Sunday Wrap-up #2…

Another week has come and gone which means we’re that much closer to the holidays and all of the joy it brings…for me, it’s one week closer to when The Tall Blonde will be home from France for her Winter Break…and I really can’t wait to see her!

THIS WEEK AT CURTAINS ARE OPEN:

The week started with a gathering of bloggers around my kitchen table! We’d been trying to get together for quite some time and things finally worked out. I had tried once before and planned a dessert night…and ended up eating a well displayed dining room table full of desserts…all by myself!

In attendance was Laureen, whose blog Tempered with Kindness is just that…full of love and kindness. Peady is best known for her voice on Twitter…full of encouragement and support.

Lisa MacFarlane drove in from Lunenburg with a fantastic cake! Lisa would think NOTHING of that drive as her family packed up their travel trailer and drove from Vancouver to Nova Scotia while she wrote about their adventures on her blog, Around The Corner.

Kim, from Co-pilot Mom, is someone I’d been following for awhile. Her posts are honest and beautiful and this week’s post, It Would Have Been…had me in tears.

Laura is a rock star. Her blog, My Life in the Sun, is about her life with her family and their various travels. Laura is down to earth and full of information. She’s been a great resource to me since I started blogging…always willing to lend a helping hand.

Then there’s Heather…and there’s not much more I can say about Heather that I haven’t already. She’s my hero for creating HaliDip.

Speaking of Heather, we’ve sort of joined forces for a few new endeavours and starting Wednesday evening at 9pm, Heather and I will be hosting the weekly #ECMChat on Twitter. A place where East Coast Moms, bloggers, and businesses can meet to chat about what’s on our minds. Our first chat, Welcoming Winter, will be about all things cold! I wrote a post with more information…we hope you can join us!

I wrote a sponsored post on #TOMSforTarget as they launch the TOMS brand in their stores this weekend…with the purchase of TOMS products, you’ll be helping out the Canadian Red Cross and Food Banks of Canada. (Pssst…click on the link to check out the post…I’m giving away a $100 gift card to Target!)

I also wrote a post that will never see the light of day. It took me multiple hours and is absolutely the longest post (at 2147 words) I’ve ever written. In the end, I decided I wrote it just for me. For my own personal healing and truth. There are times that I have to weigh my private life against my public life…and this was one of those times. However, I was reminded once again why I write to begin with. It heals me in ways I never dreamt possible and for that, I’m truly grateful.

The BIG news for the blog this week was partnering with O’Regans KIA Dartmouth! At this very moment, I’m looking at a shiny new 2015 KIA Sedona in my driveway. No…sadly it’s not mine to keep although, I really wish it could be. As a working mom with kids in sports, we’re constantly juggling things in and out of the car and I’m forever working from the driver seat at the barn or the rink with my computer propped up against the steering wheel. The Sedona is a WAY BETTER OFFICE. The seats are comfy like an SUVs, the coffee cup holders are perfectly positioned, there’s a big old arm rest to place all of my notes, a spot on the door that perfectly holds my phone and THE BEST PART OF ALL…there’s a three-pronged plug where I can actually PLUG IN MY MAC!

Over the year, I’ll be focusing on other Working Moms like myself under the hashtag #KiaWorkingMom. I’m excited to meet other moms who are turning grey, completely exhausted, run off their feet, making mistakes, juggling activities, phoning people to put the dog out, racing against time, and trying to do it all…while loving every minute!

THIS WEEK AT DRAWBRIDGE CREATIVE:

I spent a glorious full day at Mount Saint Vincent with the Centre for Women in Business. They hosted a Professional Development Day with fantastic women who are leaders in their industry.

I attended round table discussions with Kelsey Ramsden, one of Canada’s top Entrepreneurs, where we talked about taking risks; Lisa Drader Murphy, of Turbine, where we chatted about your personal brand and keeping an authentic voice; and Janet MacMillan, from National, where we discussed crisis management and communications. It was great to be in the company of so many women…blazing a trail for the rest of us to learn from.

I’m working on marketing to continue to get my name out there. It was a busy couple of months where I didn’t have time to spend chasing new business…and now, I’m feeling it! So…should you need a logo, branding, brochure, business cards, website, poster, conference booth, banner or anything else designed…give me a call! I’ve a few things I’m working on over the next few weeks but I can see a little lull coming…and I’m not all that great with down time!

THIS WEEK IN GENERAL:

I feel like Marilla Cuthbert…you know, Anne’s mother. Anne Shirley? Anne of Green Gables? Yeah her. It’s just that, I remember when Anne went off to teach and she’d write home these letters to Marilla about her students, the working conditions, the head mistress, the other teachers…and that’s kind of how it’s been for me. The Tall Blonde calls or texts home daily and there’s always something crazy going on…she’s having a tough time…it’s book-worthy to be honest…teaching a group of kids at a boarding school who are trying to pull the wool over your eyes and an administration that seems to be taking advantage. So far, The Tall Blonde seems to be handling herself very well but from the looks of it…she’s probably marking “become a teacher” off her to-do list!

This week, brought just one volleyball game, one hockey game, one trip to the barn and a hockey tournament. Bones could have ridden a second time but I was knocked out fully by a migraine that managed to eat up a full day and make it so I couldn’t drive.

Mid-week, I received a text message from a friend stating she was incredibly sorry that she had to postpone our lunch…to be honest…I’d completely forgotten. Later in the week, I received a text from another friend saying she couldn’t make our coffee date…and thank goodness, as I was already in Windsor for a hockey game! In both cases, I never let them know they’d slipped my mind (though they’ll read it in this post!) This week, I’ve got to do a better job at keeping my head on straight…and I’m switching to a paper based calendar!

I had a lovely evening out with my PANTS group…a group we started after meeting at Weight Watchers months ago…to which only one ever made it through the program! PANTS…stands for People Against Needing to Starve…but really, we need to get a new name. Phenomenal Awesome Nurturing Therapy Support group works for me as that’s what they are…completely supportive of each person as we wade through this life together. It’s a cool group with neat ladies and I’m thrilled to have them in my back pocket whenever I need them.

Remembrance Day…Bones was in the Valley with a friend working on a science project while Spiderman and I held down the fort. He headed out to hockey practice and managed to make it in the house at exactly 11:00…where we took a little time and a moment of silence to thank those who’ve served in our military…we watched videos of soldiers surprising their families with their arrivals home…and talked about my Pop’s brother Ron…who was killed in action on D-day June 8, 1944.

Spiderman told me about an assembly they’d had at school and how the Officer had moved him with his words of “Remembrance Day is not a synonym for Sad”…he went on to say that the day should be about honouring those who’ve given us our freedoms, by living our best lives and enjoying what we have. Spiderman and I headed out for lunch to enjoy one another’s company at Mary’s Cafe, where we met up with The Tall Blonde’s boyfriend for a little chat and said hello to his parents who own the restaurant. It was a lovely day.

The week ended on an incredibly sad note. On Friday, a car accident took the life of a 17 year-old boy from Halifax West…the school my son attends. On Saturday, I saw the sunken eyes of many of his friends as they tried to come to terms with the horrific tragedy. I spoke with many parents who are at a loss for how to help their children through their grief. For me personally, I’m not dealing with a child who knew this young man…however, his head is spinning with the realization that life is so unfair…that everything could change in a moment. He’s figuring out how to be there for friends at a time that’s simply too big for any one of them. I’ll give him the space he needs to figure this out…and be there for the comfort and support at the end of the day. But I can’t stop thinking of these parents…of this boy’s sister…of his friends and loved ones.

Life is precious.

While we’re running on empty trying to fit everything in…chasing the next project, the next dollar…trying to make sure we’re everywhere we need to be…stressed and exhausted…overwhelmed…it’s a HUGE reminder that sometimes, you just need to stop…slow it all down, spend time with those you love and hold them close. You just never know when it all could end.

This week, I’m fitting a little time in with those I love. I’m looking forward to my parents arriving home from a holiday as I’ve missed them dearly and I rely on their help. I’m taking a little time to relax and not be so crazy busy. I’m looking at ways to spend a bit of time with my kids…without all of the hustle and bustle.

This week, I’m praying for Caleb Doary’s family…for his friends and classmates…that they find the strength they need to get through such a horrible time.

There simply are no words.

xo