Thinking Out Loud {#11}: Tiny Houses, Figs & Pinterest

So you might remember from this post that my mom has been visiting us again, and this morning she left after two wonderful weeks here. I'm not sure who's going to be more upset when they wake up tomorrow morning: me or Sully. I decided to leave the house this morning around the same time my mom was taking off so that it didn't feel as much as goodbye, although I still started crying as I pulled away. After the library and a bunch of errands, we got back in the car to head home and Sully goes "LET'S GO SEE GRAMMA!" Gah, heartbreaking. I told him that Gramma wouldn't be at home and that we wouldn't be seeing her for a little while. "Well, let's go get her, Mama!". Sigh, I wish we could, little man, I wish we could.

{at Elbow Falls with Gramma}

I meant to get this post written up last night and posted this morning, but I figured it was better to spend my mom's last evening here with her.  Watching Season 6 of The Walking Dead of course. No spoilers since we are a whole season behind, but my goodness, the first few episodes are SO frustrating! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I much prefer to watch a show in which I can binge watch it, because I don't know how people wait a whole week (or more!) in-between episodes!

Speaking of shows...I was at the dentist earlier in the week for a cleaning and the TV was tuned to HGTV. Tiny House Hunters was airing and I was immediately engrossed (and I usually find TV incredibly annoying to try and watch while someone is blocking your view while scraping your teeth). Anyhow...this show! I'm mildly obsessed (I may have gone home and recorded the whole series) and yet, I can't fathom wanting to live in something that's about as big as the shed in our backyard. I get the whole minimalist fad and the desire to pare down the things you own, etc, but I could NOT live in 150 square feet. I don't even think I would feel safe sleeping in such a small space. I mean, if we had a playhouse in our backyard of roughly the same size, even if there was a lock on the door, there's no way I'd sleep out in it!

{source//this literally makes me LOL}

OK, so, in my post on nesting, I mentioned briefly that I meal planned for this week (which is going awesome by the way), and I'm really hoping that I can keep this up for the rest of my pregnancy. I know, meal planning - it's nothing new, everyone does it - but for some reason I have a hard time being consistent with it. I'm even trying to bake one new "treat" each week, and I've had some pretty good success with my recipes considering I'm not a baker. I utilize Pinterest a lot for recipe ideas, but my recipe board on there was getting a little bit out of control. I had every single recipe that I either wanted to try or had already made pinned to the same board, and it was getting time consuming to go through it for meal planning inspiration or to remember something I wanted to make. So, last weekend I also organized my recipe boards into "RECIPES TO TRY", "DINNER RECIPES TRIED & TRUE", "BAKING RECIPES TRIED & TRUE", "BREAKFAST RECIPES TRIED & TRUE", and "SNACKS/APPETIZERS TRIED & TRUE" (the links will take you directly to each board). Anyway, I'm already loving this little bit of organization and if you want to follow any of the boards please do! Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by Pinterest recipes because there are a billion out there but how do you know for sure something is actually worth making? Consider me your guinea pig! ;) I also add comments/notes into the comment portion of the pin on my tried & true boards so that you can see what I thought or any changes I may have made to the original recipe.

One more thing about food. FIGS. You guys, until last week, I had never eaten a fresh fig in my adult life. I would say my entire life, but my mom promises me that I ate them as a kid. We were at the farmer's market two weekends ago and my mom bought a flat of figs for us. It was one of those things were I was like, these are SO delicious, but I also kind of wish I hadn't tried them because now it's all I can think about. Unfortunately, fresh fig season is short and they are really hard to come by in stores! I've spent more time this week than I care to admit, trying to track down fresh figs. Thankfully, the Italian Store came through for me today and I made sure to get down there and buy two clamshells. I choked a bit at the price at first (almost 10 dollars a pound), but then I thought, "wait a minute, why do we freak out at buying something expensive that is delicious and healthy for us, but it's no big deal to go buy a case of beer or a bottle of wine?!" And considering I can drink neither of those right now, this mama bought herself $20 worth of figs today. I do not plan on sharing!

And lastly...I'm sorry...I clearly have a lot I want to talk about today!...yesterday I had my second doctor's appointment with my OB team. There's only 3 more months to go before this baby comes and I'm finding that crazy to think about! I'm also at that point where I can't imagine my belly getting bigger or stretching anymore, even though I know it will. I remember in my first pregnancy dreading being weighed at each doctor's appointment. This time around, I don't care. In fact, I didn't even take off my boots on the scale, that's how little I care about the number that shows up. I may have gone into this pregnancy weighing more than I would have liked, but I don't feel like I've been eating out of control and my weight gain has been very slow so I'm comfortable with where my body is at. I'm still trying to get to BodyFlow at GoodLife Fitness when I can because I know it's worth the effort to get myself there. Also, I passed my gestational diabetes screen, so yay for me!

If you're still reading, then you deserve one of my figs! ;)

Happy almost Friday everyone!


Questions for you!

Figs: love 'em, or hate 'em?

Tiny Houses: could you live in one?

Linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking Out Loud! 

*This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador program, 

however all opinions expressed are my own.

Thinking Out Loud {#10}: Yoga Class Musings

It's been a long time since I've linked up with Amanda for a Thinking Out Loud post, and since they are some of my favourite types of posts to write and read, here you go! The random thoughts and going-ons in my life!

1. Working out hasn't been a priority in my day to day life ever since summer rolled in. I'm not sure if the hot weather is to blame for my lack of motivation or that my routine was thrown off by having lots of visitors these past two months, but whatever the reason, I haven't been going to the gym. I knew I needed to get myself back there so yesterday I committed to going once Jim got home from work. I decided to take a BodyFlow class at GoodLife Fitness and I was reminded of how much I love that class. You might not break out in a big sweat, but it still gets my heart pumping, and I'm always surprisingly somewhat sore the day after. It's really such a great class and I think I'm going to try and go 3 times a week for August. I'm not really feeling BodyPump right now, but that's ok, it will be there for me when I am.

2. Speaking of BodyFlow - for those that aren't familiar with it, it's a combination of tai chi, Pilates and yoga, and it's similar to other Les Mills classes in that a class is released every three months, using new music and new choreography. Anyway, the class ends like a traditional yoga class, with approximately 10 minutes dedicated to shavasana. I don't know about you, but this is my favourite moment of the class! Plus, I believe it to be beneficial to your practice. But you know what I notice every time I take this class? Almost everyone leaves before shavasana starts! (And some leave during it!). I don't get it! It's also kind of rude to the instructor and the other participants to leave nosily during what is supposed to be a relaxation period. Yesterday, the class started with 14 participants, and by the end of shavasana, there were only four of us left. FOUR!

3. Ok, one more thing I need to get off my chest about yoga classes. Why do people insist on wearing their socks during the class? And I'm not talking about proper yoga socks. I'm talking about people who don't take off their gym socks and then struggle to keep their feet in place during the poses. Again, I don't get it?

4. I think I committed the biggest sin at the gym yesterday and I'm kind of embarrassed about it. Since I was going just to do a yoga style class, I didn't wear socks and just slipped on my Toms for the drive to the gym. When I got there, I'm so accustomed to following rules and taking my shoes off, that I did so and I walked into the gym barefoot. (I'm cringing just writing this). Of course, as I was queued up outside the class waiting for it to start, I noticed my faux pas, as everyone was just walking  into the gym with their outdoor runners/flip flops on. I felt so foolish and embarrassed since I was literally the only person in barefeet. Also, gross, I know. I'm sorry, it will never happen again!

5. Keeping with the "theme" of this post (which wasn't planned, I just write what comes to me!), I have to share something adorable that Sully does. For a while there, I was practicing a lot of yoga at home up in my bedroom. Sully loved when we would do yoga together and now he always goes "Mama! Let's do yo-ya!", and then he gets down and does a plank, a v-sit, pike sit, straddle and tuck sit (left over knowledge from his gymnastics days!) It's the cutest thing ever and I need to capture it on video before he stops calling yoga "yo-ya".


Questions for you!

Yogis: Do you leave before or during shavasana in class? If so, why??

Do you go through phases of favouring one type of workout class to another, or do you always stick with what you know/like? 

*This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador program, 

however all opinions expressed are my own.

Thinking Out Loud {#9}: Patio Furniture, Fitbits & FRIENDS

Any excuse to talk about the random things in my life and thoughts in my head, is as good as any for me! Linking up with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud today!

1. I like to look at the weather app on my phone daily and compare our current weather to other cities...cities where we have friends and family living in. It always gives me great pleasure when our weather is kicking another city's weather's butt (take that Edmonton!)! Yes, I am a mature person.

2. Much of our weekend last weekend was spent shopping for patio furniture (which is why I didn't bother doing a Weekend Recap post...the shopping part is very underwhelming, but the outcome is awesome!). Jim and I have lived together as a couple since 2008 and we have never owned patio furniture, save for the odd plastic Adirondack chair or wood bench. It's actually a little embarrassing now that I think of it, and I can't help but mourn all those warm summer evenings lost because we didn't have comfy chairs to sit outside on. But no more! We are now the proud owners of a lovely and comfy love seat and chair set! Last night I even blogged out on our deck and I can't wait to spend evenings outside all summer. (Of course, I'm typing this after it's already dark outside so here's an awesome picture of our new patio furniture, haha).

3. I've talked about it before, but I'm going to talk about it again: I currently own a Fitbit Flex (the basic one) and I really want to upgrade. I hate that there's no display and the only way I can really see my steps is by syncing to my phone. The problem is, I just don't know which one to get...I love the look of the Fitbit Alta, but it doesn't have a heart rate monitor. Most of my friends seem to have the Fitbit Charge HR and love it, but then I'm like, do I even need the heart rate monitor? Why do I need a heart rate monitor? But I feel like I do need it and I'd be missing out if I didn't have one. Or do I want to skip these two altogether and get something that also has GPS abilities? TOO MANY CHOICES.

{source}

4. I've worked out every single day for 15 days in a row now. "Working out" includes anything from a fitness class, a long walk, a run, a short yoga video - basically anything that would count as active activity. So, for example, just getting in 10,000 steps a day by going about my regular day, where no actual walk or run was done, doesn't count as "working out". Have I confused you yet? Anyway, even though I still have to make myself workout some days, I'm starting to feel a shift from thinking "should I work out today?" to "WHAT should I do for a workout today?". Now it's no longer a question of do I really feel like working out. I'm starting to just think of working out as part of my day and when can I best fit it in. Baby steps my friends, baby steps.


5. Yesterday was the first official A Slice of Brie Book Club "meeting" and it truly makes me happy that so many people participated this month. The discussion in the comments section have been really great, and I enjoyed reading other blogger's reviews that they posted and linked up. We read Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova, so if you've read the book, I'd love to have you join in on the discussion! Also, I put May's book club pick to a vote, so if you are interested in joining (no pressure or commitment!), then you can head over to the post and cast your vote!

6. I came across this little gem and I think it's brilliantly awesome. God I miss this show. Enjoy!

Do you own a Fitbit or activity tracker? Tell me which one you think I should get!?

Do you remember where you were when you watched the final episode of Friends? It was my 21st birthday (May 6, 2004), and I was having a pre-party at my house (I still lived at home) before heading out to the bar, but we all gathered around the TV to watch the final episode first! Wow, I feel so incredibly old now, haha!

Thinking Out Loud {#8}: Bulk Barn, Book Club & Instagram Love

Welcome to another thinking out loud post (my second favourite type of post after Currently ones), hosted by Amanda at Running with Spoons!

Let's skip the intro and get right into it!


1. This past weekend, Jim and I went to a house warming party for one of his old roommates. The host, my husband, and several other party guests are Engineers. At one point in the evening, they started to run low on ice in their automatic ice machine. Remarks were made that said machine was broken, and had been since they moved in a few weeks ago. When I saw the state of the remaining ice (frostbitten and stuck together in a large clump), I looked inside the freezer, and flipped the MAKE ICE switch from OFF to ON. I made Jim ask his friend the next day if he had ice in the machine and he sure did. That's right, in a room full of Engineers, I solved the problem!

2. Earlier this week, I was attempting to declutter one of the hundreds of piles of stuff we seem to have everywhere, and came across a half empty box of Sully's birth announcements. What am I supposed to do with these?! It seems so wrong to recycle them, but I've already mailed them out and kept a few for myself. Anyone want a two year old birth announcement?!

3. I tweeted this the other night:

Seriously. I literally popped in to get some cumin and came out with this. And I still can't decide if Bulk Barn is actually cheaper for things like chocolate eggs or if they are banking on the fact that no one has a clue how just how much 100grams actually feels like.

4. I've won a lot of really cool stuff on Instagram in the past, but the other week, I won one of the coolest things to date: The Meet Me in the Mountains giveaway. And it wasn't even things for Sully - it was all for me! I have been coveting all of these items for months now (I saw a few of them in person at The Alberta Adventure Girls Retreat back in January) and am so happy to have these awesome pieces, all from local artists, in my home!

Included was:

• an Alpine necklace (I chose gold), from Lace Brick Design  - I don't plan on ever taking this off I love it so much
• an adorable two sided infinity scarf - how cute are those deer?! - from Buttercream Clothing 
• a 3-peak mountain string art from Agnes In August - so many places I want to hang it!!
• and this beautiful hand-crafted shelf from salvaged and reclaimed wood from Needle & Pine -it's even bigger than I thought it would be and the hardest part is going to be deciding where to hang it. I have a serious love of miniature things and this will be perfect for displaying my little treasures on! I think I might need more than one in my home though...Sully also loves it because he thinks it's the letter "A", haha! 

There are still a few more Meet Me in the Mountains giveaways this month, so be sure to head over to Instagram and enter! (I've tagged the IG shops above!).

5. I have a serious love/hate relationship with Tim Horton's Roll Up the Rim coffee cups. I'm not even a huge fan of their coffee (McDonald's is SO much better), but I can't help myself from buying it during Roll Up the Rim season. I have issues. But what the heck is going on this year?! I don't even want to think about how many cups of coffee I bought from them and all I've won is a stinkin' donut! The game is pretty much wrapped up now, but I happened to stop at a Tim's today and they still had playing cups! Sadly, I still did not win anything. All I want is some free coffee, is that too much to ask?

6. Last week, after many nerves and much hesitation, I finally announced my online book club, and you guys, I couldn't possibly be more happy and grateful for the positive reaction it got! Like seriously, every time one of you tweets, texts, or snaps me that you've picked up the book or have already started reading it, I do a little happy dance. So thank you! This is going to be SO fun, because I promise, talking about a book is actually a lot of fun, and makes the whole experience that much better! It can be a big commitment to join a book club in real life, and an online one takes a lot of that stress away because you can participate in the conversation on your own schedule and from the comfort of your own home in your pyjamas. 

And if you don't know what I'm talking about (you can read more in this post - April's book is Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova), or if you've been on the fence about joining, just remember that there's no pressure or commitment (and you definitely don't have to be a blogger to participate). If you end up not being able to read the book, no big deal, but you can also decide to read the book the day before if you like too! And I'd also love to hear any recommendations for books you'd like to read in future book clubs so that I can use those suggestions when we vote on the next book. 

Bulk Barn: love it or leave it? What's your favourite thing to buy from there?

Old things like birth announcements: continue to hoard forever or let it go?

Any books you'd like to read in a book club setting? Let me know in the comments! (Or email me!)

Thinking Out Loud {#7}

I just realized it's been over two months since my last Thinking Out Loud post! Not that I do them often, but I try for at least one a month. They're one of my favourite posts to read on other blogs, and they're such a great way to talk about a mishmash of topics without coming up with a whole post on one thing. As always, Thinking Out Loud is a fun feature and link-up hosted by Amanda from Running With Spoons.

So let's get into it!

1. I hate getting sick. It's been almost two weeks now since I came down with a nasty cold, and I think I can safely say that I'm just about 100% better. It was a rough two weeks though! I've been tired, unmotivated, cranky and ready to feel like myself again. I'm lucky that I don't get sick very often, but I still hate it.

2. Unfortunately, because I've been feeling so unwell, my workouts have suffered. I'm just not one of those people who is able to push themselves to workout even though it might make me feel better. This is also the point in my life where I so often let a few missed workouts due to sick days/weeks turn into several weeks. I really struggle with this, but it's something I'm trying to work on. I have to admit, getting out of the house to workout works so much better for me. Once I'm at the gym, I'm not about to turn around and go home or not finish my workout class (which I am known to do with home workouts, ha!). Last night I scheduled in a workout for when Jim got home from work and I went to BodyPump at GoodLife Fitness. This class never fails to make me feel great and even though I have a few weeks to make up for, I love that you can just jump back into this class with just a few adjustments to your weights (if any).

3. I was going to have a post up this week for the online book club I keep talking about starting, but all of a sudden this month is almost over and I have a few books I need to get through for outside commitments by the end of March. The last thing I want is to not be able to read the book I pick! I'll have a post all about it in a few weeks so that we have 6 weeks to read the book and participate in a discussion. Stay tuned!

4. Do you ever wake up one day and all of a sudden hate your hair? Like, yesterday it was fine, but today it's not curling right and it needs to be hacked off immediately?! I'm at that point. I also think I'm ready to let several inches go again. Time for a freshening up!

5. My sister flew up for a visit this past weekend and even though I wasn't feeling great while she was here, we still tried to go to the movie How to Be Single. When we got to the theatre though, it was already sold out! I was sooo disappointed, especially since it was the only night that worked for us to go to a movie. Instead, we ended up watching Room at home and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. If you've read the book (which I did and really enjoyed), then you'll be glad to know they did an exceptional job adapting the book to film. While it's a tough subject matter, it's done well, but it definitely made me emotional and I'm still thinking about it several days later. Brie Larson, who plays the young mom being held in captivity has been nominated for an Oscar for her role, but I totally think the young boy who player her son in the movie should have also been nominated! His performance was remarkable, honest and real. This article describes really well, the thought process behind nominating children for acting awards and the recognition this young boy has already received for his role in Room.

6. Have you seen this video by Walk Off the Earth of their cover of Adele's Hello? It's amazing and like all of their cover songs, I enjoy it more than the original! Sorry Adele lovers.

And....that's all I've got!

When you're sick, do you make yourself workout still, or do you take that time off from working out/the gym?

Have you seen or read Room? Thoughts?? 

Tell me something random! 


*This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador program, however all opinions expressed are my own.

Thinking Out Loud {#6}: Post-Vacation Musings

Well, just like that, our fabulous Florida vacation is over and we are back home. We arrived back in Calgary late Tuesday night, and by the time we got our luggage, went through customs, took the shuttle to the truck, stopped for some quick Tim Horton's drive-thru, ate said food and got ready for bed, it was almost one in the morning (which was technically three a.m. Florida time)!

While our two weeks in Florida seemed to be over in the blink of an eye, and as much as I didn't want to come home to the colder weather, I was ready to come home. Which is always the sign of a good vacation to me! Not too short, not too long, just enough time away to feel like you got in a good, solid break from the hustle and bustle of regular life.

My presence on this space was sparse, as is usually the case when I'm on holidays, but I'm back today with another Thinking Out Loud post before I dive into a vacation recap, and other posts I have in the works. As always, Thinking Out Loud is a fun feature and link-up hosted by Amanda from Running With Spoons.

1.  Post Vacation Blues: I dread the first few days home following a trip as I'm often a victim of post-vacation blues.  Jim actually took today (Wednesday) off, so that really helped to avoid the usual funk I fall into my first day home. I'm hoping that since I felt ready to come home, I won't be hit as hard this time. It also helps that I have a fun weekend to look forward to, including a blogger Christmas party!

2. Eye Exams: Since I knew Jim was going to be off today, I booked us in for our annual eye exams. I've always had perfect vision and have never needed glasses, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't noticed my vision changing a bit in the past year, especially with night vision. While I still have 20/20 vision, the eye doctor felt I was hiding prescription and over compensating my focus on things in the distance. (Apparently, you aren't supposed to work at focusing on things in the distance - you're just supposed to "see" them, but I lack the headaches that usually accompany someone over focusing). I agreed to let him dilate my pupils to confirm his diagnosis which meant I spent the rest of the day with very blurry vision and I was unable to read anything up close. Long story short, I could benefit from a very small prescription or I could wait until my near-sightedness gets worse over the years (which he says is inevitable as people approach their 40s).

3. Picking Out Eye-Glasses: To be honest, I've always secretly wanted glasses (ok, not so secretly anymore), but my real hesitation in getting glasses is that I don't think I look good in ANY pair I ever try on. And I'm not being ridiculous, I just have such a round face that I can't figure out what style would actually work on me. I'm also not sure I can stomach the hefty price tag of prescription glasses for such a minuscule prescription.

4. I Hate Unpacking: As I write this, Jim is upstairs unpacking his suitcase, but I refused to do so! Haha, I'm known to leave my suitcase unpacked for up to a month, it's true, although I've gotten much better about it over the years. For me, there is nothing worse than unpacking from a trip. Putting things away, doing laundry - ugh - I hate it.

5. Christmas is Only Two Weeks Away!: Even though I'm feeling relaxed and refreshed from our vacation, I can't help but think about how Christmas is only two weeks away! I haven't decorated, we haven't put our tree up, I've bought zero gifts, we still have to visit Santa, and I've done no holiday baking. I really don't want to be overwhelmed with to-do lists this holiday season as I want to make memories, not chaos, but it's hard not to want to do it all. (One thing I definitely want want to make this year is this felt Christmas tree for Sully!) I did put my foot down, so to speak, this year though, and we won't be traveling for Christmas (like we've always done), instead encouraging and opening up our home to family to visit us. It's our first Christmas in our new home, and I'm excited to start making our own family traditions!

Do you get post vacation blues? 

Do you unpack after a vacation right away, or do you procrastinate like I do? 

What's your favourite Christmas movie? (Mine is Elf!)

Thinking Out Loud {#5}: I Heart America

For today's Thinking Out Loud post, I'm talking about my love for all things American:

1. Don't get me wrong, I love my country, but whenever I'm down in the states, it's hard not to get a bit jealous of all the things they have that I want frequent access to. And don't even try and tell me that the novelty would wear off, because buying groceries at Trader Joe's couldn't possibly ever get old. Or choosing between 15 flavours of peanut butter. Or buying beer and wine for the cost of a coffee. No, those things will never, ever get old for me, my friends.

2. Speaking of stores in America that we don't have…walking through Target yesterday was so bittersweet. On the one hand, I was like a kid in a candy store (or a mom in Target, haha), filling up my cart as I explored every aisle. It was the best, and I wished I had unlimited luggage space and unlimited funds to buy ALL THE THINGS. But I couldn't help feeling a mix of anger and sadness at the fact that Target couldn't make it in Canada. What is wrong with Canadians that we couldn't support this store!? I know the Canadian version wasn't exactly the same as the American ones, but it was still a great store. It definitely filled that gap between Winners and high-end stores. RIP Canadian Target.

3. Have you guys ever shopped at Publix grocery store? Second to Trader Joe's, it is my favourite grocery store down here. I can't even explain why except it seems like everything is on sale whenever we go!

4. And you know what was on sale when we went the other day? These amazing Chobani flip yogurt snacks. (A dollar a piece!). I ate two different flavours before I took this picture, and I will definitely be going back for more. My question is though, how will I be able to go back to eating regular old yogurt after this?

5. In hindsight, it's probably a good thing, for both my waistline and my wallet, that I don't have regular access to American grocery stores. Because delicious things like this come home with me. Only my favourite cookie ever, which I only get to enjoy when I fly with Westjet. And just when you thought chewing was too hard, there's a "peanut butter" version.

6. In an effort to counteract all the extra calories I will be consuming during our time down here, I joined my mother-in-law and father-in-law for aerobics this morning. I'm usually a bit of sloth on vacation, preferring the pool lounger to exercise, but I'm trying to make the most of the extra sets of hands for toddler wrangling I have here. There's even a full gym here which I'm working up the motivation to go and use. I didn't waste luggage space with workout clothes for nothing!

7. The retired folk in Florida have it made, and whenever I'm here, I'm reminded of how much of a retired person I am at heart. Jim jokes that I already fit right in…besides the pool and gym, the community here is full of all my favourite activities - shuffle board, mini-golf, ping-pong, billiards, BINGO night, movie night, there's a library, an endless supply of jig-saw puzzles (my favourite!), plus a full schedule of daily activities that residents can join in on at any time. When can I move in?!

Confession: I basically stop eating, drinking or sleeping when I'm working on a jig-saw puzzle, which is why I only do them while on vacation now. I have issues, I know.

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! I'm happy to report we will be celebrating with turkey dinner today!


Linking up (as always!) with Amanda from Running With Spoons!

Do you work out when on vacation?

Canadians: what's your favourite store in American that we don't have in Canada?; 

Americans: favourite grocery store?

Favourite "retired person" activity? 

Thinking Out Loud {#4}: Crafting Fails & Smart Husbands

This week has not been going according to plan. Monday evening, after having quite the productive day, I could just sense that I was going to wake up the next morning not feeling well. And I was right. I was hit with a bad head cold and all I wanted to do was sleep. Not so easy to do when you have a toddler to take care of.

When I'm not feeling 100% all my motivation goes out the window. Write a blog post? No thanks. Make dinner? Hell no. Shower? No. Tidy the house? Haha!! So needless to say, my house is in shambles, I haven't showered and we've been eating snack plates, cereal, and leftovers for the past two days.

{source}

Wednesday was a bit of a better day. I had more energy, but, if given the choice, probably would have happily spent the day in bed. I did manage to work on my Halloween crafts though, a project and blog post I had originally planned to have done and posted yesterday. Whomp, whomp. Of course, no project ever goes as planned either, does it? The tutorial I found on pinterest that gave me the idea for one of the projects totally failed me. In it, it says to use E6000 glue to glue the hooks to the styrofoam heads. Well, I found out that you cannot, in fact, use this glue on styrofoam as it eats away at it and leaves a big hole where you put the glue. Google of course, confirmed this for me after the fact. Now my question is, how did this work for this person then?! Luckily, we already happened to have E6000 glue and I didn't waste money on buying it. At a loss for what to do, I waited until Jim got home and he was actually able to come up with a much better solution than the original instructions, so yay for smart husbands!

{source}

Speaking of smart husbands…on Tuesday, the worst day of my cold, I went to make my favourite flu-busting smoothie from the Oh She Glows cookbook. It's essentially oranges, lemon juice, and ginger all blended up. It's delicious! Well, I already had my oranges and lemon in the vitamix, but then I couldn't find my frozen piece of ginger I keep in the fridge for smoothies. Lightbulb moment! You see, on the weekend, Jim made a peanut butter smoothie and it came out tasting like one big ginger peanut drink which was seriously gross. He blamed me for not cleaning the vitamix well enough. I felt pretty bad and thought there must have been some ginger stuck under the blade that I didn't clean out. I apologized profusely! When I couldn't find my ginger in the freezer, that's when it dawned on me: Jim blended my entire chunk of ginger, mistaking it for a frozen banana!! I mean, it kind of looks like a banana when it's frozen, and in his defence, the container wasn't labelled, but come on! Men!

I feel like the worst of my cold is behind me though and I'm positive I will wake up tomorrow (Thursday), feeling almost back to my normal self. I've been drinking lots of smoothies, lots of tea, and upping my vitamin D intake. I'm trying to get to bed at a earlier time, which, even when sick, is hard for this night owl. I'm just grateful I don't have the flu!


As always, I'm linking up with Amanda this week for Thinking Out Loud.

Do your crafts always go according to plan? 

What are your go-to cold remedies?

Thinking Out Loud {3}: Halloween Costumes, Passports & Jeans

It's Thursday, and once again, I'm sharing the random thoughts and happenings in my life with you lucky folks!

1. Yesterday, I bought Sully his Halloween costume. I'm still on the lookout for something I might like better, but I didn't want to be scrambling last minute come Halloween. Part of me feels a little guilty that I bought him a costume. I so desperately would love to be one of those mom's who can make and create some fabulous homemade costume, but I'm really not. The most creative I think I ever got was the year I was pregnant. I also feel like there are only a few short years where you have total control over what you dress your child as before they choose themselves, and let's be honest, any puffy, fuzzy costume is adorable on a baby or toddler. There's always next year for something creative, right?

{throw back to last year's cutest little bat ever!}

2. My mom spent all of last week with us and it was so great to have her here. Jim had to go away at the beginning of the week for work so for a few nights, it was just me and my mom. We stayed up late watching bad movies on Netflix, didn't get to any of the projects around the house that I wanted her help with, and drank way too much coffee. It's so hard not having your mom in the same city so I pushed her to stay as long as she could. I'm grateful we are only a three hour drive apart though.

3. Last week we booked flights to visit Jim's parents in Florida in November and I cannot wait! We even lucked out and got direct flights both ways, which, when you're travelling with a toddler, are like gold. Then there was the whole obtaining of a passport for Sully issue. I was dreading having to take him to get his photo taken and dreading the possibility of sitting at the passport office for hours. Luck was on my side this week, friends. Yesterday, Sully nailed his passport photo on the first shot! Then today, I loaded up my diaper bag with snacks galore and mentally prepared myself to set up camp at the passport office. We literally arrived, were given our queue ticket and before I could even sit down, our number was called. We were in and out in FIVE MINUTES!

{nailed it on the first shot!}

4. I've expressed my love for fall before, it's no secret, and one of my favourite things about it is the wardrobe. I love sweaters and socks and leggings and boots and layers. Unfortunately, my wardrobe is in a serious need of sprucing up and updating. I purged a good 75% of my closet back when we moved to Calgary and it's showing. Ok, maybe this is a good problem to have? I really don't like shopping though. It frustrates me, I have a hard time finding clothes that fit properly (hello strong thighs and big boobs!), and I just wish I could afford to hire a personal shopper. I read this post today by Kris about the impossible task of finding jeans that fit athletic builds and I nodded my head to every point she made. Pants, more specifically, jeans, are by far, the hardest article of clothing to shop for when you aren't tall and lean.

5. And now the best for last: this upcoming weekend, me and a handful of other fabulous Alberta bloggers, are packing our bags and heading down to Waterton for a blogger's retreat! I feel incredibly lucky to be included in this adventure and I cannot wait to have a fun-filled weekend away. Be sure to follow along with me on instagram!



As always, I'm linking up with Amanda this week for Thinking Out Loud.

Parents: Do you make your own kid's costumes, or go store-bought?

Jean shopping: hate it or love it? 

Thinking Out Loud {2}: TV Shows, Birthday Wishing & Bad Books

It's Thursday and I'm sharing the random thoughts from my head this past week. And fair warning: it gets pretty random this week! I'm linking up with Amanda from Running With Spoons, who hosts this feature every Thursday.

1. So I'm binge watching 90210 right now (thanks to my sister), and I'm at the part where they have finally graduated from high school and are heading off to college. Which got me thinking: how come in high school TV shows, the characters NEVER go off to nursing school? What's up with that? It's always so generic or stereotypical: arts, acting, or nothing declared. BORING. Where's the engineers, teachers, nurses, dentists and doctors?

{I love me some teen drama!}

2. Has Facebook completely ruined the birthday phone call? Is wishing someone a Happy Birthday on their Facebook wall sufficient nowadays? I'm not talking about Facebook acquaintances - you know, those "friends" you don't even have the phone numbers of, but family and close friends. At what point did writing on someone's wall replace giving them a phone call or even a text? I'm not innocent in all this, I often resort to just sending a text because I really don't like talking on the phone, but I know that's not an excuse. Every year my good friend Carol calls and sings Happy Birthday to me, whether I like it or not! I think we could all take a page from her book.

{because, Leo.}

3. Hands-up from all you Bachelor in Paradise fans out there! I LOVE this show. But come on, do we really need a million "coming up next" scenes during an episode?! Is there anyone, in the history of watching this show, that goes "I don't know what's going to happen next, so I'm just going to stop watching right now…". Ya, I didn't think so. I don't invest hours of my life every week to just stop watching mid episode.

4. I can't believe summer is almost over. August has just flown by! But, with that being said, I'm looking forward to September and getting back into more of a routine. I love all the visitors, vacations, and hot, lazy summer days we've had, but the lack of consistency in our day to day lives is starting to get to me. Next month, Sully starts gymnastics (!!) and I'm so excited for it. I think he's going to love it. And once a week we are also enrolled in a Baby Bookworm class at the library near our house. I like to have a balance of scheduled activities out and days at home so I think this will be a good start.

5. I'm heading to Lethbridge in a few days to meet up with a bunch of awesome bloggers to run the annual LRPS run. I haven't been running nearly as much as I should have been, but I did get in a treadmill run at my aunt's house today. It was a brutal run, one of my worst in months. I had chest pain, trouble breathing, a stitch in my side and my left leg was really bothering me. I took way more walk breaks than I'm proud of and I'm really not sure how I will perform on Saturday. I know we all have bad run days, but this one has left me feeling less than confident.

6. Has anyone read this book or seen the movie, Me Earl and the Dying Girl? I'm listening to it on audio right and it's terrrrrible. I have a hard time DNF'ing a bad book, but an even harder time with an audiobook because I feel like I've already invested all that time listening. Makes no sense, I know. It's one of those books where it feels like it was written with a film adaptation in mind. I'm almost done torturing myself though and I've been told the movie is WAY better so I still plan on watching it.

Do you still call people (close friends and family) on their birthday?

Are you watching Bachelor in Paradise?

Have you read Me Earl and the Dying Girl? Thoughts?

What's something your looking forward to about fall?

Thinking Out Loud {1} - Southpaw, Sisters and Instagram Contests

I've been reading these posts on other blogs for months now, and since they are one of my favourite posts to read, I thought I would finally join in the fun. That, and, I find I have a ton of things I want to talk about, but they don't really warrant their own blog post all the time.

1. I was hoping to have my 21 Day Fix recap up this week, but my sister arrived on Tuesday, and well, blogging naturally takes a backseat when we have guests. I'm not one to write posts too far in advance (should probably work on that), so unfortunately, the blog gets neglected when I have someone staying over.

2. Speaking of sisters - mine flew in from Vancouver on Tuesday to spend a week with us! My sister is my best friend and it kills me that she lives so far away. I would do anything to have her in the same city. Everything is more fun with her - working out, binge watching our favourite TV shows on Netflix, going to girly movies, talking about everything and anything - you name it, I probably enjoy doing it with my sister. I'm already dreading the day she leaves next week.

{post-workout sister selfie}

3. Last night Jim and I snuck out to catch a movie and a bite to eat at Earl's (yay for gift cards!), thanks to my sister offering to babysit. We were planning on seeing Vacation, but when we got there, we realized Southpaw was starting in 15 minutes, so we decided to see that instead. I went into the movie totally blind. All I knew was that it was a boxing movie and which actors is starred. I wasn't expecting the emotional impact this movie had on me. I literally started tearing up somewhere in the first 10-20 minutes, and I didn't stop crying until well after the movie was over. I had to wait for loud moments of the movie just so I could blow my nose. Pretty sure the guy sitting next to me thought I was crazy. My eyes still feel red and swollen today. The movie was tragically amazing and I can't stop thinking of it. I'm not sure anyone else in the theatre had quite the reaction I did, but this is a movie you must see! (Also, if you haven't seen a trailer for it, I MUST insist you go into the film blind like I did. I watched the trailer after the movie and I can't believe how much they give away!).

4. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I had no idea, until after the movie last night, that southpaw means someone (generally a boxer or a baseball pitcher) who is left-handed. My husband was like "what did you think it meant?!". My answer: "I dunno, the nickname for the "hood" he grew up in?".

5. What is it about guests that makes you want to eat all the bad food?! My will-power goes right out the window. And my sister is a pretty healthy eater so it's not even like she's a bad influence. Luckily, I haven't given in to all my temptations, but I am allowing myself to have more treats than usual during her visit. I'm still human after all.

6. I've been pretty lucky on Instagram when it comes to winning contests. I've won quite a few and I've kind of lost track. But yesterday, I won a pretty awesome prize: $150 to spend at Well.ca. But the best thing about it is, the person I tagged in my entry also won $150 to spend on their website and that person happens to be my sister! We're already a little overwhelmed with what to order, but it's fun browsing all their categories.

Have you seen Southpaw yet? 

What's the last movie that made you cry?

Have you won a contest on Instagram before? 

What's the best thing you've ever won?

Bloggers - do you blog when you have company, 

or schedule posts in advance?