• Cornerstone Music Cafe, Calgary AB

    Entering the Tween Years or How Can I Stop Time?

    17/07/2018 - By 

    My daughter has become a tornado of ideas and emotions, seemingly overnight. Her favourite sentence is, “I know that already!”. We have officially entered the “tween” years. And here I thought I had more time. I believe she is raging with hormones already and it won’t be long until we have a full-fledged tween/teen monster on our hands. She is combative, competitive and bossy. She uses sass like no other. If there were an Olympic medal for back talk, she would earn it. There has been yelling and tears- on both sides. She always has to be the first and…

  • Hunter’s Thoughts On Heaven

    12/07/2018 - By 

    Hunter has an interesting theory on heaven. He has thought deeply on the subject since his friend died in Grade One. Since then, his interest in history and mythology has grown. He is at a high reading level and has gobbled up books on both subjects all year. As a result, he has his own ideas on heaven. Lately, he has been comparing his theory on what the Egyptians believed. Apparently, Egyptians believed that if a feather stayed perfectly balanced on the chest of the deceased, he or she was going to heaven, a perfect utopia version of their lives…

  • Cat Cuddles and Cookies

    10/07/2018 - By 

    It’s a cloudy and rainy morning. I’m currently curled up on our pink couch with Isabella and Kali-cat beside me, sharing cuddles. It’s one of those lazy mornings where you plot things to do from the couch, without the energy to actually do the plans. We want to bake- PB cookies and carrot cake and hummus. I would like to make more almond butter and homemade granola. I just did a bunch of painting and home updates. We had a water scare in our bathroom that we thought was a pipe leaking into our wall from our shower head! We…

  • easy recipes!

    Easy Recipes: Cook Up Some Fun Food With Your Kids !

    05/07/2018 - By 

    Richa Iyer has generously gifted us with some easy recipes for your kids to help you in the kitchen this summer. Isabella is ten years old(!!!) this year and will probably need minimal supervision with these, plus I can get Hunter in there to help us. This article was generously written for Babbling Panda so let’s get on to the recipes!   It can be difficult to find new ways of spending quality time with your kids. Sometimes it can feel like you’re on completely different wavelengths on what makes something “fun.” And, as a busy parent, it can get frustrating to…

  • Home for the summer!

    School’s Out For Summer!

    28/06/2018 - By 

    It has been one day since school was officially out for the summer! I have to admit, it’s been nice to have the kids home for the day. No packing lunches or rushing to the bus. Today we are going to take it easy. It is a luxury for the kids to be able to stay in their pajamas during a weekday, so I am going to let them. Both Hunter and Isabella say it feels strange to be home from school. Strangely good, they say, haha! The whole day is open! Maybe we will make popcorn and watch a movie,…

  • with my love, who adores my crows feet

    Falling in Love with Crow’s Feet

    26/06/2018 - By 

    Remember being a little kid, say 7 or 8, and declaring, “When I’m an old person of 20 years old with crow’s feet, I’m gonna fall in love, live in a big house, and invent flying cars!” Old person, at 20? I’m laughing so hard at my childhood self right now. I did picture something right- I did start to get laugh lines or “crow’s feet” at around that age. They were almost imperceptible, but they had begun. Also- I think the crow is a majestic and amazing bird, so if it is meant as an insult, it goes over…

  • gluten-free breakfast at Pacific Hideaway.

    When You Become Gluten-Free & Your Whole Life is Food.

    23/06/2018 - By 

    I  have a confession to make. I’m sick of being gluten-free. But I have no choice, which sucks and there is nothing I can do about it. My whole life is thinking about food. Being gluten-free isn’t a lifestyle choice but a necessary part of my health. I became gluten-free a few years ago when I had food poisoning so bad that it ruined my gut. So what happens when I eat gluten and become “glutened”, as I put it? Horrible things. You don’t feel slightly sick. A lot of people have asked me if it is a similar feeling…

  • Affordable Gluten-Free Shopping

    21/06/2018 - By 

    I have to eat gluten-free, due to a severe gluten-intolerance. Eating gluten-free isn’t cheap, so here are three quick ways to shop more affordably. Here are my three easy tips to save while shopping gluten-free: Buy frozen!! Frozen is cheaper, lasts longer and is quick to prepare. Often picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen, they are just as nutritious (sometimes more so) than fresh. We love frozen veggies, fruit and fish. Shop at the end of the day. Sometimes when you shop after 6 p.m., things like meat are usually on sale. I buy hormone AND antibiotic…

  • Happy 34th Birthday Husband!

    20/06/2018 - By 

    Happy 34th birthday to my husband! Josh was born in B.C. and I was born in Saskatchewan, but we met in Alberta at a Halloween party when Josh was 23 years old. I’ve known you for 11 years, Husband!   Yes, we have known each other for 11 years, but it feels like more- in a good way. The minute I met you, it felt like we’d known each other for lifetimes. It was if our souls hugged the minute that we met. In those years, we have moved houses twice, bought a house once, had two babies, changed jobs…

  • What Kind Of Party Invitation Kid Do You Have?

    16/06/2018 - By 

    Does your kid hem and haw when they get a birthday party invitation? Or do they jump at the chance? I was a jump at the chance kid, until a certain age. My kids are of the hem and haw variety. They don’t connect with a ton of kids, so when they do and they get a party invitation, it’s a pretty big deal. But there is a lot of considering they go through before accepting. Will it be too loud? Will there be a large crowd? How long is it? Will it be really bright? Does the party include…