Category Archives: Eating a Rainbow

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Goodbye, Calgary Edition

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Anyone who lived in Calgary in the 1980s will remember, probably with no little nostalgia, the Hello Calgary promotional video on Channel 2&7, back when there were only about thirteen channels. To this day I could sing the lyrics at any given time: Makes no difference where I go, you’re the best hometown I know. I heard recently that this particular jingle was used in many cities at the same time, just changing out the name, but I like to burrow back into my bubble and think that it was just for YYC. I found the original clip on YouTube and watching it evoked such a sense of nostalgia and happiness for me: the skyline, the prairies melding into the foothills melding into the Rockies, the Stamps and Flames, the old-school and problematic, but still beloved, zoo of my youth.

And now it’s time for me to say Goodbye Calgary, so I thought it was only appropriate that I tell you my favourite things about living here.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Goodbye, Calgary Edition

Brentwood Babe

As everyone knows, I love my neighbourhood of Brentwood. It feels like a small town; people know each other by sight, I am friendly with all my neighbours, it’s where the kids walked to school from preschool to graduation. I think it’s the nicest community in the city. The trees are big and established, there are wide sidewalks and boulevards for walking, and it is adjacent to Nose Hill, a large wild natural park.

It’s a very walkable neighbourhood; if I forget a grocery item I can walk to the local Co-Op, buy it, and be home within fifteen minutes. Speaking of the Co-Op, I love that not only do the employees know my name, but they also know my Co-Op number. Other great walking destinations that have greatly contributed to my quality of life are the library, the Pharmasave – the owner always makes sure my favourite scents of Routine are in stock – and Anna’s Nail Salon. I can walk to all three of these in a ten minute period.

Loopty Loop

Speaking of walking, I started a daily loop during Covid and have kept it up all this time – now with a giant fuzzy companion. Depending on which route I take the distance is between five and seven kilometres, winding up the hills through the neighbourhood to the offleash paths, and down again. I love to look at the foliage and garden changes throughout the year, and it’s always a great part of my day.

One of the first signs of spring in the neighbourhood is when one of the houses on my route puts out their gnomes. This couple has dozens and dozens of gnomes in their front yard, and I am here for it. Here is just a small sample:

There are so many lovely gardens in the neighbourhood, and I love watching them change with the seasons.

Food, Glorious Food

Also in walking distance is Jamesons’ pub, which I have mentioned before, and which has the most delicious Santorini bowl. I have eaten there twice this week, once on a date with my husband and once with all the Brentwood Babes, who were wishing me farewell. I had the same waitress both times, who remembered my exact order, which made me feel very much like I was going where everybody knows my name.

Not in walking distance, but something I love and have mentioned before about is Aida’s Bistro. It is the best Lebanese food outside of Lebanon, I am convinced. The Mouh sandwich is to die for; it’s (usually) worth the drive through dreadful traffic and even worse parking, and that is saying something.

Living The Lake Life

Calgary is a landlocked city, but two hours north is beautiful Sylvan Lake, where my parents reside and where I went to summer camp as a child. I am very, very fortunate to have such a gorgeous respite from the busy city at my disposal.

When I told my yoga ladies that I was moving, one of them immediately said “Oh no! What about your parents? They’ll miss you so much!” Well, thank you, I had NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AT ALL. That is the hardest part of this move, of course, and while I will of course be visiting them, a nine hour drive through the mountains is quite different from a two hour drive through the prairies.

Rocky Mountain High

Speaking of the mountains, being so close to the Rockies is a really glorious thing. There are many beautiful places in the world, but I think that nothing compares to the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies.

Flower Power

Last summer we were at our house in Kelowna, when a friend of my husband asked about our home in Calgary, and if the house itself was similar to the large, newly built Kelowna one. I told him that it was a 1962 bungalow, at which point he said that he thought I’d be very glad to leave it behind for our beautiful new house. I admit that I got my back up, and told him that I have been nothing but happy in our lovely, cozy home. Sure, it’s a little short on storage space and I would like if it had more than two bathrooms, but it’s my home, and I will always love it and remember it with tenderness.

I particularly love my gardens; when we bought the house I was charmed by the gorgeous big trees – a Mayday and Manitoba Maple in the front, spruce and lilac bushes in the back – but the gardens were a mess. They had, according to my neighbour, once been the talk of the neighbourhood, but after the original owner sold in the 80s, they had been severely neglected and, when we moved in, were completely overgrown with weeds. Over the years I dug new beds, planted and worked them, and I have been happy with the pops of colour all through the summer.

I hope the new homeowners love the gardens too!

Outfit of the Month

It feels appropriate that my last week in Calgary is Stampede Week! I haven’t been to the grounds in years, but I love Stampede spirit in the city, and so I dug out my boots and hat for date night.

Is it possible for fast fashion to become slow fashion? I bought this dress for about $10 at Old Navy in 2018 or so. These days I feel pretty conscious of where my clothes are made, so I don’t love the concept of buying something like this NOW, but I have it, so I’m keeping it. Plus, it’s pretty cute, and I love the sundress-with-cowgirl-boots look.

Stampede is such a funny time in Calgary. I remember back when I would work on the trade floor; my trusty colleagues would suddenly come into work with Wrangler jeans and big belt buckles, with colourful Western-style shirts, and it was a little disconcerting, to see the change from office wear to I’m A Cowboy Now. But it’s fun to get in the spirit of things, even if I don’t have any events to go to these days.

Well, Calgary, we have had a good run! Not only is this home to so many Favourite Things, but this is the home to so many of my wonderful friends. Throughout the years I have been so fortunate to have been absorbed into the yoga community, the mom community, and the Brentwood community; I am lucky to be in touch with my oldest school friends and to live just a few doors down from a very dear friend. I have friends who are my chosen family, and every single friend – whether or not I have seen them lately – has been a gift in my life. I’ll miss them all, but luckily it’s so easy to stay in touch now – and I have a beautiful new deck suitable for wine drinking when friends are passing through Kelowna!

I have quite a bit to get through in the next few weeks before I’ll be drinking wine leisurely on the deck, though, and on that note, I am taking a blog break to get moved and settled. I will catch up with all of you on the other side! Take care of yourselves, friends, and be well. xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Summer Solstice Edition

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If my life lately was a cartoon, it would be illustrated with one of those daily calendars, and the pages would be flipping through in fast-motion, flying off into the wind. Time seems to move quickly the older we get, but this past month has been absolutely insane. Not only are we moving next month, but one month from today we WILL BE MOVED. I will be IN my new house, probably unpacking boxes. Right now that feels impossible but it’s true.

Anyway, June is flying by and there are a lot of things that I loved, and that made my life significantly better this month.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Summer Solstice Edition

What’s A Yeti?

I cannot see the word “Yeti” without instantly thinking about the clueless woman at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, who spent forty-five minutes surrounded by Yeti-related material only to be astounded at the existence of the word Yeti, lo these many years ago now. What’s a Yeti? Anyway, for Mother’s Day this year the guys gave me two insulated Yeti cups, which are perfect for keeping any cold drink cold. They are intended to be for white wine, but they work great for any beverage, particularly, in my case, a nice gin and tonic or a flavoured sparkling water.

Since our new city is very hot in the summer, I anticipate using these a lot while I read on our beautiful deck.

Dog and Bowl-erfly

Rex is not a dog who is made for the heat. Or, even the slight warmth. Basically, if the sun is shining and the temperature is above about fourteen degrees, he gets hot. He’s a Winter Dog for sure; on warm days he enthusiastically runs and rolls at the dog park, and then droops for the three kilometres it takes to get home. May and the first part of June saw a stretch of unusually hot weather, and that coupled with my concern about how Rex will handle our new city had me searching for solutions. Solution number one: walk him as early as possible in the day. Solution number two: always carry water.

I bought this silicon dog bowl that is foldable and hooks onto my belt bag. I feel a bit like a much-less-cool Sherpa, what with the waist leash and a water bottle jammed into my bag and then a bowl hanging off that same bag, but it works.

All Hail The Kale

Since we are leaving in peak garden growing season, the only vegetable I planted this year was kale, as it is an early harvester and one that just keeps growing after cutting. We have had three really big cuttings of kale already, and a fourth one is going to happen this weekend. I love kale. I love it. I love it in all forms but one form that is extremely popular in my house is the kale Caesar. I use this dressing (thanks to Birchy, HI BIRCHY, for the recommendation) and I massage it into the kale about half an hour prior to eating. Garden kale is so much more tender than grocery store kale, but I still think it is a good idea to let the dressing sit for that time.

Rainy Days and Mondays

As I mentioned, it was much hotter and drier than normal for about six weeks in May and June, and I was experiencing a weird cognitive dissonance. Personally, I love hot and dry weather. It’s my favourite. I was, on a selfish individual level, very happy to be outside in the soft air and sunshine, wearing only skirts and tanks. However, the part of me that has concern for other people and the world in general kept whispering this is really bad. The northern part of the province was suffering from wildfires, grass was crunchy underfoot, and it felt honestly a bit apocalyptic. It’s Calgary, and we did not have one day in May in which the temperature dropped below freezing, nor did it snow. This is weird.

Things took a turn last week, and I could see it in the photos taken of me and my ladies at our final yoga classes. Monday afternoon, we were all in tees and capri-length pants, some ladies in shorts. Thursday morning, we were all in sweaters and jackets and long pants. It’s been very rainy and chilly – two days ago I had to pull out my light winter coat and gloves to walk Rex, the temperature did not get above eight degrees – and while I don’t LIKE this, it does feel more normal and less like We Are All Going To Die In A Fiery Inferno That Is Our World.

Which brings me to rain gear; on days that I don’t need to wear a winter coat in June, I am loving this cute little raincoat from Lululemon. It’s pushing it for Calgary – I have a lined raincoat that I wear more often, and this is not lined – but in my new city, it will be perfect for rainy days that are not also freezing cold. Did I mention that it was eight degrees for a high? On June 20th?

What do we think of Hunter boots? I don’t find them super-comfortable for walking, but no other footwear is so effective at keeping my feet dry. Plus, I feel at one with the spirit of my birthday twin, QEII, who used to wear Hunters to muck around in the stables. All I need is a plaid hair scarf.

I Was Influenced Dot Com

A few months ago, I saw a sponsored post on Instagram that showed a woman wearing “the most comfortable jeans ever, the only ones I travel with!” This woman was doing cartwheels and yoga and even the splits, and I was kind of fascinated. Because I looked at the post for all of thirty seconds, rather than half a second scrolling by, my algorithm immediately changed and I was inundated with advertisements and sponsored posts for Mott and Bow jeans. Every time I logged onto social media, there it was; a post with a woman talking about the most comfortable jeans in the world. They were really cute, too, and I was especially intrigued because my current jeans were not the most comfortable jeans in the world. In fact, they were becoming less and less comfortable as time went on.

I have mentioned before that I have been strength training to, as my kids say, stave off The Osteo, and a side effect of gaining bone density is that I have also gained a very juicy booty and thighs. My current jeans could not contain all this lusciousness, and I was just feeling very uncomfortable and unhappy in them. It’s one of my rules that I need to feel happy and beautiful in all my clothes, and so I was again thinking about the woman cartwheeling around in her Mott and Bow jeans.

And I will say that buying jeans online is a pretty risky business, especially for a Canadian dealing with exchange rates on already fairly-pricey items. I went to the website, selected a cute pair of skinny jeans, and filled in their size calculator, at which point my suggested size was exactly the same as that in my current jeans. I was skeptical, however, I was also desperate for jeans and held my nose and jumped off the high diving board. The jeans arrived and IT WAS A REVELATION.

Never have I experienced jeans like these. The fit, despite my deep skepticism, was perfect. They are cute and flattering and so very comfortable. Rex and I decided to showcase this comfort with some downward dogs.

Now put your leg up, Rexie! Good boy.

I immediately ordered two more pairs: another skinny and one that is called a “boyfriend” jean.

So I guess there are two lessons here: one, Instagram ads really do work if they hit you at the right time in your life, and two, if the jeans don’t fit the body, change the jeans.

Outfit of the Month

Speaking of comfortable clothes, my favourite outfit this month is so comfy and cute: a tee shirt dress!

My son and I went out for dinner while my older son and husband were at the new house, and I wore this super-comfortable, super-cute tee shirt dress from lululemon. It was a bit chilly so I paired it with tights and boots – these boots are actually Sorels, and are unlined and perfect for rainy or wet weather. If I had a denim jacket I think it would be perfect for this outfit, but I don’t, so I’ll accessorize with my favourite fuzzy black-and-white item.

There are so many things that are getting me through this month of transition – I am a person who likes to be organized and neat, and my house feels like it is exploding around me – but a month from now, everything will be…well, it will still be kind of a disaster. But eventually things will be neat and organized again, and in the meantime, why don’t you tell me what your favourite things were this month? xo

Crying In Superstore

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I am not at all a stress or emotional eater – in fact, in trying times I tend to lose my appetite and forget to eat – but I am a Taurus, and I love to treat myself, particularly when I have had a lot of onerous or tiring tasks. Not always is that treat food-related, although I do love a good Lindor or a bowl of chips with guacamole. More often that treat is a book I’ve been looking forward to after I have washed the floors or an interesting podcast to listen to while doing something boring like folding the laundry. Friday nights that treat is a nice glass or three of wine, to celebrate the start of the weekend. Sometimes I treat myself with a nice bottle of scented lotion or a new beauty product. And then sometimes, I feel the need to bake myself a cake.

Hoo boy, it has been a week, and also, there is more to come. In a nine-day span, every male in this house will have had a medical thing to deal with: my older son had LASIK surgery last week, which turned out to be a real success, my husband has a colonoscopy today, and if you have ever had one yourself, you know that the prep is much, much worse than the actual procedure, and my younger son has not only another podiatrist appointment this week, but his dental surgery got bumped up to this coming Wednesday. That latter is actually a blessing, since I received information that the Grade 12 BBQ and yearbook signing party is on the day that he WOULD have had the surgery, had the surgery not been moved. As it is, he won’t miss the festivities, and he will be hopefully all healed up by that time.

By saying yes to everything and being encouraging of all activities, I have been really committed to ensuring my son has a really great senior year, and I think that he has. In the past, the school has put on a banquet for graduation – except, of course, for the 2020-21 grad classes – but this year, the school decided to have a big dance instead, with grads only, no family members allowed. The school did, however, ask for parent volunteers.

Me: Oh hey, honey, the school needs parent volunteers for the…

My son: No.

Me: But…

My son: NO.

I mean, it’s probably for the best. Who wants their mom hanging around their grad party, even if she is considered to be the Cool Mom? The theme was “A Night In Hollywood” and my son went with a group of his buddies, and it was the best time ever, the end.

Careful readers may have noticed that I said every male in this house, and as such, Rex is included. Oh, Rex. The day of my son’s graduation I took him to doggy day care, as I didn’t want to leave him alone in the house all day. It’s like I have a giant furry toddler. The very next day he whimpered at 5:30 am to be let out and then had, how shall I say this delicately, explosive stomach upset. ONE day at doggy day care! IT IS JUST LIKE HAVING A GIANT FURRY TODDLER. It seemed to be a fairly isolated incident, with a couple of less-dramatic incidents, and he had his usual enormous level of energy, eating and drinking normally. I didn’t worry and I moved on with my life.

That is, until Tuesday when he again whimpered to be let out, this time at 5:00 am, and then he was outside a LOT. One thing no one really tells you when you have a baby is how much time and energy you spend examining their diapers and noting things like colour and “seediness.” The same goes for pets. I found myself examining the back yard and when I discovered blood in one of the very loose stools, I went from Perfectly Calm to Panic at the Doggy Disco. I called the vet who said that they could not get him in until the next day, but if I wanted to come by to grab some probiotics, that would probably help. The next day was when my son was having eye surgery, and then he had checkups the day after that, and it was all the way across the city, during rush hour, and no, I could not bring Rex in the next day, all was ashes.

Panic Level High, I headed to the vet to pick up probiotics and then found myself bursting into tears at the front desk, being completely unable to speak, and unfortunately, the woman I was sobbing in front of was not the same woman who I spoke with on the phone, so she was completely puzzled and alarmed. Who is this crying woman? Did her dog die? Finally the woman I had spoken to did come by, looking at near-hysterical me, and then asked me to wait a moment. She came back to say that if I was willing to just drop Rex off for the afternoon, the vet would squeeze him in between appointments and then call me when she had examined him.

I zoomed home and then zoomed back to the vet, then zoomed over to pick up groceries, but I could not calm down. I could NOT calm down. Rationally I couldn’t understand it: I was doing everything I needed to do, Rex, by all measures other than his BMs, was obviously fine, everything was okay. Still, I couldn’t settle. I would take deep breaths and then my eyes would well up, looking at the bananas and spinach. Then I had a notification on my phone, which is when I realized the date: it would have been Barkley’s birthday. At that point I started crying in the produce section. It was just too much. Everything in my life felt like Too Much. I managed to settle myself down enough to finish shopping – buying all sorts of weird “low fibre” foods for my husband’s upcoming colonoscopy prep – and to drive home. I had just finished putting everything away when the vet called me with the good news that Rex just needed to be dewormed, he was fine, and I could come and pick him up.

Because of Rex’s size, he was in an exam room all by himself, as opposed to in a kennel. The vet started to lead me to the room he was in…and it was the room in which Barkley died.

So it’s been kind of an emotional week, I have to say, and I’ve got a lot to get through this coming week. One foot in front of the other, the only way out is through, etcetera, but hopefully there will be less crying at Superstore.

Weekly Reading

Yellowface. I really love when a book has a lot of nuance, a lot of questions, and nothing that is black or white. This satirical novel about a woman stealing her dead friend’s manuscript, editing it, and passing it off as her own is absolutely incredible and full of so many unanswered questions. The biggest question it poses is who gets to tell what story? This is a very interesting question to me and I think about it a lot. For example, years ago I read American Dirt and really enjoyed it; it was only afterward that I found out about all the controversy surrounding the author. But does that take away from the story? For me it didn’t, for you it might. It’s important to note that women have been telling men’s stories, and vice versa, and I don’t tend to think that’s wrong. Of course, there is the added layer of the publishing industry and the biases and exclusions involved. To add to the irony, the author tells a story about a white woman, which she is not. In addition to the big question, there are many small ones. What about the creative process? Where do stories come from? If an idea comes from a conversation, and a book is written about it, was that a stolen idea? Another theme in this book is the role of social media in our society and the “pile ons” that can happen. There were just so many things that brought to mind the last fifteen years of social media, trolls, etc., and how they affect real people. This book shows the competitive nature of publishing and how everyone is scrambling to get a piece. At the heart of it, this book shows how a lie can turn into a giant web of lies, and how keeping secrets can kill a person from the inside out. I almost never say this, but wow, this book lived up to the hype!

When The Apricots Bloom. I thought I would love this book about 2002 Iraq. It has, theoretically, everything I love in a book: description of a different culture, an alternate look at an international political situation, three women protagonists and how they are connected. But yet, I did not like this book AT ALL. The plot, which should have been interesting – the secret police, espionage! – dragged and the dialogue was terribly stilted. What a disappointment.

On this emotional roller coaster of a week, I had my first kale harvest of the year! The gnomes must be helping. I had planted a few different varieties and they were delicious. I hope you all have a beautiful, non-roller-coaster style week, with lots of fresh produce and minimal produce aisle crying. xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Here Today, Gone To Maui Edition

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Aloha! I’m back from my digital detox which, as it happens, I took on Maui!

What a fabulous trip. We have been to Maui several times, the last one being in 2016, and it was interesting to see that it has changed very little from that time. The two main changes I noticed were that every single restaurant or eatery had a sign saying that they were short staffed – and there were many radio commercials about hiring opportunities all over the island – and that since October of last year, only mineral, rather than chemical, sunscreen is allowed on Maui. This is wonderful news for the coral reefs, of course, but also? I hope someone soon comes up with a mineral sunscreen that doesn’t feel like those neon zinc sticks that you would see on the noses of Australian lifeguards in the 80s. Mineral sunscreen, with its white streakiness and heavy feel, is not my favourite, but I love the fish and turtles and other ocean creatures, so I’m happy to comply.

Honestly, the whole trip was my Favourite Thing; it was our first big family trip since before the pandemic, and in my mind there is the possibility that this could be our last big family trip, at least for a while. My yoga ladies, discussing this with me, pointed out that as long as you’ll pay, they’ll go, which I’m sure is true, but timing and life might get in the way. In any case, it was a wonderful trip – definitely our last big spring break trip – with lots of great family time, sunshine, and ocean. What more could I ask for?

The re-entry to Regular Life has been a bit rough; we flew in on the red-eye, getting in at 7:00 am on Tuesday, in addition to being exhausted it’s been a scramble getting groceries, picking up Rex, getting organized with life, and remembering how to dress for below zero temperatures. Also, I currently have, according to my blog reader, 158 unread posts, so I have some catching up to do. In the meantime, I have to mention a few of my specific Favourite Things from paradise.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Here Today, Gone To Maui Edition

Fruit Is Nature’s Candy

Probably ten or fifteen years ago, there was a trend called the 100 Mile Diet, meaning that a person should strive to eat food that was produced within 100 miles of wherever they currently reside, mostly for environmental reasons. Well. As a person who lives in Calgary, if I did this then during the winter I would be Laura Ingalls in the Long Winter, eating nothing but bread and a single potato each day, and maybe, for excitement, some old cabbage. I have many, many issues with this kind of smug and judgy diet, which inevitably is created by someone living in California or some other gorgeous climate with lots of year-round produce. One such issue is that it has been proven that greenhouse-grown produce in cold climates use much more non-renewable resources than do trucked-in produce, so fuck you, 100 Mile Diet. However! When I am in a place like Maui, I feel like I COULD happily partake in such a diet because OMG THE FRUIT. The fruit! It’s all so good, being so close to the source. A pineapple that has travelled from afar in the winter just does not taste the same as those island-ripened prickly queens, and so I enjoyed delicious fruit each morning with my coffee, watching the sky brighten in the early hours.

Things Are Getting Skechy

In my youth I would sacrifice comfort for fashion, when it came to footwear, but I have no time for that now. Life is too short and too fun to wear uncomfortable shoes, but also, I want my comfy footwear to be cute too. I love Skechers; they consistently fit me well and I like how they look.

Every morning on Maui I would go on long walks, breathing in the ocean air and appreciating the palm trees and flowers everywhere. We stayed in South Kihei, which is a really active-in-the-morning place – EVERYONE is walking or running – so it’s pretty fun for people watching, as well as nature enjoying. I saw many yoga classes on the grounds of the fancy Wailea hotels, and thought hey, I could totally teach that. I would see couples taking photos of each other and I’d offer to take one of the two of them. One morning – at 8:30 on a Monday – I saw a wedding on the beach. I love my daily constitutionals – to borrow a term from my afore-mentioned ladies – and taking them alongside the ocean was just incredible.

In addition to these comfortable and cute walking shoes, I took these Skechers slide-on sandals for the beach and pool. Look at the sparkles!

Speaking of sandals, I also brought a pair of Skechers that were more appropriate for walking when I didn’t want the bulk of an actual shoe. They are so cushiony and strappy at the same time; I wore them when we went out for meals, and for our shopping trip to Lahaina, where I found a HAWAIIAN CHRISTMAS STORE at which I purchased two personalized ornaments, and then the shopkeeper actually said Mele Kalikimaka to me, and my life is now complete.

What, you can’t see the sandals? Yes, well. I thought I had a photo of them, but it turns out the only ones with my feet in them were group photos, so I did a little cropping. As an aside, that dress is a workhorse. I bought it in 2012, it’s from Prana, a yoga-wear brand which may be defunct, and it has a shelf bra. We all know how I feel about a shelf bra. Anyway, here are the sandals, tiny though this photo may be.

A long while ago, Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) posted about things she wished she liked; my comment to that was that while there are a lot of things I dislike, there isn’t anything that I WISH I liked. I am taking this opportunity to amend that comment. Flip flops. Flip flops are so cute, they are everywhere, and oh my god, the thought of having something between my toes makes those toes curl up and I start doing involuntary Kegels. I just cannot do it. I have been like this my whole life; putting flip flops on me is like putting boots on Rex. It is an unnatural thing and we cannot walk or even move under those conditions. I even have to do deep ujjayi breathing when I’m getting a pedicure and the esthetician puts toe separators on to do my polish.

You Can Leave Your Hat On

Even the heavy-duty sunscreen is no match for Maui sunshine, and so I wore a hat on my walks and while reading outside. This is not just for vanity reasons – I don’t want to look like an apple doll – but also for melanoma-prevention reasons. I wore this cute sporty hat from lululemon on my walks:

I also brought this ADORABLE, foldable hat that I bought on a whim from amazon, which ended up being the perfect travel hat. It has a wire brim which is easily reshaped after being mushed in a suitcase or beach bag. It also has a chin strap to keep it from flying off on windy days, of which we had few.

Hair Baby, There Mama

I didn’t have my hat on all the time, though! The boys taught me to body surf and boogie board, and you guys, it is SO fun. My husband said the whole time, I was laughing and smiling, especially when a big wave would carry me far up the beach.

It’s a family photo! Can you see?

Anyway, all that salt water and sun could have wreaked havoc on my hair, but it didn’t, because I used this:

I love Bumble and Bumble products generally, but this is beyond amazing. I think it really helped with sun damage – after twelve days of sun and salt water, my hair does not look like orange straw, which is a victory in itself. It’s pretty pricey, even for this tiny bottle, but the big Sephora sale starts next week, so I think I’m going to buy more in the larger size. We travelled only with carryon luggage – I will NEVER again check luggage, mark my words, the freedom of walking off the plane and not waiting for or worrying about luggage is glorious – and so this little trial bottle was worth the per-milliliter expense.

Outfit of the Month

I love getting dressed in warm climates. It’s SO easy. Maui is such a casual place that you can wear a swimsuit and cover-up to the grocery store and no one bats an eye. This is my favourite cover-up, it’s a cute little dress with pockets!

A word about swimsuits: up until about eight years ago, I was a big fan of the tiny bikini. It was around the time I turned forty that I realized that string bikinis were no longer suitable for a couple of reasons: a) my breasts resemble droopy water balloons that have sprung a leak, and b) the boys were at an age where I was no longer comfortable around them or their friends whilst in a state of extreme scanty-cladness. As well, I have enjoyed water sports with them as they have gotten older and more active, and let me tell you, a small bikini is a recipe for wardrobe malfunctions. I am still a two-piece suit fan for using-the-washroom purposes, but my bikinis have a lot more coverage and support. This is my new favourite:

Of the four bikinis I packed, I was surprised that this single-strapped one ended up being the best for boogie boarding and body surfing. It must be noted that my younger son looked at me strangely and said “Mom, are you wearing a BELT to the beach?” Yes, it does indeed have a belt attached, which feels silly but looks kind of cute.

I feel so fortunate that, after three years of cancellations and disappointments and general angst, we were able to take this trip. There are a lot of big changes coming to the Boyhouse, and this trip was what I needed to centre myself, to be present, and to really appreciate my family and my life. How lucky. xo

A Week In Nicole’s Kitchen

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It’s no secret that, when it comes to routines, I am a Very Structured Person. I like a routine, I like knowing what the day will bring, and to that end, I like having a Weekly Dinner Plan. This Weekly Dinner Plan consists of pretty much the same meals in rotation week after week, although there are some variations within the plan. I wrote about this in February and March of 2019 – four years ago! – but I had the idea to write about it again after reading a post by Engie (HI ENGIE) about the daily decisions we all make. Most of the commenters said their most loathed daily decision was the answer to the question what should we have for dinner, and I realized that is a decision I do not make. Or rather, I have made the decision once, and now I just don’t even think about it.

This isn’t something that would work for everyone – it’s not the most exciting way to eat – but for our family, knowing what dish will show up on which evening is a source of comfort and stability. Monday is Pasta Night! Tuesday we have stir-fry! I’ve been sticking to this schedule for so long that when I change it – having wraps on a Tuesday, for example – everyone is a bit disoriented. Is it Tuesday? Or is it Thursday? NO ONE KNOWS.

One thing to note: when it comes to recipes, I don’t really use any. Or if I do, I use them as a very rough outline, and just add or subtract anything that comes to mind. Even with baking, I generally change the original recipe, sometimes so much that it’s almost unrecognizable.

I think when a household contains more than one person, there is always going to be some compromising on flavours or ingredients in any dinner. I am, of course, plant-based, but the guys are not. I do prepare meat, but almost all of the meals are plant-based, with meat as a side, as opposed to the meals I grew up with, which were mostly centred around meat. Did you know that for four years I had a whole job based on this concept, of plant-based and meat-eaters living in harmony? If you don’t know, now you know.

This is an outline of all the dinners, baking, and desserts that I made in a week, and this is a pretty typical week. Everyone is on their own for breakfasts and lunches, although I do often pull together a lunch for my younger son to take to school, depending on his scholastic and wrestling schedule.

A Week In Nicole’s Kitchen

Monday

As I mentioned, Monday is Pasta Night, and typically we have some kind of whole-wheat pasta with sundried tomato sauce. Occasionally I will make a creamy sauce from roasted garlic, cashews, and tofu, as my younger son does not like tomatoes, and I feel a bit bad that he resorts to butter and parmesan on his pasta on tomato-based nights. Also, I love creamy non-dairy sauces. This week, though, I made a penne alla vodka, using cashews for creaminess.

I don’t think that pasta alone is filling enough, so I roast vegetables to go along with it, usually two or three cauliflower, depending on their size. One of those pans is JUST for me. What can I say, I can really pack away the cauliflower. I am extremely price-inelastic when it comes to cauliflower; my mother-in-law was absolutely horrified when I told her that in January I have been known to pay $10/ head of cauliflower. When it is not available, I resort to zucchini.

The guys get meatballs, baked in the oven, with this dish, except when I make the above-mentioned cream sauce. On those evenings, I serve peas, as well as cauliflower.

I like a lot of sauce! I need the excess sauce to dip my cauliflower into.

Tuesday

This Tuesday was a busy one, kitchen-wise. I baked banana mini-muffins, which are based on a recipe from the Lutheran Ladies’ Family Favourites, a cookbook my mom gave me when I moved out which features lovely baked goods but truly disturbing main dish recipes.

I always made mini-muffins when the boys were little, and now for this recipe, a riot ensues if I try to make regular sized muffins. All other muffins are regular sized but these? MINI ONLY. I make banana bread and muffins frequently, so I always have containers of overripe bananas in the freezer, usually in groups of three, which is what my recipes tend to call for. I just thaw the bananas and voila! They look disgusting but work wonders.

I had some extra time so I made the boys’ favourite ice cream, mint with fudge swirl.

For dinner we had stir-fry; Wednesdays are Grocery Days, and so I like to use up all the produce on Tuesday, in a stir-fry format. I have many different stir-fry iterations; on this night I made some teriyaki sauce roughly based on Vegan Richa’s recipe, and served the veggies with basmati rice and pan-fried tofu, sprinkling cashews on top for extra protein.

Wednesday

Wednesday is typically Pizza Night; I use pitas for the crust, and everyone can have whatever they want on theirs. I make a couple of extras for the boys’ lunches the next day; cold pizza is a favourite of theirs. I like a pesto pizza with tons of mushrooms and tomato.

Pizza by itself isn’t very filling, in my opinion, so I make a big veggie plate to go with it.

Thursday

My meals get much less elaborate as the week goes on, and I get tired. Thursdays are usually wraps, with the occasional Taco Night. This week I did serve wraps; the guys get sautéed chicken, I get an avocado, and then I slice up peppers and tomatoes to go with.

Ah, a perfectly ripe avocado! A thing of beauty.

Friday

Friday is my favourite day of the week; everything about Friday feels celebratory.

All of the muffins disappeared, so I baked a pumpkin loaf using the sweetest homemade pumpkin puree, gifted to me by my lovely dear friend Taryn (HI TARYN).

As I mentioned earlier this week, my Number One Favourite Meal is Greek salad with hummus and pita, and so I like to make it for my Number One Favourite Day. In the spirit of full disclosure, I want to note that I also put chicken breasts in the air fryer for the guys, and I make a coleslaw – using a prepackaged salad mix and bottled dressing – for my tomato-hating son. Both the chicken and coleslaw are pretty much zero effort, and are greatly appreciated.

I add 1/5 of a block of tofu (I freeze tofu in 1/5 blocks for this exact purpose) to add creaminess.

This photo makes me happy. I love a Glass Or More of wine on Friday nights too; this was a gorgeous Zinfadel. I had a couple of glasses and then my son, who has a fancy cocktail recipe book, fixed me a lovely drink. In passing the next day, he casually mentioned that the drink he had made was a triple, which really explains why I fell asleep on the couch watching Bullet Train with the guys. Who am I kidding, I would have fallen asleep regardless, alcohol or no alcohol.

Saturday

Saturday is Wild Card Night! I have a wide variety of standbys, but also, if I am going to try a new dish, it will likely be on Saturday. I figure out a meal based on what we have in the house; this week I went with an old favourite, Buddha bowl. The brilliance of a Buddha bowl is that you can add any kind of vegetables or grains. Literally anything goes. I roasted up broccoli, peppers, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower.

I also roasted chickpeas and lentils for crunch and protein.

I added this to quinoa and edamame, plus a vinaigrette based on an Oh She Glows recipe.

Sunday

Sunday dinner is the only meal that is centred around meat: during the winter, I make a roast with gravy on Sundays. Don’t cry for me, Argentina, my side dish game is very strong! I made crispy roasted potatoes with garlic and dried chives from my garden, roasted kalettes (THEY ARE STILL IN THE STORE! THEY ARE STILL IN THE STORE! HALLELUJAH!), a kale Caesar using a dressing recipe from Cheap Lazy Vegan (shout-out to Birchy for the recommendation, HI BIRCHY), and a roasted broccoli dish that ENDS all roasted broccoli dishes. All other roasted broccoli dishes can just GO HOME. The broccoli is roasted and then tossed in a lemony Caesar-inspired dressing, and sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs, and it is incredible.

No Sunday dinner is complete without dessert, and this week I took a break from cake baking to make a triple berry crisp.

So there it is, a week of meals that we all love. Every single thing was made with this guy at my feet:

He has a really uncanny knowledge of exactly where I need to be in the kitchen, and then lies down there. Luckily, I’m flexible.

I should probably note that cooking for a houseful of hungry guys, particularly teen boys who work out a lot, is incredibly gratifying. Every meal I make is The Best Meal Ever, This Dinner Is So Good, Mom, Thanks For Dinner, Nicole. As Ma Ingalls always said modestly, Hunger is the best sauce, which, true, but also, I think all these meals are really delicious. And they also have lots of literal sauce, which is my favourite part of a meal.

What did you have for dinner this week? Anything outstanding? Anything delicious? Tell me everything. xo

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

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The polar vortex has arrived, and with it, snow. As polar vortexes go, I feel like it is really not that bad, and can’t figure out if I’ve turned into Lieutenant Dan on the shrimping boat in the storm. IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO? I’m not complaining, by any means. I’ll take a mild polar vortex any day. In any case, it’s really pretty right now.

It’s been a bit of a dull week around here; it’s that late-January, not-much-is-going-on feeling. I thought I would take this opportunity to answer some of the very fun and light questions that I received on my Ask Me Anything, which is still open, by the way! I’m happy to answer anything you might want to ask. This week, it’s all about Fun Stuff! Thanks for the very fun questions, friends!

Food, Glorious Food

Elisabeth (HI ELISABETH) asked: If you could eat one meal for a month straight, what would it be? This is a very easy question to answer; I decided to take the soft lob right out of the gates. Greek salad and hummus with pita, that is my answer. I could easily eat that for a month straight; when the guys went to Alaska for ten days, I ate it for six of those days, and the other days, I was visiting my parents. It is my favourite, I never get tired of it, and it’s nutritious and nourishing too. Add in a few glasses of red wine, and you have my perfect Friday night. If we are talking about food that I don’t personally prepare, there is an amazing local place called Aida’s Bistro that has the greatest Lebanese food you could ever hope to eat, this side of Beirut. We don’t order there frequently because a) we don’t often eat out, and b) it is super hard to find parking around there, even just for take-out, but people. PEOPLE. They have a sandwich called The Mouh and if I could eat that, along with their dip sampler, on a weekly basis I would be a Happy Woman. Well, I’m already a Happy Woman, but the eggplant, my god, the eggplant. That is not even a euphemism. Mr. Boyhouse already provides the eggplant aplenty, if you know what I’m saying, but wow, do I love their Mouh and baba ganoush. Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) asked: What are your desert island foods? and I would reference all of the above, but also let’s throw in some salsa and chips, maybe a few Macintosh apples, and definitely a nice Lindor.

All The World’s A Stage

Elisabeth also asked: If you could pick any job and magically have the necessary skills, what would you choose and why? This is also a fairly easy question for me. I would, absolutely, choose to be a theatre actor. And if we are fantasizing here and believing that everything is in place for the magical career, then I’m going to say a Broadway stage actor. Let’s add in the ability to sing and dance, and maybe I’d be a Schuyler sister? When I was young, I was in several plays and I loved everything about them; I loved learning my lines and blocking the scenes and the endless rehearsals and, of course, I loved the performances. I am a performer at heart and even just remembering my stint as Amanda Wingfield, with the lights and the sound and the audience, well. I smile in warm remembrance.

YOU MUST CHOOSE

Suzanne (HI SUZANNE AGAIN) asked: If you were forced to endure eternity without hair removal services for ONE body part (this does not count your head or eyelashes (Nicole note: DAMMIT)) what would you choose to grow to luxuriant lengths? Now, I know that no one is actually going to hold a gun to my head, screaming YOU MUST CHOOSE, but wow, I gave this thought like that was going to happen. I am a near-daily leg-and-underarm shaver, a very frequent client of the lady who does my bikini sugaring (in fact, I see her tomorrow!) (god, remember when I tried to do my own bikini wax? Some things are best left to the professionals), and my eyebrows are a mess that require constant work, so I am going to say MY ARMS. You might think that is a cheat, but you would be wrong. I wax my own arms a few times a year, usually before a vacation. Hey, I’m half-Scottish and my body thinks it is still in the Highlands and must be kept warm via body hair. However, if I’m giving into one fuzzy part, it’s going to be my arms.

You Probably Think This Song Is About You

Suzanne also asked: What is your number one karaoke song? That honour belongs to You’re So Vain, which is my absolute favourite karaoke song, but last summer in Mexico I sang Before He Cheats and honestly, that was a blast too. If my friend Jen (HI JEN) is with me, I coerce her into singing Hold On by Wilson Phillips. One day I am going to serenade my husband with You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, a la Top Gun. Some of you may remember my fortieth birthday, when one of my husband’s colleagues dressed up in my husband’s Top Gun flight suit (doesn’t everyone have one of those in their front closet?) (see also: eggplant) and started the serenade, becoming one of my favourite people ever and fulfilling the dream I’ve had since seeing the movie in 1986, in the Orpheum Theatre in Estevan with my cousins.

Boogie Shoes

Another fun question from Suzanne: What song would get you on the dance floor every time? There isn’t much that wouldn’t, but for sure anything disco would get my boogie shoes going. If there were girlfriends, or even female acquaintances nearby, I would be grabbing their arms and dragging them to dance if I Will Survive came on. But honestly, it doesn’t take much. I’d do a conga line or the hustle or YMCA or even get low, low, low. I need someone to invite me to an old-school wedding, clearly. I’m always happy to, as the Black Eyed Peas say, get it started.

Weekly Reading

After all those mysteries last week, this week I delved into more usual Nicole reading!

Dear Life. After talking about my favourite authors, I had a strong craving to read Alice Munro, and so I chose this collection because it’s one I have read only a couple of times before; most other collections I have read many, many times. This one is very interesting because Munro notes that the last four stories are not really stories, but more autobiographical reflections. Many of her stories contain elements from her own life, but these ones are specifically autobiographical, which I find fascinating. All of the stories here show the moment that a chance encounter or a choice occurs for the protagonist, and shows how life changes from that moment. This is something that I am genuinely fascinated by in my own, and other’s, lives. We are where we are in life because of choice and encounters, and it’s interesting to think of what could have been.

Home of the Floating Lily. Short stories? Check. Woman author? Check. Introduction to another culture? Check. Theme of ordinary life written in an extraordinary way? Check. This lovely debut collection checked all my boxes of things I look for in a book, and I really enjoyed it. This book deals with Bangladeshi people and their experience living in Canada, as well as their home country, and I am here for it. The title story was the one I liked the least, but I will be thinking about the story entitled All The Adjustments for a long time. It follows a widow who is living with her in-laws in Bangladesh, as is the custom. Her late husband’s brother brings a wife home to live – also the custom – and the new sister-in-law is Canadian born, half-Bangladeshi. The household changes on her account, and it is just such a good story. I am personally fascinated by arranged marriages. I think, like all marriages, that some work and some don’t. There’s no telling that arranged marriages are worse or better than Western “love matches,” I think. But I find it fascinating, the process and the idea behind it, and so I actively seek out books that discuss it.

The Jetsetters. Let me preface this by saying that I love my new Kobo; I love syncing all my library “shelves” and seeing books pop up. However. I guess I now have an algorithm based on the few e-books I have read, and the library suggested this one as I had read The Lifeguards by the same author. Here’s the synopsis: dysfunctional family goes on a Mediterranean cruise, won by their mother, and (spoiler alert!) gains an understanding of each other. It’s like having a sandwich for lunch: quick and easy, somewhat satisfying, will totally forget about it tomorrow.

Love and Saffron. Engie (HI ENGIE) and Lisa (HI LISA) both recommended this book, and it really is a lovely and sweet book made up almost entirely of correspondence between two women in the early Sixties. There is a large age gap, and they live in different places and have different lives, but they become close friends, supporting each other through difficult times. There is an underlying theme of food and the introduction of international cuisine and flavours, which I loved. The author’s note states that she based this on her own friendships, and people that she knew, writing this warm-hearted book during the pandemic. It’s just a light, sweet book that will make you smile.

If you have answers to these very fun questions, please feel free to share! I’d love to know what you’d karaoke or dance to, what food you could eat exclusively, and even what body part you would allow to get as fuzzy as fuzzy could be! Have a wonderful week, friends, and if you are being Polar Vortexed, may it be a mild one. xo

Dreams Can Come True, Look At Me, Babe/ Kalette, I’m With You

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I have been doing a massive house decluttering and purge, using a technique I learned from Apartment Therapy: choosing one small area and setting a timer for 15 minutes. It is extremely effective; I find that the less time I have to wonder do we need this item, the more efficient I am at letting go. Granted, I found three full drawers of user manuals for appliances that we no longer own, so letting go is not really so difficult.

Other than the defunct user manuals, there are many items that I feel could be of some use to someone else, and so I have been sorting things into various donation piles. The Kidney Foundation had, most fortuitously, called to see if I had any donations of clothing or household items, and I accepted their offer with more enthusiasm than I think the telephone caller had anticipated. I do think they are a worthy cause, but I think that the best way to donate items, both from an environmental and a community-minded standpoint, is through our neighbourhood Buy Nothing page. I envisioned giving as much as I could away to the community, and then bagging up the rest for the Kidney Foundation pickup.

At this point, I am ready to just set fire to everything.

Donating things through Buy Nothing, while very worthy, is just so much work. I have noticed that, while there are great people who are excited to take my old books and DVDs, and who schedule a time to pick up and actually pick up at that time, there are also those who make me wonder what I’m doing with my one wild and precious life. Almost always there will be someone who gives an enormous window for pickup – I’ll be there between noon and 9 pm on Wednesday – and then doesn’t pick it up for days, leaving me to wonder if I should ask if someone else wants it, or should I leave it on the step, and is it okay for things to sit out in below-freezing temperatures for days at a time? About a eighteen months ago I had gifted a number of cleaning products to a woman in the group who then didn’t pick them up for two weeks; I had messaged her a number of times, only to get the answer that she’d “be there tomorrow.” At the end of two weeks, my sister-in-law had stopped by to drop off Girl Guide cookies – I have to support my nieces! A case of cookies is not too much! – and I ended up giving her the bag of Lysol wipes and such. Two days after that the original woman messaged me to ask if she could come and get them that evening, and I was so irritated I ghosted her. That was probably rude on my part, but what can I say, it was in the thick of the pandemic, and my patience for such things was wearing thin.

In any case, things are slowly making their way out of my house, with the exception of some of my old textbooks, which according to the city’s website are only fit for the recycle bin. No one wants outdated textbooks for any reason, in any capacity, so there go my myriad economics and finance textbooks from the nineties. But why? Surely someone out there is looking for Varian’s Microeconomic Analysis, Third Edition, 1992. Or a twenty-five-year-old copy of Adjusting To Volatile Energy Prices. I am having a small crisis about the environmental impact of a small amount of broken toys that are heading for the landfill, but let’s move on.

As I clear out old detritus, this week I brought in many new items, in the manner of food. I am constantly amazed at the amount of groceries a mere four people go through in one week. A few weeks ago I was lamenting the apparent end of kalette season, but, thrillingly, it was NOT the end. It was a mere blip. Two girlfriends (HI JANET HI TRACY) had texted me to say that they had seen kalettes in the wild/ Costco’s refrigerated produce section, and so off to Costco I went. Dreams can come true!

When I saw the display I immediately got the song Dreams stuck in my head, and it stayed there for days. The problem with this song is that I really only know the chorus, along with the words I know what I want, and baby, it’s you, and so that was going through my head, over and over, on a loop. On my way home, I heard Anne Murray’s Snowbird on 70s on 7, and it reminded me of the show Sensitive Skin. Did you ever watch it? In the premiere, the husband was writing a piece on the cultural impact of Snowbird and for research purposes, listened to it on repeat for days on end, as he began to lose his mind. I could really see this happening to me, but with Dreams. Not that I’m listening to it on repeat, but my brain thinks I am.

I remember Sensitive Skin as being a really good show, but when I watched it I was 39, and my kids were 9 and 10. I think seeing it now, it would hit very differently: a middle-aged woman, empty nest, moving from her home in the suburbs to a downtown condo, aging mother, midlife crisis. At 39, I probably thought “Interesting!” and then moved on with my life. Or, “I like what she did with her hair.” These days, I would be more likely to dissolve in a puddle of mascara and tears and hot flashes.

Speaking of landsliding, my son finished his last exam on Friday, and so has this entire week off before starting his last semester of high school! In mere months, we will be out of the public school system! Just to add to the wow, time, feeling that I have, my thirty year high school reunion is coming up in June. I mentioned it to my dinner guests last weekend, who then asked if I was going to go it, and it turns out that I am actually kind of organizing it? I am not exactly sure how this happened, and I didn’t really need an extra project, but here we are.

Look at that sweet young thing! She had no idea that thirty years on, she would be wondering about reunion locations.

Weekly Reading

After last week’s fairly heavy and dark reads, this week was Very Mysterious.

The Accomplice. This book was mentioned by three friends – Suzanne, Engie, and Allison (HI SUZANNE HI ENGIE HI ALLISON) – and their synopses made me think it looked interesting. It was very fun to read! I so rarely pick up mysteries, but when I do, I enjoy them. This book had everything: ride-or-die friendship, murder, extramarital affairs, romance, greedy stepfathers, and hilariously nosy neighbours! A fun read that kept me up past my bedtime (by ten minutes but STILL).

Death on the Nile. Would you believe I had never read an Agatha Christie in my life? It’s true! I saw this at the library and thought, maybe I should get on that train. After all, Agatha Christie is kind of a big deal. I have a very soft spot for Egypt, having travelled there twenty-three years ago, AND I cruised down the Nile, albeit in a less-fancy way than the characters in this book.

No one got murdered on that cruise, that I know of.

At some point in my life I realized that I no longer associated myself with the beautiful young protagonist, and instead, found myself in sympathy with the motherly characters. See also: no longer a Handmaid, more like a Wife. Or Martha. Anyway, in this book there is one character who is described as an older, grey-haired woman. She’s 50. I mean, in the absence of hair colour that character is the closest to me, but it cracks me up that what we see as middle-aged was seen as quite advanced, back in the 1930s. Speaking of 1930s, there is some objectional language describing the Egyptian people, which is not unusual for a book from a British author in 1937, but should be noted. All in all, I really enjoyed this book – it was very entertaining.

The Lifeguards. This was a decent thriller/ mystery about three friends that have three sons who are also friends, and who come across a dead body. There are secrets, and a twist I did not at all see coming, but the ending was not very satisfying to me. Questions, I have them! But I did like it – not love it – it was just fine! Three mysteries in one week, who am I?

So it’s been a mystery-filled, decluttering-filled, kalette-filled week in the Boyhouse. What will this week bring? I hope it brings you lots of happiness. xo