NIGELLA LAWSON is in the HOUSE!!! Well.....her COAT is!

As you already know, I ADORE NIGELLA LAWSON!! She is my WOMAN CRUSH!! Hubby and I compete with our level of CRUSHING when it comes to Nigella. But I am winning when it comes to CONNECTING with her. Mostly before it was with Twitter...so far I have received three direct messages from her...I KNOW and you don't have to tell me, its probably a young assistant in braces who is responding  to me and not her!! But deep down, I know its her!! OK!! DON'T shatter my DREAMS!!! But we took it to another level.....and I squealed with EXCITEMENT when I KNEW that I WON!!

Last month, I noticed on Twitter that she had donated a COAT, signed PHOTO/NOTE for Charity. High Fashion Society (@HighfashionUK) was holding an Celebrity Wardrobe Raid 2013. Winning proceeds were going to a Kids Company Charity. Quickly I went to the site...I had five minutes left to bid! The RATIONAL SIDE said NOT TO BID! Save your money for like FOOD and BILLS.....the IRRATIONAL SIDE said "BID BABY...BID!!" I had no idea what the conversion rate was and what was shipping??? Then Hubby TOLD ME TO DO IT!! That's all I needed... with a QUICK TWEET CONVERSATION with High Fashion to find out the prices/shipping.....I had ONE MINUTE LEFT!! And during that MOMENT I had to REGISTER before BIDDING!! After it was ALL done....I waited...sitting at the desk....waiting......

After 20 minutes, I dragged myself away from the computer.....the kids needed me and Hubby was suppose to be sleeping. An hour later, after the kids were in bed and things were settled for the night...I went back ON LINE!! I WON!! I WON!! I sat in the chair...and starred at the screen...I WON and there was NO ONE TO TELL...they were all ASLEEP! When I did go to bed, I just laid beside Hubby and starred at him...a DEEP STARE...I was talking to him through MIND POWER...WAKE UP...WAKE UP...and he DID...he LOOKED at me and asked "did you win?" YES YES YES!!!!

Now....if I could ONLY STARE AT HIM and MIND TALK HIM INTO PUTTING THINGS AWAY!

"Nigella Lawson has donated this gorgeous classic vintage coat designed by the Queens dressmakers 'Hardy Amies' straight from her wardrobe to support our Celebrity Wardrobe Raid 2013 charity auction to support Kids    Company. Nigella Lawson originally purchased this piece at the famous 'William's Vintage' boutique in London." 

*I just don't know where to put the JACKET!! Part of me wants to put it in the KITCHEN..in a DISPLAY CASE...I can "talk" to Nigella everyday....ask her opinion on things!! Think of the FUN we could have!!

BOYS and SHOWERS!!!

Ground Hog Day...the movie, with Bill Murray....you know it....SAME DAY OVER AND OVER. Well that's what it's like with my 7 year old son Josh, and SHOWERS!!! Why are BOYS so difficult at having showers?? Is it because BOYS like to be DIRTY!? I have two boys, Alex who is 3, LOVES to have a BATH and asks DAILY, sometimes HOURLY, for one! My daughter Katie, LOVES to be clean as well! The only issue she has is BRUSHING HER LONG HAIR!! She wants to have HAIR like RAPUNZEL.....enough said! But Josh takes the PRIZE for SHOWERING!!

It's NOT a NEW CONCEPT...he knows when he is suppose to SHOWER and avoids it like the plague. I will mention it briefly in the morning, "remember you have to have a shower soon!" He replies, "I know!" Then, when the time is upon us and I tell him, "its time for your shower," he FLIPS OUT!!

Take this morning for instance....I had just started making coffee, I pressed the button and was eagerly awaiting enough brewed coffee for my mug.  Standing there watching it, Josh came into the room, I told him the bad news....and immediately his shoulders slump and he was like a ball, bouncing and flipping back and forth between two walls, like the pinball machine.....I just watched him and glanced back at the coffee dripping through the machine and listened to his rambles about it not being fair!

After the ranting and spasms stopped, I look at him again...."are you done, cause you need to shower now, we are behind schedule!" He turns and slumps like a moody teenager and goes upstairs....rambling about something. I ignore him and pour my coffee....take a few sips and go upstairs to hurry him along.

We DO this EVERY TIME he has to SHOWER!!

I think though, that this morning, it was the coffee that saved me. I remained calm, I didn't stoop to his level and freak out...like I "sometimes" do. I just starred at my COFFEE dripping through...and thought about Katie. She was right, it does look like the COFFEE is DANCING into the POT!!

The funny thing.....once Josh is in the shower, he is there FOREVER.....singing and dancing and sometimes talking to himself! When he is done, he will comment that he LIKES SHOWERS!! NOW....why cant he REMEMBER that when I say, "its time for your shower!"

I am also thinking, that the next time....I WILL FLIP OUT AND BOUNCE ABOUT LIKE A BALL BETWEEN THE WALLS and show him how he acts.....what do you think???

PS. YES we made it back from St. Lucia.....can I go back!? PLEASE!!

Leaving my BABIES........

AS you know...I have THREE ADORABLE, HELPFUL, LOVABLE yet at times CRANKY kids! And from past entries...you might know too, that Hubby and I have NEVER BEEN AWAY FROM THEM. We have only left them ONCE, overnight.....to attend a Wedding! And now almost nine years into this relationship, eight of them with KIDS....we are leaving them for a WEEK. Hubby and I are going on HOLIDAYS!! HOLIDAYS.....ALONE...NO KIDS....its FOREIGN CONCEPT to US!!
We are EXCITED and I am NERVOUS(not sure if he is...but I am)....NERVOUS for various reasons!

I am NERVOUS about leaving my HOME COUNTRY ...getting on a PLANE, flying 5HRS and LANDING in a BEAUTIFUL but UNKNOWN COUNTRY. Nervous that the PLANE might crash!  I know it wont, being a parent now...my perspective has changed.....EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED since having kids! Its NOT about ME anymore...its about THEM! We have God Parents...even though we don't go to Church.....I wanted ALL areas COVERED!!  I even decided that I want to be cremated and have some ashes spread in PEI! Let me tell you......I have ALL AREAS COVERED!! I am NERVOUS about not being at HOME with my BABIES....how will they SURVIVE!!? Which is funny,  cause I know they will survive...I have LEFT MANY NOTES/PLANS/SCHEDULES....there is no way they will get LOST! But as a PARENT....you worry!!

I am EXCITED about going away.....not having to look after the kids and all that entails with it!! You know what I mean!! Meals, laundry, cleaning, potty breaks, homework...all the daily routine of caring for three kids!! I am off for the week!!! I am EXCITED to re-connect with my Husband!! Who is this MAN I that SLEEP with and who helps me to RAISE these KIDS!? What will we talk about? Now we TALK about the KIDS, his WORK and MONEY. But being AWAY we will have to talk about something else! We will  be re-discovering each other, almost like a FIRST DATE!! Remember those?? Eeek.....

I am EXCITED and NERVOUS about getting into a bathing suit....which if you have read the previous posts, than you know all about it!!!

So much happens when you WIN a TRIP...so many  things to think about!
SO....I will part here, Dear Reader!!! I will return in about a WEEK!
AND I can guarantee you....ONCE we return and the LOVE FEST is over from the KIDS and they start to fight again....I will be WISHING to be AWAY.....BACK ON THAT BEACH!!
Cheers!

Do you BELIEVE in YOUR HOROSCOPE!?

I VOWED when 2013 came in I would make changes....make this YEAR the BEST yet!! Take chances! Basically get off that fence, that we all sometimes sit on comfortably. Not to be passive! Dream BIG cause you never know....and JUST LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!! No regrets!! That is what I am trying to do!!

I want to do this with EXERCISE too...(sigh...that can be hard, to be motivated)....but since Hubby won the trip at work, I am REALLY FOCUSED......we LEAVE in April for St. Lucia...you know, St. Lucia...FULL OF BEACHES and OCEAN!! Which has me totally scared, CAUSE I HAVE to WEAR a BATHING SUIT!! I know....I shouldn't worry about what others think, but I cant HELP IT!! AND I know, Hubby LOVES me for ME and thinks that I am SEXY....so that should be all that matters....right! I hear it...I believe it...but somewhere deep down in me I lack that confidence! So....for the past three weeks, I have been  toning my tummy and various areas!!! The only CRUSHING part is that Easter is coming up and those DARN CADBURY MINI EGGS are EVERYWHERE....come on!!!! I must say though.....lately I have been strong and have RESISTED the URGE to GRAB them!! ((applause now....))

Then came the PART to DREAM BIG! For ME to be ME. I am Mommy to three and a Wife, a Daughter, Sister and a Granddaughter and a GOOD FRIEND in GENERAL( I hope)....but I want to be ME and do what I LOVE...which is CREATING!! I LOVE to BAKE/COOK and REFURBISH! Why not try to get MY stuff out there.....SHOWCASE my TALENTS(maybe TALENTS is too strong of a word, but its what I believe)!! Thinking about all this and reading my Horoscope(DAILY) it started to coincide! When I started to doubt something, I read my Horoscope and it would reassure me.....it told me to take it easy, or to listen to my inner voice! I was never one to believe in Horoscopes...but now, I am thinking this Horoscope business is on to something!!

So I am taking that CHANCE, creating a FaceBook Page, showcasing my TALENTS, offering my SERVICES, using Twitter(connecting with people with similar interests) and just GETTING MYSELF out there!! I have had some success! And a LITTLE SUCCESS is better than NONE at all!! Right!!? At least at the end of the day, when its all said and done, I can tell my KIDS that I tried, I got off that fence!! I sought my DREAMS!! Its all about Baby Steps and READING your HOROSCOPE!!

**Just thinking though, when it comes to that trip and wearing a BATHING SUIT!! I think I will be FINE, its an ALL INCLUSIVE CLUB....therefore I will be HAPPILY SIPPING MANY DRINKS, perhaps TOO MANY to care any more what YOU think of me in a BATHING SUIT!! Problem SOLVED!

UPDATED to ALMOST PERFECTION, Triple Chocolate Cookie Balls!!!

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE BALLS@Sherry Watton

Preheat Oven to 350

½ cup Butter(softened)

½ cup Brown Sugar and ½ cup White Sugar

½ cup of Cocoa

2 eggs

2 cups of Flour(just the regular All-Purpose Flour)

2tsp Baking Powder

½ cup of Mini Chocolate Chips(I like Semi Sweet! I use Mini Chips, for little kids, you get more chips in a bite)

Cream the Butter and the Sugars, once well blended, add the Cocoa, cream again, then add the eggs and cream again…..NICE AND CREAMY!!!

In another bowl have the flour and B. Powder mixed together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. When its almost thoroughly mixed, I add the Chocolate Chips. Mix it all, it will get hard to mix after awhile, all thick and NICE!! Then I make balls…grab some and roll it in your hands(to stop the sticking to your fingers(if it happens at all) I dust my fingers with  Cocoa Powder). I make 30 Balls…(TimBit size)but  if YOU want BIGGER balls…you want bigger Balls…just remember to adjust your time for BAKING. I have adjusted my baking time to 8 minutes…I still want them soft, like brownie consistency …..then let them cool. If you have a WIRE RACK, great, if not its OK! Wire racks will allow the melted chocolate to drip through.

CHOCOLATE COATING: In the microwave(cause I have that button to melt chocolate) 1 cup of Mini Chocolate Chips(in a Ziploc Bag), then add 1tbsp of Veg. Oil, for glossiness…smush it all together, so its well incorporated.

OR: Melt the chocolate chips & oil in a small pot, just on low heat, stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn!!

NOW, snip the tip of the Ziploc Bag and drizzle/zig zag over the Balls!! OR, if using a pot to melt the chocolate, use a spoon and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies…..then after add some sprinkles or whatever you have…or nothing at all!! Mostly I do the sprinkles for the kids.  Put in the FRIDGE to HARDEN for an hour….roughly!! ENJOY!

A month without CABLE!!

Its been a month now without CABLE!! I know..... I can hear you gasp as you place your hand to your mouth and I can read your thoughts...how is she doing that?? Three kids...no cable?? A Hubby who loves Sports....no cable?? I'd have to admit...at  first I thought I was missing out on something! I did have the shakes, more so at night, when the kids and Hubby were in bed......I would just sit there...starring at the TV...hoping it would come back!! BUT actually...I started to watch movies that we had bought years ago....and never watched! They sat on the shelf, all neatly wrapped!!  Why is it that we buy movies and never watch them? I realized that we bought them cause they were on sale! Such a waste!!! However, I did get caught up!! Some of which are NOT even worth the sale price!! PLUS I watched favourites....I would throw in Persuasion and make a pot of tea, grab my magazines and just enjoy the QUIET evening!!

IN reality....I don't miss it!! I am over it!! I broke up with television....it no longer holds me prisoner!!
Anything I really want, I can get on the Internet! Hubby even watches games on the computer! So why was I paying BIG BUCKS for CABLE!? I know the kids watched their shows.....and at first for them it was hard. BUT now.....they are doing other things...living, playing and being creative....what a NOVEL IDEA!! They don't even ask for certain shows! And don't worry, on rainy days....they still have their FAVOURITE DVDS!

So in CONCLUSION.....anyone can really give up CABLE!! Think of the life I have just gained by cancelling cable!! I am making my OWN LIFE, creating a HISTORY, rather than watching a MADE UP LIFE on TV!! I know its not all made up.....there are some educational aspects to TV....but I get that from the Newspaper, Radio and Internet!! Plus my BANK ACCOUNT is getting FATTER!! I am sure that Gail Vaz-Oxlade(Till Debt Do Us Part) would approve!

COMMON COURTESY! CITYLINE has it!! NIGELLA LAWSON too!!

I suppose I started tweeting/emailing a certain show back in January, to find out when Nigella Lawson was coming to Canada. I knew from research, OK...from reading tweets and following people(like a mad woman) that her NEW book was coming out on February 12th...NIGELLISSIMA. Nigella even tweeted me that she was coming in FEBRUARY!! I was trying to find if TICKETS were available, or if she was doing any of the TALK SHOWS(in the Toronto area) that I had enquired with....NO REPLIES!! REPEATEDLY I tried...no RESPONSE!!

Today's RANT is why on EARTH would you list a TAB for "CONTACT US" if YOU DON'T REPLY!! NOTHING!! OK...... maybe I was at the point where I was becoming OBSESSIVE......I wanted to FIND TWO TICKETS(if possible) for myself and my Son, who is 7 and adores Nigella!! We saw Jamie Oliver last October, and Josh(my son) had so much fun!! Why not try for Nigellla!!!??  NO RESPONSE!!! I would have been satisfied with the common "glad to receive your feedback/enquiries, in a few business days we'll try to respond." BUT I GOT NOTHING!! NOTHING!!

Then about a WEEK before her arrival to TORONTO....I emailed another show, one that for some reason,  I didn't think would have her, don't ask me why, I don't know...I just assumed(and you know what they say about ASSUMING). I emailed the show, after I heard that they were giving away Nigella's new book! I got a response....A REAL RESPONSE.... I was shocked, seeing it sit in my IN BOX!!! It was from CITYLINE! They responded and gave me as much information as they could...actually we shared a few emails back and forth!! CITYLINE took the time, I know it must be hard to REPLY to ALL enquiries...and I am sure that some are missed......but they HELPED me when I needed it!! Perhaps they took pity on me and my Son(who knows), but they included me, and MAILED me, NIGELLA'S NEW BOOK!! I was was very grateful and excited and so was my Son....more so when the book arrived in the mail.

I just wanted to give a SHOUT OUT to CITYLINE! Thank you for taking the time in replying to my MESSAGE....it MEANT A LOT! I have become a FAITHFUL VIEWER!! I have always enjoyed the show before.....but now I feel closer to those around it, they embraced me as a "friend"! CITYLINE is CONNECTED with its VIEWERS!!

Since receiving Nigella's new book....I have made "Spaghettini with Lemon & Garlic Bread Crumbs", although, being me...I have tweaked the recipe....more so for the kids...to keep everyone HAPPY and added SAUTEED MUSHROOMS on top(with a little extra cheese too)!! It was DELISH!! The KIDS ask for it regularly!!! I'm EXCITED to try out more recipes soon.......

BOTTOM LINE....if you are a TALK SHOW and have a WEBSITE and have a TAB  that says "CONTACT US"......have the decency to REPLY!! Even if its the auto-reply...have something!!! Grrr.....

"Julie and Julia" and SHERRY!!

 Last night was the OSCARS, there was a time that I would be EXCITED to watch them.....NOW married, and three kids, somehow the appeal has been lost! I was craving, after the kids were down for the night, to watch something that I LOVE while browsing through my English Home Magazine.....a little ME time(which can be rare to find). I turned to "Julie and Julia".....I enjoy that film on many levels..... I can relate to both characters!! While watching the movie, I wanted to find my Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2. It was then that I came across my paternal Grandmother's COOK BOOKS!

When my Grandparents house went up for sale, I grabbed the books, notebooks and clippings and thought nothing more of it. I put them in a safe spot, with all my OLD books.... and there they sat. I would walk past them daily! Then when I moved the bookcase(which I do a lot...I have a disease where I  constantly move things) to the living room, I would sit beside these treasures, never fully understanding that they were treasures...my history! As we get older, we regret(or at least I do) not asking those questions that pester me now....where did we come from? How come I have that trait? That look? Why do I write things down while baking/cooking...improving on recipes, altering measurements...THEN I found the answer!!

How do you PRESERVE these OLD NOTEBOOKS!?

I can see clearly  two generations fusing into ONE! I know from my maternal side I got my love for writing/reading and my desire(aka disorder) for cleanliness and moving things(to find a better fit within our home) and refurbishing the OLD into NEW!! Last night I found out, that on my paternal side, I am the same as my Great Grandmother and Grandmother when it comes to cooking/baking. I too, like them(which made me emotional on this discovery) have cookbooks, recipes cut out from newspapers/magazines and hand written notes improving on recipes. Theirs were all tucked away in old, old notebooks! With in all this, there were also pamphlets from the Ontario Department of Agriculture, Women's Institutes Bulletin 252, June 1919. It was ALL on "the preservation of food, home canning!" This was the year that my Grandmother was born ,therefore all this information was my Great-Grandmothers!

These pamphlets let me into a world that I had not known.....they are all about canning fruit, vegetables and MEAT(that kinda scared me....).  It was a time where you made the most of what you had, you did not waste, you shared recipes and you made that bushel of apples stretch far into the next year! Something that I think this generation lacks......don't you agree!?

It was emotional going through these notebooks, old and withered...how do you protect this!? Some are over 90 years old....I was scared to touch them, but smiled as I went page by page, reading cookie recipes from neighbours....at the top of each recipe, if it was not hers, she would write who it was from and sometimes a date. There are X's and check marks on recipes! There were also cut and paste newspaper articles on household tips...how to get your lace white, how to clean brass, when loaning plates(a piece of sticky tape on the back with your name on it ensures a return), substitutes for egg....it goes on and on! And they took the time to read, cut and paste it into their own notebook...and now I have it!!! It made me miss them even more, even though I never met my Great-Grandmother! BUT I always wondered about her, more so now(cause I am older). She came from Liverpool, England....crossed over in 1914 with her siblings! Why did she settle in King City, Ontario...how did she meet her Husband!? All these questions will remain unknown, lost History, my History....and that makes me sad!

Albert Henry and Charlotte Jones...my Great Grandparents!

At least I know I little more now.....on where I came from! Do you?
(AND I know where I get MY NOSE FROM!!)

BRING OUT YOUR BEST CHINA.....its time for a Tea Party!!

 I've heard a few rumblings from various forms of media, about using your best china...bring it out, use it, don't let the dust collect....which got me thinking, why not!? I have been given my Great Grandmothers and Great Aunts China....it sits on my refurbished China Hutch and it is COLLECTING DUST! I should use it!! I rarely use any of it and why don't we?? I know some MIGHT break, but I rather have a GREAT TIME and see my KIDS happy then it just sitting there...collecting dust! USE YOUR BEST CHINA!! YOU WILL CREATE A LIFE TIME OF MEMORIES....BETTER THAN CREATING DUST!!  That's today's MANTRA....

So the other night, just recently, while watching Downton Abbey(LOVE that show).....I set up the China and had a Tea Party for ONE! All were in bed! I felt quite English....I knew that my English Ancestors were smiling down! Later that night, I just left the dishes on the counter, to be washed the next morning!

When Katie came down the next morning, she saw the dishes and asked "did you have a tea party?" I smiled and replied YES! She just starred at the pretty cup and saucer. I knew what she wanted!! "How about later today after Josh is in school, we have our own Tea Party!?" Excitedly she went to the hutch and pointed to a cup and saucer that she wanted to use! "I love the gold colours."

Later in the day when it was time for the Tea Party, she came downstairs and showed me her nails. She wanted to have them painted, "to look pretty!"  We got things ready and settled down for our Tea Party....while waiting for the tea to cool, she eagerly said "I've waited all day for this!" She even had her pinky finger up while sipping the tea....it was priceless!!! Next time we will be having finger sandwiches!!


That night.....Josh was upset that he missed out on the Tea Party......so he and Alex brought down the Tea Playset....the boys knocked over the cups, burped and tooted!! It was a different Tea Party from Katie's....but it was ALL FUN!! The things that you learn at a  Tea Party!!! I encourage YOU to have a Tea Party with your kids....you never know what you will learn!!

SWIMSUITS in APRIL!? I'm STILL in Hibernation Mode....

Love story goes like this..... they both met up again(years after school), they have a romantic courtship, marriage and a BEAUTIFUL Honeymoon!!! Buying a house and having kids happen within a few years.....and they live HAPPILY EVER AFTER!! HA!! Not us!!! REWIND........  they meet up again, they have a WILD AFFAIR(not really but don't we all wish?), she gets pregnant....they move in together....she gets pregnant again.....AND then pregnant again and while still pregnant, they get married(Honeymoon consists of a WEEKEND AWAY with the CHILDREN)....third child comes along, then they BUY a HOUSE!! And they live happily ever after!!! 

Now comes the interesting fact......Hubby has never had a chance to see ME in a SWIMSUIT! How did it happen? I don't know! Time goes by quickly...you pop out a few kids....and soon you know you are coming upon NINE YEARS together and NOT ONCE has he seen you in a SWIMSUIT! I KNOW, I've been LUCKY!! LOL!! 

I have nothing against swimming...I like it....but somehow I dodged the suit every time!! I have always felt  uncomfortable in a suit....and now....after three kids....I am FREAKING OUT!!   I don't have those FAMILY  genes, were when you POP OUT a KID, your tummy goes flat again! I love my Family...but if you look at them....we were PASSED on the SKINNY GENES!! 

I HATE all YOU skinny bitches!! LOL!! 

But now, things have changed.......

Hubby won a CONTEST at work!! I knew he had a GOOD chance...but in the back of my mind, I thought he wouldn't win....why raise your HOPES...just in case!? He WON!! He won a TRIP...anywhere!! He won a certain amount of money towards a TRIP!  We had it narrowed down to London, England(of course my CHOICE...) and St. Lucia!! For some reason he would rather lay about on a BEACH  then WALK the streets of London!! I can understand...right now we have tons of SNOW and its COLD! Canadian winters...gotta love them!  So we are LEANING towards St. Lucia and ALL INCLUSIVE!! This will be the HONEYMOON that we NEVER, truly had!!

On so many levels I am NERVOUS.....I need a PASSPORT(do I dye my HAIR back to its NATURAL colour)?! We need to FIND that ALL IMPORTANT BABYSITTER, have the KIDS LOVE the BABYSITTER, arrange times/flights....CUT the ATTACHMENT STRINGS to my KIDS....write a WILL......and MOST IMPORTANTLY........WEAR A BATHING SUIT!! 

In April I am just easing back into EATING HEALTHIER....somehow with Canadian Winters I lag, I bake and HIBERNATE...like a TRUE CANADIAN BEAR! Its NOW February......I have to WAKE up and SHAPE up....I have two months EXACTLY before OUR PLANE takes OFF!!! The next couple of months  SHALL BE INTERESTING for YOU READERS!!! I SADLY must give up my PLEASURES!! Especially... Fresh, Bakery Soft, White Bread......mmmmmm...can YOU smell it NOW!!? 

BUT there is ONE PLEASURE that I WONT GIVE UP!! 

WINE ......after all, there are MANY HEALTH ADVANTAGES to DRINKING WINE....of course with moderation!!

After marriage comes the baby in the baby carriage...

Last year was the year of weddings...I wonder if there was a PUSH to get married in 2012, cause after 12 comes 13...perhaps its not good luck to get married in 2013!!! Who knows...none the less there were MANY Weddings!! We went to most ...and was THANKFUL to be part of them! So this year should be the year of the baby...and so far two fabulous LADIES are HAVING BABIES...one due in June and other due in July! I am  truly happy for them!! It will alter your life for ever more!! LOL!

Now that Hubby and I are HAVING NO MORE BABIES...I've been reflecting on my experience and reliving episodes through their Face Book Statuses(I know ..sad) and Emails. Things I know NOW and some things that I wish I KNEW.....now remember...my experiences only go to age 7!!

BABY SHOWERS....are GREAT!! Lots of FUN and GAMES!! Horror Stories, great food, silly games and GIFTS!! I just wished that SOMEONE gave me a DOUGHNUT....NOT the FOOD...but the CUSHION!! I pushed too HARD....and got HEMORRHOIDS! I didn't know what HEMORRHOIDS were...it was about a week before I got things checked out....I would cry from the pain!! Our FIRST OUTING AS A FAMILY was to get PROCTO CREAM!! Slowly YOU learn..... and by the second or third child, things get better and you become a PRO!! 

LABOUR with each CHILD was OK!!(I DON'T want to SCARE YOU!)  The first birth was not LONG...... I was playing POKER with Hubby! The nurse would come and read the monitor and comment "Wow...that was a BIG one...are you OK!?" I replied "sure....I felt nothing!" They all seemed shocked!  I felt nothing till they broke my water...... then I FELT IT!! Hubby left shortly after to eat while they gave me an epidural...after it was inserted, I was basically ready to PUSH! AND WHERE WAS HUBBY...going to EAT!! PLEASE....if your partner wants to go and eat...pack a MEAL to EAT in the ROOM or JUST OUTSIDE  THE ROOM...NEVER LEAVE THE MOM TO BE!!!! Hubby almost MISSED it...for PIZZA!!! They had him PAGED in the hospital...which they NORMALLY DO NOT DO!!

BUYING FURNITURE......I think we all FALL into that TRAP...gushing over little furniture for your Baby's room.....but don't do it!! LOL!! Yes...you need a CRIB(if you can get one that turns into a toddler bed...awesome)....but for the change table..NAH! I used a low dresser with a wide top.....bought a change mattress for like $30 with a safety belt....they only use DIAPERS for a SHORT period!  There are so many gimmicks out there...don't fall for them!!! I didn't...so far my KIDS are OK!! Plus their rooms are not cluttered!! Don't feel like you have to buy it ALL!! 

Lets face it...we see the softened photos, Mommy looking peaceful, hair swept across the brow holding her Babe in her arms...soothing him with a lullaby....YEAH....in reality Babe is crying and Mom is wearing clothes from a day ago, with spit up on her shoulder, hair tossed up in a scrunchy and singing a PINK song(or any other POPULAR song of that time).

Then comes the MOMENT when you DESPISE your PARTNER who cannot hear the BABY crying at 3AM....so what do you do...you mumble LOVELY words under your breathe and toss the blankets about...causing so much of stir that your PARTNER wakes and then suggests that HE get the baby......YEAH THANKS BUT A LITTLE TOO LATE!! Later in the day, you suggest NICELY that he should do at least one of the feedings in the night...he replies, "Sure just wake me!" I know, I know...he is working and needs his sleep to function through the day....but there were times that I wanted to reverse the roles....just to SLEEP!

Days of SLEEPING IN are OVER! I think for me, sleeping in is waking up on your own accord and not being WOKEN UP TO CHANTING of MOMMMMMMMMY!!!! You will never sleep in again...not till they move out and hopefully they DO move out....STUDIES have shown that more and more kids are staying home....that SCARES ME! LOL!

With the FIRST CHILD...everything is BUBBLED WRAP....they fall, YOU RUN..they SNEEZE you panic!! With the SECOND and THIRD CHILD......YOU ARE SO RELAXED that when there is BLOOD on the RUG, you wonder how you will get the BLOOD out of the RUG!! (Maybe exaggerating but you get the point!)

There will be times that YOU will just STARE at your child....and THINK, "WOW HE IS MINE, WE CREATED THIS KID!" And you will even ponder their future....hoping its nothing but HAPPINESS and no HEART BREAK(but it does happen...you just have to be there for them...waiting for that time).

The MOST IMPORTANT TIP.....don't let "older, wiser, mature" Moms tell YOU what is the RIGHT WAY TO RAISE YOUR CHILD!! There are times, you will be bombarded with "their rules" on how to raise a child.....YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU! ASK for tips from other Moms ...but in the END, do what is RIGHT FOR YOU!! If you need the HELP...ask for it...don't be proud and suffer in silence.....MOMS are there to help....just be PREPARED to say "Thanks, but no thanks..."

Its hard to BALANCE everything when you have a BABY.....alone time with your partner, family, friends, work, money, chores....you just have to WEIGH everything out...what will work for you!! PLEASE...have a date night AT LEAST once a month with your partner...you will need it! Take it from my experience...we didn't..and you need too!! 

Finally....you will express and feel a LOVE that you have never known!! Yes, we love family, friends and our partners...but when you first LOOK at your BABY and HOLD them....there is a DEEP LOVE that overcomes you...you will do anything for this little person....they have you wrapped around their little, pink, chubby finger!! Its AMAZING!

Lastly.......CHERISH EACH MOMENT....they grow up too fast! I know it might not feel like that at 3AM when they are FUSSY....but soon, like a blink of an eye...they will be starting school and slowly finding their own dependence....and you are left standing there, wondering what happened to the time!

PS. FUN FACT...I can only do JUMPING JACKS if my BLADDER is EMPTY!

PPS. WRITE things DOWN....keep a JOURNAL! Its a great way to look back and have your kids read it when they are OLDER!! My problem... I did that for the first child....the second..meh kinda wrote....the third..nothing!! I feel terrible ALREADY!!

GRAB each moment as it comes......

As a parent...you don't get to sleep in any more...those lazy weekend mornings are over! There are times that I miss sleeping in till 10...slowly rolling out of bed, start the coffee...and  then sink into the couch, watching the Food Network or HGTV, sipping coffee and watch the hours melt away.

Now(flash forward a few years), if I have stayed up till midnight on a Friday or Saturday night(catching up on things that I couldn't do when the kids were awake), I am screwed come the morning...KIDS don't sleep in! Not till they HIT the TEENAGE years...and I don't think that I am ready for that(at least not yet).  This is what happened this past weekend. Both nights I was up late...knowing I would be tired the next day...I still stayed up!! Sunday morning I heard the familiar song of "Mommy....I wake! Mommy!" Alex is in the top bunk and still doesn't know how to get down. Cursing myself...I dragged myself out of bed and got him.......shortly after the other two were awake...and so the day began!

In the kitchen I began the routines of making coffee and grabbing the paper from the front door....it was then coming back with the paper that I noticed the SUNRISE!! The yellow painted kitchen was turning hues of pinks, purples and oranges.....it was something that I hadn't seen in a long time! Shortly after the skies clouded over and it was all gone....just a grey sky! Before the SUN disappeared and the sky darkened I took a picture. SUNRISES like these are too far 'n between in January.  I quickly told Katie to glance out the back window....she replied "BEAUTIFUL!"

It made me think...how many things do we miss out on in life? I saw this BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE and a few moments later it was GONE! Try to GRAB each moment as it comes....spend that extra time with your kids, family and friends....relish in it.....

Set your alarm, watch the SUNRISE....you'll be surprised how it sets the MOOD for YOUR DAY!!

From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan.....anyone can do it!!

Just wanted to share with you what you can do...when you find something for FREE...a little elbow grease and imagination is all you need.....and the support of your FAMILY!! This is a SHORT BLOG...just wanted to let you know what I have been up too.......CHEERS!!

Found this FREE Dresser, no handles, no slides for the drawers............

Here is the SAME Dresser NOW....all pretty and in Living room!

Now this Dresser took awhile....I still need to do the slides for under each drawer...but for now...it can be DONE!! It has to be DONE...Hubby was getting tired of seeing this sitting in the kitchen...we had to arrange chairs around the kitchen table......it was a TIGHT FIT!! You see....I don't have a GARAGE...and since I live in CANADA(which I LOVE) it has been bitter cold.....its hard to sand/paint and PRETTIFY a piece of FURNITURE in the KITCHEN!! Did I mention that I LOVE my HUSBAND.....he has put up with a lot lately!!!

I LOVE finding pieces...tired pieces and giving them NEW LIFE!! It makes my HEART happy!!

I think we might need a BIGGER house soon!! Or perhaps I should have a STORE!! Fuel my passion into others.......just a thought!! I could sell baked goods on the side too....FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!

Flipping the HOUSE...EASIER than MOVING!!?? Right!?

We just had a few days of MILD temperatures...it was HEAVEN...but it gave me a FALSE SENSE that Spring is around the corner! Snow melted, the sun was out...we wore Hoodies and I started to plan what needed to be done this Spring.  The shed was going(tattered and old) and  a new shed would be bought and placed closer to the house, fix the pavement, patch the BALD spots on the lawn .....it was a GREAT FEELING.....new beginnings!! See this is what I meant about false sense that Spring is here...cause this morning I woke to CHILLY temperatures and light snow falling...rather a dusting, like icing sugar on a cake...mmm....which reminds me that I need to bake this afternoon.....

With the New Year...one plans for NEW CHANGES, whether with themselves, career, family life.....whatever it is, change is always WELCOMED in the NEW YEAR!!  I want to be a better person...that's one part of my New Year Resolution... another change is that I want my FAMILY to be HAPPY living in THEIR HOME!! IN a perfect world...we would move to a BIGGER house...a HOUSE where each child could have their OWN ROOM...their OWN SPACE where they could be HAPPY and ESCAPE anything that is bothering them....usually their siblings! But with today's economic outlook......I think, no, I KNOW that we will hunker down and make the best of what we have!! And I think we have SUCCEEDED!!

We knew, unless we won the LOTTERY.....that Hubby's MAN CAVE would never formalize in the Laundry Room.....lol....so I gave up control(which is hard for me....) and gave the Family Room in the basement to Hubby!! I think he is HAPPY...its slowly turning into the "CAVE"...how do I know this, well while he was watching Bat Man(I think...) my arm was vibrating to the Bass...all along I was upstairs in the Living Room trying to watch Sliding Doors...!! He is turning that ROOM into his own.....I know that he is HAPPY! And so is Josh...he got to spend QUALITY TIME ALONE with his Dad!!

My NICHE....where I HOPE to be MORE Creative!

During the emptying out of the Family Room, I moved, with great success, the computer to the bedroom....its all set up by the window. I feel more creative!! As I sit here I type and glance out the window at the neighbours...for instance someone must be having issues with their cable...the "cable guy" is out there and literally scratching his head at the cable box! I have created my own little niche and even bought a Fern Foxtail...its the little things that can change and create a new room...and its done on a budget! All we are doing is moving things about, from room to room...nothing says that an object must stay in its current room....move things, give them new life...its amazing what you can do on NO money or VERY little money. Go through your HOME, sort and organize things, move things .......buy a plant, PLANTS are full of LIFE and GREENERY.....plants can change a room's outlook....FLOWERS, buy flowers!! Their SCENT can fill a room and give you a sense WELL BEING!

My NEW Friend...I chat daily to her!

We also switched BEDROOMS... again....the KIDS that is!! Katie was becoming MISERABLE by sharing her NEW ROOM with Alex......but then Josh didn't want to give up his new room...sigh....the issues with having THREE CHILDREN and not enough bedrooms. HAPPILY I got her back into her OLD ROOM, and I persuaded Josh to go back to his! Although with Josh, I told him that he could have the bottom bunk and we would make the bedroom a THIRD CLASS STATE ROOM...like on the Titanic! He agreed EAGERLY! He is now back in his room and awaiting for Spring(I think) to paint his room...we will chose colours that were on the Titanic and get new bedding(Third Class Blankets)!! I think I would make a GOOD politician!!

In the end, its all about making due with what you have....and we did, we spent very little...moved things about, gave new life to old objects, bought plants and created little niches for everyone to enjoy!!! I truly believe that it takes time to make a HOME.....furnish it with LOVELY objects...for me its hand me downs and items that I have found( Kijiji, garage sales, estate sales, second hand stores...) and crafted them to show their beauty in my HOME.......anyone can do it!!

I just need a SOUND BARRIER between the BASEMENT and the MAIN FLOOR!!

Its like saying GOOD BYE to a DEAR, DEAR FRIEND! Pathetic I know!!

Hubby and I have been saying it for awhile.....we suggest it, casually.....but never thinking that we are actually going to do it!  BUT after looking at accounts and trying to think where to save...what do we need and what do we NOT need.......it had to be DONE! With my 2013 New Year Rant and after watching a certain show...full of energy and positivity on where to save money and how to get ahead!! I got this IDEA(again)...and told Hubby later that day when he came HOME.  He simply replied, "do you want me to do it now?"

Eeek....where my main thoughts, he actually wants to do it...no second guessing, just flat out, "lets do it!" We don't always use it...but its nice to know that its there...in  case of emergency...bored emergency....something to pass the hours away during dreary winter!! Somehow I put him off...."do it after the weekend...(I pleaded...)." He DID it yesterday...he made the call!!! Come February 7th I'll be going through detox and so will the children...who will have it worse? The KIDS or ME!? We are cutting the CABLE.........((I know, I can hear the shrills of horror now...NO cable...))

Cable is like some Family.....you don't talk to them that much, but they are there for you....when you really need them! In all honesty....there are not too many shows that I truly ENJOY...I have my FAVOURITES and I can get them on the INTERNET! Like many shows all together, you can get everything on the INTERNET....so why are we paying close to $100 every month??? Just to watch it on a BIGGER SCREEN in HD! ((nodding head YES!!)) Then you have repeats and dull shows...... I call them the reality shows....I cant stand them....!!  With that being said, its the kids that mostly watch their shows on both TV's......and those can be seen on the INTERNET! But why do I feel like I am loosing a DEAR FRIEND!!?? Cable was just always there...when in need...when bored....when sick.....it was and is ENTERTAINMENT!!  But I have to keep telling myself that I can get EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET!!! Right!? My new mantra....."I get everything on the Internet!!"

Its funny how much we rely on technology to pass the day....how many times are YOU on the INTERNET and watching TELEVISION!? Perhaps we have become addicted?? What happened to the olden days when kids PLAYED outside, you actually chatted with your dinner guests instead of scrolling through your phone to see the latest news on friends, walking and actually paying attention to your surroundings?? I am HAPPY to say that I don't have a CELL PHONE!! I have a HOME PHONE...remember those!?

If you take your monthly bills...which is the most expensive(don't say Rent/Mortgage...these are an necessity)??  Its TV/PHONE/INTERNET!! That's why we are cutting CABLE!! I can watch most of everything that I want on the INTERNET!! Plus.....we will have more time for each other....being creative, reading(which I already LOVE and DO) and just being a Family!! BUT with this all said...and I do believe what I just wrote....I still have this pang, a pang of loosing a dear, dear Friend!!!

I'll let you know how it goes......if YOU see someone lingering outside your WINDOW, it could be ME...needing a LITTLE TV FIX!!

2013!! New Year....time to get things RIGHT! RIGHT?

I think for all of us, there comes a YEAR...a YEAR that sticks with us and we still believe that its still that year.......for me, I feel like I am still in the early 2000's....BUT when I see that its 2013.....I think "what happened?? How did we get to 2013 already!?" I then start calculating dates...I've been with Hubby for NINE YEARS!? My KIDS are now 7, 5 and 3!!?? I am what AGE......???? It all goes by FAST! Too FAST! See what happens when you are having FUN!!

Hubby and I ended 2012 quietly...watching some TV after the kids were tucked in.....we giggled our way into 2013...uncontrollably at times... to the point where your sides ache and you cant breathe any more and the tears are flowing down your face...a REAL GOOD LAUGH!! And NO...we were not drunk...slightly tipsy...laughing like BEST FRIENDS....isn't that a GREAT WAY to bring in the New Year!? I think so!! I LOVE the relationship that we have......LOVERS and BEST FRIENDS!!  Are we all so LUCKY!?

So..its 2013! Its around this time of the year that SOME come up with NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS! Do you have any? I know eventually some will fail....that's what "experts" say when the gyms are FULL in January and EMPTY in March....if YOU are ONE to KEEP your RESOLUTION, all the POWER to you! How do you do it!? For me I want to BANISH all IDIOTS....which should be EASY, most of them are on Facebook....gotta LOVE and HATE Facebook...it does keep you connected with Friends/Family...but sometimes the IDIOTS creep through and finally you wonder, "why am I reading this GARBAGE from them...there is more to life...why am I letting them bother me....." finally I delete the person!! No complaints yet!

After all....this is what 2013 should be about!

Secondly.....I want to SAVE...which is hard on ONE INCOME, THREE KIDS, Mortgage etc etc etc...... which leads into STRETCHING things out. I WILL MAKE THINGS STRETCH to the point where I cant use it any more!! For example....last night I made a Roast Chicken Dinner...Hubby said it was the BEST that I ever made(wish I remembered exactly how I did it...I rarely follow directions...always a splash of this and that)...and for tonight, I took the leftovers and made SOUP...adding more of this and that...sprinkle here and there...handful of that and this!! AND it TASTES YUMMY!! There is enough WASTEFULNESS in this WORLD...we need to teach our CHILDREN!! And it all starts at HOME....

Thirdly.....I want to be MORE CREATIVE.....creative in REFURBISHING, Writing, Baking and Cooking....I don't feel fully satisfied UNLESS I have been CREATIVE for some part of the day! My kids keep me busy and I LOVE being a PARENT....but there are times that I need to be CREATIVE for ME!! That's usually when I get them INVOLVED with what I am doing.....and they LOVE it!!  More often its BAKING...hence the WOMANLY HIPS.....hmmm, maybe I should sneak in another Resolution...the GYM! But lets face it...I'm going to break that Resolution!!! I'll just walk more! To the store to buy the Baking ingredients! HA!

Lastly I just want to be HAPPY with the LIFE I have! We only get ONE...make it count!!
So...I am going to try to WRITE MORE BLOGS, recipes, stories, LOVE my KIDS and my HUBBY, plan for the FUTURE...save and make the DOLLAR STRETCH!! What are you going to do in 2013!? I know it will be a GREAT YEAR...I ended it LAUGHING the NIGHT away and then I awoke to a BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY MORNING!!!

January 1, 2013!! Great start to the YEAR!!