This all seems very familiar

This post will seem very familiar. This is because I have made no progress towards blogging at all. I am determined this week to not only make a list of things I need to do regarding my blogging but also to actually do something from the list. 

Hopefully there will be some progress by next week's Monday Post. I just need to get my butt into gear! 

An Awesome Thing: 

#464 When characters in movies visit a place you know

There is an ongoing gag in our house that whenever characters in movies visit a place we have been, we yell out "I've been there!!". It is amusing, most of the time. There is the odd time that I have not been somewhere my parents have been, which drives me completely nuts! Not to brag or anything, but we have been many to many places which makes this Awesome Thing completely awesome. Especially when characters go to beautiful places like Venice that I can't help grinning as I yell "I've been there!". 

Book Update: 

Still reading Oliver Twist. I also just borrowed The Blue Light Project by Timothy Taylor from the online library today. I listened to an interview with Mr. Taylor on CBC Radio and from the little bit I heard from the interview, I thought it would be an interesting read. 

A Monday Present:

This is a two part Monday Present, because I feel generous. 

This week's present was something I found on Pinterest and I have been meaning to print off copies for myself. From this website, Grace is overrated, these are journal pages. The newer pages are very colourful, but each page is filled with different sections to fill out. I thought these were wonderfully creative and helpful to anyone, including myself, who finds it hard to write everyday. 

Keeping with the journal theme, once again from Pinterest:

These journals can be found here, on Celestefrittata's Etsy shop. These are such a great idea! 

I need to make a list of things to do with my blog but I have lists for everything. Do you make lists? How do you stay organized? I would love to hear your organizational ideas! 

Monday

Nothing much is happening around here. And yet there is so much to do, which is why I figured today was a great day to sit around and do nothing.

I arrive home from the daycare around 1:30 or so and by the time I am done lunch and the barn it is close to 2. Since it is now 3:20 I have officially wasted an hour and a half of my day. 

I really should go and do something, because my list is getting larger and larger every day. Off the top of my head I have to:

• clean my desk, which has been neglected for so long I can no longer see the desk itself
• do laundry
• start some projects that I desperately want to do before school starts
• clean my room for back to school
• clean the cabin from camp
• figure out when to go to a movie with Kirk

This past weekend Kirk and I bought Avelee a wagon for her first birthday. We had decided earlier that we were just going to go and look at the wagons to see the different types available. So much for that plan. Not only did we purchase the Little Tikes Deluxe Ride and Relax wagon, we also decided we couldn't wait until September 17 and gave it to her on Sunday!! We even took her for a little ride, which was a lot of fun! 

And you should see the wagon!!! It is so cool! It comes with a cooler pack, 6 cup holders, an umbrella and one of the sides flips up so you can use it as a bench! I will see if I can get some pictures of Kirk and I assembling it Saturday night from his mom. 

And now onto the Monday Post! 

An Awesome Thing:

#840 Popping Bubble Wrap

I have been in a relationship with Kirk for over two years now and there have been little things that have happened over these two years that prove just how much I am in love with him. One of these little things happened just the other day when Kirk gave me some bubble wrap. I had recently, at some point, mentioned a bit ago how much I love popping bubble wrap. Now I can't even remember when I had mentioned this, as it was a just a passing comment. But Kirk remembered and brought me some bubble wrap from work for me. The only thing more awesome than popping bubble wrap is popping bubble wrap that your boyfriend brings you because he knows how much you love popping it. 

Book Update:

I am still working on my post for Pride and Prejudice. Stay tuned for that.
I finished The School of Essential Ingredients and you can read my review for it here.
I also finished reading Sarah's Key, which I did not love as much as I really wanted to. It was still great, but not fantastic. I will be posting a review for that soon.
I am reading Oliver Twist right now for the BBC list. It is not bad so far.

A Monday Present: 

I had a hard time finding something for this week. I just couldn't think of anything that would be great. And then I remembered this:

PINTEREST!!!!!

I am sure many people are already aware of Pinterest. But if you are not, you are welcome! It is so addicting, which is completely awful and wonderful at the same time for a university student. Jennie Guenard, one of my very first and best friends, {click here for her wonderful How to Deal With... blog and here for her amazing photography blog, Guenard Photography} told me about Pinterest. I both curse her and thank her every time I go on. Check it out, it is completely addicting and thrilling!!! Enjoy!

What sites can you not go a day without going on? How much time do you think you spend on the Internet a day? 

Hello? Anyone there?

I often wonder if anyone reads my blog. I have to force my family to read this, which leads me to a funny interlude. Remember the Dollar Store Hero? Well, Jen and I never told our parents about her locking the keys in Steve again. I had decided to write our adventures in a blog post and see if they actually read it. It was a few days since Mom asked if we were ever going to tell her about our adventure. It took Dad another few days to read it himself. Mom and Dad, the moral of the story is to read my blog as soon as I post anything!! That way you can stay in the loop.

Before I get on with this post I would like to ask people to comment, even if it is just to say hi!

My goal for the school year is to blog often! And I really do mean often!! The Monday Posts will be done EVERY WEEK! And I am hoping to have another posting during the week sometime. I also find school to provide the structure in my life that I crave, and I am hoping that blogging will supply me with enough of a break when I do need it. We shall have to see how this goes but fingers crossed for more frequent posting.

An Awesome Thing:
#922 Getting a trucker to blow his/her horn
I have been volunteering at a day care a bit this summer and #922 is the most awesome thing in the WORLD for these little kids. There is a construction site near the day care and the big trucks use the road that day care is on to get to the site.

Imagine a peaceful playground, with kids playing in the sandbox, reading books and just enjoying life. Wait! What was that?! The rumble of the truck is heard across the playground and all the children jump up and run screaming to the fence, all of them pumping their arm up and down motioning the truck driver to honk his/her horn. When that horn does blow (as it does every. single. time) all the kids jump up and down, screaming with joy. Within a few seconds, it is peaceful once again. That is, until the faint rumble of another truck sends all the kids back to the fence again. Getting a trucker to blow his/her horn really is an Awesome Thing. 

Book Updates:
I recently finished reading Pride and Prejudice. The best word to describe this book right now is love. I am planning on devoting an entire post to P&P because it deserves it.

I am now in the middle of The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. This is quickly turning out to be a wonderful novel and even though I am not yet finished reading it, put it on your lists of things to read.

I recently did something I have not done in a very long time. I actually purchased a book! That's right, an actual, hold-in-your-hands, turn the pages, not an e-book, book! Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay has been a book I have been wanting to read for a very long time so when I saw this on sale at Wal Mart, I jumped at the chance.

I also purchased The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I am very anxious to read both of these books and I am planning on writing reviews for both.

A Monday Present:

Keeping with the spirit of epic babies, anyone have other pictures of epic babies? Funny, goofy or just plain adorable, please share!

The Dollar Store Hero

I love my sister. I really do. But sometimes I just don't understand how Jennifer survives everyday.

Just last week she lost her week old iphone and while trying to replace it, she locked her keys in her car. This week she once again locked her keys in the car. It is almost funny, but not quite.

Picture Jennifer and me staring at her car keys through the window. I am sure you can imagine the hopeless look that was on our faces. This hopeless look only lasted a little bit before 'Resourceful' Jennifer and Katelyn took over.

Locked 'Steve' (yes, Jennifer has named her car) + coat hanger = fail

Things were getting pretty desperate. Jennifer did not want to call CAA two times in two weeks and the newly cut extra key for Steve was sitting completely inconveniently at home. I had even called the shop where Kirk works to see if he had any suggestions on how to break into Steve. All hope was lost until....

The Dollar Store Hero arrived!!! 

Out of the mist, with his St. Louis cap and well-loved truck, came our hero. He was able to work his magic with the coat hanger and with a resounding 'POP', Steve was unlocked!! I am not embarrassed to say that we did a little jig to celebrate. 

Our celebration continued as we went for some ice cream! I had Cherry Cheesecake and Jennifer had Grammy's Cupboard and Peanut Butter Cup Round Up. It was amazing, my only complaint being that two scoops was way too much! In the past two scoops had been the perfect amount, but was way too much now as they must have changed the scoop size. 

I am being completely unrealistic by hoping that the Dollar Store Hero will ever read this, but I can dream. 

To the Dollar Store Hero: Thank you! Your sheer awesomeness will never be forgotten. We will buy you some ice cream next time we meet. 

To my readers: I hope that the Dollar Store Hero, or a fellow Awesome Superhero, will be near to assist if you are ever silly enough to lock your keys in your car. And that you are able to celebrate with ice cream afterwards. 

Have you ever seen an Awesome Superhero? How did they help you or someone you know? Or maybe you had a crazy adventure that made you wish for a visit from an Awesome Superhero.  I would love to hear your stories. 

Quotes anyone?

I have commissioned my sister, Jennifer,to paint me a pretty picture!

I don't have any sort of artistic abilities what so ever, so I gave very vague instructions to Jennifer (which she was not happy about; "I am not a sketchbook!" she said over and over again)

{I should give myself a little credit here: I am not artistic anywhere but the computer. I do believe myself to be pretty talented with Adobe Photoshop, but I digress}

What I did give Jennifer was an idea: vintage,inspirational and something to fit in perfectly with my blog.

Jennifer had also recently purchased this:

She sat down before breakfast. Decided how to spend her day: climb trees. Run fast. Sing at the top of her lungs. Do the dishes tomorrow.

Isn't is perfect!? I also found these from the same company. They have many more but these are my favourite!

First it begins inside your heart. Something moves. Then opens. Then frees itself. And now, you feel a rhythm breaking its long silence. This is going to be good…

She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language. And birds fluttered around her, writing “yes” in the sky.

That’s the way it is with dreams. They scratch at your door. You see them through the peep hole: A stray dream looking for a home. You think it might go away if you ignore it. Wrong. It’s still there when you open the door, smiling. Wagging its tail.

You can find these and many other products here: http://www.live-inspired.com/

I told Jennifer that I love the style of these and would love something like this, so I thought I had been pretty generous with my instructions: providing enough feedback without stifling her creative freedom. She doesn't see it this way though. 

I am so excited to show everyone the wonderful piece Jennifer painted for me, so keep checking back for that! 

While we wait for my painting, enjoy some other pieces by Jennifer. 

I do want to include an inspirational quote on my painting and I am having a hard time finding the perfect one! So I am passing this over to you!! Do you have a favourite I do want to include an inspirational quote that would be perfect for my painting? It could be something that always helps you feel better after a hard day, or even a cute saying that would fit in with the direction this painting is trying to go in. I would love to hear anything you have! 

Leave a comment and the 'winning' quote will receive a painting by Jennifer Dawes, future famous Canadian artist! (she doesn't actually know about this yet)


I am looking forward to reading all of the quotes!