moderntwinmom

May 10, 2013
by suchdev 5 Comments

Mourning

So it’s been almost a month since I last posted. For a few weeks now, I have wanted to do a post on spring/summer fashion and my top picks for the season, but recently, 5 members of my husband’s extended family were killed in a tragic car accident. To write about fashion at a time when my family is suffering for their loss, seems trivial.

At a time like this, you learn that you mourn not for those that have passed, but for those that remain. For those that lost something. We sit here on earth and sob whole heartedly for our emptiness. We weep for what will no longer be. For the companionship we will never have again, for the voices we will never hear again, for the little comforts we will never indulge in again. The reality is that we grieve for ourselves. Those that have passed are in a better place. A happier place. I have visions of these people dancing and laughing in slow motion, in a place brighter than the sun, where you don’t have to wear sunglasses. It is us, their loved ones, who are left behind in this hell on earth. I think that truly is hell, when you are left on earth, mourning the loss of those you loved the most. If you can imagine for one second what it would be like to lose your mother, or your daughter, or your sister, or your wife, or your children. Our family lost all of those in one second. A devastating loss that cannot be imagined. Whether you are the man who lost generations of your namesakes, or the man who lost your mother, sister, wife and children. How do you ever get past this? I don’t think you do. The pain might fade but the memories never do. The hurt might become dull but the longing to embrace your family lingers endlessly. In an instant, your life is changed forever. These are the times you wonder “why?” “Why me? Why US?” If you believe in God, you have to believe in a higher power. A more intelligent and complicated reason for losing EVERYTHING. Instead of asking “Why?” ask “Why NOT?” What kept me here over them? Every day I get in my car to go to work, or run an errand, I don’t think for a second that I may not return. I take those times for granted.

In the last 2 weeks, when my husband and I have been mourning with our family, we took solace in the short time we could come home to put our boys to bed every night. Seeing them took the hurt away, if only for a few moments, but also reminded us of what has been lost. Innocent lives, 2 of whom were small children. We don’t need to be reminded that every day is precious. Every moment is a gift. We already know this and yet most of us do not live in the present. Today, I challenge you to take a look at your life, your loved ones, and even those that are no longer in your life. If they were gone tomorrow, how would you feel? Would you wish you had done anything differently? Would you have any regrets? The last few years of my life have been ones of incredible growth for many reasons. I am proud to say that, for the most part I feel I have made peace with anything I was not at peace with before. If I were to be gone tomorrow, I feel good knowing that the people I love, know how much I do. Those who are not a part of my life any longer? Well, I feel good knowing that I made an effort with them and there’s not much more I can do about that. All I can do is live every day to its fullest. Spend time showering my husband and kids with love and affection. Steal delicious kisses from my sweet boys. Gab with my sister on the patio over a bottle of wine, or look forward to my next trip back to Calgary where I moved from, so I can catch up with all my friends in person, or laugh hysterically at a Friends rerun. The list goes on and on and on. I have everything I need in my life, and the only thing I can do to make it better is appreciate it more and do what I can to fix what’s broken.

I am thankful to have this blog where I can express myself and am thankful for the people who come on this journey with me. If my post today made you stop for a moment and think of everything you are so thankful for, then I did what I set out to do today:)

Thanks for popping by everyone, have a fabulous weekend!

April 10, 2013
by suchdev 3 Comments

Are you a mom? Do you have hair? You need to read this.

Is it me or has it been awhile since I posted? I guess it’s been awhile. I’m gonna play the “I have twins” card again.

But now that they’re fast asleep and I’ve had time to finally edit this post and get on with it, I won’t waste any time with small talk. Today I want to talk about something I think every mom with hair should own. Dry Shampoo.

I loooooove dry shampoo. If you don’t love it, you haven’t tried the right kind. Like everything else, there’s a myriad of types and brands to choose from. If you are new to dry shampoo, I’ll give you the Coles notes:

It is basically a powder that smells fresh and absorbs oil. It comes in various forms: in a can that you spray or a bottle that you shake with an applicator tip. It can extend time in between shampoos by several days. The texture of it also gives your hair some grit and thickness, so if you have fine hair, it can be a great thing to spray in your roots for some major lift. The grit also gives you great hold.

I have naturally curly hair which I straighten regularly. My hair also happens to be quite fine. Because the blow dryer and flat iron are so damaging, I try to limit washing and styling to 3 or 4 times a week, but because my hair is so thin, leaving it too long without washing just makes it look limp and greasy. Washing my hair is a process, and if you have curly hair you can relate. With two 1 year olds running around, I don’t have much time to straighten my hair and when I do, I’m too exhausted to lift my arms. With dry shampoo, I can extend my blow-dry and give some oomph to my lifeless locks. If you have dark hair, many dry shampoos can leave a white powdery film on your mane and I’ve also tried a few that seem to do nothing at all.

There are 3 that I keep on hand at all times:

Klorane Dry Shampoo-My absolute fave. Comes in an aerosol spray which is white when you spray it in but quickly shakes out and fades once you brush it out. It smells good, works awesome, and very simply, does what it should.

Bumble and Bumble-These dry shampoos are unique in that they are not white. They are colored so you can buy different shades depending on your hair color. They work awesome and have amazing grit and hold, and if your roots are fading or greys are starting to pop through, this dry shampoo can not only extend time between washing, but also time between coloring. The downside is it does have a strong smell and the color does transfer so you’ll get it on your hands or forehead or anywhere else you are not careful when you apply, and if you have light bed sheets, consider yourself warned! The other downside is that the color selection is good if you are a solid brunette like myself, but if you have complicated color, you may feel limited and not be able to find the perfect match for your mane!

Batiste-An accidental find at Winners, I thought I’d try it and ended up liking it. They have white and colored, and I think it does a fine job, and it smells awesome.

The bottom line…you need to add dry shampoo to your arsenal of “mom must haves”!

I’d love to hear about your favourite! Thanks for stopping by!

March 8, 2013
by suchdev 2 Comments

Spring Ahead-and Lose More Sleep!

So as if parents aren’t sleep deprived enough as it is, someone had the bright idea to move clocks ahead by an hour every spring and cut our sleep time by another hour. And if that isn’t hard enough on its own, some of us have babies that are dependent upon a nice routine and get very cranky when they are sleep deprived, thus making our own sleep deprivation even harder to deal with!

So we’ve been through almost 3 time changes now. The first one would have been last spring, when they were just a few weeks old. Hmm, why do I not remember how we dealt with that? Oh yeah, because I was in a drug and sleep deprivation induced mommy fog trying to recover from a c-section and manage twin newborns! In fact, I think it’s safe to say I was in that fog for a good 6 months. So I have nooo idea how we handled the spring time change. I do know that when the time changed in November, I prepared for it weeks in advance, adjusting the boys’ schedule bit by bit until the day of the change so that they easily slipped right into the new time. similarly, I have been preparing for the time change this weekend, but I did not know it was this weekend until just a few days ago, so I haven’t had ample time to shift their schedule SLOWLY. I’ve been pushing everything back by 15 to 30 minutes since Monday:wakeup time, breakfast, naps, bedtime, etc. I’m hoping that if we can get to and stay consistently at 30 minutes ahead of schedule, then, by Sunday, we will only be 30 minutes behind and I can slowly change the other 30 over the next week. Typically, the boys are up and eating breakfast by 730am. The last few days we got them downstairs eating by 715. The next couple of days it will be 700. On Sunday, it will become 8am. I can spend the rest of the week, adjusting everything so that eventually, they are waking up at 730am again. This would follow for all of their naps, meals and bedtime for the day. Speaking of which, I have had a few people ask me what their schedule looks like at this age, so here it is!

645-715-Wake up

730-Breakfast-solids and water

800-815-Bottle

815-845-Independent play in Play Pens

845-915-Interactive play and snuggles-change and down for a nap

930-1030-Nap

1030-1100-Independent Play in crib

1100-1200-Organized Play-Story Time, Peek A Boo, Etc.

1200-Lunch-Solids-Soup, Crackers, Veggies,Water

1245-Bottle

100-115-Change, Story, Down for a Nap

130-300-Nap

300-Afternoon Snack (Graduates Toddler Drink and Yogurt/Fruit)

315-400-Independent Play in Play Pens

400-500-Creative and Interactive Play

500-TV time, Snuggles

530-Dinner-Solids and Water

600-Bath

630-Bottle, Snuggles and Story

700-Bed

How do you get your babies ready for a time change? What does your one year old’s schedule look like?

Id love to see some other ideas!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Friday Everyone!

February 25, 2013
by suchdev 2 Comments

My Lifesaver in 18 Karat gold..

Hey everyone..so after my post today I had a few friends message me and ask to see a picture of what these $30.00 gold flecks actually look like..so here it is. Just a reminder this is 2 coats over top of “My Lifesaver” by Nicole..a pretty Tiffany Blue which also happens to be my fave color in the world. Hope you get an idea of how they look! Let me know what you think!

February 25, 2013
by suchdev 2 Comments >

I’m back! So I’ve been away for a bit..last week my husband and I took the week off to celebrate the boys’ first birthday. That’s right, they are now ONE year old. How quickly this year has flown by. It sounds so cliché but I had to say it. It’s been by far, the hardest year of my life. Physically, mentally, emotionally, it’s been hard. But it’s also been the most rewarding, the most satisfying, the most educational year of my life. I have learned a lot about being a mom, of course, but more importantly, feel that I have changed even more as a person,than I ever have (and the last few years have been ones of MUCH growth and change for me) for the better. I have to say, nothing really helps you do that more than having children.

Today, there are a few topics I wanted to cover and so will try to hit each one quickly and concisely.

Topic #1. What do you get for a 1-year-old for their birthday? It was the same dilemma at christmas time. Do they really know or care? Do you? Do you want it to be something they’ll have and cherish forever or can it just be a toy or a book or clothing? When I was pregnant, I read about a cool idea for celebrating your child’s birthday and my husband and I decided that’s what we would do. Instead of (or in addition to, if you want) giving gifts, you give an experience. It could be a trip, a new activity or adventure. A new food. Anything you want. I had desperately wanted to take the boys to Hawaii for their first birthday. But after a blood pressure raising, one hour flight to see my parents over the holidays, we realized there is a reason that the parent to child ratio SHOULD be 2 to 1. Technically, to travel with twins, you should have 4 adults. A 7 hour flight to Hawaii would be nothing short of a stress test on my heart. I can feel my blood pressure going up just thinking about it. So for now, we would have to change our plan. We would have to drive somewhere, and at this time of year, there are not many places you can drive to that are going to give you much of an experience at all. So we decided to stay close to home and go to Whistler..a snowy, mountainy retreat. It was a week of lounging around, napping, eating at amazing restaurants, and just enjoying being a family. We took the boys sledding for the first time ever, and celebrated their birthday quietly, just the 4 of us. It was pretty great.

I’m glad we decided that this is how we will celebrate our children’s birthdays. I’m sure we will make little tweaks and give material gifts in addition to this, but knowing what I know now, I feel confident that they will look back when they are in their 20′s and 30′s and be appreciative for the extra effort we made.

Topic #2. OPI “Real” 18 Karat Gold Topcoat . So, moving abruptly onto something else completely, but has anyone else heard of this new topcoat? It is real, 18 Karat, Gold Leaf Fleck top coat by OPI. “The Man With the Golden Gun”, obviously inspired by the new Bond flick. I heard about it last year and haven’t seen it anywhere until just a couple of days ago, so naturally, when I saw it on the shelf, I had to buy it. Now, I have to preface this review by saying this topcoat is almost $30.00. Give or take, depending where you get it. I applied one coat over Nicole “My Lifesaver” and have to say I was a bit let down. The gold flecks were very sparse and barely visible. Then I added a second coat…definitely better. I like the gold tone, and I like the irregularity of the “leaf fleck”, but honestly, this could just be gold foil paper and it would look the same to me. Obviously, you are paying top dollar for the “18 Karats”. If you have an extra thirty bucks lying around you may wanna give this a whirl. I know I will use this product often and forever (I’ve NEVER run out of nail polish, have you?). I can think of many other things in my life I’ve spent more money on and not gotten nearly as much use out of. That is how I justify it. But it’s not exactly a miracle product and if you are not the type to frivolously spend money on these things, consider yourself warned.

Topic #3. Finally, I had to get a little blurb in about the Oscars last night. I always look forward to the Oscars. I look more forward to the fashion than anything else, and I take it very seriously. Every year, I’m usually sitting in front of the TV by 2:00pm, BEFORE Giuliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne even get there, with a glass of wine in my hand. I’m a little obsessed, what can I say? This year was no different, other than the fact that there was a baby monitor sitting next to my wine. Anyways, I’m not going to go on and on about the fashion hits and misses. I mean, what do I know? Fashion is subjective, right? But I WILL give my opinion on a few things. Firstly, Jennifer Aniston can do no wrong, but I really missed her trademark, figure accentuating dress tonight. What was up with that red flouffy number she was wearing? But I digress, she is still America’s sweetheart and my favorite Friend. She looked gorgeous, and SUPER happy. The dress wasn’t awful, I just expected more. Amy Adams’ dress was GORGEOUS but I was a bit disappointed with the hair and makeup. I would have loved to see the hair a bit more polished and the makeup a bit more smokey with a pale lip. My fave dress of the whole night was on Zoe Saldana. Amazing!

Others worth mentioning; Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Garner, and Adele! Jennifer Hudson was rocking her hot bod in a tight navy number and Jennifer Garner wore a beautiful shade of plum. Adele looked every bit the sultry Bond singer in a sparkly black dress that was well suited for her figure. I loved Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Lawrence. Sandra Bullock wore a gorgeous lace fitted dress and Jennifer Lawrence didn’t disappoint in a cinderella style gown with simple jewellery. I was pretty happy with the fashion, and I have to say, I thought Seth MacFarlane did a great job!

What do you guy think? Gifts or Experiences for your kids’ birthdays? Or both? Or neither? Anyone try the 18 Karat gold top coat by OPI? Was it worth its weight in Gold? And finally, what did you think about the Oscar fashion this year?

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

February 7, 2013
by suchdev 4 Comments

The littlest things…

Now that I’m back at work, my time with the boys is more precious ever. I want to spend lots of quality time with them but also still make time for me. Every now and then I have to travel for work. And last week was one of those times (hence why I have also been a little slow in putting up a post). So the Saturday before I left, I had a lot to do. Prepare for my meetings, pack, and make the boys’ meals for the week. Cooking for them is a guilty pleasure..I love to cook and I love to know they are getting home cooked healthy food while I’m away. But I also need to do things that are for me and me only.

I didn’t want to waste a single second of quality time with them before I left so I had to prioritize. All the things I needed to do I would have to do during their naps and after they went to bed. I find that making a list helps, and I always include my SELF on the list also. I still managed to do my nails, squeeze in a workout and enjoy a nice glass of vino. The littlest things that you do for your self can fuel you for weeks to come. These are things that are important for MY sense of well-being.

Green Lentil and Spinach Soup

Carrot “Fries”

A Quick Workout

On the plane, the flight attendants remind you to put on your own oxygen mask before your kids masks. This analogy always reminds me that when I take care of myself emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I am actually investing in becoming a better mom for my boys. You really CAN do it all! Put yourself first every day. Your kids and your husband will reap the benefits! How do YOU take care of yourself while taking care of your family?

“Silver” by Revlon

A delicious way to end the day.

January 25, 2013
by suchdev 5 Comments

Food Friday

So after I talked about Baby Led Weaning last week, I had quite a few people ask me what exactly I have been feeding the boys. I love this topic because it gets discussions going about food. REAL food. Not only that but it helps me hit home the point about all the baby weight I lost. I didn’t “just bounce back”. I worked my butt off physically and I maintained my very healthy eating habits (except for my wine problem but that’s another post).

I think I tried to give the boys rice cereal once, until I tried it myself and realized how disgusting it was. After that I made a vow never to make them eat anything I couldn’t stomach myself. What did I gave them? Pureed Oatmeal. The real stuff. That was their first food. I then introduced the principles of baby led weaning, offering healthy choices, no pre packaged or jarred food, and let them decide how much they wanted to eat. In addition to that I also make soups, which we all love to eat. As the boys get older, I become more comfortable with offering them things like pasta and ravioli, but even then, it is always whole grain or spinach pasta and always organic and local. Am I against feeding my kids Mac n Cheese? Nope. But I’ll make it myself, it won’t be KD.

So what exactly have they been eating? Here is a list:

Bananas, Avocado, Carrots, Cucumber, Peppers, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes/Yams, Toast with Coconut Butter, Cheese, Organic Crackers,Brown Rice, Gnocchi, Whole Grain Pasta,Turkey Meatballs and Meatloaf. Keep in mind they have worked their way UP to these things. I started introducing one new food a week at the age of 5-6 months,

Those are the foods they feed themselves. Simply offer it in sizes they can easily grasp and bring to their mouth.

Here are the things I feed them with a spoon:

Soups, soups and more soups (I will make soup out of anything-lentils, spinach, kale, cauliflower, carrots, coconut milk-you name it, I can soup it)

Cooked Egg Yolk,Greek Yogurt of all Flavors, and Coconut milk whipped cream (this stuff is simply delicious)

Now that I’m back at work, time is even more rare for me. I try to use the weekends to make my soups, boil eggs, or bake yam fries.

Pretty much anything else we eat, I offer to the boys. I am always looking for healthy alternatives, not just for them but for my husband and I also. Diet is a WAY OF LIFE. If we teach our children that healthy food is delicious, they will acquire a taste for it. Having said all that, of course you can’t control what your kids eat forever, and I’m a fan of everything in moderation. There will be times where they will beg for candy and chips and Kraft dinner, and (GASP!) even McDonald’s. I won’t be able to keep those things away from them forever. In the meantime, I do the best I can while I can do it, and hope that is enough to make them want to continue.

If you want more healthy eating ideas, click on the link below and check out “My favorite F Word” on Facebook!

My favorite F word. FOOD

Here is a blog I love that will also get you thinking about ways to make your life and family healthier.