Kim from Special Programs hosted a Lunch and Learn for Mabel staffers today. We learnt the ancient art of traditional Japanese paper-folding. It is more difficult than one would think but by the third try we were on our way to being professional paper crane folders!
Thank you Kim!
An Origami Lunch & Learn
March 31st, 2010
Written by: Caitlin Madden
Use Labels To Remind You Of Expiration Dates
March 30th, 2010
Written by: Tanna Clark
One of the biggest causes of clutter in a kitchen is expired food! Whether it is last week’s leftovers or that brown sugar from cookies you made three years ago, if left unchecked, expired foods start to pile up and waste precious storage space.
The easiest way to keep track of foods and their expiration dates is by using labels!
From now on, stock up on some of Mabel’s Labels Date Mates™ to keep track of your food.
If you are the type that likes to take dry goods out of their original packaging and store them in pretty containers, make sure you label the contents and the date you bought them.
Stop growing science experiments in your refrigerator by simply labeling the food item as soon as you put it in there.
To further keep the guess work out of “how long is too long to keep something?” check out StillTasty.com for expiration guidelines on all of your food.
Comments: 1Frozen Meat and Milkshakes
March 28th, 2010
Written by: Julie Cole
I was online the other night participating in a Twitter party. The topic of discussion was food – kiddo food, healthy snacks, on-the-go foods, etc.
Since I’m not a big foodie type, I didn’t think I’d have much to contribute to the conversation. My kids eat well, but I’m not a health nut and don’t spend hours in the kitchen creating beautiful meals for my family. In short, my kids have not had a Twinkie-free existence and occasionally they have had frozen meatballs for dinner – still frozen. Two nights in a row.
But as the chit-chat went on and people were exchanging stories about weird food their kids love and delicious food their kids hate, I discovered I did have some interesting things to say. I made some valuable contributions including:
- One kid of mine has a favourite snack that is horribly embarrassing to admit. In fact, when I tell people what it is, they throw up a little in their mouths. My kid loves hot dogs but in the form of a cold wiener straight from the fridge. Just gagged while writing that.
- Another kid loves avocado with a squeeze of lemon. I don’t think I had avocado until I was about 30-years-old. In my humble upbringing, we would have called avacados “fancy food”!
- My kids and all of their cousins have the same favourite fruit called “sour apple”. It is sliced apple in a bowl, drenched in lemon juice.
- The one food I can serve up that each kid will eat without complaint is pesto on pasta. Now, it’s interesting to note that they actually make the pesto. They plant the basil in the backyard and when pesto making day is upon us, they pick the basil and go shopping for the other ingredients. This begs the question – is there a connection between kids being involved in their food and liking their food?
A strange food fact about me also made its way into the conversation, leaving people shocked and horrified. What is this shocking food news? I’ve never had a milkshake. Ever. Not once in my 39 years of life.
So go on – what creepy, weird food does your kid like? Or, have you reached the age of 40 and never tried sushi or tasted kiwi fruit? The best thing that came out of this whole Twitter party food chat is all the milkshakes I’ve had promised to me in the last few days!
Comments: 12Three Quick Tips For Maintaining A Playroom
March 25th, 2010
Written by: Tanna Clark
No sooner do you get the toy room organized than the kids seem to tear it apart quicker than you got it together. Here are a few tips to break this crazy cycle!
1. First weed through the items that your kids have outgrown. If these toys are still in the mix they are simply getting shuffled around for no reason.
2. Give your kids less options. Kids get overwhelmed just like we do. If they have too many options it is harder to decide what to play with. Take out half of their toys and put them on a rotation. Once they start getting bored with what is available, bring out the toys in storage and it will be like Christmas all over again.
3. Lead by example. Help with clean up before moving on to something else. Teach your kids the maintenance end; they learn by example not by constant nagging!
Happy 7th Birthday Mabel’s Labels!
March 24th, 2010
Written by: Caitlin Madden
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