How To: Make a Peppermint Mocha At Home

I've been spending a ridiculous amount of money at Starbucks as of late. I should be a shareholder at this rate. It's all due to a very special drink: Peppermint mocha!
I had to find away to save my money and still get my fix. I unfortunately only have a Tassimo Coffee machine at home, how on earth was I going to create a mocha?
I'll tell you how; I purchased some espresso disks, a bottle of peppermint syrup (I purchased the Starbucks syrup, you may prefer the Torani brand) Starbucks mocha powder mix for the syrup and milk!
I do not like the dairy disks available from Tassimo for cappuccinos and lattes. I find it has a gross after-taste.

Now here's how you make your peppermint mocha:
2 squirts of peppermint syrup in your cup
2 squirts of mocha syrup in your cup
Make your Tassimo espresso
Add hot milk (amount may vary according to personal taste, I like at least 8oz)

Stir and TADA!!!! Peppermint mocha at a fraction of the cost!
I'm drinking one right now!

(the image below is a mocha from the DarkHorse on Queen, delish!)

The Best Afternoon Evar :)

Spring cleaning, sunshine, balcony, family and a BBQ! These are the lovely things that I got to enjoy today.
Bobby and I have cleaned the balcony, and the patio furniture, we put up our solar powered patio lights, and we even got to enjoy them for a while!
We cleaned the house and then went to my parents home for a BBQ, really could this day get any better? Well yes it could. Our solar powered lights are working! How awesome!

I love days like today, although there was a lot of work, the pay off was above and beyond my expectations. Just need to be thankful. :)

Woot!

I Hate Shopping

1. I hate shopping.
2. I hate shopping.
3. I hate shopping!!!!!

Since the accident I have been putting on weight. It's been really hard with my injuries to be active enough to loose weight. I'm not sure what size I've expanded to but but it's not one of the good ones.
Before the accident I was a size 4-6, now I guess I would be a 14-16. That puts me right in between regular sizes and plus sizes... Well not really.
In today's world most clotting manufacturers cut small, which does put me into plus sizes.
This means that i can't purchase clothing from my favorite brands, they don't make my size, it's heart breaking. Plus size clothing doesn't make me happy and there's no in between.
On a good day I leave the mall depressed, on bad day.... Tears.
I'm lucky that I was able to find a couple of nice things to wear today, but I did't get my True Religion jeans, or a pair of dress pants, or even a dress shirt that I liked.
I'm having a difficult time accepting me as I am, and an even harder time accepting clothing manufacturers sizing,
I'm sad, angry and really disappointed. What's worse is I'm sure people think I'm lazy and eat too much and that's why I'm fat. I can see it in sales peoples eyes. They don't even want to help me when I walk into a store.
Femme de Carrier was one of the worst offenders today. Sales people looked at me like I was nuts, I almost had to beg in order to get their attention. Turns out the didn't want to waste their time as the largest size they carry is a 12.

I don't even walk into stores like Costa Blanca, Guess, and the like. I just figured Femme de Carrier is a mature brand and would have sizes for professional women, I guess women my size have to dress like slobs :(

I hate shopping!
/end rant.

My Happiness

I'm sure I've blogged about Sumo or mentioned him in at least one blog post.
Roughly a year ago Bobby and I really started to contemplate getting a dog. Bobby has always been partial to the English bulldog breed. I knew that we didn't have the time or the energy to start with a puppy, and thanks to my fired Liz who used to work at THS I am more than aware of how many adult dogs need homes.
Bobby had never had any pets and I knew he wouldn't be prepared for the amount of work an animal requires. I thought I would seek out a rescue organization that may have a bulldog available for foster. Lucky me I found a breed specific rescue that was willing to let us be foster parents. That's how Sumo came into our lives.
Not too long after I came to the realization that I would not be able to give him up. I was broken hearted at the thought of returning him to the rescue. Bobby and I knew we would have to adopt him, so we did and we've been a family ever since.
Our one year adoption anniversary is approaching as is Sumo's fifth birthday. I couldn't imagine what our life would be like with out him. I love him more everyday, and hope to help him over come the rest of his doggie issues.



Dear Sumo,
You are my happiness. Happy anniversary buddy!
From your Doggie Adoptive Parents

Heart and Stroke Foundation Big Bike Ride

I'm not too sure how I came about participating in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Big Bike Ride, ( ... Oh wait, that's right! I was volentold!) but I did it and I'm glad!

the whole morning prior to the ride I was nervous, and had butterflies, I was afraid of making a fool of myself due to my lack of physical ability. Then I started worrying about falling off, then it turned into all the "what if's" any paranoid and delusional crazy person could come up with.

Before I knew it we were leaving the office and heading to Fairview Mall (North York) with my coworkers. In order to prepare myself for what I thought was going to be this huge and crazy undertaking I three on the iPod and got my self psyched.

As it turns out the ride wasn't all that bad. Sure it was hard, but it was fun! I suppose having the group there surfing with you through the uphills, and enjoying the breeze from the down hills made it easier to participate,

I did not make a fool of my self, I did not fall off, nor did anything disastrous happen. In fact it was just the opposite, I had a great time, I proved to myself that I can take part in activities that require physical activity and I'll be ok!

Our team raised close to $3000! What a wonderful day. I did not hurt too badly the next day and it was worth it.

Thank you to the Heart and Stroke Foundation for allowing us to be a part of such a great event!
Also I would like to thank the Toronto Police for being such great escorts!

This is me being a ham :)