Friday Things on Friday

This week started off in one direction and then sort of veered off course, which worked out fine because my Word of the Week was flow. More coming on that process soon, I'm planning on making a post about how that's going once I'm a full month into the system.

{one}
Puzzle = Complete!

It was a bit of a close call, I had everything put together and then realized I was missing two pieces. Thankfully one of the cats had just knocked them off the table and on to the floor so I found them pretty quickly. Usually I don't re-do puzzles, but I really liked this one and it was a gift so I will hang on to it and complete it again some time. I took a sharpie and wrote 'January 2017' on the inside of the box so I can remember when it was last completed.

{two}

A hilarious antidote from yesterday's interview. I asked a question related to the typical structure of a work day and was met with a very enthusiastic response about that being a great question and they totally over looked that information because everyone else on the interview list has previous experience with the organization and is familiar with the daily structure. Awesome. I'm pretty sure that's code for, you're totally qualified for this job based on your resume but we're only interviewing you for optics. This job is going to an internal candidate.

{three}

In case anyone asks the way to my heart is plain, rippled chips and Philadelphia brand onion dip. We happened to have both of these things in the house this week and that makes my heart (and stomach) happy.

{four}

Via E-Patches & Pinterest

I'm searching Pinterest for cute Valentine's ideas for my Sparks/Brownies. Since my cute Christmas craft plans went awry I sent them each home with a Kinder Surprise so I'd like to reclaim some of my craftiness for Valentine's Day. Even though I'm also considering just ordering cute 'Valentine's Day' or 'Girls Rock' crests online, attaching a little tag and calling it a day. Parents of littles, what are your thoughts? Cute Pinterest inspired Valentines or more practical crests? (I think I might already know the answer to this.)

{five}
This song has been on repeat this week. It's so catchy and not about getting drunk making poor life choices, which seems to be the theme of most catchy songs these days.

This weekend my plans include reading my second (!!) book of the year, continuing to listen to Run Devil Run on repeat and finding a new show to watch on Netflix now that I've made my way through all of Lock Up. 

SaveSave

My Soundtrack

Alyssa challenged everyone to choose three songs that could be the soundtrack to our lives. I like to follow the rules so I tried REALLY hard to narrow things down to three and eventually was successful. There's lots of great songs that didn't make the cut but I think these three do a good job of creating a well rounded soundtrack. 

Mr. Jones - Counting Crows

This song immediately transports me to playing 4-Square in the main building of the camp where I grew up. It's one of those songs that was embedded into the camp culture by way of the counsellors and then the campers who became counsellors who still played it because it reminded us of camp. 

Left & Leaving - The Weakerthans

I don't remember the first time I heard this song but at some point during jr. high I was introduced to it and it's followed me around ever since. I've always been sentimental and nostalgic and this song is both of those things.

Humble & Kind - Tim McGraw

I knew I needed a country song and originally I thought it would be and older one by Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw or Alabama because those were the soundtracks to my childhood. I kept coming back to this song though, even though it's super recent. It just summarizes everything I was taught growing up and everything I feel strongly about now. 

Blogtember 2015: Tunes & Tales

It's been a hectic week and my to do list keeps growing instead of shrinking! So before I tackle a few more things on my list I'm going to take a minute to share some meaningful music and a few other favourites. 

{one}

Bailey Jean is asking us to share three songs that we're connecting with right now. This was a pretty easy question for me to answer. All summer long I have been loving John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 by Keith Urban. I love High Valley and lately their song Country Line has been one of my favourites. Lastly a song I've been listening to for well over a year but has remained one of my go tos when I need some upbeat inspiration My Lighthouse by Rend Collective.

{two}

I've been eating some great food this week, both in taste and nutrition value. Earlier this week I had farfalle pasta and broccoli with meatballs and marinara sauce. Making leftovers tasty is a bit of a challenge for me so I was super pleased that I used leftover meatballs and sauce from the night before to make this lunch. On the middle you'll see a happy kitchen disaster. I set out to make a smoothie but  I ended up making sorbet of sorts...I added some chocolate chips and it was delicious. Kitchen experiments are always fun, but sometimes you just need a big plate of broccoli & carrots. Because broccoli never disappoints. 

{three}

I almost didn't invest in this planner. The one I used last year was good until 2016 but it really wasn't working for me so I was pretty much just writing notes on post-its and calling it a day. When I found this one the end of July I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money, but I did and I'm so happy with it. Best $20 I've spent in a long time. It's become a complete necessity to keep track of Guiding stuff and blogging things and family commitments. I'll probably do a full post dedicated to how much I love this planner, but this week it is one of my favourite things and deserves a shout out. 

{four}

It's not often I include links to articles in my favourites but this article published in The Guardian "Why The Queen of Mommy Bloggers Had To Quit" is worth a read for anyone who blogs regardless of your niche. I think it's a reality many bloggers don't consider when they are driven to create a blogging empire. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with being a business blogger and finding ways to make your blog profitable. I just liked that this article showed a different perspective of the phenomenon that blogging has become. 

{five}

Our first Spark meeting is Monday and I'm excited and anxious to start the year. I'm eager to get organizing and come up with some fun activities to do this year. I haven't been in Sparks since I was a Spark, all of my leader experience has been with the older girls. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole process, but I'm sure once things start I'll be more at ease.

On that note, I am off to send some more emails. Turns out tracking down the key for our meeting place is more of a challenge than it should be and seeing as how it's almost noon I should really get dressed and out of my pyjamas!

Linking up here & here.

The Week That Was

I'm not sure if it was the time change or the weather transitioning from "crisp fall days" to "winter blah days" but this week was LONG. There were some bright spots among the daily routine (most of which  are related to yesterday's trip to Target).

{One}

Via Target

I bought this sweater yesterday at Target and I can't wait to wear it to work with leggings & boots. Our office is generally about a million degrees though, so I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to wear the sweater without sub coming to heat stroke but I will make it happen. 

{Two}

Via

I am late to party on this one but I was pretty loyal to Soft Lips lip balm so I never did get around to trying EOS. It happened to be on sale yesterday at Target and I've only used it a handful of times but I am hooked. I bought the Honeydew and it so wonderful. My lips have been brutally dry lately, I am constantly applying lip balm and using pure vaseline on them at night hopefully this will be the solution I've been looking for.

{Three}

I cannot stop singing this song! In the car, getting ready for work, at work. I think it's the shout out to Train/Drops of Jupiter that really seals the deal for me. I have a deep love for songs that mention other songs. Plus it's catchy and happy.

{Four}

I've been reading The Kitchen House and at first I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and was totally enthralled with the characters and their story. I'm almost at the end now though and I've gotten a little less interested in the whole thing. I'm a few chapters away from the end and I'm sad that I don't love the characters the same way I loved them in the beginning. I'm leaning towards the thought it would have been a better story if the author had of turned the story into a series and not rushed through seasons and jumped ahead five years all over the place. 

{Five} 

My last though is entirely devoted to how excited I am for bedtime to crawl around. 

The Week Ahead

I had a pretty great week last week. Which is probably why I didn't blog much. Does anyone else experience the bizarre effect that more happiness = less blogging?

My favourite part of new Taylor Swift albums is choosing a favourite song and listening to that song on repeat. This time around it's Wildest Dreams. T-Swift understands. When I haven't been listening to 1989 I've been singing along to Leave The Night On by Sam Hunt.

More often than not things in my life happen very fast and all at once. So when things don't happen that way, when they unfold slowly it is a pleasant change of pace. And since there are so many seconds to enjoy I'm enjoying everyone of them. That's a pretty cryptic statement but y'all are just going to have to deal with it.

This week is shaping up to pretty fabulous as well. Even if I spent all day Sunday being extremely unproductive rather than my usual Sunday routine of choosing outfits for the week and doing meal prep. The time change had me all sorts of messed up and I found myself showered, PJs on and ready for bed at 8:15. It worked out well though, it was nice to end the weekend and start the week reading a good book. 

I'm not mentally prepared for fewer hours of daylight or snow so I'm trying to focus my attention on enjoying this season opposed to forcing myself to panic over winter driving, cold and never ending snow. I was excited for sweaters, scarfs and boots but it turns out my office is part sauna. I wore my favourite sweater to work one day last week and endured 8 hours of unbearable heat. Of course when I left work it was near freezing and I drove the whole way home with my heated seats on full blast. 

On that note I need to go piece together an outfit that will keep me warm outside and cool inside and maybe justify a second cup of coffee.

Reflections

I am incredibly thankful that I grew up surrounded by water. I don't remember learning how to swim, the first time I saw the ocean or my first time on a boat, these things have always just been part of my life. It's probably why I find so much peace and comfort being on and near the water. When I have some time at camp to spend alone I usually spend it on the dock or walking along the water. There is something magical when the water is still and calm, it forces me to also be still and calm and reflective.

September and October are always times of reflection for me; things that I would do differently, things that I will do differently, moments I want to engrave on my memory and moments I would rather forget. The past few week I've moved on from reflecting on this summer to making plans for the next year. And I've noticed that it's more about creating better habits and making positive changes than it is about stopping and although it wasn't a conscious decision to frame things that way it's making a difference in how successful I am when it comes to accomplishing things on my 'Fall To-Do List'.

I deleted Facebook from my phone and the only time I miss it is at night when I'm scrolling through social media on my phone right before I go to sleep. Other than that I live without it just fine.

I started journalling again, pen to paper, write whatever the heck you want, no pressure to gain followers or engage readers or fear that someone from 'the real world' will stumble across your blog (am I the only one that has this fear?). Its ridiculously therapeutic and something I was incredibly consistent with for the majority of my life until I stopped.

I am the worst at reading during the summer. Unless it's a camper file, an incident report or a warm fuzzy I can never seem to find time to read, which means I've fallen way behind in my goal to read 50 books this year. I want to read at least 5 books before Christmas.

Even though I'm trying to eliminate time wasters from my life I am still counting down the days to the season premieres of my favourite shows. Tonight Survivor and The Middle are back. Grey's Anatomy returns tomorrow. Criminal Minds in a couple of weeks…I don't have any plans to watch any of the new shows making their debut so at least I'm not adding more shows to the mix.

Autumn is only one day old and I'm already over the influx of pumpkin spice and declarations of how fall is the best season to ever exist. I appreciate pretty leaves and leggings & boots but mostly I love flip flops, norts and iced coffee. Also, it is too early to decorate for Halloween, let's get through Thanksgiving first. (Unless you're American, in which case hold off until the second week in October.) I do want some pumpkin pie in my life though.

All that being said about autumn I will drink at least one pumpkin spice latte and treat myself to some of my favourite Halloween candy.

I am doing a lot of praying that I hear about a job this week. I've made it through the first two rounds and now I'm just waiting for one more phone call. I hate the waiting game and knowing that I've done everything I can do on my end and it's up to someone else to do what they have to do on their end.

I never hide my love of Taylor Swift and I'm looking forward to listening to her new album the day it comes out. I'm also eagerly awaiting the release of Andrew McMahon's new album.

This just re-read this post and realized it's all over the place but that's what happens when you try to combine weekly confessions and a fall bucket list.

Summer Jams & All-Time Faves

For months it's been on my list to join Kelli at Just Beachy for her Picture Practice link up, but I always forget until it's too late. I remembered this week though and it just so happens that the topic for today's Picture Practice is "The Sky". I love sunsets, which means I have a lot of sunset/sky photos in my archives. I don't get a lot of down time during the summer but one of my favourite things to do is take a few minutes at the end of the day to watch the sunset. 

I don't like to do anything while watching a sunset except be in the moment and watch the sky, but the rest of the day I'm pretty much always listening to music. 

I can spend hours crafting the perfect playlist to fit my mood and I love discovering new music to add to my list. I always feel a little anxious when I recommend music to others though, I'm worried they'll judge my taste or think I'm a crazy person. And what I listen to totally depends on my mood I spent a lot of time this summer bopping around to Timber  although mostly in the car or when I was alone because let's face it, it's a terrible song and totally not camp appropriate. I also listened to My Lighthouse by Rend Collective a whole lot this summer. Everyday by Buddy Holly was also a popular song this summer, in large part because one of our male staff played it on his guitar daily (if not hourly). And way back in April or May H., R. & I decided that Be Okay would be our song of the summer so we listened to that non-stop as well. 

In addition to all those songs that will go down as "Summer 2014" songs I also have a few all-time favourites that I've loved for a very long time and will continue to love for a very long time. 

All-Time Favourites

Konstantine - Something Corporate

The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists

Slide - Goo Goo Dolls

The Luckiest - Ben Folds

Left & Leaving - The Weakerthans

What songs will forever remind you of summer 2014? Do you have any all-time favourite songs that you'll love for as long as you live? Go ahead and link up with Bailey Jean for Blog-tember and share your music tastes!

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! 

Coconuts & French Fries

This was my last week in the office before camp…so things have been a little hectic. I also moved out of my apartment and am staying with my cousin and her family for the week because the friend I was subletting for was moving back in and it just made the most sense. My commute to work did go from 10 minutes to 45 but overall much better than toughing out the week with four of us girls living in one apartment sharing 1 bathroom and 3 bedrooms.

Since it's been a hectic week blogging has (once again) fallen to the bottom of the to-do list. There are a bunch of things I planned on blogging about this week but since the week is pretty much over the condensed version of all those things will have to make do.

Linking up here as per usual! 

{one}

First off, Sunday night I went with a group of five other girls to the Backstreet Boys' concert!! And while I won't tell you it was the best concert I've ever been to it was pretty great and I'm glad I went! They played all of their old hits and some of their new stuff. There was the classic 90s boy band choreography one would expect to see at a BSB concert. Plus, a really impressive acoustic set! If you haven't seen them in concert I would recommend seeing them at least once! 

{two}

For weeks now I have been craving coconut. I've convinced myself that the only thing that can satisfy this craving is a real coconut. None of the sweetened shredded stuff or dried pieces in trail mix or coconut flavoured yogurt can satisfy me. The problem is I have no idea what to do with an actual coconut. They are readily available at my local grocery store but what happens when I bring it home? Google tells me I need a hammer and a cleaver and a very sharp knife? Please leave your coconut related experience and suggestions in the comments. 

{three}

It's that time of year when I listen to all the newly released country songs and declare one to be my summer song. Every other year I hear a song and that's it, I fall in love and listen to it on repeat for days on end. So far this year that song has been Yeah by Joe Nichols. Although I still plan on listening to Luke Bryan sing Play it Again over and over over again all summer. 

{four}

I was really looking forward to next week. The plan was for me to work from home and get things done like Cabin of the Week Awards on my Cricut and staff name tags and putting together sample crafts and things for programming. Unfortunately it doesn't look like that's going to happen now. I hate the thought of starting the summer out in such a stressful way but I'm trying really hard to be understanding and go with the flow because I know it's not just my plans that are getting messed up. The situation makes me grumpy though. And the last thing I want is to start the summer off in a grumpy way!

{five}

Up until last week I was doing such a great job eating healthy, balanced meals. The only junk food I was eating was the occasional can of pop. And even last week even though I was craving Wendy's last Friday I resisted and went home instead and made cajun chicken and potato wedges. Then things went downhill. Saturday night R. came into town for BSB and we consumed mass quantities of bread with roasted red pepper dip and chips with guacamole. Sunday we went out for pizza before the concert. I've had cereal for supper multiple times this week. And yesterday for lunch I ate graham crackers, a mars bar and a coke. I grabbed fast food for lunch once this week and it's pretty likely that it's going to happen again today. I just want to eat all the french fries. And drink all the fountain pop. That will definitely make me feel better about the chaos of next week. 

Five Exciting Things

Just when I'm starting to feel like I'm getting back into the swing & routine of blogging May happens. And May = Camp. Which is extremely exciting for a whole lot of reasons! And kind of a downer because camp is not conductive to blogging.

I have the best intentions of blogging two or three times a week during the summer. Realistically I know that might not happen. Especially for the first week or so before the internet is set up. And the week or so after that during staff training…Basically what I'm saying is if I disappear off the face of the blogosphere over the next few weeks I'll be back. At some point.

In an effort to end the week on a good note and start the weekend off on the right foot my Five on Friday is dedicated to five things I'm looking forward to over the next few days. Many of which earn lots of High Fives for Friday!

{one}

I was sitting at my desk this morning pondering what to make for supper. (I like to think at least two meals ahead.) And I realized that's it's Friday, it's been a chaotic week. I've earned a treat. What I'm saying is I see a Wendy's drive-thru detour on my way home from work. #noshame

{two}

On my schedule for this weekend is the ultimate in Girls' Night activities! Backstreet Boys concert! I was never a huge BSB fan back in the day (Spice Girls were my fave) but I do remember thinking Nick Carter was totally cute. There are six of us going to the concert and I'm really excited about it! We've had tickets for a while but it seemed so far way, I can't believe it's happening this weekend. 

{three}

This gelato is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. It was totally an impulse buy. I ran to the grocery story for yogurt & granola bars and came out with this container of pure awesome. I am way more a salty/savoury person than I am sweet so I am all over this whole salted caramel trend that is all over the place. 

{four} 

I'm working with Erin from Love, Fun & Football and she's designing me the most perfect layout ever to exist in Blogland. I am so excited! I assure you there will be an entire post about how great it was to work with Erin and how happy I am with the design!

{five}

I can't believe there are less than 2 weeks until I move to camp! My to-do lists (plural) are miles long but 90% of the things on those lists are what I would classify as fun things. Getting supplies ready, finding new games, packing, making warm-fuzzy envelopes for the staff. Things that I can easily (and happily) do in the evenings while watching TV. 

  

Called To Be Woven

I had one of the best weekends I've had in a really long time. It seems like it's been so long since I've experienced God Moments but this weekend I seemed to be surrounded. I found them in the most unexpected places, but I am so grateful that I did. 

I'm grateful for the peace of not knowing the specifics, but knowing that I need only to keep listening and watching and following 'the call'. 

I'm grateful for coffee on rainy Monday mornings.

I'm grateful for fulfilled promises.

I'm grateful for songs that give me goosebumps. 

I am full of hope, praise, celebration, faith and delight that I know there are big things ahead. 

I am grateful for passion and opportunities to use that passion to make a difference. 

Let It Goooo

 

I confess that I chose "Let it Go" as the title of this post so that I had an excuse to listen to the song while I write.

While we're on the topic..."Let it Go" is not my favourite song from Frozen. (Fixer Upper for the win!)

I should really go buy groceries after work...but I don't need groceries. There is enough food in my cupboards/fridge for me to eat the rest of the week. I may be eating perogies and spring rolls for supper Friday night but that's okay.

A month ago I signed up to go to this open house/networking type event that is sort of related to work, but not really. It starts Friday night at 6 and ends Sunday afternoon. It's either going to be really awesome or really not awesome.

I'm moving to camp for the summer in 22 days...I'm not even sure how time went by so fast. And I have no idea how I'm going to get everything checked off on my "Pre-Camp To Do List" in the next 22 days.

I have a major fast food craving happening but I'm trying to resist. Even though it's hard, because food and weird groceries.

I'm moving out of my apartment next weekend so I'm purposely not buying mass quantities of groceries that I will then either have to leave behind for the roomies or pack. And I draw the line at suitcases full of frozen chicken breasts and half full containers of sour cream.

I started writing this Tuesday night and now it's Wednesday evening and I still haven't hit publish. So I'm just going to keep on confessing.

Every week I tell myself I'm going to start eating breakfast. And every week 'eating breakfast' translates to coffee.

I am really freaking excited to watch Deadliest Catch while eating popcorn just as soon as I've waited an acceptable amount of time between supper and snacking.

For those of you dying to know…I did not go to the grocery store after work. I remembered I had pasta, broccoli and alfredo sauce…I can't promise perogies and spring rolls won't happen at some point. 

Also, I'm pretty sure I love Kathy's link up so much because it's basically an excuse for me to ramble about my ridiculous thoughts, slap a button on and call it a post. 

Sunday Social #98

Linking up with Ashley & Neeley for this week's Sunday Social.

Five songs you'll listen to the rest of your life:

• Slide - Goo Goo Dolls
• The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists
• The Luckiest - Ben Folds
• Tim McGraw- Taylor Swift
• Konstantine - Something Corporate
• *Honourable Mention : Play it Again - Luke Bryan

Five things on your bucket list:

• Get Married
• Have Babies
• Publish a Book
• Visit Stonehenge
• Visit Auschwitz 

Five celebs you'd love to hang out with for the day:

• Ellen DeGeneres 
• Taylor Swift
• Neil Patrick Harris
• Rick Mercer
• Brent Butt

Five things you always carry in your purse:

• Wallet 
• Sharpie
• Gum
• Lip Balm
• Hair Elastic

Five books on your reading list:

• Guitar Notes - Mary Amato
• Everything Beautiful - Simmone Howell
• Send in the Idiots - Kamran Nazeer
• I Don't Care About Your Band - Julie Klausner
• The Ramen King and I - Andy Raskin

Share the last five photos on your phone: 

//Starbucks Mocha Fappachino//

//Chocolate Milk in my new cow print tumbler//

//Delicious M&M cookie//

//Volunteer thank you gift for Day Camp volunteers//

//Random screen shot from a FB group//

Things That Make Me Weird

Happy Wednesday! I have plans to go outside and appreciate spring weather after work...but there seems to be some sort of rain storm happening outside. The universe is against me. The good news is that tomorrow is really Friday! And soon I will be jumping in my car, with an iced coffee in the cup holder and Luke Bryan on my iPod headed far, far away from the city for a whole 3 nights.

 

Moving on to the main point of this post...things that make me weird when compared to most of my peers.

 

• There isn't a cell in my body that finds the idea of being massaged or touched by a random stranger inviting or relaxing. I have no interest in paying somebody to paint my toes or massage my back or apply goop to my face. Spending a day at a spa sounds like torture. Awkward, uncomfortable torture.
• I would rather sit alone in a cardboard box than spend a night at a crowded club and wasting money on expensive drinks. $7 for a drink?! That's like 1/4 of my grocery budget for a week. That's almost a full hour of work! Just for something you're going to drink and never see again!
• I tune out as soon as someone starts ranting about feminism and raising girls to be powerful career women. If that's what you want good for you. I'm hoping & praying the majority of my "prime working years" are spent raising babies. And if some of those babies want to be CEOs that's great. But if they want to be spouses and parents that's great too. I shouldn't be made to feel bad because I want to be a mom and not a business woman.
• Another contributing factor to my dislike of the bar scene is I hate rap/techno/dubstep/whatever you want to call it music. Why is there so much swearing? Why is it so loud? I much prefer my dance parties to involve 90's pop and Taylor Swift.
• I love names. And have very strong opinions on which names I do and don't like. Sometimes the only difference between a name I do and do not like is spelling. Isaiah = Good. Izaia = Terrible. Spell names correctly.
• I kind of want it to rain on my wedding day. I really want a photo of me in my wedding dress and rubber boots standing in a puddle. I also would like to get married outside (at camp). I'm not sure how well those two things mix.

 

What makes you weird  interesting? Confess your quirks and link up with Kathy! And then join Liz for The Hump Day Blog Hop!

 

 

 

            

Five on Friday : Favourite Things

It’s been a while since I did a Five on Friday: Favourite Things Edition but I had such a great sleep last night and woke up all refreshed this morning ready to appreciate and celebrate all the little things I’m currently loving.

Doodling

I keep referencing my re-discovery of writing but alongside that comes by love of doodling. I was that kid in school who COVERED the margins of any and all pieces of papers with drawings of notes and words and whatever else I felt like drawing. I love browsing Pinterest and admire what other people are doodling. Note how I never said I enjoy drawing…because in my mind that’s different. I spent years taking Art Lessons and learning to sketch and paint but they never really sunk in. And I get stressed out trying to make drawings perfect, whereas doodles are meant to be fun and imperfect!

 Homemade Mac & Cheese

Pinterest

At the risk of having my Canadian passport revoked I fully admit I don't like Kraft Dinner. I would eat it occasionally as a kid but I would never dream of considering it something I loved. But a couple of years ago I was introduced to homemade mac & cheese. The clouds parted and angels sang! Over the past 6 months I've really perfected my method/recipe and now I just want to eat it ALL the time. Luckily I have some self-control but I have a huge craving for it right now and I think I'll make a big batch on Sunday so I can take it for lunch next week!

This Quote:

"Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating." ~Simon Pegg

This Song:

Last Kiss - Taylor Swift

Gummy Bears

Gummy Bears are kind of always my favourite but I cheated in the groceries last week and bought a tub full. Even though they definitely do not fit into my "no buying junk food in the groceries" rule. I needed a treat. I already told myself I needed to make them last because I wouldn't be buying any more but so far they're half eaten. I just can't resist their gummy goodness!

Sunday Social #95

Linking up with Ashley & Neely for this week's Sunday Social. 

What are the top 3 things you can't go a day without doing?

Praying

Texting

Writing

What are 3 things that scare you the most?

Never Falling in Love

Not Having Children

Forgetting

What are 3 places you want to see before you kick the bucket?

Stonehenge

Auschwitz

Cliffs or Moher

What are 3 movies you will always love?

The Princess Bride

Pocahontas

Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire

What are your 3 favorite current songs?

Colder Weather - Zac Brown Band

Play it Again - Luke Bryan

I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab for Cutie

*These are my current favourites, the ones I've been listening to on repeat for the past few weeks. My "All-Time Favourites" is a totally different list of three! 

Sunday Social #89

Linking up with Ashley & Neely

What are your favorite things to do on a lazy day?

Sleep in a little bit, wake up, drink a cup of coffee while catching up on blogs and watching the news or a talk show. If it's a true lazy day I will probably spend the afternoon watching  a movie or a TV show marathon. Odds are I'll have something super simple for lunch (like bread & dip) and then make an elaborate supper. In the evening Skype Dates are always a favourite and maybe some reading or more TV.

What is your tv guilty pleasure?

Teen Mom! There's something comforting about watching the train wreck that is Teen Mom 2. My life may not be going exactly as I planned but I'm not addicted to hard drugs. I may be single, but I don't have a dead beat boyfriend/baby daddy. Clearly I made some good life choices along the way. I will say though that watching Corey's denial about Ali's diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy is extremely heartbreaking and there are moments of good parenting and decision making. 

What is your favorite road trip music?

With a group of friends it's One Direction, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, songs everyone knows the words to for optimal sing alongs. By myself I have a bizarre playlist that includes Jonas Brothers, Luke Bryan, Steven Wilson, Something Corporate and Taylor Swift. 

What are your favorite magazines of books to read by the pool or laying around?

Cosmo seems like the obvious answer here! I'll pick up just about anything to read. 

What is your favorite snack?

I like dips. Tortilla chips & guacamole, pita bread & taziki, naan & spinach dip. Dips are my love language when it comes to snacking!

Liebster Love!

The lovely Nina over at The Grand Adventures of Me nominated me for a Liebster Award! Nina is one of the funniest and kindest bloggers I've ever "met". If you're not reading her blog you need to stop whatever it is your doing right now (ok, maybe wait and finish reading my post first) and go check her out. 

Nina's Questions:

If you could only celebrate one holiday a year, which would it be?
My half birthday! I don't care much for my "real" birthday since it's in January and it's always cold and snowy. My half birthday however falls in July, when I am usually at camp and I can force people to make a big deal out of it and give me attention. #noshame

Which is better: the morning or the night?
I am a night owl.

Although mornings do come with coffee so they're not entirely bad.


If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you want to be stranded with and what is the one item you would want to have?
I would have a hard time choosing which friend to bring. It would probably be H. or R. but a male friend who is up for cuddles would also be a good choice. I'd want to have some sort of food /water supply. I'd enjoy the experience a lot more if I wasn't worried about dying. 

Were you more interested in the Superbowl or the Bruno Mars half time show Sunday night? If you didn't watch either, what did you spend your Sunday evening doing?

I didn't watch either. Sunday I got ready for my first day of my grown up job! 

If you are a religious person, how does religion affect your life?

I am constantly praying about something. Knowing that I don't have to stress about things or find words or actions to express how thankful I am but instead turing it over to God is a huge comfort to me. I struggle with anxiety but my faith is really something that helps me through that, I can't image how much worse I would be if I didn't have God to lean on. 

The last thing you bought was . . .

Groceries! And not even exciting groceries just chicken, veggies, bread and tortilla chips. 

 Do you have any embarrassing stories you're willing to share with the internet world?

I try and block embarrassing moments from my mind as soon as they happen so I don't dwell on them. But earlier this week I had a guy in my building ask if I was lost as I aimlessly drove my car around the underground parking trying to find my spot. 

What is your number one pet peeve?

Food touching other foods. 

What do you prefer: movies, books, or the interwebz?

Can't I have them all!? I enjoy watching movies while browsing the interwebz, but I love reading and books. But the internet is just flat out amazing. 

What is your favorite season?

SUMMER! This isn't even up for debate.

Why do you blog?

It started off as just something to do. Now it's developed into a place I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts or rants and documenting what's happening in my life. 

I was also nominated by Caitlyn over at Enigmatic Ambiance (doesn't she have the coolest blog name ever!?) We share a common love for dinosaurs, so you need to go check her out too.

Caitlyn's Questions:

What is your dream job?
I'm an assistant camp director so I'm pretty darn close to what I would consider my dream job. Someday I hope to be director of a Christian Summer Camp & Conference Centre but I am pretty happy where I am working with people with disabilities. 

Tell me about your first kiss.  
I'm pretty sure my first kiss was with the boy who lived next door when we were both around 4 or 5. My first real kiss was when I was 16 or 17 and it was my first summer as a full time counsellor.

Do you have a favorite song?  What is it?
Slide by the Goo Goo Dolls will always and forever be my all-time favourite song. It's been my favourite song for years and I can't imagine ever loving a song more than I love that one.

What is at the top of your bucket list? 
Get married (at camp) & have children.

I'm obsessed with dinosaurs.  What are you obsessed with? 
I too love dinosaurs. I also love tie-dye and anything camp related.

When is the last time you took a bubble bath?
Um, when I was 9 or 10? I have no idea, I don't get the whole bath thing. I get bored just sitting there. 

Would you rather live without TV or music? 
I'm going to say music, because there are lots of music channels on TV I could still watch.

Where is your favorite place to shop?  Can be an actual store or online. 
Old Navy is probably my 'go to'. Lately I've been liking a lot of stuff from American Eagle.

Who is your bloggy crush? 
I've never thought about it! 

What is your favorite Mean Girls quote? 
"And none for Gretchen Weiners." 
I can't explain why it's my favourite, it just seems to be the one I can use most often in real life. 

Are you excited about anything?

Summer! And in the more near future H. & R. are coming to the city this weekend for a Galintines Day Weekend! 

I was nominated for the Liebster Award a few weeks back by some other awesome bloggers you can check out that post here. 

Workin' for the Weekend

I promise I'll take time this weekend to write a proper update about my first full week of my grown up job but for right now a quick 5 on Friday update will have to do!

{one}
At one point or another the following thoughts have crossed my mind: "I need a slow cooker so I can just come home and have supper be made!", "Only one more day until casual Friday!", "I can't wait until the flyers come out so I can meal plan for next week!". I am pretty sure all of these thoughts have solidified my "grown up" status.

{two}
My iTunes in composed of 65% country, 25% indie/alternative/pop and 10% Christian. But lately I've been listening to Pink Floyd while I cook supper. I'm a lady with many quirks.

{three}
I am so excited to sleep in tomorrow! I don't think I'll actually be able to sleep in, but not waking up to an alarm and being able to hang out in bed even for just half an hour will be glorious!

{four}
I started writing this 3 hours ago and then ended up on Skype with R. It was lovely to catch up on our weeks! She and H. will both be in the city next weekend and I am so excited to celebrate Valentine's Day with two of my favourite people! None of us have any sort of romantic relationships or potential romantic relationships so we're planning to spend the weekend eating delicious food, enjoying wine in the hot tub and being together.

{five}
I had no idea how much time I spent blogging before this week. But working all day has really made me realize that it was a lot. I haven't had any solid chunk of time to dedicate to writing posts, reading other blogs, leaving comments or planning posts. I am planning on taking time at some point this weekend to figure out what kind of blogging & working balance I want to achieve. I know that it is pretty unlikely I will be able to go back to posting 5-6 times a week and I don't want to limit myself to once or twice a week.

Repeat.

I love music. I am mildly totally obsessed with organizing my iTunes, creating a playlist for every mood and occasion and I am both proud and ashamed to admit I have everything from Alabama to Weezer. Since I got a new hard drive and wasn't able to save anything from my old one I spent a lot of time this weekend importing CDs and trying to restore my iTunes to its former glory. 

My first priority was to make sure all my favourite songs were added! I definitely have favourite songs of the moment, but there are seven songs that have been my "All-Time Favourites" for years. And one recent addition that I know is going to stand the test of time.  As I was making this list I realized that although I tell people I mostly listen to country (which is true) only two of my All-Time Favourites would be considered country and they aren't even that twangy! I'm not sure what that says about me, but I'm sure there's something there! 

Slide - Goo Goo Dolls 

This at the very top of my favourite list, it's the favourite of the favourites. It's been my favourite song for as long as I can remember. I love the way the guitar sounds in the beginning. I love the lyrics. I love everything about this song. 

Mr. Jones - Counting Crows

I have the best memories of singing along to this song at camp. Whenever I hear it I am immediately transported back to being at camp as a camper and being in awe of the counsellors could sing along to every word. Then, being an older camper and knowing most of the words, and finally achieving "counsellor status" and after listening to the song so many times a week for weeks on end I learned every word by heart. 

The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists

I don't play any instruments. I own a keyboard and a guitar, because at one point in my life I begged my parents to get me said instruments, but I never learned how to play either of them. Due to my lack of real musical knowledge I usually go for lyrics over music. The exception though is really The Crane Wife 3, the lyrics are there and you can search for lots of meaning in them but when it comes down to it I just like the way it sounds.

The Luckiest - Ben Folds

There are a lot of songs about love. A LOT. This one is different though, to me it's about loving someone so much there just aren't words. And being in total awe that all of life's circumstances and events lead you to that person. 

Konstantine - Something Corporate

Yes, it's a long song. It's worth every second of listening though. I love songs that tell a story, and this song definitely tells a story. It's so heartbreakingly beautiful. I feel kind of protective over this song, I don't recommend it to just anybody, only to people who I think will "get" it (and the blog world apparently). 

Tim McGraw - Taylor Swift

Say what you will about T-Swift, I will defend her until I'm blue in the face. And sure her music has changed over the years, but my music taste has changed a lot since I was 16 too. Like I said before, I love songs that tell a story and I think this song encompasses the simple feeling of hoping somebody thinks of you because you still think about them. 

Left & Leaving - The Weakerthans

I think saying goodbye is one of the hardest things ever, especially when the events surrounding the goodbye are muddled and you're not really sure when or if there will be a hello again. Plus, all the confusion, frustration, sadness and nostalgia that comes with missing somebody. 

Play It Again - Luke Bryan

The newest addition to my must have list. The first time I heard this song I played it on repeat for the entire day. And the next day. And on the third day the director, who I share an office with during the summer, threatened to quit if I didn't change the song. So I listened to Crash My Party & That's My Kinda Night for a few hours before returning to Play It Again. 

What are your all time favourite songs that you just never get tired of hearing!?

I didn't have any real weekend shenanigans this week so I'm linking up with the lovely Meg for Mingle Monday!