Gloriously Grateful

Today I am grateful for a wonderful weekend!  The weather was wickedly good and we were busy having fun.  We visited and were visited by Lovely Layla:)

My Many Colour Days include art

Not the best photo but this is another art piece I worked on this summer.

I dis-assembled two copies of Dr Seuss' My Many Coloured Days.

Painted two large canvases black ($1 store acrylic)

Used old dictionary pages for the corners

Attached the two canvases(originally purchased just one canvas and realized I could not place all the pages on one canvas)

Used a cutting tool to manipulate the storybook pages (also ripped and scrunched some pages depending on the feeling the page was describing).

Mod podged all the pages and pieces onto the canvas

Voila a huge art piece on my wall.

The reason for the creation of this art piece was that we had decided to each create a piece for our new TV room.  Below are Breton and Daphne's pieces.

 Breton's

Daphne's

Some of my favourites

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Here are two of my favourite items that when worn out, I will replace with the exact same item:

1) Fruit of the Loom bras (sport) 3 for $15

Yes there are probably better bras to make me look "fuller" or to lift my girls but  without a doubt these are the comfiest I have found.  Maybe a little flattening but I don't care.  There ain't much there to begin with;)

2) Old Navy ankle socks 3 for $??

They stay on snuggly and come in a few colours (the trim)

Oops

I messed up my days!  I put a Thirifty Thursday on a Do It YourSelf Tuesday.  So this week they are reversed:)

PS I think I somewhat reset the comment section making it slightly easier to post comments.  I love reading them so post away!!  Thanks

Another great App

Snapsaves is another great free app I was recently introduced to.  It is very similar to Checkout 51 but I have noticed there redeemable items do sell out quickly.  They are very new so maybe this will change when more people start using it.

 

Don't get flyers or are missing a flyer you need to do a price match get the Reebee app.  It has every flyer you can imagine except I have yet to see Shoppers Drug Mart:(

Happy savings!

Runners are the best!

I am grateful for the gentleman who offered me Gatorade as I was hobbling the last km to the finish line.

Also to all the volunteers that helped at the Army Run.

Oh and to these guys:

Ya I know you've already seen them;) but they not only helped me but made me laugh!!

Pre race meal

So here it is, my pre race meal: steak topped with goat cheese, corn and bean salad, fresh flaxseed bread and a special beverage ;) Grey Goose L'orange vodka and cranberry juice.  I always run better when I've had a special beverage the night before.  The rest I have no idea if it will help me.  I know I can run the race! 

See you at the finish line!

Qui what?

Quinoa Muffins

I just discovered these:

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or chocolate chips:)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven 350F Grease muffin tins

In one bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and cranberries (chocolate chips) and then add cooled quinoa

In other bowl, combine milk, egg, oil and vanilla.  Add to dry ingredients and mix together

Fill muffin tins. Makes 12.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes

ENJOY!!!
 

Race Day

I am doing the Army Run this weekend so I am going to run in these:

They are compression socks.  Last 1/2 marathon my left calf tightened up on me so I  hoping to avoid this with these socks.

I will also be wearing my Lululemon running skirt, black tank and a thin pullover.  I have not purchased any new Lulu and running 1/2 marathons is how I am justifying these previous purchases:)

Oh and I will look damn cute too!  

Homemade Art (with help from Pinterest)

I found a Pin on Pinterest and went with it: Loved the message

First I destroyed a wood pallet to get the "canvas".  After sanding the pieces of wood I tried to assemble the canvas but it was pretty sad...so I took it to my bro in law Jay and he built my canvas.  He even roughed it up for me on the edges so it wasn't too perfect (because come on who is).  And he also added loops at the back so I could hang it when it was done.

The lettering was made on my sister Noelle's  Cricket machine.  Very handy.

I then taped down the letters.

Daphne then helped me sponge on the paint.  We used dollar store acrylic paint in white and turquoise.  Sponging let us control exactly where the paint went and we could make it thick...or not if we chose.  Certain words/letters are white and the others are turquoise which will have an effect for the final piece...

We let it dry...

Tada!

Putting it up on the wall was another story though...

Grateful for...

Chocolate

Fruity scented body lotion

Fresh strawberries

Cuddling on the couch with b&d

The unexpected kindness of others

Cool mornings and warm days

Silence

Having a choice

Pedicures- although they tickle

Starbucks- great for meeting up with people

Trampolines

Dear Diary

Dear Diary

I have a hard copy of you but have yet to use it.  I think it maybe because once I start writing I won't be able to stop.  When I start I want to be able to keep writing and writing, with no interruptions, until everything that is in my head is on paper.  I have done this in the past and it helps so much.  I go back and read what I have written and am able to see how far I have come and that I made it through .  It seems to be the struggles that I only write down...not sure why?  Wouldn't reflecting back on the good times be just as healthy?

Maybe my photos and this blog is for that=good times.  They are so nice I want to share them...

My hard copy of you is just for me.

Act 2

As I mentioned yesterday, I am a fan of the store Act2.  It is an upscale consignment store in Barrhaven (there is also a Kanata location).  I have brought clothing there to sell and the last time I did it was a 40-60 split.  You can bring in up to ten items and you must make an appointment to do so.  They look over your items right away and you have the choice to donate anything that doesn't sell or you can go back and pick it them up.

They sell many brand names and often have really good sales at the end of the season.

 Www.act2barrhaven.com

Just Add Colour

This is my closet.  I arrange my clothing by colours and I continue to try and add more colour.  Notice the black section has the most.  I stole this or adopted this idea of organizing by colour from a store here in Barrhaven called Act 2.  They have way more clothes than I do but to see it all arranged by colours, like a rainbow of inspiration just makes me smile.

Birdcage

So remember when I went antique shopping and I bought a birdcage?  I finally installed it.  Only had one mishap and repair job;(

Had to patch up the ceiling after not drilling the hole for the hook, into a stud! I even tried to hot glue the hook to the ceiling but there is this thing called gravity that was working against me!

So stud was found:

Candle was lit.

Relaxation in the bath came(sorry no pix of that)!

Dad

I am grateful for my Dad.  He turned 72 yesterday.  

Thank you Dad for working so hard to provide for us.  Hope you are having a great time everyday!

Love you

I AM a runner!

Me after my 32k today!

Yup I am Army Run ready!

Dear Diary

Dear Diary

Trying to get it to sink in and stay: it is not me it's them.

I think I am going to be Wonder Woman for Halloween!

Just sayin

Rks

Pink

I am wearing pink, thinking pink, dreaming in pink, all in an effort to raise funds for CIBC Run For The Cure.  This is the 15+ year that I have done it all in honour of my Mom.  Our Team is Sue's Crew.

Go to http://www.runforthecure.com/goto/Robynsnest  to support me and donate to a great cause.

Dishwasher 0 Me 1

This was soooo easy!  The hardest part was cleaning the disgusting mess under the old dishwasher.

Three connections total tone made when installing a dishwasher: 1st power(plug it in), 2nd clean water in (screw on hose with a wrench) and last dirty water out! (Push rubber hose contector onto piece sticking off your pipe)

PS: don't forget to shut your water off 1st:)

Voila! New Dishwasher!

Gratitude at the end of the day

So Monday is my day of gratitude but I decided to wait until the end of the day to list all the things I was grateful for on this day:

1. B & D, goes without saying
2. Our walk with Brodie this morning
3. The not too hot weather, also loved the couple of thunder storms this afternoon
4. Loved the free Groupon coupon to Midway from Mirka.  It was a great fun activity to do on the last day of summer vacay with the kids
5. Thanx to the man who gave his stack of tickets at Midway to the kids
6. Clean carpets
7. Having time to make muffins with Daphne
8. Sleeping in
9. Chatting with my single mama friend
10. My sisters, time spent talking and being with them is inexplicable
11. Back to school, just for the routine of it all
12. Dinner together
13. Homemade salsa

Positive?

Dear Diary

I have been reading the sequel to The Secret, The Power.  Similar message: the way you act, think and feel is how you control what happens in your life.  

So act positive, have true love and emotion behind what you say and do, and you will get that back in your life. 

The message on the chalkboard is on my front hall closet as a reminder because it is hard to be positive about everything all the time.

But I am working towards it. I am positive about that:)