So Serious

Don't take life too seriously. 

Levi spent a good portion of the evening with his goggles on. I think he likes the way the world looks in purple.

P.S. My son does not have a mushroom cut. I swear.
P.P.S I have a Tasty Tuesday coming....on Wednesday

Mommy Monday: Pretty Little Things

 I took a little mommy retreat today and headed downtown to spend a M.A.C gift card I received at Christmas time. It was a very short trip but it was therapeutic for me to browse through all the colourful makeup and then have one of the makeup artists do up my lips. I found a gorgeous shade of bright, matte pink lipstick called, Nicki, that I'm excited to pair with stand-out accessories like this amazing belt I picked up at the thrift store. 

Fashion Friday: Prudish but Pretty

When I layered this dress with the sweater on top, I remembered the dress was short but it wasn't until I took this photo that I realized it was more like a mini skirt.  I ordered the dress online and ignored the length measurements. Oops. If I feel like I've forgotten my pants, the look doesn't fly for me. When I added the jeans underneath I felt so much more... covered. I've decided on a new style motto,  prudish but pretty. 

I also noticed in the Fall 2012 ready-to-wear shows an abundance of pants layered under skirts and dresses so I guess I'm not too far off the mark. I'll have to feature some of my favorite runway looks next week. Maybe : )

Thankful Thursday

1. Date night with my hubby. We went to Gastown and I always find the lit up streets so romantic, even in the rain. We checked out the Poorhouse Pourhouse and talked each others ear off. A date with Ben reminds me that he is not only my partner in life but my best friend. 

2. Tuesday morning was rough after a sleepless night. I opened my back door and found a dear friend had left a bag of home made cookies, a colouring book for Levi and bird food for our feeder. What a lovely surprise. I was weepy all day because I felt so well taken care of. 

3. Levi has decided to potty train himself. He came racing into the kitchen this morning, said he wanted to go on the potty, whipped off his diaper and pajamas and did a pee pee and a poo on his potty. He then told me he was all done with diapers. Okay. 

4. Jethro is sleeping better. He is the sweetest, I can hardly stand it. The way he looks at his older brother with such adoring eyes is priceless and makes every sleepless night worth it. And he likes to cuddle. Okay, I'm getting weepy again. 

5. Parents. They travel in from Coquitlam to babysit. Even on week days they come rescue us so we can have our date nights or even simply rest while they entertain the boys. 

I am so thankful.

Tasty Tuesday: Kale Apple Shitake Risotto

I keep throwing out the meat I buy because it goes bad before I use it. I've sworn before that I'm going to go full-out vegetarian and it seems that going green is my natural leaning anyways. I love risotto and I found this Kale Apple Shitake Risotto here. 

The most fun part of the recipe was making my own broth, something I've never experimented with before. Risotto is definitely a meal that has to be served right away. We had to wait a half an hour for papa to get home which made it a little stickier then I prefer. But otherwise, yummers! And really easy to make.

Mommy Monday: No Surgery Needed

By now you may have noticed my Photo-A-Day challenge turned into a Photo-One-Day challenge. I suck :) I couldn't wrap my mind around any creative ideas and I couldn't stand the thought of taking sub-par photos just for the sake of completing the challenge. Maybe another month.

Photo c/o Physique  57 via the  NYPOST

I decided to shoot for some more regular Mommy Mondays instead. Pressing on my mind and feeling it in my butt is a fitness routine I began a month ago which I have to share with you. I'm not in any way being compensated for promoting this specific program but it's just so good. Have you heard of Physique 57? A friend mentioned the at-home video series and I latched onto the idea because I hadn't been making it to the gym. I read up on the program online and was sold. The workout program combines isometric exercises and orthopedic stretches to sculpt a long, lean, and strong body. And oh my goodness, it works.

I have lost inches off my bod but it comes with a price. The moves themselves aren't difficult but it's the muscle overload that makes you want to cry, every time. It's hard not to cuss out the instructor Tanya Becker for her intensity and cheerfulness, but truthfully the combination is motivating. 

Trying to bounce back into shape after having my second baby following my own program was not producing the results I wanted. Physique 57 fast tracked me to the healthy post-baby lifestyle I desired. I haven't lost tons of weight which was never my goal and could be dangerous as a full-time nursing mom. Instead I've lost fat and gained muscle, and the saggy parts of my body are magically (actually more like through sweat, blood and tears) lifting. 

I also want to put in my two cents about exercise and post baby blues/depression, because I've been there and I'm still working through it. Exercise, where in you actually break a sweat, is a huge mood booster. It's crazy how many times we can hear the same message about what will improve our well-being yet still not take any steps to help ourselves. From me to any struggling moms out there, it's worth it to break a sweat and allow those endorphins to do their work. With Physique 57, I can bust out one of the videos even with the kids around and get through a complete workout. I feel better physically and mentally (Picture me going from screaming into a pillow to a saner, prettier version of myself).

P.S. If you're doing the video and it's killing you, just imagine my hubby doing it with me and that'll give you a good laugh.

Head Gear

In my teen years I was so uncomfortable with my body. I was as skinny as a string bean, extremely self-conscious of my big nose, braces and chipped teeth. In grade eight I remember wearing the same t-shirt almost every day until I realized I was wearing the same t-shirt every day. Also burned into my brain is the memory of my brother having a hot friend over, and as I was talking to him I became acutely aware that I was wearing my full helmet head gear (I have another great self-awareness story that involves Taylor Kitsch coming into my back yard to find my mom, sister and I in a beached dingy filled with water, but that's a story for another day) Ahhh, self-awareness, sort of like a punch to the gut. 

I asked my mom to take me shopping and I found a forest green, silk crop jacket embroidered with flowers and a pair of white jeans. I dressed in the outfit for my grade 8 school dance and my brother walked into my room and said, "You actually look sort of good." That's a big compliment coming from a 14 year old boy. I only recently sent the jacket off to Sally-Ann. 

I was 19 when I realized the way I dressed could alter how I was perceived by people. I had a few more curves, the braces were gone and I fell in love with fashion magazines. I poured over editorials for hours, studying how dressing could be an art form. I worked hard at being fashionable and even though I received compliments on my clothing choices I still felt like I was sporting head gear (Now I wish I had a head gear picture because seriously, it was a beast). 

What was the lesson here? Identity issues cannot be masked by what's on the outside. I needed to be grounded in my faith, who God created me to be, how I was perceived by him. That took time, humility and a good husband who thought I looked most beautiful first thing in the morning, no make-up, old t-shirt, stinky breath. 

Now there's now. I'm almost 30, I've given birth twice and usually the only clothes I buy are for little people. Despite the vast changes to my size and shape, I like getting dressed because it's no longer for other people and it is my choice of art form (sometimes not pretty art. C'mon yoga pants are comfy). I don't take it too seriously. I.e. the skinny jeans I'm sporting are cleverly held up by an elastic band, the black dress can be yanked to the side for quick nursing access.

Who are you dressing for?