canada’s ocean playground

life lately

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Hey all, Happy Labour Day. I have to work (womp womp) but, I thought it’d be fun to take a break and try a life lately post – a whole lot of pics which I’ve mostly kept on my phone and off Instagram – until now. The last few weeks have been busy…

Back to school shopping – he’s mostly okay with grade two. IMG_6091Lunch date at the Heartwood with my sister and niece. Their veggie burger is pretty amazing.
IMG_6092Edith is now + 6 weeks old and 6 x more adorable!  
IMG_6094I still won’t eat alpha sprouts (salmonella poisoning once) so they only stayed for the photo.
IMG_6095Summer soccer is a wrap. David’s fourth season at Halifax City Soccer Club.
IMG_6098Finally tried the ‘Montreal-style’ bagels at East Coast Bakery. Yum.
IMG_6102It was National Dog Day and Henry and I celebrated by lying on the grass together.
IMG_6114Long run, and for 27 km I thought about this:
IMG_6111David’s last day at Mic Mac Aquatic Club. Not a bad place to spend summer.
IMG_6116To celebrate the end of summer camp, we went to our friend’s house for a BBQ – I made a pie.
IMG_6108 IMG_6110Neighbour’s who make blueberry jam are good neighbours to have!
IMG_6122David decided to have a lemonade stand. He sold 25 glasses at $0.25/each and came home with $16 dollars. Apparently tips are good in the lemonade business.
IMG_6120We went to Pete’s Dragon. I teared up many times behind my 3D glasses.
IMG_6123I made beets and now salads are way better these days.
IMG_6121David, Henry and I took Mike and Amanda to Duncan’s Cove. It’s crazy-beautiful and very close to the city!
IMG_6124 IMG_6125 IMG_6126When you have to do a little work on weekends… this is how you do it.
IMG_6127I tried to play hooky twice – ended up working both days but still squeezed in a lot of fun. David and I had all-day breakfast at Baba Ghanouj Cafe and candy from the Freak Lunchbox. (psst. my eggs are on top of eggplant and that’s pickled turnip on the side!)
IMG_6132 IMG_6133Then the next day we biked to the ferry – and rode the boat over to Dartmouth for a date with Sarah and Libby at the Canadian Sprint Canoe/Kayak Championships.
IMG_6136 IMG_6137 IMG_6138IMG_6139Libby and David ran away with our phones and I found these pics later that day.
IMG_6148 IMG_6151 IMG_6164August is over and work is busy! Halfway through marathon training and trying to check a few more things off my 100 Days of Summer list!
IMG_6179If you love poached eggs as much as David and I do, learning new tricks to make them even better brings such joy (boil the egg for a minute then crack into a bowl then slide into the boiling water!)
IMG_6180I had a BAD long run so I needed this one to be good. I found 25 km of Heaven in Pugwash and ran happy the whole way. Phew.
IMG_6182 IMG_6183A field of sunflowers!
IMG_6188Sheep!
IMG_6190And the most camera-happy cows!
IMG_6197 IMG_6210Sometimes when you create a route online with MapMyRun.com, what looks like a road may not actually be a road (this was the better end of the 4-km trail)
IMG_6191My mom, G’love her, puts up with all my crazy running and follows behind on a bike regardless of the conditions.
IMG_6200I was born right here:
IMG_6198Pugwash has one of the best Saturday Farmer’s Markets.
IMG_6204 IMG_6209Edie looking very adorable in David’s old Oeuf chair
IMG_6216When camping got cancelled in August, I was determined to still sleep in a tent and eat camp-stove Kraft Dinner so we did it in my parent’s yard.
IMG_6217 IMG_6218So, I totally jumped on the cider train this summer. My current favourite:
IMG_6220Maureen (my aunt) and Mark’s garlic! If you want some, it’s for sale – let me know!
IMG_6221On our drive back to the city we stopped at a sheep farm but one of us had to wait by the car… I was happy to hang out with him.
IMG_6223That’s a wrap. I hope you’re enjoying the last bit of summer. It’s not over… just a wee bit cooler at nights.

I may try this again… let me know what you think.

psst. If you like what you’re reading, please subscribe and share. xomeg

little hiker, big hills : good idea?

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Oh man. It is coming… S U M M E R

Time to figure out David’s schedule-of-fun.

Top priority: GET OUTSIDE

We are looking at doing almost the same thing as last year… because why rock the boat when it was smooth sailing?

There are 9 weeks to cover. NINE WEEKS! Why am I not a teacher?!?  Why did I grow up? 

Weeks 1 / 2 / 5 / 6 / 8 : Micmac Aquatic Club Camp: I am from Waverley. Meaning, once a Cheema girl, always a Cheema girl but the club is a bit out of the way so last year, we discovered the day camp at Micmac Aquatic Club where you drop your child off in the morning and they get to swim, kayak, war canoe and play all day (supervised)! That’s how I spent every summer as a child (minus the supervised part) and I was convinced it was the best plan for my child. Obviously, he loved it. Bonus, it is an easy drop off location for Mike on his way to work and quite possibly one of my favourite places to run in the city.

Weeks 3 / 4 : Canada Games Centre Swim Program Camp: Winter, Spring and Fall we sign David up for 9-week swim lessons but in the Summer we can cram a session into a 2-week camp. The camp costs more than 2 weeks at Micmac but you get a full lesson out of the deal. Unfortunately it means I have to drive him there… and as a work-at-homer, I do not like driving during rush hour… even when it is against traffic.

Week 7 : Nana and David in Pugwash: My mom has graciously offered to take David for a week. Pugwash is paradise in the Summer and she has a few fun plans up her sleeve including the beach, the river, camping and a trip to the Fundy Geological Museum!

Week 9 : …TBD… Years ago (we’re talking 2000-2001), Mike and I hiked Cape Chignecto twice. The first time we went in and out of Refugee Cove… which is no joke (especially when you neglect to bring a stove and end up surviving off a few cinnamon buns and cold oatmeal)! The following year, we invested in a stove and hiked the loop in three days (two nights). At the time, the last section of the trail was not complete so we did about 40 out of the full 50 km loop – and even had a moose visit our tent! It has always been our plan to go back and complete it. Is 2016 the year? Can a 7-year-old handle it? We never take time off in the summer – mostly because I get extra hours covering other people’s holidays – but I’d like to try a family back country hike. As much as I love making memories with friends, Mike and I are not car campers – our gear is not for car camping and we’d like to give this a try. David may hate us. We may not make it. It may be the worst idea ever but at least we will be outside!CC.OverviewWhat about you – What are your Summer plans?
Have you hiked Cape Chignecto? How many nights? Where did you camp?
Can a 7-year-old handle it?

Here we were… way be then. Babies. IMG_5249IMG_5251IMG_5250IMG_5248

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here for a good time. not a long time

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Guys, I have been dreading this post. So much so that I even extended Summer by one month… Unfortunately, Mother Nature will not cooperate much longer and now I must submit my final report on the 500 100 Days of Summer Must-Do List.

Here is when it all started. Here is the halftime recap.

Without further ado:

  1. host a back yard social (Happy Birthday to me)
  2. bike to the Seaport Market (David did too!)
  3. swim in a lake
  4. swim in the ocean (The Gulf Shore)
  5. swim in the river (Wallace River)
  6. mow the lawn (once)
  7. paddle a canoe (on the Wallace River)
  8. drive a motor boat (on the Wallace River)
  9. go in a sail boat
  10. go for a run then jump in the water right after  (Wallace River)
  11. stroll through the Public Gardens (lugging heavy camera gear)
  12. sit around a camp fire (at an engagement party)
  13. go on a road trip (Cabot Trail Relay)
  14. hike Cape Split
  15. hike the small loop of the bluff with the boys (although 10km is no small feat for a 5 & 6 year old)
  16. go for ice cream (Wallace at the docks)
  17. go strawberry picking
  18. make strawberry jam (and gave it all away!)
  19. make strawberry shortcake (with homemade tea biscuits of course)
  20. eat from a food truck (and caught up with an old friend)
  21. get a pedicure (with a group of girls, the best)
  22. have dinner and drinks on an outdoor patio (with the whole family, lucky girl)
  23. watch an outdoor movie
  24. dance (weddings)
  25. plant a vegetable garden (saddest vegetable garden north of Young Street)
  26. run in a race… or two … or three (Bluenose, Cabot Trail Relay, The Butter Trail Run, Maritime Race Weekend Sunset 5 km and Sunrise Half)
  27. go to a wedding (two as a guest, 3 as an assistant)
  28. buy a sundress (and got one for my birthday too)
  29. go tubing on the wallace river (pretty much the most enjoyable summer activity ever)
  30. make potato salad (without peas)
  31. accidentally get a sun burn
  32. get a bug bite  (and was a landlord to a billion fruit flies)
  33. play corn hole
  34. play croquette (and won! twice!!)
  35. play washer toss (and sucked, even against a 5 year old)
  36. eat peas from the pod (the only way I will eat them)
  37. have a picnic (along the bluff trail and at the beach)
  38. see Cape Breton (Cabot Trail Relay)
  39. lay in the grass (countless times)
  40. roll down a hill (um, adults have you done this recently? It crazy hurts your head)
  41. buy patio furniture (and an umbrella too)
  42. eat a popsicle (Rootbeer is the best)
  43. leave the province
  44. build a sand castle (more mid-century than castle but it still counts)
  45. watch David play soccer (Go Team Russia!)
  46. eat lobster (post Cabot Trail Relay reception, fresh from the docks of Wallace Bay, and in a roll at the market)
  47. swim with Henry across the river  (Henry’s happy place)
  48. walk on a sand bar (Pugwash has the best sandbars)
  49. plant a hydrangea tree (end of season clearance, lets hope she grows)
  50. work outside (freelance perk)
  51. drink my morning coffee outside (even while hanging laundry)
  52. sleep with the window open and the fan on (AC is for whimps)
  53. have friends stop by unannounced  (and brought Starbucks!)
  54. try a new local restaurant… or two … or three (and very local – North End is booming: EnVie, The Nook On Gottingen, Agricola Street Brasserie)
  55. watch a parade  (Oxford had better handouts, Pugwash had Gene)
  56. hear bagpipes (hard to avoid in Nova Scotia)
  57. walk on a beach  (happy to write: lots of times!)
  58. night swim
  59. make smores and eat them
  60. make rhubarb crisp with the rhubarb from the yard  (the happy weed)
  61. make tomato sauce with the tomatoes from my garden (smallest batch of tomato sauce ever)
  62. catch up to Sons of Anarchy (we caught up to Netflix, I count this as a YES but please, no spoilers)
  63. read a magazine outside (thinking about subscribing to Domino)
  64. wear heels (once!)
  65. wear jean shorts  (but not with heels)
  66. run on the Trans Canada Trail   (a few times, a few places)
  67. sleep in a tent
  68. stay in a hotel  (Cabot Trail Relay)
  69. have a yard sale (cha-ching)
  70. go to a yard sale (I bought a chair, people think it’s ugly but I see potential)
  71. paint the foundation of the house
  72. get blonde highlights  (what… it’s not natural?)
  73. register for a fall race (PEI Marathon! Gulp)
  74. walk along the Halifax waterfront (more than once)
  75. morning run along the Halifax water front (earlier the better)
  76. ride the ferry (date night with David)
  77. bike with David further than 3 blocks (from push bike to big bike without needing training wheels)
  78. get muddy (Evangeline Beach with some landlubbers!) 
  79. get sandy (hard to avoid with a #nssummer)
  80. play hooky from work (another perk to freelancing) 
  81. make devilled eggs (easier than I thought)
  82. lay in a hammock  (chez Ackerman’s)
  83. have cut flowers on the coffee table all summer (most of the time from the clearance bins at the Superstore)
  84. hill train one day every week  (I am not a believer, hill training works!)
  85. go to Cyclone 5 times in one week
  86. eat corn on the cob (the only way I will eat it)
  87. buy a new bathing suit (trusty Speedo)
  88. run through a sprinkler  (5:10/km pace)
  89. buy some art (and it is already hung)
  90. see Shakespeare by the Sea
  91. go on a trail run (discovered the Salt Marsh Trail system – all 32 km of it)
  92. finish a good book (A House in the Sky)
  93. ride a horse
  94. mini golf
  95. pick a summer song (Summer started with ‘Shot Me Down‘ by David Guetta and ended with ‘Shake it Off‘ by Taylor Swift)
  96. visit Kejimkujik National Park  (We spent a day at the Seaside park)
  97. take David to Citadel Hill
  98. fly a kite
  99. bike over the MacDonald bridge with David
  100. have David plan a prefect pre-first-day-of-big-school / end-of-summer-day (we rode the ferry and had a dinner date on the waterfront)

I missed 18 out of 100 (not bad, right?) … Sure, there are things I wish I did but summer was still awesome! I spent time with family and friends and discovered new places. I wore flip flops daily and enjoyed being outside as much as possible. I did not:

  1. swim in a lake (biggest regret of the summer)
  2. go in a sail boat (however mike showed me 5,877 sailboats on Kijiji we should of purchased)
  3. hike Cape Split (in my defence, it was closed half of the summer)
  4. go strawberry picking (I like the idea of it, more than actually doing it)
  5. watch an outdoor movie (regretting this one)
  6. accidentally get a sun burn (patting my back for failing this one)
  7. play corn hole (sorry Ava, we still owe you a cornhole table… bad friends)
  8. leave the province (why leave when you live in Canada’s Ocean Playground?)
  9. night swim (I sang the song, does that count?)
  10. make smores and eat them (smore what? … You’re killing me, Smalls!)
  11. paint the foundation of the house (opps…)
  12. go to Cyclone 5 times in one week (I blame Marathon training for this fail)
  13. see Shakespeare by the Sea (regretting this one)
  14. ride a horse (whomp whomp)
  15. mini golf (I suck, therefore I don’t)
  16. take David to Citadel Hill (Mike did, but I went as a wedding assistant… no one was named David)
  17. fly a kite (I watched other families fly kites and thought, gee, we should do that)
  18. Bike over the MacDonald bridge with David (I decided he may not be ready for this yet… the hill to and from the bridge is nasty)

So, #nssummer is done y’all! Thanks to those of you who tagged pics on Instagram. I have created a new one for autumn: #fall4novascotia

Lets do this! nssummer

psst. If you like what you’re reading, please subscribe and share. xomeg

500 days of summer

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… I wish. More like 100 (if we’re lucky) but isn’t that a great movie. The best.

Anyway, with such a short summer, it is crucial to squeeze as much awesomeness in as possible so I decided to make a list. Living in Nova Scotia during the summer months is like living in an ocean playground (oh wait, Nova Scotia IS Canada’s Ocean Playground!) … It is dreamy and it almost makes up for the rest of the year. So, in no particular order, here are 100 things I hope to do / eat / see this summer*. I have already done a few, and will check back in at the end of the season and see how well I did.

  1. host a back yard social
  2. bike to the Seaport Market
  3. swim in a lake
  4. swim in the ocean
  5. swim in the river
  6. mow the lawn
  7. paddle a canoe (on the Wallace River)
  8. drive a motor boat
  9. go in a sail boat
  10. go for a run then jump in the water right after
  11. stroll through the Public Gardens
  12. sit around a camp fire (at an engagement party)
  13. go on a road trip (Cabot Trail Relay)
  14. hike cape split
  15. hike the small loop of the bluff with the boys
  16. go for ice cream
  17. go strawberry picking
  18. make strawberry jam
  19. make strawberry shortcake
  20. eat from a food truck
  21. get a pedicure
  22. have dinner and drinks on an outdoor patio
  23. watch an outdoor movie
  24. dance
  25. plant a vegetable garden
  26. run in a race… or two … or three (Bluenose, Cabot Trail Relay)
  27. go to a wedding
  28. buy a sundress
  29. go tubing on the wallace river
  30. make potato salad
  31. accidentally get a sun burn
  32. get a bug bite
  33. play corn hole
  34. play croquette
  35. play washer toss
  36. eat peas from the pod
  37. have a picnic
  38. see Cape Breton
  39. lay in the grass
  40. roll down a hill
  41. buy patio furniture
  42. eat a popsicle
  43. leave the province
  44. build a sand castle
  45. watch David play soccer
  46. eat lobster (post Cabot Trail Relay reception)
  47. swim with Henry across the river
  48. walk on a sand bar
  49. plant a hydrangea tree
  50. work outside
  51. drink my morning coffee outside
  52. sleep with the window open and the fan on
  53. have friends stop by unannounced
  54. try a new local restaurant… or two … or three
  55. watch a parade
  56. hear bagpipes
  57. walk on a beach
  58. night swim
  59. make smores and eat them
  60. make rhubarb crisp with the rhubarb from the yard
  61. make tomato sauce with the tomatoes from my garden
  62. catch up to Sons of Anarchy
  63. read a magazine outside
  64. wear heels
  65. wear jean shorts
  66. run on the Trans Canada Trail
  67. sleep in a tent
  68. stay in a hotel  (Cabot Trail Relay)
  69. have a yard sale
  70. go to a yard sale
  71. paint the foundation of the house
  72. get blonde highlights
  73. register for a fall race
  74. walk along the Halifax waterfront
  75. morning run along the Halifax water front
  76. ride the ferry
  77. bike with David further than 3 blocks
  78. get muddy
  79. get sandy
  80. play hooky from work
  81. make devilled eggs
  82. lay in a hammock
  83. have cut flowers on the coffee table all summer
  84. hill train one day every week
  85. go to Cyclone 5 times in one week
  86. eat corn on the cob
  87. buy a new bathing suit
  88. run through a sprinkler
  89. buy some art
  90. see Shakespeare by the Sea
  91. go on a trail run
  92. finish a good book
  93. ride a horse
  94. mini golf
  95. pick a summer song
  96. visit Kejimkujik National Park
  97. take David to Citadel Hill
  98. fly a kite
  99. bike over the MacDonald bridge with David
  100. have David plan a prefect pre-first-day-of-big-school / end-of-summer-day

How about you? Is there anything that is a MUST DO for you?

IMG_0790 IMG_0875IMG_0930 IMG_0918IMG_0931IMG_0877

*I am saying summer started on the long weekend of May and ends on the Monday after Labour Day (even though our September is pretty amazing!)

psst. If you like what you’re reading, please subscribe and share. xomeg