wordless wednesday - tweet tweet

I was at my Mom and Dad's house when this little guy flew into the kitchen window.  I went outside to visit him while he took some time to rest before flying away.  I was very happy that he wasn't hurt.

east of the sun

Television turned off and music turned up, I grab his hand and start swaying in time with the music.  Dancing in the living room is one of those things I know I'll look back on when times are tough and I need a moment to pull me through the darkness.  As we dance, I feel that the song perfectly descibes our lives in this moment.

book review - the paris wife by Paula McLain

If you've been into any large bookstore lately you'll have no doubt seen The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.  It's been a bestseller for a while now, which is exactly why I bought it; I'm a sucker for books on the bestseller list.  Plus a story that included the 1920s, Paris, and Hemmingway?  I was totally sold.

I have to say, however, that I didn't love this book.  I found the beginning and ending to be very entertaining, but the middle seemed to kind of drag on.  Even a couple others who also read it said the same thing.  The two things that I thought the book did well, however, were the honest discussions on marriage, and the character development.  

sick days

I'm sick of sick days.

Fevers. Fluids. Feeling crappy.

The only good thing about sick days is kitten snuggles.

keep dreamin'

Have you seen the movie Up? You know, the Pixar/Disney one with the little old man? I saw it a while ago, and I seem to be thinking of it a lot lately.

If you're not familiar with it, here's a synopisis of the first part of the movie from Wikipedia:

Young Carl Fredricksen is a shy, quiet boy who idolizes renowned explorer Charles F. Muntz. He is saddened to learn, however, that Muntz has been accused of fabricating the skeleton of a giant bird he had claimed to have discovered in Paradise Falls, South America. Muntz vows to return there to capture one alive. One day, Carl befriends an energetic and somewhat eccentric tomboy named Ellie, who is also a Muntz fan. She confides to Carl her desire to move her "clubhouse"—an abandoned house in the neighborhood—to a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls, making him promise to help her. Carl and Ellie eventually get married and grow old together in the restored house, working as a toy balloon vendor and a zookeeper, respectively. Unable to have children, they repeatedly pool their savings for a trip to Paradise Falls, but end up spending it on more pressing needs. An elderly Carl finally arranges for the trip, but Ellie suddenly becomes ill and dies, leaving him alone.

follow friday - life of t

Alright, let's be real for a second here: NaBloPoMo is harder than I thought it would be.  Posting every day for a month really didn't sound like it would be difficult at all, but sometimes it's really hard to find inspiration.  You know who doesn't seem like she has a hard time with NaBloPoMo?  Taren!

I love this blog so much.  Taren is great at sharing helpful tips (like how she prepares for Christmas), yummy recipies (mac & cheese cupcakes - OMG!), and her journey towards becoming a personal trainer (congrats!).

life of t!

Life of Taren is great for when you need a quick break at work.  Her posts are always light and cheerful; I feel like I always have a smile on my face when I read them.  I also like seeing what other newlyweds are up to - what different things they do for dates, yummy meals that she makes for her hubby - so that I can get inspiration for my own life!

Check out her blog, I just know you'll love it!

sprechen deutsch

Today is the last day of my German lessons.  For the past eight weeks I've been learning how to speak German in preparation for our upcoming trip to Germany.  At first I felt like I wasn't learning anything, but I've now realized that I've learned a lot in just eight short weeks.  For today's post, I decided to write some information about myself IN GERMAN.  Bam!  Keep in mind the sentences are very "beginner", I'm still learning :)

Guten Morgen!

Ich heisse Amanda. Ich Wohne in North Vancouver. Ich habe ein klein Haus. Es ist grau und grun. Es hat vier zimmer. Mine Haus hast ein Badezimmer, ein Schlafzimmer, und ein Kuche. Die Kuche ist nicht gross, est ist kline.

Ich habe zwei Katze; Missy und Roxie. Missy ist brun, orange, grau, und weiss. Roxie ist grau und weiss. Mine kinder :) Missy ist drei Jahre alt und Roxie ist eins Jahre alt.

Mine Familie ist Klein. Ich habe ein Mutter, ein Vater, und ein Bruder. De Mutter heisst Barb, der Vater heisst Ken. Mine Bruder er heisst Eric. Ich habe eine Mann. Er heisst Trevor.

learnin' aint easy

wordless wednesday - peek-a-boo

Clearly the little cat wanted to have some lunch too!

the meaning of great friends

After one of my friends tried to help me through some writer's block (thanks, Jill!) by suggesting that I write about the meaning of great friends, I got to thinking: "what makes a great friend?"

go lions go!

Yesterday afternoon, I was fortunate enough to watch Vancouver DESTROY Edmonton in the CFL Western final.  It was such a great afternoon.

hubby and i at the game  

sunday suppers - kale chips

[Today, instead of a supper, you get a snack!  Why?  Well, tonight I'm not cooking supper, instead, I'll be at BC Place cheering on the BC Lions as they fight for their spot in the Grey Cup!  Go Lions Go!]

I have a new snacking obesession.   Potato chips.  Okay, okay, I know that potato chips are not going to help me achieve my goal.  So I found a way to enjoy them, without making my waistline larger.

Kale chips.

vote!

Do you know what today is?  Today is municipal election day in British Columbia!

I have to admit, when it comes to election time (be it federal, provincial, or municipal), I kind of become a political junkie.  Yep, I that person who researches the candidates to make an informed vote, is glued to the television on election night, and even gets a little emotional when I exercise my right to vote.  I have even been known to send emails to my friends and family to remind them of the upcoming election and provide them with access to information so that they can inform themselves before they vote.

follow friday - little brown pen

I have a weakness.  A terrible weakness.  For travel photos.

That's right, for some reason, I can't help but pour (for hours and hours) over lovely photos from far-away places.  The creme-de-la-creme of travel photos (in my opinion) is Little Brown Pen.

when life gives you lemons

I had originally scheduled a happy, feel-good blog post for today.  However, it just didn't feel right to post the opposite of what I'm actually feeling today.  Today, I'm overwhelmed.  Today, I'm calling banks, crunching numbers, and (kind of) feeling sorry for myself.

What's going on?  Well, remember our Germany 2012 trip that I've been looking so forward to?  Well, that trip might be cancelled, or at least postponed for a while.  Last night Hubby and I were hit with an unexpected expense.  A large one.  One that doesn't fit well into our Europe budget.

wordless wednesday - vancouver sun

five things

Inspired by one of my favourite posts from Newlywed Trek, I decided to share five things that I've learned from our first two years of marriage.

1.  Sharing money is harder than I thought it was going to be.

I think that this one was really shocking to me.  Before we got married, Hubby and I were sharing all of the household expenses.  However, any extra money from our paycheques wasn't going towards us or our joint account, it stayed in our individual bank accounts.  I could shop as much as I wanted and, as long as I paid half of our household bills, I wasn't obligated to save any of the money.   Sure, I had savings through my Canada Savings Bonds and RRSPs, but nothing other than that.  I SHOPPED.  A lot.  Then about 8 months ago, Hubby and I decided to combine all of our income and expenses into one account.  This means, now instead of all having all my extra income to spend, I get an allowance each payday.  Once that's gone, I have no more spending money.  Trust me, it took a looong time to get used to this.  However, I'm now proud to say that it's working and I'm happy.  I hardly ever shop anymore, and when I do I only buy items that are reasonably priced or that are long-terms investments.  In the end, I'm happy with the changes that we made because they've made us more financially stable.  It also means that we get to go to Germany next year.

best kept secret - coconut oil

Okay, remember a loooong time ago when I said that the best beauty tip I've ever received was to use baby oil as a moisturizer?  Well, after writing the post, a friend told me that I should stop using baby oil because it's a petroleum product.  Rubbing petroleum on my body?  Not cool.

What was I going to do though?  I didn't want to have dray, scaly skin, and I don't like lotions (I often buy them and then end up not using them).  Well, the same friend suggested that I try coconut oil instead.

 

sunday suppers - spaetzle

I've got major German brain right now.  Not only am I currently taking German lessons, but I'm also researching and planning our trip to Germany next year.  In my brain it's Germany, all day long.

No surprise that with all this German thinking, comes a craving for German food.

turkey & spinach for me - german bratwurst for him

kitty city

You know what's not fair?  When your husband emails you photos like this:

Then, he proceeds to let you know that this little treasure is currently at the local animal shelter, waiting for a forever home.  I nearly died.  She's actually SMILING in the photo.  How can we not save her from the shelter and give her a nice home where she would have a family and friends to play with??

I know we can't, but that doesn't mean that I already love her to bits.

Plus, I do still have two fur balls who we already saved from shelters.  Now look at the life they have:

I think the only answer is for me to open a cat farm, where I can save every kitty who needs a home :)

follow friday - newlywed trek

My favourite blogging day!  I love sharing blogs that I love!

Today, I'm sharing Newlywed Trek.  Maybe it's because we share the same first name, or maybe it's because Amanda has always share excellent posts on being a newlywed (or both!), either way I love this blog.

I love Amanda's posts about how she and her hubby are trying to achieve financial peace.  I find that Hubby and I are often going through the same financial ups and downs and it's always so comforting to know that you're not the only one going through something.  She also gives lots of tips on budgeting - always great info!

my own newlywed trek

road block

Remember the goal that I set for myself?

Ya, it's been three days and I haven't started yet.  My reason?  I'm sick.  I've been sick for over a week and I just can't seem to shake this cold.  

I've tried everything.  Stayed home from work.  Drank lots of fluids.  Got lots of sleep.  Bought $30 honey that was supposed to make me feel SO MUCH better (it didn't).

wordless wednesday - fireplace season

going for the goal

I'm going to be completely honest with you for a second.  Normally, I'm a completely goal-oriented, driven, and accomplished person.  Once I get something in my head, I cannot let go of it.  Except for one thing:  getting in shape.

I'm am utterly and completely embarrassed to be admitting this.  I'm so scared to share something that I feel so personally ashamed about; something that I have trouble thinking about; something that I can barley talk to Hubby about.

movember

Not only is November NaBloPoMo, it also happens to be Movember.  What's Movember, you ask?  Well, during the month of November, men around the world grow a moustache to "raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer".

Let me tell you, Movember is alive and well in our house.  That's right, Hubby has a 'stache.  Ugh.  I'm not a fan of the "thing" growing on his upper lip, however, I do realize the good that he's doing by raising funds and awareness about prostate cancer and men's health.  I even *shudder* support the
'stache.

the mo

sunday suppers - quinoa salad II

I've been on kind of a quiona kick lately.  Never heard of quinoa before?  Check out my previous post.  With my love of quinoa at an all-time high, I've been experimenting with different ways to eat quinoa.

happy one hundred

This is my 100th blog post.

Whoo hoo!  What a milestone!  In realizing that this would be my 100th post, I decided to take a look through some of my previous posts.  I figured that, as a tribute to these past 100, I'd share my top 5 favourite posts with you.

my blogging view

follow friday - the baked life

Part of what I love most about blogging is meeting other bloggers.  The blogger that I'm talking about today, however, I didn't find through the interweb; she's my Sister-In-Law, Jen!

You can find Jen at The Baked Life.  Just a warning though, visiting her blog will take you to a world filled with yummy treats, and will probably make you drool.  It's totally worth it though.

what to do?

Have you ever been at a point in your life where you're faced with difficult decisions and you're not sure which choice is the best for you?  This is where I am right now.  We're making decisions that will affect us, and our future children, and I'm not sure which decision is right.

Okay, I know that there is really no right decision, but I do believe that we've put the pressure on ourselves to make the best decision.

wordless wednesday - home sweet home

[Alright, NaBloPoMo, here we go...]

nablopo..what?

This November I'm trying to decide if I want to participate in NaBloPoMo.  What the heck is NaBloPoMo, you ask?  It stands for National Blog Posting Month.  It's easy, all you have to do is post every day during the month of November.

Sure, it's easy in theory, but I have a hard enough time trying to find things to write about when I don't have the pressure of writing each day, nevermind when I actually have to.  However, maybe this will push me to actually start posting more; to spark my creativity.

So, I'm still on the fence...stay tuned!