can't stop snowshoeing

the weather has been so absolutely beautiful here in gander. there is tons of snow, it is super sunny, and only minus 5 or so. j was away for part of the weekend, so i managed to get a few snowshoeing expeditions in. one with j when he got home, one with a friend from work. i think snowshoeing is basically the best winter activity. you don't need skills like with skiing, and there is basically no risk of falling, like with skating. anyway, i'd love to someday do a snowshoeing trek into a cabin in the woods and stay the night. i think that's a thing. sign me up.

i'm juicing + green lemonade

i wandered by the kitchen appliances at a big box store on the weekend, and ended up walking out with a juicer. this is actually my second juicer. i got one for christmas when i was maybe ten, but only used it once before realizing it was easier to just drink orange juice that came in the carton. almost 20 years later, i'm giving it another try.

anyway, this green juice is really good. especially if you like lemonade. i am obsessed with lemon juice lately, so this drink is perfect for me. i've been drinking this stuff like it's my job since i got the juicer 48 hours ago. for the record, i got the jack lalanne juicer.

green lemonade (recipe adapted from here)

4 stalks celery
1 lemon, peel cut off
half an apple
half a cucumber
a handful of romaine (optional, but i added it and loved it)

-juice everything together in the juicer, stir, and drink right away.

note: you will end up with a bunch of pulp. there are lots of things you can do with it. i like to add vinegar and eat it like a salad. really flavourful.

things to do in gander: snowshoeing

(trails)

(jon)

(vintage snowsuit)

(winter wonderland) 

 we got snowshoes for christmas, and have been loving them. the snowshoe trails in gander are amazing. they are really tight, so you have to go single file, through really thick forest. there are bunny prints everywhere, and the snow is super heavy in the thickest areas. i would highly recommend this as a perfect winter sunday afternoon activity in gander

happy love day

(i actually got these last week from a special someone)

 (braids)

j and i tend to avoid going out for supper on actual valentine's day. we are not fans of waiting more than 15 minutes for a table unless you can put a drink in our hands and seat us at the bar (this is not an option in gander). so tonight, j will probably make my fav (sushi), and i will make a chocolaty dessert at home. this weekend i will do my hair and dress up so we can go for burgers. i may or may not have mentioned that i am obsessed with burgers these days. 

i hope everyone has an awesome day with some sweet treats. 

hotel review: delta, st john's, NL

price: around $175 per night (with parking, taxes, etc). i think you can get it cheaper when there are deals on
bathroom: nice, big. i loved the smell of the ginger shampoo and conditioner
pool: yes. it is nice and big and there is a big hot tub too. also, the gym is pretty good
breakfast: none. we ended up having their breakfast buffet, which i found pretty expensive for what you get
wifi: yes, free, strong. we used our ipad a lot
tv: sweet. we rented argo off the tv. so good.
location: good. it is attached to the mile one centre, which is cool. it's maybe a 5-10 minute walk from coffee shops. we prefer the location of the sheraton, but this is good too
parking: $12 per day, and underground. this was soo worth it on the weekend during the huge blizzard.

notes:
- we had dinner and drinks at the restaurant. our meals were mediocre (pan fried cod for j, veggie sandwich for me), but the nachos were really, really good. and good ambiance.
- if you are attending an event at mile one, this is totally the hotel to stay at
- i wish there was a closer coffee shop. the coffee in the restaurant was brutal

a weekend in st john's

(sweet road trip food, i think)

 (tons of snow in st john's)

(mural at the hummus hut in st john's)

 (my view while snowshoeing through pippy park)

(i don't think uggs are meant for snowshoeing) 

(coffees and treats at our fav, fixed)

i can't even explain how great our weekend away was. we ate lots of good food, including lots of fast food. i have rediscovered a love of fast food burgers. can't get enough. for the record, i ate at A&W, Mcdonalds, and Wendys, all this weekend. no biggie. we also swam a lot at the hotel, had coffee with a friend, and did a bunch of shopping. and snowshoeing was super fun in pippy park. snowshoeing is such a workout. i totally needed a burger right after. 

friday

(st. john's, circa 2011)

i have been so looking forward to this weekend. we are taking a little road trip to st. john's, where i am so looking forward to floating in a hotel pool and doing a little shopping. i can't wait to have a chicken schnitzel sandwich on a pretzel bun from here, and have a big fruit-filled breakfast here.

on winning a car (the end)

(see part 1 here and more here)

winning a car is crazy. there is such a thrill the day that they call you with the news. then you get to pick the colour (i picked bright blue). then you have to get your picture taken with the managers and a stand-in car for the local newspaper. then you wait for 3 or 4 months. then at the last minute something comes up where you realize you would rather have an SUV. that's what happened to me. so i traded in the car i won for the car in the picture above. i owned the other bright blue car for 2 minutes. i never even set foot in it. everyone says that a new car loses value the moment it is driven off the lot. i can tell you that actually, the value is lost the moment you own it.

so now we are the happy owners of this sweet little SUV. we have never owned a brand new vehicle before, and i must say, it feels so good.

upgrade

we said goodbye to our old explorer the other day. funny how your vehicle becomes such a part of your life. this was the first vehicle i ever owned. we put tons of km on in moving from halifax to gander, and taking soo many road trips. i have so many good memories. but, sometimes you need a vehicle that is not 8 years old, and makes weird noises at random times.