50 Things to Do--#15 BUY A NEW CAR!

Yay! I did it—I bought myself a new car a couple months ago! It was a snowstorm that day and I recently took it in for service and they were kind enough to do a ‘red bow’ picture for me!

This was the first day I picked up my new car—a Volkswagen Taos. I drove a big SUV for years so this was a huge switch to start driving a compact SUV. However, it’s perfect for me, much better on gas and a fun color!

Buying a new car might not seem like a big deal. People buy new cars on the time right? However, this moment really highlighted for me how far I have come in the last 3 years.

This is me now—in one of my fav cozy tee’s and denim shirt after a day of crafting in my basement. Much better weather for a ‘red bow’ picture. The guys as Norden Volkswagen were so accommodating!

What this purchase actually represents is independence. 3 years ago, my kids dad left us and moved to another county. Some of you know the story and those that don’t—I was left to figure IT ALL OUT ALONE. Mortgage, bills, 3 teens, and myself.

And you know what? I did. Got myself back into my career, got a permanent contract and inherited literally the BEST coworkers on the planet. These people (they know who they are) let me break and recreate myself while returning to my profession after 15 years. They let me be ME. Something I had not been in years.

So being able to buy a new car by myself—it feels big to me. I remember I texted the first picture to a few close friends with the message—I have come so far—while crying and feeling immensely proud of myself.

This summer—it’s the summer of the 50 Things List—-I am on a mission, so keep following along!

50 Things to Do List--#19 check and check!

Hi friends,

I am happy to report that I was able to check off #19 off my list. #19 was to go on a girls trip—which I did and it also doubled as a 40th birthday trip for one of my besties! Maybe the key to looking and feeling young is hanging around the young…hahaha!

We rented a really cool house/cabin in Nordegg, Alberta which has some really gorgeous mountain views and is just a short drive from Abraham Lake.

We had absolutely amazing weather that was a combination of light beautiful snow, warm sunshine and barely a breeze! We took advantage of it by spending some time on the lake and taking a hike up to see the Cline River Falls. I love a frozen waterfall!

The hike was fun and such a great way to spend an afternoon! Our rental had a cedar sauna which was perfect (once we figured it out) and we had delicious meals all weekend, played some games and enjoyed just being ‘ourselves’ and not moms, wives or anything else.

The best part of the weekend was celebrating my wonderful friend Bailey who was celebrating a milestone birthday! She is funny, generous, a good listener and has a unique and inspiring perspective on the world. She is a top shelf mom and I am so lucky to have the benefit of being her friend. I am looking forward to many more adventures together!

Happy birthday my friend :) You are loved.

Best Month EVER--and #50 off my list is checked!

I can officially say that Jan 2026 was probably one of the BEST months of my entire life. This whole month was a celebration of embracing turning 50 and focusing on my relationships, being grateful for all the gifts in my life and all the fun and adventure I have in my future. I am so grateful for the amazing friends I have in my life. They truly made this month special in so many ways.

And I am so unbelievably happy for everyone who has contributed to my list, reached out to make plans with me to partner with me on things—it was an unexpected ripple effect of my 50 Things List!

Today I checked another item off my list—I went skating! It has been YEARS since I have laced up my skates and while my ankles feel like they were beaten with a baseball bat, I had literally the BEST time!

My amazing friend Amanda came up to spend the day with me and skating at the Victoria Oval was on my list of things to do. It has been so long since I went skating. Today was the perfect day, warm with the sun shining on our faces as we skated a ton of laps, enjoyed the path and caught up on life.

The best part is that neither of us wiped out, hahaha! And I can say that skating falls into the same category as riding a bike. I am hoping to be able to go out at least once more this winter—so if anyone wants a skating date—hit me up!

I am so excited for February and to keep working on fulfilling items on my list—some are year long projects that will update you on from time to time and some are one and done! Thanks for following along on my journey :)

Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd

Hi friends! My first task on my 50 Things to Do When I am 50 is to try a new recipe once a week (or 4x in a month). Well last week I made TWO new recipes. One is the MOST AMAZING dessert recipe below and the other was a delicious soup from my teaching buddy Carmen. I will share the soup recipe in a separate post.

So I am working on #1 on my list and am excited to try some new things to get out of my cooking rut. So let me introduce you to the most amazing lemon cheesecake EVER. Seriously, if you are a lemon fan, this is for you!

Now ‘imagine’ as my plate says this is calorie free, hahaha! It is not but it is worth every single calorie!

I made this delicious lemon cheesecake with homemade lemon curd for some stamping friends who were coming to a regular event I host called ‘Scrapbook the Day Away’. It is an awesome group and I frequently try out new recipes on them.

To make this lemon cheesecake you will need a springform pan (I use a 9 1/2 inch size, that belonged to my mom), a double boiler for the lemon curd and the following ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

To make the crust you will mix the crumbs and sugar and then stir in the melted butter. Mix and press firmly into the bottom of your springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Lemon Cheesecake Filling:

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest

3 blocks of cream cheese (do not get light, who are you?) softened to room temp

1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

To make the batter you will need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix the cream cheese, lemon zest and sugar together on high speed (make sure to scrape the sides down) until creamy—about 2 min. Add the lemon juice, yogurt/sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix at medium-high speed until fully combined. The eggs will be added one at a time and mix until just blended between each egg. After the last egg is mixed in quit mixing. Your cheesecake will have less a chance of deflating and cracking as it cools if you avoid over mixing the batter.

Add the filling to the graham cracker crumb base and bake at 350 for 55-70 minutes. When it is done (use the toothpick test—the middle may be slightly wobbly) you can turn off the heat but leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for 1 hour. Leave the oven door slightly open. After you remove it from the oven, allow it to cool completely to room temperature.

Lemon Curd (the most delicious topping or just eat it on its own. Trust me):

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

6 tablespoons butter, soften to room temperature

Get your double boiler going (once it starts steaming, turn heat to low simmer). Add the egg, yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt into the top of the double boiler. Using a silicone whisk, whisk until blended and continue to whisk while the curd is forming. Constant whisking prevents the egg yolks from curdling. Mix until mixture becomes thick like hollandaise sauce (approx 10 min).

Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the butter. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd. Pour curd into a glass container, let sit until slightly cool (it will continue to thicken) and then seal and refrigerate until ready to serve your cheesecake.

Add the curd on top and if you want to be extra fancy you can add some whip cream as well.

This was probably one of the top 3 cheesecakes I have ever made. I am ready planning on when I can make it again.

#35 on my list--Checked off!

Hi friends! I have been so excited to start working on my 50 Things to Do When I am 50 list, but the BEST part of sharing my list has been all of the people reaching out with ideas and to tell me they want to help me accomplish certain #’s off my list. It was a such happy bi-product of creating my list.

So the official first thing I can check off my list is #35, which was to eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I have been asked countless times how I got to 50 without eating one of these and the truth is…it just sounded weird (hence why I have also not tried rootbeer yet —it smells weird). So here is my embracing my weirdness! I give this PB & J a rating…so watch until the end!

I am very thankful for the journey I have been on working at Lululemon for the last decade. My co-workers have added so much fun to my life and I am excited to see what other things off my list we can check off together!

Here is Shae and I and the world’s largest PB & J sandwich (on really yummy sour dough!).

Thanks for following along this fun journey—I am super excited for 2026!