Friday Favourites

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday Favourites.

My What's up Wednesday post took up a lot of my favourites from this week, so you can click over there to see some of our current happenings.  Like this guy.

I also wrote about some healthy eating tips for the holidays on Thursday.

It's all happening!  The Christmas decorations have been unearthed and are ready to go.  E has his tree in his room with the lights on it, decorations will follow.

I took this picture of E's Remembrance Day art at school.  The middle is a monument and the on either side are "horsies, because they fought in the war too".  

Dave picked up a new ottoman for our family room this week.  It's nice to have another place to put your feet up and for Q to walk around. 

I got these slippers for Christmas last year but I thought I would mention them today.  I don't wear them during the summer, so I just got them back out to wear now.  They are nice and cozy and have a hard bottom so you can run outside if you need to.  They would make a good gift for someone.  Here is a link to this year's version. 

I did a barre class on Thursday night and it was great.  Don't mind my dirty yoga mat (I used to work out at High Park and haven't scrubbed it down yet) but here was my set up.  Not only do we get a great workout, our instructor spends time at the end for meditation.  

I heard this song on the radio this week and reminded my parents about it.  They got a laugh out of it, so I thought I would share it here for you!  Happy Friday Y'all!!

Healthy Holiday Eating

Now, I'm no expert on healthy eating, but I do try to make smart choices even around the holidays.  I am someone who really enjoys food and I will appreciate the special treats that show up at this time of year, but I also know that if I over indulge, I will not feel well and I will regret it.  So here are some of my tips for making smarter choices for the holidays:

Limit the heavy alcoholic beverages.  I love a good Egg Nog with Kahlua and Irish Whiskey (yes, that's right), but I can really only have one of those at a time.  Most of the time I stick to wine or a fizzy cocktail.

Be mindful about filling up your plate at a party or when grabbing a treat at home.  I sometimes eat my cookie on the way to the couch or stand at the buffet table and eat a few appetizers before sitting down, and I really don't enjoy it (and then I feel the need to eat more).  If I sit and eat them slowly, then I appreciate them and don't go back for seconds. 

Choose the cookies and treats that you really like.  Our office will become filled with baked goods in a few weeks, but instead of eating everything, I will pick just a couple that I know I really like (like Portuguese tarts or shortbreads).  I know everything is good, but I'll pick the extra special ones.

Have a coffee or tea if you want something sweet.  There are fewer calories but you still get the comfort of a treat. 

When you know you're going to be indulging at a meal or party later in the day, take it easy for the rest of the day.  I don't mean starve yourself, because that doesn't work either, but eat a lighter lunch and a couple of snacks instead of a day full of heavy meals.

Make things from scratch.  I know it's a busy time and it's not always possible, but when you can, make things from scratch, it will taste better and be full of "real" ingredients.  You can also appreciate what is in the food because you know what went into it.  When you're mixing in all that butter into the shortbreads, you may be less willing to eat several at a time.

These things don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Good luck!

What's up Wednesday

Linking up with Shay, Sheaffer, and Mel for What's Up Wednesday (a little earlier this month).

What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Moroccan Chicken and Couscous

Monday - Pulled Pork and rice with Thai dipping sauce (but I was out and I had the short ribs at e11even)

Tuesday - Pulled pork quesadillas

Wednesday - Beef Stew

Thursday - Leftover Stew

Friday - Curry

Saturday - maybe we will go out

What I'm reminiscing about...
As always around this time, I am reminiscing about Christmases past and the fun we have had.

What I'm loving...
Christmas books.  I got them out to read to E last week and we have been enjoying a few of our old favourites - The Grinch, Charlie Brown, Polar Express, etc.  We usually buy one book per year, and I like looking back to see the years we bought them.

What we've been up to...
I went to the Leafs game on Monday with some accountants and another lawyer from our firm.  It was fun to go downtown during the week and watch the game.  We had great seats and I walked past Tie Domi during the intermission (his son plays for Phoenix, the Leafs' opponents for the night), and Chris Hadfield was in the stands too!

What I'm dreading...
Dressing children in winter clothes.  E can dress himself but he tends to get distracted so we'll be after him to start getting ready.  Q is already throwing a bit of a fit when it's time to get his jacket on, so the snow pants and boots will be fun #sarcasmfont

What I'm working on...
Keeping my head above water this week!  I am super busy at work and it will get busier before month end.  Trying to plan ahead for meals and still showing up for bedtime are still priorities.  Dave is on pick up and drop off all week and doing errands plus he's busy at work too. 

What I'm excited about...
All of the Christmas lights around the neighbourhoods.  Coming home at night when it is dark out is worth it when you can enjoy the twinkling lights.

What I'm watching/reading...

We watched Stranger Things pretty quickly, but we still need to finish Ozark and Alias Grace.  I also need to catch up on This is Us. 

I'm reading Tell by Frances Itani.

What I'm listening to...

Our new car has XM radio so I'm flipping around between my favourite stations.

What I'm wearing...
We are wearing our winter coats, hats, and mitts.  It hasn't been really really cold, but cold enough to bundle up.

What I'm doing this weekend...

Santa is coming to Bloor West Village on Saturday so we will go to that.  And then we might do the Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Phillips Square and/or the Distillery District Market.  We also want to get our Christmas lights up and some decorations out.

What I'm looking forward to next month...

All of the Christmas things.  I love it all and I love being busy. 

What else is new...
I did a post about what was up with us on Monday.  Q is also trying to use a spoon more often now.  The day care took this photo of him this week.  I think it was a success :)

Weekend Recap

We had a good weekend but I was tired out by the end.  I scrambled to get out of work on Friday evening and pick up the kids before 6:00.  When I got home Dave and his parents (who just returned from China) had made a great dinner of hamburgers, fries, and caesar salad.  We watched the movie Megan Leavey that night.  It's a good movie, but be prepared, you will cry, especially if you love dogs.

On Saturday I got up for my 7:00 am workout.  Then I set out our clothes for our family photos.  We just take them ourselves rather than get professional ones done.  This year we had our new backyard as the backdrop.

They turned out well and I should be able to order our Christmas card this week.   After that we walked up the street to do a few errands (flu shots for the boys, library, LCBO, bread, and Bulk Barn).  Then we grabbed a quick lunch at Pizza Pizza. 

In the afternoon we had a quick time to rest before going to our friend's place for his birthday party.  We visited with a few friends and their kiddos.   

Selfie while waiting for Dave

After that I rushed out to visit my friend Janna for dinner.  Another friend from high school, Ian, was in town so she hosted us at her place.  We had some good laughs, high school friends are so great. 

On Sunday morning we did our usual routine of church and running.  And then we had a special treat of McDonalds for lunch. 

As soon as we ate we headed out to rake leaves while Q napped.  We were successful in getting all of the leaves that are down so far.  There will be more work to do but we made a good dent.  E was such a good helper.

Then I got groceries and made supper.  We bathed the kids, read some Christmas books, and then caught up on some TV.  

Three Things...

Three things going on with us at the moment...

Q (14 months)

1. Q is officially walking.  He started taking a few steps last week but this week it's like he just decided to start moving.  He's still a little tipsy and falls down but he's getting there. 

2. We turned his carseat around.  I didn't realize this was such a controversial topic, but apparently it is.  He reached the weight and height guidelines for turning him around so we did.  We did the same with E at this age.  Q is much happier to be facing the front instead of just starting at himself in his mirror.

3. He's trying to use a fork while eating.  He's at least holding it and trying to scoop some food, with some limited success.  

E

1. E is a busy beaver at school.  He is the eco-rep for his class, plays chess on Fridays at lunch, and has signed up for the holiday choir.  I'm so pleased that he has these various opportunities and that he is embracing school life. 

2. He comes up with the funniest things. Some of the things he says I know he gets from us, but other things I don't know where he gets it.  His mind is a little sponge. 

3. He's got big plans for Christmas.  He went through the Indigo flyer and put the stickers (provided in the flyer) on just about everything he could see.  I think we need to implement the one page list again this year (cut out the things he wants and only those that fit on one page of paper are the ones that go on his list).

Dave

1.  Dave is planning a golf trip for a few months from now.  This group of friends went to Charlotte in 2006 to golf and have been talking about doing another golf trip since then, so it will be fun for them to go this time. 

2. He is listening to a new podcast, Heavyweights with Jonathan Goldstein.  He has recommended a few episodes to me and I think I will add this to my weekly rotation. 

3. Raptors are in full force around here.  Dave watches every game and follows along with the players, sports writers, and other NBA fans on Twitter. 

Me

1. I have been very busy at work this past couple of weeks and that will continue for at least two more weeks. Since I do corporate law, we will have sale transactions that come up from time to time that take over my whole day.  We are trying to close this one for December 1 and there is a lot to do.  This is the type of work that I love though, so I'm okay with it. 

2.  I'm coaching E's soccer team on Tuesday nights.  It's pretty easy since the whole time is just a game, no drills, and since we don't have a lot of players, then I don't even need to do line changes, they just play the whole time.  It's a fun thing that E and I can do together. 

3.  I'm looking for Beaujolais Nouveau recommendations. My uncle Robert was always my source for this; fortunately the one he told me about a few years ago has stood the test of time. I picked up a bottle this year too.  But this year I'm on the look out for some new ones.

Friday Favourites

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday Favourites.

Half of us got our flu shots this week so we're 50% there (although technically it's less than that because Q needs to get another shot in 4 weeks).  Dave and E will go to Shoppers to get theirs in the next couple of days.

We had to wait forever for Q's appointment for his flu shot but he was so well behaved.  He actually sat on my lap for a little while which is something that E would never have done at that age (or any age).

I've written about one of my favourite Christmas CDs before, but I thought it needed repeating.  I am listening to it again this year, wishing it could be re-released so I could share it with more people.

E had a great report card this week so we celebrated by making chocolate chip cookies.  They are so delicious.  I know we will be bombarded with holiday treats soon, but nothing beats a good old chocolate chip cookie.  

Some highlights from E's report card include: "E is a friendly, cheerful student. He participates enthusiastically in class activities and discussions and has many good ideas to share.  E demonstrates a positive attitude toward learning and puts forth a good effort."  He brought home some of his work and was very proud to show us what he's been doing.

We did grocery pick up twice from Loblaws this past week and it was pretty great.  I don't know if we will do it every time we need groceries, because I do like to go into the store, but it was very convenient and I would definitely recommend it.  I even got meat and produce and they did a good job of picking out what we needed.  One time I did the order in the morning and picked it up on the way home from work, and the other time I did the order in the evening and Dave picked it up the next afternoon.  

Happy Friday everyone!

Recipe - Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am borrowing this recipe from my friend Janna's mother.  She always made these cookies for us growing up and they really are the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies. We made these last night as a special mid-week treat.

1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (I had to use vanilla bean paste)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
300 g package chocolate chips (I used the PC Decadent chips)


Cream together shortening and sugars until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in well.  Add soda and salt.  Add whole wheat flour and mix well.  Add white flour and blend ingredients together.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.  Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.