playing catch up
Posted: July 28, 2011 Filed under: uncategorized | Tags: balance, catch up 11 CommentsEach week (when I work a crazy amount), I always feel like I’m playing catch up in the blogging world.
Catching up on my Google Reader.
Catching up on writing posts.
Catching up on commenting on blogs/responding to comments on my blog.
I don’t wanna play catch up anymore! And, I’m sorry…I don’t mean to complain, but I’m having a hard time balancing these things in my life right now and I want to become better at it.
Working 40, 50, 60+ hour weeks just somehow allow me to become completely unbalanced and unfortunately, blogging is the one suffering.
Q: How do you guys do it? How do you balance everything?!
highlighting
Posted: July 21, 2011 Filed under: activities | Tags: getting hair done, hot weather, workout 14 CommentsCheck out these strands…
Tomorrow they will no longer be faded and dark.
*****
It is a million degrees outside today, and since I started a new workout plan, I would like to say that I’m adding some physical activity towards today’s date…but realistically, going to work and even moving for that matter is enough of a workout for today. My priority is to stay hydrated.
Q: How hot is it where you are today? Give me numbers!!!
joining the club
Posted: July 20, 2011 Filed under: food, WIAW, workout | Tags: beach body boot camp, breakfast, dinner, salad, smoothie, snacks, what i ate wednesday 10 CommentsI took the plunge and I’m joining the club. I honestly meant to make this post last week, but I misread the directions and saved it for this week instead.
Tip: always read thoroughly. Do not skim through things!
I’m sure you know what I’m finally joining…WIAW!
Breakfast:
Granola with almond milk
Snacks:
Grape Kombucha
Chocolate and pretzel bar
Acai + strawberry + banana + cranberry smoothie (with almond milk and organic flax oil)
Dinner:
Mixed green salad with roasted beets and sweet potatoes + cuke + tomaters + garlic + sunflower sprouts + peppers + salt with balsamic vinegar (heated on the stovetop to reduce and sweeten it)
*****
Workout today:
My stats:
|
The Moves |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
|
| Circuit One | Squat/Row | 18 | 20 | 20 |
| Push-up with leg lift | 14 | 16 | 17 | |
| Alternating V-ups | 8 | 9 | 9 (9.5) | |
| Lunge with chop | 13 | 15 | 17 | |
| Circuit Two | Deadlift with lat pull | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Line jump with press | 14 | 15 | 17 | |
| Rolling plank with knee tuck | 11 | 13 | 16 | |
| Side lunge with ball sweep | 13 | 15 | 17 | |
the mail: packages
Posted: July 19, 2011 Filed under: activities | Tags: giveaways, mail, packages, presents 6 CommentsIn case you didn’t know, the Canadian mailing system went on strike for almost a month. I guess it’s alright if you were trying to avoid those pesky bills coming for you. And, not getting my monthly Women’s Health on time was something I wasn’t going to die over. The one thing I couldn’t wait for until the strike was over though was…
Packages.
Bloggers, you know what I’m talking about; samples, giveaways, reviews…
Yes, I had a few packages on the way that I was dying to get my arms around and the strike was not helping.
Nearing the end of the strike, I knew I had a more recent one coming for me. Even though I was excited for them all, this one sure did make me happy!
I wasn’t there when it actually did arrive to the house, but I knew right away what it was.
A few weeks ago, on twitter, I had entered a tweet giveaway from (none other than) Mama Pea, AND I WON! So, getting the package in the mail was not necessarily a surprise, but a nice ‘present’ to be receiving. I ripped the package open pretty quickly, let’s just say that.
After using a few things immediately, I had to regather everything for this photoshoot…naturally (being a blogger and all).
Here’s what I got in the loot:
The photoshoot had a minor interruption.
Or maybe two…
But it was ok…he also understands some good stuff when he sees it.
After guard kitty let me take the stuff away, I dove into wearing this:
I’ve never owned an apron before, but have definitely thought about how much I wanted one…problem solved! Officially taking over as Mama Pea in the kitchen. I hope she’s not too mad.
Also in the mix:
Reusable bag perfect for grocery store visits. Many, many grocery store visits.
This is the one I used right away:
Doesn’t alter the flavour of your tea…check!
What was the reason for receiving this whole package anyways?!
Oh right! Someone wrote a book! Only the funniest, prettiest vegan blogger ever!
And lastly, I’m actually going to make use of this one in the near future.
The husband sure does spill a lot on himself 😉
I also thought bugging the guard kitty might make good use of the bib.
That’ll teach him never to touch my stuff again.
Stay tuned for the next part of this ‘packages’ series!
*****
Thanks again to Mama Pea for choosing me as a winner. Now go out and pre-order her cookbook!
overactive brain
Posted: July 14, 2011 Filed under: uncategorized | Tags: fainting, overactive brain 10 CommentsOk first off, I’d like to say that it’s haaaard getting a post in between work and life sometimes! I thought summer would be better for getting blog stuff accomplished, but apparently not!
This is the one (and only) full week I’m working at my parents work, plus putting in hours at my other job for a grand total of 60+ hours of work this week. Sunday cannot come soon enough! I honestly can’t remember the last time I worked 40 hours a week, let alone 60 – if I never blog again, you’ll know why.
Ok now onto the brain.
[Source]
Does anyone else have an overactive brain? I mean really overactive?
Today mine, yet again, proved how overactive it is. You see, I have this built-up fear of needles and pretty much pain in general. I have not had a needle in over 10 years, but was due for a tetanus shot. Do you see where this is going?
Did I also mention how I faint easily because of my overactive brain?
First cavity. Faint.
Optometrist appointment – eye drops to dilate pupils. Faint.
Parents getting pinprick to check glucose levels. Faint.
Getting a tetanus shot/first needle in 10 years. Faint…naturally.
I won’t even talk about how I fainted on my honeymoon. That’s another post.
My fear of everything pain (minus dilated pupils, yes I’m weird) makes my brain go into overdrive and then it eventually catches up with me, causing me to feel nauseous, light-headed, sick, see spots, sweat, become pale and basically just a wreck!
It was no different today. Thank goodness my hubby was with me, or else I would have been chilling out at my doctor’s office all day!
After a little pass out session (which involved a lot of head between the knees), sweating, feeling like I was going to be sick, getting up to lie down on the table, drinking a high-sugar juice (it had to be done!) and going green in the face, I was good to go.
I’m just thankful that the Nurse Practitioner said that I won’t need one for another 10 years.
I guess we’ll have to see what happens when we start having kids…yikes!
Q: Is there anything that makes your brain overreact? Have you ever had any awesome faint sessions like me?
cutting out meats
Posted: July 10, 2011 Filed under: food, meat-free journey | Tags: feeling great!, hubby, meat-free, pancakes, peanut butter, smoothie 16 CommentsFood is something that has become very important to me over the years. So important that it’s actually encouraged me to go back to school.
I’ve talked about cutting meat (but not seafood) out of my diet before, and I wanted to explain why this has made me so much happier.
I actually left a novel comment on Averie’s post earlier on meat, which inspired me to write an actual post about it on my own blog 😀
My decision: I’ve never been a big beef or steak eater to begin with. If I did eat it, it was because I was stealing a bite from the hubby or this was my last option on earth to eat (ie: rarely ever happened). I did choose to eat chicken, turkey, pork tenderloin, bison and seafood.
A while back (around mid-May), I had no desire to eat chicken anymore, so I figured, ‘why eat it, if it doesn’t appeal to me?’ Right then and there, I made the decision to try and go meat-free and see how I felt.
Becoming a vegan has been a lingering thought in the back of my mind for a while now and although I still eat seafood, it is something that intrigues me, and perhaps I will one day become. Overall, I like the idea of a vegan diet, but I’m not to the point (yet) where I’m passing up foods that ‘may contain eggs’.
The ‘Serious’ factor: At first I felt that I wasn’t being taken seriously. My husband came home from work one night with a chicken stir-fry and I asked him if he was joking, thinking I was going to eat it. This was only about a week in that this happened, and I figured if I had gone a week without chicken/pork/turkey/etc, then how much longer could I go?
Well, this has turned into nearly 2 months so far, and I’m still loving it!
Note: I am not doing this as a ‘challenge’ to myself, but as a way to eat what feels right for me and feels good for my body. In no way do I encourage you to try this to ‘see how far you can go.’
Since then, my husband knows how I feel about meat and has not tried to force feed me anymore chicken! He’s actually loving the vegetarian/vegan stuff I prepare!
The changes: So far, I feel fantastic. I’ve made sure to include the right supplements so that I have the energy and nutrients I need for my body.
This may sound super tacky, but since I’ve cut out meat, my ‘fat days’ have decreased significantly. Before I would honestly have some serious self-loathing days for what I ate. Overall, not eating meats has made me more aware of what I am eating and my food choices in general. So hello to feeling better about myself!
Also, I’ve definitely lost some weight. I don’t know if it’s from cutting out meat or from eating better or from both. Either way, I’m at the weight that I wanted to be for my wedding day, that I never made it to. Not that I was disappointed at all on my wedding day, but I am just super shocked that I’m at that weight now.
Overall: I’m honestly glad that back in May chicken started grossing me out (I know this sounds weird to say). But if it hadn’t, then I would probably still be eating meat wondering why my body isn’t looking and feeling the way I want it to. I was always afraid that not eating meat would be hard to do in terms of getting protein or even finding valuable food sources!
I used to joke that vegans have nothing to eat – boy was I wrong! There are so many great food options out there and I sincerely take back that statement!
The foods: Like I said above, I’m not completely checking every ingredient to make sure there are no traces of egg or dairy, but am choosing meatless items. I don’t want to ‘limit’ myself (in a sense), then I might feel overwhelmed with trying to decide on what to eat. So…
I still enjoy bruschetta on Saturday night outings with my good friend.
Pick up great produce at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.
Put together perfect snacks for work.
And perfect snacks for…snacks.
mashed avocado with lentil chips
Make husband and sister drink-worthy smoothies (and me, of course).
acai + strawberries + cranberries + banana
Which come in a sweet glass.
Make Sunday morning fantastic vegan pancakes. It’s a given to put peanut butter and maple syrup on them, right?
I also rock a pretty mean bruise.
poor calf =(
More to come on that…
roasted sweet potatoes with spinach and garlic
Posted: July 7, 2011 Filed under: recipes | Tags: multi-tasking, sweet potatoes 10 CommentsI am a great multi-tasker. I try to get multiple things done at once to save time.
I am great at carrying a glass of water on top of a closed laptop if it means saving a trip back upstairs to get the water.
I will loop as many bags of groceries on my arms as I can; even if it means leaving marks on my arms for at least 15 minutes after setting the grocery bags down.
I type comments’ on blogs and listen to the husband when he gets home from work. Wait, did he say next Wednesday or Thursday for taking me out to dinner…
I bake/cook/clean all while catching up on valuable information in the form of television. I also do this while running on the treadmill.
I even talk on two phones at once. Ok, that was a lie. I rarely talk on the phone at all.
But as much as I consider myself to be a great multi-tasker, these skills were diminished this evening. You see, instead of roasting the sweet potatoes and garlic at the same time, I was lazy…
It was quick to cut the tops off of the garlic and pop it into the oven, but cutting sweet potatoes? Those just took effort and a few extra minutes; minutes that I did not feel like using to cut up sweet potatoes with! Instead I took the long, un-multi-tasking route and roasted the garlic, then roasted the sweet potatoes.
Either way, it worked, but my multi-tasking ways are out the window. Soon you’ll find me too vulnerable to pretend-listen to the husband and I’ll actually give him my full undivided attention! This could be horrible!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Spinach and Garlic
Serves 2-3.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (with or without skin)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 head of garlic, top cut off
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1.5 tbsp Earth Balance
- drizzle of olive oil
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Unlazy version:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cut top off garlic head and wrap in aluminum foil. Place cut sweet potatoes in baking dish and mix with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil. Place both in oven.
3. Remove tinfoil from potatoes after 20 mins, place back in oven and bake for another 20-25 mins, broil for final 5 mins.
4. When sweet potatoes are done, take both them and the garlic out of the oven. Let sit.
Lazy version:
1. Preheat a mini oven to 400F.
2. Cut top off garlic, wrap in aluminum foil, place in oven, then go read some blogs and forget about it for a good 50 mins!
3. Remove from oven when you finally remember.
4. Get your act together.
Next steps:
5. While the baking is being accomplished (lazy or un-lazy way), get a frying pan, and heat to medium-high (closer to high).
6. Add Earth Balance to frying pan and let melt. Next, add shallot and saute for 2 minutes. Next, add in the spinach and roasted garlic and saute for another 2-3 mins until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
7. In a medium bowl combine the sauteed spinach mixture with sweet potatoes. Add in the lemon juice, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix and enjoy!
It’s simple, yet tastes amazing!
And if you’re anything like me, you’ve accomplished a great meal all while watching Sex and the City and sampling food. Multi-tasking restored.
before and after: model in training for a race
Posted: July 6, 2011 Filed under: running | Tags: model in training, race training, wheel of fortune 10 CommentsIf you’ve ever watched Wheel of Fortune then you know what I mean when I say, ‘this puzzle is before and after.’
[Source]
Sorry that I’m jumping right to the answer of the puzzle, but I promise you that you did not land on bankrupt and I’ll even throw in a free spin!
Model in training for a race
Translation:
Model in training AND training for a race
Model in training
On Monday, the hubby and I basically got to be models for a day. It was for golf attire for a company that the hubby’s friend works for. It was either pay models up to $15,000 a day or hire amateurs (aka: us) and pay us peanuts. Hey – it’s still money in our pocket!
If you’ve read my blog before you may know that my husband is a golf professional. Does this make him a golf clothing model…no! But I have always told him that he should model (typical wifey, right? haha); so this was his chance! And I’m glad he/we did it. It was fun. Worked on our tan. And we have one more day to wrap up – being tomorrow.
The clothing was nice and I can’t wait to see the pictures. I know, how vain!
Training for a race
I haven’t mentioned yet, but I signed up for my first half marathon (if you check my goals section, running a half is in there!). I’m nervous, scared, anxious and excited. It’s not until the end of September, but I’m a planner and want to make sure I’m doing my best to train for this thing now!
I’ve been doing some reading (since I have no clue what to do!) and saw all the different things you should be doing; working on distance, endurance, and practice running hills.
I did a little endurance today. I didn’t let my pace get under 7mph and made sure to cover good ground belt (since I was on the treadmill 😉 ). I finished 4 miles in 32:34 minutes. It was sweaty, but definitely a good push in the right direction that I needed!
I’m hoping the hubby will do another run with me tonight, even if that means him riding a bike beside me. Next step: work on distance! I’ll…ugh…get to those hills sometime in the near future!
I had to make this post quick as I have to go to work soon. But, hopefully I’ll have more pics to share tomorrow (being last day of photoshoot and all!)
Q: How do you train for upcoming races? Or how do you challenge your current fitness routine?
my ‘long’ weekend
Posted: July 3, 2011 Filed under: eating out, running, smoothies | Tags: acai and mixed berry smoothie, crazy Canadian weather, hard worker, strawberries 9 CommentsThe weekend has felt kind of long to me since my hubby has had to work the whole thing! Hopefully by next summer we’ll get to enjoy the benefits of summer together. But for now, he works his bum off and I’m so proud of him!
Between me working and him working it’s a shock that we actually see each other, but we did – on Friday night, at least!
Friday:
Tyler got a gift certificate for his birthday from my mom for this awesome local pub, that we actually fell in love with on my birthday, so we went there on Friday night.
They just put on a new deck addition on, so you know where we were sitting. There was live entertainment; a lady performing on the guitar. Now, I’m not sure who brings a bird to a pub, but one man did, and placed it on the singer at one point.
It was actually pretty funny, because the bird would slide down the strap and stare at her, like above. I admit, I would be a little freaked out if I was trying to perform and someone put a bird on my shoulder…you never know what could happen!
On to dinner…it was awesome! We both had the special’s that night; I had the ‘catch of the day’ and Tyler had the ‘surf and turf.’
I forgot what fish it was (d’oh!), but it was SO tender and delicious. It was topped off with a mango sauce, side veggies and hard wheatberry salad.
Tyler’s was a pasta dish with beef tenderloin, shrimp and scallops in a cream sauce. I only had a small bite of a scallop and it was good!
Saturday:
Saturday was chill central…maybe a little too chill. Since Tyler was at work, again, I didn’t have a lot of motivation to do much of anything. I did make it to some grocery stores, but other than that, I was a lost cause!
While I was waiting for Tyler to drive home from work last night, I happened to notice this sweet storm a brewin’.
What caught my attention, was this sky:
Aren’t the lingering clouds crazy?!
The sky continued to get crazier. While raining, this is what I saw!
Possible UFO sighting? haha
Only a few more crazy sky pics! So bright in one spot and dark in another…
The sky went pinkish/purple when lightening struck.
Can you even tell that’s it lightening or raining for that matter when the sky looks so neat?!
Sunday:
Husband’s working ALL day today, so I went for a run today (ran 5.92 miles – wish I woulda made it to 6!) despite the hot, hot weather. There was a bit of wind for the first part of my run, but then it went away…turning me into a tomato!
Before I took my red-self home, I made a quick stop at the health food store, and I’m so glad I did. Picked up some local organic strawberries for only $1.50. Total steal!
Once I was home, I made an acai and mixed berry smoothie.
Showering should have taken priority, but smoothies clearly come first!
And that’s my ‘long’ weekend in a nutshell.
How did you spend your Canada Day or Fourth of July weekend?
i love granola
Posted: July 2, 2011 Filed under: food, recipes | Tags: apple slices, granola, new obsession 12 CommentsGranola, where have you been all my life?!
I know you’ve pretended to be all healthy and good, down the cereal aisle – you looked like you were healthy – but you do not compare to the granola I’m talking about.
You see, the granola I’m talking about, doesn’t come from a box.
Or a plastic bag.
Or even the grocery store, for that matter.
It comes from me. Your all-mighty creator.
Why I had ever bought pre-made granola before is beyond me. Never again.
Easy Amazing Granola
So easy and delicious that you’ll forget you were the one who made it.
Yields: ~4 cups
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin [pepita] seeds
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (I used just under 1/4 because I’m not a fan of using oils to bake/cook)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1.5 tbsp hemp seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Place coconut oil in a small bowl, microwave to liquify, then add maple syrup and mix.
4. Add wet to dry ingredients and combine.
5. Place mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins. Stirring mixture once, halfway through.
7. Take note of the awesome transformation that’s happened.
Enjoy on it’s own or with almond milk – which is the bomb diggity.
You could also add some…
Crispy Apple Slices
Ingredients:
- One apple (I used organic fuji)
- 1/8 cup agave nectar
- sprinkles of cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. De-core and thinly slice apple.
3. In a small bowl mix apple slices with agave nectar.
4. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Sprinkle slices with cinnamon (according to your liking).
6. Bake for 40-45 mins. Make sure you check on them frequently – change from looking undercooked to brown very quickly (mine were more on the brown/overcooked side).
The apple will come out nice and crispy. The cool part about them was while they were still hot, they would feel like they weren’t crispy, but once you put them in your mouth, they would immediately crispify (new word?). Crumble these bad boys up and add them to your granola – so now you have two different kinds to inhale enjoy.
Like I said, I love granola.
The nutritional stats are lovable, too.
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char on a mission 