Some of This and Some of That

When my dad and I were driving to the restaurant for the annual Dad and Daughter Dinner Saturday, we noticed that at 6 p.m. it was not yet dark. In the mornings, light has broken the night by about 7:20.

So while today may be Blue Monday – the considered the most depressing day of the year – the fact that it is not dark all the time, makes me quite happy.

Helping pass the winter blahs is the fact our ice rink is everything we had hoped for.

While our guy still has no interest in using it with skates, he has discovered the joy of being pushed around on a chair.

You can get great speeds, particularly if Daddy is pushing while he is on skates.

We are trying to get out as often as possible. Last night we went for about a half a hour before my toes got cold and bed called my name.

I have decided the sound of blades on ice is one of the most wonderful sounds.

I am not much of a skater but I certainly have improved. I can now slow down and do little twirls without landing on my bum.

And I purposely slide my skate across the ice just so I can hear the sound of it.

During our bathroom break at the Real Canadian Superstore, I discovered cooking classes for children.

I am so excited. There are three I am considering signing our guy up for. I think he will love it.

We made Oscar the Grouch Garbage Pail cookies Friday night.

The recipe was found in a Cookie Monster cookie book we bought for our guy for Christmas.

Oh how times have changed.

According to Cookie Monster, cookies are a sometime snack and you should always eat your fruits and vegetables first.

It seems sad to mess with Cookie Monster’s diet of cookies, lots of them, all the time and eaten at an incredibly fast pace.

Fashion Misfit No More?

I may not have to shop at Thyme Maternity after all.

Last week, my son, my mom and I spent a day shopping. I purchased my first real bra, and found some great deals for my son at my new favourite children’s store - Once Upon a Child.

I then spent the remainder of the day looking for jeans and tops for my work wardrobe that currently has neither in it.

By about 3 p.m. I was frustrated.

I finally went into Reitmans’s to try something, anything on.

The problem is I do actually like clothing but what seems to work on the mannequin and the store’s posters, doesn’t seem to work on me. I look at it and think, ‘I can’t pull off this look; I don’t know how.’

I guess I think people will look at me and think ‘She’s trying too hard.’

So with that in mind, I took my mom, my son and I left the mall and drove to the Real Canadian Superstore where I had hoped to be as successful as I was at No Frill where I found pants - that fit - for $5 each. Unfortunately, I found nothing.

Since we were within walking distance to some of the big box stores, we decided to stop in at Mexx. I had been in the mall version of the same store and wasn’t expecting much.

But then, the mall version didn’t have Sara.

Big box Mexx may be my new favourite store.

Sara was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and she took my fashion issues in stride. She found me items on sale, matched them and told me what would work - and what wouldn’t - with each piece.

I found jeans and three tops at Mexx and left feeling that I not only got a good deal, but that I may not be a fashion misfit any longer.