Cream Collection

The other day I was making a comment about all of the stuff that some people have, I can’t even remember the context, and Dave responded “you have a cream problem”. To which I replied, “no, all of my creams/lotions are for different things!” So I’m showing you what I have and you can be the judge.  These are just creams, not make-up or sunscreen. 

1. Nivea - This is a face cream I bought at the drug store after my Keihls (#2) ran out.  I thought I would get some for Christmas so I bought this to tide me over.  Now I’m just using it up. 

 

2. Keihls - This is my everyday face cream. The Nivea is almost gone so I will use my Sephora gift card to get a refill.

3. Tula - I was using this for awhile as part of my “skin care routine” but went back to Keihls. I still have this small container for travelling. 

4. Disney Hotel - This is from our trip in 2023, I could probably get rid of this now. I liked the scent when we were there but I don’t think I’ve actually used it. 

5. Brazilian Bum Bum - I love the smell of this but I feel like it’s only appropriate for summer.

6 - Summer Fridays Jet Lag Masque - I wear this at night, it feels very nice.

7. Ouai St. Bart’s - Speaking of a lovely summer smell, this is it! I got this for Christmas. 

8. Saje Tingle Mint - I don’t use this much, but it’s nice for my feet.

9. Aveeno - I have this by my bed to put on my hands when I go to sleep. I also have a bottle of this at my office. 

10. Arbonne - This is kind of old and I could get rid of this too, but it doesn’t have a strong smell so if I need a lot of lotion but am going to a scent-free place, this ones isn’t bad. 

I don’t even put lotion on my entire body on a regular basis.  Even the Bum Bum and Ouai are more for their scent, rather than for moisture, and I don’t use a lot of it. I just don’t like putting clothes on over lotion.

So, what do you think, too many?  Do I have a problem?  Haha. 

What do you have a large collection of?

Monthly Musings

 

Looking forward to checking out what other people posted on this, style is not my area of expertise, but I’ve answered these as best as I can!

1. Favourite Spring Outfit?

Linen pants, sneakers, and a t-shirt. 

2. Favourite Spring Fashion Staples?

This year I am excited about my new white Running shoes and my blazer. 

3. Favourite Colours to Wear in Spring?

The colour I am migrating towards this year is light green.  I also love a light pink.

4. Do you change up your handbag for a new season?

No

5. Favourite Spring Scents?

I wear my usual perfume all year round, Jo Malone’s English Pear and Freesia, but I also have the Oaui St. Barts Moisturizer that will work well as the weather warms up.

6. Favourite Stores/Sites for Spring Items?

Aritizia and Athleta are my current favourite stores. 

7. Do you Thrift?

No

8. Styles you aren't feeling this Spring?

This is implying I know what the styles are enough to have an opinion, haha. So I can’t answer this one.

9. Any dress up events for Spring?

Not really.  We will all dress up for Easter Sunday, and then E has his Grade 8 grad at the end of the school year so he will wear a suit for that. 

10. Complete wardrobe overhaul or just a few pieces this year?

I usually just buy a few things to freshen things up.  

Linking up with Holly and Patty.

What's Up Wednesday

 What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Tortilla Casserole

Monday - Baked chicken legs, potatoes, and vegetables

Tuesday - Chicken sausages, french fries, coleslaw

Wednesday - Meghan's Pasta

Thursday - Quiche

Friday - Pizza

What I'm reminiscing about...

Q and I were sitting on the couch the other day and I was looking at how long his legs were getting. While we were sitting there I looked up photos of when he came home from the hospital when he was born and he was sleeping on the couch.  

What I'm loving...

We are only two races in to the F1 season, but I am loving the excitement so far. I love the new Mercedes rookie, Kimi Antonelli, he's only 18!!

What we've been up to...

Getting some things crossed off our lists after our busy ski season.  We have done some cleaning, organizing, and got in a few outdoor runs last week. 

What I'm working on...

Just finished up working on our taxes last night.  It's never that complicated but it does require some effort to get it all done, make sure all of the boxes and ticked, and submit. 

What I'm excited about...

Our trip to Paris! It's not until the end of May, but I love having a trip to look forward too.  I've purchased a few new things to wear, including a Mbappe jersey for Q (just the cheap one), since he can't be wearing Messi in France! It will go in his Easter basket. 

What I'm watching/reading...

Watching The White Lotus and Severance with Dave, with Adolescence and Running Point on our list.  And watching Amazing Race and Canada's Ultimate Challenge with the kids.

I'm not doing a great job of reading books this month. 

What I'm listening to...

My new favourite song to sing in the car is Defying Gravity.  I didn't catch onto it when I saw the movie but after seeing Ariana and Cynthia perform at the Oscars, I have been all in on it. 

What I'm wearing...

I bought this blazer and this dress for my trip, but of course can wear them other places too.

What I'm doing this weekend...

This is the magical time between skiing and baseball/golf, so we have no set plans, which is nice. It is supposed to rain a lot so we may watch some movies, make cookies, and play games. 

What I'm looking forward to next month...

Easter, the federal election, and hopefully some spring weather.

What else is new...

The schedule has been set for Q's t-ball season, so that is exciting. And E is starting his Bronze Cross swimming lessons next week. 

Linking up with Shay.

Weekend Recap

Some weekends we don't get up to too much, and I don't take many photos, but I still like to document them because they still have special little moments that I want to remember. 

I had a slow workday on Friday so I was able to get a workout in at the end of the day.  I decided to do a 5 minute warm up and then a 20 minute ride, which led to a Personal Best!  Nice way to kick off the weekend. 

That night we watched A Complete Unknown, which I mentioned in yesterday's post.  We got up early the next day to watch the recorded F1 Sprint and Quali. Dave and the boys fixed a flat tire on the car, while I tidied up the front hall closet and folded my clothes.  I also went through E's clothes and determined he needed some new things. 

After lunch E and I went to the mall, while Q had a friend over to play Lego and video games.  The mall had this McLaren car made of Lego.

E got a few plain t-shirts and I got this sweater, all from Uniqlo.  

I forced myself to go for a run before dinner, despite how cold it was, but it was worth it (as it always is).  When I got home I made Stanley Tucci's recipe for Pasta E Fagioli, and some garlic bread. 

On Sunday morning we had another early morning for the F1 race, and then I went to church.  We take the winter off from church since we are skiing on the weekends, but it was time to return.  I did let the boys stay home on this day, but they will join me again next week.  It was nice to be back with the choir.

In the afternoon we had plans to go swimming, but then E got a message that his friends were playing football up at the school so he went there instead while Q and I went swimming. 

We stopped at McDonalds on the way home to redeem some rewards for a free cheeseburger and small fries that we had won a few weeks ago.  And bonus, we saw our neighbours there. 

Concluded the day with a trip to the grocery store and some TV.

Hot Takes

Just a few random thoughts on a Monday:

With Love, Meghan

Okay, I am always back and forth on the Sussexes, but I am down for this show of Meghan's.  I have always enjoyed a cooking show, and in the tradition of Martha Stewart, I just love watching people do pretty things and make yummy looking food.  I know that people are sort of "hate watching" this show and ripping Meghan in various online forums, but whatever. They can do what they want.  Maybe she is trying too hard to be perfect, but I really do think she loves this stuff and good for her.  I am inspired to make a few of the things from her show.  I've also figured out that I would love to be able to just go out to the garden with all of the time in the world to pick up different things and then cook with them.  This is similar to what Stanley Tucci does in the kitchen.  I never feel like I really have enough time to do it myself, so it is lovely to watch someone else do it. 

Canada's Federal Election

Get ready Canada, we are finally going into our next Federal Election, choosing the party who will guide us through these turbulent times.  You know I have always been a supporter of Justin Trudeau and the Liberals, even during the last few months when his popularity was waning.  I am therefore strongly in favour of the Liberals this time around with the new leader Mark Carney.  I acknowledge that people have different views but I really do have some challenges with the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, chief among them why he won't get security clearance so he can be properly briefed on the foreign interference and possible involvement of his own Members of Parliament.  If a Conservative candidate shows up at my door, that is the question I will be asking them. 

Timothee Chalamet

I admit I wasn't a real Timmy fan, but I'm all in now.  We just watched A Complete Unknown on the weekend and he was amazing! He deserved all of the accolades for that performance. By the second half of the movie I had to remind myself I was watching an actor.  Not to mention Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, a fabulous singer! Now we have some Bob Dylan on our playlists.  I always loved Hurricane and I'm happy to revisit it now.

The Anxious Generation 

Some of you have read the book noted above by Jonathan Haidt. I have not read the book but I heard him on Dax Shepherd's podcast the other day.  I could understand what he was saying about the video games and social media problems with our kids (and probably ourselves too) and the consequences of the dopamine hits that come along with that.  I can take some of that advice and encourage our kids to spend less time on video games and spend more time on things that challenge them in real ways.  I sort of relate it to drinking orange juice or eating an orange.  If you just drink the orange juice, your body is hit with all of that sugar.  But if you eat the whole orange, the sugar is there, but is accompanied by fibre so your body breaks it down more slowly and gets more out of it. Doing things that require a bit more work to get the dopamine hit is like adding the "fibre" to the fun, the end the effect is longer lasting and more effective.  That all being said, I never really like these non-fiction books based on one topic, the author then tends to attribute everything to one hypothesis, and I live in a world of grey where there is no one answer to everything.  So I'll take the overarching message, but I don't think I'll be reading the book. 

Happy Monday!

Friday Favourites

 

Saint Patrick's Day was a bit tamer than in years past.  With it falling on a Monday, the best I could do was a Guinness between work and dinner.  It was delicious. 

E completed his Bronze Medallion for swimming and his First Aid certificate on Monday.  Well done! He is registered to do the Bronze Cross course with his friends starting in a couple of weeks. 

Some signs of spring outside of our house. 

Q and his stuffies, ready for bed.  

E got his grad photos back this week. He looks good!

We celebrated Dave's birthday yesterday.  We went out for dinner at Patois, a Jamaican Chinese fusion restaurant.  Then home for gifts and ice cream cake.  A successful birthday all around.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

Happy Birthday Dave!

 Happy Birthday to Dave today!! He had a great past year, going on several golf trips, including to Scotland. He resumed the title of t-ball coach for Q's team which led to lots of fun on the ball field. 

Dave is now the "old guy" at his work, in his 40s with a teenager, trying to keep up with what "the kids" are saying, but inspiring confidence as a seasoned leader to his team. 

I credit him with a lot of positives in our life, as he strives for excellence.  He is not one to sit around and put off stuff that needs to be done.  He likes to be active but also enjoys relaxing with a good show, playing video games with the kids, and a scotch.  

Cheers to 44!!

A few photos of Dave's year.

Ski Season Recap

Spring is just about here, and that means the 2025 ski season has come to a close for us.  We were fortunate to have lots of snow this year, and cold temperatures for pretty perfect conditions most days.  We safely made it back and forth to the hill each weekend, spending about every other weekend at a local hotel.

Here is a quick recap of the season:

Q participated in five races this year as a first year U10.  He ended up about mid-pack each time but has the potential to go faster.  His downfall is that he thinks he's pretty fast already, so he needs to focus a bit more and ask his coaches on how he can improve.  Next year he will be a second year U10 and that will be a big difference, the kids change so much at this age in terms of size and awareness.  Most importantly he has a great time each week at training and never complains (okay maybe slightly) when we get him up early to get to the hill.  He has a great attitude and is building a strong foundation for his skills and race "career". 

Results 

- Icebreaker Race at Mount St. Louis-Moonstone - 22nd out of 35 racers

- The Heights - 17th out of 46 racers

- Skidaddle at Mount St. Louis-Moonstone - 11th out of 24 racers

- Mansfield - 68th out of 101 racers 

- Club Championships - DSQ (spun out at the top after hitting a gate)

First day, new Glacier Race Team jacket!

He wore a speed suit for the first practice race but then we found out U10s aren't allowed to wear them for real competition. 

Tough day at Mansfield with over 200 racers (girls and boys), fresh powder, and getting the hang of the T-bar).

E was in his second year of U14 SOD this season. He participated in four races with solid finishes each time.  He is a great technical skier and loves being part of the team.  Next year he will move up to U16 and be reunited with some kids he knows from school.  SOD is the less competitive level for this age group (the other option is OCUP) but it creates a really cool group of kids who just want to race and have a good time. The coaches put on amazing training each week and on a number of occasions mentioned how they appreciated E's efforts and attitude.  He will have these ski skills and memories for life and you can't ask for much more.

Results

- Glen Eden - 23rd out of 51 racers

- Hidden Valley - 23rd out of 41 racers

- The Heights - 14th out of 48 racers

- Club Championships - 6th out of 13 U14 SOD racers (94th overall) 

Looking good in his new race suit.

His core group of buddies, chair lift at Hidden Valley.

We did a good job of meeting new people this year and expanding our social circle, while of course still hanging with the OGs.  It helped to stay overnight more often at a hotel as we would always see other families to have a meal or drink with.  We finally got ourselves to Quayle's Brewery for après ski a few times.