A Canadian Bullseye?

Could it really be? Could my absolute favourite store finally be crossing the border?

That's right, you heard it here first. Target may be coming to Canada.Montreal, you might ask? Of course, not...when do we ever get anything first. Real estate developers are supposedly looking in the Toronto area.

And though we would always drive the short hour to Plattsburgh, NY rather than 5 hours to Toronto (even if it means wearing 6 layers of clothes to cross the border), it gives us hope to know that whatever hits Toronto eventually makes its way to Montreal.

Honestly, I'd rather a Target store open in Burlington, VT, where I am at least once a month. It is the one state in the USA without a Target.

But beggars can't be choosers. I'll take my fill of Sonia Kashuk makeup, Circo kids' clothing and Mossimo shoes wherever I can.

You can read the press release here.

It's Raining Shoes

I did it. Again.

I added a few too many items to my shopping cart and then hit buy now.

Yes, I am officially an internet shopaholic.

This time my guilty pleasure was found at Mamabargains.

Rileyroos shoes to be specific. Four pairs to be even more specific.

After printing out the handy sizing chart, in a mad rush, to not miss out on the $13/pair sale, I measured Hannah's feet to find out she would fit in the 6-12 month size.

But today, when the package arrived and I pulled out her black and pink mary janes and cream loafers, her toes were touching the ends. WTF! She had room to grow according to the sizing chart. The one 12-18 month size pair (red and silver sneakers) were massive on her.

Why such a huge discrepancy in size? Beats me unless I mistakenly ordered a pair of boys shoes.

So now what's a mom to do, aside from try to slowly wean herself off of flash sale sites? On to craigslist, where the 3 too-small pairs are listed for $20 each (to cover shipping). Still a pretty good deal, considering they are usually $32 USD.

Maybe you'd like a pair? I'd appreciate the credit to my shopaholic fund!

Pink mary janes

Black mary janes

Cream loafers

Hello Sleep Problems my Old Friend

For my birthday, my husband gave me, among other things, a collection of all of my blog posts from the past year. After reading the first few entries, I realized that I have strayed a bit in my blogging. I said that I would be writing about my first hand experiences in mommyhood. And while I do share stories and tips, my more recent posts have been a bit rushed, non-mommy exclusive updates.

I guess that was because things were going relatively smoothly. We had the nights' to ourselves, teething was behind us, we hit all of the major milestones...or at least that's what I thought...

After a 4-day weekend in the country, Hannah refused to nap in her pack and play. In the past, we had gotten used to going for walks or drives at nap time but after a 4-day stretch, seems like we may have messed up her schedule. I attempted a 10:45am nap this morning, after a visit to the grocery store and a 15 minute first attempt delay during which she didn't seem too tired.

She went along with the regular routine but the minute I put her down into her crib, it was mass hysteria...for 40 minutes. Usually, I would just wait until her next nap to try again. But her grandparents were coming to babysit for a 4 hour stretch while I worked (we are between babysitters) and the last thing that I wanted was for her to be crabby.

So we went for a 30 minute walk. No luck. Into the car. 3 minutes till she dozed off.

She got a 35 minute nap and then was happy until I got home at 5pm. Good for the grandparents. Bad for me.

Clingy. Biting. Whining. Yes, she was overtired.

A quick dinner and a hysterical crying session while she got ready for bed, followed by a ton of tears in her crib for the first 5 minutes.

Yes, the vicious cycle of exhaustion.

I know it well.

Will we get back on track tomorrow? Or maybe it's time to cut it down to one nap at 16 months?

Yes, I think I am back on track again. No, not with sleep. This is definitely one of the trials and tribulation of mommyhood.

Pass the wine if you please...

Father's Day, Carnivals & Music

What a whirlwind of a week it has been.

It all started with Father's Day when Hannah brought her daddy french toast in bed. Granted, she ended up eating half of his meal and getting maple syrup on the sheets. She gave him a pretty great gift to let them bond father/daughter, on a bike at that. Yes, her mom (who likes to think she has a knack for buying gifts) got her a pink snoopy helmet to wear when she rides in her new Topeak child bike seat. Brunch with grandpa and dinner with papa rounded out the day.

On to Monday night, when we checked out Hampstead Day. An evening carnival with live music, blow up toys and Hannah's favourite, live animals. She was in awe of the goat, and the bunnies. Not to mention the policemen on horses. She must have literally ran around (the very large park) 3 times.

Tuesday we were super excited to go to our first Music in the Park, by the Mummies List. Unfortunately it was a bit of a disappointment. Again at Hampstead park, I should have known that it was a big place to run around. So instead of listening to the Rhythm Exchange, Hannah was running around the grounds, more interested in playing basketball with the big boys. We will try out different days next week, as I don't think drums are really her thing. It might take more of a Loony Lorny type to keep her captivated.

And though we're only mid way through the week we're ready to start our long weekend, thanks to St Jean Baptiste. Not sure exactly what's in store (for my 31st birthday celebration) but we will likely do lots of swimming, see our friends and their twins and enjoy some of Vermont's Finest at the Ben & Jerry's factory.

Sounds like a great long weekend to me!

Stroll into Shape

The Mummies List is offering a new summer program...and it is being taught by my best friend!

NEW - STROLLER AEROBICS in the Park!

Bring your babies and have fun while getting into shape this summer! Classes will run for 8 weeks every Wednesday from 9:30am-10:30am starting the beginning of July.

Where: Murray Hill Park (The clock tower on the soccer field, on Westmount Avenue). Rain or Shine!

Join your fellow moms for a great workout in the park with an awesome instructor.

Price: $75 for the 8-week session.

Go to http://www.mummieslist.com/view_activities.php to register

Jeans Resized

Why, oh why?

Why did Huggies need to come out with a diaper that looks like a pair of jeans?

Sure it's cute to have a pair of pockets on their little bums but has Huggies gone through every technologial breakthrough in keeping babies dry that they need to now make them fashion forward?

With a tagline like "The coolest you'll look pooping your pants" I once again ask why?

Watch here

A New Montreal Find

I typically keep my writing for Sweetspot and Sweetmama separate from this blog. But I recently discovered a great little shop thanks to my editor Vanessa.

My article about it for Sweetmama will be running in a few weeks but I think this store is a boutique any woman will love, not just moms.

So what is it already?

Lorena Rossi is a new boutique on St Laurent in Little Italy. With a tagline "everything entertaining" this store can make any hostess look like a natural.

Products range from party decor including plates, napkins and hanging lanterns to custom invitations to amazing hostess gifts.

On my radar upon a recent visit were these cute hostess gifts:

Casa room sprays $20 and candles $7.50

Mariebelle hot chocolate $21.50 -yum!
Clutches by Lireca from Caifornia $27
Change purses by Kimberly Jones Designs for $25

These are just a few of the gems at this store.

I highly suggest you check it out if party planning or party hopping is in your future.

Water Wuss

Swimming classes are coming to an end next week.

While Hannah has gotten happier in the pool, I have realized that I am a bit of a water wuss.

It took about a good month before I realized that I should be dunking under water with her. And when I did, I couldn't stop complaining about the strong chlorine. If I went under, prepared with my eyes closed, how would she feel going under with eyes wide open?

This week, she actually swam. Yes, she was pushed out of the teachers' arms and swam to the wall by herself and reached out to grab it. Totally amazing right? But when I repeated the exercise with another mom and Hannah got upset, I stopped. But the other mom encouraged us to continue a few more times until she got the hang of it.

So while I would have given up to spare her the tears, I probably did her more good by giving it a second and third chance.

Lesson learned: don't stop just because she doesn't like it, as hard as it may be. We signed up for swimming so she could learn just that. Nothing comes easy. Its all about practice and repetition...even if she (and I) don't like it.

Wrapping Up the Week

It's Friday night and before Saturday and Sunday fly by, I thought I would blog now instead of having it on my weekend to-do list. Yes, it seems as though blogging happens when there is a spare moment rather than an exceptional idea. Hopefully with a new list of must-read blogs my inspiration will once again get me in gear.

So what kind of a week was it?

Well, we welcomed my nephew with a ceremonial bris this Tuesday. Although I wasn't close enough to see the deed, the video footage that my husband hooked up to the big screen last night made me cringe and secretly hope for another girl (seeing as I already have a name picked out it would just be easier anyways, right?) And for my mother-in-law who is certainly reading this, no I am not pregnant :)

So back to the bris. Looking back at the video I saw more than I wanted to see but I also realized that the second child is a whole different story. Throughout the video, you hear my daughter and niece babbling away trying to steal the spotlight. And most of the still photographs are of them playing with the blue and white balloons, not the newborn baby boy. It made me realize that once you have a 15 month year old to run after a newborn really is a big blob (no offense Benjamin). I've actually only held him twice in a week and a half, as my energies have been focused on helping his mom and dad with his big sister - keeping her occupied and feeling like she is still number one, even if number two has made his debut.

Aside from the festivities, it was a regular work week (with lots of leftovers) with a few not-so-typical moments mixed in. I went to the autumn/winter 2010 Pretty Ballerinas collection launch. Some very exciting styles to arrive in August but unfortunately, the accompanying hefty price tags are not currently in my budget. I thought I'd score a little loot (aside from a mini cupcake and sleek bottle of Eska water) but the 25% discount didn't really do it for me seeing as most of the price tags are in the $250-$300 range.

And I just got back from seeing my first movie in way too long. Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck...you'd think the Killers would be great. It would have been if I had left 20 minutes before the ending. That's when it all fell apart. But even if it left a bad taste in my mouth it left me yearning for a European adventure. With breathtaking views of Nice, daydreaming about frolicking in France is a nice way to start the weekend (that and a visual of Mr. Moore's chiseled abs...)

Happy weekend!