The Weekend - Guelph Style

Saturday

With the Grain

Grandmama treated us to breakfast at With the Grain. I have to say I have mixed opinions about this little cafe both good and bad. On one side of the street is their bakery were you will find some of the best breads and pastries I have ever had that were not home made. The Bee Sting was to die for. The service was fast and friendly nothing to complain about.

Where we had a negative experience was at the cafe; we got there and their was a wait of about 15-20 minutes. This would have been less annoying if their was not some tables for 2 free and some tables for 4 with only 2 people at them - we were waiting for a table for 4. (eventually some of the patrons moved to a table of 2 and we got a table - I just wish the waitress would have asked them to if they were willing to move) While we waited Geoff tried to go order a coffee at the "to go" side of the cafe to drink while he was waiting and they said it was too complicated to keep the orders straight if he ordered his coffee from the "to go" side and then sat down in the cafe.

Once we actually got seated the service was great and so was the food. - just a few annoyances before we got or table.

Nancy & I Monster

When we go to Guelph there are always friends we try to see; it's great to see old friends and also for C Monster to get a chance to play with other toddlers.

One of the moms from my "Mommy Group" has recently moved to Guelph and C Monster had not seen his little friend since before Christmas. As I guessed correctly C Monster did not seem to remember Nancy or I Monster but that did not stop him from having a good time.

Sunday

Sick C Monster & Me

Well it's official we are sick both of us; Geoff is the only one that has eluded this nasty cold. C Monster has a fever and his nose is dripping like a faucet. This means the Visit with Kim and her family that I was oh so looking forward to is canceled. Geoff is still going to sneak out to say hi but we are grounded at grandmama's.

I want to talk about what I take when I am sick. Since I still breastfeeding the C Monster I am super careful as to what I put in my body. Many drugs are "compatible" with breastfeeding however some of the drug still passes threw to your child in your breast milk; this being said it is my belief that due to this you should try to avoid drugs all together unless necessary. Also always talk to you doctor before taking any drugs while breastfeeding - even over the counter drugs.

So what do I do to make myself more comfortable? Here is a list of the products I like and find effective. Remember I am not qualified to give medical advice, I am just a mom and this is what I find works - if you are sick for a prolonged period of time always talk to your doctor.

Thayers Slipery Elm Lozenges
These are great alternative to traditional lozenges; they help sooth an irritated throat from too much coughing.

Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Lozenges with Ginger and Echinacea Active 15+
Double hitter has the healing power of Menuka Honey combined in a lozenges, these are great to suck on when your throat feels dry.

Wedderspoon 100% Raw organic Manuka Honey Active 16+
"Manuka honey is from bees who feed on the flowers of the Manuka bush, also known as the "Tea Tree" to produce a honey that has anti-bacterial properties. Tea tree oil is commonly from the related Melaleuca tree native to Australia and is used as a topical antibiotic and antifungal for wounds that fail to close." - Wikipedia

Herbal Teas I drink lots of herbal teas, the warmth is very soothing to the throat. If you are a breastfeeding mama make sure to vary the teas you drink to much of one tea could end up with a concentration of that herb or plant in your system and some herbs in large quantities are contradictory to breastfeeding. Such as: Sage; Peppermint; Ginseng; Rhubarb to name only a few.

Their is a great article about this on Kellymom.com.

Febriplex by Unda
This basically helps your body cope with a fever, we take one immediately upon onset of a fever.

Drosera Plex by Unda
This basically helps your cough be more productive.

Looking Forward

To finishing assembling C Monster Frog & for my cough to go away.

Moms Lunch / Cat Nap / 10 Years Ago

Moms Lunch

Every Friday a bunch of us get together for lunch and chaos. I don't know why but each time it's my time to host I swear everyone shows up (don't get me wrong I love having everyone over) - it's just we have one of the smallest houses - so well it get cramped. Everyone has a good time - that is all that matters.

I have to say I love Fridays; it's great for C Monster to have a group of friends to play with on a regular basis - I think it's doubly important because he is at home with and not at daycare; so without days like this he would not get tones of group interaction with other kids.

Thanks everyone for coming over we had a great time. - Total bodies in my house from 11am to 1pm was 20.

Recipes

What was on the menu for lunch?
Broccoli Soup ; Mango Pomegranate Guacamole and Carrot Muffins.

Did not change anything in the Soup or the Guacamole. For the Carrot Muffins I added 1/4 milk and used 1/2 and 1/2 white and whole wheat pastry flours.

I have to say I loved the guacamole; however if you go in thinking you are getting guac you will be disappointed - it's a fantastic amazing avocado dip. The sweet of the mango goes great with the fattiness of the avocado and the pomegranate bit are like little burst of joy in your mouth. I really enjoyed this one will definitely be an addition to my recipe collection.

The muffins are hands down the best carrot muffins I have made so far. I had been looking for a good recipe for a bit; well I found it.

Cat Nap

I could not stop myself my babies are so cute together.

10 Years Ago

Here is a rare glimpse into my past. It got out of the bag that when we originally moved to the neighborhood I looked nothing like I do today. So here is a small pictorial glance at who I was when I first met Geoff.






No I don't smoke anymore I quite probably 8 or 9 years ago. Yes that is PVC I am wearing - despite the fact that today the eco-mom in me wont bring anything in the house made of PVC. We all have past; mine is a bit colorful...

For those of you wondering when these shots were taken probably from 2000 to 2002, we moved in our current home in 2002 if memory serves me right.

Blind dates for moms

I have recently joined a group called mommy meetup group. It's basically blind dates for moms and babes in Toronto. I have met a bunch of moms in our area and gone to a few events. It's great everyone is very welcoming and all the moms are super nice. It's just really nice to have a chance to talk to other moms about everything and anything baby related.