DIY – Urban Suburban Mommy

Start writing out those Valentine’s Day cards!

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Mommy Approved .

I’m feeling really proud of myself, I have realized before the stores are all sold out that my children will be participating in Valentine’s Day next week. On the 14th. As happens every year.

Now to get them to the store to pick out a few packs before they’re sold out.

I loved this class activity when I was a kid and I like to indulge my boys now that it’s their turn. In years past we’ve done all hand-made cards, we’ve done crafts, one year I even tried to get all Pinteresty with the dough that hardens into a flower ornament that we bedazzled. 60 of them. It was insane, and days of work!

This year I. Just. Can’t. Sometimes a mama has too much on the go, and it’s okay to let go of something. This year it’s the craftastic exertion of energy on Valentine’s Day handouts.

And that’s okay. I’m fine with it and my sons are fine with it, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun picking out some great class Valentine’s cards.

The DIY made easy

This kit from Target still offers a bit of handmade craftiness that the kids can do with little help. Though realistically, mine will lose interest after about 5 cards and I’ll do the rest. Unless I bribe them with TV time while they weave those strings!

Say it with a smiley face

Why say it with words when this Hallmark Valentine’s Day card pack will say it in emojis for you? After all, isn’t this just prepping our young minds for the inane emoji text convos they’re bound to have in a few short years? You’re practically doing them a favour.

The download

Run out of time? Stores all empty? Don’t worry, it’s the 21st century and AvHE design’s Etsy store has you covered with some super duper cute print-your-own. Yes, isn’t this genius? Get yourself some paper and hit print. Print up as many of this cute card as you want, and you can even insert your kid’s name, so you, my friend, are done like a pro!

Nostalgia

Your know your little ones are too young for nostalgia, but these vintage valentines from Indigo sure do take you back. And you know they’ll be a hit with other parents as their littles share what your little handed out!

Taste of the Force

What do they say? All’s fair in love and Star Wars. The Star Wars franchise is just huge, and your little one will be getting plenty of Darth Vader, Storm Trouper, Luke and Leia messages from their little padawan friends, but your kid will stand out with these Star Wars cards from Amazon – complete with the lollipops!

The only other advice I have is, don’t get the overly lovey dovey cards for the kids. I’ve seen some pretty inappropriate cards for kids. I don’t expect any 8 year old to love another and B2gether 4ever or be my first kiss. Let’s keep it rated G and all in fun. And if anyone wants to get extra Pinteresty this year, please share, I’d love to see your inspiration – for next year!!

Quick & Cheerful Holiday Centerpieces

Posted on December 15, 2016 by kasiawdesigns Posted in DIY .

I can’t wait to share my simple yet elegant holiday centerpieces that will add color to your table in less than 5 minutes! Here goes:

The holidays can be such a busy time for everyone, especially if you’re hosting – I love how simple this centerpiece DIY is, and how instantly it will add a pop of color and freshness to your table.

Items You Need:

Small vases (I picked up mine from the Dollar store)
Bags of frozen cranberries (you can use non-frozen ones as well, I just find the frozen ones last longer)
Cedar/boxwood boughs
Burlap Ribbon
Jute Rope
Scissors
Decorative stems (optional, I used cream holly’s for some of the centerpieces)

Steps:

Fill up your vase with your frozen cranberries and add cold water
Cut your boughs down to size
Fill the vase with the boughs and enjoy!
You can also wrap the vase with burlap ribbon and tie it into place using a decorative ribbon or jute string
Add any leftover boughs to your presents (weaving it in-between your ribbon) or your table setting (placing some in a grouping with your flatware)
Its all about the little touches that make everything a bit more special 😉

UrbanSuburban Mommy – Xmas DIY Vase

Design & Decor Expert, Kasia Waloszczyk

Kasia Waloszczyk, an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator, also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

Gifted with a keen eye for colours and shades, Kasia Waloszczyk has been applying her colour and design techniques for more than 15 years in the industry. A design expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show, Waloszczyk’s work has always kept her ahead of design trends and has also given her an in-depth expertise on fabrics for creative custom window treatments and unique upholstery, for both residential and commercial spaces.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

Urban Suburban Daddy’s 10 tips to get your backyard space ready for entertaining

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in DIY, Urban Suburban Daddy .

You can just smell summer in the air, and before you know – it’s here. It’s practically the end of May, it’s time to get your backyard/entertaining spaces ready. Our Suburban Daddy has some great tips:

1. Power Wash

I love this thing: SIMONIZ PLATINUM 2000 PSI ELECTRIC PRESSURE WASHER

I love this thing: SIMONIZ Platinum 2000 PSI electric power washer

The snow and/or rain probably left some mud and dirt in your garden. It’s time to freshen up your space by cleaning it up first with a little power washing. It makes such a difference and can be done pretty quickly with a power washer like the one I have (I bought a Simoniz). In addition to washing your deck and/or patio stones, give your outdoor table and chairs and good washing too.

2. Clean your barbecue and make sure it’s filled with propane

There are a few mid- to high-end brands out there. Weber is my go-to Weber Genesis S330

There are a few mid- to high-end brands out there. Weber is my go-to for grilling Weber Genesis S330

Now that your sleeves are all ready rolled up, make sure to give your bbq a good scrub. Remove the grills and scrub them down with a good sponge, soap and water. You can use a scraper for any stuck-on guck. Once your barbecue is shining again, make sure to fill your propane tank. Nothing is more embarrassing than firing up the grill for guests – only to find your tank is empty.

3. Wall planters brigthen your backyard with colour

The cool thing about these planter boxes is that you can actually stain them to match your fence or deck. It’s sort of a nice compromise between building your own and buying pre-fab, because you can still customize

Buy wall planters with annuals that are perfect for your outdoor space – check out whether it is shaded, partial sun or full sun, and buy accordingly. If you go to your local nursery, they will advise you on the best plants or flowers for your space. You can purchase flower boxes made of different materials such as plastic, resin or cedar that you can reuse every year. Plant new arrangements of flowers. If you want to get handy about it and also save a bit of cash, you can build your own planters.

4. Reconfigure your patio furniture

I like my Suburban Mama's taste in furniture and this set is really comfy

I like my Suburban Mama’s taste in patio furniture – this set is really cool

Change up the way you place your patio furniture. Switch it up every year. If you are going to buy new furniture, invest in pieces that can play double duty. You want both conversation areas as well as eating areas. Buy a sofa/chair and ottoman that could also be used as a table for outdoor eating. Get the comfy stuff, something you can really settle into after taking care of the yard work.

5. Light up the sky with solar power

Solar lights

We just bought two sets of 4 solar powered outdoor lights that we attached to the posts of our fence. They were about $30.00 from Costo per pack. They are beautiful and are cost effective since they’re powered by the sun. They add ambience to our outdoor space.

6. Frame your space with an outdoor carpet

Low maintenance. Got to love that

Outdoor carpets are available in so many different colours and patterns. You can place your patio furniture on the corners of your carpet to frame your space. The carpet will also add an element of coziness to your backyard.

7. Shoo those bugs away with citronella

Discovered this local artisan - Going Au Naturel - and her products are incredible. This citronella candle is exactly what a backyard get-together needs

Discovered this local artisan at a market – Au Naturel – the products are incredible. This citronella ecosoya Bug Be Gone candle is exactly what any backyard get-together needs

Use long Citronella candles or torches that you can bury in your grass to shoo those mosquitos away. Or you can buy table top citronella candles that you can place on your outdoor table.

To win one of these great Ecosoya Bug Be Gone candles from Au Naturel, check out the Instagram contest – click here

8. Build a firepit

If you’ve got a big suburban backyard, just dig a pit. For itty bitty urban yards, this is a good solution

If your space allows, build a fire pit or buy a contained fire pit or chiminea available at the local big box store. The fire pit will provide warmth and style at the same time.

9. Decorate

Not going to lie - I love these even if I needed some help finding them

Not even going to lie – I love these

Choose a colour palette and theme. What feeling are your trying to evoke? We are big fans of a peaceful space so our backyard yard is decorated with a big Buddha head and lanterns.

10. Your summer playlist

I’m a DJ – and while you may not have your own resident DJ, you can definitely set up your mixes and beats. Maybe it’s house music, maybe it’s classic rock or modern pop, invest in whatever moves you.

Assemble your summer playlist. Invest in bluetooth wireless speakers like the JBL’s and play music from your phone or iPod.

Now pour yourself a cold one, sit back and relax.

Organize your front entry DIY project

Posted on April 4, 2016 by kasiawdesigns Posted in DIY .

This simple DIY can be used in a front entry, mudroom or even laundry room. It helps to keep the family organized and ready for school in the morning. It not only adds decor to your space but offers a convenient way to hang your kids backpacks, scarves or even yet your own purse.

STEPS + TOOLS

1. Decide on the species of wood you want to use, knotty or not. You can get your pieces cut down at your local Hardware Store (Home Depot, Lowes) – I used 1×8 Knotty Pine planks that I had cut down into 24″ lengths.

2. Once you bring it home, give the edges some sanding to smooth them out and get rid of any jagged pieces of wood.

3. You can either paint your wood planks a solid color or stain them. I used a wiping stain by Old Masters – I prefer using a wiping stain because it brings out the grain and knots of the wood much better – the stain I used was custom mixed to match my hardwood floors – which in the end ties in really well with the rest of my space.

4.Once you have applied your stain to the edges and both front and back surface your can either finish it off with a clear top coat or leave it as is.

5.Once dry, stick on your frame with a photo of the family member inside (you can also include family pets and hang their leash from the hook), I used the No More Nails tape (extra strength) to stick on both frame and wooden letter.

6. Position your hook on the wooden plank – I drilled two pilot holes for each of my hooks to avoid the wood from splitting. Once the pilot holes are drilled then use screws to secure the hooks. I really like the Ikea Bjarnum hooks because they fold in, which makes it very convenient when they are not in use, everything is flush with no protruding items.

7. Lastly hang them on your wall and enjoy!

Kasia Waloszczyk

Kasia Waloszczyk, Urban Suburban Mommy’s Design and Decor expert is an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator. She also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

Easy DIY gallery wall for a kid’s bedroom

Posted on March 11, 2016 by kasiawdesigns Posted in DIY .

My daughter Izzie turned three in September and it was time to say goodbye to the crib and give her a big girl room. A fun DIY that I did in her space was create a gallery wall.

The first thing I did was gather up some frames. Some I purchased, others I already had around the house that I wasn’t using. The frames I had at home weren’t exactly the right colour, but that was not a problem. I painted them out using the teal and coral tones to match the ones I introduced in her room decor, and instantly the frames got new life.

I chose images that my 3 year old relates to and loves: ice cream, cupcakes, ferris wheel, balloons, ballet; and I printed them on heavier stock. All the images contain some of the colours that are in her space to help create harmony and a cohesive look. I grounded the centre of the wall by using the IKEA Ung Drill frame, which I painted grey to pick up on her drapes and rug.

I wanted to create some dimension on the wall so I mounted a faux doe head with silver antlers and added a whimsy touch by placing a coral petunia behind the antler. This breaks up the square art and really creates a centre focal point for the wall. I finished off the gallery wall by placing random silver and gold decal dots which add a playful touch.

Paint used for the frames: Latex Pearl, rolled on with a foam roller (3 coats)

Paint for the Ung Drill Frame: Rustoleum spray paint (use outdoors in a well ventilated area)

Gold/Silver Decals: Muse Signs

Kasia Waloszczyk ,an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator, also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

Transform a playroom with chalkboard paint

Posted on March 2, 2016 by kasiawdesigns Posted in DIY .

Interior Stylist/Decorator Kasia Waloszczyk and Urban Suburban Mommy contributor shares her easy yet impactful D.I.Y. playroom makoever project:

I ended up painting out one of the walls black with chalkboard paint in my daughter’s playroom. The black wall adds drama to the space and gives her a vertical surface to be creative on.

While I was painting out the wall I decided to paint out her tabletop as well – it completely transformed it.

The once boring IKEA Chidlren’s Table (Sundvik) became the showpiece of the room. I sanded the top completely, and gave it a quick coat of latex primer. Once that dried I painted it out using the Rustoleum black chalkboard paint – it has held up wonderfully and is easy to keep clean.

I decided to add a trendy element to the table and also painted out the bottom portion of the legs using silver metallic paint. The dipped legs add a designer feel and completely transform the table. The IKEA Kritter chairs got a quick makeover as well – I added a blocked monogram decal in black. My daugher’s name, of course: Izabella May Waloszczyk – IMW.

The entire set looks fabulous, but more importantly, customized to her room. And this was just a quick, budget friendly makeover on items I already had.

Kasia Waloszczyk

Urban Suburban Mommy contributor, Kasia Waloszczyk, an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator, also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

For more information on Kasia Waloszczyk, visit www.KasiaWDesigns.com. Follow Kasia on Twitter and stay up-to-date with her work on Instagram, @kasiaw_designs

Kid vs. Adult Space with Designer Kasia Waloszczyk

Posted on February 18, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in DIY .

I thought by finishing our basement that I would have solved the problem of our living room being overrun by toys. It was a brief solution, until kid #2 came along. We spoke to designer, TV personality and fellow mom Kasia Waloszczyk who shared her insight and inspiration to find a happy medium between toys and grown up things.

The Dual Purpose Living Room – Playroom & Adult Space

1.If you don’t have the luxury of a bonus room or basement in your home – how can your living room serve a dual purpose as playroom and adult space.

Buy furniture pieces that not only suit your lifestyle but also serve a dual/triple purpose. There are lots of growing families who are choosing to live in smaller spaces. Luckily, retailers have picked up on this trend and offer tons of multi-purpose furniture piece options.

Dual purpose furniture/products can be easily found and for affordable prices. Ikea has a great sofa that not only serves as a couch + pullout sleeper but also has a built in storage unit that can house ample toys, blankets, pillows etc (FRIHETEN) — Its all about staying organized and having a designated space for everything.

2. How do you avoid your living room from being overrun by toys?

The first thing you have to do is ask yourself if your child needs all the toys that are in your living room, does he or she play with every single one? If at the end of the day you are over flowing with toys, perhaps you have too many? Scale back, pack some away and re-introduce them in a month or so, but only after taking away a toy in its place. Rotating your toys will give your child something new to play with, plus it will leave your space clutter free. This method will help with staying organized.

3. Do you have any storage or organizational solutions for toys or adult things?

When it comes to storage, think outside the box. My “go-to” storage is a budget-friendly garbage can from Ikea (KNODD) – it resembles Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can which makes it fun for kids. Get two or three of the same can, and fill it with toys, best of all it has a lid. So, at the end of the day when it’s time for the adults to unwind, the toys are completely out of site. I also love storage cubes, placing two of them across from your couch offers additional seating, you can optimize the storage inside the cube, plus some of them cube lids even turn into serving trays. Urban Barn has a really nice one that I often use for clients (Fay Ottoman – Charcoal). Lastly, opt for a proper TV/media unit – you can customize one at Ikea for a great price. Looks for something that offers you plenty of drawers as well as shelving units with doors (doors are fantastic as they hide the clutter). Remember to utilize your vertical and horizontal space when creating your storage.

4. How do you make a living room safe for kids?

Mount and secure everything to the wall. TVs should always be out of reach for children. Have a bookcase or TV bench – mount them too! Also, avoid furniture that is delicate or has sharp corners such as glass coffee tables. Although stylish, kids leave lots of fingerprints on glass coffee tables. Instead, choose a coffee table with multiple storage, for toys and blankets. Some coffee tables can even open up to provide a laptop/dinner tray. West Elm has a great one. Their Industrial Storage Coffee Table is on the pricier side but is multi-purpose, so it is money well spent. Make sure your living room incorporates a soft play surface – you don’t have to use the foam kids mats. I suggest going for a nice plush rug instead, which will provide a comfy surface for your child but also work to complete and ground your adult space too.

5. What design features or accessories do you recommend that would work for both an adult and kids space?

I love art! It works beautifully for both. You can create a photo gallery wall that will be appreciated by both kids and adults. Work with different sized frames or buy multiples of the same piece of art. To create a cohesive look, choose a photo filter such as black and white – and apply it to all the pictures that you will be displaying. By doing this, you can create a more formal and harmonized feel.

6. What colours work best for a multifunctional living room?

Colours are very personal and unique to each space. Having worked for Benjamin Moore for over 12 years, I know first hand that a color can look amazing in one space, and completely the opposite in another. I would suggest sticking with more neutral tones; warm greys, soothing blues, different shades of off whites – this will help to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere. If you want to inject pattern to the space, add some wallpaper with a tone-on-tone look for that elevated sophistication. Bring in your bold color through accessories, decorative pillows, vases, throws or decorative objects.

Kasia Waloszczyk

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

From nursery to big girl room

Posted on January 28, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in DIY .

We sat down with designers and lovely gals from 2Birds Design, Andi Wheelband and Renée Gammon about some great ways to transform a small nursery into a stylish and functional girl’s bedroom. Andi and Renée offer some easy solutions and DIY projects that you can even try yourself.

2Birds Design: Andi Wheelband and Renée Gammon

2Birds Design was hired to design a “big girl’s bedroom” as part of a birthday surprise for Valerie, who would be turning 3 years old. The task: maximize the limited square footage/space of the room, provide storage and offer a built-in bed solution.

Andi and Renée met the challenge with open arms and, as part of their design, they wanted to create a fun and interactive space so that Valerie was excited about transitioning into her new room. Custom platform bed systems are very expensive, so 2Birds decided on a custom designed storage bed (using IKEA cabinets!). This modular cabinet system provides a ton of storage in a consolidated area to allow for more open space and flexibility with furniture placement as storage and function over time.

The platform is built using basic plywood. It is in IKEA material, and added wood stair treads as well as a removable safety guard. 2Birds also decided to use a custom match, textured floor paint and basic foam floor tiles in pink (which you can purchase from department and hardware stores) for an anti-slip surface up to the bed. Navy, grey and yellow work with varying shades of pink and pattern play to create a fun space that will grow with Valerie.

: Before

: Light and bright

: Lots of storage

: Maximized the area

: Room to play

: Monogram V for Valerie

: Loft bed

: Wall to wall storage

: Color blocking

: Lots of color

We chose the colour scheme because we wanted something playful but that would grow with Valerie over the years. I instantly fell in love with the grey, pink, navy and yellow ikat fabric used on our large accent pillow and pulled our colour scheme from there.

Instead of overloading the room with extremely feminine tones, warm grey walls and a striking navy wall create an almost neutral backdrop for our layers of pink tones. A subtle light pink on the ceiling adds further interest, with pops of yellow and navy in the accent pillows adds to the fun but ‘not-too-young’ palette.

We kept the main pieces, like the frame of the platform bed and cabinets, area rug and bookcase white, so that the colour palette can be tweaked down the line by switching out the accessories. Even the pink cabinet doors can be switched out for another fun colour that IKEA offers.

We found the perfect drapery hardware, white sheers and deep fuchsia curtains at Walmart for an amazing price. We had them hemmed at a drycleaners for next to nothing ($10 a curtain panel) but these can also be easily hemmed with scissors, a neat fold and an iron on adhesive tape.

The floral tiebacks were a fun DIY and one of my favorite pieces in the room. I loved the idea of pulling in more of the navy and found the perfect navy and white polka dot floral hair clip at the accessory store Ardene. The overall size wasn’t quite large enough though so I used a glue gun to attach the navy flower to a slightly larger white flower. A white button finished off the centre, and I then glued the blossoms to a 2 inch wide piece of white fabric I had already hemmed using the above mentioned iron on adhesive tape. A small piece of velcro tape was all it took to hold the tie back together.

Valerie is quite crafty, so the small table and stool set was a great, inexpensive solution from IKEA. Made in a durable and washable material and in our perfect pinks, this purchase was a no brainer.

The bookshelf, pink and white boxes and pink polka dot bedding were all snagged from Target weeks before they were officially closed.

The pink princess canvas is also from Target, and sits beside the butterfly framed artwork from IKEA, and framed pieces of Valerie’s artwork.

Room to play

The rad cover was custom made by the contractor using pine boards we painted white, and geometric screen panels in the same pattern as our yellow accent pillow fabric.

The chandelier is available at West Elm and is made of capiz shells. I love the lightness of it against the pink ceiling and the pearlescent shells cast a beautiful reflection when lit.

2Birds Design: Andi Wheelband and Renée Gammon

Two Birds Design is comprised of principle designers, Renée Gammon and Andi Wheelband. With over 10 years experience working in award-winning design firms across Ontario, a partnership was formed to create a boutique interior design business. 2Birds specializes in creating unique and livable spaces while providing dedicated and personalized service, unrivaled by larger design firms.

With a focus on exceptional quality, creative thinking and attention to detail, 2Birds ensures each project is handled with integrity and precision, from the initial planning stages through to construction and implementation. Rather than working in a “signature style” they develop each design based on the unique personality and lifestyle of our client. The first step to a well-designed space is carefully considered space planning. Without it even the most beautiful rooms can feel cluttered, cramped and uncomfortable.

2BirdsDesign

From tasty treats to fantabulous fun in the winter – what to do with snow and ice

Posted on January 7, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Mommy Approved .

Winter is a tough season – especially if you live in a climate that goes sub-zero. Usually this means layers upon layers of outerwear as well as heaps of snow. While keeping a matching pair of mittens may be a lost cause in most homes, winter can have its own kind of fun.

In my neighbourhood, it is rare to see any kids outside after school. The hibernation period begins. But, as much as we are tempted to curl up in front of the TV and turn into vegetables, we need to try and be active and brave the cold. Here are some fun things you can do with the kiddies while embracing winter.

photo: Saskia Heijltjes

1. Make snow angels
Bundle up, slap on the ski jacket and snow pants – now jump into a fresh patch of snow and make your best snow angel. Arms and legs going. This is fun to do with kids at any age. This is a fun thing to do even without the kids, you just may have forgotten to try while you were busy being a grown-up.

2. Turn snow (clean snow) into toffee
Heat up some maple syrup in a medium saucepan for about 5 minutes (on medium). Pour into a measuring cup. Bring some popsicle sticks with you.

First rule – avoid dirty snow and ESPECIALLY, avoid the yellow snow, but after seeking out a nice, sparkling piece of fresh white snow, let your kids pour some maple syrup on top of the snow and watch it turn it into Toffee. Let them gather the toffee on the popsicle sticks and Enjoy!

3. Go tobogganing or snow tubing
There are so many different toboggans and sleds out in the market. Do your research but basically kids – even the little ones can thrill in swooshing down a hill at full speed. Always a good idea for the kids to wear a helmet. It’s great exercise and great fun!

Suggestion a) Make sure to have a cord tied to sleds, GT Racers, Krazy Karpets and snow discs, it makes it easier to pull them back up the hill.
Suggestion b) A little bit of wax, teflon or non-stick cooking spray will really up your speed.

Ice glass

4. Make snow glass

Take advantage of the fact that the whole world is your freezer. There are so many fun things you can do with this open-air ice box. Fill balloons full of water – get fancy and add food colouring! You can make a variety of different sizes. If you hang them out overnight to freeze they’ll form perfect globlets and oblongs, if you set them on the ground they’ll be rounder but have a flat spot on the bottom. When frozen just peel off the balloon. They make great yard decorations and simply mesmerize the kids. Keep adding to them over the winter.

Instead of balloons, use milk and juice containers and tetra-packs to hold the coloured liquid to freeze, and then dump out a perfect rectangle. Collect enough of them and you’ll be able to make a magical multi-coloured fort out of the colourful ice bricks.

5. Snow ice cream

Kids LOOOOOOVE to eat snow, and snow ice cream is fast, yummy and abundant. Best consumed on a sunny day, or inside with a cup of cocoa, it requires few ingredients and lots of giggles. In a glass or metal bowl mix a cup of milk (you can use cream or condensed milk for a more rich, decadent alternative), a quarter cup or so of white sugar, a teaspoon of salt and a few drops of vanilla. Once you’ve whisked milk, vanilla and salt together, dump in 8 cups of snow and keep mixing. If it’s runny add more snow until it’s thick and fluffy. Set in the cold for a few minutes (in the snow or your freezer) to allow it to set and dig in!

Suggestions: For chocolate use a quarter cup of cocoa powder. For fruit flavours use a quarter cup of jam. Once it sets add it bits of texture, like coconut shreds, fruit chunks, nuts, sprinkles or bits of cookie.

If you want to keep it simple, gather clean snow in individual bowls for each kid. Grab a pack of Kool-aid, sprinkle it on and call it a snowcone!

Winter never tasted so good!

*****edited to add: and then there’s this LOL:

I did it my way

Posted on January 4, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

Mommy, are you and daddy married?

Whether you’re married or not, this question will eventually come up. We were not. They’d caught on.

The big white dress had never been my goal, but apparently the kids were really bothered by the fact that they had a different last name than me. My husband and I were 3 months shy of our 11th anniversary when our 5 and 7 year old started asking why we weren’t married. The 7 year old loved the idea of being a ring bearer. The 5 year old thought he was going to be a “ring bear” and growled.

How could I resist a ring bear.

We’d been engaged since 2007, and having a little summer wedding sounded like a fun idea, so we told the boys that yes, we would get married.

I didn’t wear white. There were no flower arrangements. There was no surf-and-turf dinner.

I did it my way.

My husband and I threw a party – and what a party it was. We avoided seating plans and cake tastings and stress. Never having been one to worry about convention, having the wedding you want – without having to worry about chair covers, boutineers and bouquets – is quite fun. Having your kids at your wedding is simply the best part.

Our kids.

The flower girl didn’t have flowers, she had sequins and sparkles that she tossed into the air – exuberantly – ahead of my walk down the aisle. During the ceremony our kids made glitter-bomb angels. When we sealed the deal with “I do” one jumped into the air with a cheer – and the photographer caught it all.

So while I can honestly say I’d never intended to walk down the aisle, and we couldn’t have been more committed – with or without the official recognition – our kids gave us a special family memory, one that really was just about our family – our love and us.