Let’s Talk…Umm…Breaking Dawn…Again!

Word of bloggy warning: We might be on Vampire Overload this week.

I’m sorry to those of you who could care less about Team Edward or Team Jacob or about the upcoming Cullen-Swan nuptials or the inevitable birth of a vampire-human hybrid baby.

(eeeeeee! just thinking about it makes me giddy!)

But it’s Breaking Dawn Part 1 premiere week, so what the heck else am I supposed to talk about for this week’s edition of Talk To Us Tuesday, with the lovely hostesses Impulsive Addict and Shawn??

But first – before I dive into the vampire stuff…

They lost. :(

Bryan Berard & Marie-France Dubreuil ended up in the shadow of David Pelletier and Tessa Bonhomme on last night’s finale of Battle of the Blades, when the former Olympic Gold Medalists (his came in ‘02 in pairs figure skating, hers in ‘10 in women’s hockey) garnered the majority of the fan vote to take home the title and the $100,000 for the charities of their choice.

Kind of ironic, since David & Tessa were the team I originally pledged allegiance to. But then I jumped ship after one episode when I found out Bryan and Marie-France were skating for D.I.F.D, an Ottawa-based youth-driven charity that is near and dear to the hearts of many in our area. Since then, I had been throwing as many votes their way as I could each week in hopes that they would win.

In the end, though, the wildly popular David & Tessa took home the crown, with Bryan & Marie-France landing in second (and a prize of $35,000 for D.I.F.D), and Boyd & Tanith ending up in third place.

Unfortunately, it was a rather anti-climactic finale for me. I had been so hopeful that Bryan & Marie-France would win. However, kudos to all of the hockey players and figure skaters who took part, raising awareness for many important charities and causes, and for showing that it’s okay for big tough guys to strap on a pair of figure skates and show their emotional side.

I think it was Brad May last night who said, “Hey, when you’re playing hockey, you’re with your buddies, high-fiving. When you’re figure skating, you get to hold a pretty girl in your arms and twirl her over your head. Who’s having more fun here?”

I know I’ve been having fun watching them for the past two months, and I’m going to miss it!

(If anyone is interested in learning more about D.I.F.D and the campaign to raise awareness for youth mental health issues, please visit here.)

Okay. So.

Back to the vampires. And the wolves.

THREE DAYS!!!!

I’m going to my very first midnight movie premiere, and I seriously cannot wait. It’s so funny to think that when Twilight first hit theatres, I had never heard of it or the books before, and I was rolling my eyes at the silly teen vampire flick, vowing to totally boycott it.

And that Edward guy the little girls were all going gaga over? God. What a doofus.

How quickly things can change.

I mean, seriously. How could you not be Team Edward?

(or, at the very least, Team Jacob? The little wolf & his pack have grown on me…)

Four books and three movies later, I’m ready. Bring on the first part of the finale. I will be there, lined up, with the other Twilight fans, waiting to be one of the first to see Edward & Bella get married, to see their very first love scene, and to witness the fall-out after she becomes pregnant with their child – a part-human, part-vampire baby.

For reals, people. This is going to be JUICY!!!!

Stay tuned for probably more vampire talk tomorrow. I’m sorry, that’s all I’ve got this week. ;)

Monday EXCITEMENT

I’m all whirly and twirly with excitement today.

Two reasons.

First of all, we are now only four – count ‘em, FOUR – days away from the Breaking Dawn Part 1 midnight premiere!!

Eeeeeek!!  I.can’t.wait.

And secondly, tonight is the finale of Season 3 of Battle of the Blades.  Tonight, we will find out which one of the final 3 couples will win it.

Will it be Tanith and Boyd…?

Or maybe Tessa and David…?

I KNOW I will be crossing my fingers for Bryan and Marie-France!

I was able to catch last night’s episode when it aired at 1o PM, and I voted throughout the show, many times, for Bryan and Marie-France.  I loved the song choice for their original skate.  In honour of the Richardson family and the charity they are skating for, Do It For Daron, on the one-year anniversary of Daron Richardson’s death, they appropriately skated to Avril Lavigne’s current hit, “Wish You Were Here”.  Literally brought tears to my eyes.

I was slightly disappointed, though, when they chose their “Sk8er Boi” performance as their reprise skate.  It was my least favourite program of theirs, and I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to do two Avril songs on finale night.  I was hoping for another chance to see them do the Elvis skate that officially turned me into a BB fan, of course. ;)

That being said, they were excellent once again.  I will be glued to my TV tonight to see who is crowned the champions of Season 3, and who will take home the big prize for their charitites.

Good Luck Bryan and Marie-France!!

We can’t abolish Christmas. I NEED TOO MUCH STUFF.

*Warning:  The following post is going to make me sound like a selfish, bratty little shit.  I apologize in advance.  I don’t really think I am a selfish, bratty little shit, but…yeah…some days, I guess I am.  Today is one of them.*

This morning over breakfast, my mother gave me her annual pitch to abolish Christmas.  She has done this every year, I think, since we were old enough to know that Santa & his elves hadn’t been working hard to make our wishes and dreams come true in the North Pole all year long.  That, in fact, the magic beneath the tree on Christmas morning was all because of her.  And that all of that magic ends up costing a pretty penny.

Every year, my mom says, “I think we should really cut back this year.  We all get too much, and Christmas should really be for the kids.”

And I throw a mini tantrum.

Yes.  I know.  Spoiled Rotten.

I totally understand the reasoning for my family wanting to cut back at Christmas.  My sister and her husband have two kids now.  My brother is getting married in the New Year. 

And…well…as we all know, I have no money.

I should be clicking my heels with glee that my mom wants us to draw names instead of buying for everyone, and that only the kids should get stockings.

Here is my issue.  I AM STILL A KID, DAMMIT!!!

Also, I have The Wish List going.  There are things I need.  If we abolish Christmas – or if I only get one present -  what am I going to do?!?!

I know what you’re thinking.  “OK, Jill, seriously?  You are so forgetting the reason for the season.  Family and love and world peace and Baby Jesus.”

Yeah yeah, sure sure.  I know all of that.  I haven’t forgotten.

But there’s THE WISH LIST, people!

And so, without further ado…all that my little heart desires this holiday season:

A Tassimo.  All the cool kids have one.  I NEED ONE TOO.

A blender.  This would be very practical, since everytime I want to make hummus, I have to go to my mom’s to use her food processor.  I think this would do the trick, and also I could start making smoothies.  This would be beneficial to my health.

A bread maker.  Okay, maybe this is dumb, since I’m not eating much bread these days due to my “healthy eating ways”.  BUT if I could make my OWN bread with whole grains and healthy things like seeds and berries, wouldn’t that be cool?  I’ve been dying for one of these for a while now.  Please, Santa??

 

This is the tea pot and brewing basket from Epicure Selections.  I almost ordered it from my lovely Epicure rep, Vicky, yesterday, but held off.  I’m a new tea addict, and I think every tea addict should have a tea pot and a brewing basket.  I don’t even know how it works, but I neeeeeed it.

Knives. Good ones.  And I really want ones with dimples in them.  I will feel more like a professional chef if I have fancier knives.  It will be much easier to cut my healthy fruits and vegetables up with.  So, also beneficial to my health.

Okay.  Enough with the kitchen stuff, I’m not even supposed to be thinking about food.  I WANT THE SENS NEW HERITAGE SWEATER.  It is, by far, the coolest sweater they have, and I wish they would wear it all the time.  Love.

The Big Bang Theory, Season 2.  Because I already have Season 1, and I want all the Seasons.  I need to have Sheldon in my life forever and ever.

Nail polish.  Another of my new addictions.  Specifically, I want O.P.I. nail polish.  I have collected many different brands and colours over the past few months, but I have no O.P.I.  And apparently, I’m missing out.

An electric fireplace for my living room.  I’ve always wanted one, but didn’t know where I would put it.  I have recently determined the perfect spot for it, and now I find myself browsing Canadian Tire flyers for deals.  It would be easier if one just magically showed up on Christmas Eve, no?

I also want an area rug for my living room.  I think this one is cool, and it would match my new furniture.  (My furniture is blue, not white.  But I think it would work).

So, as you can see, clearly I’m not asking for junk and gadgets that will lose their novelty.  I am asking for necessities.  I cannot live without all of the above items.  They are must-haves.  And the reason why Christmas cannot be abolished this year.

Oh, and also, I need someone to paint my house for me, a new car, and a husband.  Just little things like that.

*sigh*

I know. 

Selfish, bratty little shit.

WWTKW: Beautifying, baby.

It’s “We Want To Know Wednesday”, the Hump Day Q&A hosted by Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama.

This week, the questions are all about beautifying and style.  Check it:

{1} What is your "can't go without it" beauty product/cosmetic?
{2} Do you apply make-up before or after doing your hair?
{3} How would you describe your personal style?
{4} How long does it take you to get ready each day?
{5} What is your one pamper, just for you, beauty splurge?

My answers:

{1} What is your "can't go without it" beauty product/cosmetic?  My Cover Girl Tru Blend foundation.  My friends laughed at me a few weeks ago when I was whining about it running out.  I still haven’t replaced it, and I’ve been making due with some mineral foundation that I got in a sample.  Not the same.  I need to get my Cover Girl.

{2} Do you apply make-up before or after doing your hair?  I blowdry and straighten first, then do make-up – if the hair’s going up, I do that after make-up.

{3} How would you describe your personal style?  Laid-back, comfy & casual.  I wear a uniform to work, so when I get home in the evenings, I quickly throw on yoga pants and baggy tees or sweaters.  On weekends, I’m usually in jeans.  Comfort is my ultimate goal!

{4} How long does it take you to get ready each day?  45 minutes on a normal day – might take an hour if I’m getting ready for a night out or something.  But I’m usually pretty quick.

{5} What is your one pamper, just for you, beauty splurge?  Due to my latest addiction to nail polish, that’s definitely got to be in.  That and e.l.f. cosmetics, which I’ve just discovered thanks to the advice of some fellow bloggers.  LOVE!!!

Let’s Talk…Random Tuesday stuff.

Going random this week for Talk To Us Tuesday hosted by Impulsive Addict and Shawn -  one of my favourite weekly link-ups because there are NO RULES – JUST TALK!

• My friend Stacy and I co-hosted another successful Escape @ Home day on Saturday at my place.  Steph from New Leaf Wellness and her team of massage therapists and relaxation service providers showed up at my door bright and early, and then our many friends and family members who had booked appointments arrived throughout the day.  It’s always a fun day of relaxing, snacking, and chatting.  I enjoyed my hot stones massage and reflexology appointments, and was treated to a Turkish coffee reading on the house!   Thanks to all who joined us, we hope you enjoyed your services!
• Strangely enough, since then, I’ve had a wonky hip.  I know it has nothing to do with my massage on the weekend – but man, do I ever wish I could have one now!  It’s this weird twinge.  It doesn’t hurt all the time, but when it does flare up, it’s a nagging little pain.  I need magic hands to heal it, because my stretching and hot bag have had no effect thus far.
• Saturday night, after Escape Day had ended, I had my nephew Caden over for our very first sleepover, just him & I (and Brenda and Britt and Cowan!).  Let me tell you, having a 6-year-old around makes life interesting.  First, when I asked him how many Pogos he wanted for supper, he told me he could eat 10 to 12 of them.  When I laughed, he insisted that’s how many Pogos he could eat.  I made three, and Brenda told him if he was still hungry after that, she’d cook him the rest of the box.  As it turned out, two was plenty. ;)  We then settled in to watch one of my favourite childhood movies, The Sandlot.  Caden loved it too and stayed awake for the whole thing, even though my sister had warned me he might fall asleep because he had been up early that day (WHO makes Kindergarten-aged kids play hockey at 7 AM on a Saturday?!?!?)  In fact, he then stayed up for the rest of the Sens game, and I think he would have watched all of Angels in the Outfield  too if I hadn’t shut it off and told him we’d watch it in the morning.  Almost 10:30 before the boy finally went to sleep!  He’s an early-riser, so I was dreading him waking me up in the morning, but he didn’t stir until 7:40 AM, and then lay in bed and watched the rest of Angels in the Outfield before getting up to get ready for church.  I think Caden and I will have many sleepovers in the future!  It was so much fun to have him!
• BRYAN BERARD & MARIE-FRANCE DUBREUIL WERE IN THE BOTTOM 3 LAST NIGHT?!?!  I was shocked by this.  They had the best skate of the night on Sunday on Battle of the Blades, and earned 6.0’s across the board from the judges.  I was not impressed when they had to take part in the Monday night skate-off.  Fortunately, the judges unanimously voted off Curtis and Elena.  So Bryan and Marie-France will go up against David & Tessa and Boyd & Tanith next week in the finale!  Good luck to them!  I hope they can win this for D.I.F.D.!

• All of you Damon fans might be right.  I think I might be finally starting to warm up to him.  It’s taken almost two discs of Season 1, but he’s growing on me.  I might officially be jumping from Team Stefan to Team Damon.  (Do these vampires even have teams??)

Apparently they do…

• My current most favourite tea is Mulled Apple herbal tea with a touch of sweetner.  Mmmmmmm.

• My current most favourite nail polish is e.l.f. polish in Smoky Brown.  Perfect fall nails!

• Today would have been my cousin Troy’s 38th birthday.  We all miss him so much and think of him every day.  So in his honour, I’m closing today’s post with a verse from Bob Dylan’s song, “Forver Young” – it has made me think of him ever since cousin Kayla introduced it to me, a year ago today.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift.
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung.
May you stay...Forever Young.

Friday Confessions: I love food. And I think I might be Adele’s voice twin.

Ahhhhh Friday.  Sweet, sweet Friday.  How I love thee.

But before we kick off the weekend, time to vent…to confess…let it allllll hang out.  Linking up with Mamarazzi!

I confess…that Friday office lunches are breaking my heart.  I do not want my new eating habits to effect the office staff at all – they shouldn’t have to suffer along with me – therefore, I do not begrudge them their delicious Friday lunches.  They’ve been awesome the past few months trying to accomodate me.  That being said, last week was BBQ’d hot dogs and potato chips, this week is smoked meat sandwiches…processed, sodium-filled (delicious) bad meats that I just can’t do right now.  So I will sit today with my bowl of fat-burning soup, my kiwi, and my fat-free yogurt and look on with lust in my eyes.  It hurts my heart.

I confess…that if I keep thinking, “THAT will be my reward when the weddings are over”, then I’m going to put on a ton of weight in the weeks afterward, treating myself.  So far, I’ve said this about a Big Mac & fries, poutine, chips & dip, a club sandwich, hamburger steak with fried onions and gravy, theatre popcorn with lots of butter,  pizza with thick crust and pepperoni and extra cheese and garlic dipping sauce, cake…any kind of cake…oh, and of course, hot dogs and smoked meat sandwiches.  Like, seriously.  Just drooled on my desk.

I confess…despite all of this, I have really acquired a taste for healthier foods.  Hummus, for one thing.  I hated it before, but I love the homemade recipe I’ve found.  Fresh mushrooms are another.  And just veggies and fruit in general.  Maybe I won’t want all that junk at the end of this after all.

I confess…that I couldn’t even write that last part with a straight face.

I confess…that last weekend, I fell off the dieting wagon.  Hard.  I withheld myself from Friday office lunch, but I then I kind of didn’t pay attention all weekend long, didn’t keep track,  and ate whatever I wanted.  I was shocked when I stepped on the scales Tuesday morning to discover that I had gained almost 5 pounds.  LESSON LEARNED!!!

I confess…that I feel sorry for all of you guys having to read my diet blah blah.  I truly am sorry.  I’ll try to move on now for the rest of my confessions…

I confess…that, swear to God, I think I’m Adele’s voice twin.  When I’m belting “Someone Like You” in my car (and it’s on almost EVERY morning when I drive to work, and again at night when I drive home! LOVE!), you should hear the harmonies.  I can hit all those notes just beautifully.  Adele and I are magical together.

I confess…that I know some of you are thinking, “Whoa, didn’t she think she was Sheryl Crow before?”  Yes, I did.  Whatever.   Now I’m Adele.

I confess…that I’m trying so hard to be all Zen these days.  Deep yoga breathing and herbal tea and stretching and all that jazz.  But I still feel like a big ball of stress most days. 

I confess…that I feel like I really need a massage.  Darn good thing I’m going to have a house full of massage therapists and other relaxation service providers tomorrow for Escape Day.  Perfect timing! ;)

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

WWTKW: Post-Halloween Edition

Halloween has come and gone, so for this week’s “We Want To Know Wedesday”, the lovely hostesses – Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama – are wondering how we spent the spooktacular day.

Here are this week’s questions:

{1} How did you celebrate Halloween? Trick or treating? Adult party? Trunk or treat?
{2} What candy is your favorite/the first thing you steal from the kids?
{3} What kind of candy do you give out, is it your favorite? or something you know you won't be tempted to eat?
{4} How soon after Halloween do you take down decorations and put away costumes?
{5} When do you decorate for the next holiday?

My answers:

{1} How did you celebrate Halloween? Trick or treating? Adult party? Trunk or treat?  I spent Halloween at my place with my friend Brenda and her son Cowan, handing out candy to the 165 trick-or-treaters who knocked on my door!  In past years, I’ve always gone to the costume party at the local bar on the Saturday night, but I skipped it this year.  …And can I just ask…what is Trunk or Treat?!?

{2} What candy is your favorite/the first thing you steal from the kids?  I have no kids to steal candy from…but I do have a big bowl of “leftovers” that I’m trying to give away to everybody who comes near my place because I’m on a diet and I CAN’T EAT ANYMORE CANDY!!!  But my faves are the mini chocolate bars – pretty much any kind will do, but right now I’m digging the Crispy Crunch – the packages of Maynards gummies (especially the Swedish Berries), and the Rockets.  I also love chips, they are my biggest weakness – and that’s the reason why I didn’t buy any this year. ;)

{3} What kind of candy do you give out, is it your favorite? or something you know you won't be tempted to eat?  Sort of my favourite, sort of the cheapest I could find, sort of the kind I knew I wouldn’t be tempted to eat…I bought mini chocolate bars, Maynards gummies, and Rockets (I looove these), bags of suckers, Jolly Rancher chewies, Halloween marshmallows, and Double Bubble gum (because they were cheap and I wouldn’t be tempted by any of them).  I made up 150 little treat bags out of that candy, then had a bowl of leftovers that I ended up dipping into once the bags ran out for about 15 more kids.  It’s pretty expensive giving out candy to 150+, and still wanting the kids to like my house because I give out good stuff!!  Ah, the pressure!!

{4} How soon after Halloween do you take down decorations and put away costumes?  I put away my Halloween stuff last night – the Jack-o-Lantern is still on my front step, but everything else has been packed away.  I only left out my “fall” stuff for another few weeks.  But the witches, bats, skeletons, and scarecrows are down and put away the day after.

{5} When do you decorate for the next holiday?  I’m itching to get into the Christmas season this year!  Can’t wait to decorate…But I usually try to hold off until at least the last week of November.  I found boxes of my Christmas stuff when I was putting away the Halloween decorations, and it was all I could do to stop myself from dragging them out!

But before we dive into Christmas…I finally got my pictures uploaded!  Here are some pictures of the cutie patooties that showed up on my doorstep Monday night!

Bryce as a box of Timbits (his momma was a Tim Hortons cup but she had to take it off to carry her lil man!!) 

Julia as a cupcake and Cameron as a hamburger – cute enough to EAT!! ;)

 Hollie & Terry’s twin girls Kaylee & Jessica as strawberries – sooo sweet!!

Miss Maddy as a strawberry – she was more interested in visiting than the candy! haha! 

Little sweetie Keira as a pink poodle – I loved when she said “Tank you Jill!”

My niece Danica was George the Monkey but she was pretty tired by the time they got to my place and wouldn’t even look at me! LOL 

My nephew Caden as a firefighter – he was lovin’ Halloween this year!!

And, without further ado, the costume I told you all about yesterday…

Cowan as a Men’s Fitness Magazine – he got LOTS of laughs hanging out at my place helping to hand out candy! haha!!

It was such a fun night…can’t wait to do it all again next year!!

Let’s Talk…Random Halloweeny Stuff

Linking up with Impulsive Addict and Shawn for this week’s edition of “Talk To Us Tuesday”…going random this week, with a Halloweeny theme!

• I felt old on Saturday.  REALLY old.  It was the big Halloween costume party at Gavan’s, and I had absolutely no desire to go.  I know part of it is the fact that I’m on a serious crunch diet (ha! you should see how badly I’ve been doing with THAT!) and I knew I couldn’t squander those valuable little calories on rum in my Diet Cokes.  And who wants to go hang out at a bar packed with little kids and drink Diet Coke with no rum?  Not me, apparently.  I also had no inspiration for a costume.  So I ended up putting on my jams and watching episodes of The Vampire Diaries.  How LAME and OLD can I get?!?!
• Speaking of The Vampire Diaries...  My friends who love it have been telling me I need to get on-board.  Any self-respectin’ Edward lover needs to know about The Vampire Diaries, too, they say.  They’ve been telling me that I was for sure going to be a hard-core Damon fan.  So far, only two discs into Season 1, I’m definitely a Stefan girl.  They tell me to hang on, that I’ll come around on Damon yet.  We’ll just have to see about that… All I can say is that if there had been a Stefan hanging around my high school back in the day, I would’ve been racing to get on the school bus every morning…

• Speaking of vampires…SEVENTEEN DAYS UNTIL THE BREAKING DAWN PART 1 MIDNIGHT PREMIERE.  SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

• I got to take in the Halloween festivities at Scotiabank Place on Sunday night as the Sens took on the Leafs, because I won tickets from the Team 1200 in a Facebook contest.  I knew they were first-level seats, but when I found out I was in Row D, I almost fainted.  I’ve never sat that close before in my life.  It was such a fun night – Sharon and I grabbed some yummy peppermint mochas at Starbucks, then headed to SBP and found our seats.  We were fortunate because while there were a pile of rambunctious Leaf fans in attendance, the ones in our vicinity were pretty tame.  I was hoarse by the end of the night from roaring “GO SENS GO” in the endless battle of chants, but it was all worthwhile when the boys in red, black & gold brought home a narrow 3-2 victory.  I hardly ever get to see a win at home (I actually often think I’m bad luck when I’m in a seat at SBP), so it was a very special Halloween treat!

• I had to Youtube Bryan Berard & Marie-France Dubreuil’s skate on Battle of the Blades yesterday because I missed the Halloween episode Sunday night due to the hockey game.  I was, once again, very impressed by their skate, and I was glad to see they made it through again last night.  One step closer to winning in honour of D.I.F.D!

• Halloween is one of my favourite days of the year.  I don’t enter into dressing up – at least not anymore – but I so look forward to seeing all the little spooks at my door!  When I was a kid, my parents’ end of town only saw about 30 trick-or-treaters (they get even less now) – but where I’m located downtown, I got about 165 at my door last night!  I’m kicking myself for not uploading pics yet to show you, but there were some pretty cute little strawberries, a box of Timbits, a cupcake, a hamburger, a beautiful witch, Jessie from Toy Story, a cow, dinosaurs, super heroes, princesses, a pink poodle, a firefighter, a monkey, and many, MANY more.  But definitely one of the biggest highlights was Cowan in his “Men’s Fitness Magazine” costume!  I’ll get the pics up later this week to show you how cool it was.  He hung out at my place while Brenda and I handed out candy, and often I could hear the parents laughing from the side of the road while their kiddies collected loot.  I’d wonder to myself what was so funny, then turn around and realize they could see Cowan standing there!  haha!  It was a fun night, and I’m so glad all of my friends & family bring their little cuties to see me on Halloween!

• You know what’s almost scarier than Halloween?  It’s MOVEMBER.  That means that many of the men around here are going to be growing icky mustaches.  All for a good cause, of course, as they raise money and awareness for prostate cancer, but the staches are just so…blech!!  If anyone needs to see the reasons why I so dislike the mustaches, just click here.  And here.  And here.  And here. …Good luck, gentlemen. :)

So the ghosts and goblins will all be packed away for another year, and now the Christmas season can begin!!  On my list of things to get ASAP: Justin Bieber’s new Christmas album, which I believe drops today!  YES!!!

I know.  That’s scary.