{To celebrate Back To School as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias, I made these peanut free lunches featuring peanut free products from Presidents Choice. #cbias} With Back to School season upon us, and the first day of school not far away, it’s time to stock up on all those lunch-making items for creating school lunches which are both nutritious and appetizing for kids. For years, my kids attended an elementary school that was ‘peanut free’ and although my kids don’t have food allergies, I was always very aware that the child eating lunch next to my Read More »
Back To School Breakfast Bash
Even though we are celebrating the start of school with a special ‘Breakfast Bash’, I have to admit that I am feeling a little sad for the start of school this year. Just like mommies feel sad when they have a little one start school for the first time, I am feeling sad because my oldest is starting school for the last time…it’s her senior year. The years have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined and I cannot believe we are here already. But I guess it’s all the more reason to have some fun…because we made Read More »
Organizing The Fridge for Healthy ‘Fast Food’ At Home
August is here and that not only means that school will be starting soon, but August is also ‘sports camp’ month for many families. The rush of early mornings for us begins weeks before school even starts. With a teen working a full-time job for the summer and a tween going to hockey camp full-time in August, regular meal-time can be a bit of a challenge around these parts. One way I have learned to help keep our family on track in eating healthy, home-cooked meals is to have the fridge organized with several ‘FAST FOOD’ meals ready to go.This Read More »
Easy Festive Fruit Salad
Hello sweet friends! Did you know that one of my favourite desserts during the dog days of summer heat is just a simple fresh fruit salad? It’s cool, delicious, requires no baking, and it doesn’t melt, which are all great advantages in the humid heat of summer. And a fruit salad served inside a hollowed out fruit shell makes it all the more appetizing and beautiful to look at. This dessert is so simple and only takes about 20 minutes to make. And all it requires is cut-up fresh fruit, and the juice of the pineapple. Easy Festive Fruit Read More »
Camping Breakfast: Bacon & Egg Cups with Mini-Pancakes
We like to live up summer to the fullest…which is why we still have a camping trip or two left before school starts! So I thought I would share with you a yummy camping breakfast that our whole family loves…and we prepared it with a brand new camping stove provided by Canadian Tire.There is nothing like a great hearty breakfast to start off a full day of boating, swimming & fishing! This entire breakfast is so easy to make with the right BBQ and tools, but let me come back to that in a minute. Let’s get this breakfast rolling Read More »
20 Great Back To School Ideas
Hello dear readers! The start of a new school year will soon be here and that means that it`s always a busy time for parents as we try to get our children organized for the routine of school. I cannot believe it, but my oldest is a senior this year and needs little help from Mom to get herself ready for school. My youngest is starting junior high this year and he will need lots of help as he transitions into more independent study habits and more responsibilities as a junior high student. *** I have rounded up some ideas Read More »
How To Keep Kids Reading All Summer Long!
{This post is part of YummyMummyClub.ca‘s support of the TD Summer Reading Club program and other TD Children’s Literacy initiatives.} I have always loved children’s literature. I have read to both of my children since they were babies and read hours upon hours of bedtime stories. We love going to the library on Sundays as a family to choose books to read for the week. And both of my children have large bookcases in their rooms filled with books that we have chosen carefully based on their ages and interests. For a few years, I even organized “Family Literacy Day” at our children’s school with a whole Read More »
Bike Ride Picnic
One of the things I love about summer is the chance to get out and go for a ride on my pretty pink bike. And it’s even more fun when I have a friend join me and we breeze through town to get to a delightful park on the other side for a leisurely picnic and chat. There is something so wonderful about doing the things that you used to do as a kid. And we have a lot of beautiful bike trails in our city to explore! I got my pretty new wheels about 5 years ago, and Read More »
Organizing A Camping Kitchen
Hello sweet readers! I am so excited this week to share some fun posts on organizing for camping, or ‘glamping’…which is a super cool name that makes a rustic experience sound all the more fun! For us, camping is part of the ‘summer experience’ and we look forward to it all year. You could say that we were ‘movin’ on up’ {cue George Jefferson signing here} from camping to ‘glamping’ when we purchased an inexpensive ‘camp kitchen’. I know that many of you seasoned campers could probably show me a thing or two, but I just wanted to share Read More »
Campfire Mexican Dip with Grenadine Lime Sippers
You know one of the great things I love about summer? It’s the season for dipping and sipping outside while enjoying some of the best weather of the year with family and friends! And who doesn’t like a little Mexican heat for dipping, along with a cool refreshing bevvie to cool off the palate? I can always count on Mexican flavors as a crowd favorite whenever serving a meal or snack to my family or friends. It’s always received very well and disappears quickly! And this easy dip made in a cast iron frying pan is perfect to serve Read More »
Organizing For Entertaining With My Frigidaire Gallery Fridge
Hello sweet people! I hope you are well this week and life is good! If you may remember, recently, I had the honour of being chosen as a Frigidaire Canada Ambassador as part of an amazing program offered through Mom Central Canada and Frigidaire Canada. I cannot tell you what a thrill it was to open that email a few weeks ago to learn that I had been chosen. It was one of the most thrilling days ever as a blogger! In the first post about my new Frigidaire Gallery French Door Fridge {also dubbed The Queen of the Kitchen}, I shared how it Read More »
18 Best Summer Desserts
Hello Sweet Readers! I hope you are enjoying great summer weather where you are! I had a super busy week last week with returning from our camping trip and the arrival of some company for the week. We had some amazing ribs from the bbq this weekend, and the most fantastic coconut cream pie for dessert…which brings me to summer desserts. Let’s just say that we all love them at our house and here are our favorites from the Echoes of Laughter archives. Let’s here it for the NO BAKING REQUIRED DESSERTS: Banana Split Bars Caramel Apple Dip Chocolate Read More »
A Beautiful Hostess Station
Hello amazing people! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I want to share with you a project that I worked on this weekend…a hostess station. And this little project involved my most favourite kind of fun…taking an ugly flea market find and turning it into something both useful AND pretty. Here is what I started with…a ratty, pretty unremarkable old metal stand that has been kicking around our house forever. I know we have had it since at least 1994 when we bought our first house and I vaguely remember giving it a quick coat of white paint way Read More »
Campfire Cheesecake Dip
Happy Friday sweet people! July is camping month for our family and we so look forward to it….especially when we switch things up a bit and test drive a few recipe creations….like this Campfire Cheesecake Dip. My daughter and I are crazy over fruit with dips, so I was inspired to re-imagine some of our fav desserts into a dip version….like a cheesecake dip. This dip could not be easier to make with just 4 ingredients dumped into tin foil squares and thrown onto a hot grill over a campfire or BBQ. And it tastes divine. Campfire Cheesecake Dip Ingredients: Read More »
Chocolate Drizzled Fruit Sticks
Hello sweet blog friends! I hope things are wonderful in your part of the world! We are in vacation mode at our house, so the blogging schedule keeps sliding, sliding, sliding a little these days as I take the time to do some spontaneous things with my children. With the HOT weather we have been having this week, I wanted to share with you a special treat I created this week which combines two of our favourite things…cool, crisp fruit & chocolate. The best part? This is fresh, easy, and simple , with no baking required and gluten free. It Read More »
Campfire S’mores Dip
Hello sweet readers! I have a very special treat to share with you today! How about a dip with just 4 ingredients that you can throw together in foil for a campfire or BBQ? And a dip that encompasses some of the favourite flavours of summer? This one is a huge HIGH FIVE all around! We had a two day heat wave in my city with yesterday reaching the highest temperature our city has seen in over 100 years with the humidex reaching 43 degrees.Needless to say, I have been avoiding the kitchen like a hot mess madwoman. All Read More »
Canada Day Party Guide- Ideas & Recipes
We love Canada Day at our house. We usually have a BBQ with friends and then enjoy the fireworks display put on by our city. When I was in my early twenties, I lived in Ottawa for a summer and had such a fun time celebrating Canada Day…the streets were filled with revelers and happy smiles, and I have always remembered that feeling of how lucky we are to live in this amazing country. I have rounded up a whole lot of ideas from the Echoes of Laughter archives and a few other places to share and I hope that Read More »
Strawberry Shortcake In A Mug
Nothing says summer like berry desserts, and this Strawberry Shortcake is no exception…..except that it is….a sweet little dessert for just one! This recipe makes a delicious, gooey white cake with very basic ingredients. And when you add some strawberries and a little whipped cream…it turns into a wonderful strawberry shortcake. Not only a dessert for one, this is a wonderful little cake that kids can have fun making themselves. They can help measure ingredients and stir the mix with a spoon until smooth. Kids love to stir! So let’s get to the recipe, shall we? White Cake In A Read More »
Maple Syrup Bread Pudding In A Jar For Canada Day
Delicious! That is how I would describe this simple dessert in a jar. And it is perfect for Canada Day with it’s sweet maple syrup aroma and taste and served in jars! You could even make these a day or two before serving if you tuck them into the fridge! Anything which features such ‘Canadiana’ as maple syrup is perfect for Canada Day, don’t you think? This recipe doesn’t take a lot of time to put together…it can easily be done in less than 1 hour. This recipe comes from the new book, “150 Best Desserts In A Read More »
Canada Day Wind Sock Craft
Happy First Day of Summer! Canada Day will soon be here, and I created this craft which is a super FUN project for kids…and the best part for Moms? This craft should take up most of an afternoon and with kids finishing school soon, that is a GOOD thing! This crafts starts with a recycled can and lots of bits and bobbles that you may even have around the house Let’s get started, shall we? Here are the supplies you will need: Supplies: -recycled can, with 2 holes, one on the top of each side for hanging with twine. Read More »
Organizing My Kitchen With The Frigidaire Gallery Fridge
Hello sweet people! I have some VERY exciting news to share with you. Recently, I had the honour of being chosen as a Frigidaire Canada Ambassador as part of an amazing program offered through Mom Central Canada and Frigidaire Canada. I cannot tell you what a thrill it was to open that email a few weeks ago to learn that I had been chosen. I literally did a happy dance around the house! As part of being an Ambassador for Frigidaire Canada, a beautiful new Frigidaire Gallery® French Door Refrigerator was delivered to our home last Friday. Can I just Read More »
Canada Day Cupcakes
Despite a week of rain, I have been working on some Canada Day projects to share with you! We love celebrating Canada Day with a BBQ with friends and then catching the fireworks in our city…it is such an awesome way to kick off the summer! And it just wouldn’t be Canada Day without mini-cupcakes! And you know what? It doesn’t matter if you make or buy cupcakes, because when you have these adorable little Canada Day Cupcake Toppers, you won’t need to stress about impressing on Canada Day! You can simply add these darling flags to cupcakes, sandwiches or Read More »
Jalapeno Poppers
Last weekend, as part of our early Father’s Day barbecue, I made one of my husband’s favorite appetizers to share…Jalapeno Poppers. With a spicy kick, cheese and bacon, what more could you ask for in an appetizer? Although they do take some time to prepare, the reward is so worth the effort! I did not create this recipe, but use the recipe from the Pioneer Women’s cookbook, “The Pioneer Woman Cooks”, which is one of my favorite, all-time cookbooks. It`s filled with scrumptious recipes and incredible photographs that are enough to make anyone want to don a cowboy, run away Read More »
17 Fantastic Father’s Day Gift Ideas
With Father’s Day just days away, I have rounded up several projects from Echoes of Laughter that would make great gifts for dads and grandpas for this upcoming Sunday. There is something here for everyone whether you like to make, bake, create or buy! Have fun with these ideas and many of them include a free printable tag too! Click on the project name to take you to the project! Breakfast Ideas for Dad Buttermilk Waffles with Sweet Orange Sauce Lumberjack Breakfast Father’s Day Family Event Host A Father’s Day Barbecue Gifts To Create Read More »
5 Great Tips For Hosting An Amazing Barbecue
We hosted an early Father`s Day barbecue for friends this past Saturday and we had so much fun! We enjoyed delicious food, played a fun backyard game and had a bonfire that lasted until almost 10:30 pm. We were having such a blast that we really didn’t want the night to end, but one of our little guests had an early morning ball game and had to get some sleep. With Father’s Day next week, I want to share 5 great little tips for hosting an amazing Father`s Day barbecue for that special dad in your life. {And a special Read More »
Father’s Day Chaulkboard Frame
This is a super cute project to make with kids for Father’s Day. It is so simple too, with only a few supplies needed. And if you have been on the ‘chaulkboard’ craft wagon already, you might even already have the chaulkboard paint hanging out at your house. Once the frame is painted, kids can unleash their wild creativity with doodles and drawings for Dad! And the artwork can be changed at the whim of the little artist too…that’s the beauty of a chaulkboard. Father’s Day Chaulkboard Frame Supplies: Unpainted wood frame Primer {I just used a coat Read More »
Father’s Day Printable Straw Flags, Tags & Bag Toppers
I am so excited because tomorrow we are hosting a Father’s Day barbecue for some friends and we are barbecuing yummy food and playing some fun backyard games! I was busy today grocery shopping for the menu and doing other prep work when I felt inspired to create some super cool tags for our little party. I thought I would share them with you too, so if you have plans for a Father’s Day celebration, you will have some tags, straw flags and bag toppers for your gathering as well! I created these little tags to attach to our cultery Read More »
Dad’s Commuter Kit
I have to say that this a Fathers Day gift that is near & dear to my heart…a Dad`s Commuter Kit. My husband was a salesman on the road for many years and I worried about him every single day. I was always so happy when he arrived home at supper time…especially on days when winter roads were very dangerous. I created this kit with the travelling Dad in mind…those Dads that are on the road for work, whether it be long drives to customers or to the office. I also created this cute tag to go with the Read More »
Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip
For the May long weekend, we decided to invite friends over for an impromptu gathering for refreshments and fun and uproarious laughing! Even though it was a last minute decision, I managed to make this amazing Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip for us to enjoy with our drinks as a special treat. It was creamy, delicious and hot…and paired with Triscuit crackers, it became the perfect snack to serve to a hungry group. I created this recipe based on one of our all-time favorite appetizers…jalapeno poppers. Making stuffed poppers takes a LOT of time, and since I didn’t want to be Read More »
Father’s Day Collage
I had such a fun day playing with my scrapbooking supplies creating this collage for my husband for Father’s Day. I used one of my favorite pictures of my husband with our kids taken about 6 yeas ago…but I think it is adorably cute & timeless. Although I have a ton of scrapbooking supplies leftover from 10 years of a hard core scrapbooking habit, as well as years of teaching scrapbooking classes, I know that you can find many of these supplies at the dollar store, so not to fear if you don’t have a stash of supplies! Here are Read More »
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