Raccoon Invasion

     Recently, my family has been invaded by raccoons. They broke down our front door one night a few weeks ago, and stole half a sandwich.
     They didn't actually break down our front door. There was a storm that night, so one of the two front doors opened. They were able to get the screens off the second door, and walk (crawl?) straight into our house. They also managed to get into our shed one day when someone forgot to close the door, and pooped everywhere. They've also been pooping on our deck.
     We found them a few weeks ago bathing in our stream. There were five of them. Despite all the problems they've been causing us, I can't help but find them adorable.
     A few nights ago, we found two of them by our pool, grooming each other. I ran to get my camera, but wasn't able to get close enough for some amazing shots. They're scared of humans, it turns out. Who would've guessed?

     Aren't they adorable?

(500) Days of Natalie

     I have two questions for you. First, have you ever heard of the movie (500) Days of Summer. The main characters are two of my favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.

     Not only are they adorable together, but they are also both amazing actors. I could relate to both characters in the movie, and therefore, this movie meant a lot to me. I watched it on the plane home from England. This is one of the favorite movies of a girl I was interested in, so not only did I really want to watch it, I wanted to let her know that I'd watch it. I also wanted to tell her exactly how I felt about it.

     Have you ever seen the video of the man who took a picture of his face for a year, then made it into a video? That is my second question. You can watch a video of it here.

     Now, my idea is to combine these two amazing things. I'm going to start a (500) days of Juliette. Every day, for 500 days, I will take a picture of myself. At the end of the 500 days, I will make it into a video to share with people.

     I think doing this will help me look forward to the future, kind of like how taking pictures of my stomach every day helps me look forward to an end goal. I need little things like this to keep me going.

     Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear!

Health Plan

     I've suffered from depression and anxiety for the past 7 years, and I have only recently been able to see the help I needed. After being told by two doctors that I need to start exercising to be happy, I've finally started. Consistently, too, which is extremely important and hard for me to do. I don't have the energy or thought to do something consistently. I've only really ever done half diets. Every few days I'll eat healthy, and every few days I'll exercise.
     Therefore, a diet and exercise plan was created. My boyfriend and I thought it through thoroughly, and already I feel a million times better, even though the diet started yesterday. I have always had a bit of a pot belly because of Celiac Disease, and it is my goal to loose this belly.
      Something I've decided to do along the way is to take a picture of my stomach every morning when I wake up. Therefore, not only am I able to see and compare the different days, but at the end of the diet, I think I'll make a video of the change using the pictures. What do you think?
     My diet mostly consists of fruits and vegetables, and small portions of chicken and rice. Everything else is banned. I've been eating smaller portions and drinking more water. I've also started drinking a lot of green tea, which I think deserves a whole post of it's own. Who knew something so tasty could be so good for you!
    When it comes to exercise, we've decided that every second day I'll be on the treadmill, alternating between fast walking and jogging for an hour at 10 minutes each. Hopefully with this diet, being healthier, happier, and losing my belly will be simple!
     I hope everyone is well!

Ruined Notes

     When I finished my final (and only) exam at the end of the last semester, I wanted to burn my notes. My exam was Western Civilization, which is a subject I am not strong in. I ended up passing the final with an 80%, which made me incredibly happy.
     The notes never did get burnt, but I kept them for the day I finally decided to become a pyromaniac.
     It turns out that day never came. While I was away on vacation, everything I owned was either with me, or packed in boxes. By some weird occurrence, my nail polish leaked. I'm sure you can see where this is going... Somehow my notes were nearby, which meant that they were ruined.
     I present to you the work of art created.

     What do you think?

Dinner, and a Funeral

     Last night, my family, my boyfriend, and my brother's girlfriend went out to dinner. Originally we wanted to go to Jardin Nelson, a beautiful restaurant in the Old Port of Montreal with delicious food. We didn't end up going there for one main reason; they didn't take reservations. It was also Canada Day yesterday, and we figured they probably wouldn't have any free space because on Canada Day, people go out. The Old Port was expected to be particularly busy because of the fireworks taking place nearby.
     In the end, we went to Portovino. Generous sizes and delicious food meant we had a blast. The waiters were helpful when I asked questions regarding gluten-free food, and they made sure everything was okay. I definitely recommend going there!

     I went to a funeral this morning. My friends grandmother died. I dislike funerals greatly, but I felt I needed to go to support her. I am really happy I decided to go. My friend was so grateful, as was her whole family. None of our other friends went, which surprised me a little.
     Afterwards, her mother gave me a big hug, and while holding my face, said "You're always so lovely." It meant a lot to me.
     So long for now!

The Boyfriend Cooks

     Yesterday, my boyfriend and I made pancakes. I have Celiac Disease, so we need to be particularly crafty when it comes to cooking anything. We used a already made gluten free pancake mix by Glutino, which you can buy here. We've tried simply making the recipe by the instructions, but they never turn out quite the way we wanted to... So we decided to experiment.

     You're going to have to take my word for it when I tell you that these pancakes were absolutely delicious. An added bonus is that they really weren't difficult to make.
     To the Glutino recipe, we added all they suggested. Afterwards, we added:

• Cinnamon
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Honey

     These four simple ingredients made all the difference. As I'm sure you've noticed, this isn't the healthiest recipe yet... But it's definitely a treat on those gray mornings!
     We also added some fruit while they on the stove. We added grapes, bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, and even some pineapple.
     If you try it out, let me know!