21 day challenge

I've always considered myself to be a fairly organized person, or at least I try to be.
But sometimes life gets in the way and things get busy.
so I came across this idea and I'm going with it.
I think it's a great way to stay on top of things, yet not feel overwhelmed at the the never ending piles of things to do around here at casa petitegourmand.


21 DAY ORGANIZING CHALLENGE

Join the Challenge (at any time)
Day 1 - Junk Drawer & Cutlery drawer
Day 2 - craft supplies & lulu's art work (take digital images of everything & put them in the ol' circular file a.k.a. the garbage)
Day 3 - Tupperware drawer (quite a collection going after all those wild tupperware parties I go to each month..kidding..)
Day 4 - Linen Closet
Day 5 - The shed and gardening tools
Day 6 - Dresser Drawers (specifically the sock situation. Get rid of all old socks and buy new fresh ones for the winter. Already did the underwear drawer last week and it's changed my life. Is there anything better than a drawer full of brand new, perfectly fitting ginch?)
Day 7 - The Pantry (otherwise known as my one food cupboard in my tiny kitchen)
Day 8 - Coat Closet
Day 9 - Toy organization
Day 10 - Laundry area
Day 11 - The Freezer
Day 12 - Spice Cabinet (remember to replace anything older than one year, nothing worse than stale cumin)
Day 13 - Medicine Cabinet (check expiration dates!!)
Day 14 - Under bathroom sinks
Day 15 - home office- edit magazines
Day 16 - The Fridge (do I really need eight types of mustard?)
Day 17 - edit books- (keep the keepers, donate the others to the library)
Day 18 - make-up, cosmetics and lipsticks (that stuff expires too, I'm pretty sure I have nine year old eye shadows.. I know, gross)
Day 19 - Master Closet & big daddy's "Not-So-Master" closet
Day 20 - Photos (this may take another 21 days!)
Day 21 - bookmarks (specifically all the blogs that no longer exist, have moved or that I no longer read)

wish me luck.

Edited to add: I think I'm on day 13 and I am nowhere close to doing what I had planned on doing.
Talk about being overly ambitious.
Instead of beating myself up over it, I'll get to that stuff when I get to it.
Like I said, sometimes life just gets in the way.
well that and when the tempeture is in the high twenties and the sun is shining, who really needs to be inside organizing?
To be continued in November..

back to school

How is already mid September?
The last two weeks have literally flown by.
The days are getting shorter and much cooler.
I had to do the ol' closet switch this week and say good by to all my tank tops and thin cotton blouses,
and hello to the plethora of gray, taupe & black sweaters that I can never seem to get enough of.
Same goes for Lulu's closet.
Out with old and in with the new.
Happily a bunch of things still fit her from last winter, so hopefully things have slowed down in the growing department.
But once again she is one of the taller kids in her class.
How I created a tall child is still a mystery to me..

Speaking of school, Lulu is really enjoying it so far.
We completely won the lottery in the teacher department, which I couldn't be happier about.
She is in the same class as a few of her good friends and has already made some new ones.
The morning routine is not nearly as hectic as I thought it would be.
In fact, we have time to spare and still get to snuggle and sip tea and talk about last night's dreams.
I'm quite relieved about this because there is nothing worse than starting the day off in a rush.

Bonus that I've actually lost 4 lbs from all the extra walking back and forth from the school every day.
Eight trips total.
Including lunch time.
Chelsea (my other baby) is absolutely loving all the walks and all the attention she gets when I take her to school.
Having a puppy in the fall is the best.

Truth be told, I'm really loving it.
The routine, the walking, everything.
Well maybe not the very nasty virus Lulu picked up last week and the four consecutive days of fever and sleepless nights followed by a rattling cough that also kept her (me) up at night.
So no sleep, no appetite = grumpy.
So that part wasn't too much fun.
But today she seems to be back to normal- which is a good thing.
Welcome back to the germ factory I guess.
I'm sure there's plenty more where that came from.
One virus down, only a dozen more to go...sigh...

I forgot how amazing our neighbourhood is and how many great parents there are that are involved in keeping our school what it is today.
I feel really lucky to live here and even more fortunate that Lulu gets to grow up going to such a fantastic school with such a strong community spirit.
Friday night there was an outdoor PJ and Movie night for all the parents and students.
Despite her cold it was so much fun.
I also had to send in a poem or story about Lulu for her teacher to read to the class.
This is what I came up with...

Lulu

You are my precious little flower,
that is constantly in bloom.

I watch as yet another milestone,
around the corner looms.

It seems like only yesterday,
that we shared a single breath.

But now it seems like tomorrow,
you will leave and I'll be left.

I know the life of an only child
is not always filled with ease.

You've had no one to borrow from,
share secrets with, or tease.

And yet, no matter what life brings,
you take it all in stride.

The strength of character you always show
fills my heart with pride.

I'm so proud to be your mommy,
It's the best I've ever felt.

love momma xoxo

Completely corny and maybe a little over the top, but this about sums it all up.

high tide

What is it about time flying by so quickly during the summer months?

It seems like it was just yesterday that we bid the kindergarten yard a farewell.
Now in a mere FIVE days we will be back to the grind.
I say "we" because even though it's Lulu starting grade 1, I'm the lucky one that gets to go back and forth to the school yard every day.
THREE times a day actually, which actually equals SIX trips back and forth from our house to the school.
Not sure how this will actually allow me to get anything accomplished.
At least anything that isn't located in my neighbourhood.
Apparently most of the kids come home for lunch each day, which was so not my plan.
But for the first week I will conform, and then hopefully when she is settled in a bit, I am hoping on alternating days for lunch.
I mean I would really like to have a bit of a life outside of motherhood.
I.E. my old career..sigh...
As a bonus, I also get to take Lulu to all her after school programs three days a week.
I can hardly wait for the frenzy to begin.

I'm sure it will all be fine, and even though I sound like I'm already complaining (okay I am totally complaining) I'm secretly looking forward to the whole school time routine.
That's what being a mom is all about, right?

It was a busy summer and hopefully a fun one for Lulu, but quite frankly, I'm exhausted from trying to keep her entertained for two straight months.
Fun as it might be to hang out 24/7 with a six year old.

That being said, I really need to stop worrying about myself and how I'm going to adapt to our new routine and instead focus on Lulu and her fears or anxieties about going back to school.
Not that she has mentioned anything so far, but still, I really need to be there for her and be positive.

Speaking of being positive, although the summer flew by, it still isn't completely over.
So instead of fretting about the days ahead, I'm going to soak up the last few days of summer 2011.

the dog days of summer

Well we finally did it.
we caved and got "Lulu" a puppy.
Introducing Chelsea.
(we got her in Chelsea NYC)
After just a week at home, this dog is clearly "my" puppy though.
Lulu has kind of shirked all responsibility.
"you want me to pick up her POOP ?!!!" "ahhhhh! NO way!!"
So the cleaning, walking, training and over all total responsibly, is completely up to me.
No big surprises here.
To be honest, I don't really mind.
I forgot how much I love having a little dog around.
Though the poop thing does take some getting used to.
Who knew 11 week old french bulldogs went 6-8 times a day?
It's like having a baby all over again.

But she is so sweet and even though puppies are A LOT of work, I'm sure it will all be worth it.
let's hope.....



Oh and I guess I'm not the only one who thinks these dogs are adorable.

the tide is high

It's strange, even though I see Lulu everyday, occasionally it hits me like a ton of bricks how much bigger she is now.
I get so caught up in day to day life and then BAM! I realize she's six and is no longer my little peanut.
Okay, she still is, and always will be, my little peanut, only now she's just a taller and smarter peanut.
While she was in camp she somehow picked up the phrase "for real" and now says it with vigor at the end of almost every sentence.
I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until at least age 13??
Anyhow, it's pretty cute, and every time she says "no for real momma" big daddy & I look at each other and try not to crack up.

It's really great being able to take time away from our regular life & routine and really notice these little changes.
I'm having such a great time on this road trip.
Lulu was completely chilled on the ride to the coast and it really didn't seem to take very long.
Big daddy had his doubts, but I knew it would be smooth sailing.
Six is the perfect age for long road trips.
Bonus that now she can read maps and signs, so there really wasn't too much "are we there yet?"
Connecticut is lovely and it was nice to dip our feet in the Atlantic Ocean- despite how incredibly cold it is. brrr
I'll take a great lake any day.
But the waves and the salt air is always so restorative and calming.
We ate at the famous Mystic Pizza.
Which was..meh...pretty good, more importantly Lulu loved it.
Though speaking of food, what is it about American kids menus?
all they ever offer is pop, chocolate milk, deep fried chicken fingers, pizza, hot dogs, grilled cheese and french fries.
Not a veggie in sight.
No wonder there is an obesity epidemic going on here.
Don't even get me started on the portion sizes!
At one place I ordered a salad and I swear it was on a serving platter!
Easily could have fed 4 or 5 people.
Lulu had a pasta dish that also would have been appropriate for at least 2 or even 3 adults.
Crazy.
Anyhow we are now in NYC and the food, well...what can I say about the multitude of amazing food options?
I love this city.
First stop yesterday was Rickshaw Dumplings.
Yum yum.
Then we relaxed during a torrential downpour at Pret A Manger.
LOVE this place.
I wish we had them back home.
My kind of fast food.
We had a nice casual dinner at an Italian restaurant near our hotel called Apertivo.
Good pizza, salads and pasta.
Brought Lulu back to the hotel and her cousin offered to babysit so Big daddy & I could go for a walk around town.
Did I already mention I was in Heaven?
Oh and we are in a really awesome hotel suite with a brand new kitchenette and separate bedrooms.
It's like having our own apartment in Manhattan.
Gotta love P.Diddy big daddy's bro.
So that's it for now.
Looking forward to plenty of fun and excitement over the next few days in the big apple.

like for example this...
Yup I saw this unfold today while shopping on 5th ave.
never a dull moment around here, that's for sure.

Oh and also Big daddy & I were interviewed by the Today Show while walking down the street.
They asked us about Marriage and what drove us crazy about each other.
Ummm do you have a few hours??
kidding of course.
but check it out.
the best part is at around 2:40 into the video

Why do husbands tune wives out?

NBC’s David Gregory talks with marriage therapist Hal Runkel and psychologist Judith Sills about some of the hot marriage issues such as why men often don’t listen and why women constantly tell their husbands what to do.

Not exactly Jack Kerouac

It's hard to believe it's already August!
Why is it that January & February don't go by nearly as quickly?

So far I am happy to report that I've managed to do a bunch of things on my summer-to-do list.
But there is plenty more that I hope to accomplish before the end of the season.
One of the big things I wanted to do was go on a road trip.
Finally big daddy has agreed to go on one this summer.
Given my anxiety about flying, I couldn't be more thrilled.
There's a whole world (albeit mostly New York state, Quebec, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts and maybe Pennsylvania) that is right in our back-yard.
Okay maybe a bit further than that, but all within a days drive.
Not too bad if you ask me.
So the bags are packed, the Ipod is loaded with new tunes.
We have a ton of new movies, games and books to keep Lulu occupied.
Gas in the tank.
Plenty of yummy snacks to keep big daddy in his happy place during the drive.
And we are off on our adventure.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
Lao Tzu

book worm

I'm so thrilled to say that Lulu is now reading independantly.
Actually she's been able to read for a while now, but these days she's reached a whole new level.
I often find her quietly reading chapter books on her own.
Currently she is totally into Ivy & Bean.
She loves these books and I have to say, that even I find them to be very cute and funny.
Perfect for 6-8 year old girls.
I love hearing her laugh out loud while turning the pages.
Even better, is watching her read to her friends (especially ones that are a bit younger than her.)
It melts my heart to see her reading them stories.
I couldn't be more proud.
I'm glad to know that all those stories that Big Daddy & I read to her every day were not in vain.

As far as my reading goes these days, unfortunately I'm currently in a bit of a book slump.
Nothing that I've read or am reading, I'm loving.
Currently I'm reading The Hungry Ghosts By Anne Berry.
Kind of having a hard time getting into this, but I've been told it's good, so I'm going to soldier on.
Also on my summer reading list is
A Visit From The Goon Squad- Jennifer Egan
Amaryllis in Blueberry- Christina Meldrum
The Story Of A Marriage- Andrew Sean Greer
A Field Of Darkness- Cornelia Read
I'm going to revisit The Catcher In The Rye-J.D Salinger as well.
I recently finished reading How I live Now- Meg Rosoff and A Mountain Of Crumbs- Elena Gorokhova
Both of which I didn't love and forced myself to finish for a book club.
But maybe it was just me?
I also got half way through We Had It So Good- Linda Grant, which unfortunately I also had a hard time getting into.
So basically three duds in a row.
Hopefully some of the books on my summer reading list will be good ones.

How about you, what are you reading these days?

cool as a cucumber

I love all the fresh summer produce available at this time of year.
That being said, I can't say I love spending too much time in the kitchen in July.
A. I would much rather be outside enjoying the weather.
or
B. If the weather proves to be unbearably hot (like it has been for the past couple of weeks) the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove or oven.
And you can only eat so much BBQ.
So my solution to this, is this amazingly simple, yet totally deliciously refreshing cold cucumber & avocado soup.
Usually I'm not a huge fan of cold soups aside from a good gazpacho.
But trust me this one's a keeper.
I've been making it for a few years now and it seems to taste better and better with each spoonful.
Bonus that's it's so good for you too.

Cold Cucumber & Avocado Soup

Ingredients

1 English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice + the zest of one lime
1 minced small jalapeno chile (seeds and ribs removed for less heat, if desired)
1/3 cup sliced scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
12 medium shrimp (about 6 ounces), peeled and deveined or cooked frozen
Directions

In a blender, combine half the cucumber and 1 avocado with the yogurt, lime juice, jalapeno, scallions, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 cup ice water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Puree until completely smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

Cut remaining avocado into 1/4-inch cubes. Stir avocado and remaining cucumber into soup. Thin with 1/2 to 1 cup ice water, as desired. Season again with salt and pepper. Chill, about 1 hour.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp, turning once, until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with shrimp and remaining tablespoon cilantro.
If you want you can also use cooked frozen shrimp, which I did this time around.
Even less cooking involved.
It would be nice with the grilled shrimp on a skewer placed on top of the bowl as well.

Enjoy and stay cool..

a good start

I love a good breakfast, and I love it even more when Lulu has a good breakfast.
They don't call it the most important meal of the day for nothing.
We aren't really big cereal eaters around here (aside from late night emotional eating..I mean snacking)
and Lulu isn't really a fan of oatmeal.
I have oatmeal several times a week, she really is missing out on this, but hopefully with time she will love it too.
Ditto with my morning smoothies.
I don't like to give her toast too often because lunch is often a sandwich or soup & toast.
And the past few weeks she has decided that she is over eggs.
Not sure what's up with that, since she never seemed to have a problem with them in the past, but I never like to force the issue.
So with dwindling options, every couple of weeks I make a big batch of these delicious & nutritious pancakes and freeze them.
They are packed with goodness and are super easy to make.
I can use up left over buttermilk (why do they not sell smaller containers of the stuff?)
They are super economical.
And best of all, she loves them.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

2 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ or ground flax
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Chocolate chips (optional) or blueberries

Combine buttermilk and rolled oats in a small bowl; let rest for 20 to 30 minutes to soften oats. Stir all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk egg, egg whites and 1 teaspoon oil in a separate bowl. Add the oat mixture and the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Lightly brush a large nonstick skillet with a little of the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and heat over medium. Not too hot otherwise they will burn. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, pour batter onto the skillet and cook until the underside is browned and the bubbles on top remain open, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the underside is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Bonus that I'm able to sneak Oats and ground Flax in there.
Oh and make sure to separate each pancake with a small square of waxed paper or parchment to prevent them sticking together.
Enjoy!

ghost town

I feel old saying this, but times sure have changed since I was a youngster.
Okay maybe I'm laying it on a bit thick.
"Since I was a kid".

Summer holidays growing up meant staying in my P.J's watching Captain Kangaroo & The Price Is Right while eating bowls of puffed rice with 4 tablespoons of white sugar until my mom told us to get dressed and go outside for some fresh air.
Back then the air was actually fresh.
I would probably then hop on my red & white Banana seat bike and find some sort of an an adventure with my neighbourhood friends.
Unsupervised.
Gasp! Imagine that?
Maybe it was hanging out by the creek in the woods.
(I was so lucky to grow up surrounded by a conservation area.)
Collecting frogs or making clay sculptures.
The creek had gray clay in certain parts.
We would often have clay fights- a bit Lord of the Flies, but super fun.
This sounds very Leave It To Beaver, but I spent hours skipping stones into that creek.

Every summer we would try our hand at building a fort, tree house or a go-cart.
I loved doing stuff like that.
Or some days were spent just playing on the swings in the backyard, jumping through the sprinkler, having water balloon fights or just hanging out and doing nothing.
Life was so simple back then.
The only caveate was that I always had to head home when the street lights turned on.
Of course we never strayed too far from home and would periodically check back in to be fed and watered.
We really had so much freedom.

In those early years, I didn't go to camp or have organized play-dates.
I'm not even sure that the word "play-date" existed back then.
My dad would take two weeks off every summer and we would go on a road trip somewhere fun.
But other than that, we would stick close to home and just enjoy summer in a small town.
Oh sure, we got bored sometimes, but that's part of being a kid.
Or should I say a luxury of being a kid.
Boredom breeds curiosity and imagination in my opinion.
At least at the age of 6.
I'm sure its a different story when you hit the adolecent years.
Boredom in small town= getting into trouble.
But that's another post.

These days I feel like I have to plan activities for every day of the summer for Lulu.
Not that I really want to, it's just that it seems as though our entire neighbourhood, a.k.a Lauren's play-mates, have either gone away for the summer to the cottage or are booked into camps all summer long.
Sure, I have her signed up for 2 weeks of camp in July.
Those 2 weeks can't come fast enough let me tell you..
Silly me thought this year we would try things old school and just take the first couple weeks of summer to wing it.
Not sure if that was the best plan of action.
I'm already getting the whiny "I'm Bored" & "I'm lonely"
The kid really knows how to pull on my heart strings.
But I don't get that, as I have tried to line up some sort of activity every single day so far.
She's had several play dates, we've gone to the park, splash pads, had a camp fire, gone to the toy store & book store for a few treats to play with, done crafts not to mention I've been trying my best to play with her as much as possible.
And grocery shopping & running errands counts as fun too right?
I wish I could just tell her to go outside and play, but we live in a big city on a relatively busy street, not to mention all the construction going on.
It's barely safe to play on the front lawn as there are giant holes dug up by the city to replace all the gas lines.
Good times.
But even if the construction wasn't going on, I still wouldn't let her play in the front yard unsupervised.
The world just isn't the same.
I do feel bad that she is lonely and for the first time in 6 years there is a tiny part of me that feels bad that we didn't have a second child.
I keep telling myself that this is her reality, and as sad as it can be sometimes, that's life.

I really wanted to try to revert back to "old times" and try to keep things simple this summer.
Like the way things were for me growing up.
Because I'd like to think I had a pretty awesome childhood.
I just want Lulu to have the same kind of happiness and fun that I did growing up.
Because G-d forbid she gets bored and is forced to use her imagination..