Currently...{March}

It's March. March! Which means, St. Patrick's Day and Easter are right around the corner, and then my birthday, and then it will be summer and then fall already, and just stop!, time, just stop!

But seriously, every time (am I the only one who thinks every time should be written as one word: everytime? I do it every single time I type the word and my computer makes it very obvious that I'm wrong on that one, and yet I still felt the need to google it to make sure my computer isn't smarter than me. Verdict: it is). Wait, where were we? Oh right....every TIME I sit down to write my Currently post, I feel like I've just done one, even though it's been exactly a month since the last one. And then I think everyone else is going to think they just read one, but who cares, they're one of my favourite posts to write (and read!, not mine - yours!), so let's get on with it, shall we?

Phew.

Here's what I'm currently...

Thinking about: how hilarious and entertaining my two year old is. Like, some days I want to literally videotape every single thing he says and does so that I can show Jim and remember it forever. He's such a practical joker and his sense of humour is awesome. His vocabulary is expanding everyday (<---why is that one word but not "every time"?!), I'm just continually fascinated by how his little toddler mind works. Lately he's been going over to Jim's laptop, opening it up and saying "hi papa! hi nanny! Papa?? Nanny??" and then bangs on the keys (we Skype with Jim's parents quite frequently), so today I let him ring them up on Skype and he sat and talked and entertained them for a good 15 minutes! Isn't technology amazing? We only see Jim's parents twice a year, but Sully already knows who they are even though the last time we saw them in person was back in December.

Reading: my current book club's pick...The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis, and I'm bored. I always have such high hopes for a Canadian author (and fun fact: I met Mr Fallis once back in my bookstore working days), but this one is falling flat for me. It's a political satire, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the target audience considering I'm not a big fan of politics, especially reading about it in a novel, but sometimes you can still enjoy a book even if it's not your go-to genre. Of course, I will still finish it (I'm no quitter!), because book club is no fun if you can't even talk about the book!

Needless to say, I'm anxious to finish it so I can move on to my next read, Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom.

Listening to: you guys, this song makes me so happy! Sully and I have lots of dance parties (both in the car and at home) to it! And Jonathan Roy is pretty darn cute, so watch the video!

Watching: I honestly haven't been watching anything, I know, shocking! I did watch the first few episodes of Fuller House and it was everything that I hoped it would be and more. The first episode made me really emotional for some reason. Nostalgia? Or do I just cry at everything? I loved in the first episode, how they acknowledged and poked fun at all the little things that other shows would gloss over. Like when Danny says he'll let DJ stay in the house instead of selling it, and Uncle Jesse comments "don't you know how much this house is worth now?" Or when Danny says "Michelle sends her love, but she's busy in NY running her fashion empire", and then they all look at the camera and give "a look". So much awesome. And so much cheesiness, but I love it.

Eating: meal planning is back on track this week! I mentioned in Friday's post what our meals for the week were going to be, and so far everything I've made has been really delicious! I'll probably talk a bit more about the meals in tomorrow's post, but until then, you need to add this one to your rotation: Pan Fried Sesame Tofu with Broccoli. Even my husband was a fan, and he didn't once utter..."you know what would make this even better? Chicken!". Sully on the other hand...I give the kid props for trying several pieces of tofu, even if he did spit every piece out. Also, this meal is ridiculously cheap to make (like $6 for the whole thing, unless of course you don't have rice or soy sauce in your pantry/fridge).

Wearing: a lot of workout clothes. To actually work out in! And since I've amped up the frequency of my workouts and don't just workout at home anymore, I'm realizing I need to add some new pieces to my workout wardrobe. I'm good in the leggings/crops department, but I'm seriously lacking in the tank top area. The few older pieces I have are just too small, or too short because, hello big boobs. Time to go shopping! Except, I hate shopping. Also, holy laundry! Increased frequency of workouts equals an extra load of laundry every week.

Looking forward to: the weekend! I have big plans to finally clean and organize my pantry and fridge. Yes, when you're 32 years old, these are the things that get you excited. I would say it's sad, but it's not because having an organized pantry makes me happy, haha! We also have plans to get out of the city and go for a hike with some friends so I'm looking forward to that! I'm also dreaming of sneaking into the basement bedroom early Sunday morning to sleep-in...shhh! Don't tell Jim!


Tell me: 

Are you watching Fuller House? Love it or hate it? 

Favourite place to get decently priced workout tops?

Something you're looking forward to!

The Books I've Been Reading {7}

February was a bit of a slow month reading wise. I did read most of a fourth book at the end of the month, but didn't technically finish it until March 1, so I'm leaving it out of this post. 

Garth Stein's book, A Sudden Light, took me a lot longer to read than I expected. Not for any particular reason that I can think of...it's an average length at 432 pages and it's not a complicated book, but it took me over a week to get through. Isn't it funny how some books just take you longer to read than others? 

Anyway...here's a quick look at the books I read last month!

A SUDDEN LIGHT by Garth Stein: I didn't even know he had other books out since The Art of Racing in the Rain?! I was at the library one day and this was sitting on the feature shelves when you walk in, so I snatched it up. This book was completely not what I was expecting, but I think that's because I kept waiting for something similar to Racing in the Rain even though that's just silly because that book has already been written.

In A Sudden Light, our main character, Trevor, is reflecting back on the summer of his 14th year. He's travelled with his father to Seattle, where he spends the summer living at the infamous Riddell House and learns all about his ancestor's and their timber fortune. His father's mission is to sell off all the land to pay off debts, but Trevor soon finds himself succumbing to the spirits, ghosts and secrets that are hidden amongst Riddell House and it's grand estate. I wasn't expecting a supernatural element to this book, but if you can accept it, it works. The writing is beautiful and Stein does such an amazing job at describing the setting of this book that I couldn't help but feel transported while reading it.

If ghosts, spirits, dreams and big old houses with hidden stairwells and passages are your thing, then you'll probably enjoy this book!

THE CHOICE by Nicolas Sparks: This book has been sitting on my shelf for years now. I haven't read a Sparks book in just as long, but with the film adaptation coming out last month, I figured I might as well read it or donate it. There's not much to say about this book - it's typical Nicolas Sparks - a love story, a tragic event, and a resolution. I still haven't seen the movie, but I'm betting it's better than the book!

INTO THE ABYSS: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop by Carol Shaben: I read this one for my upcoming bookclub later this month, but as it turns out, I won't even be able to attend the meeting. This was another flop for me. The blurb on the front cover really entices you, but the plane crash is such a small part of the story. And the events following the plane crash aren't that exciting. Plus, this plane crash happened almost 32 years ago (I was only a year old at the time!), so I feel like it's a story that should have been told, you guess it, years ago, especially since so much of the book focuses on small commuter plane safety, which I don't even know is relevant anymore. Is safety still an issue on the same scale now as it was 30 years ago? A bit of Canadian history that was at times interesting, but a far cry from an "Adventure-Travel" book. I would only recommend this to my grandparents.


Here's hoping March is better reading month!


What books have you read lately? 

Best book you read last month?

Did you read The Art of Racing in the Rain? It's one of my all-time favourites! I still think about Enzo from time to time.

Linking up with Jana and Steph for SHOW US YOUR BOOKS! 

*affilliate links have been used

Weekending: A House Full of Kids

It's currently 9p.m. on Sunday night as I type this up. I'm exhausted, in the best way possible, from the weekend's activities, and I can't wait to crawl into bed.

Friday started out with Sully sleeping in till 8:30am! I actually woke up with a start at 7:45, convinced I had slept through him calling (or crying) for me through the baby monitor. It's rare he sleeps past seven most days, so this was bizarre. As much as I wanted to crawl back into bed, we had plans to meet Nicole and her kiddos at Flip Factory at 9:30, so I got up, showered, did my hair and got all ready before Sully finally woke up. Of course, we were late for our play date, but there was no way I was waking him up early.

Flip Factory was awesome! We had never been there before, but Sully loves his weekly gymnastics class, so he felt right at home there. It wasn't very busy either, so it was nice that the kids could really run around and do whatever they wanted. The few pictures I actually managed to take make it look like we were the only ones there (we were not!).

The rest of the day was spent taking naps (sadly, not mine), cleaning up around the house, and a few loads of laundry. Then once we picked Jim up from the train station after work, I booked it over to GoodLife Fitness for their Friday evening BodyPump class.

Late that evening, my best friend Karen, and her three kids arrived to spend the weekend with us! She hadn't seen our new house yet, and it wasn't until she got here, that we realized we actually hadn't seen each other since September of last year! So a visit was definitely over due!

We didn't chat much Friday night, choosing to get a good nights sleep instead. Saturday, the kids were all up around 8a.m. and after breakfast, we got them all dressed and headed out for a walk around the neighbourhood before checking out one of the playgrounds. Getting four kids aged 5 and under to walk together and at a decent pace, is like trying to herd cats! But it was a beautiful day out, and after naps and lunch, we headed back outside and went to a different playground to let the kids burn off more energy.

Jim had plans to go to the local pub that night, so Karen and I knew we wanted to get all the kids to bed as early as possible to maximize our alone time in the evening. It's rare we get to talk without kids around, so we spent several hours drinking wine, and then beer, once the wine ran out! We stayed up WAY too late, but I like to think it was worth it. Next time we said we will leave all the kids at home with their dads, and we will just go stay in a hotel room somewhere, haha! That's the new mom dream.

Sunday morning was quiet and lazy, and shortly after breakfast and some attempts at taking a group photo of the kids (an impossible feat!), Karen and her crew headed home. I was sad to see them go, but am so grateful for their visit. I know how hard it is to pack up one kid for a road trip, so I can only imagine how hard three would be! Karen is a rockstar mom. Thanks for spending the weekend with us!

I'd like to say I made good use of the rest of the day, but that would only be true if you count reading, and watching Netflix as a productive afternoon. Oh wait, I did bake an oatmeal casserole for breakfasts this week. And, while there was no way I was going out for groceries today, I do have my meal plan written down for the week and my grocery list ready for tomorrow! Ok, so not all was lost.


On the menu this week: (You can also find all these recipes pinned on my Pinterest page).

Monday: Vegetable Beef & Rice Soup via Iowa Girl Eats

Tuesday: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Bowls via Spoonful of Flavor

Wednesday: Pan Fried Sesame Tofu with Broccoli via Budget Bytes

Thursday: Quick & Easy Chicken Burritos via Gimme Delicious with Thick Cut Garlic Parmesan Oven Fries via Budget Bytes

Friday: Sweet Potato "Nachos" with ground chicken and an avocado cilantro cream sauce.

And now I'm off to bed!


How was your weekend? Tell me something fun you did?

How old is your oldest friendship? Karen and I have been friends for 12 years! We met our first year of nursing school. And now I feel super old.