Sunday Bath Success (For Me!)

Today I relaxed in the bath.  This, in itself, is not really news.  The kicker today is my entire family was home at the time!

My baths usually happen when I'm home alone.  Solely because I can't really relax when the kids are fighting, hubby is bored and wanting to talk to me (or go out), or there's just an extremely high level of noise in the house.

Today, somehow, the girls were entertaining themselves (and making a big mess after just cleaning up a big mess), hubby was concentrating on something for work, and I was between regular weekend tasks.  I had just cleaned up from breakfast, actually washed out the sinks, and had laundry in various stages of completion, when I decided spur-of-the-moment to relax in the bath.

I didn't tell a soul my plans, for fear someone would kibosh my idea and suddenly need me to do something that couldn't possibly wait half an hour.  Also, miraculously, no one heard me running water, getting a towel from the squeaky door linen closer, or even walking around upstairs.  Is it possible my family is becoming less mom-centric?  Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

Vanilla bubble bath, nice warm water, and a book.  It seemed like a luxurious idea.  And it turned out better than I had expected.  My book was a bit hard to get into, Rose had to use the toilet (so I had to hide behind the shower curtain, at her request), and hubby was looking for me - but only once - so  my 15 minute bath was hardly interrupted.  Much better than previous attempts.

Now I almost feel relaxed, I've got 3 loads of laundry to fold and put away, and I'm trying to get some blog stuff done.  I'm thinking this will have been a productive day.  And all I needed to get out of my own head was a bath.  A mostly un-interrupted bath.  Oh, and it helps that hubby took the girls out to "some stores" so I could have a few minutes to myself (and my blog.)

Do you other parents get uninterrupted time to do what you want to do to relax on the weekends?  Or any time for that matter?  Share your stories with me in the comments.  When I get back from switching the laundry I'd like to see something posted down there!

~Jess

Snow Day or My Day As A Stay Home Parent

This winter was slow getting started, but February seems to be making up for it.  We've had two snow days in two weeks.  One of those days I was lucky enough to get to be home with the girls all day.

Let's be frank here - I love going to work and being away from the kids.  I'm almost never home alone with them for 8+ hours (unless you count overnight, which doesn't actually count.)  Now that they're older, and play together pretty well, it's not quite the stress-zone it used to be when they were completely dependant on constant adult supervision and interaction.

I'm happy to say my "mom anxiety" has actually settled down a bit.  I feel as though the girls are learning how to be independent, and slightly more responsible (post about that here), and sometimes they even can get their own food - as long as it's cereal or granola bars.

I took some pictures during our "snow day" so I could share with you all the joys of being home with the kids all day long.  I chose to empty the dishwasher in the morning and when I returned to the living room they had emptied the toy box completely, and every stuffy they own (except for the 100 they each have in their rooms) was on the floor.

People wonder why I don't sit down and watch a movie with the girls.  This was a perfect example.  They put on a movie (after cleaning up 10,000 stuffies) and sat and watched it until it was about 3/4 of the way through.  Then they turned it off and went upstairs to play.  Like what?  Who watches 3/4 of a movie?  I mean it's not like they hadn't seen it before (it was Toy Story 2), but man.  Luckily I was trying to sit and read so it didn't really impact my life much.  And they did return to it maybe an hour later and watch the end.  I'm still amazed how quickly kids can be distracted, or get bored, by what they're doing.  Odd ducks, kids.

Lunch was fine - random stuff, you know.  Carrot sticks, cheese and crackers, bagels and cream cheese, eat what you feel like and then go play.

Afternoon play included craft time.  Which, for my kids, is just another excuse to make a huge mess.  And this was the time I decided to take a few minutes outside to check the build up of snow/ice/water that was falling from the sky.  I got soaked, they created chaos.  But then they cleaned up - without a fight.  I did hope Rose would practice her cutting skills - so she came upstairs while I was showering (after getting soaked outside) to tell me she made one cut in one piece of paper!  That's great Rose, but that won't improve your scissor skills.  Emma is the great crafter in our household.  Rose would rather just look at everything, make a huge mess, and then go find something else to do.  In this case it was have a freezie.

While I was in the shower (for 10 minutes, at the most) Rose came upstairs to talk to me.  "Look at what I have Mommy!" she says.  How does she know I'm right in the middle of washing my hair, with shampoo about to run into my eyes?  And she's not the most patient.  "LOOK MOM!"  So I peek out around the shower curtain.  Now I have to point out that I wear glasses.  I can barely see clearly past the end of my nose.  So I look out, see that a small figure is standing there holding something.  I say "Cool!  What'cha got there?" and she tells me "Emma got me a thing from the freezer!"  Huh?  "Oh, have you got a freezie?" I ask.  "No, there was none, so Emma said 'You can have a frozen yogurt tube, or you can have nothing.'"  That sounds like Emma.  So she was eating a frozen yogurt tube.  I have never had success getting her to try one.  She gobbled it down like it was candy (but not before managing to dribble some onto the couch - where they are not supposed to sit with food...)  Sisters, eh?

After crafts they asked for a 3D movie.  My first thought was that I didn't know what I needed to do to play a 3D movie.  We have the tv and the blu-ray player for it, but I was worried I'd need to actually do something.  Well worry not, the dohickeys all work together and it automatically works in 3D.  Yay!  The hardest part was finding where the 3D glasses were...

Of course the movie they picked for afternoon viewing was Toy Story 3.  This is my 'guaranteed to cry like crazy at the end' movie.  So didn't they wait until almost the end to ask me to sit with them and watch.  And since I spent a decent part of the day reading my book (in the same room as them but not really engaged) I had to do it.  And so I watched, and the tears came, and it was sweet like it always is.  Then I had to make dinner.

Despite the crazy weather Emma's dance class was still on.  Hubby got home at a good time, we ate dinner and off they went to dance class.  I was actually quite impressed with our day.  Almost all messes were cleaned up without much fuss, and no major meltdowns occurred.  I got some reading done, and a book review created.  Makes me feel like I could do this full-time parenting thing, once in a while.  The only thing the day was missing was a nap - for me!

Some Weeks Are Busier Than Others

For some reason this week has been over-busy.  This weekend we're going to a hotel for an overnight and a swim.  I can't wait - even though it means we all go to bed at about 8pm in the same room...

So last weekend I somehow had 2 days of me and the girls without another parent for at least half of each day.  A normal weekend is us with the girls on Saturday (dance class, then groceries or other errands, and if we're lucky home by lunch then they play in the afternoon), and then Sunday they go off with their Nanny for church and day with her.

This week hubby had to work both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  Not a big deal as I thought I'd get a day (or at least an afternoon) all to myself - lots of time for laundry and other housework and then I thought I'd throw in an hour of reading or some other quiet time activity.  It didn't happen.  Sadly, hubby's grandma passed away Sunday morning (not totally unexpected) so Nanny, whose Mom it was, was naturally occupied enough without taking the girls for the day!

Again, not a big deal, but then I had to fill a second afternoon with something interesting for the girls to do.  Luckily our friends across the street were home, so the girls had their friend over for most of the day while we were home.  I was able to get some laundry done and I baked some cookies that the girls loved!

Monday night we needed a babysitter to "get" the girls after daycare - was going to be Nanny, but situation as it was we had to get out regular babysitter to bring them home.  The girls had a great night, and I got to go to dance (which I volunteered to skip so I could be home sooner) while hubby was at his board meeting.  So I didn't see the girls that night.

Tuesday we had to go to the visitation for Great Grandma after dinner.  That was nice, but again busy - the girls stayed up too late and then Rose and I had a rough night for sleep.  And I'm not going to talk about our terrible drive home in the snow squalls!

Wednesday we collected the kids early from school (right after lunch) and then drove to the funeral.  Again a really busy day, and full of questions from the 4 year old.  Nice seeing everyone and having a visit, but I was wiped by the time we got home.  Then Emma had to go to dance class for 2 hours!  Luckily I got to stay home with Rose and relax for a bit.

Then yesterday (Thursday) we needed a babysitter yet again - hubby had to work and I work til 6 (daycare "ends" at 5:30) - so our regular gal brought them home again.  Since she was fine to do that I had made a salon appointment to get my hair cut.  I really enjoyed that.  My stylist is awesome and it's really nice to do something just for me, you know?  So a good night, but still busy and tired by the end of the day,

Tonight I got to chill with the girls and without hubby yet again as he's working again (same stuff as last night).  We had to be sure to get a bath in tonight before our weekend away.  It can be rough washing them both up without a second person as Rose gets impatient, and then she's freezing when you take her out.  I had to leave Emma to try to rinse out her own hair while I got Rose in her pjs and warmed up.  She can be pretty demanding.

Everyone's asleep now, and I'm thinking about heading in that direction myself.  I decided I'd whip up this post first.  Then I'll spend a good 45 minutes sharing it around on my social media, but I do enjoy this blogging stuff.  And I'm watching MuchMusic so all is well with the world.  If I can be in bed by 9:30 today will be a success.

Tomorrow it's off to dance class for Rose (and art for Emma and myself) and then we're off to the big city for a (relaxing?) hotel evening.  I've even got the bags mostly packed.  If I'm lucky I'll find some inspiration for another post I can create early next week.  Stay tuned to find out!

Do you have unexpected busy weeks sometimes?  Looking at the family calendar there is nothing written down on next week, but this week had something every day.  Why does that happen?  Leave me a comment about your busy life - or what you think of my busy week.

'Til next post!
~Jess

Book Review: Killer Pursuit by Jeff Gunhus

I managed to read a book in 5 days.  5 days!  That's unheard of now that I have 2 kids and a husband.  Way back I could have easily read 2 books in 5 days but that's long gone now.

The book I just finished was sent to me (for free) so I could read and review it before it's actually "published."  I'm enough of a book nerd to think that this is totally awesome!  However, it took a very long time for the book to show up at my door.

Fed Ex delivered me my brand-spankin'-new book on Dec 30th - the Wednesday between Christmas and New Years.  As we all know I don't currently work on Wednesdays so I was ready to tear into it the minute it arrived.  I enjoyed that the postmark on it was Dec 17th.  It took almost 2 weeks for FedEx to get it to me.  Seems long, but I guess with the holiday season it's not unexpected.

I read about 5 chapters the first day.  Sure the chapters were a bit small, and yes the kids went outside to play so there was quiet time, but I was glad to get such a quick start on it.

Killer Pursuit pulls you in fast.  Jeff Gunhus has written other books with the same character - Allison McNeil - but I haven't read them.  And you don't need to, to enjoy this book.  I'm sure there were a few bits of backstory that I didn't catch on to but I certainly did not feel the book was lacking in any way.

This is a crime/mystery/policital story.  I don't usually care too much for the political business, corruption, sex scandal stuff, but it worked well with the police and FBI characters and it wasn't too "White House"-y.  I was kept guessing through most of the story.  It wasn't until a handful of (short) chapters from the end that I really thought I might know who did it.  I enjoy that in a book - keep me guessing until the end.

As a mom I also enjoyed the shorter chapter layout of the book.  It allowed me to sneak in a chapter or two while the kids were "playing" and before they called out for "help" or to "come see!" again.  Sometimes I put down a book in the middle of the chapter and by the time I get back to it I have to re-read most of the chapter again.  Not so this one.

Overall I'd say 5 stars.  I would now like to read the other books in the Allison McNeil series, so that's a plus for sure.  Jeff Gunhus is an easy to read author with a well developed story.  I enjoyed Killer Pursuit immensely.

Stay tuned to hear about other books I've read and enjoyed.  I really like reading and reviewing stories, so help me find more reviews that need doing, okay readers?  Thanks!

New Years Musings From A Modern Mom

When I was younger (and not yet a Mom) my New Years Resolutions were pretty simple, or so I thought.  I'd consider "try to lose weight/be more active"; "read more books" and "keep my home neat and tidy" to be good, attainable ideas.  They were - or should have been.

For the first 2 weeks I could keep track of calories, and set aside time to read and clean.  Soon after that I lost interest.  As I feel everyone (or mostly everyone) does as the new year crawls forward.

Now that I'm a mom, and I've succeeded (very slowly) in losing some weight and increasing my activity level on a daily basis, my ideas for resolutions have changed.


This year I'd like to resolve to be a more involved parent.  I want to be active with my kids, not just for myself.  I want to eat healthier, and cook more, for all of my family to reap the benefits.  I can still try to "read more books," but now that has to include time with the girlies sitting with me and reading together.  And quite frankly "keep my home neat and tidy" has never worked for me, so it's not about to start now.  But this year I can resolve to teach the girls how to be more tidy and clean up when they're done.  They do that sometimes now, but not consistently.

I know the new year is an excellent time to start new things, or to renew those things that got lost over the year or in the holiday hubbub.  I think this past year has been a very successful one for me.  I started doing a few more things for myself that I had let go by the wayside after I had kids.  Being able to get out one night a week, I think, is making a big difference in my mindset - and my activity level, since it's a dance class!  I truthfully don't feel there is anything I need to add or change in my lifestyle right now.  I'm maintaining my weight loss, the girls are happy and healthy, and besides trivial things like "try to eat less take-out" or "magically find a ton of money on the sidewalk" I think we're doing pretty well here.

I want to wish all my readers (and "fans" if I have any of those!) a happy and prosperous new year.  Thank you for your interest in my blog over the past months - I hope to keep to posting fun and interesting things for you all to read.  I am always open to subject ideas as well - just comment any ideas or topics and I'll do my best to craft up something interesting!

What resolutions did you (or will you) make this year?  Have your resolution ideas changed over the years, or after having kids?  Share with me in the comments.

When Parents Get Sick - An Introspective

Having sick kids is tough.  Being a sick parent can be much tougher.  (Is tougher a word?  I'm not sold on it.)

Our house had about 4 days of sick daughters.  Fever, lethargy, vomit, the whole bit.  Then they got better!  Yay!  The plague has moved on!  As the primary parent (and all I mean by that is the one who is routinely at home more often and therefore able to do more household chores and all that) I took it upon myself to wash all the sheets, all the barf buckets and whatever else I thought might keep us from re-developing this particular plague.

Fast-forward a few days to my busy Christmas Party weekend.  Hubby's party and my work party routinely fall on the same weekend - luckily we do Sundays and they do Saturdays.  Usually it works out pretty well.

This year, not so much.  We had lunch on Saturday with the family after the newest cousin's baptism but I didn't feel my sandwiches sitting quite right.  Regardless I went ahead and ate, and then got ready later in the day and hubby and I went out to his party.

It was a good time - roast beef buffet, wine, and good company.  Until my dinner and drinks did not like their accommodations.  It was so bad I threw up twice at the venue.  Went home, threw up a few more times and then slept.

Sunday morning I had to get up with the girls (at 6:30, of course.)  This is all routine with us - I thought I was alright after a night's sleep.  I stayed up for half an hour and that was all I could manage.  I ate 2 tiny pieces of fruit and I had to go lay down.  That was pretty much the last time I saw the girls until Monday morning, in those precious few moments before school.

I couldn't get myself together well enough to do anything that Sunday.  Every time I tried to do anything, or if I managed to eat a few crumbs of something, I had to go lay down.  For at least an hour at a stretch.  I was so glad the girls were out for the day.  I even had to skip out on my work Christmas party.  That really bummed me out.

Hubby collected the girls from their Nanny day while I was upstairs sleeping off another smidgen of food I thought I should eat.  I didn't see them, they didn't ask to see me, and when I awoke he had just finished getting them down so I didn't dare peek at them yet.  Cue the mom guilt!

Overall I missed 3 nights in a row with my children and, rather than it feeling like an escape, it was a huge guilt burden for me.  Of course the kids have no idea - I tried to tell them I was sorry for not being there for 3 bedtimes and they just looked at me like I was weird for apologizing.  That didn't stop me from having a tear or two in my sentimental mom moment the girls didn't know I was having.

Being sick sucks - did I say that already?  Luckily when I felt better I saw that hubby and the girls did a good job of looking after each other.  Sure, there were dishes in the sink, and the laundry wasn't magically done or anything like that, but overall the house was still standing and all the advents hadn't been opened, and even Elf on the Shelf had managed to find a new resting place each day.

What happens in your house when one or (god forbid!) both parents are under the weather?  Do routines have to change?  Do the kids leave you alone to rest up?  Share your experiences in the comments below!

Now I Am A Dance Mom

Emma has been taking dance lessons (ballet) since she was 4.  Rose has been going since 2 and a half.  They like it a lot (most of the time.)  Emma has expanded to Ballet and Contemporary dance so she dances 2 hours once a week.  They were both in the Santa Claus Parade this year on the Kingston School of Dance float (while their Dad drove the truck to pull the float!)

KSD is a great learning environment for the girls.  It's the only non-competitive dance school in town.  Everyone learns at their own pace, and no one is pushed beyond their limits.  We have only had positive experiences with this dance school.

For a few months now I've been thinking about punishing myself by trying out the Adult Ballet class.  This ties in tightly with my idea that I need more music in my life - there's a post about that here.  Also I need more active time in my week.  My hubby works late one night (at least) a week, and I'm home every night, for every dinner and every bedtime.  This could also be my escape, once weekly, from bedtimes!

The girls don't let hubby put them to bed if I'm home - who knows what he's missing out on (besides a LOT of reading) when he doesn't put them to bed.  Sometimes, but not often, tidbits about the day are shared at bedtime.  I love it when that happens!  But I would also love him to share in the routines.

The Adult Ballet I happens Monday nights - there's also an Adult Ballet II on Wednesday but I am so not ready for that.  I can get to the Monday night class right from work.  I work until 6 and class is at 7 so I leave the store, walk back to the car and drive to dance.  Then I change into whatever Flashdance inspired outfit I managed to create that week and then wait.  Most weeks one of my friends is there as her daughter is taking Contemporary dance as well (but in the class one lower than Emma - she's only 5.)

I've been to two classes now.  The first one had only 5 ladies in it, including me.  I was comfortable with the crowd, but not at all with the ballet.

Everything is French.  I guess I should have anticipated that, but somehow it didn't figure into my decisions.  I know a lot of French words, but somehow I can't apply them to my feet or my body.  Also everyone else is a dancer.  You can just tell by the way they move, and how they seem to know all these French code words for everything.

The workout was great - my legs were sore for about 36 hours, with some lingering stiffness as I tried to stretch out the pains the next few days.  I was fully recovered before the second class.

Second class had 8 people total.  That was more daunting as they mostly all knew all the French code words as well.  And when the teacher says things like "lunge" what he's really saying is "do the splits!"  There was a lot more barre work, and extra stretching, in the second class, but I really liked it.  I must have been warmed up enough as I managed to actually get my leg onto the barre to actually do the stretches!  I needed some technique critiques as the class went on, but I managed to pick up on a lot of it the second time around.

In between classes I went online.  I read at least a dozen websites about "basic ballet."  Foot positions, arm positions, and French words and how they apply to your movements.  I watched videos (and some I even tried to follow along to), read up on beginner sequences and what they're called and basically just increased my ballet vocabulary.

Guess what - it worked!  I felt like I remembered things from last week, and retained some idea of what the words were and how they related to foot and arm positions.  I stumbled through the second class more easily, and I felt more confident that I wasn't quite 1,000 years behind everyone else.  The second class went more quickly and I felt like I got much more out of it when I wasn't worrying quite so much about how the basic moves went.

I guess it can only get better from here.  The ballet barre workout is great, and the sequences are pretty simple.  Half the class is barre work but then we move out to the floor.  That's where I lose all my coordination - but it's still fun.  And no one is judging.  Everyone is at their own level and working toward their own goals.  They support you when you're doing well and don't criticize when you have no idea what's going on.  It's a great group of ladies (who were all dancers is seems, except for me!)

Have you ever taken a ballet class?  Or done those "barre workouts" that seem to be popular now?  What did you think?  How was your coordination?  And was it fun?  Please share your experiences with my in the comments!

5 Things We've Learned About Night Terrors

My older daughter experienced Night Terrors.  We had no idea what was going on with her, and it was scary for us!  I thought I'd share a few things we learned while dealing with Emma and her Night Terrors.

1. They are distinctly different from Nightmares.  Emma would sit up quickly, exclaim loudly (sometimes screaming or crying) and be completely unresponsive.  She would then just lay down and be asleep.  It's really freaky, especially when it happens the first time!
2. Having a child be completely unresponsive, especially at night, is a heart-stopper for anxious moms! (or Dads or other caregivers.)  I don't know how many times I went in to see her knowing she was having these Terrors and I felt so completely helpless.  I would hug this stiff-as-a-board little girl while she cried or carried on, or sometimes just gestured wildly, and would just get absolutely no response.  Eventually she would relax and just be completely asleep.  It was mind-boggling for me.  I did finally manage to acknowledge there was nothing I could do, but while it didn't really make me feel better, it did allow me to go back to sleep myself after tucking her back in.
3. Being over-tired made them worse.  If Emma had a really drawn-out bedtime (which she always had, so I mean an extra-long 'drawn out for at least an hour' bedtime) there was a greater chance she'd wake with a Terror.  Same deal if the day was really busy or she didn't nap (which she never did for me anyway...)
4. They will almost always happen just after you fall asleep.  Most of the literature about Night Terrors suggests they happen 2 to 3 hours after the kid falls asleep.  For most households that's likely the time parents are getting into bed and falling asleep themselves.  Of course.
5. Kids grow out of them.  Our daughter didn't really start with them until after our second was born.  Correlation?  No idea.  Emma would have been approaching 3 and a half.  Most things I've read suggest kids between 4 and 12 can have them.  Emma is now 7 and hasn't had one in a long while (maybe even a year.)

Strangely Rose, our second born, has never had a Night Terror - although Murphy's Law dictates it will happen now that I've said that.  Rose has also always been a good sleeper who had no problem taking naps and going to bed when tired.  I suspect that could be part of the reason.  She also had no problem sleeping through Emma's carrying on back when she was afflicted with these Night Terrors.

We didn't actually have Emma checked out and diagnosed with Night Terrors, but Dr Google and Dr Mom agreed that that was definitely what was going on with her some nights.  She didn't remember any of the episodes she had, so much so that she would argue with me at the breakfast table that she never woke up once (which I guess she technically never did!)

If you think you're experiencing Night Terrors with your little one, take heart!  They will pass, and they aren't dangerous (unless your child is prone to falling out of bed, which did happen at least once here!)  They're scary, but more for the parents than the child.  Read up on them online like I did and maybe understanding what they are will give you some measure of reassurance.

Please share your experiences in the comments, and if there's any other helpful tidbits I didn't touch on, share those too!  But remember, nothing can replace the advice of a physician when diagnosing anything anywhere ever.

Making Time To Blog Is Hard - I Need Help!

When do you blog?  I was going great gangbusters when I started this blog (in the spring and early summer) but now that we're back to school and other life is happening I don't feel like I have time!

Currently I've spent a lot of time increasing my Twitter followers (and following) and trying to share my FB page with more folks.  I've been checking my affiliate sites, reading other blogs, and also trying to have a home life.  All that seems to have eaten into my blogging time.

Also we just had Thanksgiving, so that ate up an entire (long) weekend.  Don't get me wrong, it was a delicious, beautiful, family-type weekend, but it didn't leave me much quiet time.

I know scheduling is key when trying to build up a blog.  The problem I'm having is one part writers block and one part hoping to have time to me - and just to me, not blogging, gardening, cooking, laundry doing, working etc.  Those moments are hard to find.

My schedule currently involves working 4 eight-hour days, with one day off for me to get stuff done.  This week I have appointments on my day off, and I need to get stuff together for my daughter's Halloween party next weekend, as well as my foray into a live Rocky Horror Picture Show performance - think costumes, hair, props, the works!  And I'd like to get groceries and do laundry - regular mom stuff.

So then there's evenings after work.  I get home (at 5:30 or 6:30 depending on the shift) and either make, or just eat, dinner.  Try to get Emma to do homework before Rose has to go to bed (at 7:00) and then get Emma to bed by 8.  All that is often accomplished by 8:30 and then it's "my time."  So I clean up dinner, do dishwasher stuff, start or switch laundry, and sweep the dinner mess off the floor, if I didn't get that done before bedtime starts.  Some nights I also clean up toys and then, if I'm lucky, I sit down.  Hubby will have the tv on but I'm only good for maybe an hour before I fall asleep on the couch.

I try, often, to blog while the tv is on.  Some nights it works, some nights it really does not.  Depends on what's on, or how tired I am.  I'm one of those people that needs 8 hours of sleep almost every night to be functional the next day.  Yes, the newborn and baby years were hell-on-earth for me.  Luckily my sleeps are much less disturbed these days, so I can pull a few later nights if I have to.  But when I'm tired I can't form coherent thoughts, let alone interesting blog posts!

Tonight I've been crafting this post while the girls eat dinner - I've had an upset tummy all day, so no loss to me if I'm not eating with them - and now they're watching some tv and looking through the costume bin and Halloween decorations.  By the time I'm done here I figure I will have been "writing" for 45 minutes.  And really, what have I written about?  Mostly nothing.  No deep thoughts or well-researched articles.  Just fluff about how I don't have time to post anything!

So share with me your schedules, or routines.  How do you blog (and promote!), as well as do affiliate stuff and keep up with other blogs - and be moms or dads, husbands or wives, or any other functioning members of society?  Maybe with the cooler weather creeping in I may have less desire to be outside, or be doing anything else, frankly.

Really I'm just desperately curious to hear how fellow bloggers manage it all.  I really thought I'd just be writing stuff, I did not realize so much came with blogging (if you want people to actually read your stuff!)

7 Things I Forget When September Rolls Around Again

Back to school is always a busy time.  It was busier than normal for me this year because little Rose started JK this year.  She seems to be enjoying it so far.  No fights with either of them in the mornings (yet - I'm sure they'll happen somewhere along the way.)

This September I've managed to forget everything we were doing in June, as it pertained to school.  Here are a few of things I forgot about during the carefree days of summer this year:

1. The bus comes early.  And I mean really early.  We have to leave the house by 7:40 so we aren't late.  So I have to get the kids up at 6:30.  That is also early.
2. My kids don't really eat lunch.  During the lazy days of summer they often just graze, and we don't have to prepare a "main course" style lunch.  At school I've had notes sent home in the past that suggested Emma didn't have a "lunch" when I packed many different snack options in the hope she'd actually eat something.  So far this year lunch has gone alright. *fingers crossed*
3. Library days (and library books).  Emma managed to lose track of her first book she brought home from the school library this year.  Luckily we located it, but where do I keep these books that are "theirs" but not "ours" without losing them in the mountains of books we have at home?
4. How tired kids can be after being at school all day.  I'm pretty sure Rose could go to bed at 6 most nights now.  Granted, she's still adjusting to the whole school idea, and a 6pm bedtime would be a 5am wake-up so we won't go there, but she's so tired!
5. How small my big kids are.  Rose in a backpack looks so tiny!  And once you put a full lunch pail, her communication book and a water bottle in there she can barely walk in it.  But also it's super cute.
6. Germs!  We are two weeks into school and we've already had one bout of night-time vomiting, and right now both girls are working on colds.  Now my kids go to daycare during the summer months full time, so I feel like we should be somewhat immune to the early colds, but we're not.  Also I work in a pharmacy so I must bring home all sorts of crazy bugs, but still September is the start of everyone rotating through colds all fall and winter.

What school- or routine-related things trip you up in September?  I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who lets things slide until 2 days before school starts, am I?  I am actually surprised how smoothly things have been going so far this year. *touch wood*  Now we're amping back up into ballet lessons, and this modelling stuff has events right now so I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed in all of the extra-curriculars as well.  I know it will all become routine before long, it's just a matter of getting settled into it, right??

It's Nice To Be Wanted, Right? RIGHT??

So my kids love me.  Of this I have no doubt.  None.  And they love my husband as well.  Absolutely.  But somehow I am needed to do everything, all the time.

Why?  I have no idea.  Maybe it's the two X chromosomes.  Maybe it was the acting of birthing out these children.  Maybe it's just my dumb luck.  But when the girls need help with something (anything) it's "MOM!  I need you!"

Hair brushing, bath washing, teeth brushing, clothes choosing (or just helping to put on), food getting, drink filling, swing pushing, walk taking, driving to events, and especially bedtime facilitating - all seem to need Mom.  Dad will do if Mom is not around (or is busy, or put her foot down) but he is never really the first choice.

Sometimes I think the kids are jealous of my book, computer, quiet time, dishes doing, laundry folding (and putting away), or whatever else I'm trying to do at any point during the day.  But that can't be it since they let Dad be on his computer, cut the lawn, cook on the BBQ, or whatever he's trying to do at any point in his day.

Can anyone explain this?  I'm open to any theories.  If I am not at home I hear they rarely ask about me, or refuse to do things since I'm not there.  A big change from a year or two (or maybe three or four) ago when I was needed even when I was not at home (thank goodness for this change!)  But if I'm home and I dare to suggest that Dad could put whomever to bed there is usually a sizeable resistance.  Again I'll say it's much better now, but they still want me.  Most of the time.

People keep telling me I'll miss it when the girls are older and they don't need me.  Right now I don't believe that.  I know they'll grow out of bedtime stories, and needing help with their clothes, and all that stuff; but at this point I'm kind of excited for the day I don't have to drag them out of bed, ask them 100 times what they'd like for breakfast, and then get it for them, then rush them through eating and getting dressed so we can get out of the house on time.

Life with little kids is always an interesting adventure.  No two days are the same, and no one will eat the same food twice.  But there is one constant - needing Mom.  I love that they need me.  I enjoy the mom-kid time.  But sometimes it's just too much.  I'm so glad I have a loving husband along on this journey who's ready and able to wrangle the kids when I've really just had too much.

Ages and Stages - My Girls Keep Growing!

Last night after work I took the girls outside.  We grabbed a blanket and my Yoga book and we had a stretching session.  I'm amazed at the flexibility of my daughters.  I was also amazed that Rose was interested in trying this out.  Of course we had to eat Cheerios while we were yoga-ing, but they both took an interest and did some of the moves along with me.

My girls are quickly leaving the really little kid stuff behind.  They will happily tell me some shows are too "baby" for them (Emma more than Rose) and they both understand the philosophy of passing on your too small clothes, so they can graduate into more new (to them) clothes.  I don't really know when I noticed this stuff starting to happen, but it's in full flow now.

My favourite thing that is happening now is their ability to reason.  There are many less "tantrums" as they've started flexing their reasoning muscles.  We can (usually) calmly discuss sharing and taking turns, as well as if we watch movie A now we can watch movie B next time.  This doesn't always end well, but we're getting there.

Along with reasoning is the knowledge that 'it is time to sleep when I'm tired.'  Emma took a very long time to learn this skill.  Rose is further along at a younger age, and actually goes and lays down for a nap if she's tired in the afternoon.  We've gotten away from naps with her, but sometimes she'll just take one and not even tell anyone!

Last week my parents had the girls for 4 days at their place.  Usually getting them there entails tears and fits and all that (even though they always have a good time), but not this time.  Genuine excitement and full knowledge they were going to be there for a few days in a row.  My mom told me that before they were brought back home they both - separately - went to her and told her they would miss her and asked for snuggles.  How sweet, right?  Then they were super affectionate with me when they got back, which I totally missed while they were away.

The real excitement for me was also last night.  Emma watched her Murdoch Mysteries while I read Rose a story upstairs.  When it ended she went up to brush her teeth and I looked for another Murdoch.  The only one I found was the one she had just watched, so I put on Jeopardy! until she returned and gave me input on what she wanted to watch.  Well guess what?  She wanted to watch Jeopardy with me!!  I don't think I've really watched it since Emma was born.  And I could see her looking at (reading?) the words.  She thought it was great!  Let's hope she keeps her interest in it, so I can test my knowledge on any and all things another night soon.

Stay tuned for more random thoughts from me.  Toodles!

Is It A Vacation, or a "Family Vacation"?

The family went to a cottage for a week's vacation.  Vacation happened, we relaxed by the water, did some swimming and camp-fire-ing, visiting with nature and all that.  However the royal "we" also:

• Packed up shop at home for about 3 days (which includes numerous loads of laundry, and trips to the grocery store etc.) then jammed it all into the back of the truck
• Made the beds, swept the floor, stocked the fridge, organized the luggage, and so on AT the cottage when we arrived
• Cooked, cleaned, washed the dishes (by hand!), made the beds (some days), swept our messes up, and washed some clothes by hand in the sink
• Had an eye on the kids at all times - are they on the dock?  do they have lifejackets on? did they have breakfast? is it bedtime? is the fire going? are they close to it? and so on...

I was happy to go back to work after returning home and washing yet more loads of laundry and trying to put the house back together after we took all the important stuff away with us.  That trip was definitely a "family vacation."

Later this week hubby and I are taking some time for ourselves and going to Toronto for a few days.  My parents are having the girls stay with them for those same few days (plus an extra 2 overnights, before and after).  So far for this trip I have:

• Packed luggage for the girls, as well as accessory bags with toys and food they'll actually eat
• Done yet more laundry for everyone to have clean clothes while away
• and tried to not buy much groceries for the time between these two trips so I don't have to throw out food when we get back!

I can't wait to stay in a hotel for a few nights, and eat some meals out and about that I don't even have to think about until I get where I'm eating (and that I don't have to clean up after!!).  I also can't wait to not have to put the kids to bed for a few nights, and to stay up late(r) without knowing someone will be up at 6:20 to get me up.  Sadly I know I will be awake before 7am most days anyway, as I'm now biologically programmed that way.

We have a few things planned (a baseball game, visits with friends, and a trip to Canada's Wonderland) but overall we're just going to be with each other and do what strikes our fancy.  What I do know is this is a much better chance for me to relax, than when we're at a waterfront with two young kids and no maid service! ;)

Toodles!

Blogging Needs Social Media...

...or at least it does if you want people besides your mom and best friend to read it.

I started blogging to just talk about my days.  And my family.  And whatever cool thing we did/are doing/or might be interesting.  Then I started reading about blogging.  About how to increase your readership, and how to make money.

What I was just enjoying doing suddenly had so much potential.  I could be read by people all over the world!  And I could make money while they're reading stuff!  So I delved further into the world of bloggers, affiliate links, sponsored posts, Google Analytics, and how to share everything that no one wants to read everywhere online.

I was quickly overwhelmed by all the things you can join for "monetizing" your blog.  I joined some, and put some ads up, and absolutely nothing happened.  I've since un-joined some programs, as if I'm not doing anything useful on a bunch of "make money" sites, I can make just as little if I'm only on a few.  Also I'm deathly afraid of cluttering up my words with a bunch of ads - I don't want to do that to my readers.

So then I looked into sponsored posts.  That's where someone gives you money, or free product, and then you blog about their stuff.  But I've discovered you don't just need to blog about it, you also need to Tweet about it, and pin it on Pinterest, and share pics of it on Instagram, as well as post a post on Facebook.  That seems like overkill to me.  I'd happily get some free product and then talk about it on my blog, or maybe on Facebook, but I'm not doing it on every platform available.  So none of that is panning out either.

I love blogging.  Putting my thoughts down, sharing my life experiences, hoping others can identify with my life in some aspect, it makes me feel good (and sometimes creative).  If I could find a way to make money doing this, that would be super-awesome-cool, but that's not my ultimate goal.  And I'm trying hard not to waste my time looking into all these money-making schemes, since it's not realistic to think that the 300 reads I get a month is really more than 10 people looking at my blog every day.  I'll leave up some of my click-through ads like Indigo and Amazon - people actually go to those sites - but I'm going to stop checking my sponsored posts sites I now belong to as often, since I know there won't often be things I'd like to talk about, and I don't belong to enough social media to even meet some of the requirements.

Twitter I am still exploring and trying to work out.  You can follow me there @modernmomslife.  I can see it's potential for reaching lots of people and sharing things quickly - but I'm still finding it hard sometimes to limit myself to 140 characters.  I need to find a link shortener so my blog links aren't so long.  Any suggestions?

I've been on Google+ for a while now.  Find me there.  I mostly only use G+ for sharing my posts and reading other people's.  It's well integrated with Gmail and the Blogger platform that it was a natural first place for me to start sharing posts.

I have a Facebook page here.  I share my posts and other relevant posts from mom bloggers (or whomever I find interesting).  I have a higher interaction rate with FB as I check my personal account often throughout the day.

And that's about it - I haven't joined Pinterest or Instagram as I feel like I waste enough of my life online as it is.  I don't know if I can handle more!  I need to be free to just be with my hubby and kids, and I work 30+ hours a week as well.

Comment below with your Twitter handles, Facebook pages or G+ pages.  I'm always looking for like-minded people to connect with!

Toodles!

How Can You Gauge Your Kids?

Don't you wish kids came with gauges?  I'm talking about dials or thermometers that show you their moods and basic needs.  You know, hunger, sleepiness, happiness and all that jazz.

Just when you think you've got your kid(s) figured out, they suddenly change all their habits - am I right?  The picky eater who has recently become a bit more adventurous suddenly regresses, the full of energy girl suddenly needs a nap or an earlier bedtime because she's "so TIRED!", and the kid that is always entertained by the screen can't find anything to watch.

Sometimes there just no winning with kids.  I've had many days where I've missed the "actual" hungry time, and no eats anything for dinner (but then wakes up at 5am because their tummy is growling); and the fun days where you miss the ideal bedtime by about 15 minutes and, because of that, it's now an hour long bedtime, AND the kid won't stay in their room.  I'm sure we've all had those days.

I would love a little cheat like a dial or gauge that has a nice green window for when your kid is perfectly hungry (and will eat most anything), and adequately tired (without being suddenly unreasonable about everything - I mean really, how hard is it to put on a pair of pajamas?!), and a mood indicator wouldn't be too bad either: happy. sad, grumpy, and totally unapproachable!

I sometimes think communication is key, but my oldest totally shuts down when her world is not going how she thinks it should be.  And I mean she refuses to speak.  About anything.  To anyone.  Especially if she thinks she's going to get in trouble.  I know I perhaps enable this behaviour by just asking more questions (sometimes more loudly as I lose what was left of my temper) instead of finding an alternate way to approach the scenario.  This is, again, where the gauges would come in handy!  I am amazed, sometimes, at my ability to not actually throttle my children when they resort to this non-speaking state.  Often I have to leave the room and take 3 breaths so I can re-approach with a clear head and (hopefully!) get to the bottom of whatever we're trying to do/fix/talk about.

Kids are confusing - do any of you readers have tips on keeping things on an even keel at home?  I find now that the girls are older it's not nearly the same as the toddler timeframe, but nothing is a straightforward as it should be.  Please, share your comments!

Toodles!

Things I've Learned Vacationing With Small Children

Next week we are going to a cottage for the week.  I'm very much looking forward to it.  The forecast (so far) looks great, the cottage is old hat now - this is our 3rd year going, and the girls just get older and better every year.

We've gone many places in the last few years, with and without the kids.  Here's a run down of some of the things I've learned when we drag the small children along with us:

• I always pack too much stuff.  Even just for me.  This year I'm going to be more ruthless and bring less clothes and toys.  It will work out.
• Kids can eat the same food for a week.  There are really no short-term negativities to this. When we were in the Dominican my youngest ate only pizza and spaghetti, while the oldest really only ate breakfast (pancakes and bacon) and did not succumb to hunger for the rest of the day.  Yes, my kids are weird.
• Staying up late does NOT equal sleeping in the next day.  I've tried this tactic many times over the years - vacations or not.  My youngest, who is now 4 and just starting to realize sleep is a good thing, still does not sleep in.  EVER.  The almost-7-year-old has, within the last year, started staying in bed longer in the mornings.  I guess she's figuring it out.  At the cottage they share a bed, so this year will be interesting.  I'm sure eldest daughter will just tell youngest daughter to go away when she wakes up early.
• TV is a great occupier when you are somewhere with constant water access.  Making lunch (or dinner, or anything) inside while children are outside can (obviously) have the potential for disaster.  We've been lucky that there have only been scrapes and cuts at the cottage in the past years, no water-related incidences.  But when you're the only adult at the moment you need to keep those kids where you can see them!
• Invite as many people to visit over the week as you can.  This is great entertainment for the kids, and the adults too.  Also they can bring you fresh food/drinks/toys etc so you don't have to pay twice as much at the close-by small grocery store.  Bonus points if they'll take away your bag of garbage and your recyclables when they leave!
• Never underestimate the power of a pen (or pencil) and a pad of paper.  My eldest loves carrying around notebooks and a pen so she can just draw whatever, whenever.  She even has a clipboard so she can sit on the ground and create art on a whim.  I'm going to be sure there is lots of plain paper with us this year.
• Lastly, take time for yourself, moms and dads.  Sit down, outside, with a drink.  Let the kids run wild (after sharing all the rules and regulations for your location).  Unless they're screaming and fighting, leave them alone.  I know your parent-radar is always on - at least mine is - but I have learned to let it run in the background.  Sometimes I'll move my chair so I can at least see where the kids are, but I can still sit with my book and my drink, and trust that my kids are finally old enough and responsible enough to know if what they're doing is safe, and tattle on each other if they know it's not!  It's your vacation too.  Enjoy it!

Now that the time is drawing nigh to start organizing and packing up to go, I'm realizing I don't need to take all the same things as we've taken in the past.  We're over diapers and pull ups (YAY!!), the girls love playing together, so only a few toys will be necessary.  And I'm pretty much tired of making them separate meals, so as long as there's bread and peanut butter they can just eat that all week.  This is my vacation too!

I am very much looking forward to this week off.  I love having the family come around and not have to really do anything. Meals start off half prepared and no one expects gourmet at the cottage. There's no real cleaning needed - it's clean when we get there and we sweep up when we need to.  And we just hang out.  It's great.

What do you do for summer vacations?  Do you have any other tips we can share with the readers?  Post your comments and tips below!  Thanks for reading.

Toodles!

Don't Sick Kids Break Your Heart?

Eldest daughter was sick on Canada Day.  Bummer, eh?  Weird thing - she was sick on Canada Day last year too.  That's not a trend I'd like to continue.

Her day started out ok, although she didn't eat much breakfast.  That's weird because she'll eat half her day's calories at breakfast most mornings.  By lunch time she was laying around - like too exhausted to keep her head up.  And she was flushed, all not a good sign.

I gave her some acetaminophen since she told me her throat hurt.  I think modern medicine is fabulous.  She perked back up, her fever settled a bit and we managed to move through some more of the day.

As you may know, we were having family over and there was fence building going on for our Canada Day celebrations.  We ladies took the kids downtown to an Art Festival/Sale which they were very keen to go to, but tired of in about 20 minutes.  Especially Eldest who was starting to flag again by this time.  I love wandering through these things, and we saw some people we knew - also fun.  But we quickened our pace as I was afraid we may be moving toward Eldest being "actually" sick.

Both kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Then they both went to bed for naps for the rest of the afternoon.  There is something so peaceful about sleeping children - especially when you know they aren't feeling well.  You can just picture their little cells all at war inside their little bodies while they sleep.  But after 2 hours of nap I knew they needed to get up.  It was after 5pm by this time.

Younger daughter got up with just a bit of protest - Eldest needed to be removed from our bed and carried downstairs.  She was not feeling well at all.  I gave her more acetaminophen but even that didn't perk her up.  Then I suggested a bath.  Well, after 5 minutes in the tub she yells out at me (because her ears were under water), "I guess all I needed was a bath!  I feel better!!"  So she relaxed in there for 20 minutes and then came back downstairs all pepped back up.

It's so nice to see them perk up after all the lethargy of being sick.  Both the girls stayed up well past their bedtimes, but went to bed alright when I finally got them there.  And they slept in somewhat the next morning.

Eldest was not in a good way the following morning again.  She stayed home with Dad while I had to go to work.  I took Youngest to Day Care then returned to get my stuff in order to go to work.  Eldest was very sad I could not stay home with her.  I know most of it was the fever talking, but it broke my heart when she let loose with the tears.

However, when I returned home in the evening (after a few messages back and forth with Dad during the day) I found Eldest sitting at the end of the driveway just waiting for me to get home.  She seemed to be doing pretty good, and told me she wasn't sick at all!  But she also needed a giant hug because she hadn't seen me all day.  Boy kids sometimes can be super cute!

There's nothing quite like the Mom Guilt of leaving a kid sick at home, even though you know full well whomever is there (Dad, Grandma, Auntie) will take extra special care of them while you can't be there.  Looks like I had nothing to worry about in this case.  After some morning quiet time (tv and couch resting) she was fine.  They went out to do some stuff, then I guess she rested a bit more in the afternoon but then was up and peppy and we haven't looked back since.

In my view, it was a long 2 days, but now things are on the up and up.  I'd better get Eldest to bed before much longer.  She should still have the chance to get some extra rest if she needs it.  And I'm feeling like I could use some extra rest myself!

Toodles!

Old Friends Becoming Mom (or Parent) Friends

I am ridiculously excited. I have a coffee date tomorrow with a friend (who I love!) that I have not really spent any time with since before I had kids. My oldest child is now 6 so it's been a while. She has also had 2 girls in the intervening years so my pre-child friend is fast becoming an awesome mom friend.

This friend of mine has spent all of her time over the last few years completing a degree, often by correspondence, while having babies and toddlers and of that. She just recently finished up and I am so excited for her, not to mention in awe of the things she has accomplished during the very young child phase of her life.

Her daughters dance at the same studio as mine and now with this crazy rehearsal schedule we've been running into each other more. I was so glad she was as keen as I was to get together!   I've tried reconnecting with other old friends with much less success.

In case you can't tell I am very much looking forward to this coffee date. Partly because I'm going to indulge in some fancy (expensive) coffee and snack, and partly because I miss sitting with my friends and just talking.

I hope this is the beginning of my return to doing the things I used to do all the time before kids. Of course the things will be modified and changed to fit my current lifestyle, but so will be the people I hope to do these things with!


Toodles!

Nature Loving Mom

I am a self-described nature lover.  I love being outside, walking in the woods, reading in the sun, swimming in lakes, gardening and any other outdoor activity.  I've been hanging out my laundry every possible moment.  We try to keep our birdfeeders filled so I can watch the birds.  It's in my DNA, and it was the way I was raised.

A few weeks ago the family and I saw a spider egg sack hatch out what looked like a million spiders.  They were cute and tiny and yellow.  We have always had a ton of spiders around our house and yard.  I think spiders of all sorts are super cool (they eat tons of bad bugs!) but also pretty creepy.  Last summer I had huge yellow spiders in my vegetable garden (at the tomatoes) and they were cool and had yellow patterning, but creepy because they were so big. If I remember correctly they were called "Yellow Garden Spiders" - original name, right?  I'm a little concerned these are the same brand of spider.  I've already seen them on my tomato cages, as well as on my fold-up clothes dryer I have outside.  These tiny spiders make cute tiny webs, but when they get bigger they will stop being so cute, I'm sure.

I remember last summer there being spiderwebs everywhere every morning.  The girls needed me to clear out all the areas on their play structure every day - and if we don't go out one day the webs are huge the second day!  There would also be webs from the car's mirrors to the house - you'd walk through them every morning because you could not see them!  Ick.  But the worst were the huge webs all through the garden with these giant spiders right in the middle - and if you broke the web apart it was back an hour later with the same giant spider in the middle.  And all I want is to pick my delicious tomatoes!  Very cool, though, were the dead bugs captured in these huge webs, all wrapped up and likely already digested by the spider's venom.  And being able to look at these spiders up close just increases their creepiness, but also my fascination with these amazing predators that help me keep my mosquito population under control!

I don't plan to do anything to discourage the spiders as I do, for sure, have an awesome fascination with these helpful, creepy, creatures!

Toodles!

Is "Mom" a Style?

I like to think I'm not totally un-fashionable.  However sometimes I know that's not true.  I think Mom Fashion should totally be a style.  You know, the jeans, t-shirt and ponytail look?  Or maybe leggings and longer shirt that may or may not go with the pants.  I embrace my random looks.  One day I can put on a dress and actually do something with my hair and I can look great.  But the next day I can't even find 2 socks that match, so I just don't care.  On those days I wear whatever pants are in the heap and aren't really dirty - or at least that's my aim but I'd be lying if I said there weren't days I got to work only realize I did spill or smear something on these pants.  Such is the life of a mom.

Parents with kids: what's your style?  Do you feel like you have a style?  Or is just aiming for clean, almost coordinated clothes style enough?

I see lots of moms in my travels around who look fabulous.  I often wonder how they have time to do their hair and keep it looking nice when my kids are always wanting to "brush" or "style" my hair, so however it started is not the way it looks right now.  Or where they got that outfit that totally goes with everything, everywhere, all the time; and if it cost them more than I make in a week.  Conversely I see lots of moms who tried maybe as hard as me, or maybe less, with their "look" for the day.  It's a funny thing.

I feel a bit like dads have it easier.  They wear one hairstyle (generally) and most of their tops match any of their pants.  Their choices for the day are running shoes or sandals, and long sleeves or short?  I know lots of men out there put a lot of time and effort into their appearance, just not a lot of the ones I know personally.  I'm not saying the men I know don't like nice - quite the opposite.  I'm just saying I bet they didn't agonize over their choices when they got dressed in the morning.  Some days I can pick out about 5 outfits and none work for how I'm feeling that day - this is not helped by my weight loss and subsequent lack of clothes that fit nicely.  I'm slowly remedying this, but it's a long (potentially expensive) process.

So to go back to my original point: I am lobbying for Mom to be a style which encompasses everyone who literally throws something on because their kids are yelling that they have nothing to wear/eat/pack for lunch etc. in the mornings.  It's not a sloppy style, unless that's really what you're going for.  It's just a relaxed look that says "I have better things to do with my life than worry about my outfits every day."

Toodles!