Bubbles, drums, swings and fingerpainting!
She slept well …
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(We)blogs provide us (me) with a creative outlet and a way to stay in close touch with far-away loved ones. They give us a way to say as much or as little about what is going on in our private worlds, our families, our lives. We choose to write and keep up with this site because we know people enjoy reading our story, seeing our faces and experiencing life right along side us. It makes me feel that much closer to them, no matter the miles that seperate us. And then there are blogs that move us. And I experienced just that this morning. I came upon a story that shook me. A story that, even as I try to go about my day, I just can’t stop thinking about. Father’s Day is going to mean more to this family this year than they ever could have imagined.       Try to hold back the gasps, Ladies, but it turns out I don’t really like Lululemon clothes. Let me explain myself before you decide whether or not to be my friend anymore. The clothes sold at Lululemon are quite lovely. I love what they’ve singlehandedly done to yogawear and workout wear and I often find myself admiring a pant/sweatshirt/bag style that I see people sporting, and I can’t deny that they do great things for some not-so-great butts (mine especially).
But these clothes are expensive – really expensive – and I’ve recently come to decide that I don’t really think they are worth it, especially when you can buy equally lovely yogawear from other retailers at 1/4 price and have them be almost as functional. After I bought my Lulus, I treated them like good china or the fancy towels in bathrooms, you know, the ones you only use on special occasions. I was too afraid to wreck them…and I’m careful with them. I wash them the way the perky girl at the counter explained I should and I never, ever, ever put them in the dryer (advice from the girl behind me in line who was decked out from head to toe in Lululemon and and carrying 5 more pairs of pants up to the cashier).
But the material just just annoys me. What is their name for it? Luon. Right. Their matte finish (made to feel like cotton) just collects pet hair and debris (you should have seen me after I emerged from the woods at the dogpark yesterday after trudging through last fall’s dead leaves) and will attract a particle of dust/dirt from anywhere in the room and send it sailing my way at unstopable speeds, only to permanently attach itself to my pants. And no, one of those rolly, sticky brushes does not remove it. I’ve tried. The pet hair and dust embeds itself forcing me to pull each one off one at a time, something I have no time or tolerance for. And what’s worse is that they seem to come out of the washer looking as covered in crap as when they went in. Is it just me? Can I be the only one who has pets AND Lulus? They haven’t lost me forever. Not yet. But for now, paying over $100 for a pair of pants I don’t want to wear 5 minutes after I put them on for fear of looking like I rolled around the floor at PetSmart before I got to my destination just doesn’t make sense to me. Perhaps their scientists could come up with an anti-fuzz guard formula for their Luon. Then they’d have me at hello.
May 15, 2008 - 9:47 am
LOL. This might shock you, but I agree. I have a friend in Victoria with a somewhat large, very lovely dog. One of the very few dogs who has crossed the realm into my limited circle of dog acceptance. Unfortunately, she has a huge, long, white furry coat. The first time I went to visit, I wore my lulu pants and a black jacket. I was in their house for approximately 15 minutes. I left absolutely covered in dog hair, but the pants were the worst. I still love their stuff, but it’s a lot easier to love without a cat in the house!
May 15, 2008 - 2:29 pm
I too have moved on from the era of Lulu somewhat….enter Lotus Wear! It’s a wee bit less expensive, different material (made from soy, mostly) and possibly even more flattering. I can’t help you with the dog hair problem though except to suggest, as I did, to get a non-shedding breed. Oh, and one that weighs only 5 lbs. I’m so trendy.
May 15, 2008 - 4:41 pm
I’ve always hated Lululemon and not only because of their outrageous pricing but also because of there grab-ass preachy attitude. My sister bought a pair of sweatpants (which she took back once she realised that she spent $100 on sweatpants…for my dad), included in the bag was a handout that listed some of lulu’s favourite sayings including such gems as “children are the orgasm of life”. That and by spending a hundred bucks on sweats, you end up convincing yourself that it’s a good choice to wear sweatpants outside of the house or gym. Nice flattering sweatpants sure, but sweatpants nonetheless. From there it’s a slippery slope down to pajama pants and giving up entirely.
May 16, 2008 - 1:16 pm
Has anyone ever had a run in with a Lululemon employee in a yoga class? They are insane stalkers of yoga instructors. Since I’ve started to take yoga regularly a few times a week, I have watched as a series of “lulugirls” have tried to lure my teacher (and friend) into becoming a “Lulu Ambassador”. These girls introduce themselves simply as “Westboro” or “Rideau” (apparantly their identities really just boil down to which Ottawa location of Lululemon they work at – oh, and they are pretty much decked out head to toe in Lulu and I reckon they figure they don’t need to specify that they work at “Lululemon” Westboro… Yeah, obnoxious). Anyway, after they’ve “introduced” themselves they proceed to try to lure the yoga teacher into becoming a “Lulu Ambassador” – which is essentially an unpaid model/endorsement. You don’t even get free clothes for doing it. Oh and then you have the “privilege” of giving free yoga classes inside the wonderful Lululemon retail environment. The whole thing is, in a word, sleazy. That said, I am a total hypocrite and looser because I’ve been given a few Lululemon items over the years, and I absolutely adore all of them. I justify my love because they were “free”. For excellent yoga and workout gear that is reasonably priced, and much of it actually made in Canada (and not China, as Lulu is), check out Brio Bodywear on Richomond or on Bank.
Yesterday was my second Mother’s Day. It still strikes me as so odd that I’m the mama now and not just the daughter and daughter-in-law anymore. I have this adorable little reminder running around (and now singing!), but I still have a hard time thinking of it that way. It’s just still so new.
This year, we celebrated the day by being forced out of the house for showings. Thankfully, Dan had a plan. He’s has always had a knack for knowing EXACTLY what I might want to do to celebrate special days, and yesterday was no exception. He planned for us to head downtown, see the tulips and take pictures. It was perfect – the weather, the scene, the company, the bean. Just perfect.
Jaia is suddenly crazy for flowers. She stops whatever she’s doing if she sees one and has to have it. Unfortunately, the only pickable flowers around are dandelions. But she doesn’t care. Nor does she think a dandelion is any less a flower than the ones we purposely plant in our gardens. She sees the beauty in the colour and the wonder of it all, something we as adults have long lost since someone told us they were just weeds. I find it amusing that as we watch Jaia learn new words and new concepts everyday, she teaches us a little too. I’ve suddenly been feeling excited when I notice a patch of dandelions because I’ll be able to point them out to her and see her eyes light up, rather than cringe at the unsightly patch of weeds along the road. It turns out she’s a pretty wise little bean…and I’m a very lucky mama.
And, of course, we want to wish a happy Mother’s Day to our Mamas and Grandmothers. We hope your day was just perfect too.
May 12, 2008 - 11:45 am
She is SO PRECIOUS! Looks like you guys had a great day. Spring has sprung in Ottawa by the looks of the photos! (not so much in Calgary) Happy 2nd Mother’s Day! |
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