Happy Weekend Folks *

Well, it's Sunday evening now, and I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  I know I did!

Friday night I finished up the work week by hitting the gym for a good, strong work-out (which felt fabulous), then went to watch my brother play hockey.  He is part of a beer league in the city we live in, and I really enjoy going to watch him play!  

Going to his hockey games now, reminds me of when I was a little girl.  My dad used to coach his hockey team, and so my mom and I would always be in the stands cheering them on.  Since I was quite young, one of my favorite parts about going to the games was getting the hot chocolate out of the vending machine because it was extra chocolatey!

Saturday morning I woke up pretty early to attempt my very first spin class!  I was pretty nervous about going because I had never been before, and everyone who I spoke to always said they were very intense!  They were not lying!!  It was certainly an intense work out, but an amazing one!  It was great, low impact cardio, and on top of that we ended up doing a form of push ups and squats while on the spin bike!

After the fabulous work out, I went home and made a protein filled smoothie, and enjoyed catching up with a friend over coffee. 

It was a pretty rainy day, but by mid-afternoon the rain started to clear and I was off to a provincial campground to celebrate my cousins birthday!  It was such a lovely way to enjoy the afternoon.  Being outside, enjoying good company, smelling the campfire smell, eating food cooked on the BBQ... man oh man it was great!

By the evening I was off to visit with my dad, and we cozied in for the night with a fire, and a movie!  Even though the weather had cleared, it was definitely a cold night!

The movie we watched was Redemption, the new Jason Statham movie.  FYI - I am a huge Jason Statham fan!  It was definitely a different film than his usuals, but I still enjoyed it!  If you are going to watch it, be aware that it is not the typical action movie that you may used to be seeing him in!

Sunday was a lovely and relaxing day... Well, when I say relaxing I really just mean lazy, because I was watching football all day and that is not really relaxing... it can be quite stressful!

This year I joined a fantasy football pool (which I`ve never done before) with my brother, sister-in-law, and Dad.  You would think I would have joined a fantasy hockey pool because I know more about hockey and watch more of it.  So, it has been an interesting experience and definitely amps up my interest for football.  All of a sudden I am right in to the games!  I had some magazine time (which I always love!), and cooked a delicious chick pea & quinoa soup for lunches this week...

Precious Moments ♥

So something that I have not mentioned yet (as it will be written about in my "About Me" post), is that my Momma passed away recently.

That is one of the reasons I am doing this blog, is to try and log my positive momentum so that when I am feeling weak and struggling, I can see the strength that my Momma has given to me. It's something constructive to do for me at this time.

When I was around 13 years old, out family had to put my dog down. This was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through - well actually at that time in my life, it was! This loss was extremely difficult for me as it was the first loss that I could truly understand, and being the animal lover I am it was extremely hard to say good bye to my girl.

My Momma and I had come across an article in a magazine around this time where it made a suggestion to aid in the healing process after losing a loved one. It was to write a message on to a helium balloon, and let it go.

The idea behind this is of course that your sending a message to your angel, and when the balloon floats up passed the clouds it will reach them. So my Momma and I would do this on Maxi's birthday (that was our dog's name) each year, and any time we ever missed her.

Then when I was about 17 or 18 my Aunty passed away from cancer. This was the first loss I went through with a family member where I was old enough to understand.  It was a very sad, somber process and it just broke my heart in half. This was my mom's sister-in-law, and they were very close (as my family is, extended family too)!

After this loss, my Momma and I released a new balloon, one for my Aunty too.

When my Momma was in the hospital and I was telling her things, even though she was "conscious" to reply, I told her that I will always release a balloon for her too, and for her to watch for them. I put the word "conscious" in quotation marks because even though that is what the doctors said, I believe that she could hear me, and feel that I was there.

Yesterday marked the one month of her passing. It was a very emotional and challenging day, as each day has been and will continue to be.

I took my Dad up to the spot where my Momma and I would release our balloons, and he and I sent a special message to her ♥

Lunch Break!

Lunch time is my 2nd favorite part of my work day (obviously, 1st favorite is quittin' time!)

 

Today for lunch I had a cold plate...

 

Cold plates are kind of special to me, because I remember when I was a little girl my Momma used to make them for me all of the time =)  Brings me back to those wonderful memories ♥

 

Here is a peak of what I had

 

 

I had sliced cucember, sliced orange pepper, grape tomatoes (mmm my favorite ♥), sliced partly-skimmed cheddar cheese, and two hard boiled eggs!

 

I try and make a conscious effort to make sure I am always eating vegetables and getting my protein out of each meal.  I don't eat a lot of meat, and so it is important for me to make sure I am substituing that protein some how.

 

If you ever are in a hurry to get goin' in the morning and haven't packed a lunch, here's a delicious, healthy, quick meal =)

 

Busy Days *

Today was a busy day...  After work I went straight to the gym, where my brother and I enjoyed a great work out!  Right after that I drove to the next city to meet my Poppa Bear =) 

Because I was in such a hurry, I didn't have time to even think of eating dinner until I got to my Pops' house.  It is SO important to never ever skip meals, so I had to whip something up.

He didn't have a lot of ingredients, but I knew my body needed protein and greens (when doesn't your body!?).  So here's what I whipped up

A delicious tuna salad!!  Canned tuna is a must for every pantry!  Tuna, lettuce, kale, green onion, a little bit of cheese, mustard, and olive oil!  I just happen to love mustard, but that may not be for everyone!  Of course, if I had more time and ingredients I would have added some extra delicious vegetables (red onion, tomato, snap peas, etc!)

New Goodies *

I bought myself some new tea yesterday - Oolong Tea (supposed to be great for you)!

Also, when I got in to work this morning there was a gift on my desk....

My boss brought me back a mug from his trip to Alaska!  How generous!

 



You know, these kinds of things make my day... and they should. It is important to let the little things brighten your day =) If you don't, life will seem awfully long.

 

Breakfast Time *

Good Morning Folks!

It's so important to make sure that you are fueling your body within the first hour of waking up!

Usually I eat the same thing for a while, and then switch it up.

This week I'm all about the seeds & greek yogurt!

 

 

Now, just so we are clear, in the photo I clearly have fat free greek yogurt, but I don't suggest fat free food at all.  I bought it by mistake :'( I also do not suggest buying flavored yogurt as it contains a very high sugar content.  If you would like to sweeten or enhance the flavor of your yogurt, add the flavors yourself by adding some fresh or frozen fruit =)

 

Great energy to kick a day's ass =) And yummy too!



Healthy & Delicious =)

Well, I'd say I am a pretty healthy girl!  I like to pay attention to my nutrition, and be creative (and delicious) when thinking of ways to satisfy my nutritional needs!

Today for lunch I had an amazing Quinoa Chilli... Totally vegetarian, healthy, full of veggies, oh and amazingly delicous!!!!!

Then for dinner I stuffed bean curd pockets with brown rice, sauteed mushrooms & edamame!  Added some sliced cucumbers too, just to complete the plate & since I love cukes!! 

Healthy, quick & easy, and delicious meals for today!!

If you're interested in the recipes or anything - Just comment!! =)

Rise & Shine*

Good morning folks =)

I don't drink too much coffee, as I am more of a tea drinker (which I'm sure you'll soon see for yourselves), but if I am going to enjoy a cup of coffee, this is how to do it!!

Silk - French Vanilla flavor, and a Snowman Mug! ♥ Mmm, dairy free, and with a hint of Christmas spirit!

I adore Christmas all year round (sometimes I think that I should have just been an elf...)!

Just a friendly reminder that we shouldn't be drinking coffee all day, and to be careful of what you add to it as well!  If you can avoid using cream & sugar your health will appreciate it ;)  Also, if you are a coffee drinker, never forget to re-hydrate!!

Hello there! =)

Hello! Welcome to my blog!  This is my first post, and I want to say that I am writing an "about me" post which explains kind of why I am doing this blog, what it is about, and a bit about me and my "story".

It is taking some time to put together, so in the mean time, I will begin posting some lovely things.  =)