april 30th

wow! i can't believe it is the last day of april already!! where does the time go? today is also the last day of our SPRING SUPER SALE, income taxes are due . . . and ryan's 4th birthday. lots going on!

as for our SPRING SALE, i just wanted to let you know that there are still a tonne of great deals to be had! in-stock BRITAX carseats are all $20-$50 OFF. these rarely go on sale! so, if your baby is growing out of its infant carseat, grandma could use a carseat in her car, or you could use a second carseat for dad's vehicle - come in today and save! these carseats are top-of-line in safety, usability and style!

also on sale: all in-stock PEG PEREGO highchairs and strollers 10% OFF!

and . . . all spring & summer clothing (maternity, baby & toddler) is 20% OFF!

a couple people have metioned that they haven't been receiving our VIP newsletters, even though they are signed up. if this has happend to you, please send us your first and last name and your email address so we can check to make sure you are in our system correctly.

have a great day!
r.

ps - have a great birthday ryan!!

MS Walk & SALE!

i'm trying to multi-task right now...watching 24 and trying to blog...not very good at trying to do more than one thing at a time anymore!

the rest of the weekend as good, but i am very tired and hoping not to get sick. becca has come down with something so i'm hoping i won't get it. the cravings team had a great time at the MS Walk and we raised almost $4000! thank you so much for your generous contributions! i brought ryan with me and was so surprised she made it through without having to pee- great feat for her! the weather cooperated too which was a bonus! pictures to follow in another post.

wanted to mention that we are having a 3 day sale...check out our website and sign up to receive the insider scoop on our sales & new products!

www.cravingsmaternityandbaby.com

gotta run and get organized for tomorrow...garage is being painted, layla has a photo shoot for some advertising and i have a landscaping company coming by to give us a quote...and then all the daily stuff!

j

weekend is here

i went shopping yesterday (by myself!!) and was seriously disappointed. i was disappointed because i couldn't find a dress in my size anywhere and i was even more disappointed in the service. it actually infuriated me and kept thinking about how important amazing service is to becca and me. it left such a bad taste in my mouth that there are a few stores that i won't support any longer. so, i guess i am just going to have to dig around in my closet and come up with something for silver spoon and the SABEX awards gala.

becca and i headed out to dinner and the glass of wine was much needed after my day! we had a great meal at the barking fish (and great service too- thank goodness!) and then we went to CATS. it was such a great performance. i had never seen it before so it was great. got home later than i had wanted...too many late mights this week...but it was worth it.

today is ryan's birthday party. perry should be home soon from his conference and then we need to run out and pick up the hannah montana cake and a few last minute things. pizza is ordered and i think i've got everything else under control .

tomorrow morning Team Cravings is participating in the MS Walk. We've already reached our goal to fund raise $2000!!! way to go team! we have our amazing Team Cravings shirts and we're ready to walk...just hope the weather cooperates! should be a good time. tomorrow afternoon we need to try and pick up our new patio furniture set i bought yesterday (while i was supposed to be finding a dress!) and then adam's birthday party...and that's the weekend. next week doesn't seem to be slowing down any either...breathe!

have a great day :)
j

too busy

this week has been so busy for us. perry's schedule is ridiculous and we have so much going on. ryan's birthday party is this weekend too...which i am planning and organizing single handedly. becca and i are going for dinner tomorrow night and then we're off to cats (at least i get a bit of fun time in all of this!) and sunday we have the MS walk and adam's birthday party (becca's youngest). busy, busy, busy and perry has a conference on top of it all....oh and then he's off to vegas for a stag next weekend...oh and he's on 24 hour call tonight....i could go on and on!

one good thing about being busy is that i might not notice how crappy the weather is. what's going on? i heard it could snow tomorrow and the wind is ridiculous. i'm praying for a nice summer. was preggo for the first part of the summer last year and stayed inside and can't remember the latter half...as i'm sure you mom's can understand!

gotta run and get a few things done before layla wakes

j

where`s the sun

where is the sun? seriously, i can't take much more of this! i really notice how the weather affects me. feeling pretty lazy today that's for sure.

have both girls today and i'm trying to figure out what we can do when layla wakes up. ryan is telling me she's tired and doesn't feel like leaving the house but we need to get out...even for a bit of fresh air. maybe we'll go for a walk and pick up lunch. at least i'll get a bit of exercise this way.

so, i am debating getting yet another stroller. i have 4 right now. sounds crazy i know. one of them i never use and will buy a maclaren to replace it, but i think i'd like to get a phil and teds vibe. i think it would be great for walks and it's a single stroller with an optional kit that turns it in to a double. ryan is almost 4 but she still likes to be strolled around. anyway, we are bringing one in for our sales floor and i might end up buying it...we'll see what perry has to say!

check it out
www.philandteds.com

anyway, i`m going to get a bottle ready for layla as she should be waking soon!

here`s hoping the sun comes out soon!
j

home sweet home!

got back from a fantastic family holiday earlier today and we're all glad to be home! i really had no idea what it would be like to take our monsters on a week-long cruise. to my surprise, it was a great time! not exactly a relaxing vacation - but tonnes of fun!! the worst part about it were the plane rides and layovers. other than that, no major issues! adam, did amazingly well - slept like a champ and coped with the new experiences way better than i anticipated! noah was also great and loved everything about our holiday!

we were on the norwegian pearl - a huge gorgeous ship, with lots of amenities. however, i wasn't that impressed with the food, the level of service and i felt like we were constantly being hounding to spend more money (it was supposed to be an "all-inclusive" holiday). i've been on several other cruises and it just wasn't the same caliber as the other ones i've been on! but despite my complaints, i still had a great time! it was so nice to have the hot sun on my skin - it has been way too long!

it was soooo expensive to use the telephone & internet on the ship, so i had to limit my contact with the store & jordana - weird! i feel a little out the loop right now! i'm sure i'll fall back into the swing of things tomorrow!

as great as any holiday is, i'm always happy to be home! the boys were so excited to see all their long lost toys and we're all happy to be sleeping in our own beds (and crib)!

good night!
r.

back to normal

definitely a happier day around here. layla has returned to her normal self today...thank goodness! her gums are still red and swollen but i don't see the teeth yet. she's singing away in her crib as she is trying to fall asleep...too cute!

we went to pick up a few things before the 3 girls headed out for lunch. there weren't any cases left for perry to do so he met us as we were finishing up. he stayed with ryan and they are going to run a few errands and i brought layla home for a nap. i can't believe i thought having one child was alot of work. hats off to you moms with more than 2 kids! we did all manage to eat and everyone remained content while we were there- bonus!

anyway, i'm going to take advantage of these quiet moments and pray perry doesn't get called back in to work!

have a great (sunny) afternoon
j

cranky

oh how quickly we forget the little terrors are kids can be when we have such a great day with them (yesterday). well, today was another story. not sure what's up with layla, but holy cow is she cranky! i'm thinking she has more teeth coming...all the signs are there. we went to the book store and she wined and cried the entire time. boy, that was fun. she's down for another nap. hopefully she'll wake up on the right side of the crib this time!

ryan is watching the bee movie and i'm going to clean the kitchen. my house is a mess right now. i don't bother tidying during the day when both kids are home...there's no point. i do, however do the dishes. can't stand a messy & dirty kitchen.

anyway, was so wishing it would be a sunny, warm day today. hope the wind dies down for tomorrow so we can get outside.

anyway, better get moving on the kitchen!

j

me & the girls

thought i would write quickly while ryan is pretending to straighten my hair with her barbie (toy) curling iron! she's such a girl- already telling her daddy that he can't match his clothes! we had a great day today. lyala woke up grumpy this morning so i wasn't sure what the day would bring. she had a good morning nap and then we went out for lunch with 2 other moms and their girls. you really never know how these things will turn out, but today went extremely well. layla went down for her afternoon nap late, which normally makes her cranky. am guessing that it was all the kids and the excitement around that kept her mind off being tired.

i am sitting in my living room right now noticing that the sun is starting to break through the clouds. it's about time. i am hoping we have good weather this weekend. another weekend of call for perry which means that it's just me and the girls today, tomorrow and sunday. i so look forward to having an extra set of hands on the weekends, but i'm already coming up with an action plan to keep ryan occupied while layla naps. perry is supposed to be attending a conference next weekend and then vegas the weekend after for a stag...i'm thinking that i'm due for a day to myself...doesn't look like that'll be happening any time soon.

met with a few landscapers and driveway people so things are starting to come together. i seriously cannot believe how expensive landscaping is. i suppose i could cut down the costs and do something simple...but that's just not me! if i'm going to do it, i want to have an amazing yard. i love dinners outside in the summer and we actually have an outdoor fireplace so i want to create a nice seating area around that as well. curtis & trevor, from atmosphere interior design are coming back in a couple weeks to help help me with a few design ideas, etc. that's also a really dangerous thing because they ALWAYS come up with ideas that i love!!

anyway, will be fantastic when it's done! one thing at a time...i just need to get through this weekend first!

j

still excited!

still haven't come down from the excitement of our nominations! becca called today which got me excited all over again. i spoke at a mentoring circle yesterday and one of the topics was about award winning and the benefits. it is truly an amazing experience to be recognized as one of saskatoon's finest. becca & i really have our amazing staff to thank and of course, all of our loyal customers!!

i'm off to work in a couple of hours to (hopefully) get some paperwork done! have realized that working once a week in the evening is probably a good thing for our business...not enough time between ordering and all the daily stuff to do the paper work. i am enjoying the couple days a week in the store though. it's nice to be back and have face-to-face contact with people again!

have a good one!
j

great news!

so, so, so excited to announce that cravings is a 2009 SABEX award finalist for marketing AND small business of the year! becca is away on a cruise so i am trying to be patient for her call. nicole came with me this year. such a different dynamic. i am so used to being the one to calm everything as becca is chewing her nails off and chattering non-stop as a response to her nervousness. nicole was so low key- i found myself in becca's shoes this year! anyway, am just thrilled that we are finalsists in 2 categories! i really didn't know what to expect as we won two awards last year and wasn't sure what this year would bring in terms of recognition. the SABEX awards gala is going "red carpet" this year with an exclusive after-awards party, so it should be a great time!

back at work tomorrow and have the Women Entrepreneurs mentoring circle presentation. i have quite a it of prep to do tonight. just need to stay focused!

off to do dishes and get ryan bathed and ready for bed.

have a great night,
j

great weekend away

hope your weekend has been relaxing- mine certainly has been. we are away visiting my parents in alberta. was so dreading the drive down. we haven't been on a road trip with layla since she was weeks old so i wasn't sure how she would handle it. she was such a good girl. hardly made a fuss at all and even had 2 naps! that is something ryan would never do for us at that age. am crossing my fingers that the ride home will be as good.

did a bit of shopping, visited with great friends we haven't seen in years, had lots of family meals, did lots of playing with the kids, enjoyed the 20 degree weather...it was a great break away from home and makes me excited for our family vacation this summer.

now that i've got my head around coming home tomorrow, i am preparing for a busy week ahead. becca is away and lots is happening. will fill you in as the week progresses!

oh, and i'm meeting with a landscape company that has a quote for me...at this point the company that actually calls me back and is reasonable priced gets the work...this is ridiculous in my opinion!

anyway, off to get pack things up so we can head out when layla wakes in the morning.

have a good one
j

a crazy day of preparing for a week-long holiday with the kids! we are taking enough stuff with us to be moving somewhere hot - oh, wouldn't that be nice :) my boys have been super psyched about our trip, and have been nuts all day. i've had enough of the preparation - i can't wait to actually be on holiday! adam, has been unpacking everyone's suitcases and noah has been sneaking treasures in our suitcases for the past week. whoever said "getting there is half the fun" obviously didn't have kids along! i am so not looking forward to the getting there part! we leave for calgary tonight at 9 - after both boys' bedtimes. and leave tomorrow morning for miami at 6 - with several layovers on the way! we will have definitely earned our vacation after our "getting there".
my mom bought the boys TRUNKI suitcases from the store the other day! they are super cute, and i'm hoping they will make traveling more fun for them! both boys have packed and re-packed all their special things for the flights in their own little ride-on suitcase!

check out their website - a super idea for those traveling with kids!

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

have a great long weekend!

wish us luck!!

r.

just stuff

another full day with both kids. i can't believe how much more exhausted i am after a full day with the kids as opposed to being at work...mamas never get enough credit! ryan is off to daycare tomorrow and i'll be packing for our long weekend away. my parents go away for the winter and they just got back so we're excited to go and visit. it seems like forever since we've seen them. layla was 4 1/2 months the last time they saw her...i am sure they're anxious to see us too! i know i always bring this up, but it would just be so nice to have family around.

not much else planned for tomorrow. am going to do a bit of prep for a presentation i am giving next week to the Women Entrepreneurs' circle meeting- about customer service and the awards we've received. it'll be nice to get back in a "training" setting...used to do that for a living before cravings. something i still love to do.

anyway, i should head to bed. the morning comes way too early now that ryan is waking up with the morning sun. anyone have any tips about how to keep a 4 year old in her room until the clock says "7"?

j

getting things done!

so, so, so happy our office is getting organized. just need a few more things, including another computer, and it will be fantastic! us type A's don't do well in messy, unorganized spaces!

i'm getting the organizing bug in all aspects of my life! am going through drawers and throwing things out...trying to get more decorating done...pictures hung, the girls' rooms finished, the toy room finished. i hate not finishing products. had such a lazy winter and now i am ready to tackle all the loose ends!

the biggest project is the yard. i did get 2 more quotes for driveways and they were less than 1/2 the price of the first one. how is that possible when we're talking thousands of dollars? i have heard so many mixed reviews about stamped concrete- doesn't hold up, is slippery, etc. one of the companies i spoke to said they use a different process now to make it less slippery, including a coating with sand in it. i am just so confused! i love the look of it, but don't want to regret it...afterall, it's quite a bit of $$$. any advice?

aside from that, ryan starts swimming lessons tonight- unassisted. not sure how this is going to play out. she is typically independent when it comes to activities, but she has mentioned not wanting to put her head under the water about a thousand times! perry is taking her so it's all good!

off to tidy the house and to think about dinner prep

have a good night
j

organizing day!

jordana & i spent the day organizing our disaster of an office. the flooring finally got installed last week - we no longer have an excuse for working in substandard conditions. we made pretty good progress today! all random papers were filed, we made a new system for our defective merchandise and started re-organizing everything! still a ways to go, but we both feel a lot better about the condition of the place where we spend so many hours!!

on a completely different note, i just wanted to share my new found love and addiction with tv shows on dvd. i've never been much of a tv watcher, the last show i made a point of watching on a regular basis was beverly hills 90210 - the original version. but this is different! it all started a couple months ago with entourage! steven and i started renting the seasons and watching a few episodes every night. being able to watch episode after episode, without having to wait a week to find out what's going to happen is so great! i hate suspense and this is so perfect for me. we are now watching dexter. i wasn't sure about it the first few shows we watched, but now after 2 seasons, i am completely addicted! last night we watched 4 hours of dexter, it is so exciting i couldn't stop! steven was so mad at me because we were up so late, but i NEEDED to know what was going to happen! i'm so looking forward to several more hours tonight!!

have a good evening - i know i will!!

r.

lots of fun!

just waiting to pick ryan up from pre-school. i hate having to wake layla up from her nap to get ryan, but without family in the city, we don't have help. i envy people who have an extra set of hands for stuff like this. we do, however, have 2 babysitters now! perry and are actually going for dinner tonight...just the two of us. i honestly can't remember the last time we went for dinner by ourselves. am really looking forward to it!

also have a staff party tomorrow night, which should be a good time. just the girls, good food and a little wine!

gotta run and get layla up...have a good weekend and if you have time, you should check out the northridge show home on stensrude (willowgrove) opening tomorrow!

j

show home

tonight steven & perry (the cravings men) are going to deliver and set up the furniture in the showhome. i'm excited to decorate! unlike jordana, i haven't done much decorating in the past while! our house is almost 30 years old, so we've been tackling the boring home renovation projects - windows, driveway, siding.
we are dressing the northridge nursery with college woodwork's rossport convertible crib and yukon designer chest - in antique black, a monte design luca glider in chocolate brown. we still haven't decided which bedding set to put in the room. we will use the creative individual polkadots in pinks and brown - so we need to choose a bedding set that incorporates those colours! fun, fun!!
i'll keep you posted as to when the showhome will be open to the public!
r.