Countdown to Christmas

Two weeks! Two weeks till friends gather, garish jumpers are a la mode, wine is mulled and i conceive my very own food baby. Stand back Mary, i'll show you how it's done, the only divine intervention i need is this divine pile of french toast.

With a lot of my friends and family still in Ol' Blighty, Canada post is playing a rather large role and leaving an even larger hole in my pockets this Christmas. Well and truly raped by the snails that deliver it. With post taking it's sweet ass time to be delivered, it means i've managed to wrap up my shopping in record time, and hopefully everyone will receive something by... next Christmas. No manic rush on the 24th for me, i'll be chilling with my good friend Mr Jerry, munching on beige foods and preparing my pants with elastic waistbands for the annual onslaught they must endure. Breathe through the carb barrier, breathe!

My housemate and i arose Sunday morning slightly worse for wear from our 'couple of quiet drinks' the night before... vague memories of free shots, misleading bathrooms and big hunks... of the nougat variety. Evidence was still strewn throughout the house. It was all conducive to a very festive and largely housebound day indeed. We baked gingerbread, made decorations, filled our diaries with party plans and dressed up our magnificent tree. As far as trees go, witness the fitness, he's pretty much the Ryan Gosling of the tree world. Hey girl.

Let the countdown commence, only fourteen sleeps before everything you just bought gets reduced by half!

From Brooklyn with Love

Let's drive to New York City, cause we totally can! Montreal is closer than you think, so that's what we did. A visit to Wendy's, a lot of radio flicking, an awkward moment stuck at a toll both with no cash, and a toilet stop later, we arrived in beautiful Brooklyn.

Reconnecting with wonderful friends, exploring the markets and familiar streets, and eating... lots of eating was the overriding flavour of the trip. It was refreshing to remove myself from any current life affairs for a few days, turn my phone off and simply enjoy great company. We've become a WiFi dependent generation, myself definitely included! Progress in technological devices is astounding, i'm all for it, but sometimes it's just nice to get back down to basics. Looking for somewhere, ask someone. Lost, read a map. Talk to people, make new friends, let's be personable again. In my experience, you find the best things when wandering aimlessly.

A few busy days laughing, Cronut hunting and turnstile dodging, and with some very successful new purchases in hand, it was all too soon time to head back through the mountain pass to belle Montreal. A trip that will most definitely be repeated, and extended, in the not so distant future. New York, we love you.