Wednesday, March 7, 2018

15 FACTS ABOUT ME


Hello, Darlings!

With so many new followers recently, I thought it was time to do a quick re-introduction of Tot and I. Fifteen random facts about us. Want to learn more? We're cultivating a great Instagram community of Mama's, Mom's to Be, Mom's in Waiting and just down right awesome babes so check us out and DM me any questions. I'd love to hear from you. Without further adieu - all about us!




1. I was born and raised in Toronto. Moved to the US for law school and will celebrate 9 years in the great USA this August. I'm not a US citizen, but Tot is. We've traveled back home to Canada twice since Tot was born, but now that we're on the east coast - we hope to make it home much much more. 



2. While Tot is 1/2 Canadian, the other 1/2 is island baby. The Mr. is from St. Thomas, USVI and Tot's grandparents still reside there. We try to head back at least a couple times a year and we're actually heading back in a few weeks for a visit.



3. I'm a Mom in Tech and have been working in technology for over 7 years. It's not always an easy balance working in technology and being a Mom, but I'm finding new ways each and every day to make it work. 

4. I've used Peanut! Yep - it's a real app not just one on RHOBH. Through that, I've met an amazing Mama in the area that I consider a really close friend. Haven't been back on since I met my "match". It's one of the things I'm most thankful for with this move. 

5. While this blog started in NorCal, recently our family made a cross-country move back to the east coast and we're now in the DC area. It's a little bit colder here, but we're settling in nicely and most important - Tot is loving every second of being closer to her family. 




6. Tot was born in the great city of San Francisco. I really love that about her and always joke about her little California babe traits. She's such a California girl and I can't wait for her to get a bit older so we can go back and explore all the fun things we did with her when she was a babe in the city. Lemonade is waiting for us, little one! 



7. Those travel hacks I mention all the time? We really do use them as we're such an on the go family! With one of us being Canadian and the other from the US Virgin Islands, it seems we're always on a plane, train, or automobile. Literally, as I'm typing this I'm getting us ready for a trip to Maryland for the next few nights. Always on the move. 

I'd guess that we've taken Tot on 30 flights or so in less than 2 years. Maybe more? Tot really does sleep through almost every flight and has seen every travel obstacle thrown her way. Her first redeye at 7 weeks old was delayed during our layover and I was stuck alone with her at LAX at 1AM. But, we survived! We have lots more travel hacks to share with you and may even let the Mr. take over the blog for a day to share all his travel planning wisdom with you (i.e. best travel credit cards, miles vs. $, hotel perks, etc.). He's our travel guru and Tot and I would probably still be stuck alone at an airport somewhere if it weren't for him. 




8. I have long-distance relationships with all my best friends. Only one lives in DC, but the commute to where we live is sometimes a pain so we're basically in a long-distance relationship too. From the great state of Texas to Florida to Boston - we're all scattered and I wouldn't have it any other way. Being so far from each other can really be an asset as it really forces you to take the time to connect every day and check in. I value my friendship with them above all other things and last year, we all took a trip together to Magnolia Market. It was magical. I'm ready for round two. 



9. Food allergies are our life most days. Tot is allergic to dairy, any type of milk-proteins, whey proteins, and soy and soy proteins. I feel like I'm always hyper-sensitive about snacks and things people offer Tot. Even with family, I'm always on high-alert and I really don't mean to be. I just know the consequences of her eating something and while we're one of the lucky families that at this point don't need an epi pen (fingers crossed) it still does get a bit scary when she breaks out into hives and gets so sick from something as silly as a goldfish snack she stole from a friend.

When we travel, I tend to overpack with snacks and safe-foods I know I can always feed her if we're stuck in a situation where there are limited items she can eat. Oddly enough, one of the most convenient places I've visited for kids with her type of allergy? Disney World! 



10. I'm the oldest in my family. I have a sister who is 18 months apart from me and lives in Alberta, and a younger brother who is 23 and lives in TBD. He's currently moving and headed back east towards our parents. My sister is Tot's biggest ally and I swear they have secret conversations through FaceTime making fun of me. Their relationship really tugs at my heartstrings and I know Tot will always grow up with such a special bond with her Aunt. 


11. The Mr. and I met on Match! Yes, people - Match was all the rage before Tinder hit the scene and boy am I glad I snagged him before he discovered that app. We were married in the US Virgin Islands at the beautiful Caneel Bay. Our wedding was my first attempt at designing a large-scale event on a budget by myself and I give myself an A+. 


Read more about our big day HERE:

12. Tot really is a fashionista. It's so funny because I remember being pregnant and just incredibly hyper-sensitive to the typical girl traditional colors etc. I really didn't want pink and if my mom showed me anything frilly I immediately turned it down. I was such a tomboy growing up and I wanted Tot to grow up just like me. Her newborn outfit from the hospital was black and white because that's what I wear. But, I swear that girl came out wearing a tutu and ballet slippers. She is very opinionated about what she wears, but we're learning to channel that creativity into being a great little helper with packing etc. Even now, I find her sense of style creeping into mine and it's opening me to wearing more colors and even floral patterns. Who am I? 

When we go out shopping together, it may in fact be one of my favorite activities. She almost convinced my father to purchase her this cobalt blue Tory Burch purse the other week because of how adamant she was that she needed it for school. "Mama, I need that. I need that, Mama." He almost fell for her act until I swooped in. Thank goodness. That can wait until she's like 5 (kidding). From her shoes to her shirt - we've mastered the morning dressing routine with some fun hacks in the room and the bow board so she can pick out her full outfit. It really does make me smile seeing her little girly personality creep into my life. Who'd a thunk I'd be a ballet mom?



13. Spending a few years in Texas really cultivated my love of baking. One of my best friends is a southern queen in the kitchen and she taught me everything I know. As Tot is getting older, baking has become such a fun activity for the two of us. The southern love is alive and well in our household and while the dishes aren't always healthy (read: most of the time), it is one of my absolute favorite places to be on the weekend. I'm beginning to collect the recipes I use and hoping to start a little recipe journal for Tot to share with her family one day. I consider myself an amateur baker and in my dream life, I'd open my own bakery that served healthy yummy goodness. 


14. My mom tribe is kick-ass. We welcome anyone and everyone and it is pretty awesome. From other island wives (our husbands are one-of-a-kind so we need a support group) to local mama's - I don't know what I would do without their love and support. I can rely on them any time of day and the support we give each other is so so important. They say it takes a village to raise a babe and it really does. I've cultivated quite the little group and I can't wait to share them with you all. 


15. I'm learning to really love make-up and hair products. As I'm sure you've seen on the blog, since having Tot - I'm really trying to dive in and change up my look in a positive way. I have naturally very curly hair and have been doing a ton of research into what nourishes my hair the most and what allows me to knock out my look efficiently and quick. I'm actually really really really (did I mention really?) self-conscious about my hair especially with it becoming so thin since I was diagnosed with adenomyosis, but I'm trying to turn that into an uplifting moment. Yes, it's curly and thinning and refuses to grow past the mullet stage - but, I'm determined to see it glass half full for Tot so she doesn't ever learn to hate anything about herself. So keep an eye on the blog for more fun tips & tricks I'm learning along the way! 


And now, a few fun facts to share with you:

- We were convinced Tot was a boy and her name was going to be Charlie. Even after they told us it was a girl, it took a couple more sonograms for me to really believe them
- I'm obsessed with all things Bravo. It's my guilty pleasure
- I eat the same thing for lunch almost every day. It's an egg, ham, and cheese sandwich I make on this low-carb flatbread and I normally add avocado
- We purchased a Peloton bike in September and I'm obsessed with all of the workouts. I try to workout with both the spin and off the bike rides at least 4x a week
- I recently gave up all types of soda. I was obsessed with Diet Dr. Pepper and was consuming close to 6 cans a day. All water all the time now! 
- I'm a simple girl when it comes to food. Applebee's, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday are some of my favorites
- If I could live in Lululemon I would. Because I work in tech, I'm completely guilty of wearing Lululemon almost all week
- My husband and I bond over college football. You'll often see Tot in various SEC gear because he is a die-hard Florida Gator fan and I'm obsessed with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Battle of the SEC East vs. West in our home

Hope you enjoyed getting to know us a little better. Share a fun fact about yourself in the comments!

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