12 bullet bulletin {part FOUR}

Where do I even begin?

I envy bloggettes that discuss ONE topic per post without deviation. Like Erinn's diy: crib sheet tutorial that did just that, provided step-by-step instructions on how to make custom crib sheets - nothing more, nothing less. There was no "oh by the way this is what I had for lunch" or "P.S. don't you love Britney off of Big Brother?" No, she kept it professional and on point; it was baby bedding all the way - beginning, middle and end.

Well folks I can honestly say I'll never join the ranks of blogs like Fancy Napkin whose post titles actually jive with the posts' content. I suffer from blogger ADHD which leaves me with posts looking like this... a hot mess.

12 Bullet Bulletin:

1. Thanks to Court over at A Little Glass Box - and the following google searches: Zoolander face, navy blue crib and Timbuktu - Saige Wisdom got a crazy amount of traffic this week. I sometimes forget that people other than those I refer to as "mom" are reading my blog. THANK YOU everyone, especially Miss Mountain View, California, for giving my hobby some cred.

2. I debated giving this bullet a post all it's own. Last week I watched Trev say good-bye to his bestest and furriest friend for the past 13+ years and I can't even begin to describe how painful that day was. Seeing 'the epitome of strength' breakdown while cradling the handsome face of a 130 lbs malamute/shepherd in his lap was truly unbearable. The relationship between Trev and Dakota was one of the many reasons I fell in love with him so quickly and was one of the main reason I knew he'd be one AMAZING father. Dakota was more than a family pet, he was Saige & Gabe's first dog, Maddison's big brother, Trev's loyalest friend and 100% irreplaceable.

3. This photo makes everything better. I've never had more fun planning a birthday. You can check out our instagram feed @saigewisdom for sneak peeks into Gabe's September #nerd #party.

4. My search for the perfect cross-body, camel-coloured satchel is o.v.e.r. {and if you followed me of Facebook you'd know why}. Hint: I may have won the most ahhh-mazing bag over on Aaren's equally ahhh-mazing blog.

5. My quest for the perfect pair of leather riding boots, however, continues... I even tweeted Roots inquiring about the calf circumference of their Western Riding Boot. When it comes to footwear, Roots gets rave reviews {as they should at $300 a pair}. I'm sure my baby sister would kill me if I spent that kind of money on boots, but if they're as awesome as all 68 satisfied customers say they are, how can I not? I especially enjoy the removable buckle that gives the boot 2 distinct looks.

6. I worry that I'm going to cause I traffic accident mid-sneeze. I lose all control over my body when I "ahh-choo"

7. My sisters, mom & I have a mother/daughter photo shoot with White Linen Photography and it's a dream come true for so many reasons: {a} I finally get to meet the duo I've been following stalking all these years; {b} all 4 of us will together in one room without husbands or kids - the last time that happened we were at a Britney Spears concert feeling very old and {c} I know these are photos that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

8. I've had such a hankering for schnitzel it's not even funny. Gramma if you're reading this - which is impossible seeing how you don't have internet or a computer - can you please invite me for an authentic German dinner with a side of lemon? Love you forever.

9. Trev's watching 'Zombieland' and I'm pretty sure that's dying brain cells I hear over on my side of the couch, "help us Sara, make him stop!" 

10. Just when I think I couldn't be anymore excited for BLEND2012, Becs & baby Hanna sign up for the road trip portion and cdlbWest goes and posts this. Reading SWAG and IKEA in the same blog post is making my head explode.

11. In 12 hours or less our basement walls will be poured aaaand Saige will have went on her very first carnival ride... it's gonna be a great Friday, I just know it.

12. Don't you just love Britney from Big Brother? Please tell me she didn't get the ol' heave ho? No don't, I have to watch it first.

obsessions.

It's been awhile since I dumped a few of my favourite things into a blog post. Aside from this reno - which is basically on my mind 24/7 - here are 6 random things keeping my self-diagnosed O.C.D. in full force... {I suppose I should have added picmonkey.com for it's 4th time}

1. I'm pretty sure I gasped when I first saw this outfit by GAP. I'm a total comfort-monger so soft, heather tees have a special place in my heart wardrobe, but I got to say this colour combination won.me.over. Indigo blue and grass green welcome to the top of my favourite hue list. I wouldn't cry if I looked like the model wearing it either.

2. Our new-ish SodaStream is the very definition of impulse buy. What can I say, the sales lady was good, too good. I don't even make pop with it, just soda water. Homemade carbonated H20 paired with pineapple juice and mason jars is my total drink du jour; first introduced by one of my healthy, organic, 'granola' friends {I have far too many of them for my white sugar liking}. But seriously her sparkling juice recipe sucked me right in and now I'm sucking my blissful bevy from a paper straw.

3. Photographers who spill secrets are my present day heroes. This month I've been hardcore stalking the posts of Canadian talents Photography Concentrate and {thanks to Michele} the ahh-mazing Aussie Sue Bryce who shares her behind-the-scenes tips & tricks - as well as some seriously stunning images.

4. Mr. Gabriel is turning 1 in exactly 1 month and we're celebrating his BIG day with an off da hook nerd party. Only the hippest of squares need RSVP as our littlest VIP parties like it's 2012 with his dairy-free desserts and geek glasses.

5. It's 30+ degrees outside and I'm indoors researching kids snowsuits. Why? Because I'm cheap I can't stomach paying full price for anything {including winter gear}. Most online retailers are clearing out last year's stock and that means great deals for us - like 75% off North Face snow pants great.

6. Mommy co-ops. Never heard of them? Neither had I {which is strange cause I live for bargains}. Anyways a fellow blogger introduced me to a "secret" Facebook co-op {it's by invite only} and the discounts are unbelievable. The group's 'purchase power' allows members to get brands like Toms, Lunchbots (see above), Melissa & Doug, Green Toys, etc. at 25-40% off! 

* is there anything I should be adding to my ever growing list?

thus far {pt.1}.

We're making pedal to the metal progress on casa de Knol and I keep saying "we should being taking some inside 'before' shots to go with our 'afters'", but that my friends would require me to tidy up a bit and who wants to do that? 

Heck to the no.

PROGRESS - AUGUST 2012:

Digging the hole was the easy part thanks to our pricey third child - Mr. Excavator - and Trev calling in a few favors. 

For those who care who are even reading this, here's the breakdown of our costs to date:

Deck demolition..... ($250)

Building Permit..... $2031 

Geotech fee..... *FREE

Concrete dump site..... FREE

Topsoil dump site..... FREE

Rebar..... $714

Lumber to frame footings..... **sigh

Concrete for footings..... $436

GRAND TOTAL (thus far)..... $2931

* still no invoice from Jerry which may mean 'pro-bono' - fingers crossed

** waiting on Trev to find the phantom receipts

If all goes according to Trev-bob's schedule, the walls should be framed and poured by Saturday, the basement floor will be next, followed by trusses *yawn*

My ahh-mazing father-in-law has been here every night and weekend, under the blazing hot sun, helping Trev ready the hole. I don't know what we'd do without him and his mad carpentry skillz, probably die or go bankrupt contracting the work out. I was 'down in the trenches' for less than 3 hours on Sunday and drank Gabe's weight in water. Not surprisingly I came with not just one but TWO stellar ideas while demonstrating my own mad skillz with the skill saw. I won't go into great detail about my brilliance but they both solved the 'gap between the old and new foundation' problem.

Working side-by-side, helping Trev build our home, makes me feel so... married; just like hanging clothes on the line and cooking a roast makes me feel so motherly.

As you know I'm obsessed with bargoons {bargains for the sophisticated folk} and it's kinda hard to swing a deal when it comes to permits and concrete. That being said I do have some killer kijiji.com finds to share as well as some bartering & salvage stories. Stay tuned for Part 2.

P.S. our 12 foot patio door arrived yesterday and I'm head over heels... best $700 I ever spent. Mucho thanks Home Depot!

P.$.$. - if you have any renovation tips, tricks or money saving strategies I'm DYING to hear them!

I'm all about the FREE labour

BLEND2012 countdown.

I, Sara Knol, am going to an actual out of town blogging event where I get to meet, interact and possibly take iPhone pics of with other bloggers! I feel like I should create a 30 before 30 list just so I can cross this one off using my new sharpie purchased for THIS DIY. Sure I'll be out of my league and probably be the awkward girl in the corner that everyone whispers about: "who invited her?" "what's with those white legs" "have you even heard of her blog?" but... I.don't.care. 

** actually I follow A LOT of my fellow CDLB West member's blogs {and so should you}. If their online personalities aren't completely false - like mine - I'm betting they'll be friendly & welcoming and save their "who is she again?" commentary for when I'm gone... here's hoping. 

These recaps from BLEND2011 are making me giddy:    

barbara @ hodge:podge

rosa @ flutter flutter

danielle @ urban walls

victoria & gang @ CDLB West

jodi @ the simply inspired home

I don't know about you, but I'm kinda at a weird spot with this blog; she'll be 3 in January and I'm running out of confessions {well not really, but sooner or later people are going to tire of my pathetic life}. I'm hoping the talented group of attendees will inspire me to go in different/additional directions or, at the very least, help me decorate the extra 1200 square feet we've committed to {a progress update is in the works}.

You better believe you'll be reading rolling your eyes over lots more posts about my solo trip to Vancouver; where I'll be catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, crushing on the vendors at IDS West, getting my blog talk on at BLEND 2012 and, most exciting of all, enjoying some much needed uninterrupted sleep at the beautiful St Regis Hotel. 

If any of you attended last year's event and/or want a tag along for this year, give me a shout {please}... saigewisdom{at}hotmail.com. So many questions - and insecurities - with the first being: do I drive or fly?

COUNTDOWN CLOCK WIDGETS

{ one click } warrior princess.

august seventeenth | 8:25 p.m.
'ninja training'

confessions.

I'm not sure one can call themselves a blogger bloggette when they go weeks without posting and when they do end up hitting the 'publish' button it's just some random rant with ZERO substance.

Yes it's been awhile since I spilled the Sara beans so I'm going to take this nap time opportunity to confess some summer slip ups...

- I flossed my teeth with hair. Sure it was my hair - freshly washed that morning - but gross nonetheless. Background story: I was in a change room trying on some hugs-me-in-all-the-wrong-places maxi dress and noticed I had remnants of breakfast stuck in my teeth. The fingernail wasn't doing the trick, I didn't have any dental floss in my bag, there were no loose threads on my clothing and so I went with Plan 'D' - a few strands of hair. Desperate times call for desperate measures and surprisingly it did the trick.

- I'm a super ungrateful wife. Like when Trev's not working 10-12 hour days I gripe about money, but when he's working 60+ hours/weeks I complain that he's never home. I swear there's just no pleasing me especially now that he's spending all his free time on the reno that I asked for. If you could only hear my weekly sob story about not having anyone to help with the kids or chores. Bet he's regretting his romantic proposal right about now.

- Gabe's baby book is empty. As a second child myself I'm horrified by this. Saige has not 1 but 2 albums highlighting her first year and over 2000 photos (sadly that's not even an exaggeration). Gabriel on the other hand gets a few lame blog entries and some over filtered instagrams. Poor kid. I'm trying to convince myself that he's a boy and he won't care that there's basically no evidence of his existence.

- I don't fold laundry anymore... or put it away. In our 'already too small living room' sits 6+ baskets of clean clothes just waiting for me to get some motivation (and it's gonna be waiting a long a$$ time). Like a bunch of savages we've resorted to rummaging through the piles looking for a wrinkly something that'll fit. I like to call it a modern day scavenger hunt. Oh and my idea of ironing these days? a spray bottle + body heat, try it.

oh and this is my closet :(

- Running errands with kids is my present day nightmare. It's not that they're ill-behaved, it's the buckling & unbuckling that kills me (especially when I have 3 or more stops to make). I always think, "how do moms with 3+ children do this? aaaand stay sane?!" Like my girlfriend with 3 year old twins and a new baby? My idea of a parental paradise is a city with drive-thru everythings.

- Gabe's still in his bucket seat. I find this ha-larious considering Saigers was out of her infant seat by 7-8 months and forward facing at a year (bad parent alert). The portable car seat is just so handy when he falls asleep or gets transferred over to Dean or the grandparents. That being said, I think we're going to make the switch at 11 months as Mr. Gabriel finally hit the 17 lbs mark. Did you know there are 3 month old babies bigger than our G-man?! and that amazon.ca had a tremendous sale on Diono car seats.

- I've spent more on car seats than I did on my first car. At $300 a pop (x 5) it adds up quick. All you teens out there having unprotected sex - stop.right.now. and get yourself a Fiero. Not only are they cheaper than babies, they don't keep you up at night or puke on your Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie (plus they'll look super fly out in your high school parking lot).

- When I was 17 I got a tattoo... and thanks to Groupon my drug leaf tat (that was supposed to be a Canadian maple leaf) is getting lasered off. Here's another teenager tip for ya: before entering a tattoo parlor, know what you're gonna get. Permanent ink is no laughing matter although my red marijuana leaf is the bud of many-o-jokes (ba-bum-chuh!) See here.

- I sometimes eat chocolate before 9:30 a.m. and by sometimes I mean once a week... at least.    

THE END

{ one click } ballet camp.

august eleventh | 10:16 a.m.
'dance break'

why I don't shop at Superstore.

When Dairyland asked if I could let my British Columbia peeps know that their 'Fresh is Never Far' Tour would be making a stop at the the P.N.E. (Pacific National Exhibition), I couldn't say "no".

I grew up on Dairyland; even milked a few Dairyland cows in my day thanks to those weekends spent at the Hooch-Antink's farm.

Yes it's no secret that I'm hopelessly obsessed with milk; as in I have a 4 litre jug of 1% in my fridge at all times. While this may not seem that excessive, consider this - Trev doesn't drink white milk (can't stand the smell or something - weirdo) and Gabriel has a cow's milk allergy; so that leaves Saige & I to drink 4000 mL of white goodness before the expiry date. Seeing how Saige weighs less than 30 lbs soaking wet, one could assume that I drink the bulk of the moo juice in our house.

...

My baby sister does all her shopping at Superstore and while I more than enjoy their Joe Fresh clothing line {coming to a J.C. Penny new you my American friends}, I just can't bring myself to grocery shop there for the following reasons:

{ 1 } you have to bag your own groceries... and the cashiers scan your items so fast you'd think David Beckham was waiting for them in the break room. I'm not sure who they're trying to impress with their ninja check-out speeds, but it sure in H-E-double hockey sticks ain't me. 

{ 2 } you have to pay for carts. I'm okay with being charged 5 cents for bags should I forget my cloth ones in the truck {and am too lazy to walk the 20 steps it would take to retrieve them}, but paying for carts?! I mean who carries change anymore, who? Especially when 3 1/2 year olds with piggy banks are running around the show? More often than not I get to pack around a baby and an overfloweth basket {with a none-to-pleased look on my face}.

{ 3 } they don't carry Dairyland products.

I'm dead serious about the last one. The milk connoisseur that I am can totally taste the difference. I actually did a quick search to see just how many posts contain the word "milk" and got pack 8 pages of excruciating entries including this excerpt from my 38 week bumpdate:

** clearly Dairyland did their research before contacting me about a shout out (and no I wasn't paid to write this, this is just me paying it forward and giving props to my favourite brand of cow products).

SHOUT OUT:

If you're in Vancouver at the P.N.E. on Saturday, August 18th drop by the Dairyland van between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and get your free sample of Dairyland chocolate milk!

hit 2 pass.

We took Saige & Caleb to see Uncle Butch {#57} race this weekend... 

iPhone breaks, hot wheels, mini donuts, a 2nd place finish (and a cousin sleepover)... it was pretty much the best time ever. 

dirt nap.

I'm seriously having an anxiety attack over the giant hole in our backyard... 

What in the world made me think this was a good idea? 

Oh right, now I remember: the fact that Gabriel sleeps 10 feet away from us cause there's no place left for him to go... sigh.

If you could hear my heart right now you'd think I was having a heart attack; this is not a basement, it's my early grave! Sure, it was all fun & games on paper, but actually seeing 10 truck loads of dirt being excavated from your lawn? It's breath taking (but not in the good way).

Anyways, if I learned anything from social working and parenting it's the power of diversion... employ distraction tactics to pacify emotions. I'm going to attempt these on myself:

Q: "hey girl where you been? done anything lately that doesn't involve giant Tonka toys tearing up your backyard? 

A: "hey Sara! thanks for asking (you look great by the way) - hmmmm what have I been up to? well I...

... received 3 emails from wise followers asking if I'd mind answering some "personal" questions for them... ummm people in case you haven't noticed, I'm kinda an open book - or more specifically a book on tape that you're forced to listen to. I can't think of too many things I consider "off limits" so ask away.

... despite many a eye rolls, put our deck on kijiji.com and I'll have all the non-believers out there know that we ended up selling our pre-loved patio for $250. A couple wanted it for around their stationary 5th wheel and the gentleman spent the entire afternoon cutting it into manageable/movable parts. Not too shabby for something that was otherwise destined for the junkyard.

... got some unfortunate news from Aeroplan indicating that if we don't use our reward miles before November 30, 2012 they will expire. WHAT?! We signed up for an American Express business card specifically for their 50,000 bonus Aeroplan miles (that's the equivalent of 2 free flights anywhere in North America - except Hawaii). The pressure of booking another vacation just weeks after we confirmed our Mexico trip is a lot overwhelming. I know, I know, First World Problems at their finest, but I really wanted to put a bit more thought into how & when we used these flights. P.S. - I so appreciate all the Facebook recommendations and am still open to your fabulous suggestions.

... continue to be amazed by my daughter's stronger-than-strong will. Saige refuses to do anything at a pace other than her own so I signed her up for a week of dance camp knowing it would take more than one class for her to "warm up". As expected the first day was a total bust - she just stood there picking her nose, eating her tutu, watching the other little girls flutter around. By day 3 she was LOVING IT, so long as the curtains were drawn and the other moms "didn't watch". I wonder how Christmas concerts are going to go over?

... gasped when I saw this little boy on an episode of "Breaking Bad" - does he not look like a grown up Gabe?

Okay I think that did the trick. Heart palpitations are at a dull roar. Thanks gang.

boy oh bouy.

Creating shopping wishlists using powerpoint and picmonkey.com is almost as satisfying as updating Gabe's closet with these great buys for realz. 

I didn't think dressing my wee man was going to be all that fun or easy, but BOY was I wrong.

This Fall Gabriel's gonna look like the newest crew member of Deadliest Catch... these fisherman fashions have totally got me hook, line & sinker:

1. // gap

2. // h&m

3. // joe

4. // h&m

5. // toms

6. // gap

7. // gap

1. // old navy

2. // joe

3. // gap

4. // gap

5. // h&m

6. // gap

7. // h&m

window shopping.

What does one do when they're trying to be good and save money?

Go online window shopping of course.

and share my virtual finds with all y'all.

So if my MasterCard wasn't in an extended timeout this is what she'd be charging...

** YES my credit card's a girl, YES I've adopted a Southern accent thanks to BB's Danielle {Big Brother for all you non-fans} and NO I can't afford J.Crew so Saige gets outfitted in H&M, Joe, Old Navy & GAP, she seems to be OK with it {especially if I throw in a graphic tee every now & again}.

I'm still on the grey kick - obviously - and purple has really taken my wardrobe by storm. 

P.S. my fashion selections for Gabriel will be coming to a computer monitor near you, stay tuned.

 1 // old navy

 2 // old navy

 3 // joe

 4 // joe

 5 // gap

 6 // joe

 7 // h&m

 8 // gap

 9 // toms

10 // h&m

QUESTION: what affordable online stores have you been known to shop at?

12 bullet bulletin {part 3}

We interrupt irregular programming with this so not important Twelve Bullet Bulletin:

1. I'm holding Trev 100% responsible for the teeth through tongue incident that had us in Emerg before breakfast - Gabe may be part orangutan, but where was the supervision around the stool dad? Blood pouring from my baby's mouth equaled mind tornado - will he aspirate on hemoglobin in his car seat? does this warrant a call to 9-1-1? will the walk-in suffice? should I put on a bra? what's G's blood type again? sh*t there goes today's plans.

2. Those airmiles we've been collecting for eons? well we finally cashed them in for 2 flights to Me'hico. My parents are renewing their vows in February on the tiny island of Isla Mujeres and we wouldn't miss it for the world. I don't know what I'm more excited for: {a} no kids for 9 days, {b} vacationing with my sisters & their misters or {c} not being preggers at an all-inclusive this time (our last 2 trips to Mexico I've been 'with child').

via

3. I mailed my letter off this week asking for an additional 2 months off work. In the beautiful province of British Columbia government employees can request that their maternity/parental leave be extended for a maximum of 6 (unpaid) months. I took 2 extra months off with Saige so it's only fair I do the same for Gabe ;)

4. Can you believe Gabriel turns ONE in less than 2 months?!

5. Can you believe the excavator will be paid off on Gabe's birthday?!! 

6. Can you believe I haven't started planning a party for either one?!!! Whatever we do decide to do - if anything - will be on the intimate side (read small & cheap) seeing how the backyard will be torn up with renovations in full swing.

7. I'm legitimately starting to worry about Saige's eating habits and appetite which are basically non-existent these days. My mom thinks her ginormous tonsils are to blame? whatever the reason she's not getting any heavier only taller. I thought the Pinterest snack necklace might be a bite in the right direction, but finding healthy foods with holes was kinda tough...

pinspiration

we can all thank Christine for the fancy name

7. On Monday - thanks to Groupon - I met up with Kim from Paper Sun Photography for a one-on-one photography coaching session and it.was.awesome. Six whole hours to ask whatever I wanted about my camera, composition, lighting, editing, exposure, shutter speed... I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday.

8. While it's no 'Dexter' or 'Mad Men', 'Breaking Bad' is our latest Netflix victim and it's insane. My uber cool, dirt bike riding brother-in-law gave it his stamp of approval. I'm pretty sure his recommendation started off with, "you know the dad from 'Malcolm in the Middle'?" ummm what? Once I stopped laughing, I checked out Episode 1 of the chemistry teacher turned meth dealer and was surprisingly smitten.

9. I couldn't be more in love with playmobil.

10. 2 words: Farmer's Market. Vendors peddling their delicious locally grown fruits & veggies have truly become the best part of my Okanagan summers... strawberries, cherries, peaches, peas - I'm in produce heaven. We even have our very own backyard raspberry patch going on; perfect for afternoon snacking.

11. My body is officially hooked on alkaline water, try it.

12. We got our camping photos back from Lindsay Gee - HOORAY! - and the bloopers are some of my favourites; like this one of Saige showing off her ink {a temporary tattoo of Woody who sometimes feels like the 5th member of the Knol family}...

* well folks that's this week's 12 random facts you probably wish you hadn't wasted your time reading. Be sure to coming back next week, month, decade for part 4 of what Pinterest pin got the ol' follow through. THE END.