MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

ok, today i'm hitting you guys with a whack of birthday photos... i feel like i should write something profound or soulful to go along with this post. but, i've got nothin'! it's been such a busy work week for me (among other things) and i'm horribly brain dead. i need to plan a little getaway, i think. wine, a lake and yummy food is the way to my vacation heart. anywho, on with the birthday... on friday we visited my parents for a mediterranean inspired dinner (vegetarian for me) and it was so good. my dad is a sensational cook. did you know, my dad & i share the same birth date? how crazy is that??... double the fun, i say!

then on sunday, martin & i celebrated some more. we lounged in our pajamas and ate left-over birthday cake for breakfast (well, just me actually). high five. then we headed out to enjoy one of our favourite ocean-side trails... it’s a few steps from our home and pretty great. in the evening we hit up DQ (my guilty pleasure), enjoyed a patio dinner out + a movie. i gotta say, laid-back birthdays just might be my new favourite.

happiest weekend, friends. also... you may have noticed a few banner ads popping up on the blog. i took a little break from offering sponsorship due to a far too crazy work schedule, but i'm thrilled to be offering affordable advertising to companies which i'm passionate about. are you a shop or small business owner? take a peek at my sponsorship page or shoot me an email. i'd love to help you spread the word!

xo veronika

canada day long weekend (part one)

We enjoyed such a wonderful Canada Day long weekend. My mom was finally discharged from the hospital and she came to stay with us. We did what we do best: wore sweat pants, cooked, ate yummy food, went for relaxing walks, and watched our favourite TV shows. It was pretty awesome. Scout indulged in his favourite treat of cheese & peanut butter [yup, thanks mom] and spent much of the weekend glued to her. Oh Scout. He's such a little foodie, and treats are definitley the way to his heart.

<<< Scout gazing up at my mom and working the charm. >>>

<<< Wearing a winning combination of sweats & pj's. Oh yes, I'm all about easy weekend living! >>>

On Sunday, we finally decided to get dressed and venture outside. Let me tell ya, it was hot, hot. Like melting sweaty, don't want to move kind of hot. Luckily, we found a little bit of refuge at our favourite coffee shop. Hello shaded + breezy patio. I was also pretty excited to try their new gluten-free bakery additions. I ordered a berry muffin [so delicious] and a decaf mocha. After that, we puttered around the neighbourhood, headed to the village and bought a few ingredients for lunch.

<<< My mom shared her apricot & berry scone with [as we've lovingly named him] the mooch! >>>

 <<< My mom! Isn't she the cutest? Sweetest person you'll ever meet. We're thrilled she's doing better and feel so thankful we can be here for her during this time. >>>

<<< And for the grand finale, we took Scout for a complimentary doggy brunch at the dog bakery. Spinach and egg spanakopita. Can you believe it, how cute is that? >>>

xo veronika

over the weekend

1. Patio time with my blogging bestie - Lynn of Hearted Girl

2. Photographing new items for my Etsy shop and watching this guy snooze

3. A date with my handsome one

4. Enjoying a dairy & sugar free chocolate ice-cream. Um, total heaven!

5. Spending an afternoon puttering around our village and wearing my summer uniform

6. Savouring a couple of hours at our favourite & newly discovered ocean-side park

I so needed this past weekend. It was quiet, unencumbered and life felt blissfully simple. We spent the weekend close to home and did a few fun things here & there. On Saturday, we watched our local parade - it was happening a few steps from our house, so how could we resist? My personal favourite was the teddy bear float. Yup, totally awesome... I felt like a happy, grinning kid. Haha, just thinking about it puts a smile on my face.

There was lots of fabulous food this weekend too. I've been continuing on with my 21 day sugar-free cleanse. Honestly, it's getting easier and easier. Thank heavens! I'm also hoping to experiment with a few sugar-free desserts this week. Although, last night I sliced up some banana with raw almond butter, and that did the trick. Tonight, I'll be experimenting with a sugar & dairy free chocolate chia seed pudding. I'll be sure to share the recipe on the blog this week or the next.

Well... other than that, it's business as usual. Today, I'm hoping to spend a bit of time writing out goals for my Etsy shop as well as plan out which craft fairs I'll be attending in the fall. I'm also filling my calender with Stella & Dot parties for the month of July... and last but not least, planning out content + a few day trips for the blog. Nothing like a great weekend to help recharge for a productive week ahead, right?

xo veronika 

over the weekend

(heading down to the ocean to catch the sunset)

(blue, blue skies)

(most evenings end off with a visit to the pier and an ice-cream date)

 (gooey and so good: gluten free waffles, coffee Greek yogurt, maple syrup, bananas & blueberries)

(a typical weekend morning)

(the lounging experts)

 (and my weekend uniform... super soft tunic and the comfiest tights, ever!)

I desperately needed this past weekend. Lately, married life has been way too busy. Martin's been working hard, and working most weekends. The time we have spent together has been a whole lot of busy... running errands and sorting through the details of life. I'm honestly not the most patient wife when that happens. But I try, I really try, to stay patient. So having a weekend where we are schedule-free and can spend quality time together... well, it's pure magic.

Saturday was spent cleaning the condo together, then we made a fantastic lunch: red pepper & tomato soup along with oven baked cheese toast. We walked over to our sea-side village and grabbed a bottle of wine, sat on our patio, ate dinner and this gal got a foot massage. Thank you hubby. There was also shameless & guilt free late night waffle eating. And smiles! On Sunday we woke up feeling fabulously refreshed and ventured out for a hike. We found the most amazing spot... mountains, beach, trains, piers and a 30 minute long seawall walk which was all off-leash for our dog. It was great!

Also (yay), I had my first few orders from my Etsy shop over the weekend. Thank you to the lovely ladies that made their purchases this weekend. I can't wait to ship out your items! On that note, hope your Monday is shaping up to be a good one.

xo veronika