Better Than Coffee

four days until twenty-five

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 15:42:00 +0000

The day after I turned 24, I opened up the owl journal my sister had given me (my love for owls knows no bounds), and began to write my "25 before 25" list. Sadly, my list didn't even reach 25 items which made me question how much I actually wanted to do with my life.

On it were things like "get your complete drivers' license" - which I did, first try, at the end of June! I also had goals for fitness and to run a race, and I have become more fit over the months and even did a Color Run! There were also failures, such as "study a language to fluency" - I practice Hungarian, but I'm nowhere near where I could be, or "bake on a weekly basis" which. And then there were ones that came out differently than I had planned, such as "visit my sister and family in B.C.", since they came out to visit us instead! Those three weeks of seeing my sister, realizing how mature and how mini-me my niece has become, and having baby fever after hugging and blowing kisses with my nephew were the best early birthday present.

Now I'm coming to twenty-five and realizing how little of my 24th year I documented. Sure I have the photos and hopefully my memory won't fail me too early, but there's a lot of moments where I wish I would have just sat down and wrote out what happened at a certain moment. Celebrating 5 years with The Boy in Ithaca, showing two of my online friends what my city has to offer, park days with my niece ...

The blogging world has fallen by the wayside, and it seems to be that way for a lot of bloggers. Instagram and twitter sums up everything in a photo or 140 characters, and it seems to be more convenient. So, even though there won't be a "26 before 26" list there a few things I'd like to do: a) redo this blog, and 'start over' in a sense; b) travel more this year; c) try to begin my teaching career; and d) ...

currently...

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:36:00 +0000

READING and well, re-reading, all of your amazing comments from my last post (in 2012, what!). Every single comforting and warm wish sent my way definitely helped and I'm pretty much 98% back to normal from the insane month of illness (aka December). The left side of my face is still sensitive to the touch, but my smile is back to normal :) Thank you so much for all your amazing words -hugs-

And I'm also reading The Passage by Justin Cronin; thanks to Kathy's amazing recommendation. I actually had to take a little break from reading it because it sucked me in to the point where I was reading it for two days straight; and now I'm back.

GRATEFUL that the weather is going to return to semi-tolerable temperatures this week, which will make my walk from the bus stop to work more bearable. Speaking of gratitude, I am so thankful that I finally have a job! One of my best friends recommended me for a job that, while it might not be teaching, actually has to do with at least one of my degrees, and I get to spend my days editing!

LOVING that there's a Starbucks within ten minutes-walking distance from my work. And even though this is ancient in Internet-land, I recently rediscovered the hilarity of 'bad lip reading', and my favourite next to The Hunger Games one is definitely "Russian Unicorn" (a parody on Michael Bublé). My new jam? Possibly.

LOOKING FORWARD TO having a February spending more time with The Boy (there's a picture of us from New Year's). And I also get to spend February catching up with friends I haven't seen in forever, one of whom has been in Taiwan and I haven't seen her in almost two years!! I am EXCITED!

This month has just seemed to whiz by; whether it's due to the old adage "time flies by as you get older" or just having my days filled with work, I can't believe February is already starting this week! So, tell me...

what are you currently

reading, grateful for,
loving, and looking forward to?

love is better than coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:18:00 +0000

Last week was my week from hell (and I know for many others, it was a week of tragedy). I had felt like I was hit with the gusts of a thousand plagues; I had the flu, a cough, a cold, the whole works. The one day that I did go outside last week was to go to do a small bit of Christmas shopping and mail out my Christmas cards; and it was on that day that I was reminded of the goodness in people, that infectious Christmas spirit (this was the day before the shooting in Newtown, which dampened my spirits, and my condolences go out to all those affected).

But from the girl who randomly complimented my coat as I was getting off the bus and she was getting on, to the nice salespeople at Chapters and Starbucks, to the lady at the post office who took off tax, to the bus driver who said, "Hello! How are you doing today?" I had a genuine smile on my face, and was also a little resentful that I was homebound most of the time and couldn't go out and see that Christmas spirit more often. I was also missing The Boy, my friends, and my sister like crazy (my sister can't come here for Christmas anymore, but I will come visit you, don't you worry! And umm, Christmas Eve Skype date, please?).

And then it all came to a head on Sunday morning. I had slept in and my parents were already out, and I found myself starving since I usually don't sleep in until 11:30am. I ate brunch and realized that I wasn't chewing properly and it was hard to drink. I went upstairs to brush my teeth and realized that I couldn't move the left side of my face. I tried to smile at myself in the mirror and my smile was coming out crooked. I couldn't properly close or wink my left eye, and it felt like I had been shot up with Novocaine It was paralyzed. And I was terrified. The first thing I did was call The Boy at work, who started going through all the options and told me to get my parents to come home right away.

As soon as my parents came through the door I cried out, "I can't move the left side of my face!" and we immediately went to the hospital; by some stroke of luck, I was in and out of there in half an hour and the nurses and doctors were so incredibly kind. Aside from my food poisoning/dehydration in Hungary a year and a half ago, I hadn't had to be admitted into a Canadian hospital since I was born.

Fortunately, it's not a stroke. I have something called Bell's palsy, which is the inflammation of nerves causing temporarily paralysis in the face, usually either brought on by a cold or because it runs in the family (in this case, both, since my grandma had it once). I was put onto steroids and have an ointment for my left eye that gives me blurry vision but allows my eye to not dry out, and it should be back to normal in two weeks or so. But it was such a frightening feeling, not knowing what was going on, not being able to voluntarily move my face which normally is so expressive. On the other hand, I know it could have been much, much worse.

It's really been in these last few days that I've realized that love is better than coffee. From the outpourings of well wishes from best friends and blog friends, to the random surprises from The Boy who gave me flowers and a bag of candy to make me feel better, to the little things like my mom making me breakfast and showering me with hugs ... when scary things happen, as scary as they may be, love is one of the best things to respond with. It might not make the scary thing go away, but it eases the pain.

To end this wall of text, I hope that you've been having an AMAZING December so far, full of great times with family and friends. Since I'm most likely going to be homebound on and off for the next couple of weeks, I'll definitely try to post more often. For now, here's other things that brightened my otherwise dismal week:

(1) Mail! My new favourite shirt from Kym @ herro hachi, and Christmas cards from Tasha and my sister. Thank you so much ladies :)

(2) Watching a pretty sunset on my one evening out of my house.

(3) A get-well soon package from The Boy with flowers, strawberry kiwi juice, and chocolate.

Now to brighten up this post:

What's made your December bright?

And what's better than coffee (or your favourite indulgence) for you?

life in a nutshell

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:39:00 +0000

It's been one of those dreary, "case-of-the-Mondays" type days that really made me realize how much I've missed blogging. A lot of my life has been full of "I'll accomplish this ... later" moments, like me planning on posting a 25 things to do before I turn 25 bucket list and since I never ended up finishing it (I'm at #17, folks), I never ended up posting it. And then a lot of other things were left unsaid, and I left the postcard project at the wayside, and well ... I'm a pretty horrible blogger. I'm not making apologies or excuses, just wanted you to know ... I've missed it. I would love to be as candid as possible, but was taught to be as discreet as possible on the 'net due to my career choice. A career that seems to be in "volunteer as much as time of your life as possible without actually being paid or having an interview" mode. I'm trying to keep my chin up, I'm trying to remain positive, I'm trying to be assertive and put my name out there; nothing worth having comes easy, right? (At least, I keep telling myself this.)

The good things? I'm celebrating 4.5 years with The Boy this weekend over schnitzel (a good thing to celebrate with, I think), I still cherish my random coffee dates and hangouts with friends, The Boy's shop is doing well, and I'm slowly but surely going through with starting my web/graphics design business while I volunteer with two different classrooms at two different schools.

And the great thing? I finally get to meet my nephew this year; my sister and her family are coming around for Christmas and I can't wait to hold that little guy in my arms and smother him with Aunt Niki kisses.

When I'm not volunteering, I'm catching up on "The Vampire Diaries" (OMG ELENA), "The Walking Dead" (OMG -NO SPOILERS HERE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T WATCHED THIS WEEK'S EPISODE), "New Girl", or being obsessed with the YouTube series "The Lizzie Bennet" diaries. If you haven't come across this yet, and you're a fan of Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, or Colin Firth, please watch it. And the amazing Kathy sent me a couple of books that I can't wait to read. Oh, and um, I'm obsessed with Final Fantasy X again. No new video game has compared to it yet, though the Lego version of Lord of the Rings might give it a run for its money.

I hope you've all been doing well and that life is full of love & laughter. I'll try to update soon. In the meantime, here's some pictures of what I've been up to lately:

how has your november been?

what's your life like in a nutshell?

an ode to august

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:08:00 +0000

Oh August - how I love you. I might be a little biased since my birthday's on the 31st of August which is tomorrow(!!!), but I've always found myself enjoying the days more, taking the most pictures during this month, and reveling in free days, planned nights, and spontaneous Skype dates. The air is not as humid and muggy as July in southern Ontario, and there's a slight crispness in the air in the evenings as the sun sets earlier; but it's a nice reminder that layered knits and pumpkin spice lattes are right around the corner.

My simple smile for this week - besides finding sweet birthday cards and surprise packages in the mail from dear friends - is finding my own little bit of paradise this month in the form of a road trip to Bruce Peninsula National Park. We drove through towns that had a higher population of cows than actual people and made it to crystal clear (and freezing!) waters and exploring a grotto (and coming up with a song called "Otto the Grotto").

The waters looked all Caribbean-like but were so cold.

The Grotto and my freshly dyed strawberry-blonde hair! (:

When I haven't been searching for or enjoying paradise, I've been baking a lot thanks to my parents' friends who have a ton of fruit trees in their backyard. Two weeks ago I made plum cake, and just last night made a peach cake, all using the same basic recipe (which I'll probably share soon)!

The times that I'm not baking, I've spent catching up with schoolmates from university and teacher's college, either at a restaurant, cafe, or a 10km hike which kills my legs but feels so good at the same time. There's this trail that my friend introduced me to that has running streams, crazy hills, and close encounters with deer and I wish it was closer to my home so I could walk it every day.

Two of these lovely ladies are leaving me for London;

I unfortunately could not fit inside their luggage.

The times that I'm not catching up with schoolmates, I've spent doing an overdue reunion with two of my workmates - and crashed a TV set in the downtown for a show called Bomb Girls. Lots of 1940s garb, fake snow, and posters for 5 cent burgers and trendy fashions.

WOMANPOWER -- we can do it! We can ... cook things over a stove?

And when I haven't been doing all that, I've been trying to plan out as much of my fall as I can while also working in The Boy's soon-to-be-open shop! While we'd love to get our ideal jobs right away, this is kind of our back-up/let's-make-ends-meet route for now, and it's pretty nerve-wrecking and exciting at the same time.

I find that I can look back at every August of my recent years with fond memories; it'd definitely be my month of choice to relive over and over if I could.

if you could choose a month to relive whenever you wanted,

which one would it be & why?

and if you haven't yet,

please mosey on down and join the postcard project!

Tomorrow involves a surprise day from The Boy (all I know is that I have to bring my bathing suit), and then hopefully a beach day with my girlfriends on Saturday. Hope you all have a great rest of the week! (:

the postcard project no.3

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 04:06:00 +0000

In my mind, postcards are magical. They have the power to remind you of a place that you've been to; the ability to connect you with a friend in a faraway place; can serve as a blank canvas for you to spill your secrets onto; and can slowly, bur surely, turn your thoughts to wanderlust.

For the past few years, my postcard collection has grown because I've finally been able to travel a bit and because of amazing friends who send me postcards on their travels. And I know there's people out there who love postcards just as much as I can do --

so I'm bringing the postcard project back!

If you weren't here the first two times around, this is just a little "let's connect everyone through snail mail" project that involves you commenting, getting paired up with someone (or two, depending on how many people sign up) and sending & receiving a postcard! I thought this would be a really neat way to connect with each other; plus, postcards aren't too expensive (and if you want to make your own, by all means go for it!) since I didn't want to make a project that would break the bank. It involves:

Leaving a comment (or e-mail me) with a message that includes Your Name, Your E-mail, Your Country, and Any Preference? - if there's a continent or any specific country you'd love to have a postcard from, list it here - hopefully we can make it happen, cap'n. And under 'any preference' you can list if you want a silly-ish postcard (if you don't list anything, I'll assume you want a postcard that is country-related!). Example:

Your Name: Nikolett
Your E-mail: betterthancoffee@gmail.com
Your Country: Oh, Canada!
Any Preference?: Anywhere around the world!

I'll e-mail you back and ask for a bit more info (address-related), and make up a list (I'll be checking it twice; and the only ones who will see your address are me and the postcard-sender/receiver).

I will pair you all up randomly (unless there's a specific preference to fulfill - just depends on how many participate!) and send an e-mail to both of you around Wednesday, September 5th - so you have two weeks to sign up!

Try to have the postcard sent out to the person by Wednesday, September 19th - gives you another two weeks to get the postcard, write it out, and send it out! The only catch - please e-mail me once you have sent the postcard so that way one person isn't left without a postcard after he/she has already sent one out. I'll be sending out a reminder e-mail to anyone who is left on September 19th!

I really liked the way this project turned out the first two times and would love it if you all signed up again :) If you want to spread the word and make it so you're paired up twice, it'd be great if you put one of these buttons on your blog, either in your sidebar or by mentioning it in a post!

If anything is unclear or you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask :) It'd be crazy to see how many people across the globe we can unite through a postcard! For now, have a great rest of the week :)

P.S. I have a lot of postcards from Budapest/Hungary and Vancouver/British Columbia so feel free to request one of those if you'd like!

five good things on a friday

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:43:00 +0000

01. great food shared with great people

I spent the weekend indulging in amazing food while visiting one of my best friends in Oakville - Saturday's meal consisted of an incredibly filling and delectable turkey burger from a place called The Works; the toppings were goat cheese (can not stress how YUMMY it is), spinach, roasted red peppers and added sundried tomatoes with a side of sweet potato fries. Sunday's homemade brunch included leftover sweet potato fries, baked salmon, and quinoa - a word that I always pronounce wrong - mixed with salsa, peas, garlic powder, and pepper.

The meals were a perfect accompaniment to catching up, wondering about our lives, and strolling about town. Oh, and watching V/H/S, which I can only describe as ... horrifically strange.

Oh and I also made chocolate almond macaroon (cookies) that were found from Kym's blog and made from this recipe.

02. taking in your favourite scenery

Excuse the crazy close-up, but it just shows how happy the beach makes me. Or just being by the water in general. Especially when there's Haribo involved.

03. dancing (horribly) to zumba followed by yoga

No picture of this one since my dancing should not be photographed ;) But I had an awesome Monday run at the gym; Zumba has quickly become my favourite mode of cardio, since the instructor at my gym is so enthusiastic and doesn't mind making a fool of himself (and he has insane hips), making the whole workout a blast. And yoga was the perfect way to wind down and really see just how inflexible I am (must do more yoga).

04. mixed (online) tapes

When I was younger, I distinctly remember all the mixed tapes I would make from recording things on the radio and, when I became a little older, all the mixed CDs my sister and I would make, complete with customized Photoshopped covers of whichever artist was on the CD (mostly Britney Spears and Spice Girls, in my case). Just this past week I became acquainted with this site called 8tracks, where people make mixes of 8 tracks or more. I made my first one (here it is) for when I'm more in a mellow mood, and can't wait to make more. If you make mixes on here, please let me know :D

05. playgrounds

Although I don't go to playgrounds as often as I used to (remember that spinning wheel of death where everyone tried to hold on? where did that go?), my park recently did renovations and my boyfriend got stuck:

Good times. This weekend I'm planning on being a bit of a homebody by making plum cake and getting The Hunger Games when it comes out tomorrow, but hopefully do some more exploring outdoors, too.

what's a good thing (or five) from your week?

what are your plans for the weekend?

hope it's a great one! (:

gone fishin'

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Sometimes you just need to getaway - even if it's just for a day. Escape from the hectic life that is either thrust upon us or that we make for ourselves and take time to relax. On Wednesday I was able to have a little getaway by going fishing! (In a way, it's like my Wednesday wish came true.)

Before I met The Boy, my experiences with fishing were looking at the dismantled fishing rod, net, and box that my dad kept in the basement but seldom used. Now, I think of it as a perfect mini-escape: you spend the day sitting by the water, looking at the clouds, enjoying the sun, and it doesn't really matter if you catch a fish or not. But it doesn't hurt, either, since I caught 8 fish myself! (Whoo-hoo, pro fisher-woman here.) That day was definitely one of my simple smiles of this week.

Taking some time to jump around; t-shirt from here.

We were nearby Hewitt's Dairy Bar so decided to stop in
for a treat of the raspberry sherbet variety.

A family had a property right on the lake we were fishing on
so we got to see their paddleboat and airplane in action.

My first fish of the day (that we threw back in).

Even though the rainclouds have finally found us in southern Ontario, I'm going to make the most of it by visiting one of my best friends this weekend. Hope you all have a great weekend!

What's your simple smile of the week?

P.S. Thanks so much for the warm welcome back! (:

hi, my name is...

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:04:00 +0000

I feel like I need to reintroduce myself on here after leaving this blog on the back burner (secretly hoping that I'd visit and the blog design would completely change on its own - but yay for a little facelift!). So, howdy! My name's Nikolett, though it's more of a nickname. I'm an almost 24-year old and I still feel a little at odds with the world, although I yearn to see as much of it as possible. And I think it's safe to say that my caffeine addiction is still safely (?) intact.

This time last year I was marveling at the shallow but beautiful waters of Lake Balaton in Hungary, and am now fully regretting not purchasing the Nikolett 'license plate' that I noticed at a vendor. For my Wednesday Wish, I wish I could just magically teleport or time machine-myself back to last year and relive my vacation in Europe whenever my thoughts turn into daydreams.

Hungarian cuisine on the left; and a DIY ponytail holder on windy days.

My postcard of Lake Balaton.

This time, this year? Well, I'm safe and sound in Ontario, trying to find a job in the education field and also ready to jumpstart my web/graphics design company after years of maybe/maybe not. Soaking up summer as best as I can is my main objective these days since the whole finding a job part is turning into a morbid and depressing scenario.

Apart from that, I've been addicted to watching the London Olympics 2012 (Team Canada was robbed in women's soccer, I'm just saying) and slowly morphing into a gym rat - the endorphin rush you feel after a workout is better than coffee for me (: What have you been up to lately?

I'm so excited to make this place more alive again and talk about things on a more daily basis rather than just dumping whatever's happened in the course of 2-3 weeks. Thanks for sticking by me & coming back to read!

Where do you wish you were this Wednesday?

Hope it's a great day!

a look at may

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:11:00 +0000

A month's absence either means (a) I've been having a busy but awesome month; (b) I've been too lazy to update; or (c) a combination of both. I'll admit, it's been (c): the last few weeks have been full of amazing memories and getting way too much water in my ear from swimming, and also full of much needed downtime after finally finishing my "career" as a student. Now, I'm just unemployed (but looking!). The job market is slim pickings, but when my mama was away in B.C. for two weeks (more on that later), I applied to six school boards and might be even thinking of going to England(!!!) next year if teaching in Ontario doesn't work out.

After a couple of weeks of all this though, I noticed that I have missed this blog and all the incredible people that I get to interact with and talk to, and I definitely want to revive this space here (and after this post, my next on the priority list is changing this look up a bit!).

For now, here's a look at what I've been up to in May! I have been absolutely horrible and not catching up on you but please let me know what you've been up to in May, and what you're looking forward to in June!

this may...

We completely owned a claw machine at a carnival ...

... marveled at all the goodies available inside food trucks during an event before deciding on a chicken burrito, wood-fired pizza, and a Beavertail, which was delicieux ...

... fed my addiction for caffeine with 1/2-price frapps before seeing The Lucky One (Zac Efron, you have grown up well) ...

... celebrated birthdays & didn't get the memo of pulling a Zoolander face in a photo ...

... took a road trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a chicken breast panini with goat cheese(!), and mouth-watering and completely satisfying gelato ...

... but mostly, we went there to celebrate four years together! :)

The day was full of happy moments, even when a bird pooped on me (at least it didn't poop on my gelato), and it reminded me of how happy I am to have this man in my life!

And last, but not least ...

This little prince was born! See my sister's announcement here about it :) Not only do I have a gorgeous niece, but now I have an adorable nephew whom I can't wait to meet! I just want to pinch his little cheeks. My mom went to visit for two weeks to help out and see the little guy for the first time which meant, for the first time ever, me and my dad living alone in the same house - and though there were times where we wanted to rip each other's heads off, we got along for the most part (and that's a good thing).

I hope your May has been chock-full of great times & good moments!

What was your favourite part of May?

What are you looking forward to in June?

I'm off to go camping for the weekend for The Boy's birthday, but I'll update soon! :)

the road goes ever on...

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:55:00 +0000

It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.

- "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

I'm definitely embracing my nerdy side by starting this blog post off with a Lord of the Rings quote. But lately, that road that goes ever on and on has been on my mind (and now I want to do an extended version Lord of the Rings marathon. Anyone want to join in?).

Friday marked my last day of teachers college, while Thursday was my last day of student teaching ... and my last day of teaching in God knows how long, since the margin for job openings are rather slim nowadays. There's this kind of aching in my heart now to get back into the classroom, even if it is a stuffed sardine portable with 31 students with inexhaustible energy.

After two months with these grade 5s, it was on my last day that true personalities came out; I really saw transformations in my students, and the shy ones finally let loose and made me smile with their sweet cards and gifts. The best gift? A tissue-paper made purse that had "Channel" written on it!! I know I'm going to go back to visit them, since that school has kind of become my third home (my first and second homes being my own & The Boy's). I learned so much from my associate teacher and it was an experience that really confirmed that I want to be a teacher, even with the challenges and job shortages.

Now, after a weekend of catch-up and relaxation ... the street that I'm on is Where Next Boulevard. I'm trying not to fret or panic even though everything right now is so unknown to me; instead I'm just going to try my best. Update my résumé, get my references and reference letters together, and apply to as many places as possible.

And in the meantime, find some kind of part-time job, keep going with my graphics/webdesign, look forward to the birth of my nephew in less than two weeks(!!!), and enjoy life as best as I can.

Yesterday was definitely a good way to start off enjoying life! Me and my four best friends (one I've known since I was 7, the rest I met in my first few years of high school) finally reunited after months and months. That time of being able to catch-up over shopping and Filipino cuisine makes me feel so happy to have them in my life, and truly blessed.

And the leftover pancit doesn't hurt, either! Here's a few pictures from yesterday and a little collage of my last week of student teaching:

I ♥ these ladies.

At Max's of Manila; sadly not in Manila, but in Toronto.

I had a quarter of chicken, pancit canton, and garlic rice, followed by a hearty serving of the traditional dessert, halo-halo!

(1) Owl goodie bags for my students that said "Owl miss you" on the back (embracing both my nerdy and cheesy sides in this blog post!)

(2) A few samples of the art lesson for Ancient Greek pottery

(3) The last day of class full of cards and a chalkboard adorned with "Don't go!" messages

(4) And the classic "Bump It Up" wall of a flower blooming.

My next week is all planned out: a dinner with teachers college classmates as a 'last farewell' (before our grad on June 6), heading to the gym and library as often as I can for working out and getting applications finished, seeing The Boy and catching up with friends, and then ...

Who knows? I know where I want my path to take me, but the road is unpredictable and I have no idea where it'll sweep me off to. All I know is that I want to go to B.C. in August and hopefully get a job sometime soon! Fingers crossed, please! :)

How have you spent your weekend?

How do you deal with the unknown?

Hope you had a great weekend!

that's amore

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:43:00 +0000

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to say, I really do love the weekends. Especially the long ones. Easter seemed to come and go in a flash, leaving behind great memories of having a bash/"ta ta for now" party for my friend as she goes to Africa for a month, having The Boy come over for Easter dinner with accordion in hand (and my dad playing a few awesome tunes) and a bunny coming to watch us in the backyard, and going out for coffee with one of my best friends at one of the only places open on an Easter Sunday: McDonald's.

This past weekend I embraced my inner zebra with a striped top (that I had just bought a couple of hours earlier) for a wildlife-themed birthday party where I had way too many jaggerbombs but had a blast dancing the night away.

So before I get into what I really wanted to talk about, here's a little peak at what I've been up to the last couple of weeks (and, um, where the heck did April go?!):

Admiring Nature: The top row are from my walks back from the gym, and the bottoms two are from a camp we went to as a field trip for the grade 5s. One student said they should "tear the forest down and build a shopping mall" which almost made me weep for humanity, so instead I looked at the lake.

Simple Smiles: In the form of a "congratulations" card from my students on my evaluation day from my faculty advisor (I received a perfect score!), Second Cup for a caffeine fix, a surprise gift from Taiwan in the shape of Taiwan from my dear friend, and pizza ... because pizza is the best.

Easter Weekend!

Rawr! Yes, most of my friends are Asian.

And some silly pics :)

And while I spent half the Saturday in supreme hangover mode, it was Saturday night that brought along the most thoughts ... we spent the evening at another couple's house and got onto a conversation about how we hope that, when we're our parents age (45+), we'll still be in love as when we are now. I look at my parents, who still have such affection for each other after all these years, and hope I'll be the same way.

While one friend remarked that he would always treat his lady as a princess and give her everything she wants, it got me to thinking about the way I love, and the way I want to be loved.

When I think about my relationship with The Boy, he treats me with that chivalry from ages past and I am so grateful for that. But when it really comes down to it, I cherish our relationship because we try to treat each other as equals. My feelings for him go deep; I need to give him the love he needs, and I hope he needs and wants to give me the love that I need. I never want to have him suffer to make me happy, just like he shouldn't expect me to suffer hardships to make him happy. If that makes any sense.

In essence, it's about those small gestures. I'm all about the simple smiles, and while flowers and chocolates and diamonds may be nice, I cherish those smaller things that can be done on a daily basis, almost effortlessly. A squeeze of a hand, a post-it note or text message to say "I love you", cooking a favourite meal. That's the way I love.

Lately I keep hearing about the 5 Love Languages, so I took the test, and lo and behold, it's physical touch. So, if we ever meet in real life, prepare for a tight hug to show you I care. But it also goes beyond that; I'm not the perfect girlfriend or perfect friend, but I try my best to show someone that I'm willing to go the extra mile for them, because, as L'Oreal puts it, they're worth it. And I am so grateful to have their love in my life.

What's the way you love?

How do you want to be loved?

Hope you're not having a case of the Mondays/Tuesdays like I am,

and hope there's sunshine wherever you are right now!

those little surprises

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:41:00 +0000

It might seem obvious that surprises are unexpected, but I find unexpected surprises to be the best kind of surprise. Whether it's a week of gorgeous weather that shows up and makes it feel like summer, or a package that comes in the mail, or one of those days where time feels like it's just stopped, or being pleasantly surprised that The Hunger Games lived up to your expectations.

So even though that unexpected week of warmth was followed by getting snow and a cold (thanks, grade 5 students, for still coming to school when you're coughing your lungs out), I enjoyed that week getting to wear skirts and sandals, looking for flowers, and eating sundaes with The Boy. And when my feet ached from wearing those sandals I haven't worn in nearly a year, another unexpected surprise came in the form of a package from Kat, full of things from The Body Shop to pamper my feet with. Thank you so much, lady!

Other unexpected surprises: getting a package from Krissy with a ring that just screams computer nerd and a lovely necklace that I can't wait to wear in the summer, having a live band listen to my request and play "Benny and the Jets" in a pub with teacher college friends, hearing that my cousin in Poland is engaged (my first Polish wedding, maybe?), being surprised every time one of my grade 5 students says, "You're a really fun and good teacher!" even when I'm teaching math, and surprised at my motivation to actually go to the gym.

Tonight I'm probably going to try to relax with a cuppa tea and a few episodes of Flower Boy Ramen Shop, continue with some graphics designing and web-brainstorming, lesson plan, and then get ready for tomorrow!

'Til then, here's what I've been up lately in picture-form.

But wait! Here's the winner of the Starbucks gift card + random bag of goodies:

Katy from twentyfourcarat.net! Congrats! (And visit her blog if you haven't yet!)

Exploring the jungles of a greenhouse and admiring the flowers.

On a walk down by the bay :)

Seeing how many glasses we can stack on top of each other on a wild Friday night ;)

Embracing my inner Katniss and my ticket stub from Tuesday night.

Another unexpected caffeine-related surprise & my new ring! :)

What's an unexpected surprise you've had recently?

P.S. If you like postcards, prepare yourself for a postcard-filled April!

Hope you've had a great weekend so far! :)

march-ing forward

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Days are getting warmer, the sunshine is lasting longer, and my hair has become a little shorter ... feels like spring is in the air! It's so strange to me that we're already one-quarter of the way through 2012, but the nice breeze and bright skies prove to be a great distraction from those "where has the year gone?!" thoughts.

After weeks of group projects and assignments, I can officially say I am no longer a student! All that's left is a good six more weeks of my second teaching block with grade 5s (who are err, very chatty to say the least) and some hopefully positive evaluations and I will officially be a teacher. Except for the whole having a job part. But, still. I'm on my way!

I finally got a break this week for some much-needed me time combined with The-Boy-and-I time and some catch up time with friends. I joined the local gym (my first time at a gym in two years) and am actually enjoying the aches and sores of my muscles as a greeting in the morning. I helped my friend do some retail therapy and adored all the shirts that have bicycles and bird patterns all over it. I baked a cake and enjoyed the beach with The Boy along with a mini-Star Wars marathon that brought out the geeky sides of us.

And ... I am now hooked to Draw Something. Just wish I had the skillz to draw.

Here's what I've been up to this March:

Top: Catching up with my best friends over an amazing meal;
Bottom: Celebrating no more classes with my friends from teachers college.

A Star Wars night complete with a cake we made and lemoncello (yum).

Bipolar Ontario weather = going to the beach with some Haribo!

Went from my hair draping down my back to grazing my shoulders ... feels so good!

(P.S. Yes, I like that pink sweater. A LOT.)

Retail therapy in the form of a one-piece for the gym pool & a sailor shirt.

And getting back into the design groove with a header for Kat!

It's been a pretty good month so far, and with the weather getting warmer I'm getting so excited to get out of the house, wear my Toms instead of boots, eat some ice cream (wait, I did that during winter anyway), and make my last few weeks of practice teaching stress-free.

And on Sunday I'm celebrating 4 years of knowing The Boy aka our met-a-versary (we met on March 18th on the city bus!) with a little outing worthy of spring weather ... going to a greenhouse haha :)

Here are my goals for the start of spring:
(1) Get through my block with a smile and make the days enjoyable.
(2) Get my rear end to the gym at least 3 days a week, but aim for 4.
(3) Come back from the gym and blog before lesson planning.
(4) Go on spontaneous dates and outings.
(5) Call my sister more.
(6) Get back into graphics/web design on a more regular basis.
(7) See The Hunger Games as many times as possible haha.

What are your goals for the next couple of months?

Starbucks gift card winner will be announced in the next blog!

(So enter if you haven't yet!)

Hope you've had a great March so far!

And wish Tiara a happy birthday if you haven't yet!

a good meal {giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:49:00 +0000

“The pleasures of the table belong to all times and ages, to every country and every day; they go hand in hand with all our other pleasures, outlast them, and remain to console us for their loss.”

- Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

Over the past week, I've really enjoyed those moments of being at the table with people I care about, enjoying a meal and reflecting on life. In a world of such hustle and bustle, it can seem almost a chore to sit everyone down at your dinner table - and, I'll admit, a good 3 out of 5 dinners with my parents involve us looking through separate newspapers or reading books instead of actually conversing.

This quote stood out to me because it doesn't necessarily say the pleasure of food, but rather the pleasures of the table. Dinner can be used as a cause for a birthday celebration, a job promotion, an engagement party (congrats Mel!), a catch-up afternoon after a long time of not seeing someone, or an intimate getaway for two. It's those memories that linger, and while a bad meal can tarnish that memory, it's the people I'm with that certainly make it worthwhile.

The two days off thanks to 'Family Day' in Ontario and an extra day off from my teachers college for the president of the university (so random) inspired me to explore my kitchen. I honestly would love to cook and bake any moment I can, if only my kitchen was bigger and I had more spare time.

During those days off I made apple cinnamon streudel muffins, which was my first attempt at ever making muffins and I gotta say, they turned out pretty good! On Pancake Tuesday I made pancakes for the first time in forever (making me wish I was more like Bree), and then made some dinner for me and my tata while my mom was at work. It felt nice, even though the worse part of making food is definitely the cleaning up (no matter how hard I scrub, I swear there's pieces of food that just magically appear on a bowl once I clean it).

Recipe adapted from here with slight changes:

chopping two apples and grating one, and putting a half-cup white sugar and half-cup brown sugar into the batter.

Last weekend provided yummy bubble tea and moments to catch up with my closest friends that I unfortunately don't get to see that often. Our go-to place has become that bubble tea restaurant with its $1.00 dine-in special where we always get french fries and fish balls (which tastes way better than it sounds). And while we usually take advantage of all the board games there, from Jenga to cards to checkers, the last few times have been spent just talking and laughing, and I enjoy it just the same.

Valentine's Day combined great company with delicious food. We had bruschetta with goat cheese and two separate pastas along with amazing Caesar salad (and of course, chewy gummy candy for dessert). The Boy and I hit up an Italian eatery and talked about life, love, and a little white box that popped up on the dinner table midway through the meal (a necklace from him that I adore!).

I'm definitely thankful for the moments where I can sit down with the people I love and care about and enjoy the pleasure of being in their company (and the pleasure of food, too). To celebrate that - and to celebrate three years of blogging - I'm going to have little giveaways each Sunday for the next few weeks so that you can indulge in a good meal, too. First up:

A Starbucks gift card ($15) along with a few of my favourite teabags.

There's nothing like good conversation over a warm drink and a cake pop.

To Enter:

(1) Be a follower of this blog!

(2) Write in the comments "Enter me!"

Open to local and international bloggers alike!
Next Sunday's giveaway (teaser alert) is about a good meal at home.

And since this whole post has been about food (a first!), I have to ask:

What's your go-to meal?

What's a dinner you'd have every week if you could?

Hope you've had an amazing weekend!

3 years

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:51:00 +0000

[image found via pinterest]

Take a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or tea), and grab a piece of cake - Better than Coffee turns 3 today! I wish I could share a piece of cake with all of you around the world. Through this blog I've made some amazing connections, met awesome bloggers-turned-friends (and am planning on meeting at least 3 this year!), and I've been able to chronicle my life with all of its ups, downs, simple smiles and random moments.

Some of my fave blog posts on here from the last 3 years include . . . writing a letter to my body and learning to appreciate it; professing my love for Serendipity and questioning fate/destiny; ranting and raving about public transportation and telling the story of how The Boy and I met; wishing on Wednesdays about different places I'd love to go (Antigua is still a goal!); things that help me when I'm psycho crazy, probably the weirdest-titled list I've made; raving about the best concert ever, seeing MUSE in March 2010; looking back at random ways to spend a weekend, complete with mosquito sunglasses; admitting that you are all better than coffee; looking at a diary entry from when I was 7 years old (I should do this again haha); sharing my recipe on tiramisu; starting my postcard project (it's coming back!); going to Vancouver for the first time to visit my sister and meet Kym for the first time(!); talking about my groundhog week around my birthday; looking back on the year 2010; the beauty and wonderment of being a tourist in your own city; getting into teachers college(!!!): my second trip to Vancouver for my sister's wedding(!!); an amazing weekend in Markham and days to remember; finally fulfilling my dream of a month in Europe and reminiscing about it (I need to share more photos!); bringing back childhood memories by dressing up as Misty for Halloween; and talking about just a few of my favourite things.

I'll admit that I've neglected this blog from time to time but I could never let it go in the sense that I love having a place where I can talk about that great journey of life (cheesy!), have a place where I can rant and ramble and smile, and talk with online people that I wish I could have over for a movie/games night in with a ton of good food. Basically, I just want to give a huge:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Thank you for following, thank you for commenting, thank you for creeping, thank you for all the friendships made and random conversations that make my day!

You all deserve your own personal cake :)

Hopefully this blog will go on for at least another three years, and I would love it if you were all along for the ride! But 'til then: what's your favourite kind of dessert? Because I'm itching to bake!

a recipe for relaxation

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:07:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 litre of heartfelt conversation
2 heaping tablespoons of thyme
1 tablespoon of French roast coffee (may substitute for hot chocolate or tea)
A dash of cinnamon
A desired amount of laughter
A package of chocolate, melted or chocolate frosting
A handful of your favourite fruit
A tight and squeezing bearhug (may add more)
Optional: A bottle of wine (your preference) and an Enya album

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
Mix flour and thyme together. Add in the dash of cinnamon for a hint of spice and spontaneity and tablespoon of coffee (or substitute) for coziness and warmth.
In another bowl, combine heartfelt conversation and laughter; let it marinate for intense flavour.
Fold in a tight and squeezing bearhug and add the bowl to the flour mixture. Cover with plastic and let it sit overnight for best results.
Pour mixture into a prepared pan and let it bake for 35-40 minutes; it will be fully prepared when the scent tickles your nose and makes you smile.
Garnish with chocolate or frost with chocolate frosting; top with slices of your favourite fruit for added health benefit.

Enjoy:

To be enjoyed not in one sitting, but as servings spread out over a period of 2-3 weeks when you really need it; effects are strong and tend to be long-lasting.
Preferred to be enjoyed in the company of loved ones with a bottle of wine, but can also be enjoyed in solitude while Enya is playing in the background, to be followed by a session of yoga or a session of looking at things on Pinterest that make you laugh.

Earlier this week, I had my first panic attack in about three years. It was one of those situations of helplessness and feeling so overwhelmed, and it's not something I'd want to repeat for at least another three years. This "recipe" for relaxation has really come in handy. The past couple of weekends I've been able to spend indulging in delicious food at Winterlicious, seeing friends I haven't seen in so long, getting free bubble tea for being the year of the Dragon (whoop whoop!), drinking probably a little too much wine, and getting surprise calls from The Boy who calmed me down when I was feeling lost.

While ignoring the hard moments or running away from your problems isn't the best solution all the time, it does help to have distractions or people around you who are willing to listen, eager to make you laugh, and time (or thyme) to just relax. Here's what I've been up to lately that keeps me smiling on a regular basis (picure of Enya album not included since I don't actually own one haha):

Balloons make everything better :)

Getting all spiffy for our friends' engagement party!

Our annual meet-up - this time with wine and "The Artist" (excellent film)

And complete with the best spinach salad of life (pecans, goat cheese, apples, nom!)

Here's what my iPod (I still have to name it!) sees on a regular basis:

Sally Hansen nails, Starbucks cups, delicious Belgian waffle after a night of skating in the freezing cold, and fantastic green apple bubble tea and condensed milk/chocolate toast.

And the gorgeous snowfall ... before it sadly all melted away yesterday.

My apologies for being MIA - those moments of relaxation were much-needed. If I could add one more ingredient to that recipe it'd be "watching K-dramas or a TV show of your choice" - I just started watching "Pretty Boy Ramen Shop" (very bizarre name) and it provides a perfect mini-escape.

What ingredients would you add
to your recipe of relaxation?

Oh, and if $ weren't an option, "an all-inclusive vacation to Antigua" would be a great ingredient to add. Hope you get to spend some time relaxing this week :)

the weather outside is weather

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Lately, I've found myself indulging in fifteen minute walks. I used to take these walks all the time when we had Shadow, but they got left by the wayside when we had to put him to sleep. It felt weird taking walks solo, and I honestly become intimidated by all those runners around my neighbourhood who would jog in freezing weather in workout gear while I trudge through the snow in ten layers of clothing.

In the past two weeks, though, I've kind of ignored the runners and just focused on one step in front of the other, clearing my head, and enjoying being outside even if the weather outside is weather (oh Paul Rudd, how I love thee in Forgetting Sarah Marshall ... and now that I'm starting How I Met Your Mother I'm rediscovering Jason Segel, too).

These little walks make me feel kiddish again and bring me back to those years where I would crave being outside; even before I had neighbourhood friends, I would pretend to be an athlete named "Aimee" (which was my favourite name in the world) on my rollerblades or Tony Hawk's protege on a skateboard, whizzing around the block. Those were the days where you would skin your knee and cry, but then admire the battle wound.

As the years go by, it's almost as if those moments get lost in disarray and replaced by everything needing to have a purpose; that voice in my head would keep saying, "What's the point of going outside for a walk when there's so many other things to do on your to-do list?" In defense, I respond, "Why can't you just enjoy something simply because you enjoy it?"

When I see bloggers like Krissy become suddenly inspired to write a novel, seeing Kat's determination to tackle her 2012 goals, Kym's awesomeness in creating a clothing line and having it soar, seeing Tiara's art on a pendant, seeing my sister Margarita (who just had her birthday - Happy Birthday!) looking absolutely fab as a soon-to-be mom of two children, and looking at Katy's set of rules inspires me to indulge in those things that make me happy, follow my dreams, and constantly better myself.

And fortunately, I have a few supporters.

Even though I loved sitting in the theatre watching Sherlock Holmes 2 and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (both phenomenal films, by the way), two of my favourite memories from these past two weeks were walking around the bayfront with a friend when the skating rink was a bit too watery followed by checking out a local coffee shop and, just yesterday, going on a random walk with The Boy. We had planned on an all-out road trip but instead hit up a local hiking area with a waterfall across the street and enjoyed looking at bunny tracks and amusing ourselves by seeing which parts of a lake were frozen or not.

Walking in a winter wonderland ...

Being a pair of "hoodlums" (and calling him Pippi Longstocking because of the strings).

Moments like taking a little stroll really bring about those simple smiles for me; and I really want to make this year one of indulging in those simple smiles.

What are those simple things that make you happy?

What's one thing you've lost sight of but want to rediscover?

Hope you had a great weekend & have a happy start to your week :)

the new year

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Happy 2012 everyone! How did you spend your midnight ringing in the New Year? I'll admit, mine was a tad blurry and my nude heels are now completely ruined, but it was a great night overall! The Boy and I decided to go "all out" for the first time (since we usually just do dinners and watch the ball drop on the TV) and went to Toronto with some friends. We watched some hockey at the hotel where someone came up with the brilliant but not-so-brilliant idea of taking a shot any time someone scored a goal (that might have been me), playing with a lot of glow sticks, and wandering up and down the stairs of a three-floor club with pretty good music before a kiss or two at midnight.

About to ring in the new year!

Getting ready, getting set ...

And GO! With my glow sticks leftover from a science experiment :D

Wearing a H&M top, Forever 21 skirt, and heels (RIP) from Spring :)

Now it's four days later and I'm thinking more about the 'long-term goals' (my alternate term for 'resolutions') for this year. It's broken down into three categories: goals for myself, goals for others, and goals for the future.

take better care of myself - workout like this if I find myself short for time instead of setting myself up for failure with 'workout five times a week'; make my space less cluttered (just as I wrote this I noticed three leftover hot cocoa mugs and went to wash them haha) and more of an organized chaos (keep a jar full of memories); eating a tad healthier + sleeping longer = less illness (YAY!); and, of course, the one I've had on my list for years: stop ~~biting~~ picking at your nails, woman.

stay in touch with those I care about - instead of being a hermit as soon as school comes, I want to take the time to make random plans like coffee dates, hikes, skating nights, and playing Just Dance 'til our limbs wear down rather than just catching up with someone around the holidays or birthdays, even if it is great that it feels like no time has passed at all when I do spend time with someone after months. And of course, meet those bloggers I've been wanting to meet this year!

keep the future in mind, but live in the present - Save my money and read library books instead; plan for those amazing trips I want to take in the future like British Columbia, Europe, the Philippines, but also keep in mind my future car, home, and family; find the less expensive but still thoroughly enjoyable things to do in my city rather than splurging on one-day things.

The reason why I don't want to call them 'new year' resolutions is because these are things I have in my mind all the time; it just feels like the perfect time to write them down and solidify them as goals at the beginning of the year. Here's hoping I can keep them going all-year round and beyond, and let's hope I don't run into John Cusack trying to save the world in the meantime.

What are your 'long-term goals'?

And how is your 2012 so far?

Hope you're having an amazing day :)

the best of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0000

The year of 2011 was definitely full of those "BIG" moments for me. I traveled to B.C. to see my sister getting married, I traveled to Europe for a month in August, and was accepted into teacher's college, my next step towards my hopefully full-time career. But of course, there were also those little moments that made the transitions between those big milestones memorable and kept me smiling in a year plagued by illness (food poisoning and being ill for a month? Yeah, definitely not planning on doing those again anytime soon).

Around this time last year I posted my 'year of 2010' review, and it's honestly amazing that two of my 'small' dreams (getting into teacher's college and Europe) came true. My dreams for next year? Go to Vancouver again to see my new niece or nephew and my family, hopefully graduating successfully from teacher's college and finding a job (pretty please?) and keep up the happiness with me and The Boy and my friends and family. As for my resolutions? That's for next post ;)

What was your most memorable part of 2011?

What are you looking forward to next year?

And everyone wish the lovely Kathy at vodka and soda a Happy Birthday! :)
Now, it's time for a recap - backwards!

DECEMBER has tugged at my heartstrings; I had to say bye to my amazing grade 8 classroom, but am finally on a deserved two-week break and I've already gotten to catch up with my closest friends in the form of an Ugly Christmas Party (we're rocking 'em above) and getting to spend more time with The Boy and my family in the form of Christmas dinners and movie nights. I honestly don't want to go back to classes. And we finally got snow, whoopah!

And November-January are found under the cut! :)

NOVEMBER became the month of instagram haha. A 'Black Friday' sale made its way to Canada and I finally awarded myself with an iPod touch (for passing my G2); I documented a road trip to get The Boy an accordion, roses part of a 'get well soon' package, and making some lesson plans with Booster Juice by my side. It was a pretty calm month overall ... since I became horribly sick (boo).

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER were taken over by school, but I managed to celebrate my birthday (which is technically August 31st but shhh), have random days on the beach, have Thanksgiving dinner, and pizza-making nights with The Boy :) Plus I dressed up like Misty for my school's Halloween day, passed my G2 driving test, and had a pretty nerve-wrecking filmed twenty-minute lesson in front of my faculty advisors that I did really well on, too :)

AUGUST was the month of Europe. It is still impossible to narrow it down to just a few photos (the above collage took a good 25 minutes of, "well that picture is nice, oooo look at the architecture"). Going to the local shops for ice cream, exploring beautiful cities, getting to see the Danube almost every single day, and meeting The Boy's family for the first time all made up for lost luggage and food poisoning. Definitely one of the most incredible months of my life.

JULY was full of working at my usual summer school job, celebrations (Canada Day, birthdays) and catching up with friends I haven't seen in forever over BBQs and Summerlicious (an amazing event in Toronto). I got to explore behind waterfalls, sit on a sandy beach and watch the sky explode with colour, and plan for Europe :)

JUNE was full of The Boy's birthday, going to Unionville for a festival with my close friend (I MISS YOU, COME BACK TO CANADA), almost being thrown off the end of a pier, and seeing kickass license plates (yes, seeing ARAGORN on the back of car is a highlight for me ... I am lame lol).

MAY was another incredible month for two main reasons - seeing my sister getting married to J which meant traveling to B.C. for a week, and celebrating three years with The Boy! This time my parents came along for the touristy things like Whistler, and I got see the amazing Kym/Cats again for some jumping photos (a classic). I can't wait to go back to Vancouver again.

MARCH/APRIL were more lowkey, but I didn't mind it. With friends and The Boy I explored new restaurants and new cupcakeries, drank a ton of Starbucks and bubble tea, and went on a random hike. I had no school and was taking it easy job-wise apart from web-designing, so it was relaxing.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY was full of doing what I love - I was part of my university's 'television' show on YouTube so I got to film at a really cool snowboarding event (do you see me crouching with the furry hood in that photo?) and heading to Toronto to celebrate a close friend's birthday. A great first few months of 2011.

And now, it's the end of 2011! Tomorrow I'm heading to Toronto for New Year's (anyone want to meet up at midnight? haha) and spending the first week of January playing more catch-up with friends I've missed during our busy school months.

Hoping you have a safe & eventful New Year's

and that 2012 brings joy and love :)

merriest of christmases!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:51:00 +0000

merry christmas!

Wishing for all of you to have a wonderful Christmas spent with those who mean the most to you & lots of happiness, joy, and laughter! I'm still wishing for snow, but everything else is amazing.

{image found via weheartit.com via my sister}

I spent the other night having a secret Santa potluck with my four closest friends, spent yesterday volunteering in my grade 8 classroom and being bombarded with hugs and "I miss you!" shouts, and then spent tonight having a traditional Christmas Eve Polish dinner with my parents. Tomorrow it's a regular Christmas dinner with The Boy coming over :) And trying to figure out how to display all the amazing Christmas cards I received, especially from you fellow bloggers!

Hope your holidays are full of cozy warmth and memorable moments :)

simple smiles #48

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:38:00 +0000

I can't believe it's less than two week 'til Christmas! While the weather isn't cooperating, we're going to put up the Christmas tree tomorrow and I'm going to buckle down tonight and watch some 'holiday' movies - I'm not a huge classic holiday film person (mainly because I don't own any) so I'll most likely be watching Love, Actually and Beauty and the Beast (a lot of it is set in winter, hence the holiday-ness haha).

When you're sick for almost a whole month straight, looking at those simple moments that make you smile can make all the difference, because if it weren't for them you would probably spend the whole time in bed, feeling like a zombie. Or feeling sorry for yourself because you haven't gotten any better (which is so counter-productive and just makes you feel worse). I am so grateful for those around me who make each day better. Here are those simple smiles that have been filling up my life lately.

The "Get Well Soon" Package: The Boy came over the other week and said he'd bring me some kind of 'get well soon' package; I did the same thing for him last winter when he was sick a lot due to school stress - except my package was full of Fisherman's Friend and tissues :P The first thing I heard when he hugged me hello was rustling, and for a second I thought they were chips (and since I rarely have 'em, I thought "oooh!"). The chips were actually a bouquet of roses, along with a package of candy and strawberry-kiwi wine (my new favourite). It's probably one of the best packages ever, and was so spontaneous and random and ... ahh, just warmed my heart right up :)

The Grade 8s: It seems a cruel thing, to let you enter into a classroom on random dates in September-October, let you spend four weeks straight with a class, and then take you out completely. I became so attached to my associate teacher and my students during my first teaching block, and it really solidified my love for teaching, that I was dreading my last week with them. While things sprung up here and there that surprised me (i.e., hormones), they were such an amazing group of students.

So when it came to my last day, I prepared an art lesson for them as kind of my 'last message' to them and advice as they move on to high school and bigger and better things. The quote is from Martin Luther King, Jr: "Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." Since I did rotary with both grade 8 classes, I got to know 58 students and gave them each a letter of the alphabet that they had to design using typography skills and putting in their own personality. It was supposed to happen during the last two periods of the day, complete with Christmas music and treats.

Turns out, they had a surprise for me earlier on in the day. I went downstairs to heat up my hot cocoa and when I came back upstairs, the other grade 8 teacher said, "You can't come in this classroom, I'll come get you, though" (since both classes were in one room). I could hear them shouting out the 12 Days of Christmas and was a bit bitter that I couldn't join in with them ... and decided to mark instead lol.

Eventually they came to get me and as I entered the room they shouted, "WE'LL MISS YOU!" and enveloped me with a huge group hug and tons of gifts ... they spoiled me rotten (I'm now reading the final book in The Hunger Games thanks to my associate teacher who remembered that that was the only one I hadn't read yet) and were such an unbelievable first class to have.

On the left is a 'thank you' card from one student who asked me what my favourite cartoons were (I confessed they were Pokemon and Sailor Moon haha) and gave me this card with Pikachu in it. On the right is the 'staircase' part of the quote that the students designed. They made my day, my week, and my whole teachers college experience unforgettable.

The Celebrations: That same night, I got together with a group of classmates to celebrate, and since I'm a bit of a hermit when it comes to that, it was a fun night out :) But even better than that was finding out that me and my best friends that I've known since high school would get together this month to do our annual Secret Santa. As time goes on it seems to become harder and harder to meet up with those you care about, even though you still do care. And that only gets worse because time seems to fly by faster as you get older. I am so stoked to get to celebrate with them next week and finally have all five of us reunited!

The Christmas Spirit: While the snow keeps saying 'hello' and then disappearing abruptly, my neighbourhood is surrounded with lights (though it's no Candy Cane Lane from New Girl - something that I need to marathon with my sister when we meet up again). My Christmas cards are all sent out and there's just those little things that keep popping up - like not minding the Christmas decorations and music when you're out shopping at a surprisingly quiet time in the mall, or using manipulatives in our math class to make a Christmas tree.

And to complete the Christmas mood, I'm making one of my caffeinated mixes (which I haven't done in a while) and making it holiday-oriented; I'll be blasting it tomorrow when I put up the tree and expect a download up by this upcoming Tuesday!

Now, I have to ask:

What's your remedy to get better when you're sick?

'Cause I need it haha.

And what are your plans for this weekend?

Hope it's a great one! :)

switching to the dark side

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:12:00 +0000

As I'm typing this, a flurry of snow is breezing by my window (and actually sticking to the ground). It's a pretty sight, especially when you're home sick and coughing up your lungs and you're wrapped up in layers of sweaters and blankets. All I need is some hot cocoa, mmm... it definitely brings me into that 'tis the season kind of mood: so if you'd like to exchange Christmas cards, let me know! You can email me at betterthancoffee[at]gmail.com or just leave a comment with your email and I'll contact you! I'll be sending out all the Christmas cards by December 12th so hopefully they'll get to you on time!

Aside from that, I have a wee bit of a confession to make: I've switched to the dark side. And not because of the cookies. This is actually a product which apparently keeps the doctor away every day if you have it. OK, enough with the vagueness. I finally got an iPod Touch ... my first Apple product ever. I've always shied away from them, only using them at my university for editing videos. But my mp3 player was slowly dying and after spying on all the apps my mom had on hers, I was pretty much convinced it'd be my next mp3 player. I found a sale on Friday for it, and I've already taken a bunch of photos on it :) And I'm hooked on Tap Tap Revenge, Pretty Pet Salon, and Words with Friends. Help me.

Here's a look at my life lately, through photos:

Saturday was spent taking a good ol' road trip with The Boy for some accordion shopping! He's been eyeing one for a while as his First. Ever. Instrument. (pretty brave choice, huh?) and had a shop in mind and a lady from Kijiji to visit so I decided to join him for some sugar-high, caffeine-induced, accordion-shopping (and learned The Art of Negotiation in the meantime). We were almost considering purchasing the lovely silver one above except the son of the shop gave us a much lower price and then the father came around and upped the price $50 ("Oh yes, we'll set you up with a nice case, too") so we decided to get the lovely one below:

There's my Movember Man holding his new-ish accordion! The lady we got it from was a bit of a crazy cat lady (she had 6 cats and 5 strays she fed) and had a shrine to Elvis in her kitchen (I am not even kidding) but she was really sweet. So far The Boy's still learning the basics but I really want him to learn La Valse d' Amelie from Amelie so hopefully that happens in the next year or two :D

Once we got back to our city we decided to hit up this restaurant we've been eyeing for a while and got the large fish & chips - it was a huge portion and the owner let us sample the country-style fries too, which were pretty darn yummy in my tummy.

It was also my mama's birthday on Saturday, and so I helped myself to a slice or two of this cake this weekend (which doesn't look so appetizing in that yellow-ish hue but it was delicious).

Apart from that, my life has been pretty much taken over by teaching a grade 8 class for my teaching block at teacher's college. When I told my students that Dec 9th would be my last day, I was pretty touched that they all looked upset and asked why I couldn't just stay the whole year :) On Monday we had a bunch of errands to run at lunch which my teacher couldn't make it to due to a meeting, so me and the high school co-op student who was volunteering hit up a bunch of stores and got ourselves some bubble tea!

I decided to take today off since I've been hit with illness (AGAIN.) and really needed a day to recuperate. I woke up to an adorable "get well soon" e-card from The Boy and SNOW! It was just light flurries at first but now it's actually sticking and making me all giddy. It'll probably all disappear in a couple of hours but I'm on my pretty long to-do list for today is watching "Elf" (since I've never seen it ... don't judge lol) to get me into that Christmas spirit :)

What are you looking forward to in December?

How has your week been so far?

Can't wait to exchange Christmas cards! :)

a few of my favourite things

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Suddenly it's the second last month of the year and the days feel shorter and darker. My cough has become one of those guests that overstay their welcome and just when you think it's gone, it pops up again in the form of a nasty 3-minute coughing session (but thank you, thank you, thank you for the get well soon wishes, they made me feel warm and cozy!). But on the bright side there's plenty of things keeping me happy and healthy-ish, so here's a few of my favourite things:

In the blurry background you can see the amount of leftover Halloween candy
(we had zero children come to our door).

Holidays Cups: OK, I'll admit I was going to write "coffee" but thought that would be obvious. Starbucks has come out with their holiday cups and I had my first one today (peppermint mocha, yippee)! Yet, I'll admit, I'm a bit "why now?" when I walked into Zellers (the Canadian version of Target) and heard cheesy Christmas tunes blaring and when I headed downtown and saw three people walking around with Santa hats on. I'm all for Christmas cheer and all that, just wasn't expecting it so early!

Shellac 'em!: After my eye exam yesterday, my mama and I had a bit of a "girls day out" and decided to get a manicure with Shellac! I'm prone to biting/picking at my nails (the grossest habit ever) so knowing this'll last fourteen days makes me happy. The cute lady who did my nails said, "Next time you bring hand to mouth just slap away with your other hand and say, 'NO!'" Considering I pretty much have no nails this is only the second manicure I've ever had and I kinda like 'em :)

Warm Hugs Scarf Swap: The lovely Leesh and Elisse (who just celebrated two years of blogging) held an amazing scarf swap that included a packet of a warm beverage to enjoy. I was partnered up with Lori and received my package earlier this week and love the infinity scarf she sent me (seen in the pic above)! Thank you so much, and thanks to Leesh and Elisse for hosting this!

Cozies: This is ~~a bit of~~ a shameless plug, but I'm absolutely adoring the cup cozies that we're whipping up for mine, my mom's, and my sister's design shop! While our etsy shop is still empty, stay tuned; and thanks to everyone who responded to my little 'survey': honeybean designs is coming soon :)

This might just be the weirdest combination of photos I've ever put together.

Henry Cavill is very angry with the leaves.

Crunching leaves: Seeing as one of the most popular Facebook groups is called "I Will Go Slightly Out of My Way To Step On That Crunchy-looking Leaf", I know I'm not alone in getting excited over seeing a sidewalk absolutely littered with bright-coloured leaves ... and then jumping all over them to find the crunchiest-sounding one.

Immortals: Even though seeing this film on opening night made me and The Boy promise to never again see a film on opening night because of how chattery/giggly the crowd seemed to be (and it's a promise I might keep since there's no more midnight releases of Harry Potter), I really enjoyed this film. It's not the typical Greek mythology film because it really concentrates on gorgeous visuals and slow-mo gore (OK, maybe that last part is typical); it makes me wonder how it would look like in 3D since we opted for the 2D version. Since Henry Cavill stars in it, it was pretty much a given I was going to like this film. And then the second I saw Klaus from The Vampire Diaries pop onto the screen, The Boy and I both looked at each other and went, "Yup, I like this movie." Don't expect a masterpiece, but expect a good story and pretty things to stare at (including, but not limited to, half-naked men).

Aside from all that, it's going to be a hopefully relaxing rest of the weekend ... I start officially teaching in my gr8 classroom this Tuesday so I need to start planning (and wishing and hoping and dreaming and praying that I do okay my first few days) and maybe watch a movie or two.

What are a few of your fave things right now?

What are you up to this weekend? :)

Hope it's a great one!

i choose you

noreply@blogger.com (Nikolett) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:15:00 +0000

This Halloween, no dress-up is required. I am going as a sick lady :P Yesterday I lost my voice, overnight I've developed a nasty cough, and this morning I threw up. So tonight I'll be napping and ignoring all the kids ringing the doorbell (sorry!).

On the plus side, I got to dress up last week since my teachers college decided to join in on the festivities a week early:

I choose you, Staryu! I went as Misty from Pokemon ... though one classmate asked "Are you a fire-woman?" and a little piece of me died inside. I'm posing with a hippie and fellow classmate :)

And I was able to get into a semi-Halloween spirit a few weeks ago with a youth group I lead (along with The Boy and another girl), where our theme was falling for fall holidays. Oh yeah, we're full of cheese. We decorated owl cupcakes which was a hoot (yes, more cheese):

I was finally able to enjoy some autumn weather when my grade 8 class went on a retreat which offered gorgeous views like this one:

And this past weekend I was able to catch up with friends, have a horror movie marathon (full of [REC], [REC]2, and a downloaded version of Paranormal Activity 3, shhh), watch some Harry Potter and The Vampire Diaries with The Boy, and celebrate one of my best friend's birthday ... and getting sick at the same time haha.

With two of my best amigas.

How are you enjoying your Halloween?

And here's the winner of my "what a hoot!" giveaway - thanks to all who joined!

Congrats goes to the fashionista Erika - make sure to email me your address :)

Next up: more news about our upcoming shop, a Christmas card exchange (before I bring back the postcard project) and finally a new layout? :) Hope you're all having a good start to your week!