Blog - Page 22 of 94 - Nesting Story

That time Chef Chuck Hughes taught me how to cook

This post was created in partnership with LG.

I’m not a great chef. But I’m trying to be. In fact I’ve made the decision lately that it isn’t too late to learn to cook, improve my tidying skills, de-clutter my house and truly reclaim my home.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the LG Kitchen in the Chatelaine offices, where I spent the afternoon with celebrity Chef Chuck Hughes and Rick Campanelli, or if you grew up in the 90s in Canada like I did, you’d know him as Rick-The-Temp.

I walked in, looked around and thought, “Be cool Joanna, no one has to know that you are a terrible chef.” It turned out that I wasn’t expected to cook, but instead Chef Chuck Hughes would be teaching us three delicious meals. Dodged that one!

In the midst of learning how to create a delicious spin on bruschetta by grating your tomatoes, yes, you heard me right,

baked Lake Erie Pickerel and Local Strawberry Fluff (I have shared the recipe with you below), I was able to take a sneak peek at LG’s InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Counter-Depth Refrigerator,

By a simple two knocks, it is easy to check on the items through the transparent window without opening the door.

and LG QuadWash® with TrueSteam® dishwasher.

High-temperature steam removes baked-on, caked-on food from your dishes, sanitizes and reduces excess water spots.

It was an amazing afternoon spent with some very talented and amazing people.

Here’s Chef Chuck Hughes’ recipe for Local Strawberry Fluff.

Ingredients
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 cups strawberries, hulled and crushed
Sugar cookies, crumbled
Stemless wine glass or glass fruit nappe
Cut fresh strawberries for garnish

Instructions

Place egg whites, sugar and hulled and crushed strawberries in a stand mixer.
Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and smooth.

Presentation
In a stemless wine glass layer crumbled sugar cookies, fresh berries, fluff, repeat.

To learn more about the LG QuadWash® or the LG InstaView™, head to LG’s website here: www.lg.ca

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by LG Electronics Canada Inc. While compensation was provided, all opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the opinions of LG.

SaveSave

Look at your body after babies as a fresh beginning

After having my twins, (my third and fourth kids), although I felt a deep sadness for the mushy, stretched, bruised and swollen condition my body was in, a part of me felt excitement and renewed.

I was so thankful that my body had done the job it needed to do: carry my babies to full term. I looked at it differently than I ever had before.

Although sad, for the first time since I became self-conscious as a child, I didn’t feel anger, frustration or betrayal towards my body. I was filled with gratitude.

Now was the time to bring my body back to life, to strengthen and love whatever new shape it was going to take. It was like someone dropped a pile of clay in front of me and said, “this is yours to mould and nurture. A fresh beginning.”

The sadness is gone and my body is mine again. But I will never forget the journey it has been on and I will constantly keep gratitude at the centre of my relationship with my body.

Follow Nesting Story on Instagram for regular wellness and motivational body after babies posts.

SaveSave

Am I the only one experiencing moody kids as they approach Kindergarten?

My twins are starting kindergarten in September. Let’s just let that one sink in for a minute. I think I must have joked about just getting to September, 2018, since before our twins were born. That seemed like our point of arrival.

Now that our family is looking down the barrel at that date, we are dealing with a lot of different emotions. How are Mike and I feeling?

Excited.

Our twins? I wonder if it has really sunk in. But to be honest, we have been going through a rough behavior patch since late winter with them. Defiance, attitude, whining, you name it. It has been rough. One of the hardest parts has been that every time I have tried to “fix” them it hasn’t worked.

Even my world famous cuddles have been getting rejected. What gives?

Just as I was about to sit my girls out on our lawn with a “free to a good home” sign (joking!!!), it dawned on me…

We went through the same rocky patch with the six months leading up to kindergarten with each of our older kids. Could this phase possibly be a thing? I would look it up in one of the many “What to Expect” books I used to own, but I gave them away years ago. So I am just assuming this phase, this horrible, I feel like I live with cavemen, phase is a thing. A common thing that parents go through.

So now that we’ve established that I’m probably not alone, let’s unpack this shift in personality, shall we?

I think our twins are feeling their new independence and pending responsibility. I think they are trying to figure out who they are, and realizing that they are their own individual people. Could they be rejecting my cuddles to cut the cord before kindergarten? Possibly.

Whatever the reason is, I have decided just to love them. To listen to them. To allow them to be their own self and foster their self-confidence. I definitely know that having our twins in daycare has helped prepare Mia and Everly for “bid kid school”. We will get through this phase, and I am prepared to wait until mid-September for it to pass… like it did our older kids.

So, hang in there parents of almost-kindies. You are NOT alone.

Mia and Everly’s Kids & Company graduation photos.

This post was created in partnership with Kids & Company.

Finding a childcare that not only gives me time to build my career, but that my kids also love, has been such a wonderful aspect to having more of a work/life balance. Kids & Company has the flexibility I need with my schedule, but also the unique programming, learning opportunities, from-scratch meals and sense of community they provide fills me with such confidence in my choice in childcare.

With locations all across Canada, Kids & Company is a high-quality care and early development centre that parents can trust and kids will love. It started under the leadership of two moms (one with 8 children!), who felt there was a need for flexible care options in a setting with amazing teachers, community, proven development programs and an understanding of today’s families.

Whether it’s their Grab ‘n’Go snacks, parent workshops, or their complementary care for date nights and shopping days outside of regular hours, nothing has been forgotten.

Here’s where it gets exciting… right now Kids and Company is waiving the registration fee (a $150 value) for Nesting Story readers! Just email amcnaught@kidsandcompany.com to access this exclusive offer.

One waved registration per family for a newly registering child before December 31, 2018. Subject to availability.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Kids & Company. While compensation was provided, all opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the opinions of Kids & Company.

SaveSave

A simple farmhouse inspired room refresh

When I was a child I would spend a lot of my summers at my grandparent’s cottage just outside of Wasaga Beach. My memories spent there were filled with long walks on the beach to the ice-cream parlour, movie nights while listening to thunderstorms roll past and pouring through my grandma’s decor magazines.

My grandma was a public speaker and absolutely loved decorating, especially with antiques. I see a lot of myself in her. My grandma always gave each room to her cottage a very country flair. In-fact she had a very impressive chicken and rooster collection.

Although I absolutely love adding early century modern, eclectic and sometimes classic elements to my home, my heart is always drawn back to a country-cottage feel. Although farmhouse decor and design is very nostalgic to me, there is something about it that is extremely relaxing.

Recently I was finding that every time I walked through our hallway and glanced at our living room/dining room, I would shudder. Our dining room table had become a dumping ground and the small plant on our fireplace mantle was dying a slow death.

I finally decided to give this room a quick refresh which would include a farmhouse flair. I dug up old mason jars and pulled out the Hearth and Hand runner I bought at Target while on my recent trip in California. A couple hours and a bundle of babies’ breath later, (which in my opinion is a very underrated flower), my room was not only transformed, but it now reflects the warm weather outside and is oh so airy and inviting.

Watch as I transform this room and share a couple tips on how to simply give your home a seasonal refresh.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Nesting Story on YouTube for more home inspiration!

SaveSave

How to make your Spring Cleaning routine more manageable

Finally, the warmer weather and sunny days have arrived. That means it’s time for everybody’s favorite time of the year-spring cleaning!

Can you sense the sarcasm here?
Don’t get me wrong, I love it when my house is clean, and I’m not adverse to getting my hands dirty, but spring cleaning usually means there’s a lot of hard work to do.

All winter long I’ve been in maintenance mode, keeping things clean on the surface while anticipating the annual spring clean sprint. It’s the time of year we can really do a deep clean of those forgotten and neglected areas of our homes-which can be time consuming and exhausting. So why not break it down into a more relaxed and less daunting schedule?

I’m going to tackle different areas of my home that need a good scrubbing, over the course of 7 days.

DAY ONE: The Bathrooms

Ok I admit it, this is my least favourite room to clean (and it’s probably yours too). So why not get this one out of the way first and be done with it?

Now I do a standard cleaning of the bathrooms about once a week, so let’s forget about the obvious gross area (the toilet) and look for what hasn’t been done in awhile.

Take apart and clean the exhaust fan.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133080126/”]

Scrub the bathtub-while standing up.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133079971/”]

DAY TWO: The Kitchen

We spend much of our time in the kitchen preparing and enjoying meals together. While the surfaces are wiped down daily, it still could use a little TLC to really make the room sparkle.

Scrub dirt and grime off your cabinet doors.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133137797/”]

Purge and Deep Clean your fridge.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133138056/”]

Clean the drain (do this in the bathrooms too).

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133080032/”]

DAY THREE: Windows

Make your rooms brighter and let the sunlight in by cleaning all the dirt off the windows.

Get the gunk out of the tracks.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133080146/”]

Get a streak free shine.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133138131/”]

DAY FOUR: Floors and Baseboards

Now that the light is spilling into your home through clean windows, you might notice a little (or a lot) of dust, dirt and pet hair on your floors.

Clean the baseboards and keep them clean (with dryer sheets!).

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133079968/”]

Get rid of dust and dirt build up in the vents.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133079911/”]

DAY FIVE: Bedrooms

Freshen your mattress.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133080154/”]

Dust every surface with these neat hacks.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/240942648798637982/”]

DAY SIX: The Laundry Room

Clean your washer for cleaner clothes.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133138252/”]

Prevent fires by cleaning the dryer vent.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133080040/”]

DAY SEVEN: Outside

Get outside and enjoy the spring weather-and make your house look good while you’re out there.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133138186/”]

Give your car some love.

[bws_pinterest_widget type=”pin” size=”small” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448530444133080040/”]

And that should just about do it!

Tell me, what areas of your home need the most attention come spring?

For more spring cleaning inspiration, head to my YouTube channel and check out my recent video on Spring Cleaning!

Don’t forget to follow Nesting Story on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. Sign up for our Newsletter for weekly inspiration!