Tuesday, April 30, 2013

my man...

Okay, I'm going to brag here a little... or a lot... about my lovely future hubby.

My sister and her cutie pie family are moving to their new condo tomorrow, and Robyn VOLUNTEERED to help them move all of their stuff into the UHaul tonight!  I didn't even have to ASK him to help!  He was a huge help, too, the total sweetheart... he busted his butt to help them out!

Extra smooches for him, tonight!

He even offered to help move them into the condo, if they're not done by the time he gets off work.

I love this man!

There's so many more reasons why I love him, other than just his generous and helpful spirit... but I'll save you all the mushy gushiness :P

Now for an entirely unrelated note!

The lovely Jenni at Story of my Life has created a blogger challenge to blog every day in May!  And I'm taking part!  There will be some interruptions to my blogging schedule (hello, I'm getting married and going on a honeymoon!), but I will do my best to keep on track!


So, starting tomorrow, you will have my usual dose of randomness, paired with my blog every day challenge!  She has ever so kindly given us topics!  I'm so excited to take part in this, I've never done a blogging challenge before!

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)
Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)
Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable
Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it
Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member
Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?
Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of
Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.
Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)
Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill.
Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less
Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)
Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.
Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy
Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)
Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it
Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why
Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.
Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them
Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.
Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives
Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)
Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you
Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits
Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)
Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.
Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers
Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures
Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post
Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go
Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory

Well, that's all for tonight!

Toodles, lovelies!

Monday, April 29, 2013

i messed up my sleep cycle...

So, things have been going pretty good with my sleeping pattern lately.  I've been taking 10mg of melatonin before bed, and it conks me out in no time.  I've been sleeping so well!

Aside from the nightmares...

I guess nightmares are a side effect of melatonin.  Oh well, I'll take that over not sleeping!

Anyway, we had a really great family dinner with Robyn's side of the family last night, and I had a cup of coffee after dinner...

BIG MISTAKE!

I did not sleep a wink.  Went to bed at midnight, took my melatonin, and laid in bed until five in the morning, at which point I gave up on sleeping.  Got up, and played around on the internet and worked on the centerpieces for the wedding.

I had a doctor's appointment at 9, which took for freaking ever, as I was, once again, trying to convince my doctor to let me stop taking Effexor.  She finally caved, thank goodness... now I'm on track to be done taking it a few months from now!  You have to come off of Effexor slowly, as there are really harsh side effects... I regret ever starting taking it!  By my calculation, my last day for taking it should be... *drumroll please* August 19!  I'm so excited!  Not so much excited for the side effects, but excited to not be on this terrible medication anymore.

Anyway...

When I got home, I was FINALLY exhausted enough to be able to take a nap.  I set my alarm for two and a half hours (I wanted a long nap), and I guess when my alarm went off, I immediately turned it off... and I didn't wake up until six!!  I guess I wanted more sleep than I imagined.  Now I'm super awake, and it's beddy by time coming up here... ugh.  I hope the melatonin knocks me out tonight, and that my sleep schedule isn't too out of whack.

As I mentioned earlier, we went to a family dinner that Robyn's side of the family was having last night.  I love spending time with his side of the family, they're such sweet people.  His little brothers even drew me some pictures!  I kept them and put them up on our fridge... they're so cute!  We had a great time out at their house, catching up on everyone's busy lives!  It's always so nice to get to see family!

Tomorrow night we're helping my sister and her boyfriend load up their moving van, and then I'm helping them move into their new condo on Wednesday.  I'm so excited to see their new place!  It's a brand new rental building... and they're the lucky first people to get to live in the condo!

Well, I'm going to go have a cup of sleepy time tea... since I now know that caffeine is the root of most of my sleep problems... too bad I love things that contain caffeine!!!

Toodles, lovelies!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

instagram roundup...

I've made it through another hundred photos on my journey to compile all of my shots on Instagram, so I thought I would do a fun little post on my favourites from this pile!

Here goes!
Another shot from our trip to Fort Edmonton Park, here's a hat and boot maker's room.
I just like this sign because it uses the word "tomfoolery."
Sweet bikes!
A pretty garden.
The New CAPITOL Theatre!
I love this picture... "weavers of speech"
Train station!
Merlin is always sleeping with his tongue out...
My cutie pie niece's first birthday!
My sweetheart with my sweet niece!
The aftermath of birthday cupcakes...
Can't get enough of these two :)
Tuna cat!
The pepper plant I killed in under a week... I named him Ferdinand!
My newest tattoo, a birthday present from Robyn!
This is how Merlin helps with homework...
Cocoa, always causing trouble...
Love :)
Cocoa :)
Hell yeah!
The last day of autumn, right when all the snow hit...
Waiting for the bus.
Fake birthday!
My favourite owl mug :) which I got for my real birthday...
Well, hope you all enjoyed that!

Toodles, lovelies!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

shopping day...

We went shopping today!  And now I'm utterly exhausted.

Damn you, West Edmonton Mall!!

Seriously, that mall is just as packed as malls in Korea... it's terrible!  Plus, I am certain that there is no air conditioning ANYWHERE in that mall!  I was roasting as soon as we got in there.

The only place we could find parking was by the Caesar's Bingo, and we had to walk through the massive cloud of cigarette smoke being produced by the thirty people milling around and smoking outside of the Bingo place.

Brutal.

Anywho...

We started off with lunch at New Asian Village, which was amazing... but my stomach has shrunk since I began my all salad diet, and I ate more than I usually do, so I felt sick for the rest of the day.

DAMN THEIR DELICIOUS FOOD!!

I don't even feel like eating dinner tonight, now... and it's seven hours post Indian food binge.

Anyway...

We got into the mall, we met up with my darling sister and my lovely mom, and we commenced helping mom find a pair of shoes to wear to the wedding.

This would have been a normally sane idea... had we gone to ANY OTHER MALL!  Seriously... how does half of Edmonton not have anything better to do than to go to West Eddie Mall when my family wants to go there??

I have to say, though, that the trip started off well.  Robyn bought me bus tickets (YAY!), and then we stopped at a hat store, and Robyn found his wedding hat, and he bought a cute hat for me, too!
Definitely my new favourite piece of the summer!  I love the lace, and the beaded flower.  I can't wait to wear it on our honeymoon... Robyn will just have to remind me to put sunscreen on my ears!

Three hours later, all of us exhausted and ready for a nap (including my two nieces), we finally checked our last store, and found mom a pair of shoes.

HALLELUJAH!

(Seriously, is that how hallelujah is spelled??)

Anywyay...

They look cute, and she found them to be decently comfy.

Score!

After we found mom's shoes, Robyn brought the car around from the other side of the mall, so mom wouldn't have to walk the mall again, and we went home.  It was pretty darn nice to sit in the air conditioning and enjoy a nice quiet ride after being in that zoo of a mall.

Oh!  We also stopped at Teavana in the mall, and picked up some of our favourite teas:

Peach Tranquility

and

Citrus, Lavender, Sage

I made a big ol' pitcher of homemade iced tea, not sweet tea, with some of the Peach Tranquility, and our Indian Yellow Label black tea.

THANK GOODNESS FOR SPRING!

Delicious iced tea time!
Can't wait for it to cool down enough so we can chill it in the fridge, and then drink it.

You can make iced tea with cold water, instead of hot, but I find that the flavour is more intense with hot, and you don't have to use as much tea!

I'm gonna cap this off with a little review of the lipstick I wore today, because I just love it so darn much!

Today I wore one of my favourite MAC lipsticks, the Korean Candy Sheen Supreme lipstick.  Korean Candy is described as a "Bright Orange-Red" on the website, and was exactly what I was looking for when I was looking for a nice orange-y lipstick.  The formula is so smooth, and it's super hydrating, too... and I just LOVE the colour!
It's definitely one of my favourite lip colours, and it's such a joy to wear all day... it's not drying at all!  You can definitely tell from my picture of the tube that it's one of my most well-used lipsticks!  It spends a lot of time in my pockets and purses.

Well, that's all for now!

Toodles, lovelies!

Friday, April 26, 2013

the seven deadly beauty sins...


This is clearly a beauty related post!  I'm excited to do more beauty related posts here in the future... try and mix things up a bit :)

One of the blogs that I frequent, The Happy Sloths, had this fun little Seven Deadly Beauty Sins post, and encouraged the readers to join in, so I thought, hey, why not?

So, here goes!

1. GREED: What is your most expensive beauty item?

Definitely my Stila eye shadow palettes. I love those suckers, and I got all four of them for free with my shopper's Optimum bonus points!
A close second would be all of my Kat Von D lipsticks!

2. WRATH: What beauty item do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Foundation.  It's so difficult for me to find the right foundation, because my skin is so oily... and the only foundation I've found that really works is so expensive... definitely not affordable for a currently unemployed girl, such as me.
3. GLUTTONY: What brand makes up the biggest chunk of your collection?

Thanks to my eye shadow palettes, probably Stila.  Kat Von D for lipsticks... the rest is just a hodgepodge of everything.
4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect to use due to laziness?

I've really been neglecting my skincare regimen these days... and I've been kicking myself for it.  I need to get back into the routine!

5. PRIDE: Which beauty product gives you the most confidence?

It's a tie between eyeliner and lipstick.  I love both!
6. LUST: Which beauty item is at the top of your wish list?

A Clarisonic Mia... I feel like it would vastly improve my skincare situation.
7. ENVY: What makeup product/look looks great on others but not on yourself?

Bronzer!  I'm waaaaay too pale to pull it off, it looks awful on me!

Well!  I hope you all enjoyed that!  And feel free to join in!

That's all for tonight!

Toodles, lovelies!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

silver lining...

Remember a while back when I wrote about Glymm, and how I got screwed over by them for seven months of my subscription?

I'm still bitter...

Anyway...

There's this really great company called Nail Polish Canada, and they felt so bad for the girls who got screwed over by Glymm, that they're offering an Anti-Glymm Box Box!  There's three different boxes available, and you get to take your pick!  All you have to do is e-mail them with evidence that you've been screwed over by Glymm in the last four months, and they will give you their little promo code to get the box for free!  Now, their standard shipping policy does apply, so, if you just want the box, you'll be paying three dollars in shipping.  However, if you order $25+ of product, your items ship for free!  And, trust me, it is not difficult to spend $25+ on their website, because they have EVERYTHING!

So, all you have to do is send your evidence (receipt, credit card statement, confirmation email, whatever) to boxmeup@nailpolishcanada.com, and they will send you the promo code to get the box for free!  Isn't that sweet of them?!

It's a nice little bit of consolation for us girls that got screwed over by the shysters at Glymm.

There is good left in the world!

Well, I hope this post helps out some of my lovely readers!

Toodles, lovelies!

the blog post that took an entire day to write...

Okay, well, this is taking an entire day to write because the events that happened are happening throughout the day, as opposed to all at once, and I wanted to write things down as I went, because I have the memory of a goldfish.

OOH!  A SHINY!

Anyway...

First news of the day: I weighed myself this morning, after dieting since last... Friday... I think it was Friday... IT WAS!  I remember because I had salad for one day, and then we went to the farm and I had homecooked food... HEALTHY homecooked food!

Wow... that was a ramble no one wanted.

Anyway...

Since starting dieting last Friday, I have lost eight pounds!  I'm so proud of myself!

Now, on to the rest of my day!

I had my first interview with a recruiting company this afternoon, at noon precisely!  I think it went well, but it's so hard to tell... the guy didn't smile ONCE, and I thought I was being fucking charming as hell!  It was so hard to read him.

I have an interview with another company tonight at 8, and I'm more nervous for that one, because I actually really like the company that is interviewing me, so, I hope they accept me!

My biggest concern is with the location that I end up in.  I guess I'm flexible on location, but I really want to live on the coast, again.  I like being close to the sea.  Not that you're ever really far from a body of water when you live in Korea, it's such a tiny country.

I'll keep you all updated on what this second recruiting company says :)

EDIT:

The second interview went really well!  The girl was super nice, and she said she would be happy to help me out with the application process for the Korean English program!  Yay!

I'm still really early for the whole application process, they don't usually start accepting applications until September or October, so I will keep in contact with her, and start getting my documents ready in August.

I hope everything goes well!

Well, that's all for tonight!

Toodles, lovelies!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

music...

I've decided I'm going to restore my iPod to factory, and put a tonne of new music on it.  The thing is full of music that I feel guilty about deleting...  Why do I have music guilt??

I deleted most of the music off of my computer yesterday, so, that's a step in the right direction.  Now I just need to figure out what I want ON my iPod.

I kept the music from my favourite bands, like Alexisonfire, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Paramore, and The Tragically Hip... but I'm struggling to figure out what else I want to put on there.

I might just put individual songs from bands... that seems like a good idea, and is simple enough to do.

I always find myself switching from band to band, scrolling through songs to figure out what I want to listen to, so this method might be more efficient, and let me have to focus less on scrolling through my iPod, instead of walking... and stopping... then walking... then stopping...

I'm clearly not good at multitasking!

Anyway... if you have any music suggestions, I'd love to hear them!  I'm always up for trying out new music :)

On an unrelated note, I have two interviews with two different recruiting companies for Korean public schools tomorrow.  I'm super excited!  I hope they go well!  Of course, I'll write a blog post letting you all know, afterwards :)

That's all for now!

Toodles, lovelies!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

cat...

The damn cat put his tail RIGHT ON MY SALAD as I was eating dinner...

He's lucky I decided not to murder him.

I was so close...

Now he's looking at me like "wai u b mad at me??"

Damn cat eyes.

DAMN HIS CUTENESS!!

I'm going to go stick my ass on his kibbles.


Monday, April 22, 2013

useless...

It's official, I have the world's most useless doctor.

I went to see her today, about several things, and all she said, over and over again, was "I'm not comfortable advising you about that."

What EXACTLY are you comfortable advising me about?  Because, so far, it seems like shit all!

Ugh.  It's so friggin frustrating to walk all the way to my doctor, just to be told I need to see several other doctors, and make appointments with them, just for them to do what my one doctor SHOULD be able to do!

I think she might honestly be the worst doctor I've ever been to.  I HATE that I have to find a new doctor because I'm not in school anymore, and I can't go to my doctor at the university.

THIS SUCKS.

SUCKS.

SUCKS!

SSSUUUCCCKKKSSS!!!

Ahem.

I should just become a doctor, and get a job in the same office as her, and actually be willing to give patients advice... THAT WOULD SHOW HER!

Too bad she'll probably be dead by the time I get out of med school.

Not really... she's probably only in her forties.

BUT STILL!

Ugh.  Okay.  I'm done ranting about this, now.  I have appointments to make... incredibly inconvenient appointments.

Toodles, lovelies!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

ready to branch out...

So, when I got back from Korea the first time, I had a lot of problems with depression and anxiety... Canada was not where I wanted to be.  I toughed it out for about eight months before I caved into whatever was spurring this on, and I kind of fell into a pit of despair.

I stopped going to school, and I started calling in sick to work a lot.  I wanted to feel motivated, and I felt bad about my lack of drive to do ANYTHING, but I couldn't overcome this darkness that was consuming me.

I had been seeing a counselor for a few months, but gave it up when I headed back to school.  Maybe that was a big mistake.  All I know is, everything seemed to be crashing down around me, and I felt like I wasn't in control of my life anymore.

School was definitely a big factor.  As much as I had come back to Canada specifically to go back to school, I hated my program as soon as I started it.  I didn't like my classes, and the practicums were even worse.  

I just didn't like teaching in Canada.

The students were rude and didn't care about their education, and they didn't care about me as a teacher.  I spent most days frustrated, redoing lesson plans to try and get the students to care about what I was teaching them.  Trying to get them to do the assignments I was giving them.  Everything was a struggle, a battle... and it just ended up with me hating what I was doing.

And, as the university's policy is, there's never anything wrong with what the students are doing, the problem is with what you're doing.  I never agreed with that, and I never will.  

The university killed my passion for teaching.

Two month into my starting the education program, I made the decisions to see my doctor about being prescribed some anti-depressants.  If I had no motivation two months in... where was I going to find my motivation fourteen months down the line?  Things just did not look promising for me.

It wasn't just affecting my school and work life, it was ruining my personal life, too.  I became a flake.  I would make plans, and then flake out at the last minute.  I didn't want to see people, I just wanted to stay in bed and watch Six Feet Under on repeat.

For the good of all of the facets of my life, I needed to make the decision to go onto antidepressants.  I didn't see anything else working.

The doctor I went to agreed with me, that maybe trying the medication would improve my quality of life, and, for the next sixteen months, we worked on trying to get the right dosage and the right brand for my situation.

I still struggle day to day with anxiety and depression, but things have gotten a lot better.  I think it owes a lot to Robyn being in my life.  He's the most supportive and caring person in the world, and he loves me no matter how crazy I am.

Tomorrow I'm going to talk to my doctor about no longer taking my medication.  I just feel like I'm at a place in my life where I don't need it anymore, and I don't want to be on it.  I don't want to worry about it while I'm on vacation, and I don't want to have to try and find some way to secretly acquire it while I'm in Korea.

I feel like I'm in a really stable and happy place in my life... a world of difference since a year and a half ago. If there's any time to try going off my antidepressants, that time is now.  I honestly couldn't ask for a happier life.

So, that's what I'm doing tomorrow, asking my doctor for an IUD, and asking her about going off of my antidepressants.  I feel really great about both of these decisions!

Well, that's all for now!

Toodles, lovelies!

glymm...

I love monthly beauty boxes, and I used to be subscribed to almost all of them, but it's recently been cut down to just one, called Starlooks.

I say recently, because a box I had been a long time subscriber of recently jumped ship... with all of our money... and that box is Glymm.

It holds a pretty sore spot in my heart.

Glymm was my first beauty box subscription, and it was AMAZING when it first started.  There were full sized products galore, and even the deluxe samples were quite generous!  They even gave out jellybeans in a cute little glass jar with each box.

Things started to go downhill when they changed from putting everything in a box, to putting it all in makeup bags.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the little makeup bags, they were cute... but the size and quantity of the samples decreased, and we never got full sized products anymore.

Things got even worse when they started offing their "Polish me up" promo... the promise that you would get one full sized nail polish with each and every bag, if you paid for a year in advance...

This is where I admit that I got suckered in with the promise of an extra polish each month, and I subscribed for a full year, last September, to take advantage of this opportunity.

BIG MISTAKE.

Every month afterwards was a huge disappointment... samples I would never use, and they were mostly foil packets and minuscule samples, as opposed to the deluxe samples we used to get.

Girls got angry.

Yes we did.

Their Facebook wall was soon flooded with angry messages about why we were being screwed over, it was like punishment for subscribing to them for a year.

The boxes were supposed to be shipped by the tenth of every month, but, by the new year, they began to ship later and later, to the point where they weren't even shipping in the same month we were supposed to receive them in.

Then  March hit.  We kept waiting and waiting for our boxes, with Glymm occasionally telling us to just wait, and we would get them.  Then the communication stopped all together.

Rumors about bankruptcy started floating around, and attempts were made to get in contact with Glymm to get even the faintest glimmer of information...

Phone calls...

E-mails...

Facebook messages...

Writing on their Facebook wall...

A newspaper even went down to Glymm headquarters...

NOTHING!

The worst part was, they were still allowing people to make orders on their website, and they were still taking money from customers for the future months of the box.

And then, April 19th, we were hit with this e-mail:

"We have had an amazing time with you all along our journey to living a life more beautiful.

After sending you so many beautiful boxes, from jelly beans to lollipops, from lipstick to nail polish, we are sad to say that our journey with you has come to an end.

We have been unable to continue serving you as the company simply could not sustain itself. After lots of effort to continue to send you outstanding products and services, we have been left with no other choice but to close our beautiful company. We thank our dedicated and talented team and our valued members who have given us nothing but love along the way.

The whole Glymm team worked around the clock to continuously introduce you to the newest and latest in Beauty from all over the world.

Thank you for being part of a life more beautiful and we hope that you continue to find beauty in all that you see.

With love and sincerity,

The Glymm Team"

So, that was it... they were out of business... and I was out seven of the twelve months of my subscription.

Almost immediately afterwards, their Facebook page was taken down, their phone lines were severed, their webpage disappeared, their Twitter page was gone, and e-mails desperately sent to them in an attempt to get our money back were bounced back.

They disappeared off the face of the planet.

I called my credit card company, to see if the charge could be disputed, and they told me not to hold out to too much hope, since it's past the 90 day dispute policy.  So, I'm not too hopeful... I figure I'm definitely out the money for the seventh months of the subscription that I have left.

Most of all, I'm disappointed.  They kept us in the dark for so long, with no information, and then they just ripped the rug right out from under us, and left.

I'm hoping that the same doesn't happen with Starlooks, as I really enjoy receiving this box.  I'll post reviews of my next box on the good ol' blog, here :)

Well, that's all for now.  I hope none of my readers got screwed over by Glymm, too.

Toodles, lovelies!

the curse...

The curse of the coffee.

I drank three cups of coffee tonight, and now I cannot sleep, despite being very tired.

It is five in the morning.

Joy.

family time...

I grew up just outside of a very small town in rural Alberta, called Andrew.  My parents still live out there, and, occasionally, we make the hour and a half drive to go visit them.

Today was one of those days!

And, let me tell you... my mom and I got druuuuuunk!

It started out innocently enough!  We went out there for a nice dinner with my mom and dad, and they brought out a bottle of wine with the shrimp cocktail appetizer.  Let me tell you, I am not once to resist a glass of wine... and then another... and then another... and then another bottle of wine was found... and then we shared a Caesar... and then we had a B-52 coffee... and another... and another.

My mom got me drunk!

Oh well, I had fun getting there :P

We played a board game called "You Don't Say," and it just got more and more hilarious as my mom and I got more and more drunk.

We had a pretty grand time out there, though, a lot of great conversation, and a lot of laughs were had.

I'm glad Robyn likes my family, and doesn't mind spending time with all of us.  He's a pretty awesome fiance.  And I'm glad my family loves him, too!

That's all for tonight!

Toodles, lovelies!

Friday, April 19, 2013

birth control...

So, yeah, I'm bringing you into the messy details of my life... deal with it!

I've been thinking about birth control A LOT lately... trying to figure out what's really my best option.

I had to stop taking the pill, because I get halo migraines.  The pill puts you at an increased risk for stroke, and halo migraines do, too... so the Dr suggested I stop taking the pill.

Now I'm left wondering what the hell I should do!

I've been looking into Mirena, a hormonal intrauterine device, and it seems like a really good option to me.  The stuff I've read notes a low occurrence rate of side effects, and it lasts for FIVE YEARS!  Plus, you don't have to do anything once it's in.  I was never good at remembering to take my pill.

Another option is the copper IUD... no hormones at all, and it's good for 10-15 years!

Decisions, decisions...

Welp, I have an appointment with my family Dr on Monday to discuss my options.  Hopefully she has some sage advice for me :)

I definitely want something that is low maintenance, and will last for a few years.  Getting birth control in Korea can be a worrisome experience.  The last thing you want is for the ladies in the pharmacy seeing you buying birth control near your school, and then gossip getting around to your school and the parents at your school.

Well, that's my little bit of mind ooze for the night.  Thanks for reading my rambling!

Toodles, lovelies!

i have taken a lover...

Don't worry, fiance, this lover is no competition for you :)

My new lover is the Skinny Girl White Peach Margarita.  Holy friggin' delicious!  And only 100 calories per half a cup.

We decided to take a trip to the liquor store today to celebrate the fact that we got our marriage license today!  Also, we needed to get our liquor license.  So, why not get some celebratory drinks, as well!  Robyn chose a beer that he says is gross, but it came in a cool bottle... so, that's kind of a win.  I wanted a bottle of Fruli, strawberry beer, but it didn't have how many calories it was written on its label, so I decided to take a gamble on the Skinny Girl.

Gamble: SUCCESS!!

It smells amazing, too... the smell is wafting around me as I write this.

Onwards!

I picked up a driver's handbook while we were at the registry, getting our marriage license.  I'm determined to learn how to drive.

DETERMIIIIIIINED!!!

I might do the whole "getting a license" thing while we're in Korea, if we decide to get a car.  I looked into it last time I was there, and it seems pretty easy.  None of this mandatory two year learner's license bullshit.  I think it's just really about time that I get my license.  I am 25, after all.

I re-organized my BlogLovin account today, went through the list of blogs I subscribe to, and unsubscribed to the ones that haven't posted in over a year.  There was a lot!  I realize that I'm totally one of those bloggers, but it sure makes it a lot easier to keep up to date when my list is up to date!

Oh!  I've made it through another 100 photos on Instagram, so I think i'll do a little photo roundup for you all today.  100 seems like a much more manageable number than 200.

This first photo is from our big BC trip, again.  It's the road from Whistler to Jasper.


Same with these ones.



I just like the thought of this building being called "the Wong building."


Cocoa sniffing his stuffed animal twin.


My favourite wine.


Spirit Island, in Jasper


Athabasca Falls.


My adorable niece!


I got henna done!


We went to see one of my favourite bands, Brand New!


My two favourite boys!


Fort Edmonton Park.


Well, that's all for now!

Toodles, lovelies!