Life: Week 52...

Monday, April 28, 2014

In one week I will be back at work.... I have such mixed emotions thinking about what is ahead, my most recent feelings are those of excitement and nervousness, anxiousness and apprehension.... I am sure these are all normal feelings, I know what is ahead of me in terms of my position, the expectations and what day to day is going to look like from a career perspective, but navigating life as a working mom is all new to me and I just don't know what to expect....
The past year has been one of the greatest gifts, I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to stay home and witness some pretty special moments with my little man. I feel I have built a bond with him that is unexplainable.... I am sure most mom's know what I am talking about, this little person came into my life and everything changed.... being a mom is one of the most challenging tasks I have ever had to do, but it truly is the most rewarding career I will ever have.
I have always been one of those people that knew I would go back to work after maternity leave... my career outside my home is extremely rewarding for me, and I know for myself I am a better person because if it. I suppose the hardest part of going back is coming to the realization that my sweet small boy is growing... and nothing is going to stop that. One whole year has passed, and before I know it, another and another will pass.... this chapter of my life with just him and I will be closed, and he will start his own little life.... I find myself wanting to wrap him up and keep him tiny and naive forever.... I mean don't all parents want that?! It is inevitable though..... he will grow and change, and be shaped by his own experiences and the people around him, I know I am going to enjoy the process, but this small transition is the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.....
The last few weeks have been challenging for me to be at home, not for any one reason, nothing has dramatically changed in my life, and to be honest everything is exactly as it was before, but I find myself yearning for something more, and more than anything I feel this has been the signal I needed that going back to work is exactly the right decision for me. I love spending time with Jet, I love being his mom, and nobody can argue with that, but having my professional career gives me a balance that I think I need in my life and I feel a sense of excitement for what is ahead! I know there will be challenges in figuring out this new stage of our life, but the complexity of it all will diminish when we realize our new normal, our little family is evolving and I am excited about what the future looks like for us!

Wish me luck these next couple weeks.... ch-ch-ch-changes are coming...

...xo...CS

Happy Friday...

Friday, April 25, 2014

Hey folks, its Friday! We have a jam-packed few days ahead with a few birthdays for friends and family, young and old (...sorry Josh you now fall in the old category when compared to toddlers!!); I am having dinner and drinks with some of my favourite dinner club ladies, throw in a few errands hear and there and I can only imagine this weekend will be over before I know it! 


Life goes fast when your having fun! What are you doing this weekend?

...xo...CS

Peanut Butter Jar Candle DIY

Thursday, April 24, 2014



I had a few of these pillar candles laying around, this is the last type of candle you will find burning in my house, not now that Jet is on the move. I love candles, and have a small stockpile growing in my toiletries closet; I am definitely not one to hold onto things like old candles, but I felt like it was such a waste to just toss perfectly good wax.


One morning as I scraped the last few bits of peanut butter from the jar, I had a thought... what if I cleaned out this container, melted one of those wax candles down and poured it in?!? Sounded like a good idea....


This is how I did it...

Supplies:
-1 glass (peanut butter) Jar.... I used Adams Natural Peanut Butter jar, but lets be honest, any glass jar will work
-1-2 pillar candles (depending on the size of your jar) I used one and a partial candle to finish this project
-wicks- I found the wood wicks I used at Michaels and I am curious to see how they will burn.... a regular wick will work fine as well
-wick stand- these can also be found at Michaels as well, the ones I used came in the box with the wood wicks
-tape
-1 large aluminum container, I used an old metal instant coffee canister


How to:
1) Clean and dry your glass container
2)Attach wick to metal wick holder, and place a small piece of double sided tape (or regular tape folded) on the bottom of the metal wick holder
3)Place wick in the centre of the glass jar and press down firmly in place


4)Place a pot filled halfway with water on high heat
5)Place candle inside metal container, and submerge the bottom of the metal container in the pot of water
6)Hold the candle in place as the wax melts (the particular candle I used took about 25 minutes to fully melt)


7) Once candle wax has completely melted pour into your glass container
8) Use a piece of tape to secure the wick in place, and prevent it from moving as the candle hardens


9) You may find after the candle has fully set the centre has dropped (see below) You will need to repeat steps 4-7 again with more wax until the candle is full.


In my case I had to finish my candle off with a different pillar, and was able to make another candle in a glass jam jar with the remaining wax...


I am pretty happy with how both candles turned out, and I think I will get a lot of burn time out of them as well...


Have you repurposed anything lately?!? Tell me about it!

...xo...CS

Photo Journey: Easter Sunday at the lake...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Easter long weekend came and went way to fast!! These past few days were the perfect balance of family, fun, and relaxation; Ryan and I even treated ourselves to pedicures sans babe (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Stiksma...we haven't had a chance to do that together in quite some time....).

We started the weekend on Friday with a sleigh ride in the sticky snow (yes... snow!!), and ended the weekend with a visit to the lake where most of the snow had melted again and good signs of spring were all around!  Here is a little roundup of photos from Sunday Evening...
It was a perfect long weekend that ended on a high note! Thanks to Grammy Horne for the fun Easter party and decorations for the boys... the dinner was delicious too!!

...xo...CS

Hattrick Design Giveaway WINNER....

Monday, April 21, 2014

 VIA
Today I am so excited  to announce the winner of last weeks giveaway
with Hattrick Design!!!

  So without further adieu....the winner is..........

Carly Barth!!

You lucky lady you!! I will be in touch shortly to discuss details of the giveaway with you! 

Thanks to everyone who participated and if you only just heard about this make sure to check out Hattrick Designs Facebook page.

One last BIG thankyou to Stacey with Hattrick Design for working with me on this collaboration! You are just so rad!!

Wishing you all a great week!

...xo...CS

Happy (Good) Friday...

Friday, April 18, 2014


What is going on outside?!? I know I shouldn't even be mentioning it (if your in Edmonton your facebook feed is probably full of rants about the weather), but this snow is CRAY-ZEEEEE!!! Its April.... where are the April SHOWERS....that bring May FLOWERS?!? This morning Ryan and I discussed taking Jet for a sleigh ride (LOL), talk about confusing the little guy, especially since last week we were going out with no coats!! It is a good thing I didn't get around to packing up our winter jackets and boots.... we are going to need them the next few days!


This is our first Easter weekend with Jet, this morning I couldn't help but think, one year ago, I was struggling to sleep with a belly the size of a watermelon...now I am struggling to sleep because our little man wants to get up and play with mom and dad in the morning!!

I love weekends like this with the family!! How are you celebrating the long weekend!?!

...xo...CS

psst... one last reminder to get your name in for the draw with Hattrick Design, contest closes tonight!! 
Good Luck!

Daily: J is for Jet

Thursday, April 17, 2014




 He doesn't know what those letters mean yet, but he will be writing them for years to come....
 #JetJames

...xo...CS

PS... Reminder: Tomorrow is the last day to enter  the draw with Hattrick Design, get your entry in here!!


Love/Want/Need:Cookbook edition

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

 L/W/N

I love finding new great cookbooks, especially Vegetarian ones. I went partial Vegetarian about 3 years ago mostly because I felt so much better when meat (ie. chicken, beef and pork) wasn't a part of my diet. I still eat fish and most kinds of seafood, so in technical terms I would be considered a pescatarian, most people ask if I ever crave meat, but in all honesty I don't..... proper planning and preparation helps me get everything (ie. vitamins, nutrients, protien, etc.) I need from a plant-based diet and it is now the best fit for myself and my families lifestyle. Here are a few cookbooks that I am currently Loving, Wanting and Needing in the vegetarian cooking department!

The Canadian Living Vegetarian Cookbook is my go-to cookbook, there are so many great recipes in this book, my favourites are Tofu & Broccoli in Peanut Sauce and the Vegetable Lentil Garner's Pie when I have some extra time to prepare a casserole. All the recipes in this book are fairly simple with simple (find in your cupboard) ingredients. I love love love this cookbook!

I saw Mary McCartney's book in Homesense a few weeks back and have been kicking myself for not buying it....it was only a few days later that I read Amanda over at Natural Mommie's post and seriously considered running back up to the store to see if they still had it stocked.... I suppose I could just order it online too... but who doesn't like a good Homesense find!!

I keep hearing great things about the Oh She Glows cookbook, and I need to get a copy for myself.... Angela Liddon has been blogging healthy meat-free recipes for years now and her book has been getting a lot of press. I follow her blog and find myself drooling over posts on a regular basis...(check out one of her most recent posts.... Instant Chocolate Chia Pudding...... mmmmmm).

Do you have any veg or regular cookbooks you would recommend... I am always keeping my eyes pealed for new ones!

Don't forget, if you haven't already entered this weeks GIVEAWAY with Hattrick Design, you still can! Don't miss out!

...xo...CS

Spotlight: Hattrick Design.... and a GIVEAWAY!!

Monday, April 14, 2014

VIA
Often when I think about going back to work, I get a little overwhelmed, I mean don't get me wrong going back to work is definitely something I am on board with, but now adays I really appreciate the time (that probably went wasted) when it was just Ryan and I. Please don't misinterpret this, I wouldn't change having a child for anything, it's just schedules are different now, and built around the little guy and what works best for him. So I suppose I just kind of wonder what that is going to look like when I go back to work and how we will manage it all....

Recently my friend Stacey approached me about a giveaway, and I couldn't help but feel inspired. Stacey runs an Etsy shop and Facebook page called Hattrick Design and Photography, she is based out of Red Deer, Alberta where she lives with her husband and is a teacher for Red Deer Public Schools. Stacey is a working woman and manages all this on top of being a mom to triplet boys!! If she can do it, with three, I should be able to do it with one... right?!

VIA
Along with a few other items, Stacey specializes in custom prints, cards, and photography with Hattrick Design, you can check out most of her items here, or if you are looking for something more custom I am sure she would be happy to talk it over with you!

VIA
I am currently loving these watercolour prints myself, but there are a variety of lovely items on her page to check out, so pop on over and take a peak... and while you are at it, show some love and like her page!!!

This week Stacey has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to choose from her store one print, a custom designed invite or set of cards and a set of hair ties.... all you have to do is enter below.... and next Monday I will announce a winner! Easy Peasy! Contest closes at midnight on Friday April 18, so get your entries in and Good Luck!

...xo...CS

 
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Happy Friday...

Friday, April 11, 2014

Ryan left for Vegas yesterday afternoon, so it is just me and the little guy around here this weekend! I don't have any crazy plans, but maybe a visit or two with some girlfriends...

Jet was 11 months on Monday.... trying to get a 11 month old to sit still for a picture is a task in itself, and I am clearly not very good at it.... here is one shot that turned out.... and one that didn't....

Also, Jet has a little soother obsession going on these days that I would like to break... he manages to find them in the randomest places....


What are your plans this weekend?!

Watch out Monday for our first ever GIVEAWAY....right here!!

...xo...CS

In the Kitchen: Pumpkin Pine Kale Salad...

Thursday, April 10, 2014


Okay people, you may have noticed... and I admit.... I have jumped on the kale bandwagon...... BIG TIME!!! You are probably thinking 'enough kale recipes already' but seriously I can't get enough of this green leaf, so please humour me as I discuss a new recipe I came up with a few weeks back. This salad is seriously delicious (I could eat a whole large bowl of it in a sitting.....), nutritious and oh so easy to make!! So here it goes.... Pumpkin Pine Kale Salad....


Grocery List
6 cups rinsed kale leaves (remove stems and rip into bite size pieces)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil

Dressing: 
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (I prefer the seedy kind like Maille Whole Grain Mustard)
1/2 tsp pepper

1)Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2)Place pumpkin seeds and pine nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes (or until lightly browned)
3)Place rinsed and destemmed kale leaves in a large bowl and pour the first amount of olive oil over leaves
4)Lightly massage leaves until they are lightly coated and have slightly softened
5)In a separate small bowl combine the remaining five ingredients
6)Drizzle dressing over kale leaves
7)Top with the baked seeds and nuts and toss until everything is lightly coated
8) Serve and Enjoy....

I can pretty much guarantee this salad will be making lots of appearances at our dinner table in the months ahead....it is also worth noting that this salad keeps well refrigerated over night. Usually I don't find day old salad to be appetizing....AT ALL.... but the kale in this salad doesn't get overly saturated with dressing and maintains its crunch even a day later.

How do you like to eat your kale?! I am overly intrigued with finding new delicious ways to prepare it, so please share!

...xo...CS
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