Awesome

I am feeling inspired.

I was inspired after listening to a CBC radio interview. CBC's Here and Now host Laura Di Battista was talking with Toronto author Neil Pasricha who wrote The Book of Awesome and the follow up book The Book of Even More Awesome ( just released) and also writes on his blog 1000awesomethings.com. The Book of Awesome is a collection of little universal pleasures that we share, that bring us together, that bring us joy every day. It was an inspiring interview and got me thinking about all the awesome things that make being a Mom, or Dad, so sweet.

So tonight I start my list of awesome things....

*the sweet smell of a baby

* watching your children sleep

*cuddling up on the couch while watching a movie with my girls

*Dancing with my kids and husband in the kitchen


What awesome things happen in your life? I would love to hear about your little bit of awesome.

Frugal Friday - Who Needs the Salon

My 5 year old is painting my nails. The flyer is needed under my hand so the table doesn't get painted too!

Why?

Why? I just want to know why it is so hard to get the kids out the door and on the way to school in the morning.

Can't anyone answer me that question?

We are late for school so often the ladies in the office are joking that instead of signing the late sheet they should just make me a stamp. Let's just say I am a regular.

The thing I don't get is that the kids have no problem getting up at a ridiculous hour on Sunday morning. The one day of the entire week that I can actually sleep in and they have to get up early. During the school week I have to drag them out of bed at 8 o'clock. I mean when I go into their room during they week they are still dead asleep. What is that about? Someone explain.

It is just hard to get them to eat breakfast, get dressed, get their school stuff and get in the car. I just don't get it.

Anyone else have that same experience? What do you do to help make the morning move smoothly? I could use all the help I can get

Moms4Moms - Social Media Moms Support Moms Around the World

I am blessed.

Plain and simple.

But there are women and girls around the world who don't have all the privileges that I enjoy as a Canadian mother. I remember celebrating my first Mother's Day. I had a beautiful baby girl and I was truly blessed but many women don't get to celebrate the day. Hundreds of thousands of women around the world die during pregnancy and childbirth. The statistics surrounding maternal health are shocking.

• The U.S. ranks 41st globally in maternal health care.
• 15% of all pregnancies result in a potentially fatal complication during labor or delivery.
• Pregnancy is the biggest killer of girls ages 15-19 in the developing world.
• For every woman who dies in childbirth, 20 more suffer from debilitating complications.
• We have the knowledge to prevent 90% of all maternal deaths —and they're often simple, common-sense, affordable solutions.

This year, mothers will be showered with gifts from their families. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend approximately $14.6 billion this year on gifts for Mother's Day.  In an effort to raise awareness and donations, a group of digital women joined forces to create Moms4Moms, an organization created to help women and mothers worldwide. They asked a question: What if 1 % of the $14.6 billion could be given to this cause?

These women were inspired to change the world for Moms around the world. They picked a charity, Christy Turlington Burns  www.everymothercounts.org and started to spread the word.

Please visit the site, make a donation, do something to effect change in the lives of women around the world. We can do this, we have the power, Mother's are a powerful force.


 Moms4Moms is a movement started by Holly Pavlika, founder of Mom-entum, a blog about marketing to Moms using social media and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Big Fuel, New York.
Holly partnered with the following twelve influential moms and bloggers to create Moms4Moms Day: Erica Diamond womenonthefence.com, Audrey McClelland momgenerations.com, Molly Gold gomominc.com, Beth Feldman rolemommy.com, Niri Jaganath mommyniri.com, Katja Presnal skimbacolifestyle.com, Kelly Loubet everydaychildhood.com, Julie Cole mabelslabels.com, Linda Grant nycsinglemom.com, Katrina Carefoot ficklefeline.ca, Dagmar Bleasdale and Sherry Aikens babypop.com

Wordless Wednedsay - My Awesome Kids CBC Tweet Up Adventure

Kim Wilson talking about some exciting things ahead for Kids CBC

New Look

You might have noticed that I changed the look of my blog. Frankly, I have been wanting to change it for a while, I was hoping for something a little more streamlined, something simple. I am not sure if this is the right fit but I think it is better.

I don't want the template to take away from the pictures and content of my blog. Those are the things I want you the reader to notice not my busy blog appearance.


What do you look for in the look of a blog? What do you like, what do you dislike?

One of the things that I didn't like about my previous blog design was the header picture/design. I had always intended to change it but could never find anything that I really liked. The one I left on my blog really had not importance to me and just wasn't a fit.

I hope that I can continue to improve the look of this blog... and some of the other blogs that I am working on and hope to show you all in the weeks ahead.

My Newest Speed Demon

The training wheels just came off!

Kids Say the Funniest Things

Here is a conversation I had with my youngest daughter. She is five years old. She was out riding her bike on the sidewalk out front of our house.


Me: "It is time to come in. Mommy needs to have a shower and get ready to go out."

M: "Why can't a  5 year old just stay outside and ride her bike by herself?"

Me: "Well honey, there are lots of people that pass by that Mommy doesn't know. It isn't safe."

M: "I won't talk to strangers!"

Me: "I know that. That isn't the problem. It is just that there are lots of people that pass by the house. I don't know everyone who comes by and I would worry that someone might come by and take you. " ( I know there are some that might not think that is appropriate to say to a child BUT I wasn't trying to scare her but just explain why I didn't want her to stay outside by herself)

M: "You have got to be kidding me. Like that would ever happen."

Wordless Wednesday - A quiet moment with a great book

Online Contradictions

Interesting thoughts lately...about my online life . I have been thinking about a number of contradictions... pros and cons, the ying and yang of my online networks, online life, online friends ( if you can really call them that)

Here are a few of the things that have been swirling around in my brain lately...


I have met some great people and I have also some not so great people.

The twitter community can support when in time of need and also tear people down at a moments notice.

The twitter community can make you feel great and also feel crappy.

I sometimes feel like a real grown up and sometimes I feel like I am back in high school.

Sometimes I feel like an experience professional and sometimes I feel like I have a lot to learn.

Sometimes I feel completely connected and sometimes I feel like I am living in the smallest bubble.

Sometimes I feel like I can't leave my computer and sometimes I feel like I can't stand to sit at it for another second.

Sometimes I feel like I am a better writer and sometimes I feel like I just suck.

Something For Myself

Today I finally had a little time for myself. Both kids are in school and so I took the opportunity to book a hair appointment. It was long overdue.

I love the feeling of cutting off my hair. I had gone a long time since my last cut so my hair had gotten a little bit long. Long hair doesn't look good on me ( in my opinion) and there is nothing better than going into the salon, sitting down and saying "cut it all off!" And that is exactly what I did today. My hair was down to the bottom of my neck... not super long, but long enough that you could see it out the bottom of a hat. ( A hat by the way which had been covering my head for most of the week... that is how bad my hair was!) So here is the end result.

What do you think?

What do you do for yourself? Are you able to steal moments away to pamper yourself?