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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Not feeling grey today


So I couldn't deal with the grey creeping in along the sides of my hairline so... I dyed it!

There is still grey sprinkled throughout my hair and I am Ok with them but ... I just couldn't commit to the rest.


Monday, February 20, 2017

Happy Family Day


Glad this lady is part of our family. She is Paul's Mama! It's her birthday!

Happy Birthday Carolyn!

I wanna be like her when I grow up:) I am half way there. She too has an amazing daughter and a super impressive and spectacular son! 
She also has a wonderful husband...I am almost there with that one.

;)

Whatever you do today squeeze your babies tight and kiss the person you love!

Friday, February 17, 2017

RIP?


So I have a slight sock obsession. This is one of my absolute favourite pairs. They are "Reading" socks from Indigo.  I admit I wore them for more than just reading.

This is their current state :(

Darn a sock...ya right!?

I am still going to wear them, I guess until they actually fall off my feet.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

The Outfit

Since the web address to my blog is DUHparenting101 I thought I should actually share a parenting moment of mine.

Rewind to last June, Daphne was graduating elementary school and Breton was graduating from Grade 8.  In the mail I received an invitation to Breton's grad because he was going to be winning an award.  If you did not get an invite, parents were not needed to go since Longfields Davidson Heights High School goes from grade 7-12, it was just a small ceremony for the students.  We did not tell Breton we got the invite, we wanted to surprise him.   For the Grade 8 graduates, there was the award ceremony and then a dance afterward.  Breton mentioned he would like a nice outfit to go to the grad yet he waited until the night before to agree to go shopping.  Breton is very particular about what he wears.  To this day he does not like to wear buttons on his clothing or jeans.  So off we went to find an outfit, without leaving Barrhaven.  I was exhausted and patience was running low.  He had an idea in his head so what I suggested was not meshing with what he was looking for.  We went to several stores and ended up at Mark's Work Warehouse.  Keep in mind I am on a budget, so Breton did not have free choice of anything and everything.  I managed to find him a nice dress shirt and then he chose some nice Denver Hayes type pants in an olive green.  I was happy because it was a huge depart from what he normally wears. I think he was a wee bit frustrated that he couldn't find exactly what he had envisioned but in the end it was his decision, the outfit I purchased.

Here it is.

Remember we surprised Breton at the graduation awards ceremony...he thought he was not getting anything yet he wanted a nice outfit for his graduation.
We are seated at the back of the auditorium and doesn't Breton's name get called for Top Male Athlete of his class.
He strolls up to get his award,,,

And he is wearing sweat pants and a hoodie!!!

HUH?!

I guess it goes with the award...a very athletic look but not the outfit we scrambled to get at the last minute the night before!!!!  And also remember he doesn't wear this type of outfit normally and did not have any other "events" to wear the outfit to

Well later that night after celebrating both the kids' graduations I told Breton he had to pay me back for the outfit = $100
I could not return it because he had taken all the tags off and one of the items was final sale.

He had received some money for graduating and as mean as it sounds, that's how awful I felt when he had to turn around and give me that money in payment for the outfit.  He paid all of it back and the outfit still has yet to be worn.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

My ABCs

When my Dad and Bev come to visit they always come with a collection of hundreds of vitamins they take (ok that is an exaggeration but they take a lot of vitamins).  We'd laugh at them and question the necessity of all of them but lately I have been accumulating my own alphabet of vitamins.

This one just keeps everything in my tummy lovely.

When you volunteer to donate blood but are denied twice after they prick your finger before giving blood; your haemoglobin is too low=low red blood cells=low iron.  Also, upon checking your iron levels, your Dr says your levels are "in your boots" you start taking iron supplements.

I take two of these each day.  I take them to prevent UTIs, breast cancer and because I wear sunscreen my body does not absorb D from the sun sufficiently.

This one goes along with the iron and I take it to keep my energy levels up.  It is a higher dose because I hope to keep that energy high too.

For my brain and PMS.

I only take this occasionally when I can not sleep and even then I only take 1/2 a pill (originally I only took 1/4 of the pill, for me that was how powerful it was.  A whole pill left me feeling groggy the next day).  I have even used this one with my dogs when they are anxious during a thunderstorm.

This one helps me prevent colds and just in case I haven't eaten enough fruits and veggies that contain the mighty C vitamin.

This is the newest member to my alphabet.  It is helping me sleep better.  I can not function appropriately when I do not have adequate sleep.  


Did you know that magnesium is a natural laxative?  I did not know until I started taking 3 pills nightly for a continuous time.  My theory was, why not maximize the benefits by maximizing the dose.  I wanted the benefits of preventing/lessening PMS, anxiety and gaining a better sleep... hello toilet:(  I now take a proper dose and all is good.

Besides the laxative adventure I have had no other negative side effects.  These vitamins may be giving me some sort of placebo effect but I do feel they have benefited me too.  Or I just have really expensive pee.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017


Happy Valentine's Day!!!

This little message was written on our front hall closet long ago by Daphne but now it is all that is there!

Love it!!

Thursday, February 9, 2017

My Bed

So this is my bed after I make it in the morning:

The Spider-Man sheet is there because the dogs Ruby and Pheonix and sometimes the cat, Vanilla enjoy sleeping on my bed enjoying the warm sun that shines most of the day through my many bedroom windows.

When I return home this is my bed:

It looks like a human has come and napped in my bed!
I do not want to know what they have done in my bed while I was gone...


Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Am I a Silver Fox?

This post contains affiliates

Silver Fox, that has been my Dad's nickname amongst my uncles, because of his hair.  He went grey around 16.  I have inherited this hair colour change.  Or maybe now that I am 40+ it is just a natural occurrence?
Whatever the reason, I have been colouring my hair for a looooonnnngggg time.  Lately, it has been every two weeks.  Usually, creeps in around my temples along the hairline and at my part.


Recently, I was inspired by Andrea Nair's article (click here to read) and I also worry what all that dye is doing to me...seeping into my brain???

My sister Aimee, also inherited the Silver Fox gene and she recently committed to her grey:



I took another root (hahaha).  Since last summer, I have been dying my hair black and then had been choosing lighter and lighter shades of brown but still all in the dark brown shades.  I honestly couldn't remember my natural shade other then it was brown.


I purchased OOPS from Shoppers Drugmart.  As it states, it removes all artificial hair colour.  In the instructions, they explain that hair dye opens the pores of your hair letting the dye in.  OOPS shrinks those pores leaving you with your natural hair colour.


This is what you had to do after you applied the clear solution:


When I washed it out, there was no colour running out.  I did have to wash my hair several times to get all the solution out and this was me back to my natural hair colour:

I was a little shocked by the lightness and reddish tones to it. There is also the grey which I am still adjusting to and still not committed to.  Paul helped me add a few low lights to cover some of the grey and I plan to add some thin highlights eventually.  I don't know if I can just let the grey grow wild and free...yet, but maybe slowly, ever so slowly I could eventually let it emerge.  We shall see...





Saturday, February 4, 2017

My most popular request

Christmas Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400F and spray a cookie sheet or large baking pan with non stick cooking spray.

Mix oats and brown sugar with melted butter until evenly coated.  Add milk, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Mix together then pour onto sprayed cookie sheet.

Cook for 30 minutes, remove from oven and break up oatmeal with spoon, then you can put back in oven for 5-10 minutes, if you want oatmeal a little more crisper.

Serve with milk (you might want to reheat it in the microwave after adding milk), with yogurt, fresh berries etc.

Enjoy!

Friday, February 3, 2017

No Valentine's Day for us!

Paul and I do not celebrate Valentine's Day.  Being with Paul, I am spoiled, I am very lucky.  He is thoughtful, romantic, so funny, super smart and completely committed to MOI!



Because of scheduling and each of us having a pre-teen and a teenager with lives of their own and exes' schedules, we have date nights every Monday night.  It isn't that we do not see each other the rest of the week but no matter what we have that night.  So to say we do not celebrate Valentine's Day it is because each Monday is our time together but others may take Valentine's Day for this purpose, I hope.

Due to Valentine's Day, though we have had some opportunities to go do some unique adventures.  The weekend prior to Valentine's Day we are having a special romantic dinner at Ikea.  They have a three course meal, they fancy up the place with tablecloths and you must buy tickets for it.  We are going with two other couples.  Paul and I have had a date night at Ikea before and it was one of my favourites. Ikea N Chill (hahaha) almost exactly like Costco N Chill (another date night we've had). So much chillin' (hahahahahaha)

Click here Ikea Valentine's Day 

We are also doing partner yoga at Mountain Goat Yoga!  Paul and I have done a "date day" here before.  we participated in a warm yoga class and it was so fun. 

Saturday February 11th, Partner Yoga with Tanya from 2:30-4:30 pm. $40 per couple. Enjoy a Valentine treat & tea afterward!!

This is a great opportunity to do something a little special with a loved one or best friend.
Let’s have some fun! Grab a partner & get on your mat! Partner Yoga invites openness, laughter, communication & FUN into your yoga practice.
We’ll start with great music, simple postures connecting breath & building trust moving on to counter balances, a little Thai Massage & more. A great way to spend
time with a family member, best friend or a pre-Valentine date with your partner/spouse.
No experience necessary only a willingness to smile and have fun.
Enjoy a Valentine treat & tea afterward!!
MGY click for more info. about the centre.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Ground Hog Day


Dear Mom

I know you are always around, but I wanted you to know that we are all alright.  To be honest your passing has brought us, Noelle, Aimee and I, closer together.  I am stronger because of your early departure.  I am a great Mom because of you.  I love being a Mom.  Breton and Daphne make me so proud.  I talk about you with them.  I tell them how much fun we had together, how much we laughed together and they see your pictures around the house, their Baba.

I am more sympathetic and empathetic to others who have my shared experience, I jump in with both feet, I don't waste time, I value my time, experiences and the people in my life.  I credit you for this because I do not know if this would be me if I hadn't lost you.

You have seen my struggles but you have also seen so many highlights.  I wish I knew more about you beyond being my Mom.   I guess I just have to reach out more to those that knew you and ask...

I heard Rod Stewart's "Do you think I'm sexy?" today and I smiled.  Rod Stewart, Linoel Ritchie, Tina Turner, even Tom Petty's Free Fallin' always make me think of you, oh and George Michael.

We are all healthy and happy.

Miss you and remembering you today and always.

Love Robyn

PS Could you flicker the lights more often?