Tuesday, November 29, 2011

yoga retreat.

this past weekend was just wonderful.  I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with so many amazing people.  the drive up to tofino was gorgeous, I had fantastic company and we just laughed for the entire 3 hours.  once we arrived at middle beach lodge, we checked into our rooms...


view from my room.

room all to myself.


after, we spent the evening enjoying a wine, cheese and chocolate event while relaxing by the fire and chit chatting.  then our first yoga class- a fabulous restorative class.  amazing.  ignore this bad photo quality but we practiced in this room that had a huge fireplace and faced the ocean..




the next day we started the morning off with a little breakfast, then a 20 minute meditation and a 90 minute hatha class.  I enjoyed this class SO much, I finally got some of my energy back and was feeling so happy to be doing something I love after struggling through the past week of school and work.

I spent the rest of the day on saturday going for a beach walk, finishing up a little school work, having a bath and a nap! it was fantastic.


saturday evening, we had some wine at the lodge and then headed over to dinner.  dinner was to die for! stuffed pepper, asparagus, potatoes, spinach salad, tomato and feta salad and a flourless chocolate brownie for dessert.  I was a happy camper after that meal :) following dinner we had a relaxing yin yoga class.  it seems like the weekend went by so quickly! the next morning was our 90 minute vinyasa class before hitting the road.  what a great way to end the weekend.

I would have to say that highlights for me of this retreat were simply enjoying the company of people I had no idea I was going to meet upon going to this retreat on my own.  I learned so much about some other yogis at my studio, was inspired by their stories and laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt for the entire 3 days.  people are wonderful.. and I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life.  and some new ones now! what a treat.

yoga is an amazing thing- I have no idea where I would be without it.  the philosophy of yoga has really started to resonate with me even off my mat.  I find that I don't compare myself with others, I am grateful for the things I have in life and I take the time to enjoy the simple things.  do what you can, with what you have, where you are.  that is that.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

bliss.

you know it is a good weekend when during yoga class the instructions are as follows.. "head towards the ocean and feet towards the fire..."

I can't wait to share the details of my amazing yoga retreat with all of you.  the laughs, the yoga, the FOOD, the relaxation.. it was all absolutely blissful. but for now I need to get my life in order for the busy week ahead and will be back soon with lots of stories!

I love the westcoast.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

things I'm proud of.

*my non procrastination skills
*my viu campus for banning bottled water
*my classmates who are so passionate about implementing sustainable practices.  this generation of biologists and geographers is going to do great things I tell yah.
*how my public speaking has evolved this semester.
*the fact that I have found what I am really passionate about.  and also, I have totally accepted that this may change from year to year, day to day but not to worry.  just do what makes you happy and everything else falls into place.
*my pigeon pose in yoga.  it has come a long way- perhaps because cathy makes us sit in it for at least 3 minutes each practice :)
*stickin' with my vegetarian diet.
*my little quote in the amnesty international newsletter.  that was a good moment- can't wait for yogathon 2012.
*my friends and family.  I could write a whole post on each of my girlfriends, each member of my family and D's family and how they amaze me.  maybe I will do that someday...

take a moment and think of why you are proud of yourself.  and here is a little soundtrack for that activity...

Monday, November 21, 2011

my favourite things as of late.

the snow.  I know, I know.  you may think I'm crazy but I think the white stuff is so pretty and I try to enjoy it because it only comes once in a while around here and at least we don't have the blizzarding cold weather that usually comes along with the snow.  so. i like it. :)  especially on friday when I was actually healthy and I drank my tea on my comfy red couch and the snow was falling.  that was a good moment.



this playlist- cute & sleepy


this outfit- love big scarves, big bags and boots :)

source

a little reading sanctuary

source


sweet potato chips. best lunch ever. can't get enough of them

Saturday, November 19, 2011

saturday sickness.

hey friends-

wish I had something exciting for you today but unfortunately I am about all out of energy and creativity.  I got a nasty cold today and it is draining me.

I could use a bit of this, a nap and a good movie.  I have done really well in the past year with catching colds and flus but when I do get one it always seems to come at the worst time.  I have to work all weekend and next week, I have a presentation on monday and the house is messy.  where is all my energy when I need it!

nothing like a few pugs to put a smile on my face...

and if anyone is bored, you could make some of these.  I will gladly help you eat them :)



okay, that's all i got. I need a nap.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

things I've learned.

1. I'm not very good at "relaxing" vacations- but getting better.
2. That a lunch time run in november when the sun is shining is the best thing ever.
3. That sometimes recipes that seem fool-proof are not so much fool-proof.
4. My obsession with dogs is never going to let up. that is until I get a puppy and it is constantly peeing everywhere and chewing up the furniture.
5. When you run into an acquaintance that you don't particularly feel like chatting with, it is always best to suck it up and say hi.  That way it doesn't get super awkward when you clearly pass by them in the grocery store on several occasions, pretending that you have no idea they are right in front of you.  Kill em with kindness.
6. Some people never change.
7. To completely let go of my day when I go to yoga.  I used to have such a hard time with this and now as soon as I get there, I forget everything that has happened and everything I have yet to do.  Often times, this is my only hour of the day that is 100% for myself and I can now take full advantage of that.
8. To print michaels coupons off the website- that way I can go back multiple times, each time with a different 40% off coupon.  Student budget has really taught me how to be frugal :)
9. To master my sweet potato chips recipe.
10. Costco is dangerous- very, very dangerous.  We just got a membership and we picked up a few things while we were there and all of a sudden we spent $80.  


***The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. - John Powell


source


What have you learned lately?

thursday thought.





things are crazy busy around here! hope to be back later today or early tomorrow with another post for you!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

recent eats.

double banana chocolate chip breakfast bars, which abby and I whipped up together.  



apple pie oatmeal


the best thai coconut soup of all time. DELICIOUS.





the best chocolate chip cookies EVER. found the recipe here.  taking them to school to share tomorrow because they can't hang around my kitchen, they are WAY too good.




what have you been cooking lately?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

thursday thought.

source via pinterest

love this one. pinterest is the jam for quotes- I'm loving it.  

and song of the day... periscopes by the beautiful girls.



happy thursday! 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

another hit in the kitchen.

since I vowed to not eat meat unless it was local and non-medicated, I haven't really eaten much meat at all. we have to make an extra stop during the week to pick up chicken from a local deli that has non-medicated chicken products and sometimes we just don't get around to it.  when we do have it in the house, I try to limit meat to one dinner per week.  tonight was the night and another one of my experiments in the kitchen turned out deliciously. meatball subs...


I modified this recipe from eat, live, run, which I think I have blogged about previously.

I used:
.75 lbs local non-medicated ground chicken
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 heaping tsp. mrs dash extra spicy
1 tsp. oregano
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup breadcrumbs



combine the milk and breadcrumbs and let sit for 5 minutes. mix all remaining ingredients together including bread crumb mixture and form small meatballs and place on cookie sheet (I put tinfoil on my cookie sheet and lightly greased it) bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

for meatball subs:

 put meatballs in bun- we used portuguese rolls, which were perfect.   place any type of marinara or pizza sauce on top and then sprinkle with cheese and veggies (we used red onion and red pepper).  bake till melted and crispy.


sorry bad quality photo from my phone.

totally hit the spot.  I think I would make a big batch of these meatballs and freeze them separately to use in pastas or subs.  these came together in a flash after D and I got back from yoga because I made the meatballs in the afternoon and then just reheated them for the subs.  so simple and delicious.  I am on a roll this week :)

can't wait for 3 day weekend!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

here and there.

hey friends-

this week has been a busy one- highlights so far included two awesome 75 minute yoga classes, a morning run, getting an A on an assignment, and starting my new job on thursday :)   this week has also been full of delicious dinners- falafel, tamale pie(an experiment that turned out surprisingly well), homemade and totally delicious halibut tacos<-- these absolutely rocked and came together so easily.  gotta love that leftover halibut from working for fisheries and oceans in the summer :)  thanks brooke for the tips on how to prepare them.  they will definitely be making another appearance for dinner again soon.  success in the kitchen x 2 this week. so far so good.

in other news, I'm totally addicted to pinterest.  wow is that website ever time consuming.  sometimes I reward myself for doing a certain chunk of homework with some time on pinterest :)  I still haven't totally figured it out but I am definitely enjoying it.  I would recommend you check it out!

I will leave you with this...

source

happy tuesday- yay for a short week!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

weekend.

bamfield was such a treat.  it was quite a long drive considering we stayed in bamfield for less than 24 hours but well worth it.  the school component went great and it was awesome to see some biology friends from the summer :) we were out on the boat and over on the westside where we ran into a bear and this wheelbarrow full of puppies...

highlight of the trip.

hike to brady's beach. miss this place.

overall, it was a lot of time on the bus but a great trip.  I was exhausted after getting home but squeezed in a run because I was feeling stir crazy after being on the bus FOREVER.

saturday was also lovely...

guy fawkes bonfire.
finally all 8 of us had the chance to get together. we had a great time although it was a chilly one! 

sunday I spent my extra hour in bed, due to the time change, and then was off to coombs and englishman river falls with jess.  



I love sundays.  this evening consisted of making falafels for dinner and lazying around the house.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

mail!!!

I got these two gems in the mail today from aisle to aloha studio.  check out her paintings- they are amazing!! I have blogged about her in the past but now I can speak first hand about how great her art is because I received my art in the mail this morning!! Lindsay does beautiful work and she was kind enough to give us lots of good tips for things to see and do in hawaii.  if anyone is planning on making an order let me know- I already want another one to add to my collection!



can't wait to find the perfect spot for them in my home :)

this weekend you should:
listen to this playlist or buy this album
learn 25 ways to wear a scarf <-- that way you can bundle up and get outside for a crisp fall walk :)
do some yoga
make some of these for your friends


happy weekend friends.  I will be back monday for a weekend/bamfield update.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

thursday thought

best.parents.ever.



If your children look up to you, you've made a success of life's biggest job.


m & d- you have been successful. xo

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

the little things.

this week, so far, has been a bit of a stressful one.  fortunately, I now have 2 major presentations out of the way and am off to bamfield tomorrow for a couple days.  can't wait! that being said, some little things have kept me going through the past few busy days..


*island sunrise.  ignore the crappy quality of this photo because I took it from my phone but I couldn't resist.  such a beautiful sunrise this morning


*these little munchkins on ellen. holy cow- if you can also catch their interview with ellen then be prepared to have a permanent smile plastered on your face.  they are ADORABLE. take 5 minutes out of your day to let these two cuties cheer you up.  i haven't watched ellen in forever and today after spending 2 hours doing field work in the freezing rain, I sat on the couch with my tea and was fortunate enough to catch these girls.

*date nights.  D sent me a text early this week and asked if he could take me out.  needless to say, that cheered me up instantly and has given me something to look forward to all week.

*simple compliments from my peers.  after the first presentation I had on monday, one of my classmates said to me afterward "wow, that was really good. you set the bar pretty high"   a good moment :)

*puppy love. I got to meet our friends new boxer, zoey. after about 15 minutes with her I was so content.  nothing like a little dog time to cheer you up.  seriously. I need a dog.

it is really the little things. yesterday, I had such a fabulous yoga class, which always puts things in perspective and then had a delicious homemade dinner with D.  life is good :)

off to bamfield tomorrow!