Finding Common Ground

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted a house full of children.  The Old Lady Who Lived In A Shoe was my childhood idol!  I also knew that I wanted a house full of boys.  I know, I'm a girl.  I grew up with two sisters and tons of girl cousins.  And I've always had lots of girlie fun with friends.  But for some reason, I just wanted to have little boys.  And that is what I have - two gorgeous, hilarious, wild and crazy boys.

Having only boys with no plans for more children, I know that there are many moments in life that I will miss out on.  I don't have a daughter to share mani-pedi days with.  I don't have a daughter to support through her first heart break.  I don't have a daughter to help into her wedding gown, wiping tears from her cheeks before she walks up the aisle.  But the moments that I do have with my two sons will be just as special - I will make sure of this!

During the boy's infancy and preschool years, having similar interests with my sons never crossed my mind.  But now that Big-A nears age 7, I've realized that it's more important than ever to ensure that I have common interests with them.

Big-A and Daddy golf together, play street hockey together, and wrestle around the house together.  Big-A and I used to bake together...that was until he realized that it's just not cool for a 6-year old to bake with his mother!

These days, we enjoy movie nights on our own (while Daddy watches hockey and Lil-J is asleep).  And we have regular date nights at the movie theatre, with popcorn and Junior Mints, chatting and laughing the entire time.  We also make time at the end of each day as I'm tucking him into bed, to discuss our day and talk about how we're feeling.  These are special moments for Big-A and I, and I plan to add to these moments as he gets older, along with starting the same traditions with Lil-J.

I won't allow the fact that I'm a girl and my children are boys to get in the way of my having strong relationships with them.  It may be an effort, but I will continue to find common ground in order to be a parent that my children want to be with.  Doing so will only make our relationships stronger.

The boys reading together before bed. One of my favourite things to do with them both!

Greenmunch.ca ~ Earth Friendly, Green, Sustainable, Canadian!

Greenmunch.ca is not just a super cute name with a super cute mascot!  This Canadian, family run Online Eco Store specializes in earth friendly, green, and sustainable products.  And unlike many other 'green' products on the market, they offer unique, high quality products that are practical and fun.  You won't find boring items on their site!

When Greenmunch.ca kindly sent me their Paper Drinking Straws to try out, I couldn't wait to receive them!  These straws are compostable, biodegradable, and are coloured with FDA-approved foodsafe ink.  And, I LOVE drinking straws, from bendy ones to ones with loops.  My boys love them too!  I was very curious to know how a paper straw would hold up to cups of milk and weekend smoothies.

When I opened the box of straws, Big-A "oooo'd" and "ahhh'd".  The designs were awesome!!  They reminded me of what you'd find in an old school soda shop.

I just love the retro designs of these paper straws!

The stripes and polka dots would get any child excited!
(or any straw-loving retro mom!)

The straws are surprisingly strong and are hard to bend, and I found that plastic straws are much more flimsy.  I knew that the true test, though, would be to see if they survived fruit smoothies.  They take a while to drink, and I was concerned that they wouldn't hold up well.  I was quickly proven wrong!  The boys each used a straw for not one, but two servings of smoothie and the straws did not collapse. 

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Lil-J testing out his Greenmunch Paper Straw on a fruit smoothie!

Big-A giving his paper straw a try!

I'm loving this straw!

Success! The Greenmunch Paper Straws survived the fruit smoothies!

Big-A proudly attends one of the most environmentally friendly elementary schools in Ontario.  They celebrate Earth Day every day, and each class has two student Eco-Detectives to ensure that all students bring litterless lunches and avoid items such as plastic water bottles.

When I asked Big-A if he would like to treat his Grade 1 class with Greenmunch Paper Straws, he was extremely excited.  His teacher and his classmates loved them!  And the fact that they are compostable and biodegradable made them ever better!

When it comes to protecting our Earth, every effort counts.  25% of household waste is plastic.  Plastic straws have a life of about 15 minutes, and will spend years in a landfill.  Simply replacing plastic straws with paper straws can make a huge impact on our environment.  Greenmunch.ca has convinced me to say no to plastic, and to only use paper.  I encourage you to do the same!

Check out the huge selection of eco-friendly products that Greenmunch.ca has to offer at their Online Eco Store.  You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique, Mississauga ~ Skin Clinic Saturday Feb. 11th!

Those of us living in the GTA may have lucked out with very mild winter weather this year, avoiding snowy drives to work and shoveling until our backs are sore.  But my skin certainly hasn't had a break.  Since early fall, my "alligator skin" has been the same as it is year after year, dry and flakey, with excrutiatingly painful cracked fingers.  I've tried everything from over-priced hand creams from the best skincare shops in Toronto, to prescription creams, to what I call Vaseline hands (hands slathered in greasy Vaseline and covered with cotton socks while I sleep...not very pleasant!).

I had accepted that alligator skin was just my fate.  That I'd have to put up with it year after year, bandaging my fingers and moisturizing as often as possible (to half-decent results).  That was, until I found Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique!

Owned by Anthony and Lisa Caruso, Bare Indulgence is a product of passion.  While vacationing in Northern Ontario, Lisa became a regular customer of SoapStones Soap & Skincare Inc. in Huntsville.  With a quality that couldn't be beat, locally sourced ingredients, and reasonable pricing, Lisa quickly became interested in opening a shop in the GTA to sell SoapStones.  Last November, Lisa's dream came true and her and Anthony are now selling the full line of SoapStones products as the exclusive GTA retailer for SoapStones!

INSPIRED BY NATURE, MADE IN MUSKOKA

Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique is nestled amongst other upscale boutiques and restaurants, in Sherwood Forrest Village, Mississauga.  The shop is larger than you would expect, with all products neatly displayed.  One of the first things that impressed me about the shop was that not once did I feel overwhelmed by the smell in the shop as I often do at bath/body shops.  What you smell is clean, natural and fresh.

Now, onto the products.  The product line is impressive, with bar soaps, bath washes, shaving butter, a men's line, a young girl's line, and a baby line called Bubble & Squeak (I know...adorable!).  They carry products for everyone, and for every skin type.  My boys and I have tried many, and I look forward to posting about them in the near future.  All I will say for now is that my family are regular customers, and my hands are soft as silk!

Now, for some exciting news!  Bare Indulgence will be holding their 1st Annual Skin Care Clinic on Saturday February 11, from 11am-5pm.  You will have the chance to meet Darla, the creator of SoapStones.  They will also be featuring product demos, workshops, Q&A and will have giveaways along with refreshments and nibbles.  Sounds like a perfect outing for mother & daughter, or with a few girlfriends.  If you are battling dry skin this winter, have specific skin issues or just love natural skin products that smell AMAZING, you really should visit this skin clinic!  I will definitely be there!

Bare Indulgence is located in Sherwood Forrest Village, at 1900 Dundas St. West, Mississauga.  Ph# (905) 403-0007.

I hope to see you there!  If you do have the chance to try out SoapStones products at Bare Indulgences, I would love to hear you results.  I am beyond impressed and am so excited to share this product with everyone I know!  Do your skin a favour and show it the love it deserves!

I'm A Kinder® Mom Again!

I'm thrilled to announce that I am a Kinder®Mom again!  Yippeee!

Last fall, I had a blast writing about the official launch of the new 2012 Kinder® toys, making time for family fun and the adorable photo frames available on Kinder® Canada's Facebook page.  I'm looking forward to writing more about my family and the fun that Kinder Surprise can bring to the most basic day.

Thank you to Kinder® Canada for helping to create simple, fun moments for Canadian families, and to Mom Central Canada for this wonderful opportunity!

Lip Smackin' Homemade BBQ Sauce

Since Lil-J started his gluten-free diet last summer, one of the biggest challenges we've had in our home is supplementing convenient condiments.  When cooking meat for him, we will use homemade spice mixes, but I always feel guilty when giving him ribs or chicken without BBQ sauce.  Unfortunately, almost all store-bought BBQ sauce contains malt vinegar.  Malt (made from barley) contains gluten.  And for some reason, malt and malt vinegar is in ALMOST EVERYTHING!!!  AHHHH!

Yesterday, while barbequing chicken for dinner, I decided to try out my own homemade BBQ sauce.  I started searching online, checking out numerous recipes from numerous websites.  After about the 20th recipe, I got the gist of the basic ingredients of a successful homemade BBQ sauce.  I then got to work concocting my own creation, to finger-licking, lip-smackin' results!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (you can substitite with any vinegar)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp yellow or dijon mustard
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients until the sauce is smooth.  Yeilds approximately 500mL.
2. Brush sauce over any meat, 5 minutes before removing the meat from the grill.
3. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.  I can guarantee it won't last that long, though!

I always looked forward to eating BBQ growing up - my dad always made the best homemade BBQ sauce.  I can't wait for him to try mine, I think he'll be impressed!  Try it yourself and you just may never buy store-bought BBQ sauce again!


TIPS:
1. Save empty store-bought BBQ sauce bottles.  Wash and dry thoroughly, and you will have the perfect bottle for your own homemade BBQ sauce.
2. Play around with the ingredients - that's how I developed my own recipe!  Add more molasses for sweetness, some HP Sauce for a smoky flavour, or more dry spices for a zesty flavour.
3. If you're not concerned about gluten, add 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce to the mix.  Delish!

DISCLAIMER: Not all food products used in this recipe are certified "Gluten Free". I do, however, causiously check all food labels and Brand websites before making my gluten free desserts. If you have gluten allergy concerns,

I suggest you do the same.