Looking Back: Halloween

I think I have expressed my dislike for dressing up on Halloween before, so we won't go there again.

Somewhere along the way my friends got the bright idea that costume parties would be a good idea. I argued. Whined. Complained. Threw tantrums. But still managed to lose.

So I thought this year I would show some of my previous costumes

2005: Dr. and a Nurse

2006: SOMEHOW I managed to win the war and there were no costumes. That has not happened since. I need to remember what I did, and how I accomplished it!

2007: Red Riding Hood

2008: Go-Go Girl

2009: Cowgirl (Chris was an old man. I couldn't find a decent picture with his wig on)

This year I was DETERMINED not to spend money on a costume. So I went out and spent money on super cute boots and made a costume around them.

2010: 80's

This year we had two events to attend.

The first one was with friends and the theme was decades. Because I didn't see these people last year when I wore my 80's costume, I decided that it would be fine to just re-use it.

Saturday we had a Halloween/Birthday party for my Brother in Law, and they did see my in my 80's costume last year, so I went as a cowgirl again because its easy, and I do love those boots :)

This year was pretty cost effective and easy, which is a good thing seeing as I do have that whole wedding thing right around the corner that seems to be costing me a small fortune.

That's it for the parties. Tonight I will be heading out with my sister and the little ones for some Trick or Treating (I draw the line at dressing up for this. I will be in jeans and the biggest sweater I own) then heading home for some quality T.V time with my boys.

For those of you driving, be smart and safe!

Tasty Tuesday

I'm suspending Television Tuesday for this week, even though there is TONS to talk about (Um...Once Upon A Time....!) because I had to share a fantastic new recipe that a blogger shared with me.

A couple of weeks ago, Nicole, from Life's a Beach, posted this recipe.

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try them. Chris LOVES Red Lobster....and I hate fish. Therefore, we don't go that often, so I figured it would be nice to make him something that tastes like something he would get at his favourite restaurant.

My sister's candle party last weekend (in which I spent way too much money....again) was the perfect opportunity for me to try them out. So the night before, at about 10, I got out all of the ingredients and gave it a go.


Seriously guys, these things are amazing. The first batch that I made didn't make it to the party (I had to go back and make more) as they lasted about 15 minutes before they were gone (which is fine because they take about that long to make). They are fantastic when they are fresh out of the oven. Warm. Soft. So Good.

They also weren't too bad the next day and went pretty fast at the party.

I am actually making them again tonight to go with the Chili that is currently cooking in the slow cooker (I've honestly begun to tackle this cooking thing. I'm even confident enough to consider myself decent.)

So go and try these, you won't regret it. And go check out Nicole's blog for even more tasty ideas.

Weekend Recap

What an insanely crazy weekend!

After work on Friday we dressed up and headed out to a baseball banquet.


Chris, my sister and my brother in law all joined a summer baseball league and this was the event that brought the season to a close.

My sister and I

I was pretty excited for it. Chris and I don't get to dress up and go out very often. Although the food wasn't fantastic and the music could have been better it was still fun to get all pretty and dance with my hunny.

My beautiful Mama and I

Saturday started with celebrating my Mom's birthday. She didn't want anything "big" so we decided to just have the immediate family over for pizza, cake and presents. I suck and barely took any pictures.

After that Chris, my brother and I were off to meet a few friends at Wonderland for Halloween Haunt. I have talked about this before. We go every year. Haunted amusement park. I hate it. Remember?

It actually wasn't SO bad this year. It was beyond packed, and you go in the houses in a single line, so it was pretty easy to figure out where the scary things were by the screams ahead of me. This kept me calm and at one point I was actually encouraging going in the houses instead of on the rides.

This in itself was enough to make me exhausted. Ever since I quit my retail job in return for a cushy office job I do literally no standing. So after 5 hours of walking around a gigantic park I was not only ready to sleep for the remainder of the weekend, but I was also in pain. Everywhere.

But that didn't stop me from getting up on Sunday and venturing to Downey's Farm with Chris, my sister, Brother-in-law and two beautiful nieces.

Downey's farm is exactly how it sounds. A farm that the owners have taken and turned into a fun thing to do with the kids. It was a gorgeous day, and the kids had a blast.

After that it was off to meet my brother and his girlfriend at the movies to see Paranormal Activity 3. I'm not going to insult my own intelligence by trying to review a movie in which I watched half of it from under my sweater. If you like movies that scare the crap out if you then be my guest. Otherwise I wouldn't.

That ended our very busy, very expensive weekend.

Although I'm exhausted, and I feel like I have been hit by a truck (seriously getting too old for this crap) it was a lot of fun.

Wedding Wednesday: Tranportation

With just a little under 7 months to go before the big day, Chris and I have all but one of our major contracts signed, all that is left is transportation.

The reason that the OCD part of me has yet to nail this part down is largely due to the fact that I have absolutely no idea what I want.

The church and venue that we picked are about 45 minutes apart (I was very picky when it came to my venue site, and nothing close to Chris's family church was working for me, so we had to look elsewhere), so there is no doubt that we NEED something to get us from point A to point B.

When we initially got engaged, this was my FOR SURE method of transportation

....until we booked our venue, and Chris nicely informed me that horses don't travel well on highways.

Then I was convinced that I wanted something like this

so that Chris and I could have some alone, down time (the very little that we will get that day from what I hear) in between the ceremony and reception sites.

If this was the plan, I would also book a limo to make sure that my entire bridal party had safe transportation both to the venue, and to the hotel after the reception.

Sounds like a good plan right? So why am I even bothering talking about it? Well because when I was at the bridal show last November I met with a limo company who was offering this


for about half the price of what we would pay for the car and the limo.

This wouldn't have been an option except for the fact that my loving sister (and MOH) dragged me onto one, and I actually kind of fell in love. It's like a mini club inside, with a big screen T.V, music, lights and a fully loaded bar. Not to mention that it will comfortable seat 25 people. I have vision of the fantastically wild time that we could have with our entire bridal party on the way to our venue.

And of course the price doesn't hurt. Chris and I are all about saving money where this wedding is concerned.

So now I'm conflicted. Do I want the quiet ride with Chris, or do I want to party it up with some of the most important people in my life?

What did you do? Was the down time worth the extra money?

Happy Birthday Bubba!!

Today this guy turns 1

It feels like yesterday when Chris was messaging me at work to tell me that he picked a puppy.

I rushed home and got to meet this cutie, who very quickly became my little lap dog.

I can't believe how quickly he has turned into my 60 pound lapdog....

It's been a big year for Mr. Brady

We had baths

Tried some sweaters

Discovered snow


Rang in the New Year

Visited Family

Learned to swim at the cottage

Went for a boat ride

It's also been quite a year for Chris and I. We learned how to be responsible for something other than ourselves, and gained the confidence that we can work together and keep something that depends on us alive (gives me optimism for our future children).

Even though he is a lot of work, he is one of the better decisions that Chris and I have made. I absolutely love coming home to someone who is excited to see me every single day. I also don't mind the fact that I have made him a 60 pound lap dog, cuddling with him makes my day.

So happy birthday to my baby who, in only a year, has managed to make me one of "those" people. (Seriously. There are big plans tonight which may or may not include treats, presents and a party hat.)

Television Tuesday

I know, I know, I missed last week. You should be used to my crazy, sporadic blogging by now!

It's two weeks after the launch of fall T.V and our PVR is full. I seriously don't have enough hours in my day to keep up.

Two weeks ago I wrote about my excitement for Glee

We are only two weeks in (week three tonight!) and it is already miles better than last season. The storyline is better, the music is better, pretty much everything is better. Way to go to the Glee production crew for deciding to go "back to the basics."

I also told you about Unforgettable

I have only watched week one (week 2 and 3 are PVR'd....Again, not enough time in my day!) and I have to say that so far I'm not impressed. It's pretty much the same cookie cutter crime show that I can get anywhere, and honestly CSI does it better. I found myself bored during the first episode, but vowed to give at least the second week a chance, so I will, although I see this being the first one to go when I re-evaluate my television line up.

Some shows that I didn't talk about but have caught my attention are

Twin sisters Bridget and Siobhan (both played by Gellar) have been at odds for the last six years and find that their lives are both unraveling at the same rate. Bridget, a recovering addict and ex-stripper, is on the run from the mob after witnessing a murder. She flees to her twin sister Siobhan's home. The sisters seem to be repairing their broken relationship until Siobhan mysteriously disappears overboard during a boat trip the sisters take together. Bridget soon discovers her sister's seemingly perfect life is full of secrets after she is attacked in Siobhan's future apartment. (From Wikipedia)

First of all, I'm a HUGE Sarah Michelle Geller fan, from way back in her Buffy days, so that in itself caught my interest, but the show is also really good. I spend most of the time trying to figure out what is going on, and anticipating what is going to happen (which I like). It is quickly becoming my favourite new fall show.

I also look forward to

Umm....Hilarious. The casting department hit a home run with Zoey Deschanel as Jess. She is perfect for that role, bringing the right amount of quirkiness and personality. This was one show that wasn't really on my radar, but I find myself doubled over with laughter every week, making it a definite must see.

And topping my disappointment list this week is:

The trailers for this show had me so excited. It looked hilarious, perfect for couples who are either new to parenting or close to it.

Unfortunately it's not working for me. I just don't get it. Most of the time I find it really awkward. Like last week when they were practically stalking their brand new neighbours. Why? Is there something I'm missing? Am I just having problems relating because I don't have kids yet? Maybe it's just me, but I'm not seeing this one lasting long.

Those are my opinions so far. What do you think??