our new "hot" drink station...

Tyler loves hot chocolate in the morning. Somehow, making hot chocolate in the microwave just never turns out that great-lumpy with gobs of hot chocolate not dissolved. Last week, we got the Keurig Ultimage Singe Cup Home Brewing System. I first got to try this system at my parents house this summer. I instantly had "gadget envy"...and I am not normally a gadget person. The system comes with little cups filled with coffee, tea or hot chocolate that can be loaded into the machine for hot brewed drinks. It can make 3 different cup sizes and it can be programmed for a 'turn on' and a 'shut off' time. It can also provide instant hot water into a cup for other things...like soup or a tea bag. I don't drink coffee and therefore don't enjoy making it for visitors because I am never sure how it tastes, but this home brewing system takes care of that.

I made a little basket for our hot drink station with assorted coffees, teas, hot chocolate, spoons, and chocolate & vanilla sugar. The kids love that they can make hot chocolate anytime they like.

Ron loves to make himself tea in a matter of seconds. I like to make honey, hot water and lemon to drink. Yesterday, I even used hot water from the system to heat thermoses for the kids' lunches before adding soup.

Our new "hot drink" station fits perfectly into a little corner in our kitchen. Now I just need to find some people who drink coffee.

a saturday around our house.....

Hunter wanted to take on a baking project this morning...so she made these pumpkin, walnut & chocolate chip cookies. Tyler did his new Saturday chore..."poop scooping" the yard. After I took this picture, he said, "Mom! I have poop and I know how to use it." Little stinker!

After the baking project was complete, Hunter played with the puppies.

Ron was hanging on his computer for a spell. He coached a winning hockey game at 8 am this morning for the little munchkins. The score was 6-1.

I ran out and got us some chinese takeout for dinner.

And I enjoyed reading the ideas/recipes in this.

All in all, a good day.

out in the garden...

Gardening is not my "thing".

I wish it were. But I have always been a "drive thru" gardener. Zoom into a space, plant a few flowers to look pretty for the season. Zoom out. And that's about it.

Pathetic. I know.

The gardens at our current home were carefully planned and executed by the home's first owner. Her name was 'Marge' and she was a gardener....the trees, shrubs, lilac bushes, peonies and hostas and lots of things I can't name..... speak to her expertise. If she still lived here, the gardens would look stunning.

Unfortunately the owners between her and us were not gardeners. Our neighbours tell us that these owners did not even own a lawn mower. The gardens, under their care, or should I say lack of care, were untended and became overgrown with weeds.

Enter me. I keep trying to perform CPR on these gardens. I weed and I plant here and there a little. I sigh as I look out the window. I keep thinking these gardens could look much better if I knew what I was doing.

So my goal for September is to spend an hour everyday in the perennial gardens. Weeding, cutting back, pruning, shaping and tending.

In spring, I hope to reap what I sow.

"Not Me" Monday....

This blog post is inspired by mommy blogger Mckmama, who hosts a blog carnival called, "Not Me Mondays".

I did not eat a chocolate bar every day this week. I did not eat Aero Mint Bars and then wonder why I am not losing any weight. Nope. Not me.

I did not buy a new magazine almost every time I went into the store for something else. Those luscious fall covers for October issues did not tempt me. Not one little bit. Nope. Not me.

I did not park at Tyler's school in an area where I thought would be safely away from traffic and then watch him open his door into a concrete post and leave a mark on the passenger door. I am much too smart for that. Nope. Not me.

I did not forget to tell my husband about this new mark on my vehicle. Nope. Not me.

I did not fall asleep in yoga class during the cool down at the end of class. I was too focused on the yoga instructor's directions to think about sleeping.Nope. Not me.

I did not have to clean a puppie's poopy bum this week. The puppy was pooping fine and I did not have to use my hands to clean poop from the bum. Nope. Not me.

Nope. I really didn't do any of these things.

Not ME!!

"poop mat"...

A totally new term in my vocabulary.

Apparently, little puppies of smaller breeds that have a lot of fur can develop a "poop mat" when they poop...which means that poop has matted in the fur and dried. The next time the puppy tries to "go", the poop mat makes doing the job difficult and the puppy often will strain. (Still with me?) This can cause the puppy discomfort, hemorrhoids and constipation.

Our little puppy Rigley developed a poop mat 2 days ago. I noticed it but thought it was "normal". (What was I thinking?) Tyler told me that Rigley was having trouble pooping, and when I looked, I could see that she was straining and rubbing her butt along the ground.

A quick call to the vet and I learn about "poop mats". The recommended at home treatment is a bath to wash away the offending material, followed up by some ointment.

So I filled the bathtub. Washed the puppy. Dried the puppy. Rubbed some Polysporin on the butt. Then proceeded to scrub the tub, wash my hands, think to myself "eeew, gross", wash my hands again. Feel sorry for the puppy. Cuddle the puppy.

After raising two kids,I thought I was done with poop.

my days.....

I am having lots of fun 'mothering' these 2 little girls. They are so cute & cuddley....and they make your day seem fun and bright. I spend lots time putting the girls out and then bringing the girls in. They have periods of peppy play followed by big naps...they are still babies. The kids are having lots of fun with the girls and they are definitely learning responsibility when I call, "Hunter/Tyler, your dog just peed. Go get the mop please."

On Monday, I spent several hours in the kitchen making pickled beets. This is only my second time making them and this was my first attempt to make beets on my own. I picked up 10 lbs. of beets at the Farmers' Market on Saturday for this project and I was really pleased with how it went. We will probably open our first jar for Thanksgiving dinner.

Fall Harvest.....

It's that time of year again. Fall. One of our 4 favorite seasons. Some of the things that happen in our family in Fall:

• 
  
  getting out-fitted for new skates for feet that have grown.
• 
  
  purchasing new hockey gear.
• 
  
  a busy hockey schedule for both little player and Daddy coach.
• 
  
  decorating for Fall with pumpkins and leaves and candles.
• 
  
  making pickled beets and mustard pickles.
• 
  
  wearing socks again.
• 
  
  picking apples from the little tree in our yard.
• 
  
  getting up early for school and children making beds again.
• 
  
  re-organizing the pantry as nesting for winter takes root.
• 
  
  tucking the boat in for winter.
• 
  
  baking homemade bread, cookies and goodies.
• 
  
  soup recipes and crockpot dusted off after the summer.
• 
  
  another season of early morning Sundays for a skater.
• 
  
  homework and packed school lunches.
• 
  
  stocking up on fresh produce from the Farmers' Market
• 
  
  and a NEW chore for this fall: poop-scooping in the backyard.

Thanksgiving dinner is only 2 weeks away. I am so excited to have family visiting for this holiday.

It is time to harvest all that is good.

(photo:Pottery Barn)