annoyed

i am not sure what i'm doing here...the pics i post are always lined up straight in the preview but when they get posted they are all over the place...argh!!! any suggestions?

a few things...

I am in need of a face lift!! Both figuratively and literally! I feel like i have been looking pretty drab these days- a new hair cut wouldn't do it and I actually wear makeup daily (although I'm not sure anyone can even tell-even myself!!)

anyway here a few things I think would make me feel pretty...oh so pretty (all from Sephora)

Color Play Palette II

tarte treasure chest

complete shock

I just popped over to thestar.com to catch up on the news, when this article caught my attention. I am in complete shock (no pun intended) and cannot believe this officer is not being reprimanded for his actions.
How can a grown man, who is armed with a gun and taser not have enough physical strength to calm the girl down without using a taser....
just wondering what ya'll think of what happened here?

Barefoot

I haven't been reading as much as I would like these days. Work, family and lack of energy contribute to my VERY sedintary lifestyle these days. BUT I recently made a trip to the local library and picked up a few books to read. The first one I chose to read was Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand.
This is a story of three women who travel together to a beach cottage in Nantucket for the summer, each carrying their own set of troubles and baggage. First is Vicky who recently diagnosed with lung cancer needs a distraction while undergoing chemo, then is her sister Brenda who is young, attractive and recently fired from her job as a professor for having an affair with one of her students, then Vicky's best friend Melanie who found out she was pregnant after months of trying with the husband who has been cheating on her.
They meet Josh a young college student who takes the job of babysitting Vicky's kids all summer while dealing with his own secrets and struggles of growing up.
This book is definitely one I'd recommend, and I'd also suggest keeping a box of tissue close by because I certainly shed a few tears while reading!!

and now for a personal beef...

we went out with a large group last night...only 4 people of which we know or are actually friends with. The evening started out with a fun activity of "trampolining" and then dinner afterwards.
Some friends had been to this place before for a birthday party and decided it would be fun for the parents too. It was. Once I overcame my inhibitions and started getting into it I had a great time.
Then dinner happened. The group decided on some Italian restaurant- so that was problem number one for me. I really don't like Italian food, I have a really hard time deciding on what to eat and then whatever I do order is never to my satisfaction. In my opinion ordering pasta seems like such a waste of money as I can likely make the same thing at home for 1/5th the price. But that is not really the problem I am annoyed about..the problem is the plague of the large group and paying the bill.
I knew we should have asked for separate bills upon ordering our meals when a few of the couples ordered wine, salad, appetisers and dessert afterwards. We just had our basic meals. When the bill arrived we payed our portion, which was approximately $35. One of the members of the party suggested splitting the bill equally among everyone, this would have been $55 per couple. In my opinion and in the opinion of our close friends (who happened to be the couple we were sitting next to) this was completely ridiculous and unfair to those who didn't order all the "extras".
This has always been a beef of mine. Splitting the bill equally among a group when some have obviously ordered much more than others just seems completely wrong- especially when this plan was not discussed ahead of time. Some in the party were obviously annoyed that I refused to split the bill equally but I really didn't care and didn't want to be bullied into paying twice what I actually owed.
I actually was so annoyed by this whole matter that I left the restaurant without bothering to say good-bye to anyone other than my "real" friends. I figured that I had never met the others before and likely would never see them again so let them think I am a bitch :)

Now that i have this off my chest I feel much better...I also want the hear what you all think of this type of situation.

lest we forgot

Lest we forget ...
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on row,That mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset grow,Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:To you from failing hands we throwThe torch; be yours to hold it high.If ye break faith with us who dieWe shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Dec 8, 1915 John McCrae

taken from

http://www.mun.ca/marcomm/remember/

craftin' crazyness!

My little guy was off sick with me for 2 days. Friday afternoon I knew he was really sick as the moment we got in the car to go grocery shopping he fell fast asleep. I drive to Timmy's and got myself a coffee before taking him home to bed. That day I really didn't mind that he watched about 4 hours of TV. He really had no energy to do anything else.

Over the weekend he seemed fine. He did have a snotty, runny nose and a slight cough but we were certain he was on the mend. No more fever and a lot more energy. Monday morning his cough seemed to have gotten worse and he didn't want to get out of bed in the morning (although he rarely gets up on his own these days- our 5 am riser has now taken to sleeping in till 7 or 8 if we let him- this type of behaivour isn't supposed to happen till teenage years-or so i thought!!) We decided to play it safe and keep him home again. I took him to the doctor- who said it's just a cold and he's fine.

So what does one do with a 3 year old all day? I didn't want him watching too much TV (a couple of hours was the limit). So off to Walmart we went in search of activity ideas, I got paint and popcicle sticks, construction paper and activity books galore... i am hoping to build up my "rainy/sick day" box so that we never have to spend hours bored in front of the TV again!
I used to silently make fun of the moms I knew who had "craft chests" and piles of "activities" around the house...I thought they were overly "keen" and thought the kids did enough of that stuff at school...so who needed it at home too. Boy do I owe them apologies!! Having crafting stuff at home can be a real saviour. We were able to spend about 2 hours sitting at the table painting popcicle stick and making picture frames for daddy! Another decent chunk of time was spent making pictures with paint and markers. phew...thank goodness for Walmart being close by (although i'm pretty sure I could have bought some of the stuff at the dollar store too-for a lot cheaper!!)

The final pictures! Notice the circles which look just like a guitar...well that is what they are supposed to be!! I was pretty impressed!


Some of the goods!

another angle.

my new best friends..

since the washing machine we inhertited with this house died only 3 short months after moved it, we needed to buy a new washer quick. I did a little research and decided that since we'll likely be in this house for the next 20-30 years a high efficiency set would probably suit our needs best.

We tossed out the old maytag, which looked something like this (well not quite THIS old but you get the point)

and we got these beauties...so what if now we have nothing left to take a vacation for the next few years...we can do loads of laundry in 1/2 the time!!

i'm in love (although it's only been 1 day and i'm just catching up on the last 3 weeks worth of laundry...anything would be great at this point)

trend or foe

I love looking at what people are wearing. I especially like to see how some people pull off certain trends and how some people shouldn't attempt them.

There are a few trends out there now that I'm not sure about.

1. The over the knee boot. Sometimes really cool, funky and classy-most times really trashy and hookerish. Kate Moss is super skinny and they just look like sticks on her legs-ugh! (image is not mine Obviously)

2. The long cardigan. I love sweaters. LOVE THEM. but i'm not sure they are really that flattering. They really have to worn with caution as they could cause one to look really bulky and kind of larger than they really are. The super long ones don't really flatter the shorter woman and at 5'4" I would consider myself on the short end of the spectrum. This one is super pretty but i imagine that combining the length with the ruffles would be real overkill and really unflattering! Too bad!

3. The kerchief tie sweater. They can be pretty but they can't be worn that easily. If they are tied up they look silly, but it they are hanging wrong they can look even sillier. AND they have started showing up in every store out there, so young girls, old women and teenagers alike have been wearing them.I think it's overkill and next year they are going to be "so last year

Like OMG...

tonight's gonna be a good night, tonight's gonna be a good good night...i have this song in my head and have been singing it all day...now if only today was a good good day!!
Today was most definitely one of those days where I should have stayed home and stayed in bed. It all started about 4 this morning when my little man started calling me to come quickly to his room...of course I jumped out of bed and ran to him worried he might be sick or that he'd had a bad dream..nope he says "mommy I'm HUNGRY" I said "honey it's still night time you can't eat breakfast now" "BUT MOMMM I HUNGRY" Thus went the trekk of him, blanky, teddy and dolly all to our bed. We all squished into the small queen sized bed, along with daddy of course. Sleep from that point forward wasn't really in cards, except we all managed to sleep till 7am (which NEVER happens on weekends BTW). I managed to scramble, get dressed and put on a tiny bit of makeup (which didn't really help!) and out the door by 7:35...unfortunately in the process of trying to leave I poured myself a big bowl of cereal and gulped down a spoonful of sour milk, lost my cell phone and got my pristine white winter coat really dirty! (what was i thinking!)
Luckily I did manage to remember to send the spare clothes both kids daycares needed as everything in their cubbies were still summer stuff.
Once I finally made it to work I thought things might calm down...but no such luck! My computer was super slow and taking forever to load up (which appeared to be an office wide issue so noone is really out to get me!) I tripped on my headset cord, not just once but TWICE!! and i decided to eat samosas for lunch which were so spicy my mouth is still on fire 4 hours later!! I think i better drive slowly on my way home, tell hubby to make dinner (what a joke) and crawl into be until tomorrow...unless Tonight is the night..to live it up.

finally

after using the same bedroom set my parents bought me for the my 13th birthday for YEARS...we finally decided it was time to invest in new furniture. It was a hard choice and we looked at tonnes and tonnes of sets. We finally decided on a traditional set that will last us forever and will never go out of style-and even if it does OH WELL!!
I also decided that I was going to get proper bedding to go along with our new "adult" set...i loved it in the store but am not so sure I love it anymore...it is kind of shiny and hot, plus i'm finding that little things snag on it UGH!!

"Car-Free day"

Today is supposed to be Car-Free-Day. I don't think that many people observed this attempt at being environmental. I didn't. I would have, i really would have BUT Toronto, being the "world-class" city that it is does not have a transit system that allows for people living the burbs, working in other burbs to take transit in a reasonable amount of time. For me to get to work by transit it requires taking 2 busses, 2 subways and then another bus...a route that would probably take me 90 minutes, to drive it takes me 40-50 minutes (in traffic-20-30 with none)
If the higher-ups really want people to observe things like car-free days and take public transit days than they have to get with the program and start building better, more widespread subway lines. Sure these things cost money but so does paying the city-counsellors and other government officials 6 figure incomes when really they deserve IMO 1/2 of what they are paid!

What can we do to make those in charge aware of our serious discontent with the system??? Any suggestions???
(this post was started days and days ago but I am only just getting around to finishing it today Oct 1)

Monday Morning Beef

CYCLISTS...
today on my 40 minute commute to work I encountered several cyclists ALL of whom didn't seem to know which rules they should be following. Are they meant to follow the rules of the road that all other vehicles follow OR are they considered pedestrians? This caused me some serious stress and several heart-in-throat moments. The cyclists seem to do whatever pleases them and not have any consideration for others on the road. The big HUGE problem here is if you are the one driving the 1000 tonne car and not the 5 pound bicycle you are likely going to cause serious damage or injury to that often non-helmet-wearing human riding the bike. If you are going to ride a bike instead of walk or drive PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE obey the rules of road. You are either a vehicle, which mean you must stop at stop signs, signal (with your hand!) and give those who get there first the right of way. If you are riding on the sidewalk-then you are a pedestrian- you MUST MUST MUST stop at stop signs/lights, get off your bike and walk across the street and above all- whether you are an adult or a child WEAR A FRIGGIN' HELMET!!! You can save your own life by following the rules and giving us drivers some warning you are there!!!

my new faves

Since I am only working part-time these days we (or I) decided that I am perfectly capable of cleaning the house myself. No more cleaning lady for us (for now). I have been looking for quick cleaning solutions that are simple and also environmentally friendly. I do use white vinegar a lot but also wanted other less stinky cleaning ideas.
I have come across a couple or great web sites lately which focus on just what I am looking for.
My absolute favourite is http://www.happyslob.com/ . There are so many awesome tips on how to keep the house clean and tidy without much effort and time involved!
Check it out...not only is it useful but it also gives me a little chuckle every once in a while :)

my wishlist

from Etsy

I finally did it...

after g-d only knows how many years I finally got myself a pair of new sunglasses. I used to have a clip that fit over my regular glasses but since getting new glasses and not keeping track of the clip I just stopped wearing sunglasses. I would just squint and bear the sun shining into my eyes. I even drove home from work right into the glaring sun daily without any sunglasses. Who knows how many wrinkles I unnecessarily created by my lack of protective sunglasses. Now that I have been wearing them for just over a week I am totally addicted to them. I cannot go outside in even a little sun without them on!
It could be that my eyes have become accustomed to them being shaded...it could be that they are a lovely pair of Prada sunglasses that cost me a pretty penny so I don't want to take a chance by putting them down and possibly losing them...who knows:)
On another kind of weird note...my eyes were tested recently and after about 18 years I no longer need to wear glasses. I do have a very slight prescription but so close to 20/20 that I really don't need them!! This makes me so happy!!!

my baby boy (who really isn't a baby anymore but you know what I mean) is full of so many funny comments and observations!! This evening I was trying to explain to him that at his new daycare (which he starts tomorrow) there are going to be many kids of different cultural backgrounds- up until now he went to a daycare where all the kids were Jewish and for the most part white. I told him there were going to be kids who are brown and black and Asian etc...he said "and green???" and Blue?? it was hilarious!!!
I am not sure he really understands that tomorrow he will not be going back to old school-which he loves! but will be going to a new daycare closer to home. I tried to build up excitement and explain to him that he will be able to walk to daycare with us now! I really hope all goes well and we don't regret our decision to switch

HELP!!!

We moved into our house almost 3 weeks ago. It has been such a pleasure to live in a much more spacious place with parking directly in front of our house and a lot more storage. The only problem I am having is what to do with all the mess we brought with us from the townhouse. I am by no means a neat freak but I like to try and keep a somewhat clean and tidy home. I have no idea what to do with all the piles of crap that have been accumulating around the house. My excuse at first was that we just moved in, but it's been 3 weeks now...my next excuse was a lack of furniture- well now we have furniture in the boys' room and our bedroom furniture is coming soon- plus we have an awesome built in right in our walk-in closet (plus a second closet in our bedroom for hubby's clothes)... so why do i have all these piles all over the house?? Is it just inevitable that my lack of cleaning skills creates mess or can i get rid of them somehow?? Please any suggestions would be much appriciated!! The piles of stuff are going to be the end of me!!

Parenting Stylist?

Must one follow a parenting theory to be considered a good parent these days? There are so many philosophies and theories on what is right and best for the development of your child. It can be really overwhelming-especially to the first time parent.
When my son was born I was handed advice on what to do when he sleeps, when he eats, when he poops, when he wees, when he cries, when he walks, when he talks...well you get the picture. I found myself doing what worked best for me and for my family. I didn`t know if I was following one theory versus another- i just parented. We lived our lives, raised our baby and did what seemed to work.

Now that I am a mom of two I find that some of the things we did the first time around aren`t feasable the second time around. I also find myself questioning the `type`of parent I am.
Would one consider me a follower of attachment parenting OR am I an advocate of Cry It Out

I would never let my baby cry for...say 40 minutes in her crib BUT I don`t always pick her up and coddle her when she cries. I do go into room, pat her back and try to calm her down, if she is hysterical. I don`t rock her to sleep nightly. Nor did I nurse her or read to her until she is asleep in my arms. I put in her bed and usually she fell asleep within a few minutes of being put to bed. My daughter woke in the night until she was 10 months old. Did I go to her and nurse her because it was the fastest way to get her back to sleep- you bet I did! Do I put her down in her crib when she is obviously exhausted and let her cry for a few minutes before falling asleep for the night- well I do that too!!

All these theories on parenting and all the advice that comes with its followers can be so super duper confusing!

a long time fave

I started using Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream a few years ago on the advice from Fancy Pansy. This is still one of my all time favourite products.

The purpose of this product is to provide shine, protect the hair from heat styling and provide overall managability. It does all this and more!
I use a tiny pea size amount in either damp or dry hair. Then I either blow dry or straighten my hair. My hair is left so soft, shiny and just plain beautiful (if I do say so myself!!) I recommend this product to anyone I know who has longish hair with lots of flyaways as it really helps in managing them too!
It is a little pricey and only seems available at Sephora in Canada but I have started buying it on Ebay, thus saving about $9-10 on each purchase (and normally I end up buying from places that have FREE shipping too!!)
Definitely 2 thumbs up on this product!