It sounds cliche to say your first time’s free…

Posted on by Ariel

 

… so I won’t because at Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic it’s always free returns, and shipping if you spend over $50.

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Once upon a time, before I had a kid, I seemed to find lots of time to go shopping. I would go to the mall, try things on, come home, try things on again and sometimes I would make returns…that was then.

Sometime after my first daughter was born I learned that Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic have lots of online sales, free shipping if you spend over $50, and items could be easily returned free of charge by mail, or could be returned to the store. (I’ve been known to order an extra item just to get free shipping). The convenience of being able to buy clothes for my daughter, husband and myself have been huge. (I still can’t fit into my pre second baby clothes).

A part of me feels like everybody has jumped onto the bandwagon of online shopping, but maybe you have not. If you were for some reason holding off, let this be the gateway to your addiction online shopping experience.

For those of you who love online shopping, I wonder what your favourite sites are as I’m always up for hearing about your recommendations.

Oh, and if you’ve made it this far… let me also suggest Ebates. You basically get a percentage back from the money you spend online shopping at tons of stores. And all you have to do is first login to their site, then click through to your shopping destination then use the site as your normally would. So far I’ve received back just over $100. I realize this is not a huge amount, but as my mom would say, ‘It’s better than a kick in the pants.’ (I may need a future post about the expressions my mom uses). I need get better at remembering to use Ebates as I do often forget.

Well, it’s time for me to make some tea, and purchase some clothes.

 

 

A Lesson from my Three and a Half Year Old

Posted on by Ariel

As I was tucking my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter into bed, she asks “Mommy, what was your favourite part of the day?” I quickly reflected on our day, which had been (by my maternity leave standards) pretty swell. From getting a great parking spot at the Doctor when I took my baby for a shot, to my older daughter being well behaved and even making a great accomplishment at something she’d been working on for quite a while. I easily decided to choose her accomplishment as my favourite part of the day.

I asked, “what was yours?” expecting her to echo my response. “I loved when you jumped up and down,” she declared. The backstory: nearly a year ago I was so proud of my daughter for first peeing on the toilet, that I literally I jumped up and down. Now when my daughter achieves a goal, she either requests that I jump up and down, or sometimes I genuinely jump with glee. I recommend it, the next time you are happy literally try jumping. For me, it’s up there with snorting when you laugh as far as having an honest, though not necessarily socially acceptable, physical response.

Hearing her response made my heart swell as it was a reminder of how much she values not only her accomplishments, but also the responses to which these are met. As I move forward, I will try to remember the importance of how I respond in general and in particular with my daughter not only in her moments of greatness but also when she demonstrates behaviours which are, shall we say, less than desirable. 

Carrot Ginger Orange Soup

Posted on by Ariel

My 3 year old daughter said, “Yum”, my husband took a second bowl, my 7 month old enjoyed having this mixed with barley cereal and I was pretty happy.

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I’ve decided to post a measuring stick for food made/posted and so far have come up with the square above. This soup hit nearly all four quadrants it’s only half filled for the fast section as the prep took only 5/10 minutes but it does need to simmer. (I used a dutch oven so I could put it in the oven and not think about it until the timer went). Alternatively, it could be made in a slow cooker. That said, a total win for me is fridge to table ready in 20 min or less. Also, I’m not one who usually eats soup and calls it a meal, but we were having leftovers so I made this to boost our veggie intake.

I should add that I seem to have purchased a bunch of carrots as everybody in my house loves them, at one point I purchased a 3lb bag for $1.50 and wanted to use them. Also clementines are in season and always in the house. The other items are all staples here. So overall, the soup was only a few dollars. It isn’t that my quest is to make food for as little money as possible, but I can appreciate a meal/recipe that is cost effective.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp oil (I used coconut oil)
  • 5-6 carrots
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 tsp garlic minced/chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced/chopped ginger
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • Juice from 1 clementine (I don’t have a juicer so I just cut it in half and squeezed)
  • zest from one clementine (optional if you don’t have the required tool)
  • 5 cups of water / chicken soup stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

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Steps

  1. Peel and chop onion and carrots (1 inch of so pieces)
  2. Heat up pot add oil, carrots and onion in the pot and saute for 5-10 minutes (I put everything in together)
  3. I used jarred minced garlic and ginger but if using fresh you will need to mince. Add garlic and ginger saute for 1-2 min more
  4. Add 5 cups or water/chicken stock. (I used half and half as that’s what I had in the fridge)
  5. Add parsley and salt
  6. Simmer for 40 min or so until carrots are soft, turn down heat
  7. Add zest and juice from a clementine
  8. Blend (I used a hand blender)
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes / Common Sense is not common to all / Lessons I learned the hard way…

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After eating a few seeds the other day I held my clementine to the light to check for the all clear

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After spraying my kitchen a little bit I realized if I tilted my bowl the hand blender would be more submerged and not spray.

Hope you enjoy. Would love to hear any comments, changes etc.

 

Tummy Time (A Poem)

Posted on by Ariel

In the hospital after having my second child,
When my first daughter came to visit,
She kissed the new baby.
Then, she rubbed my tummy and asked,
‘Mommy, when is the other baby coming out?’

I had to explain that though my tummy looked like it could still have a baby inside
It had been a house, for the baby.
Now the baby was outside
And my tummy, the house, would get smaller,
But it would take a bit of time for the house to know
That there was no longer a baby inside.
It’s been 7 months, the house knows it has been abandoned.

Today, while playing with my daughter
She looks at my stomach and says,
‘Mommy, You have a big tummy.’
I am temporarily paralysed
I don’t quite recall when I fell out of favour with my chubby tummy
but it was some time in the 1980s.
Now, years later, in a time when I am primarily wearing elastic pants
My 3-year-old daughter effortlessly launches
What appears to be a live grenade.

My daughter does not know that models
And beauty are manufactured,
Usually with insecurities, disenchantment, and discontent.
Without missing a beat she says,
‘Mommy, your tummy is soft.’
She is correct. My stomach will never be voted, ‘best stomach,’
unlikely to be envied by the women in the change room or around the swimming pool.

She reaches out to touch and kiss my stomach
For a moment my insecurities run like cowards,
Leaving gratitude and confidence.
My daughter is right when she sees love,
When she sees health, when she sees comfort.
She says, ‘Mommy, your tummy had two babies,
I love your tummy’
And for the first time in as long as I can remember,
I love my tummy too.

Will I be the 8%?

Posted on by Ariel

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According to a Statistics Brain and Forbes only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Resolutions.

While I have no recollection of ever breaking a resolution, the truth is I have no recollection of ever making one. I’m not sure if this was because of a fear of failure, some sort of rebellion, or maybe because I’ve regarded myself as a person who doesn’t need a magical date to start a project. That said, I’ve decided that in 2016, that I will ways and make not one, but three resolutions.

  1. My first, is easy enough as it was to make resolutions. (Yes, I realize this is kinda lame – almost like wishing for more wishes). So that’s one down and 2 more to go.
  2. Start a blog (so far so good)… but part two of this resolution is to create 50 posts in 2016.
  3. My third resolution is to do some sort of healthy physical activity for 5 minutes 3 times a week. I realize my health goal may seem somewhat like I’ve set a very low bar, but currently I am doing nothing. Although I’m the type to choose the stairs, and am often carrying my youngest around I’ve realized much to my disappointment that this is not exercise. I am aware that 15 minutes of working out will neither rid the baby weight nor allow me to run a mile, I’ll be happy to jog a block or two, and fit into my old non-elastic waist pants.

We all have to start somewhere, and for 2016, I’m starting here.