October Coffee Chat

The end of October really snuck up on me, and it's been a weird month. Which is what I'll say when you ask why I don't have a photo of coffee for today's post and why I wrote 'coffee date' instead of the usual 'coffee chat' on the photo of leaves. Anyway, let's justify the leaves by assuming we'll drink our coffee outdoors so we can admire the leaves. When it inevitably gets too cold to be outside we can head inside, for more coffee. This has been a month that requires more coffee.

I'd tell you all about the chaos of Sparks and how much I hate paperwork. I'd also tell you that my little sparks are hilarious. Last night we decorated pumpkins and one informed me, "I'm going to decorate my pumpkin with ribbons! Ribbons are youthful!" So in case you're wondering how to make your pumpkin look younger, ribbons are the answer. 

I might ask for your opinion about my latest obsession, which is watching Project Life process videos on YouTube. It occurred to me the other day as I happily watched a nice lady from New Jersey record her grandson's birthday that watching other people scrapbook might be weird. I need some crafty friends. Not artsy friends, those are the hip 20-somethings who eat kale chips and take black and white photos while they listen to records. I want crafty friends, 30-40 year old women who drink tea and scrapbook while they watch the news. 

While we're on the topic I might tell you about how excited I am to venture into Project Life next year. And am being cautiously optimistic that it's a project I'll both start and finish. And then I might try and convince you that should should take up Project Life too! 

I would let you know that I don't care about Adele and am so glad that the country is done being interesting in baseball. Then we could get that out of the way and move on.

I'm hoping that November will be a more organized month. J.'s birthday is next week and next weekend I'm going away with Guiding. Originally J. and I had planned to go on a trip in November but we decided to postpone until January. I'm not the least bit disappointed because after a busy October I can't imagine planning a trip along with everything else, my do to lists were pretty full.

Now, I need to go finish reading the longest book ever written so I have something to blog about on Thursday. And you should go check out some of the other ladies linking up their October Shenanigans with the Blogging Elite. 

Corn Maze, Chicken & Cleaning

I spent Friday evening snacking on pretzels and watching Chopped. I have zero regrets about that decision.

Saturday I woke up at my usual time but lingered in bed while I read for awhile. I feel like I've been reading the same book (Americanah) for decades now but I'm trying to finish it before I post about the books I've read this month. I'm over halfway through but it's really dragging. There are chapters that are really interesting but they always seemed to be followed by chapters that are decisively not interesting. More on that later in the week (hopefully). What I really did on Saturday was shiver my way through a corn maze, pick out mini pumpkins for my Sparks to decorate tonight, admire some fish and eat fried chicken. Also, zero regrets about my Saturday.

J. and I went to a corn maze/family farm about an hour away. My main motivation was to get little pumpkins for Sparks. The weather was so weird. You can see from the photo below that the sky was full of grey clouds but the sky behind it was clear blue it almost felt like rain but it was also very cold, we didn't waste any time in the corn maze (except of course pausing for the obligatory corn maze selfie). 

The farm has a bunch of playscapes for little kids and we planned our visit during lunch time assuming we'd beat the crowds. It worked out perfectly, we got the pumpkins and did the corn maze before it got busy. And we got a chance to check out the fish without feeling bad/awkward for being the only adults who weren't accompanied by toddlers. I've always had a thing for goldfish and when I think about my dream home/yard it always involves a little koi/goldfish pond in the backyard. With lilypads and frogs. Because if you're going to dream big you may as well go all out. 

The real highlight of the day was our stop for fried chicken. It just so happens that in order to get to the farm we had to drive by my favourite (and the best) fried chicken place in all the land. We got chicken to go and I should probably be sad that my car now smells like chicken, but I'm really not. Some day I'm going to go on a ridiculous road trip in the southern U.S. that is planned around eating fried chicken. #goals

Post chicken we caught up with Jon Oliver's Last Week Tonight. J. really only watches sports on T.V. and I stick to cooking shows and the occasional reality show depending on the season. Last Week Tonight is the one show we watch together on a regular basis. I left around supper time and headed to the mall in hopes of finding a birthday present for J.. His birthday isn't until the first week in November but he's hard to shop for, luckily I found a couple of things that I'm pretty confident he'll love. I'd like to find one more thing but if not Christmas is just around the corner!

Sunday I dedicated my day to cleaning up my scrapbooking area. I'm 99% finished my camp scrapbooking so it was time to regain some order with my supplies. My newest scrapbook love is stamps, but I refuse to spend $20 on a single stamp so my collection is pretty small and mostly made up of alphabet sets. Peyton was of course eager to assist  get her paws on various ribbons and papers and not nearly as helpful as she would like you to believe. 

This week I have my usual Sparks meeting, a weekday lunch date with J. and an old friend has moved back to town so hopefully we'll be able to coordinate our schedules to catch up. I've also got a full list of blog posts planned with Shay's What's Up Wednesday, The Blogging Elite's monthly link up, an update about about what I read this month and another round of monthly goals! 

linking up here & here. 

Fall Camp Weekend

Friday afternoon I packed my bags and set off to Girl Guide camp for the weekend. First I stopped to appreciate the hilarious contrast of my camp gear and my Michael Kors purse. I am nothing if not a well rounded individual. 

There was a little hiccup  major problem Friday when we got to camp only to discover that the fly wasn't with our tent. Normally I would never go camping (especially with girls) without checking and double checking all the gear before hand. This weekend though I was just filling in with a group whose leaders couldn't go to camp. Luckily another group had an extra tent and saved us. Shortly after getting our site all set up it started to rain. And then it poured. And then there was some thunder and lightning. It was good times but the tents didn't leak and the girls did awesome. None of them were the least bit bothered by the who ordeal and continued on giggling in their tent, I'm not sure at which age girls realize that tents aren't soundproof but I do know it doesn't happen between the ages of nine and twelve. As a result of this I am now well versed in all the latest teeny bopper news. I also found myself saying, "Girls, please stop doing gymnastics in the tent. You're going to knock it down."

Thankfully the weather cleared and Saturday was a nearly perfect fall day. Sunny, bright and as long as you dressed properly being outdoors was wonderful. This camp was a little bit of learn to camp type camp. The girls learned how to choose gear,  properly pack a backpack, practiced putting up and taking down tents and a bunch of other useful and essential stuff. Added bonus, I picked up a new Ice Breaker game (that's basically equivalent to gold in my life) and not one but two super, duper awesome packing tips. 

I haven't done a whole lot of fall camping but I've determined it might just be my favourite tenting weather. The days are nice enough that you can be outside and sleeping in a tent is perfectly comfortable as long as you dress appropriately and have a sturdy enough sleeping bag. Plus, the scenery is pretty awesome. The leaves were pretty spectacular and the rainbow of dish bags also made me smile on a regular basis. 

Sunday morning we packed up and headed home. I went to J.'s and made myself presentable before we went out to eat. I should note that I showed up at J.'s in my finest camp attire sporting long johns, camp pants, tank top, long sleeved t-shirt, my high school grad hoodie and my bright red rubber boots. Accessorized with my camp toque and hair that hadn't truly been brushed since Friday afternoon. Once I looked more presentable for the world we went and ate. I happily ate a bacon cheeseburger and french fries that had some kind of magic delicious spice on them. And then drank some coffee because it was only 4 o'clock and I was ready for bed. I rallied and kept my eyes open until 9:30 but then I was more than ready to climb into bed.

Today I'm off to vote, pick up a package at the post office, get some groceries, drop off a cheque for Sparks and cross everything off of my to do list! 

Linking up with B Loved Boston

Apples to Apples

I am  kind of in love with the apples growing on one of the trees in our yard. The branches seem to catch the afternoon sunlight just so and from a distance they look like the most delicious apples in the world. Of course once you get closer they don't look quite so charming but still pretty enough for a picture (or seventeen). 

Thinking back to summer, I came across this post earlier in the week. A mother's letter to her child's camp counsellor.  It's been awhile since I read something that so purely and genuinely expresses camp from a parent and camper's perspective. And I love coming across these types of things. It's hard for first year counsellors to really wrap their heads around the idea that despite their feelings of self-consciousness and self-doubt in their peer group the campers that they interact with don't see them as anything but amazing. It reminds me that it's the little things in life that our worth our admiration. 

All of this apple tree admiration and new beginnings had me thinking a lot about John 15:5 - "I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can't produce anything without me." That's been my food for thought (no pun intended) for this week. And it's been a good reminder to stay connected to God and everyone else in my life. And that connected involves a lot of different things - writing, texting, listening, speaking, sharing, forgiving, trusting, hoping. If we're going to make an effort to stay connected to our world and ourselves we need to be willing to put in some serious effort.

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. As usual I'm thankful for all the everyday blessings - food, healthcare, family, shelter, bed, heat, electricity, wifi and a closet full of clothes for all seasons. Sunday we're having Thanksgiving with my family and Monday with J.'s so I've got a full weekend ahead. And I'm pretty thankful for all that fullness. 

Blogtember 2015: October Inspiration

Blogtember is drawing to a close and today's prompt is refreshingly simple! Come up with 10 blog posts/ideas for next month. October is shaping up to be a busy month so it's going to be helpful to have some posts in mind before the month even begins! I'm spending one weekend camping with a group of Girl Guides, one weekend is Thanksgiving and I've made some potential plans to spend a weekend in the city and another weekend going for a fall drive and trip to the pumpkin patch with J.. All things that I'm looking forward to, but things that are filling up my time none the less. 

What I liked about this prompt was is forced me to look at a calendar and brainstorm about what things I can blog about this month and when I'll have make time to blog. 

1. October Goals. - I like goal setting and I really want to get better at setting goals & achieving them.
2. Books. - I really liked writing the Blogtember post about my September Reads and I want to make it a monthly thing. 
3. Thankful. - October is Thanksgiving here in Canada! 
4. Ode to Organization. - October will be a good month to write about my planner.
5. Fall Photos. - The leaves around here are world famous. Time to put the camera to good use!
6. Coffee Date. - I've been writing one of these for the last few months and I like having a 'catch all' type posts and a monthly overview.
7. Nature Lovers. - I love being outdoors and I think kids/youth need to be outdoors too. Plus, just because it's getting cold outside doesn't mean you have to stay inside. 
8. Food Stuff. - This is vague, but that's the point. I'd like to blog about a recipe or just my meal plan. 
9. Fall Date Day. - J. and I made plans to visit a pumpkin patch and corn maze and go for many evening strolls to admire the leaves. 
10. Fall Care Packages. - J.'s sister is studying abroad and three of my close friends are living away from home too so I'm going to put together some fall themed care packages. Maybe it'll give someone some inspiration!

What blog posts do you have in mind this month? I'm also linking up my fall themed post ideas with the Blogging Elite!

Monday Morning Window

I experienced one of those weekends that was full of both relaxation and unexpected ordeals. 

The main unexpected ordeal being that my laptop is on the fritz (again). If you've been around these parts for a while you might remember this time last year when "God Wiped My Hard Drive" this time the trackpad is all wonky and I tried plugging in a mouse but it still wouldn't do what I want it to do and kept freezing and lagging. There's really no shame to it, I had it during my whole university career and the beginnings of my camp directing career. It's been though a lot. Still a bummer, but not the end of the world and there are much happier things to focus on to start the week.

First off, towards the end of last week I received some exciting mail! I participated in a Journal Swap  and was paired with the lovely Jess over at House of Hupfs. Jess is so sweet, and has the most adorable son. You should all make your way over to her blog and say 'hello'. Jess sent me this awesome journal that I can't wait to use!

The lighting was not cooperating with me when I was trying to take photos of the journal. The quote on the outside of the journal is glossier than the rest of the cover and it was reflecting the light. Eventually I took what I could get and you're all going to have to take my word for it that it is perfect! (The quote on the outside reads: "Don't remember the days remember the moments", which is a reminder we all sometimes need.)

Something I'm working on is being more intentional with blog posts and doing some planning in advance opposed to slapping it all together at the last minute. I knew that Kelli's Picture Practice for today was "Out The Window"so I did some real camera practice this weekend. Technically this view is from my deck but we have screens in all our windows so I had to improvise.

Autumn isn't my favourite season but I definitely appreciate how pretty the leaves are lining my driveway and covering the lawn. I adore summer and I hate winter but I do admit that I would miss the real change in seasons I get to experience on the east coast. 

Besides picture practice, computer woes and journal swaps my weekend involved a quick trip to the mall, birthday cake to celebrate my cousin turning 17, catching up with blogs and TV shows before settling into bed Sunday night with fresh sheets and a group conversation with H. & R. Here's hoping this week is full of good news and happiness!

Linking up my weekend here!

#forthewin

Yesterday I was privileged to experience once of those days where the universe was on my side.

I woke up and discovered I had gotten two packages in the mail! (More on those later) I achieved the perfect balance of coffee/sugar/cream and enjoyed every sip as I read through blogs. I knew I had to leave for work earlier than usual because I had to fill my car with gas so I got ready and headed into town. I never let my car get below a quarter of a tank but with the long weekend and some extra driving it was on E when I pulled up to the pumps. My main motivation for never letting it get so low is it eliminates the pain of forking over obscene amounts of money at the gas station. I was beyond thrilled when it cost me less than $50 to fill the tank. #accentforthewin

With a full tank of gas and an hour to spare before I had to be at work I did the logical thing and headed to Target. When Target first arrived in these parts a little less than a year ago I was not impressed. I had high expectations of awesome things you couldn't get at Wal-Mart, tons of clearance things and an overall haven of awesome. Instead it was really just 'expensive Wal-Mart' mostly the same stuff with higher prices. I'm being converted though. The last few times I've been there I've found some awesome things (that aren't at WM) and they were on clearance. Yesterday I picked up a desk organizer that I hope will be big enough to store my 12x12 scrapbook paper and bunch of socks that were ridiculously cheap. #targetforthewin

Before work I treated myself to a salted caramel mocha at Starbucks because 'tis the season. I didn't snap a photo but I promise it existed and it was delicious.

The parking situation at work can be competitive so I always arrive at least 45-30 minutes early to make sure I get a spot. Not ideal but I'm slowly learning to enjoy that time period when I'm just waiting. Last week I read a book during that time, often it's a good chance for a quick chat with a friend. Yesterday I was a little earlier than usual since I was already in town and I had to take a minute to appreciate how incredibly scenic the street looked. I tried to get a good photo with my phone but it almost doesn't do it justice. I'm not head over heels for fall but there are moments when I do appreciate how pretty the changing leaves are lining the roads. #autumnforthewin