Things You Should Know About Me If We're Going To Be BFF

I was part of a precision skating team.   I was always placed at the end of the line when doing turns because i could skate fast and handle high speeds while being whipped around.  I was asked to be put into competitive pairs figure skating with my brother.  He told my parents he would drop me on purpose if they made us skate together.

I do not find salon visits relaxing.  Actually the opposite.  I find my appointments last too long, and i am always worried about how my cut/colour will turn out.  Yesterday was my first time colouring my hair since 2007.  I most likely will let it go natural again.  

I am very picky on where i like to sit at restaurants.  I don't like sitting near the entrance or the kitchen

I price match a lot (not on groceries) and even check flyers to make sure something i bought has not gone on sale.  When we moved into our first home and purchased our outdoor patio furniture and decor, i got everything reduced by checking the flyer for 90 days after purchase. Same with clothes...

Related to above.  I am not afraid to ask for discounts or extras added in.  

I still love going to wedding websites and i have been married for 5 years.  I bought two dresses for my wedding.  The first one was a Vera Wang from Ebay, which i sold for what i paid before the wedding.  I fell in love with a Romona Keveza dress that i got as a pristine sample from a bridal shop.  After my wedding, i sold the dress for about $100 less than i paid.

I wash my hair only once a week.  I have very thick, curly hair.  When i blowdry it straight it actually looks best on day 3.

I love getting things from Kijiji.  One persons junk, is someone else's treasure.  I also love buying from Ebay.

I procastinate often.  Not because of laziness, mostly due to lack of confidence.  I work best when i don't think things through too much.


I lived on campus for my first year of university, even though my parents lived only 1/2 hour away (thanks Mom and Dad).  My marks were poor first year, but i had fun.  I buckled down after taking a break from University and got high enough grades to get into a good Teachers College after completing my B.Science.

I can't draw.  I still use a variation of a stick person when i draw people.  My 3 year old puts me to shame.

I used to lie a lot.  
Edit:  I was not a compulsive liar about everything.  I had a hard time with embarrassment.  Instead of looking bad, I would tell little lies.  I finally realized that my friends loved me no matter what and I did not have to hide the true me.  

I was a crazy fast runner when i was young.  Especially in elementary school.  In cross country meets, i would sprint at the beginning of the race and still have enough in me to finish first while sprinting to the finish line.

My husband was my first real boyfriend.  We met when i was 19.

I am picky about lending my clothes/shoes out to friends.

I love being in my PJ's

I had 6 pack abs through my teens and in my 20's.  My goal is to get them back again...i have to be more diligent with my workouts and what i eat though.

My junk food indulgence is Zesty Doritos.

When on vacation, i am a bit of a 'Danny Tanner'.  I do like to relax at the beach or poolside, but i also like to fit in as much as i can.  I don't sleep in while on vacation (although i will take a power nap).

I see your true colours, and that's why i love you.

I got this idea from Cherry Pie Twins.   It was fun to do, and i have more to share that i will save for the next time i do this.

Colours and Prints

2013 spring collections are coming out soon.  I am getting a head start and starting to collect some pants so i can be ready for the nice weather when it arrives.  To be honest though, while most people are dreaming of the warm weather, i am hoping we still have a few weeks of skiing left.  We go every weekend, and it is a nice family outing.  I actually love being outdoor in the winter.

I am in a bit of a fashion rut.   Only recently have i started to like going through my closet. I used to let my hubby pick up clothes for me for about the first 2-3 years after having my daughter.  I hated shopping and i hated to spend money on clothes because i was not comfortable with my body. I bought cheap pieces (i shudder to think of some of the things i wore...and on multiple occasions) that were supposed to be transitional pieces (post pregnancy body).  These transitional pieces became staples in my wardrobe over a period of three years.  I had this one floral top from Old Navy that i wore quite often.  It was only until i saw another older lady pairing it with super faded flooded jeans that i really started to wake up.  This year i have started a nice little fall/winter collection, and now i want to make sure i have a decent spring/summer wardrobe. 

My spring/summer wardrobe needs a lot of work though.  I have learned my lesson about waiting to buy pieces.   I used to only buy clothing when i needed something, rather than buying something i loved and knowing it will get used soon.  This usually meant that i would be scrambling to find an outfit when i needed it, and it becomes an impulse buy and usually not what really looks good on me (just what i can find fast).

Last weekend i went to the mall with a gift certificate and decided to look for items that i can wear for Spring.  Club Monaco was having their Presidents Day sale, with an additional 30% of sale items.  I decided to buy check out some of their sales items.  It is a hit and miss, but i did find a cute dress (can be worn with tights as a tunique, because of the shorter length it can be tucked in as a nice blouse, or a short dress for a night out with hubby). I could not pass up on $59. 

I have a super fashionable sister in law (not just fashionable, but she knows fashion...big difference!) She knows the trends, but her style is all her own.  She is big on mixing prints, colours and texture in an outfit.   Their is an art to it, and she has the fashion sense to always make it work.  

This year, i am trying to add some variety in terms of colours and prints.  When you are on a budget, you tend to stick to solids and classic colours that go with everything.  This summer, i am going to mix it up.  I find Zara is the best place to do this.  They have great printed pants, and i like the fit of their pants as well.  The Zara closest to me does not always have their best selection, but usually the great pieces go fast.  If you like something, best option is to get it right away.  They do have awesome sales though, so sometimes you get lucky and what you have been eyeing goes on sale.

I ended up finding a pair of black and white heavily printed pants that i love. It was my introduction to printed pants.  Only $25 too.

Japanese garden print.  Looks busy, but does not look bad dressed up with heels.

I decided now that i have one black/white pair, i needed to find something bold.  Something i can pair with one of my solid blouses, but will give it a little oomph.  So i goggled Zara printed pants.  I found a pair that really struck me.  Not even close to my style (busy and bright are not clothes i usually gravitate towards) but they appealed to me, and i thought i could make them work.  Then i find out they are discontinued and were highly popular last year( if you do a google images search on Zara Navajo pants you will see tons of pictures/blog posts).  That actually discouraged me from trying to find them, but i loved the print so much that i thought i would disregard their popularity last year.  With the new SS collection coming up, they will be old news for everyone else.
So, i ended up buying them (thanks Aimee).  The seller only ships to the US, so it will be a few weeks before i get them.  I will blog about them when they arrive.

Here are a few other items i am loving from Zara in particular- all under $100 from Ebay sellers.  I am saving up for a few pieces.

Top Shop pants- $79.99

Zara heels- love the double buckle- great for narrow feet so you get a tighter fit.  $89

Love how they look from the front.  They remind me of a brand name pair i saw in the Eye Candy section of my sister in laws website.

Zara Wedge sneaker-$115

I saw a few other printed pants that i love and will look for in store.  I am loving the Navajo and Aztec prints and saw this leather jacket from Zara on Ebay.  This one is $200 though.

If you are looking for fashion inspiration you must check out this blog
www.shegotstyle.com  (Eye candy and daily posts are worth checking out).

Simple kids craft- is it a bird or a plane?

This is a fun kids craft and the best part is that all you need is construction paper and tape...we have a lot of that here.

What i also like is that the end product can be interpreted in so many different ways.  It can be a flower, snowflake (spring/winter themed art), a star, a windmill or a 3D butterfly (just add antennas at the top with pipe cleaners.  
My daughter even said if we create an all pink one and put a circle on top with a face, it could be a ballerina wearing a tutu and dancing on her tippy toes.  Love the imagination of a 3 year old (yes, i see it now!)

So lets get started...

Materials:
-construction paper
-tape or stapler.  If you are doing this with kids pre cutting the tape in smaller pieces is most likely the best option.  I would recommend against using glue.
-scissors.

Instructions:
1.  Using construction paper draw six  6 inch X 6 inch squares.
Simple 6's.  6 squares that are 6X6 in measurement

2.  Cut those squares out.

3. How to create two smaller squares within the big square:
-  To do this, you need to fold the opposite diagonal corners together to form a triangle (you can see the fold in the picture below)
-cut two diagonal lines on each side forming a smaller triangle (but do not cut the triangle right out...just two lines forming a triangle that don't connect).  Do this again to create the smallest triangle, so that you end up with three triangles that don't connect.  Open up your folded triangle.
Now you have 2 smaller squares inside your original 6X6 square.

4.  Take each diaganol opposite corner that have been cut on the smallest square and tape them together.  Flip the whole square over and do the same for the next inside square (tape the corners together).  Flip the square over again and tape the corners of the orginal square together.
Do this process for all 6 squares.

bring diagonal corners together

secure with tape

Flip the whole square over.  See how you can't see the red tape in the previous picture.

Bring the corners together

Secure with tape.  Flip it over one last time to do the same for the oirginal square.

Bring the last corners together and secure with tape. Now 1 is complete. Repeat steps for all 6

all 6 complete.

5.  Take 3 of them and tape them together at the bottom points.  Take the other three and tape them together at the bottom point too.  Now tape these sets together (bottom point to bottom point).

3 taped together from the bottom point. Tape other set of three together. You will then attach the trio's together.

Attach them together at the bottom

All 6 stuck together

6.  To secure them further you tape them together at the sides....use your tape as an indicator on where to secure again.

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Presto in 6 easy steps you have your own flower, snowflake...whatever your kids want it to be.

Tips:
I used coloured tape just for the tutorial.  Clear tape works well.  Glue is also an option for older kids.  Make sure to remind them to hold them for a bit to make sure the glue will secure.
It does become frustrating though if it becomes unglued while in the process, so i find tape works the best.  Stapler works as well.
    
You can also use regular white paper or newspaper.  

You can make them in one colour or make a whole bunch of squares in different colours.  My daughter liked the multi coloured ones.

how cute would they look with stems at the base of your walls...your own little class garden.  Or hanging from the ceiling.










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Happy Family Day

It has been a while since I last posted. I am getting lazy in posting.  Mainly because this is still a blog that I have only shared with a handful (maybe two) of friends/family. I don't feel the pressure to update as often.  When i read my favorite blogs, they always take the time to post 2-4 times a week- maybe i need to share my blog now that i am getting a bit more comfortable.
February has been a busy month as well.  I do have lots to share, so there will be more updates this week for the small amount of readers that may visit.

Today is Family Day.  Instead of trying to fit in a whole bunch of activities today, we took a relaxed approach.  Stayed in PJ's all morning, had banana pancakes made by my hubby and watched The Incredibles for the 2nd time since we got it yesterday (my daughter is in a superhero phase right now) We went to the Art Gallery in the afternoon for 2 hours and will be heading out to my moms for dinner soon.

Yesterday I was lucky to get this picture snapped of the three of us by my husbands niece.
So lucky to be surrounded by so many great people- my family, my in laws and especially these two- who even  make walking from a restaurant to our parked car so much fun!  I am truly blessed :)

"Must Have Product" series - The Learning Tower

I am going to start a new series of reviews of  products that have been tested by me.  These will be tried and true products, ones that i would highly recommend to friends and family.  I do a lot of research on products and have found some amazing products that are not found in mainstream stores.  When you dig a bit deeper, you always find a gem of a product.  You may spend a bit more money, but these are the products that are worth it- long lasting (products that you use for many years), durable (well built), natural, and functional in your everyday lives. 

I  am starting my series with the most used and loved product in our family.  This product is not used by me  though.  My daughter gets full enjoyment, but trust me i get to reap the benefits as well.  This is my go to product when i need to get things done around the house with a busy toddler...works amazing for two toddlers as well.

Cleaning may not be the easiest thing to get done when you have a toddler competing for your attention.  There is a funny saying "Cleaning your house with a toddler is like brushing your teeth while eating an oreo cookie".  You really can't do both at the same time, so might as well give up, and just wait until you have time to yourself.  Maybe you can manage to get by with an untidy house until the weekend.  Who likes a messy house during the week though?  More importantly, who wants to spend their weekend cleaning?

Most parents try to find something to keep their children occupied while doing the cooking and cleaning. Watching TV, playing with their toys or just letting them go crazy in the pots/pans and tupperware cabinets.  Although you can distract them for a little while,  usually they get bored and want your attention.  They pick the worst timing- you know, when you have pots and pans on the burner, and something that needs attending to in the oven. That is when they are hanging from your knees, wanting you to play with them.
I found a solution, or as close as you can get to one.

It is called the Learning Tower and made by the company Little Partners. The name of the product is bang on, as it does indeed create many learning opportunities.  With the Learning Tower, your children do become little partners, doing the work along with you (brilliant thinking on their part).

What is the best way to describe the Learning Tower?  I would say it is the ultimate step stool...a step stool on steroids perhaps?  It  allows the child to get right up to the counter to work independently like mom and dad.  To be honest, getting to work on the counter space is half the battle.  My daughter loves being able to hang out along side me, that there really is no need for distractions.

With a regular step stool, you have to be right behind your kids, and well that just defeats the purpose of them helping.  They can't help, in fact they will get in the way because you have to make sure they don't slip off the step stool or chair.  That does not sound like fun for either parent or child.  The Learning tower is a safe enclosure for your child to be right up at the counter with you...without you having to worry about emergency room visits for falls.

My daughter  loves to cook with my husband and I. There is always something you can find for children to do.  Mixing ingredients, measuring, kneading, cutting, grating...the list goes on.  After the cooking, they can help with the dirty dishes.  I fill up one side of the sink with soap/water and my daughter gets to chose whether she wants to clean or rinse.
Speaking of filling up the sink, that can be just as fun as helping mom and dad (or more fun).  If i am extra busy, or she is not in the cooking mood,  bring on the water play! Fishing games, giving her dolls a bath or pretending they are at the beach, food colouring in bubbly water...oh there are so many possibilities with the kitchen sink and the Learning Tower.  Don't get me started on some of the fun things we have done (whip cream in the sink).  On many a days, our kitchen sink doubles as a sensory bin.
Cleaning is so much more fun for them when there is a little extra height involved...getting to clean places they otherwise would not be able to.  Washing the windows, walls and  helping us dust our "hard to reach" spots in her tower.  I am hoping that allowing her to help when she asks,  will translate to her wanting to help out when she is older.

I will wash, you rinse.

Dolls at the beach.

Putting away the utensils.  Sorting and cleaning bonus!  

We got the play kit along with our tower.  It has a cute little roof where you can put one of three signs for some pretend play (lemonade stand, drive thru or puppet play).  There is also a rod with a curtain-perfect for puppet plays or pretending you are in a tent or even a hideout from mom and dad.  They have new play kits here and here that look so much fun (and easier to put up than the old play kit).  If you get updates with them on Facebook, word has it that they are going to create a fort...how fun!

About to start a puppet play.

There is an art easel that you can attach to the Learning Tower.  I need to find one to try it out, but it has been hard for me to find at a local shop.  We have an easel, but space wise it would be so much better with the built in easel (with both a whiteboard and chalkboard)

Art time- the easel attachment would make it so much easier.

Whenever i introduce this product to visitors (it is usually the first thing they notice in the kitchen), one of the questions they want to know is if i ever have any safety concerns.  They ask if i think it may lead to my daughter pulling the tower to unsafe places in the kitchen- the stove/oven, hot water and so on.
I believe my daughter has become more knowledgeable about safety due to her exposure in helping us out in the kitchen. She knows which way the faucet should face, that the oven/stove is hot and which utensils are safe ones to use. I would be more afraid of a child who is not given the exposure, who pulls up a chair to explore the kitchen. Curiosity has been taken out of the equation.  She enjoys the kitchen with us and is aware of the dangers associated with it.  As with any product, adult supervision is required (can't believe companies still have to put a disclaimer on that).

Hands down this is a must have product. Perfect shower gift, birthday or holiday gift.  The best part is, that your money goes a long way.  The age range goes up to 6 years old, I don't know of any product that has the lasting power and is so useful.  Need a bit more convincing.  Check out this video of my daughter making lasagna in the tower.  She cooks on her own now with all the experience in watching us cook.

You will be seeing more of the Learning Tower on my blog.  I will be including many blogs posts/pins about kids crafts and activities where the Learning Tower will be making appearances.
you can also check out the many projects Little Partners have on Pinterest here

Whenever i can, i like to make a note about products that go well together. My daughter loves to play dress up right now.  When we are in the tower cooking or cleaning, she wears an apron to keep her clothes somewhat clean.  I found some awesome costume aprons on Etsy here and here.  Are they not the cutest things?  Perfect for quick dress up, and can be easily hung on a hook in a kitchen cabinet.  I may have to order one and test it out (or should i say my daughter needs to test it out).  They need to create some for the boys too.  Toy Story is popular here- would it not be cool to have Woody or Buzz Lightyear aprons.   
Here is my daughter in her Minnie costume.

Stay tuned for some more product reviews.  I have so many good ones i want to share.

Year of the Snake kids craft.

Sunday February 10th marks the Chinese New Year.  2013 is the year of the snake, and occurs every 12 years. I have read some interesting characteristics that define those born in the year of the snake.  However, it is not as simple as the birth year alone.  The birth year, month, day and hour are the four pillars of Chinese astrology and in combination determine the personality profile of a person.

My daughter and I attended an art class at Peel Art Gallery Museum + Archives (PAMA) in Brampton, and did a fun snake craft to mark the upcoming Chinese New Year.
Here is a step by step guide.

Materials:

• Neck Tie:  Any tie will do...plain, patterned, neon...whatever you have that you/your spouse do not wear anymore.  In fact, the more hideous the better.  You can find cheap ties at second hand stores if you are doing them with your class.
• Scissors
• Fabric glue or a glue gun
• Dowel (you can find a pack of them at the dollar store).  You can also use a pencil
•  Eco Fiber Fill for the stuffing,  but you can use anything- cotton balls, tissue paper, newspaper
• Red felt- you only need very little for the snake tongue...again you can use anything red.  
• Googly eyes (dollar store)

Instructions:

The thicker part of the tie is the head, and of course the thinner is the tail.  You can start stuffing from either side.  I chose to start from the head portion.

You need to pull apart the tie carefully as to not let the threads come completely apart.  You just loosen the threads in order to have some space to put some stuffing inside with a dowel or small pencil.  

If you are doing this with younger kids, it is easier for them to stuff with their fingers.  Let them pull it apart a bit more so they can fill it by hand.  There are times my daughter pulled a bit harder, but it was an easy fix with fabric glue at the end. 

Stuff the snake until you are content.  More for the head of the snake and less along the tail. 

Tip #1:  If the tie is long, and you have a young crafter, you can cut the tie. We tied the cut off piece around the neck of the snake to be used as a necklace (fancy snake?)

Tip #2:  You can stuff the inside triangle at the thicker portion of the tie to make the head  of the snake look thicker.

Once your snake is stuffed to your liking, you can add the googly eyes and make a tongue out of the red felt.

Voila...snake complete.  Easy, fun and inexpensive.  My kind of project and 3 year old approved.

If you try this, I would love to know.

Endless Oceans, limited time.

If somehow you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice,  what would it be?
I think if i could only pass on one, i would chose this:  Life is short,  don't wait for it to pass you by.

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of the death of a friend of mine.  Same age as me (less than 3 weeks apart), and it was my first experience of losing someone so close in age.   Two weeks ago a friend of mine experienced the same loss.  Her cousin of the same young age (34 years old) passed away to cancer after battling with it for less than a year.  Last year, a friend that i got to know online on a wedding planning board experienced the loss of her husband (also in his early thirties) after a shocking diagnosis of cancer in which he only lived 4 months after- leaving behind his 1 month old son.  There are so many stories of friends and family members whose lives were taken at a young age.

When someone dies young, you always hear "taken too soon" when the person is being spoken of.   Taken in the prime of their lives, with so much more to experience is how many feel. I would like to tell those people that time does not guarantee life experiences.  There are so many people that live a long life, yet have nothing to show for it.  I would not wish an early death on anyone, but i feel that we all need to live a life in which time does not wait for us.

I can take comfort in knowing that my friend lived a life full of experiences- she died at 32 years young, but lived a life like someone who had much more time on their side.  Age is not what matters, it is the number of meaningful experiences you acquire before you die.

I will always remember how much she loved to take pictures.  Capturing memories of all the important events. On a trip to Cancun, we joked to her about how she had way too many pictures of any variation of her with the ocean in the background.  But why not?  Why not take the time to enjoy the ocean?  to enjoy anything you love!  You never know when time will run out, and you wished you had taken that extra time to be present for the things you love.

So, enjoy the moments.  Challenge yourself with new experiences every once in a while.  It does not have to be something planned out 'bucket list' style.  Enjoy the everyday moments and experiences you create or are created for you. Take a shit load of pictures of your ocean, whatever that joy is.  Promise me to not only capture them on camera, but like my friend capture them in your heart and the hearts of others.

Rest in Peace Danielle.  I hope you  know how much you are missed and loved by so many.