Easy Granola

I have many childhood memories of my mom making big batches of granola. Now that I'm a mom, I am fairly conscious of what kind of food goes in my sons' bodies. And they love their cereal. The problem is, that even the healthy kind of cereal is processed and contains refined sugar. That hasn't stopped me from giving it to them, but I knew I wanted to try my mom's recipe. It's really easy, is packed with healthy ingredients and can be modified to include what you like and take out what you don't. I'm not sure of the original source but thought I'd share.

5 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup shredded coconut 
1 cup soy powder (I didn't use this)
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup honey
1 cup oil (I used vegetable, I'm sure there is a healthier alternative?)

Mix well then bake at 300 F for approximately 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so!

Super easy and a hit with the kids. Because I skipped the soy powder I added half a cup of wheat bran and half a cup of ground flaxseed. You could add raisins, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds or pretty much anything you want. As always, let me know if you make it!

Toddler Bed Disaster

I was pretty nervous about making the transition to toddler beds with twin boys but I knew it had to happen eventually. I know many kids who stay in cribs longer, but because they were in a bed at daycare and outgrowing their pack n' plays when we went away, I figured we should be consistent. I bought them the Gro Clock which had rave reviews to show them when to stay in bed (when they see the star) and when to get up (when they see the sun) and everyone was excited. The first few nights went beautifully. 

But then they discovered their freedom and the monkey business began and pretty much hasn't stopped. I can't blame them. They are little boys and they have a lot to discover. But I'm tired of them taking hours to fall asleep. I'm tired of one biting the other. I'm tired of them falling out of laundry baskets while giving each other rides (pretty cute idea though!). I'm tired of things being destroyed and clothes everywhere.

We went with the little-intervention approach. If we heard crying we went in to deal with it, but figured if we generally stayed out of it they would get bored. Well two weeks later it hasn't gotten any better, probably worse. And although we've gotten them to help us clean up clothes and done a lot of talking about it, I think we've unintentionally taught them that what they're doing is okay. And to us, it isn't. 

I don't really want to turn back but I'm not opposed to going back to cribs. If they can't handle the freedom, then they can't. I have had friends say they've taken everything out of the room to make it boring. But I have no where else to put their giant dresser and I want them to learn while they have their regular room in tact. We are changing our strategy and will be tightening up the reigns in the next few days. I am really hoping it works. I know this is all just a phase and it's great they are having fun, but they also need sleep. We'll see how it goes!

A Lazy Day

It may have taken me until about 2pm to get out of my PJs today. I woke up with a sore throat and feeling crummy. I was close to sending the boys to their babysitter and having a day to myself, but true to the norm for me, it's always the worst when I first get up. And some Tylenol helped. I told the boys mommy wasn't feeling well and they needed to try their best to cooperate today. They've been awesome. Nothing about today is anything to write about in a parenting magazine. We watched Youtube videos and I tried to sneak in little two minute naps between switching to new ones. The boys played in the play room while I lay on the couch upstairs and watched TV (I know, one of the many benefits to twins!). They watched their first ever episode of Sesame Street. We had macaroni from a box for. We have yet so step foot outdoors. But I don't feel bad. Days like this are rare and I don't always have to be on my A game.

Yesterday when our plans for the gym were changed due to our "poopy incident' (I didn't want to call over the PA system to clean up a second mess) we also stuck close to home. We took the wagon to the library across the street, we stopped by the slides in our little park and the boys rode their tricycles.  I find it's generally easier to take my boys out to do something in the morning, but I forgot how fun and meaningful it can be to be around home together. Whether it's some creative, well-planned activity (let's be honest, those are rare!) or a lazy day in our PJs, I get to share life with my boys and I'm grateful.

Dealing With Stress

This has not been the best week of our lives. It started off with some disappointments and emotional decisions. Then a boy throwing up in the night (which I didn't know about at the time, thanks to my awesome husband and some ear plugs). Then dealing with similar bodily fluids down my shirt and hair and an understandably upset boy while trying to get out of the door for an appointment. While driving to that appointment I hear on the news that my husband's company is laying off hundreds and hundreds of  people. Thankfully he still has a job. Today it was dealing with an enormous amount other bodily fluids running onto the floor and up my son's back, trying to give them both a bath (because if one gets a bath the other wants one too right?) and cleaning up the mess. Also, losing it on my son who was frustrated for some unknown reason and lashed out at me physically. I was not proud of how I dealt with it.

It's all par for the course. Being a mom involves having your patience tried multiple times a day and cleaning up things you'd never imagine. Being human involves feeling sad, frustrated and disappointed. I don't expect to be spared from any of that but it's still tough in the moment. J and I have both been exhausted this week with nothing extra in the tank to give. So how do I deal with stress? I think it's safe to say after this week that I'm an emotional eater. On Monday it was a chocolate croissant and some KFC for lunch. The feeling left in my stomach for the rest of the day probably wasn't worth the five minutes of fried chicken indulgence. The next day it was mini chocolate bars, chips and cheesies, followed by ice cream that night. Yesterday was more chips and cheesies. Last night I just felt gross. While I'm all for the occasional treat, I had gone way past moderation. I'm pretty that this week I found those six pounds that I lost last month!

One thing I do find helps with stress is exercise and recently I've been loving to swim. Yesterday in my daze I drove right past the gym exit without realizing it, but managed to eventually get myself in the pool and knock off several dozen laps. I loved zoning out, feeling weightless and getting the blood pumping. While there have been lots of wonderful little moments this week, it has been tough and I'm hoping next week is a bit more normal. If not, I'm pretty sure I'll have to lock up the junk and get out the fruit. How do you deal with stress?

Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

I love finding good recipes to add to my collection. I found this on Pinterest the other day. Most recipes take me awhile to get around to but I knew I wanted to try this one right away. I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes, black beans and quinoa and to me this recipe is the perfect healthy meal.

You can find the original recipe here. The only changes I made were I used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock (making it no longer vegan) since I didn't have any around. I also cut some fresh corn off the cob and added it in. It probably took closer to 30 minutes to cook the sweet potatoes and quinoa.

We are usually a bit lazy with our cooking on the weekend but while J played with the boys in the play room I had an uninterrupted hour to work on this. Plus he chopped the onion and garlic which is not my favourite job. My verdict? Delicious! I can't wait to have it again for dinner tomorrow night!

Jewellery Organizer

I've been trying to figure out a good way to organize my jewellery for awhile. For years it's been in the bottom drawer of a plastic organizer, often getting tangled up. Since joining Pinterest I've seen some really good ideas that I've wanted to make.

The plan was to buy some hooks to hang the necklaces. And for hanging earrings I loved the idea of using screen or chicken wire behind an empty frame (inspiration found here). I bought wooden pegs and found some screen. I just needed the frame and I was good to go.

But then on a trip to Home Sense on the hunt for a mirror, I came across this piece of awesomeness. I'm not actually sure of what it's original intent was but I knew it would be perfect. And as a bonus it came in the same colour I've used as an accent in our bathroom.

We finally hung it up today and I'm thrilled with how it looks. Let's be honest. I'm not crafty and whatever version I came up with, although fine, wouldn't have been as nice as this one. And the price was right. Just one more step towards making our home more functional. I love it!