High Art

Kraft paper and (washable) paints - $15.00

An Ikea frame - $30.00

A couple of afternoons well spent.

Art that makes you smile each time you enter the room ...

PRICELESS

: )

xo,

M

Mind. Body. Soul.

Tonight, right after dinner - as evidenced by the ketchup mustache.

xo,
M

Chick Lit

I said I would read 6 books before September 18, 2011.

My dream library. This one is Karl Lagerfeld's - by the way. Via the The Selby

Between working away from home, the boys (27 and 2) (my god, they are such babies), and my foolish insistence to DYI just about everything - this feels like a daunting task. There are people - mommies never the less - out there that read 52 books a year. Ya. That's one a week! How?!?

BC (before child) I used to read a lot. Anything I could get my hands on. Since high school, I think I have read everything by Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. The last Atwood book was the Penelopiad. I am not sure if she published anything since, I am not allowed to read her anymore. Apparently, I become angry when I do. Really? Atwood - angry?!?!

In the 1st year of Hudson's life, I scanned two baby books in search or relevant information. The first one was this one, because it was recommended by a friend ( it was good, lots of common sense stuff, but with baby #1 it is sometimes nice to know that your intuition matches the advise of an "expert"). This was the second one.

Ok, allow me to digress because to be perfectly honest, I do not know many mommies who like this one.


So, in defense of the Ferber sleep method ;


I love my son. Very much. But I love him sooooo much more better when I have had a decent nights sleep. Hudson has slept in his own crib since the day we brought him home from the hospital. He has slept through the night (more or less) since he was about 4 months old. The first night we tried Ferber WAS probably one of the worst nights of our lives. I think it took him 3 or 4 hours to settle. The second night it was 2. The third night, he woke up, we found his plug, he went back to sleep. Just like that. Aside from the times we travel or he is sick and needs cuddles (or we screw him up) he goes to his own bed at 8 and wakes around 6. We like it that way. 

In Hudson's second year of life, I caught up on my long neglected stack of Harper's. Which I luuuuuve and continue to read every issue pretty much cover to cover - but it's not exactly chick lit. And I missed chick lit. I really, really did.

Late last week I put down my copy of Fall on Your Knees, wept like a little girl, then made myself a cup of tea, sat in the living room and stared at the wall. Now that's a good book as far as I am concerned.

Then, over the weekend we went to the library where Karl and I took turns finding something new to read. We each had 15 minutes of "free" time while the other hung out with Hudson in the kids library. On the way home we both confided in the other (and now I am confiding in you) that we felt sort of lost amidst all the titles. What are people reading these days? And please - no vampire books. Not into that. I settled on Joyce Carol Oates and The Gravedigger's Daughter. (Karl picked up a copy of Robert Frost - The Poetry of Robert Frost - if I am not mistaken) I am about 100 pages in. No crying yet - but I am enjoying it. Am I weird in that I like books that make me cry? You don't have to answer that. Unless you are being sympathetic.

At this pace, I should be done with it by the end of next week. (And at this pace, I should be able to make all 6 - wooo hoo!)

Any recommendations for what I should read next?

xo,
M

Good to know

or - tax planning for 2011 

(Disclaimer - The following advice is intended for residents of Canada only. If you are filling your income tax in a different country, please consult your local expert.)

M: So, how are we looking? (Karl was finishing up our taxes while I was putting Hudson to bed)
K: Not bad! You get $X.XX back, and I am getting $Y.YY.
M: Not bad....
K: Oh, but wait.... I forgot about my eye surgery.... (Karl had his eyes lazered in the fall)
M: Eye surgery?!?!
K: Ya.... it's a medical expense not covered by our insurance.
M: (puzzled look)
K: Boobs - number one medical deduction. Then noses.....

Did you know that?!?!?! Aren't you glad you do now?!?!?

An "Opocush"

: )

 

Indoor fun

Cold weather, some buggies and my complete lack of desire to sport anything other then PJ's kept us indoors for most of the weekend.

We did still have lots of fun!


We worked on some puzzles....

     Created lovely art...

Did some Yoga - at Hudson's request. Seriously, he asks to "watch yeyooo", lays down on the mat and follows along. For about 30 seconds.... but it's worth it!

 

We did managed to get outside for a little bit. Don't let the blue skies fool you though, it was bitterly cold. We lasted less the half an hour. 

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend,

xo,

M

Obsessed

It's a slow weekend. Bad weather, the sickies and the peak of audit season are keeping us indoors.

Here are a few things keeping us entertained this weekend.

Hudson

Mommy

Daddy

(Hudson is napping, Karl is at work and a fresh coat of nail polish is drying on my finger nails. What can I say - I am a little bored)

xo,

M

Showing a little skin

Day two of above freezing temperatures! Woooo hoo! Am I the only one with a touch "Spring Fever"? I suspect, not. (Get the joke, Canada? I know, I am so lame)

Just wanted to share this because I love it oh soooo much!

For more gorgeousness, please visit the lovely Garance .

xo,

M

Weekend Getaway

 

We took the Choo-Chooo (Subway) into the city...

stayed in a hotel and got to play all weekend.

We went to the ROM...

 Where we saw dinosaurs...

and lots of other creatures.

We were put to work...

..but mostly we just goofed off!

It was fantastic : )

xo,

M

*Old love* meets *new love*

Oh man, I do not even know where to begin this one.

Ok.. how about here, since a pair of sunglasses is on the list.

After about a million trips to the Sunglass Hut - these have emerged as a very strong contender.

In real life they are a bit darker then that.

Classic, yet at the same time trendy...It also helps that they do not make me look like a chipmunk - which so many of the other sunglasses I tried on did.

Today, I googled them, just to see if I can get a better price online, but was completely distracted because I found this little website here - coolspotters - which is where I got the picture below.

Yes! That is, in fact Natalie Portman! Sporting Wayfarers! (And getting into what I think is a Prius, for which she gets extra points as far as I am concerned!)

This discovery is actually kind of fun for me (I know... it's the little things these days), because for whatever reason Natalie Portman came up in our apres ski conversation on Friday night, and my sweet neighbour said that I sort of looked like her. Now just for the record, beer WAS being consumed, but never the less, I am totally flattered because I LOVE Natalie Portman. I have, ever since that movie where she is preggo and living in Walmart... Or possibly the Walmart parking lot - oh I do not even remember which, but you know the one I am talking about, no?

See where I am going with this? I think its safe to say that I was meant to own those shades! And considering the fact that morning and afternoon sun these days sits precisely at that spot in the horizon where driving without sunglasses has become about as safe as playing russian roulette - I think I am officially expanding revising  my February wish list.

Also:







This picture here is my new motivation for growing out my hair. And possibly inspiration for purchasing some pink lipstick. In March. Pretty, no?

 



So there you have it, an old love meets a new love, and in the process I might just be able to take a couple of items off my list. 

(and here you thought I was just rambling).

xo,

M

A new favourite

These!

I bought these in January, via Pretty Mommy. They are brass and sort of tarnished looking. By that I mean that they are kind of dull in appearance, elegant but in an understated kind of a way. Not at all how "gold" can sometimes be a bit too flashy.  Oh, who am I kidding -  my command of the English language could not possibly do justice to my new bling. Lets just say that I am absolutely smitten. With the earrings, and with the blog/shop they came from.

If you are so inclined, you can see other pieces from the same designer at Pretty Mommy or here.

I also bought a blazer because I have been longing after one FOREVER. And new shoes. And a skirt (which, two weeks later hangs untouched in my closet, so I am thinking about taking it back). And a new silk top. And a sweater, a necklace and a bracelet. Wow, that sounds like a lot of stuff.

In my defense though :

- it was all on sale ( well, the earrings were not... but $24.00 is a small price to pay for perfection)
- the shopping grand total for January was less then what we put in either of our RRSP's each month. And less then Hudson's monthly RESP contribution, so at least my priorities are straight! I think.
- the more I spend each month, the more I will have to donate in July. Right ?!? So really, I am just trying to do some good people. I am that selfless. (I think I gagged a little as I typed those sentences).

On my February wish list? Some patterns. Maybe skirts. And a white boyfriend style dress shirt - maybe this one if it ever goes on sale. So that I can wear it like this. Oh Anthropologie... how I love thee.

(Alright, so I just realized that link does not work, and I can not seem to be able to make it work. But since you are already there, go to the bottom of the page and click on "shop the catalogue". In the February one, go to page 28. Left hand side. Minus the whole scarf in her hair thing because I could never make that work. Pretty, no?)
(PS... does anyone know how I can post those images? If so, please shoot me an email.)

I know I know, in the picture it looks kind of meh, but I just saw it at the Roots store and it looks way better in real life. Plus it has real dress up/down potential. And is super soft.

On my "in my dreams" wishlist?

via here.

Georgeous, yes? Practical.... are you kidding me? The other MOMS at the park would throw sand! (And I totally would not be able to run away fast enough)

<Sigh...>

xo,

M




.

Pot of Gold

Yesterday was a snow day.

Thank you, network meteorologists for creating such panic over (what in my driveway at least) amounted to no more then 10 cm of "accumulation". NOT that I am complaining. Because really, a random Wednesday off was much needed. THANK YOU.

We went to an impromptu play date at a neighbour's home in the morning and then played in the snow in the afternoon. In rummaging through the pantry in search of an afternoon snack, I found a container with some smarties and chocolate coins - left over decorations from Hudson's birthday cake. Chocolate, or anything containing chocolate, is pretty rare in this house. Neither Karl nor I particularly care for it. Hudson on the other hand LOVES the stuff. Since we had just spend 2 hours outside and dinner was still quite some time away - I figured, WHY NOT? Hudson happily settled on the couch with his prize and munched away while I went about hanging up his wet outside clothes.

When I came back to the room to check on him, he was playing with his train set. On the couch was a container of smarties. ALL of the chocolate coins were gone. I should have, but I did not really give this too much thought. After all, as any mom of a two year old will tell you - stranger things have happened.

Later on in the day, the mystery was solved.... 

xo,
M

Beating the February Blahs.

Here is a list of things I am looking forward to this month:

1. Skiing and beers with our fantastic new neighbours tomorrow evening! 


Not a picture of where we will actually be skiing. But if I put that one up, some of you may laugh : (

Words to live by : )

  2. Going to see Tom Thomson!

at the MUSEUM in Kitchener

3. Taking Hudson to the ROM

Also, I am hoping that Karl's insane work schedule (175 "billable" hrs in two weeks!) will ease up just a tiny bit so that we can go to Winterlude this year.

Pretty good for February, no?

What are YOU looking forward to this month?

xo,
M

I saved a life!

I am a HUGE suck. The type that cries over commercials, people. Even radio ones. HUGE. SUCK. Did I mention that?

Anyways, so being the faithful CBC listener that I am, and living a cable free existence since October 2009 - my exposure to commercials has been fairly limited. At the start of this month however, I was driving home from the grocery store. I was in the car that Karl normally drives, and because he carpools, he has had to broaden his radio station horizon to stuff we would normally never listen to. (Like country rock for example - which by the way is really catchy, and once it gets in your head - it's really, really hard to get it out. No matter how bad.). A commercial came on. And the flood gates opened.

I do not know if you have heard it (I tried to find it online but no luck), it was the one where the little boy tells you about things he likes - like watching cartoons and going to the park - and things that he does not -like eating broccoli or cauliflower - and then he says, that the only reason he is telling you all this because research shows that you are more likely to donate blood if you know someone who needs it.....(Ya...I am totally crying as I write this)....I bawled my eyes out the entire way home. I kept trying to imagine what it must be like to be that little boys mom. Or any other mom for that matter, whose child - young or old - needs someone elses blood. For whatever reason.

On Saturday morning, I saved a life. Possibly three. I went to my local clinic and donated blood. It was that easy.

M

P.S. In my search for the radio commercial I mention above, I did come across this one.

And yes... I am crying again.