Dancing Sweet Pea

Three things Thursday!

2012-01-26T14:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Thursday everyone! I remember my alarm going off this morning and wishing that it was Saturday so I could sleep in! By this late in the week I am ready for a sleep-in day!

Here are my three things on this beautiful sunny Thursday!

1. I am really excited to take Jackson to his first doggy daycare this weekend. We are going to let him try it out for an hour or two to see how he does with the other dogs before signing him up. I'm excited at the thought of him being able to play with some doggy friends during the day instead of being home all by himself!

2. We are going to look at wedding bands this weekend! This makes my heart smile! I love doing this kind of stuff and Noel is super excited to go too! He's really getting into the little details of planning with me. I never thought he would be this way. But I love it!

3. I am so looking forward to dinner tonight. As a matter of fact it's all I can think about this afternoon! We are trying a new recipe in the crockpot called Buffalo chicken. Toss in four chicken breasts, mix up 1 cup of wing sauce and half a package of powdered Ranch dressing and pour over chicken. Let it cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add two tablespoons of margarine and shred chicken. Serve on a bun, with some cheese and lettuce. We'll also be having a salad. Yum! I will let you know how it turns out.
We are also going to be trying another recipe called Drunken Roast this weekend which uses a whole can of beer! I love my crockpot!

Make it a great day!

Bad blogger!

2012-01-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

I seriously am a terrible blogger. I read blogs almost on a daily basis but often feel like my life is not overly exciting and that I never really have exciting things to talk about.

Today though (and probably straight through until October when our reception is) I will chat about wedding!

I am truly loving every single minute of wedding planning. Sure, there have been times when I have felt overwhelmed and somewhat stressed - probably because I'm planning two separate things and because Noel is always so busy with work that it feels like we have a small window of a few days each month to make decisions together.

But I am feeling much better these days because all of our big stuff is booked or in the process of being booked.

We of course have decided on a place to get married as well as a wedding date - hello Hawaii can't come soon enough, especially when we saw temps of almost -50C last night with the windchill! Gross!

We are in the process of booking flights and our hotel, which will be done on Noel's next set of days off. We have decided on what hotel though! We have booked our photographer and a musician (a ukulele player to be exact!) for our ceremony. We are in the process of booking our flowers and a dinner after the wedding as well. Our invites have been ordered and will be mailed out as soon as we get them. They are gorgeous and exactly what I wanted! I will post them when they get here. My dress has been ordered as well. I still need to book hair and makeup for the morning of our wedding.

We have booked our reception for Oct. 6th where we will invite all of our friends and family! We have booked a live band which we really have hummed and hawed over for the last six weeks. But it's done now and we are excited! They will also bring a DJ to play in between their sets and after as well.
We are gathering ideas for decorations for our reception but we have a pretty good idea of what we'll be doing. A family friend is making our favours for us as we speak - pineapple jelly. We will also be bringing a pineapple spice back from Hawaii to add to the favours as well.
We still have to book a tasting for our reception, but I think beef will be on the menu.

And we continue to work hard and save, save, save for both our wedding and reception. Going into the planning we only had one rule - we would not put a single thing on credit. We don't want to be paying for our wedding for the next year. It will be all paid in cash and that way we can just enjoy the moment as it comes!

We are so happy and continue to get more excited every day!

Welcoming 2012!

2012-01-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been! Between Christmas and New Years, getting together with friends and family, travelling and trying to relax somewhere in there, I can't believe we've already hit 2012!

I have BIG plans for this year! Of course we are getting married! We have actually set the date. We will be getting married in August in Hawaii! We are extremely excited!

The reception will be booked by this weekend. Noel is coming home tonight and is on his days off so we will be getting to work. We do have two venues on two different days tentatively booked though so I feel good!

Wedding planning has been somewhat stressful. It has been fun for the most part but I am basically planning two different weddings - or so it feels like - so the coordination of a ceremony and reception in Hawaii and then a reception here has been somewhat trying on my nerves at times. All of this while Noel works away 90% of the month so I am really on my own when it comes to getting things done.

2011 was a great year as well but I am definitely looking forward to 2012! For some reason I feel like it's a fresh start and it's time to turn over a new leaf. I'm not too sure where this is coming from, but I have never felt it before when another year has gone by.

I don't really make resolutions per se, because I think for the most part you are setting yourself up for failure. But there are some things that I want to work on this year and they include of course continuing to live a more healthy lifestyle, being more financially responsible, saving more, trying to not let the little things bother me as much, relaxing more and continuing to appreciate what I have on a day to day basis.

Here's to 2012!!!!

Busy, busy, busy!

2011-12-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, where has the last couple of weeks gone? Forget that, where has 2011 gone? I feel like I'm flying around like a crazy woman - not because I'm not ready for Christmas, because I was a while ago, with the exception of baking, which I plan to start on tonight.

With Noel only home for a short time we are trying to enjoy the holidays and plan our wedding! I would love to have something booked in terms of a wedding site ideally before he goes back to work, which isn't too far away now. This would be made much, much easier if people would get back to me! Argh! It is very frustrating actually. All of our current decisions hinge on hearing back from the venues and people we have left messages for.

We are looking to get married in Hawaii hopefully next September-ish, followed by a reception back here at home. We are still wading through the guest list (oh my was that ever NOT fun)! We seem to have two different ideas of who should and should not be invited. Going into planning I decided right away that I would pick my battles so to speak, but the guest list is something the neither of us are giving up on. I know it will all work out and we'll both be happy campers at the end, it's just tough trying to get there.

Anyways, so that is that for now. Nothing else is really new. I'm super excited for Christmas as my sister, her husband and my niece are coming. It's my niece's first Christmas (she was born in January), so it makes it all the more special!

What I'm lovin' today!

2011-12-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

There are many things that I am loving and thankful for today, but my biggest love is that I found my wedding dress on the weekend! I feel a sense of relief, excitement and even more realism that I am actually getting married!

After a not so successful first trip to a local bridal store, where the consultant may or may not have been pushing her side business of wedding planning on me the entire 90 minutes, I left feeling a little defeated. I didn't love any of the dresses I had tried on and there were many that I didn't even like. Wedding dress shopping fail.

So on a whim, my mom and I decided to shop on Sunday. We went to a second bridal store and it was a totally different and pleasant experience. The consultant asked me what I liked and what I didn't, how I envisioned myself on my wedding day, my budget, etc. None of these questions were asked at the first place and my mom, former dance teacher and I had to pull all of our own dresses! Anyways, at the second store, the consultant pulled everything for me and she hit the nail on the head with every single dress.

Funny side story - after my first failed experience, I was online looking at a photography blog and came across a dress that I saw that I immediately fell in love with. I emailed the picture to my mom and told her that was exactly what I was looking for.
Well low and behold, the bridal store we went to on the weekend had the EXACT dress and it looked great. I felt great in it and it's definitely a "me" dress!

I am so excited that we have made the big purchase! I can't wait for it to come in and actually fit me! :)

Other things I'm loving today are the guy at the grocery store telling me to get Chinese Christmas oranges and not the Japanese ones because they are much tastier right now. At $9 a box I would have been disappointed if I got home and none of them tasted good.

I'm also loving the warm weather we've been having!

I'm loving that Noel has been home the last two nights (although he has a nasty cold that I'm not loving!)

And finally, I'm loving that my house is being cleaned today! Yay! I love when the cleaning fairies come every couple of weeks!

Hope you all have a great day!

Christmas blog swap!

2011-11-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

I came home yesterday and I had received a package from my blog swap partner Destini!

I was so excited to open it as I love, love, love getting things in the mail besides bills!

My package was perfect and I can't thank Destini enough! In my package I got an advent calendar - yum! Chocolate every day is amazing! :) I also got some yummy gingerbread spice tea that I opened up right away and tried. It definitely tastes like the holidays! She also gave me a Starbucks gift card and How the Grinch Stole Christmas DVD - love this movie and I am really looking forward to watching the cartoon version! (I've only seen the version with Jim Carrey). And I got a really cute card as well!

SO THANK YOU DESTINI! I LOVED IT ALL! :)

We got a ton of snow over night. I'm guessing we got about a foot in total. It made for a yucky drive to work this morning. The weather is supposed to be on the plus side tomorrow. I'm very much looking forward to that!

We also bought a new Christmas tree yesterday! I am so excited! It's an eight foot tree so it seems huge to us! Our previous one was a six footer. It was our first Christmas tree together, so it does hold some special memories. But the best part about our new tree is that it is pre-lit! You cannot beat that! If there is one argument that Noel and I get into every year it is about Christmas lights when we're putting them on the tree. We both get frustrated with the pesky task and usually take it out on each other, so goodbye strings of lights!
I will post a pic when we've got it all decorated.

Have a super day!

Winter is here!

2011-11-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Oh my did the snow come with vengeance yesterday! I am thankful though that we didn't get the 15 cms that was predicted. It was a lot less than that! But still, white currently covers the landscape here in Alberta!

This weekend is supposed to be pretty chilly as well -- talking -18C as a high! I always think every year that Mother Nature never lets us ease into winter, it's all gotta come at once. Maybe she thinks it's like ripping off a bandaid - just get it over with!

I think my challenge this weekend will be keeping this sweet guy busy as our outside time will be limited. If only I could get him to wear little booties. It would sure make for longer walks for him!

Stay warm everyone!!

I'm getting maaaaarrrrried!!!

2011-11-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am over the moon! Noel proposed to me on my 30th birthday! It wasn't unexpected per se, but definitely unexpected in that moment.

Now, after 12 years together we'll finally be husband and wife! :) Let the planning begin!

Even before we were engaged we were planning on getting married next year. We are pricing out our options for Hawaii -- I would really love to get married there. So we'll see! We had a place on the Sunshine Coast in B.C. also picked, but we figured we'd go with what we've always wanted to do which is a destination wedding. True, the Sunshine Coast would also be considered a destination wedding but we have always wanted something out of the country.

So, prepare for wedding talk for the next year!!!! :)

Three on Thursday

2011-11-10T13:22:00.001-08:00

Here's my three thoughts for this Thursday!

1. It's incredibly beautiful outside today! The sun is shining and it's melting all the snow we got last week. I can't wait to get off work and take Jackson for a good long walk!

2. We have tomorrow off as it's Remembrance Day. The day off is good, but the reason we have it off is not. I plan to take time to reflect on those who have sacrificed for us.

3. I am so close to finishing my Christmas shopping! I can't wait to be done! I only have under 10 things to get. I hope to pick up a few more gifts this weekend.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Reaching a new milestone

2011-11-08T14:15:00.001-08:00

They say that teenagers go through an awkward stage before they blossom into a young adult. With my 30th birthday right around the corner I feel as though I am hitting an awkward stage myself.

For me 30 seems like a funny age. You’re not really considered to be young anymore like you were when you were in your 20’s, but you’re not middle-aged yet like when you hit your 40’s. So what does 30 mean?

For some reason I have this sense that there should be greater responsibility the closer I get to this milestone although I’m not really sure what this responsibility is exactly. To me someone who is 30 is supposed to have it all together and all figured out. Some days I feel like I’m far from that.

Looking back on the past decade I can say that I have accomplished a lot and hope to do the same in my 30’s.

My 20’s were spent finishing college and figuring out my future. I began my career in journalism, purchased a home and seemed to settle into life. I began making big decisions regarding finances on my own and felt more like a “grown-up”. My life certainly changed in my 20’s. This past decade was great and I wouldn’t change a thing. But I just wish I could stay 25 forever!

In my 20’s I learned a lot of valuable things including how important friendships and family are. When I was a teenager I suppose I took these things for granted and it wasn’t until I was older that I realized the true significance of having friends that I cherished and of course good relationships with my family. I also realized I had the ability to choose not to be friends with someone if I didn’t want to. It may sound weird, but as a teenager you wanted as many friends as possible and quantity overrode quality. Today I cherish the quality.

I also learned to trust my instincts better. If something or someone doesn’t appear to be on the up and up, it probably isn’t. I have also become a good judge of character for the most part. This is something that hasn’t come natural to me as sometimes I can be somewhat naïve. I’m learning these things more and more as I get older but let me tell you sometimes it can be a hard lesson.

Learning to be better at living in the moment is also something that I have become better at although it’s still something that I struggle with. Sometimes I get so caught up in planning for what’s next that I forget about enjoying the moment right now. But I think I have made a conscious effort to do so, especially in the last year. It definitely doesn’t come naturally though.

With my 30th birthday coming up I’m left to wonder what will be next? Marriage and starting a family are both a definite yes, so I know my life will drastically change again but for very different reasons then it did in my 20’s.

Of course age is just a number and it’s really about how young you feel inside. I will always be young in my heart, but sometimes it’s tough to forget when your birthday comes around that there is also a new number attached.

I do look forward to entering my 30’s and all that it will bring. I plan to relish the next decade and to make it my best so far.

Many say that life begins when you turn 30 and I sure hope they are right. I have big, big plans for my 30’s!

Three on Thursday

2011-11-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! I am so glad the week is almost over!

Here are three things for this Thursday:

1. I tried Greek yogurt for the first time this week and I almost died! It was love at first bite! How have I not tried this deliciousness before?

2. We hung our Christmas lights today and will do my mom's house this weekend. I am already so excited for Christmas and having lights up (but not turned on quite yet) makes it all the more exciting.

3. It's my 30th birthday on Sunday. I'm excited but not-so-excited to enter a new decade. Why can't I stay 25 forever?

What a week!

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

This has been one busy week! Why does it always seem like you run off your feet the week you get back from vacation? On Monday I had over 100 emails to look at and a lot to respond to and a ton of voicemails as well. I finished going through all of my emails yesterday only to have more pop up again.

I am so happy it's Friday! I've been fighting off a cold so I'm going to relax this weekend but I do hope to get to the gym on Sunday if I'm feeling better. I'm also heading to a big craft show with my mom today. I'm excited as it's kind of the kick-off to the holiday season. And of course I'll be getting ready for all the cute trick-or-treaters on Monday! I love having the kids come on Halloween! I still have to get some candy, but I always hold off on buying it so I don't eat it! :)

Here's a couple of pictures of what I was up to while I was on vacation. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Manic Monday!

2011-10-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's back to the grind tomorrow! No more sleeping in, staying in my pj's until late, going to the gym when it's not busy, enjoying afternoon walks and catching up on the PVR. Tomorrow I'm back to work!

I can say though that I am looking forward to going back. I feel rested and ready. I'm excited to see my co-workers too! We are like a big family at my work and I'm lucky to have a place of employment where it's like that.

Tonight I'm going to head to my mom's for dinner. My brother's girlfriend from Switzerland is flying in. I haven't met her yet, so I'm excited to do so. I'm sure she'll be jet-lagged and really feeling the time change. It was a 16 hour flight for her to get here. She'll be staying for two weeks, so I'm looking forward to getting to know her.

And tomorrow bright and early at 5 a.m. I'll be hitting the gym for my class. I have a love-hate relationship with early morning workouts. I love that I can get it over with and get on with my day but I hate waking up when it's still pitch black! The 'love' part definitely outweighs the 'hate' at the moment, so I'm still happy to go.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Hello friends!

2011-10-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

I have had a wonderful and relaxing (almost) two weeks off! I've gotten quite a few things done around the house and the yard, finished off some projects I've been meaning to get done and put another good dent into my Christmas shopping. It feels great!

This past weekend we had our Thanksgiving, although it was a week late, it was still absolutely wonderful! For dessert I made Strawberry Cheesecake Bites like these:

These aren't the ones I did, this image is via www.pleasedontburnette.blogspot.com. I didn't take any pics of mine.

They turned out great and are SUPER easy to do. One thing I would recommend is making them the day you'll eat them. I did mine the night before and put them in the fridge, but the strawberries became a little soft. I will definitely make this recipe again.

Here's the recipe:

About 20 strawberries (was a little over one carton for me)
8 oz package of softened cream cheese
1/2 cup of icing sugar
1.2 tsp of vanilla
12 graham crackers

First you want to core out the middle of the strawberries (I just used a sharp knife). With an electric beater, beat cream cheese until all of the lumps are out. Add icing sugar and vanilla. Mix until blended.
With a piping bag, pipe cream cheese mixture into the middle of each strawberry.
Crush up graham crackers using a Ziploc bag and rolling pin. Dip the strawberries into the graham cracker crumbs to cover the cream cheese at the top.

Simple and so delicious!

Hello holidays!

2011-10-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

I am in heaven today! While I think of my co-workers at the office, I am sipping tea and having a piece of toast. I am on holidays! I needed to use up two weeks of holidays. Noel is home for a week of them on his regular days off, which will be great! But the best part is, we have no plans! I have never taken a holiday where I just stay home. It is complete bliss!

I have some projects that I want to get done while I'm off. Some of them I've been wanting to tackle for a while -- ok maybe years -- so I'll be happy to get those done. I want to organize our office closet, which if you saw it would understand that it is not a small feat! I also want to go through my closet and get rid of the clothes I haven't worn in forever. For some reason when I do this there are some items that I just can't get rid of and think that I will wear them again -- but that never happens and they continue to hang there.
I also have a fall wreath I want to make. I've never made a wreath before but I'm looking forward to trying it! I will post pics when I'm done. And I am going to make two bow hangers for my nieces for Christmas. I'm really excited to make these, they are so darn cute! Will also post pics!

So, I'm off to clean up the yard and clean out my pots -- with the low temps (-2!!!) at night I think they're done for the year!

And I'm backkkkkkkk!

2011-10-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world! :) Wow, it's really been February since I last posted?! I took an impromptu bloggy break. But I'm back. I'm feeling inspired and I have a lot to talk about!

Let's see over the last eight months -- In May I ran in my first 10K race. The experience was amazing. I pushed myself like I have never before and I couldn't wait to do it again. In June I ran a 5K race. Weather was cold and rainy -- a much different experience than the 10K. But I finished it and I was proud.

Since then running has really fallen off my radar. Life has gotten so busy. My cakes are really picking up. I've done some wedding cakes and birthday cakes as well as cupcakes for different functions. While this is a good thing, it certainly has taken up a lot of time.

In July Noel and I also took a week vacation to B.C. It was so amazing to get away. I came back feeling refreshed and relaxed. The crazy thing is that it's the most time Noel and I have spent together in about two years! With him working in the oilfield he is often away. It's an adjustment for sure and after two and a half years of this life I still sometimes find myself getting used to it.

That leaves me to now. Unfortunately I have gained some weight back. I'm working on fixing this though! I signed up for a six-week challenge at my gym. It's the first week and has been going well. We meet three times a week at 6 a.m. Wowza is that early for someone who isn't a morning person! But honestly, it feels fantastic to get my workout done in the morning and I honestly think I'm more of a morning person than I thought! :)
I'm excited to get back into a routine exercise-wise. I have really come to the conclusion that I cannot do it on my own.

There you have it! I'm looking forward to being back! :)

I feel so loved!

2011-02-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

Hi! First of all, I have to say that I have been in a real blogging funk lately. I don't know why, I have no answers as to what's going on, but it is what it is. I just haven't felt inspired enough lately to write a post. Please don't break up with me! :)

So, since I've been on a blogging hiatus for the last little while, I have a lot to update you on!

First of all, I am so feeling the love from my family, friends and of course Noel lately. I have been struggling through some family issues -- more on that in another post when I have 10 hours to sit down and write J -- and my "support team" has stepped right up. They have been amazing and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such incredible people!

Of course Monday was Valentine's Day. Noel is right in the middle of his two week work stretch, but unexpectedly he was home on Monday! It must have been meant to be! :) So, we played it low-key. We ordered in dinner, snuggled on the couch and just watched some TV. Noel was pretty tired as he had worked a really full day, but it was great to have him home nonetheless.

In Noel's true romantic fashion I got this cute little bug at work on Monday morning

Then when I got home, these were also delivered -- also from Noel

And these were sitting on my porch with a note from my mom

I feel really lucky! And totally spoiled!

In other news, I've lost three pounds in two weeks! I'm happy about that!

That's all for now.....more fun news to come!

Fun times with some great ladies!

2011-01-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

I recently joined a 'dress club' where a group of ladies gather once a month to have some fun!

Last night was our first meet up and it was a blast. There are 12 of us in total (one for each month of the year). Every month, all the gals put in $20. A name is drawn and that lady gets to take home the money and spend it on something for herself -- clothes, spa, workouts, etc. The money can't be spent on kids, bills, groceries etc. It has to be something for you. So each girl wins once a year and the person who's name was drawn the month previous hosts the next get together.

Going into last night, I only knew two of the girls and was able to meet another nine fantastic ladies! It was so much fun. We all met at 7:30 and before I knew it, it was already 10 p.m.!

I'm really looking forward to being able to meet new people, make new friends and learn about these fabulous women!

In other news, I weighed in at 197.4. I'm glad the scale is going down, but it's not as much as I would like. I have been on TOM so that definitely plays a role.

My trainer and I got back to it on Tuesday. I also had another workout with him yesterday afternoon and he's really kicking my butt!
After my workout on Friday I'm heading for a therapeutic massage. While I love how it feels, man does it ever hurt! I'm quite sore so I think it's going to be a pretty painful hour. But the benefits definitely outweigh any pain!

Update!

2011-01-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

Good morning blog world!

Not much is new with me, but I promised to update my weight every week, so here we go!

First of all I have to say that as of yesterday I am fully back on my meal plan that my trainer developed for me. Whole foods and nothing processed, eating every two to three hours and I feel fantastic! It's amazing what a little shift can do!

So having said that I am currently weighing in at 196.8. Better than last week and given that I just really started yesterday, I'm happy.

I have had a really tough time this year getting out of the holiday rut. No motivation at work, no motivation to go to the gym or to stick to my meal plan. But on Sunday I asked myself what the heck I was doing! I'm definitely not doing myself any favours by prolonging the holiday mode! So up I went to the grocery store and got all the foods on my plan and started fresh on Monday morning.

Last night I attended a zumba class at my gym. What a fun and awesome workout that was! I'll definitely be going again!

So, here's to getting back on track! I need to reach my goal by the end of the year! No excuses!

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, yes, I realize I am a few days late with this...but it'll have to work! :)

We had a great New Year's Eve. Noel made it home from work at about 8 p.m. and we popped in a movie and waited for the countdown. I think I went to bed at about 12:02! But honestly, it's exactly what we both needed -- quality time together and some relaxation. I couldn't think of a better way to start 2011!

So of course with the new year brings the reflection of the past 12 months and the looking forward to the months ahead.

2010 was a little bit of a blah year for me. Not much happened, which can be a good thing if you choose to look at it that way. However, I would say a highlight for me was turning a new leaf and becoming more active and living a healthier lifestyle. Yes, I do have a long way to go and I will touch on that a little later. But I'm excited as next month marks my one year anniversary with my trainer! So hard to believe.

Looking ahead, I have high hopes and big plans for 2011! Noel has hinted in the next couple of months we will get engaged! Yay! Finally! :) And depending on when that happens, there could be a wedding later in the year as we both want a destination wedding.
I'm not holding my breath, but I am very hopeful.
Also, May marks our 12 year anniversary! Amazing! I can hardly believe it! It feels pretty incredible to be hitting this milestone.

Personally, one of my big goals for 2011 is to learn to relax! This is going to be difficult as I am a pretty high strung person. I am one to sweat the small stuff and it really has to stop -- for my own health! So it will definitely be a work in progress for year, but I'm hoping to see a significant difference by the end of the year.

As for fitness, I plan to stay the course on what I've been doing. One of my goals for this year is to run a 10 km race. My trainer and I are currently working towards this as we speak. More specifically though I hope to lose 50 pounds this year. Yes, I know, it's a big goal. Overall though I hope to become stronger, thinner and healthier in 2011!

So as part of this, I'm going to post my weight and progress weekly, so that I can be accountable to all of you as well! The more people I am accountable to, the better!

Here goes my first one and I will never see this number again -- thanks to my indulgence over the holidays I'm sitting at 197.4.

Hope you all had a great New Years!!!!!

Sweet, sweet holiday season!

2010-12-28T15:18:00.001-08:00

Can you believe Christmas is over?

Honestly it's something that shocks me every year. I cannot believe how fast Christmas Day passes by! It's gone in the blink of an eye. Noel and I definitely soaked up our time together and loved every second of it!

Christmas Eve was spent just the two of us which was absolutely fabulous. We went and toured some ice sculptures with hot chocolate in hand and then drove endlessly for hours looking at Christmas lights while listening to jingling tunes.

We also spent Christmas morning with just us which was also great! Normally we are up early so we don't have to rush opening our gifts and then right after we're done we're jetting off for the day.

This year, we didn't have to be at my mom's until early afternoon, so we had the whole morning to ourselves. We opened our gifts to each other and of course Jackson opened his stocking. He actually has more gifts to open but was so overwhelmed with excitement about the toys in his stocking, we have left them for another time.

We headed over to my mom's in the afternoon, opened gifts with her and my grandpa and lounged around until dinner. Noel's parents joined us for turkey dinner which was so yummy!

On Boxing Day we did it all over again at Noel's parents. His sister and her family were there and it was a really fun, but tiring day.

Overall, we had an amazing Christmas and I really feel blessed for the time I was able to spend with the people closest to me.

Oh and I got some pretty awesome gifts as well -- my favourites being a Keurig coffee maker, a Cricut cake machine and some more training sessions with my trainer! Yay! Noel's favourite was the foseball table that I got him. We spent two hours last night setting it up and I think a tournament is calling our names tonight!

Hope you all had a great Christmas too!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T14:50:00.001-08:00

Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!!!!!!

Four more sleeps!

2010-12-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas is creeping up fast! I am so excited for family time and good food! :)

I have a lot going on this week as we work our way to Saturday. Sometimes I think I'm crazy to leave my baking to the last minute so everything can be as fresh as possible. It's just something that I have always done and yes, I have tried baking that has been previously frozen and most of the time it tastes perfectly normal, but for myself, I like to bake things at the last possible second!

So tonight I'm starting to bake! I've cut down this year because I've found in year's past that I bake way too much and it either gets thrown out or we eat way too much! Also, every house has its own baking, so there is lots going around for sure!

This year I'm baking snickerdoodles. This is my first time baking these little treats and I've heard so many good things about them! I'm also baking butter tarts and reindeer cupcakes. Yum!

So between tonight and tomorrow night I have to get my baking done and house cleaned! Thursday we are having our annual Christmas party at our place with our families which is always so much fun! Normally we have this party on Christmas Eve but with my niece and nephew having to go to bed earlier these days and with my sister in-law and brother in-law having to get ready for Santa, that evening has become a little cramped for everyone!

So, this year we've opted for the 23rd. This is always one of my favourite nights of the year. Our families come over, we have wine and other drinks, lots of appys and baked goods and great conversation. It's also so much fun to get my nephew overly excited for Santa's arrival!

I'm actually looking forward to Christmas Eve being a quiet one with just Noel and I. We have some really neat ice sculptures in our city that we're going to go and check out and we might drive around a little to look at lights. It'll be so great!

Christmas Day will be spent at my mom's house. Of course we'll open our own gifts at home in the morning first. And Noel's parents are coming over to my mom's for Christmas dinner. It'll be nice to see both sides on Christmas Day.

Boxing Day we'll do it all over again at Noel's parents house with the kids! I am definitely looking forward to that!

Merry Christmas!

Christmastime!

2010-12-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

I am truly loving this time of year! It's always one of my favourites and I can't believe that in a few days Christmas will be a week away!

Christmas is always hectic for Noel and I as we try to see all of those most close to us. And having my parents divorced also throws a wrench into things. It can be difficult to see everyone and feel as though you had a meaningful visit.

This year, on the 23rd, Noel and I will have both our families over to our place. Normally we do this get together on Christmas Eve, but with our niece and nephew being at the age where they go to bed about 7 p.m., and my sister and brother in-law doing the Santa thing on the 24th, it would make for a short visit with them. So instead this year, we're having everyone over in the late afternoon of the 23rd.
I love hosting these types of things. I always make way too much food, we drink way too much and I just love having those I love around me.
One stress for me at the moment is not having a clue what I'm going to be baking for the Christmas holidays. I am quite the planner (Noel just loves it -- sense my sarcasm on this!) and normally I would have this planned to a tee -- but for some reason, not this year! I really need to get on that.

I'm kind of looking forward to having Christmas Eve to spend with Noel alone. I'm not sure what we'll do -- maybe go and look at lights and have a couple of glasses of wine and just enjoy the evening.

Christmas Day will be spent at my mom's after we've had breakfast and opened gifts at our place. Noel's parents are coming over for dinner as well which will be great! Then the next day we'll do it all over again at Noel's parents. I look forward to watching the kids open their gifts and play with their toys. They bring so much joy to our family and they put a whole new meaning to the holidays.

So, that's our plan and I can't wait! I'm all done my shopping and most of the gifts are wrapped. Now I can just enjoy the holiday season!

I leave you with a picture of our Christmas tree! It's not the best quality as it was taken on my iPhone.

Happy holidays!

Fabulous weekend!

2010-10-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

Monday already! Yuck! :)

We had a wonderfully busy and fun weekend! The weather was gorgeous, Noel was home from work, we spent lots of time with our families and I couldn't have asked for more!

On Saturday I was up bright and early and went down to the Farmer's Market and I got our weekly produce as well as some things for our Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. Thanksgiving isn't until next weekend, but since Noel was home and will be away for the actual holiday, we thought we would have it early.

In the afternoon, the weather couldn't have been more perfect for pictures! :) We hired a photographer and got some pictures done at a cute little farm. The session was only half an hour long which was perfect for both Noel -- who really doesn't like having his picture taken -- and our pup Jackson -- who is like a child and has a short attention span! :) Today, we got a sneak peek of the photos as our photographer posted two shots. Here they are!

On Sunday we had our big dinner and it turned out great! I was a little stressed because I thought the turkey would be overdone. But it was awesome! We got a 26 pound turkey and it was much bigger than I had ever cooked. Being that it had to cook much longer than I had ever done before -- the bird had to be in the oven for 8.5 hours! -- I thought it was going to be dry. But thank goodness it wasn't! Everyone had a great time and it was so much fun to have all of our family over!

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

It's been a while.....

2010-09-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

My goodness, it feels like I haven't posted in forever! I have been so busy, at times I have had to stop and remember to breathe!

Work is quite stressful at the moment and in the seven years I've been here, I have never worked so much. But honestly, even though it's busy, it's not more than I can handle and I know the end of the busy-ness will stop soon and things will get back to normal. Thank goodness!

So, what have I been up to the past few weeks? Well, besides work, I've recommitted to my diet plan and it feels awesome! I changed all the decor in my house to fall. The colours in my home are fall inspired anyways. We have country-ish decor. So any chance I've gotten I've been shopping for new stuff for the house since our colours are all around right now!

Speaking of decor, I ordered a coffee and end table a while back from www.whiteberry.com. She has a great blog too which is linked up through her web site! Anyways, they finally came and I was able to meet Holly. She's such a gem! The coffee and end tables are a cream colour and they are very country. It is the exact look I was going for in the living room.
She also had a bookcase she was selling and I bought that too! It's in my basement hallway and looks so great. I can't wait to find some things to put on it! :)

This weekend will be a busy one. Noel and I are getting pictures taken for our Christmas cards. I'm excited, Noel, maybe not so much. He's not a picture guy, but he's sucking it up because he knows it means a lot to me. What a sweetheart! Jackson will be with us too! We don't have any great photos with Jackson, so it'll be nice to have some! I'm praying the weather holds out!

And then on Sunday I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner. We are celebrating a week early because it's when Noel is home from work. Should be fun! I love entertaining in our home!

Well it's time for lunch! I'm headed over to my mom's for WW broccoli and cheddar soup! Yum-O!

Loving fall!

2010-09-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling like a homebody these days. The cooler weather makes me want to stay at home, clean, redecorate, bake -- anything!

The leaves are definitely starting to turn too. This past weekend we took our pup on a walk through our City's trails. It was so much fun and the scenery was so beautiful. We let Jackson walk off leash. This is something we've never let him do before and I was nervous. But in all honesty, I don't give him enough credit because he was perfect! He walked off leash so well -- in fact we went back for a second walk on Sunday in the same area! I loved watching Jackson run up ahead, but not far enough that we could lose sight of him and then he'd turn around and zoom back to us in excitement. It was so fun! And I can't wait to do it again.

I'm getting the itch to continue finishing our basement! We were doing so well with it last winter and then when the warmer weather hit, we switched gears and started working on projects outside.
Well now, with the chill in the air and the never ending rain, I think it's time to switch back and finish this basement! :)

We're currently at the painting stage. Our media room is finished as far as paint goes and the rest of the basement has had one coat -- so we have another one to go.
Then, it'll be carpet, then probably window coverings and we'll work on the bathroom as we can. Baseboards and other small details are not on my priority list at this time. They can get done in two years for all I care! Haha!
It'll be so nice when its done. We'll have the laundry room, two bedrooms, the bathroom and the media room.

CANNOT. WAIT.

I can already see the finished product!

Anyone else getting the urge to work on some projects around the house?

Long weekend fun!

2010-09-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am so looking forward to the long weekend! I'm so excited to spend it with family.
Noel's aunt flew in from California earlier this week and we're having a birthday party for her on Saturday. She just turned 65. So, we'll be heading to Calgary tomorrow morning and we expect about 50 people to come to the party. It should be so much fun. I'm working on her birthday cake and I'm about half done. It's going to look great and I can't wait to see the finished product. Don't worry, I will take a picture!

Then on Sunday I plan to relax. I want to get my yard ready for the fall and put the expired (I don't like saying dead..lol) flowers in the compost and clean out the pots. I still have some flowers that are doing great, but I also have some that look terrible and it's time they go.
I also need to cut the grass. When Noel's home he cuts the grass every third day or so...me, not so much. It gets done maybe once every two weeks. Oops! Hope he doesn't read this! Haha! I also want to clean up the house a bit too because on Monday, Noel's aunt and his grandma are coming to our city for a visit. I'm very excited to have them come. I think we're having an afternoon bbq.

Unfortunately, Noel will be working for all of these events. Darn oilfield industry dampens our plans! Argh! I think this is one part of Noel's job that I will never get used to. I am used to him being away for weeks at a time and then coming home and spending lots of quality time with him. But I don't think I'll ever get used to him missing out on events and get togethers with our family and friends. It sucks, but he loves his job and it allows me to do what I love and that's write. So I am thankful for that. And I'm also thankful that the oilfield is booming again and Noel has lots of jobs on the go and apparently it's supposed to stay crazy busy for at least three years. This is good.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Goodbye summer.....

2010-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ok seriously, where has the last two months gone? Fall is certainly in the air here in Canada -- ok well maybe just the west. This morning when I was walking to my office from the parking lot I could see my breath! It's too soon for that Mother Nature!
But in all honesty, I love fall. It's probably my favourite time of the year. All of the different colours, the changing of the leaves, the crispness of the air, the warmth of walking into your home when the fireplace is crackling. I love it all. Oh but my favourite thing about fall is pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks -- yumm-o!

I can't wait to start decorating my home in its fall decor. Some of my favourite pieces come out in the fall. I'm going to hold off for a couple of more weeks before decorating though because it does seem a little early.
I was shopping this weekend and some retailers are beginning to get out their Christmas stuff already -- whoa Nelly! That's a little early! What about Thanksgiving and Halloween? Can we please get through that first?

Speaking of Christmas though, I have about half of my shopping done already! Wow! I have even shocked myself by doing that! :) Now, I have to make sure I don't over buy because I have stuff stashed away in closets and corners here and there.

Ok, so I'm rambling....sorry! :) I didn't have anything specific to talk about today, this kind of just happened!

Oh yes and tonight I'm getting my fall haircut. I'm thinking something different, although I have long hair and love it. Maybe bangs for fall? Lots of layers? Stay tuned.......

I am truly blessed!

2010-08-24T13:53:00.001-07:00

I am feeling so blessed and lucky these days thanks to my new found outlook on life!
I picked up a brand new SUV (a 2010 Ford Edge) today and I am sooooooo excited! I'm not overly excited for the payments over the next several years, but I am so excited and feeling so very lucky to have the opportunity to purchase a new car!
Here's my new beauty!!!!!

My only concern is how tight it will be in our garage! :) We forgot to check that out when we took it for a test drive and when we measured it's pretty tight! I think it'll all work out though.

On another note, I forgot to post a picture of the wedding cake I made a few weeks ago, so here that is too!

The bride was thrilled with it and I was so happy she loved it. The transportation was a little hairy but it all turned out in the end!

Practicing what I preach!

2010-08-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've really tried to take my last post to heart and make an effort to be grateful for the things I have. I can't tell you how awesome it has felt to stop comparing my life to others. Don't get me wrong -- I still have my moments and this is something that I really have to concentrate on doing at the moment. But I'm hoping this will become something easier as time goes on.
So, here are some things that I'm grateful for in my life at the moment:

* Having a roof over my head and a pretty cute one at that!
* Having food in my fridge.
* Having someone to come home to.
* Having someone who loves me unconditionally - trust me I can be a handful at times! :)
* Having my faith and having good morals and values.
* Having a secure, full-time job.
* Having money to pay all of my bills.
* My sweet, sweet puppy who I love so much!
* Having the freedom to do what I want, when I want.
* Having the option to purchase a new car.
* Having such a loving and supportive family and group of friends.
* Being able to have a personal trainer.
* Being able to go to the gym period!
* Having good health and those that are important to me having good health too.
* My niece and nephew who I love so much.
* Having my own yard to grow my own flower gardens.
* Having relatively low debt.
* Having no student loans!

I'm sure that there will be more to add once I finish writing this blog, but those are some of the key points I suppose. I have so much to be grateful for and it's so easy to forgot what those are. But when you write them down, there's actually quite a bit!

What are you grateful for these days?

Wanting more

2010-08-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I've caught myself thinking about wanting more out of life. Sometimes I feel as though I'm just living on the surface and going through each day without giving it much thought.
Could this be it? Is this the life I'm supposed to lead? I don't think so. There has to be so much more. And I'm prepared to do something about it.

First of all, I need to stop comparing myself to others. I'm often envious of my friends who have gotten married and started having children. As many of you know, or may not know, Noel and I have been together for 11 years. No, we are not married -- yet. But if it were up to me, this probably would have happened eight years ago! Unfortunately I'm old fashioned, so it's a little out of my hands. I really want to get married and start a family more than ever and I often think how unlucky I am and how I wish I was the one with the little wee babes running around. But I need to remember how blessed I am to have a great person to share my life with. He takes great care of me, he loves me unconditionally and he is my best friend. This is more important than anything.

We also built a beautiful house about four a half years ago. It's a starter home, 1,400 square feet. It's cute. It's perfect for us right now and I love it. But why do I want something bigger? Some of my friends have all upgraded into homes with garages on the front, bonus rooms and big yards. Is it silly to want a bigger home because people around me are buying them? Absolutely! So then why do I feel this way?

We are also currently searching for a vehicle for me as my lease is up at the end of Sept. I've really limited my choices by only wanting SUV's and this has driven Noel crazy. Why do I only want an SUV? Because I want to feel like a soccer mom when in reality I'm not a mom and I don't like soccer! :)

I need to start loving the person that I am inside and out. I'm never going to look like Angelina Jolie or Megan Fox. Someone is always going to have nicer and newer things than me. I need to love what I have and be grateful for that.

I'm glad that I came to this realization because I would hate to continue my thinking this way. It's not what life is about! Comparing yourself to others is not going to make you happy. Being content and grateful for what you have will.

Back to reality!

2010-08-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Holidays are over! :( So sad! I had such a great time on my week off. The funny thing is, we didn't do a whole lot! But it was soooo nice! I honestly think that I am destined to be a housewife! Ha! I'm totally in my element when I'm cooking, baking, gardening and even cleaning! I really do love it! And surprisingly there is so much to get done. I was never once just sitting around for the day.
Noel was home for most of my week off too and we were able to spend lots of time together. We haven't had that much time in close to nine months. It was long overdue! And now he's away again for two more weeks! Booooooo!
This week is a busy one as I'm doing a wedding cake for a friend. Her wedding is on Saturday and tonight I have to start baking! It's pretty simple though. Three tiers, white fondant, pearl beads around the bottom of each tier and fresh flowers to finish it off. It's going to look great!
Now I'm off to meet a girlfriend for lunch at a cute little Italian place downtown! So fun!
Oh yah, and what do you think of my new look? I'm still playing around with it, but I like the idea. It was time for a change!

Countdown to holidays!

2010-07-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I only have one more sleep and the countdown has been on for a while, but I've been so stinkin' busy with work this week that I haven't had time for an update!
So yes, I have alllllll of next week off and I'm sooooooo looking forward to it!
What are we doing? We are not too sure yet and I simply couldn't care if we did nothing at all! I just need a good old break from every day life.
Noel will be home on Tuesday or Wednesday and then we'll have just about a week together (I'm back to work on Aug. 3).
We may go and visit the Grandmas since we don't get to see them that often, we will definitely be relaxing and enjoying each others company and we'll definitely spend lots of time with our four-legged sweetpea Jackson. So far that's all I know.
On Saturday morning my mom and I are kicking my time off with a pedicure! I'm in desperate need of one and I can't wait to spend time with my mama! She's one of my most favourite people and I'm so blessed to be her daughter. Then I'm heading to a wedding reception with Noel's family. It's going to be so much fun!
So anyways, hope you all have a good week and I will blog when I'm back! Ciao!

Rain, rain, go away!

2010-07-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been raining here non-stop for days now! I'm so ready for the sun to come back out! On the news they were saying the area I live in got more than a months worth of rain in just 24 hours. Yikes! I think today we're supposed to see a turn around and I sure hope those weathermen are right!
Our garage sale was moderately successful this weekend. We made almost $400 which isn't too bad! On Sunday though we only saw about five people in six hours. It was a looooooong day!
So, we still have quite a bit of stuff left and have decided to have the sale on Thursday and Friday evening in hopes of clearing even more things out. Some of the people who came through over the weekend said when they've had garage sales, the busiest nights they had were on Thursday and Friday. We thought why not since everything is already set up.
I'm going to be adding a few things as well.
Noel was home this weekend and we had a great time. I was busy with the sale, but we had our family over for a bbq on Saturday night. Noel grilled steaks and potatoes and we had salad, corn on the cob and yummy bread! It was delicious! I also made apple pie and a flapper pie too! Everyone left with very full tummies!
We also made it to see Toy Story 3. What a cute movie that was! I loved it! We both love all those kinds of movies.
Did anyone watch the Hills finale last night? Wow, what an ending. I'm not sure that I liked it, but it really did prove a point that the show was not real! Yikes!

Yay summer!

2010-07-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. It's one of my favourites aside from fall. We've been having some pretty cool weather, but today it looks like it's turning around. The sun is shining and there's nothing like a little brightness to give you that extra little boost!
I had a great weekend. It wasn't a long weekend as Canada Day fell on Thursday. But I did get Thursday off and was back to work on Friday. To be honest, Friday was a pretty laid back and relaxed day. Not much work got done as everyone was in weekend mode.
I started hunting through my house in search of garage sale items. My mom and I are having a garage sale this weekend. And my goodness do I have a lot of things to get rid of! To be honest, it feels really good to go through each room finding things that I haven't used in ages, or that I don't have a need for anymore. I hope we do well. The weather is supposed to be hot, hot, hot, so I'm sure we'll get some good garage-salers out.
Noel is coming home tomorrow! Yay! I'm so excited. I have not seen him in two weeks as he's been up in Dawson Creek, B.C. working. I know he misses home. Quite frankly though his job has brought us closer and it's really nice. See, we've been dating (yes, only dating -- marriage is a whole new topic of discussion) for 11 years. I wouldn't say the spark has gone or anything like that, but we are very comfortable with each other and I have to say I know there are many times that I take him for granted.
Not. Good.
So, now that he's gone working for two weeks and then home for a week, it really gives us both that appreciation back. I like it!
On Saturday night after a very successful first day at our garage sale (I'm an optimist!) we are having Noel's family and my mom and Grandpa over for a BBQ. Yum-O! I can't wait! I'm not sure what we're serving yet, but it'll be delicious, I know that! I went to Michael's and bought some cute paper plates and napkins from the Paula Dean line and I also got some fancy boxes that I'm going to put some homemade chocolate chip cookies into for when our guests go home!
I love hosting dinners and get togethers! So much fun!

Much better!

2010-06-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm back and over my slump. I feel much better about my exercise plan and my diet (I really hate to call it that because that's not really how I see it)...but you get what I'm after.
I met with my trainer last Friday for the first time in a long time. He's been away running races and I've been busy too. Oh man, he kicked my butt! My thighs were actually cramping as I was exercising. Ouch! I was definitely feeling it the next day, but it felt so great too! I think that's when I kicked back into my old self! :)
So I meet my trainer again tonight. I'm excited for my workout and miss him like crazy! He's such an amazing person and so full of inspiration! I just feed off of that!
After my workout I have to start a wedding cake that I'm doing for an extended family member. The wedding is on Saturday and they're picking up on Thursday since they are two hours away from me. I'm excited to see the finished product. I'll take a pic and share it with you all too!
Well I'm off to finish the rest of my break and munch on some cherries! Yum-O!

Out of my groove!

2010-06-22T09:40:00.001-07:00

Oh my, I'm feeling totally out of sorts when it comes to working out and eating well. I have been under the weather for the past week or so. To be totally honest I haven't felt 100% since I got back from my trip to Disneyland. Not sure what's going on there, but I'm tired of it!
My trainer has been away for two weeks running races and I've tried to keep up with my workouts, but it's so tough without his motivation. I do get to see him this week again though which is great! I'm excited about that!
I want to get back into my routine. My goodness is it ever easy to get out of it and revert back to old habits.
It's especially tough when Noel is home. I find we go out to eat more or have little treats here and there. I don't do that when he's not home. I can stay right on track with my eating and exercise plan no problem.
I'm sure I'll find my groove again. My trainer just needs to give me a swift kick in the butt! :)

Before and after

2010-06-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

So I have finally completed my before and after photos with my trainer. Well I had my before when I first started, just had to get my photographer from the newspaper to take an after. See, my three month fitness journey has been documented in the newspaper I work for. Readers have been following since day one and I've gotten quite a few emails, letters and phone calls from it all. It's been fun!
Yes, I am continuing with my trainer for another three months, but it's on my own dime. He was giving me free training sessions for the first three months as I would advertise his gym with my blogs and columns etc in the paper. It was a great arrangement.
So next week my final piece is running and we'll have both the before and after photos along with it. I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek. I'm pretty happy with them!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Have a great weekend everyone! Happy Father's Day to all the papa's! xo

Back from Disneyland!

2010-06-15T12:33:00.001-07:00

I had a great time in Disneyland! I got back late Saturday night! Don't hate me friends, but I got to meet Jake the Bachelor! Honestly, he's cuter when he doesn't open his mouth. He seems fake to me. Nice enough though. And I have to say, I wasn't a fan of her on the show, but Vienna is very pretty in person. She's stunning. So here's a photo of us on the red carpet event I was at. It's terrible of me, but whatever. That's what I look like after standing five hours on the red carpet in the hot, humid weather. Yuck!

Other stars I saw were Teri Hatcher, Mario Lopez, Melissa Rycroft, John Stamos, Jamie Lee Curtis and more! It was fun!
I totally fell off the wagon eating-wise when I was away. Don't get me wrong, I know I was on vacation, but it was a free for all when it came to food.
I'm struggling to get back on track a little and it's frustrating. To be honest, I feel like I'm not into exercising as much either. I hope I can shake this soon! I'd love to lose at least another 20 pounds. I have to stay focused!
It's been rainy and cold here for the last couple of days. I got about half of my flowers planted on Sunday and I'm looking forward to getting the other half done on the weekend.
Noel comes home tomorrow after being away for two weeks. I'm happy he'll be home. Tonight I'm going to clean the house like mad and hopefully bake some goodies for him too. I love doing that kind of thing for him!
Oh yes, and we also have some new residents in our backyard. When I came home last weekend I saw that there was a bird's nest under our deck in the backyard. We have a walkout basement, so our deck is about 20 feet in the air. I took a peek inside the nest from above the deck and saw three little blue eggs in there! The mama Robin has been sitting on them for the last couple of days. So very excited! I love babies of any kind!
Anyways, that's all for me! Chat soon!

Off to Disneyland!

2010-06-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be off to Disneyland tonight! I'm going on a work trip because they are opening a new attraction later this week.
The weather here has been cold and rainy and is supposed to carry on for the rest of the week. The weather in California is hot, hot, hot! So I'm super happy to go!
I also need a break. It's been a very busy couple of months for me and I'm looking for things to slow down. After this trip, they should.
Last weekend was one of my best friend's weddings. It was beautiful, she looked beautiful and the whole day turned out perfectly. It's amazing to see someone you care about and love so much so happy! She was glowing the entire day and I feel so thankful to have been able to be a part of that.
Working out is going well. I haven't seen my trainer in a week since he was away running a race and this week I'll be gone. So I'll have been on my own for two weeks by the time we pick up our regular sessions again. I'm so glad to have him because this past week has shown me that I'm not ready to be on my own. I'm not as motivated when he's not there to cheer me on. I'm hoping I'll get there because I can't keep him forever.
So that's all for now! Just trying to finish out the work day and hop on that plane! See you all soon!

I feel so lucky!

2010-05-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

My goodness I am one lucky girl! So I came into work yesterday morning just minding my own business and my boss calls me into his office. Ok, this is normal, my boss is funny that way, he likes to have "private" conversations with you when you get in first thing. Haha! So he tells me that he's sending me to Disneyland in a couple of weeks to do a story. WHAT? Back up! I was shocked!
So yes, it's official. On June 9 my best friend and I are flying out to Disneyland so I can cover the opening of a new attraction there (I'm a journalist for a newspaper in case this doesn't make sense to some of you)!
This is so cool! I of course checked to see if Noel could make the trip with me, but it's a no-go for him since he's just getting back onto his days on for work. Sucks, it would have been nice to get away with him. But nonetheless I'm happy to go with my best friend.
The new attraction is called World of Color and it's a water/light/laser show. The preview event is on June 10 with the grand opening to the public on June 11. I get to hobnob with some celebrities at an after party for the event too! There are a few media events I have to attend, but all in all we're pretty free to tour around. YES!
So excited!

This weekend is going to be a busy one. To be honest, I'm going to be very happy when my life slows down.
Noel's grandma is having a garage sale that we'll be helping out with tomorrow. We are going to have to drive almost two hours away to her place for it, but that's ok. It sounds like a lot of the family will be there which is exciting. We never get to see them enough.
Then on Sunday, we have an agility trial with our club that I'll be helping out with at some point. I haven't heard what time I'm supposed to be there, but I really hope it's not too early. Sleeping in a little would be nice! :)
And then there's work. I have so much on the go right now that I'll be working some overtime this weekend. Kind of sucks, but at the same time, it's nice to spread it out rather then trying to cram it all in in a matter of hours.
So that's all for now! Have a great weekend everyone!

Update!

2010-05-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

Good morning everyone! So sorry it's been over a week since my last post. Time is flying right now. I'm a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding on June 5 and things are getting more and more hectic as the days get closer. I feel all consumed with wedding stuff and I can't imagine how she feels!
Last weekend we had her stagette in Banff. It was so much fun! There was about 20 girls and we rented a seven bedroom condo up in the mountains. I haven't had that much fun in a really long time. I'm still recovering from the exhaustion of the weekend, but it was all worth it!
Noel and I have been busy getting our gardens ready for planting. It's still quite cold at night to put plants in, but I can't wait! I'm going to plant some bulbs tonight and the rest will have to wait another week or so. But on Sunday Noel was so proud because we have one garden in our backyard that is overrun with weeds. I hate it and usually ignore it, only to have it become worse and worse. So he got in there, pulled all the weeds, put down some landscape cloth and black mulch and it looks absolutely amazing! I'm so proud of him for doing that! I can't stop looking at it, I'm so impressed! LOL! Who knew he had that in him?
In other news, I've started my paying sessions with my trainer. Things are going really great. We did a "phase one" progress report about a week ago and I had dropped 18.5 pounds and lost 16 inches! What? I was so happy! I thought I hadn't lost that much weight for three months, but I was impressed. Not only that, but I also lost a total of 4% body fat. I was very happy!

Bad blogger!

2010-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

So, I apologize I didn't make good on my promise to blog more. My goodness the days just seem like they are slipping by! Obviously I need to make more of an effort.
Nothing overly new to report. I'm still working out with my trainer three times a week. My three months with him is up at the end of the week. Should I be sad? No, because we're extending our sessions for an additional three months!
Yay! I'm super happy about that. He is absolutely the best and I can't imagine not having him to encourage me just yet. I definitely wasn't ready to give him up!
So in total, I have lost close to 20 pounds and close to 20 inches too! I'm super happy about that although I would have hoped I would have seen a bigger weight drop. But that's ok, I'll take it! I know I'm doing this the right and healthy way and that these changes will stick with me!

In other news, I've decided to really ramp up my cake decorating and turn it into a business! Isn't that cool? I'm excited but boy am I a little scared that I'm going to bite off more than I can chew. Cake decorating can be very time consuming, so if I get overly busy, that will not be a good thing. I guess I can pick and choose what I'm going to do and how many cakes I construct.
I may need your guys' help in the next little while in terms of cake prices. I tend to under charge on cakes and I see what some of my competitors are charging and I'm shocked that people pay that kind of money -- but they obviously do! I also don't want to rip anyone off either.
More to come on that.

So, I'm back. I need to sit down and take the time to write. It keeps me accountable and I love hearing from you guys too!
xo

Wow!

2010-04-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

My goodness has it really been almost a month since I last posted? I'm sorry! Things have been so busy and every time I think to post, I just don't have the time to sit down and write!
Things have been going well. My diet is still going strong and I'm finding out what is working for me and what isn't on the food front. I've branched out a little more from my meal plan with the ok of my trainer. He's great and is open to a lot of ideas, which makes it easier for me to stick to my plan!
My workouts are going really well. I'm actually going to keep my trainer for an additional three months which will bring me into August. I'm very exited.
It's almost time for more measurements too, which is great. I don't think I'll see a huge change from before, at least not as dramatic, but I know I've lost more inches since the last time. Yay!
The scale is still a thorn in my side, but I'm really trying not to think about it too much. Only problem is, is that my trainer has me weigh myself everyday which can be disappointing. So far I've lost 14 pounds in 2.5 months. I honestly thought it would have been more, but what can you do?
Anyways, there's my little update! I promise to post more often!

Halfway done!

2010-03-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

This week marks the halfway point for my trainer and I. So sad! We've already been working out together for six weeks! The time really has flown by!
I'm going to see if he'll keep me on for an additional three months. Right now I'm not paying for him because I'm doing it through the newspaper I work for. But I'm more than willing to pay for him to keep him longer. I'm seeing such great results. I'm getting lots of compliments and overall I feel so much better, so I want to keep it going for sure.
Other than that, not much is going on. We got an alarm system for our house since Noel is away working for two weeks at a time. I feel better about being by myself for that long. Hopefully it's a deterrent for any bad guys! :)
This weekend for Easter I'm heading over to my mom's for dinner. It'll be my weekly cheat meal and I'm so looking forward to it! Fried oysters, turkey, potatoes, stuffing and GRAVY! Yum! I can't wait! I'm making a crab and artichoke dip that my grandpa really wants to try, so that should be yummy! Unfortunately Noel will be away working -- our new reality since he started this job last year. But we'll be having a big turkey feast when he gets home with both of our families, so that is definitely something to look forward to!
Oh yah, and this morning I weighed in at 188.2. Yay!

So shocked!

2010-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a body composition where my trainer takes my measurements, measures body fat, weighs me etc.
This was our second one as we did one before I started working out with him just so we had a starting point to go from.
I wasn't too sure what to expect and to be honest I was a little bit nervous because to me, a body composition is really telling and I was worried I wasn't working hard enough -- even though I really am giving it my all!
Well, I'm super excited and still very shocked to say I'm down 9.8 inches in total! YAY! It feels amazing to be able to say that!
So to break it down, I lost 1 inch in my neck (weird I thought!), 3.5 inches in the hourglass part of my waist, 1 inch off my shoulders, 1.6 inches off my stomach, another 1.6 inches off my hips and 1 inch off my thigh (he only measures my right thigh).
I feel so incredible and I'm so happy that my hard work is paying off!
I also have dropped 1% of my body fat which my trainer says is really good too.
Also, on the scale I saw 189.8! Yay for being out of the 190's!
This completely makes my week!

I'm an auntie!

2010-03-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a very exciting week for Noel, myself and Noel's family! His sister had a baby girl on Monday! They have a three-year-old boy as well and now a little princess! Her name is Julia Elise. She's adorable. I've only seen pictures so far, but I'm heading over to their house after work to meet her! They got home late last night.
Noel is away working and probably won't be home until the 24th. He's very excited but I know the fact that he can't meet our niece until then is killing him. I'm sure he'll go straight over to his sister's house as soon as he gets home!
I can't wait until Noel and I have babies. He's amazing with children and I know he'll make an amazing father. We just have to get married first! :) It's only been almost 11 years! LOL! I'm more patient than I realized! :)
I told him that I'll probably get pregnant right when I reach my goal weight, just because that's the way things happen.
Speaking of weight, I've officially lost nine pounds! Yahoo! I am super excited and I've worked extremely hard to lose those nine pounds! I weighed in this morning at 191 pounds. I'm so ready to say goodbye to the 190's and never see them again!
I've started to get compliments on my weight and people are noticing which is such a great feeling.
My trainer said it's almost time to do another body composition where he takes my measurements and determines my body fat percentage etc. I'm excited for this and can't wait to see what progress I've made. I feel it, so it'll be great to know! I will keep you all posted when I find out!

I'm back!

2010-03-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

We had a great holiday and little getaway to Banff. Even though I live so close to the mountains and always have, I never get tired of them.
The weather was amazing and we were able to walk around town shopping in our spring jackets! We took a horse and carriage ride through the town, went up the mountain on the gondola and had some great meals at local restaurants. It was fabulous!
My eating was pretty good although I have to say that it was a lot tougher than I thought to stay on track. First of all, it's difficult to know what the food is being cooked in and secondly the portions were crazy big! I tried to eat as normally as I would when I was at home, but to be honest it just wasn't happening. For breakfast I had eggs, whole wheat toast and lots of fruit the first morning. The second morning I had a yogurt and fruit parfait with granola and a whole wheat english muffin. The first day we skipped lunch because we were still full from breakfast but at about mid-afternoon our tummies were growling. We ordered chicken fingers and fries. I only had one chicken fingers and some veggies that came with it. No fries.
For dinners, the first night I had chicken fajitas. They were really good, but again, cooked in oil I'm sure. The second night I had chicken tacos.
I did end up gaining 2.5 pounds over the trip. I think it had more to do with the pina coladas and ceasers I drank!
But I have gotten rid of the gain already just by being back in my normal routine and by exercising every day.
So, today's weigh in was 194.4. Not too shabby -- a 6.5 pound loss since I started with my personal trainer three weeks ago.
Tonight my trainer is away so I'm joining a boot camp class. Should be fun!

Sticking to it!

2010-03-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

I have been sticking religiously to my diet and exercise. I really do feel amazing. But one thing I don't feel so amazing about is the scale. My trainer wants me to weigh myself everyday, which is fine and dandy, but it's a tough pill to swallow some days -- actually most days right now.
So when I started I was 200.5 pounds. I felt just gross. This is the highest I have ever been in my life. I didn't feel like myself, it wasn't me.
Now I've lost four pounds. I'm at 196.2 and have been there since last Thursday -- yes almost a week. I'm getting to the point that if I see that number on the scale one more time I'm going to scream! I'm not too sure why I haven't budged. And yes, I do understand that four pounds is a great number for a week and I'm proud of that, but what I don't get is why that number isn't moving!
I'm going to talk to my trainer about this tomorrow and see what he says.
Speaking of tomorrow, I'm starting a week of holidays! Yahoo! I'm very excited! Noel is home and off for a week too, so we're going to spend it together.
Initially we were going to go to Vegas, but flights have been so expensive lately that we decided to postpone that trip. No biggy, I'm definitely ok with that.
So instead we're going to head to Banff. I'm very excited to go. I've always loved going to the mountains and Banff is the perfect place.
So, I will have lots of catching up to do when I get back! I hope you all have a great week!

Great weekend!

2010-03-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

I had a really awesome weekend! I stayed on my meal plan and had my first cheat meal! My girlfriend and I went out for lunch yesterday and I had a chicken quesadilla, fries and a diet coke. Afterwards we stopped at Marble Slab and I had peanut butter crunch ice cream. It was to die for!
I'm a little miffed as to why I haven't lost a ton of weight yet. I've been on my meal plan -- which is high fibre, low sugar and carbs -- for a week and a half and I've only lost four pounds? I've stuck to it religiously. Is it because I'm working out? I hope to see results soon.
I am getting stronger and my leg workout was much better last week than the first time I did it. I think the first time my body was in shock wondering what the heck I was doing to it since it had been so long so I had pushed myself like that.
Anyways, I'm off to the gym tonight to do an hour on the elliptical! And then home to watch The Bachelor!

Seeing progress!

2010-02-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

I had a great workout last night with my trainer. We did an upper body workout, similar to the one we started off with last week.
But I'm super excited because I've already made some progress! I really didn't expect to so soon, but I have!
On some of the same exercises we did last week I increased my weight. And on a lot of the exercises I increased my reps! Awesome! I was very happy when my trainer told me the news!
I can honestly say that I wouldn't push myself as hard as I am without my trainer cheering me on and being so encouraging. It's really great!
Earlier this week I had told my trainer I had "lost" some weight since starting on my meal plan.
He said 'no, you have "dropped" weight'. At first I didn't know what he meant.
But then he asked me 'what is the first thing you do when you lose something?' And I said 'you look for it'.
He then told me that you don't want to find those pounds ever again, so to use the term "dropped".
Definitely makes sense, but I had never thought about it that way. So, from now on I will use the term "dropped" instead of "lose".
For our workout today we'll be working on the lower body -- this is the day that frightens me the most -- please pray for me!

Feeling great!

2010-02-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

So far so good on my new exercise and meal plan! Yes I realize it's only been four days, but I'm really feeling awesome!
I've been able to stick to my exercise plan and my meal plan really well -- no slip ups! And the best part is is that I'm not craving anything! No chocolate, no sweets, no carbs, nothing! I'm really shocked and pleasantly surprised!
On Friday our workout consisted of concentrating on the lower body. I basically did squats and lunges for an hour straight! Holy cow it was hard and my legs are still feeling it today! They are still quite sore.
I took a bath with some epsom salts last night and it did help. It felt really good actually.
I've already gotten my exercise in for today -- I took Jackson for an hour walk at a good steady pace. We added in some hills and my calves were definitely feeling it!
Tomorrow I see my trainer again for a full body workout. I'm sure I'll be hurtin' again on Wednesdau!

Ouch!

2010-02-19T08:40:00.001-08:00

My muscles are angry today! They were screaming at me when I woke up! I had a great workout with my trainer last night! He really kicked my ass. We worked on upper body. He had me doing all sort of exercises that hurt like hell! Haha! But it's a good kind of hurt.
He also wanted to see how many push ups I could do -- I already knew I would suck at it before I got into position. Being a dancer for so many years my upper body was always weak, but my lower body was always a lot stronger. I could only do 7 push-ups! Not so good! Then my trainer wanted to see how many chin-ups I could do. I had never done a chin-up before so I wasn't overly enthusiastic about this -- I couldn't even do one! :( They are so tough! But at least I have something to work towards.
I also got my meal plan last night and I can honestly say that I'm having a tough time getting through each meal because there is so much food! I'm not sure how I'm supposed to lose any weight with this much food, but there has got to be a method to my trainer's madness! :) I also get to have one cheat meal per week which can include an appetizer, main course, dessert and one alcoholic beverage.
The best thing I've discovered so far was that my chocolate whey powder has real chocolate chips in it -- yummy!
Anyways, today we're doing legs, so that should be fun!
I hope you all have a great weekend! I better go have my morning snack.....

Today's the day!

2010-02-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

It's my first workout with my trainer! We start tonight and go for an hour! I'm very excited, but nervous at the same time. I wonder how sore I will be tomorrow! Oh and I get my meal plan tonight too -- at least I think I do. I'm also looking forward to seeing what my meals will be like. I'm not a picky eater so I'm sure I'll like it.
Last night I went and bought some new runners. I love them!

And I also got a new sports bra and workout top. I'm ready to go! I need to get some more workout gear if I'm going to be seeing my trainer three times a week, plus going to the gym on my own.
Anyways, I will keep you all posted as to how it goes tonight! Wish me luck!!!!!

My love filled weekend!

2010-02-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

I'm so sad the weekend is over! Yes, we had yesterday off for Family Day too, so we enjoyed a long, love filled weekend!
Noel was home, which was awesome. We had a great time! My mom and I went to the dinner theatre on Friday night. She really is one of my best friends and I admire her in so many ways. I hope I have her courage and strength, she has really been through so much and is so positive and strong!
Saturday we had Noel's birthday celebration. He turned 35 on the 10th. We had pizza and wings and cake and wine! It was yummy! And since I'm being put on a meal plan come Thursday, I'm glad we did that beforehand! It was so great to have his family and my family over. They get along so well and it's amazing to be able to visit with everyone at once. Noel's sister is due in the next few weeks and I'm so excited to say we're having a baby niece! We have a three-year-old nephew which is amazing and he's so much fun, but I can't wait to have a little girl around!
On Sunday we had a date day for Valentine's Day. So much fun! We went and saw Avatar, which I thought was an amazing movie. I wasn't sure since I've been hearing such mixed reviews, but I really did like it a lot. Then it was off to the Keg for dinner. We had some very yummy prime rib and lobster for dinner, with drinks of course and then we came home to Valentine's Day chocolate! Yum! It was so perfect!
Yesterday we had a family day event that I planned for our neighbourhood. It was so fun! It was a family skating party and we had lots of games, prizes and hot chocolate. Everyone loved it and I had so much fun watching all the kiddies! Noel brought us Timbits and stayed to help for a while in the midst of scrambling to get ready to go back to work today. What a guy! Love him so much!
Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Starting with a trainer!

2010-02-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

So everything has worked out and I'm starting with a personal trainer on Feb. 18! I'm so very excited and I think this is the boost I need! My trainer's name is Scott and he's amazing. He's so motivating and charismatic and I think he'll be a perfect fit for me!
We've decided to do three personal training sessions per week for three months. In addition, I'll also be getting a meal plan, which I'm really stoked about too!
This Thursday I'm going for a body composition test which I'm extremely nervous about! It'll measure my muscle mass, water weight and fat percentage *gulp* -- no more hiding and no more being in denial!
Oh yes, and the other thing I'm dreading is I have to take a photo of myself, in a bathing suit, before we start working out, so I have something to compare my progress to. Yikes! I will not be showing that to anyone -- except Scott! Haha!
So, I will let you all know how things go and I can't wait to start this journey!