Thought provoked creation

How to hem jeans! AND Photo Challenge!

2012-02-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

Hey Pals!

I've always wanted to know how to hem pants by machine! I HATE hemming by hand. It's so time consuming, and pants never looks the way I'd like them to. SO I found a video that helped a lot, and I have officially hemmed two pairs of pants! I have to hem almost every pair of pants I own. I'm only 5'2. :)

Finished product!

Here's the video that broke it down for me!

See! It's SOOO easy :) I'm getting to be a pro at it now! I should open my own little hemming shop haha.

Yesterday the Photo Challenge was NIGHT

Here's an old night-time photo taken in Vancouver in 2009. I liked the way the street light was shining through the fog. Pretty cool.

For today the challenge was: SOMETHING YOU ATE

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE!!

We got half a pumpkin in our CSA box, and this is what we made!! I've Always wanted to try making pumpkin pie from scratch :) NOM!

Here's the recipe. Note that it makes enough for two pie shells! I couldn't believe that half a pumpkin filled two shells. Intense! I brought a pie to work today to share with my co-workers :)

Hope you're all having a fantastic day!

Photo Challenge! SO BEHIND!!

2012-02-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends!

It's going to be a big picture post today to catch up on what's been missed!

I've been MIA because I've been sick AGAIN. :( My poor body must be missing something?!

Challenge for the 22nd was WHERE YOU WORK

This is the only work related photo I have haha. SO happy to have a day off, and will not be venturing anywhere close to work today!!

For the 23rd it was YOUR SHOES

I LOVE these shoes :) I've had them for years. They were a gift from a dear friends uncle :) The brand is 'Creative Recreation' I call these my 'Moon Boots' haha.

The 24th it was INSIDE YOUR BATHROOM CABINET

TOP
Left to Right:

Hair brush,
Parissa Wax Strips (AMAZING),
Nature's Gate Toothpaste (Gel, I prefer Toms),
Body Shop Coconut lotion (Light and wonderful. I use it on my face)
Glysomed hand lotion (Smells great :)
Natural disinfectant spray (From a herb shop in Courtenay, BC)

BOTTOM
Left to Right:

Vaseline x2
Saltspring Island Soap (Gentle and amazing scents. I'm currently using Cinnamon)
Q-Tips (So Necessary)
Alba Shave Cream (For Hubby! He says he like's it :)
DIVA CUP! (For all women out there. If you don't know what this is, you should!!) DIVA CUP WEBSITE Best decision I ever made concerning that time of the month. Seriously.
Tom's Deodorant (Lovely and Aluminum Free!)
Body Shop Strawberry Lotion
A lighter (I love tubs with lit candles :)
Sudocrem (From my pal Andrea, works well on rashes, or skin irritants)

There you have it, the inside of my bathroom cabinet.

For today the challenge was GREEN

My Green eye'd baby :)

OKAY! One last thing to talk about! To my EXTREME delight I've signed up for CSA boxes! CSA stands for 'Community Supported Agriculture.' For $30 every two weeks I'm having veggies delivered to my house! Not just any veggies, but local, seasonal, organic, happy veggies that come from and support 5-6 local farms! In the box we just received we got:

Rutabega
Kohlrabi
Cilantro
Winter Greens
Leeks
Frozen Berries
Pumpkin
Pea Shoots

I didn't know what Kohlrabi was. It looks like this:

I found a recipe online for 'Kohlrabi Ham Bake' We added a few of our own ingredients, but it turned out great!

YUM. Here's the recipe

We added frozen veggies, and cheese.

Hope your all having a wonderful weekend! I'm resting a lot to recover from this sickness. I'm hoping to cook the pumpkin tonight, and find a recipe to use the rutabaga in.

CHEERS!

Photo Challenge: Fav photo of yourself

2012-02-21T22:43:00.000-08:00

An oldie, but a goodie! Flying through the air, back in 2007 :) Can't believe it's been so long!

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Bailey

P90X update, Closet re-vamp, and More!

2012-02-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

Lot's to share today pals!

First off:

P90X

Through the weeks!

Day 0

Day 7

Day 14

Day 21

It's going great so far! I'm starting to see arm muscles lol. Week four is mostly a core week, we won't be lifting weights again until week 5-7! Stay tuned for more up-dates! Thanks for your support, it totally makes my day!

Closet Re-Vamp!

Before

After!

The photo angles are a bit different, but you get the drift! Now on to my bedroom closet!

Photo Challenge

For yesterday it was SOMETHING YOU HATE

Not my cat, but THE CAT BOX OF DEATH. I hate cleaning it SO much. Blech.

For today it was HANDWRITING

So here's a poem in my narly scrill. If your not sure what it says (And I don't blame you) Here is the poem:

My Hands

Open the curtains of your being

Clothe you in a further nudity

Uncover the bodies of your body

My Hands

Invent another body for your body

I hope your all having a lovely Monday!

xo.

Photo Challenge: Taken in Qualicum Beach :)

2012-02-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hey Pals!

The photo challenge for yesterday was TIME

In Qualicum for the weekend :) Went for a very rainy jaunt around town with my Mama! I thought it was perfect taking pictures of the town clocks :) It makes my heart happy visiting my home town.

For today the challenge was DRINKS

So that's what we did! We went for drinks! NOM.

Hope your all having a lovely weekend :)

xo.

Photo Challenge Update!

2012-02-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Man I'm three days behind! Here's 3 different Photo Challenge posts in one!

Heart

On Valentines Day at dinner :)

I told hubby I needed to take a picture of a heart for the photo challenge. So this is what he did :) CUTE! We had a lovely evening. I surprised him by taking him to an IMAX, and after we went to 'The Mint' for dinner. I highly recommend the mint! Delicious, and a wonderfully romantic atmosphere :) $4 pints on Tuesdays!

PHONE

I wish I had a cool, old school phone! Not even like this, one with the spin around numbers! I didn't want to take a picture of my cell phone, so I drew a phone on our white board lol.

SOMETHING NEW

My lovely Kate bought me this necklace :) I LOVE IT!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, Hubby and I are heading up-island for the weekend! Stoked that we got our stereo fixed!!

xo.

Photo Challenge: Blue

2012-02-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

I love the challenge today. Mostly because it's of my favourite colour!

BLUE

I walked home from work today, it was lovely. Crisp, yet sunny. :)

Thanks for reading! xo

P90X update, and Embarassing Photo Challenge

2012-02-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Pals!

Here's a P90X update. I was sick for most of this week unfortunately, so there isn't much change. I believe in respecting the body, and it's needs. This week mine needed rest. Here's a photo anyways because it's fun :)

Alright, so the photo challenge for today is IN YOUR CLOSET. You'll see why it's embarrassing. It's a much needed project in my life.

See the craziness? OMG. Serious organization needs to happen in these spaces. Woof. If I ever get around to fixing it I'll post the transformation. Now that I've shared my messy secret I'll probably jump all over it, just to show you all I'm not a slob hahahahha.

Happy Sunday, enjoy your week! More Photo Challenge shot's to come!

Ganesha Analyzed and Photo Challenge!

2012-02-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends!

It was my pal Kate's birthday gathering yesterday. We went to Kirtan or (Devotional Singing) at the Church of Truth

Here is Wikipedia's definition of Kirtan for those who are totally lost!

Kirtan or Kirtana (Punjabi: ਕੀਰਤਨ, Sanskrit: "to repeat";^[1] also Sankirtan^[2]) is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions.^[3] A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed mrdanga or pakawaj drum, and karatal hand cymbals. It is a major practice in Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions, and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups.

It was amazing. Always gives me shivers :) At the end of the evening a man spoke to us about Ganesha who is the remover of obstacles. You may have seen him before. The rad thing about the talk is that he told us of the symbolism. I've always like Ganesha :) It's pretty rad if you want to check him out.

Alrighty on to the photography!

Yesterday the challenge was SELF PORTRAIT

In all honesty this is a picture from Spring of last year, but I love it. There was an old mirror in the garden of the last place we lived at. Perfect for self-portraits :)

Today the challenge is: MAKE'S YOU HAPPY

Here's another oldie, but a goodie :) My hubby make's me SO very happy! This picture was taken in Paris (Another Honeymoon photo) Don't think I'll ever get bored at looking them over :)

In other news:

I've decided to take my Doula (Birth-coach) Training!! SO exciting! I think it will couple really well with the pre-natal yoga. It's a crazy process, but I'm really excited to get started! The program is in June, I have a lot of pre-reading to do until then, stay tuned :)

Nighty Night!

24hr. Flu/ Challenge update

2012-02-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

Its ironic that yesterday I was supposed to take a picture of the sun, and yet I didn't even see the sun because I was contained to my bed all day. :( I either had a 24hr. Flu, or Food poisoning. Eww. Worst day EVER. I'm feeling much better though thank goodness. Still taking it easy, my tummy's sore as I'm sure you can imagine!

Here's a catch up from yesterday, challenge being SUN, I'll use an old photo:


In Rome on our Honeymoon :)

For today the challenge is: FRONT DOOR

I was shopping in Fan Tan Alley today on this dreary wet Victoria Thursday, and decided to take pictures of some front door's of the business' that reside there.

Fan Tan Alley is located in the heart of China town, near Downtown Victoria. If you haven't been before you should definitely check it out. Some interesting stores, and kooky trinkets :)

Happy Thursday xo.

Photo Challenge: Buttons!

2012-02-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Man oh man, what a long day!

I'm glad I figured out what to do for the challenge today because all I want to do is relax (Perhaps with a glass of wine :)

Challenge for today: BUTTONS

I love this sweater :) A fellow blogger, and dear friend Chelsea from Mixed Mediums Theatre gave me this sweater back when we were roommates in 2007. I've always loved the big buttons on the front :) Thanks Chels! Stay tuned friends for more photo challenge pictures coming your way!

xo.

Photo Challenge Day 6: Dinner

2012-02-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Today's challenge was DINNER

Look what Hubby made for dinner!! :)

Nom Nom! I heart Chili! And Blue Buck! (Beer made locally by Phillips Brewing) This recipe is incredibly easy to make:

1 Package of Ground Beef

3 Cans of beans, (Your Choice)

Package of Mushrooms

Hubby used a jar of Salsa, I usually use a can of Diced Tomatoes

A Large Onion

Spices to Taste:

Chili Powder

Cumin

Cajun

Tabasco

Combine all ingredients, and heat to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins (Or so)

So easy, and delicious!

Thanks Hubby!

Thanks to all that have been reading my blog :) Stay tuned for more picture challenge posts! Tomorrow the challenge is Buttons

Cheers!

P90X Bod, Week one complete!

2012-02-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

Bri and I have completed week One!!

Week One Complete!

Day One

Also the photo challenge for today was 10 am. Yes indeed this photo was taken at 10am. Just rolled out of bed, getting ready to teach my lovely Sunday morning class! It was a great class, lot's of leg work, vinyasa's, and side planks!

Happy Sunday Friends! Stay tuned for the daily Photo Challenge, and more P90X updates!

Cheers! xo

P.S I've been doing some edits, so don't mind the crazy technical problems on the page!!

Photo Challenge: Strangers

2012-02-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends, so yes the challenge for today was STRANGERS

Oh how quickly strangers flit past us everyday. I got the idea for these pictures in a dream. Weird. I woke up in time to see the sunset, these photos don't do it justice, but it was beautiful. Hubby and I talked with our neighbours earlier today, how often do you talk to yours? Perfect strangers that live in such close proximity. I think it's important to know the people around you.

Well we've had a fairly productive day, having a new stereo system put in our truck on valentines day :) A great gift we'll both enjoy! I have a surprise planned for Hubby though, I'll do a valentines posting so you can see! Have a lovely evening :)

xo.

February Photo Challenge Day 3

2012-02-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

TGIF!

So excited that it's the weekend! Quick photo challenge post before I head out for the evening :)

Today the challenge is:

HANDS

I posted Soooo long ago when I was in Yoga Teacher Training about my final project. I said that I would post my final project, but I haven't gotten around to finishing the painting. . Well here's an un-veiling before it's complete. (It's of the chakra system of the body) The tattoo is the symbol of Ohm. Its such a conversation starter at the restaurant I work at haha. The hand mudra is GUYAN MUDRA: The tip of the thumb touches the tip of the index finger, stimulating knowledge and ability.

Have a safe and relaxing weekend!!

Stay tuned for more photo challenge pictures, and of my week one P90X bod!

Photo challenge Day 2

2012-02-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Hello!

It's Groundhog day. Apparently depending on which Groundhog you ask, we either have 6 more weeks of winter, or an early spring. Judging by the weather I'd say spring is coming, but I read this morning that there were conflicting Groundhogs. Haha.

February Photo Challenge Day 2

WORDS

From the book 'Yoga and the Quest for the True Self'' by Stephen Cope.

In our lives we emotionally put up walls, I think it's important to ask ourselves why that wall is there. What is it that we're keeping out? In dealing with these walls we can begin to find clarity and peace of mind. :)

Loving this photo challenge, it's sparking all kinds of creativity.

Enjoy your Thursday!

xo.

February photo challenge!

2012-02-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hey friends :)

I got this photo-a-day challenge from fat mum slim pretty rad way to stay creative during the month!

Day One

Your view today

Hubby got this mug from my Grandparents yesterday. So cute. It's me from when I was little :) The view is of my desk where I sat for 1 1/2 hours on a conference call for GoodLife. Oh man. Lot's of information, had to shift my legs around to stop them from cramping. Good times. Anyways hopefully will try to post pictures everyday for the challenge, so stay tuned!

xo.

P90X, it has indeed begun.

2012-01-31T20:05:00.000-08:00

Oh Man.

It's Day 2, 88 day's to go. . .

I know I did this two years ago, therefore you'd think I'd know what was going to go on, but oh man I'm not sure you can prep for the challenge that is P90X. I'm definitely feeling the burn. I just have to keep thinking about the rockin bod that will come after 90 days of ~~fun~~ madness.

Here's what I have endured the past two days.

This clip has a bunch of the workouts, but for day one you do 'Chest and Back' also 'Ab Ripper X' For day two we did 'Plyometrics' (Jump training)

I'm super thankful to be training with a pal, it's hard to do on your own.

In other news, we've just gotten a new kitty :) There's four of us now, our little family is growing haha. The cat's aren't sure what to make of each other but all seems well so far. My hubby would say 'No blood, no problem.'

The new kitty (Prince) checking out the house

Close up lol.

Our boy Jux <3

I'm officially the worst at taking cat photos lol. Hope your all having a delightful week :) Stay tuned for Sunday I'll be posting a photo of our 1st finished week of P90X.

Cheers!

P90X Round 2

2012-01-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

This is very exciting.

I've decided to start P90X again. The first time I didn't quite make it through, but still had great results, this time I'm determined to make it through. I think the blog will help.

Here's a picture of me after round one. I went for about 2 months with a gal pal in 2010.

For those who don't know what P90X is:

It was developed by Tony Horton, it's a home workout series consisting of several DVD's with different workouts such as: strength training, cardio, yoga, plyometrics, and stretching. It's really difficult, but worth it in the end. If you type P90X into YouTube you can see just how popular it really is. Also here's the LINK to the official website, where you can read all about it.

Wish me luck Friends! This all begins Monday, I'll be updating throughout the program! I'll leave you with my Before shot. I want to upload photos weekly to note my progress, so stay tuned!!

There you have it. Lot's of work to do to get back to where I was, and stronger! I'm up for the challenge!! Thanks for reading friends, your support helps more then you know!

Cheers!

SOPA. Bad news Bears.

2012-01-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

I didn't know what SOPA or PIPA was until today.

Fellow bloggers I encourage you to watch this video if you aren't caught up with the current shenanigans that could possibly ruin our internet experience.

I found this video very informative. I almost wish I was American so that I could play my part, and help to stop this Bill from passing. I don't mean to infringe on copyright laws, but social media sites include clips from TV. shows, and music videos all the time. It's how we share information. Hopefully there has been enough of an up-roar about this. Wikipedia is having a blackout today. Apparently there are holes all over the internet protesting these Bills. I sure hope we win.

(Via Google)

8 Cups of water a day, nonsense?

2012-01-16T17:52:00.000-08:00

How many times have you been told to drink 8 cups of water a day?

Why is it that we're told to do this? Do you even know?

'Ministry of Health Promotion, says water helps to move nutrients and waste through the body, maintain normal blood pressure, and regulate body temperature.'

Sounds good to me. I mean I hate water. Gosh that's a rough word. It's true though, I'd much rather have something to drink that has flavor over bland, metallic water. Yuck.

Here's someone that believes this is all myth.

'Dr. Margaret McCartney, a general practitioner, writes in this week's British Medical Journal, that the "8 cups of water a day myth" is being propagated by bottled water companies that are out to make a profit.'

Wow is that true?!

McCartney argues that there is no high quality published evidence to support claims that drinking increased amounts of water offers benefits.

A 2004 report from the influential Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board stated that, 80 per cent of people's total water intake comes from beverages -- including caffeinated beverages -- and the other 20 per cent is derived from food.

So hey, there's great news for others out there like me who prefer to get liquid in any way other then drinking water. I say let your body be your judge on how much water is necessary in your diet. It's nice to follow a guide-line sometimes, but our bodies give off many clues to inform us that it's in need of fluid. I think it's incredibly important to be in-tune with the body. It takes practice, but we could all benefit.

Hope your all having a great day!

'The article'

Cheers!

Mount Work, and a project completed!

2012-01-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

Today I went for a hike up Mount Work with a pal. It was quite the jaunt. I seriously have terrible cardio. I guess I need to keep going on these hikes, or get on the treadmill. Isn't it funny that I'm a yoga instructor, and yet a hike up a mountain get's my heart pumping quicker then it would like. It's just something I'll have to work on!

Here's some pictures from the hike!

SNOW!

We found a deer skeleton. Weird, but cool :)

It was so great to see snow! It's been such a mild winter. (Don't worry I'm knocking on wood!) It felt so great to breathe that beautiful fresh air, and to tromp around with the trees. I didn't really come up with a resolution, but I'd like to go on more hikes this year!

For the second part of this post I going to unveil my completed project :)

That's right! I made a scarf!! I had a few gal pals over, and we started making scarfs :) It's sort of a cheaters way, it was made using a loom rather then knitting needles. I don't care how it was made, I'm just SO proud that I made it!! It only took 2 days :) I'm thinking about making a bunch and selling them. It's so warm, and the wool is incredibly soft! Love it!

Here's a picture of the loom downloaded from Google images. It's so easy, all you do is weave the thread around the posts, and pull the loops over. I had such a great time making the scarf. Can't wait for the next project. If you buy a round one you can make toques. This long one was $10 from Michaels.

Hope your having a great weekend!

Thanks for reading :)

Zen Day (Three part breath)

2012-01-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

It's day 7 of our detox. Check out my last posting if you want to know what the heck I'm talking about :) It's going okay, although I've come down with something. I have a fairly weak immune system, so I think that by releasing the toxins out of my body, it left me susceptible to the 'bugs' out there. So that's kind of irritating. It's hard detoxing while your sick because (well for me at least) all I want is comfort food, and chicken noodle soup!

Okay, enough complaining!

For this Zen Day I thought I would talk about the '3 Part Breath' A yogic breath technique. Or 'Pranayama technique' (In Sanskrit.) I taught it to my lovely Sunday morning class today!

I like to practice breath techniques on a comfortable seat. Sitting perhaps on a cushion, or meditation seat, gently cross your legs and try to have a nice straight spine while practice pranayama technique in order to have a straight channel for breath to flow in and out of. Once your cozy, relax your eyes shut, or soften your gaze. Draw your breath attention into your belly. Notice as your belly begins to rise and fall with every breath. (If it helps feel free to move your hands onto each part of the body as you breath.) Keep your breath moving in the belly for 5 rounds. For the second part begin your breath from the belly, and as your breath increases bring your breath awareness from your belly into your chest and ribcage area. As you exhale move your breath from your chest back down into your belly. Continue this breath pattern for 5 breaths. Finally for the third part, begin with the breath in the belly, draw it up into the chest, and finally into your throat. As you exhale move backwards from throat, to chest, to belly. Continue this full expression of the '3 Part Breath' for as long as your are comfortable.

Benefits

Relaxes the body and calms the mind
Massages abdominal organs
Improves digestion and elimination
Energizes the body
Brings 7x more Oxygen to the lungs than shallow breathing

Hope your all having a lovely Sunday!

Can't believe I'm making it through this detox! Some how I make it every year :) I think hubby and I may go for steak dinner when it's over. Talk about extreme opposites.

Cheers!

Starting the year off right.

2012-01-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! My goodness it's been a long time since I blogged. I've been busy with all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I had a wonderful time, Hubby bought me a sewing machine :) !! I'm SO excited about this, I want to mend the huge heap of clothes I have waiting in my closet, and I'd love to make a quilt. Hubby has put in his first request: 'A big comfy pillow' haha. We don't have pillows for our couch, so that's perfect!

Now for the ~~fun~~ not so fun part. Hubby and I don't really have New Year's resolutions, but we always start off the year with a detox. The fall is a crazy time for us, we're both fall babies, and a lot of our friends are too. That means ridiculous amounts of toxins entering our bodies. Believe me it's a good time, but come January it's time to clean out house!! I was given a detox book a few years ago, I believe from my Mom. It was the best gift! We've been using it as our detox guide ever since. It's called 'The detox book' consultant editor is 'Nicola Graimes'

The Breakdown

No Meat
No Dairy
No Wheat
No Sugar
No Salt
No Alcohol

We're rocking this out for two weeks. The first few days in my opinion are the most difficult. I tend to have a harder time then Hubby does. I crave everything I can't have. I even bought 'So Good' soy cream because I was craving ice cream. I'm spoiled that those things exist. Probably a bit too much sugar, but ah well. So basically for two weeks we eat rice, veggies, and fruit. Sounds easy I guess, but not when you're used to eating anything, and everything. I'm grumpy in the beginning, but always feel better once it's over. It's day 3. 11 days to go. I hope I make it.

Christmas decorations

2011-12-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's my 100th post! WOW.

I'm getting SO SO excited for Christmas! I only have 3 more days of work and a few classes to teach before we head to the main land for Christmas. I still have So much shopping to do. Ridiculous right!? Anyways I finally have some time to blog so I thought I'd share some Christmas traditions and decorations in my house!

Starting last year I made paper snow flakes, remember making those?! I did it again this year with a pal, and I think I'd like to keep making them in the years to come. :) We used this video to help us remember how to do it! Haha.

Here's our Christmas town! I talked about this in a previous posting, but here's a picture of it completed. My Mom bought us the Christmas Shop last year, and this year I bought a little shopper and a few shrubs. The buried car is an ornament that I painted haha. Can't wait to extend the town. You should see my Moms, it's amazing!

Cute little poinsettia! See me?! Haha.

Our Wreath!! Last year I started the tradition of hand making our wreath. It's really easy, and lots of fun. This year I trimmed the bottom of our Christmas tree, and used those branches to form a circle. I used floral tape to secure the branches together, and then I hot glued on the bows, and glitter glued on the sequins. To finish the wreath I added some red ribbon all around, it helped to clean up any strays. Simple, and fun.

The Tree! Always a tradition in our house, we like to have a real one! Smells SO nice :)

New lights this year 0o0oo0o0o

Got together with a couple gal pals and we decorated gingerbread men! I think I`d like to make it tradition to either decorated a house, or gingerbread men :) So it`s a new tradition starting this year!

Christmas cards hanging on our prayer flags, Thanks for the cards Friends and Family! So much love!!!

Lastly I promised I'd show all of the cookies I received from the Cookie Swap, a big thank you to all of the ladies that sent cookies to me, and also to Julie and Lindsay for putting the swap together, what hard work!!

Thank you to Callie for these double chocolate candy cane cookies!

Thank you to One Gorgeous Girl for these Sugar Cookies!

Thank you to Strawberry Ginger for these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies!

Hope your all enjoying your Christmas holidays! Be safe, and merry!

Cheers xo

Cookie Swap!

2011-12-12T22:21:00.000-08:00

Voila Friends! It's the 12th, the Cookie Swap bloggers should be un-veiling their cookie recipes!

Enjoy!

My Friend Brianna came over and she helped me make 'Friendship Cookies' from the 'Company's Coming' cookbook called 'Cookie Jar Classics'

The Recipe:

1 Large Egg
1/2 Cup of Cooking Oil
1 Box of chocolate cake mix
1/4 Cup Water
1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

Simple right?!? I thought the recipe sounded bizarre, but the cookies turned out delicious!

Directions:

Beat egg and cooking oil in medium bowl until combined. Add cake mix and water. Beat until just moistened. Add chocolate chips. Mix well. Drop using 1 tbsp. for each about 2 in. apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in 350 F oven for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Makes about 48 cookies.

Ingredients! So simple!

The Book :)

Brianna and I are very excited to bake!

We used Organic Coconut Oil :)

Mix Bri, Mix!

Nom!

The first few cookies!

In da oven!

Then we decided to roll them so they would turn out better looking :)

Ya!

There they are all snug as a bug ready to go to their new homes!!

I hope that those who have received the cookies we baked are enjoying them! I've received two batches already! SO exciting :) A big thanks to Kim from Strawberry Ginger your cookies are amazing! I'm currently eating ~~one~~ three. haha. Maybe I'll get my third box tomorrow! I'll be blogging about them all very soon! Hope your all having a lovely week.

Cheers!

Fun Fact Friday, and a Thank you!

2011-12-09T11:17:00.001-08:00

Yesterday to my extreme joy I received my first batch of cookies from 'The Annual Cookie Swap' !!! They were packaged so lovely, and were decorated beautifully :) A big Thank You to Stephanie from 'One Gorgeous Girl' The Cookies are amazing! I'll be blogging about the batch I sent on the 12th, and I'll be blogging with pictures about the cookies I receive. Stay tuned!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, fingers crossed we'll have a tree this weekend!! I'll leave you with some random facts to enlighten your Friday haha.

There is a caffeinated bar of soap that has the effect of one cup of coffee!

It is called Shower Shock. It's concentration of caffeine is so strong that it is the equivalent of drinking 1 cup of coffee per shower. This is because the caffeine is absorbed through your skin.

It costs the US 2 cents to mint a penny!

It also costs nine cents to mint a nickle. The justification behind a coin costing more than it's face value is that since it would be used more than once, it is still worth manufacturing.

Underground Skyscrapers Exist!

An underground building, known as an “Earth-Scraper” is being built in Mexico City, and will be 65 stories deep. The earth-scraper will be called "The Heart of The City", and will have a central plaza to encourage social activities throughout society.
The building will be pyramid shaped and the idea of building it beneath the soil is to keep the Aztec tradition of building underground.

There is a whole forest in Poland that is crooked

A forest in poland that consists of about 400 pine trees, grows with a 90 degree bend at the base of each trunk!
Today this is still a mystery but recent studies indicate that the bending is caused because of human mechanical intervention. In other words, farmers wanted to have these trees but nobody knows why they did. The pine trees still lie today outside the village of Czarnowo, in western Poland.

The number of births that occur in India each year is higher than the entire population of Australia

Each year India has more births than the entire population of Australia. Currently, there are nearly 51 births in India per minute. Australia has a population of 22,775284 while India has over one billion.
India is the second most populated country in the world following China. More than 50% of India’s population is under 25 years old and 65% is under 35 years old. Australia on the other hand, has diversified age groups and has a lower mortality rate than India.

Christmas Fun :)

2011-12-03T17:15:00.001-08:00

To my surprise my Mama got me an interactive advent calendar for my computer from Jacquie Lawson.
It fills my heart with glee every day :)

The calendar design looks different every year, each day you click on the date, and a new animation starts. Yesterday I got to design snowflakes that fall from the sky when you click open the calendar :)

Other Christmas fun:

We have our stockings hanging above our electric fire place hahah :)
My friend Brianna and I have joined a concert band, we're performing this Saturday in Market Square! I play Clarinet, classic since my name is Claire eh?!?
Monday I sent my cookies for 'The Annual Cookie Swap' stay tuned for the 12th when we all blog about our recipes :) Can't wait to receive mine! I'm so excited every day to check the mail!
This Friday I'm going skating at Centennial Park, Christmas tree viewing at the Empress, Gingerbread house building, and hopefully will be buying a tree this weekend!

Lot's of fun things planned! Hubby is off soon for Christmas break, it'll be nice to see him relax, it's been a busy school year! It's been great reading about each different bloggers holiday traditions! A new one I'm starting this year is building a miniature Christmas town :) Here's an example:

My Mom does it every year, and last year she gave me my first house! A great new tradition! :)

Hope your all enjoying the holiday season so far! I've gotta get my cards out! I love the one's we bought they are eco friendly, and double as an ornament. The best! So very us :)

Cheers Friends!

Movember, Christmas, and a Hair Tutorial!

2011-11-29T13:20:00.001-08:00

Movember is almost over! Canada has raised $31,348,472 for Movember!! Wow. Check out the Movember Canada website to see for yourself! You can see how much money has been raised around the world too.

As it's beginning to get chilly out there I'm starting to think about Christmas. Sometimes it's the only thing that gets me through these dreary days! I bought my first Poinsettia :) Isn't it cute?!?! I LOVE IT. I think I'll put up a few other decorations once I finish blogging, I know some people think it's early still, but not me! Christmas is da bomb.

I've heard some people argue that the holidays are an excuse for people to be friendly with one another, and that why is it that the holiday cheer doesn't last all year round? I feel like if Christmas brings some peace to people, even if it's for a few days (forced or not) what's the big deal? I think maybe I'm just not jaded about Christmas yet I suppose. Don't think I ever will be. Sure it would be nice if holidays throughout the year gave us the urge to donate and give back to others, but for now Christmas inspires that in Millions. Be thankful for that my cynical friends, and enjoy a cup of cheer!

And Now I leave you with another hair tutorial!

The French Twist

I figured it out by watching this video :)

Super duper easy, always thought it would be a difficult hairstyle to create. Hope your all having a lovely week!

xo.

Finally another Book Review!!

2011-11-25T10:37:00.001-08:00

Seriously, life has left me so busy I barely have time to curl up to a good book lately! I thought my list of books read in 2011 would be twice as long. C'est la vie eh??

SO I've finally finished:

My friend Andrea lent me this book, hubby read it first. He did enjoy it! (For you gentlemen readers out there!) It's a really easy read, anytime I just wanted to escape from this reality I picked up this book to be transported to a place full of adventure. This book has everything: Romance, lust, seduction, magic, love, family, greed, theft, schemes, hardships, and riches.

The story is based in New Orleans around a family 'The Nouvelles' who practice magic. They pick up a young boy along the way who has 'run away to the circus' he becomes one of the lead characters. The family have a daughter that is close in age to the boy, they become a family but as the two get older they begin to have feelings for each other and eventually fall in love. You get to follow the twists and turns of their relationship, ride the waves of their seduction dance. The family meet a few other characters along the way that shift the story with every new meeting. There are a few big twists in the story, and in the end you find out what it means to live in a world of illusions, where not everything that meets the eye is true. You get to follow a family along their adventure of triumphs, and defeat. A very enjoyable read, had me on edge multiple times!

Hope your all having a wonderful Friday!

xo.

Fun Fact Friday (More about me!)

2011-11-18T11:19:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Bekah from 'My Little Loves' for this idea!

Current color: Fall colours! Chocolate browns, and green

Current playlist: City in Colour

Current read: See to the Right :) Also I'm reading 'Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful' for my pre-natal teaching

Current excitement: Going to a hockey game with my love tomorrow night!

Current mood: Content, and Full

Current drink: Mint Tea from 'Habit' Coffee shop

Current food: I'm full because my lovely Ashleigh brought me Eggs Benedict from Mo:le!

Current favorite show: Dead Like Me!

Current wish list: A Sewing Machine! Space in my life to do Personal Yoga! and a Fish Eye Lense!

Current needs: Nothing I'm quite content :)

Current bane of my existence: Dishes, and the Cat box.

Current indulgence: Homemade Egg Mc Muffins!

Current blessing: My lovely hubby, and this relaxing desk job on Friday's

Current outfit: Used/New to me skinny jeans! Purple shirt from my bestie, and a green Toque

Current celebrity crush: Such a dorky question, don't even keep up to date with celebrities. Blech.

Current triumphs: Acquiring a pre-natal class for Dec and Jan! So proud of myself :)

Current link: Hmm well I'm obsessed with 'Words with Friends' on Facebook haha

There you have it friends, a little more about me! Hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

Dubstepic

2011-11-17T14:08:00.001-08:00

Hello friends :)

Can't imagine what that would be like live, so rad. Brings back happy memories of my dancing days.

I've been SO busy hence why I've been MIA for the past little while. I'm teaching lot's which is just wonderful :) I've just acquired a pre-natal class for all of Dec and Jan! I'm reading

To help me deepen my teaching practice. It's a really beautiful book so far, in fact I used it yesterday in the Pre-natal class I taught! Besides that I've been working lot's at my other job, and have been trying to fill gaps with gym time, yoga practice, friends, and house up-keep! My poor house falls to the way side sometimes :( I should be vacuuming right now! Must be efficient, when all I want to do is relax and do nothing when I find space in my life. Alright that's my whine for today. I'm off to be productive, believe me I still find time to read your lovely blogs! Cookie swap will be happening soon! Cannot wait!

Wordless Wednesday (Life Lately)

2011-11-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

All images via Google.

2011 Cookie Swap!

2011-11-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in the 1st Annual Cookie Swap hosted by:

THE LITTLE KITCHEN

I'm SO excited about this!!

Here's a little blurb from 'The Little Kitchen'

"It’s pretty simple: sign up. Receive the addresses of three other food bloggers. Send each of them one dozen delicious homemade cookies. Receive three different boxes of scrumptious cookies from other bloggers. Squee!! You can eat them all yourself or share with your friends and co-workers. I think you’d become really popular if you shared! Post your cookie recipe on your blog. Check out everyone else’s cookie recipes. Hey, maybe you’ll get some great recipe ideas for a cookie exchange with your friends. Then, we do it all over again next year".

How fun is that?!? I found out about this from Kristy over @ Gastronomical Sovereignty Thanks Pal!

I was wondering about which recipe to use, and then I stumbled across:

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Looks just like the ice cream :) I found this today from Melissa @ 'So about what I said' Thanks Melissa! I may indeed use this recipe, but the swap is a little while from now, I might just keep on searching. Hope your all having a lovely day! It's my hubby's birthday! We'll be heading out for a night of fun later this evening.

Cheers! xo

Thoughts on November

2011-11-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

I must say I'm finding it hard to believe that it's November. Is it bad that I want to decorate for Christmas already? I think I'd like to be in costume still, I wore a total of 4 costumes this year for Halloween. Sadly I only have pictures of one:

Sort of an awkward angle type photo, but you get the gyst of what we were :)

Did I mention we were in a gang?? Hahahaha

Okay, moving on to

Makes me think of Hubby's birthday which is tomorrow :) We'll be heading to the 'Bard and Banker' for a night of fun and bevies.

MOVEMBER, The boys at work have gotten a head start on this 'Fad' I say fad because it's becoming a trendy tradition every November. If your not a part of the actual movement ie. raising money for Men's health awareness you aren't truly participating in Movember. Your just growing hair on your upper lip..... Here's info on the subject if your wondering what the heck I'm talking about.

I'd love to scrap book this month, well get a start on it at least. Hubby and I saved everything from our honeymoon, (Train tickets, Maps, Pamphlets etc.) I'd love to put them and pictures together in a big scrap book. It's going to be quite the task!!

I'd love to get a start on holiday baking :) Here's some recipes I'd like to try out!

I think it would be great to give cookie mix in a jar as a Christmas gift :)

Oatmeal Ginger Snaps!

Caramel Corn! This recipe has rave reviews :)

I'm sure I'll have more recipes to talk about closer to the holidays! I think I'll try these for now. I think November is going to be lovely, warm cups of joy, lots of layers, tasty heavy foods, and rainy day activities. Hope your all enjoying these fall days, I can't believe it didn't rain on Halloween! WOW.

Peace and Love!

Fun Fact Friday

2011-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Omg.

Hubby and I have lost our internet....

I'm feeling very thankful for my desk job on Friday Mornings.

I'm suddenly feeling concerned at how lost I am without the internet.

During the day I blog, oh my beloved blog, how I've missed you. Silly maybe, but it's my stress relief. In the evenings Hubby and I watch Netflix because we don't have cable. I can't believe how much I rely on Google (Maps,Phone numbers, random wonderings) Thank GOD it's being fixed tomorrow. Hopefully. We had to wait on the phone for an annoying amount of time to talk to a tech guy who had us prod our wireless box with a paperclip .....

Anyways for now I'm back. I hope tomorrow we'll be back for an extended period of uninterrupted time.

For this 'Fun Fact Friday' I thought we'd talk about Sushi!

For our 2nd Wedding Anniversary Hubby and I went to a place called 'Sen Zushi' I LOVED IT! It's always a little nerve wracking going to a place you've never been, especially if it's for a special occasion. Don't be nervous about this place, it's fab. We made a reservation through opentable it was easy and you got to write a review after (Which I love) We were seated promptly, greeted quickly from our adorable smiley waitress. There was a small language barrier (No big deal though.) They have a large menu with many great options. All of the food came quickly, perfectly timed. It's something I love about sushi, there are so many dishes, and when done right you finish one plate, it's removed and replaced with something new and wonderful. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. I think they have the best sashimi I have ever had. Hands down. It was so fresh. (Just got shivers thinking about it) haha. YUM. One challenge was that it's hard to understand what the noodle dishes are, hubby and I wanted 'Yakisoba' they didn't seem to have it, we ordered what we thought could be like yakisoba, but it was this big noodle soup with tempura on the side hahahha. Hubby and I had a big laugh about it, and dug right in. :) It was an adventure. All in all is was a wonderful time. A perfect price for the quality you receive. Go there, Eat and be merry. Mmmmm. P.S the dynamite rolls have such great flavour, and the spicy scallop cone is nom nom.

To Remember 'wwooofing'

2011-10-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

World Wide Organization Of Organic Farming

Pretty cool :) You can woof almost anywhere in the world. Basically in exchange for your work a couple hrs. a day on a farm they give you room and board. It's amazing. Our woofing experience was in southern France. In a little town called La Fouillade. After our 8 days in Paris we took a train down to La Fouillade. Here's some pictures of our adventure.

This is where we stayed! Our own private Honeymoon house! It was wonderful :)

Farm Cat

Hubby playin with the Farm Doggy

Ate sooo many of their eggs, thanks buddies!

So our Homestay found out that Hubby was a Carpenter so for work she had us build her an outdoor yoga studio. I think it's pretty cool that we built a studio in France, but I must say I was looking forward to gardening.

Progress

This was my job. I stained both sides of every piece of that wood flooring.

On one of our days off we biked 15km to the next town called 'Najac' to see the castle.

It was closed so we couldn't go inside. ..

The studio complete :)

Practiced a little yoga on the new studio floor :)

With our Homestay!

Goofin around :)

Beautiful farm, such a lovely retreat!

Woofing is an affordable and fun way to travel, you can immerse yourself in the language and culture. It felt really great to work for something other then money. Hope your all having a lovely Tuesday, It's my Moms Birthday. Hope your having a beautiful day Mama!

Cheers!

Zen Day (Monday Edition)

2011-10-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

Krista Cahill

Tittibasana

An amazing posture one that I truly wish I could achieve. One thing that I remind all of my students is that 'There is a reason we call it a Yoga Practice, it takes constant practice to achieve results. Same as any other sport or activity.' I try to encourage students not to fret if they aren't in the full posture. It's important for them to realize that their own expression of the posture is perfect, and that with time that posture may shift and change into something new and beautiful.

This is my version. . . . . so you see it takes all kinds of practice and I still have a smile on my face even though it took about 10 tries to get this shot haha. :) I wonder what the next steps are to make my legs shoot in the air. Hmm. More Practice!!

On a side note, check out this picture of all the tomatoes I've harvested thus far!

A Hair Bow, How Cute?!

2011-10-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS!

So Cute, and So easy!! I got the idea from this blog :)

Here's the DIY video that helped me figure it out!

So fun :) Hope your all having a beautiful weekend! I just harvested our tomatoes! Well most of them. I can't believe how lucky we are. I think we have about 100. Earlier today I took a CPR C with AED course, and now I'm making soup with the chicken carcass from Thanksgiving. NOM!!

xo.

To Remember Paris

2011-10-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday everyone.

Hope you had a lovely Turkey Day. I cooked my very first Thanksgiving dinner :) I must admit I cooked a chicken, not a turkey. When I went to the store there was only gigantic turkey's. I didn't think Hubby and I could make a dent in it. Next year I'll cook a turkey. I'm very proud to say that everything turned out great and nothing burned!! I don't think I've made that many dishes all at once. Jeez. So stay tuned for a posting about Thanksgiving dins!

For today I thought I'd post some of my favourite pictures of Paris. Hubby and I cruised France, Italy, and London on our honeymoon, but for today I'll post Paris. We were there for 8 days. Far too long in our opinions. It's beautiful, but so so expensive. Five days would have been perfect :)

C'est Fini !

Fun Fact Friday

2011-10-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Fun Fact Friday it's been too long.

I think I'll do silly facts today from omg-facts.com just for a laugh.

Fact #1

You can't hum while holding your nose closed.

(I tried, it's really weird. . . )

Fact #2

If you touch your tongue while yawning, it can stop the yawn.

(It's true! Hubby loves to stick his finger in my mouth to stop my yawn. Grrr. Clearly he thinks it's funny, but I love a big satisfying yawn!)

Fact #3

'Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia' is the fear of long words.

(WTF)

Fact #4

On average people fear spiders more then they fear death.

(I know that sounds stupid, but I'm that person. I just got shivers thinking about them.)

Fact #5

Those stars and colours you see when you rub your eyes are called 'Phosphenes'

(I always wondered :)

There you have it friends. Some interesting little tid-bits. Googling spider images was really hard. Haha. The moment they popped up on the screen I got all shivery, and was sure that there was at least 5 crawling on me. Blah. :( Hope your all having a beautiful TGIF. I'm very happy that I'm not working!

xo.

Thought Provoked Thursday

2011-10-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

As Fall is progressing into our lives I'm beginning to think about the garden, and what needs to be done as we transition into chilly weather. Dare I say it, but Frost could be on our doorstep's before we know it. (Don't worry I knocked on wood!)

Hubby and I want to dry the herbs we grew this year.

Link

Good ol' Google sent me to this website

Seems easy enough :) Stay tuned for a posting about that! I should probably get into the garden today to retrieve my herbs, I'll have more time on the weekend though.

Hubby and I also want to make salsa to freeze from the abundance of tomatoes we have. You should see our plants. They are ridiculous. It just blows my mind how small these little seedlings were and now they are taking over a large portion of my garden. Little monsters with incredibly tasty fruit attached to them. SO GOOD. I think we'll try this recipe but instead of the chile's I think we'll end up using the Jalapenos that we grew in our garden. Yum! What fun adventures to come! It feels great to be utilizing my own resources. So lucky.

Hope your all having a lovely Thursday xo

To Remember Tuesday 'Fall Edition'

2011-10-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

I can't say it enough. I LOVE FALL!

I love warm cozy sweaters

Pumpkins!

Link

Our Fall Wedding (Almost 2 years ago!)

Baking! (Not a fan of baking in the summer)

Recipe

Leafy Forest Tromps


Beacon Hill Park :)

I'm sure I could think of more things I love about fall, I really can't wait for Halloween! I'm planning on going to 'Fright Night' at Playland with a couple of gal pals :) It's gonna be scary! Stay tuned for a picture blog posting of that haha. Hope your all enjoying Fall as much as I am!

Stay Warm!

When in doubt shnuggle up to a pal :)

Do it Yourself 'Jewelry Holder'

2011-09-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this!

My bestfriend showed me this, I believe she snagged the idea from another chicky. Such a brilliant idea, I love the look and it was free :)

So it's really easy! Walk out of your home and search for a good lookin tree branch! I spotted this baby on my way home from work. Preferably the branch will be on the ground, we don't want to unnecessarily maime trees... So because I don't care about being tacky I used multi-coloured thumb tacks to hang my branch. I'm sure you could find decorative nails that would blend in. I just used what I had around the house. So besides the light switch and outlet, I think this looks pretty great :) It brings an earthy tone to my bathroom, and it goes well with our shower curtain which has a big tree on it! Easy, Fun, Affordable!

Cheers! xo

Zen Day!

2011-09-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all :)

Jeez it's been a while since I blogged on Sunday!

I started my Sunday off today teaching a lovely class at the downtown GoodLife location. We focused a lot on hip strengthening and leg toning.

Here's a great stretch for your hips, if you every find their bugging you.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose)

Benefits:

Stretches the thighs, groins and psoas, abdomen, chest and shoulders, and neck
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Opens the shoulders and chest

Anatomical Focus:

Thighs
Knees
Abdomen
Hips
Groins
Chest
Shoulders

Alignment:

I like to come into this posture from 'Downward Facing Dog' Bring whichever knee you choose through between your hands, sit back on your hip. Full expression of the posture would have your front leg at 90 degrees but more often then not you'll have your leg at 45 degrees instead. Try to square off your hips, look behind you and make sure your back leg is reaching back straight behind you. Don't worry if your hip isn't quite on the ground. You can always use a prop such as a green foamy to support the gap. Once in position I like to come forward. Relaxing over the front leg. It feels really wonderful on your hip :) Send your breath into the area of sensation and try to relax into this pose. Have fun! The source for this blog entry was found @ yogajournal.com


Here's an example of the use of a prop. Very helpful tool!

Hope you all had a beautiful weekend. A bit grey in Victoria, but c'est la vie!

Namaste :)

Fun Fact Friday (Me from A-Z)

2011-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I'm taking this from a fellow blogger although I think a few others are doing it too. (Way to jump on the band wagon eh?!) Jeez. Ah well it looks like fun and I don't know what else to do for Fun Fact Friday.

Age: 23 (Sept 6th 1988)
Bed size: California King! I love it (Hubby and I get lost, we need a map to find each other!)
Chore that you hate: Cleaning the cat box! Eww. x100 000 000
Dogs: On my 10th birthday I was given Russell a Jack Russell Terrier later I gave him to my sister
Essential start to your day: A Shower and a Shnuggle

Favorite color: BLUE!
Gold or Silver: Silver or White Gold
Height: 5"2
Instruments you play:Piano and the clarinet

Job title: Server/Bartender/Yoga Instructor :)
Kids: Can't wait! But will :)
Live: Beautiful Victoria, British Columbia!
Mother’s name: Lynda (P.S I love you SO much)
Nicknames: Claire, Clairebear, Clariss, squirt, Igit (Thanks Dad) haha
Overnight hospital stays: Not once (Knock on Wood)
Pet peeves: Loud gum chewing. . eww.
Quote from a movie: 'Luke I am your father' haahahah
Right or left handed: Right.
Siblings: Youngest to a bro and sis!
Underwear: Thong mostly (ooooooh scandal-is)
Vegetable you hate: I don't think one exists
What makes you run late: Spending too much time on blogger haha.
X-Rays you’ve had: Neck (For chronic neck pain) Arm (For possible broken arm) and Mouth (for various Dentist related issues)
Yummy food that you make: Enchilladas, Lasagna, Banana Bread!
Zoo animal: Lions or Tigers, So cute!

There you have it, me in a somewhat nutshell :)

Happy Friday!

To remember Tuesday 'My 23rd Birthday'

2011-09-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hello friends

As promised I'm going to post favorite pictures of my birthday. It was wonderful, I'm very thankful to have so many beautiful people in my life.

Cheers to you.

It began in Vancouver to celebrate with my lovely friend Sam who was born on the same day!

Thanks Andrea for making our birthday epic!

We went on a mysterious car ride which led to Lazer Tag!! SO FUN. Sweaty.

We were arguing over the rules of Kings Cup haha.

All done!

Birthday pie. nom.

Ya we tied balloons to our heads. . .

Next morning breakfast! We had a big surprise adventure day planned!

We went to the fish hatchery!!

Lunch time at the Quay . super nom.

Sea Bus!

China town haha Sam.

Beautiful garden, city behind. . .

This building was full of giant balloons. We don't know why.

Vancouver Police museum. Ultra cool. We played dress-up!

cute!

The old morg.

Gotta stop for slushies!

Our feet after the journey.

So we had a bath!

On the actual day of my birth I got a delivery from my pops!

Thanks Dad! !

Later that night I had dinner with Hubby and some friends at the Keg. Yum.

I had a party on the following weekend at besties house. Didn't take many photos though. . Just one of those things. I was definitely pre-occupied.

So spoiled.

A Birthday Gift.

2011-09-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was very spoiled on my birthday, I'll post some of my favourite pics next Tuesday.

Until then I'm going to share with you one of my gifts.

It's such a great book! SO me. It has a list of experiments for you to explore. I've started with

Titled Daily walk (Collect objects only on your way to work or school everyday. Try to collect 30)

It's been interesting so far, I've collected a flower and a piece of a chestnut. It's enabled me to see things outside of my little bubble. I've noticed that when I'm walking I'm having a conversation with myself in my head. I'm sure I'm missing things along the way. When your searching for something to collect, your eyes are wide open. I couldn't believe how much garbage there is on the ground. WOW. It's like it just showed up. Of course it's been there all along, but I've just noticed it. Why are people littering?! Good grief I mean you learn in kindergarten, and before that how important it is to throw out your trash. You wouldn't throw trash out on your living room floor right? The world is everyone's living room. One gigantic common place. Anyways I think these observations and tasks are going to be really great, I'm seeing the benefit already. I'm going to turn the projects into art. Stay tuned for that. Not sure what to do about the trash yet. One of the other experiments is to pick up bits of paper, so at least there will be a little less litter on the ground that month.

Hope your all enjoying your day, we've got a cloudy rainy day here in Victoria. I'm enjoying snuggling in bed though. So cheers to that!

To Remember Tuesday

2011-09-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going to share a mish mash of my favourite photos from the past four years...


Hubby's first trip to Victoria


Our first kitty (Forest) Rest in Peace beautiful boy xo

At Cirque du Soleil


Beautiful Okanagan


So prairie.

Silly Monkey's

Black belt testing!


Heart.

Fun Fact Friday (WoodStock Edition)

2011-09-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some facts about the 1969 WoodStock Festival :)

God I wish I was alive then.

There have been four attempts to recreate the festival on different sites: in 1979, 1989, 1994, and the disastrous 1999 festival, which was shut down amid riots and violence. Commemorative events are taking place across America and Europe.

Two people died at Woodstock - one man from a heroin overdose and a teenager in a sleeping bag who was killed when a tractor ran over him. The driver was never traced.

Sweetwater, a psychedelic rock band scheduled to open the festival, were stuck in traffic. Instead, the crowd was entertained by one of the Hog Farmers, who led them through a series of yoga exercises. Sweetwater were on fifth.

About two dozen ticket booths should have been in place to charge $24 admission, but they were never installed because of the crush of festival-goers. Attempts to get people to pay were abandoned on day one, the fences were torn down and Woodstock was declared a free event.

Eight women suffered miscarriages, while there are varying reports of babies born. John Sebastian, lead singer with Lovin' Spoonful, announced from
the stage: 'Some cat's old lady just had a baby, a kid destined to be far out!' Reports suggest a birth at a local hospital to a mother flown from the event by helicopter and another involving a woman in a car in the nine-mile traffic jam.

I got this from a list of 40 WoodStock facts if you'd like to read the rest of the list click here

Hope you enjoy it!

Thought Provoked Thursday

2011-09-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hee hee just like my blog title :)

So witty.

This Thursday has me wondering about composting.

We have a very sad/non-effective compost aka. (A Garbage can)

Oh yeah.

It just kind of chills in the corner of the yard, the flies are big fans. It's like an evil plague every time you open the lid. It has me wondering about a better method, perhaps we can build one ourselves. Hubby's quite good at building things. (So spoiled)

Here's what I found. . .

Looks pretty easy. Hubby and I are thinking about building one, but we want one that makes it easy to take out the decomposed material. Hmmm. Maybe you could put mesh or wire in layers inside the compost so that the decomposed material falls to the bottom, then you could have it open at the bottom as well in order to retrieve the material. That could be too complicated, but I'm curious to try it out.

Here's a list In case any of you are wondering why compost:

I compost because I hate the idea of unnecessary things being put in the landfills, I love the idea of organic gardening and compost is one of the most important ingredients for a nutrient rich happy garden, the idea of giving back to the earth is fantastic. It's really easy, and don't worry you don't have to build your own, some city's give them out to each home, you can purchase them, and here in Victoria go and visit The Compost Education Centre for all of your compost needs!

Happy composting friends :)

'To Remember Tuesday' Birthday Edition!

2011-09-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed friends it is my birthday :)

I thought I'd share our trip to Orcas island for this edition of 'To Remember Tuesdays'

It began with a bus ride to Sidney, customs and a wait at the ferry terminal:

Hubby seranading the ferrry go'ers

See I'm very excited.. or scared.. or something....

Again with the strange mouth-ness.

Ferry!

They serve beer on the ferry. Yep that's right, BEER!

Settled in to play cards :)

uh oh double fisting terrible tasting beer!

We arrived at Friday Harbour and waited to take our next boat, yeah I spelt it the Canadian way ;)

Off we go!

More beer. .

Strange fish and chips, not the best but they'll do.

After our second ferry ride we made it to the house at 11pm, played cards until late with my brother and his girlfriend Lisa, this photo was taken the next morning.

3 Generations of Browns!

Later that day we went to a state park, can't remember the name. . .

It had stunning views! Smile hubby!

My Dad and his girlfriend Lesa :)

We were standing on top of this tower type creature.

Went for a little jaunt in the woods :)

Later we went Kayaking! SO FUN!

Lesa, hubby, and Grandma busy in the kitchen

The last photo.

We had a really great time :) Short but sweet!

I'm having a lovely day so far, went to Denny's for Free birthday breakfast! I got Id'd for eggs haha. I'm teaching a class later this afternoon and then hubby has something planned for tonight :) What a guy! Hope everyone's having a great day!

Cheers!

Fun Fact Friday

2011-09-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

The facts today are not so fun...

Their actually quite serious, I wanted to have facts about sustainability today. This is what I found:

50 facts that should change the world by Jessica Williams. She is a television producer for the BBC. She fleshes out each fact with a 3-5 page essay. Now I want to read the book!

Hopefully these 50 facts will change the world.

1. The average Japanese woman can expect to live to be 84. The average Batswana will reach just 39.
2. A third of the world’s obese people live in the developing world.
3. The US and Britain have the highest teen pregnancy rates in the
developing
developed world.
4. China has 44 million missing women.
5. Brazil has more Avon ladies than members of its armed services.
6. Eighty-one percent of the world’s executions in 2005 took place in just four countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA.
7. British supermarkets know more about their consumers than the British government does.
8. Every cow in the European Union is subsidised by $2.50 a day. That’s more than what 75 per cent of Africans have to live on.
9. In more than 70 countries, same-sex relationships are illegal. In nine countries, the penalty is death.
10. One in five of the world’s people live on less than a $1 a day.
11. More than 12,000 women are killed each year in Russia as a result of domestic violence.
12. In 2006, 16 million Americans had some form of plastic surgery.
13. Landmines kill or maim at least one person every hour.
14. There are 44 million child labourers in India.
15. People in industrialised countries eat between fourteen and fifteen pounds of food additives every year.
16. David Beckham’s deal with the LA Galaxy Football team will earn him $100 every minute.
17. Seven million American women and 1 million American men suffer from eating disorder.
18. Twenty-eight percent of American teenagers have tried illegal drugs and more than a quarter are regular cigarette smokers.
19. One million people become new mobile subscribers everyday. some eighty-five percent of them live in emerging markets.
20. Cars kill two people every minute.
21. Since 1977, there have been nearly 120,000 acts of violence or disruption at abortion clinics in North America.
22. Global warming already kills 150,000 every year.
23. In Kenya, bribery payments make up a third of the average household budget.
24. The world’s trade in illegal drugs is estimated to be worth around $400 billion – about the same as the world’s legal pharmaceutical industry.
25. A third of Americans believe aliens have landed on Earth.
26. More than 150 countries use torture.
27. Everyday, one in five of the world’s population – some 800 million people – go hungry.
28. Black men born in the US today stand a one in three chance of going to jail.
29. A third of the world’s population is at war.
30. The world’s oil reserves could be exhausted by 2040.
31. Eighty-two percent of the world’s smokers live in developing countries.
32. Britons buy 3 million items of clothing every year – an average of 50 pieces each. Most of which end up being thrown away.
33. A quarter of the world’s armed conflicts of recent years have involved a struggle for natural resources.
34. Some 30 million people in Africa are HIV-positive.
35. Ten languages die out every year.
36. More people die each year from suicide than in all world’s armed conflicts.
37. Every week, an average of 54 children are expelled from American schools for bringing a gun to class.
38. There are at least 300,000 prisoners of conscience in the world.
39. Two million girls and women are subjected to female genital mutilation each year.
40. There are 300,000 child soldiers fighting conflicts around the world.
41. Nearly 26 million people voted in 2001 British General Election. More than 32 million votes were cast in the first season of Pop Idol.
42. One in six English teenagers believe that reality television will make them famous.
43. In 2005, the US spent $554 billion on its military. This is 29 times the combined military spending of the six “rogue states”.
44. There are 27 million slaves in the world today.
45. Americans discard 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. That’s enough bottles to reach all the way to the moon every three weeks.
46. The average urban Briton is caught on camera up to 300 times a day.
47. Some 120,000 women and girls are trafficked into Western Europe every year.
48. A kiwi fruit flown from New Zealand to Britain emits five times its own weight in greenhouse gases.
49. The US owes the United Nations more than $1 billion in unpaid dues.
50. Children living in poverty are three times more likely to suffer a mental illness than children from wealthy families.

Source for today's facts were found at: http://signature103.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/50-facts-that-should-change-the-world/

I'll try to help the world one yoga class at a time, distributing positive energy, and healthy advise along the way, I try very hard to recycle and buy used everything. I'm always eager to learn about ways to live green.

How are you aiding the planet?

It needs our help.

xo.

September.

2011-09-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

I love September.

I'm probably a bit partial to it because I was born on the 6th. Besides that though I love it because it always feels like a fresh beginning. I guess it's because of school, not that i've been in school for years but that same feeling has been engraved into my very being from years of grade-school I suppose.

The leaves start to turn.

A feeling of cleansing the old, in with the new adventures, a new chapter.

I'm starting a very new/exciting job at 'GoodLife' fitness teaching yoga!! I'm so thankful and happy to have my very own classes :) WOW. I'm just blown away. Talk about a new chapter eh?!

I'll be teaching at the Vic West club Monday's @ 7pm

and at the Bay Centre club Friday's @ 5pm and Sunday's @11:30 am

My friend Ashleigh and I are on a workout kick, which is also new for September. We just came back from a 'Zumba' class. Crazy workout. It's dance/fitness, group exercise. So sweaty.

I think I'm just ready for fall. I'm looking forward to wearing my warm jackets, wrapping a scarf around my neck, and tromping through a forest of leaves. I can almost smell their sweet earthy scent. Just think soon we'll be carving pumpkins, and froliking around in Christmas markets. HAHAH. Kidding. It's not quite that soon. I'm dreaming of it though. Last winter I baked just about 3 times a week. I'll be posting those tasty treats soon enough. Well friends enough talk about the days to come. I hope your enjoying your here and now!

Zen day Part 4

2011-08-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Happy ~~Sunday~~ Zenday everyone!

Our posture for today shall be:

Warrior 2! (Virabhadrasana II)

The warrior positions are really great, strength building for those quads and for your warrior mind :)

Benefits

Strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles
Stretches the groins, chest and lungs, shoulders
Stimulates abdominal organs
Increases stamina
Relieves backaches, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis, and sciatica

Alignment

Begin with your feet in 'Mountain Pose' (Standing Anatomical position) with your feet hip-width apart. Draw one of your feet back into a length that feels appropriate. Turn those toes to point in line with the back edge of your mat. (You'll notice in the picture above, my toes are at 45 degrees, they should be at 90.) Bend into your front leg, but make sure that your knee doesn't surpass your ankle. (Very important for knee safety!) Draw your arms up, and gaze over your front arm. Your arms should be in one line (Note that my front hand is a bit higher) Remember to draw your navel in towards your spine, sometimes your front knee will want to waver from one side or the other, try to keep it pointing straight on, and sometimes we have a tendency to stick our pelvis out so try to draw that back in. Remember to always practice on both sides for balance!

I'm going to skip the anatomical focus because I don't always agree with what they say, and I'm not doing Chakra focus anymore because I don't know enough about it. This segment is a work in progress, but I'm fairly happy with how it's going so far! Hope your all having a wonderful Sunday

Namaste

P.S as always the source for this article can be found at yogajournal.com

Fun fact Friday (Saturday Edition)

2011-08-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Man it's hard to stay on my blog schedule sometimes! It's a great idea but one thing after another happens and sometimes my blog gets tucked under the 'To do' pile. Ah well here I am cozy after a long day at work, ready to blog.

Today's theme shall be: Graffiti

The word graffiti comes from the Greek word 'graphein' which means 'to write'. Graffiti was first found on ancient Roman architecture, although back in those days there was no such thing as spray paint, they carved images out on walls.

The Longest Graffiti Scroll was created in Greece on the 15th December 2008 and it measured at 700.92 metres long, where 2503 people participated to help the charity of "Smile of the Child". This is an official record and can be found in the Guinness World Record.

Some of the most common styles of graffiti have their own names. A "tag" is the most basic writing of an artist's name in either spray paint or marker. A graffiti writer's tag is his or her personalized signature. "Tagging" is often the example given when opponents of graffiti refer to vandalism, as they use it to label all acts of graffiti writing (it is by far the most common form of graffiti).

Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist and anti-consumerist messages around the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s.^[41]

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16.^[68] The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed 'cool' or 'edgy' image.

Pretty interesting, I've always found Graffiti fascinating and beautiful, here's some graffiti Hubby and I saw in Paris:

Cheers!

'To Remember' Tuesdays

2011-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Random title I know.

I want to blog on Tuesdays about things that have happened in my life, events, adventures, recipes, etc. One day I think I'll want to look back on those times and how easy would it be to read up about it on my blog. Of course I'll also have backups in case the internet decides to crash. (Don't worry I'm knocking on wood!)

Today I'm going to post about something that happened yesterday, Bestie and I made Fondue! I hadn't had fondue for forever! I think it was at a friends birthday party, something like her 10th birthday party. I remember loving it so much, and in case your wondering, it's still really cool, AND this time around I got to do the Mom stuff HAhaha. Aka. make the fondue. So easy and delicious.

So to start off I went to the grocery store to buy chocolate bars, for us one giant Cadbury Fruit and Nut bar was enough, but that was for two people, so adjust for more people. It's amazing what that little pot can hold. P.S the reason we decided to make fondue is because we were at a thrift store in Duncan (I'm going to post about our weekend of fun later this week) and I found a fondue pot for $2 can you believe that?!?!?! TWO DOLLARS. That's ridiculous. Anyways. I googled recipes online for chocolate fondue and they were saying that you should add whipped cream and Grand Marnier, but we added Chocolate Soy Milk instead and skipped the booze. It was still delicious. So long story short I picked up Soy milk and Chocolate.

Voila! The goods :)

It's real easy basically you start with the soy milk, get it bubbling and then add the chocolate bit by bit. We didn't measure anything out we just adjusted to get the consistency we wanted.

Previous to this, I prepped the fruit that we were going to dip. My bestie has epic fruit trees, she's so lucky. I went out on a mission to find fruit for our fondue feast.


Fruit!!

Final product, plums, cantaloupe, honey dew, and apples. We dipped dates too SO GOOD.

Eat and be merry! YUM.

While we were eating we ~~watched~~ attempted to watch 'Black Swan' with Natalie Portman. Yep couldn't do it. Definitely turned it off. I'm all for psychological thrillers but I was in the dance world and it hit too close to home some of the messed up things that happen in that place. I don't know if many of you have seen it but if you do be prepared for some dark and twisty scenes. I can't quite stomach films with sexual abuse :( Booo. Anyways thought I'd put that mini review in. Take it or leave it.

Peace!

Yoga Alliance!

2011-08-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's official, I'm a Registered Yoga Teacher!

I just checked my mail box, and inside was a letter from Yoga Alliance with my I.D card. So cool. haha. Now when I sign things I can put this after my name:

I even got a little sticker that looks just like that. Where do I put that?? You can find me in the registry @ www.yogaalliance.org

It's probably not very exciting for many but I kinda squealed a little when I saw that letter. It's been quite the journey, can't wait to blog about my new classes when they start! Hopefully tomorrow I'll blog about at least one of the adventures that have happened over the weekend. Fingers crossed I'll find time!

Tonight bestie and I are making Fondue!! We found some great finds at some thrift stores :)

Zen Day Part 3

2011-08-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Orcas Island! There will be a post coming soon! Hubby and I had a great time, it was too short of course but full of laughs and adventure. Sadly there was no fun fact friday this week, but next week I'll be sure to include it! I taught my Grandma, Dad, and his girlfriend Lesa yoga on the weekend :) My Grandmother is almost 90! So how about that?!

Tree Pose!

Benefits:

Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles, and spine
Stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders
Improves sense of balance
Relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet

Alignment:

Begin with your feet hip-width distance apart, transfer your weight to one foot. You'll notice in doing so, the other foot will lift. Your foot can remain on your ankle, or you can reach down and bring your foot into your inner-thigh. Think of pushing your foot into your thigh, and thigh into foot. Open your knee out to the side. Careful to notice if there is any knee discomfort. Your hands and arms can reach up overhead, or you can keep them down. Remember to engage your abdominal muscles for stability, and gaze at a point that is preferablly not moving :)

Anatomy:

The anatomical focus is your thighs

So theres 'Tree Pose' for ya, or in Sanskrit (Vrksasana)

Almost all of the postures have slight variations that you can perform, here are a few of the Tree Pose variations I've done in the past.


Low branches :) and a hand mudra for stability. We'll talk about those in the future.


Leaning tree :) At the leaning tower of Pisa!

So you see there are lots of fun variations you can explore with your yoga postures, and practice. I'd be open to suggestion if anyone wants to know about a specific posture, or an element of a yoga practice. Feel free to comment about a future posting below :) Besides that I'm off to go camping with my bestie, there will be mulitple picture postings arriving soon! My birthday, Orcas Island, and Camping!

Cheers!