Foto Friday: week 12

I'm sad to say the week ended with slim-pickings in the photo department. I think the whole *going back to work after three weeks off* thing was throwing me off a bit. Hope you all had a wonderful week!

[day 78: Little Kayin fresh out of the oven.]

[day 79: A little taste of NYC soul in TO.]

[day 80: New oversized Sbux mug to add to my collection.]

[day 81: Had a *date afternoon* with E. Saw Alice in Wonderland. Don't be jealous of my 3D specs.]

[day 82: Illuminated by the afternoon sun.]

[day 83: Delectable birthday delights.]

[day 84: Horrible-quality shot of the funny sign on a Brampton public bus. If you can't tell, there is a man with his hands in the air because the bus is *kneeling* down on his foot...it was funny when I took the photo at 7:30AM. Really.]

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Fit 4 Life NYC goes live!

I'm giddy with excitement to announce that my wonderful husband, Emil has launched his very new, very shiny, completely fabulous Fit 4 Life NYC website! And what better day to celebrate this than on his birthday? [Happy birthday, my love!]

Just a few years ago, Fit 4 Life NYC was a dream for Emil. He was working a regular 9-5 job but was dismayed by the lack of physical activity and healthy eating not only in the lives of NYC's adults, but also its children. He tried to develop programs within the organizations he worked in to promote healthy living for the children they served. He began email newsletters for his coworkers to help them get a hold of their fitness and nutrition. But he wanted to do more.

That's when Fit 4 Life NYC was born. It began as a program in East New York, Brooklyn for children who weren't receiving any sort of physical activity at school. A few hours every Saturday, Emil and a group of volunteers he had recruited, went out to East New York to mentor these children. Half the time was spent doing fun fitness games and exercises while the other half was used to educate the children and adults on tasty, healthy snacks. It was an act of love on the part of Emil and the volunteers. There was no funding.

Emil's passion for healthy living was quickly transferred to the adults in his life. People wanted to know what they could do to become healthier, lose weight, gain confidence...the list was endless. Emil began training a few friends and eventually began his Boot Camp and SlimDown classes. The success stories of the participants are so motivating...they are what kept me going to classes, even when I was pregnant and oh-so-tired.

Emil and his team have been working around the clock for the last couple of months tweaking every aspect of the site so that it reflects the core values of F4L, which embody balancing a healthy lifestyle into our already busy lives.
He expanded the Fit 4 Life Kids pages with more information on how to get the F4LKids program in your school. [He currently serves several New York City schools with a variety of fitness programs for grades K-9.]

I'm so proud of everything Emil has done. His determination to change the course of our population from becoming bigger and more unhealthy is inspiring enough to make people want to change. We deserve to live long, healthy lives. And Fit 4 Life NYC has the tools to help us do just that!

Check out Emil's blog and Facebook Fan Page: NYC and Kids.

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New-fangled photobooth=fuzzy pics

Indio and I had a coffee date with Li and Bella at Vaughan Mills last week. While strolling through the mall we came across one of those new digital photobooths where you can choose various combinations of poses/prints/background. As much as I love photobooths I'd never taken Indio in one until now.

After depositing $5 into the machine our faces appeared in front of us. This seemed helpful because we could see if we were actually in the frame, but it was also confusing because it was a mirror image, so when I moved left, the screen me moved right. Indio got a kick out of looking at himself and I was sure all the photos were going to be keepers. I was so excited to get my 2 strips of 4 poses and already planned to give one strip to E for his wallet.

Well, wasn't I disappointed when the strips emerged out of the machine! Every single photo was blurry. And we were really washed out. I don't know about these new booths -- the old-fashioned kind seem perfectly fine to me.

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Foto Friday: week 11

I haven't really gotten back into the swing of things since our return from NYC so this is another Indio-heavy week.

[day 71: Sign at my favourite Italian restaurant, Graziella's, in Brooklyn.]

[day 72: Calamari at Prima Pasta in Howard Beach, Queens.]

[day 73: Please excuse the horrible quality of this BlackBerry pic. Forgot my camera in the car but wanted to capture Indio playing with his cousin, Nico in New Jersey before we hit the road for Toronto. Some say they look like brothers.]

[day 74: Fitting, no?]

[day 75: First big-boy haircut.]

[day 76: Helping papa.]

[day 77: Indio discovers twigs.]

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Well Fed: Coquine

^screen shot from Coquine website

It's been awhile since I ventured to the trendy Yonge and Eglinton area, but last night Nooreen and I decided to break out of our usual routine and have dinner at Coquine. Being one of Nooreen's favourite restaurants, I figured it must be good because she seems to have tried every restaurant in Toronto!

We both started with a glass of Cesari Mara Valpolicella Ripasso, which lived up to the belief that you can't really go wrong with a Valpolicella. It must have been copycat night because we both also ordered steak frites. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and the frites were dusted with parmesan...delish! I loved that there was also a side of garlic mayo and ketchup for dipping because who doesn't love mayo with their fries? I don't know what got into us, but we ordered dessert too! We shared the warm flourless chocolate torte with a decaf coffee each. [again with the copying!]

Every morsel I put into my mouth was scrumptious! Coquine is definitely a great place to go for a casual meal. The prices were reasonable [$12 wine, $18 steak frites, $9 torte], the atmosphere was lively, the service was good, and the company was fun!

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Foto Friday: week 10

Second week of posting south of the border.

[day 64: After sitting in rush hour traffic for almost 3 hrs, we wound down with some tasty West Indian food and Guyanese soda.]

[day 65: Familiarity=busy laundromat on a Saturday morning. Egg & cheese sandwich and a large *light & sweet* coffee to pass the time.]

[day 66: Making important calls for grandpa.]

[day 67: Long lost friends hamming it up. Two extra shots from day 67 below.]

[Thematic bathroom reading.]

[Good wine & good friends.]

[day 68: Indio doesn't even know what refined sugar tastes like, yet I swear I see some drooling going on.]

[day 69: Infectious giggles.]

[day 70: Roasting marshmallows at Kili lounge in Brooklyn.]

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Foto Friday: week 9

This week's photos are being posted from south of the border...the Canada-US border.

[day 57: Girls' night out at Makimono in Woodbridge.]

[day 58: Indio's first venture walking in the snow. He wasn't really sure of what to make of the crunchy white stuff beneath his feet.]

[day 59: Though I'm usually a red wine drinker, we tried a new wine based on a recommendation by Paula. It was tasty: fresh and crisp.]

[day 60: Who doesn't love some cantaloue?]

[day 61: Sunset from the car.]

[day 62: Hotel Indigo light fixture.]

[day 63: The best for last: Indy's newest thing is making kissy faces. Delicious!]

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In loving memory

[At my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. New Delhi, India, 1999.]

This morning I received the call I've been praying would never come: my Naniji had left us. She had been sick for awhile now, but I really thought I'd get to see her one last time.

[My Naniji & Nanaji at my parents' wedding, 1974.]

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What I loved in February...

1. Valentine's candy, especially the chewy, gummy kind. One of the classes I work in still has some tucked away in a *teacher cupboard* so I've been able to carry my love into March!
   ^via
   
   
   
2. Unearthing a huge stationery stash at my parents' house. Obviously, this isn't a new love.


3. Polar fleece- or jersey-lined pants for Indio. I am that mother who engulfs her child in layer upon layer to ensure he is always toasty. These pants are awesome for those chilly days because one layer is enough to convince me he'll be warm and they look as comfy as your favorite pair of sweat pants. My faves are the ones from the Gap or Old Navy.
   
   ^via
   
   
   
4. Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner. It's no secret that we eat out a lot. As Indio is getting older and more independent, he insists on feeding himself, which usualy means food ends up all over the table, floor, and himself. I tried using restaurant placemats, napkins, even plates to keep the food off the table, but Indio was able to outsmart them all. Then I came across this little placemat, which is made of flexible FDA-approved rubber that is free of lead, PVC, BPA, phthalates and latex. It has a handy little *scoop* at the end so any food that doesn't make it to his mouth, has a chance of not falling on the floor and enough suction cups to keep it firmly attached to the table. Now Indio is free to put his food all over the table without mama worrying about the cleaning chemicals or gross germs getting into his food.

^via

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One more sleep!

We are heading to NYC [with stops in Buffalo and Albany] tomorrow for a visit with friends and family. How fitting is the fortune I found in my cookie at dinner tonight? Now if only I could get all the packing done!

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