Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Weekend in the sun!

Hey Everyone!!

               How are you all? Did you have a blast on the weekend?

First off, I wanted to thank you for your support and kind words regarding my interview. You are all so sweet and really help to bring my thoughts back to more positive places and out of the "what if" black hole.  I had a moment of weakness where I thought of everything negative and really brought myself down but I took some deep breaths and continued on to enjoy my weekend!

It was absolutely beautiful here on Saturday and Sunday! I bet you the ski hills were packed:)

Here's a random fact about me: I live within driving distance of 5 great ski hills and I've never visited any of them in the winter to ski, snowboard, or any other activity that involves snow! This is a sad fact, people!! I hope to change this soon. One of the local mountains has these cool events where you snowshoe in to their little lodge. They will host a local band to play for a couple of hours and you can grab a beer, then you snowshoe back! Sounds like a blast to me:)

While everyone was enjoying the powder, I was enjoying the sun downtown by the ocean!!




 I love these chairs!! Although they were a bit too cold to sit in:)


Yes, people this is B.C in the winter! Welcome to the temperate rainforest!


I love the country but one in a while I NEED to come to the city to get my fill. I love the vibe, the scenery, the stores, and of course, the food!



I love how these townhomes are curved!


Then we headed to the heart of the downtown and walked around in the hustle and bustle! Including the beautiful Vancouver Art Gallery. Once I saw those lions I knew I wanted a photo shoot!


 I don't think Aslan would approve of my riding skills!

But hugs make everything better:)

After my visit with Aslan we saw this group..not really sure what there cause was. They also had harmonicas?? It will remain a mystery.

We were planning on taking a tour of the art gallery but the admission price was just too high ( in my opinion). They have a donation night on Tuesday's so we plan on coming back.

Love this building. Sorry for the brightness...no photoshop:(

Lots and lots of great shops on Granville Street! I was on one mission, and one mission only, to find a kettlebell. Unfortunately I failed at my mission. Every fitness store I went to was sold out!!

Listen to the message kids...you don't want to be in Ryan's shoes! Some good scare tactics in the parkade.

Bye Bye big city...until next time!!

As you probably noticed there are no food picts..my bad! We did have a fabulous lunch from Choices market (similar to Whole Foods). I had a Thai noodle salad and Ry had a vegan chili. I also treated myself to some Macasure chocolate and natural licorice. I also had a soy tea misto without the vanilla ( I added honey). Yum this was good! I haven't had one in a long time. PS Saturday was my rewards day so I ate all my faves:)

I'm trying a new technique to combating my sweet tooth that creeps up in the evenings. I'm avoiding the call for sugar for 6 days, then on the 7th day I eat whatever I want. I really like this approach so far and it has been working for me.

Do you designate reward meals or reward days? Or do you simply have a few treats here and there during the week? I find I eat too many sweets at night. I'm not one of those people who can just have one square of chocolate and leave the rest..at least not yet. Eating clean 6 days out of 7 also has a little bit of science behind it that I won't go into here. I'll give that it's own post!

I did cook up some great things this weekend too!

Mexican and Indian spices combine to give this dish super amazing flavor. I added in chili powder, cayenne, paprika, turmeric, and cumin for the spices. The veggies included frozen peas/beans/carrots, orange pepper, and onion. I added in some of my homemade salsa which made this one of the best tasting tofu scrambles yet!



Then for dinner last night I made a delicious acorn squash using the same spice blend as I did for the tofu!


Oh this was good!! I loved the flavor of the spice and squash too. I think that spice blend is a real winner!!

And for dessert on Saturday night it was Averie's Rice Krispie treats. These are so yummy!!



Here's for something different. At Choices Market we found this dairy alternative. It's really quite good. Nice and thick, very similar to the real thing. In fact, it's one of the closest alternatives I've tried so far! If you aren't a fan of coconut don't fret! The coconut flavor is not very strong in this milk at all. I actually would prefer more coconut flavor, but that's just me!
Have you tried it? What did you think?

On Sunday night I finally saw Black Swan. Fantastic movie!!  I love movies that can keep me guessing!! Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis were exceptional. The weight loss that both of these already-thin girls had to do for the film was pretty extreme. If you have seen the movie, you know what Natalie's back looked like and it's not pretty. I was never in dance so I don't know about the pressures in the ballet industry first hand. All I know is what I've read and seen in the media. Considering this I can only imagine the pressure to be thin is very high. Yet, there is another greater theme to the movie that I won't talk about right now as the movie is still in theatres and I don't want to spoil it for you:)
Have you seen the movie? What are your thoughts?

Have a great rest of your day!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

I made it through!!

Happy Thursday night bloggies!!

Thank you for all your support for my interview and the sweet comments about the "boys" and us looking for a new puppy.

Thanks Bitt for even tweeting about my previous post. That was so kind of you:)

Well, the interview is over and I'm at home trying to come off the adrenalin high:) I don't like waiting games. I'm kind of impatient.Especially when it comes to finding out if my life is about to change in a HUGE way.

It went pretty well..I think. It's so hard to answer multiple questions when you only have a few minutes with each interviewer but I tried my best. I'm kind of hard on myself too but I made the decision to not spend the next week going over the interview in my head a million times and asking the what-if's as I normally would do. I may not have given the BEST answers I could (who does in a time-restricted interview?) but I still tried to be as honest and thoughtful as possible given the circumstances. I learned a lot from each interviewer and got an even greater insight into the field and what kind of person they are looking for. Hopefully it's me:)

I talked to the other interviewee's and we all felt similarly about the process - sometimes you caught yourself rambling, sometimes you were stumped for an answer, certain interviewers were easier than others, and sometimes you wished you were on a beach in Hawaii (okay maybe this last one was only me).

The questions were pretty typical of interviews except I expected more to be based directly on my application. Live and learn. There were a lot of hypothetical situation questions, questions on stress management, sustainability, course load, and of course the biggest question "Why do you want to become a naturopathic doctor."

I find out either way in a week or so. Talk about pins and needles!!! I'm going to be glued to my phone during business hours and anyone wanting to talk more than a minute will have to call back after 5pm..including customers Ha! I may need to change my voicemail message!

There are three possibilities -

1. I get in - YIPEE!!
2. I don't get in - poop!!!
3. I get placed in limbo - I can get put into the "maybe" category where I have to wait it out until April to see if I get a spot. I really hope that I don't end up here. Recall the I'm-not-patient aspect.

I'm remaining positive and that's all I can do at this point! Please send some good vibes my way and maybe a time warp machine while you're at it:)

Thanks again for all your support!! I really appreciate it!
Have a great night everyone

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Big Day

Hello All,

    Happy New Year!! I took a little break from writing as the hubby had some days off and I wanted to take full advantage of them as I know we will be back to our busy schedules soon enough:)


Now for some exciting news...Ry and I have decided to expand our little family to include one more:) No, we are not planning on having babies just yet. But we are getting a dog, most likely a puppy:) I'm so excited. Ryan says I ask him every week if we can get a dog. I don't remember if this is the case, but I don't doubt it lol.

We have been researching breeds and searching the SPCA and Petfinder.com for our future pup. I also had a good conversation with some shelter workers yesterday as to what types of dogs would suit our lifestyle. We are looking for a larger breed to take hiking, running,and camping with us. The pup will also need to love the boys as they rule the roost!!!


The shelter workers said the best bet for us would be to get a puppy (any breed ) and socialize it really well with other animals, people, children etc. Ryan and I both agreed to this logic but we are still going to look at all ages of dogs in our local shelters.

The shelter I went to didn't have any dogs that would be suitable for us. Yet I wanted to take all of them home:( I also visited the cat room and was happy to see that they were not overcrowded. I talked to a shelter volunteer in there for quite awhile and she got me interested in volunteering again. I applied online today and hopefully can start soon. Yay for tackling a New Years goal already:)

We have found a puppy that we are very interested in but it's located on Vancouver Island so we haven't decided if we should go or wait. I'll keep you posted:)

Besides the excitement of getting a new furry friend (eek so excited, you have no idea!!), it's a big day for me tomorrow.

 It's my interview for ND school.

It's finally here and I'm surprisingly not wanting to throw-up or come up with a fake illness to get out of going. This is huge for me!!! Such a change from previous years when I would panic and over think everything to the point of talking myself out of things. My mom asked me today if Ryan would be driving me to the school (about an hour away) and I said no..  She then went on to say how she wouldn't be able to drive as she would be so nervous. So you see, I've come a long way:)

I'm not going to lie, I'm still a bit nervous, but I also feel at peace with who I am and what I have to bring to the school as a student and future ND. And that's enough to keep my mind and body at ease. I also know a little how the interview process works and who will be involved. Ladies (and gents) I'm telling you that if school is in your future, go visit the campus and introduce yourself you learn a lot of insider information that can make the application process a lot less intimidating. I failed to do this so many times in the past but I got through my insecurity and began introducing myself to the people at Boucher who essentially hold the key to my future dream career.

In the meantime, please pray, send positive waves, and peaceful thoughts my way for tomorrow.

Sometimes it takes a tiny bit of discomfort to discover the greater comfort of becoming our true selves. ~ Tama Kieves


 
I'm experimenting with my diet a little bit this month and once I have a little more experience with it I'll share how it works and what my thoughts are on it. It's nothing too crazy!!

Sorry for the lack of picts, I haven't been taking many lately. The Nikon needed a breather:)
I find January a little hard as everything goes back to normal and there are no long weekends lol! Although I find it's the perfect month to do something you've always wanted to do like take a class, learn to knit, cook more, read a book etc. Because before you know it spring will be here and the garden will be calling your name:)

Have a great day everyone!!!

                                                                                                                 






Friday, December 31, 2010

Welcoming 2011

Hello all,

          I can't believe we are on the eve of welcoming in a new year. 2010 was a fun year with lots of change and fun adventures.

Here's a short re-cap:

1. Lived in one of the beautiful cities for 9 months. There were many struggles and hard times but I look back at our time with great fondness. The good times definitely outweighed the bad!! We both grew in so many ways and I'm very grateful for that.



Also, let's not forget that Nelson was also the place where we welcomed Nemo into our family:)


                                                         Such a ball of love!!

2. After Ryan was finished school we finally got to move into the house we bought nearly a year before. I rented places all my life and it was surreal to walk into the house that we bought together.

3. I entered into the Turbulance Training Transformation Contest. I didn't win but what I got out of the experience was more than worth it. 

 4. I ventured into many different food realms. There was the fermentation projects, fruit picking, many local farm visits, canning adventures,  and chocolate journeys, amongst many others.

5. Changed my attitude from a lot of negative, to a lot of positive! I used to talk about everything negative in my life and loathe in self-pity. There are lessons to be learned in good times and more importantly, in the bad. I cannot tell you how much this has improved my life!! I have a long way to go, but I feel more prepared to ride the wave of life than ever before.

6. I applied to ND school!! I've been dreaming of entering the field of naturopathy for a long time now and I can't believe 2011 could be the year I start school. January 6th is my interview and hopefully I'll know soon after if I'm in or not.


There was so much going on in 2010 but these are some of the biggies!! It's fun to look back at everything I accomplished and all the fun adventures.
2011 is going to bringing tons of new adventures and I'm so excited:)

 Goals for 2011

1. Learn a new language. I love the Spanish language and so I'm going to find a class or use language software like RosettaStone.

2. Volunteer again. I think the local animal shelter is where I'm going to connect with.

3. Take photography classes. I could learn on my own but I really would like some extra guidance at the beginning to cement in the basic concepts.

4. Hike and camp more. I did neither last year and missed it so much.

5. Get defined abs. I have really wanted to "see" my abs for a long time and I've never actually pushed myself to the level that I need to in order for the definition to come. I'll talk more about this in the new year.

6. Try to tackle the emotional eating. I  haven't talked much about this but I do have some emotional tenancies when it comes to food and eating past the point of being full.

7. Be more spontaneous!!!

8. Connect with friends more


What are your goals for the new year?

I wish you a wonderful night tonight whatever your New Years Eve brings!! Cheers to 2011!!!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

My Christmas through pictures!

Hello Everyone!!

           How was your Christmas? Mine was filled with laughter, great conversation, amazing food, and lots of love. Christmas eve my mom came over and we exchanged gifts as the morning on my side is so busy! Christmas day was split between our families. One day Christmas will be at our house...one day:)

Was Christmas at your house this year or did you have to make the rounds?

I have tons to share with you so here it goes!!



Christmas Eve gift opening!

The loot:)




Holly's Christmas Crack and Averie's Rice Krispie treats with chocolate peanut butter coconut oil frosting. Both were a huge hit!! There are also a few chocolate covered almond butter dates on there too.

Mmm...chocolate craving is returning:)


Christmas morning with my family!


 Gorgeous little ones!

 Some major cuteness!

Oh so much!!

 Jam packed rooms!!

Has had enough of the paparazzi:)

 There was cribbage!!

 There were smiles that caused my heart to nearly burst:)

There were sing-a-longs!!

Gifts a plenty!

**Intermission** Drive, Drive, Drive...time for Christmas #2!!


 A huge feast!! My sis-in-law can't wait!!

A beautiful salad with pears, walnuts, and pomegranates

 There were glares...Ha!

 There were smiles

There were fun hats!

My box of goodies! A mandolin, a set of glass bowls, mini-Tabasco's, candles, crystal nail fail, and the HUGE How To Cook Everything Vegetarian:)
 Can you tell the hubby and I are different...he's excited over his massive wet/dry vac!

 Delicious goodies!

 Some good laughs!!

Posing as per our photographer's orders...it went something like this:  Shoulders out, chin over the fence, and pretend you have a pencil in between your teeth. Ha!! A little too much grit on that pencil Ry!!

After the festivities we went over to my sis-in-laws house and played Super Mario on the Wii. Oh man did that bring back memories!! Such a blast:)

Have a great rest of your Tuesday!! Can you believe 2011 is just around the corner?