Vodka and Soda

(the best) mother's day weekend

 

i had the best mother's day weekend!

i was informed that my adorable 4yr old had a special (surprise) mother's day planned for me for saturday evening at my favorite malaysian restaurant.  since we already had plans with the inlaws for mother's day brunch on sunday, kayla wanted to do something special with just us on saturday.

 

kayla took the pic of me and hubs which is why it's a little blurry.  she spent so much time (with hubby's help) preparing her gift, decorating the box and card and was so excited to give it to me and i nearly cried as i opened everything up.

 

 

since i love those adorable little minions, she asked hubs to get me two of the little stuffed minion toys so i can "cuddle with them while i sleep".  seriously, how freaking awesome is my little girl?!

 

 

as always, the food at matahari grill never disappoints.  for the first time since january 2012, i probably over-ate my calories, which included my favorite once-a-year-dessert....and you know what? i didn't feel one ounce of guilt!  i gobbled up that sago-sago like it was crack and i was a crack-whore.  i even wanted to lick the bowl but i didn't think that was appropriate and by that, i mean i totally did it.  what i stuffed my face with:

mango chicken  |  matahari stir-fry vermicelli  |  assam matahari (grilled seafood in red curry)  |  sago-sago.

 

 

sunday was equally as awesome as we had brunch with the inlaws at a popular downtown eatery, the hot house cafe.

 

 

then hubs and i had our weekly date and headed over to the mall to check out the newly-opened hr2.  holt renfrew is canada's saks fifth avenue and they opened up an outlet at our local mall.  it had the high-end store feel (and organization) with outlet prices.  got myself a mother's day gift:  cole haan sandals for $68 but when opened the box at home, there were two right foot shoes in the box, arrrgghhh!  i hope they're still there when i go to exchange them tomorrow :(

 

 hope you all had a fab weekend and all you mama's out there had a great mother's day weekend!

weekly smiles

 

 

all week i 've been doing double workouts:  lifting at 5am and then running or some other cardio after work.

 

 

i try to use as many all-natural products as possible and here are two great brands, both canadian and both awesome.  remember i previously blogged about my new favorite sunscreen?  this is it. 

and that deodorant smells great, totally works and by that, i mean my pits aren't stanktified at the end of the day.

 

had a playdate with one of my besties and his kids.  caught kayla and bestie chatting over a snack.  i have known this guy since i was in grade 7 (goddamn, that's 25 years).

 

 

 

we love walking home with kayla from school.

 

 

one of my favorite meat dishes:  kalbi (korean short ribs).  with bbq season here, we stocked up our freezer!

 

 

 

my tablet makes cooking so much easier!  i have all of my favorite recipies bookmarked for quick and easy reference

 

 

i really liked this  meal that i made the other night:  fresh meatballs stuffed with portobello mushrooms and spaghetti with roasted cauliflower and shredded cheese. 

 

 

 

i really like my outfit on the right.  it was casual and comfy but with a little fanciness (hair and shoes).  people at work make fun of my hair (in a high ballerina bun) but i just tell them to suck it.  they all be jelly!!

 

 

i guess it's time for new capris.  while i love shopping for new clothes, it's just getting too expensive now.  besides, i love my old clothes and can't find anything similar so going to start taking in my pants instead of buying new ones.

 

 

 

look what i washi'd!  ever since i bought washi tape from my friend's shop, i can't stop searching pinterest for washi project ideas. 

 

 

have a great weekend everyone and happy mother's day to all the moms out there!

aruba 2013 recap

 

 

this is what i was stared at every day during my wonderful time in Aruba.

 

aruba was awesome.  here's why:

the weather was nothing short of gorgeous.  not a drop of rain or grey skies; just fun, sun and sandy beaches.

did you know that aruba doesn't even have a weather channel or station?  it's always sunny, that's why.

trade winds that keep the bugs away (seriously, no creepy-crawlies or mosquitoes) and cool you down as the sun kisses your skin.

never-ending mojitos. or pina coladas. or whatever drink you fancied.  yay for all inclusive!

i ate healthy amidst all the desserts and bad food that all-inclusive deals throw at you.  gimmie a woot!

kayla had a blast with her cousins... which meant that i could actually be lazy and do nothing but lie in the sun, work on my tan and listen to my music.

i actually wore a hot-pink bikini and felt amazing in it.

the beaches are absolutely to die for.  gorgeous white sand, crystal blue water.... oh, how i miss it.  now i look out the window and only see white bullshit snow all over the ground :(

got hit on by a few guys. while it was weird and creepy at the time (causing me to panic and run away), i'll be honest and admit that it felt pretty good to know that people other than my husband find me attractive because most of the time, i feel like an old hag! must be the workouts.

speaking of workouts, as i was standing by the pool sipping a mojito in said hot pink bikini, i looked up and an old friend whom i haven't seen since grade 10 was standing in front of me with a big smile.  behind my sunglasses, my eyes frantically scanned the area for my cover-up or towel but there was nothing....then i silently thought in my head:  "thank god i've been working out!" heheh.

the island is so friendly and safe that we went for a stroll every night around the markets and no one harassed us for money or pestered us to buy useless shit.

i bought a gucci bag at the swanky gucci store for a fraction of what it would have cost me here and i didn't even feel one bit of guilt over it.

kayla was an awesome traveller.  despite the late arrival times, she was a trooper through and through with zero crying, freak-outs or melt-downs.

kayla actually napped every day. she hasn't napped that consistently since she was about 2.5 years old...which meant that mommy got to nap too.

now for picture vomit:

  family photo || gorgeous beaches || sunset dinner

 

aruba has trademarked "i ♥ aruba" and these adorable signs are everywhere! || when i was in aruba back in 2001, i stood by this very sign that had the old Holiday Inn logo (i also like the way my arms look in this photo).

 

another sunset dinner || one of my fav photos with kayla || frolicking on the beach with the fam || cousins.

 

 

love this family photo || what i saw every day as i lay in the sun || relaxing on the beach

 

 

adorable keepsake we had made for our trip || hubs and kayla biking around the island

random tuesday update

 

oh, hi.

sorry i've been MIA on the blog... i spent a lot of time with family and blogging was the last thing on my mind but i've missed you all.

i also wanted to thank everyone for your wonderful and kind words of support; it meant so much to come back to my blog only to see your amazing comments.  you are all the reason why i keep this site alive and keep blogging my mindless and random drivel.

a lot of stuff has happened over the past week and a half so a quick update with me:

....i've finally gotten back into my work groove.  it only took me 3 weeks to turn on my brain after 9 months of inactivity.   i was immediately assigned to 3 projects; 2 of which are pretty high profile and it was a little embarassing at first when i couldn't keep the information straight and kept on mixing up the projects.  but i'm back, bitches and i got that shit straightened out so it's good.

....remember my post about signing up to tough mudder?   what started out as 4 people interested in joining, is now 12 people officially registered to our "band of mudders" team and growing.  i know, clever team name, right?  the most hilarious of all hilarious people, keltie, came up with our team  name.  oh, and check out our facebook page banner:

courtesy of me.  seriously, how mad cool is this?

....the crazy fucking 5am workouts are still going strong.  as tough as it is to get my ass up at 445am, these workouts set the tone for my day (to kick major ass), keeps me energized and knocks me out at night.  i'm talking about passing out by a lame 9pm on most nights.  sad.

....this saturday, i'll be starting kettlebell classes as another form of traning for tough mudder.  fingers crossed that i don't fuck myself up.

....we had a crazy snow storm this past weekend.  like, snow up past my knees crazy.  like, all kinds of cars abandoned and stuck all over my neighbourhood.  we had to get kayla from school on foot and drag her home on her sled.  you know you're a little crazy about training when you see your daughter on her sled as an opportunity to train for tough mudder. 

....this past weekend was chinese new year and even though it was filled with hearty family feasts, my diet stayed clean.  

 ....we booked our family vacay to aruba next month.  it was sort of short notice but it's done and we're so excited!  hubs and i have been to aruba before (circa 2000) and had a blast:

LOL at my cut-off jean shorts and damn, look how skinny i used to be until pregnancy and age have ravaged my body and metabolism. damn you, mother nature/father time, damn you.  then again, this was also during my raving days so perhaps "other things" were at play.   we'll be staying at the same hotel and will be travelling with my brother-in-law and his family so kayla will have a ton of fun.  if you've never been to aruba, you really should go one day; it's one of the most beautiful islands with gorgeous crystal blue waters, white soft sand and the most amazing trade winds.  the beaches are incredible and the people are so friendly and kind! 

 

 

 

live, laugh, love

 

the weekend was filled with sadness and shock.

we lost a very close family member on thursday night

that left us reeling,  devastated and sad.

the weekend was spent not only comforting and consoling but celebrating his life; laughing with cousins and just being in each other's presence.

i've experienced too much tragedy and death too many times in the past 9 years

which is why i live my life to the fullest.

family and friends come first; everything else is trivial.

work is work, it'll always be there; don't sacrifice your family time.

material things are just that: things that can be replaced.

your career, while important, isn't the be all, end all.

live a little, take some risks.

express to those who you love how much you love them and tell them often

because you never know what may happen.

 

weekly smiles...

 

since i started working again last week, the last thing i want to do is come home and blog.  i'm still trying to get into the swing of things and i'm still in the "i would rather stay home" phase and "why the fuck am i dressed with pants on at an office" phase so needless to say, it's going to take me a while to find my groove.

in the mean time, enjoy a pictoral explosion of what's been happening lately that made me smile....

  i love the age of 4.  kayla has been expressing interest in the same things as me, namely getting dolled up, wearing shiney/fancy things and loving every second that she's being pampered.  i took her to the salon with me the week before i started work.  she even got some "makeup" done. the other day, she followed me into the change room and wanted to try on some clothes too.

 

 

another DIY thanks to pinterest.  i got sick of my cluttered bathroom counter top so we went to ikea, spent $6.99 on these spice racks and got organized. 

 

 

stella and dot were having a promotion where you buy $50 worth of stuff and get $25 dollars back.  hello, it was practically free so hell to the yes, i bought some things. 

 

 

my two bffs on my arm:  stella and oia :)

 

 

 

waking up before 5am to work out....this ain't right.  but alas, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

 

 

 

clean eating 24/7.  every sunday, i prep my meals and snacks for the entire week ahead.  everything is individually wrapped or packaged and ready to grab 'n' go.  saves me a ton of time!

 

 

i had to lug this giant box of healthy snacks on my first day back at work but at least i have cabinets that are now fully stocked!

 

 

after living in yoga pants as  a housewife for the past 9 months, i realized that i didn't really have any 'work clothes' (read: shopping haul!!).   i found a bunch of really nice things for 50% off or more and much of them are lacy pretty things.  for some reason, i really like lace this season.   i got an oakley spring jacket for $50 (from $150!) and i also bought a new hair straightener because i recently stumbled on how to create soft, waves with a straightener. 

 

 

....and these are the soft waves i was talking about.

 

my new favorite lip balm.  it's soothing, moisturizing, non-greasy, smells yummy and all natural.  while a little pricey ($19), this works amazingly well.  i hate dry, chapped lips and this definitely keeps my lips soft and kissable.  i won't post a picture of my soft, supple lips because you'll probably try to make-out with the your screen.

 

 

shit just got real.  i registered for tough mudder as did a few of my friends so we're going to be heading off to mount st. louis ski resort on september 28 to kick some serious ass. training has already begun but now it's gonna get serious.

 

hope you all have a great weekend!

weekly smiles....

 

i'm a little slow getting back to the blogosphere and into my blogging groove, mainly because i've been trying to avoid sitting for long periods so that i don't fall asleep.  these 5am workouts zap my energy by 2pm and i struggle to stay awake!  so this mama needs to keep moving to stay awake.

with so much stuff going on, there are lots of things for me to smile about.  this post will be a mish-mash of this week and the past holiday's smiles.

 

  got me some new ear candy over the holiday.  S&D was having a promo (spend $50 and get $25 dot dollars back).  uh, yes please!

 

 

i'll take a large boner anyday.

hubs and i were driving around running some errands when we spotted this sign.  totally made my day HAHAHA!

 

 

working out every day (if we didn't have plans to go anywhere in the morning) despite the holidays.  hubs and i arranged our schedules so that we both could workout.  btw, i'm so in love with my new tank!  hubs got it for me as one of my christmas pressies.

 

 

took advantage of pure + simple's holiday gift sets that were at a bargan price:  luxury lip trio (2 lip balms + 1 lip oil, $13) and a 3-pack of skin care products for sensitive skin (sensitive skin face oil, sensitive exfoliator/mask, sensitive skin cleansing milk, $52).  and a bonus?  they sent me an extra lip oil free of charge! 

 

 

storytime with grandpa {love!}

 

 

goofy pictures with the cousins are the best!

 

 

family photos.  trying to do more of these this year.

 

 

surprise gifts in the mail. fav pal, elisse, surprised me with this amazing gift of a cozy snood scarf, beautiful earrings, a workout top and a card that is awesome sauce.

 

 

my birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant.  for the first time since january 1, 2012, i ate whatever i wanted without guilt!  and that last dish?  that's a malaysian dessert called "sago-sago" which is tapioca in some kind of yummy syrup and coconut milk.  or as i like to call it:  mouthgasm in a bowl.

 

 

christmas dinner with the family.  among the dishes:  ackee/saltfish, oxtail (right), curry chicken, rice and peas, steamed veggies, home-made mac and cheese (for the kidlets).  YUM!

 

 

kayla in her new sleeping beauty dress that she got for christmas

 

 

  our annual girls' kris kringle.  table of good eats, friends, laughter, kidlets having fun (and making silly faces) presents, love all around. 

 

 

 

new, healthy recipes:  lemon and sea salt kale chips; overnight oats in a jar. 

 

starting my 5am workout routine this week to train my body to get used to it.  so far, not used to it.  in fact, it totally sucks balls.

 

 have a fantastic weekend!

2012: a year in review

 

it seems like yesterday that it was summer and i was just starting my life as a housewife.... now the new year is upon us which means i am heading back to work.  how the fuck we get here?!

although i'm such a loser for not taking more time off, i have to say, 2012 kicked major ass.  here's why:

...in december 2011, i hit rock bottom from a health perspective.  i wasn't on the verge of death but a single photograph was taken that turned my life around so as of january 1 2012, i made 2 goals for 2012:  to lose 15lbs and get organized.   you all know that i totally rocked the losing 15lbs part... the getting organized... not so much.  who cares though; i'm a total badass for hitting the hardest goal that i set!

...turning my life around and living a healthy lifestyle took time.  when i first started, i had the upper body strength of a toddler and zero cardio endurance.  i could barely even get through a 4-minute tabatas workout without going into cardiac arrest.  i recently did the same workout that killed me 11 months ago and breezed right through it!  i didn't even hit my target heart rate which goes to show how far i've come.

....my journey to a healther me is an ongoing story.  i started with a tiny workout that lasted only 4 mintues and eventually moved up to jillian michaels' 30 day shred, then kicked it out of the park with insanity and then tied it up all nicely with p90x.  my results have been incredible and the past 11 months have been amazing, fitness wise.  in addition to getting my pre-pregnancy body back, i also started running, learned to love it and now wearing a size 2.  oh hell fucking yes.

...in june, i left my job and became a housewife of markham.  it was a forced leave (government/consultant reasons) and my original 3-month leave turned into an 8 month leave of pure awesomeness.  after turning down several offers to work, i couldn't hold them back any longer and i'm sad to announce that i start on january 15.  i really don't know how i'm going to drag my ass into the office every day when i'm so used to relaxing and taking naps in the afternoon :(

...in september, my baby girl started junior kindergarten.  it's a huge milestone for me her and although i'm really excited for her and all of these amazing things she's going to learn, i can't help but feel sad that she's growing up too fast!

...in october, we took our hugely anticipated  family vacation to disneyworld, orlando. travelling with another family, we stayed in a sprawling 1300sqft condo that barely cost us anything, was close to some wicked outlet malls and target (resulting in massive yet awesome hauls) and everyone had a blast. 

...a little too late in the year, i started chronicling things that make me smile on a weekly basis.  this is a lazy wonderful way to blog since the pictures tell the story.  it's too bad i didn't start this series sooner in the year!

...earlier this month, my friends threw a surprise december girls' birthday dinner at the  most awesomely awesome rodney's oyster shack in downtown toronto.  i had never been there before but seriously, it has the best food.  ballons, presents, oysters, food and wine was a-flowing and a great time was had by all.  it also gave me a chance to do a comparison photo since it was this very occasion last year that spawned my entire healthy journey. 

...for the first time ever, we went to see the santa claus parade in downtown toronto.  apparently, it's a big deal but i've never had a reason to go... the crowds, the cold, bleh... but this time around, kayla was the reason why we went and it was amazing.  although the people were rude as hell, it was worth it. 

...christmas was awesome as always.  while i've always enjoyed christmas, it's a different kind of excitement and fun when you have a kid.  i guess as you get older, the "magic" of christmas disappears but with a child, you get to relive it starting beginning of november with promises of santa, the elves and present wish-lists.  i love seeing kayla's eyes light up whenever santa is mentioned

...yesterday, my hubby  and kayla took me out for an early birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant, matahari grill.  not only did i let go and enjoy the food i ate -- even with coconut white rice *gasp!* - but i also enjoyed every bit of my favorite dessert:  sago-sago, imported tapioca pearls served chilled with palm syrup and coconut cream.  basically, it's an orgasm for your mouth.   to top it off, he got me the most amazing gift:  minion key chains!  lookie:

hope you all have a fantastic new year!!

struggling to forgive

 

 

on november 27, 2004, my mother received an emergency call that my dad, who was at a christmas function, had suffered a massive heart attack.  actually, at the time of the call, they didn't know what was wrong; all they told her was that he had fallen, was unconscious and unresponsive.  at the time, i was on my honeymoon and my sister was 1.5hrs out of the city at a christmas function.  after calling my sister (and her leaving the party immediately), my mother frantically called a very close relative to take her to my dad and to her surprise (and dismay), the response she got was "no.  go call your daughters to take you".  although she explained to that relative where i was and how far my sister was and desperately wanting to be with her husband immediately, this relative still refused and then hung up.

he lived 10 minutes away from my mother and the place she was begging him to take her was 10 mintues away as well.

panicked, she called a cab and then couldn't wait for it so she went to her neighbour's house - a man whom she barely knew except for the few pleasantries they exchanged whenever they saw each other outside - and he answered the door in his pajamas in the middle of dinner.  when she explained what happened, he grabbed his coat, told his family where he was going and drove my mother to my father.  no only did this semi-stranger drive a woman he hardly knew to my dad but he stayed with her, followed the ambulance to the hospital and stayed with my mom until my sister arrived.

a man whom my mother only knew by his first name was there for her instead of the relative she's known her whole life; who was also very close with my entire family.

i have never forgiven that relative for that.  ever.  how could i?  my mom didn't have to go through that alone.  she called someone she thought she could count on, needing someone in a situation as dire as my father being unconcious but that relative treated it as if it was nothing, as if she called because she needed someone to take her shopping.  isn't that what family is supposed to do, be there for each other in times of need?

i just received news that that relative isn't doing so well health-wise.  in fact, he doesn't have much time.  and while it's unfortunate that his health is ailing, i can't find it in myself to forgive him. 

i normally don't hold grudges.  i believe that life is too short for grudges; to let negative feelings and anger pollute everything that is good around me just isn't how i want to live my life.  but for this, i cannot forgive.  i  have never wished him any ill-will but at his eleventh hour, i just can't forget what he did.  i can't forget that while my mother being there sooner wouldn't have changed the situation, my dad maybe, just maybe, would have at least had one more chance to see my mom's face before he closed his eyes forever. 

i feel horrible and guilty about this; about being unable to forgive.  i know that death doesn't erase what one did in their lifetime but does that automatically mean those around have to forgive and forget?   does death give someone a clean slate?  i know i should be the bigger person and forget the past but my father was my rock and his death devastated my entire family.  it still does. 

 

weekly smiles

 

my first ever holiday (decaf) coffee from Starbucks - peppermint mocha.  it was deeelish and i'm seriously addicted.  i even went and bought a starbuck coffee card and have had this 3 mornings in a row.  dang, i just checked the caloric content and it's 220 calories and that's for the tall, non-fat no whip one!  ok, no more for me for the rest of this week!

 

 

shelves upon shelves of books.  while i read ebooks these days, there's nothing better than escaping in a mountain of books. 

 

 

speaking of awesome books, i just inhaled this in a day and a half because it was SO good.  even skipped my workout to finish this and you know how serious i am about my workouts, this book is that good!

 

 

running gear haul at winners.  all that only cost me $150! -- two long sleeve base laters, 2 short sleeve shirts, sport bra, and a vuarnet running jacket.  remember vuarnet?  i loved that shit back in grade 7 when i was a "prep".  don't you love the colors?

 

 

while browsing some books (and inhaling that wonderful scent of the pages -- come on y'all, i know  you do this too!), kayla started taking pictures with my phone and got (a blurry) one of me.

 

 

  our christmas lights are up!  wave hello back to santa & frosty (bottom left)

 

 

i managed to convince hubs to come with me to watch Breaking Dawn even though he hates the entire saga.  the movie wasn't great but it was a fun date night. 

 

 

the santa claus parade!   hubs is rockin' his Movember 'stache.

 

 

finding this picture of kayla when we gave her the most hideous haircut!  luckily, she was only 19 months at the time and didn't know how to be angry at us.

 

hope you all have a great week!