Pirate Party Planning

I dislike party planning; I like parties, but the whole process of figuring out activities, food, decorations, not to mention cleaning my house, its just not for me.

My townhouse always seems crowded, loud and stuffy and despite my best efforts, everything seems disheveled. This year, I'm doing things differently.

We are NOT having the party at home; we are having a gymnastics party, where the kids will be entertained for a full hour.

We are keeping the party short; our facility rental is 2 hours, which is more than enough stimulus for a bunch of four year olds.

We are having two parties in one; my boys are 25 months apart and the thought of doing this all over again next month seems more than a little daunting. Instead we have a couple two year old joining in on the fun and we're calling it a joint party.

Pinterest is my saviour; I've been rounding up party ideas and inspiration and suddenly party planning is actually kind of fun.

I started off by sending out these invitations...

Source: lovelylittlesnippets.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

And this inspired me to make a treasure map that will double as schedule of events for the kiddos, because knowledge (and the illusion of control) in the midst of chaos is essential if we want to minimize meltdowns.

Source: tangarangblog.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Although I can't draw myself, a guy at work happily doodled this treasure map, which we tea stained to give them an aged look.

And of course the kids need pirate hats. I considered these pins, but ended up going with this 3 pointed pirate hat pattern that I made using posterboard.

Source: simplesimonandco.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: cheryl-comfort.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

And I'm certain the kids are going to love 'Feeding the Croc' instead of the Shark...

Source: jillo.smugmug.com via Amber on Pinterest

Bolt loved making making treasure chest loot bags, similar to this...

Source: coolest-kid-birthday-parties.com via Amber on Pinterest

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And I really wanted to make a treasure chest for the loot box, but I kept forgetting to bring a file box home.

Source: chicaandjo.com via Amber on Pinterest

So what do you think? Am I just imagining it or is this party gonna rock?

Happy Birthday Kat!

Some of you may know my sister, Kat. For those of you who don't, she's five years younger than me and I often describe her as just like me, only more intense, in all ways. She is fierce.

She was the first high school student in Richmond to complete the apprenticeship program in hairdressing and she managed to finish a semester early. She is an amazing stylist, who can work wonders with your hair, but due to injury she retired and underwent a work retrain.

Our dad is a mechanic, but what defined him, was that he was a racecar driver. As children we spent hours at the racetrack and it made me giggle when I found out that Kat's boyfriend races autocross. With only a little prodding, R had Kat racing too.

Although I think its super amazing that Kat is racing and doing well, R blows my mind. He was just one of three drivers chosen, from across Canada, to participate in the Scion Tuner Challenge. Team VCMC is representing the West Coast through 11 different challenges in the Scion FRS, where the prize is the car! The first challenge was this weekend and I hear that Team VCMC rocked the challenge!!

If you or someone you know has an interest in racing, give Team VCMC your social media support and check them out the Team VCMC Blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Birthday Kat, I hope its fabulous and I'll see you tonight for birthday sushi!

Happy Allergy-Friendly Birthday! | Guest Post

I have vivid memories of attending birthday parties as a kid. I loved running around with my friends, playing games like pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. But what sticks out in my mind from the majority of the parties I attended was having to be very diligent about what I ate. I was sent with a list of instructions from my mom about what I could/couldn't eat and usually a bag full of food that was just for me. Now didn't I sound like the life of the party?!

Being so hyper-aware of allergies and what was and wasn't typically in both homemade and store bought food at such a young age definitely wasn't something I enjoyed. In fact, I hated it! All I wanted to do was eat what the other kids were eating! But knowing the ins and outs of cooking and eating for allergies has come in very handy over the years, more than ever, now, as I have a child of my own who is leaning in the direction of being just like me in the allergy department (sorry kiddo!). But I'm ready. I can swap out ingredients in recipes like nobody else. So if you're new to the allergy arena, cooking either for your own little one, or that poor, allergy-riddled kid who will be coming to your son or daughter's next birthday party, here's a bit of help. Just a few simple swaps can make any recipe safe for even the toughest-to-feed child.

So what's on the menu for an allergy-free party?                                        

  

Snacks

It's a party so toss out a bowl of salt 'n vinegar chips and some Doritos and you'll be all set, right? Wrong, especially for dairy sensitive kids. Salt 'n vinegar flavouring, for example, almost always contains milk ingredients, and of course, anything nacho-flavoured will as well. But this doesn't mean you can't have easy snacks lying about. Just choose crowd pleasing yet safe flavours like salted; try corn or rice chips for gluten/wheat sensitive individuals, served with salsa or guacamole; or pop your own kernels and top with a little olive oil and different herbs or nutritional yeast for a healthier popcorn.

Fruit and veggie platters are always safe bets as well, and can be made more appealing by using different shaped cookie cutters (stars, hearts, etc.) or creating fruit kebabs. 

Main Course

Pizza, hot dogs and deli sandwiches are all great regular party staples, but can be loaded with danger for the allergic kids in the group. If you're looking to make a meal everyone can enjoy without a ton of work, I suggest sticking to whole foods. These are foods that have not been processed in any way. You know all the ingredients because you can see all the ingredients, right in front of you. If the idea of serving just whole foods is leaving you a bit stumped, I suggest the following, very easy to handle homemade fare, which are all kid and adult favourites, made allergy friendly. The best part is, those with regular diets won't even know they're eating 'safe' food!

• Chicken breast tossed in gluten free breadcrumbs and oven baked for everyone's favourite - chicken strips!
• Chicken wings made by ditching any flour dredging and opting instead for a salt and pepper toss before throwing them on the bbq
• Tacos - you can even have a 'make your own' taco bar set up with corn tortillas/shells, rice, beans, veggies and meat
• Homemade burgers - turkey, beef or veggie - with regular buns as well as gluten free buns or lettuce for wrapping the patties of wheat sensitive diners
• Meatballs, omitting the breadcrumbs or eggs, depending on the allergy
• Sushi platter, safe for most, so long as you steer clear of any rolls with sauce (soy allergy) or any tempura rolls (gluten allergy)
• Side dishes - potato salad (use olive oil instead of mayo for egg allergies), green salad, macaroni salad (gluten free macaroni is easy to find!), potato wedges baked in olive oil and herbs, rice or quinoa salads...the options go on and on here!

Birthday Cake

If you'll be making a cake or cupcakes from a box mix, there are a few swaps that can be easily accomplished. Usually, the recipe on the box calls for the cake mix, water, butter, vanilla and eggs.  Let's address each one separately.

Dairy Replacement

For a dairy allergy, you'll obviously want to avoid the butter. An easy substitute for butter in a baking recipe is an equal part of mashed up fruit, such as pear or apple (canned or fresh, either works). The fruit flavour will be subtly present in the finished product, which isn't a bad thing, I personally enjoy it, but it's something to be aware of, especially if you have potentially picky eaters. You can always add in a few dairy-free chocolate chips (like those made by Enjoy Life Foods) to distract them though! If you don't want to use fruit, another option is to use coconut oil as a butter substitute. If you've never experimented with coconut oil, I recommend it! It comes in a tub-style container and is actually solid at room temperature, not liquid, so you can scoop it out just as you would with butter. It can be a bit pricey but you only need to use 3/4 of the amount the recipe calls for. Example - recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 3/4 cup coconut oil instead. Just like the fruit substitute adds a bit of extra flavour, so too will the coconut oil. But if you enjoy the taste of the tropics then you'll like this swap.

Egg Replacement

To replace eggs, there are a few tricks. Eggs act as binders in recipes so you're looking for something that has a sticky quality. The easiest option, if you're already running to the store, is to buy a box of egg-substitute. It's just a powder mix to which you add water. I like EnerG brand myself and it's pretty readily available. If though you'd prefer to use ingredients you already have on hand, you can try any of the following to replace one egg: 1/2 mashed up banana; 1/4 cup tofu (make sure soy isn't an allergy issue if going this route); 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water; or a mix of 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp oil and 2 tsp baking powder.

Gluten-Free Replacements 

If gluten free is what you're after, well, you'll have to either make the cake mix from scratch with gluten free flours or try out one of the amazing new Betty Crocker gluten free cake mixes. They are available in yellow or chocolate at most grocery stores and are my go to when I need to quickly whip up a cake. I've fed them to avid gluten eaters and they can't tell the difference. If you'll be using the gluten free yellow mix, be sure you also use gluten free vanilla flavouring. The regular kind may trigger a reaction in gluten sensitive kids.

Planning an allergy-free party doesn't have to be a ton of extra work and ensures all the party-goers, especially the ones with allergies, feel included and just like all their friends. And having a safe menu allows you to relax and have a good time too, focusing on making memories with your kids, not worrying whether or not Johnny is staying out of the trail mix and Suzie has her hands off the icecream cake.

OneStopMamaShop is a blog offering advice, information and practical tips for all new mamas who are navigating the wonderful worlds of pregnancy and motherhood. 

The blog's author is based in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, so some of the posts are regional and apply specifically to mamas in that locale, though the many product recommendations, general pregnancy and baby-care information, and stories on the ups and downs of motherhood are universal, for any and all mamas to share in and enjoy.

Indigo Kids Blog Tour | Review & Giveaway

As long as I can remember, I've loved to read.  My Mom recently told me that when they tested my reading comprehension in grade 4, my abilities were at least a grade 12 level, as my scores surpassed the limits of the testing.  Given that information, its not surprising that I would rather read a book than watch TV.  I love allowing the words on the page to come alive in my mind and I can't help but hope that my boys will find as much delight in books as I have.

I do my best to foster a positive reading environment, we have books in both our playroom and in the boys' rooms and we read books before each and every sleepytime, naps included.  I love taking the boys to the bookstore and I'm super excited to let you know about Indigo Kids an amazing initiative by the folks at Chapters Indigo Books.

Indigo Kids is available at select book stores and with their wide stroller-friendly aisles, adequate space for kids to play and try a variety of toys including plasma cars and train tables; Indigo Kids stores are specifically designed to make shopping with and for your little ones a breeze.  And for those of you who don't have kids, but need to  buy a present for a special little person in your life, Indigo Kids has book and toy recommendations based on the child's age.  Last but not least, free gift wrapping on children's gifts is available at all Chapters and Indigo locations.

When given the opportunity to check out Indigo Kids for myself, I was more than a little excited to shop at my local Indigo Kids location, however given all the sickness in my home, it didn't end up being feasible so instead I did my shopping online.

In truth, I LOVE online shopping.  It's easy, its convenient and at Chapters Indigo its even easy on the wallet.  As a Plum Rewards member I received 5% off the list price of every book I ordered, I received free shipping (as my order was over $25) and when I ordered the Game of Thrones Box Set for myself, it was significantly cheaper than if I had bought it in store.

I shopped Indigo Kids for presents and ended up finding lots of great products.  Although there are tons of toys to choose from, I opted to stick with books and bought my almost one year old niece the Dr. Suess Beginner Book Collection that I hope she will enjoy for years to come, Tails for the boy and Goodnight Gorilla for the baby.  My boys love their new books and 'Goodnight Gorilla' has already become one of the baby's favourite books, just as it was one of his brother's.

Want to do some Indigo Kids shopping?  We're giving one lucky reader a $35 gift certificate to spend at Chapters Indigo Books, enter using the rafflecopter after the jump.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Indigo Kids program by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

The Alphabet, Appendicitis and Asthma

I want to start off by saying that I am horrified that its been over two weeks since my last blog post.  I assure you its not due to a lack of things to write about, it's about finding the time, it always seems to be about time.

I remember when my time was my own, when my world revolved around me: my needs, my wants and my desires.  Although I would never trade my boys for anything, I would be lying to say that I don't have moments where I long for the carefree, freedom of young adulthood.

As a mother and a wife, my life now includes both great responsibility and so much love.  The past week has reminded me of both these facets of my life.  Last Saturday, the boy turned three years old.  In previous years we've simply had family over the the house, but this year I wanted the boy to have a birthday party that he could really enjoy.

I also wanted to make the boy something handmade and from the heart and Alphabet Bean Bags were the perfect project.  On the crafty front I alo made plain bean bags and crayons for each of the kids goodie bags.  With the help of Pinterest, I considered a robot themed party, debated whether to make gluten-free cupcakes with marshmallow fondant or attempt a gluten-free rainbow cake.  In the end, the party was great, we took the kids to a local playplace, Fun 4 Kidz to let them burn off some energy before heading back to the house for hotdogs and cupcakes.  Overall the party was a success and fun was had by all.

So that was last week.

This week has not been so much fun.  

On Sunday night the hubs had an upset stomach and was up vomiting during the night.  In the morning, his pains had become sharper and more localized on the right side of his abdomen.  After some rest and a trip to the doctor he was off to the hospital.  He ultimately had to have his appendix removed, although it didn't rupture, it was perforated and leaking.  Following the procedure the surgeon made  point of telling him that he could have died.

As he recovers, he's of course in pain and discomfort, but he's also heartbroken that for the next month, he can't lift anything over twenty pounds, including our children. 

And my baby boys?  Cold's, both of them.  They have low grade fevers, the baby has lots of congestion and snot and the boy's asthma is out of control.  In fact the boy is now the second family member to go to the hospital this week.  Fortunately he was back out within a few hours.  He's on a four day dose of oral steroids, however it will be a couple days before we can expect to see an improvement. 

Interestingly, we've also been instructed to actively keep his fever under control and keep him on acetaminophen every four hours.  Not only can the fever provoke the asthma, the asthma can affect the body's ability to fight a fever.  What a vicious cycle.

So things have been hectic, tiring and overwhelming to say the least.  Thankfully yesterday I had a beautiful walk and coffee in Steveston with one of my best friends, with absolutely no children in tow.  It was amazing and just what I needed.  Today I am at my parents house with my boys and I am so incredibly thankful to have such caring and kind family and friends.

Taming the Toddler Party | UBP11

There's a girl in my office whose son is about a year older than the boy and she's always talking about the birthday party, superbowl party or holiday lunch that she's hosting.  She talks about her parties with such excitement, that in the moment I start to find myself thinking I should host events at my house more often.

It's not that I don't like to have people over, nor that I lack the organization, I just lack the drive to do all the work that having people over entails.  I love impromptu visits from friends and family, but the cleaning and re-organizing, decorating and general preparations for a 'party' just aren't my gig.

In fact the boy just turned 2 and I didn't start getting organized until about two weeks prior.  The event was small and simple with no meltdowns by the boy or the momma.  So if you're like me and like to keep your parties on the downlow, here are a few things I did to tame the toddler birthday party.

Schedule it right - Although birthday parties are generally in the afternoon, the boy tends to be cranky after his nap, especially if you have to wake him up, so we instead opted for a 10am-1pm party, not because it was convenient for us, but because it was the best option for the boy.  Remember its a toddler party, make it about the toddler.

Count the kids - I'm a fan of the method where you limit the number of kids to the age of the child.  Fox example a 2 year old party, requires only two additional children.  The kids aren't really big enough to remember and seriously how many two year olds do you really want running around your place?  We actually only invited one friend again this year and it worked out great.

Count the adults - Kids parties have a lot of obligatory guests, parents, aunties, uncles and close family friends; the number of adults can multiply quickly.  Depending on the size of your house, this means that your home can fill up quickly too.  Remember, you need enough room for the kids to run around, play and keep themselves otherwise occupied!

Keep the food simple - There's no need to go all out making a fancy spread, things like hot dogs and kraft dinner are almost always a hit with kids.  We had organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free chicken hot dogs, some boiled and some barbequed, homemade potato salad (courtesy of my mom), crackers, sausage and cheese, chips and of course birthday cake and everyone seemed satisfied, kids included.

Stay flexible - Toddlers barely do what we want them to do in the best of circumstances, so it seems unreasonable to expect them to behave in a specific way or follow a specific schedulue when their home is full of people and abnormalities.  We opened presents throughout the entire event and since there was only two toddlers present if they wanted to open the toy up and play with it for a while, we let them.  Happy toddlers are a definite requirement for a successful party.

Thanks for stopping by my Ultimate Blog Party 2011 post; I participated in the UBP 2010 and was amazed by the amazing sense of community and all the great new blogs I discovered in the process.

If you have a few extra moments, please stop by my current giveaway
for a machine washable Degraaf Designs Diaper Bag
to celebrate my Ddrops Sponsorship to Blissdom Canada!

http://www.mommastuffblog.com/2011/03/diaperbag.html

Happy 2nd Birthday

While everyone is off celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I find myself sitting in utter disbelief that two years ago, I met the boy for the first time.  It's hard to believe my independent little man used to be so small and delicate and even harder to believe that two whole years have passed since his birth.  I know in time, his current size will seem minuscule, but I have to admit, looking at this picture, he looks huge right about now.

Happy Birthday my boy - Momma loves you so very much!

Happy Birthday to Me

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday Dear Amber,
Happy Birthday to me.

I turned 29 this week and was totally spoiled.  The hubs and family got me the Nikon D3000 DSLR camera that I have been eyeing for months.  My Mom and sister brought over store-made gluten-free pizza on my actual birthday and today we're having a BBQ so that the entire family (and hopefully a few friends) can drop by to celebrate. 

We're having a meat smorgasboard, ribs, souvlaki pork chops, lamb chops and tandori chicken, complimented by corn on the cob, gluten-free pasta salad, homemade potato salad, veggies and dip, layer dip with taco chips and gluten-free angel food cake.  It's taking all my will-power not to eat the cake, it smells so good, and feels just like real angel food cake.  Unfortunately, I forgot to buy cool whip for the cake yesterday, so I'll be off to the store again in just a few moments.

Until then, my new favourite photo of the hubs and the boy; kisses after a nap.