This past weekend I went out with some soccer friends to celebrate Kaitlyn's upcoming wedding. We started off the evening at the Superstore participating in a cooking class. The theme was "French Riviera Rapas." Here's Kaitlyn decked out in her new apron!
I was a bit surprised to discover that we weren't actually doing the cooking, but instead we watched chef Bruce do all the work. He was pretty funny and gave us some good tips.
Here are some pictures of the courses.
Appetizer: Vegetable tart- Excellent
Main Course: Stuffed chicken with mixed vegetables- Good (a bit plain to be honest!)
Dessert: Chocolate/Pumpkin cake- Yuck! (aka Epic Fail!)
It was a fun experience, but the food was a little disappointing for the amount we paid.
After dinner we headed back to Kristina's house for munchies, drinks and hot tubbing! It was a perfect end to the evening!
xo,
Meg
Yesterday we checked out another local festival and this time it was the annual Serbian Food Festival.
We knew nothing about Serbian food or culture so we thought we would give it a try. Can we say delicious?! I ordered a traditional Serbian hamburger which is made with a mixture of ground pork and beef. It came on a large yummy bun with cabbage and potato salads. Everything was good!
Dan ordered chevaps which are chunks of meat. His lunch came with all the trimmings that mine had. The meal came with 8 pieces and Nicholas ate almost 2 of them. He LOVED it!
What's a food festival without some sort of sugary treat? We took ours to go: 2 serbian donuts and 2 baklava. YUM!
Dan and I are impressed with how many food festivals we are discovering. It's a great way to try a variety of foods and hanging outside in the sunshine is always a bonus. I think we are turning into foodies!
xo,
Meg
Today we wanted to do something special as a family since Dan has been on holidays this week. We had a few ideas in mind including an overnight in Niagara Falls, a trip to the zoo and a day at the beach. None of these worked out for one reason or another. So after researching what we could do close to home and would be appropriate for Nicholas, we thought a picnic in Riverside Park and a visit to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory would be fun!
The weather cooperated for our picnic and other than some annoying and rather bold birds and squirrels we had a great time. Cold KFC is where it is at!
One of those bold birds pooped on me!
After our picnic, we went on to the butterfly conservatory. I was impressed that two butterflies landed on me! Nicholas clapped and waved at the all the birds and butterflies. Too cute!
What a great afternoon! We are all pooped!
xo,
Meg
Today we ventured to see the last two vans on our to-see list.
The first was the Kia Sedona. I liked it! It falls between the luxury vans (Honda & Toyota) and the Caravan. It has some nice features and the price tag is a little more reasonable. We would still prefer slightly used (2011 would be perfect) and so the very friendly salesman is going to get in touch once/if he finds some used ones. If we do go with the new one, there is a nice cash incentive since we don't plan on leasing or financing.
The second van we looked at was the Nissan Quest. There was only one van on the lot and it happened to be the fully loaded $50,000+ model. And to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. It seemed smaller and more cramped than all the other vans we have seen. The salesman was very honest that there were no cash incentives and they would not be getting anymore vans on the lot before the 2013 vans come out. Also, used ones are very hard to find. It's ok because it helps us narrow down the list.
The salesman from Toyota actually called us this evening to see if we had made any decisions. I told him that a brand new Sienna was never going to happen but he is going to let us know if any used ones come on the lot. He had some 2008's but that is too old for us.
We are hoping to buy a van by mid-August. We'll keep you posted on what we decide!
xo,
Meg
To follow the other van postings click here and here
This afternoon we went to the Kitchener Ribfest & Craft Beer Show. This is our third time going and I have to say that the ribs we tried today were the best we have had yet. Dan and I shared a half rack from Blazin BBQ. Yum! I actually chose them because we had never had them before and they had the shortest line! They proved that a long line doesn't necessarily mean better ribs. They were delicious!
We also tried many of the craft beers on tap. Dan bought enough tokens for each of us to have 14 small beers but that was way too much! Thankfully we sold the left over tokens to a random guy before we left. Below is a picture of the first beer I sampled. You get to keep the glasses which is kinda fun.
We also tried a few other yummy treats while we were there:
Salt & Vinegar Tornado Potato
BBQ'd Corn on the Cob
And ice cream of course!
We had a great time and Nicholas was so good. We can't wait until next year!
xo,
Meg
Day 3: We went to Toyoto to look at the Sienna. I loved it! It is my favourite so far. Dan says he likes the Honda still the best. They are very similar but I think the Sienna has a better body. LOL. All kidding aside, the trunk is so spacious, the seats are comfortable, it has all sorts of bells and whistles. Will we buy one? Only if we can find a used one. We know two people who have owned or are currently owning a Sienna and they love it. Good to know!
xo,
Meg
I'm looking for feedback on the Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey & Toyota Sienna. What are your experiences? Pros/cons? Anything you regret or would do differently if you were shopping again? Leave a comment!
We are shopping for a van. We don't NEED a van, but we need a 2nd vehicle so we are thinking long term. We are not done having kids and we like renovating so we need something bigger.
We have not taken any out for test drives yet. We want to narrow things down first.
Day 1: We looked at the Dodge Caravan. We saw one that was very basic, one in the middle and one with all the bells and whistles. They were all used (2011) and had low KM. They have everything we need at a great price. Are they fancy and luxurious? No. But this is a van people! Our last 3 vehicles have been an Infiniti G35 sedan (still have), Acura TL Type S (sniff, sniff) and an Infiniti G35 Coupe. We have high expectations when it comes to vehicles so we are trying to get back to our Grand Am mentality. RIP green machine.
A Caravan is a definite contender because it gives us the best bang for our buck.
We also looked at the Chrysler Town & Country. To put things in perspective, their base model is similar to the highest end Caravan. It upped the fancy factor, but also upped the price.
Definite contender? Not likely.
Day 2: We looked at the Honda Odyssey. This is in a completely separate class of vans. Their base model is still a luxury van. All leather interior, double width DVD player so that 2 kids can watch 2 different shows, nice finishings etc. It's comfortable and definitely the nicest van we have seen yet. But it comes with a HUGE price tag!
We also scoped out the 2012 CRV and I gotta say I was quite impressed. They have changed the lines of it and it is roomy. I don't think I am ruling out all SUVs just yet.
Odyssey as a Contender? Not likely, unless used.
We will likely hit up Toyota on Friday and then KIA next week. I'll keep you posted!
xo,
Meg
Since Dan plays soccer on Tuesdays, we often have pasta for dinner. Nicholas absolutely loves his pasta. We're so proud of our little Italian! He feeds himself, makes a total mess and then we put him directly into the bath. Tonight I even found ground beef in his diaper!
Biz Nonno would be proud :)
xo,
Meg
Nicholas just cut his 5th tooth. I didn't even notice it happening! This is unlike the first couple of teeth. When Nick got his first tooth (bottom right) he developed croup. He was literally barking like a seal. When he got his 2nd tooth (bottom left) he caught a bug and was throwing up and had diarrhea. That was rough. What I learned from our family doctor was that when babies are teething their immune systems are compromised and so they are more susceptible to illness.
Cutting his top teeth was rather uneventful but they sure have helped with eating! And now he is getting one more on the top (right side of the middle two).
I had to practically stand on my head to get these photos. You can't see the new tooth just yet as it is still small.
Many people have told me that the first two are the worst. That has been our experience. I may be singing a different tune when he is working on his molars!
xo,
Meg
I love organizing! And when it comes to baby clothes it is even more fun. Originally I put the clothes Nick had outgrown in diaper boxes because they were sturdy and free! But when I wanted to find something to lend out to a friend I had to remove the tape from the boxes and dig through everything. On my recent trip to Costco I saw 4 clear tote bins for around $15.00 so I bought two packs. Much better!
xo,
Meg
Does anyone else get emotional looking through baby clothes?!
Nicholas is 11 months old today!
It has been a quick 11 months! He has learned so much these past few weeks. He is extremely quick at getting up the stairs but really wants to go down them too. He has no idea how to do so safely! He has eaten so many new foods at daycare and loves everything! Hamburgers, quiche, pasta, meatballs you name it! His newest development is that he dances when there is music on. He literally wiggles his bum and bounces. We love watching him do this!!
Let's not rush this next month little man! Mama isn't ready to have a toddler!
xo,
Meg
Stay tuned for a complete monkey photo recap when Nicholas turns 1!
The theme for Nick's 1st Birthday party is dinosaurs. Here are a few things I have picked up for his special day.
Source List:
- Cupcake wrappers and toppers (Winners)
- 1st Birthday streamers and balloons (Zellers- during liquidation!)
- Birthday bib (Bonnie Togs)
- Cups and plates (from Melissa)
- Toy dinosaurs (Dollarama)
I can't wait to celebrate our baby turning one with family and friends. Stay tuned!
xo,
Meg
Nicholas is turning one next month! Ahh! I wanted to get him an activity table that he could cruise around and one that involved language and music. So naturally I surfed around on kijiji and found this:
Not only was it a good price ($15.00), the woman selling it lived 2 streets over! I think it was meant to be!
Happy early birthday buddy!
xo,
Meg
We have a deck! Again. Although the previous owner of our house claimed to be "handy" the pathetic excuse of a deck said otherwise. Although it looked big and impressive, it literally moved when you stepped in certain spots and boards were beginning to pop up.
The first step was ripping up the old boards. Dan was going to use the existing joists but was going to work with his Dad at making them much more secure.
Deck before:
We recruited the help of our friend Dan for the demolition of the deck. You'll notice a gazebo stand in the above picture. I listed it, along with 2 covers, on kijiji for free and had like 20 responses in a 5 minute span. Everyone likes free! It was not in good shape and one of the covers was ripped so I didn't care to make any money off of it.
What a happy demo crew!
Good-bye old deck!
After lots of hours and Dan suffering from a bit of dehydration, the new deck is mostly done. Thank-you to everyone who helped rip up boards (Dan B), pulled up nails (Mom C), drilled in boards (Tina), kept munchkins out of the way (Yay me!) and of course Dad C who made sure Dan was on the right track with absolutely everything. I think it looks great!
The deck is a bit smaller than the old one but is also square unlike the old wonky shape. Dan has started some posts since we clearly need a bit of privacy but that will be finished later. He already used a week of vacation on this!
After careful consideration, we decided to run the boards in two different directions. We saw it in a Home Depot ad and it looked quite good. You'll notice our deck box. That was another new addition this summer.
Who wants to come over for a beer on our new deck?!
xo
Meg
A few people have asked me what I plan on doing when Nicholas goes to daycare. Most mornings I go to the gym, shower, run errands, have a cup of tea in peace. In other words, I get everything done that is more difficult with him. Today though, I treated myself to what all Mamas need at least once a year. That's right. A pedicure.
xo,
Meg
I went to the gym this morning and had a good workout. After my workout, I decided I would have a massage in one of the chairs. About a minute in, I feel a sharp thing at the back of my neck. It felt like a clasp from a necklace but I didn't have a necklace on. I reached my hand back there, feel some sort of creeper crawler and then launched it across the gym. Ok I launched it a couple of feet. I then stopped the massage chair, grabbed my keys and sunglasses and took off to my car completely traumatized. I message Dan from the car and tell him my story and that "I think a big beetle bit me and it was probably poisonous." Dan shared in my horror and then, being Dan, researched that there are no known venomous beetles and that perhaps it was a cockroach. I did an image search of cockroaches and confirmed that what I launched off my back was definitely a cockroach. As I was trying to catch my breath from this awful experience, more messages popped up. "How far were you able to throw it?" "Did you tell someone at the gym that they may need to call an exterminator?" No Dan. I grabbed my stuff and did a mad dash. On the way home, a fly hit my windshield and I screamed. I think I am a tad bit on edge.
xo
Meg
Yesterday was our 3rd anniversary. Dan and I don't give gifts and cards to each other but we have our own tradition. Every year we try a new restaurant. For our 1st anniversary we went to Langdon Hall in Cambridge. For our 2nd anniversary we went to Romero's Restaurant in Guelph. For this anniversary, our 3rd, we went to Verses in Kitchener. It used to be a church as you can see in the following picture. Just beautiful!
I ordered a strawberry mango martini to start off the night. It was made with locally grown strawberries. Yum!
First we ordered a bottle of red wine- Zinfandel. This was a fitting choice since it was the same grape as our wedding wine.
For an appetizer, I ordered a baby spinach salad that had red onion, roasted pumpkin seeds, prosciutto, and freeze dried strawberries in it. It was delicious!
For my main meal, I ordered Guinea hen. It came with a bacon potato pancake, squash, rapini (yuck- Dan ate them) and a red pepper relish. It was so good. Dan actually liked my meal better than his. He ordered kangaroo. I'm not kidding.
For dessert we shared 3 scoops of ice cream. They have 8 on the menu and we chose (ok I chose) chocolate mint,
vanilla and white chocolate blueberry. The chocolate mint was my favourite of course! We also topped off the meal with an espresso and a specialty coffee. I took pictures of each course but they disappeared off my phone. That's technology for you.
When the bill arrived, the waiter brought a plate with two chocolate truffles. Written in chocolate syrup were the words Happy Anniversary! The perfect end to a perfect evening!
Here we are enjoying our meal. The photo was taken with my phone as the sun was setting. So ignore the poor quality!
Happy Anniversary Dan! Can't wait to see where we go next year!
xo
Meg
Nicholas went for his first day of daycare today. He went for a few hours in the morning. Although I am not heading back to work until September, getting a spot in a facility daycare is next to impossible. I had to take a July spot to ensure we got our first choice. When we first arrived, Nick was very clingy and he was literally hugging my leg. I realized that he wanted his bottle and after he chugged that, off he went to play with his new friends. I was thrilled to see that his pal, also named Nicholas, that he had met at the gym daycare, was also starting his first day today. They are destined to be life long friends. Did I mention that they are born a day apart? Too crazy! When we picked him up after lunch he almost cried he was so excited to see us. What a great feeling! He ate all of his lunch (broccoli quiche) and played well with the other kiddos.
We'll see what day two brings tomorrow. Let's face it. This is as much for me as it is for him!
Here's a never before seen picture of our little ham that never made it onto facebook.
xo,
Meg
