Although I am extremely lucky to live close to great cross country skiing trails I am officially over winter. These photos were taken yesterday. We still have a ton of snow and if the weather continues like this I will be skiing into April. Again.
At least I’m not on the East Coast of Canada? That’s about all the weather comfort I can get right now
I started this blog as a way to express how hard I was finding being a mom, business owner, wife and overall human being. After getting my experiences out of having my daughter and all my favourite things about being a mom I realized that there was no way this could solely continue as a mommy blog. I am not just a mommy. This poor little blog would have died a long time ago.
I feared at the beginning that I would just be writing to no one. That there is no way I could connect with people if I didn’t stick to one topic. Well, a few posts later and skimming the surface of my other loves (photography, travel & wine) I realized how great it is to connect with OTHER people who love photography, travel & wine. It allows me to discover other blogs and learn things about others who share common interests AND travel the world through my computer. I have added several places to my travel bucket list from posts seen on here. So I am always excited to do a post on different subjects to see who I will reach and who will reach to me.
It is so therapeutic to write what is happening in life and to reach out to others as they travel through their own worlds. We now live in a world where everyone is so rushed to get to a destination they forget to stop and talk to people along the way. This is why I love blogging, for those days where I haven’t been as social outside of the internet as I strive to be.
It is a place for us to stop, look at each other, take time to understand what someone else is going through and offer advice & support.
So to all of you who are afraid of branching out – don’t be. To everyone who sticks to one topic – thank you! You make it easy to find information and are typically in the know 🙂
Cheers!
So I always hate seeing giveaways/free stuff on Twitter in an attempt to get more followers .. yet here I am – but not to get more followers.
I am playing with a little idea I had to market a kit for moms of infants & toddlers to travel with. Basically the essentials that I absolutely need anytime I fly or go anywhere for a week when with my daughter.
SO I am looking for 6 moms/dads/people with little people who will be traveling with a baby or toddler in the next little while to generously give me your address so I can send you a “free” kit.
What are the strings you might ask?! Well, I will also be emailing you a questionnaire after your vacation about what you thought of the product, what you think was missing and any ideas for improvement. That’s. It. No spamming emails for the rest of you life. No phone calls. No signatures.
If you blog – I am not asking for a product review – however if you LOVE it then I won’t stand in your way.
So if you are interested please shoot me an email at behindtwf@gmail.com let me know WHEN you are traveling so I can have it delivered for you on time.
While I would love to ship worldwide I’m keeping the giveaways to Canada/USA… If I become a millionaire I’ll change this 🙂
** If by some miracle I get an overwhelming response I will send out more than 6 samples **
Now that we are back from California & NYC and have had a couple days getting back into routine it’s time to start thinking “Where are we going next?”
Maybe I’m crazy, maybe I’m still trying to distract myself from my miscarriage or maybe I just enjoy the look of fear on people’s faces when they see a toddler at the same gate in the airport.
I have been fortunate enough to travel to Italy twice. Both times I had plans to visit Sicily, both times we ended up staying longer in Calabria with family and didn’t make it. So when I saw a conference was going to be held there – the first thing I thought was : Perfect!! The first thing my husband thought : didn’t we just get back from vacation?
So we hope to be heading back to Italy in the fall, with a squirmy 2 year old. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some family members to join us. Even with just one child the more help the easier things are (most of the time).
Tentative plans are Florence (for the first part of the conference), then family in Calabria then SICILY! I am trying to keep the trip around 2 weeks, if my husband was able to take more time off I would do 3. PLUS what better place to really try out my new Canon Mark iii?!
It’s early still , but when it comes to travel I am a planner. Eleven of us went 3 years ago and there may have been a poster board agenda … With cutout heads of everyone that was going … (Type A shining through)
Ciao!
(photo taken in Central Park March 21/15)
I usually don’t pay too much attention to what is written on the ads on a NYC subway and I’m not sure why I read this particular sign but it honestly gave me chills. I guess they are doing a “Poetry In Motion” series and I’m assuming they have different quotes up in different modes of transportation
I remember my mother toward the end,
folding the tablecloth after dinner
so carefully,
as if it were the flag
of a country that no longer existed,
but once had ruled the world.
-Jim Moore
Growing up italian, dinner – and not just Sunday night – was something you did not miss. No matter how busy you were, everyone sat down to eat, drink & talk together. The food was freshly made and would make most restaurant meals look and taste inadequate. It is a symbol of a country long forgotten. I see it with my colleagues, with some of my extended family members and more often than not with my in-laws. I think many families would be surprised at how much you can come together by simply sharing a meal.
This is a tradition I want to carry on. I want to show my daughter how much joy you can experience with a simple meal with those you love. Sitting down. Looking at each other. Speaking about your day. No cell phones, no TV and no distractions. We will see how much of this fight I can win, especially when she’s a teenager. But looking back – all of my favourite memories happened around a dinner table. This is what most strongly connects me to my Nono & Nana’s table in Aiello, Calabria.
This is our connection to our roots, right here in Canada.
I am so thankful I looked up & read what was around me this weekend in New York. I’ll have to do that more often while in the city that never sleeps.
There are few things I love more than a great wine and a great selection of meat & cheese. The simplicity of meat and cheese and the bold flavour they can pack makes me a happy girl 🙂
So in order to celebrate my 31st birthday my friends asked what I wanted to do, I have just gotten back from NYC so any restaurant we go to now will seem like a disappointment. Drinks are out simply because I’m too tired by 8:00 and hate leaving my little girl before bed and especially since I was away already for a few nights this week. So being a mom who loves her wine, I suggested a charcuterie & wine party Sunday afternoon DURING nap time. This is pretty much a win-win-win situation. 1) Meat, cheese & wine 2) good company 3) nap time so I have zero mom guilt for leaving for an extended period of time.
Everyone is bringing something but I thought I would post my contribution
Meats:
Homemade (literally, my father made this) soppresatta
Calabresi hot salami
Prosciutto
Cheeses:
Sovrano (this stuff is AMAZING, like salty, mild parmesan)
Parmesan
Sharp Cheddar – I grew up eating soppresatta and cheddar, some may look down upon this but growing up Calabrese I’m used to it 🙂
Wines:Â
I of course have a Barolo here but I know there will be a Nero D’Avola and likely a Barberesco joining the party as well – If anything is amazingly outstanding I’ll update this post.
Alright – lunch is over – now to tackle nap time for my little one!
Cheers & Happy Sunday to everyone!
Just arrived in NYC for a couple nights … And I have already enjoyed an amazing lunch at Colicchio & Sons and spent way too much at B & H Â …
My tummy is full of delicious fennel salad & a duck fat, garlic & arugula pizza and my camera bag is complete with my ultra fancy Canon Mark iii
I hope everyone has a great weekend ! More posts when I am back home …
Before we booked our flight to California I was debating on whether or not to get my daughter her own seat on the plane. She is still under 2 so technically she is still able to fly sitting on my lap without a boarding ticket. Then I thought how terrible it would be for the person stuck next to the three of us and how squirmy my daughter is – this was the main reason why we purchased an extra seat. Â No one needs that extra little bit of hell while flying across America.
A week before we were to leave I started to think how the heck can she safely sit in that seat if she’s not on our lap? Google provided me with some pretty terrifying information about toddlers in mother’s laps while flying which made me relieved I had bought her own seat for the plane. But how the heck do people keep their kids safe in their own seats? There are 2 options:
Option 1: Bring your own FAA approved car-seat
Well, no f*!@ing way I am lugging my car seat onto the plane. This is why we rent things while on vacation. I hate lugging ANYTHING. Perhaps if she was smaller and our infant seat was FAA approved we would consider it. But when she was smaller I was still breastfeeding so that took care of all our travel worries and she was snuggly in my arms for those flights.
Option 2: CARES FAA approved travel harness
This is a fantastic idea & product. It attaches to the seat and allows for shoulder straps along with the regularly lap belt. As long as your child is between 22-44 lbs and under 40 inches tall this device makes flying safer for your little ones. We had 5 total flights for our trip out west and my 19 month old was able to sit in her own seat for approximately 20% of the total travel time. Which to be honest was way more than I thought she would be able to handle. Some of the reviews say that children are able to slide out under the lap belt since it is not a 5 point harness – if your child is moving that much they probably want to be in your arms. Which given the option between having your kid halfway out of the harness or held tightly in your lap – I will choose the lap.
We flew Delta and all of our flight attendants were aware of the product and had no problems with us using it. I suggest taking a print out of FAA regulations with you in case you have an uniformed flight attendant. Some european airlines do not allow these to be used. So always do your research with your particular airline and when in doubt call & ask.
Here is the website for the CARES harness:Â http://kidsflysafe.com/
Tons of info there and as always – it’s available on Amazon and there are plenty of reviews.
Another non-mommy post… or really, a “Mommy likes her wine” post. The past couple of weeks I have been really surprised by a couple of the wines we picked up. Before getting pregnant I was on a Pinot Noir kick so I had a few bottles still left in the wine rack to try. I usually enjoy reds … especially a nice Barolo or Nebbiolo. As far as lighter fare – I typically go towards Pinot Noir & Gamay Noir – a wine really gets me on the hook if there is a pepper-y finish. I tend to stay away from Merlots (I cannot type that word without hearing Paul Giamatti say “I am not drinking any F*!@ing merlot) and Cab Sauv’s – no particular reason besides I think a Pinot usually tastes better for me and goes better with the meals I tend to cook.
I am in no way a wine critic or expert taster. My philosophy is usually “If it’s red it’s probably good.” Plus after the first two glasses anything tastes OK.
Pinot Noir – In order of Most to Least Favorite
First up for this post is a 2012 Duck Pond Pinot Noir from OREGON. I was not expecting much from this (I mean, it’s from Oregon) but it turned out to be absolutely fantastic. Beautiful rich color, a bit of cherry and finishes with just a tiny bit of spice. This bottle did not last long in our house!
Second was a Pinot Noir from Bourgogne. Also a surprise for a French Pinot Noir. A bit heavier than the Duck Pond and a tiny bit more of a punch. I think I was surprised by the amount of rich flavor this had for a Pinot Noir.
Third up and most disappointing was the 2012 Arcturo’s Pinot Noir by Blackstar Farms in Traverse City, Michigan. We live pretty close to Traverse City and usually the Pinot’s from there are outstanding. We are part of their red wine club which delivers two bottles of red wine quarterly. It was a bit too light and tangy for my taste. I always enjoy a light Pinot Noir that is easy to drink but I could not get past the oakiness of it. This is a good wine but definitely could not stand up to the first two mentioned.
Nebbiolo
I have yet to taste a Nebbiolo or Barolo I didn’t like and this one is no exception. Bonus – it’s rather inexpensive coming in at under $25 at our local LCBO I will be going back to get a few more bottles. Lighter than what you what expect from a nebbiolo and full of fresh fruit and a bit of a nutty flavor. Yes. Please. If you are hosting people for dinner and looking for a great red – BUY THIS!
Merlot
I unfortunately do not have a picture of the 2012 Arcturo’s Merlot from Blackstar Farms. Since I was not expecting to be impressed by this wine we made the tragic mistake of bringing it to my parent’s for dinner one night and SHARING it. Maybe it was because it didn’t taste as heavy as a typical merlot – or maybe after the second glass I was tipsy on Merlot and so it seemed like it was fantastic. Either way, we are ordering 6 more bottles so I can fully assess whether I love a merlot from MICHIGAN of all places. It was a bit dry but in no way finished heavy or filled your mouth with too much oak flavor. It reminded me of a fancy dressed up Pinot Noir which is probably why I loved it so much. When we get the other bottles in I will have to reassess my love for this wine and make sure it is as good as I remember it!
Are there any Merlots that are a must try?? Leave a comment and I’ll try to kindle a love for this poor little F@&*ing grape.
Cheers!!!
Moving up & onward! UPGRADING!
So taking a departure from my mommy based point of view I’ve been thinking a lot about upgrading my camera next week while I’m in NYC. I have a couple lenses I bought while I was learning the basics and now NEVER use. So I may bring them into B & H and trade up the lenses and my body (Canon 7D) for the 5D Mark ii. I have wanted this camera since I started tinkering with photography and since I’ll be in NYC anyway I have a great excuse to finally take the plunge.
I will be trading in my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM – it’s simply too heavy to travel with and cart around. If I didn’t have a a toddler, diaper bag or several other things to worry about when we are out & about I’m sure I would have learned to love this lens.
I may also part with my 50 mm and upgrade to the 50 mm L. I love this lens. You can’t beat the value of it and if you’re just starting out this is the first lens I would buy after getting used to the kit lens.
I will let you know next week if I decide to take the plunge! I may have to start working more to justify these large purchases!!!
I also just ordered a couple of acrylic prints from http://www.bumblejax.com .. I can’t wait until they come in and will give you an update on the quality! Shipping was relatively cheap ($48, two large pieces). Â I once tried to get an acrylic from a lab in Toronto and they wanted more for shipping than the piece would have cost. I’m lucky I am able to use a Michigan shipping address for american purchases!
behindthewhitefence 