A really interesting post that will entice you all to read my blog all the time...

So, my bloggy friend Erin over at Living In Yellow put a link to my blog from her blog. And of course that means that about a billion people will see it and maybe click it and maybe read my blog.

Exciting? Yes.

Stressful? Even more so.

Now I feel like I have to write a really awesome blog so that when someone comes to my blog they're all "OH EM GEE, THAT GIRLS BLAWGGIYT BLAWG BLAWG IS SOOOOO AWESOME! I HAVE TO BE A FOLLOWER, RIGHT NOW!"

Yeah, I know. Scary.

So, here is my super interesting blog for today that will make people want to read my blog every day.

Ever notice how socks lose their match in the wash?

Isn't it weird that dogs have cold noses, even in the summer?

Onions are really gross.

OK, so, I can't think of anything super interesting right now. So maybe I'll just post some really cute pictures of my daughter.

We just did a Halloween shoot with our favorite tiny town photographer. Aislynn did the shoot with her bestie M, who has parents who are our besties Je and Ja.

I'm not going to post the pics with M, because I don't have permission from her parents, but just imagine how cute my little baby is with another really cute kid who is dressed as a flower. Super cute.

Here is my little chick a dee for you all to enjoy. 

Does it make me a bad parent that this one is my fav? 

Another night shift...

Just so you know, this is a complainy blog today.

Cuinn has been working the evening shift all week and last week. He has to do it again next week too. 

Can I just say, I hate evening shifts. So much. Let me tell you, I can not WAIT until next Friday, when he is done stupid evening shifts.

Because it's not just an 8 hour shift he works, it ends up not seeing him all day. He sleeps in because he needs to rest for an evening shift. Aislynn and I usually have stuff going on during the day, out of the house, so by the time we get home he has left for work. So I feel pretty lonely right now. I miss my man friend. I miss eating dinner as a whole family. I miss sharing bed time routine for Aislynn with him. I miss him.

I know I don't have any right to complain. I mean, this is temporary, other mum's and wives have to do this all the time. 

But I'm not used to it, and I don't like it! 

I really don't like cooking for one. Before Aislynn came along, I would just make a sandwich and then eat a late dinner with him when he came home at 11ish. But now, Aislynn has to eat. I can't just tell her, "Oh, sorry hunny, I really don't want to cook for just me and give you a bit of it, you'll just have to wait until daddy comes home."

BAD PARENTING! 

Alright, enough complaining.

Let's talk about the good things about him working evening shifts.

The mornings that Aislynn and I don't have to be out of the house early aren't rushed. So we can share some family bed time in the morning. Which I love.

With Cuinn here, he can watch Aislynn and I can catch a few more Z's. Awesome.

I can shower in the morning, when I want to. I don't need to get up before Cuinn to shower, because he doesn't leave until 1ish. So I can shower at 10 if I want to! With the door closed! Because someone is here making sure Aislynn isn't getting into messes!

I've been touched, again, by how much God has provided for us here in our tiny town in the way of good friends. Friends who invite me and Aislynn for dinner so that we're not sitting in the cold, with the lights off, not even a candle because we don't have one, crying because we miss daddy. (Seriously, just kidding, but it makes me one friend Je so sad when I say this that I always say it because I think it's funny how serious I am when I say it. Je, I'm really not that pathetic.)

Sometimes I like alone time. Aislynn and I can just chill. Not that we can't when Cuinn is here, but it's sometimes nice to just be alone with her.

Because we moved to our tiny town, evening shift actually is over at 930, not 1030 like it was in the city. So Cuinn is still home way earlier than he used to be.

So, basically, there are some cool things about him working the evening shift.

Which will stay cool only as long as this whole evening shift thing is sometimes.

In the mean time though, I'll enjoy my extra cuddle time with Aislynn, watching Bro's and Hoe's (Brother's and Sisters) without Cuinn's annoying commentary, making dinner for 1 and a half and doing bed time with Aislynn all by my ourselves.

Because sooner than I like, Aislynn won't want to spend any time alone with me. So I'll take it while I can get it.

A few final thoughts on The Help...

****SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read The Help, and plan to, don't read this, because I'll probably give too much away. ****

So, I finished it.

The Help.

And I have to say.

Big let down.

The whole book was so good, it had such great build up to this fantastically huge ending that was going to blow your mind...

Then nothing happened.

I mean, a couple things happened,

but nothing really big and important and blow your mind kind of thing.

I was actually really disappointed. 

I had such high hopes, because the author really made you love the characters. All of them. You just felt right there in the mix of it. I would get shivers with the "foreshadowing." Which actually, was not foreshadowing at all. It was just a bunch of teases, making you think there is going to be a huge big blow up about this book that they're writing, when in actuality...

Nothing happens.

I mean, cool, Skeeter decided to be her own person, move to New York, and not marry the guy. BUT...she didn't really do any of that on her own. He broke off the engagement. She had no more prospects in Mississippi. She had no other choice but to leave. So did she really grow? Or was she just running away from the problems?

Seriously, big disappointment. It really felt like the author was putting everything into this story, and writing this huge build up to one great big event, then she got bored, or her deadline was the next morning, and she just...I dunno...finished the book in an hour just to get it done.

Anyway, I'm sorry if I have ruined the book for you, or if you think I'm a total literary idiot and have a completely different view on it, share it with me.

But in my opinion? Not worth the hype it's gotten.

A really awesome blogger who deserves a few more followers...

So, basically my idol in the blogging world is this chick.

For reals.

Every time I read her blog I think, "Man, she would really wanna be my best friend for ever if we could just meet in real life."

And guess what?

She likes my blog too!

Eeeeee!!!

She commented on my blog this one time and told me.

So, basically, I was blown away that a "celebrity" blogger read my blog. Not only read it and commented, but ENJOYED it.

So, not only is she an amazing writer, and hilarious, and really pretty (which kinda pisses me off actually. Because she is wearing all the outfits that I really want to, except she looks really good in them), she is totally sweet and down to earth too!

AND

she promised me cookies if I told you all to go follow her blog. Because she is so tantalizingly close to 500 followers that it's killing her.

So, go follow her blog, and tell her I sent ya, because then she might come back to my blog, and read it again. Which would make my day.

And my husbands, because he thinks it's hilarious how nerdy I've become about blogging and thinks it's weird that I think other bloggers are like celebrities.

Whatever, he doesn't blog, he doesn't get it.

But I still love him.

Cuz he's hot.

Anyway,

go follow her blog. Trust me. You're gonna love it.

A Tuesday Ten Link Up Party

Why, hello there friends. How are you all doing?

I'm sick. Sicky, icky, yucky, sick. Our house is full of yucko germs and Aislynn is the only one who is totally ok with it. How can she be so happy with boogers flying everywhere, a cough that sounds like she's dying and breathing that makes her mummy freak out?

Last night was pretty rough, since Aislynn couldn't sleep unless someone was holding her. Which was kind of nice, because she is NOT a cuddley baby, but while sick, all she wants is mummy cuddles. So I happily complied with a cuddle day yesterday.

Anyway, that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to be a Tuesday Ten Linky Thingy. If you're new, then welcome, Tuesday is the day I make a list of ten things. Then I linky linky to my friend Miss Mommy. She's cool, you'll like her. After I linky linky I (im)patiently wait until next Tuesday to see if I got the most likes on my post. I never do. So, how 'bout this week you all be my friends and head over to Miss Mommy's page and like my post. Mmkay? 

So, here is my amazing list for today.

Ten Things I'm Looking Forward To

1. Tomorrow. Because I can tell I'm on the last day of sickness. You know how you can just tell you only have one more day of sickness? Well I'm on it. And Aislynn is playing and not wanting cuddles, so I think she's pretty much over her sickness too. Tomorrow is going to be awesome. First day of health you are so appreciative of breathing through your nose that you just want to jump for joy over being healthy and you promise never to take breathing clearly for granted again.

2. 2 pm today. Cuinn is coming home early. I love that. It really makes me so giddy when he comes home early. Especially when Aislynn and I have been stuck in the house all day staring at each other. Daddy coming home is always nice, and it's extra nice when it's 4 hours early!

3. This weekend. Reason number 1. Cuinn has the weekend off and we are planning a FAMILY weekend. The only non-family thing we have planned is games night at J and J's. Other than that, nobody else is involved in our weekend. Just us. Family bed time in the morning, slow showers, nothing planned, no rushing. It's going to be awesome. Reason number 2. It's the end of Cuinn working night shifts for a loooooong time. Serious. We hate night shifts around these parts. Aislynn does not like when daddy is not here for bedtime. Which means she stays up until he gets home. Which is really annoying.

4. January 14. Why? That's when I leave for England. FOR A WHOLE MONTH!! Yep, I'm going to see my parents for a whoooooole month. And it's gonna be awesome. Cuinn is coming just for 2 and a half weeks, because he can't take a whole month off. Even though that would be so cool. I'm going for the first two weeks by myself, then Cuinn will join us and we'll come home a little over two weeks later together. Cuinn has never been to England (or anywhere for that matter), so it's going to be fantastic. Can't wait.

5. Christmas!!! 59 more days! And I get to decorate soon! I wish I could decorate now, but Cuinn makes me wait until December 1st! What a meanie. Oh I love Christmas. 

6. Halloween. It's Aislynn's first one, and we've got a very cute costume for her. It'll be nice to start the Halloween traditions with her. Even if she is too young to really understand what's going on, it'll still be fun for us. I'm looking forward to trick or treating with her. And eating all the candy she can't. Bwaahahahaha..

7. The snow! I love fall, it's my second favorite season. Winter is my fav though. I love the snow, and I can not wait until we can take Aislynn sledding, and skating, and build a snowman with her, and go for walks in the snow, and play in it, and and and....Oh man, I'm like a kid sometimes! I just get so excited when I think of all the things Aislynn has yet to experience and how I get to be there when she experiences it for the first time. What a wonderful time this is, being a parent.

8. Friday. I think I am heading to the city with my friend C and her daughter N. I always love a good road trip. I love getting in the car and driving. I used to hate it as a kid, but now, I could just sit in the car and watch the world go flying by. It's so nice to just sit and do nothing. Man, I must be getting old.

9. The bath I am going to have as soon as Cuinn gets home. Since Aislynn's been sick, I haven't been able to put her down, or be away from her, so I haven't been able to shower or anything. And I feel so gross. So when Cuinn gets home, I am handing over the less sick baby, and jumping in a hot bubble bath, and soaking up the suds, and possibly finishing The Help.

10. March. Or May? I can't remember, but one of those months is when our cell plan is finally over and we can leave Telus forever. There will be big changes in the phones this year. We are getting rid of the home phone, getting blackberries and seeing how that works and if it works and all that good stuff. Well, that's the plan anyway. My cell is so stupid. It's so "old" (for a cell phone life anyway), and the buttons don't work, and when I call someone it won't go to voicemail. Serious. When I call Cuinn, and the voicemail picks up, my phone just shuts down. I don't get all my phone calls/texts. I can't send texts half the time. My browser crashes my whole phone. Basically it's a POS and I can't wait to chuck it. And to leave Telus. Who after 4 years STILL won't acknowledge that I am on the phone plan. So when something goes wrong, Cuinn has to call, because they won't let me do anything. Even though BOTH OF OUR NAMES IS ON THE ACCOUNT! Anyway, that's enough about my hate on for Telus.

So, there ya go. Not a super exciting Top Ten today, but whateve's. I'm sick. Deal with it. 

Now get your butt's over to the other lists, read 'em, then vote! For mine, obviously.

A post for posting's sake...

It's been a couple days since I last blogged, and I thought my readers might be hyperventilating about how I haven't blogged in a few days.

I'm sorry, I love you all, I didn't forget about, I love you.

I've just been busy doing this thing called living my awesome life that, unfortunately, means blogging takes a back seat.

Cuinn finally had two days off in a row, which never happens, so I took advantage of it and spent all my time with him.

We even went to the bathroom at the same time.

Just kidding.

That's actually really gross.

But we have been spending an enormous amount of time together.

Know what's cool about being married?

I NEVER get sick of hanging out with Cuinn.

Like, y'know how you have a best friend? And you really love spending all your time with them? But there is still a threshold where you just need to go to your own place and be not with people? That just does not happen with Cuinn. I don't ever want to "go home" and "be by myself." Because, he is my home.

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate spending an hour in the bathtub by myself, or reading a book in my bed by myself. But, I don't ever get sick of him.

I hope my bestie doesn't think I get sick of her, but you all know what I'm talking about.

I hope other people in marriages feel the same way, because it's a really nice feeling.

Speaking of my bestie, Cuinn and I went over to our besties Je and Ja for game night last night. We didn't even play games. We got there, Je and I went to Zeller's because they were having a sale on our fav yarn, came back, got dinner ready, ate it (roast pork, mashed taters, corn and taco salad), then boys played video games and Je and I played crochet. So, I guess the boys played games, but us girls didn't. 

It was awesome though.

Je and I used to hang out like every day, and it was awesome, but then she got busy with some work stuff, I got busy with work/play groups/home stuff/personal stuff and we haven't hung out in like....3 weeks, which is a really long time for us. So when we were finally able to get together again last night, it was just so nice to hang out. Like, just hang out with our besties. No stress, no "best behavior", no effort, just friends.

Don't you love friends like that?

The friends who you know well enough that you can use their bathroom and not make up some excuse to end the night so you can just go home to use your own bathroom.

Oh shut up, you ALL know what I'm talking about.

Anyway.

Je and I have started new blankets. They're the same but different. Well, different colours, and the pattern is a tiny bit different, but only we would really notice. Yay for crochet!

Anyway.

I didn't really have anything to blog about, but I just felt like giving ya an update. Mostly because when I am following a blog, if they don't update in 2 weeks, I stop following them. For real. I'm not going to follow a blog that doesn't get updated, that's just rude. To me. The reader. Because you were all awesome in that first post I read, made me love your blog, and then you don't update? So rude!

So..I'm being not rude by blogging some mindless nattering that's going on in my head.

OH

65 days until Christmas.

Just in case you were wondering.

And 83 days until my trip to England.

Oh, you don't know about my trip to England? Well tune in tomorrow, and I'll give you all the juicy details!

Good night all! Hope you had lovely weekends!

A Joy Worth Capturing...

So, this really rad chick, who would totally wanna be my best friend if she ever met me in real life, does this thing sometimes. It's called Capturing Joy.

Basically, snap a pic that makes you all warm and gooey, then share it with all the world.

Well, the blogging world.

Which is basically the only world worth sharing with.

Basically.

I say that a lot.

ANYWAY,

(ha, I say that word a lot too.)

Today's joy is actually from two days ago, but I've been having this joy all week. Ever lunch, and it's been amazing

Love it.

Pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato fries and dip for said fries.

Best part?

I made it all. 

Jealous? You should be. It's amazing.

And I'm not giving you the recipe, you'll just have to come to my house for dinner and try it yourself.

I'm linking up to this awesome chicky tonight!

A Contribution To A Party...

So, tomorrow is our friend T's first birthday!

Happy Birthday T!!

T's mommy Ir is throwing a little party for T and all her little friends are invited, and the mommies can come too.

I asked what I could bring, because I don't like arriving empty handed, and Ir told me she had the birthday cake covered, but if I wanted to bring a dessert for the grown ups I could.

Well, I know I was supposed to bring a grown up dessert, but I couldn't help making a cute little girls birthday treat. But the adults will be the only ones eating them. Because I don't think any of the kids will actually be allowed to eat my sugar overloaded treat.

I thought all my lovely readers would like to see my creation, so without further adieu (I didn't get to use it the other day, so I'll just use it in my blog, constantly. Yeah, take that!):

Princess Wand Mallows

OK, so I didn't get a very good picture of the finished product. They are currently sitting in the cups to cool. But you kind of get the idea?

Here's how ya do it!

What ya need:

Straws (or candy sticks. I didn't have any candy sticks, so I just cut straws in half-ish)

Big red bowl

Marshmallows (Yeah for being on sale for 89 cents!)

Purple sparkles

Pink chocolate wafers

So, first you put the pink wafers in your big red bowl

Then you melt them

I just wanna say, I would normally do this on my stove, but since it was very late, and I just needed to get them done so I could go to bed, I just did it in the microwave (bad bad bad!), but whatever. Do it how you want. In the microwave I just kept heating in 30 second intervals. I think total it took about 1 and a half minutes? You have to be careful not to burn it, so take it out every 30 seconds to give it a stir.

Stove top directions. Put water in pot, boil. Put wafers in smaller pot. Put smaller pot over water that is hot (but not on the heat anymore.) Stir until melted.

So after your chocolate is melted, however you do it, cut the straws and stick a 'mallow on the end. Like so,

Sorry about the bad quality of photo. My camera is shite.

Then roll the 'mallow in the chocolate. I just did half the mallow, but you could do the whole thing if you really want to. I didn't actually take a picture of this. I thought I did.

Put sprinkles on bowl type plate.

Roll 'mallow with chocolate in sprinkles. If the chocolate is melted enough, you don't have to worry about it hardening too quickly. But, y'know, don't take like 20 minutes to do one. The chocolate will probably be hard by that point.

After you have successfully added the sprinkles to the chocolate to the 'mallow, stick 'em somewhere to harden.

And keep away from husbands. They tend to try to steal them.

The end product should look like this:

Or something like that anyway.

So, I will let you all know how they go over at the party. I hope they like them.

The only problem I have with them?

How the heck am I supposed to get them from my kitchen, to their house? Uh oh...

A Book...

Yeah, boring title, right?

Now you're all going back to the title to read it, because if you're anything like me (and I'm totally full of myself and thinking, how could anyone not wanna be like me?), you don't really read the titles.

Titles are hard. Especially when you've been up since 630ish and have been go go go go go since then.

So, there's this thing that I do in my spare (ha) time, it's called reading. I haven't done much of it since I was about 5 months pregnant. Basically because, when you're pregnant (or at least when I'm pregnant), you have to re-read the same page about 20 times before you realize what the first sentence means. Serious. I had such a weirdo brain when I was pregnant.

Then, when packing my bag for the hospital, the check list said to bring a book to pass the time.

Umm..

Pretty sure whoever made that list had never been in labour.

Stupid.

Either way, I did bring a book. But I didn't read any of it at the hospital.

Then we went home with a newborn baby. That we were supposed to take of all by ourselves. With no instruction manual.

Who would of had time to read it though, really?

So basically, what I'm sayin' is, I haven't picked up a book until now. Which is very abnormal for me, since I really love to read. I just love words. Obvious to you if you've ever met me, because I talk. A lot.

ANYWAY.

That was my long winded way of getting to my main point.

My friend, C, loaned me her copy of "The Help."   The Help  The Help

Some book about slaves.

I don't remember from high school english how to write out a title of a book. Is it with quotation marks? An underline? In italics? 

Probably all three right? ok.

"The Help"

Pretty sure I am killing all the english teachers right now who are probably screaming at the computers about how dumb I am and I shouldn't even be writing since I don't know the proper rules

Back to the book.

I am usually very wary about reading books that have become huge hits and been made into movies. Mostly because they usually suck. Or they're really sappy. Or they're just to generalized for me.

There are a few exceptions to my rule, but not often. I prefer books that are not on any lists. Sometimes the writing just seems more, I dunno, awesome.

Like this blog.

By the way, can you totally tell my mind is all over the place today? What's up with that?

Anyway, EVERYBODY is talking about this book and how AMAZING it is and how it's SO UPLIFTING and it makes you want to BAWL your eyes out.

When people say this I nod and smile and think, "You're an idiot. Another opiate for the masses" 

Is that how that saying goes? I dunno. Sounds good though.

So when my friend loaned me the book, I had my doubts. Only 75% of my usual amount though, because this friend also happens to be a librarian and well read. Like me. So maybe she wasn't being a lame follower. But there was still my aversion to the "popular" stuff there.

So, basically, what it boils down to was, I wasn't sure.

Well, I've read the first 16 chapters, and I have to say, I'm impressed.

I am actually enjoying it.

I dunno if maybe I'm just a mum now, and maybe my taste in books has changed, because my brain sure has, or maybe it really is that good of a book. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

Oh, Rhett Butler. Swoon!!

I think this book is pretty awesome. I haven't finished it, obviously, so there is still room for it to go down the tubes, but so far, I'm really enjoying it. I'm actually a little scared to see the movie. Because, as you all know, movie adaptations 95% of the time, suck a lot. Like. A lot a lot. 

Time Traveler's Wife? 

Need I say more?

Which I will.

SERIOUSLY? How could they ruin one of my all time favorite books by turning it into one of the worst films of all time? Why? Why did you have to do that to me, Hollywood? Do you really just not want to be my friend anymore? Because you're pushing it, buddy. Especially with all the Potter movies. GAH.

Anyway,

I think you should all go find a copy of the book and read it. I think it's worth it.

Also, I think maybe I need a nap.

Man, Aislynn's been asleep for 45 minutes. Do you know how awesome that is?

Thanks for stopping by!

A Tuesday Ten Link Up Party...

It's Tuesday!

Which means we are due for another list of Ten things!

I missed last week, so it feels like it`s been about a bajillion years since I have done one of these, and I know my bestie J loves them. So basically, this one is dedicated to her.

;)

So, I basically sat on my couch for half an hour, staring off into space, while Aislynn was napping, trying to come up with a really awesome Tuesday Ten list.

Then, of course, Aislynn woke up, because she NEVER sleeps more than half an hour during the day.

So I had to come back to this later.

Anyway, my point is, it took me forever to come up with a great list of ten things.

I don't know why I just ranted about that. Sometimes I start typing, and it's like verbal vomit.

I can't help it.

So, without further adieu (I so plan on using that statement at least once today, even if it is totally pretentious.), here it is....

10 Things I Do That Make Cuinn Love Me Even More....

1. In the middle of the night, when I'm really hot, I kick him and say, "Are you awake?" When he responds, which he always does, I say, "could you open the window? I'm really hot." I think this is one of Cuinn's favorites. 

2. When Cuinn asks for a backrub, and I don't feel like giving him one, I just bite his back a lot. His flinching away and yelps of pain really show me I'm doing a good job. After that, I usually ask for a back rub for myself. 

3. When Cuinn is in the kitchen getting himself a snack/drink/putting his dishes away, I wait until he has just sat back down and say, "Oh, could you grab me a glass of chocolate milk?" Seriously, he loves it when I do that.

4. On the really cold nights, and we live in Canada, so there are some really cold nights, my hands get really cold. So when that happens, the best way to warm them is on Cuinn's back. Sometimes it wakes him up.

5. Usually, when Cuinn is trying to do something really important, I think that's the time to have a dance party. Right in his way. So that he has to try to get around me. But he doesn't, because my dance moves are so outrageous that he basically has to stand there until I'm done, while rolling his eyes with love.

6. When we're lying in bed, just about to fall asleep (I'm beginning to realize I'm at my most loveliest in bed), I think that's the best time to play. So, I will start wrestling Cuinn, or take the covers from him, or try to kick him out of the bed. Even if he does have to wake up in the morning for work, I really think he appreciates my attempt at keeping things fun.

7. Sometimes, when Cuinn kisses me, I think it's really cool to surprise him with a "special" kiss. It involves me trying to lick his entire face. It's awesome. Then, when he pulls away and gives me a look, I complain that he doesn't kiss me enough.

8. When Cuinn is playing his video games, I think that's another really cool time to have a dance party. Especially when he's at a boss. So I take Aislynn in my arms, jump up, and shake my boo-tay, right in front of him, just so he can see our awesome dance moves.

9. After we bathe Aislynn, we bring her to our bed to dry her off and dress her. When it's my turn to bathe her and do this routine (which we do every night now), I always leave the towel on his side of the bed. Basically it's a nice wet reminder that his daughter and wife love him. I do this every. Single. Time.

10. When I'm sick, which always happens in the middle of the night for some reason, I really love to be cuddled and coddled. So, at 3 in the morning, I wake Cuinn up and say, "I'm sick. Help me." He will say something like, "What do you want me to do?" Then I say, "Oh, I dunno, just go back to sleep." I do this, like, ten times in the night.

So, there ya have it, the best reasons why Cuinn loves me. I think I am an amazing wife.

I'll be linking up to the awesome blogger Miss Mommy. Go check out the other lists!

***Disclaimer***

After getting three emails from you, telling me that maybe I should be nicer to my husband, I figured I better add a Disclaimer.

I just wanna say, that I hope you all know I'm just being funny. Most of these things I really don't do on purpose. I hope you all know I'm not intentionally mean to Cuinn. I love him.

A shout out to a very good friend...

Y'know those people in your life that when you first met them you just knew you were going to be great friends?

Well, Cuinn and I both have one of those.

The best part?

They're another married couple.

So, y'know, awesome.

It's so very rare that Cuinn and I find a couple that we both love. A couple where the boys can go out for a beer, while the ladies sit and crochet.

Yeah, I said it. We're "hookers"

So this is my shout out to our very best friends.

Je and Ja.

They are still relatively new friends, but we just know that we're going to be great friends for a looong time.

Like, Je and I will be sitting in a nursing home, rocking on our rockers, crocheting.

And Ja and Cuinn will be on the couch, playing the XBox 360 while our great-grandchildren laugh at them because there will be so many newer versions of video gaming things out that the XBox will look like an Atari to them.

You're great friends Je and Ja, thanks for reading!

A Christmas Post...

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I know.

It's "way too early" to be talking about Christmas.

Well, in my opinion, it's NEVER too early to talk about Christmas. Ever.

I love Christmas. Like, for real love it.

Why?

Because it's that special time of the year when people are a little extra friendly, and full of cheer.

A time to spend with family and look back over the year and think about the blessings you've received (No, I do not do this on New Years, I do this at Christmas time. Christmas kicks New Years butt.).

A time when you can eat baked goods and just not feel that bad because you'll "for real start that diet in the new year. Promise."

A time when life is just a little more child like.

A time when you get presents.

Oh c'mon. Did you really think I wasn't going to add that one in?

Now, I will agree with my husband, AKA, the Grinch, who grumbles everytime NOVEMBER rolls around that Christmas is so commercialized, and it becomes less CHRISTmas and more Xmas every year, and that it's a terrible time to work in retail and blah blah blah.

BUT,

I always get him into the spirit of things. When we're decorating and watching Shrek's Christmas Special which actually has the original cast members voices, and when we're drinking up some yummy egg nog, Well, I'M drinking some yummy egg nog.

My spirit at Christmas is infectious! If I could, I would have the Christmas decorations out NOW!!! Unfortunately, mister scrooge over here makes me wait until December 1st. DECEMBER 1ST! And he makes me take them all down in the first week of January! If I lived on my own, I would have Christmas decorations up from October until March. 

For reals.

Anyway,

I was cruising around Pinterest, thinking about my wish list (yes, I do get it ready this early, I have family far away who need to be told in August what I want or I won't get it until my birthday. Which is in April.), and these caught my eye.

Yeah.

I need these.

They are number one on my wish list.

Not only are Toms the best shoe in the whole entire universe, for every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need. They're slogan is One for One.

Don't you love that?

Seriously amazing.

So, if you all want to be my best friend, and I mean BEST friend, just buy me a pair of TOMS for Christmas.

And to justify it, you're helping out a kid who has bare feet.

Think of the kids!!!

But seriously, you all should at least buy yourselves a pair. You get an amazing pair of shoes, and you get to help a needy child.

One for One.

Merry Christmas, friends.

(Deal with it, Amanda, you will love Christmas. Even if I have to beat you with a sprig of holly.)

A very lucky lady...

So, my blog was hacked.

Yeah, it took me a while to realize it.

And thank goodness my friend, Krysta, commented on the post, because if she hadn't, I still wouldn't know he had hacked my blog.

I just wanted to say, I love my husband.

It is just like him to do something like that.

I love you Cuinn, thank you for the love letter.

A friend who gave me a life, just when I needed it...

I HAVE A NEW READER!!

I am so excited. Seriously. I get so happy when someone tells me that they read my blog. Or they make a casual reference to something I posted.

I seriously don't feel like anyone actually reads this thing.

I started the blog so my family could see what was going on with us and catch up on things they were missing. But there are only a handful of family who reads my blog.

My blog then kind of turned into a diary. Which you can all read. Let's be honest, who doesn't like to read someones diary? I've written things on my blog that I struggle with. I have written some personal things on here that I'm not ashamed of, but just not very proud of. I think that's ok though. Because I think we all need to be held accountable for our actions, and when I write it here, I feel like I am taking control of my slips and trying to better myself.

Or maybe I'm just being delusional.

Anyway, back to my original point.

I have a new reader!!!

I go to a few mommy groups. For my sanity. For my daughter. For fun. 

One of the groups I go to is called "Rhyme Time" and it's a lot of fun. Basically we all sit around and sing nursery rhymes to our babies. Who don't really listen. They just get annoyed with us that we're not letting them run around and play.

Well, my baby does anyway.

Aislynn doesn't like to sit. She likes to run around and play and keep me very busy.

Which is totally ok with me because I love her.

ANYWAY

One of my friends J has a beautiful daughter, R. J is one of those people that just puts you at ease. She's friendly, and she listens. I think she's pretty cool.

Last Rhyme Time, a lot of us moms were sitting around after, chatting, avoiding going home with our babies by ourselves because we love having adult conversations. Right before we left, J told me that she reads my blog. Not only does she read it, she said she LOVES it!

Do you know how good that made me feel?

I'll tell ya.

SO GOOD!!

So, here is a shout out to my friend J! And her daughter R! Thanks for reading! Thanks for supporting my little corner of the interwebs! Thanks for being another mommy friend!

It's always so nice to get a compliment, isn't it?

WARNING..... WARNING.... You're Blog has been Hax!

Okay! So I'm Sarah's husband. >:)

She is all tuckered out and has headed off to bed early tonight... and left her blog wide open for the picking.

First off, I want to say I do not blog, at all. I've never kept a diary, wrote notes, or even jotted much of anything.  So be patient with my awesomeness.

Sarah is an amazing wife, she is caring, thoughtful, funny, smart, creative, sensitive and strong. Just what I was looking for when I thought of what a wife would be like when I was younger.

She is also an amazing mom. The way she's with Aislynn, the thought put into every single meal. Always having fun things to do, even if she has to look them up to be creative. So much love is put into every thing she does. The look on Aislynn's face and squeal she lets out in the early morning after I bring her into our room is incredible. All because she's thinking: MOMMY!!! :D

I cannot wait to see where life takes us over our many years to come, but I'm going to welcome each hour/week/year/decade.

So sometimes I might make a mistake here or there, or forget something there and here. But Sarah has made me an enormously better person than I would be without her.

So to you my darling wife. I say again; I will forever be beside you, in front of you, and behind you.

Love
-Cuinn

A new blogger for you all to know and love!

I am very, very tired today.

Like, I'm not sure I'm going to make it to bedtime kind of tired.

So instead of blogging, I'm sending you all to one of my all time favorite bloggers.

She is crafty, she is loving, she is beautiful, she is awesome.

I want to be like her when I grow up.

She also has two of the cutest little boys I think I have ever seen. For reals. 

Anyway,

Go to this woman's blog.

And please tell her I sent you?

I'm so intimidated by her awesomeness, I just don't want to tell her I'm bragging about her, lest she thinks I'm some strange blog stalker.

My New Best Friend If She Ever Met Me Because I Think She Would Really Like Me....

A few Thanksgiving treats...

Warning. Please don't look too closely at ME in the pictures. I have been cleaning and scrubbing and sweating and baking, so I do not look my best. Please, be kind. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my lovely bloggy type friends!

My last post was a bit of a downer, so today I'm going a different way and going to share with you all my awesome things I have done for Thanksgiving this year.

We have two celebrations this year. One with Cuinn, Aislynn and myself (which was tonight), and another with my brother, sister in law, and her son (which is tomorrow).

I'm just posting a few things tonight, and you can hear all about our adventures with the fam in a couple days.

So, this year I attempted to do what my mum always does for us, and bake a couple pies entirely by scratch. No store bought pie crust for my family this year. No sir-ee. So here are my amazing creations.

My first ever, home made pie crust! 

My first ever home made pie! This is an Apple Dutch pie. The recipe is here. One of the mommies from my group made it for one of our lunch playdates and told me were I could find the recipe. I would have eaten the whole pie at the lunch, if there hadn't been other people there wanting to eat it too. Seriously good pie. I hope mine is as good. Oh, I did take the peel off the apples, but my friend did not. So if you like the peel, keep it. If you don't, take it off. I have a couple kids eating this pie though, and sometimes the peel gets kinda troublesome, so I was just trying to make my life easier. 

Pumpkin pie. If I didn't make a pumpkin pie, pretty sure my husband would leave me. He has a serious love affair going on with pumpkin pie. I really hope it's to his standards. Ha ha. I found the recipe on the back of the pumpkin pie filling can. Yup, I cheated, I bought the filling rather than using a real pumpkin. But, given how much work I've done over the past couple days, I still did pretty awesome. In my humble opinion.

Showing off the Pumpkin pie and the one on the right is called Creme de Menthe Cheesecake, so it's not technically a pie. But you have to do it in a chocolate pie crust, so in my mind, it's still pie. I can't give you the recipe because it's in one of my cookbooks. But I actually don't do it the way the cookbook says. And I can never really remember how I make it. I just kinda...go with it. But it's a crowd pleaser, so, y'know, yay.

So those are the desserts I made. I also made a tiny little pumpkin tart for Cuinn. It's just like a mini pie, because those three pies are for our family shin dig tomorrow, and I didn't make any dessert for just us. Because three pies is already excessive. But he got to have a mini Dutch Apple Pie and a mini Pumpkin Pie. Basically it was the left over pastry from the big pies, and just a little bit of the filling from each. He said they were really good, but, he really does eat anything, so I'll see tomorrow what everyone thinks.

I also made a new centerpiece for Thanksgiving. I usually do a much bigger and nicer one, but what with all the cleaning, baking, cooking, stressing, I just did a nice simple one.

Just a vase from our wedding, with a tea light candle holder, filled with fresh cranberries. The difficult part? Stopping Cuinn from eating all the cranberries. Serious. He's like a second kid sometimes.

I dunno, I think it's pretty. It's very basic, I'm not over the moon about it, but I had the vase and the tea light holder thingy, so all I needed was the cranberries. Maybe next year, after I've done a few holidays, I'll get back on my creative track.

I also made a new picture for Aislynn's room. It's pretty cute. And made entirely of paint chips.

I haven't decided if I love it, or not yet. It was really simple too. Just paint chips, and my flower punch. Already had the frame, so this little project cost me the grand total of zero dollars and no cents. Pretty cool.

And here is our small family dinner.

Cuinn and Aislynn, playing while I get everything on the table.

I love these two. 

Yum! Dinner! Ham, potatoes, carrots and cheese pasta thingy. It was very basic, but since we are having the big thing tomorrow, I didn't want to do too much today. I really loved this dinner though. And it was SOOOO simple. Everything, except the pasta, was cooked in the crock pot. I threw the ham, cut up potatoes, and carrots into the slow cooker, threw in a can of rings of pineapple, with juice. Added a bit of salt and pepper. Cooked on low for 6ish hours. It was all done. I was a little nervous about the pineapple juice with the carrots and potatoes. But I have something to admit, that I doubt my family will believe. I did NOT put vinegar on ANYTHING. That's how tasty it was! Seriously. I didn't add ANYTHING to my food. I just ate it how it came.

And y'know what?

It was pretty amazing.

In fact, I think I might only do my carrots that way from now on. Seriously good.

Aislynn loved all of it. Surprise, surprise. He favorites were the pineapple, potatoes, and the ham.

This is the face she makes when she eats. It really means she loves it. Even though it doesn't look like it.

And right before bed, we had a little snack.

Aislynn was pooped by 7:30! So tired that I barely had to rock her.

So, there is our little family dinner. My family is coming tonight and we're doing our thang tomorrow. We have a tradition of going to a pumpkin patch on Thanksgiving and then coming home for dinner. So we're going to the city and heading to a new pumpkin patch that has a whole bunch of other stuff. Hay rides, corn mazes, haunted barn, magicians, live entertainment. Should be a good day.

And don't worry, I know you're all dying to know how it goes, so I'll probably blog about it tomorrow evening.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! ENJOY YOUR FAMILY TIME!

A Thanksgiving post

This post is a post where you get to peek inside my most private thoughts. I am not, generally speaking, the type of person that bears my soul. But there is something about this blog that makes me feel a little more open to share how I'm feeling. Honestly, I think my real life friends are probably learning more about me while reading my blog than they ever have just talking to me. How is it, that such a private person, such as myself, has so freely opened my heart onto a blog. That's for another post though..

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. 

And I'm hosting it again.

Now, I really love to open up my home to people, make a really nice meal that people enjoy, play a few games, make a new centerpiece, and basically have my home filled with family and friends and laughter.

What I don't enjoy is the few days before the event.

Cuz I stress out. In a big way. Like, I want to curl up in my bed and cry because I'm so overwhelmed.

I feel so bad if my house isn't in perfect shape, I don't like if I don't have at least three different options for dessert, I am embarassed if my centerpiece isn't up to my (nearly impossible to reach) standards. I want to cancel if I don't have enough matching cutlery/plates/chairs.

Please note, my nearly impossible to reach standards only applies to myself. I would never set that kind of expectation on family/friends/children. I'm only this hard on myself.

Because we're on a budget. A tight one at that. Certain things in our life aren't exactly what I want. Stupid things really. Things that don't really mean that much in the grand scheme of things. Things such as:

I hate my dining room table. I only have 4 chairs, which means when more than that come over, someone has to sit in a lawn chair, which doesn't quite reach the table, so that person ends up looking comically short.

We have limited seating in the living room because of limited space. So, again, when there are more than 4 people, it gets pretty cramped.

My kitchen is teeny, tiny. So when I am cooking/baking/entertaining I tend to get really anxious and annoyed when more than 1 person is in the kitchen. And really, that 1 person should be me, and only me. In my mind anyway.

See? Stupid things really. I mean, overall my life is pretty awesome. I have a home full of love. I have people who love and care for me. I have the best (looking) husband in all the world and a happy, sweet and gorgeously healthy baby. Both who love me with all their hearts.

But back to my self doubt.

I am in a whirl wind of fretting.

I am annoyed that my apartment is never as clean as I want it to be. I am frustrated that I had to send Cuinn out to get me flour and salt because I forgot to get them when I was grocery shopping, I hate that I have to do laundry in a laundry room because I don't have a washer and dryer in my apartment.

But really, it all boils down to one main thing.

I hate doing this alone.

And by alone, I mean without my mum.

My mum and dad always go all out over the holidays. Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas anyway. My mum is always baking up a storm, my dad is setting up decorations and getting us all into the holiday spirit, my brother and I (and our significant others) are all at home and we're a family unit again. I'm in the kitchen, helping mum with the cooking and watching her bake, hoping to figure out what she does that makes it taste so much better than when I make it. Trying to piece together how my parents make it look so damn easy.

Because it's really tough having to be the parent, when you've been parented for so long.

Having the responsibility of hosting the holidays.

Having to keep traditions alive while trying to figure out our own family traditions.

Having to cook the whole turkey dinner. All by myself. Without the training wheels of a mum close by.

Having to be responsible. Every. Single. Day.

Having the pressure of having all the answers and always knowing what to do.

I know that I have it really easy, compared to others. My mum and dad are just a phone call away. They will be home in a little over a year. I'm getting to see them in January.

But the holidays without them?Boy, do they ever suck.

I mean, my brother and sister in law are here. Which is awesome. They're who's coming for dinner on Monday. My brother and I are very close, and I really love my sister in law. She might have been my brothers choice, but she's my friend for real. Honestly, if they weren't here, I'm pretty sure I would melt down even more at the holidays. As it is now, I basically have to keep myself extremely busy.

Hence the cleaning, the baking pies from scratch, the over planning Aislynn and my day so I don't have a minute to think about how I wish my mum and dad could be here to see her first Thanksgiving. I don't have to think about how Cuinn must be feeling with his family so far away too. I basically just try not to think too much. I like it that way.

So, as we approach another holiday, I will sit and reflect on my life thus far. I might be a little (actually, a lot) sad about my family being so spread out, but I also remember the many blessings God has given me.

I'm Thankful for a man who is my best friend, my partner, my lover.

I'm Thankful for a daughter whose smile lights up a room and reminds me that she is an answer to prayer.

I'm Thankful that I have my health.

I'm Thankful that I have parents who I miss, because it shows that there is real love between us.

I'm Thankful for a brother who goes out of his way to help me, in any way that he can.

I'm Thankful for a sister in law, who is more of a friend than I was expecting and who I can call upon when I'm lonely.

I'm Thankful that I have food on my table every day and I never go without.

I'm Thankful for a roof over my head and floors under my feet.

I'm Thankful that I live in a country that I can love and praise the God who gave me all of these things.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving, friends.