england "vacation", part one

Happy Spring! Happy Easter! Happy belated April Fool's Day, Sibling Day, Scrabble Day and (my personal favourite) Grilled Cheese Day (April 12th for those that have not observed this holiday and wish to in the future). How have you been? What's new in your life? It's been a while.

We have been back from England for a week and a half now and we are still recovering. Luckily my family over there is completely worth it, because...that was no vacation. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. Traveling with an 8 month old, as we continually discovered over the 2 weeks away, is far from easy (or maybe it's just travelling with our 8 month old). But watching Westley play with his Papa and Auntie made up for the jetlag, lack of sleep, and general torture that goes along with a fussy teething tired baby that is developing both a temper and separation anxiety...No matter what though, the trip was memorable, and what's more important than making memories?

Here's a collection of pics and a few stories to go along with them...

We flewAir Canada, and lucked out with the bulkhead seats so we had some extra legroom and they gave us a bassinet that hooked up into the wall in front of us. Westley slept in it for about an hour and half, which turned out to be useful because while he slept there was a lot of action going on. A woman behind us was pulled into the aisle at our feet by her son because she passed out and wasn't breathing. It was dicey for a bit, and so scary to witness, but it turned out her son was a Doctor. After the flight attendants fumbled around trying to remember what to do in event of an emergency, he was given a medical kit and a nurse passenger helped him treat his mother (...I did my part too, I held the IV bag, a very important job that is usually given to a metal pole). Jordan was forced to sit in first class for a few hours, which was unfortunate. In the end, although the pilot had considered landing the plane, she turned out to be alright and they never did figure out what had caused her to lose consciousness - but it definitely helped the time to pass on the long flight. 

It meant so much to me that my family in England (especially my Dad) were able to meet Wes and that Westly had the chance to spend time with them (even if he won't remember). We had a fun night getting together with my five aunts and quite a few of my cousins, and lots of family lunches and visits. He is the first great grandson on my Dad's side of the family, so he was spoiled with love and attention everywhere we went. Yay family!

I know I promised to never talk about Westley's sleep again, but this is a special occasion. Before we left Westley had suddenly figured out how to not only nap, but sleep through the night. It was a beautiful thing. This is a picture of the now rarely seen Sleeping Westley. Note not one, but two, stuffed bunnies. If we had had ten bunnies with us we would have thrown them all in there with him in the hope that it might somehow woo him into slumber. 

We ended up with an Audi A4 when the rental company ran out of whatever it was we had paid for...and once we figured out how to turn it on, we weren't complaining. It was slightly terrifying as Jordan got used to driving on the wrong side of the road and we continually veered to the left...but once we got out of Heathrow and on the M4 things got a little less scary. I have to say Jordan impressed me with his international driving skills. Driving in England is scary even with English people. 

We went to the county of Dorset for Easter weekend, just the three of us (more about that in part deux).  While there we spent the day in the adorable seaside town of Lyme Regis and came across this Banksy street art of an origami paper crane holding a fish. We were excited, and have about 20 pictures of it from different angles...(side note: while there we also came across the building that Jane Austen stayed in while writing Persuasion). 

Well that's all for tonight. Despite all my complaining, we did have a great time. Stay tuned for more exciting tidbits in part two...where we delve into the details of our trip to beauty-full Dorset. I will try to post a little more promptly next time! 

Cheerio, XO

tuesday tune: pink - just give me a reason

It's the night before we leave on our trip to England, and here I am, unpacked, writing a blog post. Where has the time gone?!?! So much to do! But the night is young, it's only 8 pm...lots of time to finish packing, do our taxes, pay the bills, etc. At least our house is clean, or it was, before I decided to cook spaghetti sauce from scratch for dinner because I needed to use up all our tomatoes and veggies before we vacate. I'm supposed to be a grown up and responsible now. I have a baby for crying out loud. And I use the term "for crying out loud". I'm old, yet time and again I have not learned this lesson, and here I go procrastinating further. (luckily we leave tomorrow evening, so I can procrastinate a little more...I have allll day tomorrow).

So, here you go. This is what I'm listening to. It's Pink feat Nate Reuss from FUN and the song is "Just Give Me a Reason". I have no idea if it's been out forever and I just heard it yesterday, or if it's new. I could do my research, but I'm running out of time. Although the 33 million views is hinting that it's not brand new....Anyways it's one of those songs that I want to sing really loud to while I'm driving, or cleaning, or packing for that matter. What do you think?? (if the video doesn't work click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpQFFLBMEPI)

I'm thinking I will have a chance to post again from England, so hopefully "talk" soon! Wish us luck tomorrow, 9 hours on a plane with an almost-8-month-old is a terrifying prospect....but it will be so worth it when we get there!

XO

fridge love

TGIF! Westley discovered himself in the fridge yesterday. I think it's safe to say he's in love. 

Wouldn't it be great if we all had this reaction when we saw our reflection in the mirror? (I'm referring to the smiles and happiness, not the making out with yourself part....that could get awkward in public bathrooms, and it would be unsanitary). 

I know I could use a little: "Hey beautiful, how YOU doin? Oh wait, we're the same person? Lucky us!" Instead of "what is up with my hair?!" and "Really? I'm almost 30, why do I still have skin like a prepubescent??" (my reaction to the mirror this morning)...I think the babies have it right. The world would generally be a better place if we all reacted to our images like they do, don't you think? 

Happy Weekend!

XO

wes at 7 months

This post is a little delayed, Westley has been 7 months for almost 2 weeks now, but better late then never, right? Anyways, this is such a fun age, he makes us laugh all the time and is becoming such a little social creature. 

For the most part he is a happy boy, and the things that make him happiest these day are: animal noises, dancing, his reflection in the mirror, the wheels on the bus, seeing his food come out of the fridge, Daddy coming home from work, being tossed in the air and spun around, bath time and getting sprayed with the shower wand, opening his dresser drawers and pulling out all of his clothes, and seeing the cat, the remote or a cell phone within his reach. He also thinks it's hilarious when we laugh, so he laughs too. Times when he is not happy: when he is being subjected to the cruelty of a diaper change, being forced to get dressed, he's hungry (I can relate!), or he's frustrated (usually when he wants to get somewhere but can't, i.e. he can't squeeze his body through the small space between the chair and coffee table, life is so unfair!).

We haven't been incessantly taking photos for the last month like we did for the first 6...but here are a few new ones (4th one from the bottom is Wes and his girlfriend Amara)...

Hope you're having a great week so far! 

XO

sidewalk citizen bakery

Hello, hello! It's me again. I used to blog here every once in a while. Remember? I hope you had a wonderful week, it's been busy here with a sick and teething baby. He's on the mend though, can't wait to have our happy baby back!

Just wanted to share with you our bounty from the amazing Sidewalk Citizen bakery this morning. Whole wheat sourdough, red pepper and onion scones (our love for Sidewalk Citizen started with our love for their scones, best. scones. ever), cauliflower chickpea dip, a meringue, and a dark chocolate brownie with white chocolate ganache and Grand Marnier. Um, can you say yum??! If you're in Calgary chances are pretty good that you've heard of the artisan bakery, but if somehow you haven't...you need to check it out. Even if you, like me, are trying to get back into shape and eat healthily, you should go. Because, life is too short not to enjoy some high quality baked delights on the weekend. You work hard all week, right? Time to eat carbs and treat yo'self.

Going to Sidewalk Citizen feels a bit like you're in that scene from Beauty and the Beast, when Belle is in the town square and there is a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker (or something like that). Everyone who works there is so friendly, and Aviv and his wife get to know their customers and obviously LOVE what they do. The only difference is that this isn't a cartoon, and it's not in a cute french town square. Remember when people used to get there bread from bakeries instead of costco? I don't. But I know people used to do that. I wish that there was a bakery like this in walking distance from my home. Actually, on second thought maybe I don't, because there's no way I could resist the temptation on a daily basis.

Artisan breads, danishes, croissants, sweet and savoury scones, pizza, sandwiches, cheese sticks, and more, more, so much more. What you don't see in the above picture is the sandwich we had for lunch - cauliflower, goat cheese, and mint were the main ingredients and it was de-lish...cauliflower in a sandwich you say? I know, I thought it might be too weird too, but they made a believer out of me. The flavours and ingredients of their goods change daily, so you never know what you will get, which is part of the fun, don't you think? They just opened up a bakery deli in Sunnyside (all information is here) and the main bakery is off of Macleod trail. I get a little lost every time we go there...but I still go, and drive halfway across the city to boot, so you know it must be good!

PS - you may not know that you know sidewalk citizen, but Aviv's breads and baked goods are in hip joints all across the city (Phil & Sebastian's is where we discovered the scones), so look out for the name when you're out and about - I promise you won't be disappointed.

PPS - if you're on the twitter, follow @Avivfried for the daily flavours and enticing photos that will make you drive across the city too...

be mine valentine

Happy Valentines Day to my three boys at home! Love love love them - so much love I can barely handle it. What are your plans for V-day? We used to take Valentines day very seriously with elaborate dates and thoughtful gifts. Any excuse to celebrate something we are usually in! This year though our big plans are to order in pizza and try not to fall asleep while we watch a movie. Oh the romance. Still though, I'm looking forward to it, and it's not what you do, but who you do it with...right?

Sidenote...I got my Valentine's Day gift a day early. You guessed it...a golden Elk head! Apparently Jordan reads the blog and knew I was in the market for an animal head to place on our wall. Unfortunately, it looks ridiculous and we both agree it has to go back to where it came from (the forest of Urban Barn). BUT the search is still on. I think we will look for a silver one instead.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loves!

XO

westley's week (and a half...) in photos

So...I meant to post this on the weekend, then on Monday, then Tuesday...then this morning and finally, (lucky you) now! It's been busy around here, and if at all possible I am even more sleep deprived than usual so I will keep the writing to a minimum (also lucky you!).

 We went to the zoo, Westley had a blast (can't you tell?).

And the park, peekaboo!

First eye check-up with Dr. Blow. 

 Westley looooves Lex and wishes Lex loved him back.
Sadly not sure if that will ever happen, this is about as close as Lex is willing to get. 

Westley has started army crawling and getting into trouble. Luckily he's still slow...

This was a stool someone in my office made as a gift for Westley, how lucky is he? He knows it. 

Hope you're having a fabulous night! I'm going to watch House of Cards and go to bed at 8. 

pura vida: the good life

In Costa Rica there is a way of living referred to as "Pura Vida". It is a belief that life is short, so we shouldn't take it too seriously. Instead, we should relax and see the beauty that's all around us and appreciate the positive. It is a way of living that celebrates even our smallest good fortune and it could be why the people who live this way have been called the happiest people on the planet. Doesn't it sound like a beautiful way to experience the world?

Today I'm remembering someone very special who believed in the good life and I'm trying to remember to do the same.

XO

my new favourite word is...

Mmmmama! I know, I know. The "experts" say that they don't associate the babbling sounds they make with people yet...whatever. I love hearing it and the first time I heard it clearly he was looking right at me while he was playing with Jordan (take that dada! I mean...it's not a competition). He now seems to use it whenever he is unhappy though, so I'm not sure how long I will love hearing it. It seems to mean "feed me", "I'm bored", "save me from this horrible place you call my crib" etc.

Jordan got a clip of it on video yesterday: 

tuesday tune and happy fit

Over the last week I have started thinking about getting back in shape and repairing the damage that cute little Westley has done to my body. Pregnancy itself had a few perks (for example my hair was extra thick and shiny, people were (usually) nicer to me, I got to eat a lot of ice cream without a lot of guilt) ...but in the end the baby vacated and left a path of destruction in his wake. Anyone who's been through it before can attest, it's a damn good thing they're cute. First, your body is taken over for 9 months and then they arrive and continue to demand more of you (they are sweet and defenceless babies so we will forgive them). As West is now 6 months I'm beginning to feel like I have the energy and motivation to fight back and take control of my body - make it mine once again.

To do this I have enlisted the help of my friend, personal trainer Lisa from Happy Fit (pic below, how cute and happy and fit is she?). She has promised to kick my post-natal behind into shape over the next 12 weeks, which is great because I need the motivation. Burpees and squats won't get rid of my stretch marks, or help my hair to grow back in (hair loss was an awesome postnatal side effect by the way), but at least I will be fit!

This is what I have been listening to on repeat while I've been workout out - Forever, by Haim - I am loving the 80's vibe (their other songs from the EP are catchy too):

Happy Tuesday, XO

wishing i was here...

Isn't January feeling long? Today I'm wishing this was my view. Dias Beach on the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but when you stand on the beach you are surrounded by high cliffs and the waves are so massive and powerful as they crash towards you that you have to yell to be heard. It is breathtakingly beautiful and one of the few places I've been that truly made my heart sing.

westley's week in photos

Happy Saturday! Here's a few pics from our week. 

Westley LOVES to bounce. It's almost impossible to get him to sit because he immediately straightens his legs trying to stand and bounce. So obviously, he loves his new jolly jumper we borrowed from a friend this week. 

Last night he was in there and we looked over and noticed it looked like he had spat up on his feet. On closer examination though, it was clear that it was not spit up, but poop. And not only was it all over his feet, he was jumping in it and squishing it into his mat and the carpet. Awesome! I don't entirely know how to explain this. It leaked out of the side of his diaper, and I wish I could blame Jordan, but that diaper was mine. I tried to get a picture of the event for you, but apparently Jordan thought it was more important to clean the poop off the baby.

These were taken for the sole purpose of getting a picture of his new teeth. Number 2 popped through last night...which is weird because he actually slept better than he has in 2 months. I can't figure this kid out! Oh well I will take what I can get. 

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend so far! 

XO

perfect night: cheap wine, cheesecake and "girls"

My night started with a little bit of this cuteness: 

And is ending with a little bit of this:

Jordan is out tonight, but don't worry, I don't plan on drinking that entire 1.5L of cheap wine to myself. But I'm not going to lie...I will most likely be finishing off the cheesecake. And I don't feel guilty about it. A glass of wine (or 2), half a cheesecake and as many episodes of Girls that I can possibly fit in tonight before passing out (because I'm tired and get no sleep, not because I drank 1.5L of wine). Who needs to go out? Pretty great night if you ask me.

Speaking of Girls, have you seen it?? I know I'm behind the times, but I finally started watching it and I think it may be the best thing on television. I can't get over how hilarious and perfect it is! I need to stop writing immediately and get back to it.

Here's a clip from season 1 when Hanna finds out her ex-boyfriend is gay: 

caramel sage latte

I love coffee, seeing a Starbucks on the horizon for me is like seeing a friend - a reliable friend who never disappoints you (...but always makes you pay). A latte in Calgary tastes the same as a latte in LA or London, and I kind of love that about Starbucks, that no matter where you are you can rely on Starbucks to be Starbucks. My seasons are defined by pumpkin spice, gingerbread, cinnamon dolce, and coconut. I hate being such a slave to a giant coffee corporation, but I can't deny it. Don't get me wrong, Starbucks isn't my only coffee buddy, but it is the one that has been there for me the most over the years. So of course I was thrilled when we decided that one of our "just-one-last-trip-before-baby" trips would be to Seattle, the birthplace of my friend Starbucks.

So of course one of our first stops in Seattle was to Pike Place for a latte, where it turned out they were celebrating 40 years of world coffee domination and serving free coffee. It was good, it tasted just like the coffee I had that morning at the Calgary airport. The next morning however, on our way back to the market we were lured into a different coffee shop by a sign promising freshly baked pumpkin muffins. They were out of muffins, but thankfully we stayed for breakfast anyways because it was at Cafe Fonte that I had the best latte of my life.

A caramel sage latte. Milk infused with fresh sage, sweetened with caramel and poured into espresso. An odd, unforgettable combination that you won't find at Starbucks, ever. I was sure I would see herb-infused lattes everywhere soon after...but it's been over a year and I must have been wrong, so I tried to recreate it this weekend. Although it was a bit of work (tip: buy your own caramel and save yourself the trouble!), I felt like the end result was comparable to Fontes multi-layered taste experience and so worth it...that is until I made one for Jordan's brother whose glowing review was "It reminds me of gravy". So apparently it's not for everyone...but you should try it anyways.

Caramel Sage Latte:
(makes one) 

3/4 cup sage-infused steamed milk (see below)
1-2 tbsp caramel (see below) - depending on sweetness preference 
2 oz brewed espresso

Pour caramel into espresso and stir. Add steamed milk and top with more caramel (mmm and whipped cream would be good too!). Drink up and try not to think of gravy. 

Sage-infused milk:
For more on infusing milk and cream, check out this article on thekitchn.com to inspire you to try all kinds of combinations...

3/4 cup milk
4 sage leaves torn in half

Bring milk and sage to a simmer. When bubbles form in the milk, turn off the heat so that the milk doesn't burn. Taste, if you want it sage-ier repeat the process, but I found it strong enough after a few minutes of simmering.

Caramel:
If you want to put yourself through the caramel-making process, this recipe worked well for me (you have to scroll down a bit, I left out the salt for this particular recipe). I don't know how many pots of almost-caramel I have burnt, but it can be frustratingly finicky - David Lebovitz has some good tips here. 

Golden Globes: a sloppy, loud, party.

Excited for the Golden Globes tonight? I am! Who doesn't love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. And Silver Linings Playbook should win for everything. Never mind that it's the only movie nominated that I've actually seen (not to mention the only movie I've seen in theatres in roughly 5 1/2 months...)...it's funny, romantic and smart and Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Deniro and every other actor in that movie should get an award, nominated or not. Then again, maybe I enjoyed it so much because I was out of the house and eating popcorn. Who knows. Either way, I'm excited to watch Tina and Amy be their hilarious selves while I eat poutine and popcorn. (If the veggie poutine turns out I will post the recipe tomorrow, stay tuned.)

Also, we watched Contagion last night. It should win for Most Realistically Terrifying Movie Ever. I plan to stock our basement full of canned goods, water and flashlights for the inevitable bat-pig flu outbreak and not leave the house at the first sign of it. Truly though, have you seen it? It makes me want to either never touch any piece of public property again, or more realistically, douse myself in sanitizer constantly. Good movie though!

XO

westley's week in photos

Let's face it, my parents are this blogs biggest (possibly only?) fans...and that's because they are hoping to see photos of their grandson...and instead I post pictures of my pantry and dish soap. So here are some photos and a few Westley updates. 

I don't want to brag, but I got 5 hours of sleep in a row twice this week. I know, I know, you're jealous, but I had to share. (side note: this bunny - who we have named Wallace - is Westley's best friend, he reaches for him as soon as his head hits the mattress and cuddles or pets him into slumber)

My dad got West a play pen for Christmas, and for some reason he loves to play within it's 10 square feet and four walls. He hasn't realized yet that it is his baby jail and I'm hoping that his love for it lasts. He actually rolls himself over to it and grunts until I put him in it.

Speaking of rolling, he is having a great time these days rolling from underneath the chair to underneath the couch. Toys are boring, furniture is way more exciting, as are remotes, iPhones and cardboard boxes.

We have been feeding Westley solid foods since Christmas. So far rice cereal (he's a fan, when he's not busy watching things drop on the floor), egg yolk (not a fan), bananas (we expected his face to light up when he tasted it, it didn't, but he also didn't gag so we will assume he's a fan) and avocado. 

Tomorrow we are going swimming for the first time, can't wait! If his love of the bath is any indication, Westley should have a good time splashing around.

Happy Weekend!

XO

pantry pretty-up

I love January. For the first couple weeks of it anyways, before winter starts to feel like it's dragging and we're feeling cooped up and craving sunshine. This first couple of weeks though is time for a fresh start, and I always feel inspired to begin new things, make goals, and chip away at my mile long to-do list. First on my list was to start a blog - accomplished...really, I feel so productive already I should just stop now. That's enough for me this year, I can sit back and eat those bon bons I was promised on mat leave and then blog about how good they taste and how tight my jeans are. 

But NO! I will carry on (and continue to eat bon bons while checking things off my list). The next thing on said list was to organize the pantry (as well as the office, garage, basement, bonus room, kitchen cupboards, closets, aka every-room-in-the-house). I finished yesterday - the pantry only, the rest will have to wait for another day. I'm sure you're all dying to see the finished product, right? Well you are in luck because I took pictures! Not the best pictures mind you, maybe I will add "learn to take better pictures" to my list, too. 

    * chalkboard labels - Martha Stewart Home Office - $5.99 from Staples for a pkg of six (I love the       look of these, and Jordan assured me that he appreciated the labelling because he had always had a difficult time telling the difference between white and brown sugar...)

    * lazy susans for oil and vinegars - $5.99 from Homesense 

    * can display - $5.99 from Homesense

    * glass cannisters - bought at Ikea forever ago

    * green boxes - from the dishes we got for our wedding, too pretty to throw out!

    * note all the pretty cookbooks I have, aren't they so pretty? One of these days I will have to cook something from them instead of looking up recipes for free on the internet. 

And for fun here is the song that I had on repeat while I was organizing "True Romance" by Citizens! - hadn't watched the racy video until now: 

wes the mess

This new eating and drinking thing is a messy business. Apparently it is way more fun to first fling the milk out of the cup and then watch the cup fall to the floor. He's lucky he's cute. 

 

baby loves gangnam!

I don't know what it is about Psy's Gangnam Style, but Westley loves it. Crying Westley? Turn on Gangnam. Westley doesn't want to eat? Gangnam. Want to get a laugh out of him? Hit play on Gangnam and start dancing. It is our secret baby weapon for the moments when nothing else seems to work. It is a guaranteed fuss-free 4 minutes and 13 seconds. It's fun times, as long as his first sentence isn't "Heyyyy, sexy lady!", then we will know we've gone too far. 

this little life of ours

Let me introduce myself. I'm Kaley. I'm married to Jordan and we have a wide-eyed 5-month old named Westley, which makes three of us. This little life of ours as a threesome is still new and surprising (and admittedly occasionally anxiety-inducing!). It's full of wonder as we watch our son take in the world around him and learn new things daily. There are a lot of laughs and a lot of sleepless nights. Jordan and I celebrated 10 years together in December and having spent a third of our lives together we have shared so many "firsts"...but this one takes the cake. It's all at once exciting and terrifying, but I think we are starting to get the hang of it. Although ask me tomorrow morning, tired and groggy after a long night with West (who like many babies is opposed to the general idea of sleep) and I may tell you a different story!

Me: Beautiful things make me happy - beautiful places, people, books, food, design, art. I like to cook (when I find the energy) and love to bake (mostly because fattening baked goods also make me happy).  I'm vegetarian for personal, moral, and environmental reasons and finding great meat-free recipes is always fun. Travelling makes me happy too, especially when it involves good food, wine and views - although my time spent drinking wine in beautiful places is probably limited for a while...

Jordan: It's painfully cliche, but I'm so lucky because I married my best friend. He makes me and everyone around him laugh. His inappropriate jokes and booming voice are always entertaining....he's also very nice to look at. And as much as he tries to hide it, he is so loving and thoughtful (shhh, don't tell him I told you...). He loves wine, food, and travelling too, which makes it pretty easy to want to spend time with him.

Westley: He is an energetic little monkey and I'm exhausted just thinking about our life when he figures out how to crawl...as it is he doesn't stop moving! He has lots of personality and he makes us laugh all the time. He's got big bright eyes, watches everyone and everything and will win any staring contest. Recently he's taken up screaming at an alarming pitch, both to express his delight and his dislike...you can literally hear him from outside of the house. I probably wouldn't describe him as the most easy going baby you've ever met, but when he's happy he is so generous with his laughs and smiles and quickly makes up for the times when he's not!

So that's us, pleased to meet you!

XO