Go Away Cold And Flu Season!

Happy Monday everyone! I am rounding up enough energy to type today.

It was been a rough week.

We all know the expression "vacation from my vacation" but our home has been hit HARD with the cold and flu germs!

I don't know if it is because our systems were down from the travelling but when the germs hit our home, we got it! Pretty much any kind of cold/flu symptom you can have, we had! I just felt so sorry for Sam because he didn't understand what was happening. 

We spent some time in our PJS recovering and eventually things started to turn around! 

I had to buck up and go to a tradeshow even though that was the very last thing I wanted to do! 

In the evenings I got Sam's Valentines ready for his friends and loved ones! Little Bird seed hangers in the shape of a heart! 

The weekend arrived and things started to look up! We decided to head to our Valentine traditional spot of Ladysmith for wings! Sam was such a good boy throughout the meal. 

It all went down hill that afternoon. I don't know what I ate or what I came down with, but Saturday evening and throughout Sunday, I was very ill! I most I've been sick in a long time, when I had JUST been down with the flu exactly a week before! Thankfully, Ryan had Saturday night off work and was able to be both Daddy and care taker to me. 

Thankfully, I'm on the mend now! To go up a flight of stairs carrying Sam feels like I ran a marathon since it's been 7 days without a proper meal. I'm very weak but into work this morning getting some paperwork ready for an important meeting. Here's hoping for no more sickness for the rest of this winter! 

Has any bugs hit your house? 

xo  

Our Disney Cruise Trip- The Details - Part 1

I mentioned yesterday that we are home from our amazing vacation! Life is back to being fast paced since coming back home and before I forget some of the details, I want to document our trip here!

Let me start out by saying that I gave myself LOW expectations for this trip. While it wasn't last minute, it was a little spontaneously booked. Booking it early gave me lots of time to think about this trip and as Sam got older, the more I thought that this trip was going to be difficult. Schedules, naps, feeding, strollers, long waits...I began to worry whether we would actually have any "fun". Some people mentioned that they didn't even realize we were going because I hardly talked about the trip. A big part of that was because I was worried!

A large part of my worry was the flight. I packed a TON of fun things for Sam for both flights (there and home). The little stinker ended up sleeping on BOTH flights and these fun things were never even touched.

As I mentioned, we wanted to head down early in case of a storm. Being that the weather was good, we had a whole day to kill in Orlando. We decided since we all love Disney, to take that day and visit the Magic Kingdom. Again, our expectations were low. After much research I realized that there were lots of rides for Sam but I was worried that they would scare him. He can sometimes shy away from new situations like that.

We stayed at Disney's Contemporary resort which meant we could have access to the Monorail. This would mean we could travel easily and quickly (5 mins!) from the Magic Kingdom to our hotel. We were up bright and early the first morning so we could arrive right when the park opened at 9 am! That is always my biggest tip, get there early and head straight for the rides!! A LOT of people walk around the shops that are located right at the entrance and don't start lining up right away. We can usually get 3-4 rides in before the lines start to get busy!

A little photo op with the castle first though! 

It was a colder, rainy day at the Magic Kingdom which helped with the crowds. We headed straight to our first ride, Pirates of The Caribbean. It's a personal favorite but it's dark and I imagine could be a little scary to a small child. Again, Sam surprised us by yelling "WEEEEE" as we went down the little "scary" hill. And then proceeded to sing "Yo Ho" for the rest of the day.

We had so much fun at Disney that morning! Pirates, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Winnie The Pooh, It's A Small World and then lunch at The Liberty Tree. It was such a fun morning and within 5 minutes we were back to our room for Sam's afternoon nap!

On Little Mermaid 

In line for Peter Pan 

Riding on Dumbo

 After Sam woke up, we had a quick snack and then headed BACK to the Magic Kingdom! It was POURING rain at this point but decided to go on a couple more rides and grab the embroidered Mickey Ears for Sam.

That night we ate supper in our room and Sam went to bed. As he slept we snuck around the corner and were able to have a full view of the Magic Kingdom's fireworks show! It was amazing! We headed to bed ourselves knowing that the next day was a big day, we would be getting on our ship!

My parents had booked us in for Chef Mickey's buffet breakfast that is available at our hotel for the next morning. It is a GREAT opportunity to see all of Disney's favorite characters without having to stand in a long lineup to wait!! You get breakfast and each character comes around to your table!

Goofy was the first one by and I waited to see how Sam would react! A smile broke out in his face and he wasn't scared at all. Goofy was great and got some smiles out of Sam. Sam's eyes continued to follow goofy around the room for the rest of the breakfast!

Meeting Mickey was a HIGHLIGHT that I will remember for the rest of my life. Mickey swung Sam's highchair around and started playing and "talking" to him right away. Sam really warmed up to him and by the end of the visit was giggling and giving him lots of hugs and kisses. He then got upset when he had to say bye which meant Pluto's visit wasn't so popular.

Finally, we grabbed our bags and caught our bus to Port Canaveral. It was a 1.5 bus ride and Sam watched Wiggles the whole time. As we drove up to the port, we got the first glimpse of our ship, the Disney Fantasy. I can't even describe the size! Disney makes the transition SUPER easy and 100% look after your luggage. All you really do is sign up, go through security and check in! Once you are checked in, you head to your ship, scan your "key to the world" card and come aboard! As you are walking in there is are members of the Disney staff there to announce and welcome you.

We headed to our room right away and put Sam down for a nap, took some literature and enjoyed a peaceful couple of hours getting a handle on what the activities were for the next week! We just got more and more excited for the days to come! It was those few moments going over the schedule, menu's and signing Sam up for some on ship activities, that the realization of the amazing week we were about to have! 

xo 

We're Home!

 Happy Monday everyone! And I am SO glad to be back in this little corner writing again! I am returning and getting back into routine from our wonderful holiday! 

For a long time, Ryan and I wanted to have a trip with Sam before he turned two! Two is that magical age where they start charging you for your toddler to travel! We wanted to get in one big trip where he was free to fly, free to eat and free to stay! Yes, we are cheap but we love to travel and know that IF we decide to have another child one day, traveling will never be as easy as it is right now at this stage of our life. Traveling may seem hard now and I can't even imagine adding another one to the mix! 

After looking into some options we decided that we wanted to go on a Disney Cruise. Something neither of us have ever done. We are big kids at heart and love Disney World but just weren't ready to have a full week doing that with Sam, yet. That being said, the price was right with a Disney cruise. It's like a condensed version of visiting Disney in Florida. Food is included in the price and we could enjoy some beautiful warm weather at different ports! There would be lots for us to do as a family! We (thankfully) booked it before the Canadian dollar got so bad! 

We wanted to travel down a day early for our cruise in case of bad weather. Thankfully the weather was on our side and we ended up in Florida with a free day so we visited the Magic Kingdom. I didn't expect there to be so much for Sam to do but we went on SO many rides and he had a blast!! I will always cherish the memories of seeing his reaction to seeing different characters and going on rides. It was nothing short of magical. 

The morning of getting to see our ship was amazing. It was a monstrous boat and I am still amazed that it floats! ha ha! We loved our room and the staff was amazing! It took a little adjustment to get into the relaxing routine but we got the hang of it! The Disney Cruise made our vacation EASY! But more on that later!  

Of course I was most worried about the flight home. We had to get off the ship by 9 AM and our flight wasn't until 7:40 PM! A whole day hanging out at the airport! Yikes! But Sam shocked us all by being happy, well behaved and even had an afternoon nap. On the flight home he fell asleep shortly after take off and slept the whole time! It was actually an enjoyable flight home. 

I love to travel but there is something so nice about coming home to the familiar. Our own bed, food and belongings. Sunday was all about getting back into routine. We grabbed groceries and then headed up to discover that over the course of the week, our big freezer had quit working. While we were low in our freezer stock of meat (thank god!) I had lost a bunch of other stuff like corn, carrots, and apple sauce. So instead of unpacking and doing laundry, I was throwing away perished food. Bummer! 

But it doesn't take away from the AMAZING trip that we had and I can't wait to get into more details of our fun time as well as some tips and tricks that we learnt along the way! 

xo 

Cozy Winter Weekend

Oh Mondays....Blah! You are so welcomed and yet so despised at the same time! For one, I love getting back into routine but I still hate the after weekend hangover (not literal) that comes with a new work week. 

Ryan had to work every night this weekend so it was just me and my boy for the most part! Friday night, while making a homemade pizza I sipped on a glass of my favorite wine, Moscato by Yellow Tail! Yum! I may have received a CASE of it for Christmas! Ha ha! Thanks Santa! :) 

I had a low key Friday evening. Ryan headed into work and I "Netflix and Chilled". And yes, I am VERY away (now) what that means in Teenage terms but I'm an old married woman/Mom. It means that I am in some sort of joggers or Pj's, doing absolutely nothing and watching endless hours of Netflix. This may or may not also include ice cream. 

I had big plans on Saturday. Sam and I were going to head to Ikea to get a few tradeshow items for this week and get a bit of groceries. Just as I was about to wake him up, the skies opened and the big fluffy snowflakes began to fall. Normally, a little snow doesn't stop me but it was pretty thick. So we changed plans! 

Ryan was home from night shift and has trouble sleeping through Sam playing so I knew we had to get out of the house. We packed up and went to visit friend Jilly and then to my parents place for coffee and play time. 

We headed home around 11 and I still wanted to give Ryan some extra quiet time so we went for a nice long walk! Sam hasn't been in his sleigh for a year and it is much heavier to pull this year! 

Honestly, the weather doesn't matter to this kid. He just LOVES being outside and has a huge meltdown every time he has to come in. He could literally spend hours outside!  

Which I need to get use to. I'm kind of an indoors kind of girl in the winter but I am learning to adjust and spend more time in the fresh air. 

We had our lunch and then off to nap. Everyone in the house was sleeping but me so I got a start on supper. A new Pinterest recipe! Chicken and Bacon lasagna roll ups! 

I have to say, they were AWESOME! We ate these both Saturday and Sunday night. I think they will become a regular in our meal line up. They are a little fussy to make because there are a few steps but worth the effort.  And a good recipe to make on the weekends to enjoy! It makes a large pan so next time I will put half in the freezer! Which is amazing, it's like getting two meals in one! 

Another quiet Saturday night where I proceeded to stay up WAY too late watching Scandal on Netflix. I just started this series and I am completely addicted.

We have a new weekend routine lately! Sam has never been much of a morning person. He also doesn't really have any interest in TV. Except, we recently figured out that he LOVES The Wiggles and will sit and watch a whole 20 minutes (that's big for him). I get a few extra snuggles on weekend mornings by bringing him into our bed for milk and The Wiggles. I get to enjoy the extra snuggles and he has time to "hatch". My new favorite time of day! 

We got ready for church and headed there early with Daddy (who hadn't slept much) so that I could set up for my Sunday School lesson about the 10 Commandments. We did 10 commandments hopscotch! 

Sam made this Penne noodle necklace at daycare last week and is OBSESSED with it! He is constantly looking for it and wearing it everywhere. It's pretty funny when toddlers get something in their heads like a noodle necklace. 

We enjoyed a quiet Sunday night in the house and getting ready for a busy week to come! 

How was your weekend? 

xo 

I'm Here And Brownie Points

Happy FINALLY Friday everyone! 

I am alive. I swear! I knew that January was going to be a busy month for me but WOW! It has really kicked my butt! With three tradeshows and 1 family vacation, this month is going to be full! 

This past week I hoped on a train on Monday morning and headed off to Toronto for a work conference and tradeshow. It was a Canadian level event and very big event. 

Train food, yum! 

Taking this small town girl to the big city for work can make me feel very foreign. I feel as though I really stand out in the crowd. I work in a very male dominated industry and at this particular event it was about 1 woman for every 500 men. So that alone can make me feel like I stand out but then add in my small town ways. 

For example, I had SO much trouble getting around the conference center. I was constantly taking a wrong turn! It was 3 floors of large conference rooms and a very confusing layout. Let's just say I did use the "damsel in distress" card a couple times to find my way around. Worked like a charm. 

On the first night there was a company cocktail party at a local brewery. There was food and the only drink available was their beer that they brewed which reminded me very much of mud water! Yuck! You are expected to make appearances at these kind events. Walk the room and shake hands, exchange business cards. So this girl had to stay up way past her 8 PM bedtime! Something I am really not use to! And then getting up at the same 5 AM alarm to get ready for a day of education, some of them a wee bit boring and hard to stay away through! Thankfully there was an endless flow of coffee! 

All of that though, I could easily handle! In fact, I kind of thrive in that environment. I am no wall flower! I love to network, meet new people, learn new industry information and dive head first into positioning myself as the business woman I aspire to be. The thing I struggled with the most? Being so far away from Sam for work. Not kissing his soft cheek in the morning or singing him his bedtime song. It was a struggle. For the first night I felt like a fish out of water, there was a constant feeling of "something is missing". 

But as I was reminded by an amazing friend and caregiver for Sam, how lucky am I to have the amazing family TO MISS? One day I hope that Sam will understand my work life, appreciate and aspire to the effort that I put into work. 

Oh and the brownie points, well they went to Ryan! On the way to pick me up at the train station on Wednesday evening, he picked up flowers and had Sam holding them. Sam then handed them to me and have me a big hug! I pretty much melted into a big puddle of mush! 

Sometimes I feel so guilty for loving work and not wanting to be a stay at home mom. I think I am a better mother and partner if I get to do what I am passionate about. I've had to learn that even though I do love work, it doesn't make me any less of a Mom. I am a working Mom who dedicates her working hours to the bettering of the company she co-owns. EVERY other moment in the day, I dedicate to my boys and being the best mom and partner that I can be for them. 

Hope you have a great weekend! 

xo 

It's A New Year But Not A New Me!

There is something that is exciting about a new year. It's like the opening of a new book. Starting that first sentence and not knowing what is about to come to light. I think the beginning of a year can close off the end of a bad one and bring hope to the days to come. A new year can be encouraging and yet kind of scary. 

So often, I hear and see about BIG New Years resolutions. They wait till that big date rolls over to hopefully "change their life". New Years Eve and resolutions were never something that we really made a big deal about in our house and so as I've grown up, they continue to be of non-importance. 

There are some things that I love about a new year! I love writing in my new agenda for the next year. I love writing in the things to come and the special events on certain days. I've always been one to be excited for "things to come" and a new year to me, means the prospect of many wonderful things to come. 

With the talk of the new year, came the question..."What's your New Years resolution?"

If I were to answer like in the past, I would say that I don't make any resolutions. But instead, I decided to step back and reflect on my life and think about things that I may want to change. 

For the most part, I am SO happy with life. I have an amazing partner, son, family and friends. I love my job and I feel like I have come to terms with how to deal with "busy". I am saying no now more often to things I really don't want to do and not even hesitating in doing the things that make me happy. 

However, after some reflection, I realized that there were a few things that were missing. These things won't necessarily make me happy, but I think they will enrich my life further. 

For one, I want to do yoga or some sort of meditation once a week. This probably sounds like a typical "work out more" resolution but it's not. When I make time to do yoga and/or mediate, my whole outlook on the day shifts. Giving myself those few minutes of peace is like giving my mind and body a full nights rest. I feel relaxed and rejuvenated. 

Another thing that is high on my list is taking more time to write hand written thank you and hello letters. So often we get caught up in typing that sometimes the act of writing something by hand is forgotten. For example, my grandma is not going to sit down and write me an e-mail. I know she appreciates a hand written letter every once in a while. Life as a mom/wife/worker is busy but I want to be sure to express my appreciation by writing it to someone. 

Finally, I want to turn off the TV more. With our new PVR in our bedroom, more often I am making time to stay up to watch a recorded show and not reading anymore. I love to read but it has taken a back seat to many "important" TV series. I can't actually remembered the last time I picked up a book! I want to read more than just Book Club books. I want to turn the TV off more at home and instead say yes to going outside more (yes even in the miserable winter, blah!), getting craft supplies out or playing a board game with Ryan. TV is an awful distraction for me and sometimes I make it more important that other activities. 

Do you make New Year resolutions? 

xo 

Christmas 2015 Recap!

Happy Monday and Happy New 2016! I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone and we are in the beginnings of a fresh year! Here is a little recap of our Christmas! 

Christmas Eve went better then I could have ever expected! I had worked my self up a little, worried about Sam being at the 7 PM service that has no Sunday school! Eventually, I just realized that my not yet 2 year old is not going to stay still. But as long as he is happy and safe, then that's what will happen. Thankfully he was in a good mood and while he was more interested in being at the front, he was still fairly quiet! 

Christmas Eve tradition continued with a little "T'was The Night Before Christmas", snacks and drinks. A newer tradition that I love and will continue is after Sam is in bed, I play a little Santa and set up all the gifts (all family gifts are there! Grandparents, cousins and etc), after it is all done I just sat back for 10 minutes in the glow of the tree and reflected. It was so relaxing! 

Christmas morning Ryan and I were up before Sam and I was able to make some breakfast. When it was time to get up we were excited to show Sam that Santa had left some special things in his stocking! 

He had breakfast, we opened stockings with my parents and then all headed downstairs to the tree! Sam kept saying "Wow!" It was hard to get him to not open every gift in sight. 

We let Sam open his gifts so that he'd something to play with while we exchanged gifts with my parents. It was a lot of fun watching him explore his new toys. 

Sam went down for his afternoon sleep, Ryan and I cleaned up and got ready for Christmas at his parents! Sam's cousin Sophie is about the same age and I have loved watching them grow their friendship. There are going to be some awesome years ahead. We exchanged gifts there, enjoyed a delicious turkey meal prepared by my MIL and then eventually had to take our grumpy boy home. I think he had had enough Christmas. 

Boxing day was a really enjoyable free day! We basically stayed in our PJ's all day! Opening packages and trying out all of our new stuff. I received a breadmaker from Santa and got to try it out! Let's just say it's not 100% food proof! Woops! :)  

There was lots of snow in the forecast so Ryan had to go to work that night and has continued to work almost every night since. 

But Sam and I have had a great time together and we've tried to get in some Daddy time when we can! 

Our winter has arrived (boo!) but the cold snow hasn't stopped Sam! He LOVES going outside to help shovel! Nana and Grandpa gave him his own shovel for Christmas and he loves using it. 

New Years Eve we had supper at a friends house and I had to snap this picture of these three cuties. They are all around the same age and I am looking forward to seeing them grow up together. 

New years day the weather was pretty mild and so we decided to try our some sliding. I haven't been sliding in YEARS and I was sure that Sam would have been scared. Turns out he LOVED it and as soon as we'd get to the bottom of the hill he'd say "more". It was certainly a good work out climbing up and down that hill! 

The hardest thing about our days was trying to find quiet activities for Sam while Ryan was sleeping upstairs. We hit the road a lot. For boxing day sales (on the 27th), visits, errands and a hair cut (which he hated). But it was nice to have some so much time alone with my boy! I really tried to cherish every moment! 

This has been a very fun and memorable holiday season. I feel as though we did so much and really embraced spending the time together as much as we could! 

How was your Christmas? 

xo