August

Today is the last day of August. I cannot believe summer is basically over. We do not have any specific plans for the long weekend yet, but hopefully we will do something fun.

Maybe we will go out for a nice dinner to celebrate what's officially official. I'm such a proud wife, I love to brag!

What did we do this past month? Relaxed at home, B went to Texas, both of us got sick, started working out with a personal trainer, and cleaned the condo! It was a productive month. We did not travel near as much as we did in June & July... but we do have some exciting trips planned in the next 4 months.

Last night for dinner we had grilled corn and tomato salad, something we have not had since last summer. I have adapted this recipe from a Sunterra recipe I have had for years. We also had a piece of sun-dried tomato ciabatta on the side. It was freshly baked at the Italian Centre, we could not resist!

Recipe:
4 cobs of grilled corn, cut off the cob
6 diced tomatoes
onion
cilantro
grated smoked gouda
toasted cumin seeds
dressing: EVOO, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, fresh ground pepper

Mix it all up and enjoy. This is a great late summer dish as corn on the cob is very plump and juicy right now.

Last evening, we also spent some time with my aunt. Her dog had a toy pig that has a built in sling shot and oinks when slung. Not only did it amuse him... I could not get enough of it!

See you in September!

Just a tease

I could not wait to share this:

Can't wait to share more soon!

Take me away

Sometimes after a chaotic weekend I feel like I need a vacation. I would really like to go back to Cabo for a week and relax with B.

Maybe I will be more realistic and request a trip to Calgary for the weekend. We can go to Williams and Sonoma, Peter's Drive-In, and Stephen Avenue.

42.9%

Do you take the weekends off from healthy eating and exercise? That is 42.9% of your life. Think about it...

In denial

As you may know, I read lots of blogs... fashion, food, life, exercise... everything! One things everyone is talking about is fall. I am still in denial that fall is near and want to embrace summer. Don't get me wrong, I love fall clothes and everything pumpkin but fall means something every different where I live. I do not wait for fall so I can wear layers... sometimes I need them in summer. It is never sweltering here and the heat does not really bother me. I would like summer to continue so I can continue to wear:

peep toe shoes

neon and neutrals

shorts

Instead ,this fall I will be wearing:

chambray

oranges and browns

dusty pinks and browns

Maybe I can break some rules this fall with some transitional outfits:

Okay, only one rule! white pants and chambray

shorts and fall colors

lots of layers and accessories

Who am I kidding... I will not be wearing shorts this fall. I will be way too cold! But its nice to dream. I am going to enjoy summer while it lasts, drink iced coffee, and eat dinner outside for a few more weeks. Then I may re-evaluate this whole idea of fall.

a few random thoughts

First, the exciting news of the week. I finally have sweet pea flowers on my plant:

Success! It only took till mid way through August. They did not like all the rain in June and July but have been much happier with the heat this past week. I am glad summer finally decided to show up! I head on the radio this morning there are only 26 more days of summer. I am hoping for an indian summer and a late snowfall this year.

2. People are crazy drivers these days! Enough said here.

3. I have a daily calendar about grammar... yes, I am a nerd. It is from "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves". right now everything is about the exclamation point. Or is it an exclamation mark? Here is Tuesday's quote:

In the family of punctuation, where the full stop (period) is the daddy and the comma is the mummy, and the semicolon quietly practices the piano with crossed hands, the exclamation mark is the big attention-deficit brother who gets over-excited and breaks thing and laughs too loudly.

I love this!

5. Julie from PBFingers posted about Canadian bacon. I would call it back bacon. Hmmm. the French do not eat "French fries" and the Chinese do not eat "Chinese food". I think back bacon is a great name. i would never want to mix up something that yummy with regular bacon.

6. Ben is the new bachelor.

7. I feel as though I need more structure to my posting schedule. Any thoughts?

Last summer when we were in Kelowna planning our wedding, we took an afternoon  to tour Mission Hill Winery. We went on a wine tour then explored the wine shop and sampled more wine!

One of the goodies we found in the wine shop was locally grown pears with star anise. We finally decided to open them for an evening snack after a killer workout.

 They were crisp and delicious with a hint of licorice thanks for the star anise. I loved the unconventional flavor combination.

I almost forgot to snap a photo of the pears themselves as I was so excited to try them! I cannot believe we waited this long to eat them.

If you are ever in the Okanagan, go check out Mission Hill Winery and try some of their canned fruit... okay and maybe some wine too. Your welcome in advance.

Things we did

Happy Monday!
We had a very busy weekend... although we were both sick. It was also a very productive weekend so that was nice.

Here are some things we did (and possibly did not) do:

worked out with our personal trainer

steam cleaned the carpets in the condo

made Mmm sauce

made protein trail mix cookies

 

recycled bottles

donated an old suit of B's for a 50% off coupon that we can use to buy him new clothes

sold some books to a used bookstore

did laundry

did a killer cardio workout

B called his best friend and they talked for over 2 hours... they are worse than teenage girls

watered E's huge garden and harvested food for us

napped

Yup, it was a productive weekend.

Some of the things we ate this weekend (but did not get photographed) were:

shrimp and scallops with rice pilaf and cold veggies

salmon burgers with green beans, roast potatoes, Mmm sauce, and a cucumber 

Famoso pizza!

2 months ago today

Two months ago today I married my best friend. So far its been the best 2 months of my life. I could not ask for anything more. He laughs at all my jokes, reminds me to stay grounded, and always has an ear to listen. What more could I ask for? Nothing!

The next morning, we ate chocolate chip cookies provided by the Manteo Resort in bed. B was in heaven.

Did I mention, this was the view as the sun set? Summerhill Pyramid Winery is amazing!

Of course there are some photos of me talking...  I always have something to say. Thank you to whomever captured this classy look.

But seriously, what was I saying?
a. These flowers are going to look crazy bright in photos.
b. Someone get me over to that wine, a spider tried to crawl down my dress mid ceremony. (true story - lesson learned - when scared of bugs, do not plan an outdoor wedding at a vineyard)
c. I just love to talk.
d. Where's my husband?

P.S. Is two months really an anniversary? Why not!

Put it on the list

There is no denying it, I am obsessed with lists. Everyone knows it. There is a grocery list on the fridge, a sticky note to-do list on my desk, a notebook of lists in my purse, and an imaginary list in my mind. I tend to be very busy and claim to have a bad memory so this is what keeps me going.

Recently, I found these on Pinterest:

  source

I am in love with these and want to make them into a coiled notebook. I always have a to-do list. I am glad something will remind me to do my laundry, dishes, and make the bed. I should make daily goals. I need to drink more water! I can track my workouts.

Maybe E will personalize this for me! Hint Hint

Another list that has helped me is TeuxDeux where I can make lists and cross them off upon completion. This is great as I have one specifically for work. When I need to give my monthly report, I can just scan back through it and see everything I accomplished in the past 30ish days.They even have an iPhone app!

Time to go update my lists!

sunday shopping

Fashion Friday must be early this week as Friday is a special day. Can't wait for it!

Sometimes I like to go shopping on Polyvore and create outfits for myself.  Today, I actually created an outfit that I can wear... because I own everything on the page! What a great idea that was. I got boyfriend jeans on sale last weekend at Joe Fresh (aka Superstore... yes the grocery store) for $30! Maybe this Sunday I will wear my glasses, put my hair in a bun on top of my head, and pretend to be cute. B is a fan of that look... ripped boyfriend jeans on the other hand, not so much. Oh well, I can't be practical all the time.

A healthy start

Good morning,
Sometimes the stars just know how to align themselves in the blogging world. Yesterday, I found an empty jar of peanut butter in  the fridge... weird place for it but I did not mind. I knew right away what I wanted to do with this... make overnight oats in a jar! Luckily, I did not need to look hard for the recipe as Courtney from Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life, posted it yesterday. I decided since it was my first time making something that is seen all over the health living blogs, I would follow her recipe exactly.... well close depending on what I had available.

Here it is:
1/3 c oats
1/3 c milk (I did not have almond milk which would have probably made it creamier)
1/3 c water
2 T plain yogurt
1/2 mashed banana
2 t chia seeds
1 t Mexican vanilla
1 t Mexican cinnamon (next time I would add way more but I love cinnamon)

Mix all the ingredients up in a empty PJ jar and refrigerate overnight.  This morning I was freezing since it was 8 degrees outside so I warmed up my oats in the microwave for 45 seconds prior to eating.

It was delicious but could definitely use more spices.  I only ate about half this morning as I decided to stop eating when I was full... what a concept. I put it back in the fridge for a pre workout snack. I wonder if it will be too mushy then?

The weekend

I apologize for the tardy post. I am having a very slow start to my day. I had a very busy weekend. On Friday night we went to the Edmonton Capitals game. The weather was great, the team won, and we got to eat these:

The famous perogy dog. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach on Friday night as I could barely finish mine. It was topped with bacon, shredded potatoes, cheese sauce, and sour cream. I will admit, I loved it... but knew I could do better at home. The cook ripped the bun all the way through so there was nothing to really hold the toppings, the bacon should be way crispier, and I would add less shredded potatoes. On the other hand, I loved the fake cheese sauce and sour cream. The homemade potato chips also came with a small pack of cheese sauce which was delish!

Yum!

At the end of the ball game they had a fireworks show which was surprisingly impressive for E-town.

I spent the rest of the weekend cleaning. Yes, it was one of those weekends.  I also went to Force class on Saturday morning and did The Fitnessista's Schweaty August Workout on Sunday along with some arm weights and an ab workout.

Here are my accomplishments this weekend:
dust
vacuume
wash floors
clean closets
clean bathroom (including tub)
tidy deck and prune flowers
take donations to Goodwill
wash windows
clean fireplace
wash car
do laundry
sell stuff on Kijiji
organize shed

Success!

Things I want to accomplish this week:
make overnight oats in a jar
sell more stuff on Kijiji
workout everyday

Seems doable. Have you noticed I love lists? They keep my overly organized life moving in the right direction.

Take me out to the ball game

Tonight I hope to go to the Edmonton Capitals ball game... not because I want to watch baseball, or fireworks, or wear my Dodgers shirt, but because I really want a perogy dog for dinner! Friday night is fireworks night, so that shall be fun. I have an outfit planned for this evening but it will probably be too cold for shorts. Jeans may have to be my substitute to keep the mosquitoes off my legs.

TOMS - Dodgers T - J Crew shorts

I was lucky enough to find J Crew shorts last summer on sale that are the same colors as my TOMS wedges!

Back to the real reason I want to go to the ball game. Have you ever had one of these:

source

I have been craving one of these all summer... minus the mayo! The perogy dog is $4.50 and comes topped with cheese, bacon, onions, fried potatoes and loads of sour cream.
Calorie ladden?
Yes.
Do I plan to workout all weekend?
Yes!
Totally deserved?
Absolutely.

We worked out with our personal trainer at 6am today (chest and back day - yes I bench pressed 85lbs and proud of it - no grunting needed). Tomorrow I am going to Force class and Sunday I plan to do The Fitnessista's Schweaty August Workout. I also have a long to do list of condo cleaning to fill up my weekend.

Hopefully I don't get hit by a foul ball tonight. Have a great weekend!

Food for thought

Okay, so its not actually food but you know what I mean. I this on Facebook this week and it resonated with me.

I feel like I am connecting with this today:
1. Travel often - this summer we have been to Kelowna, San Diego, San Jose del Cabo, and France. I also have 3-5 more trips I should be taking before the end of the calendar year.
2. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV - I haven't stopped all together but I have cut down my TV watching time.
3. If you don't like something change it - going to a personal trainer with B,  enough said.
4. Wear your passion - does that make my passions J. Crew, Lululemon, and TOMS?
5. Life is short - but I love mine even though it is busy and full of jet lag (not a bad thing!)

Some random thoughts...

I have not taken many photos this week so, unfortunately, this is going to be a word filled post. I have many things on my mind so here we go:

1. I went to the library yesterday to pick up my blogging books. Of course, I knew I had fines… $9.25 to be exact as I have been very neglectful lately. I went up to the till with my money in hand, was chatting away about being neglectful while away on vacation, and she removed all my fines for me. She said that it happens when people are on vacation and I do not abuse the system so she can "forgive" me for all of them. I was very thankful… but fully prepared to pay all of my fines. I actually felt bad as I was the one that was not organized, I can afford to pay my fines, and the library probably needs the money. Oh well! It was an exciting moment.Thank you nice lady at EPL.

 2. We had our first personal training session at World Health with Alex. She is wonderful. It was our first time going to the gym at 6am and it was very quiet so we could use anything we wanted. She definitely pushed us hard (B and I are training together) and I felt like I worked hard after the workout. As I described it to B at lunch, my arms are fatigued but not sore yet. It hurts to lift my iced coffee. Maybe that means I should give up iced coffee? Nah. I bet I will be sore tomorrow. I love the feeling of being sore from a workout! We did lots of arms with some cardio thrown in.

3. I signed up for a pintrest account. I hope it is beneficial to my blogging. I spent a few minutes exploring it today and found some great ideas. DIY? Yes, please! I love this scarf (but would make it in different colors).

I am not sure what colors I would make this in, maybe blue and white for a nautical look or mustard and fuscia for fall. Maybe I will make it in purple and gold... hmmm. Now I just need a sewing machine! My other thought with this scarf would be to recreate it in knit. It would be super easy to make the two long ends then stitch them together using kitchener stitch. Now I just need to find time to finish all my in process knitting projects and go yarn shopping. Speaking of yarn, this personifies my marriage when it comes to knitting (minus the beer and add extra football):

4. I bought a black Modern Racer Tank at Lululemon today. I needed a new black tank for layering and figured it could do double duty as a workout tank. I love that store... too much. I could have bought more but I restrained myself. B would be so proud.

5. Thanks for listening!

A tart crisp

Although I do not make dessert very often, it is a special treat I do enjoy. I have an excess of frozen blueberries and saskatoon berries in my freezer so I decided to pull out one of my new Sophie Conran baking dishes and make a crisp!

Its really a simple recipe:
Toss 5 cups of saskatoons and blueberries in sugar and cinnamon and put in a baking dish
Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 brown sugar, and Mexican cinnamon.
Melt 1/2 cup butter and combine with dry ingredients
Evenly spread crumb mixture over berries
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes

Enjoy!

Squeaky Clean

The blog took a shower this weekend and got cleaner.  I have been doing some blog research... aka reading about blogging on blogs. I learned about making my own header so I wanted to integrate that into my blog. I have also read a few posts about creating your own button... I finally have a vision for this but need to complete the task.

I have ordered some books on blogging from our local library to read! I guess that means I need to pay my library fines to get my books!

Here is what the weekend looked like:
Friday: a workout with E and got ready for our garage sale
Saturday: garage sale (sadly, a big disappointment with a bad turnout and I only made $22.10 - everything will  be going on Kijiji), nap, and dinner with B & E

For dinner we had salad, homemade scones, various meats and cheeses, hummus, pico de gallo, grapes, and wine!

Sunday was a busy day! We slept in, got groceries, I made Lara bars (strawberry almond) and a saskatoon blueberry crisp, B did some work, and we organized some items to sell on Kijiji!

Things on my to-do list this week:
workout
prune flowers
blog everyday
clean and dust the condo
wash my car
go to a ball game
call my aunt
prep my strategic plan for my not-for-profit board meeting
clean fridge

It looks like it will be a busy week! That means it will go by quick and it will be the weekend again soon!

Junk in the trunk

One man's trash is another man's treasure. Want to come buy our junk? Come to the yard sale of the season! I promise you may see some cute kids, random household items, and some things you do not need but definitely want to buy.

Fashion Friday... like Kelly

A few mornings ago I was watching Regis & Kelly while eating my breakfast cookie and fell in love with the dress she was wearing. Luckily, on the Regis and Kelly website, you can find out where her clothing is from using Kelly's Fashion Finder!
The dress had puffy sleeves, but not your typical puffy sleeve. Like this:

blue - print - navy

I hope the style stays for fall. I would love that top as an addition to my wardrobe. By the way - I saw the middle top on Good Life for Less. Has anyone seen anything similar?

Kick your own butt

Last night at the gym I decided to do my own version of Force class with a few other exercises thrown in. The workout kicked my butt.

Here is what I did:
5 min warm-up on treadmill
adductors - 30lbs - 3 x 20 reps
sumo squats with shoulder press - 10lbs - 3 x 15 reps
30 crunches on ball
chest press and chest fly on ball - 10 lbs 3 x 20 reps
back extensions on ball - 3 x 10 reps
deadlifts - 25lbs - 3 x 20 reps
tricep extensions - 17.5lbs - 3 x 15 reps plus 5 dips after each set
bicep curls - 12.5lbs - 3 x 10reps plus 10 quick reps with 7.5lbs after each set
shoulder flexion, lateral raise, and upright row - 5lbs - 3 x 10 each
40 crunches on ball
10 allenwells
adductors - 30lbs - 5 x 20 reps
stretch

This is me after the killer workout:

I'm feeling good today but imagine I will be sore by the end of the day. maybes it because of the breakfast cookies I have been enjoying all week. Today's mixins were banana, coconut, and chocolate chips.

Have a great Thursday! Its almost the weekend! I love 4 day weeks.

C

San Diego Little Italy Farmer's Market

When we went to San Diego about a month ago, I made sure to find the Little Italy Farmer's Market on Saturday after my workout. I took so many photos and saw so many greats items I don't even know where to start!

The fruit was bright and juicy, the bread and other baked goods were fresh, and the flowers were beautiful! I did enjoy a glass of green juice from Green Fix with an almond pastry. I am officially sold on green juice and need to find a place to get some in Edmonton. I did not buy anything else since we were headed to Mexico the next day but wish I could have bought some peaches.

Did anyone notice the "watermelon helmet"? Someone needs to sell these in Saskatchewan!

Ch Ch Ch Chia!

I have been reading about chia seeds everywhere in the blog world! Some of the places include:
The Fitnessista
Peanut Butter Fingers
Carrots N Cake
Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life

We deiced to make pizza this past long weekend so I knew I had to integrate chia seeds into my regular crust recipe. Yes, the same chia seeds used to make a chia pet. They added a great texture to the crust without changing the taste of the ingredients.

All you need to do is make the crust, let it rise while you warm your pizza stone then roll it out!

Add your toppings. We decided on a vegetarian pizza for the first and margarita pizza for the second. Have you ever tried sweet thai chili as a sauce? It adds great variety and kick for a vegetarian pizza!

Bake in a 400 degree oven then enjoy!

It tastes even better when accompanied by good friends and a great glass of red wine!