I Think I Can

After a recent trip to the Christmas Market I noticed I was being very critical of all the knitting venders and found myself thinking 'I could make that...' quite frequently which got me to my next thought, that if I could make that and they are selling it then I could/should sell my stuff!

Although I admit that I already had plans to set up an Etsy store online it was reassuring that I saw some items I have actually made which gave me a confidence boost that it's something I can do and that there is a market for it out there. I was a bit unsure if, with my limited experience, I would be able to start selling anything for awhile but I happened upon an item that was the identical pattern to a scarf I'm working on right now (below)

The item I saw was the same pattern but made as a neck warmer with a button closure which I could easily have turned this into!

Now that I have some added reassurance I just need to figure out how to keep my optimism from turning into pessimism - as it usually does.
I have already taken one step that I believe will help me keep going which is telling people about my plan (which as a bonus I've gotten positive feedback from) so in doing that I know that I've put the word out there and if I don't do as I say I will feel foolish.
Secondly, I have also been asked to make things for a few friends and family members already which is more support and more incentive as well; if I continue to get better and continue to have people wanting my work and perhaps having others wanting it after seeing it then it will really help me get my online store off the ground and the options are really endless from there - depending on what I want to get out of it and how much I want to put into it of course.

So from here on out my new motto is "I think I can...I think I can..."and like the Little Engine That Could I will  try my best to reach the top of the hill and towards my destination!

You Can't Always Get What You Want

As the Holidays approach us and Old Saint Nick begins making his list I am faced with a dilemma, one far too familiar with parents everywhere no doubt, the never ending Christmas Wish List.

My son, being at the age where he can relate Christmas to presents has become a broken record when it comes to what he wants from Santa (and Mom & Dad, the Grandparents, ect.) which has left me feeling rather tired of repeating the fact that he only gets one gift from each person, including Santa, and not his entire list; which I must admit he always replies to with "okay" or "I know" which is probably where you are scratching your heads wondering what I'm complaining about, bear with me.

The other day while driving to get groceries I asked my son what Christmas meant to him, his reply was "Santa brings me presents if I'm good" and I told him that was only a small part of what Christmas is about that it's also about spending time with the people you love which is more important than any gift under the tree to which he replied "But I still want presents" ... I followed with a deep sigh and decided to leave it at that.
My question is how do you explain to a 4 year old the importance of family and not of presents or is this an impossible revelation to fall upon the ears of a preschooler?

Perhaps I am getting worked up over nothing as I do recall a certain family video of Christmas morning where after opening my gifts I asked "is that ALL I got??" and I turned out alright, right...
Do I just continue to explain values to my Son so that eventually he will understand?

We did participate in Operation Christmas Child this year through my Son's school and he seemed to understand the concept that some children don't get presents; I feel that was a great way to introduce the giving aspect of Christmas so he would know there are those less fortunate at this time of year.
I suppose I need to take another deep sigh and remind myself that he is 4, not 14 and that the more we show him the giving side of the Holiday season the more he will understand that it isn't about receiving, that you can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need!

Knit 1, Purl 1

Creativity is not something I lack, patience most definitely is; which is why I am so excited that I've finally found a hobby that doesn't test my patience as much as others have!

I've tried drawing, painting, writing (multiple book ideas sit jotted down in my journal ignored) and scrap booking to give myself an outlet to no avail...I am great at getting started on things but I get easily discouraged when I can't immediately see the progress of my work which is why I'm sure I have failed miserably at so many things before.

However I recently took up knitting and I admit that I went into it expecting it to fall into the same category of tried and failed as the rest but alas I seem to have found my creative calling!
Maybe it's the fact that I can see the pile of yarn I'm working continually turn into whatever project I've decided to make; don't get me wrong the projects take me a few days or weeks to complete but I find that every time I pick it back up it's a smooth transition to continue whereas with my drawing, painting, writing and scrap booking I had to be feeling "artsy" to pick back up on things I'd left off which is where my inner perfectionist would come out and pick apart everything that wasn't right and I would end up with a crumpled ball of paper/half finished canvas/blog that has been ignored for months at a time/half full scrapbook... you get the picture!

I'm enjoying learning something new, adding new techniques and building my skills so I can make the next project on my list, it's rewarding and relaxing and I really like that my end results can be enjoyed by others too.

GO KNITTING!!!

Eco-Friendly Fashion

As a famous frog once said "It's not easy being green" and while that may have been true when those words first left his mouth these days it's becoming easier to live green in almost every aspect our lives right down to the clothes we wear.

Consignment boutiques and thrift stores are hardly something new to the world however the concept of shopping green is relatively new to us consumers. Some of you may stop reading this here after you think in disgust that I'm telling you to purchase used clothing but hear me out.

Consignment boutiques are in abundance these days and this type of store only accepts clothing that has been gently worn with which they then take the time and care to inspect and clean each garment before hanging them on the racks for you to buy, an added bonus of consignment is if you choose to take your items to these places and they are sold, you in turn receive a percent of the profit.
On the other hand thrift stores accept only donated items, you don't receive any profit for what you take, and there are little to no guidelines to what they accept and reject to hang on their racks, and they don't take the time to clean each item before it is put on storefront.
The bonus of thrift stores is they are much cheaper than consignment and if you have the time to spend scouring the racks you may come up with a gem for less than $10 dollars.
If you have children both of these are great options to consider when they are growing so rapidly that it's hardly worth shelling out $20 per item that will only fit them for 3-6 months and you can find great clothes starting as low as $1 per item.

I recently did a closet overhaul of my own and found 9 items suitable to bring in for consignment, I chose to take them to Rewind which is a trendy consignment boutique on the corner of Macleod Trail Southeast and 10th Avenue.
The store also showcases items from local designers that are available for purchase and you can check them out online too by following this link Rewind Consignment.

After 1 month I touched base with the store and found out some of my items had sold and I had $63.00 in profit that I was able to either collect a cheque for or use as credit to purchase items at the store.
I decided on the latter and found 3 very cute tops for myself; I owed $1.50 over and above my credit for items that are practically new in turn for pieces that I hadn't worn at all or that didn't fit me any longer. It's a Win - Win!
On top of it all I know I'm contributing, if even in the smallest way, to being more eco-friendly and that's good enough for me.

Getting to the Green

As I've mentioned this year I'm attempting to garden in our backyard... after doing some research I'm feeling the task seems more daunting than do-able but I'm trying to remain optimistic about my green-thumb abilities.

So far my favourite go to site for helpful advice has been from Green Gate, a local Calgary garden centre that not only supplies everything you need for your garden but has a wide variety of online tools to help you get started. At this point I've decided to focus on our lawn, landscaping and prepping the soil beds for next year when I will plant a vegetable garden and more flowers.

Lawn Care 101

Springtime is maintenance time for your lawn, the best thing you can do right now is thoroughly rake your lawn to remove all of the thatching (the dead grass and leaves which will steal the nutrients and moisture from the grass beneath trying to grow through) and another option to consider is getting your lawn aerated, there are many companies out there that offer this service for a fairly decent price.
Aeration pulls small plugs of soil out from your lawn to enable moisture and nutrients to seep deeper into the ground which not only means better grass but if your lawn is lumpy it's possibly due to lack of moisture; if there isn't enough moisture in your soil dew worms will tunnel their way to the surface which creates lumps all over your lawn.
The second step ... or third if you decide to aerate... is to fertilize. Choose a slow release fertilizer high in nitrogen (there are 3 numbers on fertilizers, the first is nitrogen, second is phosphorus and the third is potassium.
Each nutrient is vital to the healthy growth of your lawn and with a healthy lawn you are more likely to avoid pests and other unwanted issues.
Lastly is of course watering, like any other plant grass needs to be watered and the more frequently you water your lawn the deeper the roots will grow which in turn will make your lawn more apt to standing up to harsh conditions as well as retain water better. All the watering your lawn needs each week is 1cm, lay a frisbee or small container out on your lawn during watering to measure this.

Landscaping


Figuring out the layout of your yard is just as important as planning a layout inside your home, if you intend on growing anything such as vegetables or flowers you need to ensure you are plotting the appropriate areas for proper growth. Decide what it is you want to grow and find out what type of conditions the plants need, you can find this on the Green Gate website or ask your local garden centre.
Once you know this you're ready to plan those plots.

Composting


To better prepare your soil for planting (or to give it a boost each spring) compost is key!
It's not only easy but free, eco friendly and a good way to get everyone in the house involved. You can buy compost containers at any home hardware store or garden centre but you can also just set aside a small area of your yard, close it off, cover it up and voila - you're ready to compost!
It's best to reserve a sunny and warm area as this will speed up the cycle of decay in your compost but a shady and cool area will do fine also.
Composting is all about layering... think of it like a lasagna for worms.

Start with brush such as branches from pruning, add fresh grass clippings or other fresh greens and top it with dry brown materials such as dried leaves, tea bags and coffee grounds.
Your compost pile should be damp but not wet and it will require you to turn the pile periodically for oxygen to flow.

Do not compost meat, bones, weeds or grass clippings that have been sprayed with chemicals.

If you start composting in spring you will have a glorious compost pile come fall which you can use to condition your soil for the following spring which is what I intend to do with mine!

Container Gardening


Because I absolutely LOVE flowers and I don't believe a yard is complete without them I plan on purchasing some containers to grow my flowers in for this year as well as some small indoor containers to grow a few herbs in!
A good container with adequate drainage is all you need to satisfy your plants and it's a great way to add some colour to your yard. I'm thinking a few barrel planters with tulips will suffice for this year.

Oh Mr. Sun

What is it about Spring that brings us a jolt of energy to clean and organize our lives?? (Or is it just me?)
Maybe it's the fact that everything around us is shedding it's old, musty and dull weight of Winter for a bright rejuvenation and overhaul... after all Spring is about change and growth in nature so why not for us too?! For myself, I have the incessant need to scrub every square inch of my house until I can see my reflection everywhere I look...not because I like to look at myself THAT much but because then I will be able to sit back and think about how wonderfully clean everything is (until somebody makes a mess which will most likely happen as soon as I sit down to have that thought... ce la vie!)

As I already mentioned I am anticipating gardening season this year and I'm using all of my self control at the moment to stop myself from buying out all of the tulips at the grocery store floral department so I can get revved up for planting some! My compromise is no flowers until the house is clean...which unfortunately also means tackling the spare "bedroom" which would be more accurately described as junk room at the moment.  So with a full list of 'To Do's' to go through I'm buzzing with excitement for all things Spring!

What's your Spring ritual/routine?

Gardening For Dummies

Now that Spring has sprung (officially by Calendar...unofficially by Mother Nature) my mind has set it's gears to Gardening and being a new HOMEOWNER with a large backyard that I don't have to ask permission to use, I fully intend on making use of it's bounty to sow the various seeds I will be planting!

Unfortunately... I wouldn't describe myself as much of a green thumb... plants that come to live in my house... well they tend to die... even the "easiest plant to take care of" (as professed by my Mother) came to live with me and ended up living in a landfill. Then there was the time I tried to plant flowers at our old place, I bought some nice lively potted plants from the store and some fertilizer... dug up some dirt and stuck those suckers in... they died within a week. I don't know where I went wrong... so this time I am enlisting the help of my Mom as well as Auntie to come and help me with my gardening and fix my apparent Faux Pas ...

Oh and one more thing I fully intend on learning/trying is growing my own Indoor Herb Garden, since I love cooking and there is truly nothing better to add to your dish than FRESH Herbs I want to give this a shot too!

Some day I envision I will have a back yard & garden to be envied by all! A vegetable patch, raspberry bushes, lilac bushes, tulips, sunflowers, rhubarb... it will be a thing of beauty and once my dream comes true I will be learning something else that is completely new to me... Canning, which I will be enlisting the help of D's Grandmother to mentor me in.

Wish me luck or Green Thumbs Up!
I will keep you all posted on my progress, what I learn and how it turns out.

Cowboy Pie

Tonight's dinner started out as a panic as I searched my nearly bare fridge and pantry for something to pair with the ground beef I'd thawed; however with some genius (if I do say so myself) alterations to a tried and true favorite it ended up a masterpiece so I thought I would share the recipe... I'm calling it Cowboy Pie - it's my version of Shepherd's Pie but with more kick to it, not knocking Shepherd's Pie because I do love the original version in all it's comfort and glory too!

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

1 pkg mini potatoes

1/4 cup Budweiser BBQ sauce

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Seasoning Salt (I like Hy's)

Ground pepper

1 cup corn (frozen)

1 carrot (peeled and grated)

1 tbsp margarine

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp paprika

1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown the beef in a large frying pan, add the seasoning salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, grated carrot, and BBQ sauce. Allow to simmer for a few minutes over low heat then add in corn.

Boil potatoes in a separate pot, when ready drain liquids and mash. Add margarine and milk and mix together.

Transfer beef mixture into a baking dish and top with potatoes. Sprinkle the paprika over the potatoes and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with grated cheese, bake for another 5 minutes.

I've recently started to add ground carrot to many beef recipes; it's a good way to sneak some veggies in there if you have picky eaters but it also adds another dimension of flavour to your dish.

Also, as with any recipe, make it your own and add whatever you have on hand and don't be afraid to try something different... most of my favourite go to's are creations I've made up due to not having something on hand that a recipe called for in the first place!

Valentine's Day Guide

The day of celebrating the ones you love has become quite mass marketed these days but you can still enjoy the prick of Cupid's arrow without the help of Hallmark or a large bouquet of roses...

My personal favourite way to spend Valentine's Day is enjoying time together and making each other something special rather than purchasing the common V-Day gifts, here are a few idea's for your sweetie if you're feeling crafty...

Home made chocolate dipped strawberries

These babies aren't as complicated to make as you may think:

All you need to do is get a pint of strawberries (or fruit of your choosing)
Bring a pot of water to a light simmer (do not boil or you will burn the chocolate)
Place a heat proof bowl atop the pot that fits sitting just above the water
Add chocolate chips or bakers chocolate (chopped) and continuously to stir until it melts completely
Lower the heat and dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate them until the chocolate hardens
You can find a cute box (the loonie store's usually have small boxes or tins that work well)
Place each strawberry inside a cupcake liner and inside the box or container and viola,

A delicious home made gift for your sweetheart!

Red, Red Wine

You can pair the strawberries with a nice wine as well.

 One of my favourites is Ripassa (an italian wine) which you can buy for around $17 at most liquor stores but Lindeman's is another good option at $11 a bottle.

Dinner a la Maison (at Home)

I also like making a special dinner to share in the comfort and privacy of our home!

One of my personal favourite cuisine's is Italian and my favourite go to girl for recipes is Giada De Laurentis - check out the link below for her quick and easy

Lemon Spagetti

I like to serve it with shrimp, pan fried with butter, extra virgin olive oil and italian seasoning.

For an extra special touch set the table and add some candles for a centrepiece!

Scrapbooking

In place of buying a card from the drugstore I've taken to Scrapbooking.

 A few years ago I started a special Scrapbook that I filled with a few pages that I created myself and gave it to D with the intention of adding to it every year. 

It's a nice way to show you put thought and effort into something and also keep it more personal yet it's something you can both look back on and treasure for years to come!

Michaels craft store is a haven for scrap booking supplies but you can usually find great paper and accessories at Wal Mart or your local Dollar Store too!

Make a Mixed Tape (CD)

Kick It Oldschool ... or at least semi old school since cassette tapes are no longer around and create a mixed CD of music for your loved one, it can be romantic songs including one's that may hold meaning to you both or simply music that you know they will enjoy.

If you are above and beyond using CD's then you can also create a playlist for their Ipod.

The bottom line is not to stress out about making it "perfect" after all it's not about what you give or receive but about stopping to take the time to appreciate each other.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Painfully Smooth

A friend of mine passed off a product to me recently because it was too harsh on her skin (she is very sensitive) so being one who is always up for testing out new things I accepted it graciously and this morning decided to try it out for myself.

The product was Smooth Away, I'm sure you've all seen the informercials for it; the small hand held pad that promises to get rid of unwanted hair and exfoliate your skin at the same time, no razor required. It also says it's "Easy, safe and painless hair removal" that "works wonders on sensitive areas."

Sounds too good to be true right? But I bit the bullet to test it out for myself and perhaps being a little too gullible to it's claim my decided test area was my armpits.

I would first just like to state that as somebody who enjoys camping I thought this product would be a genius invention to bring along for those trips, who wants to mess with razors and creams when your camping? Especially when you are roughing it and water is not available as a luxury at your disposal (okay I admit I hardly rough it when camping...but to me a weekend without running water is justified as exactly that!)

So I buffed my pits... stopped and checked them out after a few "gentle circular motions" and I noticed a small change in the hair to skin ratio so I continued... I did so for another few minutes when I started to feel the pad was tugging at my skin uncomfortably and so I stopped to check it out again... for the most part the hair was gone but there was a small patch that seemed to be impervious to my attempts... I put the pad away and decided to call it quits as I didn't want to irritate my skin any further...apparently it was too late!

Mere minutes afterwards my armpits felt like they were on fire, like the worst razor burn I've ever had!!!

I tried cooling them with water, smothering them with my Vaseline Cocoa Butter lotion, lathering up with D's soothing after shave cream and finally my Intensive Repair Hemp hand cream...  I am now sitting with a towel wrapped around myself as I cannot bear to have fabric of any kind touching the skin under my arms, if you find yourself in the same predicament I will tell you that the latter of my efforts to sooth was the winner and that hand cream is from the Body Shop... but I hope that instead you will all learn from my mistake.

Yours Truly,

Smooth(ish) Pits

Revised Beef Soup Recipe

Upon finishing my newest kitchen creation I felt it was necessary to revise the recipe for my favourite soup, so here goes:

Ingredients

Stewing Beef

Beef bouillon or stock (2 cups stock or 2 cups water with added bouillon)

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 Tbsp diced garlic (I buy mine already diced)

4 red potatoes cubed

3 large carrots sliced

1 cup red wine (I used Lindemans Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 Tsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp worcestershire

1 Tsp sugar

salt and pepper

Cube the stewing beef and add it to a dutch oven or soup pot with extra virgin olive oil and butter, brown the beef in small batches (transferring browned cubes onto a plate)

With reserved e.v.o.o. and butter cook onion and garlic for a few minutes.

Add the meat back to the pot and pour in your water & bouillon (or stock), wine and seasonings. Cook over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

At that time add the potatoes and carrots and turn the heat up a bit.

Sometimes I will also add chick peas but this time I didn't have any on hand.

Allow the soup to simmer another half hour.

Remember to keep the lid on the pot while it is cooking.

Trust me it's delicious,

Serve it with some toasted french bread or sourdough, YUM!

Dinner Delights

Today has not been an overly productive day, I'm at home with my little man who happens to be running a fever, so between temperature checks and pushing him to drink his fluids I have not accomplished much else; however at this very moment on my cook top sits a beautiful dutch oven pot with it's contents simmering away and wafting their delicious fragrance my way.

I have blogged before about my beef soup so I won't bore you with the details again, I will however add that my purchase of a dutch oven has brought that recipe from great to wonderfully amazing, mouth watering, to die for great! 

(I swear, it's that much better!)

And I have also since found out that adding some red wine with the stock makes for a wonderful blend and deeply intensifies the taste! 

In my personal opinion everyone should own a dutch oven, I purchased mine at good ol' Canadian Tire (on sale for half the price!) 

It's the Kitchenaid version below which is the 3.5qt

This little pot has not only brought me added soup enjoyment but I've also made a delicious roast as well as a bacon and potato frittata.

The options are endless my friends!

So while I sit back watching my creation, content in knowing that once hubby comes home we can enjoy this savoury dish together, I feel that (aside from my child's health and wellbeing concerns of course) maybe it was a pretty productive day!