Stepping out to cure Scleroderma...

If you live in the North Country you are probably all too familiar with the blog One Day at a Time and the story of Randy Duprey and his beautiful wife, Kate and son, Alek. You are also probably very familiar with the turmoil and heartache that he and his family has faced for the last couple years because of Scleroderma. At this point the causes of this disease are unknown and there is no cure. On January 6th Randy lost his battle to this incurable disease and now Kate has decided to step up and Step Out To Cure Scleroderma by organizing a walk to raise money and raise awareness in Randy's honor. The walk will be held on Sunday June 14th, and there will be a meeting this Saturday to go over details. Anyone willing to help organize or contribute to this event should be there to show support and take part in a great cause for a great local family. Volunteers are needed! You can visit Kate's blog for details.

Let's not let this happen to anyone else...

Mother's Day gift ideas...

In honor of Mother's day (which is less than 3 weeks off, people), I thought that I would compile a list of my favorite things. That's right. My favorite things! Well, I am a mama, right? Besides, I thought it might help you decide on a gift for the mama in your life.

This necklace is gorgeous and the price is pretty spiffy too. It tops my list! *hint, hint Jason*

Anything LUSH! Now if you've been reading this blog for a while, it's no surprise that I am a huge LUSH fan. It's all natural, Canadian made (although available in the U.S.), earth friendly (Happy Earth Day, by the way) and everything smells good enough to eat. My faves are Avobath Bath Bomb, Godiva Solid Shampoo and Rock Star Soap. So yummy!

I love to go for mini hikes with my family. Add a picnic and you've got the perfect Mother's Day afternoon. Include some brie, a French baguette and some chilled NY produced Pinot Noir Blanc or a bottle of Perrier and it's even better!

I wouldn't mind getting a certificate for a massage or a facial at a local day spa.

Nor would a refuse a clean house that I didn't have to clean.

You can never go wrong with candy. Yes, very cliché, I know. But really, who doesn't love their own private stash of Godiva or Jelly Belly?

Flowers are always appreciated, but I would personally prefer a couple of flats of perennials to plant around the garden or a potted plant for the deck. They last longer and mom will have a constant reminder of how much you care.

And last, but certainly not least, a family photo session with a professional photographer is the perfect gift for mom. And, how convenient! I happen to know a couple of really good photographers that can do just that ;)

Baby proofing a hotel room...

Whenever we go to a hotel with our youngsters, we pack a roll of painter's tape along with the rest of our overnight necessities. It is the perfect baby proofing tool that can be used in a number of places to protect your babies and toddlers, and it easily peels away when you are leaving, so you can be confident that every surface will go unharmed, both on your baby, and on the room!

Use #1 & 2: plug protector on an empty plug or, on a used one, it also makes it tamper proof.

Use #3: drawer lock.

Use #4: cupboard lock.

And it works!


Do you have any tips or tricks for travelling with youngsters?

Menu Plan Monday...

Okay.

So here's the deal.

Every week I come up with a menu plan fully thinking that I'm going to follow it exactly as written, and each week, things change. Unexpected errands or outings come up and I flake out on the menu. Then I feel like an unorganized loser.

But honestly.

My week can not revolve around a menu. The menu must revolve around my week.

So, I'm going to continue to plan a menu based on what I have in the house, but I'm only going to follow it when it's going to work in our schedule.

Cause really, life can't be planned, it has to happen.

Monday: Crock pot pork chops (scroll down for recipe), brown rice, steamed broccoli, Oreo pudding.

Tuesday: Tofu and veggie stir fry, rice, fruit.

Wednesday: Salmon cakes, brown rice, steamed veggies, fruit.

Thursday: Lazy girls pasta primavera (recipe coming on Thursday), salt and pepper crostini, fruit.

Friday: Errand day, getting take out at our fave Vietnamese place.

Saturday: Photo shoot and a meeting, supper out for mama and dada.

Sunday: Burgers on the grill, potato salad, fruit.

Crock pot pork chops


4 boneless center-cut pork chops
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp vinegar (I used cider vinegar)

Arrange chops in bottom of crock. Cover with onion slices. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over pork and onions. Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs or until tender.

Fix-it Friday...

Time for another Fix-It Friday from i ♥ faces!

This is the original...


And this is the one I adjusted in Photoshop with Totally Rad Actions. I used to work exclusively in Aperture and I am relatively new to TRA, so I have been experimenting with them a lot lately. I find that, although I love the ease of the basics, like cropping, straightening and vignetting in Aperture, using the TRA's in Photoshop is adding a whole new dimension to my photos that I have not been able to achieve before. The cropping was already perfect for my taste, so I left that alone. The actions I used were Grunge Rock at 70% to smooth everything a bit and add a touch of whimsy, Boutwells Magic Glasses to sharpen and pop, and then it needed just a touch more sun so I added Warm it up Kris at 30% ...


Have a great weekend all!

Exploring nature, one leaf at a time...

Nature walks are one of our favorite things to do as a family. Even before having children, my husband and I would pack up some snacks, hop in the car for a drive, and stop at any hiking trails that we stumbled across to get out, explore and enjoy nature. Now that we have two little ones, hiking has become a much more structured activity. We time our hikes between meals and naps, and we always end up at the same handful of trails that we know are safe, clean and maneuverable by stroller of wagon. And, you know what? Even structured, a day out on the hiking trails watching the little ones explore and touch everything around them just feels so magical. Like I'm the one seeing and feeling everything for the first time. It really is a breath of fresh air!
In fact, I think that this is how will be spending our afternoon tomorrow...

I ♥ faces {Easter}...

The contest this week at I ♥ faces is Spring and Easter! Enjoy!


And don't forget to head over to I ♥ faces to see all of the other awesome entries!