Don't Look Up My Blog

I try really hard to never use my full name on my blog. Mostly because I'm scared a potential client will look it up and see everything wrong with it. And not hire me (obviously).

I edit for a living. I write for a living too. I used to teach English for a living.

But I blog for fun. And, as a result, I seldom never edit my blog. In fact, I can't remember the last time I actually read over a post before I hit publish.

Occasionally, my sister will text me and point out a spelling mistake (when she reads my blog...so, like, once every three months). ONE TIME a complete stranger emailed me re: an error in my post and I was mortified. For the next week I tried to watch more carefully but I got over that rather quickly.

You'll find mistakes here. Sometimes big ones. You'll find unsubstantiated thoughts and ideas. You'll find insights that sometimes sound stupid (even to me, should I dare go back to my 2009 posts...what was I thinking???). Sometimes I come off as a total douche. Sometimes I come off as a whiner. Sometimes I come off as a person who was unlikely to have passed Grade 11 English given all the errors in my posts (for the record I have two university degrees. Oof.)

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this space is purely for fun- maybe a bit of writing practice, maybe a bit of cheap therapy, maybe a bit of egotistical self-indulgent back-patting, and maybe a bit of a place where I can whine and complain uninterrupted.

But it's not my writing portfolio. Nor is it indicative of my editing abilities (I'm good, I swear!). It's just my little space- that hopefully doesn't have my name attached to it very often.

On Luck

You're lucky that writing has worked out so easily for you. 

Most people have to work much harder than you to even get the slightest whiff of interest. 

An editor replied within hours of a query? An editor you didn't know? Unheard of!

Who do you know?

Some days I think I am lucky. Some days I think it's mere fate that my writing, fiction and non-fiction, has been published with some regularity. Some days I wonder when my luck will run out and this 'writing thing' will grow stale and I'll stop receiving interest in my words.

But then I remember:

I have been blessed- I cannot deny that. God has allowed me to carve out a successful writing/editing career; a career that sometimes surprises me. But that doesn't mean I don't deserve it and that doesn't mean I haven't worked hard for this. I fully admit that I am often the most flippant about my abilities.

Oh, I just wrote it and sent it in and voila! published.

But the truth is that I have been writing for years. I have been cultivating and learning and failing (a lot). I have been scared and received negative feedback and given up. I have stopped writing for years at a time. I haven't had all 'good luck'.

I think that, when someone else is succeeding (even for a short period of time), it is natural to 'blame' this success on luck, when we should really be 'blaming' this success on preparation, readiness, and talent. Yes, there is a little bit of 'right time right place' involved...but there is a whole lot more of hard work to be found behind any single success.

Luck. It's a good thing. It has sometimes made all the difference in having my words accepted versus rejected. But LUCK doesn't happen by chance and it rarely comes to the unprepared. That's what I'm hanging my hat on today.

Confession: I Used Lysol

Remember back at the beginning of the year when I so boldly stated that I wanted our home to be chemical-free? That I was going to make my own cleaning products for our home? Remember that??

Well, I did it. For three months I was completely natural in my home. I made all my cleaning products- nary a chemical in sight. And you know what? My house looked like crap. It looked dirty. There's no way around it- I could not for the life of me find a 'natural' cleaning product that really did the job. That cleaned the messes left by two little boys, one grown boy, one (very clean and perfect) female and a cat.

We spent the entire winter being sick. Passed from one person to the next, we went through colds and flus followed up by colds and flus. It was a nightmare. I was disinfecting with vinegar and water. I was using baking soda scrubs. I spent hours looking up solutions on the internet. I squeezed lemons (fyi: when you clean with lemon juice it is very very sticky) and cooked up concoctions on my stovetop. I scrubbed and scoured and used all the 'extra elbow grease' that natural cleaning sites advised me was necessary. I did it. I tried.

But last week, I bought an industrial sized box of lysol wipes, because I just couldn't take it anymore. Nothing LOOKED clean. Nothing FELT clean. So I started wiping and de-germing and disinfecting...and my house looks better and feels cleaner and we seem (knock on wood) to have finally rid the household of the germs that took up residence all winter long.

I'm not done with natural cleaners. I actually really like my spray bottle of vinegar and water- it's perfect for a daily kitchen clean-up and bathroom shine. I use hot water and vinegar on my floors and they look fantastic. I don't even mind a squeeze of lemon here and there. But lysol wipes are back for those germy messes. And I bought some toilet bowl cleaner because I live in a house of boys who DESTROY the toilet on a regular basis. And I grabbed some bleach too.

I want my household to be as natural and healthy as possible- I truly truly do. I desire for my kids to be as healthy as possible and to grow up as free from harmful chemicals as I can. But at the same time, I need a clean house; baking soda paste and a scrub brush just were not cutting it, no matter how hard I tried.

So, I ask, how naturally do you clean? How can I balance the need for a clean household (not just a sparkly house but a literally CLEAN home) with the desire to be as chemical-free as possible? How do all you moms out there do it?

SPA WEEK!

Spa Week® by WaySpa is coming to Canada this spring, offering consumers access to the

largest spa & wellness marketing event in the history of the spa industry. This North American phenomenon will be launching in Toronto from April 15 – 21, 2013, allowing Torontonians to enjoy luxury spa packages from various spas across the GTA for just $50.

Since its North American inception in 2004, Spa Week Media Group has been a true pioneer in the spa and wellness industry. Spa Week has made it possible for millions of people across North America to experience the healing and therapeutic benefits of the spa with its Spring and Fall Events’ affordable $50 treatments. Following in America’s footsteps, Spa Week by Wayspa plans to play a major role in opening the Canadian spa world to the masses while diminishing its privileged and exclusive reputation.

Spa Week has proven to benefit more than just the consumer’s pocket. Millions of spa-goers will look to these treatments to enrich their personal health and well-being, rather than just pamper themselves. Whether it’s managing chronic physical conditions, decreasing pain and stress, learning healthy eating habits, achieving weight-loss goals, or just simply improving quality of life, Spa Week offers an extensive menu of wellness services for consumers to better themselves on a budget. From the most modern massage and bodywork techniques to cutting- edge skincare procedures, there’s something for everyone on the Spa Week menu.

“For the past nine years, consumers from all walks of life have felt physical and mental relief and gained tools for healthier living by taking advantage of an abundance of spa and wellness treatments at an affordable price, all made possible by Spa Week,” comments Jeremy Creed, President of WaySpa.com. “WaySpa.com is thrilled to be bringing this bi-annual event to Canadians for the first time and believe Toronto is the perfect city to kick things off.”

Moving into its 18th installation in North America, Spa Week’s Spring 2013 Event will take place in multiple markets during the same week, now including Toronto. Consumers will have the option of indulging at many luxury spas across the GTA including The Shizen Spas at the Cosmopolitan and Pantages Hotel, Novo Spa, and Dove Spa to name a few.

The complete directory of participating spas will launch on Wayspa.com on March 11, 2013, allowing consumers to contact the spas directly to book their services. Given the high demand for services, consumers are advised to book their treatment as far in advance as possible to avoid missing out.

Website: http://www.wayspa.com/en/spaweek 

Twitter: @wayspacom 

Hashtag: #SpaWeekTO

On Slut-Shaming

For as long as I can remember, I have written stories. Often in my mind. Occasionally on paper. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're crap. But they're always there- these stories that at times make it hard for me to think about the real world because my brain is so crowded.

Writing and mothering do not go hand in hand. I need to write when an idea strikes me. 9/10 times, my children need me more than my writing does. Despite this, I am occasionally able to steal a few moments and flesh out an idea- moulding and creating- until it becomes something that strikes me as readable and (if I'm lucky) likeable.

I've had a few brushes with publications. Magazines here and there have picked up a pitch and published my words. I've had two short stories published (the only two I have ever submitted for publication)- one internationally, the second on a smaller scale. I blogged for a national site for two years (was amazing!) and I've had this blog for almost 4 years. Writing is my sanity saver.

A chance twitter interaction with a fellow writer, however, had me rethinking my often stalling writing 'career'. She asked me why I didn't pitch more. Why I didn't TRY harder. Why I wasn't believing in my own worth as a writer. Why I was ok with occasional publication. She pushed me to send out queries to the 'big guys'...to just go for it.

And so I did. Sunday afternoon I snuck away from my hubby and sons and wrote for about an hour. Then I sent it to the biggest guy I could think of.

An hour and a half later I got a one line email in return: 

I can use this.

And with that, I was published in the National Post (both online and in print- page A12 if you're so inclined). And I am so, so thrilled to share my published story (click on the link) with you.  

It was a tough one to write...it was a tough story to hear. I think it is a story that needs to be told, and I am so thankful that I went balls to the wall (as my friend Sherene says) and sent it in. 

Just doing the best we can...

We're sick. Very, very sick. Husband=sick. Wife=sick. Baby=sick. Only our (ALMOST) 4 year old has escaped the plague that has imposed itself on our home...or brought it home to roost. That's more likely.

We're not sick in this picture, but apparently my husband is not into fun, we look like crap self-portraits.
So I put up this one, in which we look tired but human. I assure you we do not look human at home.

The hardest thing about being a parent and being sick, is just that. It is nearly impossible to parent and be sick. It is nearly impossible to be patient and kind and cook nutritious meals and be caring while you're wiping snot by the bucketful and wishing you could curl up in a ball and never wake up.

So I'm giving myself a break. I wish I could be a super mom but this week it's just not happening. I've still worked (my amazing work-at-home job) but I asked for a replacement to attend a meeting on Tuesday night (thank God someone jumped at it!). I've made crackers and cheese a staple. I've let them drink gallons of juice (they need something, right??) and I've let all the TV watching just slide. I don't care what they wear (as long as they're clothed) and I've made bathing necessary and LONNNGGGGGGGGGG, as I lay on the floor of my ensuite and watch and listen to them splash around. I put on makeup and non-sweat pant clothing only to do the school drop-off/pick-up. Everything else? It's sliding.

Being sick is tough on everyone. But it's especially tough when you have a job that doesn't ever stop. So heads-up sick moms and dads. We're all just doing the best we can out there. And our kids love us for it (right? Tell me they do? RIGHT?).

Dream Room Makeover

When my husband and I bought our home two years ago, I was 8 months pregnant with our second son. And super grumpy. And in no mood to redecorate.

And you know what? Our house was perfectly fine the way it was painted. Our furniture fit just fine, the colours were not exactly what I would choose but they certainly were not awful by any means. Everything just worked.

Nonetheless, I have spent the past years hoping that we would be able to find the time/money to redecorate our bedroom and create the master bedroom of my dreams...we have been homeowners since 2006 and I have yet to decorate one room exactly the way I would love it.

Enter March Break and my lovely husband, who agreed to take the week off while I took the kids to my parents- all so he could work his butt off to give me the master bedroom of my dreams. Armed with a $1,000 budget and strict instructions from yours truly, Chris really gave me the bedroom I have been dreaming of! I never bought into that "your master bedroom should be a sanctuary for you and your spouse" but now...

The Before:

Our master bedroom was a purple/grey colour that had literally become a dumping grounds for everything we needed to store in our house. Beautiful bedside lamps (from HomeSense) and a decent bed/night tables but everything else was expendable.

Purple walls- not my husband's dream...

My junky old dresser- filled with crap:)

Kids toys, left over Christmas junk.. this picture makes us look like Hoarders: The Beginnings

THE AFTER:

Our room was painted Spider's Web (a very light grey), with new dijon bedding from Urban Barn

A close-up of the textured wall paper (Martha Stewart) behind our bed. It's stunning in real life... wish it translated better on camera.

A sunny, bright vignette. (pictures & drapes from Home Sense; curtain rods from Martha Stewart)

An antique dresser and chair fill the space that junk once occupied.

My old dresser gets a facelift with a new mirror (Home Sense) and some pretty accessories. 

 I just could not be happier with how the room looks. It has the bright, sunny, hotel room feeling I was looking for- a place to relax, watch tv and feel truly rested. What's better? We came in under $1000 and were able to paint our master ensuite and replace the lighting fixture! A true room facelift:)