sarah's blog

Well that plan didn’t last long. Can we just start out by scratching everything I said in that last post? That seems to be how most of my best-laid plans go since we had kids, as soon as they are made something happens to change everything and I have to start over with a new idea.

As it turns out, folks, this is just not the year for trying my all-online shopping plan. Normally, living far from family means online shopping saves time and money and makes it possible to make sure there are gifts under the tree in various cities in time for Christmas Day. But this year we’re having visitors from both families and that means the real time/money saver is to hit the stores in our neighbourhood early, wrap our purchases and send them home with family members. Saves shipping, forces us to get it done early and still gets those gifts under those trees.

So yet again this year due to circumstances, however happy, we are shopping both online and in person. So far we were able to send two gifts home with Jakki, purchase four online and plan to send gifts for my whole family home with my parents who arrive in less than a week!

As much as I wanted to try to shop online, it just makes sense to do it this way. Our neighbourhood is full of cute shops and unique gifts so to purchase them from far away when I know they exist one block over doesn’t seem to have enough of an upside, even if it means I wouldn’t have to leave my home.

Another point I’d like to bring up is that Christmas shopping is likely less stressful when done very early. I think I’ll find that going to stores is not nearly the beating that Metrotown was for me last year because I am there in early November, not mid-December. Oh, and it’s not a mall. Oh and my kids are one, not 2 months.

So goodbye online shopping plan, hello just get it done early.

I have been thinking about Christmas and starting early to pace myself for awhile now. I’ve tried it in the past with some success but I need to turn it up a notch this year, for two obvious reasons.

So when I read a post today on a blog I frequent I knew it was a sign to switch into high gear. I tend to agree with the author, it’s the gift buying, second guessing purchases and wrapping that slow me down and drag on until the last minute. I love the decorating so that is always done in a day, babies or no babies. Even last year with two month old twins still eating every three hours I didn’t neglect my holiday decor. It would take a lot more than that to keep those two green tubs on a storage room shelf through December.

So knowing what I know about gift giving stress, here’s my plan of attack. I’ve always wanted to try buying everything online and I think this may be the year to do it. Not that I can’t take the twins out for some shopping but a) they are too young to enjoy the holiday spirit and b) it is stressful to be bound by the clock, nap times, the hunger/impatience/ants-in-the-pants of two one year olds.

So I’m going to try it. I’ve made my list of people to shop for and some preliminary ideas. I’ve even purchased a gift for my nephews already. I predict I still run into the problem of indecision (is it just me or are there certain people in our lives who are SO easy to think of a gift for that they are actually the hardest ones for which to settle on just one thing??) and I’ll have to do my research to stay away from expensive shipping/stores that don’t ship to Canada, but I think it can be done.

First stop, Etsy. I’m a fan of small businesses and one-of-a-kind gifts and I think that’s the place I want to start.

As for me and my Christmas wish list… that’s another whole post which I am itching to write and will hopefully do so this afternoon. That makes me sound greedy but in truth it actually leads into a bit of bigger discussion I’ve wanted to have with you. Or this blog. Or myself if I’m the only one here.

I turned 29 recently, and though the day itself was pretty forgettable (save a delicious lunch at Meat and Bread with my other half and our littles, left) and the babies absolutely did not get the memo that they should cut me any slack, overall it was a good last birthday of my 20s.

John gave me a gift certificate to the Dirty Apron cooking school for a class of my choice. Months ago when we first looked at our apartment and walked down the streets of the neighborhood we walked by the school and it’s restaurant and commented on what fun it would be to take a class. Of course he remembered and now I get to choose to learn a little about French cooking, West Coast cooking, proper knife skills, etc. – and enjoy the amazing meal we’ll make. Of course a perk of this gift is that it means 4 hours of peaceful focus on something other than bottles, naps and diapers!

So 29. Maybe a bigger deal if I had the time to sit and think on it. But 28 was a busy, crazy year and 29 will likely be the same. Besides the year I got married, and maybe even including that, this may be the year of most change in my life. I don’t even have to explain beyond saying on my 28th birthday I didn’t have twins and on my 29th I did. That is all.

I have had enough time to reflect on making a couple small birthday resolutions for myself that I’d like to work on in my last year of my twenties. Nothing major really, a couple personal things I’d like to be different when I turn 30. Because of the events of this last year I haven’t had much time to focus on myself (hopefully that doesn’t sound like I think it might) and have started to feel a bit like a stereotype of a new mom: never do my hair, don’t like the way I look in anything, spend my time making sure my babies eat well and get physical activity whether I ever do or not.

So I’ve made some resolutions to help me break out of this funk, learn how to incorporate “regular girlie stuff” back into the life of a mom of twins and generally go into my 30s feeling like a yummy mummy and not a cliche.

And they are…

• Drink more water. A lot more. For my skin, for weight loss, for general youthfulness that will stick with me into my 30s.
• Take better care of my skin. It’s changed since having kids and for the first time since high school I think about how I don’t like it. So I’ve invested in better products, taken more time on it (and let that baby laundry pile up, oh well) and plan to start getting facials on a regular basis.
• Work out. Ya, like just do it. Because I don’t, ever. I’ve set some measurable goals with John and he’s committed to taking care of the babies for chunks of time that I can go to classes at the gym. My goal is to be in better shape when I turn 30 than I was before I had kids.

Ya, my goals are all personal and a little simple and maybe a bit, I don’t know, vain. But the thing is I don’t want to stay in the First Year Mom fog forever and when my kids are old enough to watch me I want them to see a person who is healthy, confident and happy in their own skin. I want to be so pumped to be 30 I’m counting down the days.

Let’s go 29, we got work to do.

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to those of you who gave to my birthday charity:water campaign. We raised $131 which will provide clean drinking water for 6 people.

Because the money was collected during September there is a good chance our contributions will go to the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic, with a goal of eventually providing clean drinking water for every member of that displaced people group.

I love doing campaigns for charity:water and I don’t plan to stop. In fact, maybe when the twins are born they can help me and we’ll do a family campaign. I would love for them to grow up with an awareness of the needs of others and that they would hold their money in open hands as a resource to care for people in need.

I think that’s a good thing to model to kids. So thanks for modeling generosity to me, again.

Charity:water is doing it again this year, their forth annual September Campaign, a tradition since their founder first gave up his birthday four years ago. This year they are doing a live well drill at 4:30pm EST, the first of their committed efforts for the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic.

I’m still raising money for my birthday, I’ve got 23 days left and we’ve raised $131 of my $280 goal. I’d love to see our goal reached, but in the mean time, check out this video about the well that will be drilled in a matter of hours, and the people whose lives it will change.

charity: water 2010 September Campaign: Clean Water for the Bayaka from charity: water on Vimeo.

If you’d like to donate to something like this, you can give through my birthday campaign here. 100% of our donations will go towards a well, very likely drilled for the Bayaka people of C.A.R.

Watch the live drill at 4:30pm EST

Our nephew turns one year old tomorrow and we got to celebrate at his first birthday party yesterday. We went to the park with friends, games, gifts, delicious treats and of course, the birthday boy.

It doesn’t feel like a year ago that I posted about our first nephew, the first grandchild, being born. We’re so blessed to live near family so we can be part of his life, this year and hopefully for years to come. Both John and I are really glad our kids will have at least one cousin close in age – and proximity – since neither of us did.

It would be great if we were able to keep living near them so our kiddos could have the cousin relationship we both missed out on, but that we see our own cousins who are close in age have with each other.

All that can seem far away, but as fast as this year passed, our own birthday party planning will no doubt sneak up on us sooner than we realize.

Happy birthday Cole.

Click on the pictures to see them full-size

Auntie Sarah, you're early, I'm not dressed!

Tell me you remembered my gift?!

Uncle John picked out the 'Plenty of Fish in the C' onesie from threadless.com just for me.

Blowing out candles is hard.

First Auntie Sarah's baby shower, now this. Mom is a party decorating pro.

Enough with the clothes, on to the toys.

Uncle John finally arrived!

Time to take a moment and soak up my big day.

I turned 28 on Thursday. As you know from years past, it is becoming an annual tradition for John to be away at training the whole week of my birthday. This year he was again across town in a dorm room with a pile of people but was able to come home on Wednesday night, beautiful flowers in hand, so he could wake up and say happy birthday to me on The Day. Coming in a close second was an early morning text from my mommy!

Last week my in-laws were here and we went out to dinner as an early celebration – I picked Swiss Chalet. My family knows what I’m talkin about. Then we had ice cream cake. I saved the cards I got in the mail to open on my birthday, so thanks Grandma H and Grandma and Grandpa B.

It wasn’t as bad to have John away this year because circumstances aligned to make Thursday an incredibly busy day with work and I ended up having to go in to the office to pick up packages and to do a million last minute things for the this conference I am helping to organize. All this kept me nice and distracted from the fact that my birthday was whizzing by.

But then some people in the office found out it was my birthday and ran out and got a cake and my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and nephew stopped by with desserts. I was starting to feel quite spoiled on a day that is considered to be postponed and will likely be celebrated again when the dust of conferences settles.

All in all it was a very full day and a very good one. I wouldn’t say relaxing, but productive, which can have a similar affect. Not much time to reflect on another year gone by, maybe in August I can think like that!

Hey, if you’re interested, I did a charity: water campaign for my birthday like I did at Christmas, just an opportunity to give a gift to someone who really needs it instead of me who has too much stuff in my house already. The campaign is still open for awhile longer so please consider helping me reach my goal of $280, clean water for 14 people. You’ve heard me go on and on about charity: water before but they’re good people, and 100% of your donation will go directly to the projects.

And don’t feel bad for me not getting gifts. My husband is buying me an iPhone 4.

Today was Valentines Day as well as Chinese New Year and Day 3 of the Olympics. Poor Vancouver, walking through the mall I can tell the stores are having complete marketing overload. Good thing red is the colour of all three events.

We celebrated with John’s sister Janna, sister Adrianne, her husband Gordie and our nephew with some Chinese food from Mr. Ho’s at our place. Add a bowl full of chocolates, some egg tarts and Chinese tea and I think we had the holidays covered.

John took care of ordering and picking up the Chinese food. He also gave me a hilarious card, the orchids you see below and helped clean up the house. What more could a girl ask for on Valentines Day?

Maybe a gold medal. (more…)

You are probably wondering why the word Christmas has shown up on my blog just a few days before the end of January. For exactly that reason actually: there are only a few more days in January people!!! That means the campaign I started in November to raise funds for water well projects in developing countries will come to an end and I’ll have raised $360 of my $500 goal.

I’ve mentioned Charity: Water before and several of you have given to the campaign (I also mentioned it in a post on giving back at Christmas time. I know that Christmas is a time when many worthwhile charities compete for your dollars and in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti it might be overwhelming to think of another need. But if you’ll indulge me, I want to tell you why I fundraise for Charity: Water and why you might want to get involved. (more…)

We just flew in this afternoon and made our way home, only for poor John to turn around and head back out again for a week of conference with university students. Not the most ideal follow-up to ten days with his entire family living under one roof (which includes one four month old now) but it’s an annual reality for him as long as he stays in the job he’s chosen. So far I have escaped the post-Christmas conference that, incidentally, also claims our New Years Eve. But if I move in the direction I think I will in my job, this time next year I may be dragging my tired self along with him. (more…)