What motivation???

What do you do when your motivation ups and leaves you? This is the situation that I have recently found myself in and am finding it to be unknown territory! I am usually quite good at motivating myself to exercise, to eat healthy and get stuff done. But recently, my treadmill has been collecting dust (it’s a good thing I keep it in our garage and not our bedroom, or it would probably be buried in clothes), my yoga membership has not been swiped in AGES and healthy food? If it isn’t deep fried or covered in chocolate I’m not interested! I thought this was a phase and would soon pass but unfortunately not.

What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result! I love that! When I think about things that is exactly what I have been doing! My mind and body have clearly gotten bored with the sad little routine that I have mindlessly been going through each day. The body really is an amazing thing and is so smart with the messages that it sends you. I wrote a list of the areas that I want to improve in my life and thought about how I could improve them.

Running: I started running in 2005 and my love for it back then was so apparent. It was new and I found it so exciting. But in the past few years my relationship with running has kind of fizzled out a bit. That makes me sad. But when I think about it, I haven’t set myself any goals to achieve. I haven’t pushed myself in ages. No wonder I am BORED! We will be spending some time in Florida in November and I have my eye on two half marathons that I want to set a new PR for myself. I feel excited!

Running Coach: If I want to achieve my new running goals I thought it might be a good idea to work with an online running coach. Now, don’t get me wrong! I do not think of myself as an elite runner! However, if Brooks or Nike want to hit this girl up with a few pairs of free running shoes to try out I would be totally cool with that! Anyways…in the past I have prepared my own running schedule and then I would start looking forward a few weeks and have full on melt downs at how the mileage would start creeping up! What? Yep, true story! My running coach updates my schedule a week ahead of time and I only look at what I need to know for the next few days. He also gives me leg and core exercises to complete after each run and then provides me with feedback regarding my progress. The dude totally knows what he is doing and I am happy to put my faith in him. It seems to be working too as I feel like I am getting faster – which is exactly what I want!

Expired Bus Pass: At the end of May my bus pass expired. With the beautiful weather that we are having I really like to take advantage of it and either walk or bike into work each day. Each way is three miles which does not sound a lot but trust me it is! We live in the mountains and nothing here is flat! Even our driveway has quite the wicked little incline on it! I get winded going up that each day! I feel good when I get to work knowing that I have already done a bit of exercise. It just starts my day off on the right foot!

Reading: I enjoy watching TV every now and then but am not truly a big lover of it. I just never seem to be able to find a show or a series that I connect with. Now, books are another thing! I joined a monthly book club at our local library and I am really enjoying it. First of all, the books that are assigned each month are never books that I would choose to read, but at the same time I am really enjoying it. Second, when we meet it is always interesting to hear everyone’s take on the book. Sometimes I wonder if we even read the same book?!! Third, there is nothing like a good book to pass the time with. To me the sign of a good book is when I can’t stop reading it but am sad when I finish it because it is done! Books are friends 🙂

New Hair! Now I am talking about my own personal journey here, if ever in doubt, cut it and dye it! I did the rose gold hair for a hot while and am now obsessed with my new do!

So there you have it, these are the new things that I am trying to keep my mind & body busy and get myself out of the slump that I found myself in. It seems to be working too!

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR MOTIVATION UPS AND LEAVES YOU? 

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Taking time to celebrate life!

After last week’s bout of beautiful weather, I guess we ran out of luck when the weekend finally arrived! Oh well, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad! We didn’t let the rain and overcast skies hold us back. It was the weekend and that deserved to be celebrated and so did my new rose gold hair!

Last week my husband had suggested a cute little idea. As a way for us to start planning and getting excited about summer, why don’t we both prepare a little list of six things that we would each little to do through the course of the summer? I thought that sounded like a lot of fun. Then I said, “why don’t we keep our lists secret and have a little summer bucket list reveal party on Saturday night?” And that is what we did!

I spent a few days coming up with ideas & getting my list together of things that would be fun to do together. It was actually quite fun coming up with our summer activities! I set the table all fancy because sometimes it is just fun to kick it up a notch! Every once in a while it is important to do the little extras in life! It also made the evening more special by doing a bit of extra work!

Planning our dinner was easy! A meat and cheese board is one of our favorite things to do. We like picky little things to eat along side a nice bottle of wine from our favorite winery Ex Nihilio. We would have a little bit to eat, a few sips of wine and then we would reveal something on our list. It was quite amazing that none of our activities were the same. We agreed that we would put the lists together and put them up on the fridge – then we can start planning our summer and enjoying the fun little outings!

There were a few uninvited guests to our little dinner party that we could not get rid of! Can you imagine, they came empty handed and did not even offer to do the dishes? So rude!!!

On Sunday we got out of the house quite early, at 8am to be exact! Even though it was raining we all needed to get out and get some fresh air. Even the puppies got their rain coats on and were prepared to go on a long walk – I think that the treats that we packed for them helped!!!

We finished out the evening at a beautiful yin yoga class that included crystal singing bowls. Wow! Talk about amazing. I could have gone straight to bed once the class was done. We were both very chilled when we got home. The perfect end to a perfect weekend!

HAVE YOU EVER DONE A BUCKET LIST OF ADVENTURES? DID YOU HAVE A NICE WEEKEND?

Things I’m Loving – week #3

We have been having the most amazing weather this week. It is so exciting to see that Spring is finally arriving in our area. With the onset of Spring, I am eager to get the weekend started! I sense a BBQ happening this weekend along with spending plenty of time outside.

This week my list of things that I’m loving is really simple, I think that has a lot to do with feeling so content because of the weather!

Running – Since the weather has been so gorgeous outside, I do not want to miss a minute of it! I have been taking my runs outside and enjoying the beautiful views & weather along the way. See you next winter treadmill!!

Book – May is going to be a busy month for me. I decided to get a head start on reading the book that has been chosen for my book club. I was on FaceTime with my Mom the other day and I flashed her the book that I am reading. Let’s just say she was not too pleased with me when she saw the title! Thankfully I am too old to be grounded or sent to my room! I doubt she will be asking to borrow it when I am done reading it!!!

Recyclable Coffee Cup – With the passing of Earth Day last weekend it makes me think more of what we leave behind of this earth. Most mornings I like to stop by my local Starbucks on my way to work and get a little caffeine fix to get my day started with. The baristas behind the counter told me the other day that my cup is starting to get famous! I love that each day I am not adding something bulky to the landfill. I also save 10 cents off my order each time I bring my own cup – it adds up! But most importantly, I don’t feel guilty about the coffee cup that I would be throwing away.

David’s Tea – I have had a love for all things tea for the past few years. Thanks to my husband I had a sweet little gift card to use and could not resist smelling all of the new teas from David’s Tea. I am looking forward to trying the Sweet Lime iced – I think that will be so refreshing after a nice run!

Buster & Ivy wanted to say hello to everyone! They hope you have a great weekend. I am sure that there will be a few trips to the local dog parks for them this weekend to hang with their little furry friends. The weather is too beautiful to stay cooped up inside.

WHAT ARE YOU LOVING THIS WEEK? ANY NEWS FINDS? LIST ALL IN THE COMMENTS!!!

Essential Oils – my top five uses

I have been using essential oils for quite a few years now. With that time my knowledge and use for them has expanded. There was a time when I only used to burn them as I didn’t really know that there were any other uses for them. But boy has that ever changed!

There are obviously sooooo many different ways that you can use essential oils and with a bit of research and trial and error you can become your own expert too. I like to think of my box of essential oils as my “pharmacy”! I like to use it to cure myself! Have a headache? A few drops of peppermint with get rid of it! Cut yourself? Tea tree oil will clean it. Stressed? Lavender to the rescue!

Diffuser – I usually get my diffuser ready for the evening about an hour before I go to bed. I like that it automatically shuts itself off once the water has fully evaporated. The blends of oils that can be used are endless! In the mornings I think energizing blends and in the evening I want calming and grounding. Zzzz!

Bath Time – The other morning I did an early morning run on my treadmill. After stretching for a bit on my mat my legs still felt a bit heavy. I ran myself a bath, added a handful of Epsom salts to the water and a few drops of lavender. It made the bath smell amazing and it instantly made me and my muscles relax! A new oil (to me) that I have been adding to the bath is black pepper. It is nice and warming and helps with fatigued muscles.

Bed Time – My favorite time of the day! Depending on my mood and how I am feeling the oil that I use will vary. My latest bedtime favorite has been a drop of juniper berry and lavender mixed with a couple drops of a carrier oil. I massage the oil into the back & front of my neck, forehead and arms. This smells amazing and soothes my soul. I am certain it is responsible for how well I have been sleeping.

Water – There are some essential oils that you can ingest (you can even cook with some oils) – just make sure that the ones that you are about to use are safe! I try to make sure that I drink two liters of water a day. Yep, I am that boring girl who has a water app on my phone! I excitedly  update the app each time I empty my water bottle. Adding a drop of oil to your water not only makes it more thirst quenching and enjoyable, it also tastes great and makes you want to drink more! The oils that I like to add to my water are: lemon, lime, orange & peppermint. Yum! ***Tip – if you add a drop of juniper berry and a drop of lime to your water it tastes like a faux Gin & Tonic! Cheers! You are welcome!!!!

Inhale – If I feel like I might be coming down with a bug, I will put a few drops of peppermint oil in the palms of my hands, rub them together and inhale the oil. Ahh! It clears my head and makes me feel better. Also, I always have peppermint oil in my carry on bag when we fly. I find it calming and if there is anything gnarly smelling circulating around the plane a drop under your nose will alleviate any smells!

I really want to start making my own cleaning products and adding essential oils into them but before I do that I want to do a bit, okay a lot (!!!), of research because we have two small puppies in our home. Anything that I use I always want to make sure that it is safe for our pets. I also want to make sure that it is compatible with our flooring. I can’t imagine my husband’s reaction if I stripped our wood floors because I wanted to make the house smell nice! So until I can be sure of these two factors, I will continue doing my research! Better to be safe than sorry:)

DISCLAIMER – Please note that I am not a Aromatherapist, just someone who has enjoyed using and learning about essential oils through my own experience. If you are new to the use of oils, I strongly encourage you to do your own research before any type of use.

DO YOU USE ESSENTIAL OILS? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO USE THEM? DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL BLENDS? LIST THEM IN THE COMMENTS!!!

A little work, a lot of play!

After last weekend being so busy and away from home it felt good to spend Saturday cleaning the house, doing laundry, meal planning & grocery shopping. You know, real life stuff! Spending a few hours getting loads of things crossed off my to-do list allowed me to feel better about going out skiing with my husband on Sunday.

Thankfully the snow is pretty much gone where we live (IT HAS BEEN A LONG WINTER!) but there is still plenty of the white stuff in the mountains! This was the last weekend that Whistler mountain would be open for the season and there is no way that I would have wanted to miss that! That’s a very special day if you live in Whistler! I was thinking that it would be super busy and crowded but it was far from it. At first there weren’t even any lines for the lifts. That never happens! There were so many people who were dressed up in fun outfits to celebrate the last day of skiing on Whistler. Everywhere you looked there were people taking selfies and just enjoying the last day of skiing on Whistler mountain. So fun!

After we got a few good runs in and built up a bit of an appetite we skied down to Creekside. It was time to have some lunch outside on a nice warm patio. I enjoyed an iced tea and a nicoise salad with grilled chicken breast. So good and totally hit the spot! It never ceases to amaze me the wide selection of food options that we have on the mountain when skiing. Whether you want vegan, vegetarian, healthy or unhealthy – you will find it! My most favorite thing while we are skiing is a grilled cheese hut – only in Whistler! My beloved Ollie’s will be closing for the season and it makes me sad! Until next year my cheesy lover!

When we were finished lunch we made our way back up the mountain and got some more runs in. By the time that we were ready to come down the snow was starting to feel a bit like pea soup, or a slurpee if you are Canadian! Skiing through that stuff totally makes me paranoid and I didn’t want to finish off my ski season with a trip to the health center. Been there, done that! We took the gondola down to the base and decided to have a hot drink and do a spot of people watching before we made our way home. Whistler village is never a dull place, always something to see!

The weather was beautiful, the skiing was amazing and I got to share this special day with the love of my life. Not too shabby!

WHAT DID YOU GET UP TO THIS WEEKEND? NIS SPRING FINALLY STARTING TO ARRIVE WHERE YOU LIVE? SHARE YOUR CHAT IN THE COMMENTS!!!!

 

Things I’m Loving – week# 2

And just like that it is Friday once again! Who is doing their Friday dance today?!! Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? We don’t have anything too crazy planned which makes me happy since last weekend was a busy one for us with our road trip. Sometimes it is nice to have a slow weekend to get a few things done and take a little time for yourself.

Let’s get this edition of “Things I’m Loving” kicked off! Listed below are all of the things that I am loving this week and want to tell you all about!

Spring – The past few days have been so pretty here in Whistler, BC. Okay, I’m not talking hanging by the lake in a bikini sipping a nice chilled glass of rose! I mean, we are slowly moving away from winter and starting to experience spring like weather! It makes my heart so happy to be outside and breath in the fresh air and to take in all the natural beauty that surrounds us. I get so excited for summer that I can barely contain myself!

Apple Watch – I bought my Apple watch about four weeks ago. Even though I am still learning new things about it each day, I am really loving it! Next time I am in the city I plan on doing another tutorial on the watch that they host at the store. Have you ever been to one of those? They are so useful and interesting.

Candles – After dinner, once the dishes have been done and the kitchen has been tidied, I like to go around our home and light a few candles for the evening. Especially if I am reading in the living room, it is so nice to sit with the nice smell & flickering light of a candle. Every time Bath & Body Works has a decent sale on their candles I always stock up on them. Totally necessary! I have a secret stash in my cupboard and I really do panic when I get down to my last candle!

Dental Floss – I know this is probably a snooze fest for most people but when my Mom introduced this to me a few weeks it was a game changer for me! It has really made me up my flossing game! Dare I say I am actually enjoying it?! I saw the dental hygienist last week and she told me I was doing a really good job. Yay me!

Essential Oils – I have been using essential oils for many years but have probably become even more obsessed with them the past few months! This week I was looking for a new blend for bedtime and decided to mix a few drops of lavender, juniper berry with a little bit of coconut oil. I massaged the blend into the back & front of my neck, my forehead & temples and then the rest on my arms. This simple mixture smells amazing and has been sending me off into an amazing sleep.  That’s a win in my books!

I could not send you off into the weekend without a cute picture of my puppy Buster Boo. He is so shy and refuses to look at the camera! I melt when I look at this picture!

WHAT ARE YOU LOVING THIS WEEK? ANY NEW FINDS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT? LIST THEM IN THE COMMENT SECTION!

 

 

What’s in your lunch box?

The last few weeks I have been making a good effort to bring my lunch to work every day. I used to be in the habit last year then for some reason I totally fell out of it. I have learned that it really does make a difference, to the wallet and the waist line! Bringing your lunch to work each day is right up there with bringing your own coffee to work if you want to try and save a few extra dollars $$$$. It’s amazing how fast it adds up when you eat lunch out every day.

I always like to find out what other people are eating for lunch. I get so much inspiration from other people’s lunches – it is super interesting to me! This past weekend we stopped by my cousin’s house and his little girl was eating lunch while we were there. I made a mental note of what she was eating. First of all, everything on her plate was really healthy (love that!). Second, it was all food you could make ahead and take the next day for your lunch. I might be eating like a five year old, but at least I am a healthy five year old!!!! Third, it was finger food and easy to food. If you don’t have access to cutlery – no big deal!

Lunch #1 – tuna (with green onions, mayo & sriracha sauce), cucumbers, carrots, baby tomatoes and pretzel chips. I loved every bite of this lunch!

Lunch #2 – cheese quesadilla, guacamole cup, carrots, cucumber and an apple for dessert.

Lunch #3 – tuna (with green onions, mayo & sriracha sauce), celery, carrots, pretzel chips, strawberries & blueberries for dessert!
Tips for bringing your lunch:
1. Plan ahead of time
2. Cut up & prep a bunch of difference fruits & vegetables over the weekend
3. Keep snack size items on hand (humus & guacamole cups, snack size cheese, etc.)
4. Keep a list of lunch ideas (sounds a bit crazy but I keep a list on my phone, then look at it every once and a while and decide what I feel like)
5. Prepare the night before – if I don’t, I know I won’t the next morning
6. Make sure you have sufficient containers to store & bring your lunch in

Plan for a “treat” lunch at the end of the week if you hit your target of bringing your lunch every day. This will provide you with extra incentive to pack your lunch. Usually by Friday, supplies in our fridge have started to dwindle a bit and I am starting to get a bit bored of eating the same thing every day! I am quite lucky where I work as there are loads of really good & healthy (naughtiness too if I am feeling for something “extra” special!) options for lunch that are close by.

DO YOU BRING YOUR LUNCH TO WORK? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH? ANY TIPS YOU WANT TO SHARE? PLEASE LIST IN THE COMMENTS!!!