wonderful time of year

I love late summer...aside from the glorious weather (with the exception of this strange weather we're having now of course) the shopping is so abundant. Loads of amazing sales and deals to be had!!! Yesterday I decided to be a great, wonderful, awesome wife AND do a little (well A LOT) of shopping for hubby. I went to GAP and got him a savvy red, pinstrip button down for %50 off!!! It just looks so sharp!
Then off to MEXX I went...I never usually venture into this store but the huge sales signs in the window lured me in. Everything was on sale and then an additional %25 off that!! I got hubs a striped black shirt, a sauve blue dress shirt and 2 stylin' t-shirts!
He was so impressed with my purchases he told me I can shop for him anytime!!!

Today it's shopping the sales racks for me!!! Wish me luck!!

update on my newest toy...

well i was quite dissapointed with my CHI purchase. It stopped working after 2 days so i shipped it back to the seller and it is being replaced with a new one. I really hope this doesn't happen again as the savings I incurred by purchasing it online will have been eaten up with return shipping costs!! ARGH....i did a little research and noticed that quite a number of people who have purchased the CHI online received duds like i did!!! strange-don't ya think??? perhaps this kind of purchase is best done at a reputable retailer at retail prices just for consumer protection!!!

my newest toy...

I have less time than ever to get ready in the mornings so i have taken to showering before bed and just straightening my hair in the morning. This saves me a good 30 minutes as a 10 minute shower and 20 minutes blow drying my hair are unavoidable.
I asked around, read some reviews, checked out prices and decided to try my luck at getting this CHI on ebay. My first 3 or 4 attempts at bidding failed as i was outbid by an average of $2!!! SOO I finally managed to start bidding about 2 minutes before the auction ended and won!!!
So far I am not ecstatic about the CHI. I tried it before bed and got reasonable results. I used it again in the morning and the results were a little better. I just don't see how this thing could straighten really curly hair or if it does work to do this it would take a really long time! I thought, given the great reviews of this CHI, that I would have stick straight smooth hair in just moments- i didn't! I had to pull my hair through peice by peice about 2-3 times before it was straight enough for my liking. It took me way longer to achieve the look I wanted than i had expected. Perhaps my expectations were just too unrealistic...
I'll try using more and see if I just need to get the hang of it or if it really isn't just as good as my old Conair flat iron...

mamma does know best!!!

When I was a teenager I honestly believed my mom didn't know a thing. I swore up and down that she was just too old to know anything about how young people acted. I fought with her on many issues, always insisting I knew the truth/real answer. It was not until i reached some form of maturity that i realized how much mom really knows!!

Mom used to tell me over and over again that I needed to watch my behaviour and actions because everything I did had a direct impact on either myself or my family. I thought she was nuts! Now I realize just how true her words were. She said "everyone knows everyone" and that your behaviour will follow you. Boy was she right. With the Facebook Phenomenon I can see how many people know each other. Nothing can be kept a secret these days!! AND it is so easy to find out information on people with just a few clicks of the mouse...i was able to find some personal information of a few people, just based on their status comments on facebook!!(as an example of how careful you have to be!!!)

Mom used to tell me to wear a hat because it was cold...i would never wear a hat in the winter-it just wasn't cool...now i would never go out without one on a cold day!!
and of course there are the times when she would say "take an umbrella" and sure enough it would rain!!!
Moms are a lot smarter than teens give them credit for...and now that i'm a mom i can say IT's True!!!

a few fashion mistakes more than a few people make

photo taken from www.cartoonstock.com

I am not a fashion goddess, nor do I pretend to be BUT I do feel that i have a decent sense of style and I know what looks good, what is appropriate and what definitely looks bad.
Lately I have been noticing fashion more often than I had in past, this could be for a variety of reasons but mostly i think it's due to the fact that I'll be returning to the work force really soon and will need to get dressed in more than just sweats and t-shirts.

These are some things I have noticed which really bother me...

1) wearing clothes that show your bra. Bras are meant for under your shirt and really shouldn't be exposed. If you need to wear a bra under a tank top or with a spaghetti strap dress, wear a strapless bra PLEASE!!!
2) wearing running shoes for things other than running. These shoes are just plain ugly unless they are at the gym or being worn for the purpose they were intended.
3) showing way too much cleavage. This is a BIG no no for me. I hate having to avert my eyes away from other woman's breasts(and it's really hard not to stare ). Please cover up the girls. If you have to wear a lower cut top than please put a tank top or camisole under your shirt so your girls aren't hanging out!! Night club wear is excluded...
4) wearing pants that show your underwear. The style of lower rise pants seems to be dying down a bit-thank g-d- but for a while there it was nearly impossible to go a day without spying the top of women's panties. i don't need to know if you are a thong, brief or tanga wearer (although it is interesting to see if your underwear choice matches your personality type)
5) message t-shirts. They used to be cute- back in the early 90's and also on teenagers. Grown women shouldn't wear them (unless they are home cleaning the house or in the garden)
6) short shorts on anyone other than an Olympic runner...they are usually just plain wrong and everyone really doesn't need to see all that they reveal- shorts that are riding up between your legs when you're walking just can't be comfortable.
7) a pregnant belly hanging out under a tight t-shirt. I know Rachel on friends made this trend popular a few years ago but not all trends look right Do they???
8) wearing trends just because they are trends- doesn't mean they look good!

Throwback Thursday #3

I have less than one hour left to get this TT post in!! Sooooo me to leave it to the last minute but i do have good reason...i fell asleep shortly after putting the little guy to bed, fully clothed, full makeup and all!! Now i'm awake but only long enough to write a post...it's hard to find pics to share of the good old days. Those photos are all tucked away in albums and not on my computer for easy access so i'm going to share a pic or two of my little guys from last year when he was just born...oh what a year it's been!! I"m back to work on Tuesday and this chapter of SAHM will have come to an end

help us win...

I took the little guy to have our picture taken the other day for a photo contest. Please vote for us here. It would be so nice to win something right before returning to work!!!
Ours is picture # 6.

Thanks so much!!!

Throwback Thursday #2

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

my attempt at curly...

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

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

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

New hair new me!!

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


Here are some before and after pics:

farewell till next time

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

Our trip to the zoo

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

Look at me now ma!!!

My first Throw Back Thursday entry

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

another reason to avoid these fashion fumblers!

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

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

here are some of my favourite things

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

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

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

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

Do you look (insert religion here)?

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

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

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

Do I look Jewish? Do you?

Happy Canada Day

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



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



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



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

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

Why do you love living in Canada???

Gay Pride Parade

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

Our day at the zoo...

Today we celebrate...

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