Baby Steps

All roads lead to Rome!! Or as you might have guessed, in my case they usually lead to a bookstore.

Just up the street, across the bridge, down the stairs and follow that guy with the shovel.
Just up the street, across the bridge, down the stairs and follow that guy with the shovel.

(Mr B, stop reading now) I used to spend far to much of my pay cheque at the magazine stand.  Once I even bought a magazine I already had at home :D. True story, has that ever happened to you?  When we sold our house, I loaded up my car with over 300 magazines, headed to my local library and  reluctantly made a donation.  While I do miss the odd one, I think it was the only way to break the addiction. Yes, I’ll call it that:

addiction

It’s all so very tempting at Chapters Book Store on Whyte Avenue.  If you don’t see the magazine you’re looking for here, it’s probably not available.

The Addiction

Admittedly, old habits are hard to break. I thought this article at Pick The Brain offered some good advice, these two stood out:

  •  replace lost needs –  writing Boomdeeadda has really filled the void
  • write it down – thanks again WordPress

What’s great about this day is, I resisted the urge to bring a magazine home and simply enjoyed the day for what it had to offer.  I got outdoors for fresh air, got some needed exercise, admired the neighbourhood and treated myself to a coffee.

The Best Part

 OK, yes I’m also addicted to coffee,

but baby steps people, baby steps.

Boomdee Was Here

Have you made a commitment to a new habit this year?

How’s it going?

Related Posts 

Tips For Breaking Bad Habits & Developing Good Habits

How Many Is Too Many – by Boomdeeadda

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Lucky me, I have a dedicated craft room and currently on the Cut File Team for Paige Taylor Evans. I mostly enjoy making 12x12 layouts and Mini Albums. Thanks so much for coming by 💛

61 thoughts on “Baby Steps

  1. It was so totally cool to see these photos after reading about your walk the other day in your comment on my blog. Loved the house and the dogs. I am a total magazine addict but I’m too cheap to buy at the newstand – I subscribe at these ridiculously low rates (example: I just got a year of O (by Oprah) for $2 – SERIOUSLY) but I never have time to finish reading them and can’t stand to throw them away, so they pile up for “later” — which, of course, never seems to come. I thought I was doing good to donate 20 to my library recently! Thanks for the link to Pick the Brain – looks like a great site!

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    1. Thank you Julia. I thought that house was so cute too. I walk thru a historic area near downtown (we live downtown too). I watched the dogs until they were out of view. They were having a wonderful walk, I wished I was with them. I miss our dog Buddy everyday.

      I can’t imagine what a deal you got on Oprah’s Mag…is the next year $100 or something…LOL That is amazing. I subscribe to one. It’s a canadian home magazine. We don’t get a deal on US publications here, even when we subscribe. It’s a little cheaper but not much and they come so late. I’ve thought about trying an online subscription for some, things are changing fast 🙂

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  2. Wow, those pictures are just beautiful! I grew up in Buffalo (where you can’t count Canada as visiting a foreign country 🙂 ) The snow may be cold, but it’s fun and I’m definitely addicted to bookstores, scrapbooking/altered art magazines. I’ve seen the Somerset magazines, but you’re right, they’re expensive…still very pretty to look at. And going back to the pictures, I felt like I could see my breath 😛

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    1. hello :D, thank you so much. I’ve never been to Buffalo but I imagine they do get a lot of snow around the lake there. I’ve been to Niagara Falls in the summertime and Port Colborne which isn’t far away. It’s so beautiful there, lucky lucky you!

      I wish our Public Library got the Somerset Mags, they’re all so gorgeous aren’t they? I looked into a subscription but it’s not much cheaper mailed to Canada…urg.

      Thanks for the nice complement on the photo’s, we would definitely see your breath out there today, back to seasonal -12 C or 10 F…but hey, that’s winter!

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  3. What a beautiful walk. You are brave to go down those steps in the snow. They look so steep. Kudos on the return, sans magazine. Pinterest does help with that a lot.

    Beautiful pictures, fun post. Now I need to check out your links.

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    1. Thank you Alys..I guess we’re used to navigating the white stuff. They do look steep but the treads are wide for a good landing, but I was really careful. Do you ever look in that Somerset Life magazine? Such cute ideas. They have a few monthlies. I love their Artful Blogging one. But it’s $15.98 in Canada..yikes. I can’t buy both…it’s too much. Thank you for checking the links too…you’re awesome!

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      1. I’ve purchased Artful Blogging twice and enjoyed it both times. I also loaned it out to two other friends so it made the rounds. Sharon has several issues of Somerset so I’ve looked at hers as well. Fun, fun, stuff. Beautiful and inspiring, aren’t they?

        I love seeing your surroundings. The pictures make me feel like I’m walking alongside you. Well done!

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    1. Thanks Sarah, it’s the holy grail for magazines in Edmonton and total eye candy for someone like me. When I left the house, it was just barely snowing, big, fluffy flakes. By the time I headed home it was really coming down. It 10 km return trip. I signed my car like “Boom! take that winter”….sassy right? HA. Thanks for your visit.

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        1. oh yah, I was just on ‘Marking Our Territory’. Will and his faithful friend Eko posted a video today and I even asked him “where’s all the snow”. Unbelievable. I guess there is still some winter to come.

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  4. Hi Boomdee! It’s been far too long since I visited you so I’m having a jolly good catch up now!
    I used to be a magazine addict and would buy them just for one or two pictures for my scrapbook. I then found Pinterest and my magazine days are almost over…. although there are some beautiful country living type magazines over here. The downside is it takes me longer to browse Pinterest than it ever took me to read a magazine! Ha ha!!!
    I have a terrible addiction to books but I don’t want to give that one up as it makes me too happy!!!

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    1. My dear PJ, thank you so much for catching up here. I always look forward to your messages. I totally love the British edition of Country Living. The stylings are always a pleasant mix of contemporary, vintage, trendy….brilliant. I actually read thru the Christmas issue while I was at the book store. (Has a cute bike and basket on the cover). Pinterest does do a good job of filling the void, but you’re right…time does steal away. Someone pinned from me today and I popped over to her boards and she had 13,226 pins……I think she must do it 7/24 LOL…CRAZY, I would say she’s an addict too.

      I’m glad you won’t give up your books, we need to support the market somehow. 🙂

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      1. Weeee…two of my favorite people chatting about books, magazines and Pinterest. We’re going to have to schedule a Skype coffee/tea chat. Wouldn’t that be fun? Actually, I take it back cause I’m always self conscious on Skype…but I like the idea…she rambles on.

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        1. You’re so funny Alys…I’ve never had a skype. I wouldn’t know the first thing about it, I’ve seen it on Oprah though. I don’t think anyone looks good on these computer cameras…We tried to use a thing called ‘photobooth’ in San Diego in the garden…we both agreed we looked too scary and erased the shots…LOL…PJ, can ask the queen for a loan and fly us both over to your garden for tea please!!!

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    1. Thanks for the photo props Rob, I hope to learn a few tricks about getting better shots in poor lighting. It was really overcast in the snow. First class was last night…mostly discussed terminology and composition…loving it!

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        1. We’ve just start to discuss that, thanks for sharing your expertise. My camera is puny compared to everyone else’s but I think for now, it’ll be perfectly fine for what I want to do.

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  5. Magazines AND Starbucks AND amazing architecture?? Sigh! What a lovely day. But man, where you live is cuh-razy with all that snow.:)

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    1. afraid so, if you waited for it to warm up you’d have to be a hermit…embrace the cold!!! If you can’t beat it, join it..LOL. Isn’t that THE cutest house…I love swoopy roofs.

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    1. I know, I’ve tried reading a book and it’s too hard to focus, I end up reading the same page over and over again…..a magazine is so much easier. Without one, I just look at the program over and over again…how much farther???!

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  6. I also had to break the magazine addiction, when we downsized and moved 2 years ago. I did not want everyone who was helping me move to have to haul all of them 🙂 But, downsizing and buying a completely different style home made it much easier. Now I am no longer tempted; there just aren’t many publications for Mid Century Modern style. My New Year plan is to eat healthier (again), get back to my exercise schedule and lose a few pounds 🙂

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    1. You and me both Mid Century, I was doing so well up to Halloween and then it went to h*ll in a hand basket. It’s a daily effort.

      Moving seems to be a good time to purge all manner of extra’s. I also cleaned up my cloths closet and donated all my old work clothes…since it’s been a while that suit coats had shoulder pads..LOL. Thanks for your message 😀

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    1. Oh, how do you like the Kobo e-reader? Can you get magazines downloaded on them? Are the downloads in colour? Aren’t I full of questions? LOL

      We had even more, but it got mild for a couple of days and melted some…being that it’s only January, I can be sure there’s more to come, yippy 😀

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      1. I got it for my birthday and at first I didn’t think I’d like it but I love it now. I can store so many books there! It will be very helpful when I travel as I won’t have to staff my luggage with 4-5 books so I’ll have something to read. I believe you can download magazines but I haven’t tried it yet.

        TO’s weather is very nonseasonal this year. We only had 2 snowfalls so far.

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        1. o hey, that is a big bonus, saves your arms from carrying heavy stuff thru the airport.

          I don’t think anyones winter is normal this year. I follow a couple of Blogs in Chicago and in the past, they’d get tons of snow…nothing this year…it’s green….it’s scary. Everything will be dried out in the spring.

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    1. I used to be the same Laurie, I have a pile of them in our storage locker since there’s no where’s to put them in our rental…by the time we buy a house, they’ll all seem new again, HA. That’s another good reason for me to resist the magazines, there’s no place for them here :D, have an awesome day ❤

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  7. The magazines that I would always look at are the craft ones, like Martha Stewart etc. I love those snowy photographs you posted! The snow has melted here already, but starting today we are going to start getting more snow for the next seven days and the temps are supposed to drop down to 14 degrees! Yikes, is what I say!

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    1. Hi Valerie! I can’t believe ALL that snow you had melted already…holy, that was a giant pile. It really must have gotten wet and sloppy….spring in January, WOW.

      14 F seems about seasonal for us (-10 C), but today it’s suppose to get to 5 C (41 F) even though it snowed this morning because it’s -3 C (26 F) right now…so it’s a roller coaster.

      I love the craft ones too. That Stampinton ‘LIFE’ is gorgeous this month, full of fantastic ideas. It was hard to resist but at $15.98 canadian it was easier. I can see all the Marthas at the Library. They don’t let them be signed out so I’ll go there and sit for a hour or so with my Ipod and some music…it’s free too

      Hope your day will be full of crafts, furry friends and sunshine 🙂 xK

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  8. I stopped buying magazines years ago,,,if I need to know something I just Google it, my times have changed!
    My commitment this year is to stop drinking so much wine ( shocker I know right?) and to loose some weight,,so far down 10lbs!

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    1. WOW, how awesome are you! Congratulations, that’s an immense success. How’d you do that so fast?

      Those two goals go hand in hand. Sadly there’s a lot of calories in wine….how cruel is that? HA.

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    1. You’d have fun in all this snow Clowie and we’re getting even more this morning. Our’s doesn’t melt much until April and May…everyone gets pretty excited about that :D…this doesn’t seem like much, on our east coast they get 40 cm at a time…yikes. You could look like this guy!!

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  9. Would love to go walking in freshly fallen snow again. Just love the feeling. Probably like it more because I don’t have to live with it and clean up 🙂
    Me – no resolutions. Why set myself up to fail? I’ll just do my best, every day, new year or not.

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    1. Thank you Susan, I didn’t know you lived where there was snow before. You’re right, it’s pretty. Snow this morning again (after two nice days) and the morning commute is a disaster.

      I think honestly, you have a great plan “do my best every day”. I think that is the best recipe for life :D, thank you for sharing that, I love it.

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    1. I would guess he has a few tricks up his sleeve, but they were all being such good boys. They were all enjoying the day! I know what you mean about the temptation. This paticular magazine stand is the holy grail of monthlies in Edmonton, they have hundreds. I actually carried around the ‘Life’ mag for a while but it’s 15.98 in Canada and I thought….”no, just go to pinterest”. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!!

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    1. Thank you! What I replaced it with was an old time library card (post Nov 9) When we lived in the country, the library was 35 km away and I couldn’t get the internet. So moving into the city has helped immensely. I can bike to the library, walked to the bookstore and browse or just get on the net and BLOG…yahoo! Thanks so much for your message!

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  10. I can imagine what type of magazines they were. Most likely ones that I wouldn’t buy :-). Mine would be History and Archaeology magazines, but I resist the temptation and read them in the store and on-line.

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    1. Hi Steven, oh they have a whole section on history, genealogy and travel. I’ve always loved national geographic and sometimes will still buy that one. It’s affordable and the photography is always amazing. I’m glad they allow us to review them at the store too…saving big bucks. Have an awesome day!

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        1. Wow, that’s a lot of NG’s. I like looking at the ad’s in the older ones too. I bought my brother December ’59 for his birthday from a vintage book store, lots of fun, it still even had the old map that came with it that month.

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