Traveling is always more work than I expect it to be…which is part of the reason the Proactiv winners have not yet been announced. They have been chosen, and their info sent to the contest coordinator. And don’t worry, I’ll announce them soon, very soon.

Traveling threw me off the Proactiv routine for a little while. It was interesting to observe my skin when that happened. For a little while my acne was worse than before I started using Proactiv at all. So, note to all, follow the routine religiously!

In other news, Lucy is TWO now. Two. Two whole years. I wish I had half the energy she’s got. She’s as cute as ever and talking up a storm. And we hit the WHO 2 year nursing minimum mark! It was a personal goal of mine so I’m very happy to have reached it.

In addition to being two years old Lucy now sleeps all by herself. What the what?! What happened to the little baby who slept by my side all night? As much as I might miss my nocturnal snuggle bug I’m happy for her. She’s growing more and more independent. And to celebrate that independence she’s getting her very own big girl bed, and big girl bedroom; a bedroom I’ve been planning for over a year, a Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds room.

Oh yes.

It will be all kinds of adorable. The adorable-ness will be EPIC.

Here’s a sneak peak:

These prints will be hung on the wall as 8x10s. Each one is taken from a Beatles song that I’ve always associated with Lucy, and that have a sky theme. I’m trying to decide if and how I want to share these designs. Part of me wants to be selfish and not make them available for download at all so they’re one-of-a-kind for Lucy. Part of me wants to offer them for sale. And part of me wants to just say “screw it” and offer them for free. What do you think?

Other projects I’ll be working on feverously in the next 10 days or so (before heading back to work) include an i-spy quilt, lots and lots of super fun pillows, wall decals, and…well…how about I just show you when (if?) I get it all finished?

One more thing before I close, if you’d like to see our family’s Christmas newsletter you can view it here. There’s more family photos from our recent session and they’re super cute.

See you next year! ;)

You know how when you hit puberty everybody warns you about the changes your body will go through and how you’ll grow out of the awkwardness, and the crazy hormonal mood swings, and the acne? Well, everybody lied. At least, in my case, when it comes to acne, there was no growing out of it. There was also no respite from it during pregnancy (did you get the magical pregnancy glow? Because I most certainly did not). I’ve tried tea tree oil; I’ve tried honey and baking soda; I’ve tried some acne wash systems from the local store; I’ve tried switching to mineral make-up. But still the acne won’t go away (the mineral make-up really does make a difference, but it only does so much). Which is why I signed myself up for the 30-day Proactiv Challenge (with a giveaway for YOU, details below).
I’ll be using a new 3-step system:

The 3-Step System: Designed for daily use in the prevention and treatment of blemishes, it gently cleanses and exfoliates while targeting blemish-causing bacteria in the pores.
Step 1: Renewing Cleanser: A unique oil-free formula, with exclusive micro-crystal pharmaceutical-grade benzoyl peroxide, that contains smooth, tiny beads to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and other impurities.
Step 2: Revitalising Toner: A refreshing, alcohol-free toner with glycolic acid that helps balance skin tone and remove dead skin cells to reveal the vital, radiant skin beneath. Its special formulation to balance skin's natural acids includes witch hazel to refine and purify pores and aloe and chamomile to soothe and soften.
Step 3: Repairing Treatment: A light, oil-free lotion containing exclusive microcrystal pharmaceutical-grade benzoyl peroxide. The Repairing Treatment penetrates deep into the pore to help heal blemishes and help prevent future breakouts. The advanced delivery system is safe for the entire face and any other blemish-prone areas.

The new exclusive micro-crystal pharmaceutical-grade benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is refined to be small enough to penetrate pores and help clear blemishes, without causing irritation. These finely milled particles allow the medicines to work quickly and more effectively than ever before. The new 3-Step System (Renewing Cleanser, Revitalising Toner and Repairing Treatment) are the same proprietary and effective formulas as Original Proactiv, with the same luxury skin-care ingredients – only the active ingredient (BPO) has been improved. New Proactiv also has the same great texture and fragrance as Original Proactiv.

Okay, let’s be honest: I’m really not interested in all that “fancy new formula sciencey-stuff blah blah blah.”  What interests me is what my skin is going to look like 30 days after my package arrives. If you have adult acne you probably understand completely that after a while results are all you care about. I’d rub my face on a smelly cow flank every day if I thought it would give me clear skin. So I’m going to find out if this suped-up new system walks the walk. I’ll keep you up to date on Twitter (under the hashtag #NewProactiv), and at the end of the 30 days I’ll post my final results here on the blog.
In the meantime I’d love to hear your experiences with Proactiv. Have you tried it? Did you like it? Most importantly, did it work? Do you want to try it? Why? Tell me in the comments, and if you’re a Canadian resident you’ll be entered to win a full size, Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer (valued at $33 CAD). Contest is open through December 17th. You must leave your e-mail address in your comment. You may enter this contest on the blogs of other bloggers doing the 30 day challenge, but you can only win once. I will choose a total of 5 winners via Random.org!


Now closed to entries. 


Disclosure - I am participating in the New Proactiv Canada program hosted by Mom Central on behalf of Guthy-Renker. I received a 30-day trial kit and a gift card as thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

There are so many ways to “share a smile.” You can do random acts of kindness for strangers (try paying for the order behind you in the Starbuck’s drive-thru). You can help out a friend, or neighbor (I bet there are some snowy walks that could use shovelling). You could donate time or funds to a cause in need (during the holidays there are all kinds of food drives). But one of the easiest ways to share a smile is to do just that…share your smile! When others smile at us it’s often a reflex that we smile in response. And when we smile we trick our brains into thinking we’re happy (even if we are maybe not in the best of moods). This holiday season, instead of wearing a grumpy sour puss when I’m out navigating the shopping and flying crowds I’m going to make an effort to smile. And I hope you will too.

Another thing you can do to share a smile is check out the Snack Pack Share A Smile Campaign. I usually don’t accept pitches from huge companies, but I don’t mind getting behind something positive. So when I got the heads up about the campaign from Mom Central I decided to sign up. Snack Pack Canada is donating $1 to Food Banks Canada for every “smile” shared on their Facebook Page. They’re aiming to donate $20,000. Check out the page, “Like It,” and follow the easy instructions and $1 will be donated on your behalf. You can even send “smiles” to your friends and $1 will be donated on their behalves as well.

ETA: Oops! I forgot to mention! When you “share a smile” via the Facebook page you can choose to be entered to win weekly prizes!

Disclosure – I am participating in the Snack Pack program by Mom Central on behalf of Conagra Foods Canada. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

This holiday season I hope you’ll share a smile, in whatever way works best for you.

I was recently approached by Misty at Baby Sign Language to ask if I’d like to host a guest post on the topic of baby signing. I took two years of American Sign Language in high school (and loved it) so, naturally, we used sign with Lucy. It was awesome. Do you know how convenient it is to have a baby who can tell you they have a wet diaper? It’s very convenient. Lucy seemed to grow out of signing once she found verbal words (she’s a talker, just like her mum was/is)! But sign really helped us as parents before she learned to communicate with spoken language. That’s why I was very happy to accept Misty’s offer to guest post. I was fortunate enough to have a background in signing. But if you don’t then you should add Baby Sign Language to your bookmarks folder straight away. And now, without further ado, here’s Misty:

Sign Language And Speech Development

Babies communicate in many different ways. Even though they can’t talk, their repertoire is vast. Through facial expressions, crying, babbling, or moving nearer to Mommy they make their needs known. The ways in which babies communicate their needs are as individual and special as they are. Baby sign language can help a baby’s communication – it is a two-way thing, from mommy to baby and back again.

How Babies Learn To Talk

One of the best ways to encourage language development is to simply talk to your baby. Babies learn by imitation and repetition. Whether he is playing, watching or listening, your baby is learning from you and from the world around him. Imitation and repetition are important if he is to develop any new skill – how to talk, how to sign, or just how to interact with the world.

Baby Sign Language gives babies and parents another tool for communication. Many studies show that Baby Signing does not replace speech, but actually aids its development, by improving a baby’s confidence in his ability to communicate. Speech plays a very small part in communication before the age of two, but baby sign language can play a big part in communication from a very young age.

Communication And The Confident Child

Babies who able to communicate their needs successfully will become more confident than babies who struggle to be understood. Every time you respond to your baby correctly – validating his efforts at communication – his confidence grows. As your baby’s confidence grows, so does his ability to communicate. This is a positive spiral. Sadly the opposite is also true – when a baby is not shown that his efforts at communication are working, he may withdraw. Some babies go on to develop very extreme ways of getting your attention – also known as tantrums!

Responding To Your Baby

To help with speech development, babies need to know you have received their messages when they try to communicate with you. Nod, smile, or pick him up, but make sure your response fits what your baby is trying to communicate.

Does Baby Sign Language Interfere With Speech Development?

The short answer is no! Talking is only one small part of communication. For pre-school children it is often only a small part of their range of skills. Children – and adults – communicate with each other through touch, facial expressions, tone and volume of voice. Babies instinctively communicate by using hand gestures. Learning baby sign language can help your baby make sense of the world in this natural way.

Speech development is a natural progression for children as they listen to what’s going on around them. Talking to your baby, reading stories, explaining every day chores and activities, are positive ways to encourage speech. Adding sign language gives your baby another tool for communication. There is no evidence to suggest that Sign Language For Babies slows down speech development – but the opposite may in fact be true.

I think we’re all clear in the Dork Household. I think the Great 2010 Vomit-Fest is over. *furiously knocks on wood* And now I’ve got some blog stuff to tackle! We leave for Ohio on December 16th and won’t be back until the 29th. And you know what?

I’m not blogging while I’m gone.

Well…at least, I’m not planning to. Maybe I’ll make a short update here or there. But no promises!

I am, however, already working on ideas for this blog for next year. Lately I feel like I’ve just been barely keeping the blog alive, but I’d like that to change. But first, a vacation to visit my family! But before that…I’ve got some cool stuff for you (including giveaways)!

Unfortunately, I’m afraid a CSN giveaway will *not* be happening as soon as expected. The Canadian shipping situation on the CSN network is a little tricky so we’re re-evaluating some things.CSN sponsors giveaways on lots of other blogs, so keep your eyes open while you’re waiting on me.

I’ve got a great guest post going up later today, as well as some promo posts later this week.

Here’s hoping your family avoids the bugs going around!

My week has not gotten better.

Just as Lucy seemed to be getting well again it was my turn to be miserable and pukey. Then I felt better but Lucy got sick again.

I’ve missed three days of work again this week (last week I missed work because of the car vandal, boooo!). Which is especially sucky because this is my boss’s busy season and she is swamped. Not to mention, um…we need the income (helloooo student loans)! I have serious, SERIOUS cabin fever from being cooped up with a very sad, very whiny almost-two-year-old for nearly five days.

My birthday is Sunday. Is it too much to ask that it be vomit free?

Adam is not having the best birthday ever.

He was woken this morning at about 1:00 am after Lucy vomited all over me in the bed. She proceeded to have vomiting bouts until about 3:00 am.

She seemed all better come morning, though she was having some light diarrhea (which leaked out of her diapers and soiled her pants several times). It certainly didn’t make for good birthday fun trying to clean all the clothing and bedding (and carpet) that had either poop or puke. But come 5:30 we would be heading to see Harry Potter with Uncle Spencer, the first movie we were going to see in theatres since Inception.

Then Lucy threw up again.

Soooo…I’m staying home. Adam feels terrible that I’m missing Harry Potter. And trust me, it does suck. But I told him I’d feel even worse if he missed it too, especially on his birthday. Besides, we already bought tickets. No sense wasting the cost of two tickets instead of just one, right?

So I went out to the store to pick up some higher quality, heavy duty diapers for the kiddo (and some pizza and snack cakes – though maybe I should have gotten booze). And what did I discover on my way?

Our car had been vandalized.

Again.

That’s right, the passenger side mirror is hanging off the car by nothing but the wiring. This jerk couldn’t wait a week before he broke my car again? We haven’t even had a chance to see our insurance agent and upgrade to comprehensive insurance yet (going in Tuesday). We just shelled out $500 to fix the damn windshield he kicked in. Now we have to fix something else? What the hell, guy? What is your problem? Why us?

Let’s just say this is not the best birthday Adam has ever had…and it’s not the best week I’ve ever had either. But “happy birthday” to Adam anyhow…I love you.

PS: Also? My newish purse is falling apart. :(

Dear Jerk MrJerkison,

At 3:00 am on Monday morning you decided it would be fun to kick in the rear windshield on our car. I hope you enjoyed yourself, because it was no fun for me to discover glass on the backseat right when I was about to buckle in my daughter to take her to the babysitter. It was no fun to confusedly look at the passenger window to figure out where the glass had come from only to realize it had come all the way from the rear windshield of my station wagon (that must have been some kick). It was no fun to call my sitter and my boss and explain I’d be late, at best. It was no fun trying to tape plastic over the gaping hole in the cold and snow (which caused the tape to not stick). It was no fun to try to position magnets to hold up the plastic since the tape had failed. It was no fun to call the police and wait on hold for what seemed a lifetime, only to have my phone die right when I was taken off hold. It was no fun, I’m sure, for my landlord to go through hours of security footage looking for you (and only finding waist down footage). It was no fun for my husband to clean up the glass you left in our car and all over the snowy street. It was no fun to learn that we had opted for the liability only insurance and would be paying the $500 out of pocket to replace the window. It was no fun to have the repairs take far longer than we thought because the glass delivery was late and to therefore miss a second day of much needed work. It was no fun to call my boss and tell her I’d be missing work again. It was no fun to receive a call in the afternoon from the auto-shop saying the glass had arrived broken and they’d have to get another windshield the next morning. It was no fun to have a auto-shop employee arrive in a van to pick us up the next morning so my daughter could be taken to the sitter only to discover that not only was the car seat not installed (as expected) but that nobody knew how to install it. It was no fun to send the driver on his way with a “nevermind” when he suggested I sit my precious toddler in the front seat and let him drive us on terribly dangerous, icy winter roads. It was no fun to drag my toddler with me to my place of employment and wait for my boss to get in only to explain to her that, once again, I couldn’t come in (but that I’d do my best to work from home if I could take the Macbook for the day). It was no fun to attempt to get work done with a toddler climbing all over me (and it was no fun to deal with the mommy guilt that came as a result of letting her watch Christmas specials all day in hopes it would distract her). It was no fun to trudge back out in the freezing cold with my toddler to return the Macbook to the office. It was no fun to miss three days of work (and therefore three days of pay), make a $500 repair, and generally feel crappy and violated. So I hope that one kick you got was fun. I hope it was $610 worth of fun because that’s what it cost me you ass-hat.

Sincerely,                                                           

The Co-owner of the Car You Vandalized

Here, after some hacker-caused delay, is the final review from “Bad Blogger Week:”

In an ideal world none of us would worry about the way we look. But an ideal world it is not {hence my weight loss adventure}. And a product that has been quite handy in making me feel like I look good while I’m shedding the pounds is the Slimpressions Long Leg Shaper. Unlike some body shapers it’s no more uncomfortable than panty-hose or tights. I don’t just wear it on important days {like family picture day} but on regular old week days too when I need a little help looking trim. Slimpressions makes several slimming items, including undershirts to make your tummy and arms look trim.

I find that my Slimpressions Long Leg Shaper doesn’t make a huge difference, but it definitely helps, if only psychologically. I think now that I’ve shed about 20 pounds it doesn’t do as much as it once did. One caveat if you plan on using the Slimpressions Long Leg Shaper; if it slips down a little during the day you may end up with muffin top. So just watch for that.

Use the code SLIM10DD for a 10% discount.

Dear Hacker,

I think you may be unaware that it is beyond rude to hack into someone else’s Gmail account. It is a violation of privacy, and, I’m pretty sure, illegal. Your amoral and inconsiderate actions caused me to temporarily lose access to not only my own e-mail account, but my blogging account as well. You interrupted my “bad blogger week,” my weekend, and my sense of security. You stole personal information so you could spam not only my friends and family, but my boss’s clients, my blogging peers and sponsors, and people I contacted only once or twice many years ago. I suppose I should consider it a small favor that at least you did the spamming in such ridiculous Engrish that it seems none of the people you contacted actually thought the e-mail came from me. And perhaps I should thank you for reminding me that not everyone in this world is a decent human being. So thanks, thanks for reminded me that scum like you are out there ready to take advantage of anyone you can for your own gain. Thanks for making me look like an idiot. And thanks for wasting my time and energy.

In other words,

thanks for nothing.

Sincerely,

Holly

Just an update on Adam’s situation. His applications are in. We decided together that this year his best bet would be to apply only to the Alberta schools {sniff…sniff…bye-bye UBC}. The back up plan is for Adam to transfer to the University of Calgary and work on completing a Bachelor’s of Science while reapplying. So, unless he gets into the University of Alberta {in Edmonton} and not UofC we’ll be moving to Calgary next summer. But UofC is Adam’s first choice. It’s a year-round program that only takes 3 years instead of 4…also, have you any idea how miserable Edmonton winters can be?

The applications were a pain. They want soooo much detail. In fact, the UofA demanded three references {non-family} *just* to confirm that Adam has, indeed, lived where he says he’s lived throughout his life. What the heck?

Adam got glowing recommendations to send to the schools. He has excellent MCAT scores. His GPA isn’t as good as some applicants, but still acceptable to med-school wannabes. So now, we wait…and wait…and wait…

…until February.

February is when interview invitations are sent. After interviews you get a few more months of waiting. It’s a pretty miserable process. But at least the hard part is done. Halle-freakin-lujah!

CSN is here. Hooray!
CSN is here to stay!
Regular reviews, and giveaways;
Look for them every 30 days.
CSN has been here before.
But now they’ll be here even more.
Kids backpacks, toys, and gear galore,
Furniture, linens, and lots of decor.
I hope you’re excited for what is in store,
‘Cuz giveaways are what I live for!

Alas…with the start of daycare Lucy is no longer using her adorable fluffy, cloth diapers. We’re going to be selling her diapers to whatever local mama is interested. And if that mama asks me how she should launder them I will tell her:

“Use Rockin’ Green!”

{picture from http://rockingreensoap.com/}

Rockin’ Green is a detergent that is biodegradable, and uses natural scents {or no scents at all}. It smells *fantastic.* But most importantly…it got the stink out of Lucy’s diapers. We had tried stripping her diapers time and time again but they still held onto the stank…until we tried Rockin’ Green. And as soon as our Rockin’ Green supply ran out? Well, the stink came back.

Check out the Rockin’ Green FAQ. I think you will be impressed. And just look at some of the scents available:

Orangevana
Smashing Watermelons
Rage Against the Raspberries
Mighty Mighty Marshmallow

If you’re not sure you want to commit to a whole bag of detergent you can even buy little sample packs {very useful for finding your favorite scent} for 75 cents. There are even different formulas for different types of water…got hard water? Try the Hard Rock detergent! Soft water? Then the Soft Rock formula is for you! Otherwise go with the Classic Rock, the original formula that started it all.

If you use cloth, you should be using Rockin’ Green. Follow Rockin’ Green on Twitter.

*I was provided with some product for the purpose of review…but I also bought some myself; these are my honest opinions.

I interrupt “Bad Blogger Week” to bring you…

Our family portraits!

Check ‘em out! I would love for you to leave comments over on the Madchen Studios blog rather than on this post {don’t worry, I’ll see them all}.

As you know, Lucy is no longer in cloth diapers. That means her pants, which had to be purchased large to fit over her fluffy butt, no longer fit. Actually, even pants purchased since the switch to disposables don’t fit in the waist {poor kid already has the same sizing problems with pants as her mother}. So I was legitimately thrilled when I was asked to review a pant clippo from Clippo {a Canadian company-hooray}!

{picture from clippo.ca}

There really aren’t a lot of features for me to tell you about. It’s not a complicated product to use. But you know what, it works. It works great. It’s super simple to use…just clip it to your kiddo’s pants {no belt loops needed}!

   

{pictures from clippo.ca}

I am a much happier mama now that I’m not pulling Lucy’s pants up every five minutes. Seriously you guys…Adam and I were singing the following to her constantly:

But not anymore. And I have Clippo to thank for that. The pant clips come in lots of cute prints, including designer fabrics like Michael Miller. But pant clips aren’t the only products you can buy; there are hair clips, mitten clips, and super, super adorable bow ties for the little fellow in your life {and more}.

You can get a 30% discount using the code DOMESTIC30 {good until January 30th}.

*I was provided with one pant clip for the purpose of this review. I have thus far resisted buying more in other cute prints, but my resolve is weakening.

What seems like ages ago {I am a bad blogger, BAD BLOGGER} eShakti contacted me and asked me to do a review.  I chose a lovely wool coat.* With the cold finally having made it to our neck of the woods {including some snow earlier thiss week*} I pulled the coat out from the back of the closet and realized just how naughty a blogger I had been.

So, better late than never right?

Just nod and say “right.”

And now…for my review:

eShakti is a unique clothing site because, get this, they will tailor the clothes to your measurements. In fact, you can even customize products. Like this dress but wish you could get it in a below-the-knee length? eShakti can do that. {PS: That dress would be friggin’ fabulous for a Christmas party!} Gotta have this cute little suit jacket, but need a long sleeve version {because, oh…I dunno…your office is always cold…*coughcoughIwouldn’tknowanythingaboutthatcoughcough*)? eShakti can do that too. I think it’s a really clever, and novel idea. The prices are comparable to off-the-rack clothing at nicer retail stores like The Bay, or Macy’s, or whatever your local version of such stores is. A word of warning to Canadian buyers though, you may end up paying duty upon delivery {I did}.

Overall, I’m happy with eShakti. Someday I think I’d like to try ordering something more fitted than a coat, and see how it turns out. But I’m trying not to buy too much clothes right now {because, and I’m totally not complaining, I’m losing weight fast enough that my size isn’t staying the same for very long}. When I do order again I’ll be sure to do another review.

If you’d like to give eShakti a try you can use the promo code Ho5J4U to get 15% off until the end of November {I think Christmas party dresses are calling your name - *wink wink*}!

*eShakti provided the coat, and a discount code if I would like to review additional items. This post was otherwise non-compensated; it contains my honest opinion.

**Curse you Canada! I hate your weather but I love your health care!

We started with pumpkin pancakes last night. This morning I whipped together my wolfy ears and tail while Adam carved our pumpkin. The most memorable jack-o-lantern from my childhood was one that my mother use the eye-cut outs to make ears and created a cat. I knew Lucy would love it too, and she does. We’ll roast our seeds later. Adam and Spencer are currently having their own pumpkin carving contest with two pumpkins they bought today.

In the afternoon we went to the mall trick-or-treat. It’s nice for little kids like Lucy because you don’t have to walk far and you don’t have to worry about the weather. I don’t think everyone caught on to our group theme. But we enjoyed ourselves. And we got Cold Stone coupons so I am a very happy woman.

Adam’s costume was a laugh. He kept complaining about how uncomfortable it is to wear a bra. I just kept thinking “you don’t have to tell me, bro!”

Lucy got a big kick out of my wolf costume. It’s super cute when she howls:

 

Actually, I’m quite pleased with it. Not bad for something I whipped up in a half hour

    

We stopped by a local, free haunted house after trick-or-treat. But were not impressed. We finished up the day with grilled cheese and spider web soup {and a pumpkin beer for me, yum}!

We also had a visit from “The Great Pumpkin.” He exchanged books for all of us in trade for Lucy’s candy. Adam got Under the Dome: A Novel by Stephen King. I got a book called Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls) . Spencer got a Dr. Horrible comic. And Lucy, who adores pumpkins, got Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin .* It’s a tradition we’ve started based on Neil Gaiman’s suggestion, the common practice of having a candy exchange so kiddos don’t get too much sugar, and, of course, the Charlie Brown special.

Now we’re watching the Vincent Price classic, The Tingler {we’ve been watching scary movies all week}. We’ll watch Fire in the Sky after Lucy goes to sleep. All in all, it was a good day. How was your Halloween? What did you do?

*Those links take you to the product pages via my Amazon store. Just thought I’d say so in the interest of full disclosure.

Isn’t she cute? I made this costume myself {except the shirt, shoes, and tights}. And I think I’ll put her in a white shirt tomorrow {I didn’t have a white one for her until after these pictures were taken, at Madchen Studios of course}. Adam’s costume is ready except for one cosmetic product we still need to purchase. It’s possible that I have not yet started my costume. But I’m not telling.

 

Have I mentioned that I absolutely adore this kid? Because I do. Oh, I do!

What are your kids going as for Halloween?

I made you a gift {and by “you” I mean “fellow Nanowrimo participants}.

It’s 1280 x 800. Use it as your background. It’s awesome. Unless your desktop is littered with icons you don’t use but have been too lazy to delete.

But I wouldn’t know anything about that.

Enjoy!

{click to open full-size, then just right click and “save as”}

Starting Monday, November 1st Domestic Dork is celebrating “Bad Blogger Week” {which is something I totally just made up}. Bad Blogger Week is a week for me to catch up on long overdue reviews/giveaways. Sometimes life just slows me down…and then I feel embarrassed that I didn’t do what I mean to do earlier so I procrastinate a little more…and then it’s been so long that it’s just shameful, but not as shameful as not keeping my word. So, in the spirit of “better late than never” I will be cranking out posts this week.

Enjoy!

If you've been previously unable to access the voting for Lucy you can now message the contest host and tell her you'd like to vote for #44!

Thanks, Loree!

Lucy needs 110 votes to tie for first. Voting ends Sunday night at the stroke of twelve {Mountain time}. If you haven’t voted yet, please take a minute to do so. It’d mean a lot to me.

Instructions are here.

Facebook gave some people some trouble a while back, but hopefully it should be all good now.

So please help us out if you can! 110+ votes is totally doable! If my dorky, dust bunny army comes together Lucy could win this thing in a land slide. And hey, it’s way easier than driving to a polling place, waiting in line, and doing the usual sort of voting {though you won’t get an “I VOTED” sticker-sorry}.

 

Sorry it took so long to make good on my promise to show you my decorations. Man, being an adult requires errands, and work, and other busy-keeping stuff.

Did you deck your halls for Halloween?

PS: I'll add links to the tutorials I used to make my decorations later. I don't have time this morning.

EDITED TO ADD:

Ghost tutorial from Everyday is a Crafting Day

Banner tutorial and template is from Finding My Aloha {mine is paper instead of felt}.

My offspring is cute, super cute, especially in her Little Red Riding Hood costume {made by yours truly}. Check her out {as photographed by Madchen Studios}! She’s the last picture. And now, I apologize, but I gotta run because we have company over. I just wanted to share that link ASAP.

And after Halloween I’ll be sure to post more pictures of all of us in our costumes {me as the wolf, Uncle Spencer as the woodsman, and Adam as Granny}. It’s gonna be awesome.

Happy Thanksgiving…or Columbus’ Day to my State-side friends. :)

We had our big dinner yesterday and it was delicious. Lucy had her first taste of cheesecake {pumpkin flavored} and judging by the enthusiasm with which she requested more “cake! cake! cake! cake!” I think she liked it. I know I did. I also enjoyed the turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and rolls. Yum yum! The nice thing about being from the US and living in Canada is knowing I get to have Thanksgiving twice…what? You didn’t think I’d skip American Thanksgiving did you? Besides, 14 pounds of turkey {the smallest we could find} for 3.5 people {Adam, Spencer, myself, and Lucy} is way, WAY more than we can eat. So half that bird will be going straight into the freezer for November.

Today Adam is working on a project for his genetics class, and studying calculus {oh joy}. I’m going to see if I can’t finish Lucy’s Halloween costume. Like last year, we’ll be doing a family theme. But it’s a surprise until I’m ready to show you pictures.

Nanowrimo is fast approaching! I’ve got some basic ideas for my novel, and this year I’ve got a plan to make sure I’m able to finish. I’ve started getting up at 6:30 so I have time to get work done before Lucy wakes up. Right now I use that time for crafting, blogging, or whatnot…but it’s just practice for November. I didn’t want to be adjusting to a new routine during Nanowrimo so I decided to get a head start on my early mornings. After November I’m planning on sticking with the new wake-up time so I can continue to be more productive. If nothing else, it’s a chance to read uninterrupted.

And, just in case some of you are interested…

…I am halfway to my weight loss goal! Hooray! Only 15 more pounds to go. Believe it or not…by limiting my portions I even managed to come in on target with my calories yesterday. Spark People is really proving to be an invaluable resource {and it’s free}! The only downside is that none of my clothes fit anymore. I’m going to try taking them to a tailor to see what she can do for me. I’d like to avoid having to buy new clothes until I’m sure they won’t be too big a month later.

So that’s an update on what’s going on in the dorky household. And, just because I hate to do posts without pictures…here’s a random picture of Lucy:

Hope you all have been enjoying your holiday weekend!

I’ve been continuing to get a lot of comments from people who have trouble with the many different links I’ve tried posting.  I’m really sorry guys. This is Facebook’s fault, not yours, not mine. Facebook is just full of suck and fail. I’m really frustrated. Lucy winning this thing would be awesome, especially because the prize would more than pay for her birthday and Christmas presents. But the current lead baby has 68 votes followed closely by several babies with votes totalling 50+.

Lucy has 14 votes.

Boo to you, Facebook. <insert angry glare here>

If you wanna please help us out, and get Lucy to the lead before the month ends here’s the less convenient, but hopefully Facebook-being-crappy-proof way to do it:

1. Log into your Facebook account.
2. Search for “Special Deliveries Doula Services Medicine Hat, Alberta” in the search bar at the top of your home page.
3. Select the search result with the black and white photo of a newborn baby suspended in a sheer white fabric.
4. Like the group.
5. Go to the discussions tab and find “Cutest Baby #44” {because Lucy is losing she’s been bumped to the second page so you might have to click “see all topics” and navigate to page 2 to find her…unless someone else votes shortly before you do and moves her back to page 1}.
6. Stick around in the group at least until November 1st so your vote doesn’t get deleted.
7. Spread the word if you’d like to {retweeting this post would be awesome}.

Anyhow…a big THANK YOU to all of you who have tried, especially those of you who have tried again and again and again. I appreciate that you would go to that much trouble for me and my progeny.

Facebook | Special Deliveries Doula Service - Medicine Hat, Alberta

I've had a few people complain that the link in my previous post about voting for Lucy won't work {I suspect this is Facebook's fault...no surprises there}. If this describes you try the link above, perhaps it will work better.

Also, Lucy's dental work went well. Her teeth look beautiful and she's doing fine. We're going to have a low-key day of rest and relaxation today before we get back to the normal routine tomorrow. Thank you for your well wishes.

When I saw Jessica’s {from Craftily Ever After} Halloween version of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster I fell in love.  But…I wanted two {to go on either side of a mirror which I will show you later}. And I wanted the image to be slightly different. And I wanted one with the phrase her hubby had suggested. So I made these with some of the free stencils from Martha Stewart’s website:

Hopefully she doesn’t mind that I appropriated her genius idea. If you like these versions you can get the 8x10 versions for yourself below. And if you enjoy the download please consider taking a moment to vote for Lucy. She’s way, way behind. If the link doesn’t work for you let me know and I’ll tweet or e-mail you another. Also, if you like these be sure to check out and follow Jessica's blog since she's the one who inspired them.
To download images click the link, then right click image and “save as.”
I *think* I’m done decorating for Halloween {unless I decide I want to make any other last minute decor}. I’ll try to do a photo post or maybe a VLOG soon. But tomorrow my little girl is being put under general anaesthesia so she can have dental work done {apparently her teeth didn’t develop correctly and that’s why she has so many cavities}. I’m worried for her and trying not to think about it. Wish her luck!

I just wanted to show you all a little bit of what I’ve been working on {digitally at least, I don’t have pictures yet of my latest craft projects}:

 

Cute, no? It was made with a paid-for template from Free Digital Scrapbooking and a free fall kit from Shabby Princess. Last night I stocked up on some other digital goodies…I’m hoping to make some calendars so I got a few kits for putting them together. Here’s my test run:

It was made with a Christmas pack from Free Digital Scrapbooking and a calendar kit from Cottage Arts. The pictures are last year’s portraits from Madchen Studios. We’re getting new family pictures this month, so I’m totally stoked!

Finally is this work-in-progress {I’m waiting until Halloween to take pictures for it} made from another kit from Free Digital Scrapbooking and some other elements from elsewhere.

I like digital scrapbooking because I can do it even when Lucy sits in my lap…and because it’s about a zillion times cheaper than regular scrapping. I’ve used some purchased items here…but you can do a lot with just free downloads as well.

Do you scrap? Do you do the regular paper and glue style or digital or a mix of both?