Talk to your Daughters - Self-Esteem

I recently started following Claudia's blog LaCasaNellaPrateria and was inspired by a post of hers to talk a bit about teaching self-esteem to our daughters.  She mentioned that a few videos created by Dove's new self-esteem campaign had made her think. I watched them and they got me thinking as well, specifically this one about talking to your daughters before the beauty industry does.  What an important conversation to have!

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Da poco ho iniziato a seguire LaCasaNellaPrateria blog di Claudia ed sono stata ispirato da un post sul insegniamento di auto-stima alle nostre figlie. Un paio di video creata di nuova campagna autostima della marca Dove l'ha fatto pensare. Li guardavo e mi hanno fatto pensare anch'io, in particolare questo ceh dice di parlare con le nostre figlie prima che l'industria della bellezza lo fa. Che conversazione importante da fare!

I'm lucky to have a self-confident daughter but will make an effort from now on to make sure that she knows that she's beautiful... and not only because of how she looks, but becasue of the whole package.  It brings such complete joy to my heart every time Sera runs off to have a look at herself in the mirror and does a twirl. I don't ever want her to lose that.  I want her to be herself with reckless abandon. I want her to know in her heart that she is perfect in ever way.

I'm so glad that I got over how I look a long time ago because it's one less illusion to worry about. We are all beautiful and we are all exactly as we're meant to be.

If you want to be inspired by what some other mums are doing to teach their girls about positive female role models and self esteem then head over to see what Jamie C. Moore and her daughter did for her fifth birthday.  That must have been one fun dress up session!

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Sono fortunata ceh finora Sera è sicuro di sé, ma farò uno sforzo da ora in poi per assicurarmi che lei sa di essere bella ... e non solo a causa d'estetica, ma per l'intero pacchetto. Sento una gioia completa nel cuore ogni volta Sera corre, salta, balla e fa delle piroette davanti allo specchio. Voglio che si guarda cosi per tutta la vita. Voglio che sente di essere se stessa con sconsiderato abbandono. Voglio che lei sappia in cuore suo che lei è perfetta in ogni modo, sempre.

Sono così felice che ho abbandonato l'illusione della bellezza perfetta perchè e una cosa in meno di cui preoccuparsi. Sono bella in modo mio. Non c'è nessuno essatamente come me.  Siamo tutti belli e siamo tutti esattamente come dobbiamo essere.

Se volete essere ispirato da quello che un altra mamma ha fatto per insegnare sua bimba sulle donne a quale stimare andate a vedere i foto di Jamie C. Moore della sua figlia. Era un servizio che ha fatto per il suo quinto compleanno. Deve essere stato un divertente sessione di dress up!

Or, to see more of Dove's initiative head over to their youtube page and click through a few of their campaign spots. I swear that some of them almost made me cry, especially the Dove real beauty sketches.

In Claudia's post she leaves us with an interesting project. She asks us to have a think and find out a role model or two for our daughters that goes beyond the esthetic aspect of womanhood. In the next few days I'll be thinking up and researching these women and then describing them as I would to Sera.

Any suggestions? Who are your favorite woman from history, the arts, science?  Who are the women that you look up to and admire?

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O, per vedere di più video dell'iniziativa di Dove andate allo canale youtube Giuro che alcuni di loro quasi mi ha fatto piangere, soprattutto Dove real beauty Sketches.

Nel post di Claudia ci si lascia con un progetto interessante. Lei ci chiede di  pensare ad una donna che puo essere un nuovo modello per le nostre figlie.  Una che ha tante cose oltre l'aspetto estetica della femminilità. Nei prossimi giorni penserò e farò ricerca sul queste donne e poi  torno qui a descriverveli come farei se li stavo descivendo a Sera.

Qualche suggerimento? Chi sono la tua donna preferita dalla storia, le arti, la scienza? Chi sono le donne che ammiri?

♥ Jess

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Blogging in Italiano?

Ogni paio di giorni mi viene in mente d'iniziare a scrivere i miei post sia in Italiano che Inglese. Le mie statistiche online mi dicono che la maggior parte del mio pubblico è in Italia e quindi ha il suo senso, ma io sono ancora terrorizata.

Gli italiani sono sempre stati fantastici verso di me, mentre sto sulla lunga strada verso il bilinguismo ... sono sempre stati pazienti e gentili e mi hanno corretto quando uso l'articolo, o parola sbagliato senza giudizio. In qualche modo ho ancora paura di scrivere in italiano e facendo troppi errori .... in fondo non voglio sembrare stupida.

I miei post potrebbe raggiungere un pubblico molto più ampio, prendendo il tempo di tradurle. Penso che un sacco di articoli e cose che scrivo non sono facilmente disponibili in Italia e mi piacerebbe essere in grado di condividerle. Quindi da oggi in poi farò lo sforzo di pubblicare i miei post in entrambe le lingue. Si prega di non giudicarmi! Richio di sembrare stupidi, ma in verità, siamo tutti ancora imparando. Gli italiani, tenere gli occhi aperti per la scrittura rosa! Tali punti sono per voi!

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Every few days I think about starting to write my posts in Italian as well as English. My online statistics tell me that the majority of my audience is in Italy and therefore it akes sense but I'm still terrified.

Italians have always been fantastic towards me while I've been on this long road towards bilingualism... they have always been patient and kind and have corrected me when I use the wrong article without judgement. Somehow I'm still frightened about writing in Italian and making too many mistakes.... basically I don't wat to look stupid.

I feel like a lot of my posts would reach a much broader audience by taking the time to translate them. I think a lot of the articles and things I'm writing about aren't readily available in Italy and I'd love to be able to share them. So from today onwards I'll be making the effort to publish my posts in both languages for your reading pleasure. Please don't judge! I'm taking the risk of looking stupid but in truth, we're all always still learning. Italians, keep your eyes open for the pink writing! Those paragraphs are for you!

Do my mistakes seem stupid or brave? Can a Canadi-taliano really maintain a bilingual blog? Would the benefits outweigh the risks? Only you, dear readers can let me know!

♥ Jess

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Deciding not to write 52 lists.

I had a really great post lined up and ready for you to read today.  It was going to be about Moorea Seal's 52 lists project.

The idea was, I was going to post every Tuesday with a list prompted by Morrea's weekly lists and you were going to read all kinds of things... my favourite albums, childhood and current dream jobs, summer goals and more.  I even had the post scheduled to publish automatically for today at 1pm, but last night, in a feverish dream, I realised that the post just wouldn't be right for this blog. I woke up, unscheduled the post and fretted about ever having anything more to say.

Here are a few of the reasons I un-posted:

1. I don't really believe that I'm interesting enough on a personal level that anyone out there cares what my favourite bands are or what recipes I'd like to try in the next year. I know that it seems like I find myself interesting (otherwise why do I have a blog right?) but the truth is I think that the things I do might be interesting and people might want to know about them, but not too much about me.  Heck, I'm barely interested in myself most of the time!

2. This blog shouldn't really be about my personal stuff. Of course personal stuff slips in here and there, it can't not, but mostly the blog is forming itself into something wholly its own. I'm constantly surprised at how it's shaping up and forming itself and enjoying the process.

3. Though the idea of the 52 lists is wonderful and I suggest anyone out there with a passion for record keeping go over to Moorea's site and follow along, it's more of something that if I did I would do alongside my Project Life album or separately for private use.

4. I don't know if I can commit to anything else at the moment!! From the moment I hit publish yesterday I felt like I was making a promise to you all to keep up with something new for the next 52 weeks! If I even manage to get each of those posts down to 15 minutes at a time then that's still 13 hours of blogging that could either be used this year for better content, or for projects that I'm more interested in; like Hick! for example.

So sorry to any of you out there who this week were dying to know my favourite words! I'm afraid they're going to have to remain a mystery for the moment while I come up with something equally, if not more appealing for you to read!

BTW- I just dicovered THEWONDERFUL Moorea and love her site/blog! Make sure to check it out!

♥Jess

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New Years Resolutions for 2014

Happy 2014 Everyone!!

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating last night and that the stress of finding the perfect party or thing to do didn't make you forget that every night is special, not just New Years' Eve. I hope not too many of you are bloated from overeating or hungover from to much champagne and you can start off 2014 on the right foot.

I do have a habit of making resolutions every new year, but then, I also make resolutions every week so that's not much of a surprise. I like to keep any promises to myself on an improvement basis instead of a "change this horrible aspect of myself or habit" basis mostly because, let's face it, I'm already pretty great -wink, wink- and tiny improvements are easier to achieve, and less messy than turning a whole set tea table of a personality upside down because of some arbitrary and partially inaccurate mathematical calculation which is roughly associated with astrology. Talking trash about the Gregorian calendar again Jess? Yes, it's a late-December tradition around these parts.

Let's get to it:

1) get back to meditating EVERY day. With our recent trip to Montreal, jet lag, seasonal flu, laryngitis, travelling to Taranto and then the Christmas festivities I lost my meditation momentum and I've really felt the effects. Maybe some people can keep their balance, grace and direction without taking those 20 minutes a day off from thinking, but I'm not one of them.

2) work consistently on completing my short film Hick! ... For the past three years this resolution read 'finish Hick!' But this year I finally understood that it's not so easy and there's some weird developmental and dharma issues surrounding this film project for me and that I have to be careful not to put pressure on myself about it or I become like a deer caught in the headlights and freeze up, stopping work altogether. In the times when I just relax and work a bit at a time I really gain momentum and the film seems to just create itself. Being an artist is annoying don't you think?

3) surround myself with positive people I admire.

4) Continue my Project Life binder and keep organising all photos on a monthly basis. It's so important to have a family record and photos are a great way to do it, but they're not much use sitting on a hard drive somewhere...

5) Compile and edit all home videos.  This one is going to be tough... It involves hours and hours at the computer sifting and searching, but will probably be quite fun too.

6) Improve this blog and get more readers.  I love knowing that there are those few of you out there who are following the blog. I started this project mostly for me, but am happy that some of you have reached out and told me that in some way it's also been something that you've enjoyed. I hope to be posting frequently in 2014 will lots of exciting new projects, ideas, recipes and more!

7) Finish Sera's memory quilt project. I'd like to get this done before we think about moving into a new house because then I'll be needing a new bed for her as well and I'd like to design the room around the quilt.  Luckily, our new house project seems to be dragging its feet and there's not much news on that front, but I'll keep you posted!

8) Spend more quality time with Sera and Fabri.  Specifically find new, age specific ways, of spending quality time with Sera every day and make more date-nights with Fabri... maybe finding a trusted babysitter?

9)De-clutter the entire house and remove anything I don't need or love. There's so much stuff floating around here and I realise that its taking its toll on my energy and creativity... Time to wipe the slate clean and give all this stuff to someone who really wants it! I'll be tackling this project a drawer or cupboard at a time and going slow, but it's something I'm determined to get to.  It also means that I'm going to be more careful about what I buy and let into the house. I like these two blogs for de-cluttering inspiration MPMK and Unclutterer.

10) Keep to my new diet and healthy way of living. I have had such wonderful results from removing grains, dairy and nightshades that I think I'll probably never go back to a diet where I just eat anything I see. I do miss nightshades (more so than grains or dairy believe it or not) but not having fatigue or swollen hands is a huge incentive for keeping it up.

I think 10 is enough for the moment. If I have everything on the list accomplished by September I can always make new resolutions at Rosh Hashana, Jewish New Years'.  Also I think it's best not to bite off more than I can chew and I'm already feeling that my mouth is pretty full.

Have a lovely January 1st everyone! I wish you love, joy, prosperity, freedom and grace in 2014!

100 Posts and Counting!

I missed the 100 posts milestone of this blog. It was 2 posts ago and I had been meaning to celebrate in some way but completely forgot... busy telling you guys about giveaways and paper crafts and such.

This post is my celebration of all the work I've put into this blog since I started it this past April. 100 some posts is quite an accomplishment for a hobby-blog that I wasn't even sure would survive past the 10th post. I'm happily surprised that I've stuck with it and am hoping to maintain this stamina for many more posts to come. I'll write until I run out of steam or ideas and I'm nowhere near that yet.

The interesting thing about becoming a blogger is that though I didn't exactly know what i would be blogging about at first I can now see a personal voice and style forming that isn't necessarily what I expected.  I thought I'd be writing a mommy-blog and it seems that instead I've ended up with a bit of an everything lifestyle blog, and a lot of my reader response is related to various health topics. I didn't expect that at all.  Below you'll find links to some of the other things I didn't expect to be writing about.

no-poo, recycling, ikea-hacking, personal memories, shrinky-dinks, potty training

And now, a collection of a few of my favorite posts, either cause they were fun to write or have good memories attached to them.

comedy with woody, mindfulness, dollmaking, friuli

I want thank my readers directly for following the blog and continuing to remain active in doing so. Every comment on the blog or via facebook is really what motivates me to continue it.

Special thanks go out to Michelle, Alice, Ana, Melissa, Raffa and Christine:  Even though I only know some of you via cyber-space I know that without you girls I wouldn't even believe anyone was reading and don't know if I would have kept the blog up.

I hope you're enjoying the blog and would love to hear from more of my readers. Leave comments below so I know what it is you like and what you hate!

**The graphics for this page were made with Canva... you can get instant access to make your own by participating in my giveaway!

What I've Been Doing Wednesday

Has it really been a week since I've posted? Naughty me!  Here's a quick catchup on what you've missed:

Sera started 'Sezione Primavera' which is a grade between Pre-school and Kindergarten for kids born from January to May. In Italy the grade a child is in is determined by the year they were born and not from September to September like in Canada.  Sera was born in 2011 so can't qualify for real Kindergarten but is too old for Preschool/daycare cause she's basically at the same level as the kids born 28 days earlier than her.  Sezione Primavera is for the kids born from January though the springtime of the year following who will turn three this year but don't officially qualify for actual Kindergarten.

All this said, the insermento* is going horribly.  Sera seems to hate her class and cries a lot every morning when I drop her off. This morning she grabbed onto my leg and told me 'I don't like school.' through her tears.  It's really tough for both of us.  My heart breaks a little and when I leave I stand outside the door until I hear her stop crying. The teachers say she doesn't cry long but instead curls up and tries to sleep on the couch... which I imagine can't be easy in a small room with twenty loud and crazy kids.  I hope it gets better soon especially since last year she loved her old school and was very excited to go every morning.

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When the weather gets colder and the leaves start changing colours I have a few things I always instinctively do.  I start researching soup recipes, thinking about getting out my winter clothes (though I never do until it's too late and I'm freezing in the house in a tank-top) and I drag out my pink-polka dot bag with all of my knitting needles.  That's my official cue that the fall has arrived.

This week I have started a new project... a scarf and hat for Sera. The wool was gifted to me by an amazing crochet artist friend and x-neighbour named Daniela Cerri several years ago for my birthday and has been crying out to be used now for ages. It's very woolly and fluffy and I've used an amazing pompom tutorial for some creative finishes so keep your eyes open for the completed work... In the meantime here's a peek.... though it's not quite finished Sera has told me 'It's my favorite!'


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On a spiritual journey update I have started Yoga classes on Mondays and an definitely enjoying them. The practise is pretty much one-on-one with the teacher and is very very meditation centred. It's good because I'm already quite involved in my daily meditations so it's just a bonus that I have even more clarity during the class.  Speaking of meditation, a new series with Deepak Chopra 'The Secrets of Mediattion' started on Monday so I'm super excited for that. It's not to late to join in and it's really really accessible to beginners. And it's free!  The last 21 day meditation challenge I did with Deva Premal and Miten was surprising.  I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did and definitely didn't expect to adopt a mantra practise, but by day 6 I was 100% loving it. It's taught me that it's worth trying something new and letting go of your prejudices.

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Here's a quick list on the rest of what's been keeping me away from you:

What I've been watching: Continuum Season 2

What I've been reading: A brilliant article on Painful Periods and an alternative to disposable sanitary products by Christina at A Clean Plate - I had been meaning to write a similar article but couldn't have said it better. She talks about diet at the beginning of the article but then goes onto talking about something I love love love...

What I've been working on: Animating the kiss scene from Hick!

What app I've been using: Duolingo to brush up on my French. It's so embarrassing to have come from Quebec and not speak a word!

Where I've been: We spent the weekend in Piemonte near Barolo drinking amazing wines and eating tartufo with friends. Yum!


*inserimento is a period of time where a child is introduced slowly to a new school environment by gradually increasing the time away from the mother on a daily basis.  This period normally lasts 2 weeks.

nominated for a Liebster award!

I've been blogging for just under a month now and am thrilled to have been nominated for the Liebster award by lovely Vicky over at A Lovely Little Addiction

The Liebster Award, ("lovely" in German) is an award given to new bloggers by fellow bloggers. It's a way to get a bit more exposure and to answer a few questions about yourself.


Here are the questions and my answers:

1) Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging publicly after many years of keeping a private blog/diary. It's a format for discussing ideas, showcasing crafts and connecting with readers... also I hope it will help with my rusty writing skills. Whenever I'm at a newstand I get frustrated because there isn't a magazine thart's perfect for me... so I decided to write one myself.

2) If you could eat lunch anywhere in the world, where and what would you eat?
I would have a poutine in Montreal, possibly on a Styrofoam plate in the cafeteria of Dawson college... I know it seems crazy, but with access here in Italy to fantastic food all the time whenever I get wantful about food it's nostalgia for something from 'home' which certainly isn't good for me.

3) Whom, what, where does your blogging inspiration come from?
I'm very inspired by Melissa over at So About What I Said with regards to blogging in general in a magazine format. Oprah Winfrey and her enthusiasm for entertainment and information. Matha Stewart when it comes to crafts and my daughter for everything else.

4) How do you handle a stressful day?
I've been practising meditation daily for almost a year now so my stressful days are happily becomming less and less frequent. In the case of a crisis, or when I'm losing my cool, I take refuge in water... a shower, a bath or swimming. I think it's my natural element and generally does the trick.

5) What do you hope that your children remember about you?

I want my children to remember that I was present, supportive and smiling. I'm not always the happiest or sunniest of people, but it's a characteristic I'm trying to grow and develop.

6) What is your favorite recipe?
To cook it's got to be a stove top slow cook shoulder with veg in red wine. To eat, it's old fashioned chicken soup.

7. What is your favorite quote?
"The purpose of our lives is to be happy" Dalai Lama

(now, go out and start studying what that means!)

8. What projects are you working on right now?
I am still working on my animated short film Hick! daily and am trying to grow a pineapple from the top of an old pineapple. 

9. What is the best thing about you?
Can someone really be objective about this question? I suppose I have a great capacity for adaptation, change and growth... but is that the best thing? 

10. Will you follow the bloggers that you nominate?
Sure will!

11. What makes you giggle?
Unusual or strange comedy - think Kids in The Hall or Alan Partridge. 

11 facts about myself..
- I collect paper dolls
- I used to act
- I'm on a 'journey of self discovery' (now THAT makes me giggle!!)

- I'm fluent in Italian
- I live in an ex-ceramics factory

- most of the toys I buy for my daughter I really just want for myself
- my blood type is 0-
- I love animation
- I remember the lyrics to songs really easily
- I'm a tidy person stuck in a messy person's body
- I'm 'winging' it with this whole blogging thing.... 

Here are some more Bloggers I nominated for the Liebster Award…Check them out!!

Denise- Almonds&Patience

Cath - PixelsnPieces

Silvia - Born In '82

Elizabeth - Letters From Florence

Michelle - Maple Leaf Mamma

Rosa -  Bella Avventura

** I honestly found it very hard to find new blogs as I'm only just established myself... These 6 will have to do for now but I promise to post and nominate 5 more as soon as I find suitable candidates! Another new project!**

If you were nominated, here are the Liebster Rules:

1. Thank the Leibster Award Nominator on their blog & link back to their blog.
2. Answer 11 questions from the nominator
3. List 11 random facts about yourself
4. Present the award to 11 other blogs that have 200 followers or less that you feel deserve the award. Leave a comment on their blog that you did so.

5. Copy & POST the award on your blog