With a husband who can cook and make everything taste good, I sometimes find myself intimidated in the kitchen. I know he can cook much, much better than I can so it only makes sense for me not to interfere, right? Thus, I'll stick with the simpler things that require less prep and effort, such as appetizers and desserts. While walking through Whole Foods one day, I came across a sampling table where customers could try a bruschetta goat cheese canapé. It was so tasty and easy to make that I picked up a package of Woolrich Dairy Chevrai Bruschetta Goat Cheese to keep in the fridge for when company came over. For the bases, I decided to use Villaggio Whole Wheat Sliced Bread cut into squares and toasted to add a hint of crispiness.

For this recipe, I used four slices of Villaggio Italian Style bread. Trim the crust, which can later be used to make bread crumbs. Cut into squares or use a cutter to make more interesting bite-size shapes.

The holidays are in full swing and this usually means that A) you will host dinner guests, B) friends and family will have you over for dinner, or C) a combination of both A) and B). Whether you're hosting or dining as guests, I have a simple, no-bake recipe for a super delicious dessert that will have your friends and relatives begging for more. I like to call it the Cool Whip Pudding With Chocolate Wafers Layer Cake. And you think the name is a mouthful?

A few weeks ago, I set out on a challenge to buy some items on my holiday to-do list at Walmart's Etobicoke store. With a $100 gift card in hand, I made it my mission to find a couple of Christmas presents for the kiddies, a fresh stash of wrapping paper and perhaps a couple of scrapbooking items for little ol' me. I joined a group of local bloggers as we were given a tour of the store and as soon as it was over, I made a bee-line for the toy section. Top on my list was a purple Furby for my daughter. I couldn't have been luckier. There were only two left - one in pink and yes! One in purple! AND they were on sale to boot! The list price is about $70 but I found them at Walmart for $52.77. My husband had been bugging me to get one sooner because he thought they would sell out for sure. On Walmart.ca, I noticed that their selection of Furby is currently out of stock. Boy, am I glad I found one in-store!

As I made my way through the toy aisles looking for gift ideas, I happened across the Leap Frog Touch Magic Learning Bus along with a number of other Leap Frog toys that would be perfect for my one-year-old niece.

Every Christmas, it is almost a given that the kids will receive at least one toy that is battery operated. Oftentimes, the culprit is my brother who aims to purposely find the most loud and obnoxious sounding toy on the market. Actually, he's only ever done that once. Or twice. But now that he has a daughter of his own, it's payback time! Okay, I will probably avoid the loudest toy I can find but at the very least I will be sure to throw in a stash of batteries. And they won't be your plain old batteries. They will be Duracell rechargeable batteries. 

The Duracell Quick Charger is handy to have on a holiday trip with the family. It is small enough to fit in your carry-on luggage and provides a fast way to recharge your batteries, taking only one hour to charge them. It has a built-in fold-out wall plug which makes it even more compact and easy to store. This charger includes two AA and two AAA rechargeable batteries with Duralock Power Preserve™ Technology, now guaranteed for two years in storage. The Duracell Quick Charger has a suggested retail price of $24.99. 

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One of my favourite things to do over the holidays is pull out our huge and growing collection of board games. There is something about sitting around the table with family and friends enjoying a good challenge that gets me all excited. It probably has something to do with the fact that I am very competitive by nature. What can I say? I love a good thinking game! This year, we have a new board game that will be sure to get many hours of play - Rubik's Race.

After having kids, I have noticed that my sense of smell has become much more heightened. I am sure it's Mother Nature's way of helping new moms protect their little ones from dangers in their immediate surroundings. Common household odours such as chemicals in cleaning solutions or the residual odours from frying or burning food in the kitchen seem to be detectable mostly by me. Sometimes I walk out the front door and I can smell burnt bacon on my clothes even though it was my husband who did the cooking. And let's not mention that I am mildly allergic to dust mites. Let's focus, rather, on fresh air and how we can limit exposure to indoor air pollutants by using the Bionaire Allergen Remover Mini Tower Air Purifier.

The holidays are fast approaching and I couldn't be more excited. It is the perfect time to spend with family and friends. It's a time to laugh, a time to cuddle, a time to make memories. We have already taken the kids to see Santa and have their picture taken, which turned out great, might I add. But when I look back at photos from Christmases passed, a part of me feels a hint of sadness knowing that my kids will never be this small again. Their tiny hands have become more dexterous and their feet are growing at an alarming rate. Oh, how I miss holding my son when he was a wee lad sucking on his two fingers. Or cradling my first-born as I sang her a lullaby before bedtime. As I wipe away a tear or two, I can't help but feel a sense of regret that I never took the time to make a nice little imprint of my children's hands and feet. I look at how big they are now and find it very difficult to recall how small they once were. This is why I am eager to share with you all of the wonderful ways you can preserve these memories through Memories Made. 

As a member of the Kelloggers Network, I was sent a couple of boxes of Rice Krispies and decorations to create some festive edibles such as ornaments. I decided to try something different and attempted a gingerbread house of sorts. As you can see, the structural stability of said house remains questionable. In hindsight, I should have allowed the roof to harden a bit more before placing on the walls of the house. The lack of architectural planning resulted in immediate consumption, much to my dismay.

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