Goodbye Freedom – Hello Noise

Goodbye to that sweet silent cup of coffee in the morning. Sigh.

Goodbye to the untold hours I had to read, and comment on blogs.

Goodbye to my long uninterrupted showers. I will miss you.

Goodbye to lunch dates with adults, with cutlery and linen napkins.

Goodbye my precious manis and pedis. There is no time for you now.

Goodbye to gossipy uninterrupted phone chats!

Goodbye to the quiet.

School’s out for summer!!

HELLO to the noise.

Hello to “There is nothing to eat. I don’t want that She’s bothering me.”

Hello to “Can I have a play date. Please. Now? Please. Why not?”

Hello to pink paint on the deck, and marker on the table.

Hello to sticky melted popsicles running down fingers and dripping off chins.

Hello to rowdiness in the pool, giggles and screams of delight.

Hello to soccer games and grass stains.

Hello to sunscreen, sunburn and swimming by the hour.

Hello to falling off bikes and swings, bumps on the head, splinters in bare feet and Frisbees to the face. Umm. Yes, this is a home of summertime klutzes.

Hello to picnics outside, butterfly chasing and late nights under the stars.

Hello to sneaking in the occasional late night skinny dip!

Don’t hate me, but I do love these two months of “freedom”.

Cheers to all things summer!

Linky love: Giveaway Ends on Friday! Open to Canada too!

How To Survive An MRI

Have you been told you have to go for an MRI?  Are you scared out of your mind and want someone to tell you what it is really like?  No worries, you can survive an MRI.  I know, because I did.

Rules as they were told to me:

-no jewellery

-no make-up (eeek, seriously, I haven’t left the house without make-up in like 20 years!)

-in my case I could eat whatever I wanted.  (but yeah, like I could eat)

Hints:

Wear granny panties (more coverage sweetie) and clean socks cause that is all you will be allowed to keep on that is your own.  They will give you some oh so fashionable hospital garb.  Sexy.  Gotta find the humour right?. 

When you arrive. Pee.  You can’t be sure how long you will be in the lovely MRI tube and the last thing you want to be obsessing about when you need to keep still is how bad you’ve gotta go!

The lovely MRI lady will give you a gown to throw on and some scrub like pants.  Kinda comfy.

Here We Go:

You are ushered into the MRI room where caplets of vitamin E are taped to your super sore points.  (I was going in due to chronic pain, and to look for breaks, tears and any other super scary stuff that should not be there) These helpful little vitamins will glow like crazy in there so the Doc will know which areas are giving you the most trouble. 

Now.  Deep breath. It’s time to get into the MRI machine.  It will be okay.  Have you ever been in a tanning bed?  Okay, well stop doing that cause it’s really bad for you.  Anyway, pretend you are going for a tan.  The very comforting, friendly MRI techs hand you some ear plugs and you put those in.  MRI machines are very pingy and loud.  You then lie on the table and are asked to put your arms comfortably at your sides.  Some blankets are placed on your legs.  (this may have been just for me as I was a little shivery and shaky…chicken much?)  Your arms are then secured so you can not move.  The worst part for me is the next step when then put a neck brace type apparatus around your neck.  This encourages you to lay still.  Don’t over think it.  Breathe.  You might be offered a cloth to cover your eyes.  I declined as I needed to maintain some kind of power. A button is pushed and you are moved into the MRI tube. 

I closed my eyes and kept them closed for quite a while.  The machine pings and whirrs.  Kind of like being way to close to the bass speaker at a bad rock concert.  Sort of like walking past a small construction site.  It’s not that bad.  I even mustered up the courage to open up my eyes. Want to know what I saw?  About a foot in front of me (I’m not great with measurements, but far enough that I wasn’t freaking out) there it was, the inside of the white tube.  Pretty much what you would expect. There was a gray duct taped size line painted down the very centre.  Some nice little chips were missing from the paint. I don’t know what this says about the maintenance of this machine, but it was a fabulous distraction. I counted and re-counted those chips.  Ordered them from biggest to smallest. Whatever it took to pass the time, keep calm and keep my breathing even.  Pretty soon the jack hammer and pingy sounds started to sound like the back beat to some familiar songs.  I hummed along…in my head.  I kept still.  I counted.  One one thousand, Two one thousand, Three one thousand…to sixty.  40 times.  It worked.

Now I had to have three “series” of MRI’s.  Ribs, Upper Spine, Thorasic Spine.  I was in there for a long time my friends. According to my lovely MRI people, this is not the norm.  However, what is the norm…it gets very warm in there! Do not panic, this is just the machine doing its best work for you.  Another norm, this little MRI machine does not sit still. It moves around just a little bit from time to time.  Not like a sea sicky kind of thing, just minor adjustments to relocate you. 

Soon, it’s over.  You hear a little voice asking if you are Okay in there.  Then asking you to hold tight. The Doc is just going to see if he is happy with your images.  He is, and they push that magic button to get you out.

You go on home, stopping on the way to reward yourself with a big ol muffin and coffee. You deserve it!

I just got my results.  Like my MRI, not great, but not as bad as anticipated.  A little bit of arthritis.  I plan to kick it’s butt.

I know this is not my usual kind of post, but if just one person stumbles across it when they need to hear “It will be Okay”, then it is worth the break from the humour. 

You can survive an MRI.

Be well.

Mwah!

 

Linky love.  $50.00 Athletica Giveaway ends Friday!

Chip Trips!

Are you ready to kick off the summer with a little help from Lay’s?

Lay’s has introduced an amazing program for Canadians called Chip Trips. The next time you head out to pick up a snack reach for the Lay’s!  On each bag you will find a promo code that will help you save on fabulous staycations in and around your home.  Lay’s has partnered with everyone from restaurants, to golf courses, to hotels, to amusement parks,to  thrill rides and sightseeing tours!  Whew!

It’s simple.

Register here.

Buy A Bag

Bank Your Points

Find A Trip! There are hundreds to choose from!

Easy Peasey!

What are our plans for the summer?  With the help of Chip Trips we are now considering a game of Laser Tag, a picnic in the park with our Lays Chips and a Subway Sub, going to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival,  a trip to Medieval Times, and maybe a hotel stay, so I can finally get the kids up the CN Tower!  When people ask me what I’m doing this summer, I’m going to have some fabulous plans!

The sky is the limit and Chips Trips will certainly help.  What are your plans for the summer?  Maybe I’ll see you out on your staycation!

 

I am participating in the Lay’s Chip Trips program on behalf of Frito Lay. I will receive Lay’s Chip Trip points and a gift card to offset my Chip Trips.  The points and gift card in no way affected the opinions reflected in this post.

Athletica! A $50.00 Giveaway

Here’s the deal. Apparently you really can find comfortable quality yoga clothes on-line! I was contacted by http://www.athletica.net/ to see if I might be interested in giving some of their yoga clothes a try. Sadly, it seems that lately my yoga clothes have mostly been used for strutting around the house, not so much the actually doing of yoga, so I figured this was just the kick I needed to get my butt back into gear.

I checked out the Athletica site, and with the help of their sizing chart made my selection of two different pairs of yoga pants to try. I always feel like I’m rolling the dice with these charts. Am I a medium, a large…good grief I know I am not a small! While I was there I took a look at all their fitness wear, yoga clothes and sportswear. Ohhh they have some great sales going on!

The package arrived and I ripped into it. Looked good so far! The true athlete in my family, my BlueEyed girl, immediately wanted to proclaim these little babies hers. I snatched…..err gently removed them from her hands and raced upstairs to see if they fit.

Eureka. They fit perfectly!! Seriously! The other thing I noticed right away, how wonderfully light and breathable they felt.

Check them out. These are the roll down yoga pants in espresso.

Next up, the capri yoga roll down pants, and these are my faves. So incredibly comfortable, not tight around the tummy like some pants, and just perfect for this unbelievable heat wave we have been getting! Um I mean for when I get super hot from doing all that yoga.

Did these pants make me do yoga? No, but they looked super cute and did inspire a few sit-ups and a stint on the treadmill. Yeah me!

I would recommend you check out the Athletica website, I think you will also be pleasantly surprised by their prices!

Here is another pleasant surprise! Courtesy of the generous people at Atheltica I am able to offer you, my gorgeous readers, the chance to win a $50.00 gift card to do a little on-line shopping of your very own! What a great Friday Giveaway!

Here’s how.

Please leave separate comments for each!

Mandatory Entry: You MUST do this one first.

Head over to Athletica.net and tell me one thing you would spend your $50.00 gift card on. Come back here and tell me when you are done!

Easy Bonus Entries:

1. Like me on my facebook page! Please. It’s right there on the sidebar!

2. Follow me on Twitter @SassyModernMom or tell me that you already do, and give this giveaway a tweet. Leave your twitter name! You can tweet once every 24 hours. Just cut and paste:

Win a $50.00 gift card from Athletica.net and take yourself on a shopping spree! @SassyModernMom #GiveAway http://bit.ly/cNiSjR

3. Follow me publicly on Google or tell me you already do.

4. Give me a new Vote at "Top Mommy Blogger" by following this link:

Top Mommy Blogs.

(Don’t worry I’ll know if you voted cause my number will creep up)

You can do this once a day all week, then come on back and tell me you did! Thanks!~

5. Blog about this fabulous giveaway and link back to me!

Again, PLEASE…leave separate comments for each entry and make sure I can contact you!! Leave me a valid e-mail address!

Contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada and closes Friday July 2nd.

The winner will be picked by Random.org and will have 72 hours to respond once they are contacted or a new winner will be drawn.

Good Luck!

* I received product in exchange for hosting this giveaway. No monetary compensation was given for this post. The opinions in this post are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the reception of said product.

Mwah!

***Sneak Peek for Next Week! Now that I have given you the opportunity to spruce up your butt! Next week I’m going to give you a chance to spruce up your house. CSN Stores carries products from furniture, to sinks, to wall sconces , to kitchen dishes. Next Fridays Giveaway courtesy of CSN!

Some Things I’ve Learned The Hard Way

If your bladder is full and you have had 2 huge babies.  You had better brace for that sneeze.  Cross those legs sweetie.

By the way…..watch out for trampolines too.

Never trust a man who leads with …. “Trust me”. 

Eyebrow waxing…actually any kind of waxing should be left to the experts!

A child will always get the stomach flu in the middle of the night.

Ear infections, they happen on Fridays, right after the Doctors office close, or during the holidays.

That air conditioner you are trying to hang onto for just one more summer will die in the middle of the biggest heat wave of the summer.  (along with everyone else’s so it will take at least three weeks to fix)

Ummm Kids don’t know that you must knock on a closed bedroom door. Don’t scar your kids for life, invest in a locking doorknob.

Girlfriends will gossip.  It is the nature of the beast.  Sadly, there are few people in world that you can truly trust. When you find them, hang on tight.

Just because you are a D.I.N.K. (double income no kids) that does not mean you should  buy a vacuum from a door to door sales guy.  This does not make you super responsible and wicked smart planning for your future, it just makes you well a gullible d……ummy.  What did you think I was going to say.  Zits happen. Never EVER squeeze them with your fako acrylic or gel nails.  Trust me fake nails + pimple squeezing = disaster.

You know how that sales girl keeps telling you you don’t look fat in those pants?  Yeah.  She’s on commission baby. 

When you drive a huge SUV with retractable side view mirrors USE them when you park that baby in the garage.  The manufacturer does not put the option on the car cause it’s pretty, they put it on there so when you back out of the garage, your mirrors stay attached to the vehicle!  

Here’s hoping by sharing my wee bits of misery you won’t have to learn these things the hard way!

Manicures and Court Dates

It was a rare event.  Three free hours with no Hubby, no kids.  I could have headed home and done some laundry, paid those bills read some blogs.  I decided to take a walk on the wild side and actually do something for me.  Off to my little nail salon for a wee bit of pampering.  With the help of my fancy hands free blue tooth I managed to secure myself the very last nail appointment of the day.  This might be the best idea I have had in a long time.  Was going to get myself some of these.

I arrived just in time to say goodbye to the assistant nail tech and have a quick chat with the second last customer of the day.  I’m all kinds of friendly like that.  It wasn't long before I was enjoying the familiar gossipy talk Hyde always offers up when I mange to squeeze in a visit. He filed, and laughed and chatted.  I tried to be witty and keep up.

Suddenly the atmosphere in the tiny nail salon changed.  I could feel it, I could see it on Hyde's face, but to be honest I didn’t know what the hell was going on.  A tiny little girl walked up to where we were seated. 

Hyde, you have been served.

Ummm Awkward.

Yeah this little trip to the nail salon.  Not so much fun for me anymore. Even less fun for Hyde. 

He needed me to help him decipher the paperwork.  English is not his first language.  He is being sued for full custody of his 2 week old son.  Gut punch.

Now I am usually all about the Mamas, but Hyde is in a tough place.

He is a first generation immigrant from Vietnam.  He is looking after his elderly parents who are not well, and speak no English.  They live with him.  This is expected in his culture.  It is his honor and his duty.  His parents have told him if he try’s to bring this girlfriend OR his son home, they will not “be recognized”.   Then …Hyde will be disowned. 

Hyde told me if he let’s his son go “he will never in his life be happy”.  Yet, if try's to remain involved in his sons life, he will lose both parents, bring disgrace to his family and “never in his life be happy”. 

You know what is not a lot of fun?  Having a man paint your nails with tears in his eyes. 

You know what is less fun?  Being that man and being forced to pick between your culture, your parents……..or your newborn son.

I’m a free thinking, independent, self centered? Canadian girl.  I know what I would do.   Easy for me.  My heart belongs to my children, not my culture.  My parents would lose in this game of school yard pick.  I don’t know what our friend Hyde is going to do.   I think it’s harder for him.

What would you do?

Daddy’s Girl

I have always needed him to be proud of me. I think he is.

Seeing him struggle with pain every day, yet he never complains.

Loving him more because he still flirts with my Mom after 43 years of marriage.

The strongest hands I have ever seen.  Hands that can fix things….without duct tape!

Growing up I thought he was the biggest, fiercest protector of them all.  Quick to judge any action or boy that I dared to bring home.  Now I understand he was just being a parent.  A man who was lead by his heart.

An incredible provider, the sweetest Grandpa.

Turns out I will always be a Daddy’s Girl.

Happy Fathers Day.

All Terrain! Review

Choices when looking after our kids.

From the moment our child is born we are besieged by a litany of choices.  We as parents want only the best for our children.  Breast vs bottle.  Organic veggies?  Range fed chicken?  Will they be allowed to have pop.  Another consideration. What kind of products to put on their skin to protect them from the bugs and sun, and help them out when they are in pain.

Like many Mom’s, I am always on the lookout for new, natural and safe products to introduce to my children.   This is why I was very happy to be contacted by All Terrain.  They boast natural products for an active lifestyle. I was intrigued especially when I read this:

All Terrain's primary mission is to sell quality "Natural Remedies for Outdoor Enthusiasts."  Environmentally conscious, All Terrain's products have all natural ingredients and their packaging is made from recycled material, recyclable and/or biodegradable

As a maker of natural products for the outdoors, we believe you should get the most out of your outdoors lifestyle without risking your health or gear with harsh chemical outdoors products.

So what kind of products do they have?

All Terrain carries Insect Repellent, First Aid, Sun Protectors, Sanitizers, Kids Care, Latex-Free Bandages, Soaps and Pet Care Products. 

I was sent some of All Terrain’s products to try for myself.

I started with:

Kids Herbal Armor Insect Repellent

Deet Free and in a Pump Spray bottle.  It has a very citrusy smell and it works!  Took my kids out to a farm at dusk and not a nibble.  I also felt very safe using this product.

AquaSport No Slip Dry Grip Sunscreen

With SPF30.  It’s PABA and Paraben-Free.  My thoughts. It smells very pleasant, rubs in like a dream, is not to thick or gunky and protects from those harmful rays.  I love that it is Non-Greasy and sweat resistant. 

Aloe Gel Skin Relief

This product arrived on my doorstep at just the right time.  It’s purpose to help relieve dry, chapped and cracked skin plus temporarily protects cuts scrapes and burns.  We had a cold virus blasting through our house and I was washing my hands an awful lot. This Aloe Gel helped with my dry skin, but did leave my hands feeling a little sticky.

Recovery Rub

I have a little gymnast in my family and it wasn’t long before I was able to test this pain relieving cream out on my dear daughter.  (don’t freak out I did try it on myself first)  With a comforting smell, and the gentle warming of this recovery rub, both my daughter and I give this product the thumbs up.

Lip Armor

SPF 25-Protection and Healing Balm.  I am girl who believes in protecting the pretty.  I don’t step outside to spend time in the sun without some kind of SPF on my lips.  I love love this stuff!  It’s a little bit tingly, smells delish and protects your lips from the sun.  I just might have to place an order in bulk. 

HandSanz

Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer with Aloe and Vitamin E. If you have been reading my blog for like even a week you probably have figured out I am a bit of a germaphob!  An all Natural Hand Sanitizer that I can throw in my purse or leave in my car, that I can feel safe using on my children. Oh yes please!  Lemony fresh and no greasy feeling.  This may be my favorite product of all! 

I am happy to have discovered All Terrain and hope when you are thinking of natural products for your next outdoor adventure you give them a look! 

You can find All Terrain at their website www.allterrainco.com on their facebook page here, and twitter here!

Mwah!

* I received  product in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was given for this post.   The opinions in this post are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the reception of said product.

Sunglass Warehouse Winner

So you all stopped by Sunglass Warehouse and told me which pair of sunglasses you love!  Can you believe how many cute pairs there are to choose from? 

Now Random.org has done it’s magic and selected a winning number.

Lucky number 116

Congrats to Melissa  who said... 116

Following Sunglass Warehouse on twitter @omydarlingblog

Have fun picking out a pair of your very own fun sunglasses!

Thanks to all who entered and have a safe and happy weekend.

Mwah!

*now closed

WTH? Wordless Wednesday

Can you see what is in this picture?  No?  Let me explain.

It was dark.  It was rainy.  The Hubby was driving and who pulls up next to us?  A man doing a crossword puzzle while he was driving!!

So you are not allowed to be chatting on your phone here in Ontario, unless it’s hands free.  Texting is a big no no.  Big fine.  But guess what? Apparently there is no rule against doing a crossword while driving in four lanes of traffic. 

What a fool.  I should have snapped a picture of his license plate too.

Peer Pressure at 39?

A night out with “the girls”.  Sounds fabulous enough. 

Dinner followed by a movie. Am I interested?  Yep.  Just my speed.

I accept and am suddenly inundated with dozens of e-mails. 

No, not joking.  DOZENS. 

The dinner morphs into drinks on a patio.  Umm Okay. I don’t exactly drink that much anymore, but I can deal.

The movie has been switched from 9ish to 10:10pm.  Good grief, this is sounding late to me.  Whatever.  I’ll coffee up.

Then this wee note lands in my inbox:

“Girls, we are going to see Sex In The City 2.  Dress like your fave character. Don’t disappoint, play along, let’s all have fun with this.”

Shit.

An early movie in my comfy jeans with a bunch of good friends has turned into….

Pressure.

What in the hell am I going to wear?  Do you know how these girls dress?

                        

I borrowed these pictures from bigdropnyc, wish they had clothes I could borrow. 

As much as I like to pretend I don’t care what everyone else thinks…

I look fat in those black pants.

I don’t think I can sit for three hours in that white skirt.

I’ll freeze my behind off in that cutesy tank tank top, besides I always wear it with jeans.  Girls from Sex in the City don’t wear jeans!

I’ve gone to my “go to” sweater…one two many times.  Plus. it’s a SWEATER. 

Good grief…is that a?.…yep….  it’s a freakin muffin top. I’m throwing those capris out.  Gross.

Sundress with leggings.  Oh for the love of Pete.  I am not 18, I can’t pull this look off. 

Sigh.  It now looks like a mini tornado tore threw my closet, threw up in both the bathroom and the bedroom, and tripped over itself on it’s way down to the laundry room.  Only thing Sex in the City worthy I have.  Killer Heels.   

I have spent two hours obsessing about what I am going to wear to a movie?  Is this vanity insanity or peer pressure at 39?  Either way I am on my way to a Hot Mama Meltdown. 

I finally throw on skinny jeans, a low cut top, accessorize the crap out of it, and lip stick up.  Last step, throw on those killer heels.  I shake my head at myself, and the two hours of my life I just lost and will never get back.

Ridiculous.

Here is hoping when I hit 40 I can finally give up the vanity insanity.  Forget about peer pressure, and embrace my inner… I don’t give a crap what anybody thinks, this is who I am and I will wear what I want to  Diva!!  Snap.

Mwah!

Need to embrace your inner Diva?  Enter my Sunglass Warehouse Giveaway.

Sunglass Warehouse ~ GiveAway!

Summer is here?  Okay, so I’m in Canada and Summer doesn’t officially arrive until June 21st, but close enough!  The sun is shining and that is all the excuse I need to start thinking about some fabulous new shades. 

I was so happy to be introduced to the Sunglass Warehouse!  They offer a wide and fashionable array of sunglasses at very reasonable prices.  Founded in 2002 they offer a low cost alternative to high designer sunglass prices.  They also offer a %100 satisfaction guarantee.

Sunglass Warehouse offers some very creative ways to shop.   You can choose to browse through their sunglasses based on your skin tone or by your face shape.  Haven’t you always wondered if you call pull off a pair like Jennifer Aniston or Paris Hilton?

I was sent two pairs of lovely shades to review including these little babies.

Have to tell you.  I love em.  They are big, and funky, and so not something I would usually buy for myself! They are so so much fun!

Self portrait  of me laughing at myself getting my model on.  What do you think?  Yep, I’m thinking I’m pretty cool!  Ha! Picture coming down shortly! 

Now you have a chance to win a fabulous pair for yourself. 

 

Yes, any pair, your choice!

I personally think one can never have enough pairs of sunglasses, but if you do win, and feel uber generous, you can always pick out a pair for your Hubby from the men's sunglasses or for your dear daughter or son from the kids' sunglasses.  It is so important to protect those little eyes.

   

Here is how to WIN a Pair of Sunglasses of your choice!

Mandatory Entry:

Stop by Sunglass Warehouse and tell me which pair of sunglasses you love!

Easy Bonus Entries:

1. Follow me publicly on Goggle or tell me that you already do.

2. Follow me on Twitter @SassyModernMom or tell me that you already do, and give this giveaway a tweet. Leave your twitter name! You can tweet once every 24 hours. Just cut and paste:

Win yr choice of Sunglasses courtesy of @sunglasswarehse ovr at @SassyModernMom #GiveAway Ends 06/18  http://bit.ly/b9A4pD

3. Since you are now on Twitter, follow @sunglasswarehse for another entry.

4.  Give me a new Vote at "Top Mommy Blogger"

New instructions here cause I had a few ummm cheaters :(

Follow this link.

Top Mommy Blogs.   Click once to get to the site and a second time to vote.  Then come back and tell me how many votes I have (IN)

(Hint I am near #39 right now and have Votes IN 224 )

You can do this once a day all week, then come on back and tell me you did!

Your entry will look like this : Voted you had 224 votes In

5. “like” me on my new little Facebook fanpage.

6. Become a fan here at Sunglass Warehouse Facebook page

7. Subscribe to my reader!  (left column)

Again, PLEASE…leave separate comments for each entry and make sure I can contact you!! Leave me a valid e-mail address!

Contest is open to residents of United States and Canada.  Closes Friday June 18th.

The winner will be picked by Random.org and will have 72 hours to respond once they are contacted or a new winner will be drawn.

Good Luck!

* I received  product in exchange for hosting this giveaway. No monetary compensation was given for this post.   The opinions in this post are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the reception of said product.

Maple Leaf Foods- Winner

 Thanks to all who took the time to read and comment on my post regarding my recent experiences the Maple Leaf roundtable held in Ontario Canada.  I learned a lot at this mini conference and will be putting Maple Leaf products in my cart with confidence when I go shopping this weekend. 

The winner of the Maple Leaf Goodie Bag as provided by Maple Leaf Foods is lucky number….59!

Congratulations to:

THRIFTY CANUCKS  who said... 59

I voted for you today
 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Mwah!

Tired of the Tears

A girlfriends father passed away this week.  Suddenly 65 seems so very young….

My daughter did not make the team she spent all year working for.  Her heart is breaking, and mine is right along with it. 

I have to go for an MRI…I’m sure not sure scared out of my freaking mind everything will be okay, and somehow this makes me cry.

A dentist appointment this week where I get to choose if I want to have freezing or not?  Huh? Okay, this doesn’t make me cry but kind of scares the crap out of me.  Shouldn't the Dentist, you know, the expert make this decision?

Last night I was touched when super sweet Taylor Matthew’s Dad swelled with pride as his son performed on American Idol (*thank you PVR).  The pride in his eyes as his son sang his heart out….more tears. 

Sweetness

 

This poor bird flailing in the oil as captured by The Canadian Press.  More tears.  How can BP ever make this right?

Prayers for the departed and the sick, hope for the lonely, cheers for the sweetness….pass the kleenex. 

So, enough with the tears. 

Had to get it off my chest. 

Next post, I’ll bring back the joy.

How To Survive Mornings In The Suburbs

After about 11 years of life here in the suburbs I have picked up a few tips.  Mornings may not be all sunshine and rainbows, but by following a few of these suggestions, you may see fewer tears and temper tantrums and actually emerge on the other side with a smile?    Okay, not a smile, but maybe that sassy kid that ripped your vay jay jay in half on the moment of her birth will leave your house with a skip in her step instead of a curse word in her throat.  Pre-teens are so much fun!

#1.  Make sure your Dear Daughters have an outfit picked out for school BEFORE they go to bed.  Then you go and pick out the back up outfit because the one they choose was: not warm enough, too hot or way inappropriate for school.  If by some miracle they come down to breakfast and are wearing the perfect outfit, then you can be sure they will dump a glass of orange  juice all down the front of their white shirt.  Just trust me and have a back up.

#2.  If you are super smart, you will have lunches made the night before too.  Why?  Cause when you don’t, that is when you realize that all you have left in the fridge is a left over piece of pizza and half a bagel.  Not cool.

#3.  Breakfast is easy.  Whatever crap food you serve them be it a bagel, toaster waffle, instant oatmeal ...just throw some fresh fruit on the side and a glass of milk and you will feel like that Mom from Leave it To Beaver, or at the very least good ol Mrs Brady, at least she was smart enough to hire Alice.

#4.  Hair.  Girls are easy.  Pony tails.  Yes, straightening their pretty little locks may seem like a good idea, but it’s June people, the Head lice are taking over the schools!  Put that hair up!!  Boys, gel.  Head Lice don’t like gel.

#5.  Teeth.  Send them upstairs to brush and floss.  Remind them that they must brush WITH toothpaste.

Note: While your children are doing number 3 and 5, you’re running around emptying the dishwasher, starting the life elixir otherwise known as coffee, and throwing a load of laundry in.  This way no matter what else happens in the day, even if you spend the entire day eating bon bons and blogging,  you will look like you did something!

#6.  As your gorgeous kids come back downstairs, send them right back up again.  At least one of them forgot socks, the other one brushed her teeth, but she didn’t use toothpaste.

#7. Grab those pre-packed lunches and kiss them good bye.

#8. When you kiss the Hubby good bye, give him a big swat on the butt or even a little nip on the neck!  He will grin at your mischievous attitude, wonder what you put in your coffee, and think about you all day long.  This makes you one very smart girl.  

This my friends is how you get through survive mornings in the Suburbs.

Maple Leaf Pledge-My Thoughts

I was excited and honoured to be invited to attend a roundtable event this past week at Maple Leaf Foods to discuss the terrifying and tragic Listeria outbreak that occurred in August of 2008. This was an event that affected so many lives, impacted the way people think and the way they grocery shop for their families.   As a Mother of two, this was an opportunity I could not pass up. 

What did I expect?

Food, some spin, and some swag.

What did I get.

Food, the truth, honest answers, some swag and a giveaway.

As I entered the building in Mississagua Ontario I was met by the PR people of Matchstick, who had helped pull this event together, then encouraged to mingle with the other bloggers attending the event. 

Plenty of food and bloggers from the Toronto area were circulating and chatting.  The Natural Selections Turkey on top of  lightly toasted baguette with brie was a hit!  (by the way, this is also my new fave luncheon meat)

Not only were the Appetizers and bloggers circulating, but so were the Maple Leaf Food Executives!  I had the distinct pleasure of meeting President and CEO Michael McCain and Sharon Beals, Senior VP, Food Safety & Quality Assurance.

After a short time we were ushered to our tables for dinner. 

Mr. Michael McCain, CEO of Maple Leaf Foods got things started with a heartfelt speech regarding the events of August 2008 and Maple Leafs ownership of the Listeria outbreak.  He spoke of what happened in August of 2008.  Listeria took 22 lives.  What is the company doing now?  What kind of parameters are in place to prevent such a thing from ever happening again?   Maple Leaf Foods has created a Food Safety Pledge.  Mr.McCain spoke in detail about Maple Leafs commitment to this new food safety pledge.  Their promise to commit to being a global leader in the world of food safety.  To continue to commit to training and education.  To uphold the highest standard of testing.  To share their knowledge with the industry, government and consumers.  To place consumers first. 

They pledge to do these things by investing in people, bringing on experts and practicing discipline in their company. 

Ms Sharon Beals followed up with some startling safety statistics and tips that all consumers should know.  Did you know that Listeria is in every home?  No exception.

 

Following a lively question and answer period we were treated to a dinner of Maple Leaf products prepared by Chef John Placko, The Director of Culinary. 

Now I think I should back track a bit and say I was impressed to see the CEO, the Director of Culinary, and the Senor VP of Food & Safety there to speak to us.  Getting the word out about their Food Safety Pledge truly means something to these people, and to this company.  The passions with which these people spoke, the commitments they have made, this is a group of people who stand behind their company, who believe in their product and who want to make sure the consumer knows we are important to them. 

What we can do…

As consumers there are a few things we can do to keep ourselves safe from Listeria.

-wash our hands

-wash our reusable grocery bags

-store meat in the bottom of the refrigerator (umm I was not doing this!)

-shop your grocery store from the inside out!  Pick up your produce and meat last to keep it cold.

-use a meat thermometer to make sure your meat is cooked!

I came home and had a peek at the Food Safety Plan Checklist. It’s a good read!

What I think….

The Listeria outbreak of 2008 was a tragedy resulting in the deaths of 22 people.  Maple Leaf Foods is taking responsibility for this and implementing their Food Safety Pledge with the intent of being one of the world leaders in food safety.

Maple Leaf Foods is a company that cares about the production of it’s food from the beginning of it’s life cycle right through packaging to shelving.

Maple Leaf Foods is a company that truly believes in investing in people.  Ongoing training is an integral part of their plan to remain at the forefront of food safety.

I absolutely would recommend Maple Leaf Foods and will purchase their products for my family.

What I have for you….

Courtesy of Maple Leaf Foods, a giveaway.

A thermal grocery bag to help keep that food cool when you shop!

A Maple Leaf Apron, Meat thermometer, pen and coupons for approximately $20.00 of  Maple Leaf Products!

(1 Free box of New Prime Frozen Meat Products, 1 Free Package of New Natural Selections Deli Meats, $5.00 off a Purchase of New Natural Selections Deli Meats)

Mandatory Entry:

You must live in Canada and tell me about your favourite Maple Leaf Product or one you think you might like to try!

Easy Bonus Entries:

1. Follow me publicly on Goggle or tell me that you already do.

2. Follow me on Twitter @SassyModernMom or tell me that you already do, and give this giveaway a tweet. Leave your twitter name! You can tweet once every 24 hours. Just cut and paste:

Canadians! Win a Gift Package from Maple Leaf Foods.  #mapleleafpledge @SassyModernMom #GiveAway

3.  Give me a new Vote at "Top Mommy Blogger" by following this link:

Top Mommy Blogs.

(Don’t worry I’ll know if you voted cause my number will creep up)

You can do this once a day all week, then come on back and tell me you did!

4. “like” me on my new little fanpage.  I promise an extra entry and extra love to all who do!

Again, PLEASE…leave separate comments for each entry and make sure I can contact you!! Leave me a valid e-mail address!

Contest is open to residents of Canada.  Closes Friday June 11th.

The winner will be picked by Random.org and will have 72 hours to respond once they are contacted or a new winner will be drawn.

Good Luck!

* I received similar product in exchange for hosting this giveaway. No monetary compensation was given for this post. I am paying for shipping.  The opinions in this post are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the reception of said product.

*Now Closed

Winner ~ BBQ Boss Basket

Random.org has done  it’s magic and selected a winner! 

The winner of the fabulous basket courtesy of Gourmet Gift Baskets is lucky number 103!

Congratulations to Huguette E.

Who Tweeted!

daily tweet
http://twitter.com/henglish/status/15318630623

Thanks to all who entered and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Mwah!

ALWAYS the Bad Guy

Homework to be done?  I make them do it.

Rooms to be cleaned?  I ride them till they sparkle.  Kinda.

Did they brush their teeth?  With toothpaste?  You know I am the one who checks, and then sends them back to floss.

Pop for dinner?  Umm no.  Okay, usually no.  Sometimes yes.

Veggies and fruits.  They are consumed on my watch.

TV.  Turn it off.  GO and PLAY.  These are words uttered by the Mama.

Why must I always be the parent to scream declare…  “You are not wearing those filthy socks to school!  What will people think, that we can’t afford to wash socks?  That I chose to let you go out into the world with your pinky toe sticking out of your stinky socks.  Go and get a clean pair!  Quick like a bunny!”  NOW!!

Oh good grief SweetGirl, you are the one who wanted, begged, to take piano, why must I now set a timer and INSIST you practise.

Nag nag nag.  Is this my full time job?

Well at least this nagging crazy Mom got them to clean up their rooms, take their toys OUT of my family room, and straighten out their closets.  So I figure I win right? 

Until I stumble into the toy room that was just “CLEANED” and it looks like this…..

 

I have found the place where all toys go to die.  I give up. Apparently it is Dad’s turn to be the Bad Guy, cause I’m pretty sure this girl is gonna cry.

 

Wanna make me feel a wee bit better? Enter my giveaway for the BBQ Boss Gift Basket.  Thanks, you are the best.