January Update

I can't believe we're halfway through January already! Time flies when you're having fun.

We had EZ's 3rd Birthday party over the weekend and it was a big success. We *tried* to keep it simple this year, but as you know, I like to do things big. EZ had a blast with his family & all his little friends. I'm editing the photos now, but here's a sneak peek!

Alright, let's see...what else is new?

We're on the hunt for new kitchen chairs since selling our counter-height dining set. I'll post about that soon because I think I need your advice on a table too. Oh and I changed the drapes in the kitchen too!

I think that our dining room is done. Finally. Ok, well, except for a few pillows, but I seriously LOVE the finishing touches {ie. art} that we added to it. We started this process a YEAR ago {literally!}, so it's nice to reflect on how much we've accomplished in that time.

Our living room is getting there. I'll blog about it soon. I posted on Twitter some cool chairs that we picked up from Kijiji. But recently, we hung up some new art and a mirror that I got from HomeSense. 

See? So many posts to write, so little time. Thanks for following our adventures. And thank you for being patient :)

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EZ is 3 Years Old!

Happy 3rd Birthday to our wonderful EZ!!!

EZ insisted on wearing his Thomas costume this morning. We just gotta roll with it, sometimes!

 We just can't get over what a wonderful little man our EZ.  How the time flies when you are truly having fun! EZ is bright, engaging and adorable.  We are so blessed to have him as our son.

It doesn't seem like 3 years ago when he was born. He was always such a good and happy baby. I think that's what I admire most about him now. He's ALWAYS happy, except when he's sick. But to him, "HAPPY" is the opposite of sick. 

EZ is always joking now, and he really pulls my leg sometimes too. He loves to play, and has the imagination to amuse himself independently, but also the social skills to play with others. 

He's now moved up to Sunbeams class in Primary at Church {and doing very well considering he's the youngest}, but his nursery teachers tell me that he always shared his toys and that you could almost reason with him.

EZ's Favourites at Age 3:

• CARS. Anything that moves, really. Trains, planes, motorcycles. He's fascinated with it. Not naming names, but it wasn't me, but *someone* showed him how to look at cars/crashes on Youtube, and now he loves that...*sigh*
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• iPad - Either mine or granddad, this kid LOVES to play on "his" iPad. He reads books, plays games, colours and even watches Youtube {see above}. I can't believe how tech-savvy kids are these days!
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•  His family & friends - EZ loves his family & friends, especially his baby sister. He likes to rhyme everyone's name off, then tell you how he knows them. He also likes to advise whether or not they are a boy or girl, or whether they are his "Best Boy" or "Best Girl". Luckily, I often {though not always!} fall into the Best Girl category.
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• Food? - He'll tell you he only eats fries, treats & ice cream, but he secretly loves carrots, apples, peanut butter & pasta. He constantly talks about broccoli, but he won't try it just yet. Maybe kale is next?
• His "cwass" - EZ takes sportball classes and loves his coach. EZ is a natural at sports. He starts soccer classes in February, and we're thinking about trying skating again. He seriously thinks he's in the NHL. When we watch hockey, he'll play while the players are on the ice. He only stops when there's a break in the action.
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• Vocabulary - EZ's vocab is always surprising us. Whether it's compounding words like "misappear" {ie. it's missing/it disappeared}, or something lost is a "mystery", EZ is always using expanding his vocabulary and phrases. He says things like, "Don't think about it", which I think refers to me advising Little A who is trying to escape up the stairs, "Don't even think about it." It's very cute. We're constantly amazed by how much he understands, not just verbal words but social cues too. His favourite phrase now, "How did THAT happen?"
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• Colours & shapes - What's EZ's favourite colour? STOP {as in Red like a stop sign}. He also refers to "banana" for yellow. As for shapes, he recently surprised us by saying his ciabatta sandwich was a triangle. He was right. I asked him how he knew, and he says it had 3 sides - one, two, three. I then showed him a round bowl and asked him what shape it was - he said hexagon. Close, but how does he know what a hexagon is anyway?
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• Left & Right - He's learning L & R. One day when he tripped he told me he hurt his "left bum". Curious about this information re: left & right, I questioned him about other things that are "left" and "right", and he correctly answered most things. This kid is bright, I tell ya!

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EZ: Mummy's Little Kijiji Helper

We're tidying up and organizing our house today. Part of that includes selling some items on Kijiji. 

Never one to miss a party, EZ wanted to help out. He tried to get into almost *every* photo I snapped of the items I'm selling. I told him that I'd take pictures of just him, so here are a few of my little guy trying to help us "Kijiji-ing"!

 He's so tuckered out from all his work that he actually put HIMSELF down for a nap. He just went to his room and shut the door. Maybe I'll keep him employed a bit longer :)

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2012 Simple REVOLUTIONS

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Ah, the inevitable New Year is upon us - blank canvases full of promise and optimism. Usually, I use the SMART checklist to plan my resolutions, most of which are weight loss related.  Then, since I'm an all-or-nothing personality, if I slip up slightly, I'm off the wagon completely and never really recover.
 
So THIS New Year - I'm trying something different. My resolutions are simple and achievable. 

I'm resolving to:

1. EAT KALE
2. RUN
3. OM


EAT KALE  

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I need to eat my greens and kale is a SUPER POWER food with SO many vitamins and minerals. It is so good for me. And I need to be good to me :) My plan is to eat kale at least once a day - preferably every meal, but I'm not going to get hung up on the details. Just eat kale. Simple. Since turning vegan back in July 2011, my diet has turned to completely animal-free, but I find I'm eating "veganized" junk food {cookies, snack foods, etc} more than REAL food. Eating kale and the like should also prompt me to revert back to the basics of a whole foods plant-based lifestyle - VEGETABLES, WHOLE GRAINS, FRUIT.

RUN 

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Running doesn't necessarily mean running, but it does mean sweating every day - walking, elliptical, biking, zumba - they all count too. I just need to break a sweat every day. I feel like a better, more successful person when I'm exercising, and cardio helps me feel on top of my game. I don't want to put a time restriction on my cardio because some days I'll get two hours {in my dreams!} and some days it will be 10 minutes. I just want EVERY LITTLE BIT to count and not discount my shorter cardio times.

OM 

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Yoga is going to be my favourite activity ever. I just KNOW it. I just have to get to class! I've tried hot yoga recently and LOVED it. But I'm a little shy/self-conscious, so I haven't been back to class. Yes, I feel a little intimidated. Well, I need to get over myself because my life is SO stressful sometimes, and I know that yoga can help me calm myself and feel more centred.

So, there they are - my three ingredients for a successful 2012.

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January 1st - Time for the Winter Mantel!

I love New Year's Day. So much hope & optimism. Everyone has a blank canvas with plans for a bright future.

I thought today was the perfect day to show off my sparkly & bright Winter Mantel.

It feels like I just put away the Christmas decorations, then brought a few glittery bits back for the winter. Yes, it's true. But I cannot give up my sparkle & glam -- even in the winter.

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