If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll know that I post fun outtakes and behind the scenes pictures there from daily posts. These last two weeks were filled with little girl photobombs, nerd socks under maxi skirts, and fringe. If you don’t want to miss anything, don’t forget to hit follow @joannahaughton.
There are those days when there is so much swimming in my brain that I write and write for what seems like days. Just a plethora of inspiration. Then there are days like today. Days where I sit at my computer and there is so much in my brain that I seem incapable of plucking one single strand of thought out from the pool in which is swims. Inspiration will come. Patience will have it’s reward, but right now, at this moment, I’m drawing a blank.
P.S. Awesome shoe giveaway coming up in May!
Went into a shop recently. I got an email notification that the sale items were an extra 50% off that day. So I walk in and browse the new arrivals, and the lady walks up to me and asks, “Are you looking for something in particular, or are you needing a whole new wardrobe?”
Several things ran through my mind at once. One, do I look like I need a whole new wardrobe? Really? Two, what kind of person goes into a store to buy a whole new wardrobe? That’s not me being a smart ass, that’s me genuinely curious. I could never afford to do that. Three, how nice would it be to just walk into a shop and buy a whole new wardrobe, complete with fully crafted outfits. And finally, four, bless you for thinking that I can afford to just go in and buy a whole new wardrobe! Freelance artist here – just point me to that extra 50% off sale section.
I answered, “No. Just having a look around.” Yeah, for that sale section.
Sometimes you’re in a rush, things are frazzled, and don’t have the choice of taking ideal photos. Those days turn into black and white days. Not only in outfit choices, but also in photography styles. It just seemed right to take this day, this outfit, down to it’s barest essentials – that of black and white. Sometimes it’s just what you need.
Andrew and my Girl had a play date set up with a neighbor. There’s a little boy named Cole who lives a few houses down and his Dad and Andrew decided to arrange a day at the park. So they arrive at our house to pick Andrew and my Girl. Andrew says to our daughter, “We need to go to the toilet before we leave.” He takes her by the hand and starts up the stairs.
My Girl pauses, looks down at Cole and says, “You pick up my blocks…please.” Cole’s dad smirks good naturedly, “At least she said please.” Yup, she’s ordering boys around already.
That’s right. My baby’s back on the road. It’s finally warm enough that I can pull out my bike again. I am beyond excited. I love the fact that I can now travel a bit more freely, and get places quicker. And also excited by the new photo places it opens up to me as well.
It’s been possibly the worst winter here and that first day when the bike gets on the road is a big watershed moment for me. I love biking around Toronto. Exercise, books on tape, and the bike on the road. It’s Spring in Toronto baby!
We don’t have tv in the classic sense. We have Netflix and networked computers. So my girl is used to using a keyboard to play her shows and can navigate it pretty well. So, recently we were watching the news on the three digital channels that we do actually get on tv (from the antenna) and she needed to go to the bathroom. We got up to go. She walked over to the keyboard and hit the spacebar, ’cause that’s what she does to pause her shows.
Nothing happened. She did it again. Nothing. She furrowed her brow and tried one more time. Then looked at me and said, “Mama, the show’s broken. It’s not pausing.”
It was one of those moments when you realize that your upbringing and hers is totally different. She’s so in tune with our tech that to her it makes perfect sense that you can pause all your shows, whereas I never did. You left, you missed part of the show.
I know it’s a minor difference, but it’s illustrative of the greater differences between being a kid now, and being a kid then.
Recently my Girl had to go get some shots. She was super brave about it by hopping up onto the exam table and even holding out her arm for the doctor. She smiled through it all until the huge tears came when the needle went in. Then, 10 seconds later she was giggling again.
Now, every morning when she wakes up she hopefully asks me if we’re going to get shots again. And is incredibly disappointed when I say that we aren’t. Then she asks if we’ll go tomorrow, and again is disappointed when I say we’re not. Something might be wrong. She might like pain a little too much. Maybe we should get that checked out……
…then again, it might have something to do with the chocolate Kinder egg she got as a reward.
Who doesn’t love a healthy snack right? So I created these very yummy chocolate protein bars. So far, everyone – my husband, my daughter, and my mom – loves them and they’re gone faster than you can blink.
Interested? Here’s what you need:
1.5 cups of wheat free oats
1/2 a cup of rice crisps – adds a little more texture
1/2 cup of chocolate protein powder (I used Vega)
pinch of salt
1/2 each of peanut/almond/cashew (whatever type of nut) butter and maple syrup
A little – spoonful – of coconut oil
Vanilla extract optional
1/3 cup of chocolate chips
First thing, grind the oats into a flour texture – I used a blender. Then pour into a large bowl. Add the rice crisps, and protein powder, and salt. Then pour in the nut butter and maple syrup. I also like to add a little (teaspoon) vanilla extract, but you don’t have to. Mix everything together into a nice thick dough like texture. If it’s too dry – add some coconut milk or almond milk to moisten. Then pour the mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. press it into the pan and flatten it down into an even layer. Stick in the freezer.
Over very low heat melt the coconut oil and the chocolate chips into a syrup. Remove from heat. Take out the pan from the freezer and pour the chocolate syrup onto the flattened layer. Stick it back in the freezer for a few hours. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Sometimes children open their mouths, say something, and you’re left standing there wondering where in the world they got that from.
My Girl was playing with blocks, building a tower to be precise, and it fell over. She huffed, balled her hands into tiny fists and vehement shouted, “Pickles! Oh No!” My head instantly did a quick swivel in her direction, and I was left thinking, “Huh?”
I decided to do some surveillance. And sure enough ‘Pickles!’ is the hip, happening swear word among these young, crazy kids. Well, at least my young, crazy kid.