Author: Jen
‘I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More’ Inspired Painting
Our morning started innocently enough… I thought I’d keep the munchkins happy and busy in the playroom with some morning painting while Brad took a conference call upstairs.
Rainbow Fruit Parfaits With Clouds on Top!
I can’t tell you how excited I am about the fact that our local market has recently started stocking berries that a) don’t cost an arm and a leg and b) actually taste good again… I look forward to this time every year! Of course, a fridge filled with all kinds of colourful fruit means delicious fruit parfaits, and with St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching it means rainbow fruit parfaits {with clouds on top just for fun!}
Clay Easter Egg Garland
Several weeks ago, Mr. Sam and I had our first ever crafting session together {ha!!!} I’d whipped up a batch of our go-to homemade modelling clay to make little hand and footprint keepsakes, and when I had some leftover, I decided to cut out several egg shapes knowing that Easter would soon be on its way.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Energy Balls
Mmm… Energy balls! One of our very favourites and a go-to when in need of a quick treat for a play date or school lunches. These little balls of goodness are packed full of nutrients and are a perfect sweet treat or little pick-me-up on a long afternoon {not that we’ve had any of those lately ☺}.
Sam is 4 Months Old!
Today our sweet Sam is 4 months old {and approximately 1 month old corrected}. Believe it or not, this little milk monster has gone from being 7 pounds 6 ounces last month to being a whopping 10 pounds 2 ounces this month! That means that not only did he gain his entire weight at birth in a single month {eek!}, but he’s also now ON the average percentile curve for his chronological age, which is pretty amazing – I wasn’t expecting him to catch up for months yet! That being said, he is measuring on the very low end of average, but still!! And that’s not just for his weight, but for his length and head circumference also. Grow, baby, grow!
Baba’s Homemade Perogies
Each summer growing up, my brother and I would spend a good chunk of time at my Baba’s house a few hours away from our hometown. Our visits were filled with things kids’ dreams are made of – exploring, gardening, painting, fort building, teepee making, and cooking – and one of the things I most looked forward to each summer was making homemade perogies! There’s really nothing not to like about them… Doughy little pockets filled with potatoes and cheese and served with butter and sour cream? Yes please! Plus they’re fun to make too.
So with Baba currently visiting us on her way through to Singapore for a cruise {lucky duck!}, we just had to make perogies. After all, who better for Miss G to learn from than the perogy master herself?! {Seriously, I’m guessing that my Baba has made tens of thousands of perogies in her lifetime – the woman could probably make them in her sleep!}
And the fact that Miss G got to experience making perogies with my Baba just as I did as a little girl? That makes my heart very happy.
Here’s a peek at the process {and Baba’s go-to recipe}…
First the dough…
AWESOME DIY Squishy Soap
With Sam home from the NICU, one of the things we’re extra on top of now is hand washing. It’s the easiest way to keep germs at bay and help ensure our little preemie boy doesn’t come down with something during cold and flu season, which could be really awful for him. To make the constant hand washing a little more fun for Miss G, I’ve been switching up our soap every now and then by adding different essential oils to it, putting it in a bottle with a foaming pump, and once even adding a drop or two of pink colouring to it {you do what you gotta do, right?} Thankfully Grae’s really great about it all, even though I feel like I ask her to wash her hands about 100 times a day.
Rain Art
When you live in Vancouver, you learn to make the most of the rain. It simply rains too much not to.
Our Cloth Diapering System & Trying Out a Diaper Service
After bringing our sweet bub home from the NICU, I gave myself one month’s grace period before getting going on cloth diapering. One month to get settled, soak in my baby, and get into a routine as a mama of two before having cloth diapers on my already full plate. Well, he’s been home for a month and a half now and I’m happy to report that we’ve been using cloth for several weeks already!
Our Sweet Little Sam
St. Patrick’s Day Play Dough Kit
It’s been a long while since we put together our last play dough kit, so this week I finally made time to create a new one! And since I have a very hard time resisting anything rainbow, this time around we went with a St. Patrick’s Day play dough kit.
Our Screen Time Routine & The Napkin Man Interactive Episodes
Believe it or not, Miss G got her very own iPad for her fourth birthday. Not from us of course, but from her Uncle, Auntie, and cousins who absolutely spoil her rotten. At the time, we were about to make our second move to the Middle East and though we’re quite conservative when it comes to media and screen time, my brother and sister-in-law thought that it would be perfect for on the plane {hello, 36 hour journey!} and for keeping in touch once on the other side of the world. I’ll admit it… Although I think I was sort of in a state of shock when she opened it {an iPad for a four year old?!}, they were totally right. It’s been so nice for Miss G to have her own device {especially when travelling} and having it hasn’t meant that she’s become a little screen-addicted zombie either. ☺
Egg Shaker Guessing Game
I know that it’s sort of hard to believe {even for me!}, but this past weekend I went out for a good 5 hours all by myself {the perks to having a NICU babe – he’ll happily take a bottle!} So what did I do with my time? Well truthfully, I got groceries and did a little bit of shopping, but since I went across the border, it meant Trader Joe’s and Target, which is super exciting in this mom’s books. ☺
Homemade Air-Dry Modelling Clay {aka baking soda clay}
Several years ago, we discovered the beauty that is baking soda clay during one of our annual Christmas ornament crafting sessions. Since then, baking soda clay ornaments have become a regular occurrence in our house – and not only for Christmas either! We’ve used the homemade modelling clay for all kinds of projects, and this year we’re using it for two new ones – something spring-themed and something Easter themed {so stay tuned for those!} In the meantime, if you’ve not used it before, I’d highly recommend giving it a try. It requires only 3 very basic kitchen ingredients, it can be used for all sorts of projects, and it air dries in a couple of days time.