Monday, October 31, 2011

Who Who!

 It is my dream to have a tickle box full of whimsical costumes for my children to wear while fantasizing about creation, distant lands and hidden treasures. Halloween is a good excuse to put effort into a costume that will stand the test of time and be passed down between siblings. I had so much fun making this owl costume for Levi and it was surprisingly simple. I didn't follow a pattern but instead based the costume on a few pictures I found while browsing Pinterest. I used all scrap fabric and an old t-shirt. The only items we purchased were for the owl head and that cost about $4.00. I have a wonderful husband who put together the head (How sweet is it that Ben actively participated in the creative process?)

Levi loved his costume and especially the wings. It was beautiful to walk the neighborhood with him and watch as he make-believed being an owl in flight. He paused under trees and pointed to his "roost" in the branches. Levi was exhilarated when a gusty wind would blow his feathers and he'd fight to "fly" against it. In the evening all his cousins and his best pal came to our neighborhood for trick-or-treating. It was a magical night full of innocence rather than the ghost and ghouls that Halloween usually represents.

I will be sure to post pictures of the shark, kitty, dragon and paper bag princess later this week.




One-Stop Holiday Shop

I'm super excited to be attending The Festive Collective opening night event this Friday! I love shopping local vendors for Christmas gifts and The Festive Collective has a great selection for family and friends. Watch for pictures from this event and if you're in the Vancouver area, come shop local! 

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Naamster

Jethro has been with us a month now and it has been great fun getting to know our newest family member. Having two kids is a lot of work and being a mom is more than a full-time job. I've written a zillion blog posts in my head but actually getting to the computer is another story. When life is busy it is easy to sacrifice healthy eating and opt for quick instant meals but I always feel so guilty serving up frozen food and so continuing to cook healthy is a priority. I have one friend who requested my recipes and that's all the incentive I need to post some of our favorite meals. We menu plan every week and buy groceries on a cash system to stay within our budget, so sticking to the plan is important for our wallet. I call this dish the Naamster, because it is roughly based on my favorite meal from the famous vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver, The Naam

Ingredients:
Brown rice - 1 cup
Broccoli - 1 head
Red and yellow pepper - 1 of each
Onion - 1
Beet - 1 large
Carrots - 2
Hemp seeds - 1/2 cup
Hemp oil - 2 Tbl.
Jar of peanut sauce
Soya Sauce - optional
Tortilla shells - approx. 10
This recipe is relatively quick to make. While the rice is cooking, steam the broccoli and onion in a pan or steamer. When the broccoli and onion are almost soft, add the peppers. Don't over cook the veggies. They should be easy to bite through but not soggy. While your stove top is going, grate or use a food processor to cut up the carrots and beets. When the rice and all the veggies are ready mix them together in a bowl. Add the peanut sauce, hemp seeds and hemp oil. Put the mix in tortilla shells and grill. We use our counter top griddler. The soya sauce is yummy to dip the tortillas in but isn't necessary if you want to go low sodium. You could also make the peanut sauce yourself but store bought is the easy way to go. 

This recipe is a must-try! Hope you enjoy it!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Arm Candy

I've been spending a lot less time time on the internet and a great deal of time up to my elbows in baby poop. Maybe it's because of this unsavory task that I find myself dreaming of decorating my arms with all sorts of pretty trinkets. 

House of Harlow bracelet via Late Afternoon (Fantabulous blog!)
From Left to Right: bfrend by Monika (Vancouver designer, holla!); Dannijo Billy and Hamish cuffs; Multiple friendship bracelets - Honestly...WTF

I used to love making friendship bracelets and had a little book called Friendship Bracelets by Laura Torres. At some point I became too cool for crafts and tossed the book. Today I went on Amazon and ordered a new one. Live and learn. I can't wait to make some bracelets for the lovely ladies in my life. 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Beat Boxing

I've never posted a a music video before but this one is too good not to share. Gungor is an amazing band and this is their acoustic version of When Death Dies. The beat boxing will blow your mind!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Survival Tips

I am tired. Both my little boys have colds and since Jethro is in our room I hear him wheeze and snort all night long. I know I could move Jethro's bassinet out of our room but I like to be close to comfort him. He's so itty bitty. Not even two weeks old.

Now that it's my second time through the newborn stage I have a couple survival strategies that I thought I'd share. 

#1. Get out of the house.
Even the coziest home begins to feel like a cave or cage when getting out of the house seems impossible with a newborn. Fresh air is good for everyone!  Jethro and I headed down to the beach to take in my favourite view. He passed out in his Ergo and I enjoyed some moments of peace and reflection. 


#2. Don't forget your hobbies.
It's so easy to become completely engrossed in caring for a little baby to the point of forgetting you have any other interests. Baby is a number one priority but parenthood is not a reason to forget personal growth - spiritual, physical, recreational - all areas. 

As a hobby/business I love sharing thrift store finds and demonstrating that personal style does not have to come at a high price. Here are a couple of my recent finds.

This leather clutch is as soft as butter and big enough to hold all my cards. I knew it was vintage as soon as I saw the little pouch for holding cigarettes - not something you're likely to find in today's accessories. I think it also makes a great gum stick holder.

Hello pretty bird dress! This vintage piece is so unique. The red bird print adds some quirkiness to the dress and the sheerness of the material requires a slip underneath, a great excuse to wear fancy under garments. 

Apparently bird prints are a new trend. I love this dress by Miu Miu and I think a fur stole would be the perfect accessory for my birdie dress. 
Hailee Steinfeld by Bruce Weber via fashiongonerogue.

Hmmm. I kind of like this idea of sharing my parental survival strategies. I might have a new series brewing.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Sandbox

There are not many words to describe how life-changing it is to welcome a new member into the family. Our equilibrium as a family unit has been radically shifted as we make space in our hearts and house for baby Jethro. My whole being is full of love for this little boy, so precious and utterly dependent on me. My hormones are on a roller-coaster ride and I have to fight through the emotional ups and downs of this second journey into motherhood. 

Words. They fail to convey my joy, love, exhaustion, fear. 

Levi is dealing well with his new role as a big brother. Curiosity, tender hugs and kisses mixed with a dose of suspicion mark his daily interactions with Jethro. Levi is handling the stress that comes with change with his own version of the Zen sandbox. 

Who needs Zen when you can crash, bang and build together your own construction site for therapeutic purposes?