Random tally

I love lists. I'm not necessarily great at following the lists, but there is just something so mentally organizing about writing them. I used to do a little list of current favourites on the sidebar, but I think sometimes a little more explanation is in order... So here's a random list of not-particularly-interesting things I'm enjoying this week...

Treat:
Speaking of lists, I enjoy buying new notebooks, full of crispy fresh unblemished pages. Ah, simple dreams of consistent penmanship and checked-off items... My favourite purchase in the last week or so has been a couple new Ecojot jumbo spiral lined notebooks. I go back and forth between my conscience/the environment and being tempted by adorable Japanese books at Paper-Ya, but these are a happy middle. Still cute, definitely 100% post-consumer paper. They're on sale right now at Grand & Toy for $5 (from $15)!

I just happened to find the sale on Saturday when Jamie stopped by the office for a few minutes to pick up some stuff before his trip. I stayed downstairs, wandering along a nearly-deserted Granville Street with a wailing, struggling infant strapped to my chest in an ill-adjusted Ergo, and stumbling on these notebooks at a great deal was the peak of the experience... Not so much the freaked out look of the copy guy in the store who looked repelled by my situation.

On the subject of notebooks and lists, I got a Moleskine notebook a few weeks ago and started a 5-a-day journal. It's just a loose tally of five things from that day. Not big events or gratitude things, more like quirky moments and plain old stuff. Less structure and effort than a regular journal, so easy to manage consistently - so far, anyway - and lots of fun.

Drink:
Revolution tea. I bought a little sampler set. Can't resist things in tiny little separate packages (hey, at least I religiously recycle the boxes!) and these teabags are just enough of a little treat. I am a big tea drinker - probably about a litre a day, all tallied up. Must make a tea cozy...

Kids book:
Cole and I went for a walk last night to knock a few things off my to-do list. Why is nothing exciting ever on that list? Well, that's not true - I write a massively random list of "Things I'd Like To Do This Week" (heinous capitalization intended for effect...) but most of the good stuff ends up getting shuffled to the next week... I am, perhaps, overambitious when I write this list...

Anyway, we went out (in the dark!) to return library books and exchange a lip gloss because the brush had fallen off. Exciting stuff... I find it hard to resist the Book Warehouse on Homer, and we wandered in to see what we could see while we were over there. We found Grumpy Bird - a vibrantly illustrated tale about a (you guessed it) grumpy bird who is just so lovably ornery that I couldn't resist. Walking back in the dark was fun. I hardly ever seem to get out in the dark lately. I guess that's one benefit to the Fall - early sunset tricks me into thinking I have a nightlife?

Mama book:
Just finished the super-quick reading Three Martini Family Vacation. Too funny. Great easy chuckles inside. I hope the library doesn't mind me taking all their books in the tub... That's really the only time I get to read anything consistently lately. I try to stick to lightweight books in the tub - History of Britian in hardback made my arms ache.

Food:
Pre-made everything. When Jamie travels, which thankfully is not often now, I go thourougly effortless. Urban Fare and Whole Foods are by go-to places. There's nowhere good that delivers to this end of False Creek - I can't even get Hon's to deliver and they are like a block away! And last year's blacklisting at Panago (they blacklisted ME - long story) nearly left us hung out to dry in the deliverable food category... Besides, the grocery store take-out is so much healthier - or at least more diverse... Even my Mom, totally the health food store type when I was a kid, let us eat canned spaghetti when my Dad traveled!

Craft:
Crafts have been slow going around here lately. I have't had much time for sewing, but the projects are a-pilin' up... There are the half-finished pants for Cole that require a waistband to finish them off. There is the matter of a quilt I started for some reason last night for Jamie (who has no quilt to call his own - poor guy)... I keep starting new knit hats for Cole, only to reconsider about 10 rows in and unravel all the wool. At least I don't have sewing a Hallowe'en costume on my list now - Jamie found a mega costume place in California has just the thing...