Happy 3rd Birthday Christopher!

Over the weekend, we celebrate with Christoper at Zig Zag Zoo in honor of his 3rd Birthday! (Many, many thanks to June (Christopher's Mommy)for having his party at Zig Zag Zoo - it was nice to just let the kids run wild and the adults were able to socialize a little bit more than at a normal party!) And she picked the best time to have it too...4:30 pm...after nap time and before dinner, which we enjoyed at the party. All the kids were well rested and there we no major meltdowns. It was Toy Story themed and all the kids, and the adults, had a great time! We hope you had a fun Birthday party, Christopher! Thank you for letting us celebrate with you!



Arabella sandwich with Cynthia and G!
Happy Birthday Christopher!!

Jack-O-Lanterns

Tonight we carved our Jack-O-Lanterns! Arabella was so excited to design the type of face she wanted on hers...she decided on scary! We had a bunch of pumpkins to carve since we went on so many pumpkin patch outings, but that is just fine with me. I love the way they look all lined up on out walk! Arabella had a fun time pulling out all the slime and seeds and was very excited to to see them lit up. Halloween is almost here and she can't wait (and neither can I)!




This pumpkin had a bumpy surface so she decided to drill polka dots into it!

The Great Pumpkin Ball & Chinese Lanterns

On Friday night, we decided to go to the Montreal Botanical Gardens to check out an exhibit that closes tomorrow. I have been wanting to go since last October when I found out about it - so this year I made sure we went. And I am so happy we did! We had to fight traffic to get to the Gardens, and then wait in line for about 30 minutes, but it was worth the wait. We had to bundle up...I finally broke down and took out our winter coats and gear...but the coldness didn't have any affect on us and our spirits! I wanted to get there before sunset since it would still be a little warmer out since as soon as the sun sets, it cools off very quickly. And I wanted to be able to take pictures without the flash or a tripod. We checked out the Chinese Lanterns which were outside in the Chinese Garden. They were beautiful! Arabella loved the bright colors and was excited to move from one lantern to the next. She is turning into quite the little explorer and just is so full of wonder!

Waiting patiently in line...

Then getting silly from the candy she and Jay ate in the car!









After then Lanterns, we went to see the Great Pumpkin Ball. This exhibit was inside but I was a little bit disappointed as it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. But that is OK - the best part was Esmeralda, the witch. Arabella was enthralled by her - she told stories and talked to the kids in French - I was actually able to pick up on parts of what she was saying! Arabella was afraid of her at all but was shy when she tried to talk to her.





I would love to try and grow this ornamental eggplant next summer...


We had a great night and enjoyed ourselves. It was the prefect way to spend a Friday night!

Halloween Is Almost Here

Last week, Arabella was so excited to see more and more Halloween decorations popping up in the neighborhood. So she asked if we could put up some more...I usually just do pumpkins, no huge yard decorations going on here...but I looked to see if we had anything in the Halloween bin in our storage area that might be left over from a old Halloween party. I found some of the fun spider web stuff and Arabella was so excited. I told her that she had to wait for Jay to get home from work to help put it up...she couldn't wait, as soon as he walked in the door she was asking him to help her! So he quickly changed and then went outside to put it up before the sun completely set and it got too cold! She was such a great helper and she put all the spiders in the web by herself! Great job Arabella (and Dad)!

Fabulous Finds

I haven't done a Fabulous Finds post in awhile, but I have come across a few great things that I/we love!
I purchased this spread in NYC at the Natural Market when I was at my IIN conference in September. It was mainly for Jay, but I wanted to at least try it....he enjoyed it some much that it was gone in a couple days. Note to self - I need to try and find it the next time I am back in the States. There were less than 5 ingredients - Figs, Water, Hazelnuts, Lemon Juice, Grape Juice Concentrate, Lemon Zest.
For my birthday, I decided to get myself the Clarisonic Mia. I love how it makes my skin feel when I use it at night to wash my face. I noticed a difference after just one use. I love it and don't know how I got by without it. I won't go back to just cleanser and water at night ever again! It is small and compact and it is easy to use.
I also found these great cookie mixes from Cherrybrook Kitchens (http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/) We don't have any food allergies, but these products are dairy, egg, peanut and nut free. Cherrybrook Kitchen also makes wheat/gluten free mixes. They are a great all natural baking mix. They tend to be a little on the pricey side, but the taste is so much better than regular baking mixes. If I don't have time to make it from scratch, I will use these. I will be making a point on my next shopping trip to the States to pick some of these up so we have them in the cabinet.

Playgroup Pumpkin Picking

A week ago Friday, we joined our playgroup for a morning at another pumpkin patch. It was the day right after we went with preschool, but Arabella was just as excited to pick out another pumpkin and have more fun stoping through the fields with her friends! It was a cold and windy day but we bundled up and still had a blast.





After pumpkin picking we headed back to the barn for apple muffins and cider, delicious! Then it was time to visit the animals before heading home. Arabella loved the draft horse, he was beautiful.




It was a fun morning with friends - we are so happy to belong to such an amazing mom and tots group!

Thursday's Thoughts

Hearing: Arabella going in and out of bed...she is a little couche tard (a/k/a night owl in French) tonight...she must still be on the sugar high from her party at preschool today or she thinks she is still in her owl Halloween costume!

Tasting: A leftover cake pop from Arabella's preschool party - just the right amount of sweet.

Seeing: The late autumn sky.



Smelling: Bath & Body Works Creamy Pumpkin candle - I think it is my new favorite!

Feeling: Thankful.