school days.

school days, school days, good old fashioned rule days.
school is kicking my butt right now.
i'm behind.... and it's stressing me right out.
so i've made a list (typical) and i've posted it on the blog.
i want to hold myself accountable and i find one of the best ways to do so is by sharing what i'm doing.

so here's the list.

i'm going to try and update it daily, crossing things off seems to work for me.
blogging and internet are going to come second.
i need to cross my day off before moving to something fun.

how do you cope with have an unbelievable amount of things to do?

on support.

support is one of the most important things.
sometimes it's the thing that gets you through the day.
it's the love and care from family and friends.
listening to your frustrations and celebrating your joy.

being supported is by far one of the most amazing feelings.
make sure you extend the same feelings to others.
support them in what they do, and always lend your ear to listen.
listen.

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” 
- Ernest Hemingway 

cherish the moments when you have great support, as sometimes they are seldom.

countdown: 70 days

70 days. yikes!
time really does fly, how did we get to this point already?
i still need to find a home, and a way to navigate the foreign city.
as the days pass more and more stress builds.

as for long-distance-love, well i'm not to keen, but what choice do we have?
we have to make it work, and we will... i'm sure of it.
it's just not ideal.

and what about visitors... will i have any of those?

70 days and so much to do before then

... let the countdown begin!

reading week list.

* get through 1 book
* go to duchess
* get nails done
* get a facial
* get a massage
* get glasses
* go for coffee with mike
* study finance
* study accounting
* find a place to live
* do some german
* blog (5 posts)
* q-trade article
* money project article
* NYC accommodations
* NYC show tickets
* make fudge
* yelp
* yoga, yoga yoga!

frick.

the nanny.

15 months ago i was blessed with an opportunity that i thought would be rather short-lived.
two little bundles of joy now consume at least two mornings of my week.
casual babysitter turned nanny of two, i do love my job.
it makes me feel like i'll make it as a mom one day.

early mornings, and late nights.
runny noses, colds and tears.
cuddles, stories, and games.
these two are part of my world and i love them very dearly.

little kids don't judge you, they don't give you attitude,
and even if they are sick, it's nothing a snuggle can't fix.

meggie & simon are my little ones
they give me hugs and show me things
3 and 1.5 they both have so much to learn
but they are so perfect, so innocent.
it's refreshing.

valentine's day.

of the 365 days in a year this is one of my favorites.

whether i’m single or taken, i love this day.

pink hearts, white lace, love is in the air.

chocolate, jewelry, teddy bears, flowers.

tonight i go for dinner with the love of my life, my other half.

we usually keep it pretty low key, we don’t want to make it too material.

it’s about spending time with each other, appreciating each other, saying thank you.

it’s about the foundation of that little word l.o.v.e.

a little word that is so profound.

love can move mountains, love conquers all, or so they say.

i’ve always been a fan of love, and i believe in the end of course, it triumphs.

i am so incredibly head over heels in love with love.

i love, love.

it’s your turn to brag, tell me how spoiled you are.

what did you do for your loved ones, and what did they do for you.

plans for tonight? dinner? movie? both?

soak it up, this day only comes once a year,

and i want to know every detail.

liebster blog award.

so excited that the s chronicles nominated me for the libster blog awards!

rules.

1. list 11 facts about yourself

2. answer the 11 questions given to you.

3. create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

4. fo to each bloggers page and let them know about the award.

6. thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

simple right?

11 facts about me:

1. i love accounting, and i find it interesting

2. i'm a type-a and would consider my self slightly ocd in certain aspects of my life

3. i'm a recently turned wannabe health nut

4. i adore travelling, and want to see the world

5. i hate anything scary or suspenseful 

6. i've been in 4 faculties at the u of a

7. cooking and baking are another passion of mine

8. i founded a wine club

9. i nanny 2-3 mornings per week

10. i run a personal finance blog

11. i love trying new restaurants 

S's questions 

1. What are you most looking forward to this spring? 

travelling to nyc once school is over! 

2. What is one item on your bucket list?
become a millionaire

3. Who would play you in the movie version of your life?
blake lively

4. If you could spend a holiday in a specific city (e.g.: Valentine's Day in Paris or St. Patrick's Day in Dublin), which holiday would you choose & where would you spend it?
christmas in new york

5. What was the last book you read?
if textbooks don't count then 'how to be lovely' 

6. What did you want to be when you were little (e.g.: a ballerina or a doctor)?
ballerina, or a marine biologist

7. If you could trade closets with anyone, who would it be?

blair waldorf

8. Where is the most interesting place you've ever been to?

france

9. What jewelry do you wear on a daily basis?

tiffany's necklace and earrings and my claddagh. 

10. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

coffee, coffee coffee! 

11. What is your biggest pet peeve? 

what people don't rsvp

my questions.

1. coffee or tea?

2. single or attached (if attached how did you meet)?

3. what is your profession?

4. favorite restaurant in the world?

5. favorite vacation spot?

6. red or white wine?

7. favorite recipe?

8. one thing you want to accomplish before you die?

9. last great book you read?

10. how many kids do you want and what age do you want to be when you have them?

11. do you own any animals?

nominees.
(sorry they're aren't 11)

aislin
elle
laura
jenn
lisa
nicole
steven
april

what i eat.

each day is a new opportunity to give yourself the best set of tools to succeed.
i believe that those tools come in many shapes and forms:
enough sleep, nourishment, exercise, stimulus.
what we put into our body is so important.
here's a peek into what i put in my body each day:

breakfast.

oatmeal, skim milk, walnuts, cranberry juice, and a coffee.

snack.

pear & granola bar.

lunch.

carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes with ranch dressing.

dinner.

chicken or fish, squash or peppers, veggies, veggies, veggies and a glass of vino.

H20.

as much as i can possibly fit into my little body!

+ sometimes, there is a cookie, or chocolate treat thrown into my day.

i'm a firm believer that what you put into your body is what you will get out.
you only have one body so watch what you are putting in it.
is it processed? do you know where it came from? what's it actually made from?
is there high fructose corn syrup in it? what do your red peppers look like?

do you think about these things?

& my other half.

he's perfect.
he really is.
i couldn't ask for better.

my other half.
he completes me. makes me better.
pushes me to do my best, to challenge myself.

i'm one lucky gal.

he's my other half.
my best friend.
my partner in crime.
my shoulder to lean on.
my protector. my comforter.

he makes me laugh, non-stop.
holds me when i cry.
gets me through the tough stuff.
listens, kisses, trusts.

he's mine.
all mine.
<3

j.e. + a.r.

a pep talk.

a reminder we all need from time to time....

go do something awesome.

why i write.

sometimes i find myself wondering why i push myself to keep writing?
do i feel an obligation to my readers? perhaps.
has it provided me with opportunity to do what i love. yes.
do i sometimes feel like  i don't want to write. absolutely.

all of these thoughts swirl around my head on a daily basis.
when i stay up till midnight trying to finish a post for the next day.
or when i have a bad case of writers block, it feels impossible to write.

but at the end of the day, writing is an outlet for me.
somewhere i can organize the millions of thoughts looming in my head.
somewhere i can write about my passion.
somewhere to document my journey, where i can write it all down.
i don't want to skip a beat, life happens so quickly.

why do you write?

market-goers.

what can i say...
we love the market, the food just tastes better.
mmmmmmmm, fresh fruits and veggies.

the produce is more colourful, the peppers are more symmetrical, the tomatoes have more taste.

and the pears...oooooh the pears, we like the squashes too.

it's our thing, every saturday morning. 

find us there, bright and early - though sometimes we sleep in. 

granola bars from health crunch and salsa and chips from don antonio. 

and yet, somehow i managed to convince the boyfriend into letting my buy $13.50 in french chocolate.

omg, so good.

yes, there are only six chocolates, and i'm aware of the cost per unit.

but guess what - i don't care.

these chocolates are amazing, i'm being over indulgent and i'm okay with that.

jacek chocolate couture