Weekly Favourites

{one}

I mentioned in my What's Up Wednesday post that I had finally given the avocado for breakfast trend a try. I wouldn't consider it a life changing experience but I have been enjoying this newly discovered breakfast. It consists of an everything bagel, bacon, cheddar cheese and avocado. Breakfast is my least favourite meal of the day but I attempt to eat it because apparently it's important. I probably have a success rate of two or three times a week. Maybe someday I'll be a breakfast enthusiast. 

{two}

I feel a little obligated to include an update on the job front, especially since it's positive. I've been interviewing for a position all month (not even exaggerating). Earlier this week they officially offered me the position. I'm meeting with them on Monday to discuss details. Hopefully everything will come together and I will finally be done with job search stress. (And can move on to moving & starting a new job stress!) 

{three}

It has been extra dreary outside this week. The weather has shifted between snow, rain & freezing rain with lots of high wind. Coffee has become a top of my favourites list this week. When I first got the Keurig I was much more adventurous with my coffee choices. Now I usually stick to McDonald's brand with the occasional Starbucks or VanHoutte thrown in depending what's on sale. What are your favourite coffee pods? I think choosing McDonald's Coffee over Tim Horton's coffee might make me a bad Canadian but I think I make up for it with my love of Ketchup Chips. 

{four}

I spent an entire afternoon this week sorting through my stash of scrapbook paper. I got rid of anything that was too tiny to ever be useful. Since I've converted to Project Life my 12x12 papers were essentially useless, so I cut a bunch down to 4x6 which will make it much easier to incorporate them into my PL albums. I need to come up with some creative ways to use PL cards because I have way too many. I'm thinking I will use some as Valentine's Day cards and search Pinterest for more information.

{five}

I may not be interested in the antics of The Bachelor but ask me about almost any TLC show and I will happily have an in depth discussion. Whether it's the latest news from the Brown family or the adorableness of the Busby's, the fascinating psychology behind My 600 lb Life I can carry on a conversation. I have abandoned the Duggar's, but only sort of. I don't watch the show but I read up on their happenings from time to time. I like to think I'm not alone in my love of TLC, but I'm also pretty certain most folks choose to ignore the world of TLC. 

10 on Tuesday - Things You Might Not Know

Today I'm linking up with Karli for her inaugural Ten on Tuesday link up! I can't pass up the opportunity to make a list so I'm sure this will become a staple in my blog posting routine. Since it's the first week I'm starting off with....

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. I didn't start drinking coffee until I was 22 before then I loved the smell but didn't like the taste. Then I had a particularly challenging summer at camp and coffee seemed like a good option. Now it's one of my favourite daily rituals and the occasional trip to Starbucks makes my heart very happy. 
2. I could eat pizza for days on end without getting tired of eating the same thing. There are so many options for toppings and crust it would be like eating a different meal every time even if it's all technically the same. 
3. Budgeting is not something I struggle with. When I see people posting about all the things they spent money on in any given month I'm constantly in awe of how much money people spend on stuff and eating out or how much credit card debt they have (I didn't get one of those until I was 25). I'm incredibly thankful my parents made teaching me good money sense a priority. That's not to say I don't eat out occasionally or spend $20 on stuff I don't need at Michael's every now and again but in the big picture I know my stuff.
4. My knowledge of football basically ends at being able to identify the correct ball. I never attended a school with a football team and it's only been in the past 2-3 years that there's even been a football field within our municipality. I think the culture around football (especially college football) is fascinating but it's not something I've ever taken a keen interest in learning more about. 
5. If you asked my mother or grandmother or a selection of close friends what my worst habit is they would immediately reply with "nail biting". I've tried every trick in the book to stop, including putting gel nails on, but nothing has worked. At this point in my life I've kind of embraced it. 
6. I used to write all the time. I was never without a notebook and a pen and would spend hours writing every day. In high school I had writing published in a national literary review and writing was generally considered something I was good at doing. I more or less stopped in university because I didn't have time and although I've tried to make writing more of a daily habit in my life it's something I struggle to make time for on a regular basis.
7. I am a 'verbal learner' I learn best by reading something, taking notes while someone else talks and re-reading things. Physical learners are my nemesis...I hate being in a class that involves a lot of up and down and movement games, it totally distracts me from what I'm trying to learn. 
8. I strongly identify as being a cat person. I think puppies are cute and some dogs are lovely but I don't trust strange dogs and the responsibility of being a dog owner is so unappealing to me. 
9. I took painting lessons for years and years...it has now been years and years since I picked up a paint brush and to be honest I don't really miss it. 
10. I was in French Immersion in school and once I graduated high school never took another French class. Last week I downloaded an app that's supposed to help you learn a second language and I've been practicing my French for 15-20 minutes a day. I'm surprised with how much I retained when it comes to reading and writing. 

Now that you've learned some new things head over to September Farm and share your Tuesday list! 

Four on Friday the Fourth

{one}
I have been eating some super tasty meals this week.

I kicked off March by eating waffles and bacon (and coffee) for breakfast. I tried a frozen butter chicken pizza which was surprisingly delicious for a frozen pizza. I celebrated 100 Days Until Camp Day with a traditional leadership training meal of perogies and a spring roll*. And balanced it all out with a stir fry full of veggies on multiple occasions this week.

*Spring rolls & perogies is ridiculous meal that happened once because the director and I were the only ones at camp for the first few days so we picked up a few groceries. When we got back to camp we realized we had bought food but not any meals. And thus, spring rolls and perogies were born. And now it's an annual event. 

{two}

I hadn't been keeping track of days before camp so when the '100 days until camp' post went out earlier this week I was taken by surprise. Since that means there's somewhere between 80-90 days before my first day of camp. Which seems impossible, but is also exciting. 

{three}

N. gave me a cat and quote of the day calendar for Christmas and on Wednesday the quote read "You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.".  Coincidently Becky Higgins shared the exact same quote which just solidified my instinct to proclaim it as my mantra for the summer. And maybe life.

{four}

A new Starbucks opened in the general vicinity of me last week but I haven't made an initial visit yet. I'm working overtime all day Sunday so maybe a carmel macchiato will be my reward for an extra day of work. Then again, there's a snowstorm coming our way so it's possible my weekend will be spent eating storm chips and watching Big Brother Canada. 

Linking up here.

Weekly Faves & Weekend Plans

{one} 

Jones Soda Root Beer

This is my new obsession. About two weeks ago I got a craving for Root Beer but I knew I only wanted a taste of it and refused to buy a big bottle or a whole box of cans. Turns out root beer is rather hard to find in the kind of single serve bottles that are usually found everywhere. Then on Sunday J. and I were in the grocery store and I told him about my Root Beer struggle when he pointed out that I should have looked at the speciality soda display. And luck would have it the Jones Sodas were on buy one, get one free. Craving satisfied and I've totally found a new treat! Plus, it comes with a bonus inspirational quote under the cap. 

{two}

Camp coffee is both terrible and a necessity. So to combat the terrible I started using flavoured creamers this summer. Once I got home from camp I stopped because I know they're terribly unhealthy and generally I'm happy to drink my coffee with a little bit of cream and sugar if it's regular coffee. But the creamers were on sale this week and they called my name as I strolled through the grocery aisle, so I caved and bought one. And wouldn't you know, creamer made camp coffee tolerable but it makes regular good coffee delicious. 

{three}
Project Life App

You might recall I recently posted about my new found obsession  love for Becky Higgin's Project Life. And yesterday I wrote about upgrading my iPhone. Which means that I can now download apps again. I'm planning on doing 90-95% of Project Life using the physical product but I decided to go ahead and invest in the app as well. I figure it's an easy way to keep up if life gets busy and I can include mini-pages within my regular physical album that I make on the app. I haven't had a chance to play around with it much yet but I'm optimistic that it wasn't a waste of $2.50. I am a huge 'paper saver' if a camper or a Spark gives me a craft you better believe I'm going to keep it and all those crafts take up space but I feel so guilty throwing it away. Thanks to reading countless mommy blogs suggesting to scan or take photos of all (or at least most) of those papers and then tossing the giant popsicle stick sculpture. It was also pointed out that construction paper isn't acid free/archival, it's not going to stand the test of time so to speak so taking a photo is the way to go. 

{four}
Maybe I should save this for Wednesday but I'm confessing now that I can't get enough 'Elf on the Shelf'. I want one of those little fellas in my house to creatively move around from room to room each day. Do they make elves for cats? Would that be weird? They better still be a thing in 5-7 years when I (hopefully) have kids old enough to appreciate an elf in the house. Seeing everyone's photos of elves sipping syrup and hiding in the tree has been one of my favourites this week.

{five}
This weekend I have plans to decorate J.'s Christmas tree on Saturday. I will never be a fan of fake Christmas trees but I will play along. I'm using it as an excuse to try the new sugar cookie donuts that are out and I can always get on board with donuts. Sunday I'll be spending the evening at the Guider Christmas potluck, which I have mixed feelings about. On the bright side the 'theme' is Christmas pyjamas so at least I don't have to go through much trouble to get dressed.


Linking up here & here.

Coffee Chat June 2015

I've been trying really hard not to drink coffee on an empty stomach and to sort of limit my carb intake. So if we're going to have coffee first thing in the morning chances are I'd also have some vanilla yogurt along with mine. 

The first thing we'd talk about is how camp is going. I'd sigh and respond that it's going well although I often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I might confide in you that it's near impossible to find time to talk to J. before 11:00 p.m. each night and by that point I'm practically falling asleep. These long distance relationship type situations are hard work. It is without a doubt worth the effort, but I'll be relieved when it's over. I'd ask about your experience with long distance relationships and hope that you might have some words of wisdom or advice to offer.

I'd tell you that I recently discovered a Vanilla Carmel flavoured creamer and it's been making my coffee extra delicious. I never use creamer at home but camp coffee needs a little extra boost. I know it's not a great choice health wise, but I think we all deserve an indulgence here and there. I choose to make mine Vanilla Carmel Creamer. And also thick cut, rippled, plain potato chips. What have you been indulging in recently? Or will your answers only make me want to rush to the nearest grocery store for more treats opposed to veggies?

If you're a regular blog reader you might ask how my summer goals are going. I'd be honest and tell you I was off to a really great start and then things quickly spiralled downwards. I haven't totally abandoned the blog and I've been getting to bed a little earlier than previous summers, plus most nights I read for at least 10-15 minutes right before bed. Lately though I've lost track of the Fringe Hours. I find myself acknowledging the fact I would love to spend 10 minutes taking photos of an amazing sunset and then hurrying away to fold laundry or prepare evening snack. I'm hopeful that this is the week I reclaim those minutes and use them for me instead of always prioritizing work.

I might share with you that my biggest, boldest, scariest and sincerest prayer right now is to find a full time position with a summer camp ministry near my hometown beginning this fall. I know it's a lot to request and in many ways it seems almost impossible, but I know that God can do the impossible. So I'm continuing to pray. I'm praying that specific prayer but also that God will lead me to the place He wants/needs me to be and that I can continue to trust Him. 

Even though I'd love to chat well into the afternoon or late into the night this month I probably only have time for one cup of coffee. Here's hoping that next month I'll be able to suggest a refill so we can discuss a few other things that have been on my mind lately. 

Low Key Weekending

This weekend seemed to revolve around eating and sleeping. Which I really have no complaints about.

Saturday I worked over time from 8:00-4:00. I was exhausted and a little annoyed that because another co-worker changed their plans at the last minute I didn't get to do the work I had planned to finish. I did treat myself to coffee and a salted caramel donut though so all was not lost. Plus, J. brought me a coffee earlier in the day and I finally won on my roll up the rim! I don't buy coffee every day. It's more of a once a week treat, so I don't feel as entitled to win as the folks who buy multiple coffees a day. It's still nice to win a bonus coffee though. 

(Please excuse the wacky photo edit in the corner. I realized there were files peeking out of a shelf and I'd rather publish a strange looking photo than risk any sort of break in client confidentiality.)

After work I headed to J.'s parents for supper. We had BBQ steak, baked potato, mushrooms and corn and it was delicious. I visited for about an hour after supper and then went home where I promptly showered and got ready for bed. I ended up watching the first three episodes of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

I LOVE Tina Fey. The verdict is still out on how I feel about this show though. I'm trying not to compare it to 30 Rock, but it's hard. The show is sort of growing on me and I'll definitely finish the first season. I'm not sure that I'll ever love it as much as 30 Rock though, mainly because I don't find Kimmy easy to relate to whereas Liz Lemon was/is my spirit animal. Has anyone else watched the show? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Sunday I turned down overtime because I definitely needed a day off. I let myself sleep in a little got up and did some light spring cleaning and then, because I could, I crawled back into my bed and took a Sunday afternoon nap. J. & I had dinner with my parents Sunday night he visited for a bit and went home earlier than usual because I had a long over due Skype date with H. & R.. Our schedules have all been crazy lately and three different time zones makes the crazy schedules even crazier so it's been almost a month since the three of us were able to designate the same free evening for Skype. We talk everyday via group message but there's just somethings that need to be discussed aloud. 

I'm in the earliest time zone so by the time we were done Skype it was past my bedtime. I definitely didn't do anything super exciting or unique this weekend but the focus was definitely on family & friends which are always important.

Linking up with B Loved Boston to share my weekend!

September Coffee Date

If we met for coffee this week I'd suggest we grab a bagel too because I love bagels and I haven't had one in over a month. I might even suggest we have coffee at home so I can stay in my jogging pants. 

If this is our first coffee date I will listen more than I'll talk until I have a better idea of what kinds of things we should talk about. If this is a reoccurring coffee date then I'll dive right in and let you know that my contract ends this week and I still don't know what's coming next. That I am worried and anxious about the next few months. That I've been putting myself out there, had some hopeful moments but so far nothing has really worked out. If you're interested in talking faith & theology then I would let you know that Habukkuk 1:5 has become a source of comfort lately.

I would ask you how things are going in your life and hope that you'd provide updates on your love life, work life and anything else that's interesting or important. Leaving lots of time for discussion.

Gradually we'd transition from life's 'serious' matters into new T.V. shows we've discovered and Pinterest projects we're dying to try. I'd let you know that I watched the pilot for Girl Meets World when it first premiered and wasn't blown away, but I went back and watched all the episodes and it's grown on me. I fell into the hype and watched How To Get Away With Murder, it wasn't phenomenal but I'm interested enough to keep watching. This would lead to an in-depth analysis of Grey's Anatomy and how that show is going to end.

We would wrap things up when the pot was emptied, our faces are sore from smiling and our souls feel  refreshed. And agree that this is something we need to do more often.

Linking up with Brave Love for the last day of Blog-Tember.

Coffee & Blogging

It's been rainy and windy out so my Fall Picture Practice consists of my new red mug being filled with coffee. Because when it's cold and rainy and fall like outside it's time for hot coffee and jogging pants inside.

I spent a huge portion of this weekend sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by photos and scraps of paper and stickers. There is something exceptionally therapeutic about condensing the summer into one book of photos and papers. I can lose myself for hours cutting & gluing & sticking and just putting it all in one place. 

Today's Blog-tember prompt is to share 5 blogs I read on a regular basis

71 Toes
Shawni is my favourite. She is so genuine and honest and if I'm lucky enough to become a wife & mom someday I want to be like her. Shawni and her husband recently moved themselves and their kids to China for a semester so her recent posts have been about navigating the new normal. Plus, she takes beautiful photos!

Kelly's Korner
I think everyone "knows" Kelly and her adorable family. I love that Kelly isn't afraid to share her beliefs with others and is just so darn sweet.

The Grand Adventures of Me
Nina is hilarious. Her blog is the best balance of posts that make you almost pee your pants laughing and posts that really make you think about and reflect on  your spirituality.

34 Magnolia Street
Lauren talks a lot about her faith, her involvement with church and her recent move from the south to the north. Reading her posts feels like I'm chatting with a friend over coffee instead of reading some stranger on the internet.

Mix & Match Mama
This a fairly recent addition to my daily reads, but I love reading Shay's recipes, following her adoption journey and being inspired by her out of this world organization.

Coffee and blogging seem to go together like salt & pepper so with that I'm off to finish my coffee as I scroll though my Bloglovin' feed. Happy Monday!

Coffee & Prayers

{one} 

I'm in the market for a new Bible. My current "all-purpose" Bible was given to me at the beginning of an LIT program I completed at camp when I was 16. It's very much highlighted and bookmarked and noted and has seen better days. I'm sure I'll save it forever but I feel like I'm in a phase of life where I need to start fresh. If you have any suggestions for a translation or specific Bible I should get I am all ears! I have been using God's Word translation but I'm open to change. I already have a copy of The Message that I read on occasion but would prefer something else for daily use.

{two} 

I posted yesterday on Instagram about my deep love for Salted Caramel Mocahs from Starbucks and I'm going to post about it again here. I know everyone goes head over heels for Pumpkin Spice this time of year but the PS Bandwagon is not one I'm interested in joining. I so rarely go to Starbucks but I had an appointment yesterday and picked some up on my way home. It's been a long week and I'm starting to feel the stress of not knowing what's around the corner. 

{three}

Somewhere along the way between April & Now I lost my planner. It wasn't so bad during the summer because the days schedule was always posted on the door and when I had errands to do during break I made a to-do list and got things done. Now that I'm back in the Monday-Friday real world I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing each day. I was trying to plan blog posts last night and realized I had nowhere to write them down. I'm way too cheap to buy a fancy Erin Condren planner or any of those other brand name books that cost an arm and a leg. So fingers crossed I can find something cute & cheap the next time I'm at Wal-Mart. 

{four}

I'm doing an Online Bible Study with Love God Greatly on Esther which prior to this month isn't a book of the Bible I've read a whole lot. I do feel like it's perfect timing though so much of the lessons we've covered so far is about trusting that God has you where you need to be. It might not be where you want to be but there is a reason why. I struggle so much with journalling and really making a specific time to pray and reflect during the camp season it's one of the biggest challenges I've found working at a secular camp. It's been lovely to get back into a routine of journalling every day and having time to really reflect opposed to a quick prayer before bed. 

{five}

One of the best things about working from home is waking up at 8:30, putting on a pair of jogging pants and checking my e-mail on the couch while I drink my coffee. My brother broke my favourite coffee mug earlier this week and now I can't seem to find another one that holds just the right amount of coffee. There are a million coffee mugs in the cupboard though so I refuse to buy a new one, but it just isn't the same. Please tell me I'm not the only one with an unhealthy emotional attachment to which mug I drink my coffee out of in the morning.

     

Sunday Social #117

What is one thing you hate doing?

The first thing that came to mind is vacuuming, I avoid that like the plague. 

What is one thing you hate shopping for?

Jeans! I'm barely 5 feet tall and my legs are so short that jeans shopping is crazy impossible. I end up very frustrated and the best case scenario is I walk away with jeans that I still need to have hemmed before I can wear them. It's a never-ending and exceptionally frustration experience. 

What is one thing you love doing?

I really love taking pictures. It's a fairly new interest but playing with my camera makes me happy.

What is one place you love going?

Camp! 

What is your favourite thing to do that you do daily?

I really enjoy my routine of coffee & blog reading in the morning. It' doesn't happen every single day but I try to make it happen most days. In the summer when morning coffee happens over a two hour period in between organizing schedules and whatever else comes up I miss starting my day on a calm note. 

Liking with with Ashley & Neely for Sunday Social! 

Confess (And Be Healed?)

Airing all my dirty laundry last week for Humpday Confessions was just so much fun that I'm going to do it again this week!

Speaking of dirty laundry…my underwear dictates when I do laundry. Down to the last pair of clean undies? = Laundry Day!

Last week I went (at least) 48 Hours only drinking coffee & coke.

I have eaten cookies for supper at least once in the last six months.

I was going to do yoga tonight but then my roomies asked if I wanted to go out for frozen yogurt…so I'm going to do that instead.

I haven't finished emotionally processing the How I Met Your Mother finale. 

I lack the will-power to ignore/delay responding when certain people message me, even if it's after 11 p.m. and I'm almost asleep.

I'm going for frozen yogurt in less than an hour but I'm still trying to justify eating a handful of chocolate covered almonds between now and then.

I finally met a coffee k-cup that I don't like. Unfortunately I paid $7 for the box of 12 and my budget conscious self won't let me buy new ones. It's going to be a long 2(ish) weeks of terrible coffee.

As per usual when I got home from work today I immediately changed into jogging pants & a hoodie. I'm now trying to figure out how I can make myself presentable enough to go out in public (i.e. frozen yogurt) with the least amount of effort.

Two Cups of Coffee

Getting enough sleep is something I've really been working on lately. I know I function best when I get a solid 8-9 hours, not to mention I'm a much happier person. I can function without that much, someday I'll regale you all with the time at camp when I went 72 hours with only a few hour long naps in there because of a busy week and a particularly challenging camper. I ended up being sent to bed my direction after I declared I was going to jump in the shower real quick with a bagel in my hand. And then sighed and said something along the lines of "I'm sad my bagel will get soggy". One of my finer camp exhaustion moments for sure. 

Pinterest

My usual bedtime routine involves watching the first 15-20 minutes of the 10 o'clock news downstairs with my parents and then going upstairs to get ready for bed. I brush my teeth, wash my face, put pyjamas on and have my journal/quiet time. By 11 I'm in bed with the lights out. Sometimes I'll end up texting a friend or reading a few blogs that I missed during the day but by 12 I shut it down and declare it "real bedtime". More often than not I'll put on a show with the sleep timer for an hour and I'm never awake long enough to see how it ends. 

Not last night though.

Last night things were going as planned until midnight but I was still feeling really restless, borderline anxious and just couldn't shut my brain off. So I read a chapter of Little Women and then I was still wide awake. So then I read a chapter of Crazy Love. And I was still awake. Wide awake. With such pressing questions as:

I hope all my tossing and turing isn't keeping Peyton awake.

Do I have a blog post scheduled for tomorrow?

I think tomorrow I'll read 1 Peter, it's not a book I think about much but I love the name Peter so I should read the book.

Right now I should go to sleep.

My feet are cold.

I hope the Pioneer Woman had a good birthday today.

I think I want a cheesecake for my birthday cake this year.

I need to find a pair of slippers to fit my tiny feet.

Maybe I should get up, move around a bit then go back to bed.

Nope, too cold. 

What should I have for lunch tomorrow?

I hope Peyton is warm enough.

I should cut my hair.

I could read through my Twitter feed. 

I need to tweet more.

I'm sad Auburn lost. Years of reading southern mommy blogs have made me a SEC fan.

I've never once watched a football game.

If I move to Texas I'll have to go to one.

I hope Tim Tebow does something productive with his life.

Why has Ellen been repeats for so long. I miss her. 

And Tony. I really miss Tony.

It's been awhile since I've had Frosted Flakes.

Somewhere between contemplating a wide variety of breakfast cereals and remembering I don't really like cereal in the first place I fell asleep. At which point I had crazy dreams involving a variety of Food Network Chefs, a marching band from Alabama and Mickey Mouse. And a competition to make the best gravy. Naturally my grandma showed up, made her gravy and beat them all. 

Pinterest

So on that note I'm going to go make my second cup of coffee and probably eat some pizza because it's National Pizza Week and that's something that needs to be celebrated. 

What goes through your mind late at night when you can't fall asleep?

The 365 Day Challenge

With 2014 only a few days old BlogLand is full of bloggers making resolutions and setting goals (myself included). There are also a lot of articles like this flying around the internet. Tales of men and women committing themselves to doing one thing for an entire year. Some of them are fascinating to read others just confuse me, because...why? These types of challenges aren't new. (One of my favourite books is The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs.) It got me thinking about what I'd be willing to commit to for a year and I came up with some options that if I was awarded a nice little book deal or cash incentive or was just really bored with life I could totally commit to for 365 days.

Wear Only Tie-Dye

Thanks to years of camp I already have one full "outfit" (pants, underwear, t-shirt, sweatshirt, headband, shoes) plus a ridiculous amount of "spare" t-shirts. If some sort of semi-formal occasion occurred I would be more than happy to put my tie-dye skills to use turning my white sundress into a colourful ode to hippies everywhere. 

Drink Only Coffee Based Beverages

I almost said "only drinking pop" but then I thought about how nice a hot cup of coffee feels in my hands on a cold day and changed my mind. Coffee Based Beverages on the other hand can be hot or iced, perfect for all seasons. Plus, I'd be so hopped up on caffeine that I'd have tons of energy to go for runs and get stuff done. 

Speak Only In Rhyme

Just Kidding. That would be funny for an hour tops. 

Follow The 100 Mile Diet

This one that I legit want to do, it's on my 25x25 list to follow the diet for a least a week. I would definitely need somebody to do it with me, or being living on my own because it would just be too much to tackle alone in a house with other people who weren't doing the challenge. And things would be pretty rough in the winter, but it's still something I think about often.

Try All of The Pioneer Woman's Recipes
We all know about Julie & Julia  but what about Donna & Ree? I could spend a year of my life mastering her famous cinnamon rolls and perfecting pot roasts (I actually don't like pot roasts but whatever). The more I think about this plan the better it sounds. Would I get bonus points if I figured out a way to make all her recipes using 100 Mile ingredients??

Sleep Outside
This would get dicey come December-March (especially in my current locale), but it's totally doable. I have a pretty high quality sleeping bag already, I would invest in a small winter tent and with enough layers I'd be nice and toasty! The questions that would arise from the neighbours would be interesting. My warm sleeping bag and winter tent would only do so much when there is 200 cm of snow down and winds are gusting 120 km/hr. Maybe this is a challenge better suited to someone in a warmer climate.

I just realized most of my challenges involve food. This is probably a sign I need to go eat something. I'll leave you with the question: What ridiculous thing would you be willing to do for 365 days? 

Weekly Round Up

{one}

Monday I went to town and checked out the brand new Target! I was a little disappointed, it didn't have the same selection as the one in the City, plus it was crazy  which I guess is to be expected, it's not too often a new store opens around here. I didn't buy anything in Target but I couldn't resist treating myself to a Caramel Brulee Latte from Starbucks. I am super excited that since the arrival of Target I now have a Starbucks closer than 5 hours away. Not that I will be making frequent visits there because, well, I'm cheap. 

{two}

I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet...I really need to get on that next week. Especially the 2 or 3 gifts that need to be mailed. And as a side note why is mailing things so damn expensive? Buying said gifts would be a lot easier if I didn't have to factor in the weight and size of the gift. Last Christmas I bought a beautiful ornament and ended up paying over $20 to mail it by the time I wrapped the thing in bubble wrap so it wouldn't get broken. Why hasn't science come up with a way to teleport material items? 

{three}

Pinterest

I came across this on Pinterest this week and laughed for a solid five minutes before sharing it with all of my camp staff friends. It's ridiculously accurate. 

{four}

I had this grand plan to make my own "Blog Binder" but after numerous attempts I've accepted that it is much easier for me to just invest in a pen & paper planner. Now I just need to find one that meets all my requirements and is $10 or less. That will be on the to-do list for next week!

{five}

Pinterest

This just made me smile. 

Gingerbread Coffee

I hate winter. It's cold and snowy, my feet are wet from the constant slush covering the ground. I never truly feel warm. It's dark out by 5 o'clock and even on the sunniest days the temperature never makes it anywhere near double digits.  I could go on for days, but there is one thing I like about winter : Winter = Gingerbread Season! I feel the way towards gingerbread season that most people feel towards Pumpkin Spice season. And while Gingerbread Season is still a month or so away I needed to satisfy the craving now.

 

So I turned to Pinterest and Google and searched "homemade gingerbread latte", "homemade gingerbread syrup" and "gingerbread coffee recipe". After much research I decided I was ready to accept the challenge and got to work. 

I didn't use any of the recipes I found because they were all for giant batches and I do not need 2L of gingerbread syrup, especially when I had no idea how it would turn out. 

First up I gathered my supplies! All  the recipes I found were inconsistent with ingredients. So I used what I would use if I was making gingerbread cookies. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, white sugar and brown sugar. I didn't have any nutmeg on hand but I would have added some of that if had been in my cupboard.

I put everything in a small pot on medium heat and said a little prayer that the outcome would be more delicious than disaster. I brought it to a boil and whisked it all together. It took awhile for the cinnamon to incorporate into the liquid, which made me nervous but after 5 minutes or so it became more of a syrup. 

Once it boiled I reduced the heat and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. At that point it looked pretty syrupy so I removed it from heat and poured it into a glass dish to let cool. 

I'm not that patient so I used some of it right away. I made a cup of coffee with the Keurig and put about 2 Tablespoons of the syrup in my cup of coffee and it definitely tasted like gingerbread! 

 

I did find it a little sweet, so if I make it again I would use a little less sugar (although not too much less because otherwise it wouldn't form a syrup) and be a little more heavy handed with the spices. It could also just be that I used too much syrup or the coffee could have been stronger. Lots of variables and room for experimenting! 

Recipe is below and I'd love to hear how it turned out for you and what you did differently!