Category: TECHNOLOGY

OT: oh, so quiet.

OT: oh, so quiet.

by Joanne ♥ 2 Comments

Screen Shot 2015-06-03 at 1.54.02 AMShhh. Writering (h/t to my friend Morgan for the term) takes some work.

I know. I haven’t been posting.

At least not here, anyway.

Since discovering Instagram, I really haven’t felt the need to post long-form the way I used to. With IG it’s much easier to set up a post with pics and text all ready to go – as opposed to WP, where I obsessively format type and images for consistency. The time it takes to write, edit, backlink, tag and categorize blog posts is sometimes a deterrent.

And sometimes, the girl’s antics just don’t warrant a post of that magnitude.

That isn’t to say that she hasn’t been up to lots – but by the same token, she’s been up to nothing at all…just being a baby isn’t always that exciting, Down Syndrome or no. I do hope to blog more about what/how she’s been doing in the upcoming months (have topics lined up and everything), but for now, if you haven’t already found us on Instagram, that’s where we be. I post about her at least once or twice a week, and it’s a public account (more on that to come) for all to see.

So, swing on over and follow us. Say hi! I show Aisha every post and read the comments people leave. Sure, she’s a bit too wee to understand right now, but her enthusiasm is genuine all the same.

friday the 13th: part II.

friday the 13th: part II.

by Joanne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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What? Not this again…

Today marks the second occurrence of Friday the 13th this year. It’s been a fairly innocuous day thus far, yet I can’t help but think back to Friday, September 13th, and the bomb that was dropped on me that morning.

I have talked about my superstitions in various posts in this blog, but aside from a single unfortunate coincidence, I’ve no real ties to (nor fears about) this day. Still, in keeping with the somewhat ominous tone of Friday the 13th, I thought I’d share something that I’ve been keeping to myself for a while…

* * *
I am a creature of the night, and my habitual night owl tendencies have been thrown into overdrive by my inability to sleep comfortably for any stretch of time. To fill the hours between sleep and wakefulness, I rely on my old friend internet to keep me entertained. I’ve mentioned that I’m an avid reader of mommy blogs, but my natural curiosity finds me poking my nose into things that are likely best left alone while pregnant.

Read more ›

blogging for baby.

blogging for baby.

by Joanne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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I am a black mommy blogger. When did this happen?

I have been an intermittent blogger for about 12 years.

I have created (and deleted) blogs that run the gamut: my hair, fashion, sex & relationships, my life here in Toronto and while living in Montreal, random, pictures of interest (before Pinterest), my daily commute and work. However, I’ve never identified as a “black blogger,” where my race/ethnicity was paramount to my online writings. Sure, there were a few culturally-relevant or race-related rants, but my blackness in general was only a small part of having a blog.

I have followed bloggers whose race and experiences were varied and vast; I tend toward writers whose style and tone (and penchant for grammatical correctness) match my own. I also liked to read about travels and day-to-day experiences that were relatable, or aspirational. Ironically, I rarely followed mommy bloggers, as I was a childless singleton with zero interest in how these ladies balanced the demands of parenthood with daily life.

Today, I have to admit – while eating a steaming pile of crow – that the bulk of the blogs I read are about pregnancy, parenthood, Down Syndrome or food. I have come across a plethora of good blogs and great writers, and I know I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of them. As the soon-so-be black parent of a bi-racial child with special needs, I think it would be helpful to find more blogs from parents of colour who are dealing with some (or all of the challenges) I am about to face.

But why would race matter in this instance, you might ask? Read more ›

weekend wrap-up: mixed bag.

weekend wrap-up: mixed bag.

by Joanne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Groceries in Brown Paper Bag
Miscellany. This ‘n’ that. You know, just…stuff.

almost 100% positive
I went to see my GP on Thursday. She was surprised to see me, as I just had a physical not too long ago, and last week I’d gone in for a consult on an ingrown hair that had got a little out of control. “You’re back again? What now, girl?”

I told her about the missed period and the positive pregnancy test. “You don’t say?” She exclaimed. Her reaction was like that of a proud aunt. She chattered away excitedly while she filled out the requisition for a blood test and offered an early, but sincere congratulations. Twenty years this woman’s been my doctor. She’s been through a lot with me. As I left her office, lab paperwork in hand, I realized that I’d actually been excited to tell her.

there’s an app for this, natch
I spent the week researching and downloading pregnancy apps. A lot of them are free, and a lot of them are garbage. After loading and deleting several, I settled on the Health & Parenting app, and I think I’ll stick with it. It’s colourful (I’m a magpie), informative and by far the easiest to use. A few simple information inputs, and it calculates things like due dates, and devises a timeline of essential milestones to be aware of. There is a section for mommy (that’s me!), baby, an appointment tracker thingy, tons of infographics and day-by-day illustrations/2D/3D images of the baby at various stages, what it looks like and how big it is. Read more ›