I am...

enjoying a whole wheat bagel (from St. Urbain, yum!) with peanut butter and a cup of coffee. Mmm, good to the last drop!

How did you start off your day?

A Sticky Situation

It's no secret that one of my favourite stores is HomeSense (but if you haven't heard, you can read about it here, here, here, here and here). They have some great items for a fraction of the price than you would find them somewhere else. Take this lamp for example. I found it at HomeSense for $59.99 CDN (includes the shade) while Pottery Barn sells one very similar for $80 US for the base and $40+ US for the shade.

There's just one thing that irks me about HomeSense -- their price tags. I don't mean the ones that hang from the lamps by those plastic string-like doohickey things that you can easily snip off with a pair of scissors but rather the ones that are stuck on the items like glue. I've never seen anything like them. They always leave a sticky mess which ends up with me busting out the nail polish remover or the Goo Gone to get rid of the stickiness.

The sticker isn't even in one piece -- there is a detailed circle pattern throughout so instead of peeling the sticker off all at once you have to pick at it until your nails have peeled right along with it.

Not only that, most times they manage to pick the worst spot ever to put the sticker like right on the front glass of a picture frame...grrr! What is with that? Ok, I get it. Maybe it will deter people from picking up the frame, having the frame slip out of their hand and crash on the ground, but if someone is thinking of buying something, then in all likelihood, they're going to pick the item up to inspect it anyway.


I know I'm not the only one who is frustrated with these sticky price tags. I often hear others ranting about them as I'm wandering the aisles or standing in line.

HomeSense, you have a good thing going. Please make your sticky price tags a good thing too! My nails will thank you, and so will I.

What I Loved in January

I've decided to start something new on my blog this year. At the end of each month I'll devote a post to all of the things I loved that month, starting with January.

You can also head on over to Perpetual Bounce to check out what she loved in January.

1. Peppermint Mocha Latte from Starbucks

2. Canon T1i

3. Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon

4. The Blind Side -- a great feel good movie!

5. Guacamole (from Costco) with Tostitos

6. Birthdays -- Lucas turned 6 years old this month and I celebrated my birthday too (here and here)!

7. Honey Dijon Kettle Chips -- I'm usually not a fan of mustard flavoured products but I loved these.

8. Jujubes

9. Ogio Pinot Grigio

10. Contigo Travel Mug

11. Dreams Palm Beach, Punta Cana -- a wonderful place to go on a family vacation!

12. Fun Mail -- I rarely get mail that isn't a bill so birthday wishes in the form of a card are a special treat!

13. Maybelline Full N' Soft Mascara -- I found it again!

Project 52 [week 4]

[chatting with my brother on Skype]

[birthday flowers]

[playing around with my camera]

[daddy-daughter playtime]

A Special Birthday Gift

My son has a strong mind and a caring soul. His teacher once told me that she could see him being the next Bill Gates. His caring soul came shining through yesterday when he opened his hand to show me one of his soccer medals. "For your birthday, mom". My heart melted.

Another Trip Around The Sun

I'm not big on celebrating my own birthday but I do love the little treats that come with it -- birthday wishes, sushi lunch with my dear husband, a gorgeous bouquet of my favourite flower from a wonderful little flower shop called Violet Blooms and a little something from Starbucks. It has been a lovely day!

Spasm City

I don't know if this is an MS thing or if my face is bored and has decided to dance to its own beat but I'm having some serious eye spasms over here. It's like pop rock central (loved that candy as a kid)!

You know the Cadbury commercial (which I love) where the kids are on the couch waiting for their picture to be taken and then suddenly their eyebrows start to bust a move? I think I could totally be the stunt double for one of those kids right about now, no editing required.

I am...

enjoying a glass of Ogio Pinot Grigio.

Contigo Travel Mug

I've been on the hunt for a new travel mug. I do have one, not a very good one, but I have one. It magically appeared in my kitchen cupboard one day. I honestly have no clue where the mug came from. I think it might have been a work gift or at least I think it was a work gift. It's functional but it has seen its day. So on the hunt I have been for a new travel mug for when I have to stand waiting for Luke's bus in the freezing cold, oh joy! I scored these Contigo Travel Mugs from Costco the other day -- two for $22! Instead of a flip top or a piece to slide open there is a button you press to open the spout just before you take a sip and then release to close it again. So far the mug has been good to me. No spills and my coffee has stayed nice and warm. Hmmm, maybe I should use them while I'm at home too to avoid reheating my coffee umpteen times (yuck, I know, but it's faster than making a new cup).

I am...

catching up on all of your wonderful blogs!