outfit of the day

inspired by FP's old blog style i've decided that while the weather is nicer and clothing is more fun to wear I'm going to post my outfit of the day...

Today I dug way into my closet and pulled out a MEXX skirt that I haven't worn in years. When I bought it in 2003 it was a bit snug... then it got so tight I couldn't do up the zipper at all (post baby x 2 ) Now it is a tad loose but I still love the length and straight style. I could probably have it taken in a bit but not really worth it given how old it is and how cheap it was to begin with. My top was another "snug when purchased" from RW. I loved the color and was on Weight Watchers religiously so I knew that the smaller size would eventually fit.. but again it fit then got big.. anyway I liked the look and especially love it with my new hot shoes .. still getting the hang of taking self-portraits though so excuse the crappy quality !

I did it!!!

Finished the Sporting Life 10K yesterday in 1:05:28. Pretty good. I was hoping to get it done in under 60 miutes but sicne the weather has been so friggin' cold lately I have not been able to train as much as I needed to get to that goal. In any case I'm very happy with my results and now that it's done I plan on registering for a few more races over the summer.
The only downside to yesterdays' run was it was SO SOOOO very cold. My legs were blue and my feet/toes were so cramping that even today I'm limping and stiff. Couldn't take the stairs today like I normally do as my muscles just won't work that way today.. but honestly it's an awesome feeling!!!

and to top it off I raised almost $150 for Camp Ooch thanks to the generousity of my friends and family!!!

depression

every year since having kids I find this time of year very depressing. I am not sure exactly why, the weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and spring has sprung but I start to feel like a prisoner in my own life. My kids go to bed fairly early and often it is still light outside, I am then stuck inside with nothing to do but watch TV or clean the house...same old stuff I do in the winter. I never get the chance to enjoy the beautiful weather and sometimes start to feel resentful. I miss my old life, when i could go sit on a patio and have a drink or two with friends, take walks in the evenings with my hubby or even friends.
I have told hubby that I feel this way and he wasn't taking me seriously at first but he realized that this is actually an issue for me and we are going to work on ways to fix it,. Won't be easy as my kids need their sleep, but maybe taking them to the park after dinner for a bit and getting out of the house into the sunshine will ease my upset about this issue!

Sunny Spring Styles

Seems like patterned and printed pants are all the rage this spring. Every store I go into has them on display. They look nice but I'm not sure I'll be buying into the trend, unless I find a pair I really like, at a super steal. I like to wear my jeans/pants for years and years and don't anyone to think that they are "so last year" next summer!!
Will you buying into this summers trend with patterned pants???

Who knew,,, how great turning 40 would be!!!

I was dreading turning 40. I always pictured 40 year old women as old and going down hill... but really this has not been the case at all. First of all, I think I look great for my age. People are always surprised when my age comes up. I do take decent care of my skin and hardly ever take sun so I think that helps a lot.
I also try to exercise, not as regularly as I'd like but often enough that I'm not horribly over weight. I have been running recently and find that the more I exercise the better I look and especially feel.
My birthday was celebrated with style. On the actual night I went out to dinner with my closest friends.It was really nice!! I realized that I've been friends with some of these ladies for upwards of 30 years!!! The restaurant itself was ... eh. Food could have been better and it was a bit over priced but the company and conversation well made up for that!
My husband got me the exact camera I wanted. I have always wanted to take up photography and the pictures I take with my phone camera just don't cut it. Now I can start my new hobby in style! I am really looking forward to creating some awesome photobooks and printing the pics to display in my home!

My mother-in-law surprised me the most. She came over on my birthday and gave the most beautiful bracelet. I usually receive cash from her and was so touched that she actually took the time to pick something out for me. I had absolutely no idea how popular this style is! After receiving this I have started noticing it everywhere. (as a side note- went to a book club meeting on Sunday and noticed 4 other woman wearing the exact same Tiffany bracelet- how weird is that- I'd never seen it before and suddenly it's everywhere!!)
My parents watched the  kids so hubby and I could go away for the weekend. It was the very first time we were able to get away without the kids and it meant so much to both of us. It was an amazing time- even with having to go to the doctor in Niagara Falls due to feeling really sick on Saturday morning! They also surprised me with a beautiful pair of earrings and pendant from one of my fave jewelers.

All in it was one of the best birthdays ever!!! I love my family and friends for making it so special for me.

his versus hers...

My hubby is wonderful. He tries so hard to help me out around the house, he does the dishes-puts them away (often in the wrong spots-but he does them) He folds his own laundry and will put it away in his dresser- but there is no rhyme or reason to his dresser and I can't tell where things are supposed to go- socks mixed with t-shirts, mixed with underwear etc... I have on many occasions organized his dresser with many thanks and promises of keeping it organized but after a few days it is usually chaos again.. I'm not sure why i keep trying or why it matters- but it does to me so i keep trying!

One thing that drives me absolutely batty is when the bed isn't made right. I have showed hubby in many occassions the way a bed with a foot board is supposed to be made. I have given him step by step instructions but over and over again it is made wrong... again not sure why it matters so much but it just does so i would really LOVE it if he made it right...

Can you spot the differences in his versus the right way???

excellent excel

A few months ago I went for teeth whitening. The procedure was horribly uncomfortable and I honestly didn't see the results I would have expected. I figured I would need to invest in more expensive whitening treatments or just give up hope of having pearly white teeth. Until recently. I bought a four pack of excel white gum...and I've been chewing it religiously now (meaning at least 6 pieces a day)  for the past week and I actually started to notice amazing results. I'm positive the gum is making my teeth whiter than the 40 minutes sitting in a room with my teeth immersed in a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution that burned my gums and made me drool uncontrollably!!
I will continue to chew the gum for another week or more to see if it is really the gum or just wishful thinking!!

yeah for yoga!!!

I had been wanting to get into yoga for a really long time. Both my Chiropractor and FP recommended it to me. I was just hesitant to go for several reasons...most of which were really unfounded. Anyway today FP suggested I come with her to a free class at our local Lululemon store. It was just what I needed. I really felt that I took some valuable lessons home with me from the class. Most of which is more to do with my personal life than physical fitness. The instructor was talking about finding your here and now and trying to let go of all the external factors in ones life to get a true practice. I really want to take that into my daily life and try not to focus on all the insignificant things I can't control. So along with a great stretch and relaxation from yoga I also felt that I took away some important life lessons as well.
I do plan to continue to practice with this class weekly!

A few challenges

As part of my annual "New Year, New Me" resolutions I have decided to join a grain free challenge. I was skeptical at first as I usually start my day off with 1/3 cup of bran buds mixed with greek yogurt and fruit...i was okay today without it but of course I wasn't working and was distracted by friends and family at home. I think the challenge might pose a little harder than I initially thought. For lunch today I served a baked mac and cheese (pre packaged as our friends are orthodox and strictly Kosher-which we are not) as well as lots of cut vegetables with hummos. Luckily for the me the mac and cheese was pretty disgusting (i even noticed one of our guests gagging on it- they later told me they normally get a different brand if they buy that sort of food). For dinner I replaced the taco shells with lettuce as was suggested. It was pretty good- and I don't feel overly stuffed! I was able to eat four of them without the horrible guilt i would feel if i ate four tortilla shells! I wasn't tempted by the chocolate cake I baked with my girl this evening. It looked okay but even though it was a low fat, parve cake when I calculated the points value from Weight Watchers I was still a whopping 6 points. No thanks!!!

Other resolutions include things like get back on the working out regularly track. I signed up for a 10k in May and hope to get to the finish line in under 60 minutes... need to work towards that goal!
and finally of course there is the patience with my kids resolution...they can drive me batty at times but i vow to try and keep my cool, not let them rattle me and to keep screaming to a minimum..that is a really hard one for me and I did break it today already but will keep trying to work on it. Really that is the most important one IMO!!

2 weeks to healthy

i have been on a mission recently...it is 2 weeks to healthier hair. after a recent visit to the salon i realized just how damaged my hair was due to the daily use of my beloved flat iron. i have vowed to minimize it's use and let my hair get healthy again. i have also started using an amazing- but quite pricey shampoo/conditioner. Morrocan Oil. it is amazing so far. i only have to wash my hair every 3 days and use such a small amount on each wash that the price kind of works itself out. i have limited my flat iron use to just the front of my hair and lowered the heat to med instead of super hot....we;ll see how this goes!

Two Good Causes

I recently found out an old boyfriend's daughter has Leukemia. She is only 5 years old and happened to be in my son's class this year. When I found out I was so sad and upset at first but have since come to think that there is something- even the tiniest thing- i can do to help. I decided to register for the Sporting Life 10K Run for kids with Cancer. This not only helps raise funds for a great cause but also gives me the motivation to run and get fit before May 12th. One month after turning the dreaded 40... OMG!!!
Anyone want to come with me???

starting small

since my November challenge fell curbside pretty early on in the month I decided to start smaller this time. I have challenged myself to do either the Wii fit Zumba or the elliptical for a minimun of 20 minutes every second day. This is more attainable than a full on workout every day! So far so good. I started on Friday and did a beginner zumba class. i was sweating regardless of the "beginner" label on the class. Managed to fit in another 20 minute zumba today. What i have learned when I fall off the horse is the only way to get back on again is just to go for it. No time to hesitate and dwell on failure! life is too short for that.

personal challenge...fail

November 1st I vowed to get back into my daily exercise routine. I go through spouts of exercising regularly and always feel great when I do but then things get hectic and I fall out of the habit... I last 3 days this time. Today i've had hours at home alone when I could get off my ass and exercise. It is a glorious day out, i could even go for a run but something in my head is holding me back. Wish i knew what it was or how to get rid of that blockage but it is still there. At least i've been doing alright in the food tracking so what i lack in exercise i make up for in healthier eating... but there are some days when that is just kicked curbside too!!!

changes

my very first attempt at colouring my own hair. not really much different but the condition of my hair seems quite healthy.It is darker than i'd hoped and I will probably get highlights to soften it up...but nobody has even noticed yet I guess it really isn't different at all!

Nobody ever said it was easy...

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs out there. It is definitely harder than my day job, harder than university and harder than almost anything else i've ever done. I now understand  the rational for choosing to have only one child or spacing out kids by several years. I honestly didn't even think about how a baby would affect the balance in the house! When we decided to have #2 we were only a few days away from celebrating #1's first birthday. He wasn't even walking yet! But we were so happy being parents to our perfect little boy we wanted another one, just like him!! Our decision went something like this:
"Honey, i love how cute and cuddly baby is, He is such a good boy, I want another, just like him"
"hun, i'm not getting any younger, i don't want a baby at 40... we better have another one soon!! "
"honey, I keep forgetting to take my birth control, do you suppose that is a sign we should start working on our second"  His response to each... ok!!
Three months later we were expecting #2!!
No thought to how another baby would affect us financially, emotionally or physically. I always knew that I wanted more than one baby but as I wasn't blessed with starting a family at a young age so I had to make due with the hand i was dealt. Since I would never have had a baby without being married first.And i didn't get married until 31..  That meant having my first baby at 33 and a second at 35. My mom was 29 when i was born and and 31 when my brother came along, i always felt that she was the "older" mom in the bunch. How times have changed!!!
Anyway, i wouldn't change the way things have turned out but there are times when I wish I could just step out of my life for a short time, just to catch my breath and remember how lucky I really am!!!

SOOO

it has been a long while since my last post...can't believe how the time escapes me!
Anyway in reference to my last post- I did end up finding to bikinis that I love. YES I said BIKINIS!!! both very flattering on top and not too bad on the bottom either! I wore them with great confidence...until one broke...yup just broke- mid wear. My brand new $90 bikini broke. the plastic which closes the top just snapped into two. Luckily the store sent it for repair and it was ready for wear again in 2 short weeks. They have amazing customer service there and I recommend anyone looking for a bra style bikini check out Legs Plus on Leslie!

Still Searching

My son was diagnosed with Idiopathic Scoliosis in July of 2011. He has been wearing a Boston Brace for about 14 months now. At first he was fairly compliant and wore the brace with no debate or argument. As time goes on and he notices that nobody else he knows wears a brace he is becoming more defiant and less willing to wear it regularly. This is becoming a big problem for us as we are fully aware of the damaging effects non-compliance can have on his health long -term. This is very frightening for us knowing that what makes him happy now can seriously effect him negatively later on. I have nightmares when I think about him wearing the brace until he is 12 or 12. Another 6 or 7 years.
The problem is we have been searching for over a year now for a support group where he can meet other kids who suffer from Scoliosis and must wear a brace. We live the biggest city in Canada and there are absolutely no such groups around. There was one website with forums for both kids and parents dealing with Scoliosis available but that was recently disabled for reasons unknown to us. The closest group we have come across is in Ottawa...very useful. I have emailed numerous individuals from websites and even contacted the Scoliosis clinic at Sick Kids (where he receives most of his care) they have NOTHING for us. The only advise they had for us is to take him to a psychologist. JUST LOVELY. and so wrong on so many levels. If he had some other issue I'm sure he would have the option of a support group to vent his frustrations and gain understanding from other kids of how to cope but with Scoliosis he is treated like a pariah. The child has no outlet for his thoughts and feelings on dealing with being the only kid in his whole school with a brace other than speaking with his parents and teachers. It really isn't fair and we seriously need to fix this hole in the system.

seeing red

i have always loved red...i have had red boots, purses and coats over the years but was still apprehensive about red jeans...until i put them on. Now i am in pure love!!!Paired with black flats is lovely!!

a few maybees...

at Winners....inspired by Defying Gravity...love her fashion shows:)

this juicy couture bag ..wish i'd bought it!! So cute and not ridiculously priced at $99.99!

thought this was cuet but just too low cut.

Loved this one but needed a small as this medium was just a bit too big around the waist and bust area. Would look really nice with black dress pants.

Updates

So it's been a while!!!
Our summer was amazing. We had a fantastic holiday in Cuba and would recommend our resort to anyone looking for an affordable, fun, beach holiday. I rocked my new bikinis and was so happy to have bought them instead of the conservative, ridiculous one piece or tankinis sported by most women my age. Only unfortunate incident is the top on one of them broke the second day...lucky though I actually liked the other one more and have since had the broken one fixed at the store I purchased it from. (a shout out to the anon reader who suggested I go to Legs Plus-they are awesome there!!)
Also had a big issue with the camera and only got about 93 pics out of about 300 snapped. The issue with digital cameras is the memory cards can get viruses and the pics aren't always recoverable...so no nice scrap book from this holiday but there will be lots of holidays in the future and I'll be sure to take pics then!
I've been running a lot these days. Completed this 10k with FancyPansy. It was great!! I didn't have the best time but I made it and that counts for a lot in my books!!
Now I am concentrating on reducing my time and finishing my next 10k in less than an hour. I have been working up to running on my own for a full 10, Something about running in a race that makes it easier to get to the end...when i'm running solo I seem to need a bit more of a push and normally get to 7k with no problem but am completely done so I normally just make it home!!
Getting the kids ready for school. My big boy is starting first grade and he is super nervous. I know he will shine bright and do amazingly but as I was at his age, he is quite worried about the whole thing!