button swap & new series.

I'm trying something new in April.

If you'd like to do some button swinging and swap ads in the coming month shoot me an email as I have 2 spaces left. I think it'll be a fun way to get to know my fellow blogettes {male bloggers are totally welcome} and their lovely blogs.

sara_knol{at}hotmail.com

As you can imagine it gets oh-so-lonely in the Okanagan being one of the only non-photography bloggers in the area. Don't get me wrong I love photog blogs - LOVE THEM - but they're in a league all their own; don't want to play ball with a little-leaguer like me. I think I may need to recruit some BC Interior bloggy friends, so if you know of anyone let me know.

Also, I'm starting a little non-blogger series where friends, family & followers {who don't own blogs... YET} can try posting on for size. If you're interested in being featured, send me your ideas... you know where to find me.

HAPPY THURSDAY! 

Hope to hear from ya.

windless sails.

So "Hot Anthony" got back to us with a quote for our home addition and I think Saige's face really says it all... {I just knew her 'please don't brush my tangles' pic would come in handy}. Adding an additional 766 square feet could potentially run us...

$93,414!!!!!!

While I've never taken a punch to the stomach, I'm pretty certain I now know what that feels like. How can this number be? Am I the only one who thinks the above figure is totally outrageous? I mean all we want is a third bedroom, second bathroom, some extra living space and a little basement storage. I had NO IDEA our tiny wishlist would cost us the same amount as our 2001 purchase price.

Anyone know of a money tree that needs a good pruning?

So we've scheduled a sit down with Tone-dawg to go over the estimate, but it looks like Trev and I will be DIY'ing it once again {with the help of family & friends who love us as much as they love free beer}.

I've spent the last 2 days wallowing and am beginning to wonder if all the blood, sweat and tears we've poured into this house of ours has been worth it? Trev's famous for saying, "we should have bulldozed it from the start" and I'm now starting to see his logic. I love this place we call our home, but it's become one giant headache that I can't Tylenol away.

SIX MONTH update

Happy 1/2 Birthday Little Buddy!

BIG BOY: earlier this month our little lightweight tipped the scales at 14 lbs 1 oz and measured 25 inches against the ol' yardstick. He's still rocking the 3-6 month onesies everything and we're still purchasing size 2 diapers in bulk. It doesn't look like his height or weight will be 'off the charts' anytime soon although I suspect he's going to be tall and skinny just like his dear old dad.

SNACK TIME: he eats a lot, pukes a lot and poops a lot. Every fiber of my being wants to google "how many ounces does a normal 6 month old baby eat per feed", but I'm trusting that Gabe knows - and consumes - what he needs {and what he needs seems to be 180 mL = 6 oz every 3 hours or so}. When Trev, Saige & I sit down for meals we can feel his hungry little eyes watching our every mouthful, it's heartbreaking. I soooo want to start giving him solids, but we're waiting on his next pediatrician appointment thanks to that temperamental tummy of his. On more than one occasion we've found a substantial amount of dark blood in his stool which was obviously terrifying and partially explains all our trips to the walk-in.

SLEEPY TIME: I feel like G needs to adopt a nap schedule, but it's proving difficult as his sleep depends largely on how sensitive his stomach is that day. In lieu of napping, he has literally fussed uninterrupted for days, but fortunately 7:30 pm is quitting time and bedtime for all of us. Gabers continues to wake up once or twice during the night {happy hour is anywhere between 11 pm - 1 am} - he'll generally go back to sleep once the contents of his bottle disappear. I'm happy to report his internal alarm clock has been reset to 7 am  - thank gawd! He's started sleeping on his side and loves suffocating himself in blankets; in utero he always had his itty face smushed into the placenta and apparently old habits die hard.

OUTFIT OF THE MONTH: it's no secret that I'm totally obsessed with stripes especially the chunky infant rugby shirt kind that can be paired with distressed baby GAP jeans. I think it's the preppy collar & giant number on the back that gets me...

MEMORABLE MOMENTS & MILESONES: 
** I had a momentary burst of bravery which had me packing up the Avalanche and taking the kids on an overnight adventure to Pritchard {where?}. Heather our lovely hostess took Saige for a horseback ride, Gabe for a hot tub and rented her & I 'Precious' - one word, "disturbing".

** In other disturbing news Gabe is officially up on all fours and went for a mini-crawl right before my very 'are-you-kidding-me?' eyes. The next obstacle will be trying to get it on video. He JUST turned 6 months y'all...

** We're working on our core strength now in hopes that'll G will be sitting unassisted before baby girl cousin-to-be arrives next month {she needs to borrow his 'support' pillow}. Don't let his size fool you, this kid is strong like bull, cute like orangutan.

** One morning Saige & Gabe were hanging out in his playpen doing brother/sister things and next thing I know I'm buckling a baby with mismatched socks into his car seat! Saige was so very proud of herself, even quoted the line from her Robert Munsch "We Share Everything" book.

** You can see other memorable moments leading up to Gabe's 1/2 birthday via my instagram profile @saigewisdom - check out 'discounted Gabriel' and follow along to see these milestones happen in real time.

I've done away with the TRYING MOMENTS header and replaced it with...

GABE'S DIGGING:

* baths, showers, hot tubs, hot springs - if it contains warm water he's in {pun intended}.

* hair - never met a handful he didn't want to yank {including his own}.

* jumping, bouncing, hopping - he & the Easter Bunny will get along great.

* performing - a clap is all the encouragement he needs.

* Sophie the Giraffe - him & every other baby although he prefers the teething ring at the moment.

* snuggles - if you have arms, he wants in them.

* tickles - you've never met a more ticklish baby... every light touch makes him squirm & squeal especially those super sweaty toes of his.

* being naked - he definitely doesn't get that from me.

* the great outdoors - he loves it outside.

GABE'S DISSING:

* he has a love/hate relationship with his exersaucer's bean stalk - attacks that sprout every chance he gets.

* I've touched on this already but he does not, I repeat does not like watching others eat.

* Saige could have cared less, but Gabe is none to pleased about having to hang out in dirty diapers for even a second longer than he has to; I'm hoping this means potty training will be a snap? 


* not being able to bulldoze the confines of his crib/playpen with his head. 


* not being able to do everything that Saige does - being a baby can be a total bummer some days.


A SWEET PHOTO SEND OFF:

stay small little ones

and stay tuned wise followers...

obsessions.

- I wish I was one of those cool bloggers that sends out trendy tweets like, "loving the new DVF + GapKids collaboration" or "super stoked about this revival of NEON", but alas I'm just a loner that's not all that good at lying. Two things: (1) fluorescent fashions won't be hanging in my closet anytime soon and (2) if it weren't for "The City" and Miss Whitney Port I'd have no clue who Diane von Furstenberg even is {or Kelly Cutrone for that matter}.

via

via

- While I'm not a style trendsetter, I am hoping to add a *pop* of RED to my Spring wardrobe in the form of either {a} skinny jeans or {b} TOMS. Care to weigh in on this very important 1st World decision?

- Speaking of denim, I've become a bit of a Gap Jeans snob over the years thanks to their near perfect fit for both myself and my kids. While Saige has 5+ pairs of the toddler girl mini-skinny's, I'm a super fan of the real straight style {low rise, slim in the hip & thigh, straight leg opening}; they give my bubble butt the snug hug it needs.

- Mason jars. I've retired my Sigg water bottle in favor of an old canning jar and my love of water-on-the-go has been renewed. I don't know about you but I found the whole metal aftertaste of aluminum unappetizing. And to mix things up a bit, I'm actually considering replacing all the glassware from our wedding registry with mason jars for the summer. 

- Yearbook Yourself. This app is too much! When I first plugged Trev's mug {rhyme} into the 1992 Hammertime hairdo I almost PEED myself laughing, but when I proceeded to uploaded a photo of me, I almost DIED. People tell me I look like Bren - aka  'my mom' - all the time and I've never seen it until 1974 {see below}. Some of these are just plain awful, but others make me think I could totally rock glasses... yes? no?

Bren in the late 70's

- Even though we're the only province in Canada still wearing parkas, Okanagan summers can get pretty darn hot and since we're already adding square footage to our humble abode we thought 'hey why not add a covered deck while we're at it?' If this happens I'm 100% obsessed with the idea of incorporating a pair of his & her swings that can be affixed underneath for year round use. 

ME&U by Softline

- Listen up blogettes, Jen from Rambling Renovators has a series on blogging that's totally ahh-mazing {you're gonna wanna bookmark this one, trust me}...

** so the kidlets & I are all packed up and headed out on an overnight, internet'less adventure that involves pony rides, hot tubs and some much needed girl talk over peach ciders. I'll see you wise followers when I get back and expect that the link up below will be FULL with all your aww-some obsessions posts come Sunday #whoamIkidding.

confessions.

It's Spring Break around these parts which means Saige doesn't have pre-school for TWO Fridays in a row, which means I may or may not have hair come Easter. I'm gonna keep things brief by adding just a few more TMI's to my growing list of...   

- Gabe turns 6 months on the 24th and Monday marked the first time ever that the kids and I went grocery shopping sans Trevor. I realize waiting half a year to parent solo in public is a wee bit ridiculous, but now that I have two little munchkins I feel outnumbered and need reinforcements - what if Saige has a cracker aisle meltdown? or Gabriel gets super fussy and I have to abandon ship cart 3/4 of the way through? 

- I miss daycare. I'm not good at being a stay at home to my children all day, every day. I feel guilty saying that I need breaks from them, but it's true. In order to be the mom I want to be, I need separation otherwise I find myself parenting on edge and let Saige watch far more than the recommended 30 minutes of screen time a day.  

- I don't like shopping for food one bit especially now that I do a one-stop-shop at a big box store. I used to do a circuit where I'd buy my meat from Butcher Boys, produce from Quality Greens and non-perishable items from Walmart, but now I just go to Superstore and it drives me absolute bonkers. I have no idea where anything is and find myself wandering aimlessly only to find myself back in the Joe Fresh clothing section, my comfort zone. Joe Fresh is what keeps me going back to Superstore; that and the fact that it's the ONLY store in town that carries Gabe's formula. I don't like that I have to pay for a cart, guess how many bags my $200 receipt will require {I always seem to forget my collection of 50 reusable ones in the back of my truck} and pack my own groceries {those cashiers work at lightning speed}.

- Most nights I find myself crawling into bed between 8-9 PM and yet I'm still waking up tired come morning.

- Our contractor 'hot Anthony' is coming by today with a plumber and electrician to take some measurements for our home addition quote. I feel physically ill that 2 more people will see our disgusting dungeon of a basement.

- I intend wearing sweatpants to today's playdate.

- I won't be proofreading this post.

- I'm still feeling guilty about bullet point #2... these kiddos deserve a momma who's less selfish and more selfless. 

I could learn a thing or 2 or 3 from Miss Saige, she's such an ahh-mazing big sister... don't you just love her hand placement on G's forehead? or her checking how many ounces he's taken or her stealing a kiss? I just wuv them. {after this photo series she started patting Gabe on the back and said, "you got a burp in there bud?"} - awwwwww.

- today's going to be a good day, I've just decided.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

pride.

my heart's bursting with it at the moment

I'm prouder than a pride of lions and all because

{ my daughter }

or more specifically the straight A's - "A" meaning Always - found on her first ever 'report card'. The paragraph on her progress made me cry:

"Saige is confident and independent. 

She seems to enjoy pre-school and loves to learn. 

She has a strong personality and is able to maintain complete control over her emotions. 

Saige seems to be very bright and skillful. 

Well done!"

Well done indeed little one {we celebrated with a popcorn and "Puss in Boots" movie marathon}. It's always nice when people compliment Saige for being cute, pretty, funny, having nice hair, etc. but I much prefer accolades like the ones above: confident, independent, strong, bright, skillful... they make me so very proud. Saige is quite simply the quirkiest 3 year old I've ever met and I think a post dedicated to her 'isms is LONG overdue. This week she's been starting her sentences with, "hey mom are you thinking what I'm thinking?"... too funny.

{ my country }

via

Holy patriotism, Batman Toby Keith! Yes my pride in the maple leaf runs deep... maybe it has something to do with this 12 month paid maternity leave I'm semi-enjoying or the fact I've paid zero dollars despite accessing a shwack of health care services as of late. I know it has its fair share of problems, but comparatively speaking, Canada's Medicare system is pretty stellar... Trev & I broke it down and in last month we've:

frequented the walk-in clinic... 5 times 

seen our family doctor... twice

visited Gabe's pediatrician... once

took Saige for an x-ray... once

hung out at the Public Health Unit... twice

been referred to specialists... twice

called 8-1-1... 3 times

consulted a dietician... once

YOWZA! I swear I don't have munchausen syndrome by proxy - I actually did a research paper on MSbP in uni... #notgood {the behaviour/diagnosis that is}.

** I would also like to do a special PSA/shout out to all my B.C. teachers out there, "you ladies & gents ROCK and I have nothing but 100% faith in our public school system thanks the ahh-mazing work you do on a daily basis".

 { myself }

the fact that I'll be turning 29 in less than 2 weeks and I'm still learning new tricks is kind of exciting. I've always wanted be comfortable on skis and here I am in 2012 tackling non-green runs on a hill that has chairlifts {plural}. It's probably a good thing I didn't put it off any longer because this almost 30 year old body of mine is feeling the falls if you know what I mean. And can I just say that having a season pass and non-rental gear is beyond awesome? I finally feel like one of those cool kids in high school who had a fancy photo card attached to their parka instead of me with my flimsy piece of "I went night skiing" hanging off the ol' zipper pull. Sure the pass is a free perk courtesy of Trev's "dedication to Silver Star Mountain" and sure I scored my boots, bindings, skis & poles for $200 off kijiji.com but I'm SO proud that I actually went for it this year {with a fussy newborn to boot}.

The same can be said for this running program I've committed to. CONFESSION: I dropped out of the Tuesday night run group {I swear my reasons are legit}, but I haven't given up on my new year's resolution just yet; I took my girlfriend's app advice and downloaded 'couch to 5k' on my iPhone - I.LOVE.IT. - I can already feel myself getting stronger and now I just need to borrow a double jogging stroller from someone so I can go during the day with both kidlets. This whole stay-at-home-mom gig is harder than it looks ;)

...

I hope this post doesn't come across as blatant bragging {I was trying to be subtle - jk}. I just wanted/needed to write about something other than baby poop. I'm sure you understand and please share your own proud moments du jour.

giveaways 101.

I feel like all the stars have aligned for me to sit down & write this post:


* some of my fellow Canadian Design & Lifestyle blogettes - a term I stole right off Lauren Conrad's twitter account {sure do subscribe to her tweets along with 2.5 million other loyal Hills fans} - have been experiencing nothing short of 'sponsorship drama' where winners are being left empty handed and broken hearted :(

** Kathie - the lucky winner from our LOVE-ly Valentine's Giveaway - sent me a photo of the beautiful sign Miss Jillian made for her recent wedding anniversary.

*** as I was ooh'ing & ahh'ing over the details of Baby J's 'moustache & bowtie' birthday bash {aww-some job BTW Ana!}, I discovered that random.org chose me - ME! - as Bip & Bop's giveaway winner! Can I just say I'm super excited about sporting this necklace come Movember {not sure if the faux-stache was the right look on me?} and as an aside to Nicole, the book page as a photo backdrop is pure genius!

...

I'm no expert when it comes to hosting blog giveaways, but I have a few under my belt now and here are 2 things I've {learned} from gifting away free swag:

1) THE RIGHT FIT IS KEY
- know your 'audience' and only take on products that {a} you truly like and {b} your readers will actually want to win. For example you won't be seeing windshield wiper blades or tire rim cleaner up for grabs on Saige Wisdom anytime soon - a roadside assistance membership or flare gun maybe ;) 


** Bloggers get contacted A LOT by PR companies wanting blog owners to promote, review and/or sponsor giveaways. When my email first started filling up with these requests I was like "oh em gee how exciting!" and then the excitement wore off because I quickly discovered that 'holy mackerel... 

2) GIVEAWAYS TAKE WORK
- not only do you have to familiarize yourself with the product if you're not already, but you have to craft a giveaway post, figure out the entrance requirements, solicit interest, hope that someone... anyone will throw their name in the I-want-to-win hat, wait it out, select a winner, write a follow up post, introduce the lucky winner to the generous giveaway sponsor and pray; pray that the company, Etsy shop, _____ will actually follow through with their product promise and not leave you hanging.


...

Let's just say I learned the above the 'hard way' but I've also discovered a couple {neat tricks} that make playing giveaway host a little easier and a lot more enjoyable:

3) IF YOU BLOG THEY WILL COME

- long before my first giveaway {and son}, I started a feature that's almost extinct now called Friday Finds. It was a fun little end of the week series that highlighted my Etsy favourites. Many of these shops willingly sponsored my earlier giveaways because {a} my love for them was genuine, {b} I was already familiar with their product and {c} readers had already been introduced to their ahh-mazing'ness and were eager to win.

4) REACH OUT   

- why wait for giveaways to come to you? If you know there's something your blog followers would just love to win or have purchased a great product that you'd love to review, message the seller about a potential sponsorship... the worst they can say is "no". 

* caution: when I solicit giveaways I always feel MORE pressure to deliver a strong interest in the contest.

5) LINK UP

- promote, promote, promote... my favourite and most successful giveaway promotion sites include:

 

...

I'm not big on giving {advice}, but as someone who enters the occasional blog giveaway, I strongly encourage hosts to:

6) KEEP THINGS SIMPLE

- please don't make it mandatory for me to follow 10 different blogs, Facebook pages, twitter accounts, Etsy shops just so I can      maybe win a $12 pillow sham.

7) KEEP THINGS CONCISE 

- time is precious; show me a photo or two, do a brief product review and/or tell me about the sponsor {preferably in 30 words or less}, explain the rules and wish me luck! Oh and don't draw the contest out - 2 weeks or less thank you very much.

8) REMEMBER YOUR NORTHERN NEIGHBOURS

- there's nothing more disheartening {okay there is, but I'm going for drama here} than learning Canadian residents need not apply - boo! hiss! - show us the love Young House Love

... 


Did I miss anything? 
Am I WAY off the mark? 
Have any useful tips or nightmare stories you'd like to share?

confessions {family edition}.

to many - myself included - Trev remains a bit of a mystery; I'm always learning new things about the guy I call my husband - some good, some bad and some just downright embarrassing - sure sucks that your wife has a blog and likes to link up with E's

doesn't it buddy? 

you know the legend behind the man, but do you know the man in front of the legend? 

- two of Trevor's biggest fears at the moment are (1) the Big Brother & Sisters Renew Crew which offers free curb-side pick up of used clothing, furniture and household items & (2) the Canada Post delivery van {and man}. You know what they say... "out with the old and in with the new"... but in Trev's mind reality that means OUT with his old and IN with Saige, Gabe & I's new.

- the man would live off of cheddar and ice tea if I let him. 

- I'm fairly confident that prior to me moving in, Trev's house would have been condemned by the City of Vernon. It was seriously  that bad. I wish I had a photo, but just imagine Noah's Ark gone terribly wrong... fish, ferrets, cats, dogs... I swear he's never met an animal he didn't like love. Have I told you about the time we had a half dead robin living on our kitchen table? or his "pet" wolf spider? or the marmot we just had to rescue & relocate? or the snake, frog, ____________ that innocently crossed our path and ended up in Trevor's ginormous hands? I'm serious when I say I married the Caucasian Dr. Doolittle.

- my boy has ZERO fashion sense. If it were up to him he'd wear shirts with skulls and/or flames on them 24/7. Pre-ME he had a crush on some random girl who worked at a clothing store and as an excuse to talk to her would go in and buy random stuff in random sizes. While that story makes me laugh, the contents of his closet made me cry; for example he owned not one but 2 pairs of black nylon dress pants with dice & fire embroidered on the hem! I.kid.you.not.  

- I force my husband to tweeze his uni-brow {our daughter comes by her connecting eyebrow honestly}.

- I've seen firsthand why Trev has a 'zero tolerance policy' for: scary movies, roller coasters and needles. Want to see a grown man hyperventilate? tell him his ear - which got ripped off in a lacrosse brawl - requires immediate stitches. Want to see a grown man scream "oh my gawd" every 3 seconds? convince him to go on the Galaxyland roller coaster with you. 

- in high school Trev got some random girl to pierce his ear. Every time I am reminded of this story I can't help but picture him as Sandra Dee in that scene from 'Grease' where Frenchy takes a pin to Sandy's ear. ** for the record Trev was still rocking the hoop earring when I met him in 2003 :S

- Trev's ex-girlfriend was legitimately crazy {but that's a whole other blog post}.

- he refuses to wear anything striped which breaks my stripe loving heart.

- he's actually the funny one in our relationship but since he's pretty quiet and doesn't crave the spotlight like me, I steal both his thunder and jokes.

- I recently learned that once upon a time Trev had a PERM! he was like, "why does is smell like perm solution in here?" and I'm like, "how do you know what perm solution smells like?!" and how did I not know this before our wedding slideshow? I'll seriously pay good money to whoever brings me a photo of spiral haired Trev.

So there you have it, confessions from the legend himself courtesy of moi. There are just so many diMENsions to my MAN - can't wait for odd fact #1429 which I'm sure I'll be learning more about tomorrow. 

may I have your attention please.

We somehow managed to rid ourselves of both kiddos today - I HEART GRANDPARENTS - and while Trev tests out his new boots & board up at Silver Star, I'm going to catch up on some light housekeeping and heavy bookkeeping and I plan to do both with my 20+ taped episodes of reality TV streaming in the background.

Just a couple things before I get this weekend officially started:

BLOGGER GIVES BACK

I'm embracing the title of 'blogger' and this month this blogger did something she's never done before... sponsored not 1 but 2 blogs. They just so happen to be two of my daily faves for two very different reasons: 

she's hilarious, she's honest, she's has some serious steal borrow worthy ideas and she's the brain child behind the confessions posts that you all - judging by my sidebar poll - love reading so much.

she's the perfect combination of Etsian and Canadian, her blog is total eye candy, and she hosts some ridiculously fun games & giveaways which I get to be part of this month.

{so go check out my buttons yo}

 PROMISES, PROMISES

to those of you who have requested "more pictures please" - your message has been well received. Starting today I solemnly swear to put down the iPhone and pick up the Pentax. It's time I start posting some good old fashion photos like I did back in the good ol' days. I installed a 'widget' to your right ---> of my latest and not so greatest instagram photos. It's obvious I need a lesson - or 4 - on how to take better iPhone pictures because mine are ALWAYS depicting motion {not to be confused with emotion}; just see for yourself... 

I love daddy.

such posers.

thumbs up cuz.

baking with Baba.

see all the wonderful blurriness? 


BALLOT BOX
a BIG thanks to all 40 of you who participated in my week long 'what do you want from me?' survey. The results have been tabulated and I'm going to channel my inner Ryan Seacrest when I say, "dim the lights, here we go... after a nationwide vote
'guest posts' I'm sorry to say you're going home":

Make a graph

I do however have a really fun idea for a guest post mini-series that I hope you'll be receptive to... it's a bit out of the ordinary just like yours truly.


** don't forget to 'spring forward' on Sunday **

{ entry } farm girl @ heart.

When I first learned that AyA Kitchens & Baths was flying one lucky blogger to Toronto to attend BlogPodium, I was beyond hopeful... it's not everyday that little Okanagan me gets to meet other bloggers face-to-face especially THE Lindsay Stephenson from @littlehouseblog. I have much to learn from the 'big kids' {including how to make a decent moodboard} AND with our 2012 home addition breaking ground this spring I need all the design inspiration I can get.

For those of you who've seen the inside of our 2 bed, 1 bath abode, I think you'll agree when I say our aesthetic is more 'earthy' than 'vintage', but something about an updated farm kitchen brings out the Carrie Underwood in me.

While a moodboard connoisseur I am NOT, here’s my dream kitchen submission for AyA (pronounced i'ya) Kitchens & Baths' ahh-mazingly generous contest: 

• apron sinks with wall mounted faucets 
• distressed cupboards under butcher block counter tops 
• barn wood furniture on top of refurbished floors
• ceiling pot racks paired with open shelving 
• chalkboard walls & wildflowers

... it doesn't get much more country than that and when we do finally find that affordable piece of acreage close to town with a rundown yet structurally sound farmhouse, I'll be installing these Richmond Vintage Artisan cupboards in 'distressed latte' with my very own hands #daretodream.

fingers crossed that I'll be 'BlogPodium Bound' come May!

obsessions. { link up }

- KONY 2012. pretty ingenious & inspiring way to use social mediums if you ask me {and that son of his is all sorts of adorbs}...



- our only set of fleece sheets, I understand this is a recycled obsession but they're seriously that ahh-mazing! Trev's equally enamoured with their greatness, so much so that we've been discussing whether or not we'll be retiring them come Spring or enjoying their kitten softness year round.

- the houzz app, I love it more than pinterest at the moment thanks to our home addition that's waiting patiently in the wings {me not so patiently}.

- warm clothes from the dryer, need I say more? Probably not but I will. When I was a kid my mom would bury us in laundry fresh from the dryer, it's one of those wonderfully simple yet special childhood memories that I keep trying to reenact for Saige. It almost beats out Gramma Bren topping our bowls of KD with ketchup initials... "S" is for Sara {as well as Sure-did-eat-a-lot-of-kraft-dinner-as-a-child}.  

- white face clothes with a faint smell of bleach. They remind me of hotels and hotels remind me of vacations and I want need one! You and me both?

- alone time. It's hard to come by and highly coveted.

- skiing. Everyone back in PG is probably laughing over this one seeing how I would tuck and snowplow {and scream} for the whole 5 minutes it took to get down the neighbourhood Hart hill.


- Sanuks. They'll kick your Toms a$$ any day.

- Adele {just me & the rest of the world}, but at least I can say I loved her for the months leading up to her Grammy sweep. Question: Is her debut CD just as good as 21?

- Disney Junior TV... I'm sorry but the Treehouse gang was getting on my last nerve. Caillou STOP with the whining, Ruby where are your parents? and Olivia has anyone ever told you you're bossy? 

- google chrome. I'll never go back to Explorer again {except maybe to access my old favourites folders and pin stuff}. I haven't received any financial incentive to promote this internet browser, but I'm definitely open to any and all endorsement opportunities... please & thank you.

- Blog West: so wish I was there & Blog Podium: so wish I was going... next year ladies, who's with me?

- infant rugby shirts. They're the 8th item filling up Gabe's closet. While I'm not a fan of the sport,  the cute, collared, stripey shirts are TOO much! In the words of Rachel Zoe, "I die".

- Amy Atlas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How is it that I'm just hearing about her now people??????? You're supposed to be my eyes and ears out there.

- your comments, so comment away... or better yet experiment with your own obsessions post and link up here:

H-E-L-L-P!

that's not a spelling mistake, that's real life.


- infertility sucks. don't believe me? just watch your best friend crumple to the kitchen floor in heartbreak. how much pain can one couple endure? how many tears can one person cry over a baby who weighed little more than a watermelon? not enough apparently.


- powerlessness is a powerful emotion.


- Saige's daycare has officially closed and has left me - for the first time ever - a full-time parent of TWO. women around the world dream of this - see above - but here I sit 100% terrified.


- finding new child care arrangements for when I return to work is harder and more emotional than I originally thought... no one can replace Dean, no one.


- I've got a serious case of the screamies {read Berenstain Bears if you're unfamiliar with the term}. this does not make me feel like a good wife, mother, person, _________.


- I took my little buddy for his second round of immunizations today. who doesn't love seeing the desperate look of "why are you letting them do this to me?" in their teary baby's eyes? kill.me.now.


- Gabe had blood in his diaper tonight. wtf? is all I'm going to say about that one. sure did just use the 'f' word.


- Gabriel has forgotten how to sleep and is obvious discomfort once again - for the love of... I was up with him FIVE times last night and I'm already at #3 tonight. oh and did you catch on facebook that his internal alarm clock has been reset for 4:30 am? I'm dying for 24 hours of uninterrupted sleep.


- I've never been more exhausted in my whole entire life. hmmm gee I wonder why? seriously though I haven't been able to recover since getting strep throat earlier last month. my energy level is so low that I actually took matters into my own hands and discussed my symptoms with both a public health nurse and walk-in doctor... I was given a postpartum depression questionnaire and a blood requisition form.


- I missed my first 'learn to run' clinic tonight courtesy of all the above... not the greatest start to my new year's resolution.


- our home addition plans hit a speed bump known as your-contractor-doesn't-have-the-appropriate-home-warranty-coverage-that-we-require-to-finance-your-dreams... more on that later.


- according to my handy sidebar poll, the overwhelming majority of you want to read more about my daily life / daily struggles... who woulda thunk it? so here it is in black & white, time stamped with 3:05 a.m.


- as much as I love amusement park rides {I really do, I'm not just saying that} I'm ready to get off this emotional roller coaster. 2012 was supposed to be MY year; I'm turning 29 in April {W5 did that happen?} and I so wanted my last 365 days as a twenty-something year old to be totally awesome... I continue to hold out hope but with waning optimism.


** I didn't intend for this post to read like a "pity party for one, your table is ready" but I think that's where it ended up... sorry 'bout that. Don't worry about us though, people survive much worse... I'll be a-okay, scout's honor.

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