amw | amotherworld

French Onion Soup

March 22, 2013

As you know I’m a big fan of soup… this classic French Onion Soup is delicious.

Ingredients:

4 large Vidalia onions, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
8 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf of your favourite Artisan bread or baguette
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

Sautee onions and garlic in butter over low heat. Add thyme and cook until onions are tender, about 15 minutes). Sprinkle flour over onions, cook a few minutes more, browning the flour well. Pour in the stock and wine and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add bay leaf. Cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.

Slice bread into 1 inch slices (you may butter both sides if you wish). Toast slices until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl. Place toasted bread on top of the soup and cover with gruyere cheese. Place bowl into oven and broil top until cheese is bubbly.

Little Kids

Pregnancy the Second Time: My Worries

March 22, 2013

by Franki Arnold

I’m now over 24 weeks into my second pregnancy, and while both this pregnancy and my first with Tatum went very smoothly, there’s still minor physical as well as mental differences. It’s funny how drastically your thoughts on pregnancy and childbirth can change once you’ve experienced it, and once you have another child who is now involved in all of the changes that happen. During my first pregnancy, the worry of becoming first time parents and “how the heck are we going to do this” was always at the back of my mind and now during the second pregnancy, there seem to be so many other little factors I hadn’t imagined!

This time around, it’s not just me and my husband’s lives that are changing – it’s our daughter’s. I’ve constantly been wondering how I will balance her needs as well as the new baby’s needs. How can I still make her feel important, and most of all, involved in all of the new life changes?

A newborn baby’s needs are high and I want to be able to care for our new little one as best as I can while still letting Tatum feel she is as much a part of the family as she always. It’s been the three of us for nearly five years, and it seems like it will be such a huge shift once our newest family member is here. I don’t want to push her away. This has been the main thought in my mind during pregnancy number two.

Since I’ve already experienced birth, I know how quickly things can get out of hand during labor and delivery. I know how overwhelming the hospital setting can be, and I do not want to feel as helpless as I did last time. I thought my second pregnancy would be worry-free and calm. In my case, that is completely wrong!

While I better understand how to treat my body (especially since I am attempting a VBAC) and the changes aren’t as jarring as they were the first time, it almost seems as though during my first pregnancy, ignorance was bliss! I remember feeling completely, 100% confident that Tatum would be perfectly healthy and that my birth would go as planned.

I know better this time. The urge to educate myself as much as possible can be a daunting task at times, and I’m struggling with how to balance keeping myself informed about my birth options, yet relaxing and enjoying what will be my last pregnancy.

How on earth will two children affect my marriage? People are not sane when faced with an extreme lack of sleep! Thinking back to when Tatum was a newborn, and after a night of being awake long enough to see the sun come up, I wonder how incorporating the sleepless nights with a newborn, a preschooler, plus all of the other routine changes that have happened over the years will work.

I like my sleep, and Tatum has had this whole sleep-through-the-night thing down for a good two years now. I have to admit I’m a little afraid at the thought of our sweet little infant keeping us up at all hours, only for us to have to wake up and be joyful parents to our sweet Tatum.

I get so caught up in these thoughts of how will I do this, how will I do that. How can I balance life with a newborn and a preschooler and how can I still feel like myself and not just “mom.”

Then I realize that there is absolutely nothing right now that I can do. I need to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy this time. I need to trust that my husband will be there for me, my family will be there for me, and those motherly instincts that I worry about will kick in and I will know how to parent my big girl and my little baby equally and effectively.

What are your experiences with adding a second baby to the family? Were you a worry-wart like me, or did you go with the flow and embrace the change as it happened?

Franki Arnold, owner/operator and blogger of Those Young Moms is a 26-year-old mother to 4 1/2 year old Tatum and expecting baby number two in July 2013. Franki is passionate about natural and empowering birth for women, organic and healthy eating for families, easy chic fashion for moms and big cups of coffee. She hopes to inspire women through blogging about her journey towards a VBAC with her second pregnancy. Find her also on Facebook and Twitter.

Shopping

Kids Spring Fashion Trends Plus Win a $150 Gift Card to H&M!

March 21, 2013

Spring has sprung… depending on where you live! Will winter be done already?!

It’s starting to get warmer outside which means packing away the boots and parkas and shopping for spring clothing!

H&M’s kids’ spring collection is exciting and full of fun and positive energy. The Conscious Collection has more sustainable materials such as organic cotton and allows the kids to be kids in their own way – playful, colourful and charming!

For girls, there are cute cropped trousers in green and pink – pleated skirts and dresses in organic prints and chic ballerina shoes.

Boys fashions are relaxed and preppy – chinos, shorts, shirts and cardigans in summery pink, blue and beige.

See the digital catalogue of the Conscious Collection online here – it includes a coupon for 20% off purchases from March 21 to April 7, 2013.

One lucky reader will win a $150 gift card to H&M to shop for their children!

To enter fill out the form below. Good luck! Open to Canada only.

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amw in the city

Date Nights: Why Regular Date Nights Are a Must!

March 21, 2013

If you read my blog, you know that I enjoy going to rock concerts, restaurants and movies. I especially love writing about entertainment and lifestyle.

My husband and I have two kids: six and eight. They are precious, adorable and energetic little human beings and we love spending time together as a family, but mom and dad need some alone time too.

When was the last time you went out on a real date? By that I mean got a baby sitter, dressed up and went somewhere for fun or romance?

I know; it doesn’t happen often for many parents. Who has the energy (let alone the time) to go out with your significant other? A parent’s busy and active lifestyle likely puts romantic date nights at the bottom of the priority list.

However, you have to schedule date nights when you’re married with children. It’s crucial to maintaining a strong relationship because quality couple time is just what you need for a healthy marriage. Date nights help to rekindle the romance that is often put on the backburner when you’re tending to the day-to-day bustle.

I try to arrange a night out as often as possible, firstly because I need to get out of the house and secondly because we need it as a couple. Ideally, outings should happen once a month, but realistically we can only fit in a night on the town every few months.

From going to an all-day rock music festival to romantic dinners to bar hopping, we have done it all. But the most memorable couples’ outing I had recently was during a warm fall night; my husband and I drove into the city with the windows down and the music blasting.

We met up with another couple and hit a popular nightclub for some heavy-duty dancing. I was dressed to the nines in my best heels and danced the night away. The husband loves to bust his moves, too, so we just rocked the dance floor.

Our night out was such a fun, much-needed and well-deserved break from the hectic daily routine that we have as a “suburban family.”

If it’s been longer than two months since your last couples’ outing, then you need to change that immediately. Book a babysitter, get your mother-in-law to come over to watch the kids and go out as a couple. You both deserve a little fun!

What’s the right vehicle for your active lifestyle? It has to be large enough to handle your stuff, yet compact enough for easy maneuverability and excellent fuel efficiency – and with safety that gives you real peace of mind. The right fit: the 2013 Equinox.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Chevrolet Canada via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Chevrolet Canada.

Fashion

Toronto Fashion Week: MIZ by Izzy Camilleri Fall Winter 2013

March 20, 2013

I’m so sad to have missed the opening show of World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week, MIZ by Izzy Camilleri.

One of Canada’s premier fashion designers and creative directors, Camilleri has generated a significant buzz in the fashion scene throughout the years. Her collections are easily wearable, polished and modern.

Izzy’s latest work is the MIZ Collection, launching for Fall 2013. This collection is geared to the female baby boomer interested in fashionable clothes that are sexy, yet comfortable and easily wearable. The line is cut with distinct considerations for this new confident woman, who isn’t interested in looking like she once did, but wants to look like the woman she’s become.

What I love most about this show is the DIVERSITY of the models – *applauding*. So THANK YOU Ms. Camilleri for showing Fashion Week that beauty comes in different packages!

Photos: George Pimentel

Contest

Butterfly Dreams Bed Linens: Win a Set!

March 20, 2013

I’ve tried microfiber sheet sets before but they end up pulling after just one wash.

I had the chance to try Butterfly Dreams bed linens and their fitted sheet set. The sheet set is made in “Swankysuede”, a microfire that is soft and warm not to mention stain resistant, durable and requires no ironing.

I love how soft and silky the material feels on your skin – you probably need to sleep in as little clothing as possible to enjoy the softness, ahem!

You can complete the set with super soft 350 thread-count cotton sateen flat sheets, which didn’t come with my set. But now of course, I want the matching flat sheet and duvet cover.

I’m happy to give a winner a chance to win a fitted sheet set too. Fill out the form below for a chance to win. We’re offering readers a promo code to save 20% off: INTRO.

Butterfly Dreams Fitted Sheet Set (Queen):

One Fitted Sheet and Two Pillowcases in Serene or Billy Blue.

• Fitted sheet fits mattresses up to 15″ deep.

• All around elastics (not just on corners) to keep fitted sheet in place

• Pillowcases have zipper closures.

• Extra pillowcases (sets of two) and flat sheets are also available individually.

• Machine washable and dryer safe

Good luck and sweet dreams.

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amw in the city

Fun Fashion with World MasterCard Fashion Week and Stylicity

March 19, 2013

I had the pleasure of attending the #MCStylicity event hosted by MasterCard Canada for Toronto’s Fashion Week.

As the official retail program for World MasterCard Fashion Week, Stylicity consists of a network of local retailers, spas and restaurants in Toronto presenting unique offers and experiences. Through the program, consumers can explore local and national merchants and receive exclusive offers when they pay with their MasterCard. The Stylicity program and special offers run from March 14 – March 30.

I just love the buzz surrounding Toronto streets during Fashion Week. And I also love browsing in unique shops – there is something so special about shopping in a boutique, you never know what you’re going to discover! Like Canon Blanc, a little piece of Paris right on Queen West? S’il vous plaît!

I visited some lovely boutiques in Toronto and of course Tweeted and photographed my favourite things...

GotStyle Menswear on Bathurst Street – fab and stylish!

Canon Blanc on Queen St. West – love love love this charming boutique, a little piece of Paris.

Sauvage on Queen Street West – edgy and rocker chic – so me!

V on Queen Street West – vintage heaven!

as well as Hamma Spa on King Street West – can I live here?!?

So many charming and stylish shops in Toronto, I would love to see them all. Take a look at the Style Insider magazine online here to see which stores and restaurants are participating in Stylicity.

Get shopping and Fashion Week hopping!

News

Steubenville Case: How the Media Took Sides

March 19, 2013

I recently learned of the Steubenville rape case and the guilty verdict announced on Sunday. Well because you know, we don’t see court cases played out on television in Canada because no cameras or audio devices are allowed in any court room and youth under 18 are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

I am sickened by the media coverage of this case – when did media start portraying rapists with such empathy? CNN, ABC, NBC – all the major networks reported on how the guilty verdict will affect the lives of the defendants, 17-year-old Trent Mays and 16-year-old Ma’lik Richmond.

I am floored by the amount of sympathy that these boys have been getting in the press. Reports seemed to focus on how the guilty verdict will affect their lives, how their dreams of college are gone now that they have “sexual offender” on their record. In fact, although the boys pled not-guilty, Richmond apologized to the victim’s parents for what he had done… oh so guilty.

These boys have been portrayed as football stars whose lives have been ruined… what about the 16-year-old girl who was violated and RAPED?

I am aware as a journalist, that finding the hook to the story is important. But taking the side that these boys’ reputation will be forever tarnished? Not the side I would be taking!

All I can think of is that girl who was unconscious, violated, raped, photographed and humiliated. End of story.

Never for once did I think of those boys’ futures and how they would be ruined when I read the story. I can only think of the girl who was raped. All I can think of is how could these boys do this to a young girl?

One news station reported the case as “a caution to the age of social networking” – is this the lesson we should be walking away with? That you commit a crime but don’t be stupid to put it on the internet?

What about the simple message that RAPE IS A CRIME.

Of course after the backlash yesterday of the media’s coverage, news stations like CNN started to cover more about the victim and we did finally hear from her mother. She released a statement saying that this will not define her daughter – she will get through it. The question she asked – what if this was YOUR daughter?

Sad that this question must be asked in the first place… but for many who have become so desensitized to the news, the only way to feel any sort of empathy is to imagine this happening to someone they love… Sad that our society has come to this.

After the verdict on Sunday, Ohio attorney general Michael DeWine said that he planned to convene a grand jury to investigate whether others should be charged in the case. At least 16 people refused to talk to investigators about the case. Many students tweeted about the crime after it had happened, doing nothing to help the victim but rather standing by the two boys.

Two girls were arrested for making threats to the victim on social media – one girl tweeted a threatened homicide and the other threatened with bodily harm.

Where are the parents of these students? How can these youth have no respect, empathy, feelings? Basic human emotion.

What should we be teaching our teenagers about this story?

Other articles of interest:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/how-blogger-helped-steubenville-rape-case-unfold-online

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/03/18/1732701/media-steubenville/

Food

Why Are You So Tired in the Afternoon? Here’s What You Can Do

March 18, 2013

by Samantha Montpetit-Huynh

Sometimes I think I am obsessed with it and I can’t get enough. Add the fact that it “seems” like this is the winter that will never end, and the thought of curling up on the couch with a giant bowl of buttered popcorn and a movie sounds like bliss.

However, we ALL know how we feel after we binge.

Put crap in and guess what??? Get crap out. Never mind the feeling of guilt than can take over faster than you can get off that couch, but after you’re initial high from all the butter and starch, you get a nice crash that just begins the domino effect of trying to stay awake. And we wonder why we’re tired!

Energy comes from two main things; exercise and food. I would even say food is the predecessor as it has the vital role of whether or not you keep your blood sugar levels steady (awake) or up and down (crash).

Ever wonder why you tend to grab crackers, cereal or other sweets when you are tired? You could say that it’s “just a snack”, but when quick fixes are what you “crave” before any thought is put in it, you are in survival mode.

So how does one curb this? How do you take energetic throughout the day without a “treat” in the afternoon and buckets of coffee at your disposal?

Well just like the rest of it; it’s REALLY complicated. Not. No rocket science here. It’s plain and simple planning. Shocking I know.

Here are 4 ways to boost your energy in the afternoon:

1. Out of sight, out of mind.

If those unhealthy snacks are not in the house, you are way more likely not to eat them. JUST DON’T BUY THEM!

2. Plan your meals and snacks.

I never leave my house without my lunch and at least two snacks. Yes I am human and once in a while I don’t crave what I have but I eat in anyway because half the time it’s just hunger; thus the craving is gone.

3. Don’t over-eat.

Ever wonder why you crave sweets after a big meal? If you are eating a meal high in protein and low in carbohydrates (which is good for weight loss), you could be decreasing your serotonin levels (the happy hormone). Serotonin is increased following a sugary, carbohydrate diet. Eating too large of a meal can increase this risk and drive you towards a “fix” after.

4. Protein protein protein!!!

Yes I know I just said too much can lower serotonin, but “too much” of anything is never a good idea. Balance is key. If you have some protein with every meal AND snack, you balance your blood sugar because protein slows down the digestive process, slowing down the production of insulin thus lowering the amount of sugar that is released in the blood. The slower the process, the fuller you feel longer and less likely to crash.

Now none of this is new but sometimes people need a friendly “kick in the pants” as to why they would rather nap at 3pm than finish that last report.

And here’s a nice little FYI… for all of you trying desperately to stay awake on coffee; you’re almost doing yourself a disservice as caffeine lowers serotonin too.

Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

Samantha Montpetit-Huynh is the mother of two beautiful girls and the founder of Core Expectations, Toronto’s only full services wellness team that delivers personal training, abdominal rehabilitation and other support services to the homes and offices of pregnant women and new moms across the GTA.

Food

Join us for Sobeys Spring Twitter Party

March 14, 2013

Spring is just around the corner and you know what that means when it comes to food – goodbye winter comfort food and hello to lighter meals and barbecue!

So it’s fitting that the #LoveSobeys Refresh Your Flavours Twitter Party is coming up very soon where you can share your best ideas on the freshest tastes of the season for a chance to win Sobeys gift cards!

You’re Invited to the #LoveSobeys Refresh Your Flavours Twitter Party!

Tell us how you’re getting your tastebuds ready for spring during the Twitter party and every tweet gives you a chance to win a Sobeys gift card. Up to $1,200.00 in Sobeys gift cards are up for grabs!

Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Time: 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET (10:00 p.m. AT / 7:00 p.m. MT)

Where: On Twitter of course! Hashtag: #LoveSobeys

RSVP HERE

See you there!

Disclosure: I am a Sobeys Better Food Lover and as such, receive certain perks. Opinions as my own as always.