Currently…{October}

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it's already the middle of October. When Jim and I were contemplating driving up to Edmonton or not for the Thanksgiving weekend, it occurred to me that if we didn't, we probably wouldn't get another chance to go until after Christmas! That just further reminded me how quickly this year is coming to an end and how I'm not ready to let go of fall just yet. We have been absolutely blessed with one of the most mild and beautiful falls that I can remember, but it's inevitable that the cold, winter months are upon us. Until then, let's just bask in the all the wonderful things about fall, shall we?

With that being said…here's a little look at how I'm currently spending and enjoying my October:

Thinking about: having another kid. I've always felt (known?) that we would have two children if it's in our cards. And I have always said that, if we have any control over it, a three year age gap is the most we would want. Two would also be nice, but we've already missed that boat. It's scary how fast time goes, and I know Sully will be two before we know it. And as much as I would love a sibling for him, it's also kind of scary to think about being pregnant and having a newborn again. Can I really handle both with a toddler? Do I have the patience it takes for two kids? What if I can't get pregnant? How do I have another baby in a city where neither of my parents live? I know it will happen if and when the timing is right for us, but it definitely weighs on my mind a lot lately.

Reading: I found a new book club to attend via the site meetup and my first meeting is on Friday night.  I'm equal parts excited and nervous. The book for October is Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, which I was really on the fence about reading (I usually stay away from big deal books, at least for a few years). But, seeing as how I didn't want to miss out on another chance to go to this new book club (I couldn't make September's meet up), I decided I would read it. I hadn't read To Kill a Mockingbird since High School English class, so I felt a re-read was in order as I really couldn't recall much of the plot. I zipped through TKAM (not as impactful the second time around, but still really good), and have just started in on Go Set a Watchman. So far, I'm missing the young Scout and Jem, but I'm hopeful that the story gets better. And I know…I have a few late nights of reading in order to get through it!

Listening to: I first expressed my love for Reuben and The Dark back in this currently post, and the love still lives on. Most recently, I'm really digging their song, Bow and Arrow, and find myself playing it on repeat during the day. Warning, the video is really sad and a bit of a tear-jerker.

Watching: The Walking Dead. We struggled through season one…(I'm not sure how anyone stuck with it when watching only one episode a week)... but now we are in the fourth season and we may be slightly addicted. I'd be lying if I said we didn't average three to four episodes a night.

Eating: Sigh. Why can't I be one of those people who stays on the healthy eating wagon? It's kind of incredibly depressing how fast and easy I can get off track. I'm all for "moderation" in one's diet, but lately, there's been way more junk than healthful foods in my diet and I know I need to do something about it. My waistline isn't happy, I'm more irritable and tired and I just feel blah. You'd think that'd be enough for me to change my junk food eating ways, but sadly, unhealthy foods are my weakness.

Wearing: Lots of sweaters, cardigans, and leggings. I love that it's still warm enough to go without socks which means I can still rock all my favourite slip-on shoes.

Looking forward to: Halloween! I'm so excited to take Sully trick-or-treating this year, even if he won't fully understand what's going on. Last year, we were in Red Deer for Halloween and we went out with my nephews and I wore Sully in the ergo on my back. Even that was a lot of fun, so I'm sure this year will be even better. Plus, all his candy can contribute to my junk food eating habits, ha!

Your turn: Current read? Favourite song right now? Something you're looking forward to?

Weekending: Happy Thanksgiving!

This is post is coming to you a bit late because this past weekend, we packed up the old car and headed North to spend the long weekend in Edmonton. I didn't have my computer with me and we didn't get back home until late last night (well, not too late to watch two episodes of The Walking Dead, because, priorities), so I'm getting this written up until Wednesday morning.

It was a last minute decision to head North; we really didn't want to do another road trip in my old car, but we worried that if we didn't get up to Edmonton this weekend, we wouldn't have another chance to until after Christmas. We also hadn't seen my dad since June, before he left for his annual trip to Europe, so a we were due for a visit!

Saturday, was spent hanging out at my dad's, grocery shopping for turkey dinner for Sunday, eating pizza and playing tile Rummy. Such a fun game!

Sunday, Jim was on turkey and stuffing duty. We started cooking our own turkey a few years ago, following the direction of his dad's. It's actually much easier to cook a turkey than one would think, and our method never fails to leave us with a deliciously moist bird! The stuffing is also a "family recipe" and my favourite part of the whole meal.

While Jim was busy in the kitchen, I snuck off to get in a quick visit with my good friend Lauren and her new baby girl. It was so great to catch up and get in some baby snuggles.

I got back to my dad's just in time to help with the final preparations for dinner before we all dug in. My dad's girlfriend, my uncle, and my brother also joined us for dinner! (FYI, my dad's house has got to be the hardest house to take photographs in - it's dark and the cherry hardwood floors give off crazy colours, hence the lack of photos this weekend).

Monday, the three of us visited my Grandpa and GG. They hadn't seen Sully in several months, so it's always fun to see how much he's changed. We ended up visiting for almost four hours…eating up all of GG's yummy homemade snacks and her amazing pumpkin pie, before taking Maggie out for a walk (Sully was in doggie heaven!).

After that, we popped over to my mom's place for a quick visit (she had been out at my Grandma's farm for the weekend), before heading back to my dad's place.

Tuesday, we took our time packing up, before heading back to Calgary, but not before I made sure to get some photos outside since it was another beautiful fall day out! We stopped for gas and a quick leg stretch in Red Deer at The Donut Mill. Every single time we drive through Red Deer, we always say that next time we will stop at The Donut Mill, yet we never do. They have some AMAZING donut flavours, like pumpkin pie, oreo cream, rolo, and the best Boston cream I've ever had, plus the classics. I was severely disappointed in the sprinkle donut though, which is my all time favourite donut. They also serve soups and sandwiches and some other warm food options. The coffee was good, and I'd definitely stop in for donuts again!

We rolled into our driveway around 8:30 p.m., got Sully into bed, then watched two episodes of The Walking Dead before calling it a night!

I'm having serious turkey dinner withdrawals right now and feel like I ate my weight in food this weekend! I guess the one benefit of not cooking Thanksgiving dinner in your own home is the lack of leftovers (although I would love me a turkey and stuffing sandwich right about now!).

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian family and friends! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend however you may have spent it.

Explore Waterton: The Food

This is my final post in all things Waterton! You can read my previous posts on our blogger retreat here, here, here and here. Our weekend in Waterton was such an amazing experience and I really wanted to spread out the posts so that I could properly capture and document how we spent our weekend. The one thing I didn't talk about yet is the food. Now, you don't go to Waterton for the food, but there were definitely some highlights (and lowlights) to what and where we ate.

The town of Waterton is literally two streets. Everything is in walking distance and there are quite a few establishments to eat at. If you like to eat what you know, then there is a Subway and a Starbucks for you. Besides sit-down restaurants, there are also a few take-out places (which have a few bar stools to perch at with your food, or there are picnic tables outside) and then of course there is an ice-cream store and a candy and pie place.


Vimy's Lounge and Grill

Vimy's Lounge and Grill is located in the main building of the hotel we stayed at, The Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort. Upon arrival, a few of us had an early dinner there while we waited for the rest of the group to show up. I found the menu a little underwhelming and the prices were quite steep. I ended up ordering the chicken burger on a brioche bun with a side of fries. I devoured it because I was starving and while it tasted good, there was nothing about it that stands out for me. Good to know though that this is the only restaurant in Waterton that is open all year round.


Pearl's Cafe

We ate breakfast at Pearl's Cafe before our Shoreline Cruise. Nothing really jumped out at me off the menu and I had a hard time stomaching the prices for their breakfast items (there was nothing under eleven dollars). Not in the mood for a hearty breakfast, I opted for a plain bagel with plain cream cheese (not on the menu) and a coffee.  That bagel was the best bagel I have ever eaten. It was so warm and fluffy that I'm pretty sure they must bake them in house. The coffee was weak, but a free refill to take on the road with you was a nice perk!


Wieners of Waterton

This place was a group favourite and a few of us frequented it more than once. Wieners of Waterton is a gourmet hot dog place and their buns are baked fresh in house every morning and their hot dogs are grilled on order. You get to choose between some awesome toppings for your dogs and if you order fries (which you should!) they have some really unique dips for them. My only regret of the entire trip was that I didn't try their deep-fried pickles! On Sunday before I hit the road though, I popped back in and grabbed two of their homemade cinnamon buns to take home with me and a coffee for the road. The cinnamon buns got eaten before I could snap a photo and they were delicious and sticky and oh so flavourful.


Lakeside Chophouse

Our group ate at the Lakeside Chophouse, which is part of the Bayshore Inn, for dinner on Saturday night (there's also a lounge attached - The Fireside Lounge). The entire back wall is windows which gives diners a view of Waterton Lake while enjoying their meal. The prices are comparable to a steakhouse or other more premier restaurant. I ordered the Grilled Mexican Steak Tortillas, which are actually on the starter menu and I inhaled them before I could remember to take a photo. It's fair to note I was starving post Bertha Lake Hike, but they were also really, really delicious! I did remember to take a photo of my margarita which was both yummy and strong.


Trappers Mountain Grill

Our second and last breakfast happened at Trappers Mountain Grill, where I splurged and ordered the two egg and sausage with hash browns meal. This is generally my go-to breakfast when dining out and I'm so glad I went with my normal order. The sausages were delicious (I think they were bison?), the potatoes were cooked perfectly, but the real winner was the homemade Saskatoon berry jam that came in a little dish on the plate. I would return just for that jam. Prices were a little steep, but you start to expect that in a little tourist town.


Welch's Chocolate Shop & The Big Scoop Ice Cream Parlour

If you're looking for somewhere to satisfy your sweet tooth, Waterton has got you covered! Welch's Chocolate Shop is a candy store in the front and a pie and sweets store in the back. Before I headed home, I stopped in a grabbed two pieces of pie to take home with me. Buying a whole pie is much more value for your buck, but I knew my waistline didn't need it. And it's a good thing I demonstrated self-control, because the same cannot be said for when I got home - those two pieces of pie were devoured by Jim and I!

The Big Scoop Ice Cream Parlour was a necessary stop after dinner both nights for the kiddos with us. The scoop servings are very generous and while the ice cream is just Nestle's, there are lots of flavours to pick from and the waffle cones are handmade. You can also purchase homemade fudge there if your sweet tooth is really screaming! After grabbing a cone (and/or some fudge, you can cross the street and walk along the shore of Waterton Lake which is exactly what we did both nights.

*****

So there you have it! There's lots of options for grabbing something to eat while you visit Waterton, but remember, you didn't go to Waterton for the food (except for maybe Wieners!). Eating all your meals out will definitely get pricey and there's no grocery store, save for a small convenience store with some basic necessities. It's probably a good idea to pack some of your own food, especially if you have a fridge and a microwave in your hotel room (ours did!). Some of the suites at the Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort even come with a full kitchenette, so it's possible to make all your meals while there if you arrive prepared! And in case you're wondering…there's also a liquor store in town!

**The #ABBloggersRetreat was funded and sponsored by Chinook Country Tourism in partnership with the town of Waterton and Travel Alberta in exchange for posts sharing our stories. Accommodations, food, and actives were provided to the bloggers. A huge thank-you to Kris and Candace for organizing the trip! All opinions and writing are my own.

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