One of a Kind Show - Mom Styles

Guess what - I finally made it out of the house!! What a day!!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the media preview of the One of a Kind Show. I had never been to the preview before and I was super pumped to go. Not only would I get an insider's view of of the show, but I would get said view while eating delicious doughnuts!

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. I couldn't get a sitter for Luca so I wasn't able to make it. Instead, I hit the show up yesterday and learned something very interesting.

Going to the OOAK show during a weekday is TOTALLY different than going on a weekend or an evening. First up, it isn't as busy (however it was still busier than I would have expected). More importantly, it is seriously built for moms (and filled with them!). I can't believe how many strollers and babies and well dressed mommies were cruising the show. They even have a changing/feeding room set up that had something like 6 change tables and stacks of diapers. This show definitely understands its market!! It is actually really nice being somewhere with Luca where I'm not getting cut-eyes from people for getting in the way.

Anyhoo - this year's show is fantastic, to say the least. I've always enjoyed looking at all of the jewellery on display, but  this year my eyes were drawn to some new artisans :-)

Booth L-29 was the super cute Patouche! I instantly fell in love with the adorable clothing and accessories for kids. I could totally picture Luca wearing the owl hat. 

And look at this adorable outfit!

Booth T-36 is one that you really shouldn't miss! If Luca were older, I betcha I wouldn't have made it past this booth without picking up at least one of these little guys from the Monster Factory...

Another favourite was Booth I-22 - Lovell Designs. The set up was gorgeous - I would love to have storage filled with those beautiful bins! Plus that carpet is pretty sweet as well :-)

I stopped at Heidi Van Veen (Booth H-11) as soon as I saw those stockings. Of course, I'm on a stocking hunt and these were gorgeous!

Him Creations at Booth D-05 was such a fun place to stop! Rows and rows of these itty bitty creatures - it was hard to pick a favourite! 

And finally, a crowd favourite at Booth B-59 - Velvet Moustache. These pillow creatures were soft and cuddly and kind of hilarious at the same time. I didn't take a picture myself, but they also sold these really funny eye masks that seemed fitting given how tired most of the moms probably were!

So there you have it! Just a small representation of the amazing artisans that are at this year's One of  Kind Show. If you haven't been yet, you should definitely go. The show is open late on Thursday (until 11 p.m.) so if you work during the day, try to go then. It is massive, so you definitely need a few hours to see it all!

So tell me - did you go to the show? What was your favourite booth and did you buy anything?

Luca's 5 Month Check-In

I'm about 2 weeks behind in this post (and I'm not going to lie - the photos were taken last night, in the dark of the kitchen so they aren't perfectly accurate either!). It is amazing how many times I said "I need to take his pictures today" only to somehow run out of time during daylight hours. I of course would then think I should wait until the next day to get some good shots with natural light, only to ultimately end up in the dark, two weeks late.

Moving on...Mr. Luca is 5 months old!

Mood:

Luca's mood has continued to improve this month. He is usually super happy when he wakes up, kicking his legs out and squealing when he sees me. So long as he isn't tired, he is easier to entertain and making him smile (and sometimes laugh!) is finally a regular occurrence.

Similar to last month, when he starts to get tired, he is a cranky boy. When I hear stories of babies who don't sleep during the day very much but are happy, I am flabbergasted. That is SO not my kid. My little sensitive guy needs his sleep and even if he complains for a few minutes before going to bed, it is much better than keeping him awake.

He has improved though - last month if we missed his ideal sleep time by a few minutes, we heard about it! This month I've found him to be a little more flexible (which is fantastic because once in a while I like to get out of the house!). He can tolerate being tired for about 20-25 minutes now. I try not to push him more than once or twice a week though, because a well-rested baby is a happy one!

Sleep:

As mentioned, he is sleeping most nights for 11-12 hours without a peep. Naps range between 45 minutes and 3 hours. See this post for more details.

Feeding:

Still only chowing down on breast milk. He is starting to get a little fussy after about 7 or 8 minutes, and is easily distracted if J is around to watch. We did give him some banana a few weeks ago and he was into it, but I've been reading about Baby-Led Weaning and I think we are going to try that. It suggests waiting until six months so we will start in the next few weeks.  He loves watching us eat now, so I know he is almost there, but he still isn't sitting up on his own so I'm not going to rush it. Has anyone else tried baby-led weaning?

Growth:

I'm not really certain on his weight as we don't see the doctor again until 6 months, but he is getting heavier and is solidly in 3-6 month clothing. He is a lean little guy - his jeans hang off of him - but for some reason his sleepers are a little tight in the length.

I keep checking, but it doesn't seem like he is teething yet (yay!).

Likes and Dislikes:

Likes: Toilet humour, raspberries, tummy time, chilling in his circle of neglect, sleeping on his tummy, rolling, music class, bath time, his mobile, his dad, his massive bottle of milk before bed and puking on me.

Dislikes: Putting on pyjamas before bed, storytime, being overtired, being surrounded by too many people (finds it overwhelming), making eye contact if I'm holding him too close and being strapped into his car seat.

So that's that! Happy 5 months, Luca!! I love you more and more every day, even when you scratch me with your talon-like nails and then laugh in my face. Yes, even then :-)

The Importance of Sleep, Part II

So, where were we?

Last week I wrote about our sleep troubles. Sleep troubles that seemed pretty normal but that appeared to coincide with extreme fussiness on Luca's part. Colic. Reflux. Screaming. I had tried everything. Wearing him. Rocking him. Shushing him. Bouncing. Stories. Songs. Prayer. When I put him down to sleep, he screamed. Maybe he wanted to be comforted by me? I'd pick him up. The screaming continued. Nothing I did seem to make him feel better. 

I was losing my mind.

When I was at a pretty low point, I mentioned something on Twitter and received this as a reply from a friend of mine:

Of course, I quickly googled Pam Nease and found out that she is a Sleep Sense consultant. She works with clients (ahem, desperate parents with children who hate going to sleep) all across Canada (and the US, from what I hear) to help them develop sleep plans for their kids with the ultimate goal of giving the entire family the gift of beautiful, blissful sleep.

Sounds awesome, right? I was skeptical, of course. That is just who I am. So I chatted with Alison who had worked with Pam for her little guy and had wonderful success. Her son was born a week after Luca and was sleeping 11-13 hours a night! Waking up happy! Was it possible? 

Pam offers a free 15 minute phone consultation so I took her up on that. Pam called me. Standing in the middle of the Eaton Centre, exhausted, with tears in my eyes, I told her everything. I poured my heart out about my colicky-refluxy baby who screamed so much that even my nurse mom thought he was in pain. Pam listened and told me she could help us, and promised that soon enough Luca would be a happy, well-rested little boy.

J and I talked about it for a while. We thought we could DIY Luca's sleep (to save $$ of course) but it wasn't working. We made some progress, but Luca was still mostly miserable. Which made us miserable of course.

So I emailed Pam (or maybe I sent her a message on Twitter - she is totally hooked up with social media!) and told her that we would like to go ahead with the consultation. 

We started working together on September 29th by having a 1.5 hour Skype meeting with Pam and the plan she created for us was implemented on September 30. Luca was about 3.5 months old. 

Some may say that is early (I'd say those people don't know Luca), but that is why I think working with someone like Pam was so important. She was able to make a personalized sleep plan that took into consideration Luca's age, personality, sleep issues and colic and/or reflux issues. 

Anyways - the plan we followed was implemented over a two week period and during that time, we had lots of contact with Pam. To be honest, before we started I thought that might be a bit silly. C'mon. I can follow a plan no problem. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it! No biggie, right?

However, as is par for the course with motherhood, I had my fair share of moments of uncertainty, guilt and fear. Rough nights that would only be made better by sending a panicked email to Pam. Often, by the time I'd wake in the morning, there would be a calming reply, telling me I did the right thing and/or making suggestions that could help Luca have a more peaceful sleep. Having a professional available to answer my questions and guide me was more helpful (and necessary!) than I ever thought. 

We hit a few bumps during our time with Pam because it was during this period that Luca learned how to roll! As I'm sure most "been there done that" moms know, whenever a baby learns a new skill, they practice it in their crib! So just when Luca would figure out how to sleep in one position, he'd roll over and think "HEY?! HOW DID I GET HERE?!" Lucky for us, having Pam in our proverbial back pocket made this transition much easier and soon enough, Luca could sleep any which way without issue.

So I thought I'd give you a little before and after so you can see what kind of progress we made:

BP (Before Pam):

• Luca often cried from 3 or 4 p.m. until midnight (yes, friends. That is 8-9 hours)
• A good night would have 2-3 wakings with each taking about 30 minutes (those nights were RARE, i.e. maybe 4 or 5 times that happened).
• Most nights had Luca waking every 2-2.5 hours, feeding for about 45 minutes and then screaming for another 1.5-2 hours before finally sleeping.
• J would often wake in the middle of the night to find me bawling in the nursery.
• Needless to say, he was constantly feeding and I was exhausted.
• Luca woke up screaming from every nap and every morning. Screaming.
• He also screamed after most feedings, stiffening his legs and losing his marbles.
• Naps only happened in the swing or in the car seat. This meant that I had to be out of the house almost all day so that I could have a break from the screaming.
• I was an overtired crazy person who questioned her sanity and ability to be a good mom. Every day.

AP (After Pam):

• Luca goes to bed between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. every night without tears or complaint. No rocking. No soother.
• He wakes up every morning between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. with a MASSIVE smile on his face. 
• 3 naps a day - one is between 2 and 3 hours and the other two are between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. Wakes with a big smile.
• Now that he isn't waking at night to eat, he eats SO much better during the day. He is more satisfied and no longer cries or screams post-feed.
• I am much more aware of Luca's sleep cues so I can put him down before he is overtired.
• Because he is such a great sleeper, J and I have been able to go out on a few date nights without worrying that he will wake and need me.
• Since I no longer feed him before he goes to sleep, I'm not tied to the nursery. J can put Luca to bed, as could my parents. 
• He can sleep anywhere (well, except he doesn't really like to sleep in his car seat anymore but that is okay by me) - we even went to a friend's house for a brunch and he slept in their crib! The pack n' play at the cottage was also no big deal.
• He now only cries once in a while and when he does, it is not so difficult to soothe him (or distract him). 
• I no longer dread the evening, knowing that I was heading into a sh*tstorm of screaming and constant waking/feeding.
• Instead of screaming, he now babbles and coos and laughs. Throw him a fake burp and he'll lose it (in a good way!)
• Colic - gone.**
• Reflux - gone.**

Can you believe it? He is a totally different baby. So different that people often say things like "OH! What a happy baby!" Crazy, right? Luca. Happy. 

Our life is a little more structured now because his sleep is very very high on our priority list. We'd rather miss out on certain events to make sure he gets a good nap because a well rested Luca is a happy one. Makes it all worth it!

So that is that. Luca is now a great sleeper and we couldn't have done it without Pam. If you are looking for help with a bad sleeper (newborn or older) or want to stop rocking, feeding and soothing your child to sleep, definitely contact her for a free consultation. You won't regret it. You can also follow her on Twitter.

** I can't say with certainty that he never had colic or reflux, but it certainly seemed that way. As soon as he started sleeping, Luca basically slept through the "colicky" part of the night and we never saw it again. The reflux also disappeared.

And since this is post #2 about sleep and it is wordy and long, here are a few pics of Luca at the Santa Claus Parade!

And yes, when we take him out in his snow suit, we leave him in his pyjamas. So embarrassing. 

He obviously loves Tim Hortons so much that he is drooling!

And finally, before his bath:

Anyhoo - thanks for following my saga. I'm sure there are more challenges coming our way but it sure is nice to have a little fun and a few smiles these days!

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep. Trust me on this one...once you make the decision to have a baby, EVERYONE has something to say about sleep.

Pregnant? 

"Sleep now as you will never sleep again"

Pregnant and having trouble sleeping because you have 25-40 lbs of HUGE sticking off your front?

"Get used to it"

"Your body is just trying to prepare you for 18 years of crappy sleep"

In labour?

"Try to sleep between contractions" (ha - that one is awesome, isn't it?)

Just had a baby?

"Sleep when the baby sleeps"

"All newborns do is sleep"

"Getting much sleep?"

"Even when you are tired, it is just so special snuggling with the baby at 3 a.m., isn't it?"

Have a baby who is between the ages of oh, two months and 2 years?

"How is he/she sleeping?"

"Oh MY baby slept through the night since he/she was 3 weeks old"

"Getting any sleep?"

"Oh MY baby slept through the night since he/she was 5 weeks old"

"Sleeping through the night yet?"

I could go on. Sleep is something of a hot button issue for moms, both new and old and I have learned that no matter what advice you have received, you will never understand a) the importance of sleep to you and your baby, b) the crazy things you will do/feel when you are deprived of said sleep and c) how miserable you, your baby and your family will be when sleep issues have infiltrated your home until you have been there. 

It is different for everyone, that much I have learned. However, despite those differences, the quality of sleep that you and your newborn have can effect your experience as a new mom, the bonding between mom and baby, and of course your relationship with your spouse and other family members. And that much is to some degree, common between all mothers.

I did a lot of crazy things while I was exhausted. I became very clumsy. I felt sick to my stomach. I snapped on my husband and my family. I'd lose things while simultaneously holding the lost thing in my hand. 

I remember when Luca was about 4 weeks old, my mom and I were shopping at Old Navy. By shopping, I mean putting Luca in the stroller at 8 a.m. to keep him from screaming the house down and walking for hours on end to get him to sleep (so he would stop screaming, of course). 

Anyway - we were at Old Navy in the newborn section and we bumped into another mom. She had a 6 month old little girl who was snoozing in her stroller. The mom smiled at me. I smiled back. She made some standard "mom-to-mom" comment on how cute Luca was and I reciprocated. She asked how old he was.

"4 weeks" I said. 

"Oh, how sweet" she said. "Tired?"

She looked at me and I promptly started crying.

"It's okay" she said. "It is really hard. I cried this morning too".

I don't think I realized how tired I was. Please. I was so tired and overwhelmed that I CRIED. In OLD NAVY. WHEN A STRANGER ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION.

But there it was. She knew. She knew exactly what I was going through. It was comforting and humiliating at the same time. As a first time mom, you don't know it will get better. Everyone tells you it will, but you can't believe them because you haven't seen it. Maybe you have the one baby that  never sleeps and NEVER stops screaming. 

For the next month or so, I scrambled. I read books. I read the interweb. I swaddled. I shushed. Luca screamed and screamed and screamed. I kept thinking he was hungry so I was constantly feeding him (which if you recall, SUCKED because it was so painful for me). He would scream. I would feed. I would panic he wasn't getting enough and breakdown and give him formula. Nothing helped. He would never fall into a milk-coma and sleep. The little guy was overtired.

What finally worked was this. I would give Luca a bath. Massage with lotion. Fresh diaper. Swaddle in the Miracle Blanket. Feed. If he didn't fall asleep feeding (which was about 98% of the time), I would put him in the swing while he was dozy and hope for the best. 50% of the time he would fall asleep. The other half of the time he would start screaming. I would then get him out of the swing, sit in the rocking chair, shove a soother in his mouth and hold it there whilst aggressively rocking the chair back and forth, shushing a very loud shush. Eventually he would stop screaming and start sucking the soother. Once he would fall asleep, I would gingerly put him in the swing and turn it on.

This whole process took about 1.5-2 hours, not including the bath. This was repeated multiple times a day. I was losing my mind (and spending INSANE amounts of time in the nursery) and Luca was miserable. He was crying for the majority of the day. He was so tired that even after he'd sleep, he would wake up screaming bloody murder. In the middle of the night, he was eating and then crying for 1-2 hours before I could convince him to sleep again.

I was told it was colic. "It will get better". We gave him gas drops. The doctors even put him on medications "just in case" it was acid reflux. "He'll grow out of it" everyone said. 

Unfortunately, what he grew out of was a) the swaddle and b) his ability to sleep in the swing. He made the move into the crib but wouldn't sleep longer than an hour at a time. So I now had a baby who wouldn't sleep and a mom who didn't know how she could handle hearing him scream any longer.

Find out next week how we found out that sleep was the key to Luca's happiness.  I can finally say that after months of dealing with an unhappy little man, it DID get better.

So tell me - what was the craziest thing you did while you were a sleep deprived preggo/mom?

Luca Made a Friend

Now if this doesn't look like the happiest baby ever, I don't know anything.

"This is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!"

"P.S. I want a pony, please"

I took Luca to a local baby shop (Moms to Be...and More) on Thursday because they bring in a Santa (who looks strangely like my father) and a photography company for two days. It seems early, but we were able to make an appointment (so no crazy lines) and it only cost $10 and we came home with a 4x6 of the HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK. Seriously. Luca looks even better than the professional Santa!

He was obviously VERY good and was happy to meet the man in red. He lost it about 10 minutes after the photo was taken but I couldn't really complain after getting a photo like that, now could I?

So tell me - do you take your kids for a yearly photo with Santa, and if so, what do you think they ask him for?

And the Stockings Were Hung...

I'm not a big holiday decorator. I'd like to be. I love seeing photos of nicely decorated homes but for some reason (I'll guess lack of funds and laziness) I never seem to put the time or effort into my own home.

Of course, this year is Luca's first Christmas! I don't think that will result in a fully decorated home, but I do think it means we will have a Christmas tree and some stockings at a minimum.

On the topic of stockings, I've been hunting around for some since I want to get one for Luca which of course means that I need to buy three so that we can all have matching ones!

Here are a few that I thought looked good:

1.

Source

2.

Source

3.

Source

4. These are really cool (made out of goodwill reclaimed sweaters) but mucho dinero:

Source

5. This one is more funny than anything. Cute, but we can't handle any indoor raccoons.

Source

6. 

Source

What do you think? I have a favourite but am open to suggestion. Have you seen anything nice elsewhere (I only really perused the first ten pages of stockings on Etsy)?

Life Goes On

Yep - so one week later, life without cable is perfectly fine.

Luca and I took the cable boxes back to the store today and it felt GREAT. 

It felt especially great because on the weekend, we bought a $22 set of rabbit ears at Canadian Tire.

For all of you young kids out there, rabbit ears are a super old school way of getting tv. I didn't even think they were made anymore! But yes, my friends, they are made and if you live near a big city, they are AWESOME! For the low price of $22, we now get CBC (English and French), CityTV, Global, CTV, TVO, Omni and a few other stations, all in perfect HD. Honestly, the quality is better than what we had through the cable company and (in case you hadn't noticed), aside from the $22, it is FREE. 

FREE. I turn on the tv and get FREE HD channels. Of course, there are some channels I miss (HGTV, Much Music (for Gossip Girl) and HBO (mainly for Dexter), but most other shows I like are on the channels we get. I am actually shocked the cable companies get away with charging for basic cable!

So between the rabbit ears and our Apple TV, I think we are fine. We are definitely enjoying the whole $100 a month savings that is for sure!!

Cable companies in Canada have really got to start rethinking what they are doing...just go back and read the many, many comments on my last post of people who have done exactly what we did. We are certainly not trailblazers in this regard so I'm surprised that Rogers didn't work harder to keep our business!

Anyhoo - that is our cable update! Now I'm off to watch some FREE TV :-)

Special Post from Balsam Hill - Decorating Your Front Porch

Happy Monday!! I was asked a little while ago if I was interested in a post by the people at Balsam Hill - they are probably the only company that has ever tempted me to get an artificial Christmas Tree! I remember perusing their site last year but unfortunately, I found the shipping to be a little hefty as we are in Canada, but the trees are seriously gorgeous.

Anyways - I usually say no to the posts that are written by someone else but this one I was actually interested in so I thought I'd go for it. I am not getting paid or anything - I just thought that if I could use the info, maybe you guys could too. I would LOVE to spend a little time and $$ decorating my front porch this year...

Decorating for Winter: Inviting Front Porches

Home decorating is something I never get tired of and the nature of my work allows me to practice this passion regularly. I have met many people who also enjoy decorating their homes. Some use their creativity to execute a design and there are some who find difficulty getting inspiration to revamp their homes.

So how do you know if you're on the right track in home decorating? Better start with your front porch. Here are easy-to-follow tips from our Balsam design experts:

1. Define the spot. Clear your porch of anything superfluous. Retain your whites and neutral-colored furniture such as your settee and coffee table. Defining your area is important to effectively show your winter theme.

2. Bend the rules. Who says you can't use other special occasion decors for Christmas? You can recycle Thanksgiving decorations by adding some Christmas embellishments. This requires a keen eye for detail and creativity. Your holiday evergreen garlands and ornamental front door wreath are good examples. By spicing them up with faux snowflakes or spray painting them with white or silver and incorporating fresh or artificial berries and pine cones, you can transform them to an eye-catching winter statement. The same rule applies to an artificial Christmas tree, which can be converted into a winter tree.

3. Colours of Winter. Winter is essentially white and evokes a cold feel due to the frosty weather. For decorations, bold tones like wine-red, dark browns, deep blues and elegant black are hues that can emulate an inviting atmosphere in your home. These colours when incorporated to a winter-coloured rug, quilts, and thick blankets may give your home a touch of warmth. While wool, velvet, and other bulkier and heavier textiles bring a luxurious ambiance to your area. Other decorative pieces like warm-coloured throws, jars, lamps, and berries can also liven up your space to achieve a cozy feel.

4. Metallic Bursts. You can put some dazzling silver, gold, or bronze pieces to add a majestic impression in your area. Metallic ornamental pieces will look alluring against a warm red, maroon or chocolate brown environment. A sparkling silver vase on top of a claret table suggests a spectacular winter accent.

5. Create a dramatic focal point. You can also add stylish winter flags or banners for a more fascinating look in your front porch. Pine trees, sleds, ice skates, and a snowman may be incorporated to create a remarkable focal spot in your space.

6. Light up your area. Be sure to bring in the best possible illumination your front porch during winter nights. Your porch lights can be used as an accent or a practical fixture. Recently, there were various models of electric rope lights launched in the market that can be used to achieve a brilliant nighttime look.

We hope that these simple tips kindle your artistic mojo and inspire you to come up with an inviting front porch that showcases your style and taste in home decorating.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.
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Hope you guys found that one helpful. I would LOVE to have a front porch like that one day!

It's a Big Day

You will never guess what today is. Yeah yeah - it is November 1. But what is November 1 in our house?

It is our first day without cable.

That's right. We cancelled our cable and today is the first day without it.

Let's back up.

I love tv. I always have. My whole family has always watched a lot of tv and have considered it a form of entertainment. Judge us if you like, but we have always enjoyed watching tv and cable has always been a "must have" in our home.

Up until about a month ago. That was when I opened our cable bill and noticed that it had increased by about 35%. That is a pretty big increase in my opinion. There are really only 2 cable/satellite providers in Toronto and the one we were with does this WEIRD thing with cable. Unlike wireless plans, where you sign up for a contract and once that contract expires, the price of your plan stays the same and you are just 'contract-free', cable pricing is only effective as long as your contract.

For example, if the cable package is priced at $100, you call in and negotiate certain discounts (i.e. 30% off the service, free HD digital box, etc) and you sign a contract to lock in that deal. Once the contract term is up, the price you pay goes up to the original $100. You then have to call the company and try to renegotiate a discounted rate.

First up, that makes me NUTS. Why can't it just be one price. This negotiation stuff is SO annoying. I dread it every year. However, what I find even more offensive is doing a quick google search and finding out that many people are paying even LESS for the SAME SERVICE. They were able to negotiate harder, or had a softer sales rep on the line. Who knows. Hardly anyone pays the same price for the same cable service in Toronto.

Second, do they really think that after one year of paying $70 for cable, I'm going to be happy to start paying $105 for it? Really?

We tried to call in and negotiate another deal, but our old deal "wasn't available" and they would only give us 15% off. 

Now...if everyone paid $100 for that service and there were no deals, I'd probably be fine with it. But knowing that my next door neighbour is paying $75 and last month I was paying $70 and this month I'm supposed to pay $105? Well...that is just crazy talk. 

So we cancelled. This tv-loving new mom who is home ALL DAY LONG is now cable-less. I am no longer going to be able to turn on the tv and and mindlessly watch hours of Say Yes to the Dress or Chopped. I mean, I think I've seen every Baby Story a few times and a Sunday just isn't a Sunday without watching Maid in Manhattan or some other Jennifer Lopez rom-com. So yeah. It is time for cable to go.

We are going to give it a go. We've got Netflix and most of the shows I watch are streamed online anyways. Hopefully we can do it because JEEZ it will feel good to stick it to the cable man. Oh and saving more than $1200 a year? That will also be nice :-)

So tell me - have any of you cut the cable? Feel like you are missing out on anything? Do you find yourself reading more? Talking to your spouse more? Any shows on Netflix that you recommend I watch?

Oh and after we tried to negotiate a deal and ultimately ended up cancelling? They have since emailed, called and sent snail-mail trying to get us to stay on.

Arg.