My first 5K Race!

I used to be a runner. Like a serious, long-distance runner.

I've run a few 10Ks & Half-Marathons and two Full Marathons {that's 42.2km & 26 miles of RUNNING for those inquiring minds}.

But I've never run a 5K race. Until this past Saturday!

Since becoming pregnant with EZ -- and let's face it -- since I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2006, I haven't really run. I had a bad race way back then {which I spoke about here}. Since this summer, I started training on my own, with friends, and then with a free Learn to Run clinic. It was awesome to be part of the running community again!

My good friend CC and I completed a 5K race together yesterday! She's awesome! It was a great experience. 

 It was a CHILLY start to the day, so here we are at the start line all bundled up. Then about 3 mins before the race started, it miraculously warmed up -- but I was all ready to go in my jacket! So I just kept it on!

Then about half-way through, I couldn't take the heat and I had to slip my jacket off. I stupidly pinned my number to my jacket, so I had to re-pin the number to my shirt while I was running. Silly Mummy! But it was worth it to cool off a bit!

Here we are at the finish line! Thanks CC for pulling me through and encouraging me to finish strong! We finished almost 8 mins faster than we planned, so we were BEYOND thrilled with our time!

The race was overall well-organized and was on a trail - which I'm not used to running on, but it was fun! There was even a Firefighter water station! Did I mention it was an all-women race?

There were good treats at the finish line, including a bananas, chips, and even Cadbury Dairy Milk Thin chocolate bars, but alas, I couldn't eat that because it's a milk product! I {heart} being a VEGAN! 

On that note, November 1st is National VEGAN Day! 
I encourage you to make ONE meal a VEGAN one! 
Being vegan is not that hard - be mindful of your food. 

Don't eat anything with a FACE or a MOTHER :) Simple as that!

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A Day at the Pumpkin Patch!

Last weekend, we trekked out in the frigid rainy weather to the local pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin.  Unfortunately, the pumpkins were picked over and only a few pumpkins remained. Literally. We got three. 

What we DID get however was COLD & MUDDY! But it was fun to go with Nana & Granddad. I love our family time!

On the way there, EZ queried why we'd go to the pumpkin patch when you can just buy pumpkins at the Superstore?! Oh, us silly parents...wasting time making memories for our children and such!

{The sad part is I actually just bought our larger outdoor pumpkins last night. From the Superstore. Out of the mouths of babes, I tell ya.}

 Not only were there few pumpkins, but the apples were picked over too. EZ had to go underneath the trees to pick the apples from the under-branches, but they sure were delicious! I LOVE Mutsu apples!

Apparently we didn't get our timing right for either of our Fall Traditions this year. 

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Halloween Mantel!

 Life is dramatically busier now that I'm back to being a Working Mummy again! Thanks to all my followers for your words of encouragement during this transition!

I realized this past weekend that time was running out if I wanted to decorate for Halloween. So I used what I had around the house {yes, I keep sparkly skulls in my basement! doesn't everybody?!} and dressed my little kitchen mantel. 

I decided to keep it fun & colourful for the kidlets -- although I'm sure it could be argued that skulls, regardless of the purple glitter, are inherently UN-kidlet-friendly! I'm actually a black & white person, so adding the orange & purple elements is a BIG step for me!

Anyhoo, without further ado {since it's practically Halloween already!}, here's my Halloween Mantel.  

PS: Given time constraints and season, I think we're all going to have to readjust to my already imperfect photos being taken in the dark. If only I had the luxury to take photos in the daylight!

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Little A's Book Cover is RELEASED!

So remember a few months ago when I took my star Little A on her 1st photo shoot? 

Well, her book cover was released this week!  

We're SO excited! She looks TOTALLY adorable.  

Check it out HERE!

 ...and the book is only $3.99, so be sure to pick one {or 5!} up to support my gorgeous Little A!

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Thoughts on a kitchen table...

If you were to ever come to my house, you would agree that everyone congregates in my kitchen, specifically my kitchen table.

We actually purchased our kitchen table from the previous owners. It fit the space well and could fit 8-10 people. It's one of those counter-height tables. I really like it for it's function, but I'm ready for something new - a table that fits into our NEW kitchen!

My lovely sister gifted me with a round oak table {that extends into an oval!} with Windsor-style chairs.  Very country, but it could be transformed to be very cool. It's definitely smaller than what I have, but I think I could re-purpose it into a DIY dream kitchen table.

I'm thinking about painting the top of the table with black CHALKBOARD PAINT.  Here are some Pinterest inspirations...

Image via here

Image via here

Image via here

Image via here

Image via here

Image via here

I am in LOVE with chalkboard paint. But I may have some reservations for using it for a kitchen table, but I don't know if those concerns outweigh my love for the idea!

My 2 main concerns are that:

• It'll be hard to clean. Perhaps a glossy black would suit better
• There will be chalk dust EVERYWHERE.

 What do YOU think about a chalkboard paint table top? Willing to hear opinions on this pretty please :)

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Snapshots from Turkey Weekend...ahem..Tofu Weekend!

 Here are some photos from Thanksgiving weekend! EZ had a BLAST visiting his Great-Grandma. Her house is SO fun to play in - but especially with his COUSINS! His cousins are a little older than EZ, but they are SO patient with him and I think they love playing with him too :)

Granddad drove up arrived just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. But before we sat down to eat, he wanted to take advantage of the exceptionally good weather and go to the lake to feed the ducks. As he turned out, the gulls were quicker & more aggressive than the little duckies, but we had fun all the same!

When his cousins went out for lunch, EZ was also able to have fun playing on his own!

I'm not sure why, but I didn't take any shots of our Thanksgiving meal as a family. Many of you were asking me how my 1st Vegan Thanksgiving turned out, so here's the story. I had brought ALL my ingredients up to my grandma's house in preparation for cooking my own Thanksgiving feast, but as it turned out, we ran out of time and I wasn't able to cook what I planned. Big A made a delicious pumpkin soup & I enjoyed eating that soup with sweet potatoes, veggies, hummus & pita for the big dinner. 

It was a great lesson for me in that being Vegan isn't hard AT ALL. And I find something to eat anywhere I go. It doesn't have to be a big production ALL of the time :) -- even for big Holiday Celebrations like Thanksgiving!

Once we got home and settled, Big A suggested I make my own Thanksgiving feast - and so I did! 

I made the most DELICIOUS walnut loaf using the recipe from the amazing  Oh She Glows Thanksgiving Menu. It was out of this WORLD! We also had vegan mashed potatoes & veggies. 

So no TOFU in sight! Haha!

Walnut Loaf is going in the oven...

But first it needs a GLAZE!

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Captain Destructo & his Accomplice - Little A

 For {Canadian!} Thanksgiving, we spontaneously decided to make a quick trip to see my grandma. My parents and my sister & her family were going to be there - it was a Family Affair! 

I'm SO glad we decided to go. We had an amazing time with our family.


It's quite a drive though - like 8 hrs each way. Here are some photos I snapped after the first 2 hours on our way back home. 


Captain Destructo & his accomplice were hard at work to ensure that our car was as messy as possible...

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Little A's First Day without Mummy

Little A had her first day at her sitters last week in preparation for me returning to work this week. She had so much fun with her big brother EZ! Did I mention he calls Little A his "Viva Sista", not just his "little sister." I love how he serendipitously combines and compounds his words :)

Our amazing caregiver snapped some photos to show me that Little A was getting along just fine there. They are too cute not to share :)

 

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Change is the Spice of Life...

...or is it Variety? Who can keep up? Haha! :)

Anyway, this post isn't about idioms - it's about a simple, but important change in my kitchen!

Since becoming vegan a couple months ago, I tend to make *a lot* of food myself. Well, at least a lot of food is made in my kitchen, not necessarily that I make it. You know by now that I'm merely a wannabe foodie & chef, but I can barely boil water without Googling directions. Seriously.

And with all this healthy vegan cooking going on, we use A LOT of spices to bring out flavour in the foods we make.

A couple of years ago, I posted about how I organized my spices when we moved into our new house. I put them in cute metal jars {with magnetic bottoms!} and labelled them with my beloved label-maker. They looked cute, but were hiding for the last couple of years in one of my upper cabinets. 

They were annoying to get at because I put the labels on the side of the jar, so when trying to locate a spice I had to haul ALL the jars out until I found the one I needed. 

{Okay, so it's not a difficult task, but it is annoying & unnecessarily time-consuming all the same!}

Until now...

 I reorganized my spices on the side of my fridge, right where I need them when I {or someone else, ahem!} is preparing food. 

I arranged them alphabetically which feeds right in to my obsessive need to organize. I was also able to keep most of the labels by just easing them off the side of the jars and replacing them on the clear tops. Win-Win!

I also like that I can see if I'm running low on a spice so I can refill it before it runs out.

Frankly, I was a bit apprehensive about displaying the spices because they may look too busy, but with my kitchen now so much lighter and brighter, the spices don't clutter it up at all. 

In fact, I think it looks like a working kitchen where people actually prepare food. Or at least spice up pre-made food from the grocery store to look like it was homemade :)

So tell me - where do your spices live in your kitchen?

Linking up to:

Organize & Decorate Everything's - Home Decor and Organizing Link Party #23

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We have a Winner from my first GIVEAWAY!

Sorry for the delay in posting the WINNER of my first GIVEAWAY! It was Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and we decided at the *LAST* minute to take an 8 hr trip to see my lovely grandmother and most of my family for Thanksgiving. 

So my apologies, and without further ado, the winner is...

The 3rd Comment was from Jenny from Simcoe Street! YAY Jenny! Check out her amazing blog for great decor and crafty ideas!  And she's Canadian too! GO CANADA!

Here was her winning comment:

Jenny @ Simcoe Street,  October 4, 2011 2:33 PM  

And I picked a few of your boards on pinterest to follow!

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As you know, Jenny has won a Missoni for Target makeup bag filled with my favourite fall makeup items from JOE FRESH!

THANK YOU to ALL you lovely bloggers who entered the giveaway and those who are always there to support and inspire my blog! 

I love our little blogging community of DIY decor divas & lovers of all things beautiful!

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It's {Canadian!} Thanksgiving!

Image via Pinterest

Happy {Canadian} Thanksgiving! 

I hope your weekend is full of fun, family & tofurkey! Just kidding :)

{Seriously though, this is my first Vegan Thanksgiving - wish me luck! Hopefully I'll be able to post about my vegan menu!}

Happy Thanksgiving! We have SO much to be grateful for!

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Kidlet Kid-Lit

Thank you to all who have entered my First Giveaway! 

There is still time to enter - the giveaway closes at 11:30pm EST on Thursday October 6th! Click here for the details!

I recently came across an *adorable* find that I absolutely HAD to share with you! 

BabyLit Board Books!

Image from Amazon.ca. Buy yours here!

Image from Amazon.ca. Buy yours here!

These adorable board books are just too cute, especially if you love the classics. Seriously - Pride & Prejudice for babies? There is nothing better than instilling a little Lizzie Bennett in my daughter!
 

When I saw them, I had to pick up these two for Little A. I've noticed that most of EZ's books are "boy"ish {which is TOTALLY ok by me!}, but Little A deserves some of her OWN books too :)

I've already pre-ordered Jane Eyre & Alice in Wonderland which is being released in March 2012!

Image via here

Image via here

 Little A thoroughly approves of her new books and just took one with her for a nap :)

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EZ's Room: DIY Alphabet Wall Project {on a Budget!}

Thank you to all who have entered my First Giveaway! 

There is still time to enter - the giveaway closes at 11:30pm EST on Thursday October 6th! Click here for the details!

Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

I've been working on this little project for a long time {okay, WAY too long!}, though it really should only take a day or so to complete. 

EZ's room is almost ready to reveal to you, but before that, I want to show you the project that I've been working on {for far too long!}.

 Custom Alphabet Wall Art!

...wait for it... from the DOLLAR STORE!

 

I was recently inspired by projects I found on Pinterest, like these below featuring colourful prints and kooky fonts. Kid-friendly & chic in their own way, but not for EZ's room. I wanted something more modern with clean lines.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

So then it dawned on me. 

I had a bare wall above his dresser where I could do my OWN custom DIY large-scale Alphabet Wall Art - mimicking the wall treatment already in EZ's room.  Then I remembered these cool sans serif letters I spied at the Dollar Store.  And then it all quickly came together in my head.

We picked up the MDF strips from Home Depot. We got two 1.5 inch wide strips and cut them to 45 inches across, and painted them the same colour as the wall in EZ's room.

I sprayed the dollar store letters & numbers with two coats of Rustoleum's Flat White spraypaint.

 Adair measured and hung the MDF strips, ensuring they were level and then screwed each strip into the wall. We used painters tape to temporarily adhere the letters to the wall, until we can figure out the exact spacing.

I'm really pleased with the results. I love saving money and DIY-ing projects to our exact specifications. 

I still have 2 projects left for EZ's room before I can *finally* share it with you. Hopefully that will be sometime before he leaves the house for university... haha!

Cost Breakdown: 

2 MDF strips from Home Depot @ $3/piece

Rustoleum's Flat White Spray Paint @ $7/can

35 Letters/Numbers @ $1.25 each

Another easy, peasy & fun DIY!

Linking up to these fun parties!

Not Just a Housewife - Show Me What Ya Got #43

Blue Cricket Designs Show & Tell

A Bowl Full of Lemons: One Project at a Time

Somewhat Simple - Strut Your Stuff Link Party 

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My *FIRST* Giveaway! {PS: It's Missoni for Target!}

To celebrate my little here bloggy-blog recently getting to 

50 subscribed "Followers" 

{although, I'm *sure* there are more of you hiding out there!}

I want to show my appreciation for your 

BLOG LOVE & SUPPORT by doing my FIRST GIVEAWAY!

It's a black & white chevron Missoni for Target make-up bag that I have filled with special treats for YOU! 

I have included my favourite lip gloss, eye liner, nail polish and other fun products, perfect for Fall! 

Here's how YOU can enter my Missoni for Target Giveaway!!! 

1. You must become a Follower {or tell me you already are!} and then comment below.

2. For an extra entry, you can follow me on Twitter, then leave another comment below.

3. For an another extra entry, tweet about this giveaway {you must also refer to me @MummyMaggie}, then leave another comment below.

4. For an another extra entry, like me on Facebook, then leave another comment below.

5. For another extra entry, follow me on Pinterest, then leave another comment below.

The Giveaway will end on Thursday October 6th at 11:30 pm EST.

The winner will be announced Friday morning!!!

Winners will be chosen using Random.org

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Little A: 10 months

Little A turned 10 months yesterday. Time flies when you're having fun, that's for sure.

She's grown so big and has changed so much, even in the last few weeks!

***Here's a post of EZ at 9 months - these kids totally look like siblings!

Little A LOVES:

•  to chew on {ABSOLUTELY!} everything - she's teething {still, after all this time! seriously it's been months}
•  her big brother EZ - she just lights up when he's around. He can do no wrong
• to clap her hands and drum on the table during dinner time, especially during prayer time
• to touch her head when she's getting sleepy - it's like she's looking for her hat for nap time {remember how I told you she needs to have her hat to nap?}
• to sing and chatter - this one talks A LOT - which is great bc she's gotta keep up with her chatterbox brother :)
• her bottle - unlike EZ, Little A took to her bottle straight away & hasn't looked back
•  to find Ginger's hoard of dog treats. This little gal will go to *any* lengths to find Ginger's biscuits
• to nap - twice a day - with her hat, of course
• to drive around in the car
• go shopping with Mummy {& Nana!} - girl bonding time :)
• to crawl and toddle around on all the furniture, and even climb up the stairs when we're watching her
• her food - she's got a decent appetite and enjoys eating peas, though she hasn't "bobbed" for food like EZ yet

We are so grateful for Little A's light in our lives. She's so bright, so happy and so incredible in every way!

 

 

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Big Thanks for the Weekend Features!

I am so honoured to be featured on these lovely and amazing blogs this past weekend!

 

The DIY Showoff - In a word, Roeshel from the DIY Showoff is AWESOME! Her blog is so inspirational to me. I love how she curates a collection of amazing DIY projects {including her own!} and shares them with us.

I was thrilled she chose to feature my kitchen, and other DIY room makeovers I've done in my house. I'm so lucky! 

 

Please check out her blog {and my feature too!}

 

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I was ALSO featured on one of my newest follower's blogs - Cindy from Cinsarah! How exciting! 

 

She's got an amazing creative blog and even an Etsy shop stocked with gorgeous prints. This lady is TALENTED! Check out my feature here and show Cindy some blog love too!

Thanks for the blog love, peeps :) 

I also have my FIRST GIVEAWAY coming up this week, so STAY TUNED :)

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