Woman in Real Life

The weather in September here in Ontario can be quite unpredictable. A hot, sunny day can be followed by a windy, cold evening. Believe me I know - I've spent some recent chilly evenings on the soccer field. My August accessories box from Wantable features pieces to transition my wardrobe nicely from summer to fall.

These stylish pieces will dress up my summer apparel and also continue to meet my accessory needs in the cooler weeks ahead. Key among these transitional pieces, of course, is the Aimee scarf, a lovely multicoloured striped piece in pretty shades of emerald green, sunshine yellow and tangerine. It's the perfect light and cozy scarf to add to your outfit on a September evening. I also love the Carolyn necklace, a rather dramatic layered piece in red, mint and black. Wantable suggests pairing it with a favourite maxi dress.

It's a little bit summer, a smidgen fall and a whole lot I'm-scared-of-winter around here right now. Which means a mix of warm weather foods and comforting fall soups. Distinctly in the summer category - the fruity ice pops we made recently in the Zoku. I took my recipe for Strawberry Peach Green Tea Ice Pops and changed it up a bit. Instead of green tea, I used water (I was rushing). I also added half a banana into the mix, and included slices of strawberry and banana to perty it up a bit.

We had a few home projects on our summer to-do list this year, but the first priority was giving our little girl's bedroom a mini makeover. Primarily we wanted to give it a fresh coat of paint. The pink colour on her walls (pictured above) had been there since before we moved in about six years ago.

As an added bonus, painting her room would allow us to take down some of the many pictures and decals that have accumulated on her walls. It was time for Bieber to go! I was also hoping that sprucing up her bedroom might encourage my little gal to keep her room tidier. Let's just say that clutter has occasionally been an issue in the past.

One event that I get excited about every September is the Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival. I have been going to it for years and years and now I cannot miss it. One of the many awesome things about the Veg Food Fest is that it is always held at Toronto's Harbourfront. So not only do you get to sample great vegetarian food, but the location is perfect for a leisurely day out with the family too.

The picture above shows us on our way to the food fest (after the ordeal of finding parking - I didn't realize they had closed part of Lakeshore for repairs). You can see from this pic that I'm super excited, the children not so much. The little gal is probably complaining about something (not sure which part of her list she had gotten to at that moment). The dude just wants out of the picture. Why do you have to take pictures all the time?

Back-to-school brings with it so many emotions, both for kids and for Mom and Dad. Nervousness, excitement, happiness - it's all there. This special time also calls for a significant change in routine. Gone are the more leisurely days of summer - the late mornings, the increased TV watching, the trips to the beach.

As I sent the kids off to school for their first day on Tuesday, I was hopeful that they would have good friends in their classes, be assigned to helpful and kind teachers and just generally enjoy their educational experiences. Of course, I was also hopeful they would get up and get ready in time! Here they are freshly scrubbed, with teeth brushed, ready for school on time. The little gal in her new dress and sneakers with her hair neatly in a bun. Morning of day one was a success. We shall see from now on...

We had some friends/relatives over to watch the Labour Day Classic game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Monday. For the "girls drink," I made this Christmas Cranberry Pimm’s Cocktail. It may seem odd to serve a Christmas drink in September, but this drink works fine for warm weather too. Plus, it comes from an Australian magazine. It's hot at Christmastime in Australia, right?

I had never tried Pimm's No. 1 before. According to the LCBO, it has an amber yellow colour, a citrus and herbal aroma, a smooth gin base, with a soft bitter herb flavour and citrus finish. Sounds good to me. The recipe calls for combining Pimm's No. 1 with cranberry juice, lemonade, apples, oranges, mint, lemons and cucumbers. It was quite fruity and tasty and makes a nice alternative to sangria.

My laundry room - conveniently located, but not very big - hence the need for space-saving solutions that make use of the room's height, like expanding/flip-down clothes drying racks and a holder for the central vac.

With any change of season naturally comes a desire to organize your home. While spring is the primary season for organizing, the fall and its return to routine also calls for time spent purging, cleaning and preparing for the colder season ahead. Once the kids return to school, I’m hoping to spend a few solid days organizing my home to run more efficiently. Here are some of the tips I’m keeping in mind when it comes to my laundry routine.