Celebrating life....

So, I'm here.... just trying to recover from a busy week and FANTASTIC Celebration of Life party for our girl, Becky....

I don't think the party could have went any better.... Kim, your attention to detail is amazing. From the hanging 'bubbles', to the thumbprint guestbook and string of happy thoughts, to the luminary ceremony.... You should be so proud of your vision of what Becky would have wanted and expected.

You know she's proud, right? LOL! And everyone who knows and loves you, are so proud of your accomplishments.... not to mention, so willing to help; because, we're friends.... and that's what friends do.

Looking around that night, seeing tears, laughter, hugs, dancing, children playing, people eating.... things were just as they should have been.

A celebration.... For a woman who was friends to so many, who loved her family without condition or question, who made her friends feel like family, who gave so much even when she was not feeling well herself, who laughed, who opened her heart, who fought a battle to the bitter end and NEVER gave up hope....


These are the things we'll keep in our hearts and memories forever.... Let's live our lives the way Becky did....

Let's Celebrate Life....

;) xo

Friday night video....

My new favourite training song.... Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger....



And, here's another, just because I felt like it.... Dropkick Murphy's -
I'm Shipping Up To Boston....



Enjoy your friday people ;)

16 days to go....

With just over 2 weeks left til the Weekend to End Women's Cancers Walk in Toronto, I'm feeling very excited and proud to be a part of such an important movement.... and to be walking in honour of such an amazing woman, friend, sister, kind-hearted angel.... Becky.... my heart is overwhelmed with emotion....



I watched this video today for the first time since our team fundraising tea in May. I know that I am a part of something amazing. And I am certain that joining this movement will help the healing.

Becky, you are my inspiration.... We miss you everyday.... And I know come walk day, you'll be smiling down upon us and cheering us on.... Right? :)

xo ;)

Squeaky clean....

Something new in the shop!


More scrubbies! Made out of the softest, 100% cotton baby yarn.... scrumptious! They're good for dishes too, that is, if you feel your dishes need that extra special touch of softness....

Have a great day people ;)

Birthdays and friends....

Mr. Middle Monkey has a birthday party to attend today for a girl he started junior kindergarten with.... they've remained friends for the past 3 years and they get along really, really well.

These relationships; you know, the boy-girl kind, are the relationships that we tell our boys are no big deal even if other kids think so. They're 8 and 7 now, and school is getting tough, and the separation of the sexes is beginning. Boys are only allowed to play with boys, and girls with girls. A silly rule made up by some kids, and a rule that they (boys and girls) use to keep their friends from playing with children of the opposite sex. The point we make to them is that people like different people for different reasons, and that it's important to surround yourself with people you like and who like you.... it doesn't matter if they're boys or girls, what matters is that they are friends.

My boys both have good friends who are girls. And as parents, we are very proud of that. They are showing that they can think for themselves and not really care what their other friends think. Hopefully this is something that will stick with them right through their high school years when the peer pressure is at its peak.... ok, lets put on the brakes.... I don't even want to think about high school and the dating and the driving and all of the other bad things I did, I mean, that other kids did in high school ;)

Aaaanyway.... Mr. Middle Monkey picked some pretty unconventional gifts for his friend E. Which I am also proud of.... he could have just picked a girl toy; but he decided on a really funky throw pillow for her bed, some equally girly puffy polka-dot wall decals, a flowery journal, and of course our favourite pictionary card game. He also asked me, THIS MORNING, if I could make something from my 'store' for her. I love that he is so proud of what his Mommy does, and I have HUGE issues with not being able to come through for him (or any of my monkeys).... so-o, since I couldn't just 'whip-up' a skull and crossbones hat in the colours of his choice this morning at 10:00am and have it ready for 1:00pm.... I hooked up something that looks like a little more work than it really is but is really cute and useful too.... A neck warmer that looks cool with a denim jacket for fall and is still very functional for winter weather....


Hopefully she likes his gift, he was sure she would love the 'lots of colours pillow'....

Here's a close-up of the neck warmer....


The buttons were hand picked by Mr. Middle Monkey, and are not just for decoration....


I think I might just need one for myself.... Have a great day people ;)

Friday night video....

Usher.... Yeah.... I'm so crushin' on Usher :P



Have a great friday night ;)

It's all mine....

Ok, so by now, you're probably all getting a little tired of my obsession with aluminum ware; but, too bad :P

Here's another thrifty find I couldn't pass up!


The kitchy-est little double boiler, don't you think? I'm bursting at the seams with this stuff.... When I first decided I 'needed' a collection of aluminum, my intentions were to just find a few (7) coffee percolators and tea pots to display on top of my kitchen cupboards.... well, with the addition of this one, my cupboards are looking a little too overdone :(

Something has to go.... but not today, I'm going to mull it over for a bit, do some re-arranging and shuffling about.... I'm sure I can make IT. ALL. FIT.... Mr. Monkey is not so sure.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.... this little buddy only set me back $3.00 plus tax at my favourite 'Thrift Store'.... great find, I say.

I'll return later for this weeks installment of the Friday Night Video.... any requests??? Have a great day my lovelies ;)

Super diaper baby and something new in the shop....

I don't know if I've mentioned before that Monday mornings throughout the summer have been camp day for the monkeys.... My friend Kim, who is the brain-child of many FANTASTIC ideas, came up with the idea of creating our own kid camp for the summer. So, myself and the lovely ladies I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the past few years, have come together to provide Monday mornings full of fun, education and friendship....

Not only is this a great way to keep the kids active and together, it also allows us Moms and Dads to keep connected throughout the summer months as well. Win-win, I say!

Aaaanyway, today was Art-in-the Park day.... and as the name suggests, well, the kids did art projects.... in the park. Lots of fun, great weather, terrific friends, and a little food to fill our tums at lunch.... couldn't have asked for a better morning....

Well, the creativity didn't end there for one of my little monkeys.... Mr. Middle Monkey, after reading a few more chapters of The Adventures of Super-Diaper Baby grabbed pencil and paper and drew these little guys....


I love it! And I love watching my littles paint, draw, write.... doing anything creative really. Maybe because I love creative projects myself? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love watching them play sports too, I guess I just feel connected to them in a different way because much of my own childhood up to college revolved around painting and drawing.... On Mommy and Daddy's to-do list: Creating the 'Kid's Art Wall'.... that'll be something I get to hopefully before Christmas.... I said, 'hopefully' ;)

And this just in.... in the shop, that is.... Sea Star Washies!


Check them out! I'm thinking they'd make fantastic additions to a new baby gift basket.... although, they aren't just for baby.... they're also great for adults and for using on your dishes.... multi-functional!

I'm off to whip up some more! Have a great night all ;)

Oops! Friday night video on Saturday.... again!

This one's for my boy monkeys.... they LOVE The Police and this is their favourite Police song.... Message in a Bottle, released in 1979 on the second album by the band, titled Reggatta de Blanc....



I was 8 years old when this album was released, it was before music videos were the norm.... we had to listen to our albums on turntables with dull needles; and the crackling sound that a dusty record made, at the time was maddening; but, now sparks nostalgic feelings for me....

Enjoy and have a great weekend ;)

30 days and counting....

So, I have 30 days left til the Weekend to End Women's Cancers Walk.... I'm ready physically; but, emotionally.... that's a whole other story.

When you lose someone you love so dearly, and at such a young age.... well, the questions are many and the answers so few.

Last night, my friend Kim and I went to tidy Becky's house while her husband and kids were away. It was the first time I've been to the house since Becky's passing. It was tough.

For the first half hour, I couldn't get my bearings. I walked around the house trying to make sense of things; but realized that I was there to help a friend, and that I just needed to suck it up and get down to business.

Being in the kitchen was the hardest part for me. That's where we spent most of our time comparing Mommy notes.

I realized how much I really miss her; and that I haven't really dealt with the reality. I still have moments where I tell myself, "Right.... she's really gone." She still feels so close.

When am I going to be able to make peace with her passing? When will it stop hurting so much? Why, why, why did she have to be the one?

Questions, I know, will never be answered.

I'm ready to walk for Becky. I'm glad that Greg and the kids will be there to meet me at the end.... I wish it were different and that Becky would be there too.

Life can be so unfair.

Yummy, I hope....

So, I've always loved the idea of canning my own food. In the past I've done some preserving; like freezer jams, apple butter, apple sauce, strawberries (frozen).... Well, yesterday, we took a trip to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market with some friends.... I love St. Jacobs and the market. It's a cute little town full of little shops surrounded by a very large Mennonite population, and the market is the largest I have ever been to. It's a feast not only for the eyes, but every other sense as well.

My kids love checking out all of the booths; food, craft, and everything else in between.

Anyhow, I've always wanted to try pickling beans.... Hot, spicy beans. I purchased some beautiful yellow beans for $3.... TONS of beans.... ok, so not TONS; but enough to do 2 quart jars. I just kind of winged the recipe. You know; 1 part vinegar, 1 part water, salt, peppercorns, hot chilis, LOTS of garlic and a sprig of dill in each jar, processing.

And, voila! Check it out!


If nothing else, they sure are purdy! I'll know in 3 weeks if I've got a winner or a flub.... Mr. Monkey is not totally convinced that my 'winging it' will pan out. Ahhhh, recipe-shmecipe, who needs one.... Ummm, maybe I should hold that thought for about 3 weeks....

Have a great day everyone ;)

The newest addition....

I've been waiting to meet these little guys in person for a looooong time.... and today, I finally brought them home....


I've been scouting for a set of these aluminum canisters for what seems like forever, and though I've seen them online like a ka-jillion (yeah, it's a word - in the Monkey-Momma dictionary); a-hem, like a ka-jillion times, I can't seem to bring myself to pay the horrendous shipping charges, or have the patience to have them shipped to either my sister in Massachusetts or my in-laws in Florida and then have to wait for someone to bring them home to Canada....

Aaaanyway, I found them today at an antique market - a place not too far away from me that I like to browse, but rarely purchase as usually the prices in places like that are jacked up way too high. However, this set of three and bonus extra 'sugar' were only $12.50.... How could I pass them up? Well, I couldn't so they are sitting on my counter as we speak, waiting to be suds up then filled....

I'm really quite excited, I've never had canisters before.... it'll be interesting to see if I like them or if I just find them annoying to have cluttering my workspace.... Do you have canisters or do you find items like that useless?

Anyhow, people.... I'm off to finish up some more Sea Star washies.... have a very restful night ;)

New and coming soon to the shop....

For a while now, I've been throwing around the idea of adding a wider selection of 'stuff' to my etsy shop. You know, I'm a little more diverse craft-wise, than just hats, I really am.... I love ALL things crafty.

And as I admitted yesterday, I have a new obsession: finding fun and totally vintage patterns and pattern books. I've already added one vintage pattern of a cute kids/teens cotton dress/cover-up to the shop; and will be adding the other books that I just found too.

I've also been really liking the hand embellished kitchen towels that I've seen in stores, on etsy and elsewhere.... I decided to try my hand at that as well. Yesterday I added this cute little lady to the shop.... of course, this is an in progress picture, you can find the finished towel in the shop....


Secretly, I'm thinking that if it doesn't sell quickly, I'll just add it to my own kitchen towel drawer because I like it that much ;)

And, AND! The sea star washies are working up very nicely and quite quickly.... there'll be sets of those available later in the week, too.

I dunno what's going on with me... wasn't I just saying recently that I wasn't feeling much like crafting? Well, that drought seems to have passed. My mind is racing a mile a minute with different project ideas, and just last night after I had the kiddies tucked into bed, I whipped up a hip sack for Hammy. The boys have had their own for quite some time. They use them every time we go on a hike. They tuck their rocks, leaves, and anything else they find into them. And this time, I took pictures of the process.... I'm hoping to find the time to make up a tutorial for the hip sack soon.

Aaaanyway, nothing more to add today.... hope you all have a great day ;)

Vintage and thrifting....

Yesterday, on the way to Nanny's place, the monkeys and I spotted a garage sale. I don't normally stop.... and that's not to say that I don't like garage sale-ing, I do. I love it just as much as I love thrifty shopping, I just generally don't stop on my own with all the monkeys.... anyway....

My middle monkey spotted teak salad bowls and had to have two. Who knows what draws people to things, I don't even know why I'm drawn to certain items; but since the price was right, who am I to deny him something that he finds value in? My itty-bitty girl monkey found two sweet little wooden fridge magnets - a goose and a chicken - and wouldn't let them go.... another deal. My oldest monkey came away empty handed; but, was completely convinced that Mommy needed a 'really cool' citrus juicer.... I was very tempted, but opted for the two super cute stoneware mugs.... score!

The nice lady (who we just happened to know) charged us just .25 cents per person's purchase.... What?! .75 cents. TOTAL! We gave $1.00.... keep the change.

Here's a snapshot of the 2 stoneware beauties.... Coffee. Tea. Anyone?


Then, after our visit with Nan, we took a trip to Value Village.... remember the place I picked up the 50's nightstand? Well, it did find a home.... nestled nicely beside my chair in our living room.... I LOVE IT!


Aaaanyway, I picked up these vintage pattern books.... another new obsession.... but, holy buckets, how could I walk away from these hilarious finds?! Look at those ladies; they're stylin'! Totally feelin' that 60's/70's vibe.... And guessing by the look of the mitten booklet, I'd say it's 40's/50's.... I just love thinking of who may have bought these items, and how at the time, these styles were at the height of fashion.


Not too sure what I'll do with them, maybe list them in the shop too.... The monkeys each picked out some books; they love books, we have a ton, and buying second-hand is a real savings. I don't mind so much going through their books every now and then to weed out the ones they no longer enjoy; and since most are used, I have no attachment to them and can give them up easily.

Here are the monkey's selections....


There was also an origami book (with papers) that I couldn't pry out of my middle monkeys hands to add to the photo.... Who knew a 7-year-old would love the look of teak and appreciate the art of origami.... he surprises me at every turn. Anyhow, when you have boys (and girls) in your home between the ages of 5 and 10, Captain Underpants is a MUST! It's funny, it's comic book style, it's about all the grossness that boys find intriguing.... and most importantly, it gets them reading and engaged.... and if I'm being honest; I love the flip-o-rama as much as they do. The mini monkey is at that stage where Arthur and Dr. Seuss are where it's at.... I say, they're always where it's at.... All-in-all, the monkeys made choices that were 100% Mommy-Approved!

4 Pattern Books: .99 cents each
5 Children's Books: .99 cents each (buy 4 get one FREE)

TOTAL for 9 books: $8.36 with taxes

A fantastic and very affordable shopping day.... except, we still had to go grocery shopping.... and with three very hungry monkeys, that's never affordable :P

Have a great day everyone ;)

What's up....

Hey! It's been a while.... so sorry for the crickets chirpin' around these parts.... We've been busy having lots of summer fun, as I'm sure you have been as well.

Last night, after I got the kiddie-kats to bed, I devoted my ENTIRE night to the hook! Something I haven't done in a loooong time.... and I didn't feel even the slightest twinge of guilt, which is a major thing for me as I usually feel some degree of anxiety when I take time just for me (clearly, content for a future blog-therapy session).... Do you feel like that sometimes too?

So, aaaanyway, here's what worked up as I watched American Pickers (a new fave) and Dateline NBC (an old fave)....



Pot scrubbies; super soft baby scrubbies; and two super cute, sand colour 'sea star' washies.... Again, the scrubbie-love rears it's glorious head.... I just love making these up, they're so quick and more importantly - USEFUL! I'm hoping to make up a bunch more of the 'sea star' washies and list them in the shop.... They're the perfect size for doing dishes, washing baby (or yourself - they're not discriminating), using as a hot pad.... and anything else you can think of!

I also announced on my 3 monkeys inc facebook page that I'm NOW TAKING ORDERS (yelling through a megaphone) for skull and crossbones hats.... trying to get some of my repeat customer orders filled before the rush.... So, if you're interested in some pretty cool (or warm) and unique gifts for Christmas, check out my 3 monkeys facebook page or my mini etsy right over there on my sidebar....

Aaaanyway, just a quick little bit to let you know I'm still around and that I haven't forgotten about you.... I'll be posting this week, and will be back for sure on friday for our usual installment of the Friday Night Video.... Cheers peeps! Have a wonderful day ;)

The $5 Challenge....

With just over 1 month left til the 2011 Toronto Weekend to End Women's Cancers Walk, I have proposed a challenge to all of my Facebook Family and Friends; which I have decided to do here as well.

I challenge all of my 3 Monkeys Inc blog readers to donate just $5.00 to me to help raise money for much needed cancer research benefiting the Campbell Family Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital.

I've heard many people question where the money goes.... and trust me; I wouldn't be doing this for just any charity. I believe in the work at Princess Margaret Hospital; and I've heard and seen stories of the people who's lives have seen a positive change as a result of the work being done at PMH.

So, come on people! Are you up for the challenge?! Click the link below; then when on my personal profile page, click the Big Green Donate Online Now button - Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy!

$5 CHALLENGE for 3 Monkeys Inc Readers

Have a great Monday everyone ;)