Friday, February 27, 2015

These Boots are made for walking & more

Whoever invented these boot/shoe grips is a genius! A majority of my 45 min walk home from the gym today was on solid ice. I honestly don't know how I would have made it home without my priceless grips. Surely I would have taken a tumble or two or even three and who knows what I would have broken. 
Mind you even if I didn't injure myself or break any bones, I would have been terribly embarrassed lying on the sidewalk with my feet up in the air! So yes these boot grips are my new best friend & staying on as long the sidewalks remain icy & snow covered. Being fashionable will just have to wait for the spring! 
Speaking of taking a tumble, a funny thing happened to me at the gym the other day. Kind of funny for me but not for the fella who the story is about. First day back at the gym and a man hopped onto the elliptical machine beside me and next thing you know he is lying at my feet. Never had a man fall for me before!  It happened so quickly, thought he was having a heart attack but I guess he just got his feet tangled up between the foot rests. Other than a gash on his leg and probably some soreness & stiffness to come, he was fine. I'm sure his pride was wounded more than his body. Been there and done that but that is a story for perhaps another day! 


First shipment of our new appliances is set to arrive this afternoon. Keeping myself busy while I not so patiently wait for their arrival. Doesn't take much to excite this girl.
Yay my washer & dryer have arrived but Boo I won't be able to set them up yet as planned as the stacker kit didn't come in yet. Means I need to be even more patient.

And one more thing; one of our traditions in our old house was Pizza Night Fridays and that's one tradition that definitely remains Would you like a slice?

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

A Whole Lot of Cuteness Going On!

Not much going on here so did you honestly expect anything other than cute pics of our latest addition? Cold but sunny day here and still no gym. But did manage to get some time in on the elliptical and yay just found out my gym membership is all set to go for tomorrow! 
By the way Pee Pad training is going very well with Penny; figured out she loves cooked chicken. And she is sleeping so well at night it scares me, touching wood right now cause she sleeps through the night. She has been getting adventurous and is exploring different rooms in the house. Sometimes it's hard to find her and I am treading ever so gently without my Birks in fear of stepping on her. Penny hasn't been locked in her crate in daytime yet, but she will get a dose of that shortly as we are planning to attend a local home show and I really need to get my gym game back on! But it has been a whole lot of fun getting to know her and watch her explore her new surroundings! Looking forward to all the days ahead! 
Oh crap just found out we are expecting another 10 to 20 cm of snow; hope I can make it to the gym! 

Here's Penny L hanging out in an infinity scarf which is perfect for snuggling with her but keeping my hands free to do computer work. And when she falls asleep, I just remove the scarf from around me and tuck her in her blanket. 


Here she is hanging out with Daddy! I can see her becoming a Daddy's Girl!


 Sleeping in a snuggly cozy blanket!


Oops woke her up by taking pictures!


Sporting my new Way too big collar that Uncle Nick & Aunt Angie bought for me and I have a matching leash too! What do ya think of my spiffy name tag? 


Monday, February 23, 2015

Just Hanging with Penny Lane

Still waiting for my gym membership to go through with the discount. So spending time hanging out with Penny Lane while hubby works on the plumbing/hydro for the new washer/dryer combo which hopefully will be arriving later this week. He also drained the hot water tank and put it on a platform to insulate it ( a recommendation from the energy audit). 

Oh and here's a little video I took of Penny Lane playing with her new friend. I picked up this little green frog in the Valentine's clearance section at Walmart before I even got Penny Lane. Hubby thought it was too big and although I wasn't sure, for the price I thought it would make for a sleep time companion even if it was too big for her to play with. Turns out, it is bigger than her but she is loving it & dragging it around and fighting with it. Don't need expensive toys to keep this puppy happy! 


Sunday, February 22, 2015

Rainy Days & Chihuahuas for Dummies

It's a rainy/indoors kind of day in Nova Scotia. Snow is melting and our street looks like a river. Thankfully we are on the higher side and not on the bottom. But the day has been busy nonetheless, with renovating plans underway and getting Penny Lane accustomed to her new environment. So far it is all going well but I still feel like I don't speak Chihuahua. So next on my reading list will be Chihuahuas for Dummies!
Oh and someone picked up a good portion of our cardboard boxes which we used to move here so that will save us from having to bundle a ton of cardboard for recycling!
Here's a short video of our river flowing down the street; enjoy the ride!

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Peggys Cove & Penny Lane

A 45 minute drive from my home is Peggys Cove. Although I've been there before, I have never gone in the midst of winter. The winds were gusty but the sun was shining and I got to see Peggy in a whole new light. Hubby took lots of pictures so if you want to take a look/see here is the link. Peter's Blog


A cool phone booth at the restaurant in Peggy's Cove. 



And one of the reasons we went to visit Peggy today was because it was not far from the home where we were going to pick up Penny Lane. And here is one of the first pics of her in her new forever home. Welcome Penny Lane!

Friday, February 20, 2015

Freaking Winter Wonderland & Price Matching

Why does every Freaking Day have to look like a Winter Wonderland! I know it's pretty but would appreciate it more on December 25 and maybe even the days leading up to Christmas. But I just moved into a new house and haven't yet been able to check out the backyard. Who knows what's all out there, wait I knows there's at least 2 or 3 feet of snow back there.

On another note, bought all the new appliances minus the freezer. I have price matched on grocery items in the past and saved a few dollars here and there but trust me price matching on appliances is definitely worth it. Saved hundreds of dollars today so it was a good day indeed! Although still freaking out at spending money cause I'm a frugal gal and have not spent this kind of money in a very long time.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

A Funny Pic & Learned Something New

While we were out shopping at Costco yesterday spotted these 2 guys/gals? patiently waiting for their owner who was inside shopping. Had to snap a pic but I wasn't the only one taking pictures. By the time I got to take my pic, one of the two decided he was bored with the whole scene and turned his head away from the action. Oh and by the way he/she was sporting sunglasses too! Apparently the pair are regulars at Costco and get plenty of attention. I'm guessing no one will ever drive off with that truck! 






Pot Rack is now hung above the island and the stain on the granite still remains but not an eyesore. The island is working out really well for us and we are very happy with our purchase.





Still waiting to get my membership at the gym set up so stayed home today and managed to squeeze in some fitness time on my elliptical. 
But for the most part the next pic shows how most of my day was spent. One of the recommendations  of our Energy Audit was to insulate plugs & switches with these foamy things. Had some on hand so I got right to it. I had done this in our previous home but just on exterior wall plugs & switches. Found out yesterday that you should also do this on interior wall plugs & switches. The guy who conducted the audit explained why this should be done but he lost me at the physics of it all. I was never good in math but I trust that what he was saying made sense. 
Another tip/trick I learned was to save the foamy cutouts from the holes and attach them to baby safety plugs and stick them in outlets that aren't being used for added insulation. I never in a million years would have thought of that and would have tossed out the cutouts. It's always a Good Day when you learn something new! 




Wednesday, February 18, 2015

My Head is Spinning & Penny Lane

Been banned from the gym for bad behavior. Just kidding, but my free 7 day pass is done and found a great deal to join but have to wait to go back to the gym until it is all set up. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

But so much has been happening and it makes my head spin and the gym would really do me some good right now. We had an energy audit done on the house and for the most part all is well but there is always room for improvement which means some work needs to be done. And although the appliances are all in working order, we have been shopping around for more energy efficient ones. That was part of the plan and right now seems like there are lots of sales on appliances. So we bought a new washer and dryer today and perhaps more in the next few days. And in the midst of it all we added a new addition to our family who will be coming home Friday or Saturday. I'm super excited and super nervous. Smaller dog than we ever had before and haven't had a puppy in a very long time. Welcome Penny Lane!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Please Let It Not Snow & Orange Is The New Black

Please Let It Not Snow I Think We've Had ENOUGH
I've been hanging out in PJ's the last few days well more like lounge pants. Must admit all this snow makes you feel like hibernating and with all the blowing & drifting snow it's not really advisable to go anywhere unless you really have to. Although I would have liked to have gone to the gym today, it's not like I really have to go. 

And weather like this is perfect for indoor projects which we have no shortage of. Just cleaned the kitchen ceiling fan/light fixture which we just took down. That one will be going in our master bedroom in place of the existing one. And as I speak, hubby is trying to figure out how to best hang our kitchen pot rack. 

As we were driving down the highway the other day, I noticed that a lot of folks, mainly guys were driving in their cars with orange safety jackets. Got me wondering if everyone around here works for the city. Well yesterday in my neighbourhood, when some made an attempt to shovel out their driveways, they were all wearing orange safety jackets too. Does everyone here really work for the city, is it law to wear orange safety jackets or is it that Orange Is The New Black? 
Guess I know what to buy for hubby next Christmas!  

Just ventured out to check the mailbox down the street. Ah yeah right, wasn't about to climb over the mountains of snow and I'm sure Canada Post didn't either. The mail will have to wait for another day! 


Sunday, February 15, 2015

Snowy Day & Let The Renovations Begin!

It's a Snowy Day here again in Nova Scotia as you can see from my back deck. As the snow continues to fall, hubby is out there with the snow blower for the first time this morning but I'm sure it won't be the last. Need to keep on top it before it becomes impossible with our baby snow blower! 



As promised, here is a pic of my kitchen before it undergoes some much needed renovations. Actually it has already started! First day we were here, we took down the office type of vertical blind from the kitchen window and also removed the oak wood valance between the cupboards above the window. For the moment,  the patio door blinds which were the same as above the kitchen window will remain until we have a replacement.

And kitchen island is a new addition; found it on kijiji and picked it up yesterday. Has some stains on the granite which are not terrible and I can live with! But I am giving it a shot to remove them!  Tried a baking soda/ water paste and let it soak overnight. Waiting for the moisture to evaporate but the stains are still remaining. Any tried & true ideas as to how to remove the stains are most welcome!

Anyway here is a sneak peak at our plans for renovating the kitchen: plans include painting the cupboards, putting new hardware on the cupboards, installing new counter top and lighting fixtures, removing the office blind on the patio door & replacing with curtains, new appliances and installing some more shelving on the wall behind the island (not visible) and around the room. Also plan to hang our old pot rack above the island. Let the renovations begin!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

A few Different Things

It's a sunny but chilly East Coastal morning and as I sit on my computer this is the view from my office window. Our office was actually our 2nd bedroom on the main floor, a bedroom that we didn't really need so our office was born. And we still have another bedroom on the lower deck so guests are always welcome. 

It's hard to believe that we have been living here for over a week and the dust is finally starting to settle. Although it's not perfect, we made time in our days to get back to normal life of exercise, computer stuff ... and even watching tv although we don't have satellite or cable at the moment. Thankfully we had some shows saved on a stick. 

As I reflect on the past week here's a few differences from my old life in Ontario which I took notice of. 

Gas & Milk prices are higher here; yikes! Other prices are similar or slightly higher.
Sales Tax is higher at 15%.

I have the feeling folks use cash here more than in Ontario. I noticed this while shopping & also found a whole 40 cents in 2 days. Hadn't found any change in a long time in Ontario.

Traffic is a lot less than in the GTHA and the speed on some highways is 110 km/hr. Less road salt is used here and the roads are often somewhat snow covered. 
Sidewalks get cleared by bobcats.

Although the temps this time of year are similar to Ontario it sure feels colder. It's a damp cold and it seems to go right through your bones. I nearly froze walking home from the gym the other day. Time to put on my long johns. 
Oh and snow we have plenty of that and apparently will be getting more tomorrow... Walked home between mountains of snow on the sidewalk. 

When it comes to waste and recycling, not everything gets picked up every week. Some weeks are recycling weeks and some weeks are trash weeks. Hope I get it straight! Trash is pretty much unlimited but you have to put it in clear white bags beyond your allowed 1 dark privacy bag. Recycling plastics & glass need to go in a blue clear bag (which you have to purchase). But paper & cardboard can be bundled or placed in grocery store bags. No Blue Bins here! Guess I won't be seeing any recyclables flying around the neighbourhood on windy days! 

For the first time in my life, I don't have mail delivered to my door. That was coming next spring to my old home but it's already here. Don't have to walk to far though, just to the end of the street. 

Well now that the dust is settling and we're getting back to a somewhat familiar but slightly different routine, visions of renovating are beginning to dance in our heads! Will keep you posted on that one with before and after pics. Stay tuned! 

View from front Office Window

Backyard, Sea Shell Wind Chime that the previous owner left behind. 


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

New Gym & A Splash of Colour

Those of you who know me, know I have been going to the same gym for a very long time. Not as long as I was in my old house but double digits in years for sure. And one of the most difficult things in this whole move was saying Goodbye to my old gym and all the friends that I made there over the years. Yes the friends part was definitely the hardest part! So two weeks to the day that I last visited my old gym, I decided it was time to join a new one. No not all of the boxes have been unpacked nor is everything where it should be, but it was time to get back to routine and normal life. So Monday morning with a bit of trepidation and uncertainty, I got a free trial pass to a GoodLife fitness centre. Initially I decided I didn't like it, it felt strange and all the friendly faces I looked forward to seeing on my Y days were missing. I decided to do some different stuff than my regular routine. Doing the exact same stuff was just way too hard emotionally and made me miss my old gym even more! Tried a Combat class, definitely not for me and even the name turned me off. And then there was Gentle Fit, which I was sure was going to be a Wussy class. Well that class turned out to be anything but Wussy and I went back again today. Also went to Zumba which turned out to be a lot of fun even though I fumbled through the moves. And best part is, I now know 5 people by name, 2 instructors and 3 members. Hope I will remember their names next time we meet! Yes I'm going back! 

Oh and here's a quick pic of a splash of colour that we added to our front door window. Looking forward to seeing the sun shining through the coloured glass! 

Monday, February 9, 2015

Needed Some Familiarity in an Unfamiliar Place

I love going on vacation and travelling to far away places, but it also always feels good to come home. Well it hit me the other day that I was NOT on vacation and I was NOT going back to my home of 30 plus years. And I began to miss the familiarity of my old house, all the familiar nooks and crannies, the familiar noises and even the familiar stuff that often bothered me. I just plainly missed the familiarity in my unfamiliar space! Thankfully hubby got around to hanging up some art in our new space which made it feel more like a home instead of just a house. Here's a peak at some of our art! Walls haven't been painted yet but that will happen after we get a better feel of the spaces.





Saturday, February 7, 2015

My new Central Vaccum & View of my Backyard from Patio Door



One of the first things we did before we even closed the new house sale was purchase a central vacuum at Costco. The house was roughed in for a central vacuum but one had never been installed. And first thing hubby did was install it on the morning of February 2nd as soon as we got into the house.




Took a brief moment from unpacking to snap a photo of my backyard view from my patio door. 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

At the New House

After 2 days of carpet cleaning, kitchen cleaning, bathroom cleaning ... our moving truck arrived with all our worldly goods. And now can't spend much time chatting cause I gotta unpack it all!

                               
Our new home is roughly 25 years old, but I swear the 80's called and said "Give me back my carpet."


Sunday, February 1, 2015