At the end of the August I got sick. Stomach flu I believe it was, but I also felt off. I felt nauseous and threw up a few times so maybe that was the stomach flu acting, but I knew something was up. I didn’t feel like a normal sick (knowing my body) and I had other random symptoms (cramps, tired, weird sharp pains in my breasts) I automatically disregarding I could be pregnant because I was feeling these symptoms 5 days after sex. I mean really?! Can you feel symptoms that early?! I don’t think so. I asked a few friends and they said the same thing.”It’s probably your body acting up because of the flu”. I even did some online searches and majority of the sites said extremely early  symptoms (as in 5 days after sex (so 2 days after ovulating) ) seemed to be a bit much.

Either way, I was sure I was. I told my husband and he said, it was too early to tell. Even my friends thought I was crazy. How could you know that early you are pregnant. How is that even possible?

I decided to purchase a lot of 25 pregnancy tests online because I didn’t want to spend 12$ on one pregnancy test in the pharmacy and the lot including shipping was 10$. I figured, if my head was playing games with me, then I would have more for future testing.

So they say a woman knows her body right? and that everyone is different? Clearly that’s my case. Once I received the tests in the mail, I automatically unwrapped 1 and tested it out. Sure it wasn’t my morning pee, but what the heck I had 24 other sticks if this one was negative. Well after 2 positives. It’s official. I’m pregnant. AGAIN

Part 1. Les Finances 

In the last months of being on maternity leave and my husband not working many hours due to slow season… we sorta got in a slump. I got depressed about our finances, depressed with the fact that we weren’t really going anywhere and clearly we weren’t going in the right direction. Yes, we are in debt and it’s an accumulation of many factors. The fact that my husband went back to school for 2.5 years and we were on 1 salary. The fact that we wanted stuff now, rather than save money for it… clearly the credit card became an easy mean to get what we wanted and I was FED UP.

I ended up talking to some online friends about what I should do to improve my finances. If they had tricks I could use and someone mentioned Dave Ramsey. I didn’t know who that was so I started googling and reading up on the man. I never thought 1 person would change my life like he has, this far. I signed up to do his Online Financial Peace University and I’m happy to report we haven’t used our credit cards since (april) (with this 1 exception but we paid it off right away) I want to live like no one else so that later on I can live like no one else. I don’t want to be normal (when normal means being in debt) so we are attacking our finances one day at a time in hope to be debt free by my 30th birthday. (less than 2 years from now)

Is it easy? no. Are we used to budgeting ever penny we have? no. Is it worth it? BIG FAT YES! I will explain in a series of posts what we are doing to work towards our goal. Whether it be ways to save money, how to properly discuss big purchases and I’ll even include some free downloads to help you get a hold of your finances. For those out there with debt. I know how you feel and trust me when I say, just in 2.5 months I see money a completely different way. So get ready for operation “Organzing me vie”

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You probably recognize a few items from Ikea; Bedding, curtains, night table, lamp, storage, planter, boxes and carpet (ya, I guess it’s a little more than a few). I tried to make it not so obvious though by pairing it with vintage elements, custom artwork and hand painted framed mirror. There are so many little details in my room that I don’t have shots of. (I think this might call for another shooting.)

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My favorite piece has to be that 1930s chipped paint window pane. I decided to turn the window pane and place it horizontally so that I can display elements; a necklace, scarf, typography book and painted two letters in gray and leaned them against the wall. I really love how it frames each piece and makes it – it’s own piece of art. Definitely something people comment on when they come in our room.

We also purchased from an antique shop a really really old wooden chair and coat rack that we placed in the corner of the room. The chair isn’t meant to sit on (since it’s a little worn out) so I used it to display books instead. I just love all that chipped paint.

Now I can’t guarantee our room will stay like this forever (since I love switching things around) but for now this is it. Can’t wait to show you more when the other areas in our home are complete.

The colors are pretty simple. Red, Blues and Whites. Since we don’t have a fireplace, I used the half wall to display a garland with lights and our stockings. Even Mavi has his “Baby’s First Christmas” stocking.

Our Christmas tree is actually pretty small (was perfect for our previous apartment) so we will definitely upgrade next year. But I love it. The tree is pretty basic. Only has red and blue ornaments and red crystal fruit garlands. What I love about the garlands is that with the lights they shimmer. So pretty.

Our next door neighbour is the sweetest man ever. I wanted to have lights in my window because it makes the whole house light up. Only problem : because of the aluminum frame tape didn’t stick and I couldn’t use clips or staples. He offered to make wood frames and staple the lights to that. Best part, he even painted them white so that they would blend in with the existing frames and putting them away is even easier. Unplug, take the frames off and store. Next year I just have to put them back in, plug them and tada… let there be light!

This year, I made my first holiday decoration. I actually enjoyed making the red tinsel wreath (which cost me a whole 0$) that I might make it a yearly thing. Craft something and add it to our decoration stash. I think that could be a great tradition, even when Mavi is a little bigger.

Next year will be even better and I can wait to decorate all over again. I think I will make it a yearly thing, to share our holiday decorations so that we can compare. My next purchase will be ornaments. I think I want to purchase a different ornament every year so that our tree can grow into something unique. Oh and I would love to add more lights to the outside of the house. If only my husband wasn’t afraid of heights. Gotta work on that.

Happy Holidays from the Glamour This! House.

]]> http://blushink.com/reveal-christmas-2010/feed/ 6 http://blushink.com/reveal-our-dining-room/ http://blushink.com/reveal-our-dining-room/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:30:53 +0000 Kelly | Glamour This! http://blushink.com/?p=4941 Earlier this year, I had created an inspiration board with elements in our dining room to have an overall feeling of the design route I was going in. Well, I am finally happy to announce that our dining room is officially complete and I am ready to share it with the world. Actually I am really excited to.

A mixture of modern and vintage pieces can be found thoughout the space. From vintage teacups to a DIY chalkboard and my ultimate favorite piece – our table, the dining room is definitely a space I love to hang out in.

Having a pretty big family, I wanted to have a table that would stand the test of time as my own little family grew. I wasn’t too keen on having an extension at the middle of the table (ruins the prettiness) and this table’s extension is actually at the end of the table. (Smart!) It was also important for me to have a wood table, but I wanted something that would be a little rough looking because I wanted to make sure once my “children” grew up, the little scuffs and marks wouldn’t show. The washed out blackwood table was perfect. Fit all my criteria, and I have to admit I have a crush on my table. I love it so much!

We used a bookcase to display the obvious cookbooks but as well as vintage teacups I received as a gift last Christmas. Our table centerpiece or should I say centerpieces… are a mixture of elements. I used a white ceramic square cake stand to display napkins, Clear glass candle sticks with turquoise candles for that pop of color, a clear glass cake bell to display a vintage teacup (my favorite one) as well as some vintage blue tinted masson jars. Even the our cat seems to love the new space.

If you want to see a before picture (actually it’s the old owner’s dining room) then click here.

]]> http://blushink.com/reveal-our-dining-room/feed/ 10 http://blushink.com/happy-3-months-mavi/ http://blushink.com/happy-3-months-mavi/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:22:15 +0000 Kelly | Glamour This! http://blushink.com/?p=4280 Today, you turn 3… and so much has happened since. I can actually say it was the month of firsts.

First road trip. We drove 6 hours from Montreal to Toronto to visit my good friends aka Newlyweds Julie and Jeremy. They had never met you before and found you one cutie petutie. Julie loved holding you… where as Jeremy loved watching you. When in Toronto… we went on your first, my first trip to the hockey hall of fame where daddy took a picture of you with the stanley cup. (I have a feeling you will make your friends jealous)

First workout. We started working out together. (well I workout outdoors with the stroller and you do what you love best… sleep) It’s been 4 weeks already and it’s fun. You love the outdoors so I will try to go outdoors with you more often. You love the stoller more than you love the car.

First giggle. This one I loved. I was doing our daily morning routine where I sing to you and make you dance… and well when I started singing Skid-a-ma-rink (from the elephant show) you started giggling. You love that song. So now I sing it to you daily.

First bath in the big person bath. You no longer fit in the sink, so we had to go in the big boy bath. Well… apart from daddy putting water in your eyes, you didn’t cry and you slowly realized that you could move your hands and feet in the water. Now, you love bath time.

Your favorite things : Your hands, baby einstein (you actually laugh when you see those puppets), your playmat, your pacifier/blanket and sleep.

Happy 3 months, mommy loves you xox

We are going to visit some friends because we unfortunately couldn’t make it at their wedding (Mavi was barely 3 weeks old) so I figured a whole weekend with the newlyweds is wayyyyy better

Nothing is really planned and thats just how I like it. There will be walking, dinning, shopping and alot of talking. I’m sure it will be loads of fun.

How was your first trip with baby ? Any tips I should know of ?

Back on Monday. Have a great weekend.

I was a hungry baby. And so is Mavi. He’s a champ when it comes to drinking. 5 mins tops and he’s done. He burps like a champ, sometimes I wonder how such a loud noise can come out of such a small thing.  He smiles all the time. Just like his dad did when he was a baby. Phew. So glad he got that from him. When people see Mavi they are so impressed on how alert he is, and how he is all smiles. “You have one good baby” they tell us, and I smile. Hoping this is not just a dream and that he will stay this way until he’s 18.

BUT, I have one impatient baby. He knows what he wants and he wants it NOW. So the only time he cries. He doesn’t cry, he yells… he is hysterical. But it lasts a whole 2 secs, until he gets boobie, or we change his diaper. He gets that from his dad. Le sigh.

When I was a baby and even a toddler, one thing for sure, I loved to sleep. LOVED IT. So much that my mom would tell me “if you don’t finish dinner, you aren’t going to bed” I am serious!!! Who says that?! Not sleeping = punishment. That was me. Sleep was the best time for me and I loved it oh-so much. Well apart from Mavi having my eyes, loving a pacifier, sucking his thumb and being a big drinker like me… he sleeps, and to me that is the BEST thing he could have taken from me. At just 5 weeks, he started sleeping 5 hours, then 6 and that kept going on. At 6 weeks he was sleeping 8 hours straight. Just last week at 8 weeks, he slept 10 hours straight. 10 hours. I couldn’t believe it. And he naps too. (not all the time… but I am I can’t complain. If he slept all through the night)

Since day 2, he’s been sleeping in his crib. I tried having sleep 1 night in his basinet and he would make too many noises it kept me up all night… so I said to myself no freaken way. So in the crib he went. Luckily he slept and never had issues with the crib. The hubs and I agreed that we wouldn’t be those parents that would stop living when the baby slept. So we passed the vaccum, had the tv on loud, we would basically continue living while baby slept. Of course he woke up once or twice or jumped in his crib, but now he’s a champ and can sleep through anything and can sleep anywhere.

He also can fall asleep in his crib by himself. As I type this that’s exactly what he is doing. Looking at his mobile, with covers and his pacifier… and then he’s out cold. I love that. Plus, I realized that when he sleeps 9 hours or more, he wakes up in his crib and just chats with his friends. So he even lets me sleep. Who does that?! We realized this when the hubby got up for work and saw he was awake at 6am. So I waited until he cried to get up. I looked at the clock and it was 7am. He was still wide away, looking and chatting to the mobile.

I am not trying to brag at all in this post… just saying how things are. I am even impressed  myself. It only makes me wonder how baby #2 will be. No, I am not pregnant now, but when we do decide to have another. Probably that baby will be the opposite of Mavi and that scares me a whole lot.  Until then, I am hoping his sleeping habits will stay… keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

How is your baby like you?

]]> http://blushink.com/hes-like-me/feed/ 8 http://blushink.com/i-wish-i-dressed-cool/ http://blushink.com/i-wish-i-dressed-cool/#comments Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:30:00 +0000 Kelly | Glamour This! http://blushink.com/?p=3996 A couple of weeks ago I tweeted : “I wish I dressed cool and had a sense of fashion. #stilllearning” I have to admit I feel depressed about my clothes. Majority doesn’t fit because my body is still in transition. And well… the pieces I do have. Suck. They suck hard and I want to throw it all out and start over.

But let me make a correction about my tweet. I don’t dress super bad. Just not great. I’ve learned to understand my body so I know what looks nice and not nice. But my wardrobe sucks. Literally. I don’t have the classic pieces… meaning I don’t own a little black dress, no black pants, and no black shoes. WTH?! I know… isn’t that retarded. So now I find myself wanting to shop shop shop shop shop. But it’s so frustrating when you try on endless clothes and nothing fits. I have the same issues with shoes…especially after I gave birth. My feet changed and all my old shoes are too tight. Egh.

I love these looks – From Ruche

So I need your help fashionistas. I am looking for great inexpensive timeless pieces that can dress up or dress down with accessoires. What’s your favorite store and or online shop? (online, since shopping with a baby isn’t the easiest task) Oh and I’m no skinny minny. So XL is a must and no I don’t own a pair of leggings. (so maybe the images above might not be the perfect look for my body type)

I am in serious need of clothes. Especially since fall is just around the corner. I have very little long sleeve shirts, jackets, and flat shoes. Where should I begin? Bottoms or Tops?! I feel so clueless.

]]> http://blushink.com/i-wish-i-dressed-cool/feed/ 3 http://blushink.com/happy-2-months-mavi/ http://blushink.com/happy-2-months-mavi/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:21:05 +0000 Kelly | Glamour This! http://blushink.com/?p=4072 Today you turn 2 and you’ve gotten so much bigger since your last photoshoot. (I know, Mommy needs to invest in a good camera… but for now this will do)

You are sweetest. You smile, makes noises and talk to pretty much anything. You still love Audrey Hepburn, you love to sleep and you love your thumb. Alot.

Happy 2 months baby, mommy loves you xox