Even though I’m part of a book club that’s been running for eight years, this past winter I got into a reading rut. I wanted to read smart books—the books everyone recommends and are at the top of the best seller lists. The ones you read and are all “Now I totally get why everyone loves it.”
The ones Oprah reads.
Only I would get about five or ten pages in to these books and put it aside. Then I would go to the bookstore or library and get a mystery novel or some chick lit. I didn’t even finish most of our book club reads and I host every single one. How sad is that?
While speed skating has made me conscious of what I feed my body, my mind was being fueled by brain candy. Not that this is a bad thing, I happen to like candy. But if I ate nothing but chocolate for an entire winter, I’d probably get tired of chocolate. Probably.
I may put this to the test, you know, in the name of science.
I think we all get into ruts from time to time. Eating, exercising, reading…it’s easier to choose what is familiar to us and stick with it rather than mix it up.
So I’m here to stir the pot.
YMC is invading Clevelands House resort in Muskoka this summer. From August 23rd to August 26th, Erica, myself, Lisa Thornbury, Sarah Gunn and Gav and Ali Martell are going to be up at this resort that Erica’s been raving about for the entire time I've known her.
I’ve worked with Erica for over four years now and for almost three of those four years, Erica and I were running YMC by ourselves. Suffice it to say, we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. Here’s what I will tell you. When I speak to Erica when she’s on vacation at Clevelands House—and yes, we talk during our vacations—it is the most relaxed I ever hear her. It’s the one place where she can completely unwind. If you know Erica that’s saying a lot, she’s a bit of a tech addict. And by bit, I mean PUT DOWN THE PHONE ERICA.
We want you to come and join us on this four day vacay in Muskoka!
You can enter to win a free stay Clevelands House plus we have a 20% discount for YMC members if you book a stay from August 23rd to August 26th.
There’s already a tonne of things to do at Clevelands House but YMC has a few special things planned as well. Gav, the Grill King, is hosting a BBQ class, Lisa is going to teach you how to mix a special drink (or for me, two or three) and Sarah’s going to have you put together a DIY project that will put Martha Stewart to shame.
And me? I’m hosting a Book Club. I’ve named it the “By The Book Book Club By Sharon” but you won’t have to buy the book. When you book your four day stay at Clevelands House, Random House of Canada is going to send the book to you for free.
I do believe I’ve just broken the world’s record for the most times using the word ‘book’ in one paragraph.
Are y’all curious as to what book it is? Cassandra at Random House sent me a list of books to choose from and….drumroll please…I chose this one.
I devoured this book in a mere 48 hours. No matter what kind of relationship you have with your mother Please Look After Mom will make you look at her in a whole new light. For the first time in ages, I read a book with my trusty highlighter in hand so I could mark passages. It's the book that got me out of my reading rut.
I'm excited to share this book with you and I'm super excited to spend four days at Clevelands House. And if you come, you'll be able to recognize me right away—I'll be the girl by the pool with a mojito in one hand and a book in the other.
So what say you? How about you mix it up a bit and come and join us.
Join us at the YMC Family Weekend at Clevelands House!
Register ASAP by calling 1-866-645-1902 or via email at [email protected].
YMC Members get 20% Off—Make sure you mention YMC when you call to get your discount.
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Clevelands House.
www.clevelandshouse.com
I was going to write about my awesome Mother's Day but how it's a weird day for me in general because on the one hand it's Mother's Day and I get completely spoiled yet on the other hand I think of my own mom who is no longer here and then there's the fact that it's also the four year anniversary of the day our family got into a head on collision with a drunk driver.
I know, my life is awesome, is it not?
I was going to write about all of that but then I realized I'm a brush whore.
Seriously. Also, WTF. How does something like this even happen? I didn't realize it was this bad. I think it may even trump my white t-shirt addiction. When I brought the brushes downstairs to take the picture, my husband looked at the bag, then at me, then back at the bag and did that whole slow head shake thing. My kids were all "OMG Mom, why do you have so many brushes?" and I was all, "It's an addiction, leave me alone." When they were spread out in different drawers and baskets in the bathroom it didn't seem like a problem, yet when viewed all together...
Huh.
In my defense, I didn't buy them all at once. They were bought for different lengths and styles. The super skinny one was because I got bangs and a bigger brush would make them practically stick straight out. There's a no tangle brush in the mix. The oval one makes my hair super straight. There are large barrel brushes for long hair and boar hair bristles brushes to make it shiny. That was before I realized what I actually need are brushes with little plastic bristles to grab onto my hair. But not all plastic bristles because those don't grab on enough, there needs to be a mixture of boar and plastic.
Of course, there's a comb thrown in in for good measure.
I may be a whore but a girl also needs to tease.
My husband has only one brush in his bathroom repertoire.
I use that one too.
A few weeks ago I was at the Beauty Supply Outlet buying hair dye for my roots. I'm about 90% grey and my hair grows fast—about an inch a month—so I need to dye my roots every three weeks. That means if I went to a salon to get it done I would have to pay my hairdresser a kajillion dollars a year just for root upkeep and our accountant told us I could have nice roots or a house but not both.
I hate our accountant.
While I was there I came across what I think will be the be-all-to-end-all brush purchases ever. It's the 3D by Hotheads. The packaging said it would cut my drying time by 50% and it has THREE different sets of bristles. Three! And the bristles are kinda angled which means it must do something different than the plain ol' straight lined brushes, right? Plus the woman at the counter, who I'm sure recognized me from previous brush purchases, told me if I didn't like it I could return it.
Also, did I mention the angled bristle pattern?
This brush has changed my hair. I think it's magic.
I may not be such a whore after all.
p.s. This post isn't sponsored at all. I really am a brush whore and purchased Every. Single. One.
*sigh*
I attachment parent.
I also dictate.
My children have slept in my bed.
Sometimes I snuck out to sleep in theirs.
I wanted natural child birth.
I begged for drugs.
In my mind I was cloth diapers.
In reality, the disposables called out to me.
I breast fed.
Until I couldn't.
I have spoken to them with a quiet, hushed voice.
I have yelled and then quickly checked to make sure the window were closed.
I have answered their every need.
Sometimes my needs trumped theirs.
I don't chew their food for them.
But I still cut grapes in half.
I wouldn't put them on a subway by themselves.
But I do let them go to the park without me.
I've never had to explain why there is no food on our table.
I've talked to them about the kids who don't have food.
I work from home so I can be with them.
When friends who work outside the home need me, I help.
I helicopter.
I let them go.
I feed them whole, organic foods.
I feed them processed foods.
I trust my instincts.
I question my instincts.
I promise not to compare.
I compare.
I volunteer at school.
I don't like it.
We don't have video games.
I am thankful for playdates at houses who do.
I read parenting books, highlighting certain passages.
I stand in awe at how much dust they have collected.
I have disciplined.
I have bribed.
I have spent countless hours playing with them.
I have used the television as a babysitter.
Before I had kids I thought I knew everything.
Now that I have kids I know I had no idea.
But I always trusting my love will guide the way to help them grow into human beings that are kind, caring and compassionate.
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