Springtime in November

Hi friends!

This is the first Saturday in a loooong time that I've actually managed to do a post on a Saturday. Great success!

I started my morning with some 'Om' time (see my post on my 'Om'-vember challenge here). Today's mantra was A Gift Resides in Every Moment

Loves it

Wine and Cheese

Has there ever existed a better combination?

I think not.

I was pretty zonked from my crazy work week, so I went over to a friends place to eat cheese, bread, meat and drink yummy vino. And watch trashy tv shows. It was perfect! And probably the reason why I managed to write a post today...gotta love easy-going Friday nights ;)

I also decided to bike to her place last night, which was the first time I got back on my bike since my little bike incident, and it felt amazing. So much better than just walking around! My friend even leant me her bike lights for my bike ride home since I am le lame and don't have any...although I do have reflectors! Safety first!

[Momster and popster, you'll be happy to know that I got back on the horse!]

My noble steed. In the dark. Woot!

Workout

It is a GORGEOUS day here in Ottawa, it feels like spring in November. For serious.

Although I usually save Sundays for my long run days, I laced up my shoes and went out for a gorgeous run along the canal. I was feeling a bit energized today, so I decided to do a little stair workout afterwards.

Since they weren't a very long set of stairs, I sprinted up and then took it easy on the way down - holding the railing - 20 times. A good little tempo workout.

I ran the rest of the way home and then did some core exercises. I definitely did not need such a think long sleeve - I was legit HOT by the end of it!

I'm off to a coffee shop now to do some research and planning for my upcoming trip - more on that soon!

Have a great day :)

Grown-Up Fire Alarm

Hi friends,

So...anyone joining me for the meditation challenge?! It's better late than never!

The centering thought from the meditation today was "Abundance flows easily and freely to me", with the mantra Sat Chit Ananda (Existence, consciousness, bliss). Doesn't that just make you want to meditation the heck out of that mantra?! I feel the same way ;)

Workout

I did a bit of a double-whammy today. I got up and felt like doing a little bit of something to get my heart pumping since I had a sneaking suspicion that I would be tied to my desk again today (spoiler alert: I was right) so I busted out the following:

30 squats
20 push-ups
30 sit-ups
1 min forearm plank
1 min wall sit
20 foreward lunges
100 jumping jacks

I stayed at work a bit late again today to finish up some Philippines stuff - my entire unit has a kind of hum to it from everyone busy with everything that has to do with Canada's response to Typhoon Haiyan - and only left at around 6:30. I was feeling a bit sluggish, so I had a nice power walk home.

Nothing like a cold walk with some good tunes to wake you up ;)

I had a quick snack when I got home, and then I did another bodyrock rep workout.

40 squats
30 full sit-ups (with feet elevated on a stability ball or chair)
20 push-ups
3 minute 'skip' (I don't have a jump rope, so I pretended...)
40 forward lunges
60 mountain climbers
20 push-ups
3 minute 'skip'
40 burpees 
30 bicycle abs
20 dive bombers

I did it in 19:50 - the burpees were the ones that killed me since I did a tuck jump in between each one, so I would do 10 in a row and have a little break. Let me know if you can beat my time ;)

Sweaty mess, messy room

Grown-Up Fire Alarm

When I came into work this morning and saw a pamphlet on my desk that had the heading 'EMERGENCY ESCAPE ROUTE' this morning, I had a feeling I knew what was in store for us today.

A grown-up fire alarm.

I'm glad I had some sort of warning since I had SO MUCH to do today, so I was running around like a bit of a mad woman trying to get as much done as possible before we were all forced out of the building and into the cold for an unknown amount of time. You can tell that your unit is busy when people start muttering something along the lines of 'can I just ignore the fire alarm and stay at my desk...its not like its a real fire, or anything' under their breath.

Anyway, it happened. And all of my fellow government workers were ushered out of the building and into the cold. I took it like a champ and went to a nearby coffee shop and chatted with some coworkers to pass the time. 

Slightly blurry pre-work selfie

Just a note to whoever organizes these things: please don't make us all leave the building in the middle of a crisis response, and please have the decency of doing it during the summer months next time. Preferably on a beautiful sunny day. Mkay thanksss

Hope you all have a great evening - I'm going to go cuddle up and watch a girly movie. The best way to re-coop after a mentally draining day.

A bientot!

'Om'-vember

Morning friends!

Hope you all had a wunderbar evening :)

I stayed up a bit late to finish up a report for work, but was glad that I did since my to-do list has been overflowing.

'Om'-vember

So, I am a big fan of Movember. Well, I'm a fan of the fact that is raises money for a good cause, although I have to admit that mustaches aren't exactly my fav...but I guess I can deal.

[Source]

Since I am unfortunately (thankfully?) not able to grow a mustache, I have decided to switch 'mo'-vember up a bit and do 'om'-vember instead.

See what I did there?

MOvember <--> OMvember

Ya, I switched it up.

What is 'Om'-vember, you ask? It is a month-long challenge where I am going to try and meditate every day, so that I set aside at least 20 minutes a day to get my 'om' on. And, yes, I realize this has nothing to do with mustaches or prostate cancer, but I kind of just like the way that they sound similar...*blonde moment*

I was initially just going to go with it and sit quietly for a certain amount of time every day, but then I stumbled across this and thought it would be a good way of introducing myself to a more consistent meditation practice: the Chopra Center Meditation 3 Week Challenge

I started it a few days ago, and am officially loving the guided meditations. Not only does Oprah give the opening comments, but Deepak Chopra has the most soothing voice of life, which is then followed by amazingly wonderful.

Yes, amazingly wonderful.

It is free to register for the 3 week challenge, and I would highly recommend that you try it out, even if its only a couple of times a week. The meditation recordings are available for five days after they go live, so you can still access the first one for another two days.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up and get your 'Om'-vember on ;)

[And donate to your fav Movember team here, because I'm sure we all know at least one guy who is doing it]

Have a great day!!