Top 2 Tuesday & Weekend Recap

It's (almost) Top 2 Tuesday over at Taylor's blog and this week is your top 2 reality t.v. shows.  This is definitely an easy one as I am a reality t.v. junkie.  Who doesn't love to watch a little bit of drama every night now and then?!

Number 1 - BIG BROTHER...this is definitely one of my favs!  I could not turn the channel or miss an episode when Evil Dick and Danielle were on the show.  Then there was Jeff and Jordan - how cute are they?!?!

Number 2 - THE HILLS...now I know that this isn't a 'reality' show, just a bunch of drama but for some reason I still have to watch it.  And every single time after it's over I ask myself why I still watch it...again, please do not judge.  Haha...

Since Lauren left it's just not the same...

I also love the Bachelorette/Bachelor, America's Next Top Model and The Biggest Loser...but I am just supposed to pick 2. :)

Head on over to Taylor's to link up and join the fun.  All of these girls have me curious about The Real Housewives shows, which I have never seen.

Okay, on to weekend recap.  Friday night I hung out with C and got some housework done and then Saturday was an early start.  I met Jamie and Katie for breakfast and we headed to the Fire Fighter Games for the day.  Erin came out for the day and we had a great visit, it turned out to be a beautiful day.  Here is a picture of all the fire wives/girlfriends and our shirts for the year, we are the only ladies who do it and there were a lot of comments on our shirts this year.

The men gearing up for the games to start.

Friday night I came home to C with a new hair cut!  We figured that with it being so warm outside we should get his hair trimmed, also he's been constantly pushing it out of his eyes.  We decided it is time he has a little boy hair cut and it started out that way, but then he got a little excited and apparently he started flailing around in the chair and well, it's a little butchered.  While we still aren't used to it we will have to wait it out and see, but we both prefer his 'surfer/hockey hair'.  Regardless, he's still damn adorable and hilarious!  Here he is with my dad on Father's Day.  We went to visit my parents yesterday afternoon with all of my siblings and it was nice to see everyone.

Hope every one's week is going well so far!

Friday Five and Blog Help

This week over at Just Me and My Life, Beth is hosting Friday Five and it's your 5 favorite songs ever.  This is my first time participating in Friday Five, not quite sure why it's taken me so long as I love Beth's blog and read it often.

So, here we go:

1.  Radar - Britney Spears

I am a little bit of a Britney addict, she, along with reality TV, are my 'guilty pleasures'.  I mean who doesn't love themselves some Britney, she's one hot mess.

2. Chasing Pavements - Adele

I love this song and I don't know why, it's been one of my favorites for some time now.

3 - Britney Spears

Once again, how can you not love this girl?!

4 - Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

I grew up listening to this music thanks to my sisters and my brother, it's a classic and a fantastic one at that.

5 - If You Seek Amy - Britney

I'm sure this comes as no surprise, so please don't judge.

There you have it, my top 5.  I could go on and on with songs I like, but these are 5 that I just love to dance/sing along to on my drive to work.  Yes, I'm that girl...

I am looking at getting a blog 'makeover' as the current design isn't very 'me'.  Any suggestions, tips or tricks?  All are appreciated!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Mrs. Johnston Is Back!

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

That is the only way to sum up the past week and a half of my life.  Our wedding and honeymoon have both come and gone and I do not have one single complaint.  It was one of the most wonderful days from what I can remember.  Has anyone else found that the day just flies by and it all seems to be a blur?  All went well, no problems at all, the weather was perfect, everyone had a blast and I really couldn't have imagined a better day with almost everyone that means so much to us.

This is a picture of our wedding party that someone snapped when we were doing our pictures after the ceremony.  From left to right (ladies) Christy (my brother's wife), Meegan (my sister), Shannon (Ryan's sister), Moi, Erin (MOH - my bestest) and Melissa (my sister)...(men) Robert (my brother), Chris (friend of Ryan), Mark (friend of Ryan), my HUSBAND, Lee (BM - Ryan's Brother-in-Law).  By this time C was running wild and was so tired of being what told what to do that we just let him be.  He was sooo well behaved all weekend considering nap time was non-existent.  Here are a few more pictures take by guests, I can't wait to see the ones from the photographer.

My Dad and I. I just love him so much. We did a little grove before heading down the aisle when the music started. He cracks me up!

My immediate family, this picture is golden as I cannot even remember the last time we all got a picture together, possibly 2 years ago at my brother's wedding.  L-R.  My brother, his wife and 2 girls, Ryan, Mom, Dad and I, my sister and her husband, my other sister, her husband, 2 boys and C.  It's such a great picture even though not all of the kids are smiling and looking in the same direction, it's so us.

Another fun wedding party shot

Our drive away from the ceremony (R's a volunteer firefighter)

Our first dance and Mr & Mrs (I Want To Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler, R's pick)

The crazy twins and C (who looks less than thrilled) love this picture!

Awwwwwww

On to the honeymoon...ahhhh...refreshing, beautiful, amazing.  Sailing, snorkeling, starfish, dolphin, sea turtles, sting rays, barracudas, drinks, great food, bright blue water and hot white sand.  Need I go on?  Here is R and I on a sailing trip we took one afternoon to 'Iguana Island'.

And here is me ready for a night out, please ignore my hair as it was very unruly in the humidity.

Well that's all for tonight, just wanted to say hi and I'm back.

Ashley xo

T-3 Sleeps!

I know I have been a terrible, terrible blogger but I really have been doing nothing but running around lately and finalizing everything, therefore, all thoughts in my mind have been a blur and you don't want to read that mess - really!

So, just a quick note to say 'Hi!', 'Bye!' and 'I am getting married this weekend!' Wow...

I am super excited and not at all stressed - yet.

Also, my sweet, sweet husband to be ended up booking us a honeymoon to Turks and Caicos...we leave Monday.  Please be very jealous while I am gone and I promise to fill you in after.

Can't wait to read up on your happenings upon my return!

Opinions Needed

I spoke to the hairdresser that will be doing my hair the day of the wedding (along with all 5 bridesmaids and 2 mothers) and she informed me that the other lady whom she works with is off sick and won't be able to do some of the hair.  Then she told me that she has someone coming in to replace her while she is off and when I asked if she does updos I was told, 'she said she does' and then when asked if she is good at styling short hair (my MIL) I was told 'I think so'.   I am really not sure that I feel confident with those answers.  I am not picky, but I want everyone to be happy with their hair and to feel their best that day.  That being said, do I want to 'chance' it? 
The replacement does not work Saturdays, but has offered to on that day, but one of my girlfriends K has offered to step up and help out and even offered to rent the chair for the day.  I feel like I should give my hairdresser's co-worker the chance but at the same time, this isn't just a routine hair cut or style, it's a wedding.

I am looking forward to your suggestions - please help!!!!

Chubby Bunny Bridezilla

I am such a terrible, random blogger...there is no consistency, I look at my blog every day and tell myself that I will post something new today and...I don't.  It's not that I don't have the time to write something quick and witty, because I find the time to read all of your fabulous ramblings and God knows that I am witty (note the sarcasm).

There are just under three weeks left until the big day.  I know, I know, you will be glad when this wedding is over so you can stop hearing about it, truth is - me too!  I think about it day and night, especially at night.  My dreams are all focused on wedding junk and are really twisted, causing me to wake up panicked about something new everyday.  The biggest panic being that I am not nearly stressed enough for a bride-to-be with such little time left, so I decide to stress myself out.  I haven't pulled out the bridezilla card just yet, which in reality may be odd for me and I'm sure some of my close friends and family agree.  I never really planned on getting married.  I wasn't a girl who dreamed about her wedding or knew what color her girls would wear, or heck, who I would choose to stand for me.  Some girls are so organized and dream of this day from the time they were children, not that there is anything wrong with that, in fact...that might have helped me out a little.  When Ryan asked me to marry him, I (obviously) said yes.  That was big...then we moved on to choosing who we would like to stand for us.  I have 2 sisters that are so fantastic and are so important to me (M&M), a sister-in-law to whom I am very close with (C), Ryan's sister (amazingly, sweet-as-pie chicka S) and my best friend E (THE best and most entertaining, off-the-wall girl I know), so that was easy.  Next on to a dress...I went shopping with E one day because she made me just for fun to find a dress I might like.  I expected this to be the best part of it all...nope, not really.  No one tells you that almost all of the dresses come in sizes 6, 8 or maybe if you are lucky 10 and when you are in a size 14 it's really not so much fun.  So the hunt continued...we found a dress at some random little spot one day and I bought it off the rack (it was discontinued) in a size 8 and joined Weight Watchers soon there after.  Thankfully (and 30 pounds later) my dress fits perfectly and I absolutely love it and can not wait to wear it on the big most expensive and tiring day.  On to the girls dresses, now that was fun!  The girls (minus C who was sick with the flu) went to Sinders (a popular bridal house in the area) and took up a room with their ten dresses each and got to trying them on.   The poor consultant...I was standing back watching dresses randomly fly from one room to the next over the top of the stalls, one girl would run out with a dress, everyone else's heads would poke out and the opinions would fly.  So after about 30 minutes (yes that is all), the girls picked a dress and then I asked them to decide on a color...yup, you read that right...I let my bridesmaids pick my color scheme.  I then met with the decorator and she does amazing work.  I have worked with her on numerous occasions as my Father owns a catering company and she goes above and beyond and I never really realized it until I booked her for my own wedding.  She is a decorator, a wedding planner, my right hand woman and my decision maker...as you might be able to tell, I am SUPER indecisive.  She asked what our theme was, what ideas we had or any styles that might interest us.  I told her to do what she does best and decorate the hall and basically that I would see it on the day of the wedding.  I don't decorate, I don't have an artistic bone in my body and VERY little fashion sense (sad but true) so really, when our cake maker (D - she is the SWEETEST thing!) asked what I wanted I was prepared, I gave her a picture and then said...if you think you can do it, great...if not do whatever.  Seriously, what is wrong with me?!?  The one thing I keep saying over and over again to people is that 'It doesn't matter, it will look great no matter what and heck, if something goes wrong, who will know?'  OBVIOUSLY not me!  My point being...three weeks to go and meh...no big deal (right?).

I had my bachelorette on Saturday night and what a blast.  My girlfriends are fantastic.  We partied it up at a hotel and then headed out to a bar for the night.  It was just such a great night out, until we got out of the bar.  Some of the girls had left a little earlier to go back to the hotel and apparently we had been kicked out of the hotel (at 2 a.m.!!!), needless to say, 15 girls squealing in the lobby of a hotel can be cause enough for the cops to show up (who were both mighty fine and thought the situation was ridiculous).  Apparently you are not allowed to smoke on the balcony of your room?!?!  WTH?  And apparently the 20 of us who started the night out were a little loud...not shocking at all.  Oh well, all in all it was a great night and a big thank you to everyone who came and for all of the hard work they put into it.  Pictures to come shortly.

R should be home any moment from his weekend-long bachelor party.  Some of the boys from the fire department (and his best man/brother-in-law L) took him to Dover Delaware for the Nascar race this weekend and by the sounds of it, they had a blast.  They are all raspy voiced, so much so that I didn't know who I was talking to when R called yesterday to say goodnight to us and I am pretty sure that C didn't know it was his Daddy.  I am excited to hear all about it and see what kind of Jimmie gear he bought for me (love #48).

I am feeling super chubby lately and this is a slight worry as of course I want to look my best on 'the big day' and to be quite honest (with myself) I quit working out a while ago and just haven't been able to get back into it.  I just don't have the drive and you think our wedding would be drive enough.  What motivates you to get you butt back in gear?

1 Month To Go, Give Away & Cinco de Mayo...mmmm

Let panic mode begin!  Our wedding is exactly 1 month away, oh my goodness.  Reality sunk in yesterday and I got into full planning mode again (like I haven't been for the past 5 months?) and started to finalize all of the little things.  There seems to be several little things left to do, but overall, we are ready.  I can't believe in a month I will be Mrs. Johnston...sounds so strange.

Head on over to Taylor's and check out the fabulous giveaway she is having from Paisley Pineapple, they definitely have some super cute things.  I am absolutely smitten with the Mocca Reversible Maddox Tote Diaper Bag - so adorable!

Today is Cinco de Mayo and I had a delicious celebratory lunch let me tell you.  There is this place called Mucho Burrito near my work so I ran over to get a burrito for lunch for me and my co-worker (they are delicious) and the line up was out the door.  Totally worth the wait though.  How did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  I am heading out for supper tonight with 2 of my favorite girls, Lisa and Erin.  Can't wait to see them!

Sorry for being all over the place today...I'm just a little excited I guess. :)

HELP!!!!

Please take a moment to check out Beth's post  concerning the flooding that is destroying parts of Nashville and ruining thousand's of people's lives.  As Beth mentions, there is very little word of this in the media and this is something that needs to be addressed as there are people who need help.  If you have a minute to spare please repost Beth's post or twitter about it to your local media outlets, if it helps at all what do you have to lose?

Top 2 Splurges

It's Top 2 Tuesday over at  The Undomestic Momma  and this week it is your favorite splurges, so head on over and link up!

1.   As mentioned in almost all Top 2 Tuesdays that I have participated in so far, I LOVE me some MAC!   I don't mind splurging for MAC cover-up and foundation, totally worth it.

2.  Clothes, shoes and accessories for C.  I love when my little man looks stylish, there is nothing cuter than a well dressed, trendy child.  Although the older he gets, the harder it is to find plain (no crazy pictures) clothes/shirts for him, but he's so damn cute it really doesn't matter. 

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh, I just love them so much. :)

I can't believe it's only a month (on the 5th) until we are getting married, C.R.A.Z.I.N.E.S.S.

MIA

I have been totally MIA with blogging the past week due to all of the craziness going on in my life.  First off, work has been ridiculously insane, but definitely in a good way.  I love my job and with so much to do the days are just flying by, which can be a good thing, but in this case it might be a bad thing.  A bad thing because the days flying by means that our wedding is JUST around the corner.  Now don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited about our big day and all that is to come, but I don't think I am ready for it just yet.  Where did the last 4 months go?!?!  I remember back in January saying 'Okay, the holidays are over so now it's full-fledged wedding mode'.  And that it has been, but I still don't feel 100% prepared, but really will I ever?  I took last Friday off work to finalize some things for the wedding and drop off some cheques and thank you cards so that was a relief for me.  Rye was away fishing for the weekend so C and I just hung out at my parents for the weekend.  Friday night my girlfriend Sheri held a 'kitchen' shower for me and it was such an absolute blast.  What a crazy group of girls, especially the twins (see below).  They never cease to amaze me and they come out with some of the wildest things.  What a blast.

The company was great, the food delicious, the wine and tequila amazing, the games fun and the laughter non-stop.  I am so blessed to have such terrific friends.  Thanks so much Sheri and everyone for the great night and all of the fantastic kitchen stuff (I will not name the unmentionable that was in that gift!!).

Saturday morning off we were to another shower, this time at my mom's friend's VT's.  It was so great to see all of the ladies and the weather was so gorgeous we ended up sitting outside for the entire afternoon after the shower had ended.  I can't get over how sweet and generous all of these ladies are, we got a large amount in a gift card from Home Depot (yay paint for the house or wood for the retaining wall!) and I can't wait to put Ryan to work.  Now, let me talk about the food...OH.MY.GOODNESS. it was freaking scrumptious, every last bit of it.  Carol and V served brunch and wowzers, did I over do it.  I have a feeling I might have gained a pound or two this week, guess we'll find out at my weigh in this afternoon.  After the shower we decided that we had better do some wine tasting to decide on what kinds to get for the tables at the wedding.  Needless to say, it was a great evening! :)  Thank you to all of the fantastic ladies and to VT and Carol for the great day.

Sunday was a quiet day, we too Cole out to see the horses at the track with Dad and then I went for a jog/walk (I am terribly out of shape) and then we spent the rest of the day outside playing in the sandbox.  What a great weekend spent with family and friends.  Oh and yes, Ryan caught some fish and brought them home to clean them.  Cole spent a good 30 minutes at the sink with Ryan 'cleaning' the fish...I have pictures that I will share soon enough.

Monday night I went to meet Erin and Lisa for a pedicure after work, talk about Heavenly.  It felt so great and my feet are sandal worthy.  I ended up doing a little shopping after and bought quite a bit of stuff.  3 skirts, a pair of capris, 2 dresses, more MAC makeup and drum roll...WEDDING SHOES!  Wooohooo!  I needed them in a bigger size and they were out so they will be shipping them to me...actually JUST received them 2 minutes ago and I love them.  So plain but so comfortable.  I got them in white but have just decided to order them in black too!  Haha...yay!  Another thing off the list.

Now just to finalize a few more things and organize the catering staff and we are all ready...until I realize the other 100 things I have left to do...seating chart, table numbers, making appointments for pedicures/manicures, the rehearsal...need I go on?

Top 2 Tuesday - Items Under $15

It's Top 2 Tuesday over at Taylor's The Undomestic Momma and this week is your top 2 favorite items under $15.








Today's Top 2 Tuesday is your favorite items under $15.

1. Bath and Body Works Mentha Lip Buffer

  This lip buffer/lip scrub is fantastic!  It's refreshingly minty and really works.  It's a quick fix to chapped lips and an easy way to prevent them.
 2.  Tim Hortons' Tea  

  I am a huge tea addict and there are few things I would take over a Tim Hortons' tea.  Head on over to 'Taylor's and link up to join the fun.

Top 2 Beauty Secrets

It's Tuesday which means it's time for Taylor's Top 2 Tuesday and this week is Top 2 Beauty Secrets.
 
I really don't have any beauty secrets that I live by, but below are a few things that I can not live without.
 

Schwarzkopf OSIS Dust It Volumizing Powder

My hair is long + fine which = no volume at all, even when I cut layers into it.  Thankfully due to Schwarzkopf OSIS Dust It Volumizing Powder I have a little more volume some days.  This also works great if your hair tends to get greasy quickly, just sprinkle a little bit on your roots and they will absorb the powder. 
 

MAC Cover-Up

 

MAC Cover-Up is no different than any MAC product which is nothing short of fabulous.  It actually works to cover up the dark bags under my eyes and some of the 'age' spots on my face and it lasts.  MAC is definitely my favorite make-up brand whether it be foundation, cover-up, eye shadow, perfume or brushes (there brushes are fantastic!!!) MAC never disappoints.

 

There you have it, what are your two favorite beauty secrets?  Go on over to Taylor's and link up to join the fun!

Pendant Workshop

Last night Last week (so I'm a terribly slow blogger) one of my friends Katie and I took part in a pendant making workshop at Blackbird in Almonte.  The store is so cute and is full of adorable and unique gift ideas.  I forgot to bring my camera but if you check out the website you will see a few of the great items that Emily sells there.  I have never taken part in a workshop as I am not the least bit creative, nor do I have any artistic talent whatsoever, so I went there a little unsure of what my pendants might turn out like.  I didn't bring anything with me (pictures, material, ideas, etc.) but Emily and Colleen had the tables stocked with pieces of material, loads of scrapbooking paper and some really cute little cards to help us out (along with some delicious wine).  In total I made 3 necklaces and 2 fridge magnets and I had an absolute blast.  I took some pictures of my pendants when I got home, however, they didn't turn out so great, but here they are. 

From L to R:  Ladybug scrabble tile, gobble gobble pendant (who doesn't need a Thanksgiving necklace), my favorite Love tile.
Bottom:  Fridge magnets

A close up of the love pendant, although my camera doesn't show the colors at all.

This workshop was so much fun and I can not wait to do another one.  Emily and Colleen were fantastic hostesses and are so very talented (we even made cute little paper boxes!).  When you get a chance check out Emily's website and see all of the great items she has at the store.

Tonight Cole and I were playing and the poor boy smashed his head right on the corner of the coffee table.  I was sure it was his eye, but thankfully it was his forehead.  He has a huge bruise and kept saying 'take a picture of the bruise mama?' goodness my boy is cute and entertaining. 

On top of his bruised forehead he is sick with a cold and getting his two year old molars...my poor little guy.  I just love him so much...he is just soooo adorable and funny.

Here is a picture of Cole and his cousin D reading together this weekend, he loves his cousins so much.

What's New with Mrs. T's Giveaway

I just came across a really cute blog, What's New with Mrs. T and this blog is definitely one of my new favorites. You most definitely need to check out her giveaway which closes tomorrow.  Everything in it is adorable, especially the cake lifter!  I think I love it and if I don't win I will find one to add to our wedding registry (I know Ryan would just die for one...haha!).

Top 2 Tuesday - Favorite Magazines

The Undomestic Momma is hosting the Top 2 Tuesday as always and this week is your favorite magazines.

I am ashamed (who am I kidding?!) to say that I love trashy, gossipy celeb magazines and that my 2 favorite magazines fall under this category. 

I love People magazine (and Jennifer Aniston as per the cover).

In Touch is always juicy read and full of celeb photos and gossip (again the Jen/Brad/Angelina drama - love it!)

There you have it...head on over to The Undomestic Momma and link up to join in the fun.

Today is my first day back to work since Thursday as we had Friday and Monday off for Easter.  It was such a great weekend!  The weather was absolutely beautiful and we spent the entire weekend with friends and family outside.  Friday we took Cole to see a movie, he had such a great time.  The mixed shower hosted by my brother and sister-in-law on Friday night was great, it was so nice to see everyone and have a chance to catch up.  Saturday Cole and I spent the day outside at my parents, I raked the lawn while Cole played in the sandbox and trucked all around.  Sunday Ryan's family came over for Easter brunch and the kids had an Easter egg hunt and we all sat out in the sun.  We couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

Yes, yes and more yes!

Not only is today Thursday before a long weekend, but it's sunny and warm outside.  So warm that you would think it's summer, but I am definitely not complaining.  We have been so lucky with the nice weather we have been getting lately and it's only supposed to get nicer tomorrow and Saturday.

I went to weigh-in at lunch and was hoping that I would be down those last 2 lbs as I had been better at tracking this week (something I had been slacking on big time) and to my surprise I was down 3.5lbs hitting 158.5lbs.  I have not seen the 150s since I got pregnant with Cole, at which time I weighed 155lbs.  Apparently for my height (5'8") 164lbs is the maximum that I should weigh in order to have a healthy BMI, well I have met and exceeded that FINALLY.  Although I hit my goal weight, I decided to go for another 3.5lbs (155lbs) as I had been toying with the idea and I am already below my goal, may as well.  So to date (since August 2009), I have lost 30.5lbs and am 3.5lbs away from my pre-baby weight. 

I am so excited for this day to end and for the long weekend to get started.  Tonight will consist of cleaning and Grey's Anatomy and then tomorrow we are taking Cole to see his first in-theatre movie How to Train Your Dragon .  We think he will absolutely love it as he is a movie fanatic and of course there will be 'popcorns' there (as he calls them).  I can imagine he will scream and yell with excitement, I sure hope that's okay with everyone there.

After the movie we are heading up to my parents place for supper and a visit and Cole will stay with them and my nephews as we head over to my brother and sister-in-law's for our first shower, a mixed shower/party.  Should be interesting to say the least.  Sunday we are doing Easter brunch with Ryan's family at our place and we are going to have an Easter egg hunt for the boys, should be cute and fun! 

I'm hoping to have lots of pictures to share after the weekend.

What are your plans for the long weekend?

Top 2 Tuesday...2 Random Things About Me

Today is Tuesday so head on over to The Undomestic Momma to link up and play along.

 

Two Random Things About Me

 

1.  I snort when I laugh really hard

 

2.  I cannot iron to save my life, it never fails that I burn myself every time and I have the scars to prove it

Play Along ABC

I found this over at The Undomestic Momma and had to play along, do the same!

A. AREA CODE : 613

B. BED SIZE: Queen

C. CHORE YOU HATE: Scrubbing the floors

D. DOG'S NAME:  Thankfully we don't have one

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: Tea

F. FAVORITE COLOR: Not sure I really have one...brown?

G. GOLD OR SILVER: White gold

H. HEIGHT: 5'8"

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: currently none, used to play piano when I was a kid

J. JOB: mom and group and marketing assistant

K. KIDS: 1 at the moment

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: house

M. MOM'S NAME: Laurel

N. NICKNAME: Ash, Flash

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: only when having Cole

P. PET PEEVE: smacking, boldness, people who don't say thank you or excuse me

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: "If you love someone... you say it, right then, out loud. Otherwise... the moment just passes you by."  from My Best Friends Wedding

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: Righty

S. SIBLINGS: 2 older sisters, 1 older brother

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: 6ish

U. UNDERWEAR: Yes

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: mushrooms

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: I never give myself enough time...never ever...

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: feet, ankles, knees, arms...almost everything

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: chicken with feta and red pepper, spinach, chicken and feta pasta, pasta bake, stir fry, I love to cook.

Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: giraffes are my favorite

Our weekend was great, we met with the Minister and Decorator to finalize some things, this gave me another huge to-do list (or 2) so this week will be full of phone calls, e-mails and brainstorming with Ryan.  The good part of the meetings, apparently I am on the ball even though I feel like I am doing nothing at the moment.  Let's hope that is the case.

I finally added the follow me gadget, so do just that please.

Happy Monday (super happy Monday, it's a short week)!

'Working at the Car Wash'

Yesterday when Cole came home from daycare with is little daily report his teacher had commented that he continues to have a blast with the whales, sharks and dolphins in the sensory bin and taking them to the 'car wash'.  Ryan and I had a good laugh about this and decided that his daycare teachers are going to think that we, along with Cole are quite strange.  Well, the truth is we are...but that's not where this came from.  I recently picked up the movie Shark Tales for Cole and he LOVES it.  I will hum the first little bit of the Christina Aguilera/Missy Elliot song Car Wash and Cole will chime in 'Car wash, car wash' and fly his little shark while busting a move.  Not only is this super cute and entertaining to us, apparently his teacher finds in highly amusing too.  When I dropped Cole off this morning I told her that it's from the movie, Angela said she figured that out but what amazed her was that he found this toy and pretended it was the car wash because it had a circular part (similar to the toy below). 

This didn't shock me as I see this all the time from Cole, I guess I overlook all of the little amazing things he does at 2 years old being so busy with work, home and the wedding.  Tonight I plan to go home and snuggle him and play the night away and I can't wait!  Here are a couple of pictures of my handsome guy...

On another note, the wedding registry is finally complete!  Tuesday night after work I headed straight to Stokes to start our registry and within an hour I was at The Bay finishing what I had started a couple weeks ago.  Thankfully it was quite painless and it's another thing off the list.  Now onto finalizing the ceremony details and meeting with the Minister and the decorator this weekend.

First Top 2 Tuesday

It's been a while since my last post and there has been loads of stuff going on. Invitations have been made and mailed. Some of the girls came over on the first Saturday in March and we assembled them all (lots of work) and they look fantastic. I'll take a picture of one tonight and upload it for all to see. The girls also got their dresses picked up and they are just so darn cute. The boys have all been measured for their tuxes with the exception of my Dad who will be coming to do that soon enough. I can't wait to see Cole all handsomed up in a little tux, it's going to be so cute. Ryan took Cole to get his hair cut on Friday and it's pretty sweet, it's definitely taking some time to get use to it seeing as he had surfer hair going but he's so cute. We will be meeting with the Minister and the decorator on Saturday hoping to finalize everything with them. Other than that I think things are going well, the RSVP cards have started to arrive (so exciting!) and I am going to set up a a table chart to help organize who is sitting at what table. We are trying to decide if we are writing our own vowes or not...any suggestions?

Over at The Undomestic Momma (check out her cute blog here http://benandtay.blogspot.com/ ) there is a Top 2 Tuesday and I am attempting to link up so here goes!

TOP 2 THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

Aside from Family and friends, water, air, etc...2 things I could not live without:

1. Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Line

I am absolutely addicted to anything in the Warm Vanilla Sugar line from Bath and Body Works...heck, I am addicted to that store...in fact I am going there tonight.

2.  My cell phone.
Blah...I wish it wasn't so but I am so dependent on my cell phone it's unreal.  I can't imagine what it will be like when I finally upgrade to a Blackberry or iPhone (I'm old school with a plain old cell).

Happy Beautiful Thursday

I am in a good mood today (I like to think I am most days), not only is it sunny and spring like, it's Thursday. Almost the end of the week...which means I can finally spend some time with my sweet little guy.

Cole has been doing really, really well this week. We were getting quite concerned about the hitting phase he was going through for a while and after speaking with one of the ladies from the daycare we realized that we have to work with them and be consistent. Ryan and I use to watch Super Nanny when I was pregnant and we would laugh and gasp at all the bold little buggers running around. We would say over and over, 'Our child will never be like that, he won't hit or kick. He will be so polite and charming.'. Well, well, well...2 years later our wild child has emerged from his innocent and cute baby phase right into the I'm-going-to-hit-and-scream-and-kick-if-I-don't-get-my-way little boy phase - SOOOO MUCH FUN! Don't get me wrong, Cole is such a sweet, gorgeous, talkative, charming little guy who can melt your heart in a second. He uses please, thank you, no thank you and love you often. BUT...as soon as he gets mad, watch out. The ear piercing screams start, 'I DON'T WANT IT' and the fists are flying. We have no clue where the hitting comes from, we don't hit him and he doesn't watch violent shows or movies. When think it started when he would try to do something and get frustrated and then not being able to express himself with words he would end up having a fit. We obviously aren't experts, so I consulted (broke down in tears on morning dropping him off at daycare) one of the greatest daycare ladies ever and we decided to try being CONSISTENT with time outs. It seems to be working! Cole has had a fantastic week at daycare and at home! It's such an improvement and we can see a difference in his personality already. My only suggestion for anyone going through the same thing (thanks to so many others) is be consistent in whatever you are going to do and know that you are the boss.

Let's hope I didn't just jinx it...

I went and got weighed today and I was down another pound for a total of 27 pounds! Two more to go until my goal weight...soooo exciting!

Keep On Trucking...

So last time I posted I had hit the 25lb mark, well, I went to get weighed last Thursday and I had lost another pound making the total 26! That is 3 away from my goal weight, how fantastic is that? I am super excited that I am so close to my goal. We'll see what tomorrow brings when I hit the scale, I'm really not sure how I will do this week. I've had an 'okay' type of week and that normally brings no change - not that that's a bad thing at all. I would just like to finish losing, maintain for six weeks and stop forking out the cash for weigh-ins.

On another note...I tried on my dress on the weekend and am so happy with the way it fits, EXCEPT...
I have just started to lose in my chest and while I think this is a good thing, the dress has a different opinion. Since it's a corset back I now have to tighten it more to get it to stay up. The only problem with that is that when tightening it, I all of a sudden have this gushing flow of back fat popping over the top. WHAT THE HECK?!?! Where did that come from? I know my back isn't perfectly toned, nor has it ever been, but I swear it wasn't that bad before I tried my dress on. So now to tone and go see the seamstress.

I bought my garter today and approved the proofs for the invitations. It's great, slowly things seem to be getting checked off my list. I found the girls jewelry, I started my registry (which is terrible...more about that later) and the girls dresses are in. Saturday we have organized an invitation assembly to get them made and for some of the girls to get their dresses picked up. So much fun stuff going on!

So back to the registry...
We went to The Bay last Thursday and the lady working was swamped, so we had to wait until 7:15 to meet with her. During our wait we ate, shopped and had a look around to give me an idea of what I might like to put on the registry. Well, by the time it came to scanning items I was so tired and blah. I had no clue what I wanted, what I liked or what might look good in our house. Needless to say, it ended up being so overwhelming. Erin just kept saying that she had never seen me so indecisive. I am actually indecisive, but never has it been this bad. I couldn't even decide on a set of everyday dishes that I liked. We decided to stop for the evening and go back another night when we were refreshed. On the way out of the mall we stopped at Stokes as Erin mentioned that someone else had registered there. I felt relief as soon as I walked in to Stokes and found so many things to add to a registry. We will definitely be heading back there soon.

Check out this link for an awesome give away http://benandtay.blogspot.com/2010/03/giveaways.html
and also check out http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleGreenRoom for some cute, original jewelry.

25 Down!

Last Thursday I went to get weighed and I was absolutely dreading it, I even contemplated not going. The week before I thought I had been doing great with tracking, eating and working out but for some reason the unfair weight Gods presented me with a 2lb gain. It absolutely crushed me as I was sure that I was doing everything right. Needless to say, I binged the whole weekend. From Chinese food to dips, cheese and wine I had it all...including loads of chocolate (it was Valentine's Day after all). Starting Tuesday (Family Day long weekend - score!!!), I really watched what I was eating and made sure that I was keeping up with my water. So Thursday came along and I figured I may as well just go and get it over with. I stepped on the scale expecting another gain, to my dismay, I had lost 2.5lbs! Not only did I lose the 2lbs from the week before, I also lost another half a pound. Now half a pound may not seem like much and really doesn't mean much to anyone, but to me it meant a lot. That half a pound meant a new pair of pants (possibly 2), a new 'charm' for my keychain from WW and the best part - it meant that I had lost 25lbs in total to date - ALL BY MYSELF!!! Of course I couldn't have done it without the love and support from Ryan, Cole (ya right...here Mommy, literally shoving food in my mouth - thank goodness he likes to share), and all of my friends, family and the WW blogs, staff...I could go on and on as if I had won an Oscar here.

With that being said, I have 4 more pounds to lose until I meet my next goal. I think that this will be my final goal, but it all depends on how my dress fits this weekend when I try it on. If need be, I may go for another 5 pounds. I am truly loving the feeling of losing weight, now if toning would work just as well.

As for wedding stuff, I just (only 2 minutes ago) received the paper for the invitations and Erin has been working like a mad woman on getting everything in order to send for printing. I will be relieved the get the invitations finished as that is the last big thing to do. I am going to do our gift registry with Erin on Thursday night, what a fantastic maid of honor! Ryan was going to do it with me but he offered to let me take Erin instead as he figures he will just say, 'You chose whatever (insert item here) you like better' or 'It's up to you Ash'. That is EXACTLY how it would go, so I will take Erin, my bestfriend/maidofhonor/interiordecorator/invitationlady/weddingconsultant with me to help pick out some goodies. That should definitely make for a fun evening and another task checked off my list.

Our dear sweet child has been giving us a run for our money lately. The other night it took me over two hours to get him to go to sleep. We have come to a bedtime agreement (arrangement made on his part), either Rye or myself have to read a book to him in bed and then the other has to cuddle him to sleep. At first I thought that it would be a terrible habit to start, but then I thought 'Really, he's not going to want to cuddle forever' so for now I am taking full advantage of any cuddles I can get.

On a Roll...

I was on my way to work today when Ryan called me to tell me that he had to go to work as he received an emergency service call. He is normally off on Fridays so he and Cole spend the day together. Needless to say, I had to turn around and come home. Not complaining though, Cole and I are hanging out on the couch, watching Ice Age and eating crackers. Fun, fun!! :)

So with only 5 months (+ a few days) to go, I figured it was time to provide an update as to where abouts we are in the planning process. Wednesday I got 3 great packages in the mail - our wedding favors. I don't want to spoil them so I can only say that they turned out great and we are so excited about them.

On Saturday I met with our minister to discuss the ceremony details and that went well. Tonight Erin and I are meeting with a paper lady so we can finalize what will be needed for the invitations/reply cards/seating cards, etc. Right now the invitations are our main concern. I think I have all of the wording ready to go and a count finalized for wedding and reception invitations, so we are on the right track (I think).

Saturday Ryan and I are going ring shopping and hoping to get some gift ideas for our wedding party. Ryan already knows what he wants for the guys so hopefully he can get that all figured out tomorrow.

Things are going really well, I am having such a blast with all of the planning. No bridezilla here (yet)!

2010 and Diving Right In!

It's been a few months since I last posted (yikes!) and a lot has happened.

Baby boy Johnston turned 2 last week and oh my I can't believe how time flies. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. that day and ended up being sick with gastro (which I got from my dear child who was sick Boxing Day, poor boy) so Ryan spent the day entertaining Cole. When we heard Cole we both went into his room, sang him happy birthday and snapped some pictures of him, then I dove back under the sheets to keep my stinkin' germs to myself and get some well needed rest. The boys headed to the fire hall after breakfast - Cole's favorite place in the world - where they looked at the trucks and then they went and did some shopping. After lunch I got out of bed and we gave our handsome little 2 year old his gifts. His new found love for presents is pretty entertaining. If he even sees a wrapped item or a gift bag he asks if he can 'open presents' and then rips right into it. If the gift is clothes he chucks it right away, if it's a toy/movie/book he has a look then asks you to open it, then moves on to the next one. Pretty cute. After opening up his gifts Ryan and I set up his new big boy bed, it's a fire truck and I think that put him on cloud 9. Next on the agenda - supper - his favorite - PIZZA and to top it all off a DQ cake with a fire engine on it. I bet this was THE best day ever for Cole. He was smiling all day and that made our day.

Christmas was great, besides Cole being sick on Boxing Day and the terrible weather which stopped us from driving to Ryan's sister's for Christmas with the Johnstons. We spent Christmas Eve at my parents' and went to church with my Mom, Rob, Christy & the girls. We ended up being split up due to the church being full and us being tardy as always. Cole was so restless, he was flopping over my arms, wriggling and trying to get out of the seat any way he could. Eventually he crawled under the pews and through my legs into the aisle where he flirted with everyone and wandered around. Needless to say it was entertaining for everyone else...

Christmas Day we opened presents, ate loads of delicious food and visited with the family. It was great!

New Years was spent catering with Dad and Melissa, very quick and easy. Then home to a delcious feast of crab bisque, bacon wrapped scallops, potatoes, asparagus, a very yummy salad and some drinks. It was a quite night, nothing too crazy (we were too stuffed to move!) but none-the-less, a great start to 2010.

January 2nd we finally were able to have the Johnston family Christmas. Everyone came to our house and we had lots of good eats, laughs and a fantastic visit with Ryan's sister, brother-in-law and their 2 boys. They ended up staying the night too!

We are so blessed to have such great families and to have so much love!

On to 2010...

6 months from today is our wedding so I am in full planning mode once again. Last time I posted I had just weighed in and was down again. Well as of last Tuesday I am down 23.5lbs in total since the last week in August and I have roughly 5-10lbs to go. I tried on my dress when I was up at my parents' place over the holidays and (drum roll)...it fits!!!!! Wooohooo! I definitely have some work to do on my arms but nothing a little Jillian won't fix.

There is the excitement for the past couple of months. I am super excited about what 2010 has to bring and hopefully I will post more often.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!