Currently

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There's a bunch of forest fires burning nearby, which has resulted in super smokey skies and red sunrises.

The sky this morning. There’s a bunch of forest fires burning nearby, which has resulted in super smokey skies and red sunrises.

I’ve been super busy with a whole bunch of stuff lately and really haven’t had much time to sit down and blog. This should all (hopefully) change by the end of the month when things settle down and life figures itself out. Today I decided I’d join Amber in doing a Currently post because like she said, it’s easy and my brain doesn’t have to think too much. :)

Reading // “All Fall Down” by Jennifer Weiner. And really, I’ve barely made it through the 2nd chapter because I’m been so preoccupied by everything else going on in my life right now.

Watching // I just finished watching season 2 of Orange in the New Black. Having Netlfix on my laptop is the handiest thing ever because I can watch it while I cook, haha. Anyway, I know many people have said that the second season wasn’t as good as the first one, but I didn’t think it was too bad. The final episode of the season was hilarious though – or at least the very end of the episode. I’ll have to admit that I laughed pretty hard! Bish had it comin’ … and that’s all I’ll say for those of you who haven’t watched the episode yet. ;)

Listening to // I’ve had Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” stuck in my head for the past little while, as well as “Come Get it Bae” by Pharrell Williams.

Loving // Being able to barbecue dinner and not having to turn my oven on. I have AC in my house so it helps keep it cool, but why make the poor thing work harder than it already is? (And of course now that I’ve said that, I realize that the dinner I have planned for tonight needs to be baked in the oven.)

Needing // A mental break from everything that’s going on right now. My head has been swimming with so much crap and stress that I’m just ready for it to all be over with. With that being said …

Anticipating // … I’m looking forward to a couple of big appointments coming up. I have one on Thursday that will help lift a lot of that weight off my shoulders, and while I’m seriously stressing out about it now, I’m looking forward to just getting it done. I also have my insurance license exam on Friday, so that’s been making me stress quite a bit too. Again, I just want to get it over and done with! Not being in school or having to study in five years has been tough and I’m finding it hard to focus on studying for my test! I plan on locking myself in the basement Thursday night with no technology and cramming.

Looking forward to // My bestest friend’s bachelorette party in Vancouver this weekend, new carpet being installed in my house next weekend, (hopefully) another trip to the lake, and the temperatures dipping just a little bit. I think I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures in Vancouver the most – apparently it even may rain! But the carpet is pretty huge too because I’ve been waiting 2 years for it to be crossed off of our “To Do” list. Oh, and I’m also working on a new column for The Armchair Mayor, which is a news site run by my former boss and some of my old coworkers. It should start in August, with snippets posted here! I’m super excited to becoming a part of the crew there :)

What’s currently going on with you?

Project 365: July 6-12

Posted in Photo-a-Day, Photos, Project 365 by

July 6: Just another fun morning at the clinic! ♦ July 7: Tears for days until she gets to wear heels. ♦ July 8: Happiest ham with his indestructible lacrosse ball! ♦ July 9: Summer sunsets are everything beautiful. ♦ July 10: A happy little visit with our favouritest little friend! ♦ July 11: Our neighbours are moving, so we adopted their hanging baskets. ♦ July 12: Today’s haul included: Garlic scants, snap peas, blueberries, raspberries, carrots, lentil coconut curry soup, and cake pops. I love the Farmer’s Market!

View the whole series here

Do or Die Essentials

Posted in Life, Lists by

A little while back I was contacted by Man Crates to see if I’d be interested in writing a post about my “Do or Die” essentials. Man Crates a new company that ships awesome gifts for men in custom wooden crates! At Man Crates, it is their mission to end the difficulties that have long been associated with buying gifts for men! I told them I’m be happy to team up with them, so I present to you now some things in life that I cannot just live without, especially during these hot summer months:

images via: 1 / 2 / 3 / my own / 5

 1) Sunglasses. I don’t wear them just to protect my retinas from the sun’s harmful rays. I have an enormously difficult time seeing in the sunlight. I don’t know if it’s my half-Asian genes that make the squinting worse, but I may as well walk around with my eyes shut if I don’t have my sunglasses on my face. Kyle was amazing enough to buy me a brand new pair of Oakley LBD sunnies for my birthday this year, and I don’t go anywhere without them on my face.

2) iPod Classic. I bought my very first iPod off of eBay back in 2006 (I think). It was a 1st generation iPod Mini (pink in colour), and I loved it to pieces. When it finally kicked the bucket, I was pretty sad, but then Kyle swooped in to the rescue and bought me a shiny new iPod Classic. I’ve had it ever since, and it remains loaded up with my favourite songs for in the car. I also semi-joke that if someone were to break into my car, I’d be more upset if they stole my iPod than anything else. It’s true!

3) Pedicures. My feet get super dry and cracked in the summer, so I try and get a pedicure at least once a month and then just micro-manage my toes at home in between. My all-time favourite go-to colour is China Glaze’s Four Leaf Clover, but I love all colours bright and fun for the summer months.

4) Iced Passion Tea Lemonade. I’m all for ice cold drinks in the summer, but nothing quenches my thirst more than a iced passion tea lemonade from Starbucks. And what’s even better is that during my Pinterest browsing I found a decent copy cat recipe. Now all I have to do is buy a tin of the passion tea and I can make it at home by myself! Generally I just buy lemonade at the store, but sometimes I’m spoiled and Kyle mades the real stuff for me. You can find the copy cat recipe I use here! (And pardon the name in the photo – they clearly misheard it when I told them!)

5) Kleenex. Allergies. I got ’em. And I seriously cannot go outside for the first few weeks of summer without having at least a half-dozen sneezing fits. Once a year I stock up on a multi-pack of pretty little Kleenex travel packs and call it a season. I’m definitely THAT person who every one thinks is deathly ill, but I swear, it’s just allergies!

So there you have it, my summer do or die essentials! What’s on your list??

Disclosure: I was contacted by Man Crates to write a post discussing my “Do or Die” essentials. I was not compensated in any way by Man Crates or any of the companies mentioned above. All opinions, as always, are my own!