October Update

Living simply. I thought I had a good idea what that looked like. I thought I was putting it (somewhat) into practice. I didn't want to get caught up in society's consumerism. I wanted to be generous. But then, this happened.
Then this.
Then a group of women started to meet and discuss what we could do to foster simplicity, peace, generosity. We wanted to do more for AIDS orphans.
Then this happened.
Ziploc bags with cash? Nothing new? Only having 100 things? Let me share what's been happening with the Smith's.

A friend shared an article with me about a movement called "The Compact". This group started in San Francisco in 2006, and the word has spread. These people were fed up with consumerism and waste, and decided to not buy anything new for a whole year. Well, that was 6 years ago and they are still going strong. I began to wonder if I could do that. I'm not a great shopper, and thrift stores around me are mainly of the Value Village variety, but I decided to be very mindful of my shopping habits. If I could find something used, I would buy it over buying new. Which then led to...

The Hole in our Gospel. You can read about that here. A friend who read this post then reached out and asked if a few gals would like to get together to talk about this and applying it to our lives. I was on board right away. I knew we needed to start to live simpler lives. We weren't living beyond our means, accumulating debt. But we were spending more than we needed to be spending. And I knew if we could pare down our monthly budget, we could give more money away. And that is what we have done. Month one, under our belts. We had Ziploc bags labelled for our different budget lines (groceries, entertainment, household, etc.) filled with the cash we were willing to spend. Once the cash was gone, it was gone. We spent about $1500 less than we normally would, by trimming our budget everywhere (groceries, entertainment, investments, etc.). And do you know what? We survived - even with hosting Thanksgiving and Ben eating at home for 3 full weeks, we did it. We said no to some things. We said some things would have to wait. We had great conversations about stuff, needs, and wants. I was eagerly looking ahead to see what was next.

Precious Clement was next, our newest sponsored child. Ro picked her because she was a girl and "girls don't have as many opportunities to go to school", she was Ro's age, and Ro "liked her dress" in the photo. We are thrilled to have another sponsored child from Mposa, Malawi! Then, One Roof.

One Roof was an amazing time of celebration put on by our church, The Meeting House. Thousands gathered at The Powerade Centre in Brampton to sing, dance, and learn of our new mission. It is broken into 3 parts - care, invite, grow. Invite and care really resonated with me. We are aiming to relationally invest $5 million in local and global compassion initiatives. That's what church is to me - living out Jesus' love. What better way than to redistribute some of our wealth!

Then, the same friend who shared about "The Compact", sent me a link to the 100 thing challenge. Phew! The basic gist is you par your belongings down to 100 things. Let's face it. For some of us,  what fills are house are items that aren't required. Testimonials include being more joyful, more thoughtful, and FREE - free from the pull of stuff, free from society's pull to spend, spend, spend. I started by counting how many things I had. I grouped several things together: underwear, socks, and bras (counted as 1 item), make up, face care, bike gear, hair care, books, and hair accessories (6 items). And yes, each piece of jewelry, each article of clothing, each pair of shoes, was counted individually. I ended up at 155, after paring it down from about 180 (I can't remember exactly). Today I went through the girls' items and Vi is sitting around 115 and Ro is around 200. That didn't include the roughly 40 things they hold in common (toy kitchen, dishes, food items, blocks, etc.). Some grouping of items happened with them also. I can't wait to go over the results with them tomorrow and talk about how much we have and how little our sponsored children have (as a comparison) - another great example of "needs" and "wants". I can't wait to see what they choose to give up/give away. What blows my mind is some people count household items in their list too (like bed, pictures, individual books, kitchen table, cars, etc.). We have a long way to go. :)

Next in line is to simplify our family's schedule (I overextended us as I thought Ro was going to be home schooled). Our one commitment wraps up in 3 weeks, the other 3 wrap up the first week of December, and 2 are ongoing but manageable. We are not enrolling the girls in any sports or activities for the winter session. Hear is all sigh a collective sigh of relief...... 

I am so thankful for the lessons that I have been learning. I may be learning these lessons later in life, but I'm so excited to foster a counter-cultural spirit in my daughters so that they are unabashedly generous, loving, compassionate, and difference-makers. 

I'd love to hear what others are doing to simplify. 

Here's to freedom and generosity,
Tam

green and clean

The move to clean up our eating by the Smith clan has been long overdue. Last week when I ended up researching curly hair, I had actually started out the evening by researching healthy eating. Here is my disclaimer: I wasn't looking to become vegetarian and the changes needed to be kid-friendly. If you were to ask me if our family eats healthy, I would have said most of the time. Meals are made by moi (unless we go out to a restaurant), we choose whole grain over white, we don't eat dessert all the time, our breakfasts consist of homemade granola or homemade pancakes (oats, spelt flour), we strive to eat all the food groups in accordance with recommendations. That being said, we had room to improve. I knew we could be eating more fruits and veggies, and, the thing I am most guilty of, I knew we could be eating a better variety of things. One of my survival tactics has been to eat generally the same breakfast (as mentioned)/lunch (carrots, cuc, a form of grain, a form of fruit). Dinner was the ticket to variety.

The first thing that came to my attention was the need to increase our fruits and vegetables. The easiest way I could see to do this was by drinking a green smoothie. I have always loved smoothies, but have never stayed on the bandwagon for long. However, after all the different variations I found, I thought we should give these a try. And Ben was on board (phew). The first one we tried was called "Everything Green Smoothie" (go big or go home, right?). Here it is in our blender. And guess what? It was delicious!! Who knew kale, spinach, chard, cuc, apple, banana, flax, almond milk, and ice would be sooooo delish?? We have tried two other smoothie recipes (a toddler friendly one which I changed around a little which was the most disgusting, and a chocolately chocolate green smoothie), and this one has remained our fave (I pinned it on pinterest too).

Everything Green Smoothie

Since last Sunday, Ben and I have had a green smoothie every morning. The girls have tried each one, but haven't really gotten on board. It is important to model healthy eating and talk about it. They might come around one day.

The next thing I discovered was our reliance on wheat and wheat products. Who doesn't love cookies, crackers, and freshly baked bread?? I wanted to cut down on our wheat consumption, not go totally gluten-free.

And protein? We got most of our protein from meat. This was going to change. Ben asked if we were becoming vegetarians. Remember that Big Green Egg? The smoker/griller that Ben loves to use? I laughed and told him no. I just wanted to decrease our intake of animal products.

Last, but not least, is the topic of sugar. I am married to a man who LOVES chocolate, and Ro has adopted that sweet tooth. I have a little experience with avoiding sugar (I was off it for 1 year before I had Ro - had to bring my yeast levels down and my good bacteria levels up) and it can be done. I relied on maple syrup and honey. But already, I have used something called agave nectar (or syrup) in smoothies and the chocolate pudding (see below). So far, we likey.

The biggest lesson I have learned through the research process is the need to be really intentional about what we eat. Yes people, this means planning and be organized. Now, for those of you who know me, this isn't a huge stretch (hee hee). I thrive on this stuff! We have been eating black bean soup, chicken teriyaki (with homemade teryaki sauce and kamut and vegetable pasta), squash and apple quinoa, barley with beans and avocado, veggie guacamole, veggies and hummus, and chocolate pudding. Chocolate pudding??!! You betcha!

Chocolate pudding - amazing!!

My hubby is a pretty particular guy. This, at times, has frustrated me, but I love the fact that he will try everything (he just make not like it - and he will tell you). So, one night this week, I told him I had made chocolate pudding and that he had to try just a teensy bit (even though he has given up chocolate for Lent). Ben tried it ... and he really liked this pudding!! And guess what? It is made with avocado!!?? Really and truly it is! And it is delicious and you can't even tell. You must try this recipe. Now.

So far, I have had a lot of fun coming up with things for us to eat. The kids are enjoying everything (I have really good eaters) as am I. The challenge has been to keep everything dairy-free for Vi, but so far, so good. I found a product called "Earth Balance Buttery Spread" and it is going to be our butter substitue in baking, etc. I'll keep you posted as to how this works out. :)

And, to save you from asking, this changes aren't just from a health standpoint. Yes, we are very concerned with the chemicals being added to our food (check this out on canola oil). Yes, I want to protect my girls (and us). But I also want to start living in a more responsible manner, cognizant of our food supply, transporting goods, farming practices, affects on the environment, etc. Guess you can't take the farm out of a farm girl, huh? The changes are also rooted in a spiritual viewpoint also. Our bodies are temples for God. We should really start to treat them as such.

Well, there is another recipe I want to try out tonight, so I better run. Here's to eating green and clean,
Tam

the dress decision

Most moms I know love it when their kid looks über cute. Don't deny it - you know you do. And I feel comfortable posting something like this because (I hope) you all know that I value what is inside WAY above and beyond the outside - you know, the fact that the beauty within is way more important than the beauty without ... on the outside.

Last year, Ben and I bought Ro a "fancy" dress for her to wear on her birthday (December 3), for Christmas functions, etc. I have to confess, it was a spur of the moment purchase. I was in Winners, saw this adorable dress, and bought it. Ro LOVED it, and she is still wearing it, 1 year later (though it falls mid-thigh now - a little risqué by my standards). After seeing how much usage she got out of her one fancy dress, we decided to do it again this year. However, saying yes to the dress has proven to be more difficult.

SIDE NOTE: I have purposely not included Ro in the adventure of finding the dress. Right now, the sparkliest contender would win. :S

My plan was to buy her dress at The One of a Kind Show from a Canadian company called Redfish Kids Clothing. If I didn't live with a boo-jwaa (imagine Tar-jaa for Target, this is for budget) I would buy a lot of stuff from them. But my plans to attend this year were trumped by better plans (relaxing with my fam, putting up our Christmas tree, not paying $12 to get in and $13 for parking before I buy a single thing) so I thought I would shop the old-fashioned way. I bought dresses at Winners (yes, plural), Bonnie Togs, and the Superstore (just for you, Julianne), but none of them felt like they were "the dress". Yes, they were cute, but some were too season-specific (Christmas), some looked too mature, some overused the sparkles (I'm guessing my almost four year old would disagree). I then looked online at Old Navy and Gap (another confession - yes, two in one blog - I love babyGap. Their designers do a bang-up job designing SUCH CUTE clothes. We have been able to take advantage of the fact that Ro still fits into their toddler age 5 clothes) and of course, babyGap came to the dress rescue.

I went to Square One today (okay, you can stop laughing at me). I hadn't heard that Black Friday was coming to Canada. After struggling to find a parking spot, I then entered the zoo, walked into babyGap and laughed. The line to cash out took up half the store, and their were clothes everywhere. Well, Vi and I weren't in any rush, so we made our way to the fancy dress section, picked 3 with matching shrug cardigans, and joined the line to pay for our purchases. 35 minutes later, we left the store. The kind woman ahead of me in line not only held my purchases, but let me ahead of her when we got to the front (did I mention there were only 2 cashiers working...and people were deciding at the cash if the savings warranted their purchases?).

So, after 2 days of shopping, and 7 dresses later (that is exactly 6 more dresses than it took me to find my wedding dress), we have narrowed the field. Here are the contenders:

Ro likes dress 1:

I like dress 2:

Ben likes dress 3:

Disclaimers:
Both Ben and I like dress 2 and 3 and have no problem with the other.
We both don't like dress 1.
Ro is happy with any dress.

Want to join in and have a say? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Which dress will get the yes?
Tam

keeping y'all on your toes

Don't get too comfortable at my house. I'm bound to throw a curve ball. I generally don't do anything hard core like paint a new colour without consulting my cohabitant, Ben. But I like making things in my environment just right, which means experimenting with lots of different set-ups and combinations.

Take last night for example. I was tired, but a tiny seed was planted in my brain - why not rearrange your main floor furniture? It all started with me disassembling Vi's designated play spot in the kitchen. Being a mover and shaker, one spot isn't required anymore. Her basket of toys fit perfectly in the one cupbaord in our kitchen that is designated for such things. What was I going to do with this empty spot? Now, let's give my main floor some context. It is just over 500 square feet, and contains our kitchen, dining room/living room, coat closet, and powder room. Don't forget the fireplace in our kitchen. Furniture-wise, it basically contains our 7 foot harvest table with 8 chairs in the living/dining room and 2 leather chairs and an ottoman anchored by a wool rug. Well, I decided that the leather chairs should move from the spot in front of our front windows (see the blank spot in front of our windows now)...

to in front of our fireplace (sans the ottoman and wool rug). The chairs are about 32 inches wide and deep, so they are a tad big for the space (as Ben mentioned), but I really like it. After Ben sat down, he had to admit he liked it too. :)

First, it seems everyone loves to sit in the kitchen, and all we had was a stool and 2 IKEA stool-type things that were stacked so you could sit on them. Not a lot of comfortable seating. Also, when I'm in the kitchen prepping or cleaning up, I like to feel included, instead of separated from everyone sitting at the table or relaxing in the chairs (that used to be in the living/dining room). Second, I like the looks of them in the kitchen. Third, after moving the chairs, I could centre my table on the ceiling light and art in the dining/living room. 

Fourth, we could bring down our bench from the third floor and put it in our living/dining room as extra seating. And fifth, Vi now has a lovely wool rug in her bedroom which softens her room and is perfect for playing!

I did all this (minus the wooden bench - I needed an extra set of hands) before Ben got home from work. I love seeing his face when he walks in and sees everything moved...once again. Even Ro smiled this morning when she came downstairs for breakfast. She knows her mama too well already. 

Don't worry, I think the furniture is safe for tonight. :)

Tam

Happy Hallowe'en? Bah humbug!

Okay, I need to get something off my chest. I really don't enjoy celebrating Hallowe'en. I know, I know. What's wrong with me, right? Ro LOVES Hallowe'en - the prospect of dressing up and getting candy blows her mind. Almost literally. So what is up with me and Hallowe'en?

First off, I'm not a super creative person, so coming up with ideas for costumes is killer, and then trying to implement said ideas pushes me over the edge. I've never been to a costume party or Hallowe'en party. To me, those endeavours would rub my "non-creative" lack of skills in my face and I don't need that. Period. Thank goodness for Winners, who bailed me out this year with Ro's Princess Kate dress. :) ADORABLE! And our dear friend, Christa, came up with the idea of the princess and the pea themed costumes since I already had the princess costume and pea costume (bought it last year for 75% off after Hallowe'en. Who knew an infant-sized costume would be too small for my 10 month old?)

And yes, I did cut holes in the bottom so she could fit into it. You could hardly tell when she was sitting. Really. Kind of. I tried to stuff all the stuffing back in. *Sigh*.

Ro saved my "idea black hole" for the mattress (yes, I dressed up as a mattress) by suggesting I wear Vi's change pad. A quick search online for Serta's logo, a little chalk and blue construction paper, and voila, I was the mattress in the princess and the pea.

Second, I don't enjoy spooky, scary stuff. I decorate with pumpkins, and we don't even carve scary faces. We don't even carve our pumpkins. I know, lame, huh? But Ro gets a lot of pleasure (can't you tell from her facial expression??) from sticking stickers all over her pumpkin and what mother could take that away from her child?? Not me. Maybe someday we will carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds. Maybe. But I have these not fun memories of trying to cut pumpkins with my mom, with a knife that wasn't quite sharp enough...

Third, trick-or-treating generally happens late at night (relatively speaking, for the Smiths). How early can one start? As soon as I hear another family, we are out the door. This year, we started at about 6:15. Good thing since I turn into a pumpkin when it gets dark. Now, that being said, Ro was in bed at her normal time, and Vi was only 20 minutes later than normal. And I didn't turn into a pumpkin after all. Phew.

Fourth, we all become candy/chocolate gluttons. We end up with tons of junk food. In fact, I had to throw out the remainder of last year's stash so I could use the bowl for this year's handouts.

However, here is what I do love about Hallowe'en:
1. I love being out with our neighbours, catching up, oohing and aahing at the little ones' costumes. I just wish I didn't have to dress my little ones up (see number one above). Sorry, I digress...
2. I love that it is in my favourite season, autumn.
3. I love that our town does a Tots on Parade thingy. We went for the first time this year, and it was awesome. All the downtown merchants buy candy and the young kiddies get to go around trick-or-treating at 10 am. Brilliant.
4. I love that my kid loves it. And that she is soooo cute in costume. And that she wanted to be Princess Kate. :) I didn't have the heart to tell her that isn't Kate's title. Whatever.

What I will do differently next year:
1. Plan ahead. I will plan on going to the downtown celebration so I'm not stressed out of my gourd trying to get there on time and find a parking spot. I will not worry if my youngest doesn't nap though covered in her stroller for 1 hour.
2. I will remember a Hallowe'en bag for said celebration. Using your mom's purse is kind of ghetto. I apologized to one merchant and he provided us with a bag. Much better.
3. I will try on everyone's costumes ahead of time. If I don't, I will not care that I find out then and there that Vi doesn't fit into her costume. She was stuffed into it anyway.
4. I will bring change with me so I can park anywhere, instead of having to squeeze into a free spot that just fit my Accord, with one wheel up on the sidewalk. Ro kept reminding me the wheel wasn't where it was supposed to be. I almost offered to let her park the car, but I figured I had nudged the beat up Rabbit ahead of me enough. It was beat up before I nudged it.
5. I will have a better attitude all day. Ro prayed that I would have more patience and more love in my heart (after I prompted her to do so) and we were able to salvage our day, but I want to enjoy the whole day next year.

Princess Kate, downtown.

Vi, loving life. 

I really do continue to live and learn,

Tam

vi eating

Some of our favourite moments over the last 2 weeks have revolved around Vi and food. Her facial expressions have been priceless! We started her on pureed peas, then headed to carrots, some watermelon, green beans, baby oatmeal, and now pears. I made all Ro's baby food, and so far have not done so for Vi (in typical 2nd child fashion - inferior treatment). However, all her food has been organic.

Vi has not been a big fan of purees. She would much rather have a big chuck of something, latch onto it, and suck the snot out of it (or juices). :)

Here she is trying peas for the first time.

Today we tried pureed pears. Check out her reaction on the video below.

I'm going to be heading out today to purchase one of those mesh sac food thingys that totally gross me out. We were given one for Ro, and I gave it away as she loved purees and food (another difference between the girls). I have a feeling Vi will think she has hit the jack pot!

Here's to days filled with bananas, avocados, and all things suckable! :)

Tam

who can keep up with her?

No, it is not a rhetorical question. I am actually looking for an answer. For those who know me, I was called "person most likely to power a small city with my energy" in my master's program. Well, joke is on me. My daughter is "person most like to power a large city with her energy".

There is so much to love about Ro. From her contagious laugh to her smile that lights up a room, Ro is pretty incredible. She knows what she wants, and is learning to clearly communicate that at all times. Ro can vocalize her concerns, her dreams, and her loves. We talk about everything from Jesus to food in one conversation! Ro's biggest stumbling block right now is also one of her assets - her passion for life. She is learning to harness this in a positive way. It has been a trying experience at times to gently guide her...

Ro would be quick to tell you she loves books, food, watching movies ("Mary Poppins", "The Sound of Music", anything Disney), and playing...anything...with anyone. Her best friend is Gracie Lou, who is moving to Winnipeg. This will be a tough situation to digest, for all of us. Gracie Lou's family are our best friends. But that is for another post.

Here is Ro with Gracie at a recent playdate, watching "Mary Poppins" (a favourite for them both). 

I am a changed woman for knowing Ro. She has touched my life beyond my wildest dreams. Continue to dream big and love wildly, Ro. We love you!

Okay, on with her day. I woke up at 7:45 this morning. I wasn't sure it was morning yet, so I verified that with Mom.

Dad had just gotten home from work, so I was able to have a nice snuggle with him. I gave Mom the heads up that I wanted to wear something different than the outfit I picked out the night before. I told her I would find it. I picked my most favourite dress of the moment, a new acquisition from the One of a Kind show. Mom and Dad told me I could get a dress, and this swing dress from Redfish was what I chose. It is soooo comfortable!

After getting dressed, I immediately wanted to eat breakfast. I don't know about you, but I am famished as soon as I wake up in the morning. Pancakes were on tap this morning which was fine by me! I love my Mom's oat/spelt pancakes - delish! I don't like having to wait for them though. This sometimes stresses me out.

No wait this morning though! They just needed to be heated up. Great!

After breakfast, we finished getting ready for our day. My friend, Muriyn, was coming over for a playdate so it was incentive to get ready quickly. I sometimes don't cooperate with Mom about brushing my teeth, washing my face, and doing my hair. It means I have to stop reading or playing for a couple of minutes and that cramps my style. Mom sometimes loses her patience with me, but today I fully cooperated. I wanted to wear a hair clip today instead of my usual hairband.

I then read some books to Vi before Muriyn came over. I can't wait for Vi to sit up and enjoy books with me!

After a great playdate, it was lunchtime. We had kielbasa, cheese, and squash soup for lunch. I wasn't crazy about the squash soup, and really took my time about finishing my lunch. Mom helped me so we could "get on with our day".

I then had my rest time. Rest time is when I go to my room and enjoy being by myself for a little while. I read books, play with toys, or invent things to play. Today was an invention day. I talked with my stuffed animals and dolls the whole time.

After reading a whole Junie B. Jones book with Mom and Vi, it was time to wake up Dad. After chilling for a little while, I went outside to ride my bike so Mom could take a video of it. I just got the hang of pedaling yesterday. I'm getting pretty good! Check out the video here....

I then played with my balls, skipping ropes, and bubble toys. What a great afternoon in the sunshine!

After supper (we had leftovers tonight - pasta, chicken, and spinach in a vodka tomato sauce), we danced to music, played doctor, and read 4 Curious George books while Vi ate one last time. It was pretty cool putting her to bed with Mom. I still really like Goodnight Moon...I then put on my pjs (boy, do I love pyjamas!!), brushed my teeth and washed my face, read another Curious George book, and went to bed. I tried to get Mom to bring me a glass of apple juice, but she said no. Oh well.....Well, it's 7:30 and I'm pooped from a full day. Here's to a great day tomorrow. It's my last day of preschool until JK in the fall. I'm pretty excited about it....

Here's my school, The Chartwell House. I'll miss it, but just think of the things I can do instead of going to preschool 2 mornings/week. Yippee!!

Okay, time to really sign off.

Until tomorrow, or whenever Mom blogs again,
Ro

i'm done with...

...my kids being sick. Enough already. Really. Vi is tired of coughing up phlegm (or more accurately, not coughing it up so it has settled in her chest). We have gone through about 24 boxes of facial tissue this winter (thanks Costco!) and I'm sure Ro won't miss blowing her nose.  I am tired of waking in the night to feed Vi after a coughing fit (she was sleeping through the night).
...staying up too late. Our financial dude was here until 1 am on Saturday night (I mean, Sunday morning), then Vi woke up. I was in bed around 2 and then Vi was up at 6:15 (rare early wake up for her). Sunday was surprisingly fine, then today was a write off. No patience. Everyone in my household had a nap, at the same time. Amazing and it felt great. Our meeting with our financial dude was gold though. Kind of worth it...
...being insecure at the age of 36. I am who I am and I don't need to apologize for it or feel self-conscious. This has been a lifelong struggle for me, and God has helped me gain confidence, which I have learned is contagious. People want to know WHO you are. They crave authenticity and openness. Let's be real with each other.
...worrying what other people will think. There aren't enough hours in the day to dwell on that. Be a great communicator, be respectful and loving. "...love others and .... love God". That's what it is all about.
...buying things not made in North America (as much as possible). I'm willing to spend more to support the great country I live in.
...purchasing what society wants me to purchase (in beauty products, food, clothing, etc.). We all need to take our health a little more seriously and I for one have been doing this for a little while now. I see health practioners on a regular basis for maintaining good health (yes, my hubbie has great benefits). I buy local and/or organic. Support your local farmer's market this spring/summer! I buy "good for my skin" cosmetics, skin care products, etc. Did you know your skin absorbs what you put on it 10 times faster than the food you ingest? 60% of what you put on your skin ends up in your bloodstream. Check your labels. Things to avoid: mineral oil, petrolatum, parabens, phalates, benzene, sodium lauryl sulfate, dea, mea, tea, dioxin, chemical dyes, chemical fragrances, tallow, animal products and by-products, avobensone, benzphenone, paba.
...isolating myself. It's my defence mechanism. It's very often not a conscious part of my decision making process, but it is there nonetheless. I need to be investing in others, building others up, being vulnerable, sharing love, sharing hope, sharing life.

What are you done with?
Hoping to use facial tissue on my children's noses on a weekly basis instead of daily,
Tam