1,096 Days

The number in the title... that's how old my blog is. Today it is three years old. 

When I first started I had no idea of the blogging community that existed or the ways that blogging would encourage me to learn and grow.

I just wanted a place to connect with my family and friends back home. A place to share bits of our lives.

I had no idea how much I had missed writing (fun Kim fact: I spent 4 years writing for my College Newspaper). Blogging has given me a voice that I didn't know I was missing.

Slowly I've learned about design, pixlr, html and more. I still have a long way to go (especially with the blog button) but I have already learned and created more than I ever imagined.

Circa 2013: Such an interesting colour scheme, sadly no archive exists from 2011 with it's overwhelming orange. 

My blog has allowed me to stay in touch with the friends and family back home that I was initially writing for, and allowed me to make some wonderful friends online. 

It has allowed me to express my silly side, with VLOGS (that's a video blog) that ranged from apartment tours, to full on ridiculousness. Re-watching those it is crazy how much we've grown up in the past three years, it's not just the blog that has gotten older! I am feeling inspired to give vlogging (that's video blogging) another try, maybe a blog birthday post this weekend.....hmmmm. 

I could link back to all my favourite posts, but at this moment that feels like a lot of work. If you want to see all of my old posts check out the "blog time machine" on the right sidebar --> and click through to whatever month you like! You're smart I'm trusting you to figure this one out! 

I will link to my first ever post because really how can my blog have a birthday without it's first post? That would just be crazy. I'll also include a link to Rex's introductory post because if you watched the VLOGs you might be wondering why I am waving a squirrel thing around all the time. 

Thanks for sticking around for any or all of the past three years! Your kindness and friendship have meant a lot to me (and if he knows you, to Jay too).  It seems unbelievable to think this blog is three years old, and that we've spent the last three years living in Ottawa, somedays it feels like we just got here! 

How long have you been blogging? Why did you start? Have you ever made a vlog? 

Keep Smiling :) 

Stuff And Things 4/17

Full disclosure, I wrote this whole post then me and blogger got in a fight over picture formatting so I'm starting over again (a little angrily)! 

Linking up with Kristin today! I'm going to take this as an opportunity to share some of the pictures that I've been hoarding on my phone for the past few days/weeks. 

My coworkers threw me a surprise wedding shower last week. I thought we were having a staff meeting, so it really was a wonderful surprise! It was so kind and thoughtful, I wasn't going to have a shower before the wedding (the joys of getting married in a different province) so it was so lovely to get the experience. Afterwards I of course had to wear the bow hat all day, which the kids found hilarious. 

It was an awesome day! 

My outfit for the day// Wine from a lovely parent //Some of the shower gifts
& decorations taking over our dining room

Jay & I saw one of our favourite musicians, Joel Plaskett, in concert on Saturday night. We bought the tickets online months ago, thinking we were 3 rows from the stage. We arrived at the show to find out the first 3 rows get taken out so we were front row! We've seen Joel in concert about a dozen times, but this was the closest we've ever been and his biggest show ever so it was awesome all around. 

Possibly my 10th attempt at a pre-show picture of us, it wasn't going so well. 

The concert was at the National Arts Centre (left side of the photo) so we had a few minutes to check out Parliament Hill (centre of photo) beforehand. I never get sick of looking at those beautiful buildings, even if the canal looks pretty nasty with all the ice melted and no fresh water coming in!  

I've had this photo on my camera for at least a month, waiting for the moment when nature truly said, "Hey Ottawa, Let's Party!" It's getting a little depressing the constant switching from Spring to Winter and back again. 

I am so ready for this long weekend. We are thisclose to getting married, but also to seeing all of our lovely friends and family again! It's been a few months so we are ready to get home for a few days to see everyone and the beautiful ocean! 

Speaking of the wedding- I've got to get off my computer and go be productive before work! 

Keep Smiling :)

#Obsessed

Just a few things I'm obsessed with lately.

[1] This gorgeous blue parka I got on sale for $50. It's basically everything I wanted (and needed) in a new coat, and had a great price! I'm trying to save it for next Winter, but if Spring doesn't come soon I might have to wear it!

[I know I've already blogged & tweeted about this, I am really excited!]

[2] Orange Juice. I know it's probably filled with sugar and terrible for me, but it is delicious and so satisfying. 

[3] This creative marketing I see daily on my travels. It's encouraging people to donate hats, mittens, etc to the Ottawa Mission. I think it is a brilliant way to attract attention for an important cause.

[4] EOS lip balm. I jumped on this bandwagon late, but I love these little balls of fun. My lips are no longer dried and cracked and it is way easier to find a ball in my purse than a skinny tube of lip balm. 

[5] Being able to see Parliament Hill whenever I want. I don't want to get into the politics, I know there isn't good stuff happening there everyday but I just think the buildings are gorgeous and that it is cool to live so close to the centre of government in Canada. *Sorry for the grainy picture, it was foggy and snowing and I took it from quite far away. 

[6] Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate and this adorable cozy, courtesy of one of my best pals, H-Mac. I only recently discovered Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate but it is seriously delicious. I'm hoping it's not a seasonal item. 

[7] & [8] Space. Galaxies. Planets. My kiddos at work are so curious about space and this is one of the first topics I've really felt like I was able to teach them about while involving them in the whole process. Everything we're learning is driven by their interest. We made galaxies and suns last week, and are making space stations and solar systems this week. So fun! 

[9] This butternut squash mac & cheese recipe. K-Fran turned us onto it when she lived her last year and it is still one of my favourite dinners. I tweaked the recipe a little this time, adding breadcrumbs and basil and baking it in the oven. It's so fantastic, I highly recommend you give it a try, you can hardly notice the squash, especially if it's mashed! 

What are your current obsessions? 

Keep Smiling :) 

Too Many Choices

I sometimes (ok, all the time) feel like we have two many choices as adults for what to do with out lives. This obviously has many perks, the idea you can be anything you want is powerful and of course allows many people to pursue their passions rather than just a job. 

Years ago though, people took a job to pay the bills. More accurately, many years ago, men took the only job in the household to pay the bills. It was seldom the work dreams are made of (for either men or women) but it paid the bills so people took those jobs with much less fanfare than we do today. 

I searched "career quotes" and wasn't even sure where to start in finding a quote for this post.
Just as we have too many options, we have too many sources of advice- some say follow your
dreams other say manage every step. The bombardment never ends!

Now, I personally feel Jay and I are both chasing these elusive dream jobs so hard, that we've lost sight of both what we need and what we actually dream of. Ten years ago I was sure I wanted to be a teacher (high school history, but kindergarten is still school!) and was confident that would make me happy.  Doing the actual job, I know that I love working with children and youth, in any capacity but I am constantly thinking of a "better job" doing the same thing. Or of completely different office jobs, like one I already had and hated- but another one would be different, right? 

I feel like the amazing opportunities afford to both Jay and I have both pushed us towards success and left us entirely unsure about how to find a career we can make a living with AND be happy. 

Jay is currently in the last year of a 5 year commitment to a job that, he likes. Somedays he loves it, but mostly it ranges between mild and intense liking (likes?- having trouble conjugating this today). 

That means that in a year, we are no longer obligated to live in Ottawa. We're planning to go back to Halifax, but the majority of young people are leaving NS to find work so it's hard to feel 100% confident in going back to a place that may hold no jobs. But, there are jobs in my field (lower pay than I'm currently making, but the cost of living is slightly lower as well). 

Finding a job that meets Jays interests and skills may be more challenging however, as the Halifax job market may be much different. Coupled with the fact that I am usually 100% I don't want to work in this field, in this capacity forever, too much drama and not enough respect.  How can a person be "usually 100% sure" or anything? Meh. 

Perhaps we should pursue careers as impersonators? 

I think I could have been happy taking a job out of high school, getting married and having a family and living within our means. But instead I've got no idea what I want from life, a head filled with options. Some are realistic that could be amazing and fulfilling but many are just ridiculous! Having a manfriend who is feeling the exact same dazed and confused way is making for some interesting conversations at dinner. 

We're a hot mess. 

Like, taking frequent career aptitude tests kind of hot messes. 

We live in an amazing time where people have many options, few doors are ever really shut to us. You can become famous on reality TV or singing competitions, go back to school at any age, gender is less of an issue in choosing a career path, training exists for nearly any career and with modern travel innovations you can take a job in other countries easily. This is all very exciting and very overwhelming! 

The advent of all forms of social media probably has not helped this situation. Now, not only do we know these amazing opportunities exist but we can see all of our friends living that life. Of course they must be 100% contented all the time, it was on Facebook! It is far to easy to compare our lives to others now, without any context, which definitely contributes to my feelings of confusion. 

Not sure if this post has a whiny feel today, or a poor-entitled-me quality. I tried to put the confused jumble of thoughts from my head into this post but I'm not confident it worked! I know we will both eventually take a breath and feel confident in our choices again, but lately we are just so lost! 

How did you choose your career? Did you choose a career? Do you even think we need to cho0se careers?  Ever have these feelings before? 

*p.s I hope it's choose not chose- I won't lie I minored in English in school but you could never tell this morning. If you are upset by my grammar I can only say, "their,they're deer." BAHAHA. See what I did there? 

Keep Smiling :) 

I'm That Person.

I never used to be late for anything. In fact, I used to be one of those ridiculously early people who would arrive 20 minutes early for everything. 

Then it all changed and I'm not sure why. 

Now, I am late leaving my house every morning for work (though I walk fast so I make it just in time), but I would like to be there 20 minutes early to have more prep time. 

If I tell a friend I will meet them, there is a huge chance I will be 10 minutes late. Especially if I have to catch the bus, for some reason I have lost my ability to be at the bus stop when I should. 

I will text Jay and tell him I am on my way home from work and then actually leave 10 minutes later, because of course I haven't had all day to talk to my co-workers or the kids. 

If we set a goal time to leave the house I will find a way to push it back. Running through the apartment yelling, "I'm coming I swear" or "I'm almost ready, I just need to do _____ or grab _____."

Perhaps the worst part of this terrible habit of mine, is that on the rare occassions I am early, on time, or ready to go before Jay I have no patience for waiting. 

Yup, I'm that annoying person.

I'm really sorry about it but I can't seem to motivate myself. 

Like now, I need to leave in 13 minutes, and I still haven't made my lunch, packed my bag or found my shoes.

Ugggh. 

But with a weather forecast like this (and so many other interesting internet things, like Space Facts for Kids) why would I leave my house? 

Keep Smiling :) 

Just Keep Swimming..

So far February has not proven to be any easier than January. Maybe I'm finally a grown up? I just feel like since the holidays everything has been moving at warp speed with me running behind trying to catch up. It's getting exhausting! 

Luckily we have a glorious 4 day weekend on the horizon, something I am greatly excited for. One of my closest friends is tying the knot on Friday (Valentine's Day aka my favourite day of the year), I am thrilled we get to help her celebrate! Then Monday is the long awaited Family Day holiday in Ontario. That means four glorious alarm free mornings!  Bring it on!

In the meantime, here's a peek at life lately. Not pictured, the endless amounts of wedding planning, wedding DIY's, and wedding related meltdowns. Planning a wedding is harder than Pinterest makes it look, eloping might be where it's at. 

Friday night Monopoly; Jay's cards are on the right, mine are on the left.
Not pictured: My 10 houses, boardwalk, waterworks, and a few
other properties.  He spent too much time in jail, I bought up the whole board. 

A sneak peek at my classroom.
January's dates as written by 5 year olds//Some melted snowmen//
A little adding to keep things fresh

I asked Jay for proof he skates the whole Rideau Canal, and he delivered.
I've never made it past 3.0km. 

Sorry to be such a downer, I'm actually in great spirits- just mentally and physically wiped out. Winter needs to hurry up and leave, I think sunshine would greatly improve my outlook! 

Keep Smiling :)

Winterlude 2014

For the third year in a row we adventured downtown to check out the Winterlude festivities. It was a perfect day to be outside, 10cm of fresh snow had recently fallen, the sun was shining and it was only about -5C for a change. 

We bundled up and prepared to brave the crowds, with a plan to be patient and actually take our time wandering around. We are terrible for rushing through events like this, just to get out of the crowd. We always regret it after. So Sunday we took our time, waited in line and leisurely strolled rather than running through. 

Best choice we ever made. 

We took pictures, ate treats, read signs, laughed and just generally enjoyed our day together. 

Ice Sculptures//Giant Snowshoes

Some of my favourite sculptures//
The large pony sculpture is called "The Wind of Childhood" I loved it. 

Maple Syrup on a stick// Jay's "Awkward" pose// Performers

Keep Smiling :) 

Finally February!

Ok, I'm a few weeks behind on a post about our lives lately. January was not the best way to kick off 2014, so I'm starting fresh in February with high hopes. January felt like we were running a marathon, with no end in sight and definitely no prize. It was long and stressful and a lot of work. 

There was a lot of drama and stress at work, it really sucked the joy out of it for me. We're also working on a large activity project swap with 10 other centres, so there is no such thing as downtime at the moment. Jay estimated that I coloured more than 700 poppies last week. We're constantly colouring, cutting, gluing, laminating and cutting again at work right now. It's a project that I'm excited about (resources to teach children about Remembrance Day), but I want to get back to having the uninterrupted time to engage with my kiddos. 

Jay was also busy with work in January, catching up from the holidays and starting projects for the new year. We had the chance to have dinner and drinks with a couple of his friends from the office, which was great because we've been trying to meet for a couple months now. He's still coaching wrestling twice a week, just a few high school kids but he still loves it. Perhaps the coolest thing he's been up to is skating home on the Rideau Canal, he skates it end to end! 

The wedding is less than three months away (CRAZY!), so that kept us busy, but it's also getting very exciting. We're starting to figure out some of the little details, and I've stopped procrastinating so everything is starting to come together. There is still lots to do, but we're starting narrow down the to-do list. 

Winterlude started this weekend, so we headed to the Museum of Civilization for Festibiere d'Hiver an indoor beer festival, with delicious beers and treats. One of Jay's friends from work came with us which was fantastic! 

Here's a look at some of our recent adventures. 

'Dancing Raisins' science experiment 

Stylish coffee//Homemade sliders!//
A visit from Prince Phillip and J. Biebs
 (before he became a selfish criminal)

Festibiere d'Hiver
We were able to explore the museums Snow exhibit
after our tasty beers, poutine and grilled cheese.  

Hopefully you enjoyed January a bit more, and if not write it off as a loss and start 2014 fresh in February. 

Keep Smiling :) 

In 2014...

It's that time of year again, time to make promises to ourselves that we don't remember two weeks later. I am one of those people who always writes resolutions, along with lists in my diary of all my favourite memories from the past year. I am going to try a different approach this year which will hopefully be easier to manage and stick to. 

Rather than a list of resolutions I am going to write myself some goals, and amend a few I wrote a while back. Although their clothing is overpriced and has gone downhill in quality over the past few years, I have found the Lululemon website a great resource for  goal setting. 

I won't bore you with all my goals for the next few years, but in the short-term I do have a few challenges for myself. 

1. Be Mindful
I want to be more mindful of every aspect of my life. Taking more time to consider what I am putting into my body and how I am taking care of it. I also want to apply this approach to my interactions with everyone from Jay to my co-workers, and to remember the importance of a kind word or smile. I want to consider the benefits and luxuries afforded to me, and find a way to give back.  

2. Take Pictures
Between us Jay and I own three "real" cameras, all of which still work and take great pictures. Yet, rather than pull them out to capture special moments we very often reach for the low quality cell phones in our pockets. I want to get back into taking photos with a quality camera and then taking the time to get the best ones printed off and added to our scrapbook. I want to be able to look back at years of quality photos, rather than blurry, grainy selfies! 

I mean, I know we're cute- but how many selfies does one person need? 

3. Remember The Little Details
I realized as we were relaxing watching TV last night, that I remember very few of the little moments over the past year. Sure big events like parties and trips stick out, but those late night phone calls, little jokes or surprise dates slip my mind. To ensure I remember more of the magic of 2014 I am going to start writing down those little memories and putting them in a jar to read on NYE 2015. It's an idea that's been floating around the internet for many years but it finally feels like it's time to start it up. 

4. Stay In Touch
When we first moved I was on Skype more often than not, and then as Ottawa has become a home base for us, we stopped making as considerable an effort to stay in touch. As a result I feel more out of touch than I'd like with some of our nearest and dearest. In 2014 I am going to make more time to skype, even just for a few minutes with the people we love. That's not a goal, but a promise- feel free to hold me to it! 

5. Save Money 
With a wedding on the horizon and hopefully house shopping looming in the not too distant future I am hopeful we can continue to save for the future. The challenge is making those tough choices between another dinner out or putting that $50 in the savings account. We're trying but sometimes it's tough. 

I have many more ideas of things I'd like to improve on, or start doing but these are my short-term focuses at least. I really just want 2014 to be the year I laugh often, connect more and savour the moment. Lots of big stuff is happening and I want to remember and enjoy it all. 

Do you have any goals or resolutions? Do you think I'll be able to make these happen? 

Keep Smiling :) 

oh and HAPPY 2014!

Another Year Gone

Hard to believe 2013 is nearly over, it has been a busy year for us- lots of exciting changes. 

2013 was the year.... 

Winter in Ottawa became a little more fun! 
Snowshoeing in Gatineau Park, skating on the canal, Winterlude - Ottawa's actually not a bad place to be during the Winter months. Winter 2013 also marked the first time K-Fran and I co-habitated. Six weeks and we managed not to drive each other totally bananas. 

2013 was the year....

We went on a pretty awesome road trip vacation!
Giant apples, toonies, beach views, rainy campsites and of course a trip to a tiny little zoo! It was great to adventure together for a few days before I started my big girl job! 

2013 was the year...

We hiked almost every weekend; Finally went to Bluesfest (Great Big Sea was awesome!); Julia visited for Canada Day and my 25th birthday- a trip to Boldt Castle and of course Canada Day at Parliament Hill with Carly Rae Jepsen! 

2013 was the year...

We saw Mo Kenney for free and chatted with her after the show! Jay turned 26 and we celebrated with doughnuts, a trip to the war museum and dinner downtown. The lovely Flippy joined us for a few months and we enjoyed many fun adventures together. Oh, and I cheered for Jay's frisbee team every week, kind of like a groupie. 

2013 was the year...

I became a fully certified Early Childhood Educator. I finished school, had an amazing placement with one of the most brilliant educators I've ever met and finally got my own classroom with my 10 crazy, but wonderful, kindergarteners. Best of all, I am back to actually earning an income! 

2013 was the year...

We set a date for our wedding and started to get serious about planning it. 

I found my wedding dress! 

Jay's frisbee team started winning! 

Jay spent almost 365 days away from the ocean. 

Jay was promoted, took on more responsibility at work and stopped traveling so much. 

We spent a week in February, in Montreal, freezing and shopping.

We started having date nights.

We cancelled cable, and hardly missed it at all. 

What were some of your biggest or best moments of 2013? What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Keep Smiling :)