Weekly Awards

It's been a long time since we did the weekly awards; they're back!

• Best Martha Stewart moment: homemade marshmallows! (these were not too difficult to make, but also could have won an award for biggest mess ever made in the kitchen... a story for another time; I'll leave it to your imagination for now. Let's just say it involved boiling sugar, corn syrup, and gelatine... nobody got hurt, but kids... don't try this at home alone!)

• Best DIY-er:Karl working on the pantry part of our basement development

• Best frost in 2008: January 25...
• Understatement of the Year Award: "Karl's Happy To Be Working From Home..." January 28: -49*C with windchill. Yes, this photo is of the inside of our front door, 10am, with frost on screws of the metal lock. We didn't leave the house for a while!

• Best Sleep-fighter (he sleeps well at home actually, but fights it when there's action to be had, plus I was really just showing off his cute "bearly sleeping" Hatley sleeper that Grandma Jacquie got him in Kananaskis! Came with a hat too, so cute.) Caleb discovered his fingers in the middle of this photo shoot and they were much more interesting than the camera!
• Best illustrated health warning: DON'T SWALLOW YOUR GUM!
• Best January Date Night in Calgary: Zoolights (if it's warm out!)
• Easiest step you'll take to becoming environmentally friendly: freecycle! Freecycle has been my best friend over the last several weeks. It's an online, nonprofit movement of over 4 million people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free. "...It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills..." Basically, you post whatever it is you want to get rid of, and whoever wants it emails you and says, "hey, pick me! pick me! I'll come by and pick that up tomorrow..." and you put it on your front step and it's gone the next day! Lovin' it. Did I mention we're developing our basement? Yeah, we had some stuff to get rid of! Incidentally, you can also post "wanted" ads on there. So I am the proud new owner of a free bread machine! I shouldn't brag too much yet though, I need to see if it works first :) Anyway, freecycle is all over north america, so check the site for a group in your town; if there isn't one yet, get one started* (*keep in mind that this would likely cease to be the "easiest step" you'll ever take to becoming environmentally friendly! This award only refers to the act of keeping something out of a landfill by giving something away or picking something up.)
• Creepiest supper dish (click for a wonderful close up):

Stay tuned early next week for pictures from our Chinese New Year celebration party with the family happening tomorrow night...