Baby Daum expected May 2015

Chris and I are happy to announce we're excepting a little bundle of joy of our own.
We shared the exciting news with our immediate family and friends early on in a number of different funny ways. My Dad got a 'Grandpa burger' from A&W, Chris' family got name tags indicating their new titles (Auntie Lisa, Great grandma Erna) and we also had  friends help us with dinner and they found a bun in the oven ha.

Once we were ready for the rest of our world to know we did a mini photo shoot at our family cabin in the Cariboo. My sister and sister in law were our very professional photographers, helping us with lighting and placement for the props which helped a lot. While taking the photos we thought we had some really good ones then decided on the very last photo that was taken, typical ha. I couldn't be happier with it. The Teddy Bear, rocking chair and Cowichan sweater were all Chris' from when he was a baby! I can't wait to dress our little baby in the sweater to match ours!

 

Here are a few other photos that we took that day

 

 

 

Then of course there were a few silly ones! Don't worry I was just holding the beer and of course the gun wasn't loaded. I think this was Chris' way of preparing for if it's a girl!

 

 

Garden update: 2 weeks of water, sunshine and love

It's pretty amazing what happens after 2 weeks, water, sunshine and Love ha ha.

It seems the lettuce is in the lead, then the snow peas and cucumbers. The Bush beans were added a little later but we're hoping they'll fill the teepee. I added Dahlia's to the front of the plot to add some colour...I can't wait for them to bloom!

DIY Patio Herb Garden with wine cork lables

Having the community garden has been great however when we're cooking dinner and need some fresh parsley I thought it would be handy to have some growing at home. My patio doesn't have much room after the table, chairs, bench and BBQ. After scrolling around on Pintrest I found a  number of ways to use the space you have and I decided on Soup can planters (I decided to use Chick Pea cans instead as their a little bigger).

I used a hammer and nail to make drainage holes at the bottom then I put two holes on the side then used natural Burlap string to tie them to the railing. I couldn't decide on how to lable my herbs as there are so many creative was but then I looked above our cabinents at the giant vase we toss our wine corks into. I wrote the name of each herb and stuck it in the soil using a kebab stick and voila! I don't know why I was surprised but I couldn't believe how many red wine corks I had lying around!!

 

The Herb Garden box was a gift from my Brother Sean and his wife Stacey. I decided to keep the planters in them to have everything separate, also I found when I had it filled with dirt it wasn't getting enough drainage. also you want to keep your mint separate from your other herbs or it will just take over!  

 

 

 

Who doesn't love a white picket fence

Everyone knows once you plant your seeds all you can do is water and wait. Chris and I would come every night to give the garden a good soak and add any items we've picked up from yard sales, thrift stores or in this case behind the shed at my Mom and Dad's house. I don't know what brought me back there but as soon as I saw it I remember it was as used at my brothers wedding and now was collecting cobwebs, I knew the perfect place for it!

 

Adding some personality

Once we put a few rows of seeds into the ground we noticed things took off quickly.

After volunteering for the day at London Farm garden sale we got tips from the veteran gardeners. I also scored a few items that I was very excited would add a little personality to our space (of course only adding to the pink flamingo that went in on day 1). The two square frames were about a dollar each. The wooden one made a great barrier for the strawberries. I originally had flowers as you can see from the photo below however Chris put up a fuss that this was prime real estate and should be used for something edible...strawberries were the perfect compromise of pretty flowers, edible and a must in any garden.

The second frame was the base for my peas. I knew I wanted something fun for them to grow up. We already have the tent with netting for the beans but I love snap peas so why not since we have the room.

I had my mom help me build the teepee trellis. We put the middle bamboo stick in first then one by one added the thinner twigs. I needed the second set of hands, definitely wouldn't have been able to do it myself.

Once we used up all of the sticks we wrapped the top with wire. I also wrapped the wire half way down for the vines to have more area to latch onto .

After removing the flowers and putting the strawberry plants into the planter we added a long stick that we found across the street at the beach. We were on our bikes so it was very funny watching Chris drag it while I was riding alongside him drinking a my wine in a to-go cup ha.

The stick ended up being more functional then we thought, it was nice to rest your arm on it while you were putting seeds in the rows. In other rows found I did a lot of lunging while trying to reach the other end of the row.  

In the photo below we had just planted the lettuce. The ones we started at home didn't take in the hard clay so we also added some new fertilizer
 
I love how every time we go we make changes or add something or see our little plants grow. I can't wait to make a salad ha.

 

 

Just a pile of dirt.

When I was growing up we had a massive garden at Mom and Dad's house. When Chris brought me to our new plot at the Community garden at London Farm I was pleasantly surprised by the size..We had big plans for this pile of dirt!

 

As the seedlings are starting to grow at home we had to get the soil ready. Now in hindsight we probably should have mapped out where we wanted things to a go a little better however we were just too excited and wanted to get things in the ground.

Starting your vegetable seeds indoors

I will be the first to admit I don’t have a green thumb. I try very hard but things don’t always work as planned. Chris and I have decided to take on a plot at a community garden which we’ll love and care for together. (This way if things go wrong I have someone else to blame!)

He came home the other day with seeds, starter pods, a tray to make our indoor greenhouse and a chart with the timeline for each of our vegetable’s planting schedule.

Again we are just going on things we have heard from friends and read online.

 Here are the first few steps we took in preparing our seedlings indoors.

• Label each row of pods. I found it easier to make stickers and put on the tray. If you place a popsicle sticks in the first one of each row you might lose track when you’re planting into the garden. I also made sure to indicate which type of kale or lettuce as it’ll be good to know which I prefer when it comes to making a yummy salads…I’m staying positive!!

• Place 3-4 seeds in each pod (apparently you put a few seeds in each in hopes one will take)

• Gently pour warm water over the tray

• Put the lid on
• Place in a heated room under  towel. We chose our spare bedroom on a table at the window right above a heat vent.
• Now we wait.

(I’m not going to lie, even though I know it’ll take up to 10 days to see anything I have checked on it every day ha)

I'm very excited and have a clear vision of what my future garden will look like...fingers crossed!!

Friday pick-me-up!

I don't know about you but sometimes I find myself at home with nothing to do and wishing I was out with friends having fun. Then on other days, like today, it's a beautiful semi-sunny Friday afternoon and although I have a plans with friends, all I can think about is curling up on the couch with a glass of wine and watching multiple episodes of House of Cards!

Why do we do this? We should save the lounging around for gloomy Sunday afternoons and get yourself excited for a night out with friends.  So the next time you're contemplating whether to stay in or go out, here is a little something from the fabulous Miss Elizabeth Taylor.

Spreading the love!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

 

I know it's been a while, I thought today would be the perfect day to spread some love.

 

When I get sappy over a movie my husband will usually respond with "its just a movie" however he agrees The Notebook isn't just another 'chick flick.'

 

Allie: Do you think in another life, I could have been a bird?
Noah: What do you mean?
Allie: Like reincarnation.
Noah: I don’t know.
Allie: I think I could. Say ‘I’m a bird.’
Noah: No. Won’t do it.
Allie: Say I’m a bird.
Noah: Stop it. Stop it now.
Allie: Say it!
Noah: You’re a bird.
Allie: Now say you’re a bird, too.
Noah: If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.

 

 

 

I've often put Chris on the spot asking him if I'm a bird just like Allie asks Noah. Over the years he's learnt there's not point pretending like he doesn't know what I'm talking about therefore he answers sweetly: If you're a bird, I'm a bird!

 

 

And if that wasn't enough: