All I want for Christmas...

...is "I HAVE NO IDEA!"

This could be the biggest stress of the holiday season - Christmas prezzies...what to give and what to "wish" for! I swear it was so much easier when you were a child...new Barbie, Cabbage Patch Kid, cool new puzzle or board game, pretty dress....yes it was a lot easier when I was a child.

And yet I find myself sitting here trying to figure out what to get the Little Miss - and coming up with not a whole lot...I just don't feel she "needs" anything right now nor do we have the space to store any more toys! Hmmm...time to have more playdates and see what toys of her little friends she fights over! I guess it's also time to put away some of those baby-toys that she really doesn't use or want anymore...into the bin for Number 2!

Okay now this blog is about Ally...so back to me :) heh heh What do I want for Christmas?? My dad has asked, my hubby has asked and it's just a matter of time before I receive my "Dear Alison....I need your wishlist. Love your sister" email! And I'm stuck...I thought about this on Saturday for a bit and then finally announced to hubby...."Babe, I know what I want for Christmas"...he immediately stops what he's doing and turns to me, all ears (I think he's finally realized that Christmas prezzie of 2003 really didn't say "Love ya" - granted I was training for some runs, but still!!!!) "What Hun?" my answer? "Time".

Seriously...I don't need clothes, books, toys, spa stuff...I need time to myself to enjoy all of those wonderful things that I received last year! Time to use the gift cards to go shopping, book myself into that spa afternoon that is burning a hole in my wallet, time to read those books...yes I need time. Unfortunately, I do not see my Dad, my Love, my sister or anyone else being able to give me that gift this year...

Perplexed, Hubby says to me "How about a Kindle?" Okay! Cool...a Kindle is a close second! What are you wishing for this Christmas??

xo
CaliAlly

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas?!?!

PLEASE!!!! I wonder what the odds are of a White Christmas in Santa Cruz, CA (where we are spending the holidays this year). I'm guessing my Mum and sister who are leaving the Great White North (Ottawa, Canada!!!) to visit us, probably wouldn't appreciate the white stuff! But I know Family Wortman would.

This will be our first year without snow for Christmas...okay truth be told that there have been some Christmases back home with barely any snow, but still, it's cold and cozy and snow is bound to arrive in a day or two! This year we spend the Holidays in Cali...we decided when we got married, we would rotate...Ottawa, Calgary (hubby's fam), Cali (and whoever wants to visit can!).

But it's tough getting ready for Christmas when it's 18celsius outside and the sun is shining and putting on a jacket means tossing a cardigan over your shoulders! So over the last week, I've found an all-Christmas, all-the-time radio station and it's now programmed in our car, in our house, etc! And then the Little Miss and I hit up the $1 section of Target to find some decorations and start putting a few things up around the house!

So I ask those that have spent many a green Christmas - how do you get into the spirit with no snow??

ps I know that I'm not supposed to get excited about Christmas until this Friday, after Thanksgiving, but what can I say...I celebrated Thanksgiving as a Canadian for 30 years and we celebrate it in October...anytime after mid-November in my mind, is the perfect time to get ready for my FAVE holiday!

"Santa Claus is coming to town..." - ooo I love this version!! Sorry side-tracked by the radio!
xo
CaliAlly

"You Showered!"

For the last couple of months, I'll admit it, I kind of let myself go!! Fitness-wise of course not...but just in my appearances! I've been teaching 5-6 Baby Boot Camp classes per week, attending playdates, etc...really the only days I actually did something with my hair and face was on Saturday - and only if I knew we had something fun happening that weekend!! Sure I'd take showers - p-u, can I remind you I teach Boot Camp classes?!?! But I would basically get out and tie my hair back in a bun and toss on a ball cap...when I'd go to playdates, most cases, I'd still be in the attire I just finished working out in!

But the buck stops here!!!! No more of that...why the sudden change of heart?? A friend of mine has said to me in the last week about three times, you look so pretty - did you shower?!?!!? NO, I just had some free time and a lot of birthday parties, Halloween parties, so I took the time to do something with myself!

Now going forward, I will not be the girl with the blown out hair, the layers of make-up...er, if you know me, you know that is SO NOT ME!!! But I will make a little more effort to look a bit more presentable....workout attire is for working out...tied back hair soaking wet is for bed! Etc...if I have to run errands or head to a playdate right after teaching class, why not bring a different top to change into??

So that's that, I'm off to find a few basic pieces - once I make my way through my closet and see exactly what I own!!

And yes I look pretty today...I showered last night :)

xo
CaliAlly

Early - so early

I love being awake in the mornings...I guess I would be a morning person! Until I started working and have a two year old! Now I need as much sleep as I can get....and oh the frustration of the Time Change! I'm fortunate enough that it hasn't affected the Little Miss really - she's a little more cranky, but still sleeping in until almost 8am and going to bed around 8pm...I however, am DYING!!!!

Last night? In bed by 8:30pm!!! This morning, up at 5:15am?!!!??! This is not good! Especially since I have today off and will need to entertain and be a "Mummy" all day! When will the body adjust??

I have two nights out this week - Mums Night Out and a work meeting that will force me to stay awake until at least 10pm...hoping that will help force some sleep in the morning...hopefully?!?!!?

xo
CaliAlly

Got in trouble!

Okay so I know it's been 20+ days since I blogged...I'm not sure what happened, just kind of fell off the blogging train and have had a really hard time getting back on it - but I got called on it yesterday - I was told that twitter updates don't count as a blog - oops!

Alrighty here we go...my life in the last few weeks...

* Baby Boot Camp Conference was amazing*
-in so many ways! It was fantastic to learn so much about where I can take my business and the steps to do so...so wish I had been to a conference sooner (although it is an Annual, so I didn't have the opportunity) - I would have run my last year of biz very differently. But I'm very excited to see what 2010 holds for Baby Boot Camp Santa Clara/Sunnyvale!
-much to my surprise it was very nice to be away from the fam for a few days...I definitely missed them and found myself only able to call before bed...it brought tears to my eyes and really made me sad to hear the Little Miss on the other end of the phone, so I didn't call every couple of hours as I had thought I would be - it was too tough
-it was great being "Ally" for 4 full days...not Mummy, not Wifey...just me! I met some fantastic people, had great conversations and really just enjoyed my time!

* Halloween *
- okay this one isn't really about me! The Little Miss is a "Punkin" for Halloween and couldn't be happier! She seems them everywhere and relates herself to them. She got the Pottery Barn Pumpkin Costume and the little Beret couldn't be any cuter on my little girl...her little curls peeking out! In fact she loves it so much, she wears it A LOT...on it's own...no costume! I have a feeling we may be seeing this costume being worn a lot....yes even after October 31!
- we introduced pumpkin carving to our Guate friends and had a blast doing so! I think for adults, it is seriously the best part...and the Little Miss and her little friend decorated their gourds with stickers and got to stay up way past bedtime - a win-win situation for all.
- annual trip to Useugi Farms pumpkin patch was amazing as always and ensured a good long nap for everyone involved! The big hits? Definitely the Carousel and the Train rides!!

* Visitors *
- Hubby was ecstatic to welcome not only one good guy friend to visit from Canada, but two!! Both their first trip to California, so we were busy playing tour guide and showing them our new stomping ground. It's so much fun to have friends in town...although I do love the quiet of our house now! It's funny before moving to Cali, we never liked to be on our own, huge social butterflies, and after spending our first year in Cali knowing pretty much no one, we have now become homebodies!

Really that's about all that has happened, see Dane, I promised you haven't missed that much! I hope this blog finds everyone well and I promise to be around a bit more!

xo
CaliAlly

Another First...

...in 48 hours I will be on a plane on my way to the other side of the country...without the Little Miss...panic is setting in!

I'm off to a conference for work (Baby Boot Camp) in Sarasota FL for three days...but due to the location being on the other side of the country and the time change, it will take a whole day to get there, so I will be away from Family W for 4 days.

I'm very excited but also very anxious...the "What Ifs" that creep through my mind are terrible. I think I need to turn that feature off!! I love that I will be getting some Mum-time...and that Little Miss and Hubby are going to get lots of one-on-one time...but I will still miss my munchkin very much.

Confession time - I've left the Little Miss for no more than 6 hours!!!!!! Yes she just turned two!

What I will miss most:
- cuddles (she asks for them now)
- security of knowing she's a few feet away from me (Oh gosh, I pity her boyfriends already!)
- laughing and dancing in the car
- I hope she doesn't wonder where I am and think I've left...

What I will enjoy most:
- 6.5 hour plane ride with no lap child
- taking care of me and only me (and my biz!)
- adult conversation...and high heels!

xoxo
CaliAlly

Diapers.com

Okay seriously...got babes?? Use Diapers.com! I'm so excited - too bad we are getting ready to start potty-training the Little Miss!

I noticed last night that we were getting low on our disposable diapers (we use both those and gDiapers) after thinking we had another pack - tucked away! ooops!!! It was 8:15pm and I was in no mood to go out to the store...but with three disposables left (including what is in the diaper bag!), it looked like I may need to get out to Costco, immediately after teaching class this morning...

...instead, I went on diapers.com - ordered my 7th Generation diapers for a comparable price and two sets of Gerber children's cutlery I've been looking at....presto, it will be here tomorrow and oh I spent over $49?? Free shipping! Now that is service...and I don't need to run out to the store on an already busy day.

Here's hoping we can get through the next 30 hours or so on 3 disposables and a ton of gDiapers! I'm feeling good about this one...

...like I said, it's the little things!

xoxo
CaliAlly