Paris!

 Bonjour from Paris! I am on holiday so I won't have any posts next week.  Instead you can check in with me on Instagram (@smacto) to see what we are up to!

Monthly Musings

 

1. What are you looking forward to most this summer?

Golfing with E and watching Q play t-ball. 

2. Any favourite summer traditions?

We have gone camping for the Canada Day long weekend for many years and it has always been a favourite tradition. However this year we will be at a t-ball tournament.  The times are a-changing.  We will find another weekend to go camping though. We have been to one Blue Jays game and will get to a couple more for sure. 

3. Any summer travel plans?

We are heading to Paris - I am actually already here and Dave and the boys will join me in a few days.  But other than that we have those t-ball tournaments and that's about it!  I do like staying in Toronto for the summer months and our Paris trip will cure the travel bug for now!

4. How do you feel about red, white, and blue?

Honestly, as a Canadian, I am not too pleased with the "red, white, and blue" of the United States right now, although I know it is really just the current administration and it's not all Americans.  As for "red and white" for Canada, I am feeling much more patriotic than I usually am.

5. Beach, lake or pool?

Beach, and here in Ontario we have lake beaches, so that works too!

6.  Favourite summer sweet treat?

I like a rocket popsicle, you know the one with the three colours.  And I also love a simple strawberry shortcake. 

7. Favourite sunscreen or self tanner?

Ombrelle is the best sunscreen.  I don't use a self tanner. 

8.  Best flip flops or sandals?

I like Birkenstocks but you will mostly find me in sneakers. 

9. How are you staying fit this summer?

We bike as transportation whenever we can.  It's easier to hop on our bikes to go to High Park for t-ball and ball hockey, and to do short errands.  The boys bike to school most days so when we pick up Q, we need to bike too!  I like to bike to work when I can too. 

10. Favourite summer themed movies?

Dirty Dancing, Top Gun Maverick, Stand By Me, A League of Their Own

Linking up with Holly and Patty.

What's Up Wednesday

What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Steak, baked potatoes, asparagus

Monday - Wings and leftover potato salad

Tuesday - Leftover steak

Wednesday-Saturday - I am off to Paris so I'll be enjoying some nice meals out, the boys will have to fend for themselves!

What I'm reminiscing about...

Dave and I celebrated our wedding anniversary on Friday.  I got our photo album out to look at it, it was fun to look back at all those fresh faces. 

What I'm loving...

I tuned in for King Charles' Speech from the Throne opening Parliament yesterday.  I am a monarchist and a political junkie so it was a big day!  I really enjoyed his remarks on Canada at the beginning and even teared up a bit when he mentioned the various battles fought by Canadians over the years. I think it was a successful visit, and hopefully *you know who* took notice. 

What I'm dreading...

Jet lag!  It's something I can manage for myself, but I know Q is not going to take it well.  Hopefully the excitement of being on holiday along with the promise of beaucoup de croissants will do the trick. 

What we've been up to...

I have been out golfing with E three times this year.  I only need 18 more holes until I have an official handicap.  The weather had been cold and wet so I've missed out on ladies night so far, but will hopefully get there next month. 

What I'm working on...

Our office is moving and we will be out of current space at the end of June with a bit of time to work from home before our new lease starts in the fall. I have been going through old papers and throwing out a lot of things.  A few more things left to organize before things get put into storage.  

What I'm excited about...

It seems that our weather is finally warming up so that is what I'm most excited about now.

What I'm watching/reading...

We stalled a little in our TV with all of the hockey playoffs and being sick (so early bedtimes for all) and now we will be travelling.  Need to get our shows organized and make some headway when we get back.  I will probably download the new Tina Fey and Steve Carrell show for the plane. 

I'll tell you about my books next month, but currently reading Sankofa by Chibundu Onuz.

What I'm listening to...

I rediscovered a great song - Numba 1 by Kardinal Offishal and Rhianna.  It was playing on the radio the other day so I've since added it to my Dance Party playlist and queue up on the regular. 

What I'm wearing...

I think a switch flips when you reach a certain age and the clothes from Costco don't look too bad! Seriously though, they were selling the exact same pants that I bought from Athleta, but with a Kirkland label, so I bought them in a different colour.  To balance that out, I also bought some things from Aritizia. I like to go "high-low" like Meghan Markle, haha!!

What I'm doing this weekend...

Going to Versailles on Friday, taking a boat tour on the Seine, and walking the streets of Paris ;)

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

The second part of our Paris trip when Dave and the boys come over too.  Then my birthday, a visit from my dad and his wife, E's Grade 8 Grad, and the last day of school.

What else is new...

Q has been trying out for the 8s Rep t-ball team.  He was on the 7s team last year.  Dave is helping out with coaching and we have an inside track on who will be making the team. Although there is still one tryout on Saturday, chances are we will be looking forward a summer of rep tournaments. 

Linking up with Shay

Weekend Recap

The theme of this weekend recap post seems to be drinks! Haha.  Dave and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary on Friday.  We typically try to find a nice place for a meal and cocktails.  We started out with Compton Ave. on Dundas for some pre-dinner drinks.  This was a really cute find, really nice upscale British pub decor, specially crafted martinis and other cocktails, and a delicious scotch egg and triple cooked chips.  By the time we were leaving for our dinner reservation it was getting busy. 

Couldn't resist a Negroni too.

We had dinner at Paris Paris on Ossington.  Honestly it was good but it was also just fine, not that special. We ordered the charcuterie, grilled romaine salad, and short rib.  I think this restaurant is a better scene when the patio is open.  Also it had a couple of my restaurant pet peeves - sharing plates, and the food just coming out whenever it's ready. However there was plenty of crackers/bread for the charcuterie!

Dave's parents were here for the weekend so they took the boys out for dinner that night.

On Saturday I headed out early to pick up something from Sport Chek and then go to the mall.  It was a two Starbucks drink morning.

I wanted to get a couple of more things for my trip and also wanted to get to Aritzia before the "kids" got there when the dressing room is chaos.  I was successful and found a few things there and at Athleta.

Meanwhile Q had t-ball rep team tryout, followed by ball hockey. 

Dave, and his dad, and Q worked on this bat holder on Saturday afternoon.  There is one of these in one dugout at the field but the other dugout was missing one.  Good work coach Dave!

I went to church on Sunday morning while everyone else headed to the t-ball field for Q's game.  I arrived about halfway through the game. Unfortunately it started raining as the game was ending so that meant Q's ball hockey game was cancelled.  It was even more unfortunate that I had biked to the field (everyone else drove) so I got a bit wet on my ride home. 

With no further plans on the schedule, we turned on the recorded F1 race, poured some Aperol Spritz and pretended were in Monaco.  A nice way to spend a rainy afternoon. 

It did clear up after dinner so the boys played around outside with the light sabres.

And then speaking of light sabers, we found out that Ewen McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) has a new season where he goes on a motorcycle journey with his friend Charley Boorman.  This time they are travelling around Europe.  We watched two episodes and we are charmed by them both again. 

Reddit

I don't actually have a Reddit account or post anything there ever, but this is my little promotion of that site. I used to turn to Twitter to see if there were other people out there who may have had the same opinions or observations as me, but Twitter has changed and I rarely go on there.  Instead I have found that Reddit is my go-to for my desire for confirmation bias.  

There are a few subreddits that I check in on on a regular basis - for various podcasts or blogs that I frequent.  But I also find that a lot of reliable information can be found on a Reddit post found through a Google search.  Things like "best restaurants in France" or "how to bid on an Air Canada upgrade" (those are some recent ones).  If there are current events, you can find threads of comments on Reddit, even if the online news outlet has closed comments.  This has been true for the world junior hockey sexual assault trial or the missing kids in NS. Those sensitive topics that a mainstream news outlet want to limit comments on are fair game on Reddit.  

Now, I used the term "confirmation bias" above and I do fall victim to that at times.  I also love gossip and speculation, which I know isn't always the most honourable path to follow, and that you can find in spades on Reddit.  Despite my love for the trashy stuff at times, I am still a discerning person and can pick out those comments that are just there for spite and may not necessarily align with my thinking. It's easy to go down a rabbit hole, so it's necessary to remain thoughtful about what you're reading.

That all being said, if you want to come down into the gutter with me, there is something I found recently that is currently getting a lot of my attention.  There is a certain blogger that many of us follow and link up with that has their own Subreddit under their name paired with "snark" and also a thread on Gossip Bakery.  This is the prime example where I have been forming opinions of this person for awhile but thought I'm sure I'm just being petty and no one else is probably thinking these things.  I was wrong though, there are lots of people who have had the same observations and post about them online.  It helps to make me feel validated that I'm not alone, but I am still cautious that the comments can get a little out of hand and people have a bit of a complex about this person.  Still, I can't look away!!

This all to say, Reddit is a great source of information, a great place to find gossip, but should also be taken with a grain of salt.  Those people are still "internet people" and they can get a bit out of control :)

Media Wednesday

 The media I am currently consuming:

Streaming TV - The Studio, Handmaid's Tale, Great British Baking Show

Network TV - Amazing Race, Blue Jays baseball, F1, Eva Longoria: Looking for Spain

YouTube - “Her sister was a witch, and what was her sister? A princess!" (the debate about Wicked/Wizard of Oz). See it here

Library Books - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo

Podcasts - The Big Picture Tom Cruise movie draft, Armchair Expert with Michelle Williams

Instagram Algorithm - Cat videos, Dawson's Creek, F1

News Stories - World Junior's Sexual Assault Trial, Missing Kids in Nova Scotia, P. Diddy Trial

Music - French Cafe Lounge, Stress Relief (ambient sounds)

Peloton Workouts - Beastie Boys Full Body Strength, Outdoor Mother's Day Walk/Run

Pinterest Pins - Paris Travel Tips, Spring Fashion

Long Weekend Recap

The May long weekend is always a great one.  Dave was away on a golf trip and my mom was in town.  On Friday night we headed downtown for a Blue Jays game.  They are giving away hats so I wanted to make sure we got one.  Plus we could check out different areas of the ballpark before taking our seats for the game.

We got the hats!

Q got a tattoo.

And we met the French Fries!

We were in the 200 level right in the first row. 

And Natasha and her family were at the game too so they came down to see us for a few innings. 

Not a win for the Jays, but still fun.

On Saturday morning I took Q to his t-ball tryout/practice.  We were wondering if it would rain but it held off for them.

Then we went over to High Park for ball hockey, but if you can see the grey clouds above the trees, you'll figure out that the game was cancelled right when it was about to start.  The rain didn't last long but there was thunder and lighting.

E and Nana had just walked over to get a poutine so we ran to them and sat in the shelter until the rain blew over.

We walked back to the car after that.  These pretty tulips are at the entrance to the park.

Mom and I went over to Freebird Market and picked up some nice things for dinner - two pizzas, a salad, fun soda, a bottle of wine, and some dessert.  The price can be quite dear but it was cheaper than going out to a restaurant and the food was definitely restaurant quality. 

We had the Preakness on in the background.

We did go out for a bit of fresh air after eating.  We saw some Canada goslings out on the river.

We played Catan and watched the Winnipeg Jets game.

On Sunday we all went to church, and then E and I had a tee time for 3:30.  It was chilly!

But the sun was out and we got in our 18 holes.

Here we are on 18.

Nana and Q met us for dinner, but it was too cold for the patio, so we sat inside instead.  We watched the first period of the Leafs game there and then went home. 

Pretty sad Leafs game and end to their season.  :(

On Monday morning we all did a bit of tidying/cleaning.  And then I drove E and his friends up to Canada's Wonderland.  They all have seasons' passes.

Q, Mom and I went for a walk by the river.  And Q was lucky to get this ice cream cone.

Meanwhile Dave was in Utah for the weekend for a golf trip.  The views looks pretty spectacular and I guess the golf was pretty good too.  

He got home on Monday night and we went up to watch some fireworks.  It was a great end to the long weekend.