Niagara Falls

It's so nice to have so many wonderful things to see and do around our beautiful province. I love living in Canada-in spite of the cold weather and lack of sun for so many months on end...This weekend we decided to take a day trip to the wonderful and beautiful Niagara Falls. Spending the day there was a nice treat as it is so far from the big city and it reminds us of all nature has to offer...here are a couple of pics from our day which was spent with my brother and his wife...

all these changes goin' on!!

Since learning of my pregnancy early November I have noticed a variety of changes in my both my physical and psychological state...
Physically I have started to notice the obvious such as weight gain, increased breast size and overall heavy legged feeling. I did allow myself to overindulged early on in my pregnancy by eating excessive amounts of carbs and junk food-something I am not normally prone to doing. I just couldn't help myself!! Chips and french fries and chipolte buritos from Taco Bell kept calling out to me and I couldn't be rude and ignore their pleas to be consumed!! Now in my second trimester the absurd cravings for grease have subsided but unfortunately some serious damage has been done!! Time to start exercising a little more...maybe I'll offer to take my parents' dog for a long walk daily...neither of them can really walk that long as they both have serious knee problems...
As for the new cleavage I've gained...All I can say is WOW...who knew how much boobs could grow in such a short time!! I have already had to go buy bigger bras to accommodate, I actually tried on a couple of nursing bras, which I liked but decided that with 5 months to go it is best to wait to closer to my due date to buy those...don't want to outgrow those too!!
OY...my legs have been feeling SOOO heavy these days. Sometimes I have the hardest time walking down stairs, especially after working on my feet for hours at a time. Feels kind of like my ankles are swollen but when I look at them i can't see anything...who knows !!! I won't even venture into talking about the new vericose veins i've discovered (i've had some since I was about 19 as I worked on my feet a lot during university and in the summers)
EMOTIONALLY
Now i have always been an extremely sensitive person and this whole pregnancy thing has just intensified this tenfold! Crying at cell phone commercials, crying while reading the newspaper, crying while hearing a song on the radio have all become norm these days...although this has calmed down a little in the past week or two I thought my tear ducts were going to dry up...poor hubby had no clue when the dam would break and flooding would start!!Again with the stabilization of those darn hormones untimely crying has calmed down too!!
Funny how although I've always wanted to be a mom this whole process is still pretty scarey!! Suddenly when reality starts setting in and I really think about the fact that I can't give back this baby EVER unlike when babysitting or playing with friends kids this baby is now %100 mine(Well ours) and there is no turning back..i suppose if thousands of people have done this before it can't be that bad...live and learn will never take on a more real meaning!!

that's all for now :)

feeling blue...

Expecting a baby is supposed to be a very happy magical time but lately I can't help feeling a little scared and overwhelmed. There is so much to learn and know before this little creature comes into our lives and I feel like there is nothing I can read or do to realistically prepare myself for this life altering event about to happen. YIKES!!!
I have books upon books full of all sorts of wonderful information and it has been useful but on the other hand how often do things actually go "text book"... I would have never imagined that people who have planned c-sections can actually go into labour early..well after talking to one friend this actually happend to her with both her deliveries. ALSO, who would have imagined that breast feeding would be such a hard challenge for new moms!! It all looks so natural but again after reading books and talking to friends it is not instinctive and babies actually have to learn how to suck properly to get milk...but thanks to some good advice from a good friend this doesn't scare me THAT much. She said the more you read about and know before you try the better prepared you'll be...I am really trying to take her advice and read up on BF as much as I can as I plan on going a full year at the minimum..
And of course there is still the fear that the IPS testing will detect something negative. I really don't know what we would do in a situation where problems were predetermined. I am not sure if I am prepared emotionally to deal with a physiologically challenged baby...but lets just pray to G-d everyday that these things will never become an issue.
I think once we go to our prenatal classes and hopefully meet other first time parents to be this anxiety will subside a little.

Terrific Toronto???

I have always loved Toronto. There is so much to do and so many places to see. If you want any type of cultural food all you have to is take a walk down the street and you can find it. In my neighborhood alone we have Middle Eastern, Korean, Chinese, Deli, Greek, Italian to name a few... This city used to be a safe place to raise kids, walk the streets at night and enjoy life in general...recently Toronto has become a very scary place. I am honestly thinking that living here may not be an option for much longer if the gov't doesn't do something to stop the violence. I work in Scarborough and really feel uneasy about walking around the mall here after work hours with all the gang members and frightening people milling around. NEVER look anyone in the eye and certainly NEVER accidently bump into anyone or you might have a gun stuck in your face. Some days I am really glad I drive a beaten up car as that way nobody looks my way when I go the parking lot...no need to draw attention to myself by driving a flashy car in this neighborhod!

The rate of homelessness seems to be on the rise as well. One evening as I sat at an intersection in a fairly affluent neighborhood there were three homeless youth holding signs requesting money for food. Four corners, three homeless youth...seems to me there is a serious problem here. I used to give money on occasion to these people who seemed so desperate for food until one day when I handed over a toonie to a man who seemed grateful but noticeabley drunk or high (had I noticed his altered state before he came close enough to take the toonie I would have never given him the money) I decided that I'd rather give tzadaka in other ways. Giving money to known and established charities is much more fullfilling and rewarding plus I know the money is being put to good use. Doing things in the community is much more rewarding, really what is more precious than ones time?!?! I am on a search for the best volunteer position for me.

If anyone can think of ways to help combat the problems of this city (and many big cities across the world) we must voice our ideas and put them to use. This trecherous problem needs to be address immediately, gangs, drugs, youth homeless are things that keep me up at night wondering about the state of our world at large!

wow!!

I guess there is something in the water around here...aside from myself I have one co-worker who is pregnant and due around the same time as me and I just found out yesterday that a friend of a friend is due the same day as me...and I thought everyone my age already had kids and all the moms I was going to meet would be way younger than myself. This news makes me very happy and also relieved!! I didn't want to be the oldest mommy on the block!!...

As for being pregnant...been feeling much better these days, the nausea has subsided unless I gorge on yummy food, been getting daily headaches and taking Tylenol to help but really don't want to take it everyday for much longer...got a decaf coffee this morning and hope that might help...you know the placebo affect.. started wearing some maternity clothes but my yoga pants are still doing a great job keeping me comfortable.

neat

Just thought I'd share. This is very exciting, seeing the start of a little baby growing in my tummy is such an awsome feeling.
Gavin has been grinning ear to ear, first while he heard the heart beat for the first time and next when we saw this tiny life form waving at us from inside my belly.
I think Gavin may want this even more than I do! He really feels behind the lot as most of his friends have at least 2 kids already and some of those kids are already in middle school !!
Seeing this pic really makes things a lot more real for us.

feeling yucky

Woke up the morning of Dec 31 with a terrible sore throat...just knew it was going to progress into a full blown cough/cold. Well now it is day 5 of the sickies and I'm tired of running nose and coughing fits that come on at 5 am...I did purchase a anti-cold bath product that has eucalyptis (SP??) and other vapours...it helped temporarilly but I should have bought more than one package...it was only good for one bath...
anyway if anyone has non-medicated solutions for helping combat cough/cold symptoms PLEASE let me know!!

To Resolve or Not....

New Year's is upon us very soon and once again it is time to think about New Year's Resolutions. Every year I make the same resolutions and never seem to keep them for more than a month or two. First one I always make and break is my promise to myself to work out everyday and keep to a very healthy lifestyle. That usually goes along with the resolution to lose 30 pounds which never happens! I did manage to lose 16 pounds this year but that was only after gaining 20 during a very stressful period so really I was still up 4 pounds :(
The second resolution I tend to break is my goal to save more money. I really used to be good with saving money and never had less than $3000 in my savings account at one time but now that I am older and life throws more hard balls my way- like car repairs, the need for new household appliances and getting fatter thus needing new clothes- my bank account has dwindled to the point that when I look at the balance I get severe nausea. I am scared what I'm going to do when kids come and we have a lot more expenses...take a deep breath and stop stressing... ANYWAY I am really going to try to keep this resolution this year. I used to always think about a purchase LONG AND HARD before making it and usually decided not to waste the money. I am really going to try very hard to go back to that mentality. I was never one to buy things frivilously and can't believe I let materialism get to me so much that I started wasting money on things I don't really need. AND I have a second job for a reason- perhaps working there a little more often to save the cash would be a good idea...time to let them know I'm available weekends again!
The third and last resolution I always make and break is to keep my house spotless clean. I really hate hate hate clutter and can't stand when the house is messy. I think maybe if it were just me living in the house and there were no husband in the equation my home might be less cluttered and messy. It is really hard to keep on top of things when a small house is storing the lives of two grown adults who both seem to keep everything. Perhaps this year I will be able to stay on top of things and declutter and keep it neat and tidy...i'll cross my fingers and try really hard to keep this one this year. We are no longer having a cleaning lady come twice a month (got to save the $$) to clean so it's really important to maintain a schedule and stay on top of the cleaning.
Now for some new resolutions to think of...how can i improve myself, be a better person, and maintain a healthy relationship with G-d. I think that I will try to talk to G-d daily, refrain from negative thoughts (which really can be a challenge as we talking about stopping a lifetime habit) and look on the bright side of life. Are these things realistic and can I actually keep these promises to myself? I guess only time will tell but with a little help from G-d and my family and friends hopefully I will see a noticeable improvement in myself and my attitude towards life...wish me luck!!

Wedding Crashers

December 28, 2005
Interesting, Predictable, Obnoxious: "Wedding Crashers" Inspires Wedding Crashers
By Debbie Schlussel
Today's Wall Street Journal Marketplace section has a very interesting article about a rude behavior you could have predicted would result from the hit movie, "Wedding Crashers": wedding crashing. (We wish we could link to this, but alas, you must subscribe to the WSJ to access it.)
The movie has inspired so much wedding crashing that it's become very costly to non-celebrity brides and grooms who must shell out big bucks for decidedly celebrity accoutrements, including guards/extra security and the extra money the caterer charges for extra plates (food served to the crashers who are not caught). It also now includes the tacky, but necessary: Wedding parties must now resort to sending tickets for admission in the wedding invitation. Enjoy seeing total strangers in your wedding photos? Those pics cost money, too.
It was funny in the movie--which was hilarious, if very raunchy--but come on . . . in real life, this behavior is just plain obnoxious. And, oh, the effort it takes. One set of wedding crashers accessed the groom's on-line resume to bluff their way through conversations with relatives at the wedding. Another couple crashed a wedding, then invited the bride and groom to crash theirs. How cute . . . NOT.
Too bad the movie has emboldened this behavior, but didn't you kind of expect that? This latest decline in manners and common courtesy is yet more evidence of the dumbing down of American society. Like this movie, we liked "Animal House," "Back to School" (which is now 20 YEARS OLD!--circa 1986--and, unfortunately, being remade with Cedric the Entertainer, in Spanish; 'Nuff said) etc. But that doesn't mean we want all of America to emulate these movies. "Wedding Crashers" is a movie, not an instruction manual on how to behave in real-life.
Posted by Debbie at 12:14 PM

My thoughts:
I found this blog entry by Debbie very interesting. The thought that people would have the chutzpa to actually go to some elses wedding, eat a full meal, drink from the bar all at the cost of the bride and groom is beyond me!! While I found this movie hilarious and had a really good laugh while watching it I assumed it was all fiction. The reality that some people actually crash weddings is unbelievable...guess I'm just a little naive!!

Maybe it's just me....

I have been on a quest in the last few months. I am determined to find the perfect eyeshadow. None of the brands or colors I have purchased seem to do anything for me at all. The first one I purchased was a brand called ARISSA. This was about $3.99 at Walmart. The colors looked so pretty in the package I was sure they would be gorgeous on. Boy was I wrong. My first attempt to use this duo called Star Dust was a total disaster. I applied it using the applicator in the case and made a total mess of my eyes-and I was at work so I had no way of removing this chalky gross mess off my face (yes the shadow ran all over my cheeks and into my eyebrows-YUCK) ...I tried it again later using a brush but the color was so faint it was a little to au natural for my liking.

The second one I tried was from Cover Girl. It was not super cheap. I paid about $6.99 on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart for a 4-kit shadow in the Urban Basics color combo. The colors are fairly neutral so I knew I would not get dramatic results but I thought perhaps the color would show up a little. The matte streetlight color doesn't show up at all. I try to use it under my brow as I have always thought the lighter color should go but I swear all it does is aggrivate me. The two sparkley colors are nice but not really appropriate for day time use. I have used them for an evening out and they look fine. The last color, the pearl dusk color is really nice but for some reason it tends to get a oily film on it which I have to scrape off with my finger nail or else there is no point to trying to use it. VERY ANNOYING!!

My latest attempt at finding the perfect eyeshadow was just yesterday. I bought a L'Oreal quad in the Autumn Leaves combo. So far after two failed attempts to use this shadow I really wish I could return it for a refund as at $11.99 it was really not cheap! Firstly the applicators provided are pretty much useless. They don't help the shadow go on nicely at all. The colors are supposed to complement each other but when I put them on I just didn't get it. The dark colors were too dark and the light ones too light... They seemed to smear all over the place and I found myself washing the shadow off and reapplying with a q-tip (which worked a bit better but not much)

I have come to the conclusion that perhaps some people just aren't meant to wear eyeshadow or maybe I have never really learned the right application methods but I am stopping this quest to find the perfect shadow as I really don't want to broke myself ...gonna stick to mascara and lipstick for now on!!

An Evening With Friends

It's always nice to get together with friends. Last night we had our first Chanukah party. I had planned on making latkes but was just too tired and really wanted to do other things instead of slave over a hot frying pan cooking in the afternoon.
We had about 14 people over and I'm glad to say it seemed as if everyone was getting along well. That is always a worry of mine-that people won't get along or will have absolutely nothing in common thus having nothing to talk about...besides the fact that the usual "all about our kids talk" prevailed for what seemed a better part of the evening things were rather enjoyable.
People ate, drank (well pop at least) and were generally merry.

The only thing that didn't really happen which I kind of hoped would was people drinking a little more-and relaxing so they could stay later than they did- but no biggie as we did have 4 people stay past 11 pm (woohoo)
The turn out was decent. Only my single friends seemed to decline. Funny how that works. If I were still single I probably would have declined an invite like that as well. Who would want to spend an evening with all married people listen to talk about kids!! I'll have to make a concerted effort to get together on other occassions with single girlfriends.
Anyway we had one super yummy mummy who took the time to put on her party clothes and do hair nicely (as always) then we had the usual jeans and sweater crowd who come au natural sans make-up or hair spray... but glad they were able to make it none-the-less.

Happy Holidays vs Merry XMAS

This time of year brings with it good cheer and wonderful spirit BUT on the other hand it also brings a lot of frustration and aggrevation. Yes going to the mall and looking for parking during December can be slightly hellish but these aren't the annoyances that cause me the most stress.
What really peeves me during this time of year is the general assumption that everyone celebrates Christmas and that there is a lack of sensitivity to those who celebrate other religous festivals. How many times am I forced to smile politely when a client says Merry Xmas or a co-worker asks me if I've done all my shopping..I understand they are just trying to be polite or show interest but with all the "mutli-culturalism" in our society these days one would think it would be easier to understand the need to recognize that not everyone celebrates Christmas.
I am not trying to be a grinch nor am I saying that we should now call a Christmas tree a Holiday tree but on the other hand it would be nice if all facets of our society here in Canada were recognized during this time of year or always for that matter.
It is quite frustrating when I am laughed at at work because of a request to call our "christmas" lunch a holiday celebration due to the fact that that there are so many people of various cultures in our office. When will people learn that some people are different and we would appriciate a little recognition or just know that an effort is being made to understand OUR holidays and tradionts.

Sleepless nights

What a scare I got this past week. I received my CREDIT CARD BILL in the mail and boy was I shocked by the balance...I have always been extremely cautious with my spending and always make sure that I have enough cash in my chequing account to cover any credit card purchases I make. I HATE being in debt(with the exception of my mortgage) and could never live with myself if I had to pay those crazy credit card interest rates...that's why when I opened the envelope and was slapped in the face with a larger than I could have imagined balance I had a little panic attack...what was I going to do??? There was no way I could pay that off in full without borrowing money from a savings account or G-d forbid asking my husband for a small loan...well after hemming and hawing and stressing myself out totally I meekly aproached my husband and told him I couldn't pay my bill this month...I was SOOO embarassed but he didn't even bat an eyelash and gave me a cheque for my bill ....I have definitely learned my lesson and will start thinking, twice, three times and perhaps just leave the cards at home before making my next unnessecary purchase!

DERAILED

This thriller was much more than I could have expected. Given Jennifer Aniston's normal performance and her usual ditzy role I was quite pleasantly surprised by her performance in this suspenseful movie.
Derailed is a suspense thriller about a regular family man named Charles Schine who meets exciting and beautiful Lucinda. They become friends and then start an affair. During their first redevous at a local hotel they are burst in upon by a thief who takes not only their money but their identification as well. The robber then proceeds to terrorize them beyond what either of them could have imagined.
This movie left me on the edge of my seat, wondering what the next horrific move would be... contains quite a twist-one I would have never guessed at till it actually happens in the movie
Definitely recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good suspence thriller.
Performance by Brit Clive Owen was also very well done and I'm looking forward to seeing him as the next James Bond

The Power of JDate

Another JDate success story wedding...ahhh the power of the internet!!! We attended another wedding powered by the highly successful JDate ...this site can be attributed to bringing together so many wonderfully happy couples-including my husband and I.
Shana and Randy met about a month before us and got married 11 months and 1 day after us...
anyway here is a pic of the happy couple and some friends

The Last Enemy

I have recently finished reading a wonderful book called The Last Enemy by Rhoda Kaellis. At first glance this book may seem like a childrens' or young adult book with light content and not that much substance. After reading through the first few chapters I began to realize this book is so much more than a narrative of a 12 year old child's experiences post WWII.
The story of Sarah Cardozo is told through her narrative. She describes her experiences dealing with her 11 year old cousin Lilly who has just come to live with Sarah and her family in New York after losing her parents in a concentration camp. Lilly was raised from the age of 5 in a Catholic orpahage as a means to save her from the Nazis.
Sarah first dreams of taking Lilly under her wing and teaching her all about Jewish life in America. She plans on having the sister she always wanted but never had. This dream is soon shattered when a "damaged" Lilly arrives from Belgium with dark hallow eyes and not a hint of life or happiness in her. Sarah has to deal with so much, from trying to communicate with the unresponsive Lilly to understanding why Lilly is so withdrawn.
Lilly has a lot of anger and pent up hatred towards her parents, her new family and Jews as she has been influenced by the nuns in the orphanage and her new Goyim friends.
Sarah tries to deal with Lilly and her issues on her own, scared to tell her parents of Lilly's odd behaviour and even more scared to tell them of Lilly's confession of a hatred of Jews.
This book left me thinking about how so many of us have no idea or understanding of what the survivors went through, they had so much to deal with on so many levels, from emotional, physical and psychological.

Think Pink

I recently read an article in Macleans stating that the real epidemic is fear and often fear is what kills rather than a disease itself. Breast cancer is a very real fear for so many women. It is also a reality for many women as well. I pray daily that my genes do not prove to be my demise as both my grandmother and my aunt had cancer. My grandmother Dora (whom I am named after) had breast cancer which she detected quite late and did have a masectomy to remove her right breast, she later died of the disease. My aunt Frances did not have breast cancerbut she did have hodgkins disease and lukemia which was diagnosed at 18. She died at the young age of 42.
Breast cancer is a common disease, and the vast majority of breast cancers are not due to inherited (genetic) factors. For most women, increasing age is the greatest risk factor. However, in some cases breast cancer does run in families, and may be caused by a faulty gene.
Education is key in fighting and preventing breast cancer. Women must learn to do self exams at an early age and not rely on their medical professionals to detect problems. If you have any doubt or suspicion please talk to your doctor and arrange for a mamogram. Regardless of the extra monetary cost you might incur due to lack of coverage for such tests the peace of mind is well worth it. Although breast cancer is not common in younger women; that is women who have not yet reached the menopause. The vast majority of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50, so being diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age can be a very isolating experience. It may come at a time when the thought of having cancer may never have crossed your mind, or it was something you thought happened to older people. It is very important to be aware of the possibility of breast cancer occuring in younger women.
Please take action and help us overcome this debilitating disease. Run, sponser, donate, learn or educate yourself and others and we shall overcome
http://www.cbcf.org/

Meet Brinkley

Brinkley is my parents' dog. He is such a cutie pie and we all love him so much, even if he chews up shoes and barks his head off at midnight for no apparent reason.
We have entered Brinkley in a cutest dog contest...please show your support and vote for him here Thanks in advance!!!
http://www.happydoggie.ca/IconContestants.htm

What's in a name?

I have always been obsessed with names. I have spent many hours dreaming of what my husband and I will one day name our child. The problem is there are so many beautiful names to choose from and of course there is the Jewish tradtion that one must name their child after a deceased relative. In our case we have 4 grandparents' names to choose from as well as my father's sister so choosing a strong, dynamic, nice sounding, and probably biblical name is going to be no easy task.
Right now we really don't have to worry about this naming business but the article got me thinking about the importance of a name. I don't think some parents give it enough thought about how the name will affect their child later on. Did Gwyneth Paltrow really think APPLE was going to avoid being name fun of just because of who her mom is??? Or how about 50 cent naming his child Bow-TY of all things...plain weird in my opinion...let's see there are also names like Calico like Alice Cooper named his kid...that name just reminds me of a big orange cat...
I often think about the fact that a name will be with you for life so when naming your child try to remember that it's not always cool to be too different and kids can be really mean to each other at times so be kind...
Names I like:
Girls Boys:
Rebekah Eli
Rachel Frank (after my aunt Frances)
Rose Ross
Ella Harris or Harrison
Ellie Eitan
Carli Hilton...

This is fun...thanks Jilly!!!

This Is My Life, Rated
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