Design me, excited!

We all like to take pride in our homes, we all like to believe we have the nicest home decoration or our personal styling is impeccable.

I live in my parents old home... this sometimes becomes a very difficult task for decorating. Yet my husband and I have found endless ways to renovate it to get it to look more like "our" home and less like "their" home... designing rooms that can't really be changed needed a new set of eyes.

I have always wanted someone to come and overhaul my house... I like to believe I have great taste, problem might also be I appreciate a lot of design styles. Not to mention, working on a Master Bedroom that will be shared by my husband I wanted something that could marinate both our unique personalities. We both like bold, unique and clean. We enjoy modern spaces, but don't feel at home in them.

I am a Neo-classic, modern- art deco, french meets old English. So how does one make it work... well they hire the only person who they could think can meld with all these ideas and work out a style that would finally feel right! In comes Lisa Canning, I have been following her since she appeared on the first season of 'Marriage under Construction" (a show detailing of a newlywed couple who buy a fixer-upper in their first year of marriage).

She came in and saw a torn up Master Bedroom still in the midst of drywall going up, and luckily she came in before the closet went up because she overhauled what I thought was the only option for the room. Glad to have someone come in with a proper understanding of design.

She was genius, drawing up two different plans in mere minutes... I was in awe. But best of all was talking about having our large brood of kids, it's nice to meet a like minded female who is working hard in the city but still raising, growing and ever expanding her family. *sometimes I feel alone in that endeavour

So here are the images of potential rooms we are putting together, which one do you like best? Which one do you think we went with?

Taking it up a notch!

I have been blogging since 2007... it had started off as something to do while pregnant since I wasn't returning to the world of editorial. I had a small fashion blog about Trend Hunting because before getting pregnant that was my ultimate job goal.

Then the girls came along and blogging about fashion from around the world that was a little too out there for the masses to appreciate seemed so irrelevant to me. I started Mommydoings! I have loved working on my blog and it finally has a voice. It isn't that pretty and pink kind of blog where I post pictures of my girls in adorable outfits but real tangible articles about real mom issues with the spice of food and fun.

The other day someone said to me you have created a real personality for yourself online... and my twitter following just keeps getting bigger. I always chalk it up to I am just a regular girl (yeah, I like the world girl far more than woman... not sure why at the end of the day I am just a girl) and people follow me. But the same person says to me... 'but I feel like people are looking at you for advice or commentary!'  I can't help but shy away from that; I have never seen myself as an authority about anything.

But lately with those who have a presence online, public relations experts around me and others who I meet at networking events I keep getting asked: What's your Brand?

I didn't know I had a "Brand"! Now I am starting to realise that not owning up to my brand is doing everyone around me a disservice. How do PR associates know which events to send me to, how do my readers know what to expect from my posts, and well why don't I take it all up a notch? But a great little opportunity has fruited itself as of lately about submitting yourself as a blogger for Today's Parent. They want to know what makes me unique from other mothers... I don't like to toot my own horn or say I am better than anyone. But I am a mom on a mission.

How does this make me unique? I am a mom in reconstruction from the inside out! After a big long overhaul of soul searching and running for city council; I want more for myself and my girls. I want to provide to the world around me, I don't want to know limitations in my capabilities and I want to spread the encouragement to other mothers who feel they need to be put into a category or non-moms who might feel like having kids would stifle their careers or ideas for themselves. How we are more than our titles!

So my brand? I am a self-help, self-appreciating Mompreneur, who runs a business from home, raising kids and birthing them still... I want to be the voice of encouragement that reaching for the stars is not for our kids but something we do to show our kids it's possible. So let my inner star shine, to help me help all the other moms who might be feeling they don't shine anymore; while I tout my love for social media and how I believe the art of networking in the social stream is a fantastic avenue for moms!

I am taking it up a notch, perhaps Today's Parent will appreciate my candor, perhaps they won't but what a great opportunity to identify my brand and how I can make more of my blog than a place to rant and rave.

They can see that I live in a loving chaos with kids and saw dust... how simple decisions can be life decisions because I struggle with perfect parenting, that simple things like being able to see my feet again is a sheer sense of joy and that even though life is so simple I am not afraid to touch on the taboo!

I love to write, I am NOT afraid to talk about anything... from my body, my feelings, my sexual pregnant dreams... the fact that I can appreciate my flaws while working on improving ME! So if they are looking for a writer who wants to grow and leap with their readers, I think I am the go to girl. Because I am not perfect, but I am certainly unique! Ohhh and I do enjoy a cocktail or two when I am not expecting!

Thanks! and Cheer!~

Do you delete?

The other day I had a private conversation with someone on twitter... in Lehman's terms, we had a DM convo. But the next day when I went to retrieve the email she had provided me I realised it was completely gone.

The whole message and stream of conversation, fully disappeared!

And then I realised while starring at my phone today that my Whatt'sapp messages were long gone as well...

And now I am frustrated. I like to keep all my convos on my phone, it's like a personal folder of things I might need to find and retrieve. Brilliantly I remember a few hours, days or even weeks later to get to something I was told I could do in my message. While talking to my cousin on the phone, she informed me she clears out her history because seeing there feels cluttered to her.

I was a gasped... because someone like her would be the reason my long messages that I need are simply now GONE from my personal database of stuff said and information passed on.

I am not talking sleazy convos, or naked pictures here people... simple, hi it was great to meet you conversation, let's talk soon here's my email. Like a personal Rolodex when I didn't get a business card, or we were introduced in cyber world.

So do you clean "phone" house? Because while it's your device to clear out... people might still need the information you sent them.

Vacationing sans kids!

weheartit.com

Once I let the guilt of being the worst mom on earth subside... I remember that I haven't been anywhere further than an hour away from my hometown of Toronto since I got married. *pleaseeee hold the gasps, I know that's a pretty dreadful reality

The year I was married I went away with my best friend Cindy to Vancouver for 5 days... one of my most memorable trips and really the only one I can say I did with a friend. My parents always sent me to Greece alone, been many times ALONE... and other than Mike and my trip to Mexico, we have never really traveled as a couple together.

So with baby number 3 due to arrive in the New Year, our birthdays and the fact that I want some alone time with my husband that doesn't consist of deciding what we are making dinner for the girls tonight, who is bathing the girls tonight (Mike has unfortunately took this task on big time since I keep getting bigger and bigger and my bathtub makes it too cumbersome to bath wet toddlers.) We are off...

Destination of choice took a little bit of a decision... hard to decided between everywhere for a certain amounts of dates, and distance issues. I wanted to max out being on a plane for 5 hours, I wanted a city with a ton to do and never been to before. This made New York City out of contention because I've been many times and Mike hasn't; I refused to go unable to party this time around.

So after deliberation of beach squatting, romantic gestures and how much alcohol needed to be consumed to enjoy what could actually be a boring city or town... Miami... warm, sunny but not going to drink or party so what's the point. Vancouver... Mike refuses to feel even remotely cold, so no go! Las Vegas... also no partying and the idea of gambling with a belly seemed well a little trailer trash to me.

So down to 2 choices, London and Los Angeles were up next... and LOS ANGELES won over it's opportunity to be so much warmer than here, I have seen the Pacific when in Vancouver but too cold to put my feet in it, so that is the plan... feet planting, sand crunching, Hollywood Blvd perusing vacation for my birthday!

A little Taboo... Pregnancy sex!

I have never been one to shy away from talking about things that most well won't touch with a ten foot poll...

I have found myself watching episodes of Pregnant in Heels this pregnancy. While I find Rosie Pope's voice intriguingly annoying... I can't shake the episode about the first time pregnancy that was causing a rift between a husband and wife because he didn't feel his needs were being met intimately.

If it was any other time in ones relationship I would say far too much is wrong if one partner is feeling missed out on... I can't begin to discuss how wonderful and natural being intimate can be for a long lasting lifetime. But I feel free to rage war on the expectancy of sex during pregnancy.

I think being pregnant naturally 3 separate times gives me a little light on the subject. My first pregnancy I had multiple conversations with people telling me how great pregnant sex was, how much hornier a pregnant woman was and so on. I won't lie... but I waited for that moment to peak my whole pregnancy and it never appeared. The last thing my physical self wanted was to be intimate. I dreamt about sex ( I am being honest here so you don't feel like you might have been wrong); and the dreams got more and more vivid... but once awake my body behaved like a dried up shriveled old prude.

Luckily I had a supportive husband who one was a little uncomfortable with the idea of being intimate with me past 5 months... but I was happy to stay away and just cuddle my nights away. But it's never wrong if a pregnant female doesn't feel intimate. One is no longer in control of the hormones that their body is releasing, hormonal shift and feelings of intimacy may or may not be something that the body craves or not. Not to mention... do men not realise that women have a uncomfortable state in dragging a belly that weighs, feel disproportionate to ones body to want to be sexual. Women also a far more conscious about their naked selves and how they read to their partners naked... but they might not be feeling sexy, beautiful or even cute.

So cut yourself some slack if you find it hard to be that partner during this time... don't allow yourself to be pressured into doing something you just aren't interested in doing, and remember to get back on the bandwagon once your OB/GYN gives you the OK. You'd be surprised you might have missed it so much while you chose to abstain for comfort.

But at the end of the day remember you are in charge of providing a comfortable happy home for a growing bump... so that means be comfortable with your body and your decisions. It's OK to say NO!

How I am going along on my Mom Challenge!

Mom challenge is in full affect here.

It was an interesting few set of days.

Day 1. I asked both girls what they wanted to do this month that was special and only one thing they could pick from. I asked my youngest first... the answer was a little bewildering to me and caught me off guard. She told me she wanted to go and excercise so she could be healthy and have babies like mama. While I wanted something more child related, she knows what she wants. I use to excercise a lot and told her it was to stay healthy and happy for the baby in my tummy. It appears she's been listening.

Second daughter wanted an even crazier task... she wants us to sweep all the leaves off the street. Yeah you read it, she wants to be the neighbours who clean the street up for us all. I was expecting, shopping, cupcake baking, go to the park but neither had a request of this sort. But I guess the task of this first challenge is allowing them to make a decision and obeying their request.

Day 2. task was sooo much easier yet harder than assume. Being pregnant has made me far more tense and aggravated. My threshold of patience has seemed to dwindle into the abyss of pregnancy unknown. Getting all the no I don't feel like eating dinner, no I don't feel like cleaning, I don't want... I don't want to! Has sent me into a bit of a tizzy. So yelling had become a bit of a way to cope. After my Friday night scare sitting in the Maternity ward... understanding the yelling needed to disappear and yesterday, it was easy to follow this rule. A lot more consequences were brought into the equation. No listening means Mama won't be doing bedtime story and laying with you til you fall asleep. No cleaning means no computer time. So the girls have far more strict rules in our house... but I guess it's best for all of us.

And well Day 3 was and will always be a piece of cake for me. I am a hugger. I like to hug my kids in private and you wont see me doing it, but when I catch either of my girls in my room while I am sitting there I will try and take in as many hugs as I can. Sometimes I have to bribe the girls to get one. But I get them, love them, breath my girls in, tell them how important to me amd their father. And that I couldn't love them more than I do.

How are you personal Mom challenges going?

The Mom Challenge!

I like to read blogs when I get a chance, and because Blogging is a mini community of people who feel like sharing, in longer format than twitter... because there really is a difference ( I like to do both); I always am envious when people are doing fun group blogging activities and either I missed out on, or really it isn't something I can do with my schedule and blog.

But when I saw Candace's blog (@seemummyjuggle) about the mom challenge, I couldn't wait to get on it.While a few days in... the challenge to be a bit more that just average is always appealing to me. While the list of a mere 30 items that don't take very long to do on some occasions it was a great idea.

Things have been extra hectic around here in our house, with a new kid in school, another in about to go into daycare and a new baby coming... I want to remind the girls that mommy loves them and hasn't forgotten how much I loved them. So with a task list in hand... I am off.

You can all join me on this fun activity, you don't have to blog about it... just perhaps doing it for the sake of being great moms!

~Cheers!

Are you the voice?

Sometimes I get invited to events. Some of them more meaningful than others, some more fun than others but none more poignant for me than the ones about empowering girls.

Every morning I wake up to a house of 2 girls, while I enjoy listening to everyone tell me how beautiful they are, I fear that I need to raise strong, independent, fierce, lovable and empowering females. Because while they are girls now they will become women sooner than I want, please I still can't believe they are already the age they are now. Where did the time fly to?

But when I read the invite for the Barbie I can be the Voice event, I knew I had to go. While Barbie might get all political, I was a Barbie girl, had 13 dolls of my own, each with their own separate outfits and personalities. I think roll playing in a creative manner is far more great than people might understand. Girls need to dream and imagine a future that might be... we must let them allow to imagine all the different ways they can achieve greatness.

The people at Barbie I think feel the same... because they are launching today officially the http://www.bethevoice.ca/ website for mom's of girls and boys who want to mentor their kids in being all they can be, with articles from various specialists and moms alike discussing mom issues in raising strong, independent and great individuals. Helped that we dined on cupcakes while we enjoyed the great view from Panorama Lounge.

It really was a fantastic event, even for a mom who sometimes feels unsure of her place in the world around her, to be with like-minded moms, who you can bounce ideas off, who want you to have as much as everyone else and really are cheering you on.

So the best part of it all, at the end of the day, I still get to call myself a Barbie girl!

My house in Chaos, and I like it!

My husband is a handy man... this is a plus in my head. But most people walk into my home and wonder why I live in a constant state of renos. It might be odd... there's dust, there's stuff and a lot of things that get left behind because I am helping with the renos!

But I love it, every moment of it!

Love deciding what is being torn down next, love that after hours of thought discussion together the husband and I come up with something great. We have something going on on every floor of our house. And while it seems like chaos, I am smiling when I walk by a newly tore down part of my house. Because the idea of what will be is far a superior feeling than the annoyance of a bit of disturbance.

While I get a lot of grief from family and friends about living in reno chaos, I am thankful to have met my family friend Linda; because she showed me that living in a home that is being reno'd is only a small part in the perfect end result. She's my home mentor... she doesn't know it! LOL

Projects I am working on:

1. Master Bedroom (which is HUGELY gutted; new electrical, walls down, and new closet)




2. New Railings on the front porch and new landing.




3. New Shed




4. New staircase to the basement.



5. New Furnace re-duct!--- we needed to re-figure the duct work unfortunately.

Are you working on anything in your house? Do you hate renos? Are you handy with renos ( I love working in the house, I laid tiles, painted and plastered the walls)?

My week eating!

Being Pregnant has really opened up my appetite, not literally I want to eat everything in sight as long as it doesn't have sugar in it... serious food turn off for my palette, yet my brains oozes and gawks at cupcakes and sundaes like I haven't had one in 10 years.

This week has been an especially hungry week. And so with some outings and well some staying ins... I feasted.

If you live in Toronto and haven't been to Joy Bistro I am sorry you are missing out... I have never been disappointed with my meal, they never miss out it usually is PERFECTION. I like to rant and rave about how great it is... but it really is. On Sunday's they do a Prime Rib, and well I am a sucker for a great cut of beef. So I packed the whole family and feasted.

A few nights before I wanted to eat something grubby and sticky... nachos won me over. We headed out as a family again and went to the kids favorite place Boston Pizza. Now sometimes you just go to fast friendly dining because it's where your kids want to go. But the nachos are sooo darn good, covered in ground beef (this is the way to go) and a extra jar of sour cream and it's perfection.

But on some nights I make dinner too... and because I live the motto that my kids only eat what mommy and daddy eat, it appears I am raising a set of Foodies! So with a large salmon fillet pulled out of the fridge, I made Salmon with seared Caramel Apples and Pepper Squash. So simple and so easy.

Salmon w/ seared Caramel Apples and Pepper squash.

Salmon cut into 4 pieces.

2 apples (I used granny smith this time around)

honey

half a lemon or lemon juice

1 pepper squash

2 tbsp of brown sugar

1 tbsp of butter

salt/pepper

Olive Oil

Heat the oven to 350 degrees, cut and de-seed the middle of the pepper squash. Put the sugar and butter in the cored middle and place on baking sheet for 45-50 minutes. Cut the apples in horizontal slices, peeled and cored. Pour lemon juice on top not to brown, then cook in pan for 2 minutes on each side, drizzle honey (I drizzled a little but go nuts have fun cooking should be fun) and let them caramelize slightly.

Pour olive oil in pan and cook salmon to person specification, and then plate the salmon on top of the apple slices. Take squash out of the oven, burning sugar is extremely horrible if you get it on you so be careful. Cut the squash to preferred serving and FEAST!

I won't lie, it was awesome... my daughters cleared their plates. Do you have any food recos for this very hungry pregnant girl in search of good food?

To pierce or Not to pierce!

these are earrings I have created

I let my eldest get her ears pierced!

Yeah, while many of you might be reading this as what's the big deal, it actually was HUGE to me. I didn't get mine pierced til I was 7 years old.

When my first daughter was born, I was berated with questions about when I would be piercing my daughter's ears. Why I haven't done it yet? The first year went by and I began to become hassled on my choice not to have them pierced while she was young enough to do it.

I knew someone when I was younger in High School who never had her ears pierced and really never wanted them done. This always brought great pause to me... maybe we don't want our ears pierced. Why as a parent should I just assume they do? This actually caused a debate in our household, husband assumed girls need their ears pierced and I didn't oblige his request to do it for them (maybe if I wasn't terrified of needles my stance would have been weakened.) I did state a decision, that if the time came and I was "asked" for ear piercing on multiple occasions I would oblige.

So about 6 months ago, my eldest mentioned she wanted her ears pierced. I took it lightly. Then she asked again, she perused my earrings, asked to wear them over and over again. I sat with her and discussed having to go and get them pierced. I informed her of the slight ouch, I told her a gun would be put near her ear, not a bad gun I stressed, a ear piercing gun.

After it was decided this was something she wanted anyways, I went to the location and asked on what shift did they have 2 girls to pierce the ears. Because I have heard horror stories of one ear being pierced and not the other. I had a date, a daughter who was willing and all my emotional bases covered. We set out and did that on a Friday night and she got her ears pierced. She picked out her set, she sat on the stool like a big girl and she cried.

But at 14, 18, 25 or even 40... when she asks me why I got her ears pierced I will proudly say because we discussed it at length and I let you decide, honey!

What have you been reading lately?

I have a bit out of the loop lately, I will take the liberty to blame it on pregnancy disassociation--- when you really are in your own head space you don't care to really see what's going on with the rest of the world; at least that's how I feel.

But near the end of the week I decide to get back to one of my most favorite mediums and get back on to twitter and see what was going on. (Yes that meant my FOMO kicked in for a few minutes: FOMO, Fear of Missing Out) What a pleasure it was to finally see a blogger to take the liberty to whip slash a PR firm who tried to strong hand them. Now let's not get me wrong , I have friends in PR, I have great relations with PR firms who send me fun products or invite me to great events. But let's call the truth the truth The Bloggess got email assaulted and did the best thing you can ask me Blogged about it and then sent it out to her 164K twitter followers who grew an extra 2000 by late yesterday night by calling out the VP from the PR firm who referred to her as a 'Fucking Bitch.' If you want to read it, you can here.

And if you need to fill yourself with a bunch of positive as well... I am not sure I mentioned on here yet that I love reading the Daily Love which is created by positivity professional Mastin Kipp this week Mena Suvari wrote about how she changed who she was to succeed in her relationships... it's a great read, an honest read, you can find it here.

And because I am a bit of a Canadian fan, Danielle La Porte is a self-help guru, not sure if she refers to herself as one, but she definitely wants everyone to strive to their greatness and you can see it from her posts on White Hot Truth which will link you to a great read about being in a slump and rising above it.

The Internet is fun, the musings even better... but when you can feel a certain something about humanity after reading a few posts, well then the Internet is a win for me. What have you read lately online that made you smile?

Do you TV?

I had my first baby over 4 years ago, and since she was followed by my second like some Irish Twin the one thing lacking in my life is the Television watching I use to do.

I love my TV, have since I was a little girl, use to wait for the September TV guides to come through the front door, made the TV schedule for the whole household, so we could all watch what we wanted to without interfering in each others shows... with 4 different personalities a TV schedule that made everyone happy was highly important.

Since giving birth, CNN and Slice TV had become my go to stations. I have not seen many shows that premiered and then died out... but with my daughters beyond early school schedule, by 8pm I have my night back to myself. So here I am looking to see what might be on TV... I have an idea of what I'd like to see, have become a bit of a fan of Franklin & Bash, looking forward to Walking Dead and luckily caught an episode of Parenthood and have been hooked since day 1!

But I have some new shows that I would love to see... like I would like to watch 2 Broke girls, the new Whitney Cummings show and probably a whole bunch of other shows I might have caught a preview of and have totally forgot that I wanted to actually watch that show!

So I am asking for your help... what are you watching, what is your not to miss show, what should I be watching that I am not already watching???

How many minutes in the day do you hate your husband?

A story came out this week while Sarah Jessica Parker was doing press for her new film 'I don't know how she does it' was quoted saying that she keeps things sane by letting herself hate her husband for about 20 minutes a day... people were up in arms thinking this is a sign of a failing marriage and an unhealthy one.

I DISAGREE!

On any day of the week you can catch me and ask me how I feel about my husband and I will speak his praises, he's awesome, he's beyond helpful, he picks up the slack when I am being a turd... but I see him daily, he does little things that set me off and for that moment I want to blow up and I just vent for a few minutes.

And perhaps for about 20 minutes I might even hate the man who I am deeply madly in love with at most time. Does it mean we are destined to fail... on the contrary I actually think it might mean we will succeed!

Entering my 30s brought a new part of my social life, in our 20s all our friends started getting married, and now enters the time of our marriage where we are watching others around me getting a divorce. It's sad, I won't lie! I always wish my friends the best, but having to part ways with someone you loved so much can never be easy. But in the age of dating for eons and then marrying after and learning to cope with the stresses of life; I think people get the ideas of Happy Marriage mixed with love and passion.

I have heard of many people in our age group who move out of mommy and daddy's home to get into their newly marital home and as soon as the going gets tough and that moment you realise you hate your husband... it's like a light goes off to get up and bail. If you can't get past the Hate, well let's be honest your marriage is doomed anyways but can you let go off the Hate, did you even try? You loved for so long... can you hate for as long as you LOVED?


So if anyone ever asks me how do we work I say we have our great days and sometimes we might bicker like crazy, but we love each other, want growth and happiness for each other and we still have passion (this could be long and versed so I'll pass on sharing now)... but we might hate each other for a few minutes, sometimes we might even hate each other for the whole day because we are stubborn mules who want our way for a certain decision... but at the end of the day... We love each other so much!

I grew up in a household where fighting between parents never happened, but resentment infested their spirits and love, and like many people my age I come from a divorced home. But learning to fight it out like normal adults and learning to get over it... (like something I teach my daughters every day, she can hate what her sister might be doing but learning to accept her for who she is and how different she might be or how she sees something is nothing to stay angry about)... so I actually recommend you take a moment to praise the ones you love, accept their difference and love them and accept when you can stand them for that moment!

My husband and a friend of mine

~Cheers!

I am a mother to a child in school.....AAAAHHHHH!!!

Where do I begin, the excitement is palatable for me!

I am a secret nerd, back to school was never a big deal in my household as a child, I use to get hand me downs from my way older sister, and entered class with kids with new pens and pencils, crayons and funky pencil cases!

My mother never understood the fun that was school, she wasn't the first to be in line at the library or the book store... she liked that I was smart but had no idea how to encourage it. My eldest is smart... I know this sounds biast, but my eldest could sit from the tender age of 1 and read, colour or paint in large increments of time. Her gusto to learn is so endearing to me I want to feed and feed her little brain.

Getting her back to school stuff was far more entertaining and exciting for me than I could have ever imagined... I walked through the Business Depot saying "I am so excited, I am so excited!" I think my eldest enjoyed the aspect of me being happy for her, my poor husband on the other hand is slightly more emotional. Just yesterday he couldn't contain his emotions as she walked around the house with her new knapsack excited about getting on her school bus.

But I am a in sheer joy, I always anticipated the idea of being a mother to a child who would grow and flourish and I am relishing it like a kid in the candy store luckily for me! My poor husband will have to grow into that concept!

To vacation or not...

I use to go to Greece as a child a lot, actually very much alone!

While you are going to read the end of that sentence in a very bizarre manner, my parents would put me on a plane alone with supervision and send me off to see family over in Greece, doing it alone actually gave me a ton of independence. Never did I feel I needed to be in the company of others to feel safe, I felt safe with myself. But it's been 10 years since I last step foot on Greek soil and I am yearning to go back.

Was thinking about going back as a family unit, debating about the costs associated to take toddlers across the pond, plane tickets that are outstandingly high, car rental fees that are crazy (we have 4 people to move around a whole country) gas, food, souvenirs and some tours. We decided to postpone til the next baby arrives.

But the other day my husband sent me for a loop when he said why not go at it alone. It would be so nice to go, pregnant to see all my friends and family... so much has changed since the last time I swam in salt water, since I saw my cousins and now meet new additions to their families. But I am being guilt ridden, I have always wanted to take my husband to Greece, to show him all my favorite places in Athens, Sparta, my favorite beaches in Stoupa, cliff diving off rock beaches in Mani and well just drinking a Frappe at a platia in the middle of any city in Greece and being up swept by the culture.

Many wouldn't understand what I mean, but I always dreamt about the day returning to Greece to see my girls run through a platia with other kids whose parents are also enjoying their coffee! Teach my girls to swim in the Mediterranean like I first did, get them to be spoiled rotten by family who has only ever seen them in pictures, talked to them on the phone. Get them to meet my oldest friend, my friend Rania that I first met at the tender age of 8 and who also is expecting her first this month.

I long for small jaunts to Greece, I miss the feeling of being there even if it's for a few days, I hate how far it is, how I can't ever go and island hop because I have to much to do when I am there, too many people to see to much excitement to be missed. It will never be a destination vacation, like a home away from home for me.

So next week, I might wake up deciding to take myself onto a very long 8hr plane ride and be one with the wind and go, just go... but it won't happen if I can't stop eating at myself that I should be there with all my family!

Why I write and how to make life count....

It's a very exciting time in my house lately, we are preparing to send our first to her first year of school, but before I go into the anguish of getting ready for that (keeping it for another post); I figured I would explain when I became a writer/blogger!

I won't be lying to you to tell you I loved books from being a child, I won't feed you any bull about being a star pupil; on the contrary all my language classes I barely made do, I passed by the very little that I could, never read the required reading material and well hated the books that were ever assigned to us.

First book I read from front to back other than my attempted Babysitter Club books, which I am starting to think I never actually completed was The Catcher in the Rye, grade 10... I was coming into who I was and the books way of writing in a verbal tone was exactly something I could understand my teacher butchered it, she hated the hero and so she tried to paint the book ugly, which turned me off more about the English class attendance til grade 12.

I went to an all French school, and my Grade 12 English teacher was new to our school, in from an English school she didn't speak a word of French and her teaching style completely new, have way into the year she got us to start reading Handmaid's Tale... and she dissected the book like no one's business, perhaps it bored intensely some of the reading aficionados of my class who liked to get through a book in a week, but we went through every detail of the written word of that book for over 3 months. I read and read every detail of that book, I sat there during class dissecting along with her and was entranced by such a plausible story about birthing rights, slavery and a mother's place and her womb. It appears from the ripe age of 17 I knew being a MOM was a huge deal to me.

From that book I spiraled into some fiend... I wrote essays better than ever before, I appreciated what the written form could do and create and how it can cause a permanent reaction to those who might be reading it.

Now since reading Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood) I haven't really picked up much fiction, I am a bit of a self-help nerd. I believe it's from my great need for change, for being the best me, for creating the ultimate ideal in myself and those around me. And when I write I can't seem to do fiction either... it's not in me to do!

But I know a lot of teachers going back into their classrooms this upcoming week, I know some great teacher, have met some pretty crappy ones, but I owe my ability to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard to the one and only Ms. Lily Dabby and if you ever do cross her path please tell her she changed someone life for the good... and remember to go and be someonelse's Ms. Dabby, because I read to my girls daily in hopes that they will love the written word, they love the world of communication and the continued pursuit of changing people with words to do better.

Thanks Ms. L. Dabby!

And Baby Makes 3 or is it 5...

I always am apologising for my lost in cyberspace MIA behaviour... this time I have good news. Here at Mommydoings we are happy to report that we are expecting our 3rd baby in our household.

While we are excited about where Mommydoings will be heading this year on the blog... my physical body will be growing in it's own direction as well.

Our brood is fairly excited and if you catch my girls for 5 seconds on my street they are excited to share with me that Mommy has a baby in her tummy! I think they want it to come out already but we aren't that far along.

So here's to the new part of me and the new part of the blog... growing list of items I might be looking at.

Enjoy! And congrats to me!

Cheers!~

Family Time: Movies in the Park

taking pics in the dark, flash too bright for little eyes

Summer doesn't come soon enough for me living here in Canada... I don't excel at winter activities, so when the summer rolls around I am even more hands on momma than the rest of the year. Try to find fun things to do as a family and make moments the girls can remember for a lifetime to come.

After a day filled with park visits, soccer games, street party meeting, we had scheduled in our calendar a movie in the local park! Planned for weeks, with permits acquired from our city hall, equipment on loan and a neighbourhood excited with the idea of giving our little park some evening action!

Our view of the film

We debated about taking the girls since they are in toddler/kindergarten ages and bedtime is early in our house... and it doesn't get dark til after 9pm... but we decided sometimes bedtime can be put at the waste-side for special moments. What we did do was have dinner, and then get ready for bed. We washed up, put on our PJs, prepped our warm milk in a sippy cups and strollered up and headed out to the screening. That way if someone needed to pass out they already were laying down in the stroller.

It was fun, families on blankets, a concession stand, a viewing of "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" in honour of the spotting of the Fox who has been trolling around in our city neighbourhood! We brought some popcorn we made at home, blankets to ward off the mosquitoes and our vigor to sit through our first full length film.

I loved this outdoor chandelier

It was nice... what do you do to bring fun into the family during the summer?

Verdict Not-Guilty: Casey Anthony Trial

When I became a mother, and would do 3 am breast feedings I was glued to CNN... my night was filled with Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs and Larry King. I was glued, a permanent fixture on my bed for hours being mesmerized by the newest American issues. As a Canadian it was interesting to learn how different judicial systems we had, how opinionated and honest the newscasters were.

A lot of emotions were had when the Virginia Tech happened, I was horribly emotionally attached, and then more and more items horribly made my insides cry, I would wake up wanting to hear if there were updates. The Elections came up after that, made the topics a bit lighter to take in, but in 2008 while breast feeding #2, I heard about this little 2 year old gone missing.

I had become glued, I had wanted to know if they would find her. The grandparents all up in arms, the mother not really caring and a police department that seemed a little confused at the situation.

And then they indited Casey Anthony, I won't lie I felt it made sense... it made perfect sense. Presumptuous perhaps, but here I am late night breast feeding, loving, providing, and caressing my child while this mother seemed unfazed by the reality that her daughter was gone, now this isn't some horrible teen, but a very very young child who wouldn't know if it was even OK to cross the street.

Then you have the grandmother questioning her daughter with her statements. Does this get any weirder? Here is the grandmother asking questions, I as a stranger would ask, but this grandmother was an active member in the child's life and all of a sudden the child isn't around, just up and disappeared!

Months had passed, breastfeeding had stopped in my house.., and I had to take stock in the reality that I get emotionally attached to these cases and am without ability to do anything. I heard the trial had started, I wanted to watch, but didn't want to sensationalise the situation any further in my deeply tarnished heart from what I had already heard. It was hard as my twitter feed occasionally had a mom tweet a small update here and there in disgust. So much had gone wrong and I was catching glimpses. And every day I reminded myself don't go on CNN, just don't!

Yesterday, July 5th, 2011 at 2:15 the State of Florida, and the Orange County had the jury come out to read the verdict. My twitter feed was on fire, I turned on my CNN! Not Guilty, a not-guilty verdict was issued for Manslaughter, a Not-guilty for Child Abuse. I will not lie, to me she is guilty. Whatever the occurrence of how this poor hopeless child met her fate, the mother was guilty for her careless actions. If she had starved her child and the child had died from starvation or dehydration should would have been charged, she would have been found guilty.

But we all watch enough CSI, Law & Order, Criminal Minds to know that your best bet to find a missing child is within the first 48hrs. So for this woman to keep up a front, go out drinking and dancing while her mother calls at night to ask where her granddaughter was... seems like negligence causing bodily harm/death. If one is drunk or high and crashes there car, they might not have had motive, may not even remember doing it, but will pay large amounts of time in jail for causing or perpetuating death without taking concern for their fellow man when getting behind the wheel of their car. Can we not say that not taking concern of your own child should warrant punishment if during your lax and ignorant stance on your child where-abouts which then causes them to die. Does no guilt fall on this behaviour?

I horribly feel that no justice was served today, verdicts yes, judicial system did it's job... blah blah blah.... but no justice. This horribly innocent 2 year old will be lost, her soul perhaps in peace, in heaven being coddled by Angels (at least this is my hope for her) will never get the justice for her life lost, for every child whose life is lost after hers that will never get the proper coverage for negligence of parenting!

Tonight there will be a vigil across the nations to keep your porch lights on for Caylee Anthony, to light her way home and let her know she was not forgotten in the show that was the trial for her justice. I will secretly grieve for her little body as my daughters have both passed the age of 2 and are beautiful and smart. I am reminded that this beauty will never get to be more than a Headline story.

Pushing through Me as Mom!

Lately I have been bombarded with comments and conversations about being Mom, being Social Mom and a Mom Blogger.

When did being pigeon-holed into a category make people feel the right to pass judgement, I read a blog about non-moms being the evil that the perils of being mom were misunderstood... but we're we moms not non-moms at one point in time. Then I read scathing twitter comments my most disturbing; "mom bloggers write blogs just so they can feel cool again." Best part it was from a fellow female. I don't understand this harbouring of resentment, I don't understand the lack of consideration in your fellow, human or even your fellow female.

I am a MOM, I may have worked in Editorial for a brief moment, been in the social circle before having kids, and please cool.... anyone even using the term can't really consider themselves cool! But when did a mom writing and sharing become so unattractive to those who don't have kids... why I ask, why do I care? Well because at one point in time some single living it up women will become the moms that they disparage in public forums.

I call it as it is, a huge amount of foot in mouth syndrome, where without taking precautions we speak without thinking. I take responsibility for the opinions I make, but I also like being called out on my shit, because I believe that owning up to offending people, learning from your lack of knowledge on a subject and just listening to an other's point of view makes me smarter and wiser on the subject may it reoccur in my life.

But most of all, I feel I have to defend my choice in parenthood, I wanted babies, I don't care that I worked in the most scathing industry that doesn't promote bearing children, I don't care that I have a social life that isn't very "mommy".... I don't like being pigeon-holed.... and believe that people do things for different reasons, it would be as I sitting here and commenting on why one doesn't have children, or moms who chose to stay home with their kids and don't leave their house... we do what "WE" want!

I do what I want... I want to stop feeling the need to defend my position. I want to be free of titles given to me by others, I want to be the funnest most outgoing mom, who does crafts with her girls, who goes swimming with them at the pool, who comes home and gets ready for a tweet-up or drinks with a girlfriend. Because I want to be me!

I tweeted this statement the other day; people assumed I was upset about something but I am just stating the obvious!

I am me, I am the best me I can be, I can't be you, you can't be me, there is only one of me!

Bethenny Frankel is beyond Mompreneur!

Have you heard of Bethenny Frankel? If not I might be concerned you've been living under a rock.

I first took notice of Bethenny when she appeared on the Apprentice Martha Stewart, she was a fast talking New Yorker. I was single then and she represented everything I ever wanted for myself... go-getting in the biggest city in the world. My life led me in a different direction, but then I hadn't seen Bethenny on my screen for years.

Then the Real Housewives Series started and the New York version started and she appeared on my screen all over again. Here I was watching her unfold her whole life on TV for the audience to watch and see so much about her. But we started to watch her grow this company called Skinny Girl.

Now you might say well I don't watch reality TV, but it doesn't matter... she now is making waves on the cover of Forbes for her business savvy. Because not only did she grow her Skinny Girl product, it's going to grow and be a money maker. Best part as a female is that she taught the licquor companies that Women are worth catering to in the spirits industry and not listening to us is suicide.

The Skinny Girl Margarita is hands down great... a mere 100 calories per serving, it touches to heart strings of the women not looking to gain weight but drink with the big boys, their girlfriends or even when they just need a drink alone! Guilt free... don't be mistaken, drinkers are concerned, head over to your closest local bar and ask the bartender what the most ask for drink from a female is and he will oblige with Vodka & Soda... but it isn't a fun drink. Trust me I've tried consuming it, not worth the effort! But that's the Diet girls drink of choice.

Finally in Canada (been in select US stores for a while now) we have options, and to help promote the Skinny Girl Margarita Bethenny chose to making appearances in Toronto and Vancouver. I wasn't going to miss out... here is a woman who is trying to balance a very lucrative business, motherhood and dealing with celebrity.

And Bethenny has come full circle for me, she is representing the newest dream I have for myself, Business woman with child (I have more than 1) but with perseverance to grow a business to make it successful and to never take no for an answer. She really inspires the new generation of women. It was a pleasure meeting her for multiple reasons, her smile infectious, her graciousness filled up the room.

Who is your business model? Who is your mom mentor?

Mother's Day!

Hope all you lovelies out there celebrated a great Mother's Day... Mine was remarkably quiet! We have been mending away sick toddlers and I got to take a nap and just veg out without many expectations from me.

While I appreciate today was all about me, I am greatly thankful of my husband because on a daily basis he is my team member in parenting and is the yin to my yang so that I can be the best mom I can be. I always am floored that 4 years ago I became a mom and then a mom to 2 with a blink of the eye.

It has been the best decision I ever took, one I was confident I could succeed in, one that I never look back wishing I hadn't done. On days I wish I had quiet and that my girls would just play nice without bickering about who held a toy longer over the other... but when those days actually arrive I feel I might suffer from empty nesting, so for now I am relishing the Lego's on my floor, the constant noise in my house and the unstoppable amount of hugs I get daily.

Hope you all had a great one!

Jukari Fit!

So you might notice that on occasions I hit serious work out highs, I easily get distracted and am always looking to find the next best workout to get my body where I believe I want it to be... still hasn't gotten there, but here's hoping!

I was invited to the Jukari Fit to Fly event from their creators Cirque du Soleil and Reebok! I had seen this workout on TV before, by all means I am a celebrity junkie and never miss a story. But when I was invited to this I couldn't turn it down for how fun the opportunity to get to do the same workout I have seen Brooke Burke and Brooklyn Decker do! Please I will give anything to have either body, and well... Brooke Burke let's me to believe Momma can fly too!

Here in Toronto, the first location to house this great fitness experience was the King West Fitness, what a great space for this fitness routine. I was unfortunately in high heels at this event and didn't get a chance to try it out but my girl friend did and has already booked sessions to do it. Fun is the number one key!

In Canada you can only go to classes in Toronto and gyms in Quebec, they have locations in the UK, Hong Kong and nationwide in the US. So there is no excuse, time to fly baby! Best thing I can say is it really brings out that fun girl in you!

Cheers!~

Banana Orange Coconut Loaf

I really love baking and creating new things for us all to eat in the house... but a few of us in the house have been sick, and I felt like filling my daughter with freshly squeezed Orange Juice, so I squeezed about 7 oranges for our drinks and was left with a ton of pulp on the machine. What to do, I will not waste all that fiber.

So baking was the only option!

Banana Orange Coconut Loaf

2 cups of Flour ( I used 1 cup of All Purpose White flour + 1 cup of Whole Wheat flour)

2/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of Butter

2 Eggs

1 tsp of Baking Powder

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

2 bananas

1/3 of cup of Orange Pulp

1/2 of Coconut (toasted coconut are just as good)

1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Glaze

1/3 of a cup of Icing sugar

Milk

Set the over for 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Blend the Sugar and butter first. Add the eggs until fluffy. Add the Vanilla extract and the orange pulp. Mash the bananas in a bowl.

Sift together the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Now start combining the dry ingredients to the wet one with a folding motion with a spoon or baking spatula. Put some flour, some bananas and some coconut fold, repeat.

Put the mixture in Greased cooking pan, I used a 9x5 cake loaf but you can use cupcake, cake pans.

And enjoy!

Cheers!~

Finding One's Self!

I don't tend to blog a lot about Motherhood, being that I am one of the firsts of my friends to have babies I never felt it my place to bombard my friend with talks of poop, parenting, late nights and exhaustion. Not to mention the lack of connection with ones body after a whole other body has left your own. Do I do it to not deter my friends, perhaps--- I think being a Mother is great, and would never tell someone anything that could make them change their minds in having something that truly has brought such utter joy into my life.

But there is something about becoming a mom, the added pressures that most don't understand til you are a mom, and the lack of self care that happens while you are trying to be Super Mom! Your brain hits serious over drive, not being all you can be really allows your brain to go into overdrive in the lack of who you are without your children and how much you can be for them because you want them to be proud of their mama!

So while you are tugging and pulling with your brain, your diet, excercise, work and children are tugging and pulling at you physically. And many of us have our A-HA moments! Mine was when my arm broke (only because imagine all those tasks and thoughts and then not being allowed to do them because you are FORCED to heal), truly presented me without an option than to confront my thoughts and how little I was taking care of myself.

Many Mommies have these moments, and here at Mommy Doings it just wouldn't be right to share these stories so that we can all know we've been there and we can get passed it, but most of all we are NOT alone!

Cheers!~

A little bit of Sublime, to pass the time!

Last Friday I got to go to a beauty launch party! And when I realised it was a beauty event I knew the smartest thing to do was to invite my little cousin to come a long... no one loves make up like she does, so this was totally up her alley.

When we arrived at the L'Oreal Creative Labs her face lit up and I knew we were up for a good little launch! It's like they knew I was coming everything was my favorite shade of hot pink, we even ate strawberry mousse cups, but the guest of honour that night was Hair!

L'Oreal was launching for the first time in Canada their new Sublime Mousse hair dye, I think I have dyed my hair a million times since the age of 16, this was totally up my alley, especially since my roots are growing in and getting bored of this colour already! They had models with freshly dyed hair walking around and sharing their great new colour, and even the fabulous Eric Del Monaco (who you'll hear more about this week to come) showing us how great the product was to use and apply.

Now I couldn't go to such a great event and just come on here to brag, so the great people of L'Oreal put together a great little swag bag for a lucky reader of Mommydoings; this contest is unfortunately only for those who live in Canada.


So easy, just :

1- comment and let me know what sublime means to you and

2- follow the blog or like the facebook page, let me know which one you chose to do, and what your contact name is on it.

*contest runs til April 24th... don't miss out!*

Cheers!~

P90X-- Bring It!

My husband and I have been super busy, we have so many little projects on the go... we don't always get a chance to leave the house to fit in an excercise routine, I have tried it all currently loving my Zumba class which doesn't feel like a workout at all, and I really love light weight training of multiple moves in a muscle conditioning format.

But when my cousin kept touting the idea of how wonderful P90X was, I wasn't remotely close to believing her, the idea of doing a video/DVD workout seems so ridiculous to me, I am not easily motivated to get a serious sweat on in my home, while my fridge is an arm stretch away, while the option of watching TV gossip rags, soaps and other frivolous television shows.

But then my husband said he'd get on the bandwagon, and we've been working out together... it's been a perk and it gives us something further to bond with that doesn't take extra time out of our day to convince each other to do so. So we have been experiencing P90X through the eyes of Tony Horton, what a great physique this man has may I add.

Tell me what is your favorite excercise routine, what's your favorite way to burn calories? Do you work better at home in your own privacy or in a gym atmosphere? Do you need an instructor or trainer to motivate you?

Pantry Purge!

I haven't stopped making food since the day I started making brownies!! While it has been fun for every one's palette, it hit a nerve that day!

I can bake, I actually am a great baker (I have plenty of bad qualities so I am not boasting here,)but as I started to bake I realised that I am always willing to pick up store bought cookies, brownies, go for a Starbucks run when I have nearly every ingredient to bake, cook or brew all my favorite goodies!

So I am on a kick, instead of letting anything in my house sit for months or even a year on end, and I am referring to dry products why not make my own! I like artisan breads, why not make my own? I almost feel ridiculous that this is something I am fully capable of doing myself but I wastefully pay for others to do.

So for the next month I will continue to use up the ingredients in my baking cupboard, my spices that don't get used on a daily basis! So excited to see what I can come up with!

Cheers!~

Prayers!

With today's expected devastation all I can say is Prayer of any denomination, religion, belief system that positivity reign it's angel'd wings of peace to lay over the countries that will be hit by the Pacific Coast Tsunami.

May those who live there be safe, may the countries not hit yet only see pretty waves and that for those who cannot avoid it, please get to a safe location we are thinking of you!

A Brownie of a Good time!

I am always on twitter... I love it, I will not LIE!

My feed is always full, a constant update of things people are sharing, places they are seeing, people they are meeting and food they are eating. Ohhh the food they are eating!! This really has made me a gluten for punishment, I want to eat everything I see... more so on days that I have zero interest but on days where I fall to the cravings I walk over to the baking cupboard and go wild. The last fierce piece of YUM, Brownies!

Recipe: "Best Brownies" Hershey's

1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of Cocoa
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 cups of chopped nuts (optional)--- I have never put nuts in mine!!

Heat over at 350 F grease 8" or 9" brownie pan, stir butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, add the eggs, beat well!

Combine the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the butter mixture beating til well blended. Spread in pan! You'll have the spread, this is a very thick mixture and might seem to thick, don't over analyse it, you did it right!

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the sides start pulling away from the pan.

I like to make an icing for my brownies and this time I made a ganache icing, that I don't have a recipe for but I make ganache and then start adding icing components, a standard chocolate icing shall do!

And voila! These don't last long in my house, perfect acroutement to a glass of cold milk!

Cheers!~