Weekend Recap: B's Bachelorette Weekend

This weekend was a lot busier than usual but it was also a lot more fun because both sisters were in town to celebrate my younger sister B’s upcoming wedding. All of her best friends came together to laugh and cry (maybe that was just the bride-to-be but I get it, these things are emotional), eat too much, drink too much but most of all just have fun with one of our most favourite people.

I have to give major props to my older sister G who planned the whole bachelorette weekend, from figuring out accommodation, working with everyone’s schedules (essentially herding cats), planning events (and back-up plans thanks to all the rain), making sure there was always enough food and drink, down to the tiny details of decorations, gifts for everyone, games and everything that you tend not to even think about when planning an event like this. I know how much effort she put into it and I am so happy that everything went so well.

As the preggo I was of course the lame sister and while I wish I had been able to partake in the wine and mimosas and day-drinking (it was a real struggle for a wino like me), I still had fun and wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And at least I know I will always remember it ;) I did go home and sleep in my own bed and I skipped the Saturday day-drinking to head home for a nap but I was there for the important stuff. I think anyway… B was very understanding and besides, there were 8 other people vying for her attention.

And we already have plans to make up for it at Christmas.

And just so we have it on record here is a brief summary of the events:

Friday: a night in with wine and appetizers at the condo downtown, playing games, telling our favourite B stories, eating way too much and talking about everything from high school to horrific birth stories. The usual female conversation topics!

Saturday: brunch on the rooftop patio at Joe Fortes, bowling, wine on the patio at the Vancouver Art Gallery (I went home for a nap), back to the condo for food and more drinks, a hair and makeup trial for B, and then dinner at Vancouver Urban Winery. G booked a sommelier for dinner to take everyone through two sets of wine tastings and a back of the house tour. I actually want to do a separate post on this because the experience was so great and deserves it. I also wore heels for the first time since I got pregnant. BIG news people!

All the ladies after brunch

Bowling fun

Me and B

Sunday was recovery day. And even though I didn’t drink (and took a 1.5 hour nap on Saturday) I woke up Sunday with a very tired body. I was so drained. I dragged myself out of bed at 9, hubby made us breakfast and then it was back under the covers for me until about 1:30pm. After doing laundry I made my way up to spend a bit more time with B as she flew home this morning. I finished the laundry, hubby made chili for dinner, we watched Big Brother and then went up to bed.

Now I just have to make it through the week and then Saturday morning we head back up to the lake for a week. So. Excited. Now the tough part: focusing on actually accomplishing what I need to get done this week before I’m on vacation… or at least before my mind is on vacation. How do I focus people??

Linking up with:

Manic Monday | Monday Morning Gossip | Weekend Recap

 

Weekend (Vacation) Recap

I have to admit I am kind of happy to be home after our week at the lake... it's about 10 degrees cooler at home plus our main floor doesn't actually get super hot so it's not torturous to be in the kitchen or watch TV, etc. Don't get me wrong, the cabin is my absolute favorite home away from home and I feel so lucky and blessed to be part of a family who welcomes me to this magical vacation place but this week was a little rough. We were super lucky to have AC in our room but during the day the only really comfortable spot to be was in the lake. Thankfully the water was warm (basically the same temp as it is in September after having the summer sun warm it up) so I spent quite a bit of time standing there reading my book. 

Being pregnant in a heat wave is no joke - I could not cool down!! I retained heat better than a magic sack fresh out of the microwave. I am pretty sure if I had a good buzz going I would have barely noticed the heat but that obviously didn't happen. 

I should also point out that we have an air quality issue right now… there are so many forest fires that ash and smoke and all the other bad crap is being blown into our area. I heard that the sky was actually orange on Sunday morning, it doesn’t look as bad now but the air advisory is still in effect so not spending much time outside. It’s still hot and muggy though…

We desperately need rain so I am killing all the spiders I see and just thinking positive. If you know a rain dance, please bust it out for us.

We head back up in four weeks and I am just praying that the weather is a little cooler. Or that my body gets more used to it. I also plan to make lots of virgin slushie drinks... I wasn't smart enough to get on that bandwagon until Friday night but better late than never! The Bacardi lime margarita mix (blended with water and ice) was a party in my mouth. I barely noticed the lack of tequila. #winning 

And now for the requisite photo dump.

I think after 6 years Milo might finally understand where we are going when we pack up the truck at 5am and hit the road...

Favourite napping spot

Visiting the Ruby Blues Wine Bus at the Naramata market

Best picture I took all trip

One of the many wine tastings I watched from the sidelines...

Milo and his BFF Zoe begging for some of the happy hour fallen soldiers

Our little slice of Heaven

Sums up our trip (well my trip, add in a lot of beer for my hubby!)

And this pic sums up our last night - complete exhaustion.

Linking up with:

Manic Monday | Monday Morning Gossip | Weekend Recap

 

That Weekend I Stayed Awake

This weekend was super busy – I didn’t nap either day so that right there tells you that I had a lot going on. I can’t believe I have to wait another 5 sleeps until another one is on my horizon. But don’t get too excited because we didn’t really do anything too crazy. Oh what weekends with wine are like compared to now are so drastically different.

Friday evening I dragged my husband into Bed, Bath & Beyond for a snoogle pillowcase and also ended up buying myself a personal fan spritzer. All we kept hearing going into the weekend was the heatwave coming our way so I was determined to do anything to keep cool. My husband thought this was hilarious but last night he kept stealing it from me.

My personal spritzer fan

Saturday was my first prenatal yoga class and it went great! After class I picked up my birthday drink from Starbucks and headed to my first pregnancy/baby show. I talked to our local library, a naturopath, prenatal and postnatal caregivers, maternity physiotherapists, the local nurses, lactation consultants and even the childcare people who oversee all the daycares in our area. The smart people had snacks at their stand (they were guaranteed a visit from me) and others didn’t do anything for me. It was all very educational though and helpful in a bunch of areas (like getting on the daycare waitlists ASAP!) so I’m glad I spent a couple hours there. I went grocery shopping on my way home (I even bought our first pack of diapers, I feel like spreading out the purchases is smart, again my hubby thought I was insane. Also grocery shopping while pregnant is dangerous – I bought Alphaghetti for the first time since I was about 6. WTF??).

No makeup, so hot and Starbucks in hand. Saturday is about to become my bitch (not).

I think my Saturday afternoon/evening consisted of putting away groceries, fruit and veggie prep for the week, eating at various points throughout and finally crawling into bed at 9pm. Yeah we’re cool like that.

On Sunday I was determined to be lazy but then I did 5 loads of laundry, cleaned out half of our living room (the corner where I was hoarding all my crap, found my fitbit yay!) and visited with my husband’s grandparents and father. By the time we got home it was too late to nap so I relaxed on the couch while he cooked us dinner. I love not having to cook.

We headed up to bed just before 9pm and then of course as soon as I climbed in I was wide awake and checking Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest… I hate going to sleep for some reason. Even on weekends, I try and push it as far as I can. Is anyone else like that?

I love this face... ignoring all the crap behind him, this is how Milo waits for me to come up to bed. Once we're both upstairs he can relax.

And then all too quickly here we are at Monday. Fun. Let’s just take it one day at a time.

Linking up with:

Manic Monday | Monday Morning Gossip | Weekend Recap

 

My Half Mother's Day

I have to give props to my husband who on Saturday said to me on his very own, ‘So I guess you actually kind of get to celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow.’ Why yes, hubby, don’t mind if I do. He called it my Half Mother’s Day and if it means sleeping in and a yummy breakfast feast that I don’t have to cook then I am all in. I don’t think he even knows my blog name so I know that there is no way he read it on my bump date so I am even more impressed that he actually came up with it on his own.

We had a pretty lazy Sunday (shocker) with a sinfully long sleep in, a little Netflix bingeing, and then a family dinner.

My mother went away for the weekend and visited my older sister (pretty sure my nephews were the main draw there and I don’t think my sister minded one bit if it meant she could enjoy a bit of freedom) so we were only on the hook for a date with my mother-in-law. We were thinking of taking her somewhere for lunch and then got a call that there was going to be a big Sunday dinner so we joined his two brothers and their families, his grandma and his mom for one of the best prime rib dinners I have had in a long time. I don’t know if it’s because I’m pregnant but the food was AMAZING, and the mashed potatoes were out of this world – I was told the secret is to add warm milk, not cold. I hope I remember that the next time I’m making them.

It’s so crazy to think that next Mother’s Day I will be celebrating with my own little nugget. And yes I realize that the sleep in will likely be a distant memory… but I will be expecting a delicious breakfast feast!

The weather this weekend was amazing and I managed to get this guy to take a selfie with me!

A lazy Sunday morning... and he would kill me if he knew I posted this but how cute are they??

I Only Instagrammed Twice this Weekend!?

I was kind of on a roll last week and was all excited to be back in the blogging game when BAM – I got sick. Maybe not sick but something isn’t right with me and I spent the majority of the weekend in bed because of it. And obviously didn’t prep any posts I was planning for this coming week. Booo.

It all started Saturday evening when I got a really bad headache right above my right eyebrow. I could pinpoint the exact location where the throbbing pain was coming from but I couldn’t do anything to relieve it. I tried to take my mind off it by cleaning out my closet but that didn’t really help and around 9:00pm I gave up and crawled into bed with Jinx and Milo.

Sunday I woke up and still had the same headache! Hubby brought me water and drugs (over the counter kind;) and made a cold compress for my forehead. I stayed in bed til noon then dragged myself downstairs to get started with the day. After about an hour I had to sit down because I was so dizzy and exhausted. Hubby then made me a protein shake and sent me back to bed. I got up again around 4:00pm and managed to get our lunches made but didn’t have the energy to stick to our meal plan and make chili for dinner. I wanted grilled cheese and tomato soup and thankfully, my guy was happy to oblige. I lasted a few hours and then was back in bed early and despite being scared I wouldn’t be able to sleep after all the hours I had already logged, I was out in minutes. I woke up groggy this morning and let me tell you, this Monday was a tough one to crack. But I did it.

And that, in a nutshell, was my weekend. Now I will stop feeling sorry for myself and share a couple pics that I took. Because if you’re not on Instagram then do you really exist??

Someone thought my time could be better spent...

He resigned himself to the fact but didn't make it easy!

Trader Joe's tomato soup and grilled cheese made with fresh french bread and Kraft singles - SO GOOD!

Linking up with:

Manic Monday | Monday Morning Gossip | Weekend Recap

 

My Hop Across the Pond

Wow, I have gotten really bad at this blogging thing. BUT I think that will change soon (like actually change for real) and hopefully I can share next week. And I need to remember that I created this space for me and I don’t want it to be a chore, I want it to be a place where I enjoy sharing my thoughts.

So where was I last week? A quick trip across the pond!

Three colleagues and I traveled to Southampton in the UK (an hour drive east of London) for a conference. The trip to London was awful, the plane was completely full and I didn’t get any sleep which resulted in my being awake for 20+ hours and when I finally did pass out at 10:00pm Sunday evening, I slept right through the night and woke up feeling pretty good. I didn’t have any jet lag all week, yay! (Slightly different story coming home but a much better flight).

Immediately after landing we headed to Caffe Nero in the airport for some caffeine before hitting the road in a rental car. If you're in the UK and can't find a Starbucks (or don't like them) check out CN!

I didn’t think anything about Southampton until we got there and I found out that the Titanic sailed from there! It was both so cool and terribly tragic to stand in the spot where so many people set off on what they thought would be a wonderful journey. There is a memorial at the entrance to the docks and people still visit and lay wreaths… it is very much a part of the city’s history. And I am sure there are other lovely parts of the city and it has an in depth history but I didn’t get a lot of free time to wander around.

The Titanic memorial outside the entrance to the docks

One of the many beautiful buildings we saw

The conference was great, it was the first time I travelled out of North America with this company and I met so many people. I spent some time in the booth, watched presentations and went out on a couple of boat demonstrations.

I guess this presentation was boring...

Friday morning I flew home and am so thankful that I had the weekend to recover (i.e. sleep). So we didn’t have a very exciting weekend – I slept and ate a lot of fruit. I am over hotel food for a while.

I did discover elderflower water and I looooved it – so refreshing! I didn’t speak to a single Brit who liked it though; it seems only foreigners are fans. I was also told you can’t get it in Canada so if anyone knows where I can, please tell me.  Elderflower and pear still water was my favourite.

My first elderflower experience!

I ordered a ginger ale - the bottle was 3 inches tall (check out the hand pouring behind)

I was invited to some amazing meals and my favourite of all was this hot chocolate and homemade coconut cookie. I may or may not have asked for extras and eaten all 4 when they arrived at the table.

Why Isn't Every Weekend a Long Weekend?

Why hello there Blogland, yes I am alive. And I don’t even have a good excuse for being radio silent. Even though last week was a short one I still couldn’t gather up the energy to show up even once and I do apologize. We will see how this week goes, no promises.

Work was busy last week as usual and I hosted my last breakfast event until late September and it feels amazing to have that off my plate. I know it’s an amazing group of people with networking opportunities and if I was in mid-twenties I would be killing it, but at this stage of my life all I want to do is go home at the end of the day and hang out with my family or occasionally my friends. So my third (unpaid) job is over for the time being and I am excited for the break.

Now I can focus on my day job and get back in the groove with the wine sales… spring has sprung and patios are opening and people are enjoying vino in the sun. Or even if it’s raining. People need the happy juice no matter what the weather and I need to try and get them to drink Ruby Blues.

But before that happens I thoroughly enjoyed a four day long weekend (yes I had yesterday off as well!) and actually accomplished a lot considering my plan going into it was pajamas, Netflix and food on repeat.

Friday

My mom and I braved Ikea. Coffee was needed. And it rained. Pretty sure I napped at some point.

 

 

Saturday

More rain but it stopped long enough for Milo and I to head down for a walk by the water. And then I ran errands (note to self: do not grocery shop the day before Easter Sunday. Total chaos). There was a couch nap here too.

 

 

Sunday - Happy Easter!

I woke up to a chocolate hunt. My hubby hid a bunny rabbit in the fuse box and a box of chocolate caramels by the hot water tank. These were actually good spots because I would not have gotten them without clues.

He was also spoiled but I raided the Target Canada sales over the last month so I got pretty good deals.

I even made brunch for us: Egg Baskets!  I added hollandaise sauce this time and it was amazing. I will never not include it again. You can find the recipe here – just add hollandaise.

Then we took advantage of the amazing weather and potted some flowers for our porch. Hubby also trimmed our front tree – we planted a 3 foot tall shrub the first summer we were together and it’s crazy to see how much it has grown in the past 6 years (this will be the 7^th summer!).

I probably should have taken an after shot in addition to the ‘work in progress’ photo… baby steps.

 



Hubby's haul

 


Egg Baskets for Easter Brunch!



Front porch planters



Trimming our tree



Milo 'helping' to clean up the branches... by throwing them around and chewing on them

I was sad when Monday rolled around but took advantage of having the house to myself.

It looked a lot like this and I finally caught up on my Netflix.

 

 

 I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!

Linking up with:

Manic Monday | Monday Morning Gossip | Weekend Recap