Rainy Day Peanut Butter Cookies

There are a few things that led me and my oldest daughter, Ryan, to bake up some peanut butter cookies this afternoon.

1. Her younger sister, Casey, is going through a growth spurt and teething simultaneously so I haven't had much opportunity to spend quality one on one time with Ryan, that is, without a baby in my arms for nursing or cuddling purposes.
2. It's a really crappy day here, pouring rain on and off and the humidity to boot.
3. I am three days in to a 21 day sugar and wheat free challenge and was craving something sweet!

So, once baby Casey was down for a much needed nap, we got right to it!

I will be honest, I don't usually hit it out of the park on attempt #1 while baking; it usually takes me a bit of editing to perfect a recipe worth writing down. But, these were delicious! Not only were they only 3 ingredients, but they took 10 minutes to cook AND were just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth while not having to throw in the towel on my challenge. 

Recipe was as follows:

Ingredients:

1. All Natural Peanut Butter (1 cup)
2. Baking powder (1 tbsp)
3. 1 large egg

Combine ingredients in mixing bowl, form into balls, place in 350 degree oven and cook for 10 minutes. Take out, let cool, voila!

*If you're feeling fancy, you can fork hash your cookies before baking for that classic peanut butter cookie look. Note: this was Ryan's favourite part! 

These little guys paired perfectly with a glass of unsweetened vanilla almond milk! 

So, if you're ever looking for a guilt free, minimal effort sweet treat on a rainy afternoon - give these bad boys a whirl!  

Pardo's Berrie Farm : A Pick Your Own Adventure

This morning, the weather was one of those "could go either way" forecasts. It was warm enough out, but some concerning clouds were visible in the distance. We decided to try our luck and head out to Pardo's Berrie Farm located right here in Chatham-Kent! 

We picked up Grandma Sandy and Quetzally (my niece, and Ryan's BFF, who is spending the first couple weeks of her summer vacation out at my parents farm) and took the short drive out. 

Pardo's sells lots of local, fresh produce like strawberries, raspberries, green beans and peas. They even have a seasonal "pick your own" option for their berries, which is what we went with! Because the June season for strawberries had already come to an end, we were picking raspberries - my favourite!

The process is pretty simple; they escort you to your designated row, and you start at the numbered stool, picking as you go, and leaving the stool where you left off. You can bring your own plastic quart-sized baskets or, for a couple bucks, they will provide you with some of their cardboard take-away ones. 

Fun Fact- my very first job was at the old Boley's Berry Farm. So, as a former professional in the biz (lol), I gave the girls a lesson in pickin' before we got started. They were quick learners and kept repeating "the redder, the better" as they scowered the bushes to fill their quarts. 

Occasionally, a berry or two would be sacrificed for quality control purposes. 

The girls did great for their first pick of the season, filling 3 quarts all by themselves with (mostly) ripe berries. 

*^ please note the quality control about to happen in the photo above.

My mom and I added another quart each before calling it a day. It was great to walk the rows with my her as she explained all of the delicious things she was going to make with with her berries. She went on, kind of like Bubba in Forrest Gump, but replacing "shrimp" with "raspberry". I hope at least one person gets this reference. 

It just started to spit as we walked up to pay for our picks. Talk about perfect timing!  

*she may reside in the big city, but this girl is country at heart! 

Berry picking was a fun, inexpensive, educational and active way to spend our morning, and a wonderful reminder of why I love to call Chatham-Kent home. It's also a great activity for all ages. 

...seriously, ALL ages! 

Pardo's is just one of the many fresh produce markets that exist here in Chatham-Kent. After all, We Grow For The World.  

"Taking a Bath" On My Pregnancy Expectations - A Bath Addict Product Review

Yesterday, I left my midwives appointment with discouraging news. At 39 weeks (just one week away from my "due date") I am still showing no 'signs' of baby. Normally, at 39 weeks, this wouldn't be the absolute worst news for an expectant Mama, but, I had to be forcefully induced at 42 and a half weeks with my first pregnancy, and it was only after 30 hours of full on induction methods that I progressed into labour. For this reason, I had my hopes up that this time around, things may be progressing a little further on their own. But, no such luck - yet!  I had the option to either let the news bring me down, or, "take a bath on it" and let what will be, be. As a self proclaimed Bath Addict you KNOW I took myself up on option #2. I decided that last nights bath would be dedicated to calming down, and what assists with relaxation more than lavender? Unfortunately, my lavender essential oil was running low so I placed an order, and resolved to go  with some lavender-scented bath products I had on hand.  My items of choice were, Ombra Aromatherapy Foam Bath, JOE FRESH Lavender scented Epsom Salts, and Bath Retreat Lavender Sugar Scrub.  I will start with my favourite product of the night. The Ombra aromatherapy foam bath.  What I loved about the product is that a little bit went a long way. For a full tub of bubbles, I only had to use a "dollop".  Another great aspect to the foam bath is that it's available in the cute, convenient 4 pack which includes popular scents like berry, vanilla, and eucalyptus as well.  The second product of the night was something that I hadn't actually tried before, though I had high expectations as I am familiar with other products under this Bath Retreat brand.  In order to give a fair review of the product, I only used it on my left side, so that I could compare properly post-bath. I regret this, as there was such a difference that I spent the hours after my bath wishing my right side felt as smooth and smelt as divine as my left. Needless to say, the product worked great.  The sugar scrub, which acts like an exfoliant, can be used in the shower or the bath- which means it has the potential to double its usefulness if you have a household with both bath addicts and shower advocates. An added bonus, I love that the Bath Retreat Sugar Scrub is made in Canada.  The last product of the night is the JOE FRESH Epsom Salts. I used to be a larger fan of these salts, until I started making my own (mixing Epsom Salt, Sea Salt and Lavender Essential Oil). The strengths of the product- the scent is strong, something that my hormonal scent-obsessed self can appreciate. I also appreciate that the product is available in a 2kg bag, as opposed to the commonly sold 1kg or less quantities.  The only downfalls of this product is that the salts themselves are incredibly small in size, which causes you to have to use more salts than the products that provide you with the larger, slower dissolving rocks.  I also don't love that the packaging doesn't list specific ingredients, so I'm not willing to share with my "monkey-see, monkey-do" 2 year old, who loves to toss a tiny handful of Epsom Salts into her own bath every night. Overall, all three products combined for a heavenly scented and calming bath which left my skin (at least the left side of it) feeling great!  I may not have a definite, foreseeable end in sight as far as this pregnancy is concerned, but I am content with taking a few more baths on it, accepting that we are, in fact, blessed with days- not cursed, and enjoying these last days I have left as a Mom of one --- however many more days (or weeks) that may be! 

My Name is Caress, and I am a Bath Addict.

It's true. I grew up in an old farm house, where a showerhead did not exist (except for a brief few months where my sisters friend from in town lived with us, so my parents installed one so that she would feel more "at home", but shortly after she left they took it down because the angle it had to be put in at resulted in a backsplash occurring and it was warping the bathroom flooring - but, this is so besides the point.) So, bathing was our only option! Here, is where the addiction began.  Fast forward to now and I'm a married, mom of a 2.5 year old and am 9 months pregnant with our 2nd. My nightly bath is now a much needed and well deserved 30 minute re-charge and I sometimes find myself counting down the hours until our toddler is fast asleep (because nothing is more tragic than hearing a little knock on the bathroom door when you're only seconds into a hot, soothing, lavender scented escape), and all the necessary house tasks are completed (because the last thing you want to do when you finally peel yourself out of the perfect bath is, the dishes).  Anyways, I figured if I am this passionate of a bath addict, I can't be the only one. And then I thought, if there are others, maybe they'd benefit from reading real, honest reviews of redily available and locally sourced (when possible) bath products. Salts, oils, bombs, bubbles, butters - you name it!  So, this brings me to my first review. The "Drunken Pirate" bath "grenade" from Topher's Beard and Soap Company which I purchased from Duck and Dodo in London, Ontario, over the weekend.  I was tentative on the gender neutral approach of the bath grenades by Topher's, and to be honest, I wasn't sure that a company which sold "'stache wax" and "beard wash" had any business dabbling in the bath game. Was I ever wrong!  I got in on the "4 for $10" deal that was available at Duck & Dodo. The bombs (or "grenades" as they were labelled) aren't that large in comparison to your standard bath bomb but, unlike beards, size does NOT matter in this case. It is very, very clear that these grenades are packed with a punch of high-quality ingredients and not just "filler bombs" which fizz out quickly, don't give off much scent, and have little to no affect on the softness of your post-bath skin. The Drunken Pirate left my bath with that silky, soapy layer you want from a bath bomb. In turn, my skin was left feeling, yes, clean, but also incredibly soft which I wasn't expecting from a bath bomb which caters to mainly men. Thank you to Topher's Beard and Soap Company for proving me wrong, way wrong,  and being an ideal first bath addict review! I look forward to enjoying many more of your scented grenades in baths to come!

Love Bugs

  

 The weather tonight was not pretty; a bit of a snowfall, followed by freezing rain left us with a mixture of mud and slush. "Mush". It was, however, the perfect weather for crafting. So, on the way home from work, I stopped by Dollarama to grab some odds and ends. I was able to score a haul of yucky-weather-craft-supplies for under five bucks!

 




Also used for this craft were toilet paper rolls! We have made it a habit to save these, paper towel rolls, kleenex boxes, and other would-be-garbage items for the purposes of crafting.

Before starting our crafts tonight, we had a super simple lesson on colours, matching coloured clothes pins to the corresponding colour block. Real ground-breaking stuff.

 Right when Ryan was on the verge of as much masked learning as a 2 year old can handle in one sitting, we moved on to the fun part -- the creation of our "love bugs".

I loved this find because Ryan could do most of the crafting herself. Sometimes with craft ideas I pick up from other blogs or Pinterest boards, I end up having to carry out most of the steps myself. I definitely suggest these "love bugs" for anyone who wants their child to actively participate in the crafting. You know, as opposed to when we are doing toddler themed crafts for the purpose of our own enjoyment. Don't judge, you know it happens.

The only step that I had to do myself was poking the hole in the back of "body" of the bug, so that I could stick the "antennae" through.





While crafting, Ryan used her colour matching to pick out the nose, antennae, and wings for our love bugs!








This would be the perfect Valentine's Day craft, and we may do them again closer to the holiday, using more pinks, reds and heart shaped decorations. One suggestion that I have for anyone looking to do this with their own littles is to find eyes and noses that have sticky backing. It will save you some time, and some sticky fingers! 

All in all, it was a fun way to spend the night indoors with our loveliest love bug of all! 

2017: Less is More

As I sit down to write this post, I am initially compelled to apologize and to state that, yes, I know, New Year Resolutions are cliche and overdone. I feel the need to express this, though, simply to negate the instinctive eye rolling from potential readers who just don't want to sit through yet another "New Year, New Me" article. And how sad is that?

How unfortunate that we, as a society, have become so unenthused with the idea of an individual who wants to better themselves or their lives in any way. I, personally, choose to support any resolutions or goals of my family members, friends, acquaintances or strangers. If you want to try to lose those last 15 pounds for the 12th consecutive year - yes! I applaud you. I will 'like' every filtered photo of your treadmill results that you share. If you have decided that this is your year to save more money, I salute you. I will gladly trade in out-for-dinner dates with made-at-home visits. If you want to spend less time on your phone - I won't even bring mine along with me the next time we plan to meet up.

The truth is, we only have so many trips around the sun, and for that reason, I say, make those resolutions. Make them and break them and make them again. Invest in yourself, make this year "your year" - whatever that even means to you! Disregard the eye rolls and pay no mind to the naysayers. Do not apologize for having goals or feeling the want or need to express them publicly, whether it be for accountability, support, or otherwise!

And so, here it is, unapologetically - my New Year Resolutions.

1. Live with Less.
This year, I want to live with less. It has been a long time coming, and I have slowly started to make changes within my own home and lifestyle that will assist me making this resolution attainable. One of the ways I will be kickstarting this particular resolution is by taking part in the 30 Day Minimalist Challenge for the month of January. We have placed a large storage box at our front door. On the first day of January, we placed one item inside. Today, the 2nd of January, we placed two. Tomorrow we will place three, and so on, until the month is through. This will allow us to rid our household of over 400 unnecessary items in the month of January alone!

I have also started a "Wants and Needs" board. Every time we run out of an item that we are in need of, it goes on the board. Every time we discuss something that would be helpful to have, or something that we would like to purchase, it goes on the board. So how, exactly, will this help with living with less? By sticking to the uncompromisable rule that if it's not on the board, we don't buy it. I can't believe how much money we spend (and more importantly, how much "stuff" we accumulate) whilst running daily errands, browsing online Mom-Swap sites or while out, simply because "it was on sale".


So, that is my main resolution. Of course there are little goals that I hope to accomplish throughout the year, like posting to my personal blog more regularly. Hey, look, I'm already off to a great start! And then of course, come March when we welcome our newest member into the family, I'm certain I will be determined to lose the baby weight .. and then some! You know, the usuals. But, for now - intentionally trying to live with less will be top of mind, for me. With less 'stuff' in our lives, it is my hope that there is then more room in our home, in our minds and in our lives for things of more importance.

2017: Less is more! 

Shop Local: A Christmas Challenge!

Recently, I blogged about a Winter Bucket List I had created for other families to complete this season. One of the items on that list was to “Buy a Gift for Someone”. This is something that nearly everyone will do during the holiday season, and one of the easiest items to check off of the Winter Bucket List.

However - anyone who knows me, and knows me well, knows how important it is for me to not only think locally, but to think, shop and buy locally.  This is important to me (and should be to you, too), because when you shop locally, your money is more likely to get invested back into your own town. 

In fact, studies show that approximately 51.1% of small business revenue re-circulates locally.  Basically, when you buy from an independent, locally-owned business, rather than a nationally-owned or “big box” business, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers, farms, and so on. This continues to strengthen the economic base of your community; more businesses thrive, which drives down the price of goods and services at those locations. Shopping local is a win, for everyone! (Well, except for those big-box companies I mentioned above, but don’t worry - they can use their trillion dollar bills to dry their tears.)

Because this is so important to me, I have decided to practise what I preach and put myself to the “Shop Local Christmas Challenge”. I have vowed to buy at least 90% of my Christmas gifts from locally owned shops, businesses, and distributors. The remaining 10% allows me some 'wiggle room' if I have an item or two on my list that I cannot find locally. In those circumstances, where I have to depend on a “big box” company, I will use a company located within my own town. Although this isn’t as beneficial as shopping locally – it is still having a small effect on my local economy and something is always better than nothing at all.

If you’re up for the challenge, I’ve included some helpful hints to keep your hard-earned money in your community!

1. Start out small. If this concept is new to you, or you are an avid big-box shopper, don’t feel the need to aim for 90% . Instead, start out by vowing you will find 5 items locally, or 10 – or half of your list. Find a number that you are comfortable with and challenge yourself to meet it. When you're dealing with small businesses, every dollar counts!
   
2. Get online! Access local shops in your community, easier. Nearly every small business or shop has an online presence in this day and age. Facebook is a simple and convenient place to find local businesses in your area.
   
3. Think outside of the box – literally! Shopping locally does not mean you have to be restrictive, a little more creative, maybe, but you won’t have to completely derail your gift ideas in order to meet the challenge. Do you have a local restaurant you love? Consider buying a gift card and spreading the love. Local wineries and breweries are perfect places to find something unique for a hard-to-shop-for person on your list.
   
4. Ask around! You would be surprised how many hidden gems you can uncover just by asking your co-workers, friends and family their favourite local places to shop. This is also a great way to find out about special deals that different stores may have going on throughout the holidays. It’s also a good idea to attend local vendor shows going on leading up to the holiday, where a large number of small businesses offer unique, handmade and local goods, all under the same roof.
   
5. Use your friends/family members who are distributors. Whether it’s Younique, Scentsy, Thirty-One, Tupperware, Origami Owl, or otherwise – we all have a friend (or two) that sell these goods as third party presenters/distributors. Allowing someone you know to benefit from your purchase works in the same way that shopping at a local storefront does!
   
6. It’s about more than just the presents! You can shop locally for everything – not just the gifts under the tree. This year, we got our pictures done by a local photographer. Added bonus? She included Christmas cards in the price of her session. 2 birds… 1 stone! When it comes down to collecting the ingredients for your holiday meals, don’t forget about local farmers and food providers in your area.
   
   
   
   Happy Shopping!