Sunday Start Again & Minus One Issues

One of the bummers of having your other half working away is the fact that you are rarely plus one-ing it.  In the situation of a friend's party it doesn't feel like a big deal, but something like a staff Christmas party is a bit different.  Last night was my work Christmas party, and I was the only solo one there!  Sometimes it doesn't matter, sometimes you feel excluded; last night was the latter.  Although it sucks and at the time was slightly uncomfortable, I am able to shake it off and move on.

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I got home decently early and raided my Christmas goodie bag for what looked yummy and ate, guilt-free, while watching Gossip Girl on Netflix.  I did not know there were so many different Hershey's Kiss flavors!... I am a huge Candy Cane flavor fan - and I wish I didn't know that :)

Sunday is the day to get ready for the upcoming week, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable!  On my list:
- Eat some protein pancakes
- Finish some more Christmas crafts
- Head into town for groceries (stay tuned on Facebook for what I'm buying)
- Food Prep
- Relax

This week is all about continuing to work on getting into those healthy habits I'm wanting:
Food is going to be clean, healthy, delicious, and readily available - I want zero junk and zero excuses. 
Exercise is back in my life... I have had pretty much no gall bladder pain lately so it's time to get moving again.  I want daily exercise, and the inside variety might be preferable as a black bear wandered through my yard two evenings ago... No dusk after-work walks are going to be happening in the near future!!  I am thinking of adding Jillian Michaels back to my life, and slowly working from 1 round of her workouts to the instructed 3.
Attitude needs to stay in the positive zone!  Lots of happy thoughts, self motivation, and appreciation of life are key to the success of everything else! 

Enjoy your Sunday!!!


XO - Michelle

Green With Envy & Name Changing

Happy Friday!!!!  I just love the end of a work week!  Even when I was away at camp and Friday wasn't technically a Friday, I would still get that Friday feeling.  There is just something magical about today.

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 So, you read correct.  I am green with envy.... of people who can eat greens!

I have been unable to eat leafy greens and certain raw veg for the past few years.  Crazy right?!  Honestly - within 20 mins to a day later depending on the circumstances, those greens make a hasty exit leaving me exhausted and dehydrated.. and super disappointed!

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 In my teens I really liked salads.  I found them fresh and yummy and crunchy, and they're so easy to keep exciting with all the different things you can add to them.  As someone who now strives to make healthy food choices, a salad would be a great option for eating at restaurants or at other peoples houses or just for when I don't feel like cooking.  But no.  No no no.  I can't.

I've talked to a ton of different health professionals and just people in general about what might be causing this.  There have been a lot of valid points and any or all of them could be the cause. Who freakin knows!  Two of the ideas I thought were really interesting are:
1. That I have a fiber intolerance
2. A body confusion (example: if I had a milk product and a salad at the same time, my body might have equated the greens as "bad" because the milk product is "bad" - for me)

What I do know is that Natasha of The Healthy Ginger suggested using greens powder, and I tried it, and it exited normally!  Whaaaaat.  Mind. Blown.

I had a little bit of trouble finding the exactly right greens powder.  We live in a small town, but there are quite a few health product sources so my excuse couldn't really be suppliers... it was more that I was so extremely nervous to try any of the different products!  Finally I went to Nutter's and asked for their advice.  They suggested Prairie Naturals Blueberry Greens Force.  It was recommended as the best tasting for someone who hadn't used this type of product before, and though it wasn't as chalk full of nutrients as some of the other more hardcore greens powders, it still had everything I needed.

I have been mixing a banana, almond milk, protein powder, ice, and greens powder and it's really delicious as a smoothie!  The bottle recommends 3 tsp as a serving, but I've started with 1/2 a tsp :).  I plan to up my intake weekly or so, small steps = big success.

In other news, I have been trying get everything in order with changing my name, and what a huge pain in the butt!!!!  Ok so I procrastinated a bit... like 3 or so months, but I had heard of the impending doooom of paperwork that would be set before me and obviously I was hesitant.  For anyone who will be in this situation in the next while, you MUST check out this website.  I have started following their list - don't try to skip ahead, I did this and wasted my lunch hour in the Access Center yesterday because I tried to change my driver's license before my MSP - and it is so detailed and well laid out, I'm really thankful that I found it!!!

Have a great weekend!!!


XO - Michelle

Choosing the Dream

What a great week it has been so far!  Normally I tend to sulk a little when Cody is away, but I've had so many fun things on the go that it's been pretty alright.  The holiday season is coming up so quickly and I feel really cheerful about the prospect of farmer's markets and Christmas light ups around town.  It gives me a little jolt of YAHOO to turn my Christmas lights on in the evening and to curl up in a toasty warm blanket.

My phone froze on Monday night and that was really horrible.  I hate to admit that I'm super dependent on my phone but I totally am!  First of all because Cody is away and obviously I want to talk to him (we had to settle for Facebook chat from my laptop), and second of all because we just use our cell phones and don't have a house phone, so a bunch of horrible scenarios ran through my head of reasons why I would need my phone (bad guys, medical emergencies, you get the idea).  Unrelated is the fact that I take pictures of all my meals and exercise adventures!  I was also half way through filming SweatADay Squat Kicks when it froze, not cool!  I had to revert to my camera camera, which had a dead battery, and ultimately dug out Cody's fancy DSLR.  Happily the lady at Telus restarted my phone and it's been fine ever since.

My friend Alyssa and I had the most excellent day of crafting yesterday.  We created some pretty cute stuff - gotta love Pinterest - and more importantly had a wonderful visit!  I really want to start being more crafty and making things myself.  I'm looking forward to the fact that every time I pull out my ornaments for the year, I'm going to have a memory of making them in Alyssa's cozy kitchen over hummus, crackers, and sparkling juice.  This is what I made yesterday:

I think my wreath needs some tweaking so I have some things to add to it. I made three of those Christmas balls and one wreath in a whole afternoon of crafting...  I didn't say I was fast, right?!  Check out my Christmas & Winter Pinterest page if you want to see what else I plan on creating!

Then, yesterday afternoon the owner of a store I used to work at called and offered me a pretty great job.  It all sounded very interesting and I gave it some thought but ultimately came to the conclusion that I would stay put where I'm at for now.  They needed an answer in one day, which completely stressed me out and so I had to mull pretty quickly, but I feel like I made the right choice.  This may sound like a crazy choice because I'm always blaming my job (rightfully so) for bad days, stressy days, unhappy days, frustration... and the list goes on.  BUT they gave me my 4 day week, they give me extra time off when I need it, and I am finally getting pretty good at what I do here (confidence is key)!  This new job would be 5 days per week which would require me to put my Natural Nutrition schooling on hold or to work on it much slower, in addition to learning a whole new job, and I decided to put my dream first.  I have wanted to do this course for YEARS.  I finally saved up the money, got the time I thought I needed off of work, and am enjoying every second of learning.  Why would I give that up?

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 By making this choice, I feel like I just brought on a HUGE whirlwind of positive energy.  I just chose my dream.  That's sometimes rare and not always possible for people to do, and I've had the awesome luck to do it a few times in my life.  I truly believe that choosing your dream makes your dream come true.  So this was a really big step towards believing in myself, to believing that I will do well in school, and to believing I will be successful in helping people once I graduate (and be able to make somewhat of a living doing it).  Today I made that happen, and I'm so proud of myself!

XO - Michelle

Weekly Goals

And here we are, at the end of another weekend. I had a productive day and also fit in a few mini naps (awesome), unfortunately I also had to drop Cody off at the airport so he could fly back to work (not awesome).

I've updated my goal board for this week and it looks like this: 

Blue Goal: create a bedtime routine 

This will entail winding down my day between 9 and 10. Things like shutting down the electronics, pouring a glass of water to bring to bed, putting cuticle cream on (must avoid gross winter hands!), washing face, brushing teeth, etc. My thought is that with time my body will recognize that all of this happens before I go to sleep, so it will know that it's time to be calm and relaxed and ultimately fall asleep faster rather than now when I'm just rushing around right before sleep time. 

Yellow Goal: daily activity

The key here is to not overdo it. I checked out the SweatADay challenge from Under Armour and am going to participate in it all week and hopefully continue to participate daily after that. Today's challenge - day 17, was a cow face pose. This is mine :)

Teal Goal: follow meals plan to avoid junk food 

I sat down today and planned my meals for the week and grocery shopped... No excuses, no need to stop for something unhealthy because I'm starving and didn't plan ahead. For me, the key to not binging is to not let myself become hungry, so healthy snacks are a must! I have fresh veg, hummus, edemame, apples, and sunflower seed butter ready to rock for this week and some baking plans to supplement my snack stash :) the sunflower seed butter I made fresh tonight!! 

I'm looking forward to a successful week and I hope you are too!!!

XO - Michelle

Gall Bladder Choices and Holiday Decorating

Friday was kind of a rough day, considering it was the end of the week and all. I've been struggling with my gall bladder again lately and it's really starting to wear on all areas of my life.

It has been bothering me since the end of August. I can best describe it as a consistent dull pain underneath my ribs on the right hand side of my body, and this pain serves as a daily reminder that I'm not "in my prime". It plays with my head and makes me feel so unhealthy, which in turn makes me feel uninspired to strive to be better. It's a constant circle of blah and I'm tired of it.

I'm not sure if this is related to gall bladder, but I've been soooo low energy since all of this started and I'm having a heck of a time functioning at full capacity.  My fear is that I choose to have it surgically removed and afterwards I'm still low energy and blah... 

I've been debating my options of having it removed or holistically treating the problem for quite some time. I've had trouble coming to a conclusion because I want to embrace a holistic lifestyle but I also want to feel healthy and live without fear of another serious attack...  I've pretty much made up my mind to have it removed.  In making this decision, I need to truly believe that it's the correct choice for me.  I am choosing to believe that having it removed is going to help me to regain normal energy levels and get me back to feeling like I'm functioning at 100%!!

Since I was so blah yesterday I really wanted to have a positive day today, and  I did! 

My day started off with a delicious breakfast of egg + egg whites, ancient grains noodles, green olive, daiya cheese, avocado, and hummus. 

After fueling up I headed into town to meet my friends Danielle and Kirsten for a workout at the Rec Plex! They planned to run stairs but I'm all about taking it easy these days so I just walked around the rink a few times. I left earlier than them but was so happy that I got to visit and get some exercise in. 

Next I did a quick browse through a few stores to get what I needed for a little holiday decorating, my afternoon consisted of making this happen:

By this time I was absolutely starving so I heated up some leftover bison balls and cooked some brown rice pasta, stirred in some olive oil and nutritional yeast flakes and chowed down! So good!

We finished off our day with dinner at Mom & Dad's with awesome homemade chili and chickpea flour corn bread. Mom also made chocolate squares that we topped with coconut whip for dessert. I'll find the recipe link and post it in the comments - I know it's from Healthful Pursuit which is always a win :)

It's Cody's last night in town before heading back to work so I'm going to help him pack (aka sit and watch) and get some quality time in before he leaves. 

XO - Michelle

Water Intake And A Dream Board

A rushed start for me this morning!  Oh man, I can't seem to keep it together for a whole week straight.  A little later to bed + a little later to wake up = a whole lot of morning rush!  Looking on the bright side of things, at least this is happening less and less frequently!

One of Natasha's suggestions in my last plan, as a lifestyle recommendation, was to create a dream board!  Well, I love these kind of things so I've been compiling the things that I dream of over on pinterest.  I was going to print everything off and make a board to hang on the wall, and I still may, but for now it's great to just pin things on as I see them and am inspired.  If you would like to check out what I'm dreaming for click here, it's a work in progress but so far I'm having a lot of fun with it!

Another thing I'm noticing courtesy of Natasha is a huge change in my water intake!!  I was always under the impression that the more water a person drinks, the healthier they are.  Not so.  Too much water can actually flush nutrients away, and that was the case with me at over 14 cups per day.  She suggested that I try increasing my electrolyte levels and since doing so I am down to about 8-10 cups per day.  Possibly the biggest change I've noticed is NO MORE HEADACHES!  Okay, still a headache now and then but not as bad and not daily.

I find it helpful to keep track of my water intake to see where I'm at, and have taken to marking each cup drank on a sticky note that I keep right on my water bottle!  I just calculate how many cups of water my bottle holds and before each refill I tally the according amount of cups onto my sticky note!  That's what the pic above is but it's really blurry!  Apologies.

Featured food from today would be dinner.  It was a joint effort which always makes for the best meal.  We had bison meatballs (recipe from Tosca Reno's blog - must try!  these are amazing!) using ground bison that we picked up at Costco in a green sauce that Cody created (avocado, garlic, lemon juice, red onion, basil, parsley, olive oil, sea salt, pepper) and I had brown rice spaghetti noodles while Cody went for good ol' Smart Pasta.

I'm getting ready to get my craft on next week with my friend Alyssa and have been writing down ideas and lists of what I want to make!  Stay tuned for results on Tuesday!

XO - Michelle

A Mid Week Update

Today was a pretty decent day as far as "Mondays" go. It's pretty awesome to know I have a 3 day work week and that day 1 of 3 is in the books :)

I was super beat after work today and ended up falling asleep for a short while after dinner, so Cody and I decided to take a nice walk instead of doing a workout. I didn't wear my heart rate monitor but we walked at a brisk pace for about 40 mins. It's so fun to walk around our neighborhood and check out how the new houses are coming along and dream about owning our own someday.

Noteworthy eats from today:

A key lime pie Larabar!!! I got it at Super 1 foods in Kalispell and it was sooo yummy! I love limes and this really hit the spot. 

Paleo walnut cacao cookies made with almond flour! My mom always whips up delicious paleo cookies and I was lucky enough to be there for lunch when a fresh batch came out of the oven. I had two, thanks Mom!!

Dinner! I am a lucky girl because Cody cooked dinner tonight, and he is quite the chef!!! On my plate: bison patty (bought locally from Centex) topped with hummus, a few drops of sraricha, and sautéed onion and mushroom; garlicky dill pickle; 1/4 avocado; pickled jalapeño; and broccoli slaw with homemade dressing (mayo, lemon juice, maple syrup, sea salt) and topped with cranberries and sunflower seeds!

I'm proud to say that I also remembered to take my arsenal of pills!! A digestive enzyme with each of my three main meals, a vitamin c, a multi vitamin, and a probiotic! I notice a huge difference in my digestion, immunity to bugs, and energy levels when I'm diligent with this. 

Cody and I are going to watch White House Down now so enjoy your mid week evening!!!

XO - Michelle

Tuesday Love

All of the delicious restaurant food we ate this weekend in Kalispell caught up with me last night and as usual... that horrible uncomfortable pain was not worth the splurge.  Darn! 

Today I tried to make it up to myself by making better food choices and taking some time to relax.  I am in love with Tuesdays because they're my extra day off from work!! 

My food from today:



• Warm water with juice of half a lemon
• 2 free run eggs with sweet potato hash (grapeseed oil, sea salt, and Mrs. Dash) and broccoli slaw topped with hummus
• Whole wheat wrap with a chicken breast, cucumber, red pepper, mushroom, dill pickle, and hummus
• 2 x gluten free dairy free "oreos"
• Mini carrots and hummus
• Peace Tea (tea & lemonade flavor)
• Noodle bowl of prawns, sweet onion, red pepper, mushroom, prawns, coconut cream, lime juice, and Ancient Grains noodles

NOTE: I will probably have a snack after I write this... a warm almond milk and Udi's toast or something like that.

Tuesdays allow me to imagine what it will be like to one day wake up and look forward to my day, every day, instead of dreading going to work like I do now.  I was able to finish off my first CSNN test and submit it, and am now waiting for results on how I did!  (Results can take up to 4 weeks to get back, oh the suspense!).  Each page I read or test I complete is another step closer to accomplishing something important to me, and it feels really great.

Cody and I finished the day off with a workout (my lead) that neither of us felt like doing.  It went like this:

30 jumping jacks

5 pushups

25 knee highs

7 burpees

10 crunches

7 squats

5 pushups

10 crunches

5 pushups

7 squats

30 jumping jacks

1 minute wall sit

5 pushups

25 knee highs

x1

followed by a walk around our neighborhood

 

I have this workout as a screen shot on my phone (it actually says to do this routine 3-5x through), but I think I found it on Facebook on the Get-Fit-Naturally page.  We did this workout in approx. 30 minutes and I forgot to turn my heart rate monitor on for the first few minutes but I logged burning 174 calories.

 

Like everyone always says, no one ever regrets a workout, and this of course rings true for me :)

 

XO - Michelle

Shopping Spree = Love

Cody and I just got home from a delightful and impromptu trip to Kalispell!  Pretty much all of my friends make frequent trips to the states for a nice weekend getaway/bargain shop so we decided to jump on that train... and we are so excited that we did! 

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We stocked up on food from Costco and Super 1 Foods; I was so impressed with the selection of health food and the absolutely reasonable prices that some of my pantry staples rang in at, and even better is that I could buy them in bulk!  I think one of our most exciting scores was ground bison, yaaaay!  Although I am reeling from the amount we spent today, I think over the next few weeks, or maybe even months (?) I should notice is considerable decrease in my grocery budget because of how well we're stocked.  I will be keeping an eye on how economical this way of shopping is for us!

Our drive down gave us lots of time for chatting which is always nice, and something that came up is the fact that both of us are realllly hoping to make working out more of a part of our lives again.  Before the wedding we were really diligent but since then, as I've mentioned before, we have both let things slide.  I am noticing a huge difference in the way my clothes fit, how I move, and the fact that I want to hide since gaining a few extra pounds back.  Cody went hunting with our friend Marshall the other day and was really bummed out to find how hard hiking a couple of hills was.  We decided to make the commitment to be accountable to each other and try to be encouraging of putting time aside each day to work out, and when Cody's home that means working out together!  We are going to take turns deciding on and leading the workout on designated days, and I'm so pumped for it!  Between Cody's encouragement and checking in with friends etc I am really hoping to see and feel a difference in my bod in the next few weeks!

Since today was a holiday and we were away I haven't updated my goal board yet for this week, but I'll get on it tomorrow and share what I'm focussing on with you.

Cody and I are going to enjoy a double feature courtesy of Shaw On Demand, so enjoy what's left of your long weekend!!

XO - Michelle

Being Okay with Being Okay

I find it so interesting that every time I go "off the rails", when I level out again I'm sure that this is the time I'm going to find my path without having to look so hard.  Realistically that just isn't the case!  A healthy life is what we make it, and I tend to over analyze WAY too much.  I'm tired of being so hard on myself, so what I'm hoping for in the future is to make a decision and be ok with it.  Last night I ate almost a full row of Kinnikinnick oreo-ish cookies on my drive home.  And you know what, that is perfectly okay, as long as I think it is - hey, at least they were gluten and dairy free!!  I want to be able to look back at these posts and see my whole journey (which will be ever changing), not just the good parts.  Thus the title:  I need to be okay with being okay - instead of striving for the illusive perfection.  Alrighty, just had to get that out!

So, I have started my morning off bright and early with some warm water and the juice of half a lemon - loving the routine of this!  Now I plan on having some fajitas for breaky while I download workout tunes!  Cody made awesome fajitas last night - he makes the seasoning himself and everything, and I woke up knowing that I was going to eat one this morning!  Then I'm off for a workout with my pals which is so exciting because we haven't done a group workout in forever and I really miss it!  We're running stairs and I don't know how well I'm going to do because I haven't really been getting consistent exercise still, but I'm going to get my butt moving and do something at least!!  I also want to incorporate #sweataday into my life again so stay tuned on instagram @mfzohner for updates on that.

Enjoy your Saturday!

XO - Michelle  

Friday Recipe Find - Sweet Potato Falafel

Happy Friday!!!!!! 

This week has felt quite busy!  I'm trying to make positive things happen in my life which sometimes takes a lot of leg work, I'm really hoping it's worth it!

I've got a basic idea for my goal board that I talked briefly about here and hopefully will have it assembled this weekend, I can't wait to share it with you.

In my world busy tends to mean: tired and achy, on the verge of a cold, and close to tears at all times.  Luckily I have an excellent team (whom I pay with love) to keep me from going over the edge.  My family and my friends are so great to talk to and text with and always have excellent advice, my hippy remedies such as the warming socks treatment tend to keep any sickness at bay if I catch it early enough, and my wonderful husband offers unconditional support and keeps the house running when I feel like it's too much and I can't keep up.

Cody made sure to take me for a walk a couple of times this week and literally a full blown headache was eliminated so simply!  He also followed along with the meal plan I had on the fridge and I was lucky enough to come home to a couple of prepared dinners!  I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Falafel on 101cookbooks.com and thought it sounded like a must try, and let me tell you IT IS.  Really super delicious, and tastes even better when a loved one makes it for you :). 

We topped them with some garlicky hummus and dug in!  Hope you enjoy!!!
 

Chicken, Sweet Potato Falafel, and Hummus!

XO - Michelle

Snack Attack

It has been one month since our wedding!!!  In a way it feels like it was yesterday, and in a way it feels like it was SO long ago!  Weird how that happens.  I'm really happy to have Cody home for this occasion, and assume we will celebrate with our (my) favorite staples... chicken, sweet potatoes, veg, and a tv show...  We certainly act like we've been married longer than one month!  I wish I had more wedding pics to show but they're still being edited, hopefully soon I'll have more to share!!

Sometimes my snack supply dwindles, and if I'm not in the mood I have a hard time replenishing it.  Last week was one of those weeks and since I didn't feel like going to the store I figured I would just find an option at home.

A ton of people that I know just add protein powder to almond milk and keep it in a shaker bottle for their snack.  I thought this sounded like a plan since I did have those items on hand so decided to bring it for my afternoon snack on Friday.  Can I just say YUCK!?!  I choked down about 3/4 of the mixture before calling it quits.  Umm no thank you.

Maybe it's because I use a plant based protein powder?  Or is this an acquired taste?  I have decided that I require a banana blended in with my almond milk and protein powder at all times.  No banana, no dice.

Luckily I had an emergency unsweetened blueberry delight Fruitsations in my lunch bag to help stave off my afternoon hunger.

Because the almond milk + protein powder incident has left me feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of ever tasting something like that again (exaggeration) I will be doing some bulk snack prep over the next little while to stock our pantry and fridge with wholesome goodness that's ready to go.

On my snack list so far:

Sunflower Seed Butter to dip apples in

Bananas to add to protein smoothies

Maple Cinnamon Almonds

Maple Coconut Granola to have with almond yogurt

XO - Michelle

A Moment of Reflection

I love Fridays for a multitude of reasons, one of them being that we get the East Kootenay Advertiser and I love to peruse it.  I look through the flyers and make lists according to where has the best sale on what, read what kind of local activities are going on in the foreseeable future, and shop for jobs.  No matter if I'm happy or unhappy in a job (the former as of late), it's something I feel I must do.

Imagine my surprise when I looked to see my old Fort Mac company advertising that they are hiring - they were always hiring - BUT right here in the Kootenays!  I certainly would have appreciated that job ad three or four years ago, it would have saved me a trip to Nisku (which I would never take back, so many laughs with my friends Marshall & Heather!)!

Since seeing it in the paper, I've been thinking about Fort McMurray and camp and all the pros and cons of being there.  The good outweighs the bad by a gazillion, as the chance to go work away led me to Cody, to figuring out who I am, and ultimately to a more confident me.  There were downsides too, like being away from home, missing out on important events, and feeling alone.  I think the thing I miss the most is feeling such a sense of accomplishment for meeting the first big goal I ever set my mind to.  I felt so proud of the fact that I got myself up there, attained ALL of my goals (financial, weight loss, happiness), had an important job, and was in control.  My job was created at the start of my employment, my files were set up how I wanted them to be, and people (for the most part) showed some respect for my position in the company.  I took pride in my work because it reflected on me and I cared.

Coming home was a really important thing to do also and was 100% the right decision, but it's taken me a while to realize that this past year has been me trying to recover from my crazy northern adventure.  Instead of taking time when I got home to assess how I was feeling and what I wanted to do next, I jumped into a full time job that is full of stress, frustration, and feeling like I'm coming up short.  Then came moving into our own house, so exciting, but a little removed from right where my family and friends live.  Would I have more company if we lived closer?  I created another dilemma for myself by choosing a place that puts me in a half way spot.  And then the wedding!  So much stress and busyness, followed by so much fun on the day and so much relief afterwards that we pulled it off. 

I guess my point is that this year has been crazy.  My fitness goals have been close to met, then far from met, then close to met again, and now are a little far away for my comfort. 

I feel like everything is hinging on the end of this month.  It's get your sh*t together time for my life.  I have all the ingredients for a well rounded and happy life and I'm not going to let anything get in my way of the positivity I've been chasing for what feels like forever.  My goal is to have a plan of action in place by the end of this week, with the action starting for October 1.  Great things are about to happen and I'll be damned if I'm not ready for them!  BRING ON THE GOAL SETTING!  BRING ON THE POSITIVITY!  I'm going shopping for some poster paper.

XO - Michelle

Friday Recipe Find - Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

HAPPY FRIDAY!!  I'm so excited that the weekend is almost here and am trying to figure out what kind of healthy treat to get or make myself for this evening to celebrate!!!  I saw a post about Luna & Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss on Artificial Offenders and feel like I need to find out if these are sold anywhere around Cranbrook or Kimberley...

I am a huge sweet potato fan.  Yum yum yum.  My first try at sweet potato chips came from He and She Eat Clean.  I've since used many a recipe from this site, all with excellent results.

Sweet potato chips needed to be a spot light on Friday Recipe Find, so please click here for this delicious recipe.  After I got comfortable with the idea of sweet potato chips, I started playing around with spices and now mix and match different flavours depending on my craving that day.  They are an almost daily staple in my meal plans!!

Hope you enjoy!!!

Let's Get Physical

Have you ever checked out Fire Daughter Clothing on etsy.com?  Samya has these amazing tanks and shirts with awesome phrases, the Let's Get Physical tank is on my wishlist big time, I'm just waiting for a new colour to come out since my "sweat me free" tank is the same blue.  This clothing is amazingly comfortable and fits really well, great for a workout OR for just wearing every single day!  Must.  Have.  More.

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I started the James Wilson Body Earned program on Monday alongside my best pal Danielle.  I am opting to follow more of a "Michelle recommended plan" by doing the program probably 3 days a week as opposed to the 4 and then 5 days per week that most people in the group do.  I won't complete his 12 week program in the outlined 12 weeks, but I feel that this plan will be more conducive to my overall goal of completing the whole program without burning out halfway through.

My heart has not been in weight lifting or circuit training since the spring, but I really want it to be.  In an effort to get back to enjoying this aspect of fitness, my plan is to do James Wilson's program Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while doing outdoor activities such as biking, walking, hiking, running, or kayaking on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Saturdays and Sundays will be my choice, I can add in an extra James Wilson, get outside, or take a rest day. 


After about a month and a half of little to no workouts, the term "Let's Get Physical" finally goes with my week so far and it feels just great to be back in the game.  As I said above, Monday I did Week 1 Day 1 of James Wilson's Body Earned program.  Tuesday Cody and I debated between kayaking and biking, and ultimately chose to go biking.

Rails to Trails - Source

We left from our house and took the rail trail to Kimberley.  It was a gradual uphill the whole way which we both complained about quite a bit; we haven't been on our bikes much lately and had instant sore butts to prove it.  My friend Sarah gave us a gift certificate to Pedal and Tap as a wedding present so we decided to head there for a late dinner.  We sat out on the patio so we could keep an eye on our beloved bikes and had a delicious dinner!  The Rails to Trails burger seemed fitting so that's what I chose, with no goat cheese; and the Camburger for Cody.  We both really enjoyed our choices, plus the awesome atmosphere that Pedal and Tap is known for.  With the increasingly fall-like weather it was definitely a chilly night to sit out on the patio and I wish I had thought to bring a sweater!  Our ride back was really quick with only one uphill section to get home.  A lovely evening!

I hope to stick with the plan I outlined above and see how my week unfolds and how easy/hard/enjoyable it is to make time for this new activity regime.  I would prefer to keep my activity happenings going on in the evenings as it's been increasingly harder and now pretty much impossible for me to wake up at 5 am to swing weights around.  It is close to hibernation season after all....

XO - Michelle

Back In Action & Friday Recipe Find - Trail Mix Energy Bars

Well...  I think it's been almost a month since I posted anything!!

I had a really amazing August!  Our wedding was everything I hoped it would be!!!  Most important, we loved every minute of it and got to let all the stress go and have fun.  Second most important, we got rave reviews from all of our friends and family.  It was truly a great day!!!  Rather than explain the ins and outs of the day I will just share a few pictures.  We're still waiting to see most of them but our photographer Meagan from Unbridled Images shared a few teasers.

rustic decor for the win!!

our fave pic so far

ski hill weddings are awesome!!

Following the wedding the sheer impact of being busy set in.  We were beat and did a lot of sleeping, relaxing, and nothing.  A month of eating a lot of restaurant food has come back to haunt me...  I feel puffy, tired, and uninspired.  Heehee, rhyme.

All of that will be changing very soon because the wonderful James Wilson has just posted a new 12 week challenge for his Body Earned program.  I am excited to follow through this time!!!  I'm going to make this program work with my lifestyle, and will have more on that next week.

Good to be back in the blogosphere ;)

A Friday Recipe Find...  I really want to get back to sharing recipes that I've found and loved, and also introduce you to some of my fave blogs!

Trail Mix Energy Bars from Healthful Pursuit are our spotlight for today.  I was incorporating these bars into my meal plan every second week before my hiatus from health because I love them oh so much!  I already have them planned for next week, and I'm betting you'll want to too!

XO - Michelle

Friday Recipe Find - Chocolate Maple Crunch Banana Muffins

Cody will be home tonight and it will be non-stop until the wedding!  I can't wait to see him :) <3

Since I know we have a crazy busy upcoming week, I wanted to pre-bake some snackies.  Oh recipes, how I adore you :)  These muffins hit the spot and will be one of our go-to's while we run errands and work on last minute projects.

I shared the link for this muffin recipe previously, but feel that it needs to be spotlighted for Friday Recipe Find because it is such a winner!!!

Though I had a bit of a hiatus from my usual kitchen love, I've been easing back in to some baking and cooking and am having so much fun!

This recipe uses a food processor, and since I got an amazing beautiful food pro at my bridal shower (the same one that Leanne Vogel from Healthful Pursuit has!!!) it was a winner.  Upon trying these muffins, even more of a winner.

Delicious, tasty, and treat-like, you would not guess that this is a paleo recipe.

Be sure to click the link below and check it out!

PALEOMG Chocolate Maple Crunch Banana Muffins

Seeing Myself In A New Light

A change in perspective is sometimes usually well needed for someone who has almost beat the battle of the bulge.

This thought crossed my mind yesterday after asking my friend Danielle to send some pictures from our recent events my way.

I've been talking a lot about how I didn't meet my goals of looking a certain way for the wedding and how I'm trying to be ok with it but looking at those pics I realized that maybe a change in perspective is all that I need.

Scrolling though and seeing myself with my friends I felt really really proud of how I looked and not at all critical.  For the first time in a very long time, I didn't look at myself and immediately see flaws because I couldn't get past the pure happiness radiating from those photos!  I look just how I've been wanting to look for so long, and I didn't even know it!

For a too long now I've been shying away from group gatherings, I haven't been looking people in the eye for fear of them seeing my broken out face, and living in a fog where I really don't even see myself (as mentioned in this post).  Gradually this has been stopping, and for some reason looking at these pictures really cemented in my mind that I don't want to go back there.

My change in perspective lies in understanding what I need, not what I think I need.  Pushing workouts on myself when I'm not feeling it does not result in results, it results in feeling like a failure.  Doing what I love in that moment, whether it be weights, hikes, bike rides, a simple walk... now that is what makes me feel like a success story and obviously shines through in my demeanor.  It's not something I plan on forgetting :)

9 days to go until wedding day, and tomorrow Cody is home which will make everything even more fun!

XO - Michelle

A Lesson Learned

Monday, August 5th was the last day of the James Wilson Body Earned 12 Week Summer Sizzle Challenge.

On first seeing a post about this competition I was really excited; it coincided perfectly for our wedding and the winner got to choose a gift card to their choice of store (HELLO, LULU LEMON).  I had seen that some of my favorite bloggers (Little B, Fit Foodies) had been using this program, plus it's affordability and amazing group support made it very appealing.  I started off my first weeks pretty strong, and was making great gains and seeing some results.  As per usual though, I lost focus, lost energy, lost the oomph to keep going, and quit around week 5.  Most people in the group say that they start to see their best results between week 6 and 9... I was SO close to being there!

I get why I stopped.  I just wasn't feeling great, and it was so hard to force myself to do a workout.  At the time I honestly felt I couldn't do it.  I would even feel teary eyed part way through, which is not something that happens to me during a workout usually!  Looking back though, I'm really disappointed that I didn't follow through.  I could be one of those people posting their before and afters, inspiring others, having those muscles that I really wanted.  It was all up to me and I'm the one who dropped the ball.

I'm letting my disappointment go because I just don't think it's healthy to hold on to, and I'm considering this an excellent lesson learned.  I now know that if a big event is coming up, that is not the time to start something intense, new, and challenging.  When I have a lot of stress going on, I think my body responds better to extra sleep and benefits from cardio over weights.

I am really looking forward to the wedding.  It's a day to celebrate finding love and marks us starting our lives together.  Once we have put this huge and special event behind us I plan on making an extra effort to put health and fitness above most other things, as a thanks to my body for putting up with me for the past few months.  Cody and I have this excellent chance to start as a team in our marriage and I am really excited to lay out some plans with him.  My goal is that starting in September we have a mutual plan and know what we're aiming for in all aspects of our life but specifically finances, health, and careers.

Enough of looking back and regretting that workout I missed or that chocolate I've been nibbling away at (it's now hidden in our basement).  I am ready to let go of that and of the stress that comes with wedding planning.  I'm going to enjoy these next 10 days to their fullest, rock our wedding day, and look forward to starting clean slate in September with shiny new goals to attain and achieve.

XO - Michelle

It's been a little while since my last post, and I really want to get back into the routine of writing more regularly!

Stress of the wedding has started to get to me.  I've been putting off some of the more intimidating wedding projects and by doing so it's made me procrastinate on basically everything in my life.

Luckily for me I have amazing friends who came over and helped make 140 s'more kits for wedding favors.  They look amazing and I am so excited for our guests to receive such a personalized gifty :).  We had a fun night full of laughter and conversation, and I cannot express how much I love my friends!!! 

The next day we hiked the ski hill and checked out the ceremony location that Cody and I chose.  It is truly magical up there on the mountain and I am hoping with all I've got for beautiful summer weather to celebrate our marriage day.

The mixture of wonderful friends and a great hike made me stop and think.  I've been really critical of myself over the past little while, kind of giving up hope on myself.  I'm frustrated by my lack of energy, resulting in no workouts and no food prep.  Though I'm still mostly making healthy choices, I've been giving in to some temptation and while temporarily satisfying, it's mostly really disappointing to eat something I know isn't good for me.  I reflected on what I've been eating lately and realized one of the reasons I'm having such negative progress is my lack of food intake!  Because of the no food prep I've been eating less and it has definitely impacted my prior gains.

So...  For my 4 day week I am going to focus on the following:

• Food prep!!!  Have snacks and meals available.
• Daily exercise, whatever is appealing.
• Get more sleep!

In other news, my no tomato plan has been going well!  I have been able to avoid my two faves, ketchup and salsa, but every day I long for ketchup on my sweet potatoes.

XO - Michelle

Calming Down & Back in the Kitchen!

Wedding countdown is at 18 freaking days today.  In some ways that feels really short, and in other ways really long.

To say I am feeling pretty amped up would be an understatement.  I stayed up past midnight on Sunday night searching the internet for the *perfect* colour of baker's twine for the s'more kits...  I'm not good with being wired and busy all the time, so I decided I really need to practice a few daily routines to make sure I don't get rundown and wind up sick or sad.

I am going to make damn sure I get to bed and actually get to sleep before 10.  Chamomile tea or a warm almond milk, comfortable temperature room, bedtime routine, deep breathing.  This is SO important!

Next is to make sure I get in some sort of activity every day.  A walk, some stretching, an actual workout, a bike ride.  Something!  A time just for me, to clear my mind.  No thinking of anything except how pretty it is outside or how good the movement is for me.

Another thing I need to do for my sanity is to work on something wedding every day.  That sounds weird and obsessive but if I don't do some small task I think I'll feel like I'm falling behind.  The s'more wedding favors are a huge undertaking so they are something I'm going to chip away at daily, among other things.

Lastly is the obvious, stay hydrated and fed. 

I haven't been taking the time to prep cook but last night I finally cooked up a whole tray of chicken breasts, some sweet potatoes, and some gluten free macaroni.  This takes care of at least a portion of my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  I also baked a really delicious snack option, click here for recipe!!  Once I got cooking I felt so happy!!  Love being in the kitchen :) cooking and baking are two things I should not neglect. 

XO - Michelle

Focusing On My Face

Yep, that's right... I am focusing on my face.

That sounds funny, but let me explain.  My face keeps breaking out and it is really starting to drive me nuts!  I don't want to have to wear layers of foundation and concealer, I want to be fresh faced!  My doctor put me back on tetracycline and it maybe is helping a bit, but what about the next time I go off of it?

My brother and my mom have had great results from cutting out tomatoes, and unfortunately I think that's my next step.  While I'm normally up for the challenge of giving something up in the name of health, this one hurts.  I don't actually like tomatoes by themselves, but I count on ketchup and salsa to jazz up almost every meal that I eat.

I've decided to make it a 19 day challenge, since that will take us to wedding day!!!  For the next 19 days, no tomato products.  Sigh...  In light of this, I've been trying to think of other condiments that I can use to replace my usual staples.  So far I've thought of guacamole, Amazing Dad's Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce, rice vinegar & lime juice, and hummus.  These sound like delicious alternatives and I think I can do this!!!

In the spirit of cutting things out, I'm also challenging myself to consume no gluten, dairy, or white sugar.  I am excited to see what kind of results I have with this new plan and if all goes well, I'll show you before and after face pics, makeup free.... YIKES!

XO - Michelle

Banishing the Sniffles

By the title you would think I know how to do this.  I do not.

After my super fun weekend in Banff, I came home just a little tired and worn out.  I then spent the rest of the week further tiring myself out, so it should have come as no surprise that I now find myself with a cold:  pounding headache, a bloated stomach, and some severe sniffles!

I don't really know how to fix this, if I did it would be gone.  But I've been taking some action to fight the damn thing.  No one wants to look like a pregnant Rudolf at their own wedding!

Cody has been bullying me to bed as early as he can... our room is a sauna in this heat so it hasn't been as early as it should be.  More sleep helps in a big way. 

I've also been making Traditional Medicinals Echinacea Plus Tea double strength and putting it in the fridge until cold, then adding lemon.  An immune boosting iced tea!  It's really good!  I will be doing this for the rest of the summer with all sorts of different teas!!!

Saturday couldn't have come soon enough and I'm happy to report a slight sleep in this morning.  We plan on a little hike before the heatwave, a browse through the farmer's market, and a BBQ dinner.

XO - Michelle

Stagette Recap

Good Morning!!!

Apologies for the break in posts!  Life has just been a little crazy and writing out my thoughts unfortunately took a backseat.

First order of business... Let's talk about my stagette!!!

Can I just say it was totally fabulous!?  I've always known I'm especially fortunate in having great friends, but a weekend like the one I just had really solidifies it.  These girls are so amazing!  Danielle planned a weekend that suited me to a T.  It had all the elements I had been thinking a cool stagette would have, and she really made that all possible for me.

Highlights of the trip:

• Heather brought me a texas mickey!!!  Don't worry, not much of it got drank, but it was pretty fun to pump vodka out of a huge bottle!  It's sitting in a visible place of honor at my house now and I take great pleasure in offering people a drink from it :)
• Wandering the streets of Banff.  Seriously the coolest place ever!!!
• Dinner at Bear Street Tavern.  Ummm YUM.  That is all.  I had a seriously amazing caeser and the Chicken Fajitas with no dairy.
• A night of moving and grooving at The Dancing Sasquatch.  Such a cool place!  There were trees inside, great music, and really awesome dancers that we befriended.  I unofficially quit the bar scene a couple years ago, but if we had places like this in Cranbrook I would probably go out more often.  Such a great vibe, and everyone was just there to have fun. 
• I avoided all possible hangovers!!!  Know your limit, stay within it ;)
• Hiking Johnson Canyon and the Ink Pots.  It was a little bit of a challenge but in a good way.  It made me realize how far I've come from the days of getting lightheaded and queasy from physical effort.  The views were absolutely magnificent and I would highly recommend all or part of this hike to anyone.  It starts out pretty high traffic, but mostly people are just going to see the falls.  If you continue on the the Ink Pots the crowd thins out and the majestic beauty of Banff National Park is all yours!!  
• An amazing, clean eating dinner planned by Danielle.  She cooked chicken foil packets on the fire for us!  I hadn't eaten much after our hike and then in a hungry whirlwind dove in to crackers and hummus, leaving little room for dinner which is possibly my only regret of the trip!
• Breaky at Touloulous.  Delicious.  I had my favorite caeser of the weekend (order the Cajun Caeser if you go there!) and the Breggfast Sandwich, highly recommend it.  They make everything fresh and to order so you can change around anything you need to in case of dietary restrictions.  Best.
• Shopping!!!  Obviously.  Highlights would be finding a pair of Lulu Lemon shorts on sale and sunscreen from Rocky Mountain Soap Company.

Other than these main points, things that stick out in my mind are the giggles and stories that we were never without, being outside all the time, treks to find empty shower stalls,  and an overall sense of feeling so loved.

Danielle has posted pics on her blog so please check them out by clicking here!!!

I've been smiling all week thinking back to how much fun we had.  I think we all miss each other because the group texts have been pretty legendary.  The random things that friends talk about...

XO - Michelle

Friday Recipe Find & Off to Banff I Go!!!!

Any packing list that includes hiking boots, sports bras, and sleeping bags is bound to be a winner.  Include a wolf pack of your bestest ladies and you've got a grand weekend in the works.  Well folks, that's exactly what I've got going on!

I woke up this morning in the best mood ever!  A Friday off from work, gorgeous weather, bag packed, texts from friends... aaah yes, hello stagette weekend.

I'm about to hit the road, but let me share with you this weeks edition of Friday Recipe Find.  I'm just going to leave you the link, so please go and check this out!  Juli from Paleomg is really funny and real.  I enjoy her blog oh so much and these breakfast meatballs are delish!  I used turkey sausage and bacon in mine, yum!!!  And another time I subbed in ground chicken for the sausage.  Do what meets your eating style!

Breakfast Bacon and Maple Meatballs from PaleOMG

Trip recap on Monday!!!

XO - Michelle

Bridal Prep, Being Me, and Stagette Excitement!

Yesterday evening I tried on my wedding dress again to see where I'm at.  I have been having a lot of anxiety over my dress... did I choose the right one, are people going to whisper to each other that it looks horrible, is it going to fit properly... that kind of anxiety!  As soon as it was on I felt awesome!!!  I really love it and I feel amazing in it.  Now that I've seen myself in it and am happy I can let go of one thing that has been stressing me out!

I'm getting so excited for all of the beauty prep and pampering that goes with an upcoming wedding!  I think the two things I'm most excited for are eyelash extensions and a spray tan.  I really love the long lash look but mine tend to look quite short without a lot of mascara, so this reduces primping time and also means I won't have clumpy lashes and runny black cheeks if I tear up.  Spray tanning, well, I just love it.  I'm such a whitey and spray tanning makes me feel pretty wonderful!  It's crazy how slimming it is and I always feel like a better version of myself with one... until it starts to fade.  Then I just look streaky and weird!

It seems like I've been going a period of days every so often where I'm in a really self-judgmental fog.  I don't want people to look at me because all I can feel is my broken out face or my pudgy belly.  It's so disrespectful to myself and when the fog clears it's almost shocking to see a normal person looking at me in the mirror!  I really want to work on having a better self image and not worrying so much about this kind of thing.  I truly believe that aside from a first glance, people see a personality not a face or body.  I don't notice or pick apart people who are kind, funny, or friendly.  As soon as they are rude though, all I notice are their flaws.  I can feel myself shy away from talking to people or attending social events if I'm noticing my not-so-loved bits and so it's going to be a worthwhile challenge to push past this.

http://greatinspirationalquotes.blogspot.ca/2011/11/self-esteem-quotes.html#.UeVkjm166No

On a fantastically positive note, tomorrow Danielle, Kirsten, and I are heading to Banff to meet up with three more girlfriends; Nancy, Ali, and Heather for STAGETTE TIME!  I am so incredibly stoked to have a weekend of fun.  These girls are so great and we make a good team.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful and Danielle has found a hike that I'm really excited for.  We have a great couple of days in store and I can't express how much I'm looking forward to it!

Tonight I am going to get our house nice and clean so I don't have to tidy up when I get home.  Rookie Blue is going to be on and I don't have to work tomorrow (obviously) so I'm the happiest kid around right now!!!

XO - Michelle

One Month Countdown

ONE MONTH UNTIL WEDDING!!!

I am so excited!  And admittedly, stressed!  I finished all of the jar centerpiece projects last night which is fantastic, and now they are stacked in our basement which means I have counter space again!  Great news. 

So as previously mentioned, my wedding workout calendar was a bust after like 4 days.  Shoot!  So instead of being hard on myself, I've decided to adopt an attitude of no big deal.  Instead, I'm aiming for three things every day:  Dips, lunges, and squats.  For some reason, the two parts of me that I would really like to see developed are my triceps and thighs.  Additionally, I like to go for a walk or do some sort of workout.  I'm not a total lazy bum, I just like to decide what I'm going to do right before I'm going to do it!  I've been enjoying walks, workout videos, and plan to get a couple bike rides in.

A workout "tool" that I've really been appreciative of is an app on my phone called Skimble Workout Trainer.  I had the free version for the longest time, and a couple of months ago bought the full version.  It has a variety of workouts and you can choose the length of time, target area, and fitness level that you wish for that day.  It's been my go-to workout lately, so I'm really glad I found it!

Tonight I get to try on my dress with my friends and my ma, so I can't wait to get it on and see how it looks!  I just want it to be tomorrow evening because it means I'm done work for the week, Rookie Blue is on, and I can pack my bag for Banff!

XO - Michelle

Stagette Countdown

I am so freaking excited for my stagette!!!  My friends and I are 2 1/2 ish days away from a weekend full of fun.  We have decided to spend my "last single days" in the Banff National Park, doing some camping, hiking, shopping, and eating in and around the beautiful town of Banff - which happens to be one of my favorite places!!


I am a little worried that my friends are expecting, or even hoping for, a "Hank the Tank" appearance.  I do plan on having some drinks, I do not plan on going wild.  Those days are over, and I'm hoping my friends aren't disappointed.  This would be one of those times that I have trouble with the changes I've made in my life.  My friends probably don't really care if I drink or not, we will obviously have fun no matter what... It's all ME, worrying for no reason!  Putting unnecessary pressure on myself for no reason!  Part of the learning experience.

My list of must do's/haves for Banff:

• Lulu Lemon
• A bag of tea from Banff Tea Co
• Bath Salts from Rocky Mountain Soap Company
• A meal at Bear Street Tavern
• Delicious food and s'mores over the fire
• Ceasers and girly drinks
• Memories and pictures that I can hang on to for the rest of my life!!!

XO - Michelle

Recap of Weekly Goals for July 7 - 13 & Finding Some Focus

Good Morning!

 

Well our Calgary weekend was a flurry of activity.  From shopping to visiting to wedding attendance to travel it was quite a whirlwind.  

 

I was not in the happiest state of mind when my alarm went off this morning... that is, until I remembered that CODY COMES HOME TODAY!!!  I'm so excited to see him, even if it is only for a day.  He gets to carry on to Kelowna for his stag this week/weekend.  I only am a little sad about our short visit since I know he's going to have such a great time... and since my own stagette is this weekend :) WOOHOO! 

 

RECAP OF WEEKLY GOALS FOR JULY 7 - 13

1. Prepare some snacks for Calgary road trip - I did prepare some snacks!  And they helped very much on the way there.  Unfortunately I feel the need to admit that my inner fat kid made a bit of an appearance and I enjoyed some delicious, bloat-able food.
2. Stick to new workout schedule - No.  Oh dear!  I rebelled against it instantly.  I did get activity in, but not as scheduled and not every day.  I did lose some stomach fat but... I think after Calgary it might be back...
3. Apple cider vinegar with dinner - I only did this for maaaybe 2 nights.  I really really need to get back into this though because I notice a huge, negative difference without it.
4. Early to bed!!! - I did decently well with this one!
5. Work on wedding tasks for a little bit each day - Yep.  Things are rolling with all my little projects :)

This week I've decided to choose more of a general focus rather than making specific goals.  I think it's basically the same as weekly goals with different wording, but it feels refreshing!

MINI FOCUSES: 

• establish a bedtime routine
• reduce stomach bloating
• daily movement
• clean eating

 MAIN FOCUS:

• to feel healthy, fit, and energized so I have fun and don't feel draggy during my stagette!

Well, I had better get back to counting down until Cody's plane arrives, and then counting down until work is over.  These are pretty important tasks ;)

XO - Michelle

OEB Breakfast Co.

I must share with you this awesome restaurant find!!!

On a previous trip to Calgary our friends took us to OEB Breakfast Co.

It was so amazing and I can't wait for my next visit there!  I was so hungry that I totally forgot to take a picture of my meal until after the fact, darn!!

The food is sourced locally, the eggs are free run from OEB's own chicken flock, the restaurant itself is full of charm, and the service is friendly.

Read the official description of OEB here.

I decided to kick breakfast off with a Tropical Twister smoothie, it had mango, banana, pineapple juice and mango nectar... no milk products, hooray!  It was really yummy and not too sweet which was a bonus!

For my meal I chose the Farmer John's Delight Three Egg Scram-blette.  It had apple wood smoked bacon lardons, rosemary ham, green onions, and wild mushrooms in it.  The dish came with a choice of white, rye, or multigrain fresh baked bread.  I chose the multigrain and was really impressed with how large and thick of a slice was provided.  There was also a side of herbed potatoes cooked in organic duck fat; they were some of the best potato wedges I have ever eaten!

I was leery to order a scrambled egg dish because it seems that most restaurants use milk in their scramble.  Upon asking, our server informed me that they could make the scramble milk-free; how awesome is that!?  She didn't act like it was an odd request at all and I appreciated her knowledge!!

Although we had a long wait to actually get in for breaky, we were all super impressed at how fast our food came to the table.  The restaurant was full and bustling but our server still took time to stop and chat with us, make us feel welcome, and never appeared rushed.

Check our OEB's menu here, and I highly suggest you give it a try!

XO - Michelle