The Bachelorette + Twitter = Huh?

I'll just cut to the chase here and admit that I love The Bachelor. And Bachelorette. And if I had ever actually watched it, probably Bachelor Pad too.

Every time a new season begins, I watch the first episode "just for fun". It's cheesy and predictable, and I never seem to quite like any of the contestants, or the "prize". However, they always end up growing on me as the show progresses, I become genuinely interested in seeing what happens. Will they forgo their individual rooms and stay as a couple in the fantasy suite? Will this, indeed, be the "most shocking rose ceremony ever"?

One of my favourite Bachelor/Bachelorette personalities has been Emily Maynard, who "won" Brad's season, broke up with him, had her own season and chose Jef, which appears to be an on-again, off-again relationship (if you believe the tabloids, which of course I do because they're always true. Almost. If you say Jennifer Aniston is pregnant every week for fourteen years, you're bound to get it right at some point.) I don't know what kind of mother or girlfriend Emily is, really, but she's great on TV, and that's really all I'm looking for from her. Which brings me to my next admission: that I follow her on Twitter. Which brings me to the point of this post: her hilarious Twitter exchanges from January 1st.

So, Emily tweeted:

Ricki just told me her friend Stephanie Tanner didn't pass her reading test. Too much Full House.
— Emily Maynard (@EmilyMaynard) January 2, 2013

An irate follower's response, along with Emily's reply to her:

“@emilymaynard Nice to call out a little one on Twitter. Not cool!” umm.. Stephanie Tanner? I doubt she'll be offended.
— Emily Maynard (@EmilyMaynard) January 2, 2013

And another:

“@emilymaynard I don't think her friend is going to be happy that you told so many people.” Her Uncle Jesse is going to be so mad at me.
— Emily Maynard (@EmilyMaynard) January 2, 2013

Wow, people can be so quick to judge. At least Emily handled it with (what I thought) was a sense of humour, albeit so sarcastic that it may have gone undetected by her detractors. (Say that three times fast.) Seeing as one replied back "I guess what people say about you is true." What, that she's funny?

Anyway, the woman was a stay-at-home mom to now seven year old daughter Ricki, supported by the seemingly extremely wealthy parents of her late fiancé (he died in a plane crash the week before she found out she was pregnant at age 18) who rose to stardom on the Bachelor and Bachelorette and now has almost 400,000 Twitter followers, including This Mom. A recent website report states that she is now an event coordinator at a children's hospital.

The Things Kids Write...

At what age should I insist that my daughter remove this sign from her bedroom door (a thoughtful replacement to the "Girls only" sign that her father pretended to be offended by):

Immunizations as Gifts - And My Kids Were Excited!

Little children do not fully get the concept of "a donation has been made in your name". Nor would I really expect them to. But when they actually know what has been donated, it's a bit different. When they get to choose their donation...well, that's an authentic introduction to philanthropy.

Every Christmas my parents give our family a gift from the World Vision catalogue. One year we supplied a classroom with educational items, another we provided piglets to a family in need. The gift always comes with a card and explanation so that the girls understand the impact.

This year's gift was even better. My parents purchased a World Vision gift card, and my kids (and my brothers') were able to go online and choose where they wanted that money to go.
Gifts start at $30 for Mosquito Nets, a Hygiene Kit for a Child, or to keep it closer to home, Feed a Hungry Family in Canada. $50 gets you contributions such as 2 Hens and a Rooster, Art and Music for Children, or Protect a Child Labourer.

For the amount we had, Frannie and Maggie considered a goat, a beehive, a bicycle and repair kit, or helping a family start a business. In the end, they went with "Help Immunize a Community", which had the following description: "Give immunizations and you give children life. 1.4 million children die needlessly from preventable diseases like measles and polio. You'll help provide enough of these vital vaccines to protect an entire community of children." My girls have had all of the standard immunizations, as well as flu shots and extra protection before our trip to Mexico. They could not fathom the idea that so many children get sick because vaccinations are not available to them.

Photo: Worldvision.ca



We made the final selection on Boxing Day, and now a few days later as I type up this post, Maggie is looking over my shoulder at the photo asking me if the children have stopped dying yet now that they have their needles. Now there's a gift.

I should be very clear here: if this were the only present my girls received (or even the only item they opened on Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's) they would have been disappointed. Visibly. And, if not in the moment, as I hope I've trained them better than that, audibly. But if funds are available to supplement a child's gift with a chance like this, I would highly recommend it...or any other opportunity for giving that fits your schedule and bank account.

Now since I never remember to mention this before Christmas when it really matters, please save this post for future reference...though of course any occasion can be a reason to give! For more information, please take a moment to check out the World Vision Gift Guide.

Christmas 2012 - Gift Highlights

I thought I'd share with you some of the most original ideas under our tree this year:

First, the drawstring bags that mom decorated for the girls with their photos, and images of all of the things that they love (their names are on them too, but I covered them to maintain the illusion of privacy that I convince myself we have). "Frannie" and "Maggie" adore their new bags!

My talented, woodworking father loves to take signs and turn them into cabinets. My sister-in-law and I each got this beautiful Paris design, which opens up to hold jewelery (and thankfully came with installation included!)

My favourite gift (besides my family, friends, health, home, job, readers who never judge me for my moments of consumerism because they know I'm about so much more than that) came in this little box:

It wasn't exactly jewelery, but a beautiful silver key ring, which was exactly what I asked for. Fancy jewelery is for special occasions...my keys I use every single day! See how it was a really practical gift? (Tiffany = practical, isn't that what everyone says?)

One of hubby's best gifts was a docking station for his iPod, and the reason I mention it here is because we were pleased to learn that there is an adapter (shown in front of the device) which will work with the new iPods and other i items, which have a much smaller charging spot. It's helpful to know that if you think two things are incompatible...there's always a way to make them work! Am I in a cheesy mood or what?



Most of the girls' gifts came straight from the North Pole via Walmart (dolls continue to be a theme) but one of the presents six year old Frannie is most excited about is the gift card for 25 prints from a photo store. So what if I I got it with my new camera; she doesn't need to know that. She just knows that she can now choose 25 of the four thousand pictures she has taken on my old camera and get them developed. Woo hoo! They also loved things like Cineplex gift certificates, because now we "have to" take them to the movies (which doesn't bother me at all, though I think the last time hubby attended a children's film he said something about preferring to poke a fork in his eye...) and were thrilled that their aunt and uncle didn't quite make it to Build A Bear and instead gave them cash to go and purchase new outfits for their bears.

In all seriousness, unwrappable gifts aside, I know very well how lucky I am for all of the blessings in my life. I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I intend to remind myself regularly how much I have to be grateful for, and do what I can to share some of my "gifts" with others.

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and blessed 2013.

Winter Getaway: The Wizard of Oz in Toronto!

Every year we try to get our girls tickets to something as a Christmas gift (you know, experiences over "stuff". Which isn't to say that they didn't get any "stuff".) This year, we decided to surprise them with a family getaway to Toronto for Mirvish's The Wizard of Oz. While the kids put on a nice polite show when opening the gift on Christmas Day, the thrill of it never really hits them until we arrive at our destination ...this time the stunningly beautiful Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly the Canon Theatre), where we were greeted by giant-sized ruby slippers!

Six year old Frannie adored the show, never taking her eyes off the stage. (She had to catch all of the details in order to answer her own incessant questions from the drive there: How will they do the tornado? How will they put "Surrender Dorothy" in the sky? How will the monkeys fly? Will all of the songs be the same? You get the idea.)

As for four year old Maggie, she covered her face at the first appearance of the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Lisa Horner, who completely stole the show) and spent most of the time on one of our knees, but she also enjoyed it, and was later quoting lines that we thought she missed.

Dorothy is played perfectly by 20 year old Danielle Wade, who was voted into the role after 8 gruelling weeks and 16 episodes of CBC's Over the Rainbow.

Here I am with the girls in front of a poster:

(On a completely random note, I believe there is irony in the fact that this is my first time wearing a beautiful jacket handed down to me by a friend as it was too tight on her chest...and I wore it over a double pushup bra and almost immediately popped two buttons off.)

Now Frannie can't wait to watch the movie again in order to properly compare it to the theatrical production. Hey, I'm never one to back away from a teachable moment. But don't worry, I won't make her write it out in a Venn Diagram or anything. It's holidays, after all!

I did lament the cost of the tickets a bit before Christmas, until my husband reminded me that people pay as much to attend professional sporting events. After the show, I was quite satisfied that we got our money's worth...and more! I'd definitely recommend it for any little Wizard of Oz/live theatre lovers.

We stayed at the Marriott Toronto Eaton Centre, which is always a favourite due to a great pool and hot tub and an indoor connection to downtown Toronto's largest shopping mall. I'll leave you with a shot of the girls striking a pose with the Sears mannequins which greeted us each time we entered the mall. (I have no idea where they get this drama queen thing from.)

Last Minute Family Gift Idea: Jenga

While out Christmas shopping, my husband decided he wanted to buy some sort of game we could play with the girls, and he chose Jenga. And then couldn't wait until Christmas to give it to them.

It's been a huge hit. It's very quick and easy to play (we're not quite at the Monopoly marathon phase of family life), I can argue that it helps with fine motor skills, and my daughters love it. However I'm not sure they love how every time we play it, I insist on singing the jingle from the Jenga commercials of my childhood:

(Insert music notes here)

"Jenga...Jenga...J..J..J..Jenga. You take a block from the bottom and you put it on top, you take a block from the middle and you put it on top. That's how you build the tower; you just don't stop. You gotta build that tower putting blocks on top. And it teeters and it totters, as you build it on up; it weebles and it wobbles, but you don't give up. You take a block from the bottom and you put it on top, you take a block from the middle and you put it on top, till someone knocks it over, and that's when you stop, but you start all over putting blocks on top!"

Sorry.

In case you're not familiar with the game, the object is to pull blocks out of the tower, placing them on top, without knocking the whole thing over. Of course my perfectionist six year old always prefaces her moves with "If it falls over, it's because I'm actually trying to do that".

Portable and perfect for kids or game-players of any age, I think we've already played it more than any other board game with our girls. Keep it in mind if you still need to cross someone off your list!

How To Order a Microsoft Surface in 31 Painful Steps

I am not a demanding customer. I hate to return things, I apologize for bothering staff, and I avoid conflict at all costs. You need to know that before you continue.

You also need to know that this post could potentially put you to sleep. So if you're just surfing mindlessly during a bout of holiday insomnia, then please proceed, and good night.

However, just to make this interesting (and keep you awake) I'd like the rest of you to turn on your powers of empathy full force. Imagine you are me. Put yourself right in my shoes. They're 10's, so they might be big, but you're not going anywhere, believe me. Okay, not quite so close to my husband...good, right there.

As you read the details of the saga I endured just to order a Microsoft Surface tablet (which is a Christmas gift for my family by the way, so please don't tell them) I guarantee that if you empathize fully, your (usually low) blood pressure will begin to rise. You may experience heart palpitations and sweats, and horrible words that you have never even dreamed of saying will be on the tip of your tongue. Sounds fun, right? Damn that Oprah and her "Favourite Things". Here we go.

Monday December 3rd

• Went to Microsoft website at lunchtime and ordered a Microsoft Surface, type cover and insurance. Website promised delivery to Canada in 3 -7 business days.

• Checked my account a couple of hours later, and it said there was no order history.

• Did the online ‘chat’ with an employee who told me that my order had been cancelled for some reason, but that he could help me do it again through chat.

• Spent a great deal of time communicating back and forth and going over the order and at the end he said that he couldn’t ship it to me because I was in Canada. (I had been on the Canadian site when I hit ‘chat now’.)

• He provided me with a different number to call for Canada. I called that number, but while waiting on hold, I went online and tried to put the order through again myself.

• I finally got to speak to a person who said that it looked like both orders had been cancelled but to wait until morning to see.

Tuesday December 4th

• Overnight I received two separate confirmation emails from Microsoft with tracking numbers saying that the product had been shipped to me...so I was getting two, when I only wanted one.

• I phoned again to cancel the second order, and was told that actually nothing had shipped at all, those emails were both in error, and I would probably have to go through the order again with a different credit card. (I don’t have one. I have one Visa, with a healthy limit and excellent credit.)

• E-mailed back and forth with a Customer Service rep who said that she would process my order over the phone. Had to play e-mail/phone tag throughout my work day, and then wait by the phone when I arrived home as she was on another call.

• Finally spoke with her shortly before 5 p.m. and she attempted to process the order again, but then informed me that I would need to set a Microsoft security question and answer, and provide the answer to complete the order. I did not have a computer at home, and attempted to do this on my BlackBerry, but the site told me I had to be on a PC to access the options.

• Was told to call in the morning to complete the order.

Wednesday December 5th

• Arrived at work, went into my profile to set a security question and answer, and emailed my answer to the rep.

• She then said she would have to call me to complete the order, as the final go-ahead has to be verbal.

• Waited on my lunch hour for her call.

• Provided my Visa number again and order details, and she assured me it would then be processed.

• Received an e-mail a few minutes later saying that I needed to call Visa to authorize the charge, as they were not authorizing it.

• Spent more time getting the number for Visa and waiting to speak with someone there only to be told that there was no problem at all at their end authorizing the charge, and that in fact the charge had gone through.

• E-mailed rep to update her, and she said she would go ahead with the order.

Thursday December 6th

• E-mailed rep to ask for an update and received a reply that “Your order is still in review. Our fraud team is running behind with all the orders that are being placed this holiday season.”

Friday December 7th

• Checked online banking and discovered that my Visa had indeed been charged TWICE for this order, which "had yet to be processed".

• E-mailed rep prior to 8 a.m. and received no response.

• Called Microsoft, was put through to the Microsoft Store customer service department.

• After a 40 minute phone call, was told that all three orders were cancelled and they had no record of me ever being charged. I was asked to send copies of my invoices and proof of being billed to my Visa, which I immediately did, yet heard nothing back.

Okay, stop skimming and wake up. Here's where it gets good.

• Arrived home to find two boxes on my doorstep. Yep, the two orders HAD gone through, and I was the proud owner of two Microsoft Surfaces.
• I immediately e-mailed for instructions on returning (and most importantly, being reimbursed for) the second tablet.
• No response.

Saturday December 8th/Sunday December 9th

• Nothing. Didn't really expect to hear over the weekend, but it's Christmas season and we are talking about Microsoft. Not exactly a little mom-and-pop storefront.

Monday December 10th

• Nothing.

Tuesday December 11th

• Called Customer Support for the Microsoft Store and was told that they would issue me a UPS return label for the second tablet, and start the process of refunding my Visa.
• Then I got as demanding as I could possibly be with a stranger, and politely asked to whom I needed to speak to see what they could do about making me a satisfied customer. The response to that was that the "volume" of this problem is so high that they are unable at this time to offer any sort of compensation (so the fact that it's happening to lots of people is supposed to make me feel better?), but that he would let his supervisor know. Wow.

Wednesday December 12th

• UPS picked up the second box.

As of this date, I am still waiting to have my account credited back. And I'm sure I will be waiting a long time to be compensated in any way for the hours and hours of my time that I spent just to order this product.

Can you believe how long this story took? You were so sweet to stick with me throughout my ordeal. Is your blood pressure up yet?

Now, let me be clear: each rep I spoke with was polite and apologetic. Obviously they have a good (though slightly patronizing) script and know how to talk people off a ledge. It's the system that I have a huge problem with. Why did they think multiple orders were cancelled when they weren't? What did I do to make them think my order would need to be checked by the fraud department? Why did I deal with multiple people, playing e-mail and phone tag to get answers?

So, what do I think of the Microsoft Surface? It was easy to set up, but I won't know much until after Christmas when the family gets using it. All I know is it better be worth it.

(And for you iPad fans who cannot fathom why I went this route, I really wanted Microsoft Office on our tablet, as it will be for business and pleasure.)

Christmas Idea # 6: DIY Decorative Pots

Again inspired by Pinterest, I decided to do some jazzy pots for my walkway this year. The pots are actually leftovers from Spring 2011 when I picked up ready-made arrangements at Costco. Almost still full of dirt, there was a perfect base to start with.

I used dollar store red 'stuff' (what's the real word?), red and green ornaments, and some natural evergreen branches that my parents kindly brought me from their woods. The bows (which are a bit overdone, but it's Christmas!) are also Dollarama steals.

My final result:

The original Pinterest pin: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175288610467931890/