This week, I had the privilege of trying out a session with Carly Cooper. For specific deets on the session, please visit this post at CHEATY MONKEY.

Now that a week’s gone by, I can see, even more, what the session with Carly did for me. Every day this week, I consciously took time out to CHILL OUT. On one lucky day, Monkey agreed to stay in her room to play while Rascal napped. So, I made some tea and caught up on some blog reading — a LUXURY for me these days….

Another day, I turned on the TV and caught up on a missed episode of The Young and the Restless. Sweeeet.

Most other days, the Monkey was with me, cuddling with me…. I tried turning on the TV or giving her ideas of things to do, like imaginative play, arts and crafts, and so on. Not an easy task. But, I’m being patient, and receptive, and creative…, and insistent that I get my 45-minute me-time per day!

Carly also got me thinking about things I want to change. Sure, I could write a list of things I want to change, but talking to Carly and getting her immediate feedback was invaluable. I highly recommend Carly’s services.

Here’s some more information about Carly, and FREE stuff for you:

Carly Cooper is a CTA Certified Life Coach, also known as The Work/Life Balance Expert. She specializes in helping working moms who struggle with trying to do it all find some balance so they can raise a happy family and have a successful career at the same time.

FREE STUFF: Go to Carly’s website: www.listenincoaching.com to receive your FREE copy of her Special Report called “105 Simple Ways To Attract Inner Balance, Better Relationships, and Work That You Love” and to sign up for Carly’s “Balance the Mother Load” Newsletter.

You can also request a FREE 30 minute “Balance the Mother Load” phone session with Carly. During this call, you’ll uncover hidden challenges that have been holding you back and get clear on what you’d like your life to look like in the next 6 months. You’ll get direct access to her expertise on self-care, balance, the secrets to a healthy relationship and attracting the career of your dreams so you can avoid the same guilty, unfulfilled feelings that many moms feel.

If you’re serious about finding more balance and living the life of your dreams, call Carly at (905) 597-5454 or email her at carly@listenincoaching.com.

My brillers friend Lyn predicted today was going to be STEAMY in the romance department….

Gorgeouses, Josh and I went on A DATE. For the first time. IN MONTHS.

At around 4pm, we dropped the monkeys off at it’sgrandma and papa’shere’s house, made a run for the car and sped off to the theatres so see….

LOVED IT. Yes, Cheaty AND Josh-O both give this movie a thumbs up. While, yes, it’s geared toward a high-school audience, there’s a lot of wisdom and a LO-HO-HOT of laughs in this movie. I mean, it’s Michael Cera (CANADIAN, might I proudly add)….

…and, you can’t go wrong with Michael Cera. I was first introduced to him, as most of us were, in the TOO-SHORT-LIVED, BRILLERS dramedy Arrested Development.

Then, we fell in love with him in Juno. Sigh, love. And, Gorgeouses, we fall in love with him again Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

In Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Cera plays the same self-deprecating, intelligent, profound, creative, dorky, lovable high-school kid he played in Juno. This time, he plays Nick — a broken-hearted teenager who unexpectedly meets his happily-ever-after, Norah, on one CRAZY night out in Manhattan.

Obviously, Cera’s getting typecast. But, it’s great. Because this type of character is exactly what we all want and NEED to see. We want to see something real, but also lighthearted. We want to see characters that we can both relate to and aspire to become. And, as parents, we want to see role models (Nick and Norah tell each other soon after meeting that they don’t drink). Cera plays this wonderful character like no one else can. He makes JUST BEING YOU beautiful and attractive…. I’d watch him play this character over and over again so I can get to know him better and see more sides of him. He’s FASCINATING! Nobody can play this very timely character BUT Cera.

Norah, played by Kat Denning, is also intelligent, artsy, mature, and quirky — a female version of Nick, in a way. What I liked most about her, though, was her unique beauty. The camera LOVED Denning. Now, the what’s interesting about her is…, at least in the movie, she’s NOT SKINNY. No. She’s voluptuous, and she’s rather PLUMP next to Alexis Dziena — her costar, who plays Nick’s nasty ex-girlfriend. Next to Denning, Dziena looks too skinny. Imagine that: the skinny girl looks almost SILLY next to her STUNNING, fuller-figured counterpart…. Beautiful.

Basically, the movie will DEFINITELY encourage teenage girls to eat a sandwich because there was NOTHING attractive about scrawny Dziena next to the voluptuous, stunning Denning.

Anyway, after the movie, Josh and I went for dinner at a great little Thai restaurant. So relaxing…. No kids…. So relaxing…!

Question: why is my favourite drink called WHITE Zinfandel when it’s OBVIOIUSLY not WHITE!

Yum!

Anyway, go! Check this movie. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Cheaty HIGHLY recommends.

Omigosh, Gorgeouses. I loved this movie. How come nobody told me to get off mine arse and rent it? Why? It’s SO my type of movie.

It’s my type of movie for lots of reasons. First, I love a good movie musical — can’t go wrong with that. Second, Beatles music — can’t go wrong with that. Third, great story of the turbulent 60’s, war, love, art — canNOT go wrong with that! Fourth, Bono and Salma Hayek special cameos — can’t go wrong with that! Fifth? James Sturgess….

James fareakin’ Sturgess. I can’t believe I have the hots for James Sturgess. The very man I thought was SO NOT CUTE as Anne’s brother George in The Other Boleyn Girl.

No, I was not into him then….

But, THEN, last week, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM as we watched him in 21 (which Cheaty also recommends, by the way).

Mmmmmmm…. Here’s another and another….

Cheaty is now salivating…, FYI. Sigh….

On a serious note, I was particularly gripped by the movie’s representation of the youth in 1960’s America — those drafted, as well as those fighting back at home in the anti-war movement.

Young, spirited boys sent to their doom, objectified and ruined. Thrust from a world of innocence, modern comfort and order into one of death, savage danger and chaos.

The movie just REALLY got to the heart of the draft — the EMOTIONS associated with it, the utter tragedy of it ALL. This deeply saddened me.

I think of the soldiers in Iraq and their families….

The sheer BEAUTY of the movie, though, inspired beyond and lifted spirits.

Cheaty highly recommends. And not only because she broke out into song not once. Blackbird singing in the dead of night….

Let us know how YOU like(d) it in the comments.

Peace & Love,
Haley-O