A nursery for our baby girl

I apologize in advance to any of my friends that end up hearing over and over about how much I am in LOVE with the sanctuary we call a nursery that we've created for our little girl.

Recently I was away for 10 days visiting friends & family in Ontario, while my hubby stayed here to take care of our fur-kids, work his butt off and create the most beautiful room I could ever imagine, the nursery. With a combined effort of a good (and generous) painter friend, a hand-me-down crib, some garage sale finds, a few things from Ikea and a lovely vinyl wall decal from Etsy, the once spare room has been transformed into something that I cannot wait to sit in, in the silent wee hours of the night, rocking with & nourishing our little girl.

I am so excited about this room that I had to write this blog post before it is complete. Truth be told we have a couple finishing touches left to tend to, but by the first weekend in July it will be ready to go, and then my friends, I'll be posting more.

A BIG thanks to my wonderful husband for taking the care and time to make our little girls room perfect. Another big thanks to those good friends Drew & Paul who helped him out.

Frozen PB & C Bananas

I found this recipe while searching thru Pinterest, and couldn't help but make it right away. It took no time at all, and I already had all the ingredients on hand (those are the best kinds of recipes to stumble upon), and best of all, everyone loved them!

Check out the recipe here for these easy to make, and semi-on-the-healthy-side gems.

I topped mine with ground pecans for a nuttier taste.

Baby Shower Cupcakes

This weekend I hosted, along with June, Chloe & Lindsay our friend Jordy's baby shower in my backyard. It was the perfect day to have to have a backyard baby shower brunch. I made some adorable (and oh so yummy) cupcakes that I just had to share.

BABY SHOWER CUPCAKE TOPPERS

What you need:
Candy Melts (you can find these at any store that sells baking supplies, Michaels has them)
Candy Mold Tray
Piping bag (disposable)

• Put the candy melts in a bowl and melt in the microwave 30sec at a time, stirring each time
• When they are all melted and smooth, scoop/pour the melted candy melts into the piping bag
• Cut the tip off the pipping bag
• Pipe the candy melts into the mold, being careful not to overflow
• HINT - If you only have one mold, only melt enough candy melts to fill the mold once
• Let the tray cool completely, cooling these in the fridge will not ruin them. Removed once cooled, and continue on with more if you need.

These are great, as you can do them ahead of time and just keep them in the fridge until you need them.

Make your favourite cupcakes, icing too. When they are done, place these fun shapes on top, and voila! Cute & yummy themed cupcakes.

A little word on Kiva

If you haven't heard of Kiva yet I suggest you check it out. About three and a half years ago I found out about Kiva, and decided to make two $25 loans, and it felt good. What felt even better, was that when my loans were paid back, I was able to make another loan, and another, and now I'm up to seven.

The idea is simple. People from all over the world, mainly entrepreneurs trying to make a living for their families, ask for loans, and individuals like me and you each donate $25, until they have their desired amount. They always give a term in which it will take to pay you pack, and that they do. They pay the loans back to each donator in small increments thru-out their allotted time, and when they are done, you get a fun email saying that you have a $25 credit available for re-loan! It really is that simple, and it really does feel amazing.

Tonight I got my fun email, and decided to help out a lady named Maribel from the Philippines with her tailoring business. Maribel has a sustained business but would like to expand, as she wants to make enough money to be able to save some and send her children to College. She also raises pigs. Thru-out the life of the loan, I'll get updates on how Maribel is doing.

If you want a really good feel good moment, and a little karma in your karma bank for just $25, that will keep on giving, check it out.