suzette roberts

// Abigail Halpin: Finding Wild

Swooning over this beautiful beautiful children's book: Finding Wild, by Megan Wagner Lloyd with colourful, nature bountiful illustrations by Abigail Halpin. Using bolder blues and greens with pops of sunshine garden colours, Abigail Halpin brings to blissful life, creative simplicity, quiet wildchild celebrations with Mother Nature, and the inspiring message of finding all things lovely as we immerse ourselves 'with the wild' far and near. A delightful read and keeper for both young children and grown-ups...

// Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Hello March! Somewhere in the very early 80's while at my high school graduation, totally clueless as to what the larger than life world had in store for a simple island girl who only wanted to swim in the warm salty sea, fly wide-bodied jets, eat fish and ice cream, and have a really good time, this, always a hit flavour with so many of our young kids, was born... becoming the best-selling flavour in 1983. Years later, deeply buried in classroom teaching, wings clipped and mostly grounded, this indulgent flavour continued to live on, as proof with the gazillion Favourite Ice Cream Flavours pictographs created by my kids at varying grade levels, and many times by-passing any reference to the usual chocolate and strawberry. What happened? It's simple... Cookies and Cream Ice Cream has a no-explanation-needed feel of extra-fun with all the sweet and sandwiched crunchies in the mix for both our younger and older kids. And it's still happening...

Have a refreshing weekend, and thanks so much for all my treats this week. I needed every. single. one. of them. :) Music and more after the jump... ~xx

// Have a Loving Family Day Weekend.~

{rustic-style homemade french fries; it started in a dream weeks ago...}

 

... where I was once again on a ship cruising the Atlantic with my last Grade 3 group. All my kids were enjoying fries: some had just one fry in hand, some two, others a few, and one or two an entire bucket. It made me laugh, but it also made me feel really good inside to see them sharing their golden goods and having a grand time with each other in casual style while taking in the majestic blue... #life #love #heartful Happy Valentine's(!) afternoon and/ or evening wherever you are in the world. Have a sweet one, and have a very loving long weekend. Happy Family Day to you and yours! More after the jump... ~xx

// CXBO Chocolates

I'm always amazed with how easy it is to find colourful unexpected inspiration with just a few early a.m. flips of our local morning paper... This new-to-me Chocolate Shop: CXBO Chocolates, nestled in the heart of our Toronto city, offers an award winning collection of handcrafted jewel-like signature chocolates, and other confections created by Chef Brandon Olsen, a self-taught chocolatier, and Sarah Keenlyside, an artist and filmmaker. The magic that happens when creative minds collide... 'Totally smitten and will definitely be indulging in a few must-try flavours later in the week. Click within the images (after the jump) to learn more...

// Dark Deviled Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream

Chocolate, upon chocolate, upon chocolate... taking this month's official new flavour: Dark Deviled Chocolate Fudge into the world of our young children. Back in the day, I was always amazed with our boys' never-ending desire to add more and more chocolate syrup to their already very generous scoop(s) of chocolate ice cream, making a dark potion of some sort with the added syrup, and enjoying it to the very last drop, straws optional. And not to mention the not surprizing double-layer chocolate birthday cake request, each and every year to go along with... you guessed it, chocolate ice cream of course. It's in the DNA. :) To kick off a fresh new year of frozen flavours, celebrating our kids and this month's National Bittersweet Chocolate Day (and because Valentines is also right around the corner), I happily dived into this decadent treat with a focus on its traditional beginnings using just bittersweet (dark) chocolate, and lots of it, to create this deeply rich and indulgent dessert... A few behind-the-scenes photos of its early in-the-making days after the jump. Have a luxurious weekend. ~xo

// Hello December!: Maintaining Our Classroom Team Spirit

Hello December(!) and what a year it's been!!

First up, on a very happy and celebratory note, I have to share (if you are not already in the know)... our Official NORAD Santa Tracker is up and busy and yep our kids (and many of us teachers, shamelessly) are always in... :)

 

Wow! I don't think we can overdo our exclamation marks for the year that has just evolved with all of it's happenings, and well-needed changes along the way looking back on our last 12 months. Now that my work in Education has transitioned into webinars, compliance, and research, I still reflect quite often with a huge smile, much laughter, grace, and gratitude on those super-busy hands on years in the classroom, and with our various well-structured learning centers. If I were to choose just one word to describe what makes a classroom (or group) soar to incredible heights and goodness that transcends outwards into the larger world, it would be 'Respect'... respect for our individual selves, respect for those who we serve: our families, friends, business relations, and in general, each other. Once we are committed to this very wholesome and defining principle, the rest is easy, as it lends itself to kindness, doing the right thing, and living a life that we can look back on with appreciation, fulfillment, and feel that lightness, lift, and healthy inner elegance we are meant to have in our everyday lives...