Wedding cake/cupcakes...and some strawberry fields

I've been a little busy lately.

With a wedding order due this past weekend, my kitchen exploded with fondant and icing while the scent of delicious lemon cake filled every inch of my house. The troops showed up (ie. mom and dad) to entertain the kids, while I meticulously worked away at every last final detail.

People ask me all of the time how I get my cakes/cupcakes done with two little ones at home with me all day long.

And I always have the same answer for them: My family. 

They show up, help to look after our kids, pop their heads in while I'm working away and tell me that my half-made cake is beautiful (when really it's not even close to looking how I want it to look like yet--and they know it, but tell me that it's perfect anyways).

And the clean-up fairy? He shows up every single time. He goes by the name of Terry, and he magically trails my every move, making sure that I'm never left with a huge mess to clean up at the end of my many hours of work.

It would literally be impossible for me to do this without them.

What an honour it is to be a tiny little part of such a wonderful day in the lives of two people who have created a day that they will cherish forever.

Tamara, I hope that your day was everything that you wished it to be!

And the location? Holy geeze...stunning.

This is what her guests got to look out on as they enjoyed every last minute of their beautiful day.

But...can I just say...THIS GUY IS NUTS.

After putting the last cupcake on the stand and stepping back to look out at the view, we noticed this guy fishing in the middle of this FAST moving water, standing on a rock. How did he even get out there?? One slip and he would have been completely washed away with the force of the water. Unbelievable.

Anyways, regardless of the crazy man...what a view!!

Congrats Tamara!

And while my dad and I were packing up the last of the now empty cake boxes into the car, we got a call saying "We're on our way to pick strawberries--meet us there!"

So off we went.

 We got out of there just before the storm rolled in...

but we'll be back, strawberry field. We'll definitely be back.

Erica xo

Great Playdoh recipe...(if you want to actually call it playdoh)

Here's a quick one for ya:

If you have cheap hair conditioner and corn starch in your house (and little people at your feet), you all of a sudden have mounds of quiet time to yourself. Seriously.

There are times when I'm on a search for fun things to do with my kids, but there are other times when I'm on a search for independent play ideas so that I can actually get dinner made or throw a load of laundry in, or clean up the toys that I've been tripping on all day long.

This one I found online--and it seemed so crazy. Hair conditioner??? So bizarre.

But I decided to give it a try, so we headed out to the dollar store to buy a bottle of cheap conditioner and we mixed the two ingredients together...

And voila! The softest, yummiest smelling playdoh you'll ever find.

If you want to give it a try yourself, this is all that you have to do:

1) Go buy yourself some cheap hair conditioner and corn starch

2) Mix equal parts conditioner/corn starch together (we used about half a bottle of conditioner)

3) Mix together

4) Keep mixing until it becomes a consistency that isn't too sticky --use your hands to knead it together until it feels like a good texture to work with (add more corn starch if it's too sticky).

**Add whatever food colouring colour you want at this point and keep kneading the colour in until it's what you want it to look like

Voila!! Instant playdoh...moondoh..or whatever you want to call it.

Really...it should be called the "Mom's magic quiet solution" doh.

Thank you hair conditioner and corn starch!!!

Erica xo

Long Weekend Love

I used to pack my long weekends with plans as if it was the only break I'd have all year long.

Beach trips. Cottages. Fireworks. Smirnoff Ice. Late nights. Friends. Sleeping in until noon.

I sometimes long for those days again. Those days of care-free living, very few real responsibilities, young perspective on life and sleeping in. Oh to actually sleep in again.

But I'd give it all up for what I have now. Every last second of it.

Sure there aren't late night chats with a Smirnoff bottle in my hand anymore (although, once pregnancies, nursing and sleep deprivation subside, I'm sure I'll make time for a late night drink on a patio once again). And sure it's not as easy to just jump in the car and drive 3hrs to a friends cottage right now (although with a bit of extra planning, extra packing, lots of breaks along the way and a bit of bravery we could do it). But there has been a different kind of long weekend wonderful emerging since having kids.

Different? Yes.

But still oh so good. A little bit simpler...but still incredibly memorable.

Cold drinks that make you feel just a bit happier than you did before you took a swig, have been replaced with long walks pushing baby dolls.

   

And Daddy time that could last forever. 

Sibling love and baby giggles. 

Bubbles, water and scrubbing her play dishes on the deck...which she could happily do all day long. 

Spontaneous trips to the park with friends. 

And amazing day trips which will forever be etched in Mya's memory bank, filling up her checklist of childhood memories that she will hold onto and never forget. 

With a 2yr old who is obsessed with horses these days, she was over the moon when we surprised her and her brother with a trip to see our friend Krista's horses.  

Thank you Krista for an amazing day! Mya still can't stop talking about it. 

It only took a moment of hesitation before this brave little girl happily jumped on this huge animal and didn't want to get off.  

 Krista, you have made this little girl's day (a million times over!).

Carter was also a brave little soul, taking everything in as much as a little one can. 

And Meika (with her best bud, Chili) couldn't get enough of the endless running fields.

Happy Canada Day everyone! 

Erica xo