October 2013 - Page 2 of 5 - Working Mommy Journal

October 23, 2013

A New Look for PTPA!

I am so proud to be a member of the PTPA blogaholics! This community of parents means so much to me. I found the Parent Tested Parent Approved Community while I was on maternity leave with my second son. Maternity leave was not easy on me – I felt so alone and isolated. It took us a long time to conceive our second child (not by choice!) so I was very anxious when it came to purchasing items for him or even just trying out new brands. Overall I was a mess of nerves!

PTPA became more than just a website to me. I was able to talk with other parents during their chats online which helped ease my loneliness and I was able to read fantastic reviews on products tested by other parents! Not to mention the fabulous blog posts that I still sit through and read through my morning coffee time.

PTPA has welcomed their new website specifically designed with you in mind!

The website is clear and easy to navigate. It still contains all the same great information and the products we love but the layout is a lot easier to follow.

Have you signed up to join the Parent Community yet? By signing up you will have the chance to test and review products before they ever make it to the winners circle. You have the chance to help out other parents! If you would like to sign up you can do so here.

To celebrate the new website, PTPA is having a fantastic twitter party on October 25th from 12pm to 2 pm. Make sure to RSVP so that you can be entered to win some great prizes.

October 21, 2013

Banana Apple Bread

I decided to play around with my Dad’s Banana Cinnamon Bread recipe (gasp! If he knew….) and throw in some apples and a pear. It turned out so well – very soft and moist. The recipe is very similar to the Banana Cinnamon Bread recipe posted with some new tweeks.

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

3 medium apples

1 pear

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Peel and core the apples and pear. Soften the apples and pear by cooking them on low heat in a small amount of butter. Once softened enough to be able to mash with a fork, combine them with the bananas and melted butter.

3. Add the sugar, beaten egg, vanilla and mix.

4. Add the baking soda and salt, mix.

5. Add the flour, mix.

6. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top (add more if you love the taste of the cinnamon – I’m sure I added more than a teaspoon!!) and mix thoroughly.

7. Pour the mix into a buttered 4×9 loaf pan. Bake for roughly forty five minutes to an hour. Always make sure to use a toothpick to check if it is cooked in the centre! Allow to cool and then serve.

October 21, 2013

Finding Small Moments of Peace #findlumia

Life is busy. There is no way to get around it – our days are cemented in the daily routines of school and daycare runs, work, after school activities, last minute grocery stops and so on!

Sometimes it is important to stop, take a deep breath and just absorb in the beauty and calm that surrounds us. It helps to centre me and find inner peace. It provides me with the inner strength that I need to carry on my day.

Sometimes it is as easy as stopping by a neighbour’s garden.

Or stopping to take in the view from a hill top.

Heading down to the beaches of Lake Ontario is always important to our family. It gives us time to really be in each others presence and enjoy our time together. There is nothing more calming then the sound of the waves along the beach.

Not to mention being able to toss rocks into the waves!

The beauty of the sun in the sky as it warms your face is always soothing.

How do you find ways to create inner peace in your hectic lifestyle? Do you find you have enough of these moments?

October 18, 2013

Surprise! Wholly Guacamole #Giveaway!

SURPRISE!

I have another great Wholly Guacamole FPC giveaway for you! I have four more Wholly Guacamole Free Product Coupons up for grabs from the last promotion I had. One winner will receive all four free product coupons.

If you are Canadian and love your Guac this one is for you!

Just enter via the Rafflecopter below.

GOOD LUCK!

Reminder: Giveaway is open to residents of Canada only, 18 years of age and older.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 17, 2013

Moments of Thanks #findlumia

Time is flying by and my children are changing, growing right in front of my eyes. Sometimes life becomes too busy and stressful that I forget to take the time to stop and realize how blessed my life is. I forget that there is so much good in my life to be thankful for.

This past week I have spent a lot of time reflecting about all of these areas in my life that I have to be grateful for. I decided to capture these moments with the Nokia Lumia 1020 and share these moments with you.

Here is just a small portion of all the things I am grateful for in my life.

This picture of my son’s bike holds so much for me – it’s not just a bike but a symbol of his strength and health. In this moment, my son is strong and able to use this strength to ride his bike, run and play soccer. God willing, he will remain this way and continue to grow and remain healthy.

I love being in and around the water. Water brings with it power and life. It can calm and bring inner peace.

I am proud to be Canadian! We are blessed to live in a country of freedom and peace.

You can view more of the my moments of thankfulness in my Google + album here. Over the next few weeks I will be using my Nokia Lumia 1020 to bring to you a different theme each week.

What are the little things that you are grateful for in life?

Disclosure: I received the Telus Nokia Lumia 1020 as part of participating in the Finding the Story Within Challenge.