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. 

Mommy & Toddler Favourites for NOVEMBER

Well, its that time again.. (lets just pretend that i didn't miss October) 

that would just be a big rant about sweet treats and the stresses keeping me from my love of blogging so lets skip that by and enjoy the fav's of November!

I love November, its the time when festive spirits start filling the air- the light snow begins to fall and we are preparing our homes, hearts and calendars for the busyness and Joy of December. So lets jump in! 

This months favourites are all over the map- but thats part of the fun..

First All- life has been a little scattered for me with nights away from home and distance from my family- so this in turn when i get to be home it has made me really appreciate home. There really is nowhere like it. So upon coming home- i have been burning this DIVINE candle from none other than Bath & Body Works. This 'Mulled wine' inspired candle would not have been one i would have grabbed if it didn't have the word apple in its fragrance notes... 

(I'm a sucker like that) 

Anyway its fragrant and unique & What feels more home-y than a flickering candle... 

Along with being in and out i haven't had the 'luxury' (as i call it these days) of making a lot of home cooked meals. I have been relying on the old stand by- M&M Meat Shops

But not just for anything - for CABBAGE ROLLS! 

THEY ARE AMAZING. Lord have mercy 

(they don't always taste better when you don't have to put in the effort) 

They taste fresh and maintain their shape and consistency well. Theres enough sauce too- sauce is always important!!! A must try for a quick, cook free night! 

This next product is lovely. 

When something makes cleaning better- its a fav. This Clean Everything Cleaner

is a lavender scented all-purpose cleaner. Bonus it isn't just enviro and child friendly, its gentle, safe and cleans great. I love an all purpose. This is great for this seasons germmies and cleans toys and counters like a lavender dream. A little pricey- $8.50 CAD but its a large bottle and it seemed to last quite awhile. 

My next favourite is a new regular on our coffee table- also its a classic that has allowed me to relive my childhood and it hasn't lost its sparkle. 

Hungry, Hungry Hippos is actually the perfect game for my almost 3 year old. Its simple enough for him to understand and loud enough to be 'cool'.

We are really enjoying some screen free fun with this one- i think growing our child-friendly game collection is whats on the wish list for Santa this year.

This next child product is relatively new to me- vitamins that are gummies?!? 

Have i been living under a rock? well - yea..

My tiny guy always took vitamins no problem but these make my little feel like he is getting a reward and that reward itself is good! 

Costco makes these babies- I'm sure there are numerous ones out there- so leave a comment on tips for my next bottle! 

This sweet bottle of ginger bliss is Origins Ginger burst body wash

Let me tell you- it is divine. Its like having a shower with tiny gingerbread angels!!! 

This body wash is the perfect scent for this holiday season and it works well to moisturize and leave you feeling clean (and slightly more delicious) 

Here is that all over the map thing i was talking about... My new Christmas tree! (fa la la la la la la)

I have been searching for awhile for a skinny and tall christmas tree- we are going to do a larger real one in our downstairs but i don't have a lot of room on my main floor and of course- i can't wait till December to put up a tree (crazy) 

So I found her-here she is the 7 ft Cashmere Skinny Christmas tree from Michaels. 

Its pre-lit and has a really nice detail to the branches, it almost glows and takes up very little space- so if your looking for a space saving tree- Michael's usually has great deals and this is a good choice! 

My last item- is probably one of my most favourite items ever- its the Mom-on-the-go Planner from 'In the Leafy Treetops'

This planner may be on the big side (they make a smaller version too) but it does it all! Budgeting, Meals, vacations, wish lists, planning, holidays, inspiration. it is amazing. 

There are options for add-ons and custom covers and I'm so happy i went with this one. I know there are Erin Condren lovers out there- but this one just seems a little less put together (life in reality!) 

So there it is- my short and sweet list for my top favs from this month. 

Hope you enjoyed and i have encouraged you into a few new products. 

Have a wonderful week! 

weekly meal planning - #2 'pin'able version

welcome to meal planning #2, still 'Pin'able  from my pinterest page and family friendly! 

i got great response to last weeks meal plan that i thought, in honour of monday- I'm grocery shopping this week i would add in my meal plan, (pretty and printable too!)

hope you enjoy this aswell, its similar but different and sure to gather the gang for yummy time together. 

Monday- Veggie noodle wraps in lettuce cups 

Tuesday- Sticky slow cooker ribs & tin-foil potato packet 

Wednesday- Homemade burgers & fresh coleslaw 

Thursday- Pork Fajitas with all the goods & homemade refried beans 

Friday- Pita Pizzas, made to order 

Saturday- BLT Salad & Garlic Bread 

Sunday- Spaghetti & Pork meatballs (made my momma) 

Enjoy- Happy Monday, may your week be fresh and fun! 

summer snack: peach & oatmeal cookies

Im always on the hunt for healthy and filling snack ideas for my sweet toothed toddler. This cookie recipe is going into the vault at my house. Our usual chocolate loving household has accepted these fruit filled treats with gladness. They just make you happy.

The Goods 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
• (this is going to seem like a lot, but the peaches get juicy and need the extra flour) 
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups butter at room temperature
• 1 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup 
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 3 cups finely diced peaches (i didn't even peel them - cause I'm lazy like that) 
• 3 cups oats (old fashioned if your fancy) 
• 2 cups coconut (i used unsweetened)
• 2 cups nuts (optional, i opted not) 

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Mix sugars, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon with an electric mixer until well combined.
• Stir in flour, oats, coconut (i saved a bit of the flour for the end, as i want convinced i needed it all- but i did, just combine it slowly) 
• Stir in peaches gently 
• For each cookie, press about 1/4 cup together (these are big mothers)
• Drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets sprayed with cooking spray, spacing 3 inches apart.
• Bake 16 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
• Cool on pan 10 minutes. Remove to rack to cool.
• Enjoy!!!

These make great 'on the go' healthy breakfast or anytime snack. BONUS- packed with sneaky (mostly) goodness, have a happy and delicious day 

'Honest' Co. Haul

On my path to creating a healthier & cleaner home I purchased a few home cleaning products from the 'Honest' company. All the hype and buzz better be worth the charge just to get it shipped to Canada. Snarl. International charge of approx $15USD again, snarl. 
Good thing well.ca will be carrying their products as of August 2015. 
I did not participate in the 'bundle' as i have heard mixed reviews. Im not convinced its worth it. 
Most likely i will only be reordering the products i enjoy and maybe trying a few new on the well.ca website. 

I decided to do a separate post just for these products (other family friendly favourites to come) No i am not endorsed by the honest company (but how nice would that be), these opinions are my own and i purchased product on my own accord, because its darn cute, healthier for my home and who doesn't like Jessica Alba???

First impressions are running high, or maybe that's the clean marketing.
When looking for cleaning products that were more natural without all the harsh chemicals I was drawn to the honest company for their mission and passion for healthy families.
I'm 'honestly' suprised how satisfied I am so far....

I purchased the following a items from the honest company website

• Multi Surface Cleaner
• Dish soap
• Shampoo & Body wash
• Detangler
• Organic Breath Easy Chest Rub
• Kids toothpaste
• Healing balm
• Dish scrubber & Container

I was delighted to receive my brown box from the honest company-about a week after ordering. Opening the box was a lovely experience, just like Christmas!
I had thought about ordering products for quite some time and now that they ship to Canada I decided to splurge and treat myself  sweet new cleaning products!! What a sad lottery I have won.

The beautiful bright marketing and typography welcoming me to a new brand experience (I just eat that stuff up) Below are impressions of the products thus far...

Multi Surface Cleaner $5.95USD
Im happy with this purchase at the price. Great fresh grapefruit scent cant be beat and I was suprised at the large container
(26fl. oz) I do know it's easy to make your own cleaning sprays but I always struggle with the scents and appreciate this one a lot! 
Scent lasts just long enough and the construction of the sprayer and bottle seems of good quality. Bonus is it looks pretty on my counter (like all the honest products)

Dish Soap $3.95USD
This one I struggled with as I read multiple reviews that it was just alright and not all that 'green'
I took a chance as the value seemed great with the price/volume ratio (26.5 fl.oz) also I'm always willing to give lemon-verbena (y) scents a chance. 
It is a runnier consistency than my usual 'Dawn' but it smells amaze balls and it cleans surprisingly well even on breakfast bacon pans. I can see that I will go through it more quickly than other soaps but that's ok-it also says it can be used as a floor cleaner with a shot in a bucket of hot water. I haven't tried that yet but I will. I love multi purpose functionality.

Honest Shampoo & Body Wash $9.95USD 
This is probably the most popular item i have seen from the honest company. Its sweet vanilla orange scent is delightful and clean. I bought this specifically for my little and i must say, his hair is uber soft after use, doesn't irritate hiss eyes and cleans well. win, win, win

Conditioning Detangler $5.95USD
if you have a child with hair, you know. Detangler is a must! in my home but with this product, im not sure if its combining it with the shampoo but it works amazingly well; very quick and efficient.  Other detanglers i have used typically had to sit for a few minutes once applied and then try to comb it through- but this is great! i think its a decent value as you don't need to use much for a child's head. I will be repurchasing.

Breath Easy Rub $9.95USD
This product was timed perfectly as my little had some summer sniffles th week it arrived. I feel more comfortable using it than a 'vicks'. The container was quite small but the blend of essential oils it seems quite concentrated leaving you to use less. I appreciate that this product has a lavender scent to it as well as a eucalyptus. Very soothing and a new staple in my medicine box.

Kids Toothpaste $3.95USD for 2 pack 
This one is weird, its a strawberry flavour for kids and i purchased the 2 pack small sizes. I tried it first and i gotta say it tastes weird like artificial sweetener, that said- my little loves it.
Im glad it came in these small sizes, one is great for his overnight bag and the other is small enough to use in the next few months and move on to another 'natural' toothpaste. Any suggestions, please let me know!

Honest Healing Balm $12.95USD
I have yet to use this and the instructions were a little vague on my packaging, website is better..I was looking for a 'polysporn' type of product safer and more natural, i can only assume that is what this is... it feels a little greasy and i think they could have made it smell a little nicer, its pretty blah and haven't had anything major to try it on yet but i am intending to use it for scrapes, bruises and bug bites.. anyone else have any experience with this product?

'Suds Up' Bamboo scrubber & Ceramic suds maker $12.95USD
I bought this cause its cute, and looks like it makes cleaning fun. but in reality it makes it messier.
Its a typical cute little bamboo dish scrubber and it rests in this ceramic dish with a little platform that rests in a spring, so ideally you add some dish soap and water to the dish and press the scrubbby down to make bubbles and wash your dishes with more fun! well...you need to be a little heavy on the 'sudsing' so it splashes around the counter.. maybe i haven't figured it out yet, but im not giving up, its cute and pretty and fun. And it was $12.95

Overall, im pretty happy with most purchases, if you want to check out the website, heres a link.. 

honest company

happy and healthy cleaning to all on this fresh week!!!