Sickness

This week has taken a toll on our family! With a teething baby, sick 3 year old, and now a sick mommy, things have been a little stalled! I am hoping to get back with the program this week, but cannot guarantee anything, as I have just come down with whatever it is today.

Here's to hoping we all get better soon!!

Transformation Thursday: New Blog Name

Aaaaahhhhh.........in my bed, computer on my lap at last! Today has been one of excitement, spent with a friend expecting a little bundle, hopefully, very soon! Last night however, has me exhausted...my little miss was up every hour and a half or so with a stuffy nose, making it hard for her (and mommy, AND little man because we were all in one room at Grandma's house) to sleep.

This post almost didn't happen today at all, simply because I had no time to do any sort of transformation, however, hubby came to my rescue yet again! He reminded me that I have changed the name of my blog...well, not exactly, but that I have bought my own domain name. BRILLIANT! Not exactly the kind of transformation I usually post up, but one nonetheless. So, if you have not already noticed, the new blog name is  www.multifacetmom.com

I will also be changing the way I write my posts very soon. I am not speaking in terms of content or anything like that, but by means of a different editor. I was reading a blog post about starting a basic blog and another about writing awesome posts with LiveWriter.

I will admit, that my transformation in blog name did not happen today, however, due to lack of sleep and time, and even mental ability today, this is what it is for today's post.

I do hope that your transformations were easier to come by than mine this week! I look forward to hearing what everyone did!

Until next transformation.....

Tastebud Tuesday: Pumpkin Bake (baby food)

So I was going through my recipe books, which I haven't done in awhile! I found my book "365 Foods Kids Love to Eat". As I was browsing through the categories, I came across the baby food section. This is a big deal for me, cause I'm tired of giving my 22lb 6 month old son the same boring veggies and fruit all the time! Plus it gets boring cooking the same things all the time! So I was very excited to see this section, and this recipe was the first "different" one I found!

I have not yet tried this recipe, but do hope to within the next week or so. I just thought I would spin it up a little here on Tastebud Tuesday, and hopefully inspire some moms with infants to try something new with their baby's food! So, that aside, let's get cooking!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbsp. wheat germ


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a small ovenproof dish. Combine pumpkin and cheese and place in dish. Sprinkle wheat germ over the top and bake in oven for 10 min.


Please don't forget oven times may vary depending upon your specific oven!
I would really appreciate any feedback about this recipe if you try it or have tried it! I will let you know how it turns out for me when I get around to getting the ingredients for this one!

See ya next week!

Mommy's Favourite Monday: Stain Remover

Well, Monday has arrived, and almost gone already!!! Sorry for getting this up so late. We were crazy busy today with house work and baby's 6 month checkup.....needle (didn't even make a peep!) and found out we have a 22 lb chunk-a-munk! Oh, I could just kiss his cheeks all day long!!!!

Anyways.....today is Mommy's Favourite - Stain Remover. As a mom with, now, two children, it is essential to have a stain remover on hand. Baby spit up, popsicle dribbles, chocolate, grass, mud....you name, it will wind up on your child's clothing, but, stain remover....ah the victorious hero over stains! Honestly, I think I have tried just about every stain remover out there, except maybe the newer ones that have come out since I found my favourite. My mom shared this one with me, and I thought, no way, a bar, for stain removal, not happening! However, I stepped back and realized my mom had a few more years experience with these things, so I thought I would try it. What is it, you ask?

Sunlight Pure Soap

Sunlight Pure Soap! LOVE IT! It comes in a two pack of bar soap. It's fresh, lemony scent doesn't make you want to gag every time you use it either.

The thing I love the most about this stain remover, is that, if you don't get right to that stain, it is actually still quite effective at removing it. Usually I am pretty good at getting to the stain right away, in which case I take the item with the stain, wet it with COLD water, and rub the bar directly onto the stain on both sides. I rub it in well and sometimes apply a little more on each side. Often I let it sit overnight as well, sometimes a couple days until I get around to the laundry, and every time the stain is gone after laundering. There are times though, that I don't get right to that stain, sometimes it will be a couple days, and I remember "oh yeah, I threw that stained shirt in the laundry tub, oops, better get at that", and I go through the same procedure as stated above, and almost every single time the stain is gone after laundering. There was one time that I was trying to remove grape juice, I think, and I didn't get to it for a day, that one didn't come out completely, but it was definitely enough that is was not a write off.

I was also reading somewhere that it can be used on hard surfaces as well, haven't tried that, and not sure if I will, I have another favourite for hard surfaces, which we will explore at another time!

So, there you have it, my favourite stain remover, Sunlight Pure Soap. What's yours?

A New Me (and Series) Starting Monday

I am such an unorganized, kinda messy, sometimes lazy, scatterbrained, procrastinating person. It really is awful trying to get anything done because nothing in my mind gets done through my actions. I start putting something away, find something that belongs somewhere else, and then start doing stuff in that room. Before I know it, half the day is gone, I've been super busy and have accomplished nothing. Nothing is in it's place, because it doesn't have a place. Also, lately, it feels as if my DD 4 always wants me to play with her, and I wind up telling her "mommy's too busy right now" and I still don't get what I was trying to do done! Now, please don't get me wrong, I don't neglect my DD, we have mommy/daughter time every single night when DS 6 months goes to sleep, BUT, I do wish I would stop being quite as selfish, and give her the extra time she craves and deserves!........ WHEW!...... I have made the first step towards recovering....admitting I have a problem! Now, to move forward.....

So, this past week I have rediscovered FlyLady, and I am hooked! I tried it once before, but could not handle that she wanted me to do everything in "babysteps". Little did I realize, that is why I never got anything done, I was to busy trying to do everything at once that nothing got finished, and by the end of it all, I had a bigger mess than I started with! Talk about frustrating. Alas, I have decided I would give the program another go, and get busy getting my house decluttered, and to a constant state of cleanliness so that seasonal cleaning never needs to be done!!!! Plus, I will still be getting my housework done, AND be making time for DD to play whenever she wants! I don't want to be too busy for her, she will only be small once, and I want her memories to be of a mommy who took that extra time to make her feel special! *tears are starting ~ Ok, Teresa, keep it together, you are working to make things different!!* Sorry, just needed a little pep talk so as to keep myself from falling apart!!

That aside, I look forward to starting fresh, taking a new outlook on life, making a difference in the organization in my home AND life.  Lowering my stress factor will be one of  the benefits my family and I will reap.


Ok, now we're going to left field, as my husband would say, and on to a different topic...

I would also like to take this time to introduce yet another series I have just thought up today. Starting Monday, I would like to introduce "Mommy's Favourite Monday". Now, I know what you're thinking! "What, favourite Monday, that's absurd, there is no such thing as a favourite Monday, well, except maybe a holiday Monday!" But, wait, this will be a series where can you can actually look forward to Monday! The premise is this. I will pick a topic.... say....laundry detergent...and I will tell you my favourite and why. Then, as a help to others, I want you to leave a comment telling me your favourite and why. I think this will be a great way to do "mini-reviews" and to introduce other moms to different products they may not have heard of or tried.

I would also like to know if there is a certain topic you would like covered, to see what others think about it. If so please send me an e-mail @     clairesmama@gmail.com.    I look forward to getting some feedback so we can make Monday a day to look forward to!

This first Monday, I will be covering my favourite stain remover. So, grab your thinking cap, your stain remover, and get ready to tell me why it's the best! I look forward to hearing what you have found to be the best! See you Monday!

Transformation Thursday: Aiden's Room

This week, I have been working on cleaning up my house. Finding clutter everywhere is seems to be how it goes here! The worst room, I find, for clutter and just putting things wherever, is the baby's room. I don't know what it is, maybe the fact that he doesn't really "use" his room yet, I don't know!

Anyways...there was a bit of clutter there this week, so that is what I am using as my transformation this week. Here is the before:

 

This is how it looks now:

Isn't it amazing how when we declutter just a small amount the results are huge?!?! I LOVE that feeling!

So, what did you do this week to make a transformation in some area of your life/home?

Review and Giveaway: 60 Quick and Easy Science Experiments with Everyday Items

I have, yet again, been given a wonderful opportunity to review another great resource for my venture into homeschooling. This e-book can be used for more than just homeschooling, it can be used just for fun as well! Not only was I offered this great opportunity, but the author of 60 Quick and Easy Science Experiments with Everyday Items wants to share the wealth by giving away a copy of the e-book to one of my lucky readers! Yay! Please keep reading to find out how you could win a copy for yourself.

Touch of Home Learning has a very exciting e-book available! 60 Quick and Easy Science Experiments with Everyday Items is a great way to get your children involved in very easy and child-friendly experiments. Most of the experiments allow the child to have hands-on learning. The best part about this e-book, is that for all of the experiments, you probably have most of the items at home already, and if you don't you can easily purchase them from a local retail store. They even give a tip on how to get one of the chemicals needed from disposable diapers!!! How cool is that!? Another great thing about the e-book, is that they give you discussions to have about the experiment with the child and questions to ask to get them thinking about what will/might happen.

Tonight Claire and I rolled up our sleeves and got into two of the experiments from 2 of 12 different themes. We chose from "Bubbles" and "Messy Eewey, Gooey". The first one we did was called "Bubble Shakers". These are the items needed for the experiment (including the child!!):

Water bottle with 1/3 of the water removed, dish soap and food colouring.
For this experiment we had to add some food colouring and dish soap to the water, and shake it up. Here is how the rest of the experiment panned out......

 

 The questions here were, "what will happen when we add soap?" and "what will happen when we shake it up?" Claire was so excited about this experiment, that we had to do it in a different color as well!

The next experiment we did was "Goo". I just love the name of this one! Claire was a little hesitant as she is not a fan of getting her hands dirty, but she saw how enthralled I was with it that she couldn't help but get her hands in there!!! For this experiment we had to use the following items:
Box of cornstarch, water, pitcher, bowl and a spoon.

 

This one was a bit of a longer process, as we added cornstarch and water, mix, added cornstarch and water, mix....for a total of four times, using 1/4 of the box each time. As we mixed each time it got a little bit easier, but was pretty difficult for the hands of an almost four year old, so mommy had to take over, but she did try. 

When she finally got her hands in there after the mixing, we found that even though it looked like liquid, it did not splash when we slapped it with our hands, when we picked it up in our hands it felt like a solid, but when we opened up our hands, it just flowed down like liquid. She could not get over it!!

 

So, overall, this e-book is fantastic! I would highly recommend it for parents who are homeschooling children from the ages of 3-7, or for parents who just want to spend some fun time learning with their children, just because. The experiments are fun and easy, and, from what I saw today, totally amazing to the child! I will also say this, I think I played in the goo longer than Claire did, yep, it was that cool, and I am looking forward to doing more of the experiments!

DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of this e-book to conduct a review. However, receiving a free copy, in no way affected my review. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinion, based on what I experienced.

To enter for your chance to win a FREE COPY of 60 Quick and Easy Science Experiments with Everyday Items:  

MANDATORY ENTRY: 

Go to the Touch of Home Learning website located  HERE come back and leave a comment ON THIS POST about something interesting you found on their website AND your e-mail address. (1 entry)

BONUS ENTRIES: (must do mandatory entry first, then leave a separate comment for each bonus entry)

1. Follow my  blog and leave a comment on this post saying "done"  (If you already follow, leave a comment saying "follower already") (1 entry)

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you want your own copy (1 entry) 

3. Follow the Touch of Home Learning blog located HERE  (1 entry)

4. Tweet this post  (1 entry for one comment, each day for duration of contest, additional comments will be disqualified)

THIS CONTEST WILL RUN FROM 02/03/11  - 02/10/11. The winner will be drawn using the random number generator in the sidebar on my blog page and will be contacted through the e-mail address provided in the mandatory entry.

Weekly Review: Stepping Stones Together

I am so excited that I have been given the privilege to review an incredible reading program called Stepping Stones Together  developed by Dr. Erika Burton. This opportunity could not have come at a better time, as now is the time I am starting Claire's preschool learning at home, and have been searching for resources. Let me tell you, this is one resource I am very excited about having!

Stepping Stones Together is a program designed to help children ages 3-7 learn how to read. Once you have signed up for your subscription ,  you will receive immediate access to the program and all it has to offer. We chose the one year subscription so that Claire could move along at her own pace.

I was thoroughly impressed to see the wonderful selection of themes to choose from (animals, fairies, princesses, sports, transportation, superheros). Of course, Claire, being the girlie girl that she is, chose princesses to start with. She chose the title that she wanted to do first (it is recommended that the child choose the story), Alexis The Kind Princess.

We opened it up, and Claire was extremely impressed to see that her name was on the "cover" of the story! We then downloaded the PDF format and printed out the booklet and  flash cards that go along with the story.

Claire and I sat down together this past week and started into her book. We read the title, browsed the pictures, and just got a feel for the story. I read it through once for her. Next, it was Claire's turn. She "read" it through (following along with her finger), easily the first time. The sentences are repetitive, and the pictures give clues, which made it very easy for her grasp. We did the story writing prompts verbally for this first one, instead of drawing a picture or writing. We also went over the reading comprehension questions, which I love, and have been doing myself even before starting this program, to help her make the reading come alive, and use her critical thinking skills.

We have finished this book now, having gone through it twice, but Claire still wants to read it, she LOVES it! Just today she said to me "Mommy, my book has the word 'I' in it."! I knew at that moment, that this program is definitely worth having! To be honest, had it not been for this program, I don't know when I would have actually started teaching her how to read!

Just tonight, we have started on our second book, which again, she chose. This one was a little more difficult for her, and may require a little extra time, but I am confidant, with 20 min. of special snuggle and reading time, it will get easier as we move through each book.

We will also be using the flash cards, which contain frequently used sight words, in the program to play matching games, and other activities that help with reading as well.

I would also like to mention that since starting this program, Claire has an intense desire to learn how to write, so that she can write her own stories just like her books.

Check back next week to see how we are progressing!

DISCLAIMER: I received a one year subscription at 50% off the regular price for the purpose of conducting these reviews. However, all opinions expressed are solely my own and honest, and are not swayed by the discounted price.

Tastebud Tuesday: Barbecue Chicken Pizza

This recipe is a combined recipe. The dough recipe was given by a PSW acquaintance I have, and the topping combo is a recipe I learned from working at Kelsey's, it is not exactly the same, because I didn't like it exactly the way it was made there.

Dough:

1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil - I always use extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup flour



Toppings: Amounts all based on personal preference

Bbq sauce - I really like Bullseye Honey Garlic Bonanza, it has awesome flavour for this pizza
Mild wing sauce
diced green onions
sauteed sweet onions - sautee in garlic butter until soft and slightly brown
bacon, cooked and broken into pieces - try baking it in the oven about 7 min. per side
chicken breast, grilled and diced
grated cheddar and mozzarella cheeses


Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix water and sugar, sprinkle with yeast - let stand 10 min. Stir in salt, oil, and 3/4 cup flour, once combined, stir in the rest of the flour. Knead until smooth. Grease pan. Wrap dough in saran wrap for 15 min. Press in pizza pan. Spread desired amount of both bbq and wing sauces to about 1/2 inch from the edge of dough. Top with some cheese, then spread all other toppings around, followed by more cheese on top. Bake 20-25 min.

Please remember that oven temperatures vary! There are times when even in my own oven, I have had to adjust cook time, mostly because I never measure my toppings!

Why not make pizza night a little cheaper and even more family friendly by having everyone pitch in and make your own!!! There is such delight in watching children make their own pizza!

Try it out and let me know what you think!