Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Weekend Recap

 Another weekend, more skiing!  I took the day off on Friday to take E to an invitational race at Mansfield.  It was a cold morning, but the sun was shining.  

Ready to go.  There were about 10 Glacier Club racers there, and about 80 kids total, including someone from E's class at school. 


I remembered when I was there that Mansfield was the first hill that E skied at when he was 2 years old. We had been signed in as guests by my cousin for the day and we actually never left the bunny hill.  I did a side by side comparison.

E had a good race for him, although his first run was impeded by foggy goggles, but the competition was tough.   Mansfield does run an efficient race and they had some fun bib draws (door prizes), although E was not a winner this time.


We got home mid-afternoon in time for me to have a quick nap before I started getting dinner ready.  We were having guests over.  I made risotto and spinach salad.

We were ready for another ski day on Saturday and I think it was probably the most perfect snow conditions we have had this year, and we have had some great days.  It was snowing in the morning so we had a few centimetres of fresh powder, which is pretty good for Southern Ontario.

E heading out with his group.

We were the first ones down this trail.


The sun was poking through!


Lunchtime



We knew we had another busy day on Sunday so we didn't stay too long at the hill.  We got home, watched curling, ate some odds and ends for supper, and then watched Captain Marvel.  

On Sunday, E had a race at The Heights, and Dave was volunteering at Moonstone. He dropped us off and we set up for a morning in the chalet, with my own personal goal of no iPad.  I brought some books, games, and things to draw with, and this kept Q (and his friends C and L) busy for the morning.
Taking a break between runs.

And the kids got to play out in the snow while the parents watched the race.

E had a couple of great runs for his first slalom race, and his team had a great showing, including a gold for the girls.

Dave came back over to meet us and we went home.  Again, we watched curling and had some wings and pasta for supper.  Dave and I worked on our taxes and tried to get the kids into bed early.  



Monday, February 27, 2023

February Books

Just a couple of books to tell you about this month, my third book is coming along, but will have to be included for March's recap. 

The first book I read this month was Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry.

Some of you may know Rabia as the family friend of Adnan Syed of Serial, who introduced Sarah Koenig to the case and was on the first episode of Serial.  Rabia then went on to start her own podcast about Adnan's case and wrongly convicted people.  I have followed her on Twitter for years now and have always liked what she had to say. 
Anyway, this book is her own memoir about her family, being born in Pakistan and then moving to the United States as a young girl, her struggles with weight, as well as her memories of delicious food cooked by her family.  I really enjoyed reading about what it was like to come to America, but also travel back to Pakistan and be influenced by both cultures. Rabia was loved for sure, but she had some tough love from her parents as well, she also married (and then divorced) an abusive man, but also worked damn hard to go to law school and work as an immigration lawyer at the beginning of her career. 
Her book ends with a few recipes for dishes she mentioned several times throughout the book, but instead of cooking them myself, I am instead inspired to find a Pakistani restaurant in Toronto to try these dishes cooked the proper way.  I may try her recipe for chai though, as it seems simple enough. 
I chose this book because I knew the author, but I think anyone would like it even if they weren't familiar with Rabia. 

The second book was Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun.


This was actually on my library hold list from December because it was a Christmas book, but it didn't come in until this month.  I also wanted to read her other book "The Charm Offensive" first because I thought they were related, but they weren't.  
This was a really cute book, and would highly recommend for an easy Christmastime read.  Two young women meet on Christmas Eve in a snow storm and spend the day and night together.  Then we fast forward to the next Christmas when one of these girls ends up engaged to a charming young man who has a business proposition for her.  He takes her home for the holidays and hijinks ensue.  I will leave it at that for a plot summary so I don't spoil anything.
I will say that this book and her other book are not like any other book I have read before.  I am used to the typical boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after.  Here we get to meet people from all parts of the sexuality spectrum (if you can even place people on a spectrum).  Girls in love with girls, boys in love with boys, people who use they/them as pronouns.  I feel like I'm somewhat evolved in my thinking, but even I had to blink a few times and wrap my head around how people identified themselves.  We need more books like this in my opinion. 


Thursday, February 23, 2023

Monthly Musings

 


Linking up with Holly and Patty for today's edition of Monthly Musings, this time talking about winter holidays.

1. Favourite warm weather destinations?
We have been to a few different countries over the years, but my favourite is definitely Jamaica. It's not too far, the weather is great, the people are super friendly, no language barriers (just something I think is good when you're travelling with kids), jerk chicken, patties, and Red Stripe, need I say more!?  You can read about our two trips to Jamaica here.

2. Packing cubes, yes or no?
No, I don't have these.

3. Favourite carry on?
I have this Lug bag that was a door prize at a golf tournament one time, and it's been my go to for carry on since then.  It has no less than one million pockets, which used to be a problem but now I have a system for where everything goes and it works for me.

4. Essential items in suitcase?
Phone and watch chargers, water bottle, pashmina, sneakers, cough drops, and antihistamines. 

5. Excursions, yes or no?
For our last two trips down south, we did not leave the resort.  My personal opinion is that you're safest on the resort, the trip isn't long enough for me to get sick of sitting by the pool, and if I wanted to tour around, I would be doing a different trip than an all-inclusive resort.  The one time we went on a Caribbean cruise, we did do a few excursions, but at the time it was just me and Dave, no kids, so we could be a bit more flexible. 

6. Most random item you always pack?
If I'm going south, I always bring Clif bars and some sort of gatorade/vitamin water type thing, like those little tablets or packets to add to a bottle of water.  In the event the food isn't good (or not to your child's liking), they can have a Clif bar as a good meal replacement, and if you're not feeling 100%, then the electrolytes should help. We also bring candy with us whenever we travel for some reason. 

7.  Do you use a travel agent?
No.  We had used one for our 2020 trip that was cancelled, but planning trips is one of my favourite things to do, so I don't mind doing it myself. 

8. Favourite sunscreen?
Ombrelle.  I like the cream, Dave prefers the spray, so we buy both. We buy anything from 30-50 SPF, but if you get up too high then it's too creamy and hard to rub in.  I also like the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer.

9. Favourite flip flops or sandals?
I have three different pairs that I like for different reasons - leather Birkenstocks are good for running around town (but not for long distances), white plastic Birks are good for everyday or for cottage/resort time as they can get wet, and my Sanuk flip flops are good for camping since I don't care how dirty they get. 

10. Favourite swimsuit?
The one I picked up in Miami at Target last fall.  I've had a couple of Target swimsuits and although one of them has since bit the dust, they do last for a good amount of time, and they are inexpensive!




Wednesday, February 22, 2023

What's Up Wednesday

 

This month flew by, so let's see what's up on this last Wednesday of February 2023.

What we're eating this week...
Sunday - Out
Monday - Chicken Pot Pie
Tuesday - Pancakes
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Chicken thighs, potatoes, vegetables
Friday - Risotto and Spinach Salad
Saturday - Wings

What I'm reminiscing about...
I looked back at the last few February What's Up Wednesday posts.  In 2020, the thing I was dreading was "getting sick with COVID" even though we were still planning to take our trip to Jamaica in March, how quickly things changed! Last year my topic for what I was dreading had to do with the Ukraine-Russia war/conflict, and it's kind of hard to believe that is still going on.

What I'm loving...
A lot of my friends on Instagram (and I actually mean people that I know in real life) ski and I've been loving to see everyone out there enjoying the winter with their friends and families - black diamonds, glades, green runs, apres ski - I love it all!

What we've been up to...
Trying to make sure we get our volunteer hours in for E's ski club.  Each family is required to do 15 hours, and mostly it's been Dave doing the hill set up for an hour here and there.  Fortunately there are a few tasks coming up that I've signed up for the banquet and some races.  We should be fine to get our hours in.

What I'm dreading...
Sorting through all the clutter to prepare for our reno.  We will have to pack up a bunch of things and we want to clear out the clutter before we do that. I do love throwing stuff away but I also feel guilty about creating so much waste.

What I'm working on...
I had a new workout plan all set out, and I got through all of one week of it before I injured myself skiing, so now I'm working on taking it easy and getting back to it soon enough. 

What I'm excited about...
Dave and I booked a quick trip to San Francisco for the spring.  He has to be there for work so I'm going to tag along and then we can spend a few extra days there.  I went there in November 2019 so there are a few places I want go again, and some other places I missed the first time. 
A must! 



What I'm watching/reading...
The Scotties curling tournament, Full Swing (the golf show on Netflix), and Downton Abbey.

 

I've started making my way through my 2023 Reading List and will write about this month's books on Monday. 

What I'm listening to...
This month's selection is a mix of Afrobeats, Rihanna, and '90s rock.

What I'm wearing...
I finally got a few new things for skiing, another base layer, and a new long sleeved shirt.  Many of my things are looking a little tired and it's time to upgrade. 

What I'm doing this weekend...
I'm taking the day off on Friday to take E to a ski race and we all may go up and ski for the day, then we have friends coming for dinner, skiing on Saturday at Moonstone, and then another race for E at The Heights on Sunday. 

What I'm looking forward to next month...
PDAC (the mining conference), our trip to Quebec for March Break, St. Patrick's Day, Dave's birthday, and the first day of Spring.


Linking up with Shay.



Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Weekend Recap


A long weekend! And the kids had no school on Friday, although Dave and I were still working.  
On Thursday we snuck away for a ski day at Osler Bluffs, a private club, but I was invited by an acquaintance.  The conditions on the slopes were not good, too icy for us, but the lodge was cozy and the beer was good!
 

On Saturday we were at our regular hill bright and early for another ski day.  The conditions were pretty perfect, and the temperatures weren't too cold (although we did opt for some hand warmers).
E's age group in the race club had a potluck in the afternoon and we had a good time talking to the parents.

We stayed in a hotel for the weekend to take a break from all of the driving. We chose a place with a pool of course, actually the same place we stayed in the summer in Midland.  We headed to the pool as soon as we checked in.

We then got cleaned up and went to The Boathouse Eatery for supper.  We enjoyed our meals and they had some live music.  I said, "let me take your photo", and they both look away from the camera, deep in thought I guess!



We were back on the hill on Sunday morning, with slightly warmer temperatures. I took these Grade 1 French Immersion kiddos up the lift and spoke to them in French the whole way up, they were not that impressed, haha, but they did understand me.

Q worked on his box jumps and conquered this round one.

Some afternoon skiing with more friends.


We had a break and then decided to head out for some skiing under the lights. This view was much prettier in real life but you sort of get the idea.

Back to our hotel that night, with a bite to eat at Kelseys. 

We decided not to go skiing again on Monday and instead sleep in!  Screen time well deserved after two full days of skiing.

We left mid-morning, stopped in at the Cookstown outlets, and then home.  After we got all of the ski stuff put away, I cleaned out Q's closet, bookshelf, and dresser, and Dave went through his closet and dresser.  The kids did get outside to play catch and then hockey. I visited with a neighbour while the kids played, and then we headed home for supper.  

Hope you had a nice weekend too!





Monday, February 20, 2023

Happy Family Day!

 It is a holiday in Ontario for us today - Family Day :)  I'll be back tomorrow to tell you what we got up to this weekend.


These are the days of:
the house never really being clean
shoving food in before rushing off to something
standing by the door yelling to "Come on!!"
wondering what happened to all of the cereal, milk, bread, etc.
watching all of the Marvel movies
snuggling under covers and reading books
singing to songs in the car




Friday, February 17, 2023

Friday Favourites

 


I liked my pretty breakfast in the sun on Monday morning - blueberry Greek yoghurt, granola, and mini-banana.

On Valentine's Day we enjoyed lots of treats.  I added cake pops and a few different hearts and red things in the boys' lunches.

The boys wore their new shirts and they looked so sweet.

A little silly one.

And Q has left...

I had a Valentine's shirt too



Dave made steak frites for supper for us.  So tasty. 

We had a special delivery of cupcakes so we all enjoyed those too.

And I got a couple of bouquets of flowers.



The boys have been into chess lately, Q even beat me in a game.

Have a great weekend!
Linking up with Andrea and Erika.