Thinking Out Loud {#11}: Tiny Houses, Figs & Pinterest

So you might remember from this post that my mom has been visiting us again, and this morning she left after two wonderful weeks here. I'm not sure who's going to be more upset when they wake up tomorrow morning: me or Sully. I decided to leave the house this morning around the same time my mom was taking off so that it didn't feel as much as goodbye, although I still started crying as I pulled away. After the library and a bunch of errands, we got back in the car to head home and Sully goes "LET'S GO SEE GRAMMA!" Gah, heartbreaking. I told him that Gramma wouldn't be at home and that we wouldn't be seeing her for a little while. "Well, let's go get her, Mama!". Sigh, I wish we could, little man, I wish we could.

{at Elbow Falls with Gramma}

I meant to get this post written up last night and posted this morning, but I figured it was better to spend my mom's last evening here with her.  Watching Season 6 of The Walking Dead of course. No spoilers since we are a whole season behind, but my goodness, the first few episodes are SO frustrating! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I much prefer to watch a show in which I can binge watch it, because I don't know how people wait a whole week (or more!) in-between episodes!

Speaking of shows...I was at the dentist earlier in the week for a cleaning and the TV was tuned to HGTV. Tiny House Hunters was airing and I was immediately engrossed (and I usually find TV incredibly annoying to try and watch while someone is blocking your view while scraping your teeth). Anyhow...this show! I'm mildly obsessed (I may have gone home and recorded the whole series) and yet, I can't fathom wanting to live in something that's about as big as the shed in our backyard. I get the whole minimalist fad and the desire to pare down the things you own, etc, but I could NOT live in 150 square feet. I don't even think I would feel safe sleeping in such a small space. I mean, if we had a playhouse in our backyard of roughly the same size, even if there was a lock on the door, there's no way I'd sleep out in it!

{source//this literally makes me LOL}

OK, so, in my post on nesting, I mentioned briefly that I meal planned for this week (which is going awesome by the way), and I'm really hoping that I can keep this up for the rest of my pregnancy. I know, meal planning - it's nothing new, everyone does it - but for some reason I have a hard time being consistent with it. I'm even trying to bake one new "treat" each week, and I've had some pretty good success with my recipes considering I'm not a baker. I utilize Pinterest a lot for recipe ideas, but my recipe board on there was getting a little bit out of control. I had every single recipe that I either wanted to try or had already made pinned to the same board, and it was getting time consuming to go through it for meal planning inspiration or to remember something I wanted to make. So, last weekend I also organized my recipe boards into "RECIPES TO TRY", "DINNER RECIPES TRIED & TRUE", "BAKING RECIPES TRIED & TRUE", "BREAKFAST RECIPES TRIED & TRUE", and "SNACKS/APPETIZERS TRIED & TRUE" (the links will take you directly to each board). Anyway, I'm already loving this little bit of organization and if you want to follow any of the boards please do! Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by Pinterest recipes because there are a billion out there but how do you know for sure something is actually worth making? Consider me your guinea pig! ;) I also add comments/notes into the comment portion of the pin on my tried & true boards so that you can see what I thought or any changes I may have made to the original recipe.

One more thing about food. FIGS. You guys, until last week, I had never eaten a fresh fig in my adult life. I would say my entire life, but my mom promises me that I ate them as a kid. We were at the farmer's market two weekends ago and my mom bought a flat of figs for us. It was one of those things were I was like, these are SO delicious, but I also kind of wish I hadn't tried them because now it's all I can think about. Unfortunately, fresh fig season is short and they are really hard to come by in stores! I've spent more time this week than I care to admit, trying to track down fresh figs. Thankfully, the Italian Store came through for me today and I made sure to get down there and buy two clamshells. I choked a bit at the price at first (almost 10 dollars a pound), but then I thought, "wait a minute, why do we freak out at buying something expensive that is delicious and healthy for us, but it's no big deal to go buy a case of beer or a bottle of wine?!" And considering I can drink neither of those right now, this mama bought herself $20 worth of figs today. I do not plan on sharing!

And lastly...I'm sorry...I clearly have a lot I want to talk about today!...yesterday I had my second doctor's appointment with my OB team. There's only 3 more months to go before this baby comes and I'm finding that crazy to think about! I'm also at that point where I can't imagine my belly getting bigger or stretching anymore, even though I know it will. I remember in my first pregnancy dreading being weighed at each doctor's appointment. This time around, I don't care. In fact, I didn't even take off my boots on the scale, that's how little I care about the number that shows up. I may have gone into this pregnancy weighing more than I would have liked, but I don't feel like I've been eating out of control and my weight gain has been very slow so I'm comfortable with where my body is at. I'm still trying to get to BodyFlow at GoodLife Fitness when I can because I know it's worth the effort to get myself there. Also, I passed my gestational diabetes screen, so yay for me!

If you're still reading, then you deserve one of my figs! ;)

Happy almost Friday everyone!


Questions for you!

Figs: love 'em, or hate 'em?

Tiny Houses: could you live in one?

Linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking Out Loud! 

*This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador program, 

however all opinions expressed are my own.

A Slice of Brie Book Club: October's Pick!

Hello Book Clubbers! Well, I wasn't sure which book was going to win as the votes were all very close to start with, but Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children started to creep ahead and stayed there. With the movie adaptation just coming out, and considering I already own a copy of this book, I am happy that I will finally be getting around to reading this book! I also think it's a fitting book for Halloween next month!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs. 

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. 

If you're new to book club, then welcome! You can read more about book club in this post, but here's the gist of it:

• Book Club for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will be on Wednesday, October 26. My post with review and thoughts, along with some discussion questions, will go live the morning of. This gives you exactly 4 weeks to read the book, which is plenty of time considering it's a young-adult book and has pictures in it ;) 
• Come visit the post, share your feelings and opinions on the book and participate in the discussion! (Of course, participation isn't mandatory - you're more than welcome to just read along quietly!)
• There will be a link-up for bloggers who have written their own review post, or have reviewed the book in another post. You can use this graphic to link back, or grab my button from my side bar. Writing a post is totally optional and not mandatory.

• EVERYONE is welcome! You do not have to have a blog to participate. My blog is just the space where I host the book club, but I encourage everyone to join - tell your friends! :)
• On October 26, we will vote for November's book pick, and then book club will take a break until the new year. I'd like to do a Christmas or winter theme to the books we vote on, so if you have any books you'd like to suggest for voting on, please let me know and I will try to include them!
• Most importantly, have fun! There's no pressure or obligation to "sign-up" or "RSVP". You can choose to read the book now, or closer to the date we meet to talk about it. It doesn't matter to me! 
• For my local friends: the hold list at the Calgary Library is ridiculously long. I'm sorry for that! You can also order this book through Chapters right now for $10 (<---affiliate link), or Amazon. I also see this book at Value Village a lot. 

I hope you'll be joining us next month! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Otherwise, happy reading and I can't wait to meet back in a month to talk about this book! 

Nesting: Not an Urban Legend

I never, ever experienced "nesting" while pregnant with Sully. I read all about it, and I had people tell me about it incessantly, but it never hit. I remember anticipating the day I would be overcome with the desire to do all the things, dreaming about how clean behind my fridge would be and how organized my underwear drawer would look. I had days where I thought about doing something, but laziness always won. Needless to say, since then, I've scoffed at anyone who talks about "nesting", either as something they are experiencing or as something they wonder if I'm going/gone through. In fact, I even had a friend post about it recently on Facebook, and I'm pretty sure I commented with "NESTING IS NOT REAL".

How's that old saying go? About eating your own words? Ya, that day came this past weekend.

I was standing in the kitchen, marvelling at the inside of my clean and sanitized dishwasher when I yelled for Jim to come look at it. When he ooh'd and ahh'd enough for me, I made him look at the sparkling kitchen sink, inside the gunk-free garburator and at the newly decalcified tap head. Then he goes, "so this is nesting, is it?" I laughed, ready to say there was no such thing, but then I thought for a moment and said, "ya, I guess so! And it's awesome!".

But that's not all I did this past weekend. On Friday, I emptied out our entire pantry, wiped down the walls and shelves, repackaged things into jars and organized everything neatly on the shelves. This project has been on my to-do list since we moved in over a year ago. When the movers were unpacking us, I shoved everything into the pantry with no forethought, planning to organize it later on...that never happened and the pantry has been the place where cracker boxes go to die and anything without a home is abandoned.

I'm sharing pictures because I find it oddly satisfying to see what other people's pantries look like.

Saturday, after returning home after gymnastics class and running errands, I emptied out our spice cupboard, threw out anything that was old or never, ever used, and organized it all back on the shelves. This in turn had me organize a few of the other kitchen cupboards.

Sunday, I cleaned the dishwasher filter, wiped the sides of it down, and then ran vinegar through a sanitize cycle. While that was going on, I cleaned the sink with vinegar and soap, including the disgusting-ness that occurs underneath the drain of the garburator. I decalcified the tap head and wiped out the fridge shelves.

Then I pulled out my neglected day-timer, wrote out all our appointments and classes for the next month, meal planned for the week ahead (something I haven been severely lazy about lately), and made my grocery list. I debated going out for groceries that evening, but I was tired and my mom suggested I go in the morning while she watched Sully. Sold!

So ya. Nesting. It's not an urban legend after all. I know nesting is said to hit people in the later stages of pregnancy, but hey, I'll take it whenever I can!


Pregnant mama's (past and current), have you ever experienced nesting? 

Our Summer According to Instagram

I first did this post at the end of last summer, and I like the quick glimpse it gives me at our memories from the past few months. Summer just flies by and sometimes I'm like, "what did we even do this year?!", but then I look back at photos and I'm quickly reminded that while we may not have gone on any big trips, we had a lot of fun and made a lot of great memories!

This was our second summer in Calgary and while there were a few things we didn't end up doing that we thought we would (trip to Drumheller, road trip to BC), I love that we are so close to the mountains and are able to get away for a day or even two so easily. And my goodness, Sully was so little last year! It's crazy how fast time flies!

And like I mentioned in last years post, I'm a huge lover of fall, but that doesn't mean I'm not a little bit sad to see summer go. I just hope the wind and storms hold off so we can enjoy the changing colours of leaves on the trees for as long as possible!

Here's a look at how we spent our summer according to Instagram:

ice cream in canmore with jim's folks//flying a kite for the first time//exploring waterton

lobster boil//ice cream at village ice cream//exploring new parks

first time at the movie theatre//hero's behind the hero's obstacle Race//calgary stampede parade

walks in fish creek park//playdates with friends//riding the city bus for the first time

date night//time with gramma//jumping at kayben farms

we're expecting!//visiting my grandma's farm//yogathon

sully's first camping trip//we're having a girl!//decorating muffins

antigravity fitness class//picking apples//throwing rocks

first gymnastics class of the season//exploring downtown//elbow falls with gramma

And if you're not already, we'd love for you to follow along on Instagram as we take our adventures into fall!

What would your summer highlight reel show?

A Slice of Brie Book Club: One True Loves (& Next Month's Book Pick)

OK Book Clubbers, I am SO excited to talk about this month's book! This is without a doubt, my favourite book we have read so far!

One True Loves has been getting some serious love these past few months and I knew it was a book I wanted to read. I almost didn't even bother having us vote last month and was just going to decide for us, but voting is still fun, and I was pretty confident that One True Loves would win. And win it did - by a landslide! It's also nice to be on top of reading a book that has just recently come out since I'm almost always several months and years behind the hype.

Anyway, just a few reminders here before we get into the book...if this is your first time here, this is your warning that this post will have spoilers (what would a book club discussion be otherwise?!) At the end of the post, I will have a few questions to get the discussion going which you can answer in the comments section if you like. And lastly, if you have a blog post about the book, you can link up at the end of this post!

Also - if you aren't here to discuss One True Loves, but would like to participate in the next book club, then be sure to jump to the end of this post to vote on the book you'd like to read for October! If you're new to A Slice of Brie Book Club, in a nutshell, it's an online book club for fellow book lovers. A place to talk about a chosen book from the comfort of your own home/computer! Everyone is welcome (so tell your friends!), and you definitely do not have to have a blog to participate. Every month, we vote on which book to read for the following month. The poll will stay open until Sunday night and I will announce the book next Tuesday. No commitment to join, but if you've ever wanted to join a book club, this is a great place to start!

*****

OK, enough of that. On to One True Loves. You guys, I LOVED this book. Like, I want everyone I know to read it! I was hooked from page one and could have easily devoured it in one night, but I also wanted to savour every page so I forced myself to slow down a bit. And when I was done, I was overcome with a strong desire to start the book all over again, and that is something I RARELY feel. Quickly, this book is about Emma, a 31 year old woman who has just found love again after the death of her husband 3 years prior. Emma's first husband, Jesse, was the love of her life. They started dating in high school, traveled the world together, and got married one year before Jesse went missing after the helicopter he was traveling in went down. His body was never found. Emma, a complete mess after this, decides to move back home to her hometown, where her parents and sister live. As fate would have it, she ends up running into Sam, an old friend and co-worker from high school. Deciding that she needs to accept the death of Jesse and that she wants love to return to her life, she starts to date Sam. Then, a few months after Sam and Emma get engaged, Emma receives a phone call: it's Jesse and he's alive. Having survived the crash and life on a tiny island for the past 3 years, he's coming home. 

I can't even think about this scenario without getting goosebumps. Can you even imagine being in such a situation? What I really liked about this book, was the development of both of the relationships that Emma is in. The first part of the book is all about Emma's and Jesse's relationship: how it started and their immense love for each other even as the years move on. There's no denying their love. And then the book moves into Emma's grief and healing before we move on to her and Sam's relationship. Sam is the polar opposite of Jesse, yet he's also perfect for Emma in his own right. Their love is also passionate, easy and natural. 

At first, I was so torn between the two possible endings: should Emma go back to Jesse, or should she stay with Sam? As much as I loved Jesse and the love the two of them shared, my heart told me Sam was the right man for her to be with. What I loved so much about this book was how it addressed change, and how we aren't the same person we are at 20, 30 or even 40 years old, let alone the same person after a tragic event. Emma was this wild and carefree person in her 20s, but when she moves back home, she really does some soul-searching and figures out who she is in the right now. I related to that part so much - sure, traveling and living pay-check to pay-check and not having a secure future is fun when you're young, but now that I'm older, I know my wants and needs have changed, just like Emma's did. I want security, I want a family, I want stability. Emma's change wasn't drastic, but it felt natural. And I loved that she fell in love with reading (after hating it for most of her life) and genuinely wanted to run her parent's bookstore that they always wanted her to run. 

The turmoil that Emma (and Sam and Jesse) went through once Jesse came back was so raw and executed so well. It's not a simple situation and I really liked how it wasn't about "choosing" Jesse over Sam, but about choosing who was right given who present day Emma was. Was Jesse still right for her, or was Sam? I knew in my heart it just had to be Sam. Three years is a long time to be apart, and Jesse's and Emma's time apart wasn't natural. Emma eventually had to choose to move on with her life, while Jesse didn't. His hope of being reunited with Emma was what kept him alive, and rightfully so. But that just means that when they were reunited, they weren't the same people at all. 

I also really liked that this was the story of Emma - the person left behind when someone goes missing or dies in an accident. The focus wasn't on Jesse's story of survival (although we were given just enough of his story to feed that curiosity and answer any questions). 

The ending was perfect in my opinion, and not just because Emma stayed with Sam. It was perfect because it was messy before it got better, and it just felt real. Feelings were going to have to be heart no matter which way you looked at it. There was going be a need for closure, for both Emma and Jesse. Sam was going to go through his own emotional rollercoaster and Emma had to understand the potential for her actions. While there was a moment where I was like, "if this was real life, I could see no one ending up with anyone", but I'm so glad that wasn't the ending for this book! 

Oh man, I can't stop talking about this book! I'm sorry, if you've read this far, you deserve a cookie! But seriously, I loved this book and I really hope you all loved it too! 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU (Feel free to discuss in the comments!):

1. Do you think Emma, believing that Jesse might not have been dead, should have waited longer for him to be found before moving on? No. I think two years was a long time and Emma needed to move on for her own sanity and good-will. She deserved to be happy again and find love, especially at such a young age. In reality, how long DO you wait?! I don't think there's a right answer, but I think Emma knew she was ready to stop waiting. 

2. Do you think moving back home, running the family book store and putting her life of travel behind her, was the right thing for Emma to do? Did you feel it was a natural progression or an outcome only because of her grief? I do, I really do. Like I said above, we change as we age and we for sure change after a tragic accident. I don't think Emma was ever trying to be someone she wasn't (in fact, I would even argue that the young Emma was trying to be someone that maybe she wasn't). I think older and wiser Emma was just more comfortable in accepting what she wanted and who she wanted to be.

3. How did you feel about the weekend Emma spent with Jesse at his family's cabin in Maine? Do you think that level of intimacy was necessary in order for Emma to figure out what she wanted, even though it risked hurting and losing Sam? At first I was like, Noooo, you can't go and be alone and have sex and risk ruining everything with Sam. But, I knew it needed to be done. Emma needed to figure out who Jesse was/had become, she needed to figure out if they were still the same people as they were when they were still married and madly in love. It was closure that ultimately needed to occur in order for anyone to move on.

4. Who did you want Emma to choose: Jesse or Sam? Sam. Definitely Sam. I adored Jesse, but I knew he wasn't right for Emma anymore. He was changed, Emma was changed, and that tragic gap would be too much for them to overcome. And I just knew that Jesse wasn't happy with the new life Emma had built for herself (moving back home and running the bookstore) and I knew that it wasn't a life he would ultimately want for himself. 

*****

NEXT MONTH'S BOOK PICK

Here are the choices for October's book club. I decided to choose mystery/thrillers in the spirit of Halloween being next month. Local friends - I try to find books that don't have super long wait lists, but it was a difficult task this go around. Even if you aren't sure you can participate, vote anyway! You never know if you might get a chance to read it and participation can be anonymous if you like :) So vote for a book, and then next Tuesday I will announce the winner!

Links to check out these books on Goodreads: I Let You Go//Behind Closed Doors//Miss Peregrine's

And now to vote!

Happy voting! Don't forget to link up your posts so I can check them out! 

Weekending: While Daddy's Away...

I don't even want to type it out, but here it is: this was officially the last weekend of summer. How is this possible?! Thankfully, the weather was beautiful and I'm hoping we still get a few many more nice weekends to enjoy.

I'm backing things up to Thursday this time because I have photos I want to share from our day. Sully and I spent the late morning and early afternoon exploring the woods and paths with Nicole and her two kiddos. It ended up being a hot day and we both could have sworn we walked for miles that day! The hills were no joke! Sully always takes a bit to warm up to other kids, but by the end of our big walk, he was pretty smitten with Nicole's little girl, and getting those two to keep up with us was a struggle and a half (she won him over with her M&Ms!).

It was late afternoon by the time we got back home, and my mom was just arriving! Since her last visit out was a short one, she planned to come back for a longer visit and also keep me company while Jim went to Vegas for the weekend.

Friday morning I was up before 7 a.m. to drive Jim to the airport and when I got home, Sully and my mom were both still sleeping so I got to enjoy the quiet to myself. Later in the morning I headed out for my gestational diabetes screening (fun, fun!) and to run a few errands. Luckily, I'm one of those weirdos who actually thinks the glucose drink doesn't taste bad! Also, an hour to sit and read a good book by myself is like a mini-vacation, ha!

Unfortunately, Sully was too excited to have Gramma visiting and would not nap that day, and the evening was a bit of a disaster. I ended up putting him to bed at 6:45 p.m. (super early for him), praying that he would just sleep through till the morning, but as my luck would have it, he woke up about an hour later begging for "breakfast". Given he hadn't eaten much at all that day, I wasn't surprised, but once he went back to bed, he was so restless and whined and cried for more than an hour. I also finally started Gilmore Girls from season one that night and got through a few episodes. I've never watched the show in it's entirety, but I'm thinking I saw more episodes than I think I did. Doesn't matter, I'm already (re)hooked!

Saturday morning, I finished off One True Loves in bed (SO good!!) before Sully woke up. We had breakfast, got ready and then headed off to his first gymnastics class of the season! We decided to switch gymnastic clubs to one closer to home this time, and I'm worried I made a bad decision. This new club felt very chaotic, the coaches seemed pushy and not very engaging, and Sully was like a deer in headlights for the first 10 minutes. He did snap out of it eventually and seemed to enjoy the class, but I'm hoping this was just a case of first class of the season and that things quiet down as the weeks progress.

After the class, we popped into a lighting store near by and I picked up a new ceiling fan for our master bedroom and a light for our family room. Then we stopped at the Farmers' Market for a cappuccino from Analog and a late lunch. The evening was spent doing laundry, eating supper, bath time, and then my mom and I watched a really good, heartfelt movie: The Good Lie with Reese Witherspoon, which is a story about The Lost Boys of Sudan. (Check it out on Netflix!)

Sunday, my mom had plans to meet up with an old friend, so I decided to take Sully on the train to downtown as I needed to pick something up. Riding the train is seriously one of his favourite things to do, so even though driving to run my errand would have been both faster and easier, I knew taking the train instead was worth the extra time (and walking) involved. We walked around a lot and played  on the grounds of the Memorial Park Library where Sully was entertained for almost an hour playing around the fountain and throwing dirt rocks. At one point I told him we needed to go and he told me "Go read your book, mama". Oh sweet boy of mine, if only I had thought to bring my book!

I also did some impulse shopping (something I never do!) when I found out Zulily was having a big sale on TOMS. There were actually several pairs I really wanted, but in the end I went with these two:

We ended up being downtown for longer than I had planned, which meant no naps again today, but luckily we went the entire day without a tantrum. #momwin. Bedtime also went much smoother and my mom and I watched another movie (Far From the Madding Crowd) before she went to bed and I went upstairs to work on this post!


How was your weekend?

Have you watched any good movies on Netflix recently?

AntiGravity® Fitness: What to Expect

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to try out an AntiGravity® Fitness class with the Blog Squad at InFlight Fitness here in Calgary. Ange already happened to know the owner and our instructor, Alison, and kindly set the class up for us. In exchange for an honest review and social media shares, we got to try out the class for free.

I'll be honest, I had never heard of AntiGravity® Fitness before and I didn't know too much about it beforehand. I did email Alison a few weeks before our class though, to make sure that I wouldn't show up 6 months pregnant and look like a fool for not being able to participate. Alison assured me that while I wouldn't be able to participate in the inversions (which are contraindicated in pregnancy), I would enjoy just chilling in the hammock (and she was right!).

WHAT IS ANTIGRAVITY® FITNESS?

AntiGravity® Fitness was created over 20 years ago by Christopher Harrison. It's a unique blend of aerial and yoga and it utilizes a Harrison AntiGravity® Hammock, which hangs from the ceiling at two points, creating a swing or soft trapeze.

The workout is low-impact, and it simultaneously works to decompress and strengthen your musculoskeletal system.

WHAT TO WEAR

We were told in advance, that tank tops were not allowed, and that all participants must wear a t-shirt or long sleeve shirt. Lots of the movements require the hammock to be underneath your armpits, and since the hammock is made of silk, for hygiene reasons, no one wants other people's sweat and deodorant all over the fabric. Also, I couldn't imagine having the sling rub on my bare underarms - ouch!

You must wear grip socks. While lots of the movements are done while you are suspended in the hammock, there is still ground work that occurs (like jumping off your swing, downward dog, and even just hopping up to sit in your sling) and you definitely don't want your feet to slip.

All jewelry (including wedding bands/rings) must be removed prior to class. This is to prevent any damage to the fabric of the hammocks.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Everyone at InFlight Fitness must take 4 Fundamentals classes before moving on to the more advanced classes, such as Suspension Fitness, Aerial Yoga, and AIRbarre (and even some of those have prerequisites of other classes). They even have classes for kids!

Alison took our group through a Fundamentals class, which starts off with measuring the hammocks at the correct position (hip crease), and then she went over the basics of how to get into our hammocks properly. Also, as the class progressed, Alison made sure to go over every new position and instruct us on how to get in and out of the hammocks. It takes a bit of trust at first, but you will quickly learn that the hammock is incredibly strong (they are tested to hold up to 1000 pounds!) and the movements and poses are all designed to keep you safely in your hammock.

We started the class with just sitting in the hammocks, getting used to how if felt to be suspended, and moved through saddle pose and modified child's pose.

Then we started to get ready for the first inversion pose, by getting into downward dog with the sling supported against our hip creases. Unfortunately, this was as far as I got to go before getting back up and hanging out in the hammock.

We also got to literally just swing in our hammocks which was a lot of fun! And then practiced dismounting by jumping while in flight. It was like being a kid again!

There were a few more inversions the rest of the girls went through, while I got to relax in my hammock. I did get to participate in vampire pose since the inversion part of it is really quick, and while it is not easy to flip over with a 6-month pregnant belly, I was proud of myself for accomplishing this one! It did make me feel a bit nauseated, which is common for most people's first class, but is supposed to get better the more classes you do.

The last few minutes of class were spent laying completely hidden in the hammocks, as if you were in a cocoon. During this time all I could think about was how amazing it would be for my achy, pregnant body to be able to sleep in a hammock like this one at night! No pressure points! The slight swaying of the hammocks is also very calming and relaxing.

AFTER THE CLASS

Alison told us during the class, that we should expect to walk out of there felling happier, lighter and physically taller. I can without a doubt say that I left that class in a great mood! I might not have gained the benefit of completely lengthening my spine since I had to sit out the inversions, but I still really enjoyed myself. I told her I will 100% be back to do another class once I'm no longer pregnant. I think seeing what I can accomplish not pregnant, in comparison to this time, will be really neat! In the meantime, I've put a Harrison AntiGravity® Fitness Hammock on my Christmas list ;)

If you're in the Calgary area, you can try out AntiGravity® Fitness at InFlight Fitness for one month unlimited for only $79! This includes ALL the classes too! Of course, punch passes can also be purchased. One time drop in is $20, or the larger the punch pass you purchase, the cheaper the classes get. I highly recommend at least trying this class out once. I can honestly say I have never done anything quite like it and it was so much fun.

{The Blog Squad: Jen//Ange//Me & Baby//Leigh//Alison//Nicole//Leslie}

Have you ever tried an AntiGravity® Fitness class? 

Does this post make you want to now?! :) 

Books & Babes

I know...I just posted about books yesterday, what more could I possibly have to say? Lots, that's what! I love this feature because it focuses on the books Allison, Becky, and I loved, and it's a great way to add some titles to your TBR lists! Or, if you've also read one (or more) of the books we've loved, let us know in the comments and what you thought of it!

*****

BRIE

I had such a slow reading month in August, that I wasn’t sure I had any books worthy of talking about this time, but turns out I read a good chunk of books since the last time we met, and the majority of them I really enjoyed! Unfortunately, one of the books I said I was looking forward to reading last time, The Family Fang, was a total flop for me. You win some, you lose some. 

Favourites: My favourite book of the bunch is The Royal We. I read this right after we last chatted and it still stands out as one of my most favourite reads of the summer. My close seconds would be Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, Never Knowing, The Girl You Left Behind, and the companion novella to it, Honeymoon in Paris. All completely different books, but all great in their own right. If you love historical fiction, I cannot recommend enough, The Girl You Left Behind. Most of the World War books I read are about the German occupation during WW2, but this one was about the German occupation in WW1, which I honestly don’t think I’ve really read about. 

Looking Forward To: I just started reading One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which is next month’s book club pick and I was hooked from the first sentence! It’s one of those books where I want to savour every page and read without interruptions, and I’m already anxious to get back to it. I have another one of Reid’s books that I picked up in the bargain section, After I Do, and I think I might dive into that one right afterwards. All the Light We Cannot See is also on my radar as it’s my real-life book club pick for next week, but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a heavy book right now. We shall see!

*****

ALLISON

I knew I had been reading a lot over the past few months - 1 part I put 10+ books on hold at the library on the same day and multiples have come in at the same time and 1 part it's so beautiful in the backyard and all I want to do is sit outside and read after work - but didn't know how many until I opened Goodreads ahead of this post. 13. Whoa. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the historical fiction and books with flashbacks were my favourite. As you know, I'm a seasonal reader and read a few chick lit/beach reads this summer and most were underwhelming. While I typically love some beachy escapism I've been impressed by deep, historical fiction so much that light and fluffy with super predictable endings have seemed boring. 

Favourites: I think my favourite was The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown. It was the perfect mix of protagonist needing to escape her life (hello current third life crisis), chick lit'esque flirting, a dual story line with a strong female in the early 20th century, and lots of mention of brunch and cake. Runner up was When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel; historical fiction (duh) and I loved the story and totally calling the ending (and crying anyway). 

Looking Forward To: I just started In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch. Her last book, Theory of Opposites, is one of my all time favourites and I anxiously count down the minutes to 5pm so I can keep reading. 

*****

BECKY

I feel like I have read so many amazing books since we last chatted. I loved the summer days that enabled me to breeze through some light, easy reads. I definitely didn't get the hype over the summer hit The Nest and didn't feel as enlightened as expected by the copy of the Szen Zone I was sent. I'm excited to move on to some of the darker books I was holding onto until the cooler weather. What is it about the seasons and the books we choose? I didn't even realize that I was reading different books during different seasons. 

Favourites: Hands down was One True Loves from Brie's online bookclub. The writing was of the best I've read for 'chick lit' but it was the story that was truly captivating. I loved reading Emma's love stories and how she came to make the hardest decision of her life. I'm really just a sucker for a good love story and this one (or should I say these ones) were truly captivating. Runners up were The Light Between Oceans, The Luckiest Girl Alive and My Fight/Your Fight. As much as I love a good girly novel, I also love a good biography and knowing nothing about Rousey's background, I was enthralled with her story of becoming the first woman in the UFC.

Looking Forward To: Perhaps finally digging into Bird Box! I'll also be choosing and reading my first book club pick next month! This has weighed on me since I joined this book club earlier in the year and I'm really nervous to make a pick, so hopefully it will be a good one. Any suggestions? 

*****

Favourite recent read?

Any suggestions for Becky on what book to choose for her book club? (I always find this stressful too!)

The Books I've Been Reading {#12}

Whoa! When I saw how many books I read last month I almost didn't think it was worth doing a post on it. August has been by far, my worst month of reading this year. Three whole books. Three! I know that's a lot for some people, but like I said, not my best month. I blame it on lots of visitors, a trip to my home city and an overall feeling of just not wanting to read lately. (Gosh, I hope that's a short lived phase!) I don't even know what I've been doing with my time instead...I certainly haven't been watching any good shows on Netflix, and my house doesn't look any more clean or tidy! At least I enjoyed all three books!

So here's what I read in August:

1. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley: This was the book for my last online book club and it was a fun, easy and perfect summer read. In a nutshell, it's about two sisters who decide to embark on a hand-written correspondence to reconnect. Unfortunately, one sister's overzealous attempt to "preserve" all the letters results in some pretty big drama which she must own up to despite hoping everything would just go away. I really enjoyed the letter writing in the story, but a few things I had a hard time believing (like a blog going viral with absolutely no promotion of said blog), but it was still a cute read. You can read my full review HERE.  (3/5 stars)

2. Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Morag Prunty: This book has been sitting on my shelf FOR YEARS and I finally felt compelled enough to read it last month, and I'm so glad I did. It bounces back and forth between a woman in her late 30s who just recently got married but is feeling less than certain about the decision, and her Irish grandmother who married someone not of her choosing. The book really explores the age-old question of "what truly makes a good marriage", and how love in a marriage is different than that of lust and young-love. I know everyone has different opinions on what makes a marriage work, what love really means, etc, but I consider myself quite a practical and realistic person, so this book really spoke to me. There are also old Irish recipes sprinkled throughout the book which I quite enjoyed! (4/5 stars)

3. Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens: The first book I read of Chevy's was Still Missing (full review HERE), and to this day, that book has stuck with me. It's intense, thrilling and very suspenseful. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read another one of her books, but here I am, 4 years later, finally picking up another one of her books. Never Knowing is about 30-something year old Sara, who was adopted as a baby, and when she learns that adoption records have been opened up, decides it's time to track down her birth mother. What she doesn't expect to find out, is that her birth mother is the only surviving victim of a serial killer, the Campsite Killer. Attacked and raped, miraculously, her mother escaped. All these years later, the serial killer is still out there, never to be caught. No one even knows what he looks like. But what Sara doesn't realize until it's too late, is that by finding out about her true past, she is opening up herself (and her family) to be discovered by her biological father.

I have to say, I've often thought about this scenario: children who are the product of rape crimes, or the offspring of murderers, etc, what would it be like to find out this truth? How would you process it? Would you even want to know? I liked this look into such an infrequently spoken of reality.

Never Knowing isn't nearly as intense or disturbing as Still Missing, and it does have some slow parts, but overall, I was sucked in until the last page. (3.5/5 stars)

*****

So there you have it! My whopping three books I read last month. Unfortunately, September reading isn't off to any better of a start (I haven't finished one book yet, although I'm in the middle of three).

Also, this month's book club pick is One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and we will be meeting back here to talk all about it next Wednesday, September 21, so come join us! You can see more details about book club HERE.


What have you been reading lately? 

Do you like psychological thrillers?


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

Weekending: InFlight Fitness, Girl Time & Painting

Good morning, friends! It's been awhile since I've done a weekend recap (probably because my weekends usually aren't very exciting), so I thought it was time for one!

Friday ended up being a beautiful day, and Sully and I spent a good portion of it walking around the neighbourhood in search of dandelions. Seriously, walks are painfully slow when you stop to pick every single dandelion, but the sheer joy he gets when he spots the next one is totally worth it. These paths are also home to many, many dragonflies and he had so much fun saying "hi, dragon!" to them, haha!

I was exhausted come Friday evening and didn't accomplish much more than reading a bit of my book before crawling into bed.

Saturday I was out the door around 10 a.m. for an InFlight Fitness class that Ange had organized for the Blog Squad. Even though there were a few things I couldn't participate in during the class since I'm pregnant, it was a ton of fun and I will definitely be back when I'm not pregnant! Come back for my full re-cap of the class on Thursday!

{Jen//Ange//Me//Leigh//Alison//Nicole//Leslie}

After the class, Ange, Nicole and I went for lunch at Ace Coffee & Diner. I ordered the Grilled Cheese with fries (delicious!) and Nicole ordered the Chicken Sandwich and we shared (also delicious!). The atmosphere at this diner is really cute (total retro vibe going on), but I found the menu a bit pricey and a lot of the dishes had mushrooms in it which is a no-go for me. Luckily, my food was tasty, even if overpriced.

After lunch, I ran a few errands on my way home and then joined my boys for another big dandelion-hunting walk. Once Sully was in bed, Jim put on a horror movie (Cabin Fever), while I half-watched. My dreams are just too vivid during pregnancy to want to watch a horror movie right now!

Sunday, we had a bit of a lazy morning while also tidying up the house, and Jim prepared our bonus room for painting. We are also in the process of taping and then painting our master bathroom and bedroom, but decided to tackle the bonus room first since it's a much easier room to paint. We aren't doing anything drastic in it, just lightening it up a bit and getting rid of the rough builder beige paint on the walls. I headed out around 2 p.m. over to Leslie's house for a Lorna Jane Trunk Show. Obviously, I just went for the girl talk and snacks!

{bonus room: the before}

Once I got home, Jim had the bonus room painted and it was time to eat diner. We then taped off another wall for painting (seriously, painting never ends!), bathed Sully, played, and now we are relaxing on the couch.

This weekend went by WAY too fast and I'm sad it's over already. Here's hoping we at least get some nice weather this week!


What did you get up to this weekend?