Riddle Me This

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Riddle me this, internet. WHY would it cost only $10 for me to mail something to the US and have it arrive a week later, but it costs $14 to mail the same size box within Canada- only it takes TWO weeks? Silly Canada post. 1 point to Newman.

I built another wine rack this weekend! Because you know, I’m really into wine these days. Pffff

Oooh, and I FINALLY went to a spin class this week! I originally bought a 10 class hot yoga pass to my favorite studio Hot Yoga and Spin on Crowfoot, but when I found out I was preg, I asked if I could transfer the pass to spin instead. Then I just felt like shit for 3 straight months, so I never got to go. Good news: I loved the class! I’ve actually never taken a class that requires clip-in shoes, but I found it to be WAY better than using cages. The instructor had a rockin’ playlist and attitude which really got me pumped up.

I was actually nervous the first few minutes of class because I didn’t want to get my heart rate up too much and hurt the thing in my stomach (read: baby). But I managed to keep everything at my own pace as much as I could and pushed myself a little bit. IT FELT GOOD. End of story.

PS: If anyone at work asks me ONE MORE TIME how I’m feeling I’m going to bop them on the head. (Does anyone else get annoyed by this? I get the genuine concern and all, but that doesn’t mean it’s ALL I want to talk about)

I went to a tea party last week with my Calgary pal, Susie! Good news: It was fun to hang out and try some new teas. Bad news: I found out that I can drink like ZERO of them because apparently there are SO many different things I can’t consume. Whatever, I still bought some and a really cute glass mug/steeper thingy.

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Things I’ve been obsessed with lately:

-fruit by the foot/fruit roll ups (yup, stopped at Safeway after spin class and bought a few boxes. They’re gone already)

-The Good Wife. Still on season 1- only because I watch it in bed and usually fall asleep in about 5 minutes.

-the Lush Snowman Shower Jelly and their Lovely Jubblies breast cream (it was REALLY hard for me to type that B-word.) And I’m actually using that -ish all over my body since it’s basically a firming cream and it smells like heaven mixed with rainbow sprinkles and ponies and naps. (it smells good)

-I can’t stop listening to Fergie’s new song. And I can’t stop laughing about it- because if that video is supposed to rep people from LA (cough cough, where I was born and raised) should I be wearing a massive platinum braid and riding around in a bus decorated with palm trees and a giant skull? And I’m also laughing if there were ever a song about Canada Love- everyone would be drizzled in syrup with fuzzy boots and hockey pucks.

I was looking on Etsy for some new Christmas stockings and ummmmm, they’re expensive. I sent a pic of some I like to my mom and she sent me back a pic a few days later of some she made for me…FOR FREE Y’ALL.

P.S. Note the price on the top Etsy pic. And I think that’s the price for only THREE.

Ooh, and guess what? My otter box iPhone case broke a few weeks ago and I got a replacement from them for free! Pretty sweet, huh? Their website shows you what you need to submit to get a replacement under their warranty.

And I got a new dress for a wedding. It’s peplum so apparently that makes it flattering around the midsection??

Last but not least, the best photo I could get of the three of us at the river before the friggin snow and -29 degree weather kicked in:

Well Hello There

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Well hello there.

Thanks to those of you who submitted questions for me to answer! I will be putting together that post with answers later on in the week. Keep them coming so I can have more things to divulge!

ANYWAYS. Hi, there! Remember me?! Need a refresher?? Here’s one:
My name is Jen
I live in Antarctica
Just kidding, Canada.
My dogs shed like crazy
I seriously dislike public transit
I workout like crazy
I like wine and beer. I don’t discriminate. Unless it’s a super hoppy IPA, then I have issues.
That about sums it up.

So what the hell have I been up to these past few weeks, you ask?!! (You most likely know if you follow me on Instagram. Conversely, you most likely don’t care.) Here are some highlights:

1. I had my FIRST visitor to Canada! My high school friend, Amy, flew up from NY for a long weekend. Places of possible interest that we hit: 80th & Ivy for dinner, Canmore for shopping/snow games, Lake Louise to see…umm, Lake Louise, Banff {Wild Flour for lunch, Liquor Depot for booze, Saltlik for dinner, Sasquatch for dancing, Caribou Lodge & Spa to sleep, The Keg for brunch. We also made it a point to spend all remaining money on fudge from The Fudgery, as well as visiting The Fairmont, and the Banff Gondola– altitude of 7,667 ft!}, Brewster’s for dinner, Calgary Farmer’s Market to buy anything/everything to have an at-home charcuterie board.

2. Went to Pig & Duke for an insane pulled pork lunch/Lost Coast Tangerine Ale.

3. Started my own personal 30 day hot yoga challenge. I’m not planning on doing yoga for 30 days straight, but I bought a monthly unlimited pass and decided to go 4-5x/week. Pro: It clears my mind and stretches out my hamstrings. Con: They jacked the price to $150. I’m talking to you, Hot Yoga on Crowfoot, don’t make this girl go broke(r)!!!

4. Tyler and I have been meeting with a kitchen consultant at Home Depot to renovate our kitchen. It’s current status: closet-tiny. What we hope the results will be: open and airy and not obvious that it was originally built in 1981.

5. Since it was a long weekend and I got bored, I decided to hop on that demolition train and knocked down one of the two walls we plan on removing to accommodate our new kitchen layout. (I’ve since done way more damage than depicted)

6. I have been obsessed with the Olympics. Ever notice that every Olympic games, the media really focuses on one sport over others? This year, it’s totally Ice Dancing. Cool, but um give me the sports where the guys are wearing unitards. SPANDEX unitards. Also, I have the luxury of watching the American broadcast (Bob Costas, I love you forever) and the Canadian broadcast (where they don’t tell the hockey announcers that they’re still on air and you can hear them humming and clearing their throats. I’m waiting for a fart, though)

(yeah, that may be a dirty inference. Push it…push it real good)
7. Not to bring up any ill-feelings for Bronco fans, but I went out for Superbowl with a friend and we started the evening by wearing our orange/blue beads and had to switch to green/blue beads by half time. Mostly because Seahawk fans were buying us drinks, so we had to comply.

8. I still have a $50 gift card for Lululemon from Christmas and I think I FINALLY found what I want to buy. PS: Popped Amy’s Lululemon cherry when she was here. Methinks she might become just as addicted as I!
9. Just when football season ends and I think I get my husband back on Sundays, he goes and sells back all his old video games and pre-orders 4 new ones. To each their own, I suppose. He coincides his game-playing with bread-making. Besides, I’m gone for about 2 hours each night to attend Hot Yoga classes.

10. I worked out at home and barefoot the other day and the combination of super dry skin + an excessive amount of reverse lunges and plank jacks = tearing the skin off the bottom of my big toe. I’ll spare the picture, just know that it’s gross, it’s painful, and it’s not conducive to all my downward dogging.

11. I haven’t tried a single new recipe lately. Bad Jen. I need to hop back on the baking wagon. I DID, however, try a new sandwich concoction that proved to be WAY TOO DAMN good. It consisted of some locally baked sourdough, sheep’s cheese (vendor at farmer’s market with very heavy accent sold it to us saying this is ‘cheep’ cheese. Not cheap as in less money, but as in “baa-baaa”), Saskatoon berry jam, bacon, and baby kale. Mmm, mouth is watering.

12. I finally put blonde back into my hair. And no one has noticed. It took 3 months for someone in my office to notice that I previously chopped off 6 inches, so I’m guessing it’ll be another month or so before I get comments on the color.

13. Referring back to our adventure at Sasquatch in Banff: drinking age in Alberta: 18. Therefore, most everyone in there was about….18. I told just about everyone that approached us that I could have birthed them. It could ALMOST be true. Also, I saw Sasquatch. He scared me at the coat check.
14. I had Pho for the first time. I called my mom and told her I had Pho and she replied “Mmmm that sounds delicious” and then I asked her if she knew what I was talking about and she said ‘no.’ Sersiouly, does anyone else’s parents act like this? Take another example, holding the phone to their ear while FaceTiming. Ugh.

15. I have done 2305972309572 different workouts lately and plan on sharing some of them in a post later this week.

That’s all I have to share for now. Do you feel sufficiently updated? I do.

In the comments:

Where’s the last place you traveled?

Have any good restaurant experiences lately?

Christmas Wish List 2013

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

I’m not one of those people who really WANT things.

Let me rephrase that.

I’m not one of those people who….ok, there’s really no way to rephrase that.

There are things that I want, but it’s no biggie if I don’t ever get them. This is where the Christmas list comes in. Every year, when the holidays begin to creep in, the Christmas wish list needs to be built. I gotta say, it’s usually pretty hard to get that thing started. But the flyers and email blasts and holiday cheer quickly take over and the list starts growing faster than you can imagine.

That said, I thought I’d share the wish list I’ve come up with (so far!). These are in no particular. Except for the diamond earrings…they’re first for a reason 😉

1. Diamond earrings.

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I have two piercings in each ear and Tyler got my diamond earrings on our first Christmas together. But now that I don’t really wear any dangly earrings in my first hole, I want another pair of diamonds! I mean, that’s the best reason to need them right?

2. Lululemon

(photos taken from Lululemon website)

The Fluff Off Jacket; Run: Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve; Skinny Groove Pant *full-on luon; Run: Swiftly Tank Short Sleeve.

3. Bosu Ball

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I really need to add this piece of equipment to my personal collection. It’s a great tool to use to change up other exercises because it requires more muscles to engage when balancing!

4. Purse

I need a larger purse- one that can hold all the crap I now need on a daily basis as a commuter. And something that’s somewhat fashionable. (I am currently sporting a small cross-strap purse and a large Target reusable/ghetto tote). <—emphasis on the GHETTO. I keep perusing Winners and other less expensive stores for the ideal purse, and have yet to find anything that hits the jackpot. Since it’s Christmas and since I can put WHATEVER I want on my wish list, I have opted to list this insane Michael Kors purse. I go visit it at the store downtown whenever I walk to the mall on my lunch break. PS: It’s the Large Selma Top Zip Sachel in Black. PPS: I only typed which one it exactly is in case Tyler is reading this and needs the name. PPPS: Got it?

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5. Laptop

I didn’t really think of putting this on the list until Tyler asked if I wanted a new one for Christmas. Then I remembered how crappy this computer has gotten— it’s a WHOPPING 4 1/2 year-old MacBook that gives me the rainbow pinwheel all.the.time. And it’s slow. (And this is after everything was backed up, wiped, then restored!)

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6. Pass to my favorite yoga studio (Hot Yoga on Crowfoot)

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Oh my goodness I just love going to this place. every single class is amazing. I am also loving my progress in my yoga practice, and I love doing it in a convenient, clean, and *pretty* studio. Only downside: it’s mucho expensive. But worth it if you love it so much. True Story: I was looking online for hot yoga studios in Vegas to see if I might want to take a class sometime next week and I noticed that some studios offered new-student specials of 3 months unlimited use for only $99!!!! So jealous of the cheaper price. [In case you’re wondering, a one month unlimited pass at this place runs you $140]

7. See’s Candies

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Growing up in California, there were See’s Candies shops everywhere. Sometimes when we were out shopping, we’d just drop in and buy a couple pieces to snack on throughout the day. Low and behold, when I moved to the east coast I discovered there were NO See’s! Actually, some of the larger malls would get See’s kiosks during the holiday season, but you could only buy pre-packed boxes. Woe is me. I plan on stocking up in vegas and putting them in my own damn stocking this year.

8. Black Parka

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I don’t have a particular coat in mind, all I know is that I want a black parka. Something I can wear to work in the winter so that I don’t have to wear my dumpy-dog-destroyed brown parka anymore. Woof.

So that’s what I’ve got on my wish list this year, what’s on your list?!!

Latests

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Not too many things to share this week- trying to cut back on spending until I’m back in the States in a couple weeks (where I can get more bang for my buck!) But things to share of late are:

The Starbucks App

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Yeah, I know I’m super late on this one. I was totally aware of the app, but never really had the desire to pre-pay for my black coffee. But then I was made aware of all the rewards that can result from pre-paying for black coffee and I got myself signed up right away. In fact, tomorrow I’m indulging in my once annual skinny peppermint mocha. Kinda really excited.

Hot Yoga

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I got a 10 class pass to Hot Yoga on Crowfoot. It’s been a couple months since I went last and my hips really needed the stretch, plus I want to get in some sweaty stretch sessions before Vegas.

Lady Gaga

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Dang it, you guys. I am a serious Gaga fan and this latest album is no bueno. I listened to the whole CD during my workout last night, and my booty did not throw in any extra shakes due to non-booty-shaking-beats. Le sigh.

Wine.

Cono Ser Viognier. It’s a sweet white wine. That’s all I have to say about that. Well, that and I only drank about 1/4 of a glass of it when I bought it. So lucky me I have most of a bottle to play around with this weekend.

The Body Shop stuff

1. Moringa Beautifying Oil. To help with the crazy dry weather and for sexy times! You are welcome for the TMI.

2. Seaweed Clarifying Toner for post- Hot Yoga and other super sweaty workouts. Helps get all the gunky makeup off that I usually miss when I wash my face.

3. White Musk Voluptuous Velvet Body Creme. I already have the perfume of this, so I thought I’d add the body creme to my collection. Yet another thing to lather on and keep my skin from being so dry. I swear, I am itchy practically 24/7 during the winter!

Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bars

Yup, this new flavor is the best. I still have to be super careful not to eat the whole bar in one sitting otherwise I turn into a blowfish. But with this flavor it’s so hard to restrain myself because it’s like a delicious and decadent candy bar.

And I realized maybe I did spend a bit. Woof.

Tell me: what are some of your latest finds?!!

My New Love

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Holy crap you guys. I have a new found love. (And I’m not just taking about this guy:)

I did something for the first time ever last night, and after the 75 minutes, I was over the moon. I. DID. YOGA.

I NEVER wanted to do yoga. I always thought it was crazy and that I wouldn’t have the patience for it. I preferred high-impact, crazy workouts. Only lately have I been feeling the urge to give it a go- not only for a change, but to see how it could affect my body.

I lucked out with Hot Yoga on Crowfoot– not only are they just around the corner form my house, but they have been voted the best yoga studio in Calgary.

After my early morning trip to Target yesterday, I swung by the studio to get more information on rates and class types and speak with them on which class I should do as a yoga virgin. They were super helpful and suggested I try Traditional Hot Yoga first. So I did.

The next TH class was offered at 6pm, so I basically went home and hydrated until class time. I got anxious and nervous and almost backed out. 5:30 rolled around, and I arrived at the studio to pay a new student 7-day trial ($25 for 7 days of use!). There was already about 20/25 people lined up along the corridor waiting to take the same class as me.

This is insane. Already that many people waiting and it’s still 30 minutes before class is scheduled to start? Eek.

Ok, so the doors finally open and BAM it was hot. And I loved it. Being a California native made me a-ok with this heat. Especially in Calgary.

I always think of this image when I remind myself I am a warm-weathered person somehow living in Calgary:

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I immediately darted to the back corner to lay out my mat. As people were ‘ready’, they were laying down. I had no idea that about 5 minutes of laying down in 108 degree heat would get me so prepped and excited for a workout!

This is how the studio’s website described the TH class:

Traditional Hot Yoga (TH) is a series of twenty-six postures performed in a precise order, in a room heated to 42 °C (108 °F). The postures combined with heat help cleanse the body and warm the muscles. This class systematically works the entire body, concentrating on the essence of every organ, bone, joint, muscle, ligament, tendon, blood vessel, nerve and gland. Incorporating strength, balance, and flexibility, Traditional Hot Yoga teaches students how each pose stimulates the mind and restores and shapes the body. This class is available in a 65, 75 or 90 minute format.

I whispered to the girl next to me asking her if it was going to be hard and she said no. I must be a trusting person, because I took her word for it.

Come to find out, it wasn’t hard at all. There were a ton of challenging positions, but never once did I find myself straining or wishing I was elsewhere. And the instructor was AMAZING. She had such a warm and welcoming presence and fluently instructed each move and the purpose of doing each. She varied from walking the room to demonstrating moves.

The only thing that felt funny about that class was the collective sound of people’s exhales. Seriously, just a weird sound to me.

OH. And I sweat. A LOT. Ghastly amounts. Lovely amounts.

There were some floor exercises towards the end of class that made my lower back a bit uncomfortable, but the combination of those and the heat made me realize AFTER class that the pain was gone. And my posture was better. And I woke up this morning feeling 2 inches taller. (Oh God, 2 more inches?! I’m already a giant!) I EVEN TOLD TYLER LAST NIGHT THAT I FELT GREAT ABOUT MY BODY<——that never happens, people.

Of course, I am now sore as hell. But it’s a good sore. One that makes me excited to jump back into my usual strength and cardio training for today. Only downside to this new found love is the price-tag that comes with it.

I know there are a lot of at-home yoga options, and my gym even offers classes, but neither come close to the hot yoga experience that I had. (Plus, creepy Jen noticed that there were about 30 gals my age in the class, meaning creepy Jen can actually have an opportunity to make friends!!) I seriously can’t wait to start working and making money so I can continue taking classes at this studio.

Namaste

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