Weekending: Fun with Friends

What a fun weekend full of good friends, delicious food, tons of laughs, BodyPump, movies, and ice cream! I've made some really great friends this past year since moving to Calgary and I was luckily enough to spend a big chunk of the weekend with them!

Friday

It was beautiful out on Friday, with temperatures in the high teens (Celsius), making you completely forget that it's still only February! Sully and I made sure to get out for a big walk around the neighbourhood (which literally takes forever because toddlers walk at a ridiculously slow pace), but the warm fresh air was so nice. That evening, I got in a BodyPump class and then spent the rest of the evening reading the new book I started (The Kitchen House - I can't put it down!) and went to bed the earliest I've been to bed on a Friday in a loooooong time. Early = 11:00p.m.! Ha!


Saturday

Sully slept till 8 am, and I woke up feeling more refreshed than I have in weeks. We headed out for a walk shortly after breakfast thinking that the nice weather from the day before would still be hanging around, but we were in for a rude awakening. It was chilly and windy and we both had tears streaming down our face. And then later that afternoon it snowed! Crazy Alberta weather!

Later that afternoon, Kaella and London came over for a visit and dinner, and shortly after we were joined by Becky and Leigh. Around 6 p.m. we headed over to Ashley's house for her housewarming party. Ange and Jen were already there, and Kris even came all the way from Edmonton to join in the fun! I hadn't seen Kaella or Kris since our weekend in Waterton so it was so great to finally catch up in person. We played Cards of Humanity for most of the evening (so many inappropriate jokes that have to stay at the party), and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Cry laughing is seriously the best!

I don't remember what time Becky, Kris and I headed back to my place, but I do know we didn't crawl into bed until shortly after 1 a.m.!


Sunday

After breakfast and coffee, we met up with the other girls, plus Laura and Jo!, for Sunday morning BodyPump! It was a super crowded class, but it's so much fun to workout alongside your girlfriends. It was Becky, Kris, and Leigh's first BodyPump class ever and I'm positive it won't be their last!

After the class, we headed over to Bow Valley Ranche for brunch, where I had the Elk and Wild Greens. It was something completely different than I would normally order and while the Elk salami was really spicy, it was a pretty tasty meal. I think next time though, I will be sure to get the Stuffed French Toast again!

Our group parted ways after brunch, but I convinced Becky to go see a movie with me, so we went and watched How to Be Single. I was glad I had been hearing positive reviews on it from my friends, but it was even better than I expected. I love when chick flicks are actually good and even touching (a few tears were shed between us!) I highly recommend seeing it if you haven't yet! After the movie, we drove a few blocks to Village Ice Cream, because Laura said we had to try it out. And I'm so glad we listened to her! After sampling a few different flavours (they were ALL delicious!), we both chose the snickerdoodle ice cream and I'm pretty sure it was the best ice cream I've ever eaten. I will definitely be returning with Sully and Jim!

The rest of the evening was spent going for a family walk, watching the Oscars, reading more of my book, and blogging! I'm happily exhausted from the weekend's activities so meal-planning and grocery shopping will just have to wait until tomorrow!


How was your weekend?

Favourite 'chick-flick'? 

Favourite brunch food? I think I'm the only person out there who doesn't like Eggs Benedict (I dislike Hollandaise sauce with a passion!). 

Thinking Out Loud {#7}

I just realized it's been over two months since my last Thinking Out Loud post! Not that I do them often, but I try for at least one a month. They're one of my favourite posts to read on other blogs, and they're such a great way to talk about a mishmash of topics without coming up with a whole post on one thing. As always, Thinking Out Loud is a fun feature and link-up hosted by Amanda from Running With Spoons.

So let's get into it!

1. I hate getting sick. It's been almost two weeks now since I came down with a nasty cold, and I think I can safely say that I'm just about 100% better. It was a rough two weeks though! I've been tired, unmotivated, cranky and ready to feel like myself again. I'm lucky that I don't get sick very often, but I still hate it.

2. Unfortunately, because I've been feeling so unwell, my workouts have suffered. I'm just not one of those people who is able to push themselves to workout even though it might make me feel better. This is also the point in my life where I so often let a few missed workouts due to sick days/weeks turn into several weeks. I really struggle with this, but it's something I'm trying to work on. I have to admit, getting out of the house to workout works so much better for me. Once I'm at the gym, I'm not about to turn around and go home or not finish my workout class (which I am known to do with home workouts, ha!). Last night I scheduled in a workout for when Jim got home from work and I went to BodyPump at GoodLife Fitness. This class never fails to make me feel great and even though I have a few weeks to make up for, I love that you can just jump back into this class with just a few adjustments to your weights (if any).

3. I was going to have a post up this week for the online book club I keep talking about starting, but all of a sudden this month is almost over and I have a few books I need to get through for outside commitments by the end of March. The last thing I want is to not be able to read the book I pick! I'll have a post all about it in a few weeks so that we have 6 weeks to read the book and participate in a discussion. Stay tuned!

4. Do you ever wake up one day and all of a sudden hate your hair? Like, yesterday it was fine, but today it's not curling right and it needs to be hacked off immediately?! I'm at that point. I also think I'm ready to let several inches go again. Time for a freshening up!

5. My sister flew up for a visit this past weekend and even though I wasn't feeling great while she was here, we still tried to go to the movie How to Be Single. When we got to the theatre though, it was already sold out! I was sooo disappointed, especially since it was the only night that worked for us to go to a movie. Instead, we ended up watching Room at home and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. If you've read the book (which I did and really enjoyed), then you'll be glad to know they did an exceptional job adapting the book to film. While it's a tough subject matter, it's done well, but it definitely made me emotional and I'm still thinking about it several days later. Brie Larson, who plays the young mom being held in captivity has been nominated for an Oscar for her role, but I totally think the young boy who player her son in the movie should have also been nominated! His performance was remarkable, honest and real. This article describes really well, the thought process behind nominating children for acting awards and the recognition this young boy has already received for his role in Room.

6. Have you seen this video by Walk Off the Earth of their cover of Adele's Hello? It's amazing and like all of their cover songs, I enjoy it more than the original! Sorry Adele lovers.

And....that's all I've got!

When you're sick, do you make yourself workout still, or do you take that time off from working out/the gym?

Have you seen or read Room? Thoughts?? 

Tell me something random! 


*This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador program, however all opinions expressed are my own.

Sullivan's 2nd Birthday Party

This past weekend, we celebrated our little man's second birthday! It feels like yesterday that we had just moved to Calgary and were planning his first birthday party! I can't believe how fast this past year has gone, and yes, I am very well aware that I will be saying that every single year from now on.

Anyway, I knew that this year his party would be much more low key for a few reasons. For one thing, most of our family and friends live in Edmonton and I knew it would be silly to ask or expect people to drive 3 hours to come to a birthday party. Secondly, until Sully understands what his birthday actually means, I personally don't see the point in going over board with the party planning. But that's also because I'm not a huge party person. I'm all for celebrating and acknowledging someone's special day, but I didn't want an overwhelming and large party this early in the game (of course, I might have felt differently about it all had we still be living in Edmonton. But that's neither here nor there).  This mentality worked out especially well for me this year since I was so sick the week before his birthday that I had no desire to plan much.

So simple it was! My sister came to visit this weekend so she could be here for it since she missed his birthday last year and we didn't get to see her at Christmas time either. My sister-in-law Patty and my two youngest nephews drove down for the party, and Sully had the time of his life chasing them around. My aunt Max and her husband Barry, my cousin Lauren, and Barry's daughter Kate, Kate's husband Dan, and their daughter Gwen also joined the party!

I relied on lots of balloons for decorations (because what two year old doesn't love balloons?!), provided some appetizers, fruit and veggie cups, and made homemade cupcakes. And booze. We had lots of booze, because I'm pretty sure every adult needs alcohol to get through a toddler's birthday party! The weather was so beautiful that day that the kids were actually able to run around and kick the ball in the field behind our house, and it's so sweet to watch Sully run after them.

I think the most memorable moment from the party was when Sully put his finger into the birthday candle flame on his cupcake. I've posted the video on social media, but I've also included it at the end of this post because it's just too funny not to share! Yes, I am that mom that laughs at her own son's expense! (And in my defence for not reacting quicker, I actually didn't see what had happened as I had pulled my camera to my face and thought he was just crying because that's what toddlers do!)  Don't worry, his finger is fine and I think his reaction was more of a reaction to how we all reacted. Oh toddlers. Never a dull moment!

Anyway, there's not much else to say, I tried to take lots of pictures, but that's almost impossible at a birthday party and getting your two year old to stop moving for one second is pretty much the hardest thing ever!

Thank you to all of our family who spent the afternoon with us to celebrate Sully's second birthday, and thank you to everyone who called, texted, etc to send their love on such a special day!

Happy Birthday, Sullivan! We all love you so, so much and you bring more delight, love and fun into our lives on a daily basis than you could ever know! xoxo

Sullivan's Newborn Photos

This Sunday, my baby boy is turning two. Two! How is this possible?! I know all parents say it, but they say it because it's true: it feels like yesterday he was just a squishy little newborn in my arms. And now? Now he is his own little person, with a great sense of humour and a strong personality. He's fearless, inquisitive, stubborn and every day with him is an adventure. As I reminisce about my baby boy's first two years of life, I can't help but pour over the photos from his newborn photo shoot. I realize I never shared these photos on the blog, so I thought I would share them now. We were lucky enough to have the amazingly talented Andrea Hanki to capture these photos for us (she also did our maternity photos), and I will cherish them forever. It was so hard to pick my favourites as they are all so, so beautiful. When I look at them, I can hardly believe that Sully was once so teeny tiny and wrinkly.

*all images by Andrea Hanki

Books & Babes

Hello friends! I'm so excited to introduce a new feature here on the blog called Books & Babes! Allison and Becky are the brain children behind this little project, and they were thoughtful enough to invite me to be a part of it. Basically, about every two months, we are going to share a post highlighting our most recent favourite read and then the book, or books, we are looking forward to reading in the following month. 

If you're anything like me, I always enjoy seeing what my friends have been reading and this is a great way to discover new books to add to those never-ending TBR lists! 

*****

Allison

I was doing really well at finishing a book a week until last week; I was tired, cranky, and honestly preferred an episode (or three) of Nashville on Netflix to reading. Or maybe cracking open my first Hemmingway novel was intimidating. Either way, Ernest is still on the nightstand and I have a sinus infection which is making focusing on reading really, really hard.

Favourite: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller. I loved it. I've been following Kelsey's Refinery 29 column, The Anti-Diet Project, for a few years now and her book was even better (I can not say the same for Field Guide, also a biography by a columnist, I did not like the writing style at all).

I'm in year 20-something of a long-standing, seemingly never ending, feud with my body. It loves dairy and carbs and I hate it. It loves to hold on to pounds and I hate it. It's refreshing to read something so honest that wasn't "solved" with a can-do attitude, extra time in the gym, and carrot sticks for lunch. While that works for some people (go you! no, honestly, that's awesome if it's your thing), it's not me. I do not have a can-do attitude about anything and having the lowest of low self-esteems I detest the gym. There's a chapter about mindlessness (or the positive, mindfulness) and how Kelsey filled every second of her day with distractions (internet, podcasts, music, tv, reading) as to not have to be alone with her thoughts. That was terrifying and eye-opening. That's what I do. I fill up every second of my day: iTunes or a DVD series while I work, more music while I prep dinner, TV or Netflix in the evening, and if I can't sleep, more music. Silence was (IS) my enemy, and honestly, even though I'm aware of it, I'm not ready to turn off the noise/distractions just yet. 

Looking forward to: In a twist of fate every book on my to-read list is currently available at the library. With all the rave reviews I'm thinking The Light Between Oceans. My list includes: The Paris Affair, The War That Saved My Life (thanks Brie), The Invisible Bridge, The Nightingale, and All the Light We Cannot See. Maybe try Hemmingway again? I'm just going to cry myself through February and March, aren't I? Gotta get the serious ones out of the way now because I refuse to read heavy material on vacation and I'm headed to Florida at the end of March. 

*****

Becky

I've never really kept track of how fast (or slow) I read and how many books I read in a year. This year I decided that I would aim to read at least one book a month. So far I've already finished four and am well on my way to completing a fifth by the end of the month. 

Favourite: It's so hard choosing a favourite. It's a toss up between both Gillian Flynn books and Yes Please. I think I will choose Yes Please this month. While the essays about her early career days weren't as interesting (or funny) to me, the personal essays really touched me. The first 100 pages were the best, and this passage has really stayed with me since reading, "When the demon starts to slither my way and say bad shit about me I turn around and say, "Hey. Cool it. Amy is my friend. Don't talk about her like that." Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we would about one of our friends is a hard but satisfying thing to do. Sometimes it works." 

Looking Forward To: I just started reading Can I Say, the memoir of Travis Barker, which I'm really excited to get into being a big Blink 182 and Travis Barker fan. I have a thing for biographies and memoirs. Side note: one time, I saw Travis and his kids in the lobby of a hotel room before a show in Edmonton. We're basically best friends now. 

*****

Brie

January started out really strong for me on the reading front, and I read some great books. February hasn’t been as kind to me. I chalk it up to my mom visiting so my husband and I got a few extra date nights which means less time to read in the evenings. Or maybe my last few book choices just weren’t as engaging? Here’s hoping for a better end to the month!

Favourite: Can I pick two? It was so hard to choose as I read two amazing books in January, but they were both from completely different genres . If I have to pick, then I’m going with The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. This is a heartbreaking and beautiful story about a lighthouse keeper and his wife who’ve suffered several miscarriages and a stillbirth. When a baby shows up in a rowboat, the couple makes decisions that will impact their lives and those around them, more than they ever could have imagined.  A truly captivating story, and one that will stick with you for a long, long time once that last page is turned.  Keep a box of tissues nearby!

Looking forward to: The hardest part for me, as an avid reader, is deciding what book to read next. My TBR (to-be-read) pile is always growing, and even when I think I have an idea of what I want my next book to be, there’s always a new one being added to the list! A few I’m hoping to tackle in the next month: Into the Abyss by Carol Shaben, The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom, and The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. Too many books, too little time, amiright?

*****

Most favourite recent read? 

Book you're looking forward to reading next?