Breakfast Time - Healthy Style

For the month of November, I'm trying to go without sugar or wheat. Unfortunately, that rules out most "easy" meals. I saw this recipe on Pinterest and was immediately drawn to it because it has "Pumpkin Pie" in the title. I love anything having to do with pumpkin. I also love it because it has no sugar or wheat in it! I decided to try it out this morning and was very happy with how it turned out. Oatmeal is the easiest breakfast in the world to make. I usually make it for breakfast and put a handful of dried cranberries and a sliced banana in it but today I just wanted something different.

                                                                      Source: thegraciouspantry.com via Melody on Pinterest

I pretty much followed the recipe but didn't add the eggs and cut the recipe in half since there were only two of us to eat it. I also didn't add any pecans since my husband has a nut allergy. The total time for making it was about 10 minutes. Not too shabby!

I know the pictures don't look too yummy, but trust me when I say it was. I'll probably be having it for breakfast again tomorrow morning. As a nutritional bonus here (I just have to add this in!), you'll be getting a serving of vegetables and fibre first thing in the morning. The fibre will leave you feeling fuller for longer and the pumpkin has great antioxidants in it that makes your skin look healthy and glow. If you want more of the nutritional information, check out www.thegraciouspantry.com. It's a great source for some fantastic recipes. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Leaf Art

I love fall. 

Lately, we've had a couple of beautiful days here. Considering that it is November and it's snowing in Calgary, these +7 temperatures are a real treat! 


  Yesterday, I texted Faith and asked if she and Claire wanted to go on a walk with me and Gavin. Since having our babies in May and June, we have been on a lot of walks around my neighbourhood. However, since September started and I went back to work part-time, these walks have been few and far between. Yesterday though, was the perfect fall day to get our walk on.


 We bundled up our little cuties in their warm outfits... 

 
...and with Halloween candy in our pockets (don't judge us), we set off! 


  I love walking around my neighbourhood. We live in an older part of town, so there are old regal houses with lots of stately maple trees surrounding these properties. 

  These maple trees are gorgeous right now in all their beautiful colours. We picked up a few leaves that we couldn't resist walking by and stuck them in our strollers. 


  When I got home, I remembered a craft that I pinned a long time ago that would be perfect for these leaves. 

 

via Dream Home 

  This I could do. I grabbed my leaves out of the stroller,

 

and found a frame that I wasn't using. 


  I cut a page out of an old book, glued the leaf down to the page, stuck it in the frame, and voila! 

A beautiful piece of God's creation, framed, so that I can enjoy it for this last month of fall. 


  Have you done any leaf art? Taken pictures in the leaves? Anybody rake their leaves yet? Hands-down, that is my least favourite part of fall.




I'll leave you with one more picture of cousinly love. :) 

 

Happy weekend everyone!

~ Heidi 

Closet Mahem

Late last night I was inspired to organize my daughters closet. Because my husband has been renovating our house, for the past year and a half, the projects have been completed in order of importance. So the "little stuff" has been put on hold; the installation of the closet doors, trim around the doors, and casing around the windows. Our house is a work in progress, and unfortunately there is lack of organization in all of our closets. But I decided to tackle this one first. Here is what Claire's closet currently looks like:

Sad, I know. It is a poorly thought out space, and obviously a current drop spot for various items instead of just my daughters clothing... like those swords. 


The other night I was able to organize the clothes, shoes, socks, and hats/mittens into those pink canvas boxes. But I still have a long way to go. I am planning on painting the inside of the closet, either with a striped pattern, or maybe even a polka dot. Later on I also hope to add additional hanging space, shelving (that isn't sagging), and some sort of update to those pink boxes. I also need a space for the out of season items and clothing that is too small.

"Inspiration Pins"

via www.craftaholicsanonymous.net

 via iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

via ashleyannphotography.com

via www.brownpaper--packages.com

I hope to get this project completed as soon as possible, but process is progress, so I am going to take it one step at a time. Maybe I will be able to convince my husband to get the door and trim installed in there! 

                                                                                                                           ~Faith

A Decorating Process

Five weeks ago today I gave birth to another beautiful little girl. Since then, it's all been about adjusting to having two little ones instead of one. Because of that, things tend to get put off.
One thing that I'm hoping this blog will give me is accountability to get things done! The first thing on my list is finishing Sienna's nursery (actually I'll be honest ... starting the nursery).

I've been pinning inspiration for her room for months now and I'm hoping that over the next two months, it will get done!

I'd love suggestions and advice on how to do it especially since the room has a few quirks.

Here is what the room looks like now: (please don't judge me, this was my office before!)

And here is my inspiration board:

I'll keep updating over the next two months and then I'll post pictures of the "after".
Remember, suggestions are definitely welcome so please comment and give me your great ideas!

- Melody

Really? A simple project?

Ever read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? 

 

via Chapters.ca

This classic children's story has mouse who starts out wanting a cookie, which leads to wanting a glass of milk, which then leads into needing a napkin and so on until the mouse is painting a masterpiece in the living room.

Sometimes I feel like that mouse.

When I was pregnant earlier this year, a simple plan to organize our spare room's closet turned into me sticking fancy contact paper on the closet walls to then deciding to paint the whole room (with non-VOC paint, so it was okay...besides the fact that it was difficult to paint because of my big stomach).

So this time, what started as a simple idea of putting my dishcloths into a cute basket, (you can read that post here) turned into organizing and cleaning out one of my kitchen cabinets. (And no. I am not pregnant again.)

(Jealous of my fancy knobs on my drawers? I know you are.)

It probably wasn't that crazy of an idea to organize since it looked like this before:

                  (Sorry. I had started pulling things out of the cabinet and then remembered to take a picture)

It's amazing the things you find when you clean out your cupboards. Two bags of icing sugar, three jars of yeast (expired in 2009. I must have been inspired to bake lots of bread back then), spices that I thought I'd lost, and a few more missing supplies. I guess I should really go through my cupboards more often... 

So once everything was out of the cabinet, I then started the fun part - tossing and organizing!

I cut some contact paper to put in the drawer that use to hold our dishcloths and towels. 

Then into the drawer went my spices, baking items, such as food colouring and sprinkles, and food wrapping.

Now I can see everything!

I topped up my jars that hold my baking supplies and then put everything back into the cupboard. 

Which then left space in the cabinet for my dishes and glassware!

This use to be their old home:

We have a VERY small kitchen and it's all about using the space creatively.

However, I have a small niece who can walk and a few more nieces not that far behind, plus my cutie who wants to grow up too quickly. 

So getting breakable things off of the shelves and into closed doors is important.

But back to the cute basket holding dishcloths and towels - the whole point of this project. I wanted to use something around my house and this is what I found!

An old clementine crate that I painted and put a label on.

So pretty.

I don't have a lot of counter space, so into the sink cabinet it went.

I think the dishcloths like their new home. As do the plates and glasses.

And me? I love that I can open the doors to that cabinet and I don't need to protect myself from falling objects. 

  Maybe someday I'll clean out the rest of the cabinets...

                                                                                                                                              ~ Heidi

Wedding Cupcake

The "Wedding Cupcake" is a recipe I came across on Pinterest when I was searching for a delicious recipe to make for my sister's birthday. Little did I know that this would become the cupcake that would replace the boring box recipes I usually made. 

photo credit: saraprinzenphotography

It is hands down the most delicious, moist, wonderful tasting cupcake I have ever eaten in my life. It is safe to say that I love these cupcakes and their sweet satisfaction they provide. I have since made them for my sisters engagement celebration, my mom's 50th birthday party, a mid-day snack, and just this past weekend I made them for another birthday celebration. This is a great recipe to use and have great success with, enjoy it as much as I do!

via recipegirl.com

                                                                                                                                    ~Faith