Some new food favourites

In addition to being a place for me to vent and tell funny stories about my kids, this blog is all about sharing. So in that spirit, here are some favourite new food products I've discovered lately. Enjoy!

It's on my keener mom to-do list to get a waffle maker, but in the meantime, I've just been buying the frozen kind. We've tried a bunch of different brands and flavours and we finally hit a winner with Compliments Banana Waffles (available at Sobeys, Foodland, IGA, Fresh Co. and Price Chopper stores). These smell delicious while they're toasting and are a big hit with both kids - Ella just told me that I need to start buying two boxes a week.

Our new favourite salsa is Neal Brothers All Natural Corn Salsa. I think I got this jar in a Christmas gift box from work, but I've seen this brand around (sometimes in the organic section). It's packed with flavour and a little kick that's totally manageable (although it may be too hot for the kids). Believe me, you have no idea how blah your usual salsa tastes until you try this one!

I know all you loose-leaf tea snobs out there will laugh at me, but I'm pretty loyal to Tetley these days. In particular, their Green and White Tea lines, like the delicious naturally decaf Lychee Pear Green Tea. Yes, the cute packaging played a part in my purchase, but I also really enjoy the light flavours, which are a nice alternative when I want a cup of tea on these hot summer evenings.

Finally, I have to give a triple thumbs up to Tim Hortons' Raspberry Frozen Lemonade, which is perhaps the best thing that's been invented in a long time. Everyone in our family (yes, including Ryan) love these and we're now visiting Tim Hortons several times a week. Thank goodness their $1 price (for a small) means we don't feel guilty about our repeat visits.

Favourite things: lip balms

Maria can keep her raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens - I've got lip balms! My makeup routine is pretty basic so I don't have a cupboard full of beauty supplies. I do, however, have a little obsession with lip balms. For me, lip balms are little pieces of happiness you can carry around in your purse. They're (relatively) cheap, you don't need a mirror to apply them and they make your lips feel good. If I'm ever in need of a little pick-me-up, I know getting a new lip balm will often do the trick.

I have a purse full of them (guess I need lots of pick-me-ups!), but here are three of my favourites:

The Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick is my all-time favourite lip balm. A tube of it always sits in my night table and I use it every single night before I go to bed. It has a super smooth texture that feels like silk gliding over your lips (not that I've ever slid silk over my lips) and it's never cakey or gloppy. It has a mild, herbal smell that makes you think it must be good for you. It's a tad on the pricey side but it's worth it.



I bought a few of these Herbal Lip Therapy Super-Healing Lip Balm from Priya Means Love as Christmas gifts for some friends and decided I should really try it out, too. They're handmade and all organic. They come in a cute little tin with their 'made by' and 'enjoy by' dates handwritten on the back. I love the herbal smell and the teeny tiny bit of colour that comes with it.

The eos (evolution of smooth) lip balm is the latest addition to my collection - I bought the Sweet Mint just a few days ago. It goes on super smooth and has a nice minty tingle. But this lip balm is really all about the looks. It comes in a cute little egg-shaped container in a range of candy colours and it looks great sitting on my counter. It's also 100% natural, 95% organic and gluten free.



The good news is that there's no shortage of lip balms to try out. Next on my wish list are the Baby Lips by Maybelline - apparently it's what all the models were using at Toronto Fashion Week.