The Sexy Pizza Costume

What did you wear for Halloween? I didn't see the Sexy Pizza costume first or I would've bought that online! I ended up wearing every kind of animal print in my closet - snow leopard velvet top, cougar pants, leopard print scarf and pink and black fake ponytail. Not necessarily sexy, perhaps a little bit too scary!

Image Source

On the topic of pizzas that men would love to eat (awh.... cheesy!), I think the Angry Bird Pizza would be a big hit. My sister in law found this on Pinterest and took the kids to shop for the pizza toppings. (See the original design on her iphone!)

Something fun to do with the kids and have dinner made by teeny tiny chefs in training at the same time!

What's Your Excuse?

Maria Kang image source

The "What's Your Excuse" hot mamma fitness instructor Maria Kang posted a recent Facebook profile picture that has riled up fat mamma's and skinny mamma's alike. Well my question is, why does she even have abs; wouldn't she and her husband be pregnant with number 4, 5, 6 and 80? Plus if she's a professional fitness trainer, than it would be her job to look and keep fit, nuff said.

As for me, my excuse for not having wash board abs is because, Number 1 - I have four kids age 6, 5, 3 and 10 months. O wait that's the whole of point of this discussion, that is not an excuse!

Number 2, It's my own fault that I eat bags of chips at night, chocolate cookies and cake at all hours of the day, and the odd protein shake and vitamins to make up for any nutrients I'm missing because I hate eating fruits and vegetables. My kids on the other hand have much better eating habits from the four food groups

Number 3, I don't exercise, other than running to pickup the kids from the bus stop or carrying loads of laundry up and down the stairs. I used to pull three kids in a wagon and carry one on my shoulder in a sling... but they're all walking now. My kids do more exercise than me, because I'm the one driving them to karate and swimming classes.

Number 4, I don't sleep. I choose to do all kinds of chores after 9pm when the kids are asleep.  Then I spend about an hour online just catching up, and another hour (or 5 minutes) to play piano. By the time I go through with my own night routine is half past midnight. But why bother going to sleep, the baby might wake up at 1am or 3am or the worst at 5am because then it's the morning, and nobody goes back to sleep!

But the bottom line, these are the choices I have made in my life. If you go to her facebook page, that's the underlying theme... it's all about choices. You choose to be happy, healthy, strong, busy, productive. I am not at all "annoyed" by Maria Kang's Facebook profile picture. People are mean to write some means things about her. They are probably just upset they don't see the same results in their own life, but that might be because of their own choices.

Natural Bombshell

Have you seen stars without makeup,  the photo mash ups of movie stars and celebrities will full makeup on the red carpet beside a paparazzi sniper shot of the same celebrity doing mundane errands at the grocery store, without makeup.  Sometimes they look stunning and great as a natural bombshell. Other times, well without the mascara and eyeliner you can't recognize who it is let alone distinguish the eyes from the bags under the eyes!

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One of the many differences between men and women, this article is making the rounds (again) this week. And why is it that a man will wake up and look just as good looking as they went to bed. However, women somehow deteriorate over night. Well the whole success of the skin care industry relies on this fact!

As for me, I cannot leave the house without a bit of eyeshadow or eyeliner. What is your must have item in your makeup kit? I'm not necessarily reviewing the deepest colours in eyeshadow or the best waterproof mascara, and I'm not qualified to give out makeup tips or eye makeup training. Click here for a consumer review of the Arbonne Pure Vibrance hair care and cosmetics lines. But here is an exclusive Christmas eye makeup collection that is vegan friendly and top of the line, from Arbonne! I hope you might enjoy for a natural look or the five minute face.

The glitter gold baked eyeshadow palette, the Majestic Colour Collection and the three luxury eye liners in glitter gold, silver and black. Here is the Majestic Colour Collection makeup Tutorial.

Just remember that the most important thing for anti-aging at any age is the spf in the day moisturizer to protect from the effects of the sun, and a targeted eye cream. The formulation of a proper eye cream will moisturize without attracting moisture (which causes puffiness). Does your skin care regimen reverse the signs of aging or does it make time stand still? Well I'm proud to say that mine will do both. Try a deep hydration mask. Great to see Arbonne in the news, again!

Beauty at Any Age

Wrinkle's? Anti-aging? Thinking of my grandma's and what it means to be ninety-eight and not even look it. I'm in my hometown for a last minute impromptu surprise visit with my new baby to see the great-grandmas.  They didn't even know I was planning to visit, well neither did I until about 18 hours before my flight!

Both my Grandmas.

Well the very cheerful palliative care nurse came to my grandma's room at the nursing home to have "the talk" with the grownups ie. my mom and her siblings.

I had just arrived from my flight with my baby. I knew the talk was coming up so I actually really wanted to leave the room. However I was settled in so snugly in grandma's extra comfy recliner chair with my baby strapped to me so I actually had to overcome great inertia to move. I had many questions and the nurse Kathy had all the answers.

This is my grandma who once lived with us and made breakfast for us, packed my lunch, brushed my hair into ponytails and walked me to the bus stop... and swept the floors a million times a day and made all kinds of traditional Chinese "bao go" while we were at school... and never stopped moving or working for one second; well now she's sitting quietly and relaxed finally... and holding my baby too!

The nurse took one look at my grandma and cheerfully declared, in my experience she does not look like her time is imminent, she is sitting up and talking to you, she is very nourished, glowing and she is breathing well, but you folks have described a list of what people tend to do when their bodies know the time is near. Of course, the best scenario is when it happens peacefully in the night, we all want that, but we won't know...

These words were so hard to hear yet she described them so matter of fact and cheerfully I didn't even feel sad. So they decided it was not appropriate to move her to palliative care (up until that point I didn't even know what that word meant) and just let her be happy where she is.

In fact, I even watched her change the battery for her one tiny hearing aid all by herself. I was too busy staring with my mouth half open in surprise to even offer to help. Such amazing dexterity!

FOUR signs when things are coming to an end, these signs exhibited.

1) The need to gather everyone.
Grandma was asking everyone to come immediately, call Kim (my sister, favorite granddaughter) call all the children. Obviously she didn't ask for me by name, but I realized  that I should come and see her.

2) Withdrawing from Life
Two weeks ago, grandma was playing bingo and croquet in the main games area, something I have never ever imagined she would like to do. Then after her fall (no broken bones) her mood changed, she didn't even go outside for meals or the big room for TV. Suddenly she became very attached and needy and always asked for mom to be at her side.

3) Anxious at night
It's dark, it's quiet, less activity, less distractions, trouble sleeping.

Think of a young child (like Lincoln age 2.5) looking for mommy right after school, first thing in the morning, even in the middle of the night or unable to fall asleep. The same thing, an old woman calling for her daughter.

4) Loss of appetite
I got the impression she was giving up on eating because she seriously thought she was dying so why bother eating. That or maybe she was just protesting the hospital food, lol.

I visited my other grandma too, about 11 years younger. I am still inspired daily by her love for Jesus and dedication to the faith, her strong and encouraging words. As well, she should be the official spokesperson for Pond's - the skincare of octogenarians!

 

Earth Day Recycle Space Craft

My daughter was born on Earth Day. This year she was very excited about the Earth Day/ Commander Chris Hadfield in Space contest on TVO kids, requesting kids to send in a photo of a space craft made from recycled materials. All week, they extracted materials from the blue box recycle bin and this is what they came up with! All I did to help was precut lots and lots of tape!

Blast off!

This might have really inspired AJ to consider a future career as an Astronaut. Remember that all along, he was very determined to be a Helicopter Pilot and nothing else. Well this week at school is "Je veux devenir" week with show and tell and career visits from moms and dads. AJ recently decided that he would like to be an Astronaut. Why?  "So I can see aliens and talk to them. I'm going to take a picture of the aliens and send them to you Maggie. And I'm going to come back home to see daddy after"

 

Quand je serai grand, je veux devenir astronaut!



Cute Things Kids Say

Overheard in our household...

TECHNOLOGY
Maggie: The people on TV have eyes but can they see me?
Maggie: AJ, you can't play on the ipod all day or your eyeballs are going to fall off
Maggie: Hypothesis, correct! Magnets stick to metal.

PRETEND PLAY
Kids: Mom, we're Scientis-ing
Lincoln: Can I bring the rein-dogs on the "obricot cot"? (He meant obstacle course, from the Barbie Christmas movie)

DAILY LIFE
AJ: Mom this is the best best dinner ever in the whole universe! (meatloaf)
Maggie: After we're done "tsak-nga"-ing can we play? (tsak nga is Chinese for brushing teeth)
Lincoln: Mom, your bum is pretty (I was wearing patterned jeans)
Lincoln: Mom your bum is not pretty (I changed into regular blue jeans)
Maggie: Mom, you lay out really cute babies!
Lincoln to Mary: Goodnight Happy-face!
AJ: How come you never sleep? You're doing too much work after we are asleep. You have to sleep when we sleep so you won't be so tired and sleep too long in the morning and you make us miss church!

NAMING THINGS
Lincoln: Po-nato. means tornado
He mixes up chicken and kitchen
Mary: bok bok (rooster)
Maggie: Is Palestine a city or a country? (we met a neighbor who's from there)

GRAMMAR
Lincoln: I'm gommabe make you a present
Lincoln: The orange is ate-en (means eaten)
Lincoln: For Christmas I'm gonmabe give you Arbonne for your present because you love Arbonne..
Maggie: I survey the room

Baby Handprint Crafts

It was my first visit to the new Stork Club baby group. I used to love going to mommy and baby groups with my first born, but when number two and three came along, it was such a big task to get there on time. Now with number four and on her own at home, it is so refreshing to experience that new baby time and mommy again.

This is a very neat sensory activity for spring time!

Baby Handprint Craft

Flower Petal handprint craft. According to the other resource teacher though, this craft is more appropriate a month from now (say 5 months plus) when they can choose to open the palm more readily (at this age, the reflex is to close the fist upon contact with any object, ie paint!)

Baby Foot Stomp

The flower petal craft should've been done with foot prints! Anyway this is Mary's first foot print. Baby wipes at the ready.