This week flew by!
John is feeling better (hooray), and so we hosted a family for supper one evening. It was the epitome of summer entertaining: BBQ and potato salad (which I LOVE), barefoot kids running through the hose, and ice cream sandwiches to top it all off.
Some friends in our neighbourhood moved away (like, away away — to Ireland), which was bittersweet. Goodbyes are always hard, especially for Indy, who was quite close with their kids.
We tried some new takeout sushi that came highly recommended and met all expectations, and squeezed in a few hot, sweaty walks.
Here are some more Happy Things…
CAMP LIFE
Belle was at camp this week for leadership training, and she’s living her best life. She’s surrounded by a perfect blend of older and younger people — kids she can mentor and lead, and others who keep her humble. She’s sharing a cabin with friends, spending almost all day outdoors playing games, working hard, or swimming.
I never loved summer camp growing up, but Belle adores it. We haven’t heard much from her (which I take as a good sign), but what little we have heard has been entirely positive. She still has one week as a participating camper, and two more weeks as a junior leader over the course of the summer.
TEE TIME
Indy has been asking to golf for ages (a free after-school program a few years ago sparked his interest), and this week, the stars finally aligned. John found a great little Par 3 course — kids 10 and under golf for free and I didn’t play, so it ended up being a very economical adventure!
Bonus: we came home with more golf balls than we started with. I enjoyed fitting in my steps, and each found ball felt like a mini celebration.
There were some big emotions (golf is infamously frustrating), but Indy rallied well and things ended on a high.
So high, in fact, that we capped it off with ice cream. I tried two new-to-me flavours and both were SO good:
- Grand Slam — vanilla with peanut butter ripple and Skor bits (like a Heath bar)
- Wolf Pass — vanilla with peanut butter swirls, brownie chunks, and peanut butter cups
What can I say? I really like peanut butter. Also, I was accidentally given a waffle cone (I’m too cheap to upgrade normally), which felt like an unexpected luxury.
CANADA HAPPY THINGS
- Sobeys Our Compliments Sparkling Water in Guava. It was $3.99 for a 12-pack this week, plus 200 points when you bought two, effectively making it $2.99. So good and perhaps my new favourite flavour?
- I hadn’t checked our kids’ RESP earnings in a while; passive income for the win. (Canadian PSA: the government matches 20% of contributions annually, up to $500/year. If you’re new to RESPs and want a referral code that gets us both $150, email me: optimisticmusings {at} gmail {dot} com.)
- Another nod to our healthcare system: I had a routine physical and once again left feeling grateful. We have an A++ family doctor — efficient, kind, and truly patient-centred.
BLOGGY THINGS MAKING ME SMILE
- Kristen shared a great post about growing an accurate self-image. AND SHE PASSED HER NCLEX!
- Julie is on a mission to declutter at least one item a day through year-end and is already surpassing her goal!
- A fun surprise: I received a postcard from Anne and Engie!
- Michelle was inspired by Stephany to get tested for sleep apnea and turns out she does have it. She’s sleeping better already. And please click through to her post…SHE MADE A MINI C-PAP MACHINE FOR HER DOLLHOUSE.
- I really appreciated Cal Newport’s essay on moral intuition as it relates to phone use (among other things) by kids.
THRIFTED WINS
- Kae sent me a picture of a pitcher she thrifted for iced tea (update: she posted about it here).
- Suz scored two books at a thrift store for a grand total of $1.75!
- Ernie sourced almost all the outfits for a huge family photo shoot second-hand. Woot woot!
- I popped into a consignment store with a bag of kids clothing to drop off…and walked out with $80 in cash. It’s always a delight to realize things the kids have outgrown or stopped using (almost all of which were purchased second hand) have had a financial payoff.
- I’ve been hunting for a better travel bag for local trips (my wheeled carry-on isn’t ideal for weekend getaways), and John found the perfect duffel at a thrift store — brand new, tags still on, and expandable. I’ll be using it soon and will report back.
- We’re attending a wedding next weekend (Belle’s first time as a bridesmaid — PINCH ME!). I hadn’t found a dress I felt excited to wear, and we were also hunting for nude heels for Belle. On a last-ditch stop at a thrift store over the weekend…we found both. Heels for her and a dress for me — under $10 total.
DAILY MOVEMENT/ACCOUNTABILITY
Exercise ebbs and flows for me. For the most part, I move daily, but sometimes I get into a funk and everything and anything feels too onerous.
So…my “goal” for the second half of the year is to move daily. No set distance or duration or setting or style of movement.
Here’s how things have gone so far.
- July 1. Mowed the lawn = 5.5 km of walking
- July 2. Pilates
- July 3. Pilates
- July 4. Walk (7.94 km)
- July 5. Walk (3.42 km)
- July 6. Walk (5.06 km) + Pilates
- July 7. Golf (which involved 5.26 km of walking)
- July 8. Walk + Pilates
- July 9. Walk (x2); Pilates (x2)
For at-home pilates videos I’m currently using either Rachel’s Fit Pilates or Move with Nicole, but I’m open to suggestions!
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Fresh, local strawberries on sale for $4.99. Not much more than U-pick prices and so worth it in this heat.
- The sound of the dishwasher at night. Clean dishes!
- Keeping blinds closed during the day makes a huge difference in house temperature. We shut everything before heading to the golf course and came home to a cool space.
- Belle and I spotted a butterfly resting on the side of a building while out grocery shopping. Beautiful and unexpected.
- I think I accidentally jumped on the “jelly nail” trend: Sally Hansen Top of the Frock ($3.99). Very subtle, very summery.
And that’s a wrap. Happy weekending.
Your turn.
- Did you see any beautiful wildlife this week?
- Have you ever been golfing? On a scale of 1-10, how frustrating did you find the experience?
- Favourite flavour of sparkling water?
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Wow, that duffel is a great find, and of course two missing pieces for the wedding, even better! It’s kind of rare when I find what I am looking for when I am in a crunch, but it does happen! Usually I will find something that will work, and I make it work and it is fine. I am looking for a long sleeved, light weight athletic shirt, and I have not really found anything to fit the bill (usually they are too heavy, are weird colors or do not have a hood, which I want because I use it as sun protection).
I love that Indy got to get his golf outing! I have only ever gone to the driving range, but does a par 3 course usually mean that the holes are all pretty easy? Did he do 18 holes or is it also less holes as well as easier? I need to learn more golf terms (maybe..?)
We seem to have an uncanny knack to find exactly what we’re looking for. Though, I suppose I also make do until we do, so maybe it just feels that way? Like I have wanted a duffel bag for a while, but it was a happy coincidence we found one right before a trip to the lake. Can’t wait to test it out.
A Par 3 (there were actually 2 Par-4 holes on the course) is easier. It means you “should” be able to get par with 3 shots. But there were some tough holes. And yes, there were 18 total, with a few repeats. It was great and very, very hard to beat the price. It was not a fancy course, but for almost the whole afternoon we were the ONLY PEOPLE THERE which was amazing. I think a lot of Par 3s only have 8 holes, but this one was organized into 18 holes.
12 cans for USD 2.99 is incredible – and guava sounds delicious!
One of the most frustrating things about living in Switzerland is the absurd cost of, well, everything. I took my parents to a lakeside restaurant yesterday. My glass of Coke alone costed CHF 6 – that’s about CAD 10.30. 😳 We rarely eat out in Zurich, but I made an exception for them. To feel better about it, I’m mentally filing the whole thing under “gift” rather than “restaurant”.
You and Belle are going to look fabulous at that wedding! Extra points for thrifting the entire look – can’t wait for the photos!
Actually, it was in CAD which means I got 12 cans for about $2.19 USD. And the guava is soooo good.
That is one pricey Coke! I know John always talked about the price of things in Norway. Like a $15 hotdog at a gas station. Eeks.
I actually love “gifting” meals out to people. Every year I take my best friend out for dinner for her birthday (and that’s my gift to her) and it feels like such a great celebration.
I had some shorter dresses that would have worked, but this feels a bit more summer wedding chic being floor length and very flowy. And it makes it feel more exciting to go to a wedding and have something new (to me at least) to wear.
We’re seeing plenty of fawns on our property lately. There are three roaming around. They are cute until you see them eating all your flowers and bushes. My husband worked at a golf course in college, so he attempted to teach me. I’d rather stick to putt putt. I prefer still water and sparkling champagne!
My mother is in a perpetual battle with deer and her garden. They now have a GIANT wire fence that towers over and around the garden.
I’m fond of grapefruit and lime in sparkling water. I also had a non-alcoholic Mohito lately – they’re pricey, but one of the kids had left it in our fridge, and it was so good! Love the dress! Having lunch today with Eugenie Fernandes, who will do some art for my Doris book, if Sutherland House ever gets the ball rolling again after buying Fitzhenry & Whiteside in April… She lives on an island nearby, and I’ve always loved her illustrations. Think she’s done over 100 books (she’s in her 80s).
PC Grapefruit sparkling water has always been my default favourite.
What a long and winding journey you’ve been on to get your Doris book completed. And what a faff to have the publishing company change hands mid-process. Wishing you all the best and I hope you have a wonderful visit. Living on an island? Could there be a more perfect setting for a book illustrator?
I haven’t golfed since I was pregnant with Mark! I used to golf all the time when I worked in the corporate world. I wasn’t good but often there would be – oh no, now I can’t remember the name of it – like a best ball tournament? You’d be in a foursome and whoever hit the best ball, that’s where you’d play from. It’s a fun way to team build, especially for us not-great golfers. My husband used to golf a lot and I thought he’d golf more in Kelowna, where there are so many courses, but he’s lost interest since retirement!
A duffel with tags still on, what a score!
Michelle’s tiny CPAP was a highlight of my week as well!
I have just bought some La Croix Limoncello water and some San Pellegrino “light” flavoured water in pomegranate, because I like feeling like a fancy lady. However! It’s Friday which means COCKTAIL HOUR! I’m hoping Rob will make us Aperol spritzes.
So glad John is feeling better!
The tiny CPAP SLAYED ME, Nicole. SLAYED ME. She just keeps on knocking these miniature things out of the park.
Hooray for Friday and cocktail hour and all the summer bliss of being outside on the deck with a good book, Rex at your feet, and a cold drink in your hand <3
I have never played golf but I might if I could do it in Nova Scotia! I love the pictures you post of the island – it was one of my grandmother’s favourite places to have visited and I hope to see it myself someday.
The Nova Scotia mainland has some nice golf courses, but some of the best in all of Canada are on Cape Breton. And such stunning views. PEI is also know as a golf haven!
I love your dress! And please please please report back on the duffle. While I’ve decided that I don’t need to buy any luggage right now I’m very curious and long term I think I want either a duffle or a better backpack.
I also want to hear about Silver Like Dust! I’m interested in the topic, and I loved These Silent Woods by the same author.
Most importantly, yay that John is feeling better. What he was dealing with was no joke.
I like the idea of the ease of tossing in some packing cubes into a bag and just throwing it over my shoulder. It feels more forgiving and malleable than a hard-shell roller carry on which is perfect for air travel, but a bit of a waste of space and weight for road trips.
I am really enjoying (that sounds like the wrong word because it is all about Japanese internment camps in the US during WWII) Silver Like Dust. It’s a sad story but told in a very engaging way. To my shame, I really didn’t know much about the history of this (years long) isolation.
Yay! I’m so glad John is feeling better!!! That’s the best happy thing. Sounds like everyone is having a really nice summer. To answer your questions, no I’ve never played golf. I have enough things in life that frustrate me already- I don’t need another one. My current favorite flavor of sparkling water is the Waterloo brand Blackberry Lemonade. Soooo good.
Your thrifted finds are incredible. I had a talk with my daughter about going thrifting (she’s wanting new clothes) and she agreed- we just haven’t done it yet.
Glad Belle is enjoying camp so much! It’s probably nice to have the one on one time with Indy. And yes- no news is good news from Belle. Not hearing from her is a sign that she’s having fun.
Ha! Golf is frustrating (and expensive, generally), but I did comment to John that I can see enjoying it in retirement. It’s a great way to maintain flexibility and cardiovascular health. So much walking without too much effort since you’re starting and stopping.
Please report back on your thrifted finds!! I remember you having good luck before (was it a garage sale, maybe?).
Belle comes home today so I’m sure my ear will be talked off with all sorts of funny stories.
Beautiful dress!!
Thanks, friend! The price was right <3
Your comment about the ice cream cone shocked me. I think I eat ice cream almost just to get to eat a sugar cone or waffle cone. Needless to say, I always upgrade 😁. It is one of the true joys of being an adult, that I can upgrade the cone and no one can tell me not to.
Ha! I am too cheap for my own good. This waffle cone may have ruined me. It was perfect. Crispy, not too thick, not too thin. Just right.
Love the perspective of being able to upgrade as being a joy of adulthood. We have a lot more autonomy than we think about sometimes, and it can be a real pleasure to flex those muscles. I felt the same when I ate cheesecake for breakfast. Wait, I can do this? And nothing bad is going to happen? No adult will tell me not to! Mind-blowing.
The travel bag is fantastic — what a great find. Also, I’m amazed at how fortunate you are to find exactly what you need when thrifting: nude dress shoes and a lovely dress! Bravo. I’m excited for Belle to be a bridesmaid; please share pictures!
I’ve never golfed, but have thought it might be something enjoyable when we had more time to spare, as it’s an all-day event. I love that there was a free afterschool program offered for Indy.
I’ve not heard of the Jelly Nails, but I’m intrigued!!
Okay, that butterfly is awesome; it’s actually a Viceroy, which looks remarkably like a monarch, and it’s had a life. You can see how weathered its wings are; it has some stories to tell, and I wish I could hear them.
I love plain old lemon or lime sparkling water, but I’m not opposed to trying something new.
I will admit the nude shoes are a tad too big for Belle, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve to make sure they fit snugly for her big walk down the aisle (WHICH WILL ACTUALLY BE STAIRS!!!). We looked at thrift stores and at all sorts of retail stores and couldn’t find anything. Apparently, nude heels are not an easy ask in rural Nova Scotia.
I see you as a golfer. I think you’d love it. And I bet you’d spot lots of butterflies.
I looked up Viceroy vs monarch and wowzers, they are so similar! And I noticed the poor wings. It has definitely lived a busy life!
I’m with ‘ya sister, my week flew by too. Don’t know how that happened but here it is Friday already.
Did you see any beautiful wildlife this week? Momma deer with two little ones have been everywhere on our property this week. The little ones frolic while tired Mom looks on. I swear she has circles under her eyes.
Have you ever been golfing? On a scale of 1-10, how frustrating did you find the experience? I took golf lessons when I was in high school. My mother’s idea so I’d be a well-rounded adult later on. HATED golf, despised it. Why waste a nice walk outside with clubs and scores and little balls?
Favourite flavour of sparkling water? I like anything grapefruit, but lime is nice too.
I guess it’s not just human mamas who find the whole parenting things rather exhausting.
Ha! A well-rounded adulthood requiring golf is hilarious. At least you knew you disliked it and didn’t waste time in adulthood trying to pick it up??
Grapefruit is my go-to sparkling water flavour, but this guava surprised me. It’s delicious and packed with flavour.
Hooray that John is feeling better!
I love the dress. And your hair is, as my kid would say, HAIRING. Looks fabulous.
Golf is not my thing, but I love that you are enjoying it. Even mini golf makes me feel ridiculous and frustrated.
I need to buy some sparkling water today. I usually like cherry or grapefruit but it depends on the brand.
I got a Revelon brush blowdryer. I can’t really test it properly because the humidity is approximately 2,000% right now, but I think I’m going to love it.
I’m horrible at mini golf, but it makes for a very fun family outing.
I have never golfed, but last night I went to the play, “The Ladies Foursome” about four women who reveal a lot about themselves while playing a round of golf.
A very strange wildlife incident in my neighbourhood took place earlier this week. Only a 5 minute drive from my home, near the entrance to a trail, two black bears had it out on the street. They circled, growled and attacked each other, fur literally flying! Held up traffic for an hour. Someone took a video and it was shared on the news. I’ve been on that trail many times, but I’ll give it a pass for the next while!
I love a lot of different flavours of sparkling water. Right now I have been enjoying deep orange. One I really don’t like is black cherry.
That’s a beautiful dress!
Deep orange. It sounds exotic and packed with flavour.
I’ve never heard of The Ladies Foursome. What an interesting premise for a play.
Eeks. Black bears scare me, and my parents have a number in their local area. I’ve never come across them while walking, but some local trails near where they live have bells throughout the trails so you can make noise as you go to help keep the bears away.
Awww, I’m blushing! You’re so sweet to mention me! ❤️
I’m so glad that John is feeling better. Your dress for the wedding is absolutely gorgeous! And the bag is an amazing find!
My friend talked me into taking a golf lesson when I was in high school. A younger boy in the class accidentally let go of his club while swinging, and it hit my arm. It really hurt and left a huge bruise, and I had no interest in golfing after that. The boy got in HUGE trouble, even though it was an accident, and he was sobbing from getting yelled at, which made me feel terrible too.
I love plain sparkling water, but I’m a snob because I like San Pellegrino best. I feel like it has tiny, delicate bubbles compared to others.
Ouch! What a painful golf adventure. I had a cousin who was standing behind someone when they swung their golf club and it knocked a lot of his teeth out. Something like $10,000 in dental damage. CAN YOU IMAGINE. And it was on his first day at a summer camp.
That CPAP machine was darling. I’m sorry you have to have one (though so thankful they exist and 3 of my family members use them!), but secretly excited your dollhouse has a new, unexpected addition.
Elisabeth! Thank you for a lovely and uplifting post!
Wildlife- yes! Lyra is in summer camp ran by the reservation so each I time I pick her up, drop her off I see nature’s beauty.
I have only ever experienced mini-golf and it was quite painful 😉
I don’t really drink sparkling water… Plain water or tea! I drink hot tea even in hot weather :))
I am quite terrible at mini-golf…but I was excellent at finding lost balls scattered around the course. Maybe that’s my hidden gold talent 😉
Grapefruit Perrier is the best flavored water for me, hands down. It’s also suuuper expensive, so I only buy it for road trips.
On my way to work, I take a back road that is sort of woodsy. On Wednesday when I was headed in, I saw a deer just standing in the middle of the road and I had to just sit there and wait for it to move. It was a reminder for me to slow down and just enjoy what the world throws at me.
Now I want to try some grapefruit perrier! I will be on the lookout.
Love that you got to soak in the magic of nature AND take a forced breather before heading into a busy work day <3
I like my water flat, not sparkling. So I have no vote there. I saw a heron flying over a pond while I was on a run earlier in the week and it was beautiful. I did golf once while in Florida with Coach. We had no kids yet and he told his dad I was a natural. His dad was like, OH, GREAT. Yeah, I chose to not take up the sport, saying that I wasn’t interested in giving his dad anything else to critique me on. He’s not a nice guy, IMO. So, I don’t golf. I prefer sports to be fast paced and include defense or something . . . I find golf the ultimate snooze fest. I also would 100% find it frustrating.
So glad John is feeling better. Love the description of the dinner with friends. I’m curious about the neighbors who moved to Ireland. Did they have friends/family there? Roots there? What motivated them to move to Ireland?
Ugh. Sorry about the tough in-law situation. Maybe in retirement? Even if you’re a natural, though, I guess it doesn’t mean you’d enjoy it. Life’s too short to do boring things, I suppose (especially when they’re supposed to be fun).
One half of the couple is Irish and they lived there for many years before coming back to Canada (where the other half of the couple is from).
I’ve only golfed once and it was a best ball scramble. I was terrible and don’t care to do it again until I am far better. Phil is a very good golfer. I would like to focus on learning to golf when I retire but I have my work cut out for me!!
I did not see any notable wild life this week. We saw some rabbits and it turns out our friend in Northern BC doesn’t have rabbits in her area? That blows my mind. We have sooo many!!
You are the thrifting queen! I love that dress you found!!
I think golf is definitely a retirement sport. It takes SO long to play, it quite expensive, and seems like a great way to stay active in older age.
I might have seen live rabbits (in the wild) half a dozen times in my entire life. They are a pretty rare sight where I live.
Happy things, indeed. I love the dress!
Thanks! It’s always great to find something that fills a need that is also pretty AND inexpensive.
I am woefully behind on blog reading so I haven’t read Michelle’s post yet. A tiny CPAP machine? I must see this!
That dress is GORGEOUS on you. What a find!
I’m glad John is feeling better and Belle seems to be having a good time at her leadership camp. What a cool experience that must be for her!
I have never done proper golfing. I have done putt-putt (which I love) and I’ve gone to a driving range. I’m pretty terrible, but I think it’s fun nonetheless.
You will love the CPAP!
I’m so glad John is feeling better! Hopefully he can be home for a chunk of time now?
That Grand Slam flavor sounds delicious. I’ve only recently discovered the simple joy of vanilla cream and peanut butter. Sometimes I just scoop the ice cream into the almost finished jar of peanut butter as a way of getting every last scape of PB- can’t waste any of that!
I’m eager to hear a report back on that bag- I have been toying with the idea of getting a weekend/overnight bag for those times when my rolling suitcase is too much or too cumbersome.
There are so many deer around here that I don’t really consider them wildlife anymore.
He is home for a nice stretch which is lovely!
Peanut butter is one of the true joys of my life. I have peanut butter nearly every single day of the year. And it never fails to impress me.
The bag has been great so far.
What great finds to complete your outfits for the wedding, amazing! It’s great that Belle is loving camp. My kids all loved school camps, but our son was always so disappointed to come home. He thrived in the high-energy, always stimulating environment. Now he loves going touring for work. I hate golf and have no plans to take it up. I played a few holes once and, just quietly, lobbed the golf club during a particularly frustrating hole. Of course, I had to go and retrieve the golf club, and then I declared myself done.
Yup. Belle loves high energy environments, too, and loves to try new things. Camp is the perfect setting for her!
Ha. Picturing you throwing a golf club in frustration would be a sight indeed. Though I’m sure having to go collect it after the fact detracted from the enjoyment of getting your angst out.
Your thrift shops find keep to amaze me. I have to believe it is due to your local store because thrifting here often doesn’t feel like you make a bargain.
Glad to hear John is feeling better.
We are fortunate to have some great stores nearby. I think it also helps that we go frequently! If I only went a few times a year, I wouldn’t find much but going often ensures I see new “stock.”