Happy Halloween!

It's here! Normally I love Halloween but this year I sadly have no plans except for staying indoors & possibly handing out candy. I might try & watch a scary movie but other than that, nada.

I think I will try to take advantage of discounted candy tomorrow though. Shoppers Drug Mart, look out!

Keeping my ass warm....

With sub zero temperatures around the corner I am thinking about getting a heated seat cushion/cover for my car. I get cold fast....really fast! In fact most days I already have the heat going when I am driving!

The thing is there are so many of them! Who knew? And some of the items have gotten really bad reviews on the Canadian Tire website. Even expensive ones that you might assume were good quality because of the price point. So I have no idea what to get and what a reasonable price to spend on them is. My requirements are that it has to warm up fast and that it lasts. If I am going to spend the money, I don't want it to die on me after one season.

Canadian Tire has this one on sale from $90 to $20 but the reviews have turned me off. I wonder where else I can buy them instead of Canadian Tire. I might check out the auto area in Walmart later this week and see what they have.

How is everybody coping with the cell phone ban?

The ban began yesterday and it is now officially illegal to use your phone to talk, text or email unless using a hands free device to do so. Police will be lenient the first you months and let you off the hook but starting February you could face fines up to $500!

I have a headset that I try to use. If I know I am going to be calling somebody when I get in the car, I automatically put it on. Where I get into trouble is if somebody calls while I am driving and I don't have the headset in place. I think it's more dangerous trying to get it on while driving because my headset is a pair of headphones similar to those you would use with your ipod. It would probably be more distracted trying to untangle the wires than putting somebody on speaker and using the phone.

I am all for removing distracted drivers off the road but I am not sure cell phones are the entire problem though they certainly contribute. How about those people who eat, put make up on, shave, etc while driving? I know I am guilty of the eating one but sometimes I just can't resist!

Cougar Town

Yesterday I wasn't feeling so great so I stayed indoors under a warm blanket for practically the whole night watching free tv shows from Rogers On Demand.

One of the shows they had on the list was Cougar Town. I've never seen it before and had nothing better to do so I gave it a whirl. Wikipedia says 'The series focuses on a recently divorced woman who reenters a dating scene filled with younger men while living with her 17-year old son and embarks on a journey to self-discovery while surrounded by fellow divorcees.'

Well I ended up watching all 5 episodes that were available! It's funny & I LOLed lots because it's my kind of humor. As I was watching it, I kept thinking how much it reminded me of scrubs. Especially Jules (Courtney Cox) neighbor, whose personality is almost a replica of the janitor from Scrubs. I just did some googling and sure enough the two shows are from the same creator. So if you liked scrubs, I encourage you to check out Cougar Town.

What new shows have you been watching? With the weather getting cold, I want more shows to watch!

Work Health Benefits

On my lovely work pay stub every month, there's a deduction for health benefits. I've always thought, 'Gah, why am I spending money on something I don't use'. I have one of those not so fancy smancy health benefits where I don't get free massages, ect. All you people with free massages, I am jealous I tell ya! But I do get 100% coverage on prescriptions and boy am I glad I do.

In the 2+ years I've worked there, I've never had to make a claim ever and then bam, in the matter of 2 months, I've been in & out of the doctors office & racked up ~$100 in prescriptions. And I see more in the not too distant future. Suddenly I am appreciative of my benefits.

LG Fashion Week 2009

LG Fashion Week in Toronto starts tomorrow and I am hoping to catch some of the festivities later on in the week. I was walking by the venue today and I saw Jason Meyers from Project Runways Canada season 2! We were both waiting for the light to turn green....I felt silly going up to him and saying 'Hi' so I just watched from a distance. I am assuming he has a show this week and was doing rehearsals because he and his friends were carrying clothing & shoes & laundry bags, ect.

My favorite Project Runway designer is still Evan Biddell from season 1 though....

Lusting for a New Phone

I kind of want a new cell phone. Well, what's wrong with my current one? Nothing! Occasionally it'll cut out and that's annoying but it's definitely something I can deal with. The cutting out happens once out of ten calls, maybe even less and I have call display so I can just call the person right back.

I just have phone envy when I see people with their slick iphones and blackberries and lust for one too. The only thing is, I am not willing to spend >$100 on a new phone so I just keep lusting...

Canadian Dollar

I am getting excited at the performance of the Canadian dollar. Why? Because I want to buy some US stocks.

I dabble very little in stocks. Just for fun & my knowledge. It is by no means meant to be my main retirement funds and god forbid if I lost it, I would be very upset but I would also survive.

It was actually around the time I started dabbling that I decided to start this blog so I could learn more. Well I've been monitoring some US stocks for a while but I've always held off because of the lousy conversion rate. Now that the dollar is performing better, I am toying with the idea of buying some US stocks. The thing is do I wait or buy now?

Waistline struggles

So I gained weight when I went on my trip earlier this summer. 10lbs in fact! The thing was, I figured I went a little out of control on the trip and that everything would go back to normal shortly after returning. Well the truth is, I've been struggling and I am not entirely sure why!

I went back to my old routine of doing yoga and eating normal meals instead of the pigging out I was doing on the trip yet nothing happened. In fact, I just checked my weight and I gained another 5lbs! I knew it was bad when I put on my jeans yesterday and I was uncomfortable because it was so tight. These are jeans that I've fit into for years. I still fit into them but I now have this lovely muffin top thing happening where I have fat sticking out over the jeans. Not a pretty sight!

So I've decided that by Christmas time, I want to loose 5lbs. My stretch goal is to loose 10lbs. It may not seem like a lot but it makes a huge difference on my body. Remember what Hillary Duff looked like with 15 extra pounds. Well she's like my body twin and I can tell you it makes huge difference.

How am I going to do this? I want to add one additional workout per week on top of what I am doing till I get to where I want to be. I also want to try being healthier. I am semi healthy in that I get my intake of veggies & whatnot. However, I can't say no to indulgences i.e. cake, chips...you name it. It's unrealistic for me to say that I'll be strict and not eat any of these things but the key for me will be eating it in moderation.

Costa Blanca Goodness

Seems like all I've been spending money on lately besides food is clothes! I guess it's the change in seasons that's got me riled up. Fall is my favorite season, along with spring. I don't like it when it's too hot or too cold.

So little old me was at the mall and what do I spot? 40% off everything at Costa Blanca! I have no shame, I am a Costa Blanca fan! Lots of people group them with UB, Sirens, Suzy Shier ect. but I find that their quality and style is often better. You can find Costa Blanca scattered throughout my wardrobe when it comes to tops: cardigans, shirts, long sleeved tops, sweater vests...you name it. Bottoms however are a different story as I find their pants are flimsy and not great quality. Maybe things have changed but I typically don't even bother trying them on. I have a few cardigans from Jacob and I would pick the Costa Blanca ones in my closet over the Jacob ones any day. They have also stood the test of time. The Jacob ones started out strong but after lots of washes, it looks dull and out of shape unlike the Costa Blanca ones which still looks new.

The 40% is only off regular priced items which I didn't realize till I took my items up to the cashier. I bought a regular priced wrap around ($17), a shirt (on sale for $9) and flats (on sale for $20) that I've had my eye on for a while. All in all, I am a happy girl.