Places I Would Love to See in the USA- Day 4

Happy 4th of July!  I actually have an American connection.  My Grandma was born in Iowa.  Her parents moved to Canada when she was young.  I hope all of you have a wonderful day and a safe holiday!   In honour of the 4th of July, I thought I would tell you some of the places I would love to see in the United States.  I have been to the States a few times, but there is always more to see!

1.)  New York City-  I used to dream of living there!   Ha ha!  It might me a little too fast-paced for me, but I would like the chance to visit and see all the sights.

2.)  Maine- I read a lot and a lot of novels are set in Maine.  The scenery sounds beautiful and I would love to see it for myself!

3.)  Portland, Oregon- This one is specifically to see Powell's bookstore.  I am such an nerd and love to read!  This bookstore is the largest in the world and has more than 1 million books!  Gah!  I would love to see it!

4.)  Disneyland, California-  I would love to take Miss. E when she is a little older.  I went to Disneyland with my family when I was a kid and I was absolutely enchanted.  I think she would love it!

5.)  South Carolina-  A lot of my blog friends seem to be from here or near here and I would love the opportunity to meet some of them in real life!  In addition to that, South Carolina seems beautiful with a lot to offer.  The architecture, history, and scenery alone would be a big draw.

Have a happy 4th of July, my friends!

This flower totally reminds me of a firework!

Day 3- Gratitude

When life is good and when life is hard, I always take the time to thank God for all that I have.  We are told that it is important to keep a heart of gratitude at all times. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (Thessalonians 5: 15-18)  It certainly makes life's storms easier to weather and it helps keep our hearts open to the glory of God.

This Sunday I am grateful for many things, but I thought I would list a few:

1.)  Wonderful time spent with family this long weekend, including my brother!  I haven't seen him in a while and he surprised me with a visit!  It was so awesome.

2.)  New opportunities and the trust that things will work out.

3.)  Miss. E feeling better and acting much more like herself.

4.)  Nice weather for travelling.

5.)  The support and fellowship of good friends.

Happy Sunday!

Day 2- Dollar Tree Haul

I headed to the Dollar Tree the other day.  I didn't know we even had Dollar Trees in Canada.  Perhaps they are new to us?  I was so excited by what I found!

I grabbed a binder and small file folder that I needed.  I bought the Hello notebook and Canada Day themed pinwheel on a whim.  I snagged some awesome flashcards for Miss. E and an adorable Elmo book.  I also found a magnetic weekly planner!  I am so excited.  I plan to use it for my weekly meal planning, just like my friend Whitney at Come Home For Comfort.  The best part of all?  I hardly spent any money!

High Five For Friday- Happy Canada Day! (Day 1 of Blogging Month)

Happy Canada Day!  My beautiful country turns 149 today.  For this week's H54F, I have decided to tell you about my 5 favourite places in Canada!  I am going to count them down:

5.) The Yukon-  This territory is filled with magic.  I went with my family when I was 11 years old.  We got to go gold panning, admire the wildlife (bears, sheep, and moose) and experience the midnight sun.  It doesn't get dark in the Yukon in the summer.  It is a really cool thing to see!

4.)  Calgary, Alberta-  We love this city!  There are so many great things about it, but my favourite place to go in Calgary is the Calgary Zoo.  I LOVE visiting the penguins, gorillas, giraffes, and hippos.  Miss. E loves the meerkats!  The city has great food, shopping and beautiful parks!

3.) Banff, Alberta- We go to Banff almost yearly.  It is a beautiful town nestled in Banff National Park.  The mountains are breathtaking!  We like to do mountain hikes, go skiing, enjoy the great restaurants, and shop!  It is such an amazing place to visit!

4.)  Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island-  We visited Prince Edward Island when I was 10.  It was absolutely enchanting.  My Mom had read the Anne of Green Gables books to me when I was little and I was enthralled.  We dragged my Dad and brother to every Lucy Maud Montgomery historical site on the island, including Green Gables itself!  (The author based her books on an actual house).  We saw the Enchanted Forest and strolled down Lover's Lane.  I loved every minute of it!  The Island also boasts beautiful red soil, delicious seafood (lobster, anyone?), and awesome historical sights.

5.) Manitou Lake-  This place doesn't have a link because it is a small, alkaline lake in Saskatchewan.  You can't fish in the lake (nothing lives there except the Manitou Monster) and there has been little for development in the park.  My parents grew up in neighbouring towns and they put a cabin at the lake when we were kids.  We used to go all the time!  It is my happy place, the place where I can always find calm.  My parents have fixed up the cabin and we love to take Miss. E out there.  It is my favourite place in the world.

Have an awesome holiday weekend!  If you want to join in the link up, please check out the lovely ladies below!  This is my 1st day in a month of blogging and I hope you stop back to see some of my posts!

Back In The Land Of The Living

Hello Blog-land!  I have missed you dearly.  I was so pumped to get back on the writing train and make a much better effort at blogging.  Of course, that is when the summer colds and stomach flu hit and all was lost.  Okay, not really lost, but you catch my drift.  We are starting to feel much better around here, thankfully, with Miss. E finishing her fight with this cold.  She has a harder time with such things, because of her lung issues.  She is, however, eating and playing again which was a relief to see after that nasty stomach bug!

I have been brainstorming as to how I should go about getting back on the blogging train.  For July, I plan to post every day.  I think that this commitment, although crazy, will help me learn to schedule the time to spend on my blog.  The posts won't be long or elaborate, but they will be present.  It is my hope that this will spur on better time management on my part so that I can work to dedicate more effort to Peaceful Simple Life.

I love this world of blogging and the friends that I have made in it.  I feel like I really know all of you and I promise to make a better effort to catch up with you on your blogs.  I have missed you!  I plan to spend time over the next few days reading the posts that I have missed.  I will be back for "High Five For Friday" and to kick off my month of blogging!  Thanks for sticking with me!

Hello Friday! 10.06.16

I haven't done a link up in FOREVER. (At least it feels that way.)  I am still trying to get my head on straight with this living in 2 cities thing.  Anyway, I am happy to join in the link up again!  I am particularly excited for this Friday.  I get to go see Garth Brooks in concert tonight!  I have never seen Garth Brooks in concert and I grew up listening to his music.  It should be a fun night!  Here are the 5 highlights from my week:

1.)  Miss. E broke my sunglasses this week.  I don't really buy expensive sunglasses, but it was still a bummer.  I found a new pair, however, and I actually like them more than my old ones!  They fit better and the lens colour is really nice!

2.)  We had a family supper night out on Sunday and it was really nice.  Miss. E was pretty calm and happy, so Hubby and I got some conversation in.  It was a much needed family outing and the food was great!

3.)  On Saturday we participated in the Red Shoe Walk, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House.  We stayed at the House when our daughter was in NICU after her birth.  It truly is a home away from home for the families of sick children and we were so grateful for the House when we stayed.

4.)  My Mother-In-Law bought Miss. E a bubble "gun".  It has a fan that blows multiple bubbles.  Miss. E had a blast with it and so did I!  She kept blowing bubbles at me, shouting "Catch them, Mommy!".  I don't mean to brag, but I have impressive bubble popping skills.  Ha ha!

5.)  I found the cutest pair of shorts.  They are pink with lace trim at the top and are by far the comfiest shorts I have ever owned!  Yay, Summer!

How was your week?   Link up with the lovely ladies below and tell us all about it!

10 days Away and a 6 Hour Drive

It's no secret that my husband is working away.  Miss. E and I travel to stay with him, for at least a week at a time.  I am getting better at packing for our time away, although I still have a lot to learn.

These are the clothes that I packed for our last 10 day trip.  I try to have 3 hot weather outfits and at least 1 cold weather outfit.  I also pack a dressier outfit for church.   We stay with my in-laws so I know that we have access to laundry facilities, which is helpful in cutting down on the number of items that I need to bring.  I try to make the colors of the pieces co-ordinate so that I can mix and match to make new outfits.  In addition, I pack our rain jackets and shoes.  I manage to get it all into one suitcase which makes life easier!

For our 6 HOUR drive, I try to pack items to keep Miss. E entertained.  I usually bring her play 'lap-top', a notebook with stickers, her 'baby' and, as a last resort, a DVD player and movies.  I have done this drive with her several times now.  She usually does really well and I don't have to grab the DVD player, but this last time was downright painful so I popped in a movie.  I also pack easy snacks, such as cheerios, crackers, and Goldfish snacks.  I like to have a box of apple juice with me.  Miss. E doesn't get juice very often, so it is a great treat for the ride!

Miss. E also loves to look for cows and birds out the window and sing songs.  I like her Fischer Price 'Sunday School Sing Along' C.D.  and so does she!  It has some really great, upbeat songs for our drive.

What do you like to pack for long trips with your little one?  How do you keep from over-packing your suitcase?  I would love to hear what works for you!