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Family Day Weekend

2/24/2017

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It seems like a while since I did a simple weekend update. There's been a lot of deep thoughts, lists and intentions. So here's a good ol' recap of memories that deserve to be documented for all their goodness.

​We truly embodied the holiday all week as we spent so much time together!

​Side note: it seems like my life is destined to be measured in weeks from my 20's onward... First college semesters, next pregnancy and then Matthew's week on, week off commute...
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​We woke the girls early on Saturday morning to head on our weekend roadie to Banff. We dropped the dogs at the Pet Resort (ahem... boarding kennel) the day before and were packed and ready to go. We grabbed breakfast to go, and despite the early rise, we were still behind schedule, as always... We made good driving time, though, and arrived at Sunshine Village before open.

​It took some time to get through the crowds, grab my rentals and head up the gondola. The girls spent the day at the hill's Tiny Tigers Daycare program so Matthew and I could ski. I was nervous to be on the mountain... but for the first time, an excited nervous and happy to join Matthew doing something he loved. I set out that day to enjoy it no matter what, and I did.
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​The chair lift was my biggest fear but I got over that, right away, and didn't fall. I had a handful of falls going down the hill though. Most of which were me bailing when I got scared. All (except one... ouch!) I laughed at. After a few hours of green runs, I got better and felt better. Not to mention it was an absolutely beautiful day! Fresh snow the day before, mild temperature and blue skies.

​We thought we would grab the girls for lunch but since we had been delayed dropping them off, we decided to go to the pub, just us. It made the afternoon more relaxing and seemed like an afternoon date. We did a few more runs after that and called it a day.

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The girls seemed to have fun together at the daycare and were excited to head to the hotel for the swimming pool! We got there in time for check in and got ready for supper. The first night of food, we deemed a flop. We had sushi on the mind, and should have went to the recommendation of the ski hill worker. Instead we went to a Japanese place that was okay but not what we wanted. Not to mention the girls were wound up and not in the mood for sitting at a restaurant. We left not totally satisfied and headed to the pool and hot tub. It was small and packed with guests of all ages but the girls had a blast! It was their bedtime when we made it back to the room but since we were on vacation a late night pizza was ordered ;) After our busy day, we all fell asleep pretty quickly soon after.
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​Sunday brought another early rise, although later than the day before. We thought being closer to the hill would work to our advantage but instead we arrived about a half hour later than the day before. Even just at opening, the traffic line was way deeper and it took us nearly 30 minutes to drive the 7 km road to the parking lot. We hopped on the shuttle bus this time because the walk was much to long with ski gear and the girls.

​During the drive, the girls were already saying they didn't want to go to daycare, despite seeming to have liked it the day before. Halle wanted to go skiing with us right away. We agreed because we didn't want to pass up on the opportunity for her to practice. However, this meant Autumn had to go to daycare without her partner in crime. She did not go in all smiles like Saturday but instead had a big cry making it hard for me to leave.

​After a couple of runs on the bunny hill, Halle was ready for her first ride on the chair lift. You gotta admire kids for their lack of fear! She laughed the whole way up and then broke out in tears at the top. With a little convincing she was ready to ski down with dad and his poles around her. She did awesome! Only a few falls  and all the way day the green. Everyone was proud!
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​The only problem, she didn't want to go again... and it was becoming evident just how overtired she was from all the going the day before. We decided she should go to daycare for lunch and to play if she didn't want to ski. Matthew brought her while I went for another run myself. Except when he got there, she protested, and then Autumn saw them and all the fuss led to Matthew signing them out early. This left us with two tired, hungry kids and no way to ski together. We both did some solo runs. I stuck to the greens by myself and continued to get comfortable. It sucked that Matthew didn't get the skiing he's used to or we didn't get a day like the one before. In the end, we all had fun and deemed it a learning experience, that we'll likely do differently next time... cause damn those hills are expensive!

​We made our way down the gondola and back to the hotel for another round of swimming. We opted for before dinner this time and it was less busy. The girls could double as mermaids they loved it so much!
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​After showers we headed out for a late supper at the Spaghetti Factory. The popular place had a wait, so we walked around the mall it's in. Even though we were all hungry and fairly tired this was probably one of the most enjoyable family dinners we've had out. One, the food was great but two, it was true quality family time. We discovered an awesome "restaurant game" when Halle started talking about a dream she had (which I'm pretty sure are all made up.) And then, turned in to all made up ones as we played round after round of "once I had a dream..."

Seriously, if you have kids old enough to talk/story tell but not too old enough to roll their eyes at you, this game was hilarious! Even Autumn, whose 2, played. Halle's favourite way to share a dream was "one time I had a dream, I woke up and went downstairs and..." There was all kinds of stories! Some clever and silly and some totally toddler foolishness but either way this was a really memorable dinner for the conversation alone.

​PS. This has now become a regular meal conversation, so the novelty may wear off, ha! But for restaurants, awesome!

​Autumn passed out on the drive back to our hotel (it was almost 10 PM) and we managed to move her in to the hotel bed without her waking. We packed up our bags and turned out the lights. Halle fell asleep quickly too. We relaxed and were comforted knowing we could all sleep in (a little) tomorrow before heading home.

​And that we did, until almost 9. Which is sleeping in with kids. We got ready and had a buffet breakfast at the hotel. Buffet breakfast is the way to go, we both reminisced it had been a while since we had one. Then with full tummies we got on the road leaving sunshiney Banff for a colder, strangely foggy Calgary.

​I wish we could have spent the day strolling the charming, mountain town streets but the pups were happy to see us! We returned home happy from our time together and our little escape. It's crazy to think the Rockies are in 'our backyard' and we could go any time yet they can seem like a whole other world...

​I think I'll end things on that daydreamy note.

I rambled probably a little more than I should... Although as I tend to forget things, it's probably better this way...

​Thanks for reading XO
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The girls asleep in the ski gear wagon on the long walk back to our truck :)
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Visions for 2017

2/12/2017

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On New Years day I shared my goals for 2017 on Instagram. Rather than resolutions, I thoughtfully listed my visions in three categories: Happy (things that bring me joy), New (new things to try this year) and Year (specific goals to accomplish in 2017.) I believe writing my thoughts down was a key step in taking action to make them happen.

​I wanted to share the list here on my blog and post a progress update. If anything, this will help me to reflect on what works and to set monthly intentions to keep these visions, or new ones, in motion.

​My goals are just that, their mine. What matters to me. These may not be of interest or relevant to you, but the idea of 'happy,' 'new,' and 'year' has served me well so far. I think it's a great way to categorize the ideas that may lead to your dream life and I hope it inspires you to make your own lists :)

​So here's what I posted January 1 with current thoughts & progress notes:
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​HAPPY | Intentional ways for me to feel *happy* in 2017:

​1| write - any which way, to document thoughts & growth - journal, insta captions, daily calendar + consistent blogging (when it feels right.)

I'd still like to be writing more. The one thing I have been doing maybe weekly is a writing thought dump. Getting everything out of my head and on to paper is an anxiety lifter and calming act for me. I write down to dos, lists, plans, ideas, etc. all scratched on one piece and that helps me to best decide how to move forward instead of keeping it all up in my head.

​2| active living - challenging my health & fitness with daily movement, conscious food choices + goal setting.

​3| connecting - family first. foster authentic self & friendships - surround myself with likeminded + high vibe people, embrace quality or quantity.

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I'm feeling good about this one. Setting boundaries and putting my values and my family first. Working part time is helping me to focus on real relationships and those that are present in my life. Sometimes being connected online creates false connections or keeps us too plugged in to those that don't really matter. I've learned to let go of that. I stopped following people or brands I used to like that don't make me feel good anymore. Instead I try to fill my life, and newsfeeds, with inspiration that matches the kind of life I want to live.

​4| regular self care regiment - make 'me time' a routine. find alignment + flow in life by filling my own cup first

​There's always room for improvement here. I'm proud of myself for making changes and taking time for myself. Now that I'm working, although only part time, it's more important than ever. Especially working from home. Sometimes the days leave me drained but staying up late to make time for me or better yet waking up early has been huge!

​I started waking earlier to make time for morning yoga. I sometimes do it with the kids but there is something a little more magical in the peace and quiet of early morning. This helps me get that daily movement in, too,  and really starts my day off strong (in all aspects.) More thoughts on that at the end of this post ;)
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Source unknown via Pinterest

​NEW | Some of the *new* things I want to do in 2017:

​1| explore alberta - camper adventures round two! plan trips in advance. explore our beautiful province + beyond.

​Being my own boss allows me to set my vacation hours! In January, I mapped out my time off for the year to let my dayhome families know well in advance. This narrowed down the weekends for camping. Between other holidays and Matthew away at work, there's really only a handful or so. I'm excited to book sites now that we know the dates.

2| read - at least one new book a month. more fiction novels.

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January: After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
​February: The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
​Thoroughly enjoyed both! Book review posts coming soon perhaps? I have thoughts to spill but nap time's only so long ;)


​3| learn to ski - (read: learn to enjoy skiing.)

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In progress!!! I got on skis for the first time in 6 years... and I didn't fall... and I actually liked it! I stuck with the bunny hill ha... and was feeling better than I ever have! Looking forward to our upcoming long weekend trip to the real Mountains! Stay tuned.

​4| plan + prep - meals, be consistent with healthy eats + organization! eat for energy. embrace whole foods, less sugar + natural products. | play experiences = dream job! | family time, date nights, vacations etc - use planner & calendar | plan time for no planning, too :P

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My More Time Moms Family Organizer calendar may just be my favourite Christmas gift! Organization is an ever improving skill but I must say I'm pleased wit the progress I have made for planning in all areas.

​5| embrace mind/body wellness - use insight meditation app. try new fitness genres + classes = spin!

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Meditating (with this app) is something I'm specifically working on for February...
I finally tried a spin class! I liked it but honestly thought I would love it more, mostly for the music and atmosphere... which is probably what I did like most about it. My feet being locked in was weird , for me, and didn't help my knee that naturally turns in... And my body type personally doesn't need the crazy calorie crushing but if you do it's an awesome workout!

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Click image for link via Trendy Traveler

​YEAR | Goals to make happen in 2017:

​1| improve run speed & distance - run a 15K+ race. complete 4+ races.

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I mapped out the runs I would like to do this year. There's 8 on the list so far. Half are for sure and half are maybes for fun. All working up to a 15K in mid September... And technically I completed the New Years Day race although I've hardly been counting that one, because aside from showing up, it wasn't much of a run between my stroller and the snow.

​2| thrive in my childcare career - contribute financially (!) make it so it never 'feels like work.'

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Happy to report I am loving 'work' so far! It's truly a dream job to me.

​3| plan for continuing education - map out course completion. register for kids yoga teacher training.

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I couldn't resist waiting any longer so I inquired about a training program in January for later this year!

​4| attend a retreat.

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Is it just me or are retreats popping up way more these days? I actually didn't commit time off for one when I looked at my calendar... so I'll have to wait and see what comes for this adventure.

​5| print photos (at least) once a month.

This is the one goal I'm feeling down about because it's probably the most specific and measurable and it didn't happen last month. Despite how much I thought of it...

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We gifted Chatbooks to grandparents at Christmas and they loved them! I have been a fan for a while and plan to catch up on a few years of printing photos using their service.

​6| plan & start savings for 2018 family vacation.

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California April 2018? Thinkin bout it ;)
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Click image for link via Spirtual Gangster

​There you have it.

​And here's my little February check in... I took some quiet time for myself at the beginning of the month to do one of those thought dumps and then I wrote down some visions for this month. I didn't think to hard or overthink them, just wrote the words that came to me at the time:

​1. yoga + meditation - every day!

​2. organize + simplify - clear out clutter.

​3. *energizing routines* - flow. excitement for every day!

​4. write - freely after meditation. thought dump lists.

​= SELF CARE

​I'll save the updates for my next review ;)

​Thank you as always for reading. I hope this interested or inspired you somehow to make life more intentional.
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