Many Monday Things

I had good intentions of sharing five on Friday but I had a terrible nights sleep on Thursday and then Friday just kind of got away from me. I worked all weekend so nothing to report there, so we'll back track to Friday and share a bunch of things I meant to share then.

{one}

Happy Leap Day! As Leap Day William would say "real life is for March". 

I miss 30 Rock. 

{two}

I requested my first cheque from Checkout 51, I've been using the app on and off for over two years. I'm trying to get better about using the stuff I have because it would take a year of rain for me to use up all the things I've been 'saving for a rainy day'. So I went ahead and cashed out and am planning on doing it more frequently from here on out. I love collecting points but then I feel guilty about spending them...it's weird. One of these days I'm going to go on quite the Shopper's Drug Mart shopping spree. 

{three}

After taking a few weeks off I participated in Susannah's Solidarity Sisters group this month. I was paired with Shannon from Sincerely Shannon and really enjoyed getting to know her. The month kind of got away from us but I hope we are able to stay in touch and maybe collaborate on something in March.

{four}

March Madness. It's happening, not in the traditional college basketball sense (I mean, I know that's happening too but that's not the one I'll be involved with.) My March Madness involves (maybe) my last month of the office job before camp starts (or it could extend into May Madness we'll see how that plays out). Plus, getting back to work on my 52 in 52 list stay tuned for more details on that tomorrow. 

{five}

I'm searching for a new notebook and I would really like to find one with a hardcover, spiral bound and it would be great if the pages were grid/graph paper. Does anyone know if such a thing exists? It also needs to exist in Canada because there's no way I'm spending $100 on a notebook which is inevitably what it would cost to order from the states, factor in the exchange rates and pay for shipping. 

{six}

The internet is full of Oscar references today and I don't understand any of them. I didn't see a single Oscar nominated movie and I am completely indifferent as to who wore an expensive outfit and took home a little gold man. It's just as well though because it means I will spend less time perusing Facebook/Twitter/Instagram and more time catching up on all the blog posts I missed last week. 

{seven}

My office job is pretty mundane and I don't interact with clients/customers so I listen to a lot of podcasts as I work. I still love my favourites The Vinyl Cafe and Grown Ups Read Stuff They Wrote As Kids but I've also been branching out and have discovered a few more that are now a must listen. Camp Code fulfils my love of talking about camp while I listen I scribble down ideas or make note of something I want to think about more. Night Time is kind of a fun mystery podcast that shares stories about local mysteries, I originally started listening just for the Oak Island episode but liked it so much I went back and downloaded the other episodes. My most favourite new discovery is Brining Up Betty. It's a podcast targeting towards special needs parents but it is so informative and fun and real. I would love to hear some more podcast recommendations. I like ones that are educational and family friendly (that's my subtle way of saying I don't like listening to people discuss their wild partying adventures). 

Tomorrow I'm getting back on the mostly goal setting wagon! 

February Currently

Reading... Nothing that I felt very passionate about in terms of novels. I did start reading the Savor devotional and even though I'm only a week in so far I'm pretty happy with my purchase. 

Playing... Still playing 1010!

Watching... I've been watching Top Chef on a weekly basis. I've caught up with the last few episodes of Big Bang Theory and caught up with Criminal Minds.

Trying... to catch up on sleep. I am all over the map lately and I would love to get back on a regular sleep schedule. 

Cooking... I haven't been cooking anything elaborated lately. 

Eating... Lots of pitas with tzatziki, chicken and feta cheese.  

Drinking... Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Water and the occasionally Pop for good balance. 

Calling... Nobody! Which is great, I hate calling people. 

Texting... The usual crew. H., R., J. and N.. Sometimes the ladies I carpool with to work. 

Pinning... Craft Ideas, quotes and project life ideas.

Tweeting... Mostly just the automatic tweet from Bloglovin' when a post is published.

Going... Still waiting to find about work before I make any plans. I was hoping to know this week but it doesn't look promising. 

Loving... Winter is half way through. I would say almost over but I assume we'll have our typical April snowstorm. 

Hating... The weather. It's cold, it's warm, it's snowing, it's raining. There is green grass and blue sky, there's freezing rain. I don't know what's happening and I never know what shoes to wear. 

Discovering... I don't think I discovered anything life altering this month.

Thinking... About what I'm going to have for lunch. 

Feeling... Sleepy. 

Hoping (for)... Concrete information about work being extended or not extended so I can get on with my life. 

Listening (to)... Podcasts! Camp Code has been my go to this month and I've also discovered Bringing Up Betty which I'm enjoying so far. 

Celebrating... I ate a lot of cake in February. A belated birthday cake for me, birthday cake for my mom, leftover cake my brother's girlfriend brought over, Valentine's Day cake at work,  cupcakes at work because of a storm.

Smelling... Still enjoying the Winter Sun B&BW candle, although it hasn't matched the weather which has kind of been bothering me. 

Ordering... I ordered this stamp set on a bit of a whim (mostly to use up a visa gift card) we'll see what happens when it gets here.

Thankful for... The local news. This might sound weird but whenever I happen to click on news for a big city or when I was in Florida last month I'm always surprised by the news. So many murders and standoffs and robberies. Around here it's weather and animal stories 75% of the time. The other 25% is pretty depressing but I'm thankful to live in a pretty safe part of the world. 

Considering... I know it's way early, but I'm going to say it anyway...post-camp plans. Sigh.

Starting... It felt like a started a lot of things this month - books, Project Life layouts, lists, camp projects...

Finishing... You might assume since I started so many projects this month I would have finished a lot of them. This assumption is wrong. I have ticked off a handful of stuff on my "Things to do Before Pre-Camp" list but other than that there is a lot of half finished stuff lying around. 

Linking up with Stuff & Things

Tuesday Plus One

Remember back at the start of the month when I was all gungho about February? I have since lost all enthusiasm for the month.  #reallife I can't even blame the weather because compared to last year February has been almost tropical. It's still -6 and there are patches of snow on the ground but this time last year there was six feet of snow on the ground and I was convinced spring (or summer) would never arrive. 

I have made zero progress on by 52 in 52 list. I read one book (largely because I was forced to earlier in the month when we lost power for 2.5 days during a snow storm) and completely missed the boat on my plan to start a good habit during Lent. I'm not even sure I bothered to fill a single page in a notebook this month. I did get Valentine's Day cards mailed and made a few Project Life pages, I need to print some more Disney photos though before I consider that fully accomplished. I'm also failing to remember a time this month when I went to a new restaurant, tried a new food or made a new recipe. 

I was also anticipating knowing if my contract will be extended past March 31 this month, but so far there's just be rumblings from the rumour mill that nobody will be extended. Which is fine but rumours don't do me any good I need to know for certain so I can make pre-camp vacation plans. #priorities I've said it before and I'll say it again but this whole contract position situation is for the birds....or at least people who unlike me don't feel the need to plan ahead.

At this point I'm more or less ready to write off February's productive and focus on getting in gear for March. Dusting off my planner, perhaps making a list of blog post, definitely making multiple to do lists. In various colours, stamps and washi tape...or scribbled on the back of a post it depending how things play out. 

That's all I've got for today. I thought I had photos but as it turns out they're on my memory card in my camera and not on my computer. Wishing you a Wednesday more productive than mine! 

Wednesday Confessions: February Edition

I'm glad today is Wednesday because it means two things; the work week is halfway through and it's confession day.

I've been off the Grey's Anatomy train because I couldn't deal with the whole Derek situation. And I was at peace with my decision, then I saw a preview from last week and I have a burning desire to catch up. Grey's Anatomy has become a terrible addiction that I just can't quit.

Working later at night means I sleep in a little later in the morning and that means I miss the best part of the morning news and that makes me kind of sad.

I don't understand everyone's need to be an expert. For some reason everyone and their dog has decided they need to be an expert on something. Food, fitness, faith, parenting, crafting, technology...maybe if we all just concentrated on being experts on ourselves and what works for us we'd all be a little happier.

Along the same lines, WHY does every website/blog I visit now greet me with a popup asking me for my email address so I can sign myself up for either an insider newsletter or a bonus booklet of games or tips!?

I was completely unaware the Grammy's were taking place this week. When I started to see memes and posts about it on social media I didn't have a sweet clue who anyone was (except for my beloved TSwift), apparently there's a girl who wears a giant bow because she doesn't want people to see her face and I've totally been operating under the impression Kendrick Lamar is a basketball player. Pop Culture is not my strong point.

I'm trying super hard to reign in my overachiever when it comes to camp things but it's hard because over the top matchy-matchy stuff is my jam. So I have to keep reminding myself to tone it down. Maybe I should have considered a career as a party planner...except that I think people who pay exorbitant amounts of money to plan birthday parties are kind of crazy.

My current contract ends on March 31st because that's the end of the fiscal year but the contracts may or may not get extended. I am itching to find out if we'll be finished on March 31st or if we'll be extended into April/May mostly because my end date will dictate whether or not I get to go visit H. before camp season.

Now that I've got all that out of my mind, I'm off to get ready for work. If I was more motivated I'd go hunt down a photo to include, but right now I'd rather just hit 'publish' and call it done.

Little Celebrations

Hello, Friday! I am happy to see you. It has been a roller coaster of a week around here. Monday & Tuesday I worked half days because of the snowstorm, Monday we were sent home early and on Tuesday the office didn't open until later. Wednesday and Thursday were business as usual and today is mostly business as usual, except for the Valentine's Day pizza party. There also seemed to be a lot of bad news in the air this week so it's definitely a day for celebrating the little things this week. 

{one}

Spinach and salad greens are once again readily available! There was a huge recall a couple of weeks ago and the stores were basically wiped clean of salad ingredients. Now they're back and I've resumed my salad eating ways. Greens, red onion, sunflower seeds, bacon, feta, mushrooms and balsamic = delicious. 

{two}

The days are getting longer! It's still light out at 5:30 p.m. and the sun is starting to rise before 7:30 a.m.. Even if there is 40+ cm of snow on the ground as long as the days are getting brighter and longer it feels like spring could be just around the corner! 

{three}

Pinterest

I came across this quote on Pinterest and I love the sentiment. I've always been big on the wants versus needs but I like that this quote takes that sentiment a step farther. 

{four}

I finished my first Project Life layout! I decided to start with my birthday since I knew I had a limited amount of photos for that particular event. At first I was really overwhelmed and thought I had made a huge mistake. I just couldn't get it too look cohesive and had a hard time figuring out what size photos I needed to fill all the pockets. I ended up walking away from it because I was so frustrated, a few days later when I came back to it everything clicked. I stopped overthinking and it just came together. I think for a first go I'm happy with how it turned out, I still need to add a little bit of journalling but that's a weekend project. J. is gone to a work thing this weekend so I'm planning on spending a lot of time documenting January! 

{five}

Speaking of J. we will be celebrating Valentine's Day with pizza and garlic fingers, which is exactly the what I requested. If the weather cooperates we'll add skating/snowman building and a visit to the walking trails near his house to the agenda.

Linking up here, here & here.

Happy Blogiversary!

Today I'm celebrating four years of blogging in this little space on the internet. To celebrate I thought I'd share some four themed facts and observations I've made over the past four years. 

Four Blogs I've been following since the beginning:

- Hugs and Lattes

- Kelly's Korner

- Rebekah & Co. 

- 34 Magnolia Street

Four Blogs I've found recently:

- Sincerely Shannon

- Whitehall & Rose

- My Favourite Adventure

- All The Joys

Four popular posts:

- Project Projet Life 2016

- #onebigtruth 

- Things I've Cried About This Week

- Chicken Strips & Groundhogs

Four Things I've Learned:

- People are crazy.  There will always be someone who thinks they should be telling you what to do.

- You need to do what makes you happy, not necessarily what makes other people happy.

- Respect for other people and their lifestyle and belief system goes along way.

- People love a bandwagon. 

Four Favourite Things About Blogging

- Blogging gives me an incentive to do things, take pictures and document life.

- Meeting people  women from all over the world (although mostly the US).

- It inspires me to try DIYs, contemplate hard questions and shift my perspectives.

- It's a hobby that perfectly balances my introverted-ness but also my tiny little extrovert. 

It's a little strange to think that I've been blogging here for four whole years but when you stop and think about it a lot of things about blogging are a little strange. And I wouldn't have it any other way! 

Deer Weekend

The only reason I knew there was an 'important' football game on this weekend is because of all the recipes in blogland last week and a vague memory that J. had plans for Sunday. So it goes without saying this will be the only reference to football in today's post. It's 10:00 a.m. on Monday and I can honestly say I don't know who won. 

Saturday afternoon I faced off once again with the Wal-Mart photo lab in preparation to finally start my January Project Life pages. It took two tries and a little bit of frustration (but some great customer service) before I got my photos printed. Once I was done with that J. and I headed to Swiss Chalet for supper. As all true Canadians do, I have a deep love for Swiss Chalet dipping sauce. When we finished supper we went back to his house and watched a few episodes of The Curse of Oak Island. I was home by 10 and happily in my bed by 11. 

Sunday my day was a little more exciting (depending on your definition of excitement). It started with some wildlife photography practice. We happened to look out the window and notice a few deer in our back yard. So I decided I'd take my camera and see if I could get some good pictures. This would have been much more successful if the snow wasn't so crunchy, it was pretty easy to hear me coming. This gal didn't seem to mind my presence until my camera started making noise. 

For some reason my first instinct is always to 'talk' to animals, try and make friends. So I stood still for a couple minutes and engaged in an awkward staring contest while I said things like "Hello, Friends. I would like to take your picture." In retrospect I probably should have just kept quiet. I probably don't have much a future in wildlife photography. 

And then I clicked my camera one more time and they decided they did not want to be my friends and ran away. Disney has given me unrealistic expectations of forest creatures. 

Since I was already outside I decided to explore a little more. I didn't cross paths with the deer again but found some rabbit and raccoon prints in the snow. And heard a squirrel, but I couldn't seem to locate him. My adventure ended when I attempted to cross the stream and ended up sinking in the mud. We've had some weird weather around here lately. After last weekend's snowstorm it warmed up and a lot of the snow has melted. There's a blizzard headed this way tonight/tomorrow so the signs of spring will be short lived. 

Once I came inside and warmed up (the wind was still cold even if there's not much snow on the ground) I got to work crossing off some things on my to do list. I did some laundry, started working on my Project Life pages for January and sent off a volunteer application for a summer Girl Guide camp that just happens to fall during a break from camp. We got pizzas for supper and had cake for my birthday and my moms because we really didn't need multiple cakes in the span of three weeks. 

Today I'm watching the weather (keeping my fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow), getting Valentine's Day cards in the mail and making the most of pre-storm Monday. 

Linking up here & here! 

Three Things of Friday

This week felt LONG.

There were a lot of bright spots though so let's celebrate some of them.

{one}

Groundhog Day! I love a day dedicated to celebrating little critters. Especially when it's little critters who are supposed to be forecasting the weather. And the official groundhog for my area predicted an early spring, which is an added bonus. The groundhogs above are the ones that live at camp, not the the ones responsible for predicting the weather around here.

{two}

I broke down and ordered Savor, it should be here by next week! It's been on my radar for awhile but I wasn't completely sure I wanted to invest. After reading through a ton of reviews on Goodreads and seeing that it was on sale for $15 online I went ahead and ordered. According to online tracker it should be here by the end of next week.

{three}
I keep forgetting that it's Super Bowl weekend. I can honestly say I have never watched a football game, I've seen glimpses on highlight reels and occasionally J. will turn the game on when we're together but I can handle it for about five minutes before I demand we find something else to watch. I can appreciate the snacks though...if someone wants to invite me over to spend six hours eating various dips and appetizers I can totally get on board.

I really thought I had more than three things to say about this week, but I'm drawing a blank. And I really need to eat some breakfast. Maybe next week my blog game will improve.

Forward to February

My weekend started a little earlier than anticipated. There was a storm forecasted for Friday but it didn't start in time for work to be cancelled, instead 20 minutes after I arrived at work we got an e-mail saying we were closing at five. The roads were far from ideal so it was close to six by the time I got home. I had grand plans to spend the evening catching up with TV and doing some crafting. Unfortunately we lost our power at 9 p.m. Friday night and didn't get it back until Sunday afternoon. Thankfully we have a generator so we had some power, enough to run the heat, water and a few electrical outlets for most of the day. 

I spent most the weekend reading, colouring and eating storm chips. I briefly went outside Saturday to take some photos but the adventure was short lived. We had about 35 cm of snow fall on top of the snow we already had from earlier this month. It was impossible for me to take more than a few steps in the snow without sinking up to my waist. It was also very cold out and I was much happier indoors with a blanket and a book. Except that half way through the book it stopped being interesting. Now I'm halfway through though so I feel obligated to finish. Maybe it will take another turn and I'll be interested again before it ends. 

Sunday afternoon when the power did come back on I took a nice long shower and set to crossing a few things off of my to do list. None of those things were particularly strenuous...I had some things to put in my online shopping cart and leave there until I decide if I want to invest. (Is anyone reading Savor by Shauna Niequist? I'm looking for a daily devotional type book that I has daily readings and ideally I can use year after year. Suggestions welcome!) I also got all of my January Project Life photos organized and ready to print. Ideally I'll get them printed this coming weekend and then craft to my heart's content! 

The snow was the wet and heavy type, perfect for snowman making...not that I made any snowmen but I thought about it a few times. I think this weekend J. and I will try to have some sort of outdoor winter adventure, unless the temperature rises and come next week all the ice is melted and the world is covered in slush. 

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for February. I think Groundhog Day is the best 'holiday' in all the land, my mom's birthday happens in February and regardless of the commercialization aspect I happen to love Valentine's Day. Plus, it's Leap Year! And I really love Leap Years. If you haven't seen the 30 Rock episode with Leap Year William you need to make that a priority this month. And of course the Leap Year movie with Amy Adams. And it just so happens I published my first blog post in these parts in February of 2013. All things considered I think February is going to be a good month.

Sharing my weekend here.