Woman in Real Life

The summer has flown right on by! We will squeeze in a couple more fun activities between now and Tuesday, the first day of school. For the last couple of weeks, though, our minds have been partly occupied with preparing for back-to-school. I'm sure many of you are in the same boat - squeezing out the last few drops of summer fun while thinking ahead to school supplies, clothing, backpacks and school lunch planning (always a stress, right?). My family had some help preparing for fall from two of our favourite stores - Canadian Tire and Sport Chek. Read on to see all the fab finds that are helping us to get organized and on track for back-to-school.

Growing up, I learned to swim just by practicing in the lake at our cottage. As a result, I can swim, but I don't have a high level of confidence in my abilities. When my own children came along, I wanted to do whatever I could to ensure they were strong swimmers. When they were small, I worked with a woman whose grown son drowned while swimming in a lake with friends. I can't even imagine the nightmare of that.

I am a book lover every day of the year, but naturally as we look forward to long and leisurely summer days, I can't help but hope that I'll make my way through a nice long list of books. For now, here's a look at the books that we have on the go in our house at the moment.

I've said it before...occupying the kiddies over a March Break spent in your own house can be challenging. I recently picked out a few special craft books to feed us with ongoing projects ideas. While the kids and I had a great time sewing these fun sprinkle doughnuts, I thought it would be wise to have them pick out their own books for personal inspiration. It's always best if kids find books that appeal to their own interests and tastes, right?

The kids browsed the selection of books available in DK's March Break boutique. I secretly hoped that one of them would select a learning to cook type of book, because then they could learn to cook in place of Mom. Alas, they chose otherwise.

Happy Friday! Are you looking forward to the weekend?

I have had an interesting week. My son stayed home with me one day when his class went tubing. He didn't want to go tubing for an entire day.

Unfortunately, the trip fell on a day when he had lost his TV and iPod privileges. This was the result, above.

Yesterday was a snow day and the kids were home from school...fighting. Well, that's not entirely true. There was some complaining too and a bit of TV watching mixed in. Demands for food. You know, the usual.

It got me thinking about March Break and how we are going to occupy them for an entire week. If you are facing the same scenario or you have little ones at home every day, I have a suggestion for you. That is, unless you are headed off to sunnier climes this March Break. This post is for those who are "staycationing" like my family. 

It's What I Ate Wednesday once again, and boy what a busy week. With Shrove Tuesday yesterday and Valentine's Day tomorrow, there's lots of food to be made (and eaten) this week.

Yesterday's dinner was...well, pancakes of course. But let's get back to that later.

 

I haven't done much thrift store shopping lately. The house is full up with dishes and stuff and any spare funds the last couple months went toward Christmas shopping.

Last week, my willpower faltered though when I got an email from the Salvation Army saying they were having a one dollar kids clothing sale this past Friday. The fact is, my kids don't need any clothing, but $1 for jeans? Why not?

Of course, I knew I wouldn't pass by the housewares aisle without having a peek. I loaded up on kids' jeans first. I even got each of the kids a coat for $1. Then I headed over to peruse the dishes.

Last week, I showed you my home office organization. This week, the Organizing Revolution continues with week two - the kitchen.

I once read an article in Real Simple about a fabulously organized but seemingly relaxed mother. Her home was simple but lovely. I'm not saying I believe everything I read, but one thing she said stuck with me. Her secret was to ensure that, at the very least, her kitchen was back to clean at the end of each day.

Our little family of four has been enjoying just hanging out in our pajamas, tidying up the house and recovering from the sniffles.

We all have new toys to play with. My son is big into technology and is busy using his new iPod. Thankfully, my little girl still likes regular toys. I had the most fun watching her open all her cool girl toys this Christmas.

We had our own little family popcorn party recently, and it reminded me of this great gift I got from my sister last year at Christmas. If you are looking for something to give to a family, this is it!

She got us this Nostalgia popcorn maker, a couple of plastic popcorn buckets and a bunch of cardboard popcorn boxes. Add to that some popcorn kernels (hopefully organic -- GMO corn freaks me out), and you are set for your own popcorn party. I melted some vegan margarine on the stove and poured it on. Plus a little salt on top. Yummy!

  
We had our first snowfall this weekend. Welcome back, my old friend. Please don`t overstay your welcome. If you could go away by February, I would appreciate it. 

We have been enjoying a lovely weekend with family, including my niece, Maple, above. This big, beautiful gal is the chillest dog I have ever seen.

A few days ago, I showed you some highlights from "the cottage," otherwise known as my parents' house. No look at the cottage would be complete without a look at the lake.

Last weekend, my husband, the kids and I took a walk down the beach, as I used to do as a child myself. Part of the beach is blocked by rocks that people have poured over the cliff to act as retaining walls. I loved to climb those rocks as a kid. I don't mind now, except I found myself without appropriate footwear this time! Slippery boots are not the best option.

Lake Erie is not a gentle lake. Many people have drowned in it. My mom even saw a body floating ashore when we were kids. In the wintertime, the lake takes away several feet of land and trees each year. My mom's friend recalls a time when there were farmers' fields out over the part of the lake that I swam in as a child.

It’s now the middle of November, and I am still in denial about Christmas. The kids are busily cutting out toy ads from store flyers and making lists, complete with prices and store availability. They know me well.  A thorough source of information will better ensure I actually remember what they want. Don’t be like me. Start planning your presents now, so you can better enjoy the days leading up to the holidays. Make some cookies before Christmas instead of rushing to a crowded mall.

The boys went off to a football game on Saturday, in our hometown of Hamilton. It rained throughout the entire game, but they stayed strong until the end. Oh, and the Ti-Cats won the game, so that made it all worthwhile. Here`s my son wearing my dad`s vintage Tiger-Cats jacket.

Me and my newly-turned-eight mini me were left with a day to hang out together. Notice she crashed the off-to-the-game picture, above, while still wearing her pjs (and her Junie B. Jones glasses of course).

On Tuesday, I took some random photos of life around here.