Top 10 little BIG KID FAV'S (mommy approved)

Life on the other end of toddler hood is almost as bad as i was forewarned. Between the new and improved (and changing on the daily) personal preferences, dropping nap time conflict and mediating the ever prominent tantrum - life has been, well... busy. 

But, lets shine light on the things that get us through- the simple pleasures. 

Here are a list of my top 10 little BIG kid (and mommy approved) favourites... for this week.

yogurt drinks. nuff' said. 

weather you pass them off as milkshakes, yogurt, 'pop' or whatever. they do the trick, crave hanger and are great mini portions

comfy pants- cause really, aren't we all happier in comfy pants. 

Little's move, ALOT. All those cute skinny hipster pants are great for your photo shoot but be real..the daily grind is all about comfort. 

yummy vitamins DHA vitamin (max & ruby) cause they are good for you.

This sweet lemony concoction is treated like a reward at our house- can't get enough. so, "OK... i guess, if you promise to be good"... your welcome. 

Tupperware wipes case. the mecca of all wipes cases is here. 

I haven't met a wipe that doesn't fit in here- if you are reusable i think they would even fit.. keeps wipes wet, and the latch to let them out stays closed and only lets one out at a time. what a concept! 

fun band aids - duh. 

for invisible owies, teddy bears, big boo boos and even your own needs- everything does feel better under the care of a Disney princess.. 

backpack/suitcase- its time.

start letting them haul (some) of their own crap. of course your still the following mule, but it sure helps when your trying to leave the house and their entire stuffy collection can't fit. tough choices. like life. start em young... 

Squeezies for veggies - sneaky. 

my house isn't much of a nutritional palace so i sneak these babies in anywhere i can. No they aren't just for babies.. celebs even carry them in their gym bags for a quick recharge. And no, i don't prepare them myself but by all means.... 

thirty one snack thermal zip cooler- you need one. 

This little cooler pouch is a saving grace for on the go. its small enough to fit in my enormous bag, holds all the snacks and keeps them cool. i love this for carry thing things like the inevitable cheese string and even yogurt drinks! (it also does hold 3 beer- just sayin) i love mine. Check out my friend Erin's ThirtyOne Gifts website for options 

Honest Co. Breath easy rub 

your always in cold season when you have a little one. this rub is awesome. Its child friendly, kids can apply it to their own chest or feet and feel 'big' helping. its safe and chemical free- unlike the nasties in Vick's, you can feel good about this choice. 

SAGO mini app - if you can't beat em, make it educational. 

A friend introduced me to this line of apps geared towards toddlers and inspires interest in numbers and letters- the cute animals and monsters don't hurt either. Its as not annoying and really does a great job teaching age appropriate lessons. 

Tropical Inspired Bridal Shower

I LOVE a good party! Hosting parties, celebrating loved ones, all the crafting, and decorating are definitely a few of my favourite things! I just love all the details and of course, the food. 

This past month I had the honour of celebrating my future sister-to-be! 
It was a special day filled with friends, family and well wishes! The bride and groom will be getting married in Mexico - with not everyone able to attend, I wanted to bring a little tropical heat into the theme to really get inspired and excited about the upcoming nuptials. Here is a little peek....

DIY Banners, tropical details, lots of yummy food, Fruity Punch & Luggage tags for favours to continue with the destination feel...

My favourite DIY was definitely the easily spray painted pineapple also i used one and turned it into a vase for these fresh tropical flowers my mother-in-law brought! (seen above) It really was as easy as you would expect... 

Fresh Pineapple- check! 

Gold metallic spray paint-check! (2 coats to be exact)

Outdoors & Newspaper-check! 

 

We also played an updated version of the traditional 'whats in your purse?' game, with a 'what's in your cell phone?' Here it is for some inspiration and ideas- it was a great way to incorporate things specific to the bride! Turns out we had a winner with close to 100 points!

For a surprise for the bride, Guests wrote ideas for date nights on popsicle sticks and placed them in a box for the bride to take home and share with her groom. Its really funny to read the inpiration and where it came from for years to come! 

Hope you enjoyed a peek at this Tropical Themed bridal shower- It was full of love and memories that we will be talking about for years... 

Toddler Easter Fun- Sugar Free!!!

Easter is almost second to Christmas at my house, I love the feeling of renewed peace and life the season brings with it. Of course all the adornments, cute-as-a-button decor and crafting ideas don't hurt either.. but the highlight for me was always finding my easter basket filled with goodies and treats lovingly selected by my mother- now its my turn to do the same! 

This year, as every year, I'm excited to fill a basket with fun things for my little to celebrate in the joy of easter too. Check out these great 'Basket' alternatives - I like multi-purpouse A LOT so something that can be taken past the time of Easter Morning and be put to use keeping little hands busy is a win! Imagine all your cute easter goodies piled high in one of these fun items for your toddler this spring. 

Here are a few other fun ideas to celebrate Easter and the new season with your little! 
All 'sugar-free'!! Enjoy and happy 'almost' spring! 

Egg Roll Bowl

This Egg Roll Bowl was apart of my Cheap Eats weekly meal plan and I though I would make a quick post for those of you who have no idea what that is...here she is! Pretty tasty looking wouldn't you say? 

Its easy, healthy and delicious... even my 3 year old gobbles it up! 

EGG ROLL BOWL 

-One package of ground meat, turkey, pork or beef 

-One package of coleslaw mix, I prefer the Asian mix with bean sprouts but i had broccoli coleslaw mix on hand 

- 2 tbsp ginger, freshly grated 

- 3-5 garlic cloves freshly chopped or grated 

- green onion 

- sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

- rice to serve over (I had brown minute rice on hand) 

Sauce Mix 

- 1/2 cup Soya Sauce (low sodium is ideal) 

- 3 tbsp brown sugar 

- 1 tsp garlic powder 

-In a large skillet brown your meat with garlic, ginger and salt/pepper - once cooked remove and set aside

-Add coleslaw mix, and green onion to skillet on high heat and sauté 

-Once tender add meat back to vegetable mixture and add sauce mixture 

-Combine all elements and add more ginger (if you adore it like me) serve over rice and garnish with additional green onion and sesame seeds 

-Enjoy!!! 

Cheap Eats 1 : weekly meal planning

Meal Planning for me is always a highlight of my week- it lets me be creative and resourceful. 

These days those skills need to work in overdrive! My husband is back to school finishing off his program and with me being a stay at home mom and a government funded budget, we aren't working on much here. Lets be real... 

I'm excited for the challenge, although times will be tight frugality is something we have adopted since we decided I would stay at home with our little one. Surprisingly- we don't go without too much. We are clever and buy smarter. This is going to be tested the next 6 weeks without my husbands income and I'm sure there are those of you that can relate. 

We do have to be ingenious about not eating ICHIBAN every night now that we have another little mouth to feed... Healthy food is important and so are things that won't be wasted. 

My tactic is to lower our meat intake to a few times a week, my husband is away at school so my opposition to vegetables is in the clear and I'm going to take full advantage! Also choosing produce in season and budget friendly items is obviously imperative! 

Have a peek at my new 'weekly FRUGAL meal plan' & Grocery list-  'Pin-able' to Pinterest 

Hope this helps you pinch a few pennies and still feel satisfied in the kitchen! 

What are your favourite recipes a la cheap?? Ill be looking for more next week 

mini poutine cups

these sweet, messy bites of yum were a treat to my hubby on his birthday. 

they have all the amazing bits of poutine and are as satisfying as they are stupidly portion sized. Germaphobes - your welcome. 

these babies were a great hit at the party and so of course, they are making the blog. 

easy, dirty, greasy and delish.

mini poutine cups 

- tater tots for the fries 

-pizza mozzarella or curds 

-gravy package 

-seasoning salt 

-muffin tin 

Order of Assembly 

-preheat oven to tater tot instructions 

-place 4 or 5 tater tots in each muffin tin and place them in the oven for the preheat 

(this will soften them to allow them to 'smoosh' into the muffin mould) 

-once softened , take a spoon or some blunt tool and create a cup shape out of the tot. make sure you make edges to allow to hold the 'goods'

-sprinkle with seasoning salt and bake till edges are crispy 

- mix gravy per instructions 

- remove tots from oven and sprinkle with cheese while they cool a touch 

- place on plate to serve and drizzle with gravy and sprinkle with additional seasoning salt 

SEE-DIRTY. 

Serve with side of gravy if you want to allow dipping and any other fancy-ness you prefer

ENJOY!