Category: LIFESTYLE

So You Had a Bad Day?

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In the age of social media, it seems almost unfathomable that people still have bad days. It’s definitely not something that makes the cut, or even fits your Instagram theme. So what realistically constitutes a bad day you may ask? Well let me be the one to put the ‘real’ back into ‘reality’ and without the over-dramatization to attract views, tell you what a “bad day” actually looks like. (*queue “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter… I know you’re already singing it in your head anyways!*)

I knew coming into the month of May that it was going to be hectic, what with every single weekend being double booked, both Saturday and Sundays having to wake up, get ready, run out the door to one event, pack another outfit to do a quick change in the car to hop to the next event. Being so busy, that appointments, groceries and going to buy gifts for said events had to be done before or after work, but all I kept telling myself is to suck it up because I had booked a vacation week from work at the end of the month. So finally, after the last HOORAH! last weekend, I felt a sense of calmness knowing I had a week off to go at my own speed. Monday I got up, got dressed, went to do groceries… but it was raining and I was by myself (which I love doing groceries, but hate doing them alone, there’s no logic in trying to weave your cart in and out of aisles while checking if you’re getting everything on your list, but SHIT you forgot to get your jam in aisle 8 and CRAP they don’t have that at this store, I have to go to another and do this all over again and…. SORRY TANGENT!!). So after that adventure, I tried staying positive regardless of how annoyed I felt, because HEY!, I was on vacation!

Then Tuesday happened. I had my acupuncture appointment first thing in the morning, so I felt refreshed and ready for the day but I had a sneaky feeling that there was bad juju looming. I went to the mall, found a spot close to the door… good right?  I go in to look for a gift for my husband’s birthday, walk around, in and out of stores, get a coffee, and part of it spills on me, no big deal because it wasn’t that noticeable so I thought that was it for my poor luck… but it was just starting. I finally get his gift, walk out to my car, and someone HIT MY CAR and left a note stating “I hit your car as I was parking, here’s my father’s number, I’m sorry!“. I get home call my dad, call the police (who were no help) and finally called the number on the note. The man who answered was cooperative and understanding of the situation despite the fact that I had to remind him the next day to send me all of his daughter’s information. After all that stress, calling the insurance today to make sure I was not at fault and would not have to pay any premium, for her to give me excellent service and assure me that the insurance would take care of all of it!

So now that my rant about my shitty day is over, I want to focus on the fact that it was just a bad day, not a bad life and it’s normal to have days like that in order to appreciate the good days. I was genuinely lucky that regardless of what happened to my car, you have to always look for the message or the blessing in any situation in order to move forward and my blessing was that this could have been so much worst. It could have been a hit and run, or someone could have gotten hurt, the insurance could have been horrible and not seen that I definitely was not at fault, but that wasn’t the case, and for that… I feel lucky even for the bad days for the clarity that they can bring back to you.

Everything happens for a reason!

xoxo,

beingbrittney.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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So with Mother’s Day fast approaching (and knowing how last minute some of us can be), I figured I’d give you some ideas for what to buy for your lovely Mom (or let’s be honest your wife depending how old your kiddies are!). Here are some gift ideas that would be suitable for any age and every budget. Although I am not yet a mother, I do have a mom whom I’ve gotten plenty of successful gifts for (ask her yourself if you don`t believe me), so I consider myself pretty much a pro! Here goes:

Kids:

Husbands… this one’s for you! We know that besides the cute little hand stamped cards with the words “I LOVE YOU MOM” painted on the front, your children can’t afford to do much else. So that’s where you come in.

  1. Pretty Much Free: Wake up earlier, make some breakfast, and do the cute breakfast in bed delivered by your children approach. This is a crowd-pleaser! *For an added bonus, make sure the little ones are already cleaned up and dressed and that the kitchen is cleaned up so mama doesn’t have to think about that when she gets out of bed!
  2. Budget Friendly: What are some of her interests and hobbies? Knitting, running, blogging, going out for coffee, getting her nails done? Something as simple as organizing a coffee date with her best friend and taking care of the bill before-hand, or buying her a note pad/pen for her blogging ideas, or even some yarn for her knitting. Any small gift that shows that you care and want to give her some time to do what she loves, even just for that afternoon is a success.
  3. Lavish: Book her a day at the spa and the bill taken care of while you watch the kiddos. This could be a package with the whole nine-yards: mani, pedi, massage, facial… or even just a message would be incredibly appreciated. She will thank you for the couple of hours to herself.

** Pro Tip: New moms want TIME! A novelty that they don’t get to enjoy much anymore with the bundle of joy that is now attached to their hip pretty much 24/7. If you can give her that, you’re golden!

Teens:

  1. Pretty Much Free: Pack your momma’s lunch with her favourite food and snacks, and even include a cute little hand-written note on a napkin. She’ll find it super cute and quirky that you’re imitating what she did for you when you were a kid.
  2. Budget Friendly: Take her out to go watch a movie! The fact that you’re willing to be seen at the movies with your mom will be an extreme compliment and she’ll love it. Pitch in for some snacks as an extra cool move!
  3. Lavish: Get her some cute jewelry that reminds you of her, maybe even a Pandora bracelet with a “mom” charm. Anything that your mom will wear with pride and show off to her friends and be able to say her kid got her that!
Mother and daughter (7-9) in cinema, laughing, close-up

**Pro Tip: A mom to teenagers wants to know she’s still loved and appreciated even though you may have a hard time showing it at this age. So a little “hey mom, I’ll always be your little girl/boy” gift will warm the cockles of her heart and you’ll nail mother’s day!

Adults:

  1. Pretty Much Free: Make your mom a good home cooked meal! If you don’t know how to cook, YouTube some step-by-step recipes, or even boil some pasta and throw some store bought sauce over and eat together. Show her how much you understand and appreciate all those years that you had a meal on the table at night and it’s your way of paying her back for it all!
  2. Budget Friendly: I’m big on getting things personalized, if I could engrave everything… trust me, I would! Some cool options would be on drinkware: a mug with “MY MOM IS THE BEST” written on it. I’ve even seen Swell bottles get engraved if she’s big on having a reusable water bottle on her at all times. Or if she’s more into spirits (which, I mean… DUH!) get her a signature glass of her drink of choice with her name written across. *Bonus: if you go to one of those paint-it-yourself places and make her something unique with your own creativity would be even better!
  3. Lavish: Book a weekend getaway with your momma. A cute B&B or a chalet, a spa getaway or even Vegas if that’s more her style, and enjoy some uninterrupted time together.

**Pro Tip: Spending some quality time with your Mom at a point in life where you are both so busy with your own schedules in your respective lives, is worth more than any gift. This is a time in her life where she wants to spend as much of it with her children, so that’s the best gift you can possibly give… quality time together!

I hope this helps any of you out there who are looking to add a special touch to the one day a year where our Mothers should get extra special attention. To all new moms, moms with experience, grand-moms and moms-to-be, I wish you a very HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Without you guys, we wouldn’t be half the kids we are today and incase no one else tells you today, we appreciate all that you do more than we show but more than you know!

xoxo,

beingbrittney.

(And no mom, I didn’t include your gift in here, so stop trying to guess what it is! 😉 )

(All photos in circles were taken from google)

 

The Reality of Going Out: Then vs. Now

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Back in the day, going out was planned and it was usually to some club. You knew by Tuesday you were going to take a cab, exactly where you were going, and leaving before last call was not really an option. It didn’t matter if you started work at 8 am the next morning and the fact that (I speak as a woman obviously) needed 3 hours to get ready, to be freshly showered, hair all done up, outfit thoroughly thought out and makeup meticulously done. It was all part of the fun of going out and the excuse “I don’t feel like going” was never an option.

Nowadays, “Clubbing” is at the bottom of the “what to do on a Saturday night” list to be frank. The thought of spending more than even 30 minutes getting ready is exhausting. I will settle for anywhere with a good drinks and honestly… the accessibility to food is necessary. Ideally, you just want anywhere there’s good music, a place for everyone to sit that you can have good conversation and lighting where you can actually see one another without a flash. As an adult, sometimes the best options are at someone’s house with a bottle of wine, some type of dip and tv radio playing in the background while you play board/card games (and it’s usually the cheapest option as well… win-win!)

I went out to a club for a friend’s birthday last weekend, and honestly at first, my husband and I had no idea what to do with ourselves. We have become so used to not going out that we didn’t even know how to act, which is bizarre considering how we met (if you don’t know that story, refer yourself to my post: Kids, this is the story of How I Met Your Father).  After a couple of drinks, and some tunes that took us back, we felt as though we never got out of the swing of things; dancing, laughing and drinking with friends wasn’t so daunting after all (minus all the sweaty people bumping into you trying to get by all the time). Honestly, it was so nice to leave our little nest and act like the kids we were when we first met.

So, in conclusion, to clubbing/going out now I say: Thank you for reminding me how to let loose from time to time… see you again in a couple months.

xoxo,

beingbrittney.