minimalism challenge, are you up for it?

January 26, 2015 by mama lola

the new year puts a lot of pressure on everyone. a new year, new chapter, clean slate so it’s time to get all those things on your to-do list done: lose weight, change eating habits, start hitting that hot yoga studio regularly, stop yelling at your kids, go to bed on time, stop drinking caffeine, stop eating sugar… blah, blah, blah! although, most of these goals are great, but when you start them all at once it is a bit overwhelming… right?

so one day as i was wasting time on pinterest, i saw this (see pink chart below).

a super easy, fun, DO-ABLE 30 day minimalism challenge from into mind!

um, how much do you love the minimalism, the simplicity of this challenge?

anyone can do this. ANYONE.

are you in?

sometimes it’s the little things in life that bring about big change… right? i am starting this challenge tomorrow january 27th, 2015. i don’t want to wait for a new month so start when i am motivated NOW. i will of course share my successes and (epic) failures as i move through the days of this challenge.

let me know if you’re going to join me!

forest school fun!

January 25, 2015 by mama lola

i often feel like the public school system here in ontario lacks a natural component to it’s curriculum. yes, they talk about the environment and spend time outside even on some pretty cold days, but i wish there was more time spent in nature, exploring the natural world around them. so when i found out a high school friend of mine, brandy, was starting a forest school i jumped at the opportunity to sign my lion up! because it’s in another city he only goes for one afternoon a week (instead of the two afternoon’s currently offered).

this smiling beauty below is brandy.

the kids are all between the ages of 3 and 5. the group meets and then walks along some lovely trails to their designated site. the trail is shared with dog walkers and cross country skiers.

below is a picture of a quick stop for a story during our walk. here brandy introduced that days theme to the kids, as they all sat on a fallen tree and listened. none of the kids complained about stopping, about being cold, or about carrying their own backpacks full of the essentials, much similar to a bug out bag. AMAZING!

the “classroom” site is amazing! there are several teepee/ wigwam style forts that were already built in the forest. there are beautiful tall trees as far as the eye can see. the kids are allowed to climb the forts and explore the nearby area. the kids enjoyed snack, had another story and discussed various elements of that days theme.

i love watching the kids enjoying the natural world. they were so involved in it without any effort or encouragement from adults. they recognized things differently from us grown-ups creating interesting discussions about why things are the way they are.

kids are so open and free.

on the day i was volunteering we focused on our senses; we listened for birds, tasted snow, touched sticks and looked for interesting things in our environment. brandy encourages the kids to explore, question and get right into things. she follows the kids’ lead on things making the learning about them and not about what she assumes they might be interested in. so awesome!

the peace and calm of the forest school is what i really noticed. classrooms in buildings are full of posters, art, colours, shapes… there are almost no blank walls, everything is covered with some kind of stimulus. here in the woods the stimulus is not garish in colour or forced down the children’s throats. the natural world invites them in, gently stimulating their senses and enticing them for deeper learning. even though the kids explore the same forts, the subtle changes that occur over time is what makes outdoor learning so amazing.

below are pictures of the ice experiments the kids had created the previous thursday. they poured water in containers with some acorns and leaves to see what would happen. we hung them in the trees so the sun could catch them. so lovely!

if you’re curious and interested in brandy’s beautiful school, wildflowers forest school, check out her facebook page HERE. there are lots more pictures and tales of the adventures they get into! currently, there is no website, but it’s in the works!

holiday update: better late than never, right?!

January 16, 2015 by mama lola

christmas feels like it was a million years ago, but i want to share a few pictures with you anyway.

we had such a wonderful time. it was busy, but fun!

below is a picture of the beautiful piparkakkutalo or gingerbread house my mum made. there is a little tea light in the front that’s the skating rink, plus there’s a ladder on the side there! love it! my mum is so creative!

the kids got twister from DH’s sister and her mister. of course we had to crack it open immediately and give it a go!

for new years, we hit the cottage up in muskoka! there was no snow upon arrival, but withiun 12 hours heaps and heaps had fallen, and just kept coming! the forest around the cottage turned into a magical winter wonderland. this year the temperatures weren’t that cold even, so hitting the outhouse wasn’t that bad! haha!

as soon as we arrive it’s important to get the cottage warm. so we get the fire roaring and slowly start to unpeel all of the layers we have on. our friends brought some yummy lasagna’s for dinner. aren’t the beautiful?!

on the 31st we walked down to the lake and watched as papaD put on an amazing firework display. we all sat in the snow oohing and aahing at the gorgeous colours flashing in the sky! the it was time for sparklers up at the cottage!

after fireworks we enjoyed some glöggi while DH read stories to all the kids. the cottage becomes a cozy nest for all of us. the christmas lights we bring up for extra fun. we re-arrange the furniture to better suit the large number of people that are there. it’s nice to have the couch in front of the fire.

once the kids were tucked into their beds, us adults played some fun games of our own and enjoyed a few drinks!

the following morning it was time for more tobogganing!

what a great way to start 2015!!!

happy day to you and yours!

next week i’ll be sharing pictures from lion’s forest school, check back!

don’t forget to come and like bear & lion on facebook!

wontons for dinner!

January 9, 2015 by mama lola

after all the sweet and heavy foods of the christmas holidays, my taste buds have been craving all kinds of other flavours and textures. so, after surviving the the saturday after new years at the grocery store, i decided to spend two hours on the kitchen preparing food for my family. i’m not a great cook, but i do love it!

i was a little apprehensive about how my boys would respond to the wontons as recently my eldest, bear, has become quite.. um, opinionated about his food preferances. but, so my delight and surprise he loved them and both kids asked me to send them in their school lunches. (mama SCORE!)

here i am sharing what i included inside my wontons, but i think really you could stuff them with anything.

INGREDIENTS:

1 yellow onion finely chopped

1 block firm tofu crumbled

1 cup frozen peas

1 small carrot finely chopped

3-5 kale leaves finely chopped

sea salt

to taste curry powder

to taste cumin

fresh ground pepper

1 package of wonton wraps

small bowl of water

DIRECTIONS:

1. sautee all of the above ingredients until nice caramalized.

2. take a wonton wrap in one hand, fill it with about a table spoonful of your filling. wet your index finger in the water bowl, then follow the edges of your wonton wrap. you may need to wet your finger several times to ensure the all of the edges are wet with water. the water will act as glue.

3. when it is all wet, fold the wonton wrap over creating a triangle. place on a hot frying pan with olive oil. keep flipping and pushing the wontons around in the pan to ensure that they don’t stick or burn. i find a hot pan work best, but i suppose it depends on what kind of pan you are using.

4. i served the wontons with sweet and sour sauce, which the kids loved!

so, what do you think, easy enough to do? totally!

next time i’m going to commit more time and make more so i can freeze them!

it’s a new year! i’m a year older, and possibly wiser!

January 7, 2015 by mama lola

three cheers are in order for all! surviving the holidays can be tricky!

i know we end up doing a lot of driving, which does take a toll , but it’s worth it as we love to spend time with our families. after christmas we then have two birthdays to celebrate; mine on the 28th and my mother-in-laws on the 29th. it makes the season that much more hectic with visits and excitement.

now that january has rolled in with it’s wintry temperatures we are all slowing down and needing more quiet. the kids are somewhat happy to be back at school, but i think they miss the flexibility of the mornings without time restrictions and me screeching at them to get a move on! i am enjoying getting back into a routine. once the kids are in school i hit the gym, get the house organized, prep meals, run errands and spend time crafting or doing something creative. i need time alone, in quiet as a way to recharge and organize my thoughts.

i am looking forward to a new year, of the blank slate it brings along with it. it’s nice to feel like anything is possible! 2014 and the years leading up to it were a time for big changes with the kids hitting milestones and starting school. now, i feel like finally DH and i have time and energy to focus on our own lives. perhaps be a little selfish of our own needs, in turn increasing our expectations of the kids to step it up a little at home. ya know, really get them into a routine of completing daily chores, including them as participating members of this household. i’m tired of them expecting so much of us. it’s time for them to make breakfast, make beds, get lunch bags into the kitchen after school, set the dinner table, put dirty clothes in the hamper (and not in a ball all inside out!), tidy each night before bedtime stories… well, you get the idea!

i am in need of change. of inspiration. of creativity. of peace. kinda feels like not much has changed since last year… click HERE to see where i was a year ago!

this school year i will continue to send lion only part-time, but starting next week we are sending him to a forest school one afternoon a week. i am super excited about it! the kids in the group will spend the afternoon outside regardless of the weather exploring the forest with their facilitator who happens to be a friend of mine. i think my wee lion needs some creative time with peers that isn’t all about sitting on a carpet, listening to instructions. bear is still in grade 1 and will go daily as before.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! i have a million photo’s to edit, but i will share them… eventually!!!

merry christmas! hyvää joulua!

December 23, 2014 by mama lola

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

thank you for reading and supporting this wee blog!

i will be taking a break from bear & lion until january 6th, 2015. i need a break from this space to spend time with my family and not worry about blogging.

december 24th is a very special day for my family and i. it’s when we sit down as a family, enjoy my mum’s amazing christmas dinner, open presents and spend a beautiful evening together. this year will be especially special as last year the horrific ice storm struck and my parents were without power for days and days.

on the 26th we will spend the day with DH’s family, again eating delicious food, opening gifts and spending time with family. then we will enjoy a few days of birthday celebrations, mine on the 28th and my MIL’s on the 29th. after that we will head north to the cottage for some new year’s celebrations with friends!

have a safe and lovely holiday with your family and friends!

see you in 2015!

uuni riisipuuro/ oven baked rice pudding

December 23, 2014 by mama lola

my family adores rice pudding. during the christmas holidays it’s a treat that we gobble up a lot of. it’s easy to make and for me always reminds of my childhood christmases back home in finland.

i got this recipe from a finnish blogger, hellapoliisi. it’s super easy, simple and delicious!

since the recipe and blog are in finnish i will translate… you need sticky rice, milk, salt and a titch of butter. preheat your oven to 350F. butter your oven safe dish, add 2 cups rice, 1 cup milk and a pinch of salt. let it bake for about 1.5 hrs. serve while hot with sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top and a splash of milk. YUM!

i’ve also made yummy rice pudding in my crock pot. you can find that recipe HERE.

happy puddin’ eatin’!

reindeer cookies!

December 18, 2014 by mama lola

we made these super cute. super yummy, super easy reindeer cookies after school one day. it was great way to get some christmas cheer into dull monday afternoon, as we also had our CHFI holiday music cranked!

the recipe is from pillsbury, CLICK HERE for deatils. there’s no mess, it’s fast, easy and the kids LOVE the whole process so much!

just a few tips :

remember to buy the small pretzels as the cookies expand A LOT as they bake, so you need to be generous with the spacing or the “antlers” can fall off when you’re removing from the cookie sheet.
get your christmas helpers to decorate fast, because at the cookies set the candy eyes and noses just wont stick!
we used swedish berries and M&M’s for the eyes and noses. more colourful!
this is the only time i buy cookie dough in a tube, and i just let it go! haha! you should too!

we actually baked these gems a few christmas’ ago when bear and lion were three years younger than they are today… man, have those kids grown up a lot in that time! so amazing! check out the adorable pictures HERE!

ENJOY!

mouth watering cranberry recipes!

December 15, 2014 by mama lola

i love cranberries!

they are such a wonderful tart flavour and can be used in so many different kinds of foods. during the holiday season cranberries are especially popular in all sorts of goodies. here is a wonderful round-up of cranberry recipe ideas, ranging from butters to bars to salads!

cranberry butter

the view from great island

this cake looks so scrumptious and like the perfect breakfast treat to kick off christmas day!

cranberry buttermilk breakfast cake

alexandra’s kitchen

i love bark! this chocolate bark looks beautiful, but i bet is tastes way better than it looks!

cranberry and pistachio chocolate bark

love and lemons

salsa from cranberry’s? AWESOME! gotta give this recipe a try this holiday season! great for a party!

cranberry salsa

kate’s healthy cupboard

cranberry salads are pften paired with walnuts, which is a no-no in our family as DH has a walnut allergy. this salad recipe is intense, but i bet so worth it. don’t those candied almonds sound lovely?!

cranberry and avocado salad with candied spiced almonds and sweet white balsamic vinegrette

honest cooking

i want to share my bar recipe. these cranberry blueberry bars are perfect as hostess or teacher gifts!

cranberry blueberry bars

bear & lion

let me know if you have a favourite cranberry recipe and share it in the comments section!

kids felt christmas tree crafts!

December 13, 2014 by mama lola

the other day i pulled out my colourful felt scraps to get crafty on a snowy afternoon. my wee lion was sick from school so it was the perfect time to get creative!

i cut out some very asymmetrical christmas trees, which my lion then decorated. he cut out various shapes from the felt and delightfully glued them to the felt trees. he was so happy and pleased with the outcome… as was i!

(i cut out the starts for him.)

then i found scrap burlap in the depths of my fabric collection, and he made a beautiful nature scene with rocks and a bright blue sky (how finnish of him!) all on his own. bear came home from school and started to make a christmas scene of his own! i did quickly zip around the edges of the burlap squares with my sewing machine to help prevent fraying.

aren’t they so fantastic? not sure we will use them as wee holiday table cloths or hang them up as decoration on a wall.

i LOVE, LOVE setting out various crafty supplies and watching the creativity flow out of my boys. what their imaginations produce is sometimes so different from what i would have thought of. kids really are cool (when they are not whining or fighting about what’s for dinner!)