View of the American Falls, taken from the Sky Wheel attraction.

We are officially back in Ottawa after a fantastic trip to Niagara Falls! What an incredible place! Certainly unlike anywhere I've ever been in Ontario before!

We boarded the bus at 1:00 am on February 14th, arrived in Niagara 10 hours later, and headed straight to our hotel. Since we arrived early, we couldn't check into our room, so the hotel staff graciously stored our luggage while we went out to explore.

The front lobby of The Hilton Double Tree Hotel.

The downtown district of Niagara Falls is full of activities and entertainment, not to mention a variety of restaurants and hotels. Since we decided to visit in winter, rather than summer, we missed out on a few seasonal activities like the boat tours or mini golf.

Even though it was incredibly snowy, seeing the falls in winter was certainly a memorable and enjoyable experience none the less. We had a really fun time exploring the Clifton Hill area and sampling the food from restaurants that we don't have here in Ottawa.

Some of the local birds at the Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls.

Where We Stayed: The Hilton Double Tree Hotel 

Where We Ate: Margaritaville - IHOP - The Rainforest Cafe - Ruby Tuesdays

 *We actually went to Margaritaville twice and ate at the hotel restaurant three times

What We Did: Sky Wheel - Niagara's Fury 4D Experience - Journey Behind the Falls - Bird Kingdom

*We had planned on going to the Butterfly Conservatory, but unfortunately the bus was cancelled due to weather conditions

Overall, we had a really wonderful time, and we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip and see one of the greatest natural wonders in the world!

Christmas Fair at City Hall

This weekend was relaxing and restful..exactly what we needed! Aside from taking Rocky out to the dog park a few times, we also managed to check out the Christmas Fair at City Hall, that took place on Saturday, December 5th from 2 pm - 6 pm.

The weather was so mild and warm over the weekend, which made the long lines outside of City Hall much more bearable! We arrived about an hour after the event started, so there were lots of people there already. The shortest line happened to be for drinks, so we quickly grabbed a spot and waited for our hot chocolate. Next up, we took our place in the significantly longer line for FREE Beaver Tails! They weren't giving people any choice of toppings, but how could anyone complain about a FREE cinnamon sugar Beaver Tail??

Unfortunately, we didn't do the horse-drawn carriage ride (the line was really long), but we still enjoyed seeing all of the fun activities and Christmas decorations throughout the City Hall grounds. They had a merry-go-round, a craft workshop, and of course, a meet-and-greet with Mr and Mrs Claus! Of course, I should note that the event catered primarily to kids and families, but there were still plenty of young couples and older groups in attendance. 

On Sunday, I got a chance to do what I had been looking forward to ever since the weather started to get colder...I wrapped Christmas presents! I also wrote our Christmas cards, which was actually quite a feat! My hand was certainly starting to ache by the time I finished and sealed the final card. I personally enjoy wrapping Christmas presents, especially when I get to do it while listening to Christmas music and sipping on a peppermint mocha (my homemade version: dark chocolate, coffee, steamed milk, and a peppermint candy cane)!

I even had a little helper keeping me company! Now, if only I could teach him to cut tape and curl ribbons for me! Hehehe, just kidding of course! 

Extended Weekend Recap

Whew..what a weekend! Definitely filled with plenty of highs and lows, that's for certain! For one, I can't believe it's already December! It'll be Christmas before we know it, and then after that it'll be a whole new year!

Since I work in retail, I knew this weekend was going to be a big one with Black Friday...not as crazy as I've seen it get in the United States, but certainly busier than a typical busy day! I have to say, the chaotic frenzy of shopping on Black Friday weekend is just not for me. 

For goodness sake, one of the main reasons I prefer online shopping is that I get to avoid the crowds. It's not that I don't like people, it's just that I would rather not jostle through the crowds, wait in line to try a shirt on that I know dozens (if not more) have already tried on, and then wait in line, at this point both tired and hot, to pay a slightly cheaper price for a pair of jeans I don't really love anyway. 

Love this movie! Confessions of a Shopaholic! 

Instead, I prefer spending a quiet afternoon browsing the entire available stock of any given company, at my leisure, from the comfort of my own home. I don't have to worry about discovering that the store doesn't have my size, because I don't have to deal with going into the store at all. Yes, there is always the potential that what I ordered doesn't fit or isn't quite right, but I must admit, this is becoming less and less of a problem with wonderfully stress-free return policies! Most reputable companies will even return your online purchases right in the store for you! With so many companies leveling out the differences between in-store and online shopping, in most cases, I find it easier to stick to my computer since I'll be getting the same great deals no matter what. 

Me + Yvonne right before we
dropped her off at the bus station.

In any case, I will admit that I did make one purchase over the Black Friday weekend, and I did it online! Since last winter, when I first tried it on, I wanted an Alpinetek parka from Sears. I got to try one on last year, and it was wonderful! I absolutely love my TNA parka from Aritzia, but sadly it's not the warmest coat once the temperature dips past -20..which it often does here in Ottawa between January-March. Anyway, I finally bought the Alpinetek parka, along with the Alpinetek winter boots, which even my husband will admit I actually needed! Since both items were reduced by about 30% off, plus Ryan's discount of 25% off, I got both items severely reduced! 

The most exciting thing that happened this weekend however, was a visit from our friend Yvonne! It wasn't a complete surprise, but it was planned very last minute, so it was still a bit unexpected. Yvonne and I went to UBC together, and actually hadn't seen each other since graduation (check out that post here). She's been working as an airline stewardess, and happened to be flying into Montreal on Sunday afternoon. After she took the train to Ottawa, we picked her up and headed back to our apartment! Since I worked on Monday morning, Ryan was kind enough to play tourist with Yvonne and do a tour of Parliament. Once I finished work for the day, we all met up and headed over to the dog park with Rocky. By 5:00 pm we were all feeling pretty hungry, so we decided to go to Hooley's Pub for their great deal on wings (only 45 cents on Monday nights!). Yvonne was even brave enough to try the Suicide Sauce wings..which I should note she was hardly fazed by! 

Me + Ryan..do you think he's
cold or camera shy?

To put it simply, Tuesday did not start out very well for me. I woke up and got out of bed around 5:30 am, which is when Ryan is awake anyway, since he goes to work before 6:00 am most mornings. I felt a bit nauseous, so I sat down on the ground in the bathroom to prepare myself for the worst...except something unexpected happened instead..I fainted! Luckily, I was sitting down, so I didn't have too far to fall, although not so luckily, I hit my head on the door as I was going down, because I now have a scratch-like mark and a bit of a welt where I clipped the side of my forehead. Up until Tuesday, I had never fainted before in my life, so I didn't really realize what had happened until Ryan and Yvonne explained that they heard a "thud", and when they got to me, I was lying on the ground. I was really disoriented when I came to, but both Ryan and Yvonne were amazing at looking after me and making sure I was alright! I am so thankful they were both there! Anyway, I've been to the doctor to follow-up and there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage, so for the next few days I'll just be taking it easy until my head heals! 

Hope you've all had a great start to the week! 

Wedding Weekend Activities

Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Despite the rain here in Ottawa, I had an amazing weekend, which centered around wedding related activities on both Saturday and Sunday. The weekend kicked off with my wedding shower, followed by the Wedding Palace Bridal Show in Ottawa on Sunday, where Ryan and I picked up lots of goody bags and signed up for plenty of contests!

The spread! Beautiful and delicious!

After moving some furniture in preparation for our move at the end of the month, I headed to Kingston with my mother-in-law, her sister, and their mum to attend my wedding shower. Even though driving conditions weren't ideal, it was a really fun car ride, both to and from Kingston!

My mum planned the event for weeks and put so much love and attention into every little detail! We arrived right on time and headed into my parents house to join the party. The spread was fantastic and the house was perfectly decorated for the shower. I had such a wonderful time chatting and catching up with everyone in attendance. There were plenty of fun wedding shower games and prizes to be won, and everyone had a really great time! 

Cutting the cake!

The party was such a whirl of excitement that it felt like it all went by so quickly! The cake was beautiful but with everything else going on, I barely had the chance to have more than two bites of it! 

Beautiful women: My mum, aunt Rebecca, and aunt Linda

I tried to spend a bit of time with each guest, and it was so lovely to be able to see so many wonderful people. I am so appreciative of everyone's love and support! It's so easy for life to get in the way and make it difficult to spend time with family and friends, so being able to see so many people, some of whom I hadn't seen in years, was a really special treat!  

Oldest and dearest friends! Me and Jen!

Thank you to everyone who came to the wedding shower, and also to those who were unable to make it but still sent their love! I am so grateful to have such incredible family and friends and I love you all dearly! I will cherish these memories (and your insightful wedding advice!) for many years to come!

Weekend Recap: Birthday Edition

Hello! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! 

I turned 24 on Sunday, and got to spend it celebrating with my family and friends in Kingston! Ryan and I left Ottawa first thing in the morning on Saturday, and arrived at our destination just before lunch. We were only there for 2 days, which flew by far too quickly, but we still had a really great time! I feel so blessed to have such amazing friends and loving family. 

Ruby with her stick!

So after we had lunch at my parent's house, we got a chance to stretch our legs a bit more when we took the dog for a walk. Ruby isn't the first dog my parents have owned, but she's far and above my favorite! I just love her so much! 

After having a quick dinner, we all headed out to see Jurassic World, which premiered on Friday. Oh. My. Goodness. It was amazing! I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole film! I don't want to give up any spoilers by discussing the movie too much, but let me just say, as a devout Jurassic Park fan, you will not be disappointed by Jurassic World! It has been, by far, the most entertaining movie I've seen in a very long time! If I get my way, Ryan and I will hopefully be seeing it again before it goes out of theaters.

On Sunday, Ryan and I woke up fairly early to make bacon and eggs, and have some of the raspberry danish at my aunt's house. After getting ourselves organized, we walked over to my parent's house, and then headed downtown to one of my favorite Kingston restaurants, Phenom Penh. I had number 19, which is a tofu and rice dish with a mildly spicy peanut curry sauce. My other favorite is number 10, which is a mildly spicy dish with shrimp and chilies. From what I saw and sampled of Ryan and my family's selections, you really can't go wrong with anything you choose! 

Unintentional coordinating outfits + a beautiful pink centerpiece! 

After eating, we headed back to my parent's house for a bit of down time, while I met up with two of my oldest friends, Jennifer and Patrick. We got free drinks at Starbucks (completely unexpected!), and spent an hour walking around downtown, catching up, and talking about my engagement and wedding plans. It was so great to see them, and I really cherish our continued friendship after so many years!

My mum had the table set up beautifully in pink and gold (the color scheme I'm leaning towards for the wedding), with a lovely rose and peony centerpiece. We had chicken, sausages, mashed potatoes, and salad. Generally speaking, I tend to prefer pie instead of cake, so we had three options for pie: coconut cream (my mum's own recipe!), lemon meringue, and my current favorite, strawberry rhubarb! My aunt Elizabeth also brought a really decadent lava cake that everyone thoroughly enjoyed! We also got to enjoy a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, courtesy of my aunt Brenda! After dinner and dessert, I opened my gifts (all so lovely and thoughtful!), and spent the rest of the evening relaxing and spending time with family. As it was a Sunday night, we didn't stay up too late, especially since Ryan and I had to catch the train back to Ottawa first thing Monday morning. 

Thank you to everyone involved in making this weekend so wonderful, and to all my family and friends across the world who shared their love and birthday wishes!

LookBook and Pinterest

Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Mine was very relaxing, so I feel well rested and ready for the week ahead. I got to spend some great quality time with my fiancée, as well as do almost all of the household chores that I had on my to-do list. 

I also did two unexpected things over the weekend...I joined Pinterest (finally!) and made a LookBook account! I'm still in the learning process, but I'm very much enjoying both sites so far! 

On Pinterest, I've created two albums so far, one for Home and Decor, and the other for Wedding things. You can take a look at those here!

On LookBook, I've uploaded one look so far, but I'm really looking forward to adding more. I'm so impressed by how supportive and friendly everyone has been so far! Check out my profile here!

Happy Monday!

Ottawa Tulip Festival

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! My aunt was visiting from Kingston so we got to spend some quality time together. Sunday was an especially nice day with lots of sunshine and warm weather. After having lunch at Montana's, we headed over to Dow's Lake, where we encountered crazy traffic and huge crowds of people! Once we finally found a parking space we were able to get out and walk around the lake area where all the tulips were being showcased. There was a carnival for kids so the event attracted a lot of young families. After walking around for a while, we stopped to get some fresh squeezed lemonade from one of the vendors along the pathway. It was definitely the best lemonade I can recall having and it was really refreshing! 

Me + Ryan on the boardwalk 

We took some pictures of the many varieties of tulips they had on display, but it wasn't too long before we all decided we needed a break from the crowds. Thankfully, we simply had the cross the street and walk along the boardwalk for a slightly less busy stretch along the lake. 

Since the weather had been so cloudy and rainy last weekend, we felt really blessed to have been able to enjoy such a beautiful sunny day! I hope you all had a nice weekend too! Feel free to share in the comments below!