Category Archives: lifestyle

Counting up

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With Leith back to “away” work, you might think it’s a bit harder to count the blessings in a day. I find it’s the opposite – I look harder, so that I can keep perspective in each day when things do get hard. Counting my blessings helps even the toughest times feel manageable :)

66. Family date night – a regular effort we make now when Leith is home, to spend time all together

67. Pull-through parking stalls

68. Waking up to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes

69. Rubbing her back when her tummy is upset

70. Listening to them chatter excitedly about their new babysitter

71. Snowman families and rosy cheeks

72. Speaker-phone calls at bedtime, watching them kiss and hug the phone goodnight

73. Sweaty blonde curls stuck to their foreheads while they sleep

74. Bubble baths

75. Walking through our forest trails

76. When they choose carrot and rep pepper sticks for snack; teaching them healthy habits from an early age

77. Free healthcare

78. Every single day that I get to spend with my bugz, instead of at a job

79. Glitter everywhere – evidence of their playtime ;)

80. Listening to their imaginations run wild all over the house

81. How C-boo “reads” her favourite stories out loud

82. Emails from Sku

83. Hot water

84. Injuries that heal themselves with stretching and movement

85. Mommy-daughters date days!

January: a month in review

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Detox 2012 already has one month in the bag! It’s been a good month, but it went by so quickly…I guess all my dreaming and wishing for Mexico has paid off ;)

  • I started running again – yay!
  • I registered for the Footstock 2012 half marathon in June
  • I went back to physio for some lovely IMS needles
  • I made it to 9 Bikram yoga classes!
  • I walked 15.5 hours –> that’s 54.25 miles!
  • I made it to 133lbs
  • I booked blood work to find out why I am so tired, instead of just ignoring it
  • I read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway, and started My Life in France by Julia Child (!!)
  • Spent a LOT less time yelling and more time breathing
  • We went on several family “dates” all together, since Leith was home until January 29 :)
  • I took care of myself first, so that I could give my family the best of me
  • I cooked and baked a myriad of tasty meals and snacks from scratch, exploring and expanding my creativity
  • I spent a weekend with my oldest, dearest friends celebrating milestones
  • I played outside with my bugz in this beautiful weather
  • I celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday with our family
  • I enjoyed new tea flavours in my mug – a chance to unwind and reflect
  • I started counting all the things in my life that I am grateful for
  • I spent at least one day a week with friends, letting our kids run wild

And most importantly? I spent most of January as a very, very happy person :)

Exhaustion

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I am tired.

Not just “didn’t get enough sleep last night, chasing my kids today” tired. I am exhausted. There are days that I can barely keep my eyes open when I’m driving in the middle of the day. I can’t figure out why – I’m doing more than enough to keep myself healthy and active:
  • I sleep between 8-10 hours a night
  • I drink 2-3L of water every day
  • I exercise moderately for one hour, every day. Not intensely. Moderately
  • I take 4000ui of vitamin D in the winter to make up for the lack of sunshine
  • I take the lowest dose of my antidepressant, which has never made me tired before
  • I eat an average of 1500-1600kcal/day (more on Bikram days), and very little of it is junk
  • I go to yoga twice a week to de-stress
  • I write, blog, and journal
  • I take time to read and drink tea
  • I spend quality time with my husband
  • I keep in touch with, and visit friends a couple times a week
  • I play outside with my kids
  • I only drink one 8oz coffee a day…maybe two on the weekends
  • And no, I am 100% not pregnant
For all intents and purposes, I should feel like a million bucks! But instead, I am so. very. tired. most days of the week. I can’t figure it out. I’ve booked some blood work for this week to check my iron levels, and to also do a celiac blood test. I hope that my doctor has some other suggestions as well, because I can’t get over this fatigue.
I hate to say that it’s debilitating, but on mornings like this, I can’t drag myself out of bed until after 10am. I bribe my kids to play quietly in their room or my room. My eyes are so heavy that they ache.
Maybe it’s just my body giving in to the stress from December. Whatever it is, I’d like it to leave quickly so that I can perk back up again!

Worth the weight

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I haven’t blogged since LAST FRIDAY?? What the heck? I’ll make up for it today though :)

Running.
That’s why I haven’t been around much. I’m running again!!! It feels so delicious to be busting my tail, heart pounding, legs flying…well, legs turning over and over on the giant hamster wheel that is my 16-year old treadmill, anyway.
I hate such a love-hate for that treadmill. Love, because it gives me 60 minutes of good, solid cardio 5 days a week. Love, because I don’t have to drive into town so that I can run with my Chariot stroller (no shoulders to run on our country roads = not safe for stroller running). My bugz can play and watch a movie while I walk/run.
Hate, because it’s 16 years old, has a short (50″) deck, no cushioning, and is louder than a 747 taking off.
Love, because it was free from my mom.
Hate, because it would cost me $2,500 to get the treadmill I want to replace it.
But I’m running anyway. I am running, training for the Footstock 2012 half marathon in June. You may remember me kicking ass in my first duathlon at Footstock in 2009. I loved the whole event, and want to go back there for my first half marathon. I was supposed to do my first half in late 2009, but with acreage renovations and a broken foot, it didn’t happen.
Then I got fatter and busier, more injured, more stressed, more unbalanced. Half marathon training takes time, and I just didn’t have time. I barely had the time for a 5k once in a while. But fast-forward to this past summer/fall, and my body has learned to run when it’s told to. I’ve found my groove, where I can pick up and run 30 minutes without a break regardless of how long I’ve been “off”. 
After 10 weeks of walking 30-60 minutes a day, I picked up the pace on Friday and ran my first 30 minutes since October. 
It hurt like hell. My IT-band had been bugging me, and it was my first time running in my Vibrams on this ancient treadmill. I’d ran in my Vs before, both outdoors and on real treadmills, but not on my beast. I compensated too much by getting up on the balls of my feet, and my calves SCREAMED at me for days. I pushed through the last few minutes and finished, but thank goodness for my fabulous physiotherapist, Laurie.
She needled me up with a good dose of IMS on Monday, and I’ve been good to go since. No more pain.
***
Here’s my recipe for the good life right now:
*60 minutes of walking, twice a week
*30 minutes of running, followed by 30 minutes of walking, three times a week
*90 minutes of Bikram yoga, twice a week (three if I’m lucky!!!)
I’ve been walking 30-60 minutes/day since mid-November, and watching what I eat. In mid-December, I started going back to Bikram classes twice a week. I added running back into the mix on Friday. Nothing is crazy-intense or painful (other than the first run), and I’m not restricting anything in my diet. I write down what I eat, and I’m not hungry. 
I’ve lost over 15lbs since November 12, 2011. I’m wearing size 29 jeans, and everything else in my closet is falling off of me. I’m officially below my pre-pregnancy weight for the first time since August 2007. Four-and-a-half years. I’m 4 pounds away from my Edmonton Rush dance team body, and I have the most incredible, lean muscle tone from Bikram yoga.
I feel like a million bucks right now. And the best part is that I didn’t starve myself to get here. I took everything in moderation. I ate whatever I wanted between Christmas Eve and New Years’ (within reason), but kept exercising. I made sure that my exercise was moderate, but consistent. I have committed one short hour out of every 24 hours to my fitness. I am mindful of what I am eating, making things worthwhile so that I’m not sacrificing my love of food for short-term satisfaction. Making sure I am full, happy, and energized every day.
It’s worth it.
And I have before pics. I can’t wait to show you the “afters” :)
2012 is the year of kicking ass. I’m on track in so many areas of my life right now…it feels great!

This n that

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  • Minus 20 and snow. I guess winter came back?
  • The bugz have been playing nicely by themselves for almost 2 hours. I’m not about to step in
  • Coffee. Yes, coffee :)
  • My yoga plans were derailed today because Leith is on call. We blame the weather for that one…
  • No yoga = 90 minutes on the treadmill. Not running though…
  • Two wood stoves means that our furnace isn’t blasting even though it’s frightful outside :)
  • My husband’s bacon pancakes rock.
  • I wish I was lazy enough to get groceries delivered…maybe we can make it a fun, family outing tonight, right??
  • I found a frozen banana in my freezer (obvious place) just when I was mourning how boring my lunch shake was going to be today!
  • I’m down 13lbs in my “What is fat, what is twin-skin” journey! I’m 7lbs from my goal weight, just in time for Mexico!! ¡Arriba!
  • I’m already planning my garden this year. Last year’s “put planted pots in the garden box” was pathetic, so this year I will be churning up a new plot and bringing in good soil and fertilizer! The old plot will become a flower garden…
  • C-boo found my old English riding hat somewhere in the basement. I’m surprised I still have it 18 years later, and wondering where she was that she shouldn’t have been…!
  • Leith went ice climbing yesterday with a stranger he met on the internet. True story. He came back alive and everything.
  • I reeeeeeally need to clean up my office again. There’s an avalanche waiting to happen.
  • Twitter. My tweeps save my sanity sometimes. I love you guys :) :) :)
  • I am slightly REALLY excited to road-trip with Cheryl next weekend to see SKU!!! 
That’s about it for now. Just killin’ time until I can make lunch. And avoid cleaning my house ;)

Counting up

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After a week of counting gratitudes, here is my first post on my way to One Thousand Gifts!_uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

thank you to Ann at www.aholyexperience.com
(even though it isn’t Monday…)
1. Sneaking back into bed for a half hour nap :)
2. Watching them perform “ballu-et” every day…not *just* ballet lol
3. A washing machine with a sanitize cycle when tummies are upset!
4. The hum of the furnace, lulling me back to sleep
5. Coconut oil – as a hair mask, face moisturizer, oil for cooking, spread on bread…
6. Hot tea
7. Bright blue skies and sunshine in January
8. Grocery shopping all. by. my. self.
9. Homemade guacamole
10. Fresh cinnamon biscuits, using Gramma’s biscuit recipe
11. Shirley Temples and sparkling princess gowns :)
12. Finding bed-bugz in my bed!
13. Hearing compliments about how well-behaved our little girls are
14. Early morning tickle fights
15. The chance to work out every day and feel strong
Bonus gratitude: that my parent’s 16-year old treadmill still works!
16. Listening to the songs they make up together
17. Their first dance class
18. Feeling waves of heat wash over my body in the yoga studio
19. Brushing their soft, blonde curls
20. Cafe O Play dates!
21. Watching movies on the couch with him
22. Listening to their excited voices carry across the pool while I watch
23. First swimming lessons

The places I’ll go

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January in Alberta…_uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

It’s grey and windy. The grass is brown, the trees are bare. We are trapped in a never-ending Groundhog-day pattern of unseasonably warm weather which, although nice, is starting to feel suffocating. The days are short, the nights are long, and it feels like March without the promise of renewal.
That’s why I’ve started a travel pinboard over at Pinterest.
So many beautiful sunsets are waiting for me in Cancun this February, and with our life on track, I think it’s time to start dreaming and planning for that travel bug. In the next 10 years, you will find me here:
Disneyworld:

Leith and I decided before the bugz were born that we would surprise them with a trip to DisneyWorld for their 6th birthday. A March birthday is perfect Florida-travel weather, so we will pack their suitcases in the car while they sleep, and whisk them away without even a hint. They won’t know until our airport shuttle pulls up at a real Disney hotel – none of this “staying off the resort to save money” nonsense. We’re going full-out in 2013 :)

image from Google images (javed-sultan.blogspot.com)

San Francisco:

I can’t even explain the pull to see this city. I want to spend 4 days with Leith in San Fran, and then come home. A whirlwind long weekend…

image from Google images (mcmanuslab.ucsf.edu)

Victoria/Seattle/Vancouver Island:

A couple trips may be in order, but we reallllllly want to go back to Victoria. I’d love to take the ferry over to Seattle for the day (or an overnight) and visit Pike Place. We want to explore Salt Spring Islands, and even take a few days to drive out to Tofino. Maybe a few extra-long weekends, here and there?

image from Google images (wikipedia)
image from Google images (ccel.ca)

image from Google images (innatthemarket.com)

Mexico:

I love Mexico. I love sitting on the beach, having drinks brought to me. I love that the temperature is rarely below 25 degrees Celcius. I love the ocean. I love the (lack of) energy. I love that it’s all-inclusive. I love it all. At least 2 more trips in our future ;)

Moon Palace Resort – image from Google image (travel247.ie)

Italy:

I need 2 or 3 weeks of childcare sometime in the next 10 years, and a big savings account. Rome calls my name, but I want to explore the rest of the country as well. This isn’t a cheap holiday by any means. It’s going to take the bulk of my vacation savings, but it will be worth it. It’s the only place in Europe I really want to see in this lifetime. I’d love a side-trip to Greece for a couple days while we’re there…but Italy, oh, you call to me…

image from Google images (hfg.it)
Off I go to count my pennies…

A few favourites!

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It is blissfully quiet here at the Acreage right now. Kit-kat is playing with stickers, and C-boo is snuggled up with Daddy because they both have upset tummies. I took advantage of the peace and slathered my hair with coconut oil. Surrounded by the tropical aroma, I started thinking of a few of my favourite things right now :) _uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

1. Coconut oil!!
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! You are a fantastic cooking oil, first of all. You have that odd smell that olive oil does, but you impart a slight sweetness to whatever we cook that is utterly delicious. But that’s not all! You’re better than butter on my toast, because you melt instantly and taste like a vacation!
And then there’s the body care! I have a horrible skin care routine – as in, non-existent. Coconut oil has become my fabulous night creme, my everyday eye creme, and my once-a-week hair mask! It rinses cleaner than an olive oil mask, smells beautiful, and keeps me petting my hair for days :)
2. Raspberry Chocolate Truffle K-cups!
I haven’t been a fan of flavoured coffee since high school. I’ve since grown some taste buds and can be a bit of a coffee snob at times. I watch the baristas when they pull my espresso shots, counting the seconds before they “die” in the cup. But this? Wow! I found these K-cups at Erin’s wedding shower, and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since! The raspberry smells heavenly, and the chocolate doesn’t overpower the coffee. It doesn’t taste fake. It tastes like a bite of chocolate-covered raspberry, washed down with coffee. Perfection :)
3. My infinity scarf!
photo courtesy of www.lululemon.com

I won’t lie – I’m not really a huge fan of lululemon anymore. The hype has worn off, and while their products are great, I hate that they’ve outsourced overseas at the expense of quality. Still the same price point as the early years, with a noticeable decline in quality even if it does still last a long time.

BUT! My sister bought me this scarf at Christmas, and rarely a day goes by that I don’t have it wrapped around me! It is about 4 feet by 18 inches, and snaps together on the ends. It is ridiculously soft, unbelievably warm, stretchy and versatile. I usually wear it like the model in the photo, but I can pull it up over my head as a hood, or wrap it like a shawl…I’ve even been shown how to make it into a sweet shrug/vest! Best. Christmas. Gift. Ever!!
It is also good for puppy-wearing my “neice”, Kina ;)
Our well water dries my hair out horribly. Add the ginger locks I was sporting this summer, and you have a rats’ nest of broken, damaged hair despite my stylist-sister’s best efforts. I only wash my hair twice a week (tops), but I condition it after every shower. The coconut oil helps, but Original Sprout’s Tahitian Hair Oil is my on-the-go favourite! Natasha introduced me to it after a Bikram class, and I fell in love. It’s like the lighter version of my coconut hair mask – I can run a pump or two through my wet hair after class, and my hair is lush and silky when it dries! I also use it for the bugz’ hair, because it tames their wild electrocution-style curls into soft princess locks.
courtesy of www.aholyexperience.com
I’ve read along as several bloggie friends have counted their blessings past 1000, and it was something that inspired my own Gratitude posts. This year, however, I decided to take the challenge of counting to one thousand (and beyond). There is a fabulous iPhone app that I downloaded to help me journal every little thing that I am grateful for, and I love it! I can enter simple text, or upload a photo. I am so lazy about pen-to-paper journalling, so this was a nice treat to discover :)
Oh, Instagram! I love this quirky photo app more than you will ever know! I never have my “good” camera with me, and I am so lazy about editing my own photos. I love having this instant photo fun in my purse at all times. Any of the uncredited photos in this post are from Instagram. If you have an iPhone, get it. It’s free, it’s fabulous, and it’s utterly addictive. Snap, layer on an effect, post. The community is fun as well!! And follow me – magzd :)
Now that my coconut oil has sat on my hair long enough (too long, actually!), it’s time for a shower and the rest of my Saturday! 
Happy weekend to all :)

While you were sleeping

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…I was wide awake._uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

Suffice it to say that my brain has been running on overload since Kit-kat’s blood work came back positive for Celiac disease. We will meet with a pediatric gastroenterologist on Wednesday for her pre-op consultation and find out what day they will do her biopsy to confirm.
C-boo is booked for a consultation as well, and hopefully some more testing, but Kit-kat gets the fast-track because of her blood work results.
In the meantime, I am trying to navigate the gluten-free water as best I can to prepare our home for this change. Reading, researching, planning…all while visions of scones and pastries dance through my head. The irony is not lost on me: as a confessed lover of all things wheat, I never in a million years thought my house would be the one to go gluten-free.
It feels overwhelming at best. At worst, I’ve cried in the shower, but just for a minute and more to relieve stress than feel pity. It’s not a horrible disease; it just requires planning and preparedness. If anything, it’s a forced healthy diet that more closely mimics what humans are meant to (and not meant to) eat by design. We really aren’t designed to eat grains, but they were so convenient to store and transport all those years ago.
The good news is that there is a world of excellent resources available, many of them local.
So while this new world settles into my head, I’m left wide awake, tossing and turning. I finally threw back my covers at about 3am and decided to be productive in my insomnia. I went through our fridge and pantries, sorting “NO” foods into two boxes: use as soon as possible, and unopened/donate to the Food Bank.
Because I buy so little processed food, my “donate” box is fairly small. A few unopened boxes of pasta, a bag of flour, some noodle soups…
My baking cupboard took a monster hit, but my plan is to do a whack of baking this week, and then freeze it and give it away. No sense in throwing out perfectly good food, so expect lots of oatmeal cookies and banana bread if you’re near me in the next few weeks ;)
(Bananas are safe…I just have a dozen of them in my freezer, so why not use up the flour with some banana bread?)
I went through the fridge and threw out anything gluten-y, and marked any condiments that may be contaminated with a big Sharpie “X” – I’ll make a list of them and replace them when we buy groceries.
My deep-freezer is a no-man’s land. It’s not even worth de-glutening. Every single thing in it has some sort of wheat, whether it’s baking, pasta, or the bag of whole wheat kernels from our food co-op. It will be my donations-to-family-and-friends box – everyone will get something!!
I knew I’d get rid of all that pumpkin baking somehow ;)
Next up is the list of actual kitchen supplies that will be getting tossed/donated and replaced. Can’t wait for that purge…!
Now that the kitchen is done for now, it’s time for me to curl up in a chair with a good book for a few hours until my bugz wake up :)