There is a shop on www.etsy.com called, lacylauragray beach jewelry that I absolutely love. I don't know why. While the jewelry is pretty and affordable it isn't anything spectacular. I think its because every element reminds me on the beach. Some of the beach glass she uses is man made that she purchased at the local surf shop. Just reading the descriptions makes me think of my trip to Hawaii. The beaches, the sands, the surfers....I have never felt so peaceful. One of my favourite movies (don't hold this against me) is Blue Crush. It has an amazing soundtrack and the surfing scenes were great. If you rent the DVD make sure you watch the extras. It gives you some real insight into the surfer scene.
I did indulge in one pair of pink coral earrings which I have worn with my pink shirt this summer. They are fun and funky. Something you don't see everyday. For now I will have to settle wearing my earrings, listening to Jack Johnson and dreaming of Hawaii until Master D is old enough to travel the distance (and we have the money:).
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
My Little Pony Musical Show
I took my little guy to see the My Little Pony Musical Show at Woodbine Centre today. It was free, we were meeting my friend and her son, and I thought it would be a good test to see if he could sit still.
When we arrived we discovered that the elevators were closed down for the performance. If you think about this, it didn't make much sense since there were a lot of strollers there. Instead we had to use the escalator. Lucky for me I can hold Master D in one arm and push the stroller in the other. Other mothers with little babies were struggling to get on the escalator with there babies. If you were familiar with the mall, you could have gone to the Bay or Sears to get the elevator but I didn't even think of that. Lucky for us my friend got there early to get a seat. I parked the stroller and down we went to sit on the floor.
Master D was doing pretty good. It was five minutes until showtime when we sat down. He ate some cookies and patiently waited for it to started. We waited, and waited and about 10 minutes after it was suppose to start someone came on stage to get the crowd going. However after he spoke, it was almost 10 more minutes until they came on stage. Master D lasted 5 minutes before he started to breakdown. He wanted to walk and I didn't blame him. It is mean to make children wait patiently and then be late for a performance. What took the My Little Pony so long to get on stage? Was there no carrots in her dressing room? Was her tail not perfect? Was she being a Pony Diva?
I decided to leave before we had a meltdown. I crawled through parents and other barriers to get us out. In general people are not that accommodating. I stepped over a women's purse on the floor. She could see my little guy could not get around it but made no effort to remove it. I had to lift him up and over. Before the show started the woman next to my friend didn't understand personal space and practically sat in her lap (it wasn't that crowded to be that close). After I got away from the show I stopped at a garbage can to put a cookie wrapper in it and was promptly told by security to move away quickly because they were filming the show and didn't want me in the shot. In all fairness if I was in the shot then the camera was not filming the stage.
We walked around for a little while. Turns out the show wasn't that good according to my friend. Too much talking and not enough singing/dancing for the kids.
On the plus side, the freebies after the show were not too bad. Maybe next year they will start on time.
When we arrived we discovered that the elevators were closed down for the performance. If you think about this, it didn't make much sense since there were a lot of strollers there. Instead we had to use the escalator. Lucky for me I can hold Master D in one arm and push the stroller in the other. Other mothers with little babies were struggling to get on the escalator with there babies. If you were familiar with the mall, you could have gone to the Bay or Sears to get the elevator but I didn't even think of that. Lucky for us my friend got there early to get a seat. I parked the stroller and down we went to sit on the floor.
Master D was doing pretty good. It was five minutes until showtime when we sat down. He ate some cookies and patiently waited for it to started. We waited, and waited and about 10 minutes after it was suppose to start someone came on stage to get the crowd going. However after he spoke, it was almost 10 more minutes until they came on stage. Master D lasted 5 minutes before he started to breakdown. He wanted to walk and I didn't blame him. It is mean to make children wait patiently and then be late for a performance. What took the My Little Pony so long to get on stage? Was there no carrots in her dressing room? Was her tail not perfect? Was she being a Pony Diva?
I decided to leave before we had a meltdown. I crawled through parents and other barriers to get us out. In general people are not that accommodating. I stepped over a women's purse on the floor. She could see my little guy could not get around it but made no effort to remove it. I had to lift him up and over. Before the show started the woman next to my friend didn't understand personal space and practically sat in her lap (it wasn't that crowded to be that close). After I got away from the show I stopped at a garbage can to put a cookie wrapper in it and was promptly told by security to move away quickly because they were filming the show and didn't want me in the shot. In all fairness if I was in the shot then the camera was not filming the stage.
We walked around for a little while. Turns out the show wasn't that good according to my friend. Too much talking and not enough singing/dancing for the kids.
On the plus side, the freebies after the show were not too bad. Maybe next year they will start on time.
Monday, 29 August 2011
Addicted to the Swing
Up until recently, Master D showed no interest in the swings. I would put him in a swing and he would smile for a couple of minutes and then want out. Some days I would pull the stroller up to the swing and he would fight me on getting out. He would rather go for a ride in the stroller than swing on the swing. That is no longer the case.
Now when we go to the swings he wants to swing forever. Today was the perfect example. I had him in the swing for 20 minutes. I counted down when we had 5 minutes left. When the swing slowed to a stop, he started to cry. When I tried to remove him (which is not an easy task), he started to scream. Then we had a full out breakdown at the playground. Several other kids a few months younger had listened to their parents and left the swings quietly. Not my little guy. He was angry. Then I got angry and told him we weren't coming back later on in the day if that was how we was going to behave.
I broke down later today and went again. This time we stayed in the swing for 30 minutes. While he complained a little, he didn't go down screaming. I think 30 minutes may be the magic time for him. Thank goodness there was another parent there I could talk to. Otherwise 30 minutes is a long time to be pushing, even if he does look adorable when he leans back and looks to the sky. With his big blue eyes and winning smile there is no way I am going to resist. If I do, he is very persistent so I might as well get used to pushing the swing. I understand this isn't a phase that will be going away anytime soon.
Now when we go to the swings he wants to swing forever. Today was the perfect example. I had him in the swing for 20 minutes. I counted down when we had 5 minutes left. When the swing slowed to a stop, he started to cry. When I tried to remove him (which is not an easy task), he started to scream. Then we had a full out breakdown at the playground. Several other kids a few months younger had listened to their parents and left the swings quietly. Not my little guy. He was angry. Then I got angry and told him we weren't coming back later on in the day if that was how we was going to behave.
I broke down later today and went again. This time we stayed in the swing for 30 minutes. While he complained a little, he didn't go down screaming. I think 30 minutes may be the magic time for him. Thank goodness there was another parent there I could talk to. Otherwise 30 minutes is a long time to be pushing, even if he does look adorable when he leans back and looks to the sky. With his big blue eyes and winning smile there is no way I am going to resist. If I do, he is very persistent so I might as well get used to pushing the swing. I understand this isn't a phase that will be going away anytime soon.
Reclaiming My Jewellery
Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely love jewellery. My passion is finding unique pieces that no one else has seen. My favourite thing to give people for their birthday is jewellery. I pride myself on finding the right piece for the right person. Whenever I travel, I always bring back something for myself and my friends. The benefit is that it is light and easy to carry plus no one else will be wearing it.
I don't mind mass produced items either. There are some funky pieces out there that represent the current trends. What I love is sterling silver pieces created by different artists. I recently discovered this amazing online store called http://www.etsy.com/. Independent artists post their products for sale on here. I can spend hours looking at the different items and creating my wish lists for people to buy me.
When I had Master D I had to give up wearing my jewellery. My beautiful engagement ring would accidentally scratch him and he loved to pull at my earrings and necklaces. Lately however, I have noticed he isn't as interested in these things. I have been able to wear some necklaces with my outfits and the occasional earring. As I put on each piece of jewellery I start to feel like my old self again. It dresses up the outfit and makes you feel pretty.
This phase may end and he may start pulling on them again. For now I pull out the sturdier pieces that can withstand the tug and pull and I hope that my jewellery is here to stay.
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Toronto International Film Festival
I am working on my movie picks for the Toronto International Film Festival today. This is my favourite time of year. If you live in Toronto and you have never see a movie at the festival then you should put it on your to do list. It is a great experience.
I actually started going to the festival when a work colleague/friend was working in Toronto and decided to try it out one weekend. It was the year that American Beauty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Beauty_(film)) came out. The following Monday she came to work talking about the fact she saw Kevin Spacey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Spacey). The next year we made a pact that we would go together.
For the first few years, she would fly up from Chicago and we would rush movies. What that means is that you don't have an actually ticket. Its sort of like standby. Approximately 10 minutes before the film starts the volunteers count the number of empty seats and then sells those seats to the people in the rush line. If you are within the first 20 people there is normally a good chance you will see the film. I think we only had one movie we didn't get to see because we lined up 5 minutes before showing. Normally, if you line up an hour before you are in good shape.
I then met some friends at work that showed me how the festival works. The next year I bought some tickets and began working on my festival picks. You get a few days to pick your first and second choices for movies. You then drop off your choices. When you do the drop off you get a box number. It is on a lottery basis each year. They pick the box number and start filling boxes going forward from that number. For example, if you are in box 50, they will fill box 51, 52, 53... and then when they reach the top, they start at box 1. You then line up to pick up your tickets and start making changes to your schedules in case you don't like what you got.
The atmosphere at the festival is amazing. Everyone is friendly and wants to chat about what they saw. You meet so many interesting people from all across North America.
If you get a first showing, there is a good chance you will get to see some of the actors and directors at the film. Often, if there is time, they do a Q&A. I have seen Colin Firth, Kevin Bacon, Daniel Craig, Vince Vaughn, Matthew Modine and various other actors over the years. It is an exciting time to be in the city.
I have to get back to my picks. The festival starts the week after the long weekend. I hope to give you an update on the movies I see and what I think of them. Before having Master D I would see 35 films in a one week period. Some movies I didn't make it through (1 or 2) because they were boring and when you see 4 to 5 a day, you decide when you take a nap. For those of us that do that type of schedule, we look good at the beginning of the week but by the end of the week we are pretty rough.
If you really want an experience see a Midnight Madness film at the Ryerson. The crowd there is amazing. They are lively and lots of fun to be part of.
This year I am only seeing 10 films. A small drop from my 35 but I will take it.
Check out the festival if you have a chance: http://tiff.net/
Have a great day!
I actually started going to the festival when a work colleague/friend was working in Toronto and decided to try it out one weekend. It was the year that American Beauty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Beauty_(film)) came out. The following Monday she came to work talking about the fact she saw Kevin Spacey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Spacey). The next year we made a pact that we would go together.
For the first few years, she would fly up from Chicago and we would rush movies. What that means is that you don't have an actually ticket. Its sort of like standby. Approximately 10 minutes before the film starts the volunteers count the number of empty seats and then sells those seats to the people in the rush line. If you are within the first 20 people there is normally a good chance you will see the film. I think we only had one movie we didn't get to see because we lined up 5 minutes before showing. Normally, if you line up an hour before you are in good shape.
I then met some friends at work that showed me how the festival works. The next year I bought some tickets and began working on my festival picks. You get a few days to pick your first and second choices for movies. You then drop off your choices. When you do the drop off you get a box number. It is on a lottery basis each year. They pick the box number and start filling boxes going forward from that number. For example, if you are in box 50, they will fill box 51, 52, 53... and then when they reach the top, they start at box 1. You then line up to pick up your tickets and start making changes to your schedules in case you don't like what you got.
The atmosphere at the festival is amazing. Everyone is friendly and wants to chat about what they saw. You meet so many interesting people from all across North America.
If you get a first showing, there is a good chance you will get to see some of the actors and directors at the film. Often, if there is time, they do a Q&A. I have seen Colin Firth, Kevin Bacon, Daniel Craig, Vince Vaughn, Matthew Modine and various other actors over the years. It is an exciting time to be in the city.
I have to get back to my picks. The festival starts the week after the long weekend. I hope to give you an update on the movies I see and what I think of them. Before having Master D I would see 35 films in a one week period. Some movies I didn't make it through (1 or 2) because they were boring and when you see 4 to 5 a day, you decide when you take a nap. For those of us that do that type of schedule, we look good at the beginning of the week but by the end of the week we are pretty rough.
If you really want an experience see a Midnight Madness film at the Ryerson. The crowd there is amazing. They are lively and lots of fun to be part of.
This year I am only seeing 10 films. A small drop from my 35 but I will take it.
Check out the festival if you have a chance: http://tiff.net/
Have a great day!
Friday, 26 August 2011
When are Toots and Burps No Longer Cute?
As babies and toddlers our little ones are constantly burping and tooting away. Often in public. As adults we can't help but laugh because we can't believe something that tiny can make that loud of a sound. Children are quick to pick up on the fact that it makes us laugh which means that every time they do it, they laugh too.
At what stage do we decide that it is no longer sociably acceptable to burp or toot? How does a child comprehend that one day it is funny and the next day mommy and daddy are telling them to behave and not to do it in public?
For now, my little guy is wandering around tooting up a storm...giggling all the way. I can't help but laugh at the sound.
At what stage do we decide that it is no longer sociably acceptable to burp or toot? How does a child comprehend that one day it is funny and the next day mommy and daddy are telling them to behave and not to do it in public?
For now, my little guy is wandering around tooting up a storm...giggling all the way. I can't help but laugh at the sound.
The Daily Diaper
I love everything about parenthood except one thing....the diaper. I estimated that by the time Master D turns 2 we will have changed approximately 5110 diapers (7 per day). I don't want to scare off anyone that wants to have children but this is the least appealing aspect of parenthood. The only good thing is that it doesn't last long.
When our little guy was 3 days old we discovered he had a sensitivity to every brand of baby wipes. As a result, we use wash cloths on him. It is not pretty. I have been home for less than 2 hours and already changed 3 diapers.There are days when my husband arrives home and I declare a diaper free zone for myself.
I can't wait until he can use the bathroom on his own. Potty training is coming up. Wish us luck!
When our little guy was 3 days old we discovered he had a sensitivity to every brand of baby wipes. As a result, we use wash cloths on him. It is not pretty. I have been home for less than 2 hours and already changed 3 diapers.There are days when my husband arrives home and I declare a diaper free zone for myself.
I can't wait until he can use the bathroom on his own. Potty training is coming up. Wish us luck!
The Magic of Dinosaurs
So today was our big adventure to the ROM (http://www.rom.on.ca/). We bought a membership last year and loved it so much we renewed it again this year. When you live in the city and you have kids, you quickly start to identify places you can take them that are kid friendly. With our little guy, he usually only has an attention span of an hour at any place before he wants to go somewhere else. The membership option made the most sense to us. It took the pressure off of trying to get your money's worth out of the admission cost (which isn't cheap). We figured out that if you only went three times as a couple then we got our money back.
Today we went to see the dinosaurs. They have a great kids area. There are few places that I am willing to let my little guy wander without the fear of him breaking something. The second floor is set up with costumes for the kids to try on, a great play area for toddlers and lots of things to see. We even went in the bat cave and he wasn't scared! The best part is that there are lots of stuff at his level to see. He doesn't need mommy to pick him up. He can pull out the drawers on his own and look inside (although he really is only interested in opening and closing the drawers).
It was a great day for me as well because I had the opportunity to spend it with one of my best friends and her little boy who is 4. It was great to see Master D play with him. They chased each other around and he followed him like he was a big brother. She only comes once a year to visit but I am so glad our kids can get to know one another during these time periods. I hope one day they will keep in touch and be great friends.
Today we went to see the dinosaurs. They have a great kids area. There are few places that I am willing to let my little guy wander without the fear of him breaking something. The second floor is set up with costumes for the kids to try on, a great play area for toddlers and lots of things to see. We even went in the bat cave and he wasn't scared! The best part is that there are lots of stuff at his level to see. He doesn't need mommy to pick him up. He can pull out the drawers on his own and look inside (although he really is only interested in opening and closing the drawers).
It was a great day for me as well because I had the opportunity to spend it with one of my best friends and her little boy who is 4. It was great to see Master D play with him. They chased each other around and he followed him like he was a big brother. She only comes once a year to visit but I am so glad our kids can get to know one another during these time periods. I hope one day they will keep in touch and be great friends.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
When Master D Will Not Take a Nap
It's 3pm and he still hasn't gone down for his nap. Where does he get this energy? What did I feed him? Normally he has lunch and takes a nap around 2pm. He likes to nap for 1 hour on his own and then he wakes up and wants to be held. I know I shouldn't do it but they won't always want to be held. He's my first and maybe I am spoiling him. Who cares? The only downside is that I am trapped under Master D until he wakes up. That's okay. It allows me to take a nap, watch some tv or catch up on my online videos using my Blackberry Playbook (which I love by the way).
He's is playing in the closet right now. He loves doing that. He hides in there and I call out asking where he is. He then slowly opens the door and peaks out.
Today I wanted a few hours to go through my Film Festival book. I will be chatting on that later. This is the time I go through the book to pick what films I will see.
So much energy.....don't you wish you had some of that?
He's is playing in the closet right now. He loves doing that. He hides in there and I call out asking where he is. He then slowly opens the door and peaks out.
Today I wanted a few hours to go through my Film Festival book. I will be chatting on that later. This is the time I go through the book to pick what films I will see.
So much energy.....don't you wish you had some of that?
The Struggle with the Stroller
As you know from the last post I rushed my breakfast to take my little guy out. The problem is that he wants to go out without the stroller. The morning walks are for me. I get my errands done, I do some shopping and we go for a 5km walk. The problem is that he won't get in the stroller. He fights me all the way. So I explained to him that until he was ready to go in the stroller we weren't going out. I am still waiting. He is crying/whining at my side right now. He thinks he is the boss and most of the time he is. I could fight him and get him in the stroller but I hate doing that especially now that he is stronger. So we wait.....
For the record our afternoon walk he does on his own. We walk to the park together, play on the swings and then walk around the neighbourhood. He does over a 1km walk everyday himself. He knows this and I am very accommodating as we stop at every crack in the sidewalk, explore the curbs etc. I love these walks.
Right now, he stopped crying and is now exploring the closet.....wait he is back.....let's see if he will go this time.
For the record our afternoon walk he does on his own. We walk to the park together, play on the swings and then walk around the neighbourhood. He does over a 1km walk everyday himself. He knows this and I am very accommodating as we stop at every crack in the sidewalk, explore the curbs etc. I love these walks.
Right now, he stopped crying and is now exploring the closet.....wait he is back.....let's see if he will go this time.
Having Time for Breakfast
I like to keep a schedule in the morning. It ensures that I get everything I need to do done. That includes waking up at a specific time. This morning we woke up late. Normally I try to get us up by 7am. It used to be easy to do because Master D woke me up. These days he has been sleeping past 7am and I find myself sleeping in.
Part of my morning routine is taking dishes out of the dishwasher. This use to be an easy task until Master D decided he could help. While I love to see him help out, I am frantically grabbing knives and dishes from him. You really have to work fast. On the upside, I am faster at unloading the dishwasher and so far we haven't broken anything.
I then like to make lunch for my husband, make the beds, make the breakfast and hopefully by then my husband is out of the shower. He is not a morning person so it sometimes takes me 10 minutes to get him out of bed. It doesn't help with Master D crawling back in beside him. Once I have these tasks done, I set up breakfast for Master D and my husband feeds him. If we are on time, we can wrap up by 8:30 and I have time for breakfast. This morning we were a half hour late. This now means that I am rushing to drink a coffee while a little guy is pulling at me to go out for walk.
I have two sips left and I told him after I am done we are gone. I better hurry.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to spend more time chatting.
Part of my morning routine is taking dishes out of the dishwasher. This use to be an easy task until Master D decided he could help. While I love to see him help out, I am frantically grabbing knives and dishes from him. You really have to work fast. On the upside, I am faster at unloading the dishwasher and so far we haven't broken anything.
I then like to make lunch for my husband, make the beds, make the breakfast and hopefully by then my husband is out of the shower. He is not a morning person so it sometimes takes me 10 minutes to get him out of bed. It doesn't help with Master D crawling back in beside him. Once I have these tasks done, I set up breakfast for Master D and my husband feeds him. If we are on time, we can wrap up by 8:30 and I have time for breakfast. This morning we were a half hour late. This now means that I am rushing to drink a coffee while a little guy is pulling at me to go out for walk.
I have two sips left and I told him after I am done we are gone. I better hurry.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to spend more time chatting.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Day 1 - How it all Started
I thought it would make sense to give some background as to how I arrived at this point in my life. Two years ago I was a Director at an international accounting firm. My average work day was 12 hours. I was on call 24/7, expected to travel at a moments notice and attached to my blackberry. I spent long days working with small teams on assignments. I made decent money but the thing I wanted most was to be a mom. Even when I was little I always wanted to be a stay at home mom. I remember being in the car and my mom asking my brother, sister and I what we wanted to be. Both of them wanted to be rich and famous. I wanted to be a PTA mom. My mom suggested I might want a career as well because it may not be everything I thought it would be. I took her advice and worked as a CA for 15 years.
In February of 2009 my husband of two years and I found out that we were pregnant. I remember the morning I woke up, took the test and found out I was pregnant. I woke my husband up to tell him. His reaction was " That's nice"...needless to say he wasn't awake and went back to sleep right away. I still tease him about his reaction being less than enthusiastic. When he did finally wake up and the news sunk in he was happy but in shock. We had only been trying for four months so it was faster than we expected.
Nine months later my son was born and my life changed. He is almost two and my decision to stay at home with him was the best one I ever made. I had been working like crazy for years. It was nothing for me to do an all nighter but nothing prepared me for this. The thing about kids is that they don't always shut down when you want them to. At work if I got too tired I just stopped. Its not the same here. On the positive side I know he appreciates me more than anyone at work ever did.
Lots of people can't believe that I can stay at home and not be bored. The thing is that I don't have much time to be bored. Every morning I get up, get lunch and breakfast ready for my husband, shower and get ready for the day. I am so lucky to have a husband that helps out. Without him the morning would be a little chaotic. After my husband leaves for work, I have breakfast and read my emails. Instead of work emails I now go through my deal emails (Groupon, WagJag, RedFlagDeals...etc). You have to learn to live in a budget and there are some great deals out there. I will save that for another day. Afterwards we go for a walk, come home eat lunch, have a nap, go for a walk, get dinner ready and then I sit with my husband and watch tv.
The one thing I do miss is talking to people. I meet up with friends but I am a very chatty person so I thought this blog would allow me to share my ideas. Most of them come to me while I am showering. I do my best thinking then. I think its because no one can bother me during that time.
I hope to share with you my experiences of being at home including things that I like to do. For now, I have a cranky dude chewing on my feet that wants to go out. Its time to get my day started.
In February of 2009 my husband of two years and I found out that we were pregnant. I remember the morning I woke up, took the test and found out I was pregnant. I woke my husband up to tell him. His reaction was " That's nice"...needless to say he wasn't awake and went back to sleep right away. I still tease him about his reaction being less than enthusiastic. When he did finally wake up and the news sunk in he was happy but in shock. We had only been trying for four months so it was faster than we expected.
Nine months later my son was born and my life changed. He is almost two and my decision to stay at home with him was the best one I ever made. I had been working like crazy for years. It was nothing for me to do an all nighter but nothing prepared me for this. The thing about kids is that they don't always shut down when you want them to. At work if I got too tired I just stopped. Its not the same here. On the positive side I know he appreciates me more than anyone at work ever did.
Lots of people can't believe that I can stay at home and not be bored. The thing is that I don't have much time to be bored. Every morning I get up, get lunch and breakfast ready for my husband, shower and get ready for the day. I am so lucky to have a husband that helps out. Without him the morning would be a little chaotic. After my husband leaves for work, I have breakfast and read my emails. Instead of work emails I now go through my deal emails (Groupon, WagJag, RedFlagDeals...etc). You have to learn to live in a budget and there are some great deals out there. I will save that for another day. Afterwards we go for a walk, come home eat lunch, have a nap, go for a walk, get dinner ready and then I sit with my husband and watch tv.
The one thing I do miss is talking to people. I meet up with friends but I am a very chatty person so I thought this blog would allow me to share my ideas. Most of them come to me while I am showering. I do my best thinking then. I think its because no one can bother me during that time.
I hope to share with you my experiences of being at home including things that I like to do. For now, I have a cranky dude chewing on my feet that wants to go out. Its time to get my day started.
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