fitness goals.

my goal last week was:
4 days bike to and from school
2 strength workouts
1 run
2 yoga classes

I completed these goals for the week and was really happy about it.  I find it SO much easier to go into the week with a plan.  first I make my list of goals, like the one above, then I slot time in each day to make it all happen.  this makes everything easier to manage when the week seems to fill up quickly with school and work.  this week I made a similar list.

the strength workout I completed twice last week was an arms and abs workout.  I opted for working these muscles since my legs were pretty tired from biking, running and yoga.

I found this workout on pinterest and adapted it slightly:
10 pushups
20 dips
30 bicep curls(with 5 pound weights)
40 second plank
50 crunches (25 x 2 sets)
40 second plank
30 bicep curls (with weights)
20 dips
10 pushups.

short yet efficient! I think next time I would up the plank to 1 minute.

todays awesome thing: when I tell D he is on dinner duty because I just can't fit it in after a long day at school and then yoga.  and he agrees without complaining and I come home to a warm, delicious, vegetarian meal.  love him.

and this dog.

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.

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!

11 things I'm grateful for.

one of my yoga teachers recently finished her blissology yoga training and she has been teaching us all about it each tuesday.  I am totally loving it- there are all these other aspects to the philosophy than simply yoga.  each week we learn about a new aspect or pillar to this philosophy.  in previous weeks it has been, meditation, food appreciation and nature appreciation.  the last pillar, which we are exploring this week, is gratitude.  during the beginning of class she talked about gratitude and how we should be so thankful for all the wonderful things we are blessed with.  each day it is important to be grateful for those simple things that keep us going.  so in honour of that- here are 11 things I'm grateful for this week.

1. extra long savasana

2. my pink spatula- I baked up a storm this week.

3. the fact that I fit into a kids skirt at value village that I found for my halloween costume

4. the chocolate cookie that jess delivered to me before class on thursday morning.  you betcha I ate it at 8.30 in the morning.

5. all the delicious cheese i devoured at wine fest. the wine too i guess- yah that was good.

6. prompt email replies.

7. free soy upgrades and discounts for reusable mugs at starbucks.

8. a long evening walk- a long, cold evening walk. in the dark. but it was great because I had the best company.

9. skype dates

10. evenings without homework.

11. my friends and family. as always. they are the best ever and keep me going.

I am also so grateful to have had such a wonderful holiday.  I tend to day dream about it from time to time...

I am also grateful for nerds night out last night.  we had such a great time. 

morg and jess- the best biology study buddy. 

what are you grateful for?

weekend.

this was my first "real" weekend in quite a while.  I was working both saturday and sunday up until hawaii and now I'm only working saturdays so I actually have some time to myself.  this weekend I tried to make very minimal plans and I was SO looking forward to it.

friday, I had an amazing hot yoga class- it felt great to release all those toxins and sweat like a crazy person for an entire hour.  so wonderful. then derek and I relaxed on the couch with popcorn and a movie. perfect night in my books.

saturday, highlights included a nice run around the neighbourhood with D and this chicken enchilada spaghetti for dinner

sunday was just wonderful. I have missed sundays dearly. it started off great with homemade crepes!

this was the recipe I used from allrecipes:
*1 cup flour
*1/2 cup water
*1/2 cup milk
*2 eggs
*2 tablespoons melted butter
*1 teaspoon vanilla (don't add if you want to make savoury crepes)

mix the water, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla.  then gradually whisk in the flour.  I put a small amount of butter in the frying pan before each crepe to prevent sticking.  pour in about 1/4 cup batter and tilt the pan to spread the batter into a large circle. after ~2 minutes flip and cook for another 2.
makes 8 crepes.

toppings are endless:
-nutella and banana
-peanut butter and banana
-syrup
-berries

following breakfast and some relaxation around the house we were off to start our sunday errands.  we hunted down some great finds for our halloween costumes and then ventured out to the nanaimo river to get some sunshine.  I had to do some fieldwork for one of my assignments for school so D took me to a couple different spots to make some notes and get some photos.  it was such a gorgeous day to be outside.

now to enjoy the rest of my sunday evening before a busy week ahead.  hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

21 day yoga challenge.

check out this challenge.

I'm taking part- you should too! I started today.. only 20 minutes but better than zero! I think this is going to be a good way to encourage myself to practice in order to keep my sanity.  things are getting crazy around here and I often don't feel I can fit in exercise but what's 20 minutes? I can always spare 20 minutes.  I feel that keeping everything in perspective is important and I'm not ready to give up something I love for 6 whole weeks! so yoga challenge it is.

okay, now back to the books :)
--m

my new yoga sanctuary.

nice view, eh? I'm totally diggin' it.  I did a 40 minute ukee summer flow by eoin finn and it rocked.  hope I can still manage to squeeze in time for yoga once school gets crazy! today was definitely information overload so I need to review a bit before going to bed!

can't wait to see my lovelies this weekend!
--m

busy day.

last night D and I made a delicious dinner- we grilled up some veggies(sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and peppers), corn on the cob and some non-medicated chicken sausages.  this was SO simple and came together in a flash.  I like BBQ'ing because that is always D's job!  after dinner, we decided to head out in the sunshine for a nice walk- we ended up walking for about 45 minutes.  it was really nice to just enjoy each others company, I'm going to seriously miss him while I'm gone.

here is little photo update of my lilies- they are a bloomin'!

today I had a wonderful breakfast date with my parents, ange, darc and abby.  we wandered through the farmers market after breakfast.  then I ran some errands and picked up some super cute jeans a cute tee at the gap.

after a busy morning, I laced up my runners and went for a jog which looked like this:
*5 minutes walking for warm up
*run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  repeat 7 times
*10 minutes walking for cool down.

I returned home and did a "running cool down" yoga podcast from eoin finn.  short and sweet but it ensures that you stretch all the necessary muscles after a run.  it was perfect! check out his podcasts- I downloaded several of them on itunes and am totally loving them! he has a "yoga for short attention spans".. sounds like he knows me perfectly! can't wait to try that one out.

off to continue packing.
--m

spoiled.

my last day of work yesterday was wonderful.  I got some really good feedback about the work that I did while I was there and left feeling accomplished and optimistic that I can hopefully work there again sometime in the near(ish) future.  I learned so much during that short 3 months.  derek brought me these home to congratulate me on my last day..

he is the best.  we love having lilies around the house- they last long, smell wonderful and are just plain beautiful. I love receiving flowers and he always picks the best days! things have been pretty crazy around here lately as I'm getting organized to leave so sometimes it's nice to just forget about all the "to-do's" and enjoy time with friends and family.  D and I have a date tonight because it's our last day that we have a chance to spend with each other being that the weekend is filled with a birthday party friday night and a wedding on saturday!

this morning, in celebration of not having to go to work this morning, I enjoyed a non-traditional weekday breakfast.  normally, its overnight oats but this morning I had blueberry eggo's with peanut butter, a little syrup, frozen berries and a banana! delicious! it is a nice treat to switch it up sometimes.

after breakfast, errands(including getting my passport photo taken and going to the passport office), I met my mom and dad for a coffee date! mom brought me these two little treasures home from her trip.  this tea towel is the jam!! it says:

I am not a chef

I did not attend 

le cordon bleu 

I don't wear 

a puffy hat

I cook

for my family

my friends

myself

I am not a chef

I am a cook

I absolutely love it! I'm not sure if I am a very good "cook" just yet, but I really am trying! and this bowl is awesome- I already have a plate and another bowl that are the same brand.  they are made out of recycled material, which is right up my alley and they are super funky.  I need to pick up a couple more so I can make a whole set!

anyways, it has been a wonderful week.  lots of socializing- including megs 30th birthday- shout out to her!! I managed to squeeze in a fab yoga for athletes yoga class on monday and a vinyasa flow on tuesday.  today I'm headed to the studio for my last class until I return in September- how sad!! I hope to squeeze in a run tomorrow and possibly zumba on saturday.

just wanted to touch quickly on what my plan is in terms of blogging while I'm away.  I will try my best to post a few times a week, but I don't get my schedule until I start class on monday.  I am going to be extremely busy out there but I will make time for the blog whenever I can.  be patient and I will do my best!

--m

confessions of a yogi.

a yogi- a person who is proficient in yoga (sounds fancy :) I like it!)

*I consider myself no expert when it comes to yoga, but I consider myself a "yogi" in the sense that I am totally all about the philosophy and practice of yoga and have no idea where I would be in this life without it!  so here it goes.. confessions of a yogi!

-I absolutely love the variation yoga has to offer- the broad spectrum of styles of yoga totally floats my boat.  on any given day there is often a style of yoga perfectly appropriate for your mood.  power yoga, vinyasa flow, yin or even simple meditation.  the mat is your oyster!

- being that I have tried several studios(in several cities), I have to say I love that you can join any studio and feel part of the community.  the yoga community is really special in that way- you instantly feel welcome. practicing with such great people often gives me an extra boost of energy just when I need it.  my current studio that I attend very frequently has the BEST community.  they are always hosting events and workshops, which is something I think is crucial for building strong relationships with the surrounding community as well as between yogis.

-some days, the last thing I feel like doing is going to yoga practice.  but somehow, I end up at the studio and by the time my practice is over I feel just fantastic.

- there is such a thing as a "yoga high" similar to a "runners high".  at least in my opinion.

-in most athletic hobbies or team sports there is always this urge to work harder, run faster, score more and win.  yoga is the complete opposite.  there is always an opportunity to further your practice and find your edge but if you aren't feeling it that day, then often you are encouraged to take it down a notch, modify your poses and simply focus on takin' it easy.  I love that I can make every practice my own by deciding where my energy level is at that day and how my body is feeling.  I think it is an important lesson to learn that you shouldn't assume that what everybody else in the class is doing is what is right for you.  yoga and ego don't get along- I would suggest leaving your ego at the door if you have one.

- yoga teachers are seriously amazing role models.  they are so inspiring and I hope I can provide this inspiration for my own class of yogis one day!

that is that.  i'm sure I will come up with confessions of a yogi part 2 in the near future.

happy tuesday! my last day of work tomorrow!
--m

learn to run.

girls night was a few weekends back and 4 of us decided we were going to run a 10k together next may! I am SO excited for this.  I just want a real reason to train and even though it's a long way away I decided to get a head start on my training now.  I hope that when I'm back in september and anthem is back from calgary that we can all get together for runs as often as possible! just another excuse to get together with my fab friends :)  

training run #1- check!

I am using the 10k training program that brooke posted. my first run looked like this:
warm up- walk 5 minutes(I walked a tad longer because I was trying to get to the trail before I started running)
run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes and repeat 9 times (the program says 8 but I had some extra juice left at the end of 8)
cool down- walk 5 minutes
total: approximately 40 minutes

this walk/run didn't feel like a huge challenge but when I got home I felt satisfied with completing this little dose of cardio.  I want to stick with the program and not rush into the running part in hopes that it actually works and I will be able to do the 10k no problem!

can't wait to have my running buddies with me soon..

the rain ruined my run #2 which was supposed to be today.. oh well. I enjoyed a night in with D and homemade veggie pizza.  also, my quads and hamstrings are fairly sore from my vinyasa flow yoga class last night and 2 walks! with working on my feet all day I can definitely feel the difference in my legs- they tire much quicker! back to yoga tomorrow and then maybe squeeze in my run on friday morning before a fun filled weekend!

night friends.
--m

peanut butter lovin'

a few weeks back, I picked up a 2 kg container of peanut butter on sale for extremely cheap.  I knew exactly what I wanted it for- baking!! I absolutely love baking with peanut butter- no matter what you do with a recipe, if it has peanut butter, it will always taste delicious :)

first peanut butter snack was a version of homemade reese's easter eggs.. they aren't overly pretty but they were delicious.  I adapted a recipe from picky palate and it was totally simple. just icing sugar, peanut butter and melted chocolate! I only made a few of these because they have a few too many cal's to have a whole heap hanging around the house.

next, an old stand-by.. no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal goodness.  I got this recipe from brown eyed baker.  I wanted to whip something up to share with co-workers tomorrow so this was quick and I had all the ingredients at home.  and bonus! didn't have to turn on the oven on this gorgeously warm day.

overall- a successful couple evenings of baking! along with baking, other highlights of the week have included fabulously awesome yoga classes on monday, tuesday and this evening.  I even had a special guest with me tonight for "buddy week".. D attended his first class!!!! super props to him.  he did awesome, just as I expected and he really enjoyed it.  yoga.rocks. YOU should try it :)

its almost friday! I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with D at the beach.
sweet dreams
--m

friday fun.

I took the day off work because I was feeling exhausted from a busy weekend and week.  I needed some time to rest and to catch up on lots of errands.  I did just that. after a little bit of a sleep-in, I picked up a couple groceries and headed to yoga.  after my 75 min class I was feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of my errands.  had the chance to squeeze in a short visit with my parents, drop off D a brownie at work, and visit with my co-workers from my previous job! I miss them so much.  AND the best part ever- one of them invited me to join a book club! I am over the moon excited about that- I have always wanted to join one so I can't wait to get started! can't beat good books and lovely friends.

in other news.. one of my friends introduced me to podcasts a while back.  I started listening and was hooked! it is a nice switch up from music and makes the time fly if you have episodes that really interest you.  I have discussed yoga podcasts before and I absolutely adore them.  other podcasts I love are radiolab and this american life.  okay- it gets better! if any of you read joy the baker, then you will know about her awesome blog and how her posts always manage to make you laugh.  so I just discovered HER podcasts! totally awesome. check it out! I instantly downloaded them all and uploaded them to my iPod. love love love it.

finally, just some other eats from the week. I made a huge pot of soup using the mix pictured below.  it is a spicy thai soup that is really delicious! I simply used veggie broth and added lots of tofu and mushrooms and a squeeze of lemon juice when served.  I would have also added zucchini and broccoli if I had some.

doesn't look overly appetizing- but it sure satisfies the taste buds.

finally, I have heard this idea several times before and again last weekend when I was hanging out with the girls.  it is fake ice cream in a sense- simple blend up frozen bananas and they become fluffy and creamy like ice cream.  I tried it out and was pleasantly surprised! I would love to add berries or cookies to jazz it up next time!

pseudo ice cream

that's all for now! wishing everyone a great weekend!
if you are looking for some weekend recipe ideas- check out brooke's blog for her latest ideas.
--m

firsts.

a first- a new skill that you mastered for the first time.  derek would always come back from downhill mountain biking and say, "I had two firsts!" aka. he did two new jumps or landed two tricks that were new to him.  I quickly latched onto this concept and would come back from yoga and tell him about my "firsts" that class.  this started a long while back when I was just beginning to really get into yoga.  at that point, I was achieving a first at almost every class.. 

my first headstand..

my first handstand..

my first side crow.. mine wasn't quite as pretty as this. but I'm getting there!

but as time went on and I practiced on a regular basis, I wasn't mastering many firsts because the majority of the poses I had usually tried at one time or another.  now, I have developed a new concept for firsts and I don't classify them as a completely new skill but taking a pose to a new level.   that could include something as simple as a longer hold or even a smile!

for example, some recent firsts include..

*binding my side angle pose

*achieving balance for the complete hold of eagle pose on both sides

*taking my 100th chaturanga of the class with a smile! (maybe not quite 100, but sometimes it really feels like it!)

these simple goals and achievements make my practice that much more rewarding.  I just can't get enough yoga. class today was phenomenal- although it felt kinda like a yoga bootcamp? steph incorporated lots of lovely yogi push ups and core exercises to get us sweatin'.

happy yoga-ing!

--m

*all photos from yoga journal

oh monday.

monday comes too fast. always. sometimes certain weekends are especially busy and I don't feel I have time to complete everything on my to do list while finding time to relax.

regardless of this past weekend being extremely busy, it was still lovely :) for fathers day we went golfing in the morning and then had a nice dinner at moms in the evening.  I think dad was really excited about his gifts!

after my normal workday, I headed to yoga which was just fabulous as always. filled with lots of planks, chaturangas and spinal twists.  my favourite pose of todays class: dancers pose.

on another note, I stumbled across another great blog- eat save travel. check it out! and one of the bloggers also writes pause the moment which is a travel blog. SO awesome.  eek I have a serious travel bug right now.  really itching to go somewhere- I love reading about travel adventures and they have some great tips.

finally, just wanted to do a quick review on the book I'm reading.

left neglected- so far, so good! I'm loving it.  the author also wrote still alice, which was one of my favourites.  the story follows a successful business woman with a husband and 3 kids that gets in an accident and is left with a condition called left neglect.  I love the way this author writes- I am hooked on her books!

happy monday.
--m

6 things I'm loving now..

*derek and morgans infinite playlist. I stumbled across this cd the other day and couldn't help but smile. I loaded it onto my computer and my ipod. I made this cd for derek almost 3 years ago- it included songs by fiest, sarah mclaughlan, radiohead, jack johnson and a couple others. out first trip away together was to victoria and we stayed overnight and attended some free outdoor concerts including fiest and sarah- we had such a good time and following that I made this cd and included those artists. the others are just some of our favourite road trip tunes. it was a nice surprise to stumble upon it :)

*halls lozenges- so, on the weekend I wasn't feeling quite myself. I had some vitamin c halls lozenges and each individual wrapper had a little inspirational quote on it! how adorable! totally, totally awesome. I'm a sucker for that kinda stuff!

*blazers- I have been searching for one that I really like and I found these two from forever 21. cuteness! I have to order one of them pretty quick. thoughts and opinions? I can't decide!

*the glass castle-- just finished this book and absolutely loved it! definitely a must read if you haven't already.

*my sunroof- even though my car is basically an antique, doesn't have a gas door, has squeaky brakes, has a speedometer that only works when it wants to and several other quirks, I am totally so thankful for my sunroof. letting the sun shine in is wonderful, even if I have to struggle to get the sun roof open from time to time :)

*this post from carrots 'n' cake- oh my goodness, is their pug cute or WHAT! wow.

originally this list was 7 things and I included the sweet video of acro yoga allstars joe and steph doing some AMAZING stuff. unfortunately, that didn't upload and I was really disappointed. I'm sorry :(

game 7 today- eep! keep your fingers, toes, legs, arms crossed so that the canucks win it all!!

--m

weekend.

acro yoga was amazing! I wasn't feeling so hot earlier in the day and was hoping I could still enjoy the 3 hour workshop.  I definitely enjoyed it- it is much harder than it looks! I had such a good time meeting all the people that were participating and trying all the different poses.  the teacher that flew in to teach the course was totally awesome and I can't wait to do another one of his workshops sometime soon.  

it was really nice to have time to ask questions and I got a serious workout as well.  my body is definitely a little achy today.  here are a few other photos.. there is a video coming soon!

yay for team "get bent"

being the base is hard work!

after the workshop, I had a date with D. sometimes it seems we are both so busy and it is easier when we make scheduled time to hang out with each other.  it also gives me something to look forward to.  after a nice dinner on the patio at a great restaurant in downtown nanaimo, we headed to the waterfront for a walk in the sunshine before going home.  it was such a gorgeous night.

harbour city.

my hot date!

Add caption

I crashed hard last night- I was exhausted!! it was nice to get to sleep early and I awoke this morning feeling much better.  today was spent doing nothing sunday things- errands, cleaning and lazying around.  

back to work tomorrow! hope everyone had a relaxing weekend.

--m

love it.

acro yoga was awesome.. just in case you were wondering :) more on that tomorrow!

night friends.
--m

eats.

since my first ever bowl of overnight oats I have been hooked! they are the perfect meal for an early morning and have been my go-to breakfast for weekdays.  featured here is my favourite combination from this week...

delicious!!

in the bowl went:

*1/2 cup rolled oats

*1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

*1/2 vanilla fat free yogurt

*1/3 cup frozen raspberries

*2 pinches cinnamon

after leaving this overnight, I topped it with a banana and cranberry almond granola in the morning! perfection.. and if I'm really running behind then I can just take it with me and eat it at work! best.breakfast.ever. (and healthy) :)

I'm looking forward to baking this weekend.. my bookmarked recipes just keep growing and growing and I haven't had a chance to try any recently because I have been so busy.

here are some recipes that I can't wait to try:

*strawberry rhubarb shortcake

*whole wheat chocolate chip cookies

*chocolate chip peanut butter swirl blondies

*banana bread with cinnamon crumble topping

*raspberry jam brownies

well... that should do it! (in reality, my list goes on.. and on... and on.. ) my bookmarks tab is getting out of control!

got a little preview at my yoga class tonight of some of the skills we will be stuntin' on saturday at the acro yoga workshop.  I seriously can't wait.  and best of all- I finally got my shirt from the studio that says "get bent"  yah, its pretty much awesome.  pictures of that to come.  I swear my love for yoga gets greater and greater with every class I do.  I have definitely found a passion that is for sure.

here is an example of acro yoga.. we may not be going this far :)

source

eek! it's like christmas! I'm SO excited! 

--m

a gorgeous day on the water..

or maybe I should say a gorgeous afternoon. the morning was not so nice- rainy and windy but the sun came out eventually! I had a great day on the water.  I feel so content and satisfied when I'm out there- rain or shine.  we were sampling bycatch from commercial prawn fishing boats.  one prawn fisherman expressed exactly how I feel about being in the field when he said, "any day on the water is a good day." so true! regardless of the fact that it was raining and so chilly in the morning, I had a smile on my face.

laurie hanging out on the boat.

I finished the day off with a vinyasa flow yoga class after work which was fantastic! I can't wait for my acro yoga workshop on saturday! should be awesome :)

D made dinner which was a lovely help- homemade mac and cheese, veggies and corn on the cob. perfect comfort food after a long day. 

hope everyone is having a great week!

--m

oh ps. the BEST part of the day was that we saw 3 orcas within 15 minutes of being on the water this morning! woo woo- along with some other fun catches including a cute little octopus.  I enjoyed sampling this fishery because all the bycatch goes back in the water almost instantaneously and you can see everything swim away! definitely more rewarding.  that is all- good night!