Now that got your attention.... I can't say enough about my cloth diapers. Even though I only started the process when my second son was 10 month old, I saved oodles of money and I did my little part to save the earth. After extensive research online I found a great supplier that not only sent me some various AIO's (all in one) diapers she sent me some used Chinese prefolds along with some funky covers. This variety enabled me to give them a test run (pardon the pun) and discover for myself what system worked best for me. After several months it was unanimous, the prefolds with covers won hands down. 
unfolded Chinese diaper ![]() Read More »
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These are the easiest, healthiest, heartiest waffles ever. 
The night before I simply dump a bunch of stuff in my blender. Ok I guess I should be a little more specific. 2 cups of whole grains. - I use whatever I have. A little millet, some spelt flakes, a touch of quinoa and finally some form of flour (I prefer whole grain) In the past I have used regular oatmeal and flour mixture. This is a great way to use up the small remnants of grains before your next shopping day. 1 cup of milk 1 cup of yogurt Give it a grind in the blender and add more milk if it's not spinning. The next morning start adding the following: 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla &l ...
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Like my new little "camping" manual? 
When we arrived at the campsite we had the wonderful job of opening boxes of new equipment (stove, air mattress and tent). Along side these came pages and pages of instructions and when the dust settled we were left with 5 different manuals that I wanted to keep handy for next time. Upon returning, I immediately gathered them up, tossed the versions in the 6 languages that we don't speak and kept the rest neatly tucked away in page protectors i ...
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To those who know me well this next statement will come as a shock....I went camping. Yes folks, I braved the elements and roughed it like our ancestors did... well, as rough as any Provincial park can get. The preparation leading up to this event was of epic proportions. Lists, pie charts and spreadsheets were created to ensure nothing was left behind nor forgotten. The last time I camped leg warmers were in style, needless to say it's been a while.  Throughout the year I have been keeping my eyes open at yard sales and thrift stores for various camping equipment. Aside from our tent, Coleman stove, air mattress and pump we have picked up nearly everything secondhand to make our wilderness adventure more comfortable.&n ...
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Monday - lasagna Tuesday - French toast casserole - I make this dish often due to the abundance of leftover homemade bread. When a day or two passes and the loaf is uneaten, I simply slice it up and stick it in the freezer. The frozen portions are ideal for this recipe even if there are several varieties of bread. Really! who can tell anyway when they are smothered in 3 inches of syrup. 
Wednesday - Mexican casserole - This is a simple casserole made with soaked brown rice, shredded chicken, salsa, cheese and corn. Basically I just threw a bunch of stuff in a pan ...
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Here I go again...saving garbage. It may becoming painfully clear that I love to find creative uses for trash and peach baskets are no exception. I recently bought 6 baskets of ripe peaches for jam and slices to can and what remained besides endless sticky counters were these large baskets. Lucky for me zuchinni season was in full swing so I have been baking my little heart out and making numerous batches of my favourite butterscotch zucchini bread. 
On Saturday my best friend was moving into their new house, so I thought I would scoot over and drop off one of the loaves fresh from the oven. Knowing the pan would be too hot to carry, I simply slipped ...
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 Ok, this is what happens when you give a man free reign to decorate....
Yes folks that's an empty kitty litter bucket with a larger than life picture of a tabby holding its breath....Nice! I saw this bucket kicking around for a while and knew my handy dad was up to no good. After all of the rain we have been getting the clothespins were getting wet and subsequently mouldy. Naturally Dad had to rectify this problem. Mission accomplished. This little gem comes equipped with a tight seal to prevent rain entering as well as a secure hold to a lovely wood platform (could it be teak?) attached securely to the house. He should start selling these on Etsy, whatta ya think? For anyone that knows my Dad, this is so Jim. ![]()
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 With our new set of wheels, the kids and I have been travelling to the library once a week to stock up on books and movies. Combined weights of the children bring the cargo I have to haul to a whopping 50 lbs. Needless to say any unnecessary items are left behind, including my wallet which normally holds my library card. I know what you are thinking, "how much could that weigh?" not much I'm sure, but if you saw the pitch of the hill heading home I would leave my watch off if I thought it would make it easier.
On numerous occasions I left my wallet at home containing the card or forgot that I stuffed it in the last pair of pants I wore. I solved this problem by assigning one of the many canvas totes that I picked up at a yard sale and attached the plastic card to it using a metal clip. When I arrive home the tote hangs near the back door and once a book is read it is immediately returned to this spot. When we are ready to return books it's a matter of grabbing the bag, which should contain everything and heading out. Not only does this prevent me from forgetting the card it avoids the use of plastic bags tRead More »
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I am so excited and honoured to be given these two recognitions. The donors are two amazing blogger's that have been faithful readers, commenter's and most of all friends. The first was a tag given to me by a site otherwise known as my virtual cook book. When I am inundated with a bunch of leftovers and odd n ends in my freezer I know I can simply visit her site and voila! inspiration. She can make a well rounded meal out of anything and is super creative, something I often lack in the cooking department. The addition of associated pictures that accompany each recipe complete the whole picture. The tag has me state 6 random things about myself...ughhh. Here goes nothing. - I hate spiders....no seriously, spiders are BAD! If one comes within a few feet of me or worst yet makes contact I am off running. I may or may not stop for some time so don't think I am being rude if I don't stop to chat. - I dislike being the centre of attention. I used to show horses and after 6 years realized I hated it because I was being watched. How liberating when I gave it up and now ride for sheer pleasure. - My favourite meal is fried potato pancakes. Not those fancy ones with eggs and flour just plain grated spuds for me. Deciding between a topping of brown sugar or ketchup becam ...
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I hit the motherload. We have a fairly new mom and pop shop meat market conveniently located around the corner. I remember them opening up and secretly hoping they would make a go of it. So many local businesses never get off the ground when they are stuck competing against the big players. I admit that I never checked them out nor did I give them a chance, I simply continued my normal routine that consisted of shopping the sales at the large grocery stores all the while thinking their prices could never be beat. Was I ever wrong. I heard rumours from others of what a great place it was and more importantly how wonderful the customer service is. Stories of those lugging out large boxes of meat to their car containing various cuts with a monetary value well over $100 for half of that. I had to check it out. Upon entering I was initially overwhelmed with the enormous rows of meat counters. I am a self professed meat "idiot" and have no clue what a rump roast is from a...well any other type of roast. As I stepped up in line and decided on one of two meat packs for $50 I wanted to ask if pork could be substituted for something else. &qu ...
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