Super Powers!!!!

Did you know I possess amazing super powers? I have the unbelievable ability to make myself invisible!!  Or at least I think that's what it is.
Saturday afternoon I had the most tortuous task of spending almost 3 hours at Bayview Village. This is one of the most expensive and extravagant malls in the whole city. Most of the cars in the parking lot consist of Jaguars, Lexus SUV's and other luxury vehicles. I figured since I had the time to  kill while my car was being detailed I would browse the mall and possibly find something awesome to show off here :)
Well that wasn't going to happen. First store I went to was the GAP. Always pretty good customer service there, although nothing of any substance to note here. Did try on skinny jeans that were sooo skinny I couldn't sit down, move or breath for that matter (maybe a size or two up would have worked but since they were on the clearance rack for $14.99 there were no other sizes!!)
Then I went off in search of some brand names at Honey. Well the two sales girls there were too busy gossiping about the third sales girl having lost her ring in the washroom to even bother with a hello. I have a personal policy that if I don't get at least a hello in the first 5 minutes of being in a store I won't bother giving them my business. Even if they have the most amazing jeans on sale for a really great price ($99.99 for Paige skinny jeans!!!) . Out I walked without so much as an acknowledgement.
My next stop was Mendocino. I never buy anything there. I don't particularly like the clothes or the styles there but thought that since I had so much time to kill I would take a look. Nada! Again not a hello, or even a glance my way. This was getting frustrating and I was beginning to take things personally. Same crappy "service" at Restoration Hardware, and Banana Republic.
At Geox where I was clearly interested in the kids shoes I even made eye contact with the sales guy. He looked at me then walked in the other direction. Good-bye. I'll get the kids shoes at Shoe Warehouse thanks!
Wondering if it was because I was alone and maybe looked like I wasn't buying the sales people didn't bother with me, not sure. I went over to Rogers as I really want to upgrade my phone and was considering getting an iPhone. I was browsing around waiting while the lone sales woman was with another customer. She kind of glanced at me but didn't say hello or perhaps, "I'll be with you in a moment when I am done with this customer" after several minutes waiting around I just left. So long Rogers...i'm off to Bell- and plan on changing over all my services. Period.
Chapters service was great. I found what I wanted, had a nice chat with the cashier as well as the sweet girl giving out samples of tea and cookies. I would expect nothing less of such a large chain store. They didn't grow to their size with lack of service! 
So all in all thanks to the lack of customer service at %99  of the stores I visited I saved myself a whole lotta money and learned my a valuable bit about myself. I do possess super powers and am totally invisible!! Thanks Bayview Village!

The Unintentional Vegetarian

This past week we ate all vegetarian meals. There was no real plan to do this but it just worked out that way. I loved it. I feel so clean and lean after eating no meat all week. I'm not sure hubby is happy about it or if he has actually noticed. He hasn't said anything.
I hope to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weekly rotation but need to do some planning ahead of time to get there.
So here were our dinners for the week..
Monday- vegetable soup with rice. (I did hear a lot of complaints about this meal but as time is an issue on Mondays it was "eat it or go hungry" They chose to go hungry.
Tuesday- spaghetti with tomato sauce (sauce has to be smooth with NO lumps or kids won't eat it!)
Wednesday- over easy eggs on English muffins with cheese for the adults and cereal for the kids ( since we need to get out of the house by 6:10 for lessons-this type of meal will likely have to do for most Wednesdays for the next couple of months!)
Thursday- tofu stir with vermicelli noodles (i finally figured out something to do with those noodles!! I was pleasantly surprised that the kids actually ate them!)
Friday- tonight I'm not sure what we'll be eating but I have a feeling it won't be vegetarian- hubby is responsible for dinner Fridays and this usually involves a roasted chicken from Sobey's (okay not usually- ALWAYS) and some kind of side dish. I  also have chicken soup in already made that I'll serve with noodles.
Weekends are never planned ... we'll see what I can come up to continue with the vegetarian trend.

oh zumba...

how i love thee!!! I have been doing the Wii Zumba a couple of times a week and I am loving it. The class i went to a couple of times just wasn't cutting it so I have swapped Thursday night Zumba for 30-40 minutes on the elliptical while watching Grey's Anatomy and will start going Saturday mornings to Zumba at Garnet.I have high hopes for this new instructor and hope she lives up my expectations! Time will have to tell!

How do you wear your jeggings?

I recently aquired a pair of GAP jeggings. When I first tried them on I thought there was no way on earth I would ever wear them and planned to give them back to the donor.... but at the last minute I decided to try them on again and actually really really like them. The only problem is I have no idea how to wear them! Obviously I know how to wear pants or even leggings  but not how to pull off jeggins. I am really not into wearing leggings as pants with a short top and think it looks inappropriate unflattering most of the time.
How do you wear your jeggings ? (And I'm not talking about skinny jeans-those I have no problem wearing the same way I would wear regular jeans- it's leggings or jeggings specifically I am looking for help with!!)

The Past Week

was pretty good on the eating front. I have been tracking all my intake and have been trying really hard not to eat in front of the TV in the evenings. Except for the fact that I have been on anti-biotics this past week, which tend to cause me stomach upset I have been feeling great about my diet. I have also been trying super hard to exercise more often. I have been hopping on the elliptical for at 30 minutes at a time and earning activity points for that. Thanks to FP  and her suggestion of challenging oneself during commercials or for certain time periods, my elliptical workouts have been getting better. I now try to keep my speed to over 13.50 while the commercials are playing and over 11 during the regular shows. This has me breaking a nice sweat, something I hadn't really done before on the elliptical. Also been doing Wii zumba. I absolutely love it!! It is so fun and also a great workout! Once the weather improves I will definitely getting on my running shoes and pounding the pavement once again for evening runs.
Thanks to the convincing FP I will be doing a 5k in May and need to definitely get my game on for this event!!

A typical eating day

At the request of a reader I'll share a typical eating day for me. This is a basic plan with some variations daily.

Breakfast

1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup bran buds
1 banana

or

1/2 cup oatmeal made with 1 c skim milk and 3 tablespoons sugar free syrup
banana


coffee with 1/4 c skim milk and 1 sweetener

Lunch

2 cups spinach and arugula
1/2 c pepper (either green or orange)
1/2 c cucumber
1 diced tomato or 10 grape cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons low fat blue cheese dressing or Italian herb dressing

and either 1/2 avocado or 3 oz diced chicken or 1 can tuna

Snack

I try to control what I snack on during the day. I am supposed to eat 2 servings of low fat dairy a day so I will often eat 2 triangles of Laughing Cow Light cheese or I eat 6 almonds and 6 dried apricot halves.

Dinner
Here is where the most variations occur. I normally just eat what the family eats as I keep my points low during the day. If I am serving pasta than I substitute it with spaghetti squash and if I'm doing a stir fry I make sure to measure out 1/2 cup rice rather than just piling rice on my plate. I also add vegetables in the form of a salad or steamed if the main dish isn't veg based. If I am giving the kids fish sticks I will make real fish for hubby and me. (usually tilapia or another white fish- although salmon is very healthy it is quite high in points)
I also drink a tonne of water. On WW the recommended water consumption is 6 glasses per day. I try to drink between 10-12 cups per day. It works okay for me as I do have a desk job and can run to the WC whenever I need to go! Not really feasable for a lot of people though.

So far So good

Today is day 4 and I have been doing really well keeping up with the "off the couch" plan. Sunday I was a little active by playing Just Dance with the kids. It was actually quite the workout!
Monday and Tuesday I did Zumba on the Wii and really enjoyed it. The class I'm taking now isn't the greatest and the Wii class is actually significantly better than that instructor.
I finally cracked open my Jillian Michaels Wii game and didn't love it but will need to play with it a bit before making a further judgement on whether or not I'll use it. Not sure what I expected but it's not actually Jillian doing a workout, it's more like a cartoon character version of her with her voice dubbed in.
I am definitely going to take up running again. I really do enjoy it but I am definitely going to wait until the weather warms up before getting out there! No need to freeze my petunia off :)

Eating plan has been ok. Keeping to program for the most part but still craving sugar/cookies- will have to wean myself after all the indulgences over the holidays!

New Year, New you...

or really new me! I resolved 2 years ago to lose 30 pounds. I did it. It wasn't easy but through following Weight Watchers, attending meetings and keeping control of my eating I was able to obtain my goal. It took me 6 months to get there.  I have kept the weight off for the most part- I am about 3 pounds over my ideal weight. I am now resolving to fit exercise into my lifestyle more regularly as well. I have started recently by joining a zumba class at a local community centre. The class is at a great time for me since it doesn't start till 8:30 and I can go after my kids have gone to bed. Unfortunately that is the only class around that I can find which starts at that time. But I also bought a Jillian Michaels workout for the Wii. I haven't  opened it yet but I plan to start that program soon. I also resolve to only watch TV once I have worked out. I plan to no longer make TV my first priority, it should be a secondary priority  once the exercise is done- or maybe even a third, after exercise, cleaning the house, then TV!! (but i have to be realistic, no?!!)
I hope that by putting this out there I now have some accountability and will be able to stick to my plan.

shuffle...scramble

I was in a bit of a panic. The dance class I registered dear daughter in was cancelled. I kind of knew this might happen as there were just way too many spaces available when i signed her up. I noticed another class at the same covetted spot but it was full, on to the wait list she went... but then after looking at every community centre and every class available on every possible time I was able to reschedule swim for Sunday mornings, and dance is now when swim was going to be... at the same time in the same place at dear son's swim... thank goodness it will all work out! and thank you to the holiday season for a slow work day !!! Gave me time to work this all out while at work getting paid :)

Reviews

Haven't done a product review in a long time. I used to love reviewing the new things I bought but really haven't bought anything newsworthy lately until today.
I went to Sephora to look at eyeshadow pallettes. Most of mine are pretty much done and I only have the super dark "night-time" colors left- the ones I hardly ever wear- since i hardly ever go out! I was drawn to the Hello Kitty Noir collection pallette in a collectors tin. It is so cute and there are so many colors to choose from. 25 to be exact! I can't wait to try them all. It also comes with 10 lip glosses. I tried one and it is a very deep color. Quite pink actually, nice but will take a little getting used to! Can't wait to see if the color actually lasts!

sick and sick

So I finally get back to working out. Had 2 or 3 great days and was starting to feel good about the routine...even went skating at lunch one day.. when bam... i am struck with a dumb cold. I know I can still work out a little when I'm not feeling well but I just don't have the energy for it. I'm going to try some of the wacked out cold busting methods some co-workers have shared with me. They might help and they definitely can't hurt. A combo of vitamins c and d .. plus cold fx might just to the trick. For now I'm up at an ung-dly hour just trying to breathe.

My nails

update: over all they are holding up well except for one large chip in my thumb nail. I keep planning to go back to venetian to have it fixed but due to all sorts of reasons just haven't had the chance. The chip happened late Saturday afternoon and all the other nails are still perfect! I will definitely have it done again but won't be going back to Venetian for it. Firstly they don't do an amazing job and secondly, they are fairly pricey. I can get a Shellac mani for much less elsewhere and in the same area!

Nails Take Two

Decided to give Shellac mani a second try. Got one done on Wednesday afternoon a dark brown/redish color. LOVE the color and so far the mani has held up well but I can see a tiny bit of bubbling/texture where I don't think there should be any. Looking forward to seeing how long this will last! The last one I got didn't make it the promised 2 weeks and I ended up peeling it off (and a layer of nail too!)

December Days 3 and 4

Did well on the eating front... more due to a burning I have in my chest every time I eat anything- gotta get that checked out today! Went back to my first Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday for the first time in well over a year. It was great to get back to it-although I"m not %100 convinced I loved this leader. My old one was amazing but it is just too hard to get to meetings during the week and Saturday mornings are way more convenient. SO I will stick with this one and see how it goes! Didn't work out over the weekend, I truely planned on it but honestly this feeling like my lungs are punched in every time I eat or take a breath put a major damper on those plans. I am going to see my doctor today (or any doctor for that matter) and have this problem  resolved so I can get back to the working out challenged I posed on myself.

December Day 2

Did alright all day with the healthy eating plan...until dinner time. Hubby came home with his weekly store bought roast chicken and latkes and i resisted those yummy latkes for almost the whole meal...when my resistance wore thin and I tried one bite...which turned to two and suddenly the whole giant fried potato pancake was all gone. but it wasn't all that bad because I did keep my chicken down to 3 ounces and didn't have anything else...except one piece of challa. and since I was in bed by 9:30 I didn't have time to eat any other junk...

Today is a new day and so far I have been doing great!

December Day 1

Kept fairly well to the eating healthy plan. Ate all my vegetables and dairy servings. Did jump on the elliptical for 30 minutes and took the stairs several times today.

Last day till the last month

of the year. December first is tomorrow and it's time to start thinking about New Year's Resolutions once again. Two years ago I resolved to lose the "baby weight" and I did it. That was a serious challenge but I kept at it and obtained my goal. I had some deep rooted motivation and now almost 2 years later I am going to resolve to keep up the healthy eating habits I gained while on my weight loss journey. I am also going to resolve to get more active again. I know how to eat healthily and now I must learn how to incorporate activity into my lifestyle as well. I have all the tools and knowledge but need the deep rooted motivation to filter into this part of my brain! I need to focus on the positive energy working out more will give me. I am digging deep inside me to figure out what exercise  I love best and plan to stick to it.
December is my month of personal challenge, to figure out how to incorporate activity into my life, to find a routine and schedule that works for me. I plan to try out some new classes at the community centre, revisit my love of  Zumba and perhaps give yoga another try (so many people love it- maybe I will find the type that I love too)
I will keep you posted on my journey of self discovery over the next few weeks and hope that I find something to truly move me

Update on "Party Cool"

So it turns out party cool is just another word for "dressy" Everyone showed up at the bat mitvah in suits, fancy dresses and loads of bling. (except for one of the bat mitvah girls friends-who showed up in jeans,sweater and pumas -boy did she look uncomfortable!) I am certainly glad I wore a little black dress and not a skirt and top or dress pants as I had originally thought I might!
Next event I throw that requires an explanation of dress code will simply say Fancy but NOT formal. Or perhaps something like "cocktail party attire" that sure would have helped clarify what to wear to this event!

WWYD...

if you were handed a cheque for $6000???
Would you spend it on yourself? Go on a shopping spree at your favourite store??
Would you use it to pay off a loan? Line of credit?
Would you purchase new appliances for your home? or play it safe and put it away for a rainy day???

Oh the possibilities!

Party Cool???

We were recently invited to a Bat Mitvah. The invite states that the dress code is "party cool" now really WTF does that mean? A few years ago we were invited to another family function at the dress code on the invite said "elegant casual"... seriously! Now I know for sure that hubby will be wearing a suit- no need to make the same mistake twice but I have no idea what I'm going to wear! I have a great dress I'd love to wear but I wore it to a wedding last year and think it might be too dressy... and the sweater dress I recently bought will probably be too casual...so i guess a shopping trip is in order! Any suggestions on what to wear when the invite says "party cool" that is really a totally new one to me!
(and really, what is with the new dress code lingo all about- just say what you mean so people actually understand what is going on!!!! )

Today I commit to...

starting all over again.

I am promising myself that today I will get back onto the healthy eating and exercising track.
I will make better choices, in both my eating and behaviour.
I will think before I act. I will look to the future before reacting in the now.

before and reality!

I find it amazing that what we think we might do before hand is often not what we end up doing at all! I never imagined being that mom. The one who got annoyed by my kids, freaked out at them and yelled at them all the time. The mom I used give dirty looks to when i was a teenager working at the grocery store. Time to learn how to deal with tantrums and kid fits without raising my voice and feeding the fire!!

Yom Kippur

The Day of Atonement, when you ask G-d to forgive you for all the sins you have committed over the past year. The day when you give up all pleasures and fast without food or water for 24 hours... the day I have always dreaded all year.
This year I am hosting the "break the fast" meal at my home, which means that I must spend most of the day cooking and cleaning my home while not eating a bite and taking care of my 2 little ones (my hubby will be at shul for more of the day than me so I'm primarily responsible for the care of the beasts)! This shall be interesting.
I am making a "simple dairy" meal which consists of nothing containing meat. The only problem is simple doesn't = easy! I still have to make a kugel or two, prepare soup, make home-made vegi pizza and a broccoli braid (using tuna instead of chicken)...then there is the cleaning! oy vey.
My last minute attempt at hiring my cleaning lady to help out didn't pan out-she of course was booked months ago for the night- what on earth was I thinking leaving it to the last minute!!!
Maybe now is a good time to start meditation and serenity now techniques!!

the Lazy Train

was coming... choo choo... I just haven't been up for posting, cooking, exercising or doing much these days. I don't what came over me through most of August and the first part of September but whatever it was I think it is passing.
After becoming so lazy and not exercising much, eating pretty much whatever I wanted and starting to feel like a blimp again my dear hubby decided to give me a much needed kick in the ass. He told me that I had to stop complaining and just do something about how I was feeling. I was annoyed with him at first but then really heard what he said and got right back on that elliptical. I have been working out every other day for about a week now and miraculously feel slimmer already! I only do a 30 minute workout but I adjust the settings myself using the manual mode rather than a set course which is much more challenging- I actually break a sweat- something I never usually did on the elliptical at home (probably part of the reason I gained a shit load of weight in the first place- going from a hard core workout at the gym every day to a half-assed workout at home over the course of several years was not good for my waistline! ) ANYWHOO... I feel like I'm back and going to be giving it my all again.
Next step- attending my motivational meeting again!

still at it

keeping up with healthy habits. Took a mini-break but got back on the elliptical tonight and it felt great. I know now that if i miss a few days it doesn't mean that is the end of it- it just means it's time to start over again!!

Day 26

Got distracted with life and haven't had a chance to blog...or exercise that much for that matter!
Did start an ab work out on Sunday evening which came with a balance ball and resistance band set...it was so hard I had to turn it off after a few minutes- that was a major blow to my ego! BUT on the other hand it was a harsh reminder that I must work on my core strength. Will get to that soon!
Last night I managed to get out for a short run. It was the perfect weather for running. Nice and cool with some breezes too. My only problem still seems to be those iPod earphones which always fall out of my ears while running. I have been meaning to go and get over the head headphones but just haven't had a chance (well i went to bestbuy and for $50 a pair i decided to leave them in the store and will try somewhere else)
As for eating well...haven't been keeping to the WW program that well but haven't gone completely over board eating crap either- just a few too many handfuls of cereal in the evenings and not weighing/measuring portions that well- and of course I had to eat a huge piece  the cake my little man made at a cooking party the other day- it was delicious! Will get back on track and will probably do okay at my next weigh-in- so that is all that matters with that right now!

Monday Madness

Had a follow up doctor's appointment yesterday. She has found nothing and really no reason for the ongoing dizziness. I'll stick to the theory that my blood pressure is a little low but it's not overly serious and certainly no excuse to eat like a glutten!
Was supposed to have a new cleaning lady come yesterday. She never showed up! I was quite annoyed as I have doing most of the cleaning myself these days but it is very hard for me to keep up and the house is starting to look a little worse for wear. When I discovered this one for $8 an hour I thought my troubles had been answered  but I guess the old saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is" holds true in this case! She had made promises of helping with laundry and cooking too! Oh well. Guess Craigslist is not the most reliable place to find a good cleaning service! IF ANYONE OUT THERE KNOWS OF OR HAS A RELIABLE CLEANING LADY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!
On the exercise front...managed to get out and run for just under 3km yesterday evening. It was so hot I almost passed out but I did it! If felt great but today my leg muscles are quite sore! I wonder if I'll ever be able to get past 3km in one session...

Feeding Frenzie

Yesterday was not a good day on the eating front. Since I've been suffering dizzy spells lately, the doctor said I have low blood pressure and should make sure to eat frequently throughout the day. I took this a little too much to heart and was eating the whole day...to the point where I really didn't feel that great.
SOOO last night I decided to get my shoes on and run. I planned to run for as long as I could but my run was interrupted by the sight of police helicopters and police cars all over the neighborhood. I was close the end of my run when this disturbing sight caught my attention. Alls well that ends well though...the apparent abduction of a 13 year old boy was not an abduction at all but an angry dad and son dispute (thank goodness!!!)
Back to my point though...did run and felt good about it but muscles are quite sore today. Forgot to track how long I ran   (distance and time were lost in all the commotion). Didn't exercise for most of the week but I'm hoping to get back into it again this weekend!

Magical Garden

Our garden is doing really well. So far we have ONE cucumber. It looks like a pickle- it is small and bumpy but will likely grow to a nice size soon. It's so exciting to watch the natural growth of things!
The tomato plant is flowering nicely too. I can imagine that in a few weeks all those flowers are going to be nice juicy tomatoes for my daily salad!! Yummm...

New Week, time to get moving!

Haven't felt like posting much over the weekend. Was so busy with the kids and family stuff that I am finally getting to it!
Had a less-than-successful garage sale yesterday. We put up signs all over the neighborhood and had quite a few people drive by...and not stop! All in all the kids had a great time, we spent time together as a family and I did manage to reorganize some of our stuff as for making money...not so much! Can get less than a tank of gas with our profits but it was an experience over-all!
Later in the day we took the kids to Thornhill Pool for some family swim time. The kids had a blast and loved playing in the water. It is amazing what water-wings will do to a kids' confidence in the water! THEN we went out for my dad's birthday to Southern Rub Smokehouse.  Where we had a nice meaty dinner- definitely NOT the place for vegetarians ...the brisket was delicious smothered in smoked molasses sauce! The BBQ chicken looked yummy too!


As for my diet and exercise plan...well stuck to it over all except for dinner last night and the pizza with a side of chips I had at a birthday party today. Balanced it all out with a 3km run this evening. I was doing so well on my run until the last few yards, when the heat and humidity suddenly got to me and I had to slow down to a walk...but that was okay as I got to my goal- running with no walking (except for taking a moment to shove those ipod ear buds back into my ears as they kept falling out!- must find ones that stay in better- or go old school and get ones that go over my head like ear muffs!) I have to say, once i got going it felt pretty good to get out there!

I deserve a huge whoot whoo...

Since my last weigh in on June 4th I have managed to lose 4 pounds. I was really upset last time as I was way too close to my goal weight on paper (and way more than my personal goal weight) so I have been making an effort to stick to plan, exercise daily and just live a healthy lifestyle. All my hard work has been paying off!!! I am now at 135 and am now focusing on maintaining this weight rather than losing more!!! Cross my fingers I can stick to my plan!!!

Day 6..

and still going strong. No serious workout for me yesterday but did take a nice long walk before and after a ginormous sushi dinner. Tried to stick to healthy eating during the day  in anticipation of AYCE sushi but got so hungry I snacked on a small piece of 4 cheese pizza before dinner. It was totally worth it!!

I haven't been to weigh-in in over a month and plan on going tomorrow to see if my small efforts have paid off. I will happy to have stayed the same but will be even happier to see a small loss. My weight creapt up a little over the past few months and I had a reality check at my last weigh-in...came just a little too close to my goal weight and definitely don't want it up that high! ( I set my goal weight about 10 pounds higher than my actually personal goal weight just to avoid ever having to pay for a weigh-in again!!)

On the brighter side

After the doctor's visit yesterday we went for a little retail therapy at Yorkdale. I have been wanting to go there for ages and just never get the chance. It wasn't quite as much fun toting a 5 year old boy and a 65+ mother with me as it would have been solo or with a friend but managed to look in a few stores. While browsing in Laura I noticed their amazing sale on costume jewellery, I have been searching for a necklace without much luck when my little guy pulled one off the rack and asked me to try it on...well it was awesome!!!  A long 6 strand silver chain that really looks nice with just about everything!!! My 5 year old son is a mini- fashionista! he often picks out clothes for me and they often look good! Funny thing is he picks the funniest outfits for himself and would never let us tell him to change or that he may not match! oh well- I am wearing my new necklace today with such pride!

Day Five and staying alive

This post is more about my visit with an orthopedic surgeon and less about my eating and exercise plan. Although I didn't get to work out yesterday I did stick to my eating well plan. I even took a healthy lunch with me down to Sick Kids hospital as I knew my son and I would likely be in for a long long day. It was a very long day.
We finally got down to the hospital after battling parking at the subway. I had decided to park at Yorkdale in order to avoid major traffic headaches. I didn't know the parking lot only opens at 9:30! Luckily they do start to open the gates a little earlier so we got in the lot at 9:15- but that meant we were still running late. Our appointment time was 10am. Although we did get down for 10 we didn't see the doctor till closer to 1pm! Can you imagine...they signed us in, sent us for x-rays then put us in a quite depressing room for close to 2 hours to wait to see a doctor! This is with an appointment! Anyway the first doctor came to do an assessment and determined that yes he definitely has scoliosis. He then told us the most likely option is surgery. Okay I was completely freaking out inside. This is pretty major. So finally the Orthopedic Surgeon arrived to confirm he has scoliosis but it may be corrected with a brace. So we are taking him back to sick kids in a few weeks for measuring and casting of a brace that he will have to wear for 23 hours a day. I had thought he'd only need to wear it at night but unfortunately I was quite wrong. My little guy is really worried about wearing this brace thing. And I don't blame him!

Day 4

was a great success. Not only did I track every single thing I ate but I also ate very healthy meals, no nutrition less snacks and got in all my water, vegetables and milks! Then I also did a great dance step video which I really enjoyed. The steps were a little less complex then the last step video I tried and I worked up more of a sweat because I could actually do the moves instead of trying to figure out how to do them. And when my footing did get mixed up I just stayed at the basic step just to keep moving. It was pretty awesome. And it was only 25 minutes which I really really loved!!!
I am finding that the more exercise I do the more energy I actually have. I always knew that was the case but sometimes it's so hard to actually put that knowledge into practice!

Day three

Didn't do as well Sunday on the exercise front as I'd hoped but I did still manage to get in some crunches and ab work. Ate pretty well too. My little guy is now encouraging me and wants to know exactly what kind of exercise I've done the night before. I explained to him all about my personal challenge and he thought it was a great idea. I think they've been teaching him about the importance of physical activity at school and we also discussed it with his doctor at his last check up. It is so important to start a love to activity early on in life- i never had that and hope to change that for my kids!

still going

Day two of my personal challenge.
Kept to my eating fairly well. Probably didn't drink all my water and possibly didn't get as many vegetables in as I should but no serious indulgances- except for a handful of smarties while watching Hall Pass with hubby last night.
Did another dusty video. Step and Sweat...it was pretty good but the foot work was more advanced than i'm used to and I got kind of mixed up quite a lot through it.Will try it again- once I get through all the videos one by one!

Starting Over...again

The first of the month has come and gone...I have decided once again to start over. This time I am doing a personal challenge and hope to stick to it full and complete.
I started with yesterday, kept very close to my good eating habits, and only indulged in a few chips with guacamole at the Canada Day BBQ we attended. Definitely didn't go over board- even resisted the gelato and cake everyone was raving about. Then once I got home and kids were in bed I pulled out my box of dusty exercise videos and did a short but effective yoga for beginners. It was only 20 minutes but was enough for me to get back into the groove.

The Garden update

The vegetable garden is coming along nicely. I fed the plants with organic plant food, specifically made for vegetable growth. I wonder if it makes a difference. So far I see lots of flowering on both the tomato and cucumber plants, i assume those flowers will eventually turn to vegetables. I can hope anyway!!!
Hopefully pics will come soon!

My experiment

with vegetable gardening...
Over the weekend my son and I planted some tomatoes and cucumbers. I am so curious to see what will come of this. We (okay I) have never had success with vegetable gardening in the past. Each time I plant tomatoes I forget about them and they really do need attention and TLC in order to produce any fruit. SOO this year I am trying to remember that they need to be watered daily (actually we've been lucky so far in that the rain has been doing this for me!!!) and the also need to be fed- so i'm giving some plant/vegetable food and crossing my fingers for decent results!!! I have no idea what to expect of the cucumbers but for the $3.99 it cost to buy the plant already blooming I figured I'd try! Since I eat 1 whole cucumber a day this will really help with the grocery bills if I do see results!!!
Any tips from any gardeners out there???

My nails...updated

Well one week after my nails were done I had my first little tiny chip. I was a bit dissapointed as this gel was supposed to last at least two weeks and they weren't supposed to chip, only grow out. Two days after the first tiny chip I now have some major breakage and one whole nail has come off.
I won't be returning to Venetian for the gel manicure again. I do like their regular mani/pedis and will stick to that for a special occassion.
Although, after talking to some of my collegues I discovered that gel manicures are actually different than shellac and I am willing the actual Shellac mani at a different salon.

Something New

I have been hearing about the new Shellac/gel  manicures for months now. I really wanted to try it as my nails are usually a huge mess. Finally this week when I had some time I took the plunge to get this done. I am really impressed so far. It's been 2 days since I got them done and there is absolutely no sign of chipping. They look just as perfect now as they did when I left the salon!
There are fewer colors to choose from but since I had decided on a french anyway it really didn't matter to me!
This manicure does cost a lot more than a traditional one but if it truely lasts 14 days than it is well worth the extra $$!(I paid about $40 with tax and tip) I may just have found my solution to awful nails.

June 1st, new month, new goals

I have found myself going back to some of my old (bad) habits lately. It is so easy to slip back to being a couch potato and not exercise, eat crap and (pretend to) not care about it at all. Deep down I know I love exercising and when I get off my arse and actually do it I feel great about it. So since I have a day off work and nowhere to be till 10 am I am going to take this opportunity to Just Do It and head out for a run.
I was apprehensive about running because my toes/feet always go numb when I walk/run but after talking to my chiropractor about it she suggested taping my feet with athletic tape so that is what I've been doing and amazingly she knows what she is talking about-it has actually been helping. The problem wasn't what I thought it was but a symptom of dropped arches. My feet are pretty much completely flat and that is what has been causing me all this pain! SO once I get fitted for orthotics and wear them regularly I can run to my heart content without pain (I hope) for now I'm off for a run tape in hand on feet.
I'll let ya'll know how it fairs!
POST RUN UPDATE
It is a hot one today and I was really really fighting to run and not walk. I did have to stop and tie my shoelace near the end and walked a bit then. I managed to run almost 3km and did it in 25 minutes. I think if the ear buds from the ipod would stop falling out of my ears and it wasn't so hot out I could have gone a little bit longer and made it to a full 3km today. I'll try again 2 days from now (don't want to push it right away)
I have been thinking about running in the mornings since I'm up at 6am with the kids anyway but doubt that would actually work. They are up and therefore they need me around at that hour...can't just up and run-then come home to get ready afterwards. I will just have to take morning runs on the days I'm home and they are not! otherwise evenings it will have to be!  I'm just glad I finally did it!

Amazing

how much I love my house when I get the chance to actually clean it!!! When it is a messy, disgusting pit I hate my house but when I've had the chance to clean and polish the sofas, tables and windows I actually love this house!! I never realized how much a clean house can affect ones mood and general outlook on life! Now if only I could keep the cleaning up and not have to do "power clean sessions" as I call them (taking the day off work to clean the house from top to bottom!)
I've tried following Fly Lady and The Happy Slob's Guide to house cleaning but after a few days I always seem to revert back to my old habits- although MAYBE if I lived alone and followed these sites full of great advice, I'd be able to keep it up but living as one in a family of four when not everyone is on board with keeping  up the clean makes it hard. 
For those clean/neat freaks out there- how do you do it? Secrets please!!!

Mother's Day Updated

Mother's Day was for the most part a nice day. Hubby made yummy scrambled eggs- he makes them so well- for some reason that is one thing I just cannot get right! My kiddies and Hubby got me a mani/pedi gift certificate. He even booked it for  me so I won't delay going! I took my girl to playfun and had a really nice time with her. She made me a cute bead necklace to go along with the beautiful bracelet she made me at daycare!!
 My boy and I went for nice walk around the neighborhood dropping off birthday party invitations in the afternoon while my girl napped (for 3 whole hours!!!) On our walk we stopped and chatted with a neighbor whose son is in his class and we even had a short play session with another classmate whose mom invited us in for a bit!  I am finally starting to feel that we are part of a community rather than living on a street with neighbors I don't know!
Later in the day after my girl woke we went to the Thornhill Woods park where the kids ran around and played with their cousin while we parents chased them around with sunscreen hats. (to no avail though-i'm planning to buy the sunscreen that just sprays and doesn't need to rub in-that way I can just get them and it's done with!) We even ran into a friend or two whom we haven't seen in so long- really great to catch up with them too ;)
Afterwards we went to my brother's house and had a nice take out dinner from Sofra (although next time we order from there I think we'll need to get another meal because the meals seem to be a little small and getting 4 dishes for 6 adults and 3 kids really is never enough) The whole family enjoyed a nice day all in all and the kids were so worn out by bath/bed time that they were fast asleep by 8pm (a little later than normal but for a nice reason so it was okay!)

Mother's Day

is coming soon. The past few years I have suggested hosting a pot luck brunch for my family and hubby's family. Restaurants are just too crazy busy and it's not really enjoyable with so many little ones to look after. My suggestions have been shot down time and time again so this year I have decided that i'm not going to bother making the suggestion and just spend mother's day with my hubby and my 2 babies (who are growing so quickly- they are hardly babies anymore!!)
Now the big question is...what to do with them that won't have me all stressed out and cursing! They are great kids and I love spending my time with them- individually but when they are together they just run me totally ragged!
A few places we've thought of going
1. the zoo. We LOVE the zoo. for the past few years we have had passes which allow us unlimited visits and we have gone many many times over the summer but I didn't renew our pass this year for financial reasons- we'll have to see if we change our minds and get one again this.
2. Fantasy Fair. I've never been there but there was recently a Groupon deal online that I just couldn't resist. $20 for a family of 4. I've heard how much fun this place is I thought it would a nice treat for the kids to go somewhere different. It's indoors so it is a great option for a rainy day!
3. Canada's Wonderland. We bought season's passes this year. Sunday is opening day so it might just BE a zoo there but we'll have to see what our mood is like before we commit to going there this weekend. Also depends on what the weather is like,
4. the local park. There is an awesome new park in Thornhill Woods that we took the kids to last weekend. They absolutely loved it. I loved it too. There is NO SAND at this park and there are structures there for kids of all ages. It was crazy busy  and I suspect it is always like that- people come from all over the place to play at this park! Either way the kids had a great time running around, we got to enjoy the fresh air and chat with new people while the kids played. It was great!

I guess we'll have to see what the days brings!
Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there!!

Locks of Love

I have been growing my hair for a while now. I've had it trimmed a couple of time over the last year but decided I wanted to grow it really long. Well in the past while I started thinking that I'd actually do something nice with my hair once it grows well past my shoulders (and thought if I was bothered about my hair being too long I would have a great excuse) I am going to grow my hair for Lock of Love and donate it once it gets long enough. I am so excited to have a good cause to give to and look really forward to when my hair does grow long enough to donate!

weather woes

I am really getting depressed over this terribly cold weather. Spring came and spring went...all in a week. Now we're back to winter and it is getting to me. I hate having to bundle the kids up, look for their hats and mittens and run around like a maniac chasing them with warm sweaters.
The kids are getting tired of playing inside too. I"m not one of those parents who says " if they bundle up and dress right, they can play outside" I'm more like, if it's under 10 degrees it's too cold to go outside!
Where is the nice spring weather we are supposed to have this time of year? Please g-d give us a break and bring it on, tell Mother Nature that we will soon lose faith if she doesn't wake up soon!

Did you know???

That if  you register to receive emails from RW&Co they will send you a %25 off coupon to use the week of your birthday!!! You can use this awesome coupon during the 3 days before and 3 days after your special day. All you have to do is print it off and show photo id.  Last year I took advantage of this deal and again this year. I totally lucked out this year as their %40 off the last ticketed price sale had just started and then I had an additional %25 off! SOOO I got 4 awesome pieces for under $65 (including the taxes!) I would have bought more stuff but I was on my lunch break and it's really hard to shop big with only 30 minutes for lunch.
I bought one pair of black dress pants. They are a size bigger than I would have liked to buy but the smaller ones just looked a tad too tight. I will have to get these ones altered to fit just right.
One brown cardigan style short sleeve sweater, which I can wear over long sleeve t-shirt style tops or even over short sleeve t-shirts later in the season.
One blue short sleeve sweater. It has quite a deep v-neck so I will definitely have to pair it with a camisole under (and it's a knit which is fairly sheer so i would have to layer it regardless)
and finally I bought an oatmeal coloured wrap style short sleeve sweater. It is also kind of low necked so I will probably have to wear it with something underneath as well. I debated a little about this one as it sort of emphasizes my pouch but i'm hoping this will inspire me to do more crunches!!
Anyway here are a few pics of the goods I scored. (tried to take some self portraits but I have no idea how to stop the flash reflection in the mirror from ruining the shots)

My Birthday Wishlist

In staying with the KISS mentality when asked what I would like for my birthday I answered, A bouquet of roses. Seriously. I have never ever been given a bouquet of roses. Not for a birthday, not for university graduation not for a random surprise so that is something I would really like.
BUT if I were to get something extravagant and totally materialistic I wouldn't mind one of these few selected item. (in no particular order)

 

To Hell and almost back

It's my time to moan and complain... i have been suffering from the worst headache ever-since Saturday afternoon.
My whole body was aching and in more pain than i can describe. I took Tylenol and more Tylenol to no avail. finally sat night i took Tylenol 3 which helped me sleep but did not stop the headache from returning in full force Sunday morning. I have been suffering ever since. I take Advil and at the suggestion of my doctor I have been taking Robaxacet to relieve the tension in my neck and shoulders but these not long term solutions. She also suggested massage, which sounds good to me but I have not been able to find the time as of yet. Hopefully Monday, as I had booked the day off to spend time with myself (happy birthday to me- massage would be a nice birthday treat if it weren't being done on prescription from the doctor to relieve major pain in the neck!)
Who knew a little stress added to tension could cause so much pain and suffering and for so long! Hope April brings healthy vibes about for all.

IS spring really in the air??

The winter weather is really starting to get to me. Just when I thought spring was on its way...another darn snowfall dumped the white stuff on us. I am just getting so tired of dressing the kids in their boots, coats and hats, I am tired of dressing myself in boots, coat and hat (well the hat has somehow managed to get lost somewhere in my house)
I see the spring clothes in store windows but I'm just not feeling it quite yet. Although I have noticed a few trends and styles for the spring I'll definitely be able to live with.

A viral cop-out

So my little guy was really sick the other night. He was tossing his cookies and was really upset by the nausea sensation. He had a low grade fever so I took him to the walk-in clinic where the doctor barely examined him and concluded he has a virus. I accepted this diagnosis without question because he's the professional right?
Well I remembered much later in the day that last winter I had seen that very same doctor. I'd had similar symptoms to my son, nausea, fever, sore neck and cough.That doctor dismissed what I had as a virus. The symptoms did not clear up in the 3-4 days he said they should, I went to my own doctor and sure enough I had a terrible infection in which anti-biotics were prescribed. That was the first round of 3 different anti-biotics to fight off whatever it was i had developed.
My question is, should I trust what this doctor says or do I take my son to his own regular doctor to make sure it's nothing more than a virus? Given this man's track record I'm not keen to trust what he says but might just wait to see how the little guy is feeling in the next day or two. (He seemed fine this morning and did not have a fever or overall pains so he went to school)

A New Favourite

Was browsing Bath and Body works recently for a new hand cream. I have been suffering from extremely dry hands this winter and needed immediate relief. The scent-free policy in my office can make it somewhat difficult to find products that work and are not offensive to those with sensitivities. Anyway I noticed a whole stack of %50 off products and decided to give this one a try. I have had the softest hands ever since. The skin around my thumb which is normally cracked and bleeding is now healing and no longer painful. My knuckles have also stopped bleeding. I am in heaven! Off to B and B again today to stock up on this. The only reason they have this on sale now is the packaging will be changing soon and they need to get rid of their stock. At $10 a bottle, this is a real steal!!! And the scent is so light that nobody even notices...I am the only one who occasionally gets a  whiff of lemon/citrus if my hands come up near my face. Very nice!

a short rant

I was stopped at the mall yesterday by one of those hair straightener sales ladies. Normally I don't mind stopping and letting them try to sell me a new straightener. I never buy them but when they are through with their shpeel my hair usually looks pretty good. This time I told the girl I was on my short break and didn't have much time. She persuaded me to sit for a minute anyway. I did. Then while she was playing around with my hair all I could smell was strong cigarette smoke. Really, if you are working in a job touching people's hair and standing such close proximity to others why are you smoking? She absolutely reaked I actually had to hold my breath. After a minute or two I got up and told her I had to go, then muttered under my breath that she smelled too strongly like smoke for me to sit any longer. I hope she heard me.

V day...and the big return

Today was my first day back to work after a 5 week break. I was sort of looking forward to the return as being home and not doing much other than cleaning, cooking and shopping might get a little old. (although I have to admit I love the way my house looked while I was off- so clean and tidy too!)
I logged into my computer and was greeted with 300 emails to go through. I was off for 5 weeks not 5 months! I couldn't believe it! After spending most of the day reading and deleting emails I am ready for a nice romantic Valentine's Day evening with my dear hubby....well not really but one can hope! We did get my parents to babysit last night so we could go out for dinner without the kids. We went for sushi to Ginza. Not exactly a romantic choice but it was good food and the price was reasonable. After sushi we went to Indigo to browse the books. This is something we both love doing! I actually bought something and he did not- normally it's the other way around.
Just lusting after a nice bouquet of red roses. In my 30something years I have never once been give a dozen roses. Sure I've had the single rose and bouquets of other flowers but I really want a dozen roses wrapped all nicely handed to me by the one I love! Not too much to ask for...is it?

Looking for thoughts and feedback

My daughter was recently invited to a birthday party. I know this is nothing new nor is it exciting but the form in which she was sent the invite and some other things got me thinking. The invitation was sent via Echoage which is a nice idea but the problem here was I didn't actually receive the invite. My email accounts are set up so that almost anything sent to me via an outside source (as in not in the contact list) goes straight to junk mail and then deleted without reading (prevents a large amount of viruses on our computer) The mother of the birthday girl then sent me an email asking if we were coming to which I replied I didn't know we had been invited...altough it all worked out in the end. But that isn't the real issue here...the real issue is that invite said that in the name of the "environment" please refrain from bringing a wrapped gift and just give a donation instead. Half of what you give would be going to a charity chosen by the birthday child and the other half would be used to purchase a gift the child really wants. I was leary of this whole idea as I thought it was kind of tacky to ask for money rather than gifts even if the premise of the request is the help the environment and give to a charity all at the same time. I know that the money isn't going to be used for a gift, it is going to be put into an RESP and saved for the child's future- which is great but at the same time didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. In the end I did donate towards this cause as I was just too lazy to look for a gift and I could just pull out my credit card right here in the comfort of my home.
I am just wondering what any of my readers think about this new age of birthday party gift requests! Is is okay or tacky ??

First Day Back

I haven't  posted anything about my little man's ordeal over the last few weeks/months. Today I have decided to share.
Back in July at his 4 year check up the doctor detected a murmur.(a very diligent and skilled doctor I might add- not his usually pediatrician but a replacement who was only at that office for 2 weeks!)  He decided to send my little man for a chest x-ray, an ECG and later an ECHO. After those results came in we were referred to a pediatric cardiologist. We finally got in to see him late September (in true Ontario Medical system style). It was strongly  recommended he go for surgery to have the defect/hole closed. As this wasn't an urgent case we requested the procedure be done in January as we had a vacation booked for December, something we'd been planning since August-before we even knew he'd need surgery.
During this whole waiting period between finding out he'd need to have surgery to the actual date of the operation I was calm and confident things would go well. Other members of my family were freaking out to the point that I was getting almost angry with them. There was crying, praying and a whole sense of gloom around here for quite some time. Closer to the date of the surgery I was starting to feel guilty for NOT being all freaked out and crying.
Once the time came for him to go to the hospital we tried to prepare him and spoke to him about what was going to happen to him. A child life specialist at Sick Kids also showed him how the tubes would be put in him and how he would be given medicine for sleeping. She was really awesome with him and he took to her very quickly! We tried to reassure him things would be okay and he had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately I had a very bad cough/cold- (the doc said it was a respiratory infection but not pneumonia) Either way this illness prevented me from going to the hospital for several days, while he was recovering in the ICU. That was the hardest part of this whole thing. I wanted to be there for him and I wanted him to know I really wanted to be there. He was in no condition post-op for talking on the phone but we explained to him that I was really sick and couldn't come but would come as soon as I could. He spent three nights in hospital (we were told he`d be there 5 but they felt he was ready to come home earlier!) and enjoyed the playroom there quite a lot. The giant Hummer toy and Pirate Ship were well used during his stay.
Once we got him he was very clingy and would not let me out of his site. He followed me everywhere-if I got  up to get a glass of water from the kitchen, he`d be right behind me, If I needed to go to the washroom, there he was. He slept in my bed with me for the first 3 nights and has been waking in the middle of the night to come to our bedroom every night since. We wonder how long this will last!
Lots of people came by to visit while he was there. He was showered with attention (naturally!!) by all his family and friends. Everyone was so  wonderful during the whole ordeal. He received more Spiderman colouring books and action figures than one kid could ever possibly need or use!
Today after 2 weeks he is back at school for the first time. He was very upset and nervous about going back and leaving me. His teacher asked him to be her special helper today. I do hope that he is happier and more comfortable before the end of the day!
Tonight at bath time we are going to try to get off more the bandage goo that is still stuck to his neck, tummy and arms! Not sure what to use for that but am going to look for some tips soon!

A night out

We went to a wedding last night. It was FREEZING out but we still managed to get all dressed up and look pretty darn good-IMO!!
My baby cousin got married to her high school sweet heart. I mean really, she is 15 years younger than me-and I am pretty sure I babysat her once or twice!! The wedding was beautiful, the flowers and decor were top notch and the food was yummy too.
I bought a new dress for the occassion and I was really happy with my choice. The dress is made of stretchy material and fit really well. The only issue I had was the under garmet I wore. It was the same one from my own wedding 6+ years ago and it was way too big on me. I will have to look for a proper strapless bra for any upcoming occassions I may have as I can't wear that corset thing again...very uncomfortable!
Also got fab new shoes !! I am no longer a Browns Virgin. That store used to scare me as it's so expensive and the people one normally sees shopping there are not the ones I normally hobnob with but since it was sale season I thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did!
anyway here are some pics of the evening. Enjoy :)

thank you

thank you dear neighbour who took an extra 5 minutes to snow blow my driveway the other day. It is due to good people like you I don't have complete doubt about mankind! When I thanked you over and over again you just said, Of course, we're neighbors!!!

dear jerk who decided to pass me in the oncoming traffic lane because you decided the speed limit wasn't fast enough...I really hope you arrived alive because you  acted like a maniac and gave myself and others on the road a real scare. There is no reason to drive that aggressively on a side road, in poor weather conditions!

Who Knew ???

This post deals with girlie stuff. If you are male or related to me and don't want to know details than stop reading now!

A conversation with some friends recently made me realize my desperate need for new bras.  My old standby was feeling really wrong in fit and left very large red gouges around my bust line each and every time I wore it. I decided to go for a professional bra fitting at CHANGE. This store is fairly new to Canada and one opened up a little while ago at the Promenade Mall. I had bought a nursing bra from this brand once at a speciality bra boutique and loved it. The woman working at the store measured me and I discovered (as is so often the case) that my bras were all completely the wrong size. I was wearing 34 or 36 C cups while I am really a 32 F!!!! I honestly had no idea that my bras were so off size! I had assumed I would likely be a B cup but an F cup??? I was flabbergasted! After trying on several I found 3 I loved and bought- yeah for me they were all on %70 off sale!!! If you need bras and want a professional fitting, I honestly recommend this store! The selection is also amazing there, so you don't have to get "functional only" colors and styles, they have lots of pretty ones to fit every body type too!

To Discipline or not...that is the question

What does one do when one is with another person's kid and that kid throws the biggest fit one has ever seen? EVER???
We took the boy to see Disney on Ice today. We also took another child-whom I will call guest. They both really really enjoyed the show. They were completely mesmerized and impossible to distract while the show was happening. It was lovely. They were enjoying their $7 popcorn each, they had juice and cheese strings. All was going really well. Guest asked me if we could go look at the toys for sale. I said fine we could LOOK but not buy.
Then the trouble started. Guest decided she wanted to buy one of  the toys for sale.  We said no way. The items were all stupidly over priced and if she got something then we would have to buy a piece of junk for our son. That was not going to happen. Her lip started to pout, her eyes started to swell and the tears began, quietly at first, then when we just ignored her she started wailing. I mean screaming and crying to the point that she looked like a crazed lunatic. She was kicking and hitting and it looked like she might almost throw up. This lasted an entire hour.
Now my kids can give it a go. But I have never honestly seen anything like this in my entire life. I don't work with kids and after this episode- frankly I'm glad I work with seniors! and if this had happened pre-kids...not sure I would have had any!
What would you have done in this situation? We absolutely were not going to give in and buy a toy for her- especially after this display of completely spoiled, very unattractive behaviour. We didn't want to show our son (who was actually an angel today, after a previous evening of slightly dubious behaviour!) that this type of behaviour warrants a reward of any kind, as she was our guest we really weren't sure of the limits set for her by her parents or grandparents. Time outs, ignoring her or walking away were not options, what on earth to do?!?! Threatening to call her mother wasn't working, actually calling but not reaching her was problematic - we were really at a complete loss. Once getting past the embarrassment of stares and snickers of passers-by we (I should say my husband, I was in too much shock to actually get past her crazed behaviour) eventually managed to calm her down to point where she could walk on her own and not be dragged along the Skywalk on her knees to the subway! Once this tantrum of epic proportions was over she reverted back to her usual sweet self-very much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
We then enjoyed a nice lunch at Mr Greenjeans- but did not give in to requests for dessert!  

to snow tire or not

We have never changed our tires over to snow tires. This year I feel that we really should do it. I never realized the significant safety differences but after reading articles on this issue I am now convinced that putting snow tires on is the way to go- especially as we drive little ones around all the time.
Just wondering if any (if there are any!!) of my readers use snow tires, and if so what type or do you have any recommendations on brand, place to go etc...

Tips and Tid bits

Since starting on Weight Watchers in January 2010 and losing close to 25 pounds lots of people have been asking me to share my "secret". I first want to make it clear that it is no secret. I tell anyone who comments or wants to know how I did it the absolute truth. I joined Weight Watchers, followed the plan and it worked. They then often want to know what it is I eat, so I thought I'd just share it here and give them my link rather than explaining over and over again...
here is a typical day/week of meals

Breakfast  7:15 am
28 grams all bran buds stirred into one source yogurt, banana

or

54 grams of Kashi Honey Puffs Cereal with 1/2 cup 1% milk, banana

or

one PC Thins Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with 1 tablespoon light peanut butter, banana

or

one packet of weight control oatmeal (any flavour) made with 1/2 cup %1 milk,banana

Snack  10:30 am
Coffee with milk and sugar ( won't ever give up sugar for sweetener in my coffee!!)
AND

6 almonds
or
carrot and celery sticks
or
one apple
or
2 triangles of Laughing Cow Cheese
or
All Bran Bar

Lunch

7 cups of salad consisting of either spring lettuce mix, romaine or  spinach AND 1/2 diced cucumber, 1/2 of a pepper (either yellow or red), cauliflower, 10 grape tomatoes cut in half, and either 1/4 of an avocado, 1/2 cup of beans/chickpeas or 20 grams of cheddar cheese or can of flavoured tuna or 2 oz  diced cooked chicken AND 1 tablespoon of dressing-any type.
Sometimes I'll bring left overs for lunch but usually stick to my salad. and very rarely I'll do the food court lunch in which i choose either a chicken skewer from the Greek place with salad or a turkey sub no mayo from Subway.

Dinner
I find dinner to be the hardest meal to plan for. As most working mothers this is the most challenging time of the day. After coming home from a busy day at work, the kids have been at daycare/school and are really tired- need to fix dinner, entertain the kids and get a whole ton of chores done around the house to boot it can be so difficult to make healthy choices the kids will like.
I refuse to eat a different meal than the one I cook for the rest of the family so I just have to be careful about portion control. Since I do have a food scale this is easier than if i didn't have one. I weigh and measure almost everything.
Since the usual reaction from my son lately for whatever i make is UCH...YUCKY, we decided to plan our weekly meals together. This has been so helpful and has seen us through the last 3 nights with no complaints and crying fits-and the kids have had more than just peanut butter on bread for dinner!

Some examples of dinner;
3 ounces chicken breast, steamed cauliflower, 1/2 cup of rice
1 cup of pasta 1/2 cup vegetarian  bolognese sauce
3 ounces tilapia cooked any way (this is about 1/2 of a HUGE fillet from the fish counter) steamed carrots, small baked potato with 1 tsp of becel
2 oz of beef with sauteed vegetables and 1/2 c rice
I find that buying prepacked foods makes life  a lot easier and I am able to count my points easier too. A family favourite is fish sticks, and sweet potato fries.
I also make a lot of vegetable soups. My favourite is cabbage soup which also happens to be the most healthy and least caloric of them all. The slow cooker is really helpful for this!
I eat cheese but really limit it to one serving by weighing it, (shocking how little cheese one serving is!!) or just stick to Laughing Cow Light. For 2 triangles it is only 1 point.  I have also had to cut out my snacking considerably. I used to eat chocolate chips from the bag before bed...don't do that anymore, and I could eat a whole bag of mini rice cakes in one sitting (still CAN do that-but choose not to) I also no longer eat cereal out of the box while watching TV.
The whole trick is making the right choices and learning what works and doesn't work for you. I remember commenting at one WW meeting about eating the same thing everyday-I am totally good with that-but most people there groaned and said they couldnt' do it- but that totally worked for me-and i try to stick to it!

changes....

well my commitment to working out in the morning has been more challenging than I thought it would be. I have however been getting on the elliptical in the evenings instead. I do like watching my favourite programs while working out but I used to feel so much more productive when working out in the mornings...i guess I can't have it all!

Pre-New Years Resolutions

Last January I resolved to take the bull by the horns and get my butt in gear to lose the baby weight once and for all. I managed to lose 25 pounds but was really really good about eating well and not so good about exercising diligently. I did start out the year getting on the elliptical 3-5 times a week at first but as time went on that slipped down to 1-2 and lately it's been nil.
During the late summer and early fall I started running. Again it wasn't that regularly and usually only when FP kicked me in the butt to get off the couch. I did complete one 5k and felt awesome about it but then only ran once after that.
Now that it is December and the New Year is coming up fast and furious, I decided I want to get back to the basics of exercising right and of course eating right too.
Since working out the evenings just doesn't work for me (I'm just too tired and honestly I have so much to do around the house-as I've discovered the house doesn't clean itself and meals don't get cooked on their own!!!) I have committed to waking up at 5:30 and getting on that elliptical for 25-35 minutes a day. It is a great way to start the day and gets me up to do other things before the rest of the family is up. This morning for example i was able to load (and turn on) the dishwasher, throw in a load of laundry and tidy the kitchen a bit all before the chaos called morning started! (and of course help get the kids ready for their 7:20 departure AND to top it off I was able to shower in the morning-which i love to do but normally don't because of time restrictions. (and morning showers really do wonders for my hair)
I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to keep up this commitment to myself for daily exercise!!

Some Things I want to try...

I saw a commercial recent for these Goody Spin Pins. I think they look amazing. Just wondering how well they would work on really thick hair. My experience with these products in the past hasn't been that great but I'm willing to give them a try...now off to try and find them in stores!

This product from Sephora looks interesting too. I have been trying to grow out my hair and as a result have been putting it up in ponytails a lot lately. Hercut perfect ponytail  might just help me get the perfect pony...okay might go a try this out today...and if the result is great, I'll buy!

Still searching for the best eyeshadow for me I am looking to get something like this.
I love Sephora!

observations and thoughts

that go on in my head sometimes make me laugh out loud...looking like a dope. But I can't help it if I find girls who wear thick winter boots to keep the toes all toasty with no stockings and the shortest skirts possible kind of ridiculous...or women who are sporting the most adorable shoes but forget to take that bright white priced tag off the bottom of the shoe...teenage boys who wear their pants so low the are walking like mermaids- please pull your pants up- we really don't all need to see your shorts! Or... sitting on the subway and noticing a young woman standing- and wondering if she is pregnant or just overweight so i would know whether or not to get up to offer her a seat. (not that i take it often but once recently i was on during rush hour and really didn't want to insult my fellow passenger so i didn't get up to offer her a seat-which i would have if she had been extremely large and obviously pregnant!)

Where did my motivation go???

For months and months I was doing SOOO well in both the eating and exercise departments. I stuck to the WW plan to a T and was motivated to exercise at least 3 days a week...then one day I was too tired to exercise so i let it go then one day turned to two and the downward spiral began...but even during that non-exercise time I always stuck to my WW plan keeping my goals in mind. I finally reached my weight loss goal in July and was elated to become a lifetime member- never having to pay for a weigh in again, provided my weight is never more than 2 pounds over my set goal. Lately i have been cheating on my plan A LOT. I have no idea why or what has gotten into me but I have been really horrible at tracking and I know that eating junk is not good for me- and doesn't make me feel good nor does it do any good for my weight maintenance... i plan on giving away all my baggy, too big on my clothes to charity so I have nothing to fall back on and HAVE to keep the weight off...just need some encouragement and motivational thoughts to get me back to it! (haven't gained anything more than .8 in one week yet but each small gain weekly will eventually be a large gain if not kept at bay!

My new favourite appliance

So after my flat iron died I went on a search for a new one. I bought the FHI and used it for 2 weeks but was never quite satisfied with it. It worked okay but I just wasn't completely satisfied with it. So after continuously debating about whether or not I should shell out the extra money for a better one I finally decided I couldn't take satisfactory straightening any longer. I went to the Beauty Supply Depot and inquired about the different high end flat iron options. I knew that CHI would be the most available with the most options but didn't necessarily want that one. I tried the HAI and was instantly in love! It straightens my hair so quickly and leaves it very smooth and shiny. I absolutely LOVE my new HAI.

fear factor parenting

it started out innocently enough, I told my son if he didn't brush his teeth after every meal his teeth would fall out. Now he brushes them when he is done his morning milk and when he goes to sleep at night.He is very consciences about it too- if he has a snack after his teeth are brushed he will brush them again before going to sleep for the night. I am proud of this. I think that warning him about the ill affects of his actions is a good way to get him to understand how important it is to brush his teeth (or to eat his vegetables, drink his milk etc...) Some may not agree with this style of parenting. Recently we were criticized for using fear (warnings!!) to get him to listen... we really didn't know a better way- any suggestions?!?!

A new search

I have been using my faithful flat iron for a while now. It was a birthday present in April 2009. It was working really well, the heat element was still going at full force - and this is a problem I've had in the past- where the heat just stops working but this one was just fine! Then one day I was mid iron when pow...the iron just broke right in half- leaving me without a straightener and even worse only 1/2 a head full of decent looking hair! So now I'm on another search for a straightener. I like the one they sell at mall kiosks but i wonder if I'll like it  for long once I fork out the moula.... my Chi was pretty good but again I wonder how long it will last, i took it out to try after my Torlen broke but it wouldn't get hot enough to do anything worthwhile. Gotta find something fast because my hair is looking kind of mop like without my favourite appliance!

Depressing

The weather has been so dark and grey for the past few days. It just grates on my nerves and puts in a crappy (ok crappier than usual) mood!
I just want it the sun to shine and the birds to sing! I'm so waiting for spring- except that I love fall clothing!
I've been loving all the sweaters and scarves out there. So pretty and so functional too.
Then there are those walking around in complete denial...wearing capri pants and sandals- IT'S OCTOBER- IN CANADA!! !Get a grip- you can wear them again next year! Really I promise!
anyway rant over... just wanted to post something -anything really!

My plans

I had so many plans for my blog. It is just so hard to keep up with all things work and life related outside the blog sphere that this tends to get neglected. Even harder now that the new TV season has started. Sorry to say but true!
I did however start a new blog. I call it my daily dinner blog. I do hope to post dinner ideas daily and am really looking for feedback and comments!
Check it out here.

run away with me

In light of the recent heartbreak and stresses we have endured I have decided to really commit to the running thing. I took myself out Monday night and ran about 3 km. It wasn't a long run but it was a run and I did it alone- my first lone run in more years than I can count. Last night FP and I ran together. We did about 5k together, and she likely did closer to 6 or more! (Cheers for FP!!!) I am really enjoying the freedoms of running. There is no schedule to abide by, if I am running late than I can still get out and do my run without worrying about interrupting an instructor or about not getting a good spot in the class. I don't have to dress up in "designer" workout clothes, I don't have to worry about my messy ponytail looking just right (as the gyms I tended to go to were often fashionable, trendy places where the patrons were sometimes more worried about how they looked on the floor than what they were often doing there-not that I am into all that but they were convenient and usually offered great corporate rates!)
I know it is late in the year to start running and I won't have a lot of time left to get the runs in before the weather turns unbearable to run but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

good bye dear friend

My dear kittie Jamie was an "impulse purchase." I had always loved kitten and wanted one of my own so my dear friend Jill and I went down to the humane society one Sunday afternoon 8 long years ago to pick out a kitty. There were so many to choose from but this feisty black and white one caught my attention the moment he was carried into the viewing room. He was the cutest, friskiest cat I'd ever seen. He was my first baby. I named him Jamie because I always wanted to name my first born Jamie and at that point in my life I was certain I'd never have human babies of my own.
I took him home and for months he slept on my pillow. He was small enough to hide in a tiny paper bag. He was smart enough to get in the elevator of my building and take a ride down to the first floor, where the building super spotted him and brought him back up to me. Jamie was a regal cat, his fur shined and he always took such pristine care of himself.
One things is for sure, he always wanted to be an outdoor cat. I never let him out and often chased him down the block and carried him back inside but he longed to be outdoors, chasing butterflies and falling leaves. This time I just let him go, he ran past me and I didn't chase him and bring him back. I was in such a rush and figured he'd be fine, He'd been venturing out for a few months already and he always came back.

We came home after dinner and I noticed a note on the door. The neighbor said a few kids from the local high school had knocked on the door to say a cat had been hit. It wasn't their cat and they knew it must be ours. We went looking for him right away but couldn't find him anywhere. We called around and nobody had seen him. Finally after searching and searching, flashlight in hand my husband found him lying between two houses. He looked so peaceful. He was gone. I will miss him. He loved me and was so loyal to me. Sometimes he wasn't so nice to other people but he was always loving and affectionate to me. He got me, and i got him.

My dear Jamie. I will miss you always.

A great mistake

Yesterday I was making a tofu stir fry for dinner. In the morning I chopped up all the vegetables. Went to take the tofu out of the fridge drawer only to discover it had frozen into a complete block. I was quite upset because I thought it had been ruined and wasn't sure I could use it when it thawed. Either way I left it in the fridge to thaw out and went to work for the day. After inquiring with a friend at work she said it was perfectly fine to use the tofu once it defrosted and to just press out the water with a paper towel. So i did just that. It was amazing HOW MUCH water came out of the defrosted tofu. ANYWAY to get to the point, cooking it once it was pressed out made SOOO much easier to cook!!! Normally when i make the tofu stir fry the tofu gets all stuck to the pan and doesn't really get crispy...well this time it cooked perfectly, got really brown and crispy. It was DELISHOUS, I was so relieved and very happy!!!

Here are a few pics of dinner in progress

The tofu and onions

Once the vegetables have been added

Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Fall is looming

It is September...ALREADY!!! Where oh where did the summer go??? Each year just flies by so quickly I can't believe more than half of 2010 is gone!!!

Each month on the first I review my resolutions for the year and assess how I am doing so far. Well this year I have actually kept to a few of them with great strength! My most obvious was the goal to lose weight through Weight Watchers. I originally resolved to lose 25 pounds but found that was just a little too ambitious so I re-evaluated my goal and lost a little over 20 which is just fine with me. Now I must learn to live at my new weight without gaining it back and without tracking everything I eat for the rest of my life!! I know how to make healthy choices that work for me...just need to use that knowledge to my advantage!
I also resolved that I would workout daily. I was doing really well on that front-for a while. Then I just fell back into the habit of excuses to avoid exersize. I do take lots of stairs daily and I do walk a lot but not nearly as much as I should or I would like to. For some reason my motivation in this area is a little lacking...need kick in-butt from someone!!
I wanted to start wearing make-up every day. I do. Sometimes it's probably not obvious but I know it's there and I know that without I wouldn't feel half and good as i do!
hmmm.. that is really all i can think of for now.
Just need to put it out there that I will start a more dedicated running program-i will, i will, i will ! I am registering to run with FP at the end of the month and don't want to feel like a complete dork doing it so i must practise! and i will.

A funny thing

Well not really funny haha but kind of ironic none-the-less. I had been feeling down as I had seriously thought I'd gained back a chunk of the weight I'd recently lost. I stepped on the scale last week for my weekly weigh in and was actually down the 1.2 lbs I had gained the previous week. Great ! So why was I looking at myself in the mirror and seeing bulges that weren't there before??? I had no idea UNTIL I realized my pants were just too big on me and really should be given away pronto. I have been wearing my size 10's and felt decent in them, I knew they were a little baggy in the tushy area but after 8 months of climbing 10-20 flights of stairs a day and following the Weight Watchers plan my butt is no longer as wide as it was and my pants just hang there...no more wearing my bigger/older clothes with a belt. It just won't cut it! My work out pants which I LOVED, which were very flattering (IMO) up till now look ridiculous and make me look wider than they should...time to let them go too!!! I have a pile of dresses I can't let go of and will be taking them to get altered ASAP!! Since they are mostly big in the chest but still fit in the waste and hips I hope there won't be any problem altering them to fit again! and now I have an excuse to buy a few new thing!
Off to do some shopping I must go!