Shopped till I dropped

Last week end was a shooping week end....  big time shopping.... Like I had not done in a long time....
Now some of you might remember the new rules I gave myself end of summer...  I was to  buy stuff on sale or because I had a gift card....  nothing full price....

Well I bought 2 jackets (one black, one mustard yellow) and a tuque (purple - to go with both jacket).  One was on sale.... the other one, I used a gift card.....
Red velvet pants....  on sale...
Knitted acrylic sweater (beige - to go with jeans and red velvet pants)... on sale...
Skinny jeans.... on sale....
Flanel shirt (blue, green and yellow), cotton sweater (old pink), lace cami (beige), socks, infinity scarf (navy blue and white)....  I had a 20% discount....
Boots - flat, up to the knee brown boots...  no discount....  no gift card....  no guilt!  A REAL must have!!!!

I had fun... and I bought trendy items that can actually mix and match together and with what I already own...  I love fashion.....
I recently bought a book of fashion bloggers.... it gives me trick...  and it helps me refine my style...  I know fashion may seem superficial but I like it... It is my way to express myself and feel good and pretty!!!  There is nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself and looking your best....  I have learn that since I started this blog...  as long as you don't buy on credit.. with money you do not have...

So here it is.... partly fashion blog.. but still me....

Moving

I have told you in my last post that many changes were about to come in my life.  One fo them was selecting a high school for my son next year.  This has now been done. He found a place that perfectly suits him and he is really happy with.  That will be a great start for the next phase of his life. 

However, this school is quite far from where I live and where I work so we will be moving.  Most likely sometimes next april or may so he gets time to get aquainted to his new environment prior to starting at his new school.

I am quite glad about this.  I have been living in 3 different places in the last 9 years.  All in the West Island.  I will now be moving more towards the center.  I cannot precisely say where yet but it will be in a place where I will feel more like home.  I have already made a post about Montreal.  I am a true Montrealer.  Always lived on the island.  Never will move away from here.  (I know they say to never say never... but I can't see me move out of the isaland at this point of my life so for me it feels like never!)

I always had that desire to go live closer to dowtown, without actually being dowtown.  A great area for me would be near Villeray.  This would be great!  I always loved those houses that make Montreal so disctinctive.  It would also be close to Marché Jean-Talon and I would be near St-Denis and St-Laurent which have lots of store I love with locally made stuff, organic clothing, vegetarian restaurants and so much more!  I have been going there over the last few weeks and really loved it.  Even my husband says that I totally fit there!  People going around on their normal old bike with urban clothing!  Hey, people even dress like me over there!

Now I do not want to offend all my west island friends!  I have had a great time over the last 9 years here... and I do not regret it!  I just wanna go where it will feel like me!  Where I will be home!  Where I will fit! 

Also, this will be great for my son since he will be in an area with more people speaking French like him.  And he will also be closer to school so he may more easily see his friends over the week end.  He will be able to go to and back from school on his own.

My husband is in the midst of reorienting his career so he will simply find something closer to the area where we will live.

My son and husband have been commuting a lot over the last years.  It is now my time to do it!

So long West Island!
Bienvenue Villeray!

Change

Summer is over.. or almost...  we can feel it in the weather... and in the traffic.. and in the going back to school...

I had an amazing summer... the best in a long while...

It's amazing I would say that because so much has been going on...  and if it was me years before,I would have just lost it!!! My husband lost his job... that meant less money but also that he spent the summer home with my son... that meant no rushing to and from daty camp to pick up my son... no lunches to make but my own... So it turned out being a real break for me too! Money is not always what one need!  A good break is also welcome!!!

My son has found a new passion... BMX...  and is getting ready to get into high school next year... that brought up many discussions over the summer... what school would be best for him? We had 3 options...  one implicated that we move....  and the other 2 that we stay put...

So we had to look at all aspects our all our lives to see what would work out fine... and for weeks, I have been debating, making pro and con lists...finaly, the day Irene hit us, we are at TAZ (indoor skate park) where Cedric is hanging out with his new friends... and we realize that we really enjoy that area. I have ben living there before for a couple of years and these have been some of the best years of my adult life!  My son would be close to his new passion and friends,  he would be in a francophone environment which would mean easier for him to make friends... Real and I are also getting bored with the West Island...  we spend 9 years in the area and we feel like we need to move on...  We feel like we no longer belong here.. we want simpler, quieter lifes...  And we are getting fed up of the mall and Starbucks routine... but feel as thus there is nothing else for us to do here... unless we drive to other places... but wwe wish to avoid taking the car as much as we can! 

In this new place, we would be more in tune with our most inherent desire to find peace... of course some will say that you can find peace anywhere...  and we did find it here... but we need to move on into an environement that as thus is still in Montreal, is not as close to shopping center and coffe places. We tried stopping these 'bad' habits but being so close by makes us not stick to our resolution! It'S as if you were asking an ancoholic to hand out in a bar!  What would be his odds on not drinking? Sometimes, we need ot give ourselves tools to make our lifes better! So we opted for the school that would require us to move... we should definitely find out by early next week if it'S a go!  Living in that new area, we would be a bike ride away from the Mont-Royal, Lafontaine park (with a nice bicycle path near by) and close enough to St-Denis that we would not need to take the car to get there in a decent amount of time!

Does it worry me all those changes?  Of course it does...  my husband is going back to school, my so enters another part of his life, we might move into a new place...  this will all change our lives but change, worrying as can be, is always for the better!  You only need to give it time! I will keep on doing my mediation and yoga.... so I am guided through all of theses changes...  and all will go well in the end! I will keep you guys posted on where this is going as soon as I have more details...

peace,
nath

Talking with friends

I have been talking to friends recently about my shopping in July... and some observation came out that I wish to share with you. As you all already know if you have read the previous post, I have been shopping in July and I am enjoying it and I do not feel guilty about it!  I have bought a few pieces (I know 'few' is technically 3, but in this case, it is not!).  I started the year with a non shopping resolution...  unless I could prove the item to be essential!  I have come to several conclusion after 6 months of that...  here's what I can conclude about the situation and about myself:

1) Nothing really IS essential - except for food and shelter - and food in that case is only what is actually needed to sustain your life - not that fancy organic orange or that Starbucks chai late!

2) My shopping is not an addiction!  I have proven to myself that I can do without it for several weeks and even months without being unhappy!  This is a great relief for me.  I am not a shopaholic!!!

3) I really enjoy fashion and clothes!  It is a great passion of mine and I do not think passion should be brushed aside if they are not detrimental to yourself or others! Now wether or not buying clothes is detrimental to anyone on this planet is a whole different subject that I wish not to adress here.  I am talking about detrimental to myself or my loved ones.

4) I am quite creative!  I have had to remodel some pieces of clothing, or wear clothes in a different way or with different pieces  then what I usually wear them in order to still be original.

5) I have no wish for my sense of style and fashion to go away.  It is an essential part of my being.  Wether it is superficial or  not I think this can be an ongoing discussion... 

6) I really have not too many indulgences in my life...  I do not drink wine, go out to fine restaurants, go out to shows, party a lot, go on week end getaways on a regular basis....  I have a tiny appartment, regular furniture, small car...All I really enjoy  from the luxury of life in this part of the world are movies and lothing...  so why would I deprive myself of that life pleasure?

A friend made me realize then what I did was like following a very strict diet...  when you change the way you feed yourself, you have to do it as baby steps... so that you do not end up just giving up!  Same goes for shopping... for someone who used to do it a lot and enjoy clothes and fashion, just giving it all up may not have been the best idea... althus it made me realize stuff... I will resume shopping but not like I used to....

These are my new rules:

1) Only spend the money when I have it.  No more clothes on credit.

2) Only buy pieces I REALLY like and that REALLY reprensent me.

3) Buy pieces that coordinate well with at least 3 items I already own. 

4) No on the spot buying...  I have to wait at least 24 hours before I buy something I like.

5) Buy most items only when I get a discount of some sort...
6) Enjoy my shopping experience! 

This experiment has brought me a lot.. even thus I am cutting it short to what I had announced in January.  It has show me that one needs discipline in life...  I think we should take good care of our bodies...  with the best food we can afford and do yoga and meditation to also take care of you internal body, external appearance and mind... This is non-negociable.  As my husband claims, our body is our temple.. we should honour and take great care of it!  But isn't true that temple are well maintained and decorated?

Here come in clothes, haircut, make up, jewelry...  but there IS such a thing as too much...  There is no point in owning something you never wear... or do not really like...  or has no sentimental values to you... 

I decided I will keep on decorating my temple the way I like...  in a more reasonable, whenever I can afford it more sustainable, and more intelligent way!

peace,

nath

xxx 

I am only human

I have a confession to make....  I have been shopping over the last week end....  I do not feel guilty about it.... After 6 months of non shopping, it actually felt quite good!  I spent money for stuff I really like and that I will wear for years to come!  I could argue that it was essential and none of you would actually know as you do not know the content of my wardrobe and what I have been buying!  Truth is, it was not essential...  I have enough clothes!  But I REALLY wanted it... and it felt GREAT!!!  I have still manage to save 70% since everything I bought was on sale and had an extra discount on the last marked price!

Now, I could consider that I failed.... but I don't!  Yes I said I was not gona buy stuff... and I did manage to do it for 6 months!  For a former shopaholic, I consider this to be a considerable achievement!  Even my husband was impressed how long I manage to do this!  (I must also say that he still has not buy non essential stuff!  He is great!!!!)  This incident does not mean that I am going back to my old habit... I have no desire to do so.... and I will continue the year as I  started... 6 more months should be quite managable!  The amount of money I spend is what I would spend on average per pay check before this January!  So it is stil a considerable improvement!  I am only human... I am not perfet!  Perfection does not exist....  I had a moment of weakness... and it is over with!

However, admitting what people can perceive as a mistake or an error or even failure is not easy... And I long debated how to write about this in my own head... but I figured that just doing like I did in the other posts would be ok... I just said it!  No fuss or no trying to find reasons  or excuse myself... Here's what I did...  wether it was OK or not... who I am to judge...  it is just waht happen.... and I did not arm anyone... And it made me feel great!!!  It felt like Christmas!   Unlike when I was doing this every single pay check and not get satisfaction out of it...

Take care...
And do not hesitate to comment on what you think about that!!!
peace,
nath
xxx

Summer

School is finaly over...  for my son and many many more kids... this is a different period of the year...  no more studying and homework...  no more rushing in the morning... no more lunches...  I have a great opportunity this summer... my husband can use extra vacation time to spend with my son so he does not have to go to day camps!!!  he was really thrilled about this...  mom too considering less time plannning and making lunches and less time spent in traffic to drop off and pick up my son at day camp!  This is a real old fashionned summer like I use to have.... time to chill out and relax!  However, I did have a few worries..  I do not want him to spend all his days in front of the TV or playing with his XBox and or iPod... so I had to planned this out also... I took a summer membership at my near by city pool, a summer pass at La Ronde, I also have a membership at the Ecomuseum,  loaded his bus pass with tickets, inflated his bikes tires, got a couple of water gun and new fun books, also made a list of activities free or not that they can do over the week... like playing tennis, badminton, soccer, basketball, frisbee...  going to see a movie, to La Ronde, Ecomuseum or the pool... it is on the fridge... This should be real fun for all of us...  and an experiment for him who since he was 7 months old has always been rushed in the morning to go to daycare, then school and or day camp..  he did get a couple of weeks at Christmas but I think this will be very energizing for him... and he will finaly be able to completely relax for a couple of months like we used to be able to do... 

This is so exiting!!!

Mali

My son is in fifth grade.  A difficult year... with a curriculum already quite charged.... but his amazing teacher had them work on an humanitarian project for the last 5 months or so... The project was for Mali.  Karine 's aunt works in Mali, so for the last five year, she had been doing this project with her fift grade students to raise funds to help out mostly with school and medical care.  I think it is amazing that a 30 year old teacher and some of her co-worker/friends put so much time and energy outside of their obliged duty to show kids a valuable lesson.  Kids have learned that some kids on this planet are not as lucky as they are...  They are already quite privileged to live in Canada and even more so since their parents can afford to send them to private school!

They were taught about life in Mali.  We already know that they lack clean water and food...  education and medical care...  as most African country.  But did you know that not too long ago, kids were given out to the army in exchange for food?  That kids were kidnapped by the army to work there?  Mostly young girls... since they are not as valuable!  In the army, they would work in the kitchen, walk on mine field or even be in the first line of assault so they get killed first...  This is horrible... but Mali is at peace now, so no more of that!  Things CAN change...  and by working on this humanitarian project, this is what the 5th grader of Collège Jacques-Prévert are hoping to do!

The project consisted of small groups of kids, taking music from a song they like, writing lyrics about Mali for that music, singing, recording it and selling the CD (with lyrics included)... and ultimaltely, yesterday night was the fundraiser show where we got to see our kids, singing and dancing for Mali.  They had decorated the scene with drawings.  It is an amazing thing to see about 50 kids, all singing in harmony, no fighting or arguing, in order to help kids miles away... The CD sold for 10$ and all proceed is going to Mali since all expenses are paid for by generous people.  We have yet to find out the total amount of money collected...
Next year, kids will find out what their money was used for...

Yesterday night was very emotional and I can honestly say than more than once did a tear came to my eye... Especially when Karine and Emilie performed a song for that group of fifth grader they had got to know over the school year... It was a great gift from them to the kids who worked really hard on this!

It is very inspiring and I wanna say thank you to Karine, Emilie and anyone else who participated in this project! And mostly thank you to these kids for having done something very important and showing such a dedication to someone else then themselves!!!  They have a great future!!!