Christmas is a time for giving back

My husband's family has a great way of celebrating Christmas.  They are a large traditional divorced family with fantastic family occassions on both sides.  My husband has 2 parents + 2 step parents + 3 grandparents + 3 sisters, 2 brother-in-laws & 3 nephews + 1 Uncle, his wife and their 2 grown kids.   Plus me and the little monkey.   We are a blessed family and in need of little. 

Every couple of years we do a family ski trip and enjoy some time together in the fresh air. The 3 oldest kids (spouses and their kids) usually get a condo for the entire time, and the parents and grandparents split their time so we get to enjoy both sides of the family. No matter where the family is celebrating they have some great traditions for young and old. The kids usually have a bit of a show - singing or dancing for us. Oma usually does her felt puppet "Christmas story" and of course we have lots of songs and hymns.

You can image buying gifts for that large of a crew would be a lot of work.  So they like to focus the holidays on the togetherness, the occassion, the food and photos (we have more than our fair share of shutterbugs) - not the gifts.   We all get gifts for the kids, of course.  But then we draw names and each person buys a gift for only one other adult on each side of the family.  This lets us focus on our time together and not spending a lot of money or time on gifts (although my husband usually still buys lots of fun German treats - he says he isn't technically cheating as they are meant for everyone's stocking).

Charitable giving also has an important part of their Holidays.  A few year's ago we gave a goat in Opa's name to a family in South America.  As 2009 has been a tough year for many the family decided that there would be no adult gifts at all. The family drew names and donated to a charity in that person's name.   

So hubbie and I decided to do the same with my family this year.  We have told everyone over 13 to expect small fun holiday gifts and then we were giving the rest of our Holiday budget to charity.  Since Vancouver has the highest child poverty numbers in the country we decided to make our donations to:

• Greater Vancouver Food Bank
• Breakfast for Learning

In spirit of full disclosure we did do a special gift for Daniel's Omi who flew us out to Calgary as a surprise for the family this year.  She gave us the gift of time with our family, so we put together a nice little memory of her Great Grandson. But as it technically won't arrive until January we didn't really cheat.  Since she doesn't read my blog this should be a nice surprise when it arrives.

Follow Friday

So last week I missed my follow friday blog, as I was stuck in rural Alberta in a snow storm with dial up... yeah I know "do I want some cheese with that whine?"...

This week I thought people might be looking for practical organizational advice - unless you are one of those people who finished your Christmas preparations in August.  My friend Christa Wagner is a professional organizer, and a fantasticly upbeat outgoing lady.   Her most recent blog is about Holiday Organizing for Practical User - particularly relevant to those of us who have left most everything to the last minute. 

Christa is a busy lady, who blogs almost daily with practical tips & advice for us busy people trying to organize our homes, lives and meals.   And if you need more than just advice check out her Savvy Solutions website.

The Perils of a Big Surprise

So over the weekend we flew to Alberta as a surprise for my hubbie's family.  His grandmother really wanted us there for her Christmas dinner (this is the year everyone is going away for Christmas so family dinners were scheduled earlier).    So she decided to fly us out as a surprise.   

Surprises are always somewhat complicated - what is the cover story/what are the real details/who knows/who can't be told for any reason?????  But for us the surprise was further complicated by social media, forgetfulness and the weather. 

Who was in on it?  Omi, me, hubbie and his father (as this was a celebration with the mom's side of the family we felt he would be a good reliable conspirator) 

#1 - Social Media Silence

Why social media?  While my hubbie's family couldn't be told, his friends could.  But hubbie didn't think he needed to tell his friends it was a surprise, as they don't talk to his family.  He forgot about that big melting pot of friends and family... facebook.  So I kept getting facebook wall questions about our trip.  Thankfully they all got removed before they were seen. 

Then there is my affection for twitter.  After I tweeted about waiting on the phone for West Jet for 2 hours, it occured to me I would have to go into "twitter radio silence" about our trip.  Now my brother and sister-in-law aren't super active on twitter, but they might notice if I was tweeting about a trip to Calgary.   And since I tweet about almost everything it was hard to keep my big mouth shut for 2 weeks.

#2 - The car seat

Got to the airport and as we were checking in we realized we had left the car seat in the car... which had by now left and was driving home.  PANIC!!!  Now my sister-in-law (SIL) in Calgary usually has an extra seat... but we can't call her or we'd give up the surprise.

So my father-in-law had to stop and buy us a new car seat on his way to airport to pick us up.   Now we really didn't need a new car seat, as we already have 2 at home.  But he didn't have time to rent one and couldn't figure out a viable lie to get the one from SIL.

So with our brand new car seat we were driven to Red Deer, met by Omi and then drove out to her place at the lake.  Got settled into the house... realized how dreadful the dial-up internet was and waited for people to start to show up the next day.  But they didn't!!! 

#3 - The Storm

A huge snow storm hit Southern Alberta on the Friday and highways were closed or labelled critical. 

Now what do you do when you are stuck inside in a snow storm?  Go online is likely a common answer.  Besides it being painfully slow, I also couldn't bitch about the weather or the family will figure something out.  So what do I do?   I gloat about the Vancouver weather of course!   Hey I had to do something... Mommy boredom mixed with a toddler going stir crazy is a bad mix. Something had to be done.

#4 - The Dinner

The big dinner was planned for Sunday and the fingers were all crossed that the weather would clear. It did. But then the family started to talk about car pooling... well that would 'kill' our ride back to Calgary.   Again we couldn't ask anyone to leave space in their car for the 3 of us and our luggage.   Thankfully Omi talked them out of that without giving anything away (that woman really does lie well on the fly... kind of scary reall).

#5 - The Surprise

Hubbie's mom arrive at the house a few hours before the dinner.  Omi told her she was babysitting a neighbours kid and we let the little guy run into the room.  She stared at him and said "Boy does that little kid ever look like T".  Then I stuck my head out and my MIL's jaw dropped to her knees.  The best part of a surprise is when it is a real surprise.  Same went with her husband as he arrived from the car a few moments later.

The rest of the family was met at the restaurant with similar surprise and excitement.  I can't believe that Omi had done such an excellent job at lying that there were even gifts for us there (she had told everyone she was coming out to vancouver on Dec 26th for the holidays and to bring our gifts with them.... she really really is a good liar). 

Dinner was fantastic. Seeing everyone was fantastic.  Omi was so happy with everything.  Plus because of the storm she got to spend a very intimate weekend with her great grand son. 

As for us. Thankfully we were able to squeeze our stuff (split between 3 cars) and ourselves back to Calgary, where we had a little after party at my SIL's house.  It really was a lovely Christmas family celebration.  

And then we realized bear and bunny got left behind at Omi's house.... but that is another story.

Bright Nights Vancouver Tweet up

I think our little guy is big enough to enjoy the Christmas train at Stanley Park this year. So I'm trying to organize a tweet-up.   As the train sells out early, I thought it would be good to organize and purchase tickets early. 

Please indicate in the comments below if you are interesting in coming, the time that works best for you,  the number of adults/kids over 2 and if you are interested in purchasing advance tickets as a group or will arrange your own.

• Date - December 18th (alternate date Wed December 16th)
• Time - Meet at 4:00 and get tickets for the (a) 5-5:30pm slot or  (b) 5:30 - 6pm slot.   We can visit the children's farm and other attractions until our time comes up. And those that are working can still meet up with us before the train time slot.
• Cost: $8 adults (+1.6 convenience fee) and $5 kids 2-18 and seniors (+1 convenience fee)

As tickets will sell out quickly for a Friday night I suggest we try to buy a group of tickets in advance - will need to confirm numbers for advance tickets by Monday Dec 7th.  Then if others decide to come along last minute, they can take make arrangements for same day tickets. 

Update Dec 7th - So I left the advance ticket purchase too late.  It was looking fine before I left for the weekend trip to rural aka 'dial-up hell' Alberta.  But yesterday 5 and 5:30 were gone.  Going to try through ticketmast phone line one last time today, but likely I'll be purchasing tickets at noon on the 18th at the box office (they keep a good chunk of tickets for same day sale).   

I made it

I made it!  Today is November 30 and I made it!   30 posts in 30 days.  Yeah some days were lighter than others.  But I made the effort to come up with ideas and write or post a thought everyday.  And that was my objective.    I hope to continue to blog more regularly, and in particular hope to keep up with  my follow blogger friday posts.

Moms in the media

It was so nice to attend Momcafe last Friday without having to worry how my little guy was settling in with the child care. After two experiences of him having to sit with me through the presentations, I made other child care arrangements (convenient that Grandma was in town that day). So I was able to network with other moms and enjoy the presentations without distractions.

Today’s speakers were Moms behind the Headlines: Andrea Vance, Publisher of WestCoast Families; and Tamara Taggart, CTV Weathercaster.

Andrea talked about her path to becoming an entrepreneur and publisher. Tamara talked more about how she makes it work today.

It was interesting to hear Andrea talk about her late days and nights working at EA. How that lead to a late night life discussion over Rum and Cokes, with her now husband. And how that led to her quitting her high paying job with nothing to go to and no plan.

The biggest transitions for her were:

• Learning to work from home. How to get out of bed and out of your PJs everyday. She realized she had to think about it as ‘work’ and to prepare herself for each day, as she was going to the office. And some days that might mean staying in her sweats for the day.
• Thought she could plan her transition to being a parent. She had 9 months to get organized. She isn’t a big planner, but feels that her work plan went well. The home plan did not go to plan, and the anticipated labour distribution plan had to be adjusted after the baby was born.

For her balance is about dealing with whatever has to get done and that she goes to bed feeling like she (and her child) ate and that things got done that needed to be done.

For her the question should not be what is next? But what is next next? What is the passion or ultimate goal?

It was interesting listening to Tamara and really relating to a number of the things she said about her life. She works in the ‘soul sucking business of TV’ (I used to work in the soul sucking business of advertising). And she waited until she was older to have kids, only because she didn’t meet the right person until she was older (same story for me). She is a worry wart and had challenges realizing that when you have kids you have to give up some of the control (amen sister).

She believes she can have it all. You just have to prioritize differently.

It was interesting listening to her story about her oldest child Beckett who was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome 5 days after he was born. Her pregnancy had been easy, and all the tests had been good. So she and her husband were completely unprepared and knew nothing about downs syndrome.  She had to learn fast. The difference in her situation is that she had to go through it in front of the public.

She addressed why she went back to work after 4 months after both children - “because they needed the money”. It is the most expensive time of your life and you only qualify for EI. So she went back to work. I appreciated that while not everyone in the room would agree with her, she was unapologetic. It was her choice for her family. She doesn’t judge others decisions and she doesn’t expect anyone should judge hers. (note to those who want to express their opinion to her in the grocery store – make sure she isn’t holding a jug of milk).

She talked about the Regis show as a ‘big show with a small town mentality’. They really made her feel comfortable and she was surprised by how laid back they were. And that helped revitalize her idea of what she does. And to her it is very important to love what she does.

How does she manage with her busy schedule?

• She has a team. Her mom, a part time nanny and of course her husband.
• Being home for bedtime is mandatory. Most nights both parents are home for bedtime, but there is always at least one of them there.
• Prioritizing her time – cause frankly she’d rather shop for the kids than herself these days.
• Nothing comes before her family.  And work knows this.  "It is what it is".  Although she does have to remind herself of that every so often.

One of the questions for Tamara was how she handles privacy for her family. She is a pretty open person (says she answer anything but her weight). She doesn’t want to hide her children, nor make Beckett a poster child for downs syndrome. But he is fantastic and wants other people to see that. Of course being in the public she does have to consider safety issues, and has had stalkers. 

Like all parents she doesn’t seem to have a concrete answer to all the questions. She notes that she replaced her Us magazines with mommy blogs and loves to learn from them. On the flip side she doesn’t have the answers, but if someone can learn from her then great.

 Both Tamara and Andrea seem, like most parents, to take it day by day and try to make the best decisions for their families and themselves.   Doing something you are patient about is key no matter what you do.

Blue Rodeo

Hubbie and I had a date night last week. My mom was in town and so was Blue Rodeo, so we took advantage and had a night out. 

I've seen Blue Rodeo about six times in my life, and they never fail to please.  My first time was during University and I don't remember too much about it except that I loved loved loved Greg Keeler's voice (Diamond Mine is still my favourite song).

Then there was the time we saw them in Malkin Bowl at Stanley Park.  We were in the 6th or 7th row and we arrived just as Blue Rodeo was taking stage. I watched Jim and Greg eye my 9 month pregnant belly as I sidled into my seat.  Luckily for everyone there wasn't an unexpected and unticketed guest delivered that night.  He waited another week to arrive. But boy did he ever dance around in my stomach that night. 

And then one year later, we celebrated one of our first night's out without the little man with another Blue Rodeo concert. 

This time we saw them at The Centre.  It is a lovely venue, but in my opinion too stiff for Blue Rodeo.  I want to DANCE when I see Blue Rodeo live.  And there is no dancing at the Centre - unless you have tickets in the rafters.  You can dance at Malkin Bowl, but only on the sides.  I want to stand at my seat and dance (well except the time I was 9 months pregnant and then I was happy everyone in front of me was sitting until the encore). 

Jim Cuddy doesn't age.  The only thing that seems to change is that little bit of extra grey at his temples.  And in case you didn't notice how attractive he is, he wears the skinny jeans to ensure you notice.  Then there is Greg Keeler, who has that really charming I don't give a f@*ck attitude.  Funny thing is that given the chance I'd rather pinch Greg's butt.   But this night Greg didn't seem quite himself.  He tripped over an amp in the first song, was chewing gum, and looked grumpier than usual through much of the night. His voice still sounded great, and he seemed to warm up a bit by the end.  Still LOVE LOVE LOVE him though.  We all have nights when we leave our sense of humour at home. 

The surprise was the new harmony guy Wayne Petti (from Cuff the Duke).  He is "all over the new album" to quote Jim.  I really loved how his voice mixed with the rest of them.  And he was a really nice piece of eye candy on stage (and I know I wasn't the only one who noticed).   But he seemed uncomfortable of his place on stage.  He stood on the side until it was time to sing, then he slid into place.  He had a few laughs with Bob Egan, but generally seemed like the
'new' guy who wanted to fit in, but didn't want to disturb the status quo.  Then he put on his guitar and it was like night and day.   

Quick note about the opening act.  The Skydiggers is one of those Canadian bands I used to love, and had completely forgotten about.  What a charming, funny and entertaining opening act.  Still think the lead singer is doing an Austin Power impression when he dances, but that just added to his charm.

Lucky day

IMG_5848
Originally uploaded by tjrossignol

As my hubbie tells it the story is long and involved. I just say he was the right guy, at the right place at the right time. And all that equals Lego windfall.

More photos of how full hubbie stuffed our vehicle with Lego.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17030737@N06/sets/72157622883243346/

Follow Friday

This week I have three mom focused blogs to recommend.

Raspberrykids.com Run by Sue Sinclair this blog provides helpful tips, news about interesting products and the odd update on Sue's crazy life as Chief Executive Mom of Raspberrykids.com.  Sue is one of the few people I have met who really gets customer service.  She is all about building relationships.  To many it may seem she spends a lot of effort of 'non-sales' oriented relationships. But this is what she gets that other don't. She is building loyal relationships and that always translates into a stronger business in the long run.  Plus, she is just so darn nice.  @raspberrykids

The Yummy Mummy Club.  This blog was founded by Erica Ehmn of Much Music fame.  Erica and her group of real life mommy bloggers provide a wealth of topics and blogs that all mommy's can relate to.  We are all moms, but we are also women, wives, girlfriends, daughters, party goers/givers, runners, dancers, wine appreciators, readers, etc.   Join the club and follow all the ladies on twitter @yummymummyclub,  @ymcbuzz, @sharondv, @earnestgirl , @ymcbookalicious  (the book club) and many more.  If you are a member of the yummy mummy team add a comment with your twitter handle.

Notes from the Cookie Jar.  Another west coast mom.  Scattered mom is a mom to a teenage boy, and I look to her and see my future.   Her stories make me laugh and I see there is hope for those teenage years.  She also posts the best recipes (of course mine never turn out looking like her fantastic pictures).   @Scatteredmom.

Back from Adventures

My girlfriend Amy came back from her 2 month adventure in South America today.  I love my life, but I have to admit I'm rather jealous is her ability to take off for 2 months on some crazy adventure.  She posted FB pictures along the way so I feel I have a bit of insight into her trip.  But hearing her talk about it today made it all real for me - she really was on this adventure and not just in Vernon for a few months.  Her favourite moments were paragliding, hiking the Inca Trail and seeing the Bolivian desert & salt flats (she stayed in a hostel made completely of salt blocks - even the tables the chairs).  

On the other side it was an adventure tour and I'm a girl who likes a shower now and again (even if I have to clear out the toddler toys first).  The tour stayed in hostels, and home stays and camped along the Inca Trail.  So very few of our usual amenities.  When asked what she missed most it was regular hot showers,  vegetarian food options, tap water and sane drivers. 

I'm happy she is home. Can't wait for the long picture slide show to come - really truly because the FB pictures from her phone were so fantastic I can't wait to see what her camera captured.

Wordless Wednesday

Not a pure wordless wednesday, as this links to a video.   All I have to say is I 'heart' lindy hop and So you think you can dance. 

http://vodpod.com/watch/2572597-sytycd-season-6-top-12-ellenore-and-ryan-lindy-hop-by-carla-heiney-ive-got-to-be-a-rg-cutter-by-the-boilermaker-jazz-band

Thanks also to Mary Murphy for giving props to Frankie Manning.  

Toilet Training Update

Once again I'm blogging about toilet training.  To try and keep this blog as poop free as possible click my cloth diapering blog for further details.

Inspirational Women

So yesterday I did a fun yet superficial blog about shoes at the Women in Leadership Foundation SuperWomen & Friends Gala.  I had not planned on blogging about the event, as I was volunteering and figured I'd be too busy.  But the keynote speaker was so awesome and so funny I found myself taking out my notebook and writing some things down. 

The keynote speaker was Andrea Holmes, a 2010 Paralympic Alpine hopeful.  I instantly liked her as we sat in the mini touch up bar (how fabulous was it to have a mini hair and make-up bar before the 'red carpet' photos).  She and my friend were having their hair done and we all easily laughed and joked about how 'only women' would think of such a thing. 

Andrea's quick wit and sense of humour makes it clear she often uses humour to make other people comfortalbe with her disability.   She easily jokes about herself refering to wearing 3" heels with her prosthetic leg; her leg & ski dropping off a ski lift; beating the girl in Grade 6 at track after she and her mom dismissed her because of her disability; and how going through an airport security with her can be a disaster. 

She spoke of her immense pride of representing Canada in games around the world; walking into the arena for the Paralympic opening ceremonies in Athens; and being 1 of 10 Canadians to carry the paralympic torch in Beijing. 

It is clear that Andrea is a very determined focused woman. She sets unattainable goals for herself and goes for them.  She decided she was going to compete in Athens Paralympic games just 2 years before the games, and had no coach at the time.  And she decided to switch to winter sports when Vancouver was awarded the 2010 games.  She knows it will take a lot of work to make the 2010 alpine team, but she is determined to make it. 

She noted a favourite quote...  " When you wake up in the morning, you have two choices - go back to sleep and dream your dreams, or wake up and chase those dreams!"  -- Author Unknown ---

Andrea's choice is obvious.  As I wake up tomorrow I hope I'm awake enough to chase mine.     

Running

So I wrote the post below on Saturday and thought that I posted it.  It is a lame post, but I want to show that I had actually done the post on Saturday and didn't miss a day of Blog a day November. 

-----

Today I'm just running.  Last minute pieces to organize for any media attending tonight's Women in Leadership gala and none of the technology seems to be cooperating. Thankfully FedEx Kinko's is open on Saturdays.

Off to iron dress, hair, make-up, dress and then run downtown.

Tomorrow I'll hopefully have some fun pics and highlights of the evening.

Shoes, shoes everywhere

Last night was the big Women in Leadership Foundation gala I've been working on for months.   And the dress that I hand tailored Friday night didn't come up to snuff, so a bunch of other dresses got reviewed and finally one chosen. A pretty (if bit boring) black dress was chosen in the end.  And all because it went with the all important red shoes!  So it was the winner. 

And while a lot of other women were dressed in black, there was a great array of lovely dresses at the event last night.   But top of mind for me was checking out all the fantastic shoes.  So this is a picture blog of the gala in shoes.  Early in the evening all the shoes are women I know... but after a drink from the martini luge I started asking strangers to take pictures of their feet.  The biggest trends seemed to be the pointy toed black, followed by red shoes with a black dress. 

Couldn't figure out how to get the flickr album to show up inside the blog, so just click below to find the album.   Flickr Shoe Set

Follow Friday

The November rain seems to be getting to me more than  usual these days, and I woke up with a headache.  So today's blog follow friday will be all about the escapism blog. 

I love the pop culture analysis at mamapop.com and snarky comments about silly reality stars or strangely dressed celebrities.    Run by and contributed to by a great group of parents. Somehow their analysis and comments seem to hit home more for me than lets say some other bitter bitchy gossips - can you say Perez 'get a life'.  These are people who love pop culture. Plus I never really feel that they cross the line into what isn't really my business.    For those on twitter you must follow their updates @mamapop.

Plus you have to LOVE any sight that has herbadmother.com as a contributor.  I will follow that bloggess to the ends of the earth.  She gives her take on motherhood and life with her usual biting humour intact.  Be warned this one is not for the faint of heart.   She always lays it out there with honesty and if it too hard for you to read... well that would be your problem.  @herbadmother on twitter.

What to wear

For weeks I have had my new black chiffon dress hanging at the front of the closet.  The purpose was to remind me to get it tailored before the Women in Leadership Foundation gala this upcoming Saturday.  The dress isn't exactly new... it is over a year old. But I've never worn it because it needs to be taken in.   So I put it out front and centre to make sure I remembered to take it to a seamstress.

I didn't!

Gala is now in 2 days.  So my choices are:

1. Hand sew it myself (my sewing machine is broken).
2. Find something else to wear.  And yes, I do have other dresses, but I've worn them lots of times and really wanted to wear my new dress. 

To add insult to injury I actually bought new shoes to wear with the dress.  Now lets call a spade a spade here. I haven't bought new shoes since last spring (those awesome orange fluevog sandles).  And these snazzy red shoes called out to me.  So the gala might - just might - have been an excuse to buy new shoes.  But they are comfortable which is important when you are standing at a gala for several hours.  And most importantly they are red.  And now darn gone it I want to wear them out.

So I guess I'll be spending Friday night taking in my own dress... the old fashioned needle and thread way.   Hopefully my hand sewing will last until my second martini. 

Wordless Wednesday - Memories of Summer

Warning warning - diaper content below

I decided to write about experience so far with toilet training.  As I try to keep this blog as poop free as possible I did it over at my cloth diaper blog.  

Doctor Who Fix

Last night I got my Doctor Who Fix by watching the Doctor Who special "Waters of Mars" last night.  We had a couple of other Doctor Who fans over and it was great to watch with others who are long time fans.

This was an exciting episode, with lots of action, gross looking villains and lots of running (although they never run like they did in the classis series - where they would run up and down the same hallway but they would try to make it look different cause they couldn't afford the extra sets).  While I love the funny, witty Doctor. I also love it when they show the potentially dangerous Doctor. He really does need a companion to help keep him back off the edge.  I mean who else is there... there certainly won't be a "Trial of the Time Lord" anytime soon.  There really is nobody to stop him from doing what he wants.  Who policing the last of the time police?   Really 'Doc' you need someone to talk some sense to you.

Great action and I can't until the Christmas special.  Sadly this also means only 2 more Tennant specials.  I'll miss him. 

We finished off our evening by watching 2 parts of the original original (pilot episodes) Doctor Who.  It always amazes me to see how far the series has come.   And I don't just mean the improved sets.

To stroll or not to stroll

Today I decided to go the aquarium with the little guy.  It was pouring rain.  We spent most of the day at home yesterday.  Hubbie had been out late last night, so I thought the little man and I would get out of the house and give us all a break.  I have a membership at the aquarium, but it my first time going on a Sunday.  I can go any day of the week I want.  WHY did I pick a Sunday?

So yeah, it was a bit busy.  Mostly with parents (and a large percentage of Dads) getting out of the house with the kids.  First stop was the kids area for the family time at 10:30 - and stroller parking.

The stroller seemed like a good decision when I was racing through the wet rainy parking lot.  It helped us keep up a decent pace.  I didn't have to chase him everywhere and he could sit and snack between attractions.  But I had to lift him in and out of the stroller a lot of times.  Plus it was crowded and waiting for elevators is annoying.  There were a lot of other young kids running/walking/being carried around without a stroller. And I wondered if perhaps that would have been a smarter choice. 

We aren't stroller dependent folks.  And our little guy likes to walk.  What do you think?  With a 2 year old.  Do you take the stroller or go free at the aquarium?

The unique mind of a 2 year old

I started taking notes on the cute and funny things our little guy does... in part so I won't forget, as I seem to have stopped updating the baby book and realize I have forgotten a lot of fun details.

So today's blog will be a list of little things our little guy is doing that make us laugh. 

• His relationship with his stuffed animals has recently ramped up to BFF... although the actual BFF changes several times a day.  He seems to take at least 1 stuffed animal everywhere.   He will go from putting a diaper on his purple monkey, to having a tea part with his bear in an instant (my favourite is when he takes the stuffed animal to the toilet with him, and they have to sit right beside him and 'try').
• Begging for a treat and then not eating it - he carries it around like a little treasure.  Which is okay if the treat is an organic oatmeal cranberry mini cookie, but not when it is one of the few Halloween treats he has been given.
• He is careful to avoid any misunderstanding saying 'in his mouth' and pointing to it at the same time when he asks for a treat.
• His favourite thing to read while sitting on the toilet is the lego holiday catalogue.
• He LOVES his books. He loves to take them all off the bookshelf and then sit and read... he is sometimes happy to sit and read his books to himself for 15 minutes.  15 wonderful, quiet and blissful minutes.  (he also likes to rip all the adult books off the shelf in the hallways. His favs are harry potter and anne rice - for some reason the tolkien doesn't appeal to him. )
• Loves to sing... he knows enough words and melody for us to know when he is singing twinkle, twinkle.... old mcdonald and zoom zoom zoom
• Whenever he counts to 3 he ends it with 'blast off' and a jump in the air. 
• He cries like the world is ending when he gets a booger. 
• He wanted to walk my Dad's dog when we were in Victoria last weekend.  So cute the little white Bijon Frise pulling the 2yo along.

Follow Friday

I've caught my son's cold. Not a big surprise - but the timing sucks. I also have an interview this afternoon, so my blogger version of follow friday is going to be short and sweet.

One of my first bosses - Chris.  Always sees the glass half full.  Never does anything half way.  Always makes me laugh.  He has 2 blogs.  One is a lifestyle focused blog.  Although these days it is mostly about his upcoming Marathon in Jamaica.  He has been training for months.  But more importantly he isn't just running for himself. He has set a goal of raising $10K for Canadian Diabetes in honour of his Dad.   His blog talks about how he stays inspired and motivated - lessons for us all on how to attain our goals. What has been working for him in his training and his fundraising.  Check out That Running Guy: Races to Finish Optimistic observations and commentaries on life from my interconnected worlds of running, driving, working, cooking and giving.

Chris is also a very astute marketer.  Check out his observations on the marketing world at Morales & Associates.      His specialty is building brand value by creating breakthroughs for his clients.

You can also follow Chris on twitter @Chris_Morales.

Mini Rant - sometimes it isn't just a shopping cart

Yesterday I read this blog post from the Church of the Customer blog about fees being penalties.  In this case they were relating a lack of baggage fees with increased business.   They make a good argument - one with which I very much agree. 

As I searched frantically in my wallet for my loonie to get myself a shopping cart (while restraining my rampant toddler who wanted to run amok through the store), I thought this might be similar.  Why am I paying a fee to get a shopping cart?  A basic necessity when shopping for more than 1 thing (leaving the other hand free for restraining said child).  I know the argument from stores is that it saves them money and in the end keeps their prices down.  Frankly it seems a cheap way to put the onus on the customer.  A penalty for being their customer.  And frankly a real pain in the butt for parents shopping with children (and who might not be so organized as to always have a loonie at the ready for the store). 

The assumption is that a loonie (or a quarter at some stores) is enough money to ensure I take my cart back  OR that I don't steal the cart.   This policy assumes I'm guilty before I even come into their store.   And if I really wanted to steal the cart would the loonie really stop me???? 

When I fly I need to take baggage, so I don't expect to have to pay for that 'extra'. When I shop I want to buy more than one thing.  And I don't want to have to pay a 'deposit'. 

Sure I get the money back for good behavior.  But that isn't the point.  

Wordless Wednesday

PB070699
Originally uploaded by tjrossignol

Wordless Wednesday - practising celebrity incognito walk.

What was I thinking?

Today I met with two of my Women in Leadership volunteers. They are helping me with the PR and marketing for the upcoming SuperWomen & Friends Gala - NEXT Saturday.  What was I thinking deciding to blog everyday AND do final planning for a gala.  So my blogging may have a distinct Women in Leadership/Gala slant for the next 2 weeks. 

What is left to do?  Everything it seems.  Media pitches for pre-event interviews. Media invitations to attend the event.  Design and assemble media kits.  Finalize signage.  Finalize program.   Confirm guest blogger (done @lovesocial is confirmed).  Tweet.  Twitter contest.  Facebook updates......  Thankfully I have two passionate and energetic volunteers who take direction well and work well on their own. 

The last few weeks is always a rush of adrenaline.... then event night... then the post event let down. 

The event is shaping up to be a really fun night of washed hair, adult shoes, a pretty dress,  inspirational speaker (Andrea Holmes of the 2010 paralympic alpine team), celebration of SuperWoman of the year award winner, fashion show, drinks, dinner... and oh yeah celebrating the SuperWoman in each of us!!! 

Get together some girlfriends and buy some tickets.  4 or more tickets are $145.  Okay so I switched from blog to sell mode.  Sue me - I have a lot to do.  http://www.womeninleadership.ca/.

Is it Monday again? What I did this weekend.

On the weekend the little man and I took a trip over the Island to visit some of the Grandparents.  This was my first experience travelling on my own with a toddler.

The trip didn't start out well when I bought tickets for the wrong ferry. Thankfully Dad had walked us to the ferry and could watch the little man. Meanwhile I SPRINTED back to the ticket desk to get them fixed before the 10 minute cut off.  I don't sprint often and certainly not that distance, so I was pretty out of breath.  But I got there in time.  I guess the run must have dried my throat out because as we were standing in the cafeteria line up I started to cough... just that gotta get that tickle out of my throat kind of cough. Which of course only goes away when you either get out a really good cough. Or you get water.  So the people around us in line gave us lots of space, leary that I was going to give them some plague or something.

For both ferry rides we rode one of the new ferries.  It certainly was fresh and shiny new.  Not sure that I love the layout.  But I may just need to get used to it.  

Some pluses on the new ferries: 

• 2 separate play areas
• seats within the play around and just outside so those of us with smaller kids can stay close
• parents room - was nice to have a larger space washroom to take the little guy when he said he had to go (of course once there he was much more interested in the shiny new bathroom. And then the flush scared the crap out of him - I had to laugh as he jumped).
• Sun deck was fun, although windy.

The downside:

• You have to walk outside a pretty long way when you enter/depart the boat. Not a big deal normally, but when you have a 2yo dying to touch everything and everything blowing in the wind it was a pain in the butt.
• Seemed like I had to walk a lot of stairs. 

I sat in the cafeteria on our return trip - while the 2yo tested out a new theory on maximum blast radius of a muffin - and watched the cafeteria staff.  The cashier that had served us was very efficient, courteous and nice.  First he was patient with us - me balancing a 2yo in one hand, a tray with soup and a muffin in the other and somehow managing to pour myself tea and then pay.  Then I watched a lady return her sushi because the rice was hard.  He quickly and politely told her to replace it with something else.  And then when she came back he refunded her the price of her original purchase and compted her replacement salad.  I didn't see him run off to get permission.  I didn't see a big fuss made. He simply took care of an unhappy customer.  WOW!  A true customer service experience on BC Ferries.  Of course that immediately got offset by my grumpy and useless cashier in the gift shop (another story for another time).

The big lesson is that a 3rd or 4th arm is really helpful when dealing with a toddler and travelling. 

Hungover Sunday

PB070655
Originally uploaded by tjrossignol

A few too many glasses of wine with some good friends last night and the blog inspiration seems to be a bit dehydrated today.

So thought would be fun to post a picture from the very wet park near my Dad's place in Victoria. How the little guy kept his socks dry I'll never know.

Why I hate November

Ten years ago I moved out to Vancouver, or the wet coast. I love it here. I even love the drizzly winters. The one time of year I hate though is November. It is so dark early! And because of the mountains it is often that pitch black dark by dinner time. And it rains - not the grey, drizzly weather we get the rest of the winter. But pouring cats, dogs and other small animals kind of rain.

So we fill our November with activities to keep us extra busy. And we try to enjoy the nice periods when they come. All we have to do is make it to that first Holiday party or activity and we are usually golden.

Follow Friday

I thought I'd take the twitter idea of Follow Friday into my blog world and recommend a couple of bloggers to follow each Friday.




The first is a regular blogger - I don't know how she does it while chasing 2 young kids around - but she blogs almost everyday. She stirs the inner hippie in my urban girlie girl and she is just so darn smart. And real. The tagline for her blog is "keeping it real in the suburbs". http://www.strocel.com/




The second blogs infrequently, but when she does it is so worth it. She is a writer by trade, having just finished her first novel (to be published in 2010), so she has that working for her. But if can you read her recent blog about her library escapade without peeing your pants you are a better woman than me. http://savingtheworldinsensibleshoes.blogspot.com/



Finally, my favourite daddy blog. Often short in delivery. But always a great slice of Daddy life offered straight up - no mixer or ice required. http://jasperchronicles.blogspot.com/


And I thought I would be remiss if I didn't include my fellow brave NaBloPoMo bloggers.

• @Nicole013 at http://resolvingtimelineissues.wordpress.com/.


• @miss_Scarlett99 at http://rogoclan.blogspot.com/

Until tomorrow.

Doctor – Who??

Yesterday I got quite excited when twitter friend @jonbreisnes informed me the latest Doctor Who special will air Nov 15th in the UK. I met Jon in a photography class and bonded with him and his wife over our mutual love of Doctor Who. We will probably have a small Doctor Who tweet-up at our house to watch it.

Then I began to wonder when this city girlie-girl got so hooked on sci-fi. Sure sci-fi isn’t new to me, I was a dedicated Buck Rogers, Star Trek and Battlestar Gallatica fan in the 70’s. But I never considered myself a sci-fi fan because I never read a lot of sci-fi, I was more likely to be pouring over a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book.

But when I look at my favorite tv shows today it runs like a long list of sci-fi and fantasy (with a little vampire thrown in for fun).

Those that know my husband well will likely blame him. One of my favorite memories is him walking down the aisle at our wedding doubled over laughing, because I played the Doctor Who theme for his procession (and yes it was at that moment that his family knew he had married the right woman). While he may have introduced me to the Doctor - he didn’t force me to watch close to 30 years of episodes.

So when did I become such a fan? I’m the one who follows the Doctor Who fan groups and surfs online to find out the next bit of news or future air dates. I’m the one who reports updates on new companions. I’m the one who reminds hubbie to download the latest Sarah Jane Adventures. I'm the one emailing my MIL dalek cake pictures for little guy's next birthday. I’m even the one who suggested if we had a girl we’d call her Teagan, after my favourite companion. I even looked for a Doctor Who related boy name (never found one we liked). I can name my favourite Doctor (Jon Pertwee, followed closely by David Tennant), my favourite villain (The Master), my favourite cheesy effect (the actors jumping around the set whenever the tardis crashed).

My sci-fi geekiness has gotten so bad I have a Red Dwarf quote on my facebook profile (and I know I own my geekiness because I’ve watched every episode of Red Dwarf – many of them twice).

Why volunteer?

I realized today it has been about a year since I started working with the Women in Leadership Foundation (WIL). I saw an online ad looking for volunteers for their SuperWomen and Friends gala. I volunteered and I was swept up into the details of managing a silent auction for the gala.

I had been volunteering at a variety of different events for different organizations, trying to find an organization where I wanted to dedicate my volunteer time. So when WIL asked me to take a role on their advisory board and help with their marketing & communications I said yes.

Why did I agree to give up some of my valuable time to volunteer? I had both personal and professional reasons.

Personally I have always had a strong affinity to supporting and mentoring women. WIL is a young dynamic organization that does not ‘preach’ down to its members. Its mission is to advance women’s leadership. They have a positive, collaborative approach which allows every person involved to inspire, support and empower each other. I sum up the essence of their brand as “inspiring each other”.

Professionally this gave me an opportunity to exercise and grow my marketing muscle, which grown a bit sluggish while at home on maternity leave. I’m passionate about marketing and this gave me opportunities to do what I love. In addition to developing WIL’s brand strategy, I built and grew a volunteer team of 10 young, passionate, smart women. I am inspired by each of them every day.

I have also been able to grow my communications skills with more PR focused projects and social media. The social media in particular allows me to combine my planning skills with my new passion for writing. All new skill sets for my resume. But more importantly, as I see our success growing our following through twitter / facebook / linkedin and building a blog content plan, I’m excited about the future of WIL and women’s leadership in Canada.

Volunteering is also a great way to network. I’ve never been a fan of traditional networking events. And getting involved with such a diverse organization provides me with the opportunity to meet all sorts of like minded women in Vancouver and across the country. This, I believe, will provide me with the foundation I need for a long and interesting career. We are here to support each other. And I know I get back what I give in so many different ways.

For more information on Women in Leadership Foundation visit their website. Or follow us on twitter (@WIL_Fdn).

Power Struggles

Day 3 of National Blog Month

We have been watching an interesting power struggle in our house recently. I never knew the policitics of stuffed animals could be so interesting.

Since the little man was 6 months old he has slept with a little brown bear. Around a year a little bunny joined the ranks. These are his sleeping friends. He also plays with them around the house. They do not go outside to play. They stay at home. (seen at right trying to escape outside through the cat door)

In the past month or so the little man has discovered more of his other stuffed toys. There is now big brown bear who likes to eat breakfast with the little man. The monkey with the long arms and legs that likes to 'hug' the cat. And the giraffe that enjoys juice and cookies. None of these are sleeping friends. Just casual play buddies.

Until 2 days ago. When he discovered yellow bear. Yellow bear became his new BFF. And when it came to nap time he wanted him with him. Not wanting to add to his already large assortment of sleeping items I said yellow bear wasn't for sleeping. The little man started to cry. He didn't pitch a fit just started to cry. And I just knew that no sleep was going to happen without yellow bear. So I offered a trade - bunny for yellow bear. No go! Then I suggested brown bear for yellow bear. And faster than you can say brown bear he was OUT!

His loyal friend of 1.5 years was sitting out a nap, so the little man could sleep with his new BFF yellow bear. I felt bad for poor brown bear so quickly pushed aside.

Then just as quickly as it happened it changed back. Yellow bear was back in the toy box and brown bear was back in the bed. Haven't seen yellow bear in 2 days, but brown bear has been up to his usual antics and fun. Currently he is helping the little man fill his dump truck with lego pieces.

Why I LOVE Mondays!!

Monday my son goes to Montessori. He spends the whole day with his friends playing, learning, listening, sharing, laughing – generally growing into an independent little person. He LOVES it!

And so do I! It give me time to get some things done –job searching, networking, blogging, volunteer work and yeah sometimes even housework.

Yes I miss him. But I know that he gains a lot being there.

1. He is around other kids and is learning key social skills early in life. I am also an only child and I know he is already better at sharing than I ever will be.


2. His teacher is better at some things than I am. She is consistent. She sets a structured set of boundaries. The kids know what is coming next and what is expected of them. I know it is because of her that he is such a good listener. He understands that certain behavior is unacceptable and he is much easier to manage at home.


3. She works with us on behavior issues. When we came home from a recent trip he had picked up a few things from his cousins/friends. We alerted her and she helped us stop them before they become a regular occurrence.


4. He learns positive behavior from the older kids. They listen, they help, and they share. He wants to please his teacher and the older kids. This includes learning to be polite. We laughed with pride yesterday when he said ‘sorry thomas’ after he bumped into his Thomas lego on the floor.


5. He is growing his creative side through singing, crafts, dancing, colouring, books, etc. He is comfortable in his environment and feels safe to imagine what he will. Yes – we do much of this at home. But I don’t seem to have the same patience and creativity to keep him interested and challenged each day.


6. Most importantly he knows he is loved whether at home or at school.
   

My job in all this!! Not to mess up his teacher’s work during the rest of the week. I try to focus on staying consistent, providing a structured loving environment and giving him opportunities to grow his creative interests.

So I LOVE Mondays! Because both of us win!

A blog a day - aacckkk!!!!!

Realized today my blog was pretty much non-existent in October. Why? Busy traveling, visitors, lack of ideas, lack of time. The real honest answer is lack of discipline. Writing to me is a muscle that works better when it is exercised regularly. Upon the suggestion by a fellow twitter and mommy blogger @miss_scarlett99 I have signed up for National Blog Posting Month.

The idea of writing a blog everyday scares the crap out of me. My little inner voice asked…. How would I find the time? How would I come up with ideas? Who would want to read me for 30 days straight?

But then I asked myself why I write. Writing everyday would help me develop my muscle. Plus, if one of my goals is to write books someone might actually publish for people to buy and read – then I MUST write regularly.

Plus if it scares me the crap out or me. So it MUST be worth doing!!! So here I am. Already 1 day behind.

Sweet Talk - a sweet, stylish networking event

I was invited to do a guest blog for Women in Leadership Foundation for their recent Sweet Talk networking event. http://www.womeninleadership.ca/sweet-talk-a-sweet-stylish-networking-event/

I met Erica Ehm

So yes the title is a bit sensationalist. But it sounded much more interesting than A Feminist Self Analysis. And meeting Erica Ehm is what started it all.

So the story begins the evening I met with various other Moms from the Yummy Mummy club. The occasion was the founder of the Yummy Mummy Club Erica Ehm was in town. We had a lovely dinner, mostly with women who I had met on twitter but never met in person before. Dinner, like the yummy mummy club, had interesting and varied conversation. We were empathetic, supportive and cheerleaders for each other. We were women, who happened to be Moms, having nice adult conversation.

The night got me thinking though (stewing for several weeks actually). I consider myself a feminist that respects and supports the decisions of other women. I spent volunteer time supporting and mentoring young women and an organization committed to promoting women in leadership (Women in Leadership Foundation). But when I think back to the time when Erica was breaking ground at Much Music I certainly wasn’t supportive - nor were many other young women I knew. My teenage friends and I gave Erica a pretty hard time (not directly of course). Instead of realizing how great it was to have a girl playing with the boys at Much Music. We gossiped about everything she wore, said, did or didn’t do. I don’t know how I would have held up under such tough scrutiny when I was in my early 20s. But Erica excelled and grew in her career. She paved the way for other women to follow their dreams. Today she continues to support other women through her Yummy Mummy Club. (and NO I didn’t have the balls to admit this to Erica or ask her about those early days in her career)

Of course it is easy to look back and say that was over 20 years ago and times have changed. But have they?

Think about when Katie Couric took over the anchor desk at CBS Evening News. The news and media were skeptical. She was scrutinized for everything she wore, said, dated, did and didn’t do. I’ve never seen such a critical analysis of a male anchor before. But Katie must be doing something right because another major network has decided to take the “risk” on a woman at the anchor desk. Diane Sawyer, one of the most respected women in journalism, has finally been offered the ABC anchor desk. That is now 2/3 of nightly network news anchored by women.

And look at Hilary Clinton in the news this summer about her trip to Africa. She is the US Secretary of State and was asked what her husband thought about a specific policy. The media focused on that one incident for weeks. The reason behind for the trip lost while they raked her over the coals – she was even accused of having a bad hair day.

I guess the short note is that women continue to break ground, paving the way for the future. And while we have come a long way, we have a long way yet to go. And we need to start with ourselves. Do we support the women in our lives? Do we support the ones breaking ground in your community? Society? Country? We need to stop judging each other. And like the yummy mummy club start listening, supporting and cheerleading each others dreams and choices. It is that sort of positive support that will only make it easier for us to realize our individual dreams. And lay an even stronger foundation for ourselves and the next generation of women.

What does your retail staff say about your business?

I worked a few retail jobs during my youth from local grocery store, to a toy store, to fashion boutiques. All of them were small businesses with an interesting assortment of hands-on owners. So I understand how difficult and boring these jobs can be. But the owners of this type of business need to understand both their customer and their staff.

As a marketer I have a new perspective of these jobs and their role in marketing a brand. The people that are in your stores are not just sales people or cashiers. They are the living breathing version of your brand. Every single time a customer comes into contact with your brand they leave with a perception of that brand – whether they buy something at your store or NOT.

This is particularly important in a slow economy. Customers have a choice and those that treat their customers and staff well should weather things long term. Pushy, gossiping, upselling, policy pushing, corporate robots can do a lot of harm for your business. Training and managing staff is hard work, but it is a core part of your marketing plan. They need to understand your brand and your priorities. And it shouldn’t just be SELL more product.

This seems like Sales 101, but a few things I’ve learnt…

1. Not all customers WILL buy from you.
   
   I had a boss that was convinced that you could sell something to every single person who came into her store. She was a very fashionable boutique situated in a trendy ‘lets hang out and wander around on a Sunday’ part of town. These people were NOT actually shopping. They might buy something on impulse, but generally they were not going to drop $400 on a dress. These people did not react kindly to the high pressure sales tactics we were told to use. So as an employee I was constantly getting cranky customers telling me they were ‘just looking’ as soon as they came into the store. The owner was well known for her tactics and locals knew to enter the store with their guard up and ‘no thank you’ at the ready. I wasn’t pushy enough as a sales person so I didn’t last long, but then again neither did her business.
   
   You need to know who your customer is and adjust your sales pitch accordingly. Not all customers are the same. Most would like to be greeted warmly and then allowed to look around. Staff should be approachable and helpful. While they may not buy this time, if you leave them with a poor taste in their mouth they certainly WON’T be back to buy next time.
   
2. The upsell is more than just annoying.
   
   I personally hate shopping at stores where you instantly know the staff has been trained in the ‘upsell’. I’m shopping for jeans and they say “have you checked out our accessories which are half off today?” Sure once in a while it works when you have found a dress you love and the staff suggest an interesting piece that matches it. But most staff doesn’t know when to use the upsell to make it relevant to their customers.
   
   The problem here might be that most staff doesn’t have time to actually service these days. And it annoying to essentially have no service until you get to the cash and then a (unseen until now) staff person starts making suggestions. This makes me think of “would you like fries with that?” And I can imagine you don’t like your store being compared to fast food.
   
   As a business you are meeting a need – this is sales 101. If your staff is well trained they need to get to know your customer a bit, so they can make suggestions that meet that need. Then when an opportunity exists they can recommend a little something extra to a customer. The customer will appreciate this added value. And your brand will benefit in the long run.
   
3. Your store isn’t a water cooler.
   
   We have all experienced the store where the staff are gossiping with each other or are on their cell phone chatting with a friend. I know it can get boring working in retail. But if a customer is in the store they really don’t need to hear your latest gossip. By all means don’t do the reverse and stalk the customer around the store. But understand that you are reflecting on the business and its brand reputation.
   
   To be honest owners are often the worst. They are trying to get business done while working in the store. And I’ve heard some pretty heated discussions between owners and staff or suppliers. To me this reflects very badly on your brand. If you treat your employees and partners with that much disrespect in front of your customers - I can only assume what you say or do when we aren’t there. Have an office for your work phone calls and bring in some staff to support your time in the office. The extra hard cost will be worth the potential damage to your business.
   
4. Are your staff properly trained in corporate policy as well as common sense?
   
   How many bad PR stories have we seen recently where poorly trained staff used ‘corporate policy’ to support a bad decision. H&M in Vancouver had such an incident where a staff person tried to get a nursing mom to move to a quiet room to nurse. The corporate policy was to have a room available in case a mother wanted privacy. But that poorly trained person told the mother she had to move it was ‘policy’. H&M got national press and a ‘nurse in’ the next week (although I was impressed how H&M head office handled the poor press). To be honest I’m not surprised that someone at H&M got it wrong. All my experiences there lately have made me wonder if some of their staff members have any brains at all.
   
   All staff needs to be well trained in corporate policy. But you also need to hire people with enough common sense to think through a situation and adjust accordingly. Each and every sales staff member is a potential spokesperson for your company. They can’t just look good. They need to think too!
   
5. Your staff needs to care.
   
   I know how much customers can get ridiculed by staff. And a customer can tell when a corporate environment considers this appropriate behavior. You can tell when the staff just doesn’t give a crap. Think about an episode of The Office. They don’t really care about their customers. They are just sales to them. This speaks volumes about your brand. Treat people like individuals and valued customers. And they will likely become repeat and valued customers.