An epic camping trip, a parade, rocking the minivan, and growing by 2 feet. What a whirlwind of the last few weeks.

A few weeks ago we had our 2nd annual mom's group camping trip and it was so much fun.
Let me say how much I love my mom friends.. I said it before in a previous blog post here, but seriously I love these ladies!!! I really am lucky to have such a great group of friends..who also have great husbands, and between us all we have a pretty kick ass group of kids too. Who could ask for much more??  I feel blessed...and am tearing up as I write this.

10 chairs, 11 kids. 

This brings me to my next topic.... are you ready for it??????? Baby # 3 will grace us with it's presence in March 2015! How far along am I you ask?? Well 7 weeks.. Ya ya ya I know some people are probably cringing at the news before the 3 month mark, but you know what I am kind of a glass half full kind of gal. To me not wanting to talk about it is anticipating something bad, and I know its going to be good, so this is me shouting it from the mountain tops.
I AM PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(p.s. if you are a half glass full kind of gal or guy...but still wait for the 3 month mark, awesome, no judgement here, to each their own!! )



And now to minivans.. I drive a Dodge Caravan. I love it. I hear the radio commercial about the parents getting the news about having twins and about them needing to get a minivan and their utter despair. NOOOOOO NOT A MINI VAN.. I laugh and you know what they are awesome! Here is why..

1. You don't have to push down a middle seat to get to the 3rd row like in cross overs. And this makes life a whole lot easier for people who have 3 kids in carseats, which I will. 
2. I can fit 16 Steralite bins in my car when going to shows for Bun in the Oven Consignment. 
3. 2 adults, 3 kids, 2 dogs, and a cargo roof carrier. All things that make a successful and comfortable trip. In a minivan
4. Stow and go seating. More places to put stuff when traveling!

Waiting for the parade to start

The truck pulling our float

Lastly...the K-Days parade! First of all guess who won
BEST NON-PROFIT ENTRY!!!!!
Second, Carter was in his element. This year he chose to ride on the float and use his bubble gun to blow bubbles into the crowd, but he still told me it was the best day of his life. And you know what, this is a great childhood memory. Some people have dreams to be in a parade...and this kids has been in it 2 years in a row. Seriously aside from all the awesome work we do as an agency, it is also pretty great that we can participate in things like this. #staffmoral
(And a shout out to Rosenau Transport, cause their driver is amazing!!)

So thats all folks, for now that is! :) :)

P.S.
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Camping....going this year...things I remembered from last year.

This weekend we are going on our 2nd annual moms group (including our family) camping trip. Last year we had such a blast and I am sure this year will be even more amazing! 

Anytime that anyone experiences something they always have those mental notes of things they should bring next time...what they should have brought even though  their husbands said "we won't need that" (hello Walmart...thanks for having some cute and cheap sweaters for the kids).. meals that worked...meals that didn't...fun games..and everything in between. This is a basic "mental note" list that I made..maybe it will help you out for planning your camping trips. 

Camping 2013.
At Walmart buying sweaters for the kids

1. Pack clothes that you are okay with getting muddy, stained, and ripped. Kids and adults..
2. Bring a first aid kit. Wondering what to put in a basic kit? I like this website. Plus bring children's tylenol/advil if you have kids. Nothing sucks more than a teething baby in the middle of the boonies and no pain relievers.. 
3. Pack a jacket for everyone even if it is supposed to be super warm, also long sleeve shirts and pants! It helps with preventing mosquito bites at night and it can get super chilly at night too. 
4. Bring snacks and bring lots of them. We are bringing fishes, bagels that we made last Friday (recipe can be found here), veggie sticks, juice boxes, and many other items that will be easy to grab in pre portioned out bags. 
5. If tenting it and you are looking for a kids bed, check out this cot that can be purchased from Toys'R'Us. We have one for Carter. It's convenient. It folds up into a small bag. (Think folding chair, but a little smaller). And its $40!
6. Bring/plan more activities then you will have time for. Make some that are rain and yucky weather friendly. Lasy year one of the mom's planned a scavenger hunt, like this one on Pinterest and it was a hit! Another mom planned a simple, yet fun craft. 



Carter modelling his crown 

7. Bring games for when the children go for naps/to bed. I will be bringing Personally Incorrect...should be a blast! 
8. Kids love sleeping bags (or maybe just the idea of them)! Carter and Sophie are so excited to use their sleeping bags that they got for their birthdays. It was literally all they could talk about today. Although I also think they are equally excited about the backpack/carry bag that comes with them... 
9. Check out Kijiji or other places to get cheaper/free wood if you can. Buying wood at the campsite is EXPENSIVE.. When we bought our house the owners left us lots of wood. We will be bringing some of that with us to avoid the crazy wood prices. 
10. Invest in mosquito repellent bracelets.. We have the bugslock ones and love them! No chemicals. No sprays. Easy to use. 
11. Lastly.... be in the moment and take the time you have and be away from your major electronics. Bring a camera.. take pictures, take many..and camp. Tell stories by the fire. Sing songs. Have fun!

 

Disney in Concert - Staycation location # 3! Set your calendars for August 29th... oh and it's FREEEEEEEEE

If you're doing the staycation thing like we are doing this summer, well then you are looking for fun things to do in and around Edmonton (affordable or free is also a plus!)

This is plan ahead and put it on your calendar NOW worthy!

Friday August 29th @ 8:00pm , the Edmonton Symphony is performing Disney in Concert at Churchill Square and it's FREE. 

There will be 4 vocalists performing with the orchestra as well as clips and storyboard art being displayed on screen through out the performance. 

Bring the family, dress up in your favourite disney character costume, and sing along to some of the greatest disney movies made such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and yes........FROZEN..  (and a variety of others.. ) 

Looking for more information? You can check our the Edmonton Symphony webpage here. 

See you there!! 

Staycation idea's - #2 Pembina River

While Kris and I will be planning a lot of things to do as a family, there are also some things that we will be doing without the kids. 
Going to Pembina River Tubing is one of them. 

(It is recommended that children be at least 5 years of age and that ALL children 12 and under are supervised by a responsible adult) 



Pembina River Tubing is located a little over an hour West of Edmonton. Detailed directions to the location can be found here. All you need to do is get yourself there and they provide a shuttle to the tubing starting point, tubes, life jackets, and offer various stop off points where you can grab a ride back! 
You have the option to pay for the whole shebang (tube, shuttle, & life jacket) or you can bring your own tube/life jacket and just pay for the shuttle! You can also pay $5 for them to keep your car keys for you!
>>> Prices for everything can be found here <<<


What to bring? 

• Sunscreen
• Shoes that you can wear in the water. (bring something to attach your shoes to the tube if you are wearing flip flops)
• Hat
• Sun Glasses 
• Beverages (Liquor is prohibited as it is a public place)
• A picnic lunch 

Things to keep in mind!

• Sometimes the water is not optimal for tubing - calling ahead doesn't hurt and then it's not a wasted trip. 780.515.1754
• Plan to go early! From now until September it is on a first come first serve basis during the weekends. IT GETS BUSY!!
• During the week you can make reservations - especially for large groups.

Happy Friday everyone! :)

Lego Take 'N' Play - Celebrating Summer

Looking for something to do this Saturday June 7th @ 11am with the kids?
Celebrate summer and take part in the FREE Lego Take 'N' Play at your local Toys 'R' Us. 
This event kids will be making a 
Lego Sail Boat. 

**Space and supplies are limited so come early to get a spot**

Want to find out where your closest Toys 'R' Us is? 
Check out the list below! 

North Edmonton

13029-97st NW

780-944-9404

West Edmonton

9908-170st NW

780-944-9414

South Edmonton

3940 Gateway Blvd NW

780-944-9424

Cheap movies - find out where to see them!

This past Friday after Carter's soccer game we decided to go and see a cheap movie at Movies 12. 

Movies 12 has been around for a long time and it brings back so many fond memories. I can recall many Friday nights hanging out there with friends. 

The majority of the movies that are shown are not the movies that are just out, they are movies that have left the regular theatre and some may or may not have been already released on DVD already. There are some first run movies as well and admission for that is $11.00.

(FYI Frozen is playing there right now)

The best part is that you don't have to wait until the once a month movies happening on a Saturday morning to go to a movie that won't make you go broke. 

Children under 2 are FREE so paying for 3 of us to go to a movie, on a Friday night... was just under $12!!!! (Admission is $3.99)

Another great thing? Tuesdays you only pay $2.25 to see a movie.

But there is more...are you a Scene Card member?? (It's FREE)...if you are, you save 10% off of the admission price

You can sign up at the theatre or go here to sign up online

The theatre is located in North Edmonton @ 5074-103 Ave.

Want to know what movies are playing? Check out the Edmonton Movie Guide to find out the times and movies. 

Happy movie watching! 

P.S.

Think...air conditioning on that super hot day that you just can't handle anymore......

What have I been up to?...

Wow it's been a few days since I last posted.

First of all, Happy Anniversary to my awesome husband Kris!! Today we have been married for 7 years..(man where does the time go??) ...and I am still in love with him as much as I was the first day that I met him (which was in grade 12, yes we are high school sweethearts). I am looking forward to celebrating with dinner and a movie tonight while Grandma babysits!!

So where have I been? Well most of you know that I also work full time and this week was the Employment First conference. I am still reeling from getting to meet Hayley Wickenheiser who was the inspirational keynote speaker at the conference.

We were also getting ready for the garage sale that we held this weekend. A right of passage of being a home owner in my opinion, and a great way to meet your neighbours, but thank god it is over.

The birthday party season also continued and we celebrated one of Cart'er s friends 4th birthday this Sunday, which honestly I still can't believe that Carter is 4, his friends are 4, and time just flys by way too fast!  It's just another reminder that life is short and you need to take time for friends, family, and life!

To celebrate the end of it all we went in the hot tub and drank rum.

So that brings us to today! I have lots of fun things planned for some posts so stay tune.  And if you want to receive emails of my posts you can sign up below!!

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Worm update & answering your questions

So a little before Mothers Day, I left my compost worm bin outside and then thought I killed the compost worms.. Big sigh of relief though... I found them on Mothers Day!!! They are alive and well and still too teeny to get an actual picture of..but they are there!

Since I wrote my first post about our compost worms I have had a few people send me emails about worm composting. (Disclaimer: I am not a worm composting professional I just have done some research..hello Google!..and also talked to people who have compost worms..share the knowledge!!) 

1. Doesn't it stink?

Nope, not so far and it has been about a month.  From what I have been told, if it starts to stink then you have a. too much food in there b. you are not burying the food in the dirt c. you need a bigger container.

2. What do you keep them in? 

A rubbermaid that is not clear (worms like the dark) and hubby drilled some holes into the lid. Easy peasy. You can buy actual worm compost containers if you want. You can also DIY so many - check out this website for a DIY compost bin. 

3. Do they try to escape? 

They haven't yet, they are way too small. And if you do find that you have worms trying to go AWOL then you have made their home too wet or too dry. I add a 1/4 cup when it looks a little dry, and add it to each corner. You may just also need a bigger bin. 

4. So how do you use it in your garden? 

First of all lay a flattened card board box on the ground. Now bring the bin out, take the lid off and set it in the sun fora 10 minutes or so. This is so the worms go to the bottom. You then take a layer off of the top and put it on the card board and let it sit in the sun so that if there are any worms in there they die. Then you use it as you would any other compost. 

5. Why do you put it in the sun? 

Well compost worms are called Red Wiggler worms. If you put them directly into the dirt with Earth Worms they will kill the Earth Worms. Let's not create an apocalypse k?  So basically the dirt goes into the sun to kill any potential worms.. 

Until next time!! :) 

Also, if you like what you read don't forget to subscribe to Just another Edmonton mommy!! :) 

Thanks for reading !!

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All you can eat cereal cartoon party - a family event

Check out the All You Can Eat Cereal Cartoon Party at the Metro Cinema (8712-109 street) this Saturday April 15th @ 10am. 
Come dressed in your pjs, enjoy various cereals, and watch some retro cartoons from the 70's & 80's. 

Admission for this event is: 
Adults  $10
Students/seniors $8
Children $6 

To find out more about the event or to purchase you can check out the Metro Cinema website.