Hot Cocoa Holiday Packs

I've been dying to make homemade Marshmallows for some time now, and I thought it would be the perfect time of year.  I also made Hot Cocoa and packaged it all together in some cute little gable boxes.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

With a Gingerbread Snowflake

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season!  

Jen

Spreading Holiday Cheer (Flight Attendant Style)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome aboard.  

14 years ago, I started working as a Flight Attendant for Air Canada.  Amazing how fast the time has flown by.

During the holidays, I like to leave a little cookie "greeting" for my friends to find in their mail folders.  Something a little more edible than a Greeting card.  ...Although sometimes when you are stuck on an airplane, a greeting card can sound pretty delicious... :)

 This year they will be receiving a F/A Jen cookie.  (I promise I look more feminine in real life... Well, at least I hope I do.

For those of you traveling over the holidays, may you have safe travels!

For those staying close to home, may you enjoy your time with family and loved ones.

Happy Holidays! 

xo

Jen

Letter From Santa {and a Giveaway}

After my last post about my favourite kids products, I had a kind email from Anna-Maria (founder of MimiTENS) telling me of a wonderful little project she undertook.  

Anna-Maria has written a letter (from Santa) and has been kind enough to mail the letters to many Children.   She has asked me if I would be willing to offer the same to my readers.

If you are interested in receiving a letter from Santa for your little ones, feel free to print this one off or email me your mailing address and I will pop one in the mail for your little kidlets. (This letter is also available in French)

December 1, 2011

Dear children,

Thank you for your letters. I love to hear from

each and every one of you.

Many lovely kids have asked me what I would

like for Christmas.

How considerate of you!

You know, I had to think about it for a moment

because I have everything that I need.

But there are some things that I could use your

help with. 

Here is my list.

From the North Pole, I have noticed a few

things. I am sad to say that many families are

having a hard time this year. All around the

world, there are lots of parents who are worried.

Can you help me cheer them up?

Tell your parents that you love them. It always

makes their hearts warm. 

Give them extra hugs

over the holidays. 

Let them know that spending

time with your family is special to you. 

Your kind words are very powerful.

Here is another way you can help me. Do you

have any toys that you are not playing with

anymore? 

Would you consider cleaning them up

and bringing them to your church, your school

or a local charity? Your old toys just might

make someone else very happy. 

Also, it would save me and the elves a lot of work making new

ones. 

You could really make a nice difference.

The best part of being Santa Claus is sharing

with others. 

I also really like coming home after

a long night of work to see Mrs. Claus, the elves,

my friends and family. In many ways, my

family is just like yours.

Please remember that, children. We are all

powerful stars. Now be good to each other. That

is when you shine the brightest.

With love,

Santa Claus

Also, In the spirit of Christmas I will be having a little giveaway for one pair of Children's MimiTENS since I love them so much.

You will have 4 chances to win

1) "Like" MimiTENS on facebook and come back here to tell me you did so.

2) Check out MimiTENS website and tell me which pair of fabulous mitts you would get, if you won.

3)  Share this contest on Facebook (with a link to this contest) and come back here to tell me you did.

4) Tweet this giveaway (including @bedielsAndCo) and come back here to tell me you did so.

*Please note that only comments on this blog post will count for the contest.  Each comment entitles you to one entry so please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Contest closes on December 18th and the winner will be chosen by Random.org


We will do our very best to have the winners Mitts before Christmas if ordered by December 19th.

Good Luck and Happy Holidays!

Contest is open to Canadian and US residents.  The MimiTENS mitts will be provided by MimiTENS and Bediels & Co.

Gifts for Baby

We have recently welcomed two new babies into the family.  So exciting!  


With Christmas fast approaching I thought it would be suitable to post a few of my favourite baby products, for those new Mom's out there, and for those of you looking to buy baby gifts (Just click on the title, or picture to link directly to the website).

#1 Beaba Babycook

The Beaba Baby cook is an all-in-one steamer, blender, warmer and defroster used for making baby food. 

Small, practical and easy to use.  As the steamer doubles as a blender, so there is very little clean-up afterwards.  I honestly love this little gadget so much!!


Available at Williams-Sonoma (Williams-Sonoma has a video to demonstrate how the babycook works).

#2 Baby Cubes  

After pureeing food, I stored them in these baby cubes.  They are available in 3 different sizes (I only purchased the 70ml containers, but I feel like the 30ml would be so, super- cute).  

These storage containers are fantastic for so many things, so even if you aren't making your own baby food they are still great little containers:

*Snacks (Cheerios, raisins, cherry tomatoes)

*Salad dressings 

*individually portioned powder baby cereal

*Pacifier case -I know they make pacifier cases, but I lose everything..  One pack of baby cubes provides me with 8 pacifier cases :)

*Piping tips

*Couplers

*Hair pins

*Elastics 

#3 Bloom Fresco Loft- High Chair

I'll be honest.  This chair is a little pricey, {but in my opinion} worth every penny.  Especially if you plan on having more than one child.  My only regret with this high chair is not buying it sooner.  

#4 Boon Benders 

These utensils are great. They bend, making it easier for baby to get food into their tiny little mouths.

#5 Loopa Bowl

This bowl is so fun.  Not only is it spill proof, it will keep your children entertained.

#6 Safe Sippy- Sippy Cup

I love that this sippy cup doesn't leak!  Easy to clean, and best of all, it's stainless steal.

We had a lot of teething pain in our household, so the following were our favourite teething products:

#7 Sophie the Giraffe

There is a reason this little guy has been around for so long... babies love him!

#8 Vulli Vanilla Teething Ring

Another Vulli product that my kids Loved was this Sophie teething ring.  I loved it too because it was so compact and easy to pack.  

#9 RaZ-Berry Teether

Multi-textured and made entirely of silicone.  Another popular teether in our house!

#10 MimiTENS

Children's mittens with long stretch cuffs that keep them from falling off.  Need I say more?

#11 Baby JaR snuggle-ette blanket

A small snuggle blanket for baby made of minky.  So soft and cuddly.

#12 Triple Paste Diaper Cream

When my daughter was born she had the absolute worst diaper rash. We tried (what seemed like) every diaper rash cream available in Canada, including a Doctor prescribed cream, and nothing worked. 

We finally discovered Triple Paste, and in my opinion it is the BEST diaper cream there is. 

Unfortunately, it is not available in Canada, but you can have it shipped (which is what we did).

#13 Formula dispenser 

For those planning on formula feeding, these are really handy.  Just pack your baby bottles filled with water (I usually heated the water bottles before leaving the house and placed them in a travel bag).  When needed, add your powder formula to the bottle.  So much easier than packing pre-made formula bottles and having to worry about keeping them cold and then heating them up.  A lot less waste as well.

#14 Tooth fairy Pillow

A couple of years ago, my Sister-in-Law and I went to the One of a Kind show in Toronto.  This is where I first discovered P i ' l o and I fell in love with everything. 

I didn't know what to buy because everything was so beautiful, and I left the show without a single thing.

There is nothing worse that Non-buyers Remorse.  That's what I call it when you wish you bought something and didn't.  At least with buyers remorse you can return the item if you later discover you didn't really like it.

On Christmas morning, my Sister-in-Law surprised me with this adorable Tooth Fairy pillow from pi'lo which she purchased after I left the show (isn't she the sweetest?!)...

This adorable little pillow has a small pocket where you can store the tiny little tooth and keep it safe for the tooth fairy.

I have a few other favourites, but now it's your turn.  what are your favourite baby products?

Happy Holiday Shopping and thanks for stopping by!

Kookie. Kookie. Kookie.

The past couple of weeks, it feels as though our house has been filled with every germ imaginable.  

Fevers, Ear infections, Sinus infections, Laryngitis, Vomiting and Pneumonia.  And of course... Very. Little. Sleep.

I knew the kids were beginning to feel better when they started asking for cookies again... Or should I say, I realized how sick they were when they stopped asking for them in the first place.  

Either way... they were finally on the mend.  And I was overjoyed to fulfill their request for cookies.

I'm going to tell you a secret.

My two little Kidlets LOOOVE Cookies!


I am not sure if I should be proud, or embarrassed to tell you this, but the THIRD word my Son learned to say was Cookie.


Yes.  His third word...  

Our mornings usually commence something like this:

Sam wakes in the morning and runs out to the kitchen with a huge grin on his face.  He bends down in front of the oven, points to it and says Kookie.  Kookie.  Kookie.

One night after he realized I had turned on the oven to bake salmon (and not cookies), he dropped to the floor and cried. 


And I realized I may have a problem on my hands.

My Sister-in-Law {Zarine} said it best: 
"Jen, that boy may look like his Daddy, but the kid is all yours"  

She's right! 

I didn't tell her this, but after I pulled the salmon out of the oven that night, I dropped to the floor and cried too...  I also, really wanted cookies for dinner.

I love having freshly baked cookies in the house, but I can't bake an entire batch without having them disappear into my belly.


So, this is my solution. 


I make a batch cookies.  Portion it onto a cookie sheet.  Freeze for approximately 15 minutes until the cookies are semi-frozen.   Transfer the cookies into a Ziplock bag and return them to the freezer.

Bingo Bango.  


You can now have freshly baked cookies in no time.  They may still end up in  your tummy but just not all at once.


Unexpected guests?  No problem.  pull out half a dozen cookies.  Thaw for 15 minutes and bake. 

So go ahead.  Pour yourself a glass of milk.  Grab a cookie.  Eat.  Laugh.  Love.  And Enjoy!


Happy Tuesday!  :)  

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you sleeping? It's my one year BLOGiversary!

On October 30th, I celebrated my first year BLOGiversary.


Holy Moly.  A WHOLE year.   

When I first started this blog, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep it up. What on earth was I going to write about?  


Then I realized. 


Writing all my thoughts down here (for you to read), could save my poor Husband from listening to my useless thoughts at  11 p.m. when he is trying to sleep.


Good thought, right?  No. Not really, because truthfully I still pester him when he's trying to sleep at night.  I can't help it.  Night-time is when all my thoughts come to me.  


It usually goes something like this... 

     Me: "Hey Mike, are you sleeping?"

     Mike: "Huh?  Trying to."

     Me: "I just thought of something.. blah, blah, blah"

     Mike: "uh huh"

     Me:"Okay, Goodnight!"  "Oh wait, I just thought of something else. blah, 
           blah, blah"

     Mike: "uh"

     Me:"Okay, Goodnight!"  "Oh, one more thing, I promise.  Blah, blah."

     Mike: No answer.

     Me:"Okay, I swear, this is the last thing.  blah, blah, Wait.  Are you sleeping?
           Mike!  Are you sleeping??"

     Mike: "Why don't you write it down and we'll talk about it in the morning."

     Me: "Uh, cause I'm going to be too tired in the morning, silly!"

That's usually how it goes.
  
So, the other night, I was thinking about my a blogiversary and how I was in need of a giveaway. At midnight (of course) I asked my Husband:


     Me:  "Pssst, you sleeping?  Mike, are you sleeping?  Can I give away 
             a Kitchenaid for my one year blogiversary?"


     Mike: "I guess, If you want to give away your Kitchenaid, you can.  But 
              I can't imagine anyone would want a used one"...
 
     Me: "Umm, Does that mean you aren't going to sponsor my giveaway?"


     Mike: "Good night, Jennifer"


     Me:  "Should I write it down and we'll discuss it in the morning?"


Crumb.  That wasn't the answer I was looking for.  By changing ONE single word... a simple "a" to "your", he managed to completely ruin my giveaway.


So I had two options.
  
1) Give you my used and very much loved KitchenAid (since my Husband wasn't going to sponsor my giveaway with a new one) 


or 


2) Sponsor my own giveaway with something I could afford. 


So I had to turn to option B.  I know.  It stinks.


And, I'm so sorry guys.  I love you, but there is no way I could give away my beloved Kitchenaid... even though she is nearly 10 years old, I simply love her too much!  And truthfully, I know you wouldn't want it.  Alright, if we are being honest, I am afraid you would.

After so much time preparing this dessert table, I didn't even get a decent photo.
(I could have at least removed the saran wrap, right?)

Before I get to the giveaway though, I would like to thank all of you so much for visiting my blog over the past year.  For reading my ramblings, leaving comments,  and inspiring me. I never imagined I would meet so many wonderful people and enjoy blogging as much as I have, so thank you!

Okay, back to the contest.  Since a new appliance was out of the question, I figured I would give back to the those who have helped me make it through my Red Eye flights since returning to work.  

Click on picture to take you to starbucks.ca

Plus, I thought you could use a latte or two for all the late night baking parties you will be having in preparation for Christmas, right.  Think of all the latte's you can have with this 

$50 Starbucks gift card 
Contest now closed.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Okay, down to the Nitty-Gritty.


To enter this contest:


1) Leave me a comment.  For fun, tell me what you will order at Starbucks if you win this contest.


2) For an extra entry "Like" me on facebook, and come back here to tell me you did.  If you already "like" my facebook page, leave me a comment on this blog post telling me.  


3)  For an extra entry, share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook (with a link back to this post) and come back here to let me know you did.


4)  For an extra entry Tweet about this giveaway including a link back to this page and @bedielsAndCo and leave me a comment here to let me know you did.


Please note, that only comments on this blog post will qualify for the contest.  :)


Contest will close at midnight on Monday November 14th and the winner will be chosen using Random.org. 


That's it.  4 chances to win!  


Please note:  This gift card will be provided by me (or my Husband if I ask him when he's sleepy enough).  Starbucks does not in anyway sponsor this post. 


Contest open to Canadian and US Residents.


Good luck!
:)


Thank you to everyone who entered the Starbucks gift card giveaway.  The winner, chosen by Random.org was #3 (my Mom).  My Mom graciously gave her prize up for another lucky winner. 


The official winner is 
theBrainrunner 

theBrainrunner said...

Venti soy Caramel Machiato extra shot of expresso

November 7, 2011 9:18 PM 

Congratulations, Mike!  Enjoy your Venti soy Caramel Machiato extra shot of espresso (or two)!  :)

Please email me your address so that I can send out your prize.  

Dear November

Let me start off by saying that so far... 

I love you.  

The mild temperatures reminding me of summer.  Reminding me of the many, many hours I spent tending to my gardens.  

Weeding.  

Trimming.  

Watering.  

Talking to my flowers, and just plain loving my beautiful gardens.

Lush green grass, bountiful flowers, and a veggie garden that would make a grown man cry. 

Are you crying yet??

My Friend Andrea, a fellow blogger, wrote about her veggies from her garden and secretly I felt... 

Pity. 

I mean really.  Who wants a beautiful veggie garden that produces TONS and TONS of Beautiful, Fresh, Delicious veggies that you can just go out and pick whenever you want... when you can have this...

I mean, Seriously people.  Wouldn't you rather have my tomato plant?   

Tell me this isn't GORGEOUS!

Okay, Okay... I'll admit, I didn't pity Andrea...  

I pitied my garden.  I wanted to have beautiful veggies like she did.

A few years ago, my Sister-in-Law lived with us and we used to accuse her of killing our plants.  I don't know why, we just did cause it was fun.  

Then she moved out.

And our plants continued to die.  

I am starting to think it may have something to do with me... (even this beautiful orchid has slowly started to die)

In my own defense, I have to say that I have asked for an electric edger and a leaf blower for my Birthday for as long as I can remember.  

I mean, you need tools to have a nice looking garden, right?

My Husband laughs and tells me that an edger and leaf blower are not going to grow better tomatoes. 

Is this true?

Nah.  That's Absurd!   

Right?

Oh... P.S. 

I'm also not good with pet fish.  

Just sayin'...