The Hunt for an Organizer

I need an organizer. Like bad. And this isn’t an “oh it’d be nice to have a cute little organizer to add to the amount of things that I already carry around” type of need. This is an- I have lists coming out of my ears and dates that are already booked well into the Summer that I know that I’m going to forget unless I start writing this stuff down- type of need. Now to be fair, I heavily utilize my calendar at work because, let’s face it, I spend the majority of my weeks there looking at my computer screen and it’s super handy to have little reminders that just *POP* right up in my face so that I cannot forget things. Unfortunately I can’t carry around my computer all day, waiting for the pop-ups to *POP* and help keep me on track.

My sweet husband has tried to sync our phone calendars so that whenever one of us adds yet another activity into the calendar, it makes a nice little sound on my phone (similar to the POP effect that I seemingly need). But that’s only helpful if things are actually PUT in the calendar and more often than not, things get missed (but they’re conveniently scheduled in my work calendar…that’s super helpful on the weekends when I have no access to that, right?).

And yes, for all of you busy moms out there who can relate, I have unwillingly succumbed to the giant, obnoxious looking “busy-mom-fridge-calendar” from Costco that takes up way too much space in my kitchen and which you can see as soon as you open my front door. This one has actually proved to be helpful, especially for the hubby who often has a pretty busy, ever-changing schedule and who makes the cutest effort to try to write legibly and ever-so-neatly as to not offend his OCD wife with his chicken scratch.

Such an eye sore, yet, I admit, so handy.

 

My problem with this calendar is, 1. I cannot simply role this thing up and cart it around with me wherever I go as to ensure that my organizational skills stay relatively adequate. And 2. There is no room for lists on this calendar. And if you know anything about me at all, you know that I need my lists. The tiny little space at the top of the giant calendar labeled “To Do”, just won’t do.

My sweet hubby also bought me these in an attempt to save my sanity.

Don’t get me wrong, I am organized. As an always busy wife and working mom of 2, I have to be organized otherwise my days would be filled with utter chaos (although sometimes, no amount of organization can prevent chaos with 2 kids who like to wrestle and who often spill things). But I need some help.

I’m a planner- actually, I’m a pretty serious over-planner. I plan for parties at least 6 months in advanced. Right around Halloween, I asked my daughter what kind of birthday party she wanted this year, just so that I could start preparing. Her birthday is in April. I also already have a list of ideas and potential themes for my son’s birthday in late June. That’s how I plan. That’s why I need lists. And that’s why I need an organizer.  Plus, we’re not even a full month into this year and people are coming at me with dates for this and dates for that. Over and above the dates that I have already planned for and am currently planning for, it’s getting to be a bit overwhelming with no one spot where I can write it all down. As much as I love my iPhone and its ‘easy’ organizational apps, I’m old school and need a pen and paper.

Hello party planning...list 1 of about 7 or 8...

So I’m hoping that if I put this out there, someone can relate to the quest that I’m currently on and help me find that perfect planner/organizer to help simplify my life, even just a little. As it’s nearing the end of January, a friendly staff member at my local Chapters helpfully pointed out that all of their organizers and planners sold out right after New Year’s-with a chipper smile she said “I guess people are just trying to get a jump on things, you know?”

Yes. Yes I do know. And maybe if I had an organizer, I would’ve had a reminder in there to ‘buy a new organizer’ before they all sold out and left me feeling somewhat behind the game, only a few weeks into the New Year. But thanks for that.

Here’s hoping the perfect organizer finds me soon. Happy planning everyone!

Xo

M

30.

The late nights, insane list-making, cake-baking and party planning paid off. My wonderful hubby turned 30 this weekend and we had an amazing weekend filled with fun, celebrating him.

I was pretty sleep deprived by the end of the week, but everything managed to come together without a hitch. We spent Saturday night surrounded by awesome family and friends. The Jell-O Shots were consumed, the 80’s themed Candy bar was a hit and the cake was exactly what he was hoping for.

Candy Bars are always a hit...especially 80's themed ones.



A Vodka themed party needs a Vodka Menu

 

His topsy-turvy cake was no easy feat. By the time I was ready to roll out the fondant and get decorating, the kitchen and I were roasting and the buttercream icing wouldn’t really set (plus, since I do all my baking in my modest little kitchen, I didn’t exactly have a giant fridge that I could put all 3 cake layers in, in order to have the icing get firm for decorating). But, I managed and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

 

The bottom layer was decorated with gum paste models of a few of his favourite things: a Seahawks logo, a Canucks logo, weights, ketchup (he LOVES ketchup), a Ford logo (he has a thing for trucks), a can of Rockstar and of course, me and the kids. All in all, I’m pretty happy with how it all looked and how it all came together. Definitely an accomplishment for my first topsy-turvy cake (although it was amusing to hear all of the “is it supposed to look like it’s about to fall over?” comments. LOL!)

After the festivities of the weekend were over and the basement returned to normal, we celebrated his birthday on Monday with a special surprise. The kids had helped me pick out, wrap and set up “30 surprises for his 30^th birthday”. My daughter and I woke up extra early on Monday morning and left a trail of 30 surprises all over the upstairs hallway and down the stairs, leading to his main gifts from myself and the kids. The *30 surprises* were anything from homemade cards from the kids to gift cards for some much needed new work clothes.

Little Helpers

His favourite surprise:

We spent the rest of the day making sure that he felt extra special, extra important and extra loved. It was a wonderful day spent celebrating such an amazing guy.

This picture is fuzzy because I was laughing so hard. For obvious reasons.

Happy 30^th birthday love. The best is yet to come.

Xo

M

Ballerina.

My Mom tried to put me in ballet when I was 6. I remember having to sit in a circle on the first day and play Duck, Duck, Goose. I was shy when I was little. Painfully shy. Some could argue (mostly me) that I still am. I prefer to label it as being Purposefully Reserved, but in truth, I’ve just never done well in social settings, specifically ones that put you front and centre- on.the.spot.

So there I was at my very first ballet class with my stomach in knots, just hoping that no one would pick me as the Goose. I remember thinking and stressing- What if I don’t run fast enough? What if I trip and fall while running? What if I run the wrong way? I don’t remember too many details of my childhood, but the ones filled with paralyzing self-doubt are really ingrained in my memory. Anyways, I was never picked as the Goose. Thankfully. And after class ended, I promptly told my Mom that I was not interested in ballet and with very little argument, she pulled me out of the class and my anxiety melted away.

Most of my childhood was like that- “Do you want to join swim lessons?” No. “Do you want to go into modeling or acting?” No. “You have a beautiful voice, do you want to try singing lessons?” No.

Now in hindsight, I feel terrible. Growing up with 4 other siblings, it’s not like my parents had a ton of money to just put us in anything that we wanted to do. But I guarantee you that if I had asked to join any one of those things, my parents would’ve pulled every string and counted every penny to make that happen. But my agonizing fear often convinced me that it was better to sit on the side lines and quietly blend in than to give it a shot and put myself out there. Vulnerability. I wasn’t into it.

When I found out that I was pregnant the first time, I just knew it was going to be a girl. And I was terrified. I wasn’t worried about not being a good Mom or not knowing how to handle a baby- I knew that my amazing husband and family would help me navigate that journey. No, I was terrified of learning how to instill confidence in my daughter when, while growing up, I had absolutely none. Don’t get me wrong- I figured myself out as I got older and while I continue to grow more and more comfortable in my skin every day, I am definitely proud of my story and who I’ve become. But the journey in finding myself was jaded and wracked with confusion, low-self esteem and self-doubt. I wanted none of these things for my daughter and I worried that eventually, she would experience the same fears that I had and my over-analytical mind needed a plan for how to prevent that.   

But then she came along. And she’s amazing. I don’t care if I’m biased (what Mom isn’t?) but I swear, this kid is amazing. She is everything that I wasn’t at her age - Confident. Adventurous. Brave. Friendly. Affectionate. Thoughtful. Hilarious. She wears her heart on her sleeve and even though I know that she will eventually experience any and all of the fears, doubts and anxiety that I had as a child, I know that her personality and positive outlook on life (yes, even at only 3-1/2 years old) will no doubt help her to power through any obstacle. She faces every new experience and new situation with the confidence that I wish I had.

She started her new Ballet class this weekend and ran into the studio with no reservations or hesitations. Just sheer, genuine excitement. Seriously. I am in awe of this kid. I watched her and kept thinking- I wish I had her confidence when I was her age- I’m sure the world would’ve looked so much more fun.

Here’s hoping that the ballerinas in your life have a wonderfully beautiful week.

Xo

M

Let Them Eat Cake

I love dessert. Like, LOVE dessert. And there’s no particular kind either. My friends and family will tell you that I have no shame in indulging in pretty much any dessert option that is put in front of me. I have no self-control when it comes to my sweet tooth and I’m perfectly ok with that.

After having my daughter, my love of cakes and party planning really sprang to life. I mean, what better creative outlet than a little girl’s *first* birthday party? From the pink décor to the individual handmade tutus that each lucky little guest received, I was in my element. And while I often (just ask my husband) get immersed and carried away with the theme, colour scheme, party favours and organization of it all (future blog post to follow), one of the big highlights of party planning for me is always, the cake.

Before my husband and I got married, we had a tradition that on his birthday, I would make and decorate birthday cupcakes for him. That tradition continued even after we tied the knot and once our daughter came along, I figured what better way to expand on this tradition than to make her birthday cake every year. As a relative newbie to the cake-making scene, I enlisted a lot of help from one of my talented cousins and together we created this beauty…



Beauty and the Beast will forever be my favourite Disney movie and I have no shame in admitting that I heavily influenced my daughter into loving it just as much as I did

 

The cake was perfect (in my eyes anyway) and my daughter loved it. Thus began the tradition of me making custom, made with love birthday cakes for my kids and my husband for their special day.

The rules: They can pick the design & theme, I will try my best to make it. The more challenging the cake, the more fun it is for me.

I have made so many fun cakes over the past couple of years…

 

Derek's Birthday Request, 2012: A Well-Endowed Chive Cake

Belles 2nd Birthday Cake - Her Disney obsession was temporarily distracted by the Bubble Guppies.
My awesome cousin also helped me with this fun design.



Derek's Birthday Request, 2013: A rainbow Jell-O Shot Cake.
This has to be the most time consuming and frustrating cake I've made thus far!
P.S. How handsome is my hubby!

Belles 3rd Birthday Party Request:"Pink with Kitty Cats"

My very first *smash* cake for Keaton's 1st Birthday



Keaton's *Pirate Themed* First Birthday Cake



My husband turns 30 this month and his upcoming birthday bash means one very important detail for me- the cake.

He has challenged me with a request for a topsy-turvy style cake with each layer being a different pattern/design. He’s also asked me to add some special elements to his cake in the form of his ‘favourite things’. This will by far be the toughest cake I have ever made, but I’m so looking forward to getting started and seeing this vision come to life. Wish me luck!

I hope that something sweet finds its way to you this week!

Xo

M

New Year, New Opportunities

Last year my New Year’s resolutions were simple:

1.       Focus on the positive

2.       Be the best Mom & role model that I can be to my kids

While it’s super easy for me to often get carried away about the “worst-case-scenarios” and the “what-ifs” of life, for the most part, I found myself often stopping to take a breath throughout the year and focusing on the positives rather than the negatives (even if the negative people were positively p*ssing me off…see what I did there?).

Now in regards to resolution #2, well you’ll have to ask my kids how I did. There were definitely moments of chaos. Moments of “do you think colouring on your bed was a good idea?!” and “seriously- stop stealing your brothers toys!”. But there were absolutely beautiful moments too and I definitely choose to focus on those.

 

 

So, apart from continuing to focus on the positive, my resolutions for this year are going to be a little more challenging:

1.       Focus on quality time with the people and relationships that matter most

2.       Focus on my own goals while also prioritizing some personal ME time

Now, the last one is always the one that I feel needs some explaining, but in all honestly, I’m a busy, working mom and wife and some guilt-free (ya right!) ME time is seriously needed. Last year I kicked myself into gear and started focusing more on my health and physical well-being. Now, I’m no fitness guru, but I definitely love the energy and pride that I felt after I had participated and stuck to some fun and often challenging fitness routines. This year, I’m hoping to continue to challenge myself not only physically and professionally, but also mentally. As much as I hate to admit it, stress plays a huge part in my life and I’m constantly trying to find new ways of coping and managing my stress levels. Exercise has definitely helped, but I’m also hoping to find time for the quiet, simple ways that I can relax and unwind- picking up a new book, having a quiet, kid-free bath once in a while (heaven!), continuing to focus on writing….anything really to help my mind escape and relax, even for a few minutes.

My 'Quality Time' resolution is also really important to me- it’s always so easy to get caught up in day-to-day juggling and the important things like quality time with your spouse and kids or even quality girl-time with friends seem to take a back seat on the priority list (at least for me anyway). I’m hoping that I can juggle my time a little bit better this year and make sure to focus on the relationships that truly matter and the friendships that truly bring out the best in me. These positive friendships and relationships are going to help energize me for this year ahead. I’m tired of the copious amounts of negativity in the world. There are too many things to be excited for and I hope to surround myself with wonderful, supportive people who will encourage my ideas and aspirations and hopefully, I can do the same for them.

So there you have it, big dreams for a big year ahead. Here’s hoping that 2015 is filled with excitement, new adventures and limitless possibilities for all of us!

Xo

M

Well, Why Not?

I have always thought about starting a blog. I have always had a love affair with writing and I find it to be the best outlet for me to express my normally guarded and introverted self. It also helps me to de-stress, organize my thoughts and to give my poor husbands ears a break from my constant over-thinking and over-analyzing. But then my thoughts get carried away- “what would I write about?”, “what would people think?”, “would people even read it?” “why do I really want to do this?” (there’s a nice little example of the over-thinking that I was talking about). But then I see so many beautiful women sharing their amazing stories- whether it’s giving us a glimpse into their lives or simply providing helpful tips to make the chaos of day-to-day a bit more manageable, other people are doing it and doing it well. So I thought, “well, why not me?”

As a mother of 2, I am constantly in awe of my children’s confidence- their ability to just do whatever it is they want to do- no fears, no apprehensions, just living in the absolute perfection of the moment, no matter what the outcome. As parents, we teach them to be cautious, to be wary of hurting themselves and we try to protect them from the possible dangers and the realities of the world. And while I’m definitely all about informing and protecting my kids, I sometimes catch myself trying to ensure that my internal fears, paranoia (I fully admit to being overly paranoid at times) and apprehensions aren’t being negatively absorbed in their little minds. While I want them to make smart choices, I don’t want their fears to paralyze them while they’re finding their way through life and forming their own unique personalities. I want them to always retain the confidence that they currently possess and that I secretly envy. I don’t want them to grow up talking themselves out of trying new things, but rather ask them selves, “well, why not?” 

So I figure, why not lead by example. Why not show them that even if they’re the only ones who think their ideas are great, they should still just go for it and give it a try.

As I start a new year and embark on new adventures both personally and professionally, I hope to constantly remember to ask myself, “why not?” and I sincerely hope that you’ll enjoy sharing this new journey, outlook and adventure with me.

Xo,

M