Learning to Create

So, if you haven't noticed through the many crafty/creative websites and blogs that I have added links to, I am totally inspired these days by the many creatively cool women out there. However, at this point my skills are lacking to truly keep up with most of the fabulous ideas they come up with... and my craft cupboard is pretty much bare.

Today, I went to Wal-Mart and picked up some paper and a bucket containing fun little things like pipe cleaners, pom poms and googly eyes. Maybe I will be inspired to create something with my little guy in the next while. In the meantime, I have been wanting to replicate these fun pumpkin decorations that I found at Hostess with the Mostess {originally at Three Wheels Turning} for a long time, and now hopefully I will have everything I need to do it! Wish me luck!

Oh, and if you have any tips on building up a craft cupboard {must-have items} or beginner projects please send them my way! threemes@gmail.com

Happy Halloween!

Looking at the Bright Side

Yesterday my husband came home from work, and he had found some time throughout the day to get to the mall and purchase a new coat for himself. He had wanted a jacket like this for a long time now, and he was pretty excited that he had found one.

But, he was even more excited that he had purchased a jacket for me as well. It is a very nice coat, but instead of being enthusiastic about his random, unexpected thoughfulness, I told him {rather rudely I must admit} that the specific jacket he purchased wasn't the one I had previously looked at and wanted.

He pointed out to me that I was being very negative. And who can blame him for being diappointed with my reaction? Afterall, what wife wouldn't be excited to receive a beautiful new coat for no reason, and not really needing one, from their husband? Hello?!

This made me realize that I too often look at the negative in life rather than focusing of all the amazing things that I have. I am being very ungrateful. So, in order to attempt to correct this behaviour I am going to list five things that I am grateful for right now, in this very moment:

1. I am thankful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom.
2. I am happy that it was warm enough this morning that I was able to take Baby B outside for a few minutes to hang some Halloween decorations with me.
3. I am lucky enough to have an amazing son who brings a smile to my face just by being himself!
4. I am fortunate to have the flexibility and support from my family to be able to go back to school part time to learn more about something I am passionate about.
5. I am grateful for my mom and my sister and our relationships with each other.

If you found yourself relating to this post I challenge you to create your own list. If we all took the time to remind ourselves about what we have that we often forget to be thankful for, I'm sure we'd all gain a better perspective on life. Oh, and thanks for the amazing coat hunny... you were so right when you thought it would suit me, and it was very kind of you to think of me!

Talking... and talking back!

Let me just start by saying that I love my son as they say "to the moon and back." But at 22-months my wonderful, loving, sweet Baby B is already talking back. I am not sure if it is early for this {isn't it called the Terrible Two's?}, but some days {when I can stop giggling at how goofy it sounds at times} it really drives me crazy. "No mommy, stop it" along with a quick swat at my face is said in my home about a dozen times a day. Ironic, that we are so excited when our children say their first words...

How to deal? Well, this being my first child and all, I am not an expert, but I have adopted a few methods of dealing with a difficult and unhappy little one. First, we are a time-out house. The first step in the typical time-out sequence is to firmly, but still lovingly tell Baby B that his behaviour is not appropriate nor acceptable in our house. The second time he repeats this behaviour, we simply remind him that what he is doing is unacceptable and that if he does it again he will get a time-out. The third occurance results in the actual time-out.

I have read that a general rule of thumb is one minute of time-out per year of age. We have a time-out mat that actually keeps track for us, and is pressure sensitive with an alarm that sounds if he gets up before the time is over. A little overkill sometimes, but better than me leaving him in time-out for a longer than appropriate time because I get busy with laundry and forget to tell him he his done. But, if we aren't around the time-out mat, any empty corner of a room will do.

Another successful way to deal with a toddler who is misbehaving, so my Today's Parent magazine tells me, is to simply remove him from what he is doing or distract him with another activity. This has had varying results, since my little guy is pretty stubborn, and when he wants something it's pretty hard to get him to forget about it.

Oh yes, my little guy is quite a talker, and many people say he talks more than most kids his age. There have been quite a few humorous moments in the past 6 months or so, and I have been trying to collect them to share with you in a later post... I am sure if most of us wrote down the cute/funny things our toddlers/preschoolers say each day we'd all have quite a book of smiles to share! Feel free to post a favourite diddy your child has said!

More Inspiring Blogs

I am going to be taking next week off from blogging, so while I am on hiatus, here are some blogs I am totally inspired by these days for you to peek at if you are interested:

The Creative Party Place

The Creative Crate

Love. Obsess. Inspire.

How About Orange

Hostess with the Mostess

I'll be back again next Monday (October 26th)!

Halloween Costumes

Here is a picture of the Halloween costume that I ordered online for my son {the photo is of another adorable little one since it hasn't actually arrived yet}. Too cute! What are your kids {or you} dressing up as this year?

Wife Confessions

While I have been truly amazed with the amazing blogs that I have found lately, yesterday I discovered that there are some pretty outrageous ones as well. Did you know that there are "anonymous" websites and blogs where wives are able to post confessions about their husbands?

It wouldn't be so bad if the majority of the confessions went something like this one I found: "I love that we still have so much love and affection for each other even after all these years. Sometimes I feel like we are still newlyweds and I pray everyday that that feeling doesn't go away." However, many of these confessions are about the horrible things that wives have done to their husbands ~ cheating, lying and other dirty secrets.

Does posting these things online somehow make the person feel better? Does it release the associated guilt in some way? I suppose there is comfort in knowing you are not alone, but in this context I think it is not healthy for the individual or the relationship. I hope that most of the posts are gross exaggerations, and these women are not running around sleeping with their husband's cousins or best friends.

I know some days it's tough to communicate, and you can feel as if you are not even in the same book as your husband, let alone on the same page. But, how can airing your dirty laundry on the internet make things better? The sites seem to be quite popular and they have received a few "awards," so reading/writing these confessions must do something for the women who are on there... an extreme reality soap opera of sorts.

Roundup of Mommy E-newsletters

A couple of Mondays ago I rounded up a bunch of places in Calgary that offer Mom & Tot classes... today I have rounded up what I think are the best of the e-newlsletters that parents can sign up for {since there really are hundreds to choose from}. Some of these newsletters offer parenting advice or forums, and others offer products. I have tried out many "subscriptions" and these are my favourites {in no particular order}:

Babyvibe.ca

SavvyMom.ca

Today's Parent

BabyCenter Canada

Simple Mom

True Cuddles

Baby Steals

If you are loving roundups as much as I do, visit Morgan's blog post on Mon Petit Amour where she rounded up baby/maternity stores in Calgary.

11 Weeks Until Christmas

I get a plethora of e-newsletters every week/month, and one of them this morning (http://www.simplemom.net/) reminded me that there are 11 weeks until Christmas. That may seem like a lot of time, but really when you put into perspective all the things that most people try to accomplish before the holidays, it really isn't!

Simple Mom writer Tsh (pronounced "Tish") is attempting to help everyone stay sane this year by setting weekly goals for each of us to accomplish so that we aren't doing everything last minute again this year. She has entitled the series of newsletters "12 Weeks to a Peaceful Christmas"

This week she suggests that you gather up all the addresses you will need for your holiday cards and research the different option that you have for sending said cards. Tsh suggests three options to consider {excluding the traditonal store-bought cards}, including making your own cards, ordering custom photo cards, or sending e-cards {and donating the money you would have spent on cards and postage to a charity}.

This made me curious, what option do you think you are going to pursue this year??? This year my family and I will be in Mexico for Christmas, something I am both excited and sad about {yay for getting out of the cold, boo for the change in traditions}. But, since I am already going to be having an un-traditional holiday, perhaps I should consider stepping out of my usual holiday card plan and look into the e-card option. Just not sure if the older generation will embrace this new-age idea... I think Grandma likes to proudly display her card {and the enclosed family photo} for all her friends to see.

Date Night

Last Wednesday I suggested that going on dates with your husband {or significant other} was one way to maintain your relationship {certainly not a groundbreaking concept, but true none the less}. Whether you have been together for a while and are feeling the passion fizzle, or your life is dominated by a new role as a parent, going out every week {or month if that's all you can do} and spending time together like you did in the beginning of the courtship is a great idea! Here are some suggestions on things that you can do together as a couple in various price ranges:

• go bowling {even glow bowling if you want to feel nostalgic}
• go to a play or dinner theatre {try Theatre Calgary or Jubilations here in Calgary}
• go to a comedy club
• visit a museum
• go to a sporting event {extra points with the hubby usually}
• try painting pottery
• take a cooking class together
• go for a walk {before it gets too cold}
• go to a farmer's market
• drive to a nearby city/town and get ice cream
• volunteer somewhere together
• walk around a pet shop {cute window shopping}

Share your favourite less conventional dates by posting a comment!

Blissfully too Busy to Blog Today

Hi everyone! My apologies for the lack of Mother Monday post this morning... I was at an all day women's conference called the Business of Bliss... attempting to discover my passion and live a life I love. While I did enjoy the day (especially speakers Martha Beck, Danielle LaPorte, and the wonderful Peter Walsh), I did find the ticket price to be a bit steep for what was included. {Although, I really have no idea how much something like that would cost to put on, so I guess I can't truly comment.}

I also enjoyed chatting with a few of the women involved with Entrepreneurial Moms {http://www.entrepreneurialmoms.org/}, one of the event sponsors. Check them out if you are interested... I am definitely going to look into joining since it always helps to have mentorship and guidance from others when you are looking to start something new in your life.

One day... when I get my act together and answer the questions that Danielle LaPorte {www.whitehottruth.com} says we should ask ourselves... such as "what is your relationship to life?" and "what is your core desired feeling?" Then maybe I will know what it is that I want to do and will be able to go after it, all with the support of other mom entrepreneurs!

Celebrating Each and Every Day

When I first started my blog, about a month ago now, I had read a handful of blogs before and was following a couple. Now I find myself enthralled with the vast numbers of creatively cool women that are out there blogging about things they love. I discover a new, exciting blog almost everyday. Topics range from DIY projects, home decor, and renovating, to motherhood, online shopping, and crafting.

While I don’t have the ability to follow each and every blog I find, I do make time for my new favourite site that I have subscribed to which is all about a topic that is very near and dear to my heart... events! {I love event planning and I am currently going to school one evening a week to get my Event Management Certificate from Mount Royal.} Michelle Stepp is the fabulous female behind “Everyday Celebrating,” and is an event planner in the Nashville, Tennesee area. I, quite simply, love reading her blog. I am fascinated by the stuff that she both finds and creates, and the events that she features.

I was super pumped when, after emailing Michelle to ask her about her fun blog header {which I love and hope to be able to emulate with my own one day when I have the skills}, and she got back to me – that very day! I am amazed that not only are the blogging women I find talented, but they are gracious and sweet too... and Michelle is no exception. When I emailed her back again to ask if it was okay that I feature her on here today, she was kind enough to say yes.

If you are as passionate about events as I am, or even if you just need some fresh new ideas for an upcoming family shin-dig, please check out Everyday Celebrating. I am positive you will be as hooked as I am after viewing the cute kabob invites Michelle found, or the fun Halloween ideas she’s rounding up. As Michelle’s concept implies, we should all celebrate each and every day... whether there’s an official reason to or not! Cheers!