told him he would have to wait for the next day to get it as there were too many candles for her to colour! I guess 33 is a lot of candles. But I think he still felt loved and appreciated. I hope he did anyways.

Miss P.s day is coming up next. Since the world basically revolves around her anyways I'm not sure what to do. I will definitely make some sort of cake. Though, she usually only eats the icing, so it might be more icing then cake for her. Gift wise, I think I will just wrap her up some "next size up" clothes. At that age it doesn't matter what the present is, it is just fun unwrapping things. So with that in mind, perhaps I will wrap up her pyjamas for that night! That should be fun.

Miss P. living life in the Dreamhouse!

By the time its my birthday, I am done with cakes and hoopla. The novelty of the birthday blitz has worn off. But maybe I will be able to kick up my heels and have a few moments of blissful stillness. Here's hoping.

So a Happy Birthday to everyone... Have a great week!

Good Old Fashioned Winter Fun!

I apologize for the delay in this post. I had an idea, and I was getting the camera ready to take some pictures and then, the battery died. (Note to self, always check battery life ahead of time.) The older two were home as well, meaning my day was thrown off a bit. But that's life right and life is great!

The kids were home on Friday because the weather was so cold they closed all the schools. While I'm sure there are places in the territories that get much colder than what we experienced, and they probably don't close their schools, I was happy for the reprieve. We got to have a lazy morning. I didn't have to make lunches or bundle up an crabby Miss P. in her snow clothes. Really it was a win all around.

Luckily the weekend had much warmer temperatures and we were able to enjoy the outside.

from lds.org media files

We went to a church skating party that was held at a mennonite school just outside the city. It was so nice. The rink was big enough to so that those who wanted to play some hockey could do it at one end and those who wanted just to skate normally could do it at the other. There were also the coolest play structures for the kids. It was made with wood and metal and would totally not be allowed at a regular school, which really is a shame.

They had this awesome hill in the back with a slide going down it. The kids loved sliding down it into a big pile of fresh snow. There were teeter-toters made out of big planks of wood. And fun swings. The kids had a blast skating, sliding and playing.

We live in a world of rules and regulations. We do this all in the name of keeping kids/people safe. Safety is very important, but at the same time it can be over kill. There have been reports of some cities banning tobogganing. To me that is crazy. Tobogganing is the best thing to do in winter. As with anything, it comes with an element of risk, but it is up to parents to monitor their kids and to teach them what is appropriate and what is not. Because of the lapse in judgement of a few, many are affected.

We need to let our kids play. And not just in the safe confines of our homemade bubbles. We need to allow them to have some elements of risk, that allow them to figure things out and learn to see hazards themselves. We need to arm them with skills and confidence so that they can keep themselves safe when we are not around, 'cause we won't always be. We need to let our kids have fun.

I think, sometimes as adults we forget to let our hair down and just have some good old fashioned fun. We spend a lot of our life wanting to grow up. When we do, we gain a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes those responsibilities overshadow everything and make it hard to relax and have fun. But we need to. For our sakes and for our kids'. Life doesn't have to be serious all the time. And our kids need us to play with them. So go tobogganing, go skating, have a snow fight, make a snow fort. If nothing else, you will be getting exercise, and your kids will be having a blast.

If outdoor winter activities aren't your thing, play hide and seek inside, or sardines. Play boards games. Play things, that don't involve a screen so you can really connect. Enjoy some good old fashioned fun!