Monthly Archives: February 2011

A bunch of stuff:

Posted on by
1

Don’t tell me marketing doesn’t work: twice this morning, I caught myself talking to the radio ads!  And I would just like to say this to super, natural British Columbia: please quit tormenting me with your talk of champagne powder and apres-ski!!  I can’t ski this year!! _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

Ooooh, only 28 days until Vegas!!!!  28 days until I adopt my Coach-baby :)  28 days until I own an obscene amount of shoes :)  Happy, happy, happy!
I mommy’d-up last night and made homemade playdough for the bugz!!  My fingers are completely purple today, and I had to use whole-wheat flour, but it was fun :)  They were so creative, making all sorts of fairy houses and Toy Story characters.  I made a rose:

Here’s the recipe, courtesy of Sku, courtesy of Michelle:
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup warm water
  • food colouring
  • Mix all ingredients together, adding flour until it is the proper consistency.  Knead in food colouring. 
  • There aren’t any preservatives, so don’t keep it.  It will stink after a few days, right Jess and Liesa??
Sherrie and I learned how to be old on Saturday night.  We ate pie, drank tea, watched Vampire Diaries and were both in bed by 8:30pm.  HA!
Apparently, I am not blind enough to warrant contact lenses.  So said the optometrist I saw on Friday, after dragging my two children through West Edmonton Mall.  Thanks.
I’m freezing my bum off today!  I am so tired of this weather that I am going to combat it by ordering seeds for my garden from Salt Spring Seeds.  So there…
I reheated the Coconut Curry Chicken soup that I froze last month.  Either it is really gross, or it doesn’t freeze well.  Regardless, it smelled really good and tasted like old socks.  Yuck.  Scratch that off.
On the topic of recipes, Leith and I decided we wanted cinnamon buns while we were playing with the playdough at 6pm last night.  I searched AllRecipes.com, and was excited to find a recipe that only took 35 min to prepare and bake!  And involved chocolate chips!! Yaaaaaay!
…until I mixed all the dry ingredients and dissolved the yeast, only to read that I had to let them rise for 90 minutes!  And then looked closer to find out that before they could even rise, the dough had to be refrigerated overnight!!  BOOOOooooo :(  Partly my fault for not reading the recipe in full (Rule #1 of Home Ec…), but shouldn’t that overnight/90 minutes be included in the prep time total??
Sadness…  But the good news is that we will have fresh cinnamon rolls for dinner tonight!
And on the topic of baked goods, I vowed to stay away from Sunterra this week for the sake of both my bank account and my waistline.  I failed, and it’s only 9:30am.  I didn’t grab breakfast, and I forgot my lunch!!  Arrrggghhhh!!
So, what randomness is happening in your life?

Levels

Posted on by
1

In our creative movement programs, we have been introducing the concept of levels: high, medium and low.  It just so happens that my current level of awesome is set to “HIGH”.  I quite like that, especially after the longness of the long weekend a few days ago :) _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

Seriously.  That was an awesome segue.  Sheer brilliance…

This is what is causing my awesome-o-meter to shoot so high:
  • Erik and Athena brought us pastries from the Chinese bakery at West Edmonton Mall today.  Oh, dear heavenly goodness.  I haven’t been there in years
  • My bugz have been completely dry and clean at the day home ALL week.  Not a single soil or accident.  Panties, perhaps?  Pleeeeease?
  • Not only did I indulge in the Chinese bakery goodness, but today was also filled with Sunterra scones, Starbucks and yummy potato chowder
  • I’ve found that ignoring whiny tantrums completely voids the behaviour.  Oh, they still whine and tantrum, but they stop when they realize I. Just. Don’t. Care
  • Petey is getting neutered tomorrow.  Bahahahahahahaaaa!
  • Even better, Leith is driving him to the clinic for 7am so that I can sleep in.  I figure it’s his job as the only other male figure in the family…but I didn’t expect to actually get my way.  Awwww :)
  • I finally booked an appointment to be fitted for contact lenses!  And it’s tomorrow!  Wahoo!  No more glasses for this chica.  Actually, it’s more that I need to wear glasses full-time now, but I am constantly taking them off while I am working and then staring at a blurry screen wondering what’s wrong.  Annoying…
  • And my appointment is at a real, legit optometrist, not the WalMart Vision Centre.  Score one for my classiness shining through :)
  • I heard a little tidbit of universe-doling-out-appropriately today, and it made me smile a bit….
  • Leith had a good day at work, too!
  • The bugz were super-happy and well-behaved all day!
  • I get to see Heidi at my physiotherapy appointment tomorrow!
Yay!  Can you handle all the awesomeness that is my life right now??  I can hardly contain it!  The only thing that might be better is if Jessica would hurry up and finish the next Sookie Stackhouse book, so that Liesa can devour it and lend it to me!

I can haz ouch!

Posted on by
Reply

Oh. _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

I hurt today.  Oh, do I ever hurt today.  
Ohhhhh.
Salsa Burn was epic last night.  Epic.  We normally have a 75 minute class, which is broken down into an hour of dancing (give or take) and 15 minutes of toning and stretching.  Last night, we barrelled through all the dancing in record time and were left with 30 minutes to feel the burn.  30 minutes.  That is a looooong time to work out tired dance bodies!
But we did!  We did squats, we held static squats, we did tubing pulldowns, we did Liesa’s infamous Numb Bum, we did calf raises, we did quadrupeds, we did…  I can’t even remember what we did!  We did a lot.
I tossed and turned all night because I was so exhausted and sore!  It feels good to be worked that hard, but if the heaviness I felt this morning is any indication of how my poor clients are doing today…well, I offer up my profound apologies :)
Ohhh, it hurts so good!!!  I am exhausted, but I can feel every part of my body.  It feels so good :)  So very good… The problem with my injuries is that I can’t dance full-out; I have to be careful in each class. I still get a great workout and am dropping weight faster than I expected, but I miss the burn of pushing my body.
It’s a delicate balance between the endorphin rush and self-care.  I’m happy that I got to walk on the wild side for a few minutes last night.  It may hurt today, but it’s a rare treat.  I’m not hurting myself every week, so this was my cheat day.  
Don’t listen to my silliness though – do as I say, not as I do.  Don’t hurt your body; you don’t need to be crazy like me.  

Passive breath

Posted on by
2

I am far too passive for my own good sometimes. _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

Every now and then, I branch out into the realm of passive-agressive.  Sometimes, I can be downright assertive.  But mostly I am just plain old passive.
A lot of it has to do with my hatred of conflict.  Even though most confrontations end peaceably, the anxiety leading up to them is overwhelming.  Beyond that, the confrontations usually end because I back down and reduce myself to a pile of, “Oh, no, I agree” and “Mm-hmm”.
Like I said, passive.
It’s beginning to frustrated me.  While I am better at looking out for Number One, I am still far from asserting my own will.  I tend to fall to the far end of Carnegie’s teachings: always approaching things so that the other person doesn’t feel threatened or defensive.  Disabling and dismantling quickly so that I may go on with my life.  Unfortunately, the resolutions don’t always seem to leave ME feeling like I got a fair deal.
Sigh…
There is something to be said for self-preservation and aggression, I suppose.  At least you are always getting your way, even if it is because you are brow-beating, bullying or guilting the other party.  I always get to be the one saving the relationship, choosing my battles, deciding that it’s not really worth fussing over.
I appreciate being the peace maker, the pacifist, the pleaser of all others.  I don’t wish to cause intentional hurt.  But sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could stand up and say, “You know what?  That was a really awful thing you said/did/whatever.”  And then step back and own it, regardless of consequence.
It’s funny, because I can do that with Leith.  I can’t do it with other people though.  It is so frustrating to have a million things to say, and not an ounce of courage to say them with.  I don’t want to be the one to make waves…but sometimes I wish I could.

The 5,000 Question Survey: Part One:

Posted on by
Reply



One of the tasks on my list of 101 in 1001 is to complete the 5000 Question Survey.  It is divided up into 50 parts, so here is part one:

1. Who are you? 

If you don’t already know that, I am Meaghan the Great, blogger of all wonders, creator of all things amazing.

2. What are the 3 most important things everyone should know about you? 

I have an annoying bit of OCD, coupled with a smidge of Type-A tendency, melted with control issues.  It makes me zany, witty and fun.

 3. When you aren’t filling out 5,000 question surveys like this one what are you doing? 
I am blogging, dancing, preaching wellness, loving my family (or tolerating them, depending on the day), and trying to make the world a better place :)

4. List your classes in school from the ones you like the most to the ones you like the least (or if you are out of school, think of the classes you did like and didn’t like at the time). 
I loved English, History, Psychology, Biomechanics, Anatomy … you name it.  The only thing I didn’t like was small-town-school gym class, and Physics 30.

 5. What is your biggest goal for this year? 
My biggest goal for 2011 is to make this year amazing.  It will be the year that HAWT Fitness explodes, that the world begins to fully comprehend my amazingness, and that I finally get my financial situation under control ;)

6. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 
Geographically, I want to be right here.  Personally, I want to continue on this track that I am on and see where it leads me.  

 7. What stage of life are you in right now?
I am in the married-with-kids stage, the my-kids-are-big-enough-to-ditch-the-minivan stage, and the I-can-finally-go-back-to-work-without-guilt stage!!

 8. Are you more child-like or childish? 
I am more child-like; I am learning to appreciate the personality traits of children, like their awe for the world around them, and simplicity in deciding what they want.

 9. What is the last thing you said out loud? 
“I’m blogging and answering questions, and doing things that I don’t have time to do during the week; why were you looking at quads on Kijiji for 2 hours?”
LOL.

 10. What song comes closest to how you feel about your life right now? 
Wow.  It’s hard to think of…  I think that The River by Garth Brooks sums it up pretty well, although Lady Gaga’s new single, Born This Way, is a bit of an anthem I am digging.

 11. Have you ever taken martial arts classes? 
I did!  My childhood best friend, Sarah, and I took a community recreation one together when I was in grade 6.  I was terrified of being “hit”.  I didn’t enjoy myself.

 12. Does your life tend to get better or worse or does it just stay the same? 
My life has been an incredible roller coaster for several years now.  I can finally say that it is on the upswing though.  Despite many, many setbacks each year, we end up ahead of ourselves each time.  I think a lot of it has to do with the belief that we will only be given as much as we can handle, and that which does not kill us will make us stronger.  It’s also a big faith in the universe to provide for us.

 13. Does time really heal all wounds? 
It doesn’t heal all of them, but it does make them easier to bear.

 14. How do you handle a rainy day? 
I’d love to handle it by sleeping in bed all day … most days though, I just have to put on my big girl panties and know that the sun will come out tomorrow (or next week!).

 15. Which is worse…losing your luggage or having to sort out tangled holiday lights? 
I’ve never lost my luggage, but I would say that one is worse!  I untangle the holiday lights every year, and I’ve learned that the outcome is totally in my control.  Luggage is one of those things you have to throw into the unknown and hope for the best…

 16. How is your relationship with your parents? 
Pretty good, I’d say.  They raised me well, and though we butt heads, I know that they will be there when I need them.

 Will you miss them when they are gone? 
Absolutely.

 17. Do you tend to be aware of what is going on around you? 
I try to be, but my life whirls around me sometimes and I get caught up in the moment or the future.  I don’t know what is going on in The World, but I try to keep my life simple by focusing on the things that are most important to me.  The rest can wait.

 18. What is the truest thing that you know? 
That thoughts become things, so choose good ones.  A lot of people don’t buy into that, but I have experienced firsthand the power of thought changing my life.  It is a very powerful truth.

 19. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be anything I could be: a neurosurgeon, a veterinarian, a teacher, a dancer, a dance teacher, a professional equestrian… you name it.  My parents were huge supporters, encouraging me that I could be anything that I chose to be.

 20. Have you ever been given a second chance? 
Yes.  And I am so grateful for it.

 21. Are you more of a giver or a taker? 
I love to give, but I often end up being more of a taker due to my, ahem, control issues.  But I often get so caught up in giving that I neglect myself as well.  It really depends on what is being given and/or taken.


 22. Do you make your decisions with an open heart/mind? 
I try to act with my heart as much as possible.  I have a very open mind, but I am also very opinionated.  Although heart-first decisions are often difficult to muddle through at first, I’ve always found that they lead to true happiness in the end.

 23. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you? 
I would joke and say IMS treatments rank in the Top 3.  Pain memories have this sneaky way of fading over time, so my other Top 2 would be rolling the quad on myself and recovering from my c-section.

 24. What is the most emotionally painful thing that has ever happened to you? 
That may very well be the hardest thing to recall.  I have had a lot of painful things happen, and they all hurt equally deeply.  I think the hardest was leaving my premature babies at the hospital, feeling as though it was all my fault that we were separated, and the months of agony and guilt I felt over their birth.

 25. Who have you hugged today? 
My husband and my sweet bugz

 26. Who has done something today to show they care about you? 
I’ve had wonderful facebook comments from my friends, and spent time with my family.  Pretty good, hey?

27. Do you have a lot to learn?
Yup, otherwise I’d be dead ;)


28. If you could learn how to do three things just by wishing and not by working what would they be? 
A - knitting amazingly well
B - speak French, Italian and Spanish
C - running marathons

29. Which do you remember the longest: what other people say, what other people do or how other people make you feel? 
What people say.  I still remember a boy in my grade 4 class telling me I had sleep in the corner of my eye.  I remember the embarrassment, but only after I remember the words.
30. What are the key ingredients to having a good relationship? 
Love, honesty and equal communication

 31. What 3 things do you want to do before you die? 
A - visit Europe and Hawaii
B - have grandchildren
C - own a miniature fainting goat

32. What three things would you want to die to avoid doing? 
A – lose my children
B - eat mushrooms
C - listen to Justin Beiber

33. Is there a cause you believe in more than any other cause? 
I believe in wellness.  I will support anything that leads to personal wellness in others, rather than aesthetic quests for perfection.

 34. What does each decade make you think of: 
The 1920′s:  Chicago and gin
30′s: tin cans and dust
40′s: hope and victory
50′s: a simpler world, with clearer lines and expectations
60′s: the beginning of upset, dissatisfaction and unrest with simplicity
70′s: confusion, the gangly teenaged years of evolution
80′s: excessiveness and harm
90′s: the beginnings of awareness, creation
2000s: an awakening, but also a fight and division of sides
2010′s: an establishment of cause

35. Which decade do you feel the most special connection to and why? 
I have always felt that I belonged in the late 1950′s/early 1960′s.  I feel such a strong affinity to the era; although there was a lot of suffocation in gender roles, I find the clarity of expectations refreshing.  2011 is a hard time to live.  We have too many choices to make every day.  Plus, I adore the fashion, architecture and design of that era!!

 36. What is your favorite oldie/classic rock song? 
I love anything by Phil Collins and Genesis.  That is the music of my childhood, and will always remind me of a simpler life.

 37. What country do you live in and who is the leader of that country?
I live in Canada, which is the greatest place in the world.  Stephen Harper is our PM right now.

 If you could say any sentence to the current leader of your country what would it be? 
Less money on stupid things, more money for proactive/preventative causes and education.  And I don’t mind paying high taxes, as long as you send me money every year :)

38. What’s your favorite TV channel to watch in the middle of the night? 
We haven’t had cable TV for 2 1/2 years, but I love to watch Degrassi reruns.  It can be any of the three series.

 39. What Disney villain are you the most like and why? 
If I was going to play a villain, I’d want to play Cruella de Vil, even though I love puppies.  If I had to be a villain, I’d need to be Chef Louis from the Little Mermaid, because I love to chop and to serve leetle fish!

 40. Have you ever been a girl scout/boy scout? 
I was in Brownies and Girl Guides for the full six years.  I loved it, but was embarrassed because it wasn’t “cool”.  Looking back, I am so glad my parents kept me in it :)

41. If you were traveling to another continent would you rather fly or take a boat? 
I would much rather fly.  I am too impatient to sail.  If the purpose was a cruise, I’d be happy on a boat.  But if the purpose is transportation, get me there now.

 42. Why is the sky blue during the day and black at night? 
It has to do with the reflection (refraction??) of light through the atmosphere, etc. etc., but honestly I think it is because we need bright motivation during the day and peaceful reflection at night.

 43. What does your name mean? 
My name means Great and Mighty (true story!), and it is the reason that I cannot ever give up.  I am meant to do great things in my life.

 44. Would you rather explore the deeps of the ocean or outer space? 
I would rather explore the oceans.  There is so much in our own backyards that we need to appreciate before we start looking for more.

 45. Word association: What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the word: 
Air: plane
Meat: grinder
Different: strokes
Pink: balloon
Deserve: this
White: elephant (??)
Elvis: Presley
Magic: wand
Heart: pink
Clash: of the Titans (again…what??)
Pulp: Fiction (okay, that makes sense because I was on the Blockbuster website this morning, and there is a Pulp Fiction DVD coming out this week or something…)

46. If you could meet any person in the world who is dead who would you want it to be? 
Truly?  Laura Ingalls Wilder, just because she shaped so much of my free time and imagination as a child.

 47. What if you could meet anyone who is alive? 
I would love to have dinner with Eckhart Tolle.  His book, A New Earth, changed my life.

 48. Is there a movie that you love so much you could watch it everyday? 
There are movies I can watch again and again, but none that I would watch every day.  I loved Julie and Julia, The Notebook, Centre Stage, Chicago…

 49. You are going to be stuck alone in an elevator for a week. What do you bring to do?
My iPhone with an unlimited battery!!  Yay for Solitaire and facebook :)



50. Have you ever saved someone’s life or had your life saved? 
I don’t think I’ve ever saved anyone’s life in a literal sense.  I hope that someone out there knows that I love them enough to keep them going through all the good and bad.  I’ve had my life saved by my husband’s persistence at the hospital after my c-section.
51. Make up a definition for the following silly words… 
Fruitgoogle: eating froot loops while online
Ambytime: running around the house, chasing cackling children
Asscactus: when your underpants feel prickly

52. What was the last thing you made with your own hands? 
My super-sweet art project!!

53. What was your favorite toy as a child? 
My rag doll, Laura.  She has no hands, and has had 3 sets of hair and 2 “facelifts”.

 54. How many TV’s are in your house? 
Just one that is used, but 2 more in storage.

 55. What is your favorite thing to do outside? 
Sit on our deck and drink coffee at 7am when it’s already +20 in the summertime!!

 56. How do you feel when you see a rainbow? 
It’s still neat :)

57. Have you ever dreamt a dream that came true? 
Kind of.  I had a horrible nightmare about dinosaurs when I was 4 or 5, and the house that it happened in was the house that we later moved to in Airdrie.  We lived in Ottawa at the time.

 58. Have you ever been to a psychic/tarot reader? 
I’ve had my palm read a few times.  They’re always good about knowing my past, but never my future.  I was supposed to have a boy and a girl…

 59. What is your idea of paradise? 
The entire set of Lost, but on the side with the houses ;)

60. Do you believe in god and if so what is he/she/it like? 
I do.  I cannot believe that everything happened/happens spontaneously.  That being said, I have a hard time conforming to religions.  I definitely fall into the common beliefs of Judaism/Christianity/Islam, but cannot commit to one set of ideologies.  I think that God is good, like a parent: you may not feel it’s right at the time, and it may hurt and make you mad, but your parents have always had your future in mind, not just the moment.  Everything happens for a reason.

 61. Do you believe in Hell? 
No, but I believe in retribution and karma.

 62. What one thing have you done that most people haven’t? 
No one else has lived the moments in my life that have defined me.  And no one else came up with the awesomeness that is H.A.W.T. Mama in the middle of a restless sleep one night!

 63. What is the kindest thing you have ever done? 
I would hope that there are many kind things that I have done.

 64. Are you a patient person? 
Heavens, no.

 65. What holiday should exist but doesn’t? 
Twin Moms Deserve Semi-Annual Free Spa Days

 66. What holiday shouldn’t exist but does? 
Valentine’s Day…Boxing Day…secular Easter…

 67. What’s the best joke you ever heard? 
How do you turn your wife into a snowblower?  Hand her a shovel.  LOL!

 68. Where is the most fun place you have EVER been? 
#1: Disneyworld.  #2: Las Vegas :)

69. Is your hair natural or dyed? 
Very much dyed.

 70. Do you have any deep dark secrets or are you pretty much up front? 
I am a fairly open book, but I definitely have my secrets.

 71. What is under your bed right now? 
Our Roman blinds that Leith broke while taking them down, a lot of dust bunnies and some spare socks.

 72. If you were in the Land of Oz would you want to live there or go home? 
I would absolutely go home.  I watched the Wizard of Oz a little while ago, and it was freaky.  Like, Alice in Wonderland freaky!

 73. If you drive do you frequently speed? 
I do, but I am getting better.  After my ticket, I rarely speed on Campsite Road anymore!!!

 74. What is the world’s best song to dance to? 
Chattahoochee by Alan Jackson.  But only if it’s muddy and raining and you have an awesome 2-stepping partner :)

75. What song was on the last time you danced with someone? 
I can’t remember the last time I partner-danced with someone!  That is so sad…

 76. Do you prefer Disney or Warner Brothers? 
I love Disney, even though I have some serious issues with their hidden agendas…

 77. What is the first animal you would run to see if you went to the zoo? 
THE PENGUINS!!!!!!

 78. Would you consider yourself to be romantic? 
I am.  I really am.  But I am much more into real-life romance that Hollywood expectations.

 79. If the earth stopped rotating would we all fly off? 
No, because we would probably all be dead.

 80. What is the one thing that you love to do so much that you would make sacrifices to be able to do it? 
I love dance and movement.  I’d sell my husband.  HA!  Just kidding…although he’d better hope it never comes down to that!

 81. If you (and everyone) had to lose one right or freedom, but you could pick which one everyone had to lose, what would you pick? 
I think we could all stand to lose the right to confuse “rights” with “privilege”…and perhaps lose the right to a comfortable experience in prison.  I’m all for rehabilitating, but I am very much against creature comforts like television and hot meals.

 82. If you had to choose would you live on the equator or at the North Pole? 
Equator, hands down.  Give me the heat!!!

 83. Would you rather give up listening to music or watching television? 
Well, since I don’t watch television….

 84. What do you think makes someone a hero? 
Being fallible and acting anyway.

 85. What cartoon would you like to be a character in? 
As much as I dislike The Simpsons, I think you can count yourself successful if you get to play yourself on it!!

 86. Name one thing that turns your stomach: 
Mushrooms and confrontation.

 87. What was the last thing you paid for? 
I paid my bills this morning.  Yay.

 88. Are you a coupon clipper?
A clipper, but not a user…

 89. Get anything good in the mail recently? 
Do huge amounts of real cheques count?  Because then, yes!

 90. Which would you rather take as a gym class…dancing, sailing, karate, or bowling? 
Dancing, obviously…but sailing would be neat too.

 91. In Star Trek people ‘beam’ back and forth between different places. What this means is they stand in a little tube and their molecules are deconstructed and sent to another tube somewhere else where they are reassembled. Only problem is when the molecules are deconstructed the person is dead. When they are put back together it is only a clone that has all the dead person’s memories. So… 
Is the person who gets beamed the same person on both ends? 
Duh.  Of course.  I’m sure they thought of that, or it wouldn’t be ethical to use.

 92. What insects are you afraid of? 
Spiders aren’t insects, but they count.

 93. If you could print any phrase on a T-shirt, what would it say? 
I am HAWT.

 94. What’s the most eccentric thing you have ever worn? 

95. If you could pick one food that you could eat all you wanted but it would have no effect on how much you weigh, what food would it be? 
Potatoes!  With cheese, and cream and bacon.  With more bacon and more cheese!!!

 96. What are your parents interested in? 
My kids.  My dad likes taking pictures of birds and my mom makes pretty jewellery.

 97. Have you ever caught an insect and kept it as a pet? 
I used to always collect caterpillars and ladybugs in yogurt containers, with grass.

 Have you ever caught and tamed a wild animal? 
No.

 98. What is more helpful to you, wishes or plans? 
Wishes.  I can plan, as long as I have the wish in the first place.

 99. When do you feel your life energy the strongest?
When I am doing something I love and impacting those around me.

 100. You are spending the night alone in the woods and may bring only 3 items with you. What do you bring?
A flashlight, a sleeping bag and a 20′ trailer.

A little bit o’ business

Posted on by
1

If you live in Leduc County (or close by!!), may I highly recommend the Millet Women’s Retreat next weekend??

My friend, Vicki, has put together a fabulous day of women’s wellness sessions for a ridiculously small price (only $20!), with everything from spa sessions to self-esteem.  I am so very excited and honoured to be hosting the fitness session, as women’s health and wellness is obviously at the top of my “Most Important Things In Life” after my demon beautiful children and loving husband.  I am also ridiculously honoured to be listed on the same page as fabulous women like Tamara Plant (MOM Magazine) and Tanis Miller (Attack of the Redneck Mommy).
Seriously – like, dying over here of bloggie wonderment!
Moreover, it is the heart and cause behind this wonderful event that makes me so very proud to be even a small part of it.  Last year, Vicki’s small hometown was rocked by a horrible tragedy when a young mother took her 2 small boy’s lives, and then tried to take her own.  The dark sadness of the situation was heartbreaking, and watching this small town suffer in the media wake was awful.  When Vicki decided to put this day together to honour the women in her town so that they would feel supported and loved, I was enthralled.
So, for a mere $20, you can take part in this day of fun and self-love, topped off with an exquisite retro-dinner to boot!  The registration deadline is fast-approaching, so take a peek and see if it is something you and a couple girlfriends would like to take part it!!

Weekend fun :)

Posted on by
Reply

Fresh coffee in my cup. _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

That sums up this beautiful Sunday :)
I was worried that today would follow in the path of Friday and Saturday, with early-to-rise bugz screaming in our ears, but we slept in until a blissful 8:30am.  I cleaned my kitchen up and Leith made coffee – the first pot we’ve brewed at home all week.  I love my Starbucks treats, but sitting in my sunny kitchen with a warm cup while the late winter sunshine dances outside is a much-missed treat.
*happy*
We are relatively housebound for the next two days, by choice.  The bugz were rotten on Friday, so they are not allowed to have any treats or go for any special outings this weekend as a result.  Leith and I have been super busy already this weekend, what with him working and me at my CPR course, and a surprise costume party for Chris last night!  We are looking forward to chilling and doing exciting things like preparing to file our income tax returns and buy window coverings for our bedroom.
Let me hear you: Oooohhh….ahhhhhhh

It’s been in the low -20s, but edging into the -30s with the windchill, so staying at home will be a welcome change.  We are off tomorrow for the Family Day holiday as well.
Last night was a blast.  We went to a surprise party for my good friend Chris, and it was awesome :)  Leith went as a construction worker (pretty easy to throw together…), and I went as his trailer-park wife. I need to get the picture from Erik, but wow.  Wow.  I bought the trailer park outfit to end trailer park outfits for $12 at WalMart, and in the general population clothing section.  
i.e., It was for sale for the general public to consume as regular clothing.
*shudder*
I teased my hair, put on garish makeup, stuck out my belly/gut, and drank Boone’s wine.  I don’t know if I can even call it wine…  At $7 a bottle, it’s gone up in price since my grade 12 grad party, but it’s still sugary sweet and carbonated and all around trashy.
It was fabulous:
My poor husband… I don’t think he knew what to make of me.  I owned that look :)  And yes, I can do that with my stomach.  Sick, really…
I have to hit ‘publish’ quickly now, before I change my mind.  Oh dear…

Where’s my marbles??

Posted on by
1

Um, I think I lost them. _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

Hard core.  Big time.  Ultimate parenting fail-day.
I am far from the world’s best parent.  I don’t even try to rank in the top 25th percentile… I went back to work because a) the job and timing were right, but more so b) I suck at being a stay-at-home mom to toddlers.
Today, however, I am left feeling as though I just generally suck at being a mom to toddlers, period.
It’s 6:25pm, and my kids are in bed.  I could not (would not) deal with them for another minute.  I have had a raging headache from the moment they woke up, and it has been a roller coaster of a day that has left me with a hoarse voice.
Good: Snuggling with C-boo from midnight on
Bad: C-boo freaking out, kicking, whining and screaming in my bed all night
Good: No need to leave the house until 8:30 this morning, a full 45 minutes later than usual
Bad: Both bugz waking up at 6:00am, in foul moods, screaming at me all morning
Good: Kit-kat actually has a shower with me.  Thank god.
Bad: C-boo doesn’t, and proceeds to scream at me
Good: Kit-kat behaves
Bad: This is after her second time-out of the morning.  It isn’t 7:30am yet
Good: C-boo smartens up
Bad: It’s after I’ve yelled at her, sent her to her room, talked to her, yelled at her, sent her to her room, talked to her….and so on
Good: I don’t have to cancel my physiotherapy appointment
Bad: They both freak out because I can’t play my Disney playlist in the car
Good: I buy an auxiliary cord for my iPhone
Bad: It doesn’t work, and the bugz scream at me some more
Good: They have lots of fun at the PlayCare while I’m at physio
Bad: They scream at me in the car
Good: I buy them a cookie at Starbucks, we go to NAIT to get my transcript and visit Sheryl, and find them a Tangled Storybook pillow (to match the Princess one Ga-Ga got them for Christmas)
Bad: They fight over who gets to hold bag and both end up kicking and screaming in the hallways of NAIT to the amusement of many student (abstinence, anyone??) and I get to figure out how to carry 2-30lb toddlers outside into the -25 degree weather with no coats, no boots and no patience, while carrying a huge pillow and trying not to destroy the envelope with my transcripts
Good: They fall asleep in the car after 20 minutes of extended screaming
Bad: They wake up when we get home and won’t go back to sleep.  I try to nap and ignore them, and fail
Good: We go to Sherrie’s house.  Thank god, again, because I need sanity
Bad: They scream their heads off when I try to put them back in the car to come home, despite getting to play, make crafts, eat snacks and generally run wild.
Good: I make them toast and put them to bed at 6:00pm.  They don’t fight it.  They know I’m tapped.
So, in sum: day with Mommy, PlayCare fun time, Starbucks cookie, visits, new toy, crafts and a play date.  
In return??  I have no voice, a headache, ungrateful 3-year olds and a lot of stress to wind down from tonight.
The CPR course tomorrow is suddenly looking very appealing…

A post about nothing:

Posted on by
2

Ugh.  I haven’t updated my blog since Sunday??  Sigh… _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

I am lacking blog-fodder this week.  Nothing of much importance to ramble on about, I suppose.  It’s been a fun week, though.  The studio was closed for mid-term break, so we hosted 3 different preschool field trips.  It was so much fun!!  While I love all aspects of my job, I have to admit that making crafts ranks pretty high on the list of awesome:
Jess has a fabulous new blog called Intellidance that has wonderful at-home activities for kids that are process-based and just plain old fun!  Check it out, and check out The Artful Parent for awesome cold-weather-equals-stuck-indoors activities too :)
Speaking of cold, I am in love with the Mitsu’s heated seats!  It doesn’t matter how cold it is – I feel toasty warm :)  Bliss…
Mitsu still doesn’t have a good name though…
I am excited to have a 4-day weekend.  It is slightly interrupted by a CPR course on Saturday (ughhh), but other than that I am freeeeee!  
Oh, CPR, how you irritate me.  I need to carry my CPR Level A for my certifications, but to be an AFLCA Trainer, I need to have my Level C.  I’ve taken both Level A and Level C soooooo many times in my life that I wish I could just challenge the exam…  It makes for such a loooooooong day when you already know the material inside and out.  I wish there was a refresher course instead!  Well, there is a refresher/recertification course, but not to switch levels.  Sigh…  Ah, well.  9 hours to get my last piece for my Trainer application isn’t too bad.  I will have the application in the mail on Monday, and hopefully be accepted to the training in April!!
My knee is swollen and grody right now.  I am looking forward to my physiotherapy appointment tomorrow!  It was brutally painful last week, but I haven’t had to teach this week.  That has been good and bad: good, because I haven’t been stressing it; and bad because the lack of movement has made it stiff and sore.  I can’t win!!  Rotten body!  Why can’t you be 17 again?  ;)
I’m thinking that a TENS machine would be an awesome at-home tool in the fight against age-related pain :o )
Wow.  CPR, salty glue crafts and TENS machines.  My blog is thrilling tonight!!  I think it’s time to hit “publish” and try again later ;)
Ta, y’all!!