I finally turned off the light and went to sleep. My mind spinning from what I had just read. Oh how I love a good story, the kind that draws you in, consumes you, never allowing you to put the book down.

When I first started dating J, he was always amazed at my ability to become completely, utterly, totally absorbed into a book. Stephen King does it every single time. JK Rowling. A few other titles of popular works have enthralled my imagination.

Since procreating, becoming that intense, that lost in a story has been challenging. Children have this annoying habit of needing you just as you are about to turn a page. So alas, my days of not sleeping, barely eating dropping into a good story had diminished. Almost.

I dived deep into this story staying up till after FIVE AM, in which I crashed into slumber to wake at 7:30 am to finish the book. Insanity, but oddly comforting to have emerged from the pages of a good, captivating story. I returned to sleep, then lounged in my comfortable pajamas most of the day. I escaped to purchase the next two books in the series. I will not be consuming them at the same pace, there is a limit to my not sleeping for the sake of a book desire.

Have you read any good books lately?

phew. What a week. Really really glad it is over. Honestly it wasn’t bad, just exhausting.

This morning J took the kids so I could have some time to myself. It is a windy, windy day, so I worked on clearing out the 1300 emails (really I am so terrible at clearing it out) that had accumulated and attempted to finish up a few projects. I am happy to see around 88 emails now and some designing done! w00t!

I have been trying to pamper myself a little. So much of this past year has been dedicated to the other people in my life, very little time has been left over for me. I am a tad bit of a diva and got a little cranky about this fact. I am all about being pampered on occasion and feeling extremely special. J is usually pretty good of filling this need, but he too has been overwhelmed this last year. (Thanks Nic for the awesome polish!)

I find that if I do not take the time to feel good and look good, I get moody and depressed eventually. I am not really into the make up scene and really know very little about the whole process. It has never really been my thing. I envied those girls in high school that always appeared polished and put together.

When Harper Collins sent me, Sephora:The Ultimate Guide To Make-up, Skin, and Hair From the Beauty Authority, I wasn’t sure if it was something I could utilize or if it would just be pretty. I was pleasantly surprised and captivated. The book is down to earth and has practical tips, even for the make-up naive like me. I have been attempting to put a little make-up on every time we go out in honour of the book. The tips on sleep and skin intrigued me. Rather than pushing expensive chemicals, the author encourages more sleep, eating well, and goes on to explain why good foods are good for you inside and out. the spoon in the freezer, to treat pimples … yup totally works! Brings down the swelling, and redness! w00t!

A little knitting always helps the emotional state. These socks were cast on last JULY … so hey at least I finished them in less than a year. Sweet, wool socks all ready for SUMMER. I am a tad late for the Earth element for Project Spectrum too. Shhh our secret k? I also finished my first sewing project with my serger!!! However you will have to head over to The Opinionated Parent, to check it out (and you could be the next big WINNER!)

All this talk about me, when the weekend is really dedicated to J and his awesomeness. Happy Father’s Day (quick go buy him something for the BBQ!) Hope everyone has a fab weekend!

There has always been a part of me that does believe. I have always been attracted to literature that captivates my imagination, challenges me and inspires me. “What If” has always sparked my passion for reading and stories in general. When Source Books asked me if I would read and review The Fairy Chronicles, by J.H. Sweet I was over the moon with excitement.

These are so the kind of books I would have loved to have got my hands on when I was a child. The girls in the stories discover they are …. Fairies!!!! Can you imagine (hehe I can!), the adventure, the endless exploration, the oneness with nature. Every little girl’s dream, brought forth in this magical series.

Me being a sucker for all this magic, I thought I would put the books to the real test. So I loaned my copies to a nine-year-old girl. The next week, the girl came racing up to me with glee, rapidly talking about the stories and how much she enjoyed them! I was flabbergasted! The books were a big hit with this little girl. In fact her mom was totally impressed too. Nothing brings more happiness to a parent, than a child enjoying books!

The Fairy Chronicles, being all modern have a great, interactive and child safe website that the kids can explore (with their parents of course!). However, my most favourite part of these books was the information included in the back. At the end of every adventure there are facts related to the story about trees, how to recognize flowers, and interesting tid bits about insects and animals! That was also my daughter’s favourite part of the books too (she is a tad young for these). The illustrations are whimsical and fun (just as fairies should be!)

I am so excited that there are so many options out there for young readers. My daughter is positive that she will grow up to be a fairy (and a digger, hunter, scientist …). We are nature enthusiasts so all of this magical Fairy lore is fun to explore.

What is your favourite Fairy tale?

Has magic touched your children’s lives?

Have a fabulous weekend

I have been tagged and tagged and tagged … here is my crazy attempt to catch up …

JJ tagged me with a husband meme …

How long did you date? 3 years.

How old is he? 31! I am older by 8 months (wiser too hehe)

Who eats more? Him! He is almost a foot taller, I figure he needs it!

Who said “I love you” first? I did.

Who is taller? Look above.

Who sings better? Neither one of us should hurt people by singing.

Who is smarter? He has a PhD and is really good at chemistry … I kick is butt on everything else Ew except mecanics and mathematics …

Whose temper is worse? I do not even think he has a temper.

Who does the laundry? He helps, but folding and putting it all away is EXTREMELY challenging for him.

Who does the dishes? Moi.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I am always right … always

Who pays the bills? I do I do.

Who cooks dinner? I do but he used to, now that I stay at home I have less excuses not to.

Who drives when you are together? Depends. I know the city better but he likes to feel manly.

Who is more stubborn? lol. We are both very determined.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me and made my knees go all weak.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I am always right. Really.

Whose parents do you see the most? My Dad is on his own so he travels a lot to us which is nice.

Who proposed? He did. While he was wearing a laundry basket (hehe Halloween party!)

Who is more sensitive? Totally me.

Who has more friends? I totally rock the friend circuit. Are molecules friends? Never used to be that way but I like use the kids to make friends for me.

Who has more siblings? I am an only child but have some half siblings that I meant once. He has a sister that is the coolest chic ever.

Who wears the pants in the family? If I catch him in a dress again…. HAHAH Just joking. I am the ruler of the universe. But I let him think he is .. Love you babe!

Ok Next Up Midori tagged me with 8 random facts meme about the kids:

1. Ethan is walking! He still likes to crawl since he is so fast, but he is definitely walking now! w00t!

2. Becca spelled her name on the chalk board today!!! ALL BY HERSELF. It is perfectly backwards and missing a few letters but PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.

3. Ethan loves to eat kidney beans. My kids are weird.

4. Becca wore a hole in her knee for the first time ever. She grew so fast and was not active kid before. Now she is super active and not growing quite so crazy.

5. Ethan adores our cat. Our cat adores Ethan. They love to snuggle while I nurse him (Ethan not the cat obviously)

6. Becca can look at books for upwards to an hour without moving or speaking.

7. Ethan still does not sleep through the night but is now down to getting up once or twice. A huge improvement from the four to five times a few months ago.

8. Becca sleeps like a rock. Even Ethan crying in their room does not cause her to stir. We wake her sort of to use the potty before we go to bed, she is barely conscious and returns to bed without musing.

Devilish Southern Belle tagged me for 10 weirdo random facts or habits meme.

1.I chew gum constantly. If I am not eating or sleeping, I am chewing gum.

2.I have not painted my toes since getting pregnant with Ethan. I miss pretty toes but I want to find a less toxic nail polish first.

3.I have grey hair. Like a lot of it. I am trying to decide what to do about it.

4.My husband thinks my grey hair is sexy. I think he is weird.

5.Half way there hmmm … At one point in my life I had two brothers named Jason. Now I have no contact with either.

6.In fact my “real” mom hasn’t spoken to me since I was 18. Before that she has spoken to me a total of a dozen times or so. She left me with my Dad when I was 6 months old (thank the heavens). She has two other children that she took with her.

7.The above sent me to hours upon hours of therapy trying to figure out what was wrong with me.

8.It wasn’t until I met my husband that I came to understand that there is nothing wrong with me, that I am lovable. Thanks husband!

9.I want my husband to get the motorcycle of his dreams. I know most wives are not really thrilled about the idea, but I think it is sexy and he totally deserves to have something outside his job & family that he enjoys (someday, I get my our house first!)

10.I want to get my motorcycle license then build a sidecar for J … ’cause that would be HILARIOUS.

Lastly, forever ago Crystal tagged me for the Page 123 meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

But most today seem to believe that if sucking of an intense nature stops before the second teeth come in, probably little harm will be done if Nature has lined the teeth up straight to begin with. Our own preference is not to make too much of the whole thing, certainly in the years before Six or so. Most children realize that their parents do not especially favor this behavior. — Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful

Exciting material eh? It is from a series of books that are totally an AWESOME window into the behaviour of children at certain ages. Holly recommended Your Three-Year-Old: Friend or Enemy … and WOW it changed my view on everything! The “solutions” in the books are not really my parenting thing (like in the Three year old book they pretty much say the only solution is to send your kid to preschool because there is no hope till they grow out of that stage). I am also reading Your One Year Old!

Ok I am feeling much much better … Have you played along with all of these yet? I you want to play consider yourself tagged … I need a nap now Have a fabulous weekend!

In the chaos of life, I sadly forgot that yesterday was Earth Day. I take solace in knowing that every day we are making the effort ot be kinder to the earth.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of Gorgeously Green from Harper Collins. Oh MY! Sophie Uliano presents living eco-fabulous in such a fun and realistic way. Often, the attempt to live green is overwhelming and confusing. This book provides awesome information and steps to help everyone live with more of an eco-conscious. There are some things in the book that are a tad on the silly side. One tip that Sophie Uliano gives is to open your oven door after baking to heat your home. However, if you think that statement through, where would the heat go if you did not open the oven door? Why in your home of course! Yes the surge of warmth is more inviting when it is quick, but there would be a gradually increase in temperature in your home if you baked then kept the oven door closed. However, most of the tips and ideas are inspiring and doable, even for a super busy Mom.

I have been obsessed with green living as of late. Sophie Uliano’s book has forced me to look at a lot of things in our home. Now I am frugile, so I cannot switch, throw out and be all kind to the environment all at once. It does bother me hugely that our water is totally linked to the ocean. I feel like it is my family’s RESPONSIBILITY not to be evil to the ocean. I am switching to an eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner, and I hope to find a body wash as well. Upon moving here, we have switched to reusable bags to shop, we compost everything, recycle what we can and the plastic that finds its way in our home that cannot be recycled is used by the kids to play or crafts. I only drive the car once per week, choosing to walk the rest.

What I have enjoyed most about the book, Gorgeously Green, is how much it has got me thinking and talking about this shift in living. Even my husband, who is forever the practical chemist and not quite so easily swayed by the hype, has been more open to the possibilities. We are making small changes that we hope will not only teach our children to be kinder to the Earth, but make a difference as well.

All we can do is try. Every little bit counts. If you do not believe that, how do you believe in your children? They are little and they make a HUGE difference in the world (even if it is merely, your world). Every choice we make to save the environment now, will ensure a better tomorrow. If you are looking for a place to start, Gorgeously Green is totally a great resource.