Martini Momma

What's on your mind?

In the spirit of being your best, I am reminded about inspiration from two fab women that Kath interviewed on this blog.

1.  Colleen, aka Mrs. Gorp. 

I am seriously itching to start ordering her POWER bars.  But even more than her magical GORP creations, is the fact that her wisdom is resonating with me.  In this interview, she mentioned getting up 30 minutes before the kids.  Now, that's not always easy, but I AM DOING it.   And, best of all, I am feeling peaceful as I start my day.  I love tippy toeing out of a dark bedroom to go downstairs and start BREWT-ing my tea.  I love that I can organize my day in SILENCE.  It is a feeling of peace.

2.  Speaking of peace, Wendy, who is one of my dear gal pals, is another very inspiring soul.  In her interview here, she mentioned 2 little nuggets of info that have stuck with me...MEDITATE and PUSH Yourself. 

Although I can honestly say that meditation was not a huge priority, it has been seeping into my brainwaves these past few weeks.  I am trying hard to include small windows of time alone with just me and my thoughts.  Unfortunately SLEEPING doesn't count.  

So, I thought to myself, like any good student would, "How can I learn to meditate?"  You Tube.

 

Kath had a good laugh at the fact that I used modern technology, aka the WWW to inspire an age old technique of mind tranquility, but hey whatever gets the job done.  I honestly didn't know the art of mediation.  I knew I always prayed that my thoughts would QUIT talking to me, but I wasn't too sure how to do that, other than with wine of course!  After watching that short video though I realized that meditation should be done consistently, so I am going to focus on that.

As far as PUSH YOURSELF, I loved how Wendy mentioned giving 150% to any little amount of activity.  So these days, i find myself lifting cases of vitamin water in proper form, vacuuming and engaging my abs and even walking with POWER top of mind.

Peace is everywhere inside this Martini Momma these days.  In fact, last night I even sipped a new tea from Cornelia Bean, Chocolate Kisses Ginger and put my feet up BEFORE cleaning up the dinner mess.  OK, so before I sign out, the week is coming to a close - are you doing something for you?  I loved Kath's post on Hump day.  Even if you're getting some, that could be your weekly goal - just do something for YOU! 

With MUCH Gratitude

OK.  I have now mentioned our Oscar Bags probably 10 times.  I know those of you who couldn’t come on the retreat (or didn’t have the wherewithal to know just how AMAZING it would be) missed out, so in the spirit of being the best, I am going to share with you the contents while plugging our amazing supporters.  Here goes, each girl received…

1 FREE meal from Supper Central as well as a reusable shopping bag.  Supper Central is an absolutely gorgeous inside facility where groups/individuals can prep and take home nutritious meals.  BUT they also have a fridge of food that can be picked up and taken home to cook or freeze.  It is very inviting and the girls are so nice.  I am thinking this would be an awesome gift for a friend in need (new mom)...

Tea from Cornelia Bean.  I actually feel like if you haven’t experienced Cornelia Bean than you really aren’t living (in Winnipeg at least).  We have such cold winters and nothing can warm like HOT delicious liquids…TEA.  I have asked Cory (who is a descendant of Cornelia’s) to be a guest on our blog.   She is in her 50’s (hope she doesn’t mind me saying that) and gorgeous.  Her secret (which I am sure we’ll hear from her)... TEA is a huge part of her wellness regime.  These days I start my morning with Black Irish and end my day with Chocolate Kisses Ginger Herbal (decaffeinated) Tea.  I am so excited to interview her.

2 yes I said 2 free passes to Moksha Hot Yoga.  Shauna is the manager at the Donald Street studio.  I have only met her in email but she is another person who I would love to share with our readers.  This past weekend left me feeling very recharged.  I believe that yoga is an integral part of balance for me and so I am making it a priority in my life.   Heck, if I can balance my mind and challenge my body at the same time….well that’s just multi-tasking at its finest.

City Looks.  Where do I begin?  Tracy, my dear friend, is one of the owners.  She wrote (yes!) a personal note to the Martini Mommas and created a gift package.  Every guest received a FREE haircut from Breanna (THANK YOU BREANNA!), hemp oil for the hair, organic Eminence Skin Care Products (celebrities ain't got nothing on the Mommas) and a certificate for 25% off the most incredible facial.

Our ingenuous natural buddies at Tiber River  gave every girl a piece of soap and a certificate redeemable for a reduced price on aesthetics.

Sharon at The Bra Bar, whom I have met in the past donated a very generous gift certificate.  Talk about SUPPORTING our Mommas.

My friend Jeff at Curve 94.3 gave everyone CURVE lanyards, reusable bags and hooked us up with cool music for the weekend.  Thanks Jeff.

Impact Fitness Studio created a custom workout that busted our butts.  It was awesome.  Thank you Sean (and Nat - our Momma - who lead us.  Nat works out there and is RIPPED!).

Naturally vitamin water was a sponsor as was Diageo who graciously donated MARTINI glasses and shakers,as well as shot glasses.  Thank you Neville.

Wine, whine, wine.  Banville & Jones...Thank you Karen.  Banville helped us select awesome wines and nibblies from the gourmet section.

Lastly, The Tallest Poppy made our mouths water and our tummies roar with gratitude from beginning to end.  Talia is amazing and her staff made for us some of the most DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS meals our palettes have known.

 

To everyone that made this RETREAT hugely successful, we Martini Mommas thank you from the tips of our toes.

 

 

Soup on the fly.

Psst.  Are you getting sick of me?  Wink, wink - I feel like the Lone Blogger over here.  Just wrapped up a conference call with my national team and while we chatted I threw all of these ingredients into my slow cooker...

• chopped onion (about 2 large)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 package of FRIGG'S turkey Italian sausage
• coarsely chopped peeled sweet potato
• 6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 leaves of FRESH prewashed torn kale (check out this post from The Natural health Circus!) 
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

Yum, dinner is a cookin while this momma is a cruisin!  I will NOT however post a picture because my baby sis - Crys, tells me that even though my slow cooker recipes sound D-Lish, the photos look like BARF.  So, there you have it, Multi-Tasking at it's best.

Now, I am off to finish my calls, I have a meeting at the sales center and somewhere in between I need to stop and pick up numerous goodies for our Retreat Oscar Bags.  Yehaw!

Stay tuned, I am coming at you HARD CORE with some healthy living tips and a report from my Naturopath. 

PPS - I have had a few entrepreneurs email me asking about advertising.  THIS blog is starting to advertise - only businesses we LOVE.  You know who you are.  If you'd like ad space, shoot me a comment or email at martinimommas@gmail.com

 

I'll take an extra dose of enegy with that, please.

OK - I have to start by saying, you know I am not throwing in the towel.  I was merely commiserating and sharing my perspective on how much is whirling around in my world of BEING BETTER, BETTER, BEST.  Ironically, my babies played musical beds on the day I post The Impossible Standard.

Fittingly, I woke up sleepy and ragged.  Stumbling out of bed, I stepped on BumbleBee.  Shit!  Ouch. 

"Ouch is a good word mom but shit is not."  Right, I'll take a double shot, venti cup of ambition please.

Needlesstosay, yesterday p-l-a-y-e-d me out.  I guess I have to give my hubby credit here because without him I have NO breaks.  Crys (and other single parents, KUDOS!).  For some reason, the day just dragged and dragged and some how my work load didn't diminish.

What seemed like eventually, me and my boys arrived home with a truck full of groceries and BAM.  Just like that, my fairy godmother intercepted my exhausted and kicked me right in the ass.  SURPRISE!  There is was. 

Yes, a bag full of healthy goodies.  I LOVE IT.   

Colleen, you are so sweet.  And generous.  And sweet.  Me and the Ya-Ya's will DEVOUR them.  Call me cruel, but I have decided to horde mine.  I will however give you my word that I will give my other two Martini Mommas their share.  Ironically I had chosen last night to do an evening flush of my system.  This involved the juice of 7 grapefruits, epsom salts and olive oil. 

It is a bowel and liver purge that lasts only one night.  Supposedly I will have a day full of the craps, but truthfully I DON'T CARE.  I have homemade, KICK ASS, energy bars from The Great GORP Project to reinvent me.

Colleen, hope you don't think this is premature but you have to be part of our 3rd Retreat - in the spring. 

My Weekend in a Crock Pot

 
Cold toes and hot soup.  Hope it travels fast.  I am drag, drag, dragging my heals today.  Brent left this morning to see another NFL game and thankfully, he took his germs with him! I am also a bit slow because this weekend among other things, included a Friday night at Kath where she hosted a fantasbulous Martini/Pamper Chef Party. 

Patricia was the PC expert and there is nothing like a party with her at the helm.  There were so many martinis, so many mommas and so much fun.  The Coach has even purchased Gluten Free beer for moi.  Yum.  In between Chocolate Raspberry Martinis we indulged in wine.

One of the mommas there was Trac.  She arrived in true generous spirit, she brought Kath and I each a Martini Momma Apron.  Thanks Trac!  Here is a peak at the night.

 

 
  
  
I hope Kal gets back from vacationing soon as I get excited like a child to see what she's has hacked into and changed on our blog while we sleep.

Today...is homemade GF Mac and Cheese in my crock pot.  I need to pull out and dust off winter wear.  I have fresh sheets on our beds but am out of Tiber River's Lavender Linen Spray which I cannot live without.  I must add that to my Week's To Do List.

The boys are screaming at me.  Oh wait, Gage just pooped on the carpet.  Great - potty training is just great.  Happy Sunday, Family Day, Comfort Food - this is fall day.

The new me, fresh and dewy.

Seeing as I am in between back to back NFL getaway weekends, a few nights ago I treated myself to a facial with Trac at City Looks.  Now I know that I have blogged about Trac before and I have blogged about City Looks.  Heck, I have even blogged about the Eminence Organic Skincare Line, but seriously I it's amazing.

Tracy is one of my dear friends who I cannot say enough about.  She is part of the group we call The Winos - our Night out with the Winos.  I have known Tracy for many years but its only since our babes were born have I really gotten to know her.  Strangely, I have difficulty expressing how special she is - Trac is different.  She is sooo amazing and humble.  She is sweet beyond words.  She is thoughtful and she is passionate.  So much so that passions leaks into every aspect of her business.  No detail is over looked.

A facial at City Looks means a warm bed and a pillow like duvet.  It means an ear massage, a plush robe and hot tea.  I am not sure whether I am more enthralled with the organic skin care line or the fact that I spend the entire time in a semi-conscious state - pampered to the max.  Here at Martini Mommas, we harp, we cajole, we cheer for following your dreams - Tracy is that and a facial with her is pure bliss.

Btw - book with her early, no really, she is in major demand.

 

Off with his head, someone's head, anyone's head!

Oh great, how do I get the task of posting just after the Great and Powerful Oz has hacked into Martini Mommas!  I am eating Dorito's with a spoon and washing it down with a glass of wino, in my undies.  And even though I have on a Pumpkin Latte Masque from Eminence that smells good enough to eat (THANKS TRAC!), I am cranky!

I need to kick my own ass right into line but somehow I keep missing the target.  Last night this was how my sleep shook out...

11:30 p.m. - I put down The Book of Negroes, turned off the light and hit the hay.

12:15 a.m. - My husband waltzes in from his Fantasy Football Draft

1:00 a.m. - G falls out of bed despite having a bed rail

1:30 a.m. - Hud wakes up, he has peed in his bed.  I change him and snuggle him right into bed with G

2:00 a.m. - G falls out of bed, again

2:30 a.m. - H pees in G's bed.  I change him, cover his spot with a towel and bring him into my our bed

3:30 a.m. - H pees in our bed.

Chad - welcome to the world of Martini Mommas.  Teachers - good luck as your school year begins.  Brent - take heed, if this momma don't get caught up on her...

1.  laundry

2.  work load

3.  most importantly,sleep - there might be blood shed.

Life as a Ya-Ya

Despite the fact that I feel mosquitoes biting me in my sleep, Team Parnell had a sun-filled, soul lifting l-o-n-g weekend.  And it all began living life as a Ya-Ya.  As you have read, Mollie made her debut as a full fledged photographer this past weekend.  Seeing as the only road block that she felt was standing in her way was childcare, Kath and I quickly put on our super-hero costumes and removed that obstacle.

Kath arrived at the house first.  She was greeted by a organized, matter-of-fact mom.  I am sure that despite analyzing, over analyzing and re-analyzing the situation, Mollie had looked after every detail from GF snacks to a thank you note:

 

Attached to these:

But we too brought our best game. We came fully armed.

1.  We arrived with bubble gum Slurpees and Timbits.  Lunch was in the oven and the table was set.

2.  We brought a 4 pack of Alive.  They are a summer must, Grapefruit & Vodka, lo-cal cocktails in a can.

 

5 kids, 2 Ya-Ya's, 1 bottle of fabulous wine and 4 Alive cocktails = No problem.  We puffed out our chests early - letting our wee ones and our soon to be school boys know that we were organized, armed and fully prepared to success at our task.  With great simplicity, our afternoon unfolded. 

Life as a Ya-Ya is as imagined in the book.  Women simply know what one another needs and truth be told, we get it done.  Kath and I have a synergy of working alongside one another with great ease.  One took care of baby Sadie, while the other filled the pool.  One changed suits, while the other bug sprayed.  One cleaned up, while the other got bribery treats organized.  Honestly, we even got in a visit. 

The highlight of the day, had to go to Tyson.  We are almost all cleaned up (kids and toys), when he announced: "My mom is going to be as happy as a pig!"

It was so good for the heart.  It was so GREAT for our Mollie.  My MIL even teared up as I told her about 3 women, more importantly - 3 friends who came together to 1 push past her reservations and just go get em! 

Miss Mollie, when you are a become a big time paparazzi, don't forget the Ya-Ya's. 

PS - We snooped only out of necessity...

 

My guilty conscience

Thanks Brand for letting me know about the sale at Lucky. (insert sarcasm, heavy sarcasm)  Didn't I tell you just yesterday that someone needs to put a stop to my shopping.  Anyone know of a shopaholic meeting?

  Confessions:

1.  I LOVE back to school, it is the perfect  reason to shop.  The perfect first day outfit, the greatest backpack, the niftiest shoes.  OK, the backpack is not for me, you're right, none of it is, my shopping is always for kids.  Less guilt, the kids need to be clothed, don't they?

2.  The back to school season also means our birthday season is on.  I love, love, love shopping for great bargains on great toys and with Christmas just after birthdays, it feels like there is more than enough reason to shop.  I get as excited as the wee ones when I think of the new toys Santa will bring. 

3.  I return items about a hundred times before I am satisfied with my purchases.

4.  I am a sucker for the post summer sales.  I stock up at the end of season to avoid paying full price next year.  Reason to shop, right.

5.  Halloween stuff is out, another reason to put on your comfiest shoes and comb those stores, the perfect costumes are out there and I have purchased and returned 5 at this point.

OK, so stop me, the Mastercard is still hot at this point and it's like everywhere I turn, there are sales and the most adorable girls outfits.  My little Misses are fully outfitted for fall and even next spring, even matching waterproof trenches from Gap, so cheap.  My boy still has his fair share but sorry, boys, just not as flashy.  I might be an addict but only briefly for 3 months in the fall and then just again at Christmas.  My travels have found some great finds.  Here goes:  Gap has all there already reduced merchandise for an additional 40% off resulting in dresses for fall for $12 and T's for next spring $8, never mind the trenches for $20 and so much more but going very fast. Adorable butterfly backpacks for cheap as well. Children's Place has costumes, cute ones.  Sadie is the flower, adorable, Ty is the T-rex, very scary.  Maggie's costume is from Costco, our very own Sleeping Beauty, going very fast, as usual.  Costco's toys for Christmas are in as well, some goodies.  Disney Store has great costumes, so cute, I wanted the kids to go as Woody and Jesse, they won out, thankfully, the costumes are a bit pricey there.  Gymboree has everything on for 30% off.  Lastly, Joe has cute fashions for kids, adorable lined rubber boots for girls, still trying to decide if they are totally impractical.  I know my mom would say, "Who cares? keep 'em".  I bought a puffy jacket there for me, cute, cheap, black, goes with jeans, so I did get one item.  Keep in mind, it's coupon week there for $25 gift card.

Gotta run and eat another still-warm cinnamon bun, nothing like homemade baked goods to ease a very guilty conscience. 

Obama-Rama

Well, we are up and inspired. 

The new President  - has inspired so many people in many ways - for ME, it was just a reminder that ANYONE can do ANYTHING if you put your mind to it!  I am putting my mind to it!  I have taken the plunge and after lots of soul searching hanging out at home with the kids (399 days but who is counting) since closing the store I am making a plan to get back in the game. 

I want to be THIS!  I have signed up and will start my training in the new year.  I am pumped!  It is Project Life Management for PEOPLE!  I hate Project Management of Techncial Things but I LOVE having a plan, I live for chasing goals!  I want to work with people.  I was inspired.  I left that expected job, those 9-5 work world expectations, I went out on a limb, I chased a dream, I knew when to move on, I stayed true to finding the real thing, I still am - and I want to inpsire others to DO THE SAME!  Find your passion and the rest will come!  This is the mantra of the future.  This will keep us young!

On a side note - I would make a TERRIBLE celiac.  I am trying but it is SO hard.  It means reading every label, cooking lots from snacks, abstaining from almost all Halloween Candy (Who knew that Smarties have gluten??), and well, I am sending out a HUGE HUMONGOUS KUDOS to Brandi and Kal who are seriously inspirational in their commitment to health and kicking old CELIACS in the arse. 

I did find this at Costco yesterday and the entire thing is GLUTEN FREE.  Very cool! It thought you might have to give up gluten forever!   

What else?  I am getting so pumped up for the holiday season.  it justs gets better each year with kids...plus, we are going on a hot holiday with my parents, and siblings and it just doesn't get better than that......Count down is on - I am almost ready for snow.....almost....

Breaking News:  Remember this picture of Foxy Gompf - well, it was just announced as Kirby dropped her off at this morning at doggie daycare that she won Most Original Costume at last week's costume party!  A big congrats to Foxy - all that embarassment and torture was worth it!