Winds of Change

Change and growth are inevitable. It comes with maturity. It comes with experience. It comes with guidance & support.  I am happy to say that the changes we have witnessed, nurtured and encourage in our daughter Ryan, has been absolutely amazing!  She went from a highly anxious, nervous, fretful child, to a confident & adventurous little girl.  This makes me so proud. Proud of her and her achievements and proud that my husband and I took the necessary steps to help her break free from her fears.

My little girl amazes me and inspires me.  She saw how much we believed in her. How we were constantly there for her. And this has given her the confidence to move forward - and flourish!

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create some magic

Snowflakes are unique, amazing and beautiful.  

No matter the size or shape of the snowflake, each one is special. 

People are unique, amazing and beautiful.

No matter our size or shape, we are all special. Important. Worthy.

Not only are snowflakes one of a kind, like people, they are shaped by their environment.  Their final appearance is actually shaped by temperature as it falls to the ground.  We too are shaped by our environment. Our personal experiences are what makes us truly special. 

Although the beauty of an individual snowflake is remarkable, it is really when snowflakes cluster together that they create magic.  

So, next time you look at fresh falling snow, think about how precious each and every snowflake is. Think about how unique it is. And think about yourself. Your beauty. Your uniqueness. And then think about who you surround yourself with. 

Go create some magic!

Let's hear it for moms!

In light of my girls being complete jerks the other day, I thought that I would write a little shout out to all the moms out there. Being a mom is tough work! I can't even imagine what it's like for single moms!  I don't remember the last time I had a bath or a shower without being interrupted, or having toys thrown in or constantly being asked, "is dat your bagina?"! It's worse when they double team me when I'm trying to go to the bathroom.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a mom. But some days it's absolutely maddening. The whining, the complaining, the screaming, the crying - those days test me.  They test my patience, they test my temper, and they test my blood pressure. On those days, I turn into Monster Mommy.

So, to all you incredible moms out there, the ones who get up early to make lunches, the ones who stay awake all night keeping an eye on a feverish child, the ones who cross the street while juggling a crying baby and a defiant toddler, the ones who breastfeed while cooking, cleaning or putting on makeup, the ones who always put their kids first above all else - You are doing an AMAZING job!

And remember, it's OK to get frustrated, or angry with your kids. It's normal. I'm not saying that you should scream or yell at will, but it's not necessarily a bad thing for your kids to see you display emotions.  I think it's a sign of strength, not weakness.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever really lost it on your child?

Our family countdown

6 years ago today we moved into our house on Raglan Road.

what the front looked like when we bought it

Now!

5 years ago I married my best friend on a small beach in Mont-Tremblant.

it truly was the most incredible day

4 years old is the age of my oldest daughter Ryan.

33 years old is my age. Which I celebrated in style of course, with a great group of friends.

My birthday pics were taken by a local photographer Sam Cen.

2 years old is the age of my youngest daughter Andy.

1 incredible journey as a couple and as a family!

Swimsuit season....

I have always had a love/hate relationship with swimsuit season.  What I love? I love being around the water. I love the warm breezes, the sounds of the waves, the feeling of sand between my toes. Shedding some clothing to take in, and cool down, in the summer heat.  However, what I hate is vastly different. It has, and I am sure will continue to, revolve around I feel about my body.  I know I am not alone in this. I know, because I see it with my clients, and my friends.  We, women especially, although it is happening to more and more men, are EXTREMELY body conscious.  We expect perfection. We compare. We put pressure and high demands on ourselves. And of course, this trickles into every aspect of our lives - not just getting "bikini ready".

Last summer, when we went to the local beach as a family, I wore the same swimsuit that I wore when I was pregnant with Andy. Last summer, Andy was 16 months old. I felt embarrassed that I was wearing that suit, but just didn't feel I was ready to try on another one or two or three!  Later that night, my husband put his arm around me, gave me loving little squeeze, and told me, ever so sweetly that I was better than that suit. That I didn't need to cover up my body. That I was beautiful.  I always knew I married a smart man!  This propelled me to get out there, brave the stores, and try on some more flattering, body and age appropriate swimsuits.

For the rest of the summer, I happily, confidently, fashionably took to the beach in my bright pink bikini!!  So what changed? Why did I go from supreme coverage, to a bikini?  I knew, deep down that my husband my right. But I let my imperfections stop me. Imperfections, that through my eyes, were terrible and warranted being covered up. The funny thing is, I experience this all the time with my clients. They look at their bodies in such a way, that they can't see ALL the good - only the "bad". My job then, is to break them free of that. To show them that they can wear that pencil skirt. That their legs should be shown off. That of course they can wear a sleeveless top!  These are what I call BREAKTHROUGHS. These breakthroughs are moments of empowerment. Little realizations that - 'hey, my body isn't so bad after all'! I LOVE these moments, and thanks to my husband, I was able to have one those breakthroughs too.

So what changed? I looked at my body in a different way. I no longer looked at it with the memory of my body in my early 20's! I looked at my body - after having my two beautiful girls - as an incredible machine. I looked at all the areas that I love. Areas that I was proud to highlight, and I went from there.
So what if my body wasn't what I deemed "perfect". Honestly, it never will. But it's my body; it's strong, it's unique, it's powerful. I wrote a post called body beautiful that I would suggest you check out and make a list of your own. It's a great exercise to get your mind, not just your body, ready for swimsuit season.  I know that I will be going over it again, as I get myself prepared for my pink bikini!

Last summer - in my pink bikini.

art of music

My husband and I are big time music fans. For our wedding, we made sure we chose EVERY song on the playlist.  Yes, we are that hardcore. However, neither of us can sing (doesn't seem to stop me though), and neither if us can play an instrument.  Our love for music is one of the things that brought us together and we hope that it will also play a major role in our girls lives. 

Here are some fun, music inspired kids books that we have picked up along the way - in our quest to mould our girls into musicians.  

Yellow Bird Project - colouring book

Montreal-based, nonprofit Yellow Bird Project, have created this really cool indie rock colouring book that is hand illustrated by artist Andy J. Miller.  Each page pays artistic tribute to a different Indie Rock band, from Bon Iver to Iron and Wine.  The book also includes other activity-book fun, like a maze and connect the dots and 100% of the royalties go to charity, now that's rockin'!

Sunday in Kyoto - book and music CD

Contains a collection of 14 Gilles Vigneault songs performed by Canadian singers including Patrick Watson, Thomas Hellman, Coral Egan and Vigneault's daughter, Jessica.  Sunday In Kyoto contains fun music for kids with an artistic twist.
Gilles Vigneault is a member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and hailed as one of Canada's most important music figures of the 20th century.

Lisa Loeb - book and music CD

Pop star Lisa Loeb definitely brings the silly with her fun filled songbook.  The CD contains 4 original wacky songs that are very catchy.  I have found myself singing a few of them - thankfully, only around the house.

Heart to Heart

Valentine's day. Honestly, I could take it or leave it.  Well, I will take the candy and chocolate.  It's one of those days that really isn't a big a deal for my husband and I. Heck, we sometimes don't even celebrate our wedding anniversary! (we are both terrible at remembering, retaining dates - and we're OK with that)

However, for my girls, it's a whole other story.  Since the stores are covered with hearts and balloons and heart shaped candies and heart shaped balloons, it's bound to be noticed by them. Ryan even thinks that there is a Valentine's bunny that leaves us chocolate - I wish!  So to "celebrate" this day, I decided to make a heart wreath with the girls.

I told them that on Valentine's day we celebrate how much we love each other.  That we take the time to hug more, to kiss more, to laugh more and to say "I Love You" more.  And while they colour and add stickers to the hearts, it's time for mommy to eat more chocolate.