Sloth.

This is just a must see video clip.

It's a baking party.

What happens when the parents go away for several days?

PARTY!

Or not.

It has gone something like this...

Clean, clean, clean, clean.
*wait! I need to make dinner. Let's find some meat in the freezer.*
Clean the freezer.
Discover 29 black bananas, bags of raspberries, and some tart shells.
24 hours later= 5 loaves of banana bread, 2 dozen chocolate chip banana muffins, 2 dozen butter tarts and two containers of homemade raspberry jam, oh, and the kitchen is spotless in spite of all this.

Sometimes I wish I was a normal teenager.
Although I know all the mothers out there reading this are probably wishing I was their daughter.

And since I know I won't eat all of this myself, I made up a plate for the neighbours as a thank you for plowing the snow off our driveway.

I don't want to be Susie Homemaker, but apparently I can't get away from her.
Let's just keep this on the down low, though. It could kill my reputation :).

Making the change.

Everything needs change.

Or how else would life move on?

Sometimes you need to make the change happen, even if you know it will hurt for a while, before things get better.

Okay, that sentiment is true. But in my case, I'm just being dramatic.

Picture Linus from the comic strip Peanuts.

Better yet, I'll picture him here for you.

Now here is me.

                                                     
                                                I have had this blanket for years.

Years, and years, and years.

Don't believe me?

Here is a picture from about the time I got it.

Now that cute baby beside me looks something like this. (he's okay to hold a camera, but being in front of it is a reason to duck every time.) Over ten years, for sure.

Did I mention that is was my Aunties property before it was mine?

Yes, it may be a comfort to me, and filled with sentimental value, but along with all that great stuff, it's probably filled with billions of dust mites and all the other things that come from being old and used for years. Up until a little while ago it was very soft and comfy. But lately it's just really pilly and the stuffing is coming apart making it's job of keeping me warm very hard to do.

So, today, although it breaks my heart, I'm saying goodbye.

Change makes you change, and that can be a good thing.

At least I'm not giving myself bangs like I keep thinking about, right?

p.s. Is it just me, or does everybody have trouble with putting pictures on their posts and getting into a big headache over it? My words always go everywhere and it takes me so much extra time trying to figure out how to get everything back how I want it.

If anybody has any tips, I would greatly appreciate them.

That, or I might just stop posting pictures :).

Sometimes it's necessary.

But to be honest, my day wasn't bad at all, just one little thing...

It already feels like the weekend, though.
I guess it might have to do with the fact that I have started the to do list already, which is usually a strictly weekend task.

But since it happens to be Thursday, I'll leave you with a little bit of happy.

1. Baking chocolate chip cookies for the thousandth time.
2. Impressing my mother with my singing skills.
3. Taking bottles back to the recycling depot. It feels like free money, even though technically you actually paid that money.
4. $2.99 kids combos from Wendy's. Such a great deal. And just the right amount of food for my little stomach.
5. Being able to fix something, and make it work like it's supposed to.
6. Friday.
7. Planning and anticipation. (let's just say...I'll be posting some before and after pictures after all the planning and doing are done)
8. Sunshine.
9. Sunshine melting away the snow so I don't have to shovel it anymore.
10. Romantic snowfalls. But it isn't very nice that they always happen while I'm working so I can't stop and take the time to enjoy.
11. Washing my car and making it pretty.
12. Enjoying the little things.

Sticking with tradition.

One year ago today, I posted a belated happy birthday post.

This year I promised myself that I would actually remember on the right day, and I planned for it weeks in advance, but...I forgot...again.

So I figured I could try and at least make thing semi consistent by posting my belated birthday wish on the same day as last year! Yes, I know I'm a sad, sad girl.

Here is to 5 years in the Blogger world!

And we want to make this sentiment short and sweet, so I will not go on a speech about how good the years have been to us.
But I will be enjoying a celebratory dessert tomorrow.

Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Hannah's Notes: Either I'm getting to the point where I can make anything taste good, or these cookies really are the "Best Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies".
Since I was just making normal sized cookies the baking time was probably lessened, but I didn't use a timer.
Remember the trick to making a chewy cookie is taking the pan out when they have just browned a little bit, cause they will continue cooking when you leave them on the pan for a few minutes.
To help make them super light, I creamed the butter and sugars for a lot longer than is probably normal.
Original Source Found Here.

You are invited.

You are cordially invited to:
My Funeral.

Now, there is no specific date or time for this event yet, since it actually hasn't happened yet, but the end is near, folks.
You see, I work outside.
And it is cold outside.
Right now temperatures are resting at -22 c. with wind chill making it -33.

At work yesterday it was -14 or something around there and I was doing pretty good. There was a lot of snow to shovel so that was a good way to keep warm. But my fingers almost didn't make it.

So, I was overjoyed when I got to work this morning and they told us all that if we didn't want to work we didn't have to. But don't expect this to happen again.
I stopped at Princess Auto on the way home to buy some insulated work gloves, spending the big bucks.
I'm going to try and enjoy this unexpected day off while staving off the worry of having to go back out there tomorrow, which will be about the same temperature.

Hopefully, you will hear from me in the next week to assure you I am still among the living. But if not, I would prefer my funeral was more like a party, so bring the bottles of bubbly and thudding bass tunes!

The reveal.

So.
I will not mention names, but apparently some people were getting impatient waiting for the revealing of the big excitement I had a while ago.
Now, to be honest, I wasn't doing this to keep you in suspense. I just have a habit of promising things, and then forgetting to follow through, no matter the fact that it's staring me in the face every time I visit my blog.

You probably guessed it by now, but just for the satisfaction of the much loved 'before' and 'after' pictures, I will post the big news.

Yes, I got my braces off!
Only about 7 months late. But now that they are off, I'll stop being bitter about that fact.

Of course, there was really no point in having the braces at all. They were put on for a specific reason, that was not straightening my teeth, and they didn't fix the problem.
That's kind of a bummer, but there's not much I can do about all that.

I'm just so happy. I can eat apples again!

Tales from the work site.

For all you girls out there, who thought that working on a construction site would be helpful in growing up and showing the world what you are made of, think again.

Instead of feeling grown up, you will feel younger.
Because you will have a whole list of father-type men who will be looking out for you and trying to prevent you from spreading your wings.

Or maybe it's just me.

Lance asked me to help him in the scaffolding yesterday. Lance being a young guy, knowing that I was fully capable.
Of course, I didn't make him aware that I was scared of heights until I got to 3 stories off the ground.
*pause* Okay. I'm not totally scared of heights. Heck, I was cliff jumping this summer. But, the scaffolding was sketchy. Of course it was. The whole reason I was supposed to be going up there was to secure it.*

But we were doing the job and I was remembering to breathe and everything was just fine.

Until Fatherly figure #1 came along and told me that if I was not totally comfortable with doing this I should come down, because if I fall, I will not be living to tell the tale after.
Pf. I had the hang of it down and I was good to go.
But FF#1 must have told FF#2 who happens to be my boss, who came along and told me to get down.
:(. So much for trying to prove my worth.

Haha.

Okay. So I was semi relieved at not having to be up there anymore, but..
Sometimes I wonder if these guys think the only thing I am good for is sweeping?

They didn't have a problem with the other guy doing the same job and he was taking even more risks.

I guess I should just enjoy being a child while I still can.

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Today, I was going out after work, and since I didn't want to be trying to get ready in my car in the freezing cold, I made up my face and put contacts in before I left for work in the morning.

Boy, was that a bad idea.

Apparently going from no make up and glasses, to heavy make up and contacts is quite the difference.
I was getting comments all day about it.
I'm not very good at accepting compliments.
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There is this one guy who keeps calling me Hailey. I answer to it now, because I know he means me. I haven't tried to correct him. I guess I am just seeing how long it will go before he figures it out or someone tells him.
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TILT

1. My favorite meal for dinner.
2. Free money from the government.
3. Okay-ish looking passport photos.
4. Whispering.
5. Great sales on Fruit Gushers.
6. Rae's new little sister. Yet to be named. I'll give you a little more back story at a later date.

Like new.

Something really exciting happened this week.
Like super duper exciting.
*Not being able to sleep like on Christmas eve* exciting.
Want to take a guess?

4 ways to stick to your New Year's Resolutions.

"Some 44 percent of Americans make New Year's Resolutions, but although resolutions are fun to make, they're hard to keep. To help yourself keep yours, try these strategies:

1. Be specific. "Make more friends" and "Strengthen friendships" are vague resolutions. Make yours more concrete: "Remember birthdays," "Make plans," or "No gossip".

2. Write it down.

3. Review your resolution constantly. If your resolution is buzzing through your head, it's easier to stick to.

4. Hold yourself accountable. Tell other people about you resolution, join or form a like-minded group, score yourself on a daily chart-- whatever helps make you feel accountable." -The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I needed a new calender for the year 2012, so I stopped by the calender store in the mall which was of course having big sales. I spent a lot of time in there. There were so many that I wanted, but I couldn't narrow it down. For some reason I felt as if this was a huge deal. I spent so much time in there that the cashier even made a remark about it. Boy, did I feel silly.
I treated myself to a daily flip calender as well, because it seemed like something that would help me on this whole road of appreciation and thankfulness.

Of course, I've cheated and looked ahead already to get an idea of what it's all about.
Some are applicable, some are confusing but I'll work them out as I get to them, such is life, no?

I won't be writing down each one every day but I'm sure throughout the year I will be posting some of the really good ones, like yesterdays:

"Happiness comes not from having more, not from having less, but from wanting what you have"

I think that was perfect advice, for anyone, but especially for me, going into this season of trying to save every penny for traveling when I feel like going out and buying things every weekend.

Happy New Year!

Here's to the many adventures ahead in 2012.