Cans For Comments

A few weeks back I was looking for co-hosts to help out with a fundraiser to support local food banks. 

Sadly, I didn't get as good of a response as I was hoping for BUT I had 2 wonderful bloggers volunteer.  So, on we go! 

From Friday December 7th to Saturday December 15th we will be partaking in the 1st Cans For Comments. 

My wonderful co-hosts are Liz from Funny Postpartum Lady and Dawn from Dawn's Disaster. 

Liz is co-hosting for the 7th-15th and has graciously agreed to donate 1 can for each comment she receives during that time and $1 for every new follower! 

Dawn will be joining us from the 13-15th, donating 10-cents per comment :o)

I will be donating 1 can for every comment and $1 for every 5 new followers. 

So make sure you come back and check us out during those 8 days. 

I'm also challenging all bloggers out there to participate for 1 day - any day you like.  You are welcome to set your goal at anything you like (cans, money, toys, your choice).  We will have a link-up open so come back and join us! 

Remember, it benefits your local food bank. 

If you would like to join in on the co-hosting gig, you can contact me here

Grab the button (copy and paste) if you wish to participate during Cans for comments.  Pass the word along, the more the merrier

4 Days Until Dash {2.0} Returns

I've been a little busy lately trying to get my Christmas shopping done (I'm about 70% there and may be able to finish by the 8th), working, dealing with Lynden's activities winding down (he's done with everything, so it's been a bit of negotiating) and waiting for Dash's return (Yes, 2.0.  The originally seems to have gone AWOL)

This last week my work schedule was a little off with a late night shopping event I worked (hence the lack of posts) and it was the week Lynden decided to have melt downs over everything.  Chores, preschool, skating, swimming, life...  It's been great.  Thankfully this week is his last swimming and he's only got 3 more skating lessons and then we're done for a bit. 

To end my busy week was my birthday - Danny spoiled me with a beautiful necklace (Lynden keeps asking me about his necklace, which I still LOVE).  My sister, her boyfriend, Danny and I went out for dinner followed by bowling, where we met up with a friend I haven't seen in 5 years!!  It was a lot of fun. 

Saturday night was my work Christmas party.  It's been a few years since I've been to one here and it was a Blast!  I think it's safe to say no one parties like HOK. 

It's hard to explain without working for the company.  There were awesome prizes, a cross dressing hypnosis act (which was beyond hilarious), "magic tricks" (that were even funnier since most of them failed... completely), dancing, limbo, and a few injuries during the race portion of the night. 

All of this seems totally normal to me. 

I was also given my 5 year gift, a pretty new watch, by my favourite person in the company (my manager from the Okanagan), who was very close to bringing me to tears.  At the end of his speech he told me he was hoping I was going to cry (I figure if I managed to not cry, in front of him, on my last shift with him I wasn't going to cry then either). 

It was a great weekend!!

Now we're into the final week of November and I am so excited for Dash's return on Friday.  We're also getting ready to set up for Christmas (Danny's agreed to a real tree this year!), all our holiday activities (Santa Parade, Christmas Train, looking at all the Christmas lights, ice skating outside, among a few things). 

Cans for Comments will be happening from December 7-15th (look for more details coming soon for those of you wanting to participate). 

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but it'll all be worth it when Dash arrives and we share his daily antics. 

Get Ready For Sweetness Overload

Last week Lynden had a preschool field trip to our local lapidary club. 

A) I didn't know we had one and B) I didn't even know what it was. 

For those of you joining me in the latter, a lapidary club is a place with rocks, stones, and some fossils. 

I didn't take Lynden to this field trip - Danny's off on Thursdays and I can't drive stick so he took Lynden.  I also think it was good for Danny to go on a field trip with him, more so since there seems to be an issue with other kid in his class (of course this kid didn't go on the field trip so Danny couldn't see what was going on - yes, we're going to talk to his teachers about it). 

But... onto the sweetness factor.

Lynden came home with presents!!!  He made Alyssa and I wait upstairs so he could bring them up and surprise us. 

He brought Alyssa this:

I'm Becoming One Of "Those" Parents

Before I had kids, and even after, I was (and am) boggled at some of the reactions some parents have to "normal" things. 

Like being upset Sesame Street is called Sesame Street, because it encourages playing in the street or some such nonsense (I grew up watching it and not once did I think "hey, I'll go play on the road"). 

Or how about losing it at little Johnny's little league game - it's a bunch of kids, it's not like they're playing for money... are they?  If so, we need to get Lynden enrolled stat! 

I think kids need to be exposed to real life events; granted I'm not talking to Lynden about the circle of life or anything, but I feel they need to know enough so they're not shell shocked when something happens and we're not there.  (It's a fine line between educating and scaring the crap out of your kids)

However, there has to be a line and this week I found it. 

Lynden was watching Cars cartoons and track reviews on Youtube (Yes, track reviews. He loves watching people play with their tracks, or even a video of someone playing a racing game on their computer. He once sat through a 20 minute video on the selection process for Motor Cross Trends Car of the Year) when this ad came on:

Chores & Allowance

I've been toying with the idea of giving Lynden chores, but I kept going back and forth.  There were things he could do (like help unload the dishwasher, put away toys, etc) but did I really want to "force" him to do these things?  Could I make him do it?

 

Doesn't help when you see some nice chore charts on Pinterest.

 

Then, at the beginning of the month, I found a pretty good deal on a Doug & Melissa Chore Chart and decided it was a sign and it was time for Lynden to have some responsibilities around the house. 

 

Thankfully the chore chart came with a lot of options, some of which were appropriate to Lynden's age. 

Dear Husband

Dear Husband,

I love you, I hope you know that.  It's sweet that you remember my favourite Halloween candy is Rockets, I appreciate you trying to keep the bedroom and downstairs clean since I finally donated half of what was stored in there, I'm grateful that you do stop at the grocery store when I ask you to and put up with my quirkiness with grocery shopping. 

I think you are an amazing father.  I love that you spent Friday having a "Daddy-Son Day" by taking Lynden on the Skytrain and Sea Bus, bought his a new old firetruck, let him play, got him comics, and told him stories about when mommy and daddy first met.  I adore that you are so in love with our kids and marvel, constantly, at how amazing they are. 

I am lucky to have you in my life.



So, let's talk about the dishwasher.

Pinteresting - Rainy Days

One thing about the Coast is we get rain, and Lots of it!  Our joke is "if you can't see the mountains it means it's raining, if you can see the mountains it means it's going to rain". 

Cabin fever has already started to settle in our household so I turned to good ol' Pinterest for ideas to help with these rainy days. 

Dinosaur Feet

Gone Fishing

Catapulting Fun
Would be good with marshmallows
 

Glow in the Dark Xylophone

Target Practice

Fire Breathing Dragon
Could go with dinosaur feet

Dinosaur Mask
We could have a full dinosaur costumer

Jellyfish in a bottle
SO cool

Baking soda and coloured vinegar

Pinecone Birds

Zoom Crayons
Alyssa would Love this

Now I need to get to the dollar store to get some supplies.  Hopefully my kids will like some of these ideas and others I have or else it's going to be a loooooong fall/winter. 

What crafts or activities do you like to do with your kids?





*****************************************************************************

I'm looking for co-hosts on a link-up/blog hop that will help your local food bank.  If you're interested check out the information here

Looking For Co-Hosts

Last year my friend and blogger, Amber, did a wonderful fundraiser for the local food bank and I am going to steal borrow her idea. 

She called it "Cans for Comments". 

For a designated period every comment she received she would donate a can of food to the food bank. 

I would like to do it as a link up/blog hop starting around American Thanksgiving (Nov 22) until just before Christmas.  Ideally, I'd like to have different hosting bloggers for a designated time (a week or 2) so we can keep the donations going for almost a month. 

I do have a more detailed idea, which I will happily share (and take comments on) with anyone interested in joining me.  So, if you are interested in co-hosting please contact me here or email me at bluepens_30{at}hotmail{dot}com. 

Dash's 2011 Visit

Last year we introduced a new tradition into our family; Dash, our Elf on the Shelf. 

Growing up Christmas was a magical event and I wanted to be able to pass along that same magical feeling to my kids.  When I found out about Elf on the Shelf I knew it was something I had to do. 

As we wait for another visit from our favourite elf I thought I would recap last years visit.


Day 1: Dash arrived from the North Pole.  That night Dash decided we needed to put up some decorations, poor fellow got tangled up putting them up. 

Day 2: Brought Lynden Candyland, even challenged some of the other stuffies to a game.

Day 3 & 4: Dash surprised us by coming along on our trip to the Island.  This included elf-tricks and a skiing accident. 

Day 5:  After we got home he got to work at re-assembling Lynden's train table. 

Day 6: Apparently elves use Canadian chocolate coins as their currency. 

Day 7: Dash enjoyed our tree and was found reading a new copy of "The Night Before Christmas" under it. 

Day 8: Dash put his toy fixing stills to use. 

Day 9-11: We woke to some re-decorating of our tree. 

Day 12: A video from Santa

Day 13: Elves have to go.

Day 14: Dash brought us a Christmas movie  (An added bonus of "Behind the Magic" - what goes on each night)

Day 15-17: Dash had a busy weekend: waiting for Santa, a snowball fight, and some more decorating.

Day 18: Fishing, elf style!

Day 19: Dash created a winter-wonder-land

Day 20: What a better way to wake up - cupcakes!

Day 21: On the second to last day Dash wrapped some "gifts" - I think he realized chocolate coins don't get him very far. 

Day 22: Dash spoiled us on his final morning.  Christmas shaped pancakes. 


It was a lot of fun having Dash with us for the month of December and it was sad to see him go home on Christmas Eve; but we cannot wait for his return! 

Resolution Update: October

I think my month long meal planning served me well.  I ended the month with about 6 or so meals we didn't use (they carried over to November).  However, I ended up throwing out more food than I would have thought.  I did do a deep clean of the fridge, which I managed to find some old tupperwares. 


Food We Tossed:

3 mini blueberry muffins = $0.40
1/4 container of cruellers = $0.75
fridge clean out #1 = $3.12
strawberries = $0.98
pancake batter (too much salt) = $0.64
5 hot dog buns = $0.83
4 peppers = $2.99
1 orange = $0.11
2 pieces of garlic toast = $0.50
whole cantoloupe = $1.24
Fridge clean out #2 = $7.21 ($4 of which was chinese food)
shallots = $1.99


Monthly Amount:

$20.76

Highest it's been in months.  The 2 fridge clean outs, peppers, shallots, and cantolope were the big items this month.  Not impressed with this total. 

Year to Date:

Halloween

Halloween was wet, but good. 

This past weekend we carved and painted pumpkins.  Yes, painted.  When Lynden was two I wasn't sure what to do with him since he could not carve a pumpkin, so I let him paint it.  It worked and we had fun doing it. 

This year I decided Alyssa was old enough to paint hers and she LOVED it.  That girl is going to be crafty, thank goodness.  And we had an extra pumpkin from Lynden\s pumpkin patch field trip so I let him paint one too.

What am I suppose to do?

 

ohhh...

 

this is fun!

 

my art-ists

 

we have paint

finished painted pumpkins

Then my sisters gutted the pumpkins (and made wonderful pumpkin seeds) and I stenciled and carved the rest (except my youngest sister's pumpkin, she carved hers and it looked Great!)

 

Lynden took this picture of Aunty

kids and pumpkins

"all lighted up" as Lynden would say

Lynden's eek

Mommy's little darlings

Daddy's spooky pumpkins

 We went to the mall to do some indoor trick or treating and then after dinner we went door to door in my grandparents' complex.  I think the kids had more fun handing out candy. 

Fireman Lynden

Witchy Alyssa

We had a good day, even with the rain.