Simple Pleasure: Aloha!

I'll be back in two weeks with fabulous pictures!

Moment with Margot: Ballet Recital

Last year, Margot was a pearl. This year, she's a baby blue bird.

Happy in the dressing room.
Margot's hair was full of gel and bobby pins.

In a ballet stance showing off her simple, yet pretty costume.

Curtain call finale:

And now… the performance !

Overall, a lovely recital and a proud lil' girl:

Moment with Margot: A Weekend with my Girl

A "long "weekend to visit Aunt Nathalie, Uncle Rich and Asher, and to attend Auntie Erin's baby shower. 

Just me and my girl ;)

Adios! 

A rainy train ride

Ice cream moment

 

Cousins going around in circles

One of the highlights of the weekend was visiting CentreIsland and Centreville's Amusement park.

Checking out the grounds and smelling the popcorn

The Swan ride with Uncle Rich

Would you be surprised if I told you that Margot's favourite ride was the Carrousel? This one was extra cool because it had different animals (not just horses).

On the grey rabbit

Making sure Asher (on the dark brown horse behind her) is doing ok.

Margot and I also went together on the Twirling Tea Cups. She LOVED it! (I, on the other hand,  felt quite dizzy)

On the Carrousel again. This time, a different animal: a white cat with a goldfish in its mouth.

The Merry-Go-Round's ride lasted at least 5 minutes.
You got your bang for your buck!

(i LOVE this pic!)

No day at the fair is complete without an ice cream cone.

There are also a few beaches on CentreIsland. A beach at sunset is poetic!

Kids can play on beaches all day

 

The view of the city from the island

Margot was fabulous on the train, subway, and also walking.

On the train back home:

The train ride was about 4.5 hours.
Margot drew, read, played with her zelfs, ate M&M's.

Travelling Girls

Simple Pleasure: Hiking

Last weekend we went on a proper hike (not a wander around city streets or a stroll in the safe woods) It was a hike laden with steep uphills, rocky and slippery terrain, malicious tree roots, and obstacles of water.

It was a hike worthy of hiking boots (and even walking sticks) and a litre of water. As you can witness from the pics, you'll notice that our attire wasn't "hike-worthy". I wore sandals, Simon wore jeans, and sockless Margot didn't have a hat. Nope, we weren't prepared for the challenges of the Blanchet Trail and looked quite amateurish to the eyes of the serious trail runners, the day hikers and the sporty walkers who passed us along the way. But we knew what we were doing and had so much fun!

Margot was a fantastic trooper and for 90 minutes enthusiastically led the way.

Hiking is very meditative and therapeutic. It feels so good to be in nature doing a physical activity which requires concentration (so you don't sprain your ankle), exercises all your muscles, allows you to appreciate tiny beauty, and breathe fresh air.

When there's a bit of tension in the house, the best way to release it is to go on a family hike. In nature, you can find your own stride all while keeping pace with your lil' gang, wash away negativity and "foggy-brain" syndrome, and you get a beautiful change of scenery!

Moving forward, exhaling deeply, putting things in perspective, truly living in the present; hiking is the best remedy!

To Inspire: Salads in a Jar

Fresh. Healthy. Convenient.
Yep, salads in a jar.

Easy? Yes. Time-consuming? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

Here are the steps:

• Pre-step: you need a mason-type jar. I bought quart-size ones (roughly 1 litre). They don't need to be fancy.
• Step 1: put your vinaigrette/dressing.
• Step 2: veggies that you won't mind will soak up the vinaigrette. (e.x. carrots, peppers)
• Step 3: beans, grains, pasta
• Step 4: cheese
• Step 5: softer veggies or fruits
• Step 6: nuts, seeds
• Step 7: greens (lettuce, spinach) - make sure your greens are dry!

An important point: the salad should be packed quite tightly so the ingredients don't get sloshed around when you're carrying it.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa salad.
Ingredients: salsa, Greek yogourt, tomatoes, black beans, corn kernels,
avocado, cheese cubes, romaine.
Delicious!

What I like:

• it looks appealing and tasty.
• assembling (not cooking) fresh ingredients.
• keeps in the fridge for 5 days.
• none of that: "Oh no! I've been busy all morning.And now what do I have for lunch? Cheese and crackers? Soup in can?"
• bizarre satisfaction of making an assembly line of salads… I feel like I should be hosting a cooking show ;)

Strawberry Spinach and Quinoa Salad.
Ingredients: vinaigrette, quinoa, strawberries, feta cheese,
pumpkin seeds, spinach.

Serve in a HUGE bowl and mix well:

Thoughts:
-The quinoa soaked up most of the vinaigrette,
so I had a lot of spinach…
-Next time: add more strawberries.
-Vinaigrette made from scratch - too awhile and I don't know
if it was worth it. A nice store-bought raspberry vinaigrette would have
tasted as good.

Greek Salad.
Awesome!
Ingredients: Greek vinaigrette (store-bought), cucumbers, tomatoes,
olives, feta, romaine.
-I was very generous with the tomatoes and cucumbers.

It does take time to make; set aside 30 minutes. But it's worth the effort. It can also become a bit chaotic in your kitchen. Take control of your countertops. 

Imagine: a morning where you can just open your fridge, grab your jar, stuff it in your workbag (make sure you don't tip it!) and off you go! A nutritious meal awaits you at lunch.

I hope this inspires you to go and make salads for your week!

Moment with Margot: Joyful Fairy Girl

Performing on a rock:

Twirling in the woods:

Being an adventurer: