Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween

Wishing everyone a safe and fun Halloween. Drive safe and watch out for the little trick or treaters.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Fun weekend in Vancouver

Hubs had an opportunity to go to Vancouver for something last weekend and so we decided to make an entire weekend of it.

Since hubs worked late on Friday night we caught the early ferry over on Saturday morning. We sat in the quiet lounge and enjoyed magazines, the view and a light breakfast.

When we got over to Vancouver we caught the Sky Train to our hotel (The hotel charged a ridiculous amount of money to park a car over night so we decided to just take the sky Train).

We arrived at the Westin just before check in time. We got a great deal on the room and so we decided to upgrade and get a water view. We don't often stay in hotels, especially ones as nice as the Westin so it really was a nice treat to get away. Our room was really nice, as was our view overlooking the water! Our hotel was right downtown so we couldn't complain at hot convenient it was for what our plans were for the weekend.

We freshened up and met hubs cousin and his new wife for dinner at the Tap House pub. The food was pretty good, and they had some amazing kegs of beer brewed exclusively for the restaurant. Hubs had a flight of beer samplers to try and I tried a wine flight. It was great to catch up with hubs cousin as we hadn't seen him since we got married and we were supposed to attend his wedding the end of September but hubs and I were both sick so we couldn't make it. It was nice to finally met his new wife.

After supper, they were kind enough to drive us to the hockey arena where we had tickets to the NHL game Canucks vs Tampa Bay. Neither of us had even been to an NHL game so it was definitely a treat to experience one in person. There was a special promotion the night we went and there were scarves on each seat of the Canucks!!!

After the game we took the Sky Train back to the hotel. It stopped a few blocks before our hotel so we decided just to walk the rest of the way. It was a Saturday night and there were lots of people out from the hockey game and it being a Saturday night downtown in general. Not far from the hotel we came across Bella Gelateria, a gelato place hubs heard about through work. At this point it was 10:45 at night and there was a lineup out the door. We decided we had to stop and try the gelato as it must be good for there to be such a line. Boy, I am so glad we stopped. The gelato was amazing!!!!! If you are in the area I highly recommend you try it out. It is award winning and won awards in Italy even!!! It ended up being a great end to the night eating gelato cones on the outside patio at 11pm in the middle of October.

Hubs had something on the go early the next morning, so I was able to sleep while he did his thing. Once he was done, we decided to go to De Dutch for breakfast. I had never been and there was one not far from the hotel. (First I must give a shout out to the ridiculously comfortable beds at the Westin. I didn't want to get out of bed). We were lucky we arrived when we did because there was a huge line up not long after we were seated. The food was really good, however we found the waitress a little rude and some of the portions left a little to be desired. However, it was a much better option then the $28 breakfast buffet at the hotel, which wasn't anything fancy for the price tag.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel for a nap, since we had a 3pm late check out. We got up, showered, packed and decided to make our way home. We caught the Sky Train and then the bus back to the ferry. On the ferry we decided to have the buffet supper on the way home. It's $23 a person but worth it. You get a great view of the water and the food is really good. The buffet includes roast beef, pasta, soups, salad bar, misc. other items that rotate out, tea/coffee, pop, juice and water, and an amazing dessert bar including cheesecake, pies, squares, fruit, chocolate, cakes, etc. Definitely worth checking it out.

We got home around 6 pm and put on a bit of laundry and relaxed the rest of the evening. It started to rain just as we got home. We were so thankful that it didn't rain while we were in Vancouver as it was calling for rain and we did a lot of walking, so rain wouldn't have made the trip as enjoyable as it was.

Overall it was a great weekend and a great little weekend get away!!

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Tips for Settling into A New Office

A little under 7 months ago I switched jobs from working in a kitchen to an office job. Having only worked in an office for 3 months my entire life prior to getting this job, I learned a few things that helped me settle in.

* Bring a picture or 2. I brought in a wedding picture of hubs and I to put on my desk. It's nice to display my family and have something to look at if I am having a stressful moment.
* Bring in a care kit from home. I made sure to bring in a few band-aids, hair elastics, lip gloss, hand cream, Motrin, earrings, and anything else you may need. It's nice to have a few extras on hand in case your running late in the morning and forget to bring a hair elastic or your hands get dry. Having a couple of pain killers, or stomach settling meds are great to have on hand for that sudden headache or uh-oh after a work lunch that isn't setting right.
*Extra snacks. I keep a few granola bars, fruit cups, cup of soups and tea bags on hand so if I get the munchies or want something warm to drink then I have something in my desk instead of having to go by a drink or a snack (This can add up quickly). Some days at work I am thankful for these extra snacks as I'm super hungry and the lunch I packed wasn't quite enough. I sometimes keep a chocolate bar on hand for those chocolate cravings too.
*Candy bowl. I brought in a small inexpensive bowl and keep a variety of inexpensive candies in it. When someone comes by I offer a candy.
*Plant. My hubs brought me a plant when I first got my office. It's great to have a little fresh greenery in the office to brighten it up.
*Calendar. I use my email calendar for everything but also keep a printed copy on my desk to add in last minute things. It's great if I am on the phone, I can just look at my desk calendar and see what I have on the go if someone is trying to schedule a meeting, etc.
*Office supplies. I am lucky enough to work in an office where I can order in colored office supplies like post-it notes, sticky tabs and high lighters. Adding a little color to the office makes things a bit more fun and exciting.
*My coworker and I managed to get a couple of leather chairs for our office. They were sitting in a store room not being used so we brought them into our office. It's great to have some extra seating for visitors or if we need to hold a meeting.
*White board. My previous boss used a white board on her office door to say when she was away at meetings or on leave. It was a great way to know when she was busy or out of the office and when we could expect her to return. I use the white board in my office for the same things. I write when my coworker and I will be away on leave or flex day, any scheduled meetings or events for the day.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Currently....


I've seen this on a few blogs before and thought it was cute, so I decided to snag it for this rainy Saturday!

Currently... 
reading: Nanny diaries. Just finished 2 other books.

writing: This blog post.

listening: Halloween wars on food network.

thinking: I can't believe Christmas will be here in 2 months exactly. I will have been at my new job for 7 months this week.

smelling: My fresh laundry as I finish folding it.

wishing: I was going on vacation this fall.

hoping: The the sun comes out today.

wearing: black pj pants and a grey tank too.

wanting: To snuggle with hubs and watch breaking bad.

loving: The smell of fall in the air.

needing: To finish tidying up the house.


Have a great weekend everyone!!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Tips for an Easier Work Week

I may not have kids running around but that doesn't mean surviving a hectic work week with a husband who works shift work is easy. Over the last few years I have come up with and learned a few tips that help make the days go by a little bit easier.

1) My biggest tip of all is start the work week out right. This means have all the laundry done and put away, the house cleaned, groceries bought, dishes clean and not left in the sink dirty. By doing these things your starting your week off fresh and not overwhelmed that you don't have any clothes to wear Monday morning or food in the fridge for lunches.

2) Lay out clothes the night before. This seems trivial and something you always hear about, but it really does work. By laying out your outfit and accessories the night before can save you time in the morning and endless outfit changes when nothing seems to look right. 

3) Keep everything together. If you need to remember to bring a book, a sweater, etc to work or an appointment keep it in a bag or pile by the front door. This way you aren't searching for it on your way out the door, or forget it in a rush. This also works great for sunglasses and your car keys. I find by having a bag to keep everything in I can just grab and go in the morning.

4) Pack a lunch the night before. I always try and make my lunch the night before so I'm not rushing in the morning, or if I am running late I can just grab and go. This includes throwing snacks in my lunch bag. I also try and keep some non perishable snacks and drinks in my office so if I do run late or forget my lunch I have something to fall back on. Cup of soups, instant noodles, and a couple of bucks to go buy lunch is a great back up plan. Although if you plan ahead you save money by not needing to eat lunch out because you "didn't have time" to make lunch.

5) Have easy breakfast items on hand. I ways try to have yogurt or English muffins  on hand for quick breakfasts in the morning. Instant hot cereals are great too in a bind.

6) A slow cooker is your best friend. Hubs and I got a slow cooker from my parents and it's so nice to be able to through meat and veggies into it before work and come home to a fresh hot meal after a long day at work. This is especially true with winter approaching. Another great tip is to make a little extra and you have lunches for the next couple of days.

7) Have a few treats or easy food on hand. I like to keep fresh fruit like mango, bananas and apples in the house. They make for great on the go snacks for work and home. It's also a lot cheaper to buy "specialty" items like muffins, croissants, sandwhich items at the grocery store instead of buying it at work individually. Buying precut fruit can save time too (although it can be pricier). Or just do some prep every few days so fruit and veggies are grab and go.

8) My coworker and I went halfers on a kettle at work so we can make our own tea and hot drinks. This saves us times and money since we just bring in our own tea and don't have to pay for overpriced tea at the coffee shop. It's also much cheaper to buy specialty tea at the grocery store vs by the cup at the coffee shop.

9) Tidy through the week. I try and keep on top of the laundry and cleaning throughout the week so I can enjoy my weekends. Even if it's doing laundry on a Friday night, sweeping the floor another, and washing the dishes the next. Breaking a large workload up into smaller tasks makes the work not seem so large and time consuming. 

10) I always try and keep a sweater and personal kit at work. My personal kit consists of hair ties, a couple band aids, some vitamins, lip balm, hand cream, a comb and anything else you may find useful. These little items are great as you don't need to run out and buy them if you find you need them. I.e. You straightened your hair and then it pours rain at work, a hair elastic means you can throw it up quickly and go about your day  confidently. 

11) I always keep a book or 2 on hand at work for a stress release during break time or for some light reading at lunch.

12) Keep the car full of gas and other fluids. Nothing worse then beig stuck in traffic and worrying about your car running out of gas, or running late for work and your plan to fill up the tank has to wait.

Hopefully these tips help you out and make your work week run a little bit more smoothly. Do you have any useful tips that help you get through the week?

Monday, October 13, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving !

Wishing my family and friends a very happy Thanksgiving Weekend. Wish I could be there to celebrate with my family, but it was great to visit with them while they were here for 2 weeks in the summer.


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Welcome Fall

It's hard to believe it's October 1st. It's been a busy month and I've been behind in my blogging.


* We attended Hub's step-sisters wedding the end of August (Blog post to come on this).
* My parents came out for a 2 week visit the beginning of September so we had lots of fun and did lots of sightseeing (Blog post to come on this as well).
* We were supposed to attend a wedding this weekend gone by (Hubs cousin), but Hubs and I both ended up catching a cold and decided to not go and get everyone else sick.
* My cousin welcomed her first baby, a boy named Lincoln on Sept 26.
* Today was my coworker's birthday. She just got back from a week in Mexico and I surprised her with a cake. She didn't suspect a thing at all and I had all the boss's and coworkers in on it.