Shopping - Shopping - Shopping!

Okay. I am going to make a promise here to you today and I am going to try to stick to it!

(After I make the following statement, I am sure most of you will roll your eyes and say, 'Yah, right')...

Regardless,

Here goes:

I am going to attempt not to buy ANY clothes, shoes, accessories for a full year (for myself).

Let's see, today is September the...23rd. 

Can I do it?

I am seriously going to try.

What prompted this goal, you might ask?

Well, yesterday, as is usual of this time of year, I got into fall cleaning mode: out with the summer-ware, in with the fall-winter ware. And I realized something astonishing. I have a sh*t load of clothes!

You might already have known this...

But I did not.

Not really.

But after having two babies, I have clothes that fit me within a sixty lb range. 

SERIOUSLY!

Impressive, non?

And what I am very proud of myself for doing is thus (*ahem): last year I did my maternity shopping solely at H&M.

But do they have a maternity section?, you might be asking yourself...

Um. No.

However, the styles of late have been about big tops, sweater dresses, leggings, etc. All clothing styles that work well with growing bellies.

So those were the styles I bought. And guess what? They're still in style this year.

And I will be starting at a new school next March, so for many weeks, every outfit I wear will be brand-new to them...

(Not that I am deluded into thinking anyone else REALLY cares what I am wearing)...

But it's a good thing all the same.

And so, after unloading two separate wardrobes, and the in-between stage outfits as well, I've come to the conclusion that there is sincerely no need for buying new clothes.

Also, some outfits I bought some five or more years ago (even before I started my official teaching gig), I am looking at with new fashion eyes: I can see new ways to wear them, new combinations to try!

I shopped my closet people! And I liked it! In fact, it's the only budget, price, option I can afford these days...

Goodness. I might be maturing..

I am putting my money into savings rather than spending it on clothes...

I might need to stay OUT of stores, including anything JOE FRESH related, though...Or I MIGHT be in T-R-O-U-B-L-E! Want vs. Need and all that...

Do you think I can do this?????

.....

However, all this said, maybe you noticed?

Nowhere in this post did I say anything about not buying make-up.

I mean really, let's be realistic here!

Tweet

Philosophy

I took e for a walk tonight. And she took her baby for a walk in her baby's little umbrella stroller. While most people choose to walk on the sidewalk and make their walk easier, e decided to fight through the grass instead. She was often stuck, exclaiming emphatically 'I stuck!' But this constant issue did not dissuade her or motivate her to change her route.

Nope.

She is my daughter.

My mom asked me once why I chose not to listen to her advice or learn from her mistakes.

My response was thus (ahem): Because MOM. I want to make my own mistakes, fall on my own ass, and learn at my own pace, in my own time, in my own way.

Like e is proving, I liked the hard road way better. I enjoyed jumping head first into and at life no matter the cost or the resistance.

Even with my imploring with her to take the easier path, e, too, seems to enjoy the tougher path. 

Oh dear.

Tweet

Weaning and The Like....

So, if you're my friend on fb then you know that this was the week I decided to move dr b out of my room (not my bed, my friends, calm now....), and into his big boy room and his much roomier crib.

My heart hurt.

My tummy was in knots.

My eyes were all welled up.

He looked so tiny.

And the crib was ever-expansive.

I nearly rationalized our way out of this messy weaning process. 

But no. I was committed.

Mostly for other selfish reasons, like ensuring e did not come barging into our room ONE MORE TIME waking dr b up from his slumber and thus starting my juggling act earlier than necessary.

No. Having dr b in his own room would mean, I am hoping, that he would get to sleep more peacefully and I will get to enjoy this fact.

However; this whole weaning thing sucks ass, people.

It does.

For people like me who used to cry at the summer's end when I knew that I was either going back to work or school and jb was doing the same and our summer of fun and bliss and all that would be no longer.

Yup.

Me and change are like oil and water.

But it's actually much more than that really.

With e things seemed to move a lot slower, though my feelings were equally intense (it is me we're talking about, right?! I mean come on!)!

But the phases seemed to be longer and everything about her first year seemed to, in retrospect, move slower.  

Even jb was surprised when I woke up one day and said it was time to move dr b out. He thought it was way sooner than we had done it with e.

Nope I said. It was the exact same time: beginning of the school year. In fact, it was actually, considering their two week birthday difference, a bit later for dr b.

But with child number two everything seems to have amplified and sped itself up. Not being able to nurse after eleven weeks broke me. His smiles break me.

The fact that he will be six months in three days....breaks me.

With e, I did not consider future children. I was all about her. She was my world.

With dr. b, I do. I also think, there is a chance this might be it. And so every new phase, every new 'wean' is more intense to me. I think, this special moment might be the last. Having my little infant sleeping soundly and safely at my side in this moment, well it might be the last time I get to experience this joy.

And it is a joy.

I love being mother and protector. I love the idea that I've created a womb-like safe and secure environment for my children in my room, in our home, etc.

And with every change, every growth, I feel like the umbilical cord is stretching. And it's not they who are suffering or suffocating from this reality, it's me.

Can one have empty nest when her kids are still two and under, I wonder?

Anyhow, suffice it to say, that first of all I don't do change all that well; though I do know that change is a good thing and that there are many good things to come.

Just know that I am loving every moment (except those brief colicky periods--ew!) of my baby's infancy and I just want to hold the moments and memories so tightly that they don't ever get forgotten or disregarded.

I know that I am a lucky woman.

And I know my babes are precious.

And I know, second time around, how great the phases are, and how fast they move...

Every moment feels like another wean has to take place: from womb, from boob, from bedroom, from bottle, from home...sigh. I just want to wrap my babes up, hold onto their baby stages as long as I can, and keep them as all mine for a little longer before the world gets at them.

I love their innocence. I love their beauty. I love this whole experience.

The End. 

For today:-)

Tweet

Life After iPhone

Last Maternity Leave, I was acquainted with the wonderful blogging world. I felt revitalized, renewed, tech-savvy even! When I went back to work and was presented with new technologies I could use in my classroom, I was not afraid, I was pumped! After all, I was now a pro at all things technology, thanks to my days blogging and htmling, etc....

Nothing to this technology stuff, I thought!!! (In years past, though, I would cower at the idea of trying anything new in the technology realm...)

This Maternity Leave, I've become acquainted with the wonderful iPhone. Since the world of blogging is often referred to as the blogosphere,  I feel like the iPhone should be called the iPhonesphere, because it too opens up a whole new world of possibilities, of thinking, of being. 

(Sounds dramatic, but it's true!)

Not only have I, the world's worst photographer--(not only am I bad at taking good shots, I rarely take the time to even pull out a camera to take a picture)--become a both a photographer and video-grapher, but it's actually been a natural and easy progression!

I know!!

I am pretty much addicted to documenting, in fact! And what perfect timing too, as my children are growing, I want to be sure to document their phases and stages. I am always taking a picture or videoing something new that they are accomplishing. And I feel so engaged and involved;-)....

It's awesome.

And going out for a night on the town with my iPhone means getting some really fun stills of my friends. AND if I lose my friends (even under the same roof), I simply have to text them, and voila!I can find them!

Life is good with the iPhone;-)...

Not only is it good for documenting and orienting, the iPhone is also good for communicating. If you know me, you know that my hubby and I get along really well, and we also fight really well. We're equals in every way, which means we meet equally eye to eye or when we don't quite agree, it`s with similar conviction.

What does the iPhone have to do with this fact you might ask?

...

Well, the iPhone has permitted us to express ourselves possibly a bit better. My apology sounds just that bit more sincere in a text format

...

My explanation seems a bit more considered

...

My texts are more honest sounding sometimes than my voice

...

Odd, but true. Maybe more intimate thoughts come from brain to finger than from brain to voice?

I was always told I didn't think before I spoke...Maybe I am more considerate when I type?

hmm...

Another bonus with the iPhone? Well, I have to say this one is my hands down favourite: I can track my diet and fitness regiment. In fact, I would say that there is no excuse for me to not keep myself fit and healthy with this trusty little iPhone friend of mine. Not only can I use MyFitnessPal to track (and even scan) my foods to ensure I am eating the proper quantities and nutrients, I can now track all my workouts through NIKEPlus and iPhone. 

I know, right? 

Awesome.

And not only that, I can play the most up-to-date music from my new App, TuneinRadio, and I am never bored on the treadmill...

Each new song is a surprise...Unlike in the olden days when I had my trusty portable CD player with my finite CD selection and redundant music choices...

Now everything about working out seems vast, infinite and exciting.

And it's all because of my trusty new iPhone.

Along with all these wonderful new Apps and abilities my iPhone offers, I am also more able to stay in contact with people. I figure this phone is gonna make me more popular!

I can fb whenever and wherever I want! I can twitter away all day if I so choose!!!

(though I need more friends to follow - any takers???)

...But most importantly, I can text rather than telephone whomever! And I like that...People can reach one another and reply to one another in their own convenient time rather than immediately--very important for all the moms and dads out there who have to contend with naps, dinner-making, bed-time, bath-time, cleaning, tantrums, etc...All these incidences in a day leave very little time for actual immediate conversing...but a text, WELL, that's do-able!

Again, I'd say me texting is better than me talking any day;-)!

Oh! And I almost forgot! I am more current than I ever used to be. Being the little busy, frenetic girl that I am, sitting down to a newspaper was really not my thing...But now, with all my newspaper Aps and PerezHilton Aps (hey, that's news, too, isn't it???), well now, I am pretty up-to-date on events...


Never mind that all I really need to do to get my news is read my friends' status updates or the recent trending tweets on twitter;-)...


I am so current, I might even be future...


um...did that make sense...

The only downfall to this whole iPhone thing, I'd say, is that I may possibly be too connected, (I might even say I sometimes am a bit over-present on fb)....However, I bet one day that such a notion of being over-exposed or being too connected will no longer exist...

It will be the norm...

I really enjoy being up-to-date with technology and am hoping to figure out ways to use this knowledge in the classroom, with Trending Walls, and Twitter Tweets, and fb Status Updates....And also by syncing my iPhone with my future Mac Book, IPad, etc., with my Smart Board, so I can teach with my trusty technologies!

Being a good teacher means knowing the same if not more than my students when it comes to technology and Media - so I hope to continue to learn and use all my new gadgets and Internet lingo in my classroom on a daily basis.

And all of this advancing on my part? -- could not have happened without my iPhone. 

I heart my iPhone.

The End.

(ps - I hope you know I am always slightly hyperbolic in what I say...you can determine what`s exaggerated;-)!)

Tweet

AND....

Before I can tell you about my peanut butter pie making experience (remember, from Beth's blog?), may I remind you of this incident of 2010:)!

Okay, now that you are fully prepared and suitably underwhelmed, I shall share my tale of making the peanut butter pie in memory of Mikey and in honour of Beth, the busiest, most involved and engaged person I know!

So, step one of all baking is to read the instructions and make a grocery list. So, I read the instructions, and the first thing I thought was, what do they mean by chocolate cookies? After some discussion with Beth, we decided that the Bulk Barn would be the best place to find such cookies (sans vanilla or chocolate icing fillings)...That is, before Beth went and asked her baker aunt for guidance and got an even better plan going (including a likely better crust approach than mine)...But whatever. This is not a competition. It's for a good cause.

Ahem.

Now, with my new, trusty iPhone, I didn't even have to write a grocery list...I simply had to carry my phone with me to the Bulk Barn and the grocery store and I could look at the blog and buy the goods and skip the middle step. (And if you know me, skipping steps is what I do best!!!)

So off to the Bulk Barn I went, post Dr. b being laid down to rest for the night (took five minutes people...I know, I am the BEST mom EVER!;-)!!!!

I was so super pumped! I have this renewed energy, you see...So I am trying to direct it positively rather than assault all of you all day on your fb or through texts and the like....(you wouldn't know I have two kids, would you?)!!!

Anyway(s) (that's for you S.S.), I managed to get a few of the items at the Bulk Barn - a few. I found what I deemed to be suitable cookies (those graham crackery ones covered in chocolate...mmmm).

The freakin' bill came to $11.00!!! Wow, baking is EXPENSIVE. It would be cheaper for me to go to my local Starbucks and buy a piece of cake (and that's saying something)!

But I was not near done. Oh no...

To the grocers!

And at the grocers, I spent another whopping $18.00. So presuming this pie/cholesterol haven managed to be split into six pieces, each piece would cost, let me see...11 + 18, carry the one, minus mistakes, plus additional mistakes, and we have 30 / 6 = 5.00 for one piece. hm....Maybe I will charge anyone who wants a slice (since I am now the frugal, penny pincher, right h.r.l & a.w, my fav. dutch financial advisers;-)???)!

Okay....

Enough blabbing!

NEXT: to the in-law's!  to borrow requisite spring-form pan. I can't be sure, but I think they were secretly laughing at me and my want to create this pie for someone I didn't even know with whom I was only just acquainted in the good ol' blogosphere...

I say they were missing the point....

And my family was going to get to reep the um...rewards.

So here's where I begin my confessional...

I bought all the things that were on the blogger's list. I checked my goods over at least four times. I felt pretty good.

AND I actually used the proper pan (thanks Su Bu!), which I almost NEVER do (call it the rebel in me, but following instructions and me, well, we simply don't get along all that well)...Drives my hubby mental...he teases me and pretends to cook like me, saying things like a cup here, and pours wayyy too much in (though I may not use the actually measuring cup, I say I am more accurate than he thinks I am!)...

So I get home, feeling really thorough and resolved to do this thing to perfection...After all, y'all are gonna be grading me, right?

So I take out all the measuring tools (I know! doing better already)!!! I also take out all the mixers, bowls, spoons, spatula's, etc., and ingredients I need...

I even take out my scale! Seriously, people...I was SERIOUS!

And I begin...And I start off with a bang! I am like a seasoned baker in my kitchen, prepping before I start, and feeling all OCD organized (again, a first for me)!!!

And then it happens. My first bluster....I look at the ingredients I buy. Now, a heavy cream should look a little like this:

But instead it looked like this:

 I am no baker! Is this a problem? Don't know yet...but at the time, I started to get hot in the face and slightly flustered...

But I'd been on a roll up to this point, no use in letting this little *possible* mishap upset my so far perfect streak.

And so I continue on, following the directions impeccably!

I was doing so well, I even surprise myself: melting what I was supposed to, chopping what I was supposed to, measuring what I was supposed to and even REFRIGERATING WHILE I WAS creating what I was supposed to!

I was all, there's nothing to this baking thing, I am sooo good at this already! easy as pie (now I understand that adage;-))

Honestly, I was feeling beyond professional.

And then I realized it.

Foible number two.

Okay, so if you go to the recipe you'll see: Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Then it says: Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth. 





But instead I did this: (partially b/c I had bought the wrong cream and wasn't sure it would beat until peaks would form, but regardless)...Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer --- Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. 

So in case you missed it, what I did was not beat to peaks, and then add all the ingredients to the cream, rather than refrigerate the cream and add the appropriate ingredients to the peanut butter and cream cheese....

At this point I was RIGHT FLUSTERED!!!!!

I blame my trusty iPhone for being so freakin' small, I didn't even notice I'd skipped a step!!! (what is it they say about the poor workman who blames his tools?) WHATEVER!  HRMPH...

BUT, I AM a PROFESSIONAL...

And...

I knew that there was no turning back.

And certainly I was not going to try it all again! My pie per slice would then be $10.00. That was just ridiculous.

Easy as pie my a**!

I didn't tell jb my mistakes, as I knew he would totally make fun of me and call me his fav nickname: sb 10 percenter...shoulda used a measuring cup, coulda done it this way, coulda done that instead...He is a very good cook, and does everything perfect the first time, you know. (And truly, I say this begrudgingly, I am not even being sarcastic. HE IS PERFECT IN THE KITCHEN -- AND HIS FOOD EVEN LOOKS OCD PERFECT)!

I hate him;-)

and also, had I told him, I'd be all...D*mnit! I hate when he's right...

And he'd be all, 'I told you so...' sing song intonations and all....

Not only that, this was in a way, a public humiliation. I was showing the world that I cannot even follow a darn recipe.

English major who cannot read sequential instructions yet teaches craft to young children.

You know what they say, those who can't ... teach.

Gr...

All said and done, though, I tried to make the pie look as pretty as I could (to disguise its likely inevitable gross taste and more than likely floppy, droopy, gooey interior). If it LOOKS pretty, maybe jb won't notice.

What's funny here, is that I can't even really make the pie look pretty. The chocolate drizzle looks more like chocolate blobs...

Ha.

Anyone who utters sb type A about me again, I may punch out...Being busy and being type A? two very different things:-)

All this said, here's an image of the final product, refrigerated over night and everything (bonus points for following MOST of the directions???)...

I will get back to you about how it tastes, later...

duh duh duh... 

I will keep you posted on how it tastes after lunch!

 

Tweet