I must admit that this week I have been beyond irritated with human beings in general, but I've been particularly annoyed with a group of (I'm sure very sweet and well meaning) teenage girls who were going on and on at the nail salon about how hard their life is because they have exams. EXAMS. That's what was sooooo awful about their lives. Before you get all sanctimonious on me, YES, I am sure I thought the same when I was that age. I'm sure I complained obnoxiously about exams. But I'm sitting over here in my 30s with a husband and two kids and a job, trying to get my nails done and juggle it all and {often} doing a crappy job, so hearing them complain about EXAMS in HIGH SCHOOL had me all like
I just want to put this out there to begin with...
We love Medieval Times!
Last weekend marked our THIRD visit to Medieval Times in Toronto and, dare I say, we are not done yet! My boys are 4 and 6 years old and cannot get enough of Medieival Times. I'll be honest, I was a little concerned that my kids wouldn't have as much fun this time. I mean, they had seen the show 2 times already and I was worried that the magic of the show might not be there. I was wrong.
SO WRONG.
I think the third time was just as good as the first time because Medieval Times is consistently awesome. The actors never break character (even before the show!), there is audience interaction, there's food (oh, the food!!!!!), and there is non-stop excitement!
Now, make sure you get all the way to the end of this post because I am giving away TWO TICKETS to MEDIEVAL TIMES TORONTO! But first, here's what I've learned over my 3 visits to the castle:
Come hungry- Not starving, but the food is out of this world delicious mostly (I assume) because you eat with your hands. Don't worry, they have wet wipes for your post-meal clean-up, but pack a few extra wipes if you have particularly young children (they'll get messy!). You're going to be chowing down on soup, garlic bread, a massive portion of chicken, roasted potatoes, buttery corn and a dessert. You will be feasting like a king, I swear.
Pay the extra money for the King's Royalty Package- It is worth it to sit front row and see that action really up close! There's no such thing as a bad seat in the castle, but prime seats add to the magic of the show.
Arrive at least half an hour early!- The show actually begins the moment you arrive at the castle. There are squires and knights and pomp and pageantry. You get your picture taken (with a king if you have the upgraded package!), you get to look around the castle, see the horses and really get into the right mood for the show!
Bring your cheering voice- This show is totally interactive. Wear your crown, yell loud, wave your flag, and have fun! This is the time to let loose:)
Grownups: It's a GREAT date place!- We did not indulge personally (kids and such) but there was a couple on a date beside us that ordered a bottle of wine to split during the show and they had a blast. I may have *overheard* (ahem, eavesdropping) that it was their second date and I dare say it was going really well;) I would highly suggest a grown-up night out at Medieval Times - it's not just for kids!!!!
Kids: Be prepared for a FAB time!- There was not a kid in the place that did not have a BLAST!!! They'll be so engaged in the show that, parents, you'll be wondering why you didn't go sooner!
And now, for the giveaway!
Thanks to Medieval Times Toronto, I am giving away TWO TICKETS to a {Toronto-only} show of your choosing! I am so excited for one of my readers to win these passes! Enter below with Rafflecopter and GOOD LUCK!
We had such a full, busy weekend. The best kind of busy, really, because we just did so many things that we wanted to do!
The boys, my sister and I went to Legoland Discovery Centre in Toronto (#amazing).
They played soccer and practiced karate (we are going to have a ginger ninja on our hands, I swear. #ginja).
One kid went to a fun birthday party where he bobbed for apples and got drenched (it was his favourite part of the party and he talked about it for about 20 minutes after I took him home. Who would have thought such a classic party game would prove to be so much fun!?).
The other kid joined me at a #shomi party where he watched Sonic the Hedgehog on a tablet and filled a bag with candy and ate it all (and then found out what happens when you eat ALL the candy #bellyache).
We finished the weekend by putting up our Christmas tree.
Let's be real about our tree: It's fake, we have had it for almost 10 years, and it really is getting unattractive... but we just love it!
Our yearly tree decorating theme (because I'm too cheap to purchase new ornaments each year) is red and silver with white lights and a few sparkly white snowballs and snowflakes for good measure. The boys love to decorate the tree, I love to decorate our tree, and my husband tolerates it all. He tolerates the 'NSYNC Christmas music I put on, he tolerates the lack of symmetry when the kids decorate, and he tolerates my yearly tradition of time-lapsing our tree decorating.
This year, I discovered (thanks to my time-lapse video) that my favourite owl sweater (I bought if off #Etsy about 6 years ago) actually looks AWFUL on me and adds a good 10 pounds to my midsection (which is exactly the section that I don't need help with #thankyouverymuch). So this may also be the last year I wear my favourite (now not so favourite) owl sweater.
I also learned that my new phone will turn off a video randomly so you're only getting 3/4 of our tree decorating adventures, but you get the idea!
Regardless, it was a great weekend. We had a lot of happy memories and moments. The best kind of #weekend.
To be specific, it took three different student loans totalling close to $30,000.
10 years later, this:
I might just frame this beautiful letter.
Could there be any words sweeter than "Paid in Full"?!?
They're paid. The last of my student loans are paid. Glory be.
I wish I had a good story about how I paid them off in less than a year through massive suffering - but I don't. Here's my secret instead: I paid them off in 10 years with hard work, stick-to-it-ness, and pride. I never missed a payment and I never thought about trying to get out of paying them. I just steadily paid off $30,000 of student loans.
I am strongly in the camp of "school is essential to life". I will never regret the work that went into my degrees. They helped shape who I am, how I view the world, how I choose to live my adult life, how I choose to conduct and evolve my career.
If anyone ever asks "Was it really worth $30,000 to have two pieces of paper?" I say (without the slightest hesitation) "YES!"
There are so many lessons that university taught me. Lessons about prioritizing and working hard, making monetary sacrifices (yes, I lived off of 89 cent ramen noodles for months on end!), balancing a life with responsibilities - the lessons I learned were boundless.
And it's not just the life lessons that were worth those expensive degrees.
I learned how to fend for myself, that I'm a pushover and I have to stand up for myself, that my ideas and thoughts are valid (and even good sometimes), and that the work you put into anything directly reflects what you get back from it. I also learned how to eat healthily at a cafeteria (after gaining the Freshman 15+) and when to scrimp on beauty supplies (drug store makeup can be great even if it's cheap!!!) and when to not cut corners (waxing your own eyebrows=bad, bad, bad idea!!!).
Maybe I would have learned those lessons without school. Maybe I wouldn't have. Who knows? But I'm glad I spent the money to get my degrees.
You know what I'm even more glad about?
THEY ARE FINALLY PAID OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like to think of my blog as a dear diary to my kids; a place where they will one day come (if this type of space even still exists in a few years) to learn more about why their mom did the things she did, how she felt about decisions, what she struggled with, and how much she loved them (even when, I'm sure, it seems I'm crazy and not being the kind of parent they want me to be). Here's another life lesson from me to them:
I have spent my life pretty good at everything I have set my mind to.
I re-wrote that first sentence many times, but in the end I just decided to let it be what it is- I have spent my life pretty good at everything I have set my mind to.
The truth is that I haven't had a huge amount of failure. I fear failure. I run from the possibility of failure.
I was always excellent at school; I have always been a good writer and had a creative mind; I didn't like math but I wasn't bad at it; I could give a presentation on a moment's notice like no one's business; I got great grades in university and I loved my courses (it's getting nerdy, right?); I made friends; I had boyfriends; I moved to a new province by myself post-university and somehow managed to find my way; I've been able to pick and choose my job and pleasure/passion projects with ease. With the glaring exception of sports (which I do not play AT ALL because I know I won't be successful ever- seriously, walking is my sport), I have succeeded.
But then I had kids. And suddenly I wasn't so sure if I was good at anything at all anymore.
Parenthood presented me with failure after failure in a way that was so foreign to me that I felt like I was unable to function - the fear was so paralyzing. And it's safe to say I didn't handle it well.
The first thing I did, post-parenthood failure, was leave a career I was good at (teaching) for a career with a high, high failure rate (writing, and later television, and then back to writing).
When I made the decision to leave teaching and pursue my ridiculous pipe dream of working - MAKING MONEY - as a writer I was, once again, paralyzed by fear of failure.
Nonetheless, spurred on by my newfound feelings of failure thanks to parenthood, I set out to reinvent myself as a writer.
And guess what? I was a flop.
I started this blog, I wrote almost daily, I craved the keyboard- and nothing happened.
I pitched and pitched and pitched stories- and nothing happened.
I spent months looking at my inbox with anticipation, waiting for that "you are a genius writer and you deserve a book deal and your own magazine" email- and nothing happened.
I felt like an absolute failure.
I kicked myself for leaving a career I was good at for something I was obviously so brutal at.
I cried. A LOT.
But then - as is often the case, isn't it? - I had nuggets and glimpses of possible success. A story picked up here, an editor's interest expressed there, my name in print just enough times to make me hang on to hope.
It took almost two years before I would consider myself even remotely successful. Even once I had some success and name recognition, I found I still wasn't good enough. I still failed more than I succeeded. I got rejected and was told I wasn't good enough more than I was ever patted on the back. Editors still turned me down (and often), (many) people expressed a dislike of my writing style, and I still (regularly) questioned if I was cut out for the writing life.
After years of struggling to prove myself and make my writing dreams happen, I allowed all the doubt and fear of (even more) failure to fill in the crevices and cracks of my heart until I started to hate the clacking of the keyboard and the ebs and flows of creativity. I dreaded trying to meet a deadline and I stopped pitching story ideas to editors completely.
I did what any sane 30-something mother of two would do and I all but stopped writing.
I pursued other passions. They were good passions that filled my heart and allowed me to be creative in a different way. I was on television. I found jobs that were light and fun. But after a while, I realized all those other pursuits were just fill-ins because I had abandoned what I really loved to do; I was hiding from the fear and the possibility of failing at becoming a writer.
Fast forward to 2015.
It has taken a lot of soul searching to decide to go back to writing. I am approaching it in a different way this time- I am not making it my all or nothing and I am not hanging my hat on the possibility that I will write the next great children's book or viral magazine article. I am not assuming that an editor or agent will read my blog and send me an email that BEGS me to move to NYC with my family to become a full time author. I am not waiting with baited breath after I send out article pitches.
I am being more gentle with myself. I'm reminding myself that I love to writing and it's why I started on this road of certain failure in the first place. I am not counting hits on my blog or reading articles line by line to see how edited my printed piece is (they're always edited, for what it's worth). I am just writing and creating and letting myself get back into the headspace I need to be in.
And - the biggest of all - I'm coming to peace with the fact that I might fail.
Maybe I'll find out I'm not that good at writing after all, or maybe I'll find out I'm greater at writing than I ever dreamed, or (and this is most likely) I will discover that I am something in between.
But at least I'm back and trying to feed my true creative passion, one keystroke at a time.
If you're anything like me and you're struggling with finding that creative passion, set aside 20 minutes and watch this TED Talk from Elizabeth Gilbert. I must have watched this daily for two months after choosing to go back to writing this summer. Elizabeth talks about why it means to feel success and the biting sting of failure and how to find your elusive creative genius that lives within you - it might be just the medicine you need!
September marks one of two family traditions that we have established over the years: apple picking. Let's talk a bit about traditions, shall we? I'm actually not big on them. I feel like we live in an overindulgent era that makes every perceived holiday and tradition a "must do" (I see you and the parental peer pressure that comes with 'Elf on the Shelf' *shudders*) Not every holiday needs its own marker and tradition. A "must do" for every event cheapens the excitement and anticipation of a much-loved yearly tradition. I want my boys to grow up with one or two special, annual family events that have true meaning to us, that we look forward to and talk about year round, and that we make time for year after year, no matter what we have going on. Apple picking happens to be that tradition for us (the other is decorating our Christmas tree while drinking egg nog- I don't really know how it became a tradition, but the kids talk about getting to drink egg nog all year round, so we will go with it). We are so lucky to live in an area of Canada that finds itself with an overflowing bounty of apples in September and October. Empire, Courtland, Honey Crisp, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, McIntosh- they are everywhere and plentiful and they are beyond delicious. If you have never had an apple plucked straight from the branch that has lovingly grown it, you are missing out. I don't know that I can aptly describe the the crispness, the juiciness, the aroma you inhale as you bite into it. I'm not sure I can even explain what it feels like to hold that fresh apple in your hand-slightly dewy and perfect for picking- listening for the slight snap as you twist it and break it off its branch. I wish I could recount the excitement on my kids faces as they walk into the orchard, running up and down the rows, screaming in delight when they spot the perfect (way up top, I need daddy to pick me up) apple. So I'll show you instead.
Mandatory mom & kids photo- if only they would stay still and someone would teach them how to actually smile for a photo! And if only I had kept my sunglasses on (so bright!).
Gotta get the good ones
And you certainly can't let your younger brother have all the fun!
Of course the corn maze may ACTUALLY be the best part!
Perfect size!
The perfect apple tree
And yet another perfect tree- they were everywhere!
Truth? I don't wear much jewellery. I wear my engagement, wedding and 10-year anniversary rings. That's it. So when I do wear jewellery, especially when I have a good reason to be dressed up(!) I like it to be a piece that makes a statement, yet is timeless and (dare I hope) beautiful. That's why I love the entire line of jewellery from Tissh by Gloria Lee. Gloria Lee is a Canadian fashion and jewellery designer who always hits the right mark. Her pieces are the perfect mix of trendy and classic, bold but beautiful. I personally purchased two of her rings - Circ and Trine3 - (I featured her Circ ring a few months ago over HERE - I own it and wear it a lot!) about a year ago and they are, simply put, the nicest pieces of (non-wedding related) jewellery I own. A few months ago, I received Tissh's Rowe necklace and have been wearing it non-stop. It's the perfect compliment to my spring long sweater over leggings staple.
But I wouldn't feel right keeping this beauty all to myself. Tissh by Gloria Lee has agreed to give away one ROWE NECKLACE (valued at $65) to a lucky Sleeping Is For Losers reader! Contest Time! Canadian and US residents only- go visit Tissh by Gloria Lee and peruse her gorgeous line of rings and necklaces. Then, enter below (using Rafflecopter) for your chance to win! Don't forget to leave a comment on the blog (mandatory), telling me what your go-to piece of jewellery is!
Macaroons are hands down my favourite treat. In university, I used to buy at least a box each week to help me get through the stress of studying (and I was shocked when I gained the freshman 15...go figure!)
I love coconut in any state, but the chewy texture of macaroons coupled with the crispy, browned tops is simply divine.
Sadly, however, coconut macaroons don't fit into my (usually) clean eating diet, as they are very high in calories and sugar- especially when store-bought.
Recently, when I need a treat (always), or need to satisfy a craving (a lot), I allow myself to make a batch of "clean" coconut macaroons. They satisfy my desire for the texture and crunch of a traditional macaroon without all the added sugar. Bonus? They're crazy easy to make.
Clean Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 3 tbsp liquid egg whites (OR 1.5 egg whites straight from the eggs) 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract 1 square 70%-90% dark chocolate Directions: Combine egg whites and coconut. Add in vanilla extract and stir gently. Using a tablespoon, form into small balls and place on a non-stick cookie or baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the macaroons are slightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. If you choose, melt the square of dark chocolate in the microwave then drizzle over the macaroons. Allow to cool for 5 additional minutes. Try not to eat them all* *my husband wants me point out that these treats, while meeting texture requirements of macaroons, are not sweet (at all). If you are desperate for a sweet macaroon, I suggest you add 2 tbsp of sweetened, flaked coconut to the mixture before baking:) This will make them a little less clean but certainly satisfying for that sweet tooth!
A year ago I met a mom in my neighbourhood who was living the life I (secretly) dream about. Once a week she dropped her FOUR kids (that she home schooled) off with her mom and spent 4-6 hours just on her. She didn't grocery shop or run errands for the family. She didn't even turn on her cell phone. She dedicated that time to her and her alone- getting her hair done, nails, having uninterrupted coffee, a nap, a massage- whatever she needed to recharge and feel like she could be a good mom again.
I envied that mom then.
I still do now. Because "me time"- that selfish time where you only think about yourself and what may make you happy, relaxed and whole- is something I just never get around to on a regular basis. It's probably because my time is so saturated, my kids are still so young, and I feel the (unrelenting) need to prove how busy I am.
As females (especially as moms!) we spend a lot of time "out busy-ing" each other, don't we?
I get up at 5:30 a.m., I hit the ground running- working until my kids wake up, getting them ready for what the day holds, driving my oldest son to JK, keeping my youngest son occupied (in, of course, the most "educational" way possible), making meals that no one likes (ever!), cleaning up after what - I swear- is a million dirty gnomes that live in my home, wiping noses and bums, making beds, vacuuming, meeting deadlines, breaking up fights, pitching new stories, looking presentable enough to meeting prospective clients or even (occasionally) appear on TV, reading stories, doing "homework", tucking in, and soothing during the inevitable nighttime wake-up.
Are you nodding your head? Probably!
Your day may play out differently than mine, but we are all busy. Our lives are ruled by the clock and that little thing called "me time" is often no more than a pipe-dream.
Whether you're a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister, a co-worker. Whether you work at home, part-time, at your dream job, or 60 hours a week at something you wish you could love more. No matter where you are in life- you deserve "me time".
I'm learning that- slowly but surely.
Someone will always be busier than you. Someone will always make your existence look not full enough and, honestly boring ("um, when do you have TIME to watch TV? I'm always so busy writing my book/baking cookies/teaching my children advanced algebra/volunteering on eighteen boards"- you get the picture.).
So I'm challenging you to some "me time"- and I'm taking up the challenge too.
My first "me time" stop- using my WaySpa gift card.
What I love about WaySpa gift cards, and what you will too I am sure, is that they can be used at over 2,000 spas across Canada.
We'll just imagine this is what I looked like while being pampered. I'm sure I was drooling a whole lot more- and maybe snoring a bit?
I used mine at Lavish Salon & Spa to get the most indulgent, amazing 60 minute massage (best one I have ever had!). Just me, delicious oils, tranquil music, and a massage- it was 60 minutes of head to toe bliss. My WaySpa gift card paid for my entire massage (minus the tip), I booked my treatment online in my pjs (same day service for the win!) and I didn't even feel a smidgen guilty.
That's the beauty of a gift card, right? You have to use it- you're forced to pamper!
Maybe you will give a WaySpa gift card to a woman in your life who is in need of a gentle nudge to get a bit of "me time" during her-busy life. Maybe you'll receive one and use it for a massage (like me!!), a pedicure, a manicure, an indulgent facial or a body scrub to make you sparkle.
Whether received or given, there is no better gift than some time to yourself- "me time" if you will- and truly no better way to spend that "me time" than indulging in yourself.
Things I love, in no particular order: 1. Coffee that is already prepared and poured for me when I stumble, bedheaded, into the kitchen at 6:00 a.m. 2. My 4 year old's obsession with homework and desire to work on his "homework" every waking hour. 3. Wearing my hair as it is naturally: curly (this only works in the winter but, boy, does it save time). 4. Feel good food. 5. Working from home. I rarely work with brands on this site, but some I can't resist… Some embody the values I hold dear, some have great prices and products that I use on the regular, some just seem to fit. Happy Planet is one of those brands.
I purchase Happy Planet soups whenever I hit up our local grocery store. I can tell you that they are delicious, they are easy, and they make me feel good. {You know, feel good food. One of those things that I love}. Happy Planet is a Canadian company committed to creating all-natural juices & smoothies & (my fav) all-nautural and organic soups. Their Potato Leek Soup and Thai Coconut Soup are unbelievable!! {and, yes, I have been purchasing them all on my own - no freebies}. Everything tastes fresh, everything I have tried from them has been delicious, and their commitment to giving back is kind of the icing on the already delicious empire they are building. So, take a minute to check out their site, because Happy Planet is giving away $60 of product vouchers (available for redemption in stores). Contest Details: Happy Planet is giving $60 of product vouchers (available for redemption in stores) to ONE lucky Sleeping Is For Losers reader. Contest closes NOVEMBER 5, 2013 at midnight. Canada only. Winner will be chosen using random.org. How To Enter:
Leave a comment telling me what Happy Planet product(s) you would stock up on if you were chosen as the winner! {dare to dream}. Extra Entry:
Tweet out the following for an additional entry: WIN $60 worth of @TeamHappyPlanet product vouchers from Sleeping Is For Losers (@sarahnewk): http://tinyurl.com/lusg7vv Good Luck!
PS- Happy Planet is sending one of my readers, Kathy, to the National Women's Show in Toronto this weekend! How awesome are they?
Chris works late often. I spend my evenings writing. The kids love to watch as much TV as I'll let them, but they're not given much opportunity.
So, when any of us get the chance to watch TV- either alone or as a family- we want to make it count.
And, if I'm being perfectly honest, there is very little on cable we find worthy of our precious viewing moments.
Enter NETFLIX.
I was actually a little hesitant to sign up with Netflix.
I mean, what could it offer that my (expensive) cable package couldn't?
The answer, after a month of living with Netflix, is A LOT.
I dare you not to be addicted to their made-for-Netflix series. I DARE you not to watch Madagascar 3 and the Smurfs with your kids (we may have laughed more at the Smurfs then they did- so funny!). I dare you not to love the convenience of having a show at your fingertips- Netflix was a lifesaver when my four-year-old was feeling sick and could do nothing but lie in bed with my laptop.
Chris and I have been catching up on movies that we missed during those years that we were living the life of 24/7 mommy & daddy, with nary a spare moment to make it out to the theatres. I have binged on shows that I have only heard about via Twitter and spent time laughing with my wee ones who have discovered their love of Blue's Clues and The Magic School Bus. (and Zach, the four year old, has discovered countless documentaries on dinosaurs which is like heaven for that dino-crazy boy).
The made-for-Netflix series (Orange Is The New Black and House of Cards) make for insanely smart, witty, well-written television- exactly the type of show that cable (sadly) often lacks. And don't even bother to get me started on their stand-up specials and documentaries.
But what I really love is the kid-focused programming section. It's easy to navigate, there's tons of good selection, and my kids are thrilled to get to choose a show- not just get stuck with whatever is on at that moment.
There are some drawbacks, of course. For over a week we did not have wireless internet capabilities in our home...for that entire time Netflix was inoperable. We also have a few 'dead' areas in our home that don't allow for a strong enough wireless signal for Netflix to work consistently. Chris can't live without baseball, hockey, basketball, etc. so cable is still a necessity for us, for the time being.
But, in all, the good outweighs the bad.
If your family is anything like mine, then you want your precious viewing time to matter. And for my money, Netflix is not only an economical purchase (at about $8 per month) but, in my opinion, you can't beat commercial-free, kid-focused entertainment at your fingertips.
*Full disclosure- I received a free year-long subscription to Netflix in exchange for posting my real-life experience. This is 100% my true, personal opinion. Rest assured- I'm a real, real Netflix fan.
Um, I might have an unhealthy fascination with Brit Brit. I really do adore her- I bought her Baby, One More Time album and played it non-stop in my dorm with my friend Greg. And I dressed up like her for Halloween. And I actually own every honest-to-goodness, hold in your hands CD she has ever put out. And the only thing on my iPod when I run is her greatest hits album. So she has a new video out. EXCITING. And it's not AWFUL- feels a bit like an homage to her Slave For You days- but I do have mixed feelings, because...
Britney used to be such a good dancer, she looks like she's just phoning it in; AND
I think she got a nose job (probably more than that, but it's what stands out most to me); AND I KEEP WONDERING
Is she British now? When did that happen?; AND
She feels forced
But then I realized...
Despite phoning it in, she dances better than I ever will; AND
Her body looks AH-MAZ-ING; AND
She always felt a bit forced so that's not new; BUT FOR CERTAIN
I can't wait to visit the only HMV I know of (in a mall near my house) and buy her new CD whenever it comes out (like all the other dorky moms in their 30s).
A few years ago, I was feeling really jealous. I felt like every person in my life was achieving and succeeding and I was sitting, stagnant. I had done the marriage thing, I had done two university degrees, I'd done a bit of travelling and a bit of volunteering. I had a steady job and a house. I mean, I had everything that people work toward in their life but I still felt so jealous of those around me who were, in some instances, failing at 'perfect life' but totally succeeding at 'real, messy, fun life'.
In a moment of clarity in that year-long self-pity party, I wrote out a list of every single person that I was jealous of and exactly WHY I was jealous of them. It turned out to be the best thing I have ever done, because it allowed me to see, in black and white (or blue and white, I guess), that I was jealous of people who were chasing and living dreams- not just talking about them.
From that point on, I started creating lists whenever I feel that ugly jealousy emotion creeping in. I sit down and honestly list every person I have felt jealousy for and exactly why. Then I comb through the list and cross out all the dumb jealousy items that I can't change (i.e.- Elizabeth because she doesn't have kids).
After cutting, I'm left with items to reflect on. WHY am I jealous of xyz for getting into university when I have no desire to go back to school? WHY does it make me see green when xyz trains four nights a week for a sport I don't want to play? WHY am I feeling jealousy toward xyz for posting pictures of her kids crafting at the kitchen table? WHY am I feeling the way I feel.
This exercise has proved, again and again, to give me incredible insight into what I really want from my life and where I need to improve, work harder, or get over it. The past few days I have been reflecting on a new jealously list and I've realized a few things about myself:
I NEED to put the work into my writing. I NEED to be ok with not being chosen or succeeding every time I submit my short stories but I NEED to submit them anyway. My DREAM is to be a writer and I NEED to put the real hard and dirty work into this, despite the fact that I know it will likely never sustain me financially.
I NEED to make time to work out four days a week. It is not only for my health and appearance but for my mental health.
I NEED to come to terms with the fact that no one will ever understand that I WORK from home and I that if I need to pay for additional child care, it is not a failure on my part. It's ok that I like my job. It's ok for my kids to go to preschool/daycare 4 mornings a week instead of three. It does not make me a bad mother.
I NEED to find a charity to be involved in- I need something bigger than myself to devote a few hours a week to.
I NEED to book some time just for my husband and myself to hang out. We are always a better couple when we have some time alone.
So, my challenge to you is to make your own jealousy list. Reflect on it. And then, do what is often the hardest part of any self-reflection, ACT on what you discover.
One, I don't know who but ONE, might (if they were wishing to die a horrid death) say that my stomach resembles a deflated helium balloon. Wrinkly, loose, stretch-marked skin, cascading from my belly button. It's the price I have had to pay for two beautiful baby boys. And that's ok.
BUT, if I had my way, my stomach would be tightly pulled. I'd have even the slightest hint of abs. I'd have some definition.
Truth be told, despite working out my entire 20s, I have never had even a hint of definition in my abs. I could easily be convinced that I don't actually have any ab muscles, which would explain why I have had years of perfect eating and consistent, difficult exercise and yet...see nothing.
My mini-goal for January was to not drink a sip of alcohol. Check it off, because I did it. 31 days without a drop of alcohol so much as meeting my lips.
I have made a mini-goal for February to work out my abs every day. YES, abs are made in the kitchen (so they say). YES, you can overtrain one body part (people on twitter have told me). YES, my body history tells me that the likelihood of seeing so much as a hint of muscle is slim to none (the mirror don't lie). NONETHELESS, I'm sticking to my goal of 28 painstaking days of ab work.
The entire circuit takes about 15 minutes to complete. I took a 'before' picture on February 1. I'll be taking an 'after' picture on March 1. We'll see if I post it up on here...
So, are you in?? It's only 28 days to (less deflated) rock-hard abs.
*Remember I am not a medical professional, nor am I a trainer. Undertake this challenge at your own risk. Consult a doctor first if needed.
It was hard to decide what we wanted to do, as a family of four, for our first family vacation. In the end, due to finances and the ages of our boys, the idea of driving to Florida (from Toronto) and renting a condo right by the beach was the best idea. It allowed us to still live our "normal" life (normal= semi regular naps for the baby, pretty "normal" meals, a bathroom nearby for the 3 year old, etc.) but provided us a way to escape the distractions that a stay-cation would have bombarded us with.
Truthfully, there is no such thing as "relaxing" when you have two kids this young. I was still cooking and cleaning and dealing with meltdowns and fights and 'accidents' and demands. I was still changing diapers and glued to the couch at the end of the day because *apparently* it's frowned upon to go out to a bar and party it up while your children sleep at home. Heh. But being far away from our home and our family and our jobs and our friends gave us the opportunity to just be together with our kids. And that, my friends, was the real highlight of our trip (that, and the discovery of Whale Wars, which we cannot get enough of!).
I'll be posting a lot more of our trip but for now, know that this happened a lot...
Beach- every morning from 9 am until noon.
Swimming in the salty water. Will LOVED the water until he got a massive mouthful of the warm, salty water. He barely went near it after that.
More sandcastles than you can imagine. And MOATS. THE MOATS!
Hundreds of trips to the waterline to grab another bucket or watering can full of water to fill up these MOATS!
THE UNTHINKABLE! NAPS...ON THE BEACH...
Swimming in the pool every afternoon. The best!
AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of sitting in the car. {with their 'brother' Marvin the Martian. Don't ask.}
