Cupboard Organization

This post would be so much more effective if only I had taken a before shot of the state of my cupboards ...but my mother and a few close friends can definitely attest to that fact that they were awful... as in awfully disorganized, and awfully full of 'stuff' ... none of which went together, and all of which was jammed into these cubby holes our builder refers to as cupboards.

But... give a girl a year off with a baby at home, and 10 months in she'll get a little extra energy and decide to organize the crap out of the cupboards.  I think the 'nesting' energy that I lacked at the end of my pregnancy with H, was maybe held on reserve until now (and NO I am not pregnant again)!

So... in order to get this little project underway, I dropped forty bucks at the dollar store, got 20 little brown square baskets, add in a half day's work and Bob's your uncle!  Plus you get a lifetime of reward - as long as I don't overflow the baskets and start jamming shit on top of them. But for now... let's just sit back and admire!

I know I know... the working world is thinking, perhaps its time to get back to the office as I may just have a little too much time on my hands!  Whatever the case... I am loving getting stuff out of my cubby holes now! Let's take a dip mix out... no no, let's put it back in. Cooking is even getting more exciting as I can actually see the trillion Epicure spices I have in my cupboard instead of just the first three I could only view because they were at the front. Before it was a death trap... a small child could have been seriously harmed by a falling object when I went rooting through the cupboard... but now, no need to whip out the hard hats in the danger zone.  It's kid safe, and most importantly functional.

Yes... I'm beaming with excitement over this project! What a difference a little organization can make in your life!

A little note from Pierre Lemeuix

Yesterday in the mail, we received a card addressed to Hudson Coleman.

When we opened it, it was a hand written note from Pierre Lemieux, our Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell. The note was welcoming Hudson to the community and congratulating us on his arrival (with a copy of his birth announcement that my in-laws *must* have put in the local paper).

Two years ago, he did this when E arrived, and I was impressed... and today, I'm still impressed.

I work in Communications and more specifically Government Communications, so I know how easy it is for a government official to snap their fingers and have a correspondence unit draft up a standard congratulations letter and then have it come across the official's desk for signature.  So ... in this case, where the letter is hand-written (and the hand-writing matches the card we received for E in 2008), I think it speaks volumes about Mr. Lemieux and the extra little things that matter to him. The fact that two years later he is still keeping up the same practices is really refreshing to see (2008 when E was born was right around election time...which is not the case this time).

Am I a huge fan of the Conservatives? No, not really, but I have to admit, these little gestures come to mind at election time, and since the competition has sent us squat ... its fairly likely Mr. Lemieux may have our vote based on this gesture alone!

Know More Do More

Know More, Do More.

I stumbled upon this site, via Twitter, and a blog that I read from time to time.

For a quick recap, Know More Do More was created from results of a survey by the CCPN that indicated that there is a gap between parents’ perceptions and the reality of their children’s weight, physical activity levels, and eating behaviours.

An example of this is:
Perception
Parents in the region generally think their children are active or very active.

Reality
87% of children in the region are not getting the recommended 90 minutes of physical activity a day.

This whole know more, do more challenge is really inspiring. Know More Do More is providing families with tips and tools to help change their perceptions, and change the reality of our children's health in this region.

Don't get me wrong, this is not every family's reality, some of our children are super healthy, but on the other end of the spectrum, childhood obesity is a concern in this country, so there are families out there that need the help and hopefully welcome a challenge like this.

This whole challenge got me thinking more about a topic I have been talking over with friends lately. The idea that there is so much pressure these days on parents to get out and do things with their kids, and I don't mean that in a bad way, but I find myself lately searching google and asking pro-parents about what I can be doing with my son to get out and get active with him.

As a new-ish Mom (someone please tell when I should stop referring to myself as a new Mom, because I don't know, but that's a whole other post), I want to give my son the chance to experience everything the world has to offer, but I also like to spend a weekend here or there doing nothing but catching up on household chores and some shows on the PVR. Those weekends are few and far between lately, and when they do happen they are not without guilt. E is a fairly easy going kid, he doesn't require much to entertain himself, but still, if 10 years down the road he hates anything that screams physical activity and only loves the TV, I will be so mad at myself.

I am just having trouble finding the happy medium between being on the go and having evenings and weekends filled with activities for E, versus downtime, all the time. I want E to grow up to be a well-rounded child, and I know this is my responsibility - but the pressure to find that balance is challenging to say the least.

I don't remember growing up in a household where my Mom and Dad were barking out 'this weekend we are going to go on a scavenger hunt, then to a picnic in the park, and then to Cosmic Adventures', etc. Yet, I felt like we did things, like go bike riding, and canoeing and cross-country skiing, and have lunch on our patio, and tea parties with friends, etc. But I don't think my Mom thought, 'Geez, I have to get out and do something with my kids or else I'm borderline under-serving them as a parent'.

I often see my neighbors carting their kids off early in the morning on weekends to get somewhere (that somewhere I presume is an activity), while E and I are happily eating our breakfast or playing 'roll the ball' back n' forth. I have no desire to get up and get moving on weekends, or else it would feel like a work week to me, yet part of me wishes I had something to take E too.

Maybe its just the age he's at now... or maybe its my sheer laziness. I hope its first one, rather than the latter, but I know its maybe a mix of both. This is why I think the Know More Do More challenge can be inspiring, not only to me, but to other parents in this situation who want more to do, but just don't know what that activity should be.

My favourite saying on the back of the Starbucks cup is The Way I See It #198:

"You can shower a child with presents or money, but what do they really mean, compared to the most valuable gift of all - your time? Vacations and special events are nice, but so often the best moments are the spontaneous ones. Being there. Every moment you spend with your child could be the one that really matters."

I think this saying really breaks down challenge I am having in getting out and doing more with my son, versus just spending quality time with him doing nothing overly exciting. Know More Do More breaks down this challenge too because it allows parents to use simple ideas such as a dance-off with your kids or a game of tag in the backyard, to help families build healthier lifestyles and in still healthier habits within their children as they grow older. And really - what could be better than that?

Return to Sender

Today, I picked up the mail, and noticed two pieces of mail in our box addressed to the previous owners.

This drives. me. nuts.

Why?

Because we moved in our house four and half years ago.

In the first six months that we lived at this address I was vigilant about writing RETURN TO SENDER on the envelopes and putting them back in the mail. I actually hoped the tenants at our previous address were doing the same (shout out to the Sellers). But, after four and half years, if you haven't changed your address, I don't think you are entitled to the mail.

And what's more annoying is that the companies who are still sending out the mail haven't realized that they have been sending their mail outs to the wrong address for four freakin years.

Specifically Scotiabank, Sunlife Insurance, and Royal Bank are still mailing what looks like account statements to this address. I think to myself, how good is your customer relations if you don't know the proper address of your clients for four years.

I really have to laugh at Sunlife.... because every year at Christmas, the insurance agent goes to the trouble to send the previous owners a Christmas card, and a calendar, and a magnet... but all they do is end up our recycle bin.

I guess in the world of online business, snail mail is really not necessary, so the previous owners probably aren't missing out on much as I imagine they are keeping up with their finances and insurance on the web. But... this doesn't help my problem with the amount of mail we receive that is not for us.

I think its bad here, and we are only the second owners of this house - I am sure apartment people have it 10 times as bad if they are the 5 or 15th people in the place. Isn't it just annoying on all accounts?

Dreaming of a back yard oasis!

We have been in our house for 4 years... and in that 4 years, we haven't done a whole lot to our back yard, except put up a shed for extra storage. Our backyard is a fairly decent size, and when we bought this place it had a nice large deck that I was really excited about. The first year in the house we received our patio set as a wedding gift, and we loved it, but by the fall of the next year, as you may recall, the wind blew our table off the deck and smashed the glass top to pieces. Since then the deck sort of lost its appeal, as it seemed like more of a hazard in our back yard, than an asset.

For the last few years I have had many ideas rolling around in my head about how I want our back yard to function, but I am having a hard time deciding whether just to make do with our outdoor situation for a few more years, or to sink a few thousand dollars into it for the time being, knowing that in 5 years time I don't want to be in this house.

Sometimes I wonder if my time line is realistic... 5 years isn't that far off, so maybe in my head I should say 7 years... just to give myself a buffer, so if that's the case than for the next 7 years I would really like to have a back yard we can enjoy.

I would really like someone to come in to our back yard with a vision that matches the vision in my head (anyone know a psychic that does back yard makeovers!)... and tell me the magic number to make it happen. I want to know what 3 or 4K looks like in a backyard. Is it everything I am dreaming of, or is it a piddly cement pad with some nice lawn furniture on it? Perhaps I will need to this backyard design in stages... to make it affordable.

Our deck needs some work regardless of whether we sink money into any other part of the backyard or not. It's a PVC deck, but was built poorly under the direction of the previous owners. It needs some attention... especially by the time E becomes independently mobile.

In addition to the deck, I would also like to put up a PVC fence that would give us some privacy... for our rear neighbours, but again, if we aren't going to be here in 5 to 7 years time, I would rather put the money into a nice fence at our final resting spot, and just build a suitable, but not dream-worthy, wooden fence for a third of the cost.

Oh what to do... ? Since this summer is unique, I doubt we will do anything, as we will be at the cottage for a good chunk of it - but by next year... I want to make some changes... which means I have less than 12 months to get my plan onto paper, cost analysis completed, and the peeps lined up to do the work. I think before I even get that far, I need to get my better half on board... as sometimes that can be half the battle!

I think I will need to give in on something PC has been dreaming about, if I am going to get full cooperation on his part. Perhaps I should plan a trip to Vegas with a 'P.S. PC' note attached ... you got your Vegas trip... now I get my backyard oasis!

The annoying grocery store shadow!

Do you ever go to the grocery store and start doing your regular grocery store route with your cart, only to encounter someone who is on the same store route as you, and you end up running into or trying to avoid them for the duration of your grocery shopping experience?

C'mon, you must know what I am talking about... that one shopper who arrives at the store the same time as you... and when you hit the fresh veggies section, there he/she is grabbing for the green peppers at the exact same time you are. You think to yourself: 'that was awkward', but you are polite and say things like 'sorry' or 'excuse me' or just give them a friendly smile to let them know you like to have your space.

Then you move onto the deli meats naively thinking your first run in was a one time deal, but there they are again trying to cut you off with their cart to beat you to the counter.

If that's not bad enough... you move onto the breads, and they stand behind you waiting to get into the fresh buns and bagels bin at the exact same time as you. Your pretty fed up at this point, so you devise a plan to lose them before you get to the fresh meats. If your me, you decide to casually stop and browse the cheesecake and dessert section (even though you have no intention of buying an $9 cheesecake for 4 measly pieces and 1200 calories). You try to wait them out so that they get far enough ahead of you that you don't have encounter them again or you skip a section of the route going mock ten to get ahead of them and lose them for good.

You go back to enjoying your grocery shopping, selecting your items carefully, and checking off your list in peace again. However... they forget something or for whatever reason you decide to circle back and the next thing you know your back to avoiding their cart in the frozen food aisle.

If that's not bad enough, you try to lose them again... only to reunite with your shadow 15 minutes later at the check out, highlighting the fact that you wish you had stayed home and sent someone else to do your groceries.

Seriously... this happens to me at the grocery store all. the. time. Tonight my shadow was annoying times ten as she had her two bratty kids with her, and while she dawdled around the store, her offspring played tag around the cart... and every so often she would raise her voice and say 'settle down or we are only getting 1 kind of chocolate bar tonight'. Just what the little munchkins need... CHOCOLATE.

In all honesty... the random grocery store shadow ruins my shopping experience. Usually, when I am grocery shopping now, PC stay home with E, and its a little bit of me time that I look forward to... but when the grocery store shadow shows up on my little me date... I want to lose my mind.

Can anyone else relate to this... or is it just me? Do you have any tips for losing the shadow, or at least some good games I could play with my next annoying shadow?

Random Rants... among other things!

Today's a day for random rants.... and other stuff, so here we go!

• Reusable bags... is it just me or is every store now have their own reusable bags... so much to the point that I have about 30 reusable bags from 30 different stores that are piled high in my closet. I actually have more reusable bags than I do plastic bags. I don't want to throw these bags out, but seriously what do you do with them... ? And let's be honest, as much as I would like to always carry some sort of reusable bag with me, its just not possible... which then leads me to get more of these bags when I go shopping. I know PC's advice would be 'cut down on the shopping', but that's not gonna happen... so I am still left with the dilemma of what to do with so many reusable bags?

• Smokers... okay, I don't have it out for people who smoke, but I just get so disgusted when I see people smoking in cars while others are riding in that car. I know there is a law that prevents people from smoking in cars with children (thank the lord for that), but I think in general it should be illegal to smoke in cars, period. For instances, I saw a women with a king size smoke lit up as she was driving in her mini-van with her husband and what looked to be her elderly parents/grandparents. Yes she had the window open a crack but I wanted to choke in my own car as I know that every person in that car was inhaling this women's second hand smoke. To me this is just rude... if you want to smoke on your own time by yourself and away from others that is fine with me, but why are people so inconsiderate to smoke in a confined space while others are around? Even if people say they don't mind if you smoke, you should rephrase the question 'Do you mind if I give you cancer?' I doubt their reaction would be the same.

• I only decorate my house for Christmas... and maybe now that E is in the picture I will start to decorate for other occasions, but for now, I still am only a Christmas decorator. I was driving past a place the other day, and these people are all decked out for Easter as if it was the new Christmas... blown up lawn ornament, lights, egg garland hung in the trees, a flag, baskets in the yard - the whole works. Apparently, I didn't get the memo that Easter was a big deal... apparently bigger than Christmas as I don't remember this place being all decked out for Christmas. Last time I checked ... Easter (a religious holiday like Christmas) was about mourning the death of Christ, such like a funeral... which if I recall, the last funeral I was at didn't have blown up lawn ornaments. Christmas... is a celebration of the birth of a baby... Easter... well I guess everyone is entitled to their interpretation, but mine clearly doesn't involve lights and lawn ornaments - sorry!
  

• I think I have officially gone through chocolate detox ... for the last few weeks I have really laid off the chocolate... and I find I am not craving it at all lately. I have had a few slip ups with DQ here and there... but overall I seem to not go into a chocolate convulsion around 3 PM every day. Its funny how the body and mind work... the less you have of it, the less you want it - I like this combination.

• I may be off the chocolate but I am in LOVE with Tim Horton's trail mix cookie...seriously, so good. I am always fairly impressed with the creations Timmy's comes up with, and this trail mix cookie is very tasty and gives off a fair bit of energy when you need something on the run. I highly recommend it... if you like trail mix, you'll love the cookie!

• We are getting to set to make our FIRST looooooong road trip with E back home to my parents house. I have mentally been thinking of what we need to pack since last week. Today I am starting to assemble all the items. There is just no 'packing light' when a baby is involved and I have come to accept that... but nonetheless, its still a daunting task trying to decide if I have everything we need for the trip. I guess we'll see Friday when we get there!

• In addition to the car trip, I am also mentally packing for Florida... as we leave in two weeks TODAY! I am so looking forward to this vacation, but again not looking forward to the packing. It a whole different ball game when you are flying... again the term 'packing lightly' doesn't apply, but I still need to pack smart... so I will be trying to do this over the next week or so. Wish me luck (and thanks to K. Broom for the packing for a baby list!)

Well... that's all for today folks! For everyone in the working world, Happy Thursday, since tomorrow is your Friday! For everyone else at home like me... its still Wednesday, but the weather forecast for most areas is looking lovely for the coming weekend, so get outside and enjoy it!

Fragment Friday!

So... I don't have time to flush out one 'GREAT' post today, so I thought I would go with the update around here, and random fragments of info that I feel like sharing. After all it's Friday, and nobody should work too hard on Friday, not even a blogger on maternity leave!

• So... earlier in the week, E had his weigh in with the family doctor and he is up to 12lbs, 10ozs! I was happy ecstatic, and so was the family doctor. The entire time we were in his office, E just smiled and giggled, driving home the point that he is A okay. The good news is that we don't have to report back in with this doctor until his 6 month shots in mid-May (although we do go back to see the ped in mid-April).

• I had my MomMeFit class today... and it was so much fun. E was the best baby of the group today... he didn't say boo, except to giggle at me during the circuit training. Its a crazy work out in an hour, and although I contemplate suicide about 20 minutes in, I feel fantastic when the hour is up! The instructor (MJ) is a GREAT woman, she is motivating, and fun, and really knows her stuff. She keeps the class pumped up and the intensity high. I can't wait for next week!

• Are you looking for a good chiropractor in Ottawa? My chiro, Dr. Keith Ellard of Glebe Chiropractic is holding his semi-annual 'Discover Chiropractic Week', which if you are at all interested in the benefits of chiropractic treatment - this is a MUST for you. He offers a free consultation, assessment, and X-rays if necessary... its $175 worth of services for FREE, and no obligation to commit to any further treatment. I actually did this a few years back when I was having real issues with tension in my neck... and I was so happy I did. Dr. Ellard is great, and if you have any reservations about getting an adjustment, you will quickly see that the bed he uses takes the fear of the 'crack' away, as you almost don't feel anything. If your interested, call the office at 613.237.9000 and ask to book a consultation with Dr. Ellard between the week of March 30th to April 3rd - you won't be sorry!

• PC and I joined the blackberry revolution last weekend. Our contracts were up and of course they lured us back in with offering us a free upgrade if we signed another contract. So we bit the bait, and since it was a 3 year contract, we felt the pressure to go with blackberrys as in 3 years time the lonely little cellphone may be non-existent! Well - not really, but of course this is how they sell it to you, and we all know PC and I are whores when it comes to a good sales pitch!

• E got an early Easter present from his Grandma & Grandpa C... a new jogging stroller! He loves it and so do we! It is so easy to push, and will be great for running, rollerblading, and off roading on some trails. Thanks G&G C!
• 

• Our PVR is still on the blimp... so I have resorted to tracking down the episodes I am missing of my fav shows... online of all places. I have even discovered a new series (thanks to Boyder for the rave reviews) that I absolutely LOVE. Its called... United States of Tara, it airs on Showtime, and its seriously GOOD! It's about a woman with multi-personality disorder. She is married and has 2 kids, and she transitions from this down to earth normal wife and mother, to 1 of 3 possible alters: Alice(the perfect wife), T(a crazy teenager from hell), or Buck (a hillbilly man). Its comicial, and fun, and entertaining. Toni Collette plays these parts so well, she really deserves an acting award of some kind. I really like the show, you should check it out if you want to kill a few hours. They are only 11 episodes into the first season, and trust me after the first two you will no doubt be hooked!

• Wow... it has taken me all day to get this post done. We BBQ'd steak and potatoes tonight with a huge salad that I put East Side's Signature salad dressing on - SO GOOD. E has been in bed for a good 3.5 hours now... and I think I may try to hit the hay now too as tomorrow is suppose to be beautiful outside... so will most likely take E out for a walk in his new ride.

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Fragment Friday. I wish each of you a fabulous weekend, and perhaps if mine isn't too hectic I may even get in another post before Monday!