2011

BOOKS I COULDN'T PUT DOWN
Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Mah
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton


COULDN'T WAIT A WEEK FOR THE NEXT EPISODE
Vampire Diaries


BEST MUSIC FINDS
Adele
Florence and the Machine
Young the Giant
The Joy Formidable


FAVOURITE FOOD DISCOVERIES
Cows Ice Cream
President's Choice Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Cream
Miss Vickie's Balsamic and Sweet Onion Chips


BEST NEW RECIPES I TRIED
Thai One On (sweet potato, coconut, and curry soup) from Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry
Garam Masala Devilled Eggs from Epicurious
Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup from Epicurious
Beef and Avocado Fajitas from Epicurious
Diane's Six-Spice Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Epicurious
Potstickers from Epicurious
Lemon Layer Cake from Epicurious *bonus - it's gluten-free too!


SOMETHING I NEVER LIKED AS A KID BUT DISCOVERED I WILL EAT NOW THAT I'M AN ADULT
Celery sticks


COOL, INEXPENSIVE, CREATIVE IDEA I HAD
Frame patterned stationery, gift wrap, or scrapbooking paper like abstract art


SOMETHING I ADMIT I WILL NEVER BE GOOD AT
Go-karting. I'm too scared to go so fast that I lose control.


WHAT I WISH I HAD MORE TIME FOR
Volleyball
Travel and see the world
Sleep

Bliss

A quiet house, pyjamas, chocolate, tea, and Jane Austin.

Loan

ME to SHELDON: We need to save money for a new furnace, fix the cracked windshield, remove the rust on the car, etc.

SHELDON: I don't know if we'll have enough money to do all that and replace the broken laptop and tv.

CONNOR: I could loan you the money with 5% interest over 2 years.

SHELDON: Only 5%? That's really low. You should tell people 10%.

CONNOR: I'm giving you the family rate.

What Joseph Could Have Been Thinking

In one scene of The Nativity Story movie, Mary has just returned from her visit with her cousin Elizabeth and you see everyone's shocked expressions when they realize she's pregnant. When they show Joseph's expression, Aidan promptly exclaims, "Damn, girl!"

I suppose Joseph could have been thinking these exact words if this happened in our time and he lived in the projects.

The Christmas Story

Little kids with accents are always cute. Love how the star was "shining" at the end. Didn't know they threw a rave after Jesus was born. Cool.

Mystery Solved

13 years ago, a tiny 6lb baby boy joined our family. Over these years, he has grown into a creative, musical, generous, caring, hard-working, smart, inquisitive, independent young man who loves to be silly. Happy 13th birthday, Aidan. You have brought so much joy to my life (even though you didn't take the soother until you were 5 months old) and I can't wait to see what the future brings you. I am truly blessed to have you as my son.

Aidan spent his 13th birthday at his first Ottawa Senators game.

Blessed

Lately I have been amazed at the amount of strength, love, and support that my family and friends give me. I am so thankful to have them in my life.

You don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to reflect on what you're grateful for. What are some of your blessings?