Weekends in point form.

Because I write full sentences at my day job ; )

This weekend:

• Hank & Vinnie (Jackshit dog...Trav's mom's) got chased by three coyotes! We were in the middle of field in the middle of nowhere...the wellfed coyotes were thisclose, nipping at Vinnie's little booty...whew! Haven't had my heart stop like that in a while.

• Trav and I checked out potential farmland to buy...our future dream house locale?

• We saw 100 white-tailed deer!

• I ate too many mini eggs

• I saw Hot Tub Time Machine...hehe

• I shopped at Save On and Planet Organic...finally bought a GIANT tub of coconut oil and it was on sale! Score.

• I made some progress on my teen jazz class...they're beginning to smile when they dance!

• I had a great catch-up with TareBear

Neti-what?

My sinuses always bother me around this time of year. I'm recovering from a cold I've had for about a week, and now allergies are just around the corner. The only way I've been able to sleep this week is a few squirts of my crack, Dristan. Trust me, nasal spray addictions are the worst because when you do finally check yourself into rehab and go cold turkey, you feel the pain. Not being able to breathe is so uncomfortable...all you can think about all day long.

So after complaining about this on fb, and old aquaintance of mine suggested a neti-pot. I've heard of it a long time ago, maybe once...and now I'm curious. Any experiences using it? It looks really uncomfortable, but to think I'd be washing out my entire nasal cavity is rather exciting. It's like ear candling...I really want to try that too.

Sorry for the gross post. I hope you understand that my addiction to Dristan is taking over.

Here's a bit of what wiki had to say:
Neti pots flush out the nasal cavities by using gravity to draw the flow of saline. Historically, neti pots were used in yoga to assist in clearing the nasal passages, since controlled breathing plays a central role in yoga. The neti pot was introduced to the West approximately thirty years ago, and today many people in the West have taken up a modified type of Neti practice called Jala Neti (water neti) using a neti pot.

The use of a neti pot requires mixing up a saline solution (salt and water) that will be poured through the nasal passages. The neti pot used with a saline solution has been shown to be an effective treatment for hay fever, sinusitis, and other nasal conditions. A conference abstract presented in November 2009 indicated that frequent nasal irrigation led to higher rates of sinus infections - though short term use seemed to be effective.

So I'm thinking about it...is it hokey? Or is it a natural way to get some relief?

I know, I know...

Shame on me for my hiatus. I apologize! I won't make excuses, I will just say I started a new job.

Yay! It NEEDED to happen. I was no longer happy...in fact hadn't been in awhile...sometimes it takes longer than it should for me to be honest with myself. Know what I mean? I'm always so scared to admit that something isn't working out. When I finally do though, things start falling into place.

But that's how gut instinct works...and gut instinct is something I'm working on listening to more and more. Which leads me to my next point. I was reading through my 101 goals, because really it's why I keep this blog going. More of a personal sounding board to keep my thoughts and goals on track. Otherwise I forget. I'm making alright progress...although the section seriously slacking is the adventure section. Ouch! So my theme for this upcoming month? CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE. To step out of my comfort zone in my personal life, work life and social life. I've definitely improved that in '10, but I can take it much farther. So, for April, I pledge to:

~listen to my gut instinct as much as possible

~ask questions and speak up...I have important things to say!

~stop worrying about what people who do not matter to me think about me or my life

My version of spring cleaning. Slightly more precise goals will make my vision for myself happen.

I have much more to tell you...about my new job, our recent trip to Mexico (Cozumel is amazing!) and the hiccups along the way. I didn't even post on my guidette birthday party! Shame on me...

New lunch experience!

Some of you may know I'm attempting to "eat clean" – which doesn't mean bland, boring food as many people think. If anything, searching out tasty, healthy food has opened my palate up to a whole new world! I've tried so many things I would've NEVER ever ate back when I was a sugar-addict. I now love tomatoes (whipping up a quick bruschetta toast is the best for an easy supper!), spinach, eggs, oatmeal...yum. I can't let chocolate go completely though...so I've learned to make my own chocolate chunks for my morning oatmeal out of carob powder, cocoa powder, agave and a bit of coconut oil...so rich and delish. That reminds me, coconut is now my new obsession. More on that later...

Anyway, my lunch today. There's a place downtown I didn't know existed until my sis told me about it. She works right beside it on Jasper Ave. It's called Healthfare, and prides itself on local ingredients and healthy food. The inside is entirely made up of environmentally sustainable materials. It's bright, clean and cheery...I loved it. And while it's not cheap, it's a nice healthy treat every once in a while. Today I got their sweet potato fries (although I saw they were actually yams...anyone have any comment on this!?) with their low-fat garlic dip (ahhhmazing!), and an asparagus dill salad. Tasty. Healthy. Love it. Check it out if you're nearby. I plan to try their peanut lime chicken rice bowl next.

Anyone else have any other healthy haunts they love in Edmonton?

Cuuuuuute.

So you know that folder on my desktop? Where I used to cram wedding inspiration photos? Well now I use it a little less for wedding ideas, and more for whatever happens to strike my fancy. Check out what I've been hoarding.

She has crooked teeth exactly like mine. Therefore I heart.

So I'm not a huge fan of Kristin Cavallari, but I love her easy, breezy beach looks. She always looks natural and unfussy...it's refreshing.

Love the freshness of Miss Blake. Love the outfit, and everything about it!

Lately, I've been loving how cute Lea Michelle has been looking. She rocks...I love Glee and wow, what a voice!

So I'm not positive I love the colour...but the cut in AMAZING. And her figure looks unreal in this. Love, love, love.

What a gorgeous barrette, no? I would love to try this with my hair. The texture is just divine.

Love everything about this look! I want the outfit, and I adore her hair and makeup.

Halfway?

Like a lot of my online friends, I'm still plugging away at my 101 goals in a 1001 days. Here's the latest I've been able to check off:

Redo the second bathroom. This one was a biggie. And we're pretty much there. All we need to do still is find a special knob for the tub. We need a particular one that is difficult to find. We found a cheap one but the plastic snapped the first time I used it...so in my mind, this is close enough to done! Pictures will be coming soon.

Do a proper chin up and pull up. Yay! This was tough for me, and I'm still excited I FINALLY made it. I can to three chin ups and only one or two pull ups. So I'd like to get those reps up to five...then ten.

Write a handwritten letter to Travis. I used to always do this, years ago. I finally wrote one for his 26th birthday, instead of a birthday card.

Get a library card and use it. I've got five books to read ASAP!

So I think I'm only about halfway (eep!) but if feels good to check off more, even if it's only a few.

Let's daydream for a bit.

I follow the runway sometimes...but nothing has got me this excited in a long time. How dreamy are these dresses from the Elie's Saab's 2010 collection? I also love the fact that the runway itself looked watery and reflected off the shimmery dresses. If I could have another wedding (to the same man of course!) I think I'd wear something totally different (not white!). Maybe I'd wear the last one here...the muted teal...and theme the whole wedding with that airy, dreamy feeling. Beautiful.