bear & lion

here's a peek into the highs and woes of our life

theme thursday :: new school = scarce resources!

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last september bear started school. it is a brand new school, with sparkly new hall ways and classrooms, with kindergarten rooms with their own washrooms. there was an old school there that was demolished and brand spanking new one was rebuilt in a year!

we are very pleased with the school. but, there are some drawbacks of sending your kid to a brand new school. for example, the bigger kids have no playground to play in during recess and lunch. the kindies have a separate yard with simple, natural play structures like logs for balancing on and stumps for climbing on. it’s really nice and the kids love it!


so….


a sub-committee at our school, the green committee took matters into their own hands and purchased the older kids (grades 1-8) some toys and sports equipment to play with. we were given about $2000 and one of the mom’s went out and purchased these beautiful toys for the kids. these pictures are of us labelling and sorting the items. each classroom gets their own mesh bag filled with various lengths of skipping rope, different kinds of sports balls (football, soccer, tennis), hacky sacks, crochet frisbees and other fun items. these bags of equipment are meant for use by the kids during recess and lunch, not for physical education or any curriculum based learning.


look at these beautiful, colourful bags filled with potential excitement and hours of fun! this project shows that is doesn’t take much to make a big difference in the quality of the children’s lies at school! i am so proud of the work done here by women wanting to improve the kids’ time at school; i am honoured to be a part of such strong, intelligent, resourceful and hilarious group of people! 


if you have kids in school, consider helping out. everyone is busy and tired, but these volunteer based committee’s and parent councils are such an important part of the school community. it’s not fair or reasonable to assume that other parents will just get the job done, or leave it up to the stay-at-home parents to organize and plan special events. as with any community, the kids benefit so much when parents are involved, ALL of the kids benefit!

xo, mama lola

new labels! from mabel’s labels! wash aways!

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Mabel’s Labels has just launched their new line of Wash Away Labels. these labels are perfect for potluck dishes, bottles for daycare, frozen foods, canning jars, and much more. when the labels are are no longer needed, simply pop in the dishwasher or under running water to rinse off. best of all, these labels disappear completely, leaving no sticky residue. 

i can’t wait to try these labels for all my pickle jars at the end of the summer! they’re also super practical for all those family reunions and picnics everyone is going to be attending this summer!

just click on the picture below and order away!

xo, mama lola

recovering my dining chairs, again!

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i did this project before (check out the details HERE), and i decided that i didn’t like the yellow vinyl, so i chose a slightly more neutral colour/ pattern. this dining table set is one that we use everyday, so it gets a lot of wear and tear. the kids are messy and having cloth seat covers just doesn’t make sense as they are impossible to clean properly. 

i bought my vinyl tablecloth from the grocery store for $4!


MATERIALS:
scissors
a vinyl table cloth 
staple gun fully loaded (extra staples on hand)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. cut the tablecloth around the seat, leaving about a 2 inch margin. this measurement, really depends on how thick your seats are, mine are about an inch or so thick. you want to be able to fold the vinyl under the seat nice and tight. if you are unsure, be generous at first, as you can always trim the vinyl if necessary.

2. place your seat face down on the cut vinyl piece. fold the edge of the vinyl about an inch once and grab at the centre, stapling the material onto the chair a few times. then do the opposite side of the seat. this time you want to make sure you are tugging at the vinyl to ensure a nice tight, taught seat cover in the end.


3. you want to make sure your corners are nice and tight, so that they fit back into the chair frame with ease, but also for a neat appearance. i did my corners as though i was folding a gift. always ensure that you are pulling the vinyl tightly, to create a smooth seat cover. use as many staples as necessary, as they are not visible in the end. i used a bazillion.



4. i recovered four chairs in less than an hour. my wee lion was napping when i completed this project. 


now, our chairs are easy to clean after the kids (or adults) have made a mess!

xo, mama lola

hop-hop easter recap.

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easter has come and gone. we had a fantastic weekend, with friends and family, and the sun decided to join us in all its glory, as well! 


we started good friday at home with chocolate filled croissants and an easter table with all sorts  fun, colourful things for the boys to look at.


then we we walked to the park. there is a super fun easter egg hunt that happens at the park up the road from us. we went and joined over a hundred other kids and their families. neighbourhood volunteers had about a thousand easter eggs hidden all over… plastic eggs with all sorts of wonderful treasures hidden inside.


the park is scattered with plastic eggs and the rule is only up to 8 eggs per kid. so, once you’ve collected your loot, then you need to empty your eggs and return them so they can be re-used next easter. check out the dudes below comparing their finds. it’s so funny watching the kids at this event!


we spent the rest of the weekend with my folks. the men and women separated on saturday. the guys went to a huge park in town, and saw llama’s out for a walk with their keepers! my mum and i went to the one of a kind craft sale in the city. it was such a nice time with just my mum, away from the kids and the chaos they bring. 

the sun was so warm on the weekend. we spent hours and hours outside soaking up the rays and the warmth! the boys really loved it! my mum had a beautiful easter table set with delicious food, which we all enjoyed a lot!


our weekend was fun and spring like, filled with so much laughter and joy, that it’s hard to get back into the routine of things!

hope you enjoyed your long weekend!

xo, mama lola

salt cookies for all occasions!

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a few years ago the kids were hooked on baking and painting salt cookies. after the millionth batch, i kinda went on a salt cookie strike, and we discovered lots of other projects to get excited about. 


the other day i decided to quickly whip up some salt cookies and re-introduce the fun of them to the boys. salt cookies are ridiculously easy to make. (i found a recipe here at fly though our window.)

INGREDIENTS/ INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. preheat you over to 200F.

 
2. mix the ingredients together and roll out onto to a clean surface. make sure you add some flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your surface or rolling pin.
 



3. bake cookies on parchment paper for about an hour to two hours. let them cool thoroughly before painting. also, make sure if you want to be able to hang your salt cookies that you make holes in them BEFORE you bake them. 


this activity kept the kids very focused for a long time. bear was very meticulous with his painting and would paint one side, let it dry and then paint the other side, so as not to smudge any of the paint. it was pretty sweet.

salt cookies are the perfect craft for any occasion, for a gift any person and a wonderful activity for anyone at any age!



xo, mama lola

theme thursday :: this years garden ideas!

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although it is actually snowing outside as i type this, i have been busy on pinterest looking for ideas on how to improve our garden. we have a decent sized backyard, but it is quite shaded. this is good for the kids, as they can play and not have to be in the direct hit of the blaring sun, but it is not so good for my tiny, pathetic veggie garden.

so, the plan is to rip out some patio stones next to the wall of the house that gets the most sun and build raised bed for some veggies and flowers. it will probably look a lot like the picture below if all goes according to plan. We can then use the stones in different ways. I got inspired after looking to see some examples of traditional flagstones here, and there’s plenty we can do with them! Anyway, this picture is from flickr, so no instructions, just looks pretty. I hope that our finished product looks like this as it really will help to improve the way our garden looks. After this has been completed, I may decide to enlist the help of somewhere similar to these landscape design services in Torquay to help give the other parts of our garden a much-needed makeover, so that it can be conveniently used by everybody. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with how the garden looks, but I just think that it could do with some updating. There are so many different things that could be done to a garden to improve it, so it’s important to keep an eye on the latest garden trends. Something I have noticed is a growth in the popularity of garden furniture, like the adirondack chairs for sale at The Charming Bench Company, so I’m seriouly considering adding one to my garden once I find the perfect space for it. One of my friends actually got some concrete walls built around her property the other day and that looks really nice. She said that the builders didn’t take long to build the wall, apparently, they just used some chemical for concrete fastening purposes, and the wall was basically done. Apparently, concrete fastners are so important as they keep the wall secure for a longer period of time. That’s good to know, maybe we’ll think about getting a wall for the garden.






But on saying that, this raised bed below is similar and comes with great detailed instructions on how to build it from old town home.


for plant markers, i actually made these last year for some seeds i started. click on the picture to take you to the original post. how cute and easy are they to make!

we have some stone paths and i love way the cracks are filled with thyme and look so soft. i found this picture at scravings, and apparently the thyme fills the air with a wonderful aroma as well!


i love how lush this garden is from simplypix. there must be a flurry of activity with butterflies and insects and birds; my boys would love that!


i love big containers over flowing with greenery and bursts of flowers. daisy’s are some of my favourites. so unpretentious, simple yet a true sign of summer! this picture is from vibedekdesign.


how about using old logs as planters? i think something like this would look great at the cottage! found this idea at the rabbit factory.
i will leave you with this funny, but true sentiment. i actually find gardening very therapeutic. it allows me to lose myself in my thoughts, providing new ways of seeing things and it is another creative outlet for me. i am not a good gardener, but each season i learn a little more! turning the soil with my bare hands and feeling the pulse of the earth in my hands connects me and grounds me. perhaps, that is why am so anxious for spring to arrive, because i feel like i need some garden therapy!


what will you be planting this year in your garden?

happy thursday everyone!
here, check out my pinterest board: grow THIS

xo, mama lola

oops, i forgot about oprah’s lessons on safety!

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i thought i had learned all those important lessons from oprah.

remember how she would drill into us what to do if we were kidnapped, what to say to strange people who appeared at the door and how to protect ourselves from potential attackers. 

well, it seems that i forgot all about those important lessons.

on thursday night, there was a suspicious fire at the corner store across the street from us. there were many firetrucks and various emergency personnel around all night. by morning there was no sign of the fire. the building is still standing, but the store is obviously closed. on friday morning we read in the paper that the fire occurred in the basement.

excuse the blurry phone picture.


well, on saturday while dear hubby and bear were out in the world running errands, i was home alone with a sleeping lion. there was a knock at the door. we have a big window in our door, so i could see very well dressed man standing there. i groaned and thought about hiding and ignoring the man, but then i decided against that and opened the door. he introduced himself as a member of our cities police force, and i saw a badge attached to his belt. we chatted on the porch as he asked a few questions about the fire and what i saw. he closed the conversation by asking for my name, date of birth and asked who i lived with. and, then he was on his way. i spied from the living room and saw him walk next door to presumably talk to our neighbours.


but then, the horror hit me. i didn’t have this guys name, badge # or any identifying information, even though i just blabbed a bunch of personal info to him! all he said was that he was a cop and i got so intimidated by this well dressed, big man that i told him my life story. well, maybe not quite my life story, but i should have known better than to openly share my info to a strange guy. i didn’t give him anything that’s not readily available out there in the world, but it freaked the pants off of me.

i felt embarrassed and stupid for just trusting this guy, purely because he said he was a police officer. i am an educated, well travelled woman who knows all about the tips on staying safe; where to hide your money, where to carry your passport, how to walk to your car in a dark parking lot, but still… augh. i just didn’t think that i would be that naive and gullible, ya know?
tell me i am not alone, people!!!

poppy chilling. she doesn’t have a care in the world!


sorry to have failed you and all those lessons, oprah!

xo, mama lola

butternut squash soup recipe!

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i have shared several soup recipes already, but we really are a soup kinda family! my kids adore soup and it’s such an easy dinner to make. here’s another family favourite of ours, butternut squash soup and this time i added some kale to it for an extra kick of health!

INGREDIENTS:

1 butternut squash
1 medium yellow onion
4-6 kale leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1-3 tsp fresh ginger
4 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 generous sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups water

* i’m pretty relaxed about measurements and tend to just throw however much in. during cold season i tend to be more generous with the garlic and ginger.
INSTRUCTIONS:

1. preheat your oven to 400F. then take your squash and stab it a few times with a fork, randomly. place the squash in an oven safe dish with about an inch of water. bake until soft.

2. once the squash is thoroughly baked (it will be soft to a fork poke) cut the squash in half and spoon out the seeds and guts. then cut or peel the squash out of it’s skin.

3. in a soup pot heat olive oil and add chopped onion. once onion is slightly browned add the squash. stir regularly, adding the rest of the ingredients and the water last. keep stirring until everything has heated through well and the flavours are wafting a mouth watering smell.

4. once the soup is cooked, take your immersion blender and blend the soup until it is nice and smooth. serve with sour cream or feta cheese on top! yum!

we made some yummy brie cheese and avocado sami’s to go with the soup! yum!

let me know if you try the recipe!
maybe you have your own version, would love to hear what you like to put in!

xo, mama lola

i stood up for myself.

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since the new year i have been working on getting myself on a better track, emotionally. it’s hard stuff and almost impossible to find the time to, never mind finding the energy to learn how to change some of my bad habits. but, real change is a process and must be given time to develop into the new norm. 

new behaviour always feels uncomfortable to the person trying it out, but also to the people around them. there is an inauthenticity and an insincerity about it initially but, like with anything new, once it’s been experienced enough times the unfamiliar becomes the familiar. 

recently, i have been feeling very out of sorts with some people in my life. there has been incredible tension sitting there between us like a huge pink elephant. when i feel worried or stressed, i carry it physically in my body. so, my neck and shoulders have been incredibly tense and pained for several weeks now. no amount of arnica, heat, vodka or massages from dear hubby were able to relieve the stress.


so, yesterday i did what i never thought i would do.
i stood up for myself. 
i expressed my hurt feelings, i shared my pain and concern and established some clear boundaries. i wrote everything out in a letter and emailed it to several different people and as soon as i had hit send, my pain disappeared. 

my neck felt relaxed, i smiled with ease and that’s when i knew that even though my honesty will hurt others, it needed to be said. standing up for myself (and my family) was the right thing to do. 


now that i have dealt with that part of my life, i can focus on my bear. i have been so distracted by this other mess, been so anxious that i have not been able to mother in a way that i want to. bear and i have been butting heads for several weeks, but i feel now i can give him what he needs.


have you ever had to stand up for yourself? 
how did you feel afterwards?

xo, mama lola
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