Friday, June 30, 2017

Friday Favourites

Linking up with AndreaErika, and Narci for Friday Favourites.

Having lunch with Dave this week was a favourite.  We sat on the patio for beer and wings, and stayed dry during the rain storms that passed through.  Q napped for most of lunch.


Playing with E and Q was a favourite.  E built up these blocks and then Q knocked them down.


It was the last day of school yesterday.  E has grown so much and had a great report card citing many improvements over the year.  Bring on Grade 1!




It's Canada's 150th Birthday this weekend.  In 2015 I wrote about my favourite things about Canada here. They are all still accurate.

Speaking of Canada, this is a great little song by Halifax artist Classified.  Check it out:


Another favourite thing this week was Justin Trudeau at Toronto's Pride Parade.  Not only was he there with his family celebrating the LGBT community in French and English, he was also wearing rainbow socks wishing Muslims Happy Eid in Arabic, he was at peak Justin Trudeau status. 

Peter Mansbridge, host of CBC's The National, is retiring.  The Canada Day broadcast will be his last show and then a new National will premiere in the fall.  I watched the staff party they had for him at the CBC earlier this week.  I loved the montage of old footage and commentary from his colleagues and friends.  I couldn't find the clip of the party (I originally found in YouTube via Twitter), but here is a good clip of Peter answering a question about whether the CBC has a Liberal bias, watch to the end for a personal side of Peter.  


Enjoy your long weekend!




Thursday, June 29, 2017

Monthly Goals


My goals for June were:

Figure out what we are doing for the last two weeks of July.  Done.  We decided we will drive to Nova Scotia with some stops in New Brunswick and Quebec.  My next step is to pin down when we will be where and make sure our family and friends will be around on those dates.  

Get a pedicure.  I did not get an official pedicure, but I did finally paint my nails.  Next month when Q is at daycare for a couple of hours, maybe I'll pop into the salon.

Clean up the back patio so we can eat meals there.  This is an ongoing project and I need to sweep and clean up the tree droppings several times a week, but we have been able to eat out there a few times.

Make some healthy snacks.  I have tried reaching for some more fruit, fizzy water and lemon, and homemade muffins, but I haven't made anything special. 

Family swims at the local pool.  This has not happened yet.  When it was really hot and humid, the pools weren't open yet, and now that they are open, it has been too cool at night to go swimming.  Hopefully we can get out next month.

Tidy up drawers in kitchen (leftover from May).  Done.  I've learned we have a lot of tea towels.

My goals for July are:

1. Give some baby clothes to our neighbour and donate the rest.
2. Buy some new work clothes for myself; back to work in August!
3. Get Q ready for daycare.  They gave us a list of stuff we need to bring in for him.
4. Try some of the new restaurants in my neighbourhood.  
5. Book a hotel for New York and start planning what we will do there.




Wednesday, June 28, 2017

What's up Wednesday


What we're eating this week...
Sunday - Homemade Pizza
Monday - Salmon, roasted vegetables, rice
Tuesday - Turkey Lettuce Wraps (I had to use ground chicken instead of turkey but they were still good.  E loved them!)
Thursday to Saturday - We are camping so burgers, nachos, etc. are on the menu.

What I'm reminiscing about...
My aunt's mother passed away earlier this week so I have been reminiscing about times we spent with her, and other people who we have lost.  This is a photo from our wedding.  My grandparents are in the front, my aunt's mother is wearing the white sweater.  They were all so wonderful and it's nice to have photos like this to remember them.

What I'm loving...
Two piece PJs for Q.  Sleepers are cute, but now that he is a little older he has some two piece sets and they are adorable.  Even cuter is that I remember when E used to wear them too.  Plus when it is hot, it is nice to have bare feet and arms.
(This is a new set though)

What we've been up to...
Celebrating E's school year, meeting Chirp, getting organized for camping, and just hanging out.


What I'm dreading...
Packing the car for camping.  It's always been a tight squeeze but now we have two car seats and all of the extra baby stuff.  Actually, I love packing and seeing the different configurations of getting it all in the car so wish us luck.  

What I'm working on...
Planning everything.  Right now it's camping, then it is our week when E has no day camps, then our trip out East, and then everything that happens in the fall.  I like being busy but I need to take one thing at a time or I can get overwhelmed!

What I'm excited about...
I booked a trip to New York City in September with my friend Cindy.  I love having a trip to look forward to and figuring out what we will do while we are there. 


What I'm watching/reading...
We just finished A Handmaid's Tale, I cannot stress enough how good this show is.  Looking forward to Season 2.  We are finally back on The Wire and loving it.  


I did not go to my book club last week and therefore didn't finish the book (The Ballroom by Anna Hope).   This is the first time I haven't read the book in years.  I am not sure if I will finish it as the plot hasn't really grabbed me.  I think I may pick up one of my favourite books like The Poisonwood Bible or Gone with the Wind and give it another read.  E and I just finished reading Charlotte's Web so we need to find another chapter book to start.  He said it was boring because there were only a few pictures, but he did listen and relayed some of the plot to Dave, so I'll keep going with the chapter books.

What I'm listening to...
I'm not in the car much but I typically tune to CBC Radio 2.  They have good music in the morning and afternoon, but throughout the day they also have classical music which can be a nice relaxing change. 

What I'm wearing...
My new shorts from the Gap.  I'm not sure what I would be wearing if I didn't have these since they are on constant repeat.  They are comfortable and the green and blue colours go with everything. 


What I'm doing this weekend...
Camping at Sandbanks Provincial Park.  Fingers crossed that our site is and continues to be above water.  It may rain while we are there, but we can handle that as long as we have a dry place to set up our tent. 

What I'm looking forward to next month...
Lazy summer days, spending the week with E (and Q), introducing Q to daycare, travelling to the East Coast to visit family and friends.  

What else is new...
E has been playing a lot of baseball with Dave, and sometimes me.  We decided to register him in t-ball this year but Dave wanted to spend some time teaching the basics so we can sign him up next year.  He's really improved with catching and he's having fun with dad!
(Having bases really helps with the concept too)


What is your favourite July 4th Canada Day tradition?
We have gone camping for the past two years on Canada Day weekend and so we don't do anything like parades or fireworks, but we dress in red and white, decorate our campsite, light some sparklers, and appreciate our country's natural beauty!

Linking up with ShaySheaffer, and Mel





Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Show and Tell Tuesday

Linking up with Andrea for Show and Tell Tuesday.


Today is everyone's favourite topic, House Tours!  I love poking around other's houses to see their decorating styles.  I wouldn't say I have a style, rather we are looking for simplicity and comfort.  Someday when we don't have to pay for daycare and when I'm not working full time, maybe I will actually hire an interior designer or try replicating what I like in the magazines, but for now, this is our humble home.  

A quick note about these photos.  My house was not photo ready so I considered just using last year's post, but we have had a few changes since then, so I tidied up, snapped some photos with my iPhone, and used a few photos from last year where nothing has changed in that space.  I also considered taking photos of the house without tidying but I couldn't bring myself to do it. #smokeandmirrors

To begin we got a new front door and windows, an upgrade from the 1928 originals but keeping the same style.  Insulated glass, what a treat! :)


New windows in the front room.  Bad lighting, but you get the idea.



The blue chair is up in Q's room now

New fireplace on the right.  Baby toys and high chair are also new additions.



New TV on the wall








E's room.  We took his old dresser for Q and bought him a new taller one.  His stuffy collection is growing, partially my fault, but grandparents take note, we don't need any more stuffies!)


Q's room. These were taken before he arrived, nothing much has changed here except for the new window, there are more toys, and the crib has been lowered.


Our Rome painting found a new home upstairs




New stairs leading down to the basement


Our guest room



Guest bathroom






Playroom/Dave's office.  The drawers are filled with toys, art supplies, board games, and puzzles.

Dave's desk that moves up and down so he can stand or sit.



You can see last year's post (2016) here, and the year before that (2015) here.