Maple Leaf Mommy

I have mentioned Giving Gifts a few times in the past, and I think you guys know I'm a big fan. They are definitely one of my favourite Canadian online stores. Lisa, the ever awesome owner of Giving Gifts (remember when I interviewed her?), has a knack for picking unique, high quality, fair trade, and eco-friendly items.

Right now she has a fantastic Back to School sale going on. There are some great deals to be had. Check out some of the items that are currently discounted:



Earthlust Stainless Steel 13 oz. water bottles & baby bottles/sippy cups. I definitely recommend these. I bought my mom an Earthlust Water Bottle for her birthday and they are just gorgeous. Beautiful finish, heavy duty, pretty to look at and built to last.


MiniSax Reusable Cloth Lunch Bags. Featuring patterns that would also work for adults, these are a real steal at $5.

Dabbawalla Lunch Bags and Backpacks.  Machine washable and constructed from durable neoprene these bags are both sturdy and cute, making them perfect for little ones. (I'm getting one for my G-Girl!).

Deluxe Yubo lunchbox sets, which include your choice of faceplate set, 1 large sandwich size container, 2 small round containers and an icepack!



Itzy Ritzy Reusable Cloth Snack Bags. I won one of these in a giveaway a while back and was blown away by the quality. Yet again, a product I would definitely recommend.

AND MORE!
Lisa has offered to extend the sale until September 10th.  However, she has limited supplies of select designs left. AKA shop now, or it may be gone!

Sorry guys. I have this urinary tract infection, which has really knocked me for a loop. Having never had one before, I had no clue it could cause one to feel this horrid. Figures, it's right when my husband is working tons of not-so-voluntary overtime. The timing really sucks. I've been struggling just to get through the day and take care of the kiddos. I am starting a second course of antibiotics today, so hopefully I am on the mend.

I am now officially behind on everything for the blog. I haven't posted in a week, which is unheard of for me. Hence the apology. I spent a good chunk of time yesterday trying to catch up on emails, but still have a ton to wade through. I also still need to respond to all of the fantastic comments on my Kindergarten Question post, and update you on what's going on there (we're thinking French immersion).

The personal posts may be few and far between for the next little while, as I play catch up. I have tons of awesome reviews and giveaways lined up (think more food giveaways, DVDs, back to school, and shoes!), so stick around!

School starts in a few weeks. My G-Girl turned four back in July. She is old enough to enter Junior Kindergarten. Whenever I think about it I get an upset stomach.

Junior Kindergarten?

Frankly, I don't want to do it.

This has been bothering me for months now.  Back in February we attended the Junior Kindergarten open house for the nearby public school. I thought it was an open house, as in you go and check out the place and ask questions... turns out that in actuality it was registration night. We were pressured and made to feel uncomfortable for not registering on the spot.

dinky123uk

Why aren't you enrolling her?
Is there something wrong with her?
That kid is ready for school.

Is she?

My daughter wants to go to school. She can't wait. She asks me when she gets to go. "I am four now, do you go to school when you are four?"

I skirt the issue, "Some kids go to school when they are four and some go when they are five..."

Of course she also wants to wear sandals in the snow, and eat Nutella three meals a day. She's four. Just because it's what she wants doesn't mean it's the right choice.

It was never my intention for her to go to Junior Kindergarten. As far as I'm concerned it's government supported daycare for those who can't be home with their kids. I am a stay at home mom. I am here, she doesn't need to be in Junior Kindergarten. I went to the open house to take a look around, ask some questions, and to placate her father.

I would feel so much better about this whole thing if J.K. was still half days.  But it's not. It starts at 8:30 in the morning and goes until 3pm.  I don't think kids that are four and five years old are ready for a full day in school.

My daughter still takes naps. If she doesn't have her afternoon nap she turns into a horrible monster. At the open house my husband asked about naps in the classroom and the teacher said that for the first few weeks they provide a "quiet time" after lunch where kids can read or put their head down on the table and rest. The teacher laughed and said it wasn't an issue and that certainly no children were falling asleep in her class.  Yeah, that's not my concern. My daughter is not going to pass out in the middle of class. She is going to get past tired and turn into a fiend later in the day, once she's at home.

And what about lunch time? My daughter takes upwards of an hour to eat a meal. She eats at the pace of a snail. I'm talking about, not distracted, staying at the table and eating... one hour minimum. They suggest that if you live within walking distance you go home for lunch. Yet they only provide a 55 minute lunch period. At least half an hour of that would be walking there and back. Leaving at best 25 minutes for lunch?  So not going to happen.

I don't drive and  I certainly can't just send my four year old out the door on her own. I would need to walk her there everyday, with Baby-G in tow. Meet her at lunch, walk home, get her to somehow eat in under half an hour, walk her back to school and then head back home with the baby. Put the baby down for her nap. And then wake the baby up in time to walk back to the school for 3pm to pick up my daughter. Frankly, that sounds like hell.

woodleywonderworks

G-Girl tells me, "I want to go to school. I want to learn. I want to learn French. I want to learn to play the banjo! I want to know EVERYthing!"

Honey the only thing they are going to teach you is to sit quietly, listen and not eat the paste.

She already knows her ABCs and numbers  . She can count to 20. She can print her name. she knows her shapes and colours. She can draw a mean stick figure. She can tell you what letter a word starts with. She can make rhymes. She is pretty much ready to read, she already recognizes some words on the page.

I haven't really sat down and tried to teach her anything, she just soaks it all up. She asks, I show her.

What the heck are they going to teach her??  The papers I brought home from the open house say things like, by the end of the year your child will be able to hold a book right side up, turn the pages and pretend they are reading. Seriously? You are kidding, right?

Maybe the kid is ready, but mommy is not.

I'm listening to my daughter sing in the other room as she builds a block house.  She constantly sings while playing. I just can't see her singing at school.  She is such a joyous soul. She radiates happiness. I worry that J.K. will somehow squash that out of her.  It's not logical, it's just a gut feeling thing and my gut says NO.

When I was a kid they didn't even have J.K. I remember it was a "new" option (one my mom chose to skip) when my kid sister was little, around 1987. J.K is still optional. Heck Kindergarten is optional.

On the other hand, my peers all send their kids off to J.K. without hesitation.

I don't know of anyone who has opted to skip it.

I hate this. Hate hate hate this.

My kid knows her colours, alphabet, numbers, shapes. All that stuff.  What is she going to learn in J.K.?  Really it's about the socialization. So here's where I feel guilty... the need to be around other kids. She's at home with me 99% of the time, and aside from the occasional playdate or outing to Monkey Town she doesn't see other children that often.

My husband wants her to go. He is concerned about her "being properly socialized".  My mom thinks she should go. My mother-in-law thinks she should go. My daughter definitely wants to go. I am being out-voted. I think I'm going to lose this one, because my "no" is just a gut-feeling and I can't argue from my gut.

So you other moms out there, tell me - Anybody else lean towards just keeping their preschooler at home? What the heck do they learn in J.K.? Have you had experience with full day Junior Kindergarten? Anything to either put my mind at ease, or tell me I'm actually not crazy... I'd love to hear it.

The consensus seems to be that folks like to see winner's announcements. So here it is, a winners list covering the past few weeks.  Going forward I will publish a weekly or bi-weekly winners list, as warranted. The draw results will always be available on the Rafflecopter widget on the original giveaway page as well.

Pair of Cineplex IMAX tickets
Two winners - Holly Pageau
                      - Multi-Testing Mommy


Set of 4 tickets to see The Wiggles Big Birthday show in Windsor
Winner - Darren Wallace


Scrambled States of America Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVD
Winner - SweetPanda


But I Don't Want to Take a Bath... Children's Picture Book
Winner - mamawee (Ashley P.)


Congrats to the winners and thanks to my generous sponsors (Cineplex IMAX, The Wiggles, Scholastic/New Kideo, and author Mildred Pope) for teaming up with me to give away such cool prizes.

As always, plenty more goodies are in the works, so stay tuned...

With hubby still on afternoons we headed back over to my parents place for some more BBQ fun. This time our goal was to try out Maple Leaf Top Dogs hot dogs.  We picked up two packages, the 100% Angus Beef Wieners, and the Less Salt Wieners.

If you are going to eat hot dogs they have got to be barbecued!

Now, to be honest, I do not really like hot dogs.  I remember eating them as a kid, but pretty much go out of my way to avoid them now that I get to pick my own foods.  That said, I was determined to give these a fair try... and am I ever glad I did!

First I ate one of the Less Salt Wieners. I was pretty neutral on these. They taste like hot dogs. Meh. However the kids loved them. My dad, who is on a low-sodium diet, became rather excited about these, "I had no idea I could still eat hot dogs! I thought they were off limits.  These are great!"

I was surprised to note that the 100% Angus Beef Wieners included "modified milk ingredients", which made them off-limits for my dairy-free littlest one.  The 100% Angus hot dogs were also shorter then the regular dogs. Which didn't bother me, but I could see this annoying my the-hotdog-must-perfectly-fit-the-bun husband.

See this package? This is what you want to look for at the grocery store. Fantastically yummy!

After just one bite of the 100% Angus Beef Wieners I was in love. My mom and I both agreed that these were the best hot dogs we had ever had. They were FANTASTIC. Like drop-what-you're-doing-and-go-out-and-buy-a -pack-right-now-you-have-got-to-try-these-they-are-so-yummy fantastic.  I have already picked up a second package and can't wait to have them again.

What do you put on your Top Dogs?  I coated mine in guacamole and chopped onions. YUM.

Overall, Maple Leaf Top Dogs live up to their name. They are definitely tops in the hot dog department.

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My first child was ridiculously easy to change.  Sure, she managed to pee on me more then once, and I had the occasional extremely nasty poop blowout to contend with... but after the first few weeks she caught on to the whole diaper changing thing.  She would lay relatively still and let me change her.  She seemed to welcome diaper changing time, which to me just makes sense. A clean diaper has got to feel better then sitting in your own feces, right?

Now, here I am with child #2. From day one she has screamed her head off every time I attempt to remove her diaper.  I figured she'd get over this, but she is almost 18 months old and still violently protesting diaper change time.

She fights tooth and claw against having her bum changed. She kicks, wiggles, and arches her back. If I am foolish enough to attempt to change her on an elevated surface, she tries her darnedest to throw herself off head first.

From the moment I lay her on her back, to the moment I let her sit up, she screams bloody murder. She yells and wails, non-stop and with incredible volume. She screams in a way that has me keeping the windows shut on mild days.  Even with the windows closed, I'm fairly certain the neighbours two doors down are wondering if they should be calling child services.

The moment I get that diaper done up, and sign "all done" at her, she stops. She stops yelling, she stops wiggling. It's like someone threw a switch. She instantly sits up, quiet and happy as a clam.

She doesn't do this every time, but she does do it 90% of the time. To make things even better, anyone else can change her without issue.  If daddy or grandma takes a turn, she almost always placidly goes along with it. However, whenever mom's up to bat she goes ballistic. As if wiping poop off of someone else's backside wasn't fun enough already?   It's particularly lovely when I have to change her in public. People can't help staring and wondering what I am doing to harm the poor kid.

I just don't get it. Wouldn't you figure the kid would want her bum changed? Does anyone else's child do this?  If you have suggestions I would definitely love to hear them!

I am now using Rafflecopter for my giveaways. When a giveaway closes, I log into Rafflecopter and use their interface to draw a winner via random.org. It then gives me the option to announce the winner on the widget. So if you return to any of my closed giveaways and scroll down to the Rafflecopter widget, it will show who the winner is. 


I am leaning towards no more winners announcements, and was wondering what you folks thought?

Tikki Tikki Tembo and more stories to celebrate Asian heritage is one of the many DVDs in the Scholastic Storybook Treasures series.

My husband happened to be home sick on the day when I first opened this DVD, so the family snuggled up on the couch and watched it together. My husband announced his intentions to just lay down on the couch and sleep. Half through the DVD, still awake, he pipes up, "This is actually pretty good!" and it was. This has been my favourite of the handful of Scholastic Storybook Treasure DVDs that we have watched.

The majority of the stories on this disc have more of a folk or fairytale flavour to them that I really enjoyed.

The title story TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO (Written by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent) is a cute Chinese folktale that explains the danger in giving children terribly long names.  According to the story,  in ancient China it was customary for parents to honour their firstborn sons with long, elaborate names, while later sons were usually given short, unimportant names. G-Girl wanders around the house chanting the name of the main character Tikki Tikki Tembo-No Sa Rembo-Chari Bari Ruchi-Pip Peri Pembo, which is sort of fun to say. Go ahead, try it.

When Tikki Tikki Tembo-No Sa Rembo-Chari Bari Ruchi-Pip Peri Pembo falls down the well is takes so long for his younger brother Cheng to say his name that he almost drowns.

In THE TALE OF THE MANDARIN DUCKS (Written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon, narrated by B. D. Wong) when a cruel emperor separates a mated pair a serving maid and her samurai lover take compassion upon the poor captured duck who is pining to death, and set it free, thus endangering their own lives. I enjoyed seeing this beautiful tale of love and fidelity by Katherine Paterson, the author behind one of my favourite children's novels Bridge to Terabithia.

"The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other."

 GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY (Written and illustrated by Allen Say, narrated by B. D. Wong) is the story of a man who immigrated to the US, then returned to his home in Japan, married and moved back to the States, only to return again to Japan. Whenever he was in one home, he longed for the other, as his heart truly belonged in both places.  I am such a sad sop. I spent the majority of the time when this story was on trying to hide the fact that I was crying.



THE STONECUTTER (Written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott) has a unique sort of abstract visual style, which works well for this Japanese folk tale of a lowly stonecutter who foolishly longs for more power.

I love how brave and clever the children are in LON PO PO: A RED-RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA (Written and illustrated by Ed Young, narrated by B. D. Wong) This Asian version of the classic fairytale shows how three little sisters outwit the wolf who is trying to pose as their grandmama. This story was a bit scary for G-Girl the first time we watched it, but she warmed up to the tale pretty quickly.

SAM AND THE LUCKY MONEY (Written by Karen Chinn, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, narrated by Ming-Na Wen) is a story about the Chinese tradition of spending "lucky money" on the Chinese New Year. The story delves a bit into the customs surrounding Chinese New Year, and has a sweet moral of generosity and giving. G-Girl particularly liked this story, having seen mentions of the Chinese New Year previously during episodes of Sagwa The Chinese Siamese Cat.

The suggested age range on this video is 4 to 10, which I think is pretty accurate. At 4 years old, G-Girl enjoys this video immensely. Her father and I also enjoyed watching it, and I could definitely see older kids appreciating this one as well.  As with all of the Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVDs that I have had the pleasure to watch; the animation, the narration, the background music and sound effects were all top notch.

You can purchase Tikki Tikki Tembo and more stories to celebrate Asian heritage direct from Scholastic via their NewKideo site.  (Purchase via the NewKideo site is US only. In Canada the DVD is available on Amazon.ca as well as Chapters.)

Also don't forget, I have a giveaway going for another Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVD, Scrambled States of America and more stories by Laurie Keller. which ends today.  Check out my review and enter to win HERE.

We have been testing driving Netflix for almost two months now, and I have to tell you guys I am in love with this service.

Quite simply, if you have kids Netflix rocks!

We don't have cable or satellite TV.  In the past my children's television viewing has been limited to what we have on DVD.  I have always liked that they only watch DVDs because it is commercial free and it also means I have some say in what they are watching.  Now, in comes Netflix and I'm able to  get the same instant on demand commercial free experience as a DVD. No more cluttering up my shelves with dozens (and dozens!) of kids DVDs. The selection of Children's TV shows is fantastic.  The line up includes many of our favourites, Zoboomafoo, Blue's Clues, Kipper, Sesame Street, Paddington Bear, Wonder Pets, and so many others! There are also many fantastic documentaries available that we have been enjoying sharing with the kids such as BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs series, Big Cat Diaries, and Wild China. That doesn't cover a tenth of whats available. The selection really is incredible, and there is always something my girls are excited to sit down and watch.


Zaboomofoo for example is one of my all time favourite kid's TV shows. My husband I actually used to  watch it back in our pre-kid days. I think it is a fantastic show. G-Girl loves it, and has been a big fan since she was around two or so. I have managed to hunt down several of the now out of print DVDs so I could share it with my daughters. I had a hell of a time finding out of print DVDs of Zoboomafoo and spent good money purchasing them online and having them shipped to us.  Now, here on Netflix I have every single episode of Zoboomafoo that was ever aired.  Netflix remembers which ones we've already watched, and it remembers where we left off in the season.  We can just hit "watch next episode" and enjoy each one in original air-date order, or we can browse through all 65 episodes and chose which one to watch.

So how about for the grown ups?

You are not going to see first run, it was just released last week, movies on Netflix. For me this is not a problem. My husband and I have been enjoying watching episodes of Myth Busters, the old classic Battlestar Galactica TV series, and movies like American X and Predators.  I was super happy to find the sort of shows that you usually see on the History Channel, offerings like "Egypt's Golden Empire" and "Cracking the Maya Code". I have been watching and loving Terry Jones: Medieval Lives. The Japanimation selection also rocks my socks. (Yes, I am a geek. Thanks for asking.)

Let me tell you about browsing Netflix...

The way you search for movies is a little strange. Everything is broken down into genre's, for example "Foreign", "Children & Family" or "Sci-Fi & Fantasy". Within the genre's it's broken down further into categories like "Sci-Fi & Fantasy from the 1980s" or "Imaginative Supernatural Sci-Fi & Fantasy".  The sub categorizes and recommendations randomize each time you load up that genre page.


You spend a bit of time rating movies (any movie not necessarily just ones you've seen on Netflix), and from this they will create suggestions for you. The more you rate, the better the suggestions will be. It comes up with some interesting cross-genre categories on the recommendations page, for example mine currently has headers like  "Family Friendly British TV shows", "Cult Comedies from the 1980s","Witty Romantic Period Pieces" and "Visually Striking Foreign Dramas".

The browsing system seems a bit odd to me, in that it doesn't show everything that is available. Things will come up if you search for them by name, that won't necessarily show up while browsing.  I also find that I get a different browsing selection on different systems, for example on our xBox vs the desktop computer.

However, I love browsing through Netflix. Every time I look I find something else that I just can't wait to watch. You can create lists, basically bookmarking movies that you want to go back and watch, and currently my "to watch" list is way longer then my TV time. I am not going to run out of things I want to see on Netflix any time soon. Plus, they are constantly updating and adding new content.  That said, some of the content is only available for a limited time.  When you look at the info for a movie or a show, sometimes there is a line near the bottom where it says "available until date", which means after that date it will be gone.

What's this about multiple systems?

You can use one Netflix account on up to five different systems. We have it set up to work on our iPad Touch, our desktop computer and our xBox 360. It also works on the Wii and the Playstation 3.  You can use it on more then one system simultaneously, but it does bog down your internet connection.  I like to use the iPad as sort of a super controller for browsing through the Netflix app, and then once I find something that I want to watch get it set up on the TV  via the xBox.

Any cons?

We attempted to set Netflix up on the Playstation 3 but were unable to get it to work. The help pages that the Playstation links to aren't up to date, which was a bit frustrating. There was a 1-800 number to call for help, which I haven't tried yet. It is also possible the reason it won't work is something to do with our crummy internet connection.

We have DSL internet.  When watching Netflix the video quality is good, and the instantaneous on demand streaming works well. Where we ran into problems is -- we've been having trouble with our internet connection disconnecting and each time it does this we have to reset the router for the xBox downstairs to pick up our wireless connection and continue streaming.  Running up and down the stairs over a dozen times during one movie sucks.

Of course this isn't really a problem with Netflix, but with my internet connection. We've had issues with the phone line and internet disconnects since we first moved into this house over five years ago. I have made do with lousy internet access for years (it will work fine for months at a time, and then go haywire again). We are really enjoying Netflix. We are enjoying it so darn much that we are discussing finally paying to get someone to come in and repair the phone lines.

Overall...

For us Netflix is perfect. I was impressed with the selection, which is constantly updating.  You do need to keep an eye on the "expiry" date of shows to avoid some disappointment. We will most definitely be keeping Netflix once our free subscription expires.

Since you can sign up and get a month free to try it out, and then drop it without penalty, I really think everyone should give it a shot. I am betting you will probably fall in love, and completely agree that it is well-worth the low price of $7.99 a month.

There has been a ton of fuss online lately about the fact that Netflix has raised their rates.  I have seen Canadian friends in my Facebook feed ranting against Netflix and their rate increases. Some folks seem to have become confused, so I want to mention that the price increase is only in the States. Their has been no announced rate increase for Canada. It is still only $7.99 a month.

Overall I am in LOVE with Netflix. I can't recommend it highly enough. I think for $7.99 a month it is a steal. If you have kids, this is a no-brainier, sign up now. Also, as I mentioned before if you sign up for Netflix through Swagbucks you can earn 900 Swagbucks which equates to $10 in Amazon gift cards.

Disclosure: I received a free six-month subscription to Netflix. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company, or by the free product received.

Last week my mom came over and gave me my yearly trim.  The entire time she was cutting my hair G-Girl was in the kitchen doorway yelling, "Don't cut too much Mimi! Leave me enough for hair hugs! hair hugs!!"

My knee length hair, pre-hair cut.  And my waist length hair, post hair cut. Notice how now the baby can't grab it when I'm standing up? Yeah. Much better.

But I Dont Wanna Take A Bath! is the first in the "Mike and Tyke Series" of children's picture books based on the experiences of the author's children and grandchildren. Mike, his dog, Tyke, and his friend, Bud, splash and play all day in a mud puddle. When playtime is done Mike and Tyke are reluctant to go inside because they don't "wanna" take a bath.  A bunch of imaginative play scenarios follow, as Mike and Tyke disguise themselves in an effort to hid from mom and avoid bath time.

We'll run and jump and play and laugh, But I Don't Wanna Take a Bath!

The art is simple and cute. I liked that the book is written from the view point of a child. My 4 year old daughter found the book funny and easy to relate to, though she had to ask me who some of the character references were as she has yet to see Finding Nemo or Sponge Bob Square Pants . The many licensed character references in the book were really my only complaint.  To me, a large part of the charm for an "independent" book like this is that it's not tied in with merchandising or a TV show.

The author, Mildred Pope, is a mother of three and a grandmother of seven. Over the years she has heard many children say "I don't wanna". But I Don't Wanna Take a Bath! is the first in the series of Mike and Tyke's adventures. Topics for planned future books include preparing to go to school, eat their veggies, and use the potty. Personally, I am really looking forward to reading about when Mike and Tyke "don't wanna use the potty". Having heard that phrase so many times with my first daughter, I can certainly relate.

But I Don't Wanna Take A Bath! is available for sale direct from the author's website for $9.99.

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There is something is my life I NEED every day.
When I can't get it I immediately go into withdrawals.
When I can't have it I am irritable, distressed and irrational.
When I am cut off I become nervous, depressed, and antsy.

In short, I have an addiction-- to the internet.

We've been having problems with our internet connection.  Unfortunately rather then clearing up on it's own, as I've been so fervently wishing, the problem appears to be growing worse.  This morning it took me over three hours to check my email. Now granted, I didn't sit for three hours straight trying to get online, but I did spend a good chunk of time on it over a three hour window.  Time spent doing the same actions over and over and becoming increasingly edgy and nervous.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Albert Einstein

My internet usages currently looks something like this: Reset the router. Unplug the router, count to 20, plug it back in. Unplug the modem, count to 20, plug it back in. Click on connect and tell it to dial my internet service provider. Click - Load one webpage. Notice I am now disconnected. Rinse and repeat.  Trying to download email it often hangs up halfway through. Trying to upload images is a hair pulling event that takes multiple attempts. Yeah, it's driving me nuts.  I can't take it any more. I am going to have to give in and call Bell and have them come out and take a look at the phone lines. Ugh.

Having my connection cut off though... it makes me notice that I truly am an internet addict. It is a little scary how restless and upset I find myself becoming when I can't get online.  Not just so I can blog, or check my email... but so I can check my bank balance, and look at grocery fliers, and other mundane tasks. My life is online and I feel lost without it.  What about you?

With my blog almost being a year old, I decided it was time to finally properly introduce myself and put a face to the name. I'm painfully shy and it's sort of terrifying to put my face out there. However I figure if I'm going to plaster my kids faces everywhere, I should be willing to do the same with my own.

I quickly discovered there are no recent pictures of me that don't involve mysterious stains and my hair in a mom-ponytail. Thankfully my mom was kind enough to come over and snap some pictures of me, and after an hour or so of cursing at my photo editing software I was able to come up with this:

Tada! My new icon.

Do you prefer to see logos or faces in your feed?  Personally I think logos stick out better, and are easier to remember, but supposedly tweeps are far more likely to respond to a face. How do you guys feel about mysterious icons on Twitter and Facebook?

It's early in the morning, and my must-eat-as-soon-as-we-wake daughters are sitting at the breakfast table when my just turned four years old G-Girl springs a rather odd question on me...

"I am a meat person.  I am made of meat and bones!"  she randomly spouts out.

To which I reply.. "Um.. mm..hmm....?" (Yes, my parenting skills are fantastic first thing in the morning.)

"When I die, there will just be meat left behind..."

Breakfast - not normally when I expect to discuss the disposition of corpses.

Oh geesh, where is this heading?  "Er.. yes?"

"So when I die and there is just meat left, who will eat me?"

Come again? "Pardon?"

"Who will eat my meat body when I'm not in it any more?"

It is not quite seven in the morning, and I am half-asleep, I am not prepared to deal with this sort of thing.

"No one will eat you.  It's um... considered rude for people to eat other people. Humans don't eat each other."


"Oh.  So will a bear eat me? or a tiger?"

"No sweetie, no one is going to let animals eat your body."

"But what will happen to my meat and bone body when I don't need it any more?"

I quickly gloss over the idea of burial, or cremation, trying to make it sound non-frightening.

There is a deep frown on my girls face.  Oh, oh, maybe the burial thing was too much for her...

Then she pops out with, "I don't want my body to be wasted."

Seriously kid?  Here I am worried she is scared of the idea of death and she is just hoping someone interesting is going to eat her once she's gone.

So I go on to emphasis how once you're buried in the ground you become food for the grass and the trees.  She likes that and brightens right up.

Everyone goes back to munching on their breakfast and there is peace and quiet for a moment.

Then my girls asks, "Mom, all those years before I was a baby in your tummy, where was I?"

Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Mommy needs a coffee. Now.

Christian Delbert - Fotolia.com

I love to cook, but this time of year I hate turning on the oven or stovetop and heating up the house. As much as I don't want to be outside I also don't want to heat things up indoors. My solution? Late dinners cooked on the BBQ and eaten indoors.  We wait until 7pm or so, when things start to cool down and send one victim volunteer out to do the cooking while the rest of us hide out in the A.C.

My husband had to work on the civic holiday, so the girls and I headed over to my parents for a little BBQ. We tried out one of the summer-time recipes from the Canadian Living site -- Zesty Chicken Burgers. YUM. They were fantastic.  We had them with dijonaise and homemade guac. So tasty!

Here's the recipe as taken from the Canadian Living site:
Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup (50 mL) dry breadcrumbs
1 small onion, grated
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh chives or green onions
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lemon rind
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
1 lb (454 g) lean ground chicken 
Wonder+ SimplyFree hamburger buns

Preparation:
In large bowl, beat egg with fork. Mix in bread crumbs, onion, chives or green onions, lemon rind and juice, mustard and 1 tbsp (15 mL) water. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Mix in chicken until combined. Shape into six 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick patties.

Place on greased grill over medium-high heat. Close lid and cook approximately for 6 to 7 minutes per side. 

My notes:
I used a generous amount of chopped fresh chives. I hate grating onion, so I just finely diced it. I doubled the Dijon mustard, because I love Dijon! I skipped the lemon rind. I also omitted the salt to make these friendly to my dad's low-sodium diet.

The recipe suggested topping them with leaf lettuce leaf ranch dressing and cucumber slices.  We opted instead for Dijon mustard, mayo and fresh guacamole.

Raw patties with "thumb indents" in them, waiting to go out on the grill.

Since I was BBQing at her place, my mom taught me a trick.  She told me to make thumb indents in the centre of each burger, to help them cook evenly.  I tried it and it did seem to work. The thumb prints disappeared as they were cooking, and the burgers were quickly and evenly cooked throughout.

I have tried making turkey or chicken burgers in the past, never with any success. They are always dry and flavourless. I've finally found a recipe that works. These were moist juicy chicken burgers, that didn't fall apart on the grill. I think next time I might try the same recipe but with ground turkey.  The kids loved it. I had set aside one patty to split between the two of them and it wasn't enough, both girls were clamouring for more.

My dad volunteered to tough it out outside and he BBQ'd up the yummy patties I created.

The chicken burgers were perfect on the new Wonder+ SimplyFree buns.  I tried these for the first time this spring, and I'm hooked.  I love the taste. They taste just like classic Wonder Buns, which to me always means BBQ, hamburgers and sloopy joes.  They are the same Wonder Bread hotdog and hamburger buns that you know and love, but now made with unbleached wheat flour and free of high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, flavors and colours. Totally yummy and a huge hit with everyone in my family.  I love giving them to my kids, knowing they are a healthy choice, and I love that my dad who is on a low-sodium diabetic diet can eat them.

Super yummy chicken burgers. Can't wait to have them again!

I've been enjoying the Wonder+ SimplyFree buns so much, I certainly can't see shelving them at the end of BBQ season.  These are definitely going to be my bun of choice when making sloppy joes, or tuna melts.  Speaking of which, they have a pretty tasty looking tuna melt recipe on the Canadian Living site, along with the Chicken Burgers I made, and a few others. You can check out their "Simply Better with BBqs" recipe collection here.

How are you guys beating the heat?   Sitting in the kids wadding pool, or hiding out indoors? Are you still barbecuing in this weather?

Disclosure – I am participating in the WONDER+ SimplyFree program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Weston Bakeries.  I received a gift card and free product coupons as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Ken Hawkins

When I think of the Civic Holiday what first comes to mind is a memory from my childhood. Every Summer around this time my Dad would have an argument with his boss, who also happened to be my grandfather. My Dad would insist they were closing for the August Civic Holiday, and my grandfather would insist he'd never heard of it before...was it something new this year? Was it a real holiday? Had my Dad just made it up?  Every year, the same argument, and every year my dad would win, and the shop would close for the day.

Flash forward twenty-some years, and now my husband works for a company which refuses to acknowledge the Civic Holiday.  For the ninth year in a row my husband is stuck working while everyone else has a long weekend. Bummer. My husband told me that the reason he doesn't get the holiday off is that he works for a national company and the Civic Holiday is a municipal holiday.

The first Monday in August is only a holiday in Windsor?  Until this year I've never really thought much about it. (Yes, yes, I am simple and foolish.) Then this year I had a few emails from folks wanting to co-ordinate events for the August long week.  Emails from folks who did not live in Windsor, or even in Ontario.  Wait now, is the Civic Holiday celebrated outside of Windsor?  Is it a municipal holiday, or isn't it?

I was curious so I did some research, and I figured I'd share the results with you guys.

Edgar Zuniga Jr.

The Civic Holiday takes place on the first Monday of August.  The Canadian Heritage site shows that it is celebrated in 10 out of 13 provinces or territories.  Quebec, Yukon, and Newfoundland do not take part. In some parts of the country it is recognized as a statutory holiday, while in others -- such as here in Ontario, it is a civic holiday.

So my husband was right...
It turns out the Civic Holiday is a municipal holiday after all. It is celebrated across the province of Ontario, but the provincial government has not recognized is as an official holiday. On the other hand the various municipal councils across Ontario have declared it a holiday. (Municipal councils have the right to make by-laws proclaiming a civic holiday and requiring shops to close for the day.) So yeah, it is a municipal holiday, but it's also celebrated across the province and in other parts of Canada as well.

I was also curious to find out when the holiday first started.  Apparently in Ontario it dates back to as early as 1869 when the Toronto City Council first voted in the midsummer holiday.  I'm not sure what year it started being an official City of Windsor holiday, but I was able to find reference to it being celebrated in Walkerville in 1896. Sorry Grandpa, but when you were arguing with my Dad about it back in 1980s the Civic Holiday was certainly not a new holiday. (Does anyone know what year it was first celebrated in Windsor? I wasn't able to find that info anywhere online.)

Emancipation Celebration parade in Windsor

August 1st also marks the anniversary of the day that slavery was abolished in the British Empire.  In 2009 a provincial bill was passed officially naming August 1st "Emancipation Day", which ties in with the fact that the Emancipation Celebration was going on in Windsor this weekend (with similar events being held across the country).

The holiday is called by different names across Canada, so for simplicity's sake calendars usually refer to it as "Civic Holiday".

If you're curious you can read more about Emancipation Day and the August Civic Holiday is this interesting article from the Ottawa Citizen.