The Adventures of Mrs.Movie Snob

I love a good scary movie. I love a good scary movie any time of the year. But, it's almost Halloween and that gives me the perfect excuse to select the "horror" genre on Netflix and not get any lip from the Hubs. Well, not a lot of lip. He may contest my choices but he always seems to man up. It always leaves me a little baffled though. What's not to love about good scary movies? The suspense. The tension. The jumps. I love it. I have noticed, however, that we go through this same back-and-forth every Halloween season. My suggestions are usually met with an unenthusiastic, "ugh, fine." Wait a second...It's not that he hates horror movies. It's that I suggest the same horror movies every Halloween. (And throughout the year, for that matter) Yes, we've seen them hundreds of times but I can't help myself. Is it nostalgia? Surely. Is it just that I love scaring my fradey cat husband? Most definitely. Whatever it is though, I return to these movi

Gimme some sugar! Muah! Why you ask? Well, candy is the traditional gift for the 6th anniversary and as of September 1st, the Sully's have been in Canada six long, cold, life-changing years. It came and went without consequence which is really unlike me. I celebrate every milestone with some sort of small celebration. But this Summer was crazy busy and the end of Summer was even crazy busier as we prepared for the first (and long awaited) day of school for Isabel. It's like suddenly I blinked and Summer was over. (Even though it's been over 80 degrees this whole week. Weird) The same could be said for our time here. I blinked. And just like that I'm a Mother and Wife. And... dare I say this out loud? Happy. Weird. I keep thinking back to those two kids living in Atlanta contemplating a big move very north. Would I have made the same decision knowing then what I know now? It's an interesting thought. One I can't really dwell on because no matter how I

God, could that title be any more pretentious? Bread and dairy. Dairy and bread. I'm wondering what I could say to convey the utter terror that overwhelmed me when I was first presented with the Whole30 plan. No bread? Christ. No CHEESE?! What's the point of living? Still, we pressed on and made it through a dairy-less and grain-less month. Toward the end, all I could think about was garlic bread. Warm, buttery, garlic bread; crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Oh my. Yes, my addiction to these food groups is real. And I'm guessing eliminating them is a HUGE factor in my loss of inches. Reintroducing them is also terrifying. I'm actually doing fine without them. Cravings have subsided but, again, I fear that slope is a most slippery one. But this is our last step in completing our Whole30 journey and so we splurged. Day 40 - Grains If we're going to do this, let's do it right. On grains day, we started with smoked salmon and bagels. And let me j

Vanessa here. You know, that girl who finished Whole30 ten days ago. (Wow!) I'm here to tell you a little secret. Are you ready? Whole30 is longer than 30 days. Oy. Well, ok, that's not really a secret. It's all outlined in the program. If you do it right, you are not going to order a double bacon cheeseburger with a pint of beer on Day 31. The Whole30 plan is only step one. On Day 31 the fun actually begins; Reintroductions. What that basically means is that we add those no-no foods slowly back into our diet, one at a time, each on their own and see how our bodies react. It's pretty interesting actually because I am already reacting to things that I would bet my life on were very benign. So here's what we know so far: Day 31 - Alcohol. Woo hoo!! I made us a celebratory dinner on Day 31 - A delectable steak with shrimp to go nicely with our bottle of red. The old me would've been on glass 2 by the time dinner was served. The new me poured the glass, started

That is all. Cheers!

Yep! You read that right. Today, my friends, is our last day of Whole30. No big deal... Just kidding. IT'S A HUGE F'N DEAL! We have gone 30 days with no sugar, no grains, no legumes, no booze and no dairy. Nothing processed has passed over these lips in a month and that is pretty incredible. Three weeks ago, probably hungover and definitely not feeling all that great, my Huband and I decided that things needed a change. We were very aware that this endeavor would be much more successful if we did it together. After what felt like 10 whole minutes of discussion, we really couldn't think of a reason not to. And so it began....and here we are; a little lighter and a lot wiser. Day 30 (AKA Tomorrow I can have wine!) How the book says I'll feel: Holyoprahitsalmostoverwhatamigoingtoeatnow ? How I actually feel: Confident. This was a life change and it feels like it. Our house is still full of healthy foods. So there's no slope to slip on...just y

Two days until wine. And oh shit. Day 29 How the book says I'll feel: Holyoprahitsalmostoverwhatamigoingtoeatnow? The realizatoin that this is ending combined with the terror of trying to do it freestyle. How I actually feel: A little panicked honestly. For almost a month now, the list of what I can't have has been the focus of everything. I've changed plans because I couldn't drink and didn't want to be tempted. We've changed restaurants because there were noncompliant foods. And our daughter now asks for healthy treats rather than chips and cookies. So...now what? Tomorrow is our last day. OUR LAST DAY. And after that, we are on our own. I see now why many people just choose to do it again right away. Although it's a pain in the ass, it would be easier just to keep these rules in place. But, we live in the real world. And keeping up this regiment would be tough (and expensive) long term. I have to remember that this was meant to be a short ter

DAY 28!! DAY 28!! DAY 28!! I want to scream it from the rooftops. I just finished DAY-TWENTY-FUC*ING-EIGHT!! Day 28 How the book says I'll feel: 28 is as good as 30...right? So close to the end but apparently 90% doesn't count. How I actually feel: There have been thoughts of ending early, I'll admit. Nothing I'm actually following through with. Still, there is a big part of me that is like what difference will 2 days make? The book says you committed to 30 days, so finish. And I will. I can't imagine letting myself down this late in the game. Today was kind of a breeze. No work meant I had time to make us a healthy breakfast. Husband worked and my daughter was a day camp, so for lunch, I was on my own. I had a lovely tuna salad. It was nice. Around 3, I realized that I absolutely was not cooking tonight. Called Husband and informed him he was taking me out. He did. What a guy! We found a restaurant that actually had an allergy manual...these foods have l

And suddenly we're nearing the end. Woo hoo!! Days 24-27 I've missed blogging the last few days because the How the book says I'll feel is the same through Day 27. They claim there will be few interludes along the way, however, with a "I'm so over this" and "The scale (and mirror) are calling." How I actually feel: A little nervous. After nearly a month of nothing but goodness, I am absolutely terrified of two things: 1. That milk/grains/sugar/booze are going to be so much more delicious than I ever remembered and my introduction phase will just be a slippery slope. 2. That milk/grains/sugar/booze are going to throw a monkey wrench into what now feels like a body that working properly. With those in mind, we've decided to pretty much keep going after thirty days. (Yes, we're crazy.) Not on such a grand scale but definitely a much stricter regiment than we had pre-Whole30. It just seems like the right thing to do.We both feel go

(Just imagine Eye of the Tiger is playing while you're reading this) Still feelin' good, obviously. Day 22 & 23 Welp, we survived our company while being on this diet. I'm fairly proud of that. We only ate out a handful of times and were able to find things that worked for us. (AKA - Meat and salad.) How the book says I'll f ee l: La sangre de tigre. How I actually feel: In a groove. Which is both good and bad. We have less than a week to go on our Whole30 adventure and there has been much discussion about what's going to happen after. I've researched paleo a bit and this is what we've decided on. Essentially, if I'm getting this right, it's about the same just a smidge less strict; 80/20. All I hear is I can have an occassional glass of wine. So .... win. I'm terrified of what is going to happen my body when I reintroduce the forbidden foods. Apparently, we're supposed to start with alcohol? Geez...twist my arm. So, on Day 31

Guess what, kiddos? We only have one more week to go. 7 more days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. But, who's counting? Day 20 & 21  How the book says I'll feel: TIGER. BLOOD. How I actually feel: Physically? Awesome. Mentally? Proud. I can't believe how far we've come and just how much has changed in this house in 3 weeks. Our refrigerator and pantry are now thoroughly transformed. Only a few snacks left, mostly for the kid. The adults have one small section of the middle shelf. The only things on it are Larabars, coconut milk, various nuts, tomato paste and all kinds of different spices. Potato chips are nowhere in sight. The reason I'm mostly proud is because the last few days have not been without challenges and temptation. We have company staying with us and our favorite past time with her is eating out, snacking and drinking. Both Saturday and Sunday were busy days for us so not cooking was a very attractive option. On Saturday we ventured into a rest

Hi all. I'm posting every few days now beacuse not much has changed. I'm feeling great. Cravings are under control and I think I solved my sleeping issue -- I just can't drink anything an hour before bed. Damn old lady bladder. Day 18 & 19 How the book says I'll feel : Tiger Blood. Me-ow. How I actually feel : Just call me Tony. Grrrrrrreaaat. Productive and energetic. And very focused. It's like Me 2.0. So strange. Our eating habits have changed dramatically. I am pretty comfortable with what I can't and can have now. Although, I still find myself double checking labels. Labels that are no longer gibberish.  We 've been trying to get more creative with breakfast. Today's menu was Shakshuka. Doesn't that sound delicious?! Well, it was. It's Middle Eastern dish consisting of eggs poached in a tomatoey-red pepper sauce. My only regret is that I couldn't serve it with bread. That sauce would've sopped up amazingly well.

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. I know now that I can do this. However, there is a big part of me that is really over it all. The last few days have really tested me and I'm realizing that I'm a lot stronger than I realized. Day 16 & 17 How the book says I'll feel: Tiger blood! Seriously, it says Tiger blood. From now until Day 27 we are supposed to be feeling mighty fine; over the bumps and reaping the rewards. How I actually feel: Now, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't feeling different. I was really looking forward to this part because when we heard "you'll feel amazing," I didn't know what that meant. I'm not sure if I'd call it Tiger blood :) but I'm feeling pretty good. Both of us have lost many inches. I can feel it in my clothes. I can feel it in my blood and I can feel it in my brain. I'm focused. Clear. Which, honestly is a good and a bad thing. My sleep is now being affected. Brain won't t

Day 15 AKA I have fewer days ahead of me than behind me now.Woo hoo!! If I stop and think about it, I really can't believe how much my diet has changed in these last two weeks. And, more impressively, that I'm still alive. :) How the book says I'll feel: This is supposed to be the last day of our wild cravings. Time will tell. How I acually feel: Knowing that I'd be battling cravings today, I decided to stay busy. Not hard when you're preparing the house for your Mother-in-law's visit. So I was a cleaning fool. And then the kid and I decided to hit the pool for some fun. It seemed to work pretty well. Breakfast? You guessed it. Eggs. For lunch, I made another BLT salad for me and my daughter. She loved it! Anything with bacon, right? But she was actually most excited that the "matoes" and lettuce were from our garden. I was too, to be honest. Yum! Spaghetti and meatballs was requested for dinner. My first thought when I heard this was p

Am I a pessimist ir an optimist? Are we half-way through or do we have half-way to go? Hmm... Today, I'll choose optimism because I'm feeling pretty good and we're doing great. We both slept well last night after a long conversation about how much we are both dying for a smorgasbord of non-Whole30 foods. It was very cathartic. Day 14 How the book say I'll feel: Still supposed to be dreaming of wonderful sweet and fried things. How I actually feel: Hopeful. I made it through 2 weeks of this bullsh*t. Go me! I haven't let my cravings get the better of me (neither has Husband) and I really think I can finish. We've been talking about life after Whole30; what we will incorporate and what we will say good riddance to. I may never eat eggs again. Breakfast was a potato, bacon, asparagus and egg scramble thingy made by the man in my life who, incidentally, is becoming quite the chef. We all gobbled it down and had there been seconds, we would've gobbled

Skipped blogging yesterday. I could lie to you and say it's because I sooo busy but the truth is I just didn't wanna. I woke up tired. I was moody and my cravings for something sweet are kind of intense right now. Fruit helps but all I can think is 2 more weeks and I can have a donut. Yeah, I need to get that thought right out of my head... Days 12 & 13 How the book says I'll feel: "I dream of...junk food?" Cravings. Cravings. Cravings. Along with some good energy. How I actually feel: Oh ok...so this is normal? I'm having trouble (donuts!) staying focused. These (eclair!) cravings are serious right now. And I'm realizing (doritos!) how many ads there are on everything. Every marketing ploy (cookies!) is working on me. Look how delicious that cereal looks (mmm...cereal!) as the milk splashes on it in slow motion. Oh God, I'm drooling now. I'm staying on track though. Breakfast both days has been a combination of eggs and veggies. Tha

Woke up at bit tired today. Also woke up without much of an appetite. Well, to be clear, with not much of an appetite for a big, hearty Whole30 breakfast...that I'd have to cook. Day 11 How the book says I'll feel : The last day of "The Hardest Days." Will you quit? How I actually feel : Still hanging in there. Feeling good. A bit tired but light. I can feel my blood flowing purely through my veins....or maybe it's just that I've realized that it's been 11 days since I've eaten any junk. I've definitely been detoxed by now. That's actually pretty cool. Breakfast was a chore. I just wasn't hungry. I ate it up though; scrambled eggs, avocado and grapes. I was pretty busy right after. No time for hunger pangs. For lunch, I ate a spicy ground pork patty (Organic) and a bushel (bunch?) of carrots dipped in homemade ranch. Quite satisfactory. Around 2 p.m., I waited again to see if I would get my mid-afternoon slump. I am very happy t

An interesting day. After reading the "how I'm supposed to feel," I now understand why. Day 10 How the book says I'll fee l: "The Hardest Days." Statistically, days 10 and 11 are when most people quit this stupid thing. They're over it and realizing they're only a third of the way through. How I actually feel: Not as bas as all that. I definitely don't feel like quitting but I am keenly aware of how much longer I'm supposed to be doing this. (19 more days!...but who's counting?) I had some cravings today. Sweet stuff. I was forced to go inside to pay for my gas (due to a broken pump) in a gas station that also has a Tim Horton's. As soon as I was in the door, the smell hit me and I shed a tear. Mmmm.....donuts. This too shall pass. Breakfast was yummy. Bacon with Brussels Sprouts and eggs over easy. We got off to a bit of a late start so we were starving also. For lunch, we decided to venture to a restaurant. The book says

Today, I hit a wall. A soft wall, mind you. But a wall none the less. I woke up absolutely exhausted after sleeping a full 8 hours. I'm hoping it was just the weather; we woke up to grey and rainy dreariness. Only tomorrow will tell. Day 9 How the book says I'll feel: Another "Noooo...my pants are TIGHTER!" How I actually feel: Well, first off my pants weren't tighter. The opposite, actually. I purposely put on pants today to see how they felt. (They were getting a bit snug) They felt good and my long shirt wasn't as fitted around my tummy. Score! Breakfast was eggless and delicious. A nice change. Roasted butternut squash, raspberries and sausage. Super yum. We were both pretty happy. After dropping off the kid, I came home and quickly faded. So tired. A little nap sounded so good! Yeah, that little nap turned into 2 hours. Thank goodness I didn't have to work! The good thing is I slept through any hunger pangs. I woke up and made lunch. I got

A new day. A new week. And hopefully we'll get some new benefits from this program. Whole30 at a glance. Day 8 How the book says I'll feel : "Nooo! My pants are TIGHTER!" Some fancy things are supposed to be happening in my gut. Using new energy, working properly...all that. And as such, some experience a short-lived bloating. How I actually feel: I didn't wear pants today so I'm not sure if they were tighter but I didn't feel bloated. Quite the opposite. I was a ball of energy today. And very productive. My 2 p.m. crash didn't happen. I'm really okay with that. Breakfast was scrambled eggs (again), and some left over veggies from my roasted chicken a few nights ago. It was pretty good. Coffee wasn't as nasty sans cream. I read an article that told me to try coconut milk. I just don't know.... For the first time, I was on my own for lunch. I made "Mexican Tuna Boats" - A recipe from the Whole30 book and they were fa

Sorry for the delay. I had to work late yesterday evening and when I got home blogging was the last thing on my mind. Day 7 Yay! Matt slept last night. We both did. Woke up feeling refreshed and hungry for breakfast although not exactly thrilled to have to cook again. How long before we can just go to brunch again? How the book says I'll feel : Another day of "I just want a nap." How I actually feel : Good. Energized even. I think we're finding a bit of a groove. Breakfast was good. I made a organic scramble with broccoli, bacon and a bit of fruit. We both gobbled it. The kid opted for Lucky Charms this morning which I'm okay with but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. Those tiny marshmallows were calling to me. Not Lucky Charms. We then made our first trip to Whole Foods - Ottawa. Of course we found a lot of great things...just at a premium. Ouch. For lunch, we had grilled trout (ghee, s&p) over greens with avocado mayo. It wa

Ok. So we're following the rules and we're almost at a week now. I thought for sure we'd be climbing the walls by now. I mean, making sure we're eating organically and cooking every day for every meal is exhausting but I still FEEL just fine. I'm not craving sugar. It sounds good, don't get me wrong. Someone at work today mentioned a Snickers bar and my heart skipped a beat. I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth but...are we doing this right? This is the question Husband just asked me which makes me think he's feeling alright too. Day 6 How the book says I'll feel : "I just want a nap." We're supposed to be super dooper tired for the next few days as our bodies learn to use the nutrients we're giving it for energy rather than relying on sugar and crap. How I actually feel : See above. Seriously. I woke up hungry. And alone. Husband is still not sleeping (maybe this is his side effect) He says to me over coffee, &quo

I woke up feeling pretty normal. Really can't complain. I keep waiting to just hit a sugarless, boozeless wall of reality and go into shock. So far, the side effects have been minimal. Here's hoping. Day 5 How the book says I'll feel : "Kill all the things" again. Ragey in general. How I actually feel : I'm almost afraid to say I feel good. But I do. Less bloated all over. Skin is less oily. I still seem to get a headache here and there but they are minor and short lived. I woke up with the craziest Charley Horse though. Not sure if that's related but I'm given you all the deets, people. My breakfast frittata was very nice. And a nice change. We accompanied it with fruit and bacon. This has been my favorite breakfast so far. I felt very satisfied as I continued my morning. For lunch, I hit a minor snag. Got my schedule confused thinking I would have time for a meal at work. I didn't. So, for lunch today all I had time to eat was a stalk o

I had a very restless night last night. Mainly because I had to pee like every 2 hours. Will my body ever get used to consuming this much water? I was also plagued with vivid dreams. I'm no stranger to these but I thought it was worth mentioning since Husband seems to have the same thing going on. Day 4 How the book says I'll feel : "Kill all the things." So. Much. Rage. How I actually feel : I woke up in a pretty good mood. However, was a bit irritable later in the day. No murderous thoughts, thank goodness. And I'm not actually certain if it was hangriness or 3rd day of my period-ness, to be honest.  Breakfast was eggs and sausage with sliced tomato. Pretty good but neither of us finished. So many eggs. I like eggs but not everyday. Spent a few minutes after breakfast googling "Whole30 Breakfast NO EGGS!" Found a few good ones to add to our repertoire. Lunch was leftovers from last night. Very satisfactory. Wasn't feeling too-t

Oh boy. Looks like my body may be on to me. Something feels off as I wake up. Feeling very tired even though I slept a full 8 hours. My usually deep-sleepin' husband was restless too and tells me all about his very vivid food dreams over breakfast, "I could taste the Coke going down my throat." For the record, we've never been big Coke drinkers. Day 3 How the book says I'll feel : "The Hangover." (again) I was to expect headaches, fogginess and general blah-ness. How I actually feel : Yep, that's pretty much it. Just blah today...borderline bitchy at times. And my tummy seems to be a bit confused. Like, I already went...I need to go AGAIN?! I'm chalking it up to all the fiber. One good thing, I notice that my face looks slightly less bloated. So, yay. Breakfast was a delicious concoction of homemade sausage, bell peppers and sweet potato hash made by my Husband. Good job, babe. Although completely satisfied, I start feeling hungry a bit e

I popped out of bed today with a meal plan in place and feeling pretty proud for completing yesterday. Bring on Day 2! Day 2 How the book says I'll feel : "The Hangover." I was to expect headaches, fogginess and general blah-ness. How I actually feel : Pretty good considering how I (well, we) felt when we went to bed last night. I was expecting to be pained and dumb today. No pain. No dumb. Breakfast was good. (And lovingly prepared by the Hubs) I wasn't actually very hungry but finished it like a good girl knowing that I would be famished soon if I didn't. My headache is gone and I went to bed without heartburn for the first time in about a week. #winning I am sad to report, however, that coffee sans cream is still grody. The Hubs also prepared a delicious protein salad for lunch. I licked my plate clean. I was feeling pretty hungry right before. (ate a few almonds) But the salad was great and very satisfying. Still had to pick up a few things at the

So, today we began our Whole30 adventure. We've been talking about it for months. Preparing mentally. But today we actually "walked the walk." I only have a few friends who have actually tried (and completed) this program. However, it seems I have many more who are considering it. That being said, I've decided to blog my experience. Hopefully, this will not only help someone else out there but also help me stay on track. Day 1 How the book says I'll feel : "No big deal/What have I done." How I actually feel : This is pretty accurate. The recipes we've tried so far have been quite delicious. I love meat. I love veggies. Win. Win. Even though I'm not really missing it...yet...my mind keeps focusing on the things I know I cannot have for the next 30 days. After breakfast, I felt good. Not full though. Which is good, I suppose. 3 hours later, I was feeling quite hungry. Ate a few almonds to hold me until my next big meal. It helped a bit. B

There has been a lot of buzz lately surrounding gender roles in our culture. Once clearly defined, many people now frown upon common stereotypes. Girls like pink. Boys like dirt. It was pretty simple. And if you were the boy caught playing with a Barbie, God help you... and his parents. For there was no doubt venturing outside these strict guidelines led to utter confusion or worse, homosexuality. Today, in reasonable society, we are a bit more forgiving when it comes to our children's interests. Should they stray into a gray area, we are told to nurture and encourage. All kids are different and their passions are as well. Boys can play with dolls, of course. Girls will get dirty. (I did!) Where I have a problem with this is when I see parents blatantly trying to push an agenda. To me, there is a big difference between "I want my kid to know that we're all different and that's great!" and "I'm going to dress my little boy in girl's clothes because F

In the history of human existence, there is a very wide spectrum of types of relationships. On this spectrum, I believe, there are none more complicated, ever-evolving and impassioned than that of a mother and daughter. I blame it on genes. For, no matter how much you try to escape it, we women become a lot like the women who mothered us. We are a forever mirror, for better or worse. For better, I am her compassion, her wittiness, her creativity and her sense of humor. I can hear her in my laugh. For worse, I am her stubborn streak, her clumsiness, her forgetfulness and her grudge holding. And all of this will be passed on to Isabel...hopefully, though, she'll be a bit more graceful. Still, she will be the next in the line of the Martinez women to take on the world. My relationship with my Mom (aka Madre, Lady, Sophia, Crotchety) has had it's share of complexities, to be sure. We've had the highest of highs and lows so low no light penetrated for years. If we were being t

Driving today, I passed a woman walking. She was about my age, about my height but had a very different look about her. Her hair, shaved on one side (very Cindy Lauper in the "Time After Time" video) was dyed turquoise and the sides were bright pink. She wore baggy, ripped jeans. heavy eyeliner and Doc Marten's. My first thought, "Come on, Lady. You're a bit too old for that." Immediately followed by a second thought, "I wish I had the balls to do that." Then she turned around. She was carrying two Disney Princess backpacks and holding a sippy cup. One small girl, maybe two years old, was playing in the grass in front of her while another, maybe five, was further along on the trail making her getaway. She was a Mom. That shouldn't surprise me since I live in the 'burbs. But it did. I watched as she tried to hold onto the smaller child while yelling at the second to "Stop!" And I immediately felt connected to her. Moms are moms a