Counting Down the Minutes to the Long Weekend

In Canada, the Victoria Day long weekend is the official kick-off of summer. It may not be warm enough to really say its summer yet, but this is the beginning of it all...and I can't wait. We've got a fun weekend planned, including lots of much needed down time.

We're going to hit up the farmers market tomorrow morning for some fresh produce and maybe even grab breakfast at the park while we're there.

Then it's back to the apartment to plant up the rest of our container garden this year. I love how it makes our little porch feel like home.

By Whiskey's request, we'll be taking a hike through our favourite forest and fields. 

Then it's off to my parents' place on Sunday for a little R&R on their back porch with the family.

All my mom asked for for Mother's Day was to have all of us help her dig up her garden this year, but unfortunately we had snow and hail last weekend, so we postponed it to this weekend.

After that, we can kick back on a nice boat ride down the river.

Followed by dinner plans at my uncle's house on the lake.

And finish the weekend off with fireworks.

Monday's plan...is to have nothing planned. Just relaxing at home. Tinkering around with projects at the house. And most definitely have an afternoon nap with Whiskey.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

How to Use Mason Jars With a Blender

After the last post on The Return of the Blue Mason Jar, it reminded me to share this great way to utilize your mason jar in the kitchen!

I'm not really a morning person, so over the last few years I've really tried to streamline my mornings. One of my favourite ways to do that is by swapping out my usual breakfast with a smoothie. They are a great way to make a healthy meal for on-the-go and they just so happen to be delicious too. I load them up with frozen fruit, protein powder and coconut water/milk or make an awesome Mint Chocolate Green Monster Smoothie. I like knowing I'm getting a good meal in first thing, before the craziness of the day sets in and I forget to eat.

The only downside to making a smoothie in the morning is the clean up - washing an entire huge blender just to make one smoothie is not fun, especially when you get protein powder stuck on it. I've tried using a Magic Bullet before, but it never seemed to be powerful enough to blend the frozen fruit. More times than not, I'll just make a quick protein shake (water + protein powder in a shaker cup) and grab a banana. Not very exciting, but at least it's quick.

Then I found out that you can use a mason jar with your blender and make single serving smoothies - and breakfasts just got fun again!

It turns out that the threads of regular mason jars fits the threads of most blenders. Apparently blenders used to come with a mason jar as an accessory for blending smaller amounts, but over the years manufacturers stopped adding them in.

To see if your blender is compatible with a mason jar, attached the blade and twist on the cap. As long as the blades are not touching the inside of the glass and the seal is tight, then you're good to go. You may need to swap out a regular mouth mason jar for a wide mouth mason jar depending on your blender.

A few important safety tips:

• Only use real mason jars - they're made with tempered glass and can stand up to the pressure of the blending without breaking. Don't use old spaghetti sauce or mayo jars, which are often made with thinner, more fragile glass.
• Never blend hot liquids, such as soups. The hole in the top of your blender is there to allow pressure and steam to escape. Since the jar does not have a hole at the top, the pressure might cause the jar to explode.
• Make sure that the rubber seal on your blender is in good condition. and fits properly on the jar. You can do a test using half a jar of water and see if there is any leakage. If there is, replace the rubber seal.

To make my smoothie, I fill up my 1 quart mason jar about halfway, leaving some space for it to blend. I like to add in frozen fruit first (strawberries, bananas, peaches, blueberries, etc.), then pour in the liquid (coconut milk, coconut water, greek yogurt with a little milk) and then add in a scoop of vanilla protein powder. A few pulses and my smoothie is all blended up and frothy. Just the way I like them.

Smoothies are great, but there are lots of other great uses for swapping out your blender for a mason jar:

• Frozen Coffee Drinks
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Single Serving Margaritas (Everyone can have their favourite flavour!)
• Chopped Onions
• Chopped Nuts
• Alfredo Sauce
• Pesto
• Egg Omelet
• Filling for Chicken Quesadillas
• Grinding Spices

Dig that old blender out of the basement, grab a mason jar and make a smoothie this week! It's a nice refreshing breakfast for the warmer months ahead.

As I was whipping up this morning's smoothie, I seemed to grab someone else's attention. I guess he was wanting to get in on that strawberry-banana action too.

And if you're wondering how he was able to see up on the dining room table...

He went into meerkat mode. 

This is his favourite way to see onto tables, smell particularly high flowers, look both ways at intersections when we cross (drivers always crack up when they see that) or peek over the bed to see if it's safe to jump up for morning cuddles (he waits until we're awake). His little quirks really do make life more interesting.

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The Return of the Blue Mason Jar

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the "Perfect Mason Jar", Ball  has released limited edition blue Heritage Collection Pint Jars. Even if I can't think of something to use them for right now, I need to get a case of these...for future decor emergencies.

They're embossed with the vintage Ball logo on the front and anniversary dates on the back. Ball has also released an interesting video which gives a snapshot into how these glass jars are made.

Of course they are meant for canning, but I always think they're too pretty to keep tucked away in a pantry.

Source: incolororder.blogspot.com on Pinterest

In recent years, vintage blue Ball mason jars have been showing up on Etsy, Ebay and in vintage markets, and have become quite the collector's item. Ball reported a 31% increase in jar sales in 2012, which can be mostly likely attributed to the popularity of using them in home decor and crafting.

Did you know that the original blue tint was used because it was believed to block some light from reaching the food inside, and thus preserving it longer? Amber, dark green, milk glass and black are even more rare.

Source: countryliving.com on Pinterest

More and more often, we're seeing these classic blue jars show up in decor. It's a fun little punch of colour and maybe a nod to simpler times too.

Source: firstadream.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Now we even have jewelry and artwork honouring this classic symbol of country life. Homes and restaurants alike are using them as drinking glasses.

Source: etsy.com on Pinterest

Katie Daisy is one of my favourite contemporary artists, and even she has been bitten by the blue mason jar bug. You can check out come of her prints in our Gallery Wall.

On on vacation to Fort Myers, Florida this February, I spotted some original blue jars at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. The just fit in right at home in this turn of the century kitchen.

If you're unable to order the new jars and can't find any of the vintage ones, you can create your own! Using glass paint diluted in acetone, you can stain regular glass jars, making it waterproof to use them as vases. I've also seen a tinted mod podge method which works great for decor items, but cannot get wet.

I've seen some fantastic ideas on how to use mason jars in pantries, baking and storage, but I still think they look great in decor, especially with flowers. I used them as vases for DIY Wedding Flowers my mother and I made for a friends' wedding. I have a couple of stems of hydrangeas sitting on my kitchen table in a mason jar right now!

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com on Pinterest

A row of vintage blue jars, filled with a rainbow of hydrangeas.

Mimosa Bar {Bridal Shower Idea}

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a friend Niki's bridal shower and her sister, Jessie, had set up an awesome Mimosa Bar!

This is a great idea for anyone who is planning a bridal shower, baby shower, birthday party or brunch. It was a huge hit with all the ladies.

Jessie found these great bottles at the dollar store, that remind me of a genie bottle. Rather than having cartons of juice sitting around, she poured them into these fun bottles.

Each bottle was labeled with a tag, that Jessie made herself. Cut out cardstock with pinking shears, glue on a flower decal, add a little fun ribbon and then write the name of the juice.

There was pink grapefruit juice, orange juice, white cranberry strawberry cocktail and mango lemonade (my personal favourite!).

Each guest mixed their juice with champagne or non-alcoholic sparkling wine, kept cool in this bucket of ice. There was also white wine and red wine for those who wanted something different.

Wine glasses with paper umbrellas and wine charms were set out for guests to help themselves.

On the other side of the room, a large dispenser of lemon and lime water was set out. A great thirst quencher on a hot sunny day. It's always a good idea to serve water or non-alcoholic drinks at a party, especially as the weather gets warmer.

Often when I have people over for a party, I think long and hard about what kind of food I'd like to serve, but I sometimes forget about fun beverages that you can make. They really do add some fun to the festivities!

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Whiskey Loves His Family

Last weekend, Whiskey and I packed up the car and headed out to my parents' house for a long awaited visit. Between travel, work and school, it had been 10 weeks since my family had all been in the same country together. Then I realized that Whiskey hadn't seen any of my family since Christmas - over 4 months without a visit. I knew that he was going to go berserk when he saw them.

An enthusiastic hello to my sister {Summer 2011}

He is always super excited when he sees my family, Garrett's family or even close friends, but I knew that this one was going to be one for the books. So I grabbed the camera, called my mom to get everyone in one room before we showed up and then watched to see what happened.

...let's just say that he missed our family as much as I did, he just has an enthusiastic way of showing it.

Whiskey Loves His Family from Small Home Big Start on Vimeo.

It was almost like he would see one person, go crazy and then see another person across the room ("oh, you're here TOO!") and run over to them for some lovin'. After this, we let him outside with Shadow for a bit, and then he came back in and did the whole routine over again. He really couldn't believe that they were all there.

Whiskey and I are coming up on our 4th anniversary next month. It's hard to believe that it's been that long, but at the same time if feels like he's been a part of my family forever. He loves my family so much and it warms my heart to see how much they love him too (even when he does not-so-great things...like chewing holes in socks).

Playing around with my brother {Christmas 2009}

Sleeping on the porch, on my mama's lap {Summer 2010}

Hanging out on a cannon {Quebec City, Summer 2009}

Keeping warm on a boat ride {Summer 2009}

Snuggled up on the beach on his first family {Maine, Summer 2009}

We're heading back this weekend to see them all again for Mother's Day. I'm sure he'll go nuts again when he sees them. Nothing makes you feel loved quite like an 11lb mutt diving onto your lap to give you kisses because he missed you so much.