The Hardest Job

By P&G for London 2012 Olympic Games

This reminds me of the kids' book we borrowed from the library - 31 Uses for a Mom. Our everyday job.

1. clock
2. chauffeur
3. hairstylist
4. tailor
5. navigator
6. doctor
7. pitcher
8. catcher
9. retriever
10. encyclopedia
11. accompanist
12. beach chair
13. bottle opener
14. taster
15. fixer-upper
16. photographer
17. tooth puller
18. party planner
19. ruler
20. opponent
21. personal shopper
22. answering service
23. costume designer
24. thermometer
25. pet sitter
26. mixer
27. bank
28. tweezer
29. hand holder
30. page turner
31. friend

And more. Love you, boys. I'll be anything for ya!

It's the hardest job. But it's the best job in the world.

Random Act of Kindess @ H&M

H&M is offering 20% off any one item through April 22nd via printable coupon here. I don’t pass on deals like this. So while time is on my side, hello H&M, so glad to be back… and alone! The dress second from right from the Conscious Spring Collection 2012 now hangs in my closet. The fern is not revealing just yet.

On my way out I handed my extra coupons to some arbitrary shoppers. Mr. Hotpot thinks I’m going overboard whenever I do random acts [of kindness] like this, but I’m a nerd like that.

For Kids' Sake

Took the boys to watch Dr Seuss' The Lorax this weekend. Here they pose with Alvin and the Chipmunks.

For lunch Sushi wanted to try something different, and "not Chinese." We passed by a Red Lobster on the way to where we're supposed to have lunch.  And Sushi insisted we go there.  So Red Lobster it is.

Biscuits on the house. I heart freebies =]

Sushi craved for squid like he is expecting. So we had to order this. I find the Fried Calamari of Blue Mountain's Firehall Pizza Co. much better.

We shared the Maritime Lobster & Shrimp Trio (lobster tail, garlic-grilled shrimp, and lobster & shrimp mac 'n' cheese and the sides). Don't count the calories just yet.

How about Crab Linguini Alfredo to boot.

While Mr & Mrs Hotpot went deep fried and cream sauce overload here, Sushi came out most satisfied from this meal. And from the movie. This day was meant for the kids anyway.

Junk Mobile

Sushi had this project in school to build a Junk Mobile using things around the house and incorporating at least 2 Simple Machines out of the 6 - lever, inclined plane, pulley, screw, wedge and wheel/axle. Anyone who says their 7 year old can do this entirely on his own is baloney. You should be happy if there's at least some cheering of support from the one would be taking your project to school and present it like it's his. While this was the first thing on my mind when I wake up each morning until its deadline, dear son just gave me his utmost trust of deliverance, lots of hugs & kisses, and constant "Mommy knows best!"

Had my thinking cap on each night after supper and released the Handy Manny in me.

Simple Machines: wheel/axle, lever and screw
Materials: Pencil (red), Kleenex box (orange), kitchen sponge (yellow), letter bath toy (green), Teddy Bear (blue), pompoms (purple), Tinkertoy wheels, BBQ sticks, and hook screw.
It is by accident that we have picked technicoloured materials that spelled each colour of the rainbow. So Sushi named it - The Rainbow Wagon.

Disclaimer: This is not the most A-deserving project, but this tells me I can build something out of nothing - sans talent, san idea from Google images =[  Just think outside the box.

I Cut Kiwi

In 3 Easy Steps:
1. Trim the ends of the kiwi.
2. Slip a teaspoon between the skin and flesh, and let the spoon go around the circumference of the fruit.

3. Loosen the kiwi gently out of the skin and cut to desired shape.

This method yields the most fruit in its aesthetically pleasing form and flexibility to shape (for the bento) with the least wastage.

Tearjerkers

With 2 kids and the daily mundane, gone are the days of following Oprah, Ellen, and Prison Break. I have no time to watch TV. Well, except for that one day I would watch The OSCARS. But that was after a long debate because it would end at midnight on a worknight. We now have a discipline of staying at home one day on the weekend to watch a movie or an episode of Desperate Housewives among others. DH is the only one we follow now and we can't even watch it when it airs (zzz.zzz.zzz) so we watch it on On Demand.

My last two weeks were tearjerking. It’s a coincidence that all that we watched have a common thread – raising kids while coping with the loss of the spouse. That to me means a lot of tears =[

We Bought A Zoo is more touching that I thought. After you watch it, it makes you want to watch it again, download the soundtrack, go to the zoo with the kids, and - when you don't know what else to say to Why - say "Why not?"

For the Best Picture and Actor nomination. And for Hawaii. I was sure this was going to be in my watch list.

Please pass the Kleenex on this scene in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. We now often refer to Oskar Schell if we talk maps, scrapbooks and hiding spots.

Desperate Housewives is on its last season. Boohoo. Goodbye, Mike Delfino (above scene). I'm going to miss Carlos' and Tom's characters. DH writers - you're the best!

Owl of Minerva

Owl of Minerva recently opened in Mississauga. Now we don't have to trek to Markham or North York for Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Bone Soup). The only good Korean we know where we are is Miga, but which is more popular for its BBQ. So, Gamjatang, you are no longer a world away.

And Dolsot Bibimbop.

Sushi who loves the banchan everywhere didn't like any of it here. All are red and spicy. What a downer.

Owl of Minerva
1177 Central Parkway West
Mississauga, ON L5C 2T1

Sushi

Next to pizza, I like having sushi on the bento. They're bite size and just simply pretty. It's perfect for Sushi who says rice is boring.

I made onigiri and peppered it with Japanese bonito & seaweed flakes.

I made this Spam musubi earlier on. This lunch box has gotten lost since.

If I can't make, I buy. I usually get them from Ocean's Fresh Foodmart.

Also these California rolls.

The Dining Table

Our dining table has always been covered in table cloth to protect it from the playful kids. Think die-cast toys, scissors, crayons, whatnot. I rotate between cloth and vinyl on top of a protector. But it’s most often in vinyl since it’s easier to clean. I had always let it hang lose as I didn’t want the use of table cloth weights or clips. But then it often gets pulled here and there, and it moves as I wipe. So I went to find a fix to this.

In order to keep it tight, I did hospital corners.

And used duvet clips (Walmart) to secure the folds underneath.

I bid farewell to my cork trivets and welcome these cute LAGG trivets, of course from IKEA.  They look nice on the table even after the meal is over.

Ways with Pizza

After every spaghetti dinner, I would save a bit of the sauce to make pizza for bento the next day.  My BIL makes good spaghetti sauce.  While recently I have tried the Mario Batali cherry tomato pasta sauce. I spread on whatever type of bread we'd have and top with cheese.

This is on English muffins with Havarti cheese, edamame and strawberries/ English muffin with jam and apples.

This on focaccia with Texmex cheese and apple/ shrimp & vegetable stirfry and cheese croissant.

This on pan de sal with mozza-cheddar cheese and nectarine/ Laughing cow cheese, baby carrot, jello and grapes.

On pita bread with cheddar slice, mango jello, oranges/ grilled cheese sandwich, banana & grape tomatoes.