Conquering the Clutter...One Cupboard at a Time

In January, one of my goals was to take five minutes out of each day and organize one drawer, cupboard or shelf in our home.  Realistically, I know I no longer have the time to reorganize an entire room in an afternoon.  Most days I feel accomplished if I’ve conquered the dishes in the sink and a load of laundry.  So one cupboard a day seemed manageable, right?  Except I’ve been saying, “I’ll start on Monday” for the last five months.  Yesterday, inspired by Vlad and Kim’s move into their new home (thanks guys!), I took the plunge and organized the bottom shelf in our pantry when we got home.  It may not sound like much, but in 30 days I’ll have 30 clean nooks and crannies that were in a previous state of chaos.  My hope is that making this goal a public one will be the push I need to keep the momentum going.  For me, this exercise is about reflecting on what we really need and being honest about what we don’t.  It’s also about thinking twice before bringing anything new into our home. 

Ever since Ben was born I feel like the walls are closing in around us.  I tried to sift through all the clutter before he was born (truthfully I’ve been trying for years to find a place for everything in our home).  But once he arrived so did all the additional stuff; bottles, toys, clothes, swings and bouncy chairs.  The list (and piles) are never ending and it’s hard to find the time to pack it all away when it’s no longer in use.  Children, by nature are messy and so is their play.  By the end of the day Ben’s toys, clothes, books and sippy cups have taken over our house.  It isn’t uncommon for me to find a car or book underneath the covers as I crawl into bed at night.   

My house is usually tidy but it’s definitely not as clean as it use to be.  Gone are the days when all of the housework and laundry was tackled every Thursday night.  When you have a child you find a new balance in life.  Priorities shift, the refrigerator door covered in fingerprints, the floor a little stickier.  And truthfully, ‘perfectly clean’ doesn’t seem to matter as much as it use to.  When I close my eyes at night, I know, I can still aspire and dream of my home with everything it embodies having purpose, tucked neatly into place.

Ben, at 16 Months

I’ve sat down to write this post so many times over the past week and for some reason the words don’t seem to do justice in comparison to how I feel.  My little man is 16 months old.  Where did the time go?  I remember how quickly his first week in the world passed.  Boris and I turned to one another and said, “I can’t believe he’s already a week old”.  And then two weeks when by, then three... 

Ben is mischievous; full of curiosity, giggles and smiles.  He stands on full tippy-toe to look out our front window.  He loves waiting at the edge of the driveway with me to watch the garbage and recycle truck drive by.  He gives big hugs, wet kisses and loves to snuggle on the couch when he first wakes up from a nap.  His favorite foods are corn-on-the-cob, pineapple, cheese and crackers.  He loves being outside and bravely goes down the tallest slide at the playground.  He only speaks a few words but his favorite this month is definitely “No”.  Ben loves flipping through books, being read to and playing with cars and trucks.  He pushes the chairs around the kitchen, climbs up, opens the drawers and plays with the utensils inside.  Ben has been such a blessing in our lives and we are so in love and enamored by him. 

Crispy Kale "Chips"

I made these crispy kale chips last night alongside fish and sweet potato fries.  They were surprisingly delicious.  The recipe was featured on Food Networks, Ten Dollar Dinners.  When I picked up kale at our local produce market the other day and told Boris I was going to make chips he was skeptical but ended up loving them.  If you’ve never tried kale before, this is definitely the way to do it!    

Image Source

Crispy Kale “Chips”

1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Sea salt, for sprinkling 

Preheat oven to 275F.

Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1½ inch pieces.  Lay on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt.  Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 – 25 minutes. 

Recipe from Ten Dollar Dinners

Loosing Ben (at IKEA)

I lost Ben at IKEA yesterday.  It was the longest, scariest few minutes of my life.  All of the ‘should haves’ and ‘could haves’ keep playing over and over in my mind.  I’m lucky and thankful my sweet boy is asleep in his crib down the hall as I write this.

Boris forgot his lunch at home yesterday so I decided to drop it off and head to IKEA.  Ben played with the pretend kitchen in the kid’s area for a while; we ate lunch and picked up a potty and some mini pots and pans.  Before making the trek home, I decided to use the washroom.  Other than a custodian, the small washroom was empty.  So when Ben squirmed out of my arms and crawled under the door I wasn’t too concerned, I was almost done.  He’s escaped my grasp before; it’s hard to keep him on my lap.  He’s so strong.  I heard the door open as I was zipping up my blue jeans; I assumed the custodian had left, alone.

Ben was out of my sight for 20, maybe 30 seconds at the most.  I called his name, no Ben.  I looked behind the other three stalls, no Ben.  I started to panic.  Where could he be?  I left the washroom, looking one way then the other, no Ben.  My heart was pounding.  My mind was racing.  I knew the longer I hesitated, the further the distance between him and I would become.  How could he have disappeared so quickly?  I ran back into the washroom thinking I must not have seen him in one of the stalls.  I looked again, no Ben.  I ran back out and yelled his name.  People started to stare.  I kept calling his name and looking.

Just then, I saw him.  He was between the two sliding doors, a few feet away from outside, the street.  I grabbed him and held him (a little too) tight.  He started to cry.  He didn’t know he was lost, he was exploring his world.  He was on an adventure, like always.  

I’m upset with myself for letting him off my lap and out of my sight.  I’m upset with the custodian who either let him out or didn’t notice the little boy following her as she opened the door.  Yesterday could have ended very differently.  Someone could have taken him.  He could have run out onto the street and been hit by a car.  

Once Ben was buckled safely into his car seat, I watched him in my rear view mirror, the rain pouring down, and I cried.  I rarely cry.  I can count on one hand the number of times I‘ve cried since he was born.  How could I have almost lost the most important thing in my life?  He was there and then he wasn’t.  Just like that...

Wordless Wednesday

The Last Day on Earth

So, according to some the world is going to end today at 6:00 PM.  As I write this, it’s already Sunday in some parts of the world so I'm not sure whose clock we're going by?  I don’t personally believe this theory but while I was in the shower this morning, I did reflect on what I would do if it were my last day on Earth.  What would your day look like?

My day would begin with a little extra family time in bed; snuggling, talking and laughing.  I would take a long, hot shower then make a big breakfast (my favorite meal of the day).  Pancakes, hash browns, bacon, eggs and homemade cinnamon buns...yum!  Afterward we would go for a long walk, have a picnic and play outside all day long.  I would sneak in extra hugs, kisses, and ‘I Love You’s’.  I would make sure my mom, dad, brother and sister knew how much I loved them and how much they had shaped my life.  I would let my friends know the same.  I would have dinner at Mikado’s and order what I have always said I would want as my last meal, teriyaki chicken.  At bedtime, I would read Ben as many stories as he wanted and hold him tight until he fell asleep.  Then I would take a candle lit bubble bath and spend whatever time there was left with Boris.

The truth is, no one knows how much time he or she has left.  Life is precious.  Enjoy every moment.

Wordless Wednesday

I’ve wanted to adopt this blog idea for awhile now but I’ve been kind of dragging my feet.  My hope is that it’ll inspire me to pull out my camera more often.  I’ve decided my images aren’t going to be completely wordless though, I’m going to borrow an idea from one of my favorite blogs, lila was here.  I love the time and date stamp along with the caption the photographer adds to every image of her daughter.  Maybe one day I’ll have enough energy to photograph Ben every day...for now I’ll aspire to once a week.

Yogurt Popsicles (for Lunch)

This afternoon Ben and I had a “snack lunch” of croissants, pickles, cheese, oranges and popsicles.  Yup, that’s right, I gave Ben a popsicle for lunch.  A homemade, yogurt popsicle inspired by this blog post.  Last night I threw all the ingredients into my magic bullet, poured them into a popsicle mould and popped them in the freezer.  They took maybe 2 minutes to throw together.  Ben devoured his and, I’ll admit, I did too.  I’m already dreaming of my next batch...maybe next time I’ll try peach or strawberry banana.

Yogurt Popsicles (Makes 6 Small Popsicles) 

1 cup French vanilla yogurt

1 cup fruit (I used blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)

1 Tbsp. hemp seeds

1 Tbsp. honey

Honey Bran Muffins

My mom use to make these muffins all the time when I was young.  The recipe can be found inside the box of POST 100% BRAN Cereal.  

Honey Bran Muffins (Makes 12 Large Muffins or 48 Mini-Muffins) 

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sucanat

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg, well beaten

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups POST 100% BRAN Cereal

1 cup raisins or chopped, pitted dates (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.  

Combine milk and lemon juice; set aside.

Combine flour, sucanat, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

Stir egg, oil and honey into soured milk; mix in cereal and raisins or dates.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Fill paper lined or greased muffin tins generously to the top.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes for large muffins or 8 – 10 minutes for mini-muffins. 

Our Favorite Children's Music

I’ve taken out many children’s CDs from our local library for Ben.  Some of its great music and others, well, we don’t make it past the first few songs on the CD.  Here are our current favorites.  Enjoy!

Barenaked Ladies – Snacktime!

Charlie Hope – I’m Me!

 

Elizabeth Mitchell – You Are My Sunshine

Frances England – Family Tree

 

Raffi – Bananaphone

Happy Mother's Day

I’ve got a good mother, and her voice is what keeps me here.  Feet on ground, heart in hand, facing forward, be yourself.

-       Jann Arden

Ben's Style - Spring 2011

Maybe I’m a bit of a minority, but I love dressing a boy.  I love “boy” colors, greys and blues and browns.  I love dress shirts and sweater vests and polos.  Before having Ben, I preferred shopping for Boris’ clothes over my own.  So, it was no surprise to me that when Ben came along I enjoyed filling his closet with all the beautiful clothing they make for little boys now days.  I buy almost everything for Ben on sale, a season in advance.  A shirt here, a pair of pants there, and then I pull it all together in the end.

This past weekend I turned over Ben’s wardrobe, swapping winter sweaters and jackets for summer shorts and t-shirts.  He’s outgrown most of his 12 – 18 month clothes, and since he’s been wearing most of it since September, I was excited to hang all of my new treasures.  Before packing everything away, I took Ben to the museum/government house (I know, a little clichéd) to photograph my favorites.  

 On Ben: Dress Shirt, Baby Gap. Hoodie, Zara Baby. Jeans, Gymboree. Shoes, Robeez.

 On Ben: Dress Shirt, Joe Fresh. Jeans, Baby Gap. Shoes, Stride Rite.

On Ben: Dress Shirt, Baby Gap. Sweater Vest, Mexx. Pants, Joe Fresh. Shoes, Little Soles.

Fruit and Seed Bars

I love granola bars but I have a nut allergy so it’s difficult to find a good bar (store bought or homemade) that doesn’t contain some type of nut.  When I came across this recipe on one of my favorite food websites, I had to try it and it didn’t disappoint.  This bar is packed full of nutrients, has a good crunch and the dried fruit and honey add just the right amount of sweetness.  They were fast to throw together and freeze/defrost nicely.  I made them mostly for myself but Ben likes them too.

Fruit and Seed Bars (Makes 16 Bars) 

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

1 Tbsp. hemp seeds

1 cup dried fruit (I used 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup cranberries)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup sunflower butter

Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease and line an 8X8 inch pan with parchment paper.  

In a food processor, pulse the first 7 ingredients until finely chopped (it’s okay if there are a few coarsely chopped pieces).

Add the honey and sunflower butter and pulse until starting to combine.

Pour the mixture into the pan and press down until completely even.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Let the bars cool completely before cutting with a serrated knife.

Recipe adapted from Weelicious

A Little Something for Myself

A while ago a made a promise to myself, a list of things I wanted to do more of.  I love being a stay-at-home mom and I’m beyond grateful that we’re able to make ends meet on Boris’ salary alone.  That being said, sometimes I get lost in a world of laundry and housework and sticky hands.  There are days when I miss being around adults, being challenged.  So I made a list of things I want to do more of for myself in those few quiet moments I have throughout the day:

• Read
• Write
• Cook/Bake
• Crochet
• Sew 

This past weekend, I did something I haven’t done in a long time (probably since before Ben was born).  I read a book.  A book for myself.  Not a book that had anything to do with sleeping or eating or childhood development.  Okay, so the book was a memoir of motherhood but I still read it for myself.  I love Rebecca Woolf’s blog, Girl's Gone Child and I loved her book, Rockabye: From Wild to Child, a heartfelt account of what happens when an irrepressible young city girl gets pregnant by accident.  I thought it was humorous, relatable and honest.  I thoroughly enjoyed crawling under the covers during nap time to read, for myself...     

Becoming a mother means splitting yourself in two.  Squeezing new life from between two walls and becoming half mother, half self.  But I believe there is room enough in every woman for passion and work and dreams and her children, for everything she wants with room for dessert.  Life is long.

-       Rebecca Woolf