Thwarted again!

  Today is my 100th post! :)

 I had planned to go to out of town yesterday to do some shopping for my nephews birthday party, but if you read yesterday's blog post you know that was thwarted thanks to vehicle troubles and a broken gas gauge. Today is a Pro D day for Ella so I thought it would be fun for the three of us to go today instead but I've been thwarted again, this time thanks to the alarm going off on my septic system. Now I'm sitting at home all day waiting for the septic guy to show up and trying to keep two little kids entertained. Such a pain but such is life....

Today's outfit of the day is casual. I almost went with my boots today as it's kind of overcast for a change and I might have been able to pull it off without getting too hot, but in the end I decided on my flats.

Sweater: DKNY

Camisole: Bootlegger

Jeans: Warehouse One

Flats: Liz Claiborne

Necklace: Wal Mart discount bin (I always have good luck there).

Headband: BIC Bands - Minnie Sparkle Black

Because of the septic I wasn't able to wash my hair this morning so back up in a bun it went. Fourth day hair doesn't need to be down. :S I used to have to wash my hair everyday but it's amazing how many days you can go with a little training. You have to put up with some greasy hair at the very beginning but I can easily go three days in between now and it doesn't get greasy. It's actually not even bad today and with a little dry shampoo I could have worn it down no problem.

This hair is really easy. I just teased the crown a bit, pinned the fringe with a good sized bump at the front, then put my hair up in a high pony. Next I removed the pins holding the fringe and slipped on the headband so it leaves quite a bit of hair sitting up behind the band. Then I pulled the pony a little bit tighter to keep the hair with some decent lift and then twirled the pony around itself and secured it with a couple of small jaw clips. Finish with some hairspray and you're done.

I had a good long chat with my mother the other day and she's been having a rough week with news of two friends with cancer. I can't imagine having that news dropped on me, so hard, but I suppose you don't have a choice but to deal with. A good reminder though to never put off what you really want to do or say for another day. This quote fits aptly:

I hope you're all enjoying your Friday and have great plans for the weekend. My Friday plans have definitely changed over the years:

It's the job that never ends my friends but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Cheers!

My first attempt at self photography

 Today was the day, I finally decided to do it. I figured out the timer on the camera and took my own pictures today rather than wait for Ella to get home from school (yes I would like you to clap). I actually think they turned out quite well. I would hit the button and run, I had 10 seconds to get to my spot, stand how I wanted to be and the camera would do it's work. Marshall spent the whole time saying "on your mark, get set, go!" each time I would run away from the camera. I die....that kid is so cute. 

I tried out something new with my hair today. The French Braid Bun (thank you pinterest). I love how it turned out and it's surprisingly easy. You can see the video tutorial here: Hair Tutorial: French Braid Bun 

Accessories:

Loving these little flats from Wal Mart, they are so cute and were only $19

Cardigan: h.i.p (Winners)

Top: Calvin Klein

Jeans: Warehouse One

Flats: G21 (Wal Mart)

Necklace: Wal Mart discount bin

Bag: from Winners

I have been wanting to make pumpkin bread for awhile and found this great recipe online. It's called Ultimate Pumpkin bread and for good reason, it's excellent...could have something to do with the fact that it's made with butter rather than oil. It's not calorie friendly but it's so good and it goes great with morning tea/coffee or as a snack in a packed lunch. As an added bonus your house will smell amazing when you bake it, very fall. Try this one, I think you'll like it.

Ultimate Pumpkin Bread 

Now for a couple of randoms...

Have you seen those jokes with the animal pictures? They always crack Chris right up, the look the animals get...so funny. Like this one:

(remember you can always click on any picture to see it in a larger size)

Any Mad Men fans out there? Chris and I just started watching it on Netflicks and we are already halfway through season two. It's really addicting!

A song for you:

Hail Hail - Shovels & Rope 

And today's quote:

Just as an FYI to those who read yesterdays post... I DID end up making dinner and passed on the pizza. I'm so glad I did. As for after dinner snacking..just a small piece of pumpkin bread and a glass of water. I didn't get out for my morning walk though and this is why: My gas gauge is officially broken on my van. It had been looking kind of fishy for the last couple of days, but I just assumed Chris had put some gas in when it read that it was much fuller than I last remembered. Turns out he did not and I almost didn't make it home after taking Ella to school this morning. Thankfully my friend Dana came to the rescue (thanks girl!) with some gas and other than still having a broken gauge things are good.

Still amazing weather here, I'm loving it!

OOTD and dieting

So today is day three of a change in eating habits. I've been doing pretty well overall, although my dinner last night was a little carb heavy. I do find that a little extra carbs keeps me full much longer so there was no snacking after dinner. I did eat healthy, good for you carbs though in the form of black beans and sweet potatoes, lots of good fiber there. I definitely have to fight hard not to eat in the evening. I think it's partly because I tend to be a night owl by nature and usually go to bed between 11-12. It's hard to have dinner at 6 and then not eat again when you go to bed so late. I didn't feel hungry last night though and stuck with water (yay me!).

Today's outfit of the day is pretty relaxed (let's face it...most of my outfits are pretty relaxed because I don't go to work in an office everyday).

T-shirt: Old Navy from a couple of years ago

Camisole: Bootlegger

Jeans: Warehouse One

Shoes: Converse

Bracelet: Hello Berry

Polish: Foxy from Revlon

I'm trying to be good tonight with my eating and honestly I'm struggling with getting a pizza instead of putting dinner together because Ella has a ballet class that goes late. This is strictly a battle of convenience because I would rather eat something at home that is both cheaper and better for me. Pizza isn't a huge draw me for, I could go either way. Cake on the other hand......

Ok, I have to be strong. We are just going to have to eat a little later, pizza is not an option. There! Mind is made up! Phew...I think I just dodged a bullet....

Today's quote is from good old Honest Abe...and it applies to every one of us:

Happy hump day!

Skinny jeans ( ??!! ) OOTD

 Today I wore skinny jeans. Yes, you heard that right. I have never worn skinny jeans in my life but I love them on other people, mostly models...

There are two reasons I haven't worn skinny jeans: 1. I'm not skinny, and when I was skinny, the darn jeans weren't around. 2. Chris isn't really a skinny jeans fan.

Now the jeans are everywhere and I love them, but I just don't know if this sweet "mother of two children body" is ready to handle them. Today was the trial run....opinions (gentle ones!) are welcome. What do you think....yay or nay?

With the accessories I wore running errands today:

A close up of the bag(to me it has a bit of an equestrian feel...the detail kind of reminds me of a horse bit):

Close up of the shoes:

Close up of the detail on the shirt:

 Simple hair today pinned back off my face and close up of my big sunnies:

Top: Cynthia Rowley (Winners)

Tank: Bootlegger

SKINNY jeans: d.jeans (Winners) very budget friendly at just $20

Flats: G21 (Wal Mart) also very budget friendly at $19

Bag: can't remember the brand and it's no where on the bag but it's from Winners

Bracelets: Wal Mart discount bin

Sunglasses: Nine West (The Bay)

I'm feeling very motivated to get the weight off and would love for you to join me on the ride via this blog. Support of friends is always welcome and accountability is a powerful motivator, this blog has both, so lets do it!

Some of my favourite lighter calorie recipes

 Soooooo..... I really need to get my eating back on track. It's gotten a little out of control through the end of summer and the scale's not happy. It keeps threatening to give me higher and higher numbers unless I do something about it. So today has been day one of getting back to eating smaller amounts of lighter calorie food.  

 I thought I would share a few of my favourite recipes that I have found online. Yes, they contain carbs, I love carbs. I don't cut out entire parts of a well rounded diet in order to lose weight (although I have in the past and it just made me really grumpy). I want to be able to maintain whatever diet I follow so it can't make me miserable.

The first one is 

Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side 

I have made this one multiple times. It is easy to put together but there is a good deal of prep beforehand chopping vegetables so don't do it on a night when you don't have much time. It's really tasty and filling. Don't be light with the cajun seasoning, it really makes the dish.

Next is Sweet and Fiery Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa 

This is very tender and has great flavour. The mango salsa absolutely makes it! The perfect side dish to the tenderloin is Brown Coconut Rice with Cilantro. Absolutely delicious and very fragrant.

Next is Shrimp Pad Thai on the Lighter Side 

I love Pad Thai, and this is a tasty dish. It doesn't generally have a really high calorie count anyway, but this one is lightened up a bit with more bean sprouts and less rice noodles.

Next is Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp 

This is delicious, very comfort food like and I will be making it again this week as I have lots of prawns in my freezer thanks to a great deal at Thriftys a few weeks ago.

Last is Sweet Potato and “Un-Fried” Bean Tacos 

These are so tasty! Make sure and leave yourself some time to bake the sweet potatoes, they do take a little time. This is a great meatless dish, very filling with great flavour.

And rather than leaving you with a quote today I'm just going to let this pin from Pinterest say it like it is......so true.... *sigh*.

 Here are a couple songs before I go:

Snow Patrol - Called Out In The Dark  - this one isn't new but I love it.

Barcelona- It's About Time  - this one is old too but it's a good one. 

Happy Monday!

OOTD for a cause

Today's outfit of the day is casual and helps a cause. MyFight : "is a movement to abolish extreme poverty. You buy t-shirts, we make loans, and together we empower families to escape the prison of poverty". I was happy to buy a t shirt and support this great cause. Just as an FYI if you decide to get one for yourself, they do fit on the small side.

Chris called this the "come at me bro" pose. Seemed appropriate for the shirt. ;)

Jeans: Warehouse One - FYI: I have multiple pairs of jeans from Warehouse One, I don't wear the same ones all the time...haha

Shoes: converse

Bracelets: Wal Mart discount bin

A couple of randoms to fit in with the blog title.....

Have you seen the new Hobbit trailer? It just came out a couple of days ago. Really looking forward to this movie as I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Official Trailer 2 

Last nights dinner (no I didn't take this delicious picture, it was taken directly from the website I got the recipe from):

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp 

This recipe was extremely easy and really tasty. I made it with jasmine rice because it's a favourite of mine and smells so good.

And today's quote to close this post....an appropriate one for the My Fight cause:

We're off for a family hike, pictures in the next post. Happy Weekend!