52 NEW EXPERIENCES in 2018

It always is the small stuff that makes for big living- always!

That’s what I believe and live by, (mostly) every single day of the year. It keeps me excited about…everyday life.

And the best thing? It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I wrote it before,  I love living the champagne life style on a beer budget. So here we go, the small stuff that made 2018 so delicious, interesting, new, exciting and oh so wonderful:

Food Department: I at

Kale-veggie wrap   –  cheese whiz spread (scary!)   – Macha cake (OK)   –  Japanese sweets  –  Hot Pho seafood  (rip-off)  – Perogi Pizza (why perogies???)  – Fresh Lychees  –  Bacon, Maple Blueberry Muffin (not bad)  –  Mango Salsa  –  Cashew Cream  –  Ugandan Baked Green Bananas (not bad)  – Olive-oil ice cream (yes, you heard this right!)  –  cranberry turkey dinner ice-cream (Very cool. Quite good actually) – Goats cheese Ice Cream  –  Candy Cane donut (Tim Horton’s)  –  Maple Bacon donut (OMG, where have you been all my life???)  –  sweet potato spinach curry

  • baked zucchini bread
  • created Nicoise Salad
  • baked almond tartins filled with raspberries

 

Drinks I tried:

Spritz (50’s cocktail)  –  Peach Cider  –  Caesar (brrr, so not my thing!)  –  Tea-Vodka  –  Tomato Wine  –  Egg Nog Tea  Home made whiskey Egg Nog (now we’re talking)

 

Pubs/Restaurants I ventured out to:

Flamingo Bar (former strip joint)  –  Richmond Oval  –  Bridgeman’s Bistro (Vancouver Island, Mill Bay)  –  Hop’n Hogs (en route to Edmonton)  –   Lido Beach Club (Lake Victoria, Uganda)  – Blacksmith Cafe (Fort Langley, a bit disappointing. I loved the idea better)  –  Smiling Budha Cabaret  – Fox Cabaret (Vancouver)  – The Witch (Maple Ridge)  –   Duff & Co Bakehouse (Abbotsford: Heaven on earth!)  –  Laffline Comedy Club  –  Jimmy’s Lunch Box (Maple Ridge, delicious!)

 

Experienced:

Treatment in Korean Spa (scary!!!)  –  watched Wheelchair Rugby (interesting)  – watched Canucks Game and sold 50/50 tickets in between  –  Repair Cafe    –   Trivia Night for local Farmers Market (and realized how little I know about pie’s)  –  Bruce James Orchestra  –  Hello Baby (Funtastic one-man-show! Nearly peed my pants)  –  Walked in Senior’s Fashion Show   –  Created 150 fruit skewers for dry-grad night  –  Won a match of Hippo-Run (bouncy castle spectacular)  –  Auditioned for Mama Mia (and didn’t get a part)   –  4th of July in Blaine (lame)  –  Zumba on the Wharf  –  Legislature in Edmonton  –  Hoodoos in Drummheller (they are tiny!)  –  The concept of Spiral Tunnels  –  Hammond Pool  –  Rotary Club Meeting  –   9 shows as Aunt Rose in Tony’n Tina’s Wedding (So much fun!)  –  5 day Women’s Retreat at Loon Lake  –  Sold stuff at local car booth sale  – 2 day long Improvisation workshop  –  croched x-mas presents  –  Danced on stage in Uganda in front of 300 non-mazungas (whites)  –  Bowling in my character as Aunt Rose  –  Golden Harvest at The ACT (a delicious sampling extravaganza of  local restaurants)  – Said my good-by’s to a dying gentleman  –  Masterclass Series online  –  Mini Escape Room Game  –  Ginger Bread Lane @Regency Hyatt, Vancouver  –  Lunch during Chamber of Commerce – Business Excellence Nominations   –  Saying Bye to our middle son as he left to university in Alberta  –  my dad’s cancer scare

created origami swan  –  filz munchkin  – painted on rocks  –  painted hot-plate-tiles

 

Books I read:

Shopaholic Abroad  –  Trinny and Susanna’s Survival Guide  –  This I know (Terry O’Reilly)  – Origin (Dan Brown)  –  The Rosie Project (funny!)  –  You’re not that Great  –  Big Little Lies (good!)  –  The President is Missing (so-so)  –  Mrs. Fletcher (fun) –  What Happened (Hillary Clinton)  –  How to be Famous  –  Year of Yes (Shonda Rimes- very good!)  –  Kim Kardashian Principle (honestly, I read that????)  –  Very Good Lives  –  Shadow War (if this is true we’re in trouble…)  –  Becoming (Cindy Crawford)  – Inner Games of Screenwriting – The No.1 Lady’s Detective Agency

 

Movies

Jumanji  –  Christmas Inheritance  –  Mordecai  –  The Polka King  –  The Post  –  The Glass Castle  –  Unplugged  –  Game Night  –  I, Tonya  –  3 Billboards outside Missouri  –  New Prison Break  –  The Royals (fabulous!)  –  Big Little Lies (read the book, so much better!)  –  Ocean’s 8  –  Bodyguard of The Killer  –  Tower Heist  –  Life of the Party  –  Mama Mia II (biggest disappointment!)  –  All The Money in The World  –  Mission Impossible Fallout (loved it!)  –  Like Father  –  Wrong Mans (funny)  –  Book Club  –  Commuter  –  Red Sparrow  –  Billie Elliott  – Designated Survivor  –  2 Puerto Rican’s in Paris  –  Bohemian Rhapsody ( Superb!)  –  Lady Bird  –  A Star is Born (Why? Fall asleep)  –  Crazy Rich Asians (can we make it less predictable the next time please?)  – Mowgli  –  Dynasty (woohaa!)  –  The Kawinsky Method (fun, fun, fun)

 

Traveled to

Kamloops  –  Cowichan Valley ( Duncan, Mill Bay on Vancouver Island)  – San Juan Island (go, it’s quaint!)  –  Road trip to Edmonton ( Jasper National Park, Miete Hot Springs, Banff,  University of Calgary ) –  Portland  –  Uganda

 

Filmed 

Whole season of our local Farmers Market  –  Merry Wives of Windsor  –  Homeless Camp  –  Business Rally  and Cooking demo in Uganda  –  Yoni Massage  –  Pitchstand promo in Vancouver Night Club  –  Innovation in Emerging Cities  –  Karina LeBlanc Foundation  –  Official field opening of Karina LeBlanc  –  Can-Can Dance  –  Two days at Caribbean Festival  –  Wedding Reception   –  Black Box Cooking Show at Golden Eagle Golf Club  –  Indoor Hemp Grower  –  Plarn Workshop  –  Photographed: cakes   –   bridal dresses  – choir  –  Maple Ridge Got Talent

It has been a wonderful year.  On all fronts. My dad, who has been diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the year  has survived his operations and treatments in flying colours.  I’m so glad he he said Yes to life, to live a while longer among us.  It has been a good year…

The power of saying YES not only takes you places! It keeps you strong and keeps you going.

YES opens up a new world of tasty! Of deliciousness! Of  the unexpected! Of Joy! Of learning and discoveries.

May this year be filled with an abundance of new experiences. With the tiny stuff.

Say yes…

 

 

About The Author

christina Waschko

Life hacks to create more fun and adventure in our private and business life! It all starts with a Kiss of our Excuses Goodbye! I raise my glass to the rise of Yes Girls- the creators of a category of one!