The second coldest place on earth!!!

So, as Joon and I are preparing to head back into Canada for good, we are extremely aware that we are leaving the tropics of DC and going to the deepfreeze that is Alberta.  I have been keeping a close eye on the temperatures in both Edmonton and Calgary as we will be in both locations early next week.  We are leaving DC's balmy temperatures of +8 ish, which is crazy warm to us both for December 14th!!!! So tonight, as I was checking the temps daily, Joon and I came across this article from CTV.

Awesome.

Environment Canada issued the warnings Monday, saying temperatures will be "bitterly cold." The projected high in Calgary on Monday is -32 C, but combined with the wind chill, other parts of the Prairies could have temperatures that feel as cold as -50 C.

Environment Canada warns that skin will freeze in less than five minutes in those conditions.

Environment Canada meteorologist David Phillips told CTV News Channel that Edmonton was the second coldest place on earth Sunday. It was beaten only by a town in Siberia, where the temperature dropped to -48 C.

The mercury hit -46 C in Edmonton on Sunday night. With the wind chill it felt like -59 C.

"Even the North Pole was warmer than Edmonton," he said.

This makes me dread going home even more!!!

It's a little late, but here's my list to Santa!!!

With the holidays quickly approaching, I can't believe I haven't really put together a list to Santa before this. Being in DC, we had snow on Dec. 5th, but it was such a pathetic dusting of snow compared to what we usually get back home, that I have had a hard time getting my mind in the Christmas mood. So, with 11 days until Christmas, here is my Christmas wish list.

Santa, I have been a very good girl!!!

1) My top pick: a pair of black Tory Burch shoes... I have been dying for a pair of these for a long time, but the price tag just was a bit too much to justify purchasing without a special occasion. Did I mention I have been a VERY good girl??

2) I have also been eying up a new blow dryer for my hair.  Considering I have curly hair that I wear both curly and straight, a good blow dryer is a MUST.  I love the one I have currently, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is on the fritz.  It has begun making weird noises, and has been taking double the amount of time it usually does to dry.  So this is on my list also. A T3 from Sephora.

3) The next three thing s on my wish list never really leaves, as I love, love, love this Canadian company, Lululemon.  I could always use a new pair of pants, hoodie, jacket, shirt, ect...  The Admiral jacket, Remix hoodie, Get set go duffel, and the Still pant.

4) Clinique products!!!  I love the moisture surge extended surge relief!  This is a non greasy, extremely moisturizing lotion that is awesome and I love it!!!

5) Warm Gap cowl neck turtlenecks... these are always on my christmas list and I love this year's sweater.  Only trouble is that I can't choose which colour to pick!!! Black, salmon, cream... any one will do Santa!!!

6) A great stocking stuffer idea... coffee mugs and gift cards from my favorite hot drink destination, Starbucks... a new tumbler from starbucks.

7) I love the hanky panky panty from Holt Renfrew in Canada, and Neiman Marcus here in the states... they are sooo comfy.  Either the thong or boyfriend are fantastic... I am an M husband!!! 

8) Books!!! I have a million books on my next to read list, so anything from that or a gift certificate would be perfect!

*) A totally unrealistic item on my wish list, but a girl can dream, right??  The LV Speedy 30 in the Damier canvas... I heart this bag!

So that is what is on my wish list this year... santa I have been a very good girl!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

But hot drinks make it all delightful!!!

Starbucks has just launched their new holiday drink, which starts officially tomorrow with US Thanksgiving kicking off the holiday season...only 30 more days!

Anyways, Starbucks has the "traditional" holiday drinks like the Gingerbread Latte and my fav, the Eggnog Latte, but they have just announced another delightful drink... the Caramel Brulee Latte!!!

I tried one yesterday, and it officially may be my new favorite drink, holiday or not... It was Delicious!!! Now if I could only figure out how to make it non fat...

One year ago today...

I married my best friend!!! Our original wedding day was supposed to be November 20th, but we woke to a torrential downpour. We patiently waited it out, and had two wedding days!!! We were joined by our families and friends in St. Lucia in the Carribean!!! It's been a great year, filled with surprises and disapointments, but we wouldn't change it for the world.

I love you babe, and can't wait to see what the next year brings!!!

Xoxo
L&J

The happiest place on earth!!!

Life has been a little been hectic around here lately, especially since we both realized that we only have 6.5 weeks left of our time in the states.  I cannot believe how quickly time is passing!!! From here on out, we will have guests coming to visit every week and a half.  While I am excited to see our friends and family, our company is only going to make time speed along even more quickly!!!

A few weeks ago was Joon's mid session break, and we took advantage of it to go to the happiest place on earth, Disneyworld!!! 

We started our day bright and early to catch a flight to Orlando on Saturday, October 17th.  Our flight was at 8:15am, we had to be at the airport at 7:15am.  It takes about 30 minutes by cab, so we left our apartment at 6:40am.  I woke up at 5am that day from anticipation, so to kill a bit of time, I decided to go to the gym. I was headed to the apartment gym when the POWER went out on the block, our apartment included!!! There was basic power: hallways, one elevator was working, the key fobs were not, and best of all, no power in our apartment. 

How on earth were we to get ready to catch our flight if the power was out?  Everytime we would set something down, it would get lost in the dark!!!We finally had to pull our suitcases into the hallway and prop the door open to get dressed, do our hair, brush our teeth, and put on makeup in the dimly lit halls!!! It was definitely the most stressful start to our day!!! Thankfully there wasn't really any other hickups, except for the fact that the roads on route to the airport were being closed as we drove by secret service.  All the roads by and within a 10 block radius of the vice-president's house were closed and blocked off, because he was supposedly heading out...common practice to shut down all the roads when the government officals need to travel!!! This did not delay us though, and it was smooth sailing all the way to the airport!!!

Upon landing in Orlando, we headed to our hotel, checked in, and scooted on to Downtown Disney, a part of the park that is home to the largest Disney Store in the world, the Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba, and restaurants and shopping.  We had lunch did a bit of wandering and headed on out to the Magic Kingdom.

Downtown Disney at night

Entrance to the Magic Kindom

Magic Kingdom Castle

The walls of the castle... each scene is tiny tiny tiles put together to make each intricate pticture... it was so beautiful!!!

One of the neatest shows ever!!! It was called Mickey's Philharmonic Orchestra, and is was really neat... similar to Fantasia but better because it was 3-D!!!

We went on rides and saw lots of cool exhibits... however, because we had a late start, we only got through half of the Magic Kingdom before the nightly parade and fireworks display...

The parade was awesome!!! And, each float was accompanied with the music from the Disney movie!!! It was one of my favorites!!!

The caslte at night... the lights would change every few minutes, it was Beautiful!!!

We stayed for the fireworks display, Tinkerbell's flight from the tallest tower to somewhere in the park, and Jiminiy Cricket hosting the evening of fun!!!

After the fireworks, everyone made a mad dash for the exit... In an attempt to escape the crowds, we ducked into a candy shop to have some ice cream and check out the incredible sweets and candy, disney style!!! 

Me with the biggest rice crispy square I have ever seen, in the shape of Mouse ears!!!

This was one loong day, as it started at 5am... we headed back to our hotel and crashed into bed... Next stop, Epcot centre!!!

xoxo

L&J

Happy Birthday Marcie!!!

Happy Birthday to my dear oldest younger sister.  Today she turns 25, which is crazy to me... I feel like I am still 25 and she is much much younger than I!!!  She has become a wonderful fantastic amazing person and I am so happy that she is in my life!!! 

Wish I could be celebrating with you,

xoxo

L

Halloween Fun!!!

When we are in Canada, we don't usually celebrate Halloween. No carving of pumpkins, no candies (mostly because we never get any trick or treaters), and certainly no dressing up.  Just doesn't happen.  So when we were discussing our Halloween plans this year, it was decided that we had to go all out. One- because there were so many people who had no idea WHAT Halloween even was, Two- there were little trick or treaters that wanted to dress up and trick or treat, and Three- we wanted the excuse to dress up and PARTY!!!

We had such a fun day!! We carved pumpkins, we went for a very late brunch at our favorite place, the Pancake House (which by the way is DELICIOUS!!!), had a mid afternoon nap, saw the cutest little pumpkins and monkeys trick or treating, and went for supper and then out dancing dressed in our costumes!!!!

The pumpkins and Annika, Dylan, Mary and I from Right to left

Moritz and I

Joon and myself as Fred and Wilma, a popular drinking game called beer pong, and Annika the Japanese Geisha

This was definitely the most fun I have ever had on Halloween!!!

Sick, sick, sick...

We have been sick, sick, sick here at casa de Joon and Larissa, which is why there have been no updates of our recent trips on the blog... Please be patient!!! We are fighting fevers, coughs, sore throats, and congestion... and it seems to be spreading through Joon's classmates like wild fire.  I feel like we live in residence and are back in university!!!  We haven't been sick like this in years, but are hopefully on the mend...

I have some great posts from Disney World to publish, but I just need to work up the energy to actually do it.  Today is the first day I am begining to feel like I might live, so hopefully tomorrow I will have a new post and some fun pictures of our trip!!!

xo

L

Yesterday...

Yesterday was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day


Each year, over half a million dreams are shattered. Out of 3.3 million babies born alive, some 30,000 die during the first 28 days. Another 39,000 babies are stillborn. Miscarriage occurs in fifteen to twenty percent of pregnancies, while ectopic pregnancy occurs in one percent. This day effects so many people.

Nearly everyone is touched in some way by miscarriage or pregnancy loss, whether it has happened to you or you know someone it has happened to... 

To those that have lost a little one or miscarried,  this day is to remember the lives that touched us briefly.
Life will forever be changed and today I will remember.

xo
L

When you wish upon a star...

TGI almost F!!!  It's almost Friday and I cannot wait for the weekend!!! It is Joon's mid-semester break here at Genesis Park, which is a four day holiday for us!!! We are heading out of DC and going to the happiest place on earth, Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida!!!

We are hopefully going to see my favorite Disney character, Tinkerbell...

I can't wait to see the Magic Castle and the fireworks show... I was there with my family when I was 16, and absolutely loved the nightly fireworks display... LOVE!!!

It is also almost our one year anniversary of marriage, so we will be celebrating a little early... Hard to believe it has almost been a year... it has been a great year, filled with its ups and downs, but I wouldn't change it for the world.  It has brought us closer together, stronger, and made me realize we can get through anything... I love you babes!!!

Joon and I as Disney characters... Minnie and Mickey are destined to be toghether forever!!!

Joon is excited for all the rides and theme parks, so I am sure we will have an action packed weekend!!!  I will be sure to share our fun at the happiest place on earth!!!

xo
L

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy turkey day to everyone in Canada!!!  We hope everyone has a great day today with their families and enjoys the delicious turkey dinner that most are celebrating today in Canada... 

The United States is so similar to Canada that it is easy to forget that we are in fact in the USA.  Sure there are minor differences, but for the most part, it is very similar to being home.  However, today is a regular day for us here... it is Columbus day, but not a holiday and certainly NOT turkey day!!!

Happy fall and happy turkey day!!!

xoxo

Larissa

I'm in a New York state of mind!!!

Ok, so I really haven't posted in a while, but it is only because we have been extremely busy!!! I have a few other posts in the works, so I will get those published soon, but I just cannot wait to share our New York Trip!!!

As part of my birthday gift from Joon, he decided to plan a trip to New York to celebrate my last year in my 20's.  This was my first visit to New York, and I was sooo excited.  There is so much to see, so much to do, so many places to eat that I was a little overwhelmed at first when Joon told me that I was in total control of the sightseeing part of the trip... The pressure was all on me to have a great two days in NYC!!!  I decided my strategy would be to have one or two "big" sightseeing things on the agenda, and then let our trip roll from there.

We left for New York on Friday, September 25 via bus... you can take the train but its three times the price, and the bus leaves literally less than half a block from our apartment, and drops you off less than half a block from Penn Station and Madison Square Gardens...super convinient!!! 

However, the TRAFFIC leaving DC for New York for the weekend is insane... I didn't get a picture, but for the first two hours we were in stop and go standstill traffic on the highway... Crazy.

We got off the bus a little behind schedule, so rather than arriving at 7:00pm, we actually arrived at 8:30pm... Boo :(  However, the city, although dark, feels like it is midday with the amount of people out and about!!!  We got off on the corner of where Madison Square Gardens and Penn Station is... when people say the city is alive they mean it!!!  The city is an organic machine -always movement and motion with traffic, people, sounds...

We decided to walk to our hotel... it wasn't that far (like a 20 minute walk) and I wanted to see a bit of the city from the walk, rather than a cab...  We also stumbelled upon a Whole Foods Grocery store... Oh My GOD!!! I totally wish we had one of these at home... It is like a Sunterra with healthy and organic food, but BETTER!!!

We went in and got a few snacks to tide us over to dinner and for the rest of the weekend... it was so hard to just get a few things!!!

We then proceeded to our broom closet- I mean Hotel Room!!!  Manhatten is 59 square kilometers, which means that space is a precious, precious commodity!!! Our room was really nice, just very very small... We could touch all four walls by holding hands and touching the wall with our other hand... only about two feet walking space between the bed and the walls... It's a good thing we didn't spend much time there!!!

View from the doorway

Joon in said doorway...

We then headed out to a restaurant I had read about online that had gotten good reviews... It was really nice...small, personable, great service, PACKED at 11:00pm at night... Very New York!!!

For some reason the night settings on the camera were acting up... this is as good as it gets...

By the time we finished supper, it was nearly midnight, and we headed back to the hotel to get a good night sleep to be ready for our day of sightseeing in New York!!!

That's all for Day One, stay tuned for Saturday and Sunday in New York!!!

xoxo

L

The Housewives of Genesis Park Hit the Zoo...

So last week, the ladies of Genesis Park and I tried to hit the zoo... unfortunately, we woke to a torrential downpour that came out of nowhere... these ladies all have small children, and the kiddies were looking forward to the zoo... but due to the rain, our trip was put on hold.

Tuesday was the last day of forcasted sunshine before a week of rain, so we knew if we were going to try to see the animals, we had better hit it up when we had the chance. We headed out bright and early, conquered the DC metro, and headed to the DC Zoo... Nearly everything in DC is free and the zoo is no exception... FREE!!! The only cost was the trip on the metro, and the $2.00 I spent on a map of the grounds... Now, it is no Calgary Zoo mind you, but it's FREE!!!

Here are some pictures of our day out... It was really really hot, so most of the animals were MIA due to the heat...

The ladies and their kids... furthest away is Mary, with Dylan and Micheal, next is Michelle and her daughter Melody, and closest is Annika and her son Moritz...  Trying to get a group picture of everyone looking is nearly impossible!!!

Again, trying to get a group picture is very difficult!!!!

The gazelles

A red panda

A giant panda trying to catch a few zzz's, and some pesky tourists bothering him!!!

A hippopotomus... apparently hippos are one of the most dangerous animals ever!

A crazy caterpillar that we saw on the sidewalk... we think it busted out of the insect exhibit and was making a run for it!

It was also nearly the lenght of my foot... it was HUGE!!! and mildly repulsive!

The day ended shortly after this... it was waaay too hot to spend much time out of the AC, and the kids, though really great, all passed out for the afternoon and slept the whole way home...

Can't wait to head back and check out the rest of the zoo... we only made it through half...

L

Montreal recap... A little late but better than never!!!

Joon and I love love loved Montreal.  It was a first for us, but definitely will not be our last!  We did so many things while we were there, and the weather was fantastic... Not too hot, not too cold.  Just right!!!

We met up with Tony and Amy, Johnny's parents, as well as Jinny and Johnny before they left Montreal to drive back to Toronto.  We went to this really neat place called Dejeuner Jardin, which was an open air restaruant that plays live jazz on Sundays for brunch.  They have these huge umbreallas to protect everyone in case of rain, and it is very european feeling with flowers and bricks everywhere... It was fantastic... it was basically a creperie, and did all kinds of breakfasts as a crepe... It was very delicious, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture before everything got eaten... We were hungry, what can I say???

Tony and Amy, Johnny's parents
 

Jinny and Johnny... they were great tour guides while in the city... thanks guys!!!

View of the table from one of the balconies... did I say this place was HUGE???

After breakfast, Jinny and Johnny hit the road back to TO, and Tony and Amy headed home... Joon and I were left to our own devices in Old Montreal.  Our first stop was Notre Dame.  It was beautiful!!!

The entrance... the cathedral was beautiful, but I was not impressed with the $5.00 cover charge that we had to pay... what happened to church being free???

The front... the detailing was amazing... it took 10 years to build the cathedral, and another 10 years to finish the inside detailing... crazy!!!

The organ... I think the tour guide said there was 800 pipes in this organ, and the organist had been playing for 60 years... It must be a beast to train someone to play this sucker... which is probably why the same person had been doing it for 60 YEARS!!!

On Wednesday (Aug 26.) we met up with Johnny's parents Tony and Amy, Tony's brother and sister in-law Frank and Gloria, and Johnny's brother and his wife, Mike and Norma for dinner. After dinner, Frank and Gloria invited us back to their house to check out their very own winery!!!  Johnny comes from an Italien family, and his family has been making wine for the last 20 years.  None of that wine in a box kit for them...  They buy the grapes, have actual grapes crushers (there is one just to the left of Tony's elbow), and buy actual barrels to store the wine in...

The vintages of wine and the bar...

The bottles the wine is stored in until it goes in the barrels, a wine crusher, and boxes holding the wine

More wine in the baskets... some empty bottles, some full...

Frank, our gracious host opening some wine for us to taste... Tony and Amy hand carried this back from Italy when they were there in May... this is only available in Italy!

Thank you Tony and Amy, and Frank and Gloria for everything!!! It was very neat to see the family winery and get a peek into Johnny's youth!

On Thursday, we decided to venture out into the city by "Bixi".  This is a revolutionary method of getting around in the city!  A Bixi is a bike station with bicycles for rent, and are located on just about every corner. You pay a 24 hour access fee of $5.00, and then you pull out your pedal bike. If your trip is 30 minutes or less, the trip is free.  If you go over, it is $1.50 per 30 minutes. So, we just made sure our trips were 30 minutes or less... if we got tight on time, we returned the bike, walked a block, and pulled out another bike!  This system is fantastic!!!  There are also separate paths created on the road so that you are not travelling right with traffic... Before we realized there were paths, we did ride with the traffic without a helmet... I felt like we were taking our lives in our hands!  Montreal drivers are CRAZY!!!

This system really only works were helmets are not mandatory - in Montreal, they are not mandatory.

Joon, paying our access fees for the day...

Pulling out and getting on his bike

Me on my bike.... they even have a little basket to hold your bags, or purse!!!  Perfect!!!

A park we bixied by...

We loved Montreal (I think I said that already), and we were very sad to see it come to an end...

We found this fantastic sushi restaurant just off the metro station... this was our second last night... Tri-express is delicious... if you end up in Montreal, we definitely recommend it!!!  Although, it is a tiny little restaurant... the walk aisle has only room for one person to walk through at a time!!!

The last supper!!!  And here we are getting on the plane leaving Montreal... sad to go, but excited to finally get settled... We had eaten out and lived in hotels and out of a suitcase for the last 2 1/2 weeks...

DC here we come!!!  Stay tuned for all our travels and visitors over the next few months...

xoxo

L&J