....That my sweater was on backwards.
Yes, I realized at 11am that it was inside out.
I'm guessing in my first three hours at work that quite a few people learned that I shop at the Gap and my size.
Or that I had food in my hair, remnants of one of the kids breakfast.
This one I figured out mid-afternoon one day last week.
Or that my one year old daughter sneezed onto the front of my jacket yesterday morning and left me a lovely surprise (I discovered this one pretty quickly, and chose instead to freeze for my morning walk into the office than bear the humiliation of a snotty jacket).
Most of all, why didn't anyone warn me how often these things happen once you have kids?
It's like pregnancy brain arrived with my first pregnancy and never left.
That would mean I've been in a bit of a fog for the past 4 years.
I was recently away at a conference, and upon arriving in my hotel room had about five minutes to settle before heading out for dinner. So I did what any normal person would do and put my passport and electronics into the hotel safe right? Nope. In my rush, I decided to just lock them into my suitcase with the little lock and key I use while travelling. And then couldn't find the key later than night when returning to my room. I did eventually find it at the bottom of my purse. At the expense of a variety of jokes from others for the following days. I still wonder if the hotel would have had lock cutters on hand for such circumstances?
Why didn't anyone tell me that motherhood would cause me to be such a scatterbrain sometimes?!
Now don't get me wrong, when I need to be 100% mentally there, I am. But other times...well, I wonder where my common sense went.
To all the other mommies who know what I'm talking about, you are not alone!
To the rest of you - next time you see me with banana in my hair, please tell me. I'll still let you have the joke at my expense :)
Mara
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Who gets the best of us?
This is a bit more of an introspective post (read: no shopping tips today!)
Since going back to work full-time in January after maternity leave for our second child, life has been full tilt. With a 1 year old and almost 3 year old, I figure this is pretty normal!
Finding that illusive "balance" has been hard as the kids have battled colds, stomach flu (2 times as if once wasn't punishment enough), pneumonia and more. We've had only two full weeks since January where neither hubby nor I had to take time off to care for one of our little people.
Our days start around 5:30 am as we have early risers, which on a positive note, gives us the chance to have some quality time with the kids before we all rush out the door at 7:15 am to work and daycare. I do both daycare drop-off and pick up as hubby commutes to work on public transit. I must say, although I don't envy him for having to ride public buses, I often am jealous of that 45 minutes he gets before and after work each day to check-out. After action packed days at work, I start the daycare dash at 4 pm and usually am treated to the awesomeness of two crying kids the whole way home. There's no mute button for that.
Enter the witching hour, every parents favourite time ;) The dinner - bath - bedtime period is usually full of the 3 T's - tantrums, tears and tempers (all of us!). Just when we think we've got the little people figured out, they throw in some nice cuddles and hugs. Then the fun begins of household chores, preparing for the next day, and perhaps, some "me-time" if I'm lucky.
So my question - who gets the best of us - applies to us all.
We definitely don't get the best of our kids during the week. Our daycare provider does. This breaks my heart and causes all sorts of mommy guilt. We see on the weekends all that we are missing out on during the week.
Does my husband get the best of me? Probably not. By the time the kids get to bed, I'm spent from a long day and don't have the energy left for much other than parking myself on the couch and catching up on mindless television. I'd say likewise for him.
And to be completely honest, if it's been a not-so-great day and I'm frustrated or tired, my poor hubby usually gets the brunt of it as I blow off steam. So completely unfair, I realize.
The people I work with probably get the best of me. So backwards eh? The people we love the most have to settle for what's left after we are mentally and physically drained all day. Don't misunderstand - I love my job and usually find it energizing to be there. But it shouldn't be at the detriment of the people who deserve more.
So I'm committing to working harder to give my little (and big) people more of the best of me. I challenge you to do the same!
Mara
Since going back to work full-time in January after maternity leave for our second child, life has been full tilt. With a 1 year old and almost 3 year old, I figure this is pretty normal!
Finding that illusive "balance" has been hard as the kids have battled colds, stomach flu (2 times as if once wasn't punishment enough), pneumonia and more. We've had only two full weeks since January where neither hubby nor I had to take time off to care for one of our little people.
Our days start around 5:30 am as we have early risers, which on a positive note, gives us the chance to have some quality time with the kids before we all rush out the door at 7:15 am to work and daycare. I do both daycare drop-off and pick up as hubby commutes to work on public transit. I must say, although I don't envy him for having to ride public buses, I often am jealous of that 45 minutes he gets before and after work each day to check-out. After action packed days at work, I start the daycare dash at 4 pm and usually am treated to the awesomeness of two crying kids the whole way home. There's no mute button for that.
Enter the witching hour, every parents favourite time ;) The dinner - bath - bedtime period is usually full of the 3 T's - tantrums, tears and tempers (all of us!). Just when we think we've got the little people figured out, they throw in some nice cuddles and hugs. Then the fun begins of household chores, preparing for the next day, and perhaps, some "me-time" if I'm lucky.
So my question - who gets the best of us - applies to us all.
We definitely don't get the best of our kids during the week. Our daycare provider does. This breaks my heart and causes all sorts of mommy guilt. We see on the weekends all that we are missing out on during the week.
Does my husband get the best of me? Probably not. By the time the kids get to bed, I'm spent from a long day and don't have the energy left for much other than parking myself on the couch and catching up on mindless television. I'd say likewise for him.
And to be completely honest, if it's been a not-so-great day and I'm frustrated or tired, my poor hubby usually gets the brunt of it as I blow off steam. So completely unfair, I realize.
The people I work with probably get the best of me. So backwards eh? The people we love the most have to settle for what's left after we are mentally and physically drained all day. Don't misunderstand - I love my job and usually find it energizing to be there. But it shouldn't be at the detriment of the people who deserve more.
So I'm committing to working harder to give my little (and big) people more of the best of me. I challenge you to do the same!
Mara
Friday, February 15, 2013
Winter blahs can be dangerous.....
Winter blahs can be dangerous....for my wallet.
It's been a rough winter for us. I went back to work after a year of maternity leave, which is traumatic enough. Since I've been back at work, the kids have been sick more in 6 weeks than in their entire (albeit short) lives.
Most days feel like a marathon....Get up, get kids to daycare, work, pick them up, get dinner on the table, bath and bedtime routine, then finally sit down at 8pm and 'check-out' for a couple of hours. Repeat.
So what's a girl to do?! In my case, I often "check-out" by indulging in online browsing. Pinterest and Houzz are also recipients of a lot of my online time.
And let's be honest - we spend so much time inside our house in the winter months that I come up with so many house decor projects I want to take on.
So my latest browing has been for home stuff and home projects. Also looking to do things on a budget.
I dragged myself out to Homesense the other night and had to leave before I blew the kids education funds.
On my wish list:
1) New rugs for dining room + runner for hallway. Check out Rugs USA, they have gorgeous rugs, and so often have great sales on. Most recently, a 60% off coupon. I'm narrowing it down right now and waiting for the next great sale! They ship many of their rugs (not all) to Canada for 15% of your total. Not including duty/customs taxes. So keep that in mind if ordering!
2) Dining Room Makeover - Our dining room is...well a little sad. Moving into a new build is hard. You have nothing. No light fixtures or window treatments. Or character. There's a picture below taken right after we moved in. Don't judge. I've since added a light fixture. I've chosen a fabric for the DIY cheater roman shades I'm going to make. It's Robert Allen Vintage Blossom Dove. Also shown below. When I get around to doing them, I promise to share step-by-step pics!
3) Master Bedroom Makeover - The kids have taken over every room of the house. There are toys, books, random Cheerios EVERYWHERE. Our Master Ensuite has been taken over by bath toys, as of course, the kids prefer to bathe in our tub, versus the perfectly good identical tub in their bathroom. Sigh. Nothing like stepping on a rubber duck during a midnight stumble to the bathroom.
I digress. Our room. Needs some help. My inspiration photo is below.
I've narrowed it down to two paint colours (below). Next task will be painting swatches on the wall. Here's the two colours I'm considering. Any suggestions? They are both 'greiges.' I'm leaning towards the Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray.
It's been a rough winter for us. I went back to work after a year of maternity leave, which is traumatic enough. Since I've been back at work, the kids have been sick more in 6 weeks than in their entire (albeit short) lives.
Most days feel like a marathon....Get up, get kids to daycare, work, pick them up, get dinner on the table, bath and bedtime routine, then finally sit down at 8pm and 'check-out' for a couple of hours. Repeat.
So what's a girl to do?! In my case, I often "check-out" by indulging in online browsing. Pinterest and Houzz are also recipients of a lot of my online time.
And let's be honest - we spend so much time inside our house in the winter months that I come up with so many house decor projects I want to take on.
So my latest browing has been for home stuff and home projects. Also looking to do things on a budget.
I dragged myself out to Homesense the other night and had to leave before I blew the kids education funds.
On my wish list:
1) New rugs for dining room + runner for hallway. Check out Rugs USA, they have gorgeous rugs, and so often have great sales on. Most recently, a 60% off coupon. I'm narrowing it down right now and waiting for the next great sale! They ship many of their rugs (not all) to Canada for 15% of your total. Not including duty/customs taxes. So keep that in mind if ordering!
2) Dining Room Makeover - Our dining room is...well a little sad. Moving into a new build is hard. You have nothing. No light fixtures or window treatments. Or character. There's a picture below taken right after we moved in. Don't judge. I've since added a light fixture. I've chosen a fabric for the DIY cheater roman shades I'm going to make. It's Robert Allen Vintage Blossom Dove. Also shown below. When I get around to doing them, I promise to share step-by-step pics!
3) Master Bedroom Makeover - The kids have taken over every room of the house. There are toys, books, random Cheerios EVERYWHERE. Our Master Ensuite has been taken over by bath toys, as of course, the kids prefer to bathe in our tub, versus the perfectly good identical tub in their bathroom. Sigh. Nothing like stepping on a rubber duck during a midnight stumble to the bathroom.
I digress. Our room. Needs some help. My inspiration photo is below.
I've narrowed it down to two paint colours (below). Next task will be painting swatches on the wall. Here's the two colours I'm considering. Any suggestions? They are both 'greiges.' I'm leaning towards the Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray.
My unattainable wish list for the moment also includes wall mouldings for a large part of the house, adding a screened in porch and finishing the basement. Yep. I have champagne taste on a beer budget.
Looking forward to sharing my progress!
Mara
 |
| Our 'Before' Dining Room |
 |
| Robert Allen Vintage Blossom Dove |
 |
| Master Bedroom Inspiration |
 |
| Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter |
 |
| Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray |
Sunday, February 3, 2013
My Guide to Online Shopping
I've already admitted that I have a slight online shopping addiction.
So I figured I had to follow up on my last post by sharing some of my favourite online shopping tips. I have no affiliation with any of the sites or companies below, just sharing because I truly think they are awesome!
Firstly, I want to chat about Daily Deal sites (not the Groupon style), but the sites where there are a whole bunch of sales daily of a variety of items, posted at a certain time. I don't want to name any specifically. Beware. Sometimes the deals to be had are amazing, sometimes not. Especially once you add in shipping/duty/taxes, if applicable. If it's a specific item, and you know the actual price, then you know what's a good deal. I'll give you a personal example: I saw a pair of boots I liked, not a known brand. On sale for $30. Regular price $90. Looks like an amazing deal? I cut and pasted the brand and style into my web browser and searched. Found the same boots on sale on another site for $19.99. I doubt they ever sold at $90. So do your homework, there are great deals to be had - just make sure it's not 'you' that are 'had' ;)
So you're shopping online, your shopping bag is full, and you are ready to check out? First, head on over to Retail Me Not, enter in the website you're shopping on and check if there's a current coupon code you can apply to your order. More often than not, I find one that saves me a few extra dollars! There are other sites that also aggregate coupon codes, but this one is my go-to.
Always check out the return policies before you hit 'Confirm.' Many people assume that sites that also have physical stores will let you return your merchandise to their stores if you aren't happy. But this is often not the case. So that great deal you got at 50% will actually cost you a lot more, once you realize it doesn't fit, and you have to pay to ship it back. Some bigger purchase items (appliances, lighting, furniture etc also often have restocking fees also).
I know a lot of people are still not comfortable using their credit card online to shop. And it is a reality that credit card fraud is happening, and you should be very careful.
Here are a few tips - always make sure the site you are shopping on starts with https:// - the S means its a secure site. And if you are still uncomfortable using your own card, but want to shop online - why not buy a prepaid credit card and use that?! I do this when I'm not too sure about a certain website. It's also a great way to stick to a budget - For example, around the holidays, if you have a $500 gift budget, buy a $500 prepaid card and use only that.
Don't shop on an unsecured wireless network. i.e. if you are at Starbucks, enjoying your latte, stick to window shopping, and wait until you are home to purchase. This has the added benefit of giving you time to make sure you REALLY want to buy it. If you are an impulse shopper like me, sometimes this time saves you money ;)
Here's a quick round-up of a few of my favourite online sites! They have great stuff but also great (or free) shipping. And let's be honest, we would much rather spend our hard earned $$ on great stuff, not on shipping.
Eluxe - designer goods at great prices. Sign up for their newsletter, and they will usually also send a coupon. Free standard shipping over $25.
Snugglebugz - My fav site for baby & kids stuff. Especially car seats. Fast, free shipping over $40.
Banana Republic - Gorgeous stuff, and they almost always have a coupon code to use. My advice - go to a BR store, make your wish list of things you like. Go home, and watch for sales and coupons to score for less.
Chapters Indigo - Where else can you buy a crib sheet, a sled , chocolate body paint and of course, books, in the same place, with free shipping over $25?! Nuff said.
I could go on....but I'll save something for another post!
Happy Shopping!
M~
So I figured I had to follow up on my last post by sharing some of my favourite online shopping tips. I have no affiliation with any of the sites or companies below, just sharing because I truly think they are awesome!
Firstly, I want to chat about Daily Deal sites (not the Groupon style), but the sites where there are a whole bunch of sales daily of a variety of items, posted at a certain time. I don't want to name any specifically. Beware. Sometimes the deals to be had are amazing, sometimes not. Especially once you add in shipping/duty/taxes, if applicable. If it's a specific item, and you know the actual price, then you know what's a good deal. I'll give you a personal example: I saw a pair of boots I liked, not a known brand. On sale for $30. Regular price $90. Looks like an amazing deal? I cut and pasted the brand and style into my web browser and searched. Found the same boots on sale on another site for $19.99. I doubt they ever sold at $90. So do your homework, there are great deals to be had - just make sure it's not 'you' that are 'had' ;)
So you're shopping online, your shopping bag is full, and you are ready to check out? First, head on over to Retail Me Not, enter in the website you're shopping on and check if there's a current coupon code you can apply to your order. More often than not, I find one that saves me a few extra dollars! There are other sites that also aggregate coupon codes, but this one is my go-to.
Always check out the return policies before you hit 'Confirm.' Many people assume that sites that also have physical stores will let you return your merchandise to their stores if you aren't happy. But this is often not the case. So that great deal you got at 50% will actually cost you a lot more, once you realize it doesn't fit, and you have to pay to ship it back. Some bigger purchase items (appliances, lighting, furniture etc also often have restocking fees also).
I know a lot of people are still not comfortable using their credit card online to shop. And it is a reality that credit card fraud is happening, and you should be very careful.
Here are a few tips - always make sure the site you are shopping on starts with https:// - the S means its a secure site. And if you are still uncomfortable using your own card, but want to shop online - why not buy a prepaid credit card and use that?! I do this when I'm not too sure about a certain website. It's also a great way to stick to a budget - For example, around the holidays, if you have a $500 gift budget, buy a $500 prepaid card and use only that.
Don't shop on an unsecured wireless network. i.e. if you are at Starbucks, enjoying your latte, stick to window shopping, and wait until you are home to purchase. This has the added benefit of giving you time to make sure you REALLY want to buy it. If you are an impulse shopper like me, sometimes this time saves you money ;)
Here's a quick round-up of a few of my favourite online sites! They have great stuff but also great (or free) shipping. And let's be honest, we would much rather spend our hard earned $$ on great stuff, not on shipping.
Eluxe - designer goods at great prices. Sign up for their newsletter, and they will usually also send a coupon. Free standard shipping over $25.
Snugglebugz - My fav site for baby & kids stuff. Especially car seats. Fast, free shipping over $40.
Banana Republic - Gorgeous stuff, and they almost always have a coupon code to use. My advice - go to a BR store, make your wish list of things you like. Go home, and watch for sales and coupons to score for less.
Chapters Indigo - Where else can you buy a crib sheet, a sled , chocolate body paint and of course, books, in the same place, with free shipping over $25?! Nuff said.
I could go on....but I'll save something for another post!
Happy Shopping!
M~
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Shop til my fingers drop?
I am an online shopaholic. Don't get me wrong, I love stores too. But as a full-time working mom of two kids under the age of 3, I don't get out as much as I'd like. And what's not to love about not having to deal with pushy salespeople (or salespeople who ignore you), browsing at my own speed, and finding the best deals! So many sites also offer free shipping nowadays too.
What do I buy? Stuff for the kids, stuff for the house, stuff for me. That about sums it up. Sometimes stuff for hubby (not often). I LOVE getting a good deal (who doesn't?!) To be quite honest, I am the perfect consumer. Businesses love me. I'm the type of customer that opens their emails, clicks through, and shops their sites. I use Google when searching for a product, so the companies that buy Google AdWords often end up with me on their site. Yes, it does work.
Here's the problem - I have champagne taste on a beer budget. On my current wish list: Frye boots (The Paige), a new Michael Kors watch (Rose Gold) and a Burberry bag. That's a start. Soo not happening. Because I'm practical, and I think in terms of the amount of groceries those items would buy, or the contribution to the kids RESP's, or the fact that we kind of need to put in a pretty big fence this spring.
However, with two kids in full time daycare, a mortgage, day to day expenses yada yada, I can't exactly buy to my hearts content. I spend a lot of time 'window shopping' online. Which I love also. I can usually tell my friends where the best place is to buy something specific when they are looking.
I look forward to sharing some of my favorite sites with you.
M~
What do I buy? Stuff for the kids, stuff for the house, stuff for me. That about sums it up. Sometimes stuff for hubby (not often). I LOVE getting a good deal (who doesn't?!) To be quite honest, I am the perfect consumer. Businesses love me. I'm the type of customer that opens their emails, clicks through, and shops their sites. I use Google when searching for a product, so the companies that buy Google AdWords often end up with me on their site. Yes, it does work.
Here's the problem - I have champagne taste on a beer budget. On my current wish list: Frye boots (The Paige), a new Michael Kors watch (Rose Gold) and a Burberry bag. That's a start. Soo not happening. Because I'm practical, and I think in terms of the amount of groceries those items would buy, or the contribution to the kids RESP's, or the fact that we kind of need to put in a pretty big fence this spring.
However, with two kids in full time daycare, a mortgage, day to day expenses yada yada, I can't exactly buy to my hearts content. I spend a lot of time 'window shopping' online. Which I love also. I can usually tell my friends where the best place is to buy something specific when they are looking.
I look forward to sharing some of my favorite sites with you.
M~
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
What's your dirty little sleep secret?
Sleep. Such a dirty five letter word in our house.
Why?
We have a non-sleeper. Is it the baby? Nope. She sleeps on average 11 hours straight every night, unless she's sick.
It's our nearly 3 year old.
Over the past couple years, we've had bedtime battles, frequent night wakings (like every hour or two), difficulty falling asleep on his own (his self-soothing skills aren't great). He's never been a great sleeper, as a baby, he napped 40 minutes at a time, no longer. After the age of 2, he started to nap better. He's never been one to sleep past 6am, only on the odd occasion. He goes to bed at a good time, we have a consistent bedtime routine (bath, stories, cuddles, bed).
We definitely lack at consistency with the waking - and as he was our first child, are guilty of so many "dirty sleep secrets" - sleeping on his floor, sleeping outside his room etc. I know many of you have dirty little sleep secrets in your houses too! We've tried nightlights, transitional objects (lovies etc). Nothing seems to calm the hysterics we encounter every night. Every once in awhile, there will be a period of a week or two where he will sleep well, and we ask ourselves "Is it over? Is he becoming a better sleeper?" Then a setback (a cold or teething, moving to a new house, addition of a sibling) would put us right back at square one!
So now in our exhausted two working parent household, we have reached our breaking point.
And we are vowing to turn our non-sleeper into a sleeper! Tonight, hubby and I are sitting down to read the four part articles on toddler sleep from http://www.goodnightsleepsite.com/. Alanna has answered a number of my sleep questions over the past couple of years on her Sunday night sleep session on her Facebook page, so I think starting here is a good place.
Stay tuned as I will share our journey to become better rested, happier parents!
M~
Why?
We have a non-sleeper. Is it the baby? Nope. She sleeps on average 11 hours straight every night, unless she's sick.
It's our nearly 3 year old.
Over the past couple years, we've had bedtime battles, frequent night wakings (like every hour or two), difficulty falling asleep on his own (his self-soothing skills aren't great). He's never been a great sleeper, as a baby, he napped 40 minutes at a time, no longer. After the age of 2, he started to nap better. He's never been one to sleep past 6am, only on the odd occasion. He goes to bed at a good time, we have a consistent bedtime routine (bath, stories, cuddles, bed).
We definitely lack at consistency with the waking - and as he was our first child, are guilty of so many "dirty sleep secrets" - sleeping on his floor, sleeping outside his room etc. I know many of you have dirty little sleep secrets in your houses too! We've tried nightlights, transitional objects (lovies etc). Nothing seems to calm the hysterics we encounter every night. Every once in awhile, there will be a period of a week or two where he will sleep well, and we ask ourselves "Is it over? Is he becoming a better sleeper?" Then a setback (a cold or teething, moving to a new house, addition of a sibling) would put us right back at square one!
So now in our exhausted two working parent household, we have reached our breaking point.
And we are vowing to turn our non-sleeper into a sleeper! Tonight, hubby and I are sitting down to read the four part articles on toddler sleep from http://www.goodnightsleepsite.com/. Alanna has answered a number of my sleep questions over the past couple of years on her Sunday night sleep session on her Facebook page, so I think starting here is a good place.
Stay tuned as I will share our journey to become better rested, happier parents!
M~
Re-viving the blog!
Ok, so I fell off the blog wagon. Started a blog when my first little person was almost 1. Then started a new job, got pregnant again (eek!), bought a new house, spent months selling the first house, moved, had baby, yada yada. But I'm back. Mostly because I spent part of each timing composing blog posts in my head that I never write. So I figure its a good outlet for my ramblings.
Here's my update in a nutshell. Kids are now 2 years, 9 months (boy) and 1 year old (girl). We live in suburbia, in a new build home (that needs lots of TLC which I hope to share as I try to DIY many things!), I work full time, am obsessed with online shopping, and still hope to lose the last 10 pounds.
I look forward to sharing my random thoughts with you all! :)
M~
Here's my update in a nutshell. Kids are now 2 years, 9 months (boy) and 1 year old (girl). We live in suburbia, in a new build home (that needs lots of TLC which I hope to share as I try to DIY many things!), I work full time, am obsessed with online shopping, and still hope to lose the last 10 pounds.
I look forward to sharing my random thoughts with you all! :)
M~
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