back to the gym...

i did make it to the gym yesterday and it felt great! new environment but it wasn't so intimidating at all. i was actually surprised that i was able to do as much as i did. i'm ready to get a membership and commit to this. i think i'm going to sign up for personal training sessions as well so i can get assessed and get put on a training program. they have this crazy machine that measures body fat, etc...so curious!

anyway, am going to try and get there again tomorrow if i can manage a 1 hr break from the kids!

have a happy halloween tomorrow!
j

today's the day

is today the day? if all goes well and my friend, heather, doesn't bail on me...i'm going to the gym! it has been almost 5 years since i worked out and i have been dying to get back at it...but have never found the motivation to actually get my butt there. i am super excited though. even bought a new lulu outfit (ha, ha, any excuse i can get!). i'm so excited to feel healthy again. wish me luck!

j

you're gonna love our new radio ads!

i just got back from C95. for the past couple years, i have been the voice of cravings (jordana is the face)! at first i was really nervous to voice our ads! now i must be a real pro because i'm not scared to do it at all. when i'm in my groove, i can usually do the ads in a couple takes. once in while it takes me soooo many times to get it right though! today i had to voice 5 new radio ads, which will air over the next few months! luckily i was able to do them right the first couple times (or i would have been there for a long time - i've never had to do 5 at once before)! since our move in february, we have been using the rhyming fairytale theme for all of our radio advertising - written by the amazing allison at rawlco! they are all super cute and creative! for our big announcement, coming up in december, we are going with a completely different theme - you're gonna love it. and i think it will definately get everyone's attention! the new style ad will air december 1st - in conjuction with our exciting announcement!! stay tuned...

r.

lou lou magazine

thought i would write while i am work today. have been on the computer for hours so what's a few more minutes. exciting news- lou lou magazine stopped by and interviewed me. the gal said she is hoping her team will include a maternity & baby boutique in an upcmoning issue. that would be fantastic if we make the cut! very exciting!

worked hard on our secret project today...although not so secret as i hear my husband has been telling the inquiring minds! anyway, we are excited to share with everyone soon. things are moving along! can't believe it's almost november, which means we have about 4 weeks left to get everything together...which i know we can do!

a few new products have arrived this week- car seat and stroller covers from 7am Enfant, Wonder Bumpers crib bedding, Kushies layette and the Phil & Teds Vibe cushy ride. can't wait to add the pink cushy ride to my black stroller...afterall, my girls LOVE pink!

candy

k, my 4 year old just caught me sneaking candy! what's wrong with that picture?! my entire plan all day was to go the gym and try it out...get used to the gym environment again. well, at 4pm, i realized i had pre-school toy cleaning. unfortunately part of me was actually excited that i had an excuse not to go...not a good sign, i know! so, instead of going to the gym, i am eating candy?! i just think i really need someone to go with the first time. once i get started, i know i'll be ok (or i hope i will!). i went to the gym 5-6 days per week at 5am pre-ryan. i ate so healthy and felt great. i don't eat horribly now, but i was so strict before. at my peak, my body fat percentage was 9.89%...crazy, i know. i definitely don't want to go too crazy like that again, but i do want to be a healthier person...and i did lift some heavy weights (for those of you that think i'm a wimp!). anyway, tomorrow is a new day...i will plan for the gym tomorrow!

anyway, i'm back from toy cleaning and i'm going to curl up on the couch and watch some tv (with my bowl of candy!).

have a good one,
j

long day

whew...what a day. seemed to last forever. layla woke up sick today and had hives all over her body. here we go again. she always seems to pick up what's going around. ryan is so different. she rarely gets sick. poor little one was miserable today. i managed to get out for a couple of hours to go down town which was a nice break. i finally got them to bed and now i'm watching desperate housewives. love sunday night tv.

so, i'm thinking i am going to use the free passes i got from world gym. i so want to get back to the gym. i know how good i will feel when i do...it's just the commitment and the amount of money that goes along with it. it's definitely not inexpensive to sign-up and i have to commit to a year. i just need to get my mind set to get off my butt and do it...maybe tomorrow will be the day.

i'm hoping layla feels better tomorrow so i can go to work...already sending myself email reminders so i make sure i get through the to-do list!

have a good night!
j

busy day

it was appointment after appointment today for becca & me. it started out first thing this morning. i rushed around to get the kids to dayare and then went back to our house to meet curtis & trevor of atmosphere interior design www.atmosphereinteriordesign.net . had a dining room cunsult...officially my new project! can't wait to see what ideas they come up with. they are always better than i could possibly imagine! so excited to get this started. will keep you posted! hey, forgot to mention our kitchen is the ones used in the yellow page ad this year...check it out!!

ran back to the store to pick becca up and then we unfortunately had a funeral to attend. grabbed lunch on the way back to the store...had a meeting regarding our new project. we are pretty much on schedule for a december 1 launch!!

right after that meeting, we headed to the circle at centre & eigth mall (is that what you call it? when i lived here about 20 years ago, it was called circle park mall...much easier to remember!). anyway, the C95 radio marathon for breast cancer was live at the mall. cravings' goal was $2000 this year and we are almost there! we are still collecting donations until the end of the month, so please stop by!

ran back to the store (well, after checking out a few things at the mall!) to try and get more of this project done...and that was the day. oh, forgot about picking up dinner because we forgot to figure it out last night, rushing home, feeding the kids, bathing the little one, putting her to bed, sending perry & ryan to the synagogue for a celebration and finally spending a solid 2 hours on our employee hand book!!! who knew that we would grow big enough to need a handbook?! it's all good!

having a glass of wine and will finish off the night by tweeting and checking out facebook!

good night!
j

C95 radio marathon for breast cancer research

really should be getting ready for the day, but am actually enjoying my second cup of coffee in my pyjamas. perry took ryan to pre-school this morning and layla is down for nap #1. it's crazy how much i appreciate a little help! i think i'm going to try and take them for lunch. we'll see if i actually get a chance to eat or if layla decides she doesn't want to sit in the high chair!

hey, becca and i will be at the C95 radio marathon for breast cancer at circle centre mall tomorrow to announce our donation total. listen for us at 3:30 or better yet, come on down and make a donation! we are still accepting donations at the store as well!

busy day scheduled for tomorrow...follow-up meeting about the new project...moving right along!!

have a great day!
j

work, work, work

ha, ha, becca...nice post! enjoy your chili!

just a quick one as i begin to start dinner prep. ryan has swimming tonight and then perry has invited a colleague and his wife over to see our home- they are thinking about building. i find it nearly impossible to keep our place clean. i am looking at the mess trying to figure out how i'm going to get it presentable in the 15 minutes i will have between the kids going to bed and the company arriving. am feeling quite guilty right now as i really feel like i should be going to work. we have so much on the go right now. i think i placed 15 orders yesterday and there are many more that need to get done. paperwork has mounted as thousands and dollars of merchandise arrives. also, can't forget the new project. because becca and i enjoy immediate gratification, we are trying to accomplish this in record time. it is so much work. so......REALLY feel like i should be going in instead of entertaining...just have to remind myself about having a balanced life. oh, and where the heck am i supposed to fit exercise in? i really want to get back at it...sigh...

anyway, off to get dinner ready before ryan & perry take off for swimming...and i'll be back at work tomorrow (and probably all night after company leaves!)

j

chili tonight

what is it about this weather makes me want to make and eat comfort food? tonight's pick - chili. my mother-in-law gave me her famous recipe. (i have modified it a bit - ground turkey instead of beef). it is so tasty, hearty and comforting on a cold gloomy evening! i usually make a huge pot so that we have left-overs for a couple meals - it actually tastes better reheated!! the only down side to lots of beans, meat, spices, garlic & onions - farting boys! our house may be smelly for the next few days - a small price to pay for some delicious home cooking! oh well.

product review

saturday already. what a beautiful day outside today. stopped by the store to find out that even though we got a HUGE shipment of stonz in on friday, we need more! if you have have never heard of stonz, they are truly amazing!

- designed with a wide opening to slip on easily over bare feet, socks, sleepers, shoes or the Linerz.

- have a durable coated nylon that is water and wind resistant to keep babies feet warm and dry.

- have two toggles at the calf and ankle for a custom fit and ensuring the booties stay on.

- Linerz that can be worn inside booties for extra warmth

- matching Mittz now available

Just purchased Girl Gotch for my 4 1/2 yo. I LOVE THEM!!! Cravings carries the brief- inspired by the original ”tighty whitey“, they have taken the style and made it to be all girl. They feature a one inch covered elastic waistband and material binding around the legs. The best thing is that they are super comfy and they don't ride!

Also just tried out the Buncha Farmers stain remover and it worked so well! 2 day old fushia pink icing from kids b-day party...out in seconds!

- All natural stain remover
- Made with all-natural, biodegradable ingredients, and enhanced with borax to soften the water and aid in the cleaning process
- No artificial dyes or perfumes

off to bed

i'm looking at the clock trying to convince myself i should get to bed. i felt really crappy today. went home for a couple of hours and returned to work after i felt a little better. not sure what that was all about, but i'm still not feeling 100%. there really is no time to be sick!

been working hard on our new project. i know i keep saying that, but the more we get it to it, the more i realize really how much work this is going to be! we have set a december 1 deadline for ourselves and the rest of our team...keeping my fingers crossed that this is realistic. when it comes down to it, becca and i always get things done. it's just a bit overwhelming right now!

can't wait to share!

ok, going to bed. i am the snack parent at pre-school tomorrow so i have to feel better!

good night
j

happy thanksgiving!

just enjoying a bit of alone time here at cravings. we are closed today, and thought i could get a few things caught up - without interruption! steven took the boys to the fun factory so they could burn off a bit of excess energy ... and let me have a little break - i am thankful for that! i am also thankful for so many other things - healthy kids, a loving husband, a great family, wonderful friends, an amazing business partner, a successful business ... etc., etc.

thank you, thank you, thank you!!

hope you are enjoying this thanksgiving weekend with family, friends & food - my three favorite "F"s!!

happy thanksgiving

love, love, love having my parents visit. perry and i were able to go out for dinner last night and didn't have to spend a fortune on a babysitter. it is so rare that we go out without the kids! i think the girls are going to go through withdrawal when they leave!!

woke up this morning to make a big pancake breakfast for everyone. it is one meal i know my kids will eat. did the dishes and then started on the turkey prep. this is only the second turkey i have ever made and it was so long ago that i made the first one, i don't even remember doing it! glad to have my mom around to assist. perry has decided to make a homemade chicken soup as well so it'll be a fun filled day of washing dishes! i think i've got 8 dishes planned so wish me luck- i will need it!

happy thanksgiving to you & your families!

j

new project

friday night. sitting by the fire with a glass of red, visiting with my parents. this is it for work for me today. i have spent hours and hours working on our new project...made it my goal to get one big piece of it completed today and i did! handed all the information over to allison and i think i'm free & clear from working on it this weekend. i even took my first night off last night. went for drinks, a movie, and then coffee with a good friend and a few of her friends. i had a great time. a MUCH needed break after working every day for the last 2 weeks. i am definitely ready to relax!

have a great long weekend. just a reminder that we are closed monday!

...and my day of working is now over!

have a good one,
j

halloween

a few days ago we got the cutest baby halloween costumes at cravings...very anne geddes-ish! i picked up the monkey costume for my little monkey, adam! adam tried on his lil monkey today, and loved it! he looks sooo cute in it and will sure to be a hit while trick or treating!! these costumes are adorable and so cozy & soft - perfect for a really cold night! we still have a few left - monkey, bumble bee, lion.

it is hard to believe that we had 30 degree weather just a few weeks ago! i was really discouraged this morning when i had to scrape ice and snow off my van windows!

this month, shop at cravings...and support a great cause!!

for the 4th consecutive year, cravings maternity & baby will be participating in the c95 radio marathon for breast cancer research! once again, for the entire month of october, a portion of every single sale will be donated to this amazing fundraiser! and just like last year, you can make a donation in-store.

this year's C95 radio marathon is october 22 & 23 at the centre. rob, shauna and rambling dave & the C95 team will be broadcasting live, raising money for the C95 radio marathon for breast cancer research. the money raised stays in saskatchewan and goes directly towards funding numerous research projects. every year about 640 saskatchewan women are diagnosed with breast cancer- it’s one of the most common forms of cancer, and very treatable if detected early.

to date, the radio marathon has helped raise well over a million dollars! thank you so much for your generous support again this year!!

shop at cravings...support a great cause...guilt free spending :)

















http://www.lisarendall.com/

all stocked up!!

just received huge shipments of baby bjorn, trunki (kids ride-on luggage) , jj cole, go-go babyz (car seat travel bags and car seat pulleys) AND much more!! check out these great links to see all the great new stuff!!

http://www.gogobabyz.com/

http://www.trunki.co.uk/

where has the week gone?

is it seriously thursday already? what a busy week. have been at the store so much as becca is away for another week or so. going back in tonight and then i've got tot pack for our buying show in edmonton. nicole (our manager) is coming with me. should be a nice time away. i lived in edmonton for 4 years while perry went to the u of a, so it's kinda nice to go back and visit the city. another weekend of shopping for me...and then this is it!

just spoke to the store and i guess it's been super busy today. who knew? it's so cold and rainy outside. i definitely don't feel like shopping with the kids, but thank goodness not everyone thinks like me! have a HUGE to-do list so hopefully lindsay and i will be able to scratch a couple items off tonight!

word is that we got a huge shipment of britax car seats, baby bjorn and noppies...the shipments keep piling in! the girls will have many calls to make to people waiting for these items!

secret project is going well! next meeting is wednesday and then we'll have some realistic time frames! hoping to announce soon!

have a great evening!
j