Bachelorette

On Saturday I hosted a bachelorette party for my sister, who is getting married in October. She is the awesomest little sister and we are good friends with each other, so I had a pretty good idea for how to go about planning a day in her honour.

First up, brunch!

Image via Cora

We all met at Cora which is a great spot that specializes in delicious breakfast fare. Open from 6am-3pm you won’t find Plain Jane meals on the menu. Everything is pretty unique and since the restaurant opened in Montreal, there is a French-Canadian twist. Delicious!

Next up, glo-bowling!

Image via Academy Lanes

I reserved a lane for the 5 of us at Academy Lanes, one of the most well known bowling alleys in the city. The building itself is pretty interesting, it’s a converted theatre! We bowled for a few hours and then drove to the closest Marble Slab Creamery for a cold treat.

From there we went to check into our hotel room and fixed ourselves up for supper!

We ate at the Pony Corral on Pembina Highway, which was absolutely great. The restaurant is situated right by the river and there is a giant deck with tiki huts and patio sets with little gas rings in the middle of the table so you can enjoy a fire while you eat your meal! Unfortunately the weather was uncooperative so we had to eat inside, but it was no skin off our nose since the restaurant boasts a giant disco ball and a guitarist to enhance your dining experience!  Our waitress was amazing and the food was delicious as well as very filling. I always love going there!

Then it was time to go back to the hotel where we dressed ourselves up for a night of dancing! We rode in a limo to King’s Head where we stopped for a few drinks and visited around a big, round table.

That’s me on the left!

From there we walked to Whiskey Dix to dance!

All in all I think we all had a good time, so that makes it a successful party!

Rushing

Part of my ‘problem’ of living in the countryside is that when I do travel to an urban area I tend to see all the ‘stuff’ available within arm’s length and go bananas at the shops. Usually I’m with another adult, ie. my husband, and that fact alone tends to reign me in. Not that he controls the purse strings, but when I stop and linger over the 17th pretty object in my sight, he tends to shoot me that decidedly ‘male’ look of exasperation and I then I feel sorry for the poor guy. But when I’m by myself (as in, it’s just me and Little C) there is no telling if I’ll mentally justify an indulgence (or three)!

This morning I rushed to Brandon for camping supplies. Little C needed swimmers, I needed food to plan a healthy menu (after all, I’m trying to be kind to myself) and I had a present to drop off for a friend’s daughter. I have daydreams of a leisurely day in the city, strolling through the shops and enjoying a long lunch with my Mom and sister at Lady of the Lake, but alas today was not that day.

After rushing around Target and making three trips to the car, then rushing around the mall like a chicken with no game plan I finally found all the things I needed. A budding headache made me realize that I had not eaten yet, so a quick (and slightly depressing) sandwich from the drive thru was in order. While eating my food and driving out of the city, I reflected on why I felt so disorganized. Frankly, I realized that in order to be more organized, I must indulge more often!

I kept getting distracted by shiny things and found it hard to focus on my list of essentials. If it wasn’t gorgeous mint sandals on sale, it was ‘oh, I need a new camera, I should look at those’ or it was the desire to find the ‘perfect’ toy for a 2 year old. If it wasn’t all that, I was constantly on the look out for entertaining ideas. Items for my sister’s upcoming bachelorette, or decor ideas for my mom’s upcoming birthday (she’s turning the big 6-0!), or even picnic items on sale were drawing my eye. My list fell to the wayside as I oohed and ahh-ed over paper goods, shoes and cameras.

None of this was on my camping trip list! Hauling myself back to reality was extremely difficult.

Brandon is such a great little city. I can find almost everything I need/want here and I need to make a point to come more often. When I first moved to the country I hopped in my car and drove to Brandon once a week to get my ‘urban’ fix. I need to start traveling there more often again.

Perhaps without my husband so I can linger over all the pretty things 😉

Let’s Do Lunch

About a month ago a friend of mine announced that she was moving to Saskatchewan to pursue a new job opportunity and we immediately made plans to have a nice long visit before she left Winnipeg for (possibly?) greener pastures.

At that time, she was still living in St. Boniface, and as it’s easier for her to eat locally (she doesn’t own a vehicle) and I love exploring new places, we made plans to lunch at the Marion Street Eatery.

Tucked into a long booth, Nicole and I had a wonderful visit and tasted delicious food (I had the Roasted Vegetable Baguette… scrumptious!) and as usual, Little C was the toast of the town. He smiled cheekily at the waitress who brought my umpteenth cup of coffee and grinned at the businessmen across the aisle. As we were leaving, two young women, who looked like they were ready for festival season stopped us to coo over Little C and of course he wooed him with his wiley charms and toothless grins.

As we said our goodbyes and I drove to our next destination, I thought to myself that I would recommend this place to anyone! So if you’re in St. B, or any part of the city, it’s worth a visit!

The start of learning how to dance on tabletops

 

(Note: I am not affiliated with this restaurant or hotel and I am not being paid to write this. I simply loved my experience there and wanted to share!)

Quick trips and Leisurely lunches

Today my son Little C and I took a drive to Brandon for a Doctor’s appointment and we met my parents in the city, as my Dad had an appointment there as well!

Brandon is the city that I live closest to, it’s about 50 minutes away from my house to the edge of the city. It’s vibe is very ‘little city’ but it is growing pretty fast, and the people are super friendly. I always enjoy coming here, there’s always something to do and see. For a small city, it sure has a lot to offer!

Today’s trip was fairly quick, by that I mean it was not a day-long excursion, but the four of us did manage to have a leisurely lunch at a great restaurant called Blu, located near the busy intersection of Park and 18th. With it’s modern black and blue palette, excellent menu and friendly staff, it’s a lovely spot to eat with your loved ones!

(Note: I am not affiliated with this restaurant and I am not being paid to write this. I simply loved my experience there and wanted to share!)