Pizza dinner on a budget

image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With so many of us, trying to fit so much in a day, it can be difficult to get a hot, delicious and nutritious dinner on the table some nights. My children recently began taking swimming lessons, and wouldn't you know, swimming is around dinnertime. I can feed them earlier, which would probably leave them hungry later on in the evening (which means a late night snack) or we can have dinner right after swimming. I have chosen the latter.

Our favourite place to eat (on a budget) is Pizza Nova. They have a wonderful promotion, walk-in, 1 topping pizza - $7.99 for medium and $9.99 for large. We order 2 large pizzas and half & half the toppings (that way, everyone gets a topping they like - my son likes sausages and my daughter likes cheese.) With 4 drinks and 3 dipping sauces, our dinner came to $28.82. We ate there, so there was no dishes to do after and we took the leftovers home, for lunch tomorrow. Yum!

Check your local Pizza Nova for their walk-in specials, and you too could be having family pizza night soon.

Mountain Blue Eyes has nursing moms covered

Quality tops make breastfeeding easy for the active mother

Breastfeeding should be a comfortable experience for both mom and baby, and conducive to any lifestyle. This is the vision behind Mountain Blue Eyes, an Alberta-based company that specializes in nursing apparel for the active mom.

Specially cut to fit post-pregnancy curves while keeping optimal modesty in mind, the collection of tanks, tees and fleece sweaters use light-weight, breathable fabrics, that dry quickly and wick moisture away from the body. The material is also antibacterial and resistant to piling, a common problem with fabric used in athletic clothing. All of the tops feature discreet openings that provide easy access while keeping other areas including the stomach and back, covered.

With a keen understnading that hungry babies won't patiently wait to eat while mom tries to find a secluded feeding spot halfway up the side of a mountain, owner Catherine Decelles saw an opportunity to provide nursing mothers with quality, functional clothing that could keep pace with a dynamic lifestyle. Inspiration struck on a ski trip, when Catherine attempted the awkward transition from outdoor activity to feeding.

"I was quite frustrated with my nursing wear that was quite frily, but didn't easily allow me to snowshoe or cross-country ski with my kids, and then come indoors and comfortably breastfeed. I started to do a bit of research to see what types of fabrics were availabe and found there wasn't any nursing clothing in a wicking fabric or a comfortable fleece, which is basically what I live in myself," says Catherine. "As an active new mother, I wanted clothing that would facilitate both outdoor activities and breastfeeding. I started Mountain Blue Eyes to meet this need. We have designed technical quality clothing that makes breastfeeding easy, whether snowshoeing in the Canadian Rockies or urban hiking with your baby. I hope you will enjoy wearing these clothes as much as I do!"

Active wear by Mountain Blue Eyes is available at several Canadian Retail Locations. For more information about where to purchase or wholesale opportunities, visit http://www.mountainblueeyes.com/ .