Cheater Quilt

I was hanging with Hilary yesterday, telling her about my new sewing machine that just arrived, and she reminded me about the blog Prudent Baby, which features all kinds of cool DIY crafts and things for babies.

I checked it out, and found this awesome post about cheater quilts.  How cool is this?  You can make a quilt (or at least, a blanket that looks like a quilt) without actually having to do all the piecework.  LOVE IT.  Just added this to my list of projects that I may or may not ever complete.

[cheater quilt fabric image via Spoonflower]

Gymnasts’ Alphabet

As a fundraiser for the 2012 Olympics, members of the Canadian Gymnastic Team contorted their bodies into the letters of the alphabet (both upper and lower case) in photos taken by Alphabet Photography’s Jennifer Blakeley. Aren’t these images stunning? Apparently the capital G (top) was the hardest letter to make.

See all the photos here, and order prints here.

[via The Toronto Star]

Mommy Humour

Being a new parent is delightful and amazing, but also mega stressful.   One of my favourite ways to relieve stress is to laugh, so lately I’ve been indulging in some Mommy Humour.  I’ve been enjoying the TV show Up All Night, I just finished reading the hilarious book Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, and I adore comedians Samantha Bee and Allana Harkins’ mommy blog, Eating Over The Sink.  Sometimes a good laugh is all you need to get through the tough times.

[illustration above from DadCentric – click here to see the whole series]

BRA Day



Today is National Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day in Canada.  There are events taking place across the country to educate and support women who are considering their breast reconstruction options, or for women who have had breast reconstruction.

Two years ago, I had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction as a preventative measure.  I have a BRCA 1 gene mutation (aka “the breast cancer gene”), which gives me an insanely high risk of developing breast cancer (we’re talking 85% chances – yowser).  I decided to have prophylactic surgery so I wouldn’t get cancer, and I honestly think it was one of the best decisions of my life.

Tonight, I’ll be participating in an event at Toronto General Hospital, where I’ll be “showing and telling” all about my mastectomy and breast reconstruction experience.  If you know anyone who has breast cancer, or who is considering breast reconstruction, please share this website with them – it has all the details of all the events across Canada.

And, if you’d like to know more about my experience, I blogged the whole thing over at Diary of a Mutant.

Nature Walks in the City

We’re lucky to have so many green spaces in Toronto – it’s easy to get outside and feel like you’re miles away from the city.  Yesterday Ian and I took the kids (that’s what we call our daughter and our dog – “the kids” or “the girls”) to the Evergreen Brickworks and Moore Park Ravine.

Walking along the ravine was gorgeous – Isabel went off-leash, and lots of other people were walking dogs or jogging (including Richard Florida and his wife).

Sunny days like yesterday are getting few and far between as we head into winter… try to get outside and enjoy them as much as you can!

[photo of the Moore Park Ravine taken on my iPhone using Instagram]