Early Christmas Pressie

We celebrated Christmas today with my in-laws since hubby is leaving next week on a 2 month trip to Asia.  This was our last chance to be all together with Grand-maman.  The kids opened some fun gifts and mama came home with a new kitchen appliance!  A small and oh-so-cute toaster oven on steroids!

This little puppy is sweet!  I'm really excited about this little oven as I HATE my kitchen gas oven.  It bakes uneven, temp seems to go up and down quickly, sometimes the broiler doesn't go on... whatever!  The thing is a piece of s***!  I've accepted that fact a long time ago, after having it serviced too many times.  Hence my excitement in receiving this new little cutie!

With hubby gone, I look forward to cooking and baking small meals for me and the kids.  Perfect timing!  Cookies anyone?  Anyone?

Lazy afternoon

After spending way too much time in the air conditioned passport office and mall yesterday, I decided to lay a blanket down under a tree and picnic with the baby by the water.  We watched her father and his friends rig their kites and head out in the bay for some kite-surfing.  It was beautiful and breezy, and made for a perfect lazy afternoon.

I'm really loving my recently pedicured toes in my new Tkees Glosses flip-flops!

I have a thing for flip-flops.  Some would say I collect them, others would say I'm a bit obsessed.  Some are made of leather and others are made from yoga matts, some are ridiculously expense and others are really not...  I pick them up when I like what I see.  The only ones missing from my collection are Havaianas, but I don't do rubber...  I rotate between about of my 10 favorites, but I think my new Tkees will be my new fave this summer!  I want to pick up a pair in red now!  They really are cosmetics for your feet!

Montreal Jazz Festival

Today's fav is Montréal!  Nothing beats Montreal in the summertime.

We spent a picture perfect afternoon at the Montreal Jazz Festival with the kids yesterday.  They played in the water fountains at Place-des-Arts, enjoyed the games and activities at the popular Parc Musical Rio Tinto Alcan kids' area and happily joined in with street performers.

My younger one randomly ran up and started performing CPR on the clown.  He had the crowd in stitches!  I'm thinking theater lessons next fall?

We ended the afternoon in Chinatown for dinner... I'm still full this morning!  The boys loved walking around and visiting the shops chalk-full off Pokemon and other random junk!  In the van on the way home, they were discussing how cool downtown was, and how they look forward to bringing their money next time we go to China!

I LOVE Montreal!

Beginning of the End

Is it Monday again?  Boys are on a school field trip today, it's the beginning of the end.  They finish next week, but from now until then, it's all fun and games!  I need to get cracking on their teachers' gifts!

Yesterday was one of those lazy Sundays, my favorite kind of Sunday!  After a busy and late Saturday with diving lessons and the boys' big year-end piano recital downtown (they made their mama so proud!), I prepared some baby food (which leads to today's fave!) and a beautiful rhubarb and strawberry crisp!  My husband took care of dinner (what a treat!), we ate delicious pasta and shared a beautiful bottle of red.  A beautiful end to the week!

I followed a recipe from allrecipes.com, but added extra rhubarb (from my garden), strawberries and sugar.  Yum!  After baking this crisp, I'm really looking forward to our sweet, delicious and juicy Québec strawberries.  La Saison des Fraises du Québec is right up there in my favorite seasons, next to Le Temps des Sucres!  I think I'll hit the market later to see if I can find some early yummy berries!

Today's fave:  my new Breville hand blender, the Control Grip.  With all the baby purees I've been preparing the last couple of months, I must say that this little machine ROCKS!  The best features are the adjustable speed control and all the accessories it comes with.  My old food processor and blender are now collecting dust... I keep singing 'Baby Come Back' from the Swiffer mop commercials!