Company Kids Chistmas Party

Last weekend, Miss Sydney and I got the opportunity to go to my company Christmas Party. I work for one of those fantastic companies that invites you to everything even though you are on maternity leave. Every year, they book the entire Galaxyland amusement park for staff and their children. Each child gets a snack pack, a gift and unlimited rides for the night.

David had to work so it was a girls night out. Syd and I got dolled up and hit up some rides. She had so much fun on the train and the air balloon carousel! She held on to the edge tightly and grinned from ear to ear. It was so sweet to see how excited she was. A cheese string and juice along with a fun new toy topped off the night for her making it one that she enjoyed very much.

Little does she know that this is just the beginning of Christmas celebrations for us this year. So many more things to come!

S

Baby Shenanigans

Sydney is into EVERYTHING!

She figured out how to pull our wifi system off of the bookshelf in her room...

She has discovered how fun it is to pull tissues out of the box...

And she has discovered how much fun it can be to hide under tables!

Following her around the house is exhausting!

S

Christmas Dinner With Friends

On the 19th we managed to pull ourselves and our house together to host our annual Christmas dinner. This was our fourth year hosting dinner for all of David's guy friends and the ladies and it went off without a hitch!

I put together a few appies (individual bread bowls filled with spinach dip!) and a full traditional turkey dinner. I prepped everything for two days and when all was said and done, everything was gone. We had an awesome gift exchange and Sydney got in on all of the action. Can't wait to do it all again next year!

Lara brought by some of her amazing cake pops. Check out Two Sweets & Other Treats for more information.

Taking a moment to relax after everyone had left.

S

Deck the Halls

Because we are leaving really early for Phoenix this year, we set up all of our Christmas decortions super early. Sydney was so excited about the lights and I am constantly having to chase her away from the Christmas tree. Her curiosity has been the bane of my existance! But it's still super cute.

Cutest. Manicure. Ever.

Grey gel polish manicure. Super trendy and super cute. Just saying.

S

Parenting Moments That Make You Cry

Every once in a while I get incredibly emotional when I look at Sydney and how incredible she is. I have moments where I look at her in disbelief. Disbelief that my body built hers and that she is the perfect combination of David and I. There are moments where I love her so much that I truly feel like my chest is going to explode. I love her more than I ever thought possible and my love for her just grows everyday.

This past Friday I had one of those moments. After an awesome Christmas dinner at David's parents house we made our way home. By the time we walked in the door it was almost 10p and Sydney was exhausted. We changed her into pyjamas, put her in her sleep sack and gave her a bottle. Sydney and I went to lay down on our unmade bed (I was cleaning the bed sheets) to cuddle and let her eat. By the time she was done both of us were asleep. David had to come in to wake me up and gently asked me to put her in her crib so we could get a few things done. The thought of having to put her down and separate myself from her made me incredibly sad. It meant ending this perfect cuddly moment with a perfect little girl. I cried, then I put her to bed, then I got over it knowing that I get many more days and years with my favourite tiny person in the entire world.

S

Sydney Preps for a Cold Canadian Winter

We are all getting ready to endure another cold Canadian winter. Most of us are not looking forward to it, but I think that Sydney is actually excited!

I made her a new winter hat this week and she is getting used to her new winter coat (a beautiful purple columbia number). She will also be rocking some brand new robeez boots this year! When the first snowfall hit the ground, she was standing at the window with both hands and her face pressed against the glass. She was grinning from ear to ear. I have a feeling that this kid is a snow baby. Considering my hatred for cold weather, I am starting to wonder where she got it from....

Should be a fun winter!

S

Christmas Celebrations: Edition #1

We have an amazing Christmas season ahead of us. We have four Christmas dinners to look forward to and it is also Sydney's first Christmas this year!

Our first celebration was with David's family. We had to do it super early because we are leaving for Phoenix for a month. We all got together for a great dinner and gifts. The night could not have been any better.

Sydney wore her Christmas finest and had a great time exploring the house. Gran and Gido have a ton of fun nic-nacs just waiting to be chewed on.



~Sydney Channels her Inner Rudolph~

After ripping open all of her gifts, Syd had an awesome time rolling around in all of the left over tissue paper. She even broke out a squishy face or two.

She came home with a huge stash of fun stuff and mommy and daddy even got a brand new chariot with cycling attachments from uncle Rene and auntie Kendra! Now we can look forward to family runs and bike rides next summer!

Much more Christmas fun to come!

S

The "Not So Perfect" Macaron

This past week I braved my baking fears and attempted to bake the french macaron. These cookies are so delicate and beautiful and look super impressive when served on a beautiful platter. Mine... were not so delicate. They cracked and browned too much and never grew "feet".

After my failed macaroon attempt, I decided to make some meringue cookies to make me feel better. These little fluffy wonders were delicious and easy to make. Yum!

I do promise that I will give macaroons another try. I will not let them defeat me! But for now.... I am going to enjoy one or two of these delicious little guys.



S

Brave Baking

I think I may get brave this week. Our annual Christmas dinner is this Saturday and although my schedule this week is insane, I am determined to make french macarons for dessert. I know.... insane. French macarons are notoriously difficult to get right. I have had multiple dessert fails in the last week so I have no idea what I am thinking. Wish me luck! I hope that I can get it done without freaking out too much.



Best Butternut Squash Soup

This is the BEST butternut squash soup hands down!

David and I are massive fans of Indian food so I often try to integrate Indian flavours into other dishes. Butternut squash soup combines with the warm falvour of Indian spices perfectly. It is also a very easy soup to put together and uses very few ingredients.

The Necessities:

~ 1 Large Butternut Squash (Peeled and Cubbed)

~ 1 Large Onion (Chopped)

~ 4 Cloves of Garlic (Crushed)

~ 1 Tbs of Olive Oil

~ 6 Cups of Vegetable Broth

~ 2 Tsp of Garam Masala

~ 2 Tsp of Dried Cilantro

~ Salt & Pepper to Taste

The Prep:

~ In a large soup pot heat olive oil.

~ Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are clear.

~ Add all other ingredients.

~ Bring soup to a boil.

~ Once soup is boiling set temperature to low, cover and allow to simmer until squash is extremely soft.

~ Transfer soup into a food processor.

~ Blend until smooth and transfer back into the pot to warm.
~ Serve with a sprig of cilantro on top.

S