A byootaful Life

Things have been crazy busy around here, but all exciting stuff. In just over a week, our lease will expire and we’re moving apartments, so we’ve been apartment hunting for the last week or so and we’ve found an amazing place that we abolustely love! We’re meeting with the owner tomorrow to sign the contract (6 months, with the option to extend) and get the keys. Our friends, who we are currently renting with, have also found a place – a townhouse in fact – that is literally the next block down from our new place and they get their keys today.

We had a few “wants” when we were looking at apartments. Since we’re not used to this cold weather, we definitely wanted a fireplace because, well, that’s just awesome. Phill wanted a balcony, because let’s face it, we’re Aussies and we like our balconies. We wanted a high-up apartment so it wouldn’t be too noisy and so the views would be great. I wanted a big, open kitchen with good appliances (we’re renting furnished). We both wanted a big bed, because we’re in the second bedroom where we rent now and it’s a double bed and a tiiiiiiny room and we’re itchin’ to climb into a bed that doesn’t result in your feet hanging off the end. If mine hang off, I can’t imagine how Phill’s been sleeping at all, since his probably reach the edge at his shins!

Luckily for us, our new apartment has everything we wanted and then some! It’s got a huge walk-in storage room, a big open office, complete with computer desk and exercise ball, a washer and dryer (yes, some places we looked at only had communal laundries and that wasn’t an option for us) and a massive television. Everything is included – utilities, cable, internet, phone, hydro – in the rent, which is quite cheap considering how great the place is. It’s a little further out from where we’re living now, so instead of a 10-minute walk to work, it’s going to be more like 15-20mins, but hey, that just means more exercise for me!

The building itself has great amenities including a gym, a heated pool, a jacuzzi, a pool room, entertaining room – the list goes on. We’re so excited about moving! As much as I’ve enjoyed renting with others (because remember we stayed with a couple of our friends in Australia for about a month before we moved to Canada), it’s been about three months of sharing a house with others and I’m just ready to be a couple again, in our own house, with our own stuff.

So… what else has been happening around here?

Work is going well – keeping me busy! I’m really enjoying it and I’ve had a lot of positive feedback so I think I’m going to be there for a while, which is good because HOLY CRAP IT’S NEARLY CHRISTMAS and I’m definitely going to need to be employed in order to afford the giant Christmas tree and roast turkey and presents I’m going to be buying!!

Can you believe I FORGOT about Christmas???

I didn’t realise it was so late in the year until November 1st hit and all of a sudden there were three Christmas-themed ads on television in a row! And I was sitting on the couch and suddenly turned to Phill, wide eyed, and gasped, “OMG, it’s nearly CHRISTMAS!”

We’ve just been so busy with moving countries and stuff that it just slipped my mind. It’s going to be the first Christmas in a long time that Phill and I haven’t been joined by my parents and siblings and that’s going to be hard.  It’s going to be the first Boxing Day that Phill and I haven’t gone around to his Dad’s house for a BBQ and that’s going to be hard. I’ve started thinking about Christmas presents because I’m thinking I will send packages home, but if I’m going to do that, I’d better get crackin’ because I’m not sure how long it will take a package to arrive.

Oh and with Christmas being near, that means it’s my BIRTHDAY next month! Ahhh, December – it’s my favourite month!

Okay, I’m off now to start planning Christmas pressies!

Have a great weekend everybody!