Monthly Archives: December 2013

Listy Friday

Posted in Listy Friday by

– Isla has cut a molar. This is wonderful, because her teeth have all been “late bloomers.” And, since she’s cut the molar, she’s been slightly less cranky. (I’m certain there’s more just waiting to pop through at the most inopportune time.)

– She has also learned how to say, “Go go go!” See, after breakfast in the morning she watches cartoon on PBS, and the Cat in the Hat is one of these cartoons. They sing this weird little song on every episode that starts with “Ready to go, go, go, go…”, and yesterday morning while they were singing it, I heard her saying “Ga ga ga!” So now, when we say “Go go go” to her, she repeats it back. Cutest thing ever!

– I’m hoping to be able to get our Christmas tree tonight! I got the garland up on our fireplace mantle on Tuesday, so I’d really like to get our tree and have it all decorated by the end of the weekend! This Christmas should be interesting since Isla loves to investigate EVERYTHING. Luckily she hasn’t touched the stockings hanging from the mantle since she first tried to grab them and I told her, “Not for you.” Fingers crossed.

– I also attempted to put Christmas lights in my ficus tree, but it just looked like one of those cheesy fake plants that you see in dingy old restaurants that Gordon Ramsay tries to help on Kitchen Nightmares. Proof:

20131205_212452_LLS

Okay, it actually looks waaay better in photos than it does in person. Just trust me on this one, mmmkay?

– A friend of mine is hosting a cookie exchange and I’m a little nervous for baking 7 dozen cookies! I don’t think I’ve ever baked that many cookies all at once before, so it should be a fun learning experience. I plan on baking snickerdoodles, so here’s to not burning them! . If I do, I’m sure I can whip over to Costco and just fake it ;)

– Another friend of mine celebrated her birthday yesterday so we went and got ourselves pedicures! Why pedicures in the freezing cold? Well, she’s due to give birth pretty quick here, so she wanted a little foot pampering for her swollen feets. I can totally sympathize with her! Anyway, I went with a pretty sparkly purple colour. Not totally festive, but definitely sparkly for the holidays.

– On Monday it was my last beginner yoga class that I started taking back in October. I must say, I really, really enjoyed the classes and what it brought to the table for me. We even had one class where we practised yoga nidra and it totally helped me de-stress and relax. (I liked it so much I paid a whole $2.50 for a yoga nidra app on my phone for bedtime when I can’t sleep!) Now I’m debating on whether or not I want to sign up for more classes through the city again or if I want to buy a punch card for one of the local yoga centres here. Decisions, decisions!

– I started reading The Rosie Project Wednesday night and so far, I’m not sure what to make of it. The main character is interesting, so I’m curious to see how this all plays out!

That’s about it for now! What books are you reading right now? (I need to expand my “To Read” list anyhow)

 

Weekend Update

Posted in Weekend Update by

I don’t know why the weekend went by so fast, but it was eventful!

Isla finally cut her 8th tooth on Friday, which is a relief. She hasn’t had a new tooth since August, and now it looks like all her 1 -year teeth are coming in all at once. Poor girl :(

Saturday was the Santa Parade, so Kyle and I took Isla down to watch! Since we got there way ahead of the parade start time Isla got a little cranky sitting in her stroller, but once we got her out and she could stretch her legs, she was as happy as can be! She really enjoyed all the music and she danced along to it all. And Santa? Not scary when he’s on a float, but we’ll see how well that goes when she sees him this weekend …

I also got my Christmas cards mailed out, and I’m super happy with the way they turned out! I decided to take the photos myself this year instead of dishing out the dollars for a photographer to do it. I guess I’m an OK “momtog,” because I’ve received quite a few compliments on the photos. I posted one on the pics on my last “Currently” post, but here’s a couple more:

DSC_0012_Edit

DSC_0049_Edit

 

Also? Isla is getting here fourth haircut this afternoon. This kid just has too much hair! Not that I’m complaining too much. I do love the way it curls slightly at the back.

Sunday was a half lazy day and half productive day. Kyle and I did our grocery shopping for the week as we also picked up the new barbecue we ordered with our club member points! We really needed a new one this past summer, but didn’t quite have enough points. Even though it’s not really BBQ’ing season now, we figured we’d get it in case there were none available in the spring.

Monday morning we woke up to a snow storm. Windy, snowy, yuck. Although, someone didn’t seem to mind the cold outside:

That’s about it! This week will consist of decking the halls, baking, and the kids’ Christmas party hosted by Kyle’s work: Should be awesome!

What I’m Reading: Wild

Posted in Book Review, Books, What I'm Reading by

What I'm Reading

From Goodreads.com:
A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.
Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

My review:
I’m no hiking expert, but I’ve scaled a small hill or two and it’s no easy feat. Then I read this book and I’m taken away by the strength and courage that Cheryl displayed on her journey.

I’ll have to say, I first heard about this book maybe a year ago, but when I read the jacket cover all I could think of was, “Meh, a book about hiking, whatever.” But then I heard that it was being turned into a movie and thought to myself that it was maybe worth reading. All I can say is, why didn’t someone make me read this book sooner??

I’m not 100% sure I can relate to any part of Cheryl’s story; I don’t think anything in my life thus far can sum up to the hard times and sorrow that she experienced, at least not to the level at which she experienced everything. But the way she tells her tale – through her journey along the PCT and the people she meets … It’s just captivating. Really. I don’t think I’ve loved a book anymore than this one and I was SO sad when it was over. It makes you want to DO something. Something big, something life changing. It makes you think about those you love and think you love.

I really recommend this book to anyone out there. It’s honestly a, “I don’t care if it’s passed my bedtime, I need to read one more chapter,” book.

And clearly, I give “Wild” 5 stars out of 5.