5 on Friday

Happy Friday!!!

I decided to post in bullet point/list form today with a few favourites for Friday. We are taking the girls camping for the first time this weekend tomorrow night - and SO excited! We're going with some friends to a very kid-friendly campground, so I think it will be fun. I haven't slept in a tent myself since before they were born, so I'm looking forward to it! Reading Lisa's post earlier this week helped me realize that I'm going to have to be a bit more relaxed when camping than I usually am - but I'm hoping the wine and the outdoors help with that! haha.

I'm also planning to spend some time tonight and tomorrow cleaning up around the house (fun, right?) after a VERY busy past few weeks!!

1) My 5 favourite books so far this year:

Beartown by Frederick Backman

A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman (this was an amazing audiobook)

This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (I still feel like crying every time I think of this book)

Glass Houses by Louise Penny (released at the end of August, absloutely one of the best in the series and #13)

I have a post coming next week with a few analytic details about my reading life so far in 2017 - I decided to do up the stats for the first 6 months and then look at the latter 6 months of 2017 in September. That being said, I highly recommend any of the books listed above. They all blew me away.

2) 5 things I've eaten lately and loved:

• Broccoli stem salad: a delicious way to eat the neglected part of the broccoli
• Inside-out egg rolls
• Homemade greek yogurt (post also coming next week) with strawberries, hemp hearts, and walnuts <-- I've had this for breakfast every day this week
• Zoodles with pasta sauce, chicken, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese
• Bacon-wrapped eggs: We love these for breakfast but I cook them a bit longer because I don't like my eggs runny (I also add a bit of grated parmesan on top) GREAT to make ahead of time.

3) 5 posts of interest around the web:

• 10 useful HTML symbols for your blog
• Strength exercises to do at your desk
• This Youtube channel reads children's books aloud
• Favourite children's books (I can't get enough of these lists and the comments are amazing too)
• I wish I'd know about this way to carry a bucket car seat 3 years ago (Lucy weighed 9lbs14oz at birth, you guys)

4) 5 funny things:

• The Oxford comma's dating profile
• A site for Dad jokes (Brian is already on this)
• Funny video.

5) 5 books I plan to finish this month:

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (currently reading)

North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Erin's challenge - audiobook)

The Sisters Chase  by Sarah Healy

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum (I loved Tell Me Three Things so I am hoping this one is just as good)

The Good Widow by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!! Linking up with Christina and Amanda today. 

Friday Favourites/Five on Friday :)

It's been awhile since I linked up on a Friday, but this seems like a good way to blurt out some thoughts today!!! Linking up with Amanda (Meet at the Barre) for Friday Favourites and April for 5 on Friday!

ONE 
Happy birthday to one of my favourite bloggers KRISTEN today!! She has a fun post over on her blog. Hope you have a great birthday, friend!!!

TWO
Happy Valentine's Day weekend!! We don't do too much to celebrate but we will be seeing some good friends and also most of my mom's family this weekend so that will be pretty fun :) We also have a holiday on Monday so that will be nice to have Brian home :) Here is a list of 10 great romantic reads for Valentine's Day. Check out Alexandra's post about Valentine's Day "around the world" themed dates, too!

source

THREE
I made these waffles this morning & the kids gobbled them right up! They were a nice chocolate treat and they weren't too sweet!

FOUR
I registered Molly for primary (kindergarten aka regular school) today. AHHHH. How do kids grow so fast?!?!

FIVE
A few fun links from this week:
This post on marriage is funny.
A great decluttering project.
8 brillliant books that are impossible to put down
Some great advice for mindfulness when you're feeling overwhelmed.

Hope you all have a great weekend, and a very happy and love-filled Valentine's Day!!

5 on Friday//Friday Favourites

I am still in disbelief that it is already December 4!! I just dug out our Advent Calendar & some decorations for Molly to play with last night, but we are doing full-out decorations and getting our tree this weekend, so maybe that will make things a bit hollier and jollier around our house. Time is just slipping away and Christmas will be here so soon!

Here are some of my favourites this week:

ONE -- my little Christmas kids!! <3

TWO -- Christmas cookie exchange tonight!! I am so looking forward to meeting some new moms from my area & playing a few Christmas games. I baked The Pioneer Woman's gingerbread cookies for the occasion :)

THREE -- This yoga sequence below before bed and this GREAT free guide to beginners strength training a la IIFYM.

FOUR -- I love this list of Christmas book recommendations for children...Janssen's 2014 list is also awesome and we have enjoyed many of the books in the past few weeks including these two absolute favourites:

FIVE -- This made me LOL. I can totally see my husband doing this to me sometime, haha. 

Any fun plans for the weekend? Any fun current reads? I am starting on All The Light We Cannot See tonight - can't wait to share some of my recent favourite books on Tuesday with Steph & Jana!!

Friday Favourites

Not sure about everyone else out there, but it's been a long week here!! Lucy has a double ear infection, so she had quite a few miserable and sleepless nights but is doing OK now on antibiotics. Work has been busy and a bit stressful too - but all is good overall. The weather has been mostly pleasant, although pretty grey...hoping to get out for a run at lunch today if it isn't raining :)

This quote was in the back of my mind this week after I saw it a few days ago:

“October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces.” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).

I do have some favourites to share this week though, so let's jump into those!!

Favourite song:

If you've seen the movie Away We Go, you might be familiar with Alexi Murdoch's music. If you haven't seen the movie, you should check it out!! John Krasinki and Maya Rudolph. It's a cute indie movie!! This song is in the movie & I love it. Perfect chill music and makes you feel so cozy.

Favourite Netflix show:

We're starting to get pretty into Gotham. I am slowly learning to take Jim Gordon's character seriously after viewing him as Ryan from the OC for a few episodes ;)

I can't help but wonder if he still misses Marissa...lol

Favourite workout:

This relaxing yoga sequence:


Favourite Funnies:

Favourite Links:

• #NaNoReadMo.org and about NaNoReadMo over on Modern Mrs. Darcy (this is a lot more do-able for me than NaNoWriMo will ever be, but I can still respect those doing it!!)
• For those writing more this fall, here's a list of perfect songs to listen to while you write
• I loved these empathy cards!!
• Feeling impressed with our new Prime Minister so far when I read things like this
• Some great mental health resources on Jenn's blog this week...as a huge advocate for mental health (hello psychology degree), I am always looking for more resources!!
• Natural ways to soothe a cough - we have colds going around like crazy in our house this time of the year and these remedies are great for kids!!!
• This book looks interesting.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!! Only 4 more days until WINTER comes out! I pre-ordered my copy last night so it'll be waiting for me on Tuesday!! Plus, we have Wednesday off for Remembrance Day so I might get some downtime to read then too!! :)

Friday Faves this week

It has been a busy and tiring week here with not as much sleep OR downtime as usual. I still have the same 4 books on the go as last week and I just had SO little time to read this week! I am trying to finish up some photobooks online for which the coupons expire tomorrow so that has been occupying my evenings and work and kiddos have occupied the rest of my time, of course!!! Both our girls have drippy noses and headaches but they are hanging in there. It's definitely going around.

Overall, it's been a good week though! The results of the Canadian election were crazy but it will be great to see how things change moving forward. I think our country was ready for a change. Brian is still 100% glued to the Blue Jays, who might get eliminated tonight (but hopefully not!) It has been an intense series (I have watched a total of about 2 mins) ;)

I bought a new blog design template this week and I will be trying to put it up on the weekend, but we'll see how it goes!! I'm also doing my 10K race on Sunday (nervous, but excited!!)

Here's to a relaxing and cozy weekend!!!

Favourite Song:


Enjoying this upbeat and chill tune these days

Favourite Funnies:

If you haven't checked out The Awkward Yeti yet, you should. The comics are extremely humorous (In my opinion).

This dad who writes hilarious (and embarassing) late notes for his teenagers. HILARIOUS read.

Another funny dad out there at Fowl Language who posts hilarious comics about parenting.

Favourite Links from the WWW:

• This post on Cup of Jo has some great audiobook recommendations (check out the comments!)
• I love this story. Are you a carrot, an egg, or coffee (I love the idea of striving to be coffee anyway ;))
• 50 Beautiful Sentences in Literature
• Putting on my psychology hat for a minute here, 4 Rituals that will make you a happier person.
• A Harry Potter workout

Favourite photo:

<3 my little lady

See ya next week sometime!! I'm finalizing my list for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2015 Book Challenge...are you?!?

Friday Favourites - what I'm loving this week

It's been a short week here (thank you, Thanksgiving!) but it still seems like it has been a long one! Haha. I am trying to keep a lot of balls up in the air right now, but this weekend will be a nice chance to catch up a bit. We're spending the night (with the kids) at a friend's house on Saturday which means wine and board games - can't complain about that!! Sunday will probably mostly be a cleaning day!!

I mentioned yesterday on Instagram that I currently seem to have 4 books on the go...I have one that I am losing interest in and another couple that will take me longer to read, but I am very much enjoying The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (longest title ever though, haha!). Megan at Semi-Charmed Kind of Life put up the topics for the Winter 2015 Reading Challenge and I think I'll participate for the first time! I am doing some major brainstorming for some of the categories...i.e. a fiction & non-fiction book about the same topic...hmmm....

Linking up with Amanda to share some of my favourite things this week:

Jamberry Nails

My friend Laura became a Jamberry consultant this year and I had originally only tried some nails for Canada Day. I hosted a party a few weeks ago and ordered some new nail wraps and I am LOVING these fall ones (as in, I might cry when they come off) ;) A few of my friends have asked if I am selling them now, which I'm not nor do I think I would ever be able to - it's just not really my thing - but I still love to wear them!! So easy to put on and last for 10-14 days!! 

The Toronto Blue Jays
This team is really bringing Canada together! Being not even that close to Toronto, it is still crazy to see how their playoffs are sweeping the nation. Brian is a huge fan and he is so excited to be watching his team advance in the playoffs.

Kale Caesar Salad
I've been making a variation of this recipe for a couple of months now. Kale is delicious, but it can be a bit bitter and tough unless you "marinate" it a bit in olive oil and lemon juice. I basically shred/cut the kale into bite sized pieces, add the olive oil and lemon juice, let it sit for 5-10 mins after "massaging the kale", add parmesan and garlic powder and croutons if we have any, and BAM, delicious and healthy salad. We grew a ton of kale in the garden this year and this recipe really helped me to eat it all ;)

The Show Us Your Books Link up
So many great recommendations and a giveaway this month!

A Haircut
All through university, I had pretty short hair, but I've always had it shoulder length or longer since I met Brian. I finally went back to short this week after wearing ponytails daily for weeks and I'm loving it!!

Running & Yoga
I have a whole post on my thoughts about these two activities but I am really loving running and I am living for yoga these days. I'm taking a once/week class with Yogaheart and it is beginner level, but so informative and SO relaxing. I also discovered Erin Motz via Instagram this week and I am loving her philosophy towards yoga as well. I find even a few minutes a day really makes a difference to me.

This Tea
Gives you a chocolate fix without the sugar. Really yummy in the afternoon for a little pick me up :)

This Kid

We've had a few ups and downs behaviour wise this week, but she is such a sweet child and brings so much joy to our family. She loved the pie too ;)

And this one too :)

Poor quality photo but she loves to bring us our shoes so we can all go outside :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Friday Favourites - Thanksgiving weekend!!

It's Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend and I can't wait!! It is definitely one of my favourite holidays and even moreso this year because my parents live here now :) We are having turkey dinner on Saturday night and we'll stay the night at my parents so that Brian and I can actually visit a bit with other adults instead of cuddling our clingy toddler and breaking up kid fights. lol. We are looking forward to it :)

I am thankful for so much in my life this year and I usually reflect on it at Thanksgiving. I'm so abundantly thankful for our health again this year. I am thankful that Brian and I both have meaningful and lucrative employment although mine ends in early 2016. I am BEYOND thankful for my parents, in-laws and my family who are endlessly supportive and happily immersed in our girls' lives. I am thankful for sticky fingers and our messy house and girly giggles and sunshine and fall weather and running and podcasts. I am thankful for great books, wonderful music, healthy and nourishing food, and for friendship and for yoga. Most of all, I am thankful for this crazy time in our life, because I know I will miss these moments someday in the future.

Here are some of my favourites for this week!!! Linking up with Amanda from Meet at the Barre (one of my favourite bloggers, coincidentally) :)

Favourite Song:

\\
I think I've mentioned before that I love The Arkells and this one is probably my favourite by them.

Favourite  Reads: I'll talk about this more in Show us Your Books next week, but I really liked Where'd You Go Bernadette and I'm about halfway through Carry On right now and loving that too. I have A Thousand Nights from the library to get to sometime in the next little bit too!!

Favourite Photos of the girls:

Favourite Recipe:

This crack slaw which tastes like the inside of egg rolls and is low carb (or you can put it in rice paper  too :)) I actually love it in lettuce wraps!! I add as many veggies as I can to it too.

Favourite LOLs:

Favourite Links from Around the web:

I am loving Hannah from So Obsessed With's series "Return to Green Gables" and I especially loved this post.

I love Cup of Jo and this post resonated with me because we are still torn on this decision too.

A fun test about Classic Children's Books via Sarah at Life As Always.

24 Moments from Pride & Prejudice that will make your heart melt.

This post about anxiety from two perspectives is important to share.

This sorting hat quiz. <3 I'm a Hufflepuff...same answer I got on Pottermore, haha.

Happy Friday everyone and Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Canadians :) XO

Friday Favourites :)

So I actually saw someone wearing this shirt yesterday in the local grocery store:

Seriously?!?

The worst part? Brian thought it was HILARIOUS. I think it is awful! I mean, at a very basic level, sure, it's funny, but I can just imagine myself having to explain that shirt to my kid (when she is older)...ugh!!!

In other news, we caught up on Brooklyn 99 last night...loving a certain storyline, not sure about another part of it but still some good chuckles :)

Really looking forward to taking it easy with my favourite kiddos this weekend and having a few cold ones and some warm drinks too since it is CHILLY here!!! We are also having an early Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws (who will be away next weekend) so that will be nice!!

Here are my Friday favourites for this week!!!

FAVOURITE SONG:


A nice one from some Irish girls that I like :) I especially like their name!! haha

FAVOURITE PHOTO:

Lucy enjoyed apple and pear picking last weekend.

FAVOURITE RECIPE:

Cheater's Korean beef from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

FAVOURITE REMINDER:

(SOURCE)

I am actually thinking of printing it off and putting it on my fridge (and my forehead). ;)

FAVOURITE FINDS ON THE WWW:

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries - going to check this out on the weekend if I have time!
Online fitness plans and Ebooks via Career Girl Daily
The Best Free Products on the Internet
Christmas Dinner at the Great Hall sells out fast - a look at same great moments in Hogwarts' great hall 

FAVOURITE LOLs:

Hope you all have a great weekend!!! I have a couple of fun posts planned for next week!! Now go check out the other Friday favourites on Amanda's blog over HERE!!!

Fabulous Friday Favourites

Today is a good day. The sun in shining, it's warm but not too hot, and it feels like fall. I finished the Sea of Tranquility this morning on my way to work, and I loved it. It reminded me of how I finished when I finished reading Eleanor & Park. It was a good read. I am actually loving how many great books I have read this year thanks to being more interactive on Goodreads and listening to others' recommendations. I'll be posting my thoughts on the Literary Ladies Summer Reading Challenge on Monday :)

Here are some of my Friday Favourites for the week!!

FAVOURITE MUSIC:

I love this one for running...great beat!!!

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FAVOURITE YOUTUBE VIDEO:



I can't wait to watch it this weekend, since I missed it the first time around on TV in June.

FAVOURITE LINKS AROUND THE WEB:
11 ways to love Goodreads even More
Listen to Your Kids <--- this has really stayed with me since I read it
This post from today on Gilbert Blythe vs. Mr. Darcy

FAVOURITE PHOTO OF THE GIRLS:

My tiny walking toddler machine

Because every 4 year old needs a huge pink unicorn to call their own

FAVOURITE RECIPE:

I made some cold brew coffee this week after spending $5 for a cup of it last week (just black - ridiculous!) Here's the recipe:

Cold Brew Coffee via Sage the Blog

FAVOURITE LOLs:

FAVOURITE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE:

FAVOURITE QUOTE FROM A BOOK I READ RECENTLY:

From The Sea of Tranquility

Happy weekend, everyone!! xo