Can I ask why?

I will often have a question at the tip of my tongue to ask someone, but then I realize it probably sounds snarky so I don't ask, but often these are genuine questions that I want to know the answer to!! You'll see what I mean (try to reduce the level of snark when you read them to yourself):

Why are you buying a case of bottled water?  Are you travelling to a place where the water is not clean?  I can think of no other reason.

Why do you buy your breakfast/lunch everyday?  Don't you know how much money you could save by bringing your food from home?  And how much healthier it is?

How are you wearing jeans in 30+ degree weather? Do you not feel the heat? Are you not comfortable in any other item of clothing?

(And conversely) how are you not wearing a hat or scarf when the temperature is so cold? Do you not feel the cold?  Are you just worried about messing up your hair?

Why are you ordering so much from Amazon?  Do you really need all of those things?

Why don't you wear a helmet skiing or biking?  I know you may have complete confidence in your ability as a skier/biker, but it's more just about the people who could run into you.  Natasha Richardson (Liam Neeson's wife) sustained a head injury and died by falling backward while skiing and she was just standing still at the bunny hill.

Why do people (mostly women) crouch down when taking a group photo?  Most of the time they aren't really blocking anyone behind them, I always think it looks so awkward.

Enviro Update

Back in October, I wrote this post about wanting to do a better job of making environmentally conscious choices.  We are making small but lasting changes to our habits.

I started actually thinking every time I would grab for a paper towel or plastic, how I could make a different choice.  There are still a couple of instances where I need to use a paper towel (like soaking up the grease from bacon or sausage), but I've really eliminated a lot of their use and we use cloth napkins instead.  And we have lots of reusable things for covering and saving food so I can use those instead of foil or plastic wrap.

I've also stopped lining pans with tin foil when I cook something. I would do that to make clean up easier, but most of the time it's not necessary and if it is, parchment paper works just as well (although I am still trying to limit use of that too).

Then I realized that I do a good job of using reusable items at home, and then I'd get to work and use a ton of paper towel, even for something dumb like carrying my hot dish to my office to eat my lunch.  So I started bringing a tea towel or cloth napkin to leave at work for the week and use it for various things and then bring it home at the end of the week to wash.  I also bought a reusable mug for when I want to buy a coffee downstairs and I won't have to use their paper cups.

Another simple thing is bringing a water bottle with me when travelling. As long as it's empty when going through airport security, it's fine, and then you fill it up on the other side.  This really cuts down on having to buy water wherever you go.  And when you're at a hotel, it's so much nicer to drink from a big bottle than their little (sometimes plastic) cups.

We also got some Norwex cleaning cloths from my mom for Christmas and we can dust and clean the mirrors with these clothes (rather than using paper towel as we used to do), and they use just water, nothing else, so that's a bonus.  She also gave me some cloths that remove make up and mascara without using a cleanser, and they work really well too.

I know we still have a ways to go, but small steps are better than nothing!  Any other tips out there?

Weekend Recap

What a great long weekend!! We kicked things off with Valentine's Day on Friday.  I set up a few treats for my Valentines in the morning. And I made some waffles and added pink food colouring. They didn't turn out that pink looking, but they were still good.

A few cookies and a dance party before school.

My own treat :)  Well, after I got back from my dentist appointment. 

Because of my dentist appointment and parent/teacher interviews, I worked from home on Friday. And that meant Dave and I got to grab lunch together. We just walked up to our local pub and then picked up a few things from No Frills. 

We made some heart shaped pizzas for supper.   Q needed four pieces, on two different plates, but he actually ate them all (minus the crusts).

Then some puzzle action.

On Saturday our plan was to clean the house, which we did.  And we got a few other things organized as well like move a shoe rack/bench from my closet to the coat closet, and I threw out a few clothes, shoes, and stuff I do not use anymore.  Then I picked up our grocery order, got gas, and went to the LCBO.

When I got home, I made French onion soup for supper. It was so delicious.

Q didn't want the French onion soup, but he had a couple of slices of pizza.

We watched the NBA skills competition with E.  He was celebrating a big win but someone, I can't remember who.

On Sunday we had plans to go skiing in the afternoon, so we kept the morning simple with some movies and cereal.  And Dave cleaned out the car.

We drove to Snow Valley in Barrie (where we all have season passes).  Their main 6-person lift was broken, so we actually thought it wouldn't be that busy.  When we pulled up around 1:45, the line of cars to get in stretched about a kilometre down the road, in both directions!  And that was just to get into the parking lot.  But we didn't have any other plans, so we didn't mind waiting.  It took about 45 minutes to get parked.  It was actually mostly people going to the tube park that were tying up the line, the skiing wasn't that bad.

We did a couple of runs on the bunny hills and then we took Q up on the big lift for the first time, he loved it!

He skied down with Dave between Dave's legs, and then when we got to some flatter parts, Dave would let him go by himself.  He did really well.  We ate supper at the lodge and then went back out for some night skiing.  Dave and E did the terrain park and I did the bunny hills with Q.  Then we sat by the fire outside for a few minutes before it was time to go.

We decided to spend the night in Barrie so we could ski the next day too.  We booked a room at the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott.  We took a quick dip in the pool, but it was so cold, so we didn't stay long there. The kids explored the room, checking out every nook and cranny, with the cups of Doritoes.  Meanwhile Dave and I watched the NBA All-Star game.

Look at these sweet guys!

We were some of the first people up on the lift the next morning when Snow Valley opened at 9:00. We parked at the bottom of the triple lift, got our boots on at the car, and skied right over.  Q did a few runs with us and then went over to do a lesson for the morning.

That meant Dave, E and I got to ski all morning together.  It was such a beautiful day and really not that busy.

Ready at the top of the terrain park.

Our plan was just to ski until lunchtime, and although it was a great day to ski, it was getting busier, so we stuck to the plan and left after Q's lesson.  We stopped in at McDonalds for lunch and then drove home.  We tidied up, showered, watched a movie, and then I made supper. I tried this recipe for a roast chicken dish, and also this rice pilaf. 

While I made dinner, I got organized for the morning by making my shake and prepping the coffee.   

Friday Favourites

We are ready for Valentine's Day tomorrow!  Q was not interested in writing on any of his cards so I did them all.  E doesn't have school today so he exchanged card with his class yesterday.  But they are both going to wear red today and I will make a special breakfast (maybe pink waffles!).  

I have been enjoying this face masque from Kiehl's.  To be honest I was drawn in by the cute jar but it is a nice treat to use it every week or so.

E has two days off from school this week because of the teachers' strike so Dave took him skiing one day.  They used the Go Pro and got some cool videos in the terrain park.

These two monkeys made my walk to the stairs interesting.

I have not been to a Fresh restaurant for awhile, but while running errands this week I decided to pop into Fresh on Front to grab my lunch.  I was blown away at how beautiful the inside is, it was stunning!! IT was bright and cheery with white and pink accents. If you get a chance to go in, take it.  This is not my photo, but you can sort of get an idea of the pretty decor.  And bonus, I really enjoyed my meal - a Tiger bowl with soba noodles, on the recommendation of the server, and a hot Chai bomb as my dessert.  I passed a lovely lunch hour there with my book.

We watched Don't F*ck with Cats on Netflix this week.  It is about Luka Magnotta, who you will know of if you are from Canada.  It was really fascinating.  And if you don't know who Luka Magnotta is but you like true crime docs, then check this out.

Linking up with Andrea, Erika and Narci for Friday Favourites. 

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Organization

I am always seeking to be more organized. I just do not like the feeling of being rushed, forgetting something, or not having a plan.  I always think I am not an anxious person, but perhaps I am and I am simply mitigating that by striving for organization (deep dive on my personality to happen another time).

Anyway, I've written about various ways I try to stay organized before but I have some new ones that I wanted to tell you about today:

Getting coffee set up the night before.  Making coffee isn't a big task, but it does take a bit of time, and now that I get it set up in the evening by filling the water and grinding the beans, I just have to press the button when I get downstairs in the morning. (I realize there is also a timer function on the coffeemaker but I haven't figured that out yet.)

Making breakfast shake in evening.  Again, making a shake isn't really a big job, but it does involve several ingredients, some that need to be washed, peeled, cut, and measured.  Getting it done the night before means I can just grab it from the fridge in the morning. Bonus is that the ones I make are usually enough for two servings.

Using Google Docs for Meal Planning and Blog Posts. I used to write these down in a notebook or calendar at home but then I couldn't add to it while I was at work when I had a new idea. I've also started including a link to the recipe from Pinterest or other source so I don't have to go looking for it again when it is time to cook (or send to Dave for him to prepare).

Getting kids to help.  Q loves to help although his assistance is spotty at best, and E can help but doesn't usually volunteer. E was off school this week a couple of days so I had him clean the bathrooms and wash the sheets on this bed. Q is good at putting his dish in the dishwasher and can put away some of the clean dishes as well. I will probably end up guilty of being the mom who does everything for their sons but I'll keep trying to get them involved.

Put everything on calendar and set reminders on phone. This is not a new one but one worth repeating.  Everything goes onto my calendar (and is colour coded!) and most of it includes an invite to share with Dave's calendar.  If it's there then I can let it go from my brain and know I can rely on being reminded about it later. And adding the extra reminder on my phone such as remembering to send money with E for a bake sale, or extra clothes for Q, also helps to prepare for the next day.

Let's Look - Winter Wardrobe

Today we are writing about our winter wardrobe.  Well here's a little secret, my winter wardrobe (at least for work) is basically the same as my summer wardrobe, but with nylons or tights.

I have three basic work outfits - pants with a blousy top and cardigan, dress, or skirt with blousy top and cardigan or blazer.  I do have a couple of dresses that are just for summer, but mostly my wardrobe overlaps.  I may add slightly more colour in the summer, since I have noticed I'm wearing a lot of grey and black lately.  I do not take many photos of my outfits, mostly because I think they are boring and I'm also terrible at doing mirror selfies.  Maybe I'll put something together to show you what I usually wear to work.  

My weekend look is a range of comfortable pants from jeans to leggings to sweatpants.  ;)

This is a standard work outfit.  I also have these pants from Old Navy in red and black. 

My winter weekend wardrobe also includes this look.

Weekend Recap

E had another day off school on Friday because of the rotating teachers' strike.  He went to the YMCA in the morning but Dave picked him up mid-afternoon and he got to go bowling with his friends. 

These same friends came back to our house after bowling and then their mom came over and the three of us (Dave, me, and Nicole) polished off a couple of bottles of wine (oops!), while the kids played Nintendo in the basement. 

The next morning I got up to go to my pilates class.  Q was in a happy mood while Dave was cleaning up.

Then we went sledding.  We got a big inflatable polar bear sled for Christmas and this was our first chance to use it. 

E and Q carrying it back up the hill together

In the afternoon I did a few errands then got our lunches together for skiing and supper prepped for the next night.  On this night we had a salad - kale, roasted sweet potatoes, brown lentils, avocado, pecans and pumpkin seeds, with this hemp citrus dressing. 

Then Dave's cousin and her husband (and their dog) came over to babysit and we went out with our friends to do some axe-throwing. We went to Bad Axe Throwing off Runnymede.  It's BYOB and snacks so we brought a few beers and a bag of chips.

I was not consistent with my shots but I did get a few bullseyes (this counts!).

I should mention Catherine got bullseyes too but I didn't get a photo of hers!  After that we went to Brydens for a couple more beers and a plate of nachos, and then we walked home. Fun times!

The next morning we got up to go skiing but Dave wasn't feeling well so he decided to stay home and I took the kids skiing anyway.  I considered staying home too but then I wondered what I would do with the kids all day so I thought we should go.

I got the kids ready and took Q over for his lesson. 

And then I got to go skiing by myself for a bit.  It was cold but the conditions were beautiful. 

We hung out with our friends as we usually do.  I took Q over to the bunny hill and he did pretty well, but then he had to go to the washroom and after he was done he didn't want to go back out.   The littles played on the deck while we waited for the big kids to finish their lessons. 

E did a few runs on the terrain park with the other parents while Q and I got the car packed up.  Q was asleep before we barely left the parking lot.

We had a good drive back (with a stop at Tim Hortons of course!).  Dave still wasn't feeling great when we got home, but he was up and around.  I showered and then sat with Q for a bit on the couch.  Since I had prepped supper the night before, it just needed to be heated up in the oven.

I stayed up to watch the Oscars and had a couple of glasses of wine.  I didn't make any predictions so I just enjoyed the show.  I was happy to see Brad Pitt win.