Home Sweet Home!

Being back in Toronto is a dream! Seriously, I'm in love with this city...and my life in this city. Here's a quick peek at what's been going on since I've been back:

- Enjoying Summerlicious with Chris' parents at The Fifth Grille (such a fun night)

- Brunching with Yvonne at Insomnia (accidental twins, as per usual)

- Drinking fruity sangria with Meghan as we look through her Domino home decor book

- Meeting Karen, Ben, and Meghan at C'est What for Huggie Bears and beer

- Gazing at this pretty view all day

 - Trying hard to stretch my work wardrobe by creating new work outfits every day (never wear the same thing twice!)
 
- Doing some home improvement projects with Chris

- Watching Kendra and Maxx tear it up on the soccer field

Of note, I have not been shopping in Toronto since I've been back. I came home from NY and almost had a heart attack after seeing how many clothes I own. My goal is not to buy any clothes (except gear for our upcoming trip to Newfoundland), until September. Think I can do it? No more Winners or Marshall's trips. I think I went a tad crazy in NY and after exams, and have enough clothes for a lifetime. Can't believe I just typed that, ha!

I'm also trying to curb my spending a bit, since in NY, I was a bit loose with my wallet. No more mani-pedis for me (when I can do it at home), and no more random coffees daily. My only expense this month has been the subway, and lunches (which I buy at the Petit Four bakery in the food court, and which total $14/day). That seems like a lot, and it is...but it's my only real expense, so I can justify it that way :) I'm saving more than I'm spending, so that's a positive for sure.

One Year

Chris and I celebrated our one-year anniversary on July 12th. After work, we took the subway down to the harborfront, and grabbed a ferry over to Ward's Island (one of the Toronto islands). As the ferry made its way through the calm waters of Lake Ontario, we looked back on the skyline and the setting sun. The Toronto skyline is, in my opinion, the prettiest in the world.

When we arrived on the island, we wandered along a dirt road until we found the perfect spot for our anniversary picnic - a cute little bench nestled in a cove, with a stunning view of the skyline. Seriously, look at these pictures...it was unreal.


After the bugs cleared, we pulled out the picnic basket. Chris had prepared marinated steak (so tender, so good), with a fresh salad made from home-grown romaine lettuce and basil (and store-bought tomatoes). It was wonderful! We topped the salad with some feta cheese, and munched on olives as we sipped white wine and listened to Mumford & Sons on his new Samsung tablet.

As the sun dipped beneath the city, and the air became cooler, Chris used his camping stove to boil us some water for hot tea. We snacked on a coffee-flavoured dark chocolate bar before making our way back to the dock to catch our own water taxi back to the city. At Union Station we randomly decided to grab a hot-dog from the street meat vendor to eat on the subway, which was so yummy I wish I had gotten two (bun-less, of course).



The perfect anniversary celebration, and so us. I loved it.