Weekend Recap

My colleague and I hit up The Frederick for lunch on Friday. We both had the Harbord Room burger and it was delicious, and so was the fried chicken appetizer we shared.

Saturday was supposed to be a day of baseball for Q - game in the morning and rep team tryout in the afternoon. Instead it was raining all day so I went to the golf club for the ladies' welcome breakfast. It was a pleasant way to spend the morning.

Then I did a bit of nothing.  E took this  photo...

...and this, as I tried getting my phone back.

We also made some cupcakes. Thumbs up from E.

I love a rainbow sprinkle.

I convinced the boys to play a game so they chose Axis and Allies. Not really my game but they were fine playing with each other and I was nearby for moral support (while folding laundry and watching the Blue Jays game.

Dave had some tunes going after supper and Q was showing up his dance moves. 

Sunday had much better weather. I went to church and Dave took the boys to the golf club to hit some balls in the practice area. The rep tryout was rescheduled to Sunday afternoon so we biked there. I got to hang out with some moms and had a nice time. 

 

How We Get Through the Week

The internet is full of people sharing helpful tips like how to be efficient in the morning, how to get your 'quiet time', how to schedule your lives to the nth degree, and as helpful as those things are, there are some of us who are just going through it, some weeks more than others.  At a bare minimum, people are fed and we are on time for things.  As a bonus, sometimes we have more elaborate meals, rooms get cleaned, we spend extra time on school work and music practice, and we have free time to watch a movie.

Meal Planning and Groceries - This is the best way to make sure people are being fed.  On the weekend I’m usually able to plot out our meals for the week, making adjustments for our plans, and then go to get groceries or place an order for pick up. 

Family Calendar - We have a physical calendar posted in the kitchen (or rather on the way down the stairs to the basement) where everyone can check to see what is on the agenda for the day.  I try to get everything on there as soon as I find out about it to reduce forgetting.

Lunches - I make Q’s lunch in the morning, and usually get something for E to take along most days, although I am not packing the typical bento box style lunch for him now that he’s in high school.  Lunches are kept pretty simple nowadays - frozen pizza, pasta with cheese, and bagels.  

Workouts in the early morning - If I want to get a workout in the only way is to set my alarm for 5:50 and go down in the morning for a quick 30-45 minute workout.

Laundry on the weekends - Each person’s laundry is done separately and it may or may not make its way out of the dryer, into a basket, and then into a drawer folded (hopefully!).  

I feel like we are in a time of life where we take it each day at a time, without being able to plan too far in advance and each day is a little hectic.  Somehow birthdays and holidays are planned, we make plans to hang out with friends, trips are taken, sports equipment and clothing for growing boys is procured, and bills are paid, but in no way do I feel like these things are carefully curated. We scramble and fit in what we can as we go. The word “routine” should not be taken literally. I know that as the kids get older, our time will even itself it out and we will be able to be more deliberate about how we do things, but for now, we embrace the chaos :)

 

Let's Look Wednesday - Saying No

 

Linking up with Shay and Erika (a week late) for Let's Look Wednesday.

This month we are talking about things we have said no to lately.  This list didn’t immediately leap to my mind, so I guess I’m doing a pretty good job of already setting boundaries and priorities so I don’t usually need to say no. But here were a few things. 

Doing work that isn’t really my job.  I am the only lawyer at my work, and we have a fairly small executive team.  There are many things that I do that a typical General Counsel would not do, and most of the time, that’s fine.  But the other day our CFO suggested I take the lead on something that is clearly an HR function and since we have a Director of HR I politely pointed out that he should take the lead and I would be happy to support as required.  Our CFO agreed and apologized for his first instructions. 

Extra food in Mexico. I just returned from Mexico for a work trip (I will write about it tomorrow). I am always conscientious about what I am eating in Mexico and do not want to get sick (as happens to many of my colleagues). If I am not sure about something I will not eat it.  When we were at our hotel, we were served soup and juice with our meal that I did not want, and although I felt kind of rude not eating it, I still didn’t. 

Playing video games with Q. I know that sounds mean, but there are plenty of other people in the house to play video games with him.  Ask me to play crib and I’m in anytime, but not video games. 

Leaving the house on Monday.  I wanted to go out to do some errands, join Q and Dave at High Park, and do a workout, but I was just too tired and worn out. Instead I curled up on the couch with some advil and water and watched TV and napped. No shame about that. 

Going to choir practice and church this coming week.  I have Leafs tickets for Thursday and then I have to take Q to baseball on Sunday.  I don't miss many weeks so I didn’t mind saying no this week. 

Real Life

This post was inspired by a reel I saw the other day on Instagram.  (And like any good reel, if I wanted to try and find it again, it would be impossible.). But the gist of it was a shout out to the people living in the real world, not the (wannabe) influencer/celebrity/instagram world.  It spoke to me because even though I have this blog and like to post about what we are up to, I assume you can tell that I’m not really displaying my life the way that others on here do. Sometimes I do wonder if I am the only one who isn’t doing a certain thing, since that’s what my view is of social media, but that reel reminded me that there are lots of us “real ones” out here.  So this post is for you guys! (And this isn’t a slight to those of you who do do these things, you’re living a real life too, it just looks different from mine!!)

Those of us who:

Don’t go to the cosmetic dermatologist to get peels and Botox and injections.  

Don’t own a Stanley cup.

Haven’t had a pedicure for months.

Just got their haircut last week for the first time since January!

Aren’t receiving multiple Amazon parcels each week.

Don’t have a cleaning lady.

Don’t have a perennially clean house. 

Get their books from the library. 

Own just a couple of pairs of jeans (at least one of which is skinny).

If you sometimes get overwhelmed at all the stuff other people are doing, just remember what is important to you and spend your time and money accordingly.  Happy Monday!

Let's Look - Little Everyday Things

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today's "Let's Look" topic is little things we do every single day.   I kept this list to things that I actually do every day, not just things that are regular habits, since I cannot say that every day I exercise, read, make sure I get outside, or drink x glasses of water.  I do those things, but not necessarily every day on a regular basis.  And of course there are some things I do every weekday when working but not necessarily on the weekends.

Drink AG1 - I received an Athletic Greens subscription for Christmas and I have been drinking it since then.  I feel good about drinking it and think it's helping me with energy levels during the day.

Drink coffee - I am one of those people that is addicted to coffee meaning if I don't have any, I will get a headache.  Since Christmas I am also in the habit of adding a scoop of collagen.

Eat Breakfast - I always needs to have something to eat in the morning. I was raised with the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Typically my breakfast is my healthiest meal, so I feel like it's a good start. 

Listen to Music - I like to put music on in the background while I am working and while I am making supper.  It's preferable to having the TV on. 

Check on my kids before bed - Since they were babies I would make sure they were still breathing before I went to bed at night, and I have continued to do this even today.  I'm less concerned about their breathing now, but I also want to make sure they are covered up. 

Say a Prayer - I do this while I am falling asleep. I start with things I am thankful for and the move into prayers for others.  However I am usually so quick to fall asleep, I rarely get through my whole list! But it's the thought that counts.

I'm sure I've left some things off of this list so I'll be looking forward to seeing what is on others' lists.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

 

Weekly Routines

 Here are the things that I do on a weekly basis:

Meal Plan and Groceries - I'm better at doing this during the months we are not skiing since right now I don't have as much time to sit with cookbooks and Pinterest to put together some worthwhile meals.  I like to go to the grocery store but I also frequently do a grocery order for pick up.   Lately I feel like we have been cobbling together meals on the fly, and how can we really live like this?! Haha.  It's fine for now. 

Laundry - I tend to all of the laundry on the same day, rather than throughout the week, usually on Friday when I'm working from home. I find it difficult to actually fold it all and put it away. 

Order School Lunches - The kids have pizza day on the first Wednesday of each month and the option for a delivered lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I order these on a week by week basis since they don't always need to have a purchased lunch, or maybe E has plans to get something with his friends. 

Clean my mouth guard - I have the Polident for retainers and I like to soak mine on Sunday night.  It always feels good to have it so fresh.

Review the calendar of the week ahead - This is done as a family so everyone understands what is required of them.  Currently we have both kids in swimming (on different nights), Q is doing baseball, and E has guitar.  I have choir practice one night, and Dave likes to book a time at the golf simulator.  

Empty all the garbages - The recycling and organics bin seem to be emptied on a more regular basis, but on Tuesday (before waste collection day on Wednesday) I will go around and empty all of the garbages around the house.  We have garbage pick up every other week (alternating with recycling) but I will still do the garbage even on a recycling week.

Set up my blog posts for the week - I usually set up the four or five posts I'm planning for the week, schedule the days for them to post, and add any graphics that I need.  This just gets my brain working on thinking of content so as the week progresses I just need to fill them in.

Workouts -  I like to look at the Peloton schedule to see what fun classes are coming up, or which ones I've missed and them figure out how to fit them into my week.

Things I wish I did a bit better at doing on a more frequent basis: cleaning everything in the house, applying a hair masque and face scrub, telling the kids to tidy their rooms, and prepping food to make it easier to grab throughout the week. 

Preparing for Christmas

Christmas sort of snuck up on me this year.  I heard Christmas music in a store the other day and I was startled. I just can't believe it is so close. I feel like every year I have a different feeling about Christmas, sometimes I am super excited, other times I feel a bit reticent about it all.  I suppose that's normal, but if I compare myself to others who go all in on this holiday starting on November 1, my approach can seem lacking.  

A few things about our holiday season will be different this year:

- We are still working on our home renovations and we are unsure if we will be able to move upstairs by Christmas Day. Our decorations are in storage so we haven't had any thought of putting up our outdoor lights and don't know if we will be able to get our normal big tree. 

- We aren't going to see Santa at the mall this year.  Truthfully the set up at our local mall Sherway Gardens lost its charm over the past few years.  They used to do sessions of about 25 kids where Santa would read a book, they would sing some songs, and then each kid would have a chance to sit with Santa for photos.  But the past few years it's just been photos, which is the norm, but it doesn't seem worth it this year.  We have not had the talk about Santa in our house, although there have been a few questions. 

- We aren't having our annual friends and neighbours Christmas party.  Our house isn't ready for that and we are really sad to miss out.  We have had a party every year since we moved in in 2014 (except for 2020).  We'll be back better than ever next year!  Or maybe we'll do a mid-winter party so we can show off our renovations before too long.

- Because of our lack of party and our current accommodations, it also means I'm haven't put any thought into Christmas baking.  

However the school Christmas Winter concert is back this year!! So although E has aged out of it, Q will be performing and I'll be looking forward to that!

I think above all, no matter how I am feeling about the actual holiday season, I always keep the true meaning of Christmas at the top of my mind. At choir on Sunday, we sang our first Christmas anthem, and the words from the arrangement of "Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming" we were singing really struck me, of course I can't find the exact wording here and I forgot to make a note of it at the time, but it's basically that Mary brought forth a child, and that's it, that's the meaning of Christmas for me. I think I will keep those words as my touchstone throughout this season. 

Christmas Jesus is my favourite Jesus.

Friday Favourites

 

Happy Friday! I'm in Southern Florida this weekend, first South Beach and then the Keys :) A nice little sunny trip before winter. 

On Monday I spent some time at the library.  It was like I was back in university.  I had dropped the kids off at tutoring and then had an hour before needing to pick them up so I set up at the library to do a bit of work. 

I may yell at the kids a lot, but there are moments when things come together.  On Monday I asked them to do the dishes while I got supper ready.  They did a great job!

Q had soccer practice this week (or "training" if you want to be accurate).  This fall league is great because it is two nights a week and they actually get some instruction on one night, with the other being a game.

Dave has been in Vegas for work this week. He had sent some photos and E asked if Vegas was a theme park.  In some ways it totally is.

If you're joining me via the Friday Favourites link up and you love Disney, check out my recaps of our recent trip here (for my regular followers, I'll stop talking about it now):

 Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and Universal and My Tips

Join our link up on Monday when we talk about Comfort Foods.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

Life Lately

I did not document our weekend this week, mostly because we were able to take it pretty easy, for once. So instead this is more of a "life lately" post.  

This past Sunday was Remembrance Sunday since it falls before November 11.  We enjoyed some bagpipes, a trumpet, and a guest pianist.  You can actually view our service here.  The choir was proud of our anthem (at the 47:15 mark of the link above).

I added a couple of ride photos to my Disney trip recaps, but I won't make you scroll through those again to find them, here they are. (Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom here, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios here, and Universal here)

Speaking of rides, we are really enjoying the Behind the Attractions show on Disney+.  I still believe Disney employs magic to put these parks together, so I don't want to lift the veil too much, but I like hearing about how the rides were developed.  Also, we watched Pirates of the Caribbean on the weekend and I loved spotting the jail dog with the keys in his mouth, just like on the ride. 

Last week I had a couple of more spots on my face looked at by the dermatologist. I did this last year, and although they aren't a major concern yet, it has been their advice to get them lasered off, and then remember sunscreen at all times.  A reminder to you to get things checked out in a timely manner!

 And then treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte as a reward for being an adult ;)

I keep making soup that my family does not want to eat, but at least I enjoy it and get to bring it for my lunch at work.  This one was a cauliflower turmeric soup.  Now to be fair, Dave was heading to the airport so he didn't eat supper at home and E had eaten at a friend's house (and he tasted it and said it was good). Q said it looked "like dirt" and I admit I may have over-roasted the vegetables.  The accompanying focaccia bread was enjoyed though!

We went shopping at Crate and Barrel for some furniture this weekend.  We bought a couch and a couple of chairs.  I snapped this photo of a blanket basket and a few other things that caught my eye while we were there.  We also went to Pottery Barn but was disappointed with their prices and customer service.  Nice things to look at but can find better elsewhere.

A great little show on Apple TV - The Real Wagatha Story about Coleen Rooney (the wife of former English footballer, Wayne Rooney) and how she found out who was leaking her private Instagram stories to the tabloids. 

We finally got E a phone.  He was the last one in his Grade 7 class to get a phone (so he tells us).  He really wasn't bothering us too much about getting a phone. It is nice to be able to leave him texts he can get after school (phone stays in the locker during the day) and checking in on him when he's at a friend's house. 

Have a great rest of your week!

Covid Habits to Keep

I know we are still missing out on so much - family time, travelling, restaurants, etc. - but there are some things that I hope will continue on even after we can lift some of these restrictions.  Now to be clear, I am not an overly social person like others may be, I don't love being in huge groups of people, and I don't like a lot of attention. I like to do things a certain way without being bothered by things I don't like.  Sometimes I don't feel like talking to anyone, which is why living in Toronto is perfect for me since I can be anonymous if I want to be.  So for me, this list is for things I would like to continue, but I'm sure other people feel differently.  

Cleaning my hands more.  I did not used to be as diligent at washing my hands as I am now, and when I think back, it's kind of gross.  I used to take the subway to work and touch a few surfaces on the way into my office, and then go to my desk and eat something without washing my hands. Yuck!

Not hugging as much.  Hugging is appropriate in some situations, but I also think there was too much of it before. I just met you, why are we hugging? (Dave, on the other hand, cannot get enough hugs.) 

Contactless delivery.  Just leave the food, we don't need to have an interaction. I'll tip the delivery person but I don't like the awkward encounter at the door.  

Reduced people in stores.  I'm thinking of places like the meat market or fish store where you need to be served by the person behind the counter.  With less people going in at a time, then it's clear who is first and there is no one cutting the line (on purpose or inadvertently).

Options to attend church, workouts, meetings virtually.  I definitely want to go back to these places in person at some point, but I would also love the option to attend from home if I need to.  Some Sunday mornings, there isn't enough energy to get everyone dressed up and out the door, but I may still want to view the service.  Part of these experiences is definitely the in-person camaraderie, but sometimes I just want the content itself.

Beer delivery.  It's great to just get a few dozen beer delivered right to your door and having a good supply rather than having to make various trips to the LCBO or Beer Store.

Outdoor parties.  I mentioned last week that my cleaning hack is to invite people over for dinner so I am forced to clean the house.  However, I also like that we can (or could and will again) have people over to hang out in the backyard with no expectation that they would be going into the house.  Fortunately we have a nice backyard so it works for us, 

Flexible work arrangements. I do want to go back to my office downtown, and will look forward to subway rides, various lunch options, and seeing actual people, but I would also appreciate days when I could work from home without any questions being asked. (And to be fair, I do work in a place where working from home occasionally was fine, but the expectation was to be in the office.)

Doctor visits by phone/email.  For some visits, clearly going into the office is necessary but sometimes you just need a prescription refill, test results, or a doctor's note and you don't want to have to go all the way into the office for a visit that lasts minutes.  A quick phone call or email does the trick.

Friday Favourites

With virtual school happening here again this week, we needed to find some fun at home things to keep us busy (since the JK online school day doesn't end up being that long).  Q and I went for a walk to look and listen for birds.  Then we drew pictures of the ones we saw and heard when we got home.

This little monkey snuck Easter candy all week (but also shared some with me).  It's mostly gone now.

This is what the house looks like at the end of the day. Toys in the living room, table full of paper, markers, scissors, etc. and kitchen with remnants of lunch dishes. 

E does his work on his bed, but it works for him. 

Q has really improved on this bike riding.  He can stop and start on his own and is just a little wobbly to get going.

E saw me across the parking lot and said he didn't think I looked like myself since my hair was down and blowing in the wind. And he pointed out I don't wear white often either, and he is correct.

It is Masters weekend here which is always a highlight of the golf season for us.  The golf is good, but I also just enjoy seeing the flowering trees and shrubs. 

A reminder for students of history that it is Vimy Ridge Day today, a significant battle in World War I for the young Canadian nation. Someday we will get to France to visit the memorial and other war sites. 

I can't believe it is time for another Not Just a Mom Link Up on Monday but it is the second Monday of the month already.  Join me and the other hosts for Favourite Family Memories. 

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.