Monday, June 30, 2014

A Hair Outing

Happy Hair Cut to me! I don't know when it happened. When did a haircut become an event in itself? I mean, if someone asked me what I got up to this weekend I would tell them that I got my hair cut and coloured on Saturday. It doesn't really matter because I think I will always be excited and look forward to a future haircut. In fact, I'm already delighted at the prospect of my next one.

 I have been going to the same hair place since my wedding in 2010. The lady that usually cuts my hair always gives me a great deal, refuses my tips, talks a lot of smack about others and is full of loads and loads of B.S. Yet, she's like the bartender at the bar.. I always open up and yap my face off when I go to see her. I have no idea why, but I enjoy my hair cuts for that reason. I endure her staring at herself in the mirror while she talks to me just so I can selfishly blab whatever I feel like blabbing about. It feels good, plus I always come out looking great!

 She no longer works Saturdays, so she sent me to her daughter in law to do my hair. I was apprehensive because I didn't really know what I wanted with my colour and wanted to ask my hairdresser's opinion and I was nervous that it was going to be quite expensive. The hair cut turned out nice, the colour was good and it was indeed much more expensive. I wish she had given me more highlights but we weren't sure how they'd turn out, so she gave me two under all of my layers. Her company was the best part though. She was really down to earth and we had our baby girls in common. We had plenty to chit chat about and it was really enjoyable. I don't think I've ever really enjoyed the company at a hair cut as much as I did on Saturday. Do you ever get that with another girl where you think- we would so be friends. (Outside of blogging of course.) But then, never act on it. It's kind of awkward right? I always feel kind of desperate but I do know for a fact that we're all the same. We could all use a new friend!

 The haircut turned out to be the highlight of me entire weekend. The rest was less than impressive. We've been busy putting our house back in order and doing the odd jobs here and there to make this place look sell-able. We had a lot of painting of doors, baseboards, closets and more doors to do. I'll update and post pictures once everything is finished!







Friday, June 27, 2014

MHB- Week 28- Get It Done

 Although I wasn't rewarded after each workout, with a walk on the beach, I still had a great week. I didn't start my working out until Wednesday because we had so much going on on Monday and Tuesday with moving back into our house. But in the end, I got my three days done!

WEDNESDAY-


We didn't have our shower curtain up because the walls needed another coat of paint. I had to have a bath after my hill sprints. It was different to bath in the morning but oh so relaxing..!
 Day 1- Hill Sprints. My good friend Lisa from Happy Fit Fitness was kind enough to offer me some of her professional advice when it came to a new cardio routine. I was sick of going to the fire hall's dingy gym to jog on the treadmill for my cardio. She suggested that I try out hill sprints. It's exactly as it sounds. I jogged to the baseball fields right by my house. Once there I started sprinting up the hill, walking around for a moment and then jogging back down to continue my sprints again. She suggested I start with five and move up to ten. But I did ten because I think my hills were a wee bit shorter than she imagined. I did my sprints then I used some of the playground equipment to do some squats and little jump kicks. Then I jogged home and it felt great. Wednesday evening, my legs were definitely feeling it! Lisa suggested I do this once a week.

THURSDAY-

 Day 2- Abdominal Strength and Core Conditioning. The hill sprints left me pretty sore on Thursday morning so I committed to three rounds of this workout. Three rounds were enough for me and I felt great afterwards!

FRIDAY-

Day 3- Last Minute Workout Circuit. I decided last minute that I didn't want to get up and workout this morning. However, the guilt won over and I hurried into the living room with the idea to at least do some exercises that would make me sweat.

Push-Ups - 10 reps. (I did 3 'girl' push-ups and 2 regular.)

Sit-Ups- 10 reps.

Air Squats- 10 reps.

Lunges- 20 reps.

Bicycle- 20 reps.

Repeat 5 times. This actually kicked my butt because I did the circuit five times in a row without any breaks. I'm glad I ended up getting up and committing to some kind of exercise.

Happy Friday- I'm a huge fan of this day. I'm totally looking forward to having our first weekend at our house. I'm also getting my hair done on Saturday and for some reason this is always exciting to me!

 Linking up with Yoga Pants this Friday with a song I'm sure we've all heard. It's just one that I've been digging lately and I think I played it everyday last week on my commute to work. I leave you with "Brave" by Sara Bareilles!

Brave by Sara Bareilles on Grooveshark








Wednesday, June 25, 2014

A Beach Home

 I know! I've mentioned staying at the resort a zillion times in the last few weeks. We just got into our house on Monday evening and I was looking over all of the pictures of us staying at the resort. I had to include a little Beach Resort Review today.

 Back in May when the leak first happened, I like to refer to that time as the early stages of our renovations we stayed at the resort in a cabin. May was the last season in the 'off' season at the resort and so it was available to us, no problem. We stayed there for just over a week. Our stay was pleasant but short lived and Rob was still in school then. So he was always doing self tests and Alina and I were just doing our usual thing. I also spent Mother's Day at that particular unit and I remember it well.



Then nearly a month went by and we were back at the resort. This time, for over two weeks. The first ten days were spent closer to the beach. We weren't beach front,but just across the way from the beach front condos. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great and there really wasn't anywhere for us to go with a toddler other than the sandy beach. So sadly, we stayed mostly in our condo, having fires and watching many episodes of "Deadliest Catch." Our bedroom was upstairs which was neat, the kitchen was much smaller but the living room area seemed bigger than the first cabin. Unfortunately Rob sneezed most of the time that we stayed there because we're certain that there were pets staying in it right before us and I developed a spurt of sporadic rashes near the end of our stay. It was a bit strange and when the Saturday came to pack it in, I was happy to go. Although, my work outs in the morning at that condo were some of my very best. (Link to those workouts HERE and HERE) Rob also spent his Father's Day at this unit, although he was very busy when he wasn't working, dealing with the renovations, working the Father's Day Show n Shine as a firefighter or his odd roofing jobs. However, he did find some down time to spend with his girl.


 The last place that we stayed at was what my mom described as a 'chicken coop' and it's because all of the units were connected, side by side. But, it was by far my favourite unit. The view was incredible because we were looking down at the beach and the entire place was just so much brighter. The bedrooms were much smaller but we only slept in them. I absolutely loved this place and wished we could have stayed there the entire time. We even hit up the pub that had great food and seating outside for us to enjoy the view. Alina, Rob and I finally had a chance to relax together and enjoy the sun outside of our unit, which was so nice.




Of course, I had moments of sheer bliss out there on my own. Again, my mornings were the best because of the calmness of the morning and there was just something about having the beach all to myself. In the end, I was very pleased with our stay at the resort. After all, it was home to us for three weeks.



Monday, June 23, 2014

Smells Like Childhood

 It's true that there is always that one familiar smell that brings you back to a moment, a time when things were much simpler. I get nostalgic when I smell grass freshly cut in the Spring or the scent of warm pavement during a rain storm. But there is one smell in particular that gets us all. A scent that brings us all home.

 I have one smell that really brings on memories of a time that I don't really remember myself. Before my parents were divorced when we lived in Drayton Valley. I was much too young to really have memories but I feel like this smell brings me back to that time. I haven't smelt it in awhile but every once in awhile I'll smell a trace of it and before I even realize it, it's gone. That's the new car smell but in an older vehicle. I know that sounds really silly but whenever I smell it, it takes me back to the park across from our house in Drayton. The smell of hot car seats wafting that new, musky car smell.
 Another smell I encountered was when I was working for a pharmacy that dealt with nursing homes only. We would package the meds and then have them sent off to four or five different homes across the island. One day when I was filling out some orders, I came across Boudreaux's Butt Paste for diaper rash. I could smell the ointment through the packaging and it really took me back. I have no idea how far back seeing as it's diaper ointment. Perhaps my mom used it on me and the scent triggered my memory. Smell- a very powerful sense.

 The other day my mom came by. She's been growing sweet peas outside of her balcony at her apartment. She brought me a water bottle full of them to put in our condo that we're staying at at the resort. The moment she plunked them onto the kitchen table I could smell them. She later commented that I said, "Mmm smells like my childhood." I remember when I was in grade three, she would walk outside with me to the deck, snip me one or two sweet peas to take with me on the bus. She did that every day for months. It's a fond memory and one that I am reminded of now, each time that I walk into the kitchen.

 What smell makes you nostalgic?
 

Friday, June 20, 2014

MHB- Week 27- Variety

 This week of exercise was different than my usual RushFit three times a week. I've been jogging more here on the beach resort. I've been taking advantage of the amenities that are provided here and have been more creative with my working out regime!

TUESDAY-


Day 1- Jogging and then a beach reward. I jogged the same route I did last week. This time, at the last stretch I ran as hard as I could. My intention was to sprint as fast as I could but I was right out of breath and it ended up as a run. Once I finished my jog, I walked on the beach and soaked up the early morning rays of the sun. I could have put a blanket on the sand and sun tanned all morning if I didn't have my life's responsibilities waiting for me! All in all- a great workout. My feet were sore and my legs were a bit crampy at work afterwards. I think I'll put a day in between my next jog.

WEDNESDAY-

 I asked Alina to show me her teeth. This is the ugly face I usually get.
Day 2- Swimming. I decided to get a little bit creative. Once the little one went to bed I decided to hit up the swimming pool at the resort. I swam laps for twenty minutes. I felt like the total party pooper of the pool. This family was there in the hot tub, enjoying their holiday and I was all business swimming the length of the pool over and over. The two boys playing with the one pool ball had to keep their throws fairly tame with me there. It was a good workout and something different!

FRIDAY-


 Day 3- Jogging again! I jogged for a solid twenty four minutes today! I am impressed with the fact that I'm not stopping to take breaks. I am terrible on a treadmill. I'm always stopping to walk and rest but for some reason I stay focused outside and just go for it. Of course, like on Tuesday, I decided that a little walk on the beach would be my reward. I love going to the beach afterwards. It's so tranquil and calm out there. The tide was waaaay out this morning, so I walked barefoot in the sand, before heading in to get ready for my Friday.

 Another Friday under my belt. Does it feel like the days and weeks are just flying by!? We are now knocking on the door to July and I can hardly believe it! I'm going to be 29 in only a few weeks. Insanity! When did that happen?

 I'm linking up with Yoga Pants again this Friday. I heard this song recently and cranked it because it takes me right back to when it came out in '95. I was ten, but my fourteen year old brother was all over the music scene and played that c.d. all of the time. "Santa Monica" by Everclear.

 Santa Monica by Everclear on Grooveshark






Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Pharmacy Ass. by Day Blogger by Night

I'm linking up with Sarah and Helene for the #9To5TotalSocial today. I've been busy working and being a mom and all the other stuff in between and it's really hindered my link up participation. As soon as I read about this one, I jumped on it right away!

 This #TotalSocial is about what I do during the day. Well, I'm a Pharmacy Assistant. I used to be referred to as a Pharmacy Technician, which sounds much more professional. But since the Pharmacy Technician Bridging Course became available I was demoted to Pharmacy Assistant. The bridging program certifies regular pharmacy assistants into Certified Pharmacy Technicians. Since the change in my title I'm always tempted to sign off my fax notes to the doctor's offices as Haley- Pharmacy Ass.  It's just the abbreviation for 'assistant', right?!

 Being a pharmacy assistant can mean a lot of things, depending on where you work. I work in a small store, in the heart of a retirement community. We're pretty busy. The store consists of one pharmacist, another pharmacy assistant and myself. That's it. We have one other girl come in on Wednesdays to do our deliveries and as of recently a second pharmacist from our neighbouring town's store comes in on Thursdays. So- I am never bored. There's plenty for me to do.

 The obvious is that I count pills.  I label vials, inhalers, suspensions, eye and ear drops. I scoop cream, input prescriptions into the computer. I fill out veteran's forms, do the weekly deposits and lots of fun back office monthly reports. I book foot care appointments and answer phones, I work the till and read blood pressure. I fax doctors, I shred papers, I open and close the store, I schedule injections and I even take out the garbages. I am in charge of the front store, special order and drug inventory. I organize the original prescriptions into files, I receive large amounts of money from third party plans and I keep track of what the store's primary drugs are versus what our provincial government will cover. Oh, it's loads of fun. I'm actually getting my head into work mode and I'm in fact, at home. So I'm going to quit right there.

Thanks to my friend and co-worker Jody, she managed to snap a few pictures of me 'at work'..!
 I am also registered to begin school this September. I'm taking the Pharmacy Technician Bridging Program that is only being offered for another year and I couldn't be more excited/nervous/apprehensive about it. I'll be taking the courses after work online. I am hopeful that Rob will be supportive, I will be as dedicated as ever and that I surprise myself with my own ability to learn, study and absorb all of the information being taught to me!

 So that's it- that's my schtick. I'm a pharmacy assistant by day and a blogger by night...

What do you do when you're not blogging!?


Helene in Between

Monday, June 16, 2014

Flowers & Assholes

 Flowers.

 I haven't always been a big fan of receiving flowers. I've always said that I would rather get a bag of chips instead of a bouquet. I'm not big into taking care of plants or flowers because I simply don't do it. The inevitable happens; they die and I always feel a little sadness because of it. I always tell Rob that I would prefer if he would just throw out my flowers once they have died so that I don't have to feel bad doing it myself. I know, I'm weird.

 However in the last year, I probably received three or four bundles of flowers and I have enjoyed putting them together in a vase and I've even put some effort into keeping them alive! My opinion on the matter has definitely changed and I bet that as I get older I'll probably become more interested in gardening too. Don't even get me started on gardening.
Pretty Spring flowers.
  Each time that I see someone holding a thoughtfully wrapped bouquet of flowers my mind wanders and I always try to imagine what the story behind them are. As I was driving home from work on Friday I saw a girl driving a big truck with some carnations wrapped on her dash. I immediately thought that they were given to her by her boyfriend that just took her out to dinner. It was their anniversary and the gesture was sort of expected. Then I changed my mind and decided that the flowers weren't for her at all, they were for her lesbian lover. A plea for her forgiveness because she was still in the closet and needed more time to come out. I know! I'm ridiculous, but that's literally how my mind works when it comes to flowers.

 Another time, my curiosity got me into a bit of trouble. I was driving and a man was walking across a crosswalk with a bouquet in hand. I drove by, looking and wondering what the story behind his flowers were. As I passed him, he stopped looked at me and mouthed the words ASSHOLE. Say wha?! This guy was definitely in his sixties maybe close to seventy. I was floored. I was also immediately pissed off. So I parked and decided to meet up with this man in the parking lot to confront his rude accusation. He saw me and started charging towards me. We met in the middle and I exploded, demanding to know why I was an asshole. He said that it didn't seem like I was going to stop at the crosswalk (even though I did) and he thought I was driving too fast. I told him that I was in fact interested in why he had flowers and wondered who they were for, that was all. I also told him that I was NOT an asshole, far from it actually. He apologized for calling me one and I told him that I may have been driving a bit fast. In the end I poked him in the chest and asked; "We good?" He agreed. That is probably one of my favourite stories to tell because I have no idea what came over me that day. I think I was just outraged at the thought of someone thinking that I was a bad person when I was just curious and in wonderland about his pretty flowers. Needless to say; I never did find out why he had those flowers. Perhaps he was taking them home to his wife, for falsely calling her an asshole.


 Do you like receiving flowers or are you like me, and would prefer a bag of candy or chips?!

Friday, June 13, 2014

MHB- Week 26- High On Life!

 The week started out ordinary. But by Monday evening we were packing our lives up again, this time for ten days. Tuesday after work, we had fully moved to the beach resort again. Hey- I don't mind one bit. Living by the beach will cheer up the saddest soul. Plus, working out near the beach is always a really great way to start off the day. By the end of this week, I am in great spirits, ready to tackle the day!

MONDAY-

 Day 1- Fight Conditioning.  Again, it kicked my butt and I was pooped out afterwards. It basically did the trick! I snapped some shots of how tuckered I looked and my ridiculous hair do afterwards.

TUESDAY-
 Day 2- A pre work jaunt. I had to walk Alina to daycare because we were moving into our beach condo that evening. Our Jeep was loaded and had no room for little Miss Alina Bo Bina. The hill going to Alina's daycare is treacherous while pushing a stroller. Nah, it wasn't too bad. But it was definitely a mini work out. Luckily I did walk her because I didn't end up doing RushFit on Wednesday morning as planned.


FRIDAY-

Day 3- A jog! All week I've been driving to work and I mapped out a route for me to jog along my drive. I ran straight up a steep hill to the main beach resort area and then I jogged the long, tree surrounded road out of the resort. Where I'm staying it's called Resort Drive because there are about six, posh resorts all along the roadway. I jogged along the outskirts of all of the resorts and back. I couldn't believe that I didn't stop once! I NEVER do non stop jogging because it usually feels like torture. But get this... I enjoyed it!! What?! That's right, the sun was shining and I loved every minute of being outside early in the morning. I even went down to the beach after my run and had a relaxing walk, looking out onto the Straight of Georgia. It was the best way to start a Friday and end a week at work. I think today will have to be a good day. There, I said it.

 So Happy Friday to everybody today! Have I ever mentioned that I love Fridays!? Oh yeah, that's right, I have.. every Friday! The single best thing about being back to work full time is the fact that I can get excited about Fridays again. I had a discussion with my boss at work about how I love Fridays the most out of the week and he argued that Saturdays are the best obviously. I decided that I like Fridays even though it's a work day and I still have to get up early, work out and go to work because I know that I have two whole days off ahead of me. That's probably why I love Christmas Even more than Christmas Day for the same reason; the anticipation of the fun to come!

I mean really- what a great way to start the day; a jog under my belt, straightened hair, JEANS day, a cup of coffee, sitting at the table viewing the beach in the sun writing a blog post!
 I'm proud to say that Rob asked me late last night if I was going to post a song on my blog today. I hadn't really thought about, but agreed to if he had a good song in mind. He did. I just listened to it and it is exactly how I'm feeling this morning. I'm jacked up on endorphins, caffeine and Friday spirits! (Not the kind of spirits I usually end my Friday with, of course..) I hope to link up with Yoga Pants to a song that is by a band that is super catchy and fun to listen to; "San Francisco" by the Mowgli's!

San Francisco by The Mowgli's on Grooveshark




Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Oh Rob...

 We're back at the Beach Resort. Our floors are now being redone. I'm relieved that it's all nearly over. We are staying a little bit closer to the ocean in a condo this time. There are aspects of the condo that are better than the little cottage we had before and then some areas that aren't as good. Our kitchen is quite a bit smaller but our bedroom is much bigger. It doesn't really matter. I'm happy to be here. Anytime that I'm away from our house, is good. It's freeing being out of the chaos right now.


What I came home to after work. The view from the balcony off of our bedroom at the beach resort.
 We unpacked, put the baby to bed and decided to head upstairs to check out our view. It was an overcast evening, so we didn't get much of a sunset. I expect that we'll get some really good ones in the future. While we were upstairs we saw a little door. Immediately Rob tried to open the door expecting it to be locked but hoping it wasn't. I joked that there must be a little troll living inside because of the mini doorway. Rob asked if I had any bobby pins and I knew what he was up to. He tried to jimmy the lock and I swore I'd dedicate a blog post to him if he got it open. After a few minutes of trying to break into the lock MacGyver-style he got wise and started to tamper with the bolts that make the door swing open and close. He hurried to his truck to get the proper tools and within a few minutes he had the door open. So, as promised this is my post dedicated to his commitment and obsessive curiosity.

 Turns out that people own these condos. They come and spend whatever time they can here and usually have a safe place to store their seasonal items. Inside the closet we found beer, laundry detergent, bikes and candy. Of course we left everything and closed it up safely. We may be snoopy little shits but we aren't stealing little shits. Even if the candy was tempting...

Have you ever let curiosity get the best of you?


Monday, June 09, 2014

Hey Blondie

Every week on Instagram people post old pictures of themselves or others and use the hashtag tbt which means Throw Back Thursday. I always get a bit confused when I'm going through my Instagram feed, trying to remember when a friend got a puppy that looks suspiciously like their now grown up dog or why another friend dyed her hair a very outdated, bleach blonde. Then it hits me that it's Thursday and these are old pictures I'm looking at. It gets me every time.

 A fellow blogger posted some pictures of herself sporting blonde hair and I couldn't help but remember my brief days as a short haired blonde. I believe it was the summer of '03. I was partying a hell of a lot. My girlfriends all had fake i.d.'s and I was used as their decoy. The three of us would walk together into any bar, with me in the middle. The bouncer would immediately focus his attention on me and the other two would split into opposite directions, quickly looking for a table to sit in. I thought I was the attention getter because I looked the youngest, but it was probably because of my platinum blonde do. I had long hair earlier in the summer and my one girlfriend was streaking it blonde slowly throughout the year. Finally, I decided that I should just have it chopped off. Once my hair was really short, she tried the streaking thing again and before I knew it- I was a full on blonde.

 Is it true that blondes have more fun? I have no idea. But I will admit that I did have a lot of fun that summer. It was probably my sluttiest summer of my life. I didn't sleep around at all.  Instead I made out with every guy I was attracted to. I blame the blonde hair. Perhaps it does cause us to have too much fun. Or perhaps it was the fact that it was my first summer in a bar, getting attention from guys and it was just too much excitement for me to keep all to myself. I still remember that I was single and my other two friends were not. I ended up not sleeping with anyone and well.. that's all I'll say about that.

Pictures from that very summer, on that very trip.
 I'm not sure what happened.. but my hair went from a nice platinum, clean blonde to an ugly yellowy blonde. I was also into scrunching my hair and well, it was not a flattering look for me. Just call me Scarecrow! Again, I was still having fun and very close to my transition into longer, darker hair.

I look like mega bitch in the picture on the left. I had this one friend that we hung out with that drove me absolutely nuts. He was so irritating and it really shows who is taking the photo based on my bitch-face. The other is of me rocking my Harry Potter costume that Halloween.
 I've been toying with the idea of cutting my hair again. But, nothing drastic. I'll go a bit shorter and I'm considering lightening it up again. No Kissing Queen Blonde in my near future, but maybe streaking it lighter.. But I always get excited when I find that it's time for a change with my hair. Why is that!? Why does our hair matter so much? Either way- it does to me. I'm excited for a little bit of change again.

Do you have any crazy hair colours in your past to show off on the next TBT? 


Friday, June 06, 2014

MHB- Week 25- The Usual

 I'm back at it! I'm still doing three days a week and I'm using lighter weights again, just for the next week or so and then I'll get back into the heavier ones. My lower back was acting up for the first time last week and because my mom has a major back disability I'm always really, really careful about my own.

MONDAY-

I took a BEFORE of my tummy and an AFTER . The before is actually on the right hand side- but you can't tell the difference.
Day 1- Abdominal Strength and Core Conditioning. I couldn't find my five pound weights, so I used a couple of cans of diced tomatoes. It worked just fine. I also took a picture of me with Alina's old car seat and base. I'm giving it to a colleague that is due with her first baby next week. I wanted to show off that I was working out on my walk to work too! All and all- a great start to my week.

WEDNESDAY-

Day 2- Fight Conditioning. This is the first time I've done this workout in quite awhile. It felt really good and as you can see; I worked up quite a sweat! Alina is pictured rocking her sweet shades and playing her piano, foot and all. Doesn't she look like a mini Elton John!?

FRIDAY-

 Day 3- Strength and Endurance. This workout always leaves me out of breath after the first two rounds. Alina has been getting up early lately but I've been working on finding ways to get her to fall back asleep until closer to seven. So my workout was interrupted a few times but I kept at it and didn't cut it short.

  Today is Friday and I love it because I wear my hair down and get to wear jeans with my scrub top. The sun is shining, it's a Baba day and most importantly; no work tomorrow! Enjoy the weekend and no matter what happens at work today- it's still Friday! AND- I got another Bloglovin' follower this week. It's been awhile, so I'm happy to report it!







Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Pass The Sunscreen Please

Soooooooooo.. there are a lot of things that 'people' fail to tell you when discussing having a baby. There's the usual, unhelpful, unwanted advice or statements like; "You better get all the sleep you can get now because you won't be getting any!" "You have no idea how much your life is about to change!" Actual, helpful tips would be more appreciated but it's really rare to get when you're pregnant. For some reason everyone wants to share the horror stories or their own, personal experiences related to your situation or not.

 There are always huge learning curves along the way. I just discovered one little tip now that summer is starting to make an appearance. Getting a sunburn with a one year old is a very bad idea. Luckily my sunburn wasn't severe and it wasn't all over my body. But still. My one year old does not take into consideration that my skin is on fire. So when she is tracing her scratchy little nails over my necklace on my very red chest, it's less than pleasant. But, it's sweet, so I let her. Ridiculous- yes! But when my girl wants to cuddle and be sweet, I can't resist. I can just imagine future burns that will prove to be more of a challenge with a wee one around.

World's worst tan line.
 Imagine the evening after a full day out in the sun with little sunblock.. All I ever want to do is slap some cool lotion or aloe vera all over my skin and just lay on the couch in my underwear or a light nightie. Insert crazy toddler. The kind that likes to roughly drop books into my lap or shove sharp edged toys my way. The kind that loves a pre bedtime cuddle and one that almost always builds up a little sweat. Sunburns are so HOT.. I shudder at the thought.

  For all of you future moms to be ... remember to wear sunscreen when you have babies. Not because skin cancer is scary (even though it is) but because toddlers don't care if you skin is on fire!

This may or may not be an old picture of my very, very burnt ass after an exceptionally long day out at the beach with little to no sunscreen on. Imagine what that ass would have felt like squished against a couch cushion with a hot toddler on its lap...

In the land of social media everyone documents everything. Do YOU have a picture of a brutal sunburn out there on the interweb!?


Monday, June 02, 2014

School's Out Surprise

 Rob turned 30 last Wednesday and immediately following that, he took his IP code exam. I decided that celebrating both together would be the best idea. He was way stressed out on Wednesday studying, to properly enjoy his birthday. So I made plans to surprise him after school on Friday. A few weeks back when we were watching the American Idol finale, he mentioned that he wanted the same treatment that the American Idol gets when he wins. Confetti falling from the sky, his name in big letters declaring that he wins and some sort of celebratory theme music blaring. Well, I did what I could with my resources. It was a little bit more low key than the American Idol finale, but I think it did the trick.

 I saved some packaging foam 'peanuts' from work to be used as the confetti. I rigged up a box above the door, so that when Rob walked through it, the box would open and the confetti would fall on him. I made a big sign that read; Rob Wins and I had the Pink Floyd song, "Brick In The Wall" playing on repeat. I had my mom take Alina for the day and overnight. She was over early in the morning and I was busy loading up her car with all the things she'd need. I came home at lunch time to make sure everything was in place and sadly the tape didn't hold well and my whole contraption had fallen to the ground. I quickly rigged it up with better tape and hoped that it would hold until Rob got home.


 In the end, the whole thing worked! Rob walked through the door and the confetti fell, he read his sign, heard his song and read the note that I left. It read that he was to relax and do whatever he pleased until I got home. We had dinner reservations at Brown's Social House. The hockey game was playing, the place was packed and the food and drink was pretty damn tasty. I told Rob that the night was all his. He chose to return to our town and hit up the newest pub. It was recently made over and it looked expensive and very modern. The drinks were good, the service was mediocre and the clientele was more than a little douchey and pompous. We went home, drank beers and sat around a camp fire. It was bliss. We listened to music while Rob burned his notes from school. It was the perfect night. The baby was content, having her first sleep over with her buddy, Baba. We were busy celebrating Rob's 30th year and most importantly the fact that he finished school.

Rob finds out his mark in a couple of weeks but he feels pretty confident that he did well. I'm so relieved and excited to start enjoying this summer. (After the floors are redone of course.. after that though- fun in the sun!)

I know- it's another recap post! But I was proud of my surprise to Rob and had to share! 

Have you ever pulled off a pretty cool surprise for someone?