Saturday, December 31, 2016

2016 in Review

1. What did you do in 2016 that you’d never done before?
Went to a concert, bought a second home, turned 30.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Kinda, we did get a gym membership and were going really good for a while, then it kind of fell off the bandwagon. We did start eating healthier though. Here are my resolutions for this year:

2016 resolutions:
  1. Continue going to the gym
  2. Eat healthier
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not close to me, but DH step-sister just had a little one.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. I lost my grandfather this November and DH lost his grandmother and uncle this year.

5. What places/countries did you visit? 
We went to Halifax. 

6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
A little more savings, more new experiences, an addition to the family.

7. What dates from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
22 April 2016 - I got a job promotion
July 10, 2016 -6th Wedding Anniversary
21 November - My grandfather passed away

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a job promotion and buying a larger house

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not losing the weight I wanted to.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new house

12. Where did most of your money go?
Home reno's

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going home to visit my family

14. What song will always remind you of 2016?
   Star boy

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Same
c) richer or poorer? Richer and poorer

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercising, eating healthier.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting on the couch

18. How did you spend Christmas?
With Hubs at home, it was a quiet Christmas in.

19. Did you fall in love in 2016?
I continued to be in love in 2016.

20. What was your favorite TV program?
Grey's Anatomy, Walking Dead, Survivor

21. What was the best book you read?
Too many to list

22. What was your greatest musical discovery?
None really

23. What did you want and get?
A house

24. What did you want and not get?
A baby

25. What was your favorite film of this year?
Finding Dory

26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26! We celebrated in our new home with my brother and 2 good friends.

27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Loosing weight, new family addition

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
The same as its always been.

29. What kept you sane?
My Hubs, my family and friends

30. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
not sure

31. What political issue stirred you the most?
Donald Trump a president

32. Who did you miss?
My family and best friend who live across the country

33. Who was the best new person you met?
Beth, one of DH best friends mom

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016.
Don't take family for granted, life is much to short.

35. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
     Can't think of one atm.


Here is a quick look back on 2016....

January

Celebrated my dad's birthday
DH had jaw surgery
Listed our house for sale

February

Went and seen body world at the Telus Science Museum
Went to an Oscar Awards Show dinner

March

Celebrated Hub's Birthday
Celebrated my sister's birthday
DH Grandmother passed away
Visited PR
Sold our house

April

DH had surgery again on his jaw
Went to Collective Soul Concert
Got a job promotion
Went to the Beacon Hill petting zoo

May

Celebrated my Mom's birthday
Bought a house

June

Celebrated my 30th birthday
My brother came to visit
Moved into our new home!


July

Celebrated our 6 year anniversary
Home reno's
Went to Butterfly Gardens, Fort Rodd Hill, BC Museum Mammoth Exhibit, Vancouver Aquarium, Airplane Museum

August

Celebrated my brother's birthday
Rogers Chocolates

September



October

Went to Halifax
Went to Lunenburg, Peggy's Cove, Citadel Hill, visited the church my parents were married in, Donairs, went to The Knot, Apple picking, Mexican Fiesta, enjoyed fall colors, seen the Bluenose II, walked the waterfront, Poutine!!,
DH uncle passed away
Sarah's wedding

November

Best friends birthday
Grandfather passed away
Said goodbye to a coworker who was posted to Ontario
Visited PR
Went to the dessert bar
Went to the spa


December

We went to the Santa Claus parade
Quiet Christmas at home
Had snow!!!! and built a snowman!!!

Monday, December 26, 2016

Christmas 2016

Christmas was a quiet one in our household this year. We both had a few days off and enjoyed being together.

On Friday, DH dad and stepmom came down to stay with us overnight (headed to a tropical destination the next day). We went out for an amazing Christmas dinner with them at the Beach House Restaurant.

Christmas Eve was pretty low key. We went and watched the new Star Wars Rouge One movie and had Chinese food afterwards.

Christmas day we woke up and mad cinnamon buns. The rest of the day we spent watching the old Star Wars movies and opening the few gifts we got each other and received from family. I called my grandmother and family and wished them all a Merry Christmas as well.

It was pretty low key as we just bought our new house and need a new couch, and hope to maybe take a trip this coming year.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Heaven Gained Another Angel

On 21 November 2016, my grandfather was called home to heaven.

My grandfather was just shy of his 81st birthday and left behind my grandmother, 4 kids  7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

My grandfather lived a long, full, adventurous life. From a young age the ocean was in his blood. He served in the Navy for many years; and long after his retirement he volunteered on many Naval Association Committees. He received many honors and awards for his work with the Navy.

My grandfather lived a wonderful life of adventure thanks to the Navy taking him to many a far off destinations. In his younger years he met the love of his live, my grandmother, and after a short 1 month engagement they were married, and in typical Navy Sailor form, my grandfather went to sea just 1 week after saying I Do. Due to his sailing life, my grandmother was left to mostly raise 3 boys and a daughter. They lived in a wonderful countryside home, just across the field where my grandmother was born and raised.

My grandfather was always one to do what he wanted when he wanted, which at times seemed frustrating, but also allowed him to live the life he wanted. He got to see, do and experience everything in life that was on his bucket list. He had a fond love for card and board games, and a visit wasn't the same without either. My grandfather loved food, and was a walking restaurant guide.

My grandfather was fond of family and always looking out for everyone. Right up until the end he always planned ahead. He ensured my grandmother was well taken care of, and even had our 2016 Christmas presents planned well before his passing.

My grandfather always had a joke or story to tell. We all joked that he should have written a book of his adventures.

It's a hard adjustment knowing he isn't around anymore, but I take great strength in knowing he isn't suffering anymore. He was taken from us much too soon and unexpectedly, even though he had some health challenges in the last year of his life.

I'm lucky we were able to get home and experience one last holiday with my grandfather. Dh and I made the trip back home for Thanksgiving and we were able to spend it with my grandparents (much to their surprise as they weren't expecting us). We were able to get one last Parcheesi game in, and in classic style, my grandfather won.

Even though my grandfather is no longer here I know he is present everyday. I've received "signs" from him that he is still around (like the one on his 1 month passing) and on Christmas Eve. I was able to say my good byes for now to him and let him know how proud I was to call him my grandfather.

For now we must say goodbye until we see you again. We will keep the card and board games going...

Fair Winds and Following seas.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Essential oils

Hubby and I talked about getting into essential oils for a little while. They seem to be the newest craze, however there does seem to be some science behind them.

One day when we were at the local mall we came across Escents. Its an essential oil store and has everything you can think of, diffusers, oils, carrier oils/lotions, roll-ons, candles, soaps, etc.

We decided to buy a diffuser and try it out. We ended up going with the one below. It ran us $70 plus tax.



It looks natural, has a low profile and has a red/white light that you can leave rotating through, off or on a specific color. It also runs constantly or intermittently and has an auto shut off.

When we purchased our diffuser we received a free Orchard essential oil and purchased 2 bergamot oils as they were $8 each and a high lavender.

High Alpine Lavender Essential Oil (CAD $27.00)

Let it go. Lavender essential oil has been used for over 2,500 years as a natural sedative, and is known for it's calming effect on the brain and central nervous system. It aids with headaches, migraines, nervous tension, hyperactivity, stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia. It's the balance you've been searching for.


Bergamot essential oil helps with self-acceptance and allows us to find validation from within, while supporting the digestive system and rejuvenating the skin. It is ideal for its uplifting properties when we feel fatigued, stressed or anxious. Enjoy a few drops of self-appreciation. We purchased it when it was $8 so quite a good deal.

Orchard Aroma Blend (CAD $18.00)

This sweet and warming blend combines spicy Ginger, uplifting Orange essential oils with the sweet scent of Peach. This blend evokes the memories of juicy fruit on a warm summer day.

Last week we picked up a cinnamon essential oil and a new one from their holiday line:

Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil (CAD $16.00)  *Currently on sale

Cinnamon Bark essential oil has been used for centuries as a digestive aid and to support the immune system as an antiseptic and astringent. Cinnamon can be beneficial for the nervous system, respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system and be used for and skin care. It's the natural boost your body deserves.

Joy Aroma Blend (CAD $16.00)

A warm and joyful blend of 100% pure Davana and Blood Orange essential oils to create a welcoming and serene holiday atmosphere.

Here is a link to the rest of their holiday line they just released.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Life lately

Life has been super chaotic lately and I haven't had much of a change to blog. I've tried blogging on my mobile app but it keeps coming up with an error every time I try to create a post so alas new posts have pretty much been pushed to the back burner.

I haven't posted to much in the last few months for some good reasons:

DH had jaw surgery back in early January and was out of commission for a month and a bit. Of course during this time frame we decided to be crazy and list our house for sale!!!!!! So not only was hubby recuperating, he was also getting the odd jobs done around the house and prepping the house for the many showing we had.

When we decided to list our home it was definitely a sellers marker (which also means its not a good buyers market). We ended up selling our home for a decent chunk of change which meant we were able to get into a bigger and better home ourselves.

It took us a few months to find a house that suited our needs and wasn't a million dollars (no exaggeration there). Homes were literally coming on the market and selling with no home inspection in like 3 days for upwards of $100k over asking.

Our list of requirements for a new home were:

- must be at least 3 bedrooms
- must have a second living room or rec room space
- 2 bathrooms
- ensuite (I wanted but ended up not getting)
- walk in master closet (I wanted but didn't get)
- large yard with privacy
- off a busy street
- garage
- nice entrance way
- fireplace (I always wanted a fireplace)

When we came across our new home we looked at it initially but it didn't quite feel like home, nor did I love the location. Fast forward to a month later and our realtor told us to come back and look at the home....we weren't going to but decided what the heck.

Hubby was sold on the home when we came back for a second showing, but I still wasn't. After much talking it over we decided to put in an offer on the home and it was accepted.

We moved into our new home in June 2016 and started renovations right away. We were lucky enough to have made enough money off our previous home to have cash in hand for all our renovations to date.

The list of renovations we have done to date include:

- Remove wall paper from the 2 spare rooms (luckily it was just a small border type wall paper lining the middle of the walls).
- Pulled up all the carpet in the basement (the former owners owned 2 dogs and you could definitely smell the dogs) and put in a faux wood laminate flooring which we absolutely love.
- We put new hardward in the basement suite kitchen and replaced the kitchen faucet
- We completely gutted the suite bathroom and laid new flooring, put in a new vanity and light fixtures and painted the bathroom.
- We painted the entire basement including our master bathroom
- We installed new energy efficient pot lights in the entire suite.
- We closed off the basement suite bedroom and turned it into our master bedroom, put new flooring in and painted
- We turned the basement 1 bedroom suite into a bachelor suite
- We took out the closet under the stairs and made an entry way into our master and added laundry for ourselves
- We installed a new hot water tank
- Upgraded our electrical to 200 amp
- Put in wiring for a hot tub (hopefully down the road)
- Got rid of the oil tank and put in a heat pump
- new laundry machines

Reno's left to do include:

- Replacing our kitchen counter tops (they are currently a green color)
- Add a backsplash to our kitchen
- Paint the remaining walls in our kitchen so they aren't green
- Get a new light in the kitchen (currently its a huge ugly California style light)
- Replace the vinyl to something a little more modern.
- Put in a new gas fireplace
- Replace the staircase carpeting
- Fix our carport by enclosing it and making storage and a gym
- At some point rip out the tile in our bathroom and put in a tub surround and put new flooring in
- Maybe down the road have our hardwood floors refinished
- Put new cupboards in the suite kitchen and redesign the kitchen layout

Now that we have been in our home for 5 months I absolutely love it. It definitely suits our needs and we have so much more space!!

Here is what we had in our previous home to what we have now:

Old home:
- 3 bedrooms
- .17 acres lot
- 2 bathrooms (an ensuite!)
- older kitchen
- 1260 sqft
- no garage
- no extra living space
- busy street
- no fireplace
- one level living

New home:
- 4 bedrooms and a suite
- .27 acre lot
- 2 bathrooms (although one is in the suite)
- newer kitchen, still a bit outdated but easy to fix it up without a major overhaul
- 2260 sqft (so we basically doubled our house size)
- no garage but we have a carport
- we have our master bedroom, and 3 other bedrooms (one is an office, one is a guest room and one is currently my walk in closet). We can also easily not have a suite and have a whole extra basement rec room should we choose.
- we have separate laundry
-separate entrance way that doesn't open right into our living space
- we live on a cul-de-sac
- we have a fireplace!!!!
- we have a huge deck (half is covered and the other half is uncovered.
- we still have fruit trees except now they are 2 apple trees instead of a peach and plum tree
- we also have a separate utility/storage room which our old house didn't have (well we had a separate space in the back of the house but it wasn't heated and you could only access it by going outside). Our new utility room currently has to be accessed by outdoors only but when we take the suite back over we can access it through the main house.

I will definitely have to post before and after pictures of our new home!!



101 in 1001

I'm well past due to updating this post so I decided to keep a copy of the old version within my blog and update the actual page with a new 101 in 1001.

Not sure why I never thought to put my 101 in 1001 on a page itself instead of writing a new post every time I accomplished something. From now on I will post that I've completed something and you can check here to see my completed list to date.

This is my 3rd version of 101 in 1001. I finished most of the things on my 2nd list sooner then I had expected and so I decided to make another list.
Not familiar with the 101 Things in 1001 Days project? Check out this website.

The Mission: Complete 101 pre-set tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable, or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of effort on your part).

Start Date: July 22, 2013
End Date: April 18, 2016

Marriage & Family
1. Celebrate 4th Wedding Anniversary(Completed July 2014)
2. Get pregnant
3. Visit my family in Halifax (Completed April 2014)
4. Talk to home every weekend (132/132)
5. Visit my grandparents (Completed April 2014)
6. Build a sunroom onto our home
7. Have a baby
8. Have family celebrate Christmas in our home
9. Go on a vacation (Completed May/November 2013)

Mind, Body & Soul
10. Lose 5 pounds
11. Cook a new healthy meal
12. Start running once a week for a month
13. Read at least one book per month (33/33)
14. Lose 10 pounds
15. Learn a new recipe and cook it at least once a month (33/33)
16. Go to the spa (Completed May 2015)
17. Have a bubble bath at least once a month
18. Go to the library once a month for 3 months (3/3)
19. Spend an afternoon reading out on the deck on a summer afternoon
20. De clutter
21. Go on a trip with friends
22. Treat myself to something I have been wanting (New purse, Sept 28/13)
23. Start taking vitamins regularly
24. For one week, go to bed at 9:00 p.m. just to read
25. After baby, get back to pre-pregnancy weight
26. Go for a walk with Hubby every night for a week
27. No eating after 8:00 p.m. for a month

Home Is Where the Heart Is

28. Organize second spare room  (March 2014)
29. Buy a dresser for spare room
30. Set up office
31. Host our first Thanksgiving dinner Hosted our first Christmas dinner instead (December 2014)
32. Get a new dresser set
33. Reno the deck
34. Landscape the backyard
35. Reno our kitchen (Summer 2014 -We repainted our kitchen so it looks a million times better, pics to follow)
36. Defrost freezer twice a year (6/6)
37. Repaint shed
38. Add a nursery to our home

All Work, No Play
39. Get a new stove
40. Organize man-land
41. House clean once a week for 3 months (12/12)
42. Get a medical transcription job (Sept 27/13)
43. Help Hubs achieve his work goals (Completed February 2014)
44. Get a newer second car (July 2014)
45. Get life insurance
46. Learn to speak Spanish (In the process now)

Hit the Open Road
47. Take a spontaneous road trip
48. Travel to Hawaii
49. Visit Newfoundland
50. Visit friends in Winnipeg
51. Go camping once a summer (3/3)
52. Have a picnic in the park we got married
53. Visit the Butchart Gardens at night
54. Go to Alberta

I ♥ Food
55. Update my recipe book with new recipes At least once a month (33/33)
56. Try a new restaurant
57. Make a new cultural food (Fish Tacos Feb 2015)
58. Don't eat out for an entire month
59. Make homemade pizza
60. Make homemade pretzels
61. Make tapas

Friends Are Forever
62. Email/text my best friend once a week 132/146)
63. Send Christmas cards each Christmas (3/3)
64. E-mail friends at least once per month (33/33)
65. Email an old friend I haven't talked to in a while
66. Have a party or dinner party
67. Visit my best friend

Pinching Pennies
68. Save for another vacation
69. Set up retirement savings (Started Summer 2014)

Cha-Ching
70. Win the lottery
71. Put more money on the house (Completed March 2014, with mortgage renewal)
72. Put more money on the car payment
73. Save for a rainy day (Started Summer 2014)

Pay It Forward
74. Donate to charity
75. Volunteer for a good cause
76. Buy something from a thrift store that supports a charity
77. Donate money to a children's charity (6/6)

Just for Fun
78. Go skiing
79. Go to a hockey game (Completed October 2014, we went to a Vancouver Canucks NHL game)
80. Go to a fair (Completed May 2015, went to the Sidney Fair)
81. Buy a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch and carve it
82. Go back to where we got engaged
83. Take more pictures
84. Have a Christmas cookie exchange (3/3)
85. Hang Christmas lights outside (Completed December 2014)

Hobbies & Skills
86. Blog twice a month at least
87. Learn to cook more things
88. Get some family tradition recipes
89. Make a scrapbook
90. Read a book a month (33/33)

Capture the Memories
91. Send more pictures to my family
92. Print photos of each year's events and put in photo album
93. Hang more pictures in our home
94. Take more pictures
95. Complete 101 in 1001
96. Send more pictures to family

No More Procrastinating
97. Career change (Completed Apr 2014)
98. Sell a car
99. Get an exercise routine started

101 in 1001
100. Start a new 101 Things in 1001 Days list once this one is completed
101. Get friends in on this project

Friday, September 2, 2016

Steam mop review

I've always wanted a steam mop. What's not to love about the power of cleaning with 100% pure water and no harsh chemicals. Our new home has real hardwood floors and knowing that I knew I didn't want to use harsh chemicals to clean them. Dh and I decided a steam mop was the perfect way to go, and we could ensure the floors were sanitized by the steam as well. 


We didn't do too much research before hand. Rather we went to Walmart and looked at the options. We ended up going for a mid range prices shark mop (http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/shark-light-and-easy-steam-mop/6000188629410) for about $60. It was lightweight, easy to use, had a 30 second heat up time and had washable mop pads which was important because I wanted to be environmentally friendly and not always need to buy new mop pads. 

We brought it home and were amazed how well it cleaned the floor and how much dirt it picked up off what we thought were clean floors! We bought some extra mop pads so we had spares depending on how much we clean, we figured one could be designated solely for the suite for when tenants move
Out. I love that it doesn't take much water to fill the holder (maybe 1.5 cups) and we can steam our entire top floor of the house without it running empty. I also love hat it heats up so quick, so it's always ready to clean when I am.

Product description from website:

Powerful steam dries quickly, unlike traditional mopping. 
"The Shark® Light and Easy™ Steam Mop is lightweight and easy-to-use for quick and simple cleaning. With the Shark® Light and Easy™ Steam Mop you will turn ordinary water into super-heated steam to remove everyday dirt and grime that other mops leave behind. Featuring swivel steering, a telescoping handle, and an ergonomic design, the Shark® Light and Easy™ Steam Mop makes quick work of cleaning around furniture. Chemical free super-heated steam deep cleans, providing 99.9% sanitization, so you can feel confident that your floors are both germ-free and chemical-free.
With the Shark® Light and Easy™ Steam Mop, you'll enjoy:
• On-demand variable steam - natural mopping motion delivers super-heated steam in just 30 seconds, and dries almost immediately
• 99.9% sanitization against germs and bacteria
• Washable micro-fiber pads lift and lock in dirt - no more messy mops and heavy buckets
• A soft-grip handle and comfortable design that make it easy to maneuver without physical strain
• Safe cleaning on hard-floor surfaces – including hardwood floors
"

Thursday, September 1, 2016

September

August has come and gone and you can definitely tell that fall is upon us. The weather was so hot and sunny in the high 20s low 30s and all of a sudden it's rainy and cool here. I've noticed too that it's dark in the morning when I get up for work and the days are getting shorter. 

I'm not ready for the shorter days but I'm definitely ready for the fall leaves, smells and cooler weather. I love everything fall, especially pumpkin!!

Work is going good, busy but busy makes the time fly. 

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Life needs a pause button!

It's been so long since I've done a decent blog post around here. September is just around the corner and with that will come cooler whether, warm drinks, fall colors, and everyone settling back into routines. We've had quite a busy last 8 months around here.

Hubby ended up having his jaw surgery in early January. He had a long road to recovery and just when we thought things were going good he had rejected his plates so he had to have a second surgery the end of March to remove the 6 plates put in his jaw. He's doing much better now and just got his braces off a couple weeks ago!!

In the craziness of hubby recovering from jaw surgery the first time round we decided to list our house for sale! It was a crazy whirlwind 3 months with a bunch of showings but we sold our house. We ended up selling our house in a sellers market but also ended up having to buy in a sellers market so house prices were sky high and selling in record time. We managed to find a house with just about everything we wanted and lucked out in not having to pay a sky high amount for it. I'll post a separate post on our new place! We just finished renos after having moved in the end of June.

My brother was out for a 3 week visit in the midst of moving and we were so glad to have his help. We went on so many fun adventures while he was here.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Happy birthday!!

Wishing my baby brother a very happy 23rd birthday today. No matter how old you get you will always be my baby brother. I am so proud of the young man you have become and couldn't have wished for a better brother. Wish we could be there to celebrate. 

Monday, July 11, 2016

Happy 6th Anniversary

Yesterday DH and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. It was a quiet weekend spent together. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Dirty Thirty

30 years ago today I was born! It's hard to believe I have entered a new decade in life but I'm hoping it's the best one yet!


Dirty Thirties

Today is the start of a new decade in my life as I welcome in the dirty thirties!!!


Sunday, June 19, 2016

Happy Fathers Day

Wishing my dad a very happy Father's Day today!! Wish I could be there to celebrate in person. Thank you for
Everything you have done over the years. The guidance and advice and the fatherly knowledge you passed on has stuck with me over the years. We have so many great memories.

Another thank you for the wonderful grandfathers I have. You're so loving and caring and I have so many fond memories of us.

Happy Father's Day to my father-in-laws as well. I'm so lucky to have married into wonderful families. You treat me like your own and I to have learned a lot from you both! 

Friday, June 17, 2016

Last Friday!!

I've been fairly quiet on the blog lately and for good reason... We sold our house!! This will be our last weekend in our first home. 

I'll be sure to come back and blog about the entire process and fill you in on our house hunting experience for our new house!!

My brother has also been out visiting for the last week and will be here until the end of June. I'll be sure to blog about the fun things we got up to as well such as Fort Rodd Hill, Vancouver Aquarium, Butterfly Gardens, downtown Victoria, the Mammoth Exhibit at the Royal BC Museum, ikea, whales on the ferry, Sidney Market, Victoria Buzz 50,000 and all this in only the first week!

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Happy birthday mom

Wishing my mom a very happy birthday today. I hope this day is every bit as special as you are.

I wish we could be there (or somewhere warm) to celebrate! 

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing my mom, grandmother, mother-in-law's and best friend a very wonderful mother's day. 

Here's to a wonderful day to all the mother's out there on my blog, as well as first time mom's celebrating this wonderful holiday. Spend the time to celebrate with your mom and let her know you care about her.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Still here

I haven't forgotten about my little slice of real estate but it's taken a back burner to life these last couple months. Will be back to provide a better update soon!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day. Hubs surprised me with a movie date today!

Xox

Saturday, February 6, 2016

February

I've been a little quiet on the blog lately. I haven't forgotten about this space, just been super busy. Work is going great, been acting in an even higher position (I now supervise someone). Work definitely keeps me busy as I'm learning so much new stuff and training someone. 

My grandfather just got out of the hospital on Friday. He had gone for a simple knee replacement just before Christmas and had quite a few complications. He ended up in ICU, and almost flat lined a couple times, but he's a fighter and made it through and now he's home.

My mom spent a couple nights in the hospital earlier last week. She had been off her chemo pills for a month and had gone in for routine blood work and her platelet count was 1. Her doctor sent her over to emergency where she was admitted and given a platelet transfusion. They watched her for a couple days and checked her platelet levels and all seems to be good now. If your healthy and able please donate blood and plasma. Before my mom got sick she was a long term blood and plasma donor. Who would have thought she would benefit from someone else's donation.

Hubs is doing great after his surgery. He just had his 3 week check up and is recovering great. He still can't chew and eat completely solid food, but he's been making some pretty creative blender meals.

On the home front, we have been pretty busy. Don't want to go into details yet but some exciting times are ahead! 

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Monday, January 11, 2016

DH Surgery Update

Dh has needed jaw surgery for years and about a year ago he finally but the bullet and started the process.

Friday he finally had his surgery and all went well. We are home now and Dh is recovering. Some hours are better then others but we are taking the ups and downs as they come. Mostly it's just dealing with the pain as he regains feeling in his face and the meds. 

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Back to work tomorrow

Tomorrow is my first day back to work since Dec 24th. In some ways I will be glad to get back into the routine and in other ways it was nice being off. 

Saturday, January 2, 2016

1st day at the gym

The gym close to me doesn't open until 9 on the weekend which is kinda nice because then I don't feel guilty about not waking up super early to get to the gym. 

I put on my work out clothes and got to the gym around 9:15. There were only 4 cars in the parking lot including mine (one was the front desk person I'm assuming).  I got to the gym part and there were only 2 other people in the gym!! Can't beat that for Jan 2nd! 

I decided for the first few times at the gym I would focus on getting my cardio up. I did the elliptical trainer for 30 mins (and realized I'm so glad I'm back to the gym because my cardio sucks). 

The gym has wifi so I can sync into my music on my phone which helps the work pass by. They also have special water bottle taps which are pretty cool.

After the gym I headed to the store and bought some ingredients for making smoothies: Frozen mixed berries, ground flax, spinach, a pear and bananas. 

I made my first smoothie, and even though it looks gross it tasted awesome.


I also picked up some mint to infuse water with. 

Quick breakfast 1

Egg and ham English muffin

So often people rush around in the morning running late for work or leaving themselves little time for breakfast. I've started making egg and ham English muffins.
 
They are so easy and quick to make and can even be made ahead of time and frozen ( I've never froze the entire sandwich but seen the idea Pinterest). I think they are quick enough to make fresh that you don't need to freeze pre-made ones. 

Making your own means you know what goes into it, can customize it each day and it's much cheaper then stopping at a fast food place every morning.

I buy English muffins when they come on sale, make sure they are split apart, then freeze them.

I take a slice of ham and lay it on the bottom of the bowl. Then I add a few hot peppers (you can add anything you like) and crack the egg on top of this. I break my egg yolk so it cooks more evenly and isn't left runny. Then I put it in the microwave covered and cook it for a couple minutes (you can cook your egg however you like to eat it). 

While my egg is cooking I pop an English muffin in the toaster (it usually finishes cooking just as my egg finishes). I slice a bit of cheese and place it on my egg to melt it a bit once my egg is finished cooking. 

Then I place my ham/egg combo on the English muffin and enjoy! 

This whole process takes maybe 5 minutes. No more time really then pouring a bowl of cereal.

You can customize by adding any meat, salsa, different cheeses, herbs, etc.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Hitting the gym

As part of my resolution to get healthier and lose weight in 2016 I have decided to get serious about hitting up the gym. Our gym passes are good for the big gym about 10 minutes from our house; but it's so busy and can be tricky getting the machines you want (doesn't make for a good workout when you need to wait on machines). The other day we checked out the other rec centre near our home. It's a bit smaller but within walking distance (bonus for a pre workout warmup and post workout cool down!). It's on my way home from work and our gym passed work for this place as well. I asked when the busy times were and she said their wasn't really (although it could be slightly busier in January for all those new resolutions). Either way, I'm excited to get back on the band wagon and take charge of my health and weight this year. I'm also hoping this will kickstart some positive changes with some issues I've been having. To be held accountable I'm going to start doing Wednesday weigh ins (I won't post my exact weight but will post what I want to lose and how much I have lost/gained each week). Tomorrow I will do my first check in so I have a starting point.

2016

2016 has arrived! 

The best way to sum up the new year is "we have 366 blank days, so let's make the most of it and start filling up the pages".