Whatever, it IS cute.

I hate squirrels, mice, chipmunks, frogs, grasshoppers and birds (in no particular order). Think that's funny? Laugh away but the reason I can't stand them is because they're 'unpredictable', you never know which direction the little suckers are going to move in. They freak me out.

I have found something that should fall into my category of 'nasty unpredictable icky things' but due to the fact that it is absolutely positively one of the cutest freaking things I have ever seen, it does not earn a place in my 'ewww' group, but rather in my 'oh my freaking awesome' category.

Last night Mike told me about this totally adorable little creature he spotted on a news site and when I saw it I turned into a puddle of ooooooo's on the couch. This sweet little thang is a jerboa, it lives in China, is the size of a mouse with some big ass ears and hops around like a kangaroo! Check out his tail!! There's video too if you want to see more - so cute!


My post title came about because of another great blog I stumbled upon last night named cute overload which posted today that my new fav creature (whatever they decide, it is NOT a rodent in my mind) is not really cute because it doesn't meet the cuteness rules of having tiny ears. My reply: rules are made to be broken. His big ears give him character and they are what makes him extra super cute. Don't diss him because he doesn't fit into the pre-determined cuteness box.

Just because I disagree with their judgement of the jerboa does not mean I will not continue to frequent the blog. This will be added to my daily viewing list. Miguel and I repeated the words "oh my god", "awwwwwwwww" and "that's soooo cute" appx 2546 times in the 10 minutes we spent zipping around this blog. Seriously, if you're having a crap day slip on over to this mega cute blog because something posted there is bound to make you smile.

This one is for little Becky and/or Miranda if they happen to be reading this post.


And seriously, who doesn't go 'awwwww' when they see this shot?

So CUTE!

Hold On She's Gonna Blow

She is my sunshine

The glowing stick woman drawn in the above pic by Sam is a perfect representation of me right now. I've finished exams, I had a fabulous weekend, mike & I bought a beautiful pre-lit Christmas tree which is sparkling in our living room and life is goooot.
The stick dude would be mike who is holding on tight, tight like a super loving straitjacket.

I've been zipping around like a crazy-rubber-bouncy-ball say that 5 times fast ever since I finished exams Saturday evening. Mike's reaction to the 'no more school jaime' always makes me laugh.
For the first two hours after my return from writing french he looked a little shell shocked but like the fab man he is who by the way is equally as nuts as me he joined in my silliness, only shaking his head and asking 'who are you?' about 20 times in total.

He told me that it's always a shock to him when I end a term because he's so used to 'school jaime' I assume he means the psycho nasty woman that has taken over my body for weeks at a time over the past 3 years (since I've been doing the full-time school & full-time work combo).
When asked which Jaime he prefers he was hesitant to say, and now that I think of it he never really did give me a straight answer... hmm. The psycho stressed jaime is unpredictable (watch for flying objects) but a little quieter than the 'free from school jaime' so I'm guessing that's what makes him hesitate.

I told him he better not mind the more-ridiculous-less angry girl because that's who he'll be stuck with FOREVER, the angry one is only sticking around for another year and a half and then her ties are being sliced - she'll be free. Oh what a nice thought that is...
Mike mumbled something about the fact that by then I'll be pregnant and I swear I saw a look of terror cross his face - the thought of raging hormones rushing through my body apparently isn't something he is looking forward to. Wonder why? Muah ha ha ha!

And on that note... off to hunt for a sewing machine on Craig's List. There's bound to be something out there for less than the retail price.
Santa's going hunting for a bargain this year and Mrs. Claus is helping him out.

Men!

Thanks to Dooce for this one. Hilarious and so true!

Feed Your Brain and People Too

It doesn't have to take much effort for you to make a difference in the world. A friend sent me a link ages ago to a great site called FreeRice. The site donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program each time you manage to successfully complete the task of matching two words. Easy peasy!

Well, it starts off relatively easy anyways but it gets harder as you go - you build your vocabulary and exercise your bean while doing something positive for others.

Tis the Season - give a few minutes of your time and make a difference.

Brain spa?

Have you ever considered removing your brain from your skull and giving it a sponge bath? I have. The matter in my bean hurts and could use a good soak. Yes it's that time again people, brain drain is taking place once again. One 12 page take-home exam down and two 2.5 hour puppies left to write. Je n'aime pas le francais et le philosophie. Blech.

Teardrops Falling from My Ears

I'm not earning any rewards for my self-portraits but here I am showing off my latest Etsy purchase. EXCESS Accessories has loads of fab earrings for fantastic prices. This seller was excellent to deal with - there was a slight delay in my order being sent out (let me stress slight) but she contacted me to apologize and let me know as soon as my purchase was on its way.


Here's a better shot of my awesome new danglers - borrowed from EXCESS' Etsy page...
I LOVE them and they go perfectly with my black bean.

The above photo was borrowed from Excess Accessories .
Click on photo to link to page.

More Etsy purchases to come - I've been Christmas shopping!

Tis the Season... to Shovel

It's only the third of December and I have already had two days off of work thanks to crummy road conditions. Our school is bus dependent so if the buses are cancelled we don't have to risk our lives to get to the school. There certainly are benefits to working at a country school: beautiful drive on good days, and no need to drive at all on the bad ones.

Poor mike spent half the day yesterday shoveling. We were dumped on very early Sunday morning. Our house is a corner lot which is great in some ways but not so good in others - we have a whole lot more sidewalk to deal with compared to our neighbours and the snowplow buries our driveway not once but twice, and sometimes three times, each time they clear our street on snowy days! They drag all of the snow from down the street by once, then they come around the side street and turn the corner burying us a second time. Yesterday the guy even backed up a third time to pick up some extra bits to add to our mountain of snow.

Lucky for me I was tucked away in my office working on my take-home exam while my fabulous husband cursed the snowplow driver; we have awesome neighbours and one from across the street felt sorry for him and came over to help dig out the base of the driveway for the third and final time.

It's going to be a loooong winter. Off to make some hot chocolate!

Dans ma bicyclette

Studying for my french exam while riding my bike - multi-tasking is my middle name.
For those keeping count, as I'm sure each and everyone of you are diligently doing because it's such an exciting thing to keep track of, yes it is only the second time I've climbed on Hilda (mom get your mind out of the gutter) but it will not be the last!

Time: 34 minutes
Distance: 11.3 km
Calories: 917

Followed up by some Pilates (just a few exercises)

So I burned off part of the Mexican feast prepared by Jessy for our girlie night last night, the rest I'm sure disappeared during the mad game of Celebrity that took place after dinner. Such a fun game and super easy to play, all you need are pens and some paper. I am notorious for not knowing the names of famous people but it was super fun and I actually guessed and acted out a pile of celebs successfully. This is a game to keep tucked in the memory for the next dinner party we attend.

Back to the books I go, then off to Mike's parent's for his birthday dinner. Wee roasties = YUM!

What's that Marigold?

Stop working and start relaxing? That's enough out of you Marigold, it's not time yet. Humpty Dumpty knows what's up... one more week of hell and then I can relax for an entire month!

The teacher's college application has been handed in and I'm free from all of my essays and tests. Now it's exam time. On Saturday December 8th at 630 pm I will be one happy girl. Bring on the pink champagne!

Oh and for those who think I may have fallen off the deep end. The Marigold and Humpty Dumpty references are from Polka Dot Door. PolkaRoo! PolkaRoo! Still not clear? Oh well, it makes sense in my head.

Birthday Bubbles for the Birthday Boy

Cheers to the birthday boy!!

Make a wish baby!

Yum! What more can you ask for?
Pink champagne and chocolate cake = perfection.

Eat, Pray, Love

2+ thumbs up. Made me want to travel to Italy to stuff my face, head to India to find my spiritual side and then to Bali to sop up some relaxation and sunshine. The way Elizabeth Gilbert broke her story into tiny tidbits made it perfect for consumption. This is one of the few books I've read that I thoroughly enjoyed but did not read for hours on end. I read a few short segments at a time and and then set it down, giving myself time to absorb the content. Gilbert is funny and straightforward. She talked about her spiritual journey but didn't make me roll my eyes or gag. Sometimes I think people explain their 'personal' spiritual position in a way that they suspect their church/priest/minister/mother would expect or want them to - this has never made much sense to me. I would highly suggest putting your name on the library waiting list for this puppy; it's worth the wait.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I hope you have a stupendous 31st birthday luva! May all of your birthday wishes come true and may this be your best year yet.

The best part of you turning 31 is that it makes me turning 30 a little less painful. I might be getting old but you'll always be older. tee hee

Enjoy your day off babe!

I Love You!!

*Jai'me

Sew what?

Well if I could sew and if I was super creative too I would make things like these beautiful bits by machinestops

I've always had a thing for gingham...

And jean dresses! So cute! i love the buttons and the stiching and the edging and... *sigh*


All of her designs are fabulous! The materials she uses are beautiful and the bubble design, besides looking hot, is super comfy! As you're mentally prepared for the possible pregnant comments you'll be feeling figgity fine in this number.


Once Christmas is over and I have some extra cash in my pocket I plan to purchase myself one of these fabulous dresses! I love the band top bubble dress (first pic) but I'm thinking it won't fit me as well as it fits the beautiful bod shown in the model shot. I'll likely go with the tank dress - I think it will be more flattering. Check out all of this Hawaian designers fabulous bits up for grabs on my fav site Etsy.

Gotcha!

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!! That's how it should be spelt, not just Wii. Two teeny tiny 'i's do not do it justice. Let me explain.

Mike's birthday is quickly approaching (one week from today) and for the first time ever I broke down and gave him his birthday gift early. The only satisfaction I received from doing this was in the delivery. Miguel was in his lair working on music when I decided I couldn't wait any longer - he had to open the gift early because Walmart wasn't going to allow me to return it after the 20th if it had been opened (30 day return policy) - so down I went with gift in hand. I stopped just outside the door of his studio and stuck my head inside so he saw my bean but not the gift. With a very serious expression on my face, so serious in fact that he actually turned the music off before I opened my mouth, I explained: "I have to do this. It's going against all of my morals but it must be done, I'll explain why after..." I must have sounded pretty damn serious because mike looked worried, really worried, like 'oh my god what has she done' or 'what have i done' or 'what is about to be done' type of worried. HA! I rarely manage to frighten my husband and maybe I'm a cruel woman but there is some satisfaction in scaring my husband for just a brief moment in time.

Then I handed him his birthday present and he opened it up and was THRILLED! Wiiiiiii! My legs and arms hurt from bowling and let me tell you, I think I have found my calling, I need to find myself a bowling league. I'm not a big video game girl but the nintendo Wii is a swiiiiiiiit device.

Total change of subject
I'm stoked that I finally took myself to the doctor two weeks ago, the test results came back and I now know what my problem is, it's not 'just stress' or 'just overdoing it', I have a vitamin B12 deficiency!! Yay! Something that can be easily fixed. I started taking 1000 mcg per day of B12 on Friday and I am starting to feel better already! Is it partially pschosomatic? Maybe but that's okay with me, as long as I'm not ko'd on the couch at 9pm I'll be a happy and productive girl.

My uplift in mood might also have something to do with the fact that I chopped off my hair and dyed it black friday afternoon. I've been feeling so blah lately that I figured a change in appearance might help a girl out (the brown just wasn't doing it for me) and it worked! My fab stylist did an amazing job, I heart my new do!

Finally, pilates, i forgot to post last week. I went and it was fantastic! I think I've found my 'thing' I really love going, my body feels good after a session and the instructor is just phenomenal. She asked me last week if I've done pilates before and told me she assumed I had - I haven't!! I can DO this and I look and feel like I actually should be doing it - unlike volleyball or soccer which I've played in recent years and let me tell you it's not pretty to watch.

Hmmm I wonder if I can count playing with the Wii as exercise? Why not?!

Pick Me, Pick Me!!

Who doesn't love being given something fabulous for free?! Check out these fab blogs to find some wonderful giveaways:

The Crunchy Domestic Goddess is giving away a very cool children's book titled I Love You More that tells a story of love from two points of view. I absolutely love children's books, I used to sit in Chapter's for hours reading kids' books back in my college days, pure pleasure.

The Domestic Goddess is also giving away a non-toxic cleaner. I would love to get my paws on this... the products I use now are non-toxic and work great but who knows, maybe the brand she is raving about is even better! With or without the giveaways this blog is definitely worth checking out, she shares some fabulous tips for living green and who isn't trying to be more environmentally conscious?

Melody from the hip momma's journal is giving away two adorable tutus. I'm on the hunt for the perfect tutu for a certain little lady's Christmas gift so if I win this it will end my hunt. Crossing all crossables!

I found a very cool blog that does nothing but give all sorts of wonderful things away!! Fun fun!! Want in on the action? Check out Bloggy Giveaways. Be sure to check the Winners link if you enter for any giveaways, it would be a shame to win and not collect!! Let me know if you have any luck!

And this draw has already taken place but I thought I would mention it anyways because I think it was a really sweet idea. Stacy from The Land of K.A. gave away a personalized outfit to one lucky little nut, details here. I wish I would have gotten my comment in on time for this one because I'm in love with her kiddlet style, this little number in particular caught my eye. I think I'm going to ask Santa for a sewing machine for Christmas.... I want to learn to make beautiful bits for myself and the little people in my life!

Good luck everyone! Oh, and please share if you find any fab giveaways!

Putt Putt for the Fun of it...

A little tidbit I had meant to share last week simply because it amused me.

Background info: mike was at a conference/presentation thingo for work and arrived home late in the evening.

Front door flies open and in crashes my man bellowing "I won! I actually won!"

"You won?!"

"Yes I won!"

"What did you win?!" (getting excited - my parents won a trip to the Dominican, is it our turn now?!)

"Look, look I'll show you!"

Into the living room he strides proudly holding his prize and with a grin spread from ear to ear he introduces me to his new friend: "A PUTTER!!"

"oh... wow."

My husband doesn't golf and has no intention of starting.

I suggested he use it when we go mini-golfing we've been once in 7 years but who knows we might go again one day.

Words of Wisdom

Every now and then my man says something that makes me really think... not just think but actually shut up and think. Those who know me know that this is an impressive feat - there's a very funny sense the sarcasm? no? well you should family joke my brother started that involves looking for my 'batteries' and being unable to locate them - I talk a lot and sometimes struggle to keep quiet long enough to really hear what's being said to me. I stress sometimes because believe it or not for a chatterbox I am a good listener according to lots of people excluding my brother. Anyways tonight was one of those nights where not only did I stop long enough to hear my husband but hours later I actually remember exactly what he said -- this is unusual for me, I'm terrible when it comes to quoting people.

Fantastic words from my fantastic husband: "Expect the best and prepare for the worst." This is going to be my new motto.

I have been trying to change my thought patterns recently. I'm sure it has something to do with the book "Eat, Pray, Love" which I'm presently reading and a whole lot more to do with the fact that I'm turning 30 in just a few short months I'll save that for another post. Basically I'm trying to get rid of my negative thought patterns and replace them with positive ones. It's not that I'm a really negative person but there are a few things that I mentally harp on that need to be flushed out of my bean.

Teacher's college is one of these negative bits that I'm struggling with. I'm feeling a whole lot of pressure to get into a particular school because a) I want it so bad I can taste it b) the alternative kind of stinks and c) everyone thinks that I should be accepted. With my experience and sheer brilliance I'm kidding I am the "perfect candidate" for the program. Many of the fabulous people I presently work with (teachers, admin, consultants) and those from my past places of employment have told me this and I don't think they are saying it just to be nice. Of course I've heard it from my wonderful husband, both sets of parents, extended family and friends... but I'm not so convinced.

It's not that I don't think I deserve to be accepted, because I truly do, I've worked my butt off to get this degree finished in three years while working full-time. I have loads of fabulous experience with special needs children and well... I absolute adore kids and cannot imagine myself doing anything other than teaching. It's the number of people actually accepted into the program compared to the number that apply that is causing my brain to think unhappy thoughts. My odds of acceptance are slim: 2800 people applied last year and only 70 were accepted. Okay I shouldn't ignore the fact that 1100 people did not meet academic requirements so really the ratio was more like 70:1700. Ouch.

Lately I've been telling myself and everyone else who will listen (when discussing teacher's college) that I'm not expecting to get into the program. The reason I keep stressing this is because I don't want to be crushed if I'm not accepted. For the past two years everyone I know has told me that they "know" I'll get in and that if I "think positive and know it's going to happen" I'll be golden. As much as I want to think this way I can't and I explained this to Mike last night. If I think super positive and convince myself that "Yes I am getting into this particular program" and then I don't, I will be melt into a puddle right then and there and likely stay in puddle mode for quite some time and I don't want to deal with myself in that state. I've been there before and it's not pretty. I know I will be disappointed and this I can handle but being knocked unconscious with the weight of disappointment is a completely different story. My way of avoiding this situation is to assume that I won't get in and think that it will be a fabulous surprise if I do.

While discussing all of this with mike he seemed to understand where I was coming from and felt my frustration but he didn't fully agree with my way of thinking Negative thoughts rarely gets us very far so 'expecting the worst' is not likely going to help with achieving goals" think positive and positive will come. This is true (in my mind) but I know that out of 2000 people applying there are bound to be a good portion who are thinking just as positively as I am.

It was then that my wonderful man said my new favorite words: "Expect the best and prepare for the worst." Brilliant! What a great way of looking at things, this way I can think to myself "You're getting in" while also mentally preparing myself for the worst: not being accepted. It seems like such a simple solution... it's the way I can 'think positive' while not shoving my head so deep in the clouds that the fall will mean an extraordinarily long recovery. Thinking positive while still being realistic. Why didn't I think of this sooner? In my mind 'thinking positive' meant not allowing any negative thoughts into my head. Now I realize that the reality is that life isn't always fair and things don't always go the way you want them to so of course thinking positive doesn't mean never thinking of the negative things, it simply means expecting positive but being prepared for negativity to rear it's ugly head.

Thank you to my husband for clearing the cobwebs from my brain and a special thanks to the famous basketball player he was quoting (he remembered these words from a post-game interview a few years back). I am going to spend the next couple of weeks focusing on the completion of my application and once that is complete I'll start to look further into my second choice scenario 'just in case'. I don't expect that my negative thoughts will no longer pop into my brain because I know they will but when they do I'm going to tell them: "I have a damn good chance of getting in so please sirs would you piss off?"

Shedding

My declutter rampage continues! My used-to-be-obscenely-cluttered office is now part office and part work-out room! It took almost the entire day yesterday to get things organized but it was definitely worth the time and effort. My muscle aka Mike helped me drag out the big bits that were taking up space to make room for the exercise bike that has been hibernating in the garage for the last 3 months. Now I have no excuse to not exercise, I can actually listen to lectures or complete my readings while pedaling furiously on Hilda (the bike).

And that's just what I did today. Read a chapter for Moral Issues while riding my good friend Hilda. My butt muscles are going to be screaming tomorrow. Yes it's true ladies and gentlemen, pigs flew today! That's twice in one week if we count the week from Sunday to Sunday. Two cheers for me! Three cheers will be granted once this becomes a true habit.

Here's the breakdown aka boring bits for my records only- not for entertainment purposes by any means:

Hilda: 30 minutes, 10km, 850 cal.
Crunches: 100 (various)
Weights: pathetic.

It's a start anyways...

Moo Shoe Rave!

I've been anxiously awaiting my package from Bugaloo so I was thrilled when I opened the mailbox yesterday and found a padded envelope for moi! I shredded the package and found the fabulous slippers you see above. I absolutely adore them and I know the mommy&baby duo they're destined for will love them too! The quality of the leather and stitching is excellent! I'm not sure how this fab designer is making any money off of these - there's no way the work she put into these is worth a measly $10US!! I'm certainly not complaining.

Any negatives?
Nothing major but I am curious to see how long the elastic around the ankles holds out.

*sigh* I heart Etsy. I have friends who are addicted to eBay - you know who you are - but I think Etsy is my addiction. People are so talented! Maybe I'll start a weekly post that features my favorite Etsy designers. What a great excuse to shop!

Jumping Lizard

This guy's reaction is hilarious! Hopefully you'll get a laugh out of this, I certainly did.

Fresh Start

I am starting to stiffen already. Tomorrow I'll likely feel like pulling all of the muscles out of my body and taking a meat cleaver to them. Yes it's true... pigs flew today.

My first pilates class was pretty good. My mom is my partner in crime for pilates and she liked the class too. The pace was slower than I expected but it's a fundamentals class so we're learning the basics slowly to ensure we do things right and don't end up injured. The last time I tried pilates I used a DVD and because I'm cheap frugal I decided to skip the basic DVD and go for the intermediate. I wouldn't recommend this route for those of you considering it. I tried to pull off the moves by carefully watching the instructors in the video while twisting myself into the modeled moves (hello gumby). I ended up creating a pile of knots in my neck and back and pulled a muscle as well. My massage therapist gave me hell for skipping the basic level and suggested I set aside my DVD and take a class to learn proper form. 4 years later I take her advice... better late than never.

This is my week of new beginnings and some 'try agains'. Pilates and a new bedtime are part of the former. I've been heading to bed at 11pm on weeknights since I was in my last year of high school - after my weekend of 9pm bedtimes due to exhaustion I realized that my less than 8 hours a night sleeping pattern might be part of my problem. I've always thought I was one of those people who function well on 6 or 7 hours of sleep but maybe I'm wrong! Imagine that. Maybe I would feel a whole lot, or even just a little bit, better if I actually managed to squeeze in an extra hour of sleep every night - 8 blissful hours of slumber.

So far so good. I woke up yesterday morning feeling like a million bucks (granted the time change was on my side) and today was a better start than most too impressive considering I'm still teetering on the edge of this cold thingo.

I'm attempting to keep track of what I'm eating and this falls into the 'try again' category. I've done really well with healthy eating in the past when I kept careful track of what I was stuffing into my gourd. When I don't write it down I eat whatever is in my path. I love food. It's a damn good thing I married a man who eats simply for survival because if Mike was a food lover like me I honestly believe I would have a serious weight problem. My main goal when it comes to food is to try to get back into the healthy eating habit. More fruits, veggies, grains etc and less sugar. I like sugar... a lot.

So there you have it. I'm off to a decent start, let's see if I can keep it up.

Dizzy days

My bean is not working quite right today. I'm dizzy no I'm not pregnant thank you very much and I'm feeling completely wiped out. I've been exhausted all weekend; I actually cancelled plans with friends last night and went to bed at 9pm! How old am I?!

I have a doctors appointment on Thursday and I expect to hear the same thing I have heard every time I've gone in with a woe during the last three years: "You need to rest and find time for yourself; you're too busy". It's likely she'll add in: "find time to exercise" as well. She'll also offer to write me a note for stress leave if I so desire but I'll refuse because really, things aren't that bad and I'll save drastic measures like that for a time when I really feel like I need it. Thankfully I'll have completed my first pilates class by the time I see the Doc so I can tell her honestly that I'm making an effort to get my non-active ass in gear.

I am super pleased with myself this afternoon. Considering the state of my sleepy bod I've managed to get stuff done. I finally filled out the teachers college application form. Thank god. That sucker needed to be done asap, the deadline is November 30th but it can take a few weeks for transcripts to get from one school to the next. I've paid the silly fees ($200 to apply to ONE university - this included the cost of 2 $8.00 transcripts - how ridiculous is that?) and hopefully managed to fill everything out correctly.

Now I move on to the horrific Experience Profile. This is where I have to write an extraordinary essay on the topic of "Those who can, teach" - ugh. I'm going to start my outline this afternoon, wish me luck.

I'm more nervous about this whole process than I expected to be. I'll be thrilled when the application process is over with, then I'll just have to wait and see if I get an interview.

Speaking of school stuff, I filled out my intent to graduate form today too. That sure makes that light at the end of the tunnel seem brighter. I can't believe that I'm nearly done my degree, the thought of having my diploma handed to me makes me giddy. Three years of a hellofa lotta hard work will finally pay off. Yay for me!

The other mission accomplished today is that I finally managed to start to declutter - better late than never. Now that we have our fabulously wonderful cleaning lady coming in regularly I don't have to spend time mopping floors so decluttering is on the agenda. I love my grandma dearly but I have no intention of turning into the clutter queen she is.

I did manage to get out yesterday with some of my most favorite women on the planet for our annual Ladies' Day. A breakfast filled with chatter and lots of laughs was followed up with shopping at a few craft sales. It was a great day as usual! Thanks girls!

Achy Eyeballs

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult was a gripping novel. I had a hard time putting it down--it caused my eyeballs to ache from small print overload and too many tears. The ending completely stunned me. I was so surprised I actually flipped back a page to reread the 'shocking scene' just to be sure I was understanding things properly. I was and wow. Fabulous ending to a fabulous book.

Oddly enough I was in the middle of this fabulous find when I heard the term "Cord Blood Bank" on the radio. This was the first I had heard of storing your baby's umbilical cord blood. The cord contains loads of stem cells and proper storage means the ability to access life saving cells for your child if they ever need them. With the amount of focus on stem cell research today, the chances of major advances and improvements in the use of stem cells is certain. If you could store a double of each of your child's organs 'just in case' wouldn't you? This is the closest you can come to doing so at this point in time.

For those of you who are thinking HUH? Check out the Cord Blood Bank of Canada. It's a crazy world we live in!

Christmas is coming...

I was in a bit of a funk yesterday. again. This week was a rough one; I think it must have something to do with the time of year. Winter is just around the corner, days are getting shorter, winter is just around the corner... did I mention winter is just around the corner? I like the look of snow outside the window and I even like the smell of winter but there are three things I really hate: driving on snowy/icy roads, shoveling and being cold. Not ideal considering I live in Canada.

I detest being cold and I hate wearing socks so winter is definitely not my favorite season. Sunshine and bare feet are two things that make me very happy; unfortunately the winter means I don't get to experience much of either of these two things.

Of course there is one really fabulous thing about winter: CHRISTMAS! I absolutely love Christmas. What is it that I love? Well let me tell you.

Things I love about the Christmas season: Christmas trees, decorating, Christmas tunes, making presents, wrapping presents, making treats (cookies, chocolates, nuts & bolts), writing lists (i LOVE lists), driving around to checkout lights, Christmas eve, Christmas morning, Christmas traditions, old movies and so much more.

Too early to talk about Christmas? No way. I went shopping after work yesterday to try and boost my mood and it worked! I knew that because Halloween was on Wednesday the stores would be filling with red and green on the 1st and sure enough I was right. Usually it irks me that the stores force Halloween out the door and drag Christmas in so quickly but this year I've decided to embrace it. Why not stretch the season out as long as I can since I love it so much. It's way too early to decorate but it's not too early to start shopping.

I bought a few gifts for the kids yesterday. Check out these super cool invisible ink pens (there's a black light in the end of the pen that makes the ink visible) and this sweet 3D Drawing Pad. I love the store Write Impressions (uptown Waterloo). They get the coolest stuff ever!













I also snagged a princess dress up set for the little lady in our life. One can never have too many pairs of shoes. And seriously, what girl doesn't want a variety of tiaras and feather boas to choose from?

What to buy next?!

BOO!

Thankfully I'm in a better place than I was when I wrote last. A little more sane, at least for the time being. The silly philosophy paper is complete and I managed to do it while running to the door every 5 minutes to throw sugar at little people dressed in odd clothing.

Check out our nephews, they looked awesome! They were bouncing off the walls when mike and I went by to snap some pics and start their treat bags off.


Mr. Incredible and the Vampire Bat. Oh so scary yet cute at the same time. I tried to keep my coos of cuteness to myself and went with "Cool" and "Wow". Michael's muscles were hilarious. He's a little stick man like his big brother Gabriel so it was extra funny to see him with bulging biceps.




Loads of super cute kids came to our door. I love our neighborhood because there are lots of tiny little peanuts. I saw a handful of princesses and a pile of cute animals with big butts (the new tiny people costumes are so flippen adorable).

My mood improved immensely after a few hours of handing out junk to trick or treaters.
Yay for Hallowe'en!

Plug Your Ears

or shove your head in the sand... if you don't want to hear me whining because here I go.

grrr. the font is all screwy in this post and I can't figure out why so I'm just going to to let it go... inhale, exhale, inhale....

I hate, let me be clear, I HATE philosophy. Did I write in earlier posts that I like it? Well I lied if I did. The course content is decent enough i.e. interesting to listen to and makes me think, but having to write about it sucks. Yes it's making me a more critical writer and yes blah blah blah. Animal rights anyone? Yes be kind to animals? NO you're wrong, animals have NO rights. Why? Because it's a hell of a lot easier to argue the NO side than the YES side and trust me when I say that because I have seriously considered both sides for a long ass time. I like meat. Do I want to eat stray cats? no but if I say they have rights then why shouldn't cows? Who cares? I agree.

I'm so articulate this evening. See what writing, and re-writing, and writing some more philosophical BS does to your brain? It's mush. I wish I could stick my head in the sand.

What really peeeees me off is that I'm likely going to miss out on Halloween tomorrow night because of this damn essay. Sure it's self-inflicted, I should have worked on it this weekend as I had originally intended, but that doesn't ease the pain of missing out on the little kidlets coming to the door. We're going to be "that" house on the street. Nooooooooooo!

"That" house is the house with all the lights turned off. When I was a kid I always thought that the houses with the lights off contained the miserable old trolls who were too cheap to spend money on candy. Never once did I think, oh those people are probably busy tonight, oh they're out with their kids or maybe they don't 'do' Halloween. Nope, I thought: "what jerks."

I'm typing a post on here rather than working on my essay right now because it's past 10pm which means no more essay writing. 9pm is my actual cut-off but I can sometimes push it. Tonight when the clock struck 9 I went downstairs to warn Mike that I was working late. He knows to come up and tell me to wrap things up if/when he hears random yelps of rage, screams followed by tears or things thumping against the wall: books, my head etc. I managed to self-regulate tonight and stopped working just as I was ready to slam my hand against the wall next to my desk (the first sign of jaime meltdown mode).

Hmmm... reading that over again makes me wonder if that's normal. I gently refer to it as a 'meltdown' while others may think the word 'psycho' is a better descriptor. At least I am able to stop myself before the top pops most nights.

What else did I intend to bitch about? Oh right: the frost. I've had to scrape my car windows for the past two morning and it sucks. I thought we might just skip fall & winter this year and move right along into spring. Guess I was wrong. Maybe a christmas tree will help ease the pain... ohhhh and christmas lights!! Michael are you reading this? I want christmas lights out front this year please and thank you. This weekend will be the perfect time to get those suckers up there--before it gets too cold. See what a post of complaint can do? I found something positive to clutch at, I bet your thrilled babe.

Final complaint and hopefully a motivator since it's in writing: I HAVE TO WRITE MY ESSAY FOR TEACHERS COLLEGE APPLICATION THIS WEEKEND.

Is it Friday yet?

Party Like Rock Star

Happy Birthday on monday to Jackie! We celebrated in style friday night - well maybe not in style but we definitely celebrated. I haven't been out to a club since the spring and today I'm thinking the same thing I think every other time we go out: I can't do it like I used to. This is probably a good thing, if I partied like I did in the good ole days I would be a haggard mess. Thankfully I don't and I'm not.

Went to Pho Dau Bo for dinner and it was yum yum yummy! Thai green curry for me because I'm a sucka for it. Their menu is just ridiculous, in a good way, I wish I could try everything and I wanted a soup so bad but you can't get more than one dish there unless you share or you'll end up wasting huge amounts of food. The main server was a lovely lady; the younger server was a foul little thing who brought our food, announced what it was and dropped it on the end of the table for us to hand out. When we told her who the dish belonged to she looked at us like we had 4 heads and huffed off. Teenage angst... it's a bitch.

We headed to Morty's for wings and beer after dinner. No let me rephrase that, Jackie and I went for the beer and the boys had beer and wings. How you can stuff more food in your face after eating a big ass plate/bowl at Pho is beyond me. Witnessed a nasty episode in the downstairs bathroom that reminded me why I needed to take 'er easy and not drink too much. ew.

Starlight was fun fun fun! We shook our thangs all night long and it was awesome. Funk & 80s was on the menu so I was a happy girl. You know that's the one thing about my 'rave days' that I miss most - dancing! Damn I was in good shape back in the day, that was accidental exercise though, I didn't do it thinking about it being exercise, I did it because it was a good time!

Ended the evening with an entourage of people taking a trip to our place, some serious(ly drunken) air hockey games took place. Overall it was a stellar evening but unfortunately Jackie had a rough ending to her birthday celebration - why do people feel the need to help others celebrate their birthdays by purchasing them shooters? It rarely ends well!

Odds & Ends

In 10 minutes I'm going to look like this:
Yeah right, I'll be 18 with awesome cheek bones and a super cute shorty cut - I don't think so. I will be Feria #45 French Roast aka Deep Bronzed Brown.

Every time I do this to myself I plan to write down the brand and colour number and every time I forget; so hip hip hooray for me for being so damn clever. A blog post I can't lose.

This is going to be a short post of random bits. Time flies when you're waiting for a new head...

I ran over my first animal today and it was not a fun experience. I hit a squirrel, the thump thump was followed by my own gasp of horror. I saw him coming but it was at the very last second. Poor little guy. My guilt increased when I realized the first thought that went through my head was 'thank god it wasn't a cat'. Oh well, what can you do? Damn squirrels should be taught by their mothers to look both ways before crossing the street.

Here is the reason why I dread the thought of running over a kitty:
Our princess looks like one doped up pussy cat in this shot - ghetto girl turned princess is what she really is. Mike rescued her from a trailer park in Detroit; she's hardcore yo.

I have a serious obsession with the sky this year. I've tried to snap approximately 8.5 billion shots of morning skies using my cell phone while driving to work since the beginning of September, they've all turned out crazy blurry. Eventually I will actually leave my house early with a real camera in hand and will take care of bizness.

Tuesday evening I snapped these sweet skies from our back deck. Cotton candy pink goodness!



I'm off! Time to rinse.

Oink, Oink - Fly Little Piggie, FLY!

That's it damnit, I'm tired of feeling like a pig and it's time to do something about it once and for all.

Now please don't leave me any comments telling me that I'm "just perfect the way I am" or that I'm "not fat". I know I'm perfect and I know I'm not fat. Feeling like a pig does not mean that I think I look like a pig and just to set the record straight: looking relatively thin does not mean that one is healthy. There are lots of unhealthy thin people and lots of healthy thick people. I'm not going to ramble on much more about this but it's one of those things that drives me crazy, "Oh you're fine, look how skinny you are."

I want to make it very clear that my use of the word PIG has nothing to do with size. Just because someone is obese does not mean that they are a pig. I chose pig for me because I feel like one: lazy, unhealthy (come on, they'll eat ANYTHING including a human being if you fed one to them - ew) and awkward.

The other reason I'm going with the pig theme is because "exercise and Jaime" go together about as often as "pigs and flying." Not impossible but it takes a whole lotta effort and happens rarely.

Now before you ask I'll answer the question that is on your mind: when do pigs ever fly?
My reply: I have very little doubt that some kid has flung a pig (a small one) across a barn yard somewhere in the world recently. I'm not saying I agree with it but really... if you lived on a farm and your mother told you that you would be allowed to... let's see, "stop going to school forever to become a pro wrestler 'when pigs fly'" wouldn't you head on out to the pig pen and see what you could do to help make that dream a reality?

Point being, it's time to make those damn pigs fly. I'm declaring publicly (to the 4 people that might read this anyways) that I am going to start exercising. For real this time. I figure seeing it on my blog is the motivator I need. I'll post when I actually do something physical and then I can weep in shame if I look back over a week and have no posts stating that pigs have flown. Hold me to it dammit. If I don't make pigs fly at least twice a week then please consider poking me with a stick or at the very least say no to chocolate when I ask for some.

Just for the record: I went to aqua aerobics last night - 15 minute ab class followed by 45 minutes RunFit (deep end). I pulled my toe while doing the rapid flutter (don't ask) and it was totally worth it. That's right ladies and gentlemen, you read it here: PIGS HAVE FLOWN.

Good Vibes

Beautiful pic thanks to the fabulous Tammara from Tamm's Photos

The most amazing woman I know, my mom, has been crazy sick for the past week: spiked fever, vomiting, exhaustion and really bad shakes. Two late night trips to the hospital with all you can eat fluids via IV were part of her voyage. Between trip one and two was the 'unknown period'. The doctor told her there was an infection somewhere in her body but that he wasn't sure where; he also told her that it was possible they would never know where it had been. This freaked me out a bit - I wasn't panicking by any means but it certainly got me thinking - what if they can't find the infection and it just gets worse? It was during the second visit that results from the first finally came in and we found out that she has a kidney infection. Yay!! It stinks that she is having to deal with this but it's easily treatable.

My mom is the woman in my world who I love and respect more than anyone else. She is creative, intelligent, kind and so funny. I strive to be as fabulous as she is! I can't imagine my world without her and would greatly appreciate it if she would avoid getting sick so that I don't have to deal with nasty thoughts creeping into my head. That being said I would also like her to get it through her relatively thick, yet beautiful, skull that it's okay for me to worry about her - she has spent the last (almost) 30 years worrying about me so it's only fair that I reciprocate.

Thankfully mom is on the road to recovery! It's going to take some time though so please send some positive healthy vibes her way! I love you mommi!

Sushi from scratch

Girls night last night was a damn good time. We made sushi and Saki margaritas! Mmm mmmm good. I've had Saki before and didn't really like it; margaritas are usually not my favorite thing to drink either - tequila is meant to be drank in shots with the purpose of getting a) drunk or b) your drunken friends off your back and stopping the squeals of "Come on! Just do one!" (in other words giving in to peer pressure). BUT replacing tequila with Saki in margaritas makes one phenomenal drink! I really, really, really liked them! We used a bottle of margarita mix, a bottle of Saki and crushed ice - super simple.

The sushi was delicious and way easier to make than I thought it would be. Tina waited for us to arrive to make it so that I could see how it was done. It was time consuming but simple and I'll definitely be creating my own at home - lunches are going to become way more interesting. Yum!

We made a variety of rolls using the following ingredients in different combos:
rice (obviously)
crab
smoked salmon
baked salmon (yum!)
red peppers
cucumber
avocado
cream cheese with wasabi

Absolutely delicious!

Freaks

Mike and I are convinced that one day we are going to have beautiful babies; we are also convinced that they are going to turn out to be some very odd little nuts. Through hysterical laughter Wednesday evening mike gasped: "How the hell did I find someone as weird as me?"

EC the kitty was so disgusted with our peels of laughter that she jumped off the couch and sat on the living room floor with her back turned to us.

I love the fact that on a regular basis we laugh until our insides ache. the stupidest thing will start our train wreck of fun. Ever try clenching your teeth together, plastering a big ass smile on your face and talking without moving your lips? Try it, it's funny.

Oh baby baby!

Look how freaking cute she is!!
Cara's baby shower was a great success - I'm not bragging, just pointing out a fact. Amanda and I pulled together a fab party and we couldn't have done it without Cara's mom. She made all of the fabulous asian food, including yummy sushi, and opened up her beautiful home for us!

The heart shaped cupcake in Cara's hand was made by yours truly. Nina (cara) loves carrot cake so I made carrot cupcakes. YUM! The recipe I used was from my 'book of fav recipes' which was created at my wedding shower; all of our guests contributed a favorite from their collection to create a book of yumminess for mike and I.

I'm not a huge carrot cake fan but I absolutely love this recipe! There was only one left at the end of the party (the one cara is holding in the pic) which tells me that it must be a sign. I'm right, she IS having a boy. Oh and just to clarify: yes there was one that said "GIRL?"

Pam's Mega Moist Super Delish Carrot Cake

In a large bowl beat well:
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups oil

In a second bowl sift together:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Stir dry ingredients into moist.

Stir in:
2-3 cups finely grated carrots (yay for food processors)
2 cup crushed pineapple
optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts and or 1/2 cup flaked coconut (I used the coconut and strongly reccommend it - yum)

Place in greased 9 x 13 pan
Cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes

Cream Cheese Icing
Cream together:
1/2 cup butter softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened

Add:
2 cups icing sugar (and a small amount of milk to thin if necessary)

EAT!

I finished my crocheting project - it was a blanket for Cara and she really liked it. I'm a bonehead and forgot to take a picture of it so I'll ask her to snap one for me and I'll post it later. Funny, besides Cara's Chuchi the only handmade gifts she received were crocheted blankets made by myself and two other friends who are 29 - weird. My explanation is that it's because our clocks are ticking so creating things for babies is replacing the actual baby making itself.

I nearly forgot, thanksgiving numero deux was excellent last saturday, I've had enough food now to last me until christmas. Thanks for a fabulous meal mom!!

I brought a yummy cauliflower casserole that is super quick and mega delicious to my parent's thanksgiving. My girlfriend Tina made it at her cottage this summer and it was to die for. She named it perfectly:

Guaranteed to Make Anybody Eat Cauliflower Casserole
1 Cauliflower
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup Mayo
1 cup parmagano (or sub 1/2 with Asiago - I did this and highly reccomment it)
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1 clove garlic
S+P
Breadcrumbs or cornflakes to top

Cut and steam cauliflower for about 5 mins
Mix everything else together and pour over cauliflower in casserole dish.
Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes (uncovered)

Note: If you double the recipe mix half the sauce with the cauliflower and then top with the rest.

SO YUMMY! No pic but you can use your imagination. Picture mega cheesy cauliflower casserole.

Final thing to say today - I LOVE our cleaning lady. What the hell was I thinking? Why didn't we hire someone ages ago? Less stress = happy jaime.

In Memory of Trevor

This was our first Thanksgiving as a legal duo, aka. husband & wife; it was also the first time we hosted a turkey dinner. I'm thrilled to say that it was a great success! It was a super yummy meal and I'm pretty damn proud of myself for pulling it together. The only real 'oh shit' moment was when I went to baste trevor (the turkey - yes I named him, why wouldn't I?) and realized my baster was busted. Thankfully my sis-in-law Joanne lives only a few blocks away so I flew over there and snagged hers.

Here's me just before our guests arrived; lookin' calm cool and collected. Check out trevor, he was one damn good looking bird.



Here's a close up of trev:

I know I'm a dork but really I couldn't help taking his picture. My first turkey *sigh*. No doubt in 20 years I'll be wishing I never started cooking turkeys. How any damn birds will I have roasted by then? ugh.

Joanne shared her turkey tips with me - thank you to Maribel, the Food Diva, for passing her wisdom along to Joanne - trevor was moist and his skin was cooked perfectly. Oh and the gravy!!

Big thanks go to Bridie & Joanne for helping out by taking care of the appetizers, stuffing (oh my god you have no idea what stuffing should taste like until you've had Bridie's) and dessert. I'm surprised we managed to eat dinner after stuffing our faces full of cheese, veggies, crackers and olives; and we could have fed a small army with the amazing trifle Joanne made. Yum!

Oh! And the turkey cupcakes! Another Martha Stewart moment but this one was thanks to Joanne. Check them out - super cute!


Hilarious!

You can visit Martha Stewart's website for directions. Coconut covered marshmallows are used for the heads according to Martha but Joanne couldn't find them so she actually coated each marshmallow in icing and then rolled them in graham cracker crumbs. That's patience I don't have but mmm they were good.

The food was fab and everyone had a good time. We ended up having an air hockey tournament in the basement after dinner. Our nephews are big enough now that they can play and it won't be long before they'll be kicking my butt, hopefully uncle mike's too, it's time to pass on the title of El Supremo!

Here's the fam posing pre-dinner:



We have Thanksgiving dinner with my side of our family tomorrow; more turkey, more mashed potatoes, more good times!

Thai it cuz it's delish!

The first night I began to really search out blogs was the night I stumbled upon one of my absolute favorites: Posie Gets Cozy. I wish I could have just a tiny bit of Alicia's lovely style. I love her pics, the set up of her blog, her beautiful creations, the way she writes, I could go on and on: she's fabulous! Some people just have a knack for putting things together in a way that is perfectly perfect.

I found this wonderful blog accidentally. I was actually looking for a green curry recipe and Google eventually led me to Posie Gets Cozy where I found a recipe that sounded and looked amazing! And that ladies and gentlemen the point of this post: after 7 months of visiting the recipe and thinking to myself "I should make that," I finally did it. Thank you Alicia for sharing Susie's Green-Curry Shrimp recipe with us! It was a hit with my girl Rebecca - she was home for Thanksgiving weekend and friday was our catch up night. It was the perfect dish for a girls night in.

Susie's Green-Curry Shrimp

1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 large shallot, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced (no ribbing please! — red parts only)
1 head broccoli florets
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and divined (used chicken instead - one less purchase)
1 Japanese eggplant, sliced then cut into quarters (left out - not at my grocery store)
2 cans light coconut milk
1 T. green curry paste
1 c. frozen peas
1 small can bamboo shoots (julienned)

I actually halved the recipe because only two of us were eating; there were lots of leftovers!
Next time I would add a wee bit more green curry paste and some red pepper flakes; I like the spice! Served it over jasmine rice and YUM YUM! The pad thai that you see on the plate was certainly nothing to brag about - it was a boxed mix by Thai something or other (i can't remember the name but I'll check at the grocery store and post later) - Rebecca liked the noodles but I wasn't happy with it at all. I prefer the 'scratch' recipe I use from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry. It's delish and pretty easy to throw together. Next time I'll be more ambitious and make that pad thai along with the curry - I was saving time on friday and unfortunately I tasted the time saver. Oh well, nothing a bit of red wine couldn't cure.

Seeing Rebecca was wonderful! I miss her so much and I wish there were less miles between us. It hurts less now knowing that she is across the country than it did in the beginning (thankfully! heart ache is no fun) but it still blows. I have given up feeling sorry for myself to spend that energy feeling happy for her - she is an amazing woman and one of the women in my circle who I admire most - Vancouver is extremely lucky to have her and she is thrilled to be there so who the hell am I to rain on her parade. No pun intended (rain, vancouver... get it?)

I really do have a jawdropping circle of women in my life, in looks, personalities and abilities... but that I will save for another post. I still need to talk turkey and babies!!

not now though - next study break.

Spic & Span

I'm so happy I could burst! First of all I found a fabulous site that makes me smile. The picture above is from explodingdog.com and it is just one of a pile of funny, quirky drawings by sam.
I actually did an image search for 'cleaning' because of my original happy moment today hold on a sec and I'll share and this super cool pic popped up. It lead me to sam's site and made my day even brighter.

Now, the reason for my search. We hired a cleaning lady!! She is the answer to my insanity, or so I hope. I'm overwhelmed with work and school and life in general so my expectation is that Margarita will save the day. Well, at least part of the day. We're not total pigs but we aren't the cleanest people on the planet either and I'm just too freaking busy with work and school to do it all. I couldn't be happier! She starts next thursday! Hip Hip Hooray!

My other happy bits: Rebecca & Cara arrive on Friday! I have a whole evening with Rebecca - i have her all to myself! I miss her like crazy and I'm itching to see her. And then there's Cara Nina and her baby bump. I'm crunching up my shoulders in anticipation... I can't wait to touch that tummy. I hope the baby is moving already! maybe it's too soon?

Thanksgiving dinner is on Saturday and it's my first time hosting a turkey dinner! uh oh. I'll report on sunday and will hopefully have pics of a nice tanned bird to share. I'll simmer them in wine so they'll think it's fabulous even if it isn't. Happy Gobble Gobble everyone!