vegetarian thanksgiving menu!

November 5, 2013 by mama lola

don’t be fooled that thanksgiving is just for meat eaters, because there are lots of wonderful, interesting and delicious vegetarian menu options out there!

below i have compiled recipes that look appetizing and will get your mouth watering!

i love all the textures and colours; you can almost smell the scent of the yummy foods wafting in the air.

:: COMPLETE VEGGIE THANKSGIVING MENU ::

thanksgiving menu from oh veggies

:: POTATOES ::

baked sweet potatoes stuffed with feta, olives and sundried tomatoes

from gourmande in the kitchen

roasted garlic mashed potatoes from steamy kitchen

:: STUFFING ::

vegan stuffing from novel eats

:: INSTEAD OF TURKEY ::

homemade tofurkey with brown rice stuffing from chow

tofu skin roulade with mushroom stuffing from veggie belly

:: GRAVY ::

vegetarian gravy from two lazy gourmets

YUMMY!!!!

i deliberately did not include salads, cranberry sauce, roasted veggies or beans, or any squash recipes as they kinda speak for themselves as being veggie! i did make a squash round-up at the beginning of the season, which you can check-out HERE.

which recipe will you try?
i have pinned a few of these with christmas in mind!

happy cooking!

thanksgiving & fall crafts!

November 2, 2013 by mama lola

i thought i would put together another thanksgiving/ fall craft round-up.
thanksgiving is coming up, the colours are changing in the trees, so clearly fall has arrived!

check out these great projects!

recycled paper acorn banner from crafting a green world

felt acorn napkin rings from tikkido

leaf jar candle holder from kidz world

hanging leaf garland from full circle

woven placemats from mind bites

leaf masks from 5 orange potatoes

i really like the leaf garland and think we might make one, before we get overwhelmed with christmas crafts.

i will try to squeeze out a few more fall crafts while i can!

dinosaur galore kit : a product review!

October 25, 2013 by mama lola

my boys have been obsessed with dinosaurs since the beginning of summer. they have devoured over books at the library, learning all about the different kinds of reptiles that once roamed our planet millions of years ago. they have drawn their own dinosaurs, built dinosaurs out of lego, and played a variety of imaginary dinosaur games.

so, when kelly at two kids cooking & more contacted me to do a review of their kids painting kits, i was delighted to see the dinosaur option! but, if your kids are interested in other things there lots of other kits to choose from, check them out HERE.

then one day we received a package in the mail and as soon the kids ripped it open, it was time to start painting! the dinosaur galore kit includes 4 wooden dinosaurs, which the boys divided among each other. my 3yo lion picked up a dinosaur and said “this is a triceratops”, so sweet! the other kinds of dinosaurs include a t-rex, a stegosaurus and brachiasaurus. (i had to ask my kids to list them, i cannot tell dinosausrs apart! haha!)

the kit came in a sweet burlap bag, with instructions, googly eyes, lots of paint and paint brushes! we laid down plastic on the kitchen floor and the kids got busy. the instructions recommend painting one side at a time, so that’s what we did.

look how cute everything in these photo’s are!

we let the paint dry and then got to work on the other side, and then the details.

these dinosaurs are a fantastic craft, but once they are done they are the perfect size for playing with. my kids have created all sorts of games in imaginary worlds with their dino’s! they are so reasonably priced and kelly was so helpful with all of my questions!

i love supporting small business, especially as we head into the holiday season! these painting kits would make a wonderful, unique gift for any budding artist OR you could gift the final product to a friend, cousin or doting grandma!

(i received this dinosaur galore kit as a gift from two kids cooking & more, but the views expressed are my own.)

thanksgiving crafts (gobble, gobble)

October 7, 2013 by mama lola

canadian thanksgiving is right around the corner! here are some wonderful kid-friendly crafts to help get ready for the festivities.

pine cone turkeys from a pumpkin and a princess

thanksgiving thankful tree from preschool crafts for kids

groovy gobblers from let’s explore

napkin rings from easy crafts for kids

stained glass leaves from mom vs. the boys

fall wreath craft from mom of 5 kids

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

DIY stamps!

October 2, 2013 by mama lola

about 10 years ago i made some simple potato stamps and decorated tissue paper with hearts and x-mas trees. every christmas my mum and i still use the few sheets that are left for each others gifts. there is something sweet about the personal, creative touch, don’t you think?
so, now that my 5yo bear is a super-keen-artist-dude, i think he’s ready to make some fun stamps. after researching ideas for this blog post, i too am eager to roll up my sleeves and get creative. we’re going to stamp everything from gifts tags, wrapping paper, cards and whatever we else will find.

you can make stamps for any and all special occasions!

here is a round-up of ideas, how to’s and examples of what other creative types have made.

upcycled wine corks from soap deli news

cork stamp from makita studio

DIY extra large letter [foam] stamps from the cheese thief

festive potato stamps from juggling act mama

carved rubber stamps from minna may

wine cork mustache stamp from bespangled

DIY stamps (random shapes) from play based learning

potato stamps from kanelstrand

rubberband stamps from sas + rose

butterfly stamp from can’t stop making things

eraser stamps from gathering beauty

hand carved stamps from gennine’s art blog

arrow tail shirt print from whimsy box

i’m in stamp heaven: gift tags from caro’s heaven

christmas stamps from claire belle makes

my local grocery store had erasers on super-duper sale, and i bought a large handful of them! i’ll share our stamp creations soon!

spooky halloween decorations!

September 25, 2013 by mama lola

the leaves are changing colour, the nights are getting cooler and that means… halloween is almost here! here are a few super fun, super easy and super spooky DIY craft projects to scare the pants off of everyone!

halloween crafts, halloween wreath, spooky, crafts

snake wreath from apartment therapy

voodoo dolls from felici events

lace ghost from a beautiful mess

spooky terrarium from creative blog

spider sacks from modern parents messy kids

spider crafts, pumpkin spiders, halloween decorations

creepy crawlers from good housekeeping

spider wreath, halloween decorations, scary crafts

arachnophobia wreath from eclectically vintage

spooky, spooky!
get those supplies in order, because halloween will be here before you know it!

lion’s 3rd birthday party!

July 15, 2013 by mama lola

last weekend we celebrated my youngest boy, lion. it was such a wonderful weekend spent with family and friends.

we had dear friends come and spend the night before the party at our house. the kids had an awesome time playing, finding inch worms, climbing fences, playing games, while us adults had an opportunity to catch-up.

this is how it started! BEER!
every time dear hubby or i are drinking beer’s, lion wants to try it. he loves the taste of beer and keeps going after the bottle, it’s funny at first, but then it becomes a little concerning! haha!

we played. did gymnastics. chatted. laughed. watched tv. ate. drank. and laughed some more!

we had such a fun time together!
the kids were delighted to have so much time to play. then the next day was PARTY TIME!!!
i tried to keep things simple food wise; fruit kabobs, crackers, cheese and gravlox salmon, watermelon, and cookies!

the kids LOVED the pinata!

after the games it was time for business.
CAKE!!!
we made lion a layered ice cream cake. it was so yummy and perfect for a hot summer birthday!

and just on cue, as soon as we all sang happy birthday to my littlest guy, i got all choked up with emotions and tears. i looked over at my mom, and saw her looking at me with tears in her eyes. haha! they were tears of joy and pride, but this is what we do in my family; we cry about everything!

HAPPY MONDAY!

this moment

July 12, 2013 by mama lola

as inspired by souleMama; one photo from our week, no words, only an image to sum up our time as a family. one that captures a moment in time and is a visual reminder of where we were at this time in our lives.

these photographs were taken on lion’s 3rd birthday, july 8th, 2013. we had had a lovely sushi dinner and then headed to the wading pool downtown. the kids ran and ran, laughing and splashing the entire time! it was such a wonderful way to end our birthday celebrations!

still can not believe he is three…

make a paper mache pinata!

July 9, 2013 by mama lola

my lion turned 3 and i decided it would be fun to have a lion head pinata at his birthday party. i did some research on pinterest on how to make the perfect pinata, but decided that we would just do our own thing… i mean, how difficult could a paper mache lion head really be???

well, as with most of our projects things didn’t go as smoothly as i hoped. but, the end result was surprisingly marvellous, dontcha think?

i wanted it to be big, and a regular latex balloon just didn’t seem to be the right size or shape. so we used a clear garbage bag instead; filled it with air and shaped it a little by taping the corners down.

and off it started… lots of news paper ripped into various sized strips. dear hubby was in charge of the messy part, so he made a big ol’ bowl with flour and water mixed together (no recipe required). just make sure you don’t make it too think and depending on the project lumps don’t really matter either. especially in a pinata as the end result is that it is damaged badly, and quickly!

the kids got in on the action too! it was soooooooooo messy, but luckily the paste is super easy to wash up!

where the bag was knotted became the opening and the bottom of the lion’s head. this made it easier in the end for painting as i was able to prop the head up with my easel inside it. a broom or stool leg would work just as well.
for the ears i took a toilet paper roll, cut it half, made a cone shape, stapled it once i had it at the desired size. then the guys attached my paper macheing them on.

before you start painting make sure your paper mache is thoroughly dried first. the paint will adhere better and it will just be much easier.
to paint the lion head i just mixed a few different acrylic paints together; reds, yellows, oranges. the tone was more red than i had hoped. i painted it very haphazardly, intentionally trying to create uneven textures and colours. i used straight black paint for the detailing of the facial features.

the lion’s mane is made of various colours of tissue paper; gold, yellow, orange, violet, burgundy and black to give it depth and vibrancy. the pieces were all randomly cut with pinking sheers to create texture. i glued them on individually, which initially felt daunting, but went much faster than i anticipated. i just used kids white glue.

paper mache, pinata, lion head, birthday activity

i will post pics later this week from the actual party and the kids hitting in, but it was a total hit!

i discovered this amazing paper mache website for tons of info on different paste recipes and more at the ultimate paper mache.

and, here’s papaD getting his lion groove on while wearing the lion head after the kids got the loot! it was totally creepy and weird seeing him dance with that head! but, i’ll save it for halloween, i think! might be fun the! haha!

this was such a fun project! good luck with yours!

the donkeys.

June 30, 2013 by mama lola

about a week ago we visited the donkey sanctuary of canada.

it was a beautiful, peaceful place where you can’t help but let yourself slow down and let your brain from racing along. we enjoyed the company of many of these serene four legged, furry animals. we were all pleasantly surprised at how calm donkeys are.

all of donkey’s here have a story to tell; where they came from and why they were brought to the sanctuary in the first place. some of the stories are heartbreaking ones of cruelty and neglect, while other’s easier to understand. there are about 60 donkey’s at the a sanctuary, and the name alone should describe the purpose of this place. it’s a safe place for donkey’s to live out their lives. we met one lovely donkey dame, names summer. she was 42 years old, which is considered old for donkey’s.

we spoke to several staff members who were eager to answer our questions and teach us about these quiet, often forgotten animals. donkey’s originate from northern africa and do not have any hierarchy in their herds, the way horses do. their “flight or fight” response is to fight, unlike the horse whose is for flight, and hence are considered stubborn.

we also had a belated father’s day picnic celebration.
the kids made my dad binoculars. it was pretty cute and hilarious!

if you’re in this area, south-western ontario, go visit the donkey’s. they need our hearts and support and they are just so awesome! check out the sanctuary’s website HERE for operating hours and other details. there are also walking trails and a pond with fish and turles! fun!