Favourite Apps!

Today's topic is favourite apps. It's been a long time since I discovered a new app that I was really excited to use. I stick to the basic social media ones and every now and then I'll download a game only to delete in after a few weeks because I get bored.

Sleep Cycle

This app is the best 99 cents I've ever spent. The app store describes it as a "bio-alarm clock". You set the alarm before you go to sleep and it tracks your sleep patterns during the night. In the morning it wakes you during a half hour window when you're in your lightest sleep phase, which is supposed to help you feel better rested. I don't know how much real scientific value this app has but I'm hooked. It seems to be fairly accurate and I do notice a difference when I use it vs when I just set a regular alarm!

Instagram

I remember way back when I still had my BlackBerry and everyone else had made the switch to iPhones I couldn't for the life of me understand the point of Instagram. And then one day I was bored and installed it more so to creep on what other people were doing than to use it myself, but I got hooked. I refresh my feed probably every 15 minutes and I love just scrolling through people's photos. And sharing snapshots of my day. It's definitely my most used social media app and if you're not following me on Insta you should, I promise lots of photos of camp and cats! 

Snapchat gets an honourable mention, because it's fun but I still haven't figured out the actual point of it. If anyone has any insight please enlighten me.

Linking up with Faith, Allie & Juliette!

Currently Playing Catchup

I had a bit of a blogging streak and then things got crazy. As in we had 44 campers and some were a bit of a handful and I barely had time to sleep this week never mind sit at a computer and blog. Camp ended yesterday and I came home for a few days because I need to lay on the couch and watch the Discovery Channel to let my brain repair itself after last week. 

While I sit here at noon, still in my PJs, watching Coldwater Cowboys and looking forward to the BBQ hot dogs I'm going to eat for lunch I figure I can participate in yesterday's "Currently" prompt. 

Reading: I just finished The Tin Ring by Zdenka Fantlova. I really want to read The Big Truck That Went By by Jonathan Katz next but I haven't been able to track down a copy. 

Writing: Randomness. Every now and then I'll get out my notebook and pen and write some random prose poetry. 

Listening to: Somewhere In My Car - Keith Urban

Thinking: I don't ever want to leave the couch. Except that I need to switch over my laundry and eat lunch and shower. And I'm pretty sure Mom is going to get me to leave the house and go out into the world at some point today, so I should get dressed. 

Smelling: The hayfield next door.

Wishing: There was real coffee in this house instead of just the instant stuff my brother drinks. 

Hoping: The rest of the summer is relatively stress-free. 

Wearing: The most adorable PJ shorts from American Eagle, they're pink and have umbrellas all over them. And an old t-shirt from res. 

Wanting: Real coffee. And someone to make me lunch. And a foot rub. And some clarification about a confusing boy situation. 

Loving: The PJ shorts I'm currently wearing. Laying on the couch is also glorious. 

Needing: Motivation. Or caffeine. It's hard to distinguish between the two at this point in the summer. 

My Job Is Weird

I laughed out loud when I saw that the prompt for the day was "your day in GIFs"…because I'm at work, camp is in session and there is just no telling what's going to happen in the run of a day around here.

I spend a lot of time intervening before counsellors/campers make bad decisions. Like having a contest to see how much hot sauce they can eat on a spoon or wear the same t-shirt for five days in a row. 

I drink A LOT of coffee.

In-between I do a lot of singing and dancing to one-hit wonders & popular songs from 10 years ago.

I never know what's going to happen next when camp is in session. No day is ever the same and I can honestly say my job is never boring. Chaotic, ridiculous, fun and challenging but never boring.

Linking up for Blog Everyday in July!

Pick One.

Answering "This or That" questions from the Blog Everyday in July Challenge. I'm usually really bad at this game because I'm indecisive and I over analyze things until I'm blue in the face. 

1. Be blind or be deaf

I struggle with this question. My gut reaction is that I'd rather be deaf because there are so many other ways to communicate with people and I already have horrible vision. Then I remember I wouldn't be able to hear music and I doubt myself. I'm sticking with deaf though.

2. Be taller than you are or shorter than you are

Taller! I'm barely 5 feet. I would love to be 5'5 or even 5'6. 

3. Be a teenager or a senior citizen for the rest of your life

Senior Citizen! Living the retired life, hanging out with my grandkids, taking up line dancing and meeting the ladies in the church group for coffee once a week. 

4. Have no hands or no legs

No legs.

5. Lose your front teeth or both eyebrows

Front teeth? 

6. Eat a worm or a cockroach

Since the question didn't specify I'm going to assume you mean gummy worm and choose that. 

7. Spend a day in the Sahara or North Pole

Sahara. I was not made to live in the cold.

8. Have a personal chef or a personal driver

I really enjoy cooking but driving gives me a lot of anxiety. On the flip side sometimes I really enjoy driving just by myself so I wouldn't want to give that up. If I could have a part time personal driver that would be grand.

9. Always have to whisper or always have to shout

Whisper! I have a pretty quiet voice and I don't like loud noises/people so having to yell everything all the time would be torture.

10. Can't taste or can't smell

Can't smell.  There are a lot of scents I would miss but I can't imagine not being able to taste.

11. Wipe with sandpaper or saran wrap

Saran Wrap? I don't have a reason for this one it was just my gut reaction.

12. Have Twitter shut down for a day or your blog disappear for a day

Twitter shut down. I read Twitter pretty consistently during the day to keep in touch with the real world but I would be a lot more panicked if my blog disappeared. I'm pretty confident Twitter has enough employees to get it back up and running where as if I lost my blog I would be lost.

13. Text of your blog is screwed up or all the pictures you post on your blog are blurry

Pictures are blurry.

14. Never be able to post another GIF or never be able to receive comments on your posts

Never post another GIF. I don't post all that many to begin with and I love, love, love receiving comments and interacting with other bloggers.

15. Have a permanent wedgie or have the tag on your shirt constantly scratch your neck

Tag constantly scratching my neck.

    

Blogmopolitan Quiz!

Linking up with Erin at Two Thirds Hazel!

Five Favourite Things

Cactus

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli was one of the first books that I read that really stuck with me. More than just a favourite book the characters, interactions and philosophy of the story has stuck with me since elementary school. In a lot of ways it's influenced who I am. In high school I was lucky enough to be part of a stage production of the story with my best friends. I used a quote from Love, Stargirl as my yearbook quote when I graduated. And whenever I come across somebody who shares a love of Stargirl I feel an immediate connection to them. My love of the book has lead me to develop a serious fascination with the desert and cactus. I've been on the lookout for a perfect cactus plant to have as my own and I finally found one a few weeks ago at Wal-Mart of all places for $3.97. It now sits on my desk and looking at it makes me happy.

Sunsets

Call me a stereotypical white girl if you must but there's nothing that forces me to take a minute and bask in the beauty of nature and the world than a sunset. Every sunset is different but they're all 'God Moments' I'm so awe-struck by the perfection of the colours blended together as the sun sets. Sunsets are also one of my favourite things to photograph. I love the contrast of black shadows against a pink/purple/orange/yellow/blue sky. Someone once told me that if I was a colour I would be "sky-blue-pink", which of course is the way to describe all the colours of a sunset. I took that to heart and the nights when the sunsets on a 'sky-blue-pink' are among my favourites.

Photography

I'm not a master photographer. I don't have scores of families begging me to take their photo or companies hoping I'll photograph their latest product in the best light. But I love seeing the world though my camera lens. I have a friend who is super into photography and he's always making comments about how I don't share my photos. Every time he says it I'm confused. I share some on here but other than that I don't feel the need to fill albums on Facebook or dedicate an entire Tumblr for my photography. I certainly don't pass around my journal for everyone to read and comment on so I won't do that with my photographs either. It's something I enjoy doing, it helps me be creative and notice the things around me from different perspectives. It's for me.

Daisies

Daisies are my favourite flowers. If I was brave enough and I could convince my future husband to agree I would name a little girl Daisy-May. I'm very specific in my daisy love though, I have no time for those artificially neon coloured ones. It has to be the real thing. Yellow middles and snow white petals. The wildflower type are my absolute favourite but I appreciate the garden variety as well. 

Frozen Hot Chocolate from Second Cup

I got a little deep with my first four favourites so I'm throwing this one in here too. I love a good dose of caffeine. Hot Coffee. Iced Coffee. Iced Cap. Frappachino. They all have their place in this world. My favourite fancy coffee shop treat though is a Frozen Hot Chocolate from Second Cup. I'm not even 100% sure why this is. I don't consider myself a chocoholic, I enjoy hot chocolate on occasion when it's cold outside but I almost always choose coffee or tea. There's something extra delicious about Frozen Hot Chocolate though. Plus I rarely get to have it so when I'm in the vicinity of a Second Cup it makes the experience all the more magical!

Also linking up with Amanda at Meet @ The Barre!

Favourite Blogs

This time of year especially my Bloglovin' feed gets way out of control. I don't have the time to sit at my computer and catch up on every blog post that gets published every day. I wish I did, but by the time the day is over it's easily 11 p.m. (often later) and all I want to do is climb into bed and fall asleep. There are a few blogs I make a little extra effort to read each day. Even then sometimes by the time I get around to it there are four or five posts piled up.

The two blogs that I really pay close attention to are:

Kelly's Korner

I'm not really sure what isn't to love about Kelly and her adorable daughters. This is one of the first blog I really followed. I remember reading her blog when her first daughter was born and had some serious medical complications. It was my first glimpse into how amazing and powerful the blogging community can be when someone is experiencing crisis. Kelly is so passionate about her beliefs and sharing her experiences while encouraging others. I would love to just hang out with her for a few hours over a Diet Coke and listen to her wisdom. Plus, I'm pretty sure we'd do a lot of laughing. 

71 Toes

First of all I love Shawni, she seems like the sweetest and most intentional person on the planet. I hope that someday I can be even half the mom she is to my own kids. I love her honesty; it's not always sunshine and roses but the focus is on the good and you work together to get through the tough stuff. Bonus points for her amazing photography skills (and tutorials!). I love reading about her faith and learning more about Mormon beliefs.

The Greatest Condiment On Earth

Dear PC Spicy Chipotle Dipping Sauce,

Thank you for making everything better delicious. You do your best work in cooperation with chicken nuggets but you are willing to work with anything and I appreciate that kind of dedication. It fills me with great joy to know that I can own you for the low cost of $2.99 at any SuperStore. There was a time when we had to be apart because the local Super Store didn't have you in stock and that made me sad. I am so happy to have you back in my life. And I never miss an opportunity to sing your praises to others in hopes that they too will experience your awesomeness. And also buy their own bottle to keep the demand up. My heart will be broken if the day ever comes when you are discontinued. No other condiment could ever replace your perfect balance of spicy, smokey, sweet flavours. Thanks for making my life better and camp meals more tolerable. 

Love, 

Donna

Fill in the Blank

When I open the fridge, I always hope I find… Cold Pop! 

My favorite article of clothing is… Shoes. 

Last week I was really pissed when…dealing with overly dramatic people. 

One thing nobody understands about me is… I'm indecisive but when I make up my mind about something I don't change it. 

One thing I don't understand is… math. 

The world would be a better place if…people focused on commonalities instead of differences. 

If I had a million dollars I'd…buy a piece of land and start the process of building my own camp/retreat centre. 

If I could change one thing about myself, it would be… Physically I'd make myself taller. Personality wise I'd be braver/more confident. 

Something that can always make me happy is… Watching clips on YouTube of ridiculous game show moments. Also, chicken nuggets. 

Something I'll never blog about is… Specific details about my life

If I could go anywhere I would go…to Stonehenge because… it's just so darn cool! The history surrounding it fascinates me!

If I were an animal I would be a….SQUIRREL! Reasons being; I'm small, nervous, I like to snack and people watch. I like to hoard things and if given the choice I would live at camp year round!

A job I've always wanted is.. published author! 

My idea of a perfect day is… Starts with coffee, includes lots of conversation, balanced with some alone time to read and reflect. Involves worship, time by the water, opportunities to play with my camera and a lot of laughter. It ends with a campfire under a starry summer sky. Bonus points for falling asleep while cuddling. 

Just One

I'm indecisive so asking me to choose just one thing I can't live without is hard. The process of deciding what my answer is looked a little something like this: 

Chicken Nuggets
Pop
Tie-Dye
Pen & Paper
Technology (iPhone/Laptop etc.)
Shoes
Faith (I'm not sure this is really a 'thing')
Spicy Chipotle Dipping Sauce
Internet
Books
Jogging Pants
Coffee

I wasn't getting anywhere with that method so I rephrased the question and asked myself what one thing I would want on a desert island. And I came to the conclusion that I would really struggle living without a notebook & a writing utensil. 

Words are my favourite. And when words fail me I can sit in silence for hours doodling shapes and lines and processing what's going on in my life. I could get by without delicious foods and although I wouldn't be happy about it I could go on with out the internet. But if I suddenly lost the ability to put pen to paper and just write I'd struggle. Give me a pencil case full of colourful felt tip pens and a blank notebook and I can be content for hours on end. 

Hurricanes & Dinner Dates

Before I launch into 1000 excuses about why I have failed so miserably at "Blogging Every Day in July" let me tell you about my week. 

This past session started off with a hurricane warning. So the day before the campers arrived the director and myself made an emergency trip to town to buy more rope/tarps/bungee cords to secure stuff down plus enough lanterns for each of the cabins to have one incase we lost power. While we were in town the counsellors back at camp filled all the bathtubs with water and took everything outside inside. You really don't realize just how many projectiles you have around until you're preparing for 100 km winds. 

Camper Drop Off was more chaotic than usual since a dozen or so campers decided to come the next day rather than drive in a hurricane to get to camp. Luckily the winds didn't really pick up until later on in the afternoon after the majority of the campers had arrived. I say luckily because this meant the counsellors were able to entertain the campers while the director & I dealt with the hurricane. 

At one point "dealing with the hurricane" meant standing on the start of our dock with a walkie-talkie watching for it to break loose while we waited for the maintenance guy to come over to do a quick repair job because the waves and wind were hitting at just the right angle to jiggle the bolts holding the dock together loose.  We weren't super worried about the dock because that's easy enough to replace…what we were concerned about was that attached to the dock is our boat so if the end of the dock was going to break lose and float away the boat was going along for the ride. 

The rest of the week followed suit and I don't think I've ever been happier for a Day 7 to come along so I can get my life in order again. Including getting back to blogging. 

The prompt for today is Five People (Dead or Alive) I would like to have dinner with. 

1.  Ellen DeGeneres: Not only is she hilarious but she has so much compassion for other people. I'd love to hang out with her for a few hours and listen to her talk. 
2. Shane Claiborne: This guy fascinates me. If you haven't heard about him before you need to google him right away. I love how passionate his is about his faith and how how intentional he is about doing what HE feels called to do even if it goes against the mainstream church. I'd love to share a meal with him and have some seriously deep discussion. 
3. Laura Ingalls Wilder: I will always love Little House on the Prairie. I have read the books thousands of times and I never get tired of the stories. I would love to meet her in person and hear her stories directly from her with added details and insight. 
4. Kelly Stamps: I don't think there are too many bloggers out there who aren't at least semi-familar with Kelly's blog Kelly's Korner, it's one of the first blogs I really started reading on a regular basis. I just think she is the sweetest and although she's perhaps a little more conservative than I am I would love to sit down with her and listen to her talk about her faith. She just seems like such a genuinely nice person who really desires to use her talents and gifts to make a difference.
5. Taylor Swift: This is my fun pick. T-Swift would probably be okay with just grabbing some fast food and eating it while laughing and giggling about life. And then we'd bake cookies for dessert and everything would be fun and sparkly. 

Land of Vanilla Coke & Home of Chick-Fil-A

So I skipped yesterday's post because when I sat down to write I quickly realized that I've been doing a terrible job at making myself uncomfortable and being Brave in 2014. So I'm going to work on that but the summarized version of my bravery is that I've spent a lot of nights at home in my sweat pants binge watching documentaries about society.

Moving on to today's prompt about America….

I've lived in Canada all my life and have never crossed the border into 'Merica. Up until recently this wasn't something that really bothered me. I'm happy here. There are ketchup chips here and poutine what more could a gal ask for? 

Then I found out Vanilla Coke is readily available and easily accessible down there. 

And then I started blogging and learned all about the magic of Chick-Fil-A, In-And-Out Burger, Sonic and Chipotle. And Panera and P.F. Changs...

Basically I've developed an interest in visiting the states just so I can experience a whole lot of fast food restaurants. 

I'm clicking publish on this now because I need to get back to work and not blogging. But I'm counting it as a win anyway because a post is a post. 

Happy 4th of July Americans! Drink some Vanilla Coke in my honour! 

Guilty Pleasures

I always struggle to figure out what exactly constitutes a 'guilty pleasure' opposed to something I enjoy that other people don't. There are a few things though that I definitely consider guilty pleasures and also feel a little twinge of embarrassment whenever someone finds out I'm even remotely interested in them...

Blogging

This is a bit of a grey area…I'm not really embarrassed about my blog…but all the same I live happily in the blog closet as far as my friends go and whenever someone from the real worlds finds out I have a blog (even if they can't read it) my palms start to sweat and I rush to change the topic immediately. 

Reality TV

There is just something so comforting about watching other people make bad life choices. I may not have my life together, but I also don't have multiple baby daddies or a criminal record so things aren't all that bad. 

Coca-Cola

Pop is terrible for you. Dark pop is basically the devil's drink. I just don't care, it's so delicious and satisfying. I figure as long as I drink lots of water in the scheme of things a can of pop every few days isn't going to kill me. 

Timber by Pitbull

I just can't stop listening to this song. And it is SO terrible. Everything from the fact it's an overplayed pop song to the lyrics make it terrible. I listen to it on repeat whenever the mood strikes though. I once listened to it in the car for a solid half an hour. It's just so happy and upbeat it instantly improves my mood whenever it comes on. 

So that's what I've been indulging in lately, what guilty pleasures have you been enjoying? Don't forget to link up with Juliette, Faith & Allie for Blog Everyday in July! 

July! July! July!

That's right after almost a month of never once bothering to even pretend to write a blog post I'm jumping in with both feet and committing to blogging everyday in July. I miss writing and interacting with other bloggers but I've struggled to find motivation to make it happen. 

Enter Blog Everyday in July…motivation acquired! 

In honour of Canada Day everyone else participating in the challenge is blogging about Canada. Which, being a proud Canadian I can totally get on board with. I don't actually have any plans to celebrate Canada Day because in Camp Land it's also Day 7. And on Day 7 the campers leave, so basically the only thing I want to do for the next few days before another 36 campers show up in sleep, eat, shower, read and spend a lot of time catching up with what's going on in the real world.

I don't have any exciting Canada Day plans to share but I did wear my favourite red & white converse for a while. Until I realized camp was over and I could be reunited with my flip-flops.

As much as I'm enamoured with all things southern and my love of Vanilla Coke runs deep I'm pretty thankful to be born up north. Even when I'm wearing my winter coat in June if I got to pick a country to live in I'd choose Canada every time.