The "Bee"hive

moving to Victoria

2011-06-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

Yup, moving with the compnay. Gonna be a crazy ride, but when all is said and done, we will be debt free and who doesn't want that?!! See everyone soon, and will try to get pics up of the new place/town etc. really soon:)

Yippee!!!!!

2011-04-27T16:27:00.001-07:00

So, it would appear things are back to normal now:) I am very happy about that! I apparently didn't even have to do anything to fix it, which is very strange, but I will take what I can if it'll just work, lol!

will it work today?

2011-04-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

now?

2011-04-25T21:57:00.001-07:00

I cannot post content under my titles. I have no idea how to fix it either:( I have had several in draft, but they won't save either. If it isn't resolved somehow, I may as well get rid of the blog all together. Any ideas out there?

2011-04-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

A great snack for anyone, any time:)

2011-04-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Babybee loves food, as long as they aren't too saucy. Forget ketchup, mayo and the likes. If these things touch her food, she refuses to eat! Imagine my surprise when she tried dill pickle dip and loved it:) Today, as she was begging me for a snack (the 3rd in 3 hours, lol), I got an idea. I asked if she would like a snack of fruit, to which she replied (with no doubts of course) YES!!!! pleas mama. When asked if strawberries would be okay she began saying Mmmmmm over and over... okay no problem there! I asked if she would like some fruit dip, and to my surprise she said yes. I thought, I had better make this GREAT or she'll never try dip again!! I mixed Vanilla Greek style yogurt (Krema is my fave brand) with some chunky apricot jam (Smuckers won this time, as it was on sale). She LOVED it. I don't think I've seen a bowl of fruit go that fast, ever! I'll be making this a lot during the summer months when fruit is in season here.

This and That

2011-04-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since I made a post inlcuding photos, and since babybee is actually asleep, I have the time to do so:)

I have been busy making paper crafts, and once I have several new pieces done they will be put into my etsy shop. YAY! Here's a few things that won't make it bc they were for others, fun or to be given away:)

These were part of an order for custom cupcake toppers, the theme being scrapbooking. These toppers are made up of different pieces, tied together with ribbon, that can be used in scrapbooking or card making projects. Tada!

These are some of the cute thank you note cards in my etsy shop... which has a coupon code for 25% off of any purchse;)

This was for my sister
on her birthday. Lots of colours! She likes it that way, lol.

These are mini 3x3" fold-out brag books... too cute!

These could be used for just about anything, birthdays, thank yous, special little notes in a lunch box..

Well, that's all for now. Babybee is still asleep which means I could possibly do my hair today;) Gotta love terrible twos.

So, big girl bed=big girl blanket too:(

2011-03-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yup, the smaller ones just don't cut it anymore. She is now using the one her grandma made, with animal prints:) So far, it has helped her feel happy about being in bed. She has been singing a lot lately and can write a few letters when asked. Pretty darn good for being a little over 2yrs. She has also pretty well mastered putting boots and shoes on the right feet, getting her clothes off, and putting on her own socks. Love that little monkey!

Share with Me

2011-03-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

So, I really want to make GREAT homemade sloppy joes, using a recipe from scratch. Does anyone have one to share with me? I'm not a huge fan of Worscheshire (hope that it is spelled correctly) though:(

The BIG GIRL Bed!

2011-03-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was babybee's first night, and there were no hiccups! Hmm, she sure is a good kid, which makes me falsely believe that all kids will be this way;) We were planning to have another, but since the company I have worked for for the past 12 years is shutting its doors on us I suppose another child is not the best idea. Though it ultimately depends on what I can find out there after November 11th (my last day of pay-though I have been asked to stay until August 31st so at least I will get a bit of time to figure things out without having to worry too much).

Hmmm, anyone else's kids obsessed with Thomas the Train? Babybee cannot get enough of late, and likes to call herself Thomas when playing pretend:)

the wonders never cease

2011-03-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, babybee has entered a new phase: story telling:) She will grab any book, magazine, paper, or notepad and ramble for a good 15 minutes or more. She tells some pretty elaborate tales too. If you miss something and ask her to repeat, she will, and exactly as she originally told it! Not too bad for a kid who isn't quite26 months yet. James and Percy usually make it into any story, along with our cat Jones. Thomas pops up too:)

She has also found her word of the week: still. Everything is "I still want this", "I still want that", "Are we still going to see stuff (shopping)?" Her other favorite thing to say is "I don't mean" when I misunderstand her and repeat something wrong, or if she's teasing me by saying one thing and then changes her mind, lol.

coupon code for my etsy shop

2011-03-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

So, for all you wonderful people who stop by, either for just a peek, or to return again and again, here's a coupon code for my etsy shop. It's good for 25% off :) YAY!

Coupon code is:
bloggerlove

Just go here , and voila! I will even accept the code on custom orders, but it's up to you to type it in at check-out. There's pretty well no limit to what I can make you from banners, cupcake toppers, novelty coasters, notecards, all occassions cards, ready for photos albums.... etc:)

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Wow, time flies

2011-03-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while and haven't had much time to feel guilty about it. Babybee has been sick with a crazy fever, is going through a terrible monster-type phase, is learning faster than I can sustain, and work has been pretty crazy. There's been little to no crafty time lately either, which makes me very edgy.... I need that time to unwind and create:( I'm waiting for my sister to have her 2nd baby, who is due on the 4th, but seems to like the view in her womb;) (all puns intended!) Crazy because her first daughter was born on the 5th, and will be turning 6. I still can't believe that one!! Well, off to clean and get babybee's things ready for another day at aunty's having fun:)

Croup, you evil bitch!

2011-01-18T16:01:00.000-08:00

Thankfully it is all said and done, but wow, what a horrible thing for your child to go through! 3 ventilin treatments and a week at home:( She came down really hard, two hours and she was sicker than I have ever seen a child! Babybee was a trooper, and other than not eating or sleeping, she didn't put up too bad a fuss. The nurses in the ER were awesome, and even gave Babybee a teddybear:) Let's hope this never happens again (but I hear that probably won't be the case)

Oh how does one cope?

2011-01-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

So, we need a new daycare, again! My sister has said that she will take babybee starting next Monday when she goes on mat leave:) My only concern is whether or not it'll be too much once the baby arrives early in March. Babybee is by no means a terrible child, but her insatiable appetite for learning and reading and playing may be a challenge:P The previous daycare (from which I kept her home today, after what Daddybee said about yesterday's drop off ~ babybee was asked if she wanted to play with the other kids and when she said "no" the daycare person threw her arms in the air, walked away, and said "fine, stand there and cry, I don't care") clearly has no interest in nuturing a child, understanding each one's needs and insecurities, or having a structured environment to let them learn and grow in. There's gotta be something wrong when your child begins hysterically crying when the look down the driveway of the daycare!

I knew it wasn't good

2010-12-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

when babybee wasn't eating or sleeping right. Poor thing seems to have a flu. She got sick for the first time today, and has had foul breath since yesterday. Nothing like curdled milk out the nose to make a baby scared! She has been all snuggles and I don't mind that part one bit:), oh, except for the getting sick on me part, gross:( Today was all about crackers and rice cakes, yogurt, and bananas. Any other tummy remedies out there (that don't include added sugar)?

Today was an epic fail

2010-11-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

and I have no one to blame but myself. I was going to make cards, because I have no birthday or baby cards in stock, and I copped out after only making 2!!! I am just so darn tired, and am having a lot of trouble focusing on any one task for more than an hour:( I never thought that being a full-time Mom and working full-time would be this hard. Maybe I just need one full nights sleep and one good day at work? Insomnia is back and the work load is insane this week.... almost too much for one person to do actually.

She knows WHAT?

2010-10-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, babybee apparently knows the entire alphabet! I'm not sure when that happened. DaddyBee bought her a leap frog pen and some books, so she has been quite occupied with those since Friday! I always sing it to her, and we play letter games with her books all of the time too.

I am however, very sick of the "rubber duck" song from sesame street!!!! I've had to hear it at least 2 dozen times this weekend:( I found myself humming it earlier, which is really NOT cool.

2010-10-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's breakfast was french toast using multigrain bread, 4 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tbsp. sugar and 2/3 cup milk. Topped with homemade applesauce, canned a couple weeks ago, maple syrup, and sugar snow (powdered sugar).

2010-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm, I think I have finally figured out how to post photos! Duh:P I have made some yummy stuff lately and have taken pictures.

Chocolate chip cookies which you can get the recipe for here and here's the photo:

New paper shipment:)

2010-10-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

I am sooooo excited that my new paper has arrived!!!! I have two new craft projects for this weekend and I can't wait to start. Check things out by following my link:)

Hope to see you there, and we will always have give-a-ways and great deals!

This is the latest creation, and I am VERY pleased with the results!

Here's the whole banner!

Here's the close-ups!

You can see more of Crafty Sisters stuff here

The wee little monster:P

2010-10-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the past five days have been, ummmm, well, TERRIBLE! Babybee is miserable. She's having temper-tantrums, throwing things at me, yelling at me and ignoring all of my requests to not do these things. I am fairly certain that those demon-spawned eye teeth are to blame, and I am also fairly certain that she is going through another growth spurt. I have NEVER seen eye teeth that long or sharp! They actually scare me a little bit! I hope it passes soon, and that she is not in too much pain.

Pear upside-down cake:P

2010-10-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

So, I had a sweet tooth tonight and decided to use my very first jar of homemade pears. I canned them all in apple juice and they are yummy! Babybee agreed too, as she gobbled some up before bed:) Then I decided they needed cake.... most things are better with cake! Here's what I did!

Heat oven to 350*

Generously grease an 8 or 9 inch square, glass cake pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Line the pan with a single layer of canned (or fresh) pear slices. Prepare any white or yellow cake mix, but use pear or apple juice instead of water. I made a white cake from scratch, add added extra vanilla:) Pour the batter over the pears. Sprinkle the cake batter with 2 tbsp. sugar and a bit of cinnamon. Bake until cake is done (usually 35 minutes). Cool on a rack for about 1/2 hour and enjoy. I think it would be great with a bit of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

chocolate chip cookies

2010-10-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of recipes, so I pretty much just wing it! I haven't made fresh cookies in a while so today was the day. It's raining and gloomy, so some fresh and gooey chocolate chip cookies were calling our names! Here's my "un"recipe.

3/4 cup melted butter/margarine
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (I use pure cane)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
4 tsp. vanilla (use the real stuff... PLEASE!)

Mix together until nice and fluffy.

2 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (trust me, it's FANTASTIC)

Blend dry ingredients then add to wet. When almost completely mixed add 1 1/2 cups chips. Use what you like! My fave is 1/2 white and 1/2 dark, but today was all milk:) Drop by heaping tbsp. onto sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY!

Crafty Sisters is FINALLY up and running!

2010-10-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

My sis and I wanted to have a place to sell our hand-crafted cards, but have been so terribly pressed for time. However, I started a page on Facebook and my sister posted her cards on the Crafty Sisters blog:) Yay!!
For ease and convenience, my cards are on FB and hers are on the blog. Everything is new to us, and not terribly organized, but it's a start. So, stop on by with the links below:)

Facebook Page

and

Crafty Sisters blog page

Boy, it's hard to find the time....

2010-10-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Babybee is NOT cooperating with me at all;) I want to get my craft on, but she is in desperate need of my full attention, apparently. I'm gonna give it another go pretty quick here, but DaddyBee is going out soon and I won't have my handy distraction anymore! It's not so bad, she gave me 35 kisses this morning (she is in to counting right now).

Crafty Sisters Papercrafts and Goodies!

2010-09-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

Finally got something set up!! Yay:)

Daddy's Girl

2010-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, I so hate these phases. I am doing very poorly handling the fact that I am second best right now:( She doesn't want to snuggle me or hug me, just daddy. It sucks!

Counting and the Alphabet

2010-09-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

So, it's official, my babybee is a genius:) She has been able to count to 20 all by herself for almost two weeks now, and can recognize every letter of the alphabet when asked! I don't know too many babies who can do these things at 19 months. She can also recognize any shape thrown at her (no, not literally.... I can just see myself lobbing plastic shapes at her). She knows all of her colours and can differentiate light and dark shades! These are all things that she has learned by asking. I decided long ago not to force her learning, and to just let everything come at her own pace.

Terrible Twos! (at 19 months)

2010-09-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am at my wits end. My always wonderful, gentle, sweet, sleep-through-the-night little girl has done a complete 180! Nothing works to calm her when she has her temper-tantrums. I've tried ignoring it, redirecting her emotions into something constructive, laughing and making light of it, and snuggling/restraining to keep her from bonking her sweet little head. *sigh* Oh what to do? Hopefully babybee grows out of it, soon, lol. I'm thankful that I know about these things, and am not getting angry or upset. I imagine that it would make it all the worse for both of us if I did. Oh, and everything has to be HER way, without exception (which usually leads to the rolling on the floor fits). It's really quite funny watching such a teeny person doing such a thing :)

I should be in bed, but.....

2010-08-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking about babybee's shots on Wednesday, which are a short notice appointment given the limited times available to get them done. I wish the doctor could do them instead of heading to the health unit. I agonize over the uncomfortable feeling and general pain that it puts my little peanut in:( Yes, I cry every time, and am in NO way ashamed of it. It causes me to lose sleep and as much as I try, I cannot seem to put it on the back-burner. These are the things that keep me from a good nights sleep. Last night I was awake until the wee hours of the morning. I was so tired that I physically hurt, and yet, I could not fall asleep! I need to worry less, but now that I am a Mommy I am certain I will just keep worrying more;)

Vegetable medley pasta and sauce

2010-08-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

1 lb. medium shell pasta
2 cans italian style stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion shopped
4 cloves garlic smashed
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots shredded
1 medium zucchini sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 chopped bell peppers
1 palm full fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste

In large skillet, over medium high heat saute olive oil, onion, garlic and celery until onions become translucent and caramelize. Add mushrooms, peppers and carrot, and cook for about 4 minutes then add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes and serve over your favorite pasta. I like shells for this because they hold the sauce perfectly:)

A fantastic cinnamon dolce latte, no fuss

2010-08-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we are a HUGE coffee drinking family. Even babybee likes a taste of black coffee:) I love a good latte or a cup of sweet and creamy dark roast. DaddyBee likes everything iced, no hot drinks for him, even in winter! We were craving some Starbucks, but have been diligently tightening our pocket-books and I came up with the idea to do cinnamon dolces at home without the $10 bottle of syrup. They were super yummy!

4 shots fresh-brewed espresso
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
2 packets splenda (or your fave sweetener)
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional)
your milk of choice

Stir the sugar/sweeteners and cinnamon into the espresso, prepare your steamed milk with or without vanilla, (and ice for iced drinks) and mix to your liking! Remember, the trick with iced coffees is to pour the espresso over ice and stir well BEFORE adding the milk! This will ensure that there is no bitterness:)

Try pairing it with some of my cake-mix cookies. I would recommend a devil`s food mix with semi-sweet chips and pecans! Or a spice mix with butterscotch chips and almonds:)

Babybee's first haircut

2010-08-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

Yup, did it last night after her bath. I think I did a pretty good job too:) She actually stayed pretty still and didn't complain about any of it. She is such a good girl!

On another note, she hasn't stopped talking since May long weekend! She has begun forming small sentences, usually 3 or 4 words, and surprised me by recognizing over half the alphabet and numbers 1-10!!!! I was so amazed:)She is going to be a smart little girl. She even understands sarcasm, and uses it far too often, lol:)

Easy Cake mix cookies, that won't taste "cakey" :)

2010-08-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe yields a soft centered cookie with a crispy, delicious outside. MMMMMMMMM..... Yummy! I fudged around with a few other recipes and finally found what works the best for me.

1 box of your favorite cake mix, without pudding in the mix
1 large egg or 1 small and the yolk of another
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine until thoroughly moistened. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes. You can add up to 1 1/2 cups of extras like chopped nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, coconut, candies, chopped candy bars. Your imagination is the limit!

Poo-Poo on the FLOOR!

2010-06-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Any great ideas on how to help Babybee learn to keep the diaper on? I don't want a second round of picking up turds off of my floor:( Thank goodness she didn't see the turd on the floor and pick it up.... makes me kinda gag just thinking about it!

Mmmmmm, best Ginger Curry EVER!!

2010-06-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

This is the best curry I have ever made, and I could have eaten DaddyBee's share as well, but he spotted it too soon! I just HAVE to share it:)

Serves 4-6

3-4 chicken breasts, bone out skin removed
juice and zest of 1 lemon
pinch salt
Marinate the chicken in a ziplock using the juice and zest of 1 lemon for at least 2 hours, then cut into strips.

1 medium red onion diced
4-6 small fresh carrots, sliced thinly lenghtwise
1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 tsp minced garlic, or paste
2 tsp minced ginger, or paste (though I would double it if just for me)
pinch sea salt
1 1/2 tsp mild curry powder (I have a toddler or it would be hot)
1/2 cup cream

Basic rue:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour

Melt butter over medium low heat then whisk in flour, cooking for a couple of minutes to remove starchy flavor and texture.

Saute onions, carrots, salt, garlic and ginger in heavy, deep pan. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add pepper strips, 2 cups water and curry powder. Simmer for about 25-35 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Blend in the rue, starting by adding some of the liquid to the rue itself to thin it out, then pour into the pan. Once well blended, add the cream and simmer for a couple of minutes and serve! I like it with Naan bread:)

Cool! I feel pretty lucky!

2010-06-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

So, a co-worker of mine is getting married next November, and has asked me to make the invites:) I feel pretty honored to have been thought of. It will be the first time that I will create something by request, so it's extra exciting. I already have a few ideas, and even though I don't know his fiance very well (only met a her a couple of times), I somehow knew what the colours and theme would be... little spooky I must admit.

I have been working on a great card idea for a while now and hope to be able to start sales on my other blog Crafty Sisters. May need to make some changes to the blog to showcase the new idea, or perhaps create a blog specifically for it. Have to talk to the sis about that one:) It will be set up to take paypal payments through requests via email. Seems to be the easiest way to do it:)

Gotta run, SYTYCD is on, and I don't miss it, EVER!!!!

So much to do, so little free time!

2010-06-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how little time I have to myself until today:( I really wanted to start a nifty little craft project and Babybee wasn't having any of it! It's great that she is soooooo cute..... Otherwise, the first gypsy to make a reasonable offer just might get the little bugger;) Hahahaha! NEVER:) I would like to note that the terrible twos must have more to do with a child's size 2, bc ever since fully changing the wardrobe to 24 month and up, my darling 16 month old has been a terror!! And to top it off, she is going through a growth spurt. She is sleeping an average of 13 hours a day, and eating about twice the amount she normally requires. Then, due to the fully charged batteries, she runs amok and gets into EVERYTHING she can get her hands on. The latest obsession is feet... mostly kissing mine..... yuck, yuck yuck! Those who know me, know that there are two things I find gross about the human anatomy: feet and belly-buttons. Like I said, it's good she's so cute:)

DaddyBee is at a friend's right now. Not sure if more bs'n is going on or more work on the Jeeps. Hopefully a solid effort to keep things even in those two departments:)

Work sucks more now than ever before. I never quite know what I'll be doing for the day. The supervisor's couldn't schedual their ways out of a clear maze! And to top it all off, I somehow got squished under the plant manager's thumb for doing what I was asked, and to be sure that I have the right PPE for my job. But no, there are procedures for a reason, I was warned. I should not stray from said procedures because, and I quote, "I'm the only one here with an engineering degree, so I know". Oh, I'm sorry, just give me a minute to find that hero cookie for you sir.... Ah there it is, right between your cheeks where I left it! Really, I was going by the MSDS, not opinion, so I am going to say that common sense trumps the degree, and look sir, my intelligence didn't cost a fortune and I don't need to have some piece of paper on my wall for people to know I am smart:) Gonna quit soon. I have a few resumes out.

Off to bed now. Before I forget, Babybee now says diaper, baby, buckle, button and babbles non-stop:)

What's on the plate tonight!

2010-05-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Mmmm.. Thought I would share what we are having for dinner tonight. It's yummy, has a fast prep and can be changed up by using different veggies.

Pork chops with mushroom sauce and veggies over Jasmine rice

2lbs boneless pork chops
1/2 chopped yellow onion
3 stalks sliced celery
2 cloves garlic
1 medium green pepper chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 can mushroom soup (I use low sodium for Babybee)
1/2 cup water, chicken broth or milk

Saute onions and celery in a deep pan with olive oil for about 2 minutes, reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms, garlic and green peppers. Cook until mushrooms are slightly golden and set aside in small bowl. Using the same pan brown the pork chops on both sides and season with white pepper. Once browned, continue to cook for 5 minutes, flipping once half way through. Add cooked veggies and mushroom soup and 1/2 liquid of choice. Thoroughly blend soup with liquid then cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Serve hot over rice, potatoes or your favorite pasta! Mix things up by alternating the veggies and type of cream soup used:)

Yes, got the Cricut AND a photo printer!!!! Uh-oh:)

2010-05-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

After one night's use I was warned that I needed new colour ink for the printer, and believe it or not I haven't even tried the Cricut yet :( I cannot wait to start babybee's scrapbook, or the family scrapbook/photo album.... I went NUTS with photos of babybee:) I have been amped to finally have memories of her in actual print instead of bytes on the computer! Wow, I realized I need more frames now, too:)

She's got 12 teeth now, and has been *challenging* lately! She really has no understanding of the word "no" or "please do not touch that" or "that is not yours, please put it back". It's hard to teach her these things when she is only 15 months old, but big enough to climb onto the furniture and reach all the things she should otherwise not be able to! I am fairly certain she also grew another inch :S YIKES!

I will get organized and get my recipes up, and photos, and crafty stuff too. It's been really hard to get the time for those sorts of things. Too many hours at work and not enough time at home! Wish I could stay home, but without the fob I wouldn't be able to buy paper and cricut cartridges, LOL:)

I bought a Cricut:)

2010-05-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Babybee's allergic reaction

2010-04-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to post about Babybee having a latent reaction to the penicillin!! I had already stopped dosing, when I realized she had no more symptoms of an ear infection, and she had been off of it for 2 whole days, when she developed a rash and fever. I thought she was reacting to pineapple, which is new to her (she hated it when I gave it to her around 11 months). I decided after 2 days of fevers that I would take her to the walk in clinic to be sure that she didn't have meningitis (common after infections and such). The doctor (who I thought was Ben Stiller at first; he really, really looked like him) said it was likely the penicillin and that sometimes the reaction takes several days to occur. Hmmmmmmm..... odd that she has an allergy to it considering I took it for almost 4 years straight as a kid/young teen. No record of it in my family either:S Anyways, all is well now and she is doing great, just teething again.

The work week!

2010-04-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

So, I did in fact do fabulous at work this week. And the machines haven't been so clean in over a year! They cannot tell me that the operator cannot find time to clean them. I mean, we are talking about equipment that is worth several hundred thousands of dollars. At the VERY least the moving parts should be cleaned and lubricated every week (though I did so every day). I did have to do things in small increments because you cannot do everything at once because the valves and cylinders would go into overdrive (best word I could think of right now), and that would cause other issues.

It was certainly the first time I have been happy since returning in December. I am not looking forward to going back to powder prep, but hopefully now that I have more than proven myself, and proven that fact that I know the machines inside out and backwards with my eyes closed, they will realize they need to give me my job back. I haven't run the machines in almost 1 1/2 years, and the only hiccup was getting the computers up and running on the first morning. Otherwise, all the change-overs went smoothly and I had no issues with the new daily order system.

On a great note, I got 3 hours of OT too! I am going to use the extra cash to treat myself to a full hour massage just before my vacation on the May long:)

The day today!

2010-04-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

So, all in all it wasn't too bad. Was a bit bored at work, but managed to keep myself busy enough that no hair pulling was required. We'll have to see about tomorrow;) Turns out that they want me to run some machines next week while the other operator is on holidays. The same job which they unjustly yanked from me because I was on mat leave and they did not think it fair to move the incompetent person who was only supposed to take over until I got back!!! No, not fair, and yes quite illegal, but I was too tired to argue. Not to mention, family comes first and that includes bringing home the bacon regardless of being treated improperly. Sooooo, I am going to prove just how big a mistake they made by running circles around said workers average numbers and quality:)

Baby is doing well. Still grumpy mind you, but she has moments of joy while playing. The poor girl's other ear still hasn't drained:( If it isn't better in 2 days, I will get some ear drops for her. No side effects from the penicillin either. Boy is she cute:) Daddy got a video of her "sweeping" the kitchen floor today. It was great, and made me realize that I need to clear the kitchen counters a bit more. (she almost knocked a few things down)

I am hoping to get some crafty stuff done this weekend, though I don't have high hopes on that. I was supposed to have 8 hours to myself on the weekend, but as usual, I got hosed on that. (while daddybee got to do 27 holes of golf, and visit his buddy's). Hmmmm, something is wrong with this picture. Pretty soon, babybee will be a bit more capable of entertaining herself. Bubbles on the patio should be a big hit while I craft at the kitchen table:) Need to get the garden planted too. It's really important to me to teach baby early, that growing food is fun and healthy!

Guess I should go put the rest of the laundry in the dryer, finish the dishes, pack babybee's daycare bag and get her refridgerated stuff ready for tomorrow. Then to bed early for me. DaddyBee stayed home with the little monkey today to be on the safe side (in case of a fever) and went to work late this afternoon. Should be home around 11pm, but I hope I am sound asleep by then! Fingers crossed on that one.

YAY~~~ and not so yay:(

2010-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Claire created a new blog for us, to show off our crafts and sell them! Finally, because they are stockpiling and the hubby's are not too happy about it (at least they shouldn't be:)). Hopefully this works right...

http://jlbandcrw.blogspot.com/

And now the bad news. Babybee has her first ear infection. I say first because given my history, it is bound to be a repeat offender! She spiked a fever in minutes and when I got home from work yesterday I knew exactly what was going on. So I quickly showered (started with a bath for Babybee and I) then DaddyBee called the doctor, who wasn't in bc she was delivering a baby, so off to the walk-in. The doctor on hand.... the one who gave us the good news 2 years ago that we would be parents!!:) He is sooooo great! So Babybee is on amoxil and tylenol and advil:( No side effects so far. I hope for a quick recovery for the little bee.

Painting easter eggs!!

2010-04-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yup, like I said, we painted easter eggs. I wasn't sure if Babybee would understand, but she took to it like nothing:) She made a beautiful multi-scribbled egg that will be breakfast tomorrow morning. I hope to get some pictures up very soon. This blog needs photos, desperately!

Babybee's pain:(

2010-03-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

As a Mommy, my first concern is baby's well being. The past couple of weeks have been tough. She started teething, and then it seemed to subside, but it is back full-throttle! Stupid, stupid, stupid molars!!!! She seems to be in constant pain, and the teething tablets only work for so long before she is crying again:( last Tuesday she got her shots, too. That was a hard one for us both, her especially. I have never heard her cry like that before. There was real pain in her voice, and she looked at me with tear-filled eyes... eyes that asked, "Why are you hurting me Mommy?" Yes, I cried. A lot! My poor little darling, sweet baby, I am sorry. I held her close, sang and rocked her as much as I could while the nurse gave her 4 needles, in the arms. I am fairly certain I kept saying sorry to her as well.

On a happy note, she made all of the nurses giggle after. She ran room to room, making "scary" noises and playing in every toy bin:)

I also noticed her first freckle!!!! And today, when I came home from work, DaddyBee showed me her new thing!! If you give her a tube of lotion, she will open the cap, close the cap and rub her hands together!! How friggin' cute is THAT?! What a doll:)

It's been a while!

2010-03-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, so little time and so little sleep, yet still soooo much to do:( BabyBee is teething, or so I think, and she has been awake all night for 7 of the past 9 nights. I am burning the candle at both ends, and still working a full 40 hrs a week. Something has to give. Good news is that spring is here, and hopefully I can get some raised plant beds and soil in by April 3rd. Ah yes, more to do. Still need to replace the sliding doors in the dining room so that I can grow some tomatoes, stawberries, peppers and herbs on the deck. Thinking of doing vertical planters for those.

I haven't had any time to do crafting at all, and I have a mountain of beautiful paper staring at me in the face. Thought of a wonderful project to launch on etsy.com, but still need to talk to DaddyBee about minding Babybee for a whole day on the weekend to start it. I searched the net high and low, and no one else seems to be doing it yet, so fingers crossed my imagination may actually pay off. My ultimate goal is to do it full time, but that may be a while yet:S Any ideas for a catchy etsy name would be helpful.

Really need to work on my niece's birthday gift, almost done, but not quite there yet. Still have to do a very vigorous and thorough spring cleaning. That's a scary thought.

Babybee has her 1 yr shots on the 23rd. Yes, it's late, but not overly so. 2 months to the day, actually:( What a way to celebrate a "birthday", huh!? I sure hope she doesn't react badly to them. I can't remember if it's 3 or 4 needles this time. DaddyBee conveniently scheduled them so that he didn't have to do it. Can't blame him too much, I cry every time, like a whiny little girl. I hate seeing my little banana bug in pain. yes, that's the new nickname, though I avoid saying it around her bc she looks everywhere for bananas!!!! And since we ran out 2 days ago, I don't want to get her started.

Our bedroom is almost a cozy little den now. I want to replace the blinds with some fun and bright curtains, since the walls are all a latte colour:( Not my choice, and not much to do about it when you are a renter. Good luck buying here though....

Well, off i go. I hope to get some pics of the niece's fairy wands and presents. Sis probably won't have time to do the elaborate cupcakes she wanted, but I may have a trick or two up my sleeve to surprise her too. (her b-day is the 23rd)

GREAT stuff for kids!

2010-03-04T18:30:00.001-08:00

I found this http://thesnailstrail.blogspot.com/ as I was looking through another blog. There are so many wonderful people out there sharing great learning tips for parents. Education starts at home, so why not make it fun for everyone!!? :)

My niece's birthday:)

2010-02-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

So, my sis www.mooseintoque.blogspot.com is having a fairy themed birthday for her daughter's 5th birthday, and is doing fairy-cakes (cupcakes). Soooo, cute:) We rambled on and on about them today and I came up with an idea to turn cupcakes into lotus flowers using fondant and shimmer powders, and have the fairies sitting inside the flowers on top of the cupcakes. I hope my sis will go for it;) I would love to try my hand at flower forming, and the lotus would be a simple one to start with! I would love to see the look on M~calf's face when she realizes she gets to eat what looks like a real flower!!! Is it sad that I am already thinking of what I can do for Babybee's 2nd birthday? LOL

I also discovered that you can make fondant by simply melting marshmallows and blending them with powdered sugar and flavoring or colouring paste. I would think that it would dry out quicker, but a little shortening should prevent that. Would be fun to try out, and even less expensive than buying fondant pre-made. At least for practicing;)

I also bought the purple and pink candy melts for the fairy wands. Those will be a blast to make! I also entered a contest hosted by http://www.makeandtakes.com/ to win some fairy wings:O Girls really are a lot of fun!!

Tooth #7

2010-02-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

Yup, it's finally here and Babybee seems to be happier. She's been eating like she's 10 lately, but today she finally decided to slow down. GOOD! I could do without another growth spurt for a couple of months. She has outgrown almost all of the new sleepers that she got 1 month ago!! and they are 24 month!! Thankfully it will be warming up soon, and won't need to worry about jammies:)

Glad it's the weekend. Going to take Babybee to the energy plex tomorrow and let her jump and leap at her leisure, lol. I hope she sleeps in tomorrow, because 4 hours a night isn't cutting it for me lately. I don't know how I function most days. Good thing Tim gets to sleep until 7 or so each morning. Babybee only occasionally gets up before 6:30, so at least I may get an extra 1.5 hours than normal!

Made the mistake of going to Michaels :)

2010-02-20T21:18:00.000-08:00

Yup, and spent very little considering.... Got Babybee some very pretty daisy garland to hang paper lanterns from. And some BIG cardboard butterflies to get crafty with (she stole them from me as soon as she saw them, ran into a corner and tried to hide the fact that she had them, so cute). Some MORE paper. Yes, it is an addiction, but fuck off and leave me alone about it!! Especially when it was originally 24.99, on sale for 9.99 and I got another 20% off my entire purchase!! Glue sticks, scissors, baby yarn (1.49 each for good stuff). Still have to buy a star mold sheet for my niece's birthday. I am making her some candy fairy wands. Not the easiest thing to find.. but I keep looking. Need to finish her wooden butterfly magnets. She spotted them yesterday and has been "searching" for them ever since. She squealed and giggled and vibrated when she saw them. It was a far better reaction than I could ever have anticipated:)

OMG you have to try this!!!!

2010-02-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, I was VERY skeptical on this one, but tried it anyways. Boy am I glad I did!! I did make a couple of changes bc I thought they made sense:)

Microwave "cup" cake

Use a wide shallow mug for best results

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons cake flour (or bread flour)
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
pinch salt
1 Egg (optional, if omitted add 1 tbsp. more milk)
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tablespoons pure canola oil

Mix dry ingredients (I even sifted mine) in mug. Add wet ingredients. Mix well. I added 3 frozen truffles to make it a LAVA "cup" cake. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. It will puff up a lot, but don't stop the cooking! Cool slightly on a rack (or window sill like I did to hurry it up! LOL) I even made a cream cheese frosting in a jiff as well:

1 tsp. cream cheese
1 tsp. milk or cream
3 tbsp. powdered sugar

Blend well, pour over warmish cake:) YUMMY!!!

Please feel free to hate on me for giving you all a reason to enjoy warm cake any time. I can't wait to try this with Babybee when she's bigger (big ass grin here!) Mmmm.... next time I will try it with vanilla ice-cream on top. Then after that some hot fudge, then after that caramel sauce, then after that mint chocolate chips, then after that mini cream eggs, then after that rocky road, then after that.... you get the idea.

The strongest baby in the world!!!

2010-02-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

So, I get home after a crappy, boring, long and physical day at work (8 hours standing and lifting, standing and lifting, standing and lifting~ small break for a paid-for-by-work lunch) and there are toys EVERYWHERE! Why, you ask? Well, apparently Babybee decided to try lifting her book/toyshelf today, over her head no less. DaddyBee had told her several times not to do this, but to no avail..... so the book/toy shelf is in the dining room and what used to be kept on it is strewn across my living room floor :S sigh I think that tonight will be picture drawing night again. Unless the little monkey shows no interest in doing so. I have no intentions of forcing her to do anything. I have pretty well finished painting her small butterflies. I used some bold colours on them and used my stamps and inks to decorate them. WOW!! It was much faster than if I had decorated them by painting, and they turned out lovely. well, at least I think so. The real test will be when Babybee gets to use them on the fridge:) Well, that's all for now!

Cornbread Recipe

2010-02-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

For bread machine:
1 cup warmed milk
1tsp. sugar
1tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
1 tbsp. veg. oil
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 cups bread machine flour

Put in machine in this order and set to "rapid bake". Allow to mix for a minute or two then add:
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Then kick back, relax and wait for yummy bread to slather butter all over:)

YIPPEE!!!

2010-02-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

I came home to a clean kitchen. DaddyBee did ALL of the dishes, organized the cupbaords and counter and even organized Babybee's bottles, bowls, bibs, washclothes and tupperwares!! I may actually get to continue on the painted butterflies BEFORE 9pm!!! Very happy about that :)

Baby is happily playing with her peek-a-block wagon:) Or should I say, happily turning it upside down to check out the underside!! hehehe She always does that. No toy left unturned I suppose ;)

I am currently making her some chicken with veggies and rice to put in the freezer. So far, very yummy! Then off to so a few loads of laundry, YUCK:(

Hello again!

2010-02-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

Well, been a few days since I last posted. I just wanted to jot down a few things because today, like most days, Babybee just amazed me:) Here is a list of the animals that she makes the sounds of on a regular basis:

elephant(moves her arms to mimic a trunk)
monkey
lion(claws in the air)
tiger
horse
chicken
owl
kitty
dog
rabbit
squirrel
butterfly(she flaps her arms and makes "wind" noises!)
goat
sheep
cow(her first and favorite)
zebra
bear
penguin(puts her hands low and wiggles saying "nenenene")
frog
snake
duck
bird
fish(even makes a fish face)

I think that's all.

She also knows purple, blue and red! She knows star, ball, balloon, circle, heart, flower and square. She has begun "comparing" things. Example: she has a Little People giraffe and picked it up one day, took it to her toy box and held it up to the giraffe painted on the side of the box. Then she squeaked for DaddyBee's approval:) She has done this with Thomas the Train, Elmo, Cookie Monster, other animals, balls and clocks.

WOW. Now that I am writing down what she knows I realize that she is exceptionally aware of her world. The funniest thing so far is when she wakes in the morning and calls for DaddyBee. All you hear is: "Da? Dada? Da? Daddy? Daddy? DAD!? Nanas..nanas... Da? Da? nanas! nanananana!! DAD!? I will never forget the first time she did this. She was completely obsessed with bananas for about 3 weeks.

She just went through her first allergic reaction as well. The culprit was either eggs or nuts. I (for the first time ever) allowed her to have a coffee shop treat~ banana bread (for obvious reasons stated above). I won't do that again. There must have been ground nuts in it:( Thankfully it didn't seem to bother her at all!

Well, off to raid her toys and hide a bunch. I spend, no exaggeration, at least 1 hour putting away books and toys each night and am tired of it! On top of that is the dishes and laundry and quite frankly, she can go without her billions of useless toys if it means a bit of time to myself at night.

I am going to start a little craft for her tonight. I purchsed 1 large and 5 small wooden butterflies to paint and attach magnets too. Babybee just loves butterflies and always points them out. I hope to have them done by Friday. I am going to get super crafty with them:) Hey, either go all-out or just don't bother! (I generall just don't bother ;))

mmmmmmm, yummy!

2010-02-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

If you are ever on the Westside and want great eastern food, then go to the WOK BOX. Soooooo damn good!!!!!! That's all I have to say for now:)

It's the WEEKEND!!!

2010-02-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

Finally the week is over. Well, at least the hellish work week is:) Baby is having supper, I'm having a vanilla cappuccino "yummy~yum" and the bread machine is making some delicious spice bread dough for me. That will become cinnamon rolls to bake up tomorrow morning for breakfast.

Must say, I'm really tired right now, and it's only 6pm. How sad is that? Going to try the whole "tag it as a recipe" thing my sis told me about. Maybe once Babybee is in bed though. Tonight is splishy~splash night, so am looking forward to bubbles all over the bathroom and a clean baby as a bonus! I am so glad that the bathtub fear thing is over.

Well, hopefully I'll be back in a bit:)

Well this just sucks:(

2010-02-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Yup, another night at home alone because DaddyBee is working a much later shift... Why? you ask. Well, where do I begin? In short, it is hard to find suitable daycare by a person who actually knows what they are doing. Plus, it's really irritating when said "caregiver" cannot keep her own child from biting mine!!! and then says that my Babybee bit herself. Sure she did, right after she contorted her wrist, grew 4 extra teeth and lost the ability to feel the pain of biting herself so hard that it left a mark for 4 days! Needless to say I canned the incompetant moron and am debating on whether or not to report the "daycare" she is running in her illegal basement suite. And no, I did not know this prior to taking my daughter there.

Oh well, I do get to see hubby for about 45 minutes a day, which is better than nothing. I am, however, very tired and still have laundry and tidying up to finish. I also need to prepare Babybee's breakfast and lunch for DaddyBee. And make him a sandwhich for when he gets home.... and I just remembered that I said I would make burgers for him to take for "lunch" tomorrow. Sorry hun, but this MommyBee is too tired for that now. But I did make some fantastic cornmeal and dill white bread for him to devour (I love, love, love the bread machine). I am wondering how to make a section on here for recipes..? Hmm, I need to investigate the possibilities (if there are any).

Well, nighty~night! Off to clean away......

About me and my family :)

2010-01-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

So, here we are... post number 1. Where do I start? Well, I am a Mommy first and foremost to a beautiful little girl(Baby bee) who never ceases to amaze me!! My hubby and I have been together since we were 19 and I can't see myself ever being with anyone else.. Love ya Baby:) I just went back to work after being on maternity leave and despite the fact that they gave me an entirely new position, it's not the worst thing I've ever done. I would love to explain what I do, but protocol dictates that I keep my mouth shut on this one. Though I will say that I work for Kennametal Kelowna.

In my spare time (which is about 5 minutes a week) I love making cards, and other crafty stuff~ it's an addiction, really. Cooking is a big part of my day, too. Including all my own baby foods, which Baby Bee devoures quite happily. I finally broke out the bread machine after years of retirement, and have some hefty, though yummy, plans for the boxy little bastard, lol!

My family likes the outdoors and camping and 4x4ing are choice number 1 for summer fun. Last year was slow going though, with baby only being 6 months old or so. This year I have much bigger plans. I have 4 weeks vacation to use, and so far only one week is dedicated to something specific.

So, that's a bit about me, and the rest will have to wait. There are too many dishes to wash and toys to pick up for me to spend more time here tonight!