Last year I didn't make any New Year's resolutions. I made some vague, sweeping statement about how 2014 would be a year of ACTION and DOING THINGS and NOT THINKING TOO MUCH! Problem: that's a little too general for someone like me who thrives on lists and planning and order. I need things to be measurable.


This year, I'm back on the lists wagon. Here are my goals for this year.

Family + Friends

• Plan a summer vacation with the boys
• Sign Eli up for preschool swimming lessons
• February getaway with Pete
• Host friends for dinner 3x this year 

Health + Fitness

• Take supplements daily (multivitamin + omega-3 with extra vitamin D) 
• Floss daily
• Keep all medical appointments up to date (doctor, dentist)
• Get new glasses
• Cut out added sugar in January...and maaaaybe alcohol? Still on the fence with this one. 
• Get regular massages! 
• Keep up a solid fitness schedule: 3 runs + 1 additional cardio/week; 2-3 weights sessions; weekly yoga

Work + Finances

• Make regular contributions to a savings account/RRSP
• Meet with a financial planner OR sign up for an online service
• Work on additional writing projects outside of my job 
• Enrol in a professional development program or project so I can add more strategic value at work

Personal

• No devices at the table during meals
• Declutter home
• Try 12 new recipes 
• Learn to knit

This looks like a lot of resolutions to keep track of, so let's pare it down. If I had to distill my plans for 2015 into one word, it would be simplify. If something doesn't serve me or my family, let's get rid of it. Something in the house that isn't beautiful or useful? An unhealthy habit that isn't doing any good? A toxic relationship? Spending money on things we don't need? My big hope for 2015 is that we're able to declutter, not just physically, but mentally, too. I recognize that this sounds like some huge time hippie shit. I just feel like you only have a finite amount of energy and awareness and it doesn't make sense to be wasting it on things that simply do not matter and do not make us better.

Here's to a happier, healthier, more prosperous 2015. xo

Christmas was always a really big deal for our family when I was growing up, and now that I have a little family of my own, I've been trying to strike a balance between fun and festive and over-the-top. And it's tricky! Everyone likes to talk to Eli about Santa, and what Santa's going to bring, and what he hopes to get for Christmas. Fair enough: he's a three-year-old. But I don't want him to equate Christmas with getting stuff. Obviously presents are part of the fun but I don't want him to grow up too focused on what he stands to gain from the holiday.

We've been doing a lot of fun little Christmas activities: decorating the tree, baking gingerbread and shortbread cookies, going for drives to look at Christmas lights, and decorating a gingerbread house. Recently, we donated a toy to the local toy drive, and tried to make a big deal out of the idea of giving back and making someone else's Christmas special.

Pete and I, too, have been gearing up for the holidays with boozy festive drinks, Christmas movies, and a trip to the theatre. I embarrassed myself at our office party by demanding too much champagne and then requesting Juicy and going nuts on the dance floor. Because nothing says "happy holidays" like Biggie Smalls.

This is the stuff I want Christmas to be all about: the activities, the experiences, the drunken interpretive dances to 90s hip hop that you unfortunately will never be able to erase from your coworkers' minds. When you think back to your favourite Christmas memories as a kid, what comes to mind first? Is it that particular doll or truck or Lego set you got from Santa one year? Or is it decorating cookies with your mom, or hearing your dad cursing a blue streak as he untangles strands of colourful lights, or the way you used to drink candy cane milkshakes and have a sleepover in your sister's room on Christmas Eve?

Those are the kinds of memories I want Eli to have when he gets bigger and looks back on his Christmases. A warm, cozy house, full of good smells and fun decorations. Lots of music and great food and laughs. Spending time with our favourite people and feeling comfortable and loved.

Waaah, waaah, this week has been super busy, boo hoo etc. Look, we're all busy this week what with the working and the Christmasing and whatever else, no need to apologize. I'm just going to boldly phone it in with some of my favourite links from the week.

[1] What Colour Is It clock: the background colour changes according to the hex code for the current time. Cool, and oddly mesmerizing.

[2] J.Crew Factory sale: Yesterday was 30% off regular priced items, 40% off clearance, and free shipping, so naturally I had to treat myself to this and this (in red.) Uhhh...gifts from the New Year's fairy? (Today they're doing 50% off everything and 30% off clearance: you're welcome).

[3] What's Your Drinking Nationality? Simply enter the number of beers, wines, and spirits you've had in the past week (OK, maybe this isn't the best time of year to do this) and it'll tell you how much you drink in a year - YIKES - and which country's drinking habits you best mesh with. I drink like an Italian: mostly wine. The average Canadian drinks a ton of beer, by the way.

[4] I made these cranberry brie bites for our girls' wine night this week. I realized midway through the recipe that I was using full-size muffin tins and the recipe called for mini-muffin tins. What to do? Make humungous oversized 6,000 calorie cranberry brie bites, obvs. These were rill easy to pull together if you need a last-minute holiday appetizer.

[5] What Girls Really Think of Guys' Names: Hilarious and not totally inaccurate.

Anyone have any fun weekend plans? I'm looking forward to a good workout at the gym and a long run, plus some Christmas baking - it's all about the balance. I'm sure there will also be some outdoor time, gawking at Christmas lights, and hopefully a holiday beverage in there, too. Have a wonderful weekend!

Way back in the day, I had a LiveJournal, and every so often (maybe once a year?) I like to log in and look at some of my old entries. On this date in 2003 - ELEVEN YEARS AGO!! - I did a survey and today I decided to take it again and see which of my answers changed and which stayed the same.

Name four bad habits you have:
1. procrastinating (still true)
2. swearing (still true) 
3. being a perfectionist  Definitely mellowed out in my old age. I'll replace this with eating handfuls of chocolate chips between meals.
4. getting too jealous, too easily. Let's update this with using my phone at the dinner table. No longer the jealous type. 

Name four good habits you have:
1. taking my vitamins (every day!) 
2. washing my makeup off before bed (yes ma'am) 
3. picking up after myself (for the most part) 
4. returning phone calls right away I HATE using the phone. Let's say being organized - at least on paper. 

Name four scents you love:
1. Vanilla Coffee
2. Healing Garden Sheer Passion Christmas trees
3. fresh baked bread (4 LYFE) 
4. Polo Sport Hawaiian Tropic 

Name four things you'd probably never wear:
1. black lipstick
2. short shorts
3. Montreal Canadiens merchandise
4. men's underwear
(These are all still pretty accurate)

Name four things you like:
1. Christmas shows
2. spaghetti and garlic bread dinners (SO MANY CARBS! This is precisely why I gained weight consistently between 2002-2007)
3. skiing
4. the beach

Name four TV shows you like:
1. Trading Spaces I REMEMBER TRADING SPACES! Let's say...Orange is the New Black 
2. Big Brother
3. The O.C. Walking Dead
4. Survivor (although this season sucks) Mad Men

Name four favourite movies:
1. Titanic Gone with the Wind
2. Moulin Rouge
3. Little Women (the original, from the 40s)
4. Elf
(Still like these...I'd probably choose different favourites, though) 

Name your first four jobs:
1. McDonalds (worked counter and drive-thru)
2. reporter at Times&Transcript for the summer in 2000
3. reporter at Telegraph-Journal for 2001
4. reporter at Tribune-Post (2002-2004...ish?)

Name four things you regularly drink:
1. water
2. orange juice
3. milk
4. diet coke
All I drink now is water, coffee, tea, and alcohol. 

Name four ice cream flavors you like:
1. chocolate chip cookie dough
2. vanilla (the good kind) Mint Chip 
3. strawberry cheesecake
4. double fudge something or other CANDY CANE 

Name four random facts about your family:
1. I have a pretty big family (cousins, aunts and uncles)
2. My parents have the same birthday
3. We were all born at the same hospital except my sister
4. I'm mostly British but some German as well.

Name four people currently on your bad side:
1. Trina
2. Vanessa
3. jessica
4. ummm...gordon?? I'm not really mad at anyone...these people just annoy me in general :)
I literally haven't thought about any of these people in a decade, but now it's hilarious because I can look back and remember that they used to give me SO MUCH GRIEF. I don't think anyone is currently on my bad side. How about everyone whose umbrellas dripped on me on the bus yesterday? 

Name four random facts about yourself:
1. I want to own a horse ranch someday My favourite food is sushi
2. I want to write a novel 
3. I need 9 hours of sleep a night and I have tons of pillows and blankets My favourite Friday night consists of pizza, wine, our couch, and sweatpants. I hate going out on a Friday. By the end of the week, I just want to relax. 
4. I am having a catscan on Dec. 16 and it scares the shit out of me. Umm. I hate lobster? 

A couple weeks ago, I invited readers to ask me questions, and you guys delivered! I got great questions and  I've decided to break some of these out into separate posts, otherwise you'd be reading the world's longest essay right now.

Heather Laura asked: What's your makeup/hair routine?



Summed up in one word, my daily routine is simple! I get up a little after 6 with just about an hour to get everyone ready, fed, and out the door, so I don't have very much time to spend on makeup and hair.

Plus, I don't know what I'm doing. I can't do cat eyes or contouring; I can barely make a sock bun. There's nothing worse than countless YouTube tutorials of smug CHILDREN wielding a straightener to make perfectly cascading curls or creating the perfect smoky eye.

I just got a haircut, so it's about shoulder-length, and my stylist cut in some long layers and thinned it out a bit to make my hair as low maintenance as possible, which is perfect for me since have neither the time nor the know-how to do anything with my hair. I either leave it down, throw it in a bun,  or pin back a piece from the front with a bobby pin - that's about all I know how to do with my hair. I blow dry it, but that's it in terms of tools - I don't curl it or straighten it or use any products. I try not to wash it every single day so it doesn't get too dry. I got some bumble & bumble Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner as a gift so I've been using that, but otherwise I tend to buy whatever's on sale, usually Pantene or Dove.

As for my makeup routine, it's super basic. I use just a few products every day to save time. I choose things that don't really require much dexterity but still make me look somewhat rested and pulled together. I also find that the less makeup I wear, the younger I look - a bad thing when you're 16, a good thing for me! Here's what I put on my face every day:

Clinique All About Eyes (the metal roller ball feels awesome)
Clinique BB cream all over my face - I like that it moisturizes and provides decent coverage, plus SPF, all in one product
Cover Girl Cheekers blush, the same one I've used since high school
Sonia Kashuk brow pencil, an extra step I never used to bother with since my brows are already pretty dark, but it's something that I've found makes me look just a little more polished for just a couple seconds' worth of effort.
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara (sometimes I'll splurge and get Benefit They're Real)

 That's it! After breakfast and tooth brushing and whatnot I'll use a little Benefit BeneBalm or Burt's Bees tinted balm throughout the day - one is a nice sheer red and the other a rosy pink and both give me a little colour and lots of moisture, which is nice for our chilly months.

We don't watch much TV at our house, generally sticking to one or two series at a time, which we'll either DVR or watch on Netflix. I'm not much of a "watch whatever's on TV" person, probably because I don't have a ton of free time to spend in front of the television. Lately, we're making our way through How I Met Your Mother on Netflix and The Walking Dead on AMC, but now it's on a mid-season break - is there anything else we should be watching? For reference, we also liked Breaking Bad and The Office and are impatiently waiting for more Orange Is The New Black and Mad Men (well, Mad Men is mostly me.)

There haven't been a ton of movies lately I've been interested in, but I saw Mockingjay recently and really liked it. I think it was my favourite of the three books too. I'm looking forward to Wild (gotta read the book first) and Unbroken (read it and loved it.)

Speaking of books, I'm almost (finally) finished I Am Charlotte Simmons and I couldn't be happier to see a book come to an end. It's literally 600+ pages of a rich old white man complaining about KIDS THESE DAYS. There are a few books I have on my to-read list and hopefully they don't weigh 25 pounds like this stupid Charlotte Simmons, which requires its own tote bag to carry it on the bus.

I've still been listening to 1989 a lot but otherwise I'm pretty out of the music loop and it's been all Christmas playlists on Songza. Also, Serial. New episode today, so I need to get caught up!

What about you? What have you been reading, watching, listening to? Any recommendations I need to check out?

A couple of you posted some questions for me on my last post. Time for my answers! (If there's anything you would like to know about, feel free to ask away.) 

Guys, I have some questions for you.

(I also want to take this opportunity to invite you to ask me any questions you like, and I'll answer them here on the blog next week!)

Anyway, riddle me this...


1. Should I be watching The Wire?
2. What's your favourite pizza topping?
3. What's a good Christmas gift for parents in their 50s?
4. What are you doing this weekend?

Happy Friday!

Making: my Christmas list
Cooking: lots of warm, comforting recipes like this quinoa chili and tortellini in tomato cream sauce
Drinking: coffee, red wine, eggnog tea
Reading: I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
Wanting: to have my Christmas shopping finished
Looking: for online deals so I can be DONE SHOPPING. 
Playing: pretend dinosaurs with Eli (he's always the triceratops; today I got to be a brontosaurus) 
Wasting: a lot less produce thanks to these Food Huggers! 
Wishing: it would stop raining, specifically when it's time to walk to the bus stop. 
Enjoying: flannel sheets on the bed.
Waiting: until it's appropriate to start watching Christmas movies. Any time now, right?
Liking: Body Shop's Shea hand cream for my chilly mitts.
Wondering: how it's already November 17!? 
Loving: getting home from work and changing into leggings and thick socks ASAP.
Hoping: I can get our Christmas cards designed and printed this week. Fingers crossed. 
Marveling: that this weekend Eli's big boy bed will be here. Wasn't he just a little slug swaddled on the couch? 
Needing: 10 hours of sleep. 
Smelling: Bath & Body Works Vanilla Snowflake candle. 
Wearing: rubber boots since it won't.stop.raining.
Noticing: that some people put their Christmas decorations way too early. 
Knowing: that everything will be OK. 
Thinking: that in the meantime, it's still OK to panic a little. 
Feeling: tired, overwhelmed, excited for the holidays, ready to get shit done. COLD. 
Bookmarking: Serial, gift guides, slow cooker recipes, party dresses
Opening: new Real Simple and Glamour magazines
Giggling: at How I Met Your Mother - yes, we're 9 years late to the party

I've (barely) started my Christmas shopping, and a lot of it - most of it - is getting done online. I feel guilty for not doing more shopping locally, and constant 'buy local' messaging makes me feel shittier. I'd love to support local merchants and suppliers. I also leave the house at 7:15AM, get home around 5:45PM, and get my kid to bed at 8:00ish, leaving me exactly 90 minutes to get to a store, browse, and make purchases. And weekend shopping from here to Christmas is straight-up seventh level of hell. Frankly, if it's not done with the click of a mouse and delivered to my home, it's not happening. No one's getting gifts. Christmas is cancelled. But I still feel guilty about this.

At my previous job, we had a very impassioned speaker come in to teach us the importance of choosing organic, natural, whole foods that haven't been treated with pesticides or other contaminants. She told us that today's children are the first generation that will die before their parents because of the food we're all eating. That freaked me out and has stayed with me ever since. I choose organic food when it's an option probably 80% of the time, and of course I'd always rather buy the strawberries that were grown 20 minutes away versus the ones from California. But we also buy rotisserie chickens from Sobeys and non-organic dairy and Lucky Charms. Am I slowly poisoning my kid?

I don't call my parents enough. It would be easy enough to pick up the phone and call them but I have this philosophy that phones work both ways and my stubborn streak doesn't want me to have to do all the calling. So...we email. I feel guilty that our relationship is primarily online. I don't visit much. Again - the road travels both ways, right?

I have photos and videos of Eli all over the place. Various laptops, different devices. Nothing in an album, nothing organized. Can I really not block off a couple of hours to get this part of my life together?

I barely brush my dog, hence furry tumbleweeds in our house. He hates getting brushed, so it doesn't happen nearly as much as it should. Then I get mad at him for shedding. Then I feel bad about getting mad when it's essentially my fault. So I'm guilty of not only neglecting his fur but also blaming a dog that has done nothing wrong for making a mess.

I get home a little before 6:00, as mentioned. We get dinner ready, eat as a family, and have a little bit of time to play before Eli goes to bed around 8:00. You're right, I feel bad about spending three hours a day, max, with my son. When the weekend rolls around and I'm excited about a spa appointment or a gym visit or time with friends, it comes with a side order of guilt about not choosing to spend every free moment with him.

Eli Alexander, today you are three. If I had to use three words to describe you, they would be curious, funny, and smart. You ask a million questions each day, love nothing more than to make people laugh, and shock us constantly with how much you know and are able to articulate.

This fall, you've had a growth spurt and the pants that had to be rolled up twice in September now just fit you. You love to play outside, help bake cookies, and play with trucks. Your favourite dinosaur is triceratops, favourite colour is blue, and favourite song is Shake It Off. You're a finicky eater but you'll never turn down English muffins, grapes, or Greek yogurt.

Every night you want to read before bed - lately you're all about Richard Scarry's word book - and you've learned to ask before you pat the dogs we see on our walks. You're kind and tender hearted and show compassion for everyone. You're a stickler for manners. You're stubborn and handsome. You still take a nap every afternoon, thank God.

We asked you what you wanted for your birthday and your only wish was a birthday cake.

We love you more and more every day.

This year it feels like the switch from fall and Halloween to winter and "Christmastime" has happened really abruptly. On Saturday morning, November 1, we went to get groceries and and the Christmas decorations were out - I'm talking trees, wreaths, the works. Daylight savings happened Saturday night, and since then the weather has been c-c-c-cold, winter coat cold. My first Starbucks red cup was obtained yesterday. Is time on fast forward?

November used to be my least favourite month of the year; now it's one of my favourites, with Eli's birthday, some solid crunchy leaf walks, the return of the slow cooker, and the beginnings of Christmas preparation. It's time to start thinking about booking our holiday theatre date and what to wear to the office party. November is not a month to slouch: there's a lot on the calendar.

November 1: eye appointment; Rory's grooming appointment
November 6: dinner out
November 8: play date for Eli
November 9: Eli's family birthday party
November 10: Eli's third birthday! Also a vacation day for me. (So excited for this.)
November 15: Christmas parade in the city
November 16: basketball game
November 17: follow up eye appointment

In addition to all the calendar stuff, plus work, plus gym, plus caring for a fairly small human being and a dog, there are plenty of other things to do this month. NEVER A DULL MOMENT, hooo no.

+ take a Christmas card photo and get them to the printer
+ make dentist appointments for Eli and myself
+ bake cupcakes and a cake for Eli's birthday
+ make a BIG dent in my Christmas shopping. Ideally I'd like to be done this month, but that may be wishful thinking.
+ get a haircut
+ book remaining vacation days for 2014
+ decorate Eli's big boy room. Furniture has been ordered. Goodbye, toddler bed and glider rocker. Get ready for more emo posts on this topic. :*(

What I want to be doing? 

+ watching Home Alone
+ drinking coffee and Baileys
+ baking and eating Nutella brownies (two ingredients, c'mon)

[1] Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting - I baked these babies last weekend with Eli and they're fantastic. The recipe calls for drop cookies that you flatten with your fingers; we opted to roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to create Halloween shapes - you do you. Peter puts peanut butter on his instead of frosting. Again, you do you. When it comes to cookies, there are no wrong answers.



[2] The Secret History by Donna Tartt - I have been waiting for our local library to have The Goldfinch forEVER. I found this book by the same author, and it had decent Goodreads reviews, so I decided to give it a try. So suspenseful - it makes my bus ride to and from work fly by. So far so good! (P.S., if you're on Goodreads, let's be friends!)

[3] 1989 - I preordered this album weeks ago and my download was delayed on Monday when it was released, and, no joke, I was close to tears. I've been listening pretty much nonstop ever since. My three favourite tracks are Blank Space, Style, and Wildest Dreams but the whole album is great, start to finish.

[4] Metallic gold spray paint - I grabbed this at Michael's last weekend and painted some mini pumpkins gold. It was so easy and they look so great, I now want to spray paint our entire house metallic gold. I did a quick Pinterest search for metallic gold spray paint and the results are amazing. You can bet I'll be spray painting some pine cones, mason jars, and branches this fall and winter.

[5] The Next Issue app - At any given point in our home, there are probably 20 magazines lying around. Peter and I both read a couple different magazines on a monthly basis, plus sometimes we grab extra ones if they catch our eye. And then you keep them for a few months, and suddenly there are piles of magazines everywhere. I redeemed a Klout perk for an extra 30 day free trial of Next Issue (they offer a free 30-day trial for everyone) and will be continuing with a subscription after the trial runs out. For $9.99 a month, roughly the price of two magazines, you have access to 130 magazines, including both current and past issues! Worth it - and noooo clutter!

Have a happy weekend!

[photo via]

It was almost impossible to get out of bed this morning. It was still dark outside at 6:00 when the alarm went off, and it was just so cozy under the covers. Getting up and getting going was tough and it's shaping up to be the kind of day where you need a little reward at the end, a small high-five with yourself for pushing through and showing up.

Here are a few of my favourite, cheap (or free) ways to treat myself after a day and a half, because it's just not prudent to buy a new pair of boots every time you think you deserve a prize.

[LUSH bath bomb, $4-$8] // Not only are they inexpensive, but they're indulgent and relaxing. One of my favourite ways to calm down is to run a nice warm bath, light a candle, and pop one of these suckers in the tub. They come in a variety of scents, including some nice calming ones to help you wind down at bedtime. Some are coloured, some are glittery, and there are holiday-themed versions that make perfect little gifts.

[Lindt sea salt dark chocolate bar, $3] // I only enjoy these once or twice a year - I usually get one in my Christmas stocking. They're my absolute favourite chocolate bar. Salty/sweet perfection. And the dark chocolate is really satisfying, so just a square or two is enough, and the bar lasts a long time.

[Balea face masks, $2] // Sometimes when I'm browsing at Shopper's I'll grab a few of these individually packaged face masks (I believe they're $2 each or three for $5, but I might be wrong) and stash them in the bathroom. After a shower, I'll use an exfoliating scrub - St. Ives Apricot Scrub is the one I like best - and pop one of these suckers on for a great little pick-me-up that feels (almost) like a trip to the spa.

[Walk with the dog: FREE] // Spending time outside is said to reduce stress, and the same goes for spending time with animals. Taking a long walk with Rory is the best of both worlds. Even a 30-minute spin around our neighbourhood is a nice energy boost on nights when I'm too tired to put in a good effort at the gym. Walking helps me get my thoughts in order, the fresh air feels good, and there's companionship without the need to engage in a conversation.

[Puzzles: FREE-$10] // I like doing crossword puzzles, sudokus, or cryptoquotes, which I find in magazines, newspapers, or online for free. It's a great distraction, being able to focus on something else other than the day's events. Working on a jigsaw puzzle does it for me, too. Over the holidays I like having a big puzzle on the go - it's an alternative to watching TV or reading on chilly, stormy evenings when you just want to stay in and be cozy, and it's not terribly expensive either. For $10ish, a puzzle keeps you busy for hours! If you need a midday break to refocus, this site has free virtual puzzles each day.

For our fifth anniversary, we wanted to do something special, just the two of us. After a flurry of last-minute planning, we ended up booking a weekend in New York City. The last time Pete and I visited New York was for my 30th birthday. I was pregnant, but most people didn't know yet. I woke up on my birthday at 5AM to watch the Royal Wedding, then we hopped on a plane to the big city.

This time was different. We packed Eli up to spend the weekend with his grandparents, and since this is the longest we've been away from him, there was a fair bit of anxiety on our part. I made Eli a countdown calendar so he could see how many days remained until we got back. I'm pretty sure he didn't give a hoot about us going away - it was a little vacation for him, too.

On Friday we were up at some ungodly hour to fly to New York. We got there midmorning, dropped our bags at the hotel, and spent the next couple of hours grabbing takeout and wandering to Central Park to eat. Once we'd checked in and gotten cleaned up and organized, we headed to Brooklyn where we spent some time wandering around the neighbourhoods before walking over the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. The weather was perfect and the sunset? Come onnn. Like something out of a movie. We finished up the evening with pizza at Lombardi's (so good) and dessert and champagne back at the hotel.

Saturday, we slept in a little, lingered over some breakfast, and spent the morning doing some shopping. We visited the New York Public Library (you know, "the" library) in the afternoon and then headed to Central Park for a run - this has been on my bucket list for ages. Saturday night was dinner at a French bistro followed by Les Miserables on Broadway, probably my favourite show ever.

On Sunday we had to leave our hotel midmorning to get back to the airport, so we didn't get a chance for more than breakfast and a quick walk to say goodbye to one of our favourite cities. We got home to see that Eli had been a superstar the whole time we were gone. Nothing like that first hug at the airport after a couple days away to reinforce how much you love your little man.

It was a perfect little getaway for us and just the thing to celebrate five big years as Smug Marrieds.






In case you're interested in places to sleep and eat...

We stayed at the Sofitel
We ate dinners at Lombardi's and Un Deux Trois
Breakfast at Gaby is not to be missed!

We've gone apple picking as a family every October since Eli was born. This was his third trip to the orchard and once again we had a fantastic time filling our bag with fresh apples, sampling a few on the way, and plotting some of the delicious goodies we'll make from our harvest (this year: apple butter, applesauce, apple crisp, and maybe some muffins? Plus plenty for snacks with almond butter). Apples just taste better when they're straight off the tree.

Making : Spotify playlists. Any suggestions I should check out? 
Cooking : Last night I did one-pot pumpkin pasta. I recommend. I did mix it up a wee bit - sauteed some mushrooms to throw in, and when I realized I didn't have any parsley on hand, I threw on some chopped walnuts instead. I ain't mad at it. 
Drinking : Coffee with nutmeg + cream. 
Reading: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I've read the other two books in the trilogy so it's just time. 
Wanting: to get a head start on my Christmas shopping sooner than later. Too soon, perhaps...I want to get it over with so we can just enjoy the season when it's here. 
Looking: for a 'big boy bed' for Eli. Twin size with drawers underneath for storing his million little toys and books and socks would be ideal. 
Playing: not enough. 
Wasting: veggies - but not for long. Ordering some of these genius little Food Huggers! 
Sewing: hahaha 
Wishing: I had skinnier calves. I just bought some riding boots online, they arrived, and I can't even pull them on. Fingers crossed the shoe repair shop can work some magic.  
Enjoying: the beautiful weather we've been having. Fall perfection. 
Waiting: for the long weekend ahead - Thanksgiving dinner, apple picking, all sorts of fall goodness. 
Liking: Banks' Goddess album. Kinda moody music that's great for listening to while working. 
Wondering: what to make for dinner tonight. I was thinking veggie burgers and butternut squash but a friend posted about grilled cheese with apple slices recently and now I'm like, yep, I could handle that. 
Loving: Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Only three episodes left, then what will I do? 
Hoping: for a little downtime this long weekend. We've been go-go-go lately so it would be nice to have some time to just relax with the boys.  
Marveling: that it's already practically the middle of October. September didn't even happen, right? 
Needing: to clean our house, make an eye appointment, take Eli to the dentist, and just generally start acting like an adult and get my act together.
Smelling: garlic on my hands from last night's dinner prep - still. Yes, I showered. 
Wearing: black skinnies, gray booties, short-sleeve tweed sweater, and a big-ass bracelet that's making typing difficult. 
Following: @newyorkcity on Instagram for some trip inspiration - we'll be there in just over a week! 
Noticing: it's almost lunch time, aka gym time. BodyPump today, my favourite class. But a big part of me would rather just stay at the office and plow into my leftover pasta. 
Knowing: you can't change people and it's useless to try. 
Thinking: about Eli's third birthday in November. We have zero planned - time to get cracking. 
Feeling: a little sleepy. Ready for a break. Hungry (always) #permahunger
Bookmarking: Halloween costumes for toddlers. Eli's changed his mind from being a "ghoster" to a "little knight" to today, a pirate. 
Opening: oh so many 'sale' emails: my weakness. 
Giggling: at this photo that was in my Twitter stream this morning. Back story, a deer was spotted running around on one of the busiest downtown streets in the wee hours this morning. Doe-nair. I die. 

I didn't always love coffee. My first memory of coffee is my parents drinking foul-smelling instant coffee every morning with breakfast, each of them out of their special mugs, Mom's with milk, Dad's with milk and sugar. Long after Dad has gone off to work for the day, my mother would have a second coffee mid-morning and I'd marvel at how she seemed to enjoy something that smelled so disgusting.

Throughout high school I avoided drinking coffee, but I learned how to make it working at McDonald's. I still couldn't get over how many customers would order not just one cup, but drain it and then turn around and get a free refill - sometimes more than one! HOW are they drinking this shit? I'd think, doling out sugar packets. The closest I'd come to drinking coffee myself was a Tim Horton's French Vanilla cappuccino, which I now realize is as close to coffee as french fries are to vegetables - only the most distant of relatives.

In college I had many vices, but coffee wasn't one of them. I graduated and started a "real" job, and while my coworkers clamoured for the coffee machine in the office kitchen, I happily stuck with pastries and donuts and the occasional hot chocolate. It wasn't until my mid-20s, when I moved to Halifax and started showing up at work more than a little hungover and on very little sleep on a fairly regular basis, that I developed a tolerance for coffee, and even then it was something I choked down in an effort to fuel myself through the day. I remember a job interview that took place at a coffee shop. My interviewer got an Americano and I ordered some sort of a peppermint mocha concoction piled high with whipped cream, which I then proceeded to eat with a spoon during my interview. (I also got the job - don't ask how).

I went on a work trip to Toronto and when waiting at Pearson for my return flight, I wandered up to a Starbucks counter. It happened to be fall, so the pumpkin spice signage was everywhere, even though it was much less of a thing then. The pictures looked pretty good, so I ordered one.

That was the moment when I started to really enjoy coffee. It was probably the first "good" coffee of my life, and sitting in the airport, sipping from the white Starbucks cup, clutching my laptop bag, watching people scurrying around looking busy and important, was one of those first moments every 20-something has when you start feeling like a legit grownup. I was traveling, alone, for work. I had a Starbucks. I had navigated airport security by myself. I had attended a national meeting on behalf of my company. I, too, was busy and important, and that drink in my hand made me feel even more so. I went home, scoped out the local Starbucks, and started going there at least once a week for a latte, and it became my favourite way to treat myself.

Thankfully for my wallet, I learned how to make coffee at home, and now that's how I start every morning, a coffee with cream. Occasionally I'll grab a mid-morning cup as well, but for the most part one a day does the trick. I'm not a coffee snob - I'll drink McCafe, Starbucks, Second Cup. I don't need fancy flavouring or milks, just a splash of regular old cream will do the trick. I like meeting friends for coffee and gossip, bringing to-go mugs to the park with Pete and Eli in the fall when we're crunching through leaves, spiking coffee with Bailey's at Christmas time, or curling up on the couch with a cup and a magazine on a chilly Sunday morning. On our honeymoon in Paris I drank tons of cafe au lait, which just tastes better enjoyed on a little table on the sidewalk.

Happy International Coffee Day, coffee lovers! What's your favourite way to enjoy coffee?

one of my favourite coffee breaks ever in Paris

Rather than inundate you with yet another list of all the reasons why fall is da best (it is) or sharing my fall to-dos (lotta apples, lotta pumpkins), I decided to actually do something useful today and post my fall playlist.

Yeah, fall gets its own music -- it can't just be about booties, dark nail polish, and pumpkin coffee allllll the dang time. (That's a lie and you know it. I'm currently wearing booties, dark nail polish, and drinking a pumpkin coffee).

Enjoy! PS - I still have four Spotify codes to share for any Canadian friends who would like to check it out!

I spent Sunday afternoon in the kitchen, running back and forth to the den to watch the New England-Minnesota game, which constitutes a pretty ideal fall afternoon for me. Football and good eats: there's nothing better. Capping off a solid weekend with a delicious family dinner is perfection, and I love that we're starting to make it a routine in our home.

We haven't used our slow cooker all summer, since most meals that come out of it tend to be heartier, more filling fare than we usually choose during the hotter months. No one wants to sit down to a bowl of steaming chilli when it's 30 degrees outside with 90% humidity - not this bear, at least. We've been eating a lot of barbecued burgers and steaks, potatoes and corn on the grill, and salads. But come fall, it's game on for soups, casseroles, roasts, and stews, and the slow cooker gets a workout.

This weekend I tried a slow cooker veggie lasagna recipe I found on Pinterest. I modified it somewhat. Instead of kale, I used baby spinach and mushrooms, since those were the veggies I had on hand. I also subbed in arrabbiata sauce in place of tomato sauce since I can't read freaky deaky Italian, two jars were like $6 at Costco, and it was nestled in amongst other tomato-y products. Long story short, this lasagna was a whole lot spicier than I would have made otherwise, but we loved it. In the future I might mix a little arrabbiata into the tomato sauce or even go 50/50 just to give it some kick.

(Did you guys know arrabbiata is Italian for 'angry'? As in, the chili peppers used in this sauce are so hot they're angry? Also as in, you will be 'angry' when you realized you didn't buy actual tomato sauce but then happy when your lasagna turns out delicious? RIGHT.)

The lasagna turned out amazing and will become a fall and winter staple in our house, for sure. It made nine generous portions (three of which were eaten by Pete at dinner, not judging, just saying). It's so easy to pull together. Bear in mind you don't need to cook the noodles before putting them in the slow cooker, which is the worst part of making lasagna, let's be honest. This was easy peasy.

For dessert I made apple pie with a crumbly cheese topping, originally spotted on Hillary's blog. I didn't balk at the idea of a cheese topping on apple pie. My dad always used to cut a big hunk of cheddar to eat with his Thanksgiving dessert, so I know the two go together well. Peter couldn't get past the idea that cheese doesn't belong on desserts (helloooooo cheesecake wtf) so he ate a tiny sliver, but Eli and I loved it and have been polishing off the rest of the pie this week.

Great food, favourite boys, and a big Patriots win: nothing but good on a sunny Sunday.

When I learned that I'd been selected to participate in Downtown Halifax's Big Day Downtown event again this summer, I was thrilled. Over the past few summers, I have been introduced to some of my new favourite downtown spots through this promotion: Biscuit General Store, Spirit Spa, and Sugah!, to name just a few.