High Five for Friday: Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

I hope you are all having a very spooky Friday! I love Halloween and along with some pumpkin carving and a DIY costume, here are my highlights of the week!

1. Kelly and I bartended a fundraiser on Sunday night and I forgot how much fun it was! We had lots of laughs and snapchats throughout the night that kept us laughing the entire time!

2. Mike went to the Canucks game on Tuesday and watched them beat the Hurricanes which is already great! So glad hockey season is back!

3. Last night we went to carve pumpkins with Mr. C and Mike's brother and sister in law when we got him in this costume... Somebody wasn't a happy camper which makes it even better!

4. After seeing all the sugar skull pumpkins on Pinterest I wanted to try it for myself. It wasn't a complete fail but it isn't looking to great either! I did Hello Kitty Pumpkins for the last 3 years and next year I think I will go back to that! Hey, I tried!

5. I work in an office so I decided that we needed to have a festive halloween day so I made an office friendly costume. Microsoft Excel anyone?

Please excuse the photo quality! My iPhone4 is on it's last legs!

I hope you all have a fantastic day and eat lots of sweets!

stay clumsy
xx jamie

Dough Girls Bakeshop!

What else is there to do on a Saturday morning than to go to a bakery with your best friend and eat lots and lots of carbs. Kelly and I went out to see the new bakery our other friend, KP started working at! Doughgirls Comfort Kitchen + Bakehouse is one of the cutest bakeries I've ever seen. The people who work there are so nice and you can really tell the owners put everything they had into making the place feel like home. All the pastries were served on mismatched china plates (adorable), there were old baking tools hanging on the wall and I'm always a sucker for unique incandescent light fixtures.

 

 

Such a cute bakery right?! I absolutely loved it and that chocolate, almond bear claw was delicious!

Do you have a favourite bakery? Comment below :-)

stay clumsy
xx jamie

High Five for Friday

Hi All! Doesn't it always seem that the first normal week back from a short week feels like time crawls by? Well the good news is, is that it is Friday once again! I didn't have the most exciting week since the weather can't decide what is it doing in Vancouver but, as usual, here are my highlights of the week:

1. I work for an electricity company and so last Friday afternoon we got to tour one of our facilities and it was so interesting! It's amazing how technology has changed so much and is so advanced.

2. As you saw in my previous post, Mike, his family and I went to the pumpkin patch and it was a new place than I've been in years past and it was so much fun. I'm still pulling straw out of my toque and scarf but I loved it. Plus cheap gourds are always my favourite.

3. We went out for sushi on Sunday for Mike's mom's birthday and it was great - you have Colton, the 3 year old dissecting pieces of sushi and then you have Mike who has never tried sushi and succumbed to the family pressure and actually liked it... surprise, surprise ;-)

4. This is anything I did this week, but my friend KP started her new (dream) job in a bakery and she is absolutely loving it, my other friend Kelly and I are going to check it out this weekend. It's just such a great feeling when your friends are happy!

5. Kelly and I went for coffee Wednesday night and it was one of those catch up sessions where we have these stories that start with "I can't believe I haven't told you this yet!". We were a bit loud for the other in Starbucks but hey, that's what friends are for 

I have some fun plans this weekend as well as DIY-ing my office Halloween costume so it should be another busy weekend! Hope you all enjoy yours!

stay clumsy
xx jamie

Pumpkin Patch

This Saturday was a little family outing! Mike's brother and SIL invited along everyone to the pumpkin patch for some autumn fun. If you are from the Vancouver area, we went to Aldor Acres farm out in Langley and I think I was having more fun than the kids were!

 

We all had such a fun time. The weather was perfect, the goats were hungry and the pumpkins were ready to find a home! Now... to figure out what to do with the 11 gourds I bought

I hope you all had a great weekend

stay clumsy

xx jamie

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!! I’ve got good news, only 9 more Friday’s until Christmas! Woo! I hope you all had a great week. Mine was pretty good, with all the Thanksgiving dinners last weekend and some fun things during the week, this Friday came by so fast and I couldn’t be more thankful for that!

Here are my highlights of the week:

Mike and I went to the BC Lions game on Saturday and they killed the Ottawa Redblacks! I’m not going to lie, Mike hates taking pictures so this one too about 8 different shots and I lot of begging on my part – girl just loves a good selfie.

I am thankful for all the family time I had on the weekend! Between our two families, Mike and I had quite a lot (a little too much) too eat over the weekend but I heard calories don’t exist during Thanksgiving weekend…right?

Mike was out of town for work again this week which meant that when it was time to get the Blue Bomber (my old chevy cavalier) on the road again, I had to change the battery myself. I got some help from my dad and good news! The job is done and I still have all my fingers

I played hockey again this week and I really do love it – I forgot how thrilling it is to compete on the ice again and I’m also glad I fit into all my equipment from when I was 16, that stuff ain’t cheap!

Sephora is a dangerous place for me – I was going in to see what my new foundation colour for some urban decay makeup was since they have a sale on their website (20% off!!) and my tan is no longer here, however, I left with a lot of makeup instead…whoops. I’m pretty happy about it hah!

I hope you all have a great weekend and it looks like it will be a pretty rainy one in Vancouver.

stay clumsy

xx jamie

Tuesday Top Ten: Friend Dates

For my fellow Canadian's out there, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Weekend!

As I have mentioned many, many times before, Fall is my favourite time of year for many reasons. You aren't constantly sweating from the sun, you aren't constantly shivering from the cold and it's one of the best times of the year to go on dates of every kind. My favourite is Friend Dates (sorry Mike). Let's just say he isn't the most festive person when it comes to pumpkin patches or getting a seasonal latte, but my ladies are.

This week's list is my top ten Friend Dates for Fall:

1. Coffee Dates

This is a number one for me. The new seasonal drinks come out and the treats and goodies, YUM. Now, I gota say, I am NOT a pumpkin spice latte fan. I don't like pumpkin really but a good salted caramel or a rich hazelnut gets me every time. The nice thing of going for coffee is that it's relaxing and a great way to catch up with a friend you haven't see for awhile as well.

2. Pumpkin Patch

The best festive activity of the Fall! I love picking out the perfect pumpkin, chatting with your friend and putting on your cute boots to get through the mud.  Pumpkin patches usually have great snacks and extra activities as well - petting zoos are my favourite!

3. Public Skating

There might not be ice outside yet, but there is ice in the arena's! Look for adult skates where the music is fun and the laughs are endless. Just make sure not too laugh too hard if your friend ends up on her butt ;-)

4. Walk

The crisp air, the red leaves and the lack of screaming children in the park is the best parts of autumn walks. There are less people out on the trails, the air to cool enough to put on your favourite jacket and scarf. No worries of getting to hot or having a random child ice cream dropped on you as they run across the park in the summer (that kid wasted that ice cream!)

5. Window Shopping

So maybe I can't afford a whole new wardrobe every season, heck I can'r even afford a new outfit but doesn't mean that I can't look. Grab your bestie and leave your credit card at home while you see what's on display at your favourite stores! Just remember, wait til the end of season sales... or Black Friday!

6. Home Mani & Pedi's

Going to a salon is always fun but being at home, watching trashy TV and having your friend around while the two of you try (and maybe fail) the latest pinterest trends... that's what nail polish remover is for right? My favourite nail colour right now is Greycian Goddess by Loreal plus I love me a good pun. Want to try a challenge? Have some wine while you makeover your nails, just try not to smudge them while doing so. #guilty

7. Movie Night

Popcorn, blankets, mixed cocktails and something sappy with some gorgeous actor. I mean no one will overlook the mass amounts of popcorn you shove in your face like your best friend. Just make sure to have lots of extra kernels on hand... and probably tissues , I'll just take the box.

8. Local Brewery

Where I live, there are tons of micro breweries and local beer companies and the best part of the changing seasons is a new seasonal brew on tap. There are usually tours and cheap food available at your local breweries so look them up and take your girlfriend out.

9. Museum/ Art Gallery Visits

Museums and Art Galleries are another place that usually have a seasonal change of exhibits so go see whats showing at your local museum and hunt out some coupons. Nothing like two grown adults giggling and trying to keep quiet in an art gallery when you don't really understand the exhibit.

10. Baking Dates

Not only do you get to have quality time with your friend but you end up with something delicious! Now I am not a good baker, everything always ends up a little burned or not quite cooked enough so I really suggest that, if you are like me, you recruit a friend who is really good at it... for me, that would be my friend, KP. That girl can cook! Make something seasonal, my favourite at this time is a spiced apple flavour and I can't wait for eggnog to be back in stores!

I hope these give you all some ideas for some girl time this season and getting outdoors!

stay clumsy
xx jamie

High Five for Friday!

Happy, Happy Friday Everyone!! I am very excited for this weekend because, like my other Canadians, this is our Thanksgiving Weekend which means a nice looong weekend! It is very needed, can you tell I'm excited? I had a fairly slow week since I was still feeling a little lousy but...

here are the highlights of the week:

We babysat our nephew, Mr. C this weekend and let me tell you, that kid is adorable. We went to the park, played with the doggies and rabbits and had pancakes for breakfast! It's awesome having him for a sleep over and it's nice giving him back as well ;-)

How cute are they?!

Because we babysat Mr. C and his favourite movie is frozen... well you guessed it. We got to watch it twice this weekend. The only times I've watched it are with him but I already know most of the word. When you are belting out let it go and a 3 year old tells you to stop, you know you don't sound very good. I ain't no Idina over here, that's for sure.

I met up with my friend, KP for a crisp, autumn walk. I love this type of weather and there is a trail near my house that is beautiful. The air was cold, Starbucks was warm and the conversation was great!

I am officially addicted to face masks. I feel so relaxed and rested when I have a mask on and that glass of wine while I'm waiting helps the time go by fast ;-) if you can keep a secret, a certain boyfriend may have done a mask with me the other day...and you know he loved it!

I signed up for the gym that is in my office tower so now I literally have no excuse not to work out! It has felt great to get back in to lifting weights and using the machines plus it always helps break up the work day as well!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Mine will be filled with lots of turkey :) YUM

stay clumsy

xx jamie

Surviving a Quarter Life Crisis

First off, the name quarter life crisis, and don’t get me wrong, I want to live to be old, adorable and short but there is no way that this body is living to 100 with all of the McDonalds I ingested in my University days (hello dollar menu). So then if you put it into perspective, I’m pretty much a third of a way through my life. Well, that just made this so much worse. There is a number of reasons people have a quarter life crisis, my reason is that everything is just changing way too damn fast and not in the best way possible. I am already a fairly emotional person – which is why I can’t watch Army Homecoming videos or Ellen without an entire roll of tissues however, I feel like I’m even more of a Unstable Sally over here lately.  It’s the feeling of an elastic, one thing after another is pulling the elastic tighter, and tighter, and tighter until the elastic will snap. What will happen when I snap? My guess is that I will be in the fetal position on the floor with lots of candy and smart food wrappers littered around me. However, I am doing everything I can for that to not happen. Then I realized that there are tons of people on the internet who may be going through the same thing so why not talk about it.

I am currently in the mode of Operation: don’t turn into Jack Nicholson from the Shining. After Googling about quarter life crisis it didn’t help ease my stress about it – does googling what’s wrong with you ever really help? But there was some good ways to help get me through it.

Have a planner…and use it. I don’t know how many planners I have had over the years that became half full (read: 4 pages full) before I stopped using it. I am going to scour Etsy to find an adorable planner that I will enjoy writing in and planning out. I feel that having things organized in my life will really help and I can preplan most of my time so I know what’s going on.

Have my friends there. I don’t have a lot of friends but I’m totally okay with that. I am a bit of a homebody and while I tell the friends I do have basically everything going on in my life, I don’t usually get into how I’m feeling about it or how it’s affecting me.  I opened up to a friend the other day and it was one of the best things I did – of course we looked like crazy people at the restaurant we went to because I was crying at the table and she was tearing up but hey, we just wanted the full dining experience, am I right? One thing I have also learned from this is that not every friend is that kind of friend. At first I was frustrated because I tried to open up to one of my friends and it wasn’t the same as my cry fest with my other friend but then I realized that not everyone is the same. Friends are all different, so remember that - they all have their amazing qualities that make them so special to you!

Budget. For a while I was tracking my budget on an excel spreadsheet and it was going great. However, once I was starting to feel upset, stressed or whatever else was happening that day, I went shopping. Soon I didn’t want to track my money since I knew the outcome wasn’t looking good. Staying on top of that will really help me feel less stressed out about financials in the long term… Starbucks will never be cut from this budget, just sayin.

Making time for doing things that I love. I love this blog but I am also getting lazy. I have days where I come home and just want to lay in bed for the rest of the night and go to sleep. It’s not healthy for me and it’s not healthy for my sleep pattern either. I need to keep motivated and make some of the projects I have written down on paper a reality, this going in tandem with having a planner. After I do finish a project I feel so much better and then I’m think to myself, why don’t I do this more often? And then I go off to bed at 6pm and don’t look back. Doing something that makes me that happy should come as a priority so that’s what I am going to make it from now on!

Healthy Body,  Healthy Mind. This one will be hard. I am not really a gym person however, I know what I should be doing and how to be healthy… it’s just a matter of actually doing it that makes it hard. I just joined the gym in my office tower so I am going to work out every morning before work to help start my day. Yesterday was my first day back and I will admit – it felt great. I had loud music in my ears, weight lifting and running again plus my workout clothes are cute so that is always a bonus. Diet is also a part of that. I have been eating healthier in the last week or so and I already am feeling better. Less heartburn (I always have it!), less stomach aches and less bloating (heyo!) so I am going to try to keep it up but I am also going to indulge because hey, we are all human.

Don't be hard on myself. I am constantly thinking, I should be doing this, I should have accomplished this by now. And you know what? I haven't. I need to stop comparing myself to others and humming and hawing about how those people are doing and celebrate my accomplishments. Taking the pressure off and not letting outside expectations take control over the life I'm living is the key to not being Jack Nicholson. I am my worst critic but I am also going to be my biggest fan.

Thanks for letting me share this with you and things will go back to regularly scheduled programming here soon!  Leave me a comment if you have any advice to help this crisis go away or if you have gone through the same thing to help me feel less crazy ;-)

stay clumsy

xx jamie

High Five for Friday!

Well well, the weekend is here again! Last weekend was so much fun but there was no relaxing or downtime for me so unfortunately it wasn't very refreshing however, this weekend is bring some cool fall weather so I plan to be bundled up and cozy all weekend long!

Here are the highlights of my week!

We started the weekend off on a high note! Mike and I went to the Canucks pre-season game and watched them beat calgary (atta boys) and then we had to get back to the car so we could do a late night drive down to the states to my family getaway in Birch Bay! This is us getting back to the car for the drive to the border!

The reason for us doing the late night trip to Washington is because we went to the Redbull Global Rally Cross competition just outside of Seattle. These cars belong to Ken Block (my favourite) and Bucky Lasek. If you don't know who Ken Block is, I highly recommend you watch his Gymkhana videos on YouTube!

I love the fall weather and I'm constantly going back and forth between Vancouver and the city I work in so with the cool air coming in but the sun still bright, I don't mind walking around downtown Vancouver. Especially when the bus ads are as funny as the one below!

I finally died my hair again to get in the winter spirit as well. It has been so long since I've gone this dark with my hair but I absolutely love it! I will miss my ombre but there is also be next summer :) I did this colour at home and I box dye because I'd rather buy new make-up then spend a lot on my hair... priorities, amirite?

Lastly, one of the things I laughed the hardest at was this note. I wrote it for my parents since they were gone all night so I decided to be a good daughter and feed the dogs which they usually do when they have dinner as well. I wrote this note since their phones were both off (parents and cell phones guys) however, when I went upstairs to talk to them later that night, they hadn't seen any note. Turns out, Mr. Harvey decided that he didn't want my parents to know he had already eaten and gotten a hold of the note and chewed it up and left it in the other room. And just when I think my dog is dumber than a bag of potatoes, he does something like this.  Needless to say, the dogs had two dinners that night!

I hope you guys have a great weekend and enjoy the fall!

stay clumsy

xx jamie