Winter wonderland

It's finally winter around here!  This is the view from my office.  Going to head out for skiing this weekend up at Sovereign.  Will figure out exactly how out of shape I am and if my elliptical actually does something for me.

I went to boxing class tonight.  It's been about a month since I've been there last.  I forgot how good it felt to hit something!  I really need to make sure that I go every Friday night.  It was a huge stress release, I feel better at the end of the week.

Still doing pretty good with the whole diet thing.  Found a new cereal online called Holy Crap.  Bought some with a girlfriend just because of the name.  And the fact that it's getting rave reviews and is taking 6-8 weeks for shipping.  It's gotta be good and I'm getting tired of having to cook my oatmeal and cereal every night so I can have something in the morning.

So close to the end of the week...

Another week of long days at work and not getting much done at home.  I'm looking forward to my deadlines being done and  having a chance to relax.  Tonight I took a bath and read a magazine.  It's been a long long time since I've done that last.

Spent 40 min on the elliptical today and been really good about my eating habits.  Well, except for the wine and the mango margarita yesterday!  But, I'm thinking if I'm good overall, what's a glass or two?  Just helps me relax. ;)

I've been thinking about getting back into running again but of course can't start it till the snow melts.  And of course, it's just a thought I've been having rather than action.  Nothing new there.

This morning's breakfast

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Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

I'm baaaack!

It's been awhile. My blog is just for me and I'm the one that benefits to writing in it, and I realized that in my quest to lead a more balanced life, writing to my blog is probably part of working on that balance.

I've decided that I need to eat more healthy, keep track of  my exercise and, in general, just keep an eye on what I'm doing and where I'm going.  And this is a pretty easy way of accomplishing that goal.

For eating habits, I've cut out sugar, wheat, dairy, processed foods.  In the process I've lost 7 pounds in about two and half weeks and feel so so much better!

So...this morning I tried something new.  I wanted steel cut oats but didn't have time to cook them this morning.  So I put a third of a cup of steel cut oats with a cup of almond milk in the fridge with flaxseed and chia seeds (I was wondering when I was going to use those!) in the fridge overnight.  Topped with a banana and almonds this morning....yum!!  They're my new fave food.

Eating leftovers this afternoon for lunch.  Kidney beans with brown rice and tomatoes and lettuce.  Kind of a mock taco kinda thing.  Supper I'm hoping for chicken and salad.

The great thing about this is that I don't have cravings for sugar since I've done this.  Didn't expect that perk!

Heading to judo tonight in Kamloops. It's -20 today so the roads are clear and I don't have to worry about snow. It's a long drive for me today as I'm working in Kelowna but it's doable.  As soon as I'm done I'll head straight home so I can get a good night sleep.  Trying for 8 hours a day...always easier said than done!

Tis the season

I love this time of year...two weeks away from my birthday and a month away from Christmas. Everyone is waiting for the fresh snow, the upcoming family get togethers, the pretty lights on the houses and decorating for Christmas.

Things are finally slowing down at work and I've actually cast on for a sweater. I've finished one sleeve and working on another. That's been about a month in the works but at least I'm attempting to knit. Only problem is, it's a total lack of time that's stopping me.

We've had to move our youngest child out of French Immersion and place him into the school in our catchment area. Unfortunately, the French in the classroom just added to his learning issues and it made it really hard on him. He's in his second week of school at his new school, and in his words "It's really, really, really, really awesome!". Can't get much better than that from a 5 year old.

I'm thinking of heading to Burnaby for a judo tournament in December but I've discovered today that it's for the senior selection. Oh crap...that means really good people are out there competing. I'll get my ass kicked for sure. :)

Anyways, I'm off to the gym. Didn't have a chance to go today at lunch so I might as well do it now. Better late than never!

It's September?

I'm always surprised when September sneaks up on me. Summer always is so nice, until August 15th hits and then work is crazy for me. I don't seem to be able to get back to normal until December and then I wonder where the summer and the fall went!

I'm back in judo again this fall and still enjoying it. Tried to go a few times this summer to a club in Kamloops just to keep my mind into it. I'm thinking of competing in a few more competitions this year but it makes me nervous. Fighting against an 18 year old is hard - they don't have as much to worry about, like family, or having to go to a job, so getting injured isn't a big deal.

All of my monkeys are in school now. When did that happen? Seems like yesterday that my youngest was a tiny baby and I was sending the first away on the school bus. Now all of them are there. I thought I was going to be sad about the whole thing, but surprisingly, I'm not. I'm actually quite proud of my little baby heading off to school.

The renovations are coming along nicely and we hope to have them done by the end of October. I'm trying to figure out a way to take over the bathroom upstairs and make the kids keep the one downstairs. I'm so loving how it's going to look! They won't appreciate it at all.

Slowly but surely

We're getting the renos done. The drywall should be done tomorrow and taping and mudding starts on Tuesday. With any luck, I'll be picking out paint in just over a week. I can't believe it! The kids are so excited and hubby is already planning a big poker party for when everything is all done. Of course we haven't heard a thing from the insurance company and apparently that's normal. I don't know if it's because they're so busy or if that's the nature of the work but I hate being left hanging.

Hubby is off fishing for the weekend in Terrace for his 40th birthday. He's caught 4 salmon and 1 halibut and we're planning a bbq for when he gets back. I talked to him last night while he was partying it up with his friends - he's having way too much fun. My girlfriend in Terrace and I are planning a trip to Vegas now and the boys are planning to come. Too bad so sad...this is a girls trip only. I haven't had one of those in years.

The kids and I have had a pretty low key weekend. Hit the beach on Thursday night, had dinner with my parents Friday night and I went out with my sister that night and yesterday we watched Wall E yesterday. What a cute movie! It's a must see.

I did some canning this weekend and tried some new recipes. In the front is an Indian style relish for raita and the back is apricot ginger butter. Never have done them before but I'd thought I'd try them. I froze some cherries as well for the winter and I hope the kids like them. They didn't like the canned cherries I made a few years ago so I'm trying something different. I'm making curry pickles now and they should be done for tomorrow night. Have to pick up blueberries tomorrow to freeze and make some jam as well. Yes, it's so being Suzy Homemaker but the food tastes so good!

I've also been able to get some knitting done, which is a bit of a surprise. I've finished off one sock that has been sitting on my fireplace mantle since March. I've started the next one and it's coming along. I absolutely love the colour of the yarn - it's from Socks that Rock but I can't remember what colourway. As you can tell by the matching toe nail colour, I love blues and greens I probably won't get the pair done until October which means I've probably finished, oh, about two projects this year. Guess that's what happens when you get busy with things!

Beyond that, haven't been doing much. Heading into holidays this week so I'll be trying to keep the kids entertained throughout the week while not being bored myself. I've hired a personal trainer and I'm quite excited about that. Need to change what I'm doing with my workouts to make sure it's what I'm supposed to be doing. Hopefully I'll meet with her on Wednesday as we have to get our schedules to work.

Seriously, where is my time going?

All spring we waited for the warm weather to arrive - next week, summer will be here, we kept saying to each other. Now that it's the end of July, we're asking ourselves where did the summer go? Always waiting for the next thing to happen, never enjoying what we currently have. :)

We had a flood at the end of June, which has meant most weekends being wrapped up in house renovations and demolition. We decided to take over the upstairs, which originally was going to be a slow process - a set of stairs here, new gyproc there, flooring another time. However, with the flood it has sped up the process. Now we're doing new insulation, walls, electrical, flooring, stairs. All at once. Needless to say, the summer is disappearing not because of all the fun plans we could have made camping, barbecuing and visiting friends - it's all about demolition, baby. At least taking down walls with a wrecking bar is strangely soothing and I've had the satisfaction of knowing that I can figure out how to insulate a house. The kids are so excited - finally rooms to themselves and a rec room. Our youngest is devastated - he can't imagine not sharing a room with someone.

I met with a new instructor today and I was a bit nervous about it. She's incredibly experienced in her field, has done training for years, is in senior management and I was going to hire her for a little course we're offering in the fall. On my trip back home from my meeting, I realized that, even at the ripe old age of 34, I'm still afraid of rejection and that was the basis of my nervousness. My kids, although outgoing and social, are afraid of rejection, and we tell them it's ok, brush it off and keep on going. And yet, at my age, it still bothers me. It's funny to think that , deep down, we all just want to be liked for who and what we are and it all could be as simple as that.

Home alone

Hubby is off on a camping trip with our eldest son and his class tonight. Isn't he a lucky guy? LOL I can just imagine what it's like camping with 25 grade 4 and 5 students at the end of June. He'll be lucky to get any sleep tonight.

I've been working from home today and have managed to get a lot done. My youngest spent the day with me and he's been great. Playing lego next to me, watching tv, doing crafts. I always find it funny how it can be so quiet in the house with only one child but when the others come home, all hell breaks loose. Little Miss Drama Queen just came home and the fighting has already started. It only took 3 minutes to get going. Guess I should see what it's all about!

We're having a summer solstice barbeque on Saturday. I've been wanting to have one for years - finally I have my plans together enough to have one! It's going to be great... :)

Creating my own entertainment

What's sadder than getting drunk on a Friday night while living your life through other people's blogs? Not sure, but that's my form of entertainment on a Friday night. The kids are watching a movie (not sure what it's called but there's no nudity or swearing, so I'm safe) while I'm trying to find some form of entertainment while I have no life for a Friday night. I'm trying to convince my sister to come visit me but supper is her priority at the moment. By the time she gets here, I just might be comatose. Or, have enough energy to head out for another drink or two.