creativelykate

Smoothies...I can't get enough of them!  ...and I can't imagine a more perfect combination of goodness.  They are easy to prepare, take seconds to make and with the right ingredients, can provide a delicious and nutritious snack.  I say snack because I've never been one to replace meals with supplements or shakes.  In our household, smoothies are either served with a meal or as tasty snack.  My children might even refer to them as a treat - I'll get into that later.  In order to truly benefit from all the goodness a smoothie can offer, you have to have the right ingredients on hand.  This was something I always found to be a problem!  I would come across the perfect recipe only to realize I was missing one or more of the ingredients...this would be so frustrating!  I quickly learned how important it is to keep you cupboards and refrigerator/freezer stocked with the right ingredients.  This takes a little time and planning, but once you become familiar with the ingr

The Brown Family (minus some really important people - Jord, Shirl and all the kiddies).  Celebrating my mom's 70th birthday! I just love birthdays! ...the planning, the preparation, the party, the cake, the presents - who doesn't like a good party?  Earlier this month my mom turned 70!  Hard to believe because she doesn't look a day older than 55.  She has never been one to plan extravagant parties for herself and this milestone of a birthday was no exception.  On her actual birthday she opted for a simple dinner with her dad (my grandpa), her 3 grandkids, my husband and I.  I baked her cupcakes and my grandfather treated us all to a family favourite.. Swiss Chalet.  It was quiet and cozy - just the way my mom likes it. Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting and fondant flowers.   Just hanging with baby Jack.     Celebrating her actual birthday with all her grandkids.  Miss Georgia can't get enough cake!  ...what about dinner?  

In general I've always had a healthy lifestyle (this goes for my husband too), but it wasn't until more recently that we really took a step back and realized how much more we could and should be doing.  In 2015, our family took several steps toward healthy living. This year we want to do even more...for the first time ever we're using the new year to kick start some of our family goals (some of which we have already begun to implement).  My hubby and I have had numerous conversations discussing these goals, trying to determine which are attainable and plans for implementing them.  One theme that always seemed to emerge was going "more green"! So here they are!  Our Go Green Goals for 2016 in no particular order: Green our personal care! - This includes all health and beauty products.  Last week I officially got rid of all the beauty products in our house that contained ingredients I didn't recognize...basically everything I've ever bought fro

Our Christmas started back in November with our annual family Christmas photos.  We made our way up to Drysdale Tree Farm (link here: http://www.drysdales.ca/ ) just outside of Barrie.  What a perfect day...the first real snowfall, we were actually on time, my daughter wore 1 of the 3 outfits I had chosen for her, I had a great hair day (considering I never have time to get myself ready), my hubby finished project #22 from my Pinterest to do list and we beat the crowds at the farm!  Being that it was opening weekend, we thought it would be super busy but it turns out the crowds don't begin until December...then you can expect people in the thousands to be arriving!  Here's a little preview from the shoot.  Our photographer Tim is just the greatest!  ...here's his info: http://www.shutterhead.ca/ How perfect is this shot??  ..and check out the car!  My husband stayed up late working on it all week, making sure it was perfect for the photos.  It looked just like the one