Georgia: Mummy, do I look like a rock star?

Me: {barely controlling my laughter} Exactly like a rock star!

MK xo
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Disclaimer: No rock stars were harmed in the making of this post.

Lizzy (age 11) woke up this morning wanting to create. Her best friend received a sewing machine for her birthday and they’ve decided they’re going to be fashion designers.

I’m a beginner seamstress (I shouldn’t even use the word ‘I’ and ‘seamstress’ in the same sentence), so I was reluctant to let her play with my machine as I’m not really in a position to teach her anything. I reluctantly (because who am I to stand in the way of an artist?) told her she could find some old clothing and cut it up and use the fabric to make something.

Truthfully, I expected nothing but a messy dining room (that is where the sewing machine lives).

She chose the shirt she is wearing in the picture above. It was a smock style shirt with two front pockets. Sadly, I didn’t bother taking any photos of the process. I didn’t expect the wonderful outcome.

She cut the shirt straight across right under the arm holes, folded it over and sewed in a waist band. Then she salvaged a piece of elastic from an old pair of jeans, measured Georgia’s waist, put the elastic in, closed up the waist band and …

tada –> a super cute skirt that fits Georgia just right.

My only contribution was threading the sewing machine and then forcing her to iron the seam before she started sewing.

Obviously, I made no contribution to Georgia’s ensemble at all. She is totally responsible for the stripes/plaid/rubber boots combo. As long as there is pink, they match.

MK xo
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Disclaimer: One shirt was cut and killed in the making of this post (and skirt).

Summer is for …

MUD!

MK xo
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Disclaimer: No elephants were harmed in the making of this post.

Truthfully, we’ve always been a Heinz Ketchup family. On the other hand I’ve been trying very hard to keep our family eating ‘real food’. I’m trying to cook with simple ingredients and avoid a lot of processed foods. All that said, we like ketchup and we like healthy, so I was more than happy to try out Hunt’s 100% Natural Ketchup.

The good news, not one person noticed the new ketchup. It tasted great, just like ketchup. When I questioned them, it was unanimous, they liked it. Thanks Hunt’s I now have a healthier ketchup for my family.

To celebrate that their new ketchup now features just five simple ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial ingredients and no preservatives, Hunt’s is giving moms a high-five to celebrate by hosting Hunt’s High Five Family Photo Fun Contest and invites Moms to submit pictures on their Facebook page depicting family accomplishments and simple victories. To enter, visit http://www.facebook.com/Hunts for a chance to win a family vacation (up to $5,000).

Enjoy!

MK xo
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“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hunt’s and received a ketchup sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

1. They dust:

2. They vacuum:

3. They wash floors:

Hey kid, whadda ya think this is summer vacation? Get back to work!

MK xo
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Disclaimer: this is not an advertisement for child slavery. I’m merely trying to raise useful, independent adults.

Our first of many Lay’s® Chip Trips this summer was to the Edmonton Valley Zoo.

Using Lay’s® Chip Trip points is super EASY and you can print out the savings on your home printer. In this case, for the cost of one small bag of chips (approx value $1), we saved the cost of one adult entry to the Zoo (value $5+).

If I haven’t told you before, Georgia is animal crazy. Sam is just an animal, hence the bars (I jest). With their birthdays being just days apart and having ‘animals’ in common, we decided the zoo would be a fun outing birthday outing.

This is Lucy. She’s lovely and smart. I love elephants. We started the day with an educational elephant show, no weird circus tricks, just information and Lucy participates.

Speaking of weird circus tricks, Sam not to be outdone showed us his weird thumb-bending trick. Well done son, I’m so proud.

Georgia was thrilled with a pony ride.

Lizzy was disappointed not to ride, but as you can see, she was way too BIG!

Georgia likes to think she is a wolf. She howls like a wolf, and devours books on wolves, yet she refused to pose with a wolf. Go figure.

They all loved the ‘hands on’ approach in the petting zoo.

Lizzy’s getting too old and too cool, to ride the train. Sam and Georgia are NOT.

Above –> my favourite haircut of the day.

If you’re in Canada, there is a Lay’s® Chip Trip just waiting for you. Find out more at Lays.ca.

MK xo
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Disclosure – I am participating in the Lay’s® Chip Trips program by Mom Central on behalf of Frito Lay Canada. I received Lay’s® Chip Trip points and a gift card to off-set my trip costs to facilitate this post. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Georgia: Daddy I am going to go sun tanning.

Mr. MK: Umm OK, but do you know what sun tanning is?

Georgia: Yes, it’s when you lay very still on a towel with your bathing suit in the sun and go to sleep.

And that is just …

exactly what she did.

MK xo
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Disclaimer: this is not an advertisement for skin cancer. Promptly after finding her a sleep, we brought her in the house for a nap.

Georgia pretty much does, just what she pleases, when it pleases her.

A conversation I had with Georgia this morning:

Me: Where were you?

Georgia: In the front yard.

Me: What were you doing?

Georgia: Dancing.

Me: Really, the whole time?

Georgia: Yes! I had the music in my head.

Ah, life is simple when you’re five. You can still march to your own drum. I know I ‘could’ dance/march/roll around the front yard if I really wanted, but honestly … what would the neighbours think?

MK xo
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I think our brutal Canadian winters make us Canadians REALLY appreciate summer. I love that my kids can’t get enough of the outdoors, so when I was asked to review the ‘Backyard Safari Outfitter’ products, I thought they’d be a good fit for my family.

They arrived last week the day before Georgia’s birthday. Being the cheapskate that I am, I wrapped them up to give her as gift.

I thought about handing them over to Sam, but I thought that he might be a bit too old. WOW, was I wrong. The minute Georgia opened the box Sam was all over the Bug Vacuum.

He had the Cargo Vest on, the Field Binocs around his neck and he went bug hunting.

Within a couple of minutes he’d vacuumed up a spider.

Once you’ve vacuumed up a creepy crawler you can twist a magnifiying glass across the end of Bug Vacuum and get a close up look at your catch.

Even the girls wanted a look …

The highlight was definitely catching a bee.

Can you tell he’s just a wee bit thrilled? YA THINK?

You’re probably thinking that Sam took over the Bug Vacuum. Not a chance the girls like it just as much.

I call this photo –> The Great White Hunter!

We’re giving the Backyard Safari Outfitters from Summit Toys an A+!

MK xo
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My baby is five today. Georgia is F I V E.

Kindergarten is around the corner. K I N D E R G A R T E N.

I don’t want her to go. I want to keep her here with me. I don’t care if it’s cliche, time flies people, at super-sonic speed. {sniff, sniff}

We kept it low key this year. Remember, I am the woman who tried to start a ‘Throw a CRAP PARTY Campaign’, and now I am following through.

Sam turned TEN on Monday, and Hayley is TWENTY-ONE next week. So June is a busy month.

This year’s invitation list included sisters, brothers (where applicable), Mom, Dad and guest. Georgia cracked me up and invited Lizzy’s best friend who is eleven. Both Sam and Georgia chose to have a weiner/marshmallow roast.

Does it get any easier? NOPE! For the lazy parenting set (to which I nominate myself president), a weiner roast is EASY.

Dessert was homemade birthday cake of the birthday childs choice.

Georgia wanted chocolate with pink icing and that’s exactly what she got.

If I don’t see you ’round, I’ll see you square!

MK xo
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