A Place To Relax

My husband's grandparents have a log cabin that I finally got to see for the first time last week. I was excited to go because I had heard so many wonderful things about it, like how "it's the perfect place to go and do nothing." I have to say that I agree. My husband and I were talking the other day about what the difference is between relaxing and just being lazy. We came to the conclusion that the difference is how each one makes you feel afterwards. When you've been lazy you feel even more tired and uninspired than ever. When you have truly relaxed, you feel recharged and ready to take on the world. The cabin relaxes me. I love the sweet smelling air, the porch swing, the myriad of trees. Time seems to stop and you feel at peace with yourself. I've decided that I need to find my own place where I can escape and just relax. What's your favorite way to relax?

Bond - Part Deux

Here is a picture of "Babe Bond" at the wedding last weekend. He was a real hit and loved the attention!

Baby Bond

This is the tuxedo that we bought for our son to wear at my brother-in-law's wedding this weekend. When my husband first suggested it, I thought it was a little ridiculous. A baby in a tux? Why bother? However, after trying it on him yesterday, he looked SO adorable I couldn't resist. He looks like a miniature James Bond! Hopefully, I'll be able to snap a few decent shots of him at the wedding.

Grab A Snack From Canada

I recently returned from a trip to Canada, where I was reminded of all the yummy snacks that I grew up with. It's always a treat to go and savor the candy chocolate bars there because they just don't make them the same anywhere else. There are so many that I love, but here are a few of my favorites:
If you're a fan of caramel like I am, Caramilk is the chocolate bar for you. Creamy milk chocolate on the outside, liquid caramel on the inside...so delicious! For my fellow Canadians, the mystery is finally solved: How do they get the caramel in the Caramilk bar? Find out here.
I had an American friend who spent some time in Canada, and he said of the Wunderbar: "It's like all of the best candy bars rolled into one." I have to agree. The description of "Creamy peanut butter, light rice crisps and chewy caramel coated with a rich, smooth milk chocolate coating" is accurate but doesn't do it justice. I just finished off the last of my Wunderbars that I brought home with me and I'm craving more!
I love Smarties! Think of them like M&M's, only bigger and more crunchy (and therefore more yummy.) Don't forget to eat the red ones last.

I could go on and on about Mr.Big, After Eight, Crispy Crunch, and let's not forget the Ketchup chips! Obviously, the best way to get a hold of these snacks is by going to Canada. If however that's not in the cards for you, you can also order some of them online here or here. You could also try an International store if you have one in your area. If you live in San Diego, the cute Shakespeare's Corner Shoppe usually has a few of these things. But seriously, take a trip up to Canada sometime - it's beautiful!

Time Out for Women

Life has been a bit hectic lately with birthdays, family visits, family weddings and it's not over yet. I do enjoy all the excitement and I love meeting up with family since they all live far away but...I would also love to have a "time-out" just to renew and refresh. Some of my favorite things to do by myself are to curl up with a good book and cup of hot chocolate, watch an inspirational movie, write, be creative, and of course, sleep. That said, I'm excited to be attending Time Out for Women this weekend. This is an awesome event especially for women, that is inspirational and so much fun! It's a full day of spiritual presentations by respected authors and musical artists who address the needs and challenges specific to women. Check the schedule to see if Time Out is coming to your city this year because it is definitely worth going to. I've only been once but I laughed, I cried, I learned a ton, and I can't wait to do it all again!

Have you been to Time Out for Women? What are your favorite ways to regroup and recharge?

New Look

Mama Sparkles has a new look! Hope you all like it. Thank you to Jen at The Trendy Mommy for loaning me her skills.

Free Comic Book Day!

One of my favorite days of the year is FCBD - that's Free Comic Book Day. Once a year, participating comic book stores give away comics absolutely free. Over forty comic books are especially created for this single day. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, May 3rd. Most comic book stores are pretty generous in how many you can take (in my area it's around eight comics per person) but you will get at least one. Also, the comics vary slightly from each store so it's worth going to multiple stores to see what selection they're offering. Click here for a store locator. If you're not too familiar with comic books, this is a great way to score some free ones and maybe discover one that you like. Many of them are family friendly, my favorite kind. You can see a complete list of the available comic books (remember they vary from store to store) here. This is a really fun event to take the whole family to - happy reading!