Day 2: Pajama Day!

My apologies for not blogging our day yesterday. Technical difficulties with the camera not recognizing the camera card...house hunting...and C's staff Christmas Party last night!! Busy day!

My apologies for the grainy blackberry pictures, but that's all we have for right now!

Anyhow...Day 2 was....



So...That's what we did! Well...what Owen did! I had to get dressed to go look at houses with C, but Owen stayed in his pj's all day!



Owen was pretty happy about it!!



and then he used my wine chiller as a shape sorter. Can't win 'em all!!

New Traditions: Day 1

Well...here goes 25 blogposts in a row!

We started a new tradition today with our advent calendar. Each day, for the next 25, we'll have a new family activity to do together. It might be something specifically with Mama, or Daddy...or even a special treat to do with Nana and Papi, or Grammy and Rob!

And...I'm going to blog about them all!

Today..Day 1...



So...since we had a showing at noon, we set off to do some errands, visit Patty at the post office and then headed over to Chapters.

First we got some brunch at Starbucks...yummy multigrain bagels with milk!



Then we read How Do I Love You, which Owen wasn't super interested in



And we wandered around for a while before finding That's Not My Elephant



And That's Not My Monster



Whew! 3 Stories in one day!!

And we also bought this one, so we could take it home and read it



What's in store for tomorrow?? Only the calendar knows! ;)

Workin' It 11/30

Good morning ladies!!! I'm a little late posting this, I do apologize, but life has been relatively insane for us over the past week (hence no Steppin' Out post last Saturday, even though I looked super cute when GodMomma and I went Christmas shopping!)

Here we go....

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How're you all doing with your Workin' It goals?? I got my booty into the gym once this past week (and once so far this week, which has been even more insane with baptisms, house showings {two of them!! Same family too!!}, a craft show tomorrow night, C's staff holiday party Friday, I have a massage {much needed!} Saturday morning and then I'm off to style a photo shoot...oh and we might start moving on the weekend!! ahhhhh) and aside from tidying, cleaning and running around like a chicken with my head cutoff, I've been trying to focus on Nutrition.

I've been doing some baking, but have been doing some healthy baking. Oatmeal cherry bars are my favourite snack right now - with little to no sugar! I've been trying to make healthier choices with salads, getting more protein, getting veggies into my body to feed and fuel it. It's hard though when you're a mom!! Remembering to eat when I'm so busy is seriously a challenge (and a topic for next week).

Last Wednesday's workout was:

Walk 5mins

Then 4 sets of:

• 15 leg presses at 75lbs (definitely can do more than that, but getting back at that one slowly)
• 15 thrusters at 10lbs
• 15 bentover rows at 25lbs
• 15 sunups (situps on a bosu ball)

Then 15mins of cardio on the elliptical...at 6.3mph!

Now, you might be wondering about some of my fitness jargon, and you can totally do almost all of the circut exercises that I do...but from home!

Today, I'll explain what a thruster is.

{note: I came home from the gym that night and our Personal Trainer pal was over. I told him what I had done at the gym and he was super impressed that I was doing thrusters, since they're such a great exercise for your core, back, arms and legs. Full body, baby!}

Grab a couple of weights (soup cans, jars of peanut butter, your baby..whatever your have handy) and hold them at your shoulders

Do a squat

As you come out of the squat, push your arms up to the sky and then bring them back to your shoulders

Repeat

I'm not going to lie, they're hard...and they make you hurt if you kick up the weight (next week/routine when I do them, I'll be kicking up to 12.5lbs) but they are so incredibly worth it!

And here's some inspiration to get moving this week!

Christmas Traditions

I saw this over on BabyShmizz and thought, what the heck...I've got some answers to these!

Are you preparing for Christmas yet?? Take the survey!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I actually have never had, nor ever intend to have, egg nog. Drinking eggs just grosses me out. Hot chocolate...absolutely...and with some peppermint schnapps, please!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Oh...Santa wraps! And in the most glorious papers, with ribbons and bows, fancy tags and personal notes! He doesn't fool around!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I love plain white lights. There's just something etheral about a tree, lit with white lights, with shimmering glass ornaments on it.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I haven't, but I so want to! We used to have a cheapy plastic one when I was little, and I would get so grossed out when my parents would smooch up...I want to be that parent!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Today!! They went up today!! I'm so thankful we have Thanksgiving in October!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My Mom's nanaimo bars...the...best..things..EVER!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I have two. The first was getting the display for our yard ready with my Dad. He had made the whole nativity scene out of wood, and we paintd it white. I got the special job of doing the detailing on the wisemen's gifts, camel's faces and baby Jesus' cradle. The second was out Christmas Eve tradition - Chinese takeout, church, new Christmas pj's, and then everyone watched White Christmas. Gotta love the Bing!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I honestly don't even remember...you're telling me he's not real? I watched the Polar Express today with Owen while I set up the decorations, and I so hope that when I'm 90 I can still hear that silver bell.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? C's family has a tradition of opening one gift, usually (always) a new board game to play together. In our little family of 3, we open a new movie to watch before tucking in for the night and waiting for Santa.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We...I mean I...decorate with care. Another tradition I have with my Dad...blaring Mario Lanza and setting up the tree, checking the lights and everyone decorates it together. We have red and clear glass balls, handpainted ornaments that I made for Owen and C, and a new ornament every year that we've been a family...along with some childhood favourites. I cannot WAIT to put a train track and village under it just like my Mom.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Have you noticed I live in Canada? I have no choice but to love it!

12. Can you ice skate? You bet your bottom dollar I can! I can't do anything fancy, and my skates haven't been on for...6 years...but I can!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? It was the year that my Dad passed away. Mom gave my brother and I each a necklace of my Dad's...and I wear it every day.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Turning off to the world and being with my little family. Snuggling with Owen, kissing my Hubs...being with them means the world to me, especially at Christmas.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Aside from the Nanaimo bars? Probably key lime pie that a special friend makes...it's freaking to die for!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Decorating and finding THE perfect ornament for the tree to represent our year.

17. What tops your tree? A creamy and gold Santa...I so want a beautiful angel though

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? GIVE!!! I love love love shopping and creating gifts for others!

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Actually...meh. Does that count? I always have them in a big hurricane vase by the front door...year round!

20. Favorite Christmas show? Movie? Oh gosh...then: Muppet Family Christmas...my Dad actually put ALL of those old classic shows onto VHS for me. Now: Polar Express!

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Probably Old Toy Trains and just because it reminds me of my Dad

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Silent Night...because it was my big singing debut in public school at our assembly when I was about 10. Love Love Love it!

Christmas is Coming!

We've been trying to wrap out heads around not being home for Christmas this year. So far, so good! We've had our gift selections shipped to the condo (thank you Amazon.com and Etsy!) and Nana and Papi took some of our luggage and stocking stuffers.

What I'm struggling with is not decorating our house. We were advised by our real estate agent not to decorate our home and to stay as neutral and decluttered as possible. While I've sent a box of decorations down to the condo (thanks, Nana!) our home just feels....blah.

So I made this yesterday


handmade paper advent calendar

My assistant seemed to like it...



But apparently thinks that Christmas is in 5 days...



it even has pouches on the back for treats, coupons, recipes and notes!



and it folds down small enough that we can take it with us on holidays!

Workin' It 11/23

Welcome back! Are you ready for week two?

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I'll be the first to admit...last week wasn't a super good one. I only got to the gym once, and that was on Sunday before the madness of cleaning and home staging started.

Sunday's workout was a doozie though!

5 minute readmill warm up
4 sets of:

• 15 bar pushups
• 500m row (2:30mins)
• 10 tricep dips at 50lbs
• 20 weighted squats at 15lbs

15 minutes cardio on the eliptical

It had me pooped for sure!

Then Monday came when I cleaned from morning until bedtime, followed by more cleaning and homestaging on Tuesday and Wednesday. I literally have not climbed so many stairs in my life, or mopped all of our floors (kitchen, 3 bathrooms, 2 entry ways and a laundry room) all in one day, or vacuumed and dusted every surface (2.5 storey home!), washed walls, lifted and carried boxes, boxsprings, bedframes, cleaned tubs and showers....in the matter of two and a half days!

So...keep in mind that while going to the gym is fantastic, there are tonnes of things that you can do around the house to stay active!

I even weighed myself at one of the houses that we went to see on Saturday, and I am very happy to report that I've lost 4lbs!

Here's some motivation to keep moving this week!

Link up your Workin' It Wednesday post!

Steppin' Out 11/19

What a whirlwind of a day yesterday!! Whew!


Top: joe Fresh
Jeans: Old Navy


funny little self portrait

Post-pedicure toes: Butter, British racing Green

After a well deserved pedicure, we set off on a house hunting adventure as the For Sale sign went up on the lawn at our place on Friday. We looked at five houses, and it feels like we're nearing a decision. {a post on how-to keep your home show-ready with a toddler to come later in the week!}

Then, straight down to hometown for dinner and the Santa Claus parade with GodMomma, J, T, AuntieDeeDee, Uncle Big A and W.


Hat: Rumour Has It


On Mama
Hat: George
Flower embellishment: Shabby Lane


Daddy and his boy :)

What'd you do this weekend??