Nanny&Me

From time to time it's suggested to me that readers might like to know a bit more about the person behind my blog. While I'm not sure I'm a particularly fascinating person, I have detailed a bit about me and my life below.

Some basics about me and my family

I'm MARRIED to the LOVE my LIFE, Michael or "Mikey" as I call him.

September 2010. *Kim Lovell Photography

We have a DOG, named ORLY. She's a very sweet cream-colorer golden retriever.

*Kim Lovell Photography

Before Orly, I had a FUR BABY named KAESEY Parker who was the light of my life. He passed away last spring.

*Kim Lovell Photography

Mike and I have a SON, Logan. We love him to bits and pieces.

We LIVE in the BEACHES in Toronto. Well sort of...I grew up just down the road from where we live now (which is just outside of the area, but still walking distance to everything). We love our neighbourhood; the community, the shops and restaurants, the dogs, the pedestrian lifestyle, the boardwalk, and the beach.


Digging Deeper

I LOVE animals. My husband calls me a "friend to all creatures". I'm vegan (...mostly. I have been vegetarian for twenty years, vegan for the past 13 of those, but more recently I have become a bit more laid back about it).

I have a horrible FEAR of the dark and am horrified that I might pass it along to little Logan. I've been working to resolve it, but phobias are hard!

I am a POSITIVE person. Generally speaking, I have an enthusiastic (thanks to Youth Leadership Camps Canada) approach to life; I'm excitable, chatty, outgoing, and friendly.

DIY is one of my favourite hobbies. From building decks to tiling kitchen back splashes, home improvement projects make my heart smile. I've recently been getting into crafting projects, but my passion lies with the real physical labor...laying a new flagstone pathway, building a shed, installing a new kitchen.

Favourite things about my typical week

SUNDAY dinners with my FAMILY. My family (with the exception of my brother and his wife who live in Scotland) all live in the same neighbourhood (pretty lucky I'd say!) and we get together at my parents' house (where we grew up) every Sunday for dinner. We eat, we visit, we laugh at the babies. It's a wonderful home cooked meal and a great start to our week.

Just kidding (this is a hint about my favourite show)...but capturing a photo at our Sunday dinners would be chaos!

My FAVORITE mommy baby PROGRAM, MommyRok at Boulderz Climbing Centre!


Other programs and activities that I love/recommend are:

Cirque-ability's BabyCirque, MommyCirque, and MommyAerial
Toronto Yoga Mama's Yoga Babies
Swimming at Regent Park Aquatic Centre
Toronto Public Library's Baby Time

WALKING. I probably walk about 25-30 kilometres each week. My husband and I find walking is our favourite quality time. We enjoy changing it up; we find there's always something new to see if you look.


I enjoy giving back

I DONATE monthly. We focus our efforts on L'Arche Toronto and UNITY Charity.

I VOLUNTEER. I sit on the board of Extend-A-Family (an organization that fosters community for youth with disabilities) and I deliver our local Beach Metro paper.


The more professional stuff

I LOVE school. I have a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation Management from Capilano University, a BA in Disability Studies with a Minor in Organizational Leadership from Ryerson University...and I have a few more plans up my sleeve (maybe an MPA or MBA with non-profit specialization, or maybe a Masters in Critical Disability Studies).

I am a committed NON-PROFIT professional and have been for over a decade. My specialties include: organizational development, project management, and business/fund development.

I am PASSIONATE about WRITING. I have always been an avid writer, but I only began to get more serious about my writing as I was working through my degree at Ryerson University. I plan on doing a lot more writing, but so far I've had articles published in:

Oh Baby! Magazine
Pink and Blue Magazine (starting as a regular writer soon!)
Vision, Passion, Action - School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University
The Elm Life Blog
Nanny&Me

Fun facts

I do ALL of my GROCERIES on FOOT.

I can HIT an 80MPH FASTBALL.

Around the house, I go by "MONKEY".

Until I was about 13 years old, I MISSPELLED by middle NAME ("Alize" instead of "Elyse").