Throwback Thursday #2

I love this photo. I don't really remember it being taken but I just adore how my dad looks so proud of his little monkeys. He is just glowing and happy in this photo. I must have been about 3 years old and my brother looks about 5 or 6 months here, unfortunately the picture isn't dated. It is hard to imagine that my dad was ever this young or this thin! and he had so much hair !!! I remember always brushing his hair into a pony tail on the top of his head. It was very funny!!

my attempt at curly...

have gone out the window. I'm a little dissappointed as I purchase rather expensive frizz control serum a while ago at Trade Secrets. The sales woman there promised me gorgeous wavey, frizz free hair after applying the Bed Head Control Freak to my normally slightly wavey hair. It didn't really do much before my hair was cut and I thought perhaps my hair was just too long and lacking any shape for the product to work. So this morning I attempted to do the curly thing. The stylist told me to apply an anti frizz product-which i did- and then put in some gel-which i did...the results are absolutely disgusting and I am going to go wet and dry my hair with a blow dryer as soon as i'm done this post!!

NOTE- i attempted my hair at 9am...it is now about 11:30 and these pics were taken just after 11...my hair was/is STILL wet and nowhere near dry- i can't wait any longer to dry it as if i had actually needed to be somewhere this look just wouldn't cut it!

any suggestions on how to get the look i want if i ever attempt to go curly again...

New hair new me!!

Life is all about choices and making decisions. I had a choice to make today that kind of sucked at the time but turned out well in the end. My finances have been a little tight lately due to the end of my maternity leave and hubby being in school for a whole year with no income. I was in desperate need of a hair cut, but I was also supposed to meet some friends for lunch. It was either the hair cut or lunch but definitely not both! I opted for the hair cut as lunch would have been nice but not really worth the dough and my hair well...i have finally found a stylist i like and who seemed to actually listen PLUS no surprises regarding price PLUS he didn't try to sell me on coloring my hair (which could use a touch up but i'm well aware of that fact). I would recommend Mattia at L'Attitudes for a great cut.


Here are some before and after pics:

farewell till next time

My husband has two younger sisters. Each has one kid. The middle sister lives in Zurich and was recently here for her annual visit. It is kind of sad that we will probably only see our nephew once a year for the next few years as i don't foresee travelling to Switzerland often and they have very demanding jobs as it is difficult for them to get away for long periods of time.
While they were here all the cousins had a great time. Here are some photos.
First from our day visiting them up at the cottage they rented

Our trip to the zoo

The family (well minus my brother and his wife unfortunately) was all together to celebrate the boys' first birthday!!!

Look at me now ma!!!

My first Throw Back Thursday entry

Inspired by the ladies over at Pinks and Blues, i decided to join in on the fun. I thought about all my hair fashions over the years and chose to show ya'll some of my old styles...YIKES!! These two are both circa 1993. Don't you just love the full crimped look or my gina bangs?!?! OH MY...how about my "club outfit" how could i have thought a blouse and suit skirt would be sexy for a night of dancing???? The jeans and jean shirt don't seem THAT BAD, i think that outfit was my staple back then. I haven't changed my love of jeans but have changed the style and color of the ones i wear now :)

another reason to avoid these fashion fumblers!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=2530368&page=1

(picture borrow from http://www.ihatecrocs.com/ )

here are some of my favourite things

Pretty Mommy over at Whose Mommy is That is having a contest. I thought I'd enter.

I have been on a mission to find the perfect body wash. I love yummy smelling body washes but won't spend a fortune on them. Unfortunately I have come across several duds lately so they are sitting unused in my shower and will I probably never get my money's worth from them...
My first dud is the Softsoap Ultra Rich Shea Butter Mosturizing Body Wash. It just doesn't lather enough and the scent is so minimal it might as well not be there at all. The second dud is a really cheap one called Eves St. Claire Strawberry body wash. It smells great but I never feel clean nor does it mosturize at all.

My favourite body wash from the drug store to date is St Ives Shea butter. It lathers really nicely, smells amazing and leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft afterwards. This is a winner in my opinion. The next one I really enjoy using is Strawberry Kiwi Body Wash from Life Brand. It is an awesome sweet smell and lathers to just the right amount. It rinses off nicely and leaves my skin feeling soft too.
Another new find is the Olay Shower Rinse. When I first heard the idea of a mosturizer you use right in the shower I thought it sounded absurd but I accidently bought this product thinking it was body wash so I tried it. It is awesome. The first time I used it it left my skin feeling a little sticky and I was dissappointed but after using it for a few days I started to notice a remarkable difference in the softness of my skin- especially my arms for some reason. Now I use this product daily and I will likely repurchase it!! (one warning though- this product leaves the bath tub a little slippery so watch out AND I do notice the tub gets dirtier now that I started using this-i think the dirt just sticks to the residue or something)

Last is my new Olay Face Mask. I love this product. I use it every other day and I find my skin feels nicer and looks smoother too. The product is applied to a dry or slightly damp face and left on for 5-10 minutes, until it's dry, then rinsed off with a damp wash cloth or just warm water. You do not need to wash your face afterwards as it acts as a cleanser too. Again a winner!!

Do you look (insert religion here)?

The other day the family and I were over at my in-laws house. We all got to talking about our different friends and such. My MIL made a comment that I have not been able to keep out of my mind since. She said "such and such doesn't look Jewish" Now I have heard this expression before and I never really thought about it much but this time it really bothered me.
How does one "look" their religion? Do you "look Catholic"? Can you "look Christian"?

What differences in appearance does a Jewish person have versus a "non-Jew"? All these questions have been going through my mind since our conversation.

Friends I met in adulthood have commented to me that I don't look Jewish. What does Jewish look like?

Do I look Jewish? Do you?

Happy Canada Day

Living in Canada is such a privilege. I love living here and would never choose to move to another place for so many reasons.



In Canada I as a woman am free to do anything I please. I can wear pants, I can wear make-up, I can show my face in public.



In Canada I can go to the doctor and not have to pay a fee. I don't have to worry that my insurance does not cover the procedure I need. I can see my doctor about any worry I have and not have to pay a fee(which may change in the future because some do abuse this privilege)



In Canada I can choose any place of worship I want. I have many choices within each religion as to the degree of observance I feel comfortable.

In Canada I enjoy democracy. I get a vote-and I like to think my vote counts....

Why do you love living in Canada???

Gay Pride Parade

Today is the day. The Gay Pride Parade used to be one of the "can't miss" events of the summer for me and my friends. This year hubby and I decided that attending the celebrations would be just too much of a hassle. The parade used to be a fun way to show support for the gay/lesbian community, the floats were just fabulous and so many businesses came out to salute their members. Now the parade seems to have lost some of its appeal. It is not really family friendly, it is nearly impossible to navigate a stroller through the crowds on the crazy busy downtown streets and the floats have been getting chincier and chincier with each passing year.
Does this mean we support the gay community any less than before? No of course not, it just means we will support them from the comfort of our living room or through other, quieter means.
As I get older I have also started to realize that the eccentricities displayed in the parade are not neccesarily the norm of the gay community and many (if not all) gay individuals are just normal everyday people like me and you. They go to work, they date, they cook, they shop and they just live their lives. Do you think these parades are neccassary? I have enjoyed them in the past but wonder what you readers really think about all the fuss :)
Let me know...

Our day at the zoo...

Today we celebrate...

My baby's first birthday!! Hard to believe a whole year has passed since he came into our lives. This has been the best year of my life so far!!

Home Sweet Home

Travelling is always fun, hopping in the car, taking a road trip and visiting new places has always been something I've enjoyed. Doing it with a baby is a whole other ball game. The boy was very good-he's always very good, but babies fuss and babies get tired&cry and they don't always like being trapped in their car seats for 6 hours with nothing to look at but the rear window!!

For me though the best part about a trip away is coming home. There are so many things to enjoy in the comfort of one's own home-too many to list really so here are just a few

1. sleeping in your own bed
2. having Tim Horton's walking distance
3. no mosquitoes milling around my ears at night
4. cooking my own food (i do love eating out but love eating home made by me food even more)
5. enjoying my morning pot of coffee at my own pace :)

Today we celebrate..

All the fathers out there!!!

put your hands together for...

my hubby...Congrats go out to Gavin for receiving an award recognizing his academic achievements in the Faculty of Education this year!! All that hard work paid off :)
I had no doubts he would do it but it's always nice to be officially recognized!

what i need

Here's what you do: Google "your name + needs" and pick the first thirteen that make sense. This is hilarious (especially since Lindsay Lohan's mom is named DINA!!!). Most are not anywhere near what I need!! Thanks Chrissy!!

1. Dina needs to get help

2. Dina needs to be a MOTHER

3. Dina & Lindsay Need Rehab

4. Dina needs to grow up and realize she's not only a mother, but an ADULT,

5. Dina needs a faith-based program

6. Dina needs to keep her eyes on her children

7. Dina needs heart surgery

8. Dina needs help wiping herself or something

9. DINA Lohan needs to make up her mind

10. Dina needs love, compassion, support Doesn't everyone???

11. Dina needs to have her brows redone the only one that is kind of true!!!

12. Dina needs pain medication to treat her back Occassionally true!

13. Dina needs a big performance

10 things i can never wait for...

1. nail polish to dry. I can never wait for my nails to dry. If i paint them myself I will inevidently need to go pee or brush my hair moments after I've applied the last stroke and my nails will get nicked. A huge reason i usually wear clear or very pale colours!

2. toast to pop. When I'm hungry, I'm hungry and I just can't wait!!

3. my hair to dry. My thick hair takes a good 30 minutes to dry properly if I don't want a lot of frizz. I usually end up with a poufy, frizzy mess because I just can't stand there drying my hair until it's completely done. I usually end up letting the bottom layers dry naturally because my arm gets tired of holding the hair dryer up!!

4. the end of a book. I have a long time habit of almost always reading the last page of a book half way through the book!

5. reading a full newspaper article. If I start an article and it is continued on another page I will almost always stop reading the article. why can't they print the whole thing on one page?!?!

6. people to get to the point. I can't stand when people take forever trying to say what it is they are talking about. I find this kind of funny because I know I do this exact thing!

7. being put on hold. If I call somewhere and am put on hold for too long I will almost always hang up and never bother calling back!

8. long lines at the checkout. I just don't have patience to wait in long line ups. I refuse to wait in lines at stores such as Children's Place or Superstore. I would rather not shop there or not buy something than wait in ridiculous lines!

9. slow walkers. I can't stand getting stuck behind a doddler. I will almost always overpass or try to get around slow walkers.

10. waiting in general annoys me. If I need something done I like to get it done. I hate waiting for others to do things for me and often end up just doing things myself

some favourites

Here is a short list of some of my fave stores...
1) Reitmans great for casual work clothes and simple classic styles. I love this store. The prices are great although the quality isn't always that great.

2) Old Navy can always find jeans that fit me here. Prices are great but clothes are not always made well. Sometimes styles are kind of weird or too young.

3) GAP great classic style. Very good quality, clothes from GAP always last me a few years.

4) WINNERS just so much fun to shop at Winners. You never know what you'll find. Great for trendy lower cost pieces.

5) Le Chateau believe it or not, this store has some really nice clothes that actually fit people who are larger than a size 2!! I recently rediscovered them while shopping for a coat and figured that i'd need an XL but only needed a M!!! (although i haven't actually bought anything here for a really long time-with the exception of a necklace)

6) RW I forgot about this one...definitely one of my favourites. Pretty good quality and always has amazing sales!!!

Today is my lucky day :)

I recently realized how important it is to have a few staple items in ones wardrobe. I unfortunately realized this during an emergency "i have nothing to wear to a bar-mitvah TOMORROW" moment. Lucky for me Jill figured this one out a lot sooner than I!! She came was able to save the day at 8pm on Friday evening when I needed a dress for 11 am the next day!!

She lent me this beautiful green and black number that my husband likes so much he suggested I buy it from her!!

Today I did a little shopping after popping into my office to complete my return to work paperwork. I found this dress at Reitmans and was really pleasantly surprised when the reduced price was even further reduced!! I got this really cute black dress that can definitley be dressed up or down for a whopping $15 !! Can you believe it?!?! AND to think i wasn't sure i was going to buy it because i didn't think it was that flattering...glad i rethought it and realized I can wear better undergarmets to do the trick!

Now here is my list of wardrobe must haves

1. a really good body slimmer. Ones of these suckers can take you from a lumpy size 12 to a slim smooth lined size 10!!

2. a great pair of stilletoes. i LOVE the look of really high heels with pointy toes (like the ones i'm wearing above)

3. a little black dress. One that can be worn during the day and also in the evening. I have another one that is definitely an only evening dress, as it has spaghetti straps and a few sequins.

4. a great pair of black slacks. Also a move from day to evening pair.

5. and of course a really great handbag (which I am working on getting!)

6. a few structured jackets. I have a few and I love them. They make me feel a few pounds thinner when i look in the mirror and they can be layered, and worn nicely over jeans or with dress pants

7. a "real" necklace. Not costume jewelry, something with value and substance that can be worn with any neckline. i have a beautiful diamond heart pendant necklace that i wear to many occassions.

8. also a "real" pair of earrings. Not costume jewelry but something with real jewels, and gold.

9. a pair of skinny jeans. i'm not talking about those skinny jeans that are in style now but a pair that make you feel great. when you put these on you just feel good about yourself, your butt feels smaller, you exude confidance.

10. sexy sandals. no explanation required :)