The next stop on the McDonald’s All-Access Mom journey is to the Cargill beef facility and cattle farms near Edmonton, Alberta. (Apparently 100% of the beef used by McDonald’s in Canada is Canadian). Packed: thigh-high stilletto boots. Watching: Food Inc. Refraining from: Cow-tipping jokes.
Please ask your questions about burgers, beef and cows below. As always, I promise to ask them all.
I’m not really a coffee snob. Well, I didn’t used to be anyway. I was sent a lovely package of coffee beans from Ethical Bean Coffee, and I’m pretty hooked. Not only by the taste (Rocket Fuel was a fav), but by the whole experience. A gorgeous handwritten letter talking about Moms and coffee, a ribbon on the box, and a great socially responsible story. I must share an excerpt from Aaron’s beautifully penned letter (their Director of Coffee): “New moms, experienced moms, it doesn’t matter – often can do it all. (Coffee is) a reason to gather, a moment to pause, all the while strapping one’s mind to a finely honed edge. And as we both know, every little bit counts.” Wow. This is from a guy. Who obviously understands.
It’s fairtrade certified, and organic. There are no pesticides, and the company donates partial proceeds to the two Guatemalan organizations (Project Somos and Child-Aid) from sales in the month of December. Tastes good and you feel good. Time for a coffee break.
So I’m in Chicago and am desperate to try a traditional deep dish pizza. (Proceeded by a major diet). Walking into Pizano’s I get an immediate sense of nostalgia and wonder. And the owner chats freely while the pizza bakes (deep dish takes a while). Apparently, Oprah calls (herself) to order in. Wow can I pick ‘em. It was delicious and when in Chicago, I’m not sure I could venture any farther than Pizano’s. (shopping aside).
I used to make muffins every couple of days. Somehow, I just stopped. When I was sent this new cookbook, I was inspired – was is the great 1950’s graphics on the cover or the yummy recipes? Not sure. 2 pans of muffins and 3 dozen ‘Wartime’ cookies later, I was hooked. There are awesome food recipes too – not just baking. Anzinger has also provided tips and tricks for keeping a busy family organized and stuffing as much health into quick meals as possible. She even teaches how to enlist other family members to help with the prep. I’ve always wanted a sous chef. And a pool boy. But I digress.
www.chapters.indigo.ca
The One Year Old Birthday Party is a celebration not only for your child, but for your family. The milestone of making it through he first year is huge, and a mother and father should take the time to celebrate themselves as much as their child. Many parents skip a formal party altogether, and have a family dinner or quiet evening with their child. Some are so overwhelmed by the last twelve months that a party seems out of the question. Whatever you decide, we suggest that you do something to mark the occasion for yourselves. Lighting a candle, doing a special yoga pose or a walk in the woods can be enough. If parties are you thing… here are the UrbanMommies One Year Old Birthday Party ideas.
Many people say that the diapers you begin with are the diapers you will use until toilet training. We would have to concur. Our hospital made us use cloth from day one (it’s easier to see signs of urination and make sure baby is getting enough to eat). We could have done without the diaper pins (ouch!!), but now that we have cloth diapers with snaps and velcro, we feel pretty confident. How many people do you know bought cloth and then returned them after using disposables at the hospital? Here is a Cloth and Disposable Diaper Cost Comparison sheet.
I recently saw an array of knives by Victorionox Swiss Army. My husband has made me somewhat of a knife snob (he worked at a butcher shop in his teens) and taught me everything I know. So I ‘investigated’ these specimen. I checked balance, heft, grip, sharpness. The plastic paring knives are great (and colourful) for everyday jobs, and I imagine that they’d be my go-to knife for most kitchen jobs. But what would make me feel like the gourmand that I aspire to be? What really got my juices flowing (so to speak) were the luxury knives. Pick up a professional forged chef’s knife from Victorionox and you’ll want to host a dinner party. All models are forged from one piece of black-smithed steel and have a seamless transition from the blade to the handle. And think of all the money you’ll save on dinners out.. Pictured: Forged Carving set. Retail: $230
www.victorionox.com
My family has been trying this new scheduling system by Daytimer. Shopping lists, todos, and by-the-person scheduling pages. The best part? My hubby’s firewall (that blocks Google calendar) allows this system, and the printable schedule pages are amazing (and tidy) for the fridge. Every family member gets their own colour and section, and you can also overlay everyone’s pages on the ‘family’ calendar. The web-based functionality allows even family members across the country keep tabs on the family schedule.
The address book was easily importable from outlook and Google, and todos could be shared by all family members. (Cut the grass. Please.)
It is free, and easily accessible on any computer or smartphone. The only drawback was that there was not a dedicated iPhone or Blackberry app for the product which would allow for perfect synchronicity. But that being said? My husband is updating his own stuff, and.. the grass is cut.
www.homelife.daytimer.com
– UrbanMommies has received product compensation for this post however as always, our opinions are our own.