Author: ottawaem

I am a recovering political staffer, communications professional and mommy to three tiny humans.
Posted in Recipes

Mini Muffin Madness

Posted on by ottawaem

Tiny Human #1 loves to help bake, especially mini muffins. Below is the recipe I developed for her favourite banana oatmeal muffins.  A bit denser than regular muffins, they are quick to prepare and are easy to adapt to individual tastes.

Banana Oatmeal Mini-Muffins

yields 12 mini muffins

  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 over ripe banana (you can also use 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato, applesauce or other puree)
  • 1 tablespoon 100% peanut butter (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of jam (optional)
  • small handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Lightly grease mini muffin tin. Mix mashed banana (or other puree) with quick oats.  Add in your choice of additional ingredients.  Mix throughly and spoon into prepared muffin tin.  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Parenting Hacks

Where good bendy straws go to die…

Posted on by ottawaem

Not thrilled at the notion of carting sippy cups around with me, Tiny Human #1 learned to drink from a straw at an early age.  Unfortunately, her insistence on sitting sans booster seat meant that we spent half our meal holding the cup in front of her while she sipped from the straw provided or carefully letting her sip from a cup.  I took to packing a few bendy straws in my purse for drinks on the run but sadly the mommy bag is not a happy place for straws and they would end up squished and broken.  Then while prowling the aisles of my local dollar store I had a brain wave.  Plastic toothbrush holders are just the right size to hold a bendy straw.  The plastic container means it is easy to spot in my purse and the straws stay clean and intact.  Now if only I could find a solution to those fragile cereal bars Tiny Human #1 is in love with… maybe a soap dish.1282199549032_hz-myalibaba-temp14_6981

Posted in Parenting

The Post-Christmas Mom Hangover

Posted on by ottawaem

This is my fourth Christmas as a mom and as I survey the Tiny Humans’ Christmas haul this morning I realize what a hit the pressure to have the perfect Christmas has on my own Christmas spirit.  Gone are the days of cheerfully wrapping presents a week before Christmas while peacefully sipping eggnog.  Now, I find myself Christmas Eve frantically wrapping oddly shaped toy boxes listening to make sure little feet haven’t crept up behind me. Christmas morning I fret over whether I should have got my husband a bigger gift as I open the fancy piece of cookware I had been eyeing.  Is it mom guilt or is it the pressure of social media.

A recent article I read has me wondering: https://www.canadianliving.com/life-and-relationships/money-and-career/article/the-average-canadian-spends-how-much-on-christmas-gifts

It is hard not to be sucked into the social media Christmas hype, trees piled high with gifts, children in matching dresses sitting sweetly on Santa’s knee. The humble brag about the husband who did his Christmas shopping at the jewellery store. Social media can be a great way to share special moments with family and friends you may not be able to see in person over the holiday season; but, what about the dark side of the social media Christmas?  The credit card bills, the meltdowns as naptime routines get thrown off.

I read a facebook post recently that gave me pause, it was a plea for parents to be modest in their gifts from Santa and be aware of the fact that not all parents are able to provide new Ipads or computers from Santa. I am sure my mom lost sleep fretting about whether Lil Sis and I had the perfect Christmas but now social media seems to magnify those fears.  What do you think? Does social media add to the Christmas mom stress?

 

Posted in Crafts, Parenting

Stay-on Baby Booties

Posted on by ottawaem

Booties are one of my favourite items to knit for new babies.  Shortly, after  Tiny Human 1 was born however, I realized that my gift of choice may not have been as practical as I had intended.  The adorable little booties I knit for Tiny Human 1 seemed to have the uncanny ability to fall off her feet at the worst possible times.  Then I found the pattern for  “Christine’s baby booties” I prefer to use sock yarn for tiny babies and worst weight for bigger babies.  Instead of using ribbons for the ties, I  knit 12″ long i-cord. The handy little ties guarantee that the booties will stay where they belong, on those cute little toes. Definitely not a project for a beginner knitter but knit up extremely fast once you have a couple of pairs under your belt.

Posted in Parenting, Uncategorized

Seriously… a mommy blog

Posted on by ottawaem

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You are going to write a blog about being a mom?  I can feel the eye rolls already. While pregnant with Tiny Human 1 I found myself obsessing over the details, what stroller do I buy? How can I train the dog to walk with the stroller? Can we really raise a baby in condo? What gear do we need to travel with the baby? Where can I find baby clothes that aren’t cutesy multi piece outfits? and do I really need a diaper bag, please tell me I don’t need a diaper bag.  Now that I have a couple years under my belt and my friends are starting their own parenting journeys I thought I would compile some of the gems I have picked up along the way and hopefully save someone else the nights of anxious googling.