Where is it.

TV remotes need those little pager button things like cordless phones. I lose my remote a lot more than I lose my phones. Inventors of the world, get on that.

ready set go

Here's the deal. I need to get more fit and healthy.

So... today was Day One of my new exercise regime. I am going to try to commit to doing 4 basic exercises 5 nights a week for the next two weeks. My 4 basic exercises are a sort of modified push-up (from the knees but bring one leg toward your upper body with each push-up... works the abs more apparently), sit-ups, squats, and hula hooping (mostly for fun but also feels like it's working my core). We'll see how it goes... but I'm trying to get Chris in on it too so maybe I'll be more likely to do it with a partner.

I'm also going to work on creating more healthy eating habits. This will most likely be more challenging than sticking to my exercises. Healthy eating is a real drag for me. Eating in general, really. But, nonetheless, I'll give er a hook. Any suggestions on how to make this easier for myself? Or some foods/recipes that taste junky but are actually good for you???

No glitter allowed.

Overall, today was a good day.

Successful completion of facilitating another day 1 of day camp... Check!
Successful completion of providing myself and my male counterpart with proper nourishment... Check!
Successful impulse purchase of two enticing summertime novels... Check!
Successful completion of necessary household chores... Whatever; who wants to be an over achiever anyway?

Yeah, so basically you can see that today was a pretty productive day. Now it's time to sit back, blog about things that won't make my blog popular with the internet world, and get tense watching people cook their brains out on Masterchef. And maybe eat some Cheesies with a fork. Cause that's the best way to do it... don't even try to tell me it's not. Test it out just once and you'll be on board with the J Hodd OCD Train. Wooooot wooooot... keep your hands to yourselves and no glitter allowed aboard (that shit gets everywhere). Please store your belongings alphabetically in the colour coded totes provided for you. Thank you and enjoy the rideeeeee!

Summer Lovin' Memories

There are so many wonderful things about warm summer weather and time off. Yesterday I visited mudder and fadder who are camping at the classic Elm River, and then we also took a bit of a day trip to Oxford to see other family friends who are camping there. I got to do some romping through the forest and tubing down the river. There was a bit of a negative point where I think I got too much sun or something and kind of wanted to empty the contents of my stomach and then pass out... but thats all water under the bridge now! Still a great day in my books. Camping is one of those things that always reminds me of good times when I was growing up. I think most people have those types of nostalgic memories... you know what I mean, the memories of childhood that give you a warm fuzzy longing for the past. I know that Chris's are of spending time in the woods exploring and building, etc. Mine are mostly of camping and making imaginary food out of mud, leaves and unedible berries.

The part I find saddening about memories from childhood is when years go by and then time takes a toll on something you used to enjoy so much. For example, growing up there was a ballfield owned by a local company just up the road from my parents house. In the summer, we would walk up to the field after supper and watch the company ballgames. If there was a foul ball, whoever found it got to keep it... so my trusty doggy pal Maggie and I got plenty of softballs. There was some playground equipment, crab apple trees, and wooden stands to watch the game from.  Since I was younger, the company that owns the field has gone through many owners, and it happened again this year. When summer hit, I decided to take a little visit up to the ballfield. I was slightly horrified and very disappointed to see that the field has now been neglected. The field is thick and grown in, the stands look like a broken leg just waiting to happen, and even some of the crab apple trees have gotten old and been damaged in storms. The playground equipment is long gone, and from the looks of the debris in the parking area, hormonal teenagers are the only consistent visitors. Such a let down. If I lived within a closer distance and owned a ride on lawn mower, I would totally whip that field into shape. But I don't. So it seems I just have to settle for my positive memories and let go of things I cannot control!

Who are you wearing?

Hi, my name is Jessica and I might be addicted to lululemon.

Now, just to start off, I'm not much for designer brands. I don't care who made it... if I like something, I like it no matter where or who it's from. Same thing for items I do not like. It's insane how obesessed people get with designer brands... and then it's no longer unique because everyone started buying it. Also, I mostly hate designer purses. I think a lot of Guess and those types of brands purses are ugly. Maybe there's something wrong with me... I just want things that are attractive to me and fairly unique. Farmers Markets and local vendors are best for this in my experience.

Okay, so I put all that out there for you. But I am guilty of one addiction... lululemon. I just want to buy everything... seriously. It's costs way too much but I love it anyway. So incredibly comfortable and great designs/colours. Everyone has stuff from lulu now but that really hasn't deterred me like it did with Bench clothes. I hope it sticks around for awhile and they continue to entice me with their products... I see it as my one real splurge store. Too bad someone from their head offices won't read my blog and send me free stuff... I'd be so into that. Guess I'll just have to continue spending my own dough!

Gifts Galore!

Gifts! Gifts are awesome. I've been thinking about this lately because my girl friend Lesley just had a birthday, and Chris's sister Rachel is having a baby girl pretty soon.

Obviously I love getting gifts, but I also really LOVE buying and giving for other people. I put a lot of thought and care into the gifts I give, and I take pride in it. Some people do gifts half-ass, without really thinking about the reciever and what he/she would really enjoy. I think that's lame. I always enjoy gift buying like a sport... be creative, think out of the box, what temptation would the person resist buying for themselves? Unique gifts are the most fun, and I love when I come across something very different. Sometimes I have to sort of reign myself in, because I could easily spend a lot of cash on making presents as fabulous as possible.

Unlike others, I rarely stress during gift giving events or season... with one exception. That exception is Dad. For how many years is it acceptable to consistently buy one person books, tshirts, and chocolate for holidays? Someone needs some new hobbies that I can support...

Maybe I'll just put all my energy into buying stuff for Rachel's baby girl, cause I can totally see an addiction happening there for me. Me + An excuse to buy adorable baby items = Trouble. Baby stuff is just so damn cute! And god knows there will be no little person popping out of J Hodd's bod any time soon. That mental image is a true nightmare... I prefer to ogle over something that I really have no responsibility for and do not have to grow inside my own body for several months. Gross. Much better to enjoy someone else's efforts and then leave it with them after you've spoiled it and gone home child-free :)

Going Solo

Wow, I'm kind of on a roll here. Two posts in one weekend? A miracle. It's probably because I actually thought of something I wanted to write about today.

This blog post idea stemmed from various conversations with people over time. It seems that many people do not like doing most things alone. Eating out alone, shopping alone, going to the movies alone, etc. This intrigues me because I do a lot of things alone. It really doesn't bother me, maybe because I grew up as an only child. Or maybe it's just my personality... who knows. Before I realized that a lot of people don't do so, I never thought much about the things I do by myself. I just figured that if no one was available or close at hand, I'll just enjoy my activity alone. I eat at restaurants alone (although there are some exceptions... eating at places like Jungle Jims alone is not much fun to me); I do almost all of my shopping alone; I travel out of town alone;  I go to meetings, fitness classes, and events where I don't know anyone; and so on and so on. Maybe I've just gotten used to it over the years, so now it seems natural. Of course, there are some things I prefer to do with company, like going to the movies and eating at certain restaurants. Also, drinking alone is bad. Some things just seem like they are meant to be enjoyed with others as a social activity. And some things aren't safe to do alone. Like walk to the bank at night........ I think...

Anywayyy, I just thought I'd share my surprise at this difference between me and some of the people I know. It really doesn't matter what you prefer as long as it's working for you. And doing things alone works very well for me... less problems when I'm not depending on others. With that said, I leave you with my chuckle of the day:



Maybe I wouldn't eat here alone...



Might go loopy if I have to do this again... OH WAIT, I do.

PHEW. One busy week done. Too bad I get to repeat most of it again soon. It was certainly filled with lots of stimulation... not all of which was the pleasant kind.

Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday:
Day camps. Are. So. Stressful. I don't know why I always put myself through this. To be fair though, it wasn't really the kids that caused me stress this time... actually, most of the girls were really great kids. The problem was that some people seem to have trouble upholding their committments. I understand that things come up and you may be busy, but if that's the case then why can't you tell me straight up, so I can plan accordingly? Instead, I got stuck with 2 1/2 hours to kill by myself with nine pre-teen girls, on a rainy day. Awesome, thanks so much for that. I could rant for days about all the things that pissed me off within those three days alone, but instead I will work toward being a stronger woman and move on. Must try to learn from experience and make changes... some of which I have already put in motion, and things are looking up! Go me!

Thursday:
Seven. Hours. In. The. Rain. Freezing cold rain and wind I might add. Good god, I wish the weather people had warned me with these special little details, maybe then I could have better prepared myself in an effort to avoid shivering so much I got neck spasms, which is what really ended up happening. Oh yeah, and we got a $25 parking ticket. Halifax, you rock, thanks.  Anyhow, I survived (barely) and Metallica was pretty awesome and surreal. Also, the lead singer of Coheed and Cambria has mesmerizing hair. Look it up. Not a huge fan of the music, but couldn't stop watching the hair. He reminds me SO MUCH of Animal from the muppets.

Friday:
AM - Dead. No energy. Burnt out.
PM - Worked for half a day, then mooched supper off the fam, came home and mostly did nothing productive.

Saturday (AKA today):
Dyed my own hair again... SUCCESSFULLY! This was really a risky endeavor and it usually ends badly... but today I got smart and sat in the bathtub with a mirror propped up, and everything turned out well! Horray! Then I cleaned up and went to the mall seeking a bday gift for a friend... also successful. Tonight will involve partying to celebrate the afore mentioned friends bday. Tomorrow will probably be a repeat of this past Friday AM. Oh well!

That's all for today reader people... sorry I am lacking in posts lately... will try to improve this when I am not busy entertaining and educating stacks of attitude in the form of pre-teen girls.

stats seem pretty accurate...

Mumble Jumble

A busy week almost behind me... another busy week ahead though. Next week I'm running a day camp for pre-teen girls. I have enjoyed organizing it for the most part, but I don't always like running them. The pre-teen age range is in no way my favorite age group. Why? They are generally obnoxious at that age. I'm sure I was equally obnoxious during my own time, but now that I'm older it just DRIVES ME CRAZY. Here's hoping I somehow end up with a lovely, obedient, and subdued bunch of girls next Monday. I won't hold my breath though... oh well. I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out. In any case, the girls will most likely enjoy themselves as I have organized some pretty enjoyable activities for them. It's too bad that people aren't always aware of the amount of work and thought and detail you have put into something for them. For example, I spent many hours this week creating the pins featured in the picture below. I didn't mind doing it, but I hate to think that these pins will just end up lost or thrown in the reject pile once the girls take them home.

These flowers actually have hot pink in them, but I find it looks red in these photos.

Other than my day camps happening next week, nothing much spectacular is happening in this little girls world right now.

Locked myself out of my apartment yesterday, mama came to the rescue with my spare key... thank you mama.

Lobster Carnival this weekend, but that doesn't affect me much other than maybe going to the parade and watching fireworks.

Still working on creating healthier eating habits, but finding it hard because I hate to have to over-think things in the summer. Will see how it seems to be going for me in a couple weeks time.

Successfully keeping outdoor planters alive so far, very pleasing indeed. Hopefully I can make them last until the end of the season.

Yep... that's about it! Enjoy these sunshine-y days! Don't they make you feel good inside? :)

Could go for one of these...

While laying out under this....

Actually found one of these at the beach the other day! Love finding them.

A Dreamer's Life

Blogging has taken a back burner to my new temporary online addiction... Baking Life! It's a Facebook game where you create and run your own bakery. Right up my alley! I am almost embarrassed to admit that I feel somewhat committed to this pretend business, and I actually feel pleased when it flourishes. Maybe this is because I truly do love to bake in real life, and owning a successful bakery would probably be one of my dream jobs. This reminds me of a recent blog post by my fellow blogger friend Yvonne, which was about dream jobs. There are probably a lot of jobs I would call a dream job for me. Mostly they are not extravagant or unrealistic though, and most of my dreams for life are not. A few jobs I would be happy to have would be: owning a bakery (but I would not be the one to decorate cakes... because I dislike that part), hula-hooping for money, writing a children's book, a yoga teacher, an editor, full-time beach babe, etc. Some of these are obviously more achievable than others, although I doubt I will end up doing any of them. Except maybe becoming a yoga teacher. Cause that would be a pretty great side job... getting paid to do something you'd be doing anyway. Nice!

source

Other than the previously mentioned jobs, my dream life would involve a medium sized, beautiful home with a loveable cat and maybe a smallish well-behaved dog, lots of yard with trees and few neighbors. I would have a sweet hubby to grow old with, and maybe some kiddies at some point. My vehicle of choice would be a jeep and maybe something more practical for winter. Maybe I would travel, but sometimes traveling is only good for me in theory and not in practice. I would have a room with lots of shelves filled with books that I will have read, and a kitchen with all kinds of baking supplies and tools. These are some of my life dreams.... I'm sure I will gather more as I go... maybe some that are more adventurous... but for now I like my idea of a happy life, so I'm stickin' with it! :)