Friday's Top Five - Five Things I Love About Fall

Hello faithful readers of five, 

Autumn is my favourite time of the year. I could write a list of twenty, but alas. The crisp but pleasant weather, the beautiful colours....what is not to love? But the obvious reasons aside, there are some lesser reasons why Fall is the greatest season. Without further ado...

5) Harvest Fruits & Vegetables

We have had to buy very little vegetables this month because my husbands parents keep giving us vegetables from the garden. From beets to zucchini, cucumber to carrots, and endless tomatoes, our fridge crisper looks like a cornucopia of plenty. Famers markets have endless goodies, and the fresh stuff tastes awesome! I sit in eager anticipation of Safeway's annual apple sale, where the much loved Ambrosia apple makes a comeback. I have traditionally done the best on my diet in Fall. Is there any wonder why? 

4) Maple & Pumpkin & Apple flavoured EVERYTHING

I love the flavour of Maple. Maple syrup, maple candy, maple coffee... I also love Pumpkin flavoured things like pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice latte. Then there are apple pies and apple crisps and apple ciders. Autumn is when bakers and coffee makers seem to switch from the refreshing flavours of berry and citrus, to the warm and cozy flavours like pumpkin, maple, and apple. I heartily approve! 

3) Goodbye frizzy summer hair! 

Autumn is awesome three-month period of the year where I don't like I stuck my finger into an electrical socket. There is no humidity. Now granted, there is no humidity in winter wither, but the toque ruins everything. So for three blessed months, my hair is awesome and shiny and FLAT. This summer was particularly bad for humidity, and my hair was aweful, to my great anxiety. As a bonus, I also like that I can wear pants again, which means I can go a day or two, or three, or four without shaving! 

2) Walks are enjoyable...and bearable. 

As I said in my previous post on summer, my husband and I go for a lot of walks. Walks in the summer are great in that I don't have to wear a jacket and the scenery is nice. But summer walking also has pitfalls. Mosquitos, rain, heat...all can make a pleasant walk less so (or not at all). In Autumn, there are no mosquitos, and the weather is largely moderate with little to no rain. The temperature is crisp, but not cold. In fact, most days are warm, and all you need is a light sweater. But the sun doesn't beat down on you like a furnace. Add the gorgeous colours and nice smells, and walking in Autumn is simply great. 

1) The return to routine.

Summer is great, but it is also an extremely disruptive season. School is out so the kids are at home. Bus schedules change. People go on vacations, so work sort of comes to a stop (or alternately, you end up having to always "cover" a position which adds to your workload). Every event or vacation or summer wedding blows your diet all to hell. Programs at the gym seem to take a hiatus. Everything on TV is reruns.The pace of summer just seems to either slow down in a lazy way, or is so busy to the point of franticness. In Autumn, everyone is more-or-less back from holidays. Kids are back to school. New & returning programs come to TV and in the gyms. I feel a bit more in control of life. It's a good thing, especially for my diet? Lol. 

So that is it. Mosey over to see what Joanne, Karen & Bronwyn like about fall. 

P.S. I typed this on my IPad Blogger app, so sorry for any errors. Still not sure how to hyperlink my friends blogs, so I will do so on Monday. 

Friday's Top Five - Things I Did This Summer

Hello faithful readers of five,

I am a bit late in posting this, but this weekend was crazy busy. Meh, what are you going to do? 

So Joanne sends an email saying "why don't we blog about things we accomplished this summer?" My immediate response was "nothing." That isn't far from the truth. Seriously. If being lazy is an accomplishment, then I get a gold star!

But I have to come up with 5 things. Most of these are a stretch to call them accomplishments, but they are something.

5) Started a new job at the current place of employment.

I did a bit of a lateral move within my position. We are currently undergoing an "operation review." I have been through that twice with previous employers. The first resulted in in a buy-out of my position. The second employer laid me off. So when an opportunity came to secure a position that in its very nature is secure, regardless of changes, I jumped on the chance. I do like the job. It has a bit more routine, but I am using my brain a bit more too. In the big scheme of life, administrative work is not my passion, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

4) Started the medical journey of fertility treatment.

Husband and I want a baby. Things aren't really happening yet. So I started the journey of pursuing fertility options. The first part is to rule out the medical issues, so this summer, I pissed in cups, drew blood, and had my vagina probed. Apparently I have something called Uterine Adenomyosis. From what I read on Dr. Google, the bigger risk is carrying a baby to term safely. I don't know what this all means, and I will find out in November when I go to my gynecologist.

3) Hung out with friends (BBQ/fire pit/one-on-one/girls night).

It is increasingly hard to get together with all my friends, with kids and other life responsibilities in the way. But that said, I was able to attend some events and even hosted a girls night. Good fun all around.

2) Beaumaris Lake walks (and other fun walking adventures).

I definitely wanted to be more active for the obvious health benefits. This summer, I went on walks almost every day. Most of them were to Beaumaris Lake or in my neighbourhood, accompanied by my husband. We also explored different walking trails in the River Valley and at Hawrelak Park that we have never walked before. Sundays we have a new habit of going for a walk after Church, time permitting.

1) I made a major decision regarding my weight-loss journey.

I am going to save this for a separate blog, but I made a decision about the journey I am on. I had lengthy discussions with my husband, did some research, and weighed the pros and cons carefully. I am satisfied and content with my choice. I recognized that at some point, the training wheels have to come off. Again, I will go into more detail in a later blog (hopefully this week?). But know that just getting to the point of making a decision, recognizing how far I have come, and realizing how much I have learned, was eye-opening for me. The rewards are already happening.

So that's it for me. Leave in the comments what you have accomplished (or link to your own blog post if you wish!).

And hop over to the following blogs to see what my friends have accomplished:

• Joanne: A Warm Cup of Jo
• Karen: The Brooding Woman
• Bronwyn: A Piece of Apple

Dani.

Friday's Top Five - Songs of Summer 2013

Hello faithful readers of five!

It's been a while since I have blogged. Took a bit of a summer break (because admitting I was lazy is simply not going to happen). But it is time to dust-off the cobwebs and get back into the swing of things. Joanne and Karen are participating in this weeks (which should have been posted on Friday the 6th) Friday's Top Five: Songs of Summer 2013.

My list is definitely the weakest of the three. They both (especially Karen) posted meaningful songs that speak to their lives. By comparison, mine is pretty lame. That is partly to do with the fact that I have Sirius Sattelite Radio in the car, so I haven't really made a point to listen to anything...you know...modern.  Also, to be honest, I haven't really listened to a lot of music, period. And life is pretty ok right now. I have issues, but is there a song out there that speaks to dealing with uterine adenomyosis? Probably not.

But there are songs that, when I hear them, might make me think of Summer 2013. So here is my fluffy list. Add your songs of summer in the comments!

5) Cups - Anna Kendrick (Original Song by Pitch Perfect)

This is a fun little song I discovered by accident but quite enjoy. The video makes the song.

4) Give Your Heart A Break - Demi Lovato

Another Nickleodean star turned musician, but perhaps not as famous as the Miley "twerk" Cyrus, I actually don't mind her music. It's catchy. Although she did have a summer hit with her song Heart Attack, this new-to-me song was in my head all summer. I heard it quite a bit at the Mandalay Bay pool in Las Vegas too.

3) Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

I saw Cirque Du Soleil's "ONE" at Mandalay Bay with my husband. This was easily one of the best shows I have ever seen, Vegas or otherwise. This tribute to Michael Jackson reminded me how much I actually like his music. We bought some of his CD's and played it frequently in our car on local road trips. This song is just one of many to choose from. (The below is a small clip from the show)

2) Roar - Katy Perry

This came out late in the summer, and I love the message. I often felt this way to be honest, even amongst my friends and family. But I have gained a voice (I think blogging, and counselling through the Weight Wise Clinic, has helped my confidence). This song resonates with me. It is also my new unofficial weightloss motivation song!

1) Today is Your Day (Why Not?) - Shania Twain

This is another artist I saw in Las Vegas. It was an awesome concert and left me with more fond memories. This particular song I had never heard before. When I heard it in Vegas, I loved it. I also love the positive message. I have spent all summer seeking positivity in my daily life.