Highlights of 2023

It’s time to wrap up the year and write my favourite summary blog post.  2023 was a really great year for me.  Let me recount the happenings. 😀 

First off, this was the year where I purchased surprise bags from Too Good To Go basically daily or weekly and sometimes a few bags in a day too.  It was so wonderful to receive a surprise bag of different food items — some that surprised us and some that disappointed us — but the ultimate result was that it was a really exciting part of my day that made me happy with the contents.  In 2023, I rescued a total of 284 surprise bags of food and diverted these items from going to waste.  I got to try new stores and restaurants that I wouldn’t have visited if it weren’t for the app.  I tried new food items I wouldn’t normally have chosen for myself as well.  It was so fun and we ate really well this year because of that.  Peep all the surprise bag hauls I got in my blog posts.

Similarly, we used the app Flashfood to buy groceries for half of the usual price, thereby diminishing our grocery bills and also saving food from going to waste.  It was so rewarding and satisfying for me to seek out these food deals and feed my family with it this year! 😀  (Especially during this year of inflation and when groceries have dramatically spiked up in price.)

This year, I continued looking after my 2 growing daughters at home with grandma and took them to EarlyON events and activities for the first time.  Since our initial visit in March, we have visited so many sessions and events.  It’s been such a fun and cool experience watching my now 3-year-old and 1-year old experience new things (cooking, music, Mandarin, Cantonese, “Zumbini”, baby massages, movement, science, outings to the farm, fire station, and Zoom classes, etc.).  I have been watching my toddler grow out of her shell a little more this year and watching my infant show us her personality day by day.

We felt comfortable enough to do a hotel stay with both kids to Niagara Falls in the spring time and then we tagged along with DH on his week-long work trip to St. Catharines in the summertime which was like a staycation for the rest of us.

In November, we partook on the girls’ first airplane ride and trip back to Hong Kong after 4 years.  It was quite the endeavour to bring both young kids overseas and overcome the challenges that met us.  We were met with time difference exhaustion, a cranky toddler, the hustle and bustle of HK life, crowded spaces, and new surroundings.  I’m glad we survived the trip and made some nice memories, met extended family members (introduced them to our babies), and enjoyed the food culture in HK.

Towards the latter part of the year, I had motivation again to declutter the home and worked on selling or giving away more of the items in our spaces.  How do I get rid of more stuff in 2024?  By being more generous and less anal about the things I own. 😆

I started counting calories in February and have enjoyed the benefits that come along with it.  I already love record-keeping and tracking things, so recording what I ate and logging the foods was just a natural fit for me and easily fit into my routine.  I lost 10 pounds from doing this (and walking 10,000 steps a day) and have another goal weight of 5 pounds to go.  It’s not so much the number but to keep and maintain a healthy weight especially since I have had two gestational diabetes pregnancies.  It’s also been helpful for me to know what areas of nutrition I am missing each day and what I need to eat to keep my body in tip-top shape (I notice I am usually deficient in fiber and calcium).

I discovered the world of barefoot shoes and how wearing “normal” shoes actually isn’t the greatest for our feet’s health.  I got my first pair of barefoot shoes and toe socks (as did the toddler and my mom)!

I fell off the wagon with daily diary writing again.  I do want to get back into it eventually, but with the weekly blog posts that I publish on motherhood, they seem to somewhat do the trick of helping me release all the thoughts that are in my head.

With that said, I also have been very good at blogging weekly and publishing blog posts about TGTG, for example.  And it was my blog’s 10-year anniversary this March!

I breastfed the baby for an entire year (and counting) and became an expert at nursing in public without fear or embarrassment.  I also took on a couple of audio transcription jobs way before one year of postpartum.  It’s to keep up with my steno skills and stay on good terms with the agencies.

We got a minivan this year too!  DH replaced his old sedan I have known since we started dating for a 8-seater family vehicle. 🙂

By buying things we need to eat not only from TGTG and Flashfood this year but also essential items from the “Amazon warehouse” (this has been an amazing once-a-month thing too) and Facebook marketplace have saved us SO much money and I am always so thrilled and satisfied after each haul. ^_^  It is like a treasure trove and the best place to buy things before shopping on Amazon or in retail stores.

This was a really happy year for me and we got to do so much and eat lots and experience exciting fun things with our kids.

With next year, I’d like to:  further declutter our home — closets and storage areas (be able to find what we need without searching through junk), renovate our basement, spend more time as a family outdoors, walk more steps, articulate myself verbally with more clarity, and improve my foot health (increase toe gaps, strengthen big toes).

Just putting this wishlist out there to the universe: new stores I want to see on TGTG: Walmart, T&T, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Jollibee, fast food joints, all small and large bakeries near me, existing stores like Longo’s and Metro to have categories like bread, seafood, meat, dairy, dry goods, etc., On The Run and gas station convenient stores, convenient stores like Mac’s, Dollarama, Chipotle, Domino’s, Pizza Nova, Chinese restaurants, buffets! (some Canadian cities allow patrons to walk in 5 minutes before the buffet closes to fill up a box with as much food as they want)(Mandarin, Dragon Legend, Dragon Pearl, AYCE sushi), breakfast restaurants like Eggsmart and Sunset Grill.

Stores I want to see on Flashfood: Walmart, Freshco, Food Basics, T&T, Foody Mart, independent grocery stores, PetSmart, Reptilia.

I’m looking forward to 2024 and what it will bring for me and my family.  Happy thoughts and warm wishes for everyone in the new year.  May everyone have great health, luck, and happiness. 💖