Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my readers that still stop by for recipes or craft ideas. Hope you all had a great day with your loved ones! 

A Bientot!

Ta-Da!!!....a few weeks later!

This whole blogging while working full time and taking care of business at home is hard! lol I always have good intentions but after 10pm, I'm tired and vow to type the post the next day. We know how that went.

My husband and I finished installing our floors. I love it! No more carpet. No more washing that carpet and waiting for it to dry. Yuck. Now a new area rug would look cute but not necessary. We'll see. 

And to make you guys laugh, here's a photo my daughter took. Child doesn't know how to use my camera correctly and probably used whatever setting it was on previously. There was one where my girls were pretty pushed up by my knee and looked wayyy to revealing. That one WON'T be appearing on my blog. lol

A bientot!

New floors.

I will say "bye bye" to carpet from my living room this weekend. It's the only carpeted spot on the first floor and I can't wait for it to be gone. We wanted it out 5 years ago but the builder's salesman told us since we have kids and a dog, to let it get used up instead of ripping out new carpet. I have a carpet cleaner and our dog does not go on carpet so it still looks new after 5 years. Yeah, we had enough of it though. 

I'll be helping my husband to install it so that we can be finished by Sunday night. Wish us luck!

A Bientot!

Happy Fall!

I love Fall season. Living in Montreal was great since you can smell Fall in the air and the leaves turn a bright red, orange and yellow. Here in California, I can't smell Fall but the mornings and evenings are nice and cool.   I'm itching to start wearing my boots and sipping my Pumpkin Spice Latte. What are you looking forward to?

A Bientot!

New kitchen art.

I have this wall space that is above my phone that has been bugging me for years. I know I wanted something but never found the perfect thing...until I light bulb went on! 

I'm sure you have seen on Blogland, Etsy or Pinterest those subway word art. They were cute but still didn't quite represent me until I asked an Etsy seller  (Graber's Graphics Design)if she could modify one of her wording and she did. Finally something on that wall AND it represent me. 

When people or clients ask me how I do many things or stay organized, I answer Coke and coffee. lol

A Bientot!

Teacher Survival Kit 2012

It's that wonderful time of year! No, not Christmas but back to school for the kids! lol We had a good summer but we also have sibling bickering for anything. "Mom! He's looking at me!!!", "Mom!! She's touching me!!", "Mom!!!!!!" Yeah, Mom just wants some peace and quiet sometime. 

This year I have a second grader and a fourth grader. Dear Lord, one of these days my post will be "I have a college grad and a university grad". Yikes! As a way to ease any stressful moments the teacher may have, I like to give them a "hands up". New class, new students and maybe things could be forgotten. I tried to think what will help them if they are stuck and cannot leave the room to grab something. Here enters the Teacher Survival Kits. Some to eat, drink or fix. I usually spend a bit more on the "box" itself since I want it to be functional after the goodies are gone.

My teacher survival kit includes, a cute bowl & spoon, Special K cereal, gum, Cliff bar, hand lotion, hand sanitizers, wipes, tissues, lip balm, Aspirin, Crystal Light Lemonade single serve packet, sewing kit and a Starbucks gift card to perk them up. I hope they like it and of course, use it all. Have you started doing these kits in the past years or maybe thinking of doing one? Doesn't have to be this elaborate. A gift card and snack would be a great gift for the first day of school. Simple but thoughtful.

Can't wait for tomorrow! Now if only the kids will be as thrilled as their mom. lol

A Bientot!

My first born is now a tween.

My beautiful, soft skin, blondie, hazel green eyed turned 9 years old today. I can't believe how fast 9 years has passed right in front of my eyes. Not 9 weeks, 9 months but 9 years!!! I know most moms go thru this but it doesn't seem to get easier with every year. She's now a tween. Oh dear Lord, in a few years I will have a teenager. soupir

We had a spa party for her yesterday at home. I made a chocolate facial maskand the girls had manis and pedis. I was completely tired but the girls had fun. This year I didn't have to make a cake so that was one less thing to worry about. Also made a sweet/sour smoothie that the girls liked. It's tart but they wanted me to make more of it. Who knows?!

Here's a photo that was taken and cropped. I see her as a bit older for some reason. A glimpse to the future woman that she will become. Sniff.

A Bientot!

Grilled Pork Chops in a Dijon Marinade.

Summer is here and people want to cook outside of the kitchen. I love grilling and if I can, I will grill our dinner instead of being stuck in the kitchen. Here's a good recipe for grilled pork chops. Everyone in the family loved it.

Ingredients.

4 (8 ounce) bone-in pork loin chops

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine in a bowl the mustard, brown sugar, apple juice and Worcestershire sauce. Don't be afraid of the color. lol It's not the prettiest but it will make your chops taste delicious! Now you can remove 1/3 of the marinade and use it to baste the chops. I opted not to baste and they still turned out great.

In a resealable bag, pour the marinade and the add the pock chops. Seal bag and turn the bag a few times, to make sure the chops are well coated. Refrigerate for 8 hours.

Coat your grill with oil (I use vegetable oil). Pour out the marinade and grill your pork chops over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Baste your chops if you want at this stage. They must be 160 degree to be safe.

Serve it with a salad, some roasted or grilled potatoes and a veggie. Perfect summer meal!

Bon Appetit!

Happy Memorial Day.

To all that have served and are serving, thank you for doing a job that most people are afraid to do so. 

My family will be spending some time with my FIL and his wife today. He's an ex Marine, so today is his day. I'll bring some chicken to grill and hopefully have some time to bake something.

I hope you will be having a good day too.

A Bientot!

Summer List 2012.

I'm sure you have seen those summer list everywhere in blogland and maybe even Pinterest (didn't check it out). We are doing one again this year. The kids loved doing one in 2010, 2011 and now 2012. Some things were a bit more adventurist (rock climbing) while some were more tame (make cookies). We're hoping to do it all before school starts.

Are you making one? If so, what's in yours? Might give us some ideas and make a second poster board. :)

A Bientot!

Last day of school and a summer gift.

Well it's over. School that is. My children both finished their last day of school right after lunchtime. When I went to pick them up at school, you could feel the anticipation of all the children at that school. Everyone itching to get out and stay out for a long time! Ahh to be a kid and have no responsibilities. 

Last year I gave each child's teacher a gift. I saw this idea on bloggyland and now I see it's on Pinterest now. It's an easy gift that screams summer. A nice beach towels, sunscreen and a thick magazine. Perfect way to start the summer. 

Have your children finished their school year already? Have any big or small summer plans for the children? I have some and will share with you on another post.

A Bientot!

Happy Mother's Day. Bonne fête des mères!

Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy readers. I hope today you are with your loved ones and are being treated like a Queen. If not, Queens gives orders, your know. wink wink.

We went out for breakfast and stopped by at Target to pick up some things. Of course my son wanted to try out shoes that his sister was walking down the show isle. 

 Yup. Very macho. lol

Now I will be knitting outside and enjoying the weather we are having. Have a wonderful day!

A Bientot!

Day 5..or more like I forgot to post Day.

Umm...yeah... I forgot to post. lol I remembered it this afternoon while I was gardening. Doh! I'm sorry for being so absent minded.

I saw this idea last year and thought it would be a cute gift. I like candy and swedish fish reminds me of being little. You could substitute goldfish crackers if you wanted to go in another treat route. I personally had to buy extras just to make sure they were "fresh". What? It's what a good mom does.

A bientot!

Day 4 of Teacher Appreciation week 2012.

Here's another great gift for teachers. Bake them something! Cookies, muffins, scones, etc. It'll be perfect for a morning snack if your teacher didn't have time for a good breakfast.  I made my blueberry muffins with a crumble top and printed out a cute saying on a tag. 

How cute is that?! Plus you get to eat the rest of your baked goods. lol Well maybe that's not such a great idea. Anyway, tomorrow is the last day. Stay tuned.

A Bientot!

Day 3 of Teacher Appreciation week 2012.

This gift is perfect for the non coffee or tea drinkers. I just went to my local smoothie shop and bought a gift card and asked for an empty cup. Voila! How easy is this? I typed a small note saying "Thank you for a "smoothie" school year for in (insert grade level). " Easy, right?

These gifts can also be a great last day of school gift for any teacher. It doesn't have to be on this exact week. Show your child's teacher that you appreciate all they do for your child. Remember. They have many, many children that they work with everyday and trying to make each child learn and feel good about themselves is not an easy job. This just lets them know that I understand teaching is not an easy job. It takes a lot of patience and dedication.  This is my way to say "Thank you" to them.

A Bientot!

Day 2 of Teacher Appreciation week 2012.

Yikes! It's almost bedtime and I was about to forget about my post. My memory is not what it used to be in my 20's. Sniff.

Here's another popular and inexpensive gift. A picture frame with a letter depicting the teacher's last name. Make a sentence with each letter of the teacher's last name. Easy and very personal. I've been doing this for 4 years now and I think the teachers actually keeps for some years. I think when I started it 4 years ago, that teacher still has it on her desk. Pretty neat.

Stay tune for tomorrow's gift. 


A Bientot!

Teacher Appreciation Week 2012.

Yes, I am still alive. lol My life has been quite busy with my business, kids and taking care of the house.  I didn't think working everyday would make my blogging harder but I was dead wrong.  I don't know how working moms do it. I need to try add blogging into my crazy life.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. As usual, I give each teacher a small gift for every day of the week. Today was my "always a winner" Starbucks cup filled with whole coffee beans and a gift card. A small tag that says "Thanks a Latte for all you do." completes the gift. Super easy. Super cheap if money is tight. 

I think this Wednesday is Teacher Appreciation Day so you can always just give one gift for that special teacher. You don't need to give a gift each day unless you want to or can. In this economy, money can be very tight and teachers don't expect gifts anyway. It's just nice to show your appreciation. A card or a heart felt note will do just the same as a gift. 

I will be posting a different gift tomorrow. Keep an eye out if you are looking for ideas. You can also search my blog for more teacher gifts. 

A Bientot!

Happy Easter! Joyeuses Pâques! Feliz Páscoa!

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

A Bientot!

Happy New Year!

Well it's 2012 already! A whole year just zoomed by. 2011 was filled with changes in our family. Some good, some ok and some not too great. I'm hoping this year will be a year a bit less stressed for our family.

Last year I actually opened a business and only started advertising it by the end of summer. I almost doubled my clientele and yet I am still able to work part time and be with my children. Years ago I thought they would be ok without me being at home after school at a certain age but I was wrong. They still needed their momma. lol You learn as you get older.

I'm hoping this year will be a good one not only for our family but also my business. How was your 2011? Pretty good or kinda stressful? What are your wishes for 2012?

A Bientot!

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

From my family to yours!

A Bientot!

Teacher's Christmas Gift.

This year I decided to bake something for my children's teachers. I made some chocolate chips cookies and some chocolate crinkle cookies.

I used an empty and clean Pringles can and wrapped it with scrapbook paper. Quick, easy and inexpensive. I saw it on Pinterest (who hasn't spent hours of just pinning?!) and decided that's what I'll be doing for Christmas.

Hope this might give you and idea if you are running out of time.

A Bientot!

Santa!

Hello??? Anyone there? lol Life has been quite hectic this year for me. I don't want to give up my blog but trying to find the time to post anything new is not as easy as it used to.

Yesterday I decided to see Santa. I wasn't sure if I would be able to if I waited too close to Christmas Day. The kids were happy to oblige my request and off we went to see Santa! I am so happy it's been the same Santa for at least 4 or 5 years. My daughter is 8 1/2 and smart. As long as it's the same one, she believes he is Santa.  My son asked for a DSi game (we don't have a DS anymore since he broke mine) and my daughter a trampoline. Ahuh. Good thing they have a longer Santa list at home. lol

Have you gone to see Santa yet? What are they asking Santa for this year?

A Bientot!

Happy Halloween!

A Bientot!