Life With Kids Series: Halloween 2014

As the child of immigrants, I have been making my own costume since day 1. While the folks embraced Halloween, they never embraced the concept of spending their hard earned money on a silly outfit for just one day (unless of course you count my big fat Indian wedding day, in which case, yes, they spent a lot of money there, not that I'm complaining).

I grew to love making Halloween costumes and still do when I get a chance (rarely). This year, the stars aligned and my son asked to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Since he asked me while wearing his green Om home jammies, this one was a no brainer!

Om home DIY Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Costume

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 

DIY Instructions

Take one Om home Jasper pajama in green

The Top

  Cut an oval to fit on top of the pajama with yellow fabric

Sew three sides of the yellow fabric onto a fabric backing and fill it with stuffing

Sew the stuffed yellow fabric onto the green top, making sure to include both horizontal and vertical lines across the center

 Cute!

The Stripes

Using orange fabric, cut 3 3" strips and 2 5" strips, about 10" long 

(depending on the size of your child)

I folded each piece and used hem tape to iron it together

The Mask

Cut out the template with both felt and orange fabric.

Spray the orange fabric onto the felt

Sew the straps from the previous step onto each side of the mask

You can find the mask template here 

Cowabunga!

For full instructions, I recommend visiting this wonderful DIY tutorial with a thorough set of instructions. You can find the mask template here. Happy Halloween!

Om Home announcement

Om home would like to announce with deep regret, partner Toni Brem Mullen is leaving the business to focus on her family. Toni joined the business at a pivotal time and with her help, we brought Om home to the next level. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her contributions and to wish her the best of luck in the future. Keep well Toni.

Stay tuned for lots of exciting changes, we will be re-launching during the summer with lots of fun new goodies, including new pjs! Thanks so much for your continued support! -- Oorbee

Happy Anniversary!

We launched Om Home's kids collection about a year ago and we couldn't be more thrilled and proud of all the support and encouragement we've received. The best feedback is that our PJs are ones you look for in the drawer; the first ones your kids put on after the laundry is done. Love that! 
Toni & Oorbee xo

Life with Kids Series: Healthy and Yummy Chicken Fingers

Hands down, this one is an all around winner. Semi-picky daughter took seconds. Super-healthy husband wants to pack and sell the mixture. Over-indulgent me licked the crumbs off the baking pan.  Most of all? It was ridiculously easy and fast.

Healthy and Yummy Baked Coconut Encrusted Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

6 boneless chicken thighs, sliced into pieces small enough for little fingers*
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (found in baking section)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon nigella seeds (optional)
1/2 cup crushed natural sliced/slivered almonds
1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
pinch of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

* The smaller you cut the pieces, the less time it will take to cook

1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Mix coconut flakes, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, crushed almonds, flax seeds, salt, pepper, and sugar in a bowl and set aside
3. In another bowl, beat two eggs and sesame oil together and set aside
4. Place a grill rack (I pulled the one from my toaster oven) over an aluminum foiled lined baking sheet
5. Dredge each chicken piece into egg batter, then coconut mixture, then place on rack
6. Bake chicken fingers in oven for 15 minutes, flip over, then cook for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (if you use bigger fingers).

Honey Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1. Mix honey and mustard together. Lick the spoon when no one is looking


Note: While the nigella is totally optional, there's something about nigella and coconut flakes together that makes an average dish really pop.

Enjoy!

Life with Kids Series: Send your Kids Email and Make Your iPhone Addiction Work For You!

I am always on my iPhone. Except when I'm on my computer. But still, even then I check my email on my iPhone. Hang on, I heard a ding...

Ok! Anyway, I have 1,002 cute videos and pictures of my kids on my phone: everything from Avnee's first steps to sitting on the potty "reading" the economist. With my son, the videos are a little slow going (second child syndrome) but at almost 10 months, his milestones are coming fast now and I am happily recording them. Of course, there are tons of photos and videos of both of them together because, what could be cuter?

Rohan's Birth Day

So what do I do with 1,002 videos and pictures?  I've always emailed the super cute ones to the grandparents (who live far away), but sometime around Rohan's birth, I created email accounts for each child and added them to the distro list.

Avnee's First Haircut, Live Long and Prosper!

With each email (time-stamped, I might add), I also send a note to future Avnee or Rohan, to let them know what we were doing and how cute they are / proud of them I am / silly Mama is / all of the above.

Rohan's First Smile

I've also asked the grandparents to send emails. Sometimes it's a silly Happy Birthday email, and sometimes it's a "to Avnee on your 16th Birthday" heavy type stuff. I think my parents are pretty cool and I'd like the adult versions of my kids to know that.

First Time Snuggling!

 I think it's wonderful we have the opportunity to capture all the precious moments in our child's life as opposed to the fleeting photos we all have from our own childhood. But I do miss reminiscing over the worn and faded pages of a photo album. I always planned on making albums but it becomes less and less a part of the culture as things get more digital. Plus, when my kids are older and they claim I didn't hug them enough as babies, I'll tell them to do an email search for "hugs." Evidence, people, E-V-I-D-E-N-C-E.

First Picture of the Roy Shahs

I'm sure I'm not the only one doing this... Do you do the same or how do you archive your family memories?  

Sample Sale

Come join us this Saturday, February 23 from 2-5 pm at Playful Grounds Cafe for a Sample Sale! We will have organic PJs, onesies, hats, sleepers, bloomers, bolster pillows, and more. Bargain bins of $5, $10, $15, and $20. That's right, all items will be $20 and under!

This cafe has an area for kids to play while moms and dads shop. Lots of giveaways, prizes, and silent auctions! Tickets are $7 at the door or get your tickets now for $5 here.

SAMPLE SALE $20 AND UNDER

Most of our items are organic samples, ridiculously cheap and super soft. Makes great gifts! Each person will also receive a $25 gift card to use on our site at any time.

Other vendors include: ChangeMatt Cloth Diapers, Oceanlily Maternity Activewear, Salmon Naturals Accessories, Heritage RESP, MommyConnections.ca

See you Saturday!

 
 

Meet Oliver and Charlie’s mom, Toni Brem Mullen...

Did you know two moms are behind Om home's kids collection? Here I am with my little loves -- Oliver and Charlie. Little love #3 is due on February 25 (5 more days!). 

Photo credit: Shannon Echlin

I was recently interviewed by iVillage.ca about the inspiration behind Om home's kids collection and my career reinvention (I also share a super easy & delish recipe for Chinese noodle soup). Read it here.    

My husband often tells me Om PJs are the best in the drawer (of course he would), and my kids refuse to take them off for school (#timesaver), but what lands best are all the photos parents have shared of their gorgeous kids wearing our stuff. Thank you so much for all your support! Toni xo