My Clarks

The very first post on my blog was about My Crocs, and it is seeming that once a year I some how bring up shoes again.  You all even helped me decide which shoes to buy last year heading into the fall season.  So I guess it's time for another shoe post, this one is about My Clarks.  I'm sure you've all heard of the brand, they make shoes for men & women.  Even my husband was hooked on the Clarks slip-on dress shoes for years.  Since he seemed so happy with them (and seeing my mother-in-laws reaction when she saw the Clarks store here in town) I knew I had to give them a shot.  I'm not exactly sure when I bought my ankle boots maybe a year or two ago, and unfortunately it's starting to show.  I remember when I saw them on sale, they were marked down from over 100 euros to something I could actually bring myself to spend on shoes.  But yet I still left them sitting there in the box on the rack for someone else to snatch up.  The shoes played on my mind though, which is very unusual for me.  Sure I own way too many shoes, but I don't collect them or obsess about them like some women.  So when I kept thinking about these shoes, I knew I just had to go back and buy them.  They were my first pair of ankle boots and to be honest I had no idea how to wear them.  I probably still do them injustice, just like the photos I took.  Because I lacked proper skinny jeans in my wardrobe I could only wear them with tights but since then I've made a few adjustments (yes, I gave into the skinny jean trend - not so much a trend here as a staple).  One thing I liked so much about the boots were the different materials and textures, they were unique.  But now that they're showing their age it's time to start considering buying another pair (or at least cleaning these in the meantime)!  For all of the events I've worn these boots to only once have they hurt my feet.  A couple weekends ago, on a night out, I put them to the test, roughly 2.5 miles of walking plus 3 hours of standing.  Needless to say (since I almost always wear flats) I had a blister on the bottom of my foot by the end of the night.  My husband will never understand a woman's vanity, but I found the blister to be worth it!  Do any of you have a favorite pair of ankle boots or brand?

Sayonara Stroller

Goodbye (sayonara) trusty stroller!  Our heavy duty stroller finally bit the dust yesterday.  I can't actually complain considering what we put this stroller through.  We bought the Mutsy Transporter over 3 years ago and we used it to its fullest.  At least once a week it made a journey through rain, snow, or sunshine to and from swimming class (3-3.5miles).  It went on endless walks, and since I don't have a car it was also my tots mode of transportation for everything from playdates to the playground.  It also totted full groceries and purchases, I'm surprised the mesh basket underneath held up as long as it did.  It was a comfy place for my tot, even when she technically was too old and weighed too much for it.  We even used the stroller to the point there wasn't any tread left on the tires. 

Last week on the way to swimming class I pressed down on the handle bar to pop the front wheels up in order to get the stroller and tot up on to the sidewalk and I heard a pop.  I could see the stroller was leaning a little to the left but it was still working.  At that moment I knew we wouldn't have much longer together.  Then yesterday before swimming I mentioned it to my husband, probably manifesting its end.  On our trek to and from swimming class I made sure to only use ramps and avoid having to lift her up on to the sidewalks.  Luckily I did, because a few minutes from our house, on the return journey, I had no choice but to pop a wheely and sure enough the right side of the frame broke also.  If I hadn't have been in a hurry I would have told my tot to hop out and walk, but instead I lifted the back end and trucked it home (she was basically in a recliner at this point).  I was so glad this happened close to home, otherwise I'm not really sure what we would have done.  Before leaving for swimming I ran a lot of scenarios through my head and most of which were quite inconvenient.  It's not like it's an umbrella stroller and can be tossed out easily.  And after swimming she would have been too worn out to walk that far anyway.  Again, we were very lucky! 

When our girl was just a baby the stroller had a bassinet attachment (and also attachments for the car seat), I saved them thinking we could reuse the stroller for the next kid.  But at that point so early on in my daughter's life I had no idea what I was about to ask of this stroller.  I feel like the Mutsy Transporter went above and beyond my expectations, and I would defnitely buy another one in the future. 
Sayonara stroller!

Wordless Wednesday #50

Link up here for Wordless Wednesday!

 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

Eye Opening

I've always enjoyed photography (even wrote a post about it)... I'm far from professional but that doesn't make me enjoy it any less. But in the past year or so my interest has taken on a new life, and in a way, I can thank this blog for that. We all know the term stop and smell the flowers, well, I feel I have been doing that more often. Used to I would just go from point A to be B lost in my own thoughts or on a mission but nowadays I actually look around, take in the sights, look for interesting pictures and posts. I feel media like this blog and Instagram have opened my eyes. There are many fascinating things around us everyday and yet we over look them.

I was sure to include photos of things I often see in my life recently. Are you overly focused on your daily tasks or do you take the time to look around & appreciate your surroundings?
 

Puppy No Longer

Yesterday was our Wheaten Terrier's 1st birthday!  It's hard to believe she is just one yr old and that she has only been in our home 9 months, it feels like we've had her forever.  We've had our ups and downs with Maggie, she is very energetic and doesn't listen well outside of the house, but no matter what she has won our hearts over.  Despite how many times I get mad at her, eventually we always make up.  Plus my husband and toddler adore her, according to my toddler they're best friends.  As I mentioned in previous posts I'm not big on b-days but my tot is, she was prepared to throw a birthday party for our dog and was disappointed when I said no-way!  But I did agree to at least buy her a couple birthday presents, this made my toddler happy again.  We set out to the store, I was going to buy one toy and next thing I knew I had spent way more than our usual b-day budget.  Dogs are expensive, don't kid yourself!  I must say I am pleased with our purchases though.  And yes, most of the supplies were more for us than her, oops.  For those of you with over-excited dogs you know how difficult it can be to walk them when there are other animals or people around.  We live in a big city so it's nearly impossible to avoid contact with others.  The basic collar just wasn't working for us anymore, so I decided to buy her one that fits around her chest instead of just the neck, and I am over the moon.  I have so much more control over her out in public now, at this rate walks might actually become pleasurable!  And the harness is a 2-in-1, it can also be used to fasten her in the car.  In The Netherlands there are not yet laws about buckling your dog in the vehicle, but in some adjoining countries the dog is required to be fastened in while riding in the car.  And since we briefly mentioned a summer car trip with the family it'll come in handy in the future.  Besides other basics like shampoo and a replacement pink collar, we of course bought her a toy.  When I saw it there was no doubt it's perfect for her.  It's a large ball that can't get stuck under the furniture, it's hard enough she can't tear it up in 2 seconds, and you can fill it with treats!  The combination means she'll be entertained for quite a while and hopefully work off some extra energy.  Both her and the tot were happy when they opened the snack ball yesterday morning.  It's been a big month for Maggie, we decided to trim her ourselves (not a success, will tell you about it another time), she was fixed a couple weeks ago and basically recovered, then she had her big 1st birthday.  Let's hope she matures some this year, so that other dogs actually like her, she's welcome more places, and learns to overall tone it down!  Happy birthday, Maggie!

Wordless Wednesday #49

 

Link up here for Wordless Wednesday! 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

Someecards

Obviously you have all heard of Someecards by now, and if you haven't you have probably seen them and just didn't know where to find them.  I'm a little behind but I finally went on the site and took a look around.  For people like me without a Facebook account you can still manage to make a card and pass it on if you like.  (Why is everything Facebook related!!!) 
I'm sure this will not be the last time you see a silly ecard pop up on my blog.

Birthday Season

It's birthday season again.  Starting in April we have 2-5 birthdays a month that we either have to recognize, buy a present for, attend a party, or all of the above.  And this lasts for about 5 months!  I do my best to get excited about parties, what's not to like about spending money to stand around and talk to strangers/acquaintances, ha-ha!  I'm not exactly the most social person.  But there is one person in my family who loves birthdays, my toddler.  Whether it's her own party or just someone in her class, she's excited, hands clapping, eyes twinkling, talking 90mph.  Wow, I wish I had that enthusiasm.  One thing is for sure though, she is motivating... there's no way she'd let you forget to decorate or buy a present if needed.  And almost every day she asks, "who's birthday is it today?"  That could also be because we have a b-day calendar next to our toilet.  To American's this probably sounds very strange, to a Dutch person this is quite normal.  In theory it's a great idea, you're guaranteed to go to the toilet every day, so there is no way you miss seeing any upcoming b-days.  In reality, it looks kind of strange, but hey, when you're integrating you jump on the bandwagon. 

Yesterday was the first of many b-day parties to come, and to be honest, it was wasn't bad.  The guests were friendly, the kids happy, the food was good, the weather great, and there was plenty to keep everyone entertained.  Oh, and when the 2yr old opened his gifts there was a big smile, which means the presents were worth it!  So I must say it's a good start to this years b-day season.  I'll have to try and remember to follow up on this post after birthday season, ha-ha! 

One thing I do like about parties, cake!  On occasion I miss American birthday cakes.  Cakes shaped like dolls & animals have been popular in The States for a long time, but it's within the past few years that they're catching on in The Netherlands.  So far we haven't bought one for our tot yet, but considering she's seen everything from elephants to Super Mario, I have a feeling we'll be searching for a cake designer in a few months.  If you happen to know anyone in the Eindhoven area please let me know!