Heading to the Drive-In

Last weekend we went to the Drive-In, something we have wanted to do for a long time.  And it was so much fun!  There are so few Drive-Ins left, and I hope they don't disappear.  This one is a good 1.5 hour drive from our place in Enderby, so it was definitely a road trip!

The early show was Despicable Me 2, which was great fun for our little one...and the late one was World War Z.  Totally not suitable for a toddler, but started at close to midnight, so he was fast asleep by the time it started.

The Starlight Drive-In shares some great tips & rules on their FAQ page, but I thought I would share some tips that they didn't mention. You can join their Facebook page too! I have to say what also made this great was that the Drive-In was clean, the staff were pleasant, and so helpful!

So here a few other things to remember:

1. Snacks - lots of people will bring their own, but we do need to support these places with their concession if we want them to stick around.  If you buy popcorn...bring a small bag to put popcorn in for the little ones. And rig up some sort of drink holder...we forget we don't have one in the back of the car...even a closeable drink container would work. 

 

2. Blankets and pillows - you want it as comfy as possible! A small foamy mattress would be sweet too.

3. Zero gravity chairs...we didn't have any with us, but they look like they work way better than regular lawn chairs.

4. Something to do until the movie starts. Games/sports/etc...it looked like so much fun!

5. Hot cocoa for the late movie (the concession closes 20 minutes after the last movie starts).

And possibly mosquito repellant.   We didn't need it but it could be crucial to your enjoyment!  I think even one of those coils would work well. 

It was such a great experience...and we can't wait to do it again!

Christmas is here!

I can’t believe Christmas is in less than a month!  I’m not a big fan of starting Christmas preparations early, but with a toddler, I need all the time I can get! This year we are making our own advent calendar.  It was actually quite simple.  I purchased 24 wedding favor boxes, I added numbers to them, and  then I hung them on a mini Christmas tree.  Each little box will contain either a chocolate or little gift. And I might even include little festive event ideas, for us to do!  Here are some other great ideas for Advent Calendars, with a free printable pdf of “event ideas” from www.thepetitcadeau.blogspot.ca  when you sign up for her newsletter.

I am also always looking for cool Christmas events to attend. Here is one I just heard about, The 3rd Annual Gingerbread House event.  It is on Dec 16th this year at the Parkinson Rec Center, and not only can you attend but you can also enter!  Check out all the beautiful Gingerbread Houses and help raise money for a good cause, the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs Cool Moves Program .  Details are available at www.gingerbreadcompetition.ca.

Merry Christmas!

Having fun halving grapes.

I love grapes in my salads, and most of the recipes recommend that you halve them.  But it can get a little finiky or time consuming. 

Well, I just found the best trick to halving grapes.  And you can use this trick for cherry tomatoes too. Thanks Chatelaine!

Allergy Season is here.

Photo : allergyremediesblog.com

Oh my, I have a tough time with those allergies.  They vary in severity every year, but I sure hate the foggy feeling allergies give me.  I've been given advice that it is best to take antihistamines on a regular basis to help you body build up a resistance to the histamines in your body.  But boy are those things expensive!

Below are several coupons for Reactine Products.  Remember that at London Drugs you can stack multiple coupons and use competitor coupons.

Follow these links for your free coupons:

Reactine $1 coupon.

Reactine $2 coupon.

Reactine $3 Superstore Coupon.

Tips and Tricks Thursdays...tips for summer, camping and bbq's!

1. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drip.

2. Use a meat baster to squeeze your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you’ll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

3. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

4. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

5. Ants are said never to cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march.

Tips n Tricks Thursday's...uses for Alka Seltzer (do they even sell it anymore?!)

Yes they do! And here are some alternate uses for Alka Seltzer:

Clean a toilet: Drop in 2 tablets, wait 20 minutes, brush and flush.

Clean a vase: Fill with water and drop in 2 tablets.

Polish jewelry: Drop 2 tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for 2 minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle: Fill the bottle with water, drop in 4 tablets, and let soak for an hour.

Unclog a drain: Clear the sink drain by dropping 3 tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

Wow...unclog a drain and get rid of indigestion!

Tips N Tricks Thursdays...more cooking tips.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream; then beat them.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste.  Add garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Tips n Tricks Thursdays

A friend shared an email with me with some interesting Tips and Tricks, I thought I would share a few of them every Thursday.  If you know of any other great tricks, please email them to me at themellowmama@gmail.com.
 

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Extra cautious about everything?

Are you extra cautious about everything now? Last night we went on a roadtrip to visit the grandparents. Admittedly, the roads were atrocious. But we heard the weather was going to get worse before it got better.

So we loaded up the truck with mom, dad, baby, and dog. Along with bags for all of us, as well as food and gear for baby and dog. Actually, just getting going was an adventure. But we finally hit the road, and we hit some bad spots along the way (fog, snow and ice), along with copious amounts of semitrailer trucks. And all I could think about was the terrible things that could happen.

But I'm a strong believer in Laws of Attraction, so this didn't sit well with me. So I would try and think of positive things. And as I was drifting off to sleep (don't worry I wasn't driving!!). Those pesky bad thoughts would creep back in. That's when I remembered, that now that I am a parent, I get to spend the rest of my life worrying about my little guy. That it is actually my job to worry about his well being until he can do it for himself. And then...I probably won't stop. Have you come up with an ways to reduce the worrying?

Update to "Have Passport Will Travel"

Retailers had me convinced I needed to go to a specialty photographer to get passport photos. But after chatting with other mothers who had passport photos taken of their little ones. They had all gone to regular photo places with success.
My little guy had a busy day on the day we were scheduled for our specialty photos. And subsequently had a meltdown when it was time to get pics done. Not wanting to have a redfaced passport photo, I postponed it to another day. Any other tips to the passport application procedure I should know about?

Where does the day go?!

I had all these great plans to get out and have coffee with a friend, stop at a couple of shops, and go to the bank.  And all I got done was a little shopping.  The days just fly by, no wonder we say that children grow up so quickly. 

When you have a little one, it is amazing what takes up the day.  Sometimes it's difficult to get out the door...and then there is the unpredictabity of the length of naps.  My little guy can nap from 30 minutes to 3 hours.  How does one plan a day with variances like this? 

A common feeling among new moms is the guilt of always being late for everything.  Fortunately, some more experienced mom's told me that it takes at least a year to figure out your day with a new baby.  And I try and share that wisdom with new moms I meet all the time (it aleviates my guilt too!).

Have passport, will travel.

We're getting a passport, for my little guy!  I love to travel, and since
passports are at least a month long process we better get started now.

This is just one more learning experience for me.  Did you know that you have to go to a special photographer to get infant pictures?  I'm sure that you could use one of the other places, but it could delay your application if the photo gets rejected.  I was recommended a photography studio to go to, although they charge  $20!  But they have a reputation of not having pictures returned.  They have the ability to take a picture of a child lying down, which is convenient when they are still learning to sit.  

Infant passports only last for 3 years, but if you get pictures done under 1 year of age...you do receive one update for free before the 3 years.  This is all for the Canadian passport...now I have to figure out how to apply for a British passport.  Lucky baby! His mom's a dual citizen.

How Clean is too Clean?

We live in a world of anti-bacterial soap and disinfectants.  When you have a newborn you develop a new appreciation for cleanliness.  However, when is too much? 

I agree that when your baby is tiny, it is important to boil and sanitize all their equipment.  But after a while, once baby is out and about, where do you draw the line?   Now that my little one is ready to sit up by himself,  a lot more things are going in his mouth. There are so many products available to help keep baby clean, and I am trying to decide which ones I need.  But I think that we shouldn't over sterilize items around him, or he won't build any immunity. 

And while occasionally (before I can stop him) the dog will lick baby in the face.  My latest purchase to protect baby is a shopping cart cover.  There should be more concern with the germs on shopping carts because of the risks from raw meat present in supermarkets. Salmonella, Ecoli, and others are bacteria that can be very dangerous to children, a great reason to protect them.  I ordered a Babe Ease from http://www.babysteals.com/, that also doubles as a high chair cover for restaurants. I can't wait for it to arrive to see how it works!

It's time to get serious about exercise!

For a year now, I have taken it easy with exercising.  Partially from medical advice but also from physical limitations.  Now that my little one is pushing 6 months old, I need to buckle down!  They say it takes 9 months to put it on, so expect at least 9 months to take it off. That means I only have 3 months to go!  I have been good about going on walks both pre and post natal, but I do need to push it now.

I have signed up to play soccer again this year.  And I am really looking forward to it. I have also contemplated joining bootcamp again.  But this is where I am a little leary.  Is it because I am sooo out of shape, or is it because I have new priorities in life? Oh, probably a little of both.  I'm sure that being a mature mama doesn't help...all you post 40's know that you don't bounce back physically like you used to. 

I really should try something half way.  Through the local rec center there are some classes geared to new moms.  Not only are they designed to ease new moms back into fitness, but several of them allow you to bring your baby to the class.  There are also a few local fitness instructors that specialize in postnatal exercise.  The only challenge in bringing baby to a fitness class is that they might not always be in the mood, and sometimes you attend a class only to spend the whole class feeding/changing your baby. 

If you want a listing of all the Recreation Guides in the Okanagan, Okanagan4Kids has them all listed in one place.

Winning an online contest can happen!

I've entered tonnes of online contests, and my husband loves to tease me about it.  But I figure, you can't win unless you enter.  I started off entering contests through large companies, but have slowly gravitated towards entering blog contests as well.  Not only do I get a chance to win, but learn some great information too!  Recently I entered the Ju-Ju-Be contest that they held on their blog...and I won my choice of accessory!!  Yay!!  I decided on the BeSet, what do you think of the Shadow Waltz pattern?

Mommy Movies...coming soon to a theatre near you.

What a great idea.  These are movies held once a month, at noon.  Best part is that you can bring your babies to the movie, and no one cares!  Our local theatre plays all their movies and it only costs $6.  Kids 2 & under are free, but from personal experience these movies are best enjoyed when the children are under 6 months as they usually sleep through it. Non parents are welcome to join too, but should be aware that there will be children in the theatre.  The link to our local theatre is http://www.westkelownamovies.com/, and the next movie is on Feb 24th.

They used to offer these movies every week, but I guess some people were complaining about the children in the theatre.  I guess they didn't get the concept of "Mommy Movies". :)  Check with your local theatre if they have something available in your area.

Baby socks are highly overrated!

Yesterday I wrote about organic cotton, but I just discovered something else available in the Kate Quinn line.  Footed pants!  I've been looking everywhere for these, because baby socks don't stay on!  I don't know why footed pants are not more readily available. I was able to find some as a part of a set, but this is the first time I found them where you can buy them seperately.  Yay!!

Organic Clothing for Kids

I'm curious to know how many people actually put clothing made out of organic cotton on their children?  I know that organic cotton is more expensive.  And often they come in trendier styles, but is it a priority for moms?  There is a beautiful line available called Kate Quinn Organics.  You can order online at http://www.katequinnorganics.ca/.

The hardest part of being a new mom.

I thought that the hardest part of being a mom would be figuring out the right things to do. While it was the hardest part, it was for a reason entirely different than what I expected. Not only are you making life long decisions for someone else (that’s the part I thought would be hard), but you are being judged for every decision you make. Everything from breastfeeding vs formula; to vaccinate or not; or to get your son circumcised; elicits strong opinions from everyone around you. It surprises me that in a world where we are moving towards celebrating people’s individuality and uniqueness, that we still continue to judge other’s decisions. So MOMS celebrate and respect our differences, if we were all the same this world would be a boring place.