Priorities People ;-)

Something very special is happening at the end of this month. 

Errr 

correct, the month is ending bringing us one step closer to spring: YAY!

* Sigh. That is not the answer I was looking for (remember this blog is all about me, right?)

 Yours truly is getting her maturity "on" and turning the ripe-old age of 29...BOOM! 

Really, who doesn't love turning 29?

It's a year to celebrate in-and-of-itself just because its NOT the big 3 - 0 year... yet.

(All those who are in their thirties reading this don't hate, you were the same when you were in your baby-tinnie-twenties, scared because thirties seemed so...well, older).

But enough about a girl's age 

when can we talk about MY presents!?!?

That's why I started this blog.  

So I could get more presents for my birthday.

It's that simple.

For the next couple of weeks I will randomly insert gift ideas that well, I think are affordable.

Today we start with my favourite.

It's a token, really trifle ;-)

Pouches Were Made For Me

To me it feels so natural to have a pouch, right below your chest, on your tummy, where so many treasures can be stored all warm and cozy like...not forgetting to mention, easy access! Examples of stuff? Babies? Umm no, that's not where I'm going with this one (sorry Joey). Examples more like keys, textbooks, mittens, water bottles, bike locks, toothbrushes, carrots for horses that are often seen on streets in Toronto...hahaha! 

Small aside: Some officers don't like it when I pull out my little piece of carrot to feed the horsey on the street cuz

1) Horses can get kinda excited about the unexpected treat
2) Horses can or could-kinda choke...remember they do have a bit in their mouths, remember?

3) And pieces of little orange carrot, slime, and horse drool go everywhere..pretty gross and makes the horse look very unprofessional afterwards.
(tee-hee-hee-hee) 

But what can I do?

Sugar cubes always get crushed in my bag and apples are just too big and too expensive! Believe me I have tried.

To summarize:

Pouches on people are great for feeding horses.

BOOM!

(see how I made those two ideas come together in the end? Brilliant, I know ;-)

Needed some color today :-)

 Created by John Morse, these traffic warning street signs written as haikus appeared on poles around the big apple (New York city). When asked what he liked about doing this project John said "It's fun because it's dreadfully serious - the subject" (Lauren insert: yes, I concur!) "And yet, you don't have to bang people over the head"

Lauren's Note: I bike a lot, even in the winter like so many people in Toronto

 (there is no snow here and well, it's not Ottawa ;-) 

And sometimes you are right, it SUCKS to bike but most of the time (for me anyways) if I am prepared for the weather than it feels sooooo good and sooooo BAD-ASS to be on a bike getting to where you need to go just as fast if not faster than traffic! 

Some days biking feels very safe; like nothing could touch me at all. Other days of course, I am shaking like a leaf because someone almost or softy hit me.

Biking reminds me that I am not invincible but at the same time I am completely free.

Yup, I know.

Weird Lauren :-)

p.s. This post could not have been possible without the help of a small & lovely architect friend:-)

What can I do more of...?

Someone asked me on New Years Day, what I learnt about myself/life in 2011?
Ughhhhhhhhhhh.
I hate these self-reflective, therapeutic, crap type questions and normally avoid them easily. This time however, the question kinda stuck and sadly been nagging at my busy, little, delightful thoughts...BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
I woke up and decided its time to finally put this question to rest.

So after careful consideration and 16 days of procrastination (it takes me a while to process things) this is what I came up with...
Question: What did I learn in 2011? 

Knitting is really not my strong suit.

Getting too excited about investing in yourself is never over rated...even if it means taking our a student loan - gulp; don't think about it Lauren!

Dark chocolate coffee beans are extremely DANGEROUS! 

I am a sucker for these little nuggets and limiting myself is crucial (4 or 8 is my max, I'm not joking). 

They don't hit you right away but when they do...OHHH dio!

My hands tremble and my left eye sometimes twitches! 

I don't understand it either, its a love & hate relationship.

In la suisse, my friends would always remind me to "controllez vos chausseurs Lauren: ça pue!" Translation? You're shoes freaking REEK! Its taken me years but I think I have finally found the perfect technique to maintaining good smelling shoes and happy feet!

Thank goodness for constructive criticism from love ones ;-)

The one (and most important thing) that I have learnt in 2011 is how freaking essential it is to tell those folks around you how much they mean to you. Even if its done in a way that is completely silly and ridiculous - its the thought that counts, right? I know what your thinking...cheeeesey! True.

But really - when did showing too much love become a bad thing?

I think I can do an even better job at showing my love to friends, family and strangers..tee-hee!

So this is my pledge for 2012. 

(same as last year but hey, I can't be original all the time) 

Leaving you with this thought;

BOOM!

Think about it.

The Evolution of Potty Training

A sharing from the reading "What's Your Poo Telling You?" 2012 Daily Calendar...

Let us begin.

Friday 13th, doo you know that before bathrooms were the norm, children generally learned toilet skills by watching others? Now most parents rely on a more formal program of toilet training beginning when children are toddlers. A new movement advocating toilet training for children as young as four months is being marketed as an alternative to landfill-clogged diapers...

Not sure about this one Kristina Roic :-S

TRIVIA TIME: How well do you know me?

If you can answer the following five question correctly than you are someone that I already know, love and call a good friend. If you can answer 4 out of the 5 questions correctly than clearly we are friends or we are friends who haven't yet met...ohhh the anticipation of meeting you, how exciting! If you can only answer 3 or 2 questions correctly than well crap, you didn't study at all, did you? Maybe you ought to just pack up your bags and leave OR get comfortable because there is a WHOLE lot more learning to be done. And if you scored between 1 or 0 out of 5 than I dunno...Maybe I am not your type? Shoot, why does that always happen?

Answer the following five questions to the best of your ability; good luck!

1. TRUE or FALSE : I am twin.
2. I use coconut oil for ONE of the following answers:
1. Cooking and washing stains
2. Cooking and face cream hydrator
3. Cooking, body cream and shoe polish 
4. Cooking, body cream and lube for my bike chain
3. Which nickname has commonly been used in the past&present to describe moi:
1. Sideshow?
2. Dirty Squirrel?
3. Mufasa?
4. Lo?
4. TRUE or FALSE : I have my motorcycle license & a tattoo
5. The foods I enjoy the most and cannot live without are...
1. Red wine
2. Small piece of dark chocolate dipped in my espresso (le matin)
3. Weird green slop that I have been known to mix with morning porridge
4. Veggies, VEGGIES and Rutabaga ;-)

AND THE ANSWERS ARE (trumpets blasting - hate drum rolls)...

Yes, I am a twin and my twin (fraternal) sister's name is Rhiannon (that was a freebie)

I use this stuff all the time....AMAZING product! But only for the following; body cream (not face because it makes you look like your melting), cooking (so good in cookies) and the occasional shoe shine (my gr.8 Doc Martens:-)

I have been called all of these wonderful names...but I think Auntie Lolo (a new one) takes the cake.

Sadly this has not happened...YET! Clearly the tattoo is not a for sure yet but do you know how easy it is to get your motorcycle license? Ohhh how I really wanted Santa to bring me a cute, little, red, MOTO!

Although I enjoy ALL of those FOODS on a regular basis, the one thing I could not live without is my espresso café every morning (even though I did recently give up coffee for a month and it was *ell!)  (Oh and make it a nespresso café, will you?) and tinnie-tiny MOUTHFUL of dark (80% and up) chocolate...s'il vous plait!

BOOM!

Yeah, I didn't think we were friends either.

Awkward :-(

This is what I wanted to do when my alarm went off this morning...

This is what I ended up doing instead...

BOOM!

Best decision I ever made...

p.s.

I miss the Ottawa gang...and their ergs ;-)