Spring Cleaning Attack Plan

This Spring, for our house, is going to be intense.  I can't say it will be an easy one, but this year our house is going to be SPOTLESS and completely organized even if it kills me.  Spring cleaning is a big job and this year is even more so with the fact that my eldest will be entering Kindergarten in September and I want to be as organized as possible for that.  I have a number of ideas on how I am going to attack everything I will share the rough draft of my plan with you here:

1. Closets/Storage for Donations (ORANGE) --  I find this to be one of the most important steps cause it is the time where you not only clean out and uncluttered, you are given the privileged of teach your children a life lesson on giving to others in need.  When it comes to closets I like to work from the back of the house to the front, which for me, means I start with the children's closets/drawers.  Making sure to go through all their toys WITH the kids, and their clothes.  Thankfully for me this year it almost means putting all my eldest clothes right into my youngest dressers, then it is just a matter of going through my saved up hand-me-downs to fill up my eldests' dressers the best I can.  At that time I know exactly what my eldest will be in need of and I can go out and BUY WISELY.  Which is really important on a budget like mine, if I am lucky this year I will be collecting a million hand-me-downs making purchasing clothes basically an obsolete budget requirement.
2. Kitchen & Bathrooms (RED) --  I like to consider both the bathrooms to be in a completely different category from everything else.  That of which I like to break up my bedroom cleanings with... mainly cause I procrastinate when it comes to folding clothing in my own room.... I hate it.  One thing all mother's need is a machine that folds your clothes for you, that is CHEAP!  So I again like to start from the back emptying the bathroom just as if we were moving, throwing out expired products or empty bottles etc...  After that I wipe everything down, praying to remove the boy smell from the bathroom (I have a trick for that), then re-organizing as I am putting everything back into place.  From that point I end up in the kitchen working top to bottom, again taking everything out just as I did with the bathroom. [my trick for eliminating boy smell].  Soo not my trick clearly but this woman is GENIUS!!!
   

   

   currently messy toy storage

   
   
3. Organization (MAGENTA)-- This is the tedious part, going back through everything and putting it away properly (minus the bathroom and kitchen which you have already finished).  It begins with my most hated tasks, laundry and folding which then leads into organizing of all the clothes, which you have partially done already so this isn't the hard part.  Once your dressers are all full and the laundry is gone, remembering to take time to adjust your linen closet as you put things away, you can move to the toys.  This I find so hard, re-separating everything and washing them.  This washing step is over looked by a lot of people but as a daycare provider I have to do this bi-weekly anyways, more often if a sickness breaks out.  We have bins for our boys and they are always messy!! I know that is attributed to the fact that during the weekdays I have four boys in my house.  The last part of this stage is going to be my biggest task... dealing with knick-knacks.  I have so many of these and no ways to display them, so my hope for this year is to find ways to showcase them, meaning shelves... I will need shelves, and pinterest is giving me more than enough ideas on how to do that; just a matter of getting hubby to execute my ideas!  So don't expect to see any of these ideas actually come to pass.  THIS IS WHAT I TRY TO DO, TRY being the key word here. 
4. Scrubbing etc... (BLUE) -- This should be very self explanatory basically scrubbing EVERYTHING from ceilings to floors.  Moving furniture around, the whole nine yards.  When it comes to scrubbing I am not terribly keen on any particular brands for it.  I have a few that I am loyal to like S.O.S pads for the dishes and BBQ grills, Comet/pinesol for my bathtubs and I always use a vinegar water mix for my windows if I have nothing on hand that is an "all purpose" cleaner.  When it comes to buying one of those I just use whatever is on sale or whatever I have a coupon for, if I am lucky they go together and it is twice as cheap!  When it comes to the scrubbing stage it honestly comes down to pure elbow grease, cause you need to get down on your hands and knees all Cinderella style to do a really good job.  My place is really old too so even when I do, do this it still looks messy, it drives me nuts but we make the best of it and I am hoping to get everything slowly fixed up to the point where I can overlook the rest.  You know until we find a better apartment, a three bedroom apartment.
5. Computer (GREEN) -- This one I bet no one really thinks of but it is really important to maintain your computer and that means turning it off for a moment and cleaning it out.  I find that pressurized air in a can to be really helpful for some of the tougher parts of this job, but for the most part you can do it the old fashioned way.  Once you have done all that it is important to go through and organize your files properly and clean out old downloads etc... that you no longer need.  This is all stuff the gums up your computers gears so to speak.  Once you have done that back everything up, you MUST do this, I would be crushed if I lost anything, so I have it saved in many different places to make sure that doesn't happen.  Then when all that horrible eye bleeding work is done you can DE-fragment or, what I like to do, reformat.  Keeping your computer clean and free of any unnecessary junk to make it slow and unhappy.

When I finally get to the end of all that computer work I will be really happy cause I will have accomplished all this work and felt sooo great about it!  In fact just to get everything straight for you I have drawn out a basic map of my house and color coded it to this order.  Now you can see exactly what my "map of attack" is as they say.  I hope it makes sense to you cause it was surprisingly hard to try and map it all out, even though my layout is rather small and simple compared to others.  Also don't think that my family gets out of any of this work, for example the computer is all on my hubby lol.

spring cleaning map (code is in the above description)

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"Virgin Boy Egg"; i'll pass thank you... :p

Alright today has been a mess of a day, stressful to say the least.  The kids are filled with calm that, to be honest, is slightly eerie. Not that they are demons at all times, it is just odd when they are so willing to follow the rules so consistently.  So if some children of the corn thing has happened here I just hope I don't get killed and they stay well behaved.  I can hope right??

Anyways enough about my boring day... if you aren't ill from too much coffee this morning like myself I can help you with that.  I saw something this morning, thank you hubby; that I can't even fathom it is so gross!  All I can do is show you I can't do anything other than that... my words can't possibly describe my shivery disgust on this "unique food item".  If you have a weak stomach I suggest that you not press play on this and just go with the fact that the title gives you just enough information.  In fact almost more than you needed!




Enough said right???  Would you dare eat a "virgin boy egg"
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What's in my mail Wednesday

I am unsure if this is a segment that will last as I don't always get things in the mail constantly on a weekly bases, at least nothing worth writing about.  Unless you want to pay my bills or anything, if you do please feel free to e-mail me or donate to my constant poorness over there on the right side of the page.  Continuing with my make shift theme here let us take a sneaky peak at what goodies I have gotten so far this week!!

First up is my amazingly lovely Mockingjay pin, that was late for the movie premiere but soooo worth the wait!!! Isn't it sooo lovely, and to you that have read the book you know this looks WAAY better than the matte version in the movie.  I like this way better for obvious shiny reasons!

See how ugly my kitchen floor is?? In places it is breaking and chipping.. UGLY!

These incredibly GORGEOUS shoes that I bought off of ebay, PHENOMENAL!!  I love them to death, and I have to admit I think they have awoken a large shoe addiction... especially at these prices!  Also a lovely shiny delight. 

No, no there is no need to rub your eyes you are seeing this right.  I got my eldest a hamburger lunch box and I LOVE it!  He wants to play with it all the time... clearly I will need to buy more of these, silly of me only to buy one.  I have my eye on a few cute ones though, I am sure you will see them in the future.  I have to admit I am in love with buying him school things.  If you didn't already know I have to make sure all of his things have labels etc... so I bought personalized angry bird name labels since he is obsessed with it.  One hour is never enough for him (that is his allowed computer time in a day).  We just got him the latest space angry birds to and it is really neat putting into play gravitational pulls, and me and him being complete science fiction nerds it fits just perfectly! 

If you enjoyed the mini look into my mailbox you should get me in your inbox and subscribe!  Or follow me on twitter @Eschelle !!
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Getting to know your boobies...

Are you familiar with your boobies??  I can honestly say I wouldn't know how my boob normally should feel over my elbow at any given time.  I know that has to change, so I am taking a lead here to talk about how you can make changes to prevent breast cancer or catch it in its early stages.   The most important thing you need to know here is if you are a MAN do not turn away thinking this isn't for you.  Breast cancer can effect you just as much as it can us females.

You don't think so??

How about we take a look into the story of Rene Syler the author of the book Good Enough Mother: The Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting was published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment, from which her site: www.goodenoughmother.com. Rene had a preventive mastectomy in 2007 based on her history and the fact that she lost BOTH her parents to Breast cancer.  From these incredible life changing experiences she was ignited with her passion to now travel the country as an ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, spreading the word about early detection and treatment of the disease.  Yet again on top of all that René was also awarded the prestigious Gracie Allen award for her television series on breast cancer.

But guess what??

She will be here in BC speaking at the Awareness day Luncheon!  This is really thrilling as honestly an incredible cause.  What is a better cause than raising money towards Breast Cancer research as well as raising awareness, not much... NOT MUCH!  Rene has worked tirelessly advocating for the importance of early detection as it is something us moms would be "too busy for" and she is a strong speaker towards putting yourself first, after all WE are the glue that holds our family together and to be a solid glue we have to take care of ourselves and NOT put ourselves LAST!  How about we get a little more aware of what some of our own risk factors could be:

Non-modifiable Risk Factors

• Gender and age
• Personal cancer history
• Family cancer history and genetics
• Early menstruation and late menopause
• Breast density
• Breast conditions

Modifiable Risk Factors [Things WE can control/change]

• Body weight
• Physical activity
• Alcohol use
• Smoking
• Exposure to hormones: the Pill, IVF, and HRT
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Radiation exposure

So you can see how keeping yourself healthy would be a GREAT first step to preventing Breast cancer from effecting your life or the life of a loved one.  How about we all take the time to donate today to help find a cure, and help spread awareness!  Every penny counts in the fight against cancer and I think it is important to think of it as an investment in our future health.  Another GREAT thing you can do is follow them via Twitter, Facebook to keep posted on Breast cancer new and events, even GREAT ways for you to volunteer and get involved.  Maybe even YOU want to buy tickets to this great event, see/meet this incredible speaker and enjoy BC for what we have to offer.  Nothing could be better, spread the word and get some great boob support people!

Note there are also great "shop for the cure" options for all of you lovely shopaholics!! Buy a gift and donate! 



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Man Candy Monday - Liam Hemsworth

Again I love the Hunger Games, and the movie is of no expection to this... though I found it slightly childish... it definitely could have been filmed in a more "adult" way I think.  This post isn't about knitpicking the movie, it is about enjoying the cast.  A nice and handsome cast if you will, and today we will be enjoying Liam Hemsworth - Gale. 

DROOL!

MMmmm you sexy devil i'd hunt with you anyday!

MMmmMM little rugged.. LOVE IT!

in case you weren't already convinced about his sexiness!!

Wishing you a great Monday... less rainy than my own I am hoping!

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my super cool mommy bloggy buddy pt. 3

As some of you know I am apart of the buddy network over @ Blogelina, I also happen to run them as her assistant.  So you know that I love my buddies and I love looking for fun new ways to promote them here, just as I did here and here.  So In continuing fashion and without further adieu I would like to introduce to you the face behind: Outside the Box Mom!  You will love her I know it! 

1) If you were to re-live one moment in your life up to this point, what moment would that be?
Probably giving birth to each of my children. You're so tired and ready to have it all over with...until it happens. Then, you're speechless and a mushy ball of emotion.

2) Funniest poop story... I know you have them.
While trying to potty train my 2 year old daughter, hearing her refer to them as "rocks."

3) What's your favorite blog post you've written?
 The sarcasm was extremely popular:
http://outsidetheboxmom.com/how-to-blow-your-shopping-budget/

4) What are your hobbies?
shopping with coupons, growing my blog, and enjoying good music

5) What household chore do you absolutely hate doing?
cooking

6) What story does your family always tell about you?
When I set my hair on fire by laying on the couch and leaning over onto a burning candle sitting on the end table

Now comes the best part, here are some GREAT ways to take the time and follow her and don't forget to check out the blogelina buddy groups they're a great support system for all your blogging needs! 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/OutTheBoxMom
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/outtheboxmom/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111537501968039262919

Hope you are all having a great SUNDAY and don't forget to send in your Man Candy Monday requests!!!! 
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Sunny Weekends!

I have to say right now that I am soo happy we got out yesterday cause today eldest is sick, right along with hubby... hubby being the grumpier of the two as always.  Woke up to him yelling, ended up toning out and falling back asleep again only to wake up and find him back in bed.  I don't know about you but when they get up like that, do you really want to get up and help them? No... no I don't, so I didn't.  Instead I got up a few moments later @ 7am might I add (I'll get to why I was up so early in a minute) and started doing the dishes, cause no one else in the house can do them and I took the day off yesterday from the chore.  Now I know why I protested so much as a teen when it came to doing the dishes, I knew deep down one day I would end up being the ONLY ONE to do them.  I can't wait to fight my kids to do a crappy job on the dishes lol!! I think I will just keep doing it... after all I eat off them too.

After I was done doing the dishes and hubby had growled his way into the shower, I pulled out the vacuum and sucked up the house, yesterday there was a cheerio disaster in the kids room.  I didn't know it was still all over the floor till then... I mean when you say that to someone I would just assume the person who found it would start tidying it up right there.  Not find it come declare it and completely leave it behind!  Silly... he is starting to get lazy in his old age I guess (BOISTEROUS LAUGHTER).  Poor bastard is sick too after all I have to cut him some slack right?  He does all the yucky thing I hate... like the garbage, and the laundry.  After vacuuming the entire household, winning the battle between mom and cheerio, I managed to actually hop in the shower myself for an under 10 min kinda day.  Once I exit my steaming haven I discover eldest is ill, lying on the couch... great.  Just what I need... at least we can get it over with before the working week starts!  Thankfully our little Scotsman wont be here on Monday, giving me the extra day to make sure the house is disinfected.  Every time they get sick it is always VERY good timing and hasn't managed to interfere with my childcare PHEW!

Now back to why the children were up so early.  Youngest.  Youngest is my issue he has now managed to find a way to escape his crib... now his play pen... so we are left with a bed.  A bed in which he can escape from constantly.  So he was up SUPER late last night, incredibly cute too which is mummy's biggest weakness, then he got up SUPER early along with his older brother.  Which probably doesn't help eldest's cold any.  So here we are... stuck inside on a sunny lovely weekend, like I said VERY thankful I managed to get out yesterday.  Just look at some of these amazing photos!!

My boys are so handsome, should be in movies they're so handsome!!

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#Hunger Games Last Night

Okay so I got midnight tickets to the Hunger Games movie as many of you know, if you don't again you have been stuck in a cave on Mars with your eyes shut, and your fingers in your ears.  If you didn't get that, that was a Simpsons reference.  Anyways I was just buzzing with excitement all day yesterday that I found it hard to concentrate on anything else and waiting all the way up till midnight was one of the most agonizing things EVER!!  I spent all day getting myself dolled up, though I abandoned my Katniss braid idea, and was all  ready to go.

My makeup and earrings!

my "Captial-esque" hairdo!

my gloves and earrings once again :)!

I was soo happy, especially since I didn't do the braid cause everyone there had a braid and I felt like I did a little something special, very "Girl on Fire" so to speak.  I would like to also point out the fact that I did my own hair and makeup.  OOOoooOOO cause it looks so hard right?!!  NOT!

What were the yummiest parts of the night?

Us stopping for Burgers MMmmMMmm

Me with my homemade "Girl on Fire" Kettle corn!!

We stopped for burgers on the way to the movie, then I brought our own popcorn, so I didn't have to eat the calorie filled junk they have at the theater, not that having a burger was good for me or anything.  I think it is fine cause at least I didn't have both right?  I think that is a perfect justification on a fun night with the hubby!

I am not going to be mentioning any of my pet peeves about this movie as it is unfair to the people who haven't seen it. They were things I was clearly unhappy about though.  For one Metropolis harsh messed up our ticket order so, in order to exercise what my old socials teacher taught me: "complain and complain and you'll get what you want.", I made a big deal about it and BAM hubby and I found ourselves in the best seats in the theater directly in the center, it was magical and completely worth the act.  I was comfy and in, what Sheldon Cooper would call, acoustic perfection.  So just goes to show, you never know until you ask/complain/make a scene. 

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Exciting day/night, short post!

So today is one of my more exciting days!  I am going to the sold out Hunger Games midnight showing tonight!!!! I am just THRILLED, I can't get much more excited than I am right now.  I am busily getting as much work done as possible and praying that when the mail comes today my Mockingjay pin will be included!!! That would make my day, it would honestly be the cherry on the top of my cake today.  I don't expect it though, the way ebay works is not to have things delivered when you need them... I have yet to come across a stroke of good luck when it comes to shipping times.  I will inform you when it does happen though.

I have to spend the better part of the evening tonight preparing myself for an incredible night, which also means I have to prep myself all day today in-between the children chaos of course.  My hair is going to be placed in a Katniss style braid like I have told you before and I will be doing up my make up lovely.  I am on the fence though now about the Katniss braid I was thinking maybe just leaving it down in curls and putting in all the red, orange, yellow feather clips I have in it.  I think I will hunker down and go with the braid in the end though.

On another exciting note I have been given the chance to interview Greg Grunberg, you know Matt from Heroes!!!  No I wont ask him why it was cancelled... I am sure he doesn't want to talk about it.  Plus it is still nagging at me about what happens, just like Firefly did when it was cancelled.  I am soo stoked to be given the chance to do this, I am so nervous I am going to hopefully be able to do it via e-mail, cause I am WAY too nervous to meet an actual celebrity.  Gets me all shaky just thinking about it, though it would be nice, if I was 100 pounds lighter and WAY braver than I am currently.  Regardless I get the chance to do this and I couldn't be happier about it, my first celebrity INTERVIEW!!!! incredible, I feel like opening a movie/tv blog just so I can get more chances like this.  I see EVERYTHING and I always have an opinion, if only I could split myself into at least four, then I would have the time to take on such endeavors! 

I hope that all of you have a great day, I have a big night coming up, lots to do and lots to clean!! See you all tomorrow with pictures!!!!


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Growing a family while shrinking a mortgage

Raising a family can quickly become the focal point of your life, and reducing your expenses at this time can seem like an impossible task. But, every problem has a solution and by taking a little care with your mortgage, you can shrink your outgoings even if your family grows. 

Every family needs a property that suits their needs on so many different levels. And, more importantly, it has to fit in with the budget that you have. This can be difficult, but keep reading for a few hints and tips in finding the best mortgage rates that can make all the difference to your family. 

Choosing the right mortgage 

The latest Bank of Montreal cuts have made mortgages seem a little more affordable than they were at the turn of the year. But, while the rates may be coming down, you need to be aware that it’s the terms that need the most research so that they don’t come back to bite you a few years down the line. 

What families tend to find is that a 25-year fixed rate mortgage works best for their payment plans, but it is possible to take a gamble with adjustable mortgages. A big no-no is the interest only style where you only pay off the interest and not the home. So, exactly how do you get the cheapest – and right – deal for you? 

Reducing your mortgage 

Finding mortgage rates in Canada can be easy and it’s important to know that you are getting exactly what you want. So, work through this checklist for some extra help: 

• Plan – Preparation is vital, you’re going to be with this debt for many years so the least you can do is give yourself an outline of what this means. Make sure you do your research about mortgages to decide whether you’re going to pay as little as possible or make greater payments than necessary or whether you want a five-year agreement that needs renewing or just a 25-year rate. 
• Where are you going to look – Remember that there are a vast array of spots that can be looked at when you are trying to find a mortgage. Whether you want to go directly to the bank for a special offer or use a broker to search the nooks and crannies on the lookout for that perfect deal, be sure to have a wide scope. Something like a mortgage calculator should be used in order to get a better idea of what you’re after. 
• Credit check – Last, but certainly not least, how does your credit look? Are you taking out a joint mortgage or should one of you put your name on the agreement? Make sure that you get some advice and spin your records the right way. When growing a family it can be quite hard to know how to work credit but when looking for a mortgage the main thing is to have as few outgoings as possible, a steady job and previous loans that have been paid off.

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Go the F to sleep...

As most mothers trying to juggle two kids in one room, you hit those days/weeks/months where it is seemingly impossible to get them to sleep.  Then if they do fall asleep inevitably they wake up only hours later... I have been having this problem.  For I think the better part of three months now.  I know I am soo amazing that I never bother to complain about it here but it does happen.  I have figured out a few ways to convince them to sleep such as:

1) Threatening the life of a balloon... no idea why this works by my eldest son is VERY attached to them if they are in the house, cracks me and hubby right up but once we get him to sleep we know youngest is soon to follow by about ten or so minutes.

2) The obvious "if you don't go to sleep you'll be grounded for a week NO COMPUTER!" I am amazed that I even have to use this tactic yet as my eldest son is only four years old, but we're in that generation aren't we?  I mean he already asks to have an Ipad, I can't be that surprised about it.  

3) Youngest is a harder matter, though taking his bottle away for a couple minutes (mainly cause he is squirting the thing ALL OVER his bed), seems to be a good tactic GRANTED we have made the moves on eldest and he is clearly lying down and ready to drift off to dreamland.

So you can see we aren't all "supernanny" over here I am just like all other parents trying to find sneaky ways to trick my kids into sleeping.  At least bed times around here are comical right?  So I leave you with this, something to make you smile after a hard night of trying to put the kids to sleep.



p.s. pray for us and our computer, as I wish to never have to reformat the thing four times in a week lol!

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Man Candy Monday - Ewan McGregor

Yet another Man Candy Monday is upon us and mine is matched with amazing computer problems... we just reformatted AGAIN after we got some "write delay error" or whatever, only to end up getting it AGAIN directly following reformatting... so we have no idea what to do.  Especially with this new hard drive, there is no reason for it and I am angry so today it will be quick cause my blood is boiling trying to deal with this, what we will have to do possibly and the screaming my hubby is doing and pissing me off.  I am done.. I need a new computer OF MY OWN so I don't have to deal with all these shutdowns, I need a reliable system in order to make money and i've just started bringing in good money with my blogging and I don't want to send my computer away for X amount of time and loose all that work I have done and need to keep doing to keep my pvs up.  I am sorry i refuse to type on a stupid mini blackberry screen to get by I can't do it.  I am angry and tired... really tired.. I need my own computer, desperately.  Who wants to buy me one?? I can't, not ever...

Moulin Rouge where he became irresistible!!!

I apologize for my half-assed post here I am just tired of having a house filled with broken things... so tired... Kids are all napping right now I feel like doing the same... hiding from this crappy day. 

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my super cool mommy bloggy buddy pt.2 !!

I love my Mommy Blog Buddies and I have been so happy and privileged to know them is promoting them and the way we figured would be fun and exciting would be to do an questionnaire all of us contributed to.  As you saw from my pt. 1, I think it went very well.  These again are some great supportive ladies worth checking out!! Take the time to stop by, they definitely earned it!  you can easily pop by HERE.


1) If you were to re-live one moment in your life up to this point, what moment would that be?
- My wedding day. Are there words to describe that kind of happiness? I love my husband, and though we've been through rough spots, we've pulled our way through, because on one special July day, we made promises to each other that we both meant full heartedly
2) Funniest poop story... I know you have them.
 - I'm really not sure you want to know. I've only got one poop story, and it's still a little too fresh in my mind to be funny.  A couple months ago my 5yo had an accident, because my 3yo was hogging the potty. So the 5yo and 1yo decided to paint the walls, floors, shower, mirror, almost the entire basement in poop. I was flabbergasted, because my 5yo normally has a huge problem getting her hands dirty.  Why poop, why?!
3) What's your favorite blog post you've written? link please!
 - So far, it would have to be this one http://homemaidsimple.blogspot.com/2012/02/tuesday-tips-valentines-day.html But I'm writing an epic post right now for Blogelina's 100 comment post day (available for viewing March 1st!)
4) What are your hobbies?
 - I like to call myself a Jane of all trades, Master of none. I wish I could stick to one thing, but I love so many different things, I don't take the time to perfect any, lol. Let's see they involve, cooking, reading (ok this I've perfected), sewing, cross stitching, scrapbooking, photography, and crafting.  Have I missed any, lol? oh yeah and gardening!
5) What household chore do you absolutely hate doing?
 - the bathrooms. It's sad, because they should probably be cleaned the most, but I just hate cleaning the bathrooms. I think it stems from that being a constant chore growing up.
6) What story does your family always tell about you?
 - I can't even think of any. Seriously. hmm, maybe I need to go ask them, lol.

Isn't she awesome??  Take the time to stop by and say hello to one GREAT bloggy Buddy!!

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The day we got the Food network in HD

I remember it well it was a long Sunday afternoon, rain splattering against the windows and porches and keeping us all huddled away in the warmth and safety of our home.  Hubby was hogging the computer, and by hogging I mean just using it for a split second and me not being able to sit there, and the kids were restless.  When aren't they restless?  Sundays seem to be the worst though, especially on an exceptionally rainy Vancouver day. 

I was determined to relax for a while and watch some TV despite everyone's efforts.

Click!  Click!  Click! Went the buttons of my remote as I rapidly channel surfed hoping, for the grace of God, that there would be something on, on a Sunday afternoon.

As my coffee started to go cold and my hopes at killing a few brain cells were slowly becoming dashed, I found it... something I had been dreaming for and trying to buy only months ago!!

The food Network... in HD.  Oh.  My.  God.  I couldn't express to you more how long I had yearned for this moment to arrive.   When I called to get it they had informed me this wasn't even available! 

What?!?!?!  Shouldn't that have been the first channel after Discovery or National Geographic?!?!!?!  Heck at least after the SPACE CHANNEL!?!?!  But it wasn't, probably for the fear of people eating their TVs and suing... clearly that was the only logical reason it wasn't already available. 

But now there it was before me in all of its amazing glory... a food coma without the calories!!

Okay some of the calories, lets face it I couldn't not have some lunch right?!?!  Now that I have it though, I want MORE... WONKA VISION!!!

Restaurants all over the world would go under in DAYS!

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kids new fav learning program!

Did you know, "...many kids learn far less than they are capable of... [leads] to [the] development of a huge tutoring industry and [even contributes] to the growth in homeschooling..."  Recently I was approached by a great, and oddly enough, Vancouver based company that offers one of the best children's learning programs I have come across yet.  You know me I am very big on teaching the kids computer skills so having programs like these make it a lot easier for me, not only to help them with their computer skills, but all their academics as well.   That is always important, I mean think about it, only 32% of grade five students know their times tables, and I can honestly say that not even I know all mine and thankfully I managed until the age of constant calculator usage.

K5 Learning program as some GREAT tools to teach your kids the fundamentals, make it fun and keep their knowledge fresh and constantly in practice.  I mean it was made by parents for parents, all they wanted is exactly what you did a computer program that is less "game" more "learn".  They have over 3,000 automated online lessons for parents and children to gain from.  All of those online lessons are completely interactive and animated to keep children involved and interested!  With my little man that is HUGE, seems these days you have to be covered in neon lights for him to pay attention to you for longer than three seconds.  Mind of a goldfish... but he just LOVES it and so do the younger kids even if they don't have the skills quite yet, it is all about practice! 

With all these automated lessons you could definitely loose track of everything, especially exactly what your child is learning, so they make it possible for you to track everything they learn, not to mention passing along reports to you.  What better way to find out EXACTLY what your child's strengths and weaknesses are, even when it comes down to one word that they keep misspelling or that one times-table that gets them stuck every time.  Not that my little man is nearly at that stage yet but it is nice to look into those things as he continues using this program through his elementary school career.  I think this is a great way to echo the lessons learned while they are in school, without overloading them or putting on any pressure.  In fact they even approach lessons in a more tangible way, that applies their studies to everyday life.  That not only makes it easier to learn but it shows them why in life these skills are/would be important/useful.

So lets review what amazing things K5 has to offer you and your children:

The K5 program includes:

•  free online assessments for each of your kids math and reading skills.

• They have award-winning, "curricula based reading and math content".

•  3,000+ online activities, personalized for each child based on your kiddos assessment.

• "a highly structured environment which allows the student to proceed through the lessons in a logical fashion at his own pace".

• easy to use allowing even 4 or 5 year olds to work independently.  Very easy might I add my son has picked it up incredibly fast, but he has practice.

•  "attention to child safety with no external links, advertisements, chat or similar".

• comprehensive reporting to parents, which again helps you know exactly what your little ones learning strengths and weaknesses are!

• "24/7 availability and no downloads".

Now I know that most of you homeschooling parents are going to be really interested in this so I am sure you are dying to know the costs of this program.  One way to check it out is head on over to their site and get yourself the 14 day FREE trial which I know will just LOVE.  If you are like myself, you want to have it, have it; and your wallet is looking at $25/month or $199/year.  A price definitely worth it when it comes to the unlimited education it can provide, and insight.  I bet using such promising programs and keeping your kids in practice of always applying their school learned lessons, would actually lower costs for possible tutors in the future.  I wouldn't even doubt it.  Since my little man is entering Kindergarten soon all I can think about is giving him a HUGE head-start, hopefully this way it comes easier rather than harder, it is all about those first lessons right?

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Less than a week

Hunger Games is less than a week from today and I am soo set for it I can't even describe how excited I am.  I can't believe that I am even planning on going out soo late on a work day but I just couldn't help myself.  I am itching to see it and my plans for getting premiere tickets quickly fell through sadly.

I have grabbed my tickets, I have my two favorite seats in the theater and I can't wait to park my butt in them.  We have our babysitter all lined up, even for such a late event we actually managed to get it all done and put into motion.  I have to call her later though, once the house has calmed down and I have gotten some work done.  Work before pleasure and all that.

I plan to sit in line waiting to be allowed into a theater with a bunch of other amazing fans, probably at least a few solid years younger than myself, but whatever.  I am just happy I can look like a nerd and be a complete nerd for the wee hours of the evening.

Did I say look, like a nerd?  Why yes, yes I DID!  You want to know what I mean by LOOK??!  Well my readers I will be sporting my Hunger games look, that is right.

I will have a Katniss braid. 

Then I will have my red "on fire" jewelry which will look AMAZING!!! If ebay would keep my purchase history I could show them to you but I am unwilling to go hunting it down and I have limited time here so I am unable to also take photo, upload photo for ever and ever etc... Besides we all like surprises and I think I have given you enough info, I also hope to be getting my Mockingjay pin in time but I highly, highly doubt that will happen.  I will be VERY VERY happy if it does though!!

Now you know how much of a nerd I am (not that you didn't know from my previous post and fan fiction), I am willing to go to a movie in full out gear... and I am not going to even get into what I am planning on doing with my makeup, expect it to be bright and colorful that is for sure! 

Have you ever gotten this excited about something like this?? Or just completely obsessive?! Please don't let me stand here alone!


*****
K5 Learning has an online reading and math program for kindergarten to grade 5 students.  I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program.  If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an online learning review of their program.
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Wordless Wednesday

NANANANANANA BATMAN!!!!

Welcome everyone from the Wordless Wednesday Hop! 

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Nails

Now I am not a "nail" kinda girl, never have been.  I have gotten a manicure twice, once for prom and once again after my hubby got me a HUGE gift certificate to a salon.  That second manicure is where I got my one and only nail polish... it came with the manicure as a deal, it is lovely, Opi too. Online classes at a cosmetology school should also be able to teach you the latest trend when it comes to nail art. With the creation of pinterest though I have noticed a HUGE desire rise within me to get my nails "did."  

Source: google.com via Eschelle on Pinterest

It has supplied me with more and more reasons to get then done... even speaks to the inner geek in me.  How on earth am I going to survive this?? I do dishes at least twice a day there is no way they would survive and I'll be damned if I use rubber gloves... those things are way to odd feeling and I always get water into them regardless of my efforts.  Maybe I need to bite the bullet??? Maybe pinterest will have an answer for me on that topic too!!  

Source: cool-bean.tumblr.com via Eschelle on Pinterest

If I spent the time to get something like these things done I would want it to last forever, I mean how could I just choose one to start with?? It would be completely impossible!!

Source: google.com via Eschelle on Pinterest

Then there are the children to consider... the amount of attention these kinds of nails would get I am sure would be disastrous to my sanity.  I am sure they would follow me around constantly, asking me about them, wanting to see them.  Even poking them for what feels like hours on end.  I am unsure I would handle that kind of pressure.

Source: flouncyskirts.com via Eschelle on Pinterest

Pinterest always does this to me, gets me all excited and wanting to do things, most of which I have no money to do or supplies lying around to create it.  I have so many things pinned that I want to do... especially that I want to eat... MMMMmmm the things I have pinned that are edible!!! AMAZING!

Source: duitang.com via Eschelle on Pinterest

But I guess that Is what Pinterest is all about, hoping and wishing.  I hope soon to slowly ticked things off the things I have pinned, especially all my travel ones cause that would be incredible... What do you really want that you've pinned??


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Man Candy Monday - Top Chef Canada Edition

Today is a very exciting day for me.  Something amazing is happening and that is, one of my BEST friends from my high school days is going to be on Top Chef Canada Season 2 and that season is starting TONIGHT @ 10pm ET/PT; so if you are near me, Vancouver B.C., it is on at 7pm!

He is #6!!!

In light of this amazing, amazing-ness I wanted to share what a wonderful piece of talented "Man Candy" my old best buddy is.  Especially after looking at some of the competition he is one of the youngest and definitely the handsomest... maybe I'm biased cause I know him lol.  Seriously though look above and he is the yummiest piece of delicious in the line up!

This whole house is itching with such excitement that eldest will see the commercial and start screaming for me to look "MOMMY JIMMY!!!!" with such a HUGE smile on his face!  We are definitely a team Jimmy household! 

Seeing him in all the commercials and watching all of his incredible interviews makes me miss him so much I definitely have to go out of my way to meet up with him in the near future.  I haven't seen him in a while... honestly I am not keen on seeing many of my high school friends due to my weight still being a self esteem issue for me.  I just can't wait to see him, celebrate him and toast to his victories and send him comforting words for all his hard times.  I am sure there will be many of them, definitely not an easy task and no one should expect it to be.

In turn let us take a moment to get to know more about our amazing chef!
[courtesy for FoodNetwork.com]

• Status: Active
• Age: 23
• Hometown: West Vancouver, BC

Born and raised in West Vancouver, Jimmy Stewart is 23 years old and is the sous chef at the Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler, BC. Counting his mother among the great ladies in his life, he currently lives with her in the campground and RV park she manages. Jimmy completed a basic culinary degree in Vancouver at the age of 18. With a strong worth ethic, Jimmy pushed his way into some of the city’s best restaurants to eventually find a spot at Lumiere and meet his biggest culinary influence, Dale MacKay, winner of Top Chef Canada season one. Jimmy spent a year in Gordon Ramsay’s MAZE and the Ledbury in London, England and then a year in Toronto at Colborne Lane and Origin. Eventually making his way back out west to work at DB Bistro, Jimmy reunited with Dale MacKay again for a short stint. With strong beliefs in foraging and a love for Canadian products and ingredients, he is driven by modern Canadian cuisine.

I am so proud of you Jimmy and I can't wait to tune in tonight!

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Worm virus and how it ruined my working weekend...

Well this weekend I have had to take a blog vacation due to the fact that I received a worm virus from a blogging contact, which goes to show, even people you trust can still give you a virus.  Hubby had to go out and get a whole new hard drive and DVD drive since ours wouldn't read CDs anymore, it was rough.  Everything is fixed and ironed out, and I informed them of the issues and they were more than happy to get the information and fix the problem.  But here I am today and I have a TON of stuff to catch up on, as if I had been caught up in the first place.  I am always having to do something and I am definitely running myself a little short here from time to time.  I just need to sit down, organize myself and focus.  I should put to use some of those amazing pdfs I have... or probably don't have anymore with my luck. 

Regardless I must pick myself up and work extra diligently today, in order to at least break even for Monday.  Crud I remember I have to go an e-mail my wanted "Man Candy Monday" segment to see if he even wants me to do it lol.  If he does I need to go find some pictures and scan them tonight heehee.  You will LOVE him he is amazing and one of my BEST buds!!

So, since it's a lazy Sunday for most" I will leave you with some HILARIOUS words from my eldest, since he is just like me.

Clearly in trouble with mum:

Mummy: "Where is your head?  Up in the clouds?!"

Eldest: "There are no clouds in the house mommy!!!!"

In desperate search for Mr. Happy Face

Eldest: "Where's Mr. Happy Face!?!??!!"

Hubby: "I dunno, I couldn't find him yesterday."

Eldest: "Yes you can find him YOU'RE super DADDY!"

Kid's hilarious and I never write down what he says enough, I really need to get better at that so I can share him with all of you.

Here's hoping you are all having a wonderful Sunday!