My mom, the Hallowe'en costume genius

A few evenings ago I went to take care of the last little details for the boys' store-bought Hallowe'en costumes. Noah's Annoying Orange suit needed some better velcro sewn onto it, and Will's football jersey was waiting for me to iron on numbers of his choosing.  After I almost burned the jersey with the iron, realized that I had put the number 8 on upside-down, and decided that Noah's costume would work just fine with a safety pin rather than new velcro, I suddenly realized how much I appreciated all of my mom's work to dress my brothers and me in creative costumes every Hallowe'en when we were kids.  (Why is it that children never really appreciate their mothers until they are much, much older?)

The process of getting together Hallowe'en costumes rarely involved a trip to a department store when I was young.  My mom was a Hallowe'en costume genius, and when October rolled around, she would think, and sew, and look for objects we already had around the house, and come up with costumes that were unique (and sometimes crazy-fun!)  We were ghosts with neckties and tiny hats, clowns in brightly patterned suits my mom sewed herself, and favourite action figures and doll characters modelled after toys we played with.

 

Some years things got a little wild, like the year my brothers dressed as a gangster and some weird kind of alien, and my mom smeared corn syrup on their faces to stick on coffee grounds for a beard, and Cheerios and glitter for... well, I don't know what for, but it was interesting (and also very gross)!!

 

My mom often came up with a great costume for herself as well, and joined in the Hallowe'en fun.

 

 

Have I mentioned before what a good-natured man my dad is?  Yes, that is him in the back, after my mom dressed him in a red nightshirt and striped cap and put a Kermit the Frog face on him. 

My favourite costume idea from my mom, though, was the one she came up with when I was a teenager and decided kind of last minute one year that I needed a costume for a party or something.  My mom went to take a look through my old dance costumes and emerged with a funfur trimmed, leopard print unitard and the brilliant suggestion that I could go as a cavewoman.  I was not keen on any idea that involved me wearing a skin-tight unitard out in public, but my protests did not stop my mom.  She walked through the house looking for a solution, and lo and behold, when she walked into the basement laundry room, there was an old, shaggy, goldy-brown mat on the floor in front of the sink.  My mother triumphantly picked up that mat, wrapped it around my unitard-clad body, worked some magic with frayed rope over my shoulder and around my waist, and there in that instant, a more modest cavewoman was born.  To complete the look, my mom saved some bones from dinner later that week and tied them into my hair.  I challenge you to show me a better cavewoman get-up from any Hallowe'en costume store!

 

If you're ever unimpressed by the store-bought Hallowe'en costume options out there for your family, channel my mom's creativity and come up with something great on your own!  You may need to look no further than your kitchen cupboards or your laundry room floor.

Happy Hallowe'en everyone!  (And thanks, Mom, for making our Hallowe'ens so much fun!)

Hallowe'en snack attack (two fun and healthy recipes for kids)

Every October, from the time the boys were very small, our family has always chosen a beautiful fall weekend day to make a trip to a local pumpkin patch. It's so much fun to be outdoors, surrounded by gorgeous colours, breathing in the crisp autumn air under a blue sky while taking our time choosing the perfect pumpkins to carve into jack-o-lanterns for Hallowe'en. This year, though, we were busy most October weekends, and we left the picking of pumpkins for this past weekend when we finally had some free afternoons. Apparently, the weather had other plans. When it came to Sunday afternoon, and the rain hadn't let up at all, and Hallowe'en was only a few days away, we all looked at each other, came to a unanimous decision to bail on the pumpkin patch (which was sure to be a swampy mess), and instead took a two minute family drive to the neighbourhood grocery store. The four of us ran through the cold drizzle to the parking lot pumpkin display, quickly threw any two pumpkins that looked passable into a cart, paid for them, and ran back to the car, where we then laughed hysterically about our most pathetic pumpkin acquisition ever. Sometimes the most unphoto-worthy moments make fun family memories, too!

The rainy weather was good for something, though:  we did have some fun in the kitchen making up a few healthy Hallowe'en themed snacks to enjoy this week.  If you're looking for a creative way to fuel up your ghouls and boys with nutritious foods before Hallowe'en, these recipes might just do the trick!

Green Monster Smoothies (dairy and gluten-free)

I am a huge fan of Angela Liddon's (Oh She Glows) Green Monster Smoothies.  I blend one up in the morning several times a week for myself and love it as a quick, healthy breakfast or snack.  Yesterday I thought I'd try to entice the boys to drink one, too, by having them each draw a monster face on a clear glass mug with a black dry-erase marker, and then serving them a smoothie in it.  Noah and Will still wouldn't drink the green smoothie (sigh), but they did have fun drawing faces on mugs, and the dry erase marker wiped off easily afterwards.  If your children are not revolted by the sight of green things that have been pulverized in a blender, then you may want to try making them either Angela's original version, or my own favourite variation of the Green Monster Smoothie below -- they really are delicious!

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cashew butter
2 handfuls of organic baby spinach
half a mango, peeled and diced
1 small frozen ripe banana

Place all ingredients in the order given in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour smoothie into a glass (with a monster face drawn on it!) and enjoy.

 

Determined to come up with a healthy Hallowe'en snack that my boys would eat, I decided to experiment with raw cashews and pumpkin puree to make a tasty dip for apple slices and carrot sticks.  I was really pleased with what I ended up with -- the dip was flavourful, nutritious, and a hit with the whole family.

Pumpkin Cashew Dip (dairy and gluten-free)

1/2 cup raw cashews (plus enough water to just cover them)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place the cashews in a Magic Bullet or blender with enough water to just cover them.  Blend the cashews and water until smooth and creamy.  Scoop the cashew cream into a mixing bowl.
Add the pumpkin puree, almond milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the bowl.  Mix all ingredients until they are well combined.  Spoon the dip into a mini pumpkin that has been hollowed out, and serve it with apple slices and/or carrot and celery sticks.  Yum! 

I hope for all of the kids' sake that the rain will hold off long enough Wednesday for trick-or-treating.  Somehow I don't think a quick dash to the grocery store would quite cut it in that case.  Have a safe and happy Hallowe'en!

Ten things you've probably never said to your children

Have you ever listened to yourself speaking to your children and realized suddenly that what you're saying is completely absurd?

Today I'm participating in a Writer's Workshop hosted by Mama Kat over at Mama's Losin' It.  She has invited other bloggers to write and share a post based on one of the interesting prompts she provided.  When I saw "Write a list of ten things you have said to your kids that other moms might not say" as a subject option, I knew I had to join in!  Have you met Noah and Will?  Bizarre phrases come out of my mouth on a daily basis around our house.

Here are ten things I've said to the boys that you'll likely not hear other moms saying:


1.  I would really like to know how you got pine needles in your underwear.

2.  Sorry, but I don't think the guinea pig wants to go for a ride in the ferris wheel you built her out of K'Nex.

3.  Are you sure you want to wear this Speedo for gym class today? 

4.  No, you may not have the parts from the broken water cooler/ old microwave / lawn tractor to make yourself a jet pack.

5.  Why is your housecoat hanging from your blinds?

6.  I hope that trap you built on the swing set wasn't intended for me.

7.  I'm trusting that if I leave you home alone for a little while, I will not find a zip line running from our roof to the top of the giant willow tree when I come back.

8.  Go get the bag of cat treats so you can show me again how you've taught the cat to do math!

9.  Hmmm, that's odd -- suddenly I'm noticing random green berries on my red berry table centrepiece.  Wait.... are those shriveled up PEAS from last night's dinner?!

10.  Who's been making brains in the bathroom again?



Looking for some more entertaining stories to read?  Head on over to Mama's Losin' It to see what other writers were inspired to share. (And please tell us the ridiculous things you've said to your children in the comments section below!)  Happy Thursday.

Letting go

 When you were little, I was always so sweetly moved by your attachment to your "guys", the collection of special stuffed critters that shared your world.  You fed them Cheerios in measuring cups at your little toy kitchen counter, gently dressed them in doll clothes that were mine when I was a young girl, had marvelous birthday parties for them, and told them the most wonderful, creative stories. You loved those guys with your whole heart, and when I saw you with them tucked carefully under your little arm (or tied around your waist with a piece of string so you could keep them close to you while your hands were busy), you made me feel so deeply that you were my guy, a boy whom I loved with my whole heart and would never, ever let go.

Somewhere along the way, you stopped carrying your guys around under your arm all the time, as other interests and activities piqued your growing curiosity and led you down different fascinating paths.  Those guys always had their special place in your room, though, in a basket right beside your bed, with each of them having turns to be the centre of attention when you had some time to give them.  Slowly over the years, that time grew smaller and smaller as your days filled with older boy pursuits. Then last week, on a day one of your friends was coming over after school, I was putting laundry away in your room and I suddenly found your basket of guys shoved way back in the corner of your closet, and covered up with a backpack. While I understood why they were there, and had known for some time that this day was coming, the sight of your beloved guys hidden away in the dark made me feel sad, as if a little hole had just been punched in my heart.

Little boys cannot go on forever carrying stuffed animals under their arms, it's true; time moves on and little boys become big boys and then young men who need to find their own place in the world. Moms know this, and yet, it is sometimes still so hard for them to let go of their children bit by bit, in the same way their children let go of their squishy, well-loved childhood companions. Moms know that the big, real world is not as safe a place as the imaginary ones their children created in the shelter of a loving home and family, and that people are not always as kind or as accepting as the stuffed guys whose soft, open arms were always ready for hugs and who loved unconditionally. Moms are conflicted between wanting to protect their growing children from situations and people who will make them doubt themselves and the things they most believe in, and knowing that it is through these very kinds of experiences that their children will build confidence and stronger convictions as they grow into adulthood.

Your years of caring for, entertaining, and loving your collection of guys has shown me so much about who you are.  You are smart, and creative, and sensitive, and kind; you're sure of yourself and proud of who you've become so far.  I have to trust that these wonderful qualities about you will lead you down a happy path as you walk a little more on your own with each passing year.  I hope you will remember to listen to your own heart, to surround yourself with people who will let you be the beautiful person you are, and to communicate to others that you accept and appreciate them for who they are, too.

 

On the day that you hid your guys away in the closet, you reconsidered later that evening, and the basket once again now sits beside your bed.  I'm not so naive as to think it will always stay there; one day, I know, you will outgrow those little guys for good.  I hope you know that even though you may think you've "outgrown" your mom in many ways, too (and I'm trying really hard to give you some space), I will always still be here whenever you change your mind.  My arms are forever open, ready always to give you hugs and unconditional love.

A healthier Hallowe'en (allergy-friendly and better-for-you treats)

 

Our house is abuzz with Hallowe'en excitement these days.  The boys each chose their costumes a few weeks ago (The Annoying Orange for Noah and a Green Bay Packers football player for Will) and this week the two of them are starting to plan their trick-or-treating strategy in earnest.  I remember being a kid and how exciting Hallowe'en night was as we all pretended to be something other than ourselves for awhile and hoped we'd get lots of our favourite treats as we ran from door to door in our neighbourhood.  I love watching the boys experience that same thrill every year.

Hallowe'en looks different in our house now, though, than it did several years ago.  When you learn that your child has multiple food sensitivities, Hallowe'en becomes a bit of a nightmare at first for reasons other than the ghosts and goblins.  The first year we knew Will couldn't eat dairy, gluten, eggs, and peanuts, I realized as the time for trick-or-treating approached that the vast majority of treats he collected would be off-limits for him to consume afterwards.  I felt terrible for him (because how do you explain that to a five year old in a way that he will accept?), so to try and make his Hallowe'en special, I decided to put together a little surprise bag for him (containing a new book, a few of Will's favourite collectibles like hockey cards and Lego or Playmobil minifigures, and a couple of treats that he could eat), so that he would have something fun to trade his candy bag for when he came back home from trick-or-treating.  I worried that Will, who is completely consumed with "fairness", might not think this was a very good deal, but thankfully I was wrong.  He loved his special surprise bag, and didn't even bat an eyelash when he handed over all of his chocolate bars and caramels and other Hallowe'en loot.

Having to deal with food sensitivities and Hallowe'en has caused our whole family to re-evaluate how we celebrate this fun night.  Noah decided a couple of years ago that he, too, would trade his bag of candy for a surprise bag.  I think he has realized that while the thought of all that candy is appealing at first, he really just doesn't need to eat a giant bag full of sugar.   On Hallowe'en night now, both boys dump their loot on the kitchen table when they get home, oooh and ahhh over it all, choose a few of their favourite (and in Will's case, safe) treats to keep, and then give the rest of it to Matt and I in exchange for a few non-candy surprises.  We donate all of the hard candy to the boys' school for the after Hallowe'en candy drive (the candy is sent to poor countries to offer to starving children as a means of encouraging their appetites, so that they will want to eat something more nourishing afterwards), and the other treats we send into Matt's office to share with co-workers.  (I have heard recently that some hospitals may also accept Hallowe'en candy donations for children in their pediatric ward, so I plan to look into that option as well.)

While I am all for kids having treats in moderation for special occasions, I've become aware through our family's food experiences that some treats are better choices than others, and now I choose even the candy I hand out to other trick-or-treaters more carefully.   We have found a few brands of candy that are free of the most common allergens and do not contain artificial flavours or dyes (which many children are sensitive to), so that is what we hand out to everyone who comes to our door. I also purchase dark chocolate bars for the boys at Hallowe'en, because they are a healthier treat choice than many of the other kinds of chocolate bars they get in their trick-or-treat bags (ones that contain hydrogenated oils, milk fats, corn syrup, and artificial flavours).  These are some of our favourite better-for-you spooky sweets:

YummyEarth lollipops (Free of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, corn syrup, and artificial colours and flavours, these lollipops come in a variety of fun and tasty flavours.  They are often available in Canada at Winners and Homesense stores.)

 

YummyEarth gummy bears (Like the lollipops, these gummy little guys are also free of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, corn syrup, and artificial colours and flavours.  I often find bags of the snack packs at Winners and Homesense, too.)

Florida's Natural nuggets  (These chewy fruit candies have fruit purees and fruit juices as their first ingredients, and they are also free of gluten, dairy, nuts, preservatives, and artificial flavours and colours.  I bought a box of Hallowe'en sized packages at Costco in Canada.  *Please note that the ingredients list on the ones I purchased is different from the one in the link posted here, so you will want to check the label on the package before buying if allergies are a concern.)

 

Camino dark chocolate pieces and bars  (*Note:  Camino chocolate bars have "may contain traces of" warnings on the labels for things like wheat and dairy, and some of their flavours include nuts.  Will is able to eat the little dark chocolate squares and the almond butter chocolate bar without issue, but read labels carefully if allergies are a concern.)

 

 

Endangered Species dark chocolate squares  (Specially packaged for Hallowe'en, these squares are certified gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO.  However, the label does indicate a "may contain" warning for nuts and milk.) 

 

 

Eating less candy on Hallowe'en night and in the days that follow it has not at all dampened Noah and Will's enthusiasm for the holiday.  For them, the fun of visiting neighbours after dark in creative costumes and enjoying a few special treats is all they really need. I don't think of Hallowe'en as a nightmare anymore; I'm glad that the changes we had to make have helped to teach our whole family that we can have fun even without excessive sugar.

Fashion forward

This weekend I am heading to Toronto to attend Blissdom Canada 2012, an exciting conference that gathers women in social media together to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by one another.  I am very much looking forward to participating in informative sessions, listening to influential speakers, and meeting hundreds of other women in our country who contribute their voices to the web.  Because this is the first time I've attended a conference like Blissdom, I'm also feeling somewhat nervous, and have been spending a lot of time this week getting organized and attending to little details to make sure that things will go as smoothly as possible. 

At our family's dinner table the other night, I was running some outfit ideas by Matt as I planned what I was going to pack clothes-wise.  I don't have any female opinions in the house to consult in these matters (unless you count Maggie the cat, who is not much help to me because her only opinions about clothes revolve around whether they're comfortable to lie on or not), but Matt is a very good listener and always does his best to offer sincere and thoughtful comments.  When Will heard me talking about clothes, his ears perked up and he immediately and enthusiastically offered himself up as my personal fashion consultant.  (He considers himself an expert in "fashion ladies", as he calls them, because a) he has seen innumberable Reitman's commercials over the past couple of years while watching The Weather Network in the morning and b) he regularly studies the cover of my "Chant-a-layne" magazine when it arrives in the mail every month.)

I listened to Will with fascination as he excitedly started describing a potential outfit that would make me be "really fashionable" at the conference.  I was instructed to wear a top "something like" what I was already wearing (a cami with a light tie-up sweater over it), with a necklace (this was very important, he thought), and the absolute skinniest pair of jeans I have.  When I asked Will what I should wear on my feet with this outfit he was planning for me, he thought for a moment and then answered confidently, "Skateboard shoes."  But the best advice came next, when Will suddenly jumped up from the table and proceeded to explain (and demonstrate with zeal!) how a "fashion lady" walks.  He told me I needed to put my hands on my butt cheeks, "like this":

and then he showed me, in slow-motion, how to use my hands to propel each leg and shoulder forward in a grotesquely exaggerated side-to-side swaying motion, with my head held high and a haughty look on my face.  When I turned my eyes away for a minute to wipe away tears of laughter, Will admonished me and instructed me very seriously to "watch more carefully" while he demonstrated what to do if I wanted to be SUPER fashionable.  So I stared intently while he showed me exactly how to walk with my legs criss-crossing wildly in front of one another with each step (and with my hands still on my butt, of course.) 

 

I never imagined a simple question about outfits would result in a full-fledged pre-conference workshop, but I'm so glad to be in the know now!  (And by the way, if any other Blissdom attendees would like to learn Will's fashion secrets before the weekend, he's offering an intensive crash course this evening at a special Blissdom rate.  Message me for details.)

If you happen to be at Blissdom this weekend, I'll be the one in the really skinny jeans and skateboard shoes with my hands on my butt, walking with a leg-crossing motion that is likely to dislocate one of my 40-year-old hips.  Be sure to stop and say hello!

Butternut squash and red lentil soup (dairy-free)

Chilly fall weather that results in red noses and frosty fingertips calls for soup for lunch, plain and simple.  There is nothing nicer after an invigorating walk among the beautiful colours and crisp, cool air than coming home to a warm home and a steaming bowl of something fragrant and delicious to eat.  Today's soup recipe is one I make often in the fall and winter seasons because I enjoy it so much.  It is loaded with nutritious orange vegetables and nicely flavoured with ginger and cinnamon, and the addition of some red lentils gives the soup a healthy boost of protein.

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1 L vegetable stock (I use Imagine brand low-sodium organic vegetable broth, which is gluten-free)
1 cup water
sea salt, to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, ginger, and cinnamon and saute for a few minutes, until the onion is soft.
Add the squash, carrots, apple, lentils, vegetable stock and water to the pot and turn the heat up to high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you could transfer the soup to a blender in batches and puree it that way.)
Season the soup with sea salt to your liking, and serve it hot.  Leftover portions freeze really well in glass Mason jars!

This soup is quite simple to make, but the results are really impressive.  A bowl full of this smooth, golden liquid is a wonderful way to both fill up your belly and warm up your body (and those of the ones you love)!