Weekend Summary : Fireworks and Rides

Hello lovely people!
This past Saturday was one of the busiest Saturdays I've had in a long time...

My BF and I started our exciting adventure by taking the bus to our local fairgrounds/amusement park called "Playland". The company I work for put on this event day in which they paid for our admission and had a BBQ inside the park. I've been to Playland many times but recently I've had no want to go. It's in much need of an upgrade. The last few times I went on the crickity old wooden roller coaster, I've walked off with bruises from being thrown around lol. We made the best of it and it was nice to see people from work out of the office.

After a couple hours at Playland we headed downtown Vancouver to watch the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks. This is our annual fireworks display that is on a large barge right off the beach downtown. It's always a guranteed spectacular show put on. It runs on 3 different nights and each country in the competition has a night to display their talent. We got to see Vietnam. The fireworks go to music which you can tune into on the radio. On Saturday it attracted 300,000 people to the shores to watch.

Fitness Goals for the week:

• I love this routine that FitSugar posted. I'm going to add these quick little routines to my cardio in the afternoon.
• I'm also going to beat my time in running my 4k trail with my dog.
• I'm going to do 3 sets of abs each day.

What is your fitness goal for this week?
-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Olympics Time! London 2012

Happy Friday!

Hope you all had a great week. I just came back from an awesome 4k run with the dog this morning. I decided to take today off from "normal work" and have a day to myself. After my run I had a delicious Natural Vega Energizing smoothie filled with some banana slices, strawberries, almond milk, water and chia seeds. It hit the spot! Last night my BF made a delicious healthy salmon cake (recipe to come). It's very healthy and I have to say it's the best one I've ever tried.

Today is the start of the Olympics and I am super stoked to cheer on all the athletes. Seeing an Olympic event live is on my bucket list. I hope to watch a Summer Olympic event one day. We were lucky enough to have the Winter Olympics here in Vancouver back in 2010 and the vibe that swam through the city was the most thrilling feeling. Every person you met on the street had a smile on their face and excited to tell you their story. The pride that overflowed from Canadians and all countries was incredible to witness.

Cheers to all the athletes of 2012 and good luck! What a vigorous journey it must be to get to the Olympics and so overwhelming to finally to be there and compete.

My favourite finds of the week:

I'm a sucker for infographs and I love this one on the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar to your health

Tomorrow we are heading to the beach to watch these Fireworks

Feeling the heat? Need to cool off? Cool off with Super Foods

I freaked out when I saw this recipe. A healthy alternative for my ice cream addiction.

One of my favourite photographers - amazing color

Have a wonderful weekend!
-Michelle

My Fitness Love: Pilates for Your Abs

Mid-week and it's my Thursday. I have this Friday off and I'm going put it to good use. I'm thinking of doing lots of outdoor activities to take advantage of this sunshine that doesn't stay around here too long.

Angi Green image via

 This week I've come across a couple articles and women who have inspired me to think about a "big goal" to tackle. I'm going to be completely honest with you : I've never made a huge fitness goal before. I've made goals to lose a couple pounds or get ready for a vacation. I've never REALLY pushed myself. I'm trying to think of something I can do that will motivate me to push it. In the mean time I'm on a mission to get my abs and body looking similar to Angi Greene's. The picture featured to the left is the image that inspired me this week. I know I can do this and have seen my body been close to looking like this before. To me she symbolizes health and strength.

I'm debating taking pictures to track my progress and be accountable. This also... I've never done. What do you guys think of the idea of me tracking my progress through photos?

To achieve these abs I've decided to make a couple changes to my diet. I was noticing that my body was taking too long to bounce back after having a drink (or maybe 2). My body was becoming too dehydrated and having to restart the whole process to get my body to feeling amazing was becoming stupid. I've decided to only have my "couple drinks" one day on the weekend, if I even do decide to have one. If I do decide to have a drink during the week I will only have a glass of red wine (soak in those antioxidants). I have already noticed a huge difference with not having that extra drink during the week.

I've also eliminated any diet pop from my diet. The truth comes out... I enjoyed having a diet pop every once in a while. No more for me. It's clean, lean and mean here now.

So on to abs and core talk... my favourite ab exercises that I've tried over the years is by far, Pilates or modified Pilates! It's incredible how quickly your body responds to the pilates moves for your core (power house).

I first learned Pilates core moves from a DVD I purchased. It was part of the "10 minute Solution" series. It was a great place to learn the basics and in a week I could notice a difference. I've adapted over the years adding a few different moves in my ABs Routine.

I'll share my more intense Pilates Ab Workout in another post.

My Top 3 Pilates Exercises for Your Abs/Core :

1. The Criss Cross : Similar to doing a bicycle crunch but once you do 3 motions of the bicycle you hold your left elbow to your right knee and raise your straight left leg (with pointed toes) from the floor to above your hips (point toes to ceiling). Repeat for the other side.
2. The Tummy Tuck: Starting from a plank position you bring your left knee to your right elbow across your body and return to plank. Repeat on the other side for 20 times (10 for each side).
3. The 100: start with laying on the floor. Bring legs together and straight up to a 45 degree angle. With your arms beside your side, reach towards your feet with a 45 degree angle also. Bring your shoulders off the floor and head lifted up. Pump your arms up and down for a 100 times. You can do them in sets of 10 going with your breath.

 What ab exercise is a staple in your routine?
-Michelle

Daily Healthy Eating Plan - Does timing matter?

Did you ever wonder if eating certain foods at certain times made a difference in your diet?


A Colourful Salad for Lunch or Dinner (no added fats)


From my personal experience - it actually makes quite the difference. I find you can control weight, food cravings and your digestive system.

3 Tips for Your Meal Schedule in the Morning:

1. A glass of warm water first thing in the morning before any other food or liquid helps your metabolism and digestive system get started.
2. Eat your whole Fruits seperate from any other food (ie. fats, protein, etc.).
3. Wait 2 hours after a fruit to eat any fats/protein

3 Tips for Your Meal Schedule in the Afternoon/Dinner:

1. Try not to have any fruit after 12 (noon) so you can avoid spiking your sugar levels.
2. Noon is a great time to have a whole grain carbohydrate. Try not to have carbs in the evening as it takes more for your body to burn them off.
3. Have your last meal 2 hours before you go to bed - this helps with digestion and let's you mind be at ease when you do go to sleep (no more dreams keeping you up).

Have you come across any food timing tips that seem to work for you and your healthy diet?

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : In Memory of Captain the Dog

In memory of Captain

As some of you might have noticed, I am a huge animal lover and especially dogs. I've always felt a close connection to animals and love them with all my heart. It breaks my soul what happened recently in the Vancouver area. A German Shepherd named Captain was brutally beaten by a man and then left out in the hot sun in a dumpster in a back alley. A neighbour found him still clinging to life and took him right away to the SPCA (our local animal shelter). A team of doctors worked on him trying to bring him back to life and unfortunately yesterday Captain passed away. It is reported that the injuries sustained from the beating were so horrific that they couldn't even determine what was wrong. They had to put Captain in coma and it was thought if he did survive he would be paralysed in all 4 legs. Captain was originally in the Police Academy training (RCMP) to become a police dog but he was let go due to being too friendly. The RCMP sold Captain to a man who then sold it to the now accused man. I'm sorry to give you the whole sad story but I think what this man did to Captain is disgusting and unforgivable. People who harm animals should be prosecuted and punished for hurting helpless animals.
In honour of Captain a fund was set up to help the SPCA prosecute this man and any others who have harmed animals. It takes approximately $10,000.00 for the SPCA to gather evidence and prosecute each person. I have donated to this fund and it would mean so much to me if you could find it in your heart to help this cause.

You can donate at: Justice for Captain and if you would like to see who started the campaign (to ensure it's not a scam), you can find Nat & Drew from Virgin Radio here.

Thanks to everyone who donates *big hugs xo
You can find the full story on Captain here.

07/23/12 UPDATE: Their goal of $10,000.00 has been smashed but let's keep it going so the SPCA can prosecute more of these people who are cruel to animals.

Check out this little girls contribution to the cause - great job!

On a happier note - This week's neat tid bits from across the web:

• A different twist on the typical Mojito Recipe

• Great interview with the lovely lady from Rifle Paper Co.

• The Wheatfield Shop on Etsy by Katie Daisy - some of my favourite prints

• No excuses- exercise anywhere - no equipment necessary

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

-Michelle

img via

#WIAW Series - Fitness Theme

I've joined the "What I Ate Wednesday" #WIAW series created by Peas and Crayons.
 


The theme for July is too focus not only on the healthy food but what your fitness focus is. So here is my #WIAW for July 18th (yea yea it's Thursday now but hey... better late than never).

Breakfast: Strawberry, mango, banana smoothie. Added one scoop of Vega Natural Energizing Protein powder. 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of almond milk.

Snacks: Small nectarine, celery sticks with hummus dip and two mushroom caps stuffed with crab.

Lunch: Green salad with a tomato, orange pepper, sesame seeds and tuna. Balsamic Vinegar/Olive oil dressing.

Dinner (not pictured): Cod fillet with a sprinkle of panko crumbs on top. Side of green beans with Serrano pepper.

Fitness: This week I focused on getting back into my usual fitness routine. I was away in Seattle on the weekend and then sick for a couple days. It threw me off but yesterday was the first day I felt back to normal. I went for my usual morning HIIT run with the dog and after work I went and played tennis with the BF. Like usual there was lots of laughs and the usual competitive spirit from both of us. We played for about an hour.

How are your fitness goals coming along this summer? Keeping to them?

-Michelle

Are You Living Up to Your Full Health Potential?

Now and again I ponder: am I living up to my full health potential?


img: via

Am I doing everything in my capabilities to feel good about myself from the inside out?
It's good take a moment and re-evaluate your health and see if you are living up to the full potential you are capable of doing. Taking this time to consider your health gives you a chance to see where you can improve.

I know with my body that it is capable of looking a certain way. I am able to have a body that is fully toned and I am capable of working out for 80-100 minutes a day. Am I currently living up to my full potential? - No. This means for me, it's time to re-evalutate and see where I can get back on track and improve. I know how my mind feels when I am at my full health potential and it's amazing. Being at that point is in my control.

Everyday we make the decision on how we are going to feel. What you put in your mouth determines the way you feel. You may pick up that candy bar and feel great or you may feel guilty/terrible but only you know how it's going to make you feel about yourself. These are the decisions that come across your plate everyday. I know that working out more than 30 minutes a day makes me vibrant and transforms my body. Exercising creates a healthy mind for me where I am able to be present when choosing, cooking and eating my food. It is my choice to work out or not.

I'm going to choose to live up to my full health potential!

This is a typical day in my FHP plan:

• 30 minutes of HIIT in the morning
• 10 minutes of abs workout
• Drink half my body weight in water
• 2 green teas
• Breakfast Smoothie (only fruit of the day)
• Handful of nuts or a healthy grain
• Lean mean green lunch (veggies & lean protein) or Omelet
• Veggies with hummus dip
• 60 minutes of running trails or playing tennis
• Lean mean green dinner (fish and veggies)
• Rest time (7 hours of sleep)

Now it's your turn: Are you living up to you FHP (Full Health Potential)? Where can you improve to be at that place where you know you are able to conquer the world?

-Michelle

Weekend Summary : Seattle & Mariners Baseball Game

That went by way too quickly!

Seattle Adventure

I was going to post this yesterday but had a bit of health scare. I've had this sharp pain in my sternum that started on Sunday evening and yesterday it turned into swelling on my whole right side. I saw the doctors and they are a bit confused. Luckily the swelling went away while sleeping last night. Hopefully all stays well (fingers crossed).

Back to my weekend. We had planned on and were on our way to leave for Seattle from Vancouver at 10am in the morning. Little did we know that plans were going to go hay wire and change quickly. A friend was going to drive with my mom and I was going to drive with the BF down to Seattle. Our friends car sprung a gas leak and only made it 5 blocks from his house. Luckily he noticed and he had to call the fire department to ensure the gas was all soaked up. We eneded up having to pick him up from the side of the road and wait for a tow truck to come. 3 hours later... we were on the road again.

When we arrived at our hotel (Silver Cloud Broadway) we only had 30 minutes to get everything checked in to make it for the first pitch at Safeco Field. Well... that didn't happen. Instead, my shorts ripped (across the butt - no hiding it) and I hadn't brought anything else. I had planned on buying some shorts the next day while shopping. ooops - a quick rush sew job later and we were on our way. We arrived 30 minutes late but the game was moving at a super speed pace. I've never seen a baseball game move so quickly. By the 7th inning we were running to the food stands to grab some snacks but had to be so quick because we could possibly miss a whole inning. The game only lasted 2.5 hours! That was the shortest baseball game I'd ever seen in my life. By the end of it we were laughing uncontrollably. We were all in disbelief on how the whole day unfolded. Then again ... it might have been boring if you we didn't have some challenges lol. We did get to enjoy some of those snacks. We had some spicy nachos that were slathered in pulled pork (I picked some chips out from around it), a little bit of kettle corn popcorn and a couple drinks. All in moderation remember.

After the game we had fun going out to a pool hall that was right beside our hotel. It was really large (20 tables). After that exciting day we were all tired and headed to bed. We woke up around 7am and grabbed a coffee from Tully's. It wasn't my favourite coffee in the world but it did the job. I tried Peet's coffee while I was in Silicon Valley a couple years ago and fell in love. I only wish we could get it closer to us in Vancouver. We made a couple shopping stops along the way home. The weekend was over - where did it go so quickly? All around I had an awesome time filled with so many laughs and unexpected moments.

Oh and in case you want to know: Seattle Mariners WON! against Texas.

How do you deal with unexpected speed bumps in your travel plans? Do you freak out and get nervous? Or do you go with the flow and everything happens for a reason?

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : July 13th

Freaky Friday the 13th - nope not for me. It's my lucky day!

My mom and I have always believed that Friday the 13th wasn't a bad luck day but instead an awesome day (and lucky). So far so good with this idea. 

Past Family Trip to the Seattle Mariners Game

This weekend we are heading down to Seattle and going to watch a Seattle Mariners game. We are leaving early in the morning and it's supposed to reach 34 degrees while we are there. Yes! I love the sun and heat and can't wait to sit in the stands and enjoy a nice crisp drink.
It's funny how excited we get for the baseball food. I usually don't eat greasy food but when it's a special occasion (haha) like a baseball game.... I'm all for giving myself a little break and letting loose on the diet. I don't go overboard or I feel absolutely terrible after an hour. I usually go for the garlic fries - oh yum. There will definitely be an order of kettle corn popcorn too.



What is your favourite food at the baseball field to indulge in? Or any sports event, what food do you snatch up right away?

Here are some interesting links from the past week:

• Mala Beads - how to choose the right ones for you.

• A mexican twist on quinoa - a must try recipe for me next week.

• Sushi restaurant that doesn't serve fish ?! new in New York

• A perfect recipe to take along for a picnic on the beach or in the park

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
-Michelle

Healthy Food Recipe : Homemade Granola

I love cereal! but cereal doesn't love me. So I've found something new. Granola!

Mixed up Before Adding Wet Ingredients and Dried Fruit



I love all cereals but they do not agree with my stomach and usually aren't that great for you due to the processed ingredients, added additives/chemicals and all the sugar (even in healthy ones). Let's be honest, you didn't really think those frosted flakes, fruit loops and shredded wheats were good for you? It's all broken down and rebuilt ingredients in a box. The reason it can last so long on the shelf is because of how broken down the material is.

A great alternative to cereal is... Homemade Granola. My BF and I were buying a small bag from the local cafe that makes everything fresh and the bag was costing us $9.00 each time. So I thought it was time to just make it at home and save some money. Big bonus: now I know exactly what is going into my granola and add what we want to it. I love to change it up for the different seasons.

Here is my homemade granola recipe:

 

Summer Sun Granola

 

Dry Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups of rolled oats (try to use organic)
• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1/2 cup of carob chips

Dried Fruit:

• 1/2 cup of cranberries
• 1/2 cup of golden raisins

Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of real maple syrup  (no Aunt Jamima's)
• 1/2 cups of real honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Directions:
Take a cookie sheet and spray with pam or pam olive oil. In a measuring cup combine the maple syrup and honey together.

In a large bowl stir all dry ingredients except for the dried fruit until fully mixed. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir until everything thing has a light coating on it. You can add more of the wet ingredient mixture to your taste*.

On a large cookie sheet spread the mixture out evenly. Once the oven is ready set it on the middle rack to bake.

After 10 minutes take the pan out and gently mix the granola around on the pan. Place back in the over and set time for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes check on the granola and see how golden brown it is and add the dried fruit. Mine took another 5 minutes to reach the golden brown I like.

Remove the pan from the oven and let set for an hour. Once the granola has hardened you can break it up into a sealed tight container.

*try not to use too much sugar.

Tip: I like to eat this in the morning so I am able to burn off the calories from the dried fruit, oats and maple syrup/honey.

What do you add to your granola? I would love to hear some ideas I can add next time.

-Michelle

5 Tips on How to Avoid Weekend Weight Gain

I have to admit: I fall into an unhealthy eating blunder on the weekend more often than I would like. Weekend weight gain!


Appies & Brunch on the Weekend


This past weekend there were a bundle of events happening and I didn't want to fall into the trap of wasting all that hard work exercising and eating lean and green to go to waste. Sometimes we can get caught in the moment of having fun with friends and family and get carried away with our food choices. I've learnt how to make minor adjustments and plan ahead. I wanted to share with you how I'm making changes to avoid the weekend weight gain.

On Saturday evening we decided we were going to have an "appy night" so I knew I had to get in more exercise than normal to counter the calories I would be taking in later on. We went for an hour hike along the lake on Friday evening and woke up early Saturday morning to fit in some tennis before the sun was too hot to handle. Knowing how much work I had just done helped me be conscious of what appetisers I chose and how many I consumed. Your appetite may increase from doing more exercise so be careful not to eat more as you actually may not need that extra food and it may just be your body craving some protein or even water.

Stay Active - Get Outside

Sunday came around and that's always a hard day to push through for me. I had brunch planned with a girlfriend and I created a plan in my head before I left. Okay.. what am I going to eat? What is a healthy choice that I will find to be delicious? This let me look at the menu in a different way when I got to the restaurant. Instead of feeling limited, I now was excited to find exactly what I had planned on eating. No last minute decisions and no stomach winning over the brain. My girl friend and I decided to split a fresh veggie eggs benedict. It had just a touch of sauce on top and was placed on a whole wheat english muffin. To go along with the one egg, we split a crisp seared ahi tuna salad - more protein and vegetables = perfect.


Being honest here: I love to have a couple drinks on the weekend (really.. who doesn't?). Well I've noticed over the last few months that if I go over my "selected amount" of drinks, well.. I can see it in the mirror and it ain't pretty! There's the bloating, puffy face and the weight around the mid section that sneaks in. So I decided I needed to take control of this nasty habit. Not eliminate completely but just take control and give it some guidelines. I've set a limit for each day and I don't allow myself to exceed it or if I do... a big warning goes off in my head reading : "Muffin Top Growing". I've also found "Skinnygirl Cocktails" and love the Lime Margarita one over ice. Fits right into my "healthy liquid" plan for the weekend.

Here are 5 tips to help you avoid weight gain over the weekends:

• Set your day off right and rev up that metabolism by eating a healthy breakfast meal full of protein and fibre. This keeps you feeling full and prevents you from grabbing for those munchies

• If you're heading out to eat and being a good girl by eating a salad or veggies: avoid creamy dressing/sugar dressing and ask for a balsamic dressing. Calories saved instantly.

• When choosing an alcoholic drink: think simple. Less ingredients and fresher the ingredients the less it will stick to the body. Try a vodka soda with a lime. Avoid those sugar blended drinks. It's a meal in a drink!

• Water, water, water - you may think you are hungry but it may just be that your body is needing some water to keep up with you on the weekend. Try to have a glass of water between each special drink you have. Frappes included!

• Stay active - you may not want to hit the gym on your weekend but find another way to exercise. Maybe even take the dog out for an extra long walk in the morning. Just don't do nothing, find something fun.

Do you have any tips to staying on top of your healthy eating lifestyle over the weekend? I would love to hear about them in the comments below or you can find me on twitter @mishy_moe and tweet me your smart tip for keeping lean through the weekend.

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : July 6

Here in Vancouver people are in MUCH better mood than last weekend. Wondering why?



Sunset in Port Moody, British Columbia



Sunshine has arrived! Just in time for the weekend the temperatures are creeping up and all my plans include being outside soaking up the rays. I've been watching the tennis matches at Wimbleton while I get ready in the morning before work and I'm sucked in again. I love not only to watch tennis but I love to head out and play tennis. So tennis is a guranteed event on the agenda this weekend. Tonight we are going to take the dog up for a hike and then a dip in the lake. Oh she's going to love it! I've been making sure to get up early in the morning to take her for a run so she doesn't get over heated from the heat and sun.

Any plans for the weekend? Are you heading outdoors for some adventures?

Here's a few links I've enjoyed from the web this week:

• Top 100 websites for women by Forbes. I've been exploring it all week.

• Dogs in the office - good or bad for your work related stress?

• Boozy popsicles? EveryGirl offers some great recipes for the those hot days.

• Speaking of booze: tips to avoid weight gain on the weekend.

• Looking for new breakfast ideas? Breakfast Quesadillas? Delicious healthy breakfast ideas.

• I recently found an interesting recipe on Pinterest by Queen of Quinoa

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

-Michelle

Healthy Food Recipe : Paella

I first tried Paella when I was in the Dominican Republic and they had it in this massive pan over an open BBQ pit and they had to use a paddle to stir it. I was hooked instantly!

Paella is a rice dish that originally came from Spain. I love how versatile it is by adding whatever seafood you like and subtracting the meat.  It also brings the whole family together to enjoy. I recommend having it at lunch time due to the starch and carbohydrates content in the recipe. This gives you more time to burn off that energy (carbohydrates) from the food. You can also remove the chorizo sausage (I would recommend), which can have a lot fat in it. If you can find a lean sausage that would be fine. We put the sausage in the Paella as my BF enjoys meat but I ate around it.

My BF is in the midst of trying the recipe out using Quinoa in place of the rice. He's still fine tuning it so it has that moist texture like the Paella. As you might tell over time here on my blog, I'm not the cook in the family anymore - he's taken over. He's a big meat and carbs guy while I'm a pescaterian who loves fruits and veggies. We are learning to meet half way. Together we are coming up with ways to make a recipe healthier. A learning process we are excited about.

Seafood & Chorizo Sausage Paella

• 1 pound of mixed seafood - chopped in 1 inch chunks. We use scallops, shrimp, snapper and salmon.
• Small touch of fresh parsley - chopped up
• 1/2 pound of chorizo sausage
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 litres of chicken broth (can use veggie)
• olive oil
• 2 cups of arborio rice
• 2 handfuls of frozen peas
• 2 lemons

Place a large skillet/frying pan on high heat and add small amount of olive oil (enough to lightly cover the pan). Add the parsley, onion, garlic, chorizo sausage to the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until onions become soft and the chorizo sausage is fairly cooked.

Stir in the arborio rice and season with salt and pepper. Add in the boiling broth until the pan comes to a boil. Make sure to stir so the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Put a lid on the pan and bring the heat down to a simmer. Occasionally stir up the paella. Lots of rice is different so read the package of your rice for cooking time.

When rice is nearly done, add in the seafood and peas. Gently stir in the seafood. Squeeze the juice of one lemon on top. Cook for another 5 minutes. If the rice seems a bit dry then add in a bit more water. You want the rice to be more moist than dry. Have a taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the Paella pan to the middle of a table and everyone can dig in.

Serves 6 people.

Enjoy!



Chef Hard at Work



Have you made Paella before? What did you include in yours?

I would love to hear your version of the recipe in the comments below. Or you can send me a link via Twitter.

-Michelle

Weekend Summary: Canada Day & Celebrations

This past weekend we crammed a whole bunch of activities into one weekend. Even though we were really busy it felt like it went enjoyably smooth and relaxing. I wanted to share my awesome weekend with you all.

It started on Friday when I got the opportunity to babysit my dogs (Bernese Mountain Dogs) while my mom enjoyed a lovely evening out with the girls. There was lots of cuddling go on with me and the dogs. Even though it was warm out I convinced them to cuddle. This picture is of them watching us eat on the patio. They look like they've never been fed! Which is the total opposite.

Amazing Strawberry Buckwheat Crepes

Sunday (Canada Day) came around and it was time to party. I started the day with some exercise as I knew I was going to be tossing back a lot of liquid calories later. I headed up to our local mountain trails and went for a rejuvenating 4km run. I made sure too really push myself as I predicted the next day my tolerance would probably be down. For breakfast we headed to a local breakfast/lunch place called Cora's. I had strawberry crepes in celebration of Canada Day (red & white). The plate came out and my boyfriend's eye went extremely large. Uh Oh... this crepe was HUGE! Luckily they make them whole wheat/buckwheat so I wasn't feeling too guilty. We hosted dinner at our condo before we walked over to the Golden Spike Days/Canada Day Festival. We had thought there was going to be fireworks but we were told (firmly.. lol) that there hasn't been fireworks for 10 years. Oops - oh well. Instead we came back to our condo with family and made a Canadian Classic Caesar! Yummy! I always have to ask my boyfriend to make one for me as mine just do not compare to his. Soon the dance party was happening and everyone wanted a turn at being the DJ. Great fun with the family. It was too bad that my mom couldn't make it due to having a cold that just won't hit the curb.

 Monday was another day to celebrate: I enrolled in school to become at health coach through the Institute of Integrated Nutrition. Now I'm on my way to have credentials to back up my natural passion for health and wellness. This is also one step closer to opening our Health Retreat - B&B one day. Celebrate!

How was your weekend? Any steps you took to get a little bit closer to your dreams?