Casey Gets Fit: Week 31

Weight: 147.4

I was going to do measurements this week, but my measuring tape is somewhere down in the locker and I don't think I am ever going to find it again!

As for my weight, you maybe have noticed that I have plateaued for the past few weeks...and I am perfectly happy with that. I am now down to a healthy weight for my frame and I think I am looking good. So to the point, I made the conscious decision to work on a more "maintenance" diet and I am hoping to slowly lose another 5lbs over the next few months, but no rush. Basically I am eating 1500-1600 calories on the days where I have no plans (I never really eat takeout or fast food by myself so it is really easy to stick to), and then on days where I am going out for dinner or drinks I am just enjoying myself in moderation and not worrying about the calories. I think the 6 months of relatively strict dieting has really helped me with portion control and making better choices, so even my "cheat" meals are rarely crazy.

I am still working out 3 times a week, usually a run, and I am hoping to get back into some longer runs. I did 13km on Saturday morning and it was ROUGH. I am thinking of signing up for a half-marathon next May to give me something to train for because without a race on the horizon I am getting pretty lazy about lacing up and going out. I imagine this will get worse as it gets colder.

View from my turnaround point

Now for food! I want to share some recipes I tried this weekend, even though they are not all healthy...mwahaha!

On Friday I made healthy chicken soup that I am hoping will last me a few meals. I baked a whole chicken and then used all that chicken in a soup with carrots, onions, celery, and peas. At the last minute I threw in some flour to thicken the broth and some bowtie pasta (not a whole lot though) and it came out gooooood. I saved all those chicken bones so I can make my own broth too- I was too lazy to wait this time.

Then on Saturday Cam came over and I wanted to treat him to an apple-filled dinner because I have been bursting at the seams with apples from apple-picking. First I made pork tenderloin with apples and onions, loosely following this recipe. It came out so good. Pork is definitely being added to the dinner rotation. I served it with a side of salad and homemade apple sauce, made using this recipe. By the way, making your own apple sauce is really easy and delicious!

For dessert I baked him an apple pie (recipe here)! I think he had been waiting for this pie since I had mentioned apple picking. It came out okay. It was a little runny, but I don't think I let it sit long enough (it smelled too good to wait!). However, it tasted delicious and that is all that matters.

I think I have about 3 apples left now. Pie is awesome because it used so many apples! What is your favourite apple dish??

For Sale: One Well-Loved Condo

My condo is now officially on the market.

Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy.

It is such a big decision and so nerve-wracking! Am I making the right choice? Is it the right time in the market? Will I get an offer I am happy with? EEEEEEE!! I have no need to sell, I just feel it is a good time in my life to move into a larger place and explore living in a new area of the city. Not to mention my 5 year locked-in mortgage just ended so I can exit my mortgage for a very low fee, which gives me lots of flexibility that I didn't have before.

The condo buying process will hopefully be fun, but also nerve-wracking for a lot of other reasons. However I am not even dealing with that until I sell. There is a pretty big debate over whether to buy or sell first, but I am unsure of the market in my area for studio condos so I am much more comfortable selling and then looking into buying. I may end up homeless for a bit but my Dad lives on the GO train line and I have friends with couches for the odd night in the city. So I have options!

So yes, selling zee condo. I promised to share the process on here and the first step of the process is staging! My condo is really tight at only 9.5' wide, so it is critical to make it feel more open and spacious. This meant paring down on things on the wall, decor items, and other "cluttery" items. I love my clutter, but it doesn't help show off how big this place can feel!

I convinced my friend Veronica (through offers of sushi) to lend me some boxes and help me declutter the condo. I love my condo the way it was so I needed some outside eyes to help me choose what items to move to storage. I think we did a great job! It was a LOT more work than I bargained for, though. I was shocked how much stuff ended up in the locker- it is stuffed to the brim!

One of the things that sure adds up is all the little repairs. I spent last night filling a bunch of tiny nail holes and painting over them. The worst thing was realizing my leftover paint was at the BACK of the locker, after tetrising all that stuff in!! I also continue to bring more and more to the locker (I know...) because I assume buyers will open the closet and cupboards and I need the insides to look spacious too.

Here are my tips for staging a tiny condo:
- Remove everything "personal", like pictures of your friends and family
- Replace any worn out items. I got myself a new rug for the front hall from Linen Chest!
- Clear clutter off table tops and counters
- Remove any unnecessary furniture. I folded down my table and just left out my new Luxe chair from Structube because it has very little visual weight. I think this shows people that there is an option for a table/desk without taking up space. I also moved my turquoise Ikea rolling rack and the table from my front hall to the locker
- Go through closets, cupboards and drawers to clean things up and give the illusion of lots of storage
- Clean the windows! Let the light in!
- Clean, clean, clean everything else
- Patch up any damage to walls. I had a few nail holes and some scrapes and smudges on the walls so I fixed it all up and repainted. When you have a small space those little things make a big difference in the overall appearance of the place.
- Create a visual flow. When I stored a bunch of my stuff I ended up with a new turquoise items. I think that one subtle accent colour repeated throughout an other wise white and grey condo helps the space feel spacious and simple.
- Create a welcoming entry way. I don't have much call in my condo's "curb appeal", so I kept the front hall nice, open and clean. I pared down the furniture and added a new rug. In the hallway I highlighted the chalkboard wall with a graphic of my address.
- Take bright photos and beware the wide angle lens. I did have to use my wide angle for the full condo shot and the hallway, but otherwise I did my best to avoid it. I hate listings with wide angle photos because you can totally tell. I don't think I am going to fool anyone into thinking I live in a mansion; I just want to highlight that you can live very comfortably here

I think I got everything on that list done, so now all I have left to do is sell the condo!

And yes, you might be able to make out where I live now, but I figure the listing will be public so you guys could have figured it out anyway! Plus you all know that I have nice taste, but own nothing of value (please don't rob me).

Apple Picking at the Farm

Yesterday was the first day of fall, and this year I am intending to get the most out of fall and enjoying these last few warm, sunny days. Fingers crossed that we get pretty leaves this year so I go hiking in that beauty!!

One of my life to-dos that I somehow always miss every fall is apple picking. I think I may have gone once as a kid, but I have no memory of it and I really want to pick my own apples! This past weekend I ended up coercing my friend Steph into taking me (side note- it did not take much to convince her once I mentioned Honeycrisp apples).

We went to Watson's Farm in Bowmanville, which is a really fun little farm! There is a playground and a petting zoo for kids, and you get to take a tractor ride to the orchard!

They had four apples ready for picking- Macintosh, Gala, Cortland, and Honeycrisps. The honeycrisps were double the price of the other apples and had to be put in a separate bag, but otherwise you had free reign to pick all you wanted! Steph and I only skipped the macintoshes, since that is not a favourite of either of us.

We went a little overboard, but picking apples takes no time at all and we were having fun. You could fill up one of those bags with "cheap" apples for $25, which we did NOT do, because what in the world would we do with that many apples? I believe we got 1/2 of a bag of honey crisps and 1/3 bag mixed gala and cortland and paid $30 and $11 respectively.

We also noticed that some people were eating apples in the orchard and not getting in trouble, so we totally broke into one of our honeycrisps. We figured if you are going to steal an apple, might as well steal an expensive one (though we did share it)! Probably not that clean, but whatever ;)

When we got home we got down to making some dinner- which was homemade chicken pot pies AND apple crumble with homemade ice cream. Oh yes, bring it on fall food!! PS- don't tell my diet about this meal, okay? Thanks :)

Now I had about 15 gala and cortland apples hanging out in the condo (I let Steph keep all the honeycrisps), so feel free to leave some apple recipes in the comments- especially if you have any healthy ones! The last couple nights I have been having baked apples with cinnamon & brown sugar, and I think I am going to pick up some pork tenderloins this week to cook alongside some apples.

What is your favourite apple recipe? Favourite fall activity?

Icelandic Wool Blanket

When I was planning my trip to Iceland, I knew I wanted to splurge on a special souvenir while I was there. I had my heart set on an Icelandic wool sweater, like these ones from Nordic Wool.

However I really got cold feet while I was travelling. These sweaters are about $250 each, and I was worried it was something I wouldn't wear often, or that would make me itchy, or would be TOO warm. I did look at thrift stores, since the sweaters run closer to $50 there, but all the colours were totally ugly. I have also read that the Handknitting Association of Iceland is a reasonably-priced option, but it wasn't open when we were in that area

Thankfully my cold feet were soon warmed up- when I found Icelandic wool blankets! The blankets are gorgeous and run about half the price of sweaters! In fact, I was able to score my blanket for only $90 at a tourist information office (address was Laugavegur 54 in Reykjavik). A good tip about shopping in Iceland is to ask if a store does tax-free for tourists (you get a tax rebate at the airport). This store didn't, but they gave me 15% off in lieu of that!

They had some with more "traditional" designs like reindeers and whatnot, but I loved the muted plaid on this one. I figured the greys and taupes will go with whatever decor I choose in all my future homes. It is not a HUGE blanket (it is folded in half in the photo), but it is perfect for a nap on the couch on a cold winters day.

I can completely vouch for the warmth of this wool too. I bought this at the beginning of the trip and I slept under it many nights because some hostels charged for a blanket. This blanket is thin, but I was perfectly cozy all nights I used it, and I am a winter-weight duvet in the summer type girl.

Icelandic wool yarn (called Lopi) is made up of two layers of fleece, one which blocks wind and rain, and one that insulates, and the yarn isn't spun so it contains more air than traditional spun wool, which also helps insulate (thanks Wikipedia!). Many Icelanders wear the sweaters instead of coats, because they are that warm!

Souvenirs in Iceland are super expensive, but if you have a knitter in the family, the lopi wool is actually reasonably priced at about $4 a skein. I didn't have a lot of room in my luggage with this blanket, but I did bring home a couple skeins for one of my friends! If I could go back, I think I would have gotten more (but I am the slowest knitter and my yarn is piling up as it is), though I am sure it is available in Canada too if I wanted to hunt more down.

Oh- and the other souvenir I brought myself (and my family) home? Cronions! They are like deep fried onion flakes and I can never go back to hot dogs without them. OMG SO GOOD.

Freedom Wig Review!

I have been sharing my wig process with you guys, and I am so excited to say that my Freedom Wig finally came in while I was in Iceland! I hadn't done a post yet, because I was trying to finalize the haircut and I think it is 95% of the way there, but I can't wait any longer! I am in LOVE with my new hair and I just want to share it with the world!!

Getting this wig was a very involved process, so I thought I would share the questions I  had when I first started looking into getting a Freedom Wig.

What is Different About Freedom Wigs?
Traditional wigs secure by an elastic at the back and are made of a light netted material that the hairs are tied to. Freedom Wigs are molded to your head and the cap is made of silicone with the hairs fused into it. This means the wig suctions to your head and stays secure, even if you are waterskiing, cartwheeling, or even just simply putting up your hair in a pony tail (which is not possible with traditional wigs).

Is a Freedom Wig for Me?
Freedom wigs work by suctioning onto your head, so you need to be 100% bald. Therefore this is not the right product for more milder cases of Alopecia, unless you are willing to keep your head shaven. It also probably isn't a good option for cancer patients because of that issue- not to mention it takes about 4 months from first fitting to getting your wig, so you need to already be bald when you order it, or willing to shave your head.

Where Can I Get One?
Freedom Wigs are made by a New Zealand company and are sold through reps in Canada. The rep for Toronto is Jennifer at Image Evolution. Jennifer works out of Winnipeg, but she comes to Toronto about every 6 weeks or so to meet with clients. I actually haven't seen her since my first fitting, but we have emailed back and forth many times since then and she is extremely helpful.

How Long Is The Process?
I started talking to Jennifer in April and was measured and placed my order at the end of the month. My wig took about 4 months from that point to being finished and in my hands! The first step is getting properly fitted, since they are custom made to the contours of your head. After that they send you a plastic mold to try on and make sure the fit is good. They also send you a hair sample of the hair they will be using you can assess the length, colour, and curl.

How Much Customization Can I Do?
They are incredibly customizable compared to traditional wigs- I was able to "develop" a colour by combining different hair samples. I picked a light wave for the hair, and the length of mine is 10" (I actually think it came out a bit longer!). You can also pick the angle at which the hair connects to the cap, the thickness of the hair, where your part is, what kind of bang you want, etc. The hair is also real human hair so you can change up the colour or get highlights later on if you want to.

Are Freedom Wigs Hot? Comfortable?
I think all wigs can get warm, as it is kind of like wearing a hat, and thankfully I am often cold so I do not mind wearing my wig. That being said, yes I do find this one a bit warm at first, but you get used to it. I have not worn it for exercise or on an extremely hot day, but the one plus is that you can go into a private space, pop it off and wipe off any sweat, and then pop it back on and feel fresh! With a traditional wig that sweat gets trapped in the wig and hair. Not to mention you can pull it up into a pony tail to get the hair off your neck on a hot day!

However I do find the wig quite comfortable. It takes a bit of practice to get it on just right, but I am definitely getting better at it! Once it is suctioned on properly it does not shift around and I really forget about it. Only issue is that if you get an itch you need to pop the whole thing off to satisfy it! (The wig isn't itchy at all, but itches happen)

Does It Look Natural?
When you go to get your Freedom Wig cut, they will cut in lots of "baby hairs" so your hair looks natural when pulled back. Also note that the nape of this wig is higher than a regular wig, so my stylist cut in some longer hairs in the back. I love the baby hairs she cut in the front, but I might get some of the longer ones in the back thinned out. It will never look 100% natural in a pony tail, but I would say that most people can't tell unless they are staring at the back of your head for a long time.

How Do I Get It Cut?

Your Freedom Rep will recommend a hair stylist in your area who knows how to cut wigs. I ended up seeing a stylist named Seven at Seven Hair Salon, who actually used to work at my old wig salon (they only cut their own wigs- hence why I didn't go there), and she had cut some of my old wigs so I was very comfortable having her do my hair. She had a great haircut option for wigs where you pay one flat price but can come back many times for adjustments to the cut. With wigs you can't really grow out a bad hair cut so slow and steady is the best way to go!

How Long Do They Last?
My wig should last about 3-5 years with proper care. That means not touching it often (to minimize breakage of the hair), avoiding excessive heat and using a proper thermal-protection serum before using hairdryers, curlers, and straighteners, washing the cap out every night, and getting the colour redone every year or so. That being said, when your wig starts to show signs of wear and tear, you can actually send it in to be repaired and rebuilt, which costs a fraction of the cost of a brand new wig.

Speaking of Cost, How Much Does a Freedom Wig Cost?
I don't think it would be fair to answer this here, as it really depends on the choices you make for your hair (longer is more expensive), and it probably depends on your rep. I will however say that a Freedom Wig is pretty expensive and was not a decision I made lightly. You can also look into help from your insurance to see if it can be partially covered. Also in Canada, you can look into claiming the wig as a medical expensive on your taxes. Please call your local rep for a quote, they are very open with price ranges once they can narrow down what you are looking for.

I am really really happy with this purchase. There is a lot of spontaneity that you lose when wearing a wig, because you can't "do" an activity because of your hairpiece. I am super excited to go out an enjoy some of those things! Next month my friends and I are going to ride a mechanical bull, which is certainly not something you can do with a traditional wig :)

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Please note that Freedom Wigs and Image Evolution did not in any way compensate me for this wig or ask for a review. I just really want to share my thoughts on this amazing hairpiece!

This Little Piggy Went to Market...

As I have discussed before, I am looking into selling my little condo and getting a slightly-bigger condo. It is a HUGE decision and one I was kind of glad to put off until the fall because of a busy summer. But now it is fall and here I am talking to real estate agents, talking to mortgage brokers (my mortgage is up for renewal next month so I am flipping it into an open one so I have a lot of flexibility to sell over the next while), and lastly- talking to friends and family. Oh and counting my pennies- Iceland and a new wig sure put a dent in the wallet this summer.

It is really hard to explain my emotions over this move. I LOVE my little condo and the thought of selling it just kind of breaks my heart. But on the other hand I have had 5 wonderful years here and I really think it is time to find a new home for the next few years. It is quite likely that I will make the move to the suburbs at some point in my 30s, and I really want to squeeze out a few years in my dream condo before that happens. This condo has been an amazing starter home, but I feel the need for a little more space (and a bedroom!). I feel there is another place out there waiting for me and that somehow the time is right to move on. I have saved up enough for this move, so this decision is really about emotions, not money! Also...goddamn Toronto is expensive. #justsaying

The funny thing about thinking of moving is remembering all the projects that you planned on doing. I mean, I've been here 5 years and I still don't have a headboard, I never replaced the kitchen countertop, and the hallway is still carpeted! However, the bathroom and balcony are testaments to the fact that I DID work hard on upgrading this place...I haven't completely ignored it:)

One of the projects I always put off was making a real floor plan of the condo. My real estate agent asked for one and I realized it was just another thing I never got around to doing- until now (I used floorplanner.com btw)! I present to you, the condo:

400 square feet of a happy little home! I can't believe I might be leaving it soon...

I will definitely share with you guys all the craziness of this process as it goes. I had a long (and honest) talk with my Real Estate agent and the next steps will be de-cluttering and staging for photos...then we are going to put it on the market and see what happens! Prices are not what I thought in my area so it may take me awhile to sell at a price I am happy with. Thankfully I have a lot of equity in the condo and I am selling because I want to, not because I need to. If I am not happy with the interest in the condo I will just pull out of the market and stay here.

I keep looking at listings of new condos online and then slapping myself, because I am NOT buying before I sell, especially since it may be difficult to sell my condo for my goal price. I don't think I would like to carry two properties on my income.But oh my there are some nice options out there and I am getting excited to get to that point. When I sell I might end up homeless for a bit while I search for The One, and I have already talked to my Dad about moving in with him for a few months. However, please feel free to open me up a spot in your place if you live in the city. I am a good baker and I don't smell. I promise.

I'm not really stressed about moving. I can pack up my stuff no problem, even if it won't be fun. However, I am quite confident that when I see it empty I will cry. I remember the day I took possession of it in 2009 and seeing it empty for the first time and how SMALL it looked. This time I will probably look around and remember all the big adventures I had in this little space. It was home. And I think I will be a little lost without it.

Let's hope the next owner loves this place as much as me. Oh- and let's also hope they love it so much that they hand over big money ;)

Why You Should Attend a Blog Conference

Well rather, why you should attend one if you blog!

This past weekend I attended my second BlogPodium Conference and it was simply amazing (see my recap of last year HERE). There are lots of reasons you may consider going to a conference about blogging- perhaps you want to learn about how to approach brands, maybe you are confused about how SEO and analytics work, or perhaps you just heard that the sexy Scott McGillivray and Bryan Baeumler would be there. These are all perfectly valid reasons to attend, but they pale in comparison to the #1 reason why these conferences are amazing:

Networking

You may be shaking your head right now thinking, "Casey, I picked blogging so I wouldn't HAVE to interact with people in real life!" But you know what, blogging is all about networking, whether online or in person. You connect with other bloggers and industry people to help make your blog better. There is a whole community that is keeping blogging afloat. However, there will come a time where it is beneficial to meet these people in person. To connect on a real level. Other bloggers can help share your posts, or collaborate with you on projects, or campaigns. They can provide you uplifting comments and messages that let you know that you are not alone on the internet- someone is actually reading your posts. It really helps to not be a stranger to other bloggers.

You may also reach a point where you want to monetize your blog, or work on projects sponsored by brands. It is MUCH easier to reach out to a person for money for a review or product for a project when that person has already shaken your hand and seen in person how awesome you are (because you are awesome due to the fact that all bloggers are awesome). A lot of vendors who want to work with bloggers come to BlogPodium. Shake their hands and take their cards...you never know when there might be a project that you might work together on.

I just want to say that I learned A LOT about the art of blogging on Saturday, but I also connected a lot with other people, and that is the best part! I am so proud to be a part of the blogging community and so happy to have turned so many internet strangers into real friends. Worth every penny.

Myself and Michelle

Yes, I overcame my fear of power saws and made me a coat rack!

More Official Photos Here

Oh- and in addition to the awesome swag bag full of goodies from sponsors, I got an amazing chair from Structube, and I WON a freaking Delta faucet in a draw (just need to pick one out!)!! So ya...pretty sure I came out ahead on my investment in this conference. :)

Thank you to Jennifer and her amazing team for putting on this great event! My mind is spinning with inspiration.

Casey Gets Fit: Week 29 (& Terry Fox Run 2014 Recap)

Weight: 149 (16 lbs lost)

Hello!! I am back with my fitness updates! What with Iceland, and then Iceland recaps, I somehow missed FOUR weeks? I am not sure of that math, but there we are! So where am I, weight wise? In a pretty good place! When I left for Iceland my weight was about 147/148 and when I came back I weighed in at 150, but it soon settled back into the 140s. I thought for sure all that junk food on the road would go straight to my hips, but thankfully I seem to be only up a pound or two.

Once I got back I was super busy with various engagements and really didn't get back into my workouts right away. However this past week I have done really well going for runs and starting to work out again (eating is a whole other issue, but I'm working on it)! And this past weekend I ran my last official 10k of the season- the Terry Fox Run!

My friend Sarah and I have signed up as Team Amazing for the past 6 years and collectively in that time we have raised $5,850 in that time!! We were stoked to be back again as it is one of our favourite events of the year.

Sarah picked me up at my place and we drove over to our run site, Wilket Creek, in the east end of Toronto and met my parents there (this was their 2nd year doing the run). It is a great site because:
1. You get to run on shady trails, not roads
2. There is a ridiculous amount of free food

Thankfully for the past 6 years we have had decent weather, but this year was actually quite cold so we were bundled up! But hey- as long as it's not raining I'm happy!

The run always has opening speeches which are generally a local celebrity or politician (this year was Premier Kathleen Wynne), a local young person who has been through cancer, and Isadore Sharp, is the founder of the Four Seasons hotels and was one of Terry's earliest supporters on his run across Canada.

There was also a surprise guest this year- Terry Fox's dad!! He gave a short speech and got a huge applause after. Such a sweet man.

After the speeches we commenced with our warm up, which is always hilarious because we have no room to move around in the small field. Then it was time to get the show on the road!

My stepdad Lee and I were running the first 3.5km together so we went to the front of the pack for the run. Mom and Sarah were planning on walking 5km and Lee was going to loop back after his 3.5km run and meet up with them. I was doing the full 10km!

I actually really enjoyed this run. The first few kilometres were tough, but then I just felt like I was flying and only took a 30 second walking break when I looped around the 5km mark to head back. It is so nice to run on trails vs roads, and while I sometimes got behind a back log of walkers, I usually was able to maneuver easily around them. Sometimes on narrow bridges I had to be a little more patient.

About 200 metres or so from the finish line, I came across 3 familiar backs- my parents and Sarah! I had actually managed to PASS them on their 5km walk, so I made fun of them as I ran by, but then walked back after I finished the run to joined them for the last few metres. The Terry Fox Run isn't officially timed or anything, but according to my running app I finished in 58:25, which is pretty good considering I sometimes got slowed down by other people!

Once I completed my run I went straight for my victory corn.

There is nothing quite like barbecued corn after a workout!! I also ate a hot dog and a Reeses ice cream sandwich thingy (yum). Good thing I had burned all those calories!

While we were taking advantage of all the free food, Sarah and I noticed that Terry Fox's dad, Rolly Fox, was standing nearby so we went over to shake his hand. He is a really nice, humble man! It must be pretty mind-blowing to know your son started a movement that has raised over $650 MILLION in dollars for cancer research. I hope I am still a part of the run when we reach $1 Trillion (or, hopefully we find a cure and never have to get there!)

It was such a great day and I just want to thank everyone who donated to my team as we raised $1000 this year! I think charity events like this one are great because they are fun for the whole family and there is no minimum donation or anything- they are really just about bringing communities together to raise money for a good cause. I know that Terry Fox Runs are held all over the world so there may be one near you! If not, there are many other ways to raise money. My cousin just shaved her head as part of the I Will for Cancer campaign in Australia!

You can still donate to my run by going to this link:
https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=2535933&langPref=en-CA

Let's make sure we can add more names to the survivors board, instead of the "in memory of" board!

Lee, survivor of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma & my Mom, survivor of cervical cancer and currently kicking breast cancer's ass!

Iceland Part 7- Akureyri to Saeberg to Reykjavik

I am combining the last couple days of our trip together because this has been running on for awhile- plus they were much quieter days, which was nice because the weather started to turn on us again.

We left Akureyri and headed out to our next stop on the route- Saeberg. Now, I do want to say the west coast of Iceland is supposed to be awesome, but you would need a few days to drive out to the West Fjords and the sights out there so we did not get to complete that on this trip- another reason to return one day!

Our first stop on the road were Glaumbaer and Vidimyrikirkja, a traditional turf farm turned museum and a turf church! We got a little lost (I had them marked wrong on my map), but they were definitely worth finding as they were pretty cool! Both of them cost money to enter, but you can walk the grounds for free.

We got to our hostel (Saeberg) in the early afternoon and we were actually the first ones there! So of course, we hopped immediately into the hot tubs for a little afternoon break!

I think all hostels should have hot tubs, yes?

Once we were sufficiently heated up, we head out to the peninsula of Vatnsnes, which is known for seal watching! Unfortunately, the seals were not there that day :(. But if you are in the area, please check it out because we heard it was a cool sight to see them all lounging there. When we got back we just made some pasta for dinner and relaxed. This hostel was a little dated, and freezing cold (the front door would NOT stay closed and it was a really cold and windy night. I kept expecting to wake up with a sheep in the room. However...it had hot tubs. So there's that ;)

After Saeberg we had to drive back to Reykjavik and return our car. A hurricane was actually blowing in so it was a bit of a windy and rainy drive. We did stop at the crater Grabrok, and the waterfall Barnafoss. However, we barely explored the Barnafoss/Hraunfossar area because of the crazy wind!

Then we drove to Reykjavik and returned our rental car, which was very dirty, but thankfully not damaged, from our week of adventures! In total we went 2500km and I took about 1200 photos!! We then spent the 24 hours just relaxing in Reykjavik and shopping for souvenirs for family and friends (super expensive in Iceland- we did not buy much!). Our flight was at 5pm on the Monday and we were thankful that the winds had died out so we could have a safe flight home.

All in all, Iceland was probably the best trip of my life and I feel like we barely scratched the surface. There are so many areas that we did not drive to that I would love to visit one day! It is simply a stunning country!! It was not cheap, but I think this is a vacation worth saving up for.