More Confession Of A SAHM: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Me

I have been blogging for just over 3 months now. I have to say that I really enjoy doing it. It is a lot of work and being at home with my two toddlers leaves very little time for writing, but I feel fulfilled when I am able to sit at my desk at the end of the day to write. When bedtime approaches I can’t wait for the girls to go to bed so I can get the office to myself.

Along with writing I have been educating myself on blogging and how to be a good writer. I have been reading a lot, (mostly audio books because who has the time) which has exposed me to different styles of writing and has helped me tighten up my writing style. Being so new to the blogging world there are a lot of things my readers and followers don’t  know about me so I thought I would use my first post of 2021 to share some more confessions.

1. I LOVE FILM

I have been in love with the cinema since as long as I can remember. One of my very first memories I have is watching Disney’s Snow White at the old film theater at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto. I remember being excited to see my first film at the movie theatre and being completely enamored by the cinema . I was lost in the colours and songs. I also remember that the movie projector broke half way through and we couldn’t finish the movie, but that didn’t affect me in any way. I was hooked.

I went on to watch as many films as I could in the theatre or at home. My family had a weekend tradition of going to Blockbuster Video (I am really dating myself here), and picking out a couple of films to watch over the weekend. I got to pick one cartoon for myself. It’s a tradition I want to continue with my kids minus the Blockbuster of course.I could honestly go on about my love of film and list all the films that have influenced me along the way but that is a post for another day. 

2. I AM IN SCHOOL FOR WINE STUDIES

What does that mean you ask? I am taking courses that cover the theory and history of wine growing and winemaking along with learning how to taste and evaluate wine. The courses are with WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust). They are taught in five levels (Levels 1 through 3, Diploma and Masters). I am currently trying to finish Level 3 with hopes of doing my Diploma which is a 2 year program. I’ve been trying to finish this level for a very long time and the pandemic has extended this because the tasting exam keeps getting postponed. At this point, I don’t know when I will actually get to take the exam.

I got into wine and wine tasting after going to South Africa with my husband. We did a wine tour of the Stellenbosch area near Cape Town and it fascinated me. After we got back home, it didn’t take me long to start my journey into wine studies. I have come so far in my knowledge and tasting abilities. I have really learned to appreciate wine and the places where it comes from.

I am still thinking of what I want to do after I finish the diploma level, but I know I would like to have my foot in the wine industry in some way. I feel like I am still carving out my way and I want to do it on my terms. It’s exciting for me and I can’t wait to share more of this journey with you.

3. I’VE BEEN TO IRELAND OVER 14 TIMES AND COUNTING

Tom, my husband, is from Ireland. He moved to Canada around 15 years or so ago. We go back to Ireland once or twice a year to visit his family. I look forward to the trip every year and I was truly gutted when we had to cancel last year’s trip due to the pandemic.

I have been there so many times it truly feels like my second home. I love going to visit family and seeing my nieces and nephew’s. We spend most of our time with family, but we get to do a lot of day trips and before the kids, we would do a night in Dublin or some other city or town (I miss these one night mini getaways).

Some of the things that I adore about Ireland are as follows:

-The Butter. It’s by far ten times better than the butter we get in North America. It’s just so good.

-The Chocolate. It’s as good as the butter. So creamy and yummy. (The same has to be said about the ice cream in Ireland)

-In the summer the sun doesn’t set until around 11pm!

– You have never truly seen the colour green until you’ve been to Ireland. There are so many shades of green it is so beautiful to behold.

-It truly is a stunning country. It’s just beautiful. Tom’s family lives in the countryside and waking up in the morning and looking out at the rolling hills and mountains in the background recharges me in a way nothing else can. 

– Driving along winding roads and listening to RTE 2 FM, a local radio station that plays a lot of top 40 hits. I miss it so much.

-The beaches are real gems. We are often lucky with weather when we visit so we make an effort to take a day trip to a beach. Even if it’s a little chilly, a beach in Ireland is truly awe inspiring. 

I could really go on and on about this. I love so many things about Ireland, especially seeing family,having big family dinners with them, or sitting around with a drink, and just talking. I miss doing all these things so much and I know Tom especially misses seeing his family. I hope we can get back there soon. 

4. I LOVE TO TRAVEL

Tom and I bonded over our love of travel. I love going to different places and experiencing different cultures and food.I think it is important to travel if you can because it gives you the opportunity to learn about  other cultures. You also get a chance to learn a lot  about yourself. 

We’ve been to places in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, South East Asia, and Europe. N has traveled to Ireland and South East Asia with us. Our trip to Japan, Bali, and Singapore in 2018 in part inspired me to start this blog. I wanted to take all the research I had done in preparation for taking a baby to all these places and share it on this blog to inspire and help other families wanting to travel with small children. I didn’t make this into a travel blog because the pandemic happened and we couldn’t go anywhere. I still hope to share my travels on this blog and the things I learned about travelling with small children after this pandemic is over. 

5. I LOVE INTERIOR DESIGN AND I WISH I WAS BETTER AT IT

I get really excited when I see interior design shows or flip through interior design magazines. I just admire how some people are able to just look at a room and know how to make it look. I have a very close friend @luluettel is so good at this. It just comes so naturally to her.

I do not think I have this gene. My house is nice and decorated somewhat but I always feel like there is something missing. I know how to match colours and I can make things look neat and tidy, but I don’t know how to pull a room together. I guess you could say I am just not confident in my interior design abilities, I am working on it though!

6. I’M OBSESSED WITH HOME ORGANIZATIONAL SHOWS

So not only do I watch design shows but I love watching shows like Getting Organized With The Home Edit on Netflix. As a family we have a lot of things and watching organizational shows has really pushed me to start purging some of the stuff we don’t use or need. With every box I fill and donate,I feel lighter and more at ease. 2021 is going to be the year I purge the house of all unnecessary items and get this house looking tidy and organized like all those shows I like to watch. I will keep you posted on my progress here on the blog and on @cookiesandcreamto.

7. I’M A BAKER

I used to bake with my mother as a little girl. I always loved baking with her. I still do when we get the chance too. A few years ago, I went to school for baking and cake decorating. There were continuing education classes at George Brown College, one of the top culinary schools in Ontario. I learned to bake cakes, bread, and other pasties . It was a great deal of fun. I even went on to start my own home business called The Girl Bakes.  I baked and decorated cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. My business was mostly word of mouth, but I also sold my baked goods at a couple of outdoor markets in the city in the summer. I put things on hold to continue my work in the film industry and film festivals. I have not given up on this little dream of mine. I am slowly starting to bake again and showcasing my baked goods on @thegirl_bakes . 

8. I USED TO DO CAPOEIRA

For those of you who don’t know what Capoeira is, it’s a Brazilan martial art that combines elements of dance, aerobatics, and music. For about three years I did Capoeira with a group here in Toronto. I got up to my white yellow belt or corda as they say in Capoeira. I even have a Capoeira nickname. The nicknames are in Portugese and mine was Zangada, Angry. I got the name because I always had a serious face when I was playing. In this martial art you don’t refer to it as fighting but you are “playing.” I loved it so much but had to give it up because life was getting busy for me and I didn’t have the time required to devote to get my cordas. I miss it terribly though. I still sing the songs around the house and sometimes I still do some moves at home as a workout. I don’t need to get cordas to enjoy it but knowing me I would want to try and get them anyway because I like the challenge. 

9. I LOVE THE OFFICE (US VERSION)

I have to share how much I love this show. It makes me laugh every time I see an episode. I am currently rewatching it for a third time. This time I am watching it along with listening to the podcast Office Ladies. In the podcast Jenna Fisher and Angela Kingsley, the actors that play Pam and Angela on The Office, rewatch all the episodes of the show, break them down and give behind-the-scenes stories of working on the show. It’s a fun way to rewatch the show after already watching it a couple times. 

The reason I adore the show so much is that it adopts the documentary style to tell the story of the employees of this mundane paper company. It reminds me of the times I have worked in offices. Steve Carell as Micheal Scott offers up the type of boss we may have all encountered at some point in our lives. But while Michael can be awkward and not always affable, he is endearing and kind.  

10. I’M A Nerd

I love movies, comic books, science fiction, fantasy novels, and all things HP (not J.K. Rowling though), LOTR, and the MCU. It’s fascinating to me how entire worlds are created from a person’s head. I have been known to geek out when a new book or movie comes out and am currently rewatching all the Avengers/Marvel movies in chronological order. Yes, I know I am a grown woman with two toddlers, but the heart wants what the heart wants. It would be so awesome if my girls could geek out with me when they are older. I can’t wait to show them Star Wars when they are old enough.

There you have it, a few more confessions from this SAHM. My aim in life is to always be authentically me and to never try to be someone I am not. Life is too short to pretend to be someone else, it is also exhausting. I am tired enough as a stay-at-home mom. I want my girls to know that it is OK to be themselves because you will always find your group of like-minded people. Feel free to share some of your obsessions in the comments below. I love hearing what other people are into. I look forward to sharing more with you this year.