a hippie with a minivan

There's an app for that…

Now that I got an ipod touch for xmas.. I understand the catchphrase so much better.

I used to have a Zune for music, podcasts and videos and a palm for grocery list, recipes, reading etc… but going to a Mac made both of those no longer possible to use.. so this not only replaces both but works so much better…

Wilhelmina is nearing a year it is getting a bit easier to get things done so I am trying to get into more of a routine so that weekends will be less of cleaning and more of family time… I am also ready to get rid of this weight finally and I won’t have another pregnancy to get me off track this time…

So I have downloaded and have been using a few apps that have been helping me out…

One of the apps is called HomeRoutine and it has been a way to get me motivated in the house. I have only been using it for a week but I love it. I customized it for what I want to get done in the day and then I am able to check off the things as I do them… I tried the same system on paper or a dry erase board in the past but it was never as satisfying and never kept me as motivated as this one does. Not only does it have daily routines, but it also has “zones” which are parts of the house that change each week to focus on for 15min each day so that the little jobs that you often forget to do get done…

With weight loss, journaling what I eat has always helped me out. I am happy with the way we eat, but journaling it makes me accountable for portion sizes some days or even makes me realize that I need to eat more others. I tried the “LoseIt” app for journaling and I love it. Not only does it keep me journaling but it comes with a small online community and lots of motivation. Whatever you add into the app is uploaded automatically onto the website (if you choose so) and it is an amazing feeling to get comments when you log a bit of exercise or even a small amount of weight loss… it is so motivating.

Another great app that I found is Home Budget. I have been using Quicken for years but again, with the transition to Mac, it makes it hard and having the numbers always on me, letting me enter expenses right away if I want makes it easier to see where our money is going. With one income, and 6 people, we really need to stick to it…

ibook is great for reading though I miss the automatic scrolling I used to have on my Palm and after a few years of using the same grocery list on the palm, I am starting to get used to using the app that I got for the ipod. I am also slowly entering all my recipes into the “Paprika” app so I can have all my favourite recipes in one place. Another thing that I loved with my Palm.

I have to admit that I might be a hippy in many ways, but technology can not only be helpful, but makes it fun also and it is all in a small enough device that I can stick it into my wallet and always have on me.

Do you have an ipod or iphone? I would love to know you favourite apps too!

Winter Unschooling gathering…

On the 2nd we left for the Winter unschooling gathering at Oka national park. It was amazing!

We were only 7 families which made the gathering the perfect size for talking and sharing and for the kids to play and have fun without being overwhelmed…

I stuck to my plan of not taking to many pictures and instead just enjoying and living the moment..

We talked and shared, the kids played and played.

The first night we got there it was more about settling in, on the second night we had a great potluck with amazing food and great conversation. After Supper the kids, and a few parents, all headed to the playground in the dark and played games under the stars, coming back in with red cheeks and noses and ready for sleep. During the day, they played Sardines (an amazing derivative to Hide-and-seek where when the hidden person is found, the group starts hiding with them until everyone is there) and board games and just hung out in other peoples rooms or outside…

On the third day the Ice slide was re-opened (it had been too mild for it) and the kids spent part of the afternoon on it and then we headed back after supper in the dark for a few night slides when the park was closed and we were the only ones there…

I feels so refreshing to be with people that share the same lifestyle, the same philosophy of learning, the same attitudes towards children.

I took the camera out when we went to the Ice slide just before heading home…

I even made a video 🙂

If you are in Montreal, Oka National Park is a great place not too far away to head for the day for a walk or sliding…

Can’t wait for the next unschooling gathering!!

It's a new year… 1-1-11

2011 already…

Here are a few things that have been happening around here…

I finally got my Xmas pics up, It was so hard to get good pics with the little daytime light that we have this time of the year especially because we don’t have great indoor lighting either…

(Xmas morning)

My uncle is feeling better and I was even able to wish him happy new year over the phone last night… It is amazing how fast the body can recover after having been so close to death. He should even be getting out in the next week… I just hope that this is a bit of a wake up call to take better care of himself…

I just found out that I became an aunt on Xmas day… I find it sad that I might never meet my nephew and that my kids may never meet their cousin… I never thought that my brother would ever settle down…

Tomorrow we are leaving for a 4 day unschooling gathering at the same place we went in the summer… It will be a smaller group which will be great. I am looking forward to hanging out with other unschoolers, talking over tea, playing outside (hopefully temps will return to normal) and just relaxing unplugged for a few days.

I hope to take lots of pics but I might not… I have been making a conscious effort to live the moment instead of trying to capture it…

Have a great New year!

Holiday stress…

I love this time of year… the lights, the snow, the decorations, the mood, the stories, the crafts…

I hate the stress. I don’t know why, but the holidays have always been a source of stress for me. Even as a young child I would retreat from parties or actually feel physically ill after an hour or two. I am not a fan of crowds, they make me quite anxious, but I can manage well when it comes to friends.

The expectations…or perceived expectations are a big problem for me now. I enjoy having friends over, but when it comes to family I always feel like there is criticism. It might not be overt, and it might not even really be there consciously, but I always feel like it is. And of course I expect it to happen so I am often defensive.

What makes it hard is that no one (family wise) is used to having a lot of kids around. One child, two maybe… but with four kids in the house, things are rarely quiet. Throw in the excitement of a holiday, and having people over who are adults then there is mayhem.

I say adults because when there are other families over it is so much easier. With families, there may be double the amount of people but the kids are off and having fun on their own, we might not even see them for periods of time, but when just adults are over, the adults talk and the kids want attention, negative or positive, and when you have a very strong willed child around it makes things even harder.. It feels like whatever their behaviour is at the time is a direct reflection on our parenting and then it almost always leads to some topic that they don’t agree with…

This year there was an added stress to the holidays.

My mom and Grandmother came over on Xmas eve an we had a great time. We were supposed to head to my grandmother’s house on Xmas day as my uncle Marc was preparing a traditional Supper. However, when my mom and grandmother got home they found my uncle unconscious. My mom took his blood sugar and it was so high that it was not registering. They called 911 and he went into Coma, his body temp was 88, and his blood sugar was 64. His kidneys stopped working and he stopped breathing and needed to be put onto a ventilator. He was in bad enough shape that we were pretty unsure if he would survive or not and I headed to the hospital to be with my family. It was a very weird atmosphere to be there on Xmas day with a Santa Clause and an accordion player visiting the emergency room and people laughing and wishing each other Merry Xmas while he lay in a Coma.It has been a rough few days but finally we had a bit of hope today and he is starting to recover though he has a long road ahead and there are still many uncertainties.

Now, Simon will be going to work for two days, then we will Welcome the new year and then head to the Winter Unschooling gathering where we will be hanging out with like minded families for 4 days.

I have a feeling that it will be a great ending to the stress of the holidays…

Uncle Marc’s Roasted Sirloin Tip…

In the past, on New Years day, we would head to my grandmother’s house and have supper there.

Every year my uncle would prepare a Roast Beef. I would sit in the kitchen and talk to him and watch him while the others sat in the living room. When I moved out on my own, I started to make his recipe and I have never looked back. It is not exactly his recipe anymore as it has evolved, and I have made it my own, but it is inspired from his…

This is meant for a Sirloin tip roast or simular. I’ll share my recipe for a rib roast soon…

Take the roast out of the Fridge at least an hour before you want to start roasting it.

In a small bowl combine…

Equal parts of Dijon Mustard and Butter. (about 1/3c of each)
Add a good dose of coarsely ground pepper (about 2 Tbsp)
A Tbsp of Kosher Salt if a bit more according to taste.
a Tbsp of Garlic powder

Then, add flour to the mixture until it becomes a thick paste and set aside.

Heat the oven to 500F

In a shallow pan, place some whole carrots on the bottom creating a rack and place the roast on the carrots.

If the roast has a fat layer, you want the fat side up.

Lather the mixture on top of the roast. (you can wet your hands to make this easier)

Sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper on top for good measure…

Place an oven proof thermometer in the roast for optimal results. It takes so much of the guess work out of the equation and the roast ends up perfect each time!

Place in the hot oven, let bake for 10 min at 500 and then put the temp down to 350. Bake until the roast is at the desired temp, not forgetting the temp will rise while sitting.(for a med-rare roast I take it out at 135F)

Let sit for 15-20 min before serving.