whoalansi, Author at WHOA lansi

Author: whoalansi Page 8 of 35

Odin \\ 16 weeks

On July 19, 2016

Odin 16 wks

Our little buddy reached the four-month mark last week! It’s really cool watching him grow & seeing more of his personality coming out. Since I last updated, he’s gotten a haircut & is almost finished his 6 weeks at puppy school.

He’s been spending some time with my in-laws lately. They also have a new puppy, Penny, & they are getting along so well! She’s a teeny tiny Bichon Yorkie, but she totally holds her own with him. It’s really cute watching them interact together.

Odin

Sit!

Odin

So tired after playing in the water!

Meeting Penny for the first time!

Can you even see, Odin?

He’s definitely grown a lot since we first got him, but it’s even more apparent since his first haircut. All of a sudden he looks a lot more like a lanky teenager than a tiny fluffy puppy. He’s lost a couple of teeth in the last week so we’re gearing up for some fun teething times. He’s also had a little bit more teenage attitude lately, but we’re working through it with time outs.

After his adorable little haircut!

Odin's first haircut

Chillin’ with Garth

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This little face! <3

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Odin loves any toy with a squeaker (Snakey Snake, Garth, & Ned), Beef Liver Treats, long walks, cuddles on the couch when he’s really tired, his kennel, the spot beside the couch (he’s a little too big for under it now), & pretty much any person he meets.

Odin doesn’t like to do anything he doesn’t want to do, being left alone for too long, antibiotics, having his feet wiped after a pee, & saying goodbye to Penny before he’s ready.

Sitting like a good pup

Once again, I’ve got a little video on YouTube. It’s mostly a compilation from Snapchat & not the greatest quality, but it’s fun to make these little videos & look back Odas he grows. He’s changing so much every month!

We love you so much, little lion! xo

June in Instagram

By whoalansi

On July 6, 2016

In Social

This month’s recap almost didn’t happen. I was thinking about a different post I’m working on, when today’s date popped into my head & I realized I hadn’t done this yet. Whoops! Needless to say, I’ve been a little bit preoccupied lately. Taking care of puppy has been a pretty big undertaking & I’ve mostly been doing it on my own. Luckily, we have some great family members who’s been willing to step in, & I’ve finally been taking them up on that offer. Next step, getting O trained enough that I won’t feel terrible if my friends come take care of him. He’s learning more every week. We’re almost a week into July already, which means Stampede is around the corner & then I’m pretty sure summer is going to fly by, as it usually does. Let’s take a minute here though & look back on what we got up to in June, according to Instagram.

I think Odin looks a little like Simba sometimes, so I couldn’t resist this shot of N with him. This was at the very beginning of June so I can’t believe how tiny he was!
Girls night in with Odin. We ordered thai, opened some wine, & spent the evening catching up with each other. I’ve known these girls since Jr High & am so glad we still make time to hang out even if it’s becoming less frequent.
Odin got to meet lot of friends & their babies this month! & I got to catch up with this awesome little family twice – once at our BBQ & once on this lovely morning when they made me breakfast.
I’m training for the SeaWheeze in Vancouver in mid August. Been getting some training runs in & working on being more consistent with my long runs. We’ll see if I make that goal in July.
I can’t decide which Odin photo is my favourite, but this one is definitely up there. I cleaned up my converse, put them on, & he immediately went for the laces. Everything is delicious when you’re a pup!
My boys. Odin isn’t often cuddly, but when we do manage to convince him, it’s pretty great. A surprise father’s day dinner wasn’t a bad way to spend our Sunday either!
I’m part of an awesome ladies’ brunch crew called Bitches be Brunchin’. Someone different hosts every 6 weeks. This month, Jan picked Raw Canvas for our brunch. I was initially a little nervous about how my painting would turn out, but it’s growing on me.
I can never resist Anju so when Heather & Brittany suggested we go to the Asian Association dinner, I couldn’t say no. H & I had gone in 2014 & it was incredible. This year didn’t fail to disappoint either – I’ll have to do another post about it (cuz I don’t have enough Anju posts! haha.)
I capped off the month with Meet.Eat.Compete. This time I went with some coworkers. David & Michael got a huge game (30 people!!) of Two Rooms & a Boom going. I love that game! We also played some Coup, Cartagena, & One Night Werewolf. Such an awesome start to the long weekend!

Spring BBQ

By whoalansi

On June 24, 2016

In Personal

After three years of living in a condo with no outdoor space, we were pretty stoked to finally have a house with some. Early this spring, we made plans to host our first BBQ. We picked a weekend when N would be home & started planning, cleaning up the yard, & purchasing the necessities for hosting a BBQ, such as an actual BBQ.

Two little babies getting cuddles!

puppy baby

The day finally arrived, & although it wasn’t the gorgeous sunny I’d hoped for, it was warm enough to bbq and enjoy some time outside.

I made a couple salads & we provided buns, chips, & burger toppings. Of course, being the awesome blogger that I am, I didn’t pull my camera out until later in the day. The salads seemed to be a hit though, especially my take on Chrissy Teigen’s potato salad. Girl can cook – buy the book if you haven’t already.

A couple of our adorable guests

Her facial expressions are so cute

Chatting

Outside Chats

Things got rolling pretty early in the day with our first guests arriving around 3:30 pm. This is how you know you’re in your thirties – your parties start when the little ones wake up from their naps. For the first few hours, our main house guests were under the age of three. They were all great sports, including our little guy. Odin was super chill with everyone & a real sweetheart with the little guys. He continually impresses me!

A very tuckered out puppy

Moved to his fav spot under the couch

tired puppy

Puppy Snuggles

puppy snuggles

As the babies & their parents headed home, the younger crowd joined us. The beer long table came out, & things got a little rowdier. Just a little rough, we were still in bed by 1 am – a pretty early night compared to some of our parties!

BBQ

Beer Pong

This sequence is funny. The boys definitely didn’t agree with a call!

Beer Pong

Overall, I think it was a big success. I love hosting parties & getting my friends together in one place. We even had a surprise visit from Heather’s parents at one point! I spent a huge chunk of my final years of university at their house so they were more than welcome.

Do you enjoy hosting friends in your house? What’s your go to salad recipe for a big group?

Odin \\ 12 weeks

By whoalansi

On June 17, 2016

In Family, Personal

ODIN

Our little guy is 3 months old this week! I can’t believe we’ve already had him home for a month. He’s such an amazing addition to our home & we love him so much.

Odin

Still loves this position

He’s growing like a weed & getting into everything. While he’s more work than I ever imagined, I also love him more than I thought possible. I guess it’s an ok trade off.

Odin

This week N is back in town. I can’t wait to see these two bond some more over the next week. He’s pretty attached to me so I think it’ll be good for him to get some one on one time with N, & I’m looking forward to the break from biking home every lunch hour. Trying to manage his needs while working full time is a definite challenge.

At 12 weeks, Odin:

-loves to chew everything.

Odin & Snakey Snake

-doesn’t like to be left alone for too long.

Crated Odin
-has recently been introduced to peanut butter, & is a HUGE fan. Like huge.

Peanut Butter in his Puppy Kong

PB Kong
-will reliably sit for treats.

Odin sit
-is learning to “leave it” & get “off”, for treats, of course.

-rings his bell to go potty outside more consistently every day.

-tolerates late-night snuggles.

Odin Snuggles
-loves his kibble.

Odin

-loves the yellow pillows & white blanket on the couch (probably cuz they’re off limits).

Running for a blanket attack

-adores people of all shapes & sizes (kids too!).

Meeting baby Sophia

Kisses for Soph

Odin & Sophia

-is starting to like other dogs. He had his first socialization class & it went pretty well.

He’s so playful, loving, & smart. I’m continually impressed by how quickly he manages to pick up things. We’re currently working on bite inhibition & hoping his puppy classes help with that. Everything is delicious to a puppy though!

Odin

In honour of this little milestone, I’ve compiled some of my videos of this little guy. It’s not great quality, but I’ll share it here anyway!

Happy 3 month Birthday to my little lion. We love you, Odin!

La Manzanilla: Take Two

By whoalansi

On June 12, 2016

In Travel

La Manzanilla

A couple years ago, a big group of us headed down to a small town in Mexico for one of the best week-long beach vacations I’ve ever had. We came home vowing it wouldn’t be the last time we spent time in La Manzanilla. & this winter, we made good on that promise.

Despite being hit by Hurricane Patricia in the fall, the town was almost exactly how I remembered it – that is to say, perfect. I didn’t think we would ever top our 2014 trip, but an extra couple days in paradise certainly didn’t hurt. This time, we stayed for 9 days instead of 7 & the extra couple of days were really lovely.

First photo always has to be of the view. I mean, can you blame me?

La Manzanilla

Unreal sunsets every night

Settling into our villa

Starting things off right with tequila, duh

Walk into town

Estrellas at Palapa Joe’s

Palapa Joe's

We had a slightly different group this time, but the key players were the same. We had a full house, but everyone got along really well again. Most of us are pretty low key & everyone felt comfortable either joining the majority or opting out to do their own thing. It worked out really well, & we usually met up at one of the palapas on the beach at some point in the day.

To the beach!

first margarita

sandcastles

mexico chill

boys being boys

beach

beach dance class

mexican town

beach days

Heather killing it on the SUP

Beach Walks

beach

My beach bae

beach

Catching waves

beach

Most of our days consisted of sitting on the beach, eating, drinking, reading, & catching some sun. I rarely go more than five minutes without thinking about food, & La Manzanilla certainly doesn’t disappoint here. From the spicy garlic pulpo (octopus) to the incredibly addictive Breakfast BLTs to the street-side tacos, everything we ate was incredible. Most of it wasn’t fancy, but the fresh components of every dish really made our meals shine. My favourite meal was probably the pulpo at Azul – it was the most tender octopus I’ve ever eaten. I loved it so much, I ate it twice & am now wishing I’d had it a couple more times. There was just so much great food to try!

Pedro’s Fish Tacos

Delicious margs all day long

Azul’s pulpo is the stuff dreams are made of. Serioiusly.

Street Tacos

Street Enchiladas hitting it out of the park

N waiting on his street meat

While most of our days were spent relaxing, we did have a couple different activities planned during our stay. The first was brunch with D’s family at the cutest spot down the beach. We did the same a couple years ago. Once again, the food was fantastic & the atmosphere was amazing. I mean, does it get any better than brunch with an ocean view? Afterwards, we opted to walk back to town along the beach, the same as last year. It’s a trek, but we enjoyed it once again.

Our crew at brunch

The hotel

Gimme all the chilaquiles

Beach Walk

beach walk

Love Birds

Therapy Hotel

beach walk

The town also has a crocodile sanctuary, so this year we decided to brave the walk through it. For a few dollars, we got to walk along a boardwalk for some jawdropping croc sightings. Most of these guys were HUGE. I have to admit, it felt a little sketchy. At the end of our little walk, we were treated to an opportunity to hold a baby croc. It was totally unexpected in a few ways, but namely that he was SO soft.

I love this street on the way to the cocodrilos

cocodrillos

WE ARE NOT SCARED

cocodrillos

tiny guy

one of many sketchy suspension bridges

baby croc

cocodrillos

so many babies!

cocodrillos

One of our friends also celebrated his thirtieth birthday. We rang in his birthday with a lovely sunset bar dinner followed by drinks & games (& way too many tequila shots). Not a bad way to spend your birthday, if you ask me!

Really tough to grab a drink here

My fav Mexico drink. Also the most dangerous.

Birthday Dinner

sunset bar

Sunset bar delivers an amazing sunset

sew kewt

sunset bar

The two lovebird & their wives

Yum!

sunset bar

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRIS!

How we roll on vacation.

Overall, it was an incredible vacation with great company. This little town is the perfect beach vacation! The incredible food & beautiful accommodations keep me daydreaming about our next trip down even months later. I can’t imagine going to an all inclusive again now after the two incredible experiences we’ve had in La Manzanilla.

Pups on a roof

main street

la manzanilla

great breakfast spot

old truck

la manzanilla

final tans

It was pretty hard to limit this post in terms of photos – this place is so photogenic, & we had a fantastic time. It would’t have been the same without this crew though. #squadgoals

squad goals

Thanks for the best winter getaway a girl could ask for friends! (& if you made it to the end of this post, congrats! 😉 )

May in Instagram

By whoalansi

On June 3, 2016

In Social

My social media has been entirely Odin since we picked him up two weeks ago. He basically consumes my entire life right now. The first day I went to work, N joked that he didn’t know who had worse separation anxiety, me or O. Going to work is a struggle for both of us right now, but it’s getting better every day. He’s still freaking out a bit, but is settling quicker. He eats his puppy pad at some point most days, but I’m hoping that’s just part of this little freak out phase of his. Enough about Odin though, I told myself this post wasn’t going to be about him. We got up to other things in May, pre-puppy things. Let’s take a look at this month according to Instagram.

I painted our bedroom! You may remember the walls were brown in here, like most of the house. Now they’re a nice bright bluey white. I absolutely love how they turned out! The room is so much brighter now. I’m such an amateur when it comes to painting that I was SO sore after doing this!
We went to Montreal with a big group of friends & had a blast. I love that city so much. Here we are in Mile Ex on an awesome food tour. That neighbourhood has so much cool stuff popping up & I really enjoyed exploring a part of Montreal I don’t know too well.
We went to so many of my old favourites while in the city! DDC! is always on my list when I’m in Montreal, & it never disappoints. I’ve really got to get a post out about everything else we did.
Always a sucker for a photo of one of these walls. I love wandering around a city & just exploring, maybe stopping for a coffee in a cute cafe or a beer on a terrasse. We didn’t do a ton of that seeing as we were such a large group, but we did get some in on Monday before flying out.
One of my best friends was in town for most of the month of May. I wish we could have hung out more, but every time we did was such a treat! Her sister celebrated her birthday with seafood at Rodney’s & some drinks at National. It was a great night!
We bought a BBQ! Woohoo! We knew we wanted one when we bought the house, but figured we’d wait until spring. N’s parents gave us some cash to put towards it as a housewarming gift so we splurged & got one I hope will last many years.
Mom & I stopped at a little winery near my friend, Heather’s, cabin on our way to pick up Odin. It’s such an adorable spot, right on the Shuswap, & their wines are really lovely. We both picked up a few bottles to bring home & I’m really looking forward to enjoying them!
& the Odin takeover photos begin. Our first little family photo outside on our back deck. That little face is my favourite right now. Sorry, N.
Dad & I ran the 10 km race at the Calgary Marathon. It was the perfect day for a run & I absolutely love this route. If you were thinking of running it, do it! It goes through some of my favourite parts of Calgary & is quite a well attended race. I ran with my dad for most of the race, which was a fun way to spend some time together! One year, I’d like to really train for a 10 km & see what I can do.

So that was May! I can’t believe summer is already here. N was home for most of the month & it was such a welcome change for us. It’s back to reality now though, & back to that part time single life. At least, I’ve got Odin to keep me company now though!

Odin \\ 9 weeks

By whoalansi

On May 29, 2016

In Family, Personal

ODIN

Puppy update! We’ve had Odin a full week now & we’re all slowly adjusting to one another. I know he’s going to grow & change so quickly, so I want to document it a little bit on here. I promise I will blog about other things still too though. Our lives have mostly revolved around him though lately.

Odin & Garth

My brother got him this huge monkey we’ve named Garth & he absolutely loves it. I’ve already had to sew its arm back on since it was partially ripping off. He gets pretty intense with it. It’s really cute.
Odin's Spot

Odin Kennel

Odin also loves hiding under the couch. He loves almost any tight, den-like space, but our couch is his favourite. Since the first night we brought him home, he’s gotten really comfortable with his kennel. He sleeps in it every night, which is great. I love that he has a place he feels really safe. We’re still getting up a couple times a night to let him out to pee since he has such a tiny bladder, but he’s really quick & goes straight back to sleep after. I’m really looking forward to when he can sleep through the night though.

Snakey Snake

Odin chew toy

Garth & Odin

Meet Odin

He’s been getting used to all his chew toys. He has quite a few now: a kong, a soft wool bone, Garth the monkey, Ned the anteater, Snakey snake, & a tug of war rope. Our friends have been making the rounds to meet him. He’s winning everyone over with his playful demeanour, soft fur, & adorable teddy bear face.

Sleepy puppy

Tuckered out from a long day

We’ve been working on housetraining & getting him used to being alone since he’ll have to spend at least half the day on his own. We’ve had some accidents, & I’m sure we’re making a million mistakes, but I think he’s moving in the right direction. Fingers crossed, anyway. Odin's New Treat

Odin Kennel

Odin relaxing

One of his favourite sleeping positions is still having both back legs stretched out behind him. Sometimes, he even stretches the front ones out too. I think it’s pretty hilarious.
Odin sleeps

Odin Sleeps

So that’s Odin at 9 weeks. He’s a definite handful, but we love him so much & can’t wait to see how he grows & changes as the weeks progress.

Welcome Odin!

By whoalansi

On May 21, 2016

In Family, Personal

Odin

If you’ve been following me on twitter, you’re probably aware that we got a puppy. I’m out in BC picking up this adorable little addition to our family. He is seriously such a sweetheart. He’s already won me over & I’ve only really known him for part of a day.

Meeting Odin

Mom & Odin

Mom & I drove out to Sorrento this morning to meet our little man. We’d heard about Notch Hill Labradoodles through friends of ours & so far we couldn’t be happier with our choice. We’re staying with my grandma out in Vernon for the first couple nights to get him used to being without his mom & siblings before making the drive back home.

Odin in his crate

Sleepy Odin

I’m a little bit nervous about our first night together – it’s been a bit of an overwhelming day for all of us, but hopefully it goes relatively well tonight. So far, our little pup loves small spaces & lots of cuddles. He’s got lots of energy & is figuring out the whole collar & leash thing. His name with the breeder was no collar boy, so I think it was a pretty tough adjustment to suddenly have something around his neck.
Odin loves small spaces

20160521_134351

20160521_141315

He even wanted to jump into this bag! Silly boy!

Welcome to the family, little Odin! We love you so much already!

Happy Birthday, N!

By whoalansi

On May 18, 2016

In Personal

Photo by 3haus Photographics

Twenty nine years ago, someone very special to me was born. Today is my husband, Nathan’s, birthday!

A&N

Photo by 3haus Photographics

A&N

This guy is funny, patient (as long as he’s not hungry), kind, headstrong, compassionate, and forgiving. He puts his family & friends first, & is an awesome older brother to both his siblings. He is also so incredibly good to me; this morning he made breakfast, on his own birthday, like the champ that he is. He’s my favourite travel companion, the best dinner date, & my biggest cheerleader in everything I do.

A&N

Photo by 3haus Photographics

So join me in wishing my favourite guy a very happy birthday. We may have to work today, but I think we’ll find a way to make up for that soon.

I love you babe, xx

Home \\ Spring Cleaning

By whoalansi

On May 13, 2016

In Personal

This post feels like it’s coming a bit late, but with the gorgeous weather we’ve been having, I just haven’t gotten into spring cleaning mode. Who wants to sit in their chilly basement organizing a filing cabinet or unpacking when it’s absolutely gorgeous outside. I know I certainly don’t. Give me that vitamin D!

April has come & gone though, & it’s time I got my butt in gear. May brings some really exciting things for us (that I’ll share later, unless you’re following me on social media & already know!) & I’d love to have the house more in order. N doesn’t seem to think it’s an issue, but do guys really notice this? Personally, I love when everything is organized.

My biggest issue is that I’m not very good at keeping my space organized unless there is proper storage for everything. I find it so satisfying to have everything in its place. I’m planning to work on that side of things this weekend. Anyone else just love a really tidy & organized space?

I love these simple Ikea boxes for organizing cleaning supplies inside our closets. (photo from ikea.com)

We’ve been in our place for 8 months & I vow that I am finally going to organize our office & the closets. We have old paint in the storage room that we will never reuse that I’m getting rid of, our tools & cleaning supplies are going to get their own organized bins, & I’m finally going to do the dreading filing I should have done in April (like before tax season, when you’re supposed to do it). I’m partially posting this to hold myself accountable, but I’m also curious what works for all of you. Two weekends ago, I painted our bedroom so I’m trying to continue this trend of home improvement over the next few weeks. There’s so much to do!

I’m a big lists person. There’s something so satisfying about checking something off as done. I love the bullet journal for that. Being on the forgetful side, I find it really helpful to write down all the things I’m planning to get done & the places I need to go in order to make that happen. Honestly though, if something isn’t written down there is a 60% chance I will forget it.

Making lists

So let’s do this, friends. There’s no crazy beautiful weather in the forecast this weekend so let’s get organized. I’ll even post some before/afters in the future. I’ve got a couple good ones so far & it’s only going to get better from here!

What’s on your to do list this weekend? Where you smart about spring cleaning earlier in the year, or are you waiting to get it done when the weather’s gloomier?

WHOA lansi

francophile, oenophile, logophile, turophile

Author: whoalansi Page 8 of 35

Odin \\ 16 weeks

Spring BBQ

Odin \\ 12 weeks

La Manzanilla: Take Two

Odin \\ 9 weeks

Welcome Odin!

Happy Birthday, N!

Home \\ Spring Cleaning

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