Christmas went much better than expected this year. There was less bickering, less fighting and definitely less tears. We opened our presents, had a marvelous Christmas breakfast of waffles with blueberries and whip cream along with scrambled eggs and turkey bacon and headed off to "faraway" nana for more presents and Christmas dinner. It was a lovely day only marred by a leak in our bathroom ceiling.
Boxing day was a lovely day of relaxation and Monday was back to the business of sorting and putting away Christmas presents. Fortunately, we cut back our spending this year, not only from a necessity but because our children truly do not need so much. It doesn't make sense to buy them a ton of new toys when I'm constantly getting mad at them for not picking up their old ones.
On top of the two presents Santa brought each of my 3 children, we bought them each a new quilt for their bed and one craft project. Do you know what? The kids never even noticed that there was less this year. I think it's a good thing we cut back now so they get used to it. It's a lot more difficult to make those sorts of changes when they get older and have been used to more.
I don't know why I've had such high expectations in Christmases past. Somewhere down the road of childhood, it had been drilled into me that Christmas was a time of not only good will towards all men but also of good behaviour.
Yet, why I wonder should I expect my children to behave any differently on Christmas Day than any other day of the year? After all, I have vague recollections of mouthing off to my mother and being sent to my room where in my resentment at being smacked, I packed up all my gifts and gave them back to her. I also have one funny memory of singing Deck the Halls only when I was supposed to sing "Tis the Season to be Merry", I sung..Tis the Season to be Horny". Of course I was only like 9 so I had no clue what that word meant but I sure figured out it was a no no fast from my mother's look.
So I swore that this year I would not use vague threats of Santa not coming to get my children to behave. Why turn Santa into the boogeyman? However, when I got pooped out from trying to entertain the little monsters and tired of refereeing for the umpteenth time who sat in who's spot on the couch, I broke down and used Santa's good name in vain.
Still, I wish I could learn to not sweat the small stuff and to some how respond to my children's bickering with a hell of a lot more grace. More than once I've been reduced to a shrieking banshee to get my way. Not a lot unlike my 3 year old.
So if there is one thing I will be asking for in the New Year, it will be an extra measure of peace and a reign on my temper.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas Sex?
Do you remember, you know before kids, when any sort of holiday usually meant celebrating it with a little nookie? Christmas stockings were filled with all sorts of naughty goodness? ;) Sigh. I miss those days.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas 2010
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
and a Happy New Year!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Christmas Doings
My girls had their Christmas concerts last week at school. I was very proud to learn that my girls had been learning to play the xylophone since Halloween and never once told me. I was amazed at what the music teacher was able to do with a group of kindergarteners and indeed the whole school. As much as I have been posting about my frustration with my children, it was nice to see that other side of them and experience some motherly pride.
My eldest E, was dressed in her best and waited patiently for her class to sing. She learned her lines and played her xylophone marvelously. It amazed me because this was my girl who has trouble learning new things especially something that is so particular like playing the correct notes. Not only did she learn a new instrument but she's learned several new songs in Choir, half of which are in Spanish. She has done amazingly well and it's such a joy to see the growth she has achieved. One lady actually stopped us in the hallway to compliment us on our daughter and the efforts that she had taken with her appearance for the concert.
My middle child, J, who is in kindergarten surprised me as well. She is normally shy and retiring and generally refuses to talk to all strange adults. It's taken some time for her to open up to her teacher and she even refused to participate in a recent school hearing test. But there she was standing with her class in front of a whole gym full of parents and not only did she stand up and sing her... "Mary had a baby, Shout for Joy" but she did the actions and waved and smiled at us and was all around a delight. She too got to play the xylophone and the whole class did it with so much charm and energy I am sure no one noticed any wrong notes or missed lyrics.
I was also surprised to find myself a wee bit teary when I saw J sing but then I realized that this was her first concert and she's becoming such a big little girl. She's no longer a baby but a little lady with her own identity, strengths and weaknesses. E takes up so much energy that sometimes it's easy to overlook the fact that this second child of mine is developing her own personality. Fortunately, she's learning that sometimes you need to push forward to get yourself heard.
Even O got to do his own little xmas concert this morning at preschool. Stage fright hit him at the last moment while I saved the day by agreeing to sit with him and his little friends on the carpet. I got it all on video, mostly of him not singing but hey... he's only 3 1/2. Still it was sweet to see my little man all dressed up in his best.
It's the last day of school today and I am so glad. It will be nice to not have to get up so early and make lunches. Of course, I had to make myself even crazier by comitting to making chocolates for the girls to give their school chums for Christmas. I haven't had the funds and didn't get around buy anything interesting for crafts or cards so I thought it'd be neat to make some chocolates.
While it's a simple task to melt chocolate and pour it into molds, it is a whole nother thing to have three children "help" you and then find out you can't find the other molds you had so you can only make six at a time. And when each kid has twenty something in the class.. that takes a little time for the chocolates to set etc. Before I knew it I was out running around last night looking for cellophane bags to put the chocolates in only to find out I should have gone to the store earlier because it closed. I had to wrap everything in saran wrap and hope for the best. Then I decided to switch gears and make chocolate covered marshmallows for J's class because I knew I didn't have time to make and set 20 chocolates. So there was hubby and I melting, dipping and rolling marshmallowes at 10:00 at night and by the time we finished wrapping and tagging the other ones, we were more than ready for bed. Then I had to get up first thing, makes tags and wrap and roll the marshmallows that had set over night.
This is where I tell myself that I will be more prepared next year and not leave everything to the last minute. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAaaaaa.
On the other hand..... my girls were the only ones who gave out home made chocolates. I bet there were moms out there that wanted to smack me. It's so nice to be on the other side for a change. (LOL)
My eldest E, was dressed in her best and waited patiently for her class to sing. She learned her lines and played her xylophone marvelously. It amazed me because this was my girl who has trouble learning new things especially something that is so particular like playing the correct notes. Not only did she learn a new instrument but she's learned several new songs in Choir, half of which are in Spanish. She has done amazingly well and it's such a joy to see the growth she has achieved. One lady actually stopped us in the hallway to compliment us on our daughter and the efforts that she had taken with her appearance for the concert.
My middle child, J, who is in kindergarten surprised me as well. She is normally shy and retiring and generally refuses to talk to all strange adults. It's taken some time for her to open up to her teacher and she even refused to participate in a recent school hearing test. But there she was standing with her class in front of a whole gym full of parents and not only did she stand up and sing her... "Mary had a baby, Shout for Joy" but she did the actions and waved and smiled at us and was all around a delight. She too got to play the xylophone and the whole class did it with so much charm and energy I am sure no one noticed any wrong notes or missed lyrics.
I was also surprised to find myself a wee bit teary when I saw J sing but then I realized that this was her first concert and she's becoming such a big little girl. She's no longer a baby but a little lady with her own identity, strengths and weaknesses. E takes up so much energy that sometimes it's easy to overlook the fact that this second child of mine is developing her own personality. Fortunately, she's learning that sometimes you need to push forward to get yourself heard.
Even O got to do his own little xmas concert this morning at preschool. Stage fright hit him at the last moment while I saved the day by agreeing to sit with him and his little friends on the carpet. I got it all on video, mostly of him not singing but hey... he's only 3 1/2. Still it was sweet to see my little man all dressed up in his best.
It's the last day of school today and I am so glad. It will be nice to not have to get up so early and make lunches. Of course, I had to make myself even crazier by comitting to making chocolates for the girls to give their school chums for Christmas. I haven't had the funds and didn't get around buy anything interesting for crafts or cards so I thought it'd be neat to make some chocolates.
While it's a simple task to melt chocolate and pour it into molds, it is a whole nother thing to have three children "help" you and then find out you can't find the other molds you had so you can only make six at a time. And when each kid has twenty something in the class.. that takes a little time for the chocolates to set etc. Before I knew it I was out running around last night looking for cellophane bags to put the chocolates in only to find out I should have gone to the store earlier because it closed. I had to wrap everything in saran wrap and hope for the best. Then I decided to switch gears and make chocolate covered marshmallows for J's class because I knew I didn't have time to make and set 20 chocolates. So there was hubby and I melting, dipping and rolling marshmallowes at 10:00 at night and by the time we finished wrapping and tagging the other ones, we were more than ready for bed. Then I had to get up first thing, makes tags and wrap and roll the marshmallows that had set over night.
This is where I tell myself that I will be more prepared next year and not leave everything to the last minute. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAaaaaa.
On the other hand..... my girls were the only ones who gave out home made chocolates. I bet there were moms out there that wanted to smack me. It's so nice to be on the other side for a change. (LOL)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
No Good Intention Goes Unpunished
As part of the goals I'm trying to achieve with my whole new Diabetes lifestyle, I'm trying to get more exercise. My husband graciously rose to the occasion and with some heavy lifting, shifting, dismantling and reassembling, we managed to get our treadmill from the garage upstairs to our bedroom. The idea being I'd be more likely to use it if I saw it.
So I can't let all his hard work go to waste and since I've already shed several pounds (in thanks I am sure to the adverse side effects of my medication), I'm all the more eager to use it. Until today.
My five year old was home sick having complained of a headache last night and a headache this morning and what appears to be a nasty sinus cold. Of course, once the advil kicked in she perked up and was happily playing with her brother. They had set up a game on the living room floor and I figured surely I could steal 10 minutes on the treadmill. I told them what I was doing and then reminded them that they were to behave and not do anything they weren't supposed to.
Eventually they came upstairs and I thought nothing of it... even when they closed the bedroom door. You see they like to play house in the hallway landing and will close all the doors so it will be dark and then get out their flashlights. No so today. When I was done my time and did some cool down stretching, I walked into the hallway only to be greeted with stripes of black felt all across the carpet. They led a path into each of their three bedrooms. Aghast I turned only to see wild black felt scribblings all along the wall. A quick glance downstairs showed me the offending felt marker lying on the floor.
Well, you can imagine that I lost it. My five year old daughter swore up and down that O did it all himself and that she told him to stop. She didn't seem to get it that I was just in the room next door and she could easily have told me what was going on. Going downstairs (after banishing the offenders to their rooms), I found more striped carpet on the stairs and could all but follow the line of felt markers all around my kitchen, living room and family room, picking up felts and caps along the way.
I will admit that I lost it. Not only did each of them get a good swat on their butts and sent to their rooms, I broke down and cried. Must be all the endorphins because I was furious. They have been told and told and told. I've tried yelling, I've tried talking firmly to O, I've made him wash walls, given time outs. All markers have been banned from being upstairs even accidentally to avoid temptations. Because the main culprit is generally O. He just can't seem to get the message. And J is just as bad. I think she figures by O doing all the bad work, that she can live through him vicariously and so escape all responsibility. So far it hasn't worked for her so I don't get why she persists in playing dumb. Especially when as they started cleaning, there was ink mixed in with all the felt. Guess who was the pen wielder? Yup. She still justified herself by saying that she only did a little bit.
Now I know that O occasionally gets up to mischief while I'm busy or distracted but usually it's pretty harmless and usually it's when he's on his own. My mistake was in thinking that because his sister was there, that it would be alright.
Don't worry, I'm not about to let this stop my exercising. He will just be sitting in the rocking chair under close supervision in my room while I'm on the treadmill. Poor hubby he came home to clean the carpets for me.
BTW I'm sorry but I didn't take any photos of the crime scene. I was just too angry at the time to even think about blogging. I figured I would strike while the iron was hot in getting the little monsters to wash the walls etc and ended up getting carried away in cleaning myself. Imagine... getting carried away with cleaning. sigh.
So the big question is... we were going to do Christmas cookies after school today. Do I still do them?
So I can't let all his hard work go to waste and since I've already shed several pounds (in thanks I am sure to the adverse side effects of my medication), I'm all the more eager to use it. Until today.
My five year old was home sick having complained of a headache last night and a headache this morning and what appears to be a nasty sinus cold. Of course, once the advil kicked in she perked up and was happily playing with her brother. They had set up a game on the living room floor and I figured surely I could steal 10 minutes on the treadmill. I told them what I was doing and then reminded them that they were to behave and not do anything they weren't supposed to.
Eventually they came upstairs and I thought nothing of it... even when they closed the bedroom door. You see they like to play house in the hallway landing and will close all the doors so it will be dark and then get out their flashlights. No so today. When I was done my time and did some cool down stretching, I walked into the hallway only to be greeted with stripes of black felt all across the carpet. They led a path into each of their three bedrooms. Aghast I turned only to see wild black felt scribblings all along the wall. A quick glance downstairs showed me the offending felt marker lying on the floor.
Well, you can imagine that I lost it. My five year old daughter swore up and down that O did it all himself and that she told him to stop. She didn't seem to get it that I was just in the room next door and she could easily have told me what was going on. Going downstairs (after banishing the offenders to their rooms), I found more striped carpet on the stairs and could all but follow the line of felt markers all around my kitchen, living room and family room, picking up felts and caps along the way.
I will admit that I lost it. Not only did each of them get a good swat on their butts and sent to their rooms, I broke down and cried. Must be all the endorphins because I was furious. They have been told and told and told. I've tried yelling, I've tried talking firmly to O, I've made him wash walls, given time outs. All markers have been banned from being upstairs even accidentally to avoid temptations. Because the main culprit is generally O. He just can't seem to get the message. And J is just as bad. I think she figures by O doing all the bad work, that she can live through him vicariously and so escape all responsibility. So far it hasn't worked for her so I don't get why she persists in playing dumb. Especially when as they started cleaning, there was ink mixed in with all the felt. Guess who was the pen wielder? Yup. She still justified herself by saying that she only did a little bit.
Now I know that O occasionally gets up to mischief while I'm busy or distracted but usually it's pretty harmless and usually it's when he's on his own. My mistake was in thinking that because his sister was there, that it would be alright.
Don't worry, I'm not about to let this stop my exercising. He will just be sitting in the rocking chair under close supervision in my room while I'm on the treadmill. Poor hubby he came home to clean the carpets for me.
BTW I'm sorry but I didn't take any photos of the crime scene. I was just too angry at the time to even think about blogging. I figured I would strike while the iron was hot in getting the little monsters to wash the walls etc and ended up getting carried away in cleaning myself. Imagine... getting carried away with cleaning. sigh.
So the big question is... we were going to do Christmas cookies after school today. Do I still do them?
Friday, December 10, 2010
Worst Birthday Party EVER!
I will start today with J's birthday. My middle child, J, turned 5 on December 2nd. As her birthday fell on a week day, we took her to the movie Tangled for a special birthday treat and held her party on the Saturday. BTW, I have to say Tangled was a GREAT movie. We absolutely loved it. And the kids did too. ;)
Beef #1 : RSVPS. Why do people not bother to take the time to let you know whether or not their child is coming? Because it can go either way, you still have to do up goody bags for everyone that was invited.. just in case.
Beef #2: Arrive on time. We had one kid show up 20 minutes before hand and one kid show up 20 minutes late. The late kid I knew was definitely coming so we were waiting for him. Then you figure well if they're late maybe a non RSVP'd kid was going to be late too. You just don't know.
Those are all minor hiccups though. The real problems started when guest kid #1 saw guest kid #2 arriving and immediately started having a panic attack because guest kid #2 apparently isn't nice to them (these are all kids from the same class). Crap. So my oldest takes guest kid #1 upstairs to play away from #2. I'm feeling sorry for kid #1 because I know #2 is pretty energetic and bouncy kind of kid and #1 was pretty sweet.
However, I quickly learned that Sweet = High Maintenance
It turned out that both kid #1 and kid #2 are control freaks, want everything their own way and that's why they are clashing all the time. Only kid #1 is more sensitive and prone to break down and cry while #2 brushes it off.
Still the first half of the party goes pretty well except that kid #1 doesn't want to do anything except play the piano. So J is complaining that #1 isn't playing with her. Add to that my three year old, O. His friend Josh had come to the party, he is almost 5 himself and went to preschool with J as well and is now going with O. Josh is just about the cutest little boy on the planet. O suddenly decides that whatever Josh is playing with O has to take away.
It was supposed to be a cupcake party but I forgot from last year... just how quickly the little munchkins can decorate and eat two cupcakes. Kinda makes the hours I spent baking cupcakes, coloring icing and setting out pretty bowls with sprinkles etc seem like a waste of time. I could just slopped everything on the table and told them to have at it. The results would have been the same.
Then my oldest (7) E has to get into the picture. She wants the kids to play her games. None of the kids wnat to play her games. So she starts to whine about how no one wants to play and she's sick of playing these baby games. (the party has only been on for like 1/2 hour). Then the entire time J was opening her presents I get to listen to E whine about how J's presents were better than what she got and how she never gets such nice presents or she really wanted a pink zhu zhu pet too. THE ENTIRE TIME. I'm not kidding, E got sent to her room twice, had daddy yelling and reading her the riot act while she was up there only to come down sulking and pouting.
Kid #1 is mad because everyone is being too noisy for us to hear her play the piano. All the kids decide they have to rip open J's presents immediately and play tea party to which I become some sort of maid fetching them water and mopping up spills. They then decided to dump skittles into their "tea" and when I finally call a halt to the game... kid #2 defies me by dumping all the skittle water from the tea cups back into the tea pot so she can reserve it all and then proceeds to run around the house with a water filled tea potty dumping enough water on the floor that it is literally making puddles. Kid #1 starts to cry and whine about wanting to go home but her dad was the only parent I forgot to get a phone number for.
The two boys J invited were the best kids ever. I am sure they were glad to go home and get away from our noisy chaotic home. Hmm both those boys were only children...... a connection? I'm just saying.
So the whole party was spent refereeing two kids from fighting, dealing with a grumpy E and trying to convince O that it was okay for Josh to play with the Dora chairs.
It was the longest two hours I have ever spent in my life.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Oliver's Labels - A Review
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| Fantasy |
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| Sports Theme |
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| Dinosaurs |
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| Transportation |
For my son, I chose the Transportation theme as he's into cars and trucks right now. The labels all come on an easy-to-peel sheet with instructions for their recommended use. I certainly discovered that while the labels feel flimsy and light, they certainly were strong. The clothing labels actually are bendable and fairly soft which is important so they don't cause chaffing on kid's sensitive skin. I really liked these labels and found them to be bright and colourful . O was certainly proud to have them in his clothes and couldn't wait to show his pre-school teacher the cool label in his coat.
Even the shoe labels are designed with left and right foot shapes, making it easier for my 3 year old to put on his shoes properly.
Teachers really appreciate clothing and personal items being labelled. In my children's school, the policy is if it has the child's full name on it, they will actually return it to that child's class. Otherwise, it all ends up in the lost and found and unless you are at the school nagging them to go find their stuff, it often stays there until donated.
I've used the original labels on snack boxes and while I hesitated to put it through the dishwasher, it went through with flying colours. It's really helped keep my son focused on grabbing his belongings and found that things that had their names on it actually ended up in his lunch bag more often than not. Go figure.
As for pricing, it's actually pretty reasonable. You can order individually or take advantage of one of their packages starting at $26.99. You actually get a lot of labels for that price and I found a little goes a long way. Oliver's Labels also offers free shipping on orders over $30.00.
I think it's definitely a worthwhile investment.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
It's Not Easy Going Green
I, like most moms out there, am becoming increasingly concerned about the environment and my family's impact upon it. It seems like everything out there comes in multiple packaged layers. Cookies are no longer just in the bag, they have to be in a plastic tray covered with another layer of plastic film. We can buy snack foods individually packaged for our so-called convenience (which are more expensive than their bulk version). Even some breads come covered in a plastic film and then a bag.
AND I am ashamed to admit that at first I was pretty much forced into recycling by the increasing laws and requirements of my community. If you're around my age, perhaps you can relate to when "recycling" first started to really be promoted. You know, back in the days when recycling was voluntary. 'What's the big deal?' my youthful self thought? The old phrase "with maturity comes wisdom" springs to mind and I lament the fact that it is all too true. I'm sad to say that my young and hip self couldn't be bothered to recycle because I lived in an apartment building and no one required us to separate our garbage.
It's only gradually over the years that I've began to put more and more effort into recycling and again, I have to admit that it was really because I was being forced to. If I didn't want my gargabe dumped on my lawn and a $250.00 fine, I better make sure I don't have any recycables in it. Being forced to recycle actually forced me to become more aware and to somewhat quote Martha Stewart "That's a good thing."
Now, I am proud of how much I am able recycle and by how much we've reduced our garbage output. I've realized that it's not just about recycling but it's also about reducing our consumables. My husband has finally convinced me to buy the large tub of yoghurt instead of the individual serving cups, even though it's more convenient to simply hand out to my kids one cup at a time. I always figured the extra expense was worth the convenience but being on a restricted budget really gave me some perspective.
So it was with some good intentions that I researched my lunch options for my children prior to the start of this school year. I researched lunch systems, bento boxes, laptop lunches, enviro friendly lunch bags... you name it. Know what I discovered? They're all damn expensive.
Sure I know I'm supposedly going to save big bucks by making this one time investment but how can I really justify spending $40 or $50 on a lunch system PER KID? I see a ton of great ideas out there by mompreneurs for re-usable snack sacks, cloth napkins etc. How can a budget tight mom afford this stuff? It's a lot easier to fork out $2.00 for 50 plastic baggies now and then than to try and justify to my husband why we should spend $7.00 (plus shipping) for ONE cloth snack bag. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea. I just wish I could afford it. It seems that being Green really is more for those hip and trendy people with disposable cash.
So what did I do? I ended up buying the standard kid's licensed lunch kits instead and managed to find something similar to bento boxes at Wal-mart for $7.00 a set. I bought the girls rubber maid watter bottles (they look like juice boxes), labelled everything and we were good to go.
Or so I thought. What ended up happening is three months of ... "Where's the lid to your sandwich case?", "Did you bring your water bottle home?", "Why not?". "Where's your spoon?". I went from having 4 water bottles to two.
My oldest child, I've given up on packing her lunch in the containers and have reverted to wrapping it loosely in a cloth snack wrap I bought years ago. For some reason, that makes it home almost every time. If it wasn't for a no juice policy at her school, I'd toss juice boxes into her lunch instead. Her water bottle has been at school for a week now. She's reassured me yes she's washing it out at school and putting fresh water into it. Um yeah. I really believe that she's not drinking stale water. Fortunately, our tap water here is alright.
So while I may have the best of intentions of trying to be more green, my kids really are doing their best to discourage me and I have to say .. they're doing a pretty darn good job.
How are you making going green successful at your house?
AND I am ashamed to admit that at first I was pretty much forced into recycling by the increasing laws and requirements of my community. If you're around my age, perhaps you can relate to when "recycling" first started to really be promoted. You know, back in the days when recycling was voluntary. 'What's the big deal?' my youthful self thought? The old phrase "with maturity comes wisdom" springs to mind and I lament the fact that it is all too true. I'm sad to say that my young and hip self couldn't be bothered to recycle because I lived in an apartment building and no one required us to separate our garbage.
It's only gradually over the years that I've began to put more and more effort into recycling and again, I have to admit that it was really because I was being forced to. If I didn't want my gargabe dumped on my lawn and a $250.00 fine, I better make sure I don't have any recycables in it. Being forced to recycle actually forced me to become more aware and to somewhat quote Martha Stewart "That's a good thing."
Now, I am proud of how much I am able recycle and by how much we've reduced our garbage output. I've realized that it's not just about recycling but it's also about reducing our consumables. My husband has finally convinced me to buy the large tub of yoghurt instead of the individual serving cups, even though it's more convenient to simply hand out to my kids one cup at a time. I always figured the extra expense was worth the convenience but being on a restricted budget really gave me some perspective.
So it was with some good intentions that I researched my lunch options for my children prior to the start of this school year. I researched lunch systems, bento boxes, laptop lunches, enviro friendly lunch bags... you name it. Know what I discovered? They're all damn expensive.
Sure I know I'm supposedly going to save big bucks by making this one time investment but how can I really justify spending $40 or $50 on a lunch system PER KID? I see a ton of great ideas out there by mompreneurs for re-usable snack sacks, cloth napkins etc. How can a budget tight mom afford this stuff? It's a lot easier to fork out $2.00 for 50 plastic baggies now and then than to try and justify to my husband why we should spend $7.00 (plus shipping) for ONE cloth snack bag. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea. I just wish I could afford it. It seems that being Green really is more for those hip and trendy people with disposable cash.
So what did I do? I ended up buying the standard kid's licensed lunch kits instead and managed to find something similar to bento boxes at Wal-mart for $7.00 a set. I bought the girls rubber maid watter bottles (they look like juice boxes), labelled everything and we were good to go.
Or so I thought. What ended up happening is three months of ... "Where's the lid to your sandwich case?", "Did you bring your water bottle home?", "Why not?". "Where's your spoon?". I went from having 4 water bottles to two.
My oldest child, I've given up on packing her lunch in the containers and have reverted to wrapping it loosely in a cloth snack wrap I bought years ago. For some reason, that makes it home almost every time. If it wasn't for a no juice policy at her school, I'd toss juice boxes into her lunch instead. Her water bottle has been at school for a week now. She's reassured me yes she's washing it out at school and putting fresh water into it. Um yeah. I really believe that she's not drinking stale water. Fortunately, our tap water here is alright.
So while I may have the best of intentions of trying to be more green, my kids really are doing their best to discourage me and I have to say .. they're doing a pretty darn good job.
How are you making going green successful at your house?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Top 5 Baby Toys For Christmas
Suzy is the editor of SureBaby.com, the ultimate guide on parenting and pregnancy symptoms. She loves to share her knowledge with fellow parenting experts, as she believes that sharing is the only way to make this world a better place.
Gifts to keep kids babies and toddlers happy
The holiday season is here, and the great toy scramble is on. While the trendiest dolls, trucks and electronics are great picks for many school-aged kids, there is a whole other arena of toys for the younger kids on your list. This year's popular toys for babies and toddlers feature some old stand-bys as well as some innovative designs to stimulate learning and interaction. Here are the top five baby toys for this holiday season, and why your baby or toddler will fall in love with them:
Best Baby Toys to Give this Year
1. Baby Einstein's Takealong Tunes. This incredibly compact and stimulating toy has topped many popular toy lists for a couple of years now, and that's no surprise. The Baby Einstein brand has made a name for itself with their adaptation of classical music combined with pleasant sights and colors, which has an impressive effect on baby comfort and development. The Takealong Tunes accessory will promote auditory development and keep your little one entertained with colorful lights that dance to the music, and at around $10 this engaging toy won't break your holiday budget.
2. Singamajigs from Fisher Price. If you're not a Fisher Price devotee yet, you just may become one after witnessing the newest musical addition to their family of baby toys. Appealing to kids of all ages, these brightly colored plush toys will spring to life at the touch of their tummies, offering energetic chatter or a song. Each of the 13 Singamajigs has its own personality and song to sing, and though one singamajig will make a lovely gift, they work best when you have a few to operate the harmony singing mode.
3. Fisher Price Brilliant Baby's First Blocks. Stacking blocks are timeless choices for babies and toddlers, and though the basic design has endured for centuries, some brands have taken blocks to the next level. These Fisher Price blocks are perfect for babies, with a variety of bright colors and large, curved shapes with matching holes to encourage comprehension and motor skills. The handle makes it easy to tote around and the durable plastic will ensure this block set lasts well beyond the holiday season.
4. Pillow Pets from Ontel Products. These are really just what the name implies – large, soft stuffed animals that are cleverly designed to flatten out like a pillow or pull together in the middle to resemble a traditional stuffed animal. With a wide range of animals to choose from and a super soft material to snuggle up against, these pillows are perfect for travel or to use within the house. Also, since they feature a Velcro closure you don't have to worry about parts falling off or protruding from the toy.
5. Dance Star Mickey from Fisher Price. One of the most popular toys for toddlers and young kids this season has a familiar face. Dance star Mickey is a mobile incarnation of the beloved cartoon figure, with modes that let him walk, talk and dance. A repertoire of several songs means that you won't have to listen to the same tune over and over, and the interactive nature of the toy will keep your child dancing and laughing for a while.
5 Most Popular Baby Toys for the Holiday Season
Gifts to keep kids babies and toddlers happy
The holiday season is here, and the great toy scramble is on. While the trendiest dolls, trucks and electronics are great picks for many school-aged kids, there is a whole other arena of toys for the younger kids on your list. This year's popular toys for babies and toddlers feature some old stand-bys as well as some innovative designs to stimulate learning and interaction. Here are the top five baby toys for this holiday season, and why your baby or toddler will fall in love with them:
Best Baby Toys to Give this Year
1. Baby Einstein's Takealong Tunes. This incredibly compact and stimulating toy has topped many popular toy lists for a couple of years now, and that's no surprise. The Baby Einstein brand has made a name for itself with their adaptation of classical music combined with pleasant sights and colors, which has an impressive effect on baby comfort and development. The Takealong Tunes accessory will promote auditory development and keep your little one entertained with colorful lights that dance to the music, and at around $10 this engaging toy won't break your holiday budget.
2. Singamajigs from Fisher Price. If you're not a Fisher Price devotee yet, you just may become one after witnessing the newest musical addition to their family of baby toys. Appealing to kids of all ages, these brightly colored plush toys will spring to life at the touch of their tummies, offering energetic chatter or a song. Each of the 13 Singamajigs has its own personality and song to sing, and though one singamajig will make a lovely gift, they work best when you have a few to operate the harmony singing mode.
3. Fisher Price Brilliant Baby's First Blocks. Stacking blocks are timeless choices for babies and toddlers, and though the basic design has endured for centuries, some brands have taken blocks to the next level. These Fisher Price blocks are perfect for babies, with a variety of bright colors and large, curved shapes with matching holes to encourage comprehension and motor skills. The handle makes it easy to tote around and the durable plastic will ensure this block set lasts well beyond the holiday season.
4. Pillow Pets from Ontel Products. These are really just what the name implies – large, soft stuffed animals that are cleverly designed to flatten out like a pillow or pull together in the middle to resemble a traditional stuffed animal. With a wide range of animals to choose from and a super soft material to snuggle up against, these pillows are perfect for travel or to use within the house. Also, since they feature a Velcro closure you don't have to worry about parts falling off or protruding from the toy.
5. Dance Star Mickey from Fisher Price. One of the most popular toys for toddlers and young kids this season has a familiar face. Dance star Mickey is a mobile incarnation of the beloved cartoon figure, with modes that let him walk, talk and dance. A repertoire of several songs means that you won't have to listen to the same tune over and over, and the interactive nature of the toy will keep your child dancing and laughing for a while.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Am I crazy?
My middle child is celebrating her 5th birthday this weekend. She opted for a cupcake party and we decided to wait until her birthday is done before we decorate for Christmas.
Who knows why I want to bother for a bunch of 5 year olds but I'd really like to finish painting the family room and kitchen. I know....way to leave it until the last minute. But my rationale is that once we put up the xmas decorations we won't want to paint and then we're stuck till january. I'd really like to not be sitting down to xmas dinner staring at patched drywall.
Am I completely crazy? K is working so I will only have his help in the evenings which is a poor time to paint. Just clearing my counters and top of my fridge practically decimated my kitchen yesterday. Just wait until there's paint cans and trays all over.
It makes me more than just a little envious that my mom just hired painters. She is now done. Sigh.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Bookkeeping Hell!
Okay whose big idea was it for me to do our company books? Mine? Uh no, I don't think so. It was my nip cheese, paring husband who decided that it would be a good idea for me to do it. Don't know what nip cheese, paring means? It means cheap. (Love you dearly honey) Guess who's been rereading a Christmas Carol? *L*
Anyways, my bookkeeping hell started last week. I had to get the payroll remittances done so hubby could pay it at the bank. I've been storing my data on a USB key. Did I know that USB keys are volatile? No. Did I know that I shouldn't run my accounting files from the USB key because it's not fast enough? No.
What I also did not know is that if I take my data from my computer (because I had no paper to print) and take it to my husband's office to print off on his computer that SA would have a freakin meltdown. You see I rarely use his computer for bookkeeping so his software version wasn't recently updated, it told me it couldn't read my data until I updated the software WHICH I did. HOWEVER, that little attempt at data access? Destroyed my data and I MEAN DESTROYED.
So what's a gal to do? Rely on her back up? Oh oh. My most current back up is dated August 31st. Shazbutt! And would you believe the procrastinator of all things, had the audacity to comment repeatedly on how he could not believe how stupid it was that I didn't have a proper back up. Yup. He did. He's lucky his head is still on his shoulders.
I completely blame Simply Accounting. I have been using my USB key this way since March. There is no way it should have corrupted my files. What is so important about accounting software that it has to continually update anyways? I mean really. Other than the once a year tax update, I don't NEED updates. The old version worked just fine without updates. Oh and forget about getting someone to fix your data. I found one software fix that costs $99.00 but there's no guarantee and one guy who will fix it for $275.00 plus taxes. Obviously, my husband didn't volunteer to pony up the dough.
To top it off, the back up I had? Was only so I could clear my tax entries. It didn't have the entire month of August saved. F.U.D.G.E. So here I am slaving away trying to work my way through three months worth of documents and trying to get each month to balance out the way I originally had it. My kids had to eat their dinner at the kitchen counter and tomorrow is a pro-d day. I only have until Sunday to clear this mess up so hubs can pay taxes on Monday.
If it doesn't show tomorrow... I'm shipping the kids off to Nana!
Anyways, my bookkeeping hell started last week. I had to get the payroll remittances done so hubby could pay it at the bank. I've been storing my data on a USB key. Did I know that USB keys are volatile? No. Did I know that I shouldn't run my accounting files from the USB key because it's not fast enough? No.
What I also did not know is that if I take my data from my computer (because I had no paper to print) and take it to my husband's office to print off on his computer that SA would have a freakin meltdown. You see I rarely use his computer for bookkeeping so his software version wasn't recently updated, it told me it couldn't read my data until I updated the software WHICH I did. HOWEVER, that little attempt at data access? Destroyed my data and I MEAN DESTROYED.
So what's a gal to do? Rely on her back up? Oh oh. My most current back up is dated August 31st. Shazbutt! And would you believe the procrastinator of all things, had the audacity to comment repeatedly on how he could not believe how stupid it was that I didn't have a proper back up. Yup. He did. He's lucky his head is still on his shoulders.
I completely blame Simply Accounting. I have been using my USB key this way since March. There is no way it should have corrupted my files. What is so important about accounting software that it has to continually update anyways? I mean really. Other than the once a year tax update, I don't NEED updates. The old version worked just fine without updates. Oh and forget about getting someone to fix your data. I found one software fix that costs $99.00 but there's no guarantee and one guy who will fix it for $275.00 plus taxes. Obviously, my husband didn't volunteer to pony up the dough.
To top it off, the back up I had? Was only so I could clear my tax entries. It didn't have the entire month of August saved. F.U.D.G.E. So here I am slaving away trying to work my way through three months worth of documents and trying to get each month to balance out the way I originally had it. My kids had to eat their dinner at the kitchen counter and tomorrow is a pro-d day. I only have until Sunday to clear this mess up so hubs can pay taxes on Monday.
If it doesn't show tomorrow... I'm shipping the kids off to Nana!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
One Day at a Time
So I have had the weekend to ponder the whole diabetes thing and all the changes that are ahead of me. While part of me is sad that I am going to have to forego a lot of my favourites this holiday season, the other part of me is glad that I am going to be forced to make the changes I've been putting off to get healthier and lose weight.
I realize that there are a lot of things still available to me if I manage my diabetes well. After all, moderation is the key. However, when it comes to sweets it's very difficult to say no. I'm not talking any sweets, just ones I particularly have a weakness for like good chocolate, gooey chocolate caramels with nuts etc. Sure I can restrain myself from eating a whole box of chocolates but if that box is in my cupboard, I will pick away at it until it's gone. I am not one of those people that can eat two bites of a chocolate bar and then declare myself satisfied and put it away for another time. Oh how I envy you. (and hate)
But I digress. What really prompted me to write today was that the question arose in my mind of whether or not I tell anyone about this. I have told my mother, of course and one close girlfriend but I find myself with a sense of embarrassment about the whole thing. I have even held back from telling my MIL.
Why? For the same reason, I am loathe to admit my high blood pressure, because I'm overweight. I am even loathe to admit that fact on my blog and feel compelled to add that I'm only moderately overweight ... well I'm sure you understand. Only the reality that almost every one of us could stand to lose a few pounds reassures me.
I have gotten so hung up about my weight that I start to perceive that the only thing people see about me is how heavy I am. I'm having a hard time connecting with other moms at my girls' school, I put it down to my weight. I put off going to the doctor about any complaints because I feel they are just going to put it down to my being overweight and if I'd just lose weight everything would be fine. It's amazing how skewed our thinking can get and rational me can tell me I'm being silly but when I got snubbed out of the new mom group cause the other two moms clicked... I couldn't help feel it was because they were skinny and perfect, not to mention young while I was older and fat.
I don't really think I need to tell virtual strangers what's going on with me. However, once we explain to the children what's going on with mommy (I start pricking my fingers and testing my blood, there is no hiding it from them) they are going to talk about it... with anyone and everyone. That's just the way kids are.
Well, like everything in life I am going to just have to take it as it comes.. one day at a time.
I realize that there are a lot of things still available to me if I manage my diabetes well. After all, moderation is the key. However, when it comes to sweets it's very difficult to say no. I'm not talking any sweets, just ones I particularly have a weakness for like good chocolate, gooey chocolate caramels with nuts etc. Sure I can restrain myself from eating a whole box of chocolates but if that box is in my cupboard, I will pick away at it until it's gone. I am not one of those people that can eat two bites of a chocolate bar and then declare myself satisfied and put it away for another time. Oh how I envy you. (and hate)
But I digress. What really prompted me to write today was that the question arose in my mind of whether or not I tell anyone about this. I have told my mother, of course and one close girlfriend but I find myself with a sense of embarrassment about the whole thing. I have even held back from telling my MIL.
Why? For the same reason, I am loathe to admit my high blood pressure, because I'm overweight. I am even loathe to admit that fact on my blog and feel compelled to add that I'm only moderately overweight ... well I'm sure you understand. Only the reality that almost every one of us could stand to lose a few pounds reassures me.
I have gotten so hung up about my weight that I start to perceive that the only thing people see about me is how heavy I am. I'm having a hard time connecting with other moms at my girls' school, I put it down to my weight. I put off going to the doctor about any complaints because I feel they are just going to put it down to my being overweight and if I'd just lose weight everything would be fine. It's amazing how skewed our thinking can get and rational me can tell me I'm being silly but when I got snubbed out of the new mom group cause the other two moms clicked... I couldn't help feel it was because they were skinny and perfect, not to mention young while I was older and fat.
I don't really think I need to tell virtual strangers what's going on with me. However, once we explain to the children what's going on with mommy (I start pricking my fingers and testing my blood, there is no hiding it from them) they are going to talk about it... with anyone and everyone. That's just the way kids are.
Well, like everything in life I am going to just have to take it as it comes.. one day at a time.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
A Surprise Diagnosis
I say it's a surprise but I think in the back of my mind there was always this little niggling feeling telling me. Still, considering my health (other than my blood pressure since baby #3) has always been relatively normal, I really didn't think it would pan out to be actually anything. After all, any other complaints I have had over the years has always been dismissed as "nothing to worry about".
But after the high readings on one blood test had my doctor sending me for further blood tests only to find that after the first initial blood withdrawal, that my readings were so high it wasn't considered "safe" to proceed. I went in preparing to stay for three hours only to come out after 20 minutes.
So it's now official.. I have Diabetes.
It really shouldn't come as a surprise since my Oma had diabetes, my other grandmother has it and now my dad also has it. In fact, my 41 year older brother went in to be tested for the exact same thing and oddly enough we both ended up doing our GTT's on the very same day (in different cities mind you). How bizarre. He, however, stayed for the whole test. So he may still slip through.
The good news is that all these headaches I have been suffering from could be a result of my diabetes since my doctor thinks it might have been a problem for a while now. Of course, with the move and all that I have been less than diligent in getting to see the doctor and only went this last time because my husband actually made the appointment for me. I hate getting to know new doctors, especially when it comes to "the test". I haven't had "the test" done in let's see.... 3 no, no it's been over 4 years. Yeah. That's bad.
The other good news is that this will force me into adjusting my lifestyle, eating healthier and exercising more. I am hoping that once I am on medication and on a plan, I will get less headaches and therefore feel more like exercising and playing with my kids. I felt like I was always trying to eat my way out of a headache, apparently something else common with diabetics.
What's really hit home for me in all this and maybe will help someone reading this.. is that I had Gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant with my first child. While I was never officially diagnosed with it again, I believe, now, that I was at the very least borderline with my second two children because I ended up with big babies. (10lb and 12lb). What they tell you though, which you never really take to heart, is that once you have GD you have an increased risk of like 75% of developing diabetes within 8 to 10 years.
Scary thing... my oldest is 7 years old. So if you've ever had GD, I would highly recommend you assess your diet and lifestyle. Make sure you are eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise. It may not completely prevent you from developing Diabetes later on but it could significantly reduce your risk. I don't consider myself to be a particularly bad eater but I do have a sweet tooth and I definitely don't get as much exercise as I should.
We haven't really told anyone else yet, just my mother and a close friend. My friend, bless her heart, offered to attend the classes with me. She told me that they (as in her and her husband) will be doing it with me too. Talk about support.
It just couldn't have come at a worse time of year what with the gorging season being around the corner. We just bought appies to store in our freezer in preparation for late night Christmas snacking. I was just about to start my Christmas baking. What will I bake now? I can see I am going to be doing a lot of adjusting over the next several weeks so I hope you all can bear with me.
But after the high readings on one blood test had my doctor sending me for further blood tests only to find that after the first initial blood withdrawal, that my readings were so high it wasn't considered "safe" to proceed. I went in preparing to stay for three hours only to come out after 20 minutes.
So it's now official.. I have Diabetes.
It really shouldn't come as a surprise since my Oma had diabetes, my other grandmother has it and now my dad also has it. In fact, my 41 year older brother went in to be tested for the exact same thing and oddly enough we both ended up doing our GTT's on the very same day (in different cities mind you). How bizarre. He, however, stayed for the whole test. So he may still slip through.
The good news is that all these headaches I have been suffering from could be a result of my diabetes since my doctor thinks it might have been a problem for a while now. Of course, with the move and all that I have been less than diligent in getting to see the doctor and only went this last time because my husband actually made the appointment for me. I hate getting to know new doctors, especially when it comes to "the test". I haven't had "the test" done in let's see.... 3 no, no it's been over 4 years. Yeah. That's bad.
The other good news is that this will force me into adjusting my lifestyle, eating healthier and exercising more. I am hoping that once I am on medication and on a plan, I will get less headaches and therefore feel more like exercising and playing with my kids. I felt like I was always trying to eat my way out of a headache, apparently something else common with diabetics.
What's really hit home for me in all this and maybe will help someone reading this.. is that I had Gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant with my first child. While I was never officially diagnosed with it again, I believe, now, that I was at the very least borderline with my second two children because I ended up with big babies. (10lb and 12lb). What they tell you though, which you never really take to heart, is that once you have GD you have an increased risk of like 75% of developing diabetes within 8 to 10 years.
Scary thing... my oldest is 7 years old. So if you've ever had GD, I would highly recommend you assess your diet and lifestyle. Make sure you are eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise. It may not completely prevent you from developing Diabetes later on but it could significantly reduce your risk. I don't consider myself to be a particularly bad eater but I do have a sweet tooth and I definitely don't get as much exercise as I should.
We haven't really told anyone else yet, just my mother and a close friend. My friend, bless her heart, offered to attend the classes with me. She told me that they (as in her and her husband) will be doing it with me too. Talk about support.
It just couldn't have come at a worse time of year what with the gorging season being around the corner. We just bought appies to store in our freezer in preparation for late night Christmas snacking. I was just about to start my Christmas baking. What will I bake now? I can see I am going to be doing a lot of adjusting over the next several weeks so I hope you all can bear with me.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Gift Giving with Crayola & Giveaway
Ever since I was chosen to be a part of Crayola's Mom Advisory Panel, I have been amazed by the variety of cool products that Crayola has. I used to think that Crayola was just about crayons and felts. From toddlers to tweens, Crayola really is a wonderful way to explore their creativity. Which is why I am excited to share with you once again several of Crayola's products with you.
Pixies Naomi's Color Glow Lamp: "A Pagoda-inspired plastic shade that girls can assemble, decorate and transform into a one-of-a-kind lamp that lets their self-expression side shine through! Perfect for display in their room or any place where they like to spend time, Naomi’s Color Glow Light casts cool, colorful effects that will enhance any décor (8+, $14.99)."
This is an extremely cool gift for an older child. The shade comes flat with a package of stickers that can then be used to decorate it with. Once it's decorated, it's a simple task to fold the shade up and slip into slots in the base. Because it takes batteries, it's easy to move around. My daughter prefers to have hers by her bed where there is no plug and since the plastic shade makes the lamp more durable, her siblings and her have even used it in one of their "tent" forts.
Color Wonder Sound Studio:"Bring Color Wonder creations to life - with sounds! This interactive coloring pad lets you choose from 60 sound effects and place them anywhere on any Color Wonder coloring page. Create endless sound combinations that play back when you color your picture! (3+, $32.99)"
Not only does he get a cool new pad to color on but it makes sounds AND there are expansion packs available of their favourite Disney Characters like Toy Story 3 and Disney Princess. It was like Buzz was talking right to you. My only complaint was everyone wanted to try it at once and I had to referee a little.
Stick N Play Poster Fairies: "Reusable and interactive wall creations stick to most surfaces to decorate over and over (4+, $12.99)."
This is an extremely cool gift for an older child. The shade comes flat with a package of stickers that can then be used to decorate it with. Once it's decorated, it's a simple task to fold the shade up and slip into slots in the base. Because it takes batteries, it's easy to move around. My daughter prefers to have hers by her bed where there is no plug and since the plastic shade makes the lamp more durable, her siblings and her have even used it in one of their "tent" forts.
I think I've mentioned before how much I love Color Wonder. It's the absolute perfect felt option for those little ones that want to color but you just know they won't stop at the paper. So imagine how excited my son was to try this out.
Not only does he get a cool new pad to color on but it makes sounds AND there are expansion packs available of their favourite Disney Characters like Toy Story 3 and Disney Princess. It was like Buzz was talking right to you. My only complaint was everyone wanted to try it at once and I had to referee a little. 
Model Magic Presto Dots To The Max: "Make fun creations with bumpy, 3D textures. Presto Dots to the Max is a deluxe collection with more bases, forms, Model Magic colors, tools and more fun-tastic ways to create! (5+, $19,99)"
This is so neat, it's completely different from playdough. I can only describe the texture like marshmallow fluff. It's incredibly soft and squishy. It comes with all these tools that you use to cut shapes out of which you then "pop" all over the bases to make these cool fluffy creatures. Once they are done, you simply leave it out overnight to dry. You do need to make sure any unused product is stored back in their air tight containers or it will dry out.
Stick N Play Poster Fairies: "Reusable and interactive wall creations stick to most surfaces to decorate over and over (4+, $12.99)."This is for the little fairy enthusiast of the house. This is one of my favourites because it's so interactive and so pretty. It's not a simple, color and be done project. It can be played with over and over. It comes with over a 100 stickers including ones that glow in the dark and ones that can be coloured in with washable crayons.
I would stick with the age recommendation with this one because it's so tempting for little ones to stick the stickers everywhere and not just on the poster. Since the poster peels and re-sticks so easily though, this is an easy project that can be brought out for supervised play and put away once they are done.
As always I recommend checking out Crayola.ca for more amazing Crayola products. If you have older children (7+), I'd definitely suggest you check out Pop Art Pixies on their website. There are a lot of really neat craft projects from mosaic picture frames, to herb gardens, to shadow boxes.
The GIVEAWAY
Crayola.ca has kindly offered to send one of my lucky readers a Crayola Product to be chosen from the items reviewed above by the lucky winner. Just in time to help with that Christmas shopping, am I right?
The DETAILS
Contest ends November 25th. Open to Canadian Residents Only.
To ENTER
MANDATORY * visit Crayola.ca and come back here and leave a comment about one other product not mentioned above that you saw.
EXTRA ENTRIES (leave one comment per entry completed)
* follow me on google friend connect
* Friend me on Face Book User name Zee Maid
* Follow me on Twitter @ Zeemaid
* Tweet this giveaway once per day.
Thanks to Crayola.ca for providing me with the opportunity to review these products and host this giveaway.
*Disclosure Note: I was provided with one of each of the above products in order to conduct my review. These are the honest opinions of myself and my family and I was not compensated in any other way.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Holiday Decorating
Well it's that time of year again when Halloween is over and Christmas is just around the corner. I love decorating for Christmas and while I try (somewhat) not to go overboard, I do have more than six large bins dedicated to my Christmas things. I actually put away the every day pictures and ornaments to make room for them.
I am that much more excited to decorate this year since we are in a new home and out of that hovel of a basement. My husband may be less grinch-like this year and more amenable to hanging up my garlands. One can only hope.
Of course, that means I am a sucker for Christmas decorations and when I got an email regarding Hallmark's seasonal line, I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.
Christmas Mugs are an especial favourite of mine. I have been known to keep my Christmas mugs out way past the holiday season.
This, I thought was particularly cute. What great way to countdown to christmas in this digital age.
I am that much more excited to decorate this year since we are in a new home and out of that hovel of a basement. My husband may be less grinch-like this year and more amenable to hanging up my garlands. One can only hope.
Of course, that means I am a sucker for Christmas decorations and when I got an email regarding Hallmark's seasonal line, I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.
Christmas Mugs are an especial favourite of mine. I have been known to keep my Christmas mugs out way past the holiday season.
This, I thought was particularly cute. What great way to countdown to christmas in this digital age.
It's Adorable. Need I say more?
I also really love decorations that play music. Not the non-stop kind of music but ones that you can turn off if you need a break from little fingers pushing buttons. ;) I also love snowmen so this Snowman Band is just perfect!
These are just a few of the things available through Hallmark but they are some of my favourites!
Hey, how about sharing a photo of your favourite holiday ornament with me? Which one has particular meaning for you and why? Send me your photo and I will not only post it but also a link to your blog. Photos to be in by December 2nd.
***disclosure note - this was not a sponsored post. I was sent a holiday email via Hallmark so I have permission in sharing their images. I posted because I truly love holiday decorations. I was not compensated in anyway for doing so.****
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Men are Crazy
I swear if I live to be 100, I will never understand men and they say we are the complicated ones.
I've been up and down emotionally since our whole tiff about the working together thing. I've been through the gamut of emotions from not feeling appreciated or valued as an intelligent person and contributor to the business, after all I owned a video store first and longer than he has, to being angry at the way he dealt with it.
I've tried to get over it. I've tried to distance myself emotionally from everything that has to do with the business while trying to continue on as normal with him in our life together. It's a hard go, especially when I am constantly reminded of things that he's planned or doing or money he's spent concerning the business. How can I tell him not to talk to me about work when it's a normal part of life for a husband or wife to tell each other about their day.
When he elicited my help to help do up the display for the candles he'd ordered, I politely declined. Did he say anything. No. He knows I'm still upset.
This has been going on for two plus weeks until yesterday. He hit a financial crisis with his business. The bank lady kindly called us first to inform us that unless we got money into the account ASAP his rent cheque was going to bounce. I step aside and take over running the kids to school etc so he can sort it out only to find out that one of his solution was to go to the bank and witdraw money from our personal line of credit. A line of credit that money from the sale of my business helped pay down. Did he ask me or talk to me about it? No.
It's not like I had a choice in the matter. We have to do what we have to do in order to keep going but still I would have appreciated having the matter at least discussed with me.
Finally, I could hold it in no longer and we ended up having it out. I'm talking discussion here, not an all out fight. I do feel better, I've had a chance to clear the air and feel that our relationship is somewhat back to normal. He does want my help but was frustrated and what he said to me before was out of his frustration.
But why did it take for me to have to bring it up? He has lived with us being in discord for over two weeks. Sure we've been trying to be normal but the intimacy we usually share wasn't there. I asked him. He said it was awful and that he would have said something eventually. Eventually? I was floored. He would rather let us be miserable and let his wife feel unhappy and full of self-doubt than discuss it or possibly get into another fight about it? Are you kidding me? I think that hurts more than anything else. I asked him if he was just planning on waiting it out until I got over it? He said no, of course not, he would have said something. But I have my doubts.
Did he say anything when I dropped a box he asked me to at his store, and wouldn't set foot inside or even kiss him goodbye because I was so mad? Did he say anything about the fact that I haven't been in his store since the tiff? Did he say anything when I declined to help him with his display, a project we had both intended to work on together? Did he say anything when I emailed him the label file so I wouldn't have to do the labels at home anymore? No.
The amazing thing is that now we've had this conversation, instigated by me, he's completely back to normal. I realize now that he was holding back before because he knew he'd likely be rejected. And I'm not just talking about sex. I'm not one of those women that will withold sex to get their way. I'm talking about quick kisses, hugs etc that normal couples do throughout the day. Let's face it, it's hard to be loving when you don't feel valued.
Men seem to be able to brush it off and get over it while we women tend to stew on things for a few days. Like I said I do feel better but when I stop and rethink it all through, I have to say it completely confuses me and still bugs me.
Is there something crazy your husband does that you just don't get?
I've been up and down emotionally since our whole tiff about the working together thing. I've been through the gamut of emotions from not feeling appreciated or valued as an intelligent person and contributor to the business, after all I owned a video store first and longer than he has, to being angry at the way he dealt with it.
I've tried to get over it. I've tried to distance myself emotionally from everything that has to do with the business while trying to continue on as normal with him in our life together. It's a hard go, especially when I am constantly reminded of things that he's planned or doing or money he's spent concerning the business. How can I tell him not to talk to me about work when it's a normal part of life for a husband or wife to tell each other about their day.
When he elicited my help to help do up the display for the candles he'd ordered, I politely declined. Did he say anything. No. He knows I'm still upset.
This has been going on for two plus weeks until yesterday. He hit a financial crisis with his business. The bank lady kindly called us first to inform us that unless we got money into the account ASAP his rent cheque was going to bounce. I step aside and take over running the kids to school etc so he can sort it out only to find out that one of his solution was to go to the bank and witdraw money from our personal line of credit. A line of credit that money from the sale of my business helped pay down. Did he ask me or talk to me about it? No.
It's not like I had a choice in the matter. We have to do what we have to do in order to keep going but still I would have appreciated having the matter at least discussed with me.
Finally, I could hold it in no longer and we ended up having it out. I'm talking discussion here, not an all out fight. I do feel better, I've had a chance to clear the air and feel that our relationship is somewhat back to normal. He does want my help but was frustrated and what he said to me before was out of his frustration.
But why did it take for me to have to bring it up? He has lived with us being in discord for over two weeks. Sure we've been trying to be normal but the intimacy we usually share wasn't there. I asked him. He said it was awful and that he would have said something eventually. Eventually? I was floored. He would rather let us be miserable and let his wife feel unhappy and full of self-doubt than discuss it or possibly get into another fight about it? Are you kidding me? I think that hurts more than anything else. I asked him if he was just planning on waiting it out until I got over it? He said no, of course not, he would have said something. But I have my doubts.
Did he say anything when I dropped a box he asked me to at his store, and wouldn't set foot inside or even kiss him goodbye because I was so mad? Did he say anything about the fact that I haven't been in his store since the tiff? Did he say anything when I declined to help him with his display, a project we had both intended to work on together? Did he say anything when I emailed him the label file so I wouldn't have to do the labels at home anymore? No.
The amazing thing is that now we've had this conversation, instigated by me, he's completely back to normal. I realize now that he was holding back before because he knew he'd likely be rejected. And I'm not just talking about sex. I'm not one of those women that will withold sex to get their way. I'm talking about quick kisses, hugs etc that normal couples do throughout the day. Let's face it, it's hard to be loving when you don't feel valued.
Men seem to be able to brush it off and get over it while we women tend to stew on things for a few days. Like I said I do feel better but when I stop and rethink it all through, I have to say it completely confuses me and still bugs me.
Is there something crazy your husband does that you just don't get?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Journey to Wellness
While I try to make sure my kids eat healthy and get plenty of exercise, I don't always set a good example. It's the old "Do What I Say and Not as I Do" that comes into play more often than not. They are young now but soon they will be old enough to judge me for the hypocrite I am and call me on it. Because why should they eat their fruit and veggies when mom is sneaking chocolate chip cookies? There I said it, I'd rather eat a cookie, any cookie (except maybe ginger) than a piece of fruit.
Which is why I admire Lynn from Walking with Scissors for starting on her Quaker Journey to Wellness. She saw a need to make healthier lifestyle changes for both her and her family and is now committed to meeting new challenges each month. Quaker believes the journey to health and wellness is not an all or nothing effort. It's more about taking care of yourself, making positive changes to all aspects of our lifestyle such as stress management, healthy eating, increasing our physical activity etc. Which is why Quaker has invited Lynn to document her family's journey to improve their lifestyle.
I think my own personal challenge this month would be to eat less processed/pre-packaged food. There is no reason why I can't take the half hour it requires to bake a batch of cookies, muffins or even my own granola bars rather than purchasing them. Not only will I be controlling what goes into my family's mouths but I will be saving money. It also helps that I can often sneak in an extra serving of veggies or fruit into those tasty snacks. Sure it will require a little extra planning but the savings and health benefits will be worth it.
Sometimes to make changes all we need is a little inspiration and for me often other bloggers provide that inspiration. So I'd suggest you check out Lynn and her family's journey at Journey to Wellness. There are weekly and monthly prizes you could win simply by voting on a weekly poll, commenting on a post or suggesting a tip for Lynn. Plus each month we get to vote on what challenges we'd like Lynn to take for that month.
What steps are you and your family taking towards a more healthier lifestyle?
Disclosure ***I am participating in the Quaker Journey to Wellness program by Mom Central on behalf of Pepsi Co. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Which is why I admire Lynn from Walking with Scissors for starting on her Quaker Journey to Wellness. She saw a need to make healthier lifestyle changes for both her and her family and is now committed to meeting new challenges each month. Quaker believes the journey to health and wellness is not an all or nothing effort. It's more about taking care of yourself, making positive changes to all aspects of our lifestyle such as stress management, healthy eating, increasing our physical activity etc. Which is why Quaker has invited Lynn to document her family's journey to improve their lifestyle.
I think my own personal challenge this month would be to eat less processed/pre-packaged food. There is no reason why I can't take the half hour it requires to bake a batch of cookies, muffins or even my own granola bars rather than purchasing them. Not only will I be controlling what goes into my family's mouths but I will be saving money. It also helps that I can often sneak in an extra serving of veggies or fruit into those tasty snacks. Sure it will require a little extra planning but the savings and health benefits will be worth it.
Sometimes to make changes all we need is a little inspiration and for me often other bloggers provide that inspiration. So I'd suggest you check out Lynn and her family's journey at Journey to Wellness. There are weekly and monthly prizes you could win simply by voting on a weekly poll, commenting on a post or suggesting a tip for Lynn. Plus each month we get to vote on what challenges we'd like Lynn to take for that month.
What steps are you and your family taking towards a more healthier lifestyle?
Disclosure ***I am participating in the Quaker Journey to Wellness program by Mom Central on behalf of Pepsi Co. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Blog Called on Account of the Flu
Tis the season, the flu season. E was home sick on tuesday. While she was vomiting, it seemed to end quick for her, she was just tired all day. Yesterday was O's turn and while he wasn't physically sick until dinner you know something is up when this active little boy spends the day on the couch.
Unfortunately it's my turn and while I'm not going to whine about being up all night sick, it just totally pissed me off that hubby went to work this am with every sign of coming down with the flu too. Not only do I have to go it alone I probably will have to take care of him.
Damn murphys law.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Shoppers Drugmart - V.I.B. Program
- Each v.i.b. member stays connected with life stage relevant content, exclusive Optimum offers and hot deals on baby products through their enewsletters;
- V.i.b members get to take advantage of the Shoppers Drug Mart focus on health, nutrition and wellness of pre-natal and new moms.
I have been a Shoppers Optimum member for a while now and it's amazing how quickly your points add up just for buying things you would normally be buying anyways. I've always found Shopper's pricing to be very competitive and considering that many of Shoppers Drug Marts are open til midnight or even 24 hours, it's great for those late night diaper runs. Plus there's always a pharmacist there for advice for those times when the baby is sick and you just don't know what to do.
Read the fineprint “*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Visit www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/babycontest for full contest details and information on how to enter without a purchase. Approximate retail value of prize is $50. Chances of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Correct answer to skill-testing question required to be declared a winner. Must be a Canadian resident and age of majority or older in province or territory of residence. Valid Shoppers Optimum Card® required to participate. Contest ends December 1st, 2010.”
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Been There Done That
Well now that I've been fired by my husband, (a rather long story that has to wait for another day) it's either find myself a job outside the home or figure out some way to make extra money while staying at home. It still does not make sense for me to go back to work just so I can pay out half my income in daycare costs and O has another 2 years before he's in school fulltime.
After my long stint in the office world, I'd really value some way of being creative for employment. Is it so selfish of me to want to do something I'd actually enjoy? Plus, I'm tired of working evenings. I've done it for 6 years and while it was the perfect solution when the kids were younger, it really ate into our family life once E started full days at school.
It really is too bad I can't get paid for reading. Well, I could if I was an editor but I don't have the educational background for it.
So I'd like to make things and my theory is that if I made a variety of simple items, I won't get bored with what I'm making nor put so much time into it that I'd never garner a profit. Sounds easy, right? Not so much.
My first idea, last year I made some really nice Christmas cards only one simple search on Etsy revealed 87 pages of a variety of Christmas Card offerings. It seems like everything I can think of someone else has not only made it but made it better than I ever could.
It's enough to discourage a gal.
After my long stint in the office world, I'd really value some way of being creative for employment. Is it so selfish of me to want to do something I'd actually enjoy? Plus, I'm tired of working evenings. I've done it for 6 years and while it was the perfect solution when the kids were younger, it really ate into our family life once E started full days at school.
It really is too bad I can't get paid for reading. Well, I could if I was an editor but I don't have the educational background for it.
So I'd like to make things and my theory is that if I made a variety of simple items, I won't get bored with what I'm making nor put so much time into it that I'd never garner a profit. Sounds easy, right? Not so much.
My first idea, last year I made some really nice Christmas cards only one simple search on Etsy revealed 87 pages of a variety of Christmas Card offerings. It seems like everything I can think of someone else has not only made it but made it better than I ever could.
It's enough to discourage a gal.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween Memories - Really Just an Excuse to Show off My Kids
I really enjoy Halloween. Apart from all the candy (which is huge in it's favour), I love to see all the kids in their cute costumes. Which is why it was one of the first things I was looking forward to doing when I finally had a child. So even though E was only 4 months old at the time and there was no way she was going out trick or treating at that stage, I couldn't resist dressing her up.
You can tell how thrilled she was. ;)
Of course the following year I got ambitious and was determined to make a Halloween costume myself. Monster Inc was big then and since my little E was (a) adorable and (b) had a full head of hair, I figured she'd be a perfect fit for Boo from Monsters Inc. Of course, I didn't want her to be just an ordinary Boo with pigtails in a pink nighty, oh no, that would have been too easy. Instead, I had to devise a Boo in her Monster costume instead.
While I'll admit it did turn out pretty cute, I was disappointed because how I pictured doing it, didn't work out at all. Plus I had a hard time purchasing supplies.
Although life has gotten more hectic now that we have 3 children, Halloween is just as much fun as it was when we just had one. Cause now we get to see three cute kids in costumes, instead of just one.
You can tell how thrilled she was. ;)
Of course the following year I got ambitious and was determined to make a Halloween costume myself. Monster Inc was big then and since my little E was (a) adorable and (b) had a full head of hair, I figured she'd be a perfect fit for Boo from Monsters Inc. Of course, I didn't want her to be just an ordinary Boo with pigtails in a pink nighty, oh no, that would have been too easy. Instead, I had to devise a Boo in her Monster costume instead.
While I'll admit it did turn out pretty cute, I was disappointed because how I pictured doing it, didn't work out at all. Plus I had a hard time purchasing supplies.
Freakin cute, right?
Of course, back then we had all sorts of spare time to get all creative with our pumpkins.
Now we settle for more simpler and quicker pumpkins.
Although life has gotten more hectic now that we have 3 children, Halloween is just as much fun as it was when we just had one. Cause now we get to see three cute kids in costumes, instead of just one.
Happy Halloween!
This post brought to you by the Lovely Girls at SITS (Cause Tiffany really is so pretty ;) who are holding a camera giveaway. Not familiar with SITS or want to win a camera Check them out here SITS
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Cheese Touch
You see she hadn't watched the movie herself so you can only imagine her dismay when one girl in her class proclaimed that E had "The Cheese Touch" and incited all the rest of the kids to run away from her. Fortunately, one boy did stand up and say that that wasn't very nice and refused to participate but still, it embarrassed my daughter to no end.
When it finally struck me what the heck the cheese touch was, I was able to tell her where it came from but she wanted to know why the kids would do that. (If you don't know what it is.. the story goes that there is this piece of cheese lying on the basketball court, no one knows how long it's been there but we're talking years here. If anyone so much as touches the cheese, they instantly become labeled with the cheese touch and are completely ostracized, no one wanting to be accidentally touched by the person who has the cheese touch.) I didn't know how to explain why kids would do that. Sure I could go on and on about insecurities, jealousies etc.. but really, how much would she get? In the end, it comes down to reassuring her that there is nothing wrong with her.
Thinking back, there was a good reason why I didn't let my daughter watch this movie. It's the same reason why I felt bad having let her watch Alvin & the Chipmunks 2: because of the bullying that's portrayed. Sure there's always a message in the movie, don't bully, just be yourself etc but how much of that message actually sinks in? Did the no bullying message sink in with that little girl in my daughter's class? No. What she learned was a creative way to single out a kid for teasing.
Do my kids really need to learn about swirlys? I don't think so.
Going to school is daunting enough without being shown all the many ways one can be bullied.
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