Monday Update!

I was out and about in my hometown of Pickering this weekend, so I haven't really done anything in the condo to share. So I thought today I'd just share a quick update in the goings-on of Casey's exciting life right now (I live on the edge- trust me).

1. My DCP Treatment
As I have talked about before, I go for treatment for my alopecia each month. Usually I have not had much of a reaction to the treatment before- just a bit of burning and I have learned to avoid sweating for 24 hours after unless I like feeling like my head is on fire. However this week I reacted badly to my treatment. My whole head broke out in painful blisters and I suppose I must have slept on my hand treatment night because on the next morning (Friday) my thumb turned all red and by Friday evening it too was covered in blisters. I am not a happy Casey. I will talk to the nurse this week to see if I should skip treatment this week or just reduce dosage.

Honestly, I think I am done with this treatment. It is barely working and weekends covered in blisters are NOT my idea of fun. I don't think it is worth keeping it up, but I have an appointment with the dermatologist in a couple of weeks so I will discuss with her then what next steps may be.

2. My 10K Training
I had such bad runs this week. It got me really down because my legs just kept burning, even after a rest day. I would be fine walking, but if I tried to run they just gave out. So I took Saturday and Sunday off and I am starting fresh this week! I hope this funk doesn't last because it is really getting me down and I miss enjoying my runs.

3. My Teeth
Hey- a new health topic! On Saturday I went to see a dental surgeon in Pickering to get full x-rays of my teeth done because I have been having some toothaches at the back of my mouth. Turns out my bottom wisdom teeth need to come out :(. The funny part is that it is pretty clear on my x-ray that my top ones are completely horizontal and my bottom ones are actually straight. But he said my bottom ones were in my gums, which can lead to infection problems later in life. My top ones, even though they are totally sideways, are actually too close to my nasal cavity to risk surgery (high chance of complications) so he said we should leave them in until I actually have any real reason to remove them. So ya, at some point in the coming months I will be all chipmunky and miserable. It is actually my first surgery :S. I have never even had braces or a cavity or any sort of dental work either. I am more nervous about how I will reaction to the laughing gas and freezing than the actual surgery.

Anyway, even though my health seems to be in a cruddy mood this week, I did get to watch my niece on Saturday evening and it is hard to be in a funk when you are with this cutie:

Well, it was pretty cute until she managed to call 2 random people, including my boss who is out of the country right now. Note to self- turn off my mobile network before letting a toddler use my phone.

How was your guys' weekends??

Are You a Clean Person or a Messy Person?

I wouldn't count myself as a hoarder, with mountains of dusty miscellanea lying around. I also never leave old food out or allow the toilet to become a bio-hazard. However, I wouldn't consider myself a "clean" person. There are often some dirty dishes on the counter, a pot that has been "soaking" for a bit too long, and a pile of clothes on the ottoman. It's not that I don't care, I am just plain lazy. :)

I live alone, and that means that I can really live however I like and just clean up for company. The funny thing is that I prefer a clean home. I actually am just sitting down from putting away a two day old pile of clean laundry, emptying and reloading the dishwasher, and sweeping the floor. The condo looks so amazing after just 15 minutes of effort. I really don't know why I don't do this more often.

Sometimes when I read blogs I am jealous of how clean and put together their homes look. And then every once and awhile they post a "real" shot of what they consider a mess and I just laugh. I think a lot of time in the blogging world (whether you write one, or just read them) you get this impression that these people live perfect lives. Everything is photographed to perfection and there are beautiful stories of happy marriages, polite children, and skyrocketing careers. It is tough in this world of the internet (hello Facebook stalking!) to really gain a perspective on how other people really live. It can be tough to be going through a rough patch and see all these happy, perfectly manicured people parading on about something amazing in their life. My friend and I actually have a running joke about bloggers from the Southern States and the perfect lives they portray.

This isn't made to be a downer of a post. More of a perspective into how the modern world has changed us. Do we strive higher because of these constant online comparisons, or do we just feel down? I would definitely have to say that by letting people into my house through the internet, I have a lot more pride in my home and it stays a lot cleaner. Plus I make more of an effort to make it a home through decor. I also like to share happy news so I work hard at my life making my life better and more interesting. So I would have to say I'm in the "strive higher" camp.

How about you? Do you constantly compare yourself to others? Do you keep your house clean, even without company (because if so, you are welcome to come clean mine!)?

Sorry this is such a rambling post. I am just sitting here in my sweats, drinking my second coke zero, eating Easter candy, and watching How I Met Your Mother and I guess that makes me introspective. Hey- keeping it real!!

Free Wheelin'

I am considering buying a bike. Scratch that- I am buying a bike. I am just considering buying this one:

This is the Schwinn Hydra Women's 700C Hybrid Bike on sale right now at Canadian Tire. I really do not know much about bikes, except that hybrid bikes are best for city riding, so that is what I am going with! Plus this bike has tons of great reviews and hopefully won't fail me.

I have been considering getting a bike ever since I moved downtown in 2009, especially when I worked only a 30 minute walk away! I thought a bike would mean an amazingly short commute, but I was always afraid of biking in the city. My old office was right downtown, which meant I would need to bike down busy streets. I never got the courage.

But now I am trying to be healthier and I think a bike can help me with that goal by helping me get around town faster (ya...TTC can take forever). I also think that maybe I can bike to work since my current job is away from the core and I can get there by using a lot of bike paths and not roads. Score! It is a 11.5km ride and apparently will take me the same amount of time as TTCing it. Is that long? I honestly have no idea if that will be too-sweaty an idea or not (my work doesn't have fancy showers or anything!).

Oh, and my building has secure bike storage in the parking garage, so I wouldn't need to lock it up outside overnight or lug it up to my tiny unit- yay!

So please- give me some tips on biking in the city! Do you do it? All I know is get a good lock and avoid the streetcar tracks.

Planting Some Ideas...

I know Spring has kind of disappeared here for a few days (I hope it will be back soon!!), but still my thoughts have turned to plants- decorative and herb!

I have thought about planting a little herb garden in my place, but a) I kill all plants and b) I don't know how to cook with herbs. I am not kidding when I say the only seasoning I ever use is salt and pepper. I have no idea how to cook and it is sad. But the more pressing issue with me having any sort of garden is my unbelievable talent for killing plants. For instance, I brought my african violets out to the balcony to give it some sun this past weekend. I then forgot and it sat out there during this cold snap...aaaaaand it's dead.

However, while I think about my decision to invest in some plants, I thought I would share some cute ideas I have found for accommodating plants in a small condo or on a small balcony!

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Shelves over windows are awesome, but will never work with my one giant wall of windows. I also don't really have a wall near the windows that I could hang shelves from. I also don't know about hanging plants from my ceiling because it is drywall and plants can be heavy! But some of these balcony ideas really have me thinking about options for out there. Does anyone have any recommendations for low maintenance plants? What about a guide to using herbs and spices? :P

Brownie Cookie Bombs

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! And just in case you didn't get enough chocolate and junk food this weekend, I am going to show you a new recipe that I tried for Easter this year! I found this recipe on The Domestic Rebel for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs, which is chocolate chip cookie dough, wrapped in a brownie, dunked in chocolate, and sprinkled with chocolate chips. Um...GIMME?!?!

I loosely followed her recipe, except I used crushed mini eggs instead of chocolate chips! Let me tell you, if a recipe involves a hammer, you know it's gonna be good. Tip- bag your mini eggs in a thick baggie for hammering. Don't want to lose any!

Then make brownie directions according to the box (fudge brownies are apparently best), and make the cookies according to the The Domestic Rebel (they won't be cooked and this recipe is egg-free just in case!).

Next, ball your cookie dough into small balls and arrange on a baking sheet. I ended up having a lot of extra dough, so I just put those into the oven to make mini-egg cookies :). Freeze the balls for an hour to firm up.

Then take a square of a fudge brownie and smoosh it around the frozen cookie dough balls. I found this step pretty hard and I ended up only having enough brownie for 21 cookies.

 

Now, the next step of the process was to cover them in chocolate sauce. The recipe called for a pre-made one, but I was making these on Good Friday and I couldn't buy that. So I melted 3 tablespoons of butter with 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. But when I tried to dip the ball, it just started to fall apart, and that got worse when I tried to cover the ball in mini-eggs bits.

Fail- But I totally ate this one anyway

So- for plan B, I dolloped a little chocolate sauce on the top of each ball and sprinkled on the mini eggs. Worked out great!!

Then I put them in colourful cupcake liners to transport them to dinner! Mmm, even though they weren't perfect, they tasted amazing!

Did you try any new recipes for Easter?

Patio Plans!

I have been working hard on the patio plans this weekend. So far, I have definitely decided on the flooring (This one from Costco). But beyond that, everything is still up in the air! I actually spent this weekend cleaning my windows and putting the furniture back in place to start the season off right! It definitely led to me thinking about furniture placement and how to make the balcony more inviting.

The white bench is definitely going, but I am still making up my mind of what to do for the rest of it. I have one idea that I am currently toying with, but I am trying to get permission from the condo board first.

HELLO BALCONY HOT TUB!!

I found this amazing small hot tub on the website for the Canadian Spa Company and the dimensions should just fit along the edge of the balcony. I just have to get permission from the condo board, because I am not sure if they will be comfortable with this amount of water out on the balcony. However, I think that having this will mean I will use my balcony year round (hello winter hot tubbing!) and that is a good thing for everyone. Property values will go up!

Wish me luck!

And maybe next April Fools' Day, I will be blogging from the hot tub ;)
Haha did I get you??




Wait. Darn. This was a terrible idea for an April Fools' Day blog because now I totally want a hot tub on the balcony.