Pinterest Pin Up's of the Week

1/  Lasanga Soup:  I am in the mood for warm Autumn foods.  This one is perfect.  

 Find the recipe here

 2/ Word Family Eggs: My little guy is just learning to read and this cute activity looks super fun.  I'm thinking I will add a treat inside each egg to reward Griffin when he can read each family of words!

  
3/ Love this kinda easy to do hair.  I am usually hopeless when it comes to doing my hair.  I usually just stick with leaving it down, but this past week I discovered an easy way to put it up (see my cake decorating picture below).  Next I am going to tackle this style.  Cross your fingers for me!

 4/ I am a sucker for pumpkin muffins, loaves, bread, you name it.  I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake muffins that I just have to try.  Find the recipe here

5/ Love this pumpkin display.  So simple and creative!
 

6/ Cute new outfit!  We just had a Gap Outlet store open here on Friday.  This outfit looks like something I can definitely pull off, and probably buy at The Gap.  Love the accessories too!

Hockey Hockey Hockey

 One of the many things that September brings is hockey.  A great majority of our time is spent at the rink.  Practices, games, spectating, you name it, its hockey around here!

Yesterday was no exception.  Owen and Coach Dad, had a game in the morning.  We returned to the rink in the evening for a little OHL season opener.  The boys just love it! 

 Griffin patiently waited until Bullie made his way around to our section of the ice for a meet and greet.  He just loves the mascots.  Definitely a highlight of the game for Griffin, aside from the hot dog, slurpie and whatever treats he would get his hands on!

Campbell's Family Apple Orchard

Apple Orchard

 One of our favourite things to do this time of year is visit Campbell's Apple Orchard.  

Who wouldn't love wagon rides, apple picking, Wilbur the pig and his animal friends, a corn maze, apple cider, pumpkins and the taste of fall!

This year on the wagon ride we stopped and picked Empire apples.  They were delicious.  We loved them so much that we went back and picked our own bag of Empire apples.  Griffin also insisted we throw in a few Golden Russets.

Owen trying out the apple picking technique

Hiding in the corn maze

Ready for picking

Add caption

Our Autumn family picture

Picking the perfect pumpkin

Cake Decorating Part One Complete!

For the past month, I have been taking a cake decorating course.  I have been wanting to do this for a long time, and I am glad I finally signed up.

We learned many techniques, but some of the tips I am going to put to use the most are using butter cream icing, using the proper tip for decorating cupcakes, and learning about all the different (and expensive) tools for cake decorating.

On our last night we were given the challenge of decorating a cake any way we wanted.  I chose this spider web cake.  I had a blast doing it!  I am looking forward to part two!

My spider cake

Favourite Chocolate Cookies

Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup salted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tsps vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt.  Mix well with wire whisk. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl with a mixer, blend sugars at medium speed.  Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Add eggs and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until just blended.  Do not overmix.
4. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed.  do not over mix.
5. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  

Instagram

Love, love, love instagram and Owen's school picture day pic!

If you haven't checked out the instagram app yet... you should!

Apples Recipes

Apple Pancakes

This weekend I was inspired to bake some apples recipes!  I started with an apple cake for dinner Saturday night.  I loved it!  Very moist and full of apples.  You can find the recipe here: http://www.love-laurie.com/

Sunday morning, after returning from a 7:15am hockey game, yes I said 7:15am, I made some apple pancakes.  They reminded me of the apple fritters we love to buy at the St. Jacob's Farmer's Market, so I added some Cinnamon sugar to them!  These were delicious.  I think we will be having these again :)

Apple Cake

A Rare Moment of Brotherly Love

Bill 115

Yes, this picture is a joke but what is not a joke is the way teachers are being slandered by the community, politicians and province.

Freeze my wage.  Take my sick days.  Deny my Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
But please don't slander my profession and devalue the intentions of myself and my colleagues.  

I started teaching 13 years ago.  I do not have memories of the "good old days" of teaching, I started when the public opinion and respect turned against teachers.  I don't remember the days when students and their parents were respectful.  I don't remember the days when the school and teacher were responsible for the passing and failing of students.  I don't remember the days when parents came and asked what their child had done wrong instead of first asking what I had done wrong.

What I do remember is that my colleagues have always given their best, their time, their hearts, their wallets and gone above and beyond for their students. This has not changed.  If you were to walk a day in our shoes, you too might understand just how difficult, demanding, stressful, depressing, saddening our job can be.  But above all of this, we are a group that continues to put students first, no matter the slander and vast negative opinion that is held of teachers.  Teach your children to be respectful and do so by modelling to them how to speak to teachers and to be respectful.  If you bad mouth teachers, you can bet your child will too.  Is this really the lesson you are wishing to teach?

We continue to do what we do for the students.  So please, put aside the slander, forget about the summer break, the wage, and think about what we do for your children each and every day.

Signs of Autumn!!

Fall Mums

Closing of the Pool

Tree Planting Stars!!

On Sunday, we participated in the TD tree planting in the park in our neighbourhood.  The boys loved helping and knowing that trees in the park were actually planted by them.

Even more exciting is that there picture was in the paper!  Great keepsake!

Favourite Website

Love, Love, Love this website!!  

I have been inspired over and over again from the gals who blog daily with crafty ideas, and free downloads.  

I have found teacher gift ideas, school art classes, scrapbooking ideas, kid lunch ideas and more.

You really should check it out:  eighteen25 

Favourite Pinterest Pin Ups of the Week

 1/ I just love this idea of having 30 Halloween books in a bucket to read to the boys each night in the month of October.  Now just to come up with 30 books.  Let me know if there is a book we just must read.

 2/ As sad as I am to see summer end, I have already warmed up to the idea of Autumn and all the wonderful things that go along with it.  Including this yummy chocolate milkshake with autumn sprinkles.

3/ Caramel Pretzel Brownies

I can't wait to make these.  A perfect combination of sweet and salty.  You can find the recipe here :  Brownies 

 4/ Love this Autumn wreath.  My favourite part is the monogrammed letter.  This would look great on my door.  Now I just need to find a big letter "B".

5/  I was inspired to pull out my fall decorations this evening and change the decor on my fireplace mantel after searching for ideas on pinterest.  I will share a pic when I have got it  
6/  I love this!  I can't wait to pick pumpkins with the boys and decorate the porch! just the way I want it!

Griffin's First Day of Senior Kindergarten

Owen in Grade 2

Back to School

 

Owen is very excited to have a male teacher and we are thrilled that he will be in Mr. Hoover's class this year! 

Griffin is a SK in Mrs. Wright's class again this year and very thrilled to have her again!  Griffin was a little nervous and wasn't really ready to go back.  I had to stay with him for awhile until he settled in and realized he was the big kid this year in his class!